Buying or Selling the Latest WWE WrestleMania 38 Rumors and Buzz

0 of 4

WWE

Roughly a week out from WrestleMania 38, the rumors and buzz have understandably hit a massive upswing that won’t see an equal for the rest of the year. 

That’s not unusual given the annual importance of WWE’s biggest event. The biggest storylines and feuds tend to find resolutions on the landmark show and the presence of unforgettable moments and celebrity appearances only moves the needle further. 

But this year does feel a bit more special. There’s an aura of the unknown hanging over the whole thing in  Arlington, Texas, home of one “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. WWE removed some of the mystery by announcing he’d be there for an encounter with Kevin Owens, but plenty of question marks remain as WWE again splits the big event into two nights. 

Here’s a look at some of the most notable rumors and buzz and verdicts on whether fans should buy or sell. 

1 of 4

Fans haven’t heard from Bobby Lashley since Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia on February 19, meaning a staple of the main-event scene has been missing in action at the most important time of year. 

But WWE might just have something big planned for him, anyway. 

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Lashley will make his big return to challenge the giant Omos.

There has yet to be confirmation that Lashley has actually been medically cleared, but the fit makes a ton of sense. With the Mania main event clogging both men’s top titles, Lashley doesn’t have a ton to do on short notice once he gets back. Letting him show off his feats of strength against the biggest guy in WWE would be a fun time. 

What also makes this an interesting fit for both guys at Mania is the mystery surrounding how it would end. Lashley’s a top contender but Omos is the massive giant character they want to keep building as a big bad. Who gets the win? It won’t be the most impressive or longest match, but the mystery of it makes this buyable. 

Verdict: Buying

2 of 4

There has been a ton of buzz and speculation as of late about which Superstars WWE might want to poach from AEW in the near future. 

That buzz, naturally, has centered on Cody Rhodes. 

But Andrew Zarian of Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast (h/t Sai Mohan of Wrestling Inc) recently noted that WWE is “very high on” Ethan Page. Not hard to see why, at least based on Page’s resume of stellar work in Impact Wrestling and as a tag-team partner with Josh Alexander. 

That said, it’s hard to imagine WWE’s focusing hard on Page right now with the specter of Rhodes making his big return hanging over Mania weekend. And WWE’s surely more dialed in on massive names like MJF, not a Superstar primarily known for tag-team work when the company seems to shrug off its tag divisions so much, anyway. 

Verdict: Selling

3 of 4

The pandemic encouraged WWE to make some big changes over the last few years, with one of the most notable likely being the decision to make Mania a two-night event over the course of one weekend. 

And it looks like that’s here to stay. 

While it was seemingly viewed by outsiders and fans as a temporary thing, Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast that this is the new normal for Mania. 

It’s one of those “no kidding” moments for all involved. Past WrestleManias went seven-plus hours in a single night. Not only was that too long for fans at home and strenuous on the Superstars themselves, the actual in-ring product suffered—crowds would visibly be exhausted near the end of the card, which is the exact opposite of what WWE wants for its main events. 

Making a permanent change means WWE can avoid these issues and command attention for an entire weekend, not just one night. 

Verdict: Buying

4 of 4

Buzz and mystery continue to surround which match will actually end up closing the show on Saturday night. 

Conventional wisdom says it could be the encounter between Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair for the Raw women’s title. That, or Charlotte Flair against Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown women’s title. 

Meltzer, however, says Flair vs. Rousey continues to sit in the main slot at this point, according to F4Wonline’s Ian Carey. 

But two words could throw a major wrench in that idea—Stone Cold. 

This is Austin’s big return to wrestling. He hasn’t had an official match since 2003. Maybe that streak continues and he just throws Kevin Owens a quick beatdown. But that’s worthy of a main-event slot in his hometown of Texas. Were this not a two-night event, it wouldn’t be. 

And there’s something else to consider: WWE can start using the end of the first night to provide a hook for fans to come back for more. There’s an outside chance the show-ending moment is Stone Cold agreeing to a match on Sunday, and if that happens, no matter how big of a draw Rousey is, it has to happen as the show fades to black. 

Verdict: Selling