WWE Rumors: Examining Latest Buzz Around Brock Lesnar, The Dudley Boyz and More

SummerSlam's drama didn't end when the cameras went off; a rumored backstage altercation between Brock Lesnar and Chris Jericho nearly gave the pay-per-view a bonus match.

Lesnar beat down Randy Orton to close out Sunday's PPV. In the aftermath of the bloody contest, the powerhouse and Jericho reportedly began to argue backstage. 

The Beast Incarnate called out Jericho. Y2J apparently pressed his head against Lesnar's. The two men were seconds away from fighting.

That beats the standard who-will-get-the-next-push rumor by a mile.

Things got real with The Dudley Boyz, too. A backstage report offered clarification about just how legitimate the tag team's farewell speech on Monday's Raw was.

Other rumors touched on injuries to two promising stars and WWE's intentions for booking the newly debuted Bayley. Before we dive into those items and The Beast Incarnate's post-SummerSlam activities, though, let's check in on a story from last week. 

A Quick Look Back

Stars from the Cruiserweight Classic tournament are poised to make a splash on Monday nights.

PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson reported last week, "We have heard that WWE started making contract offers to a few Cruiserweight Classic talents two weeks ago. Some talents will be offered full-fledged deals, while others will be offered NXT/developmental-type deals." 

It didn't take long for an update to materialize. Monday's Raw featured a video hyping the coming cruiserweight division:

The promo featured Brian Kendrick, Noam Dar, Rich Swann and T.J. Perkins, all competitors in the Cruiserweight Classic tournament. It's clear they are are on their way to Raw next.

That diverse group of grapplers will certainly add some electricity to the product.

Did The Dudley Boyz Really Say Goodbye?

Wrestling fans are understandably skeptical about retirements.

Mark Henry fooled fans with a phony farewell in 2013. Terry Funk has returned from short-lived retirements almost as often as Big Show has turned heel.

So, when Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley claimed to be on their way out on Monday's Raw, the audience wasn't sure what to believe. Was this part of an angle? Would The Club attacking the former tag champs spark one last run?

Nope. This time, the goodbyes were real.

Johnson reported that the farewell was legit. There had reportedly been talk of a new deal, but "WWE and the Dudleys amicably agreed to part ways" following their final Raw appearance, according to Johnson.

It's a shame WWE never found a way to harness the momentum Bubba Ray garnered as a singles star in TNA. He had the greatest stretch of his career as a heel, but when he returned to Vince McMahon's playground, he found he and his "brother" were low priorities. 

The Dudley Boyz are both in their mid-40s and have been wrestling since 1991. It's not surprising they would want a schedule less grueling than the one WWE stars suffer through.

Backstage Injury Updates

A bad back and a bum shoulder robbed Sasha Banks and Finn Balor of being champions. Banks lost the Women's Championship amid concerns over her health. Balor tore his shoulder during his win over Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship.

After SummerSlam's smoke cleared, the news on Banks is positive. According to F4WOnline (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc), Banks' injury will not require surgery, and she should be back in action sooner than previously expected.

Back surgery could have threatened her spot at WrestleMania and maybe even her long-term career. Hopefully, she'll be back soon. She and Bayley have some magic to create together.

Balor was not so lucky. He won't be able to avoid the surgeon's scalpel.

Johnson wrote, "Balor is already in Birmingham, Alabama in preparation for the pending surgery to repair his torn labrum."

Plans for Bayley?

Bayley waltzed into Raw's spotlight on Monday night to make her long-awaited debut. The former NXT star went right after the women's champ, Charlotte.

When Bayley called out Charlotte, stated her desire to hold her title and then battled Charlotte's protege, Dana Brooke, it sure looked like the babyface was beginning her Raw run on the top rung. That reportedly wasn't what WWE first had in mind, though.

Dave Meltzer mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Wrestle Zone's Nick Paglino) that WWE didn't originally plan to put Bayley in the title picture so soon.

But with Banks out due to injury and Paige serving a 30-day suspension for violating the company's wellness policy, perhaps WWE didn't feel it had much of a choice. Summer Rae vs. Bayley and Alicia Fox vs. Charlotte doesn't have the ring to it that two former NXT champs colliding does.

Lesnar vs. Jericho

After Lesnar dismantled Orton in SummerSlam's main event, The Beast Incarnate's night wasn't done. He and Jericho got into a confrontation reportedly stemming from the bloody scene involving Orton.

Jericho's concern for Orton led to a backstage showdown where he and Lesnar nearly came to blows. Meltzer detailed detailed the scene for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 

He wrote, "They got tangled up against the wall and Lesnar told Jericho to punch him or kiss him. Paul 'HHH' Levesque jumped in quickly and broke it up. It was heated enough that they went back at it, at which time Vince McMahon broke it up." 

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet picked up the story, as well. He noted, "Jericho was acting as a locker room leader who truly believed Brock had attacked Randy Orton during the main event, and Y2J was looking for answers."

The fact that two outlets unearthed the same story makes it easy to believe.

And Jericho's confusion is understandable. WWE was clearly trying to blur the line between reality and fiction. Seeing a co-worker bleeding from a gash in his head as a man continues to pummel him has to put one on edge, too.

This tale is sure to become part of wrestling folklore. It's not often a man so fearlessly puts his head near a lion's mouth as Jericho did. 

Y2J has some serious brass.