Rumor Roundup for Tuesday, April 23: The Shield, Zack Ryder, Stone Cold, and 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 will be taking 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:

• Is there a fourth member of the Shield coming soon? WWE.com seems to be suggesting that there is. Though the article mentions several members of the current WWE roster (Brock Lesnar, Big Show, Jack Swagger) as possibilities, rumor chatter suggests it is more likely a current NXT star about to get the call up. There are certainly several stars in the making in WWE's development program as possible options.
• Speaking of the Shield, they apparently pulled double duty yesterday (April 22.) They wrestled a match against the New Age Outlaws and Sheamus at the Smackdown house show in Cardiff, Wales, then flew to London for the evening Raw taping.
• If the character change Zack Ryder has been hinting at is legit, it might be too little, too late. It is believed that a heel turn is unlikely, as WWE has a stockpile of mid card heels who WWE creative simply can't find room for. (In fact, the lack of proper faces to feud with has long been rumored as a reason behind the stagnation of the briefly-revived tag team division.)
  
• The small flicker of hope that Stone Cold Steve Austin will be wrestling a match at next year's WrestleMania 30 continues to burn. MMA fighter Paul Lazenby, a close friend of Austin's, claimed in an interview that Austin is in great shape despite multiple surgeries in recent years and would consider a return to the ring for the "right offer." Jim Ross was quick to dismiss this news in his blog, stating that Austin has always been a gym rat and that old habits die hard. Until that event comes and goes with Austin nowhere to be found, expect these type of rumors to continue.
• In a bit of TNA news, Bobby Roode admitted that he had other "opportunities" available to him after his contract expired in early 2013. He didn't give any specifics, only that TNA wanted him back enough to work out a new deal quickly. It's fun to speculate though, how well would Roode, the longest reigning TNA champion in company history, have worked out in WWE?

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.