WWE News & Rumor Roundup: Top star hospitalized, Big concerns over Roman Reigns' absence, Massive update on Charlotte Flair

It's a new year, but WWE is continuing to move forward with a lot of momentum before RAW's debut on Netflix.

Today's roundup features all the top stories from the internet, with a popular star confirming her injury by sharing a photo from the hospital bed.

Despite his upcoming match against Solo Sikoa, Roman Reigns has not been on TV and a veteran recently shared the issue with the OTC's absence.

The lineup of news and rumors today also features a much-needed update on Charlotte Flair, as well as Triple H's reaction to a major title change.

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#1. Kairi Sane provides an update amid her sudden WWE hiatus

For someone who was in contention to become the inaugural women's WWE Intercontinental Champion, getting pulled from the tournament would have surely been a major personal setback for Kairi Sane.

Sane was written off TV via an attack from Pure Fusion Collective and replaced by Damage CTRL stablemate, Iyo Sky.

Days after being taken off television, Kairi Sane posted an update on social media, confirming that she had seemingly legitimately injured her arm. As made evident from the photo she shared, Sane was hospitalized due to the injury and is on the road to a full recovery.

As of this writing, however, there is no word on when she will be cleared to compete again.

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#2. Is Roman Reigns' absence a mistake?

The OTC is getting ready to face Solo Sikoa for the Ula Fala, but Roman Reigns is nowhere to be found on WWE's shows.

Paul Heyman was on the latest SmackDown episode and he cut a typically brilliant promo to sell the match between Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns.

The RAW debut on Netflix is a massive deal for the company and Triple H's team is treating it that way by stacking the episode up with PLE-worthy matches.

However, Roman Reigns not being actively involved during the build-up has confused many pundits. During a recent episode of BroDown on Backstage Pass, Vince Russo expressed his displeasure over Roman Reigns not appearing on RAW or SmackDown ahead of a very important show for the WWE.

The former WWE writer explained the concerns over Reigns' unexplained disappearance:

"Don't you find it weird? Like, bro, there's so much Netflix, Netflix, Netflix, Netflix, Netflix. Wasn't it kind of weird that Roman Reigns wasn't on the show? I wish there was somebody I could ask these questions to. I really do. Now you got something. I mean, this (SmackDown) is an infomercial for Netflix. The biggest star that's going to be on that show doesn't make an appearance on this one." [From 35:20 onwards]

Roman Reigns isn't around much these days but his showdown against Solo Sikoa will certainly have far-reaching effects on the current status of The Bloodline saga.

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#3. Charlotte Flair will be back soon

The Queen of the WWE missed the entirety of 2024 due to serious injuries that needed surgery. There were times during the year that went by when fans speculated about Charlotte Flair's potential return, but a new report has shed light on what company officials internally felt about her status.

Fightful Select spoke to WWE talent backstage and they believe Flair is "returning sooner than later." While there wasn't a concrete timetable in place, the expectation is for Charlotte to be featured at the Royal Rumble.

Despite there being rumors of reported creative plans being in place for Flair last year, sources indicated that WWE never anticipated her to be back in 2024, given how hurt she actually was.

Early 2025 was always going to be the target for her return and now that we're here, fans can genuinely start imagining the former women's champion's long-awaited comeback.

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#4. Triple H reacts to Tiffany Stratton's title win

She finally did it! After months of teasers, Tiffany Stratton finally cashed in her Money in the Bank contract.

The former NXT star has waited for the right time to pull the trigger and she did so on this week's SmackDown, following Nia Jax's match against Naomi.

Jax took a KOD from Bianca Belair and Tiffany ended up not only cashing in her contract but getting the job done with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever over Nia.

It's a known tradition within WWE for Triple H to pose with new champions backstage and he didn't disappoint in Stratton's case either. The WWE CCO clicked a trademark finger-pointing photo alongside the new women's champion and also wrote a very special message for her.

While the promotion as a whole might be entering a new era, it's also Tiffy Time on the blue brand and her first title reign on the main roster will be one of the bigger stories in 2025.