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

Injuries, of both the real-life and storyline variety, led to the two biggest WWE rumors of the week as fans hold their breath about Daniel Bryan and perhaps wish Paige adieu for the moment.

A backstage update on what's going on with Bryan's health will deflate his fans. As for Paige, she was "hurt" on Monday's Raw but likely only to do some film work with The Miz.

Other stories floating around the Internet have to do with potential changes coming to the Hall of Fame and WWE's plans for Fandango. We begin, though, with the No. 1 contender to the Divas Championship. Her non-WWE schedule may pull her out of her upcoming clash with Nikki Bella.

Paige's Title Match Off? 

Claiming victory in a Battle Royal on Monday's Raw in her home country gave Paige the right to challenge Nikki at Extreme Rules. Naomi cut her celebration short, though. She attacked Paige and left her injured.

WWE announced on its website that Paige suffered internal injuries and that "doctors have advised her not to compete until further notice." 

In today's world, however, the company can tell a story like that, but fans will see through it. As Paige told us on YouTube at the beginning of the month, she is set to star in Santa's Little Helper with The Miz:

That has fans wondering if Naomi's attack was meant to write Paige off TV so she can work on the film. One report suggests that the company has another contender in mind.

According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc), WWE has been planning for Naomi to earn the title shot. 

Going with Paige as the winner on Monday night allowed WWE to play to the London crowd, possibly explain why Paige would be away and serve as the impetus for Naomi's heel turn. It makes a lot of sense to go with that plan then, as it would accomplish so much all at once.

Changes to Hall of Fame Coming?

The 2016 Hall of Fame class may not be as overflowing with stars as recent classes have been. WWE could be cutting down its groups of inductees.

PWInsider's Mike Johnson reports, "There's been talk of doing a smaller Hall of Fame class next year in order to keep the event shorter.  As we noted a few weeks ago here on PWInsider.com, WWE officials felt this year's event ran far too long and wasn't entertaining enough for the fans in attendance."

The event was fine from an entertainment perspective. Not all the classes will have speeches as memorable as the ones Jake Roberts and Ultimate Warrior delivered last year.

Even so, trimming down the classes is smart. It helps spread the talent around and makes the honor of getting in more prestigious. 

And WWE has the benefit of making up its own rules for the Hall of Fame. There are no time constraints to when honorees can be welcomed in, and there are no rules about how many folks go in at a time.

Fandango Classic

Fandango is set for another change.

The ballroom dancer appeared at last year's Survivor Series with darker attire, a Latin song in the background and Rosa Mendes at his side. On Monday's Raw, he appeared to ditch all of those new elements of his gimmick.

That's reportedly a precursor to an even bigger change.

According to Johnson, "At least as of now, what happened on Raw was designed to be a Fandango babyface turn and the end of his alliance with Rosa Mendes."

As sudden and unexpected as the move is, it sure looks like that's the direction WWE is heading. The dancer has already begun to have a different attitude toward his fans:

Fandango has struggled to catch on as a heel. A face turn feels like another desperate attempt to rejuvenate him. Heel or face, he has to hope for an angle that blossoms out of nowhere as Damien Mizdow's run as The Miz's stunt double did.

Daniel Bryan Health Update

Worry is about to beset the Bryan fanbase. After a return to action a few months ago and nabbing the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania, bad news is emerging about the bearded warrior.

According to F4WOnline (h/t Wrestling Inc), Bryan is reportedly not doing well from a health standpoint. He is suffering from lingering issues associated with his injuries from last year. The report also adds that this is why WWE has kept Bryan in six-man tag action or offscreen over the past few weeks.

That's disheartening. It appeared that Bryan was back to his normal self. It was time to enjoy his in-ring mastery once again.

Now one has to wonder if Bryan's career is in trouble. Neck issues forced both Steve Austin and Edge out of the ring. It's too early to start writing Bryan's career obituary, but the fact that these injuries haven't cleared up is concerning.

This is a story to keep a close eye on.

Perhaps WWE is just being overly cautious here. It's not as if he's been inactive lately. He's been busy during the European tour albeit in six-man matches.

Here's hoping that he has a full recovery and that we can start referring to his injuries in the past tense.