WWE Rumors on Rock-WrestleMania 40, Vince McMahon, Roster Morale, and Nick Aldis 2023
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After missing this year’s WrestleMania due to injury, WWE is hopeful that The Rock will return to the ring at next year’s event.
Yes, you’ve heard that nearly annually since 2013. Us too.
The Rock is open to participating in WrestleMania 40, but there is no guarantee.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that WWE is once again hopeful that The Rock will return at WrestleMania 40, claiming The Great One left a “crack in the door” when he declined to return in Los Angeles.
Meltzer stated, “When Dwayne Johnson turned down this year’s WrestleMania due to his schedule, he left the door ajar for next year’s WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, but that was far from a commitment and no one should rely on it occurring.”
Last weekend’s victory by Roman Reigns over Cody Rhodes was puzzling for a number of reasons, including the absence of notable challengers for the Head of the Table. During his nearly three-year reign as champion, Reigns has virtually eliminated every babyface on the roster, making Rhodes the obvious successor.
Rhodes’ narrative appears to be continuing, but even if he succeeds in dethroning Reigns, the match will not take place on the same magnitude as WrestleMania.
It is highly unlikely that The Rock will return for an extended title reign, so there is no need for any Rock vs. Reigns match to include a championship stipulation. At this juncture, WWE should require a 100 percent commitment from Rock before including him in their Philadelphia plans for next year.
The absence of Vince McMahon from SmackDown boosted morale
According to Cagematch voters, Raw on Monday was the third-lowest-rated program in the annals of professional wrestling.
It was an incoherent, disjointed performance that appeared to have been caused by Vince McMahon’s return to the gorilla position. There were several last-minute alterations to the script, including at least one that occurred during the performance. During a commercial break, Seth Rollins appeared for a promo that was edited while he was standing in the ring.
Rollins was not the only talent dissatisfied with Raw’s administration, as evidenced by fan-filmed footage of him being given the news.
With McMahon’s return, the backstage morale took a “massive blow,” according to Fightful Select. There was a reasonable concern that McMahon’s preferences would once again take precedence over any sense of storyline continuity.
On SmackDown, however, normalcy appeared to have been restored. According to Fightful Select, McMahon was not in attendance for Friday’s SmackDown, and his comments on the performance were minimal. This resulted in a rise in backstage morale, although many creative talents remain wary of McMahon’s presence.
With McMahon ceding control of the company to Endeavor, it is time to remove him from his position. It is unlikely to occur in the early phases of the UFC merger, as the new company will want to maintain investor confidence.
Within the next year, Endeavor’s CEO Ari Emanuel should reclaim control of the company from McMahon and appoint a leader who inspires confidence in the locker room and among the staff.
WWE is Currently on a Hiring Moratorium; Aldis is not currently coming
Anyone who has ever been a part of a company that has undergone a merger knows that this is typically not the optimal moment to hire. Companies that have recently merged have a tendency to examine redundancies and make more budget-related cuts than significant expenditure reductions.
Therefore, it is conceivable, if not probable, that WWE will undergo a round of redundancies in the coming months. In an interview with Sara Fisher of Axios, WWE CEO Nick Khan did not deny that layoffs could be forthcoming.
Khan stated, “An integration committee will soon be established between the two enterprises, and we’ll have a lot more information in the next week or two.”
While there are no talent overlaps between UFC and WWE, the merger could prevent any new or returning personalities from returning. According to Fightful Select, WWE has a “hiring moratorium,” leaving former NWA World Champion Nick Aldis “out in the elements.”
Triple H was apparently interested in securing Aldis to a contract before McMahon became more involved. Other Triple H favorites such as Tama Tonga and Brian Cage could also be prevented from joining WWE.
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