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.
- Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp indicates that WWE’s priority with Goldberg’s last match was more about scheduling it on the same weekend as AEW All In Texas rather than giving him a proper send-off.
- I mean that kind of sucks, but I also am not losing sleep about Goldberg not having a fairytale send off.
- For whatever it’s worth, Sapp is pretty sure that AEW offered Goldberg “a legit retirement run” at one point.
- Sting had a great retirement run in AEW, but I don’t know if that would have worked with Goldberg. Goldberg’s appeal was his dominance. Sting was able to team with Darby and lean into his famous & beloved character. That doesn’t work with Goldberg’s character. They have enough low level talent that they bring in or have on their roster that Goldberg could have had a mini-streak, but how interesting is that?
- WrestleVotes Radio says WWE has discussed an idea of sending Omos to Mexico to work in AAA, just like how he went to Japan for a stint in Pro Wrestling NOAH at the beginning of this year.
- Omos has worked one multiple person match in AAA, which was not how they used him in NOAH where he actually had a small run there. (0/1)
- Per Votes, WWE has big plans to market Jacob Fatu to a broader audience, which includes city-themed merchandise.
- While it’s tough to know for complete sure because I wasn’t at any of his shows, but he never wore a city branded shirt to the ring (which they’ll often do to promote it) and there’s nothing online on WWE shop or anything written up about it, so I don’t think the city-themed merch happened. Maybe the injury delayed it. (0/1)
- The outlet also claims there have been talks about other WWE main roster stars appearing at TNA Slammiversary in addition to AJ Styles.
- That did not happen. (0/1)
- While discussing Kazuchika Okada’s new entrance song in AEW, Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer suggests the idea is for him to have worse music so the fans don’t cheer for it.
- That is the way if you want a heel not to get any favorable audience interaction, but it feels like interacting with the music is such a big part of wrestling now.
- For whatever it’s worth, Luchablog believes that Hechicero is signed to an AEW contract. The idea is that he’s under a dual deal where he’s also working in CMLL. The deal was supposed to be made official around the time of Grand Slam Mexico, but it got delayed.
- He was already working AEW at the time of this rumor. He’s (surprise) part of the Don Callis Family.
- According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE’s original plan for SummerSlam called for CM Punk vs. GUNTHER to be the main event of night one, with Seth Rollins cashing in the Money in the Bank contract on Punk to end the show. That cash-in appears to still be the plan. John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes will then be the main event of night two.
- That’s the case in all regards. (2/2)
- Per The Observer, WWE also had the following matches listed on a proposed SummerSlam card from three weeks ago: Roman Reigns vs. Bron Breakker, Jey Uso vs. Bronson Reed, Becky Lynch vs. Bayley, Jelly Roll & Randy Orton vs. Logan Paul & Drew McIntyre, Charlotte Flair vs. Alexa Bliss, Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa inside a steel cage, Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill, AJ Styles vs. Dominik Mysterio, Naomi vs. IYO SKY vs. Rhea Ripley, and a TLC match with the SmackDown tag teams. Some changes have obviously been made since, but this is what WWE had listed three weeks ago.
- This rumor implies that things probably already changed. Some of this is how it went. Others is not.
- Fightful Select notes that Kenny Omega is taking some time off from AEW. However, it’s not clear if he’ll be away “sporadically or consecutively.”
- Kenny comes and goes, but he did take some time. (1/1)
- F4WOnline’s Dave Meltzer mentioned that the Young Bucks were “pretty adamant about losing” at AEW All In Texas, although the final decision was up to Tony Khan. It was ultimately decided that their story as AEW authority figures ran its course, and “it was time to get them back to being a great wrestling tag team.”
- It was the right move. They did some really fun stuff with them having no money and used it to turn them babyface again in a way that made sense.
- Meltzer also says WWE’s goal right now is to elevate Fatu, Breakker, and Ripley to the level that Reigns, Punk, Rhodes, and Rollins are currently at.
- Ripley may damn close. The other two probably will get there but not yet.
- According to PW Insider, a memo was sent to WWE employees on Friday about a new severance pay policy that is effective immediately. The new policy is significantly worse than the old one. Not surprisingly, “this was a major blow to company morale among employees.”
- It’s rare a new policy is better for the employee.
- Dave Meltzer maintained on Wrestling Observer Radio that Seth Rollins was always planned to do an injury angle at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
- Sounds like he’s right. (1/1)
- He also says the plan calls for Rollins to cash in on the GUNTHER vs. CM Punk winner at SummerSlam, likely Punk, and win the world heavyweight championship.
- That’s correct. (1/1)
- Meltzer also mentioned that Travis Scott was originally planned for a major role at SummerSlam but “it fell apart.” Jelly Roll got the spot instead.
- The company soured on Travis it seems.
- PW Insider says they have heard the current plan is for Joe Tessitore to move to Monday Night Raw and Michael Cole to Friday Night SmackDown during football season due to the former’s commitments elsewhere during that time period.
- That is correct. (1/1)
- Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp speculated that Jimmy Uso will soon move over to the Raw roster now that his wife Naomi is on that show.
- He’s pretty much there now. (1/1)
July
22, 2025
- Jon Alba of Sports Illustrated says AJ Styles was originally scheduled to be in a segment with Frankie Kazarian in his return to TNA at Slammiversary but plans changed hours before showtime. The belief is WWE influenced the change.
- I wonder why.
- For whatever it’s worth, Brie Bella claimed on her podcast that she will not be working SummerSlam, though she will be in town to do other projects alongside her sister, Nikki.
- She was not lying. Nikki didn’t work that show either.
- On that same podcast, Bryan Danielson said he is NOT back wrestling for AEW after his appearance at All In.
- He said on a podcast with Chis Van Vlet that his neck is not going to allow him to wrestle again on TV.
- Fightful Select notes that Moose was “very banged up” following Slammiversary.
- That’ll happen, especially after big shows that wrestlers go all out for it.
- They also say there has been talk of doing a Tessa Blanchard vs. Gia Miller program in TNA.
- They had a match at Bound for Glory that Tessa won. (1/1)
- One more from Fightful: despite other rumors of Private Party’s contract status, they are still with AEW and there simply haven’t been any creative discussions surrounding the duo since they lost the titles.
- Let’s split some rumors. (1/2)
- It was said on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE originally planned to have Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss wrestle each other at SummerSlam but they changed course when their tag team started doing well.
- I figure they’ll eventually come back around and wrestle each other, but the tag team is still churning along.
- They also said that plans are in place for Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed. WOR speculates this is to ensure many of those involved don’t have to take a pin.
- They pretty much already set this up.
- Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria is scheduled for the Saturday portion of the event, and GUNTHER vs. CM Punk will headline the first night while John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes will headline night two.
- Becky was on the Sunday night portion. The other parts are correct. (2/3)
- The Observer also says at one point a six-team Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match was scheduled but he isn’t sure if it will still be taking place on the show.
- That ended up happening on SmackDown.
- Fightful Select notes that Deonna Purrazzo is signed with AEW through the end of 2026, so she’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
- She’s mainly on ROH. Her Cagematch has her billed from Livingston, NJ, which is my hometown, but I don’t believe she’s announced that way in the matches of hers I’ve seen. (According to her wiki, she’s billed from Hackettstown which sounds familiar. I’ve been there too. It’s right next to Budd Lake for all you North Jersey folks.)
- Fightful also says WWE has contacted former AEW wrestler Leyla Hirsch about a position as a referee, though it’s unknown if anything may come of it.
- She’s working the indies currently. (She’s from Russia but was raised in Hillsborough Township, NJ, of which I know nothing.)
- “Internal sources” at WWE told Bodyslam.net there’s been no indication The Rock will return to WWE programming any time “in the near future”, so we shouldn’t expect a SummerSlam appearance to advance his angle with Cody Rhodes and John Cena.
- We haven’t seen the Rock since Elimination Chamber last year. Maybe he’ll consider it now that The Smashing Machine officially got no Oscar love. (1/1)
- Documents Wrestlenomics obtained through public records requests reveal that San Diego has budgeted a total of $5 million for this year’s Survivor Series at Petco Park. It’s not known if the entire amount will be paid to WWE, but its in line with site fees paid by Las Vegas for WrestleMania 41 and Arlington, Texas for WrestleMania 38.
- These cities will shell out for these events.
- Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer confirmed that the injuries Will Ospreay described on Dynamite last night are legitimate and not storyline.
- He’s out post neck surgery currently, so yeah. (1/1)
- Tony Khan has a “specific goal and amount” that he thinks ROH TV rights should command, and while he has received offers none have come “particularly close” to Khan’s target figure. That from Fightful Select, which reports negotiations over ROH with Warner Bros. Discovery did lead to an unexpected deal for AEW: Dynamite’s weekly Friday night replay on TruTV.
- I’m skeptical they’ll ever sell the rights to ROH unless it’s part of a later package for other AEW programming.
- Since opening, SummerSlam odds at outlets like BetOnline have shifted to increase the likelihood of Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, Naomi, Lyra Valkyria and Randy Orton & Jelly Roll winning their matches. CM Punk is still favored, but his odds of beating GUNTHER have reduced since the match was announced. AJ Styles went from being favored in his match with Dom Mysterio to that now being a toss-up. Solo Sikoa remains a slight favorite, and Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss big ones in their matches. Roman Reigns & Jey Uso opened as heavy favorites in their tag match as well.
- Cody, Naomi, Solo, Alexa/Charlotte, Roman/Jey, & CM Punk won. Jade, Lyra, and Orton/Jelly did not. (6/9)
- WWE filed to trademark “Superbrawl” again this week. Their filing on the term from last July is still active, so it’s not clear why they re-filed on the WCW PPV name.
- They haven’t done anything with it.
- In an interview with Battleground Podcast this week, TNA president Carlos Silva said “there are a couple of different options” he’s currently working on for TNA’s next media rights deal.
- They landed with AMC.
This week: 19/27 – 70%
Overall: 6,095/10,414 – 58.5%
Have a great week, everyone!
