Bray Wyatt is back in WWE following an unforgettable return at Extreme Rules and his status moving forward is now apparent, thanks to a new report from the wrestling rumor mill.
The Eater of Worlds is understandably at the forefront of this week's collection of rumors and headlines, but he isn't the only topic of interest.
The latest on new All Elite Wrestling signing Renee Paquette and WWE's interest in a former Impact Wrestling Knockouts champion round out this week's lineup.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported that Bray Wyatt will be exclusive to SmackDown moving forward while the returning Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson will only appear on Raw.
Furthermore, Brock Lesnar's return to Raw and his attack on Bobby Lashley have been considered a "make-good" for Wyatt not appearing on the flagship following his excellent return at Extreme Rules on Saturday.
WWE officials were said to have been very pleased with Wyatt's return, according to Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp, who added: "Several that are usually in the know were kept out of the loop about the context of the White Rabbit videos until this past week. Some of the references had to be approved, but standard WWE creative were largely hands off."
The former WWE and universal champion appearing exclusively on Friday night will help attract viewers to that show, at least in the short term, especially as fans await his creative direction.
Fox is likely over the moon that the hottest star in pro wrestling is about to make its network his home, while the USA Network officials should be happily surprised to have Brock Lesnar appearing on the show.
Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and the interest in them upon their return alongside AJ Styles on Monday's Raw is an added bonus.
The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported in Sports Illustrated that WWE made the commentator an offer as part of its shakeup, but she rejected it.
Paquette earned rave reviews during her time with WWE from fans and analysts alike for being an engaging, down-to-earth backstage interviewer and lending a fresh sound to the Raw commentary desk during her time as part of the broadcast team.
The 37-year-old now takes her talents to AEW, where she joins a broadcast team that already boasts the likes of Tony Schiavone, Alex Marvez, Lexy Nair and Mark Henry. She will likely stand out among them and hopefully inject a little more personality into that group.
While it remains to be seen if Paquette would be open to expanding her role with the promotion, she would likely benefit AEW beyond simply holding a microphone and hosting web-exclusive shows...perhaps as a character.
Bryan Alvarez reported on Wrestling Observer Live that there are two reasons for talent wanting out of AEW.
The first is their trust in Triple H to lead WWE now that Vince McMahon has retired; second, they do not work enough in AEW and prefer the other company's busier schedule.
Wrestlers such as Andrade and Miro performed under The Game during their days in NXT and are familiar and comnfortable with his creative preferences. That they also achieved success under his guidance will also be a factor.
Given the expansive roster of AEW talent, it's no surprise that talent would be frustrated with not working as much.
There are so many wrestlers at Tony Khan's disposal right now, and such limited television time, that consistent appearances for anyone outside the top guys are not guaranteed, at least not in meaningful storylines.
That AEW does not have a touring schedule outside of its weekly television tapings only compounds the situation.
WrestleVotes reported that WWE has considerable interest in bringing back Chelsea Green:
I’m told another name WWE has significant interest in bringing back is Chelsea Green. I would think if a deal is offered, it’s for the main roster. Time will tell.
The 31-year-old previously appeared for WWE as part of NXT and then briefly on the main roster before suffering a broken wrist that ruined her SmackDown in-ring debut.
Since her release in 2021, Green has reestablished herself as one of the most prominent stars in indie wrestling alongside her husband, Matt Cardona. Most recently, she partnered with fellow NXT alumni Deonna Purrazzo to capture the Knockouts Tag Team Championship in Impact Wrestling.
A talented in-ring performer who has also held the Knockouts singles title during her first stint with Impact under the name Laurel Van Ness, the Canadian has also exhibited the character work that WWE values so highly.
It is no surprise that Triple H would be interested in bringing Green back to WWE since her time with the company was cut short and her potential went unrealized.
