One doesn’t have to search on the Internet for long in order to find tasty World Wrestling Entertainment rumors regarding storylines, pushes and matches that may or may not occur at some point in the future. Some of these stories are confirmed or even first reported by respected journalists such as Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer and others who appear on podcasts and who write newsletters. Other rumors seemingly appear out of nowhere and make little sense when you think about them for any length of time, but they, somehow, turn out to actually happen before our very eyes. Many rumors that pop up during the first few months of the year have to do with an upcoming WrestleMania card, while others involve long-term booking that sometimes plays out over months, if not an entire year.
Plenty of the rumors currently hovering over the WWE will anger passionate and diehard followers of the product for different reasons. Remember, though, that just because a rumor doesn’t make sense to you right away, that doesn’t mean things won’t happen to make it more logical. While it’s often joked that Vince McMahon and others working behind the scenes for the promotion change their minds at the flip of a figurative switch, the hope is that stories and feuds will come full-circle and leave viewers feeling satisfied with what occurs on each of the company’s rosters. History suggests that’s wishful thinking, but we also know those who continue to watch the WWE regardless of the wrestlers pushed to the tops of cards almost always come back on Monday and Tuesday nights.
15 Carmella to cash-in MITB at WrestleMania 34
This one makes no sense whatsoever, and yet we can absolutely see it happening. Carmella won the Money in the Bank briefcase twice in June 2017, but she hasn’t yet cashed-in her championship match heading into WrestleMania 34. If the company is serious about having her do this soon and about pushing her as a major heel, WrestleMania could be the time to make the move and have her interrupt one of two championship matches.
No fan wants to see Carmella be the one to defeat Asuka and end Asuka’s undefeated streak, but the WWE could insert her into the Raw feud between Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax. Doing so could also advance another rumor that doesn’t make a lot of sense but that seems like it is going to happen.
14 Neville to return to Cruiserweight division
In early March 2018, the Wrestling Observer reported that Neville, who walked away from the WWE last fall, is talking with the company about a potential return. That’s great news, as Neville is a tremendous talent who can work as either a babyface or heel on any brand.
The part that doesn’t make sense is that the report claimed Neville may not return until the conclusion of the Live 205 tournament, which suggests he could be headed back to that show and to the Cruiserweight division. It’s logical if the company is serious about pushing that brand and that show, but Neville apparently wasn’t thrilled with being relegated to that portion of the roster. One would think he would yearn for more if he wants to return to the WWE this spring.
13 Lesnar returns to UFC because WWE won’t let him fight
According to the Wrestling Observer, Brock Lesnar may be eying a return to the UFC following WrestleMania 34, in part, because the WWE doesn’t want him fighting while on a contract with the promotion due to the fact that he failed a drug test the last time he was associated with the mixed martial arts organization. That, on its own, isn’t that big of a deal, but it was also suggested the bad press Lesnar received is why the WWE wants to avoid this happening again.
The problem here is that wrestling fans around the world really don’t care what Lesnar does or doesn’t do when away from the company. They just want to see him send opponents to Suplex City. This seems like an instance of the WWE overthinking things if the company is unintentionally pushing Brock away.
12 Bayley heel turn
The WWE had the ultimate beloved babyface in Bayley while she was the Women’s Champion in NXT. She worked great matches, cut believable and entertaining promos as the underdog and got over with audiences of all ages. Then, the company called her up to the main roster, where she floundered thanks to some awful booking.
One of the current rumors that seems to be playing out on Raw is that the WWE is going to have Bayley go heel leading up to her match with Sasha Banks. Banks is the more natural heel in the WWE Universe, among the two, and giving up on Bayley’s potential as a babyface could leave you shaking your head. We do think this is going to happen even if it doesn’t make sense.
11 Asuka vs. Ronda Rousey: Undefeated streaks
The biggest reason the idea behind both Asuka and Ronda Rousey remaining undefeated up through WrestleMania makes such little sense that one can’t trust the WWE will keep both women so strong before getting cold feet and changing things. Heck, the company couldn’t wait even more than a couple of weeks before Ronda Rousey and Stephanie McMahon both got their hands on each other ahead of their WrestleMania 34 match.
Another concern is that fans will, in time, get sick of Asuka, especially because she hasn’t been booked to be an unbeatable monster. Perhaps moving her to SmackDown and having her decimate that division rather than luck into wins will bolster her status in the eyes of casual fans ahead of a future bout with Rousey.
10 Return of Biker Taker?
We’re not 100 percent sure if we want to see this as a legitimate rumor or as wishful thinking and fantasy booking. Apparently, one idea for WrestleMania 34 is that The Undertaker could return as the Biker ‘Taker character for his upcoming match with John Cena as a way to explain for why he is having another bout after apparently retiring following his loss to Roman Reigns at last year’s WrestleMania.
The WWE could even have Kid Rock, who is being inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame this spring, perform ‘Taker’s entrance. That’s great and all, but fans gave up on this version of The Undertaker long ago. They want to see the phenom, the slow entrance, the dramatic sit-up and everything else that comes with the legend playing that character.
9 Sasha Banks following Asuka to SmackDown
Any and all leaks that appear online should be taken as speculation and nothing else, if only because nothing is officially official until the WWE pulls the trigger on roster shake-ups. One such leak for shows occurring after WrestleMania 34 seemed to indicate that Sasha Banks will join Asuka in making the jump from Raw to SmackDown in the spring.
While both women’s rosters could use some changes after WrestleMania, moving the two women who may be the biggest stars of the main show's division over to SmackDown doesn’t make a ton of sense even with Ronda Rousey working on Raw. Banks still has plenty left to do on Raw, including working with Nia Jax while playing the role of the heel (more on that later).
8 Both Tag Team Champs switching brands
The Bar are heading into WrestleMania 34 as the Tag Team Champions of the Raw brand, while the Usos will represent SmackDown as the title-holders of that division. Knowing how the company pushes certain acts and reading the writing on the wall, it seems as if both of those teams will drop their championships, and the previously-mentioned leak that hinted SmackDown will receive Sasha Banks after WrestleMania indicated the Bar and the Usos will swap places.
The Bar and the Usos should feud with each other for a period of time, as it would be a fresh match other than what fans have received on TV and at special events the past several months. We wouldn’t mind these teams wrestling each other as champions at WrestleMania, but it’s clear the WWE won’t give fans that bout.
7 Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens again
That sound you are hearing is wrestling fans all around the world screaming in terror at the thought of these two wrestling each other once again. The feud between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens is rumored to lead to another WrestleMania match that could be a one-on-one encounter or a contest that also involves Shane McMahon or somebody else. This doesn’t make a ton of sense because the two haven’t been a cohesive unit for all that long in the grand scheme of things, and they’ve already had multiple blowoff matches on different brands.
Sadly, we expect the company to go back to this story even if nobody needs to see them battle at WrestleMania anytime soon. Maybe try keeping them apart for a year or so, WWE, before resuming this story.
6 Nia Jax babyface run
This is another rumor that we are seeing become true with each edition of Raw even though it probably isn’t going to make all that much sense once WrestleMania weekend arrives. Positioning Alexa Bliss as the mean girl and heel champion set to face a babyface Nia Jax can produce some interesting and unique television, but those making these decisions for the company are living in a world that doesn’t exist if they believe fans who attend WrestleMania Weekend shows aren’t going to treat Bliss as their favorite and Jax as the wrestler who doesn’t deserve to win the belt.
Besides, Jax is made to play the role of a monster heel in a world of “Booking 101.” This idea defies sense and logic, but it’s probably going to happen.
5 Daniel Bryan future match
Not a month goes by without some rumor linking Daniel Bryan with a future WWE match gaining momentum on a website or a podcast. By all accounts, the WWE has not cleared Bryan before WrestleMania, and it hasn’t even been suggested by the company that he could be allowed to work a safe match before potentially wrestling on the independent scene in the fall.
Why, then, is the WWE pushing potential storylines that would lead to Bryan making a return to the ring for a match against Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Shane McMahon or even The Miz? WWE has to stop leading fans on with this one. Either announce that Bryan can work, WWE, or officially inform fans he cannot wrestle while underneath the company’s umbrella ever again.
4 Jeff Hardy Scrubbed From (at least) The Ultimate Deletion
Jeff Hardy, who is currently working to return from a shoulder injury that he suffered in September 2017, made headlines in March when he was arrested and charged with driving while impaired. While nothing is official as of the typing of this sentence, it has been rumored that the company may edit segments of the Ultimate Deletion match between WOKEN Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt to erase Jeff from at least that one video, and maybe from future segments.
The biggest reason this doesn’t make any sense is that the Usos were not punished as a unit after Jey was arrested for DUI in January. Punishing somebody who allegedly breaks the law is fine, but the WWE should have standard rules regarding these incidents. Removing Jeff/Brother Nero from the storyline wouldn’t make sense unless there’s more about his DUI we don’t know at this time.
3 The Burial of The Revival
At this point, there is no confirmation that The Revival are actively being buried and turned into jobbers on Raw. Watch the shows and see how the team is treated, however, and rumors that the company isn’t high on pushing the duo as anything of note while on Raw seem to be true even though it makes little sense the WWE would treat such a talented unit this way.
Weeks ahead of WrestleMania 34, Braun Strowman was turned into a one-man challenger for the Raw Tag Team Championships, which only further cements the belief The Revival have no chance of doing anything on Raw. The WWE really needs to consider moving The Revival to SmackDown before swapping The Bar for any team competing on the blue brand.
2 Shane McMahon vs. Dolph Ziggler?
For months, the WWE has teased that the duo of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens will eventually officially align with Daniel Bryan in a feud with Shane McMahon. Dolph Ziggler has been nowhere to be found in the overall story, which is why it made little sense when a rumor popped-up that Ziggler could wrestle none other than McMahon at WrestleMania 34.
Then, the company had Zayn and Owens essentially turn on each other before and during the Fastlane show, and it now looks like they won’t be a team heading into the biggest show of the year. If that is the case, McMahon is going to need something to do. Ziggler could, potentially, carry him to a decent match even though the match doesn’t make sense as of early March.
1 WWE is using Ronda Rousey to get Stephanie McMahon over
When the Wrestling Observer reported that part of the idea behind Ronda Rousey feuding with Stephanie McMahon ahead of WrestleMania 34 was to get Stephanie mainstream media attention, it made little sense because Rousey, not McMahon, is the big-money signing. Then, we remembered that this is the McMahon family we are talking about here, and all hope that the company isn’t going to waste the former Ultimate Fighting Championship Superstar went out the window.
It should be noted that nobody expects Rousey to do the job for McMahon at ‘Mania or at any other event. Using Rousey to try to get McMahon more over seems inevitable, however, even if it doesn’t work past this spring. Never change, WWE, and keep hoping you’re going to find the next great version of Steve Austin versus Mr. McMahon.