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Welcome to another edition of the daily WWE Rumor Roundup where we try and bring you the biggest updates and rumors from the world of WWE. With NXT TakeOver: In Your House being a success, WWE is now focused toward the next big event - Backlash - which will feature Randy Orton vs Edge, as well as Drew McIntyre vs Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship among other big matches.
On today's edition we will talk about what the future holds for Bobby Lashley, big plans for former WWE Champion that got scrapped and SmackDown Superstar saying that Vince McMahon is a 'big fan' of his.
So without further ado, let us jump right in:
#5 WWE desperate for Bobby Lashley vs Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar is set to return to WWE for SummerSlam as per reports. While nothing is set in stone, it is more than likely that The Beast Incarnate will make his comeback around August. As per SportsKeeda's Tom Colohue, the match that is being planned for Lesnar's return is one against The Almighty Bobby Lashley.
I do know that there is a desperate need among some parts of the executive level in the WWE to get the Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar match coming. And as I have reported here previously, Brock Lesnar has been pencilled in for an appearance around SummerSlam, which means it is certainly possible that we are going to get that match.
Lashley will be facing Drew McIntyre at Backlash, and as we will talk about in the article, there is a strong chance that Lashley may win the WWE Championship. While Lesnar vs Lashley doesn't need a title to make it a marquee match, it might be the direction WWE choose to take.
Both Lashley and Lesnar are big men equally matched in power and both have a background in MMA thus making this match a dream match for many fans.
#4 Dominic Dijakovic to join Seth Rollins' faction?
It had been reported previously that WWE are looking to add to members to the Seth Rollins faction on Monday Night RAW. The Messiah has vowed to lead upcoming WWE Superstars such as Murphy and Austin Theory to glory.
It has been stated that Rollins himself is keen on expanding the faction and has pitched a few names to be added to his band. NXT Superstar Dominic Dijakovic, also known as Dijak, is all set to make his WWE RAW debut as per reports and it is possible that this giant of a Superstar may be the next man to 'follow' Seth Rollins.
Dijak recently made a cryptic Tweet in which he posted a photo of Seth Rollins, giving rise to speculation that he will be the next young Superstar to join Rollins. Dijak's addition to the group will make sense as with The AOP being out, the faction needs a big guy who can serve as the muscle of the group - and the former ROH Superstar would be a perfect fit.
#3 Paul Heyman is planning a title run for Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley is all set to face Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at Backlash. The All Mighty will finally get a chance to win the big belt in WWE. While it is being believed that Drew McIntyre will most likely retain at the show, there is a chance that Lashley might pull an upset.
The Observer reported that the reason why MVP was added as a manager for Lashley was that Paul Heyman wanted a mouthpiece for Bobby Lashley for a title run. Now, while this may not necessarily mean that Lashley will defeat McIntyre at Backlash, there is a strong chance that we will see The Almighty as the WWE Champion soon.
The situation with MVP as a producer/talent is this- he was brought back for the Rumble, then to put over Mysterio on TV the next night and then to get a tryout for a producer role. Heyman then wanted him as Lashley’s mouthpiece for a title run. He was working as a producer and also did some announcing on Main Event.
Read more about these plans here.
#2 Matt Riddle says Vince McMahon is a big fan of his
The Original Bro Matt Riddle is certainly highly confident of his ability in the ring and knows that he is well-liked backstage. The former WWE NXT Tag-Team Champion is all set to make his main roster debut on SmackDown soon.
Matt Riddle spoke to TalkSport and discussed how he believes that both Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard are big fans of his. Here is what the former MMA fighter had to say:
“You’ve got Vince who I’m pretty sure is a big fan of mine and then you have [SmackDown executive director] Bruce Prichard who I know is a big fan of mine. I have a lot of great minds working behind me. They see the value, they’ve seen me on the indies, they know what I’ve done."
Matt Riddle is not only catching everyone's attention by his in-ring work but has also developed a reputation of being too loud on social media and targeting legends and former World Champions like Goldberg and Brock Lesnar.
#1 WWE had big plans for Jinder Mahal
It looks like the Modern Day Maharaja Jinder Mahal just can't catch a break. The former WWE Champion had just recently returned after recovering from a knee injury and he is already out with another injury.
What is even more unfortunate is that prior to getting injured again, RAW Executive Director Paul Heyman reportedly had some big plans in store for Mahal. WrestleTalk reported that Heyman was planning a WWE Championship program for Jinder Mahal where he would face Drew McIntyre. Here is what Cagesideseats stated:
Dangoor’s sources also told him Paul Heyman had big plans for Jinder Mahal before Mahal was sidelined by another knee surgery. They included a shot at WWE champ Drew McIntyre
Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre were formerly part of the same comedic faction called 3MB before both of them were released by WWE. It would certainly be a great feud to see these two real-life friends play on-screen rivals. Hopefully by the time Jinder Mahal returns, McIntyre is still the WWE Champion.
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