Rumor Roundup (Oct. 2, 2021): WWE Draft plans, Flair on FOX, Raw ratings, Lesnar, more!

Speculating on the rumors surrounding pro wrestling is a favored pastime of many fans, perhaps second only to actually watching the matches. In this daily column, we take a look at the latest rumors being churned out by the pro wrestling rumor mill.

Important reminder: Rumors are just that — rumors. None of this has been confirmed as fact, it’s just circulating around the pro wrestling rumor mill. We track rumor accuracy in a weekly feature called Rumor Look Back you can find here. Remember, take it all with a grain of salt.

Rumors for the Day:

• Wrestling Inc’s Raj Giri claims the FOX network specifically asked for Charlotte Flair to be drafted to SmackDown.
• PW Insider says WWE kept a tight lid on plans for the draft. Several people who would normally be in the know about draft decisions were kept in the dark this time. The wrestlers who switched brands during night one of the draft were notified shortly before air time.
• Insider also notes there is an expectation that free agent Brock Lesnar will show up on next week’s episode of Raw.
• Per Fightful, some people at the USA network grew tired of WWE using “scapegoats and shortcuts” in response to Raw’s declining ratings. Some of these shortcuts include Brand-to-Brand Invitations and Raw Underground. The network cares more about seeing the consistent quality of the show improved.
• Kiera Hogan is not on a full-time deal with AEW, per Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Dave Meltzer writes that unless someone is posted on social media as being All Elite, they’re on a per-appearance deal with the company.

If you have heard of any interesting rumors that you’d like to add, feel free to post them in the comments section below. Just remember they are rumors and not confirmed as fact, so please take them as such. And check our weekly Rumor Look Back here to keep track of how often rumors turn out to be correct.