Becky Lynch Rips Ronda Rousey; WWE Rumors on Brock Lesnar Walkout and Edge’s Return

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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Lynch Talks Trash on Rousey

Ahead of her Raw Women’s Championship match against Bianca Belair at SummerSlam on Saturday, Becky Lynch had some strong words for another championship contender.

Appearing on ESPN’s Courtside Club podcast (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Lynch expressed her belief that Rousey has regressed since returning from maternity leave earlier this year:

“I think [Rousey] doesn’t respect [the wrestling business] as much as she should. I mean, she’s gone off on tangents disrespecting the sport that I’ve given my life to, that I love, that I obsess about. Both of us have come back from having a child, and one has come back better than ever, and one has not.

“I’m the one who’s come back better than ever, and I think that you need that respect for this business, that obsession for this business to be able to do that. I don’t think that she puts as much work in, she doesn’t put as much work in as I do, and it shows.”

Lynch was out for more than a year on maternity leave before returning one year ago at SummerSlam and beating Belair for the SmackDown women’s title in 26 seconds.

Big Time Becks went on to have an entertaining reign as a top heel before dropping the Raw women’s title to Belair at WrestleMania. Now, she will try to take the championship back in what may be the final installment of her rivalry with The EST.

Meanwhile, Rousey was gone from WWE for nearly three years before making a surprise return in the 2022 women’s Royal Rumble and winning the match.

Until then, Rousey hadn’t wrestled since competing in the main event of WrestleMania 35 against Lynch and Charlotte Flair.

Rousey eventually beat Charlotte for the SmackDown women’s title, but she lost it at Money in the Bank when Liv Morgan successfully cashed in her Money in the Bank contract. Rousey will have her rematch against Morgan on Saturday at SummerSlam.

Given their history together, there has been plenty of speculation regarding an eventual singles match between Lynch and Rousey, perhaps at next year’s WrestleMania.

Becky’s trash talk may very well be her way of setting the stage for that clash.

Reported Details on Lesnar Walking Out on SmackDown

Brock Lesnar reportedly didn’t return to TD Garden in Boston until last week’s episode of SmackDown was already in progress after allegedly walking out before the show.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc’s Sai Mohan), Lesnar left the arena as soon as Vince McMahon announced he was retiring as WWE’s CEO, chairman and head of creative, and rumors of Lesnar’s departure surfaced soon after.

Meltzer noted that Lesnar returned to the arena more than seven hours later at 8:30 p.m. ET after WWE officials remained in touch with him and “made a deal with him” to return.

It was also reported by Meltzer that it is unclear what led to Lesnar returning, as it could have been a creative change or an offer of more money.

While it is likely that only a small handful of people within WWE’s inner circle know what truly happened with Lesnar, the reality is that he was present for his part of the show, which occurred after the main event.

The Beast Incarnate stormed the ring and decimated Theory with the Money in the Bank briefcase, much to the delight of the live crowd, who seemingly didn’t expect Lesnar to be there.

Meltzer reported that WWE was making alternate plans for SummerSlam in case Lesnar didn’t come back, but all signs point to his WWE Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns being on.

In what is being billed as their last match against each other, Lesnar will look to beat Reigns in a Last Man Standing match to become WWE’s undisputed world champion.

Edge Return Plans Reportedly Changed

WWE reportedly reversed course on its plans to have WWE Hall of Famer Edge return earlier this week on Raw.

According to PWInsider.com’s Mike Johnson, there had been plans in place for Edge to appear on Monday’s Raw along with his wife and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix.

Those plans were reportedly nixed when McMahon stepped down as head of creative and was replaced by Triple H.

Raw seemingly would have been a logical time for Edge to return after being out for nearly two months since his former stable, The Judgment Day, faced Rey and Dominik Mysterio in a tag team match at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The show was also a celebration of Rey’s 20-year anniversary with WWE, but it was spoiled when The Judgment Day attacked him and Dominik later in the night.

Johnson noted that original plans also called for Edge and Phoenix to appear at SummerSlam, although it is now uncertain if that will happen.

The Judgment Day and The Mysterios are having a rematch at SummerSlam on Saturday, this time with a no disqualification stipulation.

That would seem to suggest that Rhea Ripley will be heavily involved in the match, so it would be logical for Edge and Phoenix to show up in order to help out The Mysterios.

If that happens, it could set the stage for a mixed tag team match further down the line, perhaps at Clash at the Castle in September.

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