WWE Rumor Review: Roman Reigns' opponent leaves WWE, Plans for Becky Lynch & Ronda Rousey, Conflicting Damian Priest reports
Welcome to this week's edition of WWE Rumor Review. Here, we take a look at rumors on some of the major stories from a few months ago and analyze how they have fared so far.
This week, we'll check out the original plans for a potential matchup between RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch and the 2022 Women's Royal Rumble winner Ronda Rousey.
We'll also check if the rumors of Roman Reigns' opponent leaving WWE turned out to be true. We'll also revisit the conflicting reports on Damian Priest's brief absence from WWE. So without further ado, let's dive in to check out the five major rumors.
#5. Conflicting reports on Damian Priest's absence from WWE
Contrary to many NXT call-ups, Damian Priest has had a great run since joining the main roster in early 2021. From teaming up with Bad Bunny at WrestleMania to having an unbeaten run in singles competition for months, to having a lengthy reign with the United States Championship, Priest was impressive.
However, he was taken off TV for close to a month in June when reports emerged that he was absent due to an injury, while others stated it was due to a lack of creative direction.
We have some clarity on Damian Priest's absence and return on FightfulSelect.com that came together even since last night. https://t.co/MmPY7yD96o
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Priest had a bad back and was advised to take some time off, while Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that he'd be back on TV once the creative team had something for him.
The Archer of Infamy eventually made his return to WWE on the June 28 episode of RAW and took part in a Battle Royal to determine Randy Orton's replacement in the Money in the Bank Last-Chance Triple Threat Match later in the night. However, he failed to win.
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Priest later entered a feud with the then United States Champion Sheamus, which culminated with him winning the title at SummerSlam 2021. He's held the title ever since, marking close to six months as a champion. During this time, Priest has defended the title against Kevin Owens, Jeff Hardy, and more.