Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on WrestleMania 40, Bianca Belair, More

Bianca Belair has been off of WWE television since SummerSlam, but a recent report suggests she may be back on our screens sooner than we realize.

The former Raw and SmackDown women's champion is just one headliner in a packed week of backstage rumors from wrestling's top insiders.

Also at the forefront of conversation is the latest on WrestleMania 40 plans, the difference between Triple H and Vince McMahon in WWE Creative, and an update on what's next for the AEW International Championship after being hot-potatoed for any number of reasons.

Latest on WrestleMania 40 Plans

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated provided an update on WWE's plans for WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia:

"Considering this will be Endeavor's first-time overseeing WWE's signature event, there is every reason to believe this year's will be bigger than ever. Short-term, there is nothing that can compare to a return from Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. But after speaking with multiple sources close to WWE, the decision about WrestleMania will not be The Rock's to make, nor is the main event even a topic of substance. There are currently no plans for this to happen."

The revelation, and the way it is worded, leaves no question that The Rock vs. Roman Reigns is merely a pipedream and nothing is actually planned or expected to take place at The Showcase of the Immortals.

That is for the best. A one-and-down showdown benefits no one but the babyface, as Reigns losing a high-profile match to Rock does nothing for The Tribal Chief while robbing fans of the monumental title change WWE has spent three years building.

It deserves to happen on The Grandest Stage of Them All, rather than a precursor to the event so Reigns is freed up to have a one-off bout that benefits no one in the long term.

The main event will, instead, belong to Cody Rhodes. As it should.

"Unless the situation changes dramatically, Rhodes will be headlining WrestleMania," Barrasso added.

The company has spent the entirety of two years building to The American Nightmare realizing his goal of winning the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and carrying the one title that eluded his father, Dusty Rhodes, throughout his Hall of Fame career.

After last year's near-miss due to interference from Solo Sikoa, WWE owes it to the performer and the fans to finally pay off Reigns' long title run and Rhodes' grueling journey on a stage befitting a match of that magnitude.

It sounds as though the company realizes this and will deliver a truly special moment in Philadelphia next April.

When Can Fans Expect Bianca Belair Back?

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported that Bianca Belair is expected back on WWE television imminently, perhaps as soon as Friday's SmackDown (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats).

The EST of WWE has been out of action since SummerSlam on August 5 when she defeated Charlotte Flair and Asuka to become WWE women's champion, only for Iyo Sky to cash in Money in the Bank and take it from her.

The break from the day-to-day grind for Belair was probably a wise one as it has allowed her some time to freshen up and hopefully come back stronger as the SmackDown women's division heats up.

Will she jump right back into the title picture or might she have something to do with Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits' new alliance, featuring real-life husband Montez Ford?

While that answer is unclear, one thing is certain: Belair is a tremendously hard worker and will do everything she can to elevate whatever she is involved with.

Considering WWE is likely beginning to put into place the pieces that will culminate at WrestleMania 40, Belair's return could not be coming at a better time.

Update on Changes to WWE Programming with Triple H Back in Charge

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported on several changes to WWE programming now that Triple H is in sole charge of the company's creative direction.

"What we've seen since is numerous talent returning to the show, long-signed wrestlers finally making their debuts, several cameos, more women's talent getting on screened, longer matches, and less restrictions in the ring," he wrote.

He added: "One WWE source said that they felt the matches that have been on the show the last few weeks between Ivar and Kofi Kingston, Ricochet and Shinsuke Nakamura and Gunther and Bronson Reed were very important in establishing the in-ring aspect of WWE Raw."

The report also stated that Vince McMahon's input was often minimal, but it still managed to disrupt plans enough to be noticeable.

"Well, I guess he wasn't lying when he said he wasn't in the weeds, but in a way, he just sprayed roundup on the weeds and checked in on them every so often," a WWE writer told Sapp.

Consistency in creative is best for WWE. We saw it during the build to WrestleMania 39, which ended up being the best version of the event in many years, thanks to the culmination of long-running, sustained storylines that had fans invested in the competitors involved.

There is no denying the many contributions McMahon has made to WWE and pro wrestling as a whole, but from a strictly creative perspective, the industry appeared to have passed him by, especially in terms of his ability and patience to deliver on long-term storytelling.

Triple H has proved in numerous scenarios that there is a demand for that type of creative in today's wrestling landscape and, more importantly, that he can provide it.

The Endeavor crew, headed by Ari Emanuel, made the right call in restoring full creative control to The Game.

AEW Full Gear Plans for Jon Moxley

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that early plans for Full Gear on November 18 have AEW international champion Orange Cassidy defending against Jon Moxley.

Moxley defeated Cassidy for the title at All Out, but an injury suffered during a match with Rey Fenix forced an audible to be called and the luchador captured the gold.

However, Cassidy then defeated Fenix on the October 11 episode of Dynamite to recapture a championship he had become synonymous with over the last year.

Booking Cassidy vs. Moxley may seem like a step back, but the plan was always to go with the then-titleholder defending against Freshly Squeezed until his injury threw a wrench into that scenario.

It will be interesting to see if AEW puts the title back on Moxley or if it expedites its plans to have Cassidy defeat him and earn the win back from All Out.

The current champion has earned a win of that magnitude and it would go a long way in proving he can hang with, and defeat, a main event star not named Chris Jericho.

How AEW and Tony Khan opt to book the program, and whether they can find it within themselves not to put Moxley over again, will determine whether all of this was worth it.