WWE rumor roundup: Plans for The Rock, could Edge get cleared?

Update on Edge

Edge recently left the acclaimed “E&C Pod of Awesomeness”, and since he speared Elias at SummerSlam, fans have been wondering if the legendary “Rated R Superstar” could be making an in-ring return against all the odds.

Due to a neck injury, it seemed like Edge would never have a chance at wrestling again, and it might be better for him to stay away from a full-length match. But if he were to get clearance from WWE’s medical team, then there would undoubtedly be fans begging for one more match from the beloved wrestler.

The Wrestling Observer News’s Dave Meltzer (h/t WrestlingInc’s Raj Giri) reports that while Edge earned himself a “significant deal” from WWE by pitting them against AEW and that there have been internal discussions about him wrestling again, people in the company don’t think he’ll ever get cleared.

Edge himself has said on his podcast that he believes he could wrestle again, but admits that WWE most likely wouldn’t clear him.

It makes sense for WWE to be cautious with wrestlers getting back in the ring, because the last thing they need is a catastrophic injury or the potential liability that would come from it. WWE are also likely wary of negative press in these cases, so the view is that they’d say “no”, even if a wrestler could conceivably be cleared. So if Edge were to be cleared by WWE, there would have to be absolutely zero concerns.

File this under “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?”, because if you told me last year at this time that we would even be entertaining the idea of Edge stepping back into a WWE ring, I would have made a joke about it being less likely than CM Punk returning…

Speaking of the CM Punk rumors…

The CM Punk rumors are swirling so madly that there are even people wondering if he could return to SmackDown on FOX. And if you read, say, Bleacher Report’s Chris Roling’s examining of the “tea leaves” on a Punk return to what is now WWE’s biggest stage, you’ll find yourself believing that it could actually happen. The Rock being on SmackDown wouldn’t even be the biggest story of the night in this case, and the two could even be involved in a segment together…

For the record, I don’t think any of this is happening. I’m in the “let’s let Punk in peace” crowd, but it’s hard to ignore all the speculation.

Even FOX Sports MX got in on the act, dropping Nikki Bella, Punk, and John Cena (I mean, Cena’s almost a guarantee to appear) as surprises for SmackDown on FOX.

Braun Strowman contract value

The Wrestling Observer News’s Dave Meltzer reports, with a hat tip to WrestlingInc.com’s Marc Middleton, that Braun Strowman is making $1.2 million a year on a new contract.

Strowman announced the four-year deal over the summer, and it’s good to see that he’s making seven figures. But it is interesting to note that contracts seem to have ballooned since AEW, with fringe roster stars reportedly making at least $500,000 a year.

That’s the money they are worth as athletes, but in comparison to Strowman, it is interesting that Braun isn’t making even more than a little over $1 million a year. Although he hasn’t won a world title yet, he’s come close and is an important part of WWE’s future as one of their top stars.

If he keeps improving and wrestling keeps booming due to AEW’s early success, then Strowman could potentially re-negotiate to get nearly $2 million down the road. But based on what Strowman says, he’s more than about the money due to his roots and his loyalty to WWE, who have taken a wise chance on developing Braun into a legitimate star.

Strowman has to be on the shortlist of the best big men in wrestling today.