3 AEW rumors we hope are true and 2 we hope aren't: Kevin Owens and SmackDown star leaving WWE, Tony Khan unlikely to sign Jeff Hardy, Bray Wyatt's potential debut teased?

Kevin Owens (left) and Jeff Hardy (right)

Welcome back to another exciting edition of AEW rumors that we hope are true and those we hope aren't. While some WWE stars are keen on letting their contracts expire, others have prompted the company to release them. Either way, WWE's loss is undeniably AEW's gain these days.

Today's edition will revolve around reports providing updates over soon-to-be free agents and potential wrestling destinations for them. With that in mind, let's quickly get down to the top rumors of the week.

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#5 Hopefully true: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn leaving WWE for AEW

WWE Superstars Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are likely to leave WWE for AEW once their current contracts expire.

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that WWE is likely giving sufficient television time to both Owens and Zayn lately so the two stars can happily renew their contracts with the company. However, Meltzer also shed light on their friendships with The Young Bucks and Adam Cole, which could play a pivotal role in them jumping ship over to AEW.

"Owens and Zayn are the two guys people know about whose deals are due soon and obviously both do go back with the Young Bucks, Adam Cole and others to PWG and the indie scene. If nothing else, you’d think they would listen to offers. Both being given more TV time of late is likely due to wanting them to be happy with their push and stay. But on the flip side, if they don’t sign they can use them as names to put over the top people the way the booking is going,'' stated Meltzer.

We hope this is true, as Owens and Zayn will be massive additions to the AEW roster. Yes, the current locker room is a mix of some part-timers and rising stars.

But there's no point for Owens and Zayn to stay in WWE, knowing their underutilized status over the past few years. And despite an over-loaded AEW roster, Tony Khan has managed to book almost everyone to their fullest potential so far.

#4 Hopefully not true: AEW may not sign Jeff Hardy for one big reason

AEW is hailed as the most desirable and potential wrestling destination every time WWE releases one of its stars. Not too long ago, Vince McMahon's promotion released Jeff Hardy from his contract as he had refused higher-ups' offer to go to rehab following a 'rough' outing at a recent live event.

Dave Meltzer is now reporting that AEW President Tony Khan could be hesitant to offer a deal to Hardy due to the latter refusing rehab for his addiction problems.

We hope the said factor doesn't come into play whenever AEW and Jeff Hardy negotiate over a potential contract down the road. Plus, Tony Khan has done a formidable job in handling dire situations of his employees, as seen previously with the late Jon Huber and backing Jon Moxley's decision to enter the alcohol treatment program.

While Hardy's health comes first, we hope AEW welcomes him with open arms once he is ready to resume his passion.

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#3 Hopefully true: Andrade and Charlotte Flair could still be together amid their recent breakup rumors

AEW's Andrade and WWE's Charlotte Flair have been making rounds on social media lately after rumors of their breakup started swirling when the couple unfollowed each other on Instagram and Twitter.

However, Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc. reported that there's no credibility to any of these rumors and that the couple is still together:

"Some signs indicate that the reports of their break-up were greatly exaggerated: Wrestling Inc’s Raj Giri tweeted “word I’ve gotten is that Charlotte Flair and Andrade are still very much together,” and Andrade posted a selfie seemingly to Charlotte and commented “F…. Fake News”

We hope this is true since AEW's Andrade possibly shut down the rumors by posting the above tweet.

#2 Hopefully not true: AEW teased Bray Wyatt's potential debut on Dynamite this week?

At the beginning of the recently-concluded AEW Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale, shades of blue and red light appeared for a while before disappearing off. The word out is that neither of the announcers acknowledged it, nor that it seemed like a production issue.

If you recall, AEW did something similar before Malakai Black's arrival. The company may have been teasing the same about Bray Wyatt. Even Tony Khan himself recently hinted at some impending surprises down the road.

We hope this assumption is not true. Though having a creative genius like Bray Wyatt would bolster the AEW roster, it makes no sense to have his debut teased during the battle royale, which doesn't seem to link with his arrival anywhere. Plus, the battle royale consisted of underutilized stars except for MJF. For the most part, this entire playoff feels absurd.

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#1 Hopefully true: Brian Cage is still with AEW

Wrestling fans are concerned over Brian Cage's status with AEW since he hasn't been seen on AEW programming in any capacity for several weeks. As per Fightful Select, Cage is still with the company. He was also present backstage during a recent Dynamite episode, which went down at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia.

The former FTW Champion even wrestled on the Jericho Cruise against Serpentico, Isiah Kassidy, and Angelico back in October.

We hope this report is accurate since the AEW fanbase still wants to see Brian Cage break out as a main event star in Tony Khan's promotion, regardless of his underwhelming booking. Cage may still be an AEW employee, but he could decide not to renew his contract once it expires. As a result, Khan needs to start pushing him to his true potential before it's too late.