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Welcome back to another thrilling edition of AEW rumors that we hope are true and those we hope aren't. Several notable stories surfaced last week. While some turned out to be heartbroken surrounding the relationship status of Andrade and Charlotte Flair, others weren't too good either from a hardcore wrestling standpoint.
That said, let's quickly dive into the details about these rumors and whether they should be true or not.
#5 Hopefully True: Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez were set to confront each other at AAA TripleMania Regia show
A recent report from ESPN's Marc Raimondi suggested that AAA's higher-ups were planning to have a buzzworthy confrontation between two former rivals, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos, for the upcoming TripleMania Regia show on December 4th.
However, the reported plans seem to have been nixed, citing Dos Santos' scheduling conflict:
"I had heard this, too. The pitch was to fly dos Santos and Dan Lambert down to Mexico and JDS would have started a storyline in AAA with his old UFC rival Cain Velasquez. Would have been fun, but dos Santos couldn't do it," Raimondi tweeted.
We hope this rumor is true because a face-off between two MMA veterans inside a squared circle could have brought a much-needed spotlight on the Mexico turf. Dos Santos and Velasquez have quite a bit in common.
In addition to their MMA careers, both men crossed over to AEW and WWE, respectively, to pursue their passion for pro wrestling. Moreover, both men have a rich history dating back to their days in UFC.
It would have been a feel-good moment for wrestling fans to have witnessed two former UFC rivals renew their rivalry in a wrestling ring.
#4 Hopefully not true: AEW star Andrade and Charlotte Flair not mutually ending their relationship
Since AEW's Andrade and WWE's Charlotte Flair unfollowed each other on Twitter and Instagram, rumors have been swirling surrounding their relationship status.
According to Bodyslam.net, both stars have reportedly ended their two-year-long relationship. It's worth noting that the break-up wasn't a mutual decision, as Charlotte Flair ended the bond per the reports:
"After speaking with multiple sources I can confirm that the two are no longer together. Sources indicated that the break-up did not appear to be mutual and that it was Charlotte who ended the relationship. I was not given any details as to why the relationship came to an end, only that the two are officially done as of a couple weeks ago."
While there's no denying that Andrade and Charlotte are no longer together, we still hope that the rumors regarding the decision not being mutual are not true. Both the stars were happily engaged since 2020 last year and have even postponed their wedding plans.
As heartbreaking as it seems to see them go separate ways, it would have been unfair, especially for the AEW star, if the relationship hadn't ended mutually.
#3 Hopefully True: Tony Khan and the AEW locker room watched MJF-CM Punk engage in a war of words
AEW star CM Punk and MJF set the wrestling world ablaze after delivering a rip-roaring uncut war of words that lasted for nearly 20 minutes during the Thanksgiving edition of AEW Dynamite last week.
According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, there was a “locker room sellout” backstage with AEW stars assembled at the gorilla position behind Tony Khan, who had a big monitor set up to watch the entire segment between CM Punk and MJF.
We hope this rumor is true since it speaks volumes for the backstage environment at AEW, regardless of which segment evoked the interest. Plus, it suggests how the AEW president is rallying behind Friedman and Punk, who cut arguably the best promo battle of the decade.
The locker room atmosphere is one of the many reasons why AEW is the most desirable promotion for many wrestlers.
#2 Hopefully true: Cody Rhodes' positive health status after taking a flaming table bump on AEW Dynamite
The recently concluded street fight between Andrade and Cody Rhodes has sparked massive discussion among wrestling fans. The American Nightmare went through a flaming table while giving Andrade a reverse suplex from the top turnbuckle.
Rhodes caught fire on his back as he pinned Andrade to pick up the victory. AEW, via its official Twitter handle, showed the aftermath of Rhodes' back being severely burnt.
According to PW Insider, the former WWE Superstar was spontaneously treated by a medical team and wasn't required to visit the hospital, which suggests that the AEW star is just fine after taking a fierce bump.
We hope that the said report is true and that Cody Rhodes didn't require further treatment on his back. The American Nightmare has been a prominent figure on AEW programming, regardless of his polarized status.
Whether fans like it or not, Rhodes has risked his body to deliver some top-notch matches in recent months to engage viewers. We're hopeful to see him back in some capacity next week.
#1 Hopefully True: Tony Khan likely to renew contracts of AEW's first round of signings
AEW's first round of signings, which included Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, Cody Rhodes, Brandi Rhodes, and Chris Jericho, will continue to perform under Tony Khan's promotion once their deals come to an end.
Dave Meltzer reported that contracts for some stars from the first batch of signings are set to expire on 31st December this year.
It's worth noting that all these wrestlers inked their first three-year deal with a two-year extension option, as per Tony Khan's decision. The Young Bucks fall into that category, which explains why their renewed contracts will run through 2024. Meltzer believes the AEW president is likely to extend the contracts of each of the names listed above.
We hope this is true and that Mr. Khan holds on to every wrestler listed above who helped lay the foundation for All Elite Wrestling.
All four EVPs and veterans like Chris Jericho have created a friendly working environment which has prompted stars like CM Punk and Bryan Danielson to neglect WWE and jump over to AEW.
Regardless of the endless number of big names Tony Khan signs in the future, he must retain their first batch of wrestlers.
What have you thought of the AEW product recently? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
