BS Meter on Latest CM Punk WWE Rumors, Sheamus to AEW, Survivor Series Plans and More
WWE certainly knows how to heat things up for SummerSlam.
What could have been a rather ho-hum next few weeks for the pro wrestling rumor mill is suddenly ablaze in the aftermath of CM Punk abruptly taking the title off Sami Zayn.
That stunning return and move has a wide range of implications. Some of them are uncomfortable. Others merely deal with big-ticket items like what might actually headline SummerSlam and beyond.
To help fans keep up with the wicked pace of the summer rumor mill, let's put the biggest rumors on the BS Meter, with 10 being the highest form of unbelievable buzz fans can safely dismiss.
Sheamus headed to AEW
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The Rumor
The Sheamus situation just keeps evolving. The veteran is out in WWE and according to Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats), there are some in AEW who "aren't thrilled at the prospect" of him going there.
Reaction
One doesn't need to be an insider to know creative things probably didn't work out between WWE and Sheamus. Fair to wonder about the contract situation, too, given all the buzz about that for the entire roster as of late. But Shemus leaving WWE, no matter what, is a shame. He felt like a lifer.
BS Meter: 1
Easy enough to buy. There will always be quotables in some company not happy about the prospects of an outsider joining up. Sheamus, though, should have a pretty positive impact on AEW across the board, even if he doesn't get major television time.
WWE's interest in Jack Perry
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The Rumor
As most probably expected, Jack Perry is back with AEW. And according to Alvarez (h/t Cain A. Knight of Cageside Seats), WWE "never really discussed" going after him on the open market.
Reaction
Call Perry the inverse-Sheamus here. He's always sort of felt like a lifer on the AEW side. There are just guys who fit one promotion better than another. And smaller guys like Perry don't get a ton of on-screen usage in WWE, frankly.
BS Meter: 5
Call it a 50-50 rumor. Surely, someone in WWE at least brought on the idea once Perry's free-agent status made the rounds. But indeed, it was probably shot down pretty quickly, especially if AEW was adamant on keeping him on the roster, anyway.
PLE location buzz
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The Rumor
WWE has yet to pull back the proverbial curtain on some key upcoming events. As WrestleVotes recently said on Fightful, things for Survivor Series remain unknown after initial plans collapsed.
Reaction
Let the rumor tell it, Boston initially had a dog in the fight before talks fell apart…after the international date didn't come to light, it seems. It's hard to guess at where the event might go, but SummerSlam is in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and October's Money in the Bank is in New Orleans, Louisiana, so a big city like Boston would indeed seem to make some sense.
BS Meter: 1
Easy buy. If WWE had a date, it would surely unveil it in the hopes of starting to generate ticket movement. Last year, Survivor Series occurred at the end of November in San Diego, California, so it wouldn't be a shock to see an announcement soon.
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WrestleMania a secondary show?
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The Rumor
This one has come up here and there over the last few months. According to False Finish (h/t Sports Illustrated's Rick Ucchino) WWE wants SummerSlam to be a bigger show than WrestleMania this year.
Reaction
Since WWE unveiled that WrestleMania 43 will take place in Saudi Arabia next April, this rumor has popped up here and there. Now, with WWE ripping the title off Zayn and handing it to Punk, that's being explained as part of the reason why.
BS Meter: 10
Totally unbelievable. WWE isn't going to make WrestleMania a second-rate show compared to another PLE for any reason. Unfortunately, WWE doesn't see Zayn as a SummerSlam headliner. And there's something else they're eyeballing for Punk at 'Mania, so they're doing his feud with Rhodes now. By 'Mania, Oba Femi will be challenging for a title, too, among other things that debunk this pretty easily.
Sami Zayn buzz
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The Rumor
The why around Zayn dropping the title to Punk will be a conversation for a long time. According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats), all involved knew that Zayn's title run would only last for a matter of days. To make things worse, he says the top two titles in WWE are for "money players."
Reaction
Translation: Zayn isn't a guy. He's not a headliner. In fact, Meltzer dropped a quote about WWE still being "brainwashed by the cosmetics," implying that Zayn doesn't have the look required of a top champion.
BS Meter: 5
Hard to say on this one. WWE clearly doesn't feel like Zayn is a top guy who can headline something like a WrestleMania. But that doesn't explain why they gave him a title win in the first place. Maybe everyone knew going into things, but it's a little jarring that WWE doesn't think Zayn has the look. It's not like they've given a more prototypical pro wrestler who is super-over like LA Knight a top title run at any point on the calendar, either.
CM Punk latest updates
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The Rumor
As expected, there are no problems between CM Punk and WWE no matter what the dirtsheets tried to stir up during the star's hiatus. According to PW Insider (h/t Mrosko), Punk's absence was merely a break after his extended run. WRKD Wrestling is also cited as saying that Cody Rhodes-Punk at SummerSlam is the plan.
Reaction
As already hinted, everyone, from Zayn to Punk and beyond, already knew this was the plan all along. If nothing else, Zayn getting a title win is nice, but WWE clearly just wanted to make sure they weren't doing Punk-Rhodes before SummerSlam itself. Zayn was, unfortunately, a transitional champion.
BS Meter: 1
Whatever WWE has cooked up for Rhodes-Punk had better be good. Fans just saw how the promotion botched Rhodes-Randy Orton. It would do Zayn an even greater disservice if the feud is mishandled and flops. But yes, there was zero chance "issues" between Punk and WWE were anything but silliness making the rounds at a quiet part of the calendar.
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