Back in January, Mexico’s AAA promotion announced the company would be holding three TripleMania events this year to commemorate its 30-year anniversary:
April 30th (Monterrey)
June 18th (Tijuana)
October 15th (Mexico City)
A press conference on Tuesday where it was revealed that Matt and Jeff Hardy will face Dragon Lee & Dralistico at Triplemania Tijuana.
This will be the Hardys’ first match under the AAA banner. The decorated tag team has only worked in Mexico during their time with WWE.
The Hardys are not the only AEW tag team working for AAA this year. Former AEW tag champions The Young Bucks will face Rey Fenix and AAA Mega Champion Hijo del Vikingo at Triplemania Monterrey next month.
Booker Thas called out AEW’s Dax Harwood, saying that he will slap him across the face just like Will Smith did to Chris Rock during the Oscars. FTR of the AEW had called out Harlem Heat before their release from the WWE. Booker T and Dax Harwood are at it again, trash-talking each other.
Harwood sent out a message and called out Booker T for ignoring FTR’s challenge when they were known as The Revival in WWE. This came about when Booker mentioned the idea of a match between the two teams during WrestleMania weekend in Dallas.
Harwood had sent a message saying that Booker needs to call daddy Vince McMahon and set up a match if he wants to face the FTR, as they don’t answer to anyone but Booker might need permission to do things. This is Harwood to previous remarks from Booker which said that FTR should get permission from Tony Khan to set the match up. “I don’t have to get permission from anybody, I run my life! Nobody else tells me what to do, I run my life! […] You’re the corporate man, okay? I’m the one who rocks the boat, you stand in a straight line. If you want FTR, if you want me and Cash [Wheeler], if you want the absolute best tag team of all time walking this earth today, you and your brother, Just get on the phone. Call daddy Vince. Until then, stay off my mentions,” Harwood said in the video.
Booker T felt the need to set the record straight and on the latest episode of his Hall Of Famepodcast, he responded to the message sent with some choice words.
“Dax Harwood, right? He called me, and actually said, ‘hey, this, that, whatnot and the other. They are willing to do this, they don’t have to answer to anybody. If anything I have got to answer to my daddy.’ Let’s just get that straight real quick,” he said. “I don’t have to answer to anyone. Of course, I work for a company, and they treat me very well. But when it comes time to having to deal with someone on a personal level, like Will Smith, I will slap the taste clean out of your mouth,” Booker T said (via WrestlingInc).
As far as the Harlem Heat reunion goes, Booker said that it all depends on his brother. However, if that doesn’t pan out, Booker gave Harwood the option of facing him in the ring one-on-one.
“My thing is this, I can’t make my brother do anything, I can’t make Harlem Heat reform like old school back in the day. But I just want to put this out there, and Dax Harwood I want you to know personally. I have nothing personally against you. But, as far as stepping inside the squared circle and schooling you, I would love to do that, Booker said. “So my thing is this, if my brother can not step up and be partners, may I have a partner of my choosing, and we still get this done? Or, Dax, you and I handle this like men, one on one. Let me know, hit me in the DMs.”
AEW President Tony Khan reportedly had a heated discussion with MJF over the weekend.
Fightful Select reported today the discussion was said to have left both men frustrated and stemmed from MJF’s interview with Ariel Helwani. The hour-long interview covered various topics from his contract status with AEW to liking WWE’s Bruce Prichard and more.
2024 is when MJF’s deal expires, which looks to be a big year for the pro wrestling industry as WWE reportedly has an interest in signing the top AEW star. MJF admitted that he’s not afraid to “stir the pot” until his deal is up.
MJF said he knows for a fact that the company is interested, but he can’t discuss why for legal reasons.
The report noted, “we’re told that the contract status of MJF is what has left the young star frustrated of late, but that Tony Khan took issue with the interview being set up without notifying AEW’s PR team of such.” T
Sources in AEW didn’t think there would have been an issue with the subject matter or the interview in general if it were set up with AEW’s PR team first.
Wrestling legend Gangrel spoke with SEScoops Ella Jay this week to promote his return to Major League Wrestling (MLW). The Attitude Era star competed on this week’s episode of MLW Fusion, which you can catch on YouTube.
We discussed a wide variety of topics, including why we never got a Brood reunion in WWE, what he thinks is missing from today’s pro wrestling and much more. In this installment, we’re looking at Gangrel’s comments about training MMA fighter and AEW star, Paige VanZant.
Here’s our half-hour interview with Gangrel, with some highlights below:
Training Paige VanZant
Gangrel is currently training AEW star Paige VanZant at Coastal Championship Wrestling in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Gangrel reveals he was actually “super worried” to train VanZant, but now believes she has a bright future in pro wrestling.
“I was super worried about it. I know that Dan Lambert and them were very particular about where she trained. She could have went anywhere but because she’s local, it made a lot of sense for her to come down here in South Florida.
“I was trained by Boris Malenko and he’s a fan of the old school of training and the foundations of it. With training Rusev or Miro, Jacob and some of the other people, I felt comfortable coming there. I was a little worried, but she’s tremendous.
“I think AEW is probably on to something there and they’re gonna have a really good star on their future because like, I’ve trained a lot of people and she’s so coachable. I don’t know if it’s from Dancing with the Stars, that can’t be possible easy. There’s a lot of discipline. She was a gymnast, ballerina and plus she’s a fighter. She’s a bare-knuckle fighter, boxer and a mixed martial artist.
“So she’s got all this background and coming over to pro wrestling that could be very hard transition because it is smoke and mirrors. It’s pro wrestling entertainment or however you want to look at it. It’s not like we’re gonna go out and just kill somebody.
“Anyway, you gotta work together. I was am little worried but what she’s learned in like, three hours has taken me 3-6 months to teach other people. That’s how quick she’s learning. That’s how amazing she is. And her attitude is really, really good about it. I get a little worried when outsiders come in and they kind of take a crap on our business. You know what I mean? She’s got not a bad attitude at all. Just a golden attitude and I think she’s gonna be a something in the future. I think she’s got a future in pro wrestling.”
PVZ’s Transition from MMA to Wrestling
Paige VanZant is a great athlete and is charismatic, which is a winning formula in pro wrestling. Gangrel says PVZ is in this for the long haul and he hasn’t had to change much about the skills she brings to the squared circle.
“I don’t know where AEW is going with her. I think she’ll be hotshotted into some kind of match but but she wants to be actually trained properly on the backside for a future in wrestling. So I think they’re gonna hotshot an angle, but I think she wants to be long term and wrestle so she’s learning the proper way.”
He added, “I’ve haven’t had to change anything yet. She tends to have a fighter stance but it works for her. What I’ve learned about training somebody is that you don’t try to change who they are or what they’ve done. You just try to adapt them to to what suits them best for everybody involved.”
Gangrel was asked if he has a certain teaching style that he’s found to be more effective. The former Brood member said that it varies on the requirement of the student, but he works on the foundation and the basics the most. According to him, if the foundation is strong then one can learn anything whether it’s becoming a luchador, brawler or a high-flying wrestler.
He compared it to a cement slab that could support any type of roof as long as the foundation is strong. With Paige VanZant, Gangrel spends an hour just on the basics. While on the topic, he gave a shoutout to his student Jacob Fatu for being well rounded with everything including his footwork, strikes and highflying ability.
Tony Khan is making a big promise to fans ahead of the Owen Hart Cup.
Back in Sept. 2021, AEW announced a partnership with the Owen Hart Foundation. The business relationship between AEW and the foundation means the company will be able to market merchandise using Owen’s likeness. This includes the upcoming AEW console game.
Tony Khan On Owen Hart Cup
AEW’s head honcho Tony Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio and said he has high hopes for the tournaments and made a bold promise to fans (via Wrestling Inc).
“I’m excited, in May, we’re going to start the Owen Hart Cup tournament. And before the cup tournament starts, similar to the Olympics or the World Cup or a lot of the big tournament events out there, there’s qualifying. You know, pre-tournament qualifying. And we’re going to have that for The Owen Hart Cup, both the women’s tournament and the men’s tournament.
“And I’m really excited about getting in there and finding out who’s going to make the competition. I’ll have announcements coming up soon about The Owen Hart qualifying matches, but I promise the fans these tournaments, both the men’s tournament and the women’s tournament, will be excellent.”
There will be a men’s and women’s tournament for the cup. The widow of Owen, Dr. Martha Hart, will be presenting the trophies to the winners.
Dustin Rhodes worked a match against Lance Archer this week on AEW Rampage, and Rhodes revealed on Saturday that he did not walk away from the match unscathed.
Rhodes won the match but was attacked by Archer after the final bell. In a post to social media on Saturday, Rhodes revealed that he had to get five stitches and also suffered a ruptured eardrum.
“Hey guys, rough night, told you all I’d give you an update,” Rhodes said. “Got five stitches in the head. Pretty sore. The main thing is that I have a busted eardrum. Cannot hear out of it at all. But guess what? I’m in good spirits and I’m not going anywhere.”
You can view Rhodes’ video addressing the injury below.
Rhodes looks to remain a member of the AEW roster for the immediate future as his brother, Cody Rhodes, prepares to return to WWE this week as part of WrestleMania 38 in Arlington, Texas. This is likely what he was referring to with the “I’m not going anywhere” comment, at least tongue-in-cheek. It’s unknown how long the injury will keep Dustin out of action.
At the first-ever AEW event back in 2019, the Double or Nothing PPV event in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Rhodes brothers had what is still arguably one of the top matches in the history of AEW. Dustin walked away bloody from that encounter as well.
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.
Among all the new generation of wrestlers, MJF is one star who is holding the torch of old-school wrestling. His character work has helped him become one of the most talked-about wrestling personalities at the young age of 26. The fastest-rising pro wrestler of all time recently spoke to Ariel Helwani. He discussed the current wrestling landscape and detailed his issues with the performers of the new generation.
The AEW star said that people are trying to become something that they are not. Per MJF, wrestlers nowadays are trying to fool people into believing that they are a star:
“Here’s my issue with professional wrestling today and why I stand out like no other. I feel like people are putting on a superhero costume before they go through the curtain, they are trying to be something that they’re not. They’re trying to fool people into believing they’re a star. The reason why the territory days were a beautiful thing is because these men were themselves. They were men.”
MJF explained that nobody had to tell people like Tully Blanchard or Ric Flair how to act. Such names became famous just being themselves. According to the salt of the earth, people like Buddy Landel were authentic just like he is:
“Just like I’m as real as it gets and that’s why, to me, that’s the golden age of professional wrestling. Right now, we’re having a resurfacing of the golden age of professional wrestling and I’m leading that charge. You’re welcome.”
During the talk MJF also revealed that WWE had shown interest in him before he joined AEW. The Pinnacle leader went into detail behind his decision to choose Tony Khan as his boss over Vince McMahon. You can check out his comments at this link.
With a three-decade long career in professional wrestling, The Undertaker is one of most successful pro wrestlers of all time. His advice is very useful for any talent including Keith Lee.
The limitless one recently appeared on AEW Unrestricted. He talked about things such as receiving a big pop during his AEW debut and more.
Speaking of The Dead Man, Lee revealed something The Undertaker told him a long time ago that has been instrumental to his career:
“He told me, years, and years, and years ago. ‘In this life, whatever it is I choose to do, I need to make sure that it means something. Don’t do anything for nothing, always make it mean something.’
“That is something that I have applied, especially wrestling in the indies.” said Keith Lee, “Any match that I’ve had, I’ve tried to make it sure that match meant something special.”
The AEW star also detailed another interaction he had with one of the most legendary pro wrestling names in Jim Ross. Lee revealed that Ross pulled him aside after his third failed tryout with WWE.
According to him, JR told him that he believed him to be a ‘million-dollar talent’ despite the rejection. It was something he appreciated very much coming from the Attitude Era star.
Chris Jericho had a major health scare last year at a time when AEW still bringing in big names such as Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, and Adam Cole.
Jericho was hospitalized in December with what was described as a treatable non-covid health issue, which caused his rock band Fozzy to cancel concerts in Swansea, Wales, and Nottingham, England. He was hospitalized just so the doctors could observe him overnight.
AEW President Tony Khan recently sat down with STRONG STYLE on Outlaw Nation to discuss a wide variety of subjects. During it, he noted that Jericho was out of action for a few months due to a blood clot.
“When CM Punk Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole came in, I saw them as adding two great stars. We already had Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley. Well, very quickly. Chris Jericho had a blood clot and was out of the ring for months. And Jon Moxley was gone for months, and Kenny Omega has been out for months. So we had our first three champions. Jericho Moxley and Omega all go out within a very short time span.”
He added that he was glad he signed Punk, Danielson, and Cole or they would have been in real trouble at the end of the year. Khan didn’t confirm when Jericho was dealing with this, but he did miss two months around the time period that Khan was talking about.
Jericho’s last match of 2021 was at AEW Full Gear on November 13th where The Inner Circle defeated American Top Team in a street fight. He didn’t wrestle until the January 26th episode of AEW Dynamite in a tag team match.
Ricky Starks is the current FTW Champion but what exactly is his goal with the title?
Starks has made several successful FTW Title defenses. It’s a piece of hardware created by Taz in his ECW days. The “Human Suplex Machine” passed the title down to Brian Cage before turning on him. Starks then defeated Cage to capture the gold.
Ricky Starks On Plans For FTW Championship
Ricky Starks made an appearance on Busted Open Radio and he went into detail on the pressure of making sure he does Taz justice with his title reign.
“You know what, ever since I actually won the title, it’s been a very big goal of mine to – I don’t wanna say revamp, but make it a lot more important than what the previous champion was doing with it. And so, obviously, Taz is very protective of the FTW Championship because there’s a big history and it’s a part – it’s a huge part of him.
“So, not only do I have the pressure of making sure I retain the championship, but I also have the pressure of making sure that I do right by Taz. And represent that championship as best as I can to my ability. And I think we’ve gotten to a point him and I, where he can trust me, that I will not do wrong by him when it comes to the FTW Title.”
Starks’ next title defense will be against newly-signed AEW talent Swerve Strickland. The two will share the ring on the March 25 episode of Rampage.
A new trademark filing may be used for All Elite Wrestling’s highly anticipated AEW console video game.
On Monday (3/21), AEW filed an application to secure the phrase, AEW: Fight Forever. According to the US Patent & Trademark Office database, the Goods & Services usage is listed as:
“Downloadable game software; Downloadable computer game software; Downloadable electronic game software; Downloadable interactive game software; Video game discs; Downloadable video game programs; Downloadable video game software; Recorded video game programs; Recorded video game software.”
AEW also filed to trademark the term “Undisputed Elite” this week. The Goods & Services usage for Undisputed Elite is described as:
“Fan clubs; Providing a website featuring entertainment information in the fields of sports and entertainment; Providing entertainment information in the fields of sports and entertainment via a website; Conducting entertainment exhibitions in the nature of wresting exhibits and performances by professional wrestlers; Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network.”
AEW Video Game
AEW is expected to release its first console video game later this year. Below are some recent articles chronicling the games development:
When Paul Wight signed with AEW in 2021, people expected a lot of things. None of the fans, however, would have expected to see the former world champion busting out one of the craziest personas of his career – Captain Insano.
Though according to Wight, that’s exactly what we will be seeing very soon.
The man formerly known as the Big Show revealed this news during an interview on The Rob Brown Show. He confirmed that Tony Khan has secured the rights to the character from The Waterboy movie. They have already started working on creative plans for the gimmick:
“I’ve been lucky enough for being able to keep a job for a long time because I’ve been versatile. I think it’s a jack of all trades master of none. So the versatility has kept me around for a long time but Tony Khan and I have some pretty fun stuff coming up in the future that him and I put together. We’ve actually secured the rights to Captain Insano. So we are gonna break out Captain Insano [pretty soon]. [He] will be coming out in the next couple [of] months.”
The AEW star also joked (?) that he will be taking inspiration from Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Bollea for the character:
“So that’s why I’ve kind of toned down a little bit on the in-ring performing as well. We’re kind of let that settling and just doing the commentary. I’m getting wardrobe put together now for the outfits. Max Dunbar who’s incredible comic book design guy helped draw the outfit up for Captain Insano. We’re getting that made now and before you know it Captain Insano is gonna be running wild in AEW dude.
So, you know, and I’m probably gonna rip poor Terry off but hopefully, he discovered me. Hopefully he’ll give me a pass as long as I don’t drop too many copyrighted phrases, I think I’ll be okay with it.”
If you use the quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Paul Wight has been active in the sports entertainment business for almost three decades. In this time he has portrayed many different characters and competed for the three major wrestling companies of his time, namely WCW, WWE, and now AEW. Over the years, Wight has gotten to portray both heel and babyface characters multiple times, but which one does the heavyweight star prefer?
The former world champion was asked this question during his appearance on The Rob Brown Show. Replying to it, he claimed that he loves both. Though he later explained how being the bad guy suits his presence and size more:
“It’s funny, I love all of those. I think what suits my presence and size is when I’m [the] bad guy, when I’m a heel in our business. It’s an easier story to tell because we’ve all seen David and Goliath. We all understand it’s not the size of the dog in a fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. And all that other motivational stuff that sinks in with us on a deep psychological level,” explained Paul Wight, “People understand overcoming big obstacles, whether it’s hurdles in our life and even through evolution, we’ve had to evolve and overcome hurdles.
So seeing a physical representation of that in the ring, portraying a character that is not necessarily popular. It’s a much easier pendulum to swing as a talent. It’s a little harder to get sympathy. It’s a little harder as a performer, to create a story in which you’re vulnerable. Or a smaller guy can get you in a vulnerable position physically. So it’s a harder story to tell. I think, personally, I like doing the more interactive fun stuff, where the energy is high.”
If you use the quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
One former WWE star believes there is untapped potential with Paige VanZant in the wrestling industry.
VanZant made several appearances on AEW TV before signing with the promotion. PVZ is known for her pro MMA career but she’s made the transition to bare-knuckle boxing. BKFC President David Feldman recently announced that VanZant will be back in action on July 9 in London.
Gangrel On Paige VanZant Wrestling
Making it big in the wrestling industry takes more than an athletic background. With that said, Gangrel took to the Fangin N Bangin podcast to express his belief that Paige VanZant could thrive in AEW.
“I’ve met her and had a couple of training sessions with her. She’s definitely bad ass. She has a lot of talent. She’s very coachable. She has a passion for it. AEW should be happy in the long run with what’s going to go on with her. I don’t know if they signed her for a year or what the deal was, but she definitely has a lot of potential, definitely has talent.
“She’ll come along pretty well and pretty fast. What she’s learned in two sessions, let’s say three hours to be generous with those sessions, those three hours, it’s taken me three months to teach some people with talent. Six months for others. The fact that she’s a professional athlete and a ballerina. Dancing With The Stars is no joke.
“You have to be super disciplined and learn routines, dances, footwork, and form. All that comes into play. She’s making my job easy. I appreciate that. Hopefully it continues to be easy, she goes on to do great things, and I can say, ‘Oh, I had a part in that’.”
Gangrel has been training PVZ ahead of her in-ring debut. VanZant has been feuding with Tay Conti. She had been involved in a storyline with Brandi Rhodes before Brandi and Cody Rhodes left AEW.
Jeff Hardy wasn’t clued in on AEW lacking writers.
For some former WWE stars, the adjustment from the Vince McMahon-led empire to a promotion such as AEW can take some time getting used to. We’ve seen Bryan Danielson admit that he enjoyed working with the writers in WWE and had to get used to having more freedom in his segments and matches.
Jeff Hardy Didn’t Get The Memo
Matt Hardy spoke to Under The Ring and he said that Jeff had no idea that AEW didn’t have writers ahead of his promotional debut on the March 9 episode of Dynamite (h/t Wrestling Inc).
“AEW is on a higher platform than a Ring of Honor or TNA. Especially with their television deal, which is lovely and is fantastic to have, and here, just being able to have input and help control your own destiny, it’s just an amazing feeling.
“Like my brother when he came in yesterday, or last week and we were talking about the segment I was doing with Andrade, he was like ‘oh, you know, do the writers have it how they want this to go?’ ‘Dude, there’s no writers here. They don’t have writers in AEW, that doesn’t happen. Literally, there’s a segment and this is kind of outline of what they’re thinking, and then you put the meat on the bone. You and your crew.’ And that’s what we did.”
The Hardys are involved in a feud with the Andrade Family Office. This began when Andrade kicked Matt out of his own faction. Andrade, along with other members of the AFO attacked Matt before Darby Allin and Sting hit the ring.
The numbers game was too great until Jeff Hardy made a surprise appearance and cleaned house.
AEW announced the winners of the 2021 AEW Awards on YouTube before AEW Dynamite on Wednesday. The winners of the awards were by selected by online fan-voting over the past two weeks. There were a total of 12 categories.
The awards were presented by Tony Schiavone with co-hosts Dr. Britt Baker DMD, just like they did last year. This year, however, “The Men of the Year” Ethan Page and AEW TNT Champion Scorpio Sky also joined them in the ceremony. There were many surprise appearances throughout the ceremony.
The award for the Biggest Surprise Moment kicked off the AEW Awards, with Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson’s debuts at All Out winning. The Wrestler of the Year Award was given to Kenny Omega, who said in his acceptance speech that 2021 was one of the hardest years of his career. Omega has been inactive in the ring since Full Gear back in November as he’s sustained injuries. Omega thanked his fans for the award and said that it serves as motivation for him to get back in the ring in better shape.
You can see the full list of the 2021 AEW Awards winners below:
Biggest Surprise: Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson debut at All Out
Biggest Beatdown: Adam Page goes 60 minutes with Bryan Danielson at Winter Is Coming
High Flyer Award: Dante Martin
Best Moment on the Mic: CM Punk returns at AEW Rampage: The First Dance
Biggest WTF Moment: TayJay (Anna Jay and Tay Conti) vs. The Bunny and Penelope Ford in a Street Fight on New’s Year Smash
Best Twitter Follow: Nyla Rose
Best Fashion Moment: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. “Brittsburgh” jacket on Dynamite (August 11)
Best Mic Duel: CM Punk with MJF on Thanksgiving Eve on Dynamite (November 24)
Best Tag Team Brawl: The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix) in a Steel Cage match at All Out
Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson have history with one another, even before they were part of All Elite Wrestling. They competed with each other in the WWE and even before then.
With this shared history between them, Bryan Danielson wanted to team up Jon Moxley, so that they could mentor the young talents of AEW and shape them under their wing. Moxley was reluctant, saying that he and Danielson will have to bleed together before they can be partners. The both did just that at AEW Revolution, which Moxley came out winning. They both kept brawling even after the match until William Regal arrived and convinced them to be partners.
On this week’s Dynamite, Danielson and Moxley arrived as a tag team with Regal managing them. They dominated Varsity Blonds who they had a match against, and after the match, Moxley told Regal that he only cares about Lord William Regal’s opinion. According to him, getting Regal’s approval is a badge of honor that he will wear with pride. He made it clear to the locker room that they are “the three most sadistic bastards in the business” and they will go through anyone who gets in their way.
Moxley then revealed the name of their group, the Blackpool Combat Club.
“Blackpool” in the group’s name is a reference to where William Regal is billed from — the town of Blackpool in Lancashire, England.
William Regal made his debut at Revolution, and he has had a long history with Bryan Danielson. The two shared the ring for the final time on a WWE Superstars episode in November 2011. Regal recalled his emotional last match with Danielson in an interview, saying:
“I tore me meniscus in my right leg. The next night I’m on with Bryan. They were going ‘no you can’t wrestle, you can’t wrestle.’ I said ‘no I want to put him over because he is the person who has stuck around me and listened to all my nonsense for the last [so many years] and comment and called me and sent me stuff. And I’ve sent him to places and put good words in for him and whatever else. If there is one person I wanna to have my last match with its him.’ So if you watch that match, you will see me walk down to the ring and then they actually played a rib on me. [They] played my old Man’s man music halfway down the ramp. I’m glad because they had to help me in the building that day. I couldn’t walk. I don’t like giving away this you know, that old fashioned things. But If you watch that match it’s 17 minutes of him carrying me because I can’t walk. He did a masterful job. He actually even wrestled and did stuff on my leg without bending it.”
MJF is only 26 years old and he already is one of the most popular stars in the wrestling world. He had started gaining attention even before his signing with AEW. So much so that even WWE had shown interest in bringing him on board, but the former MLW star chose to sign with Tony Khan’s promotion instead.
The Pinnacle leader explained the reasoning behind his decision during an interview with veteran MMA journalist, Ariel Helwani.
WWE Interested in MJF
MJF claimed that the biggest question in his mind was which company would let him be his authentic self. After talking to Khan, he realized that AEW was the better fit for him:
“I knew there was serious interest in me in WWE, but again, I thought to myself, ‘Are they gonna let me be me?’ That’s my biggest thing. Because I’m not fake. Everything about me is real. Are you gonna let me do what I do best? Let me be me. Then I got to talking to Tony Khan.” recalled MJF, “I was linked up with him by my good friend Cody Rhodes. Hope you’re doing good buddy. And we talked for hours on end over the phone, me and my BFF TK, about mid-south [wrestling], about AWA, about Buddy Landel, about Butch Reed.
The Long Island wrestling prodigy continued, “And I immediately thought to myself, ‘Okay, this guy gets it, and he gets me.’ That’s what was the most important thing to me. So at that point in my career [it] was a no brainer. Now, you bring me anywhere, I’m gonna be a top guy in your promotion so it doesn’t really matter. But at that point, I needed to make sure I had the perfect launching off point in my career.”
The IWC is usually known to be critical of WWE programming. MJF on the other hand, loves everything the Vince McMahon-owned company is doing. The fastest rising star in the history of pro wrestling recently had an interview with Ariel Helwani. He first discussed how he has a lot of respect for the Executive Director of Raw and SmackDown Bruce Prichard.
Speaking of the WWE programming, MJF claimed that he loves everything they are doing. This includes the recent rebranding of NXT:
“See, I think WWE is doing great. I love everything WWE’s doing. I just think we are fresh and we have fresh faces that people haven’t seen before. I think right now everything that Vince [McMahon] and Bruce Prichard are putting out there is absolutely incredible. I love it. I love NXT 2.0. I love Raw, I love SmackDown.”
MJF also praised Roman Reigns and ‘fellow member of the tribe’ Paul Heyman for absolutely killing it. He showed his sympathy for what’s going on with Brock Lesnar, before returning to the topic:
“I think they’re putting out a great product. I think the big difference, quite frankly is that AEW has MJF. That’s the biggest difference-maker you could possibly have,”
The three times Dynamite Diamond Ring winner is currently feuding with his former bodyguard Wardlow. He sent Wardlow home after the heavyweight star cost him his match against CM Punk at Revolution.
AEW’s PPV sales have only been increasing event after event. This includes their latest PPV in Revolution and Tony Khan is leaving no opportunity to tout their success. The AEW owner discussed a number of things during his appearance on Busted Open Radio. This included CM Punk’s dog collar match with MJF at Revolution and more.
Talking about the PPV buyrates, Khan expressed that people probably don’t know the significance of the numbers they have been doing. He went on to compare their buy rates to WWE from a time where getting people to buy PPVs was easier:
“You look back for example at the competition, and before they stopped doing pay-per-views in 2013, at a time when it was arguably easier to get people to order a pay-per-view, or sit down and devote that time. But if it is an apples-apples comparison, nine years ago, at similar price points, we’re doing very similar sales.”
Tony Khan continued his explanation mentioning how WWE was doing very similar numbers before the WWE Network was launched in 2014:
“For example, just looking at before the [WWE] Network came in, and of competition doing pay-per-view, you know, just look back at the pay-per-view numbers in 2013, they are very similar to the numbers we’ve done for our last few pay-per-views.”
The AEW President then mentioned how nobody outside of WWE has been able to pull the PPV numbers they are pulling since the 90s. Apart from this, Khan also talked about the debut of Jeff Hardy. He noted that Hardy is getting some of the biggest pops he has seen in wrestling.
The wrestling world has been buzzing about the future of Cody Rhodes for the past few weeks. Chris Jericho has now apparently confirmed his contractual status.
The former AEW world champion recently welcomed trademark attorney Mike Dockins as a guest on his Talk Is Jericho podcast. Dockins handles trademark issues for many professional wrestlers including in AEW.
During the episode, Jericho discussed how he is able to keep his name wherever he goes because he owns the trademark for the same. He also apparently confirmed that Rhodes is back in WWE:
“I’m pulling back the curtain a little bit on the wrestling business, you’re gonna discover how I’ve been able to be Chris Jericho no matter what company I work for or where I wrestle.
You’ll hear how Danhausen gets to keep his name and gimmick from promotion to promotion.” said Chris Jericho, “How Cody got to reclaim Rhodes from WWE even though he’s back in WWE…”
WWE has been teasing the return of the former TNT champion for the last few weeks. Reports suggest that he has already signed a new contract with the company.
Seth Rollins is expected to face Rhodes in a match at WrestleMania. At this point it’s only a matter of time before we see the former Legacy member back in a WWE arena.
Jake Roberts simply wants Cody Rhodes to be happy.
Back in February, wrestling fans were shocked to learn that Cody and his wife Brandi Rhodes would be leaving AEW. Cody is one of the founding members of AEW and was known for taking shots at WWE.
Ultimately, he has decided to return to the Vince McMahon-led empire according to PWInsider.
Jake Roberts On Cody Rhodes’ Decision
During an episode of the DDP Snakepit Podcast, Jake Roberts said that if signing with WWE is what makes Cody Rhodes happy then he has to accept it (h/t Wrestling Inc).
“Whatever he wants. Whatever his heart desires that will allow him to be around his child as much as possible. I know what I missed over the years, being on the road all the time. Nobody should have to miss the things that I missed. Nobody.
“Kids growing up are the most important thing because they help keep you young, you know? Watch them enjoy the things that you did, maybe 20 years before, but you get to taste some more of that. I think it’s important. Certainly, a strong family base is so important these days.
“That’s my desire for him, and Dustin I hope does whatever he wants to do and certainly deserves the opportunity to do whatever they want to do. If you have a job and you don’t love it, you’re going to work. I don’t want to work. I want to do something that I did that’s fun. That makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something.
“Makes me feel like I’ve helped somebody out. Contributed to mankind in some way. Maybe moved a pebble or rock or a boulder, it doesn’t matter. I moved it. And that’s when you accomplish things, man.”
Jake “The Snake” continues to work for AEW. He currently manages Lance Archer.
Jake Atlas is on the road to recovery five weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL.
Atlas began wrestling for AEW in late 2021. He worked the 12/28 AEW Dark Elevation tapings from Orlando and made his AEW Rampage debut on January 7th.
The former gymnast looked great against Adam Cole, despite coming up short. Unfortunately, he tore a ligament in his knee during the match. He would later go under the knife, but assured his fans that we haven’t seen the last of him.
Jake Atlas did a Facebook stream this week for the Highspots Wrestling Network and provided an update on his condition.
Atlas reveals it was several days after he sustained the injury until he knew something was very wrong with his knee.
“I didn’t know it that night,” he recalls. “I didn’t know until probably a couple days after when I flew home but definitely couldn’t walk.”
He underwent surgery five weeks ago. Doctors gave him an estimated recovery time of nine months, but he’s optimistic that he can get back in the ring sooner than that.
Watch Jake Atlas’ Highspots Wrestling Network Facebook stream:
The festive ring entrance meant a lot to Thunder Rosa, but it also reminded her of the time WWE and Brock Lesnar mocked Mexican culture on a 2004 episode of SmackDown.
In early 2004, then-WWE Champion Brock Lesnar was feuding with Mexican star Eddie Guerrero. In the build-up to their match, Lesnar came to the ring wearing a sombrero and orchestrated a mariachi band in the ring.
“I can tell you, I read about me bringing the Mariachi and I remember Brock Lesnar making fun of Eddie Guerrero with that,” she said. “And that hurts because they were making fun of my culture before. And on Wednesday, I represented our culture properly. With honor and with respect.”
She was especially hurt because she felt WWE was giving fans a license to make fun of Mexican people.
Brock went on to lose the WWE Championship to Eddie Guerrero at No Way Out 2004 in one of the more memorable title changes of the past 20 years.
All Elite Wrestling’s Team Taz tag team partner Powerhouse Hobbs shows off his insane new gains in a recent Twitter post.
Hobbs has had an incredible professional wrestling journey, in which he has achieved numerous accolades. In his career that started in 2009, he has won championships in multiple promotions.
For example, he won the All Pro Wrestling Internet and Tag Team Championships 3 times. And in 2012 he won the Gold Rush Pro Wrestling Dynamite Division Championship under the name Will Rood.
Additionally, Hobbs was the Pro Championship Wrestling and United Wrestling Network Tag Team Champion.
His AEW journey began in 2020 as Will Hobbs. That year in July he lost his debut match to Orange Cassidy on an episode of AEW Dark.
He continues to improve in his wrestling game and delivers entertaining performances in the ring. And although he was already sporting an intimidating physique, he now struts the figure of an established bodybuilder.
Over the past 18 months, Hobbs entered beast mode and has completely transformed his body. The new version of the Powerhouse has already gotten praise from fans on Twitter.
Undoubtedly, it took a lot of focus and discipline to achieve such an incredible transformation. And surely those new muscles will help eliminate future opponents.
Check out Powerhouse Hobbs’s before and after photos below.
