SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Brian Cage Discusses AEW’s Creative Process

    Brian Cage Discusses AEW’s Creative Process

    Brian Cage recently appeared on Dan and Don’s Toxic Masculinity Podcast with Don Frye and Dan Severn. During the discussion, Cage said that Tony Khan is taking on the vast majority of the creative responsibilities in AEW.

    “Creative team? No. It’s just Tony. Tony Khan who owns it [AEW] and he does so much anyway already, it’s literally just all him,” Cage said on the show (transcriptions via POST Wrestling). “He’ll have some help or input from other guys and some of the EVPs that you know helped start it like The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes. They kind of help do their own stuff.”

    Cage continued to say that Khan has the final and often only say on the majority of the product.

    “Tony pretty much has the final and only say on majority of the entire product which is a little nuts. I do think that it could benefit with some of the people helping out on that.”

    Cage also said that Tony Khan is always up for discussing creative ideas, something he doesn’t believe happens elsewhere. He also said the backstage environment in AEW “far exceeds” anywhere else he’s been. Cage also praised the way the company handles the laying out of matches.

    “They don’t micromanage anything…it’s pretty easy going in that regard.”

    Brian Cage clarifies Comments

    Brian Cage took to Twitter to clarify that he was not speaking poorly of AEW’s creative process, just that Tony Khan takes on a lot of work with it.

    “He could benefit from sharing some responsibility as in it’d take some weight off his shoulders, smh. I get enjoying it and wanting to over see everything, it’s just a lot of work for any one person, without other obligation on top of it. But didn’t say anything negative. Damn,” he Tweeted.

    Cage hasn’t wrestled since September 1st. It was reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that he is currently dealing with his knees flaring up after a stem cell treatment.

    The full episode of the podcast is available in the player below:

  • Bryan Danielson To Clash With The Elite Again This Week On Rampage

    Bryan Danielson To Clash With The Elite Again This Week On Rampage

    It looks like Bryan Danielson is in for a big match on the Oct. 1 edition of AEW Rampage.

    Tension has been brewing between Danielson and The Elite. It’s been this way ever since “The American Dragon” made his AEW debut at the conclusion of the All Out PPV on Sept. 5. It led to a non-title match between Danielson and AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega.

    Danielson vs. Omega took place on the Grand Slam edition of AEW Dynamite. It was held inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. The two went to a 30-minute draw. After the match, The Elite attacked Bryan Danielson before Christian Cage and Jurassic Express made the save.

    There have been rumblings about a big match being set for the upcoming Rampage episode. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio got fans buzzing with the following tweet.

    “Evidently there is a big match being taped tomorrow unannounced for Rampage on Friday.”

    The match is indeed big and it involves Danielson. Andrew Zarian is reporting that Bryan Danielson vs. Nick Jackson will be taking place on the show.

    “Hearing Bryan Danielson vs Nick Jackson is set for Rampage this week.”

    If the report holds up, then this will be Danielson’s first match on Rampage. It would also be just his second match on AEW TV.

    Stick with SEScoops this Friday night for AEW Rampage results.

  • Kiera Hogan Officially Signs With AEW

    Kiera Hogan Officially Signs With AEW

    Kiera Hogan is All Elite. The former 2x Knockouts tag-team champion in Impact has officially signed with AEW. The news was announced on last night’s broadcast of AEW Dark by Excalibur as Hogan made her entrance for a match against Leila Grey.

    Hogan had been with Impact Wrestling from 2017 up until this summer. She announced on her OnlyFans in July that she had finished up with the promotion at a set of tapings from Nashville.

    “What’s up babies! I’m in Nashville for tapings and you guys will be the first to know that this is my last IMPACT tapings and I’m going to see what else is out there for me I’m so excited and scared but I know whatever I choose to do I’m gonna be the best and that’s on periodt,” she wrote.

    Hogan made her AEW debut just 3 weeks after finishing up with Impact. She wrestled Hikaru Shida on Dark: Elevation taped on 8/11 from Pittsburgh. Two days later she would be defeated by Kris Statlander in a match taped for Dark. Her 3rd match with the promotion was live from the United Center at The First Dance. Hogan was defeated by Jade Cargill on that show. She was also in the Casino Battle Royale at AEW All Out.

    Hogan also took part in the NWA’s recent PPV and tapings in St. Louis. She took part in the Women’s Invitation Cup at NWA Empowerrr and defeated Skye Blue on a recent episode of NWA Powerrr.

    https://twitter.com/RosePlanted__/status/1442992670956208131
  • Ruby Soho On AEW Women’s Division & Future Opponents

    Ruby Soho On AEW Women’s Division & Future Opponents

    Ruby Soho has made an impact since her surprise debut at AEW All Out earlier this month. She had a competitive match against AEW Women’s Champion at Dynamite Grand Slam, but came up short against pro wrestling’s premiere dentist.

    Soho recently spoke with Bleacher Report and discussed who she is excited to work with in AEW. “As far as people that I haven’t got a chance to step in the ring with, one of the people I noticed right off the bat is Nyla Rose,” she said. “Her presence in the ring is just astounding to me.”

    Soho continued, “I am super-impressed by the work that she’s done here in AEW. She’s definitely somebody I would love to step into the ring with.”

    Soho also looks forward to crossing paths with veteran performer Serena Deeb.

    “Serena Deeb as well is somebody I have followed for the majority of my career, and she’s somebody I look up to quite a bit. So she’s somebody I would love to learn from,” she said.

    Soho also spoke about Tay Conti, someone she was on the NXT roster with from 2016 until Soho and the Riott Squad were moved to the main roster in late 2017. At the time, Ruby had several years of experience but Conti was just starting her pro-wrestling career.

    “Taynara [Conti] is somebody I’ve known since she started, and she’s someone who has continued to impress me each time she stepped into the ring,” Soho said of her.

    Ruby Soho in AEW

    Not wanting to leave anyone out, Soho said that she’s basically a fan of anyone on the AEW roster. She’s looking forward to getting in the ring with any of them.

    “So any of those women, any of the women on the roster in general, are people that I’m a huge fan of, so I’m just excited about stepping into the ring with any of them.”

    Soho has had 4 matches in her young AEW career thus far. She won the Casino Battle Royale at All Out after entering as the Joker card. Later that week she wrestled twice in Cincinnati. Her first match on the 9/8 show from the Fifth Third Arena saw her defeat Jamie Hayter. Then later that night she would wrestle on the Rampage tapings as well. She teamed with Kris Statlander and Riho and defeated Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter, and Rebel.

  • Former Raw Underground Star Makes AEW Dark Debut

    Former Raw Underground Star Makes AEW Dark Debut

    This week’s episode of AEW Dark featured the debut of two more former NXT stars in Santana Garrett and Arturo Ruas now known as Adrian Jaoude.

    Garrett took part in a backstage interview during the opening of the show. She said that she wanted to make her father proud and show everyone that she is elite.

    The former NXT star was interrupted by Diamante. She challenged the debutant for a match next week on AEW Dark. The duo then brawled and the segment ended with them being separated.

    Jaoude on the other hand teamed up with his real-life best friend Cezar Bononi for a tag team match. They won the bout against Jake St. Patrick & Ryzin.

    https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1442988490904403973

    Both Garrett and Jaoude were released from their WWE contracts in June this year. Prior to tonight’s AEW show, Santana Garrett competed in the 2021 Royal Rumble.

    Jaoude had not wrestled since November 2020. He had faced the former NXT cruiserweight champion Kushida in a one-on-one match back then.

    Some fans may also recognize Adrian Jaoude from his Raw Underground appearances as Arturo Ruas. He had defeated Mikey Spandex in his debut match for the short-lived division hosted by Shane McMahon.

    Arturo Ruas Discusses Nixed Plans For Him To Join The Diamond Mine
  • Cody Rhodes Denies AEW Grand Slam Gear Was Inspired By Homelander

    Cody Rhodes Denies AEW Grand Slam Gear Was Inspired By Homelander

    Fans who were convinced that the gear Cody Rhodes wore for AEW Grand Slam was inspired by Homelander are in for a rude awakening.

    Rhodes competed inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. He went one-on-one with Malakai Black in a rematch. Cody fell victim to the classic mist in the eyes and a small package, which led to him losing the match.

    Fans couldn’t help but notice Cody’s gear. Many assumed it took inspiration from Homelander. That isn’t the case, however. Here’s what Cody Rhodes told Robbie Fox on My Mom’s Basement.

    “The Boys, which is a wonderful everything. If you’re not ready or watching The Boys, it’s outstanding. (My gear) isn’t (inspired by the show). I feel bad saying it isn’t because everyone thought the initial cape that [Lead Seamstress/Designer] Ms. Sandra Gray had made was Homelander inspired, but really, I think it was a Colonial soldier is what inspired it. I never once, because of the fun reactions online, I never told her to deviate only because if people find that parallel and they like it, why not? There is a parallel in characters in terms of my goody-two-shoes nature not always sitting that great with wrestling fans. I can be the good guy, but they don’t have to cheer me, they can do whatever they’d like.”

    Rhodes is known for his extravagant entrances. For an event the magnitude of Dynamite, it comes as little surprise that the former two-time TNT Champion went to great lengths to show out.

    Now that he’s gone 0-2 against Black, Rhodes is seemingly left to start a new rivalry. Who that will be against remains to be seen. It was teased that Cody and Arn Anderson were beginning to have some problems during the rematch with Black. It’ll be interesting to see if it leads to Arn aligning himself with someone else.

  • Kenny Omega: WWE Is Desperate, AEW Turned The Tables

    Kenny Omega: WWE Is Desperate, AEW Turned The Tables

    Kenny Omega believes AEW has caused WWE to hit the panic button.

    AEW has achieved quite a bit for only being in existence since 2019. The rapid success of Dynamite led to AEW scoring a new deal with TNT and a second television show, Rampage. Now, Cody and Brandi Rhodes are set to premiere their reality show on the network.

    The company has signed the likes of CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Adam Cole. AEW sold out the United Center in Chicago and packed Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. They’ve been hitting over one million viewers consistently on Dynamite as well.

    Not bad for a “pissant” company.

    Of course, WWE has long been the Big Kahuna when it comes to the wrestling industry. Having been around for decades, the promotion is able to pull in higher total viewership numbers for Monday Night Raw and SmackDown.

    With that said, Kenny Omega believes the gap has been closing quickly. Here’s what the AEW World Heavyweight Champion told Tokyo Sports.

    “At the start, there was a huge gap between WWE and AEW. (AEW) was just some fledgling promotion after all. But have you realized how the tables have turned? WWE is desperate. They keep bringing back legends every other week. COVID is a terrible thing, and we never wanted it to happen but it is what it is.”

    There was a huge down period for the wrestling industry when it came to COVID-19. Many people wondered about the future of AEW since it was a newer promotion. WWE was certainly better equipped to ride out the pandemic but AEW managed to pull through and is thriving now more than ever.

    Whether you’re solely an AEW fan or a WWE fan, most can agree that competition benefits the customer. Time will tell just how far AEW can keep going.

  • Brodie Lee Documentary To Premiere In Rochester

    Brodie Lee Documentary To Premiere In Rochester

    A documentary on the life of Jon Huber (aka Brodie Lee) will premiere tonight. A screening of the film will take place in his hometown of Rochester, New York. “This is Brodie Lee” was produced by Wrestlevision in association with Classy Wolf Media. The film will screen at the Movies 10 in Rochester and tickets are available online here.

    A synopsis for the film reads as follows:

    “Documentary movie on the life of Jon Huber, known worldwide as Brodie Lee/Luke Harper. Tells the story of his life in wrestling, from a backyard to the Western NY indy scene, to the big time in WWE and AEW – from the fellow wrestlers who shared the road with Brodie.”

    It is not currently known who was interviewed for the film.

    AEW will be in Rochester tomorrow night for AEW Dynamite from the Blue Cross Arena.

    Huber spoke with News 8 anchor Adam Chodak in 2018 about what Rochester means to him.

    “Rochester is a very special place for me, I love it here. Red Hots are my favorite thing in the world, garbage plates are wonderful, I have to be careful with them though,” he said. “To me, Rochester just has a different feel and you could go to Buffalo or Syracuse and it doesn’t feel the same as it does here.”

  • Jim Ross: MJF Is A Star Regardless Of Era

    Jim Ross: MJF Is A Star Regardless Of Era

    Legendary play-by-play ace, Jim Ross, has some high praise for MJF.

    It’s clear that MJF is one of the fastest-rising stars in the wrestling industry. Many have praised him for his heel work. While he is known for his impressive mic skills, his in-ring work has also been nothing to dismiss.

    One person who has taken notice of MJF’s potential is JR. During an edition of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross said that MJF fits in with any era past, present, or future.

    “I think MJF is going to be a star in any era. He understands the fundamentals of being a villain. He doesn’t want to entertain you so much as he wants to infuriate you. Cowboy (Bill Watts) would have loved him. He may have made him a manager because of his size, but I don’t think so. MJF is as big as Buddy Roberts. Buddy Roberts headlined cards all over the world. I believe in MJF’s abilities.”

    Ross went on to say that he feels Maxwell Jacob Friedman hasn’t even scratched the surface in terms of what he can do. MJF is only 25 years old and made his pro wrestling debut back in 2015.

    MJF has already mixed it up with some of the biggest stars in the business. He’s gone one-on-one with the likes of Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Cody Rhodes, and others. The match with Moxley was for the AEW World Championship but MJF fell short.

    Do you think MJF would’ve fit in with any era in pro wrestling?

  • Bryan Danielson Was Pleasantly Surprised With AEW’s Creative Approach

    Bryan Danielson Was Pleasantly Surprised With AEW’s Creative Approach

    After butting heads with the WWE writers for over a decade, Bryan Danielson was pleasantly surprised with the creative approach in AEW. The former WWE star recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. Among other things, he talked about the difference in the creative process of the two companies.

    Detailing his reaction to his first encounter with the AEW creatives, Bryan admitted that he was a little blown away. According to him, no one told him what he was doing and they asked Danielson what he wanted to do instead:

    “I was actually a little bit blown away, my first time I had to talk or anything was in Cincinnati, and I was like, so what are we doing? ‘I don’t know, what do you want to do?’ Wait, what?”

    Bryan Danielson On AEW’s Approach Compared To WWE

    Bryan Danielson continued his explanation mentioning how he was never handed a sheet of paper. He described that people in AEW have a collective approach where they sit down and figure out what the plan for him is:

    “Last week in Newark, it was the same thing. I was never handed a sheet of paper. I was never told what we’re doing. We kind of sit down and decide what we’re doing, And I was just like, oh. And then there’s this overarching fear for me a little bit because some people don’t like working with the writers.”

    The former world champion made his AEW debut during the All Out PPV from Chicago on September 5. He made his first Dynamite appearance on September 8 from Cincinnati, Ohio. Danielson also talked about the WWE creative process in detail and discussed being part of the creative himself during his finishing months. You can check out his comments at this link.

    Bryan Danielson Talks AEW vs. WWE Fanboy Wars
  • Bryan Danielson Talks AEW vs. WWE Fanboy Wars

    Bryan Danielson Talks AEW vs. WWE Fanboy Wars

    Bryan Danielson has shared his thoughts on the fanboy wars between AEW and WWE fans.

    Danielson is one of the major names that signed with AEW. He had been with WWE since 2010 and even competed in the main event of WrestleMania earlier this year. Danielson says that while leaving WWE was a difficult decision to make, he made the jump because he felt AEW provided an exciting challenge.

    Of course, fans on both sides constantly argue on social media over which product is better. Danielson addressed this during an interview with Sports Illustrated.

    “After I got a little promo and I said, ‘I love where I worked before,’ that got a huge chorus of boos. But it’s true. I think that also speaks to it’s not just a wrestling culture thing. I think there’s also a tribalism in our country right now. The narrative of being on one side or the other, and I think most people are actually very rational and will enjoy both sides, but I think the harder edges, and those are the people who tend to speak out more.”

    Danielson went on to say that social media brings out the worst in fanboys from both companies. Bryan Danielson has been all class since his WWE departure. He even penned a “Thank You” letter to WWE chairman Vince McMahon. He also admitted that he enjoyed working with WWE writers.

    On the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite in New York City, Danielson made his in-ring debut for AEW. He went 30 minutes with AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in a draw. After the match, Danielson expressed gratitude to the fans and AEW.

  • Chris Jericho Comments On What The Owen Hart Cup Means To Him

    Chris Jericho Comments On What The Owen Hart Cup Means To Him

    Chris Jericho has mentioned in numerous interviews and his own books that Owen Hart was a huge influence on him. Jericho has also spoken of how when he was growing up, he dreamed of being in a tag team with Owen. Unfortunately, their careers never crossed paths and Jericho never did get to wrestle with or against his childhood hero.

    During a recent interview with Stephanie Chase, Jericho spoke of what AEW’s deal with the Owen Hart Foundation means to him.

    “It was a passion project for me and obviously for Martha and Tony,” Jericho said (Transcriptions via Fightful). “We worked on it for a long time, about a year and a half, to put the deal together and figure out what we wanted to do. I just knew I wanted Owen’s legacy to be something positive and something great as far as wrestling goes, rather than just be dwelling on his death. That’s the main reason why we all wanted this to happen, so we can celebrate Owen Hart’s career and the contributions that he made. He was a pioneer.”

    Picture Jericho drew in high school, dreaming of being tag champs with Owen Hart.
    byu/segaboy81 inSquaredCircle

    There have been some fans questioning what connection Owen Hart has to AEW. Jericho commented on that during the interview as well. Jericho noted that he was the first world champion in AEW and he is an Owen Hart disciple.

    “‘What’s his connection to AEW?’ some people are saying. Well, one of the connections is that he’s specifically the reason I got into wrestling. Owen Hart was the guy. To an extent, Shawn Michaels and Ricky Steamboat, but Owen Hart, to me, I thought, ‘I want to be like that guy.’ There is your connection to AEW.”

    Jericho also commented on how the Owen Hart Cup will allow fans of Owen’s to celebrate his life and career rather than focus on his death. The tournament is set to be an annual tradition.

    “We’ll do the Owen Hart Cup and tournament and make people feel good about Owen rather than sad. We know what happened, but that was over 20 years ago. Let’s move forward remembering his amazing contributions and legacy in the ring that still resonate to this day.”

    In addition to the Owen Hart Cup tournament, AEW’s agreement with the Owen Hart Foundation also permits them to use his likeness for merchandise. This includes the upcoming AEW console video game. Owen Hart apparel is currently available at Pro Wrestling Tees here.

  • Update On Jake Roberts’ Absence From AEW Programming

    Update On Jake Roberts’ Absence From AEW Programming

    WWE Hall Of Famer Jake Roberts has been away from AEW programming after undergoing foot surgery according to latest reports.

    After not being seen on AEW TV recently, it was reported this Friday that the wrestling veteran was absent because he was dealing with some undisclosed health issues.

    Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net provided some updates on Roberts. He revealed that the former WWE star has been away after undergoing a foot surgery where he had pins inserted in some of his toes.

    The good news for fans is that the wrestling legend is not expected to stay out for very long. According to the site, he has been cleared by doctors to return to work. So he could be back on AEW programming as soon as this week.

    Jake Roberts signed with AEW back in March 2020. He introduced Lance Archer as his client and he has been managing the NJPW star since then. Roberts revealed back in July, 2021 that he has signed a two-year contract extension with AEW.

    The Hall Of Famer’s next confirmed public appearance is at the New York Comic Con on October 7th as part of the Headlocked Comics & Heroes Hideout booth. It would be interesting to see if he makes his AEW return before that.

    “He’s An A**hole”: Jake Roberts Blasts Vince McMahon For Using His Personal Troubles Into Storyline
  • Chris Jericho Thinks Vince McMahon Holds Grudge Against NXT

    Chris Jericho Thinks Vince McMahon Holds Grudge Against NXT

    Chris Jericho welcomed Adam Cole on the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho. Among other things, these two also revealed their thoughts on the recent rebranding of NXT and discussed whether AEW’s win in Wednesday night wars is the reason for it.

    Jericho claimed that he can say just from observing things that WWE had no idea what they were dealing with when they put NXT against Dynamite. He then claimed that Mr. McMahon holds a grudge against NXT for not beating AEW:

    “When they put NXT up against AEW, it really hurt the brand to where you lost the cool factor, and AEW was the cool one. NXT just got steamrolled, and I think, as a result, Vince kind of holds a grudge against NXT. You had the chance to beat AEW, and you didn’t. Now I’m going to take over, and I’m going to do it my way.”

    Discussing if AEW’s win in the Wednesday night wars played a part in the recent NXT revamp, Cole said that it absolutely did. He explained that from Vince McMahon’s standpoint, NXT is the breeding ground for main roster stars. So he understands if the boss wants to have a little bit more control over things.

    Chris Jericho also talked about his time in WWE and working with NXT stars. He recalled how he encouraged Vince McMahon to bring Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura to the main roster.

    Chris Jericho Says Elimination Chamber Was Supposed To Be WarGames, Why Vince McMahon Changed It
  • Tony Khan Teases ‘Big Booking Plans’ For Owen Hart Cup Tournament

    Tony Khan Teases ‘Big Booking Plans’ For Owen Hart Cup Tournament

    Tony Khan made his weekly appearance on Busted Open Radio where he talked about a number of things. He also opened up about AEW’s partnership with the Owen Hart Foundation. The AEW president first said that the upcoming tournament is going to be a tremendous event and he called their partnership with Martha Hart and the Owens Hart Foundation great.

    Khan also explained how this partnership came together. He first praised Martha saying that she is a very principled and intelligent woman and revealed that they had been talking about it on regular basis for over a year:

     “She thought long and hard about this, and we talked for a long time about this. I talked to Martha about this for over a year on a regular basis. She put a lot of thought into it. We put a lot of thought into it and that’s how this came together. She’s a really good person and I think she wanted to make sure we’re good people too.

    Tony Khan Teases Big Plans For Upcoming Tournament

    Talking about the upcoming tournament, the AEW owner said that it will be a great opportunity to celebrate Owen Hart’s life. Tony Khan then teased some ‘big booking plans’ he has up his sleeve that he is really excited for people to see:

    “I’ve got a few match announcements and a few big booking plans up my sleeve that I’m excited for people to find out about. And that’s all coming in due time. The Owen Hart announcement is really big for us. When we get through this huge night for us, I think next week, we’ll have a lot of cool stuff when the dust has settled.”

    AEW announced earlier this week that they were partnering with the Owen Hart Foundation. In addition to promoting Hart’s legacy, AEW confirmed that they will hold an annual tournament to honor the legends’ memory.

  • Matt Hardy On His First Interaction With Sting In AEW

    Matt Hardy On His First Interaction With Sting In AEW

    Former world champion Matt Hardy is getting to interact with a lot of new people in AEW and one of them is none other than the legendary Sting. The former WWE star recently had an interview with Post Wrestling. He talked about things such as Edge being cleared to compete by WWE and more.

    During the talk, Hardy also detailed his first conversation with the Icon. Matt revealed that Sting praised their Stadium Stampede match and expressed the desire to work some cinematic matches himself:

    “One of the first things Sting said after he was at AEW was, ‘I gotta tell you, they showed me the match you guys had, the Stadium Stampede. You know, when you went in the water and came out, you were a different gimmick. Like oh my God.’

    He said that stuff was so great and he was just going into the whole thing.” recalled Matt Hardy, “He said, ‘You know, I’m think I’m gonna do some of those while I’m here’ but he said, ‘You know, I feel pretty good. I think I can do a couple regular ones too’ and I said, ‘Really?’”

    Sting got his wish of participating in a cinematic match when he made his in-ring debut for AEW. He teamed up with Darby Allin to face Team Taz in a street fight at Revolution. He has since wrestled in a few live matches as well.

    Apart from this, Hardy also discussed the difference between Tony Khan and Vince McMahon. He detailed an incident where Khan told the commentary team to use the word belt for a title, something which Mr. McMahon notoriously hates.

    Matt Hardy Hopes Jeff Hardy Makes His Way To AEW One Day
  • Reason Jake Roberts Has Not Been Seen On AEW TV Recently

    Reason Jake Roberts Has Not Been Seen On AEW TV Recently

    Jake Roberts has not been seen on AEW programming in recent times because he is dealing with some undisclosed health issues, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    Meltzer wrote that the Hall Of Famer was seen “in a wheelchair and had an oxygen thing in his nose that he’d take out when posting for photos” during a recent public appearance.

    Roberts made his AEW debut back in 2019. He became a regular on AEW TV after joining forces with Lance Archer in March 2020. Jake announced in July this year that he had signed a two-year contract extension with the promotion.

    “He’s An A**hole”: Jake Roberts Blasts Vince McMahon For Using His Personal Troubles Into Storyline

    Jake Roberts’ Issues With COPD

    The wrestling veteran had revealed in an interview with Premier Live TV YouTube channel last year that he was battling COPD. He said that it was passed down to him through bloodline and called it worse than COVID.

    COPD obstructs airflow from the lungs. The legend had explained back then that because of the disease, he doesn’t get enough oxygen in his blood.

    The wrestling star had noted that because of it he couldn’t talk for more than 20 seconds without an oxygen tank. Roberts had also mentioned how he was not sure how limited he will be in the future.

    These latest reports make it seem like COPD might be the reason for his absence. There is no word yet on if there are any plans for Jake Roberts to return to AEW programming anytime in the future. We will keep you posted on his status.

  • Tony Khan Taunts WWE With Latest Dynamite Rating

    Tony Khan Taunts WWE With Latest Dynamite Rating

    Tony Khan has not forgotten WWE’s comments about their rivalry being a marathon and not a sprint. He is using it to tout the latest success of Dynamite. After pulling off another impressive rating success with this week’s episode of their flagship show, the AEW president took on his Twitter to thank the fans.

    Khan interestingly also referenced WWE’s statement on the premiere of Dynamite. He reminded everyone how they are already catching up to WWE despite the fact that their competitor had a 40 year head start:

    “2 years ago, our competitors said this is a marathon, not a sprint. They were right. They’ve also had a head start of >40 years & in <2 years we’ve made up more ground from scratch than anyone in wrestling history.” wrote Tony Khan, “Let’s FN GO TONIGHT. Let’s make #AEWRampage #1 on cable TONIGHT!”

    AEW Dynamite managed to beat Raw in the much talked 18-49 demo in the past two weeks. It narrowly missed on extending this streak to the third week with this Wednesday’s Grand Slam special of the show.

    The show still saw a significant increase in viewership. It created another record with the third-highest viewership number since Dynamite premiered. As Tony mentioned, it also ranked #1 on cable on Wednesday for the fifth week in a row.

  • Arn Anderson Shares Theory On Why Cody Rhodes Was Booed In NYC

    Arn Anderson Shares Theory On Why Cody Rhodes Was Booed In NYC

    Arn Anderson has shared his theory on why fans in NYC booed Cody Rhodes.

    Rhodes was featured on the AEW Grand Slam edition of Dynamite. He went one-on-one with Malakai Black. Cody lost the match when Black rolled him up after spitting mist in his eyes.

    The boos for Cody Rhodes were loud and clear. Fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City did not want Rhodes to go over. Appearing on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Arn gave his take on why Cody wasn’t well-received in “The Big Apple.”

    “I’m just speculating and I don’t pretend a mind reader, but I’m trying to get into the head of a wrestling fan. The most talented guy and the number one guy in Hollywood right now is The Rock. There’s no disputing that, I’m talking as an actor. John Cena was a guy that had always stood and was dedicating 100% of his time to the fans, to the company, to the business. I feel like when he started doing movies and he was no longer with WWE, I think fans, possibly, not putting words in their mouth, may feel a little afraid that they got their support behind these guys, and then they got red hot and took off to Hollywood.”

    Anderson went on to say that he feels the fans may feel slighted since Rhodes hasn’t been on TV as much as some other top talent. Rhodes has been filming for the upcoming Rhodes to the Top reality show with his wife Brandi, and the Go Big Show. Others may point to booking decisions involved Rhodes as of late, while some believe Cody simply has the perfect life and flaunts during his entrance too much to stay as a face.

    Rhodes recently had an AMA over at Bleacher Report. During the session, he claimed he’d retire before going heel again.

  • Dan Lambert Is Living His Best Life In AEW

    Dan Lambert Is Living His Best Life In AEW

    Dan Lambert is having the time of his life in AEW.

    Lambert is the head honcho of the famed MMA gym, American Top Team. He has been making appearances on AEW ranting about how the fans and the roster have gotten soft. He manages Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page, who are the “Men of the Year.”

    Cageside Seats interviewed Lambert, who admitted that he’s enjoying himself quite a bit in AEW.

    “It’s fun as s—t. What am I going to say? It’s a blast. You got 45 years of practicing in front of your mirror as a wrestling fan, yelling at everybody. I was always playing the heel my whole life. I always liked the bad guys.”

    Lambert has been a longtime wrestling fan. It was reported by Fightful Select that he is quite popular backstage in AEW. It’s been said that many of the ATT fighters who have appeared on AEW TV are also well-liked.

    Dan Lambert will play a pivotal role in tonight’s (Sept. 24) episode of AEW Rampage. He’ll be at ringside for the big tag team match between Men of the Year and the team of Chris Jericho and Jake Hager of The Inner Circle. This episode was taped on Sept. 22 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City.

  • TNT Was Upset With Chris Jericho Over Dynamite Segment

    TNT Was Upset With Chris Jericho Over Dynamite Segment

    Chris Jericho has revealed the time TNT was infuriated with him.

    AEW has been enjoying great success on TNT. The television network even gave AEW a second show, Rampage. That show will remain on TNT, while Dynamite will soon be heading over to TBS starting Jan. 5, 2022.

    TNT continues to tout AEW’s viewership and key demo success. While everything seems to be sunshine and rainbows with the TV network and AEW, there was one time when TNT executives were quite ticked off with something AEW did.

    During an interview with Stephanie Chase, Jericho revealed the time TNT didn’t take too kindly to something he did during a segment on Dynamite early in the show’s life.

    “For me, there’s two times that I can recall where they said ‘Don’t ever do that again’ and I was like ‘Okay, won’t happen again.’ One of them actually was when we beat up Dustin Rhodes when I was feuding with Cody way back in the beginning. We beat him up in the parking lot and then as we left, I lit up a cigar. And [TNT] did not like that. No smoking allowed on the show.”

    Chris Jericho said TNT went as far as to threaten to pull the show if anyone was seen smoking again. The inaugural AEW World Champion said he questioned TNT’s reasoning as there are a plethora of other things to be picky about. Suffice to say, no one is threatening to pull AEW programming in 2021.

  • Adam Cole Confirms WWE Suggested Name Change

    Adam Cole Confirms WWE Suggested Name Change

    Former NXT Champion Adam Cole has revealed that WWE did indeed pitch a name change.

    Cole was a top star on the NXT brand and had been since he first arrived in WWE back in 2017. Cole signed a brief contract extension after his deal was up in order to give Kyle O’Reilly the final win in their feud. Cole did speak to WWE chairman Vince McMahon but he ultimately decided to sign with AEW.

    Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that WWE pitched Cole becoming a manager for Keith Lee. On top of that, it was said that Cole would’ve likely had to change his name.

    During an appearance on Talk Is Jericho, Adam Cole confirmed that WWE did suggest a name change.

    “It was funny because apparently, there were a lot of ideas, but they were very vague on what exactly they wanted to do. This is interesting too because I remember when I first had the conversation, they had mentioned something about ‘maybe we’ll do a name change or maybe we’ll change your look a little bit.’ So that scared me a little bit just because I’d spent nearly 14 years as Adam Cole, and then our latest conversation, they were definitely more open to me being me and being myself and stuff like that. They could tell I was not too thrilled about the idea.”

    It’s clear that Cole in his current form is well-liked by wrestling fans. He has been receiving sizable ovations since arriving in AEW. Whether or not he would’ve thrived on the WWE main roster is one of those “what if” questions, but some will be glad to not know the answer.

  • Adam Cole On Which Was The Hardest Part Of Leaving WWE

    Adam Cole On Which Was The Hardest Part Of Leaving WWE

    While everyone believed for a long time that Adam Cole’s next destination will be AEW, the wrestling star himself took a good while before making the decision. The former WWE star recently appeared on the Oral Sessions podcast of Renee Paquette. He talked about a number of things including his time in the company and more.

    Discussing his call to make the jump from WWE to AEW, Cole revealed that he was making his peace with the decision even a couple of days before his AEW debut:

    “I’ll never forget it, but it was a couple days before All Out, where I was still kind of making my decision. It had gotten to a point where we were getting press close. Don’t get me wrong, I was pretty sure from the gate that AEW was where I wanted to go. But it was still not an easy decision to make. 9 year old me fell in love with pro wrestling because of WWE, so it was a ‘oh, what do I do?’”

    Adam Cole Reveals Which Was The Hardest Part About Leaving WWE

    Adam Cole also discussed how he will miss interacting with various people in the WWE locker room. He claimed that not being able to be part of DaParty on UpUpDownDown was probably the hardest part about leaving WWE:

    “Very hard. That was probably the hardest part of the decision I think, I really formed a close bond with Woods and Swiss (Cesaro) and Breeze over the pandemic.

    DaParty is a video series on the UpUpDownDown YouTube channel that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic last year. It saw the team of Adam Cole, Xavier Woods, Tyler Breeze, and Cesaro playing various games together.

    Later in the interview, Adam Cole revealed that the four have a group chat and they talk to each other every day. He said that it makes him feel like he hasn’t lost that connection but he still misses being part of their videos.

    Adam Cole: NXT Was Interested In Britt Baker ‘For Sure’
  • Did AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam Beat WWE Raw In Rating Once Again?

    Did AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam Beat WWE Raw In Rating Once Again?

    AEW Dynamite saw a significant increase in the viewership for their Grand Slam special. Though it narrowly missed on another victory over Raw in the key demo.

    This week’s episode of the show featuring the match between the AEW champion Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson among others drew a total of 1.273 million viewers according to Showbuzz Daily.

    This is an 8.34% increase in viewership compared to last week. Last week’s episode of Dynamite featuring the tag team match between Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston and 2point0 in the main event had drawn 1.175 million viewers.

    The much-hyped episode drew a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic. This is also an increase of 9.09% compared to last week’s episode which had done a 0.44 rating.

    However, Dynamite narrowly missed beating Monday Night Raw in the key demo which drew 0.49 ratings in the 18-49 demographic. This ends Dynamite’s two-week streak of beating Raw in the key demo.

    AEW’s flagship show ranked #1 in the cable top 150 for the 18-49 demo for the fifth week in a row. The show ranked #22 in the overall viewership for the night on cable.

    This was the third-highest audience in the history of Dynamite and the second-highest rating for the show this year. The Grand Slam special also created a record for the largest live audience in the company’s history with over 20,000 fans in attendance.

  • Bryan Danielson Speaks Out Following Kenny Omega Match

    Bryan Danielson Speaks Out Following Kenny Omega Match

    All Elite Wrestling talent Bryan Danielson shared his thoughts after his match with AEW Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega last night.

    He made his AEW in-ring debut at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NY. The match with Omega went to a 30-minute time limit draw, with AEW fans praising his performance. Danielson, in a tweet, gave his thoughts on the event and his appreciation for the fans.

    “When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. Thank you to the incredible fans in NY last night,” said Danielson. He continues to say, “Thank you to AEW and its wrestlers for putting in the work to make last night possible.”

    Bryan Danielson vs Kenny Omega

    The long-awaited dream match between Danielson and Omega ended without a winner. The match went back and forth, with both wrestlers having their moments of offense. Danielson tried to apply his submission move on Omega, but the time expired. It was a non-title match, but a possible rematch could be for the AEW Heavyweight Championship.

    The next AEW Pay-Per-View Full Gear AEW is November 13th at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A rematch between the two could earn AEW a reasonable PPV buy rate. However, Omega doesn’t seem interested in a rematch.

    Possible Opponent for Kenny Omega

    Hangman Adam Page is a potential opponent for the champion. His single match record in AEW is 11-1 this year. He was also in a rivalry with Omega before he took time away to be with his family in August. It’s unclear when he will return, but AEW has a promotional poster of him for AEW Dynamite and Rampage on November 17th. However, AEW hasn’t said that he would return for upcoming shows before the advertised date.

    For now, Danielson is still feuding with Omega. After their first match in AEW, a rematch doesn’t seem unlikely.