2 weeks Ago By Chris Roling
With the calendar set to turn to November, in stark contrast to temperatures outside, the pro wrestling rumor mill is dramatically heating up. Go figure, right? WWE has two major events in November (Crown Jewel and Survivor Series: WarGames) and AEW has one of its own (Full Gear). Beyond items that deal with the builds to those events, typical rumor mill staples persist.
There are major free-agency rumors with the likes of Brock Lesnar and that whole matter of WWE programming undergoing major changes as Raw heads to Netflix. Before fans really process it all, they'll be looking right at the key stretch of build before next February's Royal Rumble. To help fans keep pace, here's a look at the most notable rumors making the rounds and whether they should buy or sell on each.
The Rumor The latest on Brock Lesnar remains messy at best. According to PW Insider Elite (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Lesnar is "off the board" with WWE right now and on-air mentions aren't hints of his return. What it Means Hard to say.
As Ortman chronicled last week, reports are all over the place when it comes to Lesnar. He's been gone amid the Janel Grant lawsuit and there doesn't appear to be any great need for him on the card, given the current feuds. Buy or Sell? Buy.
Current WWE doesn't need Lesnar and is already going the part-timer route with Goldberg, it seems. Plus, John Cena is getting involved next year. It feels like Lesnar rumors will pop up annually at this time of year, though.
The Rumor Ahead of the big change when Raw heads to Netflix next January, PW Insider (h/t Ortman ) reported that the show's runtime will be flexible, but go back to a three-hour format on the streaming platform. What it Means After roughly a decade at the three-hour runtime, Raw went back to two hours this month on USA Network. Some fans would say that was a great thing, too, given how oversaturated the company's weekly programming can be.
But it sounds like WWE will gain some flexibility on the runtime once the show moves to a full-blown streaming situation. Buy or Sell? Sell. WWE must see the value in a shorter runtime for fans.
Even if fans can go back and "stream" Raw whenever they want, they still only have so many hours a week to dedicate to actually watching the shows. Sure, a show might go longer than two hours on occasion, especially right before a PLE or special occasion, but surely things will stick closer to that two-hour mark otherwise. The Rumor Here comes more Goldberg rumors ahead of November's big events.
According to WrestleVotes (h/t Ortman ), WWE has plans for the veteran part-timer, but not necessarily with current top Raw champion Gunther. What it Means WWE has worked hard to thread some hints about upcoming content involving Goldberg as of late, particularly around Gunther. It could mean that fans are on the way to seeing one last match for the veteran before he officially "retires," as much as any pro wrestler actually retires.
Buy or Sell? Buy on Goldberg interfering at Crown Jewel during Gunther's match with Cody Rhodes. WWE doesn't want either of its top champions to take a clean loss in an overseas match that might effectively be filler otherwise. That could pave the way for the "retirement" as Gunther gets the win at a later date by putting an end to a legendary career.
The Rumor The idea of an intergender match is on the table for WWE. According to WrestleVotes (h/t Ortman ), the idea to book Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio in a match has come up recently within the company. What it Means Fans could be headed for something really special here.
All the drama around The Judgment Day has lead to this, where the best long-running story not named the Bloodline has produced the potential for the perfect intergender match. If it happens, those types of matches wouldn't likely become the norm, but it isn't often an opportunity like this presents itself. Buy or Sell? Easiest buy of the week.
There aren't many scenarios that can ever produce an organic intergender match like this. The Ripley-Mysterio-Liv Morgan thing is one of them. And fans just know it wouldn't be as straightforward or basic as a normal match.
This feels like a matter of when , not if , with the answer being soon . The Rumor WWE is pulling out all the stops for a major event on December 14, with the NBC network special getting matches that feature Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens and Gunther vs.
Damian Priest, according to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer (h/t Jeff Whalen of Rajah.com). What it Means WWE is going to put its best foot forward as much as possible and give an NBC audience some must-see matches.
Progressing one major story (Rhodes and Owens) and giving a major rematch (Gunther and Priest) around both major title scenes is a no-brainer, even if there's zero chance of a title change in either matchup. Buy or Sell? Big buy. WWE loves pulling out the big stuff like this for special events.
Maybe it's just a glorified, televised house show, but it will still be some nice must-see material in an otherwise quiet part of the calendar..
