WWE Rumor Roundup: Superstars released because management disliked them; Future uncertain for respected top name because of Vince McMahon's return

Welcome to the latest edition of the daily WWE Rumor Roundup, where we aim to bring you the most prominent rumors and updates from the world of sports entertainment. In today's edition, we will look at some exciting stories revolving around top names like Vince McMahon, William Regal, and Seth Rollins.

There has been a lot of buzz ever since Vince McMahon returned from his 'retirement' as the Executive Chairman of WWE. While some reports say it is merely to initiate the sale of the company, some feel that he wants to regain creative control. However, his return could have an adverse effect on 15-time champion William Regal:

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#3. Is Triple H's return plan for William Regal in trouble?

William Regal was one of the names released when Vince McMahon was the CEO of WWE. Regal joined AEW and managed The Blackpool Combat Club for some time. After McMahon's retirement, Regal was in talks with the new regime to make a return to the company in an off-screen position. That may be in jeopardy now, as per Dave Meltzer.

''On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that William Regal’s situation has been a topic of discussion internally now that Vince McMahon has come back and it’s unclear how this may affect him.'' (H/T Cageside seats)

The former King of the Ring had become a staple of NXT since its inception, and his release came as a shock to many. Regal and Triple H are close to each other, and it was rumored that Regal would be getting a vice-president position in WWE once he returns.

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#2. Vince McMahon released superstars he did not like from WWE

There was a flurry of releases in 2020 and 2021 when Vince McMahon was the head. Due to budget cuts, the company released many superstars, including Karrion Kross, Samoa Joe, and Matt Cardona. Some have returned under Triple H, while others have joined AEW or Impact Wrestling. Here's what a WWE official told Fightful Select:

“I can’t count how many interviews I’ve read or people I talked to outside of the company that said ‘Vince liked me, but I got fired,’ He didn’t like you, he didn’t like any of them he fired or they wouldn’t have been fired during a pandemic.”

Though Vince McMahon announced his retirement last year, he has since returned to the company as a board member. He is the largest shareholder in the company and wants to retain the power to decide which network buys WWE or gets the rights for RAW and SmackDown.

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#1. Seth Rollins' injury is a work

Seth Rollins seemingly got injured during the January 2nd episode of RAW. He appeared to have suffered a knee injury and was escorted out after the referee there showed the 'X' sign, indicating that the superstar had injured himself during the match. However, PWInsider has reported that the injury is not real and is merely a work.

''Last night’s RAW made this clear, but PWInsider reported that Seth Rollins’ 'knee spots' from the Jan. 2 main event 'were all part of the storyline of the match with Austin Theory.' Rollins didn’t miss last weekend’s house shows; he was never scheduled to appear on them.'' (H/T CSS)

WWE.com has stated that Rollins will be requiring knee surgery, which is why he has been absent on RAW this week. The Visionary has also played along and has not hinted at his injury being kayfabe. However, the idea behind the angle is to further the storyline between Rollins and the US Champion Austin Theory.