WWE Rumors: Examining Latest Buzz Around John Cena, CM Punk and More - Bleacher Report

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As WWE closes out a newsworthy 2016, rumors and news regarding some of its top stars continue to dominate discussion on the internet.

John Cena recently hosted Saturday Night Live. How did he manage to one-up legendary rival Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson?

There was much made of Chris Jericho and Brock Lesnar's "altercation" following the main event of SummerSlam, where The Beast Incarnate defeated Randy Orton via referee decision. The Viper gave his opinion of the "fight" and why it occurred.

Finally, CM Punk endured a major humiliation when he entered the Octagon earlier this year and was humbled in short, one-sided fashion by Mickey Gall. Now, rumors persist that he may have another UFC fight in his future.

   

John Cena Outdraws The Rock

The December 10 episode of Saturday Night Live featured WWE Superstar—and budding movie star—John Cena as its host. While Cena was excellent and brought incredible energy to every sketch, the writing was fairly lackluster, and the sketches were largely hit-or-miss all night.

Still, fans of the 15-time world champion watched in droves.

According to Deadline, Cena's turn as emcee garnered a 4.8 live/same-day rating.

Cena's hosting turn may not have drawn Dave Chappelle numbers (6.2), but it did turn SNL's fortunes around following a major dip in post-election America.

Most interesting, though, was a comparison between the December 10 episode and the last time The Rock hosted the popular sketch comedy show on March 28, 2015.

One of the most renowned Hollywood stars and one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling history, Johnson drew a season-low rating of 3.7, a full 1.1 below what Cena generated. There are several factors that led to the low rating—a poor slate of lead-in programming the biggest—but it is still a huge feather in the cap for first-time host Cena, whose star is not nearly as big and bright as his WrestleMania 28 and 29 opponent.

   

Randy Orton Weighs In on Chris Jericho and Brock Lesnar

Orton, Lesnar's SummerSlam victim, spoke out on The Beast Incarnate's alleged altercation with Jericho at the summertime spectacular. He told Sports Illustrated:

Basically, what happened is Jericho saw what was going on in the ring and wanted answers as to whether my best interests were in mind as far as my health and safety. I had my family there, sitting front row, and Chris knew that, as well. He was just coming up to check on his boy, that's what it boiled down to, and I think that's awesome.

He went on to give props to Lesnar, even going as far as to use the word "humble" to describe his former developmental buddy.

"I have a lot of respect for Brock," Orton continued. "I was down in OVW with him, and I was there a few months before he came. We all knew he was coming, but when he came, he was humble and a fun guy to be around. He's still the same way. He's been through a lot, and he's really became a name in this business and in MMA."

In an industry in which stories of fights and backstage disagreements are the stuff of legend, it is a refreshing change to see Orton put the kibosh on speculation and assumptions before they become accepted as fact.

   

Another Fight for CM Punk?

Just months after being humbled in a one-sided ass-kicking by Gall, Punk is eyeing a return to the Octagon.

According to The MMA Hour, the longest-reigning WWE champion in nearly three decades could return to UFC for another fight within a few months.

His coach, Duke Roufus, backed him up, telling MMAFighting.com, "He's going to get better. Obviously, he didn't perform the way we wanted to perform. We had some things he was doing really well with, he just didn't happen. It's just going to take time."

Punk's personality is his greatest attribute and something Roufus was quick to credit for his potential return to UFC: "It's great; personalities drive this sport."

Punk is still a renowned performer, regardless of whether or not he has any business in the Octagon. He serves a purpose in promotion, and one has to wonder whether or not he would serve UFC better as a commentator—a field he has experienced success with in both WWE and Ring of Honor.

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