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Welcome to this week's edition of WWE/wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't. The action-packed month of July is now more than halfway through, and we are on the road to SummerSlam 2022 in Nashville.
It has been an eventful week in the world of wrestling, both on and off-screen. Some of the rumors this week include plans for a major heel turn on RAW, Roman Reigns missing out on another premium live event, a backstage update on Natalya no-selling Liv Morgan's finisher at a live event, and more.
Without any further ado, let's dive in. Here are four wrestling rumors we hope are true and three we hope aren't.
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#4. Hope is true: WWE planning a major heel turn soon
After a mini-feud with Veer Mahan, The Mysterios began a rivalry with the new Judgment Day. Finn Balor and Damian Priest have been attempting to recruit Dominik Mysterio, the son of legend Rey Mysterio.
It has been teased for a while now, and it could happen even before SummerSlam 2022. In a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that the upcoming July 25th episode of RAW at Madison Square Garden may be the stage for a Dominik Mysterio heel turn:
"It feels like if they are going to do the Dominik turn, and it’s certainly being teased hard, this ceremony would be an idea of where to do it. Plus, Vince McMahon has a special affinity for MSG so one would expect a show with more major stories coming out of it and for it to be pushed much harder than usual to draw a bigger rating.” H/T (RSN)
We hope this is true because The Mysterios are long overdue for a break-up, and the father-son storyline has run its course. Dominik needs a change of character to progress further.
#3. Hope isn't true: Roman Reigns to miss one of the biggest premium live events of 2022?
Roman Reigns is set to headline SummerSlam yet again in his final match against Brock Lesnar. It will be his first bout at a premium live event since WrestleMania Backlash. He missed two consecutive events in Hell in a Cell and Money in the Bank 2022.
He is expected to headline the Clash at the Castle event (likely against Drew McIntyre) and then miss out on the next one. A report from Louis Dangoor stated that Roman Reigns is expected to miss Extreme Rules in October:
"Roman Reigns is not expected to be at Extreme Rules on October 8. He missed Hell in a Cell and Money in the Bank in June and July, but will be at SummerSlam later this month and likely Clash at the Castle in September," Dangoor wrote in a recent tweet.
We hope this isn't true, because although Reigns deserves a reduced schedule, missing out on a quarter of the year's premium live events is a lot.
#3. Hope is true: Clarity on the Natalya-Liv Morgan live event situation
Liv Morgan is on top of the SmackDown Women's division, having dethroned Ronda Rousey to win her first title in WWE. What caught the attention of fans recently was her live event match against Natalya, where the latter no-sold the finish after getting pinned.
Many have slammed Natalya for being unprofessional, although little is known about the context of it. One thing is for sure: it's very unlike Natalya, who has been praised as a consummate professional throughout her career.
While Dave Meltzer admitted to not knowing too much about the situation, he reported that Natalya's anger wasn't towards the SmackDown Women's Champion:
"I know there was a situation. I know that it was cleared up immediately that night, but it did happen. I guess she was mad, but it had nothing to do with Morgan, or any heat with her and Morgan, which, I would think if you watched the clip, that was the conclusion that you would come to, but it wasn’t that," said Meltzer.
We hope this is true, because any heat between the two women would have made it look worse for Natalya.
#2. Hope isn't true: No plans for the women's tag team title tournament?
It's been a few months now since the Women's Tag Team Championships were vacated. Michael Cole announced that there would be a tournament to crown new champions, but nothing has been mentioned since.
Some have speculated that WWE is planning to discontinue the tag team championships, with the overall booking since 2019 proving the company's lack of interest in the women's tag team division.
A report from Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select has revealed that there have been no backstage discussions on the tournament. Sportskeeda's Israel Lutete wrote:
"According to Fightful Select, the WWE talent that they have spoken to couldn't confirm when or if the Women's Tag Team Championship tournament will take place. Also, revealing that there haven't been any discussions backstage regarding the titles at all since the announcement was made several weeks ago."
We hope this isn't true, as it might confirm speculation about the titles being discontinued after three years.
#2. Hope is true: Bayley's possible return date to WWE revealed
Bayley hasn't wrestled in front of a crowd for over two years now. She was one of the most crucial stars in the WWE Thunderdome Era and is regarded by some as the greatest SmackDown Women's Champion in history.
The Role Model suffered a knee injury during the Performance Center training sessions ahead of Money in the Bank 2021. It's now been more than a year since her injury.
According to a report from PWInsider, Bayley is set to return to WWE programming soon, and it could happen at SummerSlam:
"For those who have asked about the status of Bayley and when she's slated to return to WWE programming, PWInsider.com has learned she is scheduled to be in Nashville for SummerSlam weekend. Bayley has been out of action since last summer after tearing her ACL while working out in the WWE Performance Center to prepare for the company's return to live crowds in the post-Thunderdome era."
We hope this is true because Bayley's absence has left a visible gap in the SmackDown Women's division. It will also be good to see one of the Four Horsewomen returning, as Becky Lynch is the only star currently active from the four.
#1. Hope isn't true: Creative frustration among the women in WWE
So far, 2022 hasn't been the best year for the WWE Women's division. Except for Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38, there have been few women's matches or storylines that have stood out. The Sasha Banks-Naomi story only made things worse.
All this has reportedly led to a lot of creative frustration for the women on the main roster. A report from Fightful Select revealed that a lot of the women were waiting to see where the chips would fall after WrestleMania 38.
Sportskeeda's Vatsal Rathod wrote:
"Fightful Select reported on the creative frustration in the women's division earlier this year. The report stated that several female stars were frustrated with the way they were utilized on the show. They were waiting to see where the 'chips would fall' following WrestleMania 38."
The report further stated that Ronda Rousey has been willing to work with a variety of women. Either way, we hope that the report isn't true, but it wouldn't be surprising if it is given the state of the women's division this year.
#1. Hope is true: Why Theory got a push instead of Riddle
Theory is the youngest Money in the Bank winner in WWE history. He has been pushed heavily in 2022, with Vince McMahon making his admiration for the young star known.
However, many felt that Riddle should have been the one to win the briefcase after the incredible year he had with Randy Orton and RK-Bro.
Speaking on The Mat Men podcast, Andrew Zarain claimed he was told that Theory got the push instead of Riddle simply because it isn't the latter's time just yet:
''Someone said why did they pass on Riddle. I asked, and they said 'it's not his time, don't worry about Riddle, it's not his time'," said Zarian [26:50-27:00]
We hope this is true because it means that Riddle will likely have his moment somewhere down the road, and it's good that WWE views him as a future main event star.
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
