3 AEW rumors we hope are true & 3 we hope aren't: CM Punk responsible for popular star's absence; another star done with Tony Khan; Bobby Lashley's former partner confronts WWE legend at a hotel?

Welcome to another edition of AEW rumors that we hope are true and some we hope aren't.

CM Punk's 'good guy act' has impressed many of his admirers since his return. However, a recent report may have prodded old wounds with a former pal and the reason behind his absence.

Meanwhile, an injured wrestler is unlikely to return to AEW. We have also heard tidbits of a heated confrontation between two WWE legends. With all these lead stories, let's dive into the top six rumors stirring in All Elite Wrestling.

#6. Hopefully not true: Is CM Punk the main reason behind Colt Cabana's absence?

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Colt Cabana's AEW career so far has included sporadic appearances. However, the Dark Order member has been missing from the weekly shows lately.

He last wrestled on the March 4th edition of Dark tapings earlier this year. In light of these startling facts, Dave Meltzer has reported that Cabana is in line for a significant run with the company's sister promotion, Ring of Honor.

The wrestling journalist also indicated that CM Punk is responsible for the veteran's absence from AEW programming.

We hope this rumor is false. It's no secret that Punk and Cabana have deep-seated issues stemming from the former's infamous defamation lawsuit against Dr. Chris Amann back in the day.

The two men, who began their wrestling careers together, were at loggerheads, and their legal war ended when both dropped their lawsuits against each other.

They say time heals all wounds, and the beef between Punk and Cabana may have now been water under the bridge after all these years. Moreover, a star's absence isn't something new these days. Brian Cage is another wrestler who hasn't appeared on TV since October last year.

It wouldn't be far-fetched to say that Cabana has been lost in the shuffle like other wrestlers due to the loaded roster.

#5. Hopefully true: Jake Atlas is unlikely to appear in All Elite Wrestling again

Like his WWE stint, Jake Atlas's AEW run seems to have ended on a sour note.

Fightful recently shed light on the 27-year-old's contract status and noted that he was on a 'per-appearance' deal, which ended after he was sidelined with an injury. As per the reports, Atlas is unlikely to return to AEW anytime soon:

"Initially, we were told by AEW higher ups that they were hopeful his injury was not as bad as feared. Despite having received an "All Elite" graphic generally reserved for full-time signings, we've heard from multiple AEW sources that claimed Jake Atlas was on a per-appearance deal. When he was injured, that deal was paused and Atlas was no longer officially tied to the company."

We hope this rumor is true. While it's unfortunate to see Atlas' injury holding him back, the former NXT Superstar's recent arrest over domestic violence may have put a blemish on his future with All Elite Wrestling.

#4. Hopefully true: MVP and Chris Jericho have a heated confrontation

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A little while back, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE Superstar MVP and AEW star Chris Jericho had a "heated confrontation" at midnight in a hotel last month.

The two men had an intense exchange, but thankfully things didn't spiral into physicality. The fall-out between the veterans happened off the back of the May 18th episode of Dynamite in Houston, Texas.

Interestingly, Matt Hardy was present at the scene when Porter and Jericho yelled at each other, which initially seemed like a friendly conversation to the people around them.

We hope this report is accurate because MVP confirmed the incident via tweet, in which he also highlighted the wrong facts being laid out by the dirt sheets.

Jericho and MVP have real-life issues, deriving from a brief Twitter spat a few years ago on a political matter that compelled The Wizard to block his rival on Twitter.

#3. Hopefully not true: The Hardys were originally set to win the AEW World Tag Team titles

Bryan Alvarez recently divulged that The Hardys were initially booked to win the AEW World Tag Team Championships. However, The Charismatic Enigma's rough performance at Double or Nothing 2022 led to the scrapping of those plans.

The 44-year-old discovered the need for brain scans, which he ostensibly couldn't get because of his DUI arrest last Monday.

Due to Jeff's health concerns, The Hardys were never supposed to compete alongside The Young Bucks and Jurassic Express on Dynamite last week. The company had an angle planned to box Matt and Jeff out of the three-way ladder match.

Regardless, The Hardys never appeared on the show. In fact, the company pulled them out of the match after Jeff Hardy's suspension.

We hope this rumor is not true. In hindsight, it would have been too early for The Hardys to capture the gold had Jeff not sustained a concussion and been apprehended.

#2. Hopefully true: Kazuchika Okada possibly missing AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door

AEW is already bogged down ahead of the Forbidden Door, with several prominent names like CM Punk and Bryan Danielson set to miss the show. Now it looks like Kazuchika Okada may also be missing the cross-promotional event.

Dave Meltzer reported that Okada's wife is due to give birth sometime soon, which will prevent the star from competing on the show:

“Okada’s wife is scheduled to give birth right around that time. So that may be the reason that Okada is not on the show.” (H/T: Wrestletalk)

We hope this report is credible because The Rainmaker hasn't appeared on Dynamite to build up his match.

He recently lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Jay White, thus implying he's certain to miss the upcoming show.

#1. Hopefully not true: MJF to make his potential WWE debut at Royale Rumble 2024?

MJF has never been shy about teasing a potential jump to WWE once his contract expires.

He has expressed the same on live TV multiple times and recently begged Tony Khan to fire him from the company. His recent controversy with Tony Khan over contract issues has fueled the speculation.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select recently revealed that Friedman's contract will expire on January 1, 2024, meaning he could possibly make his WWE debut at that year's Royal Rumble premium live event.

While the date of MJF's contract expiry could be correct, we hope he doesn't leave AEW for WWE. The Salt of the Earth has become a staple of AEW, especially after his infamous pipebomb promo, which took the wrestling world by storm.

The Pinnacle leader may be a businessman at the end of the day, but he has a better chance of thriving in Tony Khan's sphere than Vince McMahon's.

Mr. Khan is also well aware of MJF's worth and will likely go all out in keeping him from leaving the company in 2024.

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