WWE News & Notes 2014: Roman Reigns to Return in December, AJ Lee Leaving Rumors Rising, More
Roman Reigns, who has been sidelined after emergency surgery for an incarcerated hernia, is set to return to the ring as quickly as late-December.
Reigns has been advertised to compete on the Dec. 20 house show in Sioux City, South Dakota in a match against Corporate Kane, with "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair as special guest referee, and the Dec. 27 Monday Night Raw in Cincinnati, Ohio against United States Champion Rusev in a title bout.
Reigns' December return would put him in line to compete in the Royal Rumble in January, which may be the start of his championship push for WrestleMania 31. Reigns is being groomed to headline WrestleMania 31 against the winner of the Royal Rumble match between John Cena and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan is also looking to return in time for WrestleMania 31, though he is still unsure about whether he will have Tommy John surgery on his elbow. Bryan had previously told Sports Illustrated that he would have the procedure done to help with weakness in his arm but has yet to go through with the medical procedure.
"I'm hoping to be back in January and be ready for WrestleMania here at Levi Stadium but there is no way to know," said Bryan to CSN Bay Area during the WrestleMania 31 ticket party. "Right now, there is contemplation of doing a second surgery to my elbow but we just don't really know. We are just doing our best to get me back and healthy."
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It appears that The Great Khali is no longer with the WWE after the company let his contract expire without renewing it. The Great Khali's profile was moved to the "Alumni" section of WWE.com, signifying his departure from the company. The Great Khali signed with WWE in 2006 and won the World Heavyweight Championship in 2007 in an Over-The-Top-Rope Battle Royal after champion Edge went down with an injury. The Great Khali headlined throughout 2007, dropping the title to Batista, and was at the height of his WWE career when he competed against "The Animal" in a Punjabi Prison match at No Mercy 2007, which ended with Batista successfully defending the World Title in the bamboo structure.
Another WWE Superstar who is rumored to be leaving is WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee. AJ, who recently married the retired CM Punk, may be on the verge of finishing up with the company, according to Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline.com. AJ is advertised to compete in WWE events going into the TLC pay-per-view, but not for shows after the month of December.
With an agreement in place between the WWE and El Patron Alberto (aka Alberto Del Rio), one that may have included a financial settlement, El Patron was back in action competing in the United States, making a surprise appearance at the House of Hardcore 7 event at the ECW Arena last week. El Patron was introduced to the crowd by Ricardo Rodriguez, the four-time WWE world champion coming out to huge ovation, and defeated Bryan Myers (who previously wrestled under the "Curt Hawkins" moniker in the WWE) with the Cross Armbreaker.
El Patron teased to Bill Apter that, now with things settled between him and the WWE, he will be working in two different organizations in 2015 on top of his schedule with Mexico's Lucha Libre AAA. El Patron told fans during his Signamania wrestling convention appearance over the weekend that he would be working with both Lucha Underground, airing on Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network, and with TNA Wrestling starting next year.
"I'm about to sign with two different companies with TV deals and everything but it's not going to be until January," said El Patron to Bill Apter.
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