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Welcome to the weekly Rumor Look Back, where we look at the rumors from six months ago and see which played out as originally stated. Let’s jump right to it.
- On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said there’s at least some belief The Elite’s usage of “Carry on Wayward Son” as a theme, specifically the lyrics, was a shot at CM Punk. He later said they had already decided to use the theme before that whole situation happened.
- So there were two sides of it - yes it’s about Punk and no it was in the works prior. (1/2)
- Meltzer also says there were “several of the most influential wrestlers” who had an idea for a finish for the MJF title win over Jon Moxley but Tony Khan really wanted to keep the idea he had, which was what they went with.
- Unfortunately, what they went with didn’t end up working too well given William Regal betrayed the BCC and then left soon after. It was all quite weird to kick off the title reign of MJF. Regal turned on BCC. But the MJF turned on Regal. And then Regal left so they couldn’t properly follow up on it.
- Members of the House of Black, Malakai and Buddy Matthews, were in Newark for Full Gear, according to Fightful Select.
- The House of Black returned just days later.
- He never appeared on the show or was hinted at but Fightful also says Marko Stunt was in town for Full Gear this past weekend. No word on if anything may come of it.
- Unlike the House of Black, Marko has not found his way back in AEW.
- The Von Erichs biopic The Iron Claw that MJF is involved in will be set during the 1980s and likely include someone playing Ric Flair, per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
- This should be a fun one.
- Because a hint of what appears to be blue hair can be seen in WWE’s graphic for the mystery member of Bianca Belair’s WarGames team, there’s been speculation (amplified by GiveMeSport’s Louis Dangoor and others) Sasha Banks will make her return at Survivor Series this Saturday in Boston.
- She most certainly did not. (0/1)
- Meanwhile, Fightful Select says Becky Lynch is expected back soon. The site reminds us that plans change, but “Lynch was discussed and planned as the fifth partner in the Survivor Series WarGames match that has been speculated for quite some time.”
- Lynch was back for WarGames. (1/1)
- Another social media post got fans talking yesterday when Andrade El Ídolo posted an Instagram with the caption, “I just want to say thank you!!! Bye” in English and Spanish. While there’s obviously been some interpreting that to mean he’s done with AEW, others point out that the black mask he uses during entrances was in all the pictures and think he may just be referring to that/working the internet.
- He surely isn’t done with AEW.
- WWE has given a verbal commitment to Nashville that the city will host 2027’s WrestleMania 43 as long as a proposed enclosed stadium is built in time, per The Tennessean. The newspaper’s report claims ‘Mania was part of the pitch to the Metropolitan Council of Nashville & Davidson County for the $2.1 billion venue that will be the home field of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.
- That’s a bit of a ways away.
- WWE issued a statement in response to the report praising Nashville and saying it looks forward to “hosting many events in partnership with the great city of Nashville at the proposed enclosed stadium.”
- Nashville was a good host of last year’s SummerSlam.
- Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer now says The Elite will use Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son” as their entrance music, but only for trios and not Kenny Omega singles or Young Bucks tag matches.
- That’s accurate. It’s a fun tune. (1/1)
- PW Insider says Becky Lynch is, in fact, slated to be at Survivor Series this weekend and the belief remains that she will be the fifth member of Team Bianca Belair.
- That was the case. (1/1)
- They also say they’ve heard nothing about Naomi, Sasha Banks, or Charlotte Flair related to Survivor Series. Michelle McCool, Undertaker, and Maryse are all expected to be there this weekend backstage.
- Naomi and Sasha never returned. Charlotte did but not as part of this show.
- On Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez said that despite his heel promo on Raw this week, Seth Rollins is listed as a babyface on WWE’s internal roster.
- That’s been his alignment. (1/1)
- On NBC’s Today show, Montez Ford said he “should be back pretty soon” from the calf injury that has kept him sidelined since September.
- He wrestled on Nov. 28. (1/1)
- A&E has been working on WWE Biography episodes that will debut in January 2023, per PW Insider. Among them: Iron Sheik, Kane, Randy Orton, Paige, Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, and Jesse Ventura.
- Looks like Ricky, Randy, & Jesse haven’t had an episode yet but the others did.
- There’s been increased speculation that Cody Rhodes’ WWE return is imminent after Brandi Rhodes told The Ten Count’s Steve Fall that her husband “looks like the same Cody to me... he looks ready to me, but I’m not a doctor.”
- It was at the Royal Rumble - not that imminent. (0/1)
- Finn Balor’s improved standing with Triple H in charge of creative is no coincidence, WrestleVotes tells GiveMeSport. Balor was one of the first big names The Game signed, and the two men have always worked well together, so “Hunter sees almost like a reclamation project, but one that he can get behind because of their personal relationship.”
- Finn has been doing great in Judgment Day, and he had a featured Mania match, but I wouldn’t call him a main event guy right now.
- A WWE Superstar was considered for a role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, according to Fightful Select: “Sources familiar with the situation say that Damian Priest was asked to read for the role of Namor, one of the most heavily featured roles in the film, or one of the other featured members of Talokan.”
- Does Priest have any acting experience?
- Wrestling Observer notes that SmackDown will air on FS1 next Friday (Dec. 2) because the PAC-12 College Football Championship will be on FOX.
- It was an FS1 show. (1/1)
- WWE trademarked the term “Valhalla”, in reference to the Viking Raiders and Sarah Logan.
- That is her name in WWE. (1/1)
- Chris Jericho also recently trademarked “Christory”, “This Day in Christory”, and “Seltzer Man”.
- That man will have a random thought and trademark it.
- According to Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer, there are “people close to CM Punk” who were “not happy” with the trios match on Dynamite where The Elite trolled Punk in Chicago.
- To be fair, it doesn’t seem like Punk is ever happy.
- F4WOnline’s Bryan Alvarez claims that even though it looked like Bobby Lashley turned heel earlier this month, he is listed in the babyface column on WWE’s internal roster.
- I would say this is accurate but he felt very back and forth around this time. (1/1)
- Alvarez shot down the rumor that William Regal is leaving AEW to go back to WWE. Speculation spread about Regal’s future after Jon Moxley told Regal to leave and never come back on Dynamite. Alvarez stated that Regal is “gonna be back” and “this was not him leaving AEW.”
- William Regal left AEW to go back to WWE. (0/1)
- Meltzer indicated that Thunder Rosa is expected to be back in AEW around February.
- Not to wrestle. (0/1)
- He added that AEW’s mentality is to use an interim title if the champion is expected to be out “a few months.” But if the champion is going to be out six months or longer, they won’t use an interim title.
- I know it’s used it real fighting but I think it’s an awful tool in pro wrestling.
- Per Fightful Select, Scorpio Sky has been cleared to return to the ring for “quite some time,” but AEW creative has nothing for him.
- It’s been six months. Is that still the case?
- According to Fightful Select, Randy Orton recently had fusion surgery on his lower back and is not expected to return to WWE any time soon.
- We’re still waiting on Randy. (1/1)
- Wrestling Observer Live’s Bryan Alvarez shot down speculation that The Elite trolling CM Punk on Dynamite is part of an angle that is leading to Punk’s return. As of right now, there are no plans for Punk to return to AEW television.
- I would say this was accurate at the time. And it doesn’t sound like he’ll be interacting with the Elite much if he does return for Collision. (1/1)
- Alvarez claimed that The Elite didn’t plan out spots ahead of time to irritate the fans in Chicago; they were just responding to the booing fans in the moment.
- They’re good enough to make these calls on their feet.
- Logan Paul posted a video on his YouTube channel where his doctor said he suffered a grade three tear of his MCL at WWE Crown Jewel and it will require at least six weeks to fully heal.
- Logan was out until WrestleMania season.
- After recent rumors about WWE moving away from PLEs tied to a match type, multiple higher ups at the company told Fightful Select that although it’s not impossible they could ditch the Money in the Bank show next year and put the ladder matches on WrestleMania, it hasn’t been discussed yet.
- They are still running Money in the Bank as their own show. Given there’s a women’s and a men’s ladder match now, it pretty much has to be. (0/1)
- After Dante Martin’s injury scare at the Rampage taping in Chicago this week, Anthony Bowens tweeted a photo of The Acclaimed & Top Flight (with a very funny caption) and told a fan that Dante’s “fine, thankfully.”
- Unfortunately, Dante and his brother are often injured. Dante is out currently because of a gruesome injury from March.
This week: 11/17 - 65%
Overall: 4,577/8,017 - 57.1%
Have a great week, everyone!
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