WWE News & Rumor Roundup: Major superstar was almost fired, Triple H to bring back 31-year-old former champion? Roman Reigns match wins fan votes

Welcome to the latest WWE News & Rumor Roundup. We'll look at topics about Roman Reigns and more top stars today.

As 2023 ends soon, fans have voted for the best match of the year. A high-profile clash involving Reigns won the tournament. Today's Roundup also features an update on Charlotte Flair and recent speculation on who Triple H could bring back to WWE.

So, let's begin:

Could Sasha Banks return to WWE in the Triple H era?

Although she left the company in 2022, Sasha Banks' WWE return has been a highly speculated topic lately. Booker T spoke about this on his Hall of Fame podcast.

The WWE legend mentioned CM Punk's comeback at Survivor Series 2023 while predicting that Banks (Mercedes Mone) will sign a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment:

"There's a new regime in town. There's a different way of thinking in town [with Triple H in charge of creative content]. Maybe some of the issues that she was not too pleased with before are no longer a factor. It says it on his shirt: Hell froze over, and CM Punk came back after ten years. You know what I mean? There's a lane for Sasha Banks to stash Mercedes Mone, and I'm making a prediction. I'm calling it. She's back in 2024. In WWE, it's a done deal in my mind," said Booker T.

Comedian Jeff Dye also predicted the same outcome for Sasha Banks. On the Wrestling with Freddie podcast, he said:

"Where does Sasha Banks land? It's not AEW. She's gonna come to WWE." Jeff Dye continued, "She's gonna come right back. That's my prediction."

Update on Charlotte Flair

Sources have told PWInsider that Charlotte Flair is slated to undergo knee surgery in January 2024.

On December 8, Flair suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus during SmackDown. WWE noted that the top superstar will be out of action for nine months, meaning she could target an October 2024 return.

As all competitors aim to solidify their spots on the WrestleMania 40 card, Charlotte Flair may miss the big event next year.

LA Knight was almost fired from WWE, Mace recalls

Although LA Knight had an excellent 2023, things could have been better when he portrayed Max Dupri. The popular star's stint in Maximum Male Models almost got him released from the company, according to former WWE talent Mace.

Speaking on Cafe de Rene, Mace highlighted Vince McMahon's role in the aforementioned situation:

"The reality is that he was almost gone based on, I guess, his performance or how Vince [McMahon] felt about his performance in that role."

Mace described how Vince McMahon would react to Maximum Male Models' segments:

"We would come back from these super long segment long fashion shows, and we'd get to the back, and Vince would just be like, 'Boys, that was great. You looked amazing.' Then he'd be like [to Max Dupri / LA Knight], 'That was awful. Did you not know your...' Like, he would just rail into him every time. And he would walk away, and we'd have to calm him down because he was seconds from just exploding because it was brutal for him."

While Max Dupri did not become a worldwide sensation, LA Knight continues to impress fans weekly.

William Regal's status

William Regal returned to World Wrestling Entertainment earlier this year, and his work for the company has been in a behind-the-scenes role since then.

Dave Meltzer recently mentioned an update on Regal's on-screen status in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

"Regal's non-compete as far as appearing on television is just about over. At the time Regal left [AEW] he said that he wasn't going to be appearing on television. He hasn't worked for NXT and they have [Shawn] Michaels as an authority figure."

Meltzer added:

"They just hired [Nick] Aldis for that role on SmackDown and wouldn't have done so if they planned to put Regal in that spot."

Although William Regal will be able to appear on WWE television, it remains to be seen whether the company has any on-screen plans for the veteran.

Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes - WWE Match of the Year 2023?

As part of a recent fan-voted tournament, Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes won in the final round to be crowned WWE's best match of 2023.

The WrestleMania 39 showdown was favored by voters over Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam 2023), among other contests. Listed below are the matches considered for the tournament that World Wrestling Entertainment hosted:

SummerSlam: Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
WrestleMania 39: Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
Payback: Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch
WrestleMania 39: Men's Fatal Four-Way Tag Team Match
Monday Night RAW: Gunther vs. Chad Gable
WrestleMania 39: Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair
Money in the Bank: The Usos vs. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa
WrestleMania 39: Drew McIntyre vs. Gunther vs. Sheamus
Backlash: Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest
NXT Deadline: Men's Iron Survivor Challenge
WrestleMania 39: Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes [WINNER]
Crown Jewel: Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre
Backlash: IYO SKY vs. Bianca Belair
Elimination Chamber: Sami Zayn vs. Roman Reigns
WrestleMania 39: The Usos vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
NXT No Mercy: Ilja Dragunov vs. Carmelo Hayes

You can check out the brackets for this tournament here.

What was the best match of 2023? Let us know in the comments section below.