All Elite Wrestling’s All Out PPV scheduled for August 31st in Chicago has sold out in less than 15 minutes.
Tickets went on sale Friday at 12pm (Eastern) and not long after disappointed fans took to social media to complain tickets were no longer available. At one point, an estimated 70,000 people were in an online queue for tickets, with a maximum of 4 tickets per person.
AEW confirmed that tickets were no longer available on Twitter:
Two matches have been announced for the show thus far. Chris Jericho and Adam “Hangman” Page will square off for the AEW World Championship. In a match just announced yesterday, Kenny Omega will face Jon Moxley.
Ticket prices ranged from $30 to $190.
All In sold out in under an hour. Double or Nothing sold out in an estimated 4 minutes.
Cody had previously gotten some slack for “guaranteeing” everyone would get tickets to Double or Nothing. This time, Brandi Rhodes wanted to make sure he didn’t make the same mistake.
“I can guarantee..” Cody started on the show.
“No, you can’t guarantee it,” Brandi interrupted.
“With the information I’ve given you, noon eastern, June 14,” Cody started back up again. “I can almost guarantee…”
“No, you said that last time!” Brandi interjected.
CM Punk actually responded to one fan who asked Punk if he was going to let his fan base down by not signing with AEW (All Elite Wrestling).
Since the launch of the promotion, the former WWE Champion has been the top name that fans have speculated to think the promotion would sign. However, based on his answer, it appears that is not going to happen.
The possibility of signing one of the biggest free agents in the pro wrestling business right now would be a great addition to the already loaded AEW roster.
Punk made headlines earlier this year when made his return to pro wrestling at an MKE independent event in Wisconsin by wearing a mask where he did a run-in during an Ace Steel vs. Daryck St. Holmes match and connecting with a GTS, which was his wrestling finisher.
AEW is slated to hold their All Out pay-per-view event on Saturday, August 31st at the Sears Centre in Chicago, IL, which is the hometown of Punk. This marks the next big event for the promotion.
ComicBook.com has published another highlight from their recent interview with AEW Executive VP Cody Rhodes. In this installment, Cody talks about the possibility of former WWE Champion CM Punk joining All Elite Wrestling.
AEW has three shows scheduled for the coming months. On June 29th, Fyter Fest takes place from Daytona Beach, FL at the annual CEO gaming convention. On July 13th, Fight for the Fallen hits Jacksonville, FL. Both are considered “2nd tier” shows, with Fyter Fest streaming for free on B/R Live and Fight for The Fallen expected to get the same treatment.
AEW’s next pay-per-view is ALL OUT from the Sears Center outside Chicago, IL. The card is shaping up to be must-see, with two matches confirmed:
Chris Jericho vs. Hangman Page to crown the first AEW World Champion
Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega
With AEW gaining momentum ahead of its premiere on TNT this fall, there’s naturally been speculation that the organization will play the ultimate wild card and sign CM Punk. ALL OUT will be a stacked show either way, but the debut of CM Punk would send shockwaves throughout the industry.
Cody told Comic Book that The Elite was pleasantly surprised last year at All In when they did not hear a single CM Punk chant. He knows wrestling fans and the Chicago audience in particular still love Punk, but it was gratifying that fans were focused on the show that was being presented instead of a possible surprise appearance. That said…
“I’ve been very honest about that door remains opened. The fans have never given up on CM Punk and if he wanted to be part of AEW we would do everything in our power to make him part of it.”
For now, AEW’s focus is putting on the best show possible. They have 25-35 brand new stars that they’re working on getting over, including Britt Baker, MJF, Jungle Boy and Kylie Rae. They’d love to have CM Punk, but the focus of All Out will be crowning AEW’s inaugural World Champion.
Rhodes continued: “That door will forever remain open to CM Punk. He was very good to me in OVW. He was a great person to learn from in the ring. I had a good relationship with him. That door will remain open, but for All Out the main focus for me is Hangman Page and Chris Jericho to determine the very first AEW World Champion.”
Tickets for AEW: ALL OUT go on sale this Friday at AEWTIX.com.
The second match for All Elite Wrestling’s All Out PPV on August 31st has been confirmed. The promotion revealed today that Jon Moxley will face Kenny Omega on the show. Moxley brutalized Omega in the closing moments of Double or Nothing, attacking Omega, Chris Jericho, and a referee following the night’s main event.
Tickets for All Out go on sale Friday at AEWTIX.com.
The only other confirmed match for the show thus far is Chris Jericho vs Hangman Page for the AEW World Championship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZd1EBmxNQE
AEW Upcoming Schedule
All Elite Wrestling has 3 events upcoming this summer. The promotion’s weekly 2-hour television program is then expected to begin in the fall. Below is an updated list on upcoming AEW events and their confirmed matches:
AEW – Fyter Fest- June 29th, 2019 – Daytona Beach, Florida
Michael Nakazawa vs Alex JeBailey – Hardcore Match
Cody vs Darby Allin
Kenny Omega & the Young Bucks vs the Lucha Bros & TBD
Jon Moxley vs Joey Janela
Hangman Page vs Jimmy Havoc vs Jungle Boy vs MJF
Christopher Daniels vs CIMA
Yuka Sakazaki vs Riho vs Nyla Rose
Fight For The Fallen – July 13th – Jacksonville, FL
Brandi Rhodes vs Allie
Kenny Omega vs CIMA
Cody & Dustin Rhodes vs the Young Bucks
All Out – August 31st – Chicago, Il
AEW World Championship: Chris Jericho vs Adam “Hangman” Page
Kenny Omega vs Jon Moxley
Kenny Omega On Wrestling Jon Moxley
Shortly after Double or Nothing, Omega spoke with Alicia Atout about possibly wrestling Moxley in the future.
Another match has been set for AEW’s new event, Fyter Fest, as the event is quickly approaching.
On Wednesday, the latest Road To Fyter Fest episode was released and featured the announcement that Yuka Sakazaki vs. Riho vs. Nyla Rose in a Triple Threat Match will take place. Brandi Rhodes made the match announcement.
AEW Fyter Fest is scheduled to take place on June 29, 2019, at Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida and will air live and free on Bleacher Report Live at 8pm ET. This show will be held alongside the Community Effort Orlando (CEO) fighting game event.
All Elite Wrestling will be announcing more matches in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card for AEW Fyter Fest:
The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega vs. Lucha Bros and Mystery Partner
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Jungle Boy vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. MJF – Four Way Match
Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin
Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela
Jebailey vs. Michael Nakazawa – Hardcore Match
Yuka Sakazaki vs. Riho vs. Nyla Rose – Triple Threat Match
Tickets for AEW FyterFest are now on sale atFyterFest.com. The least expensive ticket will be $30 while the most expensive ticket will be $190. You can watch the episode here:
Former WWE Superstar Tye Dillinger (Shawn Spears) recently sat down with entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet for an hour-long interview covering a wide range of topics. Spears discussed leaving WWE after turning down a big pay raise, how his departure affects his fiancé Peyton Royce, opening a new wrestling school with Tyler Breeze and much more.
Head over to Chris Van Vliet’s Youtube Channel for more of his recent interviews with Matt Morgan, Ryback, MJF, Joey Janela, Cody Rhodes and many more. Highlights from the discussion with Shawn Spears are below:
Why WWE Granted His Request To Be Released
Several WWE Superstars have reportedly asked to be released this year, but few were allowed to leave. Spears is not sure why WWE allowed him to go, but he thinks his eight years with the company might have garnered him some respect from management. His tweet back in February announcing that he requested his release also gave him additional leverage.
“I was with them for eight and a half years total including my first time around,” he said” “I did things right, I never got into any trouble. I was professional and I carried myself well and always did what I was asked to do. So that was one thing, the other thing is that statement that I put out later that evening on February 19th kind of handcuffed them a little bit. If they would have kept me, that might have made a lot of people unhappy. If they would have kept me and utilized me in a negative way or have me get killed on TV every week that would have made people upset. I think it put me in the best position possible to get what I was looking for. And the third possible reason is maybe they didn’t see anything in me and they go ‘You know what? We don’t see any value. It is time to go, so go ahead and to be honest with you I really hope it’s that one. I really, really do because that just fuels a little more fire.”
His 90-day non-compete with WWE ending the day before Double or Nothing:
Spears took part in the AEW: Double or Nothing pre-show battle royal. As it turns out, his non-compete clause with WWE expired the day before the pay-per-view.
“I asked for my release on my birthday, February 19th. I was verbally granted it on the Friday which was the 22nd or something but I needed the paperwork officially and I didn’t get that until the following week. Had they waited an extra 24 hours I would not have been able to do Double or Nothing so I think WWE was being gracious. They knew what was going on. I think they allowed me to be out at that time to do whatever I wanted to do including Double or Nothing. I could be completely wrong and it might have slipped their minds, I don’t know but I like to think that I had earned that mutual respect.”
If his WWE departure will affect Peyton Royce’s WWE career:
“When I first brought it up she was open to speaking about it and talking about it and we did on numerous occasions and then finally she could see that nothing was changing and nothing was getting better.”
“My mentality in terms of bringing my work home with me wasn’t getting any better and eventually she said to me, ‘Look, I need you happy and I don’t care how that is, I don’t care where that is. I just know that going forward for the rest of our lives, for our future children and for our household now I need you happy. So whatever it is that you need to do to make yourself happy, I am with you 100%. Wherever you go I am with you 100%.’”
“She has my back. And when you find someone like that, put a ring on it. Lock it down. She has been my upmost number one supporter and my number one fan and my best friend through all of this.”
Spears also discussed turning down a “substantial” raise from WWE before leaving. He said by the end of his WWE run, money was not going to make him happy. He didn’t want to stay with the company and be full of regret. To him, the most important things are being a good person, being a good father and living a life worth living. He wants to live on his own terms.
In a situation that sounds a lot like Jon Moxley’s WWE departure, Spears said WWE told him he’d be getting a “substantial raise” if he stayed, but did not want to see what that actual number was. His decision was made at that point and the pay increase was not going to fix what he was unhappy about.
There’s much more to this interview, which you can (and should) check out here:
All Elite Wrestling’s next show, Fyter Fest, will stream live for free on B/R LIVE on Saturday, June 29th from Daytona Beach, Florida. (Full Card)
AEW Executive Vice President spoke with ComicBook.com about the company’s decision to give the show away instead of generating extra revenue for the company by presenting it on pay-per-view. Cody says it was a huge discussion internally whether or not to charge fans to watch the show online. In the end, he’s thrilled with their decision.
“I’m so excited,” he said. “I mean, [you get Jon] Moxley’s first match in AEW for free. It’s great. The people at B/R Live, I couldn’t ask for better partners.”
For fans who are not familiar with the B/R Live service, viewers sign up for a free subscription, which then gives you access to purchase individual events. To watch AEW: Fyter Fest, all you have to do is sign up for a free account and you’re set.
“You do need a subscription, but it is a free subscription,” Rhodes explained. “It’s not a hook in and you’re charged type of deal. You’ll need to probably, if you’re looking to see Fyter, and it’s streaming for free here in the United States, you should go on the site before the actual event, get yourself signed up so you’ve got all your ducks in a row and you’re ready to go.”
Meanwhile, Chris Jericho is none too pleased about AEW’s decision to let fans stream Fyter Fest for free on B/R Live. Jericho and his metal band FOZZY are refusing to appear at the event out of protest. Jericho slams AEW’s “shameless pandering” while FOZZY’s statement cites the “incompetence o the stupid promoters.”
For the record, there was neither a Chris Jericho match nor a FOZZY performance scheduled for the show.
Regrettably & after much careful and difficult consideration, we want to let you know that #Fozzy won't be performing at #Fyterfest. Due to the incompetence of the stupid promoters, we’re not confident that we would have what we need to give you fans a quality performance.
All Elite Wrestling’s next live event, Fyter Fest, will stream live for free on the BR LIVE streaming service on Saturday, June 29th from Daytona Beach, FL.
Kenny Omega appeared at the E3 gaming convention on Monday announced Fyter Fest would air ‘completely free’ online. Omega said, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, yes, we are going to be streaming Fyter Fest and it’s going to be live and it’s going to be free.”
Omega added that AEW: Fyter Fest will be a free show in an effort to introduce new fans to the product.
On Tuesday, AEW confirmed Bleacher Report Live will host the show.
Updated Card for AEW: Fyter Fest
AEW has signed the following matches for Fyter Fest:
Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela
Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin
Adam Page vs. MJF vs. Jungle Boy vs. Jimmy Havoc
Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Bros. & Mystery Partner TBA
Michael Nakazawa vs. Alex Jebailey, head of the CEO gaming convention that is partnering with AEW for the event (Hardcore Match)
Awesome Kong recently spoke at Netflix’s Scene Stealers panel to promote GLOW where she also discussed her wrestling career, her time in Japan, and more. While on the topic of what fueled her fire for wrestling and how she found herself wrestling in Japan, Kong said that it was during her time in Tough Enough when former WWE commentator Jim Ross told her that she wouldn’t make it due to her size.
“I went to on a show called Tough Enough and it was for a WWE contract and Jim Ross who’s an announcer there told me I would never make it in wrestling because of my size and so that gave me the fire to be like, ‘watch this.’
So a friend of mine got me on a show Discovery Health Body Challenge, a weight loss show from 10 years ago on Discovery Health. They actually introduced me to a dojo from Los Angeles where Chyna was training. She did a surprise segment for me and that dojo invited me to go to Japan. I only planned to go there for two weeks and that turned into like, six years.”
This statement from Kong garnered response from netizens who didn’t like Jim Ross’ comment on Kong’s size. JR clarified this on his Twitter and said that he believed Kong wouldn’t make it in the Diva Search because she was not “Diva material”, and that he never doubted Kong’s ability to become a wrestler.
Ross wrote, “I never said Kia wouldn’t make it as a wrestler.
This was at the Diva Search and I was honest that at that time she was unlikely “Diva Material.”
I love her work. Listen to #DoubleOrNothing @AEWrestling”
I never said Kia wouldn’t make it as a wrestler.
This was at the Diva Search and I was honest that at that time she was unlikely “Diva Material.”
Another match has been set for AEW’s new event, Fyter Fest.
On Monday, the latest Being The Elite episode was released and featured the announcement that “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Jungle Boy vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. MJF in a Four Way Match would take place.
Cody Rhodes hyped that tickets for their All Out show will go on sale this Friday at noon eastern/11 central. He added that the least expensive ticket will be $30 while the most expensive ticket will be $190.
AEW Fyter Fest is scheduled to take place on June 29, 2019, at Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida and will air live on Bleacher Report Live at 8pm ET. This show will be held alongside the Community Effort Orlando (CEO) fighting game event.
All Elite Wrestling will be announcing more matches in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card for AEW Fyter Fest:
The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega vs. Lucha Bros and Mystery Partner
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Jungle Boy vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. MJF – Four Way Match
Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin
Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela
Jebailey vs. Michael Nakazawa – Hardcore Match
Tickets for AEW FyterFest are now on sale at FyterFest.com. You can watch the episode here:
Jon Moxley continues to make an impact since leaving WWE and arriving in both All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). Competing recently for the first time in NJPW, he defeated Juice Robinson and became the new IWGP United States Champion.
A number of key interviews with Moxley have been released in recent weeks, including one with the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast, and another with Talk Is Jericho. His interview with Jericho, in particular, has caught the attention of many within the industry—with people comparing it to CM Punk’s insider interview with Colt Cabana.
Speaking with 25 Years Later, Moxley discussed this comparison to Punk and also touched on WWE buying the indie scene, folding it into their corporate machine.
“The Sum Of Wrestling Outside Of WWE Is Bigger Than WWE”
It was highlighted that, whereas Punk’s interview with Cabana burned bridges, Moxley’s instead simply told the truth. This acted as a key difference between the two former WWE Superstars mindsets.
“A bridge is never burnt in WWE,” Moxley said.”Vince [McMahon] would have me back tomorrow and would love it if I came crawling back to him. I think Punk had a lot more personal animosity towards WWE and specific people. I don’t know every detail of his story, and I haven’t spoken to him since he left WWE. His experience drove him to not like wrestling anymore, I think. For me, I wanted the exact opposite. I just got pro wrestling back after losing it years ago. I’m like “Whoa, I’m back in the game, here we go!’”
Moxley later added, “That’s probably the biggest difference between my interview and the Punk interview. He was basically saying f*** pro wrestling, and I was saying that I got my love of pro wrestling back. I want to wrestle everyone. Let’s drop all the bridges, get all the companies together and have a super show that sells out a stadium right now. Fuck it. The sum of wrestling outside of WWE is bigger than WWE.”
“Buying The Indys”
Looking back at his time on the independent circuit, Moxley expresses that he feels it’s a bad idea that Triple H and WWE are simply “buying the indys.”
“He [Triple H] basically started buying the indys. I remember thinking that it might not be a good idea. Then where are all of these good ideas going to come from? If they signed Daniel Bryan at 21, he never would’ve become Bryan Danielson, and you never would’ve had WrestleMania 30. If they signed Punk before he really became CM Punk, he never would’ve done what he did. If they signed me at 21, I never would’ve become anything good. I had to develop first before getting brought in. Buying up all of the indy scene was the same as Vince buying up all the territories back in the day. There’s nobody left to cherry pick for talent.”
Despite this, Moxley commented on the indie scenes resurgence in popularity, stating that the strength of independent wrestling makes him optimistic about the future of pro wrestling as a whole.
Jon Moxley recently defeated Shota Umino at NJPW’s Dominion event. It was during this show that he declared his intentions to compete in this year’s G1 Climax tournament, which gets started on July 6th from Dallas, Texas.
Shawn Spears will be cheering for Hangman Page at All Out later this summer when he faces Chris Jericho for the AEW World Championship. Spears took part in an interview recently with Bill Apter where he said Page has a chance to become a worldwide star with a victory over a high-profile opponent like Jericho.
“Nobody loves Chris Jericho more than Chris Jericho,” Spears said when asked who will win between Jericho and Page. “He’s going to be gunning for it more than anyone else because he still feels he has something to prove even though the guy’s resume speaks for itself.”
Spears then said he’ll be cheering for Page, however.
“I’m pulling for Hangman,” he continued. I think Hangman has a chance to make himself a worldwide global star in one match and that’s the match to do it in.”
Shawn Spears To AEW?
Spears competed in the Casino Battle Royale before Double or Nothing last month but has not signed with AEW. He also spoke to the possibility of him becoming a full-time member of the AEW roster during the interview.
“It’s pretty common knowledge that I’m good friends with an Executive Vice President,” said Spears. “I’d heard the rumblings like everybody else across the planet had heard about the beginning of something special. So when the opportunity presented itself to be a part of it, it just so happened to fall in line with my timeline, the whole 90 days – that worked out perfectly in terms of timing.”
“Once one thing ended another door opened and I dove through that door without hesitation and it turned out to be the best decision I’ve made in recent memory.”
At 50 years of age, Dustin Rhodes had arguably the greatest night of his professional career at AEW Double or Nothing. He wrestled his brother Cody in a bloody and emotional war that ended with the two embracing in the ring. Cody and Dustin will now team up to take on the Young Bucks at Fight for the Fallen on July 13th.
Dustin was Chris Jericho’s guest on the most recent edition of Talk is Jericho. The former Goldust spoke about being told a match between him and Cody was not good enough for the big show in WWE.
“The stars aligned that night and they aligned for Cody and myself,” Dustin said.
“We really fought hard to get this thing finally done and we were just always told ‘it’s not good enough to be on the big show’ and to me that was bulls**t, they were wrong,” he continued. “I focussed so hard on this that I probably over-focussed because I was so nervous. I’d been out of the ring for 8 months but as soon as the chants started, we could do no wrong.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D8GCuUnp6Q
Dustin Rhodes vs Cody
“It was perfect in every way for me,” Dustin continued. “Probably, the greatest moment I’ve ever had in my 31 years in the business.”
Dustin also talked about how much blood he lost during the match.
“You do it and you see it start streaming out and it’s like ‘oh no, I went a little too deep,’” he said. “Then 10 minutes go by and now I’m starting to worry a little bit. The whole ring is just red, I can’t see, it’s all in my eyes, I’m trying to wipe it out but it’s just shooting out to my heartbeat. It get scary but then after 15 minutes, I’m like ‘I’m going to be ok.’”
The latest episode of Being The Elite was released on Monday afternoon and featured an appearance by Jon Moxley in the opening seconds.
In the video, The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) put their fists together like The Shield used to do, then look over at Moxley. This led to Moxley smacking his forehead with a look of confusion and walks off. You can watch the video here:
Moxley, formerly known as Dean Ambrose from his time in WWE, made his promotional debut at their inaugural pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Moxley makes his in-ring debut for All Elite Wrestling this month when he faces Joey Janela at AEW: Fyter Fest (June 29th). Moxley departed from WWE at the end of April as he decided not to sign a new contract with the company.
He finished up his contract with the company when he wrestled at The Shield: Final Chapter event that aired on the WWE Network from a live event at the Tax Slayer Center in Moline, Illinois.
Former WWE Superstar Jon Moxley, previously known as Dean Ambrose, recently debuted for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He would make an impact by appearing during the ending of the event, attacking Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega, firmly establishing him as an AEW main event player in the process.
Speaking on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast, Moxley recalled the ending to last year’s SummerSlam event.
According to him, that night was meant to see the return of The Shield, but Brock Lesnar had other plans.
“SummerSlam, the end of the show was supposed to be when the Shield returns,” Moxley revealed. “We were worried about it not being as impactful the next night [on RAW]. It still worked just as good. The end of SummerSlam was Roman vs Brock, Braun comes out, looks like a doofus because he can’t figure out how to cash in.”
“It Made Everyone Else Look Stupid But Brock”
Moxley then divulged that the ending of the main event was changed hours before the show got underway.
“How it went was Brock’s idea. At 6 p.m. before the show, everything was supposed to happen: the Shield coming out, this awesome stuff that the writers have been working on tirelessly to have this perfect ending to SummerSlam that was good,” Moxley said. “Brock comes in at 6 p.m. and changes everything. Vince is like, we are going to go with Brock’s idea. It made everyone else look stupid but Brock.”
He described the shock amongst the writers at that point, stating that they were “just sitting there watching it in the room and they’re like ‘Come on, we had it, we had this great ending.’ Everyone is suffering. Again not my problem, anymore.”
Jon Moxley is scheduled for his first AEW matchup against Joey Janela. The two will face off during AEW’s Fyter Fest event on June 29th from the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Earl Hebner had the honor of refereeing during All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) latest event, Double Or Nothing. He would officiate the personal clash between Dustin Rhodes and his brother, Cody.
Hebner recently caught up with Bill Apter for The Apter Chat during a convention in New Jersey, and was asked about being involved in the matchup and his thoughts on AEW.
He replied that it was a great experience, although there was a lot of pressure on him because of his history with both Dustin and Cody.
“I knew those two boys when they were kids. Matter of fact, their dad’s [Dusty Rhodes] the one that gave me this job. Dusty is the one that gave me a job at the NWA in Charlotte for Jim Crockett Promotions,” Hebner recalled. “Seeing those kids grow up and being with them in Double Or Nothing, it was…it was a great match. I was in there with two great kids, two great friends, and honestly, it was like family. We got it, it was done, and it was good.”
“I was more nervous about those two guys hurting each other than I was in the ring,” he said. “The ring doesn’t bother me. When I got two great kids—well, men now—in the ring, that I’ve loved all my life, and see them grow up from babies, it was a lot of stress on me. It’s like I was the dad there, separating the boys. I’m glad that I got to raise Cody’s hand and leave ’cause I probably would’ve been in tears at ringside.”
Earl called AEW a “great company” and confessed he feels privileged to be working with them before adding that he believes AEW will “wake up a lot of people around the world, in the wrestling business—especially the WWE. It’s gonna be great now they have some competition.”
Chris Jericho is a big supporter of former WWE Champion CM Punk potentially joining AEW (All Elite Wrestling) but thinks there are factors in getting a deal done.
The possibility of signing one of the biggest free agents in the pro wrestling business right now would be a great addition to the already loaded AEW roster.
Punk and Jericho have shared the ring on several different occasions in WWE. While doing a recent interview with ESPN, Jericho made it known that he thinks AEW would be the right for Punk.
“If he wants to come back to wrestling, it would have to be for the right reasons — both on his end and on AEW’s end,” Jericho said. “CM Punk is a unique individual.”
Jericho noted that AEW and WWE could use him but it all depends on what Punk wants to do and what his attitude is when and if he comes back. The AEW star added that it’s a new world, especially in AEW.
“Like I said, if he wants to come in, he’d probably be welcomed with open arms. But I think he would have to kind of prove himself, as he would want to. Because I know him. He’s a competitor. He’s not gonna come back just for a paycheck or just to be famous. If he comes back, it’s because he wants to be here, he wants to wrestle and he wants to prove something. And if he doesn’t feel that way, he won’t come back. The only person that can answer that question, I believe, is CM Punk himself.”
The Talk Is Jericho episode featuring Jon Moxley has become a quick hit and as Chris Jericho himself revealed on Twitter, it has become the highest rated episode of the podcast within hours of its launch.
The episode has fans talking about the creative process of
WWE but it appears that the whole thing has also influenced people backstage at
the company and according to Jericho many of them have reached out to him after
its release.
Chris recently had an interview with ESPN where he talked about the Moxley podcast and revealed that after it, many people from WWE have reached out to him. They have said that they can’t wait to do their own version of the thing when their contract expires:
“I have heard from a lot of people who are working
there saying, ‘I can’t wait to do my version in X amount of months,’”
This shows that Dean Ambrose isn’t the only person who was unhappy backstage and there are many more stars who are looking to get out of their contract so they can also breathe the fresh air once again.
The names which we know have tried to leave WWE in recent times include the likes of Sasha Banks, The Revival, Luke Harper and more. Though these aren’t the only stars who have decided to leave.
We know that Gallows and Anderson have instead decided to wait for their contract to run out and if anything, this interview emphasizes that there are more stars like them who are waiting for their contract to expire to leave the promotion.
Jon Moxley has been part of some amazing moments in his career so far which include winning the WWE Championship, his moments with the Shield and sharing ring with the likes of the Undertaker and Brock Lesnar.
However, the Dean Ambrose turned Moxley implies that his recent appearance at AEW Double Or Nothing, where he made his debut for the promotion during its first official PPV event, trumps everything he has done so far because it was the highlight of his career.
During a recent interview on Radio Show Flip the Strip, Jon recalled his WWE title win. While he said that the moment was pretty cool and it was something he wanted since he was a kid, according to him, his AEW debut “totally trumps” that:
“Across the street from MGM Grand a few years ago at
T-Mobile [Arena] I won the WWE title, the title that I wanted to win as a kid
ever since I saw Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels Iron Man match over that title …
I went and did that. That was pretty cool. [but] This totally trumps that,”
Continuing on the topic, he explained that even though WWE made his name, standing on his own two feet without having any involvement from the company and listening to 12,000 plus people chanting Moxley was an indescribably satisfying feeling.
Jon Moxley’s AEW debut was a surreal moment without a doubt. Though him saying that it trumps anything he did in WWE only emphasizes how miserable he was in the company. As he explained in his recent interview too, it shows how the lack of creative satisfaction made everything depressing for him.
Kenny Omega had new theme music for his main event battle against Chris Jericho at AEW: Double for Nothing. Since then, wrestling theme enthusiasts have been waiting for the full version to be released. On Friday, they got their wish.
Omega’s new theme song is “Battle Cry” by Little V. It is a departure from his wildly popular music from New Japan Pro Wrestling, Devil’s Sky.
As seen below, the music video features Little V performing the song, with footage of Omega from ITV’s Before the Bell: The Story Of All Elite Wrestling spliced in. There is also some pixel artwork by Wrestling Arcade, the must-follow Twitter account that recreates popular events in wrestling history in 16-bit.
Kenny Omega’s next match for AEW will be at Fyter Fest on June 29th from Daytona Beach, FL. He will team with The Young Bucks against The Lucha Bros. (Pentagon & Fenix) and a partner TBA.
Omega is not currently advertised for Fight for the Fallen (7/13) but is expected to face Jon Moxley at ALL OUT in August (8/31).
Check out the music video for Kenny Omega’s AEW theme song, “Battle Cry” by Little V:
All Elite Wrestling’s first official PPV is trending toward a buyrate of close to 100,000. Official numbers are not yet in but the trends are looking good. The estimated buyrate for the event was addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
“Double or Nothing is currently estimated at doing roughly 98,000 buys between television and digital PPV, with close to a 50/50 split between the two,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
AEW Double or Nothing Buyrate
The report would continue to say most PPV events see only 15-25% of sales through streaming. 2/3 of the purchases are said to be from the United States, the UK in second, and then Australia, Canada, and Germany also showing notable numbers.
“With replay buys, it should easily top ECW’s biggest-ever show (99,000) and be the biggest PPV in pro wrestling history that wasn’t produced by WWE or WCW. It also soundly beat the last UFC digital-exclusive events, and wasn’t far behind the previous show.”
AEW’s next events will be Fyter Fest on June 29th and Fight for the Fallen on July 13th. After that, AEW will present All Out on August 31st from Chicago.
For what it’s worth, here’s a look at wrestling pay-per-view buyrates prior to the launch of the WWE Network in 2014.
Kenny Omega lost to Chris Jericho at Double or Nothing. Following the bout, he was also attacked by a debuting Jon Moxley. During a recently published interview with Alicia Atout, Omega spoke on having unfinished business with Jericho and on potentially wrestling Moxley.
“This is going to be the start of something beautiful,” Omega said. “If I had won yesterday, I feel like I might have gotten that feeling of complacency.”
Omega would say that now he has something to really motivate him, such as getting his hands on Jon Moxley.
“Now, I’ve really got something to train for,” Omega said regarding Moxley. “I can’t lose to a guy that came from that place, you know what I mean?”
“There’s a little bit of pride on the line,” he added.
Omega would then briefly turn his attention to Jericho.
“So Jericho, what we have is not over,” Omega continued. He then said that Jericho would have trouble dealing with a healed-up Adam “Hangman” Page next.
Kenny Omega Hypes Up Fyter Fest
Omega is said to have been spending lavishly on the upcoming Fyter Fest on June 29th from Daytona Beach.
“You want to see a fun wrestling show?” Omega asked. “A show where every single match has a purpose? Where every single match will leave you wanting more?” he asked. “That’s the place to go. We’re going to make it available to be viewed and again, show #2 for AEW.”
Omega is scheduled to team with the Young Bucks at Fyter Fest. They will face the Lucha Bros and a replacement for PAC to be named later. Moxley is scheduled to face Joey Janela.
All Elite Wrestling will crown its first World Champion at the upcoming AEW: All Out pay-per-view during Labor Day weekend. The news comes courtesy of Chris Jericho, who made the announcement Thursday morning during an appearance on Busted Open Radio. AEW has since confirmed the match.
Jericho will face “Hangman” Adam Page to crown the inaugural champion. Jericho defeated Kenny Omega at Double or Nothing to earn the title shot, while Page won the Casino Battle Royale match on the Buy In kickoff show.
AEW: All Out takes place Saturday, August 31st at Sears Centre Arena outside Chicago. This is the same venue that hosted All In last year. Tickets for All Out go on sale Friday, June 14th.
AEW has several shows coming up in the months ahead:
6/29: Fyter Fest (Daytona Beach, FL)
7/13: Fight for the Fallen (Jacksonville, FL)
8/31: All Out (Chicago, IL)
Each of these shows will be available for streaming online via Bleacher Report Live and the other services that carried Double or Nothing. The belief is that Fyter Fest and Fight for the Fallen will be shorter in length and lower in price than All Out, which will be one of AEW’s full-fledged tentpole pay-per-views.
AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes tweeted this video of the AEW World Championship in all its glory earlier this week:
Since 1 of the 4 EVPs(me) forgot to get the championship professionally photographed…here’s a short clip of the biggest, heaviest, most beautiful and damn expensive belt I’ve ever seen @AEWrestling pic.twitter.com/LnelywWv4m
WWE held the quarterly NXT media call on Thursday to promote this weekend’s NXT Takeover XXV event. While fielding calls from the wrestling media, Triple H touched upon the topic of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and the brewing rivalry between the two companies.
WWE struck the first blow in this cold war at the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. During the induction of DX, Triple H ribbed DX member (and AEW employee) Billy Gunn by calling AEW a “pissant” company that Vince McMahon could purchase and shut down if he wanted to. Cody Rhodes fired back at Triple H during Episode 14 of AEW’s The Road To Double or Nothing YouTube series. Cody referenced Triple H as a “pissant bodybuilder” that can’t keep up with today’s top stars.
This past week, we had Cody smashing a throne with a sledge hammer at Double or Nothing and Sami Zayn name dropping AEW on Monday’s Raw.
When asked about the back and forth digs between WWE and AEW, Triple H said he referenced AEW at the Hall of Fame because an AEW employee standing right next to him was “the elephant in the room” that night. It was nothing more than that and his remarks were unscripted.
Regarding AEW taking shots at WWE, Triple H said, “For me, I don’t really even think about it to be honest.” He is laser focused on Saturday’s NXT Takeover show. Instead of focusing on other companies’ creative, he wants to make NXT the best it can be.
Cody Rhodes posted an inspirational message on Wednesday, encouraging his followers, “Don’t back down. Do the work.” As much as AEW says they are not positioning themselves as competition to WWE, Cody is clearly ‘leaning in’ to his warm message to Triple H from Saturday night.
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) are actively trying to provide an alternative with their promotion. This extends to how they are choosing to engage with their fans and how they intend to portray their storylines and promos.
Tony Khan recently caught up with Busted Open Radio. During their conversation, the AEW president stressed the importance of implementing social media strategy, saying that their ability to connect with a younger audience was a purposeful decision.
“I think there is something about social media now where people are more engaged with their celebrities and their sports stars than ever before,” he said. “People can spot a phoney, and I think young people can spot a phoney. I think young people can spot when people believe what they are saying and when people aren’t believing what they are saying, and when I was a kid, I really did believe what Ric Flair and Randy Savage and Bret Hart said in their promos. I think there has to be some believability.”
This believability is an element Khan is adamant AEW bring back to the world of pro wrestling. His plan to achieve that? Not having their talent use scripted promos.
“When you see a guy reading off a teleprompter or a mental teleprompter, just trying to recite a script or trying to look up in the air when you forget a line. It is hard to suspend disbelief when the wrestler doesn’t believe in the real-life situation that is unfolding. So like I said, I am not surprised that we are drawing young viewers; it was part of the plan going in.”
AEW’s next show will be Fyter Fest. The show takes place on June 29th from the Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, Florida.
