WWE Rumors, Speculation Roundup for Week of Dec. 28 Ahead of Royal Rumble

As WWE moves closer to WrestleMania, the rumor mill kicks into high gear. And that is especially true this year, because 2017's WrestleMania ended on a bit of a downer. The Undertaker, after losing to Roman Reigns in the main event, took off his coat, his gloves and his hat and left them in a pile in the ring.

The symbolism was obvious: The Undertaker had retired. But in the months since, WWE has been curiously non-committal. They have gone out of their to avoid saying, definitively, that The Undertaker's career is officially over. Is it possible that the Dead Man could rise once more in New Orleans this upcoming April?

Here are the most interesting current rumors and speculation.

Dean Ambrose Is Injured

Credit: WWE.com

Dean Ambrose is currently out of commission with a serious injury. What was once thought to be an elbow injury has now been confirmed as a high-grade triceps tendon injury; it was torn 50 percent off the bone, according to Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, who successfully performed the surgery.

WWE further estimated that the injury would take approximately nine months to recover from. But according to Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats, it is widely speculated that nine months is an overestimation. Sources place the recovery window at different times; some say as many as 6-7 months, others say as little as 2-3.

It is still to early to nail down a specific timeline. But it seems almost certain that Ambrose will be out of action at the Royal Rumble. And considering how much effort WWE placed into reuniting and promoting The Shield, this cannot be good news. Plans will likely need to be tweaked or entirely rewritten.

The "Big Five" Pay-Per-Views

The "Big Four" PPVs are Survivor Series, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. They're the original heavyweight shows, and most of the major plot turns and title switches happen on them. Soon, however, there may be a "Big Five."

Ortman reports that the Money in the Bank PPV will be given a similar, lofty status. And as part of this push, WWE will be organizing a PPV weekend in Chicago this upcoming June: NXT TakeOver on June 16, Money in the Bank on June 17, Raw on June 18 and SmackDown on June 19.

This makes a lot of sense. The Royal Rumble leads to a title shot at WrestleMania, which can create a perfect  babyface underdog narrative. But the MITB briefcase, because it can be cashed in at any time, can build a cunning, clever heel into a title contender. The briefcase serves a unique narrative purpose, and giving it greater visibility will make it even more prestigious.

The GTS Is Banned

The GTS finisher is a brutal looking move. CM Punk may have been its most visible practitioner in the United States, but the move was actually innovated and popularized in Japan by Hideo Itami. It appears, however, that WWE fans may not see the finisher for the foreseeable future.

Corey Jacobs of WrestlingNews.co suggests WWE may have banned the GTS. This comes after the Christmas episode of Raw, where Itami defeated Brian Kendrick. By slowing down the tape, one can see that Itami's knee makes full contact with Kendrick's face. WWE later reported that Kendrick suffered a broken orbital and nose as a result of the move.

The move could be banned, but there are always exceptions. The piledriver was outlawed, but Kane and The Undertaker are still trusted to perform a variation of one. The Shooting Star Press was banned for a time, but Evan Bourne used it as his finisher, and Shane McMahon even delivered one to AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33. But then again, some moves stay on the shelf, like Seth Rollins' Curb Stomp, which hasn't been seen since WrestleMania 31.

Hopefully, Itami's GTS ban won't last; perhaps he'll be able to pull it out on special occasions. But first, Itami needs to establish himself on the main roster and clinch the cruiserweight title. That will give him more leverage; he needs to prove that he can work safe to earn back the company's trust.

One More Match?

Credit: WWE.com

And lastly, Jacobs is also reporting that The Undertaker, despite his apparent retirement at The Royal Rumble, may fight once more.

The Undertaker is confirmed to be participating in the Raw 25th anniversary show on January 22. And Jacobs' WWE insider source stated, "Taker is not going to appear on that show just to wave and say hello. I’ll leave it at that."

If The Undertaker is there to set up a match, either at the Royal Rumble or at WrestleMania 34, it might provide an appropriate career-capper. His match against Reigns last year was poor, from a technical standpoint; The Undertaker needed hip replacement surgery, and he wasn't able to move and wrestle in a convincing, meaningful way. But now that he's healthier, he has the opportunity to right that wrong.