AEW News & Rumor Roundup - The Rock gets called out, Big update on Bray Wyatt's status, Star signs 5-year contract extension (October 13th, 2021)

On today's AEW News & Rumor roundup, we've picked out the most talked-about stories from in and around All Elite Wrestling.

An AEW star called out The Rock for a match after The Great One surprised his fans by rapping for the first time.

We also have an important update on Bray Wyatt's status amid wide speculation of his next destination in professional wrestling.

One of AEW's earliest signings also extended his contract by five years. Meanwhile, a recently-signed AEW talent opened up about his past issues with Mark Henry.

That's the gist of what to expect in today's lineup of stories. Without any further delay, here is the latest AEW News & Rumor Roundup:

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#5. AEW's Max Caster challenges The Rock

The Rock dropped some bars for the first time as part of rapper Tech N9ne's song 'Face Off,' and the single has topped several music charts worldwide.

The quality of Rock's verse also pleasantly surprised people, including Max Caster. The latter appeared on a 'Platinum Max Monday' segment on TMZ Sports with Mike J. Babcock and Mojo Rawley.

Caster dropped a freestyle verse during the show. The Acclaimed member dissed The Rock's rap and invited the former WWE Champion to show up on Dynamite.

Here's an excerpt from Max Caster's verse and challenge:

"Yo what up to The Rock, yeah I heard your rap song, why you all up in my lane when Dwayne's Johnson is that long? Flow's weak but the lack's strong, when the track's on, you just can't act on, yo come to Dynamite we can get this match on, yo."

While The Rock is yet to respond to Max Caster's freestyle, Dwayne Johnson is highly unlikely to appear on AEW programming due to his affiliation with Vince McMahon's WWE.

However, in a dream-like scenario, Caster vs. The Rock would be a thoroughly enjoyable program. What do you think?

#4. Backstage News - Did Tony Khan contact Bray Wyatt?

Since being released from WWE, Bray Wyatt has maintained a stoic silence. But the latest updates suggest AEW might not be his next destination.

In a recent Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez disclosed that Bray Wyatt might not be AEW-bound as many factors could prevent it. Based on inputs from people at AEW, it seems there isn't much interest in signing Wyatt.

Wyatt will not come cheap as the former WWE star would ideally want a lot of money. Considering AEW's recent spree of high-profile signings, Alvarez felt the company could refrain from breaking the bank to onboard Wyatt.

"I don't think Bray Wyatt is going to AEW. I have talked to people about Bray, and the impression that I was given was not a lot of interest. And obviously, he's going to be asking for a lot of money. Does that mean that Bray Wyatt is never going to go to AEW? Of course not. Perhaps he will go someday. There are all sorts of things that can happen in negotiations," revealed Alvarez.

Tony Khan also addressed Bray Wyatt's status during his appearance on WFAN's Moose & Maggie Show. The AEW President praised Wyatt for being a great wrestler, but denied contacting Wyatt. Yet, he didn't rule out doing business with the multiple-time world champion:

"He's a great wrestler, and I have to be honest, we haven't talked at all," said Tony Khan. "I've known him in personal life, but in reality, we haven't talked. But you never know." (H/T PWInsider)

As of this writing, IMPACT Wrestling is in pole position to secure the signature of Bray Wyatt.

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#3. Scorpio Sky confirms 5-year AEW contract extension

In an interview with PWInsider, Scorpio Sky confirmed the extension of his AEW contract by five years.

News of the new deal first came out during All Out, and the star confirmed the development while also talking about his relationship with Tony Khan during the interview.

"I did that right [signed the contract extension] around the time of the pay-per-view. I'm happy to be with AEW for at least five more years."

Scorpio Sky was one of the first wrestlers AEW signed when it kicked off in 2019. He has been one of the most consistent performers for Tony Khan and his team.

#2. Ricky Starks says AEW welcomes new talent who aren't selfish

Ricky Starks made many revealing comments about AEW's recruitment policies during his recent interview on Instinct Culture.

About AEW's high-volume signings, Starks said the company welcomes all kinds of talent as long as they are not selfish. AEW has brought in several former WWE stars, but the company has continued to push its homegrown stars, with Ricky Starks being one of the most successful.

While the reigning FTW champion has no issues with the company getting new talent, he wants team players to be a part of AEW.

"Don't get it twisted; the people that were here originally built all of this. Just like any type of building piece, we had that; then we had them come in. Then, we have the young guys that are moving up now being the stars they were being built up for. It's just so many cool parts. I think it's cool to have someone like Punk, Bryan, and Adam Cole because iron sharpens iron, and we cannot get better if we just wrestle the same 50 guys that we did the past ten years. So, I am a fan of it. I am really excited about it. The more, the merrier as long as they come to work and wanna help out and not be selfish," explained Starks.

AEW has assembled an incredible roster, but there might still be room for more recognizable faces.

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#1. AEW's Lio Rush talks about his relationship with Mark Henry

Lio Rush spoke about his squashed beef with Mark Henry during Renee Paquette's Oral Sessions podcast.

Rush and Henry's real-life heat stemmed from an incident in 2019, when the young star openly criticized the WWE for many reasons, including payment issues and hazing of talent. Rush's outburst led to a public debate with Mark Henry.

The heat between the two wrestlers reached a boiling point months later when the WWE Hall of Famer threatened legal action against Rush.

Lio Rush revealed that he had buried the hatchet with Henry and they now share a cordial relationship. While the 26-year-old previously disagreed with Mark Henry as they came from different eras of wrestling, they are on much better terms now.

"Me and Mark Henry's relationship is super cordial now. I think it came down to two very strong personalities and two very different eras of wrestling. I think we agreed to disagree, and we're about to be working together now. AEW is such an incredible place to be, and it would be foolish of us to carry on any kind of whatever it was because it was pretty random and wild," revealed Rush. (H/t Fightful)

Tony Khan played a significant role in ending the feud between Lio Rush and Mark Henry. The former Cruiserweight champion revealed details of the meeting right here.