Jim Ross has built quite the legacy in the wrestling business but it almost didn’t pan out that way.
Today, Ross is the lead play-by-play ace of AEW Dynamite. Of course, he’s known for his top-notch commentary during the WWE’s Attitude Era and his work for WCW.
While JR will be forever etched in wrestling history, there was a time where he didn’t see himself in the industry for the long haul.
Jim Ross Reflects
Jim Ross in Mid-South Wrestling
When JR was promoted to the play-by-play role for Mid-South Wrestling in the 1980s, he had no clue he’d still be in the business four decades later. Here’s what he said during an episode of the Grilling JR podcast.
“No, I probably didn’t. I don’t even know during that era that I thought I would still be in the wrestling business at this stage of my life.
“I don’t need to be in this wrestling business right now because I did get that financial planner early on. I had a very smart wife that helped mold our estate.
“So, I was thinking I’d be doing something. I was thinking I always missed not having the opportunity to be a teacher or a coach. Thought that might be really fun and my calling.
“Something I’d really want to do but I never thought if you had asked me back then, ‘Do you think you’ll be in the wrestling business when you’re 70?’ I’d look at you like you’re crazy. What are you, high? Are you drunk? My God.”
JR recently defeated skin cancer a second time. He had to miss some Dynamite shows to keep up with his treatments. He is now cancer-free and back in the booth for AEW.
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Jade Cargill is the first-ever TBS Champion. She defeated Ruby Soho in the finals of a tournament on Wednesday night.
Some fans have suggested that Cargill’s title win was a reaction from AEW management to Big Swole’s recent comments regarding Black wrestlers not being featured in prominent storylines. However, that is not the case.
Cargill had been the planned winner all along, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Dave Meltzer noted that there was concern some of Swole’s comments gave away the results of the tournament. This even led to discussion regarding possibly changing the planned booking.
“Jade Cargill’s TBS title win may have come off to some as a reaction (to Swole’s comments), but that decision was made before the tournament ever started,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
“There were people internally who believed Swole gave away the tournament finish by pretty much saying they’ll pick Jade before the tournament started, but very few fans made that connection.”
Cargill’s first-ever match was a high-profile bout where she teamed with Shaquille O’Neal. Cargill and Shaq defeated Cody Rhodes & Red Velvet with Jade pinning Velvet as the finish. The 29-year-old is officially 23-0 in the promotion.
Hey girl. I’m so proud of you. You’ve been baptized by fire thrown out without a life raft and chose to swim and kick. You’re to shore but this isn’t time to rest. The journey has only JUST begun. ? pic.twitter.com/JuZ1SVjN2y
Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish are undisputedly one of the most dominant forces in pro wrestling over the past several years.
The dangerous trio has reunited in All Elite Wrestling. We’ve seen O’Reilly and Fish resume using their ReDragon moniker in AEW, but the faction has yet to receive an official name.
“Undisputed Era” is intellectual property of WWE. However, a new trademark filing by AEW reveals what is likely their new name.
AEW filed a trademark application for the name “Paragon” on January 3rd, along with a logo we’re sure to see on licensed merchandise in the near future.
The word paragon means, “a person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality.”
We’ve heard the word paragon used on AEW television in recent weeks, another clue that
AEW presents Battle of the Belts this Saturday night on TNT. This is the first of AEW’s quarterly 1-hour Saturday night TNT specials that we’ll see this year.
As of this writing, two championship matches have been signed for event.TNT
Former AEW TNT Champion Sammy Guevara will get a rematch against the man who beat him for the gold just over a week ago, Cody Rhodes.
Riho will also challenge Britt Baker for the coveted AEW Women’s Championship.
AEW has announced a change will be made to the card due to “medical protocol.”
No further details have been announced just yet, but we’ll get more information on Friday’s Rampage.
Aside from Cody Rhodes and Britt Baker, AEW’s other champions include “Hangman” Adam Page (World Champion), Jurassic Express (Tag Champions) and Jade Cargill (TBS Champion). Ricky Starks holds the [unsanctioned] FTW Championship.
SEScoops will provide an update on this story late Friday night after Rampage.
Bully Ray believes MJF is firing verbal shots towards CM Punk that are getting under his skin.
Punk and MJF have been involved in a feud and fans have had the pleasure of witnessing verbal battles on Dynamite. The two have yet to have a one-on-one match but they’re expected to collide within the next month or so.
“It’s not a made-up line, it’s dead-on balls-accurate truth. And guess what? Punk don’t like those truths being thrown in his face. You could see it in the phony smile that comes over his face.
“It’s like when a boxer gets tagged in the ring with a great shot and they smile and they try to laugh it off. All that smile says is, ‘Yeah, you got me and you got me good.’ MJF is not pulling sh*t out of thin air.
“He’s hitting him straight between the eyes with brutal honesty and whether or not they discussed it, it doesn’t matter. There’s so many things that you can hit Punk with that can land death blows on him it’s not funny.
“All those smoke and mirrors that he used can go away in the snap of a finger and MJF knows how to do it.”
In storyline, MJF is also flying a little too close to the sun when it comes to his bodyguard Wardlow. Fans have noticed MJF taking Wardlow for granted over the past few months and it’ll likely lead to a split between the two.
As for Punk, many believe he’s been planting the seeds for an eventual heel turn. He seemingly tested the waters while throwing shade at MJF’s hometown crowd in Long Island back in late 2021.
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All Elite Wrestling Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes believes going through a flaming table was foolish. However, he doesn’t regret it.
Rhodes spoke with ComicBook’s Connor Casey about his decision that shocked AEW fans. The moment happened during a Street Fight match with Andrade El Idolo on December 1, 2021, and Rhodes reversed suplex Idolo through the flaming table to win. While Rhodes suffered burns, he thinks Street Fight matches should be memorable in AEW.
Casey transcribed the following quotes.
“I’m going to try and keep my language somewhat clean, but (that was) maybe the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. But man, it was cool. Dumb, but also what a good image, in terms of just that’s how we do Dynamite,” said Rhodes. He continued, “That specific incident wasn’t so much about topping myself, I just hate in wrestling when you’ll hear, “Oh, it’s a street fight. It’s a Tupelo Falls Count Anywhere match or whatever,” and then it’s just Basic Betty, it’s checking boxes versus actually taking that level of danger into account. And that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to make sure people know that, if there’s a Street Fight on AEW, it’s a Street Fight. It’s going to leave you with a lasting memory and, ultimately, I think we did that.”
Cody Rhodes Past Dangerous Spots
In AEW, Rhodes has had several dangerous moments in matches. Shawn Spears hit Rhodes on the head with a chair at AEW Fyter Fest on June 30, 2019. Fans responded negatively to Rhodes and the company for allowing it to happen. AEW President Tony Khan shared after the event that the spot didn’t go as planned.
“We called the doctor immediately. It was obviously really regrettable what happened,” Khan said. Rhodes ended up needing 12 staples to close the wound on his head.
Rhodes also did a moonsault off the top of a steel cage in a match with Wardlow at AEW Dynamite on February 19, 2020. While he didn’t injure himself, people in AEW didn’t want him to do the spot. Rhodes shared that Khan didn’t want him to do the jump. However, the moment still went as planned.
On Saturday, Rhodes will defend his TNT Championship against Sammy Guevara at AEW Battle of the Belts. Guevara will try to reclaim the title after losing to Rhodes at AEW Rampage on December 25, 2021.
Rey Fenix has issued a statement following the injury he sustained on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. The former AEW tag champion confirms “there are no broken bones” and he hopes to be back in action sooner than later.
“I want to thank each and every one of you for so much love, for your prayers, good vibes, for your messages. Thank you very much for being concerned about me.
I feel very blessed to have all of you. Fans, colleagues (Wrestlers), my friends and my family, Thank you very much.
I love this sport so much that it has changed my life and mine, that when I am in the ring or put on my mask, everything goes away. There are no fears, there are no problems, my heart beats perfectly, everything is fine, I feel alive.
What happened last night is one of the many risks that we wrestlers take before getting into a ring and doing what we love so much.
There is no fault, it is wrestling and these are the risks.
Today I can tell you that I feel better and that thank God, your prayers and good vibes THERE ARE NO BROKEN BONES.
You still have to visit the doctor a couple more times and do some studies, to have an exact diagnosis.
Thank you very much once again to all and congratulations to the champions, enjoy and defend those titles, because very soon I am back and those championships belong to the LUCHA BROTHERS. I respect!
Big Swole is speaking out after days of online harassment from wrestling fans on social media.
The controversy began on December 31st, when Swole addressed her AEW departure on her show, Swole World. She spoke about her AEW career and revealed some things that really bothered her during her time with the company.
Swole criticized the AEW for lacking diversity and black representation. Her comments have ignited a passionate debate.
Disclaimer This article contains some offensive/racist language, via DM’s shared by Big Swole
The lack of opportunities for women pushed Swole not to re-sign. However, she also cited a lack of structure and, more importantly, diversity and representation issues.
“… There are a lot of things with that company that need to change, and I know that fans of the company don’t take criticism well sometimes, like certain ones. But know this, that this is somebody just from the inside that the structure is a little off, said Swole. Swole explained, “… It’s fine to be loose, but I like to have a little bit more structure. I felt like the women shouldn’t have gone through everything they went through just to get on TV. Just to get time. You’re signed to this big company you want time. All these men are getting time, but the women weren’t getting anything. Or you’re not putting people on TV because ‘Oh, more people have come in.’ Okay, there is more people coming in, but you don’t have enough product for all these people.”
More on Big Swole’s Comments
The lack of attention to the women’s division is an issue that Swole detailed on her show. She shared that other female talents were frustrated with the lack of direction and opportunity to perform on TV, compared to the males. She also revealed that Khan asked her to help with the women’s division as the locker room leader.
Swole would communicate that the talent was unhappy with the lack of opportunities and help to improve in-ring. While this is one of her criticism of AEW, fans and wrestlers were more concerned with her comments on diversity.
Swole believes that AEW should give more people from the black community a voice in higher positions in the company. She mentioned that her daughter watched AEW on TV and noticed nobody looked like her or Swole. Swole also said that her daughter started to watch WWE because wrestlers like Bianca Belair and Big E were on TV.
“I do not like to beat around the bush when it comes to diversity,” said Swole. “When it comes to my people, there is no representation truly, and when it is representation, it does not come across in the black community as genuine at all.”
She continued, “…What happens is, you have this wonderful company that treats people like family, but there is nobody that looks like me that is represented at the top. They’re not in the room with them. They are not helping to not necessarily influence decisions but also be there to explain. You know, why certain slang, why this certain word shouldn’t be said. Why this that and the third. There’s no one else who can explain our culture except for us. Who can explain our experience except for us.”
While Swole shared her criticisms, she credited AEW for making some progress. However, she still wants to see the company do more. She doesn’t just want more representation in AEW, but other wrestling companies with TV deals in the United States like the WWE. She also wants more representation from different races and ethnic backgrounds like dark-skinned Latinas and Latinos, Asians, and Indians on TV.
Swole ended her episode wishing success for AEW and WWE while noting that she has no bad blood towards AEW.
The top 2 @AEW execs are brown (me & Megha)!! Jade, Bowens, Caster, Dante, Nyla, Isiah & Marq Quen all won on tv this month. The TBS Title Tournament has been very diverse. I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough. #AEWRampage Street Fight TONIGHT! https://t.co/NprF6I7D6G
Swole’s criticism prompted a response from Khan on Twitter. In his response, he shared that AEW doesn’t have a problem with diversity. He pointed out that he’s Pakistani American and that seven wrestlers from different ethnic backgrounds won matches in December. Khan also said that he let Swole contract expire because “…her wrestling wasn’t good enough.” Fans may also remember that Swole worked with Crohn’s Disease during her AEW career.
Khan’s comments sparked criticism for how he handled Swole’s remarks. AEW talent Lio Rush demanded that Khan apologizes on Twitter. However, other talents defended Khan, like Tayconti and Powerhouse Hobbs. Rush shared on January 1, he had a private conversation with Khan and that AEW is seeking input from an African American perspective.
Khan’s response to Swole added to the hostile reactions towards her. It not only made fans questions Swole wrestling ability but also invited fans to harass her. Swole posted a picture of a direct message from a fan on Twitter that racially attacked her. Another fan wished death on Swole. Recently, Swole tweeted that fans are now involving her daughter in their harassment. Khan hasn’t said anything else regarding Swole since his response on Twitter.
Khan Big Plans for Diversity in 2022
The AEW President appeared on Barstool Rasslin with Brandon F. Walker to share his big plans for diversity and representation in AEW. He also mentioned signing new talent Mercedes Martinez and Jake Atlas recently as part of the plan to be more diverse. While Khan says he has plans for diversity and representation, he didn’t reveal what they were.
“…I have some huge plans for 2022 that have been a long time in the making, and then I have some huge plans in 2022 to build a stronger, more diverse representation across the board, and nobody knows what it is yet, but I have a couple really exciting things that are going to be coming up in the next month, six weeks,” said Khan.
It’s unclear if Khan’s plans include signing new talent or hiring new employees from different ethnic backgrounds for higher positions in AEW. He also didn’t mention what he plans to do with talent already signed to AEW like Sonny Kiss, Jay Lethal, or Emi Sakura. It also contradicts his point that there isn’t a diversity or representation issue if he has to build a stronger and more diverse representation in AEW.
Regardless, Khan plans to make progress this year, and fans will have to wait to see what those plans are.
Rey Fenix took a nasty bump through a table at the hands of Luchasaurus on Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite. As Fenix landed on the outside, his arm bent back the wrong way. The injury appeared to be quite serious.
Fenix never did return to the match. Jungle Boy pinned Penta El Zero Miedo to win the AEW World Tag Team Championships.
Thankfully, it seems that things could have been much worse. Bryan Alvarez from F4WOnline posted an update on Fenix’s condition on Thursday afternoon. As it turns out, Fenix did not break his arm, but it was badly dislocated.
The Lucha Bros were the 5th team in AEW history to win the tag team titles. SCU, Hangman Page & Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and FTR all held the belts before them. They held the titles for 122 days and successfully defended the championships on 4 occasions during their reign.
Thunder Rosa was Renee Paquette’s guest on the latest episode of the Oral Sessions podcast. During the discussion, they spoke about how Thunder Rosa went from a social worker to one of the top stars in AEW, how she almost ended up in WWE as a ref, and how she feels about her Lights Out match with Britt Baker last year.
Rosa was technically contracted to the NWA when she first appeared for All Elite Wrestling in August 2020. It wasn’t until nearly a year later that she signed an exclusive deal with the promotion.
She was branded as an ‘outsider’ from the beginning – a label that’s followed her throughout her career.
Thunder Rosa told Renee, “You know, I felt the pressure from moment one, because I knew what I was coming for. I’m an outsider.”
Renee asked what she meant by that. How was she an outsider?
“I don’t know if you remember, but the storyline was, ‘You don’t belong here. You don’t belong here,” Rosa said. “They keep telling me, I’m an outsider my whole entire career. Because I never watched wrestling. I was a social worker. I came into the business because it was fun. It was something that interested me and I ended up being f-cking pretty good at it. And people didn’t like that.”
. @thunderrosa22 ????this chick freaking rules!! But we already knew that. Man, her journey is wild! I had no idea everything she’s been through. We talk her lights out match w @realbrittbaker, why she almost quit, moving to the United States, her family and so much more. @AEWpic.twitter.com/wZhRRFZuPp
Thunder Rosa continued, “You come from another company and it’s a blessing and a curse when you’re too good at something, at any job. So you come in at something, you’re supposed to be a one and done, and then you’re like, ‘What’s up guys. I’m the cousin nobody wants to see, but you still see me.’ And they put me in this super important spot. You’re like, ‘holy crap.’ If i sh-t the bed, this is it.”
Despite this adversity, Thunder Rosa believed in herself. She knew that if she was able to tell a story in the ring the way it was meant to be told, that she’d be ok.
The recent Big Swole controversy has landed Tony Khan in hot waters. Even members of the IWC who are usually very supportive of the AEW president, have distanced themselves from his comments. While the wrestling promoter since seems to have learned not to publicly call out his ex-employees, he is not refraining himself from promising a diverse representation in his company in 2022.
Khan recently had an interview with Barstool Wrestling. He talked about all the additions to the AEW roster in 2021 and what qualities he looks for while signing people. Tony claimed that professionalism is the number one thing on his list:
“There’s a number of things. There’s in-ring ability. There’s professionalism, [which] I think is very important. That’s number one. The first word in professional wrestler is professional. I think there’s also in-ring ability, charisma, promos. [It’s] looking for a combination of these. If somebody has some more than others, you can work around it to some extent, but you need them all.”
Tony Khan Says AEW Plans To Build A Diverse Representation In 2022
Tony Khan (Photo: Robbie Fox for Barstool)
Tony Khan was later asked about AEW’s plans in 2022. The AEW owner first explained that it’s going to be a huge year for them. He then mentioned how their two most recent signings are a step towards helping them achieve the goal of diversity:
“It’s gonna be a huge year for us. We’ve expanded the roster so much. Like I said, it’s a more competitive roster than it’s ever been. And it’s a more diverse roster than it’s ever been. Just look at the signings [in] the last couple [of] weeks, the last two wrestlers we’ve announced coming in. Mercedes Martinez and then of course just in the last 24 hours, Jake Atlas.”
Khan recalled how Mercedes Martinez helped Jade Cargill in reaching the finals of the TBS tournament during her return to AEW programming. He also mentioned the debut of Jake Atlas before claiming that he has some huge plans for 2022 that have been in the making for a long time:
“I have some huge plans for 2022 that have been a long time in the making. And then I have some huge plans for 2022 to build a stronger, more diverse representation across the board. Nobody knows what it is yet, but I have a couple [of] really exciting things that are gonna be coming up in the next month, six weeks.
It’s gonna be really good. It’s been stuff that’s been a long time planned, and it’s gonna be awesome. There’s also some stuff that just kind of came up, to be honest with you that is gonna be pretty dope”
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Rey Fenix wasn’t the only AEW star to suffer an injury during tonight’s event in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center. According to a report from PWInsider, new signee Jake Atlas was injured as well during the Rampage tapings following AEW Dynamite on Wednesday night.
Atlas made his debut for AEW last week at the AEW Dark Elevation tapings in Jacksonville. It was soon revealed that he had signed a contract with the promotion. Then, during tonight’s AEW Dynamite broadcast, Adam Cole challenged him to a match for Rampage and said he would “send him back to Orlando” (a reference to WWE NXT, where Atlas previously worked).
Friday’s Rampage was taped immediately following the conclusion of Dynamite on Wednesday night, and Cole vs. Atlas apparently saw Atlas blow out his knee during the match. There’s currently no word on the severity of the injury.
The injury reportedly happened when Atlas was executing a springboard from the ring apron into the ring and took a superkick from Cole. He clutched his knee and fell to the mat. When they went for Cole’s Panama Sunrise finisher, Atlas was unable to take the move. He apparently tried to pull himself up to get in position for the Panama Sunrise, but it wasn’t working out, so Cole instead locked him into a kneebar and Atlas tapped out.
Following the match, AEW officials helped Atlas to the locker room. Bryan Alvarez later stated that Atlas is scheduled for an MRI.
Rey Fenix Suffered Nasty Injury Earlier In The Night
Rey Fenix suffered a brutal injury during the main event of Dynamite. That match saw the Lucha Bros lose the AEW tag team titles to Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus. Near the conclusion of the match, Luchasaurus choke slammed Fenix through a table on the outside and Fenix’s arm bent back in an awkward direction upon his landing.
A replay was shown during the broadcast on more than one occasion where Fenix’s injury was immediately apparent. He clutched and pointed at his arm and asked for help as the match came to its conclusion back in the ring.
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Dynamite’s main event this week featured a tag team title match. The Lucha Bros put the AEW World Tag Team Championships on the line against Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus.
Jungle Boy picked up the win for his team, securing himself and Luchasaurus their first taste of championship gold in AEW. He reversed Made In Japan into a pin for the three-count in the biggest victory of his young career.
Unfortunately, the win was overshadowed by a freak injury that will surely put Rey Fenix out of action for months.
Fenix’s Arm Is Totaled
Moments before the conclusion of the match, Luchasaurus landed a chokeslam on Fenix from the ring apron onto a table.
Fenix is known for his risk-taking style but in this situation, the table bump was rather tame compared to some of the wild things he’s pulled off. It just goes to show that the old saying, “This ain’t ballet” rings true in the world of pro wrestling.
SEScoops has learned that Rey Fenix was hospitalized after AEW Dynamite. It’s believed that he dislocated his elbow, but we’re waiting on further confirmation.
(Update) Alex Abrahantes provided the following update on Thursday morning:
Just wanted to take a moment to say thanks to all that have sent well wishes to @ReyFenixMx I can’t comment on his condition. Rey gives 1000% every time he steps into the ring. Last night was very unfortunate. He’s a great person and I know he appreciates your love and support.
A new era for AEW begins tonight, as Dynamite moves to TBS. AEW’s top names have been doing the media rounds to promote the show, including company president Tony Khan.
TK spoke with Brandon Walker for Barstool Sports Rasslin’ podcast and dropped several news items that AEW fans will be interested in:
AEW Beach Break is returning later this month. The 2-night event will take place on the Wednesday, January 26th edition of Dynamite and the Friday, January 28th edition of Rampage. Beach Break will take place from Cleveland, Ohio.
AEW Double or Nothing will return to Las Vegas this year. The PPV takes place during Memorial Day weekend, the final weekend of May.
AEW will bring Dynamite and Rampage to the west coast some time this spring ‘around the time’ of Double or Nothing.
Last year’s AEW Beach Break took place from Jacksonville, FL at Daily’s Place. The main event saw Jon Moxley, PAC & Fenix vs. Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers.
Tony Khan also teased that we will be seeing Hook again “sooner than later.”
Catch Brandon Walker’s full interview with Tony Khan right here:
Cody Rhodes says he regrets almost everything about the angle he had with Olympic boxer, Anthony Ogogo. Rhodes was speaking to Brandon Walker on the Barstool Rasslin’ podcast when he commented on the matter.
“I regret almost everything about the Anthony Ogogo angle. Almost everything about it,” Rhodes said on the show.
Rhodes would continue to say that perhaps he wasn’t the best person to be speaking about race relations as he did during that storyline.
“A white guy talking about race relations, who has an American flag tattoo on his neck, I can see why people would use the terms ‘tone-deaf’ when it came to that,” Rhodes continued. “Then trying to defend it and all — Just again, intentions were good and sincere and I was so excited about Brandi and the baby but it just — That should have just been one where I went out and almost just winged it.”
“It set the angle in a tailspin where it just wasn’t a classic, USA vs. UK, fun-spirited deal. I was going to go over to the UK and have the return match. Now I just never want to think about it again.”
Rhodes’ promo can be viewed in the player below:
Rhodes defeated Anthony Ogogo at Double or Nothing 2021 in May. The following week, however, QT Marshall and Ogogo defeated Cody and Lee Johnson in tag team action.
Ogogo then took a 6-month hiatus from AEW. He returned on the December 1st show in Duluth, Georgia, wrestling on AEW Dark: Elevation. He also took part in the AEW Dark tapings at Universal Studios on December 3rd. Ogogo competed on the Dark: Elevation shows throughout December but was off last week for the show in Jacksonville.
Brandi Rhodes is a ratings draw and she’s not afraid to brag about it.
Rhodes is the Chief Brand Officer of All Elite Wrestling. She is an active competitor with a 13-3 career record in AEW. She’s also a divisive figure that regularly engages with her critics on social media.
Brandi has been accused of having “go-away heat.” This term describes when fans boo a performer not because they’re a good heel, but because they’re annoying and shouldn’t be featured on television.
On Tuesday, Brandi Rhodes informed her Twitter followers that her segment with Dan Lambert last week on Dynamite was the most-watched part of the show. She also addressed those claims of having go-away heat.
She boasted, “If that’s go away head, then the whole rosters lookin for that same smoke.”
High point of the show.
Consistently.
If that’s go away heat, then the whole rosters lookin for that same smoke.
Tony Khan signed a number of big names such as CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole to AEW in 2021, and it appears he plans to continue this trend in 2022.
The AEW president recently had an interview with Josh Martinez of New York’s Z100 radio station. He was there to promote Dynamite’s move to TBS and their other upcoming shows.
During the discussion, the host asked Khan if he has a “dream signing” that he’d like to see in AEW. He narrowed it down to talent located in North America, which excludes most ‘Forbidden Door’ crossovers from New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Khan said there actually is a big name coming to AEW “pretty soon” that he’s very excited about.
“There is [a dream signing]. They are in North America and they’re coming. Pretty soon. It’s going to be awesome. I’m very excited,”
-Tony Khan
Khan did not reveal any further detail about this dream signing so it’s hard to say when they will be coming or who it could be.
There are a number of big free agents in the market that fit the bill and it will be really interesting to see which one of them ends up being the promised signing.
Top free agents who are currently available, or will soon be available, to appear for AEW include Jeff Hardy, Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt), Johnny Gargano, Keith Lee, Karrion Kross, Danhausen, Buddy Murphy, ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham, Adam Scherr, Shane “Swerve” Strickland, Teagan Nox and Toni Storm.
Apart from this, Tony Khan talked about things such as the upcoming final of the TBS title tournament, the signing of Jake Atlas, and more.
You can check out his full interview in the video below:
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge around the world, the virus has been contracted by another member of the wrestling world. Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks has reportedly tested positive.
The former AEW Tag Team Champion’s condition was confirmed by a bio change on Twitter.com. The Bucks often use that location to announce things, be snarky, or a little of both.
You can see the reveal below.
Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline revealed that both Jackson and Brandon Cutler have contracted COVID-19. Further, Nick Jackson was with both recently for 18 hours so is considered a close contact. All three men will be forced to miss tomorrow night’s TBS debut of AEW Dynamite and will not be able to return until cleared.
Dynamite takes place from Newark, New Jersey this week and none of the three are reported to have made the trip. The date of their tests has not been revealed, but due to them not making the trip, it was likely prior to Tuesday.
Nick Jackson, Matt’s brother and tag team partner of The Young Bucks, had COVID-19 in the fall of 2020 very bad. He wrote about it in an Instagram story about one year ago, detailing his battle and the long-term effect it had on him.
“Crazy to think there’s still COVID deniers out there in the world. I had a pretty bad case of COVID in early September that kept me bed ridden for nearly 3 weeks. I couldn’t taste or smell for 2 in a half months. At one point my whole body had hives in it and my doctor said that it was definitely from COVID. Matt had to do the majority of the work in matches once I returned safely because I couldn’t catch my breath. My cardio is finally back but it took months to finally feel like myself again. Let’s protect each other and wear [a] mask.”
Nick Jackson on his 2020 battle with COVID-19
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Kris Statlander has four AEW stars in her sights and some of them are familiar foes.
Statlander knows a thing or two about scrapping with AEW’s top female wrestlers. She’s gone toe-to-toe with the likes of current AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida, and Nyla Rose.
For 2022, Statlander has a couple of rematches in mind.
Kris Statlander Lists Potential Opponents
Kris Statlander has mixed it up with the likes of Jamie Hayter and Ruby Soho but she told Chris Denker on Into The Danger Zone that she’s eyeing rematches. She’s also got two other names on her radar.
“I wanna wrestle Serena Deeb. I’ve wrestled Thunder Rosa on the indies but I haven’t in AEW.
“I really just wanna wrestle them all but Jamie Hayter and I, we had a singles match on the Jericho Cruise and I would love to do that on Dynamite.
“It was a great match. It was so fun. Did I win? No, her and Britt cheated so I lost that one. So, we gotta do one that actually counts.
“I just wrestled Ruby and I lost to her but I would love to [wrestle her again].”
The match with Ruby took place in the TBS Title tournament. With the defeat, Statlander has missed out on her chance of becoming the inaugural TBS Champion.
Ruby and Jade Cargill will do battle for that honor on the Jan. 5 episode of Dynamite. This will be Dynamite’s debut on TBS.
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After making his promotional debut on AEW Dark: Elevation last night, Tony Khan has revealed that AEW has signed Jake Atlas. The 27-year-old had been released from his WWE contract in August of this year where he had been assigned to the NXT brand.
Tony Khan made the announcement today on social media.
“Congratulations on winning your tryout match last night, Jake Atlas! What a great @AEW debut, and now @kennymarquez, I’ll see you Tomorrow night in Newark at the debut of #AEWDynamite on @TBSNetwork! Safe travels, and… Welcome to the team!”
Congratulations on winning your tryout match last night, Jake Atlas! What a great @AEW debut, and now @kennymarquez, I’ll see you Tomorrow night in Newark at the debut of #AEWDynamite on @TBSNetwork! Safe travels, and… Welcome to the team! #JakeAtlas is All Elite! pic.twitter.com/b9oDuGLZWZ
Atlas was trained by Santino Bros Wrestling in Los Angeles and made his debut in 2016.
Atlas has wrestled 3 times since departing WWE this summer. He wrestled and defeated Effy on GCW’s Effy’s Big Gay Brunch Chicago on September 5th. He lost to Taylor Rust on ROH’s Death Before Dishonor show on September 12th. Shortly after, Atlas announced he was leaving the wrestling industry citing mental health concerns.
“At 26 years old, I’ve got my entire life ahead of me & I’m choosing to explore completely different industries to find my passion again,” he wrote.
Evidently, Atlas had second thoughts about leaving the industry. He returned last Wednesday at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida and defeated Serpentico.
Whether it be the reports of backstage rift with other AEW EVPs or the fan reaction to his bookings, in the past few months Cody Rhodes has found himself making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Now the latest comments from the All Elite Wrestling executive about the egos in the company’s locker room are only bound to attract some more negative reactions for the current TNT champion.
Rhodes discussed the growth of AEW in 2021 and what to expect in 2022 during a recent interview with Fite TV’s Fite in Focus. Talking about the backstage environment of the promotion, he claimed that it has its own egos and problems:
“I imagine it will be our biggest and most successful year yet. And I hope fans don’t take that as me being arrogant or anything of that nature. We continue to grow for three years and I don’t see us stopping, because we love it too much. We genuinely do.
If you come backstage at AEW, there is no place like it. It has its own egos and problems, people not liking each other.” said Cody Rhodes, “But for the most part, that’s the most team effort place that I have been part of in my life.”
Japanese wrestling star Maki Itoh is determined to wrestle in the United States again. She’s plotting a return to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and wants to pin Thunder Rosa’s shoulders to the mat.
Itoh currently wrestles for Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling. She is their reigning International Princess Champion. TJPW has released a video of Itoh stating her intentions.
“With this belt, Ito will definitely go to AEW! And I’ll fight Thunder Rosa one more time. And Ito will definitely win!”
Itoh added, “There are many, many more attractive people in the world. So Ito wants to beat them one by one with this belt.”
Update: Thunder Rosa has replied to Maki Itoh’s comments. She wrote:
“I was actually thinking the opposite. FOR THE RECORD, I BEAT YOU FOR THAT CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE and I will again! you must be out of your freaking mind if you think you can defeat me. Bitch is open season! Ass whippings are giving for free at @AEW get in line…”
I was actually thinking the opposite. FOR THE RECORD, I BEAT YOU FOR THAT CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE and I will again! 2. @maki_itoh you must be out of your freaking mind if you think you can defeat me. Bitch is open season!Ass whippings are giving for free at @AEW get in line…???? https://t.co/w2Kdq5yNns
Maki Itoh wrestled for AEW a few times in 2021. She participated in the AEW Women’s World Title Eliminator tournament, but lost to Ryo Mizunami in the first round.
She shared a ring with Thunder Rosa at AEW Revlution in March 2021 during the Buy In kickoff show. Itoh and Britt Baker scored a victory over Thunder Rosa and Riho after interference by Rebel.
Itoh wrestled one more time for AEW, losing to Riho in the main event of the premiere episode of AEW Dark: Elevation.
Maki Itoh’s Popularity
Maki Itoh is very popular. Last summer, one of her t-shirts was the top selling piece of merchandise on Pro Wrestling Tees.
She posted a video back in July stating that she’s received offers from both AEW and WWE. However, she’s yet to sign with either organization.
All Elite Wrestling has announced another championship match for Saturday night’s AEW Battle of the Belts special.
Sammy Guevara will get a rematch against Cody Rhodes after the American Nightmare captured the gold from the Spanish God last week.
AEW Battle of the Belts is a 1-hour special that airs this Saturday night on TNT. It’s part of a big week of programming for AEW, which kicks off with Dynamite’s move to TBS this Wednesday night.
AEW Battle of the Belts Card
The following matches are signed for AEW Battle of the Belts
TNT Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara
AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker vs. Riho
Expect to see at least one more match added to the card at Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.
The last time @RealBrittBaker and @riho_gtmv were in the ring together, the DMD completely disrespected and humiliated the former women's champion after her win. The two will now meet at #AEW's #BattleOfTheBelts in Charlotte, NC on Saturday Jan. 8 LIVE 8/7c on @TNTDrama! pic.twitter.com/KKyMsUpvKp
Tony Khan was recently interviewed by CBS Sports. During the discussion, he spoke about what his new year’s resolutions for AEW are in 2022.
“To continue expanding,” Khan said. “We’ve got the Battle of the Belts, and the Owen Hart Cup, and so much more to come in 2022. We’ve developed the roster so much in the past year, more than I honestly had ever dreamed we could going into the year.”
“So I look forward to what’s ahead in 2022. What a year it was. Our four pay-per-views this year happened to be the four biggest pay-per-views we’ve ever done. Our top four box office shows of all time. The last two are the top two. We’ve ended up in an amazing place and it’s very exciting going into 2022.”
When asked about what wrestlers he expects to have a big year in 2022, Khan mentioned Dante and Darius Martin.
“I think for a variety of reasons, there’s a number of people I’m excited to feature in the coming year,” Khan said. “For example, it was completely out of everyone’s control, but Darius Martin has been out injured and I think he’s tremendous. I would love to get him back soon and teaming with his brother, Dante. Dante has become a big star and I think they were tremendous as a tag team.”
Khan also spoke about the success AEW has seen over the last year on PPV and numerous other topics. The AEW President noted how the roster for his company has expanded well beyond what he dreamed it could have in the last year as well as Serena Deeb’s role as a producer backstage.
The full interview with Tony Khan can be heard in the player below:
As an active wrestler and an EVP of AEW, Cody has seen his share of promotional events. AEW doesn’t put on PPV shows regularly but when the promotion does, it’s usually met with high praise.
There are two PPVs, in particular, that stand out to Cody.
Cody Rhodes’ PPV Picks
(via AEW)
During an edition of FITE In Focus, Cody Rhodes was asked about any PPV that has stood out to him in the young history of AEW. He named Double Or Nothing from 2019 and All Out from 2021.
“I actually think it’s probably a really good sign that my favorite two PPVs, one of them I wasn’t on and that’s most recently All Out where Bryan Danielson joined us, Adam Cole joined us.
“That PPV and then of course, the one you mentioned, the original Double or Nothing. I know which PPV in my mind maybe I thought was softest.
“I’ve never thought a PPV we put out was weak by any means, especially bell to bell, but the original Double or Nothing that was a feeling like no other in that energy and what this was and what it could be in its constant evolution sense.
“And then to have three years later, All Out where big free agents, not just surprises but the bell to bell content of that show was significant and I think something for everybody.”
Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole
The 2019 Double or Nothing show featured the instant classic between Cody and his brother Dustin. The show ended with the surprise AEW debut of Jon Moxley.
As for AEW All Out in 2021, that show had a fantastic steel cage tag team title match between Lucha Bros and The Young Bucks. Fans also got to witness CM Punk’s first match since 2014 as well as the AEW debuts of Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole.
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