WWE and AEW Rumors on Stephanie Vaquer's Raw Absence, AJ Styles, Wardlow's Injury

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

Vaquer's Raw Absence Reportedly Shrouded in Mystery

Stephanie Vaquer did not appear on Monday night's episode of Raw despite being advertised for a contract signing ahead of her Women's World Championship match against Iyo Sky at Wrestlepalooza.

No reason was given for Vaquer's absence, but during a backstage segment, Raw general manager Adam Pearce assured Sky that the Wrestlepalooza match is still on.

According to Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), WWE talent he spoke to about Vaquer "didn't know what was going on" with her.

Sapp added that while there is "probably more than meets the eye" regarding Vaquer's status, those he talked to were "adamant" that the Wrestlepalooza match against Sky on Sept. 20 is still going to happen.

Vaquer won a battle royal at Evolution, and she was originally slated to challenge for the women's world title last month at Clash in Paris.

However, her scheduled match against Naomi was called off when Naomi had to vacate the Women's World Championship after announcing her pregnancy.

Pearce told Vaquer she would still get to vie for the title, and he chose Sky as her opponent for Wrestlepalooza since Sky was supposed to challenge Naomi for the title on an episode of Raw before she vacated.

It isn't yet known if Vaquer's Raw absence was related to injury or something else, but with Pearce definitively saying Vaquer vs. Sky is going to happen at Wrestlepalooza, it suggests that the issue involving La Primera is not significant.

AJ Styles Reportedly Considered Other Options Before WWE Deal

AJ Styles reportedly weighed his options outside of WWE before signing an extension with the company earlier this year.

According to SI.com's Jon Alba, Styles "put feelers out about potential options outside of the company," only to sign a new, short-term deal. Alba added that The Phenomenal One was "generating major interest on the convention circuit," and that there was mutual interest between Styles and convention promoters.

However, it was also noted that it is unclear if Styles had any interest in signing with a different wrestling company such as AEW.

Per Fightful Select (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Styles' current WWE contract is set to expire in February, shortly after the 2026 Royal Rumble.

Last week, Styles posted a picture of an hourglass on Instagram, which led to plenty of speculation about his future.

Some wondered if the hourglass was in reference to his WWE contract running out, while others speculated that the 48-year-old veteran was perhaps hinting toward his in-ring retirement.

Styles, who is a two-time WWE champion and likely future Hall of Famer, has recently been embroiled in a rivalry with Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship.

While he fell short in his attempt to beat Mysterio for the title at SummerSlam, Styles has remained vocal about wanting to get back at Dirty Dom, and he may have taken a big step toward a rematch Monday night on Raw when he beat El Grande Americano.

Styles also cut an untelevised promo during Raw that had fans buzzing due to its content.

In the shoot-style promo, AJ mentioned Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, who were released by WWE in February, and he said, "Somebody doesn't want me here."

That could be a sign that the hourglass post and teases of leaving WWE or retiring are part of a storyline rather than something he is legitimately considering.

Wardlow Reportedly May Miss Significant Time with Injury

AEW star Wardlow is reportedly back on the shelf shortly after returning from a lengthy hiatus.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Carrier), it is feared Wardlow suffered a torn pectoral muscle, which would keep him out of action for several months.

Despite the injury, Fightful noted that it is possible he could remain an on-screen character in an enforcer role while he recovers.

A three-time TNT champion, Wardlow has not competed in a match since March 2024. A knee injury reportedly kept him out for an extended period of time, and he missed additional time due to his involvement in the American Gladiators reboot on Prime Video.

After being off AEW programming for well over a year, Wardlow made his surprise return last month at Forbidden Door, attacking Swerve Strickland following Swerve's loss to Kazuchika Okada.

Wardlow joined the Don Callis Family in the process, but there hasn't been a significant follow-up to the angle.

An injury could explain why, which would be a tough break for someone who was once among the most popular stars in AEW.

Having him return by attacking Swerve suggested there was hope for Wardlow returning to his status as a top guy, but another injury setback may throw a wrench into any potential plans.