Let’s keep the week moving right along, folks. Rumors are here to be had.
Lead Rumor: Sami Zayn’s title win
Here’s an interesting one worth pondering, from Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio — apparently some folks within WWE did not want Sami Zayn to win the WWE championship from CM Punk on Friday Night SmackDown this past week in Mexico City.
The match result was certainly surprising, giving Zayn his second run with a title he had previously held for just nine days. Meltzer said “there were certainly people who were against”
but of course they ended up going with it in the end.
It sets up quite a few potential scenarios, considering the main event scene on SmackDown is loaded with top talent all eager for the number one spot. That ranges from Punk, to Kevin Owens (who was directly involved in the finish), to Randy Orton (who declared his intent to challenge the winner earlier in the show), to GUNTHER, to Finn Balor.
We’ll see where the creative team decides to go in the near future but apparently some didn’t want the current direction at all.
Other rumors floating around
- Wrestlevotes noted they didn’t talk to anyone about a planned Seth Rollins return at the Mexico City episode of Raw, and it’s unclear what he’ll be doing when he does return.
- They also say Stephanie Vaquer winning the women’s world championship from Liv Morgan at the house show was to reward her in her hometown.
- Ilja Dragunov either has or is going to sign with AEW, per Fightful Select. While Dragunov doesn’t have a non-compete since his WWE contract expired, Fightful’s report says his AEW debut is delayed by “visa expirations or visa hurdles”.
- Fightful’s also heard that the former WWE U.S. champ will continue wrestling as Ilja, which is his real first name. Their sources weren’t sure if he’d be able to use Dragunov, even though he used it prior to signing with WWE.
- The Good Brothers said on their Talk’n Shop podcast that they were never offered pay cuts by WWE but if they would have been, they likely would have taken them.
Get in on this, y’all. Heard anything?
