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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 stated. Let’s first knock off some outstanding rumors.
- A Minneapolis Star-Tribune item about WWE officials visiting a Minnesota Vikings game this fall says Minneapolis is again being discussed as a WrestleMania host for 2020 or 2021.
- Poor Minnesota. It was to be Tampa this year and Los Angeles next year. I wonder if things will be back to normal enough next year for it to even happen then. (0/1)
- Sunday night in New Orleans also reinforced the idea WWE plans to build to Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey as a potential main event match in New York/New Jersey for next year’s WrestleMania.
- This probably would have been accurate if that dang Becky Lynch didn’t have to get super over and insert herself into this. (0/1)
- Dana White is still hinting that Brock Lesnar will be returning to the UFC soon.
- There was a Daniel Cormier tease but that never happened and Brock is once again retired from UFC. (0/1)
Now onto this week’s rumors:
- Despite nothing being added on SmackDown, it’s still expected at least a couple more matches will be added to TLC.
- That was not the case. (0/1)
- Nia Jax is training again, says the Observer, and she should be back sooner rather than later.
- It was about 4 months later. I’m going to say that’s still a ways away. (0/1)
- Lars Sullivan, meanwhile, has been doing some work but is apparently still months away from coming back.
- He’s still not back. I continually forget about him. (1/1)
- WWE Network News says the upcoming Classic Content Drop for December will be episodes of WWE Confidential.
- There are episodes on the Network, but I can’t speak to when they were added.
- The Observer notes there are meetings going on with MLW this week that could “have a major affect on the company’s future.” That could be for a streaming deal.
- I don’t know about those meetings, but not long after, they signed with ICM, a talent agency to help them get a better streaming deal. And now very recently they announced a streaming deal with DAZN. All of that is close enough for me to give this a nod. (1/1)
- There was a ton of speculation after the show last night that Kairi Sane was injured, possibly concussed, in the main event of TLC. Bryan Alvarez tweeted she was being “medically checked out”, but that an actual diagnosis probably wouldn’t come until later today.
- Yeah, she was definitely concussed. (1/1)
- Braun Strowman wasn’t medically cleared for TLC, which Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer says is why his rumored match with Shinsuke Nakamura wasn’t added to the card.
- Makes sense.
- He also said WWE decided it was “too early” for Bayley vs. Lacey Evans, and they want to hold it for Royal Rumble.
- That was the Rumble match for that title. (1/1)
- There was no deal worked out between WWE and AAA which would have allowed Sin Cara to legally use that name on Saturday night, according to The Observer.
- He changed his name very soon after. (1/1)
- Daniel Cormier said in an interview with BT Sport that he had an offer to work on WWE Backstage, and another to work the Crown Jewel press conference with Brock Lesnar & Cain Velasquez.
- I think he’ll do some business with them eventually.
- Kairi Sane is not cleared to wrestle after the TLC main event, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet.
- She missed some time. (1/1)
- Sources told the site Sane was “knocked out” minutes into her match Sunday night, but didn’t have information about exactly when it happened or what her diagnosis is.
- She looked out on her feet.
- Wrestling Observer states that while no one person was at fault, it’s “pretty much universally agreed that“ Sane’s injury situation “was handled poorly” while the match was going on. Post Wrestling specifically pointed out the lack of a clear concussion protocol so it’s not on wrestlers to make the call about stopping or changing a match.
- Yeah, it was a bit of a mess.
- Those sites also reported that neither Vince McMahon or Triple H was in Minneapolis for the show.
- That’s an interesting change.
- Both men called into the pre-production meetings, and Vince approved everything that was planned. The Observer says Paul Heyman was in charge at Gorilla for all the Raw matches while Bruce Prichard had the same role for SmackDown ones.
- Paul Heyman has since been relieved of his duties.
- Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that right now Paul Heyman is trying to get people wins, and that’s why we’re seeing more short matches on Raw.
- Curious to see what happens to those guys he was trying to build up with those wins now that he’s no longer working in creative.
- He also said that Deonna Purrazzo’s appearance on Raw didn’t represent a call up but rather was a one time thing. Same for the NXT star who appears next week (spoilers here).
- Neither Purrazzo nor Chelsea Green have been called up. Actually, Deonna’s been released. (2/2)
- Samoa Joe’s in-ring return is “imminent,” according to PW Insider.
- It was within weeks. (1/1)
- They also say there’s been talk within WWE of the next company sponsored podcast being centered around a female personality.
- They still only have the two. There was word of Alexa Bliss doing one, but nothing has come of that yet. Let’s see what happens.
- Insider says Sin Cara is telling anyone trying to book him he doesn’t have a no compete clause with WWE right now and he’s close to signing a deal with AAA.
- He’s with Triple A. He wrestled his first match in April, which lines up as if he did have a non-compete though. (1/2)
- A re-designed United States title in house and ready to debut, claims BeltFanDan.
- That hasn’t happen. (0/1)
- WWE’s injury report lists Ruby Riott’s return for Jan., 2020, says Fightful.
- She technically returned in Feb. (0/1)
- EC3 has been sidelined with a concussion Fightful was told is “worse than some he’d sustained previously”. There’s no target for his return, but he is recovering.
- He’s since been released. Never saw TV time again.
- There will be no more 205 Live this year, according to Wrestling Observer. WWE Network will air “Best of” shows the next two weeks.
- That’s accurate. (1/1)
- Chris DeJoseph returned to work for WWE at TLC this past Sunday, per PW Insider. The former Lucha Underground & MLW producer was not at Raw, however.
- Since been released for pissing off the boss due to inappropriate conduct.
- WrestleVotes notes that John Cena wants to do “something substantial” at WrestleMania next year, and it would be “more than just an appearance.”
- He was slated to wrestle Wyatt, which would likely have been a real match before the pandemic hit. When that happened, they turned to the Firefly Fun House match. (1/1)
- The Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that the plan for Becky Lynch vs. Asuka in early 2020 is something Paul Heyman made the call to do months ago.
- Planning things ahead of time is a good thing.
- They also say part of why TLC didn’t have more matches was because WWE wanted to do a shorter PPV show, apparently in response to complaints about events running too long.
- Shorter PPVs are good.
- Multiple sites, like Wrestling Observer and PW Insider, say WWE was interested in Kris Statlander before AEW came in and signed her.
- Unfortunately, Statlander just tore her ACL.
- The Wrestling Observer notes that Colt Cabana did some dark match announcing for AEW and it looks like he could be signing there soon.
- He is a talent with AEW in a story with the Dark Order. (1/1)
This week: 13/18 - 72%
Overall: 3,358/5,986 - 56.1%
Have a great week, everyone!