BS Meter on Becky Lynch, Rhea Ripley WWE Return Date Rumors, Bayley's Future, More

Going by the rumor mill, the temperature check on WWE is interesting right now: Call it lukewarm at best. 

This close to SummerSlam, the hype around pro wrestling should be massive. Instead, all of the buzz around the sport pertains not to matches and outcomes and big-ticket items. It's mostly injury updates. 

Maybe that changes as the second-biggest event of the year draws even closer, on August 1-2, but the buzz this close is a pretty good indication of how well weekly shows and the projected matches have done to build the event. In other words, not well.

Even so, there's a lot to go over, despite the sudden quieter nature of it all. 

To help fans catch up with the rumor mill, let's place the biggest rumors on the BS Meter, with 10 being the highest form of unbelievable buzz fans can safely dismiss.

Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss updates

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The Rumor

The women's division could be getting a major boost soon. According to WrestleVotes (h/t Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats), Becky Lynch should be back to WWE after SummerSlam. Alexa Bliss, though, doesn't have any creative plans for the major event. 

Reaction

Talk about a fun one. Fans haven't seen much of Lynch since the Queen of the Ring stuff. Bliss had a match in July with Jade Cargill, but it's a little surprising to hear she's not involved in SummerSlam plans. 

BS Meter: 1

Seems about right. Throwing Lynch in the mix at the last second wouldn't make a lot of sense at this stage. Bliss is clearly not part of the program, barring a last-second shocker, given that there's seven or more women's wrestlers on the two-night card that looks packed already.

Bayley WWE update

The Rumor

What's going on with Bayley? According to Fightful Select (h/t Mrosko), she has yet to sign a new contract with WWE and AEW would have an interest if she hits the open market. Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (h/t Cain A. Knight of Cageside Seats), though, countered by saying Bayley's deal isn't up for a few months. 

Reaction

So, perhaps Bayley beat the tar out of Lyra Valkyria recently to truly be written off television on the chance she doesn't re-up with WWE. That's hard to imagine, though. But…then again, New Day and Sheamus seemed like WWE-lifers too. And AEW happens to roster Mercedes Moné.

BS Meter: 5

Hard to say what's really going on with Bayley, especially in this new WWE that is apparently happy to burn bridges with some of its longest-tenured talent. WWE is better with Bayley involved, but overall sport happenings could encourage her to see what's out there. 

WWE plans for Nick Aldis

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The Rumor

As expected and to a positive response from fans, Nick Aldis is finally stepping into the ring to battle Gunther. But according to WrestleVotes (h/t Mrosko), there are no future in-ring plans for him beyond that. 

Reaction

Let's get the obvious out of the way: There's always going to be a door left ajar for Aldis to get back in the ring in the future. He's only 39 years old. But the catch is simple: WWE has a bloated roster as it is and Aldis is a very good general manager character, so no need to spoil his fantastic run so far. 

BS Meter: 1

Easy enough to buy this one. This little feud has been brewing for a long time now and a payoff at a huge show like SummerSlam makes sense. Extending it beyond that, especially in the ring, would be too much and Aldis needs to stay in his general manager role as long as possible. 

Rhea Ripley latest

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The Rumor

Speaking of major names sidelined with injury and on the way back, it doesn't get much bigger than Rhea Ripley. According to WrestleVotes (h/t Knight), WWE pushed for Ripley to avoid rushing back for SummerSlam, opting for the safe route in her recovery.

Reaction

Kudos goes to WWE, if true. Ripley hasn't worked a televised match since Clash in Italy back at the end of May. One could argue there's no need to rush back for SummerSlam, especially if the goal is to have her fully healthy for the eventual build to next year's Mania. 

BS Meter: 1

WWE's roster is so stacked that it can afford to do this, if needed. Even with Bayley and others out, too, the SummerSlam card has major names like Liv Morgan, Io Sky, Charlotte Flair and plenty of others. The women's division is so deep that rotating wrestlers out for recovery and such can totally work.

WWE counter-booking AEW?

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The Rumor

It's well-known that WWE likes to book things in a way that inconveniences AEW. The latest example, it seems, according to WrestleVotes (h/t Knight) is WWE booking WrestleMania 43 watch parties across the United States to counterprogram whatever AEW event ends up running that same weekend. 

Reaction

This one wasn't hard to see coming. WWE took 'Mania overseas to Saudi Arabia, so that leaves an opening for competition like AEW. Everyone seems to agree AEW will put on some kind of big show in the United States the same weekend. 

BS Meter: 5

Call it a coinflip. We know WWE goes out of its way to counterprogram AEW, even though the two promotions are even in the same zip code. But also, is it really that unusual for WWE to host some major watch parties in the United States during the first overseas WrestleMania? Probably not.