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Category: AEW

  • Twitch Leak Includes Payouts For Adam Cole, Paige & Zelina Vega

    Twitch Leak Includes Payouts For Adam Cole, Paige & Zelina Vega

    A massive Twitch leak has allegedly unveiled the payouts of streamers, including WWE and AEW stars.

    4Chan (via VICE) has been the home of many leaks over the years and this time, an anonymous poster shared 135GB of data revealing the payouts of popular Twitch streamers. Someone uploaded the pay wrestling streamers received on the platform, which has since been deleted on Pastebin. Fear not, we’ve got the totals here.

    Several streamers confirmed on Twitter that their data inside the leak is accurate. Jason Koebler of VICE also says the figures appear legitimate, based on internal knowledge of what their own channel earns.

    How Much Do Wrestlers Make From Twitch?

    The following is the Twitch revenue data for the largest wrestling-related accounts for September 2019 through September 2021.

    Keep in mind, these payouts are from subscriptions and bits. They do not include donations, which is a huge chunk of pay for streamers on Twitch typically.

    • Paige (@SarayaOfficial) – $478,224
    • Zelina Vega (@theatrinidad) – $341,748
    • Adam Cole (@TheCHUGS) – $318,080
    • Impact Wrestling (@impactwrestling) – $69,140
    • Tyler Breeze (@thesweetzlive) – $43,755
    • Evil Uno (@eviluno) – $35,742
    • Colt Cabana (@coltcabana) – $32,479
    • Xavier Woods (@AustinCreed) – $25,431

    As you can tell, there’s a substantial amount of money to be made on Twitch for these wrestlers. WWE has a policy in place that prevents its talent from streaming on Twitch. Paige is an exception as the rule isn’t a part of her deal and she isn’t an active wrestler.

    Zelina Vega had been released by WWE over the issue of not being able to stream. She eventually ended up signing with the company again. Vega’s husband, Malakai Black, had been taking over the channel but there hasn’t been a new stream for the past month.

    WWE made a strong push to re-sign Adam Cole before he decided to jump ship to AEW. Adam Cole’s wish to keep his independent Twitch channel was said to be a non-negotiable stipulation during those negotiations.

  • Bryan Danielson: AEW Is A Wrestling-First Company

    Bryan Danielson: AEW Is A Wrestling-First Company

    Bryan Danielson believes AEW is all in on the wrestling aspect of the business.

    Danielson made the jump from WWE to AEW at the All Out PPV on Sept. 5. Since that time, Danielson has had two matches and is gearing up for his third on the Oct. 6 episode of Dynamite. Danielson has gone to a 30-minute draw with AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega and defeated Nick Jackson on Rampage.

    Speaking to 6ABC, Bryan Danielson laid out the big difference between AEW and WWE.

    “This is one of the things that drew me to AEW and why I kind of wanted to come to AEW is that AEW is like a wrestling-first company. It’s a wrestling company for wrestling fans. If you’re a wrestling fan, and sometimes WWE is more just based on general entertainment. They wanna reach as many casual viewers as possible. Where I think AEW is like, ‘hey if you love wrestling, here’s this. But also, even if you’re not a wrestling fan we’re putting on wrestling and the wrestling itself is gonna bring you in.

    “I think that’s one of the really unique things about AEW. If you were to do a comparison of the two, like just watching the shows, you’ll see that there’s a lot more wrestling in the two hours of Dynamite than there is even in a three-hour Raw. And sometimes there’s more wrestling on an AEW Dynamite show than there is on Raw and SmackDown combined. So that’s one of the things that drew me to it because as a fan, when I was in high school everyone loved The Rock and Steve Austin. They were my least favorite people cause all they did was talk. So I like the wrestler wrestlers, ya know?”

    AEW has been able to snag some big names as of late including Danielson, CM Punk, and Adam Cole. AEW head honcho Tony Khan has said that a big roster is a good problem to have and that he does all he can to ensure that everyone gets the spotlight.

    One thing’s for sure, AEW has had no issue getting Danielson on TV.

    If you use the quotes in this article for your website, please drop a h/t to SEScoops with a link back to this article.

  • Quote: Vince McMahon Is Concerned About AEW

    Quote: Vince McMahon Is Concerned About AEW

    One former WWE on-air talent believes that Vince McMahon does have some concerns over the success of AEW.

    AEW emerged in 2019. The promotion held its first TV show on TNT back in October of that year. The debut episode of Dynamite pulled in 1.409 million viewers, blowing away expectations. As of late, the show has been garnering over 1 million viewers each week.

    While Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown pull in higher numbers than AEW’s shows, the fact that the promotion has had this much success in just two years can’t be ignored.

    During an edition of Monday Mailbag, former WWE referee Mike Chioda gave his take on whether or not the Chairman of WWE is concerned over AEW’s emergence.

    “As someone who knows Vince personally, do you think he’s truly concerned about AEW now?

    “Yes, I think he is. He always wants to be on top. I have seen him demolish and step on a lot of territories around the country and around the world. He wants to be #1. Everybody wants to be #1 whether it’s in their sport, in their career, or owning a company. I definitely think he’s very concerned right now because they’re picking up some good talent. I know Vince. Vince is concerned.”

    We recently saw AEW Dynamite top WWE Raw in the key demo two straight weeks. WWE was able to stop the streak from going to three, but it’s been said that many within the company are taking notice. It doesn’t help that Raw also has to contend with Monday Night Football games.

    Do you think Vince McMahon has any legit concerns over AEW?

  • Scorpio Sky Believes Jorge Masvidal can Succeed in Pro Wrestling

    Scorpio Sky Believes Jorge Masvidal can Succeed in Pro Wrestling

    All Elite Wrestling talent Scorpio Sky thinks MMA fighter Jorge Masvidal has a future in pro wrestling.

    The Miami Herald Jim Varsallone spoke with Sky about working alongside Dan Lambert and American Top Team fighters. Sky shared that Masvidal could do it when asked about whom he thinks could make the transition to pro wrestling.

    “Jorge Masvidal, he is a pro wrestler. He can do it. He gets it. I kind of talk to him a little bit; even in the fight game is a fan favorite,” said Sky. He continues, He got a little bit of character, he got a lot of swag, and he kicks ass. So that’s what you want.”

    He also adds that Paige Van Zant and Junior Dos Santos could have a bright future in pro wrestling.

    ATT Fighters Transitioning to Pro Wrestling

    Fighters from ATT have been making appearances on AEW alongside ATT Founder Dan Lambert. He made his AEW debut with Jorge Masvidal and UFC Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes on the July 7th episode of AEW Dynamite. Lambert did a promo criticizing AEW fans, and Lance Archer attacked Lance Archer during the episode. Since then, Lambert and ATT fighters like Masvidal joined sides with Sky and Ethan Page’s tag team called Men of the Year.

    The Men of the Year and Dan Lambert are currently feuding with Chris Jericho and Jake Hager. The group defeated Jericho and Hager at AEW Rampage Grand Slam on September 25th. The match ended after Sky rolled up Hager for the pin. After the match, ATT fighters, including Masvidal, Dos Santos, and Van Zant, also attacked the losing team.

    AEW Reportedly Happy with ATT

    ATT fighters and Lambert are reportedly well-liked behind the scenes in AEW. While Sky praised Masvidal and Van Zant, Dos Santos seems to be the stand-out fighter. “…Someone else that might surprise you is Junior Dos Santos. I think he is a wrestling fan and didn’t even know it. He’s been having a lot of fun with us,” said Sky. He also jokingly warned AEW World Champion Kenny Omega that Dos Santos would fight for the title one day.

    It’s unclear if Masvidal or other ATT fighters will compete in AEW. However, it seems they have another career in pro wrestling ready for them.

  • New Report Disputes Claim That AEW EVPs Have Lost Power

    New Report Disputes Claim That AEW EVPs Have Lost Power

    Depending on who you believe, the EVPs of AEW haven’t lost their power after all.

    The situation with Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Cody Rhodes has been an interesting one, to say the least. We’ve seen reports over the past year claiming that the relationship between Cody and The Elite has soured. It’s been said that while Omega and The Bucks are still chummy, they no longer communicate with Cody.

    Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net recently reported that Omega, The Young Bucks, and Cody are now essentially only EVPs by name. Haynes went as far as to say that he’s been told the roles of the EVPs have been “greatly diminished.”

    Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio has contested that report. Meltzer says that the roles of Omega, Nick and Matt Jackson, and Cody have gone unchanged since Dec. 2019. While Khan has played more of a hand with the booking, the EVPs haven’t lost any creative say according to the report.

    It’s been said that Tony Khan is rather hands-off when it comes to how the talent gets to the end result of their matches. Khan decides the winners and losers and what direction he wants segments to go in, but the talent is given the freedom to do what they please in order to get there.

  • Britt Baker Confirms WWE’s Interest in Signing Her

    Britt Baker Confirms WWE’s Interest in Signing Her

    All Elite Wrestling Women’s Champion Britt Baker confirms that WWE had an interest in signing her.

    Baker appeared on Throwing Down with Renee Paquette & Miesha Tate to share WWE inquired about her AEW contract. She reveals that WWE spoke with her boyfriend Adam Cole to let Baker know they wanted to sign her. However, Baker had no interest in leaving AEW.

    “…You know, It’s no secret since he’s (Cole) already said it by now. Cat’s out of the bag. I’m not going to get in trouble. That WWE was definitely poking the bear a little bit through him recently when I was still signed with AEW,” said Baker. She continues, “…Without teetering the line of contract tampering. They definitely let me know that they had interest in me, but it wasn’t a mutual thing.”

    Britt Baker Picking AEW Over WWE

    Cole revealed that WWE tried to inquire about Baker’s contract situation when he left the company for AEW on September 5th. Before his departure, Cole shared that WWE wanted to keep Cole and sign Baker. However, those discussions didn’t go any further.

    Baker re-signed with AEW to a long-term contract between August and September. She revealed on the September 1st episode of AEW Dynamite that she re-signed to AEW. However, she didn’t share when precisely she signed the new AEW contract. It’s also unclear when her new contract will expire.

    Baker has also publicly shared at Planet Comic-Con that she has no interest in wrestling for another promotion. “I’m not going anywhere because I’m in the hottest professional wrestling company on the planet. I don’t need to go anywhere. They can come here, and that’s fine, but I have no desire to go anywhere because they can all come to us,” said Baker. Although things can change, Baker has expressed her happiness with AEW and plans to stay with the company for the foreseeable future.

  • Bobby Fish Talks Feeling ‘Out of Touch’ With Indie Wrestling Scene

    Bobby Fish Talks Feeling ‘Out of Touch’ With Indie Wrestling Scene

    Former WWE NXT Superstar Bobby Fish recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio.

    The former member of Undisputed Era discussed several topics during the interview, including his return to the independent scene, MLW and his upcoming match on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite for the TNT Championship.

    “I was a little out of touch with this [independent] atmosphere” Bobby Fish noted, “because I’ve been where I was for about four years and you kind of lose touch with some of this.

    Bobby Fish on Independent Wrestling

    “So to get reacquainted with this and to realize the amount of opportunity. Man, it is as exciting as all hell.”

    Fish would also state that he is extremely excited to be part of the MLW Opera Cup, saying “It’s friggin awesome. I specifically wanted to do the Opera Cup.

    “The level of talent in it is amazing, and it caters very much to a style that I’m very familiar with. I’m just looking forward to mixing it up with everybody in MLW and in the Opera Cup. I’m not looking past anything but Saturday at this point.”

    Fish defeated Lee Moriarty in the first round of the 2021 iteration of the tournament.

  • Cody Rhodes Discusses Role As AEW EVP Of Talent

    Cody Rhodes Discusses Role As AEW EVP Of Talent

    Cody Rhodes has detailed what his job entails as the Executive Vice President of Talent for AEW.

    There’s been a lot of chatter as of late when it comes to the current state of EVPs in AEW. Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net reported that EVPs Cody, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks have seen their roles become greatly reduced. The report also notes that Cody has had a falling out with the other EVPs.

    Still, Cody Rhodes appears to see his EVP of Talent role as a prominent one. During an interview with Monsters and Critics Reality, Rhodes said he’s still very much active in trying to find the stars of tomorrow for AEW.

    “Well, that’s technically my number one job at AEW as the Executive Vice President of Talent. That’s the most important thing I already know that Bryan Danielson is famous, I already know that CM Punk is amazing in the ring, that Kenny Omega can have a five-star match, I know that. It’s our job to show you who in five years, or three years, will be leading the charge and if you just look at some of the homegrown types with Ricky Starks, and MJF, and Private Party, and Lee Johnson, I mean, I could go on and on. It’s vastly important.”

    Rhodes went on to fire back at critics who claim he buries talent. He says he loves mixing it up with rookie performers so that the future of AEW is showcased in a prominent position. In particular, Cody was quite high on Darby Allin and Ricky Starks throughout the interview.

    Despite the report of having a diminished role as EVP of Talent, Rhodes heaped praise on Tony Khan. He said that Khan always seems to know which young talent has the potential to stand out above the rest.

  • AEW Could Make Its Way To The UK In 2022

    AEW Could Make Its Way To The UK In 2022

    AEW may be going international in 2022 starting with the UK.

    The COVID-19 pandemic ruined plans for all businesses. AEW was no exception. The company had plans to make its way to the UK sometime in 2020. With the global lockdown in place, that just wasn’t possible. Things are looking up, however, as travel restrictions have been easing up.

    AEW head honcho Tony Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio and expressed his desire to run shows in the UK next year.

    “I do really want to do an international tour next year in 2022. I’m not sure if we’ll hit a lot of different cities or if we’ll focus the international trip primarily on Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham Football Club. You know [the stadium] is very, very near and dear to my heart. With our relationship or ownership of the Fulham Football Club and our relationship with the fans and having such a great venue to do a show in such a historic venue, and I would really want to put my focus on that if we do go overseas and I don’t know when we’ll do it, but it’s something I’d really like to do.”

    Of course, there are other countries that AEW would like to explore. The main priority in terms of international endeavors seems to be the UK given that initial plans were foiled thanks to unforeseen circumstances.

    We’ll keep you posted on any progress being made towards AEW making its way to the UK once those updates become available.

  • CM Punk Explains Doing Commentary For AEW

    CM Punk Explains Doing Commentary For AEW

    CM Punk enjoys his time whenever he’s in the booth for an AEW show.

    Punk has had his share of moments at the commentary table throughout his career. He’s served as a color commentary for a few episodes of Monday Night Raw in the past. Oftentimes, Punk poked fun at Vince McMahon’s “What a Maneuver” line.

    Now that he’s in AEW, CM Punk is playing a key role on the roster as a competitor. With that said, he wasn’t about to be taken away from the booth.

    During an appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Punk explained doing commentary in recent weeks.

    “We had an idea of me doing commentary on one of Darby’s matches, and we did that, but I was legit backstage going, ‘I want to do the whole show.’

    “I’m not trying to take nobody’s job. I just think it’s a cool way to get CM Punk on the show without doing the same things over and over. It’s just a different look. Obviously, selfishly, I was like, I want to work with Tony, and JR and Excalibur, and I got to have a lot of fun and we got to do a cool little angle out of it, made it look different. I think maybe Darby put somebody through the announce table. That was a while ago, so we got to do something a little bit different. Doing commentary with those guys is a blast.”

    Punk has received praise from legendary play-by-play ace Jim Ross for his work in the booth. He went as far as to call Punk a “natural” during an episode of his Grilling JR podcast.

    Punk was on commentary throughout the Sept. 29 edition of Dynamite. He is fresh off a victory over Powerhouse Hobbs on the AEW Grand Slam edition of Rampage. He has yet to start a new feud but many are left to believe there is unfinished business with Team Taz.

  • Casino Ladder Match Participants For AEW Dynamite Revealed

    Casino Ladder Match Participants For AEW Dynamite Revealed

    The Casino Ladder Match participants for the Oct. 6 edition of AEW Dynamite have been revealed.

    AEW is gearing up for its big second-year anniversary show. The Casino Ladder Match will be making its return on that edition of Dynamite. The winner will receive a shot at the AEW World Heavyweight Championship.

    The participants have been announced and they inclulde:

    • Pac
    • Andrade El Idolo
    • Jon Moxley
    • Lance Archer
    • Orange Cassidy
    • Matt Hardy

    Of course, there is also the Joker entrant. This wrestler will not be revealed until he makes his entrance. Speculation has run wild on who this participant may be. Who do you think will walk down the aisle?

    Image

    Kenny Omega is the reigning AEW World Heavyweight Champion. He’s been having issues with Bryan Danielson as of late. Omega will be teaming with his Elite buddies (Adam Cole and The Young Bucks) to take on Danielson, Christian Cage, and Jurassic Express on the special anniversary Dynamite show.

    Be sure to stick with SEScoops for coverage of Dynamite on Wednesday night. We’ll update you on who the Joker entrant is as well as who wins the Casino Ladder Match. Of course, we’ll also provide full results once the show has wrapped up.

  • AEW vs. ROH? Rok-C Open To Facing Dr. Britt Baker

    AEW vs. ROH? Rok-C Open To Facing Dr. Britt Baker

    Newly-minted ROH Women’s World Champion, Rok-C wouldn’t mind competing in a Champion vs. Champion match.

    Rok-C had the wrestling world buzzing with her performance at Death Before Dishonor XVIII. She went toe-to-toe with Miranda Alize in a tournament final match to determine the new ROH Women’s World Champion. Rok-C got the win after 18 minutes of action.

    Now that the “Forbidden Door” is wide open, ROH’s top female is hoping to walk through. One person she has in mind to share the ring with is current AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker.

    Here’s what Rok-C told Wrestling Inc.

    “I think it’s really cool. Maria Kanellis said it. There is no door. I’m open to anyone who wants to challenge me for the championship. Whether it be [at] Impact or Britt Baker or anyone. I think that would be so amazing. I’ve had so many experiences throughout my career regardless of how old I am. They’ve shaped me to be ready for matches like this. I’ve always been told you should not have to get ready. You should stay ready. If anyone wants a shot at the title I’m ready.”

    Baker has been making waves in the wrestling industry as well. She’s clearly one of the most popular stars in AEW. Her heel persona has done wonders for Baker, as she wasn’t exactly “over” as a babyface right at the start.

    AEW has done business with many promotions such as NJPW, AAA, Impact Wrestling, and others. Time will tell if a partnership with ROH could be in the cards down the road.

  • Mystery Joker Set For Casino Ladder Match On Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite

    Mystery Joker Set For Casino Ladder Match On Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite

    AEW appears to have another surprise in store next week when it presents the Casino Ladder match on the special 2-year Anniversary episode of Dynamite.

    Company President Tony Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio Friday morning to promote tonight’s edition of Rampage. TK revealed the Casino Ladder Match will feature a “Joker” mystery entrant similar to what we’ve seen in the Casino Battle Royale matches.

    Khan will announce the Casino Ladder Match participants on Rampage. Also scheduled for the show:

    • Bryan Danielson vs. Nick Jackson
    • Thunder Rosa vs. Nyla Rose vs Jade Cargill
    • Hair vs Hair: Jack Evans vs. Orange Cassidy

    Dynamite Anniversary Preview (10/6)

    Next week’s show will take place from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. In addition to the Casino Ladder Match, 3 other matches have been signed:

    • Serena Deeb will face Hikaru Shida in singles action. This will be Deeb’s first match since July.
    • Sammy Guevara will also defend his newly won TNT Championship next week. He’ll face Bobby Fish, who will be wrestling in his first match for AEW.
    • An 8-man tag-team match is also scheduled for next week pitting Bryan Danielson, Christian Cage & The Jurassic Express against The Elite (Kenny Omega Adam Cole & The Young Bucks)
  • CM Punk Reveals Backstage Reaction To His ‘Pipebomb’ Promo

    CM Punk Reveals Backstage Reaction To His ‘Pipebomb’ Promo

    CM Punk’s infamous “Pipebomb Promo” (2011) is still talked about to this day. Punk appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast this week to discuss his return to pro wrestling and much more.

    Thinking back to his groundbreaking promo, Punk [jokingly] says he was ready for a physical confrontation when he returned to the backstage area. He hoped to avoid a scuffle with anybody he offended and decided to exit the side of the stage instead of the usual entrance way. To Punk’s surprise, he found the whole area empty:

    “When I got in the back, nobody anywhere,” he said. “Backstage is normally buzzing, people in the hallways. It was empty.”

    Punk continued, “I remember looking around like, ‘Jeez, what’s going on’. And then I walked past the curtain through Gorilla and everybody in the company was jammed into the tunnel waiting to see me come through Gorilla, because they figured the same thing, they were like, ‘Ah man, this is gonna get real.’”

    Texts From ‘Lofty People In The Business’

    The storyline was among the first to blur the line between reality and kayfabe

    Revealing some interesting reactions to his promo, CM Punk mentioned how chef Robert Irvine was in the arena at the time who told him that the promo was amazing. He then detailed the weird reaction of Chris Masters:

    “And then I saw Chris Masters and Chris Masters looks at me and goes, ‘Did you just hear what Punk said?’, and I was like, ‘Chris, it’s me’, and he was like, ‘Oh. Oh it is you! You’re gonna get fired dude’. And then I just walked up. It was a weird scene. I didn’t know it was gonna become as big as it did, but I knew just based off those reactions, I knew we had something.

    The straight edge star went on to claim that he received texts from some ‘pretty lofty people in the business’ who he respected after the promo. So he knew that he did some good television. CM Punk delivered his pipebomb promo criticizing the WWE chairman Vince McMahon among others during the June 27, 2011 episode of Raw.

    You can relive the iconic moment below:

  • Dynamite Viewership For TNT Title Main Event, 18-49 Demo Rating Compared To Raw

    Dynamite Viewership For TNT Title Main Event, 18-49 Demo Rating Compared To Raw

    This Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite without an announced Bryan Danielson match saw a big decline in the viewership numbers, though it still stayed above a million.

    The show featuring the TNT championship match between Miro and Sammy Guevara for the main event drew a total of 1.152 million viewers according to Showbuzz daily.

    This is a 9.50% decline from last week’s episode of Dynamite. The episode with the much-hyped Bryan Danielson vs. Kenny Omega match for an opener among others had drawn 1.273 million viewers.

    The show drew a 0.45 rating in the 18-49 demographic. It’s a 6.25% decline from last week’s 0.48 rating. A 0.45 rating represents around 588,000 viewers of the age group.

    Monday’s episode of Raw in comparison had drawn 1.709 million viewers. The show did a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demo. It represents 625,000 viewers of the 18-49 age group for the Big E vs. Bobby Lashley WWE championship steel cage main event.

    AEW’s weekly show managed to rank #1 in the Cable Top 150 for the sixth week in a row thanks to the 0.45 rating. Dynamite ranked #29 in viewership for the night, down from last week’s #22 ranking.

    The promotion has announced Bobby Fish’s AEW debut and a Casino Ladder match among other things for next week’s episode of Dynamite. You can check out the card for the show below:

    Bobby Fish, Casino Ladder Match Set For Dynamite Next Week
  • Bobby Fish Speaks On TNT Title Match With Sammy Guevara

    Bobby Fish Speaks On TNT Title Match With Sammy Guevara

    Bobby Fish has spoken out on his upcoming TNT Championship match with Sammy Guevara.

    Guevara closed out the Sept. 29 edition of AEW Dynamite by capturing the TNT Championship. He pinned Miro with a 630 Senton Splash to lay claim to the gold. This is his first singles title run in AEW.

    After the match, Fish hopped on his Twitter account to congratulate the newly-crowned TNT Champion. He also laid down a challenge, which was accepted by Guevara during a commercial break on the debut episode of Rhodes To The Top.

    Appearing on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Bobby Fish commented on the title match.

    “I’m at home watching AEW, just like everybody else, and I see this thing go down and I’m thinking, ‘fortune favors the bold.’ That title and this mustache would look pretty fantastic together. I can either sit on my hands and do nothing or I can put my name in the ring, so to speak, and see what happens. That’s what I did. I feel like I was ready in my career for a ‘fresh coat of paint,’ so to speak and here we are. It wasn’t orchestrated and I didn’t seek it out. Things feel into place and it happened. I have this new lease on my wrestling life and I can’t wait to go at this thing guns blazing.”

    Fish was one of many names released by WWE from the NXT roster. It didn’t take long for Fish to find at least one landing spot as he is set to make his debut for MLW on Oct. 2.

    Guevara vs. Fish will take place on the Oct. 6 edition of AEW Dynamite. AEW is wasting little time making Guevara’s first title defense.

    Also set for that episode of Dynamite will be The Elite vs. Bryan Danielson, Christian Cage, and Jurassic Express. Plus, Hikaru Shida is going for her 50th win in AEW when she meets Serena Deeb. Fans will also witness a Casino Ladder Match with the winner earning a shot at the AEW World Heavyweight Championship.

  • Legend Returns At AEW Tapings (Spoiler)

    Legend Returns At AEW Tapings (Spoiler)

    Jake “The Snake” Roberts is back in AEW. The pro wrestling legend has been off television for over a month. Roberts recently had foot surgery, as first reported by Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net.

    “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer has been without his mentor. That all changed this week at a taping of AEW Dark: Elevation. Roberts once again accompanied Archer to the ring, reuniting one of AEW’s most dangerous pairings.

    Here’s what Roberts had to say about his return on Twitter:

    Jake Roberts in AEW

    At Wednesday’s AEW TV tapings from Rochester, NY, Archer won a quick squash match over a local talent in a match taped for Dark: Elevation. He wore a Brodie Lee wristband to honor the former leader of the Dark Order.

    This episode of Elevation will air on YouTube on Oct. 4.

    Jake Roberts, Lance Archer

    Now that Jake “The Snake” has made his return, it’ll be interesting to see what’s in store for him and Archer going forward. Archer is coming off a loss in a Lights Out tag team match with Minoru Suzuki on Rampage. The two were defeated by Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston thanks to interference from Homicide.

  • CM Punk On When He Started To Consider A Return To Wrestling

    CM Punk On When He Started To Consider A Return To Wrestling

    CM Punk was recently a guest on the AEW Unrestricted podcast and spoke about a variety of topics. Early in the discussion, Tony Schiavone asked Punk when he started to consider a return to pro-wrestling.

    “At some point when I was free and clear of all the fugazi lawsuits that people filed against me,” Punk responded. “I think there is a point where that stops and I’m free and clear and I’m like ‘sweet’ and I think that the healing can begin and it kind of coincided with the rise of AEW.”

    In June of 2018, CM Punk and Colt Cabana won a civil trial, successfully defending themselves from a defamation claim stemming from Punk’s appearance on Cobana’s podcast in 2014. The lawsuit was filed by WWE doctor Chris Amann, who said that Punk had defamed him on the show. Unfortunately, Punk and Cabana then ended up in a legal battle over attorney fees from that trial. They settled with each other in 2019.

    Punk also noted that the Brodie Lee tribute show played a pivotal role in him deciding to sign with AEW.

    “The Brody tribute show and the way the Brody stuff was handled was just so classy and not what I’m used to. So, it made me raise an eyebrow,” Punk continued.

    CM Punk On Joining AEW

    Punk also spoke about his debut being the “worst kept secret” and also that he didn’t actually sign his AEW contract until minutes before his debut.

    “I feel like we got the best of both worlds. I feel like it was maybe leaked or somebody found out, but there was still a giant question mark or a cloud of mystery over it.”

    Punk also noted that he did not actually sign with AEW until the night he debuted.

    “I read a report that I had signed, I never signed my contract until I was in the United Center maybe 90 or 30 minutes before I walked out,” Punk said. He joked that if he was a “carny guy” he could have gone to the “other Khan” and asked for money not to go to AEW.

    “Props to Tony Khan because I don’t know anyone else who would do handshake deals like that. I wasn’t signed, and he had (Tony Schiavone) go out there and announce the United Center.”

  • Eric Bischoff Gives His Thoughts On AEW Beating Raw In 18-49 Demo

    Eric Bischoff Gives His Thoughts On AEW Beating Raw In 18-49 Demo

    AEW has made big strides with television viewership over the past several weeks. AEW Dynamite has been surging, even topping WWE Raw in the 18-49 demographic on a few occasions. Dynamite vs. Raw is not an apples-to-apples comparison. The shows air on different nights, but AEW’s momentum is undeniable.

    Eric Bischoff knows a thing or two about competing with WWE. The former WCW President addressed Dynamite beating Raw on the latest episode of his 83 Weeks podcast.

    While fans like to analyze and debate the ratings trends, Bischoff says the opinions of TV executives and advertisers are the ones that matter.

    “I think if you’re an executive in a media buying company or advertising agency, I think [the 18-49 demographic] matters, to the rest of the world, it doesn’t mean two sh**s.”

    Fighting Mike Tyson’s Kid

    Mike Tyson
    Mike Tyson at AEW Dynamite

    Bischoff then discussed how AEW had no competition on the nights it beat Raw in ratings, while Raw was up against Monday Night Football.

    “AEW on Wednesday night with no real competition for 18-49 gets a higher percentage of a demo than Monday Night RAW going head-to-head with Monday Night Football, where the vast majority of the 18-49 year olds that watch wrestling also watch football.

    It’s like me getting into a fistfight with Mike Tyson’s kid and coming out on top of that. I’m just making this up, and if he did or he does, and I were to mop the floor with that 16-18 year old kid, that’s like me walking around saying I beat the sh** out of Tyson.”

    Eric Bischoff also talked about the Wednesday night wars between Dynamite and NXT. He explained how it wasn’t really a fair competition as it was AEW’s best lineup going up against the development squad of WWE.

    He also mentioned how people who were very excited to compare the ratings of Dynamite and NXT do not compare the ratings of Rampage to SmackDown which is a more direct comparison because they are on the same night.

    Tony Khan Taunts WWE With Latest Dynamite Rating
  • AEW EVP’s Less Involved With Creative Plans (Report)

    AEW EVP’s Less Involved With Creative Plans (Report)

    AEW has seen a shift in duties behind the scenes. According to a report Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net, the company’s Executive Vice Presidents have been less involved in the creative aspect of operations.

    Sources within the Jacksonville-based promotion indicated that AEW President Tony Khan has taken an even greater role in crafting storylines and angles. While talents are encouraged to pitch ideas and give suggestions, it ultimately comes down to Khan, and “creative is absolutely Tony Khan’s prerogative now.”

    It’s unclear when this transition happened but the report notes that at one point, Cody Rhodes was the only EVP who regularly attended office meetings. Though now his office role, as well as his creative input, has ‘greatly diminished.’

    Matt Jackson’s EVP role has been assisting his wife Dana with merchandise while Nick Jackson is focused on handling Being The Elite.  Kenny Omega is focusing on the gaming side of things. He is very hands-on with the upcoming AEW Game. Although Kenny still helps put together the women’s matches.

    After these changes, members of The Elite do not have the final say in the creative or hiring talents anymore and they are basically ‘EVPs in name only’ now.

    Cody’s relationship with other EVPs appears to have been affected as well.  Per sources, “Cody doesn’t really have much of a relationship with any of the EVPs, anymore. The others are still great friends, but Cody is very much on the outside looking in.”

    This isn’t the first time we are hearing about in-fighting among the EVPs. It was reported earlier this year that some AEW EVPs were no longer on talking terms. Though at the time the Young Bucks had tried to dispute the news by joking about it.

    The Young Bucks React To Reports About Tension Among AEW EVPs, More On The Situation
  • Bobby Fish, Casino Ladder Match Set For Dynamite Next Week

    Bobby Fish, Casino Ladder Match Set For Dynamite Next Week

    The new TNT champion Sammy Guevara has accepted the challenge from Bobby Fish for a title match at next week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. The Spanish God defeated Miro to win the TNT title in the main event of this week’s episode of Dynamite. The former NXT star took on his Twitter to congratulate the new champion.

    Bobby Fish went on to express the desire to be the first star to challenge Sammy Guevara, mentioning that he is ready to walk through the forbidden door. Guevara appeared during a commercial break of the Rhodes To The Top premiere. He spoke with Tony Schiavone and confirmed that he is accepting the challenge from the former Undisputed Era member.

    AEW also announced a big #1 contenders’ casino ladder match for Dynamite next week. The winner will get a shot at Kenny Omega’s world title in the future. The participants for the bout have not been revealed.

    Hikaru Shida will be fighting on the show as well. She will try to pick up her 50th win in AEW against Serena Deeb.

    If this wasn’t enough, the company has confirmed that Bryan Danielson will also be in action during the show. He will compete in a 6 men tag team match. Danielson will team up with the Jurassic Express and Christian Cage to face the team of Omega, Adam Cole, and The Young Bucks. Prior to this, Bryan will be facing Nick Jackson in a singles match on Rampage this Friday.

    Sammy Guevara Pays Tribute To Brodie Lee After Dynamite Goes Off Air
  • Bryan Danielson Match, Hair vs. Hair Bout Announced For Rampage

    Bryan Danielson Match, Hair vs. Hair Bout Announced For Rampage

    AEW has announced a singles match for Bryan Danielson and a hair vs. hair bout among others for this Friday’s episode of Rampage. After their match on last week’s episode of Dynamite ended in a time limit draw, Danielson tried to get a rematch with the AEW champion Kenny Omega on this Wednesday’s episode of the show.

    However, when Omega continued to deny a rematch to the former WWE star, Danielson offered to face any of the other members of the Elite on Rampage. The company later announced that Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks has accepted this challenge. He will be facing the former world champion in a singles match on Friday.

    A triple threat match among Jade Cargill, Thunder Rosa, and Nyla Rose was also announced for Rampage during the night. Though this isn’t all. The promotion has previously confirmed that Orange Cassidy will be facing TH2’s Jack Evans in a hair vs. hair match at this Friday’s episode of the show.

    AEW has announced a number of exciting matches for next week’s episode of Dynamite as well. The bouts announced for the show include a #1 contenders ladder match and more. You can check out the card for Dynamite here.

    AEW Dynamite Results (9/29): New Champion, Adam Cole vs. Jungle Boy, Danielson & Omega
  • Sammy Guevara Pays Tribute To Brodie Lee After Dynamite Goes Off Air

    Sammy Guevara Pays Tribute To Brodie Lee After Dynamite Goes Off Air

    Sammy Guevara fulfilled his promise and defeated God’s favorite champion, Miro, for the TNT championship in the main event of tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite. The Wednesday night show this week took place from the hometown of Brodie Lee in Rochester, New York. Tony Khan had previously announced that the episode will be dedicated to the memory of the former TNT champion.

    Guevara also paid tribute to the late star after the show went off air. He addressed the crowd saying his goal now is to become one of the best TNT champions there ever was:

    “For every kid who is out there with a dream of something you wanna do, all you gotta do is believe in yourself and work hard. Now my goal is to be one of the best TNT champions there ever was, but Rochester, I gotta be honest with you, we know who the real greatest TNT champion was.”

    The crowd started chanting Brodie’s name after this. Acknowledging it, Sammy Guevara mentioned how he will never be able to fill the shoes left behind by Lee. He then called the TNT title the greatest championship in pro wrestling:

    “I will never be able to fill the shoes that you left behind, I mean, you had some big ass feet. But I’m going to do my damnedest and work as hard as I can and carry this title with pride.” said the new champion, “No offense to Kenny’s belt, but this is the greatest title in professional wrestling!”

    Sammy then told the production crew to not play his music. He instead asked the people in attendance to send him out with a Brodie chant which the crowd did. You can check out the complete Dynamite results below:

    AEW Dynamite Results (9/29): New Champion, Adam Cole vs. Jungle Boy, Danielson & Omega

  • Watch Sammy Guevara Win The TNT Title On AEW Dynamite

    Watch Sammy Guevara Win The TNT Title On AEW Dynamite

    Sammy Guevara beat Miro in the main event of this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite to become the fifth TNT champion in the history of the title.

    AEW had announced a title match for this week’s show after the former WWE star had a confrontation with the Spanish God on the September 17 episode of Rampage.

    The match took place in the main event of this week’s episode of Dynamite. Miro dominated the early stages of the bout and he kept Guevara down.

    The ending of this bout saw the champion ripping off the pads from the top turnbuckle of all four corners. However, before he could use the exposed turnbuckle to his advantage, Fuego Del Sol got up on the apron.

    Miro punched Fuego off the apron but this gave Sammy Guevara an opportunity. He sent the champion face first in the turnbuckle with a knee strike.

    The challenger then delivered a tornado DDT and followed it up with a GTH. Sammy finally got to the top rope and delivered a 630 santon on Miro to cover him for the pin.

    This ends Miro’s 140 day long run with the TNT championship. He had won the title from Darby Allin during the May 12 episode of Dynamite earlier this year.

  • Cody Rhodes On Who He Wants To Face Most Between CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, & Adam Cole

    Cody Rhodes On Who He Wants To Face Most Between CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, & Adam Cole

    Cody Rhodes was interviewed by ESPN ahead of tonight’s big Dynamite event from Rochester, New York. During the interview, Rhodes was asked who out of CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Adam Cole he is most interested in facing in AEW.

    “Adam Cole,” Rhodes answered without hesitation. “It’s an easy question for me to answer in terms of I feel Adam Cole is very well known by the hardcore wrestling audience and, of course, fans of the Elite and Bullet Club and that entire portion of this revolution. But I also think that casual fans or lapsed fans or just new fans have only seen just the tip of the iceberg of what he’s capable of.”

    “I know Bryan Danielson is one of the best in the world, I know CM Punk even after a 7-year absence is one of the best in the world. They’re helping pull this wagon already and they’ve only been here a few days. Adam Cole gets to show a whole new audience and gets to interact and create a whole new brand for himself just because he has such a large platform to do it with AEW. He’s the one I’m most excited about getting in the ring with when and if that challenge presents itself.”

    Cody Rhodes vs Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, and Adam Cole

    Cody Rhodes and CM Punk shared the ring together often in WWE and OVW. They twice wrestled singles matches against each other on WWE’s main roster. Punk defeated Rhodes on the 9/22 RAW in 2008. Rhodes then defeated Punk via count-out later that year on the 12/19 RAW.

    Rhodes also shared the ring with Bryan Danielson often while they were both in WWE. Including house shows, they wrestled each other in 15 singles matches from 2011-13. Rhodes leads their all-time series 8-7.

    Adam Cole and Cody Rhodes teamed together on 4 occasions as members of Bullet Club, with all four matches taking place in Ring of Honor. Their only singles match against each other was on 5/26 in 2017 at a show for NorthEast Wrestling. Rhodes won and defended the NEW Heavyweight title successfully against Cole on that show.