Cain Velasquez Knee Injury, SmackDown Travel Issues, More in Nov. 1 WWE Roundup

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe. 

Cain Velasquez May Require Surgery for Knee Injury

Velasquez is less than a month into his WWE tenure, but he could already be forced into an extended stint away from the ring.

The 37-year-old two-time UFC heavyweight champion wrestled his first match Thursday when he suffered a loss to Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel in a WWE Championship bout. Many were surprised by the short nature of the clash, which lasted less than three minutes.

Paul Davis of WrestlingNews.co reported Velasquez needs surgery on his knee for a pre-existing injury, which the company was aware of when he was signed, and "they didn't want to risk causing further damage."

It's unclear how long the former MMA superstar would miss if he does have surgery, but WWE has two of its biggest shows on the horizon in Royal Rumble (Jan. 26) and WrestleMania (April 5).

Velasquez created a lot of hype with his unannounced debut on SmackDown in early October, but much of that will have faded away by his return. So the company would have to build him from the ground up, but there's no doubt he has a lot of potential, especially with Lesnar's success as a blueprint.

Friday Night SmackDown To Feature "Surprises" After Travel Problems

WWE endured a time crunch with Crown Jewel taking place in Saudi Arabia on Thursday followed by SmackDown on Friday in Buffalo, and it appears the blue brand will be short-staffed as a result.

The company announced Friday afternoon that two separate charter flights won't make it back in time for the show, which means it's without "175 Superstars, production crew and employees."

"As always with WWE, the show must go on," the statement read. "Live at [8 p.m. ET] on Fox, SmackDown will feature Superstars such as Daniel Bryan, The Miz, Carmella, Nikki Cross, Dana Brooke—plus, additional surprises."

It's possible the WWE contacted legends who didn't make the trip in order to provide fans with a special treat for what's set to become a makeshift show without a ton of storyline development. Some appearances by NXT Superstars is also a strong bet.

The short turnaround hadn't been an issue when SmackDown was airing on Tuesdays. It's something WWE will need to take into account when planning future overseas shows after this week's issues.

Eric Bischoff Discusses WWE Departure, Future in Wrestling

Bischoff's return sparked plenty of conversation in wrestling circles, but the former WCW stalwart's stay as executive director of SmackDown ended in mid-October after less than four months.

The 64-year-old Detroit native said during an appearance on After 83 Weeks (via Ross Kelly of Wrestling Inc.) he learned the news directly from WWE chairman Vince McMahon.

"Yes, I did have a very good conversation with Vince McMahon," Bischoff said, adding he didn't expect to remain with WWE for more than a few years anyway because of his family's hope to travel, saying "working 80 hours a week at WWE would put a little bit of a dent in those plans."

After three decades in the business, he said there's still a desire to remain involved.

"Of course. You know, I always will. That's what I've done for the largest part of my adult life, and I still have a passion for it," he said. "I think this latest experiment probably proved to me more than anything that it has to be the right opportunity. Not just right for whoever I would work with, but right for me as well."

Meanwhile, Bruce Prichard has taken over as the executive director of SmackDown.