Now that WrestleMania has come to pass, all of the fallout has already begun. It was a wild pay-per-view that came with many surprises, along with certain foreseeable outcomes intermingled within. Most of it made sense, some of it didn't, but regardless, everyone was glued to the event, which is always the hallmark show WWE presents on an annual basis. WrestleMania indicates a turning point for the company, with new storylines about to unfold, and new personnel being shifted onto the roster. That will undoubtedly be the case again this year. Some of it, we've already seen.
Ultimately, the rumors of what are going to happen in the coming months are just that; rumors. There is nothing set in stone, and some of these are going to be altered before they have a chance to come to fruition. Looking at the landscape of the company right now however, it's not difficult to see the direction some things are trending in. It's a white-hot time for WWE and wrestling world at large right now, so let's take a look at some of the rumored possibilities for the near future.
Ranked below are 10 post-WrestleMania rumors circulating backstage, and 5 from outside of the WWE.
15 In WWE: Ronda Rousey Won't Be Full Time
The mixed tag match at WrestleMania 34 turned out to be everything that wrestling fans could have hoped for, and then some. The former MMA star was entertaining and in-ring savvy during her debut match with Kurt Angle against Stephanie McMahon and Triple H. It left the crowd wanting more, and as expected, that's what we're going to get. But how often will Rousey actually and consistently be on television?
It's possible that there could be lapses in time for Rousey and her weekly TV appearances.
This wouldn't be too surprising, since it's difficult to make the transition into being a full-time active WWE star, working house shows and everything else that comes with it. So while she'll definitely be on the roster and consistently have angles and storylines to work with, her presence could be relegated to just a couple of times a month at most.
14 In WWE: Bam Bam Bigelow Will Be Inducted Next Year
The speculation on why Bigelow wasn't put into the WWE Hall Of Fame this year may turn out to be true. After being rumored to be one of the inductees for this year, WWE retracted, and instead it looks like they'll be wanting to put him in when WrestleMania is held in MetLife Stadium next year.
With Bigelow being a well-documented native of Asbury Park, NJ, this makes all the sense in the world.
While many wanted to see Bigelow, always a popular fan-favorite during his heyday, be inducted this year, to have him go in next year in what is essentially his hometown would be more fitting. Everyone knows he deserves it, just a matter of waiting for the most opportune time. Expect that to be in 2019, at MetLife.
13 Outside WWE: Rey Mysterio's Appearance Will Be A One-Off
Mysterio was at the Royal Rumble in January, which was his last WWE appearance, and now he's slated to be at The Greatest Royal Rumble, being held in Saudi Arabia on April 27th.
While some would speculate that this indicates a full-time return coming down the pike, it seems that Mysterio's appearance will end up being a one-off.
He's been dealing with injury recently, and bouncing around different promotions. At this point, Mysterio isn't going to be full-time and active on the WWE roster. It'll be a treat to see him at The Greatest Royal Rumble, but don't expect it to turn into a consistent thing. Mysterio is better off making the occasional showing, rather than being put on TV every week.
12 In WWE: Potential Push For Baron Corbin
It's clear that WWE is still bullish on Corbin, much to the dismay of many fans who simply aren't seeing him as a main event-level player in the company. Corbin's past year of ascent has been questionable at best, and as much as he's being pushed already, there's a chance that he could get a top-level bump up the roster for the rest of the year.
His youth and general lack of a resume is in his favor here. WWE wants to create new stars, and Corbin has no attachment to any other company, in contrast to the likes of A.J. Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. He's a relatively fresh face, and management, namely Vince McMahon, believe that elevating such a member of the roster would be beneficial. Many fans remain skeptical, but we'll see what ends up happening.
11 In WWE: Chris Jericho Won't Be Making Full-Time Returns
Before Rusev was inserted back into his casket match against The Undertaker at The Greatest Royal Rumble, Chris Jericho was set to take the Bulgarian Brute's place. It's not sure whether WWE will find something else for Jericho to do at this point, but WWE fans shouldn't expect Jericho to come back on a consistent basis.
Any match he may have in the immediate future would more than likely be a one-time appearance.
Should a full-time Jericho return be ruled out for good now? Maybe, maybe not. It would depends on numerous factors, and at this point in his career, it's fair to wonder if the interest would be there again from his perspective. Ultimately, Jericho's long-term future remains up in the air, but for now, he seems to be on the freelancing track, moving from promotion to promotion.
10 Outside WWE: The Young Bucks Against The Usos?
Matt and Nick Jackson are a world-renowned tag team, but they've never set foot in a WWE ring before. That could potentially change soon, with the tandem expressing that they'd eventually like to work in some capacity for the company. Specifically, they referenced The Usos as a possible opponent, in a match that would surely bring the house down if it were to ever come to fruition.
Indeed, each team has built up a massive following over the past several years, and it would be a highly anticipated bout. It's just a matter of logistics at this point, and finding a promotion that would be willing to house the match. This would be easier if The Young Bucks were willing to transfer over to WWE full-time, but given their resume, that seems unlikely to happen. A one-off match might be the only possibility.
9 In WWE: Adding A Female Announcer To The Broadcast
Coinciding with the rise of the Women's Division, this would be a first for WWE. There has never been a regular female play-by-play broadcaster for the company in all of the years of wrestling television. Such a change would give a new flavor to Raw and SmackDown, and ultimately appeal to a larger cross-section of people. Are any of the current broadcasters so imperative to the show that they couldn't be replaced at any cost? Hardly. The days of Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon being staple announcers of the highest caliber are long gone.
It almost seems inevitable that this will eventually be the case. It would fall in line with everything WWE has been doing for the last several years.
With the aforementioned potential for a Rousey/Charlotte main event at the next WrestleMania, it would seem that putting a female presence on the broadcast is something that will be coming down the pike. It's just a matter of when.
8 In WWE: Newest WWE TV Deal Could Be On Fox
It's been reported that Fox could be the newest destination for WWE programming. With UFC reportedly inking a deal with ESPN and ABC, that could send the biggest wrestling promotion in the world to one of the prime competitors. WWE could be joining the same ranks occupied by the NFL, which would give them a leg up in status, compared to the current situation with the programming coming via USA Network.
Obviously, there's still a lot to be determined here, although this would make a ton of sense for WWE. It's a step up in quality from their current standing at USA, and there's more talent to showcase than at any point in the past decade. If WWE wanted to sign with a top-tier network, now would be the time, and doing so with Fox would make for a major headline, to say the least.
7 Outside WWE: Kenny Omega To WWE In 2019
Omega may just be the single most popular wrestler in the world outside of WWE, and it's been that way for several years now. Currently tearing up NJPW, Omega has been everywhere and done everything there is to do...except set foot in a WWE ring. While his aversion to joining the company has come to light in the past, that doesn't mean that signing is impossible. Many wrestlers, such as Samoa Joe, A.J. Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, to name just a few, have staved off signing with WWE only to make the move there late in their careers.
Is Omega the next in line for such a decision? It really is possible. If he gets a run with the IWGP Title this year, we could be seeing this sooner than we think.
The general thought is that if Omega does indeed leave NJPW, then WWE would be the only promotion suitable for the amount of stardom he has. He may not be interested at the moment, but give it time, and this scenario becomes increasingly likely.
It's safe to say that this is something that every wrestling fan would like to see happen.
6 In WWE: Lesnar/McMahon Backstage Altercation A Work
After the conclusion of this year's WrestleMania, it was reported that Brock Lesnar and both Vince and Shane McMahon were involved in a backstage altercation over the proceedings of the main event match with Roman Reigns. For a brief time, the wrestling world was buzzing about it, and the implications such a conflict may have had.
Apparently, as it being reported now, it was all a work.
If this is the case, it was a savvy move by McMahon. To get the fanbase up in arms about a conflict centered around one of the most polarizing stars WWE has ever seen, was a good use of foresight. The main event ended up getting mixed reviews, but to pull a stunt like this one afterwards was incredibly bold of Vince, and something that we didn't think he had in him anymore.
5 In WWE: Possible Lesnar/Bobby Lashley Feud
Even though Lesnar is expected to return to UFC before the end of the year, will he have time for one more big pay-per-view match in WWE? SummerSlam would be the obvious target date, and with the returning Lashley, some have speculated that a feud between the two could be coming down the pike. It would certainly be a spectacle if nothing else.
On the other hand, he may be departing right after The Greatest Royal Rumble. Lesnar doesn't have a ton of time left in WWE either way, but if this rumor comes to fruition, we may be getting one more big match out of him. It could really go either way, and even though everyone wants Lesnar gone by this point, having him put over Lashley may not be the worst thing in the world.
4 Outside WWE: Mark Cuban All-In On NJPW
New Japan has been able to grow by leaps and bounds over the past several years, at least its presence in the United States. One major reason for that has been it's time slot on AXS TV, the television station owned by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. It's clear that Cuban sees the hallmark Japanese promotion as something with legs, and a force that can compete on some level with WWE.
He's invested into the promotion on a major level, and reportedly, it's become one of his top priorities in the realm of AXS. Cuban has foot the bill for multiple NJPW special events, and cards held within the United States. He's clearly trying to increase the presence of the promotion stateside, and so far, it's been an overall success. We'll see if he's able to put a crack in the WWE armor anytime soon.
3 In WWE: Roman Reigns Was Initially Supposed To Win The Title
In what has been described as an "audible" prior to the start of WrestleMania, the executive decision was made by Vince to forego Reigns winning the Universal Title. It was a move that everyone thought was coming, but ultimately, it was Lesnar who retained the strap yet again.
McMahon allegedly cited fan reaction to the reason for the decision, concluding that Reigns wasn't over enough yet to win the gold.
In what was a cluttered and perplexing close to the biggest show of the year, most would agree that although Reigns wasn't their first choice of a champion, that Lesnar's time with the belt had run its course. Now, a title change is likely coming at The Greatest Royal Rumble.
2 In WWE: Rousey/Charlotte For Next Year's WrestleMania
As mentioned, Ronda Rousey's in-ring debut for WWE was an undisputed success during WrestleMania. Some went as far as to say it was the match of the night. It was exactly the kind of spectacle that WWE excels at, pulling out all the stops, with just a slight bit of absurdity thrown in, with past star-power in Kurt Angle and Triple H along for the ride. There's no doubt that Rousey is going to be utilized heavily going forward.
Early indications are that WWE is gearing up for a Rousey/Charlotte Flair match for next year's WrestleMania, which would probably tear the house down.
They're two name-brand stars at this point, and it would be the culmination of what the women's division has been working toward for several years now. No doubt, if it happens, it's going to be a showstopper. It remains to be seen if it will actually close the show as the main event, but the smart money at the moment says that this match is probably going to happen.
1 Outside WWE: Impact Wrestling Could Be Sold To New Owner
It's been a tumultuous last several years for Impact Wrestling, even by their standards. The company has seen founder and general head honcho Jeff Jarrett depart the promotion, and new ownership group Anthem has taken over. Has it made a difference? Not so much. The promotion is still clearly playing second-fiddle even to other non-WWE companies, and isn't generating a ton of revenue.
A name linked to a potential purchase of Impact has been Dorian Roldan, current owner of Mexican promotion AAA. Whether or not it actually comes to fruition, it's clear that Impact is far from being a true top promotion at the current moment. New ownership hasn't worked to improve their standing in the past, but at this point it doesn't hurt to try anything.