SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Pac vs. Andrade ‘El Idolo’ Removed From AEW All Out Card

    Pac vs. Andrade ‘El Idolo’ Removed From AEW All Out Card

    The singles match between Pac and Andrade “El Idolo” will no longer take place at All Out.

    The All Out PPV event is scheduled to take place this Sunday night (Sept. 5). A feud has been brewing between Pac and Andrade. As of late, Andrade and Chavo Guerrero have been trying to pull Lucha Bros from Pac, which has left “The Bastard” in a foul mood.

    The two will not be able to settle their differences inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, however.

    Tony Khan took to his Twitter account to announce that Pac vs. Andrade is now off the All Out card due to travel issues. He revealed what will replace the match on PPV.

    “Thank you to you fans supporting AEW Dynamite LIVE next on TNT! The Women’s Casino Battle Royale, which was booked on the Buy-In, will now be featured on the ALL OUT PPV card. Due to travel issues, ‘The Bastard’ Pac vs. Andrade “El Idolo” bout is postponed until a future AEW Rampage.”

    As Khan mentioned, Pac vs. “El Idolo” will now take place on a future episode of AEW Rampage. There’s no word on exactly which date the rescheduled bout will fall on.

  • Jon Moxley Plans To Commit ‘Felonious Assault’ On Satoshi Kojima

    Jon Moxley Plans To Commit ‘Felonious Assault’ On Satoshi Kojima

    Jon Moxley is going to a dark place ahead of his showdown with Satoshi Kojima.

    On AEW TV, Moxley has made it clear that he’s none too pleased with NJPW talent. He feels the likes of current IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi have been ducking him. One man who has stepped up to the plate is Kojima.

    While Moxley says Kojima is someone to be respected, he still plans on taking out his frustration on the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He went as far as to tell Sports Illustrated that he’s looking to full-on assault Kojima.

    “Kojima is here to be celebrated. With that being said, I’m still planning on committing egregious, felonious assault and trying to end his career, and he’d be insulted if I felt any other way. It’s an honor to share the ring with him, and I can’t wait to throw with him.

    “He still has gas left in the tank, and there’s still something he wants to prove. He’ll be staring across from the baddest motherf—er in the business. I don’t expect it to be long, I don’t expect it to be pretty. It’s going to be violent, and I can’t wait to get in there with him.”

    Jon Moxley vs. Satoshi Kojima is scheduled to take place on Sept. 5. The match will be featured on the All Out PPV card. It’ll be held inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Also featured on that card will be the in-ring return of CM Punk as he meets Darby Allin. Plus, Kenny Omega defends the AEW World Championship against Christian Cage.

  • Tony Khan Explains How Cross-Promotion Benefits AEW

    Tony Khan Explains How Cross-Promotion Benefits AEW

    Tony Khan believes that cross-promotion has been serving AEW well.

    Ever since Chris Jericho and Hiroshi Tanahashi teased the “Forbidden Door” ahead of their Wrestle Kingdom 14 match back in 2020, fans have been buzzing about potential dream matches. While the COVID-19 pandemic slowed things down, we’ve been seeing the “Forbidden Door” come to life the past few months.

    During an appearance on Tuesday Wrestling Tuesday, Tony Khan explained how doing business with other promotions benefits AEW.

    “IMPACT, AAA, and certainly New Japan, I’ve done a lot of stuff with. It has to make sense for AEW and we’ve seen wrestlers from AEW go and capture championships in different promotions around the world. A lot of AEW wrestlers still hold championships in various promotions around the world and it’s good for those promotions to have such strong recognizable champions who have a great TV platform to wear their titles. And it’s good for us because it shows that we’re the top company in wrestling, frankly, and a lot of companies out there have had our wrestlers come in and do really well.

    “I’m very open to it and it shows good bonds between the companies and allows us access to good wrestlers. We have one of the best rosters, but it’s always good to have fresh and different talent. It’s why I like working with other companies. Also, New Japan has had big shows and have great talent specifically. I’ve done a lot of things with them. The main focus is on AEW and our shows. We have such a big roster and so much bandwidth that it allows us to expand, partner, and help other wrestling companies.”

    We’ve seen the likes of Kenny Omega hold titles in Impact Wrestling and AAA. Christian Cage is the current Impact Wrestling World Champion. NJPW stars have been featured on both AEW and Impact. AEW has also done business with NWA.

  • Proof of Vaccination Required For AEW Grand Slam From NYC (9/22)

    Proof of Vaccination Required For AEW Grand Slam From NYC (9/22)

    All Elite Wrestling is requesting fans to show proof of vaccination for COVID-19 for their September 22nd event in New York City.

    The decision to show proof of vaccination is a mandate for NYC. However, AEW’s event on September 22nd, billed as AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam, must follow NYC requirements. In a press release, AEW has given fans attending instructions to follow the NYC guidelines.

    “…all ticket holders age 12 and older are required to provide proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to enter the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 22, for AEW DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM,” said AEW.

    Proof of Vaccination Requirements

    On August 3rd, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in a press briefing that the city would require proof of vaccination for COVID-19. However, the NYC mandate is only for indoor dining, fitness, or entertainment. New York Post’s Nolan Hicks and Sam Raskin covered Mayor de Blasio’s announcement. In Hicks’ and Raskin’s report, de Blasio said, “…The only way to patronize these businesses indoors is if you’re vaccinated.”

    The Arthur Ashe Stadium is considered an indoor stadium, so AEW must follow the guidelines.

    AEW has given information on how fans can show proof of vaccination at the event on September 22nd. One of which is simply showing a photo or photocopy of the attendee’s COVID-19 vaccination card. Another way is by using the NYC COVID Safe App by uploading the attendee’s vaccination card and photo ID. AEW is also recommending that fans wear a mask at the event.

    AEW also noted that Ticketmaster would “…provide refunds to fans who refuse to show proof of vaccination or are unvaccinated.” Fans that want to be at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam will have to decide if following the NYC mandate is worth it.

  • CM Punk Shoots Down Possibility Of AJ Lee Return

    CM Punk Shoots Down Possibility Of AJ Lee Return

    CM Punk puts rest to any rumors brewing about his wife AJ Lee returning since he made his return to AEW on August 20. He gave her a shout-out on the show, saying “One more thing, I just wanna say hi to my beautiful wife, sitting at home. I love you April.” Lee even joked about it later on Twitter, responding, “Wasn’t expecting to hear my government name tonight.” While Lee’s fans are hoping she will follow in her husband’s footsteps and make a return to wrestling herself, it unfortunately seems like it won’t be happening anytime soon.

    CM Punk stated that Lee’s not gonna make a return to wrestling and he’s going to quash any rumors about it. The reason he stated is that Lee’s neck is not in a good condition and it would jeopardize her health to be in the ring right now.

    “I just want to say, no,” Punk told The New York Post. “Just because [of] her neck. The reason she stopped wrestling is because of her neck. She’s got a bad neck, you know. I wouldn’t want her to jeopardize [her] health and neither would she, so we’ll put an end to that rumor right now.”

    Dr Britt Baker recently said that she would like to see AJ Lee come out of retirement and wrestle in AEW. She revealed that she was a big fan of AJ Lee during her WWE run and would love to wrestle her. She also added that a Punk & Lee vs Baker & Adam Cole match could happen too. “I was a big AJ Lee fan. One of the first moves I asked my trainer to teach me when I was training was her finished the Black Widow. So, that would be really cool. I would love to see her back in the ring. I would love to see her in the ring with me.”

    Big E, however, has said that if Lee decides to return to the WWE, the company would pull out the red carpet for her and she could even have a schedule akin to Brock Lesnar. “I also think, if she wants it, of course, there very easily is a massive place for her,” he said. “I feel like she’s in this legend territory where she comes back and she gets a massive pop. She can have a Brock Lesnar type schedule if she wanted to and work a few times a year. So, if it’s something she wants, of course there’s a place for her.”

  • Matt Cardona Comments On Why He’s Not With AEW

    Matt Cardona Comments On Why He’s Not With AEW

    GCW Champion and Pabst Blue Ribbon spokesman, Matt Cardona, was recently Chris Jericho’s guest on Talk is Jericho. During the discussion, Cardona spoke about his brief time in AEW and why it didn’t lead to something more permanent.

    “AEW, it just didn’t work out at the time,” Cardona said (transcriptions via WrestlingNewsCo). “There’s so many people there, and there just wasn’t anything for me at the time.”

    Cardona has wrestled twice for AEW. His first match was on the July 30th, 2020 episode of Dynamite when he teamed with Cody Rhodes and defeated the Dark Order’s John Silver and Alex Reynolds. He then teamed with Dustin Rhodes, QT Marshall, and Scorpio Sky to defeat the Dark Order at All Out 2020.

    “No hard feelings, not to say I’ll never be there again because I would love to be. Obviously, there’s no doubt AEW is the place to be. It’s the talk of the wrestling business every single week. Timing is everything, and it wasn’t the right time.”

    In addition to his run in GCW, Cardona is also currently active in Impact Wrestling. He defeated Rohit Raju on the Emergence show on Impact Plus last month. Cardona also teamed with his partner Chelsea Green and made it to the semi-finals of Impact’s Homecoming King and Queen tournament in July.

    https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tniiiK26OX0S4ZGSyWHYE
  • CM Punk Recalls His First Big Disagreement With Vince McMahon

    CM Punk Recalls His First Big Disagreement With Vince McMahon

    WWE Chairman Vince McMahon does not always see eye-to-eye with his top stars. CM Punk was no exception. Their personal relationship became so contentious that it became material for on-air storylines. It ultimately led to his departure from the company.

    Punk is doing the media rounds this week to promote Sunday’s All Out pay-per-view, where he’ll debut against Darby Allin. During an appearance on Chicago’s 670 The Score on Tuesday, the Best in the World recalled his first big disagreement with his former boss.

    “I was always going tell him the truth. I was always going to be honest.”

    – CM Punk

    CM Punk says the heated conversation took place at the end of 2006. The topic at hand was the creative plans for the infamous ECW December to Dismember event. He says this was the first time he was honest and truthful with Vince McMahon and feels it laid the groundwork for their relationship.

    You can hear Punk recall the conversation in the player below:

    https://youtu.be/lvmiFwjfUno

    CM Punk: Wrestling is Art

    Punk covered a lot of topics during his appearance on 670 The Score, ranging from the origin story of the Cult of Personality to what brought him back to wrestling.

    In the lead-up to his pro wrestling return, CM Punk stated several times that it would take more than a big paycheck to lure him back. For him, it was more about working with young talent and being part of compelling storylines.

    To Punk, pro wrestling is an art form. He considers himself an artist and questions anyone who attempts to interpret his art.

    “I’m not so much worried about what other people think of my art. It’s just my art & i’m here to use it as an expression of myself.”

    – CM Punk

    Listen to CM Punk’s comments about “wrestling is art” –

    https://youtu.be/ryGtyetjgMM
  • Kurt Angle Says He’s Received Multiple Offers From AEW

    Kurt Angle Says He’s Received Multiple Offers From AEW

    Kurt Angle got his release from the WWE in April 2020, and we haven’t seen him anywhere since he became a free agent. It was speculated that we’d see him somewhere soon enough — most likely AEW, but he’s said that it’s off the table. The Olympic gold medalist has recently said that he’s received offers from AEW comprising of different roles from being an active in-ring wrestler to simply being an on-screen personality.

    Angle detailed the various offers he’s received from AEW and stated that while Tony Khan’s been really nice to him, he can’t accept any offers at this time. “Yes, they offered me a couple of different contracts,” Angle told Wrestling Inc. Daily. “I turned it down for personal reasons, but Tony Khan’s been really nice to me, very generous, and I really appreciate his interest in having me there. But at this particular time, I can’t do it.”

    Angle added that with AEW’s first offer they offered him “many” matches with the company, and the subsequent deal included three matches and deal following after that included an on-screen role with no wrestling.

    Back in July, Kurt Angle revealed that he was contacted by Triple H and he was offered a role of a trainer at NXT. He was told that his task would be to go over stuff with talent, and that he could even do it from home on his computer. All he had to do was go through tapes and give the talent notes on what they did right or wrong. Angle said he was interested but he was ghosted by WWE and never heard back from Triple H. “I never heard back from him. Long story short, they were interested but at the last second they must have backed out, which is okay with me.”

  • AEW All Out Betting Odds

    AEW All Out Betting Odds

    The betting odds for most of the matches that will air during the AEW All Out pay-per-view event have been released.

    The card for the show that takes place on Sunday, September 5, 2021 is still taking shape. So far, nine matches have been announced for the show with four of them having a title on the line. 

    However, there are no titles favored to change hands. CM Punk and Paul Wight are favored to win their AEW in-ring debuts. Punk hasn’t worked a match in seven years as his previous bout came in January 2014 at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. Chris Jericho is also favored to beat his arch-rival MJF. 

    The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the betting odds, courtesy of Bet Online: 

    • AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega -600 vs. Christian Cage +350
    • CM Punk -500 vs. Darby Allin +300
    • Andrade El Idolo -300 vs. PAC +200
    • Paul Wight -600 vs. QT Marshall +350
    • Chris Jericho -250 vs. MJF +175 (If Jericho loses, he can never wrestle in AEW again)
    • Jon Moxley -500 vs. Satoshi Kojima +300
    • AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker -200 vs. Kris Statlander +150
    • AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks -225 vs. Lucha Bros +165 – Steel Cage Match
    • TNT Champion Miro -400 vs. Eddie Kingston +250
  • CM Punk Reveals Meaning Behind ‘AC’ & ‘CF’ On His Sneakers

    CM Punk Reveals Meaning Behind ‘AC’ & ‘CF’ On His Sneakers

    CM Punk got the internet buzzing with some initials he drew on his sneakers and he has revealed the meaning.

    Punk made his electric return to wrestling on Aug. 20. He made his AEW debut inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Punk then had an in-ring interview with Tony Schiavone on the Aug. 25 edition of Dynamite.

    It didn’t take long for fans to notice several initials on Punk’s sneakers such as “AC” and “CF.” Theories ran rampant on the Internet with some believing that “AC” stood for Adam Cole and “CF” stood for Charlotte Flair.

    Speaking to the New York Post, Punk revealed the true meaning behind two of those initials.

    “I stole this from LeBron James; a lot of basketball players will write messages on their shoes and stuff. I wrote AC on my shoes and CF on the other foot. AC is Always Chicago and CF is Chicago Forever.”

    CM Punk

    Punk had some other initials on his sneakers that he did not address. One of them was “BW.” This has led many to speculate that it stood for Bray Wyatt, who was released by WWE.

    CM Punk is scheduled to have his first match since January 2014. He will meet Darby Allin at the All Out PPV on Sept. 5. The action will be held inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

    Punk left WWE following the 2014 Royal Rumble PPV event. He cited the lack of time off, a misdiagnosis of a staph infection, and creative differences as the reasons for his departure.

  • AEW Reveals Segments for Dynamite’s Go-Home Episode Before All Out

    AEW Reveals Segments for Dynamite’s Go-Home Episode Before All Out

    All Elite Wrestling has revealed the segments that will take place on tomorrow’s AEW Dynamite episode.

    The episode is the go-home episode for All Out, which takes place on September 5th. It will also take place at the NOW Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

    AEW Dynamite 100th Episode

    This week’s episode of Dynamite will mark the 100th episode of the show. Dynamite first aired on October 2, 2019. Tomorrow’s episode will be significant for the 100th episode and the last episode before All Out. AEW also announced five matches for the 100th episode. However, the promotion hasn’t revealed what the main event would be.

    AEW promoted on August 29th that Chris Jericho would do an in-ring interview with Jim Ross on tomorrow’s episode. Today, AEW shared that CM Punk will also appear on the show to promote his upcoming match with Darby Allin at All Out.

    CM Punk Return to Chicago

    Punk will be making his return to Chicago after his debut on AEW Rampage on August 20th. As a Chicago native, Punk received a thunderous ovation from the crowd. On the August 20th episode of Rampage, he also challenged Allin to a match at All Out.

    In his return, Punk said to Allin, “…You’re the first on the list. I’m going to help you because you are a daredevil and you like danger. Well, Darby Allin, there is nothing you could do that is more dangerous than wrestling CM Punk. Except wrestling CM Punk in Chicago.”

    Allin has yet to do a promo on Punk, so it will be interesting to see if he will be in the segment with Punk on Wednesday.

  • CM Punk On What About AEW’s Locker Room Has Impressed Him

    CM Punk On What About AEW’s Locker Room Has Impressed Him

    CM Punk makes his in-ring debut for All Elite Wrestling this weekend at AEW All Out. He’ll face Darby Allin in the most anticipated match of what’s happing up to be AEW’s biggest show of the year.

    Image

    Punk appeared on ESPN’s SportsNation this week and was asked about his decision to sign with AEW. According to Punk, AEW’s locker room has really impressed him.

    “It kind of helped breathe life back into my love of professional wrestling,” Punk said of AEW. “I see this young, upstart company that’s full of what I call punk rock youthful exuberance. Rough around the edges but just so eager to learn and soak up everything they possibly can. It’s new and it’s exciting.”

    CM Punk on AEW’s Locker Room

    Punk continued to talk about how the AEW locker room keeping news of Brodie Lee’s illness a secret impressed him.

    “One of the big things that turned me on to them and made me consider going there was, unfortunately, the wrestling world lost Brodie Lee last December,” he said. “His sickness and everything that came with it was known in the company but they kept it so secret. And wrestlers will always tell you that ‘oh the boys, we’re a big family, we care about each other, the wrestling business…’ none of that is entirely true but to see everyone in the company band together just to keep a secret about somebody’s health, I was blown away by that. I was blown away that it wasn’t plastered all over every single website and it was just kept secret. And that made me go, ‘there’s something to that locker room.’”

    Watch CM Punk’s comments about choosing AEW over WWE below:

  • Tony Khan Compares AEW’s Roster To 1997 WCW

    Tony Khan Compares AEW’s Roster To 1997 WCW

    Tony Khan was recently a guest on Busted Open Radio. During the discussion, he mentioned that he sometimes likes to compare AEW’s roster to the one WCW had in 1997.

    “I like to compare our roster sometimes to what I think was the hallmark great roster, which was 1997 WCW,” Khan said on the show (transcriptions via Fightful).

    While WCW in 1997 had many top names including Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Hollywood Hogan, Sting, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash, Khan feels it was the young and underutilized talent that really could have helped the company in the long run.

    “They had a lot of young talent that they didn’t realize and they could have built for the future to help make it a profitable company that they never want to shut down. They could have made it a money-printing machine if they developed the young talent in-house that they had like Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, and Rey Mysterio.”

    Khan would continue to say that those young names didn’t get an opportunity in WCW. In AEW, however, Khan says he’s proud of the young homegrown stars the company has been able to produce thus far.

    “I do try to build stars for the future and that’s why you have so many great homegrown stars that are being featured at All Out. There are great opportunities here and I don’t think Jericho, Mysterio, and Guerrero got those same opportunities when they were on a roster with the all-time names like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Randy Savage, and Roddy Piper.”

    Chris Jericho was on the roster in WCW in 1997 and is currently a member of the AEW roster. The role he is in has swapped, however. Back in 1997, Jericho was one of those young and underutilized guys. In AEW today, Jericho is an established name and the company’s first-ever world champion.

    “What a great TV business they built with that roster that unfortunately didn’t last, but I think would have lasted longer if they had built the young stars the way I try to do,” he said.

  • AEW May Have To Move Full Gear PPV Date Due To UFC, Boxing

    AEW May Have To Move Full Gear PPV Date Due To UFC, Boxing

    The upcoming AEW Full Gear pay-per-view is set for November 6 from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. However, the company could possibly move the date for the event as it will face some huge competition if it takes place on the scheduled date as another company has just announced a stack card for their combat sports event.

    AEW Full Gear

    While AEW is set to hold All Out 2021 as scheduled this Sunday on September 5, the clashes with boxing and UFC events on the same night as Full Gear could be a problem for the pro-wrestling company.

    UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 will take place on November 6 at the Madison Square Garden. The card will feature the rematch between Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington which is much awaited amongst fans.

    In addition to this UFC MSG card, Canelo Álvarez vs. Caleb Plant, billed as “On the Road to Undisputed” is a unification boxing match in the super middleweight class that’s also going to take place on November 6, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The match is important because the winner will become the first undisputed super middleweight champion in boxing history as multiple titles are on the line.

    AEW would probably not want to clash with events of such calibre, so it’s likely that we’d see a date change announcement for Full Gear soon.

    This wouldn’t be the first time the company would do something like this either, as they previously moved AEW Revolution 2021’s date from February 27 to March 7. This was also because of a Canelo Alvarez match, which took place on February 27. So, AEW had to reschedule the event to avoid clashes with the match and we could see the same thing happening here with Full Gear.

  • MJF Reveals Roddy Piper Was His Wrestling Inspiration

    MJF Reveals Roddy Piper Was His Wrestling Inspiration

    AEW has built several wrestlers into home-grown stars since their inception. MJF is one such wrestler. He has flourished in the heel role, fast becoming one of the key members on the AEW roster.

    MJF has the in-ring ability, a natural character and talent on the mic that means he can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Chris Jericho and no be overwhelmed or beaten down.

    Talking during a recent appearance on Inside the Ropes, MJF talked about his inspirations growing up and which wrestler he would most like to go up against on the mic.

    “Roddy Piper,” MJF said with no hint of hesitation. “Before me, I’m going to say the only person who would equal the ability to get a visceral reaction from the crowd was Piper. Piper made me fall in love with wrestling.”

    MJF continued to talk about the influence Rowdy Roddy Piper had on him growing up, slipping effortlessly into character as he did so.

    “And if I was able to have an opportunity to have promos back and forth with Roddy, and then a match that I know would be vicious as all hell. I think that would probably go down as the greatest match in the history of professional wrestling.”

    MJF Stands on the Precipice of History

    A match with Piper is impossible, and speculation is always easy. However, MJF does stand on the point of making history.

    During the interview, MJF also reserved certain praise for his AEW arch-nemesis, Chris Jericho. Reserving special praise for the man whose career he hopes to end at AEW All-Out next week.

    “Chris Jericho was up there [as a heel]. As much as I hate to admit it. I would say Chris Jericho is most certainly up there.”

    Until now, MJF has had Chris Jericho’s number at every meeting. However, at All-Out the stakes are considerably higher. Maxwell Jacob Friedman has the chance to retire the leader of the Inner Circle if he can pick up a fourth consecutive win over Jericho.  

  • Ric Flair Films Promotional Material For Tony Khan’s Jacksonville Jaguars

    Ric Flair Films Promotional Material For Tony Khan’s Jacksonville Jaguars

    Ric Flair wants to help Jacksonville Jaguar fans support their home team this year. Flair recently posted a video to his official YouTube page featuring backstage footage of him recording the “Wooooo Cam” to be played at Jags home games. In the video, Flair asks fans to give “2 claps and a Ric Flair” to support the team.

    The Jaguars are owned by Shahid Khan, father of AEW President Tony Khan. While Flair’s involvement with the Jags could lead to speculation he’s on his way to AEW, it appears Flair is hoping to film “Wooooo Cams” for a variety of different sports teams.

    “Look For The WOOOOOCam To Hit All Sporting Teams In 2022!” a description of Flair’s video reads.

    Ric Flair & The Jacksonville Jaguars

    This is not the first time the 16x World Champion has supported the team. Before the 2017 NFL season, Flair sent motivation t-shirts to the Jaguars as well.

    Flair also helped the Jacksonville Jaguars welcome #1 Draft Pick Trevor Lawrence to the franchise this spring. He spoke to the media about Lawrence’s potential in Jacksonville.

    “I don’t know Trevor Lawrence,” Flair said to Outkick. “But if he lives up to only half the hype, it’s going to be great. It gives that organization some notoriety.”

    Ric Flair To AEW?

    While his filming of the Wooooo Cam for the Jags might be unrelated to his future wrestling contracts, recent reports have stated that Flair is expected to sign with AEW. His free agency was addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    “While nothing has been announced, the word going around is that it seems to be a lock Ric Flair will be headed here when he is legally able,” wrote Dave Meltzer. 

    Ric Flair Expected To Sign With AEW
  • Chris Jericho Confirmed For Interview On Sept. 1 AEW Dynamite Episode

    Chris Jericho Confirmed For Interview On Sept. 1 AEW Dynamite Episode

    Chris Jericho will be making an appearance on the upcoming edition of AEW Dynamite.

    Jericho is set to put his in-ring career on the line against MJF on Sept. 5. The match will be featured on the All Out PPV card. If MJF wins, then Jericho can never wrestle for AEW again.

    The official Twitter account of AEW revealed that Jim Ross will be doing an in-ring interview with Jericho on the Sept. 1 episode of Dynamite.

    Chris Jericho made the challenge to MJF on the Aug. 25 edition of Dynamite.

    “I am proposing one final match. One final fight at All Out on September 5th. And I’ve been thinking about this long and hard, and I’m serious when I say this, if I can’t beat MJF maybe I don’t belong in AEW anymore. It’s inside my head. If I can’t beat MJF maybe I don’t deserve to be ‘Le Champion’ anymore.

    “So this is what I propose. If you beat me MJF, I will go to that commentary table full-time on Rampage, hell maybe someday I’ll commentate Dynamite as well because if you beat me I will never wrestle in AEW again.”

    MJF responded, accepting Jericho’s challenge but he gave him a stern warning.

    “Being able to say that I ended Jericho, now that’s legendary. So you know what, Chris? You want the match? You got it.

    “I want you to really consider this, Chris. I want you to really mull this one over. Because you are putting your in-ring career on the line against the same man who has mopped the floor with you not once, not twice, but three times! You sure you want this match, bud? Because if I were you I wouldn’t because I’m better than you and you know it.”

  • Mark Henry Reacts To Matt Hardy’s Injury Against Orange Cassidy

    Mark Henry Reacts To Matt Hardy’s Injury Against Orange Cassidy

    Mark Henry has given his take on Matt Hardy’s recent injury.

    The Aug. 25 edition of AEW Dynamite opened with a matchup between Hardy and Orange Cassidy. At one point in the match, Cassidy landed a flying crossbody and Hardy was clocked right on the nose. Hardy began bleeding and the aftermath was a busted face. Cassidy ended up winning the match.

    Henry was asked about Hardy’s injury during an appearance on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio and had the following to say.

    “I don’t know if you all paid attention, but Orange Cassidy, right before they went to the finish, he did a flying cross body where he cross bodied Matt Hardy right across the face. I hope that Matt Hardy is alright because I saw him later on in the evening, and his eye was shut, his nose was broken, his face was swollen up to where I couldn’t recognize him if I didn’t know what clothes he had on.”

    Hardy has been in a feud with Orange Cassidy that started when Cassidy took issue with Hardy’s treatment of Wheeler Yuta. It was explained on AEW TV that Cassidy felt Hardy targeted Yuta, who has aligned himself with Cassidy and Chuck Taylor, because he’s a newcomer to the promotion.

    Matt Hardy says his feud with Orange Cassidy is personal now that he’s busted his face.

    “When you come for the KING, you’d best not miss. Your best shot missed, OC. You didn’t finish me. You couldn’t end me. This is personal now. You can’t BREAK what’s already BROKEN.”

  • Tony Khan: I Had Been Talking To CM Punk For A Really Long Time

    Tony Khan: I Had Been Talking To CM Punk For A Really Long Time

    Tony Khan admits he had been in talks with CM Punk for quite a while.

    When CM Punk arrived in AEW, it was the worst kept secret. AEW intended for it to be that way, dropping hints of Punk’s arrival for weeks. When Punk made his appearance on the second episode of Rampage, the crowd inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois came unglued.

    During an interview with the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Khan revealed that he had been speaking to CM Punk for years.

    “We’ve been talking a really long time, and a few years ago, it just wasn’t the right time. I think he wanted to see how this thing went. He wasn’t ready to come back to wrestling, especially not for a startup company. Now we’re long past the startup phase. It’s been really successful. We signed a big TV extension and I think once we got the extension and it looked like we were going to be in place for a while, it probably made the company look a lot more like a stable option for CM Punk, honestly.”

    Punk is set to have his first match since 2014. He’ll share the ring with Darby Allin on the All Out PPV event. It’ll be held inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on Sept. 5.

  • Santana & Ortiz Comment On ‘Gnarly’ Cash Wheeler Injury

    Santana & Ortiz Comment On ‘Gnarly’ Cash Wheeler Injury

    Santana and Ortiz have weighed in on the nasty injury that Cash Wheeler suffered in their last meeting.

    Santana and Ortiz collided with FTR on the July 28 edition of AEW Dynamite. Wheeler suffered a nasty arm injury. Wheeler’s arm reportedly got caught on a turnbuckle hook. Santana and Ortiz ended up losing the match after Dax Harwood pinned Ortiz.

    During an appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Santana and Ortiz spoke on the nasty injury and how they reacted in the moment.

    “It was a gnarly situation because I was on the top rope with Dax, and I look over and all I see is, it looked like a water fountain,” Ortiz described. “Blood just came shooting out of Cash’s arm, and he just grabbed it and ran straight the doctor. We were freaking out a little bit. We were kind of like, alright, what are we gonna do? What are we gonna do? And we got to it, and we did the we could with the situation. And at that point, we just wanted to end the match, and obviously, we didn’t know how badly injured he was.

    “We’re always taught to, for me, day one of pro wrestling to protect your opponent and protect yourself,” Santana added. “It was one of those things where I look back at it, and I was like, damn, what could I have done to avoid that situation? What could I have done to maybe help or whatever. It was one of those situations. It was a freak accident, and thankfully, he’s good and just keep it going.

    “And we’re gonna run it back,” Ortiz noted.

    The rematch between Santana & Ortiz and FTR will take place on the Sept. 1 edition of Dynamite.

    Image
  • Max Caster Concert Announced For September 2nd in Chicago

    Max Caster Concert Announced For September 2nd in Chicago

    Fans in Chicago this week for Dynamite, Rampage, and All Out have an option for entertainment on Thursday evening. The Acclaimed’s Max Caster has announced a concert for September 2nd from the Bottom Lounge in Chicago.

    The show will begin at 10 PM and includes a performance and Q&A session. Caster took to social media recently to promote the event:

    Max Caster’s Recent Absence From AEW Programming

    Caster hasn’t performed for AEW since wrestling a dark match on August 4th. Earlier this month, an episode of Dark had to be pulled and re-edited after Caster made some insensitive comments during his pre-match rap to his opponents. In the next set of AEW top-5 rankings, The Acclaimed were removed after having previously been ranked #2.

    “After what happened last week and the fallout, Max Caster has been sent to sensitivity training,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    Tony Khan also spoke about Caster’s rap during an episode of Busted Open Radio.

    “This would never have happened (on Dynamite) because Max’s raps, I have always gone over them with him,” Khan said on the show. “I don’t script or write wrestler’s promos, but the bullet points I give. In this case, it shouldn’t have happened and what will happen going forward is I will take over the editing of Dark and Elevation myself.”

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo Sends Message To Tony Khan, AEW President Responds

    Giannis Antetokounmpo Sends Message To Tony Khan, AEW President Responds

    NBA Champion Giannis Antetokounmpo was in attendance last week as AEW presented Dynamite from Milwaukee. AEW President Tony Khan presented the NBA Finals MVP with an AEW Championship belt during the live event. Giannis recently posted to social media about the experience and Tony Khan responded.

    “The freak show!!” Giannis began his post. “Thank you Tony Khan but you know what the deal is…none of your crew wants to see me in the ring! The Greek Freak is ready to takedown everyone and anyone, let the Freak Show begin! Bring it on!!! This is my city!”

    Tony Khan then responded to Giannis’ comments.

    “Thank you so so so so much for coming to AEW Rampage, it was an honor and a pleasure, and congratulations to you sir, Finals MVP + WORLD CHAMPION!”

    Milwaukee Bucks beat writer Todd Rosiak was in attendance for Dynamite this week and the following Rampage tapings. He posted a video of Giannis’ unannounced appearance in the below Tweet:

    In 2019, Giannis called out the Rock but a match between the two is nothing Dwayne Johnson is interested in. The Rock responded that he’d much rather work out with the NBA star.

    “Love this dude. It’s why he’s an [NBA] beast & the Bucks are #1 in the E,” he wrote. “But you don’t want this smoke, cuz I will slap your lips off into next week, son. And by that I mean, let’s just get a workout in and enjoy some tequila after.”

  • Mark Henry Responds To Booker T’s CM Punk Remarks

    Mark Henry Responds To Booker T’s CM Punk Remarks

    The remarks of Booker T about CM Punk’s AEW debut promo did not go over with the fans. AEW commentator Mark Henry believes it’s because the former WCW champion did not watch the full segment. The world’s strongest man addressed the comments made by the former world champion on a recent episode of Busted Open Radio.

    Henry claimed that he doesn’t think Booker actually watched the whole thing. According to him, somebody must have told the former WWE star about it:

    “I don’t think Booker T actually watched the whole thing. I don’t think that he watched it from beginning to end. I think somebody told him about it because Booker T knows that if you have ’em, and this is a wrestling insider thing, I’m going to work with all of you behind the curtain, when you got ‘em, you sit there and you allow it to happen. You don’t have to do nothing.”

    Mark Henry mentioned how he has been at the ringside for some of the biggest moments in wrestling and heard some of the loudest pops. He then explained that the WWE reference was a very small part of Punk’s promo:

    “When he grabbed the microphone and he started talking, he talked more about ROH. He referenced the WWE, not saying words, not mentioning nobody in particular. ‘I’m probably wrong.’ Yes, you’re wrong Book. I love you like a play cousin, but you’re wrong.”

    For those who don’t know, Booker T had criticized CM Punk’s promo on his AEW debut during the August 20 episode of Rampage. T had claimed that he wouldn’t have thought about the other side as much and instead focused on the current moment. You can check out his comments in detail here.

    Mark Henry On CM Punk And Daniel Bryan Joining AEW, Four Man Commentary Booth For Rampage
  • Tony Khan On Daniel Bryan Rumors: “I Can’t Answer That Question”

    Tony Khan On Daniel Bryan Rumors: “I Can’t Answer That Question”

    Daniel Bryan is heavily rumored to make his AEW debut very soon. Tony Khan’s comments on the matter are only going to fuel the speculation about his future.

    The AEW president was recently interviewed by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. They talked about things such as the All Out PPV, CM Punk, and more.

    When asked for his comments on rumors surrounding the former world champion, Khan claimed that while it’s fair to ask, he cannot answer the question right now:

    “I can’t answer that question. It’s fair for you to ask that question but it’s not anything I could address on the Observer today but it’s fair enough for you to ask it. He’s one of the all-time greats.”

    While Tony Khan did not comment on Daniel Bryan specifically, he did claim that they are going to make multiple additions to their roster over the next 4 to 6 months.

    The reports of Bryan Danielson joining the AEW roster after leaving WWE first came out last month. AEW has since started dropping hints about the former WWE star. The first of them were seen on Being The Elite

    CM Punk also recently teased Bryan during his promo on Dynamite. Latest reports suggest that Danielson is set to make his AEW debut very soon. It’d be interesting to see what he does on his first appearance.

    Tony Khan On Getting Inspiration From Vince McMahon
  • Tony Khan Confirms More Talent Acquisitions For AEW

    Tony Khan Confirms More Talent Acquisitions For AEW

    AEW fans can expect more talent to appear in the coming months.

    As AEW continues to grow, so does its roster. Fans clamored for the return of CM Punk and AEW delivered on the second episode of Rampage. Punk made his return to a thunderous ovation inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Tony Khan said Punk’s debut alone paid for itself.

    Fans are eagerly awaiting the debut of Bryan Danielson, who reportedly signed with AEW. His appearance has reportedly been bumped up to the Sept. 5 All Out PPV. Khan is staying mum on the report just as he did ahead of Punk’s promotional debut.

    One thing Tony Khan wasn’t shy in discussing was beefing up the AEW roster even more. Here’s what he told the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    “I’m definitely going to make multiple additions over the next four to six months. I think there’ll be some activity in the near future. I can’t specify exactly what it is and I don’t think anybody would really want me to. Just like nobody would have wanted any combination of anything going into The First Dance of what it was, or how it was going to come off. But I definitely will be active and have been active signing people from day one in this company.

    “Recruiting talent is key to any wrestling company. It’s key to any sports business, whether it’s the NFL or English football or wrestling. In this case of wrestling, I think we’ve built as good a roster as I believe you could build in this amount of time, with so many stars, a really really great core of people that have been here from day one, and we’ve expanded consistently. I think the additions we’ve made have been a lot of smart additions and really are very well positioned now with expanding our TV and adding a third hour. This is when I really wanted to kick into full gear so to speak.

    “But the timing of it is perfect because going into All Out, which is definitely without a doubt going to be the biggest PPV event we’ve done in our history.”

    All Out will feature the in-ring return of CM Punk. He’ll be going one-on-one with Darby Allin. AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will put his gold on the line against Christian Cage.

    Click here for an updated look at the AEW All Out card.