For WWE fans curious to know when Paul Heyman will be killing it on the mic again or wondering about the backstage process behind Ryback's title win, the ever-churning rumor mill has you covered.
It offers a potential timeline for Heyman's return. It touches on whoWWE originally had in mind to take home the Intercontinental Championship at the Elimination Chamber event. And as always, it gives folks topics to discuss and reports to scrutinize.
Other recent rumors include a possible upcoming change for Rusevas well as the reason WWE chose to upgrade Samoa Joe's contract to full-time status. Soon enough fans will get to see Joe actually go to battle into the ring. For now, though, the bulk of his headlines have concerned the terms of his deal with the company.
The following is a look at all those stories, with a few grains of salt in hand, just in case.
Possible Wardrobe Change for Rusev
When Rusev's injury heals and he's back crushing foes, he will possibly be sporting a different look.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t PWMania) noted that Rusev may have to switch to boots in the future. The thinking is that it would help protect his healed leg.
Rusev currently wrestles barefoot with taped ankles. The look suits his character. It would be odd to see him lace up a pair of standard wrestling boots.
If this change ends up happening, hopefully someone will create fitting footwear that doesn't stand out in a negative way.
The report doesn't say that this is a certainty or that WWE officials are dead set on the idea, though. It's probably just a conversation WWEfolks are having right now.
Backstage News About Ryback's Title Win
It was reportedly not Ryback whom WWE first envisioned to win the ICtitle inside the Elimination Chamber last month. Instead, the Big Guy ended up pinning the man rumored to be the new champ.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc),Sheamus was originally booked to win, but WWE made a change late and went with Ryback instead.
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4:51 AM - 9 Jun 2015
That's certainly feasible. WWE had made Sheamus look plenty strong since his return earlier this year. He was mostly tearing down smaller foes before the clash for the IC strap.
And if WWE wanted to boost the title's prestige as it has attempted to do by having John Cena be the U.S. titleholder, Sheamus was a smart option.
The report also noted that the plan was to go with a Triple Threat for the IC title match at Money in the Bank featuring both The Miz and Big Show facing The Big Guy. That obviously isn't going to happen. WWE announced a standard one-on-one battle between the two powerhouses instead:
As with Ryback's win over Sheamus, this could have just been a case of WWE officials' changing their minds. Fans are fully aware of how in flux creative plans are with the company.
One has to wonder, though, if WWE is intentionally leaking false information to stop wrestling media outlets from providing accurate spoilers.
Backstage Word on Samoa Joe's Contract
The Samoan Submission Machine quickly went from having a unique deal that allowed him to wrestle elsewhere to being a full-fledged member of the WWE team.
It's not surprising that WWE wanted Joe around more often, but it is interesting to read about the reported reasons behind the shift in his contract.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestleZone), part of the reason that WWE opted to give Joe a full-time deal was that Ring of Honor was trying to book him for more dates. WWE also wanted him to provide more star power for NXT. That's suddenly a need with Kevin Owens poised to go the main roster and both Sami Zayn andHideo Itami on the mend.
Another noteworthy part of the report focuses on Joe's scheduledROH match teaming with AJ Styles in June. WWE has been working to make sure that match is not broadcast on TV.
As of now, the bout is reportedly not going to be televised.
WWE, like most of us, had no idea that Ring of Honor was about to get a national TV deal. That changes the significance of Joe's work with that company. It's expected then that WWE wanted Joe all to itself and brought him aboard as full-on part of the roster.
That's good news for Joe, just as it is for WWE fans, who will now see the bruiser more often.
When is Paul Heyman Coming Back?
Seeing Heyman share road stories with Steve Austin on the WWENetwork surely reminded fans just how much they missed the future Hall of Famer.
With Brock Lesnar not likely to head back until much closer toSummerSlam, one would assume that his manager would be off-screen until then as well. One report, though, says that Heyman is supposed to be in front of the cameras before long.
PWInsider Elite (h/t WrestlingInc) reported that Heyman is scheduled to return to TV in two-to-three weeks, sometime after the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
That may be a touch surprising, as Lesnar is not expected to be a part of the Battleground pay-per-view in July. However, the build towardSummerSlam can begin before that lesser event arrives.
Heyman's return in late June or early July allows WWE to plant the seeds for the next Lesnar bout. Besides, it's always a blast seeingHeyman armed with a live mic. WWE's desire to have that weapon in its arsenal again is as believable a rumor as any out there.
