What is the story about?
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 to it.
- While speculation was rampant AJ Lee could return to Raw on Nov. 17 due to Netflix featuring her on a banner ad, she has since been removed and may not be returning that date after all.
- She did return on that date to help Maxxxine Dupri defeat Becky Lynch for the intercontinental title. (0/1)
- On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that WWE is still “committed to putting the title on” Jade Cargill.
- They soon did. She lost it at Mania to Rhea in what I thought was a good showing for her. We haven’t seen her since so we still don’t know where she stands post title reign. I would bet they still want to feature her, and her match with Ripley shouldn’t have done anything to deter them from doing that, but I wonder where she is in their pecking order. (1/1)
- According to Fightful Select, TNA talent who appear on NXT television are compensated for said appearance but it depends on the position they have on the card. The higher up the better.
- Yes, they should get paid to work shows they’re not contracted to.
- Fightful also says Rich Swann, among others, are currently working on a per appearance basis for TNA.
- I forget Rich Swann is still in TNA.
- Nigel McGuinness recently signed a new deal to keep him with AEW long term, per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
- He’s very good on commentary.
- PW Insider reports Cody Rhodes, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns were at WWE headquarters recently filming material for the WrestleMania 42 promo and the teasers that preceded it.
- Aerosmith voice: “I’m baaaaack….”
- They also say WWE is planning to build an entire weekend event around Elimination Chamber in Chicago next year, with possible shows from AAA and NXT alongside a SmackDown show the night before.
- There was a SmackDown but not either of the other two. (0/1)
- The actual date of the show is not yet set in stone, however, and could be moved to a week earlier or a week later.
- It settled in at the 28th.
- One more from Insider: WWE talent have begun voice work for the next installment in the video game franchise, WWE 2K26.
- I wonder how long they spend recording these.
- Ortiz told Wombreezy he has “about a year left” on his contract with AEW but he hopes to stay with the company.
- He’s not often used.
- Per Fightful Select, Steve Maclin’s contract with TNA expires at the end of 2025.
- Contracts rumors are tough. He re-signed in March but we don’t know if he signed something short term prior or if they were able to add time on.
- TC at WrestleVotes says there was concern within WWE that Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed would be cheered after they turned on Seth Rollins and that played a part in keeping them from the number one contender battle royal on Raw last week.
- Fans often cheer a big heel turn or story change.
- Chelsea Green quietly signed a new contract with WWE back in January, well before it became known publicly, according to Fightful Select. She will be with the company all the way through 2030 now.
- She’s fantastic whenever she is used, though that hasn’t been for a bit due to an injury. That looks like it may be behind her and they have her doing some bits backstage with US Champion Tiffany Stratton.
- Fightful also notes that despite speculation regarding WWE using Andrade El Idolo amidst his one-year non compete clause, there are no future plans for that.
- That eventually got resolved, without him doing work for WWE. (1/1)
- For what it’s worth, Drew McIntyre told the No Contest Wrestling podcast he almost joined New Japan Pro Wrestling before his return to WWE.
- That would have been an interesting run. Not surprising either since he was working everywhere prior to returning to WWE.
- Mickie James told Chris Van Vliet that current SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis is “far from done” with his in-ring career and it would be a dream come true for him to lace his boots up for another match.
- They’ve teased a match a few times but we haven’t gotten there yet. I hope we do though.
- Someone noticed that Chris Jericho’s April application to trademark “The Jericho Vortex” is now listed as “dead and abandoned”. There’s speculation it could be the latest sign Jericho is done at AEW.
- He was not done with AEW. (0/1)
- At sportsbooks like betonline, CM Punk is still favored over Jey Uso in Saturday Night’s Main Event’s WWE World Heavyweight title match, but not as heavily as he was initially. Jade Cargill and Cody Rhodes are also favorites in their matches, and are currently being given a slightly better chance to win than Punk.
- The odds were correct. (3/3)
- Oddsmaker see Dominik Mysterio as a near lock to retain the Intercontinental title.
- Pretty predictable show. (1/1)
- Speaking with Muscle Man Malcolm, David Otunga said WWE completed a documentary on Nexus but doesn’t expect it will ever be released. Otunga first indicated COVID layoffs led to the doc being shelved, but later hinted that WWE killed that project and other Nexus plans because “John Cena has a lot of pull there”.
- I don’t know if there’s much of a desire for a Nexus documentary.
- Though a report from over the summer claimed Private Party’s AEW contracts were up soon, Fightful Select says Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy are still signed. The site’s source also “implied” their deals may not expire at the same time, possibly due to injury time.
- They haven’t had a very consistent run in AEW.
- Fightful also says The Hurt Syndicate have been “very helpful” to Quen and Kassidy, including advising them to work on their physiques.
- Good that the Hurt Syndicate are mentoring.
- Thunder Rosa told Midnight Movie Trash she’s been rehabbing multiple injuries but expects to return to the ring “fairly soon”.
- It’s a shame that she’s often banged up.
- MLW is meeting with media companies in New York and Los Angeles about a new rights deal, per PW Insider. Plans for a weekly show have apparently gotten far enough along “that the company is looking at new backstage interviewers.”
- They’ve teased the Fusion return, and looks like have taped for it, but they don’t have a weekly program right now. They did bring back Rich Bocchini as their backstage intervier. (1/1)
- For whatever it’s worth, former WWE star Brodus Clay aka Tyrus told TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast that he thinks there is a good chance President Trump will be in attendance for the final match of John Cena’s WWE career at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December. He also said Trump might be involved in the finish to the match.
- He was not there, let alone involved in the finish. (0/1)
- Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer heard there is “a lot of political stuff going on there right now” when it comes to WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura possibly being booked as Hiroshi Tanahashi’s final opponent at the Tokyo Dome for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 in January.
- That did not come to pass.
- Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp says Nyla Rose’s absence from AEW programming has nothing to do with an injury. It’s possible that she doesn’t even know why Tony Khan hasn’t booked her, which is a common reaction for AEW stars who disappear from creative plans with no explanation.
- Nyla hasn’t been on any AEW TV in awhile. She has worked a couple indies lately.
- PW Insider’s Mike Johnson said he’d “be shocked” if WWE “didn’t have the right to purchase [TNA] outright if someone else made an offer.”
- I guess that makes sense.
- Duke Loves Rasslin was told that somebody in AEW is planting a story that Tony Khan didn’t hire D-Von Dudley because he caught him sleeping backstage. Dudley said, “No, that’s not the case.” However, he “probably” did fall asleep backstage at AEW because he was bored while sitting around for so long waiting to meet Khan.
- So did he fall asleep backstage or what?
- On the latest episode of Something To Wrestle with John Layfield, JBL said it’s really true that Vince McMahon fired Brad Maddox in 2015 for using the word “pricks” during a pre-show promo. McMahon got rid of Maddox because he thought it was a “classless word.” This is also a reminder that Vince isn’t around in WWE anymore, seeing that Becky Lynch recently called Paul Heyman a “penguin-faced prick” on Raw.
- Vince we so particular about that type of thing.
- Fightful Select mentioned that Mance Warner and Steph De Lander both signed TNA contracts earlier this year that run through the middle of 2026.
- They both quit prior to that.
- The Wrestling Observer Newsletter said WWE’s plan “a few weeks ago” was for John Cena to beat Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental championship at Survivor Series, and then defend the belt against GUNTHER in the final match of his career at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December.
- That did not happen.
- Aleister Black told The Takedown on SI that Triple H was “not really into” the idea of his on-screen partnership with Zelina Vega at first. However, the success of the CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins story may have helped change Triple H’s mind.
- He and Zelina were just releaesd.
- The odds at BetOnline indicate that Dominik Mysterio and Jade Cargill are huge favorites to win their respective title matches tonight at Saturday Night’s Main Event. CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are also listed as favorites in their title matches.
- Accurate as we said earlier.
- F4WOnline’s Bryan Alvarez says there is a tentative plan for the NXT women to do a tour of Japan in 2026. It’s not clear if that includes Marigold, NOAH, or both.
- I don’t see that this happened. (0/1)
- The rumor about WWE wanting to bring Andrade back is not true, according to what people in the company told The Observer. Even though there are “lots of secrets” in WWE, one top person there said “he had never heard the name discussed.”
- Can split those rumors. (1/2)
- WON also mentioned that Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE championship was originally planned for Survivor Series, but WWE moved it up to Saturday Night’s Main Event due to Jacob Fatu’s injury.
- I can buy this because that feud dragged too long.
- Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer said some people think Bandido suffered a legitimate shoulder injury during his match that was taped for tonight’s episode of AEW Collision. However, it’s possible that he just did a great job of selling an injury for the story of the match.
- He was hurt later in the month but this did not cost him time.
This week: 8/14 – 57%
October 2025: 41/65 – 63%
Overall: 6,252/10,650 – 58.7%
Have a great week, everyone!
