SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • MJF Addresses The Miz & Adam Cole, Snubs Wardlow

    MJF Addresses The Miz & Adam Cole, Snubs Wardlow

    Maxwell Jacob Friedman spoke with Renee Paquette and Miesha Tate on Monday’s edition of Throwing Down with Renee & Miesha on Sirius XM.

    MJF was there to promote Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite from the UBS Arena on Long Island, NY. Renee introduced him as one of the 4 pillars of AEW and one of the best sh*t talkers in all of professional wrestling. MJF called the introduction “mid” and proceeded to introduce himself in typical MJF fashion.

    When asked how it feels to have an AEW event in his home town, MJF says it feels great. Long Island is his home, it’s where the best people live and it’s the most magical place in the world. If you live there, you know MJF. He expects a huge ovation on Wednesday and wrestling fans will finally get to see how he should be treated everywhere.

    On Wednesday, he expects to win his third consecutive Dynamite Diamond Ring battle royal. Unlike CM Punk, he won’t struggle to win.

    Long Island Homecoming

    MJF said that when he’s on the road, there’s oddly a perception that he’s not a good guy. In reality, he’s salt of the earth and the fine people of Long Island understand that. He can’t wait to have a packed arena of fans chanting his name.

    MJF called his mother a disgusting skank and a huge glory hog, if we’re being honest. Everything is always about her. You’d think it’s enough for her to say that she raised a god. She always wants more and it’s disheartening.

    Does MJF have any haters on Long Island? It might come as a shock, but in his hometown, he’s known as a hometown hero. People call him, “The King of Long Island.” No issues here, but he has issues when he leaves and has to deal with the poors and the fats.

    MJF celebrated Hanukkah alone this year with his cat, Piper. He chose to not spend time with his family, because they just want this autograph so they can sell it on eBay.

    When asked if he has a lot of friends, he said the Pinnacle are his friends. Shawn Spears, FTR, great guys. “Wardlow? Ehh. But the rest of em? Love them.”

    His Beef With CM Punk

    MJF explained that he’s got beef with CM Punk because Punk disrespected him. He tried to be respectful. He offered Punk his hand to shake. He tried his best. Not many people can say CM Punk offered to shake their hand. Instead of being a man, Punk walked away and snubbed him. He believes Punk should be shaking his hand for making him relevant again.

    CM Punk recently said that Britt Baker should replace MJF as one of the Four Pillars of AEW. Baker’s significant other Adam Cole recently did an interview and said he’ll sock MJF in the face if he talks about her again.

    “All respect to the Boom Boy,” MJF said of Adam Cole. “You know, Adam, Adam’s a great, great guy. I don’t have a problem with Adam. My problem is with Punk.”

    MJF says Punk doesn’t care about younger talent. He’s working with up and comers to steal their spotlight. Punk needs the rub from MJF, but he’s not so sure that Punk has earned that respect.

    Miesha Tate asked MJF about CM Punk’s short-lived UFC career. MJF actually gave Punk some credit for venturing outside pro wrestling. You won’t see MJF fighting in an MMA cage. “God bless him, he went for it. but if he’s in the ring with me, the same outcome will happen. He’ll be left a bloody mess.”

    MJF on The Miz

    MJF CM Punk

    CM Punk recently compared MJF to a low-rent version of WWE Superstar The Miz. Renee asked MJF what he thinks about The Miz.

    “The Miz is a tremendous, tremendous performer,” he said. He then made the distinction, “I am a professional wrestler.”

    When Renee said she’s a big Miz fan, MJF replied, “How could you not be? The guy is gold on the stick. In the ring, very solid too. If I’m being completely fair here, I’m not talking shit – it’s just factual. There are no holes in my game. And that is not a jab at Miz. Miz is great. But he’s not me.”

    MJF said guys like Bryan Danielson, CM Punk and Kenny Omega are great, but they’re all lacking something. There’s nothing that MJF can’t do.

    MJF grew tired of the “softball” questions and told Renee to give him something good. She asked what it’s going to look like when his AEW contract expires in 2024.

    MJF said there’s a lot of intruiging match-ups for him outside of AEW. A lot of people want to see him wrestle guys like The Miz, Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns. They might get their wish, if Tony Khan doesn’t shell out the right type of cash. He told people to expect the greatest bidding war in the history of our sport.

    Catch AEW Dynamite this Wednesday night on TNT and listen to Throwing Down with Renee & Miesha Monday afternoons on Sirius XM.

  • Jim Ross Comments On Who He Believes Is The Future of AEW

    Jim Ross Comments On Who He Believes Is The Future of AEW

    AEW has identified MJF, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara and Jungle Boy as its Four Pillars. During the latest episode of his Grillin JR podcast, Jim Ross has identified a few more names he believes are destined to take All Elite Wrestling into the future.

    In addition to the Four Pills, JR sees AEW World Champion Adam Page, Adam Cole and the Men of the Year (Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky) as franchise players for years to come.

    “Based on aptitude and not eliminating anyone from the process, I can see Adam Cole certainly being one of those guys,” Ross said. “Smart kid, got a great mind for the business, he’s young, he’s healthy.”

    “MJF without a doubt,” Ross continued. “He’s got a terrific wrestling mind, he knows how to be annoying. He’s very easy to dislike, which is the greatest trait a wrestling villain can have. So, I have great confidence that he’s going to be a star for years to come, and a big one.”

    Ross continued to mention “Hangman” Adam Page as well before speaking on others he feels are likely to be the future of the promotion.

    “I think Jungle Boy Jack Perry is going to be one of our leaders and stars of the future, long term future.”

    “Darby Allin is over, some how some way. He’s a strange enigma just like Jeff Hardy was.”

    “Scorpio and Ethan Page got leadership written all over them,” Ross continued.

    “The good news is we’ve got several guys that can assume that role because of their aptitude for pro-wrestling,” Ross continued.

    Jim Ross’ full comments can be heard in the below video.

    If you use any of the above quotes please credit SEScoops for the transcriptions.

  • Ric Flair Praises Maxwell Jacob Friedman

    Ric Flair Praises Maxwell Jacob Friedman

    Ric Flair recently spent some time on his podcast speaking about the CM Punk and MJF promo battle that took place in Chicago on Dynamite. During the conversation, Flair praised Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

    “I’m a big fan of MJF,” Flair said. “The kid can talk and more than that, he carries himself like a pro, he dresses [like a pro]. I can’t emphasize enough how important in my estimation it is to look professional and that kid always looks sharp and I’ll leave it like that.”

    Mark Madden was insistent that Punk should not have mentioned The Miz during the promo and shouldn’t have mentioned the other company at all.

    “There was an interview between CM Punk and MJF who are both great on the mic and I thought it was a great segment,” Madden said on the show. “But CM Punk called MJF a ‘less famous Miz.’ I don’t get that, I don’t get invoking a guy from the other show especially when you came over from that show not too long ago.”

    Madden continued, “It kind of tells people that the other show is the real show when you say their guy is better than our guy. I just didn’t get the wisdom of that. I thought the segment was so damn good I didn’t really track that part of it, you know? But you’re right, why ever bring up the other company?” Flair responded.

    Ric Flair and Mark Madden discussing the CM Punk – MJF segment can be viewed in the video below:

    If you use any of the above quotes please credit SEScoops for the transcriptions.

  • Matt Hardy Explains Why He Is Moving Away From His Big Money Character

    Matt Hardy Explains Why He Is Moving Away From His Big Money Character

    Matt Hardy has confirmed that he will be phasing out the ‘big money’ character on AEW and try to be the real him. So his children can see the best version of himself. A fan recently asked Matt about it on Twitter. In response, Hardy said that it seems that AEW audience appreciates real, so he will be focusing on being more authentic.

    Hardy later clarified his remarks in a video. He said that he loves his children more than anything on this planet and it’s important for him that they get to see the best version of Matt Hardy:

    “Anyone out there that follows Matt Hardy closely knows there’s nothing I love on this planet more than my children. And I’m sure they also know that I am extremely passionate about my chosen career of professional wrestling.

    And it is very important to me that my children get to see the best of me as a professional wrestler because I know my time doing this job, living this career is limited, So it’s very important that I optimize every bit of it and my children experience it in real-time. That’s very important to me, and to do that, I have to be the best version of Matt Hardy that I can possibly be.”

    The wrestling veteran introduced the big money character on AEW TV at the start of this year. He started managing Private Party and started using heel tactics in their favor. They were later joined by The Butcher and The Blade, forming the Hardy Family Office stable. There is no word yet on if Hardy plans to stop using the big money character completely or keep some aspects of it.

    Matt Hardy On His First Interaction With Sting In AEW
  • ROH Champion & Former NXT Talent Take Part in AEW Dark Tapings

    ROH Champion & Former NXT Talent Take Part in AEW Dark Tapings

    AEW taped several episodes of Dark at Universal Studios yesterday. Multiple wrestlers made their promotional debut during the tapings. These included a current ROH champion and a former NXT talent.

    Current ROH Pure Champion Josh Woods debuted at the tapings. Woods defeated Jonathan Gresham at Death Before Dishonor to become the 2nd wrestler to hold the Pure title since it was reinstated last year. Woods was also signed to NXT from 2014 to 2016.

    Also debuting at the tapings yesterday was 4 Horsewoman of MMA member, Marina Shafir. She wrestled Kris Statlander during the tapings. Shafir was released from her WWE contract in June after having been with the company since 2018. She recently participated in Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport event for GCW in October.

    During an interview with Fightful, Shafir spoke about her WWE release and continuing her wrestling career.

    “I didn’t take it personal, getting released. I have more good memories at NXT than bad. There’s no personal feelings towards that. I get that there’s sides to this business that you just can’t take personal. I signed that agreement long ago. I think two weeks after I got released, Barnett called me. First, we were just talking about how everything went down. But then he was just like, ‘I’m gonna indirectly ask you to stay in shape. Just take care of yourself and we’ll be chatting in a couple of weeks.’ I said, ‘Yep. Gonna go train now. See you later. Talk to you soon. Bye,” she said.

  • Tony Khan Admits Cody-Andrade Street Fight Was ‘Nerve-Racking’

    Tony Khan Admits Cody-Andrade Street Fight Was ‘Nerve-Racking’

    AEW boss Tony Khan was on edge at the conclusion of the street fight between Cody Rhodes and Andrade El Idolo.

    Rhodes vs. Andrade closed out the Dec. 1 episode of AEW Dynamite. The show emanated from the Gas South Arena in Duluth, GA. Fans got even more than they bargained for.

    The ending of the match saw Brandi Rhodes return to set a table on fire. Cody planted Andrade with a reverse DDT off the turnbuckle for the win. It was Cody who took the brunt of it, however, as he landed back-first onto the flaming table.

    Tony Khan Was Nervous After Cody-Andrade

    Once the match concluded, all Tony Khan wanted to know was whether or not everyone was alright. Even Arn Anderson took a spill during the match.

    Thankfully, everyone is okay but Khan admitted on Busted Open Radio that things were a bit dicey backstage.

    “It was amazing. It was such a great street fight and thankfully both guys will be okay and they both will be able to wrestle again because that was a crazy match.

    “That’s the kind of stuff that can shorten careers, end careers. So, we’re very grateful for both Cody and Andrade El Idolo.

    “Great street fight main event and absolutely Cody sent the fans home very happy from that match. I really, really enjoyed the street fight although it was pretty nerve-racking backstage.

    “But thankfully everything came out okay and when you have a match like that, that’s all you can really hope for is that the wrestlers come out okay.”

    The flaming table spot certainly has its supporters and detractors. Some believe that Cody taking the worst of the spot took away from the ending. Just don’t tell that to Bully Ray.

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

  • Cody Rhodes & Andrade Injury Updates Following Flaming Table Spot

    Cody Rhodes & Andrade Injury Updates Following Flaming Table Spot

    This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite saw Cody Rhodes and Andrade el Idolo crash through a burning table in the main event. The show was in Rhodes’ hometown of Atlanta and evidently he wanted to do something big that night.

    According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, both are said to be okay following the big spot. Rhodes was treated for burns backstage but his injuries are not said to be serious.

    “Cody Rhodes and Andrade el Idolo were both not badly injured when they went through a flaming table at the 12/1 Dynamite street fight main event,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

    Rhodes did have some type of substance on his back that was meant to prevent burning from the flaming table spot. This was visible during the match but commentary noted that the substance must have been something from the trash can he was hit with.

    Both men had bits of flaming table on them as they went into the pin. Andrade can be seen flicking bits of flaming wood off his and Cody’s body as the match came to a conclusion.

    Rhodes and Andrade are now 1-1 against each other in singles competition. Andrade defeated Rhodes when they first met on Dynamite at the beginning of November.

  • Update On AEW Contracts Expiring Soon

    Update On AEW Contracts Expiring Soon

    Several members of the AEW roster who signed 3-year deals with the promotion in late 2018 or early 2019 are about to have their contracts come up for renewal. This was the case recently with the Young Bucks. Matt & Nick Jackson recently confirmed they are now under contract with AEW for 2 more years.

    According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the Young Bucks’ contracts included an option for Tony Khan to renew for an additional 2 years. Khan picked up the option and they are now under contract until December 31st, 2023.

    “The original contract also gave Tony Khan the option for two more years, which included a raise both of those years, which he picked up,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

    Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, Brandi Rhodes, Adam Page and Chris Jericho also signed similar 3-year deals. Their deals are also said to include the option for AEW to renew by 2 more years. Provided Tony Khan chooses to exercise that option, they would all remain under contract until the end of 2023. There is no word on if those options have been officially picked up as of yet, however.

    “I would expect all will be renewed but factually can’t confirm anything past many of them have,” Meltzer continued.

  • Booker T Questions Why AEW Had CM Punk Beat Darby Allin

    Booker T Questions Why AEW Had CM Punk Beat Darby Allin

    Booker T isn’t a fan of AEW’s decision to have CM Punk defeat Darby Allin.

    Darby is a rising star under the AEW banner. He is considered to be one of the “Four Pillars” of AEW. The others are MJF, Jungle Boy, and Sammy Guevara.

    Darby ended up being Punk’s first opponent since 2014. The two collided at the All Out PPV back in September. Punk emerged victorious after hitting the GTS.

    Booker T Scoffs At Punk Beating Darby

    Three months after Punk’s victory, Booker T believes more harm than good may have been done to Darby. He gave his take on the Hall of Fame podcast.

    “There’s a lot of hypocrites in the world out there because if it was a character in WWE doing the same thing that CM Punk has done since coming into AEW — like Punk said the first person he called out is Darby Allin, ‘And I beat him.’ Why?

    “Tell me why. Why did you beat Darby Allin when Darby Allin is considered one of those guys, pillars of that company? Why beat him?

    “I’m just trying to figure it out, and if that same thing would’ve happened vice versa it would be talked about from a negative perspective.

    “So, don’t be so hypocritical when you see stuff like that happen because me personally, I do not think Darby Allin should’ve got beat. Reason why, there was no reason for Darby Allin to get beat.

    “[Punk] could’ve beat all of these guys that he’s beaten after Darby Allin and we would’ve still had the same thing that we have right now and Darby Allin would still be — what has Darby Allin done since CM Punk?”

    Punk is in the midst of a high-profile feud with MJF. Meanwhile, Darby has been in a rivalry with The Gunn Club, which has been disappointing to some fans.

    Darby is a former TNT Champion and one of the most popular stars among the “Four Pillars.” Time will tell when he’ll get his next major feud and victory.

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

  • Bully Ray Defends Cody-Andrade Flaming Table Spot

    Bully Ray Defends Cody-Andrade Flaming Table Spot

    Bully Ray is fired up over the criticism he’s seen following the Cody Rhodes vs. Andrade El Idolo street fight.

    Cody and Andrade had a memorable street fight inside the Gas South Arena in Duluth, GA. The match closed out the Dec. 1 episode of AEW Dynamite.

    The match came to a thrilling conclusion when Brandi Rhodes made her return and lit a table on fire. With Cody and Andrade perched on the turnbuckle, Cody nailed Andrade with a reverse DDT through the flaming table and scored the pinfall.

    Bully Ray Slams Critics Of Table Spot

    Some fans have been critical over the table spot because Cody ended up taking the brunt of it, going back-first through the flames.

    On an episode of Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray said he thought the spot looked cool regardless.

    “Cody took the fire, Andrade took the move. Could I say, ‘Cody should’ve never went through the table? Cody should’ve been selling more through the fire and this, and this?’ Yep, I could sit here and do that all day. Who the f*ck cares? It looked cool.”

    Bully then proceeded to go scorched earth on the critics.

    “If Cody botched it go get a table, go get some lighter fluid, light it on fire, film it in your backyard and do it better. ‘Cody botched it. Andrade botched it.’ What did they botch? Your mother botched you at birth.”

    Well then.

    Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio provided a brief update on the flaming table spot. He was told that “everyone is okay.”

    That includes Arn Anderson, who took a scary spill on the entrance ramp.

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

  • Dustin Rhodes On Vince McMahon’s Reaction To Pitching Match Against Cody At WrestleMania

    Dustin Rhodes On Vince McMahon’s Reaction To Pitching Match Against Cody At WrestleMania

    At Double or Nothing 2019, Cody and Dustin Rhodes clashed in a classic match. According to comments Dustin made recently on the Way of the Blade podcast, it was a match that both had frequently pitched to have at WrestleMania.

    “I had fought so hard every single year to get to work my brother at WrestleMania,” Dustin said. “And point-blank, Vince (McMahon) would always tell me, ‘This match is not good enough to be on WrestleMania’. That pissed me off, that pissed me off bad. And it was hurtful, and it did something to me. It really depleted every ounce of passion that I had. I fought for it every single year, Cody too. We both fought for it every year.”

    Dustin also spoke about not being permitted by WWE to work the All In show. He spoke about thinking his wrestling career was over until he was given the chance to face his brother at Double or Nothing.

    “So to get offered this with Cody and Tony Khan, to this new fanbase and this upstart company AEW, on this PPV? And I watched All In on PPV at home. It was like ‘Okay, here we go.’”

    While the match is widely considered one of if not the best match in both their careers, Dustin said he was not feeling confident going into it.

    “I’m very excited about this but not confident at all. I was very lost in my confidence and passion, like I said. And very unsure about my ability to step into the ring with my brother and deliver a very explosive match for him.”

    The match received a 5-star rating from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

  • The Young Bucks Top PWI Top-50 Tag Team Rankings

    The Young Bucks Top PWI Top-50 Tag Team Rankings

    Matt & Nick Jackson the Young Bucks have topped the PWI Top-50 Tag Team rankings this year. The evaluation period for this award was October 2020 to September 30th, 2021. The Young Bucks were the AEW Tag Team Champions during much of this period.

    PWI Tag Team Rankings 2021 Top-5

    1. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
    2. Lucha Bros (Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero M)
    3. Dangerous Tekkers (Zack Sabre Jr & Taichi)
    4. The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso)
    5. ALK (Giulia & Syuri)

    PWI Tag Team Rankings 2020 Top-5

    1. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler)
    2. Kenny Omega & Adam Page
    3. Golden Role Models (Bayley & Sasha Banks)
    4. The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander)
    5. Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins)

    PWI Tag Team Rankings 2019 Top-5

    1. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler)
    2. Kenny Omega & “Hangman” Adam Page
    3. Golden Role Models (Bayley & Sasha Banks)
    4. The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander)
    5. Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins)

    Before 2019, PWI gave out an award for the top team and announced 3 runners-up. The Young Bucks won the award in both 2018 and 2017. The New Day won the award in 2015 and 2016 and the Usos won it in 2014. The Shield won the award in 2013, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth in 2012, and Beer Money in 2011.

  • Eddie Kingston Talks Mental Health, Toxic Masculinity & Jon Moxley

    Eddie Kingston Talks Mental Health, Toxic Masculinity & Jon Moxley

    Eddie Kingston was recently interviewed by CBS Sports. During the discussion, Kingston spoke about mental health, Jon Moxley, and even what toxic masculinity is.

    Kingston recently posted an article to the Player’s Tribune where he spoke openly about his struggles with mental health. It’s a subject he is trying to be as open about as he can.

    “The best way to move on is to talk about what’s going on. And to make my own normal because no one is going through what I’m going through,” Kingston said. “I’m the one going through it so it’s my normal. Not that I’m broken, I’m just going to move on from it and move forward because that’s all I can do is move forward. Do I feel a little bit of pressure since that Players’ Tribune? Yeah, but I also kind of like it too because, look, I can move on, I can do it. I’m not the most mentally put-together person but I’m moving forward, I’m trying. So why can’t anybody else?”

    Kingston also spoke about his friend Jon Moxley taking time to go to rehab and the reaction this has garnered from wrestling fans.

    “My thing was, ‘I don’t care if anyone else understands. I get it. Your wife gets it, I get it. That’s all that matters.’ It does feel nice that everybody else got it. My girlfriend said this to me the other day. She’s the smart one. Toxic masculinity. I never heard of that before. She seems to think that’s dying because we’re actually celebrating men like Moxley who can accept their flaws but also work on them.”

    The full interview with Eddie Kingston can be viewed in the player below.

    In Kingston’s article to the Player’s Tribune he spoke about his mental health issues during the early part of his wrestling career. He also spoke about how much he drank during this period. More information on that story is available in the link below:

    Eddie Kingston Talks His Struggles With Depression

    Kingston wrestled against CM Punk at AEW Full Gear. In an interview with DAZN, Kingston noted that the match was not the biggest of his career but it was the most personal. Much of the story leading up to the match regarded a backstage altercation him and Punk had back when they were both on the independents.

    Eddie Kingston Says Match Against CM Punk The Most Personal Of His Career
  • Update On Fenix Missing AEW Rampage This Week

    Update On Fenix Missing AEW Rampage This Week

    Fenix had been scheduled to defend the AEW World Tag Team Championships along with Penta El Zero M on Rampage this week. It was announced on last night’s Dynamite broadcast that he was injured and unable to travel, however. According to a report from Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Fenix is not injured but rather just had travel difficulties leading to him missing the show.

    “On tonight’s show for Rampage, they were supposed to do FTR against Penta and Fenix for the AEW tag team titles in a 2 out of 3 falls match. They kind of said Fenix was injured, he’s not injured he’s fine,” Meltzer said. “He had travel difficulties, he could not make it to the show, they were taping today for Friday. So, that’s why they did the promo and Pentagon and PAC faced FTR. It was obviously in a non-title match and it ended up being a 1-fall match as well.”

    Meltzer continued to say that Pentagon and Fenix vs FTR for the AAA tag team titles on Saturday at TripleMania TripleMania Regia II is still scheduled to go ahead as planned.

    https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1466228600122884097

    PAC was Fenix’s replacement in the match against FTR. The titles were no longer on the line. The match was also switched from a best 2-of-3 falls match to just one fall. That match will air Friday night on AEW Rampage.

  • Footage of Arn Anderson’s Scary Fall On Dynamite

    Footage of Arn Anderson’s Scary Fall On Dynamite

    Arn Anderson took a scary looking fall just as the main event to last night’s AEW Dynamite started. Cody Rhodes was making his entrance when Andrade El Idolo and his assistant Jose attacked. As Andrade went after Rhodes, Anderson lost his footing and fell off the ramp. He seemed to fall in-between the stage and the ramp area. Jose helped pick him up and then started to attack him as party of the storyline.

    Anderson appeared okay and continued with the melee without showing any ill effects from the fall he took.

    “I was told everyone is okay,” said Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio regarding Arn Anderson’s fall (as well as Cody’s flaming table spot).

    Several fans have posted footage of Arn’s fall to social media.

    https://twitter.com/JoelPearl/status/1466257948762591234

    It was quite the main event last night from Atlanta. Rhodes picked up the victory over Andrade El Idolo in the Atlanta Street Fight. The finish came when Brandi Rhodes ran into the ring and poured gasoline on a table before lighting it on fire. Rhodes then suplexed Andrade through the table and got the pin. Rhodes seemed to take the brunt of the move, however, going directly through the highest part of the flames.

    Following the match, AEW would post photos of Cody’s burnt back to social media. Those photos can be viewed in the link below:

    Cody Rhodes’ Back Burned Following Flaming Table Spot (Photos)
  • Cody Rhodes’ Back Burned Following Flaming Table Spot (Photos)

    Cody Rhodes’ Back Burned Following Flaming Table Spot (Photos)

    In the main event of last night’s AEW Dynamite Cody Rhodes and Andrade El Idolo went through a flaming table. After the move, Rhodes pinned Andrade while both men still had bits of flaming table attached to them.

    “I was told everyone is okay,” said Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio regarding the flaming table spot (as well as Arn Anderson’s fall off the stage).

    Following the match, AEW posted several photos of Cody’s burnt back to social media.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CW905UiAY9v/

    Cody Rhodes has a habit of doing big moves in Atlanta. He previously did a moonsault off the top of a steel cage when wrestling Wardlow in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena in February of 2020. He would later speak to Sports Illustrated about the spot.

    “That was a very Terry Funk style of a moonsault,” said Rhodes. “I’m a bigger guy than people think, so the moonsault doesn’t come off easily.”

    “The only piece of thinking in my mind was to throw my head back,” Rhodes continued. “My body will go where my head will go, that’s something John Laurinaitis and Dean Malenko told me when I first started doing the moonsault. As long as I threw my head back, I knew I’d be OK.”

    Last night’s main event was the second time Rhodes and Andrade have faced off in singles action. Andrade defeated Rhodes the first time they met back on the November 3rd, 2021 episode of Dynamite.

  • Tony Khan Shows Support For Jim Ross As He Undergoes Skin Cancer Treatment

    Tony Khan Shows Support For Jim Ross As He Undergoes Skin Cancer Treatment

    AEW boss Tony Khan has heaped praise on Jim Ross and sent well wishes as he begins treatment.

    In late November, JR announced that he will be stepping away from the AEW booth for a while as he starts radiation treatment for his skin cancer. Ross has battled skin cancer before and has overcome it.

    Tony Khan Rooting For Jim Ross

    Tony Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio and said that despite taking time off for treatment, Jim Ross remains invested in the AEW product.

    “With JR this past week making that announcement there’s a lot of people rallying around him too. JR I think is a great voice in wrestling.

    “In talking to him, he was talking about the buzz around the show today too. Jim doesn’t wanna just sit back and get these treatments and step away from wrestling.

    “He’s still very much involved even though he’s not gonna be calling the show tonight. That’s another thing.

    “For fans who are new to AEW, even though he won’t be in the booth tonight, one thing that has made people feel comfortable, made them feel at home watching wrestling is the voice of JR and the voice of Tony Schiavone out there.

    “We’re all gonna miss Jim for the next several weeks very much. But I agree with you, he adds so much to the matches he calls, to the shows he calls, and JR I think is the greatest voice in wrestling.”

    At first, JR didn’t anticipate missing any time on AEW TV. He then realized that keeping up with all of his treatments while making shows each week was a tall order and it’s best for him to simply focus on his health.

    JR is hoping to make his return on the Dec. 29 episode of AEW Dynamite. Of course, that’ll be the final Dynamite show of 2021 and the last episode on TNT. The program will move to TBS on Jan. 5.

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  • Cody Rhodes Still Speaks With Fellow AEW EVPs

    Cody Rhodes Still Speaks With Fellow AEW EVPs

    Cody Rhodes insists he’s still in communication with the core members of AEW.

    Rhodes is one of the key figures that started a movement that would eventually lead to AEW. The others were Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. Their efforts ultimately led to Tony Khan gaining the confidence to start a new wrestling promotion.

    While everything seemed to be smooth sailing between the four, it had been rumored that Omega and Young Bucks have distanced themselves from Cody. It’s even been speculated that Cody doesn’t talk to his fellow EVPs anymore.

    Cody Rhodes’ Relationship With AEW EVPs

    During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Cody Rhodes claimed that he’s still in contact with Omega and The Young Bucks.

    “As of now, my future is with AEW. AEW would be very strange without the core members of the revolution. We all still talk. We all have this admiration for each other. I can’t see myself anywhere else, and I’m very optimistic about what the future holds.”

    Rhodes went on to discuss how far AEW has come in a short period of time.

    “We’re essentially at the three-year point of AEW, and our stability is the tell-tale sign that our vision was the proper vision. We have such a stable company that Bryan Danielson decided to cross that line, that CM Punk decided to join after seven years away, that Adam Cole—who was being groomed to be a massive star in WWE—decided to cross the line. And that’s not a knock on them, it just shows that we have built a very stable infrastructure.”

    Cody has been involved in a storyline with PAC, Malakai Black, and Andrade El Idolo. On the Dec. 1 episode of AEW Dynamite, Cody will be taking on Andrade in a street fight.

    The last time Cody was in the ring with Andrade El Idolo, he ended up getting pinned thanks to interference from FTR.

  • Ric Flair Says AEW Should Sign Bray Wyatt

    Ric Flair Says AEW Should Sign Bray Wyatt

    Ric Flair released a new episode of his Woo Nation podcast today. During the discussion, Flair mentioned he believes AEW should sign Bray Wyatt.

    Mark Madden asked Flair if AEW was signing too many wrestlers and Flair took the opportunity to mention his belief that the promotion should sign Wyatt.

    “I most definitely would hire Bray Wyatt,” Flair said. “I’m a huge fan of his. The kid can work and talk and he comes up with some incredible ideas. I know you aren’t crazy about those gimmicks but when you think that he put the time and effort, those were his thought process. Plus, he’s legit, he’s a tough kid, he’s an amateur wrestler, played football at Troy.”

    “I’m just a big fan of his. I like his brother a lot too. You couldn’t find a handsomer more athletic guy. I think if I’m going to hire one more guy, I’d hire Bray Wyatt.”

    “The last guy I would have fired if I were Vince would have been Bray Wyatt. So, there must have been something there that I’m missing.”

    Regarding Bray Wyatt’s free agency, it was recently noted by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful that he is absolutely not going to Impact Wrestling.

    The full podcast with Flair can be viewed in the player below:

  • Jim Ross Reveals He’s Going To Write Another Book

    Jim Ross Reveals He’s Going To Write Another Book

    Jim Ross is planning to write another book. He revealed this news on the latest edition of his Grillin JR podcast.

    In 2024, JR will celebrate 50 years in the wrestling business and publishers are interested in releasing another book to celebrate the anniversary.

    “I’m going to write another book, it looks like,” Ross said on the show.

    “We’ve been offered a deal from a couple of publishers about my 50 years in wrestling. I got in in ‘74, so it’s 2024, a couple of years. If I’m above ground, that’s what’s going to happen. That should be fun. I never stopped loving what I did.”

    Jim Ross’ Books

    Jim Ross has written three books to date. In 2003, he released “JR’s Cookbook” in association with WWE.

    In 2017, he released “Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling.”

    Last year, he released “Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond.”

    Health Update

    Good o’l JR will miss tonight’s broadcast of AEW Dynamite as he continues radiation treatment for skin cancer.

    Ross has been documenting his treatments on social media. Just today, he noted that he is ready to start day 3 of his 21-day treatment.

    He expects to return to AEW television at the December 29th edition of Dynamite from Jacksonville, FL.

    Once again, we wish Jim Ross the very best of luck with his health!

    H/T to WrestleNewsCO for the transcription.

  • Bryan Danielson Debuts New Masked Gimmick On AEW Dark (Allegedly)

    Bryan Danielson Debuts New Masked Gimmick On AEW Dark (Allegedly)

    Although this can’t be officially confirmed, it is believed that Bryan Danielson debuted a new masked gimmick on AEW Dark last night. The character Infinito made his AEW debut on the show wearing a black and gold full body suit with a mask. He defeated Ray Jaz in single’s competition.

    “Introducing first, from the infinite universe, from the beginning and end of time, weighing more than you could possibly imagine, Infinito!” The character was introduced as by Justin Roberts.

    Infinito and Jaz started the match off with some basic grappling. He then gained the advantage with a series of monkey flips. Infinito would later set up his opponent in what was referred to as the infinite airplane spin. While the move did not go on infinitely, it did go on for quite some time. After finally putting his opponent down, Infinito cradled him and got the 3-count. His official record is now 1-0.

    Cody Rhodes is also alleged to have dawned a mask and debuted as Fuego 2. This character has been teaming with Fuego del Sol in the tag-team Too Fast Too Fuego.

    Infinito appears to have been awarded an official AEW contract.

    The full episode of AEW Dark featuring the debut of Infinito can be viewed in the player below:

  • Eric Bischoff On If AEW Is Hoarding Talent

    Eric Bischoff On If AEW Is Hoarding Talent

    Eric Bischoff recently commented on if AEW is hoarding talent similar to what WCW is often alleged to have done during the Monday Night Wars. Bischoff was on his 83 Weeks podcast when he made the below comments.

    “One of the biggest criticisms that I got from the dirt sheet community led by Dave Meltzer was ‘he’s signed too many WWE guys. Got too many people on the roster. Not letting the young talent get a shot because it’s bloated with ex-WWE guys.’ Okay, guess what? Some of that was true and some of that I deserved. Is history repeating itself? I don’t know, maybe?”

    Bischoff continued to say he’s not aware of what Tony Khan’s strategy is regarding roster size. He would also say, however, that if there is no strategy, signing too many wrestlers could backfire.

    “That being said, if there is no strategy and if you’re simply loading up your roster for the sake of building a big roster because having a big roster is your measure of success, then yeah there’s a chance it could backfire.”

    Bischoff then continued to say that if you have a large roster but many wrestlers feel they are not being utilized enough, it could lead to disgruntled workers.

    “If you’re not using those people to the extent that they feel like they’re getting their part of that dream, then ultimately, you can have a challenge and that challenge can become malignant and dangerous.”

    Bischoff has been critical of AEW as of late. He has accused AEW President Tony Khan of manipulating data in order to make his promotion seem more competitive to WWE. More on that story is available in the link below:

    Eric Bischoff Claims Tony Khan Manipulates Ratings Data To Make AEW Appear Competitive

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

  • Big Swole Announces She’s No Longer in AEW

    Big Swole Announces She’s No Longer in AEW

    Former AEW talent Big Swole has announced that she has left All Elite Wrestling. AEW signed her to the company on December 9, 2019.

    She shared on Twitter that she and AEW had decided not to renew her contract. Big Swole thanked AEW President Tony Khan and the company for her time with them. She ends her AEW career with a record of 33-13.

    https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1465814400653213699

    Big Swole Career in AEW

    Big Swole made her AEW debut at AEW All Out on August 31, 2019. She competed in the Women’s Casino Battle Royal in a losing effort. Throughout her career in AEW, she mainly appeared time on AEW Dark. Big Swole’s most notable rivalry was with current AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker last year. The feud also had memorable moments like Big Swole kidnapping Baker. The rivalry culminated at AEW All Out on September 5, 2020, where she defeated Baker in a Tooth and Nail match.

    Despite her success in AEW, Big Swole faced issues in her personal life. She battled pneumonia in 2020, which also resulted in a flare-up of her Crohn’s Disease. Big Swole wrestled on January 22, defeating Alex Garcia at AEW Dark before taking a brief time off. She shared that she couldn’t take medicine because it could’ve resulted in death because of COVID-19.

    Big Swole made her return to AEW on March 15 at AEW Dark Elevation defeating Skyler Moore. In her last match for the company, she defeated Allie Katch at AEW Dark on September 21. She also ends had a record of 16-4 this year in AEW.

    Big Swole has not shared what her plans are now that she didn’t re-sign to AEW. However, based on her announcement, it seems Big Swole wrestling career isn’t over.

  • AEW Star Jake Hager Has Beef With Josh Barnett

    AEW Star Jake Hager Has Beef With Josh Barnett

    Jake Hager has some issues with former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett.

    MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko was announced for a Bellator fight in Moscow but an opponent hadn’t been determined. Jake Hager threw his name in the mix, which prompted Barnett to go on a rant.

    Hager issued a scathing response going after Barnett’s history of failed drug tests.

    Jake Hager-Josh Barnett Beef Still Alive

    Jake Hager made an appearance on The Throwing Down podcast and he made it clear that he won’t be joining Bloodsport, promoted by Barnett, anytime soon.

    “I would definitely wanna dabble into anything wrestling, especially without striking. Getting punched just sucks, it just does. I would definitely wanna dabble on that but if you’re talking about a certain guy’s promotion I’m not working with that guy. Desperation is a stinky cologne and everyone wants to be a pro wrestler.”

    Host Renee Paquette then asked Hager how the beef started.

    “I don’t know, man. Some old man with a walking stick started coming at me on Twitter and I just kicked the stick out from underneath him and kept on walking.”

    Barnett hasn’t competed in MMA since 2016. He has made some moves in the wrestling industry. Barnett served as a color commentator when NJPW aired on AXS TV.

    In 2019, Barnett partnered up with the rising Game Changer Wrestling promotion. Both sides helped bring GCW Bloodsport to life.

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

  • CM Punk Match Announced For AEW Dynamite

    CM Punk Match Announced For AEW Dynamite

    AEW has announced another big match for Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite from the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia.

    CM Punk will be back in action against young up-and-comer Lee Moriarty.

    After their promo battle last week, Maxwell Jacob Friedman will likely be watching this match closely.

    CM Punk is excited at the prospect of mixing it up with Moriarty.

    CM Punk vs Lee Moriarty

    This will be Punk’s 8th match in AEW. He’s defeated Darby Allin, Powerhouse Hobbs, Daniel Garcia, Matt Sydal, Bobby Fish, Eddie Kingston, and QT Marshall.

    As for Lee Moriarty, he’s 1-4 in singles matches in AEW. He’s defeated Nick Comoroto but lost to Bobby Fish, Daniel Garcia, Joey Janela, and Dante Martin.

    AEW Dynamite Preview (12/1/21)

    4 other matches have been confirmed for this week’s Dynamite.:

    • The TBS Title Tournament will continue with the final quarter-final match. Ruby Soho will face Kris Statlander with the winner moving on to face Jade Cargill in the semi-finals.
    • Bryan Danielson defeated Colt Cabana in front of Cabana’s hometown in Chicago last week. This week he will attempt to do the same thing to another member of the Dark Order. Alan “5” Angels, who is from the Atlanta area, will step up to the plate to face the American Dragon. AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page will likely be in attendance and have his eye on what happens here.

    After Andrade El Idolo, Malakai Black and FTR defeated Cody Rhodes & Death Triangle in the main event last week, Andrade and Rhodes will face off in an Atlanta street fight this week. This was set up after Dynamite went off the air last week when Andrade gave Rhodes a DDT on the floor outside the ring. Considering this show is in Rhodes’ hometown, it should be interesting to see what fan reaction he gets. He might even toss his weight belt into the crowd again.

    https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1465556194781802500
    • Darby Allin & Sting will continue their rivalry with the Gunn Club this week. This started on Rampage a couple of weeks ago when Darby Allin defeated Billy Gunn in singles competition. After the match, the Gunn Club attacked both him and Sting. On Dynamite last week, Allin was able to attack Austin Gunn on the ramp but Billy & Colten bailed before him and Sting could get their hands on them. This week, it will be Sting and Darby Allin against Billy & Colten Gunn in tag-team action.