While Jelly Roll had his first official WWE match over the weekend at “Summer Slam” in New Jersey, another high-profile artist/ wrestling fan has been conspicuously absent from the sport for the past few months: Travis Scott.
His absence is especially notable because Scott had seemed all in with the WWE earlier this year. He made a momentous surprise appearance at its “Elimination Chamber” on March 1 in Toronto, where he was not only in the ring, but joined John Cena and the Rock in beating and bloodying Cody Rhodes. Scott took what some felt was a cheap shot, smacking Rhodes on the head and breaking his eardrum.
Afterwards, footage circulated of Scott backstage, telling WWE’s Triple H how much fun he had — even adding that wrestling might become a full-time gig for him, and that he was going to dedicate himself to training in the ring.
In April, Scott grabbed headlines again, appearing at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas and helping Cena to beat — some said cheat — and win the belt from Rhodes, although Rhodes did get some revenge on Scott that night.
Some fans scoffed that Scott’s appearances were random and thrown into the storyline, but the multiplatinum rapper’s in-ring debut felt inevitable.
However, it hasn’t happened.
Speculation that Scott and WWE had a falling out picked up steam the past few weeks leading into Summer Slam, and last week John Cena alluded to Scott and Rock being out of the picture during his April 3 rematch with Rhodes.
On Friday, during WWE’s “Smackdown,” not only did Cena make a sudden 180 degree “face turn” back into a good guy during an in-ring promo with Rhodes, Cena said he’d mistakenly turned bad, listening to “someone’s crazy idea to make shocking TV.”
“We did it,” Cena said. “We shocked the world, we made great TV, and then the dust settles and then everybody goes back to their normal lives. The people that were supposed to be on my team, they left. They left me alone.”
He then took a shot at Scott, saying, “On Sunday, the only platinum rapper showing up to whip your ass is me.”
Reps for Scott and WWE did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.
WWE Hall of Famer/ manager-promoter Paul Heyman had a more detailed account during an interview with sports journalist Ariel Helwani on Wednesday.
Asked whether Scott’s brief participation was indeed supposed to be something bigger.
“It was,” said Heyman, who also works as a WWE adviser. “It fell apart and we moved forward without it — the whole deal with Travis Scott.”
However, he said he wasn’t sure whether Scott had fallen out with WWE.
“I don’t know if he’s done,” he continued. “Any meeting I was involved in with Travis Scott, I got along with him fine. Have I heard things? I have. Do I know the accuracy of it? I haven’t heard Travis’ version of it.
“I like his music, I like his taste in women he has children with,” Heyman helpfully added. “I wish I was dating one of those sisters.”
Some have speculated that Scott simply wasn’t willing to undergo the extensive training requires for more-active participation in the sport, but that is unconfirmed as well.
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