Welcome to the weekly Rumor Look Back, where we look at the rumors from six months ago and see which played out as originally stated. Let’s jump right in it.
- WrestleVotes Radio indicates that the WWE Draft will still happen this year, but the usual timing has been thrown off due to the quick succession of PLEs and Saturday Night’s Main Event shows on the WWE schedule.
- There has been no WWE draft. (0/1)
- According to PW Insider, at least 10 WWE staff members were fired on Thursday across multiple departments like Photography and Creative Services. This includes Christine Lubrano, who was Senior Vice President of Creative Writing Operations.
- That’s shitty.
- F4WOnline notes that WWE abandoned its trademark filing for “Edge” on April 22 after missing a related deadline, but they filed to maintain the trademark on May 1.
- The former Edge has gone by Cope in AEW. There was some folks who noticed that the AEW roster page no longer refers to him as Cope but Adam Copeland. That doesn’t mean he won’t also go by Cope when he returns though.
- Votes mentioned that Tama Tonga’s injury is worse than anticipated, and could end up delaying Tonga Loa’s WWE return too.
- He returned late June. They brought Loa back before Tama though so it didn’t delay him too long. (0/1)
- Wrestling Observer Radio’s Bryan Alvarez is under the impression that Liv Morgan is heading over to Japan this week as she prepares to begin shooting for the movie Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo. Multiple outlets claim that Liv and Raquel Rodriguez will not be stripped of the WWE women’s tag team championship while she is away filming the movie.
- They weren’t. It’d be surprising if they punished Liv for getting a movie role. Even when Liv got hurt, they had Raquel keep the title and used Roxanne Perez instead. (1/1)
- Insider says Josh Matthews has officially joined AEW in a backstage role. He has been working in the production truck and streamlines communication between the producers and crew.
- I’ve said it before – as long as he’s not announcing.
- Jeff Cobb’s name has been brought up in WWE creative discussions and his debut appears to be imminent, per WrestleVotes. It looks like he will skip NXT and go right to WWE’s main roster.
- He debuted in May at Backlash on the main roster. (2/2)
- While discussing WWE’s latest round of talent cuts and departures, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp said, “If Triple H wanted to keep these people, they’d still be there.”
- Reminds me of when people did mental gymnastics not to blame Vince when they were released.
- Sapp expects that TNA and MLW will try to bring in Jakara Jackson as soon as possible.
- She has worked TNA. (1/1)
- For whatever it’s worth, he doesn’t think Braun Strowman will end up in AEW.
- He did not. (1/1)
- In response to WWE’s staff cuts this week, Jonathan Coachman wrote on social media that TKO has been “systematically cutting WWE personnel for the last year and it’s been brutal but not talked about much. They want the company to be a west coast company. If it comes down to a UFC or WWE person in the same job it’s been the UFC employee that gets the nod. The WWE as we knew it and the ‘family’ workplace for many is long gone.”
- I don’t find Coach the most reliable source but this could certainly be true.
- The Wrestling Observer Newsletter says the date that WWE SmackDown will move back to two hours “isn’t etched in stone” as June 6, but that decision is expected to be “finalized this week.”
- It was in July.
- F4WOnline’s Dave Meltzer thinks WWE is saving a tag team match of Roman Reigns & CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins & Bron Breakker for either Money in the Bank or SummerSlam.
- That hasn’t happen and probably won’t any time soon with Seth’s injury. (0/1)
- Fightful Select notes that EJ Nduka’s AEW contract expired and he is no longer with the company. Nduka seemingly confirmed this with a social media post about how he wasn’t “made to ride the bench” and that “it’s time to move.”
- Not every person is going to be happy in any company.
- Multiple outlets point out that WWE is no longer advertising Cody Rhodes for any events until the May 16 edition of SmackDown, so it looks like that is when he will return to television.
- He returned at Saturday Night’s Main Event on May 24. (0/1)
- On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that Braun Strowman’s high salary was a large reason behind his release from WWE.
- They’re always looking to save money.
- He also mentioned that “many of those cut from NXT were perceived as not working hard in training.” Apparently there is a belief within that anyone who doesn’t work hard in training is “lazy” and “the ones who are lazy are gonna be gone.”
- Gotta make sure it looks like you’re working hard.
- That doesn’t apply to Riley Osborne, however, who Meltzer says was let go due to “non-wrestling things.”
- That’s interesting. He hasn’t worked anywhere since.
- The Wrestling Observer notes that WWE is really high on Iyo Sky right now.
- Given Michael Cole calls her the best wrestler in the world often (and he’s not necessarily wrong), that’s pretty obvious.
- Fightful Select says Harley Hudson has been under contract to TNA since last year, there were just visa issues keeping her from arriving. Gail Kim personally stepped in to help get her brought in. This was also the case with Myla Grace.
- Visa issues often pop up.
- According to PW Insider, Maven Huffman was backstage at AEW Collision this past weekend.
- He has his podcast now.
May 6, 2025
- WWE is still interested in working with Ronda Rousey, says the Wrestling Observer.
- I’m not sure that the feeling is mutual.
- Chelsea Green signed a new, multi-year deal with WWE, per Fightful Select. The outlet says her current deal wasn’t up until the end of this year at the earliest.
- Good for her. She does great work for them.
- On Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez said he was told that at least unofficially Damage CTRL is done in WWE, which could mean Asuka and Kairi Sane work as a tag team when they’re back and Iyo Sky continues on with her big singles push.
- That is the case. (1/1)
- Alvarez also said he was told Riley Osborne made it clear he didn’t want to go to EVOLVE and that could be what led to his being released by WWE. It would also seem to be what Dave Meltzer was referring to by “non-wrestling things
- Interesting.
- Super Luchas’ editor-in-chief Ernesto Ocampo posted a list of AAA wrestlers who he said had already signed WWE contracts: Alberto El Patron, Hijo de Dr. Wagner, Hijo del Vikingo, La Parka, La Hiedra, Lady Flammer, Lady Maravilla, and Niño Hamburguesa.
- The next rumor touches on the Patron aspect.
- After some pushback, and specifically a negative reaction to the former Alberto Del Rio’s name appearing on the list, Ocampo specified the new WWE contracts were necessary because AAA’s didn’t cover everything WWE’s do, and that the people signed “are not expected to take part in events in the United States. Some may appear in crossovers with NXT, but only a few.”
- That makes sense. He never appeared in any for the World’s Collide shows though it’s not out of the realm of possibility. He still works other AAA shows though.
- According to PW Insider, Dutch & Vincent of The Righteous are no longer with AEW and “the departures took place about a week ago.”
- They only worked a few matches just recently on the indies.
- Liv Morgan won’t be gone filming her role in Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo for very long, per Fightful Select. She is scheduled to be back in the States by May 17.
- She was back soon after that.
- WWE wanted to “surprise people” with the Logan Paul post-Raw attack on Jey Uso, thinking it would be better to push it via social media, says Wrestling Observer Radio.
- They like to do certain stuff on social media, though sometimes it would make sense just to do it on TV.
- Fightful says that they’ve spoke with wrestlers in WWE and none of them are upset about the company only running five match cards for premium live events, even though they would make more money working those shows.
- Fans don’t care for it. I agree they can add one or two but I’m not a fan of the AEW marathon PPVs either.
- Per the Observer, Joe Hendry and the Hardy Boyz are expected to be announced for AAA Triplemania Regia.
- Joe Hendry worked that show but the Hardys didn’t. (1/2)
- According to PW Insider, The Righteous requested their release from AEW, which is why they are gone from the company. However, the door isn’t shut on the two sides working together in the future.
- I guess they wanted something more? If so, they haven’t gotten there yet.
- There’s been at least one pitch for Cody Rhodes to return at Backlash this weekend, according to PW Insider. The site hasn’t “heard 100% that’s the direction”, however.
- It was at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
- Using their signing of Stephanie Vaquer after her Forbidden Door match last year as an example, Wrestling Observer says WWE will be monitoring AEW Grand Slam Mexico with an eye on signing any impressive CMLL talent for AAA.
- That’s not surprising.
- That lines up with a report from Superluchas’ Ernesto Ocampo that “the week AEW is going to be in Mexico is going to be seen as a mega tryout for WWE”, and that CMLL has told talent they won’t be signing new, more secure contracts in light of WWE’s acquisition of AAA, even though their existing deals leave CMLL “completely exposed to what WWE intends”.
- You’d think they’d try to protect from some poaching.
- John Cena, Becky Lynch, Jacob Fatu, GUNTHER, and Dominik Mysterio are all favored to win at Backlash on Saturday, based on the current lines at betonline. Cena and Fatu have the best odds, and are currently being given a greater than 95% chance to win by the sportsbook.
- Becky lost to Lyra but the rest are correct. (4/5)
- Multiple independent wrestlers have been contacted about participating in an upcoming wrestling-themed season of UFC president Dana White’s Power Slap, per Fightful Select. Sinn “Kizarny” Bodhi is recruiting talent, and has signed up names like HollyHood Haley J, Mechawolf, Juicy Finau, and Marty the Moth. The pay is said to be “very good” for some, but there are concerns about missed bookings due to concussions.
- This is tangental, but of all Lucha Underground talent that caught on in other promotions later, I’m surprised Marty the Moth wasn’t one of them. He was such a good heel in LU and unlike so much talent on that show, never did much after to the point he’s getting slapped in the face for money.
- On the Bears, etc. Podcast, Seth Rollins said he’s “got about four or five years left” on his current WWE contract.
- He’s a lifer no doubt.
- Fightful also says Juice Robinson is close to returning for AEW. He’s been healthy for almost a month and just waiting to be cleared for in-ring action.
- He returned at All In. (1/1)
- In an interview with Monthly Puroresu, Tetsuya Naito said no one from AEW has contacted him since he announced his New Japan exit.
- He’s worked some Rev Pro but not much else.
- Josh Alexander told The Wrestling Classic that TNA said they wanted to re-sign him when they picked up his contract option in February 2024, but never made him an offer when his deal expired earlier this year.
- He did well in TNA.
- KENTA is set to work MLW Summer of Beasts this June, says PW Insider.
- He unsuccessfully challenged Riddle for the title. (1/1)
This week: 13/19 – 68%
Overall: 5,941/10,163 – 58.5%
Have a great week, everyone!
