Top WWE official set to miss upcoming shows - Reports

A top WWE official is reportedly set to miss some upcoming shows due to surgery.

WWE is getting set to begin the Road to WrestleMania 40 next month at Royal Rumble 2024. The premium live event will take place in Tampa Bay on January 27, and the anticipation is already off the charts. CM Punk and Cody Rhodes have already declared that they will compete in the Men's Royal Rumble match.

According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, Bruce Prichard is set to miss some upcoming shows due to surgery. Prichard returned to WWE in a backstage role in 2019 and remains a prominent figure in the company.

Ahead of last night's edition of RAW, Dave Meltzer noted on his Monday news update that Bruce Prichard will be undergoing shoulder surgery and is scheduled to miss some time.

"I haven't heard officially that Bruce Prichard isn't backstage tonight, but he either has or will be getting shoulder surgery and will be away from backstage for a while recuperating," he wrote. [H/T: F4WOnline]

Vince Russo believes Damian Priest could be a huge star in WWE without The Judgment Day

Former WWE writer Vince Russo has claimed that Damian Priest could be a huge star on his own without The Judgment Day.

Priest won the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder match on July 1 but has not cashed in for a title opportunity yet. Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Legion of RAW, Vince Russo criticized WWE's booking of Damian Priest and suggested that The Judgment Day was holding him back.

"By having all this nonsense, what they’re really […] they’re really missing is a Damian Priest being a huge star. Damian Priest, on his own, could be a huge star. He could be right up there in the mix with everybody else, but the fact that he is in this little group, they got their clubhouse, and now they got Rhea Ripley acting like a clown. Oh my god, bro! They’re killing him because nobody else in this group matters." [From 35:48 to 36:20]

You can check out the full episode in the video below:

The promotion's popularity continues to grow, and the product is incredibly hot heading into 2024. It will be fascinating to see what the promotion has planned for fans in the months ahead.

Which superstars do you think will win the Men''s and Women's Royal Rumble matches next month? Let us know your predictions in the comments section below.