Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Sasha Banks, Rusev and More

A potential dream match for one of wrestling's greatest performers headlines the latest collection of backstage rumors.

Might Trish Stratus compete in another contest?

A social media post suggests it is a possibility.

What is the update on Rusev's and Matt Hardy's statuses with WWE, and might Raven be poised to star for another wrestling company here in 2020?

Find out the answers to those questions with this weekly roundup of WWE and AEW rumors.

A Major Dream Match Upcoming for Sasha Banks?

Trish Stratus sparked conversation recently with a tweet that celebrated the 20th anniversary of her debut with WWE and ended with a staredown between her and Sasha Banks, which left many believing a match between the Hall of Famer and Legit Boss may be on the horizon.

It had appeared as though Stratus wrestled her last match at SummerSlam 2019 in a losing effort against Charlotte Flair, but interactions between the all-time great and Banks during their few moments of sharing the screen suggest Trish has a desire to work with Banks.

With The Boss not doing anything else of real note as WrestleMania approaches, now would be the time for WWE Creative to pull the trigger on that particular match.

This could just be Stratus trolling fans, getting them excited for a match that may never happen but one she would contemplate coming out of her self-imposed retirement for.

Either way, the more she produces content like this, the louder the speculation grows across the internet. 

Rusev Sidelined by Injury?

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that despite ongoing contractual disputes between Rusev and WWE, The Bulgarian Brute was pulled from the gauntlet match at Super Showdown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, because of an injury and nothing else.

It was not all that long ago that Rusev was one of the hottest stars on Raw, thanks in large part to a soap opera-style storyline involving his estranged wife Lana, Bobby Lashley and Liv Morgan. He has disappeared off television recently, though, and the storyline sputtered to a dissatisfying conclusion.

While it is disappointing for Rusev to miss the big payday in Riyadh, the fact that he is injured as opposed to sitting out in protest is a good sign for WWE and its efforts to secure his services.

Of course, the injury could prove to be a negotiating tactic and could lead to an even speedier departure, but that is another topic for another time.

Matt Hardy's Contractual Status with WWE

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported part of WWE's efforts to resign Matt Hardy involve placement in NXT (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats).

On the surface, that would appear to be a demotion of sorts for someone of Hardy's stature. After all, he is a multi-time tag team champion, European champion, ECW champion, hardcore champion and all-around industry icon.

He has done almost everything there is to accomplish, and in both his and his fans' minds, he should be enjoying a much higher-profile role than he is. With that said, NXT provides talent a bit more creative freedom to try things and to be different than the main-roster alternative. It is the land in which veteran stars can go to enjoy tremendous success and be the level of star they were never allowed to be on Raw or SmackDown.

Look at Finn Balor, who has been unstoppable—both as a character and an in-ring performer—since returning to NXT in October.

Hardy and his Broken persona would thrive there, and he would likely find it more creatively rewarding than whatever he has been doing on the red and blue brands over the past couple of years.

Is Raven The Exalted One?

Johnson also reported that while he was seated in the audience directly behind The Dark Order at a recent show, there are no plans for Raven to be revealed as The Exalted One in AEW (h/t Ortman of Cageside Seats).

He was, instead, a red herring designed to get fans buzzing about him in that role and to throw them off the trail of the real culprit.

It is somewhat interesting that the company would not imagine Raven in that role, particularly because of his strengths as a talker. Where Evil Uno and Stu Grayson have failed to get over with audiences unfamiliar with or apathetic toward their work, Raven would almost certainly be able to talk the fans into caring.

One of the greatest minds in the history of the industry, he would benefit the company creatively too.