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Welcome back to another thrilling edition of AEW rumors that we hope are true and those we hope aren't.
As we inch closer towards the third edition of Full Gear this Saturday, multiple backstage reports have surfaced suggesting possible scrapped plans. Moreover, we also came across some hearsays regarding real-life heat between two AEW stars.
Now without further ado, let's quickly get down into detail about those rumor stories and whether they should emerge as true or not.
#5 Hope is true: Major plans for Jon Moxley before his hiatus from AEW programming
Before Jon Moxley, via Tony Khan, announced that he would be entering an inpatient alcohol treatment program, plans were in place to bring a notable change to his on-screen character.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, the former WWE Superstar was set to undergo a 'personality change.' Meltzer didn't go into specifics to talk about whether or not Moxley was supposed to embrace a heel persona or a full-fledged babyface character.
We hope this rumor is true because Jon Moxley was already teasing a character change during his matches in the ongoing world title eliminator tournament. Given how he squashed Preston Vance, one would assume that the company might have booked him to turn him heel down the road.
The former Shield member was on the receiving end of an on-and-off push after losing the AEW World Championship. If he hadn't taken a hiatus, Moxley would not only have embraced the heel persona but also would have entered into the main event scene after a long time. It could have done wonders for his career moving forward.
#4 Hope isn't true: Original plans for Cody Rhodes' match at AEW Full Gear
During a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that the company initially pitched the idea of doing a four-way match pitting Cody Rhodes, PAC, Andrade El Idolo, and Makakai Black at the November 13th event.
However, Tony Khan scrapped those plans and instead decided to go with a tag team bout between these stars. At the upcoming Full Gear pay-per-view, Cody Rhodes and PAC will team up to square off against Malakai Black and Andrade El Idolo.
Despite the company originally wanting to book a four-way match, we hope this is not true, and Tony Khan nixing the idea was a great decision. With no high-stakes involvement, it would have made absolutely no sense to even think about pitting all four men against each other.
Having a tag team match is a fitting way to conclude two separate rivalries in one. It also allows either Rhodes or PAC to turn against each other during the clash.
#3 Hope is true: AEW stars Eddie Kingston and CM Punk possibly having real-life heat
The heated exchange of words between CM Punk and Eddie Kingston that occurred a few weeks ago on AEW Rampage has got the entire world talking.
According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the two confronted each other in the locker room dating back to their time in the IWA Mid-South more than a decade ago. An anonymous wrestler also vouched for Kingston's promo credibility against The Straight Edge Superstar on Rampage.
He noted that Punk called The Mad King and his then-partner Blackjack Marciano 'fat, lazy and unsafe.'
"I can fully vouch for Eddie’s promo on Punk the other night. I was sitting right there in an IWA Mid South locker room when Punk called Eddie and his partner at the time, Blackjack Marciano, fat, lazy and unsafe. Marciano had just accidentally injured Delirious in a previous match and Punk was hot about it, so just buried them nonstop. I could see why Eddie hung onto that hate and anger for so long,” the anonymous wrestler was quoted as saying. (H/T: Wrestling News)
We hope this rumor is true. Although both men could have settled their differences after all these years, the way they nurtured real-life heat into on-screen storytelling, it's an art not many wrestlers can do. Given the intensity of Punk and Kingston's promo, one could say that they were speaking from their heart, not from a script.
Considering their rich history and possibly no blood lost to each other, the equation will bring the best out of both stars when they collide this Saturday. The company could even prolong their feud purely based on what transpired between them back in the day, which would be a treat to watch.
#2 Hope isn't true: Samuray Del Sol facing major heat for his tweet about the late Brodie Lee
Samuray Del Sol recently caught the attention of the wrestling world for his controversial tweet. The former WWE Superstar misspelled the late Brodie Lee's name while paying tribute to him.
Amanda Huber and Chris Jericho quickly noticed it and criticized Del Sol for using the late star's name to draw attention. During a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, it was noted that Amanda Huber was unhappy with Del Sol. She even claimed that the Mexican star didn't share any bond with his late husband and that she hadn't heard from him since Lee's demise.
We hope this rumor is not true. Not only because AEW holds a friendly environment, but this would be a silly reason to put someone under hot water for just a spelling mistake. Even in the past, AEW stars like Miro have wrongly spelled the late Brodie Lee's name and never faced any heat.
#1 Hope is true: AEW's Bryan Danielson carrying a 'book' related to things he learned from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon
AEW's Bryan Danielson appears to have developed a good relationship with Vince McMahon even after leaving WWE.
During a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that Danielson has a 'book' that compiles up with everything he has learned from McMahon during his decade-long stint. Meltzer also cited this as the reason why The American Dragon doesn't like lashing out at WWE publically:
"Bryan Danielson doesn't like to knock WWE publicly because he loves Vince McMahon. I don't know if I've ever said this, you know, I think I have though, you know, he's got like [a] Vince McMahon book. He has made a book ever since he went to WWE, which is years and years ago. He has compiled of all the things that he's learned by and from Vince McMahon," stated Dave Meltzer.
We hope this rumor is true. Bryan Danielson has often stated that he still holds tons of respect for the company where he previously worked. He also denied using the iconic 'Yes' chant as a mark of respect for Vince McMahon's intellectual property.
While not many wrestlers were able to maintain a good bond with the WWE Chairman on their way out, Danielson feels grateful to have been given an opportunity to become a megastar. This also explains recent hearsays suggesting that the door is still open for The American Dragon to return to WWE at some point.
