WWE Rumors: Examining Latest Buzz Around Sting, Chris Jericho and More

Sting and Chris Jericho, a pair of Superstars who didn't appear at Monday's Raw or garner more than a passing mention during the show, headline the latest batch of WWE rumors.

Sting's condition after battling Seth Rollins at Night of Champions is the biggest story to come out of that pay-per-view. WWE is being vague about what's wrong with The Vigilante, so fans have to turn elsewhere for updates.

As for Jericho, one report made it seem like his Night of Champions appearance was a one-and-done deal.

Other rumblings focus on what WWE has in mind for Hell in a Cell and the company's reported stance on communication with the exiled Hulk Hogan. Did Monday's Raw tease a title bout for the upcoming PPV? Is Sting in danger of having his loss to Rollins be his last match?

The following is a look at what the rumors currently floating around the Internet tell us about those questions.

Chris Jericho Not Around?

Jericho's alliance with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose ended in frustration on Sunday night. After emerging as the mystery partner in a six-man bout, Jericho bickered with his teammates.

That seemed to be pointing toward a heel turn and some sort of angle involving Reigns and Ambrose. Instead, Jericho didn't turn up on Monday's Raw.

Y2J may have just been around for a one-match appearance. PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported, "I was told he was only scheduled for the Night of Champions PPV."

It's odd then that WWE would tease that something was in the works for Jericho. Perhaps it will come later, but it wouldn't be a shocker if Jericho was indeed out of the picture for now.

He has come and gone more frequently of late, including a short tour as part of the house show circuit earlier this year. If he doesn't show up on the next Raw or two, start planning on having to wait until WrestleMania season to see him compete again.

More Hulk Hogan Drama

The Hogan story refuses to die down for any significant stretch of time. 

After going on a recent media tour to discuss his leaked controversial remarks (link contains censored NSFW language), Hogan made the WWE news cycle again in a far different way. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestle Zone) reported that WWE has asked current talent and those in good standing with the company to stop communicating with Hogan.

WWE appears to truly be going all-out to distance itself from The Hulkster.

Nixing him from WWE.com, the WWE 2K16 video game and ending his contract with them was reportedly not enough. WWE surely doesn't want its current stars being buddy-buddy with Hogan in public right now, but this latest move is excessive.

That should change, though, over time. The situation is still fresh and Hogan continues to bring it to the public's attention by speaking out about it.

When this controversy starts to become more of a distant memory, WWE is likely to start loosening its stance on Hogan.

Backstage Word on Hell in a Cell

At Night of Champions, WWE let fans know that Undertaker and Brock Lesnar will battle inside a Hell in a Cell at the next PPV.

If you expected that showdown to happen at WrestleMania instead, you were almost right. According to Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Wrestle Zone), the original plan was to have Lesnar and Undertaker face off at WrestleMania 32.

It's smart of WWE to change its mind here. Waiting until WrestleMania to close this trilogy would make it hard to sustain the bout's momentum. Choosing Hell in a Cell instead makes that show feel like a marquee event, something that is true about WrestleMania with or without this match.

And after Paige ruined Charlotte's championship celebration on Monday's Raw, it looks as if The Anti-Diva would be moving into a contender spot soon rather than remain the champ's ally.

A recent report confirms those suspicions. Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Wrestling Inc) also noted that Paige vs. Charlotte is currently slated for the PPV.

That is expected after Monday night, although one could imagine WWE adding Nikki Bella and making it a Triple Threat match. Nikki is owed a rematch. There are five weeks until the PPV, so she may get it on Raw before Hell in a Cell arrives.

Sting Injury Buzz

Sting is hurt. That much we know for sure. The severity of the injury is unclear.

WWE announced on its official website that Sting "sustained an injury" at Night of Champions. There was no mention of what kind of injury nor any other details.

TMZ reported, "Sting is recovering at home Monday, after sustaining a serious neck injury...so serious doctors are not able to give a long-term prognosis."

In his Monday update on F4WOnline, Dave Meltzer confirmed that it was The Vigilante's neck that was the issue. He wrote that Sting suffered a "significant neck injury."  

Credit: WWE.com

Meltzer also mentioned, "The finish they did was the planned finish, although they immediately went to it when Sting basically insisted on finishing the match. 

Sting's manager, Steve Martinez, posted on Sting's Facebook page that while doctors would continue to evaluate him, "We are optimistic he will have a speedy recovery and return to full health soon."

There is a lot of speculation among fans that Sting's career is over, but there's no reason to buy into that yet. He certainly seemed to have a hell of a scare in Houston, but there is not yet enough information to count on him being done.

WWE has made a habit of not being forthcoming with injury details lately, so to find out what the doctors have to say about Sting's neck and how his recovery is going, one is going to have to lean on the next round of rumors for now.