As long as you’re playing “It’s possible...”
Is it possible that Watson is lying about this in an effort to keep 8chan alive?
Why yes. Yes it is very possible.
Certainly, but I think not. The site will exist at some point, just not on cloudflare or certain other providers.
And based on your prejudice, I think there is no significant risk to 8chan reputation. People have made up their minds on the subject, and that's that.