Buy or Sell Latest on Future CM Punk Matches, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn and More Rumors

It isn't often the pro wrestling rumor mill fulfills outrageous buzz, yet at the tail end of 2023 , it delivered on one of its biggest claims ever -- CM Punk is back in WWE.

Moving forward, the question is simple: What feat might the mill accomplish next?

Because right now, the buzz around the sport is downright on fire. There are rumblings of what Punk might do in the near future, including mention of a guy named "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. There's buzz about who might get a shot at Roman Reigns and some notable Cody Rhodes chatter, too.

In order to help fans keep up with the must-know items, here's a look at the headliners, plus whether fans should buy or sell on them as things that are true or could become true soon enough.

Randy Orton Will Get Shot at Roman Reigns Soon

Who ends up getting a shot at Roman Reigns' Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble apparently remains very up in the air.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the shortlist includes just three names: LA Knight, Kevin Owens and Randy Orton.

The big spotlight here is on the recently returned Orton, though. Just generally following usual pro wrestling logic, Knight just had his shot at Crown Jewel and appears earmarked for Logan Paul and Reigns-Owens has been done far too much to engage fans again.

But Orton and Reigns? That's money. The returned veteran has that undeniable babyface backing right now because he's finally back, making him an obvious counter to the dominant, final-boss heel champion.

Granted, Orton won't win, but as a stopgap Royal Rumble headliner of a main event? It doesn't get much better than this before WrestleMania.

Verdict: Buying

CM Punk vs. Stone Cold Talk 'Premature'

It seems impossible to imagine that all parties involved would miss on a generational dream match that is CM Punk vs. Stone Cold.

After all, Punk is back in WWE and Austin has successfully returned to the ring.

But according to Meltzer (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), all of the buzz around the idea is "premature" and hasn't really been talked about directly with Austin or behind the scenes in general.

But, like Punk returning at all, this feels like one of those things that would leak out when the thing is actually being talked about to some extent. There's zero chance this idea hasn't been discussed to some extent backstage because WWE has seized the opportunity to do dream matches in this rightfully called "golden era" when they present themselves.

Maybe in the short-term Punk feuds with Seth Rollins and even brushes shoulders with Paul Heyman and Reigns, but there's no such thing as too early to consider this dream match given the age of all involved. In fact, it wouldn't be too shocking to even see WWE tease this pretty quickly.

Verdict: Selling

Cody Rhodes' Historic Sales

How over is Cody Rhodes with fans right now?

Let Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select tell it, WWE officials haven't denied rumblings that Rhodes broke a record or two in merchandise sales at the recent Survivor Series PLE in Chicago.

That's the same event, of course, where CM Punk made his major return to WWE and the locale happens to be his hometown.

Still, it's an easy buy, as one's best guess would be that the top merch mover right now would be either Rhodes or LA Knight.

Granted, it would be interesting to see if it's Rhodes or Punk selling more merchandise in the coming months during a Chicago event. But right now, The American Nightmare moving more makes a ton of sense.

Verdict: Buying

Andrade Wants Out of AEW for WWE?

Andrade is one of those former WWE Superstars who feels like he could be major in any company.

Fittingly, Wrestling Observer Live's Bryan Alvarez (h/t Ortman) recently said that Andrade indeed wants to go back to WWE, which would make him the latest to swim back the other direction.

But for Andrade, it would seem WWE wouldn't be all that different than AEW right now. He's not getting a ton of usage or consistently big matches, but that's to be expected given how deep the roster is right now.

If Andrade's goal is major title contention, WWE won't offer much more in this regard right now. What's interesting, though, is how this sort of push on the rumor mill might just be an effort to get him more consistent stuff in AEW.

Verdict: Selling

Sami Zayn Headed for Break?

It sounds like fans won't be seeing much of Sami Zayn in the near future.

According to Meltzer (h/t Rajah.com's Matt Boone), Zayn will be taking some time off from the company and isn't scheduled for the WWE Live Holiday Tour show in Laval, Quebec, Canada at the end of the month.

Obviously, that would be a huge boon for Zayn and WWE to have him on that tour given its locale, so it's a pretty easy buy. He's an odd fit in most major feuds right now as it is and has been a workhorse for more than a year.

With Zayn seemingly "injured" on the latest edition of Raw, this is only the start. The timing would certainly make for an interesting surprise Royal Rumble return, if he's coming back before 'Mania.

Verdict: Buying