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We welcome you back to another edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's daily WWE Rumor Roundup. We're fresh off the WrestleMania Backlash show, and WWE is moving towards the Hell in a Cell event scheduled for June 20th.
As WWE continues to build for the upcoming pay-per-view, a lot is happening in and around the company. We kick off today's lineup of stories with an incredible one about Becky Lynch cutting a Sister Abigail promo at the Performance Center.
Shinsuke Nakamura also revealed who he would like to face in his retirement match. We also received some clarification on a rumor about a major RAW superstar's release.
More details on another controversial superstar's WWE exit have also surfaced online, and it's safe to say that the talent wasn't well-liked backstage. The WWE rumor roundup also covers the reason behind Edge's recent absence from TV.
#5. Former WWE Superstar Steve Cutler recalls Becky Lynch's Sister Abigail promo
Former WWE Superstar Steve Cutler sat down for an interview with Fightful and recalled the time Becky Lynch cut an engaging promo as Sister Abigail in NXT.
Becky Lynch delivered a promo as Sister Abigail during one of Dusty Rhodes' NXT promo classes, and the whole idea behind the session was to explore new avenues and wander over into uncharted creative territories.
Sister Abigail's identity has been one of the biggest mysteries in WWE, but the mythical character has had an undeniable influence on Bray Wyatt's storylines and gimmicks.
While we might never get to see Sister Abigail's character portrayed on WWE TV, it's good to know that Becky Lynch would surprisingly make a fine candidate for the role.
"One of the people there you saw, at least for me that I remember, was Becky Lynch did a Sister Abigail promo," Maclin told Fightful. "I don't know if you ever heard that story. I remember this just because, 'Holy s---, this is cool. This is something different from Becky at that time.' This is when she was in NXT. So, it was just something different, and it was cool to watch."
Becky Lynch has been away from the ring since May 2020, when she relinquished the RAW Women's Championship due to her pregnancy.
Lynch recently welcomed daughter Roux into the world, and The Man has also been spotted training for her highly-anticipated WWE return. The Irish superstar looks absolutely ripped!
#4. WWE's Shinsuke Nakamura reveals who he wants to face in his retirement match
WWE SmackDown's Shinsuke Nakamura has been wrestling since 2002, and even though the 41-year-old Japanese legend still has a lot left in the gas tank, there is still constant talk about what his retirement match would look like.
The King of Strong Style addressed the topic of his retirement match during his recent appearance on Renée Paquette's Oral Sessions podcast.
Shinsuke Nakamura revealed that he would like to face Hiroshi Tanahashi in his final professional wrestling match. Tanahashi is inarguably Nakamura's greatest rival ever, and it would only be fitting for The Artist to bow out of the wrestling business in one last showdown against his former NJPW colleague.
"I wanna wrestle Tanahashi again," Nakamura stated. "Also, I wanna wrestle a rising star, like a new guy. I don't know yet." H/t WrestlingInc
During the same interview, Nakamura also opened up about the struggles he faces while wrestling in the United States, adding that he doesn't pitch ideas to Vince McMahon.
The former IGWP Champion came to the WWE to challenge himself, and he is just waiting for the right moment to capitalize upon and cement his legacy.
"I'm still struggling in wrestling," said Nakamura. "Coming to US and coming to WWE is challenging. I came to challenge myself. That's why I'm here. I'm waiting to find my timing and my moment. I don't pitch ideas to [Vince] a lot. We talk after the match a little or before the match if he has an idea for my promo. I need to get used to [not talking to Vince]," said Shinsuke Nakamura. (h/t Fightful)
As reported a couple of days ago, Shinsuke Nakamura could be in line for a massive WWE Universal title program with Roman Reigns on SmackDown. Things are certainly looking up for the veteran!
#3. Rumor killer on Keith Lee's WWE release, the former NXT double champion sends a message
The recent spree of releases has surprisingly given rise to massive rumors about Keith Lee's WWE release, and Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp was quick to squash all ongoing speculation on Twitter.
SRS noted that WWE officials and talent have confirmed that Keith Lee has not been released.
"WWE officials and talent have both confirmed to me that Keith Lee has not been released, debunking a vague rumor that was gaining steam this afternoon," revealed SRS.
Amidst all the rumors, Keith Lee had an important message for the fans in which he earnestly requested all his supporters to be patient.
"To the people offering uplifting words.... know that I appreciate you greatly. And worry not, when I say #iAmLimitless, I MEAN IT. I will try to find a way to explain everything in the most efficient way possible. Give me just a little more time," said Keith Lee.
As reported recently via PWInsider, Keith Lee's WWE absence could be a creative problem and not related to any injuries. Keith Lee is a big name who joined Monday Night RAW with much fanfare.
However, his main roster stint has suffered from questionable booking decisions, and the Limitless One will be hoping to regain his lost momentum.
#2. The real reason for Velveteen Dream's WWE release possibly revealed
Velveteen Dream was released this past week by the WWE, and several backstage reports on the issues surrounding the 25-year-old star have since been released online.
Velveteen Dream issued a lengthy statement earlier today in which he addressed the sexual harassment accusations that ultimately resulted in his WWE departure.
During the latest Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez spoke at length about the backstage perception of Velveteen Dream and the real reason why WWE decided to give up on the former North American Champion.
It seems like Velveteen Dream had a terrible reputation backstage in the WWE. Dream 'kept disappearing' and was also involved in a few car accidents, which weren't viewed as a good thing in the company.
Velveteen Dream also reportedly rubbed people the wrong way behind the scenes. Dream's hostile demeanor backstage was apparently due to how invested he was in his on-screen character, similar to Shawn Michaels' case from the 90s.
"The thing that I heard over and over again, besides the fact that he kept disappearing that there were car accidents, and that's never good, and I don't really know what happened there, but it was a regular occurrence," Alvarez said. "The thing that I heard about Velveteen was that he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, and it had nothing to do with accusations. What I heard over and over was that this guy, when he talks about his Velveteen Dream character and he talks about blending it with his real-life…I heard about the Velveteen Dream in the same way [as Shawn Michaels becoming the HBK character in real life]," Alvarez revealed.
Velveteen Dream's WWE release might have had nothing to do with the allegations against him, as the actual issue was reportedly his self-destructive behavior.
Many backstage believed Velveteen Dream would eventually find a way to get himself fired from the WWE. Velveteen Dream tried to live his character, and the outcome, as we've all witnessed, wasn't all too positive.
"Going to shows, not talking to anybody, being aloof, really rubbing people the wrong way," Alvarez said. "The point of all of this is the impression I was given from talking to people is to forget the accusations [because] this guy was on his way to self-destructing and probably getting fired one way or the other very, very quickly. What I believe is that was largely the reason that The Velveteen Dream ended up being cut from WWE. He's saying that these accusations played into this. I don't know how. I don't [have] any more details. That's what he's saying here, but the stuff that he says about playing the character and living the character, I hear a lot about that, and it was not positive," Alvarez added.
There are several different sides to the Velveteen Dream saga, and we've surely not heard the last of it just yet.
#1. The reason behind Edge's absence from WWE TV
WWE has not used Edge since he was on the losing end of the Universal Championship match at WrestleMania 37.
The Rated-R Superstar played the role of the secondary heel in the three-way program featuring Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan, and he was instrumental in delivering one of the best matches at 'Mania.
On a recent edition of Fightful Select's Backstage Report podcast, Sean Ross Sapp revealed that Edge has been away from TV due to a planned time off.
There were concerns that Edge may have walked out of the Raymond James Stadium at WrestleMania 37 with an injury. However, those fears have been dispelled by Sean Ross Sapp's update.
"Planned time off, from what I understand," revealed Sean Ross Sapp.
Edge is slated to wrestle five times a year and appear 25 times on WWE programming as per his deal. The company would ideally only want Edge in big-money matches, and he could be brought back in time for the biggest show of the summer.
The SummerSlam pay-per-view is expected to happen at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. A marquee match featuring the WWE Hall of Famer will help in WWE's intended cause of filling up the stadium.
But who should Edge face upon his WWE return? Let us know your choices in the comments section below.
