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Welcome back to another edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's daily WWE Rumor Roundup. We kicked off the latest lineup of stories with details of an outgoing superstar's immediate future following the end of his contract.
The WWE Rumor Roundup also features an update regarding the WrestleMania Backlash plan for Bobby Lashley. The tag title unification match is one of the marquee contests of the upcoming event, and there have naturally been doubts over the brand split's status amongst fans.
We wrapped up the WWE Rumor Roundup with the company's stance on the brand extension. On that note, let's take a look at the day's top rumors:
#1. Plans for Kushida after his WWE exit revealed
As reported last week, Kushida recently departed WWE after his contract expired on April 18.
The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion spent three years in the company. As revealed by Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Kushida is looking to return to New Japan Pro Wrestling.
NJPW officials have reportedly been expecting Kushida's comeback for a while now, as he has had a largely forgettable run in WWE over the past three years.
While Kushida didn't enjoy the same 'company loyalty' as other NJPW wrestlers, the former NXT Superstar reportedly wants to work with all the top talent in the Japanese company.
The Japanese wrestler also plans on changing his character after his return to NJPW:
"New Japan has expected him [Kushida] back for some time since everyone could see very early in the run that he basically wasted three years of his prime doing almost nothing," reported Dave Meltzer. "At the time he left, he wanted to try WWE while still in his prime, and he wasn't a New Japan dojo guy, so he didn't have the company loyalty that a lot of the talent there has... He does want to be a different character going back and work with the higher-profile guys."
Kushida joined WWE in 2019 and didn't have the best time in the company despite winning the Cruiserweight title. The Japanese star is preparing for a fresh start, and working with NJPW seems like the ideal way to rejuvenate the 38-year-old star's career.
#2. Bobby Lashley's WrestleMania Backlash opponent possibly revealed
While WWE is yet to announce a WrestleMania Backlash match for Bobby Lashley, Dave Meltzer reports that the company plans to have the former world champion take on Omos.
Despite losing to Lashley at WrestleMania 38, Omos has a lot of momentum behind him after deciding to align himself with MVP.
WWE has not listed Omos vs. Lashley for WrestleMania Backlash, but reports suggest that the promotion is heading in the said creative direction:
"Bobby Lashley also would make sense, and he's not listed against Omos on the show, but they are going in that direction," stated Meltzer.
The reported Backlash angle is expected to revolve around MVP's betrayal of Bobby Lashley. However, Vince McMahon and co. will also be looking to elevate Omos, and it will be interesting to see The Colossus and his rise as a monster heel on RAW in the weeks to come.
#3. Update on the brand split's status
RK-Bro and The Usos will clash in a massive Winners Take All match at WrestleMania Backlash. The title unification bout has given rise to speculation about the brand split's future in WWE.
The Wrestling Observer revealed that while a new set of undisputed tag team champions will emerge at WrestleMania Backlash, the promotion does not wish to scrap the brand extension.
The unified champions will work on both brands, similar to how Roman Reigns has appeared on RAW and SmackDown following WrestleMania 38.
The merging of championships will not affect the brand split as the rosters will compete separately on their respective brands, excluding the undisputed titleholders.
WrestleMania Backlash is slated to happen on Sunday, May 8, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, and in case you haven't seen it already, we have a significant spoiler on who Roman Reigns' opponent for the event could be.
Which match are you most excited about most for WrestleMania Backlash? Let us know in the comments section below.
