WWE Rumors: Buying or Selling Buzz on Rusev, Baron Corbin and More

The Superstar Shake-up has come and gone, and it has left nearly unrecognizable Raw and SmackDown rosters in its wake. It has also given Superstars opportunities that may not have existed previously, especially Rusev.

The Bulgarian Brute will battle The Undertaker in a Casket Match at the Greatest Royal Rumble, and on the April 17 episode of SmackDown Live, he teamed with Aiden English to battle AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan in another high-profile main event.

The popular Superstar, whose Rusev Day catchphrase has taken WWE by storm, almost missed out on the opportunity to battle The Deadman, only to be reinserted in the match.

But why?

What of Baron Corbin, who made headlines prior to his move to Raw Monday night?

Find out the answers to those two questions, and more, with this look at the WWE rumor mill.

Is He or Isn't He?: Rusev and The Greatest Royal Rumble

Rusev was originally announced to face The Undertaker in a Casket match at The Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27. Then he was not, as he was removed from the match and replaced by Chris Jericho.

As WWE fans found out on Monday, the match is back on, with the storyline reason given for the change being Lana's endorsement of the match.

Brad Shepard of Bodyslam.net reported the real reason for the back-and-forth decision-making in regards to Rusev:

" [...] The reason WWE removed Rusev from the match initially was that apparently, his interview with TMZ rubbed somebody in the office the wrong way. WWE is said to be very sensitive when it comes to potentially offending any of their 'old timers,' and were concerned that Rusev's comments might have offended The Undertaker after seeing the reaction from his wife. Once WWE realized that The Undertaker was not offended by anything Rusev had said, the decision was made to once again put him back into the match."

The match will be one of the big selling points of the Greatest Royal Rumble broadcast given the rarity of Undertaker in-ring performances at this point in his career.

Buy or Sell?

Sell. Is WWE management completely and utterly unaware of the build its creative team wrote for Undertaker vs. John Cena at WrestleMania? Has it no idea that the franchise star of the company stood in the ring, in front of millions of WWE fans, and ran down the Deadman as a coward for weeks on end?

To punish Rusev, or even attempt to, because he was echoing the same type of insult as the almighty Cena did is hypocritical and valid reasoning for Rusev to want to pack his bags and get out of a company that has been inconsistent in booking him for the better part of the last three years.

No one really expects Rusev to win the match, but to take him out of it when he is attempting to create buzz for the bout with a nationally recognized news and tabloid site, rather than just letting it be the inevitable bury job, is ridiculous and incomprehensible on the part of WWE officials.

They did the right thing by putting him back in the match and letting him get the rub from Undertaker, who obviously should have had no problem with Rusev's comments given what Cena was out in the middle of the ring, on a Vince McMahon-produced show, saying about him.

Business or not.

Renewed Baron Corbin Push

According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), former Money in the Bank winner Baron Corbin may be in store for a renewed push after months of wandering aimlessly around the SmackDown roster.

The April 16 episode of Raw saw Corbin make the jump to the red brand, where he figures to be a high-profile villain after The Miz and Samoa Joe departed for SmackDown.

Buy or Sell?

Buy. Corbin has always had the raw ability to become the next major force in WWE. He has the size, the attitude and is a better worker than he will ever get credit for. He had the privilege of working with the likes of AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura and Dolph Ziggler after making the jump to the main roster and has been steadily growing with every passing match.

Giving him the opportunity to sink or swim on Raw, the flagship show of WWE, is the perfect way to decide once and for all if The Lone Wolf has what it takes to be a legitimate main event attraction for WWE.

Especially if he has the chance to work with Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins in WWE main event-style brawls. 

Orlando Sets Its Sights on Another WrestleMania

According to Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats, Orlando is seeking to host another WrestleMania.

The city last hosted The Showcase of the Immortals in 2017, a show headlined by Roman Reigns defeating and seemingly retiring The Undertaker, as well as John Cena proposing to Nikki Bella.

My, how much changes in one year.

It previously hosted the event in 2008. That show featured The Phenom defeating Edge to capture the World Heavyweight Championship, Floyd Mayweather Jr. beating Big Show in a special attraction match and CM Punk winning Money in the Bank.

Buy or Sell?

Sell. Orlando is a great host city, and from all indicators, it is accommodating for WWE. With that said, there are other great cities who deserve the right to host the Granddaddy of Them All.

The fact that WWE has not returned to the wrestling hotbed that is Philadelphia since the 1999 event is a travesty. There are few cities more invested in sports entertainment than The City of Brotherly Love, and a show at Lincoln Financial Field or Citizens Bank Park would be more than welcome.

A return to Los Angeles, for WrestleMania Goes Hollywood...Again, would be a nice switch. And then there is Seattle, which was home to one of the best and most atmospheric WrestleManias of all-time in 2003.

There are so many cities that would provide an experience for fans unlike any they have enjoyed in recent years. Yes, Orlando probably deserves another WrestleMania, but not at the expense of the other cities that have either hosted to great effect or would provide a rabid fanbase that would make the broadcast unforgettable.