Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Edge, Adam Cole and More

It has been two months since fans last saw Edge inside the squared circle. According to a new report, we now know why.

The contractual status of the 2012 Hall of Fame inductee headlines a collection of wrestling rumor and innuendo from top insiders.

Joining the update on Edge are the latest on the health of former NXT champion and current AEW star Adam Cole, as well as the potential return of one of the most polarizing stars in modern wrestling history.

Update on Edge's Contract Status with WWE

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that certain details of Edge's contract may not be as they had originally seemed.

"In 2020, it was reported that Edge was on a three-year contract for 25 appearances and five matches per year. However, that was either incorrect or amended, as Edge competed in 10 matches in 2021, and has already competed in six matches in 2022."

He continued, "we aren't sure when his deal is up or how many appearances are left on his existing deal. If the length was correctly reported, that deal could be up soon, if it wasn't frozen due to injury. We've not confirmed if that's the case."

The latest from Sapp at least appears to confirm why The Rated-R Superstar has not appeared on WWE television since his loss to Finn Bálor at Extreme Rules on October 8. He lost after saying "I quit" in defense of his wife, Beth Phoenix, who Rhea Ripley then delivered a con-chair-to to anyway.

All signs would seemingly point to Edge returning and resuming his feud with The Judgment Day. Given the intensity of the feud at this point, a high-profile gimmick match cannot be ruled out, presumably at Royal Rumble or as late as WrestleMania.

Latest on Adam Cole's Health

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer reported that Adam Cole is "doing much better" but there is still no timetable for his return to the squared circle.

Cole has been out of action since the Forbidden Door pay-per-view on June 26, when he challenged Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship as part of a star-studded four-way match.

He has been seen intermittently since then, last appearing on the August 3 episode of Dynamite, in which he and Undisputed Elite teammates Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish attacked The Young Bucks, laying them out to jump-start a rivalry that never happened.

Cole was one of AEW's monster free-agent signings and made his debut at All Out 2021, arguably the biggest (and best) of the company's pay-per-view offerings. Oddly enough, he was never quite positioned as the main event attraction most expected him to be right out of the gate, instead hovering in the background behind Kenny Omega and the aforementioned Bucks of Youth.

With no clear timetable, it remains to be seen when Cole will return to the promotion and resume his in-ring career. Hopefully it is soon, though, because he was on a roll of extraordinary in-ring performances that had established him as one of the best in the business.

How Long Did Triple H Want to Bring Bronson Reed Back to WWE?

Bronson Reed returned to WWE television Monday on Raw, helping The Miz defeat Dexter Lumis in the Winner Takes All Ladder Match, apparently a hired mercenary for The Hollywood A-Lister.

The big man had been the object of Triple H's creative desires dating back to mid-August, per Sapp.

"We'd long been told that Bronson Reed was a priority hire for Triple H when he gained power within WWE. We can confirm he's been inked to a contract. He is done with New Japan Pro-Wrestling unless WWE brokers a deal to allow it, which hasn't been done yet."

Reed spent time since his WWE release in the 2021 working in both New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Impact Wrestling. In the former, he went as far as to score a rare victory over Kazuchika Okada. With the latter, he was instrumental in putting PCO over as a monster antihero and someone who would become a force in that promotion.

During his previous run with the company, exclusively with the NXT brand, Reed enjoyed a run as North American champion and established himself as one of the future stars of WWE. Unfortunately, his run there was cut short by an untimely release that never gave main roster fans a chance to see exactly what Reed was capable of on Raw and SmackDown.

That should change, especially given his placement in a fairly high-profile feud on Raw. Whether he works exclusively with Miz or becomes a hired gun of sorts for other red-brand Superstars is the question.

Could Eva Marie Be Returning to WWE?

A very busy Sapp also reported, "I don't think we're done with WWE returns." It was, interestingly enough, liked by a former Superstar.

Perhaps Sapp is having fun with his audience, knowing that the idea of Eva Marie returning to WWE would spark discussion, debate and a passionate response. (Spoiler alert: It did.)

He is, though, a respected industry insider, and history suggests there is a means to an end with tweets such as this one.

Eva Marie has been a project of WWE dating back to season one of Total Divas. After departing the company in 2017, she returned in 2021 to lackluster results as the creative forces failed to put her in a position to succeed based on her skill set.

The company continued to push her into an in-ring role that exposed her lack of experience and set her up for failure. Under a different creative regime headed by Triple H, one can hope he recognizes what she does well and puts her in a position to emphasize those talents.