The Rumored Return of the XFL and the Most Controversial Stories of the Week

WWE has no shortage of controversies as it closes out 2017, with everything from football to a historic Royal Rumble dominating headlines. 

Vince McMahon's tenacity is lost on nobody, but the possible return of the XFL, after launching the self-funded Alpha Entertainment, could be an example of foolish pride. 

WWE announced its first women's Royal Rumble, but the only story overshadowing this otherwise historic match is whether or not Ronda Rousey will appear. 

Always one to keep fans on their toes, WWE is set to enter 2018 with just as much chaos as it did to end 2017. 

Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment Could Lead to the Return of XFL

In what is supposed to be a festive and relaxing holiday season, Vince McMahon is set to be busier than ever. 

Last week, through his Twitter account, freelance writer Brad Shepard reported the XFL was on its way back, possibly as soon as January 25, 2018. 

David Bixenspan of Deadspin went on to report that a WWE spokesperson revealed McMahon has launched Alpha Entertainment, a self-funded company designed to "explore investment opportunities across the sports and entertainment landscapes, including football." 

In the latest development, McMahon sold $100 million of his stock to fund Alpha Entertainment, according to SEC Form 8-K filings. 

Darren Rovell of ESPN noted McMahon has filed five trademarks related to the XFL. A previous report by Max Laughton of Fox Sports revealed "URFL" and "United Football League" as two possible names for McMahon's apparent football project. 

McMahon has a spotty track record with business ventures outside of WWE, which is only rivaled by the unfavorable history of football leagues surviving outside of the NFL. His possible return to football could be a combination as toxic as his ill-fated attempt in 2001. 

The 1st Women's Royal Rumble Sparks Ronda Rousey Rumors

In a historic, albeit awkward, show-closing segment this past Monday on Raw, Stephanie McMahon announced the first WWE women's Royal Rumble. Many details of the match remain unknown, but the winner will receive a world title shot at WrestleMania as is the tradition with the men's Royal Rumble. 

The announcement sparked immediate speculation of a Ronda Rousey debut in WWE, which seems to be academic at this point with footage of Rousey training in a wrestling ring during a trailer for Rondarousey.com (h/t WrestlingInc) and very public recruiting by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, who told TMZ Sports the offer "absolutely stands" for her to compete in WWE.  

Given the success of Brock Lesnar, who injected an element of reality into his matches after leaving and returning an even bigger star, Rousey's value to WWE could eclipse that of UFC after suffering one-sided losses in her last two bouts. 

The Rousey rumors could reach a fever pitch in Philadelphia come the Royal Rumble. Hopefully, the possible lack of an appearance from the former bantamweight champion will not overshadow what is supposed to be a monumental match for WWE.  

WWE Names Its Best Match of 2017

WWE.com released its annual list of the best matches of 2017. With a handful of contenders for the top prize, the website selected John Cena vs. AJ Styles at the 2017 Royal Rumble as its best contest. 

After last year's No. 1 slot was occupied by NXT's two-out-of-three falls Tag Team Championship match between DIY, The Authors of Pain and The Revival, this is this third time in four years that a match featuring John Cena was selected as No. 1 by WWE. 

And while it's hard to argue with a great match that marked Cena's historic 16th world championship reign, it didn't quite capture the ethos of a year where Cena was in and out of WWE more than ever. 

SummerSlam's Fatal 4-Way—which checked in at No. 2—supports the narrative of the rise of Braun Strowman in 2017. 

Asuka vs. Ember Moon (No. 6) told a story of Asuka leaving NXT as an undefeated champion, a rarity in any pro wrestling territory let alone WWE. 

Poor Jinder Mahal was not featured on this list, but Styles' pop-up match against Brock Lesnar helps tell the story of Mahal's shocking rise and apparent fall in 2017. 

There were many stories to tell for the current year, and while Cena will always be ingrained in the fabric of WWE, his match against Styles is more relevant to the bigger picture of world title history than it was to 2017. 

Dean Ambrose to Miss 2 to 3 Months with a Triceps Injury

Dean Ambrose was written off television this past Monday on Raw, and according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider (h/t WrestlingInc), Ambrose is expected to miss two to three months with a triceps injury. 

Though it was a feel-good story in 2017, The Shield's reunion is officially snakebitten. After The Shield's debut match was put on hold due to a viral infection that swept through WWE's Raw locker room and took out Roman Reigns, the popular group will once again be without a member for an extended period of time. 

It'll be interesting to see how WWE handles Seth Rollins moving forward as he and Ambrose were partners and top contenders for the Raw Tag Team Championships for the past several months.

It appears as if Ambrose is dealing with the same photo-finish scenario for WrestleMania as Rollins earlier this year. Rollins worked valiantly ahead of WrestleMania 33 to recover from a legit knee injury he suffered weeks before the event, per Mike Johnson of PWInsider (h/t WrestlingInc). 

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report and Forbes. Like him on Facebook.