Purchase or Promote John Cena WWE Opponent Rumors, AEW’s Curiosity in Kevin Owens, Extra

The professional wrestling rumor mill has used the previous handful of days—hours, even—to bolster the concept that there isn’t any sluggish interval in the case of WWE and AEW buzz.

One would assume the good September hole in main occasions may trigger issues to decelerate. However the standard-fare free-agency buzz, harm updates and contract rumblings simply maintain coming down the pipeline.

Including to the standard stuff are the surprises like doable plans for John Cena’s retirement tour in 2025 and a significant doable change for one in every of WWE’s flagship packages.

To assist followers sustain with the tempo of the rumor mill, here’s a have a look at the most important buzzing gadgets and whether or not every one is price a purchase or a promote.

Followers anticipating the return of Charlotte Aptitude anytime quickly may wish to ease off on expectations.

In line with Fightful Choose (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Aptitude nonetheless hasn’t been medically cleared to return to the ring. As such, WWE is not engaged on artistic plans for her proper now.

In trendy occasions, followers have been proper to doubt buzz like this as a result of, frankly, this could be precisely the form of factor an organization leaks in an try to cover a shock return.

And but, it seems like a purchase. Aptitude initially suffered a torn ACL and different knee setbacks throughout a match in December of 2023 on an episode of SmackDown. Followers have additionally been conditioned, by way of wrestling and in any other case, to count on roughly 9 months to even a 12 months for restoration time for that kind of harm.

Which means, we’re simply not that shut but, even when all is nicely on the restoration entrance, which we aren’t aware about proper now. Early 2025 would make extra sense on the construct to a WrestleMania.

Verdict: Purchase

Is Matt Riddle the following large AEW signing?

Whereas wrestling followers may pine for the thought in some capability, it could be smart to set expectations accordingly.

In line with Fightful Choose (h/t Ortman), AEW’s Tony Khan “has not had any curiosity” within the thought, a stance that is not new for him.

This one seems like a promote, although. Khan and AEW have a repute for signing anybody and everybody for a great motive after years of particular bulletins, reveals, and massive signings to maintain issues attention-grabbing.

Sure, Riddle has his baggage, which is why he’s still in the news speaking about why he may or won’t be accepted again into WWE sometime. However AEW finally including him would make waves within the sport and create some attention-grabbing matchups on an already-stacked roster.

Verdict: Promote

One other week, extra buzz about WWE approaching prime stars about new contracts.

In line with PW Insider (h/t Ortman), WWE has been in touch with Nia Jax, Liv Morgan, and Rhea Ripley about new contracts.

Straightforward purchase.

Whereas the report does not elaborate on the when and the way of these Superstars finally changing into free brokers, it does say that it stays “aggressive” in attempting to signal stars to new offers.

No surprise—after years of main names like Drew McIntyre operating proper as much as the deadline of free company earlier than getting new offers, the earlier, the higher. That’s, at the very least from the corporate’s perspective.

Plus, extending contracts means avoiding free company drama, which additionally may imply avoiding any doable bidding wars with AEW for expertise, too.

Verdict: Purchase

SmackDown going again to USA Community is among the largest speaking factors in professional wrestling proper now.

WWE managed to show that up a notch, too, with WrestleVotes Radio (h/t Ortman) reporting that the present will change to a three-hour format in January of subsequent 12 months. The thought, it appears, is to line up the blue model with a three-hour format proper as its pink counterpart, Uncooked, switches over to Netflix.

However this one must be a promote…proper?

Followers absolutely perceive that WWE has flirted with an oversaturation drawback as it’s earlier than shifting Uncooked again to a two-hour format. That appeared to be progress in the suitable route, just for this reversal of a rumor.

One would nearly assume that if one of many reveals needed to be three hours, it could be the one on a streaming service. Except there’s one other abrupt announcement just like the discount to Uncooked’s runtime, it seems like a promote.

Verdict: Promote

The John Cena retirement tour is coming in 2025 and one would assume mentioned tour will run the gamut of hits, together with Randy Orton, CM Punk and…Logan Paul?

So says WrestleVotes Radio (h/t Ortman), who experiences that WWE likes the thought of Cena going in opposition to Paul sooner or later in 2025.

As foolish because it form of sounds, this one registers as a purchase. Such a matchup falls in keeping with WWE’s old-school mentality of getting as many eyeballs on the product as doable. Each guys have enormous drawing energy exterior of wrestling, so it will make sense.

Needless to say this does not should be a giant PLE match, both. WWE might prosper from the matchup, even when it is on an early episode of Uncooked on Netflix or throughout the reported change to a few hours for SmackDown.

Verdict: Purchase

Kevin Owens is on of the most well liked names who retains arising when the subject is big-name free brokers.

Whereas there is not any official phrase on when Owens’ contract with WWE could be up, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful experiences that WWE has approached him a couple of new deal—and that AEW will possible make a push if he turns into obtainable, too.

No-brainer, actually.

Owens is among the trendy greats courtesy of a physique of labor that began nicely earlier than his WWE days. He’s, consider it or not, nonetheless simply 40 years previous and might do something from serving to younger Superstars to working on the very prime of a promotion.

AEW would like to in some way land Owens, in fact—however he seems like a type of super-obvious WWE re-signings earlier than lengthy.

Verdict: Shopping for