5 Top WWE rumors from this week: Major plans for Brock Lesnar after title victory, Former Royal Rumble winner to eventually face Roman Reigns (January 2nd, 2022)

2022 is here and WWE Day 1 has got the fans talking. So many doubts were there before the pay-per-view as to how the current COVID-19 outbreak in WWE will affect the show. Well, it ended up costing them their biggest star as Roman Reigns tested positive for the virus and had to miss the event.

What this led to was a match that looked straight out of WWE 2K21. Five top stars battled it out for the WWE Championship and Brock Lesnar came out on top. We now have reports on some major future plans for both Lesnar and Reigns. Additionally, details have emerged about the real reason for the absence of two top superstars.

Without any further ado, let's take a look at the top rumors from this past week. Be sure to comment down and let us know your thoughts on the same.

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#5 Dream match finally set to happen after Brock Lesnar's WWE Championship victory

Brock Lesnar winning the WWE Championship at Day 1 was something no one saw coming. He was added as a last-minute change to the fatal four-way for the top title and went on to pin Big E to become the new champion.

Dave Meltzer has now reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that the plan now is to finally have the dream match between The Beast Incarnate and Bobby Lashley.

"With Lesnar having won the title, the next step is Lesnar vs. Lashley. You could tell, at the end of the show, they teased that glare with Lashley and everything like that, and that was the last scene. The match was booked specifically for that direction. Big E was the one that was pinned because if Big E wasn't pinned, and obviously, you'd want to go with Lesnar and Big E. But, the decision, for whatever reason, and the reason is that the people who are making the decisions felt that there was a more marketable match, went with Lesnar and Lashley," stated Meltzer.

The two heavyweights clashed in the fatal five-way match at Day 1 a few times and Lashley was the one who seemed more dominant. Meltzer stated how the company made Bobby Lashley look strong against Brock Lesnar while the latter dominated everyone else to win the title.

Could we see this match at Royal Rumble or will WWE save it for WrestleMania 38?

#4 WWE plans to have major Roman Reigns match eventually

Roman Reigns missed WWE Day 1 as he tested positive for COVID-19. He was set to defend the Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar at the show. With Lesnar now the WWE Champion, fans are wondering what's next for the Tribal Chief when he returns.

Dave Meltzer reported on the Wrestling Observer Radio that the plan is to have Roman Reigns eventually face Drew McIntyre in a massive clash. This was the reason why the company booked McIntyre to defeat Madcap Moss at Day 1, even though he was set to be written off TV.

"I don't think anyone believed for a second he (Madcap Moss) was going to beat Drew McIntyre. It's funny because with Drew McIntyre being hurt, you know, they could have done it, but they didn't even dare do it. I wouldn't have either because, at the end of the day, the plan is still supposed to be Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns at some point. So he shouldn't be losing to Madcap Moss even if he is going to be hurt. Hopefully, the injury is not too bad," stated Meltzer.

The Scottish Warrior has stated on multiple occasions since his move to SmackDown that he plans to dethrone Roman Reigns. Could we see this match at WrestleMania 38?

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#3 Real reason for Drew McIntyre being written off WWE TV

Drew McIntyre picked up a relatively easy victory over Madcap Moss at Day 1. He was then brutally attacked backstage by Moss and Happy Corbin. WWE later announced that McIntyre suffered multiple injuries due to the attack.

According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, the real reason for The Scottish Warrior being written off television was that he has been dealing with some legitimate neck issues.

"The word backstage is that the angle was brought about by some legitimate neck issues McIntyre has been dealing with of late (at least several weeks), necessitating him needing to undergo medical testing. So, WWE wrote him out of storylines with the attack to be proactive about the situation," stated Mike Johnson.

There is no update yet on how long Drew McIntyre will be on a hiatus. He is one of the top stars on the current roster and the company would want to have him back in action as soon as possible, especially with WrestleMania season approaching soon.

#2 Reason behind Rey Mysterio's absence from WWE RAW

Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio were set to face The Street Profits in the finals of the RK-Bronament on the December 13 episode of WWE RAW. However, the match was postponed to a later date.

Dave Meltzer reported on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the reason for this was Rey Mysterio being absent from that show. He added that Mysterio missed the show as he was exhausted and banged up. Another reason for the delay was Montez Ford's injury.

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#1 Belief in WWE's women's roster after Toni Storm's unexpected departure from the company

Toni Storm's unexpected departure from WWE last week shocked many. The former NXT UK Champion was in the middle of a feud with SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair. However, she called it quits due to burnout.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful revealed that some women superstars on the roster believe that they could make good money while working on the independent circuit.

"I've not heard of any women wanting out of their WWE deals, but I've definitely heard of some that believed that they could make good money on the independent circuit. I'll say this. I spoke with one that says that they could probably make a good amount of money on the independent circuit because there aren't a ton of former WWE long-term main roster draws that are out there," revealed Sean Ross Sapp.

The rise of All Elite Wrestling and other promotions has ensured that WWE is no longer considered the only top destination for pro-wrestlers. Many stars are willing to take their chances outside Vince McMahon's promotion as well. As for Toni Storm, fans are excited to see what is next for the Australian star.