WWE Rumors on The Rock at Elimination Chamber, CM Punk Backstage, Malakai Black Return

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

Reported Frustration in WWE over The Rock at Elimination Chamber

Some in WWE reportedly aren't thrilled with The Rock becoming the main focus of Saturday's Elimination Chamber premium live event in some ways.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), "several people" in WWE were "upset" over the fact that the original Elimination Chamber ad featuring multiple Superstars was replaced with one featuring only The Rock.

A more recent advertisement released by WWE features The Rock, John Cena and rapper Travis Scott:

Last week, The Rock announced one day before SmackDown that he would be appearing on the show, which was a massive surprise since he had not been advertised previously.

In addition to announcing that WrestleMania 42 will be held in New Orleans, The Rock called out WWE champion Cody Rhodes to have a conversation with him on SmackDown.

The Final Boss was complimentary of Cody, but he had an ulterior motive, as he expressed to Rhodes that he wanted him to be "his" champion.

The Rock said he wanted Cody's soul and for Cody to follow essentially whatever he suggests to him. Rhodes seemed extremely reluctant, but The Rock said he would give him until Elimination Chamber to decide.

That decision will occur at Elimination Chamber in Toronto, and it could prove to be the most important segment on the show despite the presence of two Elimination Chamber matches that will determine the challengers for the WWE Championship and Women's World Championship at WrestleMania.

Even if there is some internal frustration with The Rock, it is understandable why WWE wants to feature him, as SmackDown was the No. 1 show on television in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic last Friday.

A was the case for the build to WrestleMania 40 last year, the product tends to be more interesting when The Rock is around, and he is proving that once again this year.

Punk Reportedly Receiving Backstage Praise in WWE

Since returning to WWE in November 2023, CM Punk continues to receive rave reviews for his work and attitude behind the scenes.

Speaking this week on Backstage Pass, WrestleVotes (h/t Carrier), said the following about how Punk has been perceived in WWE during his current tenure:

“I have heard nothing but positive since the day he came back. I continue to hear positive. He has just put himself in a position where he can be approached. He does his job, he gets over, he sells merchandise. I mean, he’s doing everything they possibly ask him.”

Punk left WWE on bad terms in January 2014 when he walked out due to mounting frustrations, and he remained out of pro wrestling until 2021 when he joined AEW.

He quickly established himself as AEW's biggest and most popular stars, and while he had plenty of on-screen success, constant backstage issues led to his departure in 2023.

It was unclear at that point if there would be mutual interest between Punk and WWE in a reunion, but they made it happen, and he returned in shocking fashion at Survivor Series 2023 in his hometown of Chicago.

Since then, Punk has consistently been one of the best parts of WWE programming, and every indication is that he has been a model citizen as well.

Punk has often made the trip to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, to work with and teach WWE's budding stars, making him a valuable resource for WWE even outside of his on-screen work.

While Punk had the reputation for being difficult to work with at times during his first WWE stint and his time in AEW, he is viewed in a far different light now.

Malakai Black Reportedly Expected to Return to WWE

Amid his reported departure of AEW, Malakai Black reportedly could be back in WWE soon.

According to Meltzer (h/t Carrier), the former Aleister Black is expected back in WWE "imminently."

Fightful Select (h/t WrestleZone's Anthony Nash) reported on Feb. 10 that Black, Ricky Starks and Miro had all departed AEW after looking to do so "for quite some time."

Starks has already made his WWE debut since then, appearing in NXT as Ricky Saints, and it seems as though Black could soon follow suit.

After finding success on the independent scene under the name Tommy End, Black signed with WWE in 2016 and began going by the name Aleister Black soon after.

He quickly established himself as a dominant force in NXT, winning the NXT Championship and holding it for over 100 days.

Black was called up to WWE's main roster in 2019, but he never came close to replicating his NXT success, and he was somewhat surprisingly released from the company in 2021.

He signed with AEW later that year and changed his name to Malakai Black. Under that moniker, he made an instant impact by targeting Cody Rhodes and entering into a feud with him.

It can be argued that Black's first program in AEW was the high point for him, as he spent most of his time in the company wrestling tag team and trios matches as part of the House of Black.

His last match in AEW was at Full Gear in November, and the other House of Black members strongly suggested in promos in the weeks and months that followed that Black was gone.

Given that Black's wife, Zelina Vega, is part of the SmackDown roster, it would make sense for him to make his WWE return on the blue brand.

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