Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on WrestleMania, Edge and More

The Road to WrestleMania is upon us and with it comes rumors and reports on a plethora of topics, including returning Superstars, prospective main events for the biggest show of the year and injury updates.

Edge returned to WWE following nine years on the sideline but his homecoming was no guarantee, thanks to an offer from another company.

Find out more about The Rated R Superstar's comeback, what match Raw Executive Director Paul Heyman wants to main event The Showcase of the Immortals and which two Superstars were bitten by the injury bug this week, putting their availability for the show in jeopardy, with this collection of rumors and innuendo.

Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon at Odds over WrestleMania Main Event

Sportskeeda's Tom Colohue reported on his Twitter account that Paul Heyman wants Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar to main event WrestleMania while Vince McMahon still very much wants Roman Reigns vs. The Fiend to be in that spot.

It makes perfect sense that Heyman would want the guy he is so invested in, and his real-life friend and business partner, to headline the biggest show of the year. He has put in the work creatively to bring McIntyre to the level he currently is and clearly believes in Lesnar as the biggest draw in the sport.

A match of that magnitude can make McIntyre in a single night while Reigns and The Fiend are already main event attractions over on SmackDown.

There is more for the company to gain by placing McIntyre in the main event against an established, marquee competitor like Lesnar than in the alternative. Hopefully, McMahon comes to his senses, realizes his most prestigious event will be more memorable with McIntyre standing tall, the new champion on Monday nights, than another Reigns celebration or the potential downer of The Fiend closing out the event, a heel leaving with the title, in a scene that rarely leaves a great impression.

AEW Made a Play for Edge

Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone reported Edge had talks with All Elite Wrestling prior to re-signing with WWE and returning at Sunday's Royal Rumble.

"AEW was reportedly interested because the “Rated R Superstar” had passed independent tests to be cleared for an in-ring return, but Edge ended up negotiating with WWE once the AEW offer had been on the table," he said.

Given the current wrestling landscape, and the battle for big-name talent to bolster rosters, it is not a surprise that AEW would have reached out to Edge about an in-ring return for the company. Nor is it a surprise that Edge would have listened and taken an offer into consideration.

When all was said and done, though, it felt like The Rated R Superstar had unfinished business in the rings of WWE. Forced out of the squared circle by an injury that left him in serious danger of permanent paralysis, he now has the opportunity to go out, as he stated in his return promo on Monday's Raw, on his own terms.

The raw emotions, the enormous ovation and the magical moment of his Rumble return could not have been replicated on AEW, no matter how hard those involved tried. His return needed to play out just as it did for it to be the enormous success that it was.

AJ Styles Injury Update

AJ Styles took a nasty bump off a spear from Edge during Sunday's Royal Rumble pay-per-view and per Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, the hope is The Phenomenal One will be back in time for WrestleMania.

If he is not, it will be the first 'Mania that Styles has not been part of since his debut back at the 2016 Royal Rumble. It would also mark the first year that he is not part of a significant rivalry ahead of the show.

Styles has been the one, steady consistency in WWE in that time span and has repeatedly fought through injury, bumps and bruises to remain that way. At some point, the injury bug was going to bite significantly enough for him to miss time.

Unfortunately, it came at the single most-significant time of the year for the company and its stars.

Here is hoping the ailment heals and allows him the payoff to his hard work and dedication that is WrestleMania.

Samoa Joe Update

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported Samoa Joe was legitimately pulled from the Raw Tag Team Championship match in which he partnered with Kevin Owens to challenge Samoa Joe and Buddy Murphy due to a legitimate injury.

WWE's medical staff stepped in and removed Joe from the match after an ugly dive through the ropes in which he came up holding the back of his head. The report states the rest of the match was wrestled on the fly. 

Much like the Styles injury, this is unfortunate timing for Joe, who has found himself in the midst of a high-profile rivalry with Rollins and Co. that easily could culminate in a significant WrestleMania match.

Something Joe has not had in his storied career.

Hopefully, this does not affect Joe much beyond the January 27 episode and allows him to return to the squared circle in time to capitalize on the push and enjoy said high-profile 'Mania match.