WWE News Roundup - Major SummerSlam match for John Cena? Details of 3-time women's champion being disliked backstage, Reaction to claims that Cody Rhodes' injury is fake
Welcome back to another stacked edition of Sportskeeda's WWE News Roundup. John Cena could potentially return for a big SummerSlam match as his recent social media activity has been heavily hinting towards the same.
Booker T has also revealed that a three-time women's champion was not well-liked in the WWE locker room.
Cody Rhodes is the top trending name in professional wrestling after wrestling with an injury at Hell in a Cell. A former star commented on speculation regarding Rhodes' injury possibly being fake.
The WWE News Roundup is incomplete without the company's most valuable star, Roman Reigns. A RAW talent recently admitted that he would not hesitate to accept an offer for a match against The Tribal Chief.
On that note, here are today's top stories.
#4. John Cena is teasing a major SummerSlam match against Theory
CC: @_Theory1 👀 https://t.co/2035Dp7bQe
Wrestling fans have keenly followed the back-and-forth between John Cena and Theory on social media. During a special Q&A session for WWE's TikTok account, Cena revealed that Theory was his favorite superstar currently. The Cenation Leader also believed that the 24-year-old star deserved an "Attitude Adjustment".
As expected, Theory responded to Cena's comments and called the veteran out for a fight.
Instead of choosing to reply with a few words, it seems like the 16-time world champion is possibly setting up a United States Championship match for SummerSlam.
John Cena's posted a throwback photo on Instagram from when Kevin Owens answered his United States open challenge in 2015.
The image above clearly reveals John Cena's intentions of potentially returning to pursue the US title. Theory is reportedly considered a "young John Cena" by Vince McMahon, but is he being set up for a match against his idol? Only time will tell.
#3. Booker T says Melina Perez was disliked backstage in WWE
Several fans and pundits have argued that Melina doesn't get enough credit from the pro wrestling faithful. The former women's champion was one of the best in-ring workers of her generation; however, she apparently didn't get along with her WWE colleagues.
Booker T revealed on his Hall of Fame podcast that Melina "was hell to deal with" in the locker room. While Booker presently has a great relationship with Melina, the WWE Legend admitted that he did not like the two-time Divas Champion back in the day:
"As far as Melina goes, I really like Melina now; I did not like Melina in her day. No one did," revealed Booker T. "She was one of those that owned it; she wanted to be the best in the ring and hell to deal with in the locker room. I think she would attest to that, perhaps, these days."
Booker T agreed that Melina warranted recognition for being an exceptional performer in the ring. The former WCW champion also spoke about Melina's controversial WWE exit and felt that she was the best in the business during her prime:
"I don't think that's why she doesn't get much love or anything like that; maybe it was the departure of Melina, more than anything. I've always said, as far as talent goes, there was nobody better than Melina," added Booker.
Melina is on good terms with WWE as she has sporadically appeared for the promotion since 2019. She last showed up at the 2022 Royal Rumble and lasted 53 seconds before getting eliminated by Sasha Banks.
#2. Ezekiel would not refuse a match against Roman Reigns
Ezekiel has quickly become one of RAW's most fascinating stars. During a chat with ComicBook, Elias' younger brother revealed that he would be willing to face Roman Reigns.
Ezekiel is officially a RAW Superstar, and he understands that the United States Championship is a title he could go after immediately. However, Zeke added that he would love to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Ezekiel would certainly not turn it down if an opportunity to wrestle Roman Reigns came up.
He also sounded quite confident while talking about the prospect of squaring off against The Tribal Chief:
"100%, man, that [going after a championship] is the dream. That is the goal. Listen, I'm on Monday Night Raw. So we've got the US championship right now. Now, if the opportunity comes to take on Roman Reigns or something like that, I would not hesitate to jump at that, but we've got the US champ on Monday Night Raw. I could see myself going after and winning that," he said.
Ezekiel also sat down for an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling, where he opened up about forming a dream team with Elias, the brothers inviting a legend over for dinner, and lots more. Don't miss out on the full interview in the YouTube video above.
#1. Former WWE star on whether Cody Rhodes' injury is fake
Cody Rhodes has rightfully grabbed all the headlines after beating Seth Rollins despite suffering from a torn pectoral muscle. The horrific injury did not stop Rhodes from wrestling, and some have even wondered if the entire incident was faked to create more hype.
Former WWE star Ariane Andrew (fka Cameron) addressed the speculation while speaking to SEScoops' Steve Fall. The former Funkadactyl stated that wrestling fans often question the authenticity of what they see on TV.
She was least surprised by the claims surrounding Rhodes' injury, as she briefly explained below:
"Dealing with wrestling, there's always gonna be major injuries," Andrew said. "Everyone always says it's fake, 'Oh my God, wrestling's not real.' But it is very real. Him showing up [injured], I don't know, I started to learn with WWE and wrestling, what is real and what is fake? What's to get people intrigued? Because, at the end of the day, this is still entertainment."
In case you're wondering, Cody Rhodes has a legitimately torn pec, and the latest update regarding his injury doesn't sound too promising.