SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Kenny Omega Wants Rampage to Showcase AEW Women’s Roster

    Kenny Omega Wants Rampage to Showcase AEW Women’s Roster

    AEW champion and EVP Kenny Omega has spoken about AEW’s newest show Rampage. In little over two weeks the show will debut on TNT. Talking to Wrestling Observer Radio, Omega talked about how he would book Rampage if given the chance.

    “The content I think we’re lacking is in our women’s division. I would love to see Rampage be home to more women’s wrestling.” Kenny Omega said.

    It has long been documented that Kenny Omega is the biggest vocal for the AEW women’s division. In his role as EVP, he is the man who has the most involvement with the women’s division and female wrestlers. So, for him to make a comment such as that is not surprising.

    However, he followed it up with an explanation that makes a lot of sense.

    “I feel like we have incredibly gifted female wrestlers that have been working very hard and fighting for a spot and maybe it’s time for them to get more.”

    Kenny Omega Wants to Avoid Over Feeding Fans the Same Wrestlers

    AEW have a bulging roster and one that looks set to grow considerably in the next few months. However, Kenny Omega understands how important it is to avoid the common pitfall of showing the same wrestlers down fan’s throats each show.

    Yes, AEW has some marquee names on their roster, but they do not need to appear on every show, every week. Instead, Omega would like to use the Rampage hour as a televised platform for other deserving stars.

    “I think the extra hour with Rampage, rather than give them more Chris Jericho, more Kenny Omega, more MJF and the guys you know you’re going to see on Dynamite; I’d rather give them all of the extremely talented individuals that maybe you don’t see that week.

    AEW have a large female roster, but often Dynamite only shows one or two female matches. Omega wants to see that change on Rampage.

    It’s worth noting that Dark and Dark Elevation often feature multiple female matches, however, not everybody wants to watch wrestling on YouTube.

    Kenny Omega plays a huge role in AEW, and his real role as EVP is a far cry from his in-ring character. He understands how wrestling works and is invested in not only growing his name but expanding the exposure of high-quality female wrestling to fans.

  • Title Match Set For AEW Dynamite: Homecoming

    Title Match Set For AEW Dynamite: Homecoming

    All Elite Wrestling has announced a new match for the Dynamite episode with a “Homecoming” theme. 

    On Monday’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation, Lee Johnson defeated Luther to earn a chance at Miro’s TNT Championship on the August 4th episode. The match was booked by AEW Elite GM Invitational Tournament winner Pulse.

    On the show, Miro confronted his next challenger and stated that while Johnson’s last opponent was picked by the fans, his next opponent is picked by God. 

    This episode of Dynamite will take place from Daily’s Place at Jacksonville, FL, the home of the promotion throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Miro’s previous TNT Title defense came on the June 30 episode of Dynamite. He won the title from Darby Allin. 

    Also confirmed for this upcoming Dynamite episode is Malakai Black vs. Cody Rhodes, which marks Black’s first match since being released by WWE.

    https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1419815044783611906

    Wednesday’s Dynamite: Fight For The Fallen Card

    • No Rules Match: Chris Jericho vs. Nick Gage
    • FTR with Tully Blanchard vs. Santana and Ortiz with Konnan
    • Christian Cage, Jungle Boy, and Luchasaurus vs. Private Party and Angelico
    • The Elite (Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and The Good Brothers) vs. Hangman Page and Dark Order (Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds)
    • IWGP US Champion Lance Archer vs. Hikuleo 
    • QT Marshall and The Factory to apologize to Tony Schiavone
    • Celebration for FTW Champion Ricky Starks
    • Tony Khan to make major new live event announcement
  • Konnan Hints There’s ‘More To Come’ in FTR/Santana and Ortiz Angle

    Konnan Hints There’s ‘More To Come’ in FTR/Santana and Ortiz Angle

    Former WCW star Konnan recently appeared on a special AdFreeShows event over at their Patreon. Konnan discussed the ongoing Pinnacle vs The Inner Circle feud during the show, which includes the ongoing feud between Santana & Ortiz and Pinnacle’s FTR.

    Santana & Ortiz of course have a long history with Konnan, with the duo having been introduced as part of the LAX stable during their time on IMPACT.

    Konnan has been brought in for this feud and has appeared a couple of times on AEW programming, almost as a direct answer to FTR’s manager, Tully Blanchard.

    Konnan on FTR vs Santana & Ortiz

    “There are a couple of guys in this business I consider my Lucha sons like them (Santana and Ortiz), Pentagon, and Fenix”, the LAX leader revealed on the AdFreeShows event.

    “Let me just put it to you this way. There’s still more to be seen in the FTR-Santana/Ortiz-Tully/Konnan thing. Just stay tuned,” Konnan concluded.

    FTR and Santana & Ortiz will be colliding this week on the Fight For The Fallen episode of AEW Dynamite. Here’s the full card for that event:

    • No DQ Match for the Trials of Jericho – “The Painmaker” Chris Jericho vs. Nick Gage
    • IWGP United States Championship Match – Lance Archer (c) vs. Hikuleo
    • Tony Khan makes “a major new live event announcement.”
    • 10 Man Elimination Match – Hangman Page, Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds vs. Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson Nick Jackson, Karl Anderson, and Doc Gallows
    • Santana and Ortiz vs. “FTR” Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood.
    • Christian Cage, Jungle Boy, and Luchasaurus vs. Angelico, Marq Quen, and Isiah Kassidy.
    • QT Marshall’s apology to Tony Schiavone
  • Malakai Black Reveals Conversation With Brodie Lee That Inspired Him To Join AEW

    Malakai Black Reveals Conversation With Brodie Lee That Inspired Him To Join AEW

    Malakai Black didn’t spend a lot of time on deciding which company he wanted to sign with after his WWE release. As it turns out, an old conversation with late Jon Huber aka Brodie Lee helped him in this decision.

    The former WWE star recently appeared on The Wrestling Perspective podcast. He talked about things such as his desire to work with NJPW and more.

    Discussing his decision to sign with AEW after his release, Black revealed that the name of the promotion popped into his head on the same day because of a conversation he had with Huber:

    “I’ll be completely honest with you, the day I got released, AEW popped into my head. I had so many friends there. One of the last conversations I had with Jon Huber, rest in peace, he told me, ‘You’d love it here. You’d have so much fun here.’

    That kind of always stuck with me because him and me,”said Black, “Every once in a while, would talk and there have definitely been moments where I was very frustrated.”

    The former NXT champion was released from his WWE contract back in early June. He made his AEW debut during the July 7 episode of Dynamite.

    Later reports revealed that WWE had forgotten to update Black’s contract when he was moved to the main roster. He was able to sign with AEW because his non compete clause with WWE lasted only 30 days, which is a standard for NXT talents.

  • Tony Khan & AEW EVPs In Chicago Over The Weekend (Report)

    Tony Khan & AEW EVPs In Chicago Over The Weekend (Report)

    As the CM Punk to AEW rumors continue, it is being reported that Tony Khan and AEW’s EVPs flew to Chicago yesterday. According to a report from Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net, AEW might be looking at a new venue in the city.

    AEW is reportedly eyeing the United Center in Chicago for a future event. Previously, the All Out/All In events have run from what is now known as the NOW Center (previously the Sears Center) just outside of the city.

    Tickets for All Out 2021 sold out quickly, however, so AEW might be looking for a larger venue in one of its hottest markets. The 2019 event drew a crowd of 10,500.

    The United Center can hold 19-20,000 for hockey and basketball games, and around 22,000 for concerts. The last time a wrestling event was held in the venue was a WWE house show in late 2018.

    The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks.

    Although not confirmed, it is believed Khan and the EVPs were in town to film some promotional content at the United Center.

    Tony Khan is scheduled to make an announcement regarding a new live event this week on Dynamite as well.

    WWE typically runs the Allstate Arena near Chicago for events. That was the venue for CM Punk’s WWE title win over John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011. It was also the host venue for Survivor Series 2019 and NXT TakeOver: War Games III.

  • Malakai Black Would Love to Have a Run in NJPW

    Malakai Black Would Love to Have a Run in NJPW

    Malakai Black is All Elite. Everybody saw the debut, and everybody saw the famous image. However, AEW is not the only company Black wants to fight.

    Talking during a recent appearance on The Wrestling Perspective, Malakai Black talked about his long-term dream to work over in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling.

    “One of the companies that I still want to do some stuff for, hopefully in the future, is New Japan. That would make my circle complete. That’s what I was raised on. I always wanted to go to Japan. I always wanted to go to New Japan. It has always been one of my ultimate goals, one of the last few things on my checklist is New Japan. Let’s hope in due time, someway, somehow, we can make that happen in the future.” Malakai Black explained.

    The way Malakai Black fights would be a great fit for Japan, and there is no end to the number of mouth-watering feuds he could have with different members of the NJPW roster.

    Malakai Black Could Use the Forbidden Door to Work Japan

    While WWE only allows their athletes to perform on their own shows, AEW has made it clear that they want to work with others. They have a working relationship with several different promotions including IMPACT, AAA and NJPW. This means there is every chance that Malakai Black will get his wish. Whether it is for a full tour, sporadic appearances or as part of a cross-promotion event, fans can legitimately get excited by the thought of seeing him in an NJPW ring.

    Black is a tough fighter. Muay Thai trained, and powerful striker, he would fit into the NJPW roster without much trouble.

    However, first Malakai Black needs to finish the fight he started with Cody Rhodes. After attacking not only Cody but Arn Anderson during his shock debut for the company, Black needs to keep everything focused on extinguishing a fired up Cody Rhodes.

  • Kenny Omega On Potential Partnership Between WWE And AEW

    Kenny Omega On Potential Partnership Between WWE And AEW

    AEW vice president Kenny Omega recently made an appearance on Wrestling Observer Radio where he talked about a wide variety of topics.

    All Elite Wrestling opened ‘The Forbidden Door’ last year. They have developed partnerships with many companies since then. The AEW champion himself has made appearances for a number of brands such as Impact Wrestling and AAA.

    Though the big question is still about WWE and fans wonder if we will ever see these two rivals working together. When asked about it, Kenny said that he wouldn’t hold his breath but at the same time, he wouldn’t say it’s impossible:

    “The one huge crossover, will you ever see WWE team up with anybody? Who knows? I feel as the world evolves and changes and time goes by, people become more open-minded to everything,” said the cleaner, “Whether it be the wrestlers themselves, people in the office, the fans.

    “I wouldn’t hold my breath but at the same time I would never say it’s impossible.”

    – Kenny Omega

    Kenny Omega also talked about their partnership with other wrestling organizations such as Impact wrestling and NJPW. He said that he wanted to open the floodgates and according to him, it’s a situation where only the fans win.

    Apart from this, the wrestling veteran opened up about things such as the recent rumors about Daniel Bryan and CM Punk joining AEW in the future. You can check out his thoughts on the topic at this link.

  • Kenny Omega Comments On Wrestling CM Punk & Daniel Bryan In AEW.. Possibly

    Kenny Omega Comments On Wrestling CM Punk & Daniel Bryan In AEW.. Possibly

    Kenny Omega recently appeared on Wrestling Observer Radio and during the discussion, he spoke about possibly wrestling CM Punk and/or Bryan Danielson in AEW someday.

    “It’s cool for me to think I am going to be able to get in the ring with these two possibly,” Omega said. “Because they were so prominent in WWE…for me, as exciting as the wrestling part is, the ability to tell a story is more exciting for me.”

    Omega spoke specifically of Bryan and the success of the Yes! movement in WWE.

    “He was able to kind of turn everything around and emerge as a megastar, because he is smart enough in a wrestling sense, in a business sense,” said Omega. “Just like in ROH, how he was able to have those fans in the palm of his hand, he was able to have the entire WWE Universe in the palm of his hand with one word. The only other person I can think of to do that was Austin.”

    Omega also spoke about CM Punk and what he accomplished with his career.

    “CM Punk, he probably has a different line of thinking than your current-day performer, the average performer,” Omega said. “He has this incredible reputation—he has fans to this day who would follow him to the end of the earth. Very dedicated fanbase and that fanbase believes he’s the best in the world and will be the best until the end of time.”

    “Two extremely intelligent people who found a way to, I don’t want to say cheat the system, but it was a system that was not created for them there,” Omega continued.

    Omega’s comments can be heard in the player below:

  • Peter Avalon Talks How Cody Rhodes Helped Him Define his Character

    Peter Avalon Talks How Cody Rhodes Helped Him Define his Character

    As part of the Wingmen, AEW’s Peter Avalon has found his place in the company. After arriving with his initial gimmick as the Librarian alongside Leva Bates, Avalon soon fell into obscurity. The character never caught on with fans, and soon turned sour. The comedic effort fell flat and needed to be changed.

    Talking during a recent episode of AEW Unrestricted, Peter Avalon spoke about how Cody Rhodes helped him truly define his current character.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CRPAu8zpf_O/

    “He absolutely had a hand in the direction that we went with at AEW. Pretty Peter is just me. That’s just the way I live my life. I’ve been Pretty Peter….I’m in my 13th year of wrestling now, that’s pretty much what I’ve done. For a little bit, I switched over to a gimmick called ‘Professional Peter’, and then when I was running the Arizona television show, I was ‘Producer Peter’. So I kind of keep a theme, but I’ve always been pretty. But Cody for sure had a hand in the energy change that we went to with the whole model walk off and loving not only myself but loving just beauty and everyone and kind of leaning in more so in that direction and stuff like that. And I appreciate Cody really diving in and helping me find a direction to kind of go with it, instead of just being a generic, pretty boy.” Peter Avalon said.

    Peter Avalon and the Wingmen are Rapidly Gaining Popularity

    While leaning more towards the heel side of things, the Wingmen – Peter Avalon, Ryan Nemeth, Cezar Bononi and JD Drake – are catching fire in AEW. Their antics and promos have natural ease to them. All four men are developing individual characters that complement one another. They are quite quickly capturing the audience’s attention. Their comedic styling coupled with solid ring skills and individual character development has made them a solid group.

    With the return of live crowds further hyping their characters, giving them the dynamic they need to play off against, the group are only going to rise even higher. It is unlikely they are going to be pushing for championships or finding their images on an event banner. However, Peter Avalon and his group serve a very specific purpose in AEW.

  • Joey Janela & W. Morrissey (Big Cass) Say They’ve Buried The Hatchet

    Joey Janela & W. Morrissey (Big Cass) Say They’ve Buried The Hatchet

    Joey Janela and Big Cass (aka W. Morrissey, CaZXL) were involved in a backstage altercation in late 2019 at a WrestlePro event. Cass took a little time away from wrestling after that and spent some time staying with Diamond Dallas Page as well. He was on Sean Waltman’s podcast recently and said that he and Janela have buried the hatchet.

    “I spoke to Joey the weekend of WrestleMania. At GCW, I did a show. I spoke with Joey, and we’re really cool, man. We buried the hatchet,” Cass said (transcriptions via WrestlingNewsCO). “That was one that I really, genuinely needed to apologize to the guy in person. I like to do things face to face.”

    Cass continued to talk about speaking with Janela backstage at the GCW show.

    “I happened to walk in, we started talking right away, and I was super happy about that.  He’s cool as can be, and I appreciate him being super understanding.”

    Not long after, Janela took to Twitter to comment on the conversation the two had over WrestleMania weekend as well. Janela also mentioned he’d hoped to book Cass for GCW over the summer. Cass is wrestling for both Impact and SWE at the moment, however.

    “I saw that Cass talked about our convo, he’s really awesome! I’m happy to see him doing so well, tried to get him in the fold at GCW this summer but he’s become a busy guy! Hope I can make something happen sometime because that 7 foot dude slamming guys through doors would rule!” Janela Tweeted.

  • AEW’s Nick Comoroto Proposes to MCW Referee Girlfriend ‘Ref Becky’

    AEW’s Nick Comoroto Proposes to MCW Referee Girlfriend ‘Ref Becky’

    AEW star and Factory member Nick Comoroto made headlines this weekend at an MCW Wrestling event. Only it wasn’t a match that made headlines, but rather a guest appearance after the bell. It was MCW’s first event in 17 months. His appearance only made it even more special for one member of the MCW roster.

    Nick Comoroto took to the center of the ring, grabbed a microphone in order to ask his girlfriend, MCW Wrestling referee to marry him. His girlfriend, Becky, said yes instantly, after listening to his heartfelt speech with tear-stained eyes.

    “When I was poor, she was there. When I had money, she was there. Then, when Covid his and I lost my job, she was there to pick up the pieces and bring me back here.” Nick Comoroto said, talking about his life with Ref Becky. “Becky is the sweetest, most caring person you will ever meet in your life.”

    As soon as Nick Comoroto came to the ring and started talking, the crowd knew something was coming. Chants of ‘ask her, ask her,’ echoed. Ask her he did, dropping down to one knee in the middle of the ring.

    Nick Comoroto Has a Bright Future in AEW

    Nick Comoroto is a novice when it comes to wrestling experience. however, as part of the Factory alongside QT Marshall, he is making huge bounds. It will not be long before he becomes a regular name on any AEW match card.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CRl16uupg7a/

    At just 30 years old, the big man’s career is just getting started. He is on the right path, honing his skills before a live studio audience. Whether he will stay a part of the Factory, or eventually break away and go off on his own remains to be seen, but either way, the future is bright for Nick Comoroto. Many fans have already joked that his appearance at MCW Wrestling mas the greatest face turn in wrestling right now.

  • Ryan Nemeth On How His AEW Debut Came Together

    Ryan Nemeth On How His AEW Debut Came Together

    Ryan Nemeth made his AEW debut during a Dynamite episode back in January this year. Though this wasn’t really his first match for the promotion.

    The brother of WWE superstar Dolph Ziggler recently appeared on the Talk Is Jericho podcast. He was asked how he ended up in AEW and he revealed that he actually used to help babysit Brodie Lee Jr.

    Nemeth showed up at an AEW event where they were celebrating the birthday of Lee Jr. He was then offered a 6 men tag team match at AEW Dark but Tony Khan ended up deciding not to air the bout:

    “We did a six-man Dark, and then Tony [Khan], as we were going back through a tunnel; he came halfway through the tunnel and said, ‘We’re not going to air this. I want you to figure something else out.’ I was like, alright.”

    While Ryan Nemeth thought that he had somehow blown up his opportunity, Tony Khan had something else in mind. He was then called up for a match with Hangman Page on national television:

    “I interpreted that as, aw, I really blew it. I must have sucked, something went wrong, and the next morning, Jess Palombo was talking on the phone but looking at you [Chris Jericho]. She goes, ‘Hey, it’s you and Hangman tonight,’

    And she walked off and I was like, ‘What? Why? I mean, great. Okay, cool.’ I don’t know [what Tony saw], but I’m happy about it.”

    Ryan Nemeth made his official AEW debut during the 27 January episode of Dynamite. The former WWE star faced Hangman Page in a losing effort.

  • Nick Gage Reveals What Stipulation He Wants For Kenny Omega Match

    Nick Gage Reveals What Stipulation He Wants For Kenny Omega Match

    Game Changer Wrestling Champion Nick Gage recently appeared on the Wrestling Delorean Podcast. The ‘Deathmatch King’ discussed several topics whilst appearing on the podcast, including what it would take for him to have a match with AEW Champion Kenny Omega.

    Nick Gage made a shocking appearance during this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Gage was revealed as the 2nd Labor of Jericho by MJF, with Gage now getting a No DQ match against ‘Le Champion’ next week on the show.

    “Oh, I have no problem facing Kenny Omega, but it would be in a deathmatch,” Nick Gage began on the podcast, revealing the stipulations it would take for him to have a match with the AEW Champion.

    Nick Gage vs Kenny Omega

    “It wouldn’t be a regular match, ya know? Does he say he is the King of the Deathmatch? Well, let’s go with real glass and real barbwire. Do you know what I mean? Let’s go,” Gage continued, referring to the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch between Omega and Jon Moxley, where Omega proclaimed himself the King of The Deathmatch.

    “I seen clips of it,” Gage revealed, talking about the contest from AEW Revolution. “I thought it was ok. Something happened at the end. Are you talking about that exploding barbwire one? I don’t know what happened there, man, I don’t know, man.”

    “I just feel like they are using Hollywood glass, and they are snipping the barbwire because any barbwire I been in or get hit with it, I always get stuck in it”, the GCW Champion added.

    “So I always start bleeding, and any glass I land in, my back starts slicing up, bleeding really bad. So for them not to have no blood on them, or blood just on their forehead, makes me second guess what they are using, ya know what I mean?” Nick Gage would conclude.

    Nick Gage will be defending his GCW Championship this weekend against former WWE Superstar Matt Cardona.

  • Dr Britt Baker Posts Backstage Photo With Paige VanZant at BKFC

    Dr Britt Baker Posts Backstage Photo With Paige VanZant at BKFC

    AEW Women’s Champion Dr Britt Baker D.M.D went to watch the Paige VanZant vs Rachael Ostovich Bare Knuckle Boxing fight this weekend in Tampa, Florida.

    This contest was VanZant’s second fight with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships (BKFC), and she lost to Rachael Ostovich after 5 rounds via unanimous decision. VanZant has now moved to 0-2 in her bare-knuckle fighting career.

    The AEW Women’s Champion tweeted that she was backstage with the fighter before she took to the ring to face Ostovich. Baker also revealed that she had sustained a broken wrist.

    Dr Britt Baker on Paige VanZant

    “With Paige VanZant…And oh yeah, I retained the title on Wednesday night at AEW Dynamite with a broken wrist. Not taking any time off either. #AndStill.”

    F4Wonline.com first reported that Baker sustained the injury during her match on AEW Dynamite Fyter Fest Part 2 this past Wednesday. Britt Baker retained her AEW Championship against Nyla Rose after making the challenger tap out in the Lockjaw.

    Paige VanZant has said in the past that pro wrestling is an avenue she is considering. With the former UFC fighter now 0-2 in bare-knuckle, she may look at AEW or WWE as her next career move.

    VanZant has apparently spoken to WWE in the past, so the chance for a move to the squared circle isn’t out of the question for the former MMA fighter.

  • Kenny Omega On AEW Lacking Women’s Wrestling Content

    Kenny Omega On AEW Lacking Women’s Wrestling Content

    Kenny Omega was recently interviewed on a variety of topics for Wrestling Observer Radio. During the discussion, Omega spoke about AEW lacking content in its women’s division. He’s hopeful that the addition of AEW Rampage will help improve the situation, however.

    “The content I think we’re lacking in is our women’s division,” Omega said. “I would love to see Rampage be home to more women’s wrestling.”

    He continued to talk about how he feels they have some incredibly talented women on their roster who perform on Dark. Omega hopes to put these matches in front of a wider audience with Rampage.

    “I want people to see and appreciate and enjoy some of the talent that we have to offer,” Omega continued. “I hope that we can get out and show some of these matches that perhaps aren’t seen by enough people. We’ve got a lot of great talent on Dark. And people maybe don’t want to watch our YouTube channel. Maybe they just want to watch Dynamite or they want to see a television product and I get that.”

    Omega is hopeful that Rampage will give some lesser-seen talent more exposure.

    “I think the extra hour of Rampage, when we get the new program on TBS, I feel that rather than give them more Chris Jericho, more Kenny Omega, more MJF, and the guys you know you’re going to see on Dynamite, I’d rather give them all of the extremely talented individuals that you maybe can’t see that week.”

    “I feel that we have a lot of very gifted female wrestlers that have been working really hard, fighting for a spot, maybe it’s time for them to get some more and I think that would count as a variation in content, more women’s wrestling.”

  • Lance Archer On Signing with AEW and Receiving a Full-Time NJPW Offer

    Lance Archer On Signing with AEW and Receiving a Full-Time NJPW Offer

    Lance Archer has been cutting a ruthless path through AEW since making his debut, including his recent Texas deathmatch with Jon Moxley at Fyter Fest.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CRngK5MJd6W/

    Talking during a recent episode of AEW Unrestricted, the Murderhawk Monster Lance Archer spoke about how he chose to sign with AEW over a contract offered by NJPW.

    Lance Archer wrestled for nine years out in Japan but revealed he never had a full-time contract with the Japanese promotion.

    “I did. New Japan, as far as Japanese wrestling is concerned, a lot of times. The old school way of doing business, especially with the foreigners, was just a tour-by-tour thing. That’s how I’d actually been with the company for nearly nine years,” Lance Archer explained.

    It wasn’t until he was offered a contract by AEW that Archer was offered a full-time deal with NJPW. However, by that point, the options available to Lance Archer, were far broader than ever before.

    “I don’t even think, to a degree, I would have received the offer from New Japan if AEW didn’t exist. They didn’t even know that AEW offered me the deal. I’m just saying that AEW was changing the wrestling world completely from how everybody was doing business.”

    Lance Archer Liked the Idea of Coming Back to Wrestle in the US

    Wrestling a foreign country is never easy, even before the pandemic hit, different cultures and language barriers can be big obstacles to overcome. For Lance Archer, there was an allure to coming back to wrestle full time in the United States.

    “So, the opportunity to come back home, to tour the United States, this is prior to anybody knowing what was going to happen in 2020, the new challenges of coming back to the U.S. and being in AEW, a company that was growing and changing the world professional wrestling, all these things were just too enticing and something that I actually wanted to take on. I wanted to bet on myself and be a part of AEW.”

    Lance Archer has an affinity with the New Japan crowd. Thanks to AEW’s open relationship, it is likely he will wrestle in Japan in the future. Especially now that he is the IWGP United States champion. However, for the Murderhawk Monster, it would seem that there really is no place like home.

  • TNT Delighted as AEW Ratings Continue to Dominate Wednesday Nights

    TNT Delighted as AEW Ratings Continue to Dominate Wednesday Nights

    After being moved to a Friday night slot for a few weeks, AEW Dynamite is back on Wednesday nights. Since returning, the AEW ratings have continued to climb, and TNT is over the moon about it.

    Night Two of Fyter Fest say AEW ratings peak with 1,148,000 hourly viewers and a 0.44 rating in the core 18-49 demographic. Aside from the show’s debut show, the Fyter Fest figures, for both nights one and two are among some of the best the show has seen.

    In fact, this year AEW ratings are up 5% in the key 18-49 demographic and 3% in total viewers. These are certainly impressive gains for a company that is just 93 weeks into its life. It’s no wonder that TNT felt compelled to issue a statement on AEW’s ratings charge.

    TNT’s AEW: DYNAMITE continues domination as Wednesday’s #1 cable program in P18-49 for the second week in a row. See highlights below:

    AEW: Dynamite

    575K P18-49 / 150K P18-34 / 1.15M P2+

    Week 93 of AEW was up 11% vs. last week

    AEW Ratings Continue to Recover Following Wednesday Night Return

    During the recent NBA playoffs, AEW had been forced to move to a temporary Friday night slow. This change did knock the AEW ratings for a few weeks, with record low numbers being posted. However, since returning to Wednesday nights, the company is moving from strength to strength.

    With all the rumors floating around about names like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, interest in AEW is at an all-time high. This will surely be reflected in the AEW ratings through the rest of the year and beyond.

    AEW Dynamite is now an established part of Wednesday night TV. Dark Elevation and Dark occupy Monday and Tuesday nights on YouTube. Now, we are less than a month away from the debut episode of AEW Rampage on a Friday night. How long will it be before we start talking about AEW ratings dominance across the entire week?

  • Jim Ross On Which AEW Star Is The Closest Thing To Stone Cold Steve Austin

    Jim Ross On Which AEW Star Is The Closest Thing To Stone Cold Steve Austin

    Wrestling veteran Jim Ross talked about a number of things on the latest episode of his Grilling JR Podcast. He also revealed which current AEW star reminds him the most of Stone Cold Steve Austin.

    Steve Austin is widely regarded as one of the biggest if not the biggest wrestling superstars of all time. Ross has the first-hand experience of his rise to superstardom. He was the lead commentator for WWE throughout the Attitude Era.

    During the episode, Jim Ross claimed that Jon Moxley is the closest thing he has seen to Stone Cold since the Texas Rattlesnake hung up his boots:

    “[Jon] Moxley is the closest thing I’ve seen in pro wrestling like Stone Cold, since Stone Cold, attitude, body english, facial expressions, legitimate intensity, absolutely phenomenal.”

    Alongside the other companies, AEW has also welcomed the fans back to the arenas this month. Speaking of the AEW crowds, Ross claimed that they remind him of the Attitude Era audience:

    “Our audience because they’re younger, they come prepared. They have their signs, posters, it reminds me of the Attitude Era as far as audience participation. It’s a really good time to be a wrestling fan no matter which brand you support,

    I’m a really big believer in if you’re a wrestling fan, be a wrestling fan of all of them., said Jim Ross, “Don’t go out of your way to piss on something that’s not on fire. It’s a great time to be a fan.”

    Jim Ross also discussed how people like Jon Moxley know how to work TV matches in an arena full of fans but there are many young wrestlers in AEW who are having this experience for the first time in their careers.

  • Britt Baker Worked Championship Match On Dynamite With Broken Wrist

    Britt Baker Worked Championship Match On Dynamite With Broken Wrist

    Britt Baker picked up a big win on this week’s Fyter Fest edition of Dynamite. If her victory wasn’t impressive enough on its own, it’s now been revealed that she did it with a broken wrist.

    The AEW women’s champion recently posted a picture of herself with MMA fighter Paige VanZant. In the photo she is seen wearing a cast on her right hand and in the caption she confirmed that she has a broken wrist:

    “With @paigevanzant …And oh yeah, I retained the title on Wednesday night at #aewdynamite with a broken wrist. Not taking any time off either. #AndStill”

    Britt Baker won her first women’s title in AEW during the Double Or Nothing PPV in May. She defeated Hikaru Shida in a one-on-one match for the championship.

    The women’s champion had her first title defense on this Wednesday’s Fyter Fest edition of Dynamite. She successfully defended the title in a match against Nyla Rose.

    She apparently suffered the injury during a death valley driver spot in the match. Though according to the champion herself, she is taking no time off.

    There is no word yet on who will be Britt Baker’s next challenger after her victory on Dynamite this week. She will likely not be defending her title again until the All Out PPV on September 5.

  • CM Punk AEW Rumor Spikes All Out Ticket Sales

    CM Punk AEW Rumor Spikes All Out Ticket Sales

    AEW’s upcoming All Out PPV in Chicago on September 5th sold out quickly and long before any rumors of CM Punk signing with the promotion leaked. Despite this, rumors of Punk heading to AEW have caused a spike in the secondary ticket market for the event.

    According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, secondary market ticket prices have increased 18% since news of Punk possibly signing with AEW was reported. The current “get-in” price for the event is $141.

    “All Out on 9/5 in Chicago has a $141 get-in price, so the C.M. Punk rumors have upped ticket prices about 18 percent across the board,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

    The event will be held in what is now known as the NOW Arena. Previously, it was named the Sears Center. It is the home of the famous “All In” PPV put on by Cody Rhodes and Ring of Honor in 2018.

    If CM Punk is headed to AEW, an event in Chicago is the place to do it. Punk has very strong roots in the city and some of his biggest moments in wrestling occurred in Chicago as well. Possibly the biggest moment being the Money in the Bank PPV from 2011. Punk defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship that night. The event drew an attendance of 14,815 people to the Allstate Arena. The PPV did 195,000 buys.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCuF3JCnk2s/
  • Spoiler On Miro’s Next Challenger For The TNT Title

    Spoiler On Miro’s Next Challenger For The TNT Title

    A new challenger for Miro’s TNT Championship was named this week while AEW was taping episodes of Dark and Dark: Elevation. Lee Johnson defeated Luther of Chaos Project during the tapings and after the match, Miro came out and announced him as the next challenger for his title.

    It’s not yet clear when this match will take place. What took place will likely air on either AEW Dark or AEW Dark: Elevation next week.

    The 23-year-old Johnson is from Gary, Indiana. He has been trained by AR Fox and QT Marshall. Last week, Johnson wrestled on both Dark and Dark: Elevation in tag team action along with Brock Anderson. Both up-and-comers are aligned with the Nightmare Family in AEW.

    As of this writing, Miro is at 72 days as TNT Champion. He’s defended the title 4x since winning it from Darby Allin. Miro’s successful defenses have come against Dante Martin, Lance Archer, Evil Uno, and Brian Pillman Jr.

    Darby Allin and Cody are tied for the record of most successful title defences in a single TNT title reign with 8. Cody defended the title 8x in his first run and then twice more in his second before dropping the belt to Darby Allin.

  • Mark Henry Talks Jade Cargill’s Superstar Potential

    Mark Henry Talks Jade Cargill’s Superstar Potential

    AEW’s newest member of the announcement team, Mark Henry has spoken up about working for AEW and in particular, Jade Cargill.

    Mark Henry believes that Cargill has everything it takes to be a major star for the promotion despite only being involved in wrestling for a very short time.

    “Jade is going to be a superstar. I’ve told her recently, I said, ‘You’re me. You are a star, you are a celebrity. Without a doubt, she will do all of it. She’s going to have to get to the point where she can wake up at 4 in the morning and if somebody grabs her in a headlock, she’ll know exactly what to do. In this industry, there is a lot to learn, and if you want to learn it at a good clip, but you don’t want to learn so fast that you get injured and that’s kind of the thing. She has tried to do things she probably shouldn’t be doing yet, and she has gotten injured. So, we’re going to slow down, work on the fundamentals, and let her evolve.”

    “It took me three years, and she’s been in it less than one. So, the Jade Cargill that we’re going to get in three years is going to be one of the main event players on the show. She is already ‘must-see TV’. We’ll be talking about her like we talked about Kenny Omega in three years.” Mark Henry explained. Talking during an appearance on the Battleground podcast.

    Mark Henry Was Been Jade Cargills Mentor Before Either Signed for AEW

    It is no secret that Mark Henry knew Jade Cargill before both signed for AEW. It was thanks to Henry that Cargill started training at Heath Slaters wrestling school. Jade has also made sure that people know she views Mark Henry as her mentor in the wrestling world.

    Jade Cargill is a woman just starting her wrestling career and had her first-ever match live on AEW Dynamite. It’s oddly poetic that Mark Henry intends to have his last ever match on the same show. Possible Elevation, but that lacks the poetry this piece needed.

    Hearing the enthusiasm in Mark Henry’s voice when he talks about Cargill’s potential in a wrestling ring certainly makes you take notice. She has already accomplished a lot in a short time and certainly seems to have the tools necessary to succeed.

  • AEW Applies for New Entertainment Services Trademark

    AEW Applies for New Entertainment Services Trademark

    The going is good right now for All Elite Wrestling. The return of fans has boosted their viewing figures, and Fyter Fest proved to be a very exciting occasion with plenty of surprises. It seems as if there is a new announcement every single week. Not to mention recent rumours of both CM Punk and Daniel Bryan signing for the company. It has also just been discovered that All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has applied for a new trademark. This time for the term The First Dance.

    The First Dance trademark is for Entertainment Services which is described as:

    “THE FIRST DANCE trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of educational and entertainment services, namely, a continuing program about wrestling accessible by radio, television, satellite, audio, video and computer networks; Entertainment services in the nature of development, creation, production, distribution, and post-production of wrestling programs and events; Entertainment services in the nature of live wrestling performances; Entertainment services in the nature of production of television shows and multimedia entertainment content featuring wrestling programs and events; Entertainment services, namely, production and distribution of ongoing television programs in the field of wrestling; Entertainment services, namely, providing ongoing webisodes featuring wrestling via a global computer network; Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing multimedia program featuring wrestling distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media; Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing series featuring wrestling provided through a global computer network; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network.

    The First Dance is the Latest AEW Trademark to be Filed

    This is not the first time news has broken for AEW trademarks. Earlier reports included their application for Battle for the Belts. While we are yet to hear that name associated with AEW, it shows their intentions and echoes their penchant for forward planning. The First Dance certainly has an interesting air to it and would make a great PPV name.

    As of the time of writing, nothing more is known about how AEW plan to use The First Dance should they be given the trademark for it. However, with their plans for regular TNT specials and ongoing PPVs already known, it makes sense to assume this will fall into one of those open slots.

    AEW has proven itself to be a well-run company, making decisions that are thought out and well planned. Don’t expect them to throw The First Dance around before they knew exactly how and when the music will start to play.

  • Backstage News On Thunder Rosa Signing AEW Contract

    Backstage News On Thunder Rosa Signing AEW Contract

    AEW announced earlier today that former NWA women’s champion Thunder Rosa has finally signed an official contract with the promotion. While she has been a regular for AEW in recent months, the news of her signing still surprised many because she was under contract with NWA until the end of this year.

    In an update to this development, Fightful Select is reporting that Rosa was able to sign with AEW after a buyout of her NWA contract was orchestrated. The site noted that AEW officials including the boss Tony Khan are careful about not tampering with contracts. The company wanted to play by the book in the situation with NWA.

    Thunder Rosa had previously asked for a release in 2020 but her request was declined at the time. Previous reports have revealed that Tony Khan and NWA president Billy Corgan have worked with each other in the past, though whether they were directly involved in the negotiation over Rosa is unknown.

    The former Lucha Underground star made her AEW debut back in August 2020. She has been making regular appearances for the promotion ever since. Thunder Rosa is already used as one of the top stars of AEW’s women’s division. Now after her signing with the promotion, the officials are free to build long-term storylines around the female star.

  • Thunder Rosa Signs With AEW

    Thunder Rosa Signs With AEW

    Women’s wrestling star Thunder Rosa has officially signed with All Elite Wrestling. AEW sent out the customary “Thunder Rosa is #AllElite” tweet on Thursday afternoon.

    Thunder Rosa has wrestled for AEW since August 2020, but was not formally signed to a longterm contract.

    The former MMA fighter turned pro wrestler made her Impact Wrestling debut this past weekend at Slammiversary.

    Thunder Rosa issued a statement following the news of her signing. She wrote, “Never in my life doubt that I would be where I want to be! Today one of the biggest accomplishments in my career has been announced!”

    Prior to signing with AEW, Thunder Rosa was under contract with the National Wrestling Alliance. The NWA posted a congratulatory message wishing her well in the next chapter of her journey.

    Thunder Rosa joins a flourishing AEW women’s roster that also includes (Champion) Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida, Penelope Ford, Nyla Rose, Jade Cargill, Tay Conti, Riho, Anna Jay and more.