Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on The Rock, Rhea Ripley, Bobby Lashley and More

The Rock has not appeared in WWE again since he popped up at the conclusion of Bad Blood on Oct. 5 and sent an ominous warning to Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes.

However, The Final Boss headlines this collection of wrestling rumors with the latest on his status for events moving forward, including WrestleMania 41.

The Great One isn't the only star prominently featured here, as there is an update on the health of Rhea Ripley following a red-hot angle Tuesday night on NXT that left her bloodied and beaten at the hands of Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez.

Joining those two is Bobby Lashley, who made waves with his All Elite Wrestling debut Wednesday night. What is the latest on him signing with the company?

Find out the answer to that and more with this roundup of insider reports.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that, per WWE sources, The Rock considers the company a "priority" and will "appear when he's able."

The report followed speculation that The Final Boss would miss WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, where he had previously been expected to be a significant part of the show.

"In regards to rumors that Rock said he wouldn't be working WrestleMania, in asking around, none of our WWE sources knew where that came from," Sapp said. "Those we spoke to said they had not heard either way of him appearing."

He added: "One WWE source said that it's hard to predict what The Rock is going to do six months out because he's going to do pretty well what he wants from a career and appearance perspective. Another WWE producer said that if The Rock decides shortly before a show that he wants to appear, he will. Several others said that, as of right now, they've not been given messaging that The Rock won't appear at WrestleMania."

On one hand, The Rock is a major star, and bringing him back for anything to do with The Show of Shows is a big deal for WWE. We saw the impact he had on this year's card, and seeds have already been planted for two different stories; one involving Cody Rhodes and the other with Roman Reigns.

On the other hand, the inability to book long-term with The Great One thanks to a lack of commitment to his availability is disheartening for the creative team. It forces it to have several ongoing stories with two or three different scenarios in the event that one of its key players is unavailable.

For a creative team that has made it a priority to book overarching, grandiose and long-term storylines, that has to be frustrating.

Either way, WrestleMania is an enormous event, with next year shaping up to be one of the biggest yet. Expect The Rock to be involved in some form, even if it means he does not have a formal match or segment on the card at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas on April 19-20.

His hands are in The Bloodline story and it requires his participation, one way or the other.

WWE announced Wednesday that Rhea Ripley will be sidelined for an undisclosed amount of time after suffering a broken orbital socket at the hands of Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez in a parking-lot attack on Tuesday night on NXT.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported there is a real injury behind the angle, but he was unable to confirm the specifics.

If that is the case, it's a disappointing development for The Eradicator, who was in a lengthy feud with Morgan and had just reignited her issues with the returning Rodriguez following Bad Blood.

The former women's world champion had not long returned from a shoulder injury that forced her out of action for four months, and she will now miss more time as she recovers from this latest injury.

If there is a silver lining, it's that missing time potentially allows WWE to take a break from the Morgan feud and start it back up when Ripley returns, freshening things up in the process and allowing the reigning champion to compete and defend against new opponents.

From a star-power standpoint, it is a blow to Raw in that Ripley was a top-tier player on the same level as a Seth Rollins, Damian Priest, Jey Uso and Gunther, and she will now leave a massive hole in the red brand's women's division for someone else to attempt to fill.

Despite rumors circulating about Oba Femi heading to the main roster, it does not appear as though the former NXT North American champion is heading anywhere for now, according to Fightful Select:

"Fightful Select's Corey Brennan has enquired about this rumor with NXT sources, and has been met with ignorance to the possibility of an Oba Femi main roster call up. In asking sources ranging from production, talent and otherwise, we did not hear of Femi saying goodbyes following Halloween Havoc, with those we spoke to being of the belief Femi will remain in NXT for the time being."

Femi lost a Tables, Ladders, and Scares match to Tony D'Angelo in the opening contest of the NXT Halloween Havoc PLE on Sunday, the latest in show-stealing performances from the big man that would spark conversation about him joining Raw or SmackDown.

The report continued:

"Femi has been long considered a future WWE champion, something which we previously reported when Femi captured the NXT North American Championship. Several sources in NXT we spoke to were of the belief that Femi was next in line for the NXT Championship after Trick Williams, but we were unable to confirm if that was in WWE's immediate plans."

Femi vs. Williams would seemingly be a program the brand would hold off on until WrestleMania season, when it could be a major part of the Stand And Deliver card.

Regardless, it does not appear Femi is going anywhere for now. His presence, promos and in-ring performances stand out on a brand with its fair share of future stars, but he has unfinished business on Tuesday nights and should be poised to at least compete for its top prize.

Bobby Lashley has officially arrived in AEW.

The former WWE champion made his expected debut with the company Wednesday night during a special "Fright Night" edition of Dynamite, attacking Swerve Strickland and security guards before standing tall alongside MVP and Shelton Benjamin to close out the broadcast.

Sapp reported for Fightful Select that the debut had been planned for earlier.

"We're told this was actually considered and even at one point planned for AEW Wrestledream," he wrote. "However, considering that the show ended with home state and retiring star Bryan Danielson being attempted murdered with a bag, it was delayed."

The report also revealed Lashley had been signed in September before MVP made his debut at Dynamite Grand Slam.

The 48-year-old is a significant acquisition for AEW and a star who still burns brightly, despite an unceremonious ending to his WWE career.

That he debuted as a foil for one of the top stars in the company in Strickland is proof that Tony Khan has significant plans for the former NCAA champion, MMA competitor, and Army Ranger.

Whether that ultimately means striking gold in AEW and adding it to his already impressive resume remains to be seen.