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It has been a big week in the world of professional wrestling. Let's face it: We're in the middle of an arms race of sorts as WWE and All Elite Wrestling stockpile talent. As such, there has been a slew of news and rumors that will spark speculation for weeks to come.
First and foremost, WWE sent the wrestling community abuzz when a report broke that it's seeking to enter an exclusive partnership with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Then, the promotion shocked everyone as it released a set of high-profile superstars, including Braun Strowman, Aleister Black and Ruby Riott.
Meanwhile, AEW signed Andrade El Idolo following its second big pay-per-view event of the year, Double or Nothing. This is a huge deal as the Mexican star was the only recent ex-WWE wrestler to enter free agency without a 90-day non-compete, leaving many fans guessing about where he would show up next.
More wrestlers will be on the move later this year, and some big names could return along with live audiences this summer. So let's look at some of the juiciest WWE and AEW rumors doing the rounds.
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As noted, WWE released six more Superstars on Wednesday. This is the second round of cuts the company has made this year. According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast, this could be a regular practice because of the size of the roster.
"I was told specifically that there's going to be more releases to come," Zarian said (h/t Aidan Gibbons of Cultaholic). He continued:
"This is going to be a regular thing. You're going to see these releases happen. They're reshuffling the deck with talent. They're realizing that the company got very bloated with talent over the last two-three years where WWE doesn't release anybody, they hang on to people. They threw ridiculous money to guys like Gallows and Anderson."
WWE hasn't announced any further releases, and we certainly don't want to predict that more people will lose their livelihoods. But this makes sense given the company went through a period when it was announcing droves of new signings to add to an already crowded locker room.
Even more, it became increasingly hard for wrestlers to get out of their contracts because it seemed like the multimedia conglomerate would rather pay them to stay at home than go to one of its competitors. However, WWE has been much more willing to cut ties with some of its Superstars over the past year or so.
This could be a good thing long term because some of the company's struggles can be traced back to the size of its roster. It makes more sense to let wrestlers go elsewhere if it doesn't have plans for them as opposed to wasting their time.
Verdict: Buy
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AEW reportedly also recently parted ways with two of its wrestlers in Shanna and Awesome Kong. This comes as a bit of a surprise because of Kong was initially a big part of the women's division.
Speculation about their status with the company emerged when their profiles dropped off of AEW's website over the weekend. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the promotion didn't renew their contracts.
Kong famously debuted at Double or Nothing 2019 but went on a hiatus in February to film GLOW. The 43-year-old hasn't competed since the Jan. 7 episode of AEW Dark. On the other hand, Shanna recently returned after she was sidelined by travel restrictions for most of 2020, but she hasn't appeared since the Apr. 12 episode of AEW Dark: Elevation.
It's unclear why the company decided not to re-sign them or whether they parties are still in negotiations. However, as the women's roster grows, it seems likely that there just weren't any substantial plans for two of its early members.
That's a shame because there was so much positive buzz around Kong, but we will undoubtedly learn more about her plans for the future eventually. Hopefully this isn't the last we will see of the veteran performer.
Verdict: Buy
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Last weekend, the biggest wrestling news story was that WWE is reportedly in talks with New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, "the potential partnership dates back to March or early April, but there's no indication where the discussions are currently at. If talks go anywhere, the deal would include WWE sending talent, including top stars, to work in NJPW."
This is unprecedented for the company because it doesn't routinely enter these types of negotiations, but the industry has changed a great deal over the past two years. AEW and Impact have made it appealing for wrestlers to appear in other promotions and brands to share talent.
This is interesting because it coincides with Daniel Bryan's contract status. Apparently, the former WWE champion's deal expired back in May. Even more, he expressed interest in wrestling for other companies in April, leading many to believe this mooted partnership was a way to appease him.
In fact, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com suggested that "there have been communications between the two sides for several months, but the main crux of it was over the potential of Daniel Bryan being able to potentially work some dates in NJPW."
However, Meltzer noted, "That while Daniel Bryan was involved in the early discussions, the free agent hasn't been part of any recent talks."
That's probably true because there haven't been any updates on The Leader of the Yes Movement, and he isn't the only WWE Superstar who may want to work with NJPW. Still, it's hard to deny that the timing of this report lines up well.
Re-signing Bryan may not have been the main reason for these talks, but it was possibly a way to kill two birds with one stone. After all, he was seemingly involved at one point and has already expressed interest in the venture.
Verdict: Sell
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Many have noticed that AEW has a lot of factions, and there could be plans in place to make more use of them. Rumors have surfaced that the company plans to introduce trios titles.
Cody Rhodes spoke about the possibility of creating more championships during the media call for Double or Nothing:
"The TBS title has not been discussed yet, but another title as a lot of people can guess has been the title that has been more discussed potentially coming in the future. I'll let y'all speculate on what that is. Hint hint, we have a lot of people, teams, on the roster.
"You never know. Remember the origins of the TNT Title was WarnerMedia, our television partner and provider, was the one that wanted us to have it. That was a first in all of wrestling, for your partner in the space to say, 'We'd like you to represent us,' which is why we'll keep it the TNT Title throughout its time. It's my favorite belt in all of wrestling."
It certainly seemed like The American Nightmare was teasing trios titles similar to NJPW's NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. AEW has enough three-man teams, and this would be a great way to add to its stacked division.
For example, a team like The Jurassic Express or Death Triangle could flourish with a new opportunity to claim gold, so this seems like a no-brainer. This also lines up with rumors that new belts were supposed to debuted by now.
Verdict: Buy
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Brock Lesnar has been a topic of discussion since Kofi Kingston mentioned him on Monday's episode of Raw, which led some people to believe The Beast Incarnate would soon return to WWE.
Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live noted that it was no coincidence that the longest-reigning universal champion came up.
"When I heard that, I thought that they are building toward Lashley vs. Lesnar," he said (h/t Ringside News). "That is a match that they have not done. It is a match that people have been asking for a long time, and maybe that's their plan for SummerSlam."
Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast also reported that The Conqueror was a part of the initial plans for SummerSlam.
"Lesnar was early on for SummerSlam plans; they were trying to do something," Zarian said (h/t Shiven Sachdeva of Sportskeeda). "I think the concept behind Lesnar is to justify what we're gonna pay him, [and] we need a more consistent touring schedule so we can build to this, and those appearances by Lesnar will help sell tickets, obviously."
This doesn't confirm that Lesnar will appear at The Biggest Party of The Summer, but he is the kind of big-name star WWE could use at the event. Additionally, the recent releases and budget cuts seem to suggest that the promotion is freeing up capital for something significant. Lesnar's return would fit the bill because he would probably demand a massive payday.
Verdict: Buy
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June 05, 2021 at 07:00PM
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