WWE Rumors: Examining Latest Buzz Around Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan and More

A swirl of reports on Dolph Ziggler's status with WWE is enough to leave a fan suffering from vertigo. 

Whether or not The Showoff has signed a new deal with the company has been at the center of the WWE rumor mill this week. And if thoughts of Ziggler's possible departure weren't enough to bring fans down, the latest word on Daniel Bryan's health is far from uplifting.

WWE itself hasn't been generous with information about his injury. That makes rumors and backstage reports the central sources for updates.

Other rumors discuss what's ahead for Natalya and reported frustration with one of the company's writers. Digging into those and what's up with Ziggler's future, the following is a look at the latest batch of WWE rumors.

Natalya Update

With her husband recovering from neck surgery, it's no surprise that Natalya didn't compete on Monday's Raw. 

F4WOnline reported that she was in Washington, D.C., and originally booked for the show, but ended up only doing the "Be a Star" rally. According to F4WOnline, "The plan was for her to take some time off while husband Tyson Kidd starts his recovery from neck surgery, but she is on call for television if needed."

WWE doesn't use a ton of its female wrestlers at one time anyway, so it should be easy for Natalya to stay at Kidd's side in this early part of his recovery process.

It's hard to imagine her not getting restless in a hurry. She seems like the kind of person who wants to get in the ring as much as possible.

It is good to hear that WWE is giving her time off at this critical point, though.

Backstage News on Bryan's Health

Bryan is hurt. That's as much as he or WWE has been willing to tell us. 

There's no recovery timetable or official confirmation on the type of injury that has kept him out of action for the last two months. One outlet, however, offered a glimpse backstage into the situation.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc ) following a match with Sheamus after WrestleMania 31, Bryan has been suffering from concussion symptoms. The report also noted that WWE has wanted to keep the nature of the injury quiet due to recent concussion lawsuits filed against the company.

The lawsuits have been coming in at a steady clip of late. The family of Doink the Clown is the latest to pursue legal action against WWE over head injuries, as reported by Mike Johnson of PWInsider.

Still, it's an ill-advised move. The fact that WWE has kept Bryan out of the ring all this time should be used as an example of how it is addressing the issue contrary to the language of these lawsuits. Besides, WWE could also point to the concussion Bryan suffered before joining the company.

Either way, it's disheartening to hear that it's such a serious issue holding Bryan back. As we saw not long ago with Corey Graves, concussions can cut a career short. Here's hoping that Bryan makes a full recovery, whether or not it's a head issue that's hampering him at the moment.

Rumored Writer Frustration

Fans are reportedly not the only ones upset with how WWE's storylines unfold. The inconsistencies from WWE Creative are apparently irking at least one of the folks who make up that group.

The latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Ringside News) claimed that a member of the WWE writing team is flustered by how the company books its shows. Specifics include not giving wrestlers consistent wins and WWE's writing itself into corners.

That's not a surprise at all. The WWE story-developing process is a uniquely challenging one. Not only do characters get injured and lobby for better positions, but Vince McMahon has the last say and can make drastic changes to any ongoing narrative if he so chooses.

Credit: WWE.com

Examples of odd booking choices include making King Barrett a perennial loser even after winning the King of the Ring tournament and the constant heel-face changeover within the women's division. As a fan, it's comforting in a way to know that even someone involved in the process isn't happy with issues like that.

Ziggler Clears Up Contract Rumors

Is Ziggler hanging it up? Is he heading to TNA? Is he a WWE lifer?

It's been hard to answer those questions with the flurry of information that has come out about the situation. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestle Zone) reported recently that Ziggler has entertained the possibility of leaving WWE after his contract is up.

In addition, the report noted that Lucha Underground, New Japan Pro Wrestling and TNA were said to be interested in The Showoff if he didn't re-sign.

Ziggler even had fun with fans on Twitter about the rumors:

But then he scrawled his name on a new contract, or so it seemed. Gayle Fee of the Boston Herald announced that Ziggler "reportedly has decided to re-sign with the wrestling conglomerate." PWInsider also reported (h/t Wrestling Inc) that Ziggler had closed a deal.

Ziggler even said, via the Boston Herald, "I mean, it feels like I started here, I should end my career in the WWE."

It's not time to start dreaming up fantasy WrestleMania matches for Ziggler, though. The situation looks to be unresolved.

In an interview on the Chad Dukes Wrestling Show, Ziggler said, "I had a request for an upcoming contract that would end a few months from now, maybe two or three months from now, and they requested back what they would like, I countered another offer and we're waiting to finalize some things."

That confirms a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t PWMania.com) that Ziggler had been telling his friends that he had yet to sign a new deal.

It's a story that seemed complete but needs one last chapter: the moment where he either signs a new deal or tries his luck with another company. As great as it's been to have him as part of WWE, it's more intriguing from a fan standpoint if he wrestles for someone else.

Instead of being involved in a trite love-triangle story, as he is now, he could be slugging it out with Shinsuke Nakamura in a main event matchup.