Rumor Roundup for Wednesday, July 10 - Ultimate Warrior, Kane, Wyatts, 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 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 we noted on Monday, WWE is teasing that Ultimate Warrior will be a character in WWE 2K14. Now, it is all but confirmed. The official WWE 2K Twitter account made two posts yesterday, the first teasing that someone will be making his first appearance in franchise history, along with the hashtag "#BecomeImmortal." Later, another tweet followed stating that the mystery character wore face paint. Both were accompanied by close up photos of bulging muscles that closely match Warrior's skin tone. Warrior's inclusion in the game will likely start the rumors that he is destined for the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014. A variety of issues including fallout with WWE brass, disagreements over money, and WWE not trusting Warrior with a live mic in front of his face, have conspired to keep him away from the Hall so far.
  
• WWE.com is playing up the (kayfabe) injuries sustained by Kane during the attack by the Wyatt Family on Monday's (July 8) Raw. There is a definite belief that this was done to begin a storyline between the "Big Red Monster" and the Wyatt's, while also knocking Kane out of the "red" Money in the Bank ladder match. If Kane does not participate, he is not expected to be replaced in the match. It will continue with just six superstars participating.
  
• Speaking of the Wyatts, WWE officials were reportedly very happy with the "family's" debut. The time slot for their debut is usually one of the worst in terms of ratings for a given episode of Raw, and the hope was that teasing the Wyatts would keep fans tuned in. (I know it worked for some CSSers.)
• Reports from fans in attendance at Raw in Baltimore stated that Nikki Bella came to the announce booth prior to the Divas tag team match on crutches. There is no word on the injury she is dealing with, as WWE is believed to be keeping it on the down low due to her presence on the upcoming Total Divas show.
• Wrestlers released from a promotion generally take whatever chances they can to air any dirty laundry they had with that company in the time after. Joey Ryan, formerly of TNA, has bucked the trend by continuing to take the high road. He was gracious for the opportunity TNA gave him following his release, and has continued to defend the company. Ryan disputed the rumors of TNA employees being paid late, stating in an interview that he never received a late payment. He also blamed the lack of TV opportunities in TNA (compared to the almost excessive TV time that WWE has to fill) as the reason why fewer new stars were created there rather than blaming anyone for holding back the younger talent.
  

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.