WWE News & Rumor roundup: Ex-Intercontinental Champion to make SmackDown return after 7-month delay, Vince McMahon's response to meeting TKO official recently (November 8th, 2024)

Welcome to today's edition of the WWE News & Rumor roundup. The news and rumors in the world of professional wrestling and specifically the sports entertainment juggernaut never stop, and the same is the case for today.

We look at rumors of a big return, another Bloodline member getting signed, plans for Cody Rhodes' future as Undisputed WWE Champion, a top star giving some unfortunate news about Rhea Ripley, and Vince McMahon's response from a meeting with a TKO Executive.

Let's jump right into it:

---

#5. Reports on Shinsuke Nakamura's return to WWE

Shinsuke Nakamura & Meiko Satomura (Pic Courtesy: WWE.com)

Shinsuke Nakamura lost to Sheamus on the 22 April, 2024, episode of RAW and hasn't been seen on TV since. Nakamura, who was moved over to RAW for the first time in his WWE career in 2023, was drafted back to SmackDown but has yet to make an appearance on the blue brand this year.

He has been wrestling in dark matches and live events, but there seemed to be no creative plans in place for him - which is usually what happens when a superstar is off TV even though there's no injury to report.

According to Dr. Chris Featherstone of Sportskeeda Wrestling, Shinsuke Nakamura is set to return to SmackDown as a heel very soon. This would be his first televised appearance on the blue brand seven months after the WWE Draft when he was moved back to SmackDown.

A seven-month delay is certainly an interesting call but fans would argue that his absence hasn't been felt in a major way. However, SmackDown needs more villains and Nakamura can fill his spot reliably like he always does.

---

#4. Vince McMahon's reported reaction to meeting the TKO COO

McMahon has been fully out of the limelight (Pic Courtesy: WWE.com)

Vince McMahon has been out of the limelight, with his reputation getting tarnished as a result of the Janel Grant lawsuit. But more than his reputation, it's his role at TKO that has been slashed. Since then, he's been completely away from the public eye.

In an interview with CNBC, TKO COO Mark Shapiro said he caught up with Vince McMahon for breakfast because they hadn't been in contact for a long time. He said that McMahon couldn't have been nicer and was a complete professional about everything:

"I had breakfast with him a few weeks ago. Just to check in, it had been a long time. Haven't heard from him at all. Obviously, the series on Netflix came out, I wanted to see kind of where he was. By the way, he couldn't have been more cooperative, he couldn't have been nicer. I mean, he was a total pro at breakfast, if you will. It's a one-on-one get-together."

Shapiro added that McMahon doesn't consult, give opinions, or make decisions, nor does he sit on the board of directors. He stated that he wants Vince McMahon to deal with his litigation issues privately and added that he remains a shareholder - not a major one, but a shareholder nonetheless.

---

#3. Rhea Ripley isn't coming back for a very long time, says top champion

Rhea Ripley was taken out in the NXT parking lot by Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, effectively writing her off due to her rumored injury. A report from Fightful Select even stated that Ripley was injured before October 28 and WWE decided to film the attack segment in NXT soon after.

Speaking to TMZ, Women's World Champion Liv Morgan emphasized that Ripley is "out" and "done" and said she won't be coming back for a "very(x5) long time":

"I've beaten Rhea Ripley already. She has no claim to my championship. So me taking her out, that was me fixing the problem. That was me solving the problem. That was me shutting up Rhea Ripley. That was me stopping her. I broke her orbital bone. I broke this woman's orbital bone with Raquel Rodriguez. She's out. She's done. She's not going to come back for a very, very, very, very, very long time. 'The Liv Morgan Revenge Tour' is over because I decimated, I ended her. She's a loser, she's pathetic. And I'm so much better than her in every single way." [From 05:50 to 06:20]

This can only mean that the story will continue while Ripley presumably deals with her recovery. This marks her second injury spell in just a little over half a year.

---

#2. Another Bloodline member has reportedly been signed to WWE

Another cousin has reportedly joined WWE (Pic Courtesy: WWE.com)

The Bloodline takeover hasn't stopped even as we're now well into year four of the storyline. This year alone saw Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Jacob Fatu sign with the sports entertainment giant. There has mostly been anticipation of the signing of Umaga's son Zilla Fatu, who Jacob Fatu has teamed up with in the independent scene. However, Zilla is under Booker T's wing and he will likely have a big say in when the young Samoan could take the next step.

Zilla may not be ready, but another Bloodline member is. Lance Anoa'i has officially signed with WWE as per Fightful. At 32 years old, he's in his prime wrestling age and will make for an interesting addition to the family. As of now, it's unclear whether he'll directly join the main roster or if he'll follow the Solo Sikoa route of going through NXT first.

Lance Anoa'i, who is the son of Samu Anoa'i and grandson of Afa, is a cousin of Roman Reigns. He posted a tweet on X and on Instagram expressing his love for the 2300 Arena - which just so happened to be hosting the NXT-ECW special show while he was posting. This led to a lot of speculation about his future.

---

#1. WWE's plans for Cody Rhodes' reign as Undisputed WWE Champion

Cody Rhodes has been the World Champion on SmackDown for 215 days as of this writing and it's hard to see a scenario where he doesn't enter WrestleMania 41 with the title. So are there any plans to have him dethroned?

On WrestleVotes Radio exclusively on Backstage Pass, JoeyVotes stated that WWE is thrilled to have Cody Rhodes as the face of the company and there are those who compare him to John Cena due to his workhorse nature and connection with families and children.

Not only this but there is seemingly no plan in the foreseeable future to remove the World Title from him. At the moment, he is rumored to be WrestleMania-bound against Roman Reigns and The Rock, but that too, could change according to JoeyVotes.

It was stated that if WWE books a Rock vs. Roman Reigns match, Cody Rhodes will almost certainly headline Night 1 in Las Vegas - which is reportedly a sign of respect from the company for all the work he has done in the last year.