CM Punk altercation, Mercedes Moné, more!

WWE could be set to induct Bray Wyatt into this year’s Hall of Fame class, according to a report (Daily Mail)

Wyatt starred in WWE for several years before his shock passing last year at the age of 36 (Daily Mail)

Speculating on the rumors surrounding pro wrestling is a favored pastime of many fans, perhaps second only to watching the matches. In this daily column, Randall Ortman reports for Cageside Seat; we examine the latest rumors being churned out by the pro wrestling rumor mill.

Important reminder: Rumors are just that — rumors. None of this has been confirmed; it’s just circulating in the pro wrestling rumor mill. We track rumor accuracy in a weekly feature called Rumor Look Back, which you can find here. Remember, take it all with a grain of salt.

Rumors for the Day:

F4WOnline’s Dave Meltzer says Bray Wyatt was “on the list at one point” for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024, but that’s no longer part of WWE’s plan. However, Meltzer believes that Bray “will be put in soon.”
Fightful’s NXT sources were skeptical about Booker T’s claim that he and CM Punk almost had a backstage altercation at this week’s taping. The sources weren’t aware of any confrontation, security wasn’t aware of a confrontation, and there was no talk of a backstage incident between Punk and Booker T.
The people Fightful spoke to were frustrated about Booker T’s claim about Punk, especially “given Punk’s history with backstage altercations.” It was reiterated that CM has not had any backstage issues since he returned to WWE. He has been helpful behind the scenes and was in good spirits this week at NXT.
Sean Ross Sapp was told there will be more focus on the AEW women’s division now that Mercedes Moné is on the roster. It sounds like there will be a Mercedes segment in addition to the average women’s segment on the TV shows.
One of the women’s stars in WWE told the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that they heard Moné is now “the highest-paid woman in pro wrestling.” The star is thrilled about Moné’s deal because it creates a better market for the industry’s top women wrestlers.
WWE is considering changes to their PLE pre-shows that could be implemented this year, per PWInsider Elite. WWE is said to be looking at ESPN College GameDay as a model and hoping to have the Kickoffs feature more “live, high-energy, free-flowing discussion” about events and big matches.