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Welcome to the weekly Rumor Look Back, where we look at the rumors from six months ago and see which played out as originally predicted. But first let’s knock off some outstanding rumors.
- The reason Brock Lesnar pinned Roman Reigns at SummerSlam was because WWE once again has planned for the reverse to happen in the main event of WrestleMania 34.
- Nope! (0/1)
- Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax is still the long term plan.
- It was the WrestleMania match. (1/1)
- While they knew Braun Strowman was the hot act heading into No Mercy, according to Wrestling Observer WWE stuck to its original booking as part of the long term plan for Brock Lesnar to put over Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34.
- Lesnar won that match at WrestleMania 34. (0/1)
Onto this week’s rumors:
- Look for SmackDown to possibly build toward a Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. Shane McMahon and AJ Styles match for Survivor Series.
- This did not happen. KO and Zayn weren’t on the card as they didn’t qualify for the Survivor Series team. Shane led his team against Raw, who he attacked to incite the rivalry. AJ had a non-title exhibition against Brock Lesnar. (0/1)
- When he returns from injury, Samoa Joe could be feuding with Braun Strowman and Finn Bálor.
- He didn’t feud with either. It was mainly Shield/Roman until he got hurt again. He’s back now and feuding with Reigns again. (0/2)
- Asuka’s match at TLC will likely either be a squash of Emma or Alicia Fox, or a tag match where she teams with Bayley and Sasha Banks against Emma, Fox and Nia Jax.
- I’m going to mark this as incorrect as it was neither. She faced Emma, but it was by no means a squash. (0/1)
- Some social media posts, along with her absence from television and increased work outside the company, has led to increased speculation Summer Rae is done with WWE.
- This was a correct rumor, despite what anyone tells ya. (1/1)
- Evolve has been teasing a major change in the wake of their fallout with FloSports, and there’s talk it could involve an even closer relationship with WWE.
- I had to check with our EVOLVE expert Reverend Claire. She told me this is accurate on both accords with a different shows format and a closer relationship with WWE, though the causality may not be there. (2/2)
- After Survivor Series (and one or both men being involved in a Team Shane vs. Team Owens match), AJ Styles is being considered as the next challenger for Jinder Mahal’s WWE title.
- This is true in the sense they faced each other after Survivor Series. However the Team Owens vs. Team Shane match did not happen. (1/2)
- Bray Wyatt was not on this weekend’s house show circuit, which prompted some injury speculation, but Wrestling Observer says that’s not the case. It’s more likely he’s being kept under wraps until the in-ring reveal of the Sister Abigail gimmick.
- We never learned what they were doing with that. As of now Sister Abigail has been cleansed from Bray’s body by his dip in the Lake of Reincarnation. My friend and I were speculating if that could mean the spirit will inhabit a different vessel.
- According to UFC President Dana White, Brock Lesnar’s WWE contract doesn’t expire until August of 2018.
- That’s untrue based on everything that happened the last week, including WWE announcing they re-signed him. (0/1)
- Impact Wrestling is said to be considering running future TV tapings in major markets like New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.
- Six months later and that hasn’t happened yet so I’m going to mark it as incorrect. Maybe one day, but it doesn’t look like any day soon. (0/1)
- There is some word going around that Neville has quit WWE or, at the very least, requested his release from the company.
- I guess we don’t know the details, but he hasn’t been on WWE TV since all of this.
- Further, Pro Wrestling Sheet is saying he was the one who was going to wrestle Enzo Amore in the main event Lumberjack match on Monday Night Raw this week but he walked out before the show and Kalisto stepped in.
- Kalisto won that match and the title.
- The Shield reunion isn’t expected to last beyond the end of the year.
- Well it didn’t, but that’s because Dean Ambrose got hurt. So I guess technically, this is true. (1/1)
- Apparently Kevin Dunn wouldn’t shoot Shinsuke Nakamura’s entrance when he was interacting with the crowd ringside like normal because it was too close to empty seats.
- Oof.
- The NWA is planning to start running shows in the spring of 2018.
- I read this as their own shows, which hasn’t happened yet. They run their matches at other promotions. But there are a few months left of spring.
- Pro Wrestling Sheet’s report on Jimmy Jacobs’ exit from WWE indicates his Instagram post with Bullet Club was “the final straw”, hinting that there were issues between the writer and others in management before that.
- That’s what he made it sound like on the Y2J podcast. (1/1)
- Once it became clear Neville would not be an option for Monday’s Cruiserweight title lumberjack match, the decision was made to have Kalisto win on Raw to take advantage of it being Eddie Guerrero’s birthday and use that to help get the new champ over.
- Got him over as in he held it for less than a week I guess.
- PWInsider says the original plan for Luke Harper and Rowan’s new gimmick was to model them on Demolition, but it’s not clear “The Bludgeon Brothers” are part of that plan or a different one.
- Doesn’t feel as much Demolition as it does War Machine/Raiders.
- It’s also believed that the “2B” clue from Fashion Files was referring to the new team, but at this point, there don’t appear to be any plans to use Breezango’s comedy segments to set up angles or debut new teams.
- It was never used for that. (1/1)
- Taya Valkyrie says she will be a part of Lucha Underground season four, if it happens. That’s lead to speculation there will be more stars working for Impact and LU should the El Rey show continue.
- I am going to grade this as correct since we already know that Johnny Impact/Mundo and Brian Cage are doing both. Plus Lucha Underground champion Pentagon and Fenix are challenging for the Impact world title at Redemption. (1/1)
- The plan right now is to get the cruiserweight title back on Enzo Amore, per the Observer, because the show is still going to be built around him.
- Accurate. To the point they had to reboot the entire thing when he was released. (1/1)
- There’s increasing talk that Ricochet is coming to WWE sooner rather than later.
- He officially debuted at TakeOver: New Orleans. (1/1)
- WWE may be planning multiple Raw vs. SmackDown matches for Survivor Series.
- That was the entire show. (1/1)
- Charlotte is expected to be in the SmackDown women’s title picture through next year.
- I expect this to be true. But since she just dropped the strap to Carmella, we’ll have to wait and see.
- Big Show is back training and hoping to return to WWE sometime next year.
- He’s already advertised for the Greatest Royal Rumble. (1/1)
- Madison Rayne had a tryout with WWE at the Performance Center this week, per Squared Circle Sirens.
- She did, but wasn’t signed. (1/1)
This week: 13/20 - 65%
Overall: 2,073/3,789 - 54.7%
Have a great week, everyone!