BS Meter on Growing WrestleMania 42 Crisis, WWE Draft Plans and More Rumors
The pro wrestling rumor mill is hotter than ever this time of year for one simple reason:
WWE's in trouble.
WrestleMania just…isn't hitting like it usually does. One can get that vibe from the weekly broadcasts, sure.
But it's all over the rumor mill, too, with buzz about those inside WWE panicking about the upcoming event. There are even rumblings about major late changes, too.
Things vibe so dire right now that it's almost entirely overshadowing the weekend's Elimination Chamber PLE.
To help fans keep pace with the dramatic tension, let's put the biggest rumors against a BS Meter, with 10 being the highest form of unbelievable buzz fans can safely dismiss.
WWE Draft buzz
1 of 6
The Rumor
But first, a fun side note about other major possible events. According to BodySlam+ (h/t Tom Araya of Rajah), there are no current dates in mind for a 2026 edition of the WWE Draft.
Reaction
At this point, fans probably forgot WWE even does a draft sometimes. The last one was in 2024. It's a little surprising, considering the push to become more like a "real" sport under TKO. A draft would certainly fit.
BS Meter: 1
No reason to doubt this. WWE has its hands full panicking about 'Mania as it is. And to its credit, the promotion has worked hard to bring up NXT talents and shuffle rosters around meaningful storylines and character developments. WWE never really nailed the feel of a real sports draft anyway.
AJ Styles latest
2 of 6
The Rumor
Most fans assumed AJ Styles was unaware of the Hall of Fame reveal from Undertaker last week. According to Wrestling Observer (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Styles was "completely in the dark" about it. Adding on to this, Justin Barrasso of Undisputed (h/t Rajah's Jeff Whalen) reported that Styles knew AEW would be coming after him with big offers.
Reaction
Regardless of whether Styles knew about the reveal, fans then speculated that WWE did this to prevent him from going to AEW.
Styles himself shot this down on Talk N Shop Live! (h/t Whalen): "Let me give you something to talk about. So, everybody wants to say, 'Oh! WWE put him in the Hall of Fame so that he couldn't go to AEW.' Guys, I am retired from wrestling in the ring. Like, that's all this is. I make my own choices, I make my own decisions. I was ready."
Right on cue, Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live (h/t Araya) reported that Styles will soon be a producer in WWE.
BS Meter: 5
Styles knew what was coming with Undertaker. This is pro wrestling, where acting is part of the gig. Otherwise, it does feel like WWE moved really quickly with this, which might've been to hopefully prevent company-hopping.
WrestleMania panic?
3 of 6
The Rumor
According to WrestleVotes (h/t Ortman), there's "panic" in WWE about WrestleMania 42. The card still being so up in the air is a major problem for all levels of the company, as it can't properly roll out marketing and merchandise.
Reaction
Call this a trickle-down effect of bad booking. It's been a problem consistently for the better part of a year now. Tack on high ticket prices, doubling down on the same location for a second consecutive year, and the problems start to add up.
BS Meter: 1
No doubt WWE is scrambling. One just has to watch the weekly shows right now to catch that vibe. Luckily for them, there's plenty of time (this is pro wrestling after all) to get things right.
Trick Williams shakeup already?
4 of 6
The Rumor
WWE apparently sees the same thing as fans: Trick Williams is a star. According to WrestleVotes (h/t Ortman), WWE's already looking at a babyface turn for Williams due to crowd response.
Reaction
Williams has been on fire since his arrival. The company obviously believes in him, given the big names he's been orbiting around already. Ironing out his character direction for stories is next.
BS Meter: 1
This was inevitable. Williams has the look, ability and merchandise-moving catchphrases. The trick now is pulling off the turn in a way that makes sense while hopefully getting him even more over.
Masked man drama
5 of 6
The Rumor
Time to axe the masked man thing? According to WrestleVotes (h/t Ortman), WWE had booked the masked man angle to play a role in Bronson Reed's Elimination Chamber qualifier match on Raw. Reed's injury scrapped the whole thing.
Reaction
Reed was widely viewed as the guy who was supposed to win that match before he got hurt. Instead, it's Jey Uso time again.
BS Meter: 5
Pretty believable. But plans change all the time in WWE, too. The nice thing about the overused masked-man saga is that things can change and nobody would be much wiser. Either way, the whole thing stinks for Reed, who just can't seem to shake the injury bug at critical moments.
Additions to 'Mania title match?
6 of 6
The Rumor
According to a roundup from Ortman, multiple outlets are now reporting that WWE might throw any number of names into the 'Mania title match against McIntyre.
Reaction
Diluting McIntyre's defense at 'Mania would be unfortunate. Make no mistake, guys like Sami Zayn, Randy Orton and even Jacob Fatu deserve chances. But they're not even in the Elimination Chamber match. Throw them in later and making it almost resemble a tag match would likely be a bad call.
BS Meter: 1
It's perfectly on brand for WWE to overreact like this. It's also hard to see how cramming a bunch of names into one match will increase appeal, but WWE's sort of just flailing right now, clearly.
