WWE Rumor Review: Superstar's push halted by Vince McMahon, Daniel Bryan's contract, Plans for three former WWE champions

Welcome to another edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's WWE Rumor Review. In our review we take a look at rumors from the past and see how they have fared.

We'll check out the backstage reactions from the AEW locker room after Daniel Bryan's exit from WWE. We'll also have a look at potential plans for three former WWE Champions compared to what eventually ended up happening to them.

We all know that Vince McMahon has the final say on everything that happens creatively in the WWE. The boss makes the ultimate decision of who gets pushed to the top, and one superstar's push was allegedly halted by McMahon himself.

Without further ado, let's get started with our rumor review:

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#5 WWE's plans for Randy Orton and Riddle

RAW tag team champions RK-BRO are among the most popular tag teams in the WWE today. However, when the team was initially formed, there were a lot of teases from Orton which suggested that their alliance would only be temporary.

But Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported in May that the duo were set for an extended run. He even went as far as stating that the duo would challenge for the tag titles at some point.

"For the RAW tag titles, A.J. Styles & Omos beat The New Day in a manner where you wouldn’t think of a rematch given two straight clean finishes. It feels early to go with Randy Orton & Riddle as challengers, although at some point that does look like a destination," Meltzer stated.

The Viper and The Original Bro ultimately challenged the team of AJ Styles & Omos at SummerSlam, coming out on top to win the Tag Team Titles. RK-Bro have held the titles for more than four months and are currently set to face Street Profits at the Day 1 pay-per-view.

#4 Plans for then-WWE Champion Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley won the WWE Championship from The Miz earlier this year. He followed the win with a major feud with Drew McIntyre which spanned multiple pay-per-views, with the champion coming out on top every single time.

One of the major pay-per-views of the year, Hell In a Cell, was moved up to June instead of being held later in the year. It is believed the change in date was due to Jimmy Uso's return, as he was set to challenge Universal Champion Roman Reigns in the steel structure.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter correctly predicted that the WWE Championship would also be defended inside Hell In a Cell.

"So Hell in a Cell is being moved to 6/20 without any Hell in a Cell program being at the level one would expect for such a show. Hell in a Cell should be the culmination of a feud, and the only program that appears at this point to be ready for it would be Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE title," Meltzer noted.

The Scottish Warrior entered the structure with the stipulation that he wouldn't be allowed to challenge The Almighty for the title again if he lost. Lashley retained the title and McIntyre moved to another program.

#3 Speculation on Daniel Bryan following WWE exit

Daniel Bryan (aka Bryan Danielson) was in the main event of this year's WrestleMania alongside WWE Hall of Famer Edge and Universal Champion Roman Reigns. The Tribal Chief ultimately stacked both men on top of each other and secured the pin to retain his title.

Bryan's contract expired days later and he chose not to re-sign with the promotion. Naturally, reports emerged linking him with a move to AEW. During this time, a report from Fightful Select stated that some AEW talent believed that Bryan would stay at Vince McMahon's promotion.

"Two AEW talent we spoke with said they fully expect Bryan to remain with WWE, with one outright saying they’ve heard he’s staying with WWE. Of course we’ve not been able to confirm that, as it’s just speculation."

The report emerged just days after Bryan's contract expired and speculation was at its most rife. Bryan ultimately ended up signing with AEW and has put on stellar bouts against the likes of Kenny Omega, Miro and Hangman Page. The American Dragon is set to challenge Page in a rematch for the AEW world title next week.

#2 Plans for former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal

Former WWE Champions Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre have a good amount of shared history. Their connection stems from when the two were teammates alongside Heath Slater as part of 3MB.

Both superstars were initially released from the company and endured a similar trajectory wherein they worked hard on their physique, returned to WWE and won the top title.

WrestlingNews.co reported back in May that The Modern Day Maharaja was slated to get a big push and feud with The Scottish Warrior.

"We're told that Mahal is slated to get a big push, and the idea is to build him up for his eventual feud with Drew McIntyre in the summer months."

The reports turned out to be true and the superstars had a feud which lasted between July and October. The duo had a match at SummerSlam in which McIntyre secured the win.

They had multiple street fights during live events but Jinder never managed to pickup a win. It is a feud that has a lot of potential and hopefully WWE will explore it sometime again in the future.

#1 Vince McMahon halts WWE RAW Superstar's push

Humberto Carrillo was part of the RAW brand when he entered into a rivalry with then-WWE United States champion Sheamus. On the May 10th episode of RAW, Carrillo suffered an injury that forced him out of action for a few days.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider reported that the decision was made to move in a different direction, which put a stop to Carrillo's push.

"For those who asked why there was no update on Humberto Carrillo, the decision was made to focus on the Ricochet stuff. Much like Mansoor being forgotten a week after he debuted, the decision was made to focus on something else,” wrote Johnson.

However, Carrillo returned a few days later and picked up a couple of wins over The Celtic Warrior. He even earned a title shot but was defeated by the champion.

He suffered a plethora of losses before teaming up with Angel Garza as part of Los Lotharios. The duo have had a decent run on the blue brand, picking up wins over the likes of The Viking Raiders, Nakamura & Boogs.