Rumor Roundup (May 20, 2022): Stephanie leaving WWE, Sasha Banks and Naomi walk out, Tessa Blanchard, 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:

• According to PW Insider, “no one but the most inner circle” in WWE knew that Stephanie McMahon was taking a leave of absence from the company prior to her announcement. Most people in WWE were “completely shocked and taken aback” by the news.
• Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer said WWE is unlikely to fire Sasha Banks and Naomi for walking out on the company. They don’t want either wrestler to go to AEW, so WWE is more likely to freeze Sasha and Naomi’s contracts while they refuse to perform.
• Insider claims that Johnny Elite (fka John Morrison) is not signed with AEW despite wrestling as the Joker this week on Dynamite. However, “the door is open” for future appearances with the promotion.
• Kenny Omega returned to AEW tapings over the last several weeks and has produced some of the women’s matches, per Insider.
• Fightful indicates that WOW was partially meant to serve as a rehabilitation project for Tessa Blanchard, but that strategy began to change when AJ Lee joined the promotion last year. Blanchard is not fired from WOW after a recent falling out, but she is no longer factored into their plans.

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.