The WWE press thrives on rumors and speculation, but how much of what "anonymous sources" claim is  true?

All stories are susceptible to exaggeration and misremembering, even when their tellers have the best intentions. There's a chance the reporter is getting worked like everyone else—they may only be told what WWE wants them to know.

Add to that the unpredictability of life, the veracity of the sources and Vince McMahon's habit of changing plans at the 11th hour, and fans could wind up with anything. That's why it's best to take every rumor with a grain of salt.

We're looking back at five of the biggest rumors over the past three months. Which ones turned out to be true? What turned out to be BS? And which stories remain to be seen?

Shawn Michaels Will Come out of Retirement

In September, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Adam Silverstein of CBS Sports) reported Shawn Michaels would come out of retirement to tag team with Triple H and take on The Undertaker and Kane at Crown Jewel.

Clearly, this turned out to be true—not a whiff of BS. The money was likely too great for HBK to say no.

The only question remaining is if Michaels will make a final WrestleMania appearance, or if this in-ring cameo was an exception.

Triple H suffered a torn pectoral muscle during his match, which probably doesn't help the already-slim chances.

Braun Strowman Has Backstage Heat

In early November, Mike Johnson of PWInsider (h/t Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats) noted Braun Strowman had heat backstage with WWE officials for leaving work too early and showing up too late.

This was the supposed reason why The Monster Among Men's loss to Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel was so lopsided.

Johnson also reported WWE would wax and wane on their opinion of him; they would plan to push him to the next level, only to lose interest when he made another misstep backstage.

This feels like a case of slight BS, based on how things have evolved over the past month.

Even if Strowman has run foul of WWE locker room etiquette (which is overly complex and seems designed to "catch out" newer wrestlers, it hasn't pushed him down to the midcard.

Losing to Brock Lesnar isn't indicative of much. Everyone loses to Lesnar.

Strowman is currently involved in the quasi-Authority storyline with Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre, which is the highest-profile feud on the card.

The truth is monsters don't really work well as champions. They typically don't need gold to get over with the crowd—they themselves are the attraction.

McMahon Loves the Man

According to a report by Paul Davis of WrestlingNews.co in October, WWE chairman Vince McMahon was very pleased with Becky Lynch's recent heel work against Charlotte Flair on Smackdown Live, viewing her as someone who grabbed the mythical "brass ring."

McMahon was apparently using The Irish Lass Kicker as a reference point for other wrestlers, telling them to watch her matches to learn how to get over.

This does not seem like BS. Lynch has been granted an incredible amount of leeway in her presentation, her promos and especially her Twitter game.

WWE is a tightly controlled, billion-dollar corporation, where performers are scripted down to the letter. To have this much creative wiggle room surely comes from the boss himself. And after she returned from her concussion, she got right back into the thick of things.

Let's hope The Man continues leveraging her newfound freedom in the coming months. Based on the way things are headed, we might even see Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 35.

Nia Jax Has Nuclear Heat

According to a recent report by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Live (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc.), Nia Jax has heat backstage with WWE performers and officials after breaking Becky Lynch's face and giving her a concussion during the build to Survivor Series.

That errant move cost the WWE audience a showdown between The Irish Lass Kicker and Ronda Rousey, which had reached nuclear levels on social media.

This seems like BS. It's understandable if the Smackdown women's roster feels protective of their leader. But WWE officials?

Nia promptly went on social media to brag about sidelining Lynch, and she worked it into her promos. She's scheduled to fight Rousey at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16.

These are not the plans and actions of a woman who is being shunned by WWE Creative. She just needs to steer clear of any new mistakes and she'll be fine.