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The saga of Sasha Banks continued to dominate headlines this week as the “is she or isn’t she” nature of her employment with WWE still has industry insiders reporting different details.
Her status is not the only topic of discussion in pro wrestling rumor mill, though, as John Cena’s return to WWE television on Monday’s Raw sparked positivity within the locker room while Kevin Owens’ absence from the same broadcast was cause for concern.
Dive deeper into those topics, as well as the state of NXT now that Triple H is back in charge, with this collection of rumors.
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The uncertainty surrounding Sasha Banks’ status in WWE continued this week, with Raj Giri of WrestlingInc.com seemingly providing more details about her release.
It is a very specific report from Giri, who has stood by his sources since originally reporting Banks’ release back on June 15. It is also an interesting one in that it appears WWE is attempting to smooth things over, be it with the talent in hopes of working together again or with the goal of preventing any negative comments from Banks after the release is made public.
Despite the details from Giri, there are some still denying that there has been any movement on the Banks situation of the sort.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported both Banks and her Women’s Tag Team Championship partner Naomi remain on the internal roster for the company and the status of neither woman has changed.
The enormity of Banks’ star is surely at the center of the continued interest in this story. The Legit Boss is a bona fide mainstream, breakout star in waiting. She is going to do big things beyond the pro wrestling ring and the idea that WWE would release her is astonishing to some. If Giri’s report is accurate, the idea that legal for talent relations was involved in the decision suggests things because far trickier than an outright release and that the performer in question likely pushed it to that degree.
If that is the case, and Banks is that unhappy with her position in WWE and its creative plans for her on-screen persona, perhaps it is for the best that the two sides go their separate ways. Maybe absence will make the heart grow fonder and they will find their way back to each other.
Perhaps Banks finds the creative and professional happiness elsewhere, such as All Elite Wrestling, which would seemingly be thrilled to have her on its roster.
Whatever the case may be, it appears as though we are nearing a situation in which one of the top, homegrown stars of the last decade is about to be gone from the company in which she created so many memorable moments and classic matches while helping to lead the women’s revolution.
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John Cena’s return for WWE had an effect beyond business, WrestleVotes reported, as the 16-time world champion appeared to boost locker room morale, too.
It is not much of a surprise that Cena is a locker room leader nor is it that his positivity radiates throughout the locker room. Everything about the bona fide worldwide star suggests he would be a positive influence on those around him, including a roster of stars recently snakebitten by injuries and new, part-time schedules.
He will not be around consistently by any stretch of the imagination, but one can be hopeful that he participates in some sort of storyline for the upcoming SummerSlam premium live event, which could desperately use a star of his magnitude on the show.
A backstage confrontation with Theory piqued some interest while a verbal showdown with Seth Rollins had some thinking back to SummerSlam 2015 and the near-classic they had that night.
Whether he does or does not appear again this summer, it is rewarding to know that a star the magnitude of Cena returning does pep up the locker room and generate good feelings rather than the negative that some part-time performers stepping back on television do.
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Kevin Owens was originally slated to square off against Elias, Ezekiel or third brother, Elrod, Monday night on Raw with a chance to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match at stake. He did not, creating questions about his whereabouts.
Johnson of PWInsider.com reported Owens is injured and missed the show for that reason. With that said, the injury is believed to be minor and WWE’s resident Prizefighter should not miss considerable time.
That is positive news for a Raw brand that really cannot afford to lose another star for a considerable amount of time. Cody Rhodes recently headed to the sidelines for six-to-nine months to deal with a torn pectoral muscle, leaving the flagship without its top babyface and we have seen what that has done to the quality of the show.
Losing an adaptable performer like Owens, who can be the most despised man on the roster or the most beloved depending on what creative has for him on any given week, would be another devastating blow.
Luckily, it does not appear as though WWE has to worry about that for the time being.
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Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live reported that, although Triple H made his “I’m back” speech to the NXT talent recently, not much has changed with the brand, its creative direction, or the stars themselves.
Considering that speech took place just over a week earlier, it probably should not have been expected that things would suddenly change. Too much time and energy had been placed on rebooting the brand last October and to come in and undo all of that in a matter of days would not make sense, nor would it be particularly plausible.
There are genuine young stars around whom Triple H can build a brand in his vision. Bron Breakker, Toxic Attraction, Carmelo Hayes and Tony D’Angelo are examples of breakout stars who have made the most of the opportunities presented to them over the last nine months.
The brand has a very promising young women’s division and a crop of male talent that can more than carry their own, such as Llegado del Fantasma. Some may not be taken with the creative efforts of those in power but that is something that can, and probably will, take time to change.
As we witnessed with WCW in late 1999 and throughout 2000, suddenly switching up directions all the time gives the impression of a company or brand circling the drain. That is not the case with NXT, management knows that, and will likely take its time implementing any changes it sees fit.
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