Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
I was surfing the net and ran across an article titled "Current Bizarre WWE Rumors We Hope Aren't True" and I thought it was kind of interesting. Some of the rumors ring true, some seem positively ludicrous and some are probably somewhere in between. Sportster.com is the where I ran across the article, so take it all with a pinch of salt as the site isn't exactly known for its reliability.
13. John Cena Ruined Dolph Ziggler's Career - This is the first rumor listed and it states that Cena is ultimately responsible for the overall direction of Dolph Ziggler's career. According to the article, the two wrestled each other at some house shows early on with Cena not being impressed. Cena then went to Vince McMahon, complained and that was that.
My Take: False - I can believe that Cena hindered Cena's career, I can believe that he and Cena don't get along but I don't buy into it being because Cena doesn't think Ziggler is any good in the ring. It comes off as untrue because I don't think anyone with any real integrity can say Dolph Ziggler is bad inside the ring as he's had too many great matches with too many opponents over the decade or so he's been in the company.
12. Rusev Loses His Hair...And His Push - This rumor states that WWE officials are pissed that Rusev cut his hair without informing WWE. This allegedly infuriated Vince McMahon and Rusev's presence has been virtually nil since his return.
My Take: False - The reason for Rusev's heat is due to the various shenanigans he and Lana have been involved in for the past few years. From announcing their real life engagement via Twitter, which forced WWE to alter storylines, to alleged attitude problems with Lana, these are far more plausible than a man cutting his hair. If Vince is genuinely THAT petty as to bury someone because they cut his hair without telling him, then the man has issues that go far beyond just micromanaging.
11. TJ Perkins Loses His last Name...Why? - This rumor states that the reason TJ Perkins became TJP is because Vince vehemently hates the Perkins restaurant chain. Vince has a history of shortening or doing away with the names of some wrestlers, such as Neville, Cesaro and Elias.
My Take: Possibly True - Vince is known to change the names of wrestlers if he feels they don't convey a certain image he wants. The first names of Neville's & Cesaro's characters were Adrian and Antonio respectively, Vince allegedly dropped Cesaro's first name as he didn't think a guy named Antonio could be "tough" and Neville...well Adrian is traditionally a girl's name so it's not much of a leap to think of Vince's reason. Could he be crazy enough to change TJP's last name because of a lousy experience with Perkins? Yeah, I think it's possible as it fits more into some of the bizarre reasoning that Vince gets sometimes that makes sense only to him.
10. Big Cass In Trouble Because Of Trump? - I mentioned this in a thread discussing all the heat on Enzo Amore a while back. The rumor is that Big Cass is a very vocal Donald Trump supporter while most of the other wrestlers backstage aren't.
My Take: False - I can believe Big Cass pissing off some of the wrestlers backstage if he's constantly voicing his support for Donald Trump, but I don't see that affecting his push if he's being civil about it. You can be passionate, even in your face about something and still be civil. Besides, Vince and Trump are friends and Vince's wife Linda is currently part of the Trump administration overseeing something regarding small business. As unstable and immature as Trump is, I find it difficult to believe that something like this wouldn't find its way to him and if he wasn't convinced that it was untrue, I could see him taking it out on Linda McMahon, which means Vince would shit a solid gold brick and make half the roster eat it. Cass is out due to a torn ACL right now so it's sort of moot at this point, but I don't buy into this.
9. The Women Don't Like Sasha Banks Because She's Anti-Social - This rumor states that a lot of the other women on the roster aren't big fans of Sasha as she'd rather spend time with her hubby, who works for WWE backstage, than hang out with them.
My Take: Probably True - I can't blame Sasha for wanting to spend more time with her hubby, maybe she doesn't want to wind up divorced or spending most of her time doing a girls night out. However, the reason I think it's probably true is that there are a LOT of stories about Sasha being very anti-social whether it's involving the boys & girls in the locker room or with fans. She frequently goes out of her way, allegedly, to avoid mingling with fans and there are documented cases in which she's been genuinely hostile when having to do so. Also, you have to take into account that Sasha married her hubby, I forget his name at the moment, without really letting anyone know or, if I'm not mistaken, inviting anyone from the roster to attend. If you're someone that's not really into being social, then choosing a profession where you can possibly wind up very famous strikes me as quite odd.
8. Naomi Loses The Belt Because Of Toys? - The rumor regarding Naomi losing the SD Women's Championship is because WWE wanted to produce a toy belt that would glow in the dark like Naomi's does but that manufacturers wouldn't be able to make it happen in time for the holiday season.
My Take: Uncertain - I'm not really sure whether I believe this or not. When you consider the corporate aspect of things, it doesn't sound far fetched when you get right down to it. Naomi is pretty popular so you'd think that in and of itself would be enough for her to remain champion; however, at the same time, a counter to that would be that Jinder Mahal has been WWE Champion throughout the summer and is rumored to be holding the strap all the way to WrestleMania next year despite overwhelming negativity regarding his run. So at the end of the day, I just don't know about this one.
7. Why Becky Lynch Doesn't Do Promos - We don't hear a lot from Becky on the mic, though she's shown herself to be capable of delivering good work on the mic. The rumor for why she's not getting any mic time is because Kevin Dunn finds her accent annoying. Kevin Dunn works on the production side of things and has just as much say as what we see on TV as Vince McMahon does, he's often been viewed as Vince's right hand man for years.
My Take: Probably True - Kevin Dunn is someone who's known to be extremely petty about some things, especially when it pertains to female wrestlers. Dunn is alleged to have said he hated the Mae Young Classic because he thought too many of the wrestlers weren't hot enough for WWE and Dunn is somebody who has just as much stroke with Vince, possibly more, as Triple H does. Dunn has a reputation of being extremely superficial, his life of how Rosa Mendes looked is said to be the primary reason she had a job for so long, so Dunn being irritated by Becky's accent, unfortunately, is something I don't have a lot of trouble buying into.
6. KO Loses His US Championship Because Of Other Foreign Heels - This rumor states that the reason Kevin Owens dropped the US title to AJ Styles is because Vince felt that there were enough foreign heels doing the "we hate America" or "you don't like me because I'm foreign" schtick.
My Take: Undecided - This is one of those rumors that sounds kinda stupid but not quite stupid enough for me to totally dismiss it. I'd much rather have KO as the "New Face of America" than listening to the same crap Jinder Mahal's been going on about for the last 4 months.
5. Corbin Was Buried Because of Anti-Meltzer Tweets - This rumor states that the reason Corbin's career has altered so dramatically the past few months is because of comments he's made towards Dave Meltzer over the summer, or rather an exchange of comments made by them with Meltzer criticizing Corbin.
My Take: False - Of all the rumors I've read, this one has the least amount of weight I can remember in a very long time. Dave Meltzer is very anti-WWE, has been for decades, so the notion that Corbin is in trouble because of a Twitter exchange with him strikes me as ludicrous. If Corbin has heat, it's due to comments he made towards WWE doctors in which he said he didn't agree with some of their positions regarding concussions. That's something that I think could get him heat, not defending himself against the biggest smark in all of pro wrestling.
4. Stupid Reasons For Stupid Names - This rumor discusses how WWE wrestlers and commentators are no longer using the world "briefcase" when describing the MITB contract but that "contract" itself is to be used. The thinking is that the briefcase isn't what's important, that the contract is and to emphasize that. It's from the same line of thinking around using "championship" or "title" rather than belt; Vince's philosophy is that a belt is something to hold one's pants up while a championship or title is something with prestige.
My Take: True - This isn't so much a rumor as it is long established fact. The reasons for no longer calling titles "belts" by WWE has been known for years, so I can't say it's at all unlikely that the "briefcase/contract" thing doesn't follow the same philosophy. To be honest though, I can sort of see where Vince is coming from here as the "contract" is what's most important and a "championship/title" does sound more impressive than belt.
3. Kairi Sane Can't Use Her Finisher Because Of Bayley - This rumor says that Kairi Sane won't be allowed to use her flying elbow once she reaches the main roster because Bayley uses the move.
My Take: False - For one thing, I think it's unlikely that many conversations about Kairi Sane being on the main roster are happening as it's just too soon. Sane, to my knowledge, barely speaks a word of English and, as of right now, she looks to be the favorite to prop up the NXT women's division for a while. Also, Bayley doesn't use the flying elbow drop all that often, it's been a while since I've seen her do it and her real finisher, possibly the weakest in WWE, is the "Bayley to Belly."
2. Vince Hates NXT - According to the rumor mill, despite being a WWE product, and helmed by Triple H, Vince doesnt believe in the wrestlers down there and only wants to push his guys. Vince has been known to belittle superstars the moment they want in the door. Some recent examples is calling The Vaudevillians stupid and accusing Apollo Crews of having no personality and only being a smile.
My Take: False - If Vince McMahon was truly unhappy with NXT, the way it's run and the wrestlers being signed, he'd make changes. Vince has the WWE structured in ways in which only he has any real power, which means anything that goes on ultimately has to have his stamp of approval. Ultimately, if Vince doesn't want someone signed, they won't get signed. There have also been too many NXT success stories and while not everyone from NXT has gotten "used right" in the minds of many fans, the notion that Vince hates NXT just doesn't fit.
1. Strowman's Push Almost Derailed By Kurt Angle's Ex - According to the story, Kurt Angle's ex wife, Karen Jarrett, approached Strowman in a bar and asked for his autograph for her son, who's a huge fan of Strowman's. Strowman allegedly denied it in a profane manner, which prompted Karen to ultimately tell Angle what happened, whith landed Strowman in hot water.
My Take: False - Karen Jarrett herself debunked this rumor by stating that she & Strowman were both playing around while being in their wrestling personas and that he did sign the autograph. This rumor was debunked almost immediately after it came out and, obviously, Strowman's career hasn't suffered any sort of ill effects.
13. John Cena Ruined Dolph Ziggler's Career - This is the first rumor listed and it states that Cena is ultimately responsible for the overall direction of Dolph Ziggler's career. According to the article, the two wrestled each other at some house shows early on with Cena not being impressed. Cena then went to Vince McMahon, complained and that was that.
My Take: False - I can believe that Cena hindered Cena's career, I can believe that he and Cena don't get along but I don't buy into it being because Cena doesn't think Ziggler is any good in the ring. It comes off as untrue because I don't think anyone with any real integrity can say Dolph Ziggler is bad inside the ring as he's had too many great matches with too many opponents over the decade or so he's been in the company.
12. Rusev Loses His Hair...And His Push - This rumor states that WWE officials are pissed that Rusev cut his hair without informing WWE. This allegedly infuriated Vince McMahon and Rusev's presence has been virtually nil since his return.
My Take: False - The reason for Rusev's heat is due to the various shenanigans he and Lana have been involved in for the past few years. From announcing their real life engagement via Twitter, which forced WWE to alter storylines, to alleged attitude problems with Lana, these are far more plausible than a man cutting his hair. If Vince is genuinely THAT petty as to bury someone because they cut his hair without telling him, then the man has issues that go far beyond just micromanaging.
11. TJ Perkins Loses His last Name...Why? - This rumor states that the reason TJ Perkins became TJP is because Vince vehemently hates the Perkins restaurant chain. Vince has a history of shortening or doing away with the names of some wrestlers, such as Neville, Cesaro and Elias.
My Take: Possibly True - Vince is known to change the names of wrestlers if he feels they don't convey a certain image he wants. The first names of Neville's & Cesaro's characters were Adrian and Antonio respectively, Vince allegedly dropped Cesaro's first name as he didn't think a guy named Antonio could be "tough" and Neville...well Adrian is traditionally a girl's name so it's not much of a leap to think of Vince's reason. Could he be crazy enough to change TJP's last name because of a lousy experience with Perkins? Yeah, I think it's possible as it fits more into some of the bizarre reasoning that Vince gets sometimes that makes sense only to him.
10. Big Cass In Trouble Because Of Trump? - I mentioned this in a thread discussing all the heat on Enzo Amore a while back. The rumor is that Big Cass is a very vocal Donald Trump supporter while most of the other wrestlers backstage aren't.
My Take: False - I can believe Big Cass pissing off some of the wrestlers backstage if he's constantly voicing his support for Donald Trump, but I don't see that affecting his push if he's being civil about it. You can be passionate, even in your face about something and still be civil. Besides, Vince and Trump are friends and Vince's wife Linda is currently part of the Trump administration overseeing something regarding small business. As unstable and immature as Trump is, I find it difficult to believe that something like this wouldn't find its way to him and if he wasn't convinced that it was untrue, I could see him taking it out on Linda McMahon, which means Vince would shit a solid gold brick and make half the roster eat it. Cass is out due to a torn ACL right now so it's sort of moot at this point, but I don't buy into this.
9. The Women Don't Like Sasha Banks Because She's Anti-Social - This rumor states that a lot of the other women on the roster aren't big fans of Sasha as she'd rather spend time with her hubby, who works for WWE backstage, than hang out with them.
My Take: Probably True - I can't blame Sasha for wanting to spend more time with her hubby, maybe she doesn't want to wind up divorced or spending most of her time doing a girls night out. However, the reason I think it's probably true is that there are a LOT of stories about Sasha being very anti-social whether it's involving the boys & girls in the locker room or with fans. She frequently goes out of her way, allegedly, to avoid mingling with fans and there are documented cases in which she's been genuinely hostile when having to do so. Also, you have to take into account that Sasha married her hubby, I forget his name at the moment, without really letting anyone know or, if I'm not mistaken, inviting anyone from the roster to attend. If you're someone that's not really into being social, then choosing a profession where you can possibly wind up very famous strikes me as quite odd.
8. Naomi Loses The Belt Because Of Toys? - The rumor regarding Naomi losing the SD Women's Championship is because WWE wanted to produce a toy belt that would glow in the dark like Naomi's does but that manufacturers wouldn't be able to make it happen in time for the holiday season.
My Take: Uncertain - I'm not really sure whether I believe this or not. When you consider the corporate aspect of things, it doesn't sound far fetched when you get right down to it. Naomi is pretty popular so you'd think that in and of itself would be enough for her to remain champion; however, at the same time, a counter to that would be that Jinder Mahal has been WWE Champion throughout the summer and is rumored to be holding the strap all the way to WrestleMania next year despite overwhelming negativity regarding his run. So at the end of the day, I just don't know about this one.
7. Why Becky Lynch Doesn't Do Promos - We don't hear a lot from Becky on the mic, though she's shown herself to be capable of delivering good work on the mic. The rumor for why she's not getting any mic time is because Kevin Dunn finds her accent annoying. Kevin Dunn works on the production side of things and has just as much say as what we see on TV as Vince McMahon does, he's often been viewed as Vince's right hand man for years.
My Take: Probably True - Kevin Dunn is someone who's known to be extremely petty about some things, especially when it pertains to female wrestlers. Dunn is alleged to have said he hated the Mae Young Classic because he thought too many of the wrestlers weren't hot enough for WWE and Dunn is somebody who has just as much stroke with Vince, possibly more, as Triple H does. Dunn has a reputation of being extremely superficial, his life of how Rosa Mendes looked is said to be the primary reason she had a job for so long, so Dunn being irritated by Becky's accent, unfortunately, is something I don't have a lot of trouble buying into.
6. KO Loses His US Championship Because Of Other Foreign Heels - This rumor states that the reason Kevin Owens dropped the US title to AJ Styles is because Vince felt that there were enough foreign heels doing the "we hate America" or "you don't like me because I'm foreign" schtick.
My Take: Undecided - This is one of those rumors that sounds kinda stupid but not quite stupid enough for me to totally dismiss it. I'd much rather have KO as the "New Face of America" than listening to the same crap Jinder Mahal's been going on about for the last 4 months.
5. Corbin Was Buried Because of Anti-Meltzer Tweets - This rumor states that the reason Corbin's career has altered so dramatically the past few months is because of comments he's made towards Dave Meltzer over the summer, or rather an exchange of comments made by them with Meltzer criticizing Corbin.
My Take: False - Of all the rumors I've read, this one has the least amount of weight I can remember in a very long time. Dave Meltzer is very anti-WWE, has been for decades, so the notion that Corbin is in trouble because of a Twitter exchange with him strikes me as ludicrous. If Corbin has heat, it's due to comments he made towards WWE doctors in which he said he didn't agree with some of their positions regarding concussions. That's something that I think could get him heat, not defending himself against the biggest smark in all of pro wrestling.
4. Stupid Reasons For Stupid Names - This rumor discusses how WWE wrestlers and commentators are no longer using the world "briefcase" when describing the MITB contract but that "contract" itself is to be used. The thinking is that the briefcase isn't what's important, that the contract is and to emphasize that. It's from the same line of thinking around using "championship" or "title" rather than belt; Vince's philosophy is that a belt is something to hold one's pants up while a championship or title is something with prestige.
My Take: True - This isn't so much a rumor as it is long established fact. The reasons for no longer calling titles "belts" by WWE has been known for years, so I can't say it's at all unlikely that the "briefcase/contract" thing doesn't follow the same philosophy. To be honest though, I can sort of see where Vince is coming from here as the "contract" is what's most important and a "championship/title" does sound more impressive than belt.
3. Kairi Sane Can't Use Her Finisher Because Of Bayley - This rumor says that Kairi Sane won't be allowed to use her flying elbow once she reaches the main roster because Bayley uses the move.
My Take: False - For one thing, I think it's unlikely that many conversations about Kairi Sane being on the main roster are happening as it's just too soon. Sane, to my knowledge, barely speaks a word of English and, as of right now, she looks to be the favorite to prop up the NXT women's division for a while. Also, Bayley doesn't use the flying elbow drop all that often, it's been a while since I've seen her do it and her real finisher, possibly the weakest in WWE, is the "Bayley to Belly."
2. Vince Hates NXT - According to the rumor mill, despite being a WWE product, and helmed by Triple H, Vince doesnt believe in the wrestlers down there and only wants to push his guys. Vince has been known to belittle superstars the moment they want in the door. Some recent examples is calling The Vaudevillians stupid and accusing Apollo Crews of having no personality and only being a smile.
My Take: False - If Vince McMahon was truly unhappy with NXT, the way it's run and the wrestlers being signed, he'd make changes. Vince has the WWE structured in ways in which only he has any real power, which means anything that goes on ultimately has to have his stamp of approval. Ultimately, if Vince doesn't want someone signed, they won't get signed. There have also been too many NXT success stories and while not everyone from NXT has gotten "used right" in the minds of many fans, the notion that Vince hates NXT just doesn't fit.
1. Strowman's Push Almost Derailed By Kurt Angle's Ex - According to the story, Kurt Angle's ex wife, Karen Jarrett, approached Strowman in a bar and asked for his autograph for her son, who's a huge fan of Strowman's. Strowman allegedly denied it in a profane manner, which prompted Karen to ultimately tell Angle what happened, whith landed Strowman in hot water.
My Take: False - Karen Jarrett herself debunked this rumor by stating that she & Strowman were both playing around while being in their wrestling personas and that he did sign the autograph. This rumor was debunked almost immediately after it came out and, obviously, Strowman's career hasn't suffered any sort of ill effects.
