Braun Strowman has been missing in action from WWE television since WrestleMania 39, and we now have a clear explanation for his absence, thanks to insider reports.

The latest on The Monster Among Monsters' health headlines a collection of wrestling rumors that also includes an update on Mustafa Ali and Baron Corbin in NXT, as well as the contractual status of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks in All Elite Wrestling.

Dig deeper in those topics and more with this roundup of insider reports.

Braun Strowman Out For Significant Period of Time

Braun Strowman exploded back onto the scene in WWE last September and, despite a moderately successful tag team with Ricochet that culminated in an appearance at WrestleMania 39, he has not appeared on television in weeks.

However, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported that The Monster Among Monsters underwent neck fusion surgery and is expected to be out of action for the foreseeable future.

"There was a lot of sympathy for Strowman among talents at tonight's Raw for his injury and recovery as he's well-liked within the locker room," Johnson said.

The report is disappointing for the former universal champion because he has not had the opportunity to build momentum and get back to the level he was at prior to his shocking release from WWE in June 2021.

For the company, losing a reliable hand like Strowman is a considerable blow.

The 39-year-old is a believable and popular babyface who could headline live events and provide depth near the top of the Raw card. He could have easily been slotted into a main event program with Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, The Judgment Day or any other top-tier name and been believable in that role.

His absence creates a hole that Triple H will have to plug while, hopefully, having something of significance for Strowman to do when he makes it back into the squared circle.

A big, athletic guy with a penchant for performing well against opponents of all sizes and shapes, one can only hope Strowman has a speedier-than-expected recovery and is back in the ring sooner rather than later.

Praise for Damian Priest, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter

Damian Priest, Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are among the names garnering praise for their recent work on Raw, Johnson reported.

Priest has had a banner year in 2023, and he is among the hottest performers in WWE right now. His Match of the Year candidate against Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico far exceeded expectations, while Monday's main event against world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins further confirmed he can excel in big-match situations.

Chance and Carter also proved their worth on Raw in a strong first appearance that also involved new WWE women's tag team champions Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.

The NXT pair were immensely popular during their time on the gold brand but never really had the opportunity to star in a top-tier program. To be trusted enough to be thrown in with Rousey and Baszler is an enormous sign of approval from WWE management.

How they respond will determine if we talk about them in the same way as we are about Priest.

Update on Mustafa Ali and Baron Corbin in NXT

Mustafa Ali and Baron Corbin have cashed in on their free-agent status by joining NXT, but those plans have been in place for some time, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select:

"WWE sources that Fightful Select spoke to said there were tentative plans in place quite a while ago for Baron Corbin and Mustafa Ali to both work NXT, one of the reasons that the free-agent tag was put on them. That same source said 'despite a lot of things from the previous regime that made that cynicism around the free-agent tags understandable, there was more of a plan for them this time.'"

The most interesting about Sapp's report, though, was that several NXT talent had requested to work with Ali specifically (h/t Colin Tessier of Wrestle Zone).

It's a testament to the respect the 37-year-old has within the locker room that young talent in development view him as a guy they can work with and learn from.

Ali most recently had a really strong intercontinental title match against Gunther at Night of Champions. And although he did not win, he again performed up to the moment and delivered a great David vs. Goliath performance against The Ring General.

Taking into consideration his style and those of the Superstars on Tuesday nights, Ali should mesh extremely well with the competitors on that roster and the result should be extraordinary in-ring performances that restore that element of the brand after two years of entertainment-heavy creative.

AEW Working 'Aggressively' Toward New Contracts for Kenny Omega, Young Bucks

All Elite Wrestling is working "aggressively" to re-sign The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

It's not terribly surprising that the company would be looking to ink new deals for three of its executive vice presidents and top stars, especially as it continues to present them at the top of the card and in a feud with the Blackpool Combat Club.

Omega and the Bucks were the stars around whom AEW was built, as well as "Hangman" Adam Page and Cody Rhodes, and it should have taken Tony Khan and Co. approximately zero seconds to start the process to re-sign them.

Maybe there is some hesitancy on the part of the talent to ink new deals based on the return of CM Punk and their well-known history, but it would not be surprising to find out there was never any real consideration by the wrestlers themselves to depart the promotion.