Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on LA Knight, Jon Moxley and More

LA Knight may have missed last Friday's SmackDown but there are still big plans in the works for The Megastar, who headlines this week's collection of wrestling rumors.

What does WWE have in store for its breakout star come Fastlane on October 7, what is the latest on former AEW international champion Jon Moxley following his loss to Rey Fenix at Dynamite Grand Slam, and where has Serena Deeb been over the past year?

Find out with these backstage reports from top industry insiders.

Fastlane Plans for LA Knight

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that LA Knight is set to team with John Cena against Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso at Fastlane on October 7 if The Megastar is cleared after testing positive for COVID (h/t Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select).

Assuming Knight is at full health, the match would present the hottest babyface in the company with a tremendous opportunity to continue building his star in WWE.

Cena was the franchise star Knight hopes to become. He was the face of the entire company for well over a decade and a Superstar with name recognition beyond the spotlight of WWE.

The idea that the veteran would spend so much of his return run linked to Knight—first as guest referee for his match with The Miz at Payback and now as his tag team partner—speaks volumes about his thoughts on the hugely popular 40-year-old.

Throw in the involvement of The Bloodline and recent interactions with Paul Heyman that point to a future title clash with Roman Reigns, and you have a guy who has been positioned as well as anyone can be over the past two or three months to make a major splash this fall.

Update on Jon Moxley's Loss to Rey Fenix and Injury

Credit: All Elite Wrestling

If you watched the AEW International Championship match between Jon Moxley and Rey Fenix and immediately thought something appeared wrong, you were right.

Sapp wrote: "Fightful reported that almost immediately following the Jon Moxley vs. Rey Fenix match, Moxley had been hurt early in the match, and most believed it wasn't actually the highly criticized piledriver that did the damage."

The injury also caused issues with booking plans for Sunday's WrestleDream pay-per-view.

"Fightful has learned the originally, a non-AEW wrestler was supposed to come out on AEW Dynamite and challenge Jon Moxley for WrestleDream," Sapp added. "However, when the match result changed, so did the plan to come out and make a challenge. We haven't learned who it was."

Corey Brennan of BodySlam.net reported that the opponent was slated to be "Filthy" Tom Lawlor, with whom Moxley previously battled in DEFY Wrestling in 2022.

The match would have added another star with connections to New Japan Pro-Wrestling to the WrestleDream card and likely provided the card with a seriously physical brawl.

As it is, Moxley was not factored into Wednesday's Dynamite after Tony Khan announced prior to the show that he had not been cleared to compete:

Fenix does not currently have a match scheduled for Sunday's PPV.

Latest on Serena Deeb's AEW Status

Serena Deeb has been conspicuous by her absence from AEW television for nearly a year now, and Sapp provided an update on her status.

"Deeb has told people that she's dealt with a serious injury and is working to get cleared," he wrote. "However, there were sources within AEW who said there was also a serious disagreement with management last year that led to her being off television."

He continued: "We're told that Deeb was very vocal about her use on AEW TV, and especially the time that she was given. Those familiar with the situation claimed that it entered the area of disrespect, as she'd accuse Tony Khan and AEW management of cutting the time for her matches without telling her until they got to the ring."

The report stated that producers typically don't give times to talent until they are finalized in the event a situation like the above plays out. Furthermore, Sapp revealed that information did not come from Deeb directly, but rather another AEW source.

Deeb had enjoyed a career renaissance of sorts with the company, returning to the ring on national television and quickly reminding fans that she is one of the better, more technically sound performers on the roster.

Her trio of matches with Hikaru Shida were rightly lauded, and she repeatedly proved herself as a great source of experience for any young competitor who had the opportunity to work with her.

Considering the growth of Julia Hart and Skye Blue, the breakout of Willow Nightingale and the rise of Athena in Ring of Honor, it would be a shame if we did not have the opportunity to see Deeb work with them again, not to mention the likes of Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter, Toni Storm, Saraya, Kris Statlander and Ruby Soho.