WWE News & Rumor Roundup - Big name had backstage heat with Roman Reigns, Current RAW star considered retirement, Speculation on new Bray Wyatt photo (29th October 2021)

Welcome back to another edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's daily WWE News and Rumor roundup, where we recap all the top stories coming out of Vince McMahon's company.

We've got a star-studded lineup for you today, and Roman Reigns' name is unsurprisingly at the top of the list. A big name from RAW discussed getting heat from Reigns for his recent comments.

Another experienced superstar from the red brand opened up about his retirement and revealed that he was close to hanging up his boots not too long ago.

We also have all the latest updates on Bray Wyatt's status, and there is an interesting note regarding the former WWE Champion's immediate future.

Reigning WWE champion Big E also revealed details of a text message he received from a legendary star following his World Title victory.

Vince McMahon also reportedly returned to Saudi Arabia after Crown Jewel, and the reason behind his visit has also been revealed. Additionally, the WWE boss has directed officials regarding a new requirement when hiring referees.

That's the gist of what to expect in today's roundup, and on that note, let's take a look at each story in detail:

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#5 Matt Riddle confirms he had backstage heat in WWE for his comments on Roman Reigns

During a recent appearance on Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenburg, Matt Riddle confirmed that he had backstage heat with Roman Reigns for talking trash about the Universal champion.

Riddle had declared that he could beat Reigns in a real fight and that the Tribal Chief wasn't a 'needle-mover.'

The Original Bro revealed that Roman Reigns wasn't happy with his comments and that he was on the receiving end of some heat behind the scenes.

Unlike Riddle, Roman Reigns didn't see the humor in the RAW's superstar's jibes, and thankfully, for the RAW Superstar, he hasn't lost his push as a result of the incident.

"I'm trying not to talk too much trash anymore. I don't want to upset the higher-ups. I'm not going to mention exact names, but he's a chief of tribes. I said something about him recently. I'm not saying specific names. It could be anybody. He wasn't happy. I talked some trash about me moving the needle and selling merch. He didn't like what I said. I thought it was hilarious, but not everybody thinks like me," stated Riddle. (H/t WrestlingNews.co)

Riddle said that The Tribal Chief is currently not ready to have a friendship or on-screen rivalry with him due to his comments.

The RAW superstar hopes the situation between him and Reigns will simmer down before they build a relationship in the WWE.

"Kind of like I rubbed Bill (Goldberg) the wrong way. I don't think Bill was ready for a relationship with me, and over time and the years, things have simmered down," confessed Riddle.

Riddle vs. Reigns may not happen anytime soon, but the possible future feud already has some backstory to it for WWE to capitalize on.

#4 Rey Mysterio was considering retirement before Dominik's WWE debut

It's astonishing when you realize that WWE Legend Rey Mysterio is still performing at an incredibly high level, but the 46-year-old was really close to hanging up his mask in 2019.

While speaking to Scott Fishman of TV Insider, Rey Mysterio revealed that he was contemplating retirement before Dominik stepped into the ring. The iconic luchador explained that his son's introduction into the wrestling world gave his career a 'moment of renewal.'

Rey Mysterio said he began losing the desire to wrestle in 2019 and foresaw the end of his illustrious career until Dominik started to show interest in becoming a professional wrestler.

Dominik's rise inspired Mysterio to continue contributing to the wrestling business, and the father-son duo has since experienced several memorable moments in the WWE.

"Before my son even stepped in the ring, I thought maybe it was time to hang up the mask. Having my son kick off his career gave me a moment of renewal. It was a rebirth. I see my son wrestle now and see myself from the early days. It definitely inspired me to stay in this industry because I have so much passion for this. I thought I was losing my passion in 2019 and that my career was coming to an end. My son was able to boost my energy and help me keep going," admitted Rey Mysterio.

Thanks to Dominik, fans have been fortunate enough to witness the genius of Rey Mysterio for a few more years.

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#3 Speculation regarding new Bray Wyatt photo, update on his status

The photo above, featuring Bray Wyatt and artist Jason Baker, got fans talking on Thursday about the former WWE star's next move, primarily due to the Warner Brothers logo in the image.

Fans were quick to bring up the reported AEW links, and amidst all the speculation, Fightful Select released a timely update.

Fightful reported that Bray Wyatt had been spotted in Los Angeles of late fielding inquiries about Hollywood projects. Sources within WWE revealed this wasn't the first time Wyatt had attracted interest from Hollywood. A pitch was reportedly made for Bray Wyatt to be involved in a film before his WWE release.

As for his wrestling status, Bray Wyatt recently teased the completion of his non-compete clause recently and is widely expected to work with IMPACT Wrestling moving forward.

#2 Big E received a text from Ric Flair after his WWE Championship win

Big E was a guest on 'Ebro in the Morning', and the WWE Champion revealed details of the text message he got from Ric Flair following his title win.

Big E successfully cashed in the Money in the Bank contract on September 13th to capture his first world title in the WWE, and, as expected, the well-liked superstar received a lot of support after an unforgettable RAW episode.

Ric Flair was one of many people who reached out to Big E, and the RAW Superstar said that he always popped after seeing the Nature Boy's texts. Big E joked that he had no clue how Flair got his phone number and added that the Hall of Famer has always been lovely to him.

"There were a bunch of people who reached out. Trying to think of everyone, Ric Flair. I got a Ric Flair text. I'll always pop at getting a text from him. I don't know how he has my number. I think he found it from someone else but having Ric Flair reach out. He's always been calling me. He's always been real cool. He was definitely one that was dope," recalled Big E. H/t WrestlingInc

Big E is still finding his feet as RAW's top champion, and his subsequent feud with Seth Rollins has all the makings of being a classic world title rivalry.

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#1 The reason why Vince McMahon went back to Saudi Arabia, details of a new directive from the WWE boss

WWE wrapped up an eventful Crown Jewel show and returned to continue the TV build towards the Survivor Series show. In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Vince McMahon reportedly returned to Saudi Arabia this week, and that it was not a last-minute decision.

McMahon had always planned to return home to the United States after Crown Jewel and then return to Saudi Arabia this week to oversee business-related talks.

"Vince McMahon went back to Saudi Arabia this week. This was not a sudden thing as McMahon had planned to fly over for the show, return home and then go back the next week for more business-related discussions," wrote Meltzer.

In a separate backstage note, Meltzer also revealed that WWE had directed officials to hire shorter referees.

Vince McMahon wants the taller talent to look like larger-than-life characters on TV, and having shorter referees seems to be WWE's way of accomplishing their objective.

Obviously, WWE is going back to its old formula of pushing big and muscular talent, and its recruitment policies have affected both talent and the referees.