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Welcome to today's WWE Rumor Roundup, a selection of the top stories of the day. The main development is the confirmation of SummerSlam's date (Saturday, August 21st,) but the company has not confirmed the venue.
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WWE is currently gearing up for Hell In A Cell next month, but the card is yet to be finalized. Some backstage news about the pay-per-view offers some hints about what fans can expect. But first, let's dig into today's must-see stories.
No plans for WWE RAW Superstar to wrestle?
Eva Marie is back in WWE, andshe has been shown in several vignettes on Monday Night RAW. While most of the WWE Universe seemingly doesn't support her yet, there is a section of fans who want to see what she has to offer in the ring.
But a report from Fightful Select claims that WWE does not plan to use Eva Marie in the ring. She will reportedly be used as a "vehicle" to push other superstars.
Dave Meltzer also hinted at the same on Wrestling Observer Radio:
"The idea is she's a supermodel who's worked hard to become a supermodel, and somehow, yeah, the idea is she's a celebrity who wants to help other people," said Meltzer. "So she is a babyface; it is weird. It's actually, if you think about it, a couple of years ago, and right down to the 'Eva-lution,' you remember the Emma-lution? I mean, this is basically the Emma character that they teased for like whatever it was, six months, and then one week after she debuts, they drop the whole thing because they feel like she can't pull it off, after months. Although Emma was a heel, but it's very similar to that character that they were doing with Emma years ago," [H/T WrestleTalk]
Additionally, Fightful Select's report added that the hiring of Eva Marie was not related to the release of several superstars in the WWE women's division. These vignettes were reportedly shot long before the releases took place, but they hadn't been used on WWE TV.
Will we see Eva Marie as a babyface manager soon? Only time will tell.
Reported real reason why WWE fired Velveteen Dream
WWE released Velveteen Dream earlier this month, and he blamed the allegations leveled against him as the reason for it. Patrick Clark believes his career stalled and led to his release after the accusations, but reports suggest that the main reason was something else.
As per Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Velveteen Dream was released after top stars in the company complained to management regarding a different incident. Though Meltzer did not elaborate about that development, he confirmed the release was not because of screenshots or other allegations against Dream.
"We were told the firing didn't have to do with those charges or anything that had been made public, but for a different incident that one of the top stars in the company alerted management to," wrote Meltzer. "However, Clark blamed the screen shots from April as the reason his push ended (which in a roundabout way may have been true) and for his being fired (which came many months after his push ended.)"
Though WWE artist Rob Schamberger did not name Velveteen Dream in a tweet, he indirectly suggested that the WWE NXT star was the most unprofessional person he knew backstage.
Velveteen Dream was touted as the future of WWE, but his career, at least with the company, has been cut short.
Vince McMahon's reaction to Natalya and Tamina winning WWE Womens' Tag Team Championship
Natalya and Tamina defeated Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship earlier this month. It was the latter's first-ever title in WWE, and she was filled with joy when she held the title for the first time.
Vince McMahon apparently shared similar emotions backstage and said, "We did it... We did it!". Speaking on Renee Paquette's Oral Sessions podcast, Natalya recalled how the chairman reacted.
"It's like when your dad says you did a good job," said Natalya. "You just feel so excited and happy and you feel like it's more special to have him [Vince McMahon] say you did a good job than even winning the titles. He's seen it all. He's seen everything. Think about the thousands and thousands of matches that he's seen and all the people that he's worked with. When I came back, I talked to Vince. Literally, he said to me, 'We did it... we did it.'"
This match marked Natalya and Tamina's second attempt to win the titles just three months after they became a tag team. The duo failed on their first try, as they lost to Jax and Baszler on the second night of WrestleMania 37. But the veterans persevered, and now they hold the gold.
Brock Lesnar set for WWE return?
Paul Heyman has once again teased Brock Lesnar's return to WWE. Heyman, the former "advocate" for "The Beast Incarnate", recently spoke with SportsTalk 790, and he hinted at a potential comeback for Lesnar.
Heyman has suggested Lesnar will return to WWE once the fans are back in the arena, and that time is quickly approaching. WWE has announced that fans will be back in the arena this July, and SummerSlam, with fans in attendance, could be a fitting stage for Lesnar's return.
"Asking me about Brock Lesnar is a highly intelligent question, and I commend you on your efforts," said Heyman. "However, it's a hypothetical. Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do. If Brock Lesnar wanted to be back in WWE at this moment, at this particular time and place, he would be. Maybe, maybe he has been waiting for the live events, and maybe he'll choose Houston to make that return… or maybe not, because Brock Lesnar is going to do whatever Brock Lesnar wants to do."
Will Brock Lesnar target Roman Reigns upon his return, or will he try to recapture the WWE Championship on Monday Night RAW? Fans will have to wait and see.
Roman Reigns' match at WWE Hell In A Cell in doubt?
WWE Hell In A Cell takes place next month, and WWE is preparing the card for the pay-per-view. The backstage rumors suggest that Roman Reigns will face Jimmy Uso, but Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter claims that bout is not the currently plan.
"The Roman Reigns main issue seems to be with Jimmy Uso, but we are told that match is not scheduled for the PPV," wrote Meltzer.
That being said, Dave Meltzer confirmed that plans are tentatively being made backstage for John Cena to return and face Reigns. Meltzer claims that this idea is not final, but the match could potentially take place at SummerSlam.
"The leading rumor is Roman Reigns vs. John Cena for the Universal title," Meltzer addd. "We do know that as of last week they were in talks with Cena, that were not finalized, to appear on the 7/16 Smackdown show in Houston."
Roman Reigns has been on a roll since becoming the WWE Universal Champion. Who do you think will end his reign as the champion? Sound off in the comments below.
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