As we approach Royal Rumble, a lot is happening in professional wrestling, and today's stacked WWE Rumor Roundup clearly reflects the heightened activity in the business.
Triple H has brought back many released stars since taking charge of the main roster, and fans continue to pitch names that could potentially have another WWE run. While a few more stars are on WWE's wishlist, one established former world champion is reportedly not wanted back in the company.
Speaking of returns, the rumor roundup features details of a recently rehired superstar and why he could be in for a solid push under Triple H.
We also have a big update on Edge's status as members of the WWE Universe have raised questions about The Rated-R Superstar's whereabouts in recent weeks.
#1. WWE seemingly has no interest in re-signing Alberto Del Rio
Despite being a four-time world champion in the promotion, Alberto Del Rio is among the most controversial wrestlers who last competed for WWE in 2016.
Del Rio has always been honest about his desire to return, but Triple H and his team don't share the same sentiments. A higher-up within the company told Fightful that there had been no discussions regarding doing business with Alberto Del Rio. It was noted that even previous regimes weren't too keen on getting El Patron back as he was sometimes challenging to work with behind the scenes.
The Hispanic star revealed in a recent interview that while he wasn't in touch with WWE officials, he had spoken to former executive John Laurinaitis about securing another contract with the organization. Fightful clarified that even Laurinaitis hadn't proposed the idea of booking Del Rio. The situation was seen as more of Alberto trying to gauge interest for himself, hoping he could negotiate another big deal.
Those who need to be on board for Del Rio's return have never shown any inclination toward working with him, even before his last WWE run. A potential Royal Rumble surprise entry was also brought up, and a tenured person noted that nothing of such nature had been pitched backstage.
As things stand, the 45-year-old veteran might never get to step inside a WWE ring again.
#2. Potential backstage news on Edge's status
Edge was last seen in action at Extreme Rules in October, where he lost to Finn Balor in an epic 'I Quit' Match.
While the 11-time world champion has played a pivotal role in Judgment Day's rise on RAW, Edge has not appeared on TV consistently since splitting up from the group. Fightful released an update on the veteran's status and noted that he hasn't appeared as much because of his limited-dates contract.
It was initially believed that Edge had signed a three-year deal, amounting to 25 on-screen appearances and five matches per year. However, the terms of the contract might have changed along the way as the veteran wrestled in ten bouts last year. He has already competed six times in 2022.
It was stated that the production team aired several vignettes during the summer "to buy time" before his return for his matches against Damian Priest and Finn Balor.
Fightful sadly had no information on the number of matches and appearances left on Edge's deal. However, based on the original reports from 2020, his contract would ideally end soon if it hadn't been frozen due to injury.
The 49-year-old is expected to reappear on Monday Night RAW before Royal Rumble to set the stage for a massive match with Balor. You can read more on that right here.
#3. Bronson Reed was a high-priority signing for Triple H
As seen on the latest episode of RAW, Bronson Reed made an unannounced comeback to help The Miz defeat Dexter Lumis in a high-stakes match.
The former NXT North American Champion was released from WWE in August 2021, and talks about his return began doing the rounds soon after Triple H came to power on the main roster.
Andrew Zarian broke the story about WWE sending out feelers to the 34-year-old star in August, but both parties hadn't signed a deal back then. Fightful Select reported this week that while NJPW wished to retain Reed, the star was said to be a 'priority hire' for Triple H, and it didn't take long for his team to get the job done.
The man known as JONAH put together an impressive resume of matches during his time in NJPW and IMPACT Wrestling, where he was positively received by the roster. Bronson even put over wrestlers on his way out and, interestingly, hadn't wrestled over the past couple of months while waiting for his return date.
However, Reed actively put out teasers regarding Wrestle Kingdom to "throw the audience off his trail."
It was revealed that the heavyweight star had signed a full-time contract with WWE, which won't allow him to continue his run in Japan, even though that can be agreed upon in the future.
Bronson Reed is in Triple H's good books, which could only result in great things in his long-term future as he looks to make the most of his second opportunity in WWE.