4 Wrestling rumors we hope are true and 3 we hope aren't: Young star to get big push at the Royal Rumble, 4-time champion set to leave WWE?
Welcome to this week's edition of WWE/wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't. The Royal Rumble is officially less than a week away, which means that the road to WrestleMania begins soon.
It's the most exciting period of the WWE calendar year, and the Royal Rumble is viewed by many as the second-biggest show of the wrestling calendar year, while some argue that SummerSlam is number two.
Either way, we have some big rumors this week regarding the return of a Grand Slam Champion from a long injury hiatus, another top star potentially returning in time for WrestleMania, and using John Cena as inspiration.
As well as Vince McMahon "giving up" on a former Universal Champion, more clarity on plans for the WrestleMania 38 main event, and so much more. Let's begin:
#4. Hope is true: Vince McMahon has big plans for a young WWE star at the Royal Rumble
Who is one of the participants in the 2022 #RoyalRumble Match?
@austintheory1! That's who!
#WWERaw https://t.co/ZNjnrVDdz5
Vince McMahon has drastically reduced his on-screen appearances in the last decade. Various reports from different sources indicated that McMahon isn't interested in being an on-screen character anymore.
Whether he simply feels as though the Mr. McMahon character isn't necessary, or whether he wants to keep making WWE look younger, there are few exceptions when he does come out.
On one hand, he appears to celebrate legends like Triple H and The Undertaker on important career moments, and on the other, he is Mr. McMahon and interacts with superstars. However, it's clear that he never goes out of his way to interact with superstars unless he has big plans for them.
When Roman Reigns wasn't getting over in 2015, Vince McMahon came out to feud with him and help get him over.
Lately, he has been interacting with only one superstar in WWE - 24-year-old Austin Theory. The young star has been in important spots lately and has gotten big victories, with his most recent one being against Finn Balor.
McMahon plays a mentor of sorts to Theory, using different methods to motivate him. It was the WWE Chairman who handed Austin Theory a spot in the 2022 Men's Royal Rumble match. This is reportedly where things are going to get bigger and better for the young star.
Wrestlenews.co spoke to one of their sources within the company and reported that Vince McMahon has big plans for Austin Theory at the 2022 Royal Rumble. Sportskeeda's Matt Black wrote:
"He [Vince McMahon] envisions Austin Theory becoming a main event player within the following year. Theory's push will reportedly begin at The Royal Rumble, where he will "get time to shine" in the matchup and be one of the final four or five men in the match at the end."
.@austintheory1 has big plans for 2022, and they include the #RoyalRumble! #WWEFargo https://t.co/9eqVfLy33G
We hope this is true because the final four is a good spot for Theory to be in. It's clear that he won't be winning the Royal Rumble, but the final four spot is often viewed with prestige and will help elevate his status on the road to WrestleMania 38.