WWE Rumors: Buzz on Road to WWE Backlash 2016 for Week of August 29

SmackDown played it safe this week on the road to WWE Backlash.

There was no chance—no chance in hell (get it?)—that it was going to top Raw after that main event on Monday night, and it was wise not to try. This is a marathon, not a sprint. And on a week-to-week basis, SmackDown has been outperforming Raw.

Raw might have most of the top talent, but SmackDown has the better booking.

The first SmackDown-exclusive pay-per-view is a little over a week away on Sept. 11, and a decent card is starting to take shape. We have the SmackDown Women's Championship Six-Pack Challenge. And the main event between AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose should solidify The Phenomenal One as the new face of SmackDown.

Here are the latest rumors as we head down the last leg on the road to Backlash.

Alberto Del Rio Is Finished

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported Alberto Del Rio has left the WWE.

If true, this is the logical, final step in a stint that has been unpleasant for everyone involved, most of all Del Rio. There’s a lot of speculation as to why he’s leaving, but the one commonality is that he was displeased with his creative direction and felt he was promised opportunities that he never received.

Combine that with mitigating factors, including his recent 30-day suspension, his complicated relationship with Paige and his collapsing marriage, and you have a perfect storm of awfulness. Del Rio is probably as glad to be rid of WWE as the company is glad to be rid of him.

Alberto Del Rio Fell Hard for a Reason

Del Rio is miles away from his glory days as a Mexican aristocrat. His return to WWE after a successful stint in Lucha Underground was initially promising; he beat John Cena cleanly, after all.

But ever since then, it's been one disappointing booking decision after another. First, he was involved in a lame, confusing gimmick with Zeb Colter. Then, he was a member of The League of Nations, which might get the top booby prize as the stable with the greatest disparity between potential and actual results.

How did such a promising push for Del Rio go so wrong? PWMania.com reported the de-emphasis on Del Rio was Triple H's doing. The Game allegedly disliked the influence that Del Rio held over his girlfriend, Paige. Triple H also allegedly looked down on Del Rio's constant partying.

It's never good to be seen as a liability to one's company and co-workers. WWE Creative didn't do Del Rio any favors, but he also seems to have done a bang-up job of screwing himself.

Reigns vs. Rusev: Part 2

Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats reported Roman Reigns will resume his feud with Rusev. When we last left off with these two Superstars, Reigns injured The Bulgarian Brute in a non-match at SummerSlam. This indirectly cost Rusev a spot in the Fatal 4-Way this past Monday when he could no longer continue in his qualifying match against Big Cass.

Ever since his 30-day suspension, Reigns has been humbled. He’s been kept out of the main event. He’s currently feuding in the midcard. And maybe WWE will give him a run with the United States title this time around. The company pushed him way too quickly the first time, and he jumped right from tag team champion to world champion.

There’s only so much room at the top of the card; Reigns needs to lay low, let the drama blow over and allow the backlash to subside.

Bayley Is Being Kept on Ice

Ortman reported a rumor that WWE is fast-tracking the Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte championship rematch. Banks, as it turns out, will not need surgery, and that probably means that Bayley will not win her current feud against Charlotte.

This decision to delay Bayley's push makes sense. Her appeal is that she’s an underdog, and if she immediately rolls the entire women’s roster and clinches the top prize in the company, it’s going to undermine her persona. Bayley is at her best when she’s struggling. She doesn’t need the belt to get over with fans, but Charlotte does.

Who's Next?

TMZ Sports reported a Goldberg return is currently in the works. This is unsurprising. He’s a special promotional character for WWE 2K17, and that’s always been an indicator of increased involvement with WWE, whether it's a Hall of Fame induction or a one-off appearance at WrestleMania.

In an interview with Between the Ropes (h/t Aaron Sass of Inquisitr), Goldberg said he would love to work for WWE again:

"

What [the WWE 2K17 event] did for me is reinvigorated that juice inside of me, it evoked a feeling that I haven’t felt in a long time, which is kinda cool. But the reality is that the [ball] ain’t in my court. It’s not in my court. I’ve said many times that I’m willing to throw water under the bridge, but hey, at the end of the day, it is what it is.

"