SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Tony Khan & MJF Disagree On Contract Extension, Who Is In The Right?

    Tony Khan & MJF Disagree On Contract Extension, Who Is In The Right?

    There are some new details regarding the situation with MJF and AEW.

    It’s clear that MJF is poised to be the hottest thing in pro wrestling when 2024 rolls around. As it is, he’s one of the top heels in the business and his stock continues to soar.

    With that said, reports have indicated that Maxwell Jacob Friedman and AEW aren’t exactly on the same page.

    Of course, 2024 is important because that’s when MJF’s contract with AEW expires.

    Latest On MJF & Tony Khan

    Will Washington of Fightful recently claimed that the issue at hand with MJF and AEW President Tony Khan has to do with a contract extension. He claims that the word is that MJF wants more money but Khan isn’t willing to fulfill his request if his top heel won’t sign an extension.

    Furthermore, Will claims that not many within AEW are taking MJF’s side on the matter because they feel he must honor the original agreement.

    It’s important to note that someone could very well be feeding one-sided information to put pressure on MJF. After all, if things aren’t going someone’s way, it’s easy to put out something negative on the person who won’t cooperate.

    https://twitter.com/KXNGAO/status/1525858079962710016

    Who Is In The Right?

    It isn’t difficult to understand why MJF would want more money. He’s definitely exceeded the value of his 2019 deal. With that said, if he truly wants more money yet doesn’t want to sign on beyond 2024, you can see why AEW wouldn’t want to do that.

    Since signing his initial AEW deal, MJF has seen the likes of Bryan Danielson and CM Punk get big money contracts.

    Social media has already been abuzz with AEW fanboys and detractors chiming in. The fanboys are roasting MJF, while the detractors are buttering him up in hopes that he’ll make the jump to WWE.

    Who do you think is in the right here?

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdnsmw5uNWr/
  • Don’t Expect Chris Jericho To Change His Theme Song Anytime Soon

    Don’t Expect Chris Jericho To Change His Theme Song Anytime Soon

    Chris Jericho making his entrance to the ring has a tradition associated with it – fans singing along to the Fozzy song “Judas.” The song from Jericho’s rock band is from their 2017 album of the same name. He’s used this song as his entrance theme ever since he started appearing in New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2017.

    But even after turning heel, Jericho hasn’t changed the song as most wrestlers do. Since fans sing along to his entrance song and that is considered a positive interaction between the wrestler and fans, most wrestlers in place of Jericho would opt to change the theme.

    But Jericho says that fans singing along to “Judas” during his entrance is too special to be taken away. According to him, it transcends being a good or a bad guy.

    Speaking to Spin, Jericho said that “Judas” became a hit as soon as it came out. Jericho admitted that he has no idea why people liked the song so much. He decided to use the song for his entrance in NJPW and realized it makes for a pretty mean theme song.

    “Well, the thing about ‘Judas’ is, it was a hit before I started using it [as entrance music], right out of the gate,” Jericho said. “We did the video, it did 1 million views in a week. Why? I don’t know. Whatever reason, people gravitated toward that song. That’s why I started using it as my ring music.

    “I needed a new song because I had switched from WWE to New Japan [Pro Wrestling],” Jericho continued. “I thought, well, let me use “Judas,” and maybe there’ll be a promoter who hears the song and brings us over to Japan. Then I realized, this is a great entrance song!”

    When he turned heel in AEW, Jericho thought about changing the song. But even Tony Khan agreed that this would be taking away a cool moment that they consider part of their presentation, and decided against it.

    “So, when AEW started, I brought “Judas” over there, and then it became part of the show,” Jericho noted. “For whatever reason, people just felt a real inspiration from that song and wanted to sing it as I came to the ring. Now, I did just change my character, I went from being a good guy to being a bad guy. We thought about not using “Judas” anymore. But then I thought, why? Why change it? And my boss [AEW president Tony Khan] agreed because we have a very unique, very cool moment in our AEW presentation, in that people love singing this song.”

    “As a bad guy I could take it away, but then you’re losing this really special moment. People singing “Judas” transcends being a good guy or a bad guy in AEW, it’s just something cool that’s part of the show. It’s like going to a KISS concert and they don’t play “Rock and Roll All Nite” because they’re trying to be creative. It’s like, f*ck, we don’t care, that’s the song we want to hear!”

    Chris Jericho wanted to form a stable with Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston. Read about that scoop here.

  • Eddie Kingston Hopes To Give Back To The Indie Scene That Treated Him So Well

    Eddie Kingston Hopes To Give Back To The Indie Scene That Treated Him So Well

    Eddie Kingston wants to give back to the independent scene that treated him so well.

    The Mad King recently spoke with Sean Ross Sapp from Fightful about the importance of indie wrestling, stating that while he enjoys making money now in AEW, it was never the reason he got into the business.

    “To me, money’s never been a factor because if I did this for money, I would have been out three years in. After getting to twenty dollars to split amongst eight of us.”

    Now that Kingston is a regular player in AEW it doesn’t mean he has forgotten about his roots. He tells Sapp that he’s been giving back to the independents because they kept him fed during harder times, and always took good care of him.

    “I like giving back to the independents because for so long I was on the independents and they kept me fed. So I like giving back to certain places trying to book me. I try to do good by the people who did good by me. That’s why you’ll see me at DEFY or then the next thing you’ll know, you’ll see me at Glory Pro and people be like, ‘Why is he at Glory Pro?’ Those dudes are good people to me.”

    Aside from DEFY Kingston regularly appeared for AAW and AIW, and names them as two other federations that he will give back to.

    “Same thing with AAW and AIW and certain places. I try to go to the people who were good to me and try to give back now. That’s it.”

    Kingston has been involved in a months-long feud with former world champion Chris Jericho, and his Jericho Appreciation society faction. After scoring a huge victory over the Demo God at Revolution Kingston would be ganged up on by Jericho and his lackeys, and has reunited with Santana and Ortiz to fend them off.

  • Hikaru Shida Statement on Getting Pulled from Owen Hart Tournament

    Hikaru Shida Statement on Getting Pulled from Owen Hart Tournament

    Hikaru Shida has provided an update on the company’s decision to pull her from the women’s Owen Hart cup tournament.

    On Friday, the former AEW Women’s World Champion posted a message on social media expressing confusion about pulling her from the tournament. She maintained that she was healthy, despite AEW claiming she was not medically cleared.

    Shida was scheduled to face Red Velvet in the opening round next week. However, on Friday’s Rampage, Tony Schiavone revealed that Shida was hurt, and would be replaced by Kris Statlander.

    Shida took to social media and wrote:

    “What?” In a separate tweet she added, “Well…. I already had 4 matches after the street fight and just finished the greatest fighting musical show. But I seem to have been injured…Japanese wrestling is nothing for them. I’m so sorry. And sorry couldn’t be in the tournament too.”

    Hikaru Shida Owen Hart Tournament Update

    Early Saturday morning, Shida posted an update about her situation.

    She wrote, “After my Philadelphia street fight a doctor check from AEW was required to participate in the Owen Hart Cup. And I couldn’t re-enter the country in time. I’m so sorry to disappoint everyone. These difficulties sometimes happen with international talents.

    I feel healthy and never stop trying to improve.

    Please cheer for Kris [Statlander] while I do my best in Japan!

    Holy Shida will be back soon

  • Ryan Nemeth’s “HEEL” Film Is Now Available For Streaming

    Ryan Nemeth’s “HEEL” Film Is Now Available For Streaming

    Ryan Nemeth has released his short film called “HEEL.” He started working on the passion project prior to him joining AEW. It looks at some of the more gritty nature of pro wrestling behind the scenes and more. 

    It’s directed by Maggie Levin and is rated mature for language and content. The plot of the film reads like the following: 

    “Beyond the flashy outfits and bodyslams, pro wrestling can be a dark and lawless world. HEEL is a narrative short that explores this world, and touches on the sensitive topics of addiction and sexual assault.”

    HEEL from ryan nemeth on Vimeo.

    Nemeth spoke about the real-life inspiration for this film in a post on Instagram from last August: 

    “In March of 2018 I discovered very unsettling news about some of the people in my little indie pro wrestling social circle. I immediately cut ties with those I no longer wanted to be associated with. I stopped doing certain shows, I moved, I no longer communicated with certain people. (Sadly, as it turns out, the little I did know was only the tip of a disgusting iceberg. I wouldn’t know that until years later.) I was so mortified I stopped doing shows altogether. I didn’t know what to do- it’s not an option really to speak up for those who wish to remain anonymous- that’s their story and their choice. Jump to March of 2019: @anna_lore challenged me to write about it. So I did. I sent filmmaker @maggielevin a script I wrote called HEEL. It dealt with sexual assault and harassment in indie wresting. If I couldn’t directly address the issue, maybe I could make a piece of art that could attack it from a different angle. Maybe that would inspire others. Maybe that would help to expose those rotten characters who needed to be exposed. Maybe it would lead to something, anything. Soon after, I ran a 30-day campaign on @seedandspark and with the help of 800 or so pledges from around the world, we raised the budget. Maggie was in. We shot HEEL in a week. As we went into post-production (editing, sound, color, etc), the world went into a covid shutdown. I was privately worried that my film would upset fans and supporters of some of the wrestlers they loved, and this whole venture would get me blacklisted from the business for speaking up. Fine by me- a business that allowed people like that to thrive isn’t one I wanted to be part of anymore. Then the #speakingout movement hit wresting. I realized people were ready to talk about this stuff and that this film might be received better than I imagined. It’s now August of 2021. I didn’t get blacklisted. HEEL has premiered on the film festival circuit- it has screened & won awards in the USA and multiple other countries. I’m so proud of how well it turned out. I am endlessly grateful to every single member of the team: cast, crew, backers- everyone involved. Art can give a voice to those who don’t have one. Go make your art.”

    Nemeth is the younger brother of Dolph Ziggler. He first signed with WWE in 2010 and worked in developmental until 2013 when he departed. He made his AEW debut in January 2021. 

  • Shawn Spears Takes Credit For Wardlow’s Rise in AEW

    Shawn Spears Takes Credit For Wardlow’s Rise in AEW

    Shawn Spears believes he made Wardlow.

    When MJF, who is currently involved in a program with Wardlow, was feuding with CM Punk and it was Spears who was Wardlow’s accounta-bilibuddy, staying by his side and giving him advice.

    While everyone’s attention was on the feud between MJF and Punk, Spears believes he was busy making Wardlow a star during that time.

    Speaking to Mark Henry on Busted Open, Spears said that he helped Wardlow because he lacked experience but now the rising star bit the hand that fed him and wants to go his own way (as transcribed by Fightful):

    “Here’s my problem. Okay. In the midst of Max feuding with CM Punk, arguably the biggest feud of the year, arguably the biggest feud of the past five years, there was an underbelly story taking place, and that was with Wardlow and myself. That guy went on a tear. That guy started to get very over, the crowd started responding to Wardlow in the most positive way possible,” Spears said.

    “Why do you think that is? If you look at the common denominator, I was by his side, every single second that that was taking place,” Spears explained. “I was the guy in his ear giving him the advice. One thing Wardlow lacks is experience. The guy is talented, the guy is big, the guy is strong, the guy checks almost every single box in this industry, except one, and they can help right now it’s not his fault. He doesn’t have the experience that I have.”

    Spears went further on and said that when a rookie reaches a certain level of popularity, they start thinking they are too big for the industry and are better than everyone else. Spears thinks Wardlow did the same when he started getting popular with fans.

    “Wardlow turned around and he bit the hand that fed him. We made him a star and now, he just ups and wants to go on his own way. You want to do your own thing? Go ahead. Go ahead, go do your own thing and see how that works out for you,” Spears stated.

    Spears also added that Wardlow has turned his back on him and it’s going to cost Wardlow. He praised MJF, likening him to Cody Rhodes, who according to Spears, understands the business. Spears also clarified that he isn’t fighting for MJF’s admiration.

    Shawn Spears will go against Wardlow with MJF present as the referee. This is part of the conditions that MJF made Wardlow agree to if he wants to face him at Double or Nothing. Wardlow has to get whipped by MJF ten times and then has to defeat Spears in a steel cage match. If he wins, Wardlow will get his match against MJF. But if he loses, he can never sign with AEW.

  • Eddie Kingston Once Put Nails On A Whiffle Ball Bat Before A Fight: “We Were Different Kids Then”

    Eddie Kingston Once Put Nails On A Whiffle Ball Bat Before A Fight: “We Were Different Kids Then”

    AEW star Eddie Kingston has a wild story from his childhood about heading into a fight with a number of his friends, and the bizarre weapon that they created beforehand.

    The Mad King shared the tale with Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp during their latest interview together, where Kingston referred to his generation as different, even comparing himself to the Ducky Boys from the film The Wanderers.

    “We were different kids then. We were different kids then. Like I tell people, we were the Ducky Boys, if you ever saw the movie The Wanderers. We were the Ducky Boys.”

    The weapon in question was a whiffle ball bat, a non-violent item that one kid turned into a dangerous tool by adding rocks, and later, nails. Kingston describes the weapon’s creation as something that was “nuts.”

    “A kid took a whiffle ball bat, right? Corked it with a bunch of rocks to make it heavy, then taped up the bottom, and then—we were nuts—put nails on it. Like super glued, gorilla grip glues nails on it. Then we went to the fight. “

    Kingston’s authenticity as a performer only grows stronger by him sharing tidbits from his real life. His hardcore nature is currently blending perfectly in his feud with former world champion Chris Jericho, who has adopted a new “Sports Entertainer” gimmick, and recently flung a fireball into Kingston’s face.

    Along with the Blackpool Combat Club and Santana and Ortiz, Kingston returned from the fireball incident on this past Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, and exacted some revenge on the Demo God and his Jericho Appreciation Society lackeys. Kingston’s last matchup was a victory over JAS member Daniel Garcia on an episode of AEW’s second weekly televised program, Rampage.

  • CM Punk Reveals His ‘Wrestler Of The Year’ So Far

    CM Punk Reveals His ‘Wrestler Of The Year’ So Far

    CM Punk has revealed who he believes is the “Wrestler Of The Year” thus far into 2022.

    On this week’s episode of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Dynamite, the episode opened up with a Owen Hart Foundation Tournament quarterfinals match between Adam Cole and Dax Harwood. It was a great bout between the pair, but Cole ended up winning when it was all said and done.

    Throughout the match, Cole targeted the injured ribs of Harwood. A sharpshooter was too much pain for Harwood to take on those ribs, forcing him to tap out. Recently, Harwood took to Twitter to thank fans for their support despite the loss.

    “I’m just a 5’10 North Carolinian with a less than ideal body. Y’all shouldn’t like me, but I’m damn sure happy y’all do. I went to failure tonight; but I didn’t fail.”

    Punk responded to Harwood’s Tweet with tremendous praise, naming him as his own “Wrestler Of The Year” thus far.

    Harwood was obviously flattered by the compliment, responding with the following.

    Punk actually defeated Harwood in a match on Dynamite back on March 23. He was also on commentary for the Harwood vs. Cash Wheeler match last month.

    As for Punk inside the ring, he has a pretty big match coming up himself. He’ll challenge Hangman Page for the AEW World Championship at AEW Double Or Nothing live on pay-per-view (PPV).

    CM Punk has been extremely successful in his AEW run thus far, and can cap it off with a big World Title win.

  • Top AEW Stars Appearing on ‘Carpool Karaoke: The Series’ Soon

    Top AEW Stars Appearing on ‘Carpool Karaoke: The Series’ Soon

    Stars from AEW are preparing to step out of the ring and into the car as part of the next season of Carpool Karaoke: The Series.

    The Emmy Award-winning show, now entering its fifth season is based on the Carpool Karaoke segment from “The Late Late Show with James Corden.”

    AEW stars appearing on the upcoming season include:

    • CM Punk
    • Bryan Danielson
    • Britt Baker
    • MJF
    • Christian Cage
    • Powerhouse Hobbs
    • Ruby Soho

    Other celebrity guests appearing on this season include Zoey Deschanel (New Girl), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), and Sydney Sweeney (The Handmaid’s Tale).

    Carpool Karaoke: The Series’ fifth season will premiere on May 27.

    Watch the Carpool Karaoke season 5 trailer here:

    AEW’s burst into the mainstream

    Nyla Rose Co-Writing New X-Men Comic on Thunderbird
    AEW’s Nyla Rose teamed with MARVEL recently to co-write Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1.

    While it’s not uncommon to see WWE Superstars and personalities appear on late-night interviews or other non-WWE programming, AEW has made a big splash in a relatively short amount of time.

    Earlier this week, it was announced that Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, and Kris Statlander will appear on the upcoming season of Netflix’s ‘Floor is Lava.’

    The show features contestants trying to cross an obstacle course without falling into the ‘lava’ underneath.

    AEW isn’t just making their presence felt in programming, as former Women’s World Champion Nyla Rose recently teamed with MARVEL, co-writing the ‘Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird #1 which hit shelves this month.

  • Malcolm Bivens Appears To Be AEW Bound

    Malcolm Bivens Appears To Be AEW Bound

    Malcolm Bivens is no longer in WWE but he isn’t done with the wrestling business.

    In a new report from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was said that Bivens is believed to have turned down a contract extension with WWE because he wanted to make the jump to AEW.

    It looks like that’s what indeed will happen. The belief is that Bivens will ultimately sign with AEW once his noncompete clause expires.

    WWE released Bivens after he declined the extension.

    NXT creative was reportedly blindsided by the departure. Malcolm Bivens took to one of his comedy shows in New York City to reveal the truth about his WWE exit (via POST Wrestling).

    “All right, so here’s the truth: There’s a lot of rumors, a lot of speculation. Was I offered a contract in February? Yes. Did I say no to said contract? Yes. Was I offered to be with Omos? No. No one said a word to me about managing Omos.

    “Was I told about the main roster? Yes, and people, they think I’m crazy. Like, ‘Malcolm, you threw away millions potentially, you walked away.’ Yeah, I did, because I didn’t wanna do it anymore and unfortunately, I wasn’t happy.”

    It looks like he thinks he’ll find that happiness in AEW. The good news for Bivens is that he can continue doing comedy shows, perhaps on a larger scale, while still working for AEW.

    Prior to his WWE run, Bivens was a manager for ROH and MLW. He also made appearances on the indies. He used his real name, Stokely Hathaway.

  • Matt Hardy Urges Fans To See Him & Jeff Perform Live Before It’s Too Late

    Matt Hardy Urges Fans To See Him & Jeff Perform Live Before It’s Too Late

    Matt Hardy doesn’t know how much time he and his brother have left in the ring.

    The Hardys are one of the most iconic tag teams in the history of the business. Before The Young Bucks, Matt and Jeff took the wrestling world by storm as the brothers with tremendous in-ring chemistry.

    The two also found singles success as well. They are back teaming together again but perhaps on borrowed time.

    Time Running Out On The Hardys?

    The Hardys
    (via AEW)

    During an edition of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Matt told fans that if they want to see him and his brother perform live they should do so as soon as possible (h/t Wrestling Inc).

    “Jeff loves it here in AEW and we think this is going to be where we end our in-ring careers, here in AEW. We do want to go around the indie scene and work as many things as we can.

    “We want to cement our legacy as one of the greatest tag teams ever.

    “That’s very important to us and when we say final run, we’re assuming as a tag team that we are going to wrestle out the rest of our careers here at AEW and also do some indies and stuff. I don’t know how long this is going to last.

    “Hopefully, it lasts for a while, but it’s also motivation that if we’re going to be in your town at some local promotion, a territory, it’s a good opportunity to come out and see us because I don’t know how many more of these we’re going to do.

    “We’re going to do as many as we can until we can’t do anymore.”

    Matt made his AEW debut back in March 2020. At the time, Jeff was still under contract with WWE. After being released by WWE over a house show incident, Jeff made his way to AEW earlier this year.

    Jeff made the save after Matt was attacked by the AFO. The two have been teaming ever since and many feel dream matches are being made as soon as possible given that time may be running out on the stellar careers of both men.

  • MJF Says Ex-WWE Stars Who Join AEW Can “Go To Hell”

    MJF Says Ex-WWE Stars Who Join AEW Can “Go To Hell”

    MJF isn’t holding back with his latest comments about former WWE Superstars who have come to AEW.

    While the All-Elite promotion is home to several ex-Superstars, including Adam Cole, Malakai Black, Bryan Danielson, and more, MJF worked for CZW and MLW before signing with Tony Khan in January 2019.

     Sitting down with Brandon Walker on Rasllin’ MJF said that the company is “inaccurate” for giving high-profile contracts to ex-WWE talent.

    “All these f***ing ex-WWE guys that are making an absurd amount of money when, quite frankly, they can’t sniff my f***ing jock [strap] when it comes to the ratings I pull in whenever I’m on screen, I think they can all go to hell. Somebody in the upper management has a problem with me and it’s very obvious if you see what I’m dealing with week to week.”

    “They can’t sniff my f***ing jock [strap] when it comes to the ratings I pull in whenever I’m on screen, I think they can all go to hell.

    MJF

    When asked about Shawn Spears, an ex-WWE Superstar who now works with MJF in the Pinnacle, the Salt of the Earth said he’d be treated differently in WWE than the former Tye Dillinger.

    “When I go over there, I’m not gonna have to deal with the same type of bulls**t that poor Shawn Spears had to deal with.”

    MJF

    Will MJF jump ship?

    WATCH MJF's WWE Tough Enough Audition Video From 2015
    A young MJF tried out for the 2015 season of WWE Tough Enough, with his application video still available to watch on WWE’s official YouTube channel.

    MJF may be one of AEW’s most prominently featured stars, but the relationship between him and Tony Khan is reportedly strained.

    The Salt of the Earth has made no secret that his AEW contract expires in January 2024 and has openly discussed jumping to WWE.

    Last December, it was reported that WWE’s television partners are “very interested” in MJF and Wardlow, and the company is expected to make an offer when given the chance.

    Thank you to Fightful for the quotes.

  • MJF Would Be Nuts To Re-Sign With AEW Before Letting WWE Make an Offer

    MJF Would Be Nuts To Re-Sign With AEW Before Letting WWE Make an Offer

    MJF knows he’s going to be in high demand in the near future and he’d be foolish not to weigh his options.

    The young AEW star will see his current contract end in 2024. While many believe that MJF could be primed to be a main event player for AEW for several years to come, the Plainview native hasn’t been shy in entertaining an offer from WWE when the time is right.

    It’s also been reported that perhaps things haven’t been as rosy between MJF and AEW President Tony Khan lately. Back in March, Maxwell had an interview with Ariel Helwani that apparently wasn’t cleared by AEW beforehand, leaving Khan upset.

    A report from Fightful claims that the relationship between wrestling’s hottest prospect and the AEW boss has soured a bit since then. It’s important to note that MJF has built the reputation of being a top-notch heel worker.

    The lines have been blurred ever since MJF started publicly talking about his contract situation. While reports have surfaced about MJF being unhappy, nothing has changed in terms of any negotiations.

    He knows his contract is up in 2024 and continues to be featured prominently on AEW programming.

    At the end of the day, Tony Khan would be remiss to not give MJF a massive offer when it’s time to renegotiate. On the flip side, WWE must do their due diligence and make MJF a substantial offer to get one over on the competition.

    With so much momentum built up already, MJF isn’t likely to re-up with AEW before he’s able to test the market. Letting WWE know he’d be all ears way ahead of time is a good way to keep his name in the minds of those in Vince McMahon’s circle.

  • MJF Thinks He’d Have a ‘Tremendous’ Match With Roman Reigns

    MJF Thinks He’d Have a ‘Tremendous’ Match With Roman Reigns

    MJF can see himself having a “tremendous” match with WWE Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns.

    Maxwell Jacob Friedman currently competes under the AEW banner, while Reigns dominates in WWE as both the WWE Champion and Universal Champion.

    Despite this, MJF tells Brandon Walker (via the Barstool Rasslin podcast) that he thinks he’d have a “tremendous” match with The Tribal Chief, if they shared the ring.

    “I would imagine. I think me and him would have a tremendous match. I think it would be a friendly competition. I would also love to wrestle Seth Rollins. I would love to wrestle The Miz.”

    MJF Teasing a WWE Run

    A match between MJF and Reigns certainly isn’t outside of the realm of possibility. MJF has been very open about the fact that his contract with AEW is set to expire at the beginning of 2024.

    In fact, he’s even gone as far as saying that he’s willing to jump ship to WWE if Vince McMahon shells out the money. For now, MJF will have to play out his contract in AEW, as he’s currently locked in a feud with Wardlow.

    “Now, if/when I were to go over there, I’d have me a ball, because I built my brand and established myself here. When I go over there, I’m not gonna have to deal with the same type of bullshit that poor Shawn Spears had to deal with”

    – MJF on a potential WWE run

    Reigns and The Bloodline, on the other hand, continue to wreak havoc on both the RAW and SmackDown brands now that Reigns holds both World Titles.

    If Reigns and MJF ever do get to cross paths in the near future, it will certainly be a match wrestling fans will be paying very close attention to.

    Would you like to see MJF and Reigns share the ring one day? Sound off in the comments!

    Quotes via WrestlingNewsCo

  • CM Punk: AEW Run Expectations Have Been ‘Shattered’

    CM Punk: AEW Run Expectations Have Been ‘Shattered’

    The expectations that CM Punk initially had for his run with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) have been “shattered.”

    Punk was recently interviewed by ComicBook.com and talked about his run with the promotion since signing with them in August of last year. The former WWE Champion said that his initial expectations for how his run would play out have far exceeded what he imagined.

    “This run has been more than what I expected. I had expectations. They were pretty high. So far, they’ve pretty much shattered all that, and that’s just based on analytics and numbers of how well we’re doing.

    “I’ve long said that I’m there for the fans in the building. Nowadays everybody is still focused on ratings numbers when cable is absolutely — I canceled DirecTV months ago. I just, I couldn’t do it anymore. It’s too convoluted.

    “It’s too expensive. Streaming services are, I feel like, are the future. So when people look at ratings and say that wrestling is dying, I say, ‘Well look at our buildings. We’re selling out and we’re doing our first million-dollar gate.’

    “So I don’t attribute that just to me. I attribute that to the spirit of AEW and everybody behind the scenes that makes it all work and makes it all click.

    “But the run, my run specifically, my stuff as a whole, I’ve never been happier in a wrestling ring. I’ve never, to me, been telling more fluid, better, reality-based stories. It’s been a real treat.”

    Punk has competed with a plethora of notable names under the AEW banner; such as Dustin Rhodes, Darby Allin, MJF, and many more. Currently, he’s locked in a feud with AEW World Champion Hangman Page.

    Initially, Punk hadn’t wrestled since leaving WWE back in 2014. It was a nasty exit where Punk publicly voiced his frustrations with WWE, which ultimately led to them firing him on his wedding day. A lawsuit soon followed after some comments made about a WWE doctor on a podcast appearance.

    After dabbling in other endeavors such as mixed martial arts (MMA), acting, comic book writing, and more, CM Punk has finally returned home to professional wrestling, and is on the verge of potentially being a World Champion again.

    He’ll take on Page for the AEW World Title at Double Or Nothing live on pay-per-view (PPV) from his hometown of Chicago, Illinois on May 29.

  • AEW Blood & Guts Match Is Coming Back Soon (Report)

    AEW Blood & Guts Match Is Coming Back Soon (Report)

    AEW is planning on bringing back their ‘Blood and Guts’ match soon, according to Dave Meltzer.

    The ‘Blood and Guts’ match earned its name when Vince McMahon dismissed AEW, saying in 2019 that TNT will not appreciate “blood and guts” on their programming.

    Back in April, Tony Khan said he expects Blood & Guts to be back this summer.

    On Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer said he does not know who will be in the match, but current storytelling suggests that the Jericho Appreciation Society will be involved.

    On this week’s Dynamite, the JAS was confronted by Eddie Kingston, Santana, and Ortiz as well as all four members of the Blackpool Combat Club.

    At this time, neither the JAS, the BCC nor Kingston, Santana, or Ortiz have been announced for Double or Nothing 2022.

    Next week’s AEW Dynamite will see Jericho and BCC’s William Regal go face-to-face in a promo segment.

    The first ‘Blood and Guts’ match

    AEW Blood And Guts Ratings: AEW Wins The Night With Over 1 Million Viewers For Polarizing Match
    The Pinnacle defeat The Inner Circle in the first ‘Blood and Guts’ match in May 2021.

    AEW has hosted just one ‘Blood and Guts’ match so far, which was originally meant to happen in March 2020.

    That show was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the first-ever ‘Blood and Guts’ event would take place over a year later in May 2021.

    In the show’s main event, The Pinnacle defeated the Inner Circle in the titular match, after the Inner Circle surrendered when MJF threatened to throw Chris Jericho off the cage.

    Throwing Jericho off anyway, the spot was heavily criticized as the former World Champion clearly landed on a crash pad (disguised as steel on the entrance stage).

    At the time, a member of WWE management reportedly said that the ‘Blood and Guts’ match “just set the business back 30 years.”

  • Jake Roberts Refutes Jim Ross’ Claim That He’s Not In Good Health

    Jake Roberts Refutes Jim Ross’ Claim That He’s Not In Good Health

    Jake Roberts is aware of rumblings that he isn’t in good health and he has responded.

    Jim Ross gave fans a scare during an episode of his Grilling JR podcast. Ross said that Jake “The Snake’s” health was “not good” but that he was taking measures to address it.

    Here’s what the legendary play-by-play ace had to say (h/t WrestlingNews.co).

    “I just saw him here a few weeks ago and he’s still battling his breathing issues. He’s not in great health. That’s why you don’t see him as often on AEW television as he once was when he was fronting Lance Archer.

    “But his health is not good and he’s taking the means to address it. He still has surgeries left. But he has breathing issues.”

    Jake Roberts Dismisses Health Claim

    Jake Roberts took to his Twitter account and insisted that he’s not in bad health.

    “Hey guys once again someone wants to make a splash on the internet and what better way is there than putting out Jake Roberts is in bad health. Totally untrue. I’m going to be around a long time.”

    Jake has come a long way from the days when he was addicted to drugs and alcohol. Roberts was lifted back to his feet by DDP and he credits the former WCW star for saving his life.

    Roberts recently revealed to SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio that he was preparing for hip surgery. He also admitted that he’ll be using an oxygen tank again from time to time. There was a point where he didn’t need it anymore but now he’s back on it.

  • Tony Khan Responds to Criticism of AEW Using Too Much Blood

    Tony Khan Responds to Criticism of AEW Using Too Much Blood

    AEW President Tony Khan has defended the company’s use of blood by saying that his media partners have no problem with it.

    While WWE has a no-blood policy, AEW allows for the use of blood with Britt Baker Vs. Thunder Rosa from the March 17, 2021, Dynamite and Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley from AEW Revolution 2021 being two of their bloodiest bouts.

    This has led to criticism, with Vince McMahon saying in 2019 that TNT will not tolerate “blood and guts” on their programming.

    After AEW used the “blood and guts” term for their May 2021 show, a member of WWE management claimed that the show’s main event “just set the business back 30 years.”

    Addressing the critics this week in an interview with News 12 Long Island, Khan said that bloody matches have generally been well-received (h/t Fightful).

    “It’s certainly not every week, you don’t see it on a weekly basis… For the most part, you see a focus on the in-ring action, but every once and a while, when things have gotten out of hand, it’s been old-school pro wrestling in a way that has been very healthy and has been well-received by our media partners and fans.“

    WWE’s History With Blood

    BREAKING: Roman Reigns leaves Brock Lesnar imbrued at the Madison Square Garden » FirstSportz
    Brock Lesnar was busted open by Roman Reigns at a March 2022 WWE Live event inside Madison Square Garden.

    While WWE is staunchly against the use of blood, some of the company’s most iconic moments have featured blading.

    In 2008, WWE scrapped blood as part of their newly introduced PG rating but has used blood sparingly ever since.

    At their most recent event in Madison Square Garden, Brock Lesnar was busted open by Roman Reigns in the build to their WrestleMania 38 title-unification match.

  • See What Happened With CM Punk After AEW Dynamite

    See What Happened With CM Punk After AEW Dynamite

    CM Punk was attacked by rising AEW star HOOK after the May 11, edition of Dynamite went off the air.

    The post-show segment started with Punk being confronted by Danhausen, and after coming face-to-face with HOOK, begged for a handshake which the second-generation wrestler obliged.

    As seen in the videos, HOOK would hit a T-Bone Suplex on Punk before applying the Redrum submission to send the fans home happy.

    Earlier in the night, Punk had played up being a heel for his match with hometown wrestler John Silver, as the show was taped in Long Island, New York.

    Punk will challenge AEW World Champion ‘Hangman’ Adam Page at AEW Double or Nothing 2022, which will take place on May 29, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    The Arrival of Hookhausen

    Last night’s Dynamite also saw the in-ring debut of Danhausen who has been trying to win over HOOK since joining AEW.

    Thanks to a sucker punch from Smart Mark Sterling, Danhausen was pinned by Tony Nese in a matter of seconds and suffered a post-match beatdown which ended when HOOK arrived.

    Squaring up with Danhausen in the ring, the two finally shook hands, earning a massive pop from the crowd in Long Island.

  • AEW Rampage Spoilers: Airing May 13, 2022

    AEW Rampage Spoilers: Airing May 13, 2022

    AEW Rampage was taped following the May 11 episode of Dynamite.

    The action took place inside UBS Arena in Long Island, NY. In the main event, Scorpio Sky put his TNT Championship on the line against his good friend (maybe not so much anymore) and former SCU partner Frankie Kazarian.

    This episode of Rampage also featured an Owen Hart Cup quarterfinal match between Riho and Ruby Soho.

    A six-man tag team match between Death Triangle (PAC, Penta El Zero M, and Fenix) and AFO (The Butcher, The Blade, and Marq Quen) was featured as well. Shawn Spears was also in action, taking on Bear Boulder.

    Here are the AEW Rampage spoilers for May 13:

    • Death Triangle (PAC, Penta El Zero M, and Fenix) def. AFO (The Butcher, The Blade, and Marq Quen)
    • Shawn Spears def. Bear Boulder
    • Ruby Soho def. Riho – Owen Hart Cup quarterfinal match
    • Jade Cargill and her “Baddies” cut a promo in the ring. It was announced that Kris Statlander will be taking Hikaru Shida’s place in the Owen Hart Cup against Red Velvet.
    • Scorpio Sky (c) def. Frankie Kazarian – for TNT Championship
    • After the main event, Sky and Ethan Page teased a split but Scorpio ended up hitting Kazarian with the title to end the show.
  • HOOK Finally Embraces Danhausen On AEW Dynamite (Video)

    HOOK Finally Embraces Danhausen On AEW Dynamite (Video)

    HOOKHausen is alive and well … and very evil.

    On the May 11 episode of AEW Dynamite, Danhausen made his in-ring debut for the promotion. He went one-on-one with Tony Nese but it wasn’t much of a match.

    Nese had his hand raised in a matter of seconds thanks to a distraction from “Smart” Mark Sterling and a running knee in the corner for the pinfall.

    Fans didn’t know what to expect with Danhausen’s in-ring AEW debut as it’s unknown if he’s truly fully healed from his broken tibia and fibula.

    That’s not the main story here, however. After the match, HOOK made his way down to the ring and Nese wanted no part of him as he made his exit.

    Danhausen extended his hand to HOOK, who actually embraced him for the first time.

  • Top WarnerMedia Exec Largely Responsible for AEW Programming Exits

    Top WarnerMedia Exec Largely Responsible for AEW Programming Exits

    A top WarnerMedia executive who championed AEW programming is on his way out.

    Brett Weitz has found himself out of WarnerMedia thanks to the Discovery merger. Kathleen Finch of Discovery has cut off Weitz’s General Manager of TNT, TBS, and truTV position, so he is now out of the company.

    He issued the following statement (via Deadline).

    “These past 14 years have been the most fulfilling of my career.

    “I’ve had the great fortune to create and launch Emmy-winning fan-favorite entertainment, to be a part of powerful life-changing initiatives, and most importantly to have had the privilege to lead the most talented, dedicated, altruistic, and innovative team at the TNets.

    “We made huge profits for shareholders and brilliant content for fans while having the most fun and being better partners with talent than any team I’ve ever been a part of. I will for sure continue to root for you all.”

    Weitz was a big supporter of AEW TV, calling it an “overperformer.”

    Many had feared for the future of the relationship between AEW and WarnerMedia as a result of the merger with Discovery. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently reported that the merger is unlikely to impact AEW.

  • Tony Khan Confirms AEW Trios Titles Exist and Were Made a While Ago

    Tony Khan Confirms AEW Trios Titles Exist and Were Made a While Ago

    AEW President Tony Khan has confirmed a report regarding the creation of trios tag team titles.

    It’s no secret that AEW has a slew of factions. From The Elite to House of Black to Blackpool Combat Club and beyond, there is no shortage of stables under the AEW banner.

    With so many groups, many have long believed it’s only a matter of time before trios titles are introduced.

    That hunch is indeed correct.

    AEW Trios Titles Are Real

    During an interview with TSN, Tony Khan made the confirmation that the AEW Trios Tag Team Titles have been made. It was first reported on Wrestling Observer by Dave Meltzer.

    Here’s what Khan had to say about the creation of the championships.

    “I saw Dave reported it and nobody’s asked me on the record yet, but it is truthful that I have made the belts.

    “I made them a long time ago, to be honest with you.

    “They’ve never been seen, and I did have them made. I do have more championship belts in my possession that have never been unveiled than anybody might suspect. The TBS Championship was in my office for months at the shows before anybody knew it was going to be unveiled, for example, recently.

    “The Ring of Honor purchase and now the great stable of champions[hips] and IP and, not only the legacy of past events, but the great slate of, I think, potential future events we can do with Ring of Honor and all that was kind of a surprise to everybody that we kept under wraps. That came together more quickly, whereas the trios championships are something I’ve thought about for a long time.

    “But there are more championship belts than people might think that I’ve had up my sleeve and the trios championship are, arguably, the foremost.”

    The fact that Khan said the gold has been made for a while now shouldn’t come as a surprise either.

    After all, he confirmed in late 2020 that trios titles were on his priority list for 2021 but the timing just wasn’t right.

    AEW Trios Titles Have Already Been Created
  • William Regal Reveals Who Named AEW’s Blackpool Combat Club Faction

    William Regal Reveals Who Named AEW’s Blackpool Combat Club Faction

    The Blackpool Gazette recently conducted an interview with Lord William Regal, who spoke in-depth with the publication about his new popular AEW faction, The Blackpool Combat Club.

    During their chat Regal revealed that former AEW world champion Jon Moxley came up with the group’s name,

    “I would love to claim it was my idea, but it wasn’t. It was Jox Moxley’s idea. Jon came up to me and said he’s got a great idea for a name, because he had come up with different Blackpool things. I told him it’s not about me, it’s about the two of them, I’m just a spare part here and riding on your coattails. But he insisted we called it this.”

    He further elaborates that he was planning to take some time off after his NXT release, but hearing that he would be involved in something with Moxley peaked his interest.

    “I was initially planning to take a year off, I wasn’t going to do anything because I haven’t done anything other than wrestling for the last 39 years. All of a sudden, I heard Jon’s name was involved which piqued my interest even more and it’s ended up how it’s ended up.”

    Regal reveals that he just ran with the idea once it was confirmed on television, as the group already had t-shirt designs and other merch items in the works.

    “We went out that night and I had no idea he was going to say it on TV, but he said it and the next morning there are t-shirts out, so I ran with it. When you get an opportunity, you run with it. So that was how it happened.”

    Since their formation Blackpool Combat Club has added Wheeler Yuta to their group, who under the guidance of Regal won the ROH Pure Championship at Supercard of Honor. As a trios team the BCC is undefeated.

  • Tony Khan Explains Why He Hasn’t Bought Out Wardlow’s Contract From MJF

    Tony Khan Explains Why He Hasn’t Bought Out Wardlow’s Contract From MJF

    Wardlow is currently feuding with MJF and is set to meet him for a contract signing at tonight’s AEW Dynamite from Long Island. The contract signing will also reveal when a match will take place. It’s most likely to be set for the Double or Nothing pay-per-view event on May 29.

    AEW President Tony Khan discussed Wardlow and his contract while speaking to Barstool Rasslin’. He said that the storyline has evoked a lot of interest from fans (as transcribed by SEScoops):

    “It’s the evil genius that is MJF, I think, at work. I mean, you’re seeing what he has done to Wardlow is tormenting the guy, and it’s been very compelling to see. Unfortunately, that’s kinda the evil mastermind at work,” Khan said.

    READ MORE: Wardlow Says His Rise In AEW Has Even Exceeded His Own Expectations

    Wardlow makes his entrance with handcuffs and no music and it is something that is different and sets Wardlow and his presentation apart. Tony Khan is pleased with the way everything comes together every week on Dynamite.

    Khan said things have shaped up well for the upcoming big match as there is a contract signing tonight. He added that it’s a big night to see how the crowd reacts to Wardlow as he’s going against his boss, MJF, who holds Wardlow’s future in his hands. Khan said it’s gonna be really interesting because of the conditions in the contract.

    Khan was asked if he has considered buying Wardlow’s contract from MJF since he can afford to.

    “MJF’s family has a lot of money. To be fair, I am making smart business decisions for the company,” said Khan. “Wardlow is still performing for the company right now and it’s on MJF’s dime. We’ve worked with a lot of people through the Forbidden Door so this is no different.”

    Elsewhere on the show, matches for The Owen Hart Foundation Men’s and Women’s Tournaments will take place, and FTW Champion Ricky Starks will defend his title against AEW World Tag Team Champion Jungle Boy.