Rumor Look Back: Feb. 28 - Mar. 3, 2022 (2025)

Welcome to the weekly Rumor Look Back, where we look at the rumors from six months ago and see which played out as originally stated. Let’s jump right to it.

February 28, 2022

• WrestleVotes claims Undertaker going into the Hall of Fame as a solo inductee this year was considered but it’s not happening. More names will apparently be announced for this year’s class soon.
• Undertaker was the headliner, but not the only act. (1/1)
• According to the Wrestling Observer, the Vince McMahon vs. Pat McAfee match will be “a complete smoke and mirrors event” and they still have a lot of tickets to sell for each night, so they’re pulling out all the stops to do so.
• It wasn’t the advertised match. It was impromptu afterwards so this wasn’t a means to sell tickets. (0/1)
• PW Insider notes there was hope internally for Asuka to return this month but “there’s been nothing for her creatively.”
• It wasn’t until after WrestleMania.
• Per Fightful Select, we’ve been seeing Big E on a four-wheeler recently because WWE and Mattel have a new toy coming out soon.
• Gotta move that merch.
• The six-man tornado tag team match at Revolution was changed, according to Fightful Select. The original match wasn’t going to include Isiah Kassidy and Sammy Guevara but they weren’t given a reason why the change was made.
• I don’t recall much about that match. Sting was a part of it, so the more people they add means Sting wouldn’t have to carry as much at age 62.

March 1, 2022

• On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer shut down the idea Triple H could possibly be added to WrestleMania card to sell tickets, saying “His heart situation is — he can’t. I don’t want to say never because that’s unfair... but that would be a horrible idea for him and that’s not gonna happen this year. There’s no way.”
• Yeah, he isn’t wrestling again. Which isn’t the most devastating given his long career, but it’s a shame he didn’t get to go out in a retirement match. (1/1)
• Ricochet got such a strong showing on SmackDown last week because he’s slated to be the number two singles babyface on the show behind Drew McIntyre, per PW Insider.
• We had some discussion in the Cageside offices about this and the consensus is this is accurate. Not that they pushed Ricochet to the moon but that they had soon few babyfaces that Ric was in that spot by default. He won the Intercontinental title the following week to solidify this. (1/1)
• As has been hinted on TV, Wrestling Observer reports the official match listing for WrestleMania does have Queen Zelina & Carmella defending the Women’s Tag tiles against Naomi & Sasha Banks. UPDATE: It’s official.
• As the update said, it happened. (1/1)
• Asked by Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp about a viral reddit post which claimed his Control Your Narrative promotion was being funded by far right political figures, EC3 laughed it off.
• Gotta wonder their future if they are going to lose a key player.
• PPV figures from Wrestling Observer Newsletter show All Out did more than 200K buys for AEW last year, 41% better than their previous record. Overall, the show generated more the $10 million in revenue.
• People tuning in to see Paul Wight vs. Q.T. Marshall. And maybe CM Punk’s first match in 10 years. But mainly Wight/Marshall.

March 2, 2022

• According to Fightful Select, Randy Orton was hurt during Monday Night Raw this week, and it led to the match being changed on the fly. RK-Bro was originally to beat the Street Profits but that changed when Orton was hurt. He apparently had issues with his ribs, got the wind knocked out of him, and couldn’t move well.
• He worked through Mania but eventually he was derailed with a more serious injury.
• Jeff Hardy and Shane Strickland should both be showing up in AEW soon, says the Wrestling Observer.
• Both made their way there. (2/2)
• Ringside News claims Ricochet’s rumored push is still undecided and it could be a short term thing.
• I wouldn’t say anyone eclipsed him in the last six months. Again, he held the spot by default. (0/1)
• Per PW Insider, Amari Miller was stretchered out after her match with Lash Legend on NXT 2.0 this week and checked out by WWE’s medical team backstage, though it’s unclear at this time what her status is.
• It looks like she missed about two months.
• They also note that Rob Conway was backstage at NXT this week working as a producer.
• ...cool?

March 3, 2022

• Vince McMahon’s appearance on The Pat McAfee Show today “is supposed to be a real interview, as opposed to a kayfabe filled one,” per Fightful Select.
• That it was. It was a typical Pat Mac ass kissing interview (something that Cole called him out on last week), but it wasn’t worked. (1/1)
• Alexa Bliss’ next storyline likely won’t start until after WrestleMania 38, according to PW Insider. The site also says Bayley will return to television after WrestleMania, and reiterated its previous report on Asuka.
• Bayley didn’t return all the way until SummerSlam. (I read “after WrestleMania” as soon after). Bliss hasn’t really had a story until now either, pretty much meandering since her return. (0/2)
• On Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez said people in WWE were under the impression Tony Khan’s big announcement (which turned out to be the purchase of Ring of Honor) would be a streaming deal with HBO Max.
• For awhile, I was expecting that announcement. But with all the changers at Warner, I have no idea what to expect any more.
• WWE recently laid off one of Triple H’s top assistants, and Insider’s sources say it’s being taken as a sign he’s not “anywhere close” to being ready to return to his post as Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development, and may never return to working full-time.
• Oh he’s working full time alright. (0/1)
• Bully Ray says he’ll be Steve Austin’s guest on an upcoming Broken Skull Sessions.
• He was not lying.

This week: 7/12 - 58%

February 2022: 31/46 - 67%

Overall: 4,282/7,527 - 56.9%

Have a great week, everyone!