WWE might have changed their SummerSlam and WrestleMania 34 plans

We publish a whole lot of content here at Cageside Seats. We’re also [looks around and whispers so the bosses can’t hear] not the only place producing wrestling content on the internet. So, as a service to you on the weekdays, we’ll be producing a wrestling newsletter, "Rude Awakening." Well, it will be a newsletter eventually: for now, it’ll just be part of your experience here at Cageside, collecting the news, recaps, and social moments from the greater wrestling universe daily so you won’t fall behind, with a newsletter format to come.

We’ll just cut right to the chase here: this edition of Rude Awakening is going to deal with rumors, which means potential spoilers. So, if you don’t want to see that discussion, just start scrolling straight to the bullets below to catch up on what’s going on in the wrestling world.

Still here? Alright, so, rumors came out almost immediately following WrestleMania 33 that the plan for WrestleMania 34 was Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, in a rematch from Mania 31 — this time, without Seth Rollins cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase and taking the title for himself. In between, thanks to Braun Strowman’s rise and popularity and general awesomeness, we were likely to get Strowman vs. Lesnar at SummerSlam. It appears as if all of these plans have now been changed, and WWE is going to go in a number of different directions for both SummerSlam and Mania 34.

Dave Meltzer, in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, discussed how it now appears that the plan for Mania is Reigns vs. John Cena — hence the John Cena, Free Agent thing they’re promoting his return with. To get there, Reigns is going to have to face Lesnar sooner, and that would happen at SummerSlam, which is why Reigns challenged the winner of Lesnar vs. Joe on a recent episode of RAW.

These plans could still change (or change back), but if WWE stays the course with these main event plans, there’s a whole lot of shuffling that has to go on. Where does Samoa Joe go after feuding with Lesnar, especially given how over he’s gotten as a total badass in the lead-in to their match at Great Balls of Fire? Does this mean Braun Strowman is losing to Reigns in a feud that it seemed like he was going to win? Meltzer makes note of Joe specifically, saying he could be the reason plans change again, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

As is, we’re still two pay-per-views away from SummerSlam, and much further from the next Mania. But all of this gives fans plenty to think about in the meantime.

• Thursday’s Rumor Roundup includes word that WWE is filming additional Southpaw Regional Wrestling, and with new characters involved, too.
• NXT finished off a week of women’s main events in WWE with Asuka vs. Nikk Cross, and that match delivered.
• Sean Rueter had more on that match specifically for those interested, which should be all of you.
• Here’s a photo of the three wrestlers who have held the NXT Women’s Championship for the last two-and-a-half years.
• Ian Williams at Vice Sports writes about Cody Rhodes finally becoming the wrestler everyone wanted him to be.
• WWE’s strategy made for some awkward viewing, but apparently the Money in the Bank confusion and do-over made for good ratings for the blue brand.
• Chris Jericho returned to a WWE Live event in Singapore, and immediately turned heel.
• Here’s the full schedule of New Japan’s G1 Climax 27 matches.
• The stars of SmackDown are upset they don’t get to say “Balls” on TV all the time.
• One of WWE’s most significant problems is their babyface booking, but the promos heels deliver exacerbate the problem.
• Impact Wrestling officially acquired Global Force Wrestling, for whatever that is worth.
• David Otunga is lobbying for a match against LaVar Ball, which... we’re good. Right? Pretty sure we’re good.
• David Bixenspan wrote about how Netflix’s GLOW compares to the original.
• Another one of NXT women’s wrestlers got a new name.
• Jim Ross spoke on Daniel Bryan’s desire to wrestle again, and it is a sobering take.