As he tends to do, Brock Lesnar recently made headlines when it was reported that the former Universal champion intends to retire from MMA, sparking rumors about his future with WWE.

That topic headlines a week of rumors surrounding controversial Superstars looking for a way out or earning heat for their backstage behavior.

Find out who is at the center of those reports with this collection of WWE backstage rumors.

Brock Lesnar's WWE Deal

Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats reported on Wednesday, "speculation has Brock Lesnar signing another big deal with WWE, and that [is] why he is done with MMA."

Brett Okamoto of ESPN reported on Twitter a day earlier that UFC President Dana White had said: "Brock Lesnar told me he's done. He's retiring."

That has to be welcome news for a company that has been the subject of so many internet reports regarding talent wanting out of contracts for greener pastures.

At a time when star power is at a premium, Lesnar lends his name and box office appeal to WWE for the time being. Details of the reported contract are not available, but one would imagine it is another one-year deal worth a ton of money.

And rightfully so.

Say what you will about Lesnar and his sporadic appearances, but The Beast is a household name whose championship matches and pay-per-view main events always generate a little more excitement than the standard fare.

His contests with Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Triple H, John Cena and The Undertaker spark debate and discussion. Lesnar brings that to a company that far too often of late feels inconsequential. His contract, whatever its value, is worth it for WWE as it continues to look for ways to keep fans invested as television ratings drop and interest in the product wanes over the summer months.

The Revival Update

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported Monday that The Revival's Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder have each been offered WWE contracts totaling $500,000 but that neither has accepted.

Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com followed up on that report, revealing Dawson and Wilder turned down the offers.

Sapp's initial report, coupled with Meltzer's follow-up, would explain the humiliating segment from Monday's episode of WWE Raw in which The Usos caught Wilder shaving Dawson's back in the shower. The subsequent loss to Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins for what feels like the 100th time since WrestleMania did not help matters.

Dawson and Wilder have every reason to be wary of re-signing with WWE.

The most promising tag team to come out of NXT, a throwback to the days of the Andersons, they should have revolutionized the main roster's tag division and sparked change within it. Instead, early injuries to both Superstars halted their progression and the team never recovered.

Still one of the most gifted tandems in the industry, with a clear attention to detail and tag team psychology, they have earned better than what WWE Creative has given them. If that means they have to take their talents elsewhere to achieve the success they deserve, so be it.

Even if $500,000 per performer is unrealistic outside of McMahonland.

Report on Lio Rush's Backstage Heat

Sapp also reported, "A source on the WWE Roster tells me Lio Rush would be very lucky to be back on the main roster anytime soon, if ever." He continued, "the brash cruiserweight has repeatedly rubbed the locker room the wrong way, and we've heard from several WWE sources that the roster has wanted him out of the locker room for quite a while."

An incident in which Rush responded "unfavorably" to advice from Finn Balor, coupled with Rush's insistence on his wife's presence "all the time," led to what appears to be a demotion.

Rush reached out to Sapp and responded to the reports, stating: "Me and Finn are cool, and my wife has never been an issue. There is someone who works for WWE who has hated me since the day I've worked for ROH and now that they work for WWE they're leaking false information to get me released. At a certain point, I have to defend myself, so that's what I decided to do."

That Rush is responding to reports and reaching out to websites to address reports suggests his issues with the locker room and WWE as a whole could be uglier than even those initial rumors suggested.

A talented wrestler, Rush has the ability to be a star. He has also demonstrated a larger-than-life personality that could help him get over with audiences in a way other cruiserweight Superstars have struggled to. As long as reports of an inflated ego continue to surface, though, his opportunities to be the star he could be are going to be limited.