WWE Rumors: Buzz on Road to WWE Royal Rumble 2017 for Week of Dec. 26

We're still several weeks away from WWE Royal Rumble 2017 on Jan. 29, but some of the big pieces are already falling into place. Goldberg and Brock Lesnar will both participate in the Rumble, Roman Reigns will take on Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship and John Cena will take on AJ Styles for the WWE Championship.

That all sounds great on paper, but as WWE has proved in the past, the journey matters more than the destination. All three of those feuds are hot right now, but will they still be hot in one month's time?

Here are the latest rumors on the road to the Royal Rumble.

Big E in Hot Water for Charlotte Flair Joke

The New Day has become the most over tag team in WWE by shooting from the hip. At a time when so much of WWE is scripted and written out beforehand, it's refreshing to see three guys who improvise their dialogue and succeed at being funny.

But sometimes speaking one's mind can get a guy in trouble.

On this week's Raw, Big E made a joke that acknowledged the multiple, much-maligned title switches between Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair.

Kofi Kingston, in reference to The New Day losing the Raw Tag Team Championships at Roadblock: End of the Line, said, "Ric Flair couldn't have become a 16-time champion without losing 15 times."

Big E responded, "And that'll be Charlotte in a month!"

In the YouTube replay of the segment, WWE edited out the joke. And Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats reported that Big E caught backstage flak from WWE officials for the quip.

The New Day has always toyed with parody. But unlike most of its jokes that make fun of its fellow Superstars in storyline, this joke stepped outside of kayfabe to criticize booking decisions. And since Vince McMahon booked the latest title switch between Banks and Flair at Roadblock, Big E must be feeling the heat.

Goldberg Signed for 3 More Matches

He's only had one match and a handful of appearances on television in the past year, but Goldberg's second run in WWE is already going much better than his first.

He's a conquering hero who dethroned Brock Lesnar in less than two minutes. He's treated like a living legend at every one of his brief appearances. He sold this year's Survivor Series pay-per-view on the strength of his name. WWE would be smart to ride this wave of popularity for a while longer.

Ortman reported that Goldberg is signed for three more WWE matches. The first will take place at the Royal Rumble, the second will take place at WrestleMania and the third will take place at an unannounced event in the future.

For Goldberg, the decision to sign was probably a no-brainer. The amount of work he's doing for the amount of money he's making is probably obscene.

To make that money worth it, WWE should continue booking him strongly. Lesnar will probably get his win back from Goldberg at some point. But WWE Creative needs to book the finish of that win to preserve Goldberg's image because, once monsters lose their auras, it's difficult for them to get it back.

Styles vs. Cena at Elimination Chamber?

On Tuesday, PWStream reported a rumor on its Twitter feed that AJ Styles will square off against John Cena in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match at Elimination Chamber.

This rumor was later bolstered by a "leaked" photo. According to Brandon Gnetz of Comic Book, the promotional image was posted on Ticketmaster's official website before its removal.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported on his Twitter feed that the image is fake. He didn't comment on the rumored match or its stipulation.

If true, a 2-out-of-3 Falls match would be an exhaustive showcase of both Superstars' arsenals—the perfect end to a long, competitive feud.

Cena Shoots Down Backstage Tension Rumors

For weeks, rumors circulated that John Cena was unhappy with WWE management to the point that Vince McMahon planned out contingency plans for WrestleMania.

On Tuesday, during the half-shoot, half-work Talking Smack, Cena dispelled the rumors, dismissing them as part of the "BS" he's sick of.

So we're back to the original conversation: What are Cena's plans for the biggest event of the year? Will he fight The Undertaker? Will he compete for his 16th world title, thereby tying Ric Flair's record? Either way, Cena has made it clear he's not ready to quit and won't be put out to pasture.