Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on MJF, Doudrop and More

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Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Give a performer a mic, let them talk, and people will listen.

That certainly seems to be the case for MJF, who has commanded the attention of executives outside of All Elite Wrestling and within WWE.

The three-time Dynamite Diamond Ring winner’s name is on the lips of those within the competition, as well as executives with the company’s closest business partners, according to a new report.

That topic headlines this round of wrestling rumor and innuendo.

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Andrew Zarian of F4WOnline.com reported on his We’re Live Pal! YouTube show that WWE is very interested in MJF and that network executives themselves have expressed interest.

One exec told him, “I actually stopped what I was doing and listened to him. I don’t think I have done that with pro wrestling in a long time.”

Another within WWE questioned whether he could be the same guy in WWE, but reiterated the interest as the company looks to build around fresh new stars in the near future. 

MJF played up the report, revisiting his “bidding war of 2024” line in reference to the end of his current deal with AEW. Zarian revealed that is, in fact, the end of his contract with the company.

It is no wonder at all that executives with WWE and its business partners are interested in MJF. He is an extraordinary talent; a fantastic talker and, maybe, an even better wrestler who shows up and shows out anytime he has the opportunity. His work with Jungle Boy, Darby Allin and Dante Martin reflects that of a worker 10 times his experience while his promo battles with CM Punk are capturing the attention of the wrestling world.

There will be a bidding war in 2024, absolutely, and MJF is going to make a boatload of cash as a result.

The question is whether he would ever realistically leave the company that gave him his opportunity in the name of uncertainty elsewhere.

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WWE may be preparing to relieve one star of the worst name in the company.

Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats reported WWE has filed a trademark for Piper Niven, igniting speculation that the former NXT UK star may no longer be saddled with the horrendous Doudrop name.

Debuting as the sidekick of Eva Marie, she has undergone a heel turn that has put her directly in the path of Bianca Belair and given the Raw brand a secondary women’s feud away from the championship.

Doudrop was destined to fail the moment the name was first uttered on WWE television. That the character is now a heel, it sticks out like a proverbial sore thumb more, a reminder of how unimpressive and asinine WWE Creative can be at times.

Hopefully, this bit of news does signal the end of the name. Piper Niven is a solid in-ring name and would allow the performer to call on her previous run in NXT UK, giving her more to do rather than just be the jealous heel who wants a title shot. 

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Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com reported Day 1 tickets sales sit right around 8,000, making a sellout of 15,000 unlikely at this point. With that said, tickets did begin selling at a faster clip with the announcement of Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar.

That ticket sales increased with the announcement of the main event indicates that there is still interest in Reigns vs. Lesnar. WWE has taken care not to overexpose it, even though it feels like we have seen them wrestle each other dozens of times. It is still a marquee match featuring the two biggest stars in the industry and a genuine WrestleMania-quality main event.

It is, to quote the great Gorilla Monsoon, “a main event in any arena in the world.”

The rest of the Day 1 card is fairly solid, with Big E defending the WWE Championship in a Fatal 4-Way Match against Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley and Kevin Owens, while Becky Lynch puts her Raw Women’s Championship up for grabs against Liv Morgan.