Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Shane McMahon, Johnny Knoxville, More

Shane McMahon was far from the most popular man backstage at the Royal Rumble Sunday night and now, his place in WWE is in question following the blowback from fans and Superstars alike.

The behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the prodigal son headlines a collection of WWE and AEW rumors that also includes the latest on Johnny Knoxville and the potential for the continuation of his feud with Sami Zayn.

Might a WrestleMania date be in the future for the Jackass star and SmackDown's resident conspiracy theorist?

The latest on Randy Orton and an injury update on former AEW women's champion Riho round out the rumor and innuendo.

Update on Shane McMahon's WWE Dismissal

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported that, despite initial plans for WrestleMania that included a feud with Seth Rollins, Shane McMahon appears to be gone from WWE for the time being.

Johnson also reported that McMahon is taking the brunt of the heat for the poor reception to the Men's Royal Rumble match as one of the top producers of the contest. McMahon was said to be "preoccupied" with his own booking in the match and "obviously frustrated the day of the show and that some believed that came from his ideas being shot down by Vince McMahon."

Before any of the backstage reports and innuendo became public, McMahon drew the ire of fans who did not understand why he was in the Rumble match in the first play and, more importantly, why it was he who had to eliminate Kevin Owens.

Johnson did note that McMahon is getting the heat now but once it blows over, he is expected back with the company in some role. That should not come as a surprise given his on-again, off-again relationship with his father's company.

There is no denying that the Men's Royal Rumble match underwhelmed the audience this year. The lack of storytelling and questionable booking decisions, like that time Madcap Moss eliminated AJ freaking Styles, left fans scratching their heads and denouncing one of the genuine fan-favorite matches of the year. 

If McMahon was in charge of the majority of it, and responsible for the many changes that frustrated talent throughout the day, he absolutely should be held to the same standard that any other producer would be. The revelation that he was too worried about his own role in the match only earns him further scrutiny, if the report proves accurate.

Is Johnny Knoxville Sticking Around for WrestleMania?

Sami Zayn crashed the red-carpet premiere of Jackass Forever Tuesday night and that, coupled with a recently released WWE survey, has ramped up speculation that Johnny Knoxville may hang around the company through WrestleMania, reported Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats.

And why would he not? 

Knoxville gets the showmanship and attitude of wrestling. He is a character and those will always thrive in a business that has had a wealth of them over the last 50 years. That he and Zayn have solid on-screen chemistry that has now bled over to Hollywood makes a continued partnership between Knoxville and WWE a no-brainer.

Of course, one has to question whether a singles match between the two would be the best route or if it would be better suited as a tag match, to help take the pressure off of the Jackass celeb, but that is a discussion for another time.

If Knoxville and WWE are willing to work with each other again, there's no better time to do so than an event like WrestleMania, which is synonymous with celebrity involvement dating back to its inception in 1985.

Where Was Randy Orton Monday Night?

Conspicuous by his absence Monday night on Raw was former tag team champion Randy Orton, who was nowhere to be found despite the continuation of RK-Bro's feud with Alpha Academy.

Brian Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live reported that Orton will be gone for a little while, with no indication of when he will return.

This comes on the heels of a report from Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com that Riddle was originally intended to win the Men's Royal Rumble before plans switched to Brock Lesnar. Such an outcome would have surely set up The Original Bro for a feud with Orton, the expected outcome of their year-long partnership.

With Orton apparently out of action and no clear-cut time frame for his return, one has to wonder what the actual plans are for the most popular tag team in the company and any potential feud moving forward. 

Orton, competing in his hometown of St. Louis Sunday at the Rumble, was unceremoniously dumped to the floor by Lesnar after just 2:21 of ring time. Curious booking, for sure.

Injury Update on Riho

Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported Riho suffered a broke collarbone during her match with AEW women's champion Dr. Britt Baker DMD during the Battle of the Belts special and is expected to miss three months of action

It is a disappointing turn of events for Riho, who just returned to action not all that long ago and appeared poised to hang around the women's title picture for the time being. Unfortunately, she sees herself back off of television, the AEW women's division passing her by until she is healed and cleared to compete.

Riho was the very first AEW women's champion, having beaten Nyla Rose to win the title on the debut episode of Dynamite back in October of 2019. Unfortunately, long stretches out of the country have prevented her from achieving consistency with the company and becoming one of the truly elite competitors in the suddenly thriving division.

When she is around, her matches are typically among the best on the show, as we saw with the Baker and Rose series, not to mention a hidden gem from 2021 against Serena Deeb.