4 AEW rumors we hope are true and 1 we hope isn't: Big update on Jon Moxley's involvement in Royal Rumble; WWE doesn't want RAW star to become Tony Khan's future signee?

Welcome back to another exciting edition of AEW rumors that we hope are true and those we hope aren't. With the Royal Rumble fast approaching, we've come across reports suggesting the possibility of AEW stars entering through the 'forbidden door.'

Meanwhile, Vince McMahon doesn't want a current WWE RAW Superstar to join Tony Khan's promotion in the future. Today's edition will also shed light on the contract expiry of multiple members from All Elite Wrestling's original roster. Now without further ado, let's quickly get down to the top rumor stories of the week.

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#5 Hopefully not true: No AEW stars involved in the WWE Royal Rumble this year

Ever since reports started swirling that WWE is planning a 'forbidden door' entrant for the men's Royal Rumble match this year, fans have been speculating about AEW names like Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho potentially entering the bout.

But Dave Meltzer seems to have shut down these presumptions while speaking on F4WOnline. The wrestling journalist noted that there would be no 'AEW involvement' in the upcoming WWE Premium Live Event.

We hope this rumor isn't true because WWE will be missing out on an opportunity to grab more eyeballs on their product by not inviting stars from All Elite Wrestling.

Understandably, Vince McMahon and Tony Khan appear to have embarked on a wrestling war. But someone like Jericho, who isn't on bad terms with the WWE Chairman, would be more than welcome for a cameo appearance at the Royal Rumble. The entire angle could turn out to be beneficial for both parties.

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#4 Hopefully true: Vince McMahon doesn't want Finn Balor to sign with Tony Khan's promotion in the future

Vince McMahon may not be 'invested' in Finn Balor, but that doesn't mean the WWE Chairman is willing to let the inaugural Universal Champion potentially sign with All Elite Wrestling.

These reports come on the heels of an internal belief that Mr. McMahon no longer sees Balor as a box office attraction. However, the management is aware that 'AEW would bend over backwards' to lure The Prince away from WWE once his current deal expires.

We hope this is true because Balor can easily get lost in the shuffle if he decides to jump ship over to All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan has already established a stacked roster and doesn't need another big addition, even if it is someone of Finn Balor's caliber.

Balor may not be getting a big push right now, but he is someone the company can get behind at any given point of time.

#3 Hopefully true: AEW star Cody Rhodes' free agent status could be a 'publicity stunt'

In a shocking development that surfaced recently, wrestling fans learned that Cody Rhodes' AEW contract expired a few weeks ago, and the 36-year-old star has been working as a free agent ever since.

Dave Meltzer has now shared some interesting tidbits about the former WWE Superstar's contract expiry. The wrestling journalist noted that Cody's free agent status could be nothing more than a 'publicity stunt.'

We hope this is true because AEW could potentially set up captivating storylines for The American Nightmare by promoting him as a free agent.

Not only would it help to bring more eyeballs to weekly programming, but it could also be a stepping stone towards turning him heel.

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#2 Hopefully true: Brian Cage, Joey Janela & Marko Stunt leaving All Elite Wrestling soon?

According to PW Insider, Peter Avalon's deal with Tony Khan's promotion has expired. On top of that, the contracts of Brian Cage, Joey Janela, and Marko Stunt will come to an end soon.

We hope this is true since Avalon recently tweeted that he is open to working on indie dates, probably hinting at his contract expiry. Meanwhile, Cage, Janela, and Stunt haven't been used in television programming for months now.

It will be in the best interest of these stars if they do not renew their contracts and push their luck in other promotions. Brian Cage could be a massive addition to the WWE roster in the future.

#1 Hopefully true: AEW is not against Bryan Danielson working for other promotions in the future

Dave Meltzer recently reported that Bryan Danielson is keen to work with promotions other than AEW. The wrestling journalist noted that the former WWE Superstar is pushing to wrestle in an indie promotion where Tony Khan hasn't run their show yet.

Although Meltzer didn't clarify the names of the indie promotions, it is widely expected to be PWG or DEFY.

While the company's head honcho is not against Danielson's willingness to use the forbidden door, Mr. Khan probably wants an All Elite Wrestling show to run in that marketplace first.

"Bryan Danielson, without going into detail, but some people will figure it out. There's an independent promotion, which I believe he wants to work for, in a market that AEW has not run yet. And All Elite Wrestling is not against him working for that promotion, but when they run that market, they want Bryan Danielson's first match in that market to be in AEW," said Dave Meltzer. (H/T: WhatCulture)

We hope this rumor is true. One of the main reasons behind Danielson jumping ship over to All Elite Wrestling was to fulfill his long desire to wrestle in NJPW and other wrestling promotions.

Understandably, Tony Khan would like to expand the promotion to a different market first before allowing someone to wrestle there.

Likewise, the company brought Jon Moxley back to Dynamite just days before his GCW World title defense against Homicide.

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Do you want Bryan Danielson to break the hinges of the forbidden door to wrestle outside of All Elite Wrestling? What do you make of other rumor stories? Let us know in the comments section below.