WWE Rumor Review: Last-minute change due to Roman Reigns, plans for released star's return, reason for Edge's absence after WrestleMania

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 Welcome to this week's edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's WWE Rumor Review. We will take a look at rumors regarding WWE from a few months ago and see how they played out.

This time, we take a look at a few stories from the WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view in May. They involve Roman Reigns and The Miz, who couldn't have had more contrasting nights at the event.

There were reports of a couple of female wrestlers returning to WWE television, one within the company and the other from the outside. We'll find out if they came true. Meanwhile, Edge was absent from television for months following WrestleMania. What was the reason for it? Let's review the reports.

So, without further ado, here is this week's WWE Rumor Review.

#5. Edge's WWE absence following WrestleMania 37


 Edge main evented Night Two of WrestleMania 37, where he and Daniel Bryan lost to Universal Champion Roman Reigns. The Rated-R Superstar was not seen on WWE television for months following his defeat to The Tribal Chief.

Over a month after The Show of Shows, Sean Ross Sapp was asked about Edge's WWE status on Fightful Select's Backstage Report podcast. There was slight concern among fans that the WWE Hall of Famer was dealing with an injury given his unfortunate record in that respect.

Sapp noted that Edge's absence was simply planned time off. This makes complete sense as the level he works at wouldn't be easy for a 48-year-old to maintain year-round. Edge eventually returned in June to resume his program with Roman Reigns for Money in the Bank.


 The Rated-R Superstar then transitioned into a feud with Seth Rollins, which led to an all-time great trilogy. He did take periodic month-long breaks after a few matches, which only strengthens the claim that Edge's time off from WWE is planned way ahead of time.

The 11-time world champion is back on RAW, where he is in a storyline with his wife. Edge and Beth Phoenix will take on The Miz and Maryse at Royal Rumble. He will likely stay on WWE television until WrestleMania 38. Expect a similar hiatus to last year, following The Show of Shows.

#4. Plans for Zelina Vega's WWE return

 WWE released Zelina Vega in November 2020 after she opposed the company's decision to ban its talent from using third-party platforms. Six months later, rumblings of her return became prominent.

Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that Vega was filming something at the Performance Center, with the plan being for her to return to the company. Sapp issued an update on the same, stating that she was filmed walking into the PC alongside Simone Johnson, the daughter of The Rock.

Zelina Vega did make her return, but Johnson is still yet to appear on WWE television. So, while the purpose of the two of them being filmed remains unknown, the report was true. She showed up at the start of July and was instantly added to the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

 Vega's comeback has gone from strength to strength, overcoming an initial losing streak to win the Queen's Crown Tournament. Now known as Queen Zelina, she teamed with Carmella to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship from Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley.

#3. Mia Yim's reported WWE SmackDown debut


 WWE completely botched RETRIBUTION ever since its debut in the summer of 2020. From their names, actions, and direction, the stable was mishandled at nearly every turn on RAW.

They broke up in March after T-Bar and Mace hit a double chokeslam on Mustafa Ali. The two of them remained a tag team, while Slapjack went off WWE television before his eventual release. Reckoning was also nowhere to be seen but moved to SmackDown after transitioning back into Mia Yim.

According to a report from Dave Meltzer on F4Wonline.com, Yim was scheduled to make her SmackDown debut on the May 14th episode of the blue brand. However, that never happened. She did not appear on the show before being moved back to RAW during the WWE Draft.


 Mia Yim would get released from WWE in November, alongside her husband Keith Lee and other surprising names like Karrion Kross and Nia Jax. She did not wrestle a single match during 2021, according to ProFightDB. Yim's presence would have been welcome in the women's division on either show.

#2. Details on The Miz's injury at WWE WrestleMania Backlash

 The Miz faced Damian Priest in a 'Zombie Lumberjack Match' at WrestleMania Backlash, in what was potentially the worst WWE pay-per-view match of 2021. However, that wasn't it for him. Miz suffered an ACL injury during the bout.

While these injuries usually take six to nine months to heal, Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the former WWE Champion's injury was not as serious as originally thought:

''Miz was injured in the match," Meltzer said. "We were told it was an ACL injury but it wasn’t clear yet whether it was a partial or complete tear. If it’s the former, the recovery time will be a lot shorter and he won’t necessarily need surgery. A complete tear usually requires surgery which has a six month or more recovery time."

 

 The Miz did not miss much time at all. He returned to WWE television in a few weeks, albeit in a wheelchair. The A-Lister remained wheelchair-bound for a couple of months before standing on his feet on the August 9th episode of RAW.

Meltzer's report was proven correct as Miz wrestled Damian Priest exactly three months after suffering the ACL injury opposite The Archer of Infamy.

#1. Original plans for the main event of WWE WrestleMania Backlash

 WrestleMania Backlash saw Roman Reigns retain his WWE Universal Championship against Cesaro. The match was excellent and the main evented the show. However, that may not have been the original plan.

Dave Meltzer reported that the WWE Championship match between Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, and Braun Strowman was originally set to main event WrestleMania Backlash. However, a last-minute decision caused Reigns' title defense to headline the event instead:

"The original idea was for the three-way for the Raw title to be the main event. The three-way RAW women’s title match wasn’t scheduled to open either. There was a push on the day of the show with the idea that Reigns is the only franchise player on the roster, and as such, he should either go first or last."

 


 This report is likely correct as Roman Reigns has main evented every single pay-per-view he's been on since then. The Tribal Chief is the biggest star in the company, which makes sense that he should either open or headline every show he is a part of.

Furthermore, Reigns vs. Cesaro was an inspired choice to main event WrestleMania Backlash, as no other match would have been able to follow their classic. Bobby Lashley and the WWE title did headline the two events the Universal Champion has missed since then: Hell in a Cell and Day 1.

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