WWE Rumor Roundup - Heat on Superstar for being Shane McMahon's close friend, Roman Reigns' Royal Rumble opponent to be changed, Former US Champion called lazy - 11th January 2021

WWE received the worst possible news ahead of RAW as Drew McIntyre tested positive for COVID-19. Several backstage updates on the COVID-19 situation in the WWE have now been revealed, and they have been covered in today's Rumor Roundup.

It has also been speculated that WWE could change Roman Reigns' Royal Rumble opponent, which means that Adam Pearce could be replaced.

A former WWE Superstar revealed that Vince McMahon didn't like him, and the reason behind the backstage heat was also disclosed.

A former United States Champion was also labeled as 'lazy and unmotivated' by a veteran. We end the Roundup with a story about what WWE thought of Shawn Michaels' in-ring return and the backstage concerns that were prevalent at that time.

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#5. Friendship with Shane McMahon hurt a Superstar's WWE career

Despite having all the talent and a very appealing character, Raven never broke through the ranks in the WWE during his two stints.

Raven was interviewed by 'Scheduled For Two Falls,' and the 27-time Hardcore Champion opened about his run in the WWE. Raven admitted that he was close friends with Shane McMahon. However, they eventually drifted apart but not before it attracted heat from Vince and Linda McMahon.

The 'boys' in the locker room misjudged Raven's friendship with Shane McMahon as an attempt to be in the good books of the decision-makers in the WWE.

Raven added that being friends with Shane McMahon killed his career.

Here's what Raven had to say:

"Yeah, that's true. Me and Shane used to be really tight, but we drifted apart. He'd go out with me every night. Big heat with Linda and Vince. The boys thought I was kissing a** for my career, but it actually killed my career, giving me heat." H/t WrestlingInc

Raven's WWE career never exceeded the Hardcore title picture, but could it have been different if the circumstances were not the same? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

#4. WWE could replace Adam Pearce at the Royal Rumble

Last week's WWE SmackDown ended with Adam Pearce becoming the #1 Contender to Roman Reigns' Universal Championship at Royal Rumble. Pearce has done a fine job as an on-screen authority figure in the WWE over the past few months, but his in-ring return came as a shocker for the fans.

Pearce, a 5-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and NWA Hall of Famer, now has a lucrative Universal title match against Roman Reigns. However, there could be one big twist in the storyline.

During a recent Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that there is a possibility of WWE changing Roman Reigns' Royal Rumble opponent to Kevin Owens before the PPV.

"It's possible that they'll change it back to Kevin Owens because it seems like a strange match to make; because if they do that, it pretty much tells you that they literally have no ideas at all. I'm not ruling out that they'll go back to Kevin Owens."

Adam Pearce is quite an adept in-ring worker, and a match against Roman Reigns could exceed all the expectations. However, there is still a possibility of WWE changing it all up.

Would you like WWE to stick with Pearce vs. Reigns or change the match in the upcoming weeks?

#3. Jim Ross feels Carlito was lazy and unmotivated in WWE

Carlito's name has come up a lot over the past few days following WWE advertising him to be a part of the Legends Night episode of RAW. Carlito never showed up, and it was later revealed that he reportedly turned down the offer to return for a brief cameo.

Jim Ross spoke about Carlito during a recent edition of the Grilling JR podcast, and the veteran announcer said that the former US Champion would have been a bigger deal in WWE if not for the laziness.

Jim Ross explained that while Carlito was a good worker, some people perceived him as lazy and unmotivated.

"He's a good worker. His only enemy has always been his own motivation. He can be as good as he wants to be, so therefore some perceive that he might be a little unmotivated, i.e., a little lazy."

Ross went on to joke that Carlito didn't slack around when interacting with the women. JR concluded by saying that Carlito would have been a fantastic talent if he had kept his eyes on the prize.

"He wasn't lazy in his interactions with the fairer sex because he was a Hall of Famer in that area. If he kept his eye on the prize and wanted to go in and work, he was absolutely extraordinary." H/t Danny Hart of Sportskeeda

Do you agree with Jim Ross' assessment of Carlito's WWE run?

#2. Backstage news about the COVID-19 outbreak in the WWE and other promotions

"Fighting you would be like fighting my own DAD!" - @DMcIntyreWWE#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/BBnyV0A0SQ

— WWE (@WWE) January 5, 2021

Drew McIntyre revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of RAW, and WWE was forced to make a host of changes to the card.

Triple H was brought back to have a 'fight' with Randy Orton, and the episode ended with another cliffhanger.

Fightful Select's report revealed that several promotions have been hit hard by COVID-19 following the holiday season. It was noted that shows in WWE, IMPACT Wrestling, and All Elite Wrestling have all been affected by a string of positive COVID-19 tests.

Various sources within WWE told Fightful that the company officials were somewhat surprised about the situation not being worse, given the circumstances. It was also reported that several people from RAW, SmackDown, AEW, and IMPACT were affected by the tapings schedule and the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Superstars' names potentially down with COVID-19 or in quarantine due to precautionary measures have not been revealed. However, several Superstars were absent on RAW as many performers ended up doing double duty. We should receive more information on the latest COVID-19 outbreak in pro wrestling in the days to follow.

#1. People were concerned about Shawn Michaels when he returned to WWE

Shawn Michaels' in-ring WWE career witnessed a significant speedbump when he was forced to retire for a few years in 1998. However, HBK managed to make an in-ring return and have another memorable spell as an active competitor.

Bruce Prichard revealed on his 'Something to Wrestle' podcast that there were legitimate concerns about Shawn Michaels during the early days of his return.

"There were times throughout it from the second week of Shawn returning when he did. We were thinking, 'Okay, how long is this going to be able to last? How long are we going to be able to do this?"

Prichard quickly noted that WWE Superstars who return after a lengthy hiatus are more prone to suffering new injuries or aggravating previously existing ones. The same theory was applied to Shawn Michaels' case, and WWE monitored him closely.

"So, every day in many respects was a gift that, 'Okay, man, he's going alright,' but the more that he worked, the more he felt like, 'Okay, I can do this a little longer.' It's when you stop working, you're not working as much, and it's harder to get back into the swing of things and get back into the groove of things."

Prichard explained that Shawn Michael's body was experiencing the business's wear and tear, which meant that there were phases where he was injured in WWE.

"So, you would periodically have these times where Shawn was hurt, and he was. He had an awful lot of wear and tear on his body, and his body was paying the price."

Shawn Michaels was a more mature performer during his run in the 2000s, and he thankfully had enough in the tank to cement his spot as an all-time great.