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Welcome to this week's edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's WWE Rumor Review, where we look into some big rumors from a few months ago and gauge whether or not they came true. SummerSlam was the talk of the town in mid-August, with a lot of interesting ideas floating around for the show.
One of them involved Roman Reigns possibly losing the Universal Championship to John Cena, with a rumored plan in place for The Tribal Chief. Anticipation was high for another world title change as Big E held the Money in the Bank briefcase.
There was uncertainty surrounding one of the biggest matches planned for SummerSlam 2021, with rumors swinging multiple ways. Elsewhere, reports emerged of a forgotten WWE name getting released.
So, let's get to this week's Rumor Review without further ado.
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#5 Big E's Money in the Bank cash-in
Following Big E's victory in the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match last July, fans were hoping he would cash in his contract at SummerSlam. The New Day member winning the WWE Championship after Bobby Lashley took on Goldberg would have been quite the moment.
However, that prospect was deemed unlikely after Cageside Seats reported slim chances of a Big E cash-in at SummerSlam. He wrestled at the Allegiant Stadium, defeating Baron Corbin on the Kickoff Show.
E did cash in his Money in the Bank contract a few weeks later on RAW, so fans didn't have to wait too long for his eventual coronation as WWE Champion. But as far as SummerSlam was concerned, the rumor can be deemed accurate.
#4 WWE releases JoJo Offerman
JoJo Offerman was a regular on RAW and SmackDown for years, primarily serving as a ring announcer on the Red brand until 2018. She took leave from the company after becoming pregnant with her first child with Windham Rotunda (FKA Bray Wyatt).
Despite not appearing for a couple of years, JoJo seemingly only left WWE last year. PWInsider reported in August that she was quietly let go "6-8 months ago," suggesting a departure near the start of 2021.
The former WWE Superstar, who wrestled for a few months in 2013, is now engaged to Rotunda. The couple has two children together.
#3 Doubt over Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks at SummerSlam
There was a lot of confusion over Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair's status for SummerSlam, with the two scheduled to collide in a rematch of the WrestleMania 37 main event. The pair missed a couple of live events a week before due to "unforeseen circumstances."
Mike Johnson reported that Banks and Belair were "cleared" to perform at The Biggest Party of the Summer, before following up a few days later with the news that The Legit Boss was indeed ruled out. The EST of WWE returned in time, but the match was canceled.
Bianca Belair instead defended her SmackDown Women's Championship against a returning Becky Lynch and lost in 26 seconds. She gained her revenge on Big Time Becks by winning the RAW Women's Championship from her at WrestleMania 38.
#2 Rumor on the date and location for Royal Rumble 2022
Rumors surrounding the location of various premium live events in the next year usually circulate during the second half of the current year. 2021 was no exception, with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reporting that St. Louis was the "front runner" to host the Royal Rumble in 2022, over five months before it happened.
While the Rumble did take place in St. Louis, there were rumblings of the show taking place in February instead of its traditional spot in January. Those did not come true as the company held the "big four" event on Jan 29th.
#1 WWE's plan for Roman Reigns if he lost to John Cena
It seems ludicrous to think about it now, but there might have been a slight possibility of John Cena defeating Roman Reigns to win the Universal Championship at SummerSlam. In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Ric Flair leaving WWE could have had a monumental shift, albeit a temporary one.
He stated that the company's higher-ups may have wanted Cena to win his 17th world championship and surpass The Nature Boy's record of 16 world titles. This outcome would have led to Reigns winning back the Universal Championship on the Madison Square Garden episode of SmackDown.
Either way, none of this happened at all. The Tribal Chief won clean in the main event of SummerSlam. He has been the Universal Champion for over 600 days and recently unified it with the WWE Championship after defeating Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38.
Make sure to stay updated in the world of WWE with our daily News and Rumor Roundups HERE.
