Rumor Look Back: July 6 - 12, 2018

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. Let’s get right to it.

July 6, 2018

• The Wrestling Observer Newsletter says the Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley match at Extreme Rules “looks like the main event.”
• It was actually the Iron Man match that the fans wanted to ruin by counting down every minute. (0/1)
• According to Wrestling Standard, Rey Mysterio has inked a two year contract with WWE and could be headed for SmackDown Live. For what it’s worth, Dave Meltzer claimed that was false as of late in the day yesterday.
• Looks like a mix bag here so I’ll split it. For what it’s worth, Mysterio did return to SmackDown, but we don’t know where the contract status was at this time. (1/2)
• That site also says Andrade Almas was originally scheduled to feud with Jeff Hardy but that was changed to Shinsuke Nakamura.
• That’d be a feud I wouldn’t mind seeing.
• There has been more talk of WWE buying EVOLVE and putting it on the WWE Network but the Observer notes those talks have always been going on and it could or couldn’t happen at any time.
• They have a very close partnership, but we’re not there yet.

July 7, 2018

• WrestleVotes says WWE “has a strong idea” on what Daniel Bryan will do regarding whether he’ll stay or go. He’ll apparently be featured heavily in WWE 2K19, seemingly indicating he’ll be staying.
• Yes, he stayed. I’m glad he did. He’d feel like a rather big fish in a small pond anywhere else. (1/1)
• Wrestling Inc says Bryan recently hired the same agency that represents John Cena for his contract negotiations.
• Get that money, D-Bry!
• According to Barn Burner, Brock Lesnar is confirmed for SummerSlam and Monday Night Raw the next evening.
• He was at SummerSlam, but doesn’t look like the night after. (1/2)
• That site also says WWE Network is preparing to shift to a new strategy where it will focus more on “independent and non-WWE professional wrestling.”
• We’re not there yet. (0/1)
• WrestlingNews.co passed along word that WWE could have longer term plans for Dr. Shelby.
• After that BS with him and Bayley and Sasha, he wasn’t really used. (0/1)

July 9, 2018

• There continues to be talk and speculation that Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Cormier will happen in November at Madison Square Garden.
• It did not. (0/1)
• WWE is expected to address the Lesnar situation on Monday Night Raw this evening.
• I don’t see him mentioned in the live blog at all. (0/1)
• Jim Ross said the spot where he took a bump when the guardrails knocked into him during the New Japan G1 Special in San Francisco was not planned and he thinks he broke a rib.
• He was not happy, though he blamed the set up and not the performers. He confirmed it was not a work. (1/1)
• The Observer notes that Hiromu Takahashi was still in the hospital as of yesterday morning being looked at for a possibly broken neck.
• He’s still hoping to come back.

July 10, 2018

• A rumored SummerSlam card posted by Ringside News lists John Cena vs. Undertaker.
• That match didn’t happen at SummerSlam. In fact, Cena didn’t even work the show. (0/1)
• That’s in line with Twitter user TicketDrew saying Taker will have a rematch at SummerSlam. That account is also one of several saying Brock Lesnar is definitely defending the Universal Title in Brooklyn, too.
• Again, the Taker thing is wrong but Brock did defend his title. (1/2)
• WrestleVotes says a couple PPV names/concepts are up in the air, with WWE currently undecided on what they’re calling the Oct. show in Boston and thinking about not using Clash of Champions for the San Jose event in Dec.
• The San Jose show was TLC. I don’t see an October show in Boston. (1/1)
• According to Wrestling Observer, the incident from G1 Special featuring Jim Ross, Josh Barnett and Jay White was not a work. JR was upset because he’d spoken to officials the night before about spots near the announce desk. Barnett “just reacted”.
• I wonder if Barnett was working on the fly to cover things up or legit pissed. If it’s the latter, what would he have done if he caught Jay White?
• Everyone in WWE received a bonus during the last week in June as a result of the big jump the company’s stock has taken, per bodyslam.net.
• That’s good.

July 11, 2018

• WWE’s failure to mention Brock Lesnar on Monday Night Raw this week has led to speculation, notably from Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, that something changed with Lesnar and WWE within the past week.
• If something changed, it wasn’t him working SummerSlam.
• TicketDrew notes that WWE will have a new logo and stage set up for SmackDown Live when it moves to FOX in 2019.
• We’ll find out.
• Charlotte mentioned on her Instagram that she’s back training for her return to WWE television. She should be back within the next couple weeks.
• She returned July 31 to save Becky Lynch from an attack. (1/1)
• Sasha Banks and Bayley aren’t expected to be added to Extreme Rules, at least not in a match. It’s possible they aren’t on the pay-per-view at all.
• They were not on the show. (1/1)
• Per MMA Fighting, early estimates for UFC 226 have the show at “a little under 400,000 buys” on pay-per-view.
• Is that bad? I don’t follow MMA enough to understand the numbers.

July 12, 2018

• According to Fightful, Paul Heyman was backstage at Raw in Boston and helped write & produce the opening segment and Bobby Lashley’s interview later in the show.
• Interesting that he does more than just Lesnar stuff.
• WWE international stadium shows like Greatest Royal Rumble and Super Show-Down could be branded as WrestleMania by 2020, per Barnburner. The idea is to hold a WrestleMania in the U.S. in the spring and one in another country in the fall.
• We’ll fine out. That’s too much in my opinion.
• Extreme Rules plans to set Daniel Bryan up to face either Kane or Miz at SummerSlam. The direction they choose will be another sign of how WWE feels contract negotiations with Bryan are going.
• The PPV didn’t really set up either thing, though he ended up facing Miz. (0/1)
• PW Insider reported Dean Ambrose was in Birmingham, Alabama working on his return to the ring. WrestleVotes says they’ve heard he won’t be back until after SummerSlam, likely in Sept.
• He was back just before SummerSlam (the Monday before) and worked the PPV. (0/1)

This week: 8/19 - 42%

Overall: 2,545/4,618 - 55.1%

Have a great week, everyone!