Frustration backstage in AEW. One of the criticisms leveled at WWE over the years has been a seeming lack of long-term creative direction across the board, with reports often revealing that plans were changed at the very last minute and sometimes even during the shows. With that said, since the introduction of  Triple H as the head of creative, these issues appeared to be a thing of the past.

However, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio last night, problems with communications of creative plans are starting to appear in All Elite Wrestling as of late. Meltzer noted, “If you follow AEW, you know that a lot of stuff is being decided at much later periods than previous. Guys are getting their information on what they’re doing later, and decisions are being made later. There’s times the day of the show, sometimes you don’t even know what the plans are. It’s almost at times like we used to talk about WWE, which is also very frustrating for talent.

A lot of guys have a lot of input on what they’re doing, but they don’t really know a long-term direction. So they’re doing stuff and they’re coming up with ideas, but when you don’t know exactly a long-term direction, you’re kind of coming up with ideas week by week too. But you don’t know where the ultimate thing is, and maybe the ultimate thing hasn’t been decided. So that’s one of the reasons that shows are like the shows are just last week. Meltzer would reveal that plans for a Young Bucks AEW Tag Team Title shot was scrapped despite winning the number one contendership match at WrestleDream.

However, it seems the situation is still up in the air under the sign of potential lack of direction. He would add, “The last I heard is that they may do Big Bill and Ricky Starks versus the Young Bucks at Full Gear, but that’s not official. It was just one of the things that was kind of thrown out there.” Interestingly, current AEW coach Jerry Lynn would take to social media to respond to Dave’s report, revealing why Tony Khan doesn’t tell the full picture ahead of time, suggesting that this is by design and not through incompetence. Lynwood posted the following on X, “Because wrestlers and god knows who else have and continue to leak info to the sheets, podcasts, etc. So Tony tries to keep things confidential. You wouldn’t want to know everything before you see a movie. Anyone who leaks info is doing damage to the product and the industry. There’s seemingly a whole bunch of wrestlers across the wrestling space that like to leak certain information, and it appears that Khan is taking steps to prevent as much stuff getting out there as possible. Whilst it may be frustrating that some of the talents don’t know their plans going forward, ironically this environment has been brought on by those same individuals that are complaining to the dirt sheets about it and is why we know they’re frustrated to begin with.”

**Latest on Major Expiring WWE Contract**

The latest on a major expiring WWE contract. In a recent report, Fightful Select would reveal that there are many WWE talents whose deals will soon come to an end, some of which who haven’t been approached by the company to extend their stay. In a follow-up to this, Fightful would drop another story today that gave an update on the situation of former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, whose deal is set to expire in the coming months. The report notes that while they can’t confirm if he’s been approached to negotiate, McIntyre hasn’t yet signed an extension with WWE. This, in contrast to recent social media rumors to the contrary. Additionally, it states that Drew’s contract will expire before WrestleMania next year, describing him as potentially the first major domino that could fall in the TKO era of resigning major talent to WWE deals. It’s also confirmed that Becky Lynch is another star that has a deal that ends in 2024, a year that is shaping up to be very interesting when it comes to free agency.

**Mystery Surprise Coming to AEW**

A surprise is coming to AEW next month. The AEW Full Gear current AEW World Champion MJF will defend his title against Bullet Club’s Jay White, while he holds the top belt in All Elite Wrestling. MJF is also one half of the RO World Tag Team Champions alongside the injured Adam Cole, a title that will now be on the line on the same show. Earlier today, AEW would reveal that the Full Gear Zero Hour show will feature a bout for the RO tag belts with Colt and Austin Gunn of Bullet Club Gold set to take on MJF and the mystery partner, much like we saw at AEW All In. MJF will be required to compete twice in the same night, with this being the second defense of the RO straps since Adam Cole’s injury. This follows his handicap win against The Righteous Wrestle Dream. While it remains to be seen who will be teaming with the double champ at the pay-per-view, it could well be one of his three mystery partners that will be revealed on this week’s episode of Dynamite in the 8-man tag match against Bullet Club Gold.

**Two Stars Set for WWE Main Roster Call-Up**

Expected on tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw, NXT tag team The Creed Brothers are scheduled to compete against Alpha Academy’s Chad Gable and Otis. This will be their first-ever match on the main roster outside of appearances on 205 Live and Main Event. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Julius and Brutus are expected to head to the main roster on a full-time basis. Meltzer stated, “I was told Sunday night that right now, barring any changes, not like it’s 100%, but right now they’re being called up.”

**Next Generation of McMahon in WWE?**

Vince McMahon’s grandson has yet again teased the future in wrestling. Declan McMahon, the son of Shane McMahon, currently finds himself at Indiana University where he wears the number 37 jersey for the JIA college football team, studying a degree in Business. Declan has hinted that he could be looking to transition into the squared circle once his college days are behind him, inspired by his appearance alongside his father at Wrestlemania 32. In an interview with Developmentally Speaking earlier today, Declan would discuss who out of his siblings and cousins is most likely to step into the ring. He confidently stated, “Probably me. I mean, the story’s already written, right? I mean, the rightful heir, the good-looking, the one who looks like Vince, right? So I think, in just the sense that you could play off the Wrestlemania 20, right? Like I posted on Twitter, you could play that off and just show that there’s the new generation McMahon has arrived.” McMahon would then jokingly be asked if he could be the one to dethrone the Tribal Chief and current Universal Champion Roman Reigns. He added, “I’ve talked to Mr. Reigns a lot. He’s such a great guy, but what he’s doing right now is incredible, you know? He’s really helping out the business, not only just in the United States but all over the world. Right now, we’re still likely a few years away from Declan attempting to enter WWE as

an active competitor, although he certainly has the personality and confidence of a McMahon that will no doubt help him along the way. On top of this, he’s grown up around key figures of the industry to learn from, and I’m sure having his grandfather as the executive chairman certainly won’t hurt his chances.

**Could Released Star to Join the Bloodline?**

Could this recently released star be set to join the Bloodline? On last night’s news video, we would discuss a report from Fightful Select that revealed former MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone had requested his release from Major League Wrestling, a request that had been denied. However, Alex is not the only MLW star that was looking to leave the company, as it’s now since been revealed that two other names have requested their release, a wish that has now been granted. Shortly after the Hammerstone report was released, former MLW World Tag Team Champions Lance Anoa’i, a member of the famous Anoa’i wrestling family, as well as Juicy FAL, his tag team partner, would take to X to reveal that they’ve received their release from MLW. While FAL isn’t part of the Anoa’i wrestling family, which contains Roman Reigns, Solo Sika, and The Usos in WWE, the releases would lead fans to wonder if Lance could be WWE-bound to play his role in the ongoing Bloodline angle. In the past, Lance has appeared in WWE, having received several trials as well as working as enhancement talent. With that in mind, it seems that WWE may not be an option for the young Samoan. After Sean Ross Sapp took to Fightful’s Backstage Report audio show to reveal that WWE has passed on his services multiple times in the past, stating, “WWE has had the opportunity to sign Lance Anoa’i a number of times. I’m not sure necessarily if there’s a ton of interest there. I can say that WWE has had the opportunity to sign him a bunch of times. He’s not a stranger to WWE; he’s been on their radar for a decade.” While WWE has refused to take on Lance in the past, his further development in MLW could be enough to persuade them to give him another shot, although their previous rejections could be telling. And before you go, make sure you check out 10 shocking Roman Reigns facts the WWE wants you to forget.