3 AEW rumors we hope are true and 2 we hope aren't: Jeff Hardy's potential debut date revealed; ex-WWE star unlikely to sign with Tony Khan; top babyface injured at Revolution?
Welcome back to this week's edition of AEW rumors that we hope are true and those we hope aren't.
At the recently concluded Revolution pay-per-view, Tony Khan continued his signing spree by bringing in William Regal and Shane "Swerve" Strickland.
It looks like the saga will resume this Wednesday night, as we've come across an update on Jeff Hardy's potential debut date. Unfortunately, another rumored signee is unlikely to follow in the footsteps of Charismatic Enigma.
Meanwhile, a top babyface has reportedly suffered an injury during the Face of the Revolution Ladder match this past Sunday night.
Aside from these lead rumor stories, we have plenty to cover today in today's column. With all that said, let's quickly dive into the top five rumors of the week.
#5 Hopefully true: Jeff Hardy could make his AEW debut on Dynamite this week
If Jeff hardy Joins AEW I would like to see This Match Happen .. https://t.co/SeqtECqLP1
It looks like the wait is finally over for those wrestling fans eagerly waiting to see Jeff Hardy's potential AEW debut.
Fightful Select recently reported that Charismatic Enigma is "slated" to be present at the upcoming episode of Dynamite. Whether or not the 44-year-old will make a television appearance remains to be seen:
"Jeff Hardy will be All Elite soon. Hardy is slated to be at Wednesday's Dynamite, though its not sure if he's appearing on the program as soon as then."
We hope this is true because Jeff's 90-day non-compete clause is supposedly up today (March 9). Interestingly, the former WWE Champion fortuitously confirmed rumors of joining All Elite Wrestling during his recent music concert.
#4 Hopefully true: Johnny Gargano unlikely to sign with Tony Khan's promotion
Johnny Gargano is another rumored AEW signing that has created a lot of stir on social media. However, Dave Meltzer recently busted the speculation by noting that fans shouldn't expect to see the 34-year-old veteran in All Elite Wrestling anytime soon:
“Apparently don’t expect him in AEW in the next month or so. I know people were expecting it any week now.”
We hope this rumor is true. Although Gargano would be another massive addition to Tony Khan's star-studded roster, he could soon find himself lost in the shuffle. One can argue the same in Jeff Hardy's case, but the latter himself appears to have confirmed his next wrestling home. Johnny Gargano, meanwhile, hasn't dropped any such hints regarding his pro wrestling destination.
The veteran was the heart and soul of NXT before he decided to take a sabbatical from pro wrestling. It wouldn't be far-fetched to say that Gargano's chances of thriving in WWE upon a potential return are higher than embarking on a new chapter in AEW.
#3 Hopefully not true: Orange Cassidy suffered an injury at Revolution pay-per-view
Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio recently reported that Orange Cassidy suffered a shoulder injury during his match at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view.
Cassidy was one of the six participants during the Face of the Revolution Ladder match, which Wardlow won. Surprisingly, the injury didn't occur through any of the ladder spots, but rather when Keith Lee tossed Cassidy outside the ring.
We hope this isn't true. Although The Freshly Squeezed did land awkwardly after taking multiple scary bumps in the match, neither AEW nor Cassidy himself have made any official statement on the matter. As of this writing, fans should take the said rumor with a pinch of salt.
#2 Hopefully true: Cody Rhodes to potentially lead the charge for ROH Invasion
Hmmmmmm #CodyRhodes doesn't have contract renewed with #AEW then #TonyKahn buts #ROH... is it all that far fetched that Cody leads an #ROH invasion??? Comment below and Retweets appreciated. #WrestlingCommunity https://t.co/EzwTmDrDku
Cody Rhodes' pro wrestling future has been up in the air since he left All Elite Wrestling last month.
While initial rumors suggested that the former EVP would be returning to WWE, talks between the two parties have apparently "fizzled out," at least that's what the the situation looks like at the moment.
Interestingly, after Tony Khan acquired ROH, speculation started running rampant over the prospect of seeing Cody Rhodes leading the charge for a potential ROH invasion. SRS of Fightful disclosed insider information from a source vouching for this fan theory. As per the reports, the ROH invasion angle could happen with The American Nightmare orchestrating it.
We hope this rumor turns out to be true. Since Cody's situation with WWE has apparently been described as "uncertain," one would love to see him return to AEW by leading the charge for an invasion. The scenario would not only reinvigorate ROH but would also bring more eyeballs to the AEW product.
#1 Hopefully not true: WWE planning to sue AEW over Jeff Hardy's breach of contract
Jeff Hardy may have found himself in hot water after accidentally announcing his next potential wrestling destination (All Elite Wrestling) while still under WWE's 90-day non-compete clause.
Dave Meltzer recently reported that WWE is looking for potential evidence so that they can sue the rival company over Jeff's breach of contract:
"Hardy, today, is under contract to WWE. If you say that, it’s like, it’s frickin’ admission to tampering. Jeff saying it’s already a problem with WWE, because, of course, they’re looking to do something legally in this situation. I mean, they’re looking for that mistake."
We hope there's no credibility to these reports as Jeff Hardy has clarified his statement via a tweet in which he rejected AEW rumors.
As mentioned earlier, the 44-year-old star's non-compete contract will be expiring on March 9. If WWE were planning to sue over this situation, they would have done it by now. That said, it will be interesting to see whether or not Jeff debuts on Dynamite this week.
What do you make of these rumor stories? Sound off in the comments section below.