WWE Rumors: Examining Latest Buzz Around Charlotte, Undertaker and More

Concern is at the heart of the latest WWE rumors, centering on how officials view Charlotte and what shape Undertaker is in.

After a tremendous Fatal 4-Way match at NXT Takeover: Rival, Charlotte is no longer NXT women's champ. That has increased speculation about her moving to the main roster soon. How some WWE personnel feel about this potential promotion is surprising.

There is also backstage talk about Undertaker. If one buys into it, the rumors emerging are depressing for his longtime fans. 

Elsewhere, NXT is apparently creating jealousy, and the Hall of Fame may soon be getting another big man.

Undertaker Update

The fact that Undertaker is so rarely seen in between WrestleManias, that he essentially hibernates out of public view, leads to rumors swirling around him. Will he wrestle again? How healthy is he?

Mel Evans/Associated Press

These questions won't be answered until The Deadman either steps into the ring again or makes an official statement that he's done. Until then, expect to read about him on the Internet aplenty. The latest word on him is not something his fans will celebrate.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestleZone), Undertaker looks extremely old right now and was seen moving poorly, his knees appearing to be shot. 

Combine Undertaker's age (50) with the number of years he has spent battling in wrestling rings (30), and no one is expecting to hear that he's doing parkour in his off time. Still, this is not what WWE and its fanbase want to hear heading into WrestleMania.

This report, though, is something one should take with the proverbial grain of salt. If WWE were truly concerned with Undertaker's health, it wouldn't be pushing so hard for a future Bray Wyatt-against-Undertaker showdown. 

Wyatt appeared on Monday's Raw, after this report came out, and talked again about a mystery opponent. His phrasings once again sounded as if he were referring to Undertaker.

Who else is this empty shell he speaks of? Who is this old face of fear Wyatt feels needs to be replaced?

Undertaker is likely not in great shape, but this talk feels exaggerated.  

Backstage Word on NXT

NXT rocked it again. NXT Takeover: Rival was another one of the developmental brand's successes. The show apparently had performers on the main roster frustrated as they watched, though.

According to F4WOnline (h/t PWMania), some WWE wrestlers are frustrated that while NXT stars have ample time to shine in the ring, they are often stuck with short, inconsequential matches. That is especially true for the Divas.

Credit: WWE.com

This isn't surprising in the least.

NXT features tauter, more developed stories. The show uses smart narrative devices like tournaments, and the women in the Divas division are regularly asked to put on longer, superior matches.

For main roster Superstars and Divas who don't get that treatment, it has to be hard to watch NXT, a product that is often what WWE could be.

Brie Bella made a recent comment at Wizard World Indianapolis that points to this divide between WWE stars and their NXT counterparts. She said, "If I was an NXT Diva, I would not want to come up to the main roster." 

She is right on here. NXT is the better home for Divas, at least creatively. Wrestlers who feel underused on the main roster have to be envious of what goes down at Full Sail University.

Reported Backstage Opinion of Charlotte

Charlotte may soon be making that move to the main roster that Brie talked about. Should she pay attention to the rumor going around about her, she has to be suffering from frustration of her own.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc), some officials are high on the former women's champ, but some don't want to bring her to the main roster. There is reportedly talk of her not fitting the supermodel image.

This is the kind of report you wish isn't true.

If people who get paid to make wrestling decisions have concerns about Charlotte because of her looks, they shouldn't keep their jobs. Promoting attractive women to center stage rather than looking for the best performers has led to embarrassing flops like Eva Marie. 

The folks who would try to hold back Charlotte because she doesn't look like a supermodel would likely have not called up Chyna, The Fabulous Moolah or Beth Phoenix. Not looking like Adriana Lima didn't hold back any of those women from having highly successful careers. 

Charlotte is an excellent all-around wrestler and has improved tremendously throughout her still young career. She will thrive on the main roster.

That's where the conversation should end.

Another Possible Inductee 

WWE has announced just three names for the 2015 Hall of Fame so far. The company is reportedly considering adding a pair of former WWE world champs to that list.

PWInsider reports (h/t Wrestle Zone) that both Kevin Nash and Ivan Koloff are being discussed as potential members of the 2015 Hall of Fame class.

The argument for either man is easy to make. Nash was a world champ in both WCW and WWE and at the center of one of the biggest angles in wrestling history in the NWO.

Koloff is one of the greatest heels to ever pound on a babyface. He also famously took the WWE title from Bruno Sammartino in 1971.

Both men make sense as potential entrants, although Nash is the bigger name to younger fans who didn't see Koloff in his prime.

Don't take the mention of these two wrestlers as assurance of their induction, though. The year has already seen reports of Ray Stevens and Larry Zbyszko (both from PWInsider) being set to go in, but there hasn't been any word on either grappler getting the nod.