Buying or Selling These 5 Latest WWE and AEW Rumors

It has been an eventful week in pro wrestling with the latest updates on AEW and CM Punk, Trinity's Impact debut and the upcoming WWE Backlash.

This year's WWE Draft and the introduction of a new title have also offered some interesting developments ahead of Backlash. Following the tournament to crown the inaugural world heavyweight champion, Raw will be much more exciting this summer.

Meanwhile, All Elite Wrestling sold over 60,000 tickets to All In London in the first week. That's encouraging, as the company took on a tremendous risk by booking Wembley Stadium as the destination for its first international show.

If the crowd is anything like the live audience for this week's episode of SmackDown, it will be an unforgettable night. The fans in San Juan, Puerto Rico, created an incredible backdrop that should translate to an exhilarating show on Saturday night.

Scrapped Plans for Bad Bunny and Damian Priest for WWE Backlash

Considering the finish to their match at WrestleMania 39, it's a bit surprising that Dominik and Rey Mysterio aren't on the card for Backlash.

After all, Bad Bunny stepped in to help the legendary luchador defeat his son at The Showcase of Immortals. His appearance seemed to suggest WWE would announce a multi-man match for the next pay-per-view, but it didn't materialize.

According to Fightful Select, Bad Bunny was initially to team up with the Hall of Famer Mysterio to take on The Judgment Day. However, the plans changed because WWE officials reportedly "felt comfortable with Bunny's ability to have a good singles match instead."

The Grammy award-winning star mixed it up with Dominik on the Raw after 'Mania. The 29-year-old also made his in-ring debut in a tag match with Damian Priest in 2021.

The San Juan Street Fight will be his first one-on-one match, and his home country is the perfect location.

Verdict: Buying

Changes in Store For AEW Rampage

There are some massive changes ahead for AEW as the company prepares to add another show to its weekly programming.

AEW Collision will debut this summer, airing on Saturday evening. So far, the biggest talking points about the new series are the rumors of a soft brand split and CM Punk's involvement.

However, this news will inevitably affect the rest of the shows AEW is currently taping. Dark and Elevation became the first to be affected, as the company has canceled the two YouTube series, per Andrew Zarian of Mat Men.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported "Rampage will turn into what Dark and Dark Elevation were" when Collision airs. Apparently, the one-hour show will be taped on Wednesday along with Dynamite and "showcase younger talent."

Rampage has been struggling lately, and those woes will certainly continue with the addition of another weekly series. AEW will have to find a way to differentiate it from its other offerings and replace Dark as the destination for incoming talent.

Revamping its Friday time slot as a blend of the kind of recaps we would see on Sunday Night Heat and showcase matches could be a stroke of genius.

Verdict: Buying

NJPW Star Tama Tonga Is Working Without a Contract

Tama Tonga is a name that has popped up in free agency news all year. So, it didn't come as much of a surprise when David Finlay defeated him for the NEVER Openweight Championship at NJPW Wrestling Dontaku earlier this week.

According to Fightful Select, Tonga has been working "with New Japan Pro-Wrestling without a contract for several months." This update comes after the report that WWE has been interested in signing him.

"WWE had an interest in Tama Tonga, to the point that there were some tentative creative ideas pitched for him." However, Fightful learned that "he'd been a victim of the unofficial hiring freeze and WWE had not maintained contact with him."

The Tongan wrestler confirmed to Yahoo Japan (h/t Wrestling Inc.) that WWE showed interest in him back in March and he was open to the idea. This also lines up with the prevalent speculation that Jay White was heading there after he left NJPW that similarly ended close to the Endeavor deal.

This latest news about Tonga's contract status would indicate that he was probably planning to make the jump to the U.S. soon too.

Verdict: Buying

Drew McIntyre Is Reportedly Finishing Up His Time With WWE

Speaking of free agency, Drew McIntyre is in the last year of his WWE contract, and the two parties reportedly haven't reached an agreement yet.

Last month, Fightful Select reported that the two-time WWE champion has nine more months on his deal, and he's waiting until the end of the deal becomes imminent to re-sign. This may seem alarming, but it was reportedly a common practice "towards the end of the Vince McMahon era."

Nevertheless, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter believes McIntyre is "working with the idea there's a good chance he's finishing up" with WWE.

The Scottish Warrior hasn't been on television since WrestleMania 39, but Raw selected him in the third round of the WWE Draft on Night 1. As such, one would have to assume he will immediately factor into plans for the new world heavyweight championship.

The 37-year-old led the company through one of its darkest periods during the pandemic, but he hasn't been utilized as well in the year since. Some critics may point to the results of his undisputed WWE Universal Championship match from Clash at the Castle as proof that WWE doesn't know what to do with him.

Still, he does seem to be one of a handful of superstars who can excel with the advent of another world title.

Verdict: Selling

CM Punk Will Appear On AEW Collision And Dynamite When Needed

For weeks, we've been hearing that AEW Collision will be the CM Punk show as a short-term solution to lingering tension with other members of the roster.

On the surface, the move always seemed implausible because there was no way Tony Khan wouldn't want to use one of his most recognizable stars on his flagship series. How could he possibly relegate him to an unproven Saturday timeslot?

Dave Meltzer addressed this issue in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The prominent pro wrestling historian reported there will be "less of a hard roster split between the two shows and that Punk will appear on Dynamite when needed."

According to Meltzer, "those with unresolved issues with Punk would be on Collision the week he's on Dynamite." He also stressed that this isn't a long-term fix and "the idea is to get people to resolve issues, but that hasn't happened yet nor has there been any notable progress."

This seems like a logical adjustment as AEW attempts to get Punk reacclimated on Saturday nights. It's far from a foolproof plan of attack, but it immediately gives Khan a clear selling point for Collision.

Verdict: Buying