BS Meter on Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes Rumors, A WWE Legends Return and More
One of the quieter stretches of the WWE and overall pro wrestling calendar this year should mean an almost silent rumor mill, right?
Absolutely not.
There's a bizarre batch of rumblings around a big name like CM Punk. And that's to say nothing about buzz around a Cody Rhodes-Roman Reigns encounter and some possible big returns.
To help fans keep up with the rumor mill, let's throw the biggest rumors on the BS Meter, with 10 being the highest form of unbelievable buzz fans can safely dismiss.
Legend coming to WWE?
1 of 5
The Rumor
Ready for a legend to return? According to WrestleVotes (h/t Cain A. Knight of Cageside Seats), there are discussions within WWE about bringing back Diamond Dallas Page. It hints at a one-off appearance though, not anything extended.
Reaction
It's hard to imagine anyone would complain about DDP coming back for a one-off (or more). Also notable is that, frankly, the recent Triple H era hasn't done a lot with legends and one-time showings like the promotion used to, so perhaps DDP changes that.
BS Meter: 1
Hard to imagine what DDP gets involved in with one appearance. But…also hard to complain. Better for the company to loop in legends than musicians, never mind the recent Pat McAfee disaster.
AJ Lee update
2 of 5
The Rumor
Fans haven't heard from AJ Lee in a long time. According to WrestleVotes on Fightful Select (h/t Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats), there isn't a plan to get her back on regular programming anytime soon.
Reaction
Bummer. Lee, a now-former Women's Intercontinental champion, hasn't had a match since WretleMania 42, where she capped off a fun feud with Becky Lynch. The current timeline and feel of things, then, would seem to suggest she won't be on the card or involved in the upcoming SummerSlam, either.
BS Meter: 1
Feels about right at this point. WWE rolled out Lee around Survivor Series one year ago, stretching things out through 'Mania. While it would be nice to see her more often, WWE has carefully played its cards, never saying whether she was full-time or consistent, anyway.
Big SummerSlam plans buzz
3 of 5
The Rumor
SummerSlam needs big matches. According to WrestleVotes Radio (h/t Knight), on the women's side of things, that could mean a one-on-one encounter between Charlotte Flair and Jade Cargill.
Reaction
It feels like a money feud, with the rumor carefully describing it as a "first-time singles match." It might not feel like "first time" given their encounters as of late, but it would be a nice headliner on the women's side.
BS Meter: 5
Plans can always change, but a must-see singles showdown between Flair and Cargill would be quite a bit better than WWE just continuing to stick them in tag team purgatory like a recent episode of SmackDown. Here's to hoping, though, WWE doesn't feel the need to rip a title off someone else to get it on this singles match…it doesn't need it.
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Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes buzz
4 of 5
The Rumor
Here comes another Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes showdown? Maybe not: According to WrestleVotes (h/t Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats), teases aside, there aren't plans for the two to have a match "anytime soon."
Reaction
That sound is many fans breathing a collective sigh of relief. Not that the two don't work well together, but Reigns and Rhodes seem to really need some time apart. There's a simmering, solid angle for Reigns with Bloodline stuff right now while Rhodes does his usual champion thing.
BS Meter: 1
This could always be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency thing, should injuries or something hit the roster near the next WrestleMania. But right now, fans seem to have their hearts set on Reigns eventually feuding with someone like Oba Femi. There's a time and a place for Reigns and Rhodes to link back up again, given their history, but it feels like it needs to be in a few years, not now.
CM Punk update
5 of 5
The Rumor
CM Punk's extended absence has started to create a silly number of narratives in online spaces. As Mrosko recently pointed out, a random social media account went viral for making claims about problems between Punk and WWE. Fightful Select (h/t Rajah's Jeff Whalen) later reported that there's no heat on Punk and, in fact, WWE has creative plans for him and even new merchandise upon his return.
Reaction
There's been some irresponsible platforming of baseless rumors by the dirtsheets. But fans wondering about this stuff is only natural with Punk's history, his current absence and some buzz about TKO asking stars to take pay cuts.
BS Meter: 10
Stop it.
Punk is 47 years old coming off a relentless schedule and headlining WrestleMania. A break was expected and common sense. It's no coincidence that this weird wondering about AEW burnt bridges and drama popped up at one of the slowest times of the year on the pro wrestling calendar. There's zero reason to think he won't be back in a prominent feud soon enough after the earned break.
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