WWE News & Rumor Roundup: Two major stars have backstage heat, Original plans before John Cena's heel turn, Malakai Black's brand revealed
It has been a wild time in pro wrestling as John Cena's WWE heel turn continues to fascinate the fanbase. The focus is now on WrestleMania, where all the top storylines will culminate and also lead to the beginning of fresh ones. While there is a general sense of positivity around the company, certain talents aren't getting along backstage.
We also have details of what WWE had considered before pulling the trigger on John Cena's heel turn. The roundup also features updates on Malakai Black's future and more, and on that note, let's delve into today's stories.
#1. Jade Cargill and Shayna Baszler almost got into a backstage fight
Jade Cargill returned with much fanfare at Elimination Chamber and attacked Naomi to continue the mystery attacker angle that was seemingly losing steam. Beyond the ring, Jade Cargill's name remains a controversial one, as Dave Meltzer reported on the alleged heat between the former AEW star and Shayna Baszler in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
A confrontation reportedly happened a few months ago before Jade Cargill got sidelined with an injury. Based on inputs from almost half a dozen people, it was confirmed that Cargill had allegedly "rubbed enough people" the wrong way in the women's division on RAW.
Shayna Baszler was among the talents unhappy with Jade and was supposedly waiting to get into a backstage fight with the superstar until WWE management was informed of the situation, which was brought under control.
While the real reason remains unknown, the issues between Cargill and Baszler emerged when they were working tag team matches with Bianca Belair and Zoey Stark involved.
There is the belief that the problem "stemmed from inside the ring," and others feel the actual cause might be something else. It was added that the tension on the SmackDown side was "far worse" than RAW, and no further details were provided on the high-profile incident behind the scenes.
#2. WWE's original plan before John Cena stunned the world
It took WWE over a decade to present a villainous version of one of the greatest babyfaces in wrestling history.
John Cena aligned with The Rock at Elimination Chamber by attacking Cody Rhodes after winning the men's match. Dave Meltzer reported that WWE initially planned on saving John Cena's heel turn for WrestleMania's finish after the Franchise Player faced Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Triple H and other high-ranking officials made the call to do it at the Elimination Chamber PLE instead, and it was done during the day, with people internally being told it was a "later change."
There is also a possibility of key people in WWE swerving their own employees to protect a secret, but originally, John Cena was scheduled to turn heel at WrestleMania 41.
#3. WWE's plans for Malakai Black
It is all but confirmed that Malakai Black will be a WWE Superstar again soon. The former Aleister Black ended his AEW run and, as things stand, is biding his time before a rumored return to work under Triple H.
PWN reported that upon his comeback, Malakai Black would be a member of the SmackDown roster, which interestingly also houses his real-life partner, Zelina Vega.
Malakai Black's AEW stint left a lot to be desired as, despite having a strong start, the former NXT Champion didn't feature enough to establish himself as a consistent main-event star.
Back during his NXT days, Black was in his prime and looked destined to take the main roster by storm, which also unfortunately couldn't come to fruition. The Dutch performer now seemingly has another shot at making it big in the WWE, and the next chapter in his career could begin on the blue brand.
#4. SmackDown Recap: New champion, shots fired at John Cena, a surprise return, and more
The first SmackDown episode after Elimination Chamber was a newsworthy show as Randy Orton kicked off the show to a massive ovation.
The Viper addressed a range of topics, including his old friend John Cena going bad, and also sent a message to Kevin Owens. Cody Rhodes, too, broke his silence for the first time since the last PLE and cut a typical babyface promo, looking back at the actions of John Cena, The Rock, and Travis Scott.
SmackDown also featured a surprise return as Alba Fyre returned with a seemingly new character and attacked Michin, helping Chelsea Green. Meanwhile, Naomi's confession was among the biggest moments of an otherwise stacked episode.
The blue brand was packed from an in-ring standpoint as well this week, with a total of six matches happening during the broadcast. The biggest of the lot - the main event- saw LA Knight defeat Shinsuke Nakamura to become the new United States Champion, ending the Japanese star's reign at the 97-day mark.
Title changes, returns, and fiery promos prove that WWE means business on the road to WrestleMania.