Note: Since posting this article, Sports Illustrated has posted an update, denouncing their initial report suggesting it was gathered from misplaced sources.
-- With WWE's WrestleMania 40 just around the corner and Royal Rumble this weekend, speculation is beginning to ramp up on the prospective card for the former event. In an interesting article posted yesterday, Sports Illustrated is reporting a run down of some of the top matches that are planned, citing sources close to Triple H.
-- According to the report, WWE is moving forward in having The Rock challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal title and as expected, it sounds like Reigns will be leaving that match as the winner. Meanwhile, the original plan of CM Punk challenging Seth Rollins is reportedly scrapped and WWE's new direction is that GUNTHER will win the Royal Rumble and face Rollins on the first night of WrestleMania where he will win in a squash, further setting him for a massive push in 2024 and allow him to head into Bash in Berlin in August as world champion.
-- That would leave Cody Rhodes to wrestle CM Punk, with neither of them effectively finishing their story that WWE has been pushing on TV. Damian Priest, who holds the Money in the Bank contract, has potential opponents ranging from AJ Styles to Randy Orton to LA Knight to even someone like Finn Balor depending on what happens to the Judgment Day stable.
-- On the women's side, the report notes that Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley still appears to be the direction for a WrestleMania headline match but hints that Bayley is favored to win the Royal Rumble and that her time is coming, the obvious implication being that she would face current ally Io Sky for the other women's title.
-- The WrestleVotes X account addressed the Sports Illustrated report, indicating that the top three matches discussed could "absolutely happen", however cautioned at assuming that everything is locked in. The tweet also suggested that WWE is not particularly happy with the report in general, especially since it cited sources close to Triple H, insinuating that he would be open with that type of information with others.
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…— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) January 25, 2024
