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Welcome to the Rumor Look Back, where we go back six months and see how the rumors we were fretting about played out. Before we get to it, I need to reverse a couple rumors and take care of a few outstanding ones.
I graded two rumors about SmackDown changing when they move to USA as incorrect that I’ve decided to reverse since the brand split has given the show more importance. There was one in this Look Back about them putting major angles on the show that is now correct and one here about significant changes, and with them tinkering with the format (with things like Renee Young’s backstage area), new graphics, and the split, that is correct as well. (+2)
- When SmackDown moves to the USA Network next year, apparently we can expect WWE to start acknowledging both of its weekly programs in an increased creative effort to both build and payoff one another.
- With the brand split, this is in fact correct... kind of. They don’t technically pay each other off because they are separated but they do acknowledge both so I’ll grade it as correct. (1/1)
- Tyson Kidd may have suffered a serious neck injury and may be out for over a year.
- Unfortunately, it has been over a year with no word on him coming back soon. (1/1)
- According to the Observer, the plan is for WWE and Tapout to roll out their partnership in January.
- It was actually this April. (0/1)
- There’s a mentality that SmackDown on SyFy is a lame duck show which is why it’s been so creatively bankrupt as of late. That may change as it goes to USA.
- It did change with the brand split. (1/1)
And now onto this week’s rumors.
- The plan now is for Roman Reigns to win the Fastlane triple threat match against Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar to go on to main event WrestleMania.
- That’s what happened. (1/1)
- It’s looking like Ric Flair’s run alongside Charlotte will be ending shortly after WrestleMania
- Charlotte kicked good ol’ dad to the curb on May 23 in a somewhat awkward segment. (1/1)
- Stardust vs. Stephen Amell is likely going to happen at WrestleMania 32 according to the Observer.
- Amell hasn’t had any involvement in WWE since last year’s SummerSlam. (0/1)
- Although Cameron teamed up with Naomi & Tamina at a house show this past weekend, there are apparently no current plans for her to replace Sasha Banks in Team B.A.D. nor reunite with Naomi on WWE television.
- She didn’t team up with them and was released a couple months later. (1/1)
- There will be an episode of Pawn Stars coming up involving a WWE Hall of Fame ring.
- This isn’t much of a rumor because there was already video out about it, but I found it interesting enough to include. It included Paul Bearer’s ring and you can watch it here.
- Rey Mysterio's pay issues with AAA have gotten so bad that he's expected to exit Lucha Underground after the one season he agreed to. Friends and close associates expect him to back in WWE by SummerSlam.
- He is in season 3. So he’s not yet back in WWE and SummerSlam is tonight. (0/2)
- Sunday's Edge & Christian segment at Fastlane may be a way to introduce Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady to the main roster as immediate challengers for New Day's tag titles.
- Man, was everyone upset when this wasn’t the case. It was a segment that started a lackluster New Day/League of Nations feud that ended with Christian chanting “Watch our show!” in the New Day Rocks cadence since E&C’s network show aired after the PPV. (0/1)
- Back to the Titus O'Neil suspension, Triple H and Joey Mercury are supposedly the two people who talked Vince McMahon down from firing Titus on the spot for his arm-grab after Daniel Bryan's retirement ceremony.
- Cooler heads prevailed on this one.
- AJ Styles’ merchandise has been selling well so expect some AJ Styles gloves and at least one more shirt prior to WrestleMania.
- I wonder if the Y2AJ shirt counts. (There were also gloves.) (1/1)
- The word going around on Wade Barrett's decision not to re-sign with WWE is a combination of injury issues and unhappiness with his never advancing beyond Intercontinental title level.
- He left in May. He’s currently working on a movie, according to his Twitter.
- Finn Bálor is looking at a main roster call up by the end of 2016, even though there’s a push to keep him in NXT as the top star of the brand.
- He got called up at the brand split and could possibly be headlining SummerSlam tonight. (1/1)
- Samoa Joe, meanwhile, is apparently headed for the main roster sooner rather than later. In fact, the post-WrestleMania 32 episode of Raw could see multiple NXT call ups debuting.
- Samoa Joe is still down in NXT six months later. Maybe soon since he dropped the NXT title to Shinsuke Nakamura last night. There were some call ups the day after Mania though, including Apollo Crews and Enzo and Big Cass. (1/2)
- The goal of the Global Cruiserweight Series that WWE is holding this summer is to make it a yearly big money event.
- We’ll see next year, though with Raw getting a bunch of the cruiserweights after the CWC is over, we’ll see how feasible it is.
- The Observer notes that WWE has an opponent penciled in for Undertaker at WrestleMania 32 right now but that opponent isn't on the roster at the moment and it's not John Cena, Kevin Owens, Brock Lesnar, nor Braun Strowman. It could be Sting or someone from NXT.
- The first part is correct. It was someone not on the roster in Shane McMahon. The second part is wrong because Shane is neither Sting nor in NXT. (1/2)
- Wade Barrett may not be working in pro-wrestling after he leaves WWE.
- He’s doing a movie now, but we’ll need to give this a bit more time to see if he doesn’t show up in TNA or an indie in the next few months.
- According to the Observer, there are plans for two Divas’ matches at WrestleMania 32.
- If you take into account the pre-show, this is correct. Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte had a main roster triple threat match for the Women’s title. The Total Divas took on the short lived Bad and Blonde on the pre-show. (1/1)
- While it's expected WWE will set up Brock Lesnar vs. Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 32 at Fastlane this weekend, that doesn't necessarily mean The Wyatt Family will interfere in Brock's match against Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose.
- Lesnar/Wyatt wasn’t set up because that wasn’t the match at WrestleMania. Brock faced Dean Ambrose and was apparently rather lazy in what he was willing to do. (0/1)
- According to the Observer, Rey Mysterio is with Lucha Underground for two seasons, and his deal is such that if he returns to WWE it likely wouldn't be until the summer of 2017.
- We’re going to be sitting on these Mysterio to WWE for a long time.
- Mark Henry won’t be out of action for long and will surely be on WrestleMania 32, likely in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal.
- He was back by Mania to be in the Andre. (2/2)
- The Global Cruiserweight Series may be how WWE introduces La Sombra.
- Andrade “Cien” Almas debuted on the last TakeOver in a win against fan favorite Tye Dillinger. His debut hasn’t been the most successful and he had to go against Glorious Bobby Roode last night. The crowd was clearly more into Glorious Bobby, who defeated the former La Sombra. (0/1)
- As of now, it looks like Fastlane won’t involve any major title changes.
- Every title stayed with the current holder. The WWE title wasn’t defended. (1/1)
- The list of legends expected to be involved with WrestleMania 32 includes The Rock, Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, and possibly a couple more.
- They were all involved (and also Mick Foley). (4/4)
- The Observer notes that although there’s a listing advertising Brock Lesnar for SmackDown next week, that’s not the plan.
- He was not on that show. Brock doesn’t work many SmackDowns, though he showed up to F5 Randy Orton the other week. (1/1)
- WWE notes that the WWE Network show from Toronto in March will feature a number of NXT talent.
- This became the Roadblock event. It had Enzo and Cass (with Carmella) vs. the Revival. That was it. While I think “a number of” implies more than this, I’ll mark it as correct. (1/1)
- The WWE.com redesign will apply to WWEShop.com in a few weeks.
- While I don’t know the exact time table, the WWEShop site was changed. (1/1)
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This Week: 18/26 - 69%
Overall: 1,017/1,912 - 53.1%
Have a great week, everyone!