Backstage WWE Rumors: Latest on Seth Rollins, William Regal and More

Seth Rollins has appeared to be banged up in recent weeks, nursing what appears to be a knee injury.

How legitimate is it and does his knee⁠—the same one that was surgically repaired seven years ago⁠—threaten his ability to compete in the men's Royal Rumble match on January 28?

The latest on The Visionary's "injury" headlines this McMahon family-free collection of rumors, which also looks at the impending return of Chelsea Green, an update on William Regal's new title in WWE and what is expected to be a massive Raw 30 special broadcast.

Latest on Seth Rollins' Knee 'Injury'

Speculation over a knee injury for Seth Rollins ran wild following the January 2 episode of WWE Raw, when a post-show video seemed to show him in need of medical attention.

It was ramped up when the 36-year-old cryptically tweeted a three-word phrase that became his mantra during rehabilitation following his 2015 knee injury.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported that all of the spots surrounding Rollins' knee were part of the storyline of the match with Austin Theory for the United States Championship and The Visionary was never supposed to appear on the house shows he "missed" last weekend.

This is welcome news for WWE, which really cannot afford the loss of a star the magnitude of Rollins, especially after the recent news of AJ Styles' broken ankle. The Raw brand, in particular, is in need of as many main event-level names as possible and Rollins certainly is that.

In fact, it can be argued he is the lifeblood of the red brand and its top babyface. Without him, the struggle to fill three hours of television would be even more difficult and probably necessitate the return of Edge, Brock Lesnar or another major name to fill the void.

Fortunately, that is not necessary and Rollins should continue to run atop the brand as its face and centerpiece for the foreseeable future. That also bodes well for Theory, who will only grow and evolve as a performer by working with The Visionary.

William Regal's Official WWE Title

William Regal is officially back in WWE and, thanks to Johnson, we now know his official title: Vice President, Global Talent Development.

Prior to his departure from the company, Regal was instrumental in scouting talent and bringing top independent stars to NXT. He was a significant part of evaluating the men and women who would go on to help the black-and-gold brand become the hottest in wrestling and, in some ways, lay the foundation for what All Elite Wrestling would become.

The new title would suggest his efforts will not be contained to NXT and he will cover WWE as a whole. If true, he would be instrumental in shaping the future of the main roster as well, recruiting stars to appear on Raw and SmackDown and perhaps bypassing the developmental system.

It makes sense that Triple H would bring Regal back into the WWE fold, considering the Brit is a known mentor of his from their days together in WCW and the success they had together with NXT.

Time will tell if they have similar success moving forward, but this was a key signing for Triple H and possibly his most important.

Update on Chelsea Green's WWE Return

Chelsea Green has been in the headlines for her reported return to WWE, and Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select provided an update this week.

He wrote: "Although she hasn't popped back up in WWE as of yet, Fightful is told that not only is Chelsea Green signed to WWE, she has been for quite some time and is still awaiting creative."

Sapp also reported that the 31-year-old has not confirmed her return personally, but that's expected in hopes of protecting the surprise of the return.

Green is a talented in-ring worker and perhaps even better as a character. Her work in Impact Wrestling, in particular, has proved that. Where she will fit in a women's division brimming with talent remains to be seen, but she can deliver in a number of roles and characters.

She will benefit the company as long as Triple H and the rest of WWE Creative can carve out a role for her. Until that happens, keeping her on the sidelines and avoiding a lackluster return is probably for the best.

Raw 30 To Be a Major WWE Show

Johnson wrapped up a busy week by noting Raw 30 will be a special show, broadcast live from Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center and featuring some of the Superstars who have been prominent names during the three-decade history of the flagship show.

He reported that Sean "X-Pac" Waltman, Kane, Ric Flair and Kurt Angle will all be appearing at the event.

It is appropriate that WWE would reach out to legends of the past to make an appearance on a night that will pay homage to the longest-running episodic TV show in history. The company will likely recruit even more stars from its past to appear.

Don't rule out The Undertaker, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin or even Triple H himself from appearing given their influence on the red brand over the years.