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WWE Rumors: Bray Wyatt Vs. Randy Orton Plans, Finn Balor Return, John Cena

By Kris Holt
Published on: 18:29 PST, Feb 14, 2017

The latest WWE rumors offer some clarification to the WWE Championship picture after a surprising development on SmackDown Live, along with some updates on injured WWE Superstars and one first-ballot future WWE Hall of Famer taking some time off in the near future.

WWE rumors have for weeks pointed to Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton as the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 33 and the company has moved the chess pieces into place for that bout. Orton won the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble, guaranteeing him a world championship match at WrestleMania, while Wyatt conquered five other men in an Elimination Chamber match Sunday to win his first WWE Championship.

Wyatt and Orton have been linked in SmackDown Live storylines for several months now, after Orton decided to join the Wyatt Family and act at the behest of Wyatt. So deep is the apparent reverence that Orton holds for Wyatt that after Wyatt defended his title on SmackDown Live Tuesday, Orton said he would not challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 33 as long as Wyatt is champion and the master to Orton’s servant.

However, those who were looking forward to Bray Wyatt defending the WWE Championship against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 33 need not worry, as that match is still very much on the cards, according to Cageside Seats’ WWE rumors roundup. Orton’s declaration is only in service of storylines and he’s still expected to face Wyatt in Orlando.

Meanwhile, it appears as though Wyatt will have another challenger for his championship after SmackDown Live general manager Daniel Bryan announced a number one contender battle royal for next week’s show. Don’t be surprised if Luke Harper wins that to potentially add him to the WrestleMania 33 WWE title match and further the storyline between him, Wyatt, and Orton.

It seems as though Finn Balor is still on target to return to action by WrestleMania 33. While many fans have expected Balor to play a key role in the biggest show of the year, WWE rumors indicate he will not have a match at the event.

WrestleMania 33 is shaping up to be a stacked show, and if there is not a spot for Balor to truly shine, it makes sense to hold him off the card, as disappointing as that may prove for Balor and his fans. It’s been clear for some time that WWE has big plans for Balor, and it stands to reason the company would not want him to get lost in the shuffle on a show with so many major matches.

New SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi confirmed on Tuesday that she suffered an injury in her title victory over Alexa Bliss at Elimination Chamber on Sunday. According to WWE rumors, her injury is legitimate, but it’s unlikely that she will need to take any time off. Bliss set up a rematch by demanding Naomi forfeit the title if she is unable to compete by next Tuesday’s SmackDown Live.

Elsewhere, Tony Nese, a competitor in the WWE cruiserweight division, suffered a foot injury on Raw last week, ruling him out of a five-way elimination number one contender match for the Cruiserweight Championship on last week’s episode of 205 Live. WWE rumors suggest that Nese has already recovered and is clear to return to action, and will be booked with a full schedule.

Lastly, in the latest WWE rumors digest, former 16-time world champion John Cena is about to take more time away from the ring. Cena is apparently taking some time off after WrestleMania 33, where he’s rumored to team with real-life partner Nikki Bella against The Miz and his wife Maryse in a mixed-tag match. Cena has been taking on more commitments outside of WWE, including being featured as a regular guest host on The Today Show, acting in movies, and hosting his own reality show, so may turn his focus to other interests for a while.

Stay tuned to the Inquisitr for all the latest pro wrestling news and WWE rumors.

[Featured Image by WWE]

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