WWE Rumors on John Cena, Tyler Bate's Injury Return and Lance Anoa’i Backstage

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Reported Details on Lunch with Cena During WrestleMania Weekend

One rumored aspect of the chance to have lunch with John Cena during WrestleMania 41 weekend in Las Vegas is reportedly not going to come to fruition.

PWInsider.com (h/t Andrew Ravens of Newsweek) reported Tuesday that fans can pay $25,000 to be part of a luncheon with Cena on April 19, which is the day of Night 1 of WrestleMania 41.

The intimate gathering, which is reportedly limited to 20 people, is set to take place at a five-star restaurant on the Las Vegas strip, and PWInsider.com reported that Cena would receive a lifetime achievement award as part of the event.

However, Fightful Select (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News) reported that a lifetime achievement award will not be given out to Cena at the lunch.

Fightful noted that other reported aspects of the lunch are accurate, though, meaning fans will get to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience if they are willing to pay up.

After more than two decades of being a beloved fan favorite, Cena shocked the pro wrestling world at Elimination Chamber by attacking Cody Rhodes and turning heel in the process.

He explained his actions during Monday night's episode of Raw in Brussels, Belgium, blaming the fans for their treatment of him over the years.

Given Cena's new on-screen character, a luncheon with fans arguably doesn't make much sense, but since it will likely take place behind closed doors, the fans figure to be greeted by the real Cena rather than the guy who chastised the WWE Universe on Monday.

Bate Reportedly Nearing Return from Injury

Tyler Bate has been out of action for over eight months, but his absence reportedly may soon come to an end.

According to PWInsider.com (h/t Carrier), Bate could return at "any time," and he is scheduled to be part of the Raw brand when he does.

Back in July, Bate announced that he had suffered a torn pectoral muscle during a tag team match that saw him and Pete Dunne beat Tank Ledger and Hank Walker on NXT.

The 28-year-old Bate made his WWE debut back in 2016 at the age of 19, winning a tournament to become the inaugural WWE United Kingdom champion.

It was a slow and steady ascent for Bate from there, as he spent significant time in NXT UK and NXT, holding the NXT Tag Team Championships and NXT UK Tag Team Championships one time each with Trent Seven.

Bate finally got the call to the main roster in January 2024, and he immediately began teaming with Dunne as New Catch Republic.

During Bate's absence, Dunne turned heel, so there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding whether Bate might follow suit and reunite with Dunne.

Bate has been a babyface for essentially his entire WWE career, though, so it is possible he and Dunne could renew their old rivalry instead.

Rumors on Lance Anoa'i's WWE Status

Lance Anoa'i has yet to make his presence felt since signing with WWE, and there is reportedly some internal skepticism regarding his future prospects.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), there has been some "criticism" of Anoa'i by people in WWE and thought that he "may not make it" in the company.

In November, WWE confirmed longstanding reports that it had signed Anoa'i to the company as a Performance Center recruit.

Shortly after WWE announced the signing of Anoa'i, Fightful Select (h/t Carrier) reported that he was dealing with an injury and he was not expected to be cleared to wrestle in 2024.

Now, a few months into 2025, there is still no sign of Anoa'i on WWE programming, and it is fair to wonder if that is a reflection of how WWE officials feel about him.

The 33-year-old Anoa'i starred on the independent scene, in MLW and in Japan before signing with WWE, and he has long been viewed as a high-upside talent.

Additionally, he has deep ties to one of the most famous pro wrestling families in history, as he is cousins with Roman Reigns and The Usos, and the son of Headshrinker Samu.

Well before signing with WWE, Anoa'i made a handful of on-screen appearances for the company, including losing a match to Shane McMahon in 2019 as part of a rivalry that pitted McMahon and Drew McIntyre against Reigns.

While there could be some truth behind WWE officials having doubts about Anoa'i's future, it is also possible that WWE is simply slow playing things with him coming off an injury.

Given the success wrestlers from the Anoa'i family have enjoyed in WWE, it may not be wise to count Lance out quite yet.

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