WWE Rumors: Buzz on Road to WWE Roadblock 2016 for Week of Dec. 8

With 2016 drawing to a conclusion and just a handful of WWE events remaining, attention is beginning to turn toward what the company may have planned for 2017.

Which stars from NXT are next for call-ups to the main roster? Will the next crop of free agents coming into WWE feature any familiar faces? 

These questions are, to an extent, answered in this week's weekly rumor roundup.

There is news of a major NXT star getting the call to the main roster, as well as a former champion with the company reportedly signing a full-time deal with WWE for 2017 and beyond.

Here are the latest rumblings online in the weekly rumor roundup.

Has Lita Officially Left WWE?

News broke this week that the company was restructuring its plans for the pre-show panels, with some major casualties as a result.

The two biggest were Hall of Fame inductees Jerry Lawler and Lita, and after WWE confirmed the news to Figure Four Online (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc) that they have both been pulled from weekly TV work, further details emerged.

Legendary WWE commentator Jim Ross revealed on Twitter that it was his understanding that Lita was gone from WWE completely, not just from her appearances on the pre-show panels.

This is an interesting move from WWE. Freshening up the pre-show panels is not bad, but letting Lita leave the company seems like a particularly strange decision. If anything, she felt like one of the more positive aspects of the pre-show panels.

WWE's replacements will be interesting.

Mickie James Signs with WWE Again

Mickie James may have fallen short against Asuka at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, but she impressed enough to earn herself an extended deal with WWE.

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported earlier this week that James was offered a full-time contract and that the deal was waiting for her to sign.

It now seems that WWE officials got their reply, as PWInsider.com (h/t Larry Csonka of 411Mania) reported that James has signed a "multiyear deal" with the company.

What's more, it seems as if she'll be working Tuesday nights, as the report goes on to mention that James will be drafted to SmackDown.

That is a huge boost for the blue brand. There are already some good, experienced workers on that show—such as Nikki Bella and Natalya—but the return of James gives the women's division a whole new dynamic.

If the reports are true, it will be fascinating to see who she squares off against first.

Samoa Joe Bound for Main Roster?

This rumor is bound to please many WWE fans: It seems as if one of NXT's biggest stars is finally heading for the main roster.

Samoa Joe won the NXT Championship for the second time last month—making him the first person in the brand's history to do so—which seemed to suggest he was in for a prolonged stay at Full Sail University.

However, after dropping the belt back to Shinsuke Nakamura in Japan last week, plans are now pressing ahead to determine a new No. 1 contender for Nakamura and the NXT Championship. Joe is slated to fight Nakamura in Melbourne, Australia, but the champ will likely retain.

And the likelihood of that increased after Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats reported Joe is bound for the main roster.

Ortman noted that Joe is set to be pushed up by next month's Royal Rumble pay-per-view at the latest, which means we're going to see him sooner rather than later.

Those "Joe, Joe, Joe" chants will be on either Raw or SmackDown before we know it.