Rumor Roundup (Dec. 11, 2021): Kyle O’Reilly leaving WWE, Jeff Hardy release, Chris Jericho hospitalized, 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:

• Jeff Hardy has a standard 90 day non-compete after his release from WWE, per Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Dave Meltzer also writes Hardy was “fully aware” WWE would “take action” when he refused rehab.
• A source told the WON that Kyle O’Reilly leaving NXT was a “no-brainer.” Basically the only role for him in WWE is as a coach, and it’s believed AEW will make him a comparable offer to wrestle. He’s also guaranteed a spot in New Japan if he wants it as that company’s Chairman Takaaki Kidani is a big fan.
• According to PW Insider, Johnny Gargano and O’Reilly have both been removed from WWE’s internal roster.
• Chris Jericho, who was hospitalized while on tour with Fozzy in the UK, sent a message to Meltzer saying he feels good, it’s not related to COVID, and the doctors just wanted to observe him overnight.
• Sources at the UBS Arena in New York confirmed that AEW’s audience at the venue this week was about twice the size of WWE Raw’s crowd last week, per Insider.

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.