WWE Rumor Roundup - Two former champions no longer friends in real life, Superstar released due to a policy issue, Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania 39 opponent
Welcome to another edition of our daily WWE Rumor Roundup. MVP and Chris Jericho's recent confrontation has been one of the top stories in the pro wrestling world, and we kick off today's roundup with the latest updates on the incident.
WWE reportedly released a superstar due to a policy issue amidst reports that he could be brought back within a year.
We end the WWE Rumor Roundup with a massive update on Cody Rhodes' possible WrestleMania 39 match.
#1. Chris Jericho and MVP are not on good terms
We heard back from Chris Jericho, MVP, and others who were close to the confrontation the two had after an AEW show in Houston.
FightfulSelect.com has the story, with a ton of additional details, including one claim that a higher up got called over the situation https://t.co/P1G027EJVD
The wrestling fraternity has been left stunned by MVP and Chris Jericho's explosive exchange during Double or Nothing weekend.
Montel Vontavious Porter was in Houston to visit Matt Hardy, and he also reportedly attempted to hash out his differences with Chris Jericho. However, the situation turned chaotic as Jericho snubbed MVP and said that he "did not fight jobbers."
Fightful Select reported that MVP and Chris Jericho are no longer friends; this has been the case for a while. The former AEW World Champion had blocked MVP on Twitter after they had a back-and-forth over a tweet about the US Presidential Elections in 2021.
It was noted that the friction between MVP and Jericho "boiled down to social and political issues that were made public" on social media.
The WWE RAW star had the following to say when Fightful reached out to him, "There was an exchange, but it didn't go down like that." It was additionally stated that the story had two sides, and the truth was probably 'somewhere in the middle.'
Chris Jericho also broke his silence on the matter as he unapologetically responded, "Nothing else to say. I don't fight jobbers. Nuff said."
A source added that Jericho and MVP had a private discussion after their public spat in 2021. However, the talks didn't help improve their broken relationship, seemingly leading to an intense face-off recently.
Another source claimed that AEW allegedly contacted John Laurinaitis regarding a verbal altercation between MVP and Chris Jericho. Fightful couldn't verify the information, but it was noted that WWE's Head of Talent Relations didn't "seem to care" as the situation ended without a physical brawl.
In case you missed it, fans have had a mixed response to wrestling's hottest controversy, and you can check out the tweets here.
#2. WWE Superstar released due to policy issue
Dave Meltzer revealed in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE has come to terms with the release of Troy Donovan.
The NXT 2.0 faithful would recognize Donovan as "Two Dimes" from Tony D'Angelo's family, and his departure shocked many regular viewers. Meltzer stated that, unlike most cuts, Donovan's exit was not related to a change in creative direction or budget.
Troy Donovan was shown the door due to a "policy issue", but more details on the issue weren't provided. However, the star was informed that he could be re-signed in a year, as mentioned in the newsletter below:
"This wasn't a budget or creative decision, but a policy issue, and he was told he may be brought back in a year," reported Dave Meltzer.
Donovan wrestled at NXT In Your House 2022, where he was part of the winning team against Legado del Fantasma. The 22-year-old star joined WWE in March after working on the independent circuit for a year, including a handful of appearances on AEW Dark.
#3. Cody Rhodes could be a backup opponent for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39
Per WWE, Cody Rhodes will need nine months to recover from his torn pectoral muscle injury. Most fans and pundits foresee The American Nightmare returning in time for the Royal Rumble.
Dave Meltzer stated in the Newsletter that Cody Rhodes could be in line to face Roman Reigns if The Rock is unavailable for WrestleMania 39. Rock vs. Reigns has been in the pipeline for multiple years, and reports suggest that Vince McMahon wants the big money match to happen at WrestleMania Hollywood.
However, Dwayne Johnson is known to be very busy, and in his absence, WWE might not have a more significant match to offer than Rhodes vs. Reigns.
"Will likely be out about six months, which makes the Royal Rumble probably the smart time frame for a return," wrote Meltzer. "If Dwayne Johnson doesn't wrestle Roman Reigns, it'd make the returning Rhodes vs. Reigns as the most likely biggest of next year's Mania."
Cody Rhodes' WWE return will be an important moment for WWE whenever it happens, as it could kickstart one of the biggest storylines in the promotion's recent history. Reigns vs. Rhodes could be exceptional, and it will be interesting to see if the company pulls the trigger on the feud on the road to WrestleMania 39.