There may be issues between WWE and John Cena.
According to multiple reports, including one from Cageside Seats, Cena isn't thrilled with Goldberg's WWE contract:
There’s talk of “friendly tension” between John Cena and WWE over things like his outside projects and big-money deal given to Goldberg.
WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?
Cena has been WWE's biggest workhorse essentially since his debut in 2002, and at age 39, he's now in that awkward spot where he's still in his prime but is also at the tail end of his career.
If any superstar has earned the right to be a part-timer who commands a hefty salary, it's Cena. But perhaps the biggest difference between Cena and the likes of Goldberg and Brock Lesnar is that Cena didn't leave WWE for an extended period like those two did. Lesnar was gone for eight years while Goldberg was gone for 12, so their deals to return are what you expect for a future Hall of Famer returning after a lengthy hiatus.
Though Cena is obviously headed for the Hall of Fame one day as well, he's never left WWE, which, oddly enough, is likely why he's working much more for his money than Lesnar and Goldberg. Perhaps if Cena left the WWE altogether for a year or two (which doesn't seem likely), he would be in that Goldberg/Lesnar territory in terms of making significant money for infrequent work.
Though Cena has been as committed to WWE as any superstar in history, it will be interesting to see if this ultimately becomes a bigger issue for "The Champ" if his frustration continues to grow.
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Never be angry at what someone else is given. Envy solves nothing. If you want to reach a goal it takes smarts and elbow grease #EarnTheDay
— John Cena (@JohnCena) November 30, 2016
Leslie Mann, @JohnCena and @ikebarinholtz will star in the comedy 'The Pact' (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/oTFXZqAMYo pic.twitter.com/lScURX2VqE
— Variety (@Variety) November 28, 2016
Original Raw Plans For Roman Reigns And Kevin Owens
WHAT'S THE DEAL?
What we saw between Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns on Raw wasn't exactly what WWE originally planned, according to the Wrestling Observer (h/t 411Mania):
At live events this past weekend, Reigns beat Owens clean by pinfall. It was Reigns’ US title that was on the line in those matches. According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, the original plan for RAW was to have Owens vs. Reigns for the US title.
In addition to that, the live event matches were supposed to be title vs. title, but Stephanie McMahon ruled that only Reigns would have to defend. On RAW, it was changed to non-title, with the stipulation that Reigns would fight Owens for the Universal belt if he won.
WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?
Translation: WWE altered plans in order to protect Reigns.
Although the negative fan reaction to Reigns is as bad now as it's ever been, WWE is clearly moving forward with the idea that he is the top babyface on Raw, even if that's a terrible idea. The fact that the planned title vs. title matches at live events were changed suggests that WWE is not willing to have Raw's top titleholder in Owens defeat the show's midcard champion, which should tell you something about the lengths WWE is willing to go to in order keep Reigns looking strong.
The hatred toward Reigns is, in part, because creative books him to be far too dominant, and the company is not doing him any favors by having him challenge for the Universal title while also holding the United States Championship. It's simply too much of a spotlight for Reigns and another reasons for fans to continue to despise him.
The issue isn't with Reigns himself or his abilities in the ring. It's all about creative going to incredible lengths to keep him atop Raw, even if it's at the expense of Owens losing clean.
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Rumor Roundup (Dec. 1, 2016): Reigns title plans, WWE ‘raiding’ Ring of Honor, Trump/McMahon, more! https://t.co/DjKK6bplVZ
— Cageside Seats (@cagesideseats) December 1, 2016
Latest On Hulk Hogan's Potential WWE Return
WHAT'S THE DEAL?
Brooke Hogan isn't letting up on claims that her father, Hulk Hogan, is in talks to return to WWE, despite "The Hulker's" past denials.
Brooke again insinuated that Hulk has contact with WWE about a potential return, telling TMZ Sports that "he is capable of anything" and failing to deny rumors about him heading back to the company.
WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?
WWE has shown no qualms about relying on part-time talent, relying on Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker (to name a few) to play a major role in recent storylines.
Thus, it wouldn't come as a surprise at all if WWE brings back Hulk Hogan at some point in the near future. It's been well over a year since he was fired by the company for making racist comments on a leaked audiotape, and most of the public backlash to that incident has since died down, positioning Hogan s the perfect candidate to return in time for WrestleMania.
"The Immortal" Hogan is arguably the most well-known name in the history of professional wrestling, and even though his days as an in-ring performer are over, he could still benefit the company in a role as a company spokesperson or ambassador.
Hogan's presence would certainly help WrestleMania 33 as well, as WWE tries to appeal to fans from different generations.
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Documentary on Hulk Hogan-Gawker Lawsuit to Premier at Sundance Film Festival https://t.co/l12kFAnEJVpic.twitter.com/MvlKsF5BRP
— SEScoops (@sescoops) December 1, 2016
Update On Cesaro Potentially Moving To SmackDown, Daniel Bryan's Involvement
WHAT'S THE DEAL?
After initially being earmarked for a spot on SmackDown following the WWE Draft, Cesaro wound up on Raw, but according to WrestlingNewsWorld.com, Cesaro is still hoping to make his way to the blue brand.
Daniel Bryan has teased Cesaro's switch to SmackDown, and WNW reports that "it's now looking like a move is inevitable," though Sheamus may be affecting those plans due to his successful storyline with Cesaro.
WHAT'S IT MEAN FOR WWE?
For a while now, it's seemed like either Cesaro or Sami Zayn would wind up making the switch to SmackDown due to a combination of their unhappiness on Raw and the need for depth on the blue brand.
However, especially in recent weeks (that barroom brawl segment on Raw was fantastic), the pairing of Cesaro and Sheamus has gotten over incredibly well and could cause WWE to think twice about having Cesaro switch brands. Ideally, Cesaro would be a World title contender on SmackDown because it doesn't look like he'll ever reach that point on Raw.
But with the way that Cesaro and Sheamus have clicked as a tag team lately, it would be more beneficial to keep them together until their partnership runs its course, and no one really knows when that will be. Plus, with WWE seemingly having doubts about making roster trades in general, the more sensible option right now would be for Mick Foley to "fire" Zayn from Raw due to their recent tension, causing Zayn to move to SmackDown.
Zayn is probably the most poorly used star on Raw right now and could benefit greatly from a switch while it wouldn't make a ton of sense to move Cesaro right now in the midst of a hot storyline.
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News:
Cesaro Expressed His Disappointment With Being Left Off The WWE Switzerland Promo Poster, Bullet Club Leader Kenny Omega Responded pic.twitter.com/HfOP3jDKu3
— Slice Wrestling (@EntSlice) November 28, 2016
WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
- Matt Hardy has expressed interest in returning to WWE. Of all the names not currently in WWE who could make a big impact in the company, he might be No. 1 on that list.
- Some changes have been made to WWE's 2017 pay-per-view schedule. There are now expected to be 18 PPVs next year, and Elimination Chamber is likely to be SmackDown's last brand-exclusive show before WrestleMania 33 while Raw gets Fastlane.
- Ryback has discussed a potential MMA fight with Combate Americas MMA, although it's unlikely that the promotion would offer "The Big Guy" the big money deal that he is seeking.
- There is a good chance that some major independent wrestling promotions will soon begin airing content on WWE Network. Vince McMahon reportedly is willing to put some "hot indies" on the Network if he can strike the right deal.
- Ric Flair has apparently signed a new WWE contract and will be a regular on TV going forward, according to Flair himself, too. There really isn't much of a spot for him these days, but the assumption is that he'll somehow be involved with Charlotte and the women's division.
- Daniel Bryan is reportedly being praised for his ability to get other talents over as SmackDown GM. If only he were able to wrestle again, right?
- WWE will reportedly be trying to sign a ton of Ring of Honor talent to beef up its roster. Given that Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, AJ Styles and other top stars all have links to ROH, you could certainly see why WWE would target ROH stars.
- Due to competition in the UK, WWE is reportedly trying to sign wrestlers "just to keep them away from potential competitors."
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 focuses on the WWE, NBA and NFL. You can follow him on Twitter @BOestriecher.