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Welcome to the latest edition of WWE News and Rumor Roundup.
While Brock Lesnar is usually one of the most discussed superstars from the company every week, the talk surrounding him has only amplified after the recently-concluded Day 1 event. We'll take a look at The Beast Incarnate's next possible opponent in today's roundup.
A former WWE talent has addressed rumors regarding her potential return at this year's Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Meanwhile, a released star said she "would tear the house down" in a WrestleMania main event against Charlotte Flair.
Following Toni Storm's departure from the promotion, we have the latest on whether or not other female stars want to end their current WWE deals. Additionally, a backstage photo showing Brock Lesnar with a RAW talent has emerged after his Day 1 victory.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at these news and rumor stories.
#5. Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley to likely happen in WWE at last
After Roman Reigns dropped out of the Day 1 event due to his COVID-19 diagnosis, higher-ups inserted his original opponent, Lesnar, in the WWE Championship match between Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley.
Not only did The Beast Incarnate become the new world titleholder, but the company finally teased his long-awaited dream match against Lashley at the end of the show.
As per Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, then-champion Big E got pinned by Brock Lesnar directly to shift focus more toward the latter's dream WWE clash against Bobby Lashley moving forward:
"With Lesnar having won the title, the next step is Lesnar vs. Lashley. You could tell, at the end of the show, they teased that glare with Lashley and everything like that, and that was the last scene. The match was booked specifically for that direction. Big E was the one that was pinned because if Big E wasn't pinned, and obviously, you'd want to go with Lesnar and Big E. But, the decision, for whatever reason, and the reason is that the people who are making the decisions felt that there was a more marketable match, went with Lesnar and Lashley," stated Meltzer.
Several instances from the fatal five-way match at Day 1 also hinted at a future feud between Lesnar and The All Mighty. Lashley was the only participant who avoided the F-5, and he even got to dominate the one-time UFC Heavyweight Champion during the clash.
While their highly-awaited one-on-one contest has got everyone talking, it will also be interesting to see what's next in store for Big E after his title loss.
#4. Nia Jax reacts to her WWE Royal Rumble return rumors
Nia Jax received her release from WWE on November 4, 2021. Since then, she has expressed her desire to start her own business and seems done with professional wrestling for now.
In a recent Q&A session on Jax's Instagram Stories, a fan highlighted that rumors suggest the former WWE Superstar will appear at this year's Royal Rumble event. The Men's and Women's Royal Rumble contests, which take place on January 29 in St. Louis, Missouri, will probably feature a few surprise returns like every year.
However, Nia Jax clarified that any gossip regarding her potential appearance in the multi-person contest is not accurate:
The former RAW Women's Champion is not the only released superstar to shoot down any ideas about returning to the company.
Keith Lee, who departed WWE on the same day as Jax, recently addressed a fan online too. The fan, in this case, had expressed via Twitter that they watched the product in hopes of seeing him back on television again. Here's what Lee had to say in response:
He certainly didn't seem too optimistic about returning to the promotion anytime soon.
#3. Former WWE star B-Fab praises Charlotte Flair
B-Fab recently named Charlotte Flair as the dream opponent she didn't get to face during her time in WWE.
In a virtual signing for K&S WrestleFest, the former Hit Row member called Flair an "amazing talent" and said they would put on a fantastic WrestleMania main event against each other. B-Fab also stated that she could produce the same impact at WrestleMania against Sasha Banks:
"I would definitely pick Charlotte. Me and Charlotte are really cool. She's an amazing talent and loves what she does. I would love to have a match with her. We would tear the house down at a WrestleMania main event. Sasha (Banks) as well. You can have a match with any of [the Four Horsewomen] and it would be great," said B-Fab.
While B-Fab received her release from WWE on November 4 last year, Charlotte Flair remains one of the most prominent superstars in the company as its current SmackDown Women's Champion.
Unfortunately, the former Hit Row member didn't get to showcase her full potential on the main roster before departing the promotion.
#2. A current WWE Superstar says she could likely earn good money on the independent circuit
Towards the end of 2021, Toni Storm reportedly left WWE due to "burnout." Since then, fans have questioned if any other female stars could be on their way out of the company too.
On a recent Fightful Q&A show, Sean Ross Sapp said he wasn't aware of other women "wanting out of their WWE deals." However, a current star in the promotion, whom Sapp did not name, told him that she would probably do well on the independent circuit in terms of money.
"I've not heard of any women wanting out of their WWE deals, but I've definitely heard of some that believed that they could make good money on the independent circuit. I'll say this. I spoke with one that says that they could probably make a good amount of money on the independent circuit because there aren't a ton of former WWE long-term main roster draws that are out there," Sean Ross Sapp stated.
SRS added that some people within Vince McMahon's company are pretty interested in what the free-agent market of professional wrestling "could be."
#1. Brock Lesnar spotted with WWE RAW star Gable Steveson backstage
It's safe to say that after the Day 1 event, several contenders on RAW are gunning for a shot at Brock Lesnar's WWE Championship. One of those talents could be Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson someday.
Steveson, part of the RAW roster, is yet to wrestle a WWE match on television as he is busy completing his senior year at the University of Minnesota. The freestyle wrestler was in attendance at Day 1, and he seemingly teased a future clash against Brock Lesnar via Twitter as well:
Later backstage, however, the two stars were captured having what looked like a friendly exchange. Check it out below:
For those unaware, The Beast Incarnate and Steveson have trained together in the past. The 21-year-old even said last year that Lesnar played a significant role in guiding him into the world of sports entertainment.
While the Olympic gold medalist has a long way to go in WWE, fans already have high hopes for him. Perhaps a match pitting Gable Steveson against Brock Lesnar — somewhere down the road — would be one for the ages if all goes well.
