Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Will Ospreay, AJ Styles and More

On the heels of a packed weekend of pro wrestling, the industry rumor mill continues to churn out reports involving its biggest and brightest stars.

From well-deserved time off for one of All Elite Wrestling's marquee players to a potential reunion for a WWE great, dive into the newest insider reports with this collection from around the two biggest promotions in the sport.

Will Ospreay's Time Off

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Will Ospreay was carried out of the ring Saturday night during the AEW All In main event, and Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that it was done for a reason.

"We're told that Will Ospreay has been working banged up, and is expected to take some time off," he wrote. "Those we spoke to believe that he will be out over a month, but an exact timetable isn't known."

Ospreay has been a staple of AEW programming since his arrival with the company and has been responsible for some of the best matches it has produced over that time. He also travels from England to wherever Dynamite or Collision is held on any given week, in what must be a grueling travel schedule.

Giving the 32-year-old time off to refuel and giving fans the chance to miss him and make his comeback that much more special is a wise choice that will benefit the performer and AEW when he returns.

With so many other strong babyfaces on the show right now, between Swerve Strickland, Kenny Omega and "Hangman" Adam Page, there will be plenty of opportunity for fans to invest themselves emotionally while awaiting the return of Ospreay.

Latest on AJ Styles Appearing at Slammiversary

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WWE sources have confirmed "there has absolutely been talk that [AJ] Styles will be making an appearance this weekend," reported Mike Johnson of PWInsider Elite (h/t Cageside Seats).

He added: "If you are hoping to see the prodigal son finally return home, I believe you will be happy if you order or attend Slammiversary."

Other than a video appearance during the 20-year celebration of the company, Styles has not been back in front of a TNA crowd since 2013.

One of the innovators of the X Division and a TNA original, his roots are deep in the company and the argument can be made that neither side would have achieved the success they did without the other.

Styles is nearing the end of an active in-ring career at 48 and should return to the "house that he built" and bask in the adulation of TNA fans for all he has accomplished over the course of his Hall of Fame career.

Even more so now there is a working relationship between TNA and WWE.

Potential SummerSlam Matchups

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Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins was the planned match for SummerSlam, but the latter's knee injury has altered that direction.

Instead, Reigns will now battle either Bron Breakker in a singles match or team with Jey Uso to face Breakker and Bronson Reed in a tag team match.

Meltzer also noted that Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa for the United States Championship, AJ Styles vs. Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship, and Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair challenging for the women's tag team titles are possible additions to the card on August 2-3.

The Reigns-Rollins revelation is not particularly surprising and neither are the back-up plans. While there is depth to the story involving The OTC and The Visionary, there is as much emotional value to Reigns' story with Paul Heyman, his former "Wise Man."

As long as Heyman is involved in whatever it is that his former Tribal Chief is up to, there will be enough substance to the story to justify its high-profile status and keep fans invested.

As for the rest of the card, all three proposed matches would be the result of ongoing stories. None are thrown-together and that's what fans expect on a show of this magnitude.

Update on AEW All In's Runtime

AEW presented its biggest show of the year, All In, on Saturday night from Arlington, Texas, a six-hour event that intentionally ran long to overlap with WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event, Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio.

WWE had booked an entire weekend of events to counterprogram the biggest show on the AEW calendar, including an NXT Great American Bash event that started at the same time and SNME featuring the final match in Goldberg's legendary career.

Not willing to be bullied, AEW intentionally scheduled its show to run as long as it did to overlap with the prime-time offering.

It was the right call, too.

The main event, pitting "Hangman" Adam Page against Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship was, arguably, the most anticipated match on the card thanks to the rich story of the challenger. It had the greatest intrigue and was the culmination of a year-long story.

Booking it to eat into the SNME time was a wise tactical move that ensured no one would turn All In off to focus on what was otherwise a so-so WWE card on paper.