SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Backstage News On Shaquille O’Neal’s Wrestling Training

    Backstage News On Shaquille O’Neal’s Wrestling Training

    Shaquille O’Neal and Jade Cargill defeated Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet on Dynamite this week. During the match, Shaq body slammed several people, gave Cody Rhodes a power-bomb (with a Brodie Lee tribute), and eventually was put through two tables.

    Shaq’s preparations for the match were recently addressed by Bryan Alvarez on Figure Four Daily.

    “I talked to several people and what I’ve gathered is that Shaq has been training for awhile,” Alvarez said on the show. He’d continue to say he’s not sure exactly how long Shaq had been preparing, however.

    “I know there were rumors that he had been secretly training since the summer, I don’t know if it’s been that long,” Alvarez continued.

    Shaq is believed to have trained with QT Marshall at his gym. Alvarez would continue to say that everyone was really pleased with his attitude as well.

    “I believe he was training with QT Marshall. I did hear from multiple people that it was everything that we heard about Pat McAfee. Despite what you may have seen on the videos, where he appeared to be very lazy and half-caring, this guy took it very seriously. He worked his ass off, he was nice to everybody, he was polite and humble, everything you heard about McAfee.”

    Alvarez did say that one person told him that Shaq only showed up 2-hours before showtime, however.

    “I was so impressed with Shaq,” Alvarez continued. “I don’t want him to be a regular but I wish he was signed and every 6-months he’d be Andre.”

  • Kenny Omega On Why AEW Doesn’t Shy Away From Hardcore Matches

    Kenny Omega On Why AEW Doesn’t Shy Away From Hardcore Matches

    AEW has had “Lights Out” matches, Parking Lot Brawls, and various other forms of hardcore matches. This Sunday at Revolution, Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley will wrestle in arguably the most hardcore match type ever invented. The two will face off in an Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match.

    In a recent interview with NY Post, Kenny Omega spoke about why AEW does not shy away from hardcore match types.

    “I still very much look at pro wrestling as an art form. I still like to consider myself the utmost professional. People like to dumb down matches with a violent stipulation. They kind of like just defer to those as garbage wrestling or that maybe we lack a certain area of expertise or talent, which is why we’re going there,” Omega said. “For me, it’s the complete opposite. I want to be considered as one of the best well-around athletes in professional wrestling. And I want to test myself in all avenues this sport has to offer.”

    Omega also said he needs to test himself in this style of match against another wrestler who has a knack for hardcore bouts.

    “For me to do that and do that effectively, I have to have some kind of experience in these types of situations. I want to test myself with the type of wrestler who specializes in this type of stuff. And sure, I don’t think Moxley has had an exploding barbed wire deathmatch, but it’s not something out of his wheelhouse to do something very hardcore.”

    “I do believe the stars will align and something special will emerge from this,” Omega continued.

    The Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match was made famous by Atsushi Onita. He competed against names like Terry Funk and Mr. Pogo in the match type.

    Omega also recently revealed the official rules for the match:

  • Hikaru Shida Says AEW Women’s Division Can “Carry The Show”

    Hikaru Shida Says AEW Women’s Division Can “Carry The Show”

    The women’s division in AEW feels like it has taken a few significant strides as of late. The women’s title-eliminator tournament featured some great matches and both Jade Cargill and Red Velvet put on a stellar show in the night’s opening contest at AEW Dynamite: The Crossroads.

    AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida was recently interviewed by SI.com. During the discussion, Shida said that she knows the women’s division in AEW has the power to “carry the show.”

    “We’re proving our division has the power to carry the show,” Shida says. “That drives me. And I always had a dream to work internationally since I was a child, so, I am living my dream right now.”

    When AEW first began, there was talk of the promotion really emphasizing Joshi-style wrestling in its women’s division. This was hampered by the onset of the pandemic, however, and the reduced ability to bring in talent from Japan. Shida helped organize the recent AEW Women’s Title-Eliminator tournament bracket in Japan and spoke about that experience with SI.com as well.

    “I’ve always felt that Japanese joshi are the best in the world,” Shida continued. “So introducing them to everyone is very meaningful for me. It’s kind of a way to brag about my home. I also want Japanese wrestlers to know they can reach the top of the world if they work hard. It’s not a fantasy. This is one of the biggest things I have done as champion, and I’m proud of it.”

    Shida continued to say that main event’ing a PPV or Dynamite are her goals.

    “The main event for a pay-per-view and Dynamite are always my goals. I’ll continue working hard for it until it comes true,” she said.

  • Eric Bischoff Compares Cody Rhodes To John Cena

    Eric Bischoff Compares Cody Rhodes To John Cena

    Former WCW President and co-host of the 83 Weeks podcast Eric Bischoff recently spoke to the It’s Our House Podcast. Easy E discussed a number of topics, including which current performers he sees that could possibly ‘transcend’ the pro wrestling business.

    “You guys put me on the spot here, I’m gonna give you an answer” Eric Bischoff began. “But just know that there’s a lot of people that I hold in such high regard and have so much respect for and I think are so valuable as performers and human beings. I’m gonna offend those people, I apologise.”

    “If I was in Las Vegas and I had one $100 bill, and I was forced to place a bet on one person – I put it on Cody Rhodes” Bischoff continued. “Okay. I think when you talk about somebody who has the potential to transcend the business, that means to become a bigger star, or at least a star outside of the wrestling business as inside of the wrestling business.”

    Eric Bischoff finished by comparing the AEW EVP Cody Rhodes to one of WWE’s biggest ever talents, John Cena. “That’s how John Cena became a big star” Bischoff stated. “Everywhere you looked, including WWE, but outside of WWE, you would see John Cena. He became that. WWE was preaching outside of the choir. And they connected with people that they weren’t connected with just on the wrestling show by using John Cena because he had that potential and ability to transcend the business in that regard. I think Cody Rhodes has the same potential.”

  • Kurt Angle Teases In-Ring Return With New Video

    Kurt Angle Teases In-Ring Return With New Video

    The last match of Kurt Angle’s professional wrestling career took place on April 7th, 2019. He lost to Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35. In recent days, however, there have been rumors circulating that Angle could be the “Hall of Fame” worthy signing teased for AEW Revolution.

    Angle recently Tweeted out a video that can be taken as a tease for his in-ring return. The video features him lacing up his boots and putting on his ring gear. It closes with the caption “To Be Continued.”

    https://twitter.com/RealKurtAngle/status/1368207273831653382?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1368207273831653382%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redditmedia.com%2Fmediaembed%2Flz2qlm%3Fresponsive%3Dtrue

    Kurt Angle was released from his contract with WWE on April 15th, 2020 along with several other performers.

    Is Kurt Angle The New AEW Signing?

    Tony Khan recently dropped some more hints on who the new signing is.

    “It’s one of my all-time favorite wrestlers” Tony Khan stated on Busted Open. “I’m very excited about [it]. I’ll say one thing, it’s one of my all-time favorite wrestlers. I tipped this on Unrestricted, I tipped the gender — it’s a male.”

    “He’s going to do great things for us” Khan continued. “He’s committed, he’s going to sign a contract on Sunday at Revolution on PPV.”

  • Tony Khan: “Surprise Signing Is One of My All Time Favourite Wrestlers”

    Tony Khan: “Surprise Signing Is One of My All Time Favourite Wrestlers”

    AEW President Tony Khan recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. Khan discussed a number of topics on the show ahead of this Sunday’s AEW Revolution PPV, including the ‘surprise Hall of Fame worthy talent’ that will be signing with AEW on Sunday.

    “It’s one of my all-time favorite wrestlers” Tony Khan stated on the show. “I’m very excited about [it]. I’ll say one thing, it’s one of my all-time favorite wrestlers. I tipped this on Unrestricted, I tipped the gender — it’s a male. He’s coming.”

    “He’s going to do great things for us” Khan continued. “He’s committed, he’s going to sign a contract on Sunday at Revolution on PPV.”

    There of course have been rumors flying from all corners online. Two names that have been mentioned on multiple occasions are Kurt Angle and CM Punk. The Straight Edge former WWE Superstar Punk confirmed recently via Twitter that he was not the star showing up on Sunday.

    Another name that has been mentioned is Christian, as he is believed to have not signed with WWE following his appearance at the Royal Rumble back in January.

    Who do you think is showing up on Sunday? Christian, CM Punk, Kurt Angle or someone else? Let us know in the comments

  • Batista Says Pro Wrestling Retirements Have Zero Credibility

    Batista Says Pro Wrestling Retirements Have Zero Credibility

    Batista was asked on Twitter by a fan if he was the “Hall of Fame talent” that Paul Wight aka Big Show teased will get hired at AEW Revolution. The fan also highlighted the fact that Wight erroneously called the event “Evolution” and wondered if it really was just an error or a reference to the faction Batista was part of in WWE. He has stated that his decision to leave wrestling was permanent and that he has no intentions of coming back to wrestling. Batista quipped in response to the question how the word “retirement” has no meaning in pro wrestling as supposedly “retired” wrestlers come back for a match all the time.

    Writing on Twitter, Batista said, “They’re going to have to come up with another word thats (sic) used specifically for professional wrestlers who actually mean it when they say they’re retired. Currently the word “retired” has zero credibility by professional wrestling standards.”

    Names such as Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley among other legends have all supposedly “retired” from in-ring action only to return later, with the exception of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who has stayed true to his word. Batista was poking fun at the fact that even though he has made clear he’s retired for good, he still gets asked questions about his return. And therefore, according to him, a new term needs to be invented to let fans know that a wrestler really is retired this time.

    Batista officially retired after his No Holds Barred Match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35. “Thank you for letting me entertain you,” Bautista said on his retirement. “I love this business and whether you cheered me or jeered me, I’m grateful for being a small part of your life.

    “I am officially retired from sports entertainment and I am grateful for every second of my amazing journey.”

  • Shaq Match On AEW Dynamite Draws 1.3 Million Viewers

    Shaq Match On AEW Dynamite Draws 1.3 Million Viewers

    Shaq appeared on AEW Dynamite this past Wednesday to finally have his first match teaming up with Jade Cargill against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet, after several promos and hype. The tag team match showed the drawing power of the NBA legend as the match was able to bring in a massive amount of viewers with 1.3 million.

    Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer revealed the numbers saying that the Shaq match rised to a viewership of 1.3 million viewers. He reported, “…the Shaq match peaked at 1.3 million viewers. Highest opposed number since 2019.”

    Overall, the show drew in 934,000 viewers and achieved a 0.33 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic. The number is down from last week, however. The match was hyped by Shaq on NBA before his in-ring debut. Also, the reason why the match took place on Dynamite and not on Revolution is because NBA is holding the All-Star Game on the same night as the PPV and Shaq will be covering the NBA game.

    Read more: Shaq Wins AEW Debut Match, Goes Through Table

    Shaq’s first appearance on Dynamite was back on the December 9, 2020 episode of Dynamite where he did an interview with Brandi Rhodes. The show did 995,000 viewers, with Shaq’s segment drawing 1.2 million viewers. The quarter featuring Shaq averaged 1,063,000 viewers and 618,000 viewers in 18-49 demographic.

    Shaw has said in recent years that he wanted to wrestle Cody and he has achieved that. It is likely like we will see Shaw again to take revenge on Cody for sending him crashing through two tables during the match.

    Cody Rhodes for now will be working AEW Revolution this weekend in a ladder match. You can check out the full card of the event below.

    AEW Revolution Card

    • AEW World Champion Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch
    • AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Ryo Mizunami
    • AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho and MJF)
    • Team Taz (Brian Cage and Ricky Starks) vs. Darby Allin and Sting in a Street Fight
    • Adam Page vs. Matt Hardy in a “Big Money Match”
    • Cody Rhodes vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Lance Archer vs. Max Caster vs. TBA in a Face of the Revolution Ladder Match for a future AEW TNT Championship match
    • Miro and Kip Sabian vs. Best Friends (Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor)
    • Bear Country vs. Silver & Reynolds vs. Evil Uno & Stu Grayson vs. Santana & Ortiz vs. The Butcher & The Blade vs. Private Party vs. Top Flight in a Casino Tag Team Royale for a AEW World Tag Team Championship match
    • Riho and Thunder Rosa vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. and Rebel on the pre-show
  • Kenny Omega Details Rules For Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch At Revolution

    Kenny Omega Details Rules For Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch At Revolution

    Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley is the most talked-about match in the wrestling world as of now and for good reason — it is one of the biggest and most hyped-up matches on AEW Revolution’s card. The barbed wire deathmatch is an exciting stipulation for hardcore fans and casual fans alike, with the fact that it also contains explosives that can be triggered which make a dangerous and thrilling setting for a match. Fans are curious as to what we can expect from the hardcore match and Omega has detailed some rules and provided us a closer look on how the match will work.

    Kenny Omega posted a hand-drawn guide on his Twitter which reveals details on how the match will work and why fans should be excited. The drawing shows that 3 sides of the ring will be wrapped in barbed wire. According to Omega, if contact is made with the wire, then explosives will be triggered on the corresponding side. There are also three zones on the floor dubbed the “Triple Hell” which are also wired with explosives. All the explosives also have a time limit, as they will automatically trigger after 30 minutes. So even if contact is not made with the traps, it’s all going to detonate, anyway.

    Here are all the details of the match as per Kenny Omega:

    THE RULES:

    -3 sides of the ring ropes wrapped in barbed wire.

    -contact with barbed wire triggers explosives on corresponding side.

    -‘Triple Hell’ (3 zones on the floor wired to explosives)

    -30 minute countdown timer until all explosives in and around the ring detonate.

    Kenny Omega also clarified that the reason why the diagram shows all 4 sides of the ring ropes wrapped in barbed wire but the description says only 3, is because he’s being made to keep a side clear in case of an emergency.

    Speaking on what to expect from the match, Kenny Omega said, “The idea itself is incredible. You touch the ropes and they explode. This is a match that was made famous about 30 years ago in FMW. It’s not like a cage match where you have a pretty good idea about what you’ll see. With this, there are going to be so many unexpected parts.”

    “This is my opportunity to show to a much broader audience that I can show a different side to my work, do these skits, which the people who watched Being the Elite already knew, and accomplish a whole new set of goals.”

  • AEW Revolution Betting Odds

    AEW Revolution Betting Odds

    The betting odds for most of the matches that will take place at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view event have been released.

    The card for the show that takes place on Sunday (March 7, 2021) in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place appears to have been finalized.

    Cody Rhodes is favored to win the Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match while the rest of the wrestlers are priced at the same +275. Kenny Omega is favored to retain the AEW World Title at -350 while Moxley is listed as +325.

    Make sure to join us on Sunday for match recaps, and our takeaways from this latest pay-per-view event held by AEW. 

    Revolution Betting Odds

    The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the final betting odds: 

    • AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega (-350) vs. Jon Moxley (+325) – Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch
    • Sting and Darby Allin (450) vs. Brian Cage and Ricky Starks (+275) – Street Fight
    • AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks (-250) vs. MJF and Chris Jericho (+175) 
    • Matt Hardy (-350 ) vs. Adam Page (+225) – the winner receives the loser’s first-quarter 2021 earnings
    • Cody Rhodes vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Lance Archer vs.. Max Caster vs. TBA – Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match (winner gets shot at Darby Allin’s TNT Title): Cody +175, The Field -250
    • Miro & Kip Sabian (+120) vs. Orange Cassidy & Chuck Taylor (-160)
  • AEW Signs ‘Captain’ Shawn Dean, Tony Khan Comments

    AEW Signs ‘Captain’ Shawn Dean, Tony Khan Comments

    Shawn Dean is All Elite. AEW announced his signing Friday afternoon.

    Dean been a regular on AEW Dark since the early 2020. He’s been teaming with Carlie Bravo in recent weeks as part of the The Infantry tag team.

    The Infantry: Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo (Photo: AEW)

    AEW President Tony Khan thanked Dean on his US military service and the hard work he’s shown in AEW thus far.

    “Thank you for your service to the USA, @ShawnDean773, + thank you for everything you’ve done for @AEW to help us thrive through the pandemic,” Khan wrote. “Your consistent hard work, positivity + reliability have made you so valuable to #AEW; now it’s my honor to officially welcome you aboard!”

    Shawn Dean On Signing with AEW

    Shawn Dean replied to Tony Khan and expressed gratitude for his wrestling journey.

    “Wow….just Wow…..this has been a journey …hard work… dedication…against all adversity I stayed the course and it has led to this….dreams work with hard work!!!
    @TonyKhan and MY entire @AEW family thank you …thank you ….#Salute and….#ImWithAEW”

    Congratulations to Shawn Dean.

  • Jon Moxley Explains Why He & Kenny Omega Are The Best In The World

    Jon Moxley Explains Why He & Kenny Omega Are The Best In The World

    Jon Moxley challenges AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in an exploding barbwire death match this Sunday at AEW Revolution.

    Moxley spoke to Steven Muehlhaisen for DAZN this week about his chemistry with Omega, the high stakes of Sunday’s match and more.

    Many people regard him and Omega as two of the best pro wrestlers in the world. Moxley said he agrees with that sentiment, but wrestling is not exactly like pro sports, where one championship game (or series) determines the best in the world.

    “In wrestling, that’s not necessarily the case. It’s different,” said Moxley. “You can be one of the best. The most important thing is how do you say who’s better: Shawn Michaels or Ric Flair? You can’t pick. If your favorite wrestler growing up when you were a kid was Big Van Vader or Ahmed Johnson, then they’re the best wrestler in the world to you. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who drew more money or who had people think had better matches. The most important thing is you just got to be the best you.”

    Jon Moxley & Kenny Omega

    Moxley said that he and Kenny Omega are being the best versions of themselves in AEW. They’re not being held back. They’re not being overproduced. AEW allows them to ply their craft and executive their visions.

    “You’re getting the best version of Kenny Omega, the best version of Jon Moxley on a weekly basis on Dynamit,” he continued..” I don’t think anybody’s doing it at a higher level than me and Kenny are right now. We’re both in our prime, both at our peak, both just really hitting on all cylinders.

    We’re in a position with AEW where we just get to go out there, be given the ball, and get a chance to score touchdowns on a weekly basis. Nobody’s doing it at a higher level than us two right now.”

    Visit DAZN to check out the rest of the interview.

  • CM Punk Addresses Rumors Of AEW’s “Big Surprise”

    CM Punk Addresses Rumors Of AEW’s “Big Surprise”

    CM Punk made it clear on Twitter recently that he is not the big surprise promised for AEW Revolution. He took part in a Q&A with fans and noted that he feels AEW needs to focus more on the stars already on their roster rather than new signings.

    Punk doesn’t feel AEW was trying to tease he was the surprise, however.

    Punk was asked about having never been in the final match at WrestleMania, something that at one point was his dream. He noted that this is no longer something that bothers him.

    “No. It’s a trap I fell into. Doesn’t mean sh**,” Punk Tweeted.

    The noted hockey fan also lobbied for a return of the Quebec Nordiques.

    When asked, Punk picked the Midnight Express over the Rock N Roll Express.

    Punk also chose the Mandalorian over Wandavision.

    Punk also threw out some congrats to the new WWE Champion, Bobby Lashley.

    Punk also says he’s been in a submarine before. That seemed notable for some reason.

    Cody Rhodes addressed AEW’s previous negotiations with Punk in an interview last year.

    “As far as the CM Punk negotiations go, everyone heard the famous ‘he got a text from us’. Yeah, of course there were negotiations and he did ask for a great amount of money and Punk is worth a great deal of money.”

  • Matt Hardy On Reinventing His Character During The Pandemic

    Matt Hardy On Reinventing His Character During The Pandemic

    Matt Hardy made his AEW debut during the first edition of Dynamite taped without a live audience. Since that time, Hardy has started performing more under his “Big Money Matt” persona rather than his “Broken” one. He spoke to the Asbury Park Press about how the pandemic forced him to reinvent himself yet again.

    “Broken Matt Hardy is a very audience-friendly character,” Hardy said. “It needs a crowd, it needs an audience, and it just was not in the cards to be Broken Matt Hardy … because his debut was in the first-ever empty arena era, pandemic-era show, the first empty arena show that AEW had.”

    “Broken Matt Hardy is … very theatrical, and it doesn’t translate as well to the current AEW audience that sits at home and watches (on television) because I’ve realized that this is a much younger audience. It’s a much more sports-centric-type audience.”

    Hardy then praised Tony Khan for giving him the creative freedom to switch characters.

    “I tip my hat to (AEW president and CEO) Tony Khan. He allowed me to try kind of switching characters and see how people reacted to it,” Hardy continued. “I think if we had been in arenas full of people it would have been different.

    “But considering we’re now playing to the television audience, it was better for me to zone in and focus on one thing.”

    Hardy would continue to say being a heel is the best option for him currently. He will face Hangman Page at Revolution. A stipulation was added to the bout that the winning wrestler is given the losing wrestler’s pay for the first quarter of 2021.

  • Chris Jericho Says WWE Insulted Sting & Paul Wight

    Chris Jericho Says WWE Insulted Sting & Paul Wight

    Chris Jericho believes that wrestling legends are treated with more respect in AEW than they are WWE. The former AEW World Champion spoke to Digital Spy about how Sting and “Big Show” Paul Wight were treated in their final runs with WWE.

    “These are guys that were kind of almost insulted in their WWE runs,” Jericho said. “[Sting and Wight were] definitely not treated with too much respect over the last few years.”

    Jericho continued to say that WWE often treats legends as something of a joke. He listed off a series of examples which included himself.

    “We treat our legends with respect,” Jericho continued. “We don’t make jokes out of them and WWE is notorious for that, whether it’s Sting, Paul Wight, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Jake Roberts, Dustin Rhodes, throw in Chris Jericho.”

    Jericho continued to say AEW knows how to treat legends with respect.

    “We know how to treat our legendary performers with respect and make them all look great and make them all worthy of being in AEW because if they aren’t worthy of being in AEW why would they be there?”

    Chris Jericho On Paul Wight’s Value To AEW

    Jericho would continue to say that Wight has more value than simply being a legend, however. He’s someone who can help mentor some of AEW’s larger guys as well.

    “I also know that he’s a great mentor for some of our bigger guys that we have, Lance Archer and Luchasaurus, those types of guys,” Jericho continued. “Most importantly I know how dangerous a motivated Big Show can be.”

    Jericho will team with MJF to challenge the Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at Revolution. On Dynamite this week, Jericho spoke about his multiple tag-team title wins. These include a run with Big Show as Jeri-Show. Wight and Jericho are 2x tag-team champions in WWE and won the Slammy Award for Best WWE tag-team in 2009.

  • Kenny Omega Hypes Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match At Revolution

    Kenny Omega Hypes Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match At Revolution

    Kenny Omega will defend his AEW World Championship this Sunday at Revolution against former champion, Jon Moxley. This will not be a standard match as their one at Winter is Coming will be, however. Rather, this match will be contested under “Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match” rules. Omega recently spoke to SI.com and gave further details about the match.

    “The idea itself is incredible,” Omega said. “You touch the ropes and they explode. This is a match that was made famous about 30 years ago in FMW. It’s not like a cage match where you have a pretty good idea about what you’ll see. With this, there are going to be so many unexpected parts.”

    Omega continued to say that this match is partly about him expanding his repertoire as a performer.

    “I’ve been hearing for over a year these expectations of what I was supposed to be in AEW. It was just a copy-and-paste of the ‘Tokyo Dome Kenny Omega,’ which would essentially have monopolized all of our programming. If that were the case, an hour would have to go to my matches. I believe too much in our roster and our vision to ever want to do something like that.”

    “This is my opportunity to show to a much broader audience that I can show a different side to my work, do these skits, which the people who watched Being the Elite already knew, and accomplish a whole new set of goals.”

    AEW Revolution will mark just the second time Omega has defended the belt since winning it in December. His first title defence was against Fenix on the first night of AEW’s New Year’s Smash.

  • Tony Khan Comments On “Huge Huge Star” Debuting At AEW Revolution

    Tony Khan Comments On “Huge Huge Star” Debuting At AEW Revolution

    Paul Wight dropped a bombshell at Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. During his first appearance for AEW, Wight revealed that a ‘Hall of Fame’ worthy star will debut this Sunday at AEW Revolution.

    AEW President Tony Khan appeared on this week’s AEW Unrestricted podcast and provided some new information about this signing. Khan said, “It’s true. There’s going to be a major star in the world of wrestling, a huge huge star, is going to sign a multi-year deal at the pay-per-view.”

    You can listen to Tony Khan’s comments in the player embedded below:

    Khan confirmed there will actually be two debuts at AEW Revolution: Paul Wight’s mystery man, as well as the 6th and final competitor in the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match.

    So, who is the “huge huge star” who has signed a multi-year contract with AEW? Khan’s “It’s true” remark has some fans guessing Kurt Angle. Other possibilities could include Christian, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk or Batista.

    Batista Says It’s Not Him

    Speaking of Batista, he denies that he’s signing with AEW. In response to a fan on Twitter, Batista reiterated that he is retired from pro wrestling.

    So, just how “done” is Batista with pro wrestling? Back in 2019, Batista told Chris Van Vliet that he would go broke before wrestling another match.

    ”This is a real wrestling retirement. I am done. My in-ring career is over… I will not have another wrestling match. I will go broke before I have another wrestling match, and I will not go and wrestle for another promotion. It’s not going to happen.”

    CM Punk: It Isn’t Me Either

    Former WWE Superstar CM Punk is also urging fans to not get their hopes about him being the AEW signee. Punk held a Twitter Q&A on Thursday afternoon told people flat out – “no, it’s not me.’

  • Ryo Mizunami Wins AEW Women’s Title Eliminator Tournament

    Ryo Mizunami Wins AEW Women’s Title Eliminator Tournament

    Ryo Mizunami has earned the chance to become the AEW Women’s World Champion on this week’s AEW Dynamite, as she defeated former champion Nyla Rose in the finals match of the Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament. Mizunami was part of the Japan Division of the tournament along with Maki Itoh, Yuka Sakazaki, and Aja Kong.

    With the win, Ryo Mizunami has earned a title shot at Hikaru Shida’s Women’s Championship at this Sunday’s Revolution pay-per-view event. After Mizunami’s win, Shida who was sitting at ringside, came up to the ring and presented the trophy to Mizunami as part of the ceremony of her winning the tournament. While shaking hands, Mizunami hit a forearm to Shida and the two then began trading shots. Shida was able to knock her challenger down as they both stared each other down.

    Ryo Mizunami, affectionately called aniki — which is a Japanese honorable term for an older brother or a superior — is a veteran joshi wrestler who started her career in 2004. She was planning to retire from pro wrestling in 2019 until she was part of a six-woman tag team match at AEW’s Double or Nothing event that made her stay wrestling. She would go back to wrestling in Japan as a free agent and would return to America by winning the Japanese bracket of the AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament.

    Updated AEW Revolution Card

    • AEW World Champion Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch
    • AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Ryo Mizunami
    • AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho and MJF)
    • Team Taz (Brian Cage and Ricky Starks) vs. Darby Allin and Sting in a Street Fight
    • Adam Page vs. Matt Hardy in a “Big Money Match”
    • Cody Rhodes vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Lance Archer vs. Max Caster vs. TBA in a Face of the Revolution Ladder Match for a future AEW TNT Championship match
    • Miro and Kip Sabian vs. Best Friends (Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor)
    • Bear Country vs. Silver & Reynolds vs. Evil Uno & Stu Grayson vs. Santana & Ortiz vs. The Butcher & The Blade vs. Private Party vs. Top Flight in a Casino Tag Team Royale for a AEW World Tag Team Championship match
    • Riho and Thunder Rosa vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. and Rebel on the pre-show
  • Paul Wight Makes AEW Debut, Teases ‘Hall Of Fame Talent’ Signing

    Paul Wight Makes AEW Debut, Teases ‘Hall Of Fame Talent’ Signing

    As advertised, Paul Wight, formerly known as The Big Show, made his AEW debut on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite. 

    He will be Tony Schiavone’s co-host on AEW Dark: Elevation on Monday nights starting later this month. He was interviewed by his commentary partner on the stage where he cut a promo bout how he looks forward to working with the AEW talent and he looks forward to his new role on Elevation.

    He then teased that a Hall Of Fame worthy talent will get hired at AEW Revolution. He did botch the line by calling it Elevation instead of Revolution, but that happens from time to time on live television. He added that this talent signing “is not who you think” and fans should tune in to find out who this person is.

    As of this writing, it’s anyone’s guess who this person is. AEW does have an open spot left in the Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match at Sunday’s Revolution pay-per-view event. The winner gets shot at Darby Allin’s TNT Title at a future date. Cody Rhodes, Scorpio Sky, Penta El Zero Miedo, and Lance Archer are just some of the competitors. 

    Last month, it was announced that AEW and Wight had come to terms on a multi-year deal. WWE and Big Show were unable to come to terms on a new deal financially.

  • Shaq Wins AEW Debut Match, Goes Through Table

    Shaq Wins AEW Debut Match, Goes Through Table

    The Shaquille O’Neal & Jade Cargill vs. Cody Rhodes & Red Velvet match took place on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Originally, Rhodes was supposed to team up with his wife, Brandi Rhodes, in this match, but she was replaced by Red Velvet due to Brandi being pregnant. 

    The match featured Jade and Red working the majority of it with AEW saving spots for Shaq. Shaq and Cody did start things off with the NBA Legend getting in some chops and even performed a back body drop.

    There was a spot where Cody knocked Shaq off the apron and this allowed Austin Gunn to him Shaq in the back with a chair, but Shaq did not sell it. He took Austin and his brother out as a result. At one point, Shaq hit a powerbomb only for Cody to follow up with a powerslam. There were two tables set up on the floor with Cody taking out Shaq over the top rope sending them both crashing through it. Jade hit her finisher to Velvet for the win. After the match, Shaq sold it as if he was knocked out. 

    Shaq in AEW

    Originally, it looked like the match would take place at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view on March 7th. However, it was revealed that the reason Shaq was wrestling on Dynamite instead of the PPV is due to the NBA holding the All-Star Game on the same night as the Revolution PPV and he is needed to cover the NBA game.

    AEW has a crossover with the NBA since All Elite Wrestling airs their weekly television show, Dynamite, on TNT while the network also airs NBA games.

    Shaq first made an appearance on Dynamite back on the December 9th, 2020 episode to do a sit-down interview with Brandi. To show the drawing power of the NBA legend, the show did 995,000 viewers. It was a strong segment of the show as it did over 1.2 million viewers. The quarter featuring Shaq averaged 1,063,000 viewers and 618,000 viewers in 18-49.

    Cargill later appeared and issued the challenge for this match. Shaq has stated in recent years that he wanted to wrestle Cody and now he achieved that goal. With Paul Wight, formerly known as The Big Show, now in AEW, perhaps that is the next match for the NBA Champion.

  • Marty Martinez Training At Nightmare Factory

    Marty Martinez Training At Nightmare Factory

    Former Lucha Underground star Marty “The Moth” Martinez has been training at the Nightmare Factory, which is operated by AEW star Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall. 

    Martinez, real name Martin Casaus, shared the news in a post on Instagram. He mentioned that he suffered a spine injury in his L4 and L5 by hugging a dog. 

    “Yes, I got injured hugging my adorable dog. Docs said I needed surgery. I opted for stem cells instead. I’ve spent the last 2 years relearning how to walk without pain from sciatica & muscle tension. I had to relearn how to run on the treadmill. Spent more time on rehab than heavy weights. My stream watched the struggle. I learned that progress is just as important as results. I had already beat sleep apnea, learned to manage my Lyme disease, & I spent way to much time fighting to be healthy that there was not a chance in hell I wasn’t chasing my dream with it.”

    He had to learn how to run and walk again. He went on to state that he’s back in the ring training at what he calls the best school in the country. 

    Martinez added, “So I’m here training at the @nightmarefactoryga. You’re never done learning in wrestling & progressing everyday.”

    Martinez made a name for himself while working for Lucha Underground from 2014-2018 where he won the world title. His last match came at an ASP show in October 2020. 

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CL99Y9QF80Q/?igshid=kmcstacebt6g
  • Pat McAfee Reacts To Cody Rhodes’s Claim That He’s Been Angling For A Job With AEW

    Pat McAfee Reacts To Cody Rhodes’s Claim That He’s Been Angling For A Job With AEW

    Pat McAfee gave his reaction to the comments made by Cody Rhodes during today’s media conference call as the AEW Executive Vice President claimed McAfee has been trying to get a job with AEW.

    Rhodes was asked about NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal stating that his AEW match alongside Jade Cargill against Rhodes and Red Velvet would top all other celebrity matches in pro wrestling.

    Rhode stated he likes that Shaq made the comment because it raises the bar when another match like this happens. 

    “I think….I didn’t see this particular comment, especially from Pat, which is super bizarre because….just bizarre because I’m pretty sure Pat’s trying to get a job at AEW like every other day, but that’s another conversation.”

    McAfee reacted to the comments made by Rhodes during The Pat McAfee Show.

    “Cody Rhodes just said I’ve been trying to get employed by the AEW, or whatever, every other day. So I’d like that to be known, that is not true. OK, I’ve actually talked about retirement here more than I’ve ever contemplated going to AEW.”

    McAfee then brought up his Twitter exchanges with AEW star Miro regarding the Shaq interview comments. He plans to watch the match, but made it clear, “I am not [trying to get hired by AEW]. I’d just like that to be very clear.”

  • Cody Rhodes Comments On Second AEW Show On TNT

    Cody Rhodes Comments On Second AEW Show On TNT

    All Elite Wrestling Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes took part in a media call this afternoon to promote Sunday’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view.

    You can listen to full audio from the 45-minute call here.

    SEScoops asked Cody about the second AEW show coming to TNT some time later this year. Will the show have a different format from Dynamite, and if so, what can fans expect?

    “I think all of our shows will end up with a different format,” said Cody. “It’s a bit of a braintrust in forming those formats. Right now the focus is AEW Dark: Elevation, how we can make that different, and how we can feature our younger stars to get to know them. I’ll tell you one thing we won’t do with AEW Dark: Elevation, we’re not going to bait and switch. We’re not going to give you a show on night one that doesn’t reflect what that show will be like the rest of the year.”

    Cody Rhodes once again was careful to state that the additional hour of content on TNT is not a third hour of AEW Dynamite. AEW officials have already decided upon a name for the second TNT show. Cody expects the cat will be out of the bag by the time AEW hosts its next media call.

    “When it comes to the additional hour of content on TNT, and I’m careful to say third hour since people sometimes think we’re going three hours, which we are not. When it comes to that, I can only tell you that it has a name and I love its name, but I can’t tell you what it is. Hopefully, on the next media call, we’ll be talking about it, but it will happen in 2021.

    He also teased that AEW talent will be appearing on another high-profile show that is part of the Warner Media family.

    “In addition to that, there’s some other news featuring some other AEW talent regarding another show that is also in the Warner Media family.”

    Cody Rhodes teams with Red Velvet against Shaquille O’Neil and Jade Cargill tonight on AEW Dynamite.

  • John Silver Shares Memories Of Brodie Lee

    John Silver Shares Memories Of Brodie Lee

    The wrestling world was dealt a giant blow this winter with the untimely death of Brodie Lee. An outpouring of tributes and respect for the man has followed in the time that has passed since. John Silver recently took part in an interview with Chris Van Vliet and shared some of his memories of Brodie Lee including how Brodie purchased ring gear for him to help make him a bigger star.

    “He was the man. He was such a happy good guy,” Silver said. “There was no negativity, he was always laughing, he would always have this big smile, especially with this big beard he had going on. But he’s just a good guy. He bought the ring jacket I have just because it would help me look more like a star if I had it. He also bought me matching gear that I wore at the Brodie show.”

    Silver continued to talk about Brodie purchasing ring gear for him.

    “It was just supposed to be for the BTE sketch, and then I asked him he’s like I want to buy you this stuff it’s going to be cool. I’m like that’s so cool what’s the sketch. He’s like I don’t know, we’ll think of something. He didn’t have a real idea in mind, but he thought it would be funny if Silver dresses like me one day. It wasn’t cheap gear, altogether it cost over $1,000 that he spent on me that he didn’t have to, I didn’t ask for it. Just because he thought it would be good for BTE and for me and the skits we do.”

    Silver also said that when they were filming BTE sketches, Brodie would always try and get him to laugh.

    “We’re trying to get through these sketches, and he would purposely try his absolute hardest to make me laugh. If I laugh, we’ve got to do it again. You see so many sketches of him getting right into my face and screaming sh*t at me, and just trying to make me laugh. It always worked, which is why we had to start pretending we were crying because we were always laughing.”

    Silver also spoke about working the Brodie Lee tribute show and how difficult it was to do.

    “I’m a pretty emotional guy, so that was difficult, but I thought I was going to be worse. The whole day was difficult, being around people. It was good too, but I’m like I can’t stop thinking about this.”

    Silver actually missed a Dark Order entrance during the show. He also detailed what happened with that during his discussion with Chris Van Vliet.

    “The match itself, if you look at the first match [Colt Cabana and The Young Bucks vs Matt Hardy and Private Party] If you look, I wasn’t there for the entrance, I come in late because I went to the back. I went to my room and I was not in a good mood. I forgot Colt was up and I forgot I had to do the entrance. When I heard the music and I thought screw it, I started running. You don’t see me coming out with them, but when Colt eventually does the pose, I’m there.”

    The full interview is available in the player below:

  • Cody Rhodes Says Breaking AEW Title Stipulation Would Be The “Easiest Heel Turn In Wrestling”

    Cody Rhodes Says Breaking AEW Title Stipulation Would Be The “Easiest Heel Turn In Wrestling”

    At AEW Full Gear 2019, Chris Jericho defeated Cody Rhodes in a match that carried a significant stipulation in addition to the world title being on the line. As a result of the loss, Cody can never challenge again for the AEW World Championship again. This has led many fans to wonder if AEW will stick to its guns and adhere to the stipulation for the long haul.

    In a recent interview with WFAN Sports Radio, Cody commented on his desire to stick to the stipulation. He also noted, however, that ultimately it is Tony Khan’s decision.

    “I’m going to stick to my word on the AEW Title, but ultimately, that decision will rest on AEW owner Tony Khan. It’s the easiest heel turn in wrestling if I was to break it,” Cody laughed. “I love that we’re disciplined and conservative, and presenting wrestling backwards.”

    Rhodes would continue to say that he hopes he never “needs” to hold the title.

     “I don’t want to sound braggadocious or egotistical, but my goal is to never need the World Championship. Yeah, it sucks to watching Kenny Omega or Jon Moxley with the title when I consider myself the 1A of the group, but I gave my word.”

    Cody has a big match tonight with no titles on the line. He will team with Red Velvet to take on Shaquille O’Neal and Jade Cargill.