Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors on John Cena and AJ Styles, Rhea Ripley and More

On the road to WrestleMania 42, and on the heels of The Undertaker surprising AJ Styles by revealing his induction into the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame class, the rumor mill is abuzz with updates on The Phenomenal One and plans for his inductor on his big night.

Dive deeper into that topic and more, including the latest on:

Rhea Ripley's WrestleMania opponent

Bronson Reed's injured biceps

The circumstances of Tommaso Ciampa's arrival in All Elite Wrestling

Latest on AJ Styles' Hall of Fame Induction

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AJ Styles will headline the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2026, as revealed by The Undertaker on Monday's Raw. Now, thanks to a new report, we have an idea of who his inductor may be.

Bodyslam+ reported that WWE wants John Cena to induct The Phenomenal One at the WrestleMania 42 weekend event.

Cena is one of Styles' greatest opponents and was responsible for helping to legitimize him upon his arrival in the company in 2016. Their trilogy of matches, beginning at Money in the Bank that year and continuing until the 2017 Royal Rumble, is widely regarded as one of the best in WWE history, if not in pro wrestling as a whole.

That Styles gave Cena one of the best matches of his retirement tour only heightens the reasoning for the 17-time world champion to appear on WWE television for the momentous occasion.

Whether that happens remains to be seen, but it would add another level of gravity and star power to the induction, something WWE loves to use to help sell tickets and attract viewers to the ceremony.

WrestleMania Plans for Rhea Ripley

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As WrestleMania 42 plans begin to take shape, Rhea Ripley appears to be on the outside looking in, with her role at The Show of Shows uncertain to this point.

Ibou of Self Made Pro (at 13:11) reported that Ripley vs. Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's Championship is a possibility for Las Vegas on April 18-19.

He first heard rumblings for that match as far back as Survivor Series: WarGames in November. He added that the original plan was for Cargill to defend against Bianca Belair, who remains sidelined following surgery to repair the broken finger she suffered at last year's 'Mania.

With that said, the women's matches remain in flux, with the insider revealing that as of last week, WWE was still making changes to the women's matches on the WrestleMania card.

Ripley vs. Cargill is a fresh match that has never really been teased in WWE storylines or creative direction. It would certainly be a surprise and give The Storm a marquee championship defense she may not have otherwise received.

The question then is whether The Eradicator, who has been part of three consecutive, excellent matchups on the grand stage, can develop chemistry with Cargill in short order and keep her streak of outstanding performances intact.

Time will tell but entering the women's Elimination Chamber match on Saturday, she has to be considered the favorite to win based on the five competitors joining her in the contest.

Update on Bronson Reed Injury

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Bronson Reed suffered a biceps tear Monday night on Raw during his Elimination Chamber qualifying match against Jey Uso and Original El Grande Americano.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported that the Australian competitor "is expected to undergo surgery shortly for a torn biceps, if it hasn't happened already." There is currently no timetable for his return.

Not only is it a significant blow for Reed, who was doing some of his finest work since joining up with The Vision and enjoying a main event run on Raw, but WWE is also now forced to shuffle plans as he was slated to win Monday and compete in the men's Chamber bout on Saturday.

More importantly, according to Johnson, the 37-year-old was set for a role at WrestleMania 42 after missing out last year due to injury.

Arguably the most talented big man in WWE, Reed will be able to bounce back and resume his role as a top-tier competitor on the flagship show. Whether it is as part of The Vision, aligned with Paul Heyman, or in another role remains to be seen.

Latest on Tommaso Ciampa's AEW Debut

Tommaso Ciampa wasted little time in making an impact in AEW, confronting and then defeating Mark Briscoe to win the TNT Championship.

Ciampa has since lost it to Kyle Fletcher, but he would have made his debut even sooner had it not been for Mother Nature.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported: "Briscoe's match was delayed from the January 24 episode of Collision because of inclement weather that forced AEW to change the show. We're told that originally, Ciampa's debut would have taken place there."

He added: "Ciampa wasn't moved to the WWE roster alumni page until January 28, which was several days after he had already agreed to terms with All Elite Wrestling and planned to join the company upon leaving WWE."

Ciampa was inexplicably wasted upon his arrival on the main roster in WWE, which is odd considering the wealth of success he had under Triple H in NXT, where he developed into the most despised heel in professional wrestling.

For whatever reason, it never translated, and instead of letting him see what he could do from a character standpoint, the 40-year-old was partnered with Johnny Gargano in a DIY reunion that never achieved the heights it could have with even the slightest bit of creative effort.

Now, Ciampa has the chance to prove he is still one of the most gifted wrestlers in the business and more than capable of being a main event attraction, even with the top of the AEW card already packed, as Hangman Page, Kenny Omega, and Swerve Strickland all target world champion MJF.