WWE Rumor Roundup: Backstage heat on SmackDown star, Former champion to buy WWE after Vince McMahon's retirement? Backstage reaction to 10-time champion walking out of SmackDown

Welcome to the latest edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's daily Rumor Roundup, where we look at the top WWE rumors of the day.

A lot has happened over the last few days with Vince McMahon announcing his retirement and the drama surrounding Brock Lesnar. We now have an update on the backstage reaction to Lesnar's reported walkout.

We also have another interesting report on the possibility of a former WWE Champion buying the company after Mr. McMahon's retirement, and more.

Without further ado, let's dive straight into the daily Rumor Roundup. Be sure to let us know your thoughts and reactions in the comments section below.

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#4. Backstage reaction to Brock Lesnar walking out of SmackDown after Vince McMahon's retirement

Soon after Vince McMahon's shocking retirement announcement, reports emerged that Brock Lesnar was extremely upset and walked out of the SmackDown tapings.

According to Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, this led to a "huge panic" backstage as the company didn't want any issues so soon after Vince McMahon had departed:

“One of the things I've heard is to not to expect any major changes because right now they want to show Wall Street and stockholders that everything is stable and everything is fine. They don’t want big changes. In fact, there was a huge panic when Brock (Lesnar) walked out. It was said the worst thing possible would be it looks like Vince left, and now it’s just anarchy. They want everything to look as stable as possible to make it look like it’s a smooth transition and that the company is in good hands and doesn’t fall apart without Vince McMahon," said Meltzer. (H/T: WrestlingNews.co)

There were major doubts over whether Brock Lesnar would show up on SmackDown and compete at SummerSlam. WWE reportedly even considered bringing back Goldberg as a last-minute replacement if Lesnar backed out.

However, the Beast Incarnate showed up on SmackDown last week and everything seems to be going as originally planned as of now.

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#3. Could a former WWE Champion buy the company following Vince McMahon's retirement?

Vince McMahon's retirement has definitely shaken things up in WWE. Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan have been named co-CEOs while Bruce Prichard is now the creative head.

On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer discussed the possibility of 10-time world champion The Rock buying WWE. Speaking about The Rock's great friendship with Nick Khan, Meltzer stated that the legendary star could indeed round up capital and buy the company:

"Dwayne himself does not have the money to buy WWE, nor does anyone, but could he go in there and round up capital? Can they all work together and buy this company together? That is an absolutely intriguing possibility," claimed Meltzer. "Dwayne loves pro wrestling, it was his family’s business, and his daughter is now in it. This is not some weird fantasy, this is absolutely something that can be viable."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson previously acquired Vince McMahon's XFL brand, leading to speculations that he could end up buying WWE as well. The Great One is also heavily rumored to return for a match against his cousin Roman Reigns at next year's WrestleMania 39.

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#2. Favorites to win SummerSlam 2022 matches revealed

We are less than a week away from The Biggest Party of the Summer. Several major matches have been announced for SummerSlam 2022 so far and fans are interested to know who will come out victorious.

Roman Reigns is set to defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar in a massive "Last Man Standing" match. He is currently the favorite to defeat Lesnar and retain his title.

Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan are also the favorites to retain their RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships against Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey respectively. Also, Riddle is the favorite to defeat Seth Rollins.

Here are the full current betting odds for SummerSlam 2022 via BetOnline:

• WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns (-250) vs. Brock Lesnar (+165)
• Riddle (-150) vs. Seth Rollins (+110)
• United States Champion Bobby Lashley (-300) vs. Theory (+200)
• Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos (-300) vs. The Street Profits (+200)
• SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan (-200) vs. Ronda Rousey (+150)
• Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair (-250) vs. Becky Lynch (+175)
• Happy Corbin (+200) vs. Pat McAfee (-300)

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#1. Friday Night SmackDown star has rubbed some people wrong backstage

Reports emerged this week that SmackDown star Max Dupri has been removed from his Maximum Male Models stable. The faction consisted of Dupri managing ma.çé and mån.sôör.

PWTorch has now reported that Dupri rubbed some people wrong backstage and wasn't fitting in. It was Vince McMahon who ultimately made the decision to remove him from the faction.

On the latest episode of SmackDown, Max Dupri's storyline sister Maxxine Dupri debuted and replaced him as head of the stable. Maxxine is portrayed by NXT's Sofia Cromwell.