WWE News & Rumor Roundup - Charlotte Flair makes a big decision about Andrade, Triple H did not want SmackDown star to win world title, Plans for top superstar's return (3rd December 2021)

#2 Backstage news on Elias' WWE status

Elias has not been seen on WWE programming for over four months, despite many fans expecting him to return after some character repackaging. However, WrestleVotes now reports that WWE never had any long-term plans following Elias' graveyard segments, in which he declared that 'Elias was dead.'

Sources revealed that the former 24/7 Champion's rebranded gimmick looked oddly similar to Randy Savage, and Vince McMahon wasn't a big fan of the pitch. Here's what was reported about Elias' future:

"Interesting note on Elias, source states they had no end plan for graveyard vignettes. Just shot them to kill off the "music" gimmick. His initial rebranding weeks back looked to similar to Randy Savage w/ colorful trunks & beard so Vince & co didn't like it. Back to square 1," WrestleVotes revealed.

WWE earlier killed Elias' 'Drifter' character to give him a fresh creative direction. However, the talented star is seemingly now stuck in a creative rut, and it would be interesting to see if the WWE Officials choose to utilize him on TV in the time to come.

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#1 Austin Theory reacts to getting slapped by Vince McMahon on WWE RAW

Austin Theory was awarded the rare opportunity to work an angle with Vince McMahon on RAW, and it all ended with the young star getting slapped by the WWE Chairman.

Austin Theory was a guest on After The Bell with Corey Graves, and the RAW Superstar said he cherished the chance to share the screen with Vince McMahon, who he called a 'wrestling god.'

"When you think 'wrestling,' and you think, like, 'wrestling god' — it's Vince McMahon, you know. I think when I'm sitting there, and I'm talking with him, it's like, 'Wow. It doesn't get bigger than this,'" said Austin Theory.

Austin Theory admitted that he'd rewatched his segment with Vince McMahon on countless occasions since it happened, and he concluded with a cheeky comment about the WWE boss.

"I've probably watched the video of [me] getting slapped [by Vince McMahon] like a 100 times. I would just say, just don't upset Vince McMahon. Because, yo, he's got some hands, man," Theory added.

Theory is being groomed for a top spot on RAW as only a handful of superstars are booked to be in storylines with Vince McMahon. Is Austin Theory the next big thing in WWE?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section. We'll see you on the next edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling WWE News & Rumor Roundup.