:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69910717/Screen_Shot_2021_07_07_at_11.15.41_PM.0.png)
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.
- When discussing the NXT talent who missed television this week, F4WOnline’s Dave Meltzer noted that Triple H wasn’t at Raw or NXT.
- He’s missing more time now recovering from a heart procedure, which is surely separate from this absence. HBK is the man stepping up to fill the void now. I would not be surprised if it was the same six months ago.
- Fightful says that WWE’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be taped on March 30 and April 1, and will air on April 6 on WWE Network.
- I don’t know exactly when it was taped, but it was aired on April 6. The only thing this rumor neglected was the fact it was Peacock in the US, but it was still WWE Network elsewhere. (1/1)
- The class of inductees is said to be changed from what WWE originally planned.
- This is likely referring to Batista being attend this year and Rob Van Dam being added. (1/1)
- According to Ringside News, WWE Talent Relations sent an email to wrestlers and staff stating that effective immediately, wrestlers need to work through commercial breaks at TV tapings even though there are no live fans.
- I think this was to break some habits perhaps developed without fans.
- While speaking on NowVoice, Asuka revealed that she now has temporary teeth to replace the ones she lost, and it will take approximately six months to recover from this injury.
- While she continued to work, it took about six months to actually get the final treatment. (1/1)
- Wrestling Inc notes that Charlotte Flair has been removed from several WrestleMania 37 promotional graphics and this has led to speculation there’s some kind of issue between her and WWE.
- She was pulled from the show due to COVID. There were possible some issues regarding how a false positive pregnancy result was handled too, but that wasn’t very clear. (1/1)
- According to Fightful Select, Chelsea Green has been cleared to return and writers have made pitches for that return, though it’s unknown still when it will happen. She was backstage at SmackDown this week.
- It never happened. She was released instead.
- The Observer says many features from the WWE Network won’t be available on Peacock at the start but “changes are expected to be made as time goes by.”
- Things were slow to migrate over. (1/1)
- There’s backstage heat on Jack Evans at AEW after he blooded Dark Order’s 10 during a match on Dark recently, per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
- The dreaded heat. He’s probably getting his head shaved on Rampage next week.
- While Kylie Rae will be returning for a show with Warrior Wrestling in June, PW Insider says she’s still under contract to Impact Wrestling.
- That may be the case at this time, but she ended up going to NWA. Apparently something may have been worked out between the two?
- On Sunday’s pre-Fastlane edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said he asked his WWE sources if they were planning to run an Edge vs. Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan Universal title Triple Threat at WrestleMania 37, and was told no. He did offer the caveat that plans could change, and based on last night’s PPV finish, it would appear they have.
- So that source didn’t know or was lying. (0/1)
- Batista has been removed from WWE’s listings for this year’s Hall of Fame. WWE hasn’t officially commented, but a source told Wrestling Observer, “there were changes to this year’s Hall of Fame...Batista was one of them.” It’s believed Dave Bautista had a scheduling conflict.
- Big Dave eventually released a statement confirming this. (1/1)
- WWE Network briefly referred to Daniel Bryan as a “2021 Hall of Fame Inductee” on Saturday. Fightful Select reports this was a mistake, but combined with his current television angle, it’s caused a lot of speculation.
- I don’t think the American Dragon is going into the Hall of Fame any time soon. (0/1)
- WrestleMania 37 tickets were close to being sold out within hours of their release on Friday, per the Observer. Most of what’s left are the most expensive ones on or close to the floor.
- The demand for live wrestling was pretty high. And they only had to sell out a third of that stadium.
- The pitch to change up RETRIBUTION came from a “high level”, according to Fightful Select.
- I legit forget RETRIBUTION was a thing.
- Jon Alba reports WWE will likely move out of Tropicana Field after the April 2 SmackDown, as work has already begun on converting it back to its configuration for baseball in time for the Tampa Rays home opener on April 9.
- That’s the case. (1/1)
- Alba and others already reported WWE will stay in Tampa, but move Raw and SmackDown to the University of South Florida’s Yuengling Center. PW Insider says the plan is to move the ThunderDome set-up to Yuengling Center, and begin broadcasting there with the April 12 Raw after WrestleMania 37.
- That was their next stop before full live fans. Man, I missed the fans. (1/1)
- That means the go home shows will happen at the Trop next week, per Post Wrestling. The Raw which will air on April 5 will tape on Mar. 30, and the April 9 SmackDown on April 1.
- Had to get out of the Trop before the first place Rays started up.
- Mustafa Ali’s PCL injury requires surgery and rehab, but Wrestling Inc says he’s been working through the injury since December because WWE was going to have the RETRIBUTION break-up angle culminate at WrestleMania. It’s not clear at this point if they changed their plans, or if there’s more to come after what happened at Fastlane.
- RETRIBUTION was dead by WrestleMania.
- The finish to Sunday’s Intercontinental title match was botched. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said Big E was supposed to win, but ending didn’t go down as planned.
- The feud was extended to WrestleMania and the botched finish worked better than another Crews loss. That said, it’s time for Crews to move on from the African prince gimmick.
- PW Insider notes that Charlotte Flair was removed from the WrestleMania 37 promotional material as a precautionary measure, and it’s not indicative of any belief that she’ll actually miss the card, though that could still happen.
- She did miss the show. (0/1)
- For whatever it’s worth, Ringside News says Randy Orton has a lot of creative pull in his storylines and a source told them that he “doesn’t always get his way, but he has a lot of input.”
- I feel that those who supposedly have more creative controlled end up having more consistently enjoyable storylines (such as Roman or Orton).
- On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that Aleister Black is currently dealing with some minor injuries.
- He too was soon released.
- Sabu claimed on the NWC Show that Rob Van Dam is going to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.
- That’s the case. (1/1)
- Insider says WWE’s internal schedule now lists NXT TV on every Tuesday in April starting with April 13.
- That’s the case. (1/1)
- The above photo of Tessa Blanchard and Daga training with Sasha Banks, Bayley & Kalisto at Funaki’s school in San Antonio was tweeted out recently, and reminded fans of reports WWE’s interested in signing Blanchard.
- If there was interest, they didn’t sign her. Neither has AEW. Her baggage is a lot to take on. It’s amazing the fall she had in the last two years.
- There was talk at WWE that Charlotte Flair might be on this week’s SmackDown, per PW Insider. That would line up with Andrade’s Monday tweet about her being cleared in four days, and there’s speculation she could start a WrestleMania angle on the show.
- She did not show up until after WrestleMania. (0/1)
- A fan who was selected for the ThunderDome screens on Monday’s Raw tweeted that WWE also asked for reactions for the Hall of Fame Ceremony. Fans were recorded “laughing, crazy cheering, formal or polite applause and serious or intellectual listening”.
- Intellectual listening is my favorite.
- The Tian Sha gimmick is popular with NXT management, according to Fightful Select. Triple H and Shawn Michaels are said to be hands on with the act, as they see it having “a long-term future”. The report also confirms its Karen Q playing the Mei Ying character.
- They seemed to lose the thread on this, maybe with NXT 2.0 being a thing.
- In a post-match promo, Darby Allin said he’s “pretty sure” John Silver dislocated his shoulder during their main event on last night’s Dynamite.
- Ouch.
This week: 10/14 - 71%
Overall: 3,894/6,901 - 54.2%
Have a great week, everyone!