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We are back with another exciting WWE News Roundup to look at the top stories that recently made headlines. A WWE legend spoke about how a few years ago, Roman Reigns supposedly lost respect for him over a Becky Lynch-related dispute.
A SmackDown star recently showed off his body transformation on social media. Meanwhile, Asuka's booking on WWE television has received criticism from a six-time world champion.
Not too long ago, Bayley mentioned her Women's Money in the Bank prediction. Also, a former WWE star revealed her thoughts on a potential return to the company.
With that in mind, let's dive straight into the latest WWE News Roundup.
#5 WWE legend Ric Flair speaks on past concerns with Roman Reigns over Becky Lynch disagreement
Ric Flair is considered the greatest professional wrestler of all time by many fans and critics. But a few years ago, the legend himself was concerned over Roman Reigns' alleged reaction to a Becky Lynch-related dispute.
Flair has had several nicknames throughout his illustrious career, including "The Man." Nowadays, that moniker is generally associated with Lynch, who has popularized the term for a whole new generation of fans.
Lynch started using “The Man” as her nickname in 2018. The next year, Flair attempted to trademark the moniker.
This specific dispute between WWE and the legendary star was settled in 2020, as Flair officially sold "The Man" trademark to the company.
During a recent chat with Conrad Thompson, Ric Flair said he heard rumors that Roman Reigns had lost respect for him over the disagreement. As a result, Flair became concerned and approached Reigns at one point in time:
“I was concerned that I had lost the respect of Roman Reigns,” Flair stated. “Because when that whole ‘Man’ thing went upside down and all that and I had to file the trademark, whatever transpired, it means nothing now. I think people, I heard that he… and I walked right up to him. I said, ‘Can I have a minute of your time?’ and I said, ‘Hey, it means a lot to me.’ I mean, you want the kids [current WWE Superstars] to look forward to you coming, not, ‘Oh man, here he comes again.’ Does that make sense? Especially when you have a daughter who is at the most elite position she could be in.”
While Roman Reigns is the current Universal Champion, Ric Flair's daughter, Charlotte, has been frequently involved in the top title picture over the past few years.
#4 WWE SmackDown's Aleister Black reveals his physical transformation
Aleister Black's cryptic vignettes on WWE SmackDown have captured the attention of fans and critics alike. Although he hasn't returned to in-ring action yet, Black's recent vignettes add more depth to his onscreen persona.
On Instagram, the former NXT Champion recently displayed his body transformation over the past seven months. He also included a lengthy caption that ended with a message for his followers. Here is an excerpt from the caption:
"As a kid I would find people that would teach me breakdance because it would give me rhythm, athleticism and footwork that I needed for kickboxing that I would later apply to wrestling and Sports Entertainment. This was the same mind set I needed to make some changes. If anything to take away here is whatever you wish to accomplish always dissect what it is made of and strengthen all those attributes so that they enhance the overall goal." Black stated on Instagram.
You can check out his Instagram post below:
Since his last WWE match in October 2020, Aleister Black has lost over 20 lbs, thanks to a change towards his nutritional approach and additional training.
Randy Orton commented on Black's social media post, praising the latter with a positive message.
It's interesting to note that on WWE television, Aleister Black and Randy Orton haven't crossed paths in a singles match yet.
As of now, Orton is involved in an entertaining storyline with Riddle on Monday Night RAW.
#3 Batista criticizes Asuka's WWE booking
During the recent edition of WWE RAW, Asuka fought Rhea Ripley in a WrestleMania rematch. The bout ended with Ripley defeating The Empress of Tomorrow ahead of a high-stakes title defense at WrestleMania Backlash.
On Instagram, WWE posted a clip of the finish to Asuka and Ripley's latest encounter. WWE legend Batista, who has praised Asuka in the past, saw the post and expressed his displeasure over the result.
You can check out the Instagram clip and Batista's subsequent comment below.
In all the one-on-one matches between Asuka and Rhea Ripley so far, the latter has emerged victorious every single time.
Batista last wrestled for WWE at WrestleMania in 2019. He lost to Triple H in a No Holds Barred contest during that event. The veteran has shifted his focus towards various film projects in recent years.
Meanwhile, Asuka will receive another shot at Rhea Ripley's RAW Women's Championship during WrestleMania Backlash. She is scheduled to fight Ripley and Charlotte Flair at the upcoming pay-per-view in a triple threat showdown.
#2 Bayley reveals her prediction for the 2021 WWE Women's Money in the Bank winner
Bayley discussed several WWE-related topics during her recent chat with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Rick Ucchino. The WWE SmackDown star, who won the Money in the Bank briefcase back in 2019, has revealed the names of two stars who could win the multi-person match in 2021.
She put over The Riott Squad's Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott, saying either of them may become this year's Miss Money in the Bank:
"Oh man, that's hard. But I'm gonna have to go with either one of the Riott Squad, or two. Both of them," Bayley stated. "Maybe they could share it. They are best friends right."
Bayley herself belongs on the list of stars who cashed in their Money in the Bank contract on the very same night that they won it. At the upcoming WrestleMania Backlash event, she will fight Bianca Belair in an attempt to win the SmackDown Women's Championship once again.
In contrast to Bayley's successful career, Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan haven't received their big breaks yet. Would you like to see either of the two Riott Squad members win this year's Women's Money in the Bank contest?
#1 Former WWE star Summer Rae shares her thoughts on a potential return
Summer Rae, who was a part of WWE in the previous decade, has recently mentioned her stance on a potential return to the company.
Outside of sports entertainment, Rae (real name - Danielle Moinet) is currently an executive at Cornerstone Global Management. During her appearance on the most recent episode of The TWC Show, Rae seemed open to the idea of a WWE return in the future:
"I love WWE. I haven't gone to other promotions because I know how that is. With WWE, I feel like my loyalty is to them," Rae said. "Hopefully, one day, I'll have a husband and a baby, but if I don't have a man, but I do have a baby because I adopt, I would want them to see me. I love wrestling and would be okay with going back. I would be open to any kind of broadcasting or hosting position. I think it would be cool to have an on-camera woman who has been in the locker room and done that kind of stuff. It's an amazing company and they are always growing." (H/T: Fightful)
Summer Rae is open to taking a few bumps, but she wouldn't mind applying for broadcasting or hosting roles in WWE.
However, Rae also said she cannot return to a full-time WWE schedule because of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda for more WWE news and updates.
