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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 get right to it.
- The Observer says the WrestleMania 37 location will be revealed today, and it’s where everyone expected it to be.
- It was announced the same day. It is/was to be in LA at the new SoFi stadium. I don’t know if that’s where everyone expected. (There weren’t any rumors I recall about it.) I have my doubts it’ll actually be there given the way things are going. (1/1)
- According to Dave Meltzer, The IIconics were taken off television so they could be repackaged.
- They came back as the same (albeit entertaining) IIconics. (0/1)
- Meltzer also says NXT has given Matt Riddle permission to “follow up on the Brock Lesnar stuff,” whatever that means.
- Odd. He really hasn’t.
- WrestleVotes noted this weekend that the suspension story they got from their source was wrong, so it’s no longer expected any more WWE suspensions are coming.
- Their source was right from the beginning. Joe was suspended pretty soon. (0/1)
- New Japan’s Wrestle Dynasty event will be on par with a Wrestle Kingdom show, or at least that’s the current plan, says the Observer.
- It was the MSG show originally planned for this month that’s been postponed so we won’t know.
- While he’s continued talking to WWE, PW Insider says there’s no change in Matt Hardy’s status and he’s still headed toward free agency when his contract expires on March 1.
- He went to AEW. He knew he’d never get what he was creatively looking for in WWE. (1/1)
- They’ve also heard Jeff Hardy is scheduled to be at the Performance Center next week to determine how close he is to returning to the ring.
- He returned in May. Though a lot of times they’ll leave people off TV if they’re ready to come back too close to WrestleMania.
- WWE is frustrated with how negotiations with The Revival have gone and their next offer to the team will be the final one, a source told Sportskeeda’s Tom Colohue.
- Much like with Jeff Hardy, the Revival knew they were never going to get what they creatively wanted.
- Insider reported AEW was ditching the Nightmare Collective gimmick, and Brandi Rhodes later told Wrestling Observer Live’s Bryan Alvarez it was her call.
- It was wise to cut bait on a group that just wasn’t working.
- According to Alvarez, Frankie Kazarian attacking MJF at the end of last week’s Dynamite was unplanned and totally Kaz’s call.
- I wonder if everyone was cool with it. It sounds like he did it without running it past Tony Khan.
- A local advertisement is saying Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Shinsuke Nakamura, Baron Corbin, and Robert Roode are set for the Elimination Chamber match next month. Post Wrestling notes those names are likely just placeholders and there will probably be changes to the lineup before the show.
- The men didn’t even have a Chamber match that show. So the men weren’t a place holder. Instead we got a women’s chamber and a tag team chamber. (0/1)
- PW Insider says MVP came back to WWE to work as a producer, or at least that’s the word going around within the company.
- He’s an active talent. I don’t know if he’s a producer too.
- Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that the entire idea behind the Charlotte Flair story right now is to build viewership for NXT.
- That never seemed to play out. Those Charlotte episodes never did particularly better than any others. That was before we were looking at the quarterly breakdowns as much.
- Speaking of that, Insider says Flair is scheduled to appear at NXT TakeOver: Portland for some kind of angle.
- She attacked Rhea Ripley, who had just defeated Bianca Belair. (1/1)
- Per the Observer, the New Japan Wrestle Dynasty show ending up on SummerSlam weekend was just a coincidence. They also say neither Jon Moxley nor Chris Jericho will be working the show.
- AEW guys don’t work New Japan shows in the States. But as we said earlier, the show never happened.
- While they’ve heard more names, WrestleVotes says they have confirmation that The Bella Twins and Jushin “Thunder” Liger will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.
- Both were added. I wonder when they’ll do the Hall of Fame. (2/2)
- That account also says WWE lets John Cena decide whatever he wants to do at WrestleMania. They speculate that since he’s coming back so early, he will wrestle at the show this year.
- He was slated to wrestle the Fiend, which he did though as a cinematic given the altered show due to the pandemic. (1/1)
- Another possible Elimination Chamber match leaked by advertising from the venue: Philly’s Wells Fargo Center is advertising Miz & Morrison vs. The New Day for the SmackDown tag titles.
- They were in the tag chamber. (0/1)
- Shayna Baszler biting Becky Lynch looks to have been an homage to WWE Hall of Famer Freddie Blassie. Dave Meltzer mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio how Paul Heyman was a big fan of Blassie, and Baszler posted a picture of his biting gimmick on an Instagram story.
- That was an odd way to kick off that feud.
- A source told WrestlingNews.co that while Heyman likes Cedric Alexander, Vince McMahon “sees nothing” in him. Meltzer noted that WWE has “no plans” for the former Cruiserweight champ.
- This is a fair rumor regards to the no plans. (1/1)
- WrestleVotes mentions there is the chance we see Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns and John Cena vs. Goldberg at WrestleMania 36. However, they also say it’s possible they switch that and we see Wyatt vs. Cena and Reigns vs. Goldberg.
- It was the latter. (1/2)
- Speaking of Goldberg, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter says the original plan was for him just to work the Saudi Arabia show but that appears to have changed with the interest in his SmackDown appearance.
- Yeah, he worked WrestleMania as champion. (1/1)
- They also say Rusev being announced for Super ShowDown shouldn’t be taken as a sign that he’s worked out his contract issues with WWE.
- I think that’s fair. (1/1)
- Wrestling Observer Radio mentioned Jim Ross calling The Young Bucks the “Bucks of Youth” and said it could be related to Matt Hardy.
- With Jim Ross, there’s probably no rhyme or reason who he calls people certain things at times.
- PW Insider says the creative direction in AEW right now, and since the beginning of 2020, has gone through Tony Khan and he’s very hands on with everything.
- There needs to be a strong creative vision at top, even if they’re taking into account many other voices.
- John Cena’s role at WrestleMania 36 is already “locked in,” says the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
- I wonder when that was decided.
- Per PW Insider, Big Show is scheduled to return to Raw next week.
- There’s nothing in the always thorough live blog about Show. (0/1)
- According to the Observer, Matt Hardy’s return was a change in plans that came about because the ratings were good for his segment with Randy Orton last week and enough wrestlers are unavailable that they need to use him. They also say that’s why Big Show is coming back next week.
- Again, Show did not come back for this. (0/1)
- Cathy Kelley gave her notice weeks ago, and WWE decided to respect her desire to leave, says Insider.
- I wonder what she’s up to in general. Looking at her Twitter, she’ll still stop by the Bump.
- On Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez mentioned NXT wrestlers being told to lay it in, meaning work more physical matches.
- Their matches have always been rather physical.
This week: 10/17 - 59%
Overall: 3,445/6,124 - 56.3%
Have a good week, everyone. Stay safe out there.