Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Rhea Ripley, CM Punk, and More (2024)

WWE fans last saw Rhea Ripley vacating her Women's World Championship on April 15 due to a shoulder injury that would take her out of action for the foreseeable future and with no clear timetable for her return.

Thanks to insider reporting, we may know what her return to WWE television will look like and if she has to be wrestling to make an impact.

The latest on Ripley headlines this collection of wrestling rumors, which also sheds light on the in-ring return of CM Punk, the latest on SummerSlam's format moving forward, and who the wild-card addition to the Owen Hart tournament in All Elite Wrestling might be.

Rhea Ripley has been out of action since the week after WrestleMania 40, when she revealed a shoulder injury and was forced to vacate the Women's World Championship.

Though she is not expected to be cleared for in-ring action before SummerSlam on August 3, there are expectations behind the scenes that she could still play a role in the upcoming premium live event.

"There had been reports that Rhea Ripley wasn't scheduled for WWE Summerslam. However, WWE sources had indicated that they have things constructed that Ripley can slide in and return to the program whenever she's ready, even in a non-wrestling capacity.

"The story available at the time of her return will dictate what programs she's in, as many creative decisions have been made in her absence that still involve her."

Since she departed WWE programming, Ripley has remained at the center of new champion Liv Morgan's manipulation and deceit of Dominik Mysterio and The Judgment Day.

Morgan has repeatedly targeted the Australian's love interest in her pursuit of taking everything away from the former titleholder.

A feud with Morgan remains the most logical story for Ripley to appear in when she is ready to resume her on-screen presence.

However, there is potential for her to bring stability back to The Judgment Day, which repeatedly teeters on the brink of a breakup with Damian Priest being spread too thin, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh appearing to be running business behind the world champ's back and Mysterio being otherwise preoccupied.

Regardless of how she returns to television, Ripley's comeback will be one of the stories to watch in the second half of 2024 as she is a legitimate star who belongs on the same level as the top performers in the industry.

Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that there is no guarantee CM Punk will be ready to return to the squared circle at SummerSlam, as has been teased via his booking of late.

Punk's return to television at Clash at the Castle, where he screwed Drew McIntyre out of the World Heavyweight Championship, only to be brutally attacked by the Scot two days later in his hometown of Chicago, intensified their rivalry and suggested the plan is for him to battle his rival as soon as SummerSlam.

One would assume WWE would not take the initiative to ramp up creative in that rivalry if there was still some uncertainty surrounding Punk's availability for the match. If Meltzer's report is accurate, his in-ring return is not yet a given.

Where WWE would go with McIntyre if Punk is not cleared is anyone's guess as that appears to be the singular direction for The Scottish Warrior.

Still, all signs point to Punk jumping back into the squared circle at the Cleveland Browns Stadium for a showdown with the man he has feuded with since the Royal Rumble in January.

If that doesn't happen, expect some sort of physical encounter to amplify the hatred between them ahead of their official in-ring battle.

Speaking of SummerSlam, Sapp noted: "Those we spoke to in WWE said that the Minnesota expansion to two nights was the start of that event likely moving to two nights moving forward."

The expansion of the show begins with the 2026 edition, and Sapp added that it's not the only show that could be stretched over two nights, with the Royal Rumble also getting the same treatment.

Both events are among the four biggest of the year for WWE, and given the success of WrestleMania, it makes sense that it would want to bolster those cards with more matches and take advantage of the financial benefits of holding its signature events over two nights.

That should allow more opportunities for Superstars to appear on those cards and give the shows themselves the chance to feel like the mega-events they are.

Some may feel it waters down the 'Mania approach and while they may have a case, the format enhances WWE's other PLEs and that hardly feels like a bad thing.

The Young Bucks announced a special wild-card entrant into the men's Owen Hart tournament this year, creating speculation on who it could be.

Sapp reported that while creative can change, "Hangman" Adam Page has been discussed for the tournament.

Page has been absent from AEW television since the Revolution pay-per-view in March and has been in talks for an early July return, the report stated. The timing would certainly fit, and his comeback would bolster an already impressive field.

Should it be Page, he will find himself battling Jeff Jarrett, who made headlines for his emotional promo on the tournament and what it means to him.

If the intent is for Hangman to return as a villain, beating a guy the fans suddenly have a connection to as an emotional choice to win the tournament is the perfect way to reintroduce him.

If not, it is a questionable booking that could derail his momentum out of the gate.

Considering the involvement of the Bucks, though, one would assume it is option A.