Welcome to the Grapevine! This section of Smark Henry is where we round up all the important founded and unfounded rumors floating around the pro wrestling scene that you may have missed over the past few days. Remember to take everything with a grain of salt!
Royal Rumble backstage notes
This year's Royal Rumble matches were mainly orchestrated by Adam Pearce, who was said to have received praise for how they turned out. The script for the show remained steady and unchanged all the way until showtime. Vince McMahon has apparently not reported personally to work over the past few days as he is busy tending to the death of his brother Rodney. (Source: Fightful Select)
We say: Our condolences to the McMahon family for their loss, and our praises to Adam Pearce for a job well done and a wonderful Royal Rumble pay-per-view. We'll have more about the decision to have the particular winners as we get more info.
Cesaro's contract expiring after WrestleMania
Cesaro's WWE contract is set to expire after this year's WrestleMania. Although he is being given a small push at the moment, it is not clear yet whether he has already re-signed with the company, or if he is looking to. (Source: Wrestling Inc.)
We say: While he'll likely reup with WWE, we'd love to see him sign with AEW and start some shit, maybe get the recognition he deserves. If we're WWE, we'd double what he's currently getting right now, because anyone can scoop him up and make him a centerpiece of their main event scene.
Photo from WWE
: Notes On This Year's Royal Rumble, Cesaro's Contract Expiring){kind=link}