In this WrestleTalk News, it’s Rumble weekend bebe, which means the rumors keep rolling
in about who is going to be making an appearance, Finn Balor had a recent pitch denied by WWE
and WWE are looking to sign a top champion from another promotion.
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Every year around this time the old rumor engine goes into overdrive and just starts
spewing out names who might be making an appearance at the Royal Rumble.
There is already serious discussion of Ronda Rousey making a surprise return, surprise
in heavily inverted commas now it's all over the internet, but her former tag team partner
may also be making a return to the company.
But Faki, she never had a tag partner?
Oh she did, it’s true, it’s damn true.
Rousey’s first major match for WWE was a mixed tag affair against Triple H and Stephanie
McMahon where Ronda teamed with the Olympic hero Kurt Angle.
Angle is reportedly scheduled to be in St Louis this weekend according to Fightful Select,
though obviously no word has been mentioned of him officially competing in the Rumble
match.
Now Angle is part of Conrad Thompson’s podcast network which is running live shows in St
Louis all throughout the weekend, but word is that Kurt is not there to take part in
any of that.
Instead it is WWE officials who reportedly planned on having Angle in the city for the
weekend, but what could it be for?!
If it’s not to appear in the Rumble then there has been other talk of WWE having internal
discussions about bringing him back to the company for an on-screen role.
So maybe he would be in town for meetings instead and to further this conversation.
Angle was last in the ring for WWE at WrestleMania 35 in 2019, losing his retirement match to
Baron Corbin - hear that, that’s the sound of Oli tearing the gooch hair he had surgically
implanted into his head out - he hates that match.
After that Angle made a few onscreen appearances and worked behind the scenes as a producer
until he was released from the company in April 2020.
Here’s hoping that if this is the start of a return for Angle it ends better than
last time!
Oli only has so much gooch hair to spare.
Another WWE legend spotted in town for the weekend is The Undertaker who is already there
according to PWInsider.
Reports emerged earlier this week that Taker would be attending in support of his wife
Michelle McCool who is appearing in the Women’s Rumble match.
But maybe we’ll get a Taker appearance of some sort?
We can dream right?
The Deadman hasn’t been seen in WWE since his Survivor Series retirement segment - the
one where Kane was the only one who dressed up.
Guess what, the rumor train trundles on and is dropping off a lot of passengers, which
I don’t really think makes sense as a metaphor, but it’s early here, I don’t care.
So let’s whizz through some of the names that have been talked about.
First off, one that needs a pinch of salt because it's Ringside News but they are saying
that Bad Bunny is scheduled for the Royal Rumble.
A tenured member of the creative team reportedly told them that “Bad Bunny (is) always looking
to do more with WWE”.
Considering that Bunny always suggested he would be back, this is not out of the realms
of possibility, plus he also has the World Tour scheduled for this year which was announced
during WrestleMania last year so a Rumble appearance is another great bit of PR for
that - plus he loves WWE.
WWE and Bunny in collaboration probably has people thinking “Here Comes The Money”
and the money might be returning sporting some grossly oversized trainers and sweating
like a pig in a sauna.
What I’m trying to say is that resident potato farmer, not Brock Lesnar, but Shane
McMahon is reportedly set to return during the Royal Rumble - again this comes per Ringside
News.
If Shane were to make a return appearance it usually sets up something for WrestleMania.
Over on the women’s side of things, it’s been an interesting year as many names have
already pre-announced their involvement in the Rumble:
Kelly Kelly, Mickie James, The Bella Twins, Lita and Summer Rae, with major rumors swirling
around Ronda Rousey and potentially Kairi Sane popping up.
One other surprise entrant who is reported as being spotted in St Louis by PWInsider
is my Smash Bros sparring partner, remember ScreenStalker, Melina.
It was reported earlier this month that Melina would be in the Rumble as a surprise but this
sighting would essentially confirm that - there were also reports that she could be set for
an NXT return with some involvement in the Robert Stone brand, which has now moved on
to involve Von Wagner, remember when he was just hanging out in the woods with Kyle O’Reilly,
you’re a really cool guy Von.
The Melina plans reportedly fell through due to an injury though - she was also in talks
about the 2020 Royal Rumble but her contract with the NWA restricted it - not so much now
though, Forbidden Doors have opened up all over the place.
Like Edgar from Men in Black we want MORRR rumors and Melina is not the only name for
the Women’s match that has cropped up - we’ve got former Funkadactyl Cameron who Fightful
Select are reporting has arrived in St Louis ahead of the event.
PWInsider’s peepers also spied someone who hasn't appeared on WWE TV in 8 years - Aksana.
Aksana was signed to a developmental contract in 2009 before debuting on Raw in 2011 and
eventually moving over to Smackdown.
Her run with the company ended in 2014 so this is quite the surprise.
Onto other news and Finn Balor has been talking about his current WWE situation and how the
company refused his big pitch when he was in the process of leaving NXT.
Balor told Mark Andrews on his BBC Radio Wales podcast, My Love Letter To Wrestling, that
he originally told higher ups that he would love to go to NXT UK after his run on the
Black and Gold brand.
He said: “the idea came that I go to Smackdown and I counter pitched with NXT UK, and they
said maybe in a couple of years but we need you on Smackdown right now.
Like for me a move to NXT UK would have been the move.”
He was needed on Smackdown to go back to being smiling Finn Balor, resurrect the demon and
fall off the top rope in his Extreme Rules match against Roman Reigns, then essentially
to do nothing else…
say it with me gang THIS.
F’ING.
COMPANY.
But this company also has some serious cheddar and if you want to earn it then that’s ok
- it can also do wonders for your profile in the wrestling world and offers should definitely
be taken under heavy consideration.
One name who recently appeared at the latest round of tryouts for WWE was former Ring of
Honor’s 20-year-old women’s world champion.
Fightful have reported that Rok-C performed well at the tryouts and there has been a significant
push within WWE to get her signed, even before she tried out.
This is all part of WWE restocking itself with fresh talent after a huge two years of
releases - the tryouts were reportedly so big that WWE bussed in a lot of people and
gave current Performance Center trainees a few days off so the event could take place.
One Performance Center source said Rok-C’s main event Impact match with Deonna Purrazzo
for the ROH Championship and Reina de Reinas title made hiring her a “no brainer”,
though no brain is what WWE often have when it comes to hiring and firing.
Ah-Zing.
Finally in terrifying news for those of us scared by monopolising mega-corporations slowly
taking over everything you know and love, Disney has reportedly acquired streaming rights
for WWE Network content in Indonesia.
The two companies have reportedly agreed on a deal for the WWE Network to stream exclusively
on Disney+ Hotstar in the region.
WWE’s premium live events will also air on the service as part of the standard subscription
- it’s a similar deal to the one WWE struck up with Peacock in the US.
This could all potentially preclude a bunch of other acquisitions by Disney in other regions
as has been speculated for a few years now.
IT CAN’T BE GOOD
THOUGH