Rumor Roundup (Apr. 3, 2023): Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, WWE expiring contracts, WrestleMania injuries, 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:

• WWE asked outlets to put out the word Randy Orton was not ready to return from injury so fans wouldn’t get their hopes up for a him to appear at WrestleMania 39, Wrestling Observer says.
• Drew McIntyre is in the final year of his WWE contract, and the two sides reportedly aren’t close to new deal. That’s according to reports from PW Insider and the Observer, who assure there’s plenty of time for the sides to come to a new agreement.
• “WWE is eager to keep Drew McIntyre,” per Fightful Select. Their report mentions that several wrestlers contracts will be up by the end of 2024. That’s because WWE signed “dozens” to five year deals after AEW hit the scene in 2019. Some of those were released during the pandemic, however.
• Insider notes that when Finn Balor was busted open last night, WWE medical injected him with a numbing agent then stapled the wound closed while Edge distracted the audience by pulling weapons out from under the ring.
• They also said Shane McMahon wasn’t stretchered out after his leg injury, but “walked out as he was supported by others.”
• Matt Jackson is “hopeful for Double or Nothing”, according to Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer. The timetable he’s been given for rehabbing his partially torn biceps is 6-8 weeks.
• WWE will receive $1.8 million in subsidies from Puerto Rico tourism groups to hold Backlash in San Juan this May, reports Wrestlenomics.

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.