Welcome to the latest edition of WWE News and Rumor Roundup. Following the most recent episode of SmackDown, a kayfabe-breaking moment went down between two top stars.
WWE reportedly reapplied to trademark a RAW Superstar's former name not too long ago. Meanwhile, Sami Zayn tweeted his brief thoughts after a newsworthy segment with Brock Lesnar.
Drew McIntyre has teased a match against someone he is yet to face one-on-one. There have been numerous reports regarding Jeff Hardy's release from the company and the circumstances leading up to it. Today's roundup will highlight what another WWE source had to say about the matter.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at these news and rumor stories.
#5. Charlotte Flair's gesture towards Becky Lynch after WWE SmackDown
Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair are known to have real-life heat against each other, which was a significant part of their feud heading into Survivor Series 2021. Though many expected the two to stick to their respective brands following the pay-per-view, both women recently clashed in a fatal-four-way match after SmackDown.
The untelevised bout also included Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks, as the latter eventually pinned Lynch to pick up a victory. During the post-match events, fans in attendance captured a kayfabe-breaking moment involving Flair.
As she was leaving, The Queen handed Becky Lynch her RAW Women's Championship in what seemed to be a nice gesture, judging by the wrestling world's reactions across Twitter.
You can see this moment unfold in the clips below:
Better view pic.twitter.com/fKIHkBuTFc
— conan_kun (@conanedogawa316) December 11, 2021
While Charlotte Flair may have briefly broken character, Big Time Becks maintained her gimmick and blamed a young fan for distracting her in the fatal-four-way contest.
This match, although untelevised, marked Lynch's in-ring return to WWE's blue brand for the first time since October. The Man's last televised bout on SmackDown saw her lose to Sasha Banks one-on-one.
#4. Doudrop to possibly revert to her "Piper Niven" moniker in WWE
WWE RAW Superstar Doudrop (real name — Kimberly Benson) wrestled as Piper Niven back in NXT UK. As per PWInisder, the company recently reapplied to trademark the latter moniker with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
They also filed paperwork with the USPTO to trademark the on-screen names for WWE NXT 2.0 stars Ivy Nile and Odyssey Jones.
Steven Fernandes of PWInsider reported the following:
"They also reapplied to trademark the following recently abandoned trademarks: Ivy Nile, Odyssey Jones, Piper Niven for G & S: Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered live and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; providing information in the fields of sports and entertainment via an online community portal; providing a website in the field of sports entertainment information; fan club services, namely, organizing sporting events in the field of wrestling for wrestling fan club members; organizing social entertainment events for entertainment purposes for wrestling fan club members; providing online newsletters in the fields of sports entertainment; online journals, namely blogs, in the field of sports entertainment."
When I interviewed Doudrop in October she told me that she expected the ‘Doudrop’ name to be temporary. She expected to go back to Piper Niven when her story with Eva Marie concluded. https://t.co/0YZedFU2Rx
— Louis Dangoor (@TheLouisDangoor) December 10, 2021
Benson took up the 'Doudrop' name when she moved to the main roster and became Eva Marie's protégé back in June 2021. Marie is no longer in WWE, and with the company's recent trademark filings in mind, many speculate that higher-ups could be bringing Piper Niven to RAW.
#3. Sami Zayn reacts to his latest WWE segment with Brock Lesnar
Sami Zayn has received beatdowns at the hands of Brock Lesnar on two consecutive episodes of WWE SmackDown.
In the second and most recent instance, a wheelchair-bound Zayn threatened to sue everyone who cost him his Universal Championship opportunity against Roman Reigns. Unfortunately for the Canadian star, Lesnar's arrival put him on the receiving end of another F-5.
Sami Zayn later took to Twitter and claimed — in character — that The Beast Incarnate has been ruining his life lately:
This man is ruining my life. pic.twitter.com/ptoe8LIBhU
— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) December 11, 2021
At the upcoming WWE Day 1 pay-per-view, Lesnar will face Reigns with the latter's Universal Championship at stake. According to reports, the bout will conclude in a way that leaves matters open for a possible rematch at WrestleMania 38.
While Zayn's future is unclear, could he get involved in the Universal Championship clash at Day 1 to bring about such a finish? AEW's Mark Henry certainly seems to think so. According to Henry, the Canadian star might influence the match in Roman Reigns' favor to seek revenge against Brock Lesnar.
#2. Drew McIntyre teases a WWE match against Cesaro
Although Drew McIntyre and Cesaro have fought in the same multi-person battles, they have never gone one-on-one against each other in WWE.
The Swiss Superman hinted at this first-time-ever clash not too long ago. And on the latest episode of Talking Smack, McIntyre stated that a potential bout against Cesaro will go down at some point:
"Somebody that I've never faced, though we've both been wrestling for 20-plus years, is Cesaro. It's unbelievable we've never had a singles match. He's a phenomenal competitor. It's gonna happen, it's gonna be awesome. And sorry buddy, I'm gonna kick your head off too."
Last month, The Scottish Warrior teamed up with Cesaro for an untelevised 14-man tag team lumberjack contest after RAW. A few days before this match, both men tagged together at a WWE live event to defeat the duo of WALTER and Sheamus.
A singles match between Cesaro and Drew McIntyre is now possible as the two are part of the blue brand's roster. Both stars currently portray babyfaces, so it will be interesting to see what premise WWE can use for their potential clash.
#1. Jeff Hardy reportedly seemed fine before a recent WWE match
Before his recent release, reports indicated that Jeff Hardy had been sent home from the road following his match at a WWE Live Supershow in Edinburg, Texas. Fans in attendance noted that he looked ‘sluggish’ in the ring and disappeared into the crowd before the six-man tag team bout concluded.
Now, as per a WWE source’s recent statement to WrestlingNews.co, “there was nothing out of the usual going on” with Hardy heading into the match. Although the 44-year-old is dealing with back and knee issues, the source doesn’t think he took pills or drank alcohol before the show.
“I saw him before that match and there was nothing out of the usual going on with him. Jeff deals with back and knee issues but I don’t think he drank anything or took any pills before that show. As far as I know, he’s been doing great since the DUI arrest from a couple years back. I know people are wondering why he would be allowed to go out there if he was f*cked up but he looked fine before the match,” a WWE source told WrestlingNews.co.
Jeff Hardy is so beloved by his fans and his peers. I’ve never heard a negative word about him & he’s always treated me with such kindness. Just wishing him and his family the very best.
— Ettore “Big E” Ewen (@WWEBigE) December 9, 2021
Regarding the WWE legend’s performance in the match, WrestlingNews.co also reported:
"When he disappeared through the crowd, Hardy took time to take photos with fans and while he appeared to be moving slower than usual, he looked nothing like he did when he was impaired during his Victory Road 2011 match with Sting."
The Charismatic Enigma has been handed a 90-day non-compete clause since his release. While he has yet to comment on the situation publicly, his wife recently mentioned that he is doing well.