WWE Rumor Roundup - Royal Rumble winner revealed? Uncertainty over Drew McIntyre's neck injury, talents depressed after major release (January 7th, 2022)
Welcome back to another edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's daily WWE Rumor Roundup, where we gather all the biggest stories from the rumor mills.
With Royal Rumble and WrestleMania just around the corner, several updates regarding WWE's creative plans for the events have made their way online. Details of the possible winner for the Royal Rumble have also been disclosed.
We've also covered notes regarding the storyline direction for Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar heading into WrestleMania.
WWE's injury woes continue to increase as Drew McIntyre deals with legitimate neck issues. There is some degree of uncertainty backstage over the Scottish superstar's immediate future and the timeline for a return.
The backstage atmosphere within WWE is also not the greatest at the moment, as a recent high-profile release has shaken the company to its core.
We wrapped up the roundup with news on Samoa Joe's future after getting released from WWE for the second time. Without further ado, let's get started with the rumor roundup.
#5. Backstage News on WWE's plans for the Royal Rumble
The last-minute changes at Day 1 significantly impacted WWE's plans for Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.
As noted earlier, Seth Rollins was initially slated to win the WWE Championship and defend the title at WrestleMania. Dave Meltzer revealed more information in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, including the superstar who could win the Royal Rumble match.
Big E was reportedly the front-runner to win the Royal Rumble. Despite the booking reshuffle, WWE could still work towards the same outcome but follow a different creative path to get there.
"The plan for that was originally Seth Rollins, likely against the winner of the Royal Rumble, with Big E the favorite, but Kevin Owens and Bobby Lashley were also possibilities. The match in that position may remain the same, but getting there is different," noted Meltzer.
WWE can always pivot back to its original plan after Royal Rumble, which has two massive world title matches. Big E has been kept out of the title picture, and winning the Battle Royale would be ideal for his quest to become a world champion again.