WWE Rumor Roundup – Superstar to change character after leaving the company in April, Big plan for Bobby Lashley, Update on Brand Split's status

Welcome back to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s daily WWE Rumor Roundup for another day. We began this week’s slate of articles by discussing the immediate future of an outgoing celebrity following the expiration of his contract.

The WWE Rumor Roundup also includes an update on Bobby Lashley’s WrestleMania Backlash plot. The tag championship unification battle is one of the main events of the forthcoming event, and there have been some worries among fans about the brand split’s viability.

The WWE Rumor Roundup came to a close with the company’s position on the brand expansion. On that topic, here are the top rumors of the day:

#1. Plans for Kushida after his WWE exit revealed

Kushida with the NXT Cruiserweight Championship

Kushida recently left WWE when his contract expired on April 18th, as we revealed last week.

The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion worked for the business for three years. Kushida is trying to return to New Japan Pro Wrestling, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Officials from NJPW have apparently been anticipating Kushida’s return for some time, as he has had a fairly forgettable three-year career in WWE.

While Kushida may not have had the same kind of ‘company loyalty’ as other NJPW wrestlers, the former NXT Superstar is said to wish to work with all of the promotion’s best talent.

The Japanese wrestler also plans on changing his character after his return to NJPW:

“New Japan has expected him [Kushida] back for some time since everyone could see very early in the run that he basically wasted three years of his prime doing almost nothing,” reported Dave Meltzer. “At the time he left, he wanted to try WWE while still in his prime, and he wasn’t a New Japan dojo guy, so he didn’t have the company loyalty that a lot of the talent there has… He does want to be a different character going back and work with the higher-profile guys.”

Kushida joined WWE in 2019 and, although capturing the Cruiserweight title, didn’t have the best time there. The 38-year-old Japanese star is gearing up for a fresh start, and collaborating with NJPW appears to be the perfect method to jumpstart his career.

#2. Bobby Lashley’s WrestleMania Backlash opponent possibly revealed

While WWE has yet to announce a match for Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania Backlash, Dave Meltzer says that the former world champion would face Omos.

Despite losing to Lashley at WrestleMania 38, Omos has a lot of momentum thanks to his decision to join MVP.

WrestleMania Backlash does not include Omos vs. Lashley on the card, but reports imply that the company is moving in that direction:

“Bobby Lashley would also make sense,” Meltzer said. “He’s not listed versus Omos on the show, but they’re headed in that path.”

According to reports, the Backlash storyline will concentrate around MVP’s betrayal of Bobby Lashley. However, Vince McMahon and his team will be seeking to promote Omos, and it will be fascinating to watch The Colossus’ ascension as a huge villain on RAW in the coming weeks.

#3. Update on the brand split’s status

Randy Orton and Riddle will face Jimmy and Jey Uso at WrestleMania Backlash.

At WrestleMania Backlash, RK-Bro and The Usos will face off in a big Winners Take All match. The title unification match has sparked debate regarding the future of the brand split in WWE.

While a new set of undisputed tag team champions will be crowned at WrestleMania Backlash, according to The Wrestling Observer, the promotion does not want to abandon the brand extension.

The unified champions will appear on both brands, same to way Roman Reigns did after WrestleMania 38 on RAW and SmackDown.

The brand split will not be affected by the merger of championships because the rosters will participate independently on their own brands, with the exception of the indisputable titleholders.

WrestleMania Backlash will take place on Sunday, May 8 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, and if you haven’t seen it yet, we have a major spoiler on Roman Reigns’ opponent for the event.