4 AEW rumors we hope are true and 1 we hope isn't: Brian Cage's future revealed; did Tony Khan's promotion reach out to AJ Styles and ex-WWE star?

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

The spotlight in the wrestling world is ever-changing. Last week, Cody and Brandi Rhodes made headlines after their shocking departure from All Elite Wrestling. This week has been all about Cesaro, who parted ways with WWE, much to everyone's dismay. Either way, WWE's loss is AEW's gain and vice versa.

We'll begin today's column with Brian Cage's contract update. We also have a rumor killer report on whether Tony Khan's promotion reached out to Cesaro. Wrestling enthusiasts have been wondering the same in AJ Styles' case, who ended up re-signing with WWE.

Aside from these lead stories, we've plenty to discuss. With all that said, let's quickly dive into the top rumors of the week.

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#5. Hopefully not true: AEW picked up a one-year option on Brian Cage

Brian Cage's future with AEW has been the talk of the wrestling world for months now, primarily because of his prolonged absence from television.

However, the latest reports from Fightful Select appear to have shed light on his future with the promotion. Word is that Tony Khan has picked up a one-year option on The Machine's original contract, meaning he will stay with the company at least until 2023.

Cage initially reacted with surprise at the announcement, which claimed he had shared the status of his contract with those close to him.

We hope this isn't true because Brian Cage's recent tweet, in which he expressed uncertainty over the credibility of the reports, suggests that the company may not have exercised the option on his deal.

Moreover, Tony Khan could be making a mistake by keeping someone he has been dubious about using on television in the last four months.

#4. Hopefully true: AEW didn't reach out to WWE veteran AJ Styles

AEW reportedly didn't make any "overtures" to potentially sign AJ Styles before the latter agreed to a new deal with WWE. These reports from Dave Meltzer come on the heels of recent news that The Phenomenal One has signed a new multi-year contract extension, which appears to be very lucrative.

We hope this report is true. Given that Tony Khan has already created a star-studded and arguably overstacked roster, AEW isn't in dire need of another WWE name.

Although signing a performer of Styles' caliber would be a blockbuster deal for any wrestling promotion, the chances of AJ Styles getting lost in the shuffle are higher in All Elite Wrestling than in WWE right now.

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#3. Hopefully true: AEW didn't reach out to Cesaro either

Cesaro's surprising exit from WWE has sent shockwaves across the wrestling world. The Swiss Superman ended a decade-plus stint with Vince McMahon's company after the two sides failed to reach a new agreement.

The moment news broke, speculation was rampant about AEW potentially making a play to lure Cesaro away from WWE. However, Dave Meltzer shot down those rumors down, noting that the 41-year-old didn't receive any offer from Tony Khan's company while he was negotiating with WWE over a contract:

"He also hadn’t gotten any backdoor AEW offer when he was negotiating so it wasn’t that he got a better offer elsewhere. That isn’t saying AEW may not make an offer now that he’s a free agent. Right now he’s leaving the promotion unless something changes. This was more of a WWE decision than a Cesaro decision in the sense he wasn’t looking to leave like others were, but they made an offer he didn’t like. He is free to go anywhere immediately."

We hope this is true because the news of Cesaro's shocking departure from the global juggernaut was something no one saw coming. While Mr. Khan is on a signing spree right now, he won't make a play to sign someone until the star is a free agent.

With the former U.S. Champion now eligible to sign with any promotion he desires, fans shouldn't be surprised if The Swiss Cyborg ends up signing with Tony Khan's company.

#2. Hopefully true: Sting and Darby Allin vs. Matt Hardy and Andrade was originally set for AEW Revolution

AEW's Revolution pay-per-view is shaping up to be the company's most highly-anticipated event of the year. Several marquee matches have already been lined up to take place on March 6. However, one match wasn't initially scheduled for the show.

Fightful Select recently reported that the Tornado Trios match pitting Sting, Darby Allin, and Sammy Guevara against Matt Hardy, Andrade, and Isiah Kassidy was supposed to be a two-on-one tag team affair, leaving Guevara and Kassidy out of the mix. As of this writing, it is still unknown why the company changed the plan.

We hope this is true because while Guevara and Kassidy appear to be third wheels in this storyline, there's another level of hype for the impending trios match between these two teams, especially with the company adding an intriguing stipulation to the bout.

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#1. Hopefully true: Rey Fenix's absence is likely to scrap plans for AEW Revolution

Rey Fenix has been out of action since the January 5th episode of Dynamite, where he suffered an arm injury during Lucha Bros' unsuccessful tag team title defense against Jurassic Express.

Dave Meltzer recently reported that had Fenix been cleared to wrestle, Death Triangle vs. The House of Black could have gone down at Revolution pay-per-view:

“Also, if he’s ready, I think they might end up doing Pentagon, Fenix, and PAC against Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews. I don’t know..that may be a little bit later because I was told that Fenix still has three weeks, and three weeks is kinda missing March 6. But who knows? It’s wrestlers, it’s Rey Fenix and he’s crazy. Maybe he’ll make it and maybe that match will be on there as well.” (H/T- WrestlingNews.co )

We hope this rumor turns out to be true. With the recent arrival of Buddy Matthews in AEW, it makes sense from a logical booking standpoint to go with a rubber match between Death Triangle and House of Black down the road.

We hope the company sticks to their reported plans whenever Fenix returns from his injury.

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What do you make of this week's rumors? Sound off in the comments section below.