Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors on AJ Lee, Kairi Sane and More

Women's wrestling takes center stage in this collection of pro wrestling rumors, with the latest on former champions AJ Lee, Kairi Sane, and Bayley at the center of insider reports.

Dive deeper into each and find out what the future may hold for all three now, thanks to the most trusted reporters in the industry.

AJ Lee Not Retired?

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AJ Lee last competed at WrestleMania 42, losing her Women's Intercontinental Championship to Becky Lynch. Yet, despite not appearing since that contest in Las Vegas, Lee is not retired from the squared circle.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported, "sources that Fightful Select speak to believe she hasn't had her last match."

Addressing speculation that Lee would join forces with Paige to battle the Bella Twins, Sapp added, "Those in creative we spoke to said that they had not heard AJ Lee was actually planned for that angle and the talent involved hadn't been told what the plan was as of Brie Bella's injury."

Lee returned to huge fan support and excitement last September and, other than a match with Bayley, worked almost exclusively with Lynch. Considering the wealth of other Superstars on the roster for her to work with, whom she has not interacted with as much, let alone wrestled, there is plenty of fresh opposition for Lee.

When and where a potential return to the squared circle would take place remains a mystery, but Sapp's report is encouraging for fans who still want to see more of the revolutionary and inspirational Superstar.

Latest on Kairi Sane

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When asked during Fightful Select Answers Q&A if Thekla was being saved for a potential debut by Kairi Sane at AEW All In, Sapp noted that as of August 21, "Kairi isn't signed to any company, and there's still work to be done on that."

Sane last appeared on WWE TV on the April 20 episode of Raw, teaming with Asuka in a losing effort against Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky.

Sane was part of WWE's roster cuts this past spring, despite being heavily involved in an ongoing storyline with Asuka, in which it appeared she would eventually stand up to and feud with her tag team partner.

A great professional wrestler, Sane would give the women's division in AEW an even bigger boost, conceivably entering the title picture immediately. A match with Thekla would be outstanding, but time will tell if that is in the cards for both women.

The Latest on Bayley's WWE Status

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In The Daily Update portion of F4WOnline.com, Dave Meltzer reported that, "Bayley was backstage at the TNA show yesterday. Between all the mentions last week on Raw and the callout by Blake Monroe, it would certainly seem like Bayley is not leaving WWE."

Lyra Valkyria had previously mentioned Bayley, doing so every week since beating her and leaving her lying at last Saturday Night's Main Event. Still, WWE typically goes out of its way to cool off talent before they leave and jump companies, meaning the likelihood that they would keep Bayley's name omnipresent on its TV is low.

Still, it has been less about promoting The Role Model and more about putting over Valkyria's success and claim to the Women's Intercontinental Championship. Whether the long-running star of the women's division sticks with the company that helped make her a star remains to be seen.

Regardless of where Bayley ends up, the women's division will be better off for having her. One of the smartest, most beloved, influential, and generous stars of her generation, Bayley's impact on women's wrestling will be felt long after her active years, thanks in large part to her efforts to secure the industry's future through her Lodestone Wrestling initiative.