Rumor Roundup (Jan. 21, 2023): Rousey absence, WWE cuts, The Rock, Raw XXX, Briscoes ban, 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:

• Fightful Select claims Ronda Rousey was originally supposed to wrestle a singles match at Royal Rumble 2023, but as of last week, she is no longer planned to work the event.
• The site adds that even though numerous veteran wrestlers have contacted WWE about a potential Royal Rumble appearance, WWE is leaning towards “non traditional surprises” in some cases.
• Cody Rhodes was not medically cleared when WWE announced his return for the Royal Rumble match, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. But the fact he was announced leads Dave Meltzer to believe it’s just a formality.
• The Rock’s merchandise being added to WWE Shop is “more related to the 30th anniversary of Raw” than anything to do with his status for a WrestleMania program with Roman Reigns, sources told the WON.
• The Observer notes that Tony Khan made multiple attempts to get the Briscoes on AEW television. Jay & Mark were flown in several times, but Warner Bros. Discovery wouldn’t allow them to be used. They were supposed to be Jay Lethal’s partners for the All Out trios match against FTR & Wardlow, but the ban forced Khan to bring in Motor City Machine Guns’ Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley “out of nowhere”.
• WWE is “doing office cuts right now,” per Sean Ross Sapp.

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.