Buy or Sell AEW Free Agents Targeting WWE, Latest Corey Graves Drama and More

With the road to WrestleMania officially beginning in earnest, the pro wrestling rumor mill continues to fire off the interesting buzz that fans should take a microscope to—with a grain of salt.

This week says it all about the status of the rumor mill, really. Massive names like Hulk Hogan once again see their names come up, while surprise debuts get big reactions and possible major returns get more hints, to name a few big items.

Impressively, the buzz should only keep on an upward trend now that we are a few weeks into the Raw-Netflix era and the Royal Rumble isn't all that far off. Even AEW is capitalizing on the sport's big interest while experimenting with storylines.

To help fans keep pace, here are the must-see rumors as of late and whether fans should buy or sell each as legit.

The Rumor

Hogan's name just keeps coming up now. According to Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), he'll return on January 25 at Saturday Night's Main Event.

Reaction

This is actually pretty surprising given just how intensely the live crowd booed Hogan at Raw's debut on Netflix. Perhaps WWE thinks it was a one-off thing...but that's just hard to see being the case.

Buy or Sell?

Despite how surprising it might seem, this is a buy. WWE is prone to making silly mistakes like this. And to its credit, perhaps those in charge will attempt to weaponize the Hogan hatred to their advantage by pairing him with a heel who could use the heat while they get built up.

The Rumor

Tiffany Stratton now takes top billing on the rumor mill alongside her top title win. That means getting involved with the biggest names of all on the mill, too—according to WrestleVotes (h/t Ortman), there are "rumblings" about her taking on Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania this year.

Reaction

Mark. It. Down. While Flair finally making his surprise return and taking on an also-returning Becky Lynch makes sense (so does Rhea Ripley's involvement somehow), this might just be an even better use of time on the biggest stage of all.

Buy or Sell?

Buy. This at least has to be part of the 'Mania discussion, right? Stratton got a shock win and can scramble to hold onto her title until WrestleMania, where she gets a passing-of-the-torch moment with one of the greatest ever.

The Rumor

Penta finally made his long-awaited WWE debut and has the rumor mill buzzing. According to PW Insider (h/t Ortman), WWE brass liked the reaction to the debut—and the apparently big merch numbers.

Reaction

As expected, Penta was impressive in his debut. WWE's presentation made him seem like a massive deal before he did his usual fantastic in-ring work. It's also not shocking that he's a big merchandise mover.

Buy or Sell?

Buy. While the same report mentions that Penta's segment caused Raw to rearrange its card due to its run time, the show is on Netflix and not restricted by cable television scheduling. It was worth it, and it certainly seems company management would agree—as would fans.

The Rumor

Malakai Black is one of the hottest names on the rumor mill right now, this time with something more than sheer fan speculation behind it. According to PWTorch (h/t Ortman), Black is on his way out the door with AEW and might just retire.

Reaction

Black's journey with AEW has been an odd one, from the dominant-looking start to falling off and the erratic overall appearances. But strangely, it feels very similar to how things went before he left WWE, too.

Buy or Sell?

While Black is very clearly done with AEW, let's sell on his retiring for good. He thrived under Triple H in NXT before jumping to the main roster, and that man is now in charge of overarching WWE creative. It's hard to imagine both Superstar and the company won't at least touch base.

The Rumor

Speaking of pro wrestlers eyeballing Triple H and this new version of WWE, Lucha Libre Online (h/t Ortman) hinted recently that AEW Superstars unhappy with their current spots will indeed consider WWE once they head to free agency.

Reaction

Having major options for pro wrestlers is good for all involved. It's obvious that AEW Superstars might consider WWE, especially since Triple H took over. What's interesting here is the report's direct mention of pro wrestlers noting just how well Penta's WWE debut went over.

Buy or Sell?

Easiest buy of the week. AEW is struggling right now for a variety of reasons. Any pro wrestling roster is bound to have individuals who feel like they aren't being used properly and might be elsewhere, too. We're long past the days of wondering if someone like MJF might defect, but free agents jumping to WWE in 2025 will be a story to watch.

The Rumor

Corey Graves made a splash this week when Wade Barrett was picked as the color commentator for SmackDown, then again due to his reactions to it. According to Meltzer (h/t Ortman), while Graves was legit upset about not getting the job, his antics on social media are believed to be "shoot" material.

Reaction

Some of the best outright things in pro wrestling blur the lines between real and fake. From the jump, Graves taking to social media and then deleting the posts always felt like a blend of his real reactions and attempting to drum up attention.

Buy or Sell?

Buy the shoot. Graves was originally unseated by Pat McAfee on Raw, then didn't get the blue brand. Then, he missed an episode of NXT. He's probably understandably agitated, but promoting his future appearances and/or shows via good old pro wrestling works like this makes sense.