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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 jump right to it.
- Fightful says that Keith Lee has been absent from WWE television since February due to health reasons. He’s actively trying to get cleared for a return, but it hasn’t happened yet.
- This is accurate. It was a post covid cardiac issue. He’s back now as the Bearcat. (1/1)
- On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer indicated that Triple H returned from quarantine and was backstage at NXT this week.
- I wonder how long he’ll be out after his recent procedure.
- Meltzer also stated that Cody and Brandi Rhodes’ new reality show is not the third hour of AEW television that Cody says is coming to TNT.
- While Rhodes to the Top (sigh) has debuted, Rampage is the third hour. I’m wondering if it may end up being a fourth hour too. (1/1)
- PW Insider noted that Aleister Black has been seen at the WWE Performance Center over the last few weeks.
- He was soon released, but not after returning to deliver a Black Mass to Big E. He’s not the first wrestler to be released in this Look Back and none of them were easy to see coming.
- On her Oral Sessions podcast, Renee Paquette claimed that Michael Cole’s body is “covered in Bruce Springsteen tattoos.” She estimated that he has around 19 of these tattoos.
- Was she joking? I can’t see it possibly being true. Then again, the highway is jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive. So you never know.
- According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, while there was someone saying Edge looking older may have had to do with Vince McMahon changing the Universal title match at WrestleMania 37 another said it was just Vince wanting to shake things up.
- I can see Vince thinking like that, but that’s part of Edge’s character now too. Also he’s been great.
- For whatever it’s worth, PW Insider notes that despite rumors of a possible return at SmackDown this week, Charlotte Flair wasn’t even backstage at the show.
- Charlotte was out until after WrestleMania.
- Per Sports Illustrated, WWE has no plans to tour anytime soon despite venues reopening across the country.
- They started touring in the summer. That’s fairly soon. (0/1)
- The Observer notes that original plans called for Keith Lee to win the U.S. title by pinning Riddle at Elimination Chamber but his health issues changed that.
- It definitely felt like that was the way they were going. Riddle seemed to be a beneficiary of Lee’s absence.
- They also say there have at least been talks of reviving Lucha Underground.
- That has not happened. And all their top talent is working elsewhere. (0/1)
- Ringside News notes that Logan Paul is set to play a role in the upcoming Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens match at WrestleMania 37.
- He was in Sami’s corner and took a stunner afterwards. (1/1)
- For whatever it’s worth, Daniel Bryan told talkSPORT that he doesn’t have that big a say backstage like people think.
- He was a member of creative for a bit, though Bryan made it seem it was very short lived.
- The Observer mentions that Riddle vs. Sheamus on Raw this week will likely set up a match between the two at WrestleMania.
- Sheamus defeated Riddle for the US title at Mania. (1/1)
- Some have noticed that the Yuengling Center is listing the WWE ThunderDome as making its home there only until August 3, 2021.
- They actually hit the road earlier than that in July. (0/1)
- Per Fightful Select, Desmond Troy has received high marks within WWE backstage for his work in NXT.
- He’s since been released.
- The NXT to Tuesday news should be made official on this morning, according to the Mat Men Podcast. It’ll be part of a press release announcing an extension of the brand’s contract with USA.
- The announcement was this morning. (1/1)
- WWE decided in February that Titus O’Neil will be this year’s Warrior Award recipient at the Hall of Fame Ceremony, per Fightful Select.
- That’s the case. (1/1)
- During his interview with Lucha Libre Online, Andrade said his main roster contract was for $3 million per year.
- Sounds pretty good to me, though he has to pay for all travel and hotel accommodations. And health care.
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter says AEW is interested in signing Daga, but is still undecided about bringing in his wife, Tessa Blanchard.
- Daga is not in AEW. Looks like he only wrestled once this calendar year. (0/1)
- Reigning NCAA Division I Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Gable Stevenson tweeted Sunday he’s “going to be the biggest star WWE has ever had.” He told Fightful Select he’s talked to Paul Heyman, Triple H & others about joining the company, but right now he’s focused on the Olympics.
- He has signed a NIL contract.
- The plan for the WWE Women’s Tag titles at WrestleMania 37 is to hold a multi-team match on night one with the winners going on to challenge Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax on night two.
- That’s how it went down. (1/1)
- As part of their report on the plan, PW Insider said the April 10 match will have four or more teams. It will be set-up on the go home edition of Raw, which taped this week.
- There were five teams. (1/1)
- Insider also reports Peacock & WWE will be editing out the 1998 Raw segment where D-X members wore blackface while mocking The Nation of Domination. That episode hasn’t been uploaded to the streamer yet, but the scene’s been cut from a video package on that year’s SummerSlam.
- Probably for the better.
- Hall of Fame taping is going on all week in Tampa at the Tropicana Field ThunderDome. Fightful Select says The Bellas and nWo filmed their speeches yesterday, with others happening Thursday. Insider says The Great Khali flew in Wednesday.
- I never watch the Hall of Fame. Was it better in this pretaped format (minus the always detracting ThunderDome)?
- During a media call hosted by Más Lucha (translation by Lucha Blog on Twitter), Andrade clarified his earlier comments about his WWE deal - he wasn’t making three million a year; he could make millions over the length of the contract.
- Yeah, that’s much different.
- According to Fightful, several NXT wrestlers and staff denied that Triple H said anything close to the notion that AEW was bullying NXT on Wednesday nights. Triple H hopes that a move to Tuesday will put the focus more on the NXT product and less on its viewership.
- Yeah, that bullying thing was quite ridiculous - more in the sense that it was a story that took on a life of its own. The word ‘bully’ was probably never used.
- On Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez said that Riddle really did forget his line on Raw. The segment was presumably pre-taped; Bruce Prichard and Vince McMahon thought it was so funny that they left it in the episode.
- That was a pretty hilarious spot.
- Ringside News was told that Aalyah Mysterio doesn’t know if she’s done with WWE, or if they still might come up with a plan for her.
- She hasn’t been back. Maybe if Rey and Dom eventually have their feud, she’ll pop back up. An Aliyah was picked up by SmackDown, but the Aliyah who worked NXT for years.
- F4WOnline’s Dave Meltzer said the reason Murphy deleted his Instagram post about the Mysterio family is because he was ordered to delete it by WWE.
- He’s since been released.
- Per Alvarez, virtual fans in the ThunderDome were directed to cheer Rhea Ripley on Raw.
- She and Asuka were both pretty much babyfaces for this feud.
This week: 8/12 - 67%
March 2021: 45/61 - 74%
Overall: 3,902/6,913 - 56.4%
Have a great week, everyone!