3 days Ago By Chris Roling
November has already been a downright wild month for pro wrestling and its ever-active rumor mill. And it's only just getting started. WWE's Crown Jewel started the month with a bang alongside a wave of rumors that tied into things as far into the future as next year's WrestleMania.
Now, the sport turns eyes to Survivor Series: WarGames near the end of the month and AEW's Full Gear pay-per-view as the two major landmarks left on the year's calendar. Fittingly, the rumor mill has matched that energy by featuring rumblings involving WWE's major Netflix plans, all things Roman Reigns, The Rock and Bloodline and so much more. To help fans keep pace, here's a look at the most noteworthy buzz and whether fans should buy or sell on each.
The Rumor How WWE loads up the first episode of Raw on Netflix remains a big question. According to Fightful Select (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), the streaming powerhouse hopes to see names like Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes on the debut, to name a few. Reaction WWE is obviously going to pull off all the stops for the first big episode.
It's a one-off chance to draw in new viewers and it could help encourage fans to check out WWE's other shows if they like some of the guys who make a one-off appearance for the big event. What's interesting is how WWE might make it happen and whether fans see another draft, or perhaps do away with the brand split completely. Buy or Sell? Easy buy—of course Netflix wants the biggest possible names on the show.
Even if it's just a promo or even a video package from one of the mentioned names, it means they can advertise them and get fans and perhaps even non-fans hyped. It wouldn't be a shock to see names like The Rock and John Cena, either. The Rumor Another loss and promo has fans wondering if Malakai Black is set to leave AEW.
According to Matt Boone of Rajah.com, though, Black has shot down any idea of retirement, departure or even injury. Reaction Black's loss to Adam Cole on the November 6 episode of Dynamite sure felt like a classic pro-wrestling sendoff match.
He appeared to suffer an injury, then sat in the middle of the ring, basically asked for Cole's finisher, lost, embraced Cole, then nodded to the crowd when shouted-out on the mic. After the fact, Black and/or AEW denying all of this isn't all too shocking. Buy or Sell? Big sell.
Black has been a staple of the rumor mill for literal years because it seems like there's always one foot out the door. He's battled apparent near-career-ending injuries and rumors that he wants out of AEW . If there's a future surprise or news that needs to remain hidden for now, of course this is being denied.
The Rumor It only felt like a matter of time before fans heard about another Bloodline expansion. This time, it's a report from Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp (h/t Matt Black of WrestleZone) that Lance Anoa'i has signed with WWE. Reaction WWE gobbling up wrestling talent isn't all that shocking.
Lance was a star alongside the likes of Jacob Fatu in MLW and left that company in late 2023. Back in July, there were also reports that Hikuleo signed with WWE , too, so it just feels like a matter of time before more names make their way into the Bloodline saga. Buy or Sell? Buy.
The report stresses that Anoa'i is currently sidelined with an injury, though. But as The Rock works his way back into the story the closer WrestleMania looms, it wouldn't exactly be a surprise to see more names like these added to the tale. The Rumor While online reaction might not be totally positive, it's safe to say Cody Rhodes' run as top dog is going well for WWE.
Right on cue, WrestleVotes (h/t Ortman ) reported WWE is "extremely happy" with his John Cena-like presence. Reaction This one was easy to see coming from a mile away. When Rhodes' AEW run fizzled out, one of the pervasive thoughts online was that he wanted to go back to WWE and be a Cena-like character.
Hence no long-requested heel turn. Maybe that's not a totally valid take on how things unfolded, but here we are with a super-babyface with a ton of mismashed colors and ideas and overall presence that feels modern Cenaesque in vibe. Buy or Sell? Buy every bit of it.
Of course WWE is thrilled with Rhodes' run. He's a mega-merch mover and attention-getter at a time the other top dog, Roman Reigns, was coming off an extended run as top heel. That doesn't mean things will stay this way for Rhodes' character, but it wouldn't be a shock if he follows in Cena's footsteps and never steers off this path, either.
The Rumor Becky Lynch has been one of the hottest names on the rumor mill since before she went on hiatus. The latest comes from WrestleVotes (h/t Ortman ), who reports that her return will happen "sooner rather than later." Reaction A Lynch return feels inevitable.
And this is the lull in the calendar during the "offseason" part of the year that just feels right. Things are starting to stagnate just a tad in the women's division and names like Bianca Belair need things to do. It also just feels like she's been gone the right amount of time, if that makes sense.
Buy or Sell? Buy it up. No matter what the internet might want to speculate, there's zero chance Lynch leaves WWE. And the company, while prone to mistakes like anyone, would never let that happen.
Sooner rather than later, indeed..
