Impact Wrestling on 8/26 featured the Good Brothers vs Willie Mack & Rich Swann in the main event, Mickie James was there to promote NWA Empowerrr this weekend, and Christian Cage returned to the Impact Zone.

Impact Wrestling 8/26 Quick Results:

1. Chris Sabin defeated Sami Callihan
2. Chris Bey defeated David Finlay
3. The Influence (Tenille Dashwood, Madison Rayne, & Kaleb with a K) defeated Taylor Wilde
4. Willie Mack & Rich Swann defeated The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows)

Chris Sabin Beats Sami Callihan

The opener this week saw two of the promotion’s top-ranked singles wrestlers and former world champions go one-on-one as Chris Sabin faced Sami Callihan. Sabin somehow found the strength to kick out after Callihan hit him with a curb stomp and piledriver. Shortly after, Callihan just barely got his shoulder up on a pin attempt. He probably shouldn’t have taken a moment to confirm with the referee that it was only a 2-count, however, as Sabin quickly hit his Cradle Shock finish for the win after.

After the match, Moose attacked and was about to inflict more damage on Callihan when Eddie Edwards made the save.

Deonna Purrazzo, Melina, & Mickie James Build To NWA Empowerrr

The Knockouts title will be on the line this weekend from St. Louis. Deonna Purrazzo will face Melina on the NWA Empowerrr show Saturday night. The Virtuosa and Mickie James came face to face this week, with James warning the champion not to underestimate Melina. She reminded Purrazzo that she will not have Drama King Matt’s help at Empowerrr like she did at Emergence. Purrazzo attacked James but Melina and Trey Miguel came out for the save.

Chris Bey Defeats David Finlay

David Finlay was likely wanting some revenge against Bullet Club here after dropping his match against Jay White at NJPW Resurgence recently. After a competitive and action-filled match, Bey rolled up Finlay and gained leverage by putting his feet on the ropes for the win.

Christian Cage Returns To The Impact Zone

Christian Cage returned to the Impact Zone this week. His next challenger for the title will be Ace Austin at Victory Road but Christian sounded quite confident that the former X-Division Champion doesn’t represent a significant threat to his title. Tommy Dreamer then came out and let Christian know that he wants to face him down the line but plans on earning his opportunity first. Ace Austin and Madman Fulton then came out and a melee ensued between the 4 men.

Later in the show, Scott D’Amore announced that next week Ace Austin will face Tommy Dreamer in singles action. If Dreamer wins, he’ll be added to the match at Victory Road.

Eric Young Blames Rhino For Loss At Emergence

Rhino took the pin at Emergence, costing his Violent By Design faction a chance to regain the Impact tag-team titles. Eric Young was not happy about this. A vignette aired this week featuring Young telling Rhino he needs to cleanse him in the holy waters of change.

Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering Come To Taylor Wilde’s Rescue

Taylor Wilde had a tough task this week. She faced all 3 members of The Influence, Madison Rayne, Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb (With a K) Konley. Although Wilde got in some offence, she was eventually hit with a Spotlight Kick and pinned. After the match, the 3 Instagram-savvy wrestlers kept up the attack on Wilde until former tag champs Rachael Ellering and Jordynne Grace made the save.

Su Yung & Kimber Lee Take Brandi Lauren’s Soul

Brandi Lauren was being interviewed in the back when things took a turn. The lighting changed and it became clear that Su Yung and the now somewhat demonic Kimber Lee were going to attack. Gia Miller exclaimed that they needed to get out of there but it was too late. Kimber gave Lauren the mandible claw and took her into a room with Yung to end the segment.

Willie Mack & Rich Swann Beat The Tag Champs

Willie Mack and Rich Swann have likely earned a future shot at the Impact tag team championships after defeating the champs in non-title action this week. After a competitive match, Swann countered Karl Anderson’s Gun Stun into a pinning combination and got the 3-count. The Good Brothers were not good sports about the loss. They attacked Swann and Mack after the match. They tossed Swann into the steel post and gave Mack a Magic Killer before power-bombing him through a table. The Good Brothers stood tall to end the show despite losing the main event.

Coming Up In Impact Wrestling

Next Week:

• Tommy Dreamer vs Ace Austin (If Dreamer wins, he’s added to the world title match at Victory Road)
• The Influence (Tenille Dashwood, Madison Rayne, & Kaleb with a K) vs Taylor Wilde, Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering
• Rohit Raju & Shera vs Matt Cardona & Chelsea Green
• X-Division Championship
  Josh Alexander Open Challenge

Victory Road (September 18th)

• Impact World Championship
  Christian Cage (c) vs Ace Austin

Samoa Joe is a name that wrestling fans around the world know and love. An indie superstar who became a household name. From spells with ROH and Impact to spells in Japan and dominance in WWE. Joe has fought them all, beat them all and conquered every challenge that has come his way.

With the wrestling world starting a new phase in its continuing evolution. The forbidden door is well and truly open. Dream matches that many never thought possible are now happening week-in and week-out. Yet, Samoa Joe does not support this concept at all. In fact, talking in a recent appearance on So Catch by Hal, Joe made it very clear just how much he would like to close that door.

“I work for a company,” Joe said. “If I played for a major football club, you wouldn’t lend me out on the weekend to go play for the rival team. Messi’s ain’t doing day shifts over at Manchester United. I understand some fans want for that and they want to see that, but at the same time, just with the whole politics of that type of situation, it wouldn’t be a good outcome anyways. Nobody wants to look bad in that situation. Everyone’s getting pushed and pulled in a certain way and it becomes a convoluted mess.

Samoa Joe Doesn’t Need the Forbidden Door

There is an argument to be made that this stance of a WWE stance. However, it could just be that now, at his age he has achieved what others strive for. Joe simply doesn’t need the Forbidden Door. He has been around the world; he has fought everybody there is to fight. Not to mention being a record-setting three-time NXT champion. He has a base, and it is established.

“If guys want to show and get down with Samoa Joe, get on my level, then come find me and let’s do this. I ain’t making house calls right now.”

While for others, those hungry to get on the ladder or to make a name in the way Joe has done, the prospect of fighting on other promotions, and exposing their individual brand to new audiences is a means to obtaining that.

Either way, Samoa Joe, while steadfast in his view, still isn’t going to back down from a fight. Should anybody want to come sign for NXT he will be waiting for them.

While CM Punk only made his official return to pro wrestling last Friday during AEW Rampage, he knew in his mind that he will be coming back long before that.

The former WWE champion recently had an interview with Variety to promote the pro wrestling drama series Heels. He talked about his character on the show and more.

Punk also talked about his return to wrestling. He admitted that he had some idea about making his AEW debut while shooting the show in late 2020 and early 2021:

“It wasn’t 100%, but I knew that’s what I was doing, if that makes sense. It was just fortuitous, I guess. Here I am in a wrestling ring for this acting gig and I know, in the back of my head,

I’m getting back into the ring in a few months anyway, so I figured it was two birds one stone. I got a little out of camp training.”

CM Punk had been away from wrestling for more than 7 years after quitting WWE in 2014. He finally made his return during the second episode of AEW Rampage.

Heels airs on the Starz network on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET. This week’s episode of the show will feature the debut of Punk’s character named Ricky Rabies.

A lot of people believe that the WWE president Vince McMahon does not care about his product anymore but his AEW counterpart Tony Khan doesn’t think the same. The AEW president recently appeared on the Le Batard and Friends – South Beach Sessions. During the interview, show host Dan Le Batard wondered if Mr. McMahon doesn’t care about his product.

Replying to it, Khan claimed that the boss does care. He then recalled the 80s when Vince McMahon was trying to expand WWE and claimed that he is inspired by the effort McMahon put at the time:

“You hear about Vince going to convince Hulk Hogan, going to convince individual people to come in and work for the WWF, convincing a sponsor to come on. Vince was taking all these meetings and all this responsibility, and he was a similar age to me, and I think I’m inspired by that.”

Tony Khan continued on the topic and explained that he has taken inspiration from what Vince did in the 80s for a lot of work which he has done with AEW:

“The amount of people I’ve gone out and convinced to join AEW, signed, built relationships with that I now have under the umbrella of this company And so I tried to take a lot of inspiration from what Vince did in the ’80s building the wrestling empire and expanding it”

Apart from this, Khan talked about things such as competing against NXT in the Wednesday night wars, how fans can support both WWE and AEW at the same time without creating a hostile environment, and more.

• Tony Khan Says CM Punk Deal Paid For Itself On The 1st Night

Brock Lesnar made his surprise return to WWE during the SummerSlam PPV. This was his first appearance for the company since the WrestleMania 36 event in April 2020. Since The Beast’s last contract with the promotion had expired after Mania, his return made people curious about his behind the scene status with WWE.

Fight Select recently provided some updates on his new deal. The site notes that Lesnar’s new contract is believed to be for ‘roughly a year and a half.’ If this report is true then it means that the former Universal champion’s new deal will run through early 2023. It should keep him WWE-bound through the 2023 Royal Rumble.

Brock Lesnar’s new contract is said to be for ‘at least 8 matches.’ Though this is not a concrete figure and there is a possibility for changes and further negotiation down the line. The former world champion confronted Roman Reigns during the PPV this past Sunday. This confrontation is likely leading to his first match under the new contract.

• Original Plans for Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns feud

The belief is that the bout will be taking place at the upcoming Crown Jewel PPV from Saudi Arabia in October. Though considering the importance of this fight in the storyline for Roman Reigns, the officials can hold off the match for the Survivor Series in November as well.

Becky Lynch’s SummerSlam appearance has created both positive and negative buzz for WWE, especially due to Lynch’s quick win over Bianca Belair on the show.

Belair was originally supposed to face Sasha Banks. Since WWE had not changed the match until the show started, a lot of people wondered if The Man’s return was a last-minute decision made in response to CM Punk’s AEW debut.

Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast recently provided some updates on the situation. He noted that Becky Lynch was always going to appear on the show, though the title change was a last-minute decision:

“Becky Lynch was always gonna come out for this live crowd. That was not something that was last minute. The title change was the difference, that was something new. That was not planned…that was an adjustment, they made.”

WWE knew that Sasha Banks will not be able to make it to SummerSlam 8 days before the PPV.  So it makes sense that they adjusted the plans accordingly instead of completely changing their long-term booking for Becky Lynch.

Reports also suggest that the new SmackDown women’s champion herself made the decision to turn heel. Now it would be interesting to see how the company handles Bianca Belair after the big loss.

Edge using the brood entrance and theme music during the SummerSlam PPV created a lot of buzz. Though it appears that it also cost Gangrel an AEW appearance.

On the latest episode of his Fangin’ N’ Bangin’ podcast, the former WWE star revealed that there were plans for him to make an appearance on AEW Dynamite doing the same entrance. However, these plans had to be nixed after SummerSlam:

“I was supposed to be on a plane to Milwaukee, yesterday, I get a return phone call saying ‘oh man, we’re so sorry, we’re going in a different direction because WWE media stuff.’

• Gangrel on Miro’s Success “I’m super proud of him.”

The former WCW star then recalled how Edge called him to say that he was honored to pay the tribute after SummerSlam. However, when Gangrel told him about the AEW appearance, the Rated R Superstar felt sorry:

“He got so quiet for what felt like an eternity. I was like ‘hey, you still there?’ He goes ‘man, I’m so sorry. If you had told me.’ I go ‘I didn’t know, I just got booked.’

He was like ‘I’m so, sorry.’ It felt like he was gonna cry. I was like ‘it’s okay man. It’s good. I work every weekend, I’m doing things.’ He felt so bad. He sent me pictures of his daughter with the jacket.”

Gangrel also revealed that Edge had been planning the brood entrance and the Seth Rollins bloodbath segment from last Friday’s SmackDown for over two months.

The two big SummerSlam returns in Brock Lesnar and Becky Lynch both got involved in feuds concerning the SmackDown brand upon their comeback. It appears that the officials from the USA Network are not very happy about it.

According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast, the NBC Universal and USA Network officials are ‘not thrilled’  with the fact that both the returning stars are now on the SmackDown side which airs on Fox.

Zarian noted that the network officials also had issues with Lynch and Lesnar not being booked for the post-SummerSlam edition of Raw.

The idea behind it was that John Cena made appearances on both brands recently while working a feud with Roman Reigns on the blue brand.

Though the WWE officials have assured them that with the WWE draft coming up in October, this situation is only temporary. The network executives are told not to worry as the company has plans to “shuffle the deck.”

There is no word yet on what changes WWE is planning to make to the roster to distribute the star power among both brands equally but we should get a better idea as the draft draws nearer.

Both Becky Lynch and Brock Lesnar are being teased for this Friday’s episode of SmackDown. This will be both the star’s first SmackDown appearance since 2019.

• Backstage SummerSlam Notes: John Cena’s Future, Original Brock Lesnar Plans, Sasha Banks

Impact World Champion Christian Cage has gone face-to-face with Ace Austin and things got physical.

Cage will be making his second Impact World Title defense at Victory Road on Sept. 18. He’ll be putting the gold on the line against Ace Austin, who won a fatal four-way match at Emergence to earn his title opportunity.

On the Aug. 26 edition of Impact Wrestling, Cage and Austin exchanged words inside the ring. Austin confronted Cage and said the following.

“You are the world champion. Got a pretty busy schedule too, don’t you? AEW, Impact Wrestling and making all the towns. Just like the old days, huh? But after Victory Road, your schedule’s gonna be a whole lot lighter, your bag is gonna be about 10 pounds lighter when you meet ‘The Inevitable.'”

Cage responded by getting under Austin’s skin with a dig at his height.

“Well Ace, ‘Mr. Inevitable,’ I’m glad you came out to introduce yourself, I really am. Now there’s no doubt about it you’re talented. You’re 24, you wanna be the youngest Impact champion in history. That’s great, set your goals high, kid. You might be the guy or think you’re the guy, but you’ll never be the man as long as I’m here. Now let me give you a little bit of advice, kid. Since you come out and talk such a big game. If you want these people to hang on your every word, make sure you stand on your tippy-toes so they can see your face over the top rope.”

This led to both men brawling with Cage getting the better of Austin.

Cage won the Impact World Title on the debut episode of AEW Rampage. He defeated Kenny Omega for the gold with a Killswitch on a chair, which Omega had intended to use but it backfired. Cage and Omega will meet again on Sept. 5 at All Out, this time for the AEW World Title.

There is now word on whether or not Bianca Belair’s push has been derailed.

PW Insider is reporting that Vince McMahon was the one who made the call to have Becky Lynch end Belair’s SmackDown Women’s Title run in just 26 seconds. Lynch made her surprise return at WWE SummerSlam. Initially, Belair was booked to put her gold on the line against Sasha Banks but Banks was pulled from the card.

Furthermore, the report also notes that despite the fast finish, there is no indication that WWE officials have lost faith in Belair as a top star. McMahon’s logic for the finish was to give fans a shocking moment.

PW Insider had reported earlier this week that Lynch is now considered to be a heel on the blue brand. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter followed up on this by reporting that it was Lynch who requested to turn heel.

WWE’s decision to end Bianca Belair’s title run the way they did was quite polarizing. Even some within the wrestling industry shared their dismay with the decision.

Nikki Bella wasn’t a fan of the move as she mentioned during a post-SummerSlam event (h/t Wrestling Inc).

“You have someone like Bianca, who is such an incredible talent and you can’t help but get frustrated when you see moments like that of like, a championship that meant so much and was lost within seconds. So, I have to admit, for this SummerSlam, there truly wasn’t anything that was my favorite moment.”

Ilja Dragunov plans on representing NXT UK to the fullest.

Dragunov had a “Match of the Year” contender against WALTER at NXT TakeOver 36. This was a rematch from their classic match last year. Dragunov pulled off the win, ending WALTER’s 870-day reign as NXT UK Champion.

During a media call, Dragunov said he isn’t focused on a potential move to the Raw or SmackDown brands at the moment.

“I don’t think about it because I have the responsibility to carry NXT UK as a brand, which I think is a standout brand. This is my main priority now. I have big footsteps to step into and I will do it in the future. It is important to carry this brand on my shoulders and I will carry it with pride. I would love to carry this brand on my shoulders because I’m proud of this brand and proud of the hard-working people there.

“Just when I step into the locker room, I see the people, day by day getting better. The work mentality inspires me and makes me proud to be the champion of this brand and represent. I see so much talent on this brand that people will pay attention to as soon as they get a chance. One chance can change the world. I’m sure the people who sleep on NXT UK will not sleep on NXT UK in the future because the talent is rising.”

Ilja Dragunov appeared on the post-TakeOver 36 edition of NXT UK. He credited his will and his fists for getting him the victory over WALTER. He vowed to take on all challengers gunning for his NXT UK crown.

Santana and Ortiz have revealed the role that Chris Jericho played in bringing them to AEW.

Santana and Ortiz made a name for themselves in Impact Wrestling as the younger generation of LAX. Many have praised the team not only for their abilities but their authenticity. The team debuted for AEW back in Aug. 2019 at All Out. On the debut episode of Dynamite, Santana and Ortiz aligned themselves with Chris Jericho. Soon, Santana and Ortiz, Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Jake Hager would form The Inner Circle.

During an edition of the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Santana and Ortiz spoke on their decision to sign with AEW over WWE.

“That was one of the deciding factors for us coming into the company because right before we went in, we had offers to go to WWE or AEW. We were on the fence initially, but one of the swaying decisions for us was Chris specifically wanted us to be a part of The Inner Circle. We were like, wow. He’s a huge part of our bonding experience. When we started becoming a tag team, we both read Jericho’s first book, ‘A Lion’s Tale’, so we were like this is the blueprint to be a wrestler.

“This is it right here. He was a journeyman. He wrestled everywhere. This is what we want to do. Watching guys like him, Dean, Eddie, we wanted to be true journeymen. We bonded over his first book, so fast forward to us hearing Cody saying Chris wants us to be in this stable, we were like, ‘What? What’s going on right now.’ It was just one of those real weird, full circle moments where we were like, we bonded over his first book, and now we are a part of his journey, and a part of his legacy.

“We will be tied into his career. It’s crazy when you look at it that we grew up watching him and all of these guys. This whole experience the past two years has been insane. With everything that’s gone on personally in my life, with everything professionally, the whole pandemic, it’s just been crazy insane.”

Santana & Ortiz are currently involved in a feud with FTR. The two will meet on the Sept. 1 edition of AEW Dynamite. Santana & Ortiz lost their first meeting against FTR on July 28, which ended early after Cash Wheeler suffered a nasty arm injury.

As for Jericho, his rivalry with MJF has led to the ultimate stipulation. Jericho has challenged MJF to one last match at All Out on Sept. 5. If Jericho loses, he will put his in-ring career with AEW to rest.

The viewership numbers for CM Punk’s first appearance on AEW Dynamite have been revealed.

The wrestling world is still buzzing after Punk made his return. The self-proclaimed, “Best in the World” made his AEW debut on the Aug. 20 edition of Rampage. His entrance alone has become an instant classic as he received a thunderous ovation from the crowd inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

That episode of Rampage garnered an average viewership total of 1.1 million. Punk’s segment drew 1.3 million viewers. Many were impressed by the numbers as Rampage airs on Friday nights at 10 p.m. ET, which isn’t exactly an ideal night or timeslot.

The momentum is still alive and well if numbers from this week’s Dynamite episode are any indication.

Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics reports that the Aug. 25 edition of Dynamite took in 1,172,000 viewers. On top of that, it scored a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demo. This is the promotion’s second-highest rating in that demo for Dynamite since the debut episode back in Oct. 2019.

Punk addressed his decision to make his way to AEW during Dynamite. He said it was because of the younger talent in the locker room. He said he’s targeting Darby Allin because Darby would’ve been his favorite wrestler if he was 15 years old.

Along the way, CM Punk even dropped quite the hint. The man who formerly called himself the “Voice of the Voiceless,” responded to “Yes!” chants from the crowd. Punk teased, “that’s somebody else’s shtick and you might just need to be a little more patient, ok?” Bryan Danielson has reportedly signed with AEW and is expected to make his debut on the Sept. 22 edition of Dynamite in New York City.

CM Punk will have his first wrestling match since January 2014 on Sept. 5. He’ll take on Darby Allin inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The match will be featured on the All Out PPV card.

It appears AEW was forced to make a last-minute change to AEW Dynamite last night (Aug. 25).

This week’s episode of Dynamite took place inside the UWM Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This episode saw the Dynamite debut of CM Punk. Punk had made his return to the pro wrestling industry on the Aug. 20 edition of Rampage.

One match, in particular, may have been confusing to some on the recent episode of Dynamite. Jon Moxley teamed with Eddie Kingston and Darby Allin to take on The Wingmen. While The Wingmen have been more often seen on AEW Dark, the trio was needed for Dynamite.

Some wondered why 2point0 wasn’t in the ring with Moxley, Kingston, and Allin since there has been bad blood brewing on television. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that 2point0 were indeed scheduled for the tag team match but plans changed.

It’s likely that the change came as a result of Matt Lee of 2point0 recently becoming a father. Lee’s wife gave birth to a baby boy on Sunday afternoon.

All indications seem to be there is still unfinished business between 2point0, Daniel Garcia and Moxley, Kingston, and Darby. Garcia made a run-in after Moxley, Kingston, and Darby defeated The Wingmen. Garcia took a cheap shot at Darby before running out of the ring.

All Elite Wrestling talent Chris Jericho and his cruise organizers have announced a few names that’ll appear at the Rock N Wrestling Rager Triple Wammy Cruise. The cruise will travel from Miami to Grand Bahama Island from October 21 to 25th. The performers revealed were AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker, Orange Cassidy, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Colt Cabana.

The announcement also said that “…More additions to come SOON – stay tuned!”

AEW Dynamite Not on The Jericho Cruise

AEW announced that AEW Dynamite would have a Saturday night episode on October 23rd in Orlando, Florida. However, AEW will be taping their event at the Addition Financial Arena. While not official, it seems AEW Dynamite will not have an episode on the cruise.

AEW Dynamite took place on the cruise last year and was considered a success. Heel By Nature reported after the event that Cody Rhodes said that AEW would return in 2021. “…Following the AEW Dynamite taping, Cody Rhodes announced that AEW will have more involvement in next year’s cruise and will air Dynamite live from onboard the vessel on 2/3/2021,” said Heel by Nature.

Jericho scheduled the cruise for earlier this year, but he postponed it due to Covid-19 concerns. The cruise organizers released a statement that said, “After careful consideration and caution for everyone’s health and safety, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to postpone the Triple Whammy.”

It’s unclear if AEW will air some of the matches that will take place on the cruise in October. Jericho has also shared that AEW President Tony Khan is working with him to get AEW talent to appear. Jericho will hope to replicate his success for his third voyage, with more names added to the cruise lineup.

Chris Jericho will put his in-ring career on the line against Maxwell Jacob Friedman at All Out on September 5th. The match was made official last night on Dynamite. With Jericho’s in-ring career in jeopardy, many fans have wondered how much time is left on his AEW contract.

Jericho’s contract was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio. According to Dave Meltzer, Jericho’s deal with the promotion has essentially one and a half years left on it.

“There is a 1-year option. So in a sense, it’s up at the end of next year. So, a year and a half basically left,” said Dave Meltzer.

Jericho has wrestled 47 matches in his AEW career. His overall record is 34-12-1. So far in 2021, Jericho is 9-3. He is also the promotion’s inaugural world champion. Jericho held the title for 182 days between August 31st, 2019 and February 20th, 2020. He defended the title successfully against Darby Allin, Cody Rhodes, and Scorpio Sky before dropping it to Jon Moxley.

Chris Jericho’s in-ring career being put on the line at All Out struck a chord with WWE producer Shane “Hurricane” Helms. He posted the following to Twitter shortly after the match stipulation was made.

At Fight for the Fallen last month, a match between Santana & Ortiz and FTR went to the finish early following a gruesome injury suffered by Cash Wheeler. A hook from the turnbuckle post caught his arm and tore into it. Doctors attended to Wheeler as Harwood ended up winning the match for his team.

Wheeler recently took to Twitter to share some gruesome photos of the injury. He also offered further details on how it has impacted him.

“August 28th I had a hook stab into my arm and rip it open. For almost a month I’ve been dealing with loss of grip strength, loss of feeling/nerve damage, and wondering if this is even worth it anymore. If this is the end, we’re taking a pound of flesh with us,” Wheeler wrote on Twitter.

The rematch between the two teams is scheduled for next week’s edition of Dynamite.

Both Wheeler and Harwood have dropped hints about possibly coming to the end of their wrestling careers.

The #4 ranked team in AEW have only lost one match this year. That was the Stadium Stampede match where the Inner Circle defeated the Pinnacle at Double or Nothing. They are 6-0 in 2-on-2 tag-team matches so far in 2021.

R-Truth has called out CM Punk seemingly out of nowhere and taken massive shots at him, calling the recently-returned wrestler unimpressive and entitled. CM Punk has taken the wrestling world by storm recently by making his All Elite Wrestling debut last week on Rampage: The First Dance. While wrestling fans were delighted, both AEW and WWE stars too welcomed Punk back in the industry with open arms and many wrestling personalities chimed in to congratulate Punk on his comeback. R-Truth, however, is not really a fan of CM Punk according to a recent comment he posted online.

A video of CM Punk’s appearance on Colt Cabana’s podcast from back in 2014 resurfaced on Tiktok, in which Punk discussed his time in the WWE and how he was unsatisfied with management and his overall position in the company. Punk brought up WWE’s decision to book him to lose to Triple H even though he was hot and had momentum, as well as the company’s decision to make him and Triple H lose to The Miz and R-Truth (aka Awesome Truth) back in Vengeance 2011. Punk said that these decisions didn’t make any sense business-wise. R-Truth didn’t take a liking to Punk’s comments, and sounded off in the comments of the Tiktok video with the following:

“CM Punk you lost to me an Miz cause we were HOTTER than you sorry, and I neva thought you were impressive at all, just typical entitlement (sic)”

Online, fans have been surprised by Truth’s comments with many saying that they have never seen him talk trash before about anyone else from the industry. It would be interesting to note that CM Punk helped R-Truth win against John Cena in a Tables match on Raw back in 2011, before cutting his legendary “Pipebomb” promo. It would be interesting to see if Punk has anything to say in response to Truth’s comments.

Related: CM Punk Addresses Live Crowd After Dynamite & Rampage Taping (Video)

Following Dynamite last night, AEW taped this Friday’s episode of Rampage. After that, CM Punk came out and spoke to the live crowd in Milwaukee.

“It’s cool to be here,” Punk said. “It’s cool that you all came here and to stay, I know it’s late, I know sometimes these shows can be long but you sit in your seats and you’re enthusiastic and you give everybody here everything you’ve got because everybody, at least that I’ve seen so far, gives you everything that they have.”

“I just want to say that I’m super grateful and I know eventually the luster will kind of wear off,” Punk continued. “Just know that until it does wear off, I’m going to keep doing it and I’m going to keep trying to soak it in as much as I can.”

Christian Cage than got on the microphone and noted that it was a big deal that Punk was in AEW.

“It’s a big f***ing deal that you’re here,” Christian says in the video.

Twitter user @allELITExmtz posted video of Punk addressing the crowd in Milwaukee:

He also posted a second video that features Frankie Kazarian come out and speak to both CM Punk and Christian Cage.

IMPACT Wrestling is reportedly “very interested” in trying to bring former WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt into the company.

The former WWE and Universal Champion was released from his contract back on July 31st. He is currently waiting out his 90-day non-compete and will be free to work elsewhere late October.

Dave Meltzer revealed on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast that IMPACT officials are “really after” Wyatt. There was no other information offered, but it is interesting that the promotion are going after someone of Wyatt’s level.

Bray Wyatt heading to IMPACT?

When Bray Wyatt was released from WWE, fans immediately began thinking about his next move. Wyatt is a top star of the past decade. At 34 years old, he’s in the prime of his career with a bright future ahead of him.

Naturally, AEW would be a top consideration for Wyatt. Dave Meltzer recently stated that there’s a strong chance he will end up working for Tony Khan’s promotion.

If Wyatt were to make the move to AEW, he might still be able to appear and perform for IMPACT, given their working relationship.

With Wyatt’s 90-day non-compete, he will be available to sign for a new company as of October 29, which incidentally is a week before AEW Full Gear on November 6.

Since leaving WWE, Mickie James has been a woman on the rise. Yet to get back into the ring in an active capacity, she has wasted no time in continuing her trailblazing role behind the scenes.

Much has been made about her involvement in the upcoming NWA PPV Empowerrr. The first all-female PPV in NWA history. Mickie James is acting as a producer for the event. She also confirmed that she will not be performing in order to give other women the chance to shine.

Talking during an appearance on the Shining Wizards podcast, Mickie James spoke about how she set about scouting for the show. Wanting to focus on lesser-known talent and those that have not had a steady push.

“I really had to be cognizant of the fact of, you know, who the girls that were all wrestling on [AEW] Dark matches, or different things, you know?… Because I did say that I wanted to give new women opportunities – women who you haven’t necessarily seen, and sometimes you see the same women – not that they don’t deserve it and they’re getting those opportunities for a reason. But you get to see a lot of the same girls show up everywhere…but not really get pushed per se. So I was like, well, here’s a cool opportunity for me to not only define the NWA women’s roster and to start hand kind of selecting and start really seeing who’s going to be in the NWA women’s locker room as a whole.” Mickie James explained.

Mickie James Wants to Help Build the Next Generation of Female NWA Stars

For Mickie James, the Empowerrr PPV is about more than just putting female wrestlers in the spotlight for one night. It is about building up the next generation of female wrestlers. Giving them a stage where they get the attention they deserve.

Mickie James has been a pioneer in women’s wrestling since day one. No matter where she has gone in her career, she has represented women’s wrestling and pushed boundaries in what can be done.

During her career, Mickie James has won 23 different titles across numerous promotions. She is held in high regard by those in the industry. Outside of wrestling, she has earned a degree in Business Administration. This has no doubt helped tremendously in her transition to a more backstage focused role in NWA.

Good God, it’s … Inferno. I don’t think there is any way even Jim Ross could have pulled that line off. However, according to WWE legend Glenn Jacobs, that’s very close to what Kane was going to be called.

Talking during a recent appearance on Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw, Glenn Jacobs talked about how his iconic character came about, and was, largely thanks to Vader.

“The Kane thing came about when Vader got arrested in Kuwait. You know they had the deal where Leon had roughed up the talk show host and then literally got arrested in a Kuwaiti jail. They needed someone to work with Mark. So, the thought was okay, you know, we’ll just hotshot this deal. We need an angle, you know, we need someone — well, Glenn can do it. He’s a big guy, he matches up physically with Taker.” Glenn Jacobs explained, detailing how he had been working under a mask ever since his Issac Yankem gimmick ended.

The Kane Idea Was Pitched as a Single Encounter

Glenn Jacobs explained how the idea of being the Undertaker’s brother was pitched to Vince as a short run. However, the boss saw the instant potential for a long feud.

“Vince liked it so much. He’s like, ‘why are we gonna waste this on just one match when we can turn this into an actual, you know, long-term angle,’ thank goodness.”

All that was left was to come up with a name. This is something Glenn Jacobs is happy he got to have some involvement in.

“Initially, the character was called Inferno. That was kind of my contribution to it, along with Bruce. You know, Bruce had always liked the name, Kane. I thought that Inferno just sounded very comic book character-ish for where we’re going with this. So, we suggested the name Kane, which not only, you know, Undertaker when he initially came in was Kane The Undertaker, and then they dropped the Kane part as he became The Undertaker. But also, with the biblical story of Cain and Abel. We thought that that fit.”

Thank goodness the name was changed because I highly doubt Glenn Jacobs would have enjoyed the long run, he got had they stuck with the original name. After surviving being Fake Diesel and then Issac Yankem, Jacobs struck gold with his Kane character, and as they say, the rest was history.

There has been a lot written in the press recently about professional wrestling and tears. Wrestling unites people and when looked at objectively, is a very emotional event. You have heroes and villains, champions conquering the world and prodigal sons returning. This level of emotion is not just felt in the crowds, but by those performing in the ring. IMPACT Knockouts champion and new Reina de Reinas champion Deonna Purrazzo recently spoke about how she cried ahead of her Triplemania victory.

Talking during an interview on Busted Open Radio, Deonna Purrazzo didn’t hide the fact that she got so emotional ahead of her win.

“I cried, I cried before the match. I was just so worked up.”

Deonna Purrazzo

The wrestling life is not always easy, and it is not always kind. Deonna Purrazzo has not enjoyed an easy road to her current position. Despite being just 27 years old, Purrazzo has been pushed to the limit by her love of wrestling.

Deonna Purrazzo Appreciates Where She is by Understanding Where She has Been

After finding herself stagnating inside of WWE, Purrazzo made her way onto an IMPACT stage. From there she has moved from strength to strength and is growing in both character and confidence every week.

“Like I love wrestling, I love wrestling so much. And it means so much to me to be put in these positions and for people to trust me in these positions and to get to do these cool life things. I wanted to do this my whole life. Especially more now I’m so appreciative of these opportunities because I came from a place where I wasn’t getting those opportunities and didn’t know if I wanted to wrestle anymore.” Deonna Purrazzo explained. “And the last two years of my life, I’ve just really embraced the opportunities and the gratefulness to get them. I always like to go out and just sit in the crowd when there’s no one, and just look around, look at the ring. I was crying all day because I was just like ‘oh shoot, this is so frickin’ cool.’”

Right now, Deonna Purrazzo is a two-promotion champion, and has spoken of her interest in forming a forbidden door tag team with Britt Baker. She is also part of the upcoming NWA Empowerrr PPV. It’s safe to say she’s come a long way in recent years and has not yet even reached her prime.

Jon Moxley has a dance partner for AEW All Out.

As we get closer to AEW’s next PPV, many have wondered who Moxley will share the ring with. For a brief period, it was looking like newly-minted IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi was a possible opponent. It turns out that isn’t the case as Tanahashi will defend his title against Kota Ibushi on Sept. 4 in Japan.

During the Aug. 25 edition of Dynamite, Jon Moxley revealed that his All Out opponent will be Satoshi Kojima.

“So we get the FedEx back from Tokyo today. One contract signed, sealed, and delivered. Only one, only one guy with the balls to step through the door, only one guy with the balls to chase the boogeyman in New Japan Pro Wrestling. We know who it wasn’t. So I look at this name and I wish I had worn glasses cause I would’ve adjusted them. I couldn’t believe it.

“Kojima Satoshi. And I thought, ‘man what a treat for the fans in Chicago to see a legend of New Japan, a legend of All Japan live and in-person.’ That’s a real treat for the fans and then I started thinking about it. I said, ‘damn, I am insulted. This crazy ass old man wants to step in the ring and go toe-to-toe with me?”

Kojima is a former two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion in NJPW and a former two-time Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion in AJPW. While he hasn’t been booked as a main eventer in Japan in over a decade, Kojima can still go in the ring.

Moxley is no stranger to facing top talent from Japan. He was a two-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion. He even participated in the G1 Climax back in 2019.

Sean Waltman has thrown in his two cents on Bianca Belair’s controversial SummerSlam loss.

Belair entered Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada as the SmackDown Women’s Champion. She was expected to put her title on the line against Sasha Banks. Belair made her way to the ring when it was announced that Banks was unable to wrestle.

Becky Lynch made a surprise return and asked Bianca for a last-minute title match. Bianca accepted and Becky nailed her with a cheap shot followed by a pump handle slam for the three-count. The match didn’t make it to the 30-second mark.

During an edition of his Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast, Waltman expressed his dismay with how WWE booked Belair’s title loss.

“Bianca is on her way to being a MEGA star, and a lot of people are really emotionally invested in her. You can’t do that to people in this day and age,” Waltman pointed out. “You used to be able to do it. That’s why I was saying that was the old mentality, but everyone knows what’s going on. The fan base is incredibly educated, and WWE, I’ve heard them compare themselves to Marvel. Marvel, when it comes to fan service, they’re amazing. This ain’t it.

“You can’t sh*t on a huge portion of your fan base like that. I’m a huge Becky Lynch fan, really big. I was so happy with her run and when she got the bloody nose, cut the promo and all that sh*t, and I’m still a big fan. This did her no favors. It was just unbelievable. Bianca, she’s a thoroughbred. It’s just totally unbelievable that she would get beat that quick by anybody in that f*cking roster. MAYBE Nia [Jax].”

It has been reported by PW Insider that Lynch will be turning heel following her actions at SummerSlam. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter later reported that Lynch was the one who requested the heel turn.