WWE News & Rumor Roundup - Major interest in top AEW star, big name rejected offer to join NXT, title reign plans canceled (December 17, 2021)

Welcome back to a stacked edition of the daily WWE News & Rumor Roundup, where we list down all the top stories from the world of wrestling.

One of AEW's most promising stars has attracted interest from WWE as Vince McMahon, and his team could try to sign the talent once his contract expires.

Details of a veteran superstar rejecting Triple H's offer to join NXT have also come to light. A former WWE star even revealed WWE's nixed plans for him to have a prominent intercontinental title reign.

Goldberg currently has one match left on his WWE contract, and a Hall of Famer has urged his former WCW rival to put Roman Reigns over before he retires.

The roundup ends with a legendary wrestler's son expressing his desire to have a match against Brock Lesnar.

So without any further ado, let's dive in and take a look at the topics of the day:

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#5. WWE is "very interested" in signing AEW's MJF

MJF will be a free agent in 2024, and the AEW star has promised to kick off a massive bidding war once he becomes a free agent. Andrew Zarian revealed on Wrestling Observer's 'We're Live Pal' that WWE officials have shown a lot of interest in the 'Salt of the Earth.'

It was noted that WWE is always trying to find its next big star, and MJF fits all the requirements to be the promotion's next top guy.

"And there have been conversations. And I know WWE's very interested in him. They're always looking for that next star, that next heel, and the second you see this guy, especially on TV, he's so impressive," revealed Zarian.

MJF has also got people talking at USA and FOX regarding his value as a performer and future in the business. The 24-year-old wrestler's exceptional development has caught the attention of top network executives, and they could make a move for the star in 2024.

"The network guys – not the WWE guys, they brought up MJF to me – but the network guys, both sides have asked me what I think of him, and if his contract expiring in 2024 is true. So very interesting that there's a lot of focus on that guy right now. Because I think WWE and the networks are bothrealizingg that they need those kind of guys on that roster to balance everything out," Zarian added. H/t WrestleTalk

MJF has admitted in recent interviews that he is a businessman and will entertain offers from the WWE. While Tony Khan is also expected to quote a high figure to convince him to stay, the possibility of WWE pulling off a coup increases each day.

#4. Kurt Angle on James Storm rejecting Triple H's offer to join WWE NXT

TNA/IMPACT Wrestling Legend James Storm appeared in WWE NXT in 2015 for a handful of matches and received a great reaction from the fans. The star, however, returned to his home ground after apparently rejecting an offer from Triple H.

Kurt Angle spoke on the topic on his podcast and revealed that James Storm was unhappy with the money offered and turned down the chance to be in NXT.

Angle said that James Storm later tried to contact WWE, but it was too late as the company had lost interest in signing him to a full-time deal.

He added that his good friend and former colleague deserved an extended WWE run, which sadly never happened.

"A few years ago, Triple H offered him a deal, starting out in NXT, and James didn't like the money figure, so he refused it, and Triple H never contacted him again. I know that James tried to reach back and see if they were still interested but for some reason, the company wasn't interested. I don't know if they were turned off because James turned down the deal, I don't know what the situation was, but they should've contacted James again," revealed Kurt Angle. H/t WrestlingInc

James Storm continues to wrestle sporadically and can be found in NWA and IMPACT Wrestling.

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#3. Fandango reveals WWE's nixed plans for him to win the Intercontinental title

Dirty Dango, fka Fandango, was a guest on Insight with Chris Van Vliet and the former WWE star opened up about how he lost the opportunity to win the Intercontinental title in 2013.

Dango stated that he suffered a concussion during a match against The Great Khali. Instead of informing the authorities, he went against WWE protocols and hid his injury.

With a concussion, Dango continued performing at forthcoming shows, and WWE officials weren't aware of the situation.

"They were going to put the IC Title on me, and I got concussed working with Great Khali. I didn't tell them I was concussed; it was like a week or two before. I worked Khali a couple weeks out from a pay-per-view, and we worked like a week before the pay-per-view. If you get concussed, and you go out and get hit again, it's a lot easier to get concussed. If you don't give the swelling enough time to go down, it's really easy to get concussed again. I was concussed, and I kept performing and didn't tell anybody," recalled Dango.

The former SmackDown Superstar regretted his mistake as winning the Intercontinental title would have been vital for his career. WWE eventually put the belt on Curtis Axel, and Fandango's momentum took a massive hit.

"I stooged myself off. To the company's protocol, I was completely wrong. You should definitely tell them when you're hurt; cause they don't want any athlete to get seriously injured. I grew up in the wrestling business, if someone is going to put the IC Title you on you, you don't take yourself out of the game... I think Curtis Axel won the title. It derailed me," Fandango added.

Fandango ended his 15-year run with WWE in June earlier this year and has since made his NWA debut while also wrestling on the indie circuit as a free agent.

#2. DDP wants Goldberg to put Roman Reigns over in WWE

Goldberg has just one match left on his WWE contract, and there is a lot of speculation about his last possible opponent.

On the latest episode of "The Bro Show," Diamond Dallas Page revealed that Goldberg should have a match against Roman Reigns before retiring.

The WWE Hall of Famer was in awe of Goldberg's impact at 50 and felt that a showdown against the Tribal Chief would be best for business.

"To me, if he hasn't worked with Roman, he gotta put Roman over on the way out. Plenty of people put Bill over, and he's still, like, to be going at 50-years-old, he got a hell of an impact in the game, man," said DDP.

Goldberg and Roman Reigns nearly had a singles match at WrestleMania 36 as WWE began building the two stars for a Universal title program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Roman Reigns had to pull out of the bout due to health concerns, and the dream feud was left unfulfilled. Should WWE revisit the storyline and have Goldberg take on Reigns in his next match, as DDP suggests?

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#1. Bron Breakker would love to have a "war" with Brock Lesnar

Bron Breakker is quickly becoming one of WWE's hottest talents as many fans consider him a future top guy. The NXT star was a guest on WWE's El Brunch, where he addressed the possibility of facing Brock Lesnar.

He was still in college when he first met Brock Lesnar backstage at a RAW show in 2017. Breakker called the former WWE Champion an 'animal' and felt he could elevate himself by sharing the ring with the Beast Incarnate.

Here's what Bron Breakker had to say:

"I met him (in) like 2017. I went backstage to Raw when I was in college. I met him there. As a performer, I haven't ran into him. I'd love to work with Brock. He's an animal. Like Roddy, he would elevate me, force me to elevate and bring my game up. It would be a war."

Bron Breakker will surely secure a main-roster call-up in the future, and a compelling face-off with Brock Lesnar could be a great angle if booked right.

Feel free to share your thoughts regarding this week's stories in the comments section below. We'll catch you on the next edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling WWE News & Rumor Roundup.