WWE is not impressed with a recent article that gained significant traction amongst wrestling fans.
With the Royal Rumble just a couple of days away, fans will have a much clearer perspective of what plans for WrestleMania 40 will be by the end of the week. Although not confirmed, many fans have predicted that Seth Rollins will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk and Cody Rhodes will challenge Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns one year on from his loss to The Tribal Chief in So-Fi Stadium. However, an article from Sports Illustrated painted an entirely different picture.
The article concerning The Show of Shows stated that most expected plans for the event are not taking place, with plans significantly changing for Cody Rhodes and Gunther. Specifically, it stated that the Intercontinental Champion was a clear favourite to win the Royal Rumble and challenge Rollins.
Later in the article, Sports Illustrated claimed that Rhodes’ opponent would be Punk and The American Nightmare would not finish the story in Philadelphia, citing “Multiple sources close to WWE Head of Creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque” as the reason for this bold statement. According to a WWE source, the contents of the article have been met with criticism.
As reported by the social media account WrestleVotes, it is claimed that there is logic behind the thinking of Sports Illustrated and would have no issue if this was an opinion piece. However, due to the article claiming to have definitive information and using higher-ups as a source, the article has not been well received:
Regarding the Sports Illustrated/ WrestleMania 40 report, and after speaking to a few of my own contacts, I believe the following- those 3 matches could absolutely happen in Philadelphia. However, the “set in stone” nature of the article is a little naive I’ve been told. Source also relayed that WWE is not happy with the report in general, especially labeling it as “sources close to Triple H,” as if he’d be so open with this type of specific information.
Top WWE Star Gives WrestleMania Update
Unlike previous years, WrestleMania 40 feels more unpredictable as multiple Superstars could win the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumbles and The Rock’s involvement in the show still remains uncertain. One star who is optimistic that they will be a part of the biggest show of the year is Seth Rollins, who recently picked up a knee injury while competing on Raw. After informing the fans that he would not be vacating the World Heavyweight Championship, Seth Rollins gave an update regarding the timeline of his WWE return.