Backstage WWE Rumors on Gunther vs. John Cena, Royal Rumble and More

The result from Saturday Night's Main Event continues to reverberate throughout WWE, with fans still in disbelief that John Cena tapped out to Gunther in his last match.

The reaction to that contest and how it struck the company leads this collection of backstage rumors from the industry's top insiders.

It's not the only topic of discussion this week, though, with focus on the upcoming Royal Rumble, a flubbed finish, and the reaction to the performances of NXT's top breakout stars on network TV also making headlines.

WWE Surprised By Reaction to John Cena vs. Gunther

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Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE was "blindsided" by the negative reaction to John Cena tapping out to Gunther in the headline match at Saturday Night's Main Event.

If that is the case, those surprised individuals did not read the room in the build to the show. The support for Cena was overwhelming. Fans desperately wanted the biggest superhero WWE has produced over the last two decades to leave with his arm raised in victory.

The company, which repeatedly touts how important it is to listen to the audience, failed to do so and the result was the loud, negative reactions inside the Capital One Arena and across the WWE Universe.

Regardless of whether one believes the finish of the match was the right call, the suggestion that any one of the higher-ups in WWE were blindsided by the reaction would indicate an ignorance or obliviousness that only makes them look bad.

WWE Happy with NXT Performances at SNME

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While all of the attention at Saturday Night's Main Event was on Cena's loss to Gunther, Meltzer also reported officials within WWE were very impressed with the performances from TNA X-Division champion Leon Slater, Je'Von Evans, Sol Ruca, and NXT champion Oba Femi, all of whom the company sees as stars of the future.

Femi lost to undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes via disqualification when Drew McIntyre interfered, but he stood tall alongside The American Nightmare by the end of their segment.

Ruca upset Bayley, while Slater and Evans took world tag team champions AJ Styles and Dragon Lee to the limit in a competitive non-title bout.

On a night when Cena fought for the NXT talent to get the exposure they did, the chosen names left a positive impression on fans and management, proving there is plenty of reason to be excited about the future of WWE.

Royal Rumble Plans

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Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the Royal Rumble is currently planned to be a four-match card, with the same-titled men's and women's bouts and two championship contests.

He added that the title matches "are not finalized even though it's just under two months away."

It would appear Rhodes and McIntyre are on a collision course for a championship bout, with the Rumble as good a time as any for their encounter. If that is the case, the focus turns to the other matchup.

Last year, Motor City Machine Guns and DIY battled for the WWE tag team titles at the event. Could The Wyatt Sicks defend against the MFTs on January 31 in Saudi Arabia?

Latest on Unplanned NXT Title Change

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Thea Hail defeated Blake Monroe Tuesday night to win the NXT North American Championship, an outcome that was not planned.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com provided some insight into what happened with the finish:

"Based on those we have spoken with, Monroe had the wind knocked out of her when Hail came off the ropes and tried to recover to get her shoulder up, but wasn't able to do it in time. Since Hail is so young, we are told she likely didn't realize she needed to give Blake a moment to catch her wind and went right for the pin.

"Since referees are instructed to call pinfalls as if they are legitimate, the referee had no choice but to count the three-count."

It is not the first time in WWE history that a championship has changed hands in unplanned fashion, with Razor Ramon, Mickie James and Kevin Owens all winning unexpected gold over the years.

However, the finish threw weeks of planned creative into disarray and left producers scrambling to reshoot backstage vignettes to align with the finish.

It remains to be seen when the two competitors will meet again but with New Year's Evil upcoming on January 6, it seems like the perfect time for Monroe to regain a title she was never slated to lose.