SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Mark Henry Comments on Potential In-Ring Return

    Mark Henry Comments on Potential In-Ring Return

    WWE Hall Of Famer Mark Henry could possibly step back into the ring again now that he’s with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

    Henry ran with WWE for over 20 years after signing with the company back in 1996. During that time, he was able to pick up an ECW World Title, a WWE European Title run, and a World Heavyweight Championship run. Henry was later inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame class of 2018.

    In May of 2021, Henry debuted for AEW at Double or Nothing, where it was announced that he would serve as a commentator and coach for talent. Recently, Henry was interviewed by Sportskeeda to talk about a variety of topics, including his jump to AEW. When asked about potentially wrestling again, Mark Henry doesn’t sound too interested.

    Instead, Henry seems more focused on helping mold the top stars of tomorrow from behind the curtains in AEW.

    “I would say don’t hold your breath, because I do not want to get hit. And if somebody hits me, I will call the police,” Henry said (via WrestleZone). “A lot of it is just growing up. As you get older, you start thinking about how you can stay in the business that you love when your body starts to hurt and you don’t want to do whatever the sport is no more.

    “That was my mindset. I wanted to continue to be around the business and make a living, but I also wanted to share my knowledge and I found myself to be one of the most studied people about pro wrestling and how it works. I wanted to share that and you’re not supposed to take gifts to the grave,” Henry pointed out. “So I wanted to, before I go to God, everybody that loves my business the way that I love the business to know what I know.”

    With a wealth of talent currently on AEW’s roster, there’s no shortage of young stars for Henry to mentor. And with over 20 years of experience under his belt; having shared the ring with the likes of The Undertaker, The Rock, Chris Jericho, and so many more, they could learn a lot from the man formerly known as “Sexual Chocolate.”

  • CM Punk Teases Kazuchika Okada For Rumored AEW-NJPW Crossover Show

    CM Punk Teases Kazuchika Okada For Rumored AEW-NJPW Crossover Show

    CM Punk has dropped a big hint pertaining to a potential crossover show.

    Tony Khan is set to make a major announcement on the April 20 episode of Dynamite. The AEW boss is known for having his share of big announcements. Back in March, he revealed that he is now the owner of ROH.

    Speculation has run rampant on what the announcement will be this time. Ringside News has reported that there are plans in place for a joint show involving AEW and NJPW in Chicago this June.

    The outlet made note that there’s no guarantee that the crossover show will be the announcement, however.

    CM Punk seems to be having fun with the rumors as he has taken to his Instagram Stories to tease the crossover show. He even threw in the coin drop, potentially signaling an appearance from the “Rainmaker,” Kazuchika Okada.

    SEScoops will keep you posted on Tony Khan’s major announcement and whether or not it will indeed be about the joint show with NJPW.

  • Triple H on NXT Stars Jumping to AEW: “I’m Happy for Them”

    Triple H on NXT Stars Jumping to AEW: “I’m Happy for Them”

    Triple H says he’s happy for former NXT talent who have jumped to AEW. He keeps in touch with “almost all of them” and thinks the WWE machine gave them the tools to be successful “over there.”

    Earlier this month, Triple H was interviewed by Chris Vannini for The Athletic. During their discussion, he spoke at length about AEW, including whether or not he views Tony Khan’s promotion as true competition for WWE.

    A staggering number of former NXT performers now work for AEW. Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish, Andrade, Malakai Black, Keith Lee, Swerve Strickland, Samoa Joe and William Regal are just some of the names on this list.

    Triple H worked closely with all of them and he’s thankful for that opportunity.

    “I like all those guys,” said Triple H. “They helped us get where we needed to get, and I’m thankful for it. The truth is there was a period of time where we were trying to build NXT. We built NXT. Then we were trying to build a brand that could get a television show and sustain it. All those names helped us get there.”

    Ultimately, Vince McMahon decides who belongs on the main roster. Triple H says he’s happy for the NXT alumni who have moved on to AEW.

    “If they have great gigs, I’m happy for them. I stay in touch with almost all of them. I like to think they came into us here, we taught them a lot, got them to (a higher level) where they learned how to do television, how to be professionals and all that to be successful there.”

    Triple H says some of the people he worked with in NXT may come back to WWE at some point. Some may not and that’s ok.

    The Adam Coles and Keith Lees of the world got NXT where it needed to go, at one time. However, Triple H says the show must go on. He likened today’s wrestling landscape to football. “People leave football teams, move to different teams all the time, and it’s great.”

  • Jonathan Gresham Injured At Battle Of The Belts

    Jonathan Gresham Injured At Battle Of The Belts

    Jonathan Gresham sustained an injury at last week’s AEW Battle of the Belt tapings that prevented him from traveling to the UK over the weekend.

    Gresham was expected to make appearances for Progress Wrestling this week. However, the company posted a video of him apologizing to fans for not being able to appear as scheduled.

    “Hello, everyone,” said Gresham. “Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it to London this weekend for the Sunday and Monday events due to an injury, I have not been cleared to compete.

    So, I do want to apologize to Progress and the fans for not being able to make it this weekend. I really wanted to but my health comes first and I have to just take a little time off.”

    He assured Progress fans that he’ll be back to perform for the organization once he’s healthy. He also asked fans to keep him in their prayers.

    While the exact details of his injury are unknown at the moment, it appears he sustained the injury during his match against Dalton Castle that aired at Battle Of The Belts on Saturday.

    Gresham was checked for a possible concussion following his successful title defense, according to Fightful. Details about the injury are still trickling in, but there was a moment in the match where he landed on his head while taking a gut wrench suplex.

    SEScoops wishes the AEW star a speedy recovery.

  • Mark Henry On Which AEW Star He Thinks Is Underrated

    Mark Henry On Which AEW Star He Thinks Is Underrated

    Serena Deeb has been wrestling for almost 17 years. She is one of the best in-ring workers of the current era. Mark Henry believes that she doesn’t get the credit for being as good as she is.

    The WWE Hall Of Famer recently had an interview with SportsKeeda. He discussed things such as Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill being future stars and more.

    When asked which AEW talent he thinks is underrated, Henry took the name of Deeb. He explained that the female star is one of the most excellent wrestlers on the current AEW roster:

    “Underrated? I think Serena Deeb. [She] is one of the most excellent wrestlers, not just male or female, but one of the most excellent wrestlers in the company. I don’t think she gets enough credit for how good she is,”

    Mark Henry has previously said that he is not done with wrestling just yet. He has teased getting back in the ring and having a retirement match in AEW.

    When asked which AEW names he can see himself competing against, the heavyweight star took the names of Wardlow, MJF and Ricky Starks. He said that all three of them are very talented and they can work with anybody.

  • Matt Hardy Responds To Fan Complaining About Jeff Hardy Being On Dark

    Matt Hardy Responds To Fan Complaining About Jeff Hardy Being On Dark

    Matt Hardy has responded to a fan complaining about Jeff Hardy being featured on AEW Dark: Elevation this week.

    A fan noted how people were complaining when Jeff Hardy was in WWE and he was featured on Main Event a few times, while he is on Dark now.

    Replying to him, the wrestling veteran noted how Tony Khan treats legends with the utmost respect. He revealed that the AEW owner had asked for their consent before putting them on the show:

    “I’ll give you insight. TK treats veterans/legend with the utmost respect & uses us the same. It’s refreshing. Tony asked us if we were ok being on & we were both happy to. We want to work with young stars like Top Flight. It’s a treat to work at AEW.”

    Matt Hardy first announced his departure from WWE back in March 2020 after his contract expired. He ended up joining AEW later that month, making his debut during the March 18 episode of Dynamite.

    Jeff Hardy on the hand remained with WWE until late last year. He was released in December 2021. He has since joined his brother in Tony Khan’s promotion and returned to tag team action.

  • Update on Possible AEW/NJPW Show in Chicago This Summer

    Update on Possible AEW/NJPW Show in Chicago This Summer

    Tony Khan will make another “huge announcement” this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite.

    The last time that Khan promised such an announcement, he revealed that he had purchased ROH Wrestling.

    Rumors have been running rampant since last week, and one possibility has since started to make the rounds.

    AEW vs. NJPW Super Show

    According to the Super J Cast, AEW is set to run a cross promotional show with New Japan Pro Wrestling on Thursday, June 23rd in Chicago. While some have speculated about this being a stadium show, sources I have spoken to about the possible event have denied the stadium rumors and believe that it will take place at the United Center. That week is indeed clear on the United Center’s calendar of events.

    New Japan’s Dominion event takes place on June 12th, and the G1 Tournament will begin in July and run through August. This joint show would be sandwiched between that and may end up leading to some AEW involvement in the G1.

    This would not be the first time AEW has run the United Center. The company sold out the venue last August for the second-ever edition of AEW Rampage with the tease that CM Punk would debut on the show (and he did). Even more amazing, that event sold out after the company already had three events (Dynamite, Rampage, and All Out) in the Chicago metro two weeks later booked and on sale to the public.

    Other specifics of the show are not yet known, including how it would be covered for television or streaming, and the AEW/NJPW show might not even be the surprise that Khan reveals on Wednesday evening (that could be something else and the Chicago event might just be a straight reveal later on). A television/streaming deal for ROH is another possibility for Khan’s announcement.

    June 23rd is the same night as the NBA Draft and one night after Dynamite airs live from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

    AEW & NJPW Growing Closer In Recent Months

    This would be the first time that AEW has officially co-promoted an event with another promotion, though they have worked with other organizations such as AAA, IMPACT, and of course NJPW itself over the last couple of years.

    It was recently revealed that AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage will start airing on the NJPW World streaming service soon (exclusively for Japanese users), so a co-promoted show between the two organizations seems to be in line with what we see happening from a business perspective.

    NJPW held an event on Saturday night in Chicago dubbed “Windy City Riot.” Though an event with AEW was not announced, several AEW stars appeared on the show. Jon Moxley worked with Will Ospreay in the main event and called out Hiroshi Tanahashi for the NJPW show in Washington, D.C. on May 14th.

    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. 

  • Danhausen on Failing to Curse HOOK: “He Might Be Too Powerful”

    Danhausen on Failing to Curse HOOK: “He Might Be Too Powerful”

    Danhausen has admitted he may need to reverse course when it comes to HOOK.

    Danhausen has found great success in cursing just about every member of the AEW roster he’s come across. There is one big exception, however. Despite his best efforts, he simply hasn’t been able to curse HOOK.

    Danhausen’s Curse Attempts on HOOK

    During an interview with WhatCulture, Danhausen said that perhaps HOOK possesses too much power to be affected by a full-blown curse (h/t Fightful).

    “It seems like he might be too powerful. Take him down a notch and absorb his powers. He’s so popular. You have to absorb little bits of popularity from everyone. Danhausen has cursed The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Jon Moxley, they are very popular wrestlers.”

    We haven’t seen Danhausen in action since making his AEW debut. He has been recovering from a broken tibia and fibula. A good sign is that he has been able to run around, so perhaps his in-ring AEW debut isn’t too far off.

  • Max Caster Responds to John Cena Praising Him

    Max Caster Responds to John Cena Praising Him

    Max Caster recently received quite the compliment when John Cena praised him for his work on the mic and as a performer.

    Of course, Cena came to prominence in WWE initially as a character who would come out and freestyle rap about his opponents, much like Caster does today with AEW. That act catapulted Cena up WWE’s card and eventually to the world championship (and even a rap album).

    Taking part in a signing with Golden Ring Collectibles, Caster responded to Cena’s comments.

    Caster noted Cena was one of his biggest influences to get into wrestling and acknowledge he is paying homage to Cena in part with his character. While Cena said that he didn’t think he could defeat Caster in a rap battle, Caster had a cagey response.

    “John has been very, very nice to me and when he didn’t need to,” Caster said. “He reached out and he made that public so I’m allowed to say it now so he reached out and then he said things publicly about me in Forbes and that means a lot to me. So, it’s never been about beating him in a rap battle. It’s about trying to get past the point of people saying I’m a Thuganomics rip-off. Am I to an extent? Maybe. He’s a huge influence on me, one of my favorite wrestlers.

    “The guy, I will say in 2004 that got me back into watching wrestling. So, I take that energy and propel it forward and say, maybe there’s people now in 2022, even last year, who fell out of wrestling that they hear there’s this rapping guy on wrestling now and he does these disses and they are hilarious and you watch it and you say, ‘Oh, this is my guy.’ You listen to the mixtapes, songs or diss tracks that I put out, the music videos, you say, ‘Wow, this guy actually has some skill.’”

    Caster finished by saying, “So, to me it’s not about beating John at anything. It’s about paying homage, paying respect and elevating what he did and I think, by his own admission, that I’m there, I’m doing it and I hope to continue doing that.”

    Caster and his partner, Anthony Bowens, are currently one of the most popular tag team acts in AEW. It’s not hard to envision a tag team championship run for the duo in the not too distant future.

    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. 

    H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcript.

  • CM Punk vs. Dustin Rhodes Set for AEW Dynamite

    CM Punk vs. Dustin Rhodes Set for AEW Dynamite

    CM Punk and Dustin Rhodes will finally meet inside a wrestling ring.

    Dustin Rhodes threw out the challenge on tonight’s episode of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Rampage after defeating Lance Archer. Rhodes noted, he acknowledges that his feud with Archer likely isn’t over, but in the meantime, he wants to cross a name off his dream list in Punk next week on Dynamite.

    Shortly after the segment, the broadcast team confirmed the matchup for Dynamite this Wednesday. Check out Rhodes’ challenge here below:

    This certainly works out for both men, as Rhodes looks to prove he’s still got it with a potential win over CM Punk. As for Punk, he’s currently chasing an AEW World Title opportunity, so a win over Rhodes should do him well in the rankings.

    Rhodes will be a great matchup for Punk, but if he truly wants to work his way up to a World Title shot, there’s no shortage of fellow AEW stars who’d like to test themselves inside the squared circle against the “Best In The World.”

    You can check out the updated lineup for Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite below:

    • Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Qualifier: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. vs. Danielle Kamela
    • Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Qualifier: Jungle Boy vs. Kyle O’Reilly
    • Coffin Match: Andrade El Idolo vs. Darby Allin
    • Tony Khan makes “huge announcement”
    • HOOK makes in-ring debut for AEW Dynamite
    • Wardlow vs. The Butcher
    • CM Punk vs. Dustin Rhodes

    We’ll keep you updated as more matches/segments are announced for Dynamite this Wednesday.

  • ROH World Champ Jonathan Gresham Signs with AEW/ROH

    ROH World Champ Jonathan Gresham Signs with AEW/ROH

    Ring Of Honor (ROH) World Champion Jonathan Gresham has officially signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) – and by extension, ROH as well.

    The report comes from Fightful, which confirms that Gresham has signed an AEW contract, that will also see him wrestle for ROH. He’ll also continue to do work for IMPACT Wrestling, as he’s scheduled to compete at IMPACT Wrestling Rebellion on pay-per-view (PPV) on April 23. AEW and new ROH owner Tony Khan continues to allow his guys to work for various promotions, an aspect fans have been enjoying as of late.

    Samoa Joe recently won the ROH World TV Championship on the April 13 episode of AEW Dynamite. The week prior, FTR defended their Tag Team Titles against The Young Bucks. It will be interesting to see what Khan decides to do now that he’s inked Gresham, the ROH World Champion, to an AEW contract.

    Jonathan Gresham captured the ROH World Championship by defeating Jay Lethal at the ROH Final Battle PPV this past December. The 34-year-old has worked for several notable professional wrestling companies; such as Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), NWA, ROH, and IMPACT Wrestling. Gresham is a former CZW World Heavyweight Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion (with Lethal), and of course the current ROH World Champion.

    He recently added another title to his collection when he defeated Cara Noir at Chapter 130 for the Progress Wrestling World Championship. Now, he’ll have a brand new slew of challengers for the ROH World Title now that he’s inked to the AEW roster. He already has a few names in AEW he’d like to defend the title against.

  • Adam Page Retains AEW World Heavyweight Title On Rampage

    Adam Page Retains AEW World Heavyweight Title On Rampage

    A rematch between Adam Cole and AEW World Heavyweight Champion “Hangman” Adam Page took place in a Texas Death Match on Friday’s episode of Rampage.

    The match saw them use various weapons including chairs and a chain. Page hit a suplex to Cole on top of chairs. Page’s chin was cut open from a superkick. Page with a suplex off the top rope onto chairs.  Page hit deadeye through a table on the floor and Cole didn’t get back into the ring by the count of 10. 

    Cole and Page have been feuding for months. Their first match was the main event of the Revolution pay-per-view event in Orlando, Florida last month that saw Page successfully retain the title. 

    Since then, Cole has insisted on getting a rematch for the title and even went as far as stealing the title. Page and Jurassic Express interrupted Cole and reDRagon’s “championship celebration” by attacking them

    On the April 6th edition of Dynamite, Cole defeated Christian Cage in the opening match. Post-match, Page came out to confront Cole, who said he wanted nothing to do with Page until he got a championship match. Page gave him the match for this show.

  • Toni Storm Wants Tegan Nox in AEW

    Toni Storm Wants Tegan Nox in AEW

    Toni Storm wants to see Tegan Nox (Nixon Newell) join here in All Elite Wrestling.

    Storm recently joined AEW and is part of the inaugural Owen Hart Foundation Cup Women’s Tournament. The brackets have not been announced yet, but AEW President Tony Khan has signed Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter as a first round match.

    Storm appeared on Friday’s episode of Busted Open Radio and expressed her desire to work with Tegan Nox once again. Host Dave Lagreca asked Storm if there is one particular opponent that you’d love to have in AEW.

    Storm replied, “Oh my god. Um, Tegan Nox, I would have to say, would be high up on that list. I think that would be someone who would really deserve an awesome spot like that.”

    She added, “I know she loves this business as much as I do, so that would be cool to see that one day in the future. Who knows, anything can happen, it’s pro wrestling.”

    Nox was released by WWE back in November 2021. She is a free agent and could work anywhere else effective immediately.

    Thanks to the Putting You Over podcast for sending in this tip.

  • News On Satnam Singh’s AEW Debut

    News On Satnam Singh’s AEW Debut

    The main event of this week’s Dynamite saw Samoa Joe becoming the new ROH TV champion. This win, however, was overshadowed by the debut of Satnam Singh.

    The Indian star joined forces with Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal. They attacked the new champion. The whole angle received mixed reactions from the fans.

    Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recently talked about Singh’s AEW debut. He mentioned that Tony Khan’s idea was to shoot an angle that would be a breakthrough in the Indian market:

    “As part of the first week after the Discovery merger, Tony Khan wanted to shoot an angle that would be a breakthrough in that market using someone of some renown in that country”

    The wrestling journalist noted that Satnam Singh will be managed by Sonjay Dutt. This pair will be used to promote the company in India.

    Singh is the only Indian-born player to be ever drafted by NBA. The giant was a second-round draft choice of the Dallas Mavericks in 2015.

    Author’s Note: While the idea to use an Indian origin talent to promote the company in the country is great, AEW first needs to create some brand awareness in India.

    The Discovery-owned Eurosport channel was rebranded in March 2020. It doesn’t have the same reach as their WWE counterpart, Sony Ten Network channels.

    WWE hasn’t been regular with their promotion in India. AEW has many known faces in their roster they can use to promote the show as an alternative wrestling product. They can send in some stars on tours to garner media attention.

    In the time Satnam Singh completes his training, this tactic can be used to increase the recognization of AEW. This will help them maximise the buzz around him when Singh is ready to be pushed properly.

  • Adam Cole Says CM Punk Match ‘Has To Happen’

    Adam Cole Says CM Punk Match ‘Has To Happen’

    Adam Cole has discussed the influence of CM Punk on his career multiple times in the past. It’s only natural that Punk has been a longtime dream match for the former NXT champion. Now that the two stars are finally in the same promotion, Cole says that this match ‘just has to happen.’

    The AEW star recently had an interview with FightFul. He discussed things such as Triple H’s recent health scare and more. Talking about Punk, he mentioned how there was a time when he thought he would never get to wrestle the Straight Edge Star. Though now he cannot get the possibility out of his head:

    “It hasn’t happened yet, but CM Punk is my huge one. That’s a good one because again, I’ve made it very clear that for me personally,” said Adam Cole, “he was one of the most impactful professional wrestlers as far as inspiration goes.

    Cole Continued: “I remember seeing him in Ring of Honor, watching his promos and going, I really really want to focus on getting good on the microphone because of listening to him talk. Then I thought, ‘Okay, he retired. It’s never gonna happen.’ Now the fact that it’s a possibility, I can’t get it out of my head, I know that someday it just has to happen.”

  • Adam Cole Comments on Triple H’s Recent Health Issues

    Adam Cole Comments on Triple H’s Recent Health Issues

    All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star and former NXT star Adam Cole has offered his comments on Triple H’s recent health scare.

    “The Game” recently opened up about his near-death experience and also admitted that he is now retired from in-ring competition as a result of his health complications. Cole, who worked closely with Triple H in NXT over the years, offered his thoughts on the situation during an interview with Fightful.

    Cole noted that he thinks the world of Triple H after the time they spent together at NXT, saying he learned a lot from him and considers him a mentor. He added that he was very disheartened to learn that Triple H was forced to retire due to his health concerns because he knows how much wrestling means to “The Game,” however, his health is what’s most important.

    “So truth be told, with the way stuff has been going lately, I’m just happy he’s okay,” Cole said. “But yeah, I mean, everything that he’s given to the wrestling industry and the wrestling business will never be forgotten, whether it be his in ring career, or the countless amount of people he’s influenced within NXT and the countless people he’s taught within NXT. So I really do, I love Triple H. I admire the hell out of him, and I’m glad he’s alright.”

    Adam Cole left WWE back in 2021 after his contract with the company expired. He later made his debut for AEW at their All Out pay-per-view (PPV). During his run with NXT, Cole became an NXT Triple Crown Champion, winning the promotion’s World Title, North American Title, and Tag Team Titles.

    As for Triple H, the 13-time World Champion can hang his hat on a career that will surely go down as one of the greatest of all time. After helping shape the professional wrestling industry in the ring, he now helps shape it behind the curtain, playing a huge role in molding the stars of the future.

    Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

  • WrestleMania 38 Producer Joins AEW (Report)

    WrestleMania 38 Producer Joins AEW (Report)

    It looks like a producer who worked WrestleMania 38 earlier this month has jumped ship to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

    As we reported earlier this month, Pat Buckridge resigned from WWE shortly after WrestleMania 38. Buckridge reportedly made the decision to step away after claiming he had already achieved his goals of producing some of the biggest matches in wrestling, and wanted to spend more time with his family. Specifically, Buckridge produced the Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair matches at “The Show of Shows.”

    Buckridge also worked in WWE’s Talent Relations department. Now, per a report from PWInsider, Buckrige was backstage at AEW Dynamite this week and has started with the company as a producer. While WWE’s rigorous travel schedule was too much for Buckridge given his desire to spend more time with his family, AEW’s seems to be a much better fit for the veteran.

    Shortly after his WWE departure earlier this month, he released the following statement, reflecting on his three years with the company:

    “As a producer/agent, I feel that I have accomplished everything I wanted to do within WWE in the last three years. My endless gratitude beams from working with so many wonderful talents, especially the ultra talented Women’s Division. To my Producer brothers (and sister): You are the greatest collection of misfits that I’ve ever been with.

    “I already miss my second family. Thank you John Laurinaitis for bringing me into this wonderful group and thank you Freebird for being our foul mouthed general. And to my fellow New Yawka, Paul Heyman.

    “Thanks for providing a mitzvah and helping this gentile out. Sending love to the production truck, stage crew, parking, travel, makeup, photo, digital, security, IT, writers, props, social, legal, seamsters, live events, medical, and any other department that I’ve leaned on for something.

    “I look forward to using my new time to return/expand my training schools/promotions, working all over, and sleeping in my own bed more than twice a week. To my darling wife, Lauren and baby Harrison. I don’t know how you put up with this gypsy. I [heart emoji] you both. Dada will be home soon.”

  • ROH World Title Match Set For AEW Battle of the Belts

    ROH World Title Match Set For AEW Battle of the Belts

    It’s a big week for Ring of Honor Wrestling on AEW television.

    Despite the future of ROH itself being unknown, their championships have been featured this week on national television. Wednesday night’s edition of AEW Dynamite saw Samoa Joe defeat Minoru Suzuki for the ROH Television Championship in the main event of the broadcast. It was a fantastic match that unfortunately was somewhat overshadowed by some loud criticism surrounding the way the end of the show was booked with Satnam Singh’s debut.

    That being said, it was also announced on Wednesday night that ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham will defend his championship against Dalton Castle this Saturday night during the second edition of AEW Battle of the Belts on TNT.

    Other matches announced for AEW Battle of the Belts II include:

    AEW Women’s Championship Match
    Thunder Rosa (c) vs. Nyla Rose

    AEW TNT Championship Match
    Scorpio Sky (c) vs. Sammy Guevara

    There has been lots of gold on the line this week. In addition to the aforementioned ROH TV Championship match, Dynamite this week also featured Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus sucessfully defending the AEW Tag Team Championships against reDRagon (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish).

    The AEW World Championship will also be on the line this week, though that bout will occur Friday night on Rampage. “Hangman” Adam Page will put the title on the line against Adam Cole in a Texas Deathmatch.

    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. 

  • Young Bucks Deny Taking Shot at Cody Rhodes, Talk Current Relationship

    Young Bucks Deny Taking Shot at Cody Rhodes, Talk Current Relationship

    There has been a lot of speculation about the relationships between Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks, but according to a new interview, that has been a lot of speculation over nothing.

    Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson sat down with Sports Illustrated and discussed Rhodes moving on from AEW, as well as the idea that they took a shot at Rhodes recently on Twitter.

    After Rhodes returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38, he took to his Twitter account and wrote, “Wrestling is a love story.”

    Around the same time, The Young Bucks updated their Twitter bio. That bio read, “The story of a couple of self-made SoCal kids who came from nothing & built a gigantic movement was never going to be romantic enough for you.”

    Speaking to SI, Matt Jackson denied this was a cryptic message to Rhodes. He noted that both he and his brother keep in touch with Cody and they wish him the best with WWE. Instead, he claimed the update was a reference to wrestling fans.

    “That Twitter bio was actually dedicated to cynical wrestling fans who’ve always discredited us and shaped a narrative early on that we weren’t important to the launch of AEW. So they ran with a story that made more sense to them. We talk to Cody regularly, and hope nothing but the best for him,” Matt Jackson said.

    Prior to the aforementioned Twitter bio update, The Bucks had updated it around the time of Cody’s return at WrestleMania to wrestle Seth Rollins. That time, the bio read, “Wtf I thought we were doing All In 2.” Neither brother was asked about that one by SI, but it clearly was a reference to Cody.

    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. 

  • Tony Khan Recalls Taking Notice Of MJF During His MLW Days

    Tony Khan Recalls Taking Notice Of MJF During His MLW Days

    AEW President Tony Khan had his eyes on MJF before his promotion was officially founded.

    Maxwell Jacob Friedman is widely regarded as someone who can blossom into a megastar. As it stands now, many view him as the top heel in AEW. With that said, the general consensus is that he hasn’t even come close to reaching his full potential.

    Tony Khan Kept Tabs On MJF

    During an appearance on Wrestling with Freddie, Tony Khan said that he had been following MJF’s work for a while.

    “The man of the moment in wrestling. I was watching MLW and it was hard to miss MJF. For weeks and weeks and months and months all through 2018, I saw him cut a lot of promos on MLW.

    “They had a lot of good people on the show at that time. So, I was watching it pretty regularly looking for people. I would go back in that summer and MJF was one of the real standout people.”

    While MJF’s future is looking bright the question remains, will he stick with AEW beyond 2024? That’s the year his contract will expire and he has teased a potential jump to WWE.

    Khan has said that he expects a bidding war to ensue.

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

  • Report: AEW Console Game Has Tentative Release Date

    Report: AEW Console Game Has Tentative Release Date

    The AEW console game apparently has a tentative release window and it’s a lot closer than you might think.

    Fightful Select reports that the timeframe for AEW’s first foray into console gaming is late September. The report makes note that this is a tentative release window, meaning it’s entirely possible that the game can be pushed back if need be.

    Some newer AEW talents have said on social media that they may have missed the time period to make it into the game. This indicates that the game is on track for that late September window but many factors will determine if that plan can be executed.

    The upcoming AEW video game is being developed by Yuke’s, the former longtime developer of past WWE games.

  • Sasha Banks Invites Jon Moxley Back to WWE

    Sasha Banks Invites Jon Moxley Back to WWE

    Sasha Banks would love to see AEW stars Jon Moxley, Dustin Rhodes and Ruby Soho back in WWE some day.

    The Legit Boss appeared on NBC Sports Boston’s Ten Count podcast to promote Friday’s SmackDown from her hometown at the DCU Center.

    During her chat with host Steve Fall, Banks spoke about Cody Rhodes’ return to WWE, her history-making win at WrestleMania 38, her role on Star Wars: The Mandalorian and much more.

    Sasha Banks Invites Jon Moxley Back to WWE

    While discussing Cody Rhodes returning “home” to WWE, Banks said she’d like to see several other AEW stars join him. She specifically named Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley), Goldust (Dustin Rhodes) and Ruby Riot (Ruby Soho).

    “It’s good to see the Rhodes’ back in WWE, you know.. Next, let’s bring back Goldust,” said Banks. “Let’s bring them all back. Dean Ambrose, you want to come? Let’s go! The more the merrier. Let’s do it!”

    Banks wasn’t done name-dropping AEW talent. She’d also like to see Ruby Soho back on the WWE roster.

    “I would love to see Ruby Riot back in the WWE Universe, yes,” she added. “Yes, absolutely. That’s one of them.”

    It remains to be seen if Jon Moxley, Dustin Rhodes and Ruby Riot have any interest in going back to WWE. However, it’s interesting to see Sasha Banks at least extend the invite.

    Check out Sasha Banks’ interview with Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston:

  • Minoru Suzuki Warns, “Samoa Joe is Going to Feel a Lot of Pain”

    Minoru Suzuki Warns, “Samoa Joe is Going to Feel a Lot of Pain”

    Minoru Suzuki plans to inflict a great deal of pain on Samoa Joe when they meet in the ring this Wednesday at AEW Dynamite.

    All Elite Wrestling surprised wrestling fans last week by announcing Suzuki will defend the Ring of Honor Television Championship against the Samoan Submission Machine. This will be Suzuki’s first title defense he captured the gold from Rhett Titus at ROH’s Supercard of Honor back on Apr. 1.

    While fans are excited about the title bout, but the New Japan Pro Wrestling veteran isn’t letting the hype distract him. In an interview with Sports Illustrated the champion shared his thoughts on his upcoming title defense against Joe.

    “Many fans think this matchup is very special, but for me, I have to stay true to myself,” Suzuki told Justin Barrasso. “…I am here to hurt people. The opponent truly does not matter. This week, I will make Samoa Joe suffer.”

    Samoa Joe Minoru Suzuki

    More on Minoru Suzuki’s Thoughts on Samoa Joe

    Wrestling fans are expecting Suzuki vs. Joe to be a very physical match. Both competitors have a very aggressive and hard-hitting style in the ring, making for a fascinating title match. The man who is (lovingly) known as Murder Grandpa is ready for the title defense. However, he questions if Joe is prepared for what he plans to do.

    “People are brave until they step into the ring with me, said Suzuki (h/t Barrasso). He explained, “Hopefully, Samoa Joe is not scared. I don’t know him well, but he will know me by the time we are done.”

    Suzuki concluded by saying, “…I hurt people, that is what I do. Samoa Joe is going to feel a lot of pain.”

    The Apr. 13 episode of AEW Dynamite could be an exciting show based on the matches announced. The episode also has the AEW Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express defending their titles against reDRagon. It’s unclear which title match will be the main event of this week’s AEW Dynamite.

    Jay Lethal also teased a present for Joe on this week’s episode. Lethal could have some interference in the title bout, which may upset fans. Although, it may lead to a feud between Lethal and Joe, who have a history from their time in Impact Wrestling. Regardless, the matchups of Suzuki vs. Joe and Jurassic Express vs. reDRagon could result in good TV rating numbers for AEW.

  • Booker T: Is Tony Khan Losing His Damn Mind?

    Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T recently took to his podcast, “The Hall Of Fame,” to offer his thoughts on All Elite Wrestling (AEW) president Tony Khan’s recent controversial comments.

    For those who missed it, Khan claimed that an independent study confirms that an online “bot army” has been deployed to spread negativity about AEW on social media. Khan didn’t name anyone specifically for who was behind the “thousands” of Twitter accounts using bots to derail AEW’s image, but noted “Look closely, these aren’t real people.”

    While the AEW frontman didn’t name WWE as the accused, he did ask “Who’d pay for such a wildly expensive thing?” As expected, Khan’s comments were met with a ton of blowback, and Booker T’s thoughts were no different. The Hall Of Famer asked if Khan is “losing his damn mind?”

    “Is Tony Khan losing his damn mind? I know he’s off into analytics, I think he works in that field, but people are going to hate, okay? Everybody is not going to like ya,” Booker T said (via Wrestling Inc.). “I know Eric Bischoff said that Tony Khan had thin skin, and this came out right after that. I don’t know if that proves that or not.”

    Booker T also went on to suggest that AEW should take such comments as nothing more than exactly that – comments. He also noted that he has only ever seen nothing but positive comments about AEW on social media before all of this. With that being said, despite the controversial comments, Khan seems focused on making sure AEW continues to thrive for years to come.

  • Tony Khan Would Like to See Conor McGregor & Floyd Mayweather in AEW

    Tony Khan Would Like to See Conor McGregor & Floyd Mayweather in AEW

    Tony Khan isn’t afraid to go all-in with bringing combat sports stars into All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Khan recently signed former UFC and Bare Knuckle FC (BKFC) fighter Paige VanZant to AEW last month.

    VanZant has amassed quite a following over her young combat sports career, and will be bringing those eyeballs over to AEW. However, if Khan would like to, there’s a lot more opportunity to be had when it comes to poaching combat sports stars. Speaking to ESPN, Khan was asked what other combat stars he’d consider bringing into AEW.

    Khan didn’t hesitate to name the two biggest stars in combat sports today – Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather.

    “I’m thinking Conor McGregor or Floyd Mayweather, probably, are the two biggest draws, I think,” Khan said. “I don’t know for sure. I’d probably say one of those two. They’re both huge stars.”

    While only Mayweather has some professional wrestling experience, McGregor has expressed his interest in delving into the world on numerous occasions. Recently, McGregor commented on not attending WrestleMania 38 from Dallas, Texas earlier this month. The Irishman is healing up from a leg injury that he suffered in his last fight against Dustin Poirier last year.

    He’s currently preparing to make his return to the Octagon later this year, making a potential professional wrestling appearance highly unlikely in the meantime. As for Mayweather, now that he’s retired from professional boxing, perhaps Tony Khan could lure him into the squared circle for the right price. “Money” actually competed at WrestleMania 24 back in 2008, defeating The Big Show in a No Disqualification match.