4 Biggest AEW rumors we hope are true and 1 we hope isn't: Speculation on John Cena leaving WWE; CM Punk threatening to quit again; Triple H trying to steal a contracted star?
Welcome to another edition of AEW rumors we hope are true and some we hope aren't.
Wrestling fans should always take speculations with a grain of salt, but the rumor mill has gone into overdrive lately with the hearsays about seeing John Cena work for a rival company.
Meanwhile, did CM Punk go off script to amplify real-life heat on television?
Plus, WWE has reportedly reached out to a contracted AEW star for a switch. Continue reading as we shed light more on the story and other remaining top rumors of the week to cap off the column.
#5. Hopefully True: John Cena is not leaving WWE anytime soon
Several WWE bigwigs like Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole have jumped ship to AEW in the recent past, but fans shouldn't expect John Cena to follow in their footsteps anytime soon.
Dave Meltzer recently quashed rampant speculation by asserting that only a "giant" falling out with WWE could prompt Cena to wrestle elsewhere:
"Cena’s not looking to be the top guy, he’s got his Hollywood thing, so he’s just looking to come in here and there. So you can never say zero percent but like 0.1 percent you know what I mean? I don’t envision that has a chance of happening. The only way would be a giant falling out, and I don’t see WWE allowing it to get that bad.” [H/T: InsideTheRopes]
We hope this belief is true. Despite realizing his true calling in acting, John Cena remains a WWE mainstay today.
With his pro wrestling career soon reaching its closure, fans would love to see the 45-year-old have one last hurrah under the same umbrella that helped him achieve superstardom.
#4. Hopefully Not True: CM Punk threatening to leave AEW
The animosity between Jon Moxley & CM Punk has blurred the lines between reality & kayfabe!
#AEW #JonMoxley #CMPunk https://t.co/noyXgA76Go
AEW World Champion CM Punk recently did the unthinkable when he reportedly went off script and called out Hangman Adam Page for a title rematch.
The Straight Edge Superstar seemingly vented his anger at The Cowboy by explicitly saying, "The Apology must be as loud and as public as the disrespect."
Dave Meltzer alluded to the real-life heat between Punk and Page deriving from their feud leading up to their Double or Nothing match this year:
"If you're wondering about the CM Punk thing at the start of the show with Adam Page, that was weird, for everyone. As in, nobody knew he was going to do that and if you remember months ago when they were feuding, I said that there's a lot of reality to it, well, there's a lot of reality to it.
Bryan Alvarez added that The Second City Saint "went into business for himself" as some sort of getting payback:
"Punk's promo at the beginning of the show had absolutely zero, zilch, with what they're going to do at the pay-per-view so don't read into that as they're going to do this and that because that was not supposed to happen and Punk just went into business for himself and then moved on, which was bull**** actually because he called the guy out, it was off script, so obviously Hangman isn't going to come out."
Fightful Select also shockingly revealed that the locker room initially feared CM Punk might not show up for last week's show.
The word making the rounds is that while the situation wouldn't have led to Punk quitting the company, "threats have been levied," according to a veteran. The 43-year-old is also said to be unhappy with the company.
We hope this report is not true. The Chicago native has often gone on record to say that he's enjoying the time of his life in AEW. Meanwhile, his fellow workers had nothing but good things to say about Punk's backstage attitude.
Punk and Page have also been spotted having friendly interactions with fans. Hence, it questions whether the two despise each other in real life.
The company may be trying to create a buzz surrounding the former WWE Superstar's potential heel turn during the feud against Jon Moxley.
#3. Hopefully True: Chris Jericho vs. Bryan Danielson is in the works for AEW All Out this year
Bryan Danielson and Chris Jericho have been on a collision course stemming from the heated rivalry between The Blackpool Combat Club and the Jericho Appreciation Society.
It looks like the two stalwarts will finally get the opportunity to settle their grievances inside the square circle.
Dave Meltzer recently noted that the company is planning to book a blockbuster match between Jericho and Danielson at the All Out pay-per-view:
"They may go with [Bryan] Danielson and [Chris] Jericho which is the first [plan] I heard for the pay-per-view. When [Daniel] Garcia won [a few weeks ago], I thought they were going in a different direction.” [H/T: PWMania].
We hope this report is true. The American Dragon needs a high-profile program after he defeated Daniel Garcia in a two-out-of-three falls match last week.
On that note, The Wizard would be an ideal opponent considering he also doesn't have a feud after failing to dethrone Jon Moxley a few weeks ago.
He even planted the seeds for an imminent match against Danielson after laying him out last Wednesday.
A clash between the two box office attractions could bolster the match card for All Out and even help lure significant eyeballs to the show.
#2. Hopefully True: WWE reportedly reached out to a contracted AEW wrestler
A contracted AEW talent reported to the company that a WWE rep contacted them for a possible return.
Full story on FightfulSelect.com shortly for subscribers. https://t.co/ryZ60ZDj8O
Fightful Select recently learned that a member of WWE Talent Relations reached out to a contracted AEW wrestler about potentially joining the company.
Interestingly, the star has let Tony Khan's promotion know about the overtures being made. However, the anonymous star is reportedly happy with AEW and doesn't intend to jump ship anytime soon.
We hope this report is true. It has previously been said that Triple H is keen to bring back notable names that either left or didn't re-sign with the sports entertainment juggernaut under Vince McMahon's regime.
#1. Hopefully True: Erick Redbeard is not signed with All Elite Wrestling
Erick Redbeard (fka Erick Rowan) has made several sporadic appearances for AEW since his WWE release in 2020.
He most recently wrestled on AEW Rampage: Quake By The Lake special when he joined forces with Danhausen to face The Gunn Club.
In the wake of his recent match, wrestling fans are pondering whether the former Wyatt Family member has signed with All Elite Wrestling.
Fightful Select reported that Redbeard had not yet signed a contract with Tony Khan, but he maintains a good rapport with the promotion.
This likely explains why the company reached out to him for a one-off appearance on Rampage, which took place in front of his hometown of Minneapolis a few weeks ago.
We hope this is true. The AEW roster is extremely stacked right now for Erick Redbeard to thrive. But the veteran could still show up occasionally, especially given his good relationship with Tony Khan.