INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 11: Raquel Rodriguez attends the WrestleMania Launch Party at SoFi Stadium on August 11, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images)
Raquel Rodriguez etched her name in the history books Monday when she won the vacant WWE Women's Tag Team Championship alongside partner Aliyah.
It was the third title of the 31-year-old's young career and is likely just the start for the second-generation star, according to a new report.
The latest on her future in the new-look WWE under Triple H, as well as the latest on Roman Reigns potentially dropping the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship to Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle, headlines this collection of pro wrestling rumors.
Ahead of Clash at the Castle and a blockbuster main event pitting Drew McIntyre against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, WrestleVotes reported, "For the first time in a long time, there has (sic) been some discussions creatively regarding Roman Reigns dropping the title(s)."
The report added: "I'm hearing multiple ideas have intrigued those making the final call come Saturday in Cardiff."
Reigns just passed the two-year mark in his run as universal champion and added the WWE title to his collection at WrestleMania 38 in April, when he defeated Brock Lesnar in the main event of the second night.
The Scotland-born McIntyre will have home-field advantage Saturday when he competes in the United Kingdom. He is a red-hot babyface and has more than earned the opportunity to celebrate a major championship victory in front of fans after both of his title wins in 2020 came during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If there was a guy to dethrone Reigns, he makes sense. Whether that is the right call or even the one that Triple H will go with at the weekend remains to be seen.
That he and WWE Creative are at least entertaining the idea that The Tribal Chief may not make it out of Wales with his title reign intact at least reflects his willingness to consider shifting directions if the opportunity arises.
New WWE women's tag team champion Raquel Rodriguez is in the midst of a major push, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
This has been reflected in her booking, which has seen her often overcome the numbers disadvantage created by attacks on Aliyah.
Rodriguez has done so with her unmatched strength and a Tejada Bomb that is quickly becoming as potent a finisher as any in the company.
Anyone paying attention to her time in NXT should have expected Rodriguez to benefit from Triple H's new creative powers. She emerged from obscurity in the brand to become its top female star, winning the world title and adding a tag team reign alongside Dakota Kai, who she defeated to capture the gold on Monday's Raw.
Rodriguez is a talented second-generation wrestler who meshes size and strength with athleticism to create the total package. Her work has improved by leaps and bounds since she first arrived on the scene, strengthening her case for a push and earning the attention of WWE management.
The reaction to her and Aliyah's victory for the vacant tag titles may not have been greeted with the most enthusiasm, but her future is not tied to her current teammate.
Rodriguez will be a star in her own right and will likely be battling the likes of Bianca Belair, Bayley, Becky Lynch and Kai for supremacy in the women's division within a year.
The Good Brothers will not be returning to WWE anytime soon.
Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows are free agents after their deal with Impact Wrestling ended with television tapings that took place on August 26 and 27, per Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select.
They did holds talks with WWE, but sour feelings following the way their previous run ended and a refusal to return on the cheap, led to talks ending, noted Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com.
Anderson and Gallows are known friends of AJ Styles and have a relationship with Finn Balor dating back to their days in Japan.
Internationally recognized in the industry and tag team champions for every promotion they have been contracted to, The Good Brothers would certainly add name value to the WWE product.
Given how they were utilized the last time they were with the company, though, it is probably for the best that Anderson and Gallows look at other options or explore the possibility of signing with All Elite Wrestling.
AEW has an expansive roster of female wrestlers but rarely makes the time to properly spotlight all of them across Dynamite and Rampage.
That may be changing, though, with Meltzer noting on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Ringside News) that Tony Khan is "serious" about launching an all-women's wrestling show, although there is no timetable for it at the moment.
The idea is certainly encouraging, as AEW's treatment of its women's division in the grand scheme of things has long been a valid criticism of the company.
Giving fighters such as Serena Deeb, Hikaru Shida, Emi Sakura, Riho, Nyla Rose, The Bunny and Penelope Ford the opportunity to have television time and ongoing storylines they don't get at the moment is the least Khan can do to better feature women's wrestling.
It would also present an opportunity for established stars to be treated as such rather than being an afterthought following an otherwise male-heavy broadcast.
