Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: AJ Styles, Hall of Fame and More

As the Road to WrestleMania draws near, the rumor mill in WWE is heating up with potential match pairings and Hall of Fame induction news.

AJ Styles is one of the elite performers in the industry and his proposed WrestleMania encounter would provide him an opportunity to showcase his excellence on wrestling's grandest stage. But why was he chosen for it?

Who will SmackDown women's champion Bayley defend again, who is the latest Hall of Fame induction and which iconic competitor may be The Dark Order's Exalted One over in AEW?

Find out with this collection of rumors and innuendo.

AJ Styles' Most Important Match and Why He Was Chosen for It

Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported the reason AJ Styles was chosen as Undertaker's opponent at this year's WrestleMania is that The Deadman sees The Phenomenal One as the modern-day Shawn Michaels.

That is incredibly high praise from one of wrestling's greatest and most respected legends. It is also confirmation of the impression Styles has left on his peers. There are few Superstars more consistently great between the ropes than Styles, who has firmly entrenched himself as one of the elite stars in WWE.

Since his arrival in the company, Styles has battled Shane McMahon, Shinsuke Nakamura and Randy Orton in high-profile 'Mania matches. If the proposed match with The Phenom does happen, it will be the most important match of Styles' Hall of Fame career.

Monday's Raw saw Styles cut a promo in which he name-dropped Undertaker, planting the seeds for the contest. The question now is whether Undertaker returns before Super Showdown, at the extravaganza or if he sets foot back inside a WWE run after the event.

Either way, Styles is prepping for a monumental 'Mania match against a Superstar who is the most respected in the locker room and, more importantly, who hand-chose him for the high-profile spot.

JBL to Enter the Hall of Fame

Raj Giri of WrestlingInc.com reported John Bradshaw Layfield will be inducted into this year's WWE Hall of Fame.

A tag team specialist for the majority of his career, JBL broke out in 2004 as a singles star, defeating Eddie Guerrero to become one of the most unlikely and unexpected WWE champions in company history. From there, strong performances from him and steady booking from WWE Creative helped him become a legitimate main event attraction.

One of the best heels of all-time, Layfield has absolutely earned his induction. Last seen at the ceremony inducting former tag team partner Ron Simmons, the former WWE champions will take center stage and bask in the spotlight his magnificent career has earned him.

Bayley's WrestleMania 36 Opponent

Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live reported Naomi is slated to be SmackDown women's champion Bayley's WrestleMania opponent. 

The match has been hinted at for weeks now, ever since Naomi returned from her months-long hiatus.

There are some who will denounce the match, arguing Bayley should have defended against Sasha Banks or in a higher-profile match but Naomi is red-hot right now. Add to that both women are linked based on previous WrestleMania appearances and you have a match that is deserving of the spotlight.

In 2017, both Naomi and Bayley won their respective title matches on the grand stage. A year later, Naomi defeated Bayley to win the women's battle royal on the WrestleMania 33 kickoff show.

While it is very likely their showdown does not make the main show given the star power in other women's title matches, expect the performers to work hard to elevate the title and deliver the quality match WrestleMania deserves.

Raven to Be the Leader of the Dark Order?

Paul Davis of WrestlingNews.co reported Raven is one of the favorites to be revealed as The Dark Order's exalted one.

Others in consideration for the role are Matt Hardy and Christopher Daniels. Raven could be seen watching from the arena floor, directly behind The Dark Order, on Wednesday's broadcast.

The former ECW world champion has a history of overseeing cult-like factions, his most prominent and successful being The Flock during his days in WCW. One of the smartest, most creative and cerebral performers of all-time, Raven would be an excellent choice for the role.

The fact that AEW social media hinted as strongly as it did at the possibility that Raven is the exalted one suggests that he will not be revealed to be the leader of the faction.

Still, there is a possibility he is and if so, AEW may benefit from having one of the most engaging and compelling performers in industry history on its show.