Rumor Roundup (Sept. 6, 2023): CM Punk, Lana AEW deal, WWE changes, Piper Niven, 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:

• PW Insider claims that immediately after AEW announced CM Punk was fired, there was talk within “top talents” at WWE. Some were “adamantly against” the idea of him coming back while others see it “as a chance to make big money.”
• They also say Impact Wrestling is “super excited” about the idea of Punk maybe coming to wrestle there.
• Fightful Select says the deal between AEW and Lana came together only in the past week and they don’t know if she’s even gotten a name yet.
• WrestleVotes notes that WWE’s internal roster was updated recently to reflect some changes post-Payback. Of note: LA Knight is listed as the top babyface on SmackDown while Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits are all listed as heels.
• Piper Niven is “fine,” per Sean Ross Sapp. He says she’s out with an illness but is “expected back soon.”
• According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Mercedes Monè was likely to wrestle on AEW All In at Wembley Stadium before her injury. She was still in a full cast when she appeared in the stands for that show, and was wheeled around in a wheelchair at the airport in London.
• The current estimates indicate 168,000 to 184,000 PPV Buys for AEW All In, says the Observer.
• There’s some heat on AR Fox at AEW, per Fightful. That’s because the company doesn’t feel he was forthcoming about being unable to travel internationally, which resulted in a late change to All In’s Coffin Match.

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.