BS Meter on Randy Orton Return Rumors, WWE Legends at SummerSlam, New Day in AEW, More
The pro wrestling rumor mill keeps finding ways to match the sweltering heat of the summer before WWE's SummerSlam on August 1-2.
WWE has already nailed down some major matches for that event. Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar. CM Punk and Cody Rhodes. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.
And yet, the mill keeps buzzing. This week, there's a little drama with a wrestler who doesn't like his booking, it seems, plus some big assists from AEW land thanks to the likes of MJF.
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.
Returning legends?
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The Rumor
SummerSlam, like WrestleMania, tends to bring out the legends. According to PW Insider (h/t Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats), WWE will bring in The Undertaker and some other choice names for the big weekend of events.
Reaction
Other names in the report include Sean Waltman, Rikishi, and even The Dudley Boyz. None of them are much of a surprise at this point in their career. There's probably a few names in the back pocket WWE is making sure won't leak ahead of time, too.
BS Meter: 1
No doubt this is close to the list of names that will appear. It's important to note that the report doesn't say in what capacity these legends might make appearances. For all anyone knows, they won't even be on camera during the event itself.
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods update
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The Rumor
It's been a little quiet on the Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods front. But according to Self Made Pro (h/t Mrosko), AEW already has creative plans in the works for both Superstars.
Reaction
Kingston and Woods going to AEW is very much a foregone conclusion. The release from WWE was a shocker, it but it was pretty obvious from the jump that they would fit into the AEW ecosystem really well.
BS Meter: 1
On the off chance Kingston and Woods throw a curveball and don't wind up in AEW, this wouldn't make the buzz any less valid. One could imagine that promotions throw together brief outlines of plans on the chance free agents sign all the time.
MJF updates
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The Rumor
Elsewhere on the AEW front, here's the latest on MJF. According to Fightful Select (h/t Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats), the former top champion is on a hiatus for an unknown stretch of time. But not too long.
Reaction
Shocker alert, right? MJF lost the belt to Kenny Omega at Beach Break, which was apparently bumped up the calendar rather than at the July 26 Redemption event. That spurred speculation that MJF is on his way to a Hollywood project and/or taking a break due to an injury, but nothing has been confirmed on that front.
BS Meter: 1
Easy enough. MJF has been top dog for a chunk of 2026 and carrying AEW on his back. The report mentions that he's still penciled in for All In from London at the end of August, so the hiatus could feel quite brief, indeed.
Bron Breakker drama
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The Rumor
Let the rumor mill tell it, Bron Breakker is not happy. According to Self Made Pro (h/t Mrosko), it even went as far as Breakker going to creative and asking to be removed from his current situation, letting him shake loose and get into something else.
Reaction
Hard to blame Breakker too much on this one. He's stuck around Austin Theory, Logan Paul and others while Paul Heyman seems to be out of the mix. And zooming out, he's certainly lost some weight in the main-event conversation while the likes of Oba Femi have seemingly leapfrogged well past him on the ladder.
BS Meter: 5
It's hard to get a read on just how seriously to take this. Breakker could have easily asked a small question about his direction, then gotten right back out there and played ball with what he's been given. Some untimely injuries have not helped him, though, and it's hard to see when or how this current direction will get him back to "next big thing" status, if it's even recoverable at this point.
Nikki Bella update
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The Rumor
As fans probably understand, Nikki Bella is on hiatus that could end soon. According to WrestleVotes Radio (h/t Cain A. Knight of Cageside Seats), Bella has been a topic in WWE creative recently, implying a return soon.
Reaction
Bella was pulled from her 'Mania match and fans haven't seen her in the ring since she tagged with Brie Bella in March. It would seem, then, that she's perhaps looking at a Saturday Night's Main Event return, if not a little after that.
BS Meter: 1
After missing 'Mania, the super-obvious next target date for a veteran like Nikki was SummerSlam. Whether that means an ASAP return or over the next few weeks remains to be seen, but she always figured to be in the mix during the second biggest show of the year.
Randy Orton return update
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The Rumor
Far bigger on the return scale is Randy Orton. According to WrestleVotes Radio (h/t Knight), Orton could be in New York for Saturday Night's Main Event over the weekend. That doesn't guarantee he shows up on screen, but he's likely going to be around the promotion and working.
Reaction
Orton's absence since the WrestleMania 42 main event against Cody Rhodes has been perplexing. The odd finish, which included the punt that didn't make a ton of sense in a messy story, and the absence led to speculation about an injury.
BS Meter: 1
Same with Bella, really. If Orton is healthy, he always figured to make his return around the run-up to SummerSlam. It's hard to see where he would fit on the card, with Rhodes now fighting Punk, but fans won't complain no matter what the modern legend ends up doing.
