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WWE Rumors: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar; Roderick Strong Contract; Maryse's Future
December 7, 2021
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
WWE Reportedly Planning Series of Reigns vs. Lesnar Matches
WWE reportedly has long-term plans for the rivalry between Universal champion Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.
According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), WWE is planning to have a "series" of Reigns vs. Lesnar matches.
Reigns is set to defend the Universal title against Lesnar at the Day 1 pay-per-view on Jan. 1, which will mark the second match of the series, as they previously clashed at Crown Jewel in October.
While Reigns and Lesnar have faced each other many times in the past, there is more meat on the bone now than ever because of the role Paul Heyman is playing in their rivalry.
Heyman was the longtime advocate for Lesnar, but when Lesnar left WWE for over a year after WrestleMania 36, he aligned himself with Reigns and helped The Tribal Chief become the best version of himself.
Despite Heyman's recent loyalty to Reigns, there have been questions regarding whether he may still be working with Lesnar as well.
Those whispers grew louder at Crown Jewel when Heyman threw the Universal title belt into the ring. While Reigns used it and won the match, Heyman threw it in between Reigns and Lesnar, so it wasn't clear who he was trying to help.
After Day 1, there will be plenty more big-match opportunities for Reigns and Lesnar, including the Royal Rumble in late January and WrestleMania 38 in April.
Reigns and Lesnar are WWE's two biggest stars, so it would make sense for the company to get as much mileage as possible out of their feud.
Strong Reportedly Re-Signed with WWE Recently
While WWE has made multiple releases and seen NXT contracts expire in recent months, Cruiserweight champion Roderick Strong appears locked in for the foreseeable future.
According to Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, Strong re-signed with WWE earlier this year, which suggests he will continue to be an important part of NXT, although terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Strong may soon be the only former member of Undisputed Era left with WWE, as Adam Cole signed with AEW after his WWE contract expired over the summer, and Bobby Fish signed with AEW following his release.
Kyle O'Reilly's final night with WWE could be Tuesday, as his contract is reportedly set to expire this week. The same is reportedly true for Johnny Gargano.
O'Reilly and Von Wagner challenged for the NXT Tag Team Championships at NXT WarGames on Sunday, losing to Imperium. Wagner turned on O' Reilly afterward, but O'Reilly got the better of him.
On Tuesday, O'Reilly and Wagner will face off in a steel cage match, and it could be O'Reilly's swan song, especially if he puts Wagner over.
There has been plenty of speculation about O'Reilly joining Cole and Fish in AEW to re-form Undisputed Era. Strong was also part of the group, but going to AEW won't be in the cards for him in the near future unless he is released.
Strong is in a good spot in NXT, though, as he is the leader of the Diamond Mine stable, which is helping develop up-and-coming stars The Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile.
Strong beat Joe Gacy to retain the Cruiserweight title at WarGames, suggesting the NXT decision-makers view Strong as an important piece despite the fact that he is one of the oldest Superstars in the developmental brand.
Maryse to Reportedly Appear Regularly for WWE
Maryse's return to WWE on last week's episode of Raw reportedly wasn't a one-time deal.
According to PWInsider (h/t Middleton), Maryse is "officially" back on the Raw roster and will be making regular appearances alongside The Miz.
Miz and Maryse made their surprise returns last week by interrupting a promo by Edge. Miz had been away for a few months while appearing on Dancing with the Stars, while Maryse has not been a regular performer since managing Miz from 2016 to 2018.
Maryse has made some sporadic appearances since then, but it appears as though she is set to reprise a role similar to what she did previously while helping Miz contend for and win the Intercontinental Championship.
The former Divas champion was not present for Monday night's Raw, however, as Edge was a guest on Miz TV, and the two Superstars engaged in another war of words.
There has been speculation regarding Edge's wife and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix getting involved with the storyline since Maryse is by her husband's side.
That speculation grew when Phoenix announced her departure from the NXT announce team and called her final show for NXT on Sunday in the form of WarGames.
It remains unclear if Phoenix will show up and push Maryse into a wrestling role, but for now, Miz vs. Edge in a singles match is scheduled for the Day 1 pay-per-view on Jan. 1.
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