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After a short break due to the holiday season festivities, we are back again with another edition of our daily WWE Rumor Roundup.
2021 is officially underway, and it's been a difficult start for the pro wrestling fraternity due to Brodie Lee's passing. Nonetheless, we move forward, and there are promising moments in store for the fans in the new year.
Today's lineup features a host of interesting stories. We begin with a former nWo member revealing that he is preparing to embark on one final run as an active in-ring performer.
Several updates regarding the Universal title matches for Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 37 have been revealed.
WWE is reportedly planning a big gimmick match for Royal Rumble.
Elsewhere, a former WWE Women's Champion is getting ready for her retirement tour in 2021. We end the latest roundup with a story about a former WWE Superstar getting fired after taking the advice of a Hall of Famer.
#5. Former nWo member and WWE Hall of Famer X-Pac is ready to wrestle again
Sean Waltman, aka X-Pac, last wrestled in 2019 at the WrestleCon Mark Hitchcock Memorial SuperShow. The WWE Hall of Famer recently opened up about his health struggles and intentions to wrestle again on the X-Pac 1,2,360 podcast.
X-Pac suffered from Hepatitis C for a very long time, but he had finally recovered from the illness. He tested positive for Hepatitis C when he came back to TNA, and due to the diagnosis, X-Pac was barred from wrestling in several promotions, including WWE. X-Pac was also not allowed to compete by several state athletic commissions. However, many indie promotions let X-Pac wrestle, and he safely did a few matches.
"I had hepatitis C for a long time. I tested positive for it when I came back to TNA. After that, I couldn't get cleared in certain states with athletic commissions, so TNA and WWE couldn't really have me in matches. I would just do little matches, nothing serious, no blood or anything. Now I'm cured, everyone."
X-Pac also revealed that he wants to get his torn ACL fixed before planning his in-ring return. X-Pac intends to put himself out on the market, and he knows he can have many more matches.
"Now, that's clear. I'm going to get my knee fixed; I've had a torn ACL since the turn of this decade, like 2008 or something. I'm going to get that fixed, and sometime next year, I'll put myself on the market, have a few more matches. Everyone thinks they have one more run left in them. Anywhere I run, it'd have to be a sprint." H/t Fightful
X-Pac added that he is physically capable of doing a regular schedule, but he wasn't sure whether he would want it now. X-Pac's focus is to get his ACL issues fixed before going for his last run as an active wrestler.
Could a promotion like WWE give X-Pac the platform to have one final run? It's highly likely, but companies like IMPACT Wrestling would surely like the idea of letting the 48-year-old veteran wrestle again.
X-Pac was announced to go into the WWE Hall of Fame for the second time, this time as part of the New World Order alongside Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash. According to the latest update, the nixed 2020 Hall of Fame ceremony could happen in 2021
#4. WWE WrestleMania 37 updates
While the build-up towards WWE Royal Rumble has kicked off, there is noticeably a lot of attention on WWE's plans for the top WrestleMania matches.
Roman Reigns' Universal Championship match would inarguably be one of the marquee matches at WrestleMania 37.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer stated that Daniel Bryan and Goldberg are the two top contenders to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37.
Meltzer explained that WWE originally wanted Daniel Bryan to face Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble show. That plan seems to have changed as Daniel Bryan would be in the Royal Rumble match.
Bryan announcing himself for the Rumble is notable only because at one point Reigns vs. Bryan was considered for the Rumble show. Smackdown being so low on main event babyfaces is an issue and Bryan beating Uso on Smackdown would seem to indicate being groomed for Reigns.
Meltzer noted that while Daniel Bryan would give Roman Reigns a great match, a showdown will Goldberg will get the mainstream attention that WrestleMania usually needs.
Right now it would look like Bryan and Goldberg would be the top contenders for the Reigns match at Mania. Bryan gives you the better match and Goldberg gives him the more mainstream interest which is kind of sad when you bring in a guy whose prime year would be 23 years earlier instead of having a series of challenges ready that people should care about more because of being current.
Who do you think goes on to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37? Daniel Bryan or Goldberg?
#3. Former WWE Women's Champion Jazz to retire in 2021
Jazz might very well be one of the most underrated female wrestlers in WWE and professional wrestling history apart from Victoria. Jazz had two stints in WWE, during which she won the WWE Women's Championship twice.
Jazz, who is presently 48 years old, made her IMPACT Wrestling debut in December 2020 by teaming up with Jordynne Grace to face Killer Kelly and Renee Michelle in the Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament.
Jazz took to Twitter a few days ago and confirmed that she is accepting booking for her retirement tour.
While Jazz did announce her retirement earlier in October, the veteran went back on her statement and mentioned that she would love to retire at the top of her game. Jazz's goal is to win the returning Knockouts Tag Team Championship with Jordynne Grace.
Jazz even appeared in AEW during the Casino Battle Royale match at All Out 2019. Jazz's retirement tour was originally scheduled for 2020, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The third-longest reigning NWA World Women's Champion has been wrestling since 1998, and given her underappreciated impact on the pro wrestling business; Jazz deserves to have a fitting farewell tour.
#2. Big gimmick match planned for WWE Royal Rumble 2021
Royal Rumble is the next pay-per-view on WWE's itinerary, as it is scheduled to take place on Sunday, January 31, 2021.
Dave Meltzer revealed in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE is planning on having a Firefly Fun House match between Randy Orton and The Fiend at Royal Rumble.
The plan is to have Randy Orton face The Fiend at Royal Rumble, and the tentative idea is for the match to have the 'Firefly Fun House' tag.
If the plan goes through, it will be the second-ever Firefly Fun House match as the first iteration happened between Bray Wyatt and John Cena at WrestleMania 36. The first Firefly Fun House match was one of the most bizarre cinematic offerings in WWE history that ended with Wyatt 'winning the match.'
The storyline between Randy Orton and The Fiend has been on fire, pun intended. The last episode of Monday Night RAW of 2020 ended with a cliffhanger as the episode concluded with Randy Orton seemingly setting Alexa Bliss on fire.
Randy Orton burnt The Fiend in the Firefly Inferno match at TLC, but the belief is that Bray Wyatt's alter ego will return in the weeks leading up to Royal Rumble.
What are your opinions about the planned Firefly Fun House match for Royal Rumble?
#1. A WWE Superstar was fired due to Booker T's advice
Chris van Vliet recently interviewed Booker T, and the WWE Hall of Famer revealed that he might have unintentionally been involved in a WWE Superstar getting fired from the company.
Booker T revealed a story from a couple of years ago when he advised a WWE Superstar to dress up in the TV locker room. Booker T didn't reveal the Superstar's name, but he said that the talent lasted for a year or so in WWE.
"I got invited into the TV locker room. I didn't just go and dress in the TV locker room. I remember a guy, not too long ago, a couple years back, and I'm not gonna say his name. But he lasted in WWE about a year or so. You'll be able to figure it out, and he was in the TV locker room, and I'm wondering in my mind, 'What the hell is he doing in the TV locker room?'
The wrestler wasn't supposed to be in the TV locker room, but Booker T told him that he should forget about the guys in the locker room and dress wherever he wishes. Booker T admitted that he was stirring the pot, and much to his surprise, the unnamed Superstar got a lot of heat in WWE. It all ended with the Superstar getting fired.
"He's hanging out in there with us, he's kicking it and whatnot, and I told him — he was talking to me about the guys in the other locker room, and I was like, 'Man, forget those guys, man. Dress over here, man. I mean, who are those guys to tell you where to dress?' And all I was doing was stirring the pot. He didn't know I was getting him in more trouble, and then they ended up firing his an*s, and you know what? He didn't know why he got fired." H/t POST Wrestling
Any guesses on the identity of the Superstar in question? Let us know in the comments section.
