WWE/Getty Images
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
The Rock Reportedly Unhappy with WrestleMania Report
With The Rock’s WrestleMania 41 status very much in question, a new report emerged this week regarding The Rock’s feelings on how his status as been reported on.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), The Rock wasn’t thrilled when he and others reported as far back as October that The Final Boss had informed WWE he would not be able to compete at WrestleMania:
“There were things that were said … I reported the thing first back in, I guess October. Then November, December, all of a sudden, everybody started reporting it. And I kind of heard, ‘Oh my God, Dwayne’s mad that everyone’s reporting it. He doesn’t want this out.'”
After Meltzer’s report first came out, The Rock responded to someone who brought it up to him on Instagram, writing: “Don’t believe any of that bulls–t.”
At around the time The Rock appeared at the end of Bad Blood in October, it was widely expected that WWE was building him up for a big match at WrestleMania.
The Rock appeared after Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns beat Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu in a tag team match, but Meltzer said he was told there was no real reason for The Rock showing up, saying: “So why do you do this run-in? And it was basically, the people who know this are not happy that, you know, he went in there and stole the end of the show just to do that. Dwayne gets to do what Dwayne wants to do, and everyone has to live with that.”
When The Rock appeared on the debut episode of Raw on Netflix last month, he gave Rhodes his props and even hugged the WWE champion.
It was a shocking development given their heated rivalry last year and the fact that The Rock strongly suggested after WrestleMania 40 that Cody was in his crosshairs.
While it could have been a way to throw fans off, The Rock seemed to bury the hatchet with Cody last month, and given that he did not appear at the Royal Rumble on Saturday, it may indeed be a sign that he won’t be part of WrestleMania.
There is still time, and The Rock could turn WWE and WrestleMania on their head at any moment, but with the Showcase of the Immortals now just over two months away, that time is running out quickly.
Reported Details on McIntyre-Knight Rumble Snafu
Some additional details have emerged regarding Drew McIntyre’s reported anger over how his Royal Rumble match elimination played out.
According to Fightful Select (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Damian Priest was supposed to eliminate McIntyre before Logan Paul came into the match as the 30th entrant, however, that didn’t happen.
Instead, the elimination occurred while LA Knight, Paul and Jey Uso were working a spot, and per PWInsider Elite (h/t Ortman), McIntyre felt Knight’s “errant movement killed the drama and momentum” of his elimination.
McIntyre also felt his elimination came off in a “clunky manner,” which hurt the beginning of his planned feud with Priest.
According to PWInsider.com (h/t Carrier), McIntyre was “screaming and cursing” backstage after his elimination over his belief that “someone had to get their moves in.” McIntyre reportedly also “stormed out of the building” before the end of the Rumble match.
McIntyre did not appear on Monday night’s episode of Raw, although it is unclear if he was ever supposed to.
If he is going to feud with Priest, it likely means McIntyre is moving to SmackDown since Priest recently joined the blue brand.
Despite McIntyre’s apparent issues with Knight, BodySlam.net (h/t Ortman) reported that there is no heat on Knight from WWE’s higher-ups.
Ultimately, the situation between McIntyre and Knight was likely a simple miscommunication, and it shouldn’t be something that two professionals can’t work past.
Lynch Reportedly Wasn’t Planned for Royal Rumble
Many expected Becky Lynch to make her WWE return as a surprise entrant in the women’s Royal Rumble match on Saturday, but it didn’t come to fruition.
According to Fightful Select, Lynch was not planned for the Rumble and she was not in Indianapolis at any point during Royal Rumble weekend.
Lynch last appeared on WWE programming back in May when she lost a steel cage match to Liv Morgan on an episode of Raw. Just two days earlier, Morgan beat Lynch for the Women’s World Championship at King and Queen of the Ring.
Becky’s WWE contract expired after that, and while it was widely assumed that she would be back with the company eventually, it was not a sure thing.
Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported last month that Lynch had signed a new contract to return to WWE, although she was not planned for the debut episode of Raw on Netflix.
Many assumed that WWE was saving Lynch for the Royal Rumble, but that turned out to not be the case either.
With WrestleMania a little over two months away, it is fair to wonder if WWE may be planning to keep Becky off television until after WrestleMania at this point.
It is possible WWE already had a card in place and didn’t want to disrupt it by throwing Lynch into the mix, which would explain her not being in the Rumble.
If that turns out to be true, Lynch could be saved for a surprise return on the Raw after WrestleMania, which is always the most highly anticipated Raw of the year.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below.