WWE Rumors: Examining Latest Buzz Around Randy Orton, Sting and More

WWE fans may have to get used to not seeing Randy Orton and Sting. Rumors point to The Viper gearing up for another surgery and Sting not being in the company's discussions for WrestleMania.

What is certain as of now is that Orton suffered a shoulder injury and is currently out of action. One report offered Orton fans some bad news on top of that. His absence promises to stretch well past WrestleMania 32.

As for Sting, he's out with an injury of his own. The backstage rumblings about his future aren't as active as his fanbase would like. 

In other stories, WWE rumors provide a possible answer to why the company let Brad Maddox go and insight into whether the creative team blindsided Lana on Monday's Raw.

Which rumors should fans dismiss and which ones should they take to the bank? Let's dive into the mill and answer that exact question.

Another Surgery Awaiting Orton?

The early estimates of when Orton will return to action have to be adjusted. It looks like he has another trip to the surgeon's table ahead of him.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestle Zone), Orton will undergo neck surgery after recovering from his shoulder surgery. It is reportedly a routine procedure designed to remove bone chips.

It makes sense that the WWE doctors would take this opportunity to do some extra maintenance on him. With Orton on the disabled list anyway, they might as well clean out his neck to prevent future problems.

Still, that has to sting for fans pining to see someone suffer an RKO. The additional procedure will surely add to his recovery time.

On the plus side, Orton is poised to return refreshed with an audience eager to see him compete again.

Backstage Word on Why WWE Released Maddox

Seldom-used former Raw general manager Brad Maddox is gone. WWE announced last week that it had released him. The company gave no specific reason for his departure.

According to PWInsider.com (h/t Ringside News), it was inappropriate language that cost him his job. The report said that before his dark match during the SmackDown taping last Tuesday, Maddox reportedly said, "cocky pricks" during his promo, which upset people within the company.

Credit: WWE.com

That sounds far-fetched. While not a squeaky-clean phrase, it's hard to imagine that uttering it would be a fireable offense.

Other wrestlers have slipped and said legit four-letter curse words in the past and not received a pink slip. Maddox's low position with the company certainly opened the door for his release. A lack of backers behind the scenes likely contributed to this, too.

WWE likely was on the lookout for ways to cut costs and just used this incident as an excuse to let Maddox go.

Lana Double-Crossed?

WWE certainly went for lowbrow entertainment on Monday's Raw, but it was also a case of a surprise line smacking Lana in the face.

On Raw in Pittsburgh, Ryback mentioned that Lana went "all the way" with Dolph Ziggler. During their appearance on "Miz TV," Lana and Rusev both responded to the line:

This moment was rumored to have followed an improvised one. Bryan Alvarez mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Wrestle Zone) that while Ryback's line about Ziggler and Lana was in the script for Monday's Raw, neither Rusev nor Lana were aware of it beforehand.

Ryback taking this unexpected shot at Lana falls in line with all the numerous reports in the past few weeks about her having big-time heat with the company.

It didn't look like she had any heat when she had a prominent spot on Monday's show, while intercontinental champion Kevin Owens didn't have a single second of airtime.

The way that Lana responded felt very much like part of the scene. It didn't come off as something she had to add to respond to Ryback's surprise line. The talk of Lana's sexual past was cheesy and off-putting, but it's doubtful that it was part of some plan to take a jab at her.

Sting at WrestleMania 32

Put away thoughts of the Undertaker-vs.-Sting match many have long dreamed about. WWE is reportedly not thinking of going in that direction.

PWInsider Elite (h/t Wrestling Inc) reported that there has been no talk of Undertaker vs. Sting at WrestleMania 32, and in fact, there hasn't been real talk about the latter even appearing at all.

It's not clear how injured Sting was after his match at Night of Champions and whether he'll be able to wrestle again. With as scary as that situation was and how much worse it could have been, no one can blame WWE if it's moved on from the idea of showcasing The Stinger.

Credit: WWE.com

Even with several stars injured, there are a lot of pieces in the puzzle to move around.

Sting would be an intriguing addition if placed in the right spot, but that doesn't sound like a priority for WWE right now. That's not surprising. Officials are sure to be more concerned with trying to bring in a name like Goldberg than trotting out a man in his 50s who followed his last bout with a trip on a stretcher.

Then again, WrestleMania is a long ways away. There are several months left for new rumors to emerge.