SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Jim Ross Gushes Over AEW Roster: ‘It’s A Booker’s Dream’

    Jim Ross Gushes Over AEW Roster: ‘It’s A Booker’s Dream’

    Jim Ross has high praise for the talent pool over at AEW.

    JR joined AEW in 2019 six months before the debut episode of Dynamite. He’s been serving as the play-by-play ace of Dynamite. He’s usually joined by Tony Schiavone and Excalibur.

    Jim Ross Is A Big Fan Of AEW’s Roster

    On an episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross discussed the depth of AEW’s talent and how they’ve set a high bar.

    “The product’s hot. AEW’s hotter than hell and Tony Khan just keeps building that deeper, talented roster.

    “There’s no reason whatsoever to not have at least one or two great matches every week on Dynamite and/or Rampage. No reason.

    “With this roster, it’s just a booker’s dream cause we got some studs here that can work and I just love to be around em’ and I wanna help document what they’re doing with my voice if I can and that’s the game plan.”

    AEW has brought in a slew of talent in 2021. This includes the likes of Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Adam Cole, reDRagon, Christian Cage, and more.

    The company has also pushed its younger talent with the “Four Pillars,” which includes MJF, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, and Jungle Boy. Darby and Sammy are former TNT Champions.

    JR is grateful to be able to call the action once again. He had to step away for a brief time period as he was undergoing treatment for skin cancer. The good news is he’s now cancer-free and returned to the AEW booth for the Dec. 29 episode of Dynamite.

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  • Bully Ray Slams Fans Complaining About Brandi Rhodes’ ‘Black B*tch’ Line

    Bully Ray Slams Fans Complaining About Brandi Rhodes’ ‘Black B*tch’ Line

    Bully Ray has gone off on social media dwellers whining about Brandi Rhodes’ recent one-liner.

    On the Dec. 29 New Year’s Smash episode of AEW Dynamite, Brandi and Dan Lambert got into a verbal exchange. During the segment, Brandi referred to herself as a “black b*tch” which got some people on social media in a hissy fit.

    Of course, many of these social media accounts were WWE stans. After all, the wrestling community on Twitter has become a cesspool of fanboys on both the WWE and AEW front.

    Bully Ray has had enough of the “snowflake” Twitter warriors.

    Bully Ray Defends Brandi Rhodes

    Bully Ray is aware of the complaints on Twitter of Brandi’s line and he’s fed up. He obliterated the whiners during an episode of Busted Open Radio.

    “And then I was reading on social media that people were having a problem that Brandi referred to herself, and I think I’m getting it right here, as a black b*tch? And then she takes her heels off and she’s ready to fight?

    “And what’s wrong with that? It’s sports entertainment you f*cking snowflakes! Give me a break!”

    A feud has now been sparked between the Rhodes family and Lambert’s crew. Lambert manages Ethan Page, who will be challenging Cody for the TNT Championship on the Dec. 31 episode of AEW Rampage.

    This will be Cody’s first TNT title defense since capturing the gold a third time by defeating Sammy Guevara on the Christmas episode of Rampage.

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  • Tony Khan On His Favorite Memory Of Brodie Lee

    Tony Khan On His Favorite Memory Of Brodie Lee

    December marks a full year since we lost Brodie Lee. The wrestling world came together to remember the late star on 1 year anniversary of his passing earlier this week. While the veteran competed for many promotions in his career, where he really got to shine was AEW. The promotion of Tony Khan put the spotlight on Lee from his very first appearance in the company and the wrestling star lived up to the hype.

    Khan recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. He was asked if he has a favorite memory of the late star. The AEW president claimed that he has a lot of memories of the former champion that he cherishes:

    “I have a lot of memories of Brodie Lee that I really cherish. At the beginning of the pandemic, the very first pandemic show was his debut in AEW. That was the first time Brodie appeared. He had no fans ringside when he had his first match at Daily’s Place, so it was a strange time. He became such a leader for us, and we really got to know each other when there weren’t many other people around.”

    Tony Khan On Brodie Lee’s AEW Career

    Brodie Lee with the TNT Championship
    Brodie Lee with the TNT Championship

    Tony Khan then remembered the time when Brodie Lee unsuccessfully challenged the then AEW champion Jon Moxley at the Double Or Nothing PPV in May 2020. Lee went on to win the TNT championship a few months later in August. According to Khan, he will always remember this time where he got to know the former WWE star:

    “I ended up reaching out to Jon Moxley and saying it should be him and Brodie for the title at Double or Nothing. Mox loved the idea. We didn’t have a ton of time, only a few weeks, but we built to Mox and Brodie. We had a three-way call to talk ideas, and that was really a lot of fun. Then we made him TNT champion over the summer, and it was a great run. But I’ll really always remember that period during the pandemic when we really got to know each other.”

    Apart from this, Tony Khan also talked about recent AEW signings including Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly. He claimed that O’Reilly’s debut helps build more interest in AEW programming. You can check out his comments at this link.

    Tony Khan Discusses The Owen Hart Cup
  • AEW Star Miro Dealing With An Injury (Report)

    AEW Star Miro Dealing With An Injury (Report)

    It seems Miro’s inactivity on AEW TV boils down to an injury.

    Fightful Select has reported that Miro has been dealing with a hamstring injury. Fans may have noticed that in his most recent matches, the Bulgarian bruiser had his leg taped up.

    Miro hasn’t been seen in action since Nov. 13. He wrestled Bryan Danielson at the Full Gear PPV in a losing effort.

    Miro was a last-minute replacement in the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament after Jon Moxley was bowed out after entering an alcohol treatment program. He was able to defeat Orange Cassidy in the tourney before running into Danielson.

    On the Dec. 25 episode of AEW Rampage, a video package aired of Miro having another discussion with his “God.”

    “You didn’t cast me from heaven. You kept me from my home. I will return with no flaws. I will become champion to show your lack of power over me. You sit up there not because you feel power but because of your fear.

    “Everyone is going to find out that redemption doesn’t come with a smile. It comes with a price. So unlike you, I will look them all in the eye. You will either feel the joy of my cruelty or the shame in yours. This is the Word of The Redeemer!”

  • Quote: Dan Lambert Is Really Good At What He Does

    Quote: Dan Lambert Is Really Good At What He Does

    One WWE and TNA Hall of Famer believes Dan Lambert always brings the goods as a heel.

    Lambert has become quite a polarizing figure among the AEW audience. Some love him, others believe he generates go-away heat. Regardless of how you feel, few can deny that he’s been successful at getting people to despise him.

    Bully Ray Sings Praises Of Dan Lambert

    Bully Ray took to the Busted Open Radio show to express his belief that Dan Lambert is doing his job to perfection.

    “They [wrestling fans] sit back and like, ‘No, we don’t wanna like Dan Lambert. We don’t accept Dan Lambert. We don’t like him.’

    “Come on people. This guy is really good at what he does on the microphone. He’s got a flow to him.

    “What he says digs deep. He stabs you, he twists a knife, and then he throws salt on it as he looks you in the eyes and lets you know that, ‘I’m Dan Lambert and I’m the one who’s got you.”

    Lambert was most recently seen on the Dec. 29 New Year’s Smash episode of AEW Dynamite. He got into a verbal battle with Brandi Rhodes.

    As most fans are aware, Cody and Brandi aren’t exactly well-received by the AEW audience these days. Bully praised Lambert for being able to get the fans at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida to cheer for Brandi.

    Cody is set to put his TNT Championship on the line against Ethan Page on the Dec. 31 episode of AEW Rampage. Page is managed by Lambert.

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  • FTR Reveal Only Time They Had Second Thoughts About Wrestling

    FTR Reveal Only Time They Had Second Thoughts About Wrestling

    FTR never wanted to quit the wrestling business but there was a time when they had some second thoughts.

    Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler have been praised for their old-school style. While they are a team reminiscent of the 1980s, FTR can work well with just about anybody.

    They’ve proven that with some sensational matches against the likes of The Lucha Bros, who are known for their fast-paced, high-flying style.

    FTR has enjoyed success in WWE and AEW but there was a time when the two did have some things to consider when pursuing the wrestling industry.

    FTR Discuss Early Considerations

    The folks over at the Elite POV spoke to FTR and asked if at any moment they had doubts about their wrestling aspirations. Harwood admitted he didn’t think he’d ever get a fair chance.

    “I just didn’t think I was ever gonna get an opportunity because of my stature and the sound of my voice and things like that. It just happened that William Regal came across one of my matches and I got a call and it’s just happenstance.

    “But after we got the opportunity there was never ever a time I ever thought about — even the time we were most frustrated, never did I think of throwing in the towel.”

    Wheeler then shared his experience and said there was a time when money was tight due to the sacrifices he had to make pursuing wrestling.

    “I think for me maybe 2012-ish would be the only time here where I was like maybe — and I didn’t wanna give up on wrestling.

    “I just wanted to start being a more responsible adult cause it wasn’t that I didn’t wanna keep wrestling and keep trying to pursue it but I wanted to stop feeling like I couldn’t provide my half of everything or that I couldn’t be relied on to be providing for myself.”

    FTR has become a decorated tag team over the past seven years. They’ve won tag team gold for WWE and AEW. They are also the current AAA World Tag Team Champions.

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  • Jay White Is Tired Of Being Asked When He’ll Appear In AEW

    Jay White Is Tired Of Being Asked When He’ll Appear In AEW

    NJPW star Jay White has had enough of the questions regarding a potential appearance on AEW TV.

    There was a lot of hoopla surrounding Jay’s status this year. After failing to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 15, Jay cut a heavily praised promo during a press conference that led some to believe he may be done with NJPW.

    Ultimately, it was revealed that Jay’s deal isn’t up and he ended up winning the NEVER Openweight Championship four months later.

    Don’t Ask Jay White This Question

    Chris Van Vliet got a chance to sit down with Jay White at the NJPW LA Dojo. During the interview, Jay went scorched earth on those who constantly ask him if he’ll be appearing on AEW Dynamite.

    “They need to stop asking me about when I’m doing that because again like we just touched on, why would you wanna know in the first place anyway? Secondly, you think I’m really actually gonna tell you?

    “And even if I do tell you, do you think I’m telling you the truth? If I tell you that I’m gonna be there this Wednesday, are you gonna believe me?

    “If I tell you, ‘No, I’m not gonna be there this Wednesday,’ how do you know I’m telling the truth? That question gets me going as you can tell.”

    Just for good measure, Jay was sure to drive the point home.

    “Every single time, every interview, every signing, every appearance it’s, ‘When are we gonna see you here? Are you gonna do this?’ I’m not gonna f*cking tell you am I?”

    This isn’t the first time Jay has gotten peeved over something AEW-related. During an interview with Fightful Select, Jay said he was none-too-pleased with false rumors claiming that he was in talks with AEW at one point this year.

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  • Chris Jericho Believes Bout With Nick Gage Derserved Five Star Rating

    Chris Jericho Believes Bout With Nick Gage Derserved Five Star Rating

    Chris Jericho competed in his first-ever death match earlier this year against Nick Gage during the July 28 episode of Dynamite. The match was part of the five labors of Jericho storyline leading to his match against MJF at All Out. The bout created some controversy but it was overall well received by fans. The match received a 4-star rating from Dave Meltzer but Y2J believes that it was deserving of 5 stars.

    Jericho opened up about the evolution of his Painmaker character on the latest episode of his Talk Is Jericho podcast. Speaking of his fight with the hardcore star, the former AEW champion claimed that it was one of his favorite matches. He further explained that it deserved a 5-star rating:

    “We did the match with Nick Gage and came up with all the cool spots that you saw. one of my favorite matches. You talk about a five-star match. I don’t know if there’s such thing as a five-star deathmatch. Of course, there should be and of course there is. In my opinion, it was a four and a half, five-star match. If I were ever doing an addendum to my List of Jericho book. I [will] put it in there as four and a half stars [or] five stars. I never had a full-fledged deathmatch before. I’ll never have a full-fledged deathmatch again. But that night, we had a great one,”

    How Chris Jericho Came Up With The Ending To The DeathMatch

    Chris Jericho won this match against the former GCW champion in a unique manner. The wrestling veteran used the mist to overcome the viciousness of his opponent and score the victory. During the episode, Chris explained how he came up with the idea to introduce mist in AEW and how Tony Khan reacted to it:

    “I was thinking of something towards the end that can really turn the tide cause Nick was using the light tubes and all that other stuff. I thought well, ‘What if I blow mist? Haven’t seen any mist in years.’ Obviously [we] talked about The Great Muta earlier. That is a Great Muta classic, vintage trait. Tajiri did it in WWE for a while.

    I thought this will be really cool if I do some sort of a mist. So I told Tony about it and he goes, ‘What color is it gonna be?’ And I said ‘It’s gonna be black.’ He’s like ‘Well that’s great because Muta used the black mist once in 1987 [it] is even worse than the green.’”

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

    Tony Khan Spoke To TNT About Chris Jericho vs Nick Gage Match
  • Tony Khan Admits It’s Time To Be ‘Discerning’ With New AEW Signings

    Tony Khan Admits It’s Time To Be ‘Discerning’ With New AEW Signings

    Tony Khan has been on a signing spree the last few months. The AEW president has signed over 25 new stars to his company in 2021.

    The sheer number of acquisitions however has also attracted some criticism from fans, with many worrying that the new signings have overshadowed the Day 1 AEW talents in many cases.

    Khan was asked about his strategy for new stars heading into 2022 during a recent interview with TVInsider. Replying to it, Tony admitted that it’s time to be discerning about talent acquisition:

    “I do think I have to be more discerning than ever in talent acquisition because we have such a strong roster. I was aggressively expanding with the launch of Rampage.”

    Tony Khan went on to list some of the major names that have joined their roster in recent times before discussing AEW’s partnership with other companies:

    “We’ve also continued our partnerships with great international companies like New Japan Pro Wrestling and Lucha Libre AAA. We have a lot of great talent working, but it’s time for me to be more discerning than ever in terms of acquisitions.”

    Inspite of this claim, Khan promised that the list of talents will continue to expand. When asked if we will see more talents coming in next year, he said “Absolutely, there will be more people coming into AEW.”

    What do you think about AEW’s hiring strategy in 2021? Let us know your thoughts on all the signing of the year in the comment section below.

    Tony Khan Discusses The Owen Hart Cup
  • Jake Roberts Reveals COVID-19 Diagnosis

    Jake Roberts Reveals COVID-19 Diagnosis

    AEW star and WWE Hall of Famer Jake Roberts has revealed that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

    The wrestling veteran revealed the news on Twitter. He wrote “I’ve waited so long. Actually thought I was bulletproof. Yes I’ve gotten Covid-19!”

    The former WWE star followed this up with another tweet. He mentioned how he hasn’t made an AEW appearance in nearly 3 months. Jake Roberts claimed that Tony Khan has gone above and beyond to keep everyone safe:

    “Yes after not going to do my AEW work for nearly 3 months. Tony Kahn knows I’m high risk and has gone above and beyond all expectations trying to keep everyone safe. Pretty sure I got it from family or when I was out shopping.”

    Jake Roberts revealed in July earlier this year that he has signed a new 2-year contract with AEW. Though he had been off TV in recent months after undergoing a foot surgery where he had pins inserted in his toes.

    A positive test for the wrestling legend is concerning news, especially because of his battle with COPD which makes it hard for Roberts to breathe. COVID-19 is known to attack the lungs of its patients.

    SEScoops wishes a speedy recovery to Jake Roberts.

    “He’s An A**hole”: Jake Roberts Blasts Vince McMahon For Using His Personal Troubles Into Storyline
  • Watch Mercedes Martinez Make Her Return On Dynamite

    Watch Mercedes Martinez Make Her Return On Dynamite

    Mercedes Martinez is all elite.

    This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite featured the second and last semi-final match of the TBS championship tournament. It saw Thunder Rosa and Jade Cargill going up against each other.

    Towards the ending of the match that was mostly dominated by Cargill, Rosa got a figure four locked in. However, Cargill got to the ropes forcing the break.

    Mark Sterling then created a distraction that led to a hooded figure attacking Thunder Rosa. This interference allowed Cargill to hit Jaded for the pinfall victory.

    Thunder Rosa tried to attack Cargill after the match but the hooded figure returned. She put Rosa down once again and then revealed herself to be the former NXT star Mercedes Martinez:

    https://twitter.com/AEWonTNT/status/1476376186460819457

    Martinez and Cargill continued the post-match beatdown until Ruby Soho ran down to the ring and forced both the women to retreat.

    Tony Khan took on his Twitter after the show. The AEW president confirmed that the wrestling veteran has officially signed with his promotion:

    The former WWE star had made a number of appearances for AEW in 2019 before she got re-signed and returned to NXT.

    Mercedes Martinez was released from her WWE contract in August. Before making her AEW return, she also made her Impact Wrestling debut in October.

    AEW Dynamite New Year’s Smash Results: Trios Match, TBS Tournament, Mercedes Martinez
  • Eddie Kingston Explains Why He Doesn’t Like Being Called A Locker Room Leader

    Eddie Kingston Explains Why He Doesn’t Like Being Called A Locker Room Leader

    Eddie Kingston is widely seen as a locker room leader but he doesn’t like it.

    Kingston has become an important addition to the AEW roster. He joined the promotion back in July 2020. Since that time, he has been praised for his personality and no-nonsense style in the ring.

    He was also given props for his heartfelt backstage speech following the passing of Brodie Lee.

    How Eddie Kingston Feels About ‘Leader’ Label

    Eddie Kingston spoke to Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT and he detailed why he isn’t a fan of being viewed as a leader of the locker room.

    “I don’t like it. I don’t wanna be a leader. I just do whatever I do cause people aren’t gonna always like what I do when it comes to the locker room and stuff like that.

    “I have my own barometer for what I feel is right and what I feel is wrong. It’s not the same as everybody so I don’t wanna lead nobody [laughs].

    “If you decide to follow then God bless, I’m sorry. I apologize now.”

    Kingston went on to say that the perception of him being a leader probably boils down to his authenticity.

    “I just speak. Everything I do — I’m an extremist, so everything I do I do with a passion. It doesn’t matter what it is, so when I speak I’m just passionate. I say it’s the Irish and the Puerto Rican in me.”

    Kingston has been feuding with Daniel Garcia and 2point0. He finally has some backup as he’ll be teaming with Santana & Ortiz of Proud N’ Powerful to take on Garcia and 2point0 on the Dec. 29 episode of AEW Dynamite.

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  • WWE Hall Of Famer: Sammy Guevara’s Short AEW TNT Title Reign Doesn’t Hurt Him

    WWE Hall Of Famer: Sammy Guevara’s Short AEW TNT Title Reign Doesn’t Hurt Him

    One WWE and WCW legend doesn’t believe Sammy Guevara’s loss to Cody Rhodes has damaged him.

    On the Christmas episode of AEW Rampage, Guevara put the TNT Championship on the line against Cody. The match was highly-praised and ultimately ended with Cody defeating Sammy to become a three-time TNT Champion.

    Some fans questioned the decision to end Sammy’s reign at just 84 days. When you factor in that he was able to dethrone Miro, who has been dominant since displaying The Redeemer gimmick, it puzzles those fans even more.

    Booker T Thinks Sammy Guevara Will Be Fine

    On an episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T expressed his belief that Sammy Guevara won’t lose any steam after dropping the TNT Title to Cody Rhodes.

    “I really don’t think so just because when you win the title, that says one thing. That says the company, they believed in you enough to say, ‘Hey man, let’s put the belt on this guy. Let’s give him the rub, let’s bring him up but we can’t bring everyone up and just focus on this one guy.’

    “Sammy is good, Sammy’s young he’s got a lot of time left in the business. He’s got a lot more title reigns to capture.

    “Just imagine man, if people were talking about, ‘Booker T won the TV Title, man. He should be in the world title picture right now.’ Can you imagine what that would’ve done for me as far as what kind of pressure that would’ve put me under?

    “But winning the Television Championship six times before I moved on? Man, that on-the-job training for me was worth its weight in gold and I think that’s what Sammy is getting right now is on-the-job training.

    “I think he’s done a damn good job being a young kid thrust in the spotlight the way he has been over this last year.”

    It’ll be interesting to see what will happen next now that Guevara doesn’t have the TNT title. Sammy posted this on Twitter following the loss.

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  • Jim Ross Announces He’s Cancer-Free

    Jim Ross Announces He’s Cancer-Free

    Jim Ross has stomped a mudhole in skin cancer and walked it dry.

    Back in October, Ross revealed that he was going to the hospital for what he expected to be skin cancer around his ankle. Ross’ fears were correct and he was diagnosed but a solid game plan with his doctor has led to a quick and full recovery.

    Jim Ross has taken to his Twitter account to reveal that after spending some time away from the AEW booth to catch up on all his treatments, he is now cancer-free.

    https://twitter.com/JRsBBQ/status/1476233642695598081

    During an episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Ross admitted that he had some nights where he pondered the possibility of not being cancer-free after his final treatment. With that said, he maintained a positive attitude and was determined to beat the cancer.

    The legendary commentator trusted the process as he never missed any of his scheduled treatments.

    Ross has been in this situation before. He was diagnosed with skin cancer back in 2016. He had a procedure done and then two years later, he had surgery to fully remove the cancer from his shoulder.

    JR will be back doing commentary on the Dec. 29 episode of AEW Dynamite.

  • Christian Cage: ‘To Get My Career Back After 7 Years Is A Gift’

    Christian Cage: ‘To Get My Career Back After 7 Years Is A Gift’

    After 7 years of absence, Christian Cage made his in-ring return at the Royal Rumble PPV earlier this year in January. He subsequently joined AEW in March where he has been really able to showcase his talent once again.

    The former world champion recently had an interview with ET Canada. He discussed a number of things such as whether or not he would like to see Jeff Hardy join AEW.

    Speaking of his own time in AEW so far, Christian explained that being able to get his career back after losing it is like a gift for him:

    “It’s a gift. It really is. To get my career back, to be able to take it back after losing it for seven years is pretty special. And you know, for me at this stage, I just wanted the right platform where I could finish my career the way that I wanted to.”

    Christian Cage On What Convinced Him To Join AEW

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yuTqx4SMcg

    Christian Cage then recalled his first conversation with the AEW president Tony Khan. He claimed that it was enough to convince him to join the promotion:

    “Having one conversation with Tony about it,” recalled Cage, “I wasn’t even halfway through the conversation with him and I was like, ‘this is the place for me.’ It was based solely on him.”

    Apart from this, Christian Cage also talked about things such as getting the chance to work with younger talents and more. You can check out his full interview below:

    https://youtu.be/pX4jOFVC5EU
  • Jim Ross: Battling Skin Cancer Has Made Me A Better Man

    Jim Ross: Battling Skin Cancer Has Made Me A Better Man

    Jim Ross has been taking the fight to skin cancer and he feels he’s better for it.

    The legendary play-by-play commentator announced his diagnosis back in October. He ended up taking time off from his AEW commentary duties in order to keep up with his treatments. JR will be making his return on the Dec. 29 episode of Dynamite.

    Jim Ross’ Fight With Skin Cancer

    Hours before stepping back in the AEW booth, Jim Ross will find out whether or not he’s cancer-free. During an episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Ross said he and his doctor created a plan that they believe can work.

    “I just got my eye on December 29 and getting back on Dynamite. It’s my goal, it’s always been my goal.

    “I designed this plan with the doctor’s advice and their counsel that we can pull this off. So, as we had it, the 29th, that morning’s my last treatment and that’s when I’ll have my consultation with the cancer specialist and hope they send me on my merry way.”

    JR went on to express his belief that fighting through skin cancer has made him a better man.

    “I’m just working through it. It’s really made me a better man I think cause this is a challenge. This whole thing’s really been a challenge physically and mentally.

    “You sit there at night sometimes and wonder, ‘Well, what if on [the 29th] I don’t get declared cancer-free and I still gotta battle this son of a b*tch?’ So, what do we do then? We battle. Just keep fighting until it’s all gone and that’s how I look at it.”

    Ross has battled skin cancer in the past. Back in 2016, he underwent a skin procedure. Two years later, he had the cancer completely removed through surgery.

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  • Dax Harwood Takes Shot At Former WWE PC Coach

    Dax Harwood Takes Shot At Former WWE PC Coach

    Dax Harwood believes that FTR has helped to usher in a rejuvenated era of tag-team wrestling, one that incorporates the team aspect more than just two singles stars being paired together. Evidently, there is a former coach at the WWE PC who disagreed with them on this philosophy. Dax Harwood mentioned in a recent interview with Elite POV that there is a former coach from the Performance Center that they laugh at now when they look back upon. Harwood would stop short of mentioning who that coach was, however.

    “There’s a former coach at the PC, that I hope he’s looking at us and knowing that we are laughing at him in the face. Well, I won’t put Cash in that position,” Harwood said. “Knowing that I am laughing at him in the face.”

    Earlier in the discussion, Harwood had mentioned that around 2014, the art of the tag-team wrestling had been lost. He said that tag-team matches had become about two singles stars tagging in and out and doing their moves. Him and Cash wanted their tag-team to be different.

    “I’ll say this to pat ourselves on the back. Before us, you didn’t see tag matches, of the modern era at least, the heels grab a hold and the babyfaces working for the tag. You didn’t see that,” Harwood said. “You didn’t see hope spots that were slightly elaborate to give that baby a little bit of hope and have the heel stop them there. What you saw was a hold, the fans would start to come up. The two guys would start to come up, bring the elbows to the stomach. They’d hit the ropes and the heel would do something and the heel would hit some kind of cool move.”

    The full interview can be viewed in the player below:

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

  • Tony Khan Comments On Signing Kyle O’Reilly

    Tony Khan Comments On Signing Kyle O’Reilly

    Tonight on AEW Dynamite from Jacksonville, Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish will team up to take on Chuck Taylor, Trent, and Orange Cassidy. The 3 original members of the Undisputed Era were competition to the promotion when they were on NXT Wednesday nights. Tony Khan recently spoke to Sports Illustrated about what it’s like to now have them on his show.

    “Kyle O’Reilly is a huge addition for AEW. He’s a great, great wrestler. And not only did we get Kyle O’Reilly, we also got Bobby Fish and Adam Cole. These are huge signings individually, but even more massive together,” Khan said. “Adam Cole’s debut at the end of All Out, that’s one of the most important moments ever in AEW, and now he’s surrounded by his former partners. To have Kyle O’Reilly debut and help Adam Cole get the win over Orange Cassidy in a great wrestling match last week on Dynamite, that builds more interest in AEW.”

    Kyle O’Reilly debuted for AEW on last week’s “Holiday Bash” show from the Greensboro Coliseum. He interfered in the match between Cole and Orange Cassidy, leading to Cole picking up the victory. Cole, Fish, and O’Reilly left the ring area after the match, leaving the Young Bucks in the ring by themselves.

    “Kyle makes his debut in the ring this week, and it’s symbolic that it is happening on the final Dynamite on TNT,” Khan continued. “So much of our run on TNT was spent battling these guys—Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly. When we were head to head, it was threatening to us every time they were on camera. Now we’ve added them to our team in AEW, which is such an advantage.”

    Cole, Fish & O’Reilly vs The Best Friends On AEW New Year’s Smash

    In addition to Cole, O’Reilly, and Fish teaming up to take on the Best Friends, 2 other big matches are scheduled for tonight’s show. 2.0 and Daniel Garcia will team up to take on Eddie Kingston and Santana & Ortiz. In the TBS title tournament semi-finals, Thunder Rosa will also take on Jade Cargill.

  • Cody Rhodes: “We’re Not Going The Direction You Think”

    Cody Rhodes: “We’re Not Going The Direction You Think”

    Cody Rhodes won the TNT Championship for a record 3rd time on Rampage last Friday. The crowds continue to give him a mixed reaction and many fans are wondering if he’ll turn heel.

    Rhodes was recently featured on Sammy Guevara’s vlog and teased that they are “not going the direction you think” with the angle.

    “I’m thankful to the fans that cheer me, and I’m thankful to the fans that boo me because both sets of fans are getting ready to go on a ride that’s just bizzare, and not… it’s not the path that you think. We’re not doing what’s been done before,” Rhodes said.

    https://twitter.com/TranquiloClubYT/status/1475892964635389961

    The full vlog can be viewed below:

    Cody Rhodes Wins The TNT Championship

    Cody Rhodes holds the record of most title reigns with the TNT title (3). Darby Allin holds the record for most combined days with the title and the longest single reign with the belt at 186.

    Rhodes holds the record for the most combined total defenses with 10. Darby Allin, Miro, and Rhodes are tied for most title defenses in a single reign with 8.

    He also holds the record for most wins in a TNT title match with 13, including his 3 title victories and 10 defenses.

  • Jake Atlas Debuts for AEW at Dark Elevation Taping

    Jake Atlas Debuts for AEW at Dark Elevation Taping

    Jake Atlas, who formerly worked for the WWE NXT brand, made his debut for All Elite Wrestling on Tuesday night. Atlas debuted during an AEW Dark Elevation taping in Jacksonville, taking on Serpentico. Atlas was victorious in the match.

    Following the bout, AEW President and owner Tony Khan met Atlas on the ramp and shook his hand. While nothing has been made official, many took that to mean that Atlas has officially signed with the company. Check out the video below.

    https://twitter.com/christina_tries/status/1476022184082653185

    Atlas signed with WWE in 2019 after appearing with Stephanie McMahon on CBS’ Celebrity Undercover Boss in 2018. He had been garnering quite a bit of attention on the independent scene on the west coast prior to this and was looked at as a top tier signing at the time. He first served as an ambassador as part of WWE’s Be A Star program, then signed as a wrestler and made his debut appearance on an episode of NXT in April 2020.

    That year, Atlas was involved in the NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament. He defeated Drake Maverick and Tony Nese in his first two matches of the tournament before being defeated by Kushida. Later in the year, Atlas would feud with Santos Escobar for the cruiserweight title.

    In early 2021, Atlas teamed with Isaiah “Swerve” Scott in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. The team lost to MSK in the tournament.

    Following his WWE release, Atlas worked for GCW (Game Changer Wrestling) and ROH (Ring of Honor) this past fall. After briefly working for ROH, Atlas announced he was retiring from wrestling. His final match had been a loss to Taylor Rust at ROH’s Death Before Dishonor PPV show on September 12th. That changed on Tuesday evening.

    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.

    Jake Atlas On Coming Out To Stephanie McMahon As Gay
  • Matt Hardy Podcast with Jon Alba Launching January 7th

    Matt Hardy Podcast with Jon Alba Launching January 7th

    Matt Hardy’s new podcast, The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, launches Friday, January 7th.

    Hosted by Emmy-Award winning journalist Jon Alba, this new weekly show will be part of the Podcast Heat network.

    “I am one of the most fortunate men alive, as I have been able to fulfill all of my dreams thanks to pro wrestling,” said Matt Hardy. “Throughout my journey, I’ve had many successes and failures, which I’ve always learned from. I’m exceptionally excited to share my insights and thoughts, about both pro wrestling and life, to help fans have a better understanding of ‘The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy.’”

    According to a press release sent in by CuCommunications, “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy” will navigate through some of the life-changing moments in Hardy’s career and connect them to their impact on the professional wrestling industry. The podcast will also gives Hardy, who is a current performer for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), a platform to share his thoughts and perspectives on the numerous current-day promotions and talent in the wrestling worlds.

    Jon Alba also commented on this new project.

    “I have long thought Matt Hardy was one of the most underappreciated creative minds in wrestling history, and there’s so much untapped knowledge he has to offer not just fans, but today’s generation of performers,” said Alba. “The goal of this show is to educate the audience every week on the art of storytelling, character development, reinvention, and give life lessons in overcoming hardships. This will be different from any other pro wrestling podcast you’ve heard, and I’m incredibly grateful for Matt allowing me to help tell his stories in a way that I believe will leave an impact on wrestling fans everywhere.”

  • Tony Khan Discusses The Owen Hart Cup

    Tony Khan Discusses The Owen Hart Cup

    AEW recently revealed that the Owen Hart Cup tournaments will take place this May and conclude at the Double or Nothing PPV in Las Vegas. Tony Khan was recently interviewed by PW Insider and spoke about the tournaments, his relationship with Dr. Martha Hart, and more.

    “I have so much respect for Dr. Martha Hart. She is a principled woman and cares so much about making sure the legacy of Owen Hart is treated with integrity. Integrity is something that is essential to AEW. I believe in personal integrity and try to maintain it in relationships. We’ve built a really strong relationship with Martha based on that,” Khan said.

    Tony Khan Comments On Having The Tournament Conclude At Double or Nothing

    Khan would continue to say that numerous factors went into when the tournament would be held. Some of this had to do with Hart’s teaching schedule in Canada and when she would be available to participate. They had considered the Revolution PPV in February but ultimately the decision was made to have the tournaments conclude at Double or Nothing.

    “Talking to her about how the legacy of Owen would be treated, I told her we would make it a top priority to make sure we would do something that would have great impact on the fans, but also where she could participate,” Khan said.

    “She’s a teacher in Canada and with her teaching schedule, we looked at AEW events. Double or Nothing is one of the most important shows we have, it’s where the company began, and it’s very fitting that on the three-year anniversary of our first AEW show, we will crown Owen Hart (Cup) winners.”

    Khan continued to speak about the decision to have both men’s and women’s winners fo the tournament. For Khan, the idea is that the Owen will be treated like other major tournaments in sports.

    “I discussed it with Martha and I thought it would be cool to treat the Owen like other prestigious cups in sports. For example, Wimbledon, there is a men’s and women’s winner. Martha thought this was excellent and was in favor of it.”

  • Ric Flair Says He Sees Himself In MJF

    Ric Flair Says He Sees Himself In MJF

    Ric Flair spent some time on his Wooo Nation podcast recently speaking about Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Some comparisons were made between MJF and Roddy Piper during the show. According to Flair, however, he sees more of himself in Friedman than Piper.

    “I’m not taking away from Roddy, Roddy didn’t brag about his clothes and stuff like that,” Flair said. “This kid, what makes him different is he’s talking about the material things and he implies that he has the material things that other people don’t have and that really pisses people off, especially when it’s true.”

    Flair continued to praise MJF’s work as a heel. He noted that being a “bad guy” in the way MJF is means not signing autographs for fans. It also means keeping up the character in public.

    “If I saw that kid signing an autograph at the parking lot of the building, I’d never talk to him again,” Flair continued. “He’s so damn good at what he’s doing and it really catches my attention but I’ve seen so many guys in this business who go out and be a heel on TV, then they’re out in the parking lot signing autographs.”

    “I used to walk through the airport with Hunter and we would say ‘Bad guys don’t sign.’ Standard answer: ‘bad boys don’t sign.’ “

    MJF headlined last week’s edition of AEW Dynamite. The show took place in one of Flair’s old stomping grounds, the Greensboro Coliseum. MJF’s team with FTR was defeated by Sting, CM Punk, and Darby Allin.

    The full podcast can be viewed in the player below:

    H/T To Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

  • Sammy Guevara Comments on Losing the AEW TNT Title

    Sammy Guevara Comments on Losing the AEW TNT Title

    Sammy Guevara’s AEW TNT Championship reign came to end last night on AEW Rampage: Holiday Bash (taped Wednesday night in Greensboro). Guevara lost the title to Cody Rhodes, making Rhodes a three-time TNT Champion in the process.

    Guevara won the title from Miro back on September 29th of this year on AEW Dynamite, making his reign a grand total of 84 days. It’s fair to say that most expected the reign to last even longer, and Guevara dropping the title at this point was a bit of a surprise as it seemed like his run had a bit of juice left.

    Guevara took to Twitter to comment on his loss, writing, “What a beautiful life, 11 years of Blood, Sweat & Scars got me here. The ups and the downs, I wouldn’t change a thing. It wasn’t my night but it doesn’t mean tomorrow won’t be. The journey continues.”

    Guevara kicked out of the Cross Rhodes at one point during the match on Rampage. He followed that up with a GTH and 450 Splash attempt, but Cody got his knees up. Rhodes then hit two Cross Rhodes and a Tiger Drive to earn the pinfall. He was presented the TNT title belt by David Crockett after the match.

    Rhodes definitely received a mixed reaction to the victory by the crowd in Greensboro. It will be interesting to see which direction his character continues to take and whether or not Cody finally considers a full heel turn moving forward.

    After the match, Rhodes got on the mic and made a comment to live the crowd about having “a feeling” in his “heel,” teasing a possible turn. He was then confronted by Team Taz member Hook, who came out and slapped Rhodes, teasing a possible program between the two.

    What do you think is next for Sammy Guevara? Which direction do you think the Cody Rhodes character should go? 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.

  • Matt Hardy On What He Would Like To Do After His Retirement

    Matt Hardy On What He Would Like To Do After His Retirement

    Matt Hardy is very well aware that he has more wrestling years behind him than in front. Though the 29-year veteran would like to continue his involvement in the business once he has hung up his boots. The wrestling legend recently had an interview with Essentially Sports. He discussed things such as why the broken character didn’t work in AEW and more.

    When asked if he would like to become a producer after his retirement, Hardy replied positively. He acknowledged that he has limited time left in his in-ring career and claimed that he would like to continue his involvement in the business:

    “Yeah. I mean, whenever I finish my in-ring career which obviously I have a lot less years left than I do behind me, but I would definitely see myself being a producer or someone involved in the creative process. Because at the end of the day pro-wrestling is my passion.

    I want to wrestle in the ring as long as I can, as long as my body will physically let me.” said Matt Hardy, “But, once that’s said and done, I can still be involved and I can still contribute but being a producer and you’re still able to, kind of, still live out your passion to some degree.”

    The former Impact world champion was also asked if he would like to become the AEW champion somewhere down the line. Replying to it, Matt Hardy claimed that he would definitely like to win a championship in the company. Though at this stage of his career and considering what the company is built around, he is not sure that the world title will necessarily be the best fit.

    Matt Hardy: WWE May Have ‘Jumped The Gun’ by Releasing Jeff Hardy