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

The latest round of WWE rumors points to the future, one where Cesaro gets a shot against a marquee name and Daniel Bryan is wrestling on a pay-per-view rather than being interviewed on it.

A recent backstage report has good news for Cesaro fans. Word is that WWE has something major on the horizon in mind for him. As for Bryan, an update about when he's expected to be healthy enough to compete suggests that his fanbase is going to have to be patient.

Other WWE rumors center around the recently unemployed Ricardo Rodriguez and info regarding Brie Bella and her show-closing segment on the July 28 edition of Raw.

We begin with Alberto Del Rio's ring announcer, whom WWE released last week, as the company announced on its website.

Backstage Word on Ricardo Rodriguez

Seeing Rodriguez fall victim to the latest set of budget cuts wasn't surprising. He rarely appeared on TV anymore.

Parting ways with Del Rio left him in limbo.

It appears that Rodriguez wanted to be more active in the ring but never got the chance. According to F4WOnline in its subscribers-only section (h/t Marc Middleton of WrestlingInc), Rodriguez had been frustrated about not being used as a wrestler more.

Rodriguez competed in a handful of comedy matches as his ring announcer character and appeared for NXT a few times using the El Local persona. He just wasn't compelling enough in the ring to do much more than that.

Instead, he seemed born to play Del Rio's lackey, a role he thrived at.

The above report, though, mentions that he wasn't even WWE's first choice for that job. The original person the company had in mind declined the offer and in walked Rodriguez and his R-rolling ability.

He reportedly desired a more active role at some point. He'll have to seek that out on the independent circuit now. 

No Blame for Brie Bella

Last week's Raw featured a collision between Stephanie McMahon and Brie that set up a SummerSlam match between the two. It was a bold departure from the norm, pitting two female stars against each other in the main event.

The move appears to have negatively affected Raw's TV rating. As James Caldwell reports for PWTorch.com, the show suffered a drop-off in ratings, going from 4.391 million viewers in the first hour to 4.051 million viewers in the last one.

That downward movement reportedly won't be pinned on Brie.

On a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Nick Paglino of WrestleZone), the subject of the drop in viewership from last week's Raw came up, and it was noted that Brie likely won't be blamed for it. The reasoning is that if Brie is going to endure blame, then so does McMahon, which isn't likely to happen.

It's hard to pin down why viewers strayed at that point in the show, but the three-hour format has to get some of the blame. Even big WWE fans can grow tired of watching all the filler and low-quality matches that allow the show to fill its time slot.

Damien Sandow wrestling in a spacesuit in a blink-of-an-eye match or Diego vs. Fandango ending by way of distraction could have compelled viewers to see what else was on TV.

One does have to consider that Brie and McMahon weren't right for the final segment of Raw as well. One rival is a non-wrestler prepping for her first match in over a decade. The other is one of the Diva division's least talented performers. 

WWE went in that same direction on this Monday's Raw. Brie and McMahon closed the show again.

When the ratings for that Raw come out, it will be clearer how fans are reacting to that storyline taking center stage. 

Daniel Bryan Timeline

There was a time early in Bryan's recovery process where there was a thought that he might be back to action in time for the Money in the Bank or SummerSlam pay-per-views.

The wait to see him will be much longer than that. It may perhaps stretch into next year.

F4WOnline reports (h/t WrestlingInc) that it's possible that Bryan will return to the ring by the 2015 Royal Rumble.

An optimist can see that news as a positive. After all, the word could have been that he wouldn't be back ever. Allowing Bryan another five months to heal is the right move if it betters his chances of avoiding future injury.

If that estimate turns out to be right, he will enter as one of the favorites to win the Rumble. Returning stars have often been the go-to choice as the winner of that bout.

As fans saw with John Cena, Triple H and Edge, the dramatic power of a Superstar fresh off a return winning the Rumble has been too good for WWE to pass up.

Regardless of whether Bryan follows their lead, it will be great to see him performing again. WWE is just not as fun without his frenetic energy between the ropes.

Plans for Cesaro

Cesaro is losing often these days.

Dolph Ziggler defeated him on Monday's Raw. Jack Swagger did the same on last Friday's SmackDown, and Cena bested him before that.

It may look like WWE has given up on Cesaro and is ready to push him down the card, but one report gives Cesaro's fans reason to look forward to the future.

According to F4WOnline (h/t PWMania), WWE still has something big in mind for Cesaro and Paul Heyman. That includes the possibility of a Cesaro vs. Brock Lesnar match at some point.

That seems like an unlikely scenario for the moment with the two men being in such different positions. Lesnar is set to main event SummerSlam, while The King of Swing has yet to be added to the card.

F4WOnline (h/t Mike Killam of WrestleZone) had reported earlier that WWE was intentionally keeping Cesaro on the back burner, delaying his babyface push until Roman Reigns had his time on top. If that is indeed the case, Cesaro will have a mighty reward for his patience waiting for him in the form of a match with Lesnar.

Going up against a star of that caliber is a career-changer.

WWE just has to hope that fans don't lose interest in Cesaro as he piles up losses in the meantime. The company will have some image repairing to do once it decides to set Lesnar vs. Cesaro in motion.