Rumor Roundup for Friday, December 13: NXT News, Dolph Ziggler being punished? More!

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:

• We have previously mentioned that current NXTer Kalisto, the former Samuray del Sol, is high on the list of developmental talents who could be called up to the main roster soon. This had some scratching their heads as Kalisto has barely even shown on NXT programming. When reports started coming out that the original Sin Cara (the former Mistico) was likely done in WWE, but WWE wanted to keep the Sin Cara character going, some made the connection between Kalisto potentially playing Sin Cara. This is apparently looking closer to reality, with Kalisto potentially taking over the Sin Cara character (currently being filled by Hunico) by the time of WrestleMania XXX for a "passing of the torch" match between he and Rey Mysterio. If this is the route WWE decides to go, the transition would likely be a smooth one for Kalisto, who is already well versed in Sin Cara's lucha style and brings the added benefit of having been born in America, eliminating some of the language barrier issues of his predecessor.
• Speaking of NXT talents who may be called up, WWE officials were reportedly pleased with the performance NXT women's champion Paige put on when defending her title against Natalya on a recent episode of NXT. That match was said to be a test of Paige's readiness for competing against main roster talent full time. Some backstage are said to have been pushing for Paige to be called up for months now, but WWE is said to have an unwritten rule that states talent must be 21 years old before traveling with the main roster. Paige turned 21 at the end of the summer.
• There has been talk since the summer that Dolph Ziggler is being punished by WWE officials for reasons ranging from comments he made during SummerSlam promotions to the way he carries himself backstage.Indeed, he has fallen from World Heavyweight champion to mid-card jobber. However, don't ask Jim Ross if Ziggler is being punished. In his blog, Ross said something we should all keep in mind in regards to rumors about talent being punished: if WWE was truly punishing someone, that person would not be on TV at all. They'd simply be allowed to fade into obscurity. This holds true for past rumors which suggested that the Shield and Ryback all had backstage heat and were set to be punished, only for them to placed into even higher positions on the card. (The Shield as main event enforcers for the Authority, and Ryback with Paul Heyman, then in contending tag team with Curtis Axel.)
  
• WWE is currently holding a training camp at their performance center in Florida, scouting new talent to potentially sign to developmental deals. The biggest name present at the camp is said to be Dragon Gate and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla mainstay Ricochet.

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.