WWE Rumors: Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes 3; LA Knight’s Push; Vince McMahon’s Return

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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Reported Reason for No Lesnar vs. Rhodes Stipulation

Much to the surprise of most fans, Saturday’s rubber match between Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam will not feature a stipulation.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), a stipulation was not “seriously considered” for the match due to the belief that it didn’t need one.

Fightful added that both Lesnar and Rhodes agreed that no stipulation was needed as well.

One potential stipulation that was reportedly discussed was a Dog Collar match, but it ultimately never came to fruition, and WWE intends to move forward without a stipulation.

The Lesnar vs. Rhodes feud began the night after WrestleMania 39 and has already featured a pair of matches with Rhodes winning at Backlash and Lesnar getting payback at Night of Champions.

In storyline, Lesnar broke Rhodes arm with the Kimura Lock at some point, making their rivalry a heated and personal one that would usually benefit from a stipulation.

Given Rhodes’ penchant for continuing to push forward and fight back no matter how much The Beast Incarnate punishes him, a Last Man Standing match would have made a great deal of sense in particular.

Instead, Saturday will be a standard match, although Lesnar and Rhodes are both spectacular enough performers to still make it something special.

WWE Reportedly Biding Time with Knight’s Push

WWE’s slow playing of LA Knight’s push on SmackDown has reportedly been completely by design.

According to PWInsider.com (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), WWE officials are “extremely high” on Knight and his push has been “all by the plan.”

Knight entered Money in the Bank as the favorite to win the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match, and while he came agonizingly close, he was pushed off the ladder in the closing stages and Damian Priest prevailed.

Then, Knight was part of a modified tournament to determine the No. 1 contender for Austin Theory’s United States Championship, but he fell in a Triple Threat match won by Rey Mysterio.

When it was later announced that a battle royal would be held at SummerSlam, Knight insisted that he be part of it, and WWE official Adam Pearce agreed.

PWInsider.com reported that WWE is simply waiting on the right time to move forward with Knight’s push, and a win at SummerSlam could potentially be the catalyst for it.

Knight has gotten organically over with the WWE Universe to the point that he consistently receives one of the biggest reaction every time he appears on a show.

WWE would be wise to capitalize on the momentum, and based on the report, the company intends to do so when the stars properly align.

McMahon’s Return Date from Surgery Unknown

After recently undergoing spinal surgery, it is reportedly unclear when WWE executive chairman Vince McMahon will return to work.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), McMahon is on a leave of absence while healing and there is “no timeframe” for his return.

This week, McMahon released an internal statement to WWE employees regarding recently being served a subpoena, and he also noted in the statement that he is recovering from a spinal procedure:

Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that the surgery was “pretty intensive” and lasted for about five hours.

McMahon, who will turn 78 later this month, was named executive chairman of the WWE-UFC conglomerate when UFC parent company Endeavor announced the purchase of 51 percent of WWE in 51 percent.

The sale isn’t yet finalized, but McMahon noted as part of his statement that he is part of “closing out” the transaction between WWE and Endeavor.

Although Triple H has been WWE’s head of creative for the past year, rumors have suggested that McMahon has had a role in creative decisions since returning to the company in January, oftentimes making changes remotely.

It is unclear if McMahon has continued to make creative suggestions, or if he has fully removed himself from WWE during his recovery.

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