Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Jimmy Uso, Imperium, and More

The last time we saw Jimmy Uso, he was on the receiving end of a beatdown at the hands of Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga.

It may be the last time we see him for a while, too, if the latest insider reports are any indication.

The current status of the Bloodline member headlines a collection of rumors that also includes updates on Imperium, Tony Khan and All Elite Wrestling's approach to free agents.

Jimmy Uso is off television and ineligible for the WWE draft due to an injury, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported.

"Fightful Select has learned that Jimmy Uso has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury," he wrote. "We weren't given details on how long he's out, but it was enough to keep him out of the WWE Draft Pool after being booted from the Bloodline."

It is unfortunate timing given Uso's importance to the Bloodline story. Still, it also allows him the opportunity to sell the effects of the beating by Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga before making a comeback in time to set up whatever match was planned to come out of it.

This should be one of those "absence makes the heart grow fonder" moments, especially as fans will be expected to cheer Jimmy upon his return.

Ludwig Kaiser excommunicated Giovanni Vinci from Imperium on Monday's Raw, brutalizing his longtime tag team partner and leaving him lying in a heap following a running dropkick to the head against the ring steps.

Backstage, he approached Gunther, told him he would do it and walked away.

Sapp reported that the plan is for The Ring General and Kaiser to remain together for the foreseeable future.

It certainly makes sense.

They arrived on the main roster together, and Kaiser's entire shtick has been to do what he believes The Ring General would want him to as he strives for the approval of the former intercontinental champion.

We saw it again on Monday.

At some point, though, they will have to go their separate ways, especially since Kaiser is a worker capable of stardom on his own.

Wednesday's AEW Dynamite ended with The Elite attacking Tony Khan and leaving him lying to close out the show, the first time the owner and operator of the company had been featured in a major angle or physical altercation of any kind on TV.

Like a true ECW fan who watched The Sandman sell a blinding in and out of the ring for weeks at a time, Khan continued to sell the effects of the beating even on a closed set.

Sapp reported: "Fightful Select has learned that Tony Khan didn't just immediately sell the effects of his attack at the end of AEW Dynamite, but did all through the night, as well."

He even wore it while overseeing the Parking Lot brawl between Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor, per the report.

Khan's duties with the Jacksonville Jaguars during this weekend's NFL draft will result in him appearing on camera during the event, leading some in AEW to question whether he will be selling the injury during that event.

It would not be particularly surprising, especially if Khan can promote the company on the platform that the NFL provides.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that AEW will continue to keep an eye on wrestlers with expiring contracts as it looks to add more free agents, despite its big-money contracts for Mercedes Moné and Kazuchika Okada.

Despite originally being committed to young stars and the industry's future, AEW has been defined by its acquisition of free agents over the last four years.

From Brodie Lee and Bryan Danielson to Will Ospreay, Moné and Okada, the history of the promotion is rife with the signing of free agents to big-money deals, so it makes sense that Tony Khan and Co. should explore their options amid upcoming expiring contracts.

Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch are all WWE stars with deals expected to expire within the next couple of months. It would be irresponsible for Khan not to look into those options.

Still, given their importance to the company they are currently employed by, it seems unlikely any of those three will be going anywhere.