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Welcome to this week's edition of WWE/wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't. It's been a big week in the world of WWE and wrestling in general, with the fallout of the 2021 Royal Rumble. Here are the biggest rumors of the past week:
#5. Hope is true: Carlito's WWE status after Royal Rumble appearance
The new generation of WWE fans may not be too familiar with one of the most unexpected Royal Rumble returns this year - that of former Intercontinental and United States Champion Carlito. It had been more than a decade since we've seen him on WWE TV.
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The last time he left WWE, it was because of a violation of WWE's Wellness Program. 11 years removed, Carlito looks in better shape than ever. His return reminded some of MVP's in 2020 - where the latter returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble, and then RAW the next night.
While there was nothing official at that time, WWE officials were impressed enough to give him a role as a producer (which he lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and then he transitioned into being a full-time talent again.
Carlito's return also happened on the RAW after the Royal Rumble, and according to PWInsider, Carlito hasn't signed a WWE contract, but he is expected to make a full return soon:
"As of yesterday, Carlito has not signed with WWE but the expectation is that is just a formality. There was a lot of internal praise for his work and the shape he returned to the company in at the Rumble. He's expected back soon."
We hope this is true because veterans like Carlito can do great in the current landscape of WWE. He doesn't need to be a main event star, nor does he need to be an enhancement talent. Purely by association, he can help elevate the newer generation of WWE stars.
There was another report from WrestlingInc that Carlito is on a "three-week trial" run with WWE, starting from the Royal Rumble.
#5. Hope isn't true: The reason why Vince McMahon fired Lars Sullivan from WWE
Lars Sullivan was recently released from WWE. PWInsider had reported that he was quietly released from WWE a month ago, but it was only officially announced recently.
It shouldn't come as any surprise, given Lars Sullivan's history with getting into trouble. Despite WWE displaying clear interest in pushing him as a future top star, Lars Sullivan's personal issues proved to be too much for even the company to handle.
WWE was quite patient with him, especially with his mental health issues - something that they never were in previous eras. While it's good their approach changed, the reason for his release had more to do with him no-showing TV, as per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Sportskeeda's Abhilash Mendhe wrote:
This wasn't the first time that Lars Sullivan reportedly no-showed. Back in early 2019, Sullivan was supposed to kick off a feud with WWE legend John Cena, with the monster attacking Cena at Royal Rumble to kick off a feud on the road to WrestleMania.
We hope this isn't true, but in all likeliness, it is. We hope Lars Sullivan has a fulfilling career after his WWE release.
#4. Hope is true: Why Royal Rumble was different from other WWE pay-per-views
Royal Rumble 2021 was a WWE pay-per-view that was met with a mixed reception. Perhaps it had less to do with the matches and more to do with the fact that it's a show that normally takes place in front of a larger crowd.
Regardless, things continued as they were in the WWE ThunderDome, and the pay-per-view was reportedly well-received backstage. According to a report from Fightful Select, Royal Rumble was a unique pay-per-view because everything went as planned, and there were no changes in the lineup:
"During big shows in the past, the lineup has changed all the way up until the show was actually on the air."
We hope this is true because it's a good habit for WWE to get into. While tweaking is required sometimes, we've heard far too many reports in the past of WWE making last-minute changes to RAW, SmackDown, and pay-per-views as well.
More often than not, those changes aren't even required.
#4. Hope isn't true: Cesaro's WWE contract expiring soon
Cesaro has been having the best singles run of his WWE career since 2015. It was five-and-a-half years ago when WWE fans began to appreciate Cesaro truly, and several people online wanted to see him get pushed as a top star.
Cesaro has undoubtedly enjoyed a lot of success in WWE, but not as much in a singles capacity. He does hold some accolades to his name, but in the eyes of many WWE fans, he should be in a much bigger spot.
According to WrestlingInc, Cesaro's WWE contract is set to expire after WrestleMania 37. Not many other details were given about it, but there was also another report from Dave Meltzer that Shinsuke Nakamura's spot in the gauntlet match would have gone to Cesaro. However, he was replaced since he didn't sign a WWE contract.
We hope this isn't true, but we're certain that Cesaro will come to terms on a new deal. It's likely that he is just waiting it out to get a better offer from WWE.
#3. Hope is true: WWE Backstage Producer Adam Pearce's backstage role in the Royal Rumble match
Adam Pearce has been a key on-screen WWE authority figure on both RAW and SmackDown during the COVID-era behind closed doors. Behind the scenes, Adam Pearce is a backstage producer as well.
Adam Pearce was originally scheduled to compete for the WWE Universal Championship at the 2021 Royal Rumble against Roman Reigns. But after using the "card subject to change" excuse. He had Kevin Owens replace him in the event.
At the 2021 Royal Rumble, Adam Pearce worked backstage, and a report from Fightful Select stated that he was instrumental in putting the match together and that it was well-received backstage in WWE:
As per Fightful Select, Adam Pearce was "instrumental in putting the Royal Rumble match together". The report further stated that the match was well-received backstage.
We hope this is true because the match was well-put-together. If Adam Pearce was instrumental, then he has a big future backstage in WWE.
#3. Hope isn't true: Edge pitched the idea of winning the Royal Rumble match to WWE
Edge's Royal Rumble 2021 win was an incredible one, and not many fans complained about an older WWE Superstar winning it over a younger one. Perhaps the dynamic that Edge has with WWE fans is different from other part-timers.
According to Dave Meltzer of WON, it was Edge who pitched the idea of winning the Royal Rumble match to WWE:
It has been recently reported by Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer that it was Edge himself who pitched the idea of winning the Men's Royal Rumble match.
Meltzer went on to note that there was a big difference between Edge and Daniel Bryan - both of whom have creative control in WWE. He stated that Edge pushes for himself as a main event star, while Daniel Bryan is actively pushing for other Superstars:
It is notable the difference with Edge and Daniel Bryan on the creative team. It was notable that they were the two people who got substantial interview time leading to the match, but Edge, at 47, was pushing for a main event title shot, while Bryan, at 39, in his position was pushing constantly to get other people over.
We hope this isn't true because it's a bad look for the 47-year-old Edge to be pitching a Royal Rumble win for himself. While it would have been better if it was WWE's idea, the Royal Rumble victory doesn't seem as sweet knowing that Edge lobbied for it himself.
#2. Hope is true: WWE planning 'major' NXT involvement for WrestleMania 37?
Just like 2020, WrestleMania this year will be a two-night event. While it was odd to watch a show as big as WrestleMania happen behind closed doors, it was a unique one.
The two-night event allowed WWE to space out the matches, and we had two short and enjoyable nights rather than one long one that lasted upwards of six hours.
One of the history-making moments at WrestleMania 36 saw an NXT Championship defended on The Grandest Stage of Them All for the first time. Rhea Ripley defended and lost the NXT Women's title to Royal Rumble (2020) winner Charlotte Flair.
According to WrestleVotes, the two-night WrestleMania means that WWE is in serious talks of having Finn Balor and the NXT Championship on the main card.
We hope this is true because NXT's involvement at WrestleMania helps elevate the brand. Finn Balor, if he is still NXT Champion by WrestleMania, deserves a spot on the card as well. He hasn't performed at WrestleMania since 2019, where he defeated Bobby Lashley. Since then, he moved from the WWE main roster to NXT.
#2. Hope isn't true: John Cena and Brock Lesnar unlikely to make WWE return for WrestleMania 37?
Brock Lesnar is a name who is always expected for WWE's biggest event of the year. It's been 10 months now since we've seen Brock Lesnar on WWE TV, and he's not even under contract anymore.
Despite this, he is expected to re-sign with WWE, but the COVID-19 pandemic meant that WWE has had to hold off on his appearances. According to Dave Meltzer of WON, Brock Lesnar and John Cena are two names who could miss WrestleMania 37 since they're both in Canada:
''While he (Cena) could have previously flown in for the event on a Sunday, he’d have to quarantine for two weeks before working in Canada, which would hold up the production of the series, which would be impossible. This also makes it more difficult to use Lesnar, as he’d also have to quarantine for two weeks before returning home. ''
We hope this isn't true because the two-night WrestleMania event needs star power in the form of WWE legends like John Cena and Brock Lesnar. Their presence would be needed, and we wonder how WWE would shape up their first card since 2013 without The Beast Incarnate.
#1. Hope is true: Kevin Owens went off-script in WWE Universal Title match at Royal Rumble
Roman Reigns defeated Kevin Owens and retained the WWE Universal Championship yet again at the 2021 Royal Rumble. It was a Last Man Standing match, and according to Dave Meltzer of WON, there was a botched spot where former WWE Executive Director Paul Heyman was unable to unlock Roman Reigns from his handcuff.
He also reported how Kevin Owens went off-script and sold the low-blow longer than required:
"Heyman was unable to unlock Reigns. The ref counted to five, and it appeared he got the message to just stop counting. So he did. At 2:18, Reigns was freed of the handcuffs although he did manage to maneuver to where his feet were underneath him, but he wasn’t up, at 2:12. Owens, who wasn’t supposed to sell the low blow anywhere near that long, was then put in a guillotine and put out for the ten count."
We hope this is true because it's a great way to get around a botched spot that happens live. It's a tough situation to be in, and this is where WWE Superstars aren't appreciated nearly enough for their improvisational skills.
#1. Hope isn't true: A big change for The Fiend upon his WWE return?
The Fiend Bray Wyatt has been away from WWE TV ever since TLC 2020, where Randy Orton immolated him in the main event. Since then, Alexa Bliss has been doing the work for him on WWE TV and has teased his return, stating that he will come back stronger than ever.
While that's certainly something that WWE fans are anticipating, there is something about it that we are not. According to Bryan Alvarez on the Wrestling Observer Radio, The Fiend could possibly return with an appearance change.
Sportskeeda's Vatsal Rathod wrote:
On the recent Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez teased that 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt might undergo an appearance change, and fans might see him with a new look on his return. However, there is no confirmation on when he might return to WWE TV.
We hope this isn't true because The Fiend doesn't need to change his appearance. He looks like the most unique Superstar in WWE, and his character's booking is what should be changed - not his look.
Major rumor about recently released stars HERE
