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Welcome back to another exciting edition of WWE News and Rumor Roundup. This year's Draft ended on RAW earlier this week, but the reshuffling of talent won't be in effect until after Crown Jewel. We came across several interesting backstage stories and not-so-subtle social media exchanges that could dictate WWE's immediate future.
Here, we look at some of the most significant updates and rumors that have headlined the news over the last 24 hours. So, without further ado, let's begin.
#5 The legal team might not clear WWE Champion Big E's idea for merchandise
Big E most recently described a potential match against Goldberg using the phrase "big meaty men slapping meat." He reportedly tried to get that sentence out on his merchandise but knows that the WWE legal team would not clear the idea owing to the non-PG innuendo underlying the words. He recently revealed backstage details regarding his bold idea:
"We need to. We need to. I tried to, but legal would not clear it. So, we're working on something else but, sometimes, you just got to push those through those barriers, so we'll see. I hope so," said Big E.
Goldberg is currently involved in a feud with Bobby Lashley. The latter had attacked his son at SummerSlam, and The Icon recently returned for his revenge. Both superstars are now scheduled to face each other in a No Holds Barred match at Crown Jewel later this month.
Big E did not rule out a potential match against Goldberg and even cut a promo on The New Day: Feel the Power podcast. This is where the phrase "big meaty men slapping meat" first came into being.
"I don't want to hear y'all talking about this 'workrate'... and moonsaults. I don't care about any of that. Ya heard? You want a great match? Nah - bump that. I wanna see two big men with big... chests and big muscles, bumping meat. That's why I'm here. That's why I watched wrestling as a kid. You want your five star matches? You want your 30 minute classics? Not me. Big meaty men slapping meat. That's what I want," said the current WWE Champion.
He is scheduled to defend his WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre at Crown Jewel 2021. But can we see him involved in a feud with Goldberg after the upcoming pay-per-view?
#4 AJ Styles welcomed Finn Balor on Monday Night RAW after WWE Draft 2021
The recently concluded WWE Draft 2021 brought a piece of great news for AJ Styles. RAW retained The Phenomenal One alongside his tag team partner Omos. But Styles is glad to know that his long-term friend Finn Balor has also been drafted into the Red brand.
AJ Styles took to Twitter to welcome Finn Balor to the RAW, labeling him as one of the few people he likes on the roster. The Prince didn't say much, but it seems that he is happy about Styles' messages.
Styles and Omos are set to challenge Randy Orton and Riddle for the RAW Tag Team Championships at WWE Crown Jewel. Following that, The Phenomenal One can potentially work on a storyline with Balor where they could either form an alliance or deliver a feud for the ages.
#3 Dana Brooke hits back at Corey Graves' comments during her match on WWE RAW
Dana Brooke faced Shayna Baszler on WWE RAW earlier this week. Several fans took to Twitter after her match and pointed out Corey Graves' comments that seemingly buried her on air. Graves criticized her lack of development and accomplishments in the company, which didn't sit well with Brooke's fans.
"I'm all for giving people time to develop, giving people time to realize their potential, but on a long enough timeline, you gotta cut your losses. Dana Brooke has not accomplished much of anything," Corey Graves said at the start of the match.
Dana Brooke then took to her Instagram stories and subtly responded to the controversial comments. She said that people can't stop and throw stones at every dog that barks before insisting that they should watch her work.
"You cannot entertain everything regardless if it's indirect or direct! Let people do what they do best. Talk! Y'all act like y'all gone die because somebody said something about you. It is not that deep! You cannot stop and throw stones at every dog that barks. Once you entertain a clown, you become one [woman waving emoji] You the clown [clown emoji] I'm the queen [queen emoji] I keep pushing [through]! Watch me work," Dana Brooke posted in her Instagram stories.
This was Brooke's first appearance on the Red brand since her former tag team partner Mandy Rose moved back to WWE NXT. She lost her match against Baszler and was added to the latter's list of victims.
#2 WWE Superstar reveals hilarious incident involving his sword
WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre recently revealed how his sword gets better treatment than him while they are traveling. He shared his hilarious interactions with TSA authorities, who usually check for electronics but were unexpectedly subjected to checks on a magnificent sword.
"The first time I went through TSA, it was like you're waiting in line, it's so monotonous, and the people who work there just say the same thing over and over almost in a robotic mode. They were like, 'Sir do you have any laptops or Ipads?' I went like, 'No. But I do have this great sword right here.' It caught their attention and unfortunately after that, the sword had to travel separately. It gets its own private plane, its own special treatment. It's actually treated better than me," McIntyre said.
McIntyre was barred from challenging for the WWE Championship as long as Bobby Lashley held it. He now has a final shot at winning gold at Crown Jewel before moving on to SmackDown. The Scottish Warrior has already stated that he will go after Roman Reigns' Universal Championship on the Blue brand.
#1 Former Tag Team Champions didn't know about their split before Draft 2021
Natalya and Tamina split up during the recent reshuffling of talent. The former was drafted to SmackDown while the latter moved to RAW. As per the latest backstage reports, neither of the two superstars knew their team was going to be disbanded.
Apart from Natalya and Tamina, WWE also split up Tegan Nox and Shotzi. It was a surprising decision as it means that Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H. are the only tag teams left in the division. It will be interesting to see what the company will do after practically nullifying any challengers that could have faced Ripley and Nikki for the tag team titles.
