5 Wrestling rumors we hope are true and 5 we hope aren't: WWE makes big change to WrestleMania 37 main event, Why Shane McMahon is reportedly 'unhappy' with WWE

It's been an intense week following WWE SummerSlam and we hardly have a breather as we head into WWE Payback 2020. Since this article doesn't feature a particularly heavy introduction, let's jump right into the WWE and wrestling rumors of the week.

#5. Hope is true: WWE changes plans for WrestleMania 37 main event?

Was the trilogy supposed to culminate at WrestleMania?

Edge and Randy Orton are now 1-1 since the former's singles in-ring return to WWE this past year. Edge has only faced Randy Orton since returning and he defeated him at WrestleMania 36 in a Last Man Standing match before Randy Orton defeated him in a traditional singles match at Backlash 2020. WWE dubbed it as 'The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever' and whether you believe it or not, one can't deny that it was an in-ring masterclass between the two legends.

With Edge only expected to return in early 2021, WWE reportedly planned to have him face Randy Orton in the main event of WrestleMania 37 for the WWE title - happening at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California next year. However, that direction may have been changed, per Dave Meltzer of WON:

At one point WrestleMania was to be headlined by Orton vs. Edge in an I Quit match. It was not a lock that Orton would be champion, but it was something under discussion. At last word there was no longer a 100 percent clear main event direction for the show.” [H/T Wrestle Talk]

We hope this is true because Edge vs Randy Orton would be great for a marquee WrestleMania match rather than a headliner. While we would have loved to see Edge face a newer opponent, we don't blame WWE for wanting the feud to come full circle a year later. If crowds do return by then - and we expect them to, then it's perhaps best if WWE goes with another major match as the headliner.

#5. Hope isn't true: Why Shane McMahon might be unhappy with WWE

RAW Underground has been a unique concept introduced by WWE on RAW over the last few weeks, with Shane McMahon returning to WWE TV for the first time in 9-10 months to have an "underground worked-shoot" style of competition.

It's worked well, although there haven't been too many big names on the show. Recently, RAW Underground suffered some big cuts since it was pre-taped and Shane McMahon was unhappy with WWE about it, according to Tom Colohue on the latest episode of Dropkick DiSKussions:

"RAW Underground is all pre-taped. That suffered major cuts too. Shane McMahon really wasn't happy about that, but he is at the mercy of the editors at the moment because when it comes to live things, you look at, for example, the Lana and Natalya vs. Mickie James segment. Mickie James has been rewritten every week since she's returned, and she's gotten less and less of a role each time."

Tom Colohue said that Shane McMahon understood the reasoning behind it:

Shane wasn't happy, but he understood. And honestly, for me, I don't think it was a bad show, but there was certainly something that worked against itself, and the chaos and the hectic nature isn't always the right move like Vince often thinks it is."

We hope the cuts and Shane McMahon being unhappy aren't true because it would be a shame for there to be any sort of conflict this early on.

#4. Hope is true: Sonya Deville's return to WWE inevitable?

Sonya Deville lost to Mandy Rose at SummerSlam, with the stipulation being that the loser would have to leave WWE. Unfortunately for Deville, she lost to her best friend and arch-rival, seemingly ending her WWE run.

While the match was originally stipulated to be a "Hair vs Hair" match, the incident involving a break-in and attempted kidnapping inside her house meant that she would have to appear in court to file charges against her stalker Phillip A. Thomas.

However, it was reported by Dave Meltzer of WON that Deville's lawyers didn't want her to show up to court with her hair cut, thus leading WWE to change the stipulation.

Meltzer also noted that Deville isn't done with WWE. In reality, the departure is just a hiatus. Sportskeeda's Vatsal Rathod wrote:

In an update on the situation, Dave Meltzer reported in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter Sonya Deville will be back in WWE but there is no update on the length of the period she will be out for. Sonya Deville vs Mandy Rose at SummerSlam was originally supposed to be a Hair vs Hair match. The idea was to cut off most of her hair but not make her completely bald.

We hope this is true because Sonya Deville was improving at a rapid pace before being written off. She has a lot to offer to WWE.

#4. Hope isn't true: WWE's plans for RETRIBUTION's unmasking

RETRIBUTION has taken WWE by storm. Though there's been some criticism of their overall impact, it seems to be a story that WWE is seriously invested in. All we know is that the faction comprises of two women and the rest are men of different sizes.

There has been a lot of speculation over who the members could be, but from the look of things, we won't be finding out anytime soon. According to Tom Colohue on Dropkick DiSKussions, WWE is planning to hold off on RETRIBUTION's unmasking until Survivor Series at the least:

"I think it'll still be a while yet, I think we are looking at closer to Survivor Series, at least in and around after the Draft because once you unmask someone they can then be drafted. But I don't think they want the visual of RETRIBUTION members being drafted to RAW or SmackDown. So it will definitely be after the Draft."

We're in two minds about this, but we hope this isn't true since it would likely lead to repetitive segments and make fans tired of RETRIBUTION. It's a storyline with exciting potential, which is why they need to eventually make progress with it. November is two months away and its momentum might die down quickly. That's just the way it is in WWE.

#3. Hope is true: WWE's plans to prevent inappropriate images on ThunderDome

ThunderDome has been a fun concept introduced by WWE with the aim of bringing back fan interaction the closest way they can. Unfortunately, it involves piped-in crowd noises and every week now, there has been one inappropriate image or the other.

With WWE fans haven't been vetted before entering ThunderDome, some have taken the liberties to either post messages or inappropriate images. The first incident saw a fan put a "Fire Velveteen Dream" sign that got him booted from the stream. The second and third instances saw images of Chris Benoit pop up in front while another fan put a video of a KKK rally. This has resulted in some questioning over WWE's handling of fans in the ThunderDome, but Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live explained how WWE plans to vet fans going forward:

"I have been told that they are going to be making some changes and I don’t know this for sure but the impression that I get is – when they’ve been doing this for a while, they are going to find some fans that are going to obey the rules no matter what. Maybe they’ve done it for 3 shows already and we’ve had Jesse who was in our chat who was on Raw. She’s not going to hold up some goofy sign. She can be trusted and they’re finding other people that can be trusted." (H/T WrestlingNews)

We hope this is true because it would be a good way to restrict fans who try to take advantage of the platform they have in an attempt to be funny or edgy.

#3. Hope isn't true: WWE not offering NXT call-ups new contracts?

Keith Lee and Matt Riddle have been the two most significant moves from NXT to the other two brands of WWE in RAW and SmackDown. There have been a few moves from NXT in the pandemic era, but what's interesting to note is that WWE has reportedly not offered these Superstars new, upgraded contracts.

Usually, a move to RAW or SmackDown means a bigger contract and a bigger paycheque, but that hasn't been the case, according to Fightful Select.

Sportskeeda's Lennard Surrao wrote:

The general belief has always been that moving up to the main roster gets the Superstars more money. There is undoubtedly a big difference between main roster money and NXT money. It was noted in the Fightful report that several talents had not been given new contracts as they are working lighter schedules than they were in NXT.

While we understand WWE's point of view, we hope this isn't true because it might set a new precedent. Moreover, we can't even be sure when things are going to return to normal.

#2. Hope is true: Plans for Drew McIntyre and the WWE Championship next month

What was surprising about Keith Lee's official move to WWE RAW was the fact that he immediately began a feud with one of the biggest names in the company - Randy Orton.

Randy Orton, who's coming off a loss to Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam, assaulted the WWE Champion a night later on more than one occasion, taking him out and writing him out of TV with a "career-threatening" injury. As a result, Keith Lee will be facing Randy Orton at Payback 2020.

According to Wrestlingnews.co, the idea of the Payback match is to set-up a Clash of Champions bout between Orton and McIntyre for the WWE title.

“We were told that the current plan is for McIntyre to return sometime after the Payback show to set up the rematch with Orton for Clash of Champions on 9/27.”

We hope this is true because it would be a good way to extend the rivalry. We wouldn't be surprised to see Randy Orton compete for the title up until October. There are even rumors that he might dethrone Drew McIntyre eventually.

#2. Hope isn't true: WWE's plans for The AoP's return

AoP member Rezar suffered a bicep injury in March and will be out for a good chunk of 2020, with Akam also taken out as a result. The AoP were a part of Seth Rollins' faction also involving Murphy. Many criticized WWE when The AoP debuted a few years ago after they quickly abandoned Paul Ellering as their manager.

The WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering spoke on The Two Man Power Trip podcast and revealed WWE's plans for his return, only for it to be potentially scrapped due to COVID-19:

"The idea was to bring me back in, but then this corona stuff came up. Then the guys got hurt, and they were out a while, so everything got put on the back shelf, and I don't know where it sits now."

We hope this isn't true because Paul Ellering would be perfect for The AoP. While AoP work well as Seth Rollins' hired gun, perhaps they would thrive more as a tag team with a manager like WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering.

#1. Hope is true: Roman Reigns' alliance with Paul Heyman and future in WWE

Perhaps the most shocking thing that happened in the WWE world this past week was the end of Friday Night SmackDown before Payback, where Roman Reigns signed his contract and revealed to be aligned with Paul Heyman - the advocate of his bitter rival Brock Lesnar.

The idea was floated around for a while, but it appears to be a case where WWE is finally turning Roman Reigns heel after all these years. According to PWInsider, Roman Reigns is now a Paul Heyman guy and WWE's plan is for Roman Reigns to be the top heel on SmackDown going forward.

The idea is that 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt will likely turn babyface while Roman Reigns goes to the dark side for the first time in six years. It's been a long time coming. While there hasn't been any particular need to turn Roman Reigns heel, his return at SummerSlam seemed to mark an entirely new direction for him. We hope this is true because it would be surreal to see a heel Roman Reigns in 2020.

#1. Hope isn't true: Finn Balor never bringing back The Demon King to WWE?

With Finn Balor in WWE, the question has always been as to what could have been for him. He was the most highly-anticipated NXT call-up in the last decade and one can't help but feel that WWE squandered the opportunity to push a potentially larger-than-life character.

Finn Balor has everything it takes to make it big in WWE, but his untimely injury in 2016 saw him lose his push long-term and by 2019, he moved back to NXT where he's been since. The last time we saw The Demon King was at Super ShowDown in 2019 when he defeated Andrade for the United States title.

On the RAW Preview on Sportskeeda's Facebook page, Tom Colohue revealed that there are no plans for The Demon King to ever return to WWE:

"There are no plans to ever see the Demon King again in the WWE. No plans at all to have it in NXT. Finn Balor doesn't want the Demon King. He felt it was a bad thing to have on the main roster when he got there. So he is rebuilding himself a little bit. There maybe times when he may choose to go back to the Demon King but that's being left up to him. But at the moment, no plans for Demon King."

While we wouldn't blame Finn Balor by any means, we hope this isn't true, simply because The Demon King had the potential to be the most iconic character in modern-day WWE.

Edited by Kaushik Das