WWE Rumors: Vince McMahon Overrules Triple H; Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes; Jay White
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
McMahon Can Reportedly Overrule Triple H's Creative Decisions
In the wake of UFC owner Endeavor Group Holdings officially purchasing 51 percent of WWE on Monday, Vince McMahon is reportedly exercising his power behind the scenes in WWE.
McMahon was named the executive chairman of the joint WWE and UFC venture, making him the second-highest-ranking person in the new company behind only Ari Emanuel.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), McMahon is back to being the "No. 1" decision-maker creatively, making it possible for anything WWE head of creative Triple H books to be "overruled."
McMahon retired from all of his positions within WWE last summer amid an investigation that found he paid multiple women millions of dollars to remain silent about sexual relationships they had with McMahon, as well as some allegations of sexual misconduct.
McMahon remained the controlling stakeholder in WWE, however, and he returned to his position as executive chairman in January to oversee the sale of the company.
Since McMahon's retirement, Triple H has been WWE's chief creative officer, making him the point person for creative decisions.
That reportedly changed on Monday night during Raw, as McMahon was more heavily involved in dictating things and changed several segments that were previously planned, per PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson.
While it remains to be seen if McMahon will continue to be that heavily involved on a weekly basis, the sale seems to have empowered him to call the creative shots if and when he sees fit.
Rhodes vs. Lesnar Plans Have Reportedly Long Been in Place
Despite rumors of McMahon's heavy influence over Monday night's episode of Raw, plans for a post-WrestleMania rivalry between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar have reportedly been in place for quite some time.
According to Fightful Select (h/t Upton), Rhodes and Lesnar are indeed entering into a program together, and that has been the plan for roughly a month.
After winning the men's Royal Rumble match, Rhodes challenged Roman Reigns for the undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 39.
Rhodes was widely expected to win, but Reigns shockingly retained thanks to interference from Solo Sikoa, keeping his title run of over 900 days alive.
The American Nightmare confronted Reigns on Raw, and while Reigns refused to grant Rhodes a rematch, he did agree to face him in a tag team match.
One night after beating Omos at WrestleMania, Lesnar volunteered to be Rhodes' partner, but it was all a ruse, as The Beast Incarnate viciously attacked Rhodes before the match could start.
WWE seems to be booking Rhodes in an angle that will require him to face considerable adversity and go through Lesnar before getting another title match against Reigns, presumably at Money in the Bank or SummerSlam.
While having Rhodes lose to Reigns was a controversial decision, it is possible he can become an even bigger star by conquering Lesnar en route to Reigns.
WWE Reportedly Had Interest in Jay White Before AEW Signing
Jay White officially joined AEW on Wednesday night when he appeared in the opening segment of Dynamite, but WWE reportedly expressed some interest in the former New Japan Pro-Wrestling star before that.
According to Fightful Select (h/t Upton), WWE was believed to have first expressed interest in White around the time of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom in January, but people within WWE said the company "failed to communicate properly" in negotiations.
It was speculated that McMahon's return to prominence could have played a role in White choosing to sign with AEW instead of WWE, in addition to WWE's recent lack of signings.
WWE's creative team reportedly had some preliminary plans in place in the event of White signing with the company, but it was known before WrestleMania that White would not be coming in.
White was arguably the top free agent available in pro wrestling, as the 30-year-old native was a two-time world champion in NJPW, as well as a one-time IWGP intercontinental, IWGP United States and NEVER openweight champion.
One factor that may have worked against WWE is the fact that White already had deep ties within AEW.
He had made several non-contracted appearances for AEW, has previously worked with several of AEW's top stars and could have the chance to work select dates in Japan under an AEW deal.
WWE already has a stacked roster in place and didn't necessarily need White, but there likely would have been plenty of fan interest in seeing him work against the likes of Rhodes, Reigns and Seth Rollins, among others.
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