Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on SummerSlam, Charlotte Flair, and More
WWE rolls into Cleveland this Saturday for a SummerSlam premium live event packed with intense rivalries and intriguing matchups, but is the company prepared to ride with the current seven-match card or might it add new matches or elements?
That possibility headlines this week's collection of rumors, which also features the latest on the health and return of 15-time women's champion Charlotte Flair, what Pat McAfee's schedule will look like this fall with the return of his ESPN College Gameday, and the status of Bryan Danielson heading into AEW All In and beyond.
SummerSlam Changes?
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Seven matches have been announced for SummerSlam this Saturday night in Cleveland, with none of them having any special stipulations or gimmicks attached to them.
That could change, though.
"One WWE source told Fightful Select to not be surprised to see some additions or alterations to the Summerslam card," Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported.
As strong as the card is, with some of the storylines rivaling those of WrestleMania 40, it does seem interesting that there should be no specialty matches or gimmicks involved to help elevate the intrigue surrounding the event.
Considering WWE has announced that Saturday's Kickoff Show will be three hours, one would hope there would be some sort of in-ring action involved, but that hasn't been the modus operandi of Triple H since he took over as chief content officer.
Notable names not involved in any match at Cleveland Browns Stadium include both sets of tag team champions, The Judgment Day's Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh, and DIY's Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, as well as The Bloodline's Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga.
Perhaps that changes on Friday night's SmackDown, but Triple H has been consistent in sticking with his card for premium live events, so it would be somewhat surprising if it did.
Charlotte Flair Return Timetable
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Charlotte Flair has fueled speculation about a potential in-ring return by posting a video of her back in action, working out and taking bumps.
Sapp reported that it is still not necessarily an indication of an in-ring return as she is still expected to be out for two or three more months.
Flair suffered a serious knee injury in a match against Asuka in December, tearing her ACL, MCL and meniscus. Such an injury needs time to heal and pushing it faster than it should could lead to further problems.
Considering how inconsistently Flair has appeared on WWE TV over the last year or two, the last thing she and her fans would want is for her to return too quickly and suffer a setback.
When The Queen does return, she will do so as a free agent having not been part of the WWE draft. Does she head to Raw and challenge Liv Morgan or Rhea Ripley for the women's world title or does she go to SmackDown, where she will look to wrest the gold from Bayley, Nia Jax or Tiffany Stratton?
There is a wealth of potential for excellent matches on either show, but that WrestleMania 39 rematch with Ripley is mighty intriguing.
Pat McAfee Schedule Update
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Sapp also reported that Pat McAfee should not miss time with WWE despite returning to ESPN's College Gameday.
Previously, the travel logistics became too much to try to keep up with between SmackDown on Friday nights and wherever ESPN was the following morning.
Since McAfee is now part of the Raw broadcast team, though, he can work his ESPN commitments and still make it to whichever city is hosting the flagship that Monday night.
It is a setup that benefits the product, as the last thing WWE wants is to change the broadcast team again.
With the Netflix move upcoming, WWE would like to have McAfee ready and available so that when that jump happens, he is informed and knows what is going on with the product and does not come back cold.
There is no denying the chemistry he and Michael Cole have, and while he hasn't been quite as good as he was during his first run with WWE, he still brings an energy to Raw that some of the three-hour broadcasts badly need.
Latest on Bryan Danielson's Health
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Bryan Danielson is currently scheduled to challenge Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship on August 25 at Wembley Stadium in London. However, there are concerns about his health ahead of the match.
Sapp confirmed Danielson's comments on YouTube about All Elite Wrestling doctors not wanting him to compete until All In.
Sapp wrote: "AEW sources confirmed to us that Danielson was beat up as one would expect, however the plan has long been to get him to the main event of AEW All In, although they've prevented him from participating in some things that were originally planned along the way."
Danielson's contract with the company is officially over on August 1. Still, there are plans for him to stay on, Sapp revealed, as a part-time worker, talent, producer and backstage contributor.
It is not surprising that the 43-year-old is beat up. His style tends to lend itself to that, thanks to its sheer physicality and aggression. He has repeatedly faced injury concerns over the course of his career, including a premature retirement in 2015 during his stint with WWE.
Danielson has repeatedly come back and reminded fans of why he is considered by many to be the best of his generation, if not all time, but it has taken its toll on him physically.
That there is such focused intent to keep him out of the ring until August 25 suggests there is enough of a concern about his well-being not to risk the match not going on as scheduled.
Making matters even more interesting was Danielson's claim on Wednesday's Dynamite that he will retire if he does not defeat Strickland at Wembley.
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