8 wrestling rumors we hope are true and 8 we hope aren't: WWE 'unhappy' with 5-time World Champion, Top heel set for big face turn?

Welcome to this week's edition of 'Wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't". Just like last week, we have a packed article filled with the biggest rumors of WrestleMania season, as we're now just a week away from the show of shows. While the circumstances are certainly different and difficult, we hope that our packed edition of the article gets you up to date on the biggest rumors which we hope are true and those we hope aren't:

#8. Hope is true: A big face turn in the works?

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It's no secret that WWE's original plan for the SmackDown Women's championship was to have Bayley defend against Sasha Banks in a rivalry renewed from over four and a half years before. It would have been the perfect place and the perfect time, but Sasha Banks' alleged injury and the prevailing circumstances mean that they had to delay the plan and it turned into a Six-Way match before being reduced to a Fatal-5-Way due to Dana Brooke going into quarantine.

According to Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Radio, one of the two top heels of the SmackDown Women's division is set to turn face sooner than later:

The gimmick is, is that Bayley is all mad about a six-way but Sasha, who is supposed to be Bayley's best friend, first was mad until her name was announced in the match and now she's sort of smiling and so you kind of get that thing. It's actually the kick-off of, you know the company actually wanted to do Bayley and Sasha at WrestleMania, and to their credit, given that there is no time to build it up like literally, this came up a week or two ago, and they just thought, well we just can't do a match after four weeks of no build, so they kind of got it pushed with like, okay, we'll do the six-way which would like be the start and we'll do the singles match when it's not so rushed. So that's kind of where that is.

We hope this is true because the story certainly needs it, though we'd imagine that given the current situation, WWE may need to delay the turn for another three months atleast.

#8. Hope isn't true: WWE's negative feelings on a possible CM Punk return

From the look of things, CM Punk isn't returning to WWE anytime soon. While that's no real surprise, what's caught people off guard is the latest rumor about how WWE has a more bitter and negative feeling towards 5-time World Champion CM Punk.

Dave Meltzer confirmed this on the Wrestling Observer Radio after being asked about WWE being negative on hiring Punk as a wrestler again:

Yeah of him wrestling with them, with the company. I think the idea is that between Bill Goldberg and Edge and you know, The Undertaker and people like that, they've gotten their fair share of guys like that and there's a lot of bitterness. Apparently, there is a lot more bitterness on the WWE's side than on Punk's side. I would have thought it would be the other way around.

He even said that Vince McMahon labeled Punk as someone he can't do business with. We hope this rumor isn't true because we can never say never in WWE and we would still hope for a return someday.

#7. Hope is true: Braun Strowman apologetic for comment made against indie wrestlers

Braun Strowman was in hot water recently after making a harsh comment towards independent wrestlers who are being affected by the Coronavirus. He said that if one can't make a legitimate living in the profession, they shouldn't be in it in the first place, justifying it by saying that it was the exact reason why he stopped doing 'Strongman'.

He received justifiable backlash and even WWE Superstars tweeted out in support of indie wrestlers, urging fans to buy their merchandise to help them get through the current times.

It seems as though Strowman has wisened up to what he said and was told by his peers who went through that grind. According to Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Radio, Strowman is regretful about the comment he made:

He is (apologetic), You know it's funny when I wrote about it (in the Newsletter), people were going like, why aren't you going harder on him because if you yell at him too much it's going to dig in and get worse, but if you go, look, if you are a friend of his, just explain it to him and he's got friends, and from what I understand, they did and he sort of got it. He didn't really get it at first but he got it and he wished he didn't write it and all that.

We hope this is true because it would be unfair for Strowman's reputation to be tarnished. He may have made a mistake but if he's acknowledged it then it's good for him.

#7. Hope isn't true: Former Tag Team Champion undergoes surgery

The Monday Night Messiah faction is one that showed a lot of potential early on. Seth Rollins turned heel at the right time and aligned with The AoP to start a new group. The addition of Buddy Murphy was a decision that was highly praised, as the Australian is widely considered a superstar with immense potential.

However, the faction has suffered an early blow as Rezar of The AoP has undergone surgery for his right bicep a few weeks ago, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The surgery means that Rezar is expected to be out for 7-8 months. While WWE could proceed with just Akam, Dave Meltzer revealed that there currently are no plans to have Akam on-screen as well.

We hope this isn't true because AoP was out for a long time in 2019 as Akam suffered an injury to the leg. It was a great spot to have and we can only hope that the group somehow continues.

#6. Hope is true: WWE's last-minute decision to get The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36

The Undertaker has been making quite a few waves in the past few weeks, and we have a few more rumors surrounding him in this article. We'll get to the first one, which is regarding the decision to have The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36.

According to Tom Colohue on Dropkick DiSKussions, the decision to get The Undertaker for WrestleMania was a last-minute one, as he was reportedly scheduled to face AJ Styles at Super ShowDown 2020.

Instead, a delay was likely caused due to AJ Styles' injury at the Royal Rumble and they chose to have the match at WrestleMania instead.

The Undertaker wasn't supposed to be available for WrestleMania and then he was. So I know this was quite late on.

We hope this is true because AJ Styles always deserves a top opponent at WrestleMania and having already faced Chris Jericho, Shane McMahon, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Randy Orton at the show of shows, adding The Undertaker to that list is huge for his legacy.

#6. Hope isn't true: Backstage concern over AJ Styles

This report undoubtedly took us by surprise, essentially given the position that AJ Styles is currently in. He was booked for a match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36, which is a marquee position on the card against one of the biggest draws in the history of the industry.

However, Tom Colohue reported that the late addition of Styles vs The Undertaker to WrestleMania 36 was surprising since there was an element where backstage officials were worried that AJ Styles was being 'forgotten about':

AJ Styles was someone who didn't really have anything going on RAW and was potentially being talked about being moved back to SmackDown. A couple of weeks later we started hearing about this match and really it's come out of nowhere. AJ Styles when he lost his US title in particular, they just didn't seem to be too much going on for him. I wouldn't say it's a waste for him in that regard because it at least gives him something to do.

We hope this isn't true because AJ Styles is a superstar who should never be forgotten about creatively as long as he's around. He's far too important regardless of which brand he's on.

#5. Hope is true: Bray Wyatt being backed heavily by John Cena

Bray Wyatt vs John Cena was revealed to be one of the marquee matches for WrestleMania 36 and it put to rest any idea of Wyatt being buried by Goldberg. John Cena has been one of the most selfless top stars in WWE history in their later years and when he said a few weeks ago that it's time for the newer generation to shine, he meant it.

Tom Colohue discussed the clash between John Cena and Bray Wyatt and WrestleMania and revealed that John Cena has vouched for Bray Wyatt for a while:

I'm excited to see where John Cena fits into this because obviously he has always had Bray Wyatt's back and he's interested in having Bray Wyatt do more things like this, in much of the same way Randy Orton was for a long time. So this is very much Bray's baby, but John Cena has taken it to management on Bray's behalf as much as Bray has.

We hope this is true because it seems all too clear. Cena put over Wyatt in a Triple Threat match in early 2017 but it seems as though he wants to do so again in a singles match.

#5. Hope isn't true: Scott Dawson hasn't been paid in a while

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder of The Revival are all set to depart WWE in the coming two months and it's not a secret anymore. They've been sitting out their contracts, with Dash Wilder reportedly having a few more weeks added to his contract due to an injury spell during his contract period.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via Cagesideseats), Scott Dawson is a Superstar who hasn't been paid for 6-7 weeks.

Meltzer also said that Scott Dawson is still under contract to WWE for a couple more weeks, but he has not been paid in six or seven weeks

We're not sure why this is the case, but all we can hope is that it isn't true. It would certainly be a talking point if both Dash and Wilder renewed their contract at the end of it. However, we hope this isn't true.

Ultimately, The Revival under a new name in AEW is something that we fully expect to happen by June.

#4. Hope is true: The Undertaker's physical state

Perhaps the biggest reason why fans have been clamoring for The Undertaker to retire is that for many years now, it's been evident that he's far past his physical prime. The argument was that he would be tarnishing his legacy by constantly returning, yet here we are.

However, The Undertaker's new gimmick has seen his character take a new form and rekindled some interest in watching him. To add to it, he's been in fantastic physical shape, according to Tom Colohue on Dropkick DiSKussions:

The Undertaker is actually really fit at the moment. He's on a very good training schedule. He's had surgeries recently which have really helped his mobility. He's not at his athletic peak but the Undertaker never wrestled as the Undertaker to his athletic peak. He could always do a lot more than he was doing. This is a man who would regularly dive over the top rope. He could do all of the flippy stuff that people do now and he could do it 95, 97 and so on.

We hope this is true because it would be great timing with his change in character.

#4. Hope isn't true: The Undertaker possibly losing at WrestleMania 36 for the gimmick change?

This is the last Undertaker rumor we'll be covering in this edition. But we'd thought we'll end this part of it with the most shocking rumor of all - that there's a possibility of The Undertaker losing to AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36.

According to Tom Colohue, the full transition of The Undertaker into his new gimmick could possibly begin with a loss to AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36:

The way this is playing out, it's very possible AJ Styles may win and The Undertaker may briefly vanish again, before coming out and emerging as a new version entirely, which will be fitting for the Undertaker's last run, which he is considering taking up very, very soon. A new evolution, to begin a new chapter, which would be something new entirely. Quite exciting if you are an Undertaker fan, should clean the palette for anyone who keenly remembers Undertaker's retirement, sorry, "retirement".

We hope this isn't true because it would be the wrong decision to make. Losing two times at WrestleMania was enough, especially when the second loss didn't lead to his actual retirement. If he continues to appear at WrestleMania, he needs to win.

#3. Hope is true: Vince McMahon not using a WWE legend due to his age

While we understand the irony, it's still the right decision

One of the big challenges that WWE has had to tackle in the past few weeks is handling the Performance Center shows with a limited staff. The entire logic behind the two-day WrestleMania was reportedly to follow the social distancing protocol and have an easier logistical set-up for the show.

One of the names who has gone absent recently is Jerry 'The King' Lawler, who turned 70 years old late last year. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Jerry Lawler was pulled from all appearances due to his age.

Jerry Lawler was not used due to his age, although Vince McMahon, who is four years older, was presiding over the shows.

We hope this is true because it's the right call to make. Vince McMahon is indeed older, but he holds a far more important role in the company. Given Lawler's age (and the fact that he's had pre-existing health conditions), he belongs to the more vulnerable group of people that could catch the Coronavirus. WWE made the right call in protecting him.

#3. Hope isn't true: Further blow to Seth Rollins' faction

Buddy Murphy was pulled from his recent appearances

Murphy is a Superstar who has greatly benefited from moving to RAW late last year. Despite his losses to Aleister Black in an excellent trilogy, he would get his push soon after the last match ended, as he joined Seth Rollins' faction and aligned with The Monday Night Messiah and The AoP.

As mentioned earlier, Rezar is out for 7-8 months, which could likely mean that Akam will be absent in that period as well.

According to PW Insider (via Cagesideseats), Murphy was pulled from his latest RAW appearance as he wasn't medically cleared:

According to PW Insider, Murphy was supposed to be on Monday Night Raw this past week but he wasn’t cleared for the show.

While it's not known whether it's a niggling injury or one that'll keep him out for a while, we hope this isn't true. He was in a big spot and was in the perfect place to propel him to the next stage of his career. If it is true, we can only hope that it's a minor injury.

#2. Hope is true: Vince McMahon's decision to abruptly end a storyline

One of the odder gimmicks on RAW these past few months has been that of Erick Rowan. He's been walking around with a cage, not showing anyone what it was. Whoever took a sneak peek at it would get frightened before getting squashed by Rowan, the closest thing that's resembled a singles push for him.

However, it would be revealed that it was a giant spider inside the cage, something that was undoubtedly anticlimactic. Mercifully, WWE decided to end that angle after Drew McIntyre faced Rowan on RAW.

He would beat the former Wyatt Family member and proceed to squash his cage, effectively "killing" the spider and ending the storyline. According to Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Radio, the call was made by Vince McMahon to pull the plug on the angle:

I guess so. Whatever it was, Vince decreed the end of it last week, so this was the finish of that. It was stupid, might as well get it out.

We hope this is true because it wasn't an angle that had any impact, to begin with. It was best to end it.

#2. Hope isn't true: Vince McMahon wanted Sting buried

Sting's sting in WWE was brief, wrestling a total of three matches in 2015 before being forced to retire. According to Arn Anderson on the ARN podcast, Vince McMahon reportedly told commentators to bury Sting at WrestleMania 31:

All it did was give the announcers – and I know this was fed to them – they just buried Sting. ‘Minnow in a big pond.’ Just total condescending. ‘Guy’s out of his element.’ ‘This is WrestleMania now.’ ‘You’re just a small minnow in a huge lake.’

He said that it was once again about WWE vs WCW and Vince McMahon putting one last nail in the coffin:

“They [WCW] led for all those weeks but, in the end, here’s your last remaining guy and he was your biggest star, and we [WWE] just crushed him before your very eyes at the biggest event of the year.”

We hope this isn't true because it seems petty, especially since over 14 years had passed since the buyout happened.

#1. Hope is true: Money in the Bank being postponed?

The MITB PPV is expected to happen in May, but plans could change

WWE isn't like any other form of entertainment. It's a show that runs week-in and week-out with no season breaks. Even with the prevailing circumstances of the world right now, the message is clear - the wheel will keep on spinning for the sports entertainment juggernaut. This may mean a hit in viewership, but Tom Colohue said that they've been planning well ahead and this includes Money in the Bank in May.

With WWE avoiding having too many wrestlers involved in the ring, the MITB match is the "exception" of a plan that's not going ahead as expected, according to Tom Colohue:

One notable exception and that is that they may have to postpone the Money in the Bank PPV because of how many wrestlers would be involved in that ladder match.

He emphasized how the MITB match could cause a logistical problem and why it makes sense to postpone it:

At the moment, they work under eight people. They would want to continue with that. They would need more cameramen based on the number of people involved. They have to keep track of them, it's not like two people are going to be in the ring in a tag match they'd have to worry about the people outside. They are thinking ahead to Money in the Bank and what they have to do for that. Postponement is something they are considering, just moving it to later in the calendar year because it's not like a WrestleMania. You can move it about.

We hope this is true because Money in the Bank is a flexible PPV that doesn't need to be on a set date. It's best saved for when the crowds return and when it's safer to have the match.

#1. Hope isn't true: Backstage reaction to Brodie Lee's gimmick mocking Vince McMahon

Brodie Lee has taken the wrestling world by storm when he debuted in All Elite Wrestling and was revealed to be 'The Exalted One'. His first major AEW appearance revealed that his character was a parody of Vince McMahon.

Sportskeeda's Lennard Surrao wrote:

It is believed that McMahon always likes to be the first to eat and he also hates sneezing as well as people who sneeze next to him. The reason why Vince McMahon dislikes sneezing is that it's one of those things that he just can't control and it's a well-known fact that the WWE Chairman wants to be in command of every little detail in his life.

According to the Wrestling Observer Radio, there were people backstage in WWE who were legitimately upset that the gimmick mocked McMahon. We hope this isn't true because it seems like an unnecessary action, especially since AEW has already taken shots at WWE before.

However, if it leads to a more motivated Vince McMahon, then we could see a better product emerge.

Edited by Amar Anand