The 5 Juiciest Rumors in WWE This Week

WWE is a crazy place right now. Superstars have suddenly departed, un-retired, come down with the mumps, and started a brand war.

With so much movement, WWE is kicking up plenty of dirt. WWE finds itself booking on the fly thanks to so many odd circumstances getting pack into such a short period of time. Now that WWE is being forced being progressively creative, some of their potential moves can’t help but slip out of WWE meeting rooms and into the vastness of the Internet.

And we here at Pop Culture love sifting through the ever-growing pile of rumors, whispers rumblings, and grumblings.

Like any rumor market, most of what surfaces turns out to be the proverbial Fake News. However, we’ve fished out the best of the worst and are ready to present the stories that are most likely to be true.

Given that they are still rumors, they could be debunked tomorrow, but as of this publication here are the 5 Juiciest Rumors in WWE This Week:

Big Match Kurt

After an impressive showing at WWE‘s TLC pay-per-view, it sounds like Kurt Angle may have earned himself more matches.

According to CageSideSeats, Angle will never be a full-time wrestler, however, WWE may be planning on using him for bigger shows. Specifically, the report mentions that Angle will be used at the “Big 4” pay-per-views, in the same way, that Triple H, Shane McMahon, and The Undertaker, have been employed in recent years.

The next “Big 4” pay-per-view is Survivor series, however, it looks like Angle won’t be having his own match. There is the possibility that he enters himself in the Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown match along with Shane McMahon, though. WWE appears to have left room for this to develop as neither brand has assembled their team yet.

Probability of WWE using Angle only for big shows: 5/5

Nikki Bella: SmackDown GM

While Season 2 of Total Bellas may have just wrapped up, a leaked storyline for Season 3 has some wide-reaching implications.

According to The Inquisitor, a narrative for the third installment of the Bella’s show will be centered around Nikki Bella’s attempt to become SmackDown’s General Manager. 

While this is highly speculative, it carries some decent logic. We know that Nikki is coming to back to WWE, but we can’t assume she’ll be carrying a heavy physical workload. As GM, she can be a regular on television while reserving the right to get rowdy if need be. On paper, this sounds like a fantastic idea.

Given her obvious connection to Daniel Bryan, it would be easy for him to hand over the reigns to his future sister-in-law.

Bryan’s WWE contract is believed to expire in September of 2018. While Nikki likely will have turned to WWE before then, we at least have the date that points out that Bryan’s future with WWE is finite. 

Probability of Nikki Bella replacing Daniel Bryan: 1.5/5

Rousey-Mania

When WWE went all in on Survivor Series being RAW vs. SmackDown, the original plan of Four Horsewomen vs. Four Horsewomen match for the November show was officially canceled. However, the concept of an MMA vs. WWE tag match is very much an alive.

A report from the Wrestling Observer claims that the 4-on-4 match featuring Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir vs. Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and Bayley has been moved to WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans. With WWE dedicating Survivor Series to brand warfare, there was just no room for this cross-promotional showdown. Even more, WWE believes that pushing the match to WrestleMania will allow ample time for the MMA competitors to fine-tune their wrestling skills.

Probability of Fourhorsewomen vs. Fourhorsewomen at ‘Mania: 5/5

Finn Balor Losing Opportunities

Ever since Balor was forced to hand over the Universal Championship, he and his fans have been adamant in reminding the world that he has yet to receive his obligatory rematch. 

But it may never be coming. 

Not long ago, news broke that Balor would surface as Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship opponent at the Royal Rumble. However, a report from CageSideSeats asserts that this match is officially under question as WWE may be planning to take Lesnar in a different direction. 

Probability Lesnar fight someone other than Finn Balor at the Rumble: 3.5/5

The Rock or Stone Cold to Play Role at Survivor Series?

WWE is clearly committed to giving Survivor Series a facelift. By adding a RAW vs. SmackDown theme, the pay-per-view is at least relevant. However, Vince McMahon is attempting to make the November show unforgettable.

According to the Wrestling Observer, the WWE boss is currently pursuing The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to be the Special Guest Referee for the Brock Lesnar vs. Jinder Mahal Survivor Series main event. There is no word as to how close this is to happen, but we can assume it’s a complicated situation. The Observer notes that if Rock or Austin does participate it won’t be used as a launching point for a return match, rather it will be the way to boost intrigue for the show.

This comes on the heels of a story that asserted John Cena would be playing the role of Special Guest Referee for Lesnar vs. Mahal. Cena, like Rock, possesses a demanding Hollywood schedule as a number of obligations have already contributed to him not having a match on the card.

However, if Cena is involved, it’s likely that WWE will use it as a starting point for a long-term feud between he and WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal.