Rumor Roundup for Friday, September 20 - Punk, Henry, NXT, TNA, 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:

• Following up on yesterday's story about CM Punk nursing injuries and missing time, WWE has announced that he will return on next week's Raw from Punk's hometown of Chicago, IL. Mark Henry is also expected to return very soon after suffering a hamstring injury, possibly at that same show.
• There has been talk of WWE taking NXT house shows on the road outside of Florida in the near future. While this is part of WWE's long term plans for the show, it is not expected to happen until next year after WrestleMania 30.
• WWE has signed former OVW, FCW, and (WWE's) ECW wrestler Shawn Spears to an NXT developmental contract. His previous run with the company ended in 2009.
• TNA and Mickie James have reportedly failed to come to an agreement on a new contract after James' contract expired last week. James is expected to review her options and is reportedly interested in a return to WWE if the opportunity is there. Unfortunately for her, James' last run in WWE ended with a firing reportedly due to numerous behavior issues which would seem to lessen WWE's interest in bringing her back. A return to TNA is also not out of the question, but talks have broken off for now.
• We've previously mentioned that Hulk Hogan's contract is set to expire on October 1. It turns out that his buddy, Eric Bischoff, is also set to have his contract expire "within the next couple of months."
• While an exact date has not yet been set for Kurt Angle's return to TNA after spending time in rehab, it is expected that he will return soon in order to set up a match at Bound for Glory October 20, where he will also be inducted into the TNA hall of fame. That only gives TNA two more tapings for Angle to make his return.

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.