Inner Circle member Sammy Guevara reportedly received heat backstage within AEW following this week’s episode of Dynamite after a steel chair spot went awry. Guevara accidentally busted Matt Hardy open during their segment. Hardy would subsequently need 13 stitches to close the wound.
According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, two chairs were placed at ringside. The spot was meant to see Guevara hurl a traditional folding chair. Hardy would have then blocked it with his hands.
Unfortunately, Guevara was allegedly unable to find the folding chair. So, in the moment, he grabbed a heavier chair nearby before throwing it at Hardy, busting him open.
This situation led Guevara to reportedly receive backstage heat as a lot of people within AEW were upset with Hardy’s injury. The Inner Circle member was said to have been given a “very stern talking to” when he went backstage.
Hardy acknowledged the injury via social media, thanking Dr. Sampson and AEW’s medical team for their swift assistance to fix the “gaping hole” on his face. He also promised Guevara that a “receipt” is coming his way.
Sammy Guevara recently returned to AEW Dynamite after serving a suspension for previous comments regarding WWE Superstar Sasha Banks.
While AEW is not a company to shy away from brutal and hardcore spots in matches where they are necessary, there are many spots which aren’t planned by the company.
Cody Rhodes getting busted open with a chair shot to the head from Shawn Spears was one such infamous spot and latest reports reveal that this week’s episode of Dynamite featured another such moment.
The latest Dynamite episode saw Sammy Guevara brawling with Matt Hardy and the segment ended with the former throwing a chair at the wrestling veteran.
The Broken One ended up getting busted open due to the chair shot and according to reports from Mike Johnson of Pwinsider, Hardy’s bludgeoning was not pre-planned.
The former WWE star had to get 13 stitches to close the wounds but reports suggest that the former World Champion was fine after being treated by the medical staff.
Matt Hardy has been feuding with the Inner Circle since his arrival in AEW in March this year and Sammy Guevara has been a regular opponent for him.
During the Stadium Stampede match at Double Or Nothing, Santana and Ortiz dunked Hardy in a version of the Lake Of Reincarnation, allowing the former champion to shuffle between his multiple gimmicks at his will.
AEW Dynamite scored another decisive win over WWE NXT this week in total viewers and the key Adults 18-49 demographic. Courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
AEW: 901,000 viewers, 0.36 rating (5th on cable for the night)
NXT: 753,000 viewers, 0.20 rating (27th on cable for the night)
Both shows were up this week, but the big story is AEW topping 900,000 viewers for the first time since March 18th. These are pre-pandemic numbers that AEW and TNT have to be thrilled with.
More to come. I think this was the first time this year AEW beat Raw in 18-34, and that's with competition.
AEW viewership jumped 16.5% from last week’s 773,000 (the key demo was 0.30). Dynamite saw Jon Moxley retain the AEW Championship against Darby Allin in a great main event, Eric Bischoff hosting a debate between Chris Jericho and Orange Cassidy, MJF continuing his campaign to be AEW Champion and much more. (Results & Takeaways)
NXT viewership was up 6.5% from last week’s 707,000 (key demo was 0.18). Top items on the show included Dakota Kai getting a win over Rhea Ripley, Keith Lee defeating Cameron Grimes, a successful tag title defense from Imperium and wild show-closing brawl between Pat McAfee and Adam Cole. (Results & Takeaways)
By comparison, Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.71 million viewers with a 0.51 rating in the 18-49 demo. Raw had slightly more viewers than AEW and NXT combined, but Wednesday night wrestling outdrew Raw in the key demo 0.56 to 0.51.
Viewership for AEW and NXT combined topped 1.65 million, the best total on Wednesday nights since February 19.
The NBA on ESPN was the most-watched show on cable for the night in the key demographic with a 0.51 rating. Sean Hannity on FOX News had the higher viewership with 3.97 million viewers. AEW Dynamite actually topped Hannity in the key demo 0.36 to 0.34 – an amazing feat considering the viewership gap (Hannity’s audience skews much older).
AEW Dynamite topped Guy’s Grocery Games on the Food Network in the demo once again. Cody noticed.
AEW star MJF recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio show. The ‘Salt of The Earth’ appeared on the show to discuss his ongoing role with All Elite Wrestling, including how he feels the show stacks up to the competition.
“It makes my job a lot harder” MJF began on the show, discussing the move daredevil aspects of his peers’ style and how he perceives that AEW President Tony Khan ‘prefers’ that version of pro wrestling for AEW to his own mat-based offense. “The issue at hand that I would say is this: If you do that eventually you’re going to jump the shark.”
MJF on Hardcore Wrestling
“And what I mean by that is this,” MJF continued. “If we go out there every week and we bump into thumb tacks. If we go out there every week and we are chewing on panes of glass? What if we go out there every week and we get hit by cars? What if we go out there every week and we’re hitting each other over the head with kendo sticks? For the first couple of times? It’s great.”
MJF elaborated on this point further, “here’s a great analogy. If an elephant takes a giant sh*t on your neighbor’s yard? In the morning you open the door and you see it and you go, ‘Whoa, that’s crazy. That elephant just took a huge dump in my neighbor’s yard!?’ And then the next day the elephant shows up and does it again. ‘Whoa, that’s pretty nuts!’ And then the next day the elephant shows up. o’h, okay, the elephants here again.’ And then the next day and the next day and the next day. Eventually you’re gonna go, ‘here’s that stupid freakin elephant again.’”
The top ranked AEW star would finish by saying how he wants to bring a different element to AEW’s presentation. “That’s what’s happening here and that’s what I don’t want to happen. And that’s why it’s so important to give our fans different flavors of ice cream, and that’s all I’m offering. I’m the flavor maker baby!”
Do you agree with MJF’s analogy? Let us know in the comments
Following the conclusion of last night’s AEW Dynamite, the cameras kept rolling as the AEW World Champion was still in the ring. Moxley picked up a microphone and spoke about his opponent Darby Allin and the interference by Maxwell Jacob Friedman in the match.
“Not for nothing, Darby Allin, you are a persistent little bastard aren’t you?” Moxley said. “You are relentless. Dude, one day, mark my words, I know what I’m talking about, one day Darby you are going to be a world champion. You will win many championships. But it ain’t going to be on my watch, this is my time.”
“One of these days you’re going to take me out and I know that but today ain’t that day. There’s a lot of fake, disingenuous, just any insult you can think of, there’s a lot of crappy people in wrestling. There’s a lot of bad dudes in this company who does bad things. You are a loner like me. You can ride with me anytime you want.”
Moxley then addressed MJF’s interference in the match last night.
“It’s a little scrambled in my brain right now, I’m not sure exactly what happened but I got a pretty good idea. There’s a kid out there with no heart and even if he did, it stops beating real soon. He’s a dead man.”
MJF responded to an AEW tweet about the promo as well:
This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite saw the in-ring debut of Matt Cardona, better known to WWE fans as the former US Champion Zack Ryder.
The former WWE star teamed up with the TNT Champion Cody to face John Silver and Alex Reynolds of the Dark Order, after setting up this tag team match during his debut for the promotion last week.
The match was won by the faces and Cardona picked up the victory for his team after hitting his finisher Radio Silence on Reynolds.
Matt Cardona’s long career with WWE ended back in April when he was released as a cost-cutting measure. He had been with the organization for 15 years.
After the conclusion of his 3-month “no compete” period, he showed up in AEW last week on Dynamite to save Cody from an attack by the Dark Order.
Though Cardona’s himself has confirmed that he is currently on a short term deal with the company and while he has said that he plans to stay with the promotion, we will have to see what the future brings for the newest AEW star.
Matt Cardona had this to say following his AEW in-ring debut:
AEW Dynamite aired from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. Jon Moxley put the AEW Championship on the line against Darby Allin. Chris Jericho and Orange Cassidy had a debate with a special moderator during tonight’s show as well.
Dynamite Results (8/5)
Dark Order def. The Elite & FTR
Best Friends def. Santana & Ortiz
Cody & Matt Cardona def. Alex Reynolds & John Silver
Big Swole def. Reba
Jon Moxley def. Darby Allin to retain the AEW Championship
Here are 6 takeaways from this week’s show:
Dark Order Picked Up A Win
The Elite & FTR battled Dark Order in a 12-man tag team match to begin the show.
Match Recap: Brodie Lee and Nick Jackson started off the action. Matt tagged in and blasted Brodie in the face with a Dropkick. Young Bucks tried to beat Brodie down some more but exploded out of nowhere with a Clothesline that took Matt and Nick down.
#9 tagged in and Young Bucks beat him down in the corner. Omega tagged in and went for the cover but Evil Uno and Grayson broke it up. FTR, Page, and Omega connected with a triple Suplex on Dark Order for another near fall.
Dark Order took control and isolated Kenny Omega in the ring for the next couple of minutes. Omega battled back with a Backbreaker and tagged in Dax Hawwood. Dax hit #5 with an elbow to the face and followed it up with a headbutt for a two count.
Cash tagged in and planted Grayson with a Back Suplex. Hangman tagged in and #5 rolled him up for a near fall. The Elite teamed up on Five and beat him down. Nick Jackson took out some of the Dark Order with a flip outside the ring.
Harwood tweaked his knee and Kenny tagged in. Omega hit a Powerbomb but Dark Order broke up the cover. Dax was assisted backstage by the rest of The Elite as Kenny was left alone in the ring. Matt hopped on the apron and tagged in. Brodie planted Matt with a Slam and Stu tagged in.
Dark Order beat Matt down and Colt Cabana hit a Splash for a near fall. Hangman Page went backstage with FTR as Dark Order dominated Omega and the Young Bucks. Hangman made his way back to the ring and planted #5 on the apron. Page climbed to the top rope and hit a Moonsault onto Dark Order outside the ring. Brodie Lee leveled Hangman with a massive Lariat for the pinfall victory.
Santana & Ortiz Destroyed Trent’s Mom’s Car
Best Friends squared off against Santana & Ortiz tonight on Dynamite.
Match Recap: Santana beat Chuck down and tagged in Ortiz. Chuck quickly turned the tables and brought Ortiz to the corner. Trent tagged in and went to work on Ortiz’s arm. Trent connected with Double Knees and followed it up with a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall.
Trent hit Santana with a Tornado DDT and then delivered a Cutter to Ortiz. Best Friends shared a hug as Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Trent and Ortiz were trading shots in the middle of the ring. The action spilled to the outside and Ortiz launched Trent into the barricade.
Back in the ring, Santana tagged in and hit Trent with Backbreaker for a two count. Chuck Taylor finally tagged back in and hit Santana with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Chuck followed it up with a Falcon Arrow for another two count. Santana planted Trent with a Powerbomb for a two count. Ortiz tagged in and got rolled up by Trent for the pinfall victory. Santana and Ortiz then went to Trent’s mom car and hit it with a sledgehammer several times.
Best Friends later called Santana and Ortiz cowards for destroying Trent’s mom car. Best Friends said they wanted a rematch and after they beat them, Santana and Ortiz will have to apologize to Trent’s mom on speaker phone.
On just a week’s notice, Jon Moxley and Darby Allin met inside of the squared circle.
Moxley made his latest defense of the AEW World Heavyweight Title against the rising star in the main event of Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
Moxley successfully retained the title over Allin from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. During the match, MJF came out and hit Moxley with the title, which busted him open. Despite this, Moxley managed to pull through and hit Allin with a Paradigm Shift and scored the clean pin.
AEW set up this contest last week when Moxley and Allin defeated Brian Cage & Ricky Starks in a Texas Tornado Tag Team Match in the main event.
After the match, Tony Schiavone announced as the show was about to go off the air that AEW President Tony Khan had told him that these two stars would meet in a title bout. They proceeded to have a staredown.
The AEW All Out pay-per-view event will take place on Saturday, September 5, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. At this show, MJF will challenge Moxley for the
As expected, Eric Bischoff made an appearance on AEW Dynamite, which marked his promotional debut.
All Elite Wrestling had previously announced that Chris Jericho would debate Orange Cassidy with a special guest moderator on Wednesday’s broadcast from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. It marked the first appearance for Bischoff on TNT since the summer of 2000 on WCW.
The promotion hadn’t announced who the moderator would be, but it turned out to be Bischoff. His appearance on this show was leaked last week.
Bischoff was behind a desk on the stage while Jericho and Cassidy were in the ring at podiums. Jericho mostly trash-talked Cassidy during the segment.
It was revealed that Jericho will battle Cassidy next week in a singles match. The stipulation is that if Cassidy loses then he’ll have to pay $7,000 for the expensive shirt that he destroyed when he dumped orange juice on him and fellow members of The Inner Circle.
.@EBischoff has arrived and is your special guest moderator in this debate!
Bischoff had been in WWE while serving as the SmackDown Executive Director for a few months in 2019. He was replaced by Bruce Prichard as the Executive Director of SmackDown.
Since that time, he has continued his 83 Weeks podcast with Conrad Thompson.
AEW star MJF recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio show. The ‘Salt of The Earth’ appeared on the show to discuss his ongoing role with All Elite Wrestling, specifically his recent promo on AEW Dynamite where he called out AEW Champion Jon Moxley.
During said promo, MJF stated that he would be wrestling for AEW for “another 25 years.” Maxwell Jacob Friedman clarified those statements on Busted Open, comparing his career trajectory to that of Chris Jericho.
MJF on Chris Jericho
“That’s just accurate, nothing, nothing that came out of my mouth wasn’t something that I hold true” MJF began on the show. “There was no hyperbole, it was just all facts. I said, ‘grab a calculator’ because in fact, right now? Who’s one of the top stars in pro wrestling? The guy’s name is Chris Jericho, my hat’s off to him. The man’s 49.”
“In 25 years from now? I will be 49” MJF continued. “So that is why I was so comfortable saying that, and to be honest with the way I wrestle? My style? I’m probably going to be able to wrestle till I’m 70 on top. Because I’m not being an idiot.”
MJF would elaborate on this further, saying this his in-ring style is not the ‘car-crash’ that his peers appear to have adopted. “I’m not doing what everyone else in my generation is doing; which is succumbing to this car-crash style that ‘Dictator Jon [Moxley]’ wants us to succumb to. I’m not going to jump into that style, because I want to make sure that I am helping our company. I want to help them go from being the alternative, I’m not saying I want to monopolise professional wrestling, that didn’t come out of my mouth. What I am saying, though? Is I want AEW to be number one, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Do you think that MJF will be a major star for at least the next 25 years? Let us know in the comments
All Elite Wrestling has announced a new “dynamic membership platform” for female wrestling fans, AEW Heels. The new female-forward community led by Brandi Rhodes will hold its first event this Friday, August 7th. Rhodes also spoke with Sports Illustrated this week about the initiative.
AEW Heels began earlier this year with two online video conference events. AEW says the Heels program is “designed to celebrate and inspire” female wrestling fans around the world.
AEW sent in the following press release regarding the AEW Heels subscription platform:
August 5, 2020 – AEW Heels, the new female-focused wrestling community led by AEW Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes and the stars of AEW’s women’s division, today announced the launch of its new fan membership platform. Powered by Wonderful Union’s secure digital platform, female wrestling fans can seamlessly access AEW Heels’ exclusive content and other special benefits — all in a safe environment for engaging in conversation and developing friendships worldwide.
With an annual paid subscription of $49, members receive access to a variety of features including virtual meet-and-greets, video conference discussions with industry experts, exclusive AEW talent Q&A sessions, customized merchandise, special promotions, themed parties and more. The secure space enables AEW Heels members to connect, learn and thrive together through shared passions for women’s wrestling.
Female fans can subscribe to AEW Heels at: AllEliteHeels.com
The first event for AEW Heels members is scheduled for Friday, August 7, which is included in the annual subscription. The virtual event will be curated on the platform and feature a Q&A session with Aubrey Edwards, a social media strategizing discussion with Brandi, and a special session on respect and empowerment in the workplace with Keisha-Ann Gray, partner at Proskauer.
“AEW Heels is a first-of-its-kind community designed to celebrate and inspire our female fans around the world,” said AEW Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes. “With our new platform, we look forward to the next step in connecting the AEW Heels community and making this the best time ever to be a female wrestling fan.”
AEW Heels debuted earlier this year with two special video conference sessions designed for women. Session elements included a Q&A with former AEW Women’s World Champion Nyla Rose, a tutorial with renowned AEW makeup artist Stella Kae, and a mental health seminar with AEW Chief Legal Officer Megha Parekh, as well as a sweepstakes program and donation opportunities to support The George Floyd Memorial Fund and The Trevor Project.
About AEW Heels
AEW Heels is a new community for females who love wrestling. The female-forward movement, led by Brandi Rhodes and the stars of AEW’s women’s division, is designed to celebrate and inspire our female fans around the world. AEW Heels is dedicated to making this the best time ever to be a female wrestling fan. Be who you are and come as you are, because we’re all going to come together as a community to change the world. For more info, check out @AEW_Heels (Twitter) and @AEW_Heels (Instagram).
AEW has released new rankings ahead of tonight’s episode of Dynamite. FTR debut in the rankings at the #1 spot after being officially signed to contracts last week.
Here are this week’s AEW Top-5 rankings:
AEW Men’s Singles Division
AEW World Champion: Jon Moxley (14-0) TNT Champion: Cody (17-1)
MJF (8-0)
Lance Archer (10-1)
Brian Cage (6-1)
Brodie Lee (5-1)
Darby Allin (7-4)
There was no movement in the men’s single’s rankings this week. Many of the top stars of the division had the week off. TNT Champion Cody did successfully defend his title against Warhorse on last week’s Dynamite, however. He’ll team with Matt Cardona tonight to go up against the Dark Order.
#5 Darby Allin teamed up with World Champion Jon Moxley last week to defeat #3 Brian Cage and Ricky Starks. After the win, it was announced that Allin will face Moxley this week for the title.
AEW Women’s Division
AEW Women’s Champion: Hikaru Shida (15-1)
Nyla Rose (7-2)
Big Swole (5-3)
Penelope Ford (5-4)
Abadon (3-1) (+1)
Dr. Britt Baker (4-4) (-1)
Abadon continues her creepy climb up the rankings this week. She moves into the #4 spot, replacing the injured Britt Baker after picking up another victory on Dark.
Champion Hikaru Shida picked up a win last week over the unranked Diamante.
The Women’s Tag Team Cup kicked off this week. #1 Nyla Rose’s team with Ariane Andrew was ousted in the first round by the Dark Order’s Anna Jay and the debuting Tay Conti. Allie and Brandi Rhodes also picked up the victory over #3 Penelope Ford and the unranked former member of the Nightmare Collective, Mel.
#2 Big Swole is suspended and #5 Britt Baker is injured.
AEW Tag Team Division
AEW Tag Team Champions: Kenny Omega & “Hangman” Page (11-0)
FTR (5-0) (previously unranked)
Best Friends (12-4)
Dark Order (8-0) (-2)
Young Bucks (5-2) (-1)
Jurassic Express (5-2) (-1)
The biggest news this week in terms of the rankings is FTR debuting in the #1 contender position. FTR is undefeated in 2-on-2 tag matches since arriving in AEW. They’ve defeated The Butcher and the Blade, SCU, Lucha Bros, Brandon Cutler & Peter Avalon, and Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison.
Last week, the champions successfully retained over the Dark Order. As a result, Evil Uno and Stu Grayson drop down 2 spots in the rankings.
Tonight on Dynamite, #1 FTR teams with #4 the Young Bucks and the tag champions to face 6 members of the Dark Order.
#2 The Best Friends will also take on the unranked Proud and Powerful on Dynamite tonight.
One of All Elite Wrestling’s newest signings is Matt Cardona, formerly WWE Superstar Zack Ryder. In an interview with Busted Open Radio, Cardona spoke about his recent debut in AEW after saving Cody during last week’s episode of Dynamite.
Cardona confessed he was nervous leading up to his debut. He recalled how he felt as though he was “walking in there like the new kid in school.” He shared how he was familiar with so many of the talent backstage through their work or social media. That being said, he “didn’t really know them.”
“It was weird introducing myself to these people who I know. Some people I watched wrestle for years, Cardona said. “Everyone was very welcoming and very inviting. They made me feel like I was there the whole time.”
Cardona then spoke about his continual love for pro wrestling. He explained how there had been times when it has “sucked and there was no light at the end of the tunnel.” He stressed that it’s during those times you “really have to love it.”
“It is so easy to love it when you are on TV every week and in a great spot. Who wouldn’t love that. You have to love it when you are sitting in catering. You have to love it when you are not booked. You have to love it when things aren’t going your way.”
Pointing to his Dynamite experience last week, Cardona explained how moments like that feel “so much better and sweeter” because of his previous frustrations.
Matt Cardona teams up with Cody tonight on AEW Dynamite. They face off against Dark Order’s Alex Reynolds and John Silver.
Former WWE Superstars Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows have made it clear: they want to see AJ Styles back in Impact Wrestling. Speaking with Gary Cassidy of Sportskeeda, The Good Brothers also shared Styles’ reaction to their decision to sign with Impact Wrestling.
Luke Gallows revealed how Styles called them when he “knew that it was actually confirmed.” He acknowledged how Styles’ WWE schedule is so hectic and that they, in turn, have been “busier than we’ve ever been.”
He revealed how they’d been occupied putting plans in place, but Styles let them know he was happy for them and their decision during a phone call. Gallows then noted how neither he nor Anderson “ever actually went to AJ for advice on whether we should do it or not.”
At this point, Karl Anderson chimed in with their ultimate ambition. According to him, he and Luke Gallows want to entice Styles back to Impact Wrestling, where he once enjoyed several years as one of their top stars.
“Ultimately, we’re going to talk AJ Styles into coming back to IMPACT. That’s what we’re doing every single day. We’re texting him and telling him to come back.”
AJ Styles recently moved to SmackDown following issues with Paul Heyman on Monday Night RAW. He subsequently won the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
After appearing on Slammiversary, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows recently made their Impact Wrestling in-ring debut, which you can see below:
Former SmackDown Executive Director and WCW President Eric Bischoff has commented on RAW’s declining viewership. Speaking with Chris Featherstone of Sportskeeda, Bischoff addressed pro wrestling’s current viewership and ratings. He also discussed how AEW is growing and recovering despite the difficulties of the coronavirus.
Bischoff explained how no promotion bar AEW is “starting to show real signs of life,” pointing to how the promotion was recently “knocking on a million viewers again.”
It’s a number he noted wasn’t too far from what they were achieving during Dynamite’s debut. He called this “a really good sign” for AEW’s future during COVID-19.
Turning his attention to WWE’s RAW and SmackDown shows, Eric Bischoff talked about how “SmackDown hasn’t fallen farther than it has, it’s not gonna sound like anything to cheer about. I think that’s a good sign.”
He believes SmackDown has “stabilized” during this time. Bischoff pointed out how SmackDown is still “delivering over two million,” which puts them where WWE wants it to be for their key demos. According to him, “they’re more than treading water in that regard.”
RAW, however, is a different story.
Bischoff acknowledged how RAW seems to be “suffering.” He stressed how seeing AEW grow and SmackDown maintain steady viewership and “not dropping like a rock” unlike RAW can only be interpreted as a good thing for those brands during a pandemic.
Chris Jericho has spoken about his future retirement plans during a recent episode of his YouTube show, Saturday Night Special. During the episode, Jericho revealed how he had intended to begin hinting towards retirement back in 2015. However, his best friend storyline with Kevin Owens allegedly rekindled his passion for pro wrestling, leading him to nix any retirement plans.
He shared how he “started having fun again” after contemplating a reduced schedule that would seem him “wind down” and compete at WWE house shows. Jericho gave it serious consideration after discovering how much fun he was having on house shows. This was because they were “fun [without] the pressure.”
“[…] I came back and I started having so much fun, and then I met Kevin Owens. We had a great chemistry, we clicked right away, and I was like, ‘This guy get it. He’s a lot like me, like, he doesn’t take things seriously but he takes his work seriously. He’s not afraid to look himself look stupid if it’s willing to get a reaction. That’s when the whole Jericho/Owens best friends thing happened, and that’s when I was like, ‘This is awesome’.”
Chris Jericho’s Future Retirement Plans
Turning his attention to future retirement plans once he is done with in-ring competition, the “Demo God” confessed he doesn’t have a specific date in mind. He shared how, even when he does retire, he would want to continue being a part of the business. Jericho suggested he would be interested in a commentary role or becoming a consultant.
He stressed how he’s not interested in becoming an Executive Vice President or a writer for any promotion. Jericho also added how he’d want to continue hosting shows like Saturday Night Special and his podcast Talk is Jericho, as well as pursuing more acting opportunities.
AEW’s Women’s Tag Team Cup Tournament kicked off tonight on the company’s YouTube channel and it saw the debut of not one but two former WWE stars.
The show started with WWE Hall of Famer Madusa introducing the trophy that will be rewarded to the winning team. Tony Schiavone and Veda Scott were on the commentary for the show.
The tournament will see 8 teams fighting for the trophy. The competition interestingly has a random draw for partners meaning that the competitors do not know who will be their partner before the match.
The first match of the show saw Brandi Rhodes teaming with Allie to face the team of Penelope Ford and Mel. Brandi won this bout for her team via a pin after hitting Mel with a spear.
The second match saw the debuts of former WWE star Ariane Andrew better known to WWE fans as Cameron and Tay Conti who was known as Taynara Conti.
The match saw Anna Jay and Tay Conti teaming together to face Nyla Rose and Ariane Andrew. The match was won by Jay and Conti with Anna Jay picking up a pinfall victory over Ariane Andrew
Due to the random draw format, the company has not announced the matches for next week. You can check out this week’s episode featuring the debut of the former WWE stars below:
Matt Cardona has opened up on his current AEW deal and his goals in the promotion.
We noted over the weekend that Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder, is currently working on a five appearance deal with the company, according to Wrestling Inc.
Rick Ucchino of Sportskeeda has since had the opportunity to speak with Cardona, who confirmed that it is a short deal.
However, he plans to stay in AEW for much longer and even has goals of becoming not only the AEW TNT Champion but also the AEW World Heavyweight Champion.
“Yes, so there’s a couple appearances, a few appearances right now, but listen…I’m not here for a little vacation,” Cardona said. “I’m here to win the TNT Title, the AEW Title, to get all those action figures! I’m here because I want to be here. You know what I’m saying? So we’ll get there. Just stayed tuned. Everybody just take a chill pill, and relax, and enjoy the show!”
The belief is that the former WWE Intercontinental Champion could end up signing a longer deal should he impress AEW executives.
Cardona will team with Cody to face John Silver and Alex Reynolds this Wednesday night on Dynamite in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place on TNT.
Several upcoming episodes of AEW Dynamite will be preempted by NBA basketball games on TNT.
WarnerMedia announced the following schedule change for the August 19th, August 26th, and September 16th shows:
The Wednesday, August 19th Dynamite episode will air on Saturday, August 22nd at 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT
The Wednesday, August 26th Dynamite episode will air Thursday, August 27th at 8:00pm ET/PT
The Wednesday, September 16th Dynamite episode will air Thursday, September 17th at 8:00pm ET/PT
The episode of AEW Dynamite that airs on Saturday, August 22nd will act as a “lead-in” (with an hour of overlap) to NXT Takeover XXX, which kicks off at 7pm that night on the WWE Network.
The preemptions will not affect the All Out go-home or post-show episodes.
It will be interesting to see how AEW Dynamite and NXT television viewership is impacted by these changes. NXT should see a significant uptick in viewership by airing in its usual time slot without direct competition from AEW. Dynamite will have three shows without the NXT opposition, but airing on different nights than fans are used to will not help matters.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman will challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at the upcoming All Out pay-per-view. AEW announced the news on Monday afternoon.
MJF has been the top ranked men’s singles competitor on the weekly AEW Rankings. In recent weeks, he has been campaigning against Moxley using hashtags including #NotMyChampion.
Last week on AEW Dynamite, he delivered a blistering promo on Dynamite during his State of the Industry address. MJF criticized Moxley for holding him down and referred to him as a ‘dictator.’
Moxley has been AEW World Champion since February when he dethroned Le Chamion Chris Jericho at AEW Revolution.
Both Jon Moxley and MJF will appear this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite. Moxley will defend the AEW World Championship against Darby Allin. MJF will be on hand to deliver his next State of the Industry address. You can be sure MJF will have some things to say about AEW officials deciding to award him this championship opportunity.
AEW All Out takes place on Saturday, September 5th from Jacksonville, FL. The show will stream live on BR Live and FITE.tv (Internationally).
The 8-team ‘Deadly Draw’ tournament will air exclusively on AEW’s YouTube channel. New matches premiere Monday nights at 7pm (Eastern).
The first match of the tournament will see Nyla Rose and former WWE wrestler Ariane Andrew vs. Anna Jay of the Dark order and former NXT star Tay Conti.
As of this writing, two other teams are confirmed for the tournament:
Ivelisse & Diamante
Brandi Rhodes & Allie
The winners of the tournament will receive the AEW Women’s Tag Team Cup trophy.
AEW will be running a women’s tag team tournament this summer. The teams will be drawn at random and the first pairing was made on Dynamite this week. Nyla Rose will be teaming with Ariane Andrew, the former Cameron in WWE.
Chris Jericho noted a few more teams for the tournament recently. He revealed 3 pairings of teams for the tournament on his Saturday night live stream. One of the teams involves former NXT star, Taynara Conti.
Here are the teams Chris Jericho revealed for the tournament recently:
Taynara Conti & Anna Jay
Ivelisse & Diamante
Allie & Brandi Rhodes
Brandi Rhodes spoke about how the tournament is a bit of an experiment. If it goes well and fans respond positively to it, the tournament could become an annual event.
“I think that’s how you look at a lot of things. You try things, you see how they go. I, of course, am very hopeful that this tournament is something that can continue to happen as it’s going to bring great opportunities to a lot of women who don’t normally get to be seen on Dynamite or on AEW Dark as often as we’d like to.”
Although Matt Cardona has joined AEW that doesn’t mean that he’s under a long term deal.
Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder, is currently working on a five appearance deal with the company, according to Wrestling Inc.
It appears to be a tryout situation for the former WWE Intercontinental Champion with the possibility of him signing a longer deal should he impress AEW executives including AEW President Tony Khan.
Ryder had been on the sidelines while he awaited his WWE non-compete deal to expire from April through July 15th. Of course, he was let go during the company’s massive layoffs and furloughs.
The public reason given at the time was that the cuts were due to budget cuts related to the coronavirus. It turns out that the firings came during the same quarter that WWE had its most profitable time to date.
Cardona made his promotional debut this past Wednesday night when he saved Cody Rhodes from an attack by the Dark Order. This came right after Rhodes had successfully retained the AEW TNT Title over Warhorse.
Cardona will team with Cody to face John Silver and Alex Reynolds next Wednesday night on Dynamite in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place on TNT.
After making a strong impression on the microphone and in the ring against Cody on Dynamite 2 weeks back, AEW has signed Eddie Kingston. The 18-year veteran pro has had stints with ROH, the NWA, CHIKARA, Impact Wrestling, CZW, and PWG.
“I learned a long time ago, in this life, you never lose, you learn,” Kingston said following his match with Cody on Dynamite. “I learned tonight that Cody is the better man, he’s the better grappler, he was the better fighter. But just tonight. I’ve been doing this for a very long time … I have nothing else in this life that I love doing.”
“So whether AEW brings me back or not, I’m going to keep going. I’m going to keep going until the wheels fall off,” Kingston continued. As it turns out, AEW will be bringing him back regularly as an official member of its roster.
Kingston spent 2019 with the National Wrestling Alliance. He formed “Outlaw Inc” along with former ROH World Champion, Homicide. In 2018, Kingston managed “The OGZ” in a feud against Konnan and LAX. The OGZ consisted of former LAX members Homicide and Hernandez.
Eric Bischoff is reportedly making his AEW debut next week.
Reddit user SpaceForce1, who previously provided correct Dynamite spoilers after being a member of the crowd at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, reports that Bischoff will appear during next Wednesday’s taped Dynamite episode on TNT.
Bischoff will reportedly appear during the debate segment between Chris Jericho and Orange Cassidy. AEW previously announced that the debate will feature a special guest moderator, which apparently is Bischoff.
There is no word yet on if Bischoff will work with AEW past this segment. He has been without a job in pro wrestling since being released from his role as SmackDown Executive Director in October 2019, just a few months after WWE hired him in June 2019.
AEW President & CEO Tony Khan previously praised the former WCW President during the 83 Weeks podcast hosted by Bischoff and Conrad Thompson. Khan stated that there would be no AEW without Bischoff.
“Just so you know, and over the course of this conversation I’m sure it will come across, I am such a huge fan of your work and you are such an incredible innovator in the business,” Khan said to Bischoff during the 83 Weeks interview.
“I wouldn’t be here and there would not be an AEW without you and there would not be wrestling on TNT right now without you,” Khan continued. “You gave me the opening to talk to the President of TNT to talk about the previous success you’d had on his network which he didn’t realize because it’s been 20 years.”
Here is the announced line-up for next Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite episode on TNT:
* Jon Moxley defends the AEW World Championship against Darby Allin
* The Dark Order vs. FTR and The Elite in a 12-man tag team match
* MJF delivers another State of the Industry Address
* Matt Cardona’s in-ring debut, teaming with TNT Champion Cody vs. The Dark Order’s John Silver and Alex Reynolds
* Chris Jericho debates Orange Cassidy with a special guest moderator
