WWE Rumor Roundup: Backstage heat on recently released Superstar; Reason iconic veteran was fired; Details on Jeff Hardy's controversial angle - 3rd June 2020

Welcome to another edition of the daily WWE Rumor Roundup where we try and bring the latest updates and rumors from the world of WWE. In today's edition of the Rumor Roundup, we will discuss why WWE has gone ahead with a controversial angle and why the company fired an iconic veteran among other things.

With WWE having released multiple Superstar recently, there are some new reports indicating where these Superstars may land after their non-compete clauses are over.

We will also discuss why WWE's latest release - Rob Gronkowski - reportedly had a lot of heat backstage, to the point where a certain Superstar even called him a 'clown'.

So without further ado, let us dive into the biggest rumors and updates of the day:

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#5 Rob Gronkowski reportedly had a lot of heat backstage in WWE

Rob Gronkowski, also known as The Gronk, is not only an iconic NFL player but recently became a regular part of WWE as well. The Superstar hosted this year's WrestleMania and was also involved in a high-spot at the show.

While the spot did not go as planned, he did manage to win the 24/7 Championship which he retained until R-Truth defeated him on RAW this week. Also, it has been revealed that The Gronk has been released of his WWE contract as he wanted to focus on his NFL career.

As per Fightful, there was a lot of backstage heat on The Gronk and a top Superstar even called him a 'clown' that they were better off without.

"Those that we've spoken too -- even those with a reputation of being easy, helpful, and good to work with, all had negative things to say about working with Gronk after his WrestleMania fiasco. There was heat on Gronkowski after his hesitation to do his scheduled spot put the WrestleMania filming two hours behind schedule. One top name on the roster called Gronk "A F***in' clown who we are so much better off without."

#4 Reason why Eric Bischoff was fired

.@EBischoff walked me through coming back to WWE, what his job actually was and the reason it didn't work out in great detail.In here, he debunks at least three reports that circulated at the time. So here's your chance to hear it from the horse's mouth.https://t.co/aJk5r05Q84

— Alex McCarthy (@AlexM_talkSPORT) June 3, 2020

In an interview with talkSport, Eric Bischoff, who is an icon in the world of pro-wrestling even though he isn't a wrestler, revealed why he was fired by WWE after taking over as Executive Director of SmackDown.

Bischoff has previously served as the RAW General Manager and as mentioned above, was most recently was brought on as the SmackDown Executive Director. However, he was fired after just four months into his new role.

Bischoff revealed that the nature of his job was more managerial than creative. He did not have much creative control and his job essentially entailed overseeing that everything went smoothly.

He also revealed the reason behind him being fired within four months:

"What I underestimated was just how difficult that adaptation would be for anybody that is good at adapting. It takes time, and I didn't manage that well. My lack of performance, if you will, in terms of not fulfilling the role in the way that Vince McMahon saw it, that was on me. It was on me and my failure to adapt."

Eric Bischoff is currently working on a Netflix project and also gives the fans a weekly dose of wrestling via his podcast - 83 weeks.

#3 Details on Jeff Hardy's 'arrest' segment on SmackDown

WHAT. IS. HAPPENING???#SmackDown @JEFFHARDYBRAND @IAmEliasWWE pic.twitter.com/sRRDH6xBrd

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2020

WWE has been criticized recently for the segment on SmackDown that took inspiration from Jeff Hardy's real-life issues. The angle showed a car smash into Elias and seriously injuring him. Bottles of alcohol and paperwork found in the vehicle suggested that the car belonged to Jeff Hardy and he was then 'arrested'.

While Hardy did return to SmackDown later that night, some fans felt uneasy with this controversial angle. As per SportsKeeda's Tom Colohue, the reason behind the angle is that WWE wanted to change what comes up when someone types 'Jeff Hardy arrested' on Google. They wanted this storyline to pop up instead of his real-life arrests.

One of the reasons that the WWE do this, I asked a couple of questions of this, is for Google rankings to change the top results and this sounds ridiculous, but it makes complete sense because if you type in 'Jeff Hardy arrested,' last week it potentially would have given you a report of a real time when Jeff Hardy has been arrested. Now, it will link you to a YouTube video from SmackDown.

#2 The Undertaker returning for WrestleMania?

One of the most popular shows right now on the WWE Network is the 'Last Ride' which chronicles the story of The Undertaker after his match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. The focal point of the show is The Undertaker's dilemma of whether he should retire or not.

The Undertaker revealed that he is not against the idea of returning for another match, but it will take something special for him to make his return.

I feel like I’ve got a match (left) that is befitting what I feel like that the legacy of The Undertaker deserves. “But the hard part is, if I grade myself, I grade myself on where I was physically in the early 2000s. I don’t grade myself on the curve of it being 2020 and being 55 years old.

He further states that his expectations from himself while having physical limitations at his age is a delicate balance. He also talks about whether jeopardizing his life while having young kids at home is a good idea.

Do you run the risk of jeopardizing your long-term health? All this is kind of what’s going on in my head during this docuseries. What I’m looking for and trying to achieve. Trying to come to grips with leaving that aspect of the business.”

#1 Released WWE Superstars could reportedly be heading to IMPACT Wrestling

While some released Superstars including Luke Harper (Brodie Lee), Matt Hardy, and FTR (fka The Revival) have chosen to join AEW after being released from WWE, it looks like another company is looking to take advantage of the multiple releases by WWE last month.

In what is now known as 'Black Wednesday', WWE released multiple Superstars and producers from their contracts back in April. While WWE may re-sign a few, most of these Superstars are reportedly expected to join other companies.

A recent promo by IMPACT Wrestling hinted that many of the released WWE stars would be joining IMPACT Wrestling at Slammmiversary which takes place just days after their non-compete clause with WWE ends.

Here is what Cageside Seats have stated:

If wrestlers are deciding between an offer from Impact to appear at Slammiversary or returning to WWE on the new deals, Alvarez believes “a fair number” will go Impact.

If rumors are to be believed, EC3, Mike Kanellis, Gallows, Anderson, and maybe even Rusev are high on the list of Superstars who could be seen in IMPACT Wrestling very soon.