WWE Rumors Roundup for Week of Nov. 30 Ahead of Clash of Champions

This past week in WWE was a time for "planting seeds." There was nothing too crazy or too out of left-field on both Raw and SmackDown. Instead, everything just sort of simmered. It's good to have that sort of show every now and then—a sort of calm before the storm—that builds suspense before the next narrative twist. Nothing really happened. But everything seemed like it was about to happen.

Here are the most interesting rumors that have been floating around for the past week.

Everybody's Still Mad at Lio Rush

Credit: WWE.com

Newly signed NXT talent Lio Rush made a massive tactical blunder several weeks ago when he decided to make a joke at Emma's expense after her firing. He tweeted: “I guess these are the things that happen when you’re not TRULY ready for @WWEAsuka,” and everyone, including Jack Gallagher, Dash Wilder, Peyton Royce and Bray Wyatt, called him out for his insensitivity.

It seems that since then the heat has not abated. According to PWInsider (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Rush is being kept off of NXT live shows as a result of the negative response. Paul Jordan of PWInsider also noted that Rush had taken all WWE references off of his Twitter bio.

If this is the end of Rush's WWE run, it should serve as a cautionary tale to the rest of the locker room: When it comes to tweeting about anything involving the business or fellow Superstars, it's best to err on the side of being positive. And if a person cannot manage that then it's best not to tweet at all.

Paige's Absolution Stable Goes Cross-Brand?

Credit: WWE.com

Paige re-debuted on Raw with a stable of NXT Superstars in tow: Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan also debuted on SmackDown's main roster, though they had no leader. That, however, may soon change. According to Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats, WWE Creative is playing with the idea of making Paige the leader of all the NXT women.

If true, it shows WWE has an impressive amount of commitment and trust in Paige. Between abuse allegations, suspensions and personal invasions of her privacy, she's been through a lot in a very short time.

The only possible difficulty is if WWE tries to have Paige pull double duty by showing up at both shows. That said, she's been granted an incredible second chance, especially given her recent history with the company.

Vince Is Iffy on Finn Balor Despite Poll

Credit: WWE.com

It's still circulating that Vince McMahon is not sold on Finn Balor fighting Brock Lesnar, per Cageside Seats' Randall Ortman. Now, according to Jeff Whalen of Rajah.com, the rumors continue despite Balor winning a poll on WWE.com, which asked fans who they would like to see Lesnar fight next.

And as for Lesnar? According to David Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Jeremy Bennett of Sportskeeda), he may not even defend the universal title at the Royal Rumble.

If true, this means that even without the title on the line, McMahon would rather have Balor sit out a possible confrontation with the Beast. Considering Balor was the first person to hold the universal title, that's a real shame.

"Awoken" Matt Hardy?

Credit: WWE.com

After his match with Bray Wyatt on SmackDown, Matt Hardy started making very familiar striking movements with his arm. It renewed speculation that's been going on since April 2017—that finally, after many delays and legal hurdles, fans might finally see "Broken" Matt Hardy in a WWE ring.

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reported Hardy will not be using the "Broken" moniker, but he will be engaging in similar antics and behaviors. Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc. floated a possible replacement moniker: "Awoken" Matt Hardy.

It's disappointing, but not unexpected. WWE is notorious for rebranding gimmicks and characters that started in a different wrestling promotion. So long as fans also get an approximation of Brother Nero and Senor Benjamin, it should turn out fine.