Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Newest on The Rock, Drew McIntyre, and Extra

It’s that point of the yr once more when The Rock’s plans for WrestleMania grow to be the main focus of the wrestling rumor mill, with experiences rising from totally different sources about his standing for the largest present of the yr.

This yr is not any totally different, with a number of prime insiders weighing in with the most recent concerning The Closing Boss’ plans for The Showcase of the Immortals in Las Vegas on April 19-20.

What do they seem like, how topic to vary are they, and the way would possibly it have an effect on WWE’s plans shifting ahead?

Discover out with this assortment of experiences that additionally consists of the most recent on Drew McIntyre’s return, Gunther’s contractual standing, and Kenny Omega’s in-ring comeback.

Will he or will not he?

It is a widespread query requested of The Rock and his position on any given WrestleMania card during the last decade and, in line with the most recent experiences, that would be the case for the forty first incarnation of The Showcase of the Immortals.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Choose reported The Closing Boss’ look at Unhealthy Blood on October 5 “was to easily get him on display screen and did not have a serious route or plot level they have been furthering.”

Sapp additionally revealed on Monday’s Fightful that “he would not imagine The Rock will probably be working WrestleMania, based mostly on issues he’d heard.”

Dr. Chris Featherstone of Sportskeeda reported the identical.

Dave Meltzer reported for his Wrestling Observer E-newsletter on October 24 that The Rock was not a lock to seem at WrestleMania 41. The Nice One emphatically responded to a fan’s query on Instagram on the time, saying “do not imagine any of that bulls–t” (h/t WrestlePurists).

All three experiences insist that, as has all the time been the case with Rock and his Hollywood schedule, issues can change at any second. As issues stand. although, it seems WWE Artistic is shifting ahead with out the previous WWE champion factored into plans for the largest present of the yr.

On one hand, it appears like a momentum-killer for The Bloodline story, which seemed to be headed towards a showdown between Rock and Roman Reigns or a championship conflict pitting The Closing Boss towards Cody Rhodes.

On the opposite, WWE has proved its capability to current long-term storytelling to nice success. If The Rock just isn’t accessible for WrestleMania 41, and the corporate can lengthen issues with out difficulty.

The query is whether or not an absence in 2025 means one other year-long await his return or if Rock would seem at SummerSlam or one other main WWE premium dwell occasion to assist repay his teased match with Rhodes and unsettled enterprise with The Bloodline and Reigns.

That may decide whether or not the corporate ought to have held off on bringing him again at Unhealthy Blood.

Drew McIntyre returned within the closing moments of Monday’s Uncooked, laying Sami Zayn out with a Claymore and standing tall because the present pale to black.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported: “McIntyre’s return was not anticipated to be this quickly and the assumption backstage final night time was that the damage to Bronson Reed at Survivor Sequence led to McIntyre returning a number of weeks sooner than initially deliberate.”

Reed had been established as a top-tier heel on Uncooked through his feuds with Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins, and he competed in his first premium dwell occasion most important occasion Saturday at Survivor Sequence.

Nevertheless, the Australian suffered accidents to his ankles throughout the climactic missed Tsunami splash off the highest of the WarGames metal cage.

WWE head of artistic Triple H revealed throughout the post-show press convention that Reed will probably be “questionable” for a number of weeks.

McIntyre’s return put an exclamation level on the Uncooked after Survivor Sequence and set in movement what would seem like a rivalry with Zayn, if not Jey Uso, who had been attacked by an unknown assailant earlier Monday night time.

The Scottish Warrior has loads of purpose to focus on these two, particularly given his unsettled points with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline courting again to Conflict on the Fort 2022, when his dream of successful the Undisputed WWE Common Championship in Cardiff, Wales went up in smoke.

Taking exception with Zayn and Uso escaping The Tribal Chief’s narcissistic net, solely to return and assist him, would match an overarching story that has seen Rollins discover fault in the identical perceived lack of logic.

Regardless, McIntyre being again at or close to the forefront of Uncooked is a constructive for all concerned.

Johnson additionally reported: “WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther is within the last levels of a brand new WWE deal, PWInsider.com has discovered.”

The article said that The Ring Basic is both within the last levels of signing the deal or has already agreed to the deal.

The Austrian has been probably the most constant and plausible performers on the principle roster since his callup from NXT, and Triple H and his artistic crew have gone to nice lengths to guard his aura as a seemingly unstoppable pressure.

They have been even in a position to inform a “misplaced confidence” story with Gunther after he misplaced to Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel.

Just lately, the world heavyweight champion has proven indicators of a possible babyface flip, particularly as he embarks on a rivalry with Finn Bálor and The Judgment Day that may culminate at Saturday Evening’s Most important Occasion on December 14.

Probably the greatest, most bodily and interesting skilled wrestlers within the business, Gunther way back earned a big-money deal. Hopefully, this one will probably be sufficient to maintain him round for the foreseeable future.

Meltzer reported within the newest Wrestling Observer E-newsletter that the plan for Kenny Omega’s return to the squared circle is to “ease right into a full-time schedule down the road and hope all the pieces holds up.”

Omega will wrestle his first match since December 5, 2023 at Wrestle Dynasty on January 5 on the Tokyo Dome in Japan when he squares off with Gabe Kidd.

There isn’t any timetable for his return to All Elite Wrestling however when he does, he’ll discover the corporate totally different than the one he left. He’ll nearly definitely return as a babyface able to reclaim his crown as the highest star within the promotion.

To take action, he must fight Jon Moxley and The Loss of life Riders, the renegade faction intent on shaping AEW of their picture.

Contemplating the various battles Omega has had with Moxley and the violence they’ve trended towards, it can doubtless show simply how battle-tested The Finest Bout Machine is after his showdown with Kidd.