4 Wrestling rumors we hope are true & 3 we hope aren't: Reason why Triple H suddenly took former World Champion off TV, 50-year-old WWE legend suffers "very serious injury"
Welcome to this week's edition of WWE/wrestling rumors we hope are true, and those we hope aren't. This is the post-Crown Jewel 2022 edition, which means that there will be rumors about the fallout from the premium live special.
Other rumors this week include a delay in plans for The Bloodline story, a WWE legend being out of action indefinitely, the company's new regime making an interesting match-up become a reality, a mistake made at Crown Jewel, praise for a big WWE star post-Crown Jewel, as well as backstage news and plans for a big return at WrestleMania 39. Let's jump right into it:
#4. Hope is true: WWE is still planning a big storyline for The Usos/Bloodline
It seemed as though WWE was going on the route of having Sami Zayn team up with Kevin Owens again to take on The Usos. Assuming that The Usos beat The New Day this Friday on SmackDown, they will surpass them to cement themselves as the longest-reigning tag team champions in WWE history.
Sami Zayn getting betrayed by The Bloodline and Kevin Owens coming to his aid seems to be a logical conclusion. But Zayn has given The Bloodline story a new life, and fans are loving his current role as the Honorary Uce.
The company's creative head, Triple H, seems to recognize this and has taken off Kevin Owens from TV with plans in mind for the future. Louis Dangoor of GiveMeSport reported that there are still plans for Kevin Owens to reunite with Sami Zayn:
"He was pegged to get involved with Sami and The Bloodline, but that's white hot right now. Those plans from what I've been told are definitely pushed back, but they're not off, because the plan is for Kevin Owens to be with Sami Zayn." [H/T GiveMeSport]
We hope this is true, although we will admit that taking Kevin Owens entirely off TV is a bit of a bizarre decision - especially since he performs on RAW and not SmackDown.
#3. Hope isn't true: R-Truth's injury status and in-ring future
R-Truth is a living WWE legend. At age 50, he still went strong and remained one of the most entertaining figures in the past decade. His tenure has now reached the level of several other legends, and with his countless 24/7 championship reigns, he has cemented his place in the company's history.
However, his recent appearance on NXT ended in a disaster as the match against Grayson Waller was abruptly called off. There were instant worries about a major injury, and that seems to have become a reality.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON) reported that the 50-year-old legend is believed to have torn his quad during the match:
"This wasn't confirmed at press time, but the belief was that he tore his quad, which is a very serious injury that could keep him out for a long time."
We hope this isn't true because, at his age, this could potentially be a career-ending injury. We hope that he recovers and returns for what could be his last-ever run in wrestling.
#3. Hope is true: The new WWE regime ensured Shinsuke Nakamura's match in Japan was booked
SHINSUKE NAKAMURA VS GREAT MUTA https://t.co/MTBEliuf4w
It was announced last week that Shinsuke Nakamura would face Japanese wrestling legend The Great Muta for NOAH in early 2023. The idea of WWE stars wrestling outside the company seemed nearly unthinkable during the last regime, but it didn't take too long to happen under the new regime.
According to a report from Tokyo Sports, the new WWE regime ensured that Nakamura vs. Muto happened despite the Vince McMahon regime declining:
"NOAH listed Nakamura as an opponent for Muto once he decided to embark on his retirement tour in June. There were reportedly initial disagreements, but NOAH negotiated with the new WWE regime [Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan] after Vince McMahon retired on July 22." [H/T Tokyo Sports]
We hope this is true because it might open the doors for more interesting match-ups in the future.
#2. Hope isn't true: WWE made a mistake with Sasha Banks and Naomi being in the opening intro?
WWE fans were elated to find out that Sasha Banks and Naomi were added back to the opening "Then. Now. Forever. Together" video package that aired before the Crown Jewel event. Michael Cole mentioning Sasha Banks by name later during the event seemed to be a surefire indicator that The Boss was inevitably returning to the company after over half a year.
However, the first case mentioned above may not have been anything more than a mistake by a member of the staff. A report from Fightful Select revealed that Banks and Naomi being back in the opening video was just a mistake and that there was no update on their contract negotiations.
We hope this isn't true because the negotiations have been going on for a long time - perhaps longer than they should.
#2. Hope is true: Positive reaction to Omos after WWE Crown Jewel 2022
Omos had what was undoubtedly the best match of his brief WWE career so far. While fans weren't necessarily looking forward to the clash of giants between Omos and Braun Strowman, the bout exceeded expectations.
There was praise from both sides for making it happen, although Omos was a lot more humble, not putting out any controversial tweets.
PWInsider reported that there has been praise backstage for the recent improvement of The Nigerian Giant:
"Several WWE sources praised Omos' work today and of late, feeling he is making good progress."
We hope this is true because big men of his size don't have the same athletic advantage. While we understand that patience for superstars on the highest level is a lot lesser, Omos is still young enough to improve his in-ring ability.
#1. Hope isn't true: Stone Cold willing to work another WrestleMania match?
HERE'S TO YA!!! 🍻
#WrestleMania @steveaustinBSR https://t.co/lTUTj2d0SG
Stone Cold Steve Austin became the oldest superstar to headline The Show of Shows when he defeated Kevin Owens in the main event of WrestleMania 38 Night 1. The Texas Rattlesnake was 57 years old.
Somehow, the match turned out far better than what people expected it to be, and there was a lot of positivity surrounding how things played out at Dallas. It went so well that Stone Cold may be open to doing it again.
WrestleVotes told GiveMeSport that Steve Austin is reportedly keen on working another WrestleMania match:
"I know that he had a wonderful time doing it last year in Dallas," WrestleVotes said. "He was happy, he was elated. Let’s say that the performance of the match, everything went so well and people loved it so much, So I know he was thrilled to post WrestleMania. And I’d say he was open to doing it again."
We hope this isn't true because while his performance at WrestleMania 38 was fantastic, it marked the perfect way to wrap up his in-ring career.
#1. Hope is true: Triple H and Stephanie McMahon pushed for the White Rabbit
The White Rabbit storyline proved to WWE that unique marketing can do wonders. The QR codes that were displayed instantly led hardcore fans to do the digging, revealing new hints indicating Bray Wyatt's return every week.
Despite everybody knowing it was Wyatt, there was still anticipation, and it was a massive success when The Eater of Worlds returned to WWE at Extreme Rules 2022.
Not only was the co-CEO Stephanie McMahon supportive of it, but Triple H actively pushed for it as well.
Dave Meltzer of WON reported that not only did The Game and Stephanie McMahon push for The White Rabbit angle, but they also view it as a big reason for the jump in SmackDown ratings:
''Both Stephanie McMahon and Paul Levesque pushed the White Rabbit theme as being a huge success, crediting it for the 9/23 SmackDown rating [the best for a show in more than two years except for one show that had an NFL lead-in], the 10/10 RAW rating and the success of the Extreme Rules show, which was up 38 percent in viewers from the same show last year,'' noted Meltzer.
We hope this is true because it opens the door for interesting interactive teasers between the company and fans. It's a nice, new-age way of marketing.