WWE Rumor Roundup: Vince McMahon shoots down idea for a major return, Original RAW main event, Note on Alexa Bliss' segments (February 7, 2022)

We're back with the latest edition of WWE Rumor Roundup.

The road to WrestleMania often features several comebacks by famous names from the past. One such return was supposed to happen this year, but Vince McMahon was reportedly not interested in the idea.

Details about the originally planned main event for last week's episode of RAW have emerged. Meanwhile, Alexa Bliss' recent 'therapy sessions' have become a recurring aspect of the red brand. There is now information on how many of those segments were filmed beforehand.

Not too long ago, X-Pac confirmed that he was open to performing in the 2022 Men's Royal Rumble. Today's roundup includes the possible reason why that did not happen.

Additionally, an advertisement regarding two live event matches just before WrestleMania 38 could hint towards WWE's creative plan for its most significant event of the year.

Without further ado, let's take a closer look at these rumors.

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#5. Vince McMahon "never signed off" on a pitch for Kurt Angle's WWE comeback

Kurt Angle recently suggested that there had been plans for him to return to Vince McMahon's company for a three-week program. Higher-ups eventually canceled this idea, according to the Olympic gold medalist.

Ringside News has since stated that while there is some truth to what Angle said, there were no concrete plans booked in the first place. As per the website, there had been a pitch for his three-week program backstage, but Vince McMahon never gave it the green light:

"There was an idea for Kurt Angle to make his way back to television, but it was never given the green light. We were told that 'the three week program he’s talking about was a pitch, but never anything Vince signed off on.'"

Kurt Angle recently revealed that he was in attendance for the 2022 Royal Rumble event. In addition to a photo-op with fans, the WWE Hall of Famer also did some documentary interviews a day before the Rumble.

#4. Original main event for the January 31st WWE RAW episode

Last week's episode of Monday Night RAW featured three qualifying matches for the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber contest. Listed below are the outcomes of those bouts:

• Austin Theory defeated Kevin Owens
• Riddle defeated Otis
• AJ Styles defeated Rey Mysterio

Styles vs. Mysterio was the final match of the night. However, higher-ups initially had a different main event planned for the show.

As per Fightful Select, WWE's original direction would have pitted Damian Priest, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, and Austin Theory in a fatal-five-way showdown. The first man to get pinned in this reported scenario would not have received a spot in the Elimination Chamber.

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#3. Alexa Bliss is currently involved in a long-term storyline

On the road to this year's Royal Rumble, speculation indicated that Alexa Bliss would be part of the 30-woman contest. However, this was not the case, and she continued her on-screen 'therapy sessions' on the road to recovery.

According to Fightful Select, the company had no plans for Bliss to enter the Rumble in the first place. Additionally, nine 'therapy session' segments have been filmed in total, and it remains to be seen whether or not WWE will speed up the storyline for her return to action.

The last time fans saw Bliss wrestle was in 2021, when she lost to Charlotte Flair in a RAW Women's Championship match at Extreme Rules.

#2. Potential reason why X-Pac did not make a Royal Rumble appearance

Not too long ago, Sean Waltman (a.k.a. X-Pac) said he had given a heads-up to WWE higher-ups that he'd be ready for a Royal Rumble appearance if needed.

However, it seems the company was not interested. Reports suggest that people in charge wished not to rely on NXT 2.0 talent and many outside names for the Men's Rumble.

Here's what Sean Ross Sapp said on the SRS Q&A Podcast when asked if there had been any backstage talk of using Waltman in the match:

"Yes, there was. However, I was told they wanted to lean away from NXT 2.0 talent and a lot of outside names for the men, which is what we saw." (H/T - WrestlingNews.co)

While the two-time WWE Hall of Famer was not scheduled for Royal Rumble, he will team up with Joey Janela at GCW: Heartbreak on February 25. The duo is set to face Matt Cardona and Brian Myers.

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#1. Live event advertisements could indicate WWE's plans for WrestleMania 38

A commercial that recently aired in Canada during SmackDown listed two top-tier matches for an upcoming house show.

The live event will go down on March 27 in Toronto, just days before WrestleMania 38. John Pollock of POST Wrestling noted the announced bouts via a tweet:

• Bobby Lashley vs. Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles
• Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair

Although Bobby Lashley is the current WWE Champion, the above match will not feature the title if Brock Lesnar wins it at Elimination Chamber, as rumored. Irrespective of the gold, obvious speculation suggests that The All Mighty could cross paths with Rollins and/or Styles at WrestleMania.

Meanwhile, Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair is among the reported plans for this year's Show of Shows. The women's triple threat bout on March 27 strengthens the odds of that possibility coming true.