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!
Vince McMahon reportedly does not want to push Keith Lee
There is reportedly some "pushback" when it comes to Keith Lee's career trajectory on the WWE main roster. While many people like the former NXT and NXT North American Champion's athleticism and work, Vince McMahon apparently feels that there is a "certain spark missing" with him. Lee was pulled from the triple threat match for the United States Championship at Elimination Chamber and did not appear on the last two episodes of RAW for reasons not yet known. (Source: Ringside News)
We say: It's Ringside News, so take this bit with as much salt as possible—at best, this could just be some speculation based on Keith Lee's stop-and-start booking on the RAW brand. And even if this is true, this doesn't automatically mean Lee might never get a push; sometimes it takes some adjusting to the whims of a 75-year-old sports entertainment promoter who's out to entertain himself.
What really happened with Sammy Guevara and Impact Wrestling
Sammy Guevara was reportedly supposed to be booked in a tag match that would've led to an X Division Championship shot, and also criticized booking that would've seen him be in tag teams after leaving a stable. Guevara apparently suggested to win the X Division Championship, bring it to AEW, and eventually get stripped of the title after not losing. Guevara was only supposed to be booked for one taping session, which would have produced around three weeks' worth of Impact! television before he was told to go home. While AEW was afraid that their relationship with Impact would turn sour so soon, there is said to be no heat between the two companies now. (Source: WON)
We say: Again, if this is how it went down, it really seems like a case of someone on at least the Impact side overreacting to Sammy expressing valid concerns at how he was being booked. Nobody in any stories seem to explicitly confirm that Sammy actually refused to do what Impact wanted of him, only that he criticized the plans. While many people would likely let this blow over, it's not a good look for the wrestling business—even if yes, the talent should be doing what they're told, they should at least have some freedom to express their opinion without fears of overblown repercussions. TL;DR: people gotta relax.
Photo from WWE
: Vince McMahon Doesn't Want To Push Keith Lee, What Happened With Sammy Guevara and Impact Wrestling){kind=link}