As good ol’ Jim Ross would say, “business is starting to pick up.” With the Crown Jewel event looming, WWE is pulling out all the stops. The recent weeks has seen returns we never thought we’d witness. Shawn Michaels in particular recently announced his in-ring return. We also saw acts like Kurt Angle, Trish Stratus, Lita and Big Show return to WWE programming. Hey, did someone turn the clock back 15 years?
Some fans love the returns due to the nostalgia feel while others are infuriated as the WWE continues to push the old guard instead of the younger talent. With so much discussion backstage, the current rumors are both of the good and not so good variety. In this article, we discuss current backstage leaks such as more returns, new titles set for the fall and possible storylines for Survivor Series. On the flip side, we’ll discuss rumors some might hope are not true. This ranges from lackluster match bookings in the fall along with more returns that might not be as popular as Shawn’s recent return to WWE. It truly is a wacky time in the company. Crown Jewel and Survivor Series are looking to be interesting, and that’s an understatement!
Enjoy the article folks and like always be sure to share it with a friend. Without further ado, here are 10 WWE backstage leaks from the fall we hope aren’t true and 10 we hope are. Let’s get started!
20 Untrue - Shawn Michaels Not Facing Current Talents
Who would have thought? HBK staying retired seemed highly likely just years ago. He would turn down match after match trying to stay true to his retirement defeat to The Undertaker. However, at the age of 53 he has now decided to climb back into the ring. A lot of that has to do with WWE’s pressure, surely. According to the recent rumors, not only is he returning at Crown Jewel but he’s expected to take part in another match as well.
2019 might see other bouts from HBK, however, taking on a current talent seems unlikely according to the recent speculation. This would be a major let down as fans are salivating thinking about Michaels taking on the likes of AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan.
19 True – Halloween Havoc Returns
For years and years fans have requested the return of Halloween Havoc. There was just something so special about this PPV back in the WCW days. The theme was just so different and the set design was truly something to behold.
Instead, for years WWE has opted for other October themes. That might be changing as the company recently filed a trademark for the name. According to the recent speculation WWE is planning to use the name once it makes the move to FOX. We really hope this is true, that would definitely gather some eyeballs!
18 Untrue - nWo Reunion
It remains unclear however a Hulk Hogan return seems to be looming. Crown Jewel is the event likely to feature the return of the Hulkster. An nWo return is also in talks according to the recent speculation. Now there’s nothing wrong with the nWo returning, just that the timing isn’t the greatest. At the moment, there are way too many returns and one too many factions.
Adding the nWo to that would only hurt that special factor related to such a return. It is best that the WWE saves this stable comeback for a later date. The landscape just seems way too crowded at that moment with legends returning on a weekly basis as it currently seems.
17 True - NXT Call-Ups Following Survivor Series
We haven’t seen significant NXT call ups at once in quite some time. Drew McIntyre was the latest valued addition. Aside from him, there really hasn’t been all that many. This is set to change following Survivor Series.
We hope this is true for obvious reasons. NXT has a slew of wrestlers that are main roster ready. These performers can turn into stars real quickly. Some of the names we want to see up post-Survivor Series includes The Undisputed Era, Aleister Black, ECIII, Velveteen Dream, Nikki Cross, Kairi Sane, Johnny Gargano and Ricochet. Every one of those names has the potential to become something special.
16 Untrue - Big Show Set For More Matches
Did somebody turn back the clock to 2008? The recent main event on SmackDown featured the return of Big Show as he took on Randy Orton. Although he lost the match in a tournament set to find “the best in the world” (sigh), Big Show might be slated for more action in the near future.
With all due respect it is time for Big Show to give the spotlight to another big man. So many options exist, Lars Sullivan is an example of a big wrestler than can thrive in that type of spot. It might be best for Show to remain an ambassador for the company and not an in-ring competitor during the fall months.
15 True - Trish Booked For Three Matches
One of the many return saw the ageless wonder make a comeback to Raw this past week. Trish still looks phenomenal and there is no doubt she is still a huge draw amongst the WWE fan base.
The company needs a push to its female division on the Raw show. Aside from Rousey’s championship program the division lacks depth. Adding Trish for an extended amount of time can definitely help with that problem. We hope the recent news is legit and Trish stays on board for three matches, at the very least!
14 Untrue - Mysterio Not Staying On SmackDown
He’s finally back! Rey is set for the special 1,000th episode of SmackDown. This is a fitting return considering Rey was a part of the brand’s golden era. The return can give SmackDown a much needed boost with declining attendance in the recent weeks. However, recent speculation suggests that Rey shouldn’t get too comfortable with his former brand. In fact, he isn’t guaranteed to be staying.
We hope this untrue as Raw already has a slew of legends on the show for the fall months. SmackDown needs another draw and Mysterio can be the perfect candidate to step in and help the show grow.
13 True - Roman Versus Drew McIntyre
In the recent weeks Drew McIntyre seems to be picking up some serious steam. He pinned both Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins most recently. Clearly, the WWE has something major in the works for the former NXT Champion.
The possible outcome is McIntyre working a championship program against Roman Reigns. Drew definitely deserves the spot given his recent performances. This can be a match of the year candidate and a program that can only help to elevate the once mammoth WWE prospect. This is a possible storyline that might surface in the fall months; perhaps a match might take place at Survivor Series or the December PPV that follows.
12 Untrue - SmackDown Versus Raw Theme Not Happening For Survivor Series
Looking back at 2017, one of the top storylines had to be the Raw versus SmackDown theme for the Survivor Series event. It led to numerous returns and the invasion angles were truly must-see television. As the classic saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. WWE didn’t get this memo as the theme won’t continue this year.
Fans are salivating at potentially seeing marquee brand versus brand matchups, however, it just won’t happen this year. We hope this is untrue as matches like Rollins versus Nakamura and the New Day versus McIntyre and Ziggler could be must-watch television.
11 True - 4 Horsewomen Dream Tag Match
Speaking of Survivor Series, this particular encounter is one most fans hope is true. A battle of the WWE and UFC’s Four Horsewomen has been brewing for quite some time, even before Ronda’s in-ring debut. This match might take place sooner than expected. Both Duke and Shafir have been training with NXT for a couple of months now.
There are some alarm bells going off as the two NXT trainees are set to be backstage for Women’s Evolution. Both Rousey and Baszler are also part of the card. With all four members at the event perhaps we might see tempers flare between the two sides setting up the match for Survivor Series.
10 Untrue - Liv Morgan Versus Brie Bella
We go from a women’s match everyone wants to see to one very few would pay money to watch. Despite the botch that saw Brie Bella accidentally kick Liv Morgan in the head the Bella twin remains in the ring while Morgan is thankfully okay. A recent rumor suggests WWE takes this real-life plot to an actual storyline. The resolution would take place at the Evolution event.
This would be a bad idea. Brie needs to be in tag matches for the time being and nowhere near anything singles related. No need to waste time by building such a story. Move on and have Brie in the corner of her sister during Nikki’s program against Ronda Rousey.
9 True – Braun Strowman Turns Babyface
The decision to turn Braun Strowman heel was met with mixed reviews. He was one of the most over talents on the entire WWE roster prior to the heel switch. He’s done a decent job in the recent weeks however clearly, the big man is far superior as a babyface.
In the recent weeks WWE has started to tease some tension between himself and the faction alongside Ziggler and McIntyre. This has led to speculation that Strowman might be converting back to babyface in the upcoming weeks and turning on his stable members. This would be a wise decision and one that can setup a monumental program between himself and Drew McIntyre.
8 Untrue - Team Corbin Versus Team Angle
Kurt Angle returned to Raw this past week adding to the slew of legends that recently made a comeback to WWE programming. For those hoping to see Angle in an epic one-on-one match come Survivor Series, that likely won’t go down. Instead, the current speculation involves a team Angle versus team Corbin match with the winner getting control of Raw.
This isn’t a bad storyline but it isn’t the greatest one either. It is definitely underwhelming when compared to a team Raw versus team SmackDown type of matchup or better yet, WWE versus NXT. Instead, we should be getting a Corbin led team...
7 True - NXT Expansion
WWE is planning on making NXT more profitable in the upcoming years. The sad reality is WWE sinks a lot of money into their future, the company wants to change this by making the developmental brand a little more profitable.
The outcome should be a positive one with more Performance Centers around the world. It can also mean a more aggressive approach to NXT programming – possibly more shows and more of a spotlight. It can also mean more talent to get a lot more eye balls on the product. This can also lead to a deal with FOX once WWE stars on the network.
For fans of NXT this can be a huge step in the right direction. For lots of WWE fans, NXT is the superior product and one that deserves the push.
6 Untrue - Inter-Gender Matches Not Becoming A Norm
Inter-gender matches were used a lot back in the day. Not only did help to further storylines but it also created a bond between male and female talents. WWE has been using this element in the recent weeks. Seeing Bayley and Finn Balor together is a breath of fresh air - at the very least, the two have somewhat of a program.
However, fans shouldn’t get used to do this. This element of booking is only being sprinkled temporarily for the mixed match challenge. This is really unfortunate as the company has no plans to keep this moving forward. That’s a big mistake, teams like Rousey and Reigns could have made quite the impact in main event scenarios.
5 True - Vince McMahon High On Becky Lynch
We hope this is true especially due to the fact that a rumor earlier in the year indicated otherwise. It was previously stated that McMahon didn’t like Lynch’s act and that was rather apparent in her lackluster booking.
This seems to be changing as Lynch is now one of the most over acts in the entire company. With that said, McMahon is also a fan of the act. This should mean more Becky Lynch moving forward and not another place holder for yet another Charlotte Flair title run. Lynch deserves the spot and we hope Vince really does feel the same way.
4 Untrue – Kevin Owens Taking Time Off
Brock Lesnar, Goldberg and Roman Reigns aside, Kevin Owens was the last Universal Champion behind these three. You can argue Owens was by far the most entertaining act compared to the champions that followed. He continues on as a pivotal part of the roster putting on entertaining skits alongside Elias while his work rate continues to be more than stellar.
Unfortunately, he might be taking a lengthy break from the WWE. The current speculation suggests Owens is due for surgery – a surgery he has continuously pushed back. The tough part about this, he’ll be gone between four to eight months! That’s quite the blow.
3 True - Stephanie Announcing Women’s Tag Titles At Evolution
As expected, Stephanie McMahon is assumed to be playing a pivotal role in the upcoming Women’s Evolution event. How she’ll impact the show is still unclear, however a current rumor is pretty intriguing. Speculation suggests Stephanie will be the one to officially introduce the Women’s Tag Titles on the show.
It is unknown if the belts will actually be up for grabs or if she’ll set up a tournament heading into Survivor Series. Nonetheless, no matter what the outcome, this would be a monumental move and an announcement fitting for the event.
2 Untrue - John Cena Contract Issues
We were tempted to put John Cena’s hair cut in the untrue side of things... Give the guy a break; he grew it out for a movie role! It was great to see Cena back in a WWE ring at the recent Australia event. A WWE with John Cena is always a better place.
However, recent claims indicate that Cena might be having some trouble with the company behind the scenes. A contractual issue seems to be the problem. John is a busy man nowadays with several projects outside of the company. We hope these problems aren’t permanent. No John Cena at all in the fall can be a big blow especially in terms of ratings figures.
1 True – Shawn Michaels Versus The Undertaker At Survivor Series
They might be older and balder... However, these two legends of the ring still have immense drawing power. This entire angle between the legends might lead to a match everyone (well almost) wants to see, one more time HBK versus The Undertaker. This time, the match would take place at Survivor Series. The event Undertaker made his debut at and a PPV HBK is all too familiar with.
It can be a great write off for The Undertaker. Most importantly, it can be a story to bring back fans from the past during the fall season. We hope this is really the plan as Raw can get a lot more compelling!