What is the story about?
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:
- A source at WWE told Fightful Select that Triple H’s recent comments about how the company’s helped change Saudi Arabia on Pat McAfee’s show may have been “prelude” to the announcement that WrestleMania 43 is headed to the country. The official announcement could come Friday in Las Vegas, ahead of the TKO & WWE-supported Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez fight being put on Saturday by Turki Al-Sheikh & Riyadh Season.
- Fightful also reported that WWE wants to establish the WrestlePalooza brand to create additional marquee events they can spread out on their international schedule, and charge more site fees from host cities.
- And right on cue, this week at a Goldman Sachs conference TKO COO Mark Shapiro said they hope to make Wrestlepalooza “an annual recurring franchise”, and “another WrestleMania or another SummerSlam”.
- There‘s been “internal discussion” about reintroducing Ilja Dragunov on WWE television by having him feud with Rusev, per Bodyslam.net.
- Fightful Select ran down MJF’s schedule after the news of his casting in Violent Night 2 hit: He got married last Friday, did Collision the next day, and then flew to Vancouver to film the movie. He missed Dynamite for that, but will be back in Philadelphia for tomorrow’s Collision taping. Then it’s another flight to Vancouver before he heads to Mexico City for his showdown with Mistico on CMLL’s big Anniversary show, and immediately flies to Toronto to face Mark Briscoe at All Out… followed by another flight across Canada to continue work on the movie.
- Speaking of MJF’s wedding, according to Wrestling Observer Radio’s Bryan Alvarez people at AEW were “not particularly happy” that photos showing Hangman Adam Page and other AEW babyfaces were in attendance at Friedman & Alicia Atout’s nuptials. It apparently happened because fans found them in Facebook family albums. The leak ultimately isn’t a big deal (Tony Khan explained the faces were there for Atout) but some still didn’t like it, “especially” people who take keeping kayfabe seriously like MJF and Page.
- Along with news that Jerry Lawler has cancelled “several upcoming conventions and signing appearances”, PW Insider added that Lawler did so “to focus on some health issues”.
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.
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