WWE News & Rumor Roundup: Brandi Rhodes calls out The Rock, Star relinquishes title, Major push planned for potential threat to Roman Reigns
The road to WWE WrestleMania is heating up as The Rock's offer to Cody Rhodes has made things unpredictable. With WWE building up for the Elimination Chamber, there are unsurprisingly many newsmakers during a busy period in pro wrestling.
Brandi Rhodes sent a message following this week's SmackDown and seemingly called out The Rock.
A recently-signed star also relinquished a title he won nearly a month ago. Sources have also indicated a major push is incoming for a SmackDown superstar.
We end the roundup with Big E endorsing one of the most exciting talents in wrestling.
#1. Brandi Rhodes reacts to The Rock's revelation about his relationship with husband Cody Rhodes
Pro wrestling is at its best when the stories are extremely difficult to predict. The Rock entering the fray and urging Cody Rhodes to sell his soul has opened another creative avenue for WWE.
The narrative moved forward on the final SmackDown before Elimination Chamber as The Rock tried to lure Cody by giving him gifts and using the late great Dusty Rhodes to emotionally sway the Undisputed WWE Champion.
The Final Boss mentioned that he had been in contact with The American Nightmare, with the two stars even FaceTiming each other.
There might be some inaccuracies in The Rock's story if Brandi Rhodes' post-show reaction was anything to go by. Here's what she posted:
"Did he say they FaceTimed?" she wrote.
Cody Rhodes will give his answer to The Rock at Elimination Chamber and it promises to be an industry-changing moment.
#2. Ricky Saints relinquishes non-WWE title
It didn't take long for the erstwhile Ricky Starks to be on WWE TV following the end of his AEW tenure.
Rechristened as Ricky Saints, the former FTW Champion has enjoyed a great start in new surroundings. Before his WWE debut, Saints wrestled on the indies while being on the bench for AEW and won the Defy World Championship on February 7.
Ricky defeated Kenta to win the title and would have initially hoped to have a long reign with the belt. His WWE signing, however, had clearly impacted his priorities.
Ricky Saints issued a video statement and confirmed relinquishing the Defy World Title. The 35-year-old star was grateful to have held the belt and even revealed the promotion's plans to crown a new champion.
It's still early days but Ricky Saints will be plotting to become a champion in NXT as soon as possible.
#3. WWE has huge plans for Jacob Fatu
In case it wasn't obvious already, Jacob Fatu looks destined for superstardom in WWE.
The Samoan Werewolf has been a revelation since his debut in the company and in recent times, has started to showcase his singles potential. Fightful Select put out a detailed report on the backstage reactions to Jacob Fatu's work thus far and what lies ahead.
Fatu's presentation has been "carefully crafted" since the beginning of his run, with officials noticing how Fatu gets different reactions than other Bloodline members. While there was no word on whether Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa was planned for WrestleMania, it was noted that Fatu is viewed highly by powerful executives.
Jacob Fatu has had a few face-offs with Roman Reigns and they weren't an accident as WWE fully considers Fatu a "top talent" who will contribute to the promotion's success for years.
Triple H and his team hope Fatu will emerge as the next big star from The Bloodline saga. In addition to his in-ring and promo work, Jacob Fatu has also received lots of praise backstage for getting in the best shape of his life.
The Jacob Fatu era might be upon us!
#4. Big E would give Oba Femi a monster push
While Jacob Fatu terrorizes the main roster, Oba Femi has quickly become one of the most promising prospects to come out of NXT in years.
The reigning NXT Champion is tremendously hot at the moment and might possess everything required to be a main-event player on RAW and SmackDown. For now, the ruler of NXT still plans on maintaining his dominance in Shawn Michaels' brand, but the future might be very bright for the 26-year-old.
Big E, for one, is a big fan of Oba Femi! The former WWE Champion recently took to X/Twitter and posted a photo of Último Dragón in his prime with all his titles, and expressed his desire to see Oba Femi get a major push.
It's a shame that Big E can no longer wrestle as a titanic clash against Oba Femi would certainly get fans hooked. Never say never in pro wrestling!