WWE and AEW Rumors on Bianca Belair's Injury, Toni Storm's Status and Chelsea Green Backstage

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

Belair Reportedly Preparing for Eventual In-Ring Return

Bianca Belair has not competed in a match since WrestleMania 41 nearly one full year ago, but she is reportedly starting to take steps toward an in-ring return.

According to BodySlam.net (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Belair "has started doing some light training," as she continues to recover from a finger injury.

Last month, Belair revealed in an Instagram post that she had begun rehab on her injured finger after undergoing surgery, writing, "Therapy. First day after surgery, Now why it have to be at 7 a.m.?!!"

The EST was injured during the highly acclaimed Triple Threat match against Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 41 last year.

During an appearance on BET's 106 & Sports (h/t F4WOnline's Bryan Rose) in November, Belair explained how the injury occurred, and why the recovery process has been so complicated.

"So I broke my knuckle, not my finger, I broke my knuckle, I broke the joint," Belair said. "It's something that I thought was going to be a very straightforward, you know, eight to 12 weeks. It's been almost six months at this point.

"I was in a Triple Threat with Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. And we were going to the top rope, because that's what we do, and we came off the top rope and Rhea landed straight on my hand and it just crushed everything in my finger. So it's been a crazy journey. You know, being an athlete and having an injury, you rely on your body and now my body's not doing what it's supposed to do. But I'm hoping that I can be back in the ring soon."

Belair has made a handful of televised WWE appearances since getting injured, including serving as the special guest referee for Jade Cargill vs. Naomi last year at Evolution.

However, it has been nearly a full year since she last wrestled, and her presence has been missed in the women's division.

It remains unclear when she will be cleared to compete again, but the three-time WWE women's champion will provide a massive boost to SmackDown or Raw once she returns to action.

Reported Details on How Storm's AEW Plans Changed

AEW reportedly had plans for Toni Storm to pursue the AEW Women's World Championship before she was deemed unable to compete last week on Dynamite.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), Storm was going to beat Marina Shafir in a No Holds Barred match on the March 18 episode of Dynamite before going on to feud with Thekla over the AEW women's title.

Meltzer noted that the plan was still in place as of the afternoon of March 18, but when it was determined that Storm was not cleared to wrestle for a non-injury reason, a pivot had to be made.

Instead, Storm was shown laid out backstage in a pool of blood. Her friend and partner, Mina Shirakawa, stepped in to face Shafir on Storm's behalf, and she was victorious.

Per Meltzer, AEW intends on turning the Storm attack into an angle akin to "Who shot J.R.," which was an iconic storyline in the popular television show Dallas in the 1980s.

Little is known in terms of why Storm is not cleared to wrestle, but she is reportedly expected to have a lengthy absence.

According to Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, AEW does not expect Storm to be able to wrestle for the remainder of 2026.

At Revolution earlier this month, Storm won a match against Shafir, and she was confronted by former UFC and WWE star Ronda Rousey afterward.

There was some thought that AEW may have been teasing a future match between Storm and Rousey, but that is now on hold, much like Storm's AEW women's title pursuit.

Storm has long been the face of the AEW women's division, one of the company's biggest stars in general and one of its most popular characters.

Being without her for an extended period of time is a major blow to AEW, but it also creates a huge opportunity for others to step up.

Chelsea Green Reportedly Didn't Want Time Off for Injury Recovery

Despite dealing with an ankle injury, Chelsea Green has continued to appear on WWE programming in recent weeks, and that is reportedly because of her own wishes.

According to Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select (h/t Carrier), Green "pushed" to stay on TV while injured, and WWE agreed due to the belief that she could still be a positive contributor to the product.

Green has not wrestled since the Feb. 6 episode of SmackDown when she got injured during a Triple Threat match against Tiffany Stratton and Lash Legend.

She later announced in a post on X that she suffered a broken ankle, which has resulted in her wearing a walking boot and using a wheelchair during her appearances on SmackDown and AAA ever since:

While Green has been unable to wrestle since getting injured, she has still been part of some highly entertaining backstage segments, interacting with some of the biggest stars in the women's division.

In terms of character work, Green is one of the best the WWE women's division has to offer, and she is particularly good at elevating those who work alongside her.

Green has managed to continue doing that even while not being cleared for in-ring action, and WWE has been wise to capitalize on her abilities.