WWE Rumor Roundup: Vince McMahon shoots down idea for a major return, Original RAW main event, Note on Alexa Bliss' segments (February 7, 2022)

#2. Potential reason why X-Pac did not make a Royal Rumble appearance

Not too long ago, Sean Waltman (a.k.a. X-Pac) said he had given a heads-up to WWE higher-ups that he'd be ready for a Royal Rumble appearance if needed.

However, it seems the company was not interested. Reports suggest that people in charge wished not to rely on NXT 2.0 talent and many outside names for the Men's Rumble.

Here's what Sean Ross Sapp said on the SRS Q&A Podcast when asked if there had been any backstage talk of using Waltman in the match:

"Yes, there was. However, I was told they wanted to lean away from NXT 2.0 talent and a lot of outside names for the men, which is what we saw." (H/T - WrestlingNews.co)

While the two-time WWE Hall of Famer was not scheduled for Royal Rumble, he will team up with Joey Janela at GCW: Heartbreak on February 25. The duo is set to face Matt Cardona and Brian Myers.

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#1. Live event advertisements could indicate WWE's plans for WrestleMania 38

A commercial that recently aired in Canada during SmackDown listed two top-tier matches for an upcoming house show.

The live event will go down on March 27 in Toronto, just days before WrestleMania 38. John Pollock of POST Wrestling noted the announced bouts via a tweet:

• Bobby Lashley vs. Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles
• Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair

Although Bobby Lashley is the current WWE Champion, the above match will not feature the title if Brock Lesnar wins it at Elimination Chamber, as rumored. Irrespective of the gold, obvious speculation suggests that The All Mighty could cross paths with Rollins and/or Styles at WrestleMania.

Meanwhile, Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair is among the reported plans for this year's Show of Shows. The women's triple threat bout on March 27 strengthens the odds of that possibility coming true.