Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Roman Reigns, Austin Theory, and MJF

On the heels of a blockbuster SummerSlam, the pro wrestling rumor mill continues to churn out reports from trusted insiders regarding some of the top stars in the industry.

None bigger than Roman Reigns, who is set to make a major motion picture appearance soon and the timetable for his absence has been revealed.

That topic headlines a collection that includes an update on a WWE Superstar missing television time and an All Elite Wrestling star whose time with a top faction appears to have been cut short.

Update on Roman Reigns' Filming Schedule

Andrew Timms/WWE via Getty Images

Roman Reigns will star in the upcoming Street Fighter movie, and Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported that The Tribal Chief will not start filming until September 2 and should conclude by September 26.

He added that The OTC is advertised for the August 18 episode of Raw from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

That would seem to indicate The OTC was not, in fact, written off of WWE programming for the time being Monday night when he suffered multiple Tsunamis from Bronson Reed.

Considering Reigns just came back to ignite the latest chapter of his rivalry with Paul Heyman and Seth Rollins, it would appear far too early for him to disappear again.

While it is inevitably coming because of the filming schedule, another appearance or two before that would allow him to wrap things up appropriately and give the heels an even greater beatdown segment for Reigns to go out on.

Austin Theory Update

David Becker/Getty Images for Netflix

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported: "Fightful reached out to people in the company and some clarification was provided. Theory isn't off the roster completely, instead he's listed with the other injured talent like Zoey Stark and Ilja Dragunov."

Sapp reported this was in response to a number of outlets aggregating a PWInsider Elite article that suggested the 28-year-old had been removed from the active roster.

Theory has been out of action since competing against El Grande Americano on the July 14 episode of WWE Main Event and has not been seen on Raw since a May 5 loss to Sheamus.

The report does not specify what Theory is currently suffering from, but it does seem to suggest the former United States champion has not fallen completely out of favor with management, despite his partnership with Grayson Waller receiving an off-screen break-up.

How he returns to television will ultimately determine what, if any, long-term plans creative has for a still-young Superstar once considered a future cornerstone of the promotion.

Update on MJF and The Hurt Syndicate

Arturo Holmes/WireImage

Amid a larger a report on recent Hurt Syndicate-AEW rumors, Sapp reported MJF and the group were originally supposed to have a longer on-screen partnership.

He wrote: "We're told there isn't heat between MJF and Hurt Syndicate. Specifically, we were told MJF and Hurt Syndicate have no issues behind the scenes."

The partnership was a major contributor to the rejuvenation of MJF's on-screen persona. After a bumpy few months, and inconsistent appearances due to filming Happy Gilmore 2, he built momentum in his pursuit of a spot with the group.

The abrupt end of that partnership is somewhat disappointing, but The Salt of the Earth is tracking back toward the main event, a spot that someone of his talents on the mic and in the ring probably never should have left.