Unlabelled This Week In WWE Biz: Roman Reigns Plans, Brock Lesnar Returning To UFC?, John Cena Feud, More

This Week In WWE Biz: Roman Reigns Plans, Brock Lesnar Returning To UFC?, John Cena Feud, More

By Januari 27, 2018

WWE Still Doing John Cena Vs. The Undertaker At WrestleMania 34

Even though John Cena and The Undertaker did not have any interaction on Raw 25, they are still set for a clash at WrestleMania 34.

According to the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer (h/t Cageside Seats),  "the set-up for John Cena and Undertaker at WrestleMania is still scheduled to happen in 'the next few weeks.'" The site also reports that "the reason WWE didn’t do an Undertaker vs. John Cena angle at Raw 25 is because it was the only chance to set up Cena vs. Elias, which is being done because of Samoa Joe’s injury."

WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?

Elias is reportedly stepping in for Samoa Joe as a placeholder feud for Cena due to Joe's recent injury, which could keep him out for an extended amount of time.

While Elias has been a breath of fresh air on Raw and it's nice to see him elevated to a major feud with Cena, it's also a safe bet that he's filling in simply to be someone for Cena to beat on the road to his WrestleMania 34 clash with The Undertaker. Although "The Deadman" looked great physically during his appearance on Raw 25, it's believed he got lost during his lackluster promo, and the appearance did little to excite fans about a potential match with Cena.

There are still plenty of reasons why WWE should avoid Taker vs. Cena at WrestleMania 34, including the minimal effect the bout will have on the number of WWE Network subscribers and the fact that it's probably coming several years too late. Alas, that isn't going to prevent WWE from doing the bout if The Undertaker is willing and ready to step back into the ring, and by the looks of things, that is exactly the case.

The Undertaker did not close the door on another potential match during his Raw 25 appearance, and even though his appearance at the 2017 Royal Rumble didn't boost viewership much, the hope is that his presence at WrestleMania 34 and his match against Cena will help WWE do what it almost did last year when it nearly reached two million Network subscribers at WrestleMania 33.

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Has WWE Changed WrestleMania 34 Plans For Roman Reigns?

Credit: WWE.com

Credit: WWE.com

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

Despite many fans believing that Roman Reigns lost the Intercontinental title to The Miz as "punishment," that apparently isn't the case.

According to Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc), WrestleMania 34 plans for Roman Reigns remain the same, and he is still expected to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship:

There was some speculation on Roman Reigns possibly being punished for the recent steroid allegation story with his title loss to WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz at last night's RAW 25 special but there is no heat, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. Reigns is still planned to face WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 34, as of this week. There's a feeling within WWE that the story on Reigns being implicated in the steroid ring is a non-story.

WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?

TMZ (h/t Cageside Seats) reports that "Reigns will not be investigated over allegations that he purchased steroids from Richard Rodriguez. WWE is not expected to comment on the matter."

Reigns was recently indicated as a potential client of an illegal steroid distribution ring, but this latest development suggests that there is no proof of Reigns' involvement and that he can likely put the allegations in his rearview mirror for good. Although some may have thought that Reigns lost the Intercontinental title on Raw 25 because WWE wanted to "send him a message," that didn't appear to be the case at all. In fact, it was likely just a part of the quest to get to Reigns vs. Lesnar at WrestleMania 34.

With Reigns dropping the belt to The Miz, who certainly deserves to hold the title during WrestleMania season, that frees him up to potentially win the Royal Rumble match and go on to face Lesnar. Reigns is still one of the betting favorites to win the match, but even if he doesn't, he could just as easily win an Elimination Chamber match next month in order to get his WrestleMania title match against Lesnar instead.

WWE has remained committed to pushing Reigns as its top star and having him win the Universal title at WrestleMania 34 to cement him as such, so it's highly unlikely that an unsubstantiated claim will derail that push, especially given TMZ's report that Reigns "will not be investigated" for the matter.

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Could Brock Lesnar Be Headed Back To UFC?

Credit: WWE.com

Credit: WWE.com

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

There continue to be rumblings about Brock Lesnar potentially returning to UFC.

During a recent appearance on TSN (h/t MMAJunkie), UFC president Dana White had the following to say when asked if Lesnar would fight for the company in 2018: "I’m going to take the odds again and say yes." In a separate interview with the Associated Press (h/t MMAWeekly), White also noted that “I think he’ll [Lesnar] give it one more run...I just think Brock loves to fight.”

Meanwhile, the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that it's unclear what Lesnar will do once his current deal expires but that Vince McMahon would need to approve of any fight that took place before August.

WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?

Although Lesnar's WWE contract expires after WrestleMania 34, it can be extended until August, and the widespread expectation is that exactly that will happen.

Pro Wrestling Sheet reported last year that Lesnar had informed WWE of his intentions to leave the company when his deal expired, which is why he had reentered the USADA testing pool for a potential MMA return. However, as noted by MMA Weekly, Lesnar would still have to serve out the remainder of his USADA suspension if he wanted to return to UFC, where the "big money fight" would be with Jon Jones, who White also believes will fight in 2018.

It seems likely that the only way Lesnar would return to UFC is for the Jones fight, which would surely net Lesnar a much larger payday than the whopping $2.5 million he got for UFC 200 in 2016.

Still, it remains to be seen whether Lesnar would even entertain another UFC run given that he's already WWE's highest paid star, turns 41 later this year and makes more money than anyone in WWE despite working a very limited schedule. The best case scenario for Lesnar would certainly be for him to re-sign with WWE and also get the OK from Vince McMahon to work one more UFC fight, much like what happened for his UFC 200 bout against Mark Hunt.

However, Lesnar's failed drug test and subsequent suspension in 2016 painted WWE in a negative light, and McMahon may not want to risk that happening again. Likewise, White has said McMahon would not allow Lesnar to fight again while under contract with WWE, meaning that Lesnar would presumably have to choose between what would likely be a one-off UFC fight or a more long-term WWE deal that would pay him handsomely.

Wouldn't it make more sense for him to choose the latter?

CHECK THIS OUT

WWE Has Huge Plans For The Miz, News On His Possible WrestleMania Feud

Credit: WWE.com

Credit: WWE.com

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

WWE apparently has big things in store for The Miz on the road to WrestleMania 34.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer (h/t WrestlingInc), The Miz is set receive a "monster push" in the coming months in route to a major 'Mania match:

Regarding The Miz, Meltzer noted that he is currently in the beginning of a monster push. Miz is scheduled for a major WrestleMania 34 match...The Miz is scheduled to be booked as a top guy during WrestleMania season

The latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc) also reports that "the current plan is for The Miz to defend the [Intercontinental] title against Braun Strowman at WrestleMania."

WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?

With The Miz being one of WWE's most well-rounded performers and arguably its best heel, his push is certainly a wise decision.

There isn't a star in the company who's more deserving of such a massive push, especially after he seemed to develop into a surprisingly good draw and an irreplaceable star on the red brand. The push also makes sense due to The Miz's upcoming reality show Miz and Mrs., which is expected to begin airing on the USA Network later this year and will be used as a cross-promotional tool for WWE, USA and The Miz himself.

The Miz is already a very visible star in the mainstream, and after improving so much in recent years, it's hard to imagine him not having a substantial role at WrestleMania 34. Ideally, he would be in an even bigger bout, perhaps one for the Universal Championship, but WWE appears resolute in its determination to do both Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar and John Cena vs. The Undertaker. That means that a battle with Strowman, one of WWE's biggest draws, is a tremendous consolation prize for not only The Miz but Strowman as well.

Strowman and The Miz are two of the hottest acts currently in WWE, so it's clearly a logical decision to have them feud with one another if they aren't going to be involved in the Universal title picture. This could be a sneaky good feud that may not be considered a WrestleMania main event but will likely generate one of the best crowd reactions on the entire WrestleMania card.

CHECK THIS OUT

WHAT ELSE IS NEW?

Blake Oestriecher is an elementary school teacher by day and a sports writer by night. He’s a contributor to the Forbes @SportsMoneyBlog, where he primarily covers WWE. You can follow him on Twitter @BOestriecher.

">WWE Still Doing John Cena Vs. The Undertaker At WrestleMania 34

Even though John Cena and The Undertaker did not have any interaction on Raw 25, they are still set for a clash at WrestleMania 34.

According to the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer (h/t Cageside Seats),  "the set-up for John Cena and Undertaker at WrestleMania is still scheduled to happen in 'the next few weeks.'" The site also reports that "the reason WWE didn’t do an Undertaker vs. John Cena angle at Raw 25 is because it was the only chance to set up Cena vs. Elias, which is being done because of Samoa Joe’s injury."

WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?

Elias is reportedly stepping in for Samoa Joe as a placeholder feud for Cena due to Joe's recent injury, which could keep him out for an extended amount of time.

While Elias has been a breath of fresh air on Raw and it's nice to see him elevated to a major feud with Cena, it's also a safe bet that he's filling in simply to be someone for Cena to beat on the road to his WrestleMania 34 clash with The Undertaker. Although "The Deadman" looked great physically during his appearance on Raw 25, it's believed he got lost during his lackluster promo, and the appearance did little to excite fans about a potential match with Cena.

There are still plenty of reasons why WWE should avoid Taker vs. Cena at WrestleMania 34, including the minimal effect the bout will have on the number of WWE Network subscribers and the fact that it's probably coming several years too late. Alas, that isn't going to prevent WWE from doing the bout if The Undertaker is willing and ready to step back into the ring, and by the looks of things, that is exactly the case.

The Undertaker did not close the door on another potential match during his Raw 25 appearance, and even though his appearance at the 2017 Royal Rumble didn't boost viewership much, the hope is that his presence at WrestleMania 34 and his match against Cena will help WWE do what it almost did last year when it nearly reached two million Network subscribers at WrestleMania 33.

CHECK THIS OUT

Has WWE Changed WrestleMania 34 Plans For Roman Reigns?

Credit: WWE.com

Credit: WWE.com

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

Despite many fans believing that Roman Reigns lost the Intercontinental title to The Miz as "punishment," that apparently isn't the case.

According to Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc), WrestleMania 34 plans for Roman Reigns remain the same, and he is still expected to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship:

There was some speculation on Roman Reigns possibly being punished for the recent steroid allegation story with his title loss to WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz at last night's RAW 25 special but there is no heat, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. Reigns is still planned to face WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 34, as of this week. There's a feeling within WWE that the story on Reigns being implicated in the steroid ring is a non-story.

WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?

TMZ (h/t Cageside Seats) reports that "Reigns will not be investigated over allegations that he purchased steroids from Richard Rodriguez. WWE is not expected to comment on the matter."

Reigns was recently indicated as a potential client of an illegal steroid distribution ring, but this latest development suggests that there is no proof of Reigns' involvement and that he can likely put the allegations in his rearview mirror for good. Although some may have thought that Reigns lost the Intercontinental title on Raw 25 because WWE wanted to "send him a message," that didn't appear to be the case at all. In fact, it was likely just a part of the quest to get to Reigns vs. Lesnar at WrestleMania 34.

With Reigns dropping the belt to The Miz, who certainly deserves to hold the title during WrestleMania season, that frees him up to potentially win the Royal Rumble match and go on to face Lesnar. Reigns is still one of the betting favorites to win the match, but even if he doesn't, he could just as easily win an Elimination Chamber match next month in order to get his WrestleMania title match against Lesnar instead.

WWE has remained committed to pushing Reigns as its top star and having him win the Universal title at WrestleMania 34 to cement him as such, so it's highly unlikely that an unsubstantiated claim will derail that push, especially given TMZ's report that Reigns "will not be investigated" for the matter.

CHECK THIS OUT

Could Brock Lesnar Be Headed Back To UFC?

Credit: WWE.com

Credit: WWE.com

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

There continue to be rumblings about Brock Lesnar potentially returning to UFC.

During a recent appearance on TSN (h/t MMAJunkie), UFC president Dana White had the following to say when asked if Lesnar would fight for the company in 2018: "I’m going to take the odds again and say yes." In a separate interview with the Associated Press (h/t MMAWeekly), White also noted that “I think he’ll [Lesnar] give it one more run...I just think Brock loves to fight.”

Meanwhile, the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that it's unclear what Lesnar will do once his current deal expires but that Vince McMahon would need to approve of any fight that took place before August.

WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?

Although Lesnar's WWE contract expires after WrestleMania 34, it can be extended until August, and the widespread expectation is that exactly that will happen.

Pro Wrestling Sheet reported last year that Lesnar had informed WWE of his intentions to leave the company when his deal expired, which is why he had reentered the USADA testing pool for a potential MMA return. However, as noted by MMA Weekly, Lesnar would still have to serve out the remainder of his USADA suspension if he wanted to return to UFC, where the "big money fight" would be with Jon Jones, who White also believes will fight in 2018.

It seems likely that the only way Lesnar would return to UFC is for the Jones fight, which would surely net Lesnar a much larger payday than the whopping $2.5 million he got for UFC 200 in 2016.

Still, it remains to be seen whether Lesnar would even entertain another UFC run given that he's already WWE's highest paid star, turns 41 later this year and makes more money than anyone in WWE despite working a very limited schedule. The best case scenario for Lesnar would certainly be for him to re-sign with WWE and also get the OK from Vince McMahon to work one more UFC fight, much like what happened for his UFC 200 bout against Mark Hunt.

However, Lesnar's failed drug test and subsequent suspension in 2016 painted WWE in a negative light, and McMahon may not want to risk that happening again. Likewise, White has said McMahon would not allow Lesnar to fight again while under contract with WWE, meaning that Lesnar would presumably have to choose between what would likely be a one-off UFC fight or a more long-term WWE deal that would pay him handsomely.

Wouldn't it make more sense for him to choose the latter?

CHECK THIS OUT

WWE Has Huge Plans For The Miz, News On His Possible WrestleMania Feud

Credit: WWE.com

Credit: WWE.com

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

WWE apparently has big things in store for The Miz on the road to WrestleMania 34.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer (h/t WrestlingInc), The Miz is set receive a "monster push" in the coming months in route to a major 'Mania match:

Regarding The Miz, Meltzer noted that he is currently in the beginning of a monster push. Miz is scheduled for a major WrestleMania 34 match...The Miz is scheduled to be booked as a top guy during WrestleMania season

The latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc) also reports that "the current plan is for The Miz to defend the [Intercontinental] title against Braun Strowman at WrestleMania."

WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?

With The Miz being one of WWE's most well-rounded performers and arguably its best heel, his push is certainly a wise decision.

There isn't a star in the company who's more deserving of such a massive push, especially after he seemed to develop into a surprisingly good draw and an irreplaceable star on the red brand. The push also makes sense due to The Miz's upcoming reality show Miz and Mrs., which is expected to begin airing on the USA Network later this year and will be used as a cross-promotional tool for WWE, USA and The Miz himself.

The Miz is already a very visible star in the mainstream, and after improving so much in recent years, it's hard to imagine him not having a substantial role at WrestleMania 34. Ideally, he would be in an even bigger bout, perhaps one for the Universal Championship, but WWE appears resolute in its determination to do both Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar and John Cena vs. The Undertaker. That means that a battle with Strowman, one of WWE's biggest draws, is a tremendous consolation prize for not only The Miz but Strowman as well.

Strowman and The Miz are two of the hottest acts currently in WWE, so it's clearly a logical decision to have them feud with one another if they aren't going to be involved in the Universal title picture. This could be a sneaky good feud that may not be considered a WrestleMania main event but will likely generate one of the best crowd reactions on the entire WrestleMania card.

CHECK THIS OUT

WHAT ELSE IS NEW?

Blake Oestriecher is an elementary school teacher by day and a sports writer by night. He’s a contributor to the Forbes @SportsMoneyBlog, where he primarily covers WWE. You can follow him on Twitter @BOestriecher.

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