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Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly rumor roundup, where we will take a look at the top rumors from the world of WWE.
The 2023 Royal Rumble is over six months away, but we now know that a major star is the favorite to return and win the men's Rumble match next year. We also have an interesting update on a Hall of Famer taking up bigger responsibilities in the company.
We also have reports on the Biggest Party of the Summer, WWE SummerSlam. This includes backstage plans for Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar and WWE's potential plans for John Cena.
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Without further ado, let's take a look at the top rumors from this past week. Be sure to comment down and let us know your thoughts and reactions.
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#5. Backstage details on Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam
The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar made his return to WWE television last week on SmackDown. He confronted Roman Reigns and delivered an F5 to him. Soon after, the company officially announced Lesnar vs. Reigns in a Last Man Standing match at WWE SummerSlam 2022.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the return of Brock Lesnar was majorly due to the absence of multiple top stars like Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes.
''Following injuries to Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes, and blowing off Riddle on Smackdown, the WWE title picture looked empty again, which led to the return of Brock Lesnar,'' - said Meltzer
Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar had a lengthy feud between last year's SummerSlam and WrestleMania 38 earlier this year. Fans aren't very happy with WWE once again revisiting the feud.
#4. Plans for John Cena at SummerSlam
16-time World Champion John Cena is set to return to WWE this coming week on Monday Night RAW to celebrate his 20th anniversary with the company. According to Dave Meltzer, the current plan is for Cena to face the United States Champion, Theory, at SummerSlam. The company is hoping that ticket sales will pick up for the show once this match is made official.
''What will be more notable is after the announcement of the expected John Cena vs. Theory will Cena provide the extra box office magic for this show that he did for Raw this week in Laredo, TX for his return. In addition, the heavy promotion doesn’t start until after 7/2,'' - said Meltzer
John Cena and Theory have been teasing a feud against each other for quite some time now. They've had multiple social media interactions recently, taking shots at each other.
#3. Triple H might be getting a larger role in WWE
Last week, the wrestling world witnessed what no one ever expected. Vince McMahon stepped back from his position as WWE CEO and Chairman. Stephanie McMahon has since been named the Interim CEO and Chairwoman of WWE.
New reports have come in about Triple H getting a bigger role in the company. The Game was reported to have said "I'm back" during a recent meeting with talent and officials. Dave Meltzer has now reported that it isn't clear if he'll return to his former role as being in charge of NXT 2.0.
He also mentioned that this role change might not be related to Vince McMahon stepping down:
''There had been talk before any of this went down with Vince McMahon that Levesque was going to back in a bigger role shortly so this is likely not related to the investigation, although the timing would indicate the time of this move could be related in some form. He did indicate that there would be things changing but could not go into detail on them just yet,'' - noted Meltzer.
Earlier this year at WrestleMania 38, Triple H officially announced his retirement from in-ring competition. It is to be seen what the future holds for him going forward.
#2. Bray Wyatt's new ring name possibly revealed
Former Universal Champion Bray Wyatt was one of the most shocking releases made by WWE last year. Wyatt is yet to join another promotion and return to in-ring action.
According to the latest report by WrestlingNews, he has filed a trademark for "Wyatt 6" to sell his merchandise. This has led to speculation that this could be Wyatt's new ring name.
“Mark For: WYATT 6™ trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of hats; Shirts; Sweatshirts; Bandanas; Hooded sweatshirts.”
Fans are still hopeful of seeing Bray Wyatt return to WWE someday.
#1. Major star is favorite to return and win the 2023 men's Royal Rumble match
Early betting odds have been revealed for the potential winner of the 2023 men's Royal Rumble match. Currently, Cody Rhodes is the favorite to win the Rumble, followed by The Rock and Big E. Here are the betting roads for the top 10 current favorites.
Note: The favorites have the smallest fractions and the underdogs have fractions greater than one. For example - odds of 8/1 suggest that the star is eight times more likely to lose than win.
- Cody Rhodes 5/4
- The Rock 11/2
- Big E 8/1
- Roman Reigns 8/1
- Bron Breakker 12/1
- Drew Mcintyre 12/1
- Riddle 12/1
- Seth Rollins 12/1
- Brock Lesnar 16/1
- Gable Steveson 16/1
Cody Rhodes is currently out of action due to a torn pectoral tendon and is expected to be away for several months. Royal Rumble would be the perfect platform for him to return and make an impact.
Check out Sportskeeda Wrestling's WWE weekly Rumor Review by clicking HERE.
