The wrestling world has seen many changes over the past few months. Many things have progressed in a way WWE would like, but there are plenty that go in the opposite direction. Both Vince McMahon and Triple H have seen rumors break and annoy them for different reasons. The current landscape of WWE with McMahon running the company and making the decisions is a bit different due to Triple H looming waiting to takeover. Triple H has a new approach to wrestling that is seen with some of his talent signings and the overall presentation of NXT.
McMahon and Triple H likely look at wrestling stories from different viewpoints due to each man’s role in the company right now. Some of the rumors make Vince look terrible and show that he may need to step aside sooner than later. Others put Triple H in a bad place given his contributions and eventual desire when running WWE. Rumors from both sides will be examined as all paint WWE in a negative light. The company would rather see all of these rumors get lost and forgotten. These are eleven current wrestling rumors that Vince McMahon doesn’t want you to know about along with another five that Triple H doesn’t want you to know about.
16 16. Vince: Bullet Club Has Vince Rattled
The Bullet Club has become the hottest wrestling entity outside of WWE in many years. This current incarnation of Bullet Club with Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, Marty Scurll and the Young Bucks leading the way has reached new peaks. Hot Topic has gone all in on Bullet Club merchandise as its top sellers and now has expanded into other merchandise for 2018.
Vince McMahon reportedly snapped backstage when Bullet Club “invaded” Raw by showing up with a group of their fans to film content for their YouTube series. The anger from McMahon saw him fire writer Jimmy Jacobs for taking a picture with the Bullet Club boys. WWE also sent a “cease & desist” letter to the Young Bucks demanding they stop using the “too sweet” gesture. Vince doesn’t want us to know that he is sweating a popular act outside of WWE for the first time in a long time.
15 15. Vince: Nia Jax Walked Out On WWE
There is a new rumor regarding the status of Nia Jax. After months of being a vocal point in the Women's Division, Jax has been off television for a few weeks. The rumor indicates that Nia chose to walk out on WWE and that’s why she hasn’t been seen. There is no indication as to why Jax is off television and not appearing on live events anymore, but WWE is obviously aware of it.
Many wrestlers are unhappy due to pay, booking and other variables. One of the women the company most wanted to push asking to leave for an unknown time period is not a good look. WWE invested a lot of time and booked Jax into being a top heel. There were reported plans for her to face Alexa Bliss in the future but those seem to be off the table now.
14 14. Triple H: Wrestlers Upset About Jimmy Jacobs Firing
The firing of Jimmy Jacobs is one of the biggest stories regarding WWE despite Jacobs not being an on-screen performer. Jacobs was viewed as one of the more popular writers backstage. Most WWE wrestlers hate working with the writers that have no experience in the wrestling business. Jacobs had the perfect middle ground of being a creative writer and understanding wrestling.
Triple H has been responsible for many of the independent wrestling names getting employed in many roles. Forget about the NXT stars through the years. Jacobs, Adam Pearce, Nigel McGuinness, Steve Corino and many others received important jobs in WWE behind the scenes. The locker room being down due to someone Triple H wanted around isn’t the story he wants out about the company.
13 13. Vince: The Shield Reuniting to Trick Fans Into Cheering Roman Reigns
The recent reunion of The Shield has given WWE some of the biggest crowd ovations and most viewed uploaded videos in recent memory. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose have been teaming since Summerslam. Roman Reigns joining them has officially united the group heading into TLC for a match against The Miz, Braun Strowman, Kane, Sheamus and Cesaro.
Reigns seems to be enjoying the love of the fans for the first time in years as seen with him playing to them and fist bumping fans on the way to the ring. WWE is reportedly doing this mostly to give Roman momentum heading into WrestleMania season. The hope is fans wanting him to defeat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34. Reigns getting the love and reminding fans that he used to be a favorite is the main goal here more than anything else.
12 12. Vince: Maryse & Maria Not Planning To Return
Two women on the WWE roster with similar roles ended up having their first pregnancy in the same time period. Maryse is the real life wife and the wrestling manager of The Miz. Maria Kanellis is the real life wife and the wrestling manager of Mike Kanellis. Both ladies have been stopped appearing on television or at live events for WWE due to being pregnant.
There are reports that Maryse and Maria each are deciding to leave wrestling in the past once they have their respective children. Maryse has a background in Real Estate and will likely do that as opposing to traveling with Miz. Maria is already running her event planning business right now and is hoping that will take off. Each lady has their other careers in mind and the temptation of going back on the road would just mean both parents being gone.
11 11. Triple H: Neville Leaving Because Of Cruiserweight Division
The Cruiserweight Division idea initially saw Triple H start the Cruiserweight Classic. It was a huge hit with many wrestlers standing out and countless great matches. Triple H has stated he wanted to make it its own brand as a show on WWE Network. Vince McMahon stepped in and decided to put in on Raw along with creating the 205 Live show.
Neville is the biggest star to appear in the division and he is sick of it. Cruiserweights make less money, have less live event dates and receive fewer opportunities than the other wrestlers on the roster. Neville is reportedly demanding to be granted his release from WWE due to not wanting to be stuck in Cruiserweight purgatory. Triple H seeing a brand he built up become such a career killer has to be horrible for him. Neville was also one of the first NXT top stars making this rumor extra horrible for Trips.
10 10. Vince: WWE Ended Baron Corbin's Punishment Early
Baron Corbin snapping at one of the WWE doctors backstage caused him to lose the Money in the Bank title shot. John Cena then destroyed him at Summerslam. Corbin appeared to be in the doghouse and in line for a major punishment. One of the wrestlers humiliating a doctor in front of the locker room is something WWE wanted to send a message with, showing it would not be tolerated.
However, this seems to be reminiscent of another situation. Roman Reigns fell down the totem pole after violating the Wellness Policy last year. WWE punished him by making him the United States Champion. Corbin now holds the same title after defeating A.J. Styles. We won’t see Corbin in the WWE Championship picture any time soon, but it’s obvious Vince McMahon ended the punishment early due to liking him.
9 9. Vince: Locker Room Primarily Anti-Politics
One rumor to break recently featured Big Cass being disliked by the locker room before getting injured. Everyone knew Enzo Amore was hated, but Cass joined him due to political beliefs of all things. Dave Meltzer reported that Cass was disliked for being a vocal and an avid supporter of the President. According to the rumor, the majority of the locker room strongly disliked him for it.
The fact that Vince McMahon is one of the President's closest friends and Linda McMahon is a member of his Cabinet makes it even more fascinating. McMahon clearly wouldn’t want news to break in major outlets that his employees mostly vehemently disagree with the political reign that his wife is a strong part of. WWE has one of the most diverse rosters in wrestling history making it obvious why wrestlers would be against such current political affairs.
8 8. Triple H: Vince Never Wants War Games On Main Roster
The news of NXT bringing War Games for their next TakeOver special is a huge game changer. Fans reacted overwhelmingly positive online and NXT TakeOver: War Games is now one of the most anticipated shows in NXT history. Triple H has always been a fan of WCW’s concept of the double ring/double cage match pitting teams against each other.
Despite being a very popular gimmick in WCW, WWE has never used it following purchasing the competition. Vince McMahon reportedly detests the match and doesn’t ever want to have it on the main roster. This truly shows the freedom Triple H has in NXT. However, we'll never see it on the main roster if Vince is running the show. That puts a damper on it, Triple H doesn’t want fans thinking about.
7 7. Vince: Dolph Ziggler Getting Ready To Leave WWE Soon
Dolph Ziggler’s current act is one of the lamest characters WWE has tried to push in quite some time. It is obvious that Ziggler is currently being used to put over Bobby Roode as a new face. Ziggler is reportedly getting ready to leave WWE when his contract expires at the end of the year. No one views Dolph as a credible top name and he is destined to remain a secondary performer for the rest of his career in WWE.
Vince McMahon has started and stopped so many pushes for Ziggler over the entirety of his career. The presence of Ziggler still provided consistency through the disappointing years. McMahon can’t be happy about another once relevant name choosing to leave WWE on his own. This could be similar to Cody Rhodes becoming a success outside of the company after being wasted for many years.
6 6. Vince: 205 Live Numbers Still Tanking With Enzo
The 205 Live show is apparently a Vince McMahon show. All reports indicate McMahon is the one to come up with the stories and characters for the show. That may be the reason why 205 Live is such a disaster after the Cruiserweight Classic was a success. Triple H presented the guys in a way that showcased their strengths and hid their weaknesses. The opposite is being done on 205 Live.
McMahon sent Enzo Amore to 205 Live both to humble him as punishment for his antics but also to improve the numbers for the show. 205 Live did see a spike in interest and viewership when Enzo originally joined. However, the numbers are reportedly down again to low total viewers. NXT, Story Time and various old PPVs all get more views than 205 Live, even with Enzo.
5 5. Triple H: Gail Kim Turned Down WWE Deal
Gail Kim is one of the greatest North American women’s wrestlers despite never getting utilized well by WWE. Vince McMahon’s sexist and borderline racist views doomed her during her two tenures in the company. TNA helped showcase the talent of Gail to make you wonder why WWE never did anything with her. Things have changed in recent years with WWE treating the women’s division with respect.
Mickie James has returned and is now getting a PPV title shot against Alexa Bliss. Triple H loves women’s wrestlers. Kim has shared stories of him praising her work in the past and telling her to keep her head up during the tough times in WWE. Despite all this, Kim reportedly turned down an offer on behalf of Triple H to return to WWE or NXT to end her career on a bigger stage. The bad blood with Vince means she will likely retire in TNA.
4 4. Vince: Jinder Mahal Not That Popular in India
The monster push for Jinder Mahal comes due to Vince McMahon believing in him. McMahon’s support has seen Mahal go from a jobber to WWE Champion out of nowhere in May. The title reign is becoming a lengthy one for Jinder lasting all summer and now likely going through the fall. One of the benefits for this is Mahal appealing to the Indian market.
WWE recently started pushing the product in India with the WWE Network. The title reign of Jinder was supposed to bring in a new market. Instead, India has apparently shown little to no interest in the WWE Network. Mahal isn’t adding viewers in the Indian market and the current WWE fan base in North America seems to be bored by it. McMahon is still seeing it through and doesn’t want the rumors showing negative results.
3 3. Vince: Multiple Wrestlers Asking Cody Rhodes How to Quit WWE
Cody Rhodes has become the model example as to how to succeed after leaving WWE. The decision was Cody’s when he requested WWE allow him out of his contract to work on the independent circuit. Rhodes is now the ROH Champion, a Bullet Club member and making significantly more money than he did during his WWE days.
A recent report has leaked that multiple wrestlers have contacted Cody to ask him for advice as to how to leave WWE. They want to not only get their release but make bigger money on the free agent market by betting on their own talent. One of the biggest names outside of the WWE talking to WWE stars about how to leave is a huge story that McMahon doesn’t want fans knowing about.
2 2. Triple H: Enhancement Allegations By Nutritionist
Another recent story that Triple H wants to forget about deals with his former nutritionist making the claim that Hunter is one of the many not to get tested by the WWE. Of course, such news really isn’t too shocking but the fact that it was said in the first place is clearly alarming, and something the WWE doesn’t want to hear, especially due to the fact it takes its testing very seriously.
Following the comments, the company issued a statement protecting the integrity of their testing. Even Palumbo took back his comments making the claim that whoever steps in the ring, is to take an exam. Though, the damage was already done and we know that’s not exactly the case as Lesnar failed a UFC medical exam for anti-estrogen use, meaning his testosterone levels were increased during his time with the WWE.
1 1. Vince McMahon: Daniel Bryan Planning In-Ring Return for ROH Final Battle 2018
The biggest mystery in wrestling right now surrounds the future of Daniel Bryan. WWE has no interest in clearing him as their doctors believe he isn’t fit to compete. Bryan wants to wrestle again and is not shy about counting down the days to his contract ending. The timing of his contract expiring in September of 2018 is fascinating for one major reason.
WWE usually has a three-month no-compete clause. Bryan would be able to wrestle for another promotion in December of 2018. This means he would likely be free to compete at Ring of Honor’s biggest show of the year – Final Battle. The Young Bucks recently teased something big for Final Battle 2018. Bryan has teased returning to ROH. Considering NXT’s biggest competition is ROH on the touring market, this would be horrible news for both Vince and even Triple H.