Lucha Underground was indeed a cult hit when it was on television and the Lucha Brothers want to charge up that nostaglia for fans of the defunct series.
Rey Fenix along with Penta El Zero M are going to but hosting Republic of Lucha 7: Hit The Lights and it will take place at the old Lucha Underground Temple.
Fenix and Penta will join quite the list of names set for the event including Konosuke Takeshita, Brian Cage, John Morrison, Nic Nemeth, Thunder Rosa, Lio Rush, Nick Wayne, Speedball Mike Bailey, Alex Windsor, Dante Martin and more. The event currently doesn’t have an air date but it will take place on Triller TV.
It will be this upcoming October when the show will celebrate its ten-year anniversary since it first aired on El Rey Network and ran four seasons with a total of 127 episodes. The Temple was located in Boyle Heights, CA.
While the series may be over, the legacy of Lucha Underground happens to live on through Major League Wrestling. It was years ago when MLW introduced Cesar Duran to the company as they made an indication that Duran was Dario Cueto (the owner of Lucha Underground) going under a new alias.
MLW has also reintroduced other players from the program including Mil Muertes and Jeff Cobb, but they also have put their own spin on the show. In less than two weeks, MLW will host AZTECA Lucha, their own solitary event featuring many lucha libre talent competing against one another. AZTECA Lucha is actually MLW highest-selling gate event in league history as they sold out Cicero Stadium in Chicago.
If you have any apprehension to watch the forthcoming Who Killed WCW? series, Kevin Nash wants you to fear not.
VICE TV revealed that Jason Eisener and Evan Husney of Dark Side Of The Ring will once again collaborate with The Rock’s Seven Bucks Productions on an upcoming four-part series detailing the rise and fall of World Championship Wrestling.
In a statement announcing the series, which will premiere on June 4, The Rock talked about how WCW as a promotion to rival WWE became a huge inspiration for him personally.
“The rise of WCW, not the fall, inspired me greatly early in my career where I would eventually become, ‘The Final Boss.’”
The trailer featured all sorts of major names set to tell the story of WCW including Eric Bischoff, Diamond Dallas Page, Bret Hart, Goldberg, Vince Russo and Kevin Nash.
Nash Says We’re Getting the Untold True Story
Despite all of the big names being involved in “Who Killed WCW,” the project garnered skepticism from some fans. The main critique has been Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson helming the project, since he’s one of the most powerful people in WWE. One fan wrote on social media, “It’s gonna have a huge WWE tilt to it and we already have a docu-series with that, The Monday Night War. So it’s a bit redundant.”
Kevin Nash, one of the key players who helped bring WCW to the top of the wrestling world in the late 1990’s, says fans should buckle up for their uncensored account of what happened, not a version written by the ‘victor’ of the WWE vs. WCW war.
“No we told our story. Not the WWE Victor’s version. This will be the first real take.”
Luckily, there’s only a month to wait before we find out who actually killed World Championship Wrestling.
Tony Khan happened to share quite a Swerve Strickland story with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Speaking with Scott Fishman of TV Insider, the AEW President talked about introducing his AEW World Heavyweight Champion to Goodell and talked about that gruesome moment he fought Hangman Page and took a staple to the face.
“I was telling Goodell about Swerve versus Hangman Page. I mentioned to him how Swerve got stapled in the face. Roger looked at him and said, ‘Really? He got stapled in the face for real?’ Swerve was smiling and said, ‘Yeah it’s true.'”
After Goodell left, Khan noted to Swerve that he happened to omit the fact that Strickland drank Page’s blood. According to Tony, Swerve got a kick out of that.
Tony Khan Happy With AEW & NFL Draft Buzz
Albeit polarizing, Tony Khan was very pleased with the connection and promotion he got from wearing a neckbrace during the NFL Draft, following the Meltzer Driver he took from last week’s AEW Dynamite. Khan made a point to credit NFL personality Rich Eisen for all the publicity for AEW during the weekend.
“Making lemonade out of lemons, I brought my recovery to the NFL Draft this year. I was blessed that Rich Eisen gave it so much coverage on the broadcast several times. He is doing great things with St. Jude through Run Rich Run. It’s such an awesome cause.”
In an effort to get AEW over as the underdog, Khan made a controversial analogy with his company in comparison to WWE, noting that WWE was Harvey Weinstein while AEW was Pepsi.
Drew McIntyre may not be happy with his WWE Draft spot, but he is happy with the work of Triple H.
McIntyre is arguably doing the best character work of his pro wrestling career in 2024 and it was just revealed by The Rock that the former World Heavyweight Champion re-signed a brand new deal with WWE. With him being in a top bout at WrestleMania, many speculated that it was just a matter of time until McIntyre put paper to pen on a new contract with the company as the Chief Content Officer Triple H was putting Drew in a prominent light.
Following last night’s episode of WWE RAW, McIntyre took to social media to share a photo of himself in Gorilla with Triple H, giving ‘The Game’ a big vote of confidence as WWE rolls into a big future.
“I trusted Triple H when he brought me back in 2017. And I trust him now to lead the evolution of our industry. Here’s to the future.”
I trusted @TripleH when he brought me back in 2017. And I trust him now to lead the evolution of our industry
Drew was drafted very late on RAW, well past his recent “obsession” in CM Punk who was the first pick of round two while McIntyre was the third pick of round three. Punk ended up cutting a promo in the middle of the ring at McIntyre who watched from afar. McIntyre stewed as Punk made an effort to keep his conversation shorter than McIntyre’s very brief title reign. Punk said that he wasn’t out for revenge, but McIntyre has given him purpose.
Dax Harwood and Eric Bischoff has gone back and forth with one another on social media before, but Monday night the two took it to a whole new level.
Bischoff has always been vocal when it comes his constructive criticism on AEW. Eric’s opinion was even more resounding following the recent buzz Tony Khan has been getting after the polarizing angle from last week’s Dynamite and the former WCW President had some more words regarding the current AEW President.
Harwood, who in 2023 re-signed with AEW, decided to express his thoughts regarding Eric’s “obsession” with Khan on his “83 Weeks” podcast, calling him “stalkerish.”
“I know it’s your gimmick and the other guys pay you well to bury AEW, but checking out your timeline & all the Tony tweets and RT’s, it looks very stalkerish. Netflix “Baby Reindeer” would do you a bit of good, my brother in Christ.”
Bischoff wasn’t having any of that, stating that Dax is the pot calling the kettle black.
“Says the chunky little monkey that studies my timeline. That’s weird.”
Says the chunky little monkey that studies my timeline. That's weird. https://t.co/COe3TUEZAG
Eric then decided to unload on Harwood following fan input who labeled Dax a hypocrite. Bischoff went on to call Harwood “mid as mid can get” and that his supposed “loyalty” to Khan is just a means as holding onto the bag as long as he can. He also threw another jab, calling Dax a future greeter at Walmart.
Don't be so hard on him. He's as mid as mid can get. He knows it. He's flailing away trying to prove his “loyalty” so he can hold on to that bag as long as possible. He knows that being a Walmart greeter is his next stop. https://t.co/UE2KnmaU1h
Earlier this year, Harwood said Bischoff was a “miserable podcaster” as he and FTR Wheeler said Eric was just upset that Tony Khan had never hired him. On several occassions, Bischoff has made clear he really took issue with Khan after he took a dig at Ted Turner.
Bischoff isn’t the only top WCW talent to dole out constructive criticism to Khan. Kevin Nash has expressed his thoughts on the current AEW product. Both he and Bischoff had made it quite clear that they want to see AEW succeed.
MLW is making waves in the Windy City following a five-year hiatus from the great wrestling city of Chicago.
Major League Wrestling announced yesterday that tickets for its upcoming AZTECA Lucha event on May 11 is sold out and it did so in historic fashion. The event has smashed the company’s all-time box office gate record. The league’s website did tell its fanbase to keep tabs in case the production set-up offers more space, but as of now there are no tickets available.
MLW CEO Court Bauer expressed his excitement for the news, noting that 2024 has been a good start for the promotion.
“Thank you, Chicago. To sell out the biggest arena we run is a huge triumph. This is a big milestone as MLW’s best year of business to date in the history of the league. From our Boss Fight Studios action figures selling out to arenas selling out, this is an unprecedented era for MLW. None of this happens without the fans’ support, the wrestlers’ work in and away from the ring, and the grind of our production team and front office. We’re all pumped to now bring it on May 11. Chicago and fans watching on TrillerTV+ are in for a very special night.”
If the name of the event didn’t give you the hint, the card for AZTECA Lucha is extremely lucha libre focused as Cesar Duran (formerly Dario Cueto of Lucha Underground) is in the middle of a power struggle with Salina de la Renta. The two promoters are waging war with lucha talent and up for grabs is a mysterious key that Duran currently holds possession of.
The headline match for the show is Mistico defending the MLW World Middleweight Championship against Barbaro Cavernario. Matt Riddle will also be taking on Joshua Bishop and Rickey Shane Page will put his National Openweight Championship on the line against Bad Dude Tito.
Trent Beretta’s mom Sue will not be carpooling The Best Friends to any AEW events in the near future, and she’s clearly not happy about it.
Beretta took on his longtime partner and (indeed) former best friend Chuck Taylor in a Parking Lot Fight this past weekend on AEW Rampage. It was a brutal battle with Berretta ultimately defeating Taylor, but also not coming out of the fight unscathed.
On social media, Beretta had a bloody picture of himself sitting on the hood of what appears to be his mom’s van. Just like his friendship with Taylor and Orange Cassidy, the windshield was splintered as Berreta basically marked the end of his bond with Taylor.
Sue was a light-hearted component in the mix of The Best Friends’ friendship, but clearly Beretta has thrown all that aside. Last week’s Dynamite kicked off with Trent beating Orange Cassidy up in the middle of Daily’s Place before prompting Chuck Taylor to come out. Trent forced Taylor to choose between him and Cassidy, citing that it was Orange who stole the spotlight from both of them, stating that he was only meant to be their mascot in AEW. Taylor didn’t agree and took the side of Cassidy, putting the Parking Lot Fight into motion.
Trent defeated Taylor by choking him out, but he wasn’t finished. Beretta set sights on Taylor’s ankle with a wrench, telling Orange Cassidy that this was all his fault.
All Elite Wrestling has hired Jeremy Flynn as the company’s new Director Of Live Events, a position formerly held by Rafael Morffi. Flynn previously worked for the Professional Bull Riders organization as its Senior Director of Marketing and Live Events.
The last two years with the @PBR was amazing and I am so grateful for the opportunity.
I am excited to start a new chapter as the Senior Marketing Director of Live Events for @AEW! There are so many amazing things happening here and I’m excited to be a part of the journey. pic.twitter.com/sKYZdOuSTf
Morffi, who left AEW last year to coordinate live events for the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, endorsed Flynn’s work in a post on his LinkedIn page.
“A lot of times, those arenas have a lot of big advantages like email lists and marketing and they are a destination venue for shows. It depends on the market and the timing. Certainly, bigger arenas do have a lot of advantages.”
Despite the unfilled arenas, Khan said in the pre-AEW Dynasty media call that revenue in Q1 for 2024 is up significantly overall as they have been running more live events, stating that live attendance is actually up in some cities when doing the year-over-year comparison.
The big hope for AEW is that the company secures a new lucrative media deal as the exclusive negotiation period between them and Warner Bros. Discovery has expired. Khan has still spoke to the positive relationship that AEW and WBD shares and has seemed optimistic that a deal will get done between the two parties.
Posted April 29th, 2024 in AEW. Tagged: Tony Khan.
Even if he doesn’t win King Of The Ring, Gunther feels like one in the Paul Levesque Era of WWE.
In a new interview with Gorilla Position, the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in company history was asked if he thought he’d have that same opportunity to make history under the old Vince McMahon regime.
“I don’t know, but it was one of the reasons why, for a long time I didn’t want to go to the US. The product before Triple H was not what I enjoyed. I just didn’t want to be part of that. I am who I am and that’s what I can do best. A big part of that is I need to have my time in the ring and have that time to put on the matches I can put on. That chance would not be there under the old regime.”
Gunther lost his title to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 40 and the 4/22 episode of RAW is when he made his return, “thanking” Zayn for freeing him to be “the hunter” instead of “the hunted.” That’s when he staked his claim for the King of The Ring crown.
Gunther Trusts In Triple H
The Intercontinental Title reign has put Gunther in the upper echelon of talent in WWE and he knows that he has Creative Content Officer Triple H to thank for that.
“With Triple H, he always saw that in me, and he always had that vision for me. I got lucky that a lot of things in my career took place at the right time. It was a little bit of a leap of faith when I first made the move over. Everything worked out in the end.”
What didn’t work out in the end is the Imperium pairing of Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci as Kaiser brutally attacked Vinci after they lost a tag match to New Day on that very same episode of RAW.
Two of AEW featured stars in Powerhouse Hobbs and Julia Hart are reportedly injured and the initial thought is not promising for the former champions.
According to Fightful Select, Julia Hart has suffered an injury that may require surgery. This is after Hart has ran into a string of recent injuries as of late and the timeframe for her return is currently unknown. She reportedly was injured on the lead-up to AEW Dynasty where she dropped the TBS Championship to Willow Nightingale. Hart is still very early her pro wrestling career and has hit a note with fans since aligning with the House Of Black.
Powerhouse Hobbs Is Also Injured
In the very same update, Fightful Select confirmed that Powerhouse Hobbs is also now out with injury as first reported by Bryan Alvarez of The Wrestling Observer. The injury is said to be significant and the former TNT Champion is not expected back anytime soon.
Hobbs was just featured in the main event match this past Wednesday on AEW Dynamite as he became the first challenger to Jon Moxley as the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Hobbs lost to Moxley via technical submission when the Blackpool Combat Club member got Hobbs in a rear-naked choke.
Hart and Hobbs now join a significant list of name talent on the AEW roster out with injury. MJF, Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, Darby Allin, Kota Ibushi, Bandido, Jamie Hayter, Miro, Britt Baker and Jeff Hardy are only a handful of talent on the shelf.
Bully Ray and D-Von Dudley ‘got the tables’ in an old ECW venue this weekend and Tommy Dreamer got hold of some gold to boot.
The pro wrestling legends took part in the IWC Super Showdown V event outside of Pittsburgh at the Rostraver Ice Garden on Saturday as an extreme reunion took place of sorts.
Tommy Dreamer initially squared off against Channing Decker in singles action, but their battle was thwarted when the IWC Tag Team Champions The Frontline invaded the fight. Thankfully, WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long was the matchmaker for the evening and forced Tito Oric and Christiano Argento to put their belts on the line against Decker and Dreamer. Decker found some synergy with Dreamer as the former was decked out in Gangstas gear in homage to New Jack and Mustafa. The two ended up becoming the new IWC World Tag Team Champions with a double DDT.
— Dominic DeAngelo | 1TS (@DominicDeAngelo) April 28, 2024
The Dudley Boyz Walk With Elias
The main event actually had ties to a previous match on the card as Elias (now known as Elijah) took on the upstart Canaan Kristopher, but that match ended up seeing a disqualification due to outside interference.
Retribution later was served as The Dudleyz were set to take on Wes Barkley and Derek Dillinger in an Extreme Rules tag match. Bully Ray had other ideas as they enlisted Elias to team up for trios tables match against Barkley, Dillinger and Kristopher. Guitar shots were doled out and an adversary was ultimately put through a table courtesy of a three-person 3D.
— Dominic DeAngelo | 1TS (@DominicDeAngelo) April 28, 2024
Post-match, Bully Ray got on the mic and gave away a broken piece of the table to a young fan while D-Von made mentioned that he just recovered from back surgery. This was D-Von’s second match back since the procedure as during WrestleMania weekend in Philadelphia he teamed up with Bully Ray to face Dreamer and Atsushi Onita.
The event happened to also feature another WWE Hall of Famer as Ron Simmons kicked off the show with an opening promo.
Kenny Omega isn’t afraid to acknowledge Roman Reigns.
‘The Cleaner’ is a man who happily gives his thoughts on pro wrestling during his livestreams on Twitch and this week one fan in the chat was hating on what Roman Reigns does in WWE. Omega pushed back at that notion, appreciating what ‘The Head Of The Table’ brings to the one true sport.
“I really think he’s incredible. I don’t think he’s boring either. I actually would say I’m pretty jealous because Roman Reigns is presented the exact same way that I would love to be presented. He’s presented as the man who’s the champion to have big matches on PPV where you’re really cheering for him or you’re cheering for someone else. That’s professional wrestling. He’s getting to do what I did in New Japan so I can’t be a hater on that. I’m a fan.”
WWE fans haven’t seen Roman Reigns since he dropped the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes night two at WrestleMania 40 and Omega has been on his own extended hiatus due to a diverticulitis diagnosis.
However, wrestling fans will at least get to see Kenny Omega return to television next Wednesday on AEW Dynamite as the show will hail from his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
It will be interesting to see how Omega is utilized as he was “fired” from his EVP position by The Young Bucks and a ripple was added into the storyline with them also attacked AEW President Tony Khan.
The pro wrestling landscape continues to undergo significant changes. Following WrestleMania, WWE is embarking on the Paul Levesque Era (“PLE” for short), while AEW is navigating towards a potentially transformative period, one they hope will include a new television deal.
Wrestling isn’t as explosively popular as it was in 1998, but The Rock is right that it’s ‘cool again’ and has strutted back into mainstream pop culture. That obviously means good news for fans, but with more than one prominent company now in the mix, that means leverage for the pro wrestling talent.
Wrestlers now have options as to where they can hone their squared circle trade for a good paycheck, meaning a much higher rise in competition for those coveted spots. 2024 also is a big free agent year for stars with major names’ contracts due to expire. However, depending on where a talent is at in their careers one promotion could provide a greater benefit than the other.
A Big Boom For Becky Lynch In 2024
Mercedes Mone inked a “CEO” like type deal with AEW, almost two years after walking out on WWE. That meant a new horizon and big money for the former Sasha Banks. A former colleague of hers Becky Lynch could be in a similar position in 2024, but ‘The Man’ has made clear that she aims to be a WWE lifer. Lynch would likely not increase her star power by jumping ship to AEW, but she could find herself affected in other manners.
Money is a major aspect, but Becky’s also a mom with a resume. Will Ospreay made clear that a big incentive for him signing with AEW was the lighter schedule and Becks life outside the ring could benefit from that. Additionally, there’s something to be said for new scenery. Even if AEW didn’t make the most of Lynch, her being shown under a new light could create even greater intrigue when she does ultimately make her way back to WWE: ask Cody Rhodes. You can potentially even ask someone like Wardlow, too, who is still starting his career.
Drew McIntyre Is Exactly Where He’s Supposed To Be In WWE
Drew McIntyre is a name with plenty of cache following WrestleMania considering this run of his has creatively been his greatest to date. One would have to assume Triple H and he at the very least have a handshake agreement at re-signing. Aside from a very large paycheck, there’s almost zero incentive for him to make the leap to AEW. Considering what his character has done to fan the flames of CM Punk’s past with the company, it’s pretty evident Drew is well aware of that too.
Veteran Names With Star Power
What about big name veterans like Matt Hardy or Rob Van Dam? The former just recently announced his free agency and then signed with TNA while the latter for years has been fully embracing his independent contractor status. Van Dam just appeared 4/20 edition of AEW Collision, but on the latest episode of “1 Of A Kind” made note that he’s up for a WWE return. That however, would likely only happen if they’d call him, not the other way around. RVD is comfortable where he’s at in life that he’s the one to make the choice he wants: and that’s the “when,” “where” and “why.”
Matt however, has a different mindset after being with AEW full time for four years. The eldest Hardy has whipped himself up in terrific shape and clearly wants to make the most of his remaining time in the squared circle. Matt had the option to sign a new deal with AEW but chose not to and instead signed with TNA. Fom a creative perspective that makes sense. Unfortunately, fans didn’t see a good deal of Hardy on AEW TV in 2024 and it seems Matt is looking for that opportunity.
WWE would benefit on several levels in getting Hardy back under their umbrella as he could be an active talent, but in turn be a great help behind the scenes. TNA and Hardy hooking back up ultimately makes sense considering the transcendent run he last had with the company.
A Young Talent On The Rise Looking For Opportunity
What if you’re a younger talent looking for that big break with an AEW or WWE? Anthony Catena is one of those names on the rise as he’s been active with the NWA, AAW Pro and the UK. He just recently found himself on the WrestleMania stage in Philadelphia during the Drew McIntyre entrance.
“Once that’s achieved everything that subsequently follows – money, recognition, etc – will naturally come with it. WWE has a very long track record of, not only creating stars, but providing them an opportunity to explore other areas of entertainment to potentially excel in that realm as well. AEW, albeit only a few years in, has managed to build a global juggernaut in the pro wrestling industry, which is impressive as well.
“Where it all comes together for me is where I feel I have the best chance at achieving the goals I’ve set for myself/”
To Catena’s point, opportunity can lead to presence and if AEW were to scoop him up, they could still build him as another “homegrown” talent, something that a Darby Allin or MJF has benefited from
If a young wrestler is looking for potential instant on-television experience, AEW may be the easier to get into, but you run the risk of being lost in the shuffle (see Action Andretti). WWE would be a company where you’d have to work from the ground up and it’s there where you would learn that style which has created big stars. NXT currently gets better ratings than Collision, so being a part of their developmental system gives one even a bigger platform for starters. However, in this landscape, signing with either company would be a win-win, just for different reasons.
The good thing about it all? Options, opportunities and the wallet are open. Jim Ross says “cash” and “creative” are always two primary factors in wrestling, and that hasn’t changed in 2024.
TNA is making some big moves when it comes to free agency but unfortunately it isn’t transferring over into PPV buys via television.
Just this past Saturday, the company had it’s Rebellion PPV and it featured the main event of TNA World Champion Moose defending his title against Nic Nemeth. The card also featured Josh Alexander taking on Hammerstone in their rubber match which was a Last Man Standing fight.
According to Dave Meltzer, Rebellion saw a massive drop in PPV purchases in comparsion to TNA’s return PPV earlier in January, Hard To Kill. Hard To Kill had over 66,000 buys on TV and streaming, which happened to be a record for the promotion. Unfortunately, Rebellion had only 500 TV buys at air-time, that’s an 89% drop in comparison to Hard To Kill which had 22,400. However, the streaming buys have yet to be released so TNA should see at least a little boost with the combination.
Although the buys of down, the perception of TNA is very positive with acquisitions such as Nemeth, Hammerstone, AJ Francis and Mustafa Ali. Rebellion also saw the major returns of Matt Hardy and Mike Santana into the company fold.
Nemeth said in an exclusive interview with SEScoops, noting how much he believes in TNA as a company and the promotion’s long-term booking plans. Nemeth isn’t signed to any contract with TNA, but noted his primary goal is getting the company over and its roster of rising stars.
You can check out the full interview with Nemeth below:
It appears the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted themselves a babyface in the NFL Draft as he hopes his new boss Tony Khan can power through his “neck injury.”
Khan was the recepient of a Meltzer Driver courtesy of The Young Bucks on Wednesday night’s Dynamite as the AEW President became apart of the storyline regarding the company return of Jack Perry.
Wrestling fans were wondering if Tony Khan was planning to sell the injury during the NFL Draft, something he’s annually involved with and TK pulled a page out of Bobby Heenan’s book by wearing a neck brace in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ war room.
With the 23rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected wide receiver Brian Thomas from Louisiana State University and when he did get picked, the focus was on the Jags’ war room, one that had Tony Khan, Shad Khan and Jaguars’ head coach Doug Pederson.
Pundits from Rich Eisen and Pat McAfee happened to comment on Khan being “injured” as they playfully joked about the angle that took place on Wednesday night and sure enough, the new draft pick was not free from getting involved in the storyline.
CBS Sports filled Thomas in on what happened to Khan on Wednesday and the freshly drafted football player made sure to send his new boss some well wishes.
“Hope you’re good. Hope you shake back from your injury. Speedy recovery.”
The angle involving Khan has gotten its fair share of criticism and positive reaction. One panelist parodying Mel Kiper Jr. on The Pat McAfee Show noted that Khan need to stick to his guns with the injury as TK was still moving his neck back and forth in the war room.
The NFL Draft may be the true forbidden door of pro wrestling as Pat McAfee actually chimed in about Tony Khan and the notorious AEW storyline that took place this week.
The color commentator for WWE RAW had his own panel at the NFL Draft in Detroit, one that featured his Pat McAfee Show co-horts and not to mention, arguably the greatest head coach of all time Bill Belichick.
Belichick was on-hand when the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. with the 23rd overall pick. McAfee noted how Thomas will be a key piece for quarterback Trevor Lawrence who throughout his three-year career has gotten injured from time to time on the NFL gridiron. That’s when McAfee caught sight of Khan in a neckbrace, clearly selling the attack on him by The Young Bucks during AEW Dynamite. McAfee played along, but did mention that the Jaguars head coach, had to be curious about Khan’s ailment.
“Last thing we need is him to look like Tony Khan who took a Meltzer Driver, just the other night, Wednesday night, he took a Meltzer Driver I do believe, guy’s got a broken neck and he’s battling through so he can pick up Brian Thomas Jr. and that [Shad Khan] mustache is never not gonna be sweet and [head coach] Doug Pederson is three seats away going, ‘What the f*** is going on?'”
That last line got a laugh out of Bill Belicheck.
“Mad Mel” Of Pat McAfee Show Wants Tony Khan To “Stick With The Gimmick”
One man on the Pat McAfee Show panel who did call Khan out on the angle was “draft analyst” “Mad Mel.” “Mel,” a potty-mouth parody of legendary draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. commented on Khan not going the whole nine yards with the supposed injury.
“I understand keeping up with the gimmick. Someone should tell Tony Khan, ‘Hey, if you have a neckbrace on, don’t f***ing move around like nothing’s wrong. You stick with the gimmick and look straight ahead like your neck’s broken, okay?’ What are we doing here?”
Rich Eisen on the NFL Network also playfully put the angle over, hoping TK stays safe in his recovery.
WWE made a big deal about ECW WrestleMania weekend and it was reportedly for good reason.
With WrestleMania 40 taking place in Philadelphia it only seemed appropriate for WWE to induct Paul Heyman into the Hall Of Fame. The home of Extreme Championship Wrestling was in the “City Of Brotherly Love” and Heyman had a lot to say about Philly and the homebase fans.
Heyman hat-tipped not just the fans but the legends ECW helped to cultivate, shouting out names like Rob Van Dam and Bully Ray. He even donned the appropriate attire as he pulled out the hat, headset, cinderblock cell phone and leather duster. Heyman’s words immediately became an all-time Hall of Fame speech, but that speech could be bittersweet in the immediate.
According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Heyman’s speech signified WWE “spiritually closing” the book on ECW. This was also why Heyman was the primary induction for the year and the focus was put on Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer and The Dudley Boyz.
ECW fans experienced a satisfying follow-up on night two of WrestleMania 40 as Bully Ray ended up being the surprise referee for the Philadelphia Street Fight between The Final Testament and The Pride.
WWE also had a full ECW entryway set-up installation on display at WWE World over WrestleMania weekend.
As for the actual ECW residence, the 2300 Arena on the corner of Swanson and Ritner, the venue stayed very busy with live events including a Busted Open Radio party and RVD in competition.
Chicken salad. That’s what Tony Khan and AEW did on this week’s Dynamite by maximizing whatever you can after airing the ALL IN footage. And depending on how they continue to handle it, there could be more to come in the form of Jack Perry..
The greater contingency of fans (especially on social media) will be quick to make WCW 2000 comparisons once more or say TK is riding down the Russo electric rail of irrelevancy, but that final segment of Khan being beat down was more Paul Heyman than Russo. Instead of focusing on the weakness that was the footage, the spotlight was shined on a strength from an unexpected source, usurping product’s perceived misfire weeks back.
Was Khan’s selling questionable? Yes. Was wearing low-rise socks on a night where you were getting piledriven a bad choice? Absolutely, but what AEW did is address “the other guy” in the room at Wembley in Tony Khan.
Good or bad (leaning more towards bad), the decision to air the footage has already been made and AEW had to wear that albatross like a necklace, but Tony remained adament that he didn’t feel that way. When asked about the criticism of airing the footage, Khan stated on the pre-Dynasty media call that ratings would be the true fan reaction to what we got weeks ago courtesy of a security camera.
The ratings did pop that week with Khan saying TBS was pleased, but numbers crashed back down to earth the week after. Khan’s company was still left wading in the standing water of it’s “nowhere near a fight” footage. Then Dynasty had the Scapegoat Tarzan swing in after spending months away from AEW. Even if Perry was previously a Jungle Boy, his reemergence into the product alone would not drain the swamp from stagnancy.
I previously wrote that Khan can be the leader AEW needs by getting out of his own way. On Wednesday, he ripped the Band-Aid off, with the Neosporin being three big letters that he and the whole country are quite familiar with.
Even more than CM Punk and Perry, Khan was the most talked about person after airing that footage. He’s addressed it several times in interviews since then, but on Wednesday Khan took another risk by bringing that Charlie Brown storm cloud right out to Daily’s Place and making himself part of the storyline.
Like Lucy, The Young Bucks and Perry held the football, and unlike Charlie Brown, TK (albeit awkwardly) kicked it through the uprights by leaning to his strengths: his NFL ties. Roger Goodell and gang were the unexpected deux ex machina in this situation as Khan not only had his father saunter out to close the show, but got the NFL buzzing about the angle too, right before the NFL Draft kicks off this weekend. It will be even better if TK sells the attack to the gills with a neck brace and a bottle of Pepto by his side while he sits by the phone.
Perception be damned, Khan coming out doesn’t seem to be a Vince McMahon or Dixie Carter move in getting himself over. Unlike the other two, Khan didn’t utter a word during the segment, but just displayed his eagerness and excitement to reinstate Perry. He was the focus of the segment, but moving forward, I’m willing to bet that the whole story will not be. He was just a way to get to where they’re headed.
Will ripping the Band-Aid off bring AEW back into a 2019 rhythm that fans got so enamored with? Of course not. That’s something that will require consistency and focus, something that AEW has never excelled at on a weekly basis, but they arguably got themselves back in the game with some outside help.
Now Tony Khan and his product is on the clock. Happy Draft Day.
Fans got to see Swerve Strickland in action on AEW Dynamite, but we didn’t happen to hear any words from the new World Heavyweight Champion. That will change this Saturday on Collision.
Following Wednesday’s episode, AEW announced that Strickland will be interviewed on Saturday, getting his first thoughts after becoming the champion.
“The NEW #AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland kicks off #AEW Collision with his FIRST Live Interview since #AEWDynasty, THIS Saturday, IMMEDIATELY following NBA coverage on TNT!”
The NEW #AEW World Champion @swerveconfident kicks off #AEW Collision with his FIRST Live Interview since #AEWDynasty, THIS Saturday, IMMEDIATELY following @nba coverage on TNT!
While we didn’t hear Strickland talk on Dynamite, we did hear from a different World Champion utter some words. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley delivered a promo before his main event fight against Powerhouse Hobbs. Moxley ended up defeating Hobbs via technical submission. Hobbs passed out in a rear-naked choke hold and the finish ended up being a segue-way for the polarizing closing segment between Tony Khan and Jack Perry.
A big reason for Swerve not speaking is because Saturday AEW will have it’s biggest lead-in with the NBA Playoffs as there will be no Inside The NBA post-game show.
Reminder: there is no Inside the NBA following playoff coverage on TNT this Saturday!
We go right from the end of Celtics vs Heat into the start of #AEWCollision on TNT live coast-to-coast across America with @swerveconfident's first live interview since his #AEWDynasty World…
As far as Swerve is concerned, his match led off the show. While his newly won World Title wasn’t on the line, he did compete in an Eliminator Match with the challenger being Kyle Fletcher. Strickland and Fletcher went back and forth, but Swerve ended up getting the emphatic win with a running flip kick to the back of the head.
While Swerve will react to his Dynasty win on Saturday, next week it’s being advertised that his opponent for AEW Double Or Nothing will be revealed. We’ve already got two title matches for the PPV. Willow Nightingale will defend her TBS Championship against Mercedes Mone and Will Ospreay will face Roderick Strong for the International Championship.
Kenny Omega will be back in AEW and it’s going to happen in seven days time.
This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite hailed from All Elite Wrestling’s backyard of Jacksonville, FL. However, next week the show will take place in Kenny Omega’s backyard of Winnipeg, Manitoba. During the Swerve Strickland eliminator match against Kyle Fletcher, AEW revealed that Omega will be in attendance next week.
Fans haven’t seen Omega since late 2023 as the former AEW World Champion has been out of action due to diverticulitis, something that Omega has cited as that was life-threatening.
Lingering Storylines For Kenny Omega
Omega has a lot to address since he made his AEW exit. When we last saw Kenny he was tag partners with Chris Jericho who is now currently a heel and the FTW Champion. Additionally, Omega will always have a long-standing rivalry with Will Ospreay who is now right in the thick of being a full-time member of the AEW roster. Not only that, but Ospreay just became the number one contender for the International Championship. He’ll be facing Roderick Strong at Double or Nothing in Las Vegas.
However, the big matter of note will be Omega’s status with The Elite. After losing to Sting and Darby Allin at AEW Revolution, The Young Bucks suspended Hangman Page and effectively fired Kenny Omega from his position as EVP. Omega reacted in-time to the news by “meme”-ing himself, but now we’ll likely receive his reaction in person next week.
We may also get an actual update regarding Omega’s health and perhaps a timetable for when we could see him return to in-ring action.
Tony Khan’s status for the NFL Draft this weekend could be in doubt following the beatdown he took courtesy of Jack Perry and The Young Bucks and the National Football League took note.
Khan was the victim of an ambush on AEW Dynamite as the AEW President seemed to be all about reinstating Jack Perry back into the company, but the former Jungle Boy had other plans. He punched his boss in the gut and then The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada came down to further put Khan down.
The Bucks delivered a Meltzer Driver to Khan and left him laying in the middle of the ring, causing not just the locker room to come out, but Shad Khan to make an appearance as well.
Grant Gordon of NFL.com caught wind of the angle and happened to write about the occurence on the NFL website, throwing Khan’s NFL Draft status into question.
Tony Khan’s status for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2024 NFL Draft obligations could be questionable.
Khan, the Jags’ chief football strategy officer and the founder, owner and booker of All Elite Wrestling, took a punch to the gut and a “Meltzerdriver” piledriver Wednesday night live on AEW Dynamite from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.
Shad Khan, Tony’s father and the owner of the Jaguars, took to the ring to check on his son in the aftermath of the drama.
During the build for AEW Dynasty, Khan did make clear that he was going to be involved with the Jaguars’ draft process this week so it will be interesting to see if Khan sells the attack, albeit by not being present or wearing a neckbrace for the weekend.
Posted April 25th, 2024 in AEW. Tagged: Tony Khan.
Get ready for a whole new learning experience courtesy of Chris Jericho.
The pro wrestling legend defeated HOOK for the FTW Championship at AEW Dynasty on Sunday and had some words of wisdom for the live crowd in Jacksonville, FL on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
All with a somewhat patronizing tongue, Jericho took to the ring to thank the fans for the love and support following his victory and spoke about the controversial meaning behind the letters “FTW.” Instead of the title standing for “F*** The World” he wants FTW to mean “For The World” because the championship now for all the fans.
Jericho then brought up the name of the late legendary Terry Funk and recounted when Funk told him it was time for him to start teaching the next generation of how to carry on the legacy of the pro wrestling business. He then thanked Terry Funk and thanked everyone in attendance.
Suddenly, out came former AEW World Tag Team Champion in Big Bill. What first felt like it was going to be a tense confrontation, Bill actually said that he’d love to learn under the learning tree of Chris Jericho. Chris noted that he respected the talent of Big Bill and told him that he’d very much consider that, but would like to see Bill prove it. Bill assured Jericho that he would do just that.
It’s serendipitous that Jericho did conjure up the name of Terry Funk. Back in 2019, Jericho was asked about being the modern-day version of Funk, who was notorious for always re-inventing himself later on in his career which helped to put ECW on the map.
“My mission has always been to reinvent and evolve. It’s David Bowie. It’s been one of my inspirations since I was 25 years old, when you realize that you have this guy that’s a genius and who constantly changes what he’s doing, what he looks like to keep the fans guessing.”
Chris Jericho Will Have A Challenger Next Week
Jericho will have a tough contender to go up against next week in his hometown of Winnipeg. Later during Dynamite, Katsuyori Shibata ending up revealing that he’ll face Jericho next week for that “For The World” Championship gold.
Katsuyori Shibata has issued a challenge to the FTW Champion Chris Jericho.
Sheamus is hungry for the King of The Ring crown, fella. ‘The Celtic Warrior’ made his memorable return to WWE over a week ago on WWE RAW and quite the chatter revolved around Sheamus’ new waist size.
While the former WWE Champ hasn’t missed a beat in the ring, Sheamus has clearly put on a couple pounds and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans or his colleagues. Fortunately for Sheamus, he’s self-aware of his own size.
Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger after Burger
This past week on RAW, Sheamus confronted an old friend in Drew McIntyre, noting that he took his eye off the ball at WrestleMania and blew his World Title reign to a one-armed CM Punk. Sheamus shot straight with McIntyre, but so did Drew, criticizing his long-time buddy’s noticable weight gain. Sheamus laughed off the criticism, noting to McIntyre that he’s been getting at better one-liners.
McIntyre sat at ringside to witness Sheamus defeat RAW, but his comments on Sheamus’ size lingered long after the tape stopped rolling.
Sheamus took to social media to share a picture of the longtime creepy Burger King mascot, indicating that he wants to be known has the “Burger King” after he wins the King Of The Ring in Saudi Arabia.
Sheamus Takes Another Shot At Drew McIntyre
Sheamus wasn’t finished with his quips against McIntyre, but neither was Drew. McIntyre shared the classic Scott Steiner interview clip calling Samoa Joe “fat.”
Sheamus shot back, stating once more that McIntyre fumbled his shot at a lengthy World Title reign.
“After you gave him a deranged lapdance at Mania… CM Punk Kicked Your Arse.”
Jey Uso has moved on from WrestleMania, but does admit to having mixed emotions about the bout with his brother.
Uso took on Jimmy in a “brother vs. brother” match in Philadelphia, ‘The City Of Brotherly Love,’ but the match didn’t quite deliver from a fan perspective. That thought didn’t go past Jey who did admit that his brotherly battle wasn’t up to the “uce” standards.
“I do kind of feel like we did let the people down … I wanted to go out there and have a straight-up banger too. I wanted to do the wrestling part, let alone make sure the emotion part was there.”
Jey vs. Jimmy ended up going 11 minutes, but Jey did state that they had to tackle a time adjustment to the card.
“You’ve just got to play your position on the team. That’s what happened. But I am still happy that I got a singles match on WrestleMania with my brother, that’s the big picture. So I will always have me and him in the face-off at WrestleMania. I’m gonna frame a picture, it’s marked off our box.”
Jey said that someone did let him and Jimmy know that they lost a few minutes and they had do go out there and handle business.
The Future Of The Usos
Despite the let-down of the match, Jey Uso certainly finds himself in a great spot as he’s the number one contender to the WWE World Championship as he’ll face Damian Priest at Backlash.
Jimmy, on the other hand, finds himself in dire straits as he was attacked by his other brother Solo Sikoa and effectively kicked out of The Bloodline.
Kevin Nash has never been one to pull punches and the two-time WWE Hall Of Famer hasn’t pumped the breaks on expressing his thoughts regarding the modern squared circle.
Speaking on the latest episode of “Kliq This,” Nash assessed the 4/15 episode of WWE RAW and the 4/17 episode of AEW Dynamite. Nash was critical of both shows and gave his forthright thoughts on Tony Khan deciding to air the CM Punk footage almost three weeks ago, noting that it’s Khan’s choice to do what he pleases, but he does say the AEW product can be difficult to watch.
“You know, it’s his ball. He can kick it. He wants to go kick it over onto the f***ing freeway, then kick it on the freeway. I’ve got no skin in that game, but it’s just a very hard show to watch. It’s very hard to get involved. It just feels so fragmented.”
Kevin Nash Wants AEW To Flourish In Pro Wrestling
Nash went on to review both shows, adding that he made an observation on social media about AEW, and then went on to give reasons why he wants the company to become a bigger and bettter product.
“In all honesty, man, I absolutely want AEW to succeed.”
“Number one, I’ve got friends that work there, you know, in production and in all different aspects, not just guys that are there in front of the camera. And I think they’re being a viable option is huge for the longevity of the business.”
Please credit Kliq This and h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.