WWE Rumors on Ronda Rousey, LA Knight, Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre, Carlito Returns

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

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WWE Reportedly Considering NXT Appearance for Rousey

WWE has reportedly had discussions about Ronda Rousey making an appearance on NXT in the future.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), WWE wants to experiment more with main roster Superstars showing up in NXT, and Rousey is an option that has been talked about.

Per Meltzer, one possibility would see Rousey and Shayna Baszler show up in NXT to defend the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships, provided they beat NXT women's tag team champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn in a unification match on Friday's SmackDown.

Several main roster Superstars have appeared in NXT in recent weeks, including Baron Corbin, Mustafa Ali and Dana Brooke. Most notably, Seth Rollins defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Bron Breakker in the main event of this week's NXT.

Per Wrestlenomics (h/t Upton), the eight-minute overrun for the Rollins vs. Breakker match averaged 950,000 viewers and the entire show as a whole averaged 773,000 viewers, which are both much higher numbers than usual for NXT.

Since Rollins' appearance was a massive success, Meltzer noted that WWE will likely continue using main roster performers to boost the ratings.

Rousey is one of WWE's biggest crossover stars due to her past success in NXT, so she would likely help put some more eyes on the NXT product.

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Money in the Bank Rumors on Logan Paul, LA Knight

WWE reportedly always planned to have Logan Paul involved in the 2023 men's Money in the Bank ladder match.

Paul was a late addition, as he announced his entry on Monday night's episode of Raw, but PWInsider (h/t Upton) reported that there were no creative changes and Paul was always supposed to be part of the match.

Due to his star power and crossover appeal, Paul is now arguably the favorite to win the Money in the Bank ladder match, which is comprised fully of wrestlers who have never won a world title in WWE.

Despite that, LA Knight seems to be the fan favorite pick to win, as his popularity has noticeably increased in recent months.

Per PWInsider, the plan for who will win Money in the Bank isn't known, but some people in WWE are "pushing" for Knight to secure the MITB briefcase and contract.

Knight is technically a heel, but he has consistently been receiving positive reactions, and there seems to be an organic groundswell of support behind him.

Shinsuke Nakamura, Ricochet, Damian Priest, Santos Escobar and Butch are the other participants in the Money in the Bank ladder match, and a strong argument can be made for all of them as well.

This men's ladder match has a chance to be one of the best in years from a match quality perspective, and it also promises to launch a talented Superstar up to the next level in the coming weeks and months.

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Rumors on McIntyre, Carlito Making WWE Returns

WWE reportedly could have two major returns on its hands in the near future in the form of Drew McIntyre and Carlito.

McIntyre has not been seen on WWE programming since losing an Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat match against Gunther and Sheamus at WrestleMania 39 in April, but his hiatus may soon come to an end.

According to PWInsider (h/t Upton), there is an expectation among some in WWE that McIntyre will be back in time for the company's UK tour, which starts next week, as well as the Money in the Bank premium live event in London on July 1.

Meltzer (h/t Upton) followed up with a report that WWE has internally been discussing potential dates for McIntyre's return.

Last week, McIntyre represented WWE as an ambassador at the Special Olympics World Games in Germany, marking his first WWE appearance of any kind since WrestleMania.

PWInsider (h/t Upton) reported that McIntyre's WWE contract is set to expire in early 2024, and the holdup regarding his return has been his desire to be involved in a meaningful storyline.

If WWE delivers on that front, it could go a long way toward the two sides coming to terms on a new deal.

As for Carlito, rumors have swirled recently that he is headed back to WWE on a full-time basis, and that may indeed be the case.

According to PWInsider (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), WWE is planning for Carlito to make his return on the July 7 episode of SmackDown at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Carlito was on WWE's main roster from 2004 until his release in 2010, holding the United States, Intercontinental and Tag Team Championships.

In May, Carlito made a surprise appearance at Backlash in his home nation of Puerto Rico, helping Bad Bunny win a San Juan Street Fight over Priest.

Carlito was in spectacular shape and received a massive reaction, which could have been the impetus to bring him back into the fold.

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