Welcome to the Friday edition of the WWE Rumor Roundup, where we bring you the latest happenings from the world of the sports entertainment juggernaut. Today, we have quite a few interesting scoops.
As we head into SummerSlam weekend, it only makes sense that there is some SummerSlam-related news. However, there are also reports about the truth behind The Rock’s heat with TKO, a RAW segment that received a bad backstage reaction, potential spoilers on the main event of SummerSlam 2026, as well as some interesting retrospective news on why Vince McMahon turned “Walter” into “Gunther”.
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Without going much further, let’s get right into it!
#4. The truth behind The Rock’s heat with TKO
It appeared as though there was some heat between TKO/WWE and The Rock, the way things were just left on the table. It was quite clear that when The Rock departed on RAW after WrestleMania 40, he was setting up a blockbuster clash against Cody Rhodes. However, on the RAW on Netflix premiere, that was completely squashed, and to many fans, that marked the end of WWE’s brief renaissance era that lasted a little over two years.
On Fightful Select‘s Select Answers, it was reported that while there is no confirmation about heat between The Rock and TKO, it wouldn’t be surprising if that were the case.
What was interesting was that it stated that there are still plans to have The Rock vs Roman Reigns happen at some point, but there is an understanding backstage that The Rock needs to be rebuilt again for it to happen.
#3. The Danhausen-Joe Hendry segment received a bad reaction backstage
It’s safe to say that the Danhausen-Joe Hendry segment was among the worst of the 2020s in WWE. While certain segments get bad reactions, it’s rare to see something get such a universally bad reaction. It’s akin to the infamous “Old Day” and Bayley’s “It’s your life” segment, which were considered among the worst segments of the 2010s.
It’s not surprising, then, that WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select reported that this segment also missed the mark internally. Some reportedly felt that the addition of boxer Ryan Garcia was unnecessary considering his past controversies.
Some things can only be seen in retrospect, but this fell apart in a way that few could have imagined. Many are now criticizing WWE for overexposing Danhausen, which could lead to fans getting sick of him within just half a year of his debut.
#2. The reason why Vince McMahon changed Walter’s name to Gunther
When Walter’s name changed to Gunther, there was a strong negative reaction. However, with the power of hindsight, many felt that this was actually a good decision, and many WWE fans have forgotten that his name was Walter, to begin with.
So why did Vince McMahon decide to make such a change? The reason is more hilarious than you might think. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer on Twitter/X, the reason why Vince McMahon changed his name to Gunther was because he felt people might start calling him “Wally”:
“The reason for the change was Vince. He believed that people might start calling him Wally and that is not a name he wanted for a main event foreign menace heel.”
That’s quite the hilarious reason, and in a bizarre twist, the name change in WWE actually worked and stuck around.
#1. The reported planned winners for the WWE SummerSlam 2026 main events
The two main events of SummerSlam 2026 are CM Punk vs Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship, and Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship. So who could be the ones to win?
If you don’t wish to see potential SummerSlam 2026 spoilers, then please feel free to close the article here. Otherwise, these are the men who are expected to walk out victorious in Minneapolis.
According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, CM Punk and Roman Reigns are both the favorites to win their matches and retain their respective World Titles at SummerSlam 2026. Some of the other expected winners include Trick Williams, Oba Femi, Chad Gable, and Gunther.
As for the WWE Women’s Championship match, the report stated that there still hasn’t been a solid decision made on who the winner could be. This is likely just a sign that the planned winner is being protected.
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Edited by Rohit Nath