We're only in the first month of 2019, and as we enter the Road to WrestleMania, a lot of rumors have been swirling. Despite WWE's best efforts to turn things around after months of declining ratings, buyrates, and other metrics, the company is still dealing with its share of challenges, and one particular thorn in WWE's side is All Elite Wrestling, the new promotion spearheaded by Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, and Jacksonville Jaguars co-owner Tony Khan. It's no secret that many WWE Superstars want to follow Rhodes' example and become even bigger names in the independent scene, and with that in mind, the relatively new year has already seen several rumors regarding WWE wrestlers asking for their release from the company.

Meanwhile, there have also been rumors surrounding WWE's creative plans in the lead-up to WrestleMania 35, and while some of them may not involve people who are major players at this point, others have focused on main event-caliber wrestlers. How long does WWE plan to have Brock Lesnar hang on to the Universal Championship, and who do they have in mind to beat him? What inspired some of those head-scratching moments we've seen on WWE television, and what does the company have planned for some of its newer talents?

Fortunately, we may have an idea of how to answer the above questions and others, and we owe it largely to the many reliable and well-connected dirt sheet writers in the industry, and in some cases, the wrestlers themselves. Join us as we look at 20 WWE leaks and rumors that have made the rounds since the new year started.

20 Inspiration For That Alexa Bliss Segment

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You know what segment we're referring to here, and if you've regularly been watching Raw this past month, we don't need to jog your memory on it. No, it wasn't nearly as edgy as the stuff we used to see during the Attitude Era, but it did get a lot of people talking, with many wondering who could have green-lit such a segment.

According to Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin, the segment was Alexa Bliss's own idea, and her way of paying tribute to WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus because it was "something [she] did back in the day." Fair enough, but she would eventually take to social media to deny the rumors that she cooked up the segment herself, then delete that very same post.

19 The Real Reason Behind AOP's Absence

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So far, AOP's run on the main roster has definitely not gone as well as expected. Manager Paul Ellering was inexplicably taken off TV, their Raw Tag Team Championship reign was short and unsatisfying, and to top it all off, new manager Drake Maverick's shenanigans completely took away everything that made the duo so awesome. However, those worried that Vince McMahon has given up on them can rest easy for the meantime.

On a recent Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that AOP has been on the shelf due to a leg injury sustained by Akam. The bad news is that injury could leave Akam (and, in effect, AOP) sidelined for the next few months, but the good news is that WWE can go to the drawing board and, hopefully, undo the damage done by Maverick's unfortunate gimmick tweak.

18 WWE Made Great Offers To The Elite (Which They Refused)

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Obviously, we won’t be seeing The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, or Adam Page in the WWE anytime soon, because they’re locked in with AEW and determined to make the new promotion a big player in the wrestling business. But as Dave Meltzer recently wrote, WWE made some pretty enticing offers that went far beyond what they usually dangle in front of top free agents.

For example, The Young Bucks were offered a three-year big-money deal, with Being the Elite getting added to the WWE Network and the option to leave after six months if they were unhappy with the company. Page, on the other hand, was offered main roster pay and a main event push on NXT. These offers were rejected, but that’s not all the gossip we have regarding WWE’s plans to sign the members of The Elite.

17 Kenny Omega Also Refused WWE’s Enticing Contract Offer

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On account of their free agency, most of The Elite were immediately free to take their talents to their own AEW promotion, save for Marty Scurll, who’s still contracted to ROH, and Kenny Omega, whose New Japan deal expired on January 31st. Likewise, WWE was said to have offered Omega a very lucrative deal, but the word behind the scenes is that he also turned it down.

At the time of writing, there’s still an outside chance we’ll see Omega return to the WWE over a decade after he flamed out of developmental. But it’s always been clear that he’s leading a new school of thought, wherein it’s possible for one to become a household name in wrestling without having to join the WWE. In short, the odds still greatly favor AEW over WWE for Omega.

16 The Revival/Mike And Maria Want Out?

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Shortly after the January 14th Raw, several publications reported that WWE was concerned that The Revival might soon jump ship, and soon followed with claims that the former NXT tag champs did indeed ask for their release, on account of WWE’s poor tag team division booking. Around that same time, rumors also suggested that Mike and Maria Kanellis made a similar request — not surprising, because the move to 205 Live hasn’t helped much.

While the issue with The Revival appears to have been de-escalated, we’re not quite sure how much longer the Kanellises have in the WWE. It’s obvious WWE is not interested in pushing the former ROH and Impact power couple, so don’t be surprised if they’re gone at some point around WrestleMania, i.e. one year from the time they signed with the company.

15 So Long, Show-Off?

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If you thought it was bad enough that a frequent tag team also-ran (The Revival) and a lower-card married couple (Mike and Maria Kanellis) were asking to be let go, think again. That same week, PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that 15-year WWE veteran Dolph Ziggler’s days with the company might be numbered, with some sources claiming he might be done shortly after the Royal Rumble.

Currently, Ziggler now goes by his real name (Nic Nemeth) on Twitter, and appears to be focusing more on his comedy endeavors; in fact, prior to his Rumble appearance, he was last seen on WWE TV losing to Drew McIntyre on the December 31 Raw. But we don’t think the Show-Off is done as a wrestler per se, given how he was supposedly upset by WWE offering him a trainer role.

14 WWE Pushing Unhappy Talents?

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Truly, All Elite Wrestling is showing a lot of potential as a disruptor of sorts in the wrestling business. The company isn't all about younger indie standouts like the men behind it, as they were able to convince no less than Chris Jericho to spurn WWE and sign a three-year deal with them. With that, as well as the large number of wrestlers rumored to be wanting out of WWE, it's no surprise that they're trying to make sure nobody defects.

Per Dave Meltzer, WWE wants to prevent unhappy and/or underused wrestlers from signing with AEW once their contracts come up by giving them better pushes or greater TV exposure. For one, this could explain the sudden return of Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins on Monday Night Raw.

13 Styles, Good Brothers, And Nakamura's Contracts

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Three years ago, WWE signed New Japan Pro Wrestling stars AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and Shinsuke Nakamura to contracts, and they were, by all indications, big-time pickups for the company. Fast forward to 2019 and only Styles has lived up to, or exceeded expectations – Gallows and Anderson are mostly gathering dust in SmackDown Live's tag team division, while Nakamura has now gotten a second reign as U.S. Champion, following an unsatisfying reign in late 2018.

According to Fightful, all these former NJPW standouts have their contracts coming up in 2019, with Styles's deal set to expire in April. One has to wonder if All Elite will come knocking on their doors, given how Styles and the Good Brothers are Bullet Club alumni, but they're not the only names who may be up for free agency this year – Paige, Mauro Ranallo, and for what it's worth, Jim Ross, were also listed as having expiring contracts in 2019.

12 Andrade's Warning To Recent ROH Signee

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In January, Ring of Honor made quite a splash by signing lucha libre standout Rush to a one-year contract, on top of his current deal with CMLL. But it wasn't the signing itself that created the biggest ripple among wrestling fans, as Dave Meltzer shared an interesting rumor regarding a piece of advice Andrade (fka "Cien" Almas) gave to Rush some time ago.

That piece of advice was a warning, where Andrade supposedly told Rush that WWE "isn't what it's cracked up to be." Now we're not sure when/if this conversation took place – for all we know, it might have been during that time when Andrade was mired in NXT's mid-card. But it doesn't change how the former La Sombra has yet to be booked according to expectations in his main roster run so far.

11 New Stable Possibly Coming To SmackDown Live

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Speaking of Andrade, WWE might have another card up its sleeve as far as keeping him happy is concerned. Per PWInsider (h/t WrestlingNews.co), there have been talks to have Andrade's ongoing feud with Rey Mysterio end with the former making his first face turn on the main roster, followed by both men joining forces with Sin Cara once he returns from injury.

All told, this would lead to the creation of a new three-man stable on SmackDown Live, though we're curious about a couple things. One, where does that leave Zelina Vega – does she join the faction, or does she remain a heel in the blue brand's women's division? Two, why form a second babyface faction when SmackDown Live already has The New Day?

10 Velveteen Dream: Another Disgruntled Talent?

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On January 21, NXT's Velveteen Dream took to Twitter, seemingly complaining about WWE not valuing him like they should and announcing that he will no longer be appearing for the company until both sides "come to an agreement." Soon after, he switched his social media settings to private, making it further appear that he's part of a growing list of WWE Superstars who want to leave the company.

However, it could simply be a topical case of kayfabe at hand, as Dream will have a part in Halftime Heat, with some believing a strong showing could lead to a main roster call-up. This might not lead to an actual call-up, but in any case, there's a very good chance he'll be making it to the main roster at some point before, around, or shortly after WrestleMania.

9 The Lars Sullivan Situation

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Over the past few weeks, we've seen all of the recently announced main roster call-ups show up on both brands, mostly taking part in backstage segments to showcase their gimmicks and in-ring personas to those who may not be too familiar with their work on NXT. All of them, that is, except for one Lars Sullivan.

Though initial reports suggested Sullivan missed his main roster debut segment on Raw due to an anxiety attack, Figure Four Weekly's Bryan Alvarez explained that it might have been a less severe panic attack – a similar, though ultimately different issue altogether. Rumor still has it that Lars will be facing John Cena in a potential star-making match at WrestleMania 35, so here's hoping all is well for the near-300-pounder.

8 The Return Of The Woken One

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Late last year, several publications broke the news that Matt Hardy had decided to hang up his boots after over 25 years as an in-ring competitor due to nagging injuries. Around that time, it was reported that Hardy had shifted to backstage work as a producer, thus keeping him busy despite the apparent end of his career. However, not everyone believed that we had really seen the last of "Woken" Matt.

In mid-January, the man himself confirmed it in a reply to a fan, as he said that he's "physically been green-lit" to return to the ring and that he's in the best shape he's been in 20 years. Now we're not sure WWE will give Hardy's Woken Universe another go, but we're definitely glad WWE won't have to delete him (pun intended) from their active roster after all.

7 Did WWE Accidentally Announce 2019 HOF Headliner In Network Ad?

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Last year, we knew well ahead of time that Goldberg would be headlining WWE's Hall of Fame Class of 2018, and that too was the case the year prior with Kurt Angle. We're not sure yet who'll be headlining this year, but many believe WWE might have leaked it out by accident in a recent WWE Network email.

That email, which announced to subscribers that several old episodes of Superstars were coming to the Network, invited viewers to "witness WWE Hall of Famers The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, and more." Given how The Undertaker, quite obviously, is not yet a Hall of Famer, WWE would replace "Hall of Famers" with "legends" in a second email, but that hasn't stopped people from speculating that the man behind The Streak would finally be inducted this year.

6 No 'Mania Match For The Deadman?

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Even if it does indeed turn out that The Undertaker will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania weekend this year, it would still seem odd if he didn't have a match at WrestleMania itself. But leave it to the oft-cited Dave Meltzer to report that The Deadman doesn't appear to be booked to compete at WrestleMania 35. Yet.

That's right - the operative word here is "yet," because with more than two months to go before 'Mania as of this writing, it's still very possible that WWE finds something for 'Taker to do at the Show of Shows. After all, it would be anticlimactic if The Undertaker's farewell match doesn't take place at WrestleMania, even if we do wish that, keeping his advanced age in mind, that match comes sooner rather than later.

5 Batista Still In Talks To Return At WrestleMania 35

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Late last year, rumors were swirling regarding a potential Batista vs. Triple H match at WrestleMania 35, but when The Game went down with a serious injury during DX's match against The Brothers of Destruction at Crown Jewel, that essentially doused cold water on a lot of those reports. However, those hoping to see The Animal at 'Mania shouldn't despair just yet.

According to a tweet from Slice Wrestling (h/t Cageside Seats), WWE is still interested in booking Batista in a "major" match at WrestleMania. While it isn't clear whom WWE has in mind in case Triple H is still unable to compete at 'Mania (which is likely the case), we're guessing any one of these old rivals – Randy Orton, The Undertaker, or John Cena – could be involved.

4 Chris Jericho's Road To AEW

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To cut the long story short, All Elite Wrestling made Chris Jericho an offer he couldn't refuse – three years, big money, fewer dates, and freedom to continue working in New Japan if he chooses to. But as he admitted in a "tell-all" episode of Talk is Jericho, it wasn't like WWE didn't try to bring him back. Then again, he did mention that he didn't want to return to WWE as that "list guy," but was also concerned that WWE fans probably wouldn't appreciate his more serious NJPW heel gimmick.

In addition to WWE, Impact Wrestling also made Y2J an offer which he seriously considered, given how the company has turned things around since the Dixie Carter regime, to say little of Jericho's friendship with Don Callis. In the end, though, it was AEW that won out, presenting Jericho with the "biggest offer" he's ever gotten in his long, illustrious career.

3 Ronda Rousey: Staying Or Going?

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One of the biggest rumors leading into the Royal Rumble came from Dave Meltzer, who suggested that Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey could be leaving WWE after WrestleMania. This was followed up by speculation from Pro Wrestling Sheet, which suggested that the UFC legend-turned WWE Superstar's possible reason for leaving would be her well-documented plans to eventually start a family.

However, there's a good chance the rumors of Rousey's imminent departure may have been greatly exaggerated. As recapped by CBS Sports, WWE issued a statement confirming Ronda is under contract until April 2021. Rousey, meanwhile, has chosen not to directly comment on the rumors, instead stressing that she plans to "figure it out as [she goes] along."

2 The Story Behind Balor's Universal Title Shot

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It's no secret that WWE had very high hopes for Finn Balor ahead of his main roster call-up. He was one of the top picks for Raw in the 2016 brand draft, and was the inaugural Universal Champion just weeks later. But after a shoulder injury forced him to relinquish his title after just one day, it seemed as if WWE – or Vince McMahon, in specific – lost faith in him.

That apparently changed when he became the No. 1 contender to Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship in one of the first Raw episodes of 2019, effectively replacing Braun Strowman after he was disciplined onscreen by Mr. McMahon. And as Dave Meltzer explained on the Wrestling Observer (h/t ComicBook.com), this was no last-minute move due to Strowman's injuries – WWE had it planned for a while because they didn't want Braun to look weak with another loss to Lesnar. Which brings us to...

1 Will The Architect Dethrone The Beast At ‘Mania?

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With Finn Balor becoming Royal Rumble fodder for Brock Lesnar, who gets to tame the Beast? Well, for months it was reported that following Roman Reigns's leave of absence, the company had pencilled in Seth Rollins to take on The Beast at WrestleMania. Rollins's Royal Rumble victory has now paved the way for it, so now the only question is whether Rollins will walk out of Metlife Stadium with the Universal Title, bringing it back to television on a weekly basis.

There are no two ways about this — Rollins absolutely must be booked to win at ‘Mania, because the Universal Championship has been held hostage for way too long. It’s high time for Raw’s top title to be held by a fighting champion and not a part-timer who comes and goes as he pleases.