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What's the story?
Earlier today, there was speculation that looked like Austin Aries was backstage at TLC, as he uploaded a photo to his Instagram with Enzo Amore in the background during the pay-per-view. However, the wrestler has taken to social media to clear things up.
In case you didn't know...
Austin Aries, who is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world, was one of the bigger stars on 205 LIVE, however, he left the WWE earlier this year on mutual grounds.
It is reported he asked to leave following his unhappiness that his match with Neville on the Wrestlemania pre-show didn't make it onto the DVD.
The heart of the matter
During WWE TLC 2017, Austin Aries uploaded the following picture to his Instagram, sparking rumors that he might be on his way back to the WWE, despite only having just run out his 90-day no-compete clause.
However, as you can clearly see in the picture, Austin Aries has a full head of hair when recently he has shaved it, and there's a large concrete wall and steel gate, which are things you usually shouldn't find in the backstage area of a sports arena, essentially proving the picture wasn't taken backstage at TLC.
Several sites reported it, leading to Aries having to clarify things on Twitter and openly mocking several dirt-sheets.
What's next?
Austin Aries has a series of indy dates booked with Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore and World Series Wrestling, where he's scheduled to face Ricochet in a dream match.
Recently, the star also boasted about earning more for indy appearances than in the WWE, so it's unlikely he'll even want to return to the WWE at this point.
Author's take
Whilst the picture is obviously not a backstage picture of Aries at TLC, it's clear that the timing of the post and the content of the picture were intended to provoke a reaction.
I think Austin knew exactly what he would stir up by posting this when he did.
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