Buy or Sell Latest on Rock, John Cena, WWE Wrestler Returns, Exits and Debuts, More

The pro wrestling rumor mill isn’t exactly tapering off as WrestleMania 41 approaches. 

Normally, with both Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber in the books, the outlook seems clear enough to cool things off a bit. 

Not this time. 

This time, there is the historical, once-in-a-lifetime heel John Cena presiding over everything. That even trumps the fact names like CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre and others don’t necessarily have locked-in matches and/or spots on the ‘Mania card. 

Tack on the usual ‘Mania stuff too, such as the potential for surprise returns, swerves and overall plans—it’s a near-overwhelming bit of buzz to keep up with on an hourly basis, let alone daily. 

To throw fans an assist, here’s a look at the most notable buzz making the rounds right now and whether they should buy or sell on each. 

The Rumor

It’s ‘Mania season, so returns and departures are major headliners right now. Case in point, Fightful (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats) reported that rumblings about Shinsuke Nakamura leaving WWE don’t have much basis right now. 

Reaction

It’s not all that shocking to see rumblings around Nakamura’s name right now. He just had an underwhelming United States title reign come to an end at the hands of LA Knight on a normal-feeling episode of SmackDown. 

Buy or Sell?

Buy. A title change doesn’t mean a Superstar will leave a promotion. Losing this close to ‘Mania does feel a little strange, but it literally just happened to Rhea Ripley, too. Nakamura would undoubtedly have options if he left WWE, but the promotion getting a title on a hotter name for the biggest PLE of the year shouldn’t drive these rumors after little has even been speculated about his contract. 

The Rumor

Going into ‘Mania, there are still some big unanswered questions around the women’s division. Asuka is one of those, with Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp (h/t Ortman) noting that nothing has changed when it comes to a return.

Reaction

As noted, this follows up on BodySlam.net’s Cassidy Haynes (h/t Ortman) reporting that Asuka won’t return until after ‘Mania. That isn’t all too surprising at this point, considering she’s a top-of-divison presence and beyond Ripley’s saga around her lost title, the showdown between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton takes up the other top billing.

Buy or Sell?

Easy buy on a post-’Mania return. Remember, this a WrestleMania season where even Becky Lynch’s status as showing up seems to remain a question mark, so it’s not all that unusual. Asuka would be the perfect surprise return and first feud for a champion on the Raw after ‘Mania. 

The Rumor

It wouldn’t be ‘Mania season without some good old-fashioned free-agent rumors. According to Fightful Select (h/t Ortman), WWE has interest in Jeff Cobb, going as far as suggesting he might already be on the company’s internal roster. 

Reaction

More giant-type characters would make sense for WWE, especially with Bronson Reed expected to be out until at least May after ankle surgery, according to PW Insider (h/t Ortman). More is better for this style of wrestler—and the two teaming up would even add some fun juice to the tag division, too. 

Buy or Sell?

Buy. Cobb has been a sensation in NJPW and AEW, so it’s a no-brainer WWE has interest. It feels like one of those Raw after ‘Mania surprises that gets him in front of as many viewers as possible, too. 

The Rumor

One of the most anticipated matches in AEW could unfold soon. According to Sapp (h/t Ortman), the promotion has progressed Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada talks to the point many consider the plans “firm” for All in Texas this year.

Reaction

It feels like the only way to go, especially if AEW really goes the consolidation route for its international and continental titles. The late-December end to World’s End sure seemed to foreshadow such an encounter, which really got the ball rolling on fan speculation. 

Buy or Sell?

Buy. It’s no secret that AEW needs to cut down on the number of titles. It’s also no secret that Omega vs. Okada is one of the top possible encounters on the planet for a variety of reasons. To say the very least, it would be an excellent way to pour a huge amount of credibility into whatever title is left standing, too. 

The Rumor

John Cena and The Rock are aligned, so what happens next? For one, naming conventions, it seems. According to WrestleVotes (h/t Ortman), WWE has considered the name “The Rock and Soul Connection” to describe the duo. 

Reaction

Horrendous. Fans get it—Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection was fun back in the day and “soul” can refer to Rock’s father and Cena selling his to Rock. But it would be a gross misplay to get so cartoonishly silly at a time when things are so super serious with a heel Cena. 

Buy or Sell?

Huge sell. Maybe WWE tries to slap this silliness on merchandise to sell, fine. But there’s no way WWE botches a decades-in-the-making heel turn by getting goofy like this. Right?