Triple H will ‘address the WWE Universe’ on SmackDown

We got an appearance by Triple H to open Raw on Mon., April 3, which was not only the first episode of television after WrestleMania 39, but also the first since WWE and Endeavor announced the latter would be acquiring the former to merge it with UFC as a new company.

The Game was out for a pep talk to assure fans the Endeavor deal didn’t mean the WWE they know was going away. But everything in the wrestling news cycle since he dropped the microphone has been about the likelihood the WWE product many of us have grown to love over the past eight months during Vince McMahon’s absence very well could be.

Despite repeatedly telling fans, employees, talent, and the world at large that Trips will continue to run the shows as WWE’s content chief, his father-in-law Vince McMahon apparently ended Monday night calling the shots. Reports couldn’t say whether that would continue on this week’s SmackDown and beyond, but that hasn’t stopped speculation McMahon is back for good... one of the reasons #FireVince has been trending on social media for the past three days.

Into that cauldron of rumor, WWE today (April 6) dropped this:

Haitch will be addressing us, not giving us [fill in synonym for “big”] announcement, so he’s not infringing on Tony Khan’s gimmick. But one of the reasons to promote this address is the same reason TK promises announcements — to generate interest, and hopefully even bigger ratings than the blue show normally does.

It could very well just be another version of the speech he gave on Raw. But the hope/fear he’ll say something about his future will definitely get a few more people to tune in, even though something like a change in his title or responsibilities would almost certainly come from a press release.

A perhaps positive sign that Vince won’t be booking Friday night’s show? We’ve got two three matches announced in advance! They are both a form of WrestleMania rematch, though, so make of that what you will.

Here’s an updated rundown of what we’ll get on tomorrow night’s show from Portland, Oregon:

• Triple H addresses the WWE Universe

• “Conquering heroes Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens return to SmackDown as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions”

• UPDATE: Sami Zayn vs. Jey Uso has now been announced

• “NEW SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley claims her throne on SmackDown”

• Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar vs. Dominik Mysterio & Damian Priest

• Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser & Givoanni Vinci) vs. Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Butch & Ridge Holland)

Intrigued?