SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • AEW Star Nyla Rose Pulled From Indie Event After Contracting COVID

    AEW Star Nyla Rose Pulled From Indie Event After Contracting COVID

    AEW star Nyla Rose has been pulled from an indie wrestling event scheduled for this Saturday after contracting COVID.

    She was booked for an event of Enjoy Wrestling, but the promotion took on their Twitter to announce that the AEW talent will be missing the upcoming show:

    “Welp, we have some bad news. Nyla Rose has contracted COVID and will not be able to participate in Striking Distance this Saturday.

    This is obviously upsetting, but what can you do? Shit happens. We wish @NylaRoseBeast a speedy recovery and are working to find a replacement.”

    It’s not known when or where Rose contracted COVID. She had wrestled for AEW as recently as the January 12 episode of Rampage.

    The 39-year-old teamed up with Penelope Ford & The Bunny to defeat Kris Statlander, Leyla Hirsch & Red Velvet in a six-women tag match in Raleigh, North Carolina. There is no word on if she had contact with any AEW star after testing positive for coronavirus.

    There aren’t many details available about Rose’s health so it’s hard to say how she is doing or how long fans can expect her to stay out of action.

    We wish a speedy recovery to Nyla Rose.

    Watch: Jon Moxley Returns On AEW Dynamite
  • Kyle O’Reilly Becomes a Father, Announces Birth of Daughter

    Kyle O’Reilly Becomes a Father, Announces Birth of Daughter

    Kyle O’Reilly wasn’t on AEW Dynamite this week, and for good reason. The new AEW star announced that he became a father on Monday, January 17th with the birth of a daughter, Janie Elizabeth.

    O’Reilly wrote about the new addition in a post on his Instagram page. He noted that he named his daughter after his late mother.

    “January 17, 2022 was the most important and amazing day of my life. Welcome to the world Janie Elizabeth Greenwood. Named after my late Mother who wanted to be a Granny more than anything, I am so proud to be your Dad. Life is so precious and beautiful! You share a birthday with some amazingly influential and positive people including Michelle Obama, Betty White, Muhammad Ali and Jim Carrey plus you were born on MLK day during a full moon. That is some wildly positive energy right there! Can’t wait to watch you grow up,” O’Reilly wrote.

    O’Reilly also added the quote “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be,” by Robert Munsch and included a couple photographs.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CY67R7VrEIh

    O’Reilly debuted with AEW on December 22nd during their Holiday Bash show and his since been running alongside his old NXT teammate Adam Cole and longtime tag team partner Bobby Fish. So far, O’Reilly’s only match with the promotion happened on December 29th when he teamed with Cole and Fish to defeat the Best Friends and Orange Cassidy.

    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.

  • Watch: Sting and Darby Allin Surprise Fans In Traffic After AEW Dynamite

    Watch: Sting and Darby Allin Surprise Fans In Traffic After AEW Dynamite

    Sting and Darby Allin were victorious in the main event of AEW Dynamite on Wednesday night. The duo took on The Acclaimed in a very good match that even saw Sting dive from the stage through a table near ringside. In the end, the team won with the Coffin Drop.

    However, Sting and Allin weren’t done with the fans after the show went off the air on TBS. Following the event in Washington, D.C., Allin published a video to social media that showed he and Sting surprising some fans in traffic outside of the Entertainment & Sports Arena.

    As you will see in the clip, the two wrestlers approach a car full of fans and start chanting “A-E-Dub!”, much to the surprise of those in the car. The shocked fans then do the chant back at the two AEW stars before they jump back in their car.

    Check out the clip below.

    AEW will be live in Washington, D.C. once again, in the very same venue, this Friday night for a live edition of AEW Rampage on TNT.

    After Dynamite, CM Punk took to Twitter to praise the 62 year old Sting for his work on the show.

    “Sting is amazing. Amazing in multiple decades. Not easy to do, but you couldn’t tell by watching him. Makes it look effortless. Sting is AMAZING,” Punk wrote.

    Earlier in the show, Punk defeated Shawn Spears in what was effectively a squash match as Punk continues his road toward MJF. A promo video aired with Punk hinting that he could face MJF in a place MJF wouldn’t want to face him, hinting at the possibility of a match in his hometown of Chicago (Dynamite will be there on February 2nd).

    What did you think of Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite? Let us know in the comments section below!

    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.

  • Watch: Jon Moxley Returns On AEW Dynamite

    Watch: Jon Moxley Returns On AEW Dynamite

    Jon Moxley is back on AEW TV, and he hasn’t lost a step.

    The former AEW world heavyweight champion was announced to make his return after almost three months of absence on this week’s Dynamite from Washinton, DC.

    The company didn’t make fans wait for long as Mox opened the show. During the opening minutes of his promo, a fan made some comments and Jon told him ‘Go f**k yourself’ without hesitation.

    The former WWE star went on to cut a passionate promo. He discussed how he has more scars than the average person but claimed that he doesn’t run from his demons.

    Jon Moxley then thanked the people for their support and he claimed that this year he is going to grab the world of wrestling by the balls because he is now truly free:

    AEW later announced that Mox will be making his in-ring return during this Friday’s episode of Rampage. He will face Ethan Page in a singles match.

    Jon took time off from AEW programming in October after entering a rehabilitation program for alcohol addiction. He was competing in the AEW world title eliminator tournament at the time where he was replaced by Miro.

    There is no word yet on what AEW has planned for Jon Moxley now that he is back. We will have to see who ends up being his first feud after his comeback.

    Jon Moxley Returning at THE WRLD ON GCW on Jan. 23
  • WWE Legend: ‘I Don’t See Any AEW Activity In The Royal Rumble’

    WWE Legend: ‘I Don’t See Any AEW Activity In The Royal Rumble’

    One WWE Hall of Famer isn’t buying into the idea that AEW will have a presence at the Royal Rumble event.

    Since Chris Jericho and Hiroshi Tanahashi collided in Tokyo for Wrestle Kingdom 14, the “Forbidden Door” has been used as a way to advocate for cross-promotion. We’ve seen promotions such as AEW, NJPW, and Impact Wrestling working together.

    Booker T Not Sold On AEW Talent At Royal Rumble

    Recently, WWE and Impact Wrestling turned a lot of heads. Mickie James is the current Knockouts Champion, yet she will enter the Royal Rumble.

    There’s been a lot of speculation regarding AEW stars potentially making the event but taking to his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T said he isn’t sold.

    “I don’t see it happening. I just don’t see any AEW activity in the Royal Rumble or anything like that. There again, I could be wrong but I just don’t think something like that’s gonna happen right now at this time.

    “AEW is definitely on their own wing right now, they’re doing their own thing and I just think something like that would just muddy the waters like crazy. The fans would lose their minds more than anything.”

    Part of the reason why some rumors have surfaced has to do with the report from Fightful that Cody Rhodes is working without an AEW contract.

    Reporters such as Dave Meltzer have shot down rumors that Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley could appear at the Royal Rumble.

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  • Tony Khan Compares AEW And WWE’s Pandemic Strategies

    Tony Khan Compares AEW And WWE’s Pandemic Strategies

    Vince McMahon and Tony Khan had very different strategies when it came to running wrestling shows during the lockdown era of COVID-19 pandemic.

    While WWE decided to run shows in a completely empty arena, AEW came up with the idea to use the wrestlers they had as an audience. Many people thought that this created a big difference in the presentations of both the shows. Fans watching the show at home felt more connected to the AEW product because of this.

    The AEW President recently had an interview with Vegas Film Critic Jeffrey K. Howard to promote Dynamite’s move to TBS. During the talk, Khan was asked about AEW’s strategy during the pandemic, and he compared it to WWE:

    “The first week, I came up with the idea of putting the wrestlers who weren’t in the matches, every wrestler I could get around the ring, to create an audience, and people enjoyed it. It was very different than watching the alternative. Our competitor was running empty arena shows. I stayed with that at first and kept the wrestlers at ringside through the pandemic for several months.

    We stayed on the air through the pandemic. [We] debuted some stars including the late great Mr. Brodie Lee and Matt Hardy, in the pandemic. We’re able to keep fans interested. Frankly, I told people, this is voluntary. You don’t have to come to the wrestlers [stand]. So, we had a small crew and I built around that crew.”

    Tony Khan On WWE’s Thunderdome

    Tony Khan
    Tony Khan

    AEW was also the first company to welcome fans back into the arena. They created pods allowing families or groups of friends to attend the shows safely while keeping their distance from other fans. Tony Khan mentioned how WWE on the other hand, came up with the concept of the Thunderdome:

    “Then people started to come back as we got deeper into the pandemic. Our competition through the pandemic, a few months later, they went to a fan wall. [It was a] virtual wall of fans like you saw in other sports, you know, TV screens. And I thought, let’s bring wrestling back with live fans safely. We did it.

    We had no COVID transmissions by going into an outdoor amphitheater and spacing people out where a family or group of friends could sit in what we called a pod. [I thought] it would be like a drive-in movie. You had your own section of seats in this case. There’s no one near you, you’re outdoors, and it was great. It brought the fans back to pro wrestling. There was months and months where that was the only place you could watch pro wrestling anywhere in the world where the fans were cheering the matches.”

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

    Tony Khan On His Favorite Memory Of Brodie Lee
  • How Aubrey Edwards Got Hooked To Wrestling Because Of CM Punk

    How Aubrey Edwards Got Hooked To Wrestling Because Of CM Punk

    CM Punk’s 434 days run as the WWE champion and his infamous pipe bomb promo got a lot of people invested and reinvested into wrestling. As it turns out, AEW referee Aubrey Edwards is one of the personalities who got hooked to the sport thanks to the Straight Edge Star.

    The female star was recently interviewed by Forbs for their YouTube series. During the talk, the 34-year-old revealed that she wasn’t a fan of wrestling from her childhood. She watched her first wrestling show at the age of 23:

    “Most people end up watching wrestling as a kid and that’s not something I did. My dad said it was stupid and that it’s fake and you shouldn’t watch it.” revealed Aubrey Edwards, “But I first watched wrestling, WrestleMania 27. Couple friends of mine had a party and I literally have no idea what’s going on. [I was like] ‘this is okay, I guess.’

    That was the moment that got my husband back into it. He was a fan when he was younger. So, he started watching it and one day I come home from work and he says, ‘Hey, you got to watch this thing that happened.’ It was June about 10 years ago where CM punk does his famous pipe bomb promo. From that moment, I was hooked.”

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

  • DDP Believes Chris Jericho Is Modern Day Ric Flair

    DDP Believes Chris Jericho Is Modern Day Ric Flair

    Chris Jericho is generally considered to be one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. DDP has now offered him a compliment which is rare in the industry.

    The former WCW champion recently had an interview with DAZN. He was promoting his new podcast with Jake Roberts. The wrestling veteran discussed many things.

    During the interview, DDP revealed that Chris Jericho’s Judas theme song was filmed in his Yoga Center. He then called Y2J the Ric Flair of the current era:

    “To me, Chris Jericho is the most over guy in professional wrestling. He’s Ric Flair. He’s Ric Flair now. He’s got 30 years, he’s still on top, he continues to reinvent himself, and he can still work ass off.”

    DDP was also asked whether he prefers the WWE product or the AEW product and the Hall Of Famer said that he has got to give AEW the ’60/40 (percent) thing.’

    The former WCW star claimed that AEW is the cool thing on the top right now. He explained that the biggest thing he loves about AEW is the fan reaction and Page said that he would have not wrestled for AEW if there were no fans in the arena.

    DDP On His Love For Darby Allin: “He’s a Bigger Risk-Taker Than Jeff Hardy”
  • Jon Moxley Returns To AEW Dynamite This Week

    Jon Moxley Returns To AEW Dynamite This Week

    Jon Moxley will return on Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite on live TBS. It will be his first televised appearance in nearly 3 months.

    Moxley stepped away from the spotlight in November. At the time, AEW boss Tony Khan announced that Mox would be entering an inpatient program for alcohol dependency.

    “Jon Moxley has allowed me to share with you that he is entering an inpatient alcohol treatment program.  Jon is a beloved member of the AEW family. We all stand with him and Renee, and all of his family and friends, as he shifts his focus to recovery.”

    “Jon is making a very brave choice to get help, and we’re embracing his choice and supporting him however we can.”

    Following his appearance on Dynamite, Moxley returns to the ring this weekend for Game Changer Wrestling. Moxley will defend the GCW championship against Homicide at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

    Moxley is not the only big return scheduled for Dynamite. “Free Agent” Cody Rhodes will also be on hand after taking several weeks off due to covid exposure.

  • Eddie Kingston Out With Fractured Orbital Bone

    Eddie Kingston Out With Fractured Orbital Bone

    AEW star Eddie Kingston will be out of action for the next several weeks due to an injury.

    The hard hitting brawler from Yonkers, NY is out with a fractured orbital bone. Common symptoms of an orbital bone fracture include blurry, decreased or double vision.

    Tony Khan announced Kingston is injured at Saturday’s AEW Dark tapings from Orlando, FL. Unable to wrestle, Kingston joined the commentary team, which should make for some entertaining viewing.

    Eddie Kingston’s Recovery Time

    Eddie Kingston is expected to be out of action for around three weeks, according to the Wrestling Observer. A mid-February return would give AEW enough time to weave him back into storylines ahead of Revolution on March 6th.

    Kingston has a 2-0 record this year in AEW. He picked up wins in singles and trios matches. His most recent match was a winning effort against Joey Janela on the January 8th episode of AEW Dark .

    It will be interesting to see if Eddie Kingston appears at Sunday’s Game Changer Wrestling’s The WRLD on GCW pay-per-view.

  • Thunder Rosa On If AEW’s Women’s Division Is Getting The Respect It Deserves

    Thunder Rosa On If AEW’s Women’s Division Is Getting The Respect It Deserves

    AEW’s women’s division has always been a point of criticism for the company. In recent times performers like Britt Baker, Ruby Soho, Serena Debb, and others have helped the division in getting more attention. Though Thunder Rosa believes that it still doesn’t get the respect that they deserve.

    The former Lucha Underground star recently had an interview with Throwing Down w/ Renee & Miesha. She was asked if the female competitors are finally getting the respect they deserve, and Rosa replied with both a yes and no:

    “Yes and no. I will say that people [are] still talking crap about it. A lot of the women now have been really trying to establish themselves as competitors. As somebody that can go with anybody.” said Thunder Rosa, “Even then I feel like there’s still a lot of criticism towards it. Everybody’s working really hard to make the division better. We’re definitely getting a lot more veterans into our division.

    Rosa continued: “So it’s making things a lot easier for a lot of the younger talent to learn from them. And that’s the most important part. The talent is willing and wants to learn from veterans. Because we can say ‘Yeah, we’re good’ and etc, etc. But then when it comes down to throwing those punches and performing, we can underperform too. So we have to be mindful and open on that.”

    Thunder Rosa also talked about the veterans that have joined the company in recent times. She revealed which female competitors serve as locker room leaders behind the scene. You can check out her comments at this link.

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

    WWE Legend Mick Foley Explains What Makes Thunder Rosa Special
  • Thunder Rosa On Which Competitors Serve As The Locker Room Leaders Of AEW Women’s Roster

    Thunder Rosa On Which Competitors Serve As The Locker Room Leaders Of AEW Women’s Roster

    AEW generally has a younger roster compared to WWE. This is especially true for the women’s division which features a number of rising stars under the age of 25. Though they still have a few women who have been wrestling for a while and have competed for multiple promotions. Thunder Rosa is one such competitor who had worked for promotions such as ROH, Lucha Underground and more prior to joining AEW.

    The female star was a guest on the most recent episode of Throwing Down w/ Renee & Miesha. She was asked which are some of the female talents who are locker room leaders of the AEW women’s roster. Responding to it, Rosa mentioned how Allie doesn’t get the credit she derseves despite being a veteran of over 15 years:

    “I think a lot of people don’t give a lot of respect or credit to Allie, The Bunny. She’s been in the business for a long, long time. I’ve seen her progression in the last three years. Like this year or 2021, I could see that she was more confident. She’s one of the ones who has a lot more experience on TV. After that street fight, I think she gained more respect in the business.  She’s always very positive in the back and she’s always willing to work.

    Serena [Deeb] is another one if you have any questions, she is more than welcome to help you. With transitions or with ideas, or any of that sort.”

    Thunder Rosa Praises Vickie Guerrero

    Thunder Rosa
    Thunder Rosa (Photo: AEW)

    Thunder Rosa also mentioned someone who is not a wrestler but has been part of the wrestling world for a long time in Vickie Guerrero. She explained how Guerrero knows a lot about the business. Rosa then discussed how she has been around for a while as well and claimed that she tries to help wherever she can:

    “Vickie Guerrero is another one. A lot of people don’t understand. As a manager, She knows a lot about this business. I like sitting with her and talking to her. That’s a lot of fun. And now we have Mercedes Martinez, who [I’ve been] feuding for a while so this is gonna be very interesting.

    Every time I am in the ring with her, I learn so much. I love it. She’s really good. I consider myself one of the vets too since I’ve been working for TV for like six years now. So every time I’m there, and if I can offer something on the table or in the ring or whatever, I’m always willing to do that.”

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

    WWE Legend Mick Foley Explains What Makes Thunder Rosa Special
  • Britt Baker Wants To Host Open Challenge For AEW Women’s Title

    Britt Baker Wants To Host Open Challenge For AEW Women’s Title

    Britt Baker knows there’s a slew of free-agent talent out there and she isn’t opposed to issuing an open challenge.

    Baker is the reigning AEW Women’s Champion. She’s held the gold since May 2021 when she defeated the longest reigning AEW Women’s Titleholder Hikaru Shida.

    Britt Baker’s Open Challenge?

    • Britt Baker
      Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (Photo: All Elite Wrestling)

    Britt Baker was a guest on Barstool Rasslin’ and she said that with all of the female talent available on the market, she’d like to give some of them a crack at her AEW gold.

    “I think an open challenge would be really fun. There are a lot of free-agent women right now that I would love to wrestle and I think an open challenge would be great.”

    We’ve seen the likes of Toni Storm, Rok-C, and Nixon Newell enter free agency. Time will tell if Baker’s open challenge will ever materialize.

    Brushing Off Jade Cargill?

    • Jade Cargill
      TBS Champion Jade Cargill (Photo: AEW)

    Jade Cargill has emerged as a dominant force in AEW’s women’s division. She is undefeated in singles competition and recently captured the TBS Championship after winning a tournament.

    There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding Jade but Britt doesn’t sound too impressed.

    “I’m not concerned with her at all.”

    Feud With Kris Statlander Renewed

    • (via AEW)

    Britt has found herself once again feuding with Kris Statlander. The two had a highly-praised match at the All Out PPV back in September. During the interview with Barstool, Britt questioned Statlander’s mental capacity.

    Britt and Statlander have renewed their beef after the Jan. 12 episode of Dynamite. Statlander got in Adam Cole’s face after he, reDRagon, and The Elite attacked Orange Cassidy. Britt ambushed Statlander and nailed her with the Curb Stomp.

    Time will tell if Statlander will make Britt eat her words.

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  • Jim Ross Explains How He Got A Black Eye Before Traveling To AEW Show

    Jim Ross Explains How He Got A Black Eye Before Traveling To AEW Show

    Jim Ross was ready for a routine trip to an AEW show but ended up having a nasty fall.

    Ross was able to make the AEW Battle of the Belts show as scheduled but he took a bad spill as he made his way out the door of his home. As a result, JR has been sporting a black eye.

    Jim Ross Talks Bad Fall

    On an episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross explained how he ended up with the shiner.

    “I was leaving for Charlotte Saturday. I had to fly to do that Battle of the Belts and for some reason I just all of a sudden lost my balance. When I lost my balance and I started stumbling and falling I tried to catch myself and went facefirst into the concrete wall.

    “So, I got a big knot over here some place and this black eye. It looks ugly. It was here in front of my front door.

    “I made my booking and I worked and I came home and I’ve been suffering ever since [laughs]. It wasn’t an accident, I didn’t trip and fall.

    “I just lost my balance and all of a sudden my equilibrium was all screwed up and I don’t know what happened. So, I haven’t had a chance to go to the doctor to check it out so that’s where I am on that deal.


    “I’ve been at a lot of doctor’s offices in the last several weeks so we’ll see how it works out.”

    Ross referenced constantly visiting the doctor due to his skin cancer treatment. JR recently defeated the cancer but he’s described his ankle as being “burnt to a crisp” due to the radiation treatment.

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  • Britt Baker Wants To Win Dancing With The Stars

    Britt Baker Wants To Win Dancing With The Stars

    Britt Baker is the latest wrestler to express interest in joining Dancing With The Stars.

    Wrestlers are no strangers to Dancing With The Stars. We’ve seen the likes of Chris Jericho, Nikki Bella, and Stacy Keibler try their hand on the show. The most recent wrestler to do so was The Miz on season 30.

    For Baker, it isn’t enough to be a dentist and the AEW Women’s Champion. She wants to take the crown as far as celebrity dancing is concerned.

    Britt Baker Destined For DWTS?

    Appearing on Barstool Rasslin’, Britt Baker expressed her desire to not only compete on the Dancing With the Stars show, but to win it.


    “But my favorite talent winning show is absolutely Dancing with the Stars and I’m manifesting my — I’m gonna be on it, yeah.”

    Britt said she hasn’t been cast as of now but it’s a goal of hers and one she sees coming to fruition.

    “Well, I’m not cast for it yet, but I’m manifesting it. I’m gonna win the Mirrorball Trophy. I’m gonna be the first-ever professional wrestler to be both a champion and a Mirrorball Trophy champion.”

    When asked if Britt has prior dance experience or if she’d learn on the fly, the AEW Women’s Champion said it’s a mixed bag.

    “I think both. I don’t think anybody really knows ballroom dancing when you go on the show. You like have rhythm or you don’t. And I think you need to get paired with the right partner and you will..”

    At this point, Barstool’s Brandon Walker asked Britt if she’d be riding her dance partner’s coattails in case she misses a step or two. Britt said it takes two to tango.

    “I mean essentially, it’s give and take because they’re riding your coattails too.”

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  • Mark Henry Reacts To Jon Moxley’s Return

    Mark Henry Reacts To Jon Moxley’s Return

    Mark Henry has shared his thoughts on the return of Jon Moxley.

    Moxley was on the cusp of once again challenging for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship. He was expected to eventually move on to the finals of a number one contender tournament against Bryan Danielson but he ended up stepping away from wrestling for a bit to enter an alcohol treatment program.

    The good news is, Moxley is back. He’ll make his return at THE WRLD ON GCW on Jan. 23. He’ll defend his GCW Title against Homicide inside the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

    Mark Henry Thrilled With Jon Moxley News

    During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry said the news of Jon Moxley’s return hopefully means he was able to fully recover in rehab and now has a clear mind.

    “I was very happy to hear that because it told me a couple of things. One, that he’s back working and that he very likely is out of rehab and I’m happy for him on all counts and I’m hoping that he’s got a lot of clarity and understanding of where his life is going and who he’s working for, and I think that we’ll see an even better Moxley.”

    Mark went on to say that when people try to self-medicate, it usually means something is amiss. He hopes Moxley was able to find the root of the issue.

    “You wanna make sure that you’re doing everything for the right reason. That takes a bit of the sting off because usually when people are self-medicating regardless of what it is, something is awry, something’s not right.

    “Sometimes you need counseling, you need somebody to say, ‘Hey, we know you’re doing something but why are you doing it?’ You eliminate the negative and you accentuate all your positives.

    “I would think that the number one positive is that baby and his wife and a new house and all of those things are the positives. Now, let’s push those upward and we say, ‘That won’t work well with this going on. This right here, you have to eliminate and then all of this will be great.’

    “I hope that he was able to find out, whether it’s anxiety, whether it’s fellowship with the boys.”

    There’s no word on when Moxley will be making his AEW return. With the GCW announcement, many feel Tony Khan may want to get Mox on television first for the Jan. 19 episode of Dynamite.

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

  • Cody Rhodes Working For AEW Without a Contract (Report)

    Cody Rhodes Working For AEW Without a Contract (Report)

    Cody Rhodes is currently not under contract with AEW, according to Sean Ross Sapp.

    Rhodes originally signed a 3-year deal with AEW in January 2019. It’s unclear if the contract included a clause that allows AEW to extend it by 2-years, however. That was the case recently with The Young Bucks as well as Tony Schiavone.

    Rhodes, 36, is an AEW original. “Cody Rhodes” is synonymous with the AEW brand. In addition to being the reigning AEW TNT Champion, he also stars on Rhodes to the Top with wife Brandi and the Go Big Show on TNT.

    Cody Rhodes returns to AEW Dynamite this coming Wednesday. His scheduled appearance got a bit more interesting.

    AEW Contracts, Cody’s Future

    Several of AEW’s top stars had their contracts set to expire recently. Dave Meltzer addressed this situation in a recent issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    “Some of them already signed new deals, notably Scorpio Sky who last year signed a five-year new deal,” Meltzer wrote. “But obviously Page, Cody & Brandi and Jericho were renewed since they were either on TV this week or confirmed as staying.”

    The wrestling world has seen some crazy developments over the past couple years. Cody Rhodes jumping to WWE would certainly be up there with the most shocking developments.

    During a recent appearance on Sammy Guevara’s Vlog (episode 353), Cody teased that fans should buckle up for some “bizarre” twists and turns in the months ahead.

    “I am thankful to the fans that cheer me, and I am thankful to the fans that boo me because both sets of fans are ready to go on a ride that is just bizarre and not the path that you think,” he said. “We are not doing what’s done before. I’m very thankful, I’m thankful for all the things in my life.”

  • Ric Flair Comments On Why He Likes The Young Bucks

    Ric Flair Comments On Why He Likes The Young Bucks

    During a recent episode of his podcast, Ric Flair spoke about why he is a fan of AEW’s Young Bucks. Co-host Mark Madden expressed surprise that Flair would be a fan of theirs considering the new-school and high-spot focussed style they have wrestled over the years. Flair, however, listed several reasons why he likes Matt & Nick Jackson.

    “I can identify somebody being able to do something I couldn’t have done. I can honestly tell ya, I could have learned how to do a moonsault, I could have learned how to do a couple of things the kids can do but the stuff they do, I could have never done,” Flair said.

    “I was a division 1 athlete but the things those guys do, similar to the Usos and the bumps they take, I can’t help but respect them. Plus, they are really nice, respectable kids. I know that word respect is probably used too much by me, but when you’ve got my respect, you’ve got me.”

    Ric Flair’s comments regarding the Young Bucks begin about 2 minutes into the below video.

    If you use any of the above transcriptions please credit Ric Flair’s podcast with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcriptions.

  • AEW Announces Album Celebrating Black Athletes

    AEW Announces Album Celebrating Black Athletes

    In February, AEW plans to release an album inspired by the stories of Black athletes on their roster. Cody Rhodes’ old Twitter account, which is now used for community outreach projects, announced the news yesterday.

    “Coming in February – honoring Black History Month, “WHO WE ARE: A Celebration of Excellence”! A special salute to the black athletes of AEW with music inspired by their personal journeys. More details coming soon!”

    More details regarding the album are expected to be available closer to the release date. AEW has announced the involvement of Jade Cargill, Red Velvet, Mark Henry, Ricky Starks, Jay Lethal, Will Hobbs, Nyla Rose, The Acclaimed, Scorpio Sky, Anthony Ogogo, and many more.

    Rumors of the project began to surface earlier this month. AEW Chief Branding Officer Brandi Rhodes took to Twitter to specifically state that she’s has not been involved in it.

    “I’m not involved in the project so give it a chance. People have been working very hard on it,” Rhodes Tweeted.

    Following that Tweet, Rhodes also posted the following:

    “Who’d have thought me tweeting I’m not rapping on an album would be the thing that made people feel bad for me. LOL. IM NOT A RAPPER. I’m Brandi Rhodes. I don’t need anyone feeling bad for me,” she Tweeted.

  • Jim Ross Says Jade Cargill Has “A Lot Of Work To Do”

    Jim Ross recently mentioned that he believes AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill still has a lot of work left to do in her development.

    “I said, ‘you’ve got a lot of work to do’,” Jim Ross said he told Jade Cargill. “Talked to her about this yesterday and I said, ‘you know, in basketball, a sport you did really well in, you gotta learn things that go along with the game, for example, in basketball you gotta learn how to shoot free throws. In wrestling, there are certain things you gotta learn how to do that are critical in the maturation of a pro wrestler. Taking a flat-back bump, doing crisp strikes, not being stupid, that type thing’. She’s really smart and she wants to be really, really good.”

    He continued to say that he spoke to Cargill about how right now, her look is her meal ticket. Ross also said Cargill needs to be constantly working at her craft.

    “Once your look is exposed for several weeks and what have you, it becomes not as special,” Ross continued. “So you gotta bring things with your game and that’s her charge right now. She’s gotta be able to do that, that’s not going to happen overnight, I don’t even know if it’ll happen in 2022. It’s got to be constant work to be good at what you do and that’s where we are with her.”

    Jade Cargill Wins PWI Rookie of the Year Award

    Cargill is undefeated thus far in her AEW career. Her first ever official pro-wrestling match was at AEW Cross Rhodes where she teamed with Shaq and defeated Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet. Before getting into wrestling, Cargill played for the Jacksonville University basketball team.

    Cargill attended a WWE tryout camp in 2019. She is currently being trained by QT Marshall at the Nightmare Factory.

    Cargill was recently awarded the PWI Rookie of the Year Award for 2021.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. For The Above Transcriptions.

  • Malakai Black Talks The History Of Poison Mist In Wrestling

    Malakai Black Talks The History Of Poison Mist In Wrestling

    Malakai Black has been using the poison mist frequently since debuting in AEW. He has seemingly blinded PAC, caused Julia Hart to wear an eye patch, and misted several others as well.

    During a recent interview with SHAK Wrestling, Black spoke about some of the history the poison mist has in wrestling. When asked to rank the top mists in wrestling, Black stated that The Great Muta should be on the top of that list. Somewhat surprisingly, Black includes Triple H’s water mist in his rankings.

    “Muta’s on top,” Black said. “Any other answer in terms of mists is a fraudulent answer. I’d say Hunter’s, Triple H’s entrance water mist after that because it’s such a characteristic of who he was with this entrance, obviously because of who he is and what he’s done.”

    The Vampire Warrior aka Gangrel also made Black’s list. Also surprisingly, Black included Carlito, who used to spit a mist of apple chunks at his opponent.

    “I would say Gangrel’s because it was a completely unique standout. And I say last, but like, it’s definitely not least because it’s difficult to fit that in, Carlito was the same as Gangrel because they added so much to what it is they were doing. It complimented their work. So I’d say those are tied, and they’re definitely not tied in a negative sense.”

    In addition to the names mentioned above, wrestlers such as Yoshihiro Tajiri, Killer Khan, The Great Kabuki, Rosemary in Impact, and Asuka in WWE have all used the mist previously.

    The full interview with Malakai Black is available in the player below:

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

  • Booker T on Jade Cargill: “She’s Something We Have Never Seen Before”

    Booker T on Jade Cargill: “She’s Something We Have Never Seen Before”

    Jade Cargill became the first-ever AEW TBS Champion during the first edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS last week. It was the culmination of a multi-week tournament, with Cargill defeating Ruby Soho in the finals.

    The match itself was a major winner for AEW, ranking at the top of the ratings for the night. Cargill appears to be a ratings winner for the company, though we’ll need to have more data to see for sure.

    During a recent edition of his podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T was incredibly complimentary of Cargill.

    “I don’t give a damn if Jade Cargill couldn’t do a wrist lock or headlock takeover. I wouldn’t care,” Booker T said. “I would put the title on her because she’s a specimen. She’s something that we have never seen before. When you put her on the marquee, whether you think she can wrestle or jump off the top rope, you want to buy a ticket just to see her.

    “Some people don’t understand this business of drawing money. When I see Jade Cargill, I see, man we can draw some money here. Then if we can teach her the ins and outs to do the little things about this business, man, we can really do something. So, when you look at someone like Cargill and you know exactly what she brings to the table just from that box, she checks all of them off. Then she gets in the ring and performs. Now we got something.”

    Some have compared Cargill to Goldberg, and Booker T responded to those comparisons as well.

    “For her to be compared to Goldberg, I wouldn’t say it’s 100 percent spot-on or anything like that, but I wouldn’t say it’s so far-fetched that it’s something we shouldn’t even be talking about. Both were green. Both were young in the business. Both look so impressive that you can’t do anything other than let them go out there and beat the hell out of somebody. I think Cargill is the prefect person to build something with to where people go, ‘Man, I don’t think she’s gonna ever lose the title.’”

    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 EWrestlingNews for the transcript.

  • WWE Critical of AEW For Use of Blood and ‘Gory Self Mutilation’

    WWE Critical of AEW For Use of Blood and ‘Gory Self Mutilation’

    WWE has had an on-again, off-again relationship with the use of blood over the years. Some of the company’s most famous angles in history involved blood, both on purpose (Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13) and on accident (Becky Lynch after an errant punch from Nia Jax on Raw in 2018).

    AEW has been much more liberal with the use of blood in their matches, and WWE didn’t shy away from taking a shot at their competition in a statement to the Toronto Star.

    The piece looked at SmackDown and Dynamite’s ratings numbers on TSN in Canada and noted that AEW is very competitive in the younger demographics. The writer of the article argued that AEW’s edgier content was a reason for the overall competitiveness in the 25-54 demographic.

    “If you look at the gory self-mutilation that bloodied several women in the December 31 event on TNT, it quickly becomes clear that these are very different businesses. We had an edgier product in the ‘Attitude’ era and in a 2022 world, we don’t believe that type of dangerous and brutal display is appealing to network partners, sponsors, venues, children, or the general public as a whole,” WWE stated.

    WWE was referencing the Anna Jay and Tay Conti vs. Penelope Ford and The Bunny match that aired on the New Year’s Smash edition of AEW Rampage on December 31st.

    WWE’s Inconsistent Attitude on Blood

    Despite the statement, WWE has indeed leaned into excessive violence and even blood at different times in recent years. The aforementioned incident with Becky Lynch bleeding profusely on Raw was shown over and over again on television, adding to Lynch’s rise in popularity. Additionally, Brock Lesnar drew hardway blood on Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2016 with some brutally stiff forearm shots. Roman Reigns also bled profusely in the main event of WrestleMania 34 in 2018.

    WWE is also presently working to help promote the upcoming Jackass movie by including Johnny Knoxville in the Royal Rumble. The Jackass movies and television show feature a lot of gore and self mutilation, as well.

    Do you like or dislike the use of blood in professional wrestling? Let us know in the comments section below!

    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.

  • Lita Was In Talks With AEW For A Huge Match Prior to WWE Return

    Lita Was In Talks With AEW For A Huge Match Prior to WWE Return

    Lita made her first appearance on WWE SmackDown in nearly 20 years on Friday night as part of the build to her in-ring return at the Royal Rumble in two weeks. However, Lita’s return to the ring was close to happening in a different wrestling company entirely.

    Lita had conversations with AEW about a return to the ring in 2021, according to Fightful. However, the two sides were obviously unable to come to a deal.

    The report notes that AEW laid out a story where Lita would feud with AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker. That feud would culminate in a match between the two at AEW All Out 2021 this past September in Chicago. However, Baker ended up working a match against Kris Statlander at that show when negotiations with Lita broke down.

    Despite no deal being reached, Fightful reports that the negotiations between Lita and AEW were amicable and there’s a possibility of the two doing business in the future.

    Lita has been cleared to work for WWE for over four years now. She has not been on their “no contact” list according to Fightful.

    Lita’s last match was in October 2018. That was a 10-woman tag team match on WWE Monday Night Raw that saw Lita, Trish Stratus, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Natalya defeat The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan), Alicia Foxx and Mickie James.

    As mentioned, Lita was recently announced as a participant in this year’s 30-woman WWE Royal Rumble match which will take place two weeks from this Saturday in St. Louis, Missouri. There’s a feeling that this may not be a one-off, and WWE leaned into that during Friday night’s SmackDown broadcast as Lita had a confrontation with Charlotte Flair.

    If Lita sticks around after the Royal Rumble, who would you like to see her work against? Let us know in the comments section below!

    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: There’s Nothing Official On The Briscoes To AEW

    Tony Khan: There’s Nothing Official On The Briscoes To AEW

    Tony Khan has broken his silence on The Briscoes.

    It’s no secret that Mark and Jay Briscoe have become the hottest free agent tag team. The two were mainstays under Ring of Honor but the company has released all of its talent and is going through a hiatus.

    A feud has been brewing between The Briscoes and AEW tag team FTR. The two teams even got into a confrontation at the ROH Final Battle PPV back in December.

    Tony Khan On The Briscoes

    Busted Open Radio host Dave LaGreca recently asked AEW boss Tony Khan if there’s any word on The Briscoes possible making their way to his company. Khan insisted that nothing has been made official.

    “Well, it’s a great team, great history in Ring of Honor. No, I don’t [have anything official on The Briscoes]. We have a great roster right now.

    “I think they’re a great team and definitely somebody to keep an eye on but no, nothing official on them. We debuted so many great wrestlers recently.

    “You mentioned Mercedes Martinez and of course, we just saw the arrival of Brody King on Wednesday night. So, there’s a lot of exciting things and of course, we do have new world tag team champions Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus, and there’s a ton of great teams lined up to challenge them.

    “So, we’ll have to wait and see I guess. They’re a great team who I’ve followed for well over 15 years. Who am I kidding? Much longer than that and I think they’re great, great wrestlers.”

    It’ll be interesting to see if Tony Khan is just playing things up or if The Briscoes truly haven’t been in contact with AEW. With FTR and The Briscoes going back-and-forth, it seems inevitable that the two teams will share the ring.

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