Speculating on the rumors surrounding pro wrestling is a favored pastime of many fans, perhaps second only to actually watching the matches. In this daily column, we take a look at the latest rumors being churned out by the pro wrestling rumor mill.
Important reminder: Rumors are just that -- rumors. None of this has been confirmed as legitimate news or fact; so remember to take it all with a grain of salt.
Rumors for the Day:
- As of this writing, all signs are that Randy Orton will be leaving the titular match at Elimination Chamber as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Many have taken his extremely weak booking over the past few weeks (losing matches to Daniel Bryan, John Cena, and
AntonioCesaro cleanly) as a sign that WWE may be taking the title off of him. This does not appear to be the case, however. It appears to be a case where WWE has taken their practice of booking the pay per view winner weakly on the "go home" show and extending to the several weeks in advance. They're making it seem believable that Orton is likely to lose his title. While Daniel Bryan could still be inserted into the WrestleMania XXX title match, as has been rumored, it appears that Orton will be entering that match as champion.
- As mentioned over the weekend, the reason WWE dropped "Antonio" from Cesaro's name is because Vince McMahon doesn't feel that "Antonio" is a strong enough name for a title challenger. The fact that Vince McMahon himself has taken an interest in Cesaro's development should be seen as a very positive sign for his fans. Cesaro has essentially undergone a slow face turn over the past several weeks and there is a feeling that he will be pushed more over the next year. Where exactly he'll fit in with other pushes supposed to be going to Roman Reigns and Big E, along with there still needing to be space for all of the other standard main-eventers is still a major question. Still, it is definitely a good sign for Cesaro.
- Batista wrestled a non-Royal Rumble match for the first time since returning at a house show in Phoenix, AZ this weekend. He defeated Alberto Del Rio via DQ when Del Rio attacked him with a chair. The other matches at the show sounded like pretty standard fare, with the most interesting perhaps being a Big E vs. Ryback for the Intercontinental title. We know that Big E is set to defend his title at Elimination Chamber vs. Jack Swagger, but WWE will often try out potential feuds at house shows before bringing them to television. Would a WrestleMania XXX hoss fight between Ryback and Big E interest anyone?
- A match between Eva Marie and Alicia Fox was, in fact, cut from last Friday's SmackDown showing. Reports from those in attendance at the show said it was an extremely bad match, and the crowd soured on it rather quickly.
- In TNA news, some have joked that TNA allowing Jeff Hardy to go on as his "Willow the Wisp" character is just TNA's second-rate attempt to duplicate the success WWE has had with Bray Wyatt. Well, those doing the joking may actually be correct. Though TNA would certainly never admit it, it does appear that they will attempt to have "Willow" go down the Bray Wyatt path. He's already debuted via a hellishly creepy vignette in which he gave off a similar "southern Gothic" vibe to Wyatt.
If you have heard of any interesting rumors that you'd like to add, feel free to post them in the comments section below. Please remember, these are merely rumors. Try not to take them too seriously, just have fun with them.