Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Samoa Joe, Shawn Spears and More

This week's collection of WWE and AEW backstage rumors is heavy on injury news and updates on returns.

Samoa Joe has been a revelation on commentary but could The Destroyer be back inside the squared circle sooner than later? What about Ruby Riott, whose shoulder injuries halted her momentum in the women's division?

And what is going on with Kairi Sane, who had a rough performance in Sunday's TLC pay-per-view main event?

Rounding out the reports is information on AEW's Shawn Spears, his position in the company and what it means for WWE's willingness to release some of its own talent.

Samoa Joe Return Update

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported, "Samoa Joe's in-ring return from his broken thumb is imminent."

While it will be nice to see Joe bring his physical, explosive in-ring work back to WWE television, he has been so good on the headset that it will almost be disappointing to lose him at the commentary position.

Joe has brought a realism to his color commentary and gives a peek into the mentality of Superstars in any given match. He has been engaging and elevated the overall presentation of the WWE product over the last few weeks.

While he still has some ring time left in him, hopefully, he is open to making the transition to the commentary team when his in-ring career comes to an end. Much like Taz before him, Joe has a unique sound, delivery and approach to his work at the announce position; one that makes it far easier to buy into the story being told between the ropes.

He is absolutely an asset and one WWE should be interested in locking up for the long-term.

When Can Fans Expect Ruby Riott Back?

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com revealed Ruby Riott is currently slated to return to action in January, according to an internal injury report.

Riott has been missing in action since undergoing surgery on one shoulder in May, then the other August.

The leader of the Riott Squad, the talented competitor returns to great uncertainty following the split of the group and the latest WWE draft that left its members on different paths. Sarah Logan has battled everyone from Natalya to Dana Brooke on both Raw and Main Event while Liv Morgan is set to undergo a makeover that should lead to a rather sizable push for the New Jersey native.

That leaves Riott to fend for herself. 

Does she return as a babyface, perhaps standing up to someone like Bayley or Sasha Banks, or does she come back and unleash hell on Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and establish herself a top heel on either brand?

It remains to be seen but if she can still perform up to the level she did before, Riott should be a major player on either Raw or SmackDown in 2020.

Kairi Sane in-Ring Status

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet provided an update on Kairi Sane following what was a rough Tables, Ladders and Chairs match at Sunday's pay-per-view event. "Sources tell us Sane seemed to have been knocked out in the first few minutes of the Women’s Tag Team Championship TLC match – though it’s unclear at which point exactly – which is why she appeared to be out of it during parts of the match."

Satin would reveal Sane is not cleared to compete after the hard-hitting match.

Sane took some wicked bumps in the contest and, at one point, appeared to take a television monitor to the back of the head. A typically superb in-ring performer, she was anything but Sunday night in Minneapolis as she struggled to throw chairs into the ring and just barely got herself up for a powerbomb from Charlotte Flair.

If she was, in fact, knocked out during the match, WWE will have to re-evaluate how it handles mid-match head injuries. Allowing a competitor to continue, particularly in a match with that much potential for danger, is inexcusable.

Here is to a speedy recovery for Sane, who has been finding herself of late as a heel performer.

Shawn Spears and His Impact on WWE Releases

Tom Colohue of Sportskeeda's Dropkick DiSKussions reported, "There is also, and I believe the man in question will not thank me for this, but unfortunately this is what I’ve been told by sources in WWE, that they have looked at the example of Shawn Spears and considered that to be a release that didn’t affect them negatively in any way, including his entire run on AEW." 

He continued, "they do not believe that it impacted them negatively, they don’t believe it hurt them, they don’t believe it strengthened AEW, and they are willing to put more people into that path."

Recent releases of Luke Harper, Sin Cara and The Ascension lend credibility to the report as WWE suddenly does not appear to fear the idea of them heading to AEW and providing a spark that would lead to their downfall in the Wednesday night wrestling war.

Perhaps that comes back to bite WWE officials but for now, it has reason to feel confident in its decision, if only because Spears has yet to catch fire or even appear consistently on AEW television to this point in his run with that company.