WWE News & Rumor Roundup: Bobby Lashley wanted to legitimately fight 39-year-old RAW star, Huge future match being planned for CM Punk in 2024?
Welcome to another edition of the WWE News & Rumor Roundup - where we collect the hottest news and rumors from the world of sports entertainment. Today is another big edition with a mix of news and reports that could change the landscape of wrestling for the next few months.
Our stories today include a crazy idea that Bobby Lashley had for a WWE angle prior to his departure, big plans for CM Punk, a legend shutting down the idea of an in-ring return, a rumored free agent that could be heading to WWE, and a big change to The Judgment Day line-up.
So without wasting much time, let's jump right into it:
#5. Bobby Lashley wanted to legitimately fight a top RAW star for an angle
Bobby Lashley is no longer with WWE after an incredible six-year tenure that saw him become a two-time World Champion. Earlier this year, he was in the thick of a feud against the 39-year-old Karrion Kross. The leader of The Final Testament revealed a crazy pitch that The All Mighty discussed with him.
In an interview with Chris Van Vliet on INSIGHT, Karrion Kross revealed that Bobby Lashley pitched the idea of the two men having a legitimate fight to build up their angle - blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
Kross had to bring Lashley down to earth and ask about the repercussions of it - such as what people backstage like Triple H would say, about whether there would be anybody to actually separate them, and more. Once Lashley was posed with these questions, he admitted that he didn't think that far ahead.
It's unfortunate that Bobby Lashley is no longer in WWE. He turned out to be one of the names who suffered from a change in regime and he will hope to find more success as he is rumored to be AEW-bound.
#4. Is WWE planning a big match for CM Punk at Survivor Series 2024?
It was reported earlier on WrestleVotes Radio on Backstage Pass that CM Punk was slated for a Survivor Series match, meaning his hiatus isn't going to be as long as it was teased.
Two nights after Bad Blood 2024, Punk sounded uncertain about when he would return and many assumed that he would only be back by the 2025 Royal Rumble - a perfectly long recovery period so he could get a fresh start on the road to WrestleMania.
However, that doesn't appear to be the case and on an episode of WrestlePurist's RAW Review, Ibou reported that there are plans for CM Punk to challenge Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series in Vancouver.
Punk teased going for the World Title after Bash in Berlin but his feud with McIntyre was incomplete. Now that it's done, it makes sense to go in that direction.
#3. Kevin Nash completely dismisses a possible WWE return
Kevin Nash has been retired for a long time now and his history of injuries is well-documented. Some fans are surprisingly still questioning whether he wants to get back in the ring or not.
On the Kliq This podcast, Kevin Nash completely shut down the idea of an in-ring return and said that he would only consider returning to the sports entertainment juggernaut for some sort of a project or angle he found entertaining:
"I'll go back and see Paul and go. I said I would [return] if Paul needed me for something. I would do it; say they had a project or something like that I found entertaining or something I'd want to do. [Wife] said, 'But not in the ring? I said, 'F**k no.' Then I laughed, and I said, 'Babe, you know I'm 65, right?"' Nash said. [1:32-1:53]
Kevin Nash is likely better suited to one-and-done appearances such as the one that Bret Hart had in Calgary - where his presence served to fuel another storyline.
#2. Is WWE interested in signing a future free agent after Jordynne Grace?
Jordynne Grace is a name that many expect to be WWE-bound in 2025 after it was reported that she managed to renegotiate her TNA contract to end over half a year earlier than the initial date. She is expected to be a free agent by January 2025.
A report from Fightful Select has revealed that TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace's partner Jonathan Gresham is set to be a free agent in 2025, although there is no current update as to whether WWE is interested in signing him or not.
It will be interesting to see if Gresham gets a shot at the big stage. He would certainly be a valuable addition to NXT - which has been revitalized in the last few years under Shawn Michaels' leadership.
#1. Is WWE planning to remove a member of the new Judgment Day?
The new Judgment Day hasn't gotten off to a very good start, with the last two months alone seeing major defeats - such as Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan's loss to The Terror Twins at Bash in Berlin, as well as Finn Balor's loss to Damian Priest at Bad Blood 2024. However, things could change rapidly.
On the latest episode of WrestleVotes Radio on Backstage Pass, JoeyVotes and TC said that you can expect Carlito to start taking actions that will upset his fellow Judgment Day members - leading to him getting kicked out of the group. Not only this, but it appears as though he could be slated for a babyface singles run, with the possible return of the Carribean Cool gimmick that made him so popular in the mid-2000s.
The presence of Raquel Rodriguez means that The Judgment Day is getting bloated up and it was insinuated (but not confirmed) that Raquel will take Carlito's place.