Welcome to the weekly Rumor Look Back, where we take a look back at the rumors from six months ago and see what played out as originally stated. Let’s jump straight to that.

July 22, 2022

• Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio noted that AEW is hopeful that CM Punk, Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson will all return from injuries in time. Everyone out.
• Did they wish this on a monkey’s paw?
• Speculation about WWE booking Goldberg vs. not shiny The mystery intensified after a video of the awkward confrontation behind the scenes from SummerSlam 2019 It was posted on WWE’s YouTube channel yesterday.
• This did not happen. I don’t think Goldberg will give in to that. (0/1)
• Fightful was told that fired NXT wrestler Cole “Two Dimes” Karter is now “under the AEW deal.”
• I don’t remember drawing All Elite – he hasn’t had a match since December but has worked dark matches.
• Meltzer mentioned on Twitter that Tony Khan has had a conversation with management commentator Mauro Ranallo “for some time”. He added that Khan had no direct contact with commentator Mike Tenay.
• I find it very interesting that Tenay has disappeared from wrestling. He was a staple of the announce desk from WCW and then TNA. He’s kind of like Schiavone after WCW so far.
• Even though Billy Corgan pulled Nick Aldis from the main event of the NWA 74 pay-per-view, PW Insider was told Aldis is still booked for the card and will get another discount. However, there is “some truth” to Corgan’s claim that his relationship with Aldiss has deteriorated. One source says there is “magma heat” on Aldis for his constant criticism of Corgan’s creative decisions.
• Considering one of Corgan’s recent decisions was to put the title on Tyrus, Aldis may have been on to something.

July 23, 2022

• PW Insider heard that Vince McMahon’s decision to retire from WWE was made privately about seven to 10 days ago. The news was revealed late Friday to limit the “negative fallout” in the media and on WWE’s stock price. There was a virtual meeting “Rah-Rah meeting” before SmackDown Where Vince was described as “irreplaceable,” but everyone was reassured that the company was in good hands with Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan.
• Vince immediately regretted the votes. Perhaps selling Vince as irreplaceable and putting him on his way out would have helped his comeback, since even though he had a lot of stock, that would have happened no matter what.
• There was a lot of shock and confusion behind the scenes SmackDown surrounding Vince’s retirement. However, Insider was told that the locker room in general had a “very positive reaction,” with hope for new energy in WWE’s creative process moving forward. Young talent in particular believes the new vision will help WWE better connect with its fans.
• Rumors of improved morale persisted – though things were shaken up when Vince returned to power.
• Brock Lesnar walking outside SmackDown It wasn’t a business, though it did come back by the end of the episode. Sean Ross Sapp says the script was “completely reworked without Brock in it” and finished by 7pm ET. The latter part of the show was written in such a way that Lesnar could be added to it if he went back in time.
• Brock is kinda weird. But he still does a lot of business with WWE.
• The injury that caused Sami Zayn to wear ropes on TV recently is “legitimate” according to the Wrestling Observer newsletter, but it’s not serious and WWE hopes he can wrestle in a few weeks.
• He was wrestling by mid-August. (1/1)
• WON also had good news about Matt Jackson’s injury. The Young Buck was reported to be doing “a lot better” after sustaining an injury on the July 13 episode of dynamite. Jackson described it as “like a bad hit”. AEW also hopes he’ll be back wrestling again in a few weeks.
• Back in early August. (1/1)

July 25, 2022

• On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer indicated that he expects WWE to tone down the “weird talk” with Vince McMahon’s retirement.
• I think I agree with that. (1/1)
• Meltzer has also said that he believes there will be a power grab for creative control within WWE now. It’s also possible that Triple H will be more involved but how far remains to be seen.
• Triple H ended up in complete creative control (for now). But men like Bruce Prichard might also have been considered to play the main part.
• Fightful Select says that “many big stars” seemed frustrated by McMahon’s retirement and had no idea it was happening. There are other talents who don’t think this is permanent.
• I wonder who would be upset outside of Lesnar. Maybe Roman is afraid that his place is in danger? This certainly did not happen.
• Part of the reason for Liv Morgan’s latest push is WWE sentiment SmackDown She needed a “fresh face of an A-list woman” after Sasha Banks and Naomi exited Meltzer.
• It didn’t stick.
• Vince McMahon worked closely with Max Dupree on introducing his character, Fightful says, and Vince’s retirement could open the door for Dupree’s return.
• Dupree returns, finally transforming into L.A. Knight, who kills her. (1/1)

July 26, 2022

• Sources told the Wall Street Journal that Ted Mann, Joe Palazzolo, and Vince McMahon chose to resign last Friday after the SEC and federal prosecutors launched investigations into his hush money payments.
• These investigations are still ongoing I think.
• HBO Real Sports’ upcoming storyline on McMahon is said to be “terrible,” according to Wrestling Observer Live’s Brian Alvarez.
• This never happened. (0/1)
• USA Network seems excited about Triple H taking over the main roster design, with a source there telling Fightful Select that it’s an “exciting change.”
• The product has been improved, or at least more consistent. I think it was better.
• In a recent PWTorchVIP.com audio show, Wade Keller said that Paul Heyman is “someone to watch” in WWE’s new power structure. Triple H seems to trust Heyman, and Stephanie McMahon’s relationship with the former ECW boss is much better than when it was initially iconic: “There’s a chemistry and dynamic between them and that’s a very positive thing.”
• My understanding is that he is not really involved in the creation. Although Sami feels he needs to get his approval.
• Keeler also says Stephanie McMahon has a good reputation with the women’s roster, and there’s optimism they’ll get more TV time and a better performance with her in charge. Some even think Sasha Banks and Naomi could get back together with Vince gone.
• Sasha and Naomi did not return. Stephanie has since retired, most likely against her will. (0/1)

July 27, 2022

• Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw It was largely written and approved before Vince McMahon quit WWE, and not many changes were made to it.
• Overall, it took a while for Triple H to start enacting his vision.
• According to WrestleVotes, Triple H wants to make it big in the summerslamwhat it is being his first major show to run stuff, but he’s not going to do it just for the sake of doing it.
• This was a very good show, but they didn’t do anything out of control for the sake of shocking.
• Along the same lines, Ringside News claims summerslam “Closed” but “there are some changes happening.”
• I wonder what those changes are. Obviously, the Damage CTRL elements were not present in Vince’s script.
• Fightful Select says they’ve spoken to former NXT talent and free agents who said Triple H in his new position of power is turning things around. He will likely sign the former talent to stay, and apparently the “top free agent” said this “dramatically increases the likelihood” of them returning to WWE.
• I wonder who this top free agent is. Maybe Wyatt, but I don’t see him as a guy who speaks to wrestling outlets.
• Every Meltzer has a reason raw The big brawl between Logan Paul and The Miz opened up because WWE wanted to avoid Paul being booed.
• Paul is a natural bad person.

July 28, 2022

• According to Wrestlenomics, NXT will be holding their next special live event on Sunday, September 4, the same day as AEW. Everyone out.
• It was 4pm, so there was no head-to-head competition. But on the same day. (1/1)
• A source told The Hard Way’s Leslie Lee III that WWE Executive Producer Kevin Dunn didn’t think Becky Lynch was “hot enough” to be a champion in the company.
• It’s a dumb shot all the time from a guy who’s probably blind.
• While he didn’t name any specific wrestler, Freddie Prinze Jr. said on the latest episode of his podcast that when he was a member of WWE’s creative team, “You could do a 20-minute show like [Dunn] She’d be like, “Well, I don’t think she’s pretty,” and all of a sudden the six weeks of the story would be gone… “Our heroine must be pretty.”
• Dunn is still with WWE.
• Paul Heyman joined Triple H at the WWE talent tryouts in Nashville yesterday, fueling speculation that he’ll have a bigger role in the company after Vince McMahon’s departure.
• I don’t know what his role is now. He has a good mentality either way.
• Ric Flair told Chris Van Fleet that he and Conrad Thompson were planning to include more AEW talent in Ric Flair’s last match But “everything got a little political with Tony [Khan]. “
• There is always politics in wrestling.

This week: 5/8 – 63%

Total: 4,441 / 7,792 – 57.0%

Have a great week, everyone!