WWE Rumors: Examining Latest Buzz Around Daniel Bryan, Brand Split and More

Daniel Bryan cannot quietly attend a WWE event. His presence backstage at Raw or NXT is sure to spark rumors and speculation, fans curious about the retired Superstar's potential next move.

The former WWE world champ's struggles with concussions have moved him from the ring to the rumor mill. The audience pine to see Bryan return in some capacity. So every move is analyzed, every whisper about him echoes.

A recent report could easily be nothing of significance or else it could be the precursor to his post-WWE career.

In other stories, Rich Swann may not make it to an upcoming tournament, WWE is reportedly seeking loads of talent and many are wondering if the upcoming brand split will lead to double the pay-per-views.

Bryan Backstage

When NXT stars Samoa Joe and Alexa Bliss went to work in front of the Full Sail University crowd last week, they reportedly had quite the famous visitor.

Colin Young-Wolff/Associated Press

Last Friday, PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported: "Bryan was backstage at the WWE NXT TV last night, PWInsider.com has confirmed. Bryan was visiting with the roster and watched the majority of the show from the gorilla position backstage."

Bryan didn't mention it on social media. And WWE didn't play up his presence there as it usually does for big-name guests.

Those facts likely increased the speculation that has followed. For example, Joe Burgett of the Inquisitr wrote: "It does look like WWE is trying to ease him into it by having him do behind-the-scenes material with NXT."

There is too little to go on at this point. Bryan could have easily just wanted to see some live NXT action and visit some friends at the same time. As much as NXT would love to have Bryan serve as a trainer, he has looked pretty happy being retired.

Swann Grounded?

The Cruiserweight Classic could be short one high-flyer.

The tournament set to air on the WWE Network will feature 32 exciting athletes from around the world. Swann was one of the entrants WWE announced would be part of the event, but he may be hurt.

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported: "Swann hasn't wrestled at a live event since the end of March, and sources tell us it's because he's trying to let his shoulder heal before the upcoming tournament begins." Satin also noted that a source told him Swann is determined to compete in the tourney.

There has been no confirmation from WWE on the shoulder issue.

The company, though, has been quiet about injuries in recent years. And Swann is a low-ranking star who sometimes appears on the NXT brand. The company just may not think it important to update fans on his condition.

Swann still has until June 23 before the first matches of the Cruiserweight Classic kick off. If he's just banged up, his current strategy of lying low until then is likely to work. Otherwise, some other dynamo will have to take his place.

Backstage News on Brand Split 

When Raw and SmackDown go their separate ways in July, each show forming its own distinct brand, the rosters are sure to look a lot different. Not only are NXT's stars surely up for grabs, WWE is reportedly looking to hire names from the past.

PWInsider's Mike Johnson wrote: "WWE has been reaching out to a number of former talents over the last several days, checking on their interest in coming back to work for the company once the brand split takes place this July."

One of the bigger concerns about revisiting the brand extension has been a lack of depth on each show.

Calling up NXT stars like Finn Balor would certainly help alleviate that, as would asking WWE alum to return. That's a smart strategy, as there are already so many new faces for casual fans to get to know. Throwing in some old favorites, from Shelton Benjamin to Carlito, would help balance that out.

It's certainly not hard to believe that WWE is exploring all potential approaches to making the brand split as successful as possible. 

More PPVS Coming?

WWE has made sure to inform fans at every turn that SmackDown is going live on July 19. The brand split that will accompany that shift is sure to change up the calendar, but there is word going around that it may lead to a completely different PPV model.

A fan noted to ProWrestling.net that announcer Jerry Lawler spoke at the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois, about WWE reportedly expanding to two PPVs a month. That would exclude months that feature major events like SummerSlam and WrestleMania.

Johnson wrote that PWInsider could not confirm the report. He did note, "The belief among sources within WWE at the time the planned July split was announced was that the company would add additional Network specials/PPVs to accommodate the split roster."

Additional is understandable; nearly doubling the annual output would be insane.

The WWE calendar already features about 13 PPVs a year. Asking fans to watch five hours of live TV a week and then catch two special events a month is overkill. The quality of these would surely suffer with such short turnarounds, as well. 

File this under "don't believe it until you hear more." Note too that this was something Lawler apparently mentioned, not something anyone heard from trusted sources. Lawler could be misinformed about this, or the fan misinterpreted The King's statement.

Either way, this is highly unlikely to happen. WWE has enough trouble juggling the shows it already has on the docket.