Backstage WWE Rumors: Latest on Shane McMahon, Alexa Bliss and More

Is Shane McMahon still under contract with the company his grandfather created and his father revolutionized? What's the deal with Alexa Bliss following her pay-per-view loss to Charlotte Flair Sunday?

Those two questions are answered in this week's collection of wrestling rumors, which also provides an update on Hit Row and a potential spot for them in the upcoming WWE draft.

Dive deeper into those topics with this collection of wrestling rumor and innuendo.

Is Shane McMahon Still Under Contract in WWE

Despite rumors that Shane McMahon is no longer under contract with WWE, Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp reports that is not the case, though the prodigal son has rarely been seen in the company offices of late.

McMahon has not been an on-screen character with WWE since WrestleMania 37, where is lost a steel cage match to Braun Strowman.

WWE Hall of Famer The Godfather revealed on the Midnight Hustle podcast that McMahon owns a marijuana co-op in California. Perhaps that explains his absence from the WWE offices of late. It would not be the first time the former European and hardcore champion has taken on projects away from professional wrestling.

Considering how negatively received McMahon last few ventures as an on-screen talent have been, it is probably for the best that he is exploring other options away from WWE television for the time being. Let him go away, freshen up and bring him back if and when necessary.

He certainly overstayed his welcome, to diminishing returns, the last time, something WWE cannot afford from the Attitude Era holdovers who can still contribute occasionally.

Why Is Alexa Bliss out of Action?

At Extreme Rules, Alexa Bliss lost the Raw Women's Championship match to Charlotte Flair, then watched as her doll, Lily, was torn to shreds by The Queen. A post-match breakdown led to her walking through the curtain with no real indication of when, or if, we would see that particular incarnation of Bliss again.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported Bliss is undergoing sinus surgery, with no clear date for her return.

While some will look at the procedure as detrimental to a character that had heated up and was in her first singles championship program in over two years, it presents Bliss the opportunity to refresh and recreate her persona.

As interesting as the evil harlequin, mind games-playing character had been, it had become watered down and overproduced by WWE over the last six months, ruining its effectiveness. Now, she can revert to the Little Miss Bliss persona or try something new to capture an audience that consistently demands new and fresh.

When she does return, expect her to oppose Flair, with whom she has unfinished business. Whether she can turn it into a sixth championship run is the real question.

NXT Talent Considered for WWE Draft

Hit Row has been one of the breakout acts in NXT and according to Jon Alba, is under consideration for a spot in this coming week's WWE Draft.

Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Top Dolla, Ashante Adonis and B-Fab have become burgeoning stars in NXT, seeing their roles expanded as they feud with Legado del Fantasma for faction supremacy. Scott is the reigning North American champion and, once upon a time, was as hot a free agent as there was in the industry.

As the leader of a young, cool, fresh group of competitors, he could very easily be the shot in the arm the WWE product needs.

It would likely not be an easy jump for the group, and the argument can definitely be made that it would be too early for Hit Row to make the jump given the accomplishments they have yet to achieve in NXT, but it is a credit to what that faction has accomplished this early in its run that tippy-top management is considering bringing them to Monday or Friday nights.