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Welcome to the Weekly Look Back, where we look back at rumors from six months ago to see if they played out like predicted. Let’s get started.
Despite Raw ratings being poor, Vince is not yet panicked. There are apparently others within the company, however, who think there need to be some big changes.
It’s an interesting time, where TV, and especially live TV, is not nearly as popular as it once was. However, even given that, the ratings should be better. I think the poor post Mania Raw numbers were evidence of more than just people not watching TV as much. While the brand split will help SmackDown, I don’t think it’ll have any bearing on Raw.
There’s already talk about Brock Lesnar being in the Royal Rumble. If he does, there are some who think he will be the winner.
He was in there, but he did not win due to Wyatt Family interference. Triple H did. (1/2)
The majority of the TLC PPV is expected to be made clear by the end of Raw tonight, with no major surprises expected.
Only one match was announced this Raw (a triple threat tag team match with the New Day, Lucha Dragons, and Usos). The WWE title match and Intercontinental title match was already known going into this show. Five matches had not been officially announced. (0/1)
The Observer notes that WWE will announce that Minneapolis will host WrestleMania 33 when they are there for the Slammy Awards in December.
They didn’t. Orlando is hosting 33. (0/1)
ESPN will apparently be allowed to use WWE footage for their 30 for 30 documentary on Ric Flair.
I totally believe this will be true since WWE has a very good relationship with ESPN. But since it has not come out yet and I have not seen word since this, I’ll put this in the outstanding column.
Special November 30 Raw Rumors
Ric Flair is at Raw and rumor is that he’ll be doing something with Charlotte to set up her next title defense against Paige. Word has it their match could be a ladder match, the first in WWE history between two women.
RIc was there, but Charlotte actually wrestled Becky, slowly starting that rivalry. They did not set up the TLC title match. The title match happened, but it was not a ladder match. (1/3)
Finn Balor and Baron Corbin are backstage, but no word if it means dark matches, filming for a C show, or to be on the show.
Just them being backstage doesn’t imply they’ll be on the show so I don’t grade these. (They weren’t on the show obviously.) Corbin has since debuted. We’re still waiting on Finn.
Multiple sources report there is a big angle that will kick off Raw and that’s specifically to combat poor ratings.
The opening segment was the New Day congratulating Sheamus for his title win. Reigns eventually laid out Sheamus. That’s not a big angle at all. There were zero big angles on this show. (0/1)
There’s also chatter that Ric Flair could be involved in a "big non-divas angle."
He wasn’t. (0/1)
Mick Foley recently teased an angle that he wants to do that would "advance a few of the under utilized athletes on the roster." However he says it probably won’t happen because he’d want to work without a script, which isn’t allowed in today’s WWE.
Yeah, he didn’t end up doing anything except for popping up here and there, mainly to give stuff to Dean Ambrose.
Despite increased security precautions still in place following the Anonymous report that Survivor Series was an ISIS target, Sheamus still got hit in the head with a bottle at a house show in West Virginia.
Stop throwing stuff at performers, people. It’s not the 90s any more.
In news that may give us an idea of his participation in WrestleMania 32, the Rock is teasing some "business" later this week.
I did a Google search for "The Rock" between 12/1 and 12/10 and it yielded no announcements. (0/1)
A new rumored WrestleMania 32 match going around is Brock Lensar vs. Kevin Owens.
That did not happen. Brock faced Dean Ambrose while Kevin Owens unsuccessfully defended his Intercontinental title in a multi-man ladder match. (0/1)
Ryback saying in his promo that Ziggler and Lana "went all the way" was in the script. Lana wasn’t told about it prior and it was a "double cross line."
Sigh. While unconfirmed I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m not entirely sure what a "double cross line" is though.
Court Bauer is claiming WWE may have some interest in Shinsuke Nakamura.
Nakamura signed with the company. He debuted at NXT in Dallas and next Wednesday will be facing Austin Aries at TakeOver. (1/1)
WWE may officially start calling Roman Reigns, the Usos, and Dean Ambrose "The Family."
Yeah, they called them that for a bit. Now they’re the Bloodline, though that faction doesn’t include Dean Ambrose
Nikki Bella is expected to return to TV by the end of the year.
She won a Slammy, but I don’t take this rumor to mean that. I take it to mean she’ll be back in an active sense. And that she was not. (0/1)
WWE may be planning to add another wrestler (or more) to the Charlotte/Paige match at TLC.
They didn’t. It was in essence a heel vs. heel match so perhaps adding Becky as the true blue babyface would have made that match feel less awkward. (0/1)
SEScoops is reporting that WWE is bringing Dewey Foley in to assist with creative. Apparently he’ll start some time next year.
Mick confirmed it on his Facebook the next day. (1/1)
According to the Observer, Rey Mysterio isn’t expected to work many dates for Triple A in 2016. WWE is still interested in bringing him back.
I’ll put this on ice and I can at least look at what he did in Triple A at the end of this year.
The lines about NXT from Raw apparently came from Vince. They were meant to differentiate between the two promotions.
The line that I remember is Charlotte telling Becky "This isn’t NXT" when she cheated to win. That sounds more like making sure everyone knows Raw is the big leagues more than differentiation.
Alberto Del Rio and Zeb Colter won’t be together much longer. There are plans for Del Rio in 2016 and they don’t involve Colter.
Del Rio dumped Colter the next Raw and this year, Colter was released. I don’t know what "plans" for 2016 WWE have for Alberto though. (1/1)
The expectation is that Sami Zayn will wrestle the NXT UK tour, but that won’t involve TakeOver: London.
This is true on both accounts. (2/2)
WWE is interested in bringing in Jay Lethal. His contract with Ring of Honor is expiring soon.
Jay Lethal ended up re-signing with ROH. While maybe they’ll get him in the future, given the fact he opted to re-up with Ring of Honor, I’m marking this as a negative. (0/1)
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This Week: 7/19 - 37%
November 2015: 45/83 - 54%
Overall: 841/1600 - 52.6%
Have a great week, everyone.