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 strengthen the concept there isn’t a sluggish interval in the case of WWE and AEW buzz.

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

Including to the normal stuff are the surprises like doable plans for John Cena’s retirement tour in 2025 and a serious doable change for certainly one of WWE’s flagship applications.

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 value a purchase or a promote.

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

In accordance 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 inventive plans for her proper now.

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

And but, it appears 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 wrestling and in any other case, to anticipate roughly 9 months to even a yr for restoration time for that sort of damage.

That means, we’re simply not that shut but, even when all is properly 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 huge AEW signing?

Whereas wrestling followers may pine for the concept in some capability, it may be clever to set expectations accordingly.

In accordance 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 appears like a promote, although. Khan and AEW have a popularity for signing anybody and everybody for an excellent purpose 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 may not 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 accordance 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 turning 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 working 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 likely one of 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 yr. The concept, it appears, is to line up the blue model with a three-hour format proper as its purple counterpart, Uncooked, switches over to Netflix.

However this one needs to be a promote…proper?

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

One would virtually assume that if one of many exhibits needed to be three hours, it may be the one on a streaming service. Until there’s one other abrupt announcement just like the discount to Uncooked’s runtime, it appears 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 reviews that WWE likes the concept of Cena going towards 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 outdoors of wrestling, so it will make sense.

Take into account that this does not must be an enormous PLE match, both. WWE may prosper from the matchup, even when it is on an early episode of Uncooked on Netflix or throughout the reported change to 3 hours for SmackDown.

Verdict: Purchase

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

Whereas there is no official phrase on when Owens’ contract with WWE may be up, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reviews that WWE has approached him a few new deal—and that AEW will possible make a push if he turns into out there, too.

No-brainer, actually.

Owens is likely one of the fashionable greats courtesy of a physique of labor that began properly earlier than his WWE days. He’s, imagine it or not, nonetheless simply 40 years outdated and may do something from serving to younger Superstars to working on the very prime of a promotion.

AEW would like to by some means land Owens, after all—however he appears like a kind of super-obvious WWE re-signings earlier than lengthy.

Verdict: Shopping for