Shane McMahon has given a statement on his meeting with Tony Khan after the pair were spotted together in a meeting in Arlington, Texas. It has been reported that the pair met to discuss possibilities moving forward and that Khan has been open to speaking with McMahon for some time.
On Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray delivered a statement from Shane on the meeting:
“Tony and I were connected through a mutual friend and we had a great meeting. We talked about many things, but mostly about our shared love for the business and the rewards and challenges of working with family. I congratulated him on the five year anniversary of AEW and look forward to how he evolves the business moving forward.”
A photo of Shane and Khan have been shared online. On Twitter, AEW TBS Champion/NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone took credit for the viral image.
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) July 31, 2024
Shane McMahon And AEW
It was claimed by Conrad Thompson earlier this year that McMahon had spoken to some in AEW about the possibility of joining Tony Khan’s first promotion. It was later clarified that Shane was not making a formal pitch to join AEW and was simply stating that it would be an interesting moment in wrestling. Tony Khan has said he has a lot of respect for Shane and appreciates his work as both an in-ring performer and an executive.
McMahon hasn’t been seen on WWE television since WrestleMania 39 when he made a surprise appearance for an impromptu match against The Miz. This was McMahon’s return match to WWE after being fired the previous year for reportedly causing backstage chaos at the 2022 Royal Rumble event.
Could Shane McMahon be All-Elite after all? Stay tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest on this developing story.
Bryan Danielson is putting his pro wrestling career on the line at the AEW All-In pay-per-view later this month.
The American Dragon was cutting a promo on the July 31st AEW Dynamite, where he told the fans that his contract with the company was officially up tomorrow. He then reminded everyone of the promise he made when he first joined AEW back in 2021, which was to ‘Kick Some Heads In,’ and win the AEW World Championship. Danielson stated that at All In, he would finish that promise.
That brought out the AEW World Champion, Swerve Strickland. Swerve told Danielson that he also said he would win the company’s top prize, managed to do it in less time, and even beat opponents that Danielson had previously lost to. He called Danielson one of the best of all time, but that he was “one of a kind.” Swerve’s rant ended after whispering to Danielson that he wouldn’t be walking out of All In because of the beating he was about to endure.
Danielson refused to let Swerve walk away that easy. He then declared that he would retire from the sport forever if hedidn’t win the world title at AEW All In.
Danielson earned the opportunity against Swerve by winning the 2024 Owen Hart Memorial tournament. He’s unsuccessfully challenged for the world title multiple times, including against MJF, Adam Page, and Jon Moxley.
AEW All In takes place on August 25th from Wembley Stadium in London, England. Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland: AEW World Title vs. Career is set to be the main event.
Get ready for AEW Dynamite tonight at 8/7c live on TBS from Greenville, SC at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. We’re just three weeks out from AEW All In: London and the full-speed-ahead build continues.
Scheduled matches for AEW Dynamite tonight include:
Will Ospreay vs. Lance Archer
Hangman Adam Page vs. Darby Allin
Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander
Plus, we’ll hear from Bryan Danielson live as well as the Mercedes Moné.
Danielson has his sights on Swerve Strickland and raising the AEW World Championship sky high as fans chant “YES! YES!” to close out the show at Wembley Stadium. Swerve recently praised Danielson as the Greatest of All Time, a gesture that puts unique dynamic on this high-stakes contest.
Meanwhile, it’s the CEO the one hoping to hold on to her gold and fend off Dr. Britt Baker. After their altercation at San Diego Comic Con 2024 last week, can AEW officials maintain order until August 25?
Enjoy the show tonight and head over to our AEW News section for more.
No, you didn’t misread that headline: Former WWE Executive and Superstar Shane McMahon, had a private meeting with All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan. The meeting took place at a private airport in Arlington, Texas, according to WrestleTalk and Fightful:
Shane McMahon in AEW
This surreal development comes just over a month after rumors circulated that Shane McMahon was interested in joining AEW. Former WWE and current AEW commentator Jim Ross mentioned in mid-June that he had received information that McMahon had expressed some interest in collaborating with AEW.
McMahon hasn’t been seen on WWE television since WrestleMania 39 when he made a surprise appearance for an impromptu match against The Miz. Unfortunately, the Shane-O-Mac would suffer a torn quad moments following the opening bell.
In a recent interview with SI’s Justin Barrasso, Tony Khan spoke about the possibility of Shane McMahon joining AEW and expressed great respect for McMahon:
“I heard the rumor he might be interested. I’ve never met Shane, but we have a lot of mutual friends…I have a lot of respect for him as an executive and a professional wrestler. Shane is always welcome in AEW.”
Shane McMahon appearing for All Elite Wrestling would be as much of a “never say never” moment as there is in wrestling. One of the only comparisons is when the Prodigal Son appeared on the last episode of WCW Nitro in 2001. It would also be a direct shot across the bow, as his brother-in-law Triple H currently serves as Chief Content Officer of AEW’s biggest rival promotion, WWE.
Will we see Shane McMahon attempt an on-screen hostile takeover of AEW? Will AEW fans get to see Shane McMahon and Darby Allin have a contest to see who can do the most death-defying dive? These might be premature questions now, but one’s that are not out of the realm of possibility after today’s developments.
Skye Blue will be out of action for the foreseeable future after the talented AEW and Ring of Honor performer underwent ankle surgery this week. On social media, Blue’s partner, Kyle Fletcher shared that Blue had gone under the knife and asked fans for their support.
— Kyle Fletcher ?????????? (@kylefletcherpro) July 30, 2024
Blue faced Hikaru Shida during an episode of AEW Collision earlier this month but their match was stopped when Blue suffered an injury. This occurred when Shida hit a crossbody to Blue outside of the ring and Skye was seen in pain when she landed. The referee immediately called for medical attention and after a commercial break, it was decided that the match had to be called off.
Blue had to be carried to the back by medical officials as fans chanted her name in a show of respect. On Twitter, Tony Khan confirmed that she had suffered an ankle injury while Fletcher shared a photo of her recovery at home.
we got her home everyone, doctor Kyle on the clock
AEW Dynamite has been the flagship program for All Elite Wrestling since the company’s inception back in 2019. The show has been running weekly since October 2019 and has produced over 250 original episodes.
Upcoming AEW Dynamite Events
Here are all of the upcoming AEW Dynamite shows as confirmed by the company:
August 7, 2024: Winston-Salem, NC
Event: AEW Dynamite/Rampage Venue: LJVM Coliseum Time: 7:30 PM ET Tickets:Buy Tickets Details: AEW Dynamite and Rampage will rock Winston-Salem with a double taping on Wednesday, August 7th.
August 14, 2024: Norfolk, VA
Event: AEW Dynamite/Rampage Venue: Chartway Arena Time: 7:30 PM ET Tickets:Buy Tickets Details: Norfolk’s Chartway Arena will host AEW’s Dynamite and Rampage on Wednesday, August 14th.
August 21, 2024: Cardiff, Wales
Event: AEW Dynamite/Collision Venue: Utilita Arena Cardiff Time: 18:30 GMT Tickets:Buy Tickets Details: AEW crosses the Atlantic to Cardiff, bringing Dynamite and Collision to the passionate wrestling fans in Wales on Wednesday, August 21st ahead of All In from Wembley.
August 28, 2024: Champaign, IL
Event: AEW Dynamite/Rampage Venue: State Farm Center Time: 6:30 PM CT Tickets: On Sale: July 12 Details: The company heads to State Farm Center in Champaign, IL on Wednesday, August 28th for a double taping of Dynamite and Rampage.
Bryan Danielson’s days as a WWE Superstar may be a thing of the past, but the American Dragon could be screaming YES! once again soon. A patent for “YES! YES! YES!” has been filed by Danielson, records from the U.S. Patent and Trading Office website reveal. The filing also includes an image of Danielson from his WWE days wearing a shirt with the phrase in question amid a sea of “YES!” signs.
The YES! Movement
Though originally part of a 2011-2012 heel turn for Bryan in which he’d over-celebrate every single win, “YES!” became a hit with fans. The single-word chant became as associated with Bryan as ‘What’ was with ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and even broke outside the world of pro wrestling. The chant became a fixture of non-wrestling sporting events, in a testament to how popular the chant, and the man behind it, had become.
Danielson will have plenty of reasons to say “YES! YES! YES!” should he emerge victorious at AEW All In: London 2024. The August 25, event will see Danielson challenge AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland. Danielson earned the opportunity by winning the 2024 Owen Hart Men’s Tournament. Danielson recently shared that his current AEW deal will expire on August 1, but it has been reported that he will continue to make appearances for AEW past this expiration date.
Reports about Lucha Brothers’ Rey Fenix suggest that his contract with AEW is running out later this year.
Earlier this year, reports emerged that Penta El Zero Miedo’s AEW contract is set to expire this year and that he has drawn interest from WWE. It has been reported that Penta’s contract with AEW will end between August and September of this year.
Pentagon not the only one whose contract is expiring, according to a new report by Fightful Select It’s come to light that his brother and tag partner Rey Fenix’s contract with AEW is also set to expire soon. Similar to Penta, Fenix is also expected to have interest from WWE.
AEW understandably wants to retain the Lucha Bros. and negotiations have been ongoing. Unless AEW makes an offer they can’t refuse, Fenix and Pentagon may want to enter free agency and see if they can start a bidding war and raise their final contract value.
Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo have been among the AEW originals since 2019. The Lucha Bros have held the AEW World Tag Team Championships and the brother duo pair are also former AEW World Trios Champions with Pac.
Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix have performed across various prominent promotions including AAA, CMLL, TNA, NJPW, MLW, and more. While the list misses WWE, there is a huge possibility that the duo might make their presence felt in the Stamford-based company. Recently, a handful of former AEW stars such as Jade Cargill, Dragon Lee, Ethan Page, and Lexis King (Brian Pillman Jr.) have joined WWE and The Lucha Bros could follow suit.
Bryan Danielson is set to challenge Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship at AEW All In, but there’s a new report that highlights his health status before this big match.
The American Dragon’s recent comments about AEW doctor Doc Sampson advising him to refrain from wrestling until All In were based in reality according to Fightful Select. Bryan is not in optimal health, and has is being advised to limit his physical activity in the ring until the event on August 25. The report indicates that the plan for Danielson to be in the main event at All In has been in place for quite some time. However, due to his current condition, several pre-All In plans involving Danielson have been shelved.
We know Danielson’s AEW contract expires August 1 and Tony Khan is working hard to keep his 2024 Owen Hart Cup tournament winner under the ‘All Elite’ banner for years to come. In a recent video, Danielson confirmed the date of his AEW contract expiring.
“That’s true. August 1st, actually,” he said. “Next Thursday. My wrestling contract is up. Which also happens to be my son’s fourth birthday. I’m not saying this, like Tony talked about this in an interview, so I feel comfortable talking about it. I’m not MJF in this like trying to use my contract to be like ‘give me all the money!’. Yeah, my contract is up August 1st.”
The report notes that Danielson is expected to remain with AEW in a part-time capacity even after his contract expires. He is well-liked backstage and serves as a close advisor to AEW President Tony Khan, who expressed his hope that Danielson will stay with the company “as long as humanly possible.”
AEW: All In takes place Saturday, August 24, 2024 at London’s Wembley Stadium.
All Elite Wrestling has received a substantial tax credit from the state of Ohio, in a move that could see AEW establish itself in the Buckeye State. This week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced over $35 million in state tax credits for film, television, and Broadway projects. Of the 17 entities that will benefit, AEW is the only wrestling promotion listed and will receive $1.275 million in tax credit. In a statement, Governor DeWine shared his excitement for what’s to come.
“Ohio is an ideal location for entertainment production; we offer big city backdrops, small town appeal, and everything in between. We’re happy to welcome these productions – and the economic impact they’ll bring – to Ohio.”
This news for AEW comes at an interesting time given that WWE are mere days away from hosting its annual SummerSlam event in Cleveland. Shortly before WWE announced that the Biggest Party of the Summer was coming to the city, the promotion received $1.68 million in tax credits to WWE through the state’s Motion Picture Tax Credit program.
AEW and Ohio
All Elite Wrestling first arrived in Cleveland, Ohio for its 17th episode of Dynamite that took place in January 2020. The company returned in September 2023 to host its 13th episode of Collision. Several names from AEW call Ohio home include former World Champion Jon Moxley, former TNT Champion Wardlow, and the unfortunately injured Shane Taylor.
AEW has brought a mainstream alternative to WWE across the United States and beyond and Ohio could be the home of a future AEW event soon judging by this tax credit incentive. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest on AEW and where its future events will take place.
Konosuke Takeshita has taken the mantle as a leader of Strong Style Wrestling after being bequeathed the honor by an undisclosed mentor in America. Speaking during the ongoing G1 Climax after his victory over HENARE and Jeff Cobb, the AEW star spoke about being entrusted with the intracicies of Strong Style Wrestling.
“I have a mentor in America. That mentor has entrusted me with leading the wrestling world, entrusted me with Strong Style. Who’s my mentor? Can’t tell you yet. YeaOh!”
Though Takeshita didn’t name his mentor in America, fans have been led to believe it could be WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura. Not only is Nakamura known as the ‘King of Strong Style, but he used ‘yeaoh!’ as a signature phrase during his lengthy time with New Japan. The hand gesture Takeshita used at the end of the promo also appeared remiscient of the former WWE NXT Champion. Earlier this year, Nakamura and Takeshita were seen together with the All-Elite talent sharing a selfie with a ‘fan’ online.
What is Strong Style?
Strong Style Wrestling blends real fighting moves into a pro-wrestling performance to make the various strikes look as legitimately painful as possible. The term dates back to Antonio Inoki who was billed as a strong style fighter in New Japan for matches where he’d fight kickboxers and martial artists. Inoki used this style for his 1976 fight with Muhammad Ali that was watched by an estimated 1.4 billion people.
Swerve Strickland knows Bryan Danielson is one of the best to ever do it, but he claims that despite his long career, The American Dragon has never met anyone like him.
The two AEW stars are set to square off at the biggest possible stage in the upcoming All In event from Wembley Stadium in London on August 25. Bryan has earned the right to challenge for Swerve’s World Title after winning the Owen hart Cup Tournament.
The AEW World Champion spoke about the upcoming bout in a new interview with Sports Illustrated. He first acknowledged the illustrious career of his opponent, saying that Bryan is a first-ballot Hall of Famer:
“Bryan’s not just experienced, he’s the greatest of all time. That’s who I’m going up against–a first ballot Hall of Famer. I’ve never faced anyone like him. But he’s never faced anyone like me.”
Special Breed Of Danger
Though despite this being the toughest challenge of his reign yet, Swerve Strickland is ready to give it all. According to him, he’s a special breed of danger that the former WWE star has never encountered before:
“Bryan told me I’m a special breed of talent, I’m also a special breed of danger. I know we wrestled before, but he’s never faced me like this. Bryan is facing me after my Texas Deathmatch against Hangman Page. He’s facing me after I beat Will Ospreay–and Christian Cage and Samoa Joe. I’m a different beast. I can’t wait for him to see it.”
Another thing that makes the upcoming match interesting is the AEW status of Bryan Danielson. The wrestling veteran has confirmed that his last full-time contract with the company expires on August 1.
While the former WWE star is not expected to leave Tony Khan’s promotion anytime soon, there is much speculation on what his next deal will look like.
With his health being a concern as well, it’s possible that the 43-year-old may take a long break from wrestling after the Wembley event.
Sammy Guevara made a surprise return to pro wrestling at Sunday’s Ring of Honor tapings. The Spanish God did a run-in to save Dustin Rhodes from the Dark Order, marking his first appearance in the past five months.
Guevara’s absence was due to a suspension following an in-ring incident with Jeff Hardy during a match on February 16th, where Hardy suffered a broken nose and concussion. Guevara continued the match despite Hardy’s condition, violating concussion protocol.
The suspension was lifted earlier this month. Now that he’s back in Ring of Honor, Sammy Guevara is expected to be factored into AEW’s creative plans soon.
AEW American Champion MJF will be in for a hostile reaction when he defends the star-spangled strap next month in the United Kingdom. On Twitter, MJF shared that he will defend the title at Revolution Pro Wrestling’s Summer Sizzler event against Michael Oku. The show will take place at York Hall in London, England on August 11.
MJF didn’t hold back in his announcement that was aired at Rev Pro’s Live in Coventry event. Michael Oku has MJF’s “undying hatred” given that Oku has the respect of Will Ospreay. The AEW star added that the UK is a “third-world country” a well as the “worst country in the world.” Channeling the spirit of the Boston Tea Party (an event from December 1773 that MJF claimed he remembers,) the AEW mainstay made clear he would fight the British and did not care about being disrespectful.
MJF introduced the American Championship as a replacement for the AEW International Title he won from Will Ospreay during Dynamite: 250. In addition to being as patriotic as it gets, the title includes a dig at the UK with one side plate reading “Better than Will [Ospreay] and the UK knows it.” After their hour-long war on Dynamite, Ospreay and MJF will face off again at AEW All In: London 2024 next month.
Although MJF isn’t interested in being kind to the UK, the UK has been kind to the reigning AEW American Champion. MJF has competed six times in the UK, according to Profight data, and boasts a respected 4-2 win/loss record. Both of MJF’s last two matches in the UK came at All In: London 2023 and saw him win the ROH World Tag Titles with Adam Cole and retain the AEW World Championship against Cole.
A name change could be in store for Ring of Honor to benefit the brand, according to AEW President Tony Khan. Speaking on the post-Death Before Dishonor 2024 press conference, Khan was asked about the possibility of cohesion between the two entities. Khan said that AEW is “the very top of pro wrestling” and that ROH would benefit from being associated with the All-Elite company.
“I don’t think it’s out of the question to say or sacrilegious to say. I think it would only help grow the ROH brand if I were to license it, sublicense, if it were AEW ROH. I don’t think that’s a crazy thing or sacrilegious or bad. I think it would be good for everybody.”
Later on, Khan discussed the possibility of Ring of Honor being aired on a WBD network channel. Khan reiterated that ROH would “frankly have a lot more value” if a branding change took place.
Tony Khan and Ring of Honor
Khan was among those who launched AEW in 2019 while his acquisition of Ring of Honor was publicly confirmed on the March 2, 2022, edition of AEW Dynamite. Khan’s efforts successfully relaunched Ring of Honor which had gone on hiatus in late 2021 after its Final Battle pay-per-view.
Unlike AEW Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision, Ring of Honor does not have a presence on syndicated television. Instead, it was announced in late 2022 that ROH shows would air on the relaunched Honor Club streaming platform.
If people are unhappy with Khan’s handling of ROH so far, the stance that the company would do better by being known as an AEW division may do little to win back favor. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for the latest on AEW, Ring of Honor, and potential synergy between the two sides.
The Young Bucks recently sat down with The Takedown on SI to discuss this year’s Blood & Guts match. The fourth-ever bout in the violent double-cage structure saw Team AEW (Swerve Strickland, Darby Allin, Mark Briscoe & The Acclaimed) defeat Team Elite (The Bucks, Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry, and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page.)
On The Chair Shot To Jack Perry
In one of the most shocking moments of the match, Jack Perry was struck in the head with a steel chair. Though once commonplace in wrestling, shots like these have been phased out given what is known today about long-term effects. In the interview, Nick Jackson said that Perry, like any AEW talent, is aware of the risks involved in being a wrestler.
Nick: “All I know is Jack is fine, and that’s all that matters. We know the risk we’re taking in the ring and it wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t prepared for it.”
On The Backstage Feedback to the Match
Blood & Guts 4 certainly delivered the violence that fans have come to expect since the bout was introduced in 2021. Matt Jackson was pleased to share that this reception reflects how those felt backstage.
Matt: “I heard a lot of people in the back saying it was the best Blood & Guts ever, so that’s a huge compliment to the men who participated.”
Darby Allin wants his TNT Championship Match at #AEWAllIn and will set Jack Perry ON FIRE to get it!
This year’s Blood & Guts match was hardly the first time that the Young Bucks worked with Mark Briscoe as the tag team’s wars with The Briscoes are well-documented. Matt explained that while Jay is no longer with us, the chemistry of the Bucks and the Briscoes continued to shine in Blood & Guts.
Matt: I was reminded of the amazing chemistry we have. It’s like lightning in a bottle, a type of magic you only have with a very few select opponents.”
Matt was reminded of Jay Briscoe throughout the match and reflected on his passing while sitting in his hotel room after the show.
Matt: “I felt Jay out there with us. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. It was such an overpowering feeling.”
On Coming Up With Ideas
Blood & Guts 4 was always going to be violent and the Bucks, like all involved, paid the toll with their bodies in the name of entertainment. In the interview, Nick explained how the thought process came about for the match.
Nick: “At this point, coming up with the ideas is a lot more fun than executing them. It’s a really intense match.”
On Working with Kazuchika Okada
The match saw the Young Bucks once again team with AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada, who has replaced Kenny Omega in the Elite. Both Matt and Nick are thrilled to have the ‘Rainmaker’ on their side.
Matt: “I couldn’t be prouder to see him trying new things and learning a new style. He’s a movie star with perfect timing, an unbelievable sense of humor, and he just so happens to be the greatest wrestler alive.”
Nick: “He is performing so great and adapting to new matches he’s never been in as well as I’ve seen anyone be able to do it on the fly. It’s been so much fun working with him these last several months. There’s no one better.”
Former WWE Superstars Mason Madden and Mansoor will make their All-Elite debut on tonight’s AEW Collision to face FTR. The news was shared on Twitter by AEW President Tony Khan.
After a successful ROH debut, MxM Collection will debut in AEW when they collide vs the returning FTR on Saturday #AEWCollision TOMORROW! pic.twitter.com/M0GD69Jkyj
The AEW debut of Madden and Mansoor, collectively known as the MxM Collection, comes after the pair debuted for Ring of Honor at Death Before Dishonor 2024. At ROH’s latest pay-per-view, MxM defeated the Spanish Announce Project (Serpentico and Angelico) on the kick-off show.
Earlier this month, the pair’s arrival was teased during an episode of ROH Wrestling. Madden was described as the “mahogany hunk” and the “height of fashion.” Meanwhile, Mansoor was deemed the “sultan of suave” and “the man who will make you sore.” During their arrival at Death Before Dishonor, Mansoor was also called the ‘Iron Chiq.’
AEW Collision – 7/27/2024
Tonight’s AEW Collision will take place at the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as part of a multi-week deal to host AEW events at the venue. Here is what has been confirmed for tonight’s AEW Collision:
FTR Vs. MxM (Mason Madden & Mansoor)
Orange Cassidy Vs. Johnny TV
The Beast Mortos Vs. Hologram
Immediately after AEW Collision, AEW will host its eleventh Battle of the Belts show. Matches announced include
‘Timeless’ Toni Storm (c) Vs. Taya Valkyrie (AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminatior Match)
The Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett) vs. Dustin Rhodes and The Von Erichs (Marshall Von Erich and Ross Von Erich) (ROH World Six-Man Tag-Team Championship)
Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo (CMLL Women’s World Championship Eliminator Match)
Keep tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest from tonight’s episode of AEW Collision as well as AEW Battle of the Belts XI.
Trevor Lee (formerly Cameron Grimes) has expressed his interest in every promotion after being released from WWE in April. However, he has specifically mentioned AEW as his possible future destination.
During K&S WrestleFest virtual signing, Lee discussed his exit from WWE. The former NXT North American Champion stated that it was all about the timing. While he believes it was unfortunate, he knows that pro wrestling never ceases. He highlighted the fact that wrestling shows take place all around the year. The former Cameron Grimes made it clear that he will be back on TV shortly.
A handful of WWE wrestlers have jumped ship to AEW in the past. There has been speculation that Lee might follow suit. He recognized how AEW has made an impact on the wrestling world since its inception in 2019 and wouldn’t rule out signing with the promotion. He said:
“I have interest in absolutely every company. But, I do have interest in AEW. Why wouldn’t I? It’s doing what they’re supposed to do and it’s shocking the culture and it’s stirring up a firestorm that is the new era of wrestling so, of course.”
What’s next for Trevor Lee?
Lee is scheduled to appear in Black Label Pro promotion for the first time. He will be making his debut for the Indiana-based promotion at BLP Old Habits Die Screaming at the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago, Illinois on July 26. This will mark his first appearance for any promotion since his release from WWE.
Meanwhile, Elevation Pro Wrestling has also announced that Lee will appear at the promotion’s Homecoming event on July 27.
?SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT?
Elevation Pro Wrestling presents:
“HOMECOMING ”
Join us as we WELCOME HOME former WWE superstar TREVOR LEE!
??: Saturday JULY 27, 2024
?: Elevation Pro Wrestling Arena 599 S. Railroad St. Lexington, NC 27292
AEW President Tony Khan has officially announced that AEW TBS Championship Mercedes Moné will defend Dr. Britt Baker, DMD, at All In on August 25. The event will occur at Wembley Stadium in London, England. While the card is still being finalized, adding Moné vs. Baker has created more anticipation for the upcoming pay-per-view.
The matchup was made after the champion and Kamille confronted Baker during an AEW panel at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 25. Baker talked about the champion and how her issues with Moné had become personal, which led to the “CEO” coming on stage to talk down to her. The “Heel” mentioned that she was surprised Baker was there because of how Kamille attacked her on the July 24 episode of Dynamite.
Baker had enough after a few more disrespectful comments and got into a shoving match with her rival. Will Ospreay and Orange Cassidy would pull them apart, and Khan announced to the fans that they would compete at the PPV.
History Of Mercedes Moné vs. Dr. Britt Baker, DMD
Since she signed with the company, AEW fans have wanted to see a dream match between Moné and Baker. The match was first teased when Baker returned to AEWxNew Japan Pro Wrestling Forbidden Door on June 30 to confront the champion. The former AEW women’s champion would have a segment on the July 3 episode of Dynamite where she would challenge the “CEO” to a title match, which Moné declined.
Moné would continue to decline a title opportunity to Baker for the next two weeks while still disrespecting her. Their feud would take a turn when Kamille debuted to attack the “Doctor” on the champion’s behalf on the July 24 episode. Khan’s decision to make the title match official finally puts the two superstars on a collision course to settle their differences at AEW’s biggest event of the year.
Updated AEW All In Card
AEW World Heavyweight Championship: (C) Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson
AEW International Championship: (C) MJF vs. Will Ospreay
AEW Women’s World Championship: (C) Toni Storm vs. Mariah May
AEW TNT Championship: (C) Jack Perry vs. Darby Allin
AEW TBS Championship: (C) Mercedes Moné vs. Dr. Britt Baker, DMD
The last several years of former WWE Champion Jeff Hardy’s life can be described as turbulent at best and downright disastrous at worst.
While fans were delighted to see The Charismatic Enigma make a surprise return to in-ring late last month, it’s fair to say that the hardships of the last 2-3 years still weigh heavily on Jeff’s mind.
On a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, Jeff Hardy expressed shame and guilt for how his tenure at AEW turned out. Hardy had signed with the company shortly following a messy release from WWE in early 2022, but a DUI arrest in June of that year led to his indefinite suspension until his return in April 2023.
“I still have so much guilt and shame from AEW giving me an opportunity, and even Matt, to me breaking trust with my personal issues and real life.’
At the same time, Jeff Hardy also made it clear that he’s looking at his new opportunity in TNA as a chance to both redeem himself, hut also make things up to his always supportive brother Matt Hardy. The former world champion noted that he would not “break TNA’s trust”
“I want to make that up to Matt. I will say right here that I will not break TNA’s trust. That is in my past. It feels good to have somewhat of a clean slate with that stuff and start fresh instead of having that guilt and shame about what I did in a certain world of pro wrestling”.
Jeff Hardy made his official return to in-ring action when he and his brother competed on TNA IMPACT! to try and the TNA Tag Team Championships from Brian Myers and Eddie Edwards.
Prior to that, Hardy’s last previous match took place way back in February, when he went one-on-one with Sammy Guevara in a No Disqualification match. Hardy would suffer a broken nose during the match following a botched splash from Guevara, who has eventually suspended himself following the incident for “following concussion protocol.”
Drew McIntyre’s heel work has no boundaries when it comes to furthering his feud with CM Punk. The Scottish Warrior continued to wage mental war against his upcoming opponent for SummerSlam, bringing the actual Jack Perry into the mix.
Both AEW and WWE have a presence at the San Diego Comic Con this year and WWE’s side actually includes both McInytre and CM Punk. Drew sure had some cruel intentions in mind as he happened to cross paths with Perry who is just fresh off of nearly getting lit aflame at Blood & Guts the day before.
McIntyre made sure he didn’t miss getting a Kodak moment with Perry. To add further salt to the wound, Drew dipped into the words Perry had for Punk during ALL IN 2023 in his match against HOOK.
“It’s a real photo, cry us a river,” McIntyre wrote as he shared the photo. However, McIntyre either reconsidered his post or got word to take it down because he has removed it from his socials.
The history between Punk and Perry isn’t one of good nature as their is infamous footage behind the scenes where Punk scuffled with Perry after Jack decided to use real glass in his street fight battle with HOOK. AEW ALL IN 2023 ended up being Punk’s final appearance with the company as Tony Khan fired him the following weekend.
McIntyre will face CM Punk at SummerSlam but not without some added moderation as Seth Rollins will be the special guest referee.
Arn Anderson is far from a video game player, but what ‘The Enforcer’ saw from Cody Rhodes and Call Of Duty, he liked.
WWE has collaborated with the ever-popular first-person shooting game, Call Of Duty for season five of their latest game, Modern Warfare 3 and WarZone. The collaboration included “finishing moves” and an array of character skins to use for the game including Rey Mysterio, Rhea Ripley and ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes.
An in-game action screenshot was taken of Cody Rhodes holding an assault rifle and it conjured up memories for Arn Anderson. Rhodes’ former “coach,” ever loaded with a zinger, had a good one for the current WWE Undisputed Champion.
All this stems back to the notorious “glock” promo Arn cut on Cody back in September of 2021, giving Rhodes a reality check during his feud with Malakai Black. Anderson said Rhodes was the type of guy who would let someone hijack his car, while “The Enforcer” would pull out his glock and defend his wheels. You can catch the promo below.
In a video published on the AEW YouTube channel, Bryan Danielson revealed that his wrestling contract with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is set to expire on August 1st, coinciding with his son’s fourth birthday.
Danielson candidly shared his thoughts on the upcoming milestone:
“That’s true. August 1st, actually. Next Thursday. My wrestling contract is up. Which also happens to be my son’s fourth birthday. … I’m not saying this, like Tony (Khan) talked about this in an interview so I feel comfortable talking about it. I’m not MJF in this like trying to use my contract to be like ‘give me all the money!’. Yeah, my contract is up August 1st.”
Reflecting on the future, Danielson mentioned the discussions he had with his wife, Brie Bella, before signing the contract:
“When I signed this contract, me and Brie talked about how this would be the last wrestling contract I would sign. Part of me is wondering what life is like after this, part of me is excited about that.”
Despite the uncertainty, Danielson remains focused on his immediate commitments:
“But right now, even though Wembley is after this, I still have to focus on that. That’s got to be my focus, but yeah, it’s a wild time.”
Aside from being one of the greatest pro wrestlers to ever live and a locker room leader behind the scenes, Danielson also serves as a close advisor to Khan. As he completes his last full-time wrestling contract, Danielson has a wealth of knowledge to share and could contribute to the business long after he’s wrestled his final match.
Earlier this week, AEW President Tony Khan expressed his hope that Bryan Danielson will continue to stay with the company for “as long is humanly possible.” More on this here:
House of Black (Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews & Brody King) are not leaving AEW anytime soon despite speculation of their departure.
There have been rumors regarding Malakai Black’s future. It was speculated that he would be jumping ship to WWE. However, that is not the case. PWInsiderhas reported an update about the House of Black members’ contracts.
While the duration is not known, it has been noted that Matthews has inked a new deal with AEW this past February. On the other hand, Malakai Black’s current deal will keep him with the promotion till 2025. The outlet further refuted the rumors about their departure from AEW.
Buddy Matthews has been away from the AEW programming for quite some time. The Patriarchy attacked Matthews in a backstage segment to pull him from the programming. During his hiatus, Matthews got married to WWE wrestler Rhea Ripley.
The Patriarchy are the newly crowned AEW Trios Champions. The House of Black are set to get a shot as they previously defeated the Bang Bang Gang, who were the champions at the time.
It seems that once Matthews is back, they will go after The Patriarchy. Amid Matthews’ absence, Malakai Black and Brody King are teaming up as a tag team. Earlier this month, they defeated The Premier Athletes (Ariya Daivari & Tony Nese) on AEW Rampage.
All Elite Wrestling’s Scorpio Sky recently sat down with Chris Van Vliet to reflect on his journey in wrestling and his time with the company. Sky has been a part of AEW since 2019 and is a two-time TNT Champion and one-half of the inaugural AEW World Tag Team Champions.
On His AEW Hiatus
Despite being an AEW original, Sky hasn’t appeared regularly in some time and his most recent AEW match was in September of 2023. On the podcast, Sky acknowledged that he’s “been in and out over the last couple of years.” While Sky said that some it has been down to injuries, he rejected the idea that he is ‘injury-prone.’
“I did get hurt about two years ago but I was okay within like a couple of weeks. But the problem is when you fall out of the rotation, we have so much talent, that it’s hard to get back in the rotation.”
During his absence, Sky has been working out and shared plans to get back on the independent scene. He said it’d be a “really fun thing” to go back to his roots and “have some banger matches.”
On Making an AEW Return
While Sky has the independents in his sight, his main goal right now is an AEW return. On the podcast, Sky said he feels ready to get back on TV.
“I’m ready. I think we’re just waiting for the right opportunity, for the right situation. Again, there are a lot of guys in the company and people coming in all the time… it’s just a little tough sometimes to work your way back.”
On Working With Sting
One of the biggest matches for Sky came at AEW Double or Nothing 2021 when he and Ethan Page faced Darby Allin and Sting. This would be the Icon’s first live match in AEW and his first match in front of a crowd since WWE Night of Champions 2015.
“That’s one of my favorite matches ever. I have two matches that are my favorite matches I’ve ever had and that’s one of them.”
The match was even more special as Sting had originally joined AEW under the proviso of only having cinematic matches. Sky added that Sting told himself and Page that he trusted them both to make sure he was okay in front of a live crowd.
“We just did the best we could to obviously protect him. But he’s a maniac and wants to do crazy things as well… He was in great shape. We had to talk him into not wearing a shirt.”
On Being Chris Jericho’s First AEW Loss
During the seventh episode of AEW Dynamite in 2019, Sky and Frankie Kazarian retained their World Tag Team Titles against Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. This match marked Jericho’s first defeat in AEW, an accolade that isn’t lost on Sky.
“He’s world champion and then I pinned him and then we did the whole face-to-face interview thing and then I wrestled him for the title. He ended up going off with Moxley after that, which was a good little transition.”
Jericho, in Sky’s view, legitimized AEW and helped television networks take an interest in the upstart promotion. On the podcast, Sky even went as far as to compare Jericho legitimizing AEW to a certain WWE Hall of Famer.
“I always think it’s similar to when Hulk Hogan went to WCW in the mid-90s. It’s just like, it puts that stamp, okay, we’re we’ve arrived.”
On WWE’s Anger Management
Long before he was All-Elite, Sky appeared as ‘Harold’ in WWE’s anger management segments featuring Kane and Daniel Bryan (now AEW’s Bryan Danielson.) Despite being an official WWE production, A lot of ‘Harold’s’ work was on the fly.
“A lot of it was improv. I think there was a line where I put my hand on Kane’s thigh. And that one, I just did it, it wasn’t planned. I think the line was something like, Thank you for sharing Kane, it was just one of those things I had fun with and I didn’t expect anything of it.”
Despite being a wrestler at the time, there were never any plans for Harold to compete in WWE. Sky shared that he’s never watched the anger management segments in question, and finds it funny that fans still remember him for those angles, 12 years later.
