5 Top WWE rumors from this week: Former champion cleared for in-ring return after 8 years, Royal Rumble winners revealed? (January 16th, 2022)

#2 Original WrestleMania opponents for top WWE Superstars

WrestleMania 38 is less than three months away and we now know WWE's original plans for some top matches on the show. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the following were the big four matches originally planned for WrestleMania 38:

''The original plans for WrestleMania were for the big four title matches to be Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the Universal title, Rollins as WWE champion defending against either Big E, Bobby Lashley or Kevin Owens, but likely whoever wins the Rumble and E was the favorite, Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair,'' said Meltzer.

For Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar to happen at Wrestlemania 38, one of the two will have to drop their title at Royal Rumble. Reigns will be putting the Universal Championship on the line against Seth Rollins while Lesnar will defend the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley.

Alternatively, there has been speculation of a "champion vs. champion" clash between the two at The Show of Shows as well.

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#1 Status of Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Paige

Former SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks recently suffered an injury during a live event. It was later announced that she will be out of action for six to eight weeks, meaning she won't be able to compete in the women's Royal Rumble match this year.

There were also questions over her WrestleMania 38 status. Dave Meltzer has now reported that Banks is expected to return before The Show of Shows this year.

He also added that Bayley, who has been out of action since July last year, could return by February or March. However, he added that her returning at Royal Rumble isn't strictly impossible.

Speaking of Royal Rumble returns, it is being speculated that former Divas Champion Paige could make a one-night return at the show. She was forced to retire from in-ring competition in 2018 but she has been teasing a return recently through her social media posts.