SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Pat McAfee & Bill Belichick React To Tony Khan Selling His Neck Injury At NFL Draft

    Pat McAfee & Bill Belichick React To Tony Khan Selling His Neck Injury At NFL Draft

    The NFL Draft may be the true forbidden door of pro wrestling as Pat McAfee actually chimed in about Tony Khan and the notorious AEW storyline that took place this week.

    The color commentator for WWE RAW had his own panel at the NFL Draft in Detroit, one that featured his Pat McAfee Show co-horts and not to mention, arguably the greatest head coach of all time Bill Belichick.

    Belichick was on-hand when the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. with the 23rd overall pick. McAfee noted how Thomas will be a key piece for quarterback Trevor Lawrence who throughout his three-year career has gotten injured from time to time on the NFL gridiron. That’s when McAfee caught sight of Khan in a neckbrace, clearly selling the attack on him by The Young Bucks during AEW Dynamite. McAfee played along, but did mention that the Jaguars head coach, had to be curious about Khan’s ailment.

    “Last thing we need is him to look like Tony Khan who took a Meltzer Driver, just the other night, Wednesday night, he took a Meltzer Driver I do believe, guy’s got a broken neck and he’s battling through so he can pick up Brian Thomas Jr. and that [Shad Khan] mustache is never not gonna be sweet and [head coach] Doug Pederson is three seats away going, ‘What the f*** is going on?’”

    That last line got a laugh out of Bill Belicheck.

    “Mad Mel” Of Pat McAfee Show Wants Tony Khan To “Stick With The Gimmick”

    One man on the Pat McAfee Show panel who did call Khan out on the angle was “draft analyst” “Mad Mel.”  “Mel,” a potty-mouth parody of legendary draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. commented on Khan not going the whole nine yards with the supposed injury.

    “I understand keeping up with the gimmick. Someone should tell Tony Khan, ‘Hey, if you have a neckbrace on, don’t f***ing move around like nothing’s wrong. You stick with the gimmick and look straight ahead like your neck’s broken, okay?’ What are we doing here?”

    Rich Eisen on the NFL Network also playfully put the angle over, hoping TK stays safe in his recovery.

  • Grizzled Young Veterans Set For AEW In-Ring Debut

    Grizzled Young Veterans Set For AEW In-Ring Debut

    AEW will soon see the debut of two more former WWE NXT Superstars. The Grizzled Young Veterans are very prepared for their first match in Tony Khan’s company.

    The Grizzled Young Veterans’ AEW debut will take place on this week’s Collision (4/27). The company made this announcement via a video on social media.

    The former NXT Superstars are in the land of All Elite to make a statement. They also said The Acclaimed have been on their radar for “a few years now,” and they will collide this Saturday. Gibson and Drake promised to teach Max Caster and Anthony Bowens a lesson.

    Grizzled Young Veterans’ WWE Exit & Return To Indies

    There was a time when Grizzled Young Veterans had some steam in WWE. They made their mark by winning the NXT UK Tag Team Championship Tournament in 2019 and went on to become the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions. The two were then brought to Orlando’s version of NXT, but things didn’t pan out for them.

    After a run in NXT UK as Grizzled Young Veterans, the two entered NXT, but were written off television. James Drake and Zack Gibson were eventually unveiled with Joe Gacy’s in his Schism faction, adopting the ring names Jagger Reid and Rip Fowler as The Dyad.

    They were unhappy with the creative direction that WWE was taking them toward. After their departure, they have made this very clear in an interview with Metro.

    “In a nutshell, this is one of the big driving forces as to why we wanted to leave and get out because without going into too much, we just weren’t particularly happy with how things were going,” said Gibson. “It all felt a bit boring. And ultimately, you know, this is our job, but it’s also it’s our hobby, and it’s our life. So we want to be enjoying what we’re doing.”

    “Our decision to move on wasn’t necessarily like, ‘We don’t like that company anymore!’ It’s not a big middle finger to the company, the company is doing great business, it’s just we felt that as a product, we weren’t doing the best business,” Gibson explained.

    The Grizzled Young Veterans have been making the rounds since exiting WWE. They re-appeared in DPW, spreading their message that they are not a cookie cutter tag team enhanced by sports entertainment’s creative influence. During the event, they answered an open challenge set by DPW’s tag team champions, The Workhorsemen.

    They have also launched ‘Burning Heart Pro Wrestling‘ which has been “created by wrestlers, for wrestlers and fans.” The promotion’s first event will take place on June 21, at the Liverpool Olympia in Liverpool, England.

    James Drake and Zack Gibson could do big things in AEW. SEScoops will keep an eye on this story to see if Tony Khan locks them down with contracts.

  • Jack Perry’s Draft Stock Rose Following Tony Khan’s Attack

    Jack Perry’s Draft Stock Rose Following Tony Khan’s Attack

    Chicken salad. That’s what Tony Khan and AEW did on this week’s Dynamite by maximizing whatever you can after airing the ALL IN footage. And depending on how they continue to handle it, there could be more to come in the form of Jack Perry..

    The greater contingency of fans (especially on social media) will be quick to make WCW 2000 comparisons once more or say TK is riding down the Russo electric rail of irrelevancy, but that final segment of Khan being beat down was more Paul Heyman than Russo. Instead of focusing on the weakness that was the footage, the spotlight was shined on a strength from an unexpected source, usurping product’s perceived misfire weeks back.

    Was Khan’s selling questionable? Yes. Was wearing low-rise socks on a night where you were getting piledriven a bad choice? Absolutely, but what AEW did is address “the other guy” in the room at Wembley in Tony Khan.

    Good or bad (leaning more towards bad), the decision to air the footage has already been made and AEW had to wear that albatross like a necklace, but Tony remained adament that he didn’t feel that way. When asked about the criticism of airing the footage, Khan stated on the pre-Dynasty media call that ratings would be the true fan reaction to what we got weeks ago courtesy of a security camera. 

    The ratings did pop that week with Khan saying TBS was pleased, but numbers crashed back down to earth the week after. Khan’s company was still left wading in the standing water of it’s “nowhere near a fight” footage. Then Dynasty had the Scapegoat Tarzan swing in after spending months away from AEW. Even if Perry was previously a Jungle Boy, his reemergence into the product alone would not drain the swamp from stagnancy.

    I previously wrote that Khan can be the leader AEW needs by getting out of his own way. On Wednesday, he ripped the Band-Aid off, with the Neosporin being three big letters that he and the whole country are quite familiar with.

    Even more than CM Punk and Perry, Khan was the most talked about person after airing that footage. He’s addressed it several times in interviews since then, but on Wednesday Khan took another risk by bringing that Charlie Brown storm cloud right out to Daily’s Place and making himself part of the storyline. 

    Like Lucy, The Young Bucks and Perry held the football, and unlike Charlie Brown, TK (albeit awkwardly) kicked it through the uprights by leaning to his strengths: his NFL ties. Roger Goodell and gang were the unexpected deux ex machina in this situation as Khan not only had his father saunter out to close the show, but got the NFL buzzing about the angle too, right before the NFL Draft kicks off this weekend. It will be even better if TK sells the attack to the gills with a neck brace and a bottle of Pepto by his side while he sits by the phone.

    Perception be damned, Khan coming out doesn’t seem to be a Vince McMahon or Dixie Carter move in getting himself over. Unlike the other two, Khan didn’t utter a word during the segment, but just displayed his eagerness and excitement to reinstate Perry. He was the focus of the segment, but moving forward, I’m willing to bet that the whole story will not be. He was just a way to get to where they’re headed.

    Will ripping the Band-Aid off bring AEW back into a 2019 rhythm that fans got so enamored with? Of course not. That’s something that will require consistency and focus, something that AEW has never excelled at on a weekly basis, but they arguably got themselves back in the game with some outside help.

    Now Tony Khan and his product is on the clock. Happy Draft Day.

  • Swerve Strickland Advertised For AEW Collision

    Swerve Strickland Advertised For AEW Collision

    Fans got to see Swerve Strickland in action on AEW Dynamite, but we didn’t happen to hear any words from the new World Heavyweight Champion. That will change this Saturday on Collision.

    Following Wednesday’s episode, AEW announced that Strickland will be interviewed on Saturday, getting his first thoughts after becoming the champion.

    “The NEW #AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland kicks off #AEW Collision with his FIRST Live Interview since #AEWDynasty, THIS Saturday, IMMEDIATELY following NBA coverage on TNT!”

    While we didn’t hear Strickland talk on Dynamite, we did hear from a different World Champion utter some words. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley delivered a promo before his main event fight against Powerhouse Hobbs. Moxley ended up defeating Hobbs via technical submission. Hobbs passed out in a rear-naked choke hold and the finish ended up being a segue-way for the polarizing closing segment between Tony Khan and Jack Perry.

    A big reason for Swerve not speaking is because Saturday AEW will have it’s biggest lead-in with the NBA Playoffs as there will be no Inside The NBA post-game show.

    As far as Swerve is concerned, his match led off the show. While his newly won World Title wasn’t on the line, he did compete in an Eliminator Match with the challenger being Kyle Fletcher. Strickland and Fletcher went back and forth, but Swerve ended up getting the emphatic win with a running flip kick to the back of the head. 

    While Swerve will react to his Dynasty win on Saturday, next week it’s being advertised that his opponent for AEW Double Or Nothing will be revealed. We’ve already got two title matches for the PPV. Willow Nightingale will defend her TBS Championship against Mercedes Mone and Will Ospreay will face Roderick Strong for the International Championship.

  • Chris Jericho to Star in Action-Horror Film ‘Dark Match’ Set in 1980s Pro Wrestling

    Chris Jericho to Star in Action-Horror Film ‘Dark Match’ Set in 1980s Pro Wrestling

    AEW’s Chris Jericho is preparing to lead a new action horror film set in the colorful and chaotic world of professional wrestling in the 1980s. 

    ‘Dark Match‘ will tell the story of a small-time wrestling company that accepts a well-paying gig in a remote town only to learn the town falls under a cult leader, Variety reports. Soon enough, the wrestlers and crew are in a very real fight for their lives. In addition to Jericho, the film will star Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead) and Ayisha Issa (Transplant.)

     Lowell Dean (Wolfcop) is attached as writer and director. Dark Match will launch later this year with a festival premiere set to be announced, Blue Finch Films, the project’s distribution outfit, will begin sales at the upcoming Cannes Film Market. 

    Dark Match will mark the latest big-screen role for Jericho. Jericho’s first foray into horror came in 2009’s Albino Farm and he would also be a part of 2022’s horror-comedy KillRoy Was Here. That same year, Jericho played ‘Burke’ in Terrifier 2 and will reprise the role in the sequel set to premiere later this year. 

    Wrestlers On the Big Screen

    Here are some recent articles regarding some of wrestling’s top stars and the silver-screen plans in the works: 

  • Kenny Omega’s AEW Return Confirmed

    Kenny Omega’s AEW Return Confirmed

    Kenny Omega will be back in AEW and it’s going to happen in seven days time.

    This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite hailed from All Elite Wrestling’s backyard of Jacksonville, FL. However, next week the show will take place in Kenny Omega’s backyard of Winnipeg, Manitoba. During the Swerve Strickland eliminator match against Kyle Fletcher, AEW revealed that Omega will be in attendance next week. 

    Fans haven’t seen Omega since late 2023 as the former AEW World Champion has been out of action due to diverticulitis, something that Omega has cited as that was life-threatening.

    Lingering Storylines For Kenny Omega

    Omega has a lot to address since he made his AEW exit. When we last saw Kenny he was tag partners with Chris Jericho who is now currently a heel and the FTW Champion. Additionally, Omega will always have a long-standing rivalry with Will Ospreay who is now right in the thick of being a full-time member of the AEW roster. Not only that, but Ospreay just became the number one contender for the International Championship. He’ll be facing Roderick Strong at Double or Nothing in Las Vegas.

    However, the big matter of note will be Omega’s status with The Elite. After losing to Sting and Darby Allin at AEW Revolution, The Young Bucks suspended Hangman Page and effectively fired Kenny Omega from his position as EVP. Omega reacted in-time to the news by “meme”-ing himself, but now we’ll likely receive his reaction in person next week. 

    We may also get an actual update regarding Omega’s health and perhaps a timetable for when we could see him return to in-ring action.

  • NFL Lists Tony Khan Status For The Draft As ‘Questionable’ Following AEW Dynamite Attack

    Tony Khan’s status for the NFL Draft this weekend could be in doubt following the beatdown he took courtesy of Jack Perry and The Young Bucks and the National Football League took note.

    Khan was the victim of an ambush on AEW Dynamite as the AEW President seemed to be all about reinstating Jack Perry back into the company, but the former Jungle Boy had other plans. He punched his boss in the gut and then The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada came down to further put Khan down. 

    The Bucks delivered a Meltzer Driver to Khan and left him laying in the middle of the ring, causing not just  the locker room to come out, but Shad Khan to make an appearance as well.

    Grant Gordon of NFL.com caught wind of the angle and happened to write about the occurence on the NFL website, throwing Khan’s NFL Draft status into question.

    Tony Khan’s status for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2024 NFL Draft obligations could be questionable.

    Khan, the Jags’ chief football strategy officer and the founder, owner and booker of All Elite Wrestling, took a punch to the gut and a “Meltzerdriver” piledriver Wednesday night live on AEW Dynamite from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.

    Shad Khan, Tony’s father and the owner of the Jaguars, took to the ring to check on his son in the aftermath of the drama.

    During the build for AEW Dynasty, Khan did make clear that he was going to be involved with the Jaguars’ draft process this week so it will be interesting to see if Khan sells the attack, albeit by not being present or wearing a neckbrace for the weekend.

  • Chris Jericho Thanks Terry Funk, Renames The FTW Title

    Chris Jericho Thanks Terry Funk, Renames The FTW Title

    Get ready for a whole new learning experience courtesy of Chris Jericho.

    The pro wrestling legend defeated HOOK for the FTW Championship at AEW Dynasty on Sunday and had some words of wisdom for the live crowd in Jacksonville, FL on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

    All with a somewhat patronizing tongue, Jericho took to the ring to thank the fans for the love and support following his victory and spoke about the controversial meaning behind the letters “FTW.” Instead of the title standing for “F*** The World” he wants FTW to mean “For The World” because the championship now for all the fans.

    Jericho then brought up the name of the late legendary Terry Funk and recounted when Funk told him it was time for him to start teaching the next generation of how to carry on the legacy of the pro wrestling business. He then thanked Terry Funk and thanked everyone in attendance.

    Suddenly, out came former AEW World Tag Team Champion in Big Bill. What first felt like it was going to be a tense confrontation, Bill actually said that he’d love to learn under the learning tree of Chris Jericho. Chris noted that he respected the talent of Big Bill and told him that he’d very much consider that, but would like to see Bill prove it. Bill assured Jericho that he would do just that.

    It’s serendipitous that Jericho did conjure up the name of Terry Funk. Back in 2019, Jericho was asked about being the modern-day version of Funk, who was notorious for always re-inventing himself later on in his career which helped to put ECW on the map.

    “My mission has always been to reinvent and evolve. It’s David Bowie. It’s been one of my inspirations since I was 25 years old, when you realize that you have this guy that’s a genius and who constantly changes what he’s doing, what he looks like to keep the fans guessing.”

    Chris Jericho Will Have A Challenger Next Week

    Jericho will have a tough contender to go up against next week in his hometown of Winnipeg. Later during Dynamite, Katsuyori Shibata ending up revealing that he’ll face Jericho next week for that “For The World” Championship gold.

  • Jack Perry & The Elite Attack Tony Khan in Shocking Conclusion to 4/24 AEW Dynamite

    Jack Perry & The Elite Attack Tony Khan in Shocking Conclusion to 4/24 AEW Dynamite

    Jack Perry is once again on AEW programming, and bringing back the ‘Scapegoat’ may be a decision AEW President Tony Khan lives to regret. 

    Perry made his return to the airwaves during AEW Dynasty. The former FTW Champion interfered in the AEW World Tag Team Championship ladder match and would cost FTR the match to the Young Bucks. This marked Perry’s first AEW on-screen appearance (in person) since AEW All In in August of 2023. 

    On the April 24, edition of Dynamite, Perry was spotted arriving at the show with the Elite, furthering the idea that there was some sort of alliance between the two sides. Later on, it was revealed that Perry and Khan would come face-to-face in the ring. 

    During this segment, Perry admitted that he and Khan hadn’t seen eye to eye, but they agreed that they wanted the best for AEW and the future. Having said that, Perry offered a truce to bury the hatchet with the AEW CEO and asked to reinstate him.

    Khan agreed but the moment they shook hands, Perry attacked the AEW President. The Elite, consisting of the Bucks and Kazuchika Okada then came to the ring. While it appeared they wanted to stop Perry from inflicting further damage, they also joined in on the attack on Khan. 

    AEW Dynamite went off the air with the Elite and Perry standing tall while officials and Khan’s father Shahid checked on the injured AEW President. This segment was quite the change for Khan, who unlike Vince McMahon and other higher-ups in WWE, had for the most part avoided being involved with AEW’s on-screen angles. 

    It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming weeks, especially with Kenny Omega’s return to AEW TV set for next week’s Dynamite. No doubt the EVP will have plenty to say about the Bucks, Okada, and Perry after what transpired this week. 

  • Winnipeg Venue Claims Kenny Omega’s AEW Return Will Happen at 5/1 Dynamite

    Winnipeg Venue Claims Kenny Omega’s AEW Return Will Happen at 5/1 Dynamite

    Fans attending the May 1, episode of AEW Dynamite are in for a treat as they’ll get to see the return of none other than Kenny Omega. 

    On Twitter, the Canada Life Centre confirmed the news that Omega will be at the upcoming show in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It’s fitting that Omega will be at AEW’s upcoming event in the Great White North given that he is from Winnipeg. 

    Omega has been out of action since late 2023 with diverticulitis. The condition affects the large intestine and causes abdominal pain, which is why Omega mistook his situation for a hernia at first. It can be caused by diverticula, which are small, bulging pouches that can form in the lining of your digestive system.

    The big question for Omega is whether he’ll undergo surgery to deal with his diverticulitis. Doing so will extend how long he is out of action and he has already been out for months. On the plus side, going under the knife will decrease the risk of this issue happening again. Ultimately, Omega will have to weigh up what he thinks is in his best interest both in terms of his health and on a professional level. 

    This isn’t the first time that Omega has been advertised for an event in his native Canada during his absence from AEW. While Omega was advertised for an event in March 2024, Tony Khan made clear that fans shouldn’t have expected him at the show. Sure enough, AEW’s recent tapings in Canada came and went without the AEW EVP. 

    More on Kenny Omega

    Here are some recent articles about Kenny Omega and what the former AEW World Champion has had to say during his break from the ring: 

  • Kevin Nash ‘Absolutely’ Wants AEW To Succeed

    Kevin Nash ‘Absolutely’ Wants AEW To Succeed

    Kevin Nash has never been one to pull punches and the two-time WWE Hall Of Famer hasn’t pumped the breaks on expressing his thoughts regarding the modern squared circle.

    Speaking on the latest episode of “Kliq This,” Nash assessed the 4/15 episode of WWE RAW and the 4/17 episode of AEW Dynamite. Nash was critical of both shows and gave his forthright thoughts on Tony Khan deciding to air the CM Punk footage almost three weeks ago, noting that it’s Khan’s choice to do what he pleases, but he does say the AEW product can be difficult to watch.

    “You know, it’s his ball. He can kick it. He wants to go kick it over onto the f***ing freeway, then kick it on the freeway. I’ve got no skin in that game, but it’s just a very hard show to watch. It’s very hard to get involved. It just feels so fragmented.” 

    Kevin Nash Wants AEW To Flourish In Pro Wrestling

    Nash went on to review both shows, adding that he made an observation on social media about AEW, and then went on to give reasons why he wants the company to become a bigger and bettter product.

    “In all honesty, man, I absolutely want AEW to succeed.” 

    “Number one, I’ve got friends that work there, you know, in production and in all different aspects, not just guys that are there in front of the camera. And I think they’re being a viable option is huge for the longevity of the business.”

    Please credit Kliq This and h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Chris Jericho Calls Swerve Strickland “The Right Guy For The Job”

    Chris Jericho Calls Swerve Strickland “The Right Guy For The Job”

    Swerve Strickland is not only an AEW first, but he also joins an “elite” club that includes Chris Jericho.

    During AEW Dynasty on Sunday, Strickland defeated Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship, making him the first African-American World Champion in the company’s history and it certainly marked for a celebatory occassion.

    Footage was taken of Swerve having dinner with his AEW co-horts following his historic win and Chris Jericho took some time to honor Strickland, noting that he saw Swerve’s star power right off the bat of entering AEW. Not only that, but Jericho made note  of the creative efforts that Swerve makes in and out of the wrestling ring. He then made clear that Strickland is the right man to currently hold the gold, something that only eight people have done since the inception of All Elite Wrestling.

    “We don’t change the titles to the World Title very often unless it’s the absolue right guy. He is the right guy for the job, he’s got the cool X-factor and if I was the big wig in AEW (like I am), I would put you on every other fucking talk show, I’d promote you in every single way because you have what we need which is the ability to cross over in the mainstream and I’m super proud of you, man. I knew you had it since day one.”

    Jericho happened to be the first-ever AEW World Champion and is in the thick of a feud with HOOK after defeating Taz’s son for the FTW Championship at Dynasty.

    Please h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Swerve Strickland To Put #1 Contendership On The Line At 4/24 Dynamite

    Swerve Strickland To Put #1 Contendership On The Line At 4/24 Dynamite

    Swerve Strickland isn’t getting much of a breather after winning the AEW World Championship as the new champ will be in action this Wednesday.

    Tuesday evening AEW President Tony Khan announced that Strickland will be going up against Kyle Fletcher in an AEW World Title Eliminator match on this week’s Dynamite.

    “Will AEW’s home venue be Swerve’s House when ROH World TV Champion Kyle Fletcher challenges the NEW AEW World Champion in an Eliminator TOMORROW?”

    Fletcher is the current ROH TV Champion and the big youngster will have a shot to showcase his skills in yet another high-profile match. Previously, Fletcher faced fellow Don Callis Family member Will Ospreay all the way back at the beginning of March. Ospreay came out on top in that bout, but Fletcher has been building quite a match resume as a member of the AEW roster.

    AEW is fresh off its Dynasty PPV this past Sunday where it was Swerve Strickland taking on Samoa Joe for that very World Title Fletcher hopes to challenge for. The fight between Joe and Strickland was intense as it had to take Swerve two top rope double stomps to secure the 1-2-3 against Joe.

    What Else Is On Tap For 4/24 AEW Dynamite

    Tony Khan is looking to get an audience with the fallout from Dynasty as the headline match will have Jon Moxley putting his freshly won IWGP World Title on the line against Don Callis Family member Powerhouse Hobbs.

    Also on tap is an advertised segment between The Best Friends and Anna Jay will face Mina Shirakawa.

  • Paige VanZant Gone From AEW Despite Still Being Listed On Company’s Roster

    Paige VanZant Gone From AEW Despite Still Being Listed On Company’s Roster

    The AEW career of Paige VanZant is well and truly over despite her profile still being listed on the promotion’s website. 

    VanZant was a high-profile arrival in AEW when she debuted for the promotion in 2021, but it has been a long time since fans last saw the MMA fighter. As Dave Meltzer disclosed on Wrestling Observer Radio, her time with AEW has ended despite her presence on the active roster website. 

    “No [she’s not with AEW.] Even though she’s still on the roster she’s not with AEW anymore.”

    When asked why VanZant left, Meltzer explained that the fighter decided that wrestling was not for her. 

    “She decided she didn’t want to be a wrestler. If she wanted to be a wrestler she’d still be there.”

    VanZant’s one and only match for All Elite Wrestling came at Double or Nothing 2022. At the event, she, Ethan Page, and Scorpio Sky defeated Tay Melo (Tay Conti at the time), Sammy Guevara, and Frankie Kazarian. 

    Wrestling & MMA Crossover

    While wrestling wasn’t in the cards for Paige VanZant, several names from the world of MMA and UFC have had successful, lengthy careers in the squared circle. 

    Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey would both headline WWE WrestleMania after establishing their dominance in the Octagon first (though in Brock’s case, he’d headline WrestleMania before and after UFC.) 

    While her AEW run may have been brief, VanZant left an impact during her run and fans will be eager to see where she appears next, whether it be in or out of professional wrestling. 

  • Mark Henry Says Representation Matters, But Swerve Strickland Earned His AEW World Title Because Of His Talent

    Mark Henry Says Representation Matters, But Swerve Strickland Earned His AEW World Title Because Of His Talent

    Swerve Strickland became the eighth man and first African American man to hold the AEW World Championship at Sunday’s AEW Dynasty pay-per-view. Mark Henry discussed the significance of the win the following morning on Busted Open Radio. He says AEW believes in Swerve and even though ‘representation matters,’ his success was earned and he’s got the talent to be in this new position.

    As a multi-time World Champion himself, Henry speaks from experience. He knows firsthand what the win says about the company’s faith in Strickland the responsibilities that come with being the new face of a major wrestling promotion. 

    “To be a World Champion in pro wrestling and have a company backing you and believe you enough that you’re going to get the job done is big. I mean, you are the guy that’s carrying the torch, and just like the light was on Moxley and the light was on Danielson and the light was on Joe, now the light is going to be shined on Swerve.”

    Earned on Merit

    The ‘World’s Strongest Man’ said AEW is confident Strickland he can carry the company like Kenny Omega, Hangman Page and MJF did before him. While it’s important for young fans to see people who share their culture achieving success in the ring, Swerve’s success has been earned through his talents and hard work. 

    “They didn’t pass up on an opportunity to do the right thing. It’s earned. It wasn’t because he was an African American. It was because he was talented and I feel like that’s a beautiful thing and representation matters and it means everything.”

    Representation in Wrestling

    Here are some more recent articles about wrestlers talking about the topics of representation and diversity in entertainment:

  • Tony Khan Details Messaging With Lou Thesz Over AOL

    Tony Khan Details Messaging With Lou Thesz Over AOL

    Dial-up be damned, Tony Khan messaged with the legendary Lou Thesz back in the American Online days.

    AEW Dynasty took place in the historic wrestling city of St. Louis, MO over the weekend and during the post-event media scrum, Khan was asked about the connections he’s made with St. Louis and the world of pro wrestling. Khan, who has been a rampant pro wrestling fan since he was a kid, recalled a time of yesteryear that consisted of him logging onto message board and amazingly sharing correspondence with some bonafide trailblazers in the one true sport.

    “St. Louis is an amazing wrestling city with an amazing, amazing history. When I was 12 years old, I used to talk to Lou Thesz on AOL and I picked up stuff from Lou Thesz. Lou Thesz taught me how great Buddy Rodgers was and he was totally right. You go back and watch Buddy Rodgers, one of the best wrestlers of all time, one of the most influential of all time, both of them, two of the most influential of all time.”

    Khan went on to say how St. Louis has become one of their great cities to hit and later didn’t rule out the possibility of the promotion coming back for another PPV in 2025.

    Khan was all over the wrestling map as a kid even in the Extreme Championship Wrestling realm. He notoriously had his father, Shad Khan, take him to the ECW Arena in Philadelphia where he got to see first-hand the classic stretcher match between Rob Van Dam and Sabu.

  • Max Caster’s Rhyme Against Jay White Conjures Speculation Of Punishment

    Max Caster’s Rhyme Against Jay White Conjures Speculation Of Punishment

    AEW Dynasty packed a punch for ardent wrestling fans on Sunday night and per usual Max Caster strived to do the same with his words. However, this one was a little more dicey than others.

    Max Caster, Anthony Bowens and Billy Gunn were set to go up against Jay White and The Gunns on the Dynasty Zero Hour and naturally Caster would have his pre-macth rap ready to fire off. Caster thought he had his own verbal bullets for Bullet Club Gold, but his content this time around was a little more controversial than even his usual rhymes.

    “Switchblade’s what I switch. I’ll fufill your fantasy and I’ll make you my b****. Yo this dude’s just making me sick. I’ll violate you so bad you’ll have to tell the legal team about the taste of my d***.”

    The line sure got a shocked reaction from the live St. Louis crowd, but it also got it’s own share of opinions from fans and critics online. The Wrestling Observer‘s Dave Meltzer mentioned how Caster’s call has the potency to put him in hot water with AEW, simply saying, “I think Max Caster may get in trouble.”

    That Time When Max Caster Called Out Dom Mysterio & Rhea Ripley

    This is far from the first time Caster’s lyrics has raised eyebrows. Earlier this year, he cross-cut a line about Dom Mysterio and Rhea Ripley when he was about to have a match with Ripley’s real-life fiance, Buddy Matthews. Ripley ended up commenting on the matter, noting that she and Dom are over in two different promotions.

    “But I mean, good for me. It’s good for Dom. At the end of the day, it got us trending on Twitter or X, whatever you want to call it these days. It got us trending. And if that’s what you want to do in your match, get two other people in the opposite promotion that you are battling with trending? Then I feel like you did the wrong job because you put us over instead of yourself, so that was a mistake on their part.”

  • Toni Storm Has Non-PG Response To Nikki Garcia’s AEW Aspirations Post Dynasty

    Toni Storm did not hold back on non-PG wrestling references during her appearance on the post Dynasty media scrum.

    The AEW Women’s World Champion defeated Thunder Rosa to retain her title at the company’s latest PPV event. At the press conference afterward, she decided that she didn’t wanna answer questions from the reporters. Storm read a pre written statement for everyone instead.

    The female star made references to the Cody Rhodes – Bloodline story in her speech and also explained why Nikki Garcia decided not to join the company:

    “How long do I have to do this? Week after week, night after night, before you realise that I am the one who is transcending this business? Just because I don’t go out there and say it, doesn’t mean it’s not true. Do I really have to tell you every single night. Are you that thick?

    Too busy chasing people blithering about goosebumps and levels and storytelling and cinema, go see a fucking movie. Nicole Garcia thought about joining AEW when she saw Mercedes did. You know why she didn’t? Because then she saw me and realised, she can’t hold a pussy scented candle to what I do.”

    It’s The Greatest Thing That Could Ever Happen To You: Toni Storm

    Toni Storm then claimed that she is taking AEW to new heights by just being herself and that her success is her own:

    “I am the one taking this company to new heights. And I don’t even try to. I’m just being me and it’s the greatest thing I could ever be. It’s the greatest thing that could happen to all of you too. For every one of you who saw me all those years ago and thought she has potential. You had absolutely no idea it was going to get this good, did you? Tomorrow morning your headlines should read ‘Holy fuck was I wrong?’

    And Anthony, I promise you no matter how many matches I win, no matter how many stories I finish. I will never call you into the ring to celebrate with me. Being timeless means I’m not on your watch. My success is my own and [you’re] damn lucky to be a part of it. If any of you have a single question after that you are as stupid as you look.”

    Storm was referring to the remarks the former WWE star made while talking about Mercedes Mone’s AEW debut. Nikki had said that she almost called Tony Khan after listening to Mone’s debut promo.

  • Swerve Strickland Paid Tribute To Late ROH Alum With Epic Marvel-Inspired AEW Dynasty Entrance

    Swerve Strickland Paid Tribute To Late ROH Alum With Epic Marvel-Inspired AEW Dynasty Entrance

    Swerve Strickland arrived to AEW Dynasty in style with an epic entrance that paid tribute to one of the most important names associated with Ring of Honor. 

    At Dynasty, Strickland dethroned Samoa Joe to win the AEW World Championship in an emotional main event. The win cemented Strickland as the eighth man to win the gold and the first black wrestler to capture the richest prize in AEW. 

    Strickland was dressed to impress in St. Louis and wore a black and gold attire for his entrance. Fans quickly recognized the look as inspired by Kilmonger, the antagonist of 2018’s Black Panther film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

    Swerve Strickland and Kilmonger. 

    Swerve Strickland’s ROH Tribute

    Kilmonger wasn’t the only notable name referenced during Swerve Strickland’s entrance at AEW Dynasty. Prince Nana was on hand to cover Strickland in a robe, which Excalibur noted belonged to Jimmy Rave. 

    Rave was part of Ring of Honor during the company’s early days and was part of The Embassy, a stable led by Nana. Rave’s heel work was so strong, that instead of throwing streamers for his entrance as was customary, fans threw toilet paper as he made his way to the ring. The ultimately led to toilet paper being banned from ROH show after Rave tried to attack a fan who threw a roll at him after his match. 

    Rave would make returns to ROH in 2009, 2011, and 2013. In November 2020, he announced his retirement after an infection in his left arm required amputation. An MRSA infection would cost Rave both of his legs less than a year later and he would die on December 12, 2021, at the age of 39. 

  • Will Ospreay Is Done Taking Shots At WWE After ‘Lowering’ Himself With Triple H Jibe

    Will Ospreay Is Done Taking Shots At WWE After ‘Lowering’ Himself With Triple H Jibe

    Will Ospreay doesn’t plan on taking shots at WWE again on AEW programming after recently taking aim at Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque. 

    On an episode of AEW Dynamite, Ospreay spoke about the ‘grind’ and said that Triple H only reached the top of WWE due to ‘grinding’ on Stephanie McMahon. The dig was in response to comments made by the Game over WrestleMania week in which he said some wrestlers opt not to sign with WWE due to the ‘grind’ and choose a promotion with a lighter schedule. 

    Ospreay’s dig sparked a discussion as to whether he crossed a line given that Triple H hadn’t mentioned him and that his comment took place in front of Renee Paquette, a friend of both Triple H and Stephanie. Speaking on the AEW Dynasty media scrum, Ospreay shared his belief that Triple H’s comment was about him. 

    “If you throw a jab, I throw one back. And although I wasn’t mentioned by name, it was clearly about me.”

    Ospreay added that he’s finished with taking aim at WWE as he doesn’t feel such ‘tribalism’ is good for anyone involved. 

    “I don’t wanna do that anymore because I feel like I lowered myself to that standard. I don’t need to do that anymore… that’s the first time I’ve ever experienced true tribalism between the two. It’s not nice. It’s unnecessary.”

    Though Will is done taking aim at WWE, he does not regret what he said as Triple H’s comment did “piss me off.” Ospreay couldn’t help but take one last swipe, however, as he finished speaking on the matter, saying he doesn’t need to “f***ing f*** with guys below me.”

    AEW Dynasty saw Ospreay defeat Bryan Danielson in an instant classic that went over 30 minutes. Ospreay got the win after hitting the Tiger Driver 91 which led to a worrying scene after the match. 

  • Wrestling World Reacts to Swerve Strickand’s AEW World Championship Win At Dynasty

    Wrestling World Reacts to Swerve Strickand’s AEW World Championship Win At Dynasty

    The wrestling world has shared their support for Swerve Strickland following his AEW World Championship victory at AEW Dynasty. 

    Strickland dethroned Samoa Joe in the main event of the show to become the eighth man to have won the gold. The win also made Strickland the first black man to hold the AEW World Championship. 

    Wrestling World Reacts to Swerve Strickland’s Win

    Strickland’s victory has understandably had the wrestling world abuzz. On Twitter, Matt Hardy gave his congrats to Strickland and others who made an impression at AEW Dynasty. 

    WWE’s Cedric Alexander also gave his congrats to the new AEW World Champion. 

    Darby Allin made reference to Swerve’s catchphrase shortly after his victory in St. Louis. 

    WWE NXT’s Joe Gacy had nothing but love for Swerve Strickland. 

    Orange Cassidy was victorious in tag-team action on the All In Zero-Hour pre-show. The freshly squeezed had just one word after AEW Dynasty. 

    AEW’s Administration Co-Ordinator shared a photo with Strickland, Prince Nana, AEW COO Kosha Irby, and new AEW TBS Champion Willow Nightingale to celebrate the historic show. 

    Kevin Knight was also pleased to see Strickland and Nightingale get the win and the gold at AEW Dynasty. 

    And as for Strickland himself, the new AEW World Champion had just a few words to give on social media. 

    Strickland’s win clearly means a lot to a lot of people and for good reason. After the setback of his 2021 release from WWE, Strickland has pulled himself up to become one of the hottest acts in professional wrestling. As for how his reign goes remains to be seen but AEW is indeed Swerve’s house after the Dynasty pay-per-view. 

  • Tony Khan Believes Airing All In Footage Added To The Presentation of Jack Perry’s AEW Dynasty Return

    Tony Khan Believes Airing All In Footage Added To The Presentation of Jack Perry’s AEW Dynasty Return

    Tony Khan says airing the All In footage helped explain Jack Perry’s absence from AEW TV ahead of his return to the company at tonight’s AEW Dynasty PPV.

    Perry had been suspended from AEW following his altercation with CM Punk at the All In event in August 2023. He stayed away from wrestling for over 5 months before resurfacing at NJPW’s Battle in the Valley show this past January.

    The AEW star finally made his return to Tony Khan’s promotion at the Dynasty PPV on Sunday. This came almost 10 days after AEW chose to air the real backstage footage of the altercation between Perry and Punk, following the Straight Edge Star’s explosive interview with Ariel Helwani.

    On the post-Dynasty media scrum, Khan was asked if the footage helped Jack Perry feel like a bigger star during his return at the PPV. Tony first mentioned how ‘The Scapegoat’ had a great run in NJPW before his comeback tonight which helped generate some buzz for him:

    “Well I’m really excited about a lot of things happening in AEW. I think Jack Perry’s return got a lot of excitement and got a huge reaction. Again, I mentioned we were in Chicago. It was a great night for the company when Jon Moxley became the IWGP World Champion. I got to watch Jack Perry’s return to American wrestling in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

    He got a massive star reaction at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Windy City show and I think he’s been doing great work in New Japan Pro Wrestling. When you go over do an excursion and have a great run like he had in the New Japan Cup and a great performance like he had against Shota in Chicago. I think that had a lot to do with it.

    We Made The Bold Call: Tony Khan

    Speaking about the All In footage, Tony Khan admitted that it did heighten the circumstances around Jack Perry’s return to his promotion:

    “I do think we made a bold call in the run up to this match. Really it heightened the circumstances and I do think it added to the presentation of the moment of Jack Perry’s return tonight at AEW Dynasty. The pay per view was a home run. I think a lot of people felt like it was a great return.

    Also I felt like it was important to explain partially where Jack’s been because the last time we saw him on AEW television was at Wembley Stadium. He went through the curtain. We never saw him again since, so I did feel like some responsibility to the viewer given I knew Jack was going to return to AEW that we explain where he’s been.”

    AEW Dynasty featured the finals of the Tag Team Title tournament between FTR and The Young Bucks. A Man in Sting mask interfered in the bout at the very end and helped The Bucks secure the victory over their opponents. The security quickly grabbed the mystery man and Jack Perry was revealed when they removed the mask.

  • Latest On Bryan Danielson After Injury Scare At AEW Dynasty

    Latest On Bryan Danielson After Injury Scare At AEW Dynasty

    There’s an update regarding Bryan Danielson’s condition following an injury scare after his all-out war against Will Ospreay at Sunday’s at AEW Dynasty pay-per-view. Danielson lost to Will Ospreay in an ‘instant classic’ that saw Ospreay put him away with the devastating Tiger Driver 91. Danielson appeared to take the move on his neck and was tended to after the match by AEW’s medical team. 

    Danielson appeared to be in very rough shape after the match, but the ‘American Dragon’ did not sustain any serious injuries. According to Fightful, everything ‘went as planned’ as much things can, and Danielson was just selling the effects of the match and the Tiger Driver. 

    Danielson was somehow fine after this bump

    Will Ospreay was concerned for Danielson after the match which will likely play into the ongoing storyline between himself and the rest of the Don Callis Family. For some time, there have been tensions in the faction with Ospreay showing too much respect for his opponents to be aligned with the group. On commentary during the match, Callis insinuated that Ospreay was a liar and stupid in another sign of growing tensions.  

    It’s certainly good news that Danielson wasn’t legitimately injured in the match, especially given his history of neck issues. It was in 2014 that Bryan was stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship due to a neck injury and his Intercontinental Championship reign the following year was also cut short due to neck issues. In 2016, Bryan would retire from the ring due to these setbacks and wouldn’t wrestle again until two years later. 

    What’s to Come? 

    It’s unclear when we’ll next see Bryan Danielson back in the ring but the American Dragon is currently in the midst of his final year as a full-time wrestler. This decision stems from a promise Danielson made to step away from the ring as a full-time talent in time for his daughter Birdie’s seventh birthday. While Danielson won’t be wrestling full-time, fans should expect to see him in the ring. He’s stated in interviews that he doesn’t plan to ever retire and will wrestle in front of small audiences if he has to until he physically can’t do it anymore.

    Danielson has certainly earned a more relaxed schedule in the ring but plans to stay active even as a part-time competitor. Thankfully, Danielson won’t have to miss time due to what transpired at Dynasty, despite what the events after his match may have made fans believe. 

  • Swerve Strickland Credits KofiMania As Inspiration Behind AEW World Title Pursuit

    Swerve Strickland Credits KofiMania As Inspiration Behind AEW World Title Pursuit

    Swerve Strickland’s historic AEW World Championship at AEW Dynasty may never have come about had KofiMania not taken wrestling by storm in 2019. 

    At AEW’s most recent pay-per-view, Strickland won the AEW World Championship from Samoa Joe and became the first black AEW World Champion in the process. On the post-show media scrum, Strickland spoke about how Kofi Kingston’s journey to the WWE Championship inspired him to think big.

    “Friends of mine, seeing friends like Kofi [Kingston]. The last five years was probably one of the biggest inspirational things you’ve ever seen. Not just in black history but in wrestling history period. And that’s motivating. That’s inspiring. And that makes me like ‘I want to do that for the next generation.’”

    Strickland added that he has big plans now that he is the champion and was pleased that it didn’t take long for another black champion to emerge following Kofi’s victory in MetLife Stadium. 

    “I don’t want to just do it once. I want to do it multiple times. And the fact that I was able to somewhat recreate a feeling like that in just a small amount of time, not like 20 years later, 15, 30, years later. That’s progress in my mind. And it’s not just me, it’s a team. Nana’s a part of that. My people, my family. All of them right here. None of this happens without any of these guys together. 

    Strickland’s win is understandably huge for him and could mark the ushering of a new era, one that sees AEW leave the issues of the past behind. Whatever comes next, Swerve has done the work to elevate himself into the main event, and the future bodes well with him as AEW World Champion. 

  • Will Ospreay Retiring Tiger Driver 91 After Scary Bryan Danielson Spot At AEW Dynasty

    Will Ospreay Retiring Tiger Driver 91 After Scary Bryan Danielson Spot At AEW Dynasty

    Will Ospreay has confirmed that he will be retiring the Tiger Driver 91 after the scary spot with Bryan Danielson in their match at tonight’s AEW Dynasty PPV.

    The high-flying star had talked about the dangers of the move at the post-Revolution media scrum last month after he used it to pin Konosuke Takeshita at the PPV event.

    During the Dynasty Media scrum, the AEW star spoke about the incident with Bryan on the PPV and revealed that he didn’t see the referee call for the medics:

    I’m super glad that everybody enjoyed the match. A little bit of a dampener on how it’s all kind of [turned out] the dust has settled now. I’ve reviewed the footage myself. It seems Bryan got hurt on the storm driver and I didn’t see the doctor call, the referee called for the doctor and I just didn’t see it.

    So I want to apologize on that. Obviously like within the confines of wrestling I do go like I said in the ring it is more or less it’s your life vs mine until you kind of see it staring at your face sort of the way it did.”

    Will Ospreay Says He Feels Awful

    Will Ospreay said that he feels awful about the spot. He apologized to Danielson for continuing the match after that and confirmed that he will be retiring the Tiger Driver 91, also known as Storm Driver 93:

    “Honestly I feel awful about this. So even though 90% of the time that move has been absolutely fine. Seeing the damage that it has kind of done, I am gonna retire using the Storm Driver 91. I don’t think it’s right for me to continue using it after seeing what it did to Bryan. Someone that I’ve got huge amounts of respect for.

    This was kind of my dream match. This is something I’ve wanted since I was a kid. So to see the outcome although I’m happy everyone enjoyed the match, I’m kind of disappointed in myself. So I apologize to Bryan. I apologize to AEW medics, I apologize to Tony.”

    Ospreay defeated Bryan in what many are already calling the match of the year during the latest AEW PPV. The ending of this match, however, left a lot of people concerned. 

    The finish of the bout saw Ospreay hitting the Tiger Driver 91 and the referee called for the medics as Danielson appeared to be hurt from the spot. Ospreay however, missed the referee’s call and he hit the former WWE star with an elbow to the back for the pin.

    The quotes in the article have been edited for clarity