Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

McIntyre Takes Shot at Reigns' On-Screen Character

Drew McIntyre has long been at odds with Roman Reigns, and he stoked the fire of their rivalry once again this week.

During an interview with the Scottish Sun Sport (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), McIntyre discussed Reigns and the fact that he still hasn't apologized for his past misdeeds, saying:

"Roman comes back, takes a vacation, drinks some margaritas, gets some abs, and doesn't apologize. And everybody cheers and goes, 'Oh, he's a man, he's back, he's great, he's our guy again.' Yeah, he's cool, but the reality is he's the same guy who disappeared after WrestleMania."

To McIntyre's point, Reigns dropped the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40 before returning at SummerSlam, but he never truly made up for what he put certain people through.

Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso and Sami Zayn all agreed to fight alongside Reigns in a WarGames match against Solo Sikoa and the new Bloodline despite Reigns refusing to apologize for his past actions.

McIntyre and Seth Rollins have both been outspoken about the idea that Reigns has not bettered himself at all, but despite that, the fans have provided the OTC with hugely positive reactions since his return.

Drew further explained his issues with Reigns, saying: "The problem is, when I want the title, if he's back in power, I can't get the title—specifically the one I was screwed out of at Clash at the Castle. The one Cody has right now. Roman's angling to get it back. It's all part of the bigger picture."

McIntyre went on to call himself a "reluctant hero" who has to stop Reigns and "save everybody as usual."

Both McIntyre and Reigns will be part of a star-studded field in the men's Royal Rumble match on Saturday, and it seems likely that they will come to blows at some point during the bout.

Rumored Royal Rumble Status of NXT Superstars

NXT stars reportedly aren't privy to whether there are plans for them to compete in the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches this weekend.

According to Chris Featherstone on the Backstage Pass Patreon page (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), NXT wrestlers are "currently unaware" of their status for the Rumble.

Over the past several years, NXT stars have regularly been surprise entrants in the Rumble matches, and in many respects, they have replaced the old method of bringing in aging veterans for the surprise spots.

Just last year, the women's Rumble featured Roxanne Perez and Tiffany Stratton from NXT, while Carmelo Hayes and Bron Breakker were elevated from NXT to take part in the men's Royal Rumble.

There is no shortage of viable options for both Royal Rumbles this year, including Perez, Cora Jade, Giulia, Fallon Henley, Stephanie Vaquer, Zaria, Sol Ruca and Kelani Jordan on the women's side, and Trick Williams, Oba Femi, Ethan Page and Tony D'Angelo for the men.

Most WWE fans are already well aware of the up-and-coming stars in NXT, and for many of them, the Rumble marks their first opportunity to mix it up with the best the main roster has to offer.

The Rumble could either be a cameo or the start of a main roster call-up for the NXT performers who are chosen to be part of it, but regardless of the reasoning, they tend to receive some big reactions from the live crowd.

WWE Reportedly Planning Major Push for Grace

WWE is reportedly planning to push former TNA star Jordynne Grace to a significant degree now that she has joined the company.

According to WrestleVotes on the Backstage Pass Patreon page (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Grace is likely to be "pushed heavily" and WWE is preparing to use her "in a big spot."

Grace made her WWE debut one year ago in the 2024 women's Royal Rumble match. She was the TNA Knockouts world champion at the time, and she was highly impressive after entering the match as a surprise participant.

In the months that followed, Grace made multiple appearances in NXT, including challenging Perez for the NXT Women's Championship at a premium live event.

Last weekend, Grace had her final match in TNA, losing to Tessa Blanchard at the Genesis pay-per-view.

In the wake of Grace's match at Genesis, Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp reported that she officially signed a contract to join WWE.

It seems almost certain that Grace will be a surprise entrant in the women's Royal Rumble match, and if WWE does plan on pushing her as a top star, perhaps it isn't outside the realm of possibility that she could win the Rumble in her first match as a contracted WWE Superstar.

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