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.
- The Wrestling Observer notes that Randy Orton is now being advertised for an upcoming episode of SmackDown on Dec. 5 in Austin, Texas. That would seem to indicate he is returning soon.
- He didn’t return until January. (0/1)
- Per Fightful Select, Zack Ryder isn’t signed to WWE after his return on SmackDown but the door isn’t closed for his return. He does, however, have a merchandise deal in place.
- He eventually signed as Matt Cardona, but his run isn’t really any different than Zack Ryder. I don’t see a difference in his booking for sure. But I also don’t see a difference in the character either. Maybe it’s because he’s not on TV enough to differentiate, but if he came back as Ryder, I don’t know how it’d be different outside catchier entrance music.
- Dominik Mysterio told the Towers of Power podcast that he’s gotten talked to backstage for some of his heel work on screen, like spitting on Dragon Lee (he claimed it was his gum) and doing snot rockets in the corner during commercial breaks.
- I wonder if he’s working here to make himself seem like a badder dude than he is.
- Nia Jax told The Happy Hour that the idea of her joining The Bloodline has “definitely been talked about,” but it never happened because it “has to be the right timing.” She said the answer is “never a no” on it possibly happening in the future.
- I don’t see her as a fit, despite the familial connection.
- According to Fightful, Tony D’Angelo was backstage at NXT this past week. It’s still unclear his exact status moving forward but this was his first time spotted at the Performance Center in months.
- He’s their current champion.
- The Takedown on SI says AMC has emerged as a legitimate candidate to land TNA in a new TV deal.
- That’s where they are. (1/1)
- Bryan Alvarez at F4WOnline notes that the belief is John Cena will be headlining the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2026.
- It was Stephanie McMahon. (0/1)
- He also said on Wrestling Observer Live that AJ Lee is indeed expected for the women’s War Games match.
- She was part of the match. (1/1)
- One more from Alvarez: He said the expectation within WWE is that SmackDown will be three hours for six months or so in 2026 before again reverting back to two again for the rest of the year.
- It must be tough to map out booking when half the year, you lose 1/3 of the TV time. (1/1)
- PW Insider says Liv Morgan was never in New York for Raw this week and never scheduled to appear on the show at any point, despite rumors suggesting otherwise.
- She returned soon at Survivor Series.
- Bodyslam.net claims WWE higher ups are really high on Je’Von Evans and believe him to be the future of WWE.
- He’s certainly booked very well.
- On Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez said there have been a lot of discussions around who will appear at John Cena’s final match in Washington D.C., including talk of Vince McMahon and President Donald Trump.
- Neither of them were there.
- PW Insider notes that Becky Lynch, Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Liv Morgan, Tiffany Stratton, and Jade Cargill were all in New York City for a film shoot yesterday and it could be for a WrestleMania 42 promo.
- We saw a lot of those.
- WrestleVotes says WWE was pleased with Cam Skattebo’s appearance on Monday Night Raw this week and the angle they did with The Judgment Day.
- They’re always happy with sports and celebrity crossover.
- No different than Zack Ryder, Dolph Ziggler is not signed with WWE and his match in the Last Time is Now Tournament was a one-time deal, per Fightful Select.
- He is still in TNA. (1/1)
- Chad Gable is working towards making his return to WWE and he is expected at the Performance Center this week, according to PW Insider.
- He returned at the Rumble.
- Deadline says Twisted Metal has been renewed for a third season. Samoa Joe portrays Sweet Tooth on the show.
- I still need to watch the second season. Too much TV to keep up with.
- Opening odds for Survivor Series at places like betonline have The Vision-led Men’s WarGames team slightly favored over their opponents, as is the babyface side of Women’s WarGames. Dominik Mysterio currently is being given a 75% chance to take the Intercontinental title back from John Cena, while Nikki Bella is a big underdog to Women’s World champ Stephanie Vaquer.
- Accurate. (4/4)
- Based on Sheamus’ report from his NXT house show match with Je’Von Evans and John Cena’s own visits to the WWE Performance Center, Cena is “is very, very high on Je’Von”. That from Wrestling Observer Live’s Bryan Alvarez, who thinks it’s another sign WWE “finally figured out that they have something special in Je’Von Evans”.
- Cena is very invested in the upcoming generation.
- David Otunga told Chris Van Vliet that reports John Cena had the finish of Cena’s match against Nexus at SummerSlam 2010 changed at the last minute were “100% accurate… that’s what happened, that is what happened.”
- That’s an old report he’s confirming.
- WWE added two new names to the PC roster from the SummerSlam tryout, signing gymnast and pole dancer Jessica Bognadov, and football player and internet content creator Cyrus Habibi-Likio to Developmental deals, per PW Insider. That site’s Mike Johnson also reported that WWE NIL program signee, track & field athlete and influencer Meghan Walker got a full-time Developmental contract after the tryout.
- Oba Femi was one of their NIL signings.
- Joe Hendry’s new WWE deal is “a main roster level” one, writes Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp in a Patreon Q&A. That means Hendry is “making above the main roster minimum” despite being primarily featured on NXT.
- He’s now on the main roster.
- The eight-minute match Maya World and Hyan got on Collision last week “was a direct result of how well they handled the prior week” when they filled in after Nixon Newell and Miranda Alize declined to perform, according to Fightful Select’s AEW contacts. Hyan and World are not signed yet, but AEW plans to use them more in the future, and the site’s sources “wouldn’t be surprised to see the duo under contract sooner than later.”
- I think that’s also a bit of an F you to Newell & Alize. They were eventually signed. (1/1)
- According to Wrestling Observer Live’s Bryan Alvarez, there is “a strong feeling” in AEW that Adam Cole “may not ever wrestle again.”
- I mean we’ll have to wait a long time to find out, it didn’t sound good when he announced he was stepping away over a year ago.
- A source told The Hollywood Reporter that Netflix, NBCUniversal and Paramount/Skydance all submitted official bids on Thursday to purchase “some or all” of Warner Bros. Discovery, which is AEW’s broadcast partner. It’s not clear if “Saudi Arabia or any other Middle Eastern fund is providing financing for backstops to any of the bids.” There are expected to be more rounds of bidding to drive up the sale price.
- Right now it’s Paramount, after Netflix initially won the bid.
- Former AEW star Saraya told the Toronto Sun that she will start training in January, just in case she returns to pro wrestling in 2026. She says the probability that she returns is “a lot higher” now.
- She’s a WWE tag champ.
- While discussing his surprise Raw return on Off the Ropes, Dolph Ziggler said WWE originally considered announcing it ahead of time, and that included showing a bracket for John Cena’s The Last Time Is Now tournament. Ziggler thought that was “such a bad idea,” and was relieved when his return was not spoiled.
- The surprise was fun.
- Per Deadline, WWE star Bianca Belair has signed a deal with talent agency CAA for representation.
- Cool.
- Fightful Select says Anna Jay’s AEW contract is believed to expire “in the next few months.”
- She recently just came back, though we don’t know her contract status.
- For whatever it’s worth, Luchablog thinks WWE’s decision to air the next AAA TV taping on YouTube opposite AEW’s Full Gear pay-per-view on Saturday night has “nothing to do with AEW.” It’s more that the “AAA TV situation is Not Great for what they’re trying to do as a TKO brand and this is maybe step one in doing something else.” Luchablog thinks AAA’s big show on Dec. 20 will also air on YouTube.
- All their shows air on YouTube. (1/1)
- F4WOnline’s Dave Meltzer recently mentioned there are people in WWE who are “very strongly” behind the idea of Jacob Fatu being one of the top pushed stars in the company.
- I’m sure Roman Reigns is one of them the way he’s been putting him over.
- The latest odds at BetOnline suggest that FTR, Mark Briscoe, and Kris Statlander will win their respective title matches tonight at the AEW Full Gear pay-per-view.
- Accurate on all three. (3/3)
- During the latest episode of the Talk’N Shop podcast, Karl Anderson shut down the rumor that Andrade walked out of The Crash XIV Aniversario event in anger. Anderson said Andrade “watched the whole show” and didn’t leave angry or upset about anything.
- Interesting.
- Even though Hulk Hogan’s son Nick is teasing a future career in pro wrestling, sources in WWE told Fightful Select there haven’t been any discussions in the company about Nick wrestling since the 2010’s, and even then it was more of a “what if?” kind of scenario.
- Nick Hogan is already 35. Not that he can’t get into wrestling at that age, but it’s late just to be starting.
- The outlet also heard that the reason why Shane McMahon wasn’t shown on camera during WWE Raw this week at MSG is because he was just visiting and not there to promote anything.
- The Best in the World.
- On a call with the media this week, AEW President Tony Khan indicated that the Wrestle Dynasty event will not return in 2026.
- I was initially confusing this was regular Dynasty show.
- Regarding the Continental Classic tournament, which begins next week on Dynamite, Khan said he hasn’t announced the field yet because he needs to see which AEW wrestlers are healthy coming out of Full Gear.
- More than once, one wrestler had to be replaced mid tournament due to injury.
- Two-time TNA Knockouts Tag champ and recent Mercedes Moné opponent Jody Threat told Fightful her TNA contract expires soon, and that she’s currently negotiating a new one with the company. Fightful’s sources confirmed that, and said TNA hopes to re-sign Threat.
- They did re-sign her around the AMC premiere. (1/1)
This week: 14/16 – 88%
Overall: 6,285/10,697 – 58.8%
Have a great week, everyone!
