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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.
- Shinsuke Nakamura fueled talk that he’s unhappy in WWE with a comment on his Instagram when he responded to a fan claiming he’s happy with the following: “who said I’m happy? Don’t believe anything other than what I said.”
- I can’t speak to whether he was happy then or happy now, but he’s doing pretty well for himself on TV. Him and BOOGS.
- Mark Henry mentioned on Busted Open Radio that he’s planning on having one more match in the next six months.
- Well it’s been six months and that has not happened. (0/1)
- For whatever it’s worth, WrestleVotes remarked there are those within WWE who still support Enzo & Big Cass, who recently returned to pro wrestling.
- I haven’t been paying as close attention, but I’ve enjoyed W. Morrisey’s work in Impact from what I’ve seen of it. If he wants, I think he can go back to WWE or go to AEW.
- Wrestling Inc says NWA removed all videos from its YouTube channel because a new distribution deal was signed that will be announced soon.
- Talking to Manolo, our resident NWA guy, this is the case. (1/1)
- The Wrestling Observer notes that NWA will hold tapings from Mar. 21-24 for new original content.
- It’s always tough to find confirmation on tapings without abundant spoiler reports. If anyone recalls that this happened, let us know below.
- A source told WrestlingNews.co that Vince McMahon was upset that WrestleMania plans for Edge vs. Roman Reigns and Miz’s tag match against Bad Bunny leaked.
- I can definitely understand leaks being frustrating.
- As a result, both that site and Ringside News heard there’s a new edict that the creative teams has to check with McMahon or Bruce Prichard before telling talent what’s planned for them.
- I guess so they know who knows what to help figure out the leaks? Leaks are going to happen but I get trying to keep them at a minimum.
- Asuka wasn’t on Raw after losing a tooth in her match last week. Per Ringside, she isn’t cleared and could be out of action “for a few weeks”.
- She wrestled next on March 15. (1/1)
- Speculation from Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer and others is WWE is building Cesaro as an opponent for Roman Reigns after WrestleMania 37.
- Cesaro had a short feud with the Tribal Chief around that time. It’s been six months and Cesaro got a big push, a feud with Roman, and has been pushed back down the card in that time. He was protected against Seth Rollins last Friday though so maybe they still have something cool planned for him, even if it’s not a world title feud. (1/1)
- Chelsea Green signed a three year contract extension with WWE some time after her November wrist injury, according to Fightful Select. Her original deal was set to expire this summer.
- She was released 6 weeks later.
- On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer mentioned he’s reasonably certain Asuka also suffered a concussion from the Shayna Baszler kick that knocked out her teeth on Raw.
- Damn. Tough break. She just got those teeth repaired too.
- He also said Kacy Catanzaro is “relatively okay” but she doesn’t have a broken leg as WWE claimed.
- She was not out long enough to have such a serious injury. (1/1)
- For what it’s worth, Charlotte Flair told TV Insider she’s pitched WWE on wanting to work with her boyfriend, Andrade, on screen.
- That never came to pass. Andrade since asked for and received his release.
- The Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast says a source told them NXT will be moving to Tuesday nights starting on April 13 and an announcement should be coming soon.
- That’s accurate. NXT is transforming back into a developmental territory. I wonder how USA feels about all that. Probably not great. (1/1)
- Per Meltzer on WOR, WWE wants Bad Bunny on TV as much as possible, which is why Damian Priest matches have run long on Monday Night Raw.
- Bunny has a strong following.
- A “here’s what you’ll miss if you cancel your WWE Network now” screen shared by Fightful listed a pre-WrestleMania 37 NXT TakeOver show for Thurs., April 8.
- That’s accurate. It was the second of two nights. (1/1)
- On that site’s pay site, Fightful Select, they reported that WrestleMania tickets will go on sale next week.
- It ended up getting pushed another week. (0/1)
- Wrestling Observer Live’s Bryan Alvarez says he’s heard the NXT to Tuesday move is a “done deal” internally at USA Network. His sources also said the decision isn’t driven by AEW’s ratings wins, but the fact hockey will command better ad dollars on Wednesdays when it moves to USA after NBC Sports Network shuts down.
- It did happen. I’m not sure if it was hockey or ratings related. Ratings didn’t fare better without AEW competition. (1/1)
- Alvarez also said that at one point NXT was planning to load up last night’s show to counter-program AEW’s go home edition of Dynamite. He speculated they decided it wasn’t worth hotshotting matches when they were unlikely to be able to compete with the Shaq match anyway.
- That Shaq match was fun.
- Regarding New Japan’s decision to not go forward with using Marty Scurll, Fightful Select reports it came after a lot of complaints from the roster. Some said they wouldn’t have taken the booking in the first place if they knew Scurll was being used.
- Sounds like New Japan was fine booking him until there was blowback, some coming from inside their own locker room.
This week: 7/9 - 78%
Overall: 3,862/6,859 - 56.3%
Have a good week, everyone. Stay safe out there.