Account
WWE Rumors on Becky Lynch's Return, Bray Wyatt's Character; Heyman on Reigns vs. Rock
August 10, 2021
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Lynch Reportedly Scheduled to Attend SummerSlam
Becky Lynch hasn't appeared on WWE programming since announcing her pregnancy in May 2020, but it is possible that could change at SummerSlam.
According to PWInsider (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), Lynch is slated to be in attendance at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Aug. 21.
That doesn't necessarily mean The Man will actually be part of the show, however, as she has attended some other WWE events over the past several months and remained backstage rather than appearing on camera.
Speculation regarding Becky's return continues to ramp up the further she gets from giving birth, though, and SummerSlam would be a stage fitting for the start of her comeback.
Lynch and fellow WWE Superstar Seth Rollins had their first child together in December, and now that she is eight months removed from giving birth, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that she is ready to get back in the ring.
Prior to the start of her absence, Becky was the reigning Raw Women's champion for over one year, and she beat Shayna Baszler at WrestleMania 36.
When the time does come for Lynch to return, it stands to reason that she will be inserted right back into the title scene.
That could set the stage for Becky to confront the winner of the Triple Threat Match for the Raw Women's Championship between Nikki A.S.H., Rhea Ripley and old rival Charlotte Flair, or perhaps step up to the winner of the SmackDown Women's title match between Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks.
Regardless of the plans, a Lynch return would be major news and generate a massive pop at SummerSlam, plus it would breathe new life into WWE's women's division on either brand.
Wyatt Was Reportedly Scheduled for Monday's Raw Before Release
Bray Wyatt was reportedly supposed to make his return on Monday's episode of Raw prior to getting released by WWE.
According to Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, Wyatt was "working on adding creative elements to his character" before his shocking release, and those changes were supposed to be showcased Monday night.
WWE cut ties with Wyatt on July 31, marking the end of his 12-year tenure with WWE and sending one of WWE's most popular Superstars of the past decade to free agency.
Wyatt hadn't been seen on WWE programming since the night after WrestleMania 37 in April when he took part in a Firefly Funhouse segment on Raw. That came on the heels of Wyatt somewhat surprisingly losing to Randy Orton at WrestleMania under his Fiend persona.
Bray tweeted the following before Raw on Monday night, further fueling speculation that he had been planning something big before his departure:
While Wyatt's character didn't always land with the entirety of WWE's audience, he undoubtedly had a massive fanbase, and he has received no shortage of praise for his creativity.
Wyatt evolved time and time again in WWE, and it can be argued that his split-personality character with Firefly Funhouse Bray on one side and The Fiend on the other was some of the most compelling work of his career.
It seemed unlikely WWE would ever part ways with Wyatt given how deeply entrenched he was, how much television time he received and how much creative leeway he was seemingly given.
WWE has been releasing talent in droves since WrestleMania, however, and it feels like only the very top of the food chain (Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, etc.) of the world are truly safe.
Wyatt figures to thrive regardless of where he lands next, but fans will always be left to wonder what could have been had he been given the opportunity to debut an altered character during Monday's Raw.
Heyman Discusses Possible Reigns vs. Rock Dream Match
Wrestling fans have long discussed the possibility of a match between real-life cousins Roman Reigns and The Rock, and given Reigns' thriving heel persona, that match seems more likely to happen now than ever before.
In June, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Mitch Waddon of Cultaholic) reported that Reigns vs. The Rock is likely to happen at one of the next two WrestleManias, and perhaps as soon as WrestleMania 38 next year if it works with The Rock's busy acting schedule.
With rumors of Reigns vs. The Rock running rampant, it was only a matter of time before Reigns' special counsel, Paul Heyman, commented on the dream match.
In an interview with Inside The Ropes (h/t Nitish Vashishtha of Ringside News), Heyman said:
"Who doesn't want to main event WrestleMania against Roman Reigns? Anybody who says they wouldn't be interested in a WrestleMania main event is lying to you. Anybody who suggests they wouldn't be interested in the WrestleMania main event against Roman Reigns is lying to you.
"Roman Reigns is the most dominant WrestleMania main eventer in history. And Rock is just one of many people who are clamoring to step into the ring with Roman Reigns at any time, especially at WrestleMania."
Heyman also suggested that Reigns will send The Rock into permanent retirement from the ring if the match happens, saying: "If The Rock steps into the ring with Roman Reigns at any time, let alone at WrestleMania, that will be The Rock's farewell, whether The Rock wants it to be or not."
Reigns is approaching one year as Universal champion, and there is no question that he has been doing the best work of his career over the past year in a heel role.
Roman's "Tribal Chief" and "Head of the Table" nicknames have always felt like an indirect shot at The Rock since Reigns has claimed that he is the primary provider for his family.
The Rock may have something to say about that given that he is the biggest movie star in the world, and a wrestling fan can't help but be excited about some of the promo battles between The Rock and Reigns leading up to a match between them.
It seems like a matter of when rather than if Reigns vs. The Rock happens, and when it does, it has a chance to be among the biggest matches in WWE history.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).