Buy or Sell WWE Raw Shake-up, Latest on Jericho, a Tyrese Haliburton 'What-if', More
The pro wrestling rumor mill has managed to match the pace of WWE's major event schedule.
Meaning, in a word, the rumor mill is fast.
It says something that WWE's big international PLE Clash in Paris on Sunday isn't even the biggest upcoming event within the next month. That honor, on paper, goes to the September 20 landmark Netflix PLE debut for WWE with Wrestlepalooza.
Tack on some Saturday Night's Main Event shows and other big pitstops to close out the 2025 pro wrestling calendar and, simply put, it makes sense that the rumblings going public are more rapid than usual.
In an effort to help fans keep up, here's a look at the most notable news and buzz making the rounds and whether fans should buy or sell on each.
Vince McMahon's WWE Involvement
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The Rumor
Vince McMahon was recently in the headlines near the pro wrestling space after his 80th birthday party. But according to Fightful Select (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), there are no plans or desire to have McMahon back or even pitching in with creative ideas right now.
Reaction
WWE is on a roll right now, so it makes sense that WWE wouldn't have much of an interest in rocking the proverbial boat. And that's just speaking from a pro wrestling creative stance, as the Triple H-guided ship continues to do just fine.
Buy or Sell?
Buy. This TKO-corporate-feeling WWE as of late seems to be a little bolder with what it's doing, including looping Brock Lesnar back into things. But it also makes sense that shaking up creative in any way right now just isn't on the table.
Shocking Tyrese Halliburton Claims
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The Rumor
Indiana Pacers superstar Tyrese Halliburton…WWE star? The NBA superstar said on Impaulsive (h/t Ortman) that he and Triple H had a loose plan in place to have him walk alongside John Cena with the NBA championship trophy had he not torn his Achilles.
Reaction
Talk about a stunning peek at an alternate timeline. Swapping Halliburton into some of the roles held by Travis Scott (or future dates the musical was supposed to take before disappearing) would've been amazing. Think, for example, the Pacers star strolling down the ramp with the NBA trophy alongside a heel, champion Cena…at SummerSlam in New Jersey.
Buy or Sell?
Easiest buy of the week. In fact, it's not unreasonable to think this doesn't happen at a later date. All involved missed the target date on the Cena heel run. But this is something everyone can bank. WWE loves its mainstream appeal and leaning into bitter rivalries in other sports is a no-brainer. A layup, even.
Becky Lynch Heat?
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The Rumor
Becky Lynch looped Ozzy Osbourne's death into a promo recently, and according to Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer (h/t Ortman), WWE is "embarrassed" and a public apology might be on the way.
Reaction
It's extremely strange to think that this is where WWE draws the line on what's acceptable in promos over the years. Pro wrestling has always thrown out references to real life and sooner or later, Ozzy's name was going to come up.
Buy or Sell?
Huge sell. Lynch isn't one to get distasteful in promos. Unplanned things happen at times during a live broadcast, but this could easily be one of those things pre-approved for air. And frankly, WWE craves and loves this type of mainstream attention. Maybe they follow up with a mild apology of sorts, sure, but the concept of WWE feeling embarrassment is just a bridge too far.
Orton vs. McIntyre Soon?
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The Rumor
How WWE handles the triangle of Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes is intriguing. According to Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (h/t Ortman), Orton-McIntyre will happen soon and well before McIntyre gets a shot at Rhodes.
Reaction
These are the most logical opponents for Rhodes and sensible timings, too. Rhodes just had a baby and even if it weren't for that, he seemed headed for a slightly lesser schedule after SummerSlam, anyway.
Buy or Sell?
Buy. No need to roll the Rhodes feud out in a hurry. McIntyre and Orton can put on a great match as soon as Sunday, then one of them can move on to Rhodes. WWE has an entire upcoming winter schedule to let things like this play out.
Raw Start Time Changes?
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The Rumor
Interesting rumblings about Raw's start time changing keep popping up. According to WrestleVotes Radio (h/t Ortman), a trio of episodes in September will start at 7 p.m. ET as an experiment to see ratings impact while competing with the NFL.
Reaction
This was the next natural evolution of WWE's Raw going to a streaming service like Netflix. And frankly, there's no reason to not mess around with the start time and see what works.
Buy or Sell?
Buy. How critical are live-viewing numbers on Netflix? How many fans catch the show some other time? Only WWE knows, but bumping the start time up and even letting fans see main events and show finales before the NFL kicks off on Monday nights might be a really savvy business move in the long run.
Chris Jericho Latest
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The Rumor
The unofficial Chris Jericho free agency tour via the rumor mill continues. According to PWInsider (h/t Andrew Ravens of WrestlingNews), it was the wrestler himself who reached out to WWE first, not the other way around.
Reaction
Knowing WWE's endless desire to counterpunch and take little jabs at AEW, one would think the company might get out in front of this and reach out first. Then again, perhaps tampering got in the way?
Buy or Sell?
Buy. It seems only natural for Jericho to reach out and see what's out there as his career winds to a close. And his going back to WWE feels inevitable, so, too, was his reaching out to see if he might be able to finish his career there.
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