Category: AEW

  • Darby Allin Says Nobody Gets Him More Excited Outside The Ring Than Jeff Hardy

    Darby Allin Says Nobody Gets Him More Excited Outside The Ring Than Jeff Hardy

    Darby Allin is hyped to be facing Jeff Hardy at this evening’s AEW Dynamite from Long Island.

    The former TNT champion spoke with the New York Post about his showdown with Brother Nero, which will be a quarterfinals matchup in the Owen Hart Memorial tournament. Allin begins by recalling the affect Hardy had on his career.

    “It’s the way I see him live his life outside of the ring, the stunts and the craziness that kind of draws me to him. I don’t get that from a lot of wrestlers. I don’t think I get that from any wrestlers. Nobody excited me outside the ring.”

    Allin may be facing Hardy this evening, but he was lucky enough to team up with him earlier this year, along with Matt, and his longtime partner Sting. Speaking on that alliance Allin states the following:

    “It was really like an organic relationship. It was super fun. For us to have that one tag match, me, Sting, Matt and Jeff down in Texas, that was also a lot of fun.”

    While Allin is excited to face his hero, he does wonder what a matchup would have looked like if they had been given proper vignettes and time to build it up with promos.

    “It’d be nice. Like I said, this match kind of came very quick on me and I just thought originally it would have been crazy if we had a build to a singles match and like we had a promo battle were we could get crazier outside the ring leading up to the match. But here we are. We’re gonna get crazy this Wednesday.”

    Allin defeated Swerve Strickland in a qualifier to earn his spot in the tournament. Meanwhile Hardy bested Bobby Fish. Who do you think wins tonight?

  • Thunder Rosa Reacts to Fans Critical Of Her AEW Women’s Title Reign

    Thunder Rosa Reacts to Fans Critical Of Her AEW Women’s Title Reign

    Thunder Rosa has responded to those who feel the way she’s being booked as AEW Women’s Champion is lackluster.

    Rosa has been the champion since only March but some feel the reign has already been disappointing. She had a successful title defense against Nyla Rose. The buildup to that match left a lot to be desired for the critics.

    While her upcoming Double or Nothing title defense against Serena Deeb has drawn some interest, their first face-to-face promo was less than stellar.

    Thunder Rosa Has Message For Critics

    Thunder Rosa spoke to talkSPORT and she addressed those who believe that AEW isn’t presenting her as strongly as it should.

    “I just know that people are never going to be satisfied with everything that you do, or anything that happens. Bottom line. I’m going to do my best with everything I’m given all the time and people will criticize that too – which is OK.

    “People are going to talk and if they’re talking that means they’re watching. At the end of the day that’s what we’re trying to do.

    “I had a banger of a match with Nyla Rose and I was able to show some sides that I haven’t been able to in years in that ring. It was a dynamic match and something different. David vs Goliath in that aspect.

    “Everyone is different and there’s always going to be criticism, but whatever is in my hands to make better I will. This match at Double or Nothing, and I say this now, I’m going to show that I am the best wrestler in the world. That AEW has the best women’s division in the world. That’s what I’m here for. 

    “Like it or not, I’m the AEW Women’s champion, so get used to seeing my face, get used to hearing my voice and get used to seeing me wrestle in that ring the way that I wrestle.

    Rosa captured the AEW Women’s Title against Britt Baker on the St. Patrick’s Day Slam edition of Dynamite. The title match was contested inside a steel cage.

  • Jim Ross Provides Health Update on Jake Roberts & It’s “Not Good”

    Jim Ross Provides Health Update on Jake Roberts & It’s “Not Good”

    AEW play-by-play ace Jim Ross has a health update on Jake Roberts and it isn’t a positive one.

    These days, Jake “The Snake” serves as a manager for Lance Archer on AEW TV. While Jake makes appearances from time to time, he hasn’t been around as much lately.

    Sadly, it looks like this is due to some health problems.

    Jake Roberts’ Health

    During an episode of his Grillin’ JR podcast, Jim Ross revealed that some breathing troubles have been plaguing Jake Roberts.

    “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 whyai 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.”

    Many believe that Jake Roberts has cheated death more than just about anyone in the industry. Jake “The Snake” had to overcome drug and alcohol addiction.

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

    Roberts had been spiraling before getting clean thanks to DDP. While Jake has seemingly been in much better health and spirits in recent times, this update is sure to leave fans concerned.

    Jake revealed back in February that he was diagnosed with COVID-19. The silver lining at the time was that he no longer needed an oxygen tank. He was preparing for another hip surgery, however, and said he will indeed be taking oxygen again here and there.

    We’ll keep you posted on Jake Roberts’ health and we wish him nothing but the best.

    Quotes via WrestlingNewsCo

  • AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door Surpasses $1 Million Gate

    AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door Surpasses $1 Million Gate

    AEW has now hit its second million-dollar live gate and this time, some assistance from NJPW helped put it over the top.

    The joint show will be taking place inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. No matches have been announced at this time as AEW has their own Double or Nothing PPV to focus on, which is scheduled for May 29.

    Despite not having any matches announced, Forbidden Door sold out within minutes.

    AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door Already Reaches Milestone

    Back in March, Tony Khan announced that this year’s Double or Nothing show became the first AEW event to score a live gate of $1 million.

    The promotion has done it again with its crossover show with NJPW. This does not include the secondary market, where thousands of tickets are sold at inflated prices.

    Khan made the announcement during an interview with News 12 Long Island.

    “[Grand Slam] was almost the first million-dollar gate in AEW history, just came shy of that, but it was real close and of course, we set that record now, for AEW Double or Nothing Las Vegas, became our first million-dollar gate for live tickets, and now just hit it again for our partnership with New Japan, for our Forbidden Door show at the United Center.”

    Speaking of Grand Slam, Khan recently confirmed that the event will be returning this year at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, NY.

    It’ll be interesting to see if AEW can reach that million-dollar gate to become the third show in company history to pull off the feat.

  • AEW Grand Slam Returning to Arthur Ashe Stadium This Year

    AEW Grand Slam Returning to Arthur Ashe Stadium This Year

    Tony Khan says AEW Grand Slam will return to Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York later this year.

    All Elite Wrestling is currently in New York for tonight’s AEW Dynamite from the UBS Arena on Long Island, New York. It’s sure to be a unique show, since Long Island is the one place on earth that MJF is celebrated as a hero, instead of the despicable worm that he is.

    Khan spoke with News 12 Long Island this week to promote Dynamite and said AEW Grand Slam will return to Arthur Ashe Stadium later this year.

    AEW Grand Slam Returning in 2022

    Tony Khan says the first AEW Grand Slam was a massive success that almost hit $1 million in ticket sales. AEW has since hit that mark twice, with the upcoming Double or Nothing and Forbidden Door PPV’s.

    Khan believes the inaugural Grand Slam event was the beginning of a longterm partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), which owns Arthur Ashe Stadium.

    “Yes, I expect we’ll be back to have Grand Slam, AEW Grand Slam, Dynamite and Rampage, back in Queens at Arthur Ashe Stadium again,” said Khan. “It was a huge success to everyone involved and it’s all thanks to this great partnership with the USTA. They were so kind and I think it resulted in a big partnership.

    [Grand Slam] was almost the first million dollar gate in AEW history, just came shy of that, but it was real close and of course we set that record now, for AEW Double or Nothing Las Vegas, became our first million dollar gate for live tickets, and now just hit it again for our partnership with New Japan, for our Forbidden Door show at the United Center.

    So, we will be back, and it will be hopefully another huge success going back to Queens for AEW Grand Slam, Dynamite and Rampage, later this year, in 2022 again.”

    Watch Tony Khan’s full interview with News 12 Long Island:

    Please H/T SEScoops if you use any quotes from this article

  • Dustin Rhodes On If Goldust Would Work In Today’s Wrestling

    Dustin Rhodes On If Goldust Would Work In Today’s Wrestling

    WWE in the attitude era was filled with many unexpected storylines and characters. One such unique character was Goldust which caused a lot of controversies but brought in ratings as well. Though the man behind the gold paint himself, Dustin Rhodes believes that a character like that would not work in the current times.

    The AEW star recently talked to Renee Paquette on The Sessions podcast. When Renee asked if a character like Goldust would work today, Rhodes explained why it wouldn’t:

    “It absolutely would not work. The way Goldust was portrayed back in the 90s. He was very androgynous. We would never say the word gay. I don’t think he will work because those things back then were way, way ahead of its time.” said Dustin Rhodes,

    He continued, “They got lots of letters saying that they weren’t gonna let their kids watch this shit anymore. Moms were upset. But the ratings kept getting bigger and better. So we were doing something right. But it was just very pushing the envelope as far as you could possibly do it. Stepping over that line. Today trying to do something like that? No.”

    Apart from this, Dustin Rhodes also talked about his Double or Nothing 2019 match with Cody Rhodes. He vowed to never wrestle his brother again.

    More Originals From SEScoops:

    If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

  • Adam Cole Shares His Experience Filming “Bar Rescue” With Britt Baker

    Adam Cole Shares His Experience Filming “Bar Rescue” With Britt Baker

    It was revealed over the weekend that top AEW superstars Britt Baker and Adam Cole had filmed an episode of the hit reality series Bar Rescue, a show that follows host Jon Taffer as he shares advice to struggling nightclubs, bars, and pubs in an effort to help their business.

    Cole was a guest on today’s Busted Open Radio to discuss his experience filming the series, which airs on the Paramount Network. He begins by revealing that Baker had no idea what the show was about.

    “It was kind of a random thing brought up to Britt actually where someone within AEW said, ‘Hey, we have a chance for you and Adam to do this show, Bar Rescue.’ The best part was Britt wasn’t really sure what it was.”

    Cole adds that his younger brother is a big fan of the series, so he felt like had to appear just for him.

    “My younger brother watches Bar Rescue all the time. He’s like the biggest fan of the show. So aside from the fact that I’ve really liked the show as well, I felt like I had to do it for my younger brother. I’m like, oh my god, we have to do this.”

    Cole then recounted what their experience was with Taffer, and how great he was to work with. When Cole mentioned to Taffer that his younger brother was a big fan the host kindly sent him a personal video.

    “Jon Taffer was awesome. I thought this was really cool. I told him that my younger brother was such a big fan of his show. He immediately went, ‘Well, let me film a video for him.’ I was like, ‘What?’ He goes ‘Yeah, yeah, just let me say hello to him. What’s his name?’ I said, ‘It’s Brent’, and then he filmed this 30-45 second promo to my younger brother and he’ll cherish that forever. So he was such a pro. The entire team was really really cool.”

    The episode featuring Baker and Cole aired on Sunday night.

    (H/T WrestlingNews.Co for transcription)

  • Danhausen’s AEW In-Ring Debut Set for Dynamite

    Danhausen’s AEW In-Ring Debut Set for Dynamite

    Danhausen’s in-ring debut for AEW has been announced and it’s expected to be very evil.

    For weeks, Danhausen has been terrorizing the AEW roster with his curses. Thus far, only HOOK has been able to go unscathed. While he’s certainly had a presence on TV, Danhausen has yet to have a match on Dynamite, Rampage, or PPV.

    That’s about to change as Tony Khan has announced that Danhausen will take on Tony Nese on the May 11 episode of Dynamite.

    “The much-anticipated in-ring debut of the very nice/very evil Danhausen is set for TOMORROW vs Premier Athlete Tony Nese LIVE on AEW Dynamite! Will Nese be a hometown hero on Long Island, or will Danhausen curse him? Don’t miss Dynamite on TBS tomorrow @ 8pm ET/7pm CT!”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CdZaijaBMac/

    Danhausen’s Injury

    Back in Oct. 2021, Danhausen suffered a broken tibia and fibula during a Next Generation Wrestling: Tennessee event. As one can imagine, those injuries take a while to fully heal so it’ll be interesting to see how the match with Nese will be booked.

    Danhausen’s character could very well give him an out if he isn’t truly ready for a traditional wrestling match. This could turn out to be a comedy-style match if that’s the case.

    The “Very Evil” curser has been trying to get in the good graces of HOOK. Will he get the assistance he’s been seeking?

    SEScoops will bring you live coverage of AEW Dynamite on May 11, so be sure to check back on the homepage.

  • Wardlow Says His Rise In AEW Has Even Exceeded His Own Expectations

    Wardlow Says His Rise In AEW Has Even Exceeded His Own Expectations

    The Superstar Crossover program recently conducted an interview with rising AEW superstar Wardlow, and his thoughts on his current feud with MJF.

    The two men are set to meet for a contract signing at tomorrow’s AEW Dynamite from Long Island, where it will be revealed when a match will take place, most likely at the May 29th Double or Nothing pay-per-view. When speaking about MJF Mr. Mayhem states that the thought of hitting him with the Powerbomb Symphony makes him drool.

    “Dude, the thought of powerbombing Max makes me drool.It’s literally, I obsess over it. I cannot wait to powerbomb that kid. I’m going to powerbomb him until my arms go numb.”

    Later Wardlow discusses his journey in AEW, admitting that his slow rise to the top could not have been written better, nor would there be any aspects of it that he would change.

    “I think even this is exceeding my expectations. I couldn’t have wrote myself a better future than what I’m currently living. Or I guess I should say I couldn’t have wrote a better reality for what I’m currently living. I wouldn’t change a single thing that has happened or a single thing that is happening right now.”

    Since making his AEW debut and joining MJF back in 2019 Wardlow has been featured in some marquee matchups in the company’s short history. He wrestled against Cody Rhodes in the very first AEW cage match, he stood toe-to-toe with CM Punk and would have defeated the Chicago Savior had it not been for MJF, and he won the Brass Ring Ladder Match at Revolution 2022 earlier this year.

    Watch Wardlow’s appearance on Superstar Crossover with Josh Martinez:

    Quotes via WrestleZone

  • Penta El Zero M is Looking Jacked (Photo)

    Penta El Zero M is Looking Jacked (Photo)

    Penta El Zero M is looking jacked in a recently posted photo.

    One-half of the Lucha brothers alongside his real-life younger brother Rey Fenix, the former AEW World Tag Team Champion took to Twitter to share a picture on his Twitter account showing off his physical appearance.

    “Puro zero miedo……#luchabrothers @AEW @luchalibreaaa,” wrote the 37-year-old as the caption to the mirror selfie in a gym. Check out the photo below:

    https://twitter.com/PENTAELZEROM/status/1523727141052973057

    Penta El Zero M made the rounds on social media recently when he superkicked Tay Conti at AAA’s TripleMania: Monterrey event on April 30 in Monterrey, Mexico.

    After the main event which saw the Young Bucks defeating Hijo del Vikingo & Fenix, Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti ran down to the ring to join the Young Bucks. Penta came out to clear the ring and hit a superkick on Conti. Penta’s unconcerned attitude went viral on pro wrestling Twitter. You can check out the video below:

    https://twitter.com/EIiteAEW/status/1520639237640523778

    Earlier, Penta El Zero M debuted his new character, Penta Oscuro on the February 23 edition of AEW Dynamite. The character had first appeared in Lucha Underground, and after weeks of teasing, Penta debuted the darker side of his persona on AEW. Known as Pentagon Dark in Lucha Underground, Penta Oscuro has a more aggressive side and goes after his opponent’s limbs with his arm snap.

  • New Trademark Filed By AEW Superstar Chris Jericho

    New Trademark Filed By AEW Superstar Chris Jericho

    Top AEW superstar Chris Jericho has filed another trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

    The former world champion and current leader of the Jericho Appreciation Society faction is attempting to trademark the term “The Wizard,” which he hopes to use for “Entertainment Services,” specifically wrestling exhibits. He filed for the trademark with the USPTO on May 5th under his real name, Chris Irvine.

    Details on the trademark usage can be found below:

    “Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainment personality.”

    Jericho first referred to himself as “The Wizard” after his most recent attack on Eddie Kingston, where he threw a fireball into the Mad King’s face. Aside from this Jericho has also trademarked a number of his nicknames and catchphrases, including “The Demo God,” ” Le Champion,” “A little bit of the bubbly,” “The Influencer” and more.

    Since his attack Kingston called Jericho during AEW Rampage promised on his wife that he was going to hurt Jericho badly for nearly blinding him. Jericho responded to the threat on Twitter by filing a restraining order against Kingston.

    Stay tuned.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CdLRelruayE/
  • CM Punk Fed Up With ‘Bad-Take Carnies’ Critical of Today’s Wrestling

    CM Punk Fed Up With ‘Bad-Take Carnies’ Critical of Today’s Wrestling

    CM Punk is fed up with “old-head, bad-faith, bad-take, carny dipshits” who bury modern pro wrestling on their “ego podcasts.”

    There are countless wrestling legends with podcasts and radio shows, including Eric Bischoff, Jim Cornette, Bully Ray, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Vince Russo, and Booker T, to name a few.

    Punk was specifically replying to Eric Bischoff, who has been a vocal critic of AEW. On a recent episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff ranted about AEW’s storytelling. He feels that AEW caters to a small segment of the wrestling audience, which is hindering their growth.

    Bischoff wrote on Twitter, “Better storytelling = Growth If AEW ever wants to get the other 900 fans in the room, they’ll need to stop booking for one small segment of the audience.”

    CM Punk Fed up

    CM Punk is encouraging ‘wrestling Twitter’ to stop amplifying these legends.

    “They had their moment in the sun. Let them die in the dark with their ego podcasts. Quote me.”

    – CM Punk

    You can watch a 2-minute clip of Bischof’s critique of AEW in the tweet embedded below, along with Punk’s full tweet.

    Eric Bischoff has since replied to CM Punk’s tweet about him.

    Bischoff quoted CM Punk talking about AEW signing him, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole last year. Punk said:

    “So, I’m not Hogan or Savage. Daniel Bryan and Adam Cole, they’re not The Outsiders, I see the parallels, but this is totally different. I’ll go ahead and say it and people can quote me and they’ll be p*ssed off about it, but to me, this is bigger.”

    Bischoff now asks, “How’s that working out?”

  • Jim Cornette Thinks AEW Had “Worst Segment” Ever On Wrestling TV

    Jim Cornette Thinks AEW Had “Worst Segment” Ever On Wrestling TV

    Jim Cornette isn’t one to mince words and he isn’t about to start now.

    The legendary manager has become a controversial figure over the years. Some believe that Cornette’s rants have blackballed him from the industry. There are still a group of fans who support him through his podcast, The Jim Cornette Experience.

    Oftentimes, Jim reminisces about the old days and slams people he doesn’t like. His weekly shots towards AEW have also become a big part of his podcast.

    Jim Cornette Rips AEW Segment Apart

    Jim Cornette has made it clear that he isn’t a fan of what AEW is doing with Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews. Cornette believes the House of Black faction “sucks” due to bad creative direction.

    He certainly didn’t change his mind during the May 4 episode of Dynamite. On the show, Julia Hart, who had been teasing a heel turn ever since being sprayed with mist by Malakai back in late 2021, looked ready to attack Brian Pillman Jr. with a chair but ultimately didn’t.

    Cornette went off on the segment during his podcast (h/t ewrestlingnews.com):

    “This was the worst segment I have ever seen on wrestling television because there was no redeeming value to this. This material was so horrible that nobody cared.

    Anybody who came up with this story should be sent away to prison. There’s no punishment too heinous. Nobody should have been forced to watch this.

    You send the kid [Brian Pillman Jr] to tell this story, which is hokey b****t. He tried so hard that he ended up screaming and squeaking, trying to put his soul into it for the rotten creative.”

    In fairness to Jim, this segment has actually been widely panned online. A big criticism has to do with teasing the Hart turn for far too long.

    Another problem many had with the segment is that it made the babyfaces, Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison, look weak. The two called out House of Black and when the group showed up, the faces just froze and got stomped out.

  • Thunder Rosa Compares Rivalry With Britt Baker To The Rock vs. Steve Austin

    Thunder Rosa Compares Rivalry With Britt Baker To The Rock vs. Steve Austin

    Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker are the top two stars in AEW’s women’s division and with such fanfare behind their feud, it’s one that Tony Khan can go back to when needed. 

    They had their first match against each other at AEW Beach Break 2021 before their memorable Lights Out match that ended the rivalry for the time being at St. Patrick’s Day Slam 2021. 

    AEW ran back the feud a year later with Baker beating Rosa at AEW Revolution 2022 before Rosa dethroned Baker in a cage match at St. Patrick’s Day Slam.

    Speaking on Under The Ring, Rosa discussed the evolution of her rivalry with Baker. She compared it to The Rock vs. Steve Austin and Trish Stratus vs. Lita. 

    “The rivalry that we had, it’s real. Now that I took the title from her, it’s not something that is going to end. It’s like The Rock and Stone Cold (Steve Austin), something similar, or Trish (Stratus) and Lita. Something of that sort. Something that is never going to end. Our matches were definitely more physical in terms of female wrestling. We pushed a lot of boundaries that I don’t think people were used to seeing women in the mainstream media, doing something of that sort, especially on the last one.” 

    Rosa stated they had an opportunity to elevate women’s wrestling to another level with it.

    Baker is slated to defend the title against Serena Deeb at AEW Double or Nothing while  Baker is competing in the Women’s Owen Hart Tournament.

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription

  • Kenny Omega Thinks Dream Showdown With Roman Reigns Would Surprise a Lot of People

    Kenny Omega Thinks Dream Showdown With Roman Reigns Would Surprise a Lot of People

    AEW superstar Kenny Omega has been out of action since his world championship loss to Adam Page at Full Gear 2021, taking some much needed time off to rehab numerous injuries and undergo several surgeries.

    However, this didn’t stop the Cleaner from once again trending on Twitter following last night’s WWE WrestleMania Backlash event from Rhode Island, as many WWE and AEW fans went back on forth on comparing Omega to WWE’s top act, Roman Reigns. The Tribal Chief led The Bloodline to victory over Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro at Backlash, continuing his dominant run that began back at SummerSlam 2020.

    Omega noticed his name floating around the internet ether and decided to chime in, writing that he doesn’t understand why he was trending considering he’s been on the shelf for the entirety of 2022. He also makes it known that does not enjoy the comparison discourse as it tends to happen between the two every so often.

    “Umm, why am I trending? I’ve done nothing but get sliced up and struggle through rehab all this year,” says Omega. “Oh, I see. We’re still doing that comparing thing every show…”

    Fortunately things took a positive turn after this initial tweet. When one fan speculated that Reigns couldn’t last five minutes in the ring with Omega the former Belt Collector fired back by praising Reigns for being a hard worker, even hyping up the dream showdown as a match that could surprise a lot of people.

    “I’m sure he could (whether Reigns could last five minutes with him). He’s their top guy for a reason and works hard to be that guy. I think the match would surprise a lot of people.”

    You can see Omega’s tweets below.

  • Tony Khan Reveals What He Looks For When Signing Talent To AEW

    Tony Khan Reveals What He Looks For When Signing Talent To AEW

    AEW President Tony Khan has gone in-depth on what he looks for when trying to sign talent for his promotion.

    When Khan got AEW started back in 2019, many wondered how the roster would shake out. As it turns out, AEW has signed a mix of premier talent on the indies, internationally, and formerly of WWE.

    He’s even signed some standout athletes who never had a wrestling background.

    Tony Khan’s Eye For Talent

    AEW star Swerve Strickland had Tony Khan as a guest on his Swerve City podcast. During his appearance, Khan laid out what he’s in search of when doing some scouting.

    Athletic Background

    “Well, there’s a lot of things. First of all, when you look at their body of work coming in, sometimes you get athletes, like Satnam Singh is a great example or Jade Cargill, where they didn’t have prior experience in pro wrestling, but they were great athletes, actually both of them played basketball at a high level. I thought they were worth a gamble.”

    Khan said it’s rare to sign someone who does not have prior wrestling experience. AEW does not have a performance center or developmental system, like WWE.

    In-Ring Experience

    “It’s a different business model. There are a lot of great people, but for us, we kind of pick our spots when it comes to that thing, because we’re not as much about centralized training all week long.

    Khan named Swerve Strickland as someone he saw wrestle elsewhere.

    “I had seen a lot of your matches before you came in,” said Khan. “Some other people might not have as much experience as you and might not have had as much success, or really might not be as far along or as developed or as good. There’s other people where it’s hard to track them down.”

    Fans have taken notice of AEW’s approach toward building young stars such as MJF, HOOK, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, and Lee Moriarty. Those names all had some level of wrestling knowledge before being signed to AEW.

    As Khan mentioned, Jade Cargill was someone who came in as an athlete outside the wrestling business. Cargill did receive a WWE tryout back in 2019.

    She ended up training at the Face 2 Face Wrestling School before transitioning to the Nightmare Factory.

    Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

  • Rush Teases In-Ring Return, Wants to Wrestle AEW’s Top Stars

    Rush Teases In-Ring Return, Wants to Wrestle AEW’s Top Stars

    Former Ring of Honor World Champion Rush is ready to return to in-ring competition and is looking to compete in All Elite Wrestling.

    After suffering a knee injury at Glory By Honor on Aug. 21, 2021, Rush has shared that he recovered. However, Rush isn’t signed to ROH. Before the sale to AEW President Tony Khan, ROH had released all talent from their contracts.

    Now a free agent, Rush hopes to compete for AEW and wants to compete against the company’s biggest stars. In a tweet on May. 7, Rush expressed a desire to wrestle against Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson, and CM Punk.

    “For all my fans in America, after 8 months out of the ring, I’m back and stronger than ever. I want Rush vs. Kenny Omega, Rush VS Daniel Bryan, and Rush VS CM Punk,” wrote Rush.

    What’s Next for the Ring of Honor Brand Under AEW

    Since the purchase of ROH, Khan has featured ROH title matches and had former talent in AEW. On the May. 4 episode of AEW Dynamite, the main event had Mercedes Martinez vs. Deonna Purrazzo for the Undisputed ROH Women’s World Championship. However, it doesn’t seem like a weekly ROH show isn’t happening soon.

    Free agents like Rush want to return to ROH or sign with AEW, but it’s unclear if Khan will sign former ROH talent. Wrestling fans are also speculating if ROH will turn into a developmental system like NXT is to WWE. The AEW President shared after the purchase that he’s still unsure about the immediate future of ROH.

    Rush
    (via ROH)

    Could Another Wrestling Company Sign Rush?

    While Rush is interested in AEW, it’s possible that another wrestling company could sign him. A wrestling fan expressed interest in other companies like Impact Wrestling or New Japan Pro Wrestling hiring Rush, which the former ROH champion retweeted. Impact Wrestling has also had former ROH talents wrestling competing for them.

    MLW CEO Court Bauer has also expressed interest in Rush. In an interview with Busted Open last year, he shared that he tried to sign Rush before ROH did.

    “Rush because I had him before and with my fans, I mean, I have a Spanish language show on beIN Espanol, we always go down to Mexico. We offered him a deal, Ring of Honor countered, and he went with Ring of Honor. I sold out Cicero Stadium with RUSH. I know his [drawing] power. I know the guy’s injured, but I think he’s gonna come back strong”(h/t Fernando Quiles Jr).

    The free agent could have plenty of options on who he will sign with next.

  • Adam Cole, Britt Baker To Appear On ‘Bar Rescue’

    Adam Cole, Britt Baker To Appear On ‘Bar Rescue’

    If you’re a fan of Bar Rescue, get ready for a little wrestling flare.

    Adam Cole and Britt Baker are scheduled to appear on this Sunday’s episode of the hit show. The episode, which aires on Paramount, features the couple performing surveillance on a bar that host John Taffer looks to improve.

    Friday night, the real-life couple tweeted about their appearance on the show.

    “Tune into @BarRescue this Sunday at 10pm et on @paramountnet!” Baker wrote, accompanied by a screenshot from the episode.

    Cole followed that up, writing, “We are gonna shut it down BayBay!”

    Cole And Baker Look To Win Owen Hart Cup

    Both Cole and Baker are participating in the Owen Hart Cup tournament, which recently finished qualifying matches on AEW television. Both the men’s and women’s tournament final matches will occur at the end of this month as part of the AEW Double Or Nothing PPV event in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Cole is scheduled to open the tournament by facing Dax Harwood in the quarterfinals of the men’s tournament, while Baker will face a surprise “Joker” entrant in the quarterfinals of the women’s tournament. The Cole vs. Harwood match is scheduled for this week’s AEW Dynamite broadcast.

    Owen Women's Tournament Brackets

    Make sure to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

  • Bret Hart Advises AEW Talent, But is Happy at Home

    Bret Hart Advises AEW Talent, But is Happy at Home

    Bret Hart says he enjoys mentoring members of the AEW roster, but considers himself happily retired from the wrestling world.

    The Excellence of Execution spoke with Mike Dagger for Lucha Libre Online earlier this week. During the conversation, Hart spoke about rumors of him coming out of retirement to appear for All Elite Wrestling.

    Hart says he has no plans to appear on television any time soon. After a decades-long career that kept him on the road several hundred days per year, he’s making up for lost time and spending as much time at home as possible.

    As he’s said before, he wants to be remembered as a wrestler and is not interested in being a manager or authority figure.

    “I’m happy retired,” said Hart. “I’m a ‘home’ guy now. There’s not a lot I can do in wrestling. People say, ‘What are you going to do? What would you do in AEW?’ It’s like, what would I do? Referee? Manage? Be a chairman? I don’t want to be remembered that way. I want to be remembered as a wrestler.”

    Bret Hart & AEW

    Bret Hart remains a hero to countless wrestlers throughout the industry. He’s considered one of the greatest performers of all time and his legacy is still celebrated to this day.

    Hart says he keeps in touch with several wrestlers on the AEW roster. They call him and text him asking for advice about their matches and their careers.He enjoys giving back to the business in this way, but enjoys his time at home.

    “I’d be happy to help a lot of them,” he said about AEW talent. “.. and I know a lot of them, and I talk to them, a lot of them sometimes, by text or on the phone, and people call me up and I always got advice and I can always pinpoint little things that can make a difference in a guy’s match or something he’s doing but, I’m a guy that likes being home. So, they’re gonna have to call me on the phone.”

    He wishes he could still travel like he used to, but it’s getting harder for him to fly around the country at this stage in life. That said, he respects AEW as an organization and will continue mentoring people remotley.

    “There’s a lot of things I would love to be part of with AEW and what they’re doing. I know they’ve got some great wrestlers there and I have a lot of respect for the organization and all that but right now, I’m happy at home.”

    Watch Bret Hart’s interview with Lucha Libre Online:

  • Owen Hart Tournament Brackets Finalized (Men’s & Women’s)

    Owen Hart Tournament Brackets Finalized (Men’s & Women’s)

    The brackets have been finalized for the AEW Owen Hart Foundation Men’s and Women’s tournaments.

    The final qualifying matches of both tournaments took place on this week’s AEW television (Dynamite and Rampage).

    Men’s Brackets

    Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Brackets (Men's)

    Here are the opening round matches for the Men’s Tournament:

    • Rey Fenix vs. Kyle O’Reilly
    • Samoa Joe vs. A mystery ‘Joker’ opponent
    • Jeff Hardy vs. Darby Allin
    • Adam Cole vs. Dax Harwood

    SEScoops correspondent Joey G wrote a column looking at 4 possibilities for the mystery Joker in the Owen Hart men’s tournament.

    Women’s Brackets

    Owen Women's Tournament Brackets

    Here are the opening round matches for the Women’s Tournament:

    • Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter
    • Britt Baker vs. A mystery ‘Joker’ opponent
    • Riho vs. Ruby Soho
    • Red Velvet vs. Hikaru Shida

    The Owen Hart Foundation Men’s tournament kicks off next week on AEW Dynamite with two first round matches. We will see Darby Allin vs. Jeff Hardy and Dax Harwood vs. Adam Cole.

    Tournament competition continues throughout the month of May. The finals of both the men’s and women’s tournaments take pace at AEW Double or Nothing on May 29th.

  • Stu Grayson Confirms That He Is Done With AEW

    Stu Grayson Confirms That He Is Done With AEW

    A few days ago wrestling fans had noticed that AEW star and Dark Order member Stu Grayson had his profile removed from the company’s official website, with many speculating if that meant he was officially done with his run.

    Unfortunately, that seems to be the case. Grayson revealed in a new tweet that his contract expired on April 30th, and that there is no sign he will be getting re-signed. Grayson takes the opportunity to thank his AEW colleagues, which include the production and medical team, as well as his friends in the Dark Order. His full statement reads:

    “Update…On April 30th my contract with AEW expired. Best of luck to everyone working for AEW, our great production and medical team and of course every man and women who steps into the ring. And to my Dark Order family, I hope the world will soon see what you are truly capable of.”

    Grayson debuted for AEW back in 2019 at the promotion’s first ever pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, along with longtime tag team partner, Evil Uno. Grayson was mainly featured as a tag team wrestler, and played a pivotal part on the AEW affiliated Youtube series, Being The Elite.

    Grayson was also a factor in the Dark Order and Adam Page storyline arc that saw the Hangman eventually become AEW world champion. Grayson himself never won AEW gold, but did challenge for the tag team titles on multiple occasions.

    Best of luck to Grayson on his future endeavors.

  • WarnerMedia-Discovery Merger Unlikely To Affect AEW (Report)

    WarnerMedia-Discovery Merger Unlikely To Affect AEW (Report)

    WarnerMedia and Discovery completed their merger on April 8 as Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

    There was speculation that this could affect All Elite Wrestling programming as the company may not carry wrestling content as part of its repertoire.

    This speculation stemmed from a recent announcement that TBS and TNT will no longer develop new scripted content to cut costs.

    Earlier reports suggested that it all depends on how the company views AEW since it is going after major sports leagues. If the company sees the wrestling promotion as a sports property, chances are it will be unaffected.

    A new report from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter says that according to a key executive from WarnerMedia, “it would take someone who just hates wrestling” for AEW to be no longer part of WarnerMedia.

    The report says (as transcribed by WrestlePurists): “Regarding AEW’s status, this is basically from a key executive in WarnerMedia, the feeling is as far as AEW not being canceled, which was and still is a very low percentage chance of happening due to the ratings. It would take someone who just hates wrestling for that to happen.”

    Dynamite performs well when it comes to ratings, and is inexpensive to run. The show performs better than other TBS and TNT programming, except for NBA.

    Before the merger took place, AEW’s new reality series was already greenlit which will premiere later this year.

    AEW’s TV deal with WarnerMedia will expire at the end of 2023. There’s no information about the contract’s future after that, but it wouldn’t be too surprising if AEW continues to be a mainstay in the company.

  • Athena (Ember Moon) Open To Talks With AEW, IMPACT, & Stardom

    Athena (Ember Moon) Open To Talks With AEW, IMPACT, & Stardom

    Athena, formerly known as Ember Moon in WWE, isn’t limiting her options.

    Back in Nov. 2021, Athena was released from her WWE contract. She was part of a wave of talent cuts that included Keith Lee, Nia Jax, Karrion Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, and more.

    Now that a few months have passed, the former Ember Moon is free to sign with another promotion.

    Athena Sends Messages To Promoters

    If there’s one thing Athena wants to make clear, it’s that she isn’t opposed to truly testing the market.

    She took to Virtual M&G/Asylum Wrestling Store and said she’s ready for the call from AEW, IMPACT, and Stardom (h/t DraVen).

    “If I knew [I would be going to AEW], I wouldn’t tell you.

    “If they came a ringing, if IMPACT came a ringing, heck, if STARDOM came a ringing, I would answer the phone and I would be there in a heartbeat.”

    Current AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa expressed her desire in facing Athena back in 2021.

    Earlier this year, Athena and reigning TBS Champion Jade Cargill traded barbs on social media, leading many to believe that eventually, the two would clash in the ring.

  • AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Tickets Sell Out Within Minutes

    AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Tickets Sell Out Within Minutes

    AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door is a supershow that All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling will present together next month. Fans have been waiting for the two promotions to collaborate ever since AEW launched three years ago.

    On Thursday, pre-sale tickets went live for purchase which saw 11,000 tickets sold under 40 minutes. The remaining 3,000 tickets available for sale today sold out almost instantly.

    20,000 people were in the cue when the 11,000 pre-sale tickets went live. A limited amount of tickets, which we now know were 3,000 in number, went for sale and sold out today. This means that Forbidden Door will at least have 14,000 fans in attendance.

    AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door will take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on June 26. The event will be available live on PPV, the B/R app, and FITE.

    During the April 20 episode of Dynamite, Tony Khan and NJPW President Takami Ohbari announced the event together.

    READ MORE: AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door: What The Card Could Look Like

    Ohbari even said that he isn’t opposed to having a second crossover event with AEW like Forbidden Door in Japan.

    Since Japan is now open to international workers and is even hinting at opening its borders to tourists, Ohbari said that there is potential for another event like Forbidden Door to take place in Japan.

    “Traveling between Japan and the U.S. is no longer a significant problem,” Ohbari said. “If Japanese fans are invested in this event and the demand is there, then there will absolutely be the impetus for us to take the next step of holding an event in Japan.”

  • W. Morrissey Impressed WWE With His AEW Dynamite Performance

    W. Morrissey Impressed WWE With His AEW Dynamite Performance

    Apparently WWE was very impressed with W. Morrissey’s performance on last Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.

    The IMPACT star took on top AEW prospect Wardlow in singles-action as a favor to Wardlow’s current rival, MJF. The two behemoths had a competitive encounter, with Morrissey dominating most of the action early, but would eventually fall victim to a Wardlow powerbomb.

    According to Andrew Zarian from the Mat Men podcast, Morrissey caught the eye of his former employer WWE was curious to know when Morrissey’s contract will come to an end with IMPACT, adding that there was no guarantee that they would take him back, but that there was interest.

    Morrissey joined WWE in 2011 and joined Florida Championship Wrestling, the company’s former developmental territory. He was paired with Enzo Amore in NXT and the duo eventually made it to the main roster.

    Morrissey battled his demons during his run with WWE and was eventually released in 2018.

    He signed with IMPACT back in 2021 and wrestled his first matchup at Rebellion 2021.

    Morrissey has publicly detailed his battle with substance abuse, depression, and attitude issues in the past, but has done a great job at rebuilding his personal brand, which includes getting into tremendous shape.