Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Becky Lynch, Malakai Black, and More

Big Dollar Becks? It's possible.

A new insider report refuted previous articles regarding Becky Lynch's contract offer from WWE and headlines this collection of pro wrestling rumors.

Joining the latest on The Man is an update on Malakai Black after what appeared to be a goodbye to All Elite Wrestling this week, news on who Netflix wants as part of its Raw presentation, and a note on The New Day ahead of their 10th year as a group in WWE.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman's suggestions that the company did not want to pay Becky Lynch $2 million during contract negotiations were incorrect.

Coachman told Backstage Pass (h/t Lewis Howse of Cultaholic):

"Roman's at that $15-20 million mark, and TKO doesn't want to pay anybody. […] Then you got Cody Rhodes, who's making $10-15 reportedly. Then Seth, who is her [Lynch] better half, he's probably in that three to seven million range. So reportedly, she was asking for over two million a year. […] They didn't do it..[...] If they paid her, she'd be on the show. And they're desperate for females right now."

However, Sapp wrote: "The $2 million number was outright denied by everyone who would know it. Lynch didn't ask for that amount, and we're told WWE would have jumped at that number if she did. The general pay scale for talent at the top or near the top of WWE and AEW are well beyond that amount now. Lynch's contract would be well beyond $2 million a year."

Lynch is a WrestleMania headliner, a multiple-time champion, one of the company's most popular Superstars, a New York Times bestseller, and one of WWE's faces.

Sapp added: "In speaking with both sides upon Becky's absence, it was intimated that each side expected to work together in the future if the situation called for it."

Given all she has meant to the company, specifically over the last five years, it would be difficult to imagine WWE would lowball her and then allow her to walk away and potentially join another company, neither of which appears to be the case.

If and when Lynch decides to return to the company and she will find not only a talented crop of main roster talent, but a wealth of international Superstars in NXT ready to revolutionize the game in the same fashion that she, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, and Sasha Banks once did for that brand.

The 37-year-old still has plenty to offer WWE and the pro wrestling world, and when she does, she will do so at a fair and appropriate market price, reflecting her contributions to an industry she has already left better than she found it.

Following a loss to Adam Cole on Wednesday's Dynamite, Malakai Black uncharacteristically embraced his longtime rival and exited stage left, creating questions about his future with the company.

Sapp reported that while he could not confirm if it was a sendoff, "the word backstage in AEW in recent months was that they believed he could be done towards the end of 2024 or early 2025 if options aren't exercised on AEW's behalf."

It's important to note Sapp reiterated it was not confirmed and that at one point in 2022, AEW president Tony Khan said Black had "almost five years" remaining on his deal. Those are believed to have been option years.

Sapp ended his report by stating that it is not believed the 39-year-old will be retiring, which had apparently gained traction among fans.

Black has had what could best be considered an uneven run in AEW, with inconsistent stories, appearances and pushes. The company failed to capitalize on the momentum he built via his feud with Cody Rhodes. And while he did reign as AEW world trios champ alongside House of Black teammates Buddy Matthews and Brody King, it never felt like he a creative priority.

A return to WWE after his deal is certainly a possibility. As Aleister Black in NXT, he enjoyed the greatest success of his career and seemed poised for a reignited push on the main roster before his unexpected release in 2021.

His wife, Zelina Vega, still works for WWE.

Sapp also reported that Netflix wants Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and CM Punk on the Raw roster starting in January.

No surprise there.

Three megastars with huge, passionate followings and three of the top-selling merchandise movers in the game? Why would a streaming giant that spent $5 billion on the product want those guys to be omnipresent on the show?

Sapp added that Superstars from Raw and SmackDown were in New York recently to shoot the commercial for the flagship's move in January, suggesting there may be competitors jumping among the shows as that debut date draws near.

Considering WWE's commitment to USA Network with SmackDown, it would be difficult to imagine the company dumping all its top draws on one show. Still, with January being the official start of the Road to WrestleMania and crossover fairly common at that time of year, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Netflix gets its wish.

Even if it's just for a short while.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported that plans are already in place for The New Day's 10-year celebration, with the group filming content at WWE HQ in Stamford, Connecticut.

Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are already in the middle of one of the most interesting storylines in WWE as they appear to be headed for a split.

Whether the celebration, paying homage to a group that was never supposed to succeed but ended up becoming one of the most popular and enduring in company history, keeps them together, or further drives them apart remains to be seen.

What role Big E plays in all of it does adds intrigue, too.

Regardless, it is a well-earned celebration that should remind both fans and other WWE Superstars that making the most of an iffy situation can bring unprecedented (and unexpected) success.