WWE Rumors on Bray Wyatt vs. Lashley, Edge vs. Bálor, Carmella, WrestleMania 39 Card
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Wyatt, Lashley Seemingly Off WrestleMania Card
After initially teasing the match for WrestleMania 39, WWE seems to be moving away from Bobby Lashley vs. Bray Wyatt.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Lashley competing in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on Friday's SmackDown is an indication that Lashley vs. Wyatt is officially off.
Meltzer also suggested Lashley's presence in the Battle Royal means WWE likely isn't giving him a replacement opponent at WrestleMania either.
Since starting the build toward a WrestleMania match against Lashley, Wyatt has been off WWE programming for the past few weeks.
WWE has not addressed his absence, but Fightful Select (h/t Upton) reported two weeks ago that Wyatt was out due to a "physical issue."
When it began to become apparent that Lashley vs. Wyatt likely wouldn't be happening on the Grandest Stage of Them All, Lashley tweeted the following about still being part of the WrestleMania card:
Meltzer's report suggests The All Mighty may be off the card, but there are still ways to get him involved.
WWE could build an angle within the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal between Lashley and another Superstar to set up a WrestleMania match. The most obvious candidate is LA Knight, who has been vocal on SmackDown about needing to be part of WrestleMania.
Other options include Lashley either attacking or having a match against WrestleMania host The Miz, or getting involved in Brock Lesnar vs. Omos based on his history with both men.
Lashley is among WWE's top stars, so while it is unfortunate that there is no obvious spot for him on the WrestleMania card for him, there is still hope even without Wyatt in the fold.
WWE Reportedly Made Change to Edge vs. Bálor
WWE has reportedly moved things around with regard to the WrestleMania card over the past week, as it attempts to build out the best possible card over two nights.
According to Meltzer (h/t Upton), WWE "changed a bunch of stuff," including the potential positioning of the Hell in a Cell match between Edge and Finn Bálor.
Per Meltzer, Edge vs. Bálor was scheduled for Night 1 of WrestleMania 39 as of Saturday, but that may no longer be the case.
Several WrestleMania matches have yet to be given a definitive spot, but most of the ones that have been announced are for Night 1. The only Night 2 match announced thus far is the main event of Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes.
Because of that, it is perhaps safe to assume that Edge and Bálor will battle it out in the demonic structure on Night 2.
Edge has been embroiled in a rivalry with Bálor and The Judgment Day for several months, and it will finally come to a head on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Based on their interactions and promos, it seems likely that the Demon version of Bálor will re-emerge at WrestleMania, as will the Brood version of Edge.
Those added nuances promise to make Edge vs. Bálor one of the most intriguing matches on the WrestleMania card, and they undoubtedly have a chance to steal the show as well.
Carmella Was Originally Scheduled for WrestleMania Match
WWE reportedly moved away from its original plan to have Carmella involved as part of the WrestleMania card.
According to Meltzer (h/t Upton), Carmella was going to be Chelsea Green's tag team partner in the Fatal 4-Way women's showcase match, but she was replaced by Sonya Deville on Raw.
Meltzer noted that "something went on" with Carmella but did not speculate on what led to her being removed from the spot.
Several weeks ago, Green and Carmella began interacting in backstage segments, and their heel work was a hit with the fans. All signs pointed to them teaming together at WrestleMania once the women's showcase match was announced.
Instead, Green teamed with Piper Niven last week on Raw, and Mella was not on the show. The same thing happened this week when Carmella was absent and Green teamed with Deville to beat Candice LeRae and Mia Yim in a qualifying match.
It seems unlikely that removing Carmella from WrestleMania was a creative decision since she and Green had been well received, which could mean that an injury or some other issue is preventing her from wrestling.
The timing is unfortunate for Carmella and WWE since WrestleMania is the biggest show of the year, but there remains great potential in the pairing of Carmella and Green moving forward.
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