WWE Rumors: Examining Latest Buzz Around Lana, Sheamus and More

The latest WWE rumors point to a dichotomy between how the company perceives Lana and Sheamus.

The Ravishing Russian is reportedly in major trouble with WWE officials. She's apparently been digging herself a hole with recent social media posts. Sheamus, however, is rumored to be champion for the rest of the year.

Lana resides in the doghouse; Sheamus is set to sit pretty in the spotlight.

In other stories floating around the Internet, Solomon Crowe is reportedly headed elsewhere, and Seth Rollins' absence led to a surprising reaction. How much of this should fans buy? What do these rumors mean for what's ahead? 

Let's dive in and answer those questions, one report at a time.

Backstage Word on Sheamus' WWE Title Reign

If you didn't see Sheamus' Money in the Bank cash-in coming, you weren't alone. WWE itself almost didn't either.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted (h/t Wrestling Inc) that WWE made the decision to go with Sheamus winning the world title just hours before Survivor Series. He also mentioned that WWE doesn't want Roman Reigns to still be receiving boos as champion and that Sheamus is expected to stay champion until the Royal Rumble.

That matches up with what went down on Monday's Raw. In a clear attempt to create sympathy for Reigns, WWE had The Authority gang up on him, beating him down in the opening segment.

And with Reigns vs. Sheamus set to be a TLC match at the upcoming pay-per-view of the same name, the door is wide open for The Authority to screw the babyface over again. 

The part about the company deciding how to end a major PPV on the day of the event isn't surprising. This is not a new phenomenon. With last-minute planning like that, WWE assures itself of poor storytelling. 

Solomon Crowe Gone?

NXT is short one wild man with a penchant for thunderous strikes. Crowe is reportedly no longer with the company.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider wrote, "The story making the rounds is that Crowe requested and received his WWE release yesterday. We don't know more than that at this time."

WWE has yet to officially announce this. As of this writing, there is no mention of Crowe's exit on his Twitter account.

But while fans wait to hear WWE or Crowe confirm this, they won't have any issues believing the rumor. 

Crowe rarely wrestled on TV. Apollo Crews and others passed him by on the NXT ladder as he failed to get a significant push. After a delayed debut, he hasn't received a single long-term feud. Imagining him frustrated with his position requires no imagination at all. 

And with his ties to the independent circuit, he could leave knowing that his phone would be ringing aplenty.

Backstage Word on Seth Rollins

The collective gasp that escaped fans when Rollins went down with an injury this close to WrestleMania time was reportedly not how WWE reacted.

According to PWInsider Elite (h/t Wrestling Inc), the internal feeling was reportedly that losing Rollins was not on par with losing someone such as The Rock or John Cena. The report also noted that Rollins' absence didn't create a major shakeup with WWE's WrestleMania plans, as it didn't have main event plans for him.

It's hard to buy this. With as much as WWE had showcased Rollins, having him hold the title for months on end, facing Brock Lesnar and Cena, etc., it was just going to slide him down to the midcard come WrestleMania time?

WWE looked to be teasing a future Triple H vs. Rollins bout. A babyface turn seemed to be on its way. Fans and critics alike raved about Rollins' work.

It would be baffling if WWE didn't have plans to give him something big at WrestleMania. This may just be a case of officials playing down the injury to avoid creating a doom-and-gloom feeling with the audience. 

Rumored Heat on Lana

If the rumors about Lana are true, don't expect to see her saunter onto the TV screen anytime soon. She may have halted her own rise.

According to Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Wrestle Zone), Lana has "nuclear heat" with the company right now. The report noted that the leaked Rusev engagement photos and comments made on social media contributed to this.

Lana and Paige recently got into an online tiff about the former accusing the latter of bullying her at NXT.

If these accusations are unfounded, one can bet WWE is angry with Lana. For one, it doesn't want to sully the reputation of one of the top stars of the women's division, and WWE's work with anti-bullying charities makes this an especially sensitive issue.

It's also worth noting that Rusev returned to Raw on Monday night with no mention of Lana.

If it's true that WWE is upset with her, she will have gotten in the way of what looked to be a sure rise within the company. This is a reminder to all wrestlers to be judicious about what they post online.