SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • AEW Star Says Roman Reigns is His “Favorite Thing on WWE TV”

    AEW Star Says Roman Reigns is His “Favorite Thing on WWE TV”

    The character work of Roman Reigns as The Tribal Chief has been praised by many wrestling veterans. Matt Hardy has now joined the list.

    The AEW star talked about the current Universal champion on the latest episode of his podcast. He discussed how the Head Of The Table was receiving mixed reaction from the crowd as a babyface.

    However, things have changed since Reigns turned heel. According to Matt it’s his favorite thing on WWE TV right now:

    “The stuff he’s doing currently with him and the Usos, I can’t put that over enough. It is my favorite thing on WWE television. He’s killing it! To me, I’m almost disappointed it took them so long to actually step out and turn him heel.”

    Matt Hardy mentioned how people liking Roman Reigns’ heel persona would eventually make him a bigger babyface. He claimed that he would have loved to face the current champion if he was in WWE:

    “So I love the work he’s been doing and I would have loved to have had a match with him. That would have been a lot of fun.”

    Hardy himself has been teasing changes to his AEW character recently. He posted a video suggesting the imminent debut of a new star.

    Paul Heyman Explains Why He Chose Roman Reigns Over Brock Lesnar

    Thanks to Fightful for the transcribed quotes

  • Update on Eddie Kingston’s Injury and AEW Return

    Update on Eddie Kingston’s Injury and AEW Return

    Eddie Kingston has been out of in-ring action since January 8th due to an orbital bone injury. However, according to the man himself and an outside report in a popular industry newsletter, we can expect Kingston back very soon.

    Per this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Kingston is expected back this coming week. He will likely pick up where things left off with his ongoing storyline with Chris Jericho, Santana, Ortiz, and the Inner Circle.

    Kingston also addressed his injury during an appearance on the WrestleTalk podcast, noting that getting time off to recover now while with AEW is much different than his independent days when he would have to continue working injured.

    “Like, I’ve had this injury before, but out on the independents, you got to go,” Kingston explained (h/t Wrestling Inc). “I got to make money, I got to pay my rent. I had the match, things happen. It’s not ballet, plus, we’re fighting. I like to keep it as realistic as possible. Blew my nose to my eye, swelled up, and I said, ‘Oh it’s an orbital, without a doubt. I’ve had this before.’

    “I wanted to ask the AEW doctor, ‘Hey, is it alright if I cut it again?’ And he was like, ‘What are you talking about cut it again?’ ‘Well, I cut it and I just don’t do things for a little bit and I’ll be fine.’ He’s like, ‘No. Go to the doctor.’ I was like, ‘Okay.’ But that’s what I had to do on the independents, you know what I mean? Where I would cut it a little bit to get the blood or the air out and then tell the, you know, go work the next day.”

    Kingston has had a memorable run with AEW since being brought in to face Cody Rhodes in July 2020. Kingston’s tag team with Jon Moxley is among the highlights of his current run — Moxley and Kingston faced the Young Bucks in an outstanding match for the AEW Tag Team Championships at last year’s Double or Nothing PPV event.

    Don’t forget 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.

  • Christopher Daniels On Never Winning The World Title In TNA

    Christopher Daniels On Never Winning The World Title In TNA

    Christopher Daniels is one of the TNA originals. He joined the company during their NWA days in 2002 and helped build the promotion from the ground up. The Fallen Angel also won numerous accolades in the company, including winning the X Division championship 4 times. However, despite wrestling for the organization for over 15 years in multiple tenures, Daniels never won the Impact world title.

    The AEW star recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He first discussed his time in Ring Of Honor. Unlike TNA, the high-flying star got a reign with the ROH world championship back in 2017. Talking about this, Daniels mentioned how the Ladder War between SCU, The Young Bucks, and The Motor City Machine Guns that took place a couple of months before that laid the groundwork for his title win:

    “The discussions about me being world champion didn’t come around until after ladder war. When ladder war happened, and the reaction to the match between me and Frankie, and the Young Bucks and the Guns, just the reaction to that match. It was the first time that some people went ‘Wait a minute! This might be the time for Christopher Daniels to be a world champion.’”

    Why Christopher Daniels Never Won The World Title In TNA

    Christopher Daniels ROH
    Christopher Daniels ROH

    The wrestling veteran then talked about his TNA career. Speaking about never winning the world title in the promotion, Daniels recalled the circumstances leading to his ROH title win. He mentioned how he was always around the world title in TNA, but there was never a moment that put the crowd behind him like the ladder war did in ROH:

    “Honestly, I don’t think there was ever a moment in TNA. The thing, I mentioned about how ladder war went and how the groundswell sort of support happened for me in Ring Of Honor. There was never really a moment in TNA where that happened. There were times where I’d come back and I would have good matches. They would put me in the ring with someone like AJ [Styles] who had the belt at the time, a lot of the time.

    But there was never that moment like, ‘oh, you know what? The crowd reaction to CD getting the belt at this time from this person [is going to be amazing].’ I don’t think there was ever a moment where the powers that be thought, ‘Oh, this is the time where Chris Daniels should win the belt.’ And you know, that’s how it is. I feel like every promotion has their idea of the best thing, the best path for their championship to travel. It just happened to be away from me or around me the entire time for TNA.”

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

    Christopher Daniels Comments On His In-Ring Future In AEW
  • Tony Khan On WWE Releasing Keith Lee: “This Was The Moment I Dreamed About”

    Tony Khan On WWE Releasing Keith Lee: “This Was The Moment I Dreamed About”

    Tony Khan has picked up a number of surprising talents WWE released in the past year including the latest All Elite Wrestling signing in Keith Lee.

    The AEW president recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. He discussed things such as the potential of Shane McMahon joining his promotion and more.

    Speaking of Lee’s debut this past Wednesday on Dynamite, Khan mentioned how he was surprised when WWE let go the former NXT champion. According to him, it was the moment he dreamed about:

    “Keith’s debut was incredible, much to my amazement, Keith got released. As soon as I saw that he was released, this was the moment I dreamed about.”

    “It was crazy timing, I’m so happy with how the debut has been received.” said Tony Khan, “It’s very well deserved, and I am very excited to have Keith in AEW.”

    The Jaguars co-owners also discussed the other AEW debut that took place on the same night as Keith Lee in current Bullet Club leader Jay White.

    Khan said we should “expect to see more Jay White in AEW.” He mentioned how White’s arrival wasn’t finalized until last Sunday and he is happy that he could bring the excitement to fans.

    Tony Khan Hopeful To Have Jorge Masvidal Compete In AEW
  • Lita Explains Why She Stayed With WWE Instead Of Joining AEW

    Lita Explains Why She Stayed With WWE Instead Of Joining AEW

    Prior to Lita’s latest return to WWE programming, it was reported that she considered going to World Wrestling Entertainment’s rival promotion, AEW. 

    The former WWE Women’s Champion was asked in an interview with Esquire Middle East about why she stayed with WWE and didn’t join AEW. She first put over AEW for doing exciting stuff and they brought new life into the industry. She feels that any time there’s competition, it’s good as it revives the industry.

    “When they reached out to me, I did consider it. I said, we can talk, I’m interested, you guys are doing some interesting stuff. But ultimately, upon talking to them, it just made me say to myself, ‘but I have all of these things already!’

    Lita continued, “I have those things with my home that I’ve known for 20 years, with the people that I’ve worked with for 20 years. Basically, I gave them my blessing. I said, I will watch you and I support you. And I want you guys to do great, but this just doesn’t feel like the right fit for me right now.”

    Lita made her in-ring return by working the Women’s Royal Rumble match last month and is slated to challenge Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship at Elimination Chamber on February 19.

  • Tony Khan Not Sure If Shane McMahon Would Be Good Fit In AEW, Willing To Take His Call

    Tony Khan Not Sure If Shane McMahon Would Be Good Fit In AEW, Willing To Take His Call

    Despite it not being likely, there has been speculation that Shane McMahon could wind up in AEW considering All Elite Wrestling is very fond of opening The Forbidden Door. As seen in the past, the promotion welcomes anyone willing to walk through the door. 

    Shane McMahon was reportedly let go by WWE following the Royal Rumble event this year due to several backstage issues. It was said McMahon wanted to make the men’s Royal Rumble match all about himself and tried to pitch various ideas to make himself be the star of the bout. 

    AEW President Tony Khan talked about the possibility of McMahon working in someway for the promotion while doing an interview with Sports Illustrated: 

    “I’d certainly take the call,” Khan says. “I’m sure he’d be an interesting person to talk to about wrestling. I’m not sure exactly if he would be a fit. I have not heard from him, and I don’t expect to hear from him, but in this business, you never know.”

    AEW just opened The Forbidden Door with NJPW/Impact Wrestling star Jay White making an appearance on Wednesday’s Dynamite.

  • AEW Signs AQA

    AEW Signs AQA

    Tony Khan revealed on Twitter today that AEW has officially signed AQA. She was defeated by Jade Cargill in a TBS title match this Wednesday on Dynamite.

    The Alabama-native was trained by Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling school and later signed to WWE. She performed in NXT under the name Zayda Ramier. She was released from her WWE contract on November 4th, 2021.

    AQA was interviewed recently by A Wrestling Gal and spoke about dealing with anxiety during her time with WWE.

    “Unbeknownst to me, I deal with anxiety. I have anxiety which almost everybody does but, I always have those exact symptoms except for it’s always followed by like the hyper, I’m like [breathing rapidly]. That’s how I know I’m having an anxiety attack but I had every symptom except for the breathing so it just canceled out in my mind,” AQA said on the show.

    Wednesday’s match against Jade Cargill was her first since leaving NXT. Her last match was on June 1st, 2021 when she teamed up with Zoey Stark and they were defeated by Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell.

    AQA is also a former 2x champion in Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling promotion based out of Texas.

  • Kyle O’Reilly’s Recent Absence From AEW Explained

    Kyle O’Reilly’s Recent Absence From AEW Explained

    Kyle O’Reilly has been absent from AEW programming in recent weeks. His last actual match with the promotion was on the December 29th New Year’s Smash show. He teamed with Bobby Fish and Adam Cole that night and defeated Trent Beretta, Chuck Taylor, and Orange Cassidy.

    According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, O’Reilly has not been around recently due to the birth of his child.

    “The reason Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly haven’t been out with Adam Cole and the Young Bucks thing has stopped is because O’Reilly was given time off since his wife just had a baby. It is expected to resume when he returns,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

    This week on AEW Dynamite, however, Jay White debuted and helped Adam Cole and the Young Bucks attack the Best Friends in the back. In storyline, Cole brought White in without running it by the Young Bucks first. So now several dynamics are at play with the Elite, former members of Undisputed Era, and Bullet Club now with overlapping members.

    O’Reilly was recently on The Sessions with Renee Paquette and spoke about why he decided to leave WWE. One thing that led to him signing with AEW is that he heard WWE was no longer looking for “pro wrestlers”.

    “‘We don’t want pro rasslers’ was something I heard,” O’Reilly said. “And it was like ‘alright but I am a pro wrestler. And I want to be a pro wrestler still. So I want to go where I can be a pro wrestler.’ And I know that the things are the same, sports entertainment, wrestling, it’s all the same. But I don’t know if everyone looks at it that way.”

    https://twitter.com/Machobeard4life/status/1492121989548544000

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the above transcription.

  • Tony Khan Hopeful To Have Jorge Masvidal Compete In AEW

    Tony Khan Hopeful To Have Jorge Masvidal Compete In AEW

    Tony Khan says he hopes to have UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal perform in an AEW ring at some point. Masvidal had been involved in some of the American Top Team vs Inner Circle feud but has never competed in a match. Khan recently spoke with Josh Martinez about the possibility of Masvidal getting more involved with his wrestling promotion.

    “Well I do think it’s still a possibility [Jorge Masvidal competing in AEW]. I mean, you know, we’ve established [that] the American Top Team fighters are very dangerous and we’ve [had] Junior dos Santos in the ring and Andrei Arlovski’s gone out and beat people up, so I do think there’s a constant threat and of course, Paige VanZant had been around AEW before and now she’s back so it’s something to keep an eye on and we’ll have to see how Masvidal’s fight schedule lines up but I’d certainly be open to it in the future.”

    American Top Team has become a fixture in AEW with Dan Lambert increasingly being featured on Dynamite and Rampage. Recently, Paige VanZant and Brandi Rhodes were involved in a pull apart as ATT and the Rhodes family continue to take shots at each other in promos.

    Khan would continue to say that he understands Masvidal must make his UFC career his top priority, however.

    “But, you know, he’s gotta make the UFC a priority too. I really like those guys at the UFC. Dana has been so good to me. Dana White and Hunter Campbell are great executives and I really have a lot of respect for the UFC. So it just depends on what his schedule is like but it’s something I would love,” Khan continued.

    Masvidal has dropped his last two fights in the UFC, both to Kamaru Usman for the UFC Welterweight Championship. His previous fight before then was a victory over Nate Diaz for the unofficial “BMF” title.

    H/T to Post Wrestling for the above transcriptions.

  • WWE Reportedly Interested In AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill

    WWE Reportedly Interested In AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill

    WWE is reportedly interested in Jade Cargill now that they’ve been given a chance to see what she can do on television. According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast, WWE officials have been impressed with Cargill’s performances as of late.

    “I know for a fact that people in WWE are interested in her now that they’ve gotten to see what she can do on TV,” Zarian said.

    This comes on the heels of WWE reportedly being interested in Wardlow and Maxwell Jacob Friedman as well.

    Jade Cargill Comments On Choosing AEW Over WWE

    Cargill was on Talk is Jericho recently and discussed her reasons for choosing to sign with AEW over WWE. She noted that WWE sent her a contract but she ultimately chose to sign with AEW.

    “So [WWE] sent the contract, they wanted me to do it,” she explained. “AEW came about, and I came here, I got the experience, and I felt calm. I remember you and I had this conversation in the car. It made me feel at ease about the decision that I wanted to make, I didn’t have to relocate, I felt at home.” 

    “I could call the owner of our company and talk to him, you know, he knew my name and knew my purpose,” she said. “He knew that I wanted to do this and that I wasn’t just a number. He knew exactly who I was, so that made me feel comfortable.”

    Cargill is undefeated in her AEW career thus far. She is 27-0, the inaugural TBS Champion, and most recently defended her title against AQA on Dynamite.

  • Kyle O’Reilly Details The Underlying Problem With NXT 2.0

    Kyle O’Reilly Details The Underlying Problem With NXT 2.0

    Kyle O’Reilly was one of pillars of the Black and Gold brand of NXT. He was also there for its transition to the NXT 2.0 era before he left for AEW.

    The AEW star recently had an interview with Renee Paquette for her Oral Sessions podcast. He discussed things such as his AEW debut and more.

    Speaking of the rebranded NXT, O’Reilly revealed the underlying problem he believes it has, mentioning how a lot of its stars are not passionate about the sport:

    “I think people in wrestling are really rare in the sense that you really, really have to love it. I think that might be an underlying problem in this new NXT. There’s a lot of people coming in that I don’t think really have that true love for it.

    I’m sure they’ll do well, they’ll make a big splash, be a big star, and make a ton of money,” said Kyle O’Reilly, “but at the end of the day, if your heart isn’t really in it, I don’t know. It’s tough.”

    The former ROH world champion also discussed his transition to AEW. He mentioned how the AEW locker room is full of guys he has been friends with for years.

    He said that he felt there was no spot for him on the WWE main roster. Kyle O’Reilly made the jump to AEW because he wanted to be somewhere where he would be happy and be utilized.

    Shawn Michaels Comments On Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, & Kyle O’Reilly Leaving NXT
  • Jim Ross Says Sting Has “Taken Darby Under His Wing”

    Jim Ross Says Sting Has “Taken Darby Under His Wing”

    AEW broadcaster Jim Ross shared his thoughts on Sting’s relationship with Darby Allin.

    Wrestling fans didn’t know what they would see from the WCW legend when he arrived in AEW on Dec. 2, 2020. At 61 years old, he signed a multi-year deal after initially retiring from wrestling due to a neck injury. His new employers decided to pair him with Darby Allin on Jan. 20, 2021, and make him an on-screen mentor.

    Teaming with Allin, Sting has had a resurgence in his wrestling career. He made his in-ring debut for AEW with Allin defeating Team Taz’s Brian Cage and Ricky Starks at AEW Revolution on Mar. 8, 2021.

    Since his in-ring debut, the company has had Sting and Allin team up against other groups like FTR and the Acclaimed. Ross on Grilling Jr. shared that Sting is also helping Allin and others behind the scenes.

    “… He’s taken Darby under his wing. If nothing else on traveling and planning a match or whatever it may be, said Ross. He continued, “… He’s really a good mentor to the entire roster. He also added that AEW is blessed to have Sting on the roster.

    Sting with Bat in AEW
    Sting (Photo: AEW)

    Sting Wanting to End His Career on His Terms

    Before signing with AEW, wrestling fans thought Sting’s career was over. He suffered his neck injury during his match with Seth Rollins at Night of Champions on Sep. 10, 2015. While recovering from his injury, he decided to retire from wrestling. However, the success of AEW made him choose to end his retirement and finish his career on his terms.

    The legend spoke to Sports Illustrated Justin Barrasso on Dec. 22, 2021, about rewriting the end of his wrestling career.

    “Not many people get to rewrite their final chapter, not at this level,” Sting says. “I had great matches at the Greensboro Coliseum with Lex Luger, and now I get to do it with Darby and CM Punk against MJF and FTR. It’s a great way to end my career. The crowd their appreciation makes me want to tear up. It’s almost as if they don’t want to say goodbye.” (h/t Justin Barrasso)

    Sting doesn’t seem ready to end his career anytime soon. Based on Ross’ comments, the company also wants the legend to continue helping mentor younger talent.

  • Christopher Daniels on AEW Return: “I’m Sort of at the Mercy of Circumstance”

    Christopher Daniels on AEW Return: “I’m Sort of at the Mercy of Circumstance”

    “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels is unsure if he’ll wrestle for All Elite Wrestling again.

    Daniels hasn’t competed for AEW since he and Frankie Kazarian’s lost to the Young Bucks at AEW Dynamite on May. 12, 2021. The result of the loss made him and Kazarian end their tag team. While his partner has competed for AEW as a singles talent, the company has Daniels working as a Head of Talent Relations.

    Although he hasn’t wrestled for AEW, he is competing for other wrestling promotions. He made his Impact Wrestling return defeating Madman Fulton on Sep. 30, 2021. However, in an interview with Chris Van Fleet, Daniels shared that he still hopes to be an in-ring talent for AEW soon.

    “…The landscape of AEW is in constant flux. Addition, subtractions, so I mean it’s just a crowded field right now, and hopefully, I can make my way back there, said Daniels. He continued, “…There no real timetable as to when that might be, so I’m sort of at the mercy of circumstance.”

    Keith Lee AEW
    Keith Lee (Photo credit: Scott Lesh)

    AEW Signing New Talent

    Daniels isn’t the only talent unsure of his in-ring future in AEW. Joey Janela revealed on the Barstool’s Rasslin Podcast with Brandon Walker that his AEW contract is coming up on Apr. 30, and he isn’t sure if the company will re-sign him. As some talent in the company is unsure of their future, AEW President Tony Khan continues to sign free agents like Keith Lee on Feb. 9.

    When the WWE released or didn’t re-sign talent throughout last year, fans speculated if Khan would attempt to sign them. With the signing of Lee, Khan has signed four former NXT Champions within a year. As the AEW roster gets more stacked with talent, veterans like Daniels or Janela may lose opportunities to compete.

    It’s unclear if AEW has plans for an in-ring return for Daniels.

  • Keith Lee Comments on Joining AEW: “Let’s Grind”

    Keith Lee Comments on Joining AEW: “Let’s Grind”

    Keith Lee is ready to get to work. After making a surprise debut on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, Lee is now the 5th former NXT Champion to jump ship to AEW.

    The Limitless one was revealed to be Isiah Kassidy’s mystery opponent in the Face of the Revolution qualifier. Lee was in top form as he disposed of Kassidy and punched his ticket to the upcoming AEW Revolution pay-per-view.

    On Thursday, Lee commented on this next chapter of his storied career. He’s changed his Twitter name to “All E Leet” and sounds ready to get to work.

    He also alluded to “sad family times” that he hopes are behind him.

    Keith Lee is All Elite

    Tony Khan has officially welcomed Keith Lee with the ceremonial “… is ALL ELITE” graphic:

    AEW did not waste any time rolling out Keith Lee merchandise. His first “Limitless” t-shirt is now available at ShopAEW.com.

    Keith Lee’s new entrance music, “I AM” is now online as well:

    AEW music composer Mikey Rukus commented on Lee’s new theme, specifically why Keith Lee did not rap the verses in the song.

    Keith Lee’s Road to AEW

    Keith Lee found a lot of success in WWE, but also found some disappointing moments as hee was pushed as a top star in NXT. While there, he became the North American Champion and NXT Champion.

    He was later called up to the main roster and when that happened, there was a lot of optimism for him and his future. However, it was first derailed with a case of COVID-19, which led to heart issues, WWE brought him back to TV only to repackage him with the “Bearcat” gimmick.

    WWE tried to use him as a heel in dark matches, but it wasn’t getting over as he’s a likeable guy. Although he was used on TV for a few months with the new gimmick, Lee was part of the most recent round of talent cuts and was waiting for his 90-day non-compete clause to expire.

  • Tony Khan Slams False Report That He’s Running For Congress

    Tony Khan Slams False Report That He’s Running For Congress

    Tony Khan has responded to reports that he is planning to run for Congress. Earlier this morning, ProFootballTalk.com reported that Khan had filed to run for Florida’s 4th Congressional District. Not only did Tony Khan refute these reports, he compared ProFootballTalk’s sources to MJF and Tony Schiavone.

    “The fact checking standard for @ProFootballTalk reporting is far lower than that of @AEW’s roving reporter @tonyschiavone24. I’m definitely not running for Congress; this filing is faker than Eddie Gilbert’s apology to Tommy Rich in 1984. PFT sources as trustworthy as @The_MJF.”

    The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport also reported the news.

    Jacksonville attorney Chris Hand got to the bottom of the news, however, and confirmed that Tony Khan definitely is not running for Congress.

    Things continued between ProFootballTalk and Khan.

    Who Filed Tony Khan’s Name To Run For Congress?

    The two options appear to be that Tony Khan filed to run but then didn’t follow up on it or someone filed Tony Khan’s name as a joke. Since Khan is denying the reports, the latter seems far more likely. Perhaps it was an AEW, Jaguars, or Fulham fan.

    “But whether someone filed the statement as a joke or @TonyKhan filed it in 9/21 but decided not to complete the process, the bottom line is this: He isn’t an active candidate for Florida’s 4th Congressional District.”

  • Tony Khan Comments On When Deal To Bring In Jay White Was Made

    Tony Khan Comments On When Deal To Bring In Jay White Was Made

    Jay White made his AEW debut on Dynamite last night in a backstage segment with Adam Cole and the Young Bucks. Tony Khan would later post to social media that the deal to bring him in was only secured on Sunday. This was after Khan and AEW announced that there would be a big announcement made on this week’s Dynamite.

    Khan said that he may have used the term “Forbidden Door” incorrectly, and this left fans assuming someone from another promotion was being brought in rather than a new signing. Evidently, Khan decided to bring in White in addition to Keith Lee to ensure these fans were satisfied.

    Khan wrote:

    “I didn’t secure @JayWhiteNZ until Sunday. I realized after the fact that Friday night I butchered my own definition of Forbidden Door in hyping tonight. I heard the fans’ feedback, & wanted to ensure that tonight was a special #AEWDynamite for all. Thank you everyone who watched!”

    Khan’s original promise is below:

    In storyline, Adam Cole brought in Jay White without mentioning this to the Young Bucks. He did the same thing with Kyle O’Reilly and just isn’t checking in with them before doing stuff. Cole also mentioned that they made an oath that they were Bullet Club 4-life. The Young Bucks, however, were concerned that White and Kenny Omega were once rivals. A Bullet Club vs Elite storyline in AEW seems imminent.

  • Keith Lee Becomes the 5th Former NXT Champion to Sign With AEW

    Keith Lee Becomes the 5th Former NXT Champion to Sign With AEW

    Keith Lee made his AEW debut last night on Dynamite. He is the 5th former NXT Champion to have signed with the promotion. Lee defeated Isiah Kassidy and earned a spot in the Face of the Revolution ladder match in the process.

    Lee joins Malakai Black, Adam Cole, Andrade el Idolo, and PAC as former NXT Champions now with AEW.

    With WWE’s rebrand of NXT to NXT 2.0, many wrestlers who do not fit the mold of what WWE wants on its main roster have been released or who left of their own accord.

    Former NXT Champions In WWE

    PAC – The former Neville in WWE has been with AEW since the beginning. Neville voluntarily left WWE in 2018. Currently, he’s a member of Death Triangle and involved in a feud with the stable of another former NXT Champion now in AEW.

    Malakai Black – The former Aleister Black in WWE was released on June 2nd, 2021. Due to only having a 30-day non-compete clause, Black debuted for AEW the following month. He is a 11-2 in the promotion overall and has been spewing black mist in the face of many. That mist seems to be having a big effect on people.

    Andrade el Idolo – Andrade requested and was granted his release from WWE in March of 2021. He made his debut in AEW on June 4th, 2021. He has a 10-4 record in the promotion thus far and appears to be entering a rivalry with Darby Allin and Sting as he had been attempting to get Darby to work for him.

    Adam Cole – Adam Cole left WWE after TakeOver 36 as his contract with the promotion ran out. While attempts were made by WWE to re-sign him, Cole left for AEW and debuted at the end of the All Out PPV last fall. He is still undefeated in the promotion and at the end of last night’s Dynamite let it be known he wants the next shot at Hangman Page’s AEW World Championship.

    Other Former NXT Champions Available

    On top of the 5 former NXT Champions now in NXT, several more are currently free agents.

    Samoa Joe – WWE released Samoa Joe in April 2021 and he signed a new deal with NXT shortly after. He was then released from that contract on January 6th, 2022. Joe is a 3x NXT Champion.

    Killer Kross – Karrion Kross is a former 2x NXT Champion and was released from WWE on November 4th, 2021. His is now a free agent as his 90-days non-compete period has expired.

    Johnny Gargano – Gargano’s contract with WWE expired in December and he opted not to return. The former NXT Champion is free to show up wherever he wants currently but the belief is he is taking time away for the birth of his child.

    Bo Dallas: Bo Dallas was released from his contract in April last year after having been with the company for 13 years. He was the 3rd ever NXT Champion.

    There have been a total of 19 NXT Champions in history:

    • 10 are still with WWE: Bron Breakker, Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Robert Roode, Seth Rollins, Tommaso Ciampa, Big E, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn.
    • 5 are signed to AEW: Keith Lee, Andrade el Idolo, PAC, Malakai Black, Adam Cole.
    • 4 are free agents: Killer Kross, Samoa Joe, Johnny Gargano, Bo Dallas.
  • Tony Khan Updates Kenny Omega’s Hiatus from AEW

    Tony Khan Updates Kenny Omega’s Hiatus from AEW

    Kenny Omega has been out of action since November 2021. After losing the AEW World Championship to Adam Page at Full Gear, the Best Bout Machine announced he’d need to step away from AEW. He told the Young Bucks, “I feel like there is things I gotta fix and there is things I gotta change and I can’t do it here.”

    Omega had been working through injuries for months. During his reign as AEW champion, he dealt with issues affecting his knee, shoulder and an abdominal hernia.

    AEW President Tony Khan spoke about Kenny Omega’s situation this week while doing the media rounds for Wednesday’s Dynamite from Atlantic City. During a discussion with PWInsider, Khan said Omega is greatly missed behind the scenes.

    Kenny Omega Update

    “He’s one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and was a dominant champion in AEW for almost a year,” said Khan. “I personally miss Kenny Omega being around very much. He’s healing from a bunch of injuries, significant injuries.”

    “He wrestled through all of that and had some of the best matches in the history of the company while he was really beat up. And he really cares a lot about wrestling and he worked his ass off to fill up and make his matches great even when he was in a ton of pain.”

    It’s believed that Kenny Omega has undergone all the necessary procedures for him to begin a road back to recovery and full health. Tony Khan still can’t believe what he was able to do in the ring while battling such extensive injuries.

    “Now it’s time for him to rehabilitate and heal and he’s going to come back stronger, and comeback, I hope as good or even better than ever. I really believe the stuff he did while he was physically limited was so impressive.”

    “He was coming in with major injuries and then he worked a really hard schedule here in AEW too. I think he was absolutely the wrestler of the year for 2021. And I’m very excited for Kenny Omega’s return in 2022. It’ll be a long time coming and we’d be excited to have him back.”

    It will be interesting to see how Kenny Omega conducts himself when he returns. Prior to his hiatus, Omega was entrenched in the Elite with the Young Bucks, but there was tension with Adam Cole. We could see Omega and Cole jockey for control of The Elite, or he could go in an entirely different direction.

  • AEW Hints at Possible Jeff Hardy Arrival

    AEW Hints at Possible Jeff Hardy Arrival

    With his brother Matt already a longstanding member of AEW at this point, it wouldn’t shock anyone to see Jeff Hardy sign with the promotion very soon. And AEW themselves seem to be leaning into the rumors that Hardy could become All Elite in the near future.

    On Wednesday night’s edition of AEW Dynamite, a pretty obvious nod was made in Hardy’s direction during the Keith Lee vs. Isiah Kassidy match. During the bout, Matt Hardy abandoned Kassidy by jumping the ringside guard rail and exiting through the crowd. The story was he was frustrated by another poor outing from one of his proteges.

    However, the reference to Jeff came with how Matt exited the ringside area. This was exactly what Jeff Hardy did during his final match with WWE at a house show in Edinburg, Texas back in early December.

    Tony Schiavone even overtly made reference to that incident on commentary during Dynamite, saying it was an “erratic” move. Reports at the time of Hardy’s WWE departure mentioned his behavior as being “erratic.” His brother Matt referenced this during a Twitch stream in January when he came to his brother’s defense, noting that WWE “may have jumped the gun” with Jeff’s release.

    Kassidy’s match on Dynamite was what Hardy had previously called a “make or break” moment for him. In storyline, Hardy has been disappointed with Private Party’s inability to emerge victorious. They lost to Jurassic Express recently on Rampage, and Kassidy followed that up with a loss to Sammy Guevara.

    https://twitter.com/MATTHARDYBRAND/status/1491579276499505152

    Do you want to see Jeff Hardy join AEW? Who would you like to see him feud with? Let us know in the comments section below!

    And don’t forget 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.

  • Jay White Appears On AEW Dynamite

    Jay White Appears On AEW Dynamite

    “Switchblade” Jay White made an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite when during a backstage segment where The Young Bucks and Adam Cole attacked Roppongi Vice members Trent Baretta and Rocky Romero.

    White has been mentioning All Elite Wrestling in recent weeks while doing promos. In a night full of surprises, White was just one of them that AEW President Tony Khan was talking about. 

    White broke into the pro wrestling business in 2013 and first worked for NJPW in 2015 before going to ROH in 2016 then back to New Japan Pro Wrestling. While working for the Japan-based promotion, he held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Intercontinental Championship, NEVER Openweight Championship, and United States Heavyweight Championship.

    Through NJPW’s affiliation with Impact Wrestling, White started working for the promotion last year. His most recent win in Impact came on the January 22nd episode of Impact when he teamed with Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa to defeat Violent By Design (Deaner, Eric Young & Joe Doering). 

    White hasn’t worked a match in Japan since NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2021 – Tag 2 on May 4, 2021. Instead, the promotion has been using them for the NJPW Strong brand here in the United States. 

    White is slated to wrestle Eric Young at next Saturday’s Impact No Surrender special. 

  • Lance Archer Discusses the Severity of his Neck Injury

    Lance Archer Discusses the Severity of his Neck Injury

    All Elite Wrestling talent Lance Archer has detailed the severity of the neck injury from last year.

    Wrestling fans were concerned about Archer’s wrestling career in a match against Eddie Kingston at AEW Dynamite on Oct 23, 2021. The neck injury occurred when he landed on his head doing a moonsault from the top rope. While he finished the match, the damage caused him to miss two months from wrestling.

    Archer returned to AEW on Jan 12 by attacking AEW Heavyweight Champion Adam Page. He challenges the champion for the title in a Texas Death Match on AEW Dynamite on Feb 9. The title challenger appeared on Busted Open on Sirus XM to discuss his neck injury and if he’s ready to wrestle again.

    “I feel great. Beyond blessed for the fact that I actually didn’t break my neck,” said Archer. He explained,”… A centimeter a different way and, it could’ve been a different result. I basically gave myself an extreme version of whiplash because I bounced off my forehead, but if it had been any part of the crown of my head, I probably would’ve been paralyzed or dead. So beyond blessed that it didn’t happen, and then the medical staff here has been extremely amazing.

    They kept me on the road and kept me in physical therapy here with our guys and, I’ve done everything they asked me to do before coming back and even before this match. You know every day that the different physical exercises that they asked me to do, I’ve stayed on top of them and, they’ve been extremely happy and like I said I feel great.”

    Lance Archer
    (via AEW)

    Is Archer Concerned Taking the Buck Shot Lariat?

    Archer feels confident challenging Page for the AEW title. He has competed in a Texas Death Match before and has a win over Jon Moxley for the IWGP United States Championship at Fyter Fest on Jul 21, 2021. Although, recovered neck injury does create concern if he could take certain moves, including Page’s Buck Shot Lariat. The champion connects with the lariat to the neck and chest area, potentially causing whiplash to the opponent’s neck. However, Archer isn’t concerned and plans to win the championship.

    “…If you go into this business if you go into any match with any trepidation and worry that when you get hurt. If I’m worried about his finish, If I’m worried about any of these moves, If I’m worried about doing another moonsault and landing on my head, If I’m worried about any of that when I’ll get hurt,” said Archer.

    It’s unclear if Page will try to be extra protective of Archer after his neck injury. Although it seems the challenger is ready to do what it takes to defeat the AEW champion.

  • Tony Khan Addresses Potential AEW Roster Cuts

    Tony Khan Addresses Potential AEW Roster Cuts

    Tony Khan recently addressed potential roster cuts in AEW. Khan was speaking with TV Insider when he noted that some more wrestlers will likely not have their contracts renewed by the company.

    “When we started a lot of people had contracts that were a couple of years long and a lot of them are coming up,” Khan said. “I have really tried hard to be very considerate of the people on the roster, especially going through the pandemic. That encompassed a long period of time where we were still in our first year of television and going into our second.”

    Wrestlers Kept Under Contract During The Pandemic

    Khan said he didn’t want to release anyone during the pandemic. He says this was because he knew it would be difficult for them to get work elsewhere during that time.

    “I kept a lot of people under contract even though I wasn’t necessarily using them on television because I wanted them to still have paying work, which was hard to come by for wrestling during the pandemic where there weren’t any independent shows. Really only two places were running and the other place was cutting people left and right.”

    Several new names have joined the promotion lately. This has led to others on the roster not being utilized as frequently. Ultimately, those not being utilized may not have their contracts renewed by the promotion.

    “I did want to give some job security to people,” Khan continued.”Now with so many wrestlers coming in, I can’t renew all the contracts. I’ve had to make some tough choices based on ability, fan response, or both. I try to maintain the best roster I can for the company and fans.”

    Lio Rush’s contract with AEW runs out on February 14th and he has announced he will be a free agent after. Peter Avalon’s contract was not renewed. Big Swole’s contract was also not renewed. Others that have been talked about as possibly not getting renewed include Brian Cage and Joey Janela, though that is just speculation.

  • Tony Khan Has More Exciting Things Planned For Dynamite

    Tony Khan Has More Exciting Things Planned For Dynamite

    Tony Khan believes that tonight’s AEW Dynamite will satisfy a lot of fans. He was a guest on today’s episode of Busted Open Radio and noted that he’s changed course from what he had originally planned and believes he’s made the show even better.

    “I am going to try to satisfy a lot of fans tonight, I had a lot of thoughts over the weekend on what that means. I pivoted some plans in the last few days in a good way to make tonight’s show even better,” Khan said to Busted Open.

    Perhaps the most notable part of the show being promoted is the debut of a new signing. The new signee will face Isiah Kassidy in a qualifying match for the Face of the Revolution ladder match. Khan said that the new signing is a “major one” for the company.

    The new signing is only one aspect of the show that Khan believes will satisfy fans, however. Some of those things have not been announced yet.

    “There’s a lot of fun things already announced & then there’s more things we’re gonna do that we have not announced yet,” Khan continued to say about tonight’s broadcast.

    He wouldn’t go into detail regarding what those “fun things” are, however.

    “I don’t want to get too specific to say exactly what’s going to happen, but it’s going to be a great night for the fans. I promise there’s definitely one surprise, and I think there’ll be some other really fun stuff along the way too,” Khan said.

    “It’s because I listen to the fans and their voice and what they want to see. There’s a lot to look forward to on this show,” Khan continued..

    Tony Khan Says This Won’t Be A “Higher Power” Moment

    Vince McMahon Higher Power

    In reference to the infamous “Higher Power” angle from the Attitude Era, Tony Khan said tonight’s surprise will not disappoint the fans.

    “I remember when I was a kid and the higher power turned out to be Vince, that was very disappointing because at school we had spent so much time speculating who it might be & I think our big fear is that it was just going to be Vince. So I don’t want that to happen here,” Tony Khan said to PW Insider.

    AEW Dynamite 2/9

    AEW has only announced two matches for tonight’s show. In addition to the new signing facing Isiah Kassidy, the world title will be on the line in a Texas Deathmatch between champion Hangman Page and challenger, Lance Archer. Chris Jericho and the Inner Circle are also scheduled to have something of a team meeting as well.

    H/T to F4WOnline and @WrestlePurists for the above transcriptions

  • Joey Janela Updates His AEW Contract Status

    Joey Janela Updates His AEW Contract Status

    Joey Janela’s contract with AEW runs through April 30th. Despite rumors that Janela will not be re-signed by the company, the Bad Boy is hopeful to remain All Elite.

    Janela appeared on Barstool’s Rasslin podcast this week and told Brandon Walker, “4/30 my contract is up, April 30th, I don’t know what the f**k is going on.”

    When asked if he thinks AEW will renew contract, Janela is keeping an optimistic outlook. “I think it will,” said Janela. “If it doesn’t I look like a f**king idiot right now.”

    Janela has been with AEW since January 2019. Tonight’s AEW Dynamite takes place from his hometown of Atlantic City, so it will be interesting to see if and how he’s used.

    Joey Janela on The WRLD on GCW

    Janela also addressed GCW’s PPV from The Hammerstein Ballroom, the WRLD On GCW. He was defeated by Matt Cardona on the show.

    GCW’s first pay-per-view was plagued by timing issues. Several of the top matches were rushed due to poor planning. The main event featuring the Briscoes taking on Matt Tremont and Nick Gage was cut to under 6 minutes.

    “I don’t think the show was timed correctly,” Janela said. “I don’t think they added in the time for the video packages and stuff.”

    “We had to be off at 11 but that’s been the problem when people first start doing the PPV thing. Barely Legal, All In, it’s just a part of history now. We are just in that realm of rushing to the finish line.”

    Joey Janela’s full appearance on Rasslin’ can be viewed below.

    If you use any of the above transcriptions please credit Rasslin’ with Brandon Walker with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcriptions.

  • Kyle O’Riley Praises Shawn Michaels’ Role as NXT Coach

    Kyle O’Riley Praises Shawn Michaels’ Role as NXT Coach

    Kyle O’Riley credits WWE legend Shawn Michaels for teaching him how to structure a main event wrestling match.

    Before his departure for All Elite Wrestling, O’Riley had singles run as a main event talent in NXT. At the time, the WWE wanted to give him a push while his partner Bobby Fish dealt with an injury. NXT had him feud against his former Undisputed Era leader Adam Cole and Finn Balor.

    O’Riley had experience as a singles wrestler in other promotions, like Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. However, he thanks Michaels for learning new skills on how to compete in the main event. On the All Elite Wrestling Unrestricted Podcast the new signee explained how the legend help him.

    “I learned alot about structuring like a main event match and you know there’s that age old adage of pro wrestling listen to the people, listen to the people, ane never really got what the meant,” said O’Riley.

    He continued, “…Shawn really kind of taught us just to instead of going up and down with the crowd reaction you try and just keep it at a level. So like on a double down just don’t move and like until they start to die and, then you can move and, then you can bring them back up and, it’s just little things like that you don’t really think of and, it’s really hard to learn on your own until someone just kind of explains it to you and, then a light bulb goes off and just helps take your game to next level.”

    Shawn Michaels Current Role in NXT

    O’Riley isn’t the only former NXT talent to praise Michaels for his help. Adam Cole and Johnny Garagno have also credited the WWE legend for his coaching and appreciates their time working with him.

    While NXT has changed to NXT 2.0, he continues to work closely with younger talent to succeed. His job as a coach helped Michaels get promoted to NXT 2.0 Vice President of Talent Development.

    Kyle O’Riley in AEW

    Kyle O'Relly Adam Cole Bobby Fish
    Kyle O’Relly, Adam Cole & Bobby Fish

    O’Riley signed with AEW on Dec. 22, 2021, but he still is thankful for his time in NXT. In the interview, he didn’t share any ill will to his former employer.

    In AEW, he’s reformed ReDragon with Bobby Fish and hope to become AEW Tag Team Champions. Although he is back in a tag team, it’s still possible to see O’Riley compete in one on one matches.

    It’s unclear if AEW fans will see him compete in the main event as a singles star.