WWE Rumors: Paige & Hulk Hogan Among Favorites For ‘WrestleMania 33’ Appearance?

WWE stars Paige and Hulk Hogan have been part of different controversies over the past few months, but will either show up at WrestleMania 33? The WWE’s biggest pay-per-view of the year is set to take place just weeks from now in Orlando, Florida, with a lot of emphasis being placed on the championship matches. However, WWE is always known for its big surprises such as when The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Hulk Hogan all showed up in the same ring to start off WrestleMania 30. Could there be a big return happening at this year’s event?

Two stars who would really shock the world by showing up on the “grandest stage of them all” are former WWE champion Hulk Hogan and former Divas Champion Paige. While both have been fan favorites, both have also been embroiled in controversy. Hulk Hogan was caught making racist remarks on a leaked audio tape, while Paige had explicit photos and video leaked after her phone was stolen and hacked. While the two incidents are clearly different, both stars have also brought attention to the WWE which they may or may not want.

Paige’s leaked videos showed her with former boyfriend Brad Maddox and current WWE Raw roster member Xavier Woods. On Sunday, Ringside News reported that Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer recently discussed WWE’s Paige and Xavier Woods situation. Meltzer said he’s yet to hear anything with regards to WWE punishing Paige or Woods for what has recently developed online. However, Meltzer said he thinks if they punish Paige, it will mean also punishing Woods and that the call would’ve been much easier for WWE to make if it was just Paige and Maddox in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE41Snt8ld0

However, Woods is a currently active roster member who has been appearing at recent events. In fact, Woods and New Day were announced not too long ago as “official hosts for WrestleMania,” giving them what seems like a big role at the biggest pay-per-view of the year. Woods was absent from this past weekend’s WWE house shows while his New Day teammates were there; Woods was co-hosting a video game event in Texas.

The Hulk Hogan incident seemed like it was also slowly working toward the “Hulkster” making a big return to WWE, possibly at WrestleMania. As Ringside News mentions in their report, there is speculation that if WWE gets rid of Paige for the recently leaked sex tape, they may not be able to bring Hogan back. However, both of these stars are currently fetching odds to make an appearance at the big pay-per-view. Earlier on Monday, the Betfair online sportsbook had listed special bets for WrestleMania 33 including who might make a live in-house appearance.

Both Paige and Hulk Hogan were listed among the top five on the list at 1.33 or 1 to 3 odds (-130 moneyline) to show up at the PPV. However, the website had pulled these odds down as of 11 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, which could indicate that odds makers are reconsidering these two having any chance of showing up now. Due to the most recent controversy that makes plenty of sense. It should be noted that other favorites ahead of Paige and Hogan on the list include Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Brie Bella, and Shawn Michaels. Those three seem to make much more sense at this point heading towards Mania.

At the Paddy Power sportsbook, Hogan leads all of the individuals listed on their betting odds to make an appearance at Mania. Hogan has odds of 1 t 2, with Finn Balor next at 8 to 13 odds. Paige is not listed on their odds, but her current real-life boyfriend and possible future husband, Alberto Del Rio, is listed with odds of 16 to 1. Only CM Punk at 25 to 1, is listed below Del Rio on the betting odds.

As the website WWE Leaks reported on Saturday, the U.K. online sportsbook Coral has also published their odds for who might win the annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Hulk Hogan is on that list at 20 to 1 odds, which is about 20 spots below the favorite, Braun Strowman. John Cena, Austin Aries, and Baron Corbin are all listed above Hogan, and each of those guys seems like they’ll be involved in their own matches on the card. Ironically, Xavier Woods is also receiving betting odds to win the battle royal at 50 to 1. Imagine if WWE went in that direction with Woods capturing this year’s trophy?

When it comes down to it, WWE is likely to shy away from bringing a bunch of controversial publicity to their biggest pay-per-view in a few weeks. With that said, The Rock is always a fan favorite and is working on a movie project that documents Paige’s family life. It should be interesting to see if The Rock makes any sort of appearance in Orlando in the coming weeks as he was the favorite on the Betfair betting odds.

WWE fans, do you think the WWE will end up releasing Paige after the recently leaked photos and videos? Also, does Hulk Hogan have any chance of showing up at this year’s WrestleMania?

[Featured Image by WWE]