WWE Rumors on Jade Cargill Injury, Kevin Owens; Latest on The Hardy's TNA Contracts
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and professional wrestling.
Cargill May Be Dealing with 'Legitimate' Injury
It looks like Jade Cargill will be absent from WWE programming for the time being after what transpired on Friday's SmackDown.
During the show, the broadcast cut to the garage, where The Storm was laid out on the hood of a car. WWE said in a subsequent update she suffered "deep lumbar paraspinal muscle contusions, a bruised kidney, a sprained MCL in her right knee, a tibial plateau bone bruise of her right knee, and facial lacerations."
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select (via Ringside News' Steve Carrier) reported the angle might be intended to compensate for a "legitimate injury."
WWE recently did the same thing when it had a backstage attack on Rhea Ripley in October explain her genuine orbital bone injury.
The promotion didn't say when Cargill might be back in the ring. The brutality of the assault and the nature of her injuries point to a potentially extended recovery period.
Based on the pre-taped SmackDown that will air this Friday, Bayley took Cargill's place on the five-woman team to face off with Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton and Candice LeRae at Survivor Series.
Owens Drawing Internal Praise Amid Feud with Rhodes
It looks like Saturday Night's Main Event on Dec. 14 has its headliner.
On SmackDown, Cody Rhodes cited that show as a possible staging ground for a singles clash between he and Kevin Owens as their war of words continued.
The American Nightmare's status as the world champion speaks to how highly he's valued inside WWE. When it comes to Owens, Sapp (via Ringside News' H Jenkins) reported he has received praise from within the company for his work in the rivalry.
KO has proved himself time and again as a star who can elevate whatever storyline he's involved in. He has been compelling in both the babyface and heel roles as well, though the latter has always been his speciality.
From the moment he was crowned champion at WrestleMania XL, WWE was in a somewhat tough position with Rhodes. Fans were already looking toward a rematch with Roman Reigns, and The Rock has also lingered as a threat on the periphery.
It can be tough to establish any stakes or build emotional investment in what are deemed to be transitional feuds leading up to the battle everyone is waiting for. Thanks in part to Owens, that hasn't been a problem for WWE Creative.
Hardys Reportedly Working Without Contracts
When Matt and Jeff Hardy returned to TNA over the summer, it came out that they didn't have official contracts with the company. It appears that remains the case, with Sapp (via Carrier) reporting they are "technically free agents working without a contract."
This doesn't happen too often because promotions have long learned how quickly a handshake agreement can unravel. The most famous example is perhaps when Rick Rude abruptly left the WWF in 1997 and immediately surfaced in WCW.
Matt and Jeff Hardy have continued to feature in TNA despite not fully signing. They became the tag team champions when they won the Full Metal Mayhem match at Bound for Glory in October.
On the Hardys' contract status, Sapp said TNA "knows they'll do things the right way" and trusts them without anything in writing. It helps that Matt and Jeff probably wouldn't have greener pastures elsewhere with how they're currently being utilized.
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