WWE Rumors on OTM's Backstage Reaction, Blake Monroe's Debut and New Tag Team on SmackDown
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Reported Internal Reception for OTM's Main Roster Call-Up
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OTM made a shocking debut on WWE's main roster during Monday night's episode of Raw, as they showed up alongside Royce Keys and interrupted the main event pitting The Usos against LA Knight and Solo Sikoa.
According to False Finish , the backstage reaction to Bronco Nima and Lucien Price debuting on Raw was "very positive" within WWE.
It was also reported by False Finish that WWE had been planning to put OTM in a stable with Keys "for a few weeks."
Nima and Price signed with WWE in 2022 and began teaming up almost immediately. Although they gained some momentum as a team in NXT, they never managed to capture the NXT Tag Team Championships.
It felt like OTM had more left to accomplish in NXT, which is why it came as such a big surprise when they made their presence felt on Raw.
Nima had recently been pulling double duty on both NXT and AAA, as he was part of the Perros del Mal stable in AAA since June.
However, Nima was kicked out of Perros del Mal last week in a move that apparently set the stage for him and Price to move up to WWE's main roster.
Keys has a ton of unfinished business with The Bloodline after Jacob Fatu put him out of commission, and with OTM now by his side, he seems poised to wreak havoc over the red brand.
WWE's Reported In-Ring Debut Plan for Monroe
Blake Monroe's scheduled WWE main roster debut match against Giulia on SmackDown last week never actually got started, but a match between them reportedly could still be in the cards.
According to False Finish , WWE decision-makers have discussed adding Monroe vs. Giulia to the Sunday Night's Main Event card on Sept. 6.
While the match is being considered, False Finish added that nothing is official yet regarding Monroe vs. Giulia being part of SNME.
Following her run in NXT, which saw her hold the Women's North American Championship once, Monroe's impending arrival on SmackDown was announced back in April.
Vignettes were shown for weeks on end, and she took part in a number of backstage segments, but WWE continually held off on booking Monroe in her first main roster match.
It seemed as though that was finally going to change last week on SmackDown when Monroe vs. Giulia was advertised for the show, but the bell never rang for the match, as The Glamour attacked Giulia beforehand.
Since WWE has waited this long for Monroe to have a match and is now building a story between her and Giulia, it makes sense for Blake to finally have her debut bout on a show bigger than an episode of SmackDown.
Sunday Night's Main Event undoubtedly qualifies, and there is room on the card with only three matches announced for SNME as of this week.
Reported Tag Team Name for Nakamura, Kyoki
WWE reportedly has a name picked out for the new tag team comprised for Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki.
According to False Finish , Nakamura and Kyoki are expected to be known collectively as Bakusai, which is a Japanese word that translates into "explosion" in English.
Mike Reichlin of SEScoops.com reported in June that WWE had filed to trademark the name "Bakusai," and many assumed at the time that it would be the name for the incoming Hiromu Takahashi.
However, after weeks of teasing his new ally, Nakamura revealed Takahashi under the name Kyoki.
As for the Bakusai tag team name, it draws from Kyoki's past, as he was known by the nickname "The Ticking Time Bomb" during his New Japan Pro-Wrestling tenure.
In recent weeks, Nakamura and Kyoki have made it clear that the WWE Tag Team Championships are on their radar, which suggests that a rivalry between Bakusai and The MFTs is on the horizon.
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