Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on CM Punk, Ospreay vs. Swerve, and More

With WWE's SummerSlam and All Elite Wrestling's All In drawing near, the rumor mill is red hot, with top stars at the center of some significant reports from the industry's top insiders.

One such star is CM Punk, who continues to rehabilitate from a torn triceps suffered at the Royal Rumble in January. He looks set to do battle with Drew McIntyre, presumably as soon as SummerSlam on August 3, but his current in-ring status is at the center of rumors.

Who joins Punk in this latest roundup? Find out with this collection of backstage reports.

As of last Friday, CM Punk had yet to be cleared to return to the squared circle, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported.

That is somewhat surprising based on the intensification of his rivalry with Drew McIntyre, something one would have assumed would not happen unless he was ready to jump back in the ring to pay off the seven-month feud.

Sapp noted that is why WWE booked the angle in Chicago last Friday, when McIntyre beat down his rival.

The match will be the biggest on any card it appears on, thanks to the disdain the Superstars have for each other and how it has built over the months since The Scottish Warrior delivered the Future Shock DDT that tore Punk's triceps and cost him the WrestleMania 40 main event.

It still feels like Punk vs. McIntyre is penciled in for SummerSlam, but we will likely have a clearer indication of when fans can expect that match after Saturday's Money in the Bank, where one would assume The Best in the World will make his presence felt.

Asuka has been out of action since The Kabuki Warriors dropped the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship to Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill at Backlash on May 4.

Unfortunately, the knee injury that has led to her disappearance from television will keep The Empress of Tomorrow out of the ring through the end of the year, Sapp reported.

It is a major disappointment for one of the best women's wrestlers in WWE. Asuka has done it all, winning championships on Raw and SmackDown and defining an era of the NXT women's division.

A virtuoso performer who can be both foreboding and funny, she is a future Hall of Famer. Sadly, as Damage CTRL appears poised to enter a new era, she won't be around to see it implemented.

When Asuka returns, though, it will be interesting to see if her former teammates greet her with open arms, especially as frustration mounts in Iyo Sky.

Daniel Garcia has seen his stock rise in recent weeks, including a jaw-dropping conclusion to Wednesday's Dynamite, where he fell prey to a beatdown at the hands of MJF.

The 25-year-old's contract with AEW is set to expire this fall, according to Sapp.

"Unless he's re-signed since then, Garcia could possibly hit free agency at just 26 years old, with years of television experience on ROH and All Elite Wrestling TV," he wrote.

"However, one top AEW name said that they don't believe he's going anywhere, and even think he's re-signed."

Sapp also stated that, according to one source, Garcia's future would come into focus shortly.

One of the best young technicians in the game, he has won over fans for his show-stealing performances and is one of the few to have been associated with the Jericho Appreciation Society who came out on the other side with their legitimacy intact.

The feud with MJF, which will culminate in a match at All In at Wembley Stadium on August 25, will be the biggest and most important of his career. How he performs in the buildup and the eventual bout will ultimately determine how far he goes in AEW.

If Garcia's previous performances are any indication, expect a classic encounter with the most consistently great star in the company, MJF.

Many were surprised when Will Ospreay vs. Swerve Strickland was announced for the main event of AEW's Forbidden Door considering most expected that AEW World Championship match to occur at All In at Wembley as part of The Aerial Assassin's grand coronation.

Sapp reported: "Those we've spoken to said that Will Ospreay, who has long been a friend of Swerve's in real life, and a foe in the ring, grew tired of seeing that Swerve's title reign was a 'placeholder' for Ospreay to win the title at All In.

"Based on what we heard, Ospreay made the approach after winning the international title, and wanted to show that nobody should be above losing to the world champion. Some in the company claimed that a 'point was being proven' as a result."

It is the mark of a leader that the Englishman took the initiative to put Strickland over and send a message to both the fans and the locker room that it is important to establish the world champion and losing to him should not be beneath anyone.

It was a key moment for Strickland that finally made him feel like the enormous deal he should have been from the moment he won the world title, only for his booking to disappoint.

Hopefully, that will no longer be the case and AEW officials will capitalize on the momentum Strickland has on his side again as a result of Ospreay's selfless display.