Buy or Sell Latest on Randy Orton, Bianca Belair Injury and More WWE, AEW Rumors
The pro wrestling rumor mill quieted a bit this week, yet the slumber won't last for long.
And calling it a slumber or quiet is sort of a stretch, anyway. Thanks to the WWE side, things have been rather historic in the rumblings and buzz market.
New and old culprits get the blame. John Cena's retirement tour has all sorts of buzz around it. Roman Reings just came back again. Major names have shifted companies. Crown Jewel from Perth, Australia is on October 11.
And now names like Ronday Rousey have re-entered the pro wrestling and TKO orbit to spice things up.
Here's a look at the most notable rumors of the week and whether fans should buy or sell on each.
Randy Orton misuse?
1 of 5
The Rumor
Randy Orton is suddenly a hot topic. During an appearance on "Inside the Ring," Mark Henry (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats) said that there are some in WWE who feel Orton is "underused" right now.
Reaction
It's impossible to argue this one. Ever since his big return from injury, it feels like fans have just been waiting in a sort of limbo for the inevitable-feeling heel turn. But Orton has instead been wasting away in repeated encounters with Drew McIntyre. The one-off, not-much-of-a-story loss to John Cena was way back in May. He even had a weird partnership with musician Jelly Roll at SummerSlam, as opposed to something meaningful.
Buy or Sell?
Biggest buy of the month. Orton is being wasted. There's a fear amongst fans about it, too. He's 45 years old and it wasn't all that clear he was going to 100 percent come back from injury. Now, he's sort of just floating around doing weird stuff when fans know he is capable of so much more.
Ronda Rousey rumblings
2 of 5
The Rumor
Not all that long ago, Ronda Rousey made it sound like she wouldn't go back to WWE for various reasons. But Ariel Helwani (h/t Ortman) has suggested he thinks "something's there" when it comes to a Rousey-UFC return, based on recent social media usage by Rousey.
Reaction
It's a little weird to think that Rousey wouldn't go back to professional wrestling with a company like WWE, yet risk getting back into the Octagon. She hasn't done that in nearly a decade.
Buy or Sell?
Sell on Rousey going back to UFC. She's 38 and unless it's a gimmick fight like we've seen from the sport of boxing lately, highly unlikely. What's funny, though, is that one could allege this almost feels like a sort of pro wrestling buildup. Maybe it's a misdirection and fans see her back in pro wrestling soon?
Andrade fallout and buzz
3 of 5
The Rumor
Andrade is back in AEW (again) and as some fans might've noticed, it took no time at all. According to Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (h/t Ortman), this was able to happen because there was no non-compete clause in place after he was fired from WWE.
Reaction
Pro wrestling fans have such a peek behind the curtain at all times now that the topic of non-compete clauses in a wrestler's contract often comes up in normal discourse. It's one of the many reasons Andrade just surfacing in AEW so quickly was met with so much surprise.
Buy or Sell?
Buy. There were a lot of weird rumblings about the how and why of Andrade's WWE exit. But this one, from a timing standpoint, makes perfect sense. Mercifully, the conversation can now turn to what AEW might do with him from here.
Bianca Belair injury buzz
4 of 5
The Rumor
It's not often Bianca Belair injury rumblings pop up. But Fightful Select (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News) has a new update, revealing that Belair has been out longer than most expected due to breaking a knuckle during a spot at WrestleMania 41.
Reaction
Belair's absence is felt, to say the least. She hasn't had a match since April at that big event during that Triple Threat with Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. There have been appearances, but those tend to just draw attention to the fact she's not back actively competing and feuding.
Buy or Sell?
Buy. The extended absence has been a disappointment and the fact the report hints there still isn't an estimated return timetable doesn't really vibe like WWE trying to hide something before a big surprise, unfortunately.
Notable NXT change?
5 of 5
The Rumor
Fans might need to rethink how they approach the idea of an NXT-call-up. According to Fightful Select (h/t Carrier), WWE is done making it so obvious when a Superstar might make the major jump to Raw or SmackDown.
Reaction
To make things even more interesting, the report suggests that there doesn't even need to be a clear endpoint to a wrestler's time in NXT anymore. So there won't necessarily be those farewell matches after losses anymore, for better or worse.
Buy or Sell?
Buy. We haven't outright seen ironclad proof of this just yet. But it helps WWE retain a serious element of surprise. And for whatever it's worth, steering away from the almost "graduation" vibe of the goodbye loss and standing ovation before moving up to the big leagues could help strip NXT of its "developmental league" feel in the eyes of some fans.
.jpg?w=480)
