5 Top WWE rumors from this week: Major superstar's contract expires next month, Released star had backstage heat, Survivor Series plans (November 20th, 2021)

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly rumor roundup, where we present to you the top rumors from the world of WWE.

Merely two weeks after releasing several top names, the company had yet another "budget cut" spree this past week that left many shocked. Vince McMahon's promotion is yet again under massive criticism from fans as well as critiques all around the world, and understandably so.

We will take a look at multiple reports related to the most recent cuts, including the backstage reaction to the releases and a former SmackDown star having backstage heat. Reports have also revealed that a former champion has not signed a new contract with WWE yet. We also have some updates on the Survivor Series match between Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.

So without any further ado, let's check out the top rumors from this past week. Be sure to comment down and let us know your thoughts on the same.

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#5 Hit Row's Top Dolla had backstage heat in WWE

This past week's WWE release spree saw the remaining three members of Hit Row being let go by the company. This came as a massive shocker to many as they recently moved over to SmackDown and were starting to get fans invested in them.

Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Top Dolla, and Ashante "Thee" Adonis were fan-favorites in NXT but didn't even get a proper chance to make a name for themselves on the main roster. Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Top Dolla had backstage heat in WWE.

He also added that Vince McMahon saw him as the breakout star from the group.

"While he came across well on television, he rubbed a ton of people the wrong way in NXT and was getting the same reputation on the main roster. He was the one Vince McMahon saw as the star of the group because of his size," revealed Dave Meltzer.

Meltzer further added that once they decided to get rid of Top Dolla, the company had no interest in keeping the other two members. He mentioned that Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, a former NXT North American Champion, wasn't WWE's type due to his size.

#4 Johnny Gargano has not signed a new contract with WWE yet

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Johnny Gargano has not signed a new WWE contract yet. He revealed that Gargano's contract is up on December 3rd, less than 15 days from now. Also, the promotion has offered him a very strong offer.

"Johnny Gargano has not signed a new contract, but WWE is pushing very hard for him to do so and evidently made a very strong offer for him to stay here for a long time. His deal is up 12/3," reported Meltzer.

Johnny Gargano is one of the greatest NXT Superstars of all time. A former NXT Champion and a three-time North American Champion, he signed with WWE in 2016. He has made occasional appearances on the main roster but has mostly remained in NXT.

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#3 Backstage reaction to the recent WWE releases

WWE's most recent release spree saw eight stars being let go. These were John Morrison, Drake Maverick, Tegan Nox, Shane Thorne, Jaxson Ryker, and all three members of Hit Row.

As reported by Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast, many within the company had the same shocking reaction to the releases as all the fans had.

"Spoke to a source within WWE "Many within the company were blindsided by this set of releases," wrote Andrew Zarian in his tweet.

Taya Valkyrie has openly bashed the company for not treating their stars well. She even urged the fans to stop supporting the promotion and spend their money on some alternative.

"Stop supporting a company that has ZERO respect for their talent. You love pro wrestling, spend your money on the hundreds of other alternatives. This is wrong. Ethically, as employers they don’t care about us. Talent or fans," tweeted Taya Valkyrie.

As the case has been with the previous WWE releases, fans have started speculating which of these released stars could sign with All Elite Wrestling in the future.

#2 WWE is struggling with the ticket sales for WrestleMania 38

Ticket sales for WWE's biggest show of the next year WrestleMania 38 are reportedly not going well. As reported by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the company is struggling to sell the tickets for the show and a major reason for that is the high pricing.

"It’s funny because when I talked with them a couple of weeks ago, [they said] because we’re gonna do two shows, we’re gonna make it pricewise easier. And they did not do that and that may have been a mistake. I mean the price is really high, high enough to scare people away. There is a certain thing that you can charge more money for WrestleMania than any other show but there is a limit on everything as far as how much you can charge,” said Dave Meltzer.

The two-night extravaganza is set to take place at the AT&T Stadium in Texas on April 2 and April 3, 2022.

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#1 Finish of WWE Survivor Series match between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair up in the air

Survivor Series 2021 is merely hours away. One of the most anticipated matches on the card is between RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch and SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair.

Once best friends, the two now have legitimate heat which has further hyped up their on-screen feud. As reported by WrestleVotes, WWE expects both the stars to be professional this Sunday. However, the finish to their match is still being debated.

"From what I gather there is still some legitimate animosity between Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair, a feeling of disdain between them both. With that said, WWE is expecting 100% professionalism Sunday in their matchup, however I do know the finish has been greatly debated," wrote WrestleVotes.

Flair and Lynch have been two of the biggest stars over the last few years. Fans are excited to see who will come up victorious when they clash once again at Survivor Series 2021.