WWE Rumors: Examining Latest Buzz Around Sting, Jushin Liger and More

Both Sting and Jushin Liger's arrivals are at the center of the WWE rumor mill following Battleground.

For Sting, the headlines address whether he's coming back to the ring and what WWE reportedly has planned for him if he does. And so fans now wait to see if recent reports are all smoke and no fire, or if The Icon is truly aligning himself with two of the top young talents on the roster.

Liger is for sure making his way to WWE for an NXT event. The rumors involving him don't deal with whether he's competing but with the effect his NXT bout will have on the relationship between wrestling companies. 

Other rumors discuss what WWE officials have in mind for the Divas division and why we have seen so many bumps on the ring apron as of late.

Backstage Word on Changes in Divas Division

Sasha Banks and company reportedly have powerful voices in their corner.

The NXT women's champ, along with Becky Lynch and Charlotte, stormed onto Raw last week. Their arrival was apparently something that was cooking for some time.

According to PWInsider (h/t PWMania.com), Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are big supporters of the current "Divas revolution" storyline. There have reportedly been big plans for the women's division in the works for a while. The report also notes that there was disagreement about who should win at Battleground, with some pushing for Brie Bella to get the nod.

Charlotte ended up winning, followed by Banks getting a win on Monday night. As of now, it looks as if WWE is actually serious about a revolution within the women's division.

This recent report only backs that up. It points to this storyline not being just part of a whim. With Triple H and McMahon behind them, the women of WWE are set to see more open doors ahead of them.

Backstage News on Jushin Liger's Upcoming Appearance

Liger heading to NXT is rumored to be creating developments behind the curtains. The Japanese legend is set to face Tyler Breeze at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, but the offscreen battle may be a bigger deal than what happens between those two men.

F4WOnline (h/t Wrestle Zone) reports that the move is controversial because of New Japan Pro Wrestling's relationship with Ring of Honor. The report also notes that NXT and ROH are making big behind-the-scenes moves to further their own relationship.

NXT has already established itself as a sort of super indy company. It features ROH, Combat Zone Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla alumni. Its presentation is more streamlined and small-scale than WWE proper as well.

It's not surprising at all then that WWE would want to work with ROH. A talent exchange of some sort would be beneficial for both sides. This is a story to keep an eye on as it progresses.

For now, though, the rumored discussion isn't worth getting too excited about.

Apron Bumps

Again and again, wrestlers used the ring apron at Battleground to knock the air out of their opponents. Moves one would imagine WWE would categorize as too dangerous came often that night.

Credit: WWE.com

The increase in moves on the hardest part of the ring is reportedly a result of an edict from above.

Dave Meltzer mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t PWMania.com) that WWE officials are having wrestlers take bumps on the ring apron. He notes that the idea is related to Ring of Honor.

It's odd that WWE would direct its talent to take these harder bumps, given how much it has cut down on move sets in the past. As cool as these collisions with the edge of the ring look, one would think WWE would be too concerned about injuries to feature them much.

The visual evidence was plentiful at Battleground, though. Everyone from Big E to Bray Wyatt used the ring apron to hurt their foes.

It's also hard to believe that WWE cares that much about what's happening with ROH. It's not like with ECW where the company was producing a revolutionary product and WWE simply had to borrow from it to stay relevant. 

Keep an eye on how many spines rattle against the ring apron in the coming weeks. That will say a lot about how true this rumor is.

Sting on His Way Back?

Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns could soon have some famous backup. Sting is said to be on his way back to the WWE screen before SummerSlam.

Before Battleground, Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Wrestling Inc) that Luke Harper and Sting were both set to get involved in the feud between Bray Wyatt and Reigns.

Of course, the Harper part came true at Battleground. Sting entering the fray is a less safe bet.

According to an update from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestle Zone), WWE wants to make Sting's return a major surprise, so it will likely save that moment for closer to SummerSlam.

With WWE's window to do something with Sting beyond his WrestleMania match against Triple H closing, it makes sense for the company to think of ways to plug him into SummerSlam. And a tag team match helps mask his weaknesses while still using his name power.

The one sticking point is that Sting, Reigns and Ambrose would need a third foe. Erick Rowan's biceps injury has him unavailable, and there's no obvious choice for a new Wyatt Family member. 

Regardless, fans are going to spend every Raw between now and SummerSlam waiting to hear the caws of crows and for Sting to bring his trusty baseball bat into this battle.