All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has opened up about how the promotion intends to utilize their rankings system. It has previously been stressed how wins and losses will matter in AEW.
Speaking with Wrestlezone, Cody Rhodes shared that AEW intends to introduce a Top Five that will be updated every week. He added that fully intend to commit to a “sports-centric” wrestling alternative.
“On the Friday before Full Gear, I think we’re going to put our first-ever ‘Top Fives’ and [that] should become a weekly thing,” Cody said. “This isn’t just broadcast this is also social, just like with college football and the AP Poll, you get your Top 20. Sometimes a guy who is 5-0 is not ranked in the top three because the quality of wins, the softness of the schedule and it’s fun because in college football people argue over—especially when we get near the playoffs—people ‘should, should they not’ [get in]. PAC right now has these great wins over Hangman Page and Kenny Omega, he’s essentially Ohio State for us at this point. There’s gotta be a title shot in his future, and there is if he keeps winning and keeps going, but I believe before Full Gear we’ll have our Top Five for women, for tags and for singles and now that we have more and more every week it helps us so much from data.
He continued, “I’ve expanded—to be fair, Kevin Sullivan’s expanded the lower thirds on talent so you can see their records. We want their records to be more present because Jim Ross is talking about them, Tony Schiavone is talking about them.” Cody said. “Once we get a few more wins, a few more losses, a few more draws, whatever they may be, it really helps create that tapestry for us which is something we promised and it wasn’t just a campaign promise. Sports-centric, the guys winning the matches are the guys getting the title matches.”
Cody Rhodes is scheduled to compete against AEW World Champion Chris Jericho at their next big event, Full Gear. The show takes place on November 9th from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.
Viewership data has been released for the October 16th editions of AEW Dynamite on TNT and NXT on the USA Network.
Week 3 of the Wednesday Night War is in the books and AEW was victorious once again in total viewers and the coveted Adults 18-49 demographic. Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of Showbuzz Daily:
Dynamite
AEW Dynamite on TNT averaged 1,014,00 viewers, down from last week’s 1,140,000 viewers (a total of the TNT and TruTV Simulcast).
Dynamite did a 0.44 in the 18-49 demo, also down but close to last week’s 0.46. It ranked 5th on cable for the night.
The show featured Chris Jericho defending the AEW World Championship against Darby Allin in the main event, Riho defending the AEW Women’s Championship, 2 AEW World Tag Team Champion Tournament first round matches and the hot Kenny Omega & Hangman Page vs. Jon Moxley & PAC tag match.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman had the chance to join Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle faction on the second edition of AEW Dynamite. Instead of joining the champion’s group, however, MJF attacked them and confirmed his allegiance with his good friend Cody Rhodes.
Backstage at the show last night in Philadelphia, MJF took part in an interview and spoke about why he chose not to join Jericho’s stable.
“I guess a lot of people are just really dumb, Jen,” MJF said when Jennifer Decker suggested a lot of people thought he would turn on Cody. “On yeah, you know what I want to do? Let me join the Inner Circle jerk. Yippee. Oh, let me get the opportunity to hang out with Jake Hager, what a charismatic fellow!”
MJF and Decker then performed a short roleplay exercise with MJF playing the role of Hager. MJF was then asked if he had a favorite in the match between Jericho and Darby Allin which would take place later that night.
“Obviously I don’t know like Chris Jericho because he hurt my best friend, Cody Rhodes. As a matter of fact, I hate ‘Mid-Life Crisis Chris’ but I also hate that emo-skater, nerd, Darby Allin.”
Cody Rhodes posted about a nice surprise found backstage at AEW Dynamite last night. He noted on Twitter that a tribute to his father, the legendary Dusty Rhodes, was positioned in the spot backstage which is now named after him.
Cody posted the following on Twitter in regards to the tribute to his father:
What a wonderful surprise to find in the Go Position…
Chris Jericho’s feelings regarding Cody’s father play has played a role in the build-up to the AEW World championship match at Full Gear. Shortly after the match was announced, Jericho posted a video of him speaking poorly of Dusty.
“That son of a b*tch, promised me a lot of things that never happened. Fast-forward 25 years and now this son of a b*tch, you Cody, promised me a lot of stuff that also didn’t happen but I’ll promise you this, I don’t like you are or your family but I love being ‘le Champion’ and I’m going to beat the hell out of you and teach your entitled ass a lesson on November 9th in Baltimore, my birthday.”
“The greatest birthday present I could ever receive is beating the crap out of you, Cody. Welcome to my nightmare, I don’t think you’re going to like it. You’re welcome.”
The October 16th edition of AEW Dynamite aired live from the Liacouras Center on Temple University in Philadelphia. In addition to the takeaways below, Santana and Ortiz challenged the Young Bucks to a match at Full Gear. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
SCU Overcame An Attack From The Lucha Brothers & Advanced In The Tag Team Tournament
The Lucha Brothers attacked SCU during their entrance at the beginning of the show. Fenix slammed Kazarian into the ring post as Pentagon hit Daniels with a Piledriver on the entrance ramp. Daniels was loaded onto a stretcher and Scorpio Sky took his place in the match.
SCU then battled Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent) in the Tag Team Championship Tournament. Best Friends dominated early and isolated Kazarian in the ring. Scorpio Sky got into the ring but got slammed to the canvas with a Belly to Back Suplex from Trent.
Chucky T hit Scorpio with a Double Stomp and Trent followed it up with a Spear to Kazarian. Best Friends planted Frankie with Double Superplex off the top rope and went for the cover but Kazarian kicked out at two.
Scorpio Sky tagged in and was wrestling in tennis shoes because he wasn’t expecting to compete tonight. Sky lost one of his shoes during the action and the crowd responded with a “he’s got one shoe!” chant.
Sky flipped onto Best Friends outside the ring and then launched his other shoe into the crowd. Someone threw the shoe back into the ring and the crowd erupted. Kazarian planted Trent with a DDT for a near fall.
“He’s got no shoes!” echoed throughout the arena as Sky tagged Frankie in. Kazarian planted Trent with a Body Slam and followed it up with a Springboard Leg Drop for a two count. Best Friends took control and then went for a hug but Scorpio Sky got back into the ring and attacked them.
Trent Dropkicked Scorpio Sky out of the ring and then Best Friends hugged as the crowd cheered. Best Friends hit Kazarian with the Doomsday Knee off the top rope for another near fall. Sky sent Chuck into the barricade as Kazarian connected with a Back Body Drop on the ring apron. SCU then hit Trent with a Powerbomb/Dropkick combo for the pinfall victory. SCU will face the Dark Order next week in the tournament.
Riho defended her AEW Women’s Championship against Britt Baker tonight on Dynamite. The crowd gave Riho a great reaction and chanted her name before the match.
Baker and Riho locked up to start things off. Britt connected with a couple of Arm Drags and then locked up once again. Baker tried to apply Lockjaw but Riho was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold.
Riho and Baker battled on the turnbuckle and Riho knocked her to the canvas. Riho hit a Crossbody but Baker rolled through and went for the cover. Riho escaped and connected with a Dropkick. Riho followed it up with a Double Stomp and then a running knee in the corner.
Riho hit a Snap Suplex and made her way to the top rope. Riho went for a Stomp but Baker got out of the way and hit Riho with a Slingblade. Britt battled back with a Dropkick and went for the cover but Riho kicked out at two.
Baker blocked a roll-up and planted Riho with a Neckbreaker. Britt followed that up with a kick to the face and went for the cover but Riho kicked out at the last moment. Riho hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall and locked in a Half Crab in the middle of the ring.
Britt battled through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold. Riho quickly hit a Double Stomp off the top rope for another near fall. Riho hit Double Knees and went for the cover but Baker kicked out. Baker hit an elbow to the face and applied Lockjaw in the middle of the ring. Riho countered into a cover for the pinfall victory. Riho is still the AEW Women’s Champion.
There were a few moments where Baker and Riho didn’t seem to be on the same page during this match. The ending of the match was very well done with the camera zooming in on Riho’s face as Baker applied the Lockjaw. I was just hoping that this match was going to be better than what we got tonight.
The Lucha Brothers Advanced In The Tag Team Tournament
Lucha Brothers faced Jurassic Express tonight in the Tag Team Tournament. Luchasaurus had to miss the match due to injury and Marko Stunt took his place.
Marko Stunt and Pentagon started off the match. Marko hit a Hurricranrana and then planted Fenix with a DDT. Jungle Boy got in the ring and hit Pentagon with a DDT that sent him out of the ring. Marko hit Fenix with a Suicide Dive and Jungle Boy connected with a Moonsault onto Pentagon.
Back in the ring, Stunt went for the cover but Pentagon kicked out. Pentagon leveled Marko with a Superkick and followed it up with another one to Jungle Boy. Fenix tagged in and walked into a knee to the face from Jungle Boy. Fenix knocked Jungle Boy out of the ring as Pentagon hit a Pumphandle Slam on Marko.
Jungle Boy hit a knee strike and followed it up with a Shooting Star Press on Fenix for a two count. Stunt tagged back in as Pentagon planted Jungle Boy with a Destroyer. Pentagon swung Stunt around by his hair and then snapped back his arm. Lucha Brothers followed it up with a Stomp/Piledriver combo on Stunt for the pinfall victory.
Luchasaurus not being in this match took a lot of the energy out of the crowd. Stunt and Jungle Boy still put on an entertaining match but Luchasaurus is the star of Jurassic Express.
The crowd chanted “happy birthday!” towards Omega as Moxley and Kenny started the match off. Hangman and PAC battled outside the ring as Moxley hit Omega with some chops in the corner.
PAC tagged himself in and hit Page with an Enziguri that sent him tumbling out of the ring. Omega slammed PAC to the canvas but got distracted by Moxley. PAC brought Omega to the corner and Moxley tagged himself in.
Omega battled back with a Suplex and tagged Hangman in. Hangman took out PAC with a Crossbody and followed it up with a Clothesline off the top rope to Moxley. Hangman knocked Moxley out of the ring and then climbed back up to the top rope. PAC distracted Hangman and Moxley capitalized and shoved Page off the turnbuckle as Dynamite went to a commercial break.
When Dynamite returned, Hangman leveled Moxley with a Lariat. PAC and Omega tagged in and traded shots in the middle of the ring. Omega connected with a Moonsault off the second rope and went for the cover but PAC kicked out at two. Kenny planted PAC and then Moxley with a couple of Dragon Suplexes and fired up the crowd.
Moxley hit a Suicide Dive and then turned around into a massive Moonsault from Page. Back in the ring, Omega hit PAC with a Buckle Bomb and followed it up with a Powerbomb. Hangman hit a Shooting Star Press and went for the cover but Moxley broke it up.
Kenny leveled Moxley with the V-Trigger but PAC hit him with a Cutter. Hangman sent PAC out of the ring and hit him with a Suicide Dive that sent PAC flying into the barricade. Moxley and Omega then traded punches in the middle of the ring. Omega hit a knee to the face but Moxley bounced off the ropes and connected with a massive Clothesline.
Omega and Moxley then grabbed barbed wire weapons from under the ring. Moxley and Omega made their way into the ring and the referee rolled to the outside after Jon got in his face. PAC got into the ring and booted Omega in the chest and then ripped the barbed wire bat away from Moxley.
PAC told Moxley to use his head and not get disqualified. Moxley flipped PAC off and then planted him with the Paradigm Shift. Moxley then left the ring and made his way backstage. Hangman planted PAC with the Deadeye for the pinfall victory. It was announced that PAC will face Jon Moxley next week on Dynamite.
I thought this match was awesome. I loved how PAC tried to stop Moxley from getting disqualified because wins and losses matter in AEW. PAC feels that he deserves a title shot and doesn’t want anything to get in the way of that. Moxley giving him the double birds and turning his back on PAC completely fits his character.
Jake Hager Helped Jericho Retain The AEW Championship
Chris Jericho defended the AEW Championship against Darby Allin in a Philadelphia Street Fight the main event of Dynamite. Jericho came down to the ring dressed as the Painmaker.
Allin connected with a Dropkick and then Clotheslined Jericho the outside. Darby followed it up with a Suicide Dive before rolling Jericho in the ring. Jericho planted Allin with a Back Drop and then some chops in the corner of the ring. Jericho slammed Allin’s knee into the ring post as Dynamite went to a break.
When Dynamite returned, Allin rolled up Jericho for a two count. Darby grabbed a kendo stick and hit Jericho a couple of times. Darby locked in an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring but Jericho broke free. Chris applied the Walls of Jericho for a bit but Allin grabbed the ropes. Jericho started arguing with referee Aubrey Edwards and Allin capitalized by hitting Jericho with the kendo stick.
Allin connected with a Crossbody off the top rope and went for the cover but Jericho kicked out at two. Jericho connected with the Codebreaker and went for the pin but Allin grabbed the bottom rope to break it up. Jericho brought a steel chair into the ring and set it up in the corner.
Darby battled back and hit a Stunner for a near fall. Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho again but Allin was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold. Jericho taped Allin’s hands behind his back and stomped on him in the corner of the ring.
Allin somehow hit a Lionsault and then Dropkicked Jericho out of the ring. Darby dove through the ropes and flipped onto Jericho as the crowd chanted “holy shit!”. Allin climbed up to the top rope and flipped onto Jericho once again for a near fall. Jericho Clotheslined Allin to the mat and then Powerbombed him on top of the skateboard for a near fall.
Darby ducked under a chair shot and Dropkicked the chair into Jericho’s face. Allin climbed to the top rope but Jake Hager rushed the ring and punched Allin in the face. Chris applied the Walls of Jericho and the referee called for the bell. Inner Circle came down to the ring and celebrated with a little bit of the bubbly as Dynamite went off the air.
Darby Allin has an incredibly bright future in AEW. The crowd is already behind him and he clearly has no fear in the ring. It was obvious who was going to win this one but it still was an entertaining match. Jericho versus Cody should be excellent at Full Gear on November 9th. Overall, this week’s episode of Dynamite was solid. I’m already looking forward to PAC versus Moxley on next week’s show.
Chris Jericho made his first title defense as the AEW World Heavyweight Champion.
He did so when he beat Darby Allin in a street fight on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. This served as the main event of the show.
This contest was set up during last week’s show in Boston, MA at the Agganis Arena when Allin took on Jimmy Havoc in a #1 Contender’s Match. Allin was victorious and earned the right to challenge Le Champion this week.
It will be interesting to see where Allin goes from here as many fans are high on him. On the flip side, Jericho already has his next feud lined up.
Jericho makes his next title defense on PPV when he wrestles Cody Rhodes at the upcoming Full Gear pay-per-view event.
AEW presents Full Gear on Saturday, November 9th from Baltimore’s Royal Farms Arena. The show will air on B/R Live, which is Bleacher Report’s streaming service, traditional PPV outlets, and FITE TV in international markets.
Another great night of wrestling is on tap for next week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
All Elite Wrestling has announced a total of five matches for this show and it’s a stacked card.
Jon Moxley vs. PAC in a singles match appears to be the main event of the show. AEW set up this contest on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite when Hangman Adam Page and Kenny Omega beat Jon Moxley and PAC in a tag team match that served as the co-main event.
The finish saw Moxley turn on PAC that allowed Omega and Page to hit their finishers on PAC to win the contest.
Also, The Young Bucks and Britt Baker will be in action. These matches were announced on this week’s show as well.
AEW Dynamite Preview (10/23)
Next week’s episode of AEW Dynamite takes place in Pittsburgh, PA at the Petersen Events Center and will mark the fourth episode. More matches and segments are expected to be added. Here is the updated card:
Jon Moxley vs. PAC
The Dark Order vs. SoCal Uncensored – Semi-Final Tag Team Title Tournament Match
Private Party vs. Lucha Bros – Semi-Final Tag Team Title Tournament Match
The teams competing in the semi-finals of the tournament that will determine who will be crowned the inaugural AEW tag team champions have been revealed.
A pair of first-round matches were held on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. Those matches were SoCal Uncensored vs. Best Friends and Lucha Bros vs. Jurassic Express.
As seen on the show, SoCal Uncensored and Lucha Bros won their respective matches. As a result, the semi-finals have been determined.
The semi-finals will see The Dark Order face SoCal Uncensored while Private Party will take on Lucha Bros.
The Dark Order defeated The Best Friends to earn the first-round bye in the tournament at the AEW All Out pay-per-view event that aired live on Bleacher Report’s streaming service, B/R Live.
The semi-finals of the tournament will take place on the fourth AEW on TNT episode in Pittsburgh.
The first-ever AEW World Tag Team Champions will be crowned with the finals on the fifth AEW TNT episode on October 30 in Charleston, WV.
Previously announced for this show was the fact that Jon Moxley will be in action and likely further his program against Kenny Omega. More matches will be announced shortly.
Due to hamstring injury, Luchasaurus will be unable to compete on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite. He was scheduled to team with Jungle Boy against the Lucha Bros. (Pentagon & Fenix) in a first round match of the AEW Tag Team Championship tournament.
Earlier today, the decision was made to pull him from the match as a precaution. Marko Stunt will fill in for the big man. Stunt is an exciting performer, but this has to be seen as a big setback for the Jurassic Express in their quest to make history in AEW.
Check back later tonight for our Takeaways article covering the big happenings from AEW Dynamite.
AEW Dynamite Preview
The following is an updated preview for tonight’s AEW Dynamite from Philadelphia, PA:
– AEW Champion Chris Jericho vs. Darby Allin in a Street Fight
– Jon Moxley & PAC vs. Adam Page & Kenny Omega
– AEW Women’s Champion Riho vs. Dr. Britt Baker
– SCU vs. Best Friends (AEW Tag Tournament First Round Match)
– Jungle Boy & Marko Stunt vs. Lucha Bros (AEW Tag Tournament First Round Match)
Santana and Ortiz joined Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle faction shortly upon debuting in AEW. Recently on the “Keepin it 100” podcast, Konnan was asked about potentially joining the other members of LAX in All Elite Wrestling. According to Konnan, it had originally been discussed that he would come in with Santana and Ortiz but ultimately the decision was made to put them in Chris Jericho’s new faction.
“I was originally supposed to do something with them and then they went with Jericho,” Konnan said. “We’re still talking about some stuff.”
Konnan continued to talk about the success of the LAX gimmick.
“As for LAX, both versions have been great. I’d have to find the right people to do it again. I was very fortunate that the first time we had great chemistry with Hernandez and Homicide, and then the second time with Santana and Ortiz and for a little while, Diamante. I’m going to be doing like a new character which will be kind of based on the LAX character in Impact.”
Disco Inferno then suggested that he and Juventud Guerrera join Konnan in the new LAX but Konnan did not respond positively to this.
The full conversation can be heard in the player below:
The latest episode of AEW Dark is now online. This week’s installment was taped at last week’s AEW Dynamite show from Boston, MA.
AEW Dark Week 2 features a PPV-caliber, non-sanctioned ‘Lights Out’ match between Kenny Omega and Joey Janela, referee Aubrey Edwards speaking with Cody Rhodes on “Undesirable To Undeniable” and two more matches.
Backstage we see Tony Schiavone with The Young Bucks when Kenny Omega enters. After the quick backstage segment, the intro for the sophomore edition of AEW Dark airs as we launch into this week’s show.
Match Number One – Kip Sabian vs. Peter Avalon vs. Sonny Kiss
The first match of the evening saw Sabian pick up the victory over Avalon in the Triple-Threat opener.
Avalon came out first cutting a promo as he made his way to the ring. Sabian and Kiss made their entrances and the action is underway in Boston.
The finish sees Sabian score the pin fall victory over Avalon after the Deathly Hallows.
Winner: Kip Sabian
Match Number Two – SCU & CIMA vs. The Dark Order & The Hybird 2
In the second match of the evening, we see SoCal Uncensored team up with CIMA to take on The Dark Order and The Hybrid 2.
This match is given some time and develops well, concluding when Evans scores the pin fall victory for his team over Scorpio Sky with a rolling crab.
Winners: The Dark Order & The Hybrid 2
Undesirable To Undeniable: Aubrey Edwards
In a video segment dubbed “Undesirable to Undeniable,” AEW EVP Cody Rhodes sits down with AEW referee Aubrey Edwards.
They have a short interview segment where Edwards talks about her career, which included a stint as an official for WWE.
AEW Full Gear 2019
Some promotion and discussion about the upcoming AEW Full Gear pay-per-view at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on November 9th airs as we prepare for our main event of the evening.
Match Number Three – (Lights Out Match) – Kenny Omega vs. Joey Janela
In an excellent main event, we see Kenny Omega going one-on-one against Joey Janela in their advertised “Lights Out Match.”
This one is given well over a half an hour to develop, which the crowd being into the action throughout.
A lot of “foreign objects” made appearances in this one as well, as Omega and Janela beat each other from pillar-to-post with virtually anything that wasn’t nailed down inside the arena in Boston.
Finally, the match gets to a finish, which sees Omega score the pin fall victory over Janela after a running One Winged Angel on a steel chair.
Week three of AEW’s weekly television show, Dynamite, is upon us.
The company has stacked the card yet again and with bell time just hours away, it’s time to look ahead to tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT.
The show is expected to start with one of the AEW World Tag Team Titles Tournament First Round matches.
Although not confirmed, the belief is that Darby Allin vs. AEW World Champion Chris Jericho in a Philadelphia Street Fight will serve as the headliner.
The second-ever edition of AEW Dark will air tonight at 7 p.m. est on YouTube. The show will be hosted by Tony Schiavone and will feature matches that were taped last Wednesday in Boston’s Agganis arena but did not air live on Dynamite.
The lineup for tonight’s show is as follows:
Sonny Kiss vs Kip Sabian vs Peter Avalon with Leva Bates
CIMA & SCU (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky) vs. TheHybrid2 (Angelico & Jack Evans) & The Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson)
Unsanctioned Lights Out Match: Joey Janela vs Kenny Omega
. @DarbyAllin has nothing to lose and everything to gain as he takes on Chris Jericho for his #AEW World Championship next week in #AEWPhiladelphia.
With AEW Dark airing on Tuesday nights, it gives the promotion a chance to hype up the next episode of Dynamite to air the following night. This week, AEW will travel to Philadelphia and have several big matches booked for the show.
The lineup for tomorrow’s episode of Dynamite is as follows:
AEW World Championship Match Philadelphia Street Fight Chris Jericho (c) vs Darby Allin
AEW Women’s World Championship Match Riho (c) vs Britt Baker
AEW Tag Team Championship Tournament (1st Round) SCU vs the Best Friends
AEW Tag Team Championship Tournament (1st Round) The Lucha Bros vs A Boy & His Dinosaur
Britt Baker was the first woman to be signed to All Elite Wrestling and became one of the top names in the division. Baker says she wants to be remembered more than just being the first woman to be signed to the company, and she’ll achieve that by capturing the AEW Women’s Championship.
Baker will be challenging All Elite Wrestling Women’s Champion Riho for the title this Wednesday, October 16 at AEW Dynamite.
Baker believes that now that the Women’s Championship has been established in AEW, one has to capture it to be considered the best.
“I always like to keep the mentality that the next big thing is steps ahead of you, because if not it’s really easy to get discouraged and stay down on yourself. But I definitely did not see [2019] being quite so explosive in my world, per se,” Baker told Sportskeeda in a recent interview. “I was the first woman signed to AEW so I was catapulted right away to the top just for that basic fact… But now there’s a Women’s Championship introduced, so now to be the best you have to be the champion. So I don’t want to just be the first woman signed anymore, I want to be the World Champion and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.”
Baker is relatively new to wrestling and only made her debut back in August 2015. Baker was studying to become a healthcare professional.
Baker has studied behavioral medicine with a minor in human development and family studies at Pennsylvania State University. She graduated from Penn State in 2014 but decided to pursue a degree in dental medicine, enrolling in the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Dental Medicine. She is currently employed at a private practice in Winter Park, Florida.
AEW Dynamite Preview (10/16)
The AEW Dynamite episode on Wednesday will also feature a World Championship Match on the card. Here’s a look at the card for the show from Philadelphia’s Liacouras Center.
“The Painmaker” Chris Jericho Darby Allin – Philadelphia Street Fight for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship
Jon Moxley and PAC vs. Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page
SoCal Uncensored vs. Best Friends (AEW Tag Title Tournament, First Round)
Lucha Bros vs. Jurassic Express (AEW Tag Title Tournament, First Round)
The All Elite Wrestling World Champion Chris Jericho has announced that he’s bringing his alter ego The Painmaker to the company’s weekly show Dynamite this Wednesday.
Jericho is set to defend his title against challenger Darbie Allen on Dynamite this week. He warned Allen on Instagram that he’s going to bring back The Painmaker for him. “So beware […] hell is coming for you,” wrote Jericho.
When Jericho started working in NJPW, he debuted a new persona when he faced Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. In this character, Jericho paints his face and shows a more violent side.
Chris Jericho debuted the Painmaker persona first when he got in a feud with Tetsuya Naito after Wrestle Kingdom 12. The character’s attire involved wearing face paint, a hat, a scarf, a jacket, and leather pants. At Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall, in June 2018, Jericho defeated Naito to win the IWGP Championship. This side of Jericho was shown to being more violent and would often attack his opponents backstage or after they’re down. Seeing this side of Jericho in AEW will be interesting as the character was well received in NJPW. The addition of Painmaker would only enhance Jericho’s presence on the show.
Last week, Darby Allin defeated Jimmy Havoc in a #1 contender’s match. The show concluded with a wild brawl that saw Darby Allin roll to ringside on a skateboard and attack Le Champion.
This will also be Jericho’s first title defense as the AEW World Champion.
AEW Dynamite Preview (10/16)
Here is a look at the card for Wednesday night’s show from Philadelphia’s Liacouras Center.
“The Painmaker” Chris Jericho Darby Allin – Philadelphia Street Fight for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship
Jon Moxley and PAC vs. Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page
SoCal Uncensored vs. Best Friends (AEW Tag Title Tournament, First Round)
Lucha Bros vs. Jurassic Express (AEW Tag Title Tournament, First Round)
Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite on TNT from Philadelphia, PA features a stacked card headlined by AEW World Champion Chris Jericho’s first title defense.
Last week, Darby Allin defeated Jimmy Havoc in a #1 contender’s match. The show concluded with a wild brawl that saw Darby Allin roll to ringside on a skateboard and attack Le Champion.
Jericho was enraged by Allin’s tactics, calling him a street thug. In the process, he announced the match will be a Philadelphia Street Fight. He also promised to show up as The Painmaker, the dark alter ego we first saw during his run in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
“You want to treat me like a street thug?,” Jericho asked. “I’m going to treat you like the little b***h that you are Darby Allin because next week for the AEW Championship Darby Allin vs Chris Jericho in a Philadelphia Street Fight.”
Since then, Darby Allin has issued a response of his own. As seen below, the 26-year-old grappler cuts a brooding promo on his opponent. Allin explains his personal mission in the pro wrestling business, which is to leave as the same man he was when he entered. He also tells Chris Jericho needs to be humbled and it will be a sweet moment when he’s humbled by a man whom he looks down upon.
AEW Dynamite Preview (10/16)
Here is an updated look at the card for Wednesday night’s show from Philadelphia’s Liacouras Center.
“The Painmaker” Chris Jericho Darby Allin – Philadelphia Street Fight for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship
Jon Moxley and PAC vs. Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page
SoCal Uncensored vs. Best Friends (AEW Tag Title Tournament, First Round)
Lucha Bros vs. Jurassic Express (AEW Tag Title Tournament, First Round)
AEW Women’s Champion Riho vs. Britt Baker
NEW MATCH ADDED: This Wednesday in #AEWPhiladelphia we will see Kenny Omega & Hangman Adam Page vs PAC & Jon Moxley on #AEWDynamite
The location for the twelfth week of AEW Dynamite has been announced.
AEW (All Elite Wrestling) announced on Monday via Twitter that the promotion would be holding a TV event on TNT at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The arena has a max capacity of approximately 10,000 people, which is in line with the other arenas that AEW is airing their television show from.
This week’s show takes place Philadelphia, PA at the Liacouras Center and will be headlined by AEW World Champion Chris Jericho vs. Darby Allin.
For fans who plan on attending, tickets for that show will go on sale this Friday at 11 am CST / Noon Eastern at AEWTix.com.
“Corpus Christi, Texas get ready, #AEWDynamite is coming to the @AmericanBankCtr, Wednesday, Dec 18th for a LIVE broadcast on @tntdrama. Tickets start at $20 and go on sale this Friday, Oct 18th at 11am CST / Noon ET – http://AEWTix.com,”
The “Human Suplex Machine” Taz will be working the commentary booth this Wednesday in Philadelphia. Cody Rhodes announced on Twitter recently that Taz will be given a guest commentary spot on Wednesday for the matches taped for AEW Dark. Those matches will air on the October 22nd edition of the show.
Joining us as a guest broadcaster for #AEW DARK in Philadelphia…@OfficialTAZ
“I actually miss it (doing commentary in general) very much! Btw… they’re all other places to apply that craft besides WWE,” Taz wrote. He continued, “As far as commentary, truth be told…over the past several months I have had healthy in-depth conversations with a few Pro Wrestling companies.. just not the right fit for me (and my goals) with those individual organizations at the moment….”
Taz also recently shared his thoughts on 2 and 3-person commentary booths during an interview with the WINCLY podcast:
“I’ve worked in both but I’ve always preferred a two-person booth. Everyone needs to know their role when it’s a three-person booth. There has to be a lead and you can’t step on each other or it will be a horrible listen.”
Leva Bates, who plays the librarian gimmick in All Elite Wrestling, was ecstatic when she heard that the company was going to sign her.
AEW’s President Tony Khan wanted a librarian character for the company and it was decided that a wrestler would be chosen through an audition. Many wrestlers sent in their audition tapes, but Bates was ultimately chosen to play the part.
Well, you just had to know that I was gonna jump in on this.
Speaking to Comicbook.com, Leva discussed why she decided to submit the audition tape for the role and revealed how she reacted when she was chosen.
“I was just kind of doing it for the fun of it. So yeah that was really just one of those, ‘Oh my god it really worked [situations]!’ I mean obviously I did have intentions on wanting to be with AEW. Out of all of the companies that was my number one spot I really wanted to be at. It fits me and my personality and I feel like this company is where I belong so I took a chance. But yeah, no, there was no talk of me being within the company at all. It was one of those like, ‘Okay, I’ll just try it.’ And then I literally thought it was going to be like, ‘Oh, cool yeah a little bit of PR. I’m moving forward,’ and then when it actually panned through I was beyond shocked and over-ecstatic. It was definitely a moment where I didn’t expect when I got that call,” Bates said.
Bates was actually not the only one selected for AEW’s librarian role. The company had announced that they had also selected Peter Avalon for the role, and now there would be two librarians. She made her singles debut at Fyter Fest but quickly booed by fans. Bates said that fans were initially not very welcoming to the idea of a librarian duo, but she believes that they both can work well together and fans just need to give the pair a chance.
“It actually went through a roller coaster. People were super excited, especially at Double or Nothing [in a backstage segment] they were super happy about it. But then in the flesh they weren’t sure what to think of it because if you look at it I’m a super good guy and Peter is not. So it’s a very interesting dichotomy and I don’t think people gave, at the second, a chance to really let it build and grow. Because I felt like Peter and I are a wonderful, odd couple team. We gel really well with each other but we both have different personality traits. So I don’t think people knew how to handle it since everyone, especially at Daytona, everyone knows me as the super gamer girl, super nerd cosplayer so I’m coming out not necessarily in that form,” Bates said.
Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea is a series of cruise ship experiences held by Chris Jericho, which features various wrestling events, concerts, and stand-up comedy acts.
Rock’ N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea, held in late October 2018, hosted Ring of Honor’s Sea of Honor Tournament, which saw sixteen different matches taking place. Bullet Club, The Young Bucks, Flip Gordon, Adam Page, Dalton Castle were some of the names that took part in the event.
Jericho will be holding a second cruise named Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea Part Deux: The Second Wave. It will occur from January 20 to January 24, 2020. It will be partnering with AEW and feature wrestlers like The Young Bucks, Britt Baker, and Adam Page.
The face of AEW recently talked about his cruise in an interview where he was asked if he would be able to continue hosting the cruise while working weekly at AEW. Not only was he positive that he could do it, but he also touched on the possibility of holding an AEW Dynamite sea edition on the cruise.
Speaking to Fansided, Jericho said, “Yeah, January 20th is sold out already, so we’re gonna talk soon about Jericho Cruise No. 3. So, it’s exciting! You remember WCW had Road Wild and Bash at the Beach, where you’re taking wrestling out of the arena. If you saw the event we did last year on a cruise ship, it looked so beautiful. The middle of the night in the middle of the ocean, the stars shining down, the lights. I’d like that to be an annual thing, and as I’m with AEW, there’s no reason to take a day out of a wrestling company. So, if we can make it the annual rock and wrestling rager at sea edition of [AEW] Dynamite, that’s great! Just adds another element to our very cool show.”
It will be interesting to see a sea edition of AEW Dynamite come to fruition. It doesn’t seem very far-fetched, as some AEW wrestlers are already going to appear on the cruise next year.
Another match has been added to the card for next week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
The promotion announced today that Jon Moxley will team with PAC to take on Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page in a tag team match.
This comes after Moxley beat Shawn Spears in a singles match last week on Dynamite while Page lost alongside Dustin Rhodes to Sammy Guevara and AEW World Champion Chris Jericho in a tag team contest that ended up serving as the main event.
NEW MATCH ADDED: This Wednesday in #AEWPhiladelphia we will see Kenny Omega & Hangman Adam Page vs PAC & Jon Moxley on #AEWDynamite
On this same episode as All Elite Wrestling previously announced, Jericho puts his title on the line when he meets Darby Allin in a Philadelphia Street Fight that will serve as the main event.
Jacksonville Jaguars owner and Tony Khan’s father, Shad Khan, has opened up on the intent of AEW (All Elite Wrestling).
He did so by doing an interview with Yahoo Finance where he spoke about how AEW isn’t trying to compete with WWE. Khan is a lead investor in the company.
“WWE is a great company, but we are not here competing with them. In the golden age of wrestling during the late ‘90s, there were 10 million fans. Now It’s down to 2 million. So we’re tapping into fans who were not engaged and quite frankly the younger fan who never got quite into it. Competition is good for everybody, but it’s very important for AEW to do our own thing.”
Khan’s comments are backed up by the product that All Elite Wrestling presents with their weekly television show, Dynamite, that airs every Wednesday night on TNT.
The launch of this promotion and them inking a television deal with TNT has caused WWE to make significant changes to their business model.
This includes offering longer and more money deals to their talent as well as moving NXT from their streaming service, WWE Network, to prime time for two hours in the same time slot as AEW on the USA Network.
Brandi Rhodes says it’s part of her job to remind everyone that there still aren’t enough women in wrestling. The AEW executive recently took part in an interview with SI.com and spoke about her role in the company and efforts she has been spearheading to make AEW events inclusive of everyone.
“There are plenty of smart women that are interested to work in wrestling,” Rhodes said during the interview. “It’s part of my job to remind people that there still aren’t enough women in wrestling.”
Rhodes also clarified her role as it concerns AEW’s Women’s division.
“I don’t book the women’s division, but I provide a voice from the women to the men to get their voices out there,” she said. “I’m sure it’s annoying after you’ve been involved in wrestling for all these years, and you’ve had all this success, to have a woman come in and say, ‘Hey, that’s not how we like to do things.’ But you’re not a woman. And women hate being told by men how they’re going to think, how they should be, and what they’re going to feel.”
Brandi also spoke about her work with KultureCity to make AEW events inclusive shows.
“We’re trying to make it easier for people all across the board,” said Rhodes. “Parents to engage with their kids, or adults with sensory issues, PTSD, extreme anxiety, autism,” said Rhodes. “We’re educating venues about KultureCity, too, and it’s really great that people are saying how great the experiences are.”
The full interview with Brandi Rhodes can be read here.
Rhodes continued to talk about AEW remaining open to new ideas and concepts.
“We need to remain open-minded,” she continued. “Sometimes wrestling tends to be in this bubble, where nothing else exists but wrestling. We need to reach other areas of entertainment, like when we worked with Stephen Amell or the crossover with DC Comics. We need to remember we’re not too big, or a bully to anyone else in entertainment.”
Chris Jericho will defend his AEW World Championship next week against Darby Allin on AEW Dynamite. This week on Dynamite, Allin rode his skateboard down the ramp during the closing segment in order to attack Jericho. In response, Jericho cut the following promo announcing his match against Allin next week will now be a “Philadelphia Street Fight”:
“You all saw what happened tonight. In 29 years in the wrestling business, I’ve seen and done it all,” Jericho began the video. “But what I’ve never seen is a self-righteous son of a bitch skateboard down a ram-way and attack me.”
Allin qualified for a title match next week by defeating Jimmy Havoc this week on Dynamite.
“It’s the biggest match of his career but he had to take it too far, he had to come and attack me from behind like some kind of a dog, like some kind of a street thug.”
“You want to treat me like some kind of street thug? Sounds good to me,” Jericho continued. “Because next week we’re in Philadelphia, that’s the place where my father Ted Irvine used to beat the crap out of the Philadelphia Flyers each and every night when he played with the New York Rangers. So, you want to come to Philly? You want to treat me like a street thug? I’m going to treat you like the little b***h that you are Darby Allin because next week for the AEW Championship Darby Allin vs Chris Jericho in a Philadelphia Street Fight.”
Jericho would then end the video by saying he would come as “the Painmaker” for the match.
All Elite Wrestling’s Joey Janela has opened up about his recent altercation with Big Cass at a WrestlePro event. He shared his story during a recent episode of Wrestlers On The Road Ordering Room Service on the Being the Elite YouTube channel.
‘The Bad Boy’ explained how he went outside for a smoke only to have Big Cass corner him and strike him in the head.
“I went outside for a smoke and I had said ‘Hello’ to the dude earlier and he was like, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ I go out for a smoke and he corners me and then smacks me in the head,” Janela said of Cass. “It wasn’t like a hard smack but it just caught me off guard. I’m like, ‘What the f*ck is going on here?’ Then he starts chasing me, ‘Joey, I’m’ coming to kill you!’”
He recalls how he ran through the locker room in an attempt to get away, comparing their chase to an episode of Tom & Jerry, as Cass allegedly threatened to shoot and kill him.
“It Was Like A Horror Movie”
Promoters of the show eventually put Janela into a separate locker room, locking the doors in an attempt to protect him. Janela remembers being terrified saying, “It was like a horror movie,” as Cass attempted to open every door in his attempt to find him.
When Janela prepared for his match at WrestlePro’s equivalent to the Gorilla Position, Cass would try to attack him once again. He ended up being tackled to the ground by other wrestlers.
Despite this scary exchange, however, Janela doesn’t hold it against Big Cass. He explained how he had lost a friend because of substance abuse problems, and because of this he empathizes with Cass’ struggles.
Despite Big Cass’ repeated attempts to get at him, Janela refused to press charges, explaining that “He just didn’t know what he was doing and I felt bad…. Get him to a hospital because you know he’s dealing with something crazy.”
