Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Jacob Fatu, AJ Styles, and More

It's WrestleMania season in WWE, and the pro wrestling rumor mill is churning out many a backstage report surrounding top stars and what they may be doing come April 19-20 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Jacob Fatu and AJ Styles are two such competitors, while the entire undercard of the show appears to be in flux heading into the Elimination Chamber on March 1.

Dive deeper into those topics and more with this collection of rumors from top insiders.

Bloodline Civil War at WrestleMania 41?

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WrestleVotes reported on the Backstage Pass Q&A with Bill Apter that WWE is "gearing up towards" a match between Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa at The Show of Shows.

If that is the case, it will be another instance of a Bloodline civil war shaping a big match at one of WWE's top premium live events.

Sikoa disappeared from WWE television following his loss to Roman Reigns on the debut episode of Raw on Netflix. In his absence, Fatu rose to prominence as the most destructive force in the company.

Now that Sikoa is back, it would seem as though a power struggle within the group—which also includes Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa—is the logical next chapter.

The question is whether WWE officials would attempt to get the fans behind Sikoa or Fatu, with the latter being the easier of the two for the WWE Universe to cheer for.

They already have, too, when The Samoan Werewolf decimated Braun Strowman to the delight of the San Antonio crowd at Saturday Night's Main Event on January 25.

What that means for the rest of the group remains to be seen, but such a match would follow in the footsteps of The Usos vs. Reigns and Sikoa, Jimmy vs. Jey and the men's WarGames match in November as the latest examples of infighting within WWE's most powerful family.

What Will AJ Styles Do at WrestleMania?

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Who knows how many WrestleMania appearances AJ Styles has left in him at this point in his career, but we have an idea of what the 2025 edition may have in store for him, per WrestleVotes.

The insider reported early signs had pointed to a battle between The Judgment Day's Finn Bálor and Dominik Mysterio, but that is no longer the case.

Instead, Styles could square off with the Irishman in a first-time WrestleMania showdown.

The other option would be a date with intercontinental champion Bron Breakker, with whom he has interacted over the last two episodes of Raw.

While not a top-tier main event presence, either of those matches would utilize Styles in a manner that brings quality to the undercard.

The 47-year-old is one of the best wrestlers of his generation and a showdown with fellow Bullet Club alum Bálor would make for a diehard fans' dream match.

A showdown with Breakker would be the latest in a series of veteran competitors for the IC champion, all with the goal of establishing the second-generation wrestler as one of the faces of the future of WWE.

Either way, the result is likely a good-to-great match that fans will be invested in if for no other reason than the equity Styles has built with them since his arrival in WWE in 2016 and his long history of excellence predating that.

WrestleMania 41 Card Still In Flux

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The busy WrestleVotes continued on his WrestleMania kick, revealing that much of the undercard is still being addressed, with "a lot of shuffling going on."

For those watching the shows on a weekly basis, that's not particularly surprising if only because it appears as though creative directions for several stars have changed course from where they were just one month earlier.

Even higher-profile competitors such as Damian Priest, Drew McIntyre and LA Knight appear to have had previous plans altered or adjusted in recent weeks to accommodate a new direction.

Such is the problem WWE faces. For the first time in what feels like a generation, the company has an abundance of legitimate stars all jockeying for a top spot on the biggest card of the year.

And it's up to the creative team to find where each fits best within the context of ongoing storylines and feud.

What the card ultimately looks like is anyone's guess, but one thing is for sure: WWE enters this year's 'Mania with the best problem it could have, reflecting the superb job it has done in creating stars and engaging characters since the new creative regime took over.

Latest on Miro's Departure from AEW

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The Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer reported that during his time in All Elite Wrestling, Miro had repeatedly pitched ideas for him and his former wife, CJ Perry. It never went anywhere but upon her departure from the company, it became worse.

The report also stated there was no discussion of the Bulgaria-born competitor returning to television before he was recently granted his release.

The Redeemer had the greatest success of his career with Perry when they were in WWE as Rusev and Lana, so it makes sense that he would think the best way forward was a storyline of sorts for the two of them in AEW.

Perry briefly appeared for the company but never had a clearly defined role and was released last year.

Recently, Miro popped up in a post from WWE Superstar Sheamus on X.

The two had been partners in the League of Nations faction in the mid-2010s, where they were top opponents of Roman Reigns.

It remains to be seen if Miro will rejoin WWE but based on his history in NXT, where he worked under Triple H, and the success he had on the main roster that included several high-profile matches with John Cena, it would seem to be a possibility.