Rollins Talks Retirement, Lynch's Return Plans; WWE Rumors on Bronson Reed's Injury
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Rollins Sets Potential Retirement Timeline
Seth Rollins is still at the top of his game, but that doesn't mean he isn't thinking about his future and eventual retirement from in-ring competition.
During an appearance Tuesday on WFAN (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Rollins was asked about retirement, and he mentioned 45 as the age he could see himself stepping away, saying: "I'll be 39 in May. You know, 45 maybe really sounds alright to me, I think. It's kind of going to depend on what I do in the next few years as far as outside of WWE or behind the scenes in WWE."
Rollins signed with WWE back in 2010 after a hugely successful run in ROH, and he has been a major player on the main roster since 2012 when he debuted as part of The Shield.
While Rollins has dealt with some injuries in recent years, including a knee ailment that hampered him at WrestleMania 40 and caused him to miss a couple of months coming out of it, he is still one of the best in-ring performers in WWE and all of wrestling.
That was on full display once again on Monday night when he defeated CM Punk in a highly entertaining steel cage match that saw Roman Reigns make his return.
Given his understanding of telling in-ring stories, it should perhaps come as little surprise that Rollins suggested on WFAN that he has some interest in doing some backstage work creatively once he retires, saying:
“I think I’m more behind-the-scenes guy when it’s time for me to finish up. Like I’d like to be on the other side of it. I don’t want to be like a character in front of it anymore. Once I’m done in the ring, like let me go back, let me help, you know, the business. Let me help the young guys and girls, let me do something like that… Yeah, maybe something in the creative department. We’ll see.”
Of course, retirement isn't yet on the horizon for Rollins if he adheres to the plan for retiring at 45, as that is still about six years away.
There is still plenty Rollins can accomplish between now and then, and his primary focus is likely on WrestleMania 41, as WWE appears to be setting the stage for a Triple Threat between Rollins, Punk and Reigns.
Rollins Comments on Lynch's Status, WWE Future
Although he remained coy about her plans, Seth Rollins made it clear this week that Becky Lynch is far from done in the world of pro wrestling.
During an appearance on WFAN (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), Rollins said the following about his wife's future in WWE and wrestling as a whole:
“She took a few months off. She did some television projects, and so she’s gearing up to get ready to come back. Don’t know when that’s going to happen just yet, but I mean, she is active, yes. I will not say she is retired. She’s not mentioned anything about retirement. There are future plans for her in professional wrestling.”
After losing to Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 40, there were whispers that Lynch would take time off or allow her WWE contract to expire, but she stuck around for a bit longer due to Ripley getting injured, and she won the Women's World Championship.
However, Becky dropped the title to Liv Morgan at King and Queen of the Ring back in May, and after losing a rematch to Morgan two days later, Lynch was gone.
Fightful Select (h/t Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats) reported that Lynch's contract expired on June 1, making her a free agent, but Fightful (h/t SI.com's Zack Heydorn) followed up with a report in January that Lynch had indeed re-signed with the company.
That led to speculation that the seven-time women's champion would make her return as a surprise entrant in the women's Royal Rumble match, but that didn't come to fruition.
Now that WrestleMania 41 is just over one month away, there is seemingly a good chance that The Man won't be factored into WrestleMania plans.
That gives WWE a big-time ace in the hole, though, since it has the ability to save Lynch as a surprise for a WrestleMania appearance or a return on the post-WrestleMania episode of Raw.
Regardless of when she comes back, it seems as though a return to WWE is a foregone conclusion for Lynch, and she will undoubtedly receive a massive reaction when the time comes.
Update on Bronson Reed's Injury Recovery
About three and a half months after suffering foot and ankle injuries at Survivor Series, Bronson Reed reportedly had his recovery assessed this week.
According to PWInsider.com (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Reed was spotted in Birmingham, Alabama, this week, which is where WWE Superstars often undergo surgery after getting injured.
PWInsider.com noted that Reed was likely in Birmingham for a progress check on how his recovery is coming along.
Reed announced he underwent surgery in December, and he later provided some details on his injury.
In a post on X, Reed wrote that he broke the talus bone in his ankle joint, which required surgical repair with screws and the removal of bone marrow from his hip to be put in his foot.
Reed also noted at the time that he would have to miss WrestleMania 41 as a result of the injury.
The injury occurred during a WarGames match, which saw Reed team with the new Bloodline against Roman Reigns and his original Bloodline.
Reed landed awkwardly when attempting to hit a big splash through the table, which caused his talus bone to break.
It remains unclear exactly when Reed will be able to return, but back in December, WrestleVotes reported on Backstage Pass (h/t Mukherjee) that WWE and Reed were targeting May or June.
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