The upcoming AEW Fight Forever video game will not be launching on Xbox Game Pass any time soon after all.
Fight Forever is All Elite Wrestling’s first console video game. In recent months, details about the game have been few and far between The game won the Best Sports/Racing Game Award at Gamescom. It was officially announced in August, but its release date and other information remain unclear.
Earlier this week, WrestleZone reported that Fight Forever would be included on the Xbox Game Pass when it releases, which would have made it available to more than 25 million subscribers on the subscription service.
AEW Fight Forever Update
On Tuesday, the official @AEWGames Twitter account poured cold water on the report about Xbox Game Pass. According to AEW, the game will not be part of any monthly gaming subscription services.
The next round of information about Fight Forever will be announced Saturday, November 19th during AEW’s Full Gear pay-per-view.
This also seems like a good time to share that we don't anticipate #AEWFightForever being part of any monthly gaming subscription services.
AEW: Fight Forever will be available in store at your favorite retailers or online. Reserve your copy today at: https://t.co/Nv3IuMVxiN
AEW Fight Forever will be released on Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Although no official release date has been confirmed.
A website with information has been launched and a teaser trailer is out. Wrestlers, move-sets, entrances, and arenas in the game will be customizable. There will also be a deep career mode.
AEW star MJF is making his film debut in a pro-wrestling-related project, as he will be part of an upcoming biopic on The Von Erich family.
It was reported via Deadline today that MJF is joining the cast of “The Iron Claw.” The role that MJF will be playing hasn’t been revealed.
Sean Durkin is writing and directing the movie. The synopsis for the film notes that the movie “follows the rise and fall of the Von Erich family, a dynasty of wrestlers who made a huge impact on the sport from the 1960s to the present day.”
The Movie
(AEW)
Zac Efron (Kevin Von Erich), Harris Dickinson (David Von Erich), Jeremy Allen White (Kerry Von Erich), Holt McCallany (Fritz Von Erich), Maura Tierney (Doris Von Erich), and Lily James are also part of the cast.
A24 released a first-look picture of Efron in the ring as Kevin Von Erich on Monday. Marshall Von Erich, who wrestles for MLW and is one of Kevin Von Erich’s sons, previously commented on Efron playing his father by noting:
FTR is set to wrestle at the Tokyo Dome for the first time ever for the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 event.
Dave Meltzer confirmed on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) will be wrestling at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 as they’ll defend their IWGP Tag Team Titles at the event.
FTR’s History with NJPW
The AEW stars won the IWGP Tag Team titles by defeating Jeff Cobb & The Great-O-Khan and Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero in a three-way match at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door this June.
Since becoming the champions, FTR has retained against Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) and Great-O-Khan & Cobb in their two title defenses.
NJPW did an angle after NJPW Battle Autumn in Osaka last Saturday with FTR and Aussie Open as Aussie Open confronted FTR backstage, saying that they’re going to win NJPW’s World Tag League tournament and then go on to challenge FTR at Wrestle Kingdom.
This upcoming event is taking place at the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. FTR wrestling at the event means they’ll miss that week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. It’s been previously reported that other AEW stars will also be working the show.
AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone wants to see AEW do more to utilize Renee Paquette.
Schiavone spoke about his new colleague on the latest episode of his What Happened When podcast. During an ‘Ask Tony Anything’ round of Q&A, Schiavone spoke very highly of Paquette. He’s thrilled to have her on board as part of the team. She is a polished performer, the consummate professional and is so good that she makes other peoples’ jobs easier.
Paquette debuted on the first-ever AEW Dynamite in Canada, over two years after departing WWE where she worked as Renee Young.
“She’s wonderful. She’s such a pro, she is so good on camera, at what she does and it prevents me from running backstage 100 times now, too. I’m just really, really thrilled about us having her, and hopefully we use her more.”
– Tony Schiavone on Renee Paquette
Paquette recently joined All Elite Wrestling nearly two years after leaving WWE. During that time, she became a mother, released a cook book and worked on several other projects outside of wrestling.
She performed several functions during her extended run with WWE. She conducted backstage interviews, hosted television and digital shows and was was the first full-time female announcer on Monday Night Raw for a short period of time.
On a recent episode of her own podcast, The Sessions, Paquette said she’s not really interested in calling matches in AEW, but did not rule that out entirely.
Capable broadcasters can make a huge difference on the overall product of a wrestling show. Paquette has only been with AEW for a few weeks, but Schiavone is already convinced she’s been an important addition to the team.
“She looks so great on camera,” he continued. “She’s so cool, one of our best hires in a long long time, she really is.”
AEW’s ‘Hangman’ Adam Page has become the latest prominent name to leave Twitter following the Elon Musk takeover.
Musk began his acquisition of the social media giant in April 2022 and concluded his purchase last month.
Page told his fans that he would be deleting Twitter from his phone, and joins WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley in removing himself from the platform.
The former AEW World Champion is still available on Instagram, where he has over 227,000 followers.
Musk and Twitter
Musk’s time running the site has been mired in controversy, as he has faced backlash for his ‘Twitter Blue’ idea, which will charge users to have their accounts verified.
Others have criticized the reinstatement of several banned accounts which many fear will open up the risk of misinformation being spread.
Despite previously claiming that Twitter should be politically neutral, Musk has encouraged U.S. voters to vote a particular way in the 2022 mid-term elections.
The billionaire has also begun permanently suspending accounts parodying him, despite advocating for ‘free speech.’
While Musk has claimed that accounts that impersonate others but make it clear they are parody accounts are safe, accounts that follow this rule when parodying him have been banned.
Hangman’s Injury
Fans won’t be hearing from the former AEW World Champion on Twitter, and they won’t be seeing him in the ring either.
The match was quickly called off and it was later confirmed that Page suffered a concussion.
The Cowboy was inundated with a ton of positive messages after the injury, including from WWE’s Big E, who is still recovering from a broken neck suffered earlier this year.
There is no timetable for when Page will be back in the ring.
Colt Cabana was reportedly afraid that CM Punk’s arrival to AEW would result in him losing his job.
Punk joined AEW in August 2021 after over seven years away from wrestling following his WWE walkout in January 2014.
The Chicago-Made wrestler has captured two AEW World Championships in the company, the first at Double or Nothing 2022 and the second at September’s infamous AEW All Out event.
Losing a Job
Not long after Punk’s arrival in AEW, appearances by Cabana on TV dried up, and some have said that this was something Punk had orchestrated.
During the latest episode of his Keepin it 100 podcast, Konnan recalled meeting with Cabana at an AEW event and asking about Punk.
“When I saw Colt Cabana backstage, I remember asking him, ‘So what’s up with you now that Punk is back?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, man. We’re not really talking.’ I go, ‘Come on, dude. After all these years, you guys were boys’ He said, ‘Yeah, man. He just won’t talk to me.’ He would kind of look around, like, he knew [he was going to be fired.]”
Konnan added that looking back, it was clear that Colt thought he was “going to get the ax” and said that Khan would have done so to make Punk happy.
Cabana has not been fired from AEW, but has been moved to the Ring of Honor roster, which some have suggested was done to keep the former friends apart.
No Going Back
Punk and Cabana were once the closest of friends, but that changed due to a legal dispute regarding WWE.
When WWE physician Dr. Chris Amann sued the pair for defamation (over comments made by Punk on Colt’s podcast) Punk allegedly offered to pay Cabana’s legal fees.
Punk has claimed that this wasn’t the case, which led to the fallout between the two, something that Colt believes can’t be fixed, according to Konnan.
“I remember telling him ‘Bro, you can’t even sit down and just say, Hey, let’s reset our relationship.’ He said, ‘Nah, man. He won’t even talk to me.’“
Konnan recalls a conversation with Colt Cabana about CM Punk.
Konnan added that he was pleased to see Colt make his AEW TV return recently, challenging ROH World Champion Chris Jericho on the November 2, AEW Dynamite.
This marked Cabana’s first AEW TV match in close to a year, which Konnan summed as down to “chicanery” and “politics.”
On Friday, the Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF) announced that legendary second baseman, Brandon Phillips had purchased a franchise in Dallas. They followed up their tweet welcoming Jade Cargill to “the fam”.
Cargill confirmed that she is co-owner of the franchise. She said they’ll be “providing more opportunities for women to prolong a passion of this amazing game long after college.”
The press release describes the WPF as “Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF) is the official professional softball league in the United States, founded by USA Softball, USSSA, and Smash It Sports. WPF showcases the best athletes in softball, provides a world-class experience for fans, and connects young fans to their idols.”
The league had its inaugural season last year with two teams, Smash It Sports Vipers and USSSA Pride. The Oklahoma Sparks will field a team next season.
Who is Jade Cargill’s partner, Brandon Phillips?
In WPF’s press release, Phillips said of the opportunity, “I’m very excited to become an owner of a franchise in the WPF. I’m looking forward to branching off into something new but very similar. It’s time to provide more opportunities for women to prolong their passion of this amazing game long after college to achieve their dreams.”
In addition to the Dallas franchise, Phillips is the co-owner of the Lexington Legends, an independent baseball team. He also played for the team last season. While playing in the MLB, Phillips racked up four Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger while also playing in three All-Star Games.
Dallas will field a team in June 2023. Cargill and Phillips are asking for fans to help them name the team. They’re using the hashtag #ImGlovinIt.
Phillips and Cargill are a real life power couple and have a daughter. Cargill signed with AEW in November 2020. She won the TBS Championship tournament in January to become the inaugural title holder. Cargill is currently on a 41-win streak and on track to face Nyla Rose at Full Gear.
After members of The Factory defeated the team of Rhett Titus, Cheeseburger, and Logan Laroux on AEW Dark: Elevation, QT Marshall cut a promo about how they were “running on cylinders” and repeatedly referred to the crowd as “pieces of crap”.
As he was yammering, a grainy video popped up on the screen. Two long nails were shown, with one being pulled away from the other. The video ended as abruptly as it started and all members of The Factory looked confused, as was Paul Wight on commentary.
Although the video was in black and white and reminiscent of House of Black, it’s unlikely that it’s them. They appear in their vignettes and don’t have any reason to be involved with The Factory.
There was speculation that Darby Allin was coming for Cole Karter after he attacked Allin on Dynamite while dressed as Sting. This led to the AEW arrival of Jeff Jarrett.
Some fans have been buzzing about “Evil Danhausen”. There is a photo of this version of his character in which he’s holding a long nail, similar to the ones seen in the video.
Last week, Marshall beat Danhausen during the main event of AEW Dark Elevation. Afterwards, Danhausen quote tweeted a clip of his loss with song lyrics from “Unclean Spirit” by Code Orange. The next night on AEW Dark, he beat Jon Cruz in a more vicious way than we typically see from him. He quote tweeted a clip of that win with “the executioner is here and he’s sharpening his axe.”
My body is conscious. My spirit is unclean. I am no longer fulfilled. Satisfy me. My body is conscious. My spirit is unclean. I am no longer fulfilled. Satisfy me. My body is conscious. My spirit is unclean. I am no longer fulfilled. Satisfy me. @AEW. https://t.co/I9voojBV6i
Evil Danhausen would bring a dimension to his character that AEW fans haven’t seen yet. It may move him away from Best Friends and company (and HOOK) and let him be on his own for a while.
Lio Rush had an interesting run with AEW that started with his debut at the Double Or Nothing pay-per-view in 2021, which marked the first show to feature a full crowd at a wrestling event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His tenure with the promotion didn’t last long, as he became a free agent after his contract with AEW expired in February 2022.
His contract expiring came after Rush spoke out on Twitter regarding a controversial tweet from AEW President Tony Khan on New Year’s Eve in 2021.
While speaking on the Say Less podcast, Rush was asked if he thought AEW knew what to do with him as a talent when the company employed him.
Lio Rush on his AEW Run
(via NJPW)
“Of course not. When I say things, I don’t wanna sound like it was breaking news because I feel like these things are so blatantly obvious. It’s like, yanno, he made it pretty clear to me, verbally, that when he was a fan of me, it was when I was in WWE and I was doing the manager stuff with Bobby [Lashley]. If that’s how he saw me, that’s the only light he sees me in… [then] that’s [probably what] he’s gonna shift me to be in that kind of role. Which I’m not, yanno… I’m so grateful for that time period [in WWE] because it taught me how to talk, it taught me how to present myself and build others up. No, I don’t think that [they] exactly knew what to do with me. That’s always a frustrating thing, but like you said when [I] say stuff it just gets f*cking blown up.”
Since he departed from AEW, Rush has dealt with various injuries. He returned to in-ring action in October and has since competed for promotions such as GCW, PWG, and MLW. Rush was recently announced for NJPW’s upcoming Super Junior Tag League.
The Young Bucks will attend an online virtual signing next month, in what will likely be their first public appearance since AEW All Out 2022.
HighspotsAuctions.com confirmed that the Bucks will be participating in a virtual signing on December 1, and fans can either purchase items or send their own to get signed.
Items available to purchase include trading cards, action figures, turnbuckle pads, Funko POP! Vinyls as well as posters for both Being the Elite and AEW’s predecessor event ALL IN.
The Bucks’ Absence
Unless they return to AEW programming very soon, this will be the first public appearance by The Bucks since All Out.
After the now infamous event, a fight broke out backstage following explosive comments made by then-AEW World Champion CM Punk.
It is believed that Punk threw the first punch that hit Matt Jackson, though Punk’s camp has claimed that he felt threatened that a fight was going to break out.
During the fight, it is alleged that Punk’s trainer and then-AEW producer Ace Steel threw a chair that hit Nick Jackson in the eye.
All participants in the fight were suspended due to a third-party investigation into the matter which has since concluded.
Future Plans
While Tony Khan has not commented publicly on the results, it is believed that the investigation cleared the Bucks and Kenny Omega.
In recent weeks, the trio have been featured in vignettes on Dynamite, which has seen the group be replaced by Death Triangle.
Death Triangle, AEW’s second Trios Champions after the Elite was stripped of the titles, are expected to feud with The Bucks and Omega once they return.
Bryan Danielson debuted in All Elite Wrestling last year at AEW All Out and most fans thought he’d have a title run with the company by now.
Former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. hasn’t been a fan of Danielson’s run in All Elite Wrestling and shared his opinion on the Wrestling with Freddie podcast. Freddie stated that Danielson has lost more matches than he has needed to lose and has been under-serviced as far as character development.
Bryan Danielson has been under-serviced as far as character development and story goes. I feel like he has been under-serviced in his matches.
I feel like he’s lost more matches than he’s needed to lose. I feel like his motivation for wrestling hasn’t been written as well as it could be written.
It’s become a part of his backstage interviews, where there is a little bit of people questioning his motivation and not his toughness, so to speak, but just his reasoning and rational, and this son-of-a-bitch has had enough.
Danielson debuted at All Out 2021 after Kenny Omega defeated Christian Cage in the main event to retain the AEW World Championship. Adam Cole had made his debut minutes earlier and aligned with Kenny Omega and The Elite.
Danielson went on to have feuds with Kenny Omega and Hangman Page for the AEW World Championship but came up just short. Bryan also reached the finals of the Tournament of Champions this year at Dynamite: Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
He battled his stablemate in the Blackpool Combat Club for the vacant AEW World Championship in the finals but once again came up on the losing end of a title match. Danielson remained persistent and challenged Chris Jericho for the ROH Championship on Dynamite then AEW visited Toronto on October 12th.
Once again, it wasn’t meant to be for Danielson and he lost another title match. Danielson and Jericho were in a war over Daniel Garcia and whether he was a sports entertainer or a wrestler.
Daniel Garcia ultimately decided he was a sports entertainer, betrayed Danielson and re-joined the Jericho Appreciation Society. Jericho will defend the ROH Championship against Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and Sammy Guevara in a 4-Way match at AEW Full Gear on November 19th.
Jon Moxley had a topsy-turvy 2021. He became a father in the summer, and later in the year, admitted himself into an inpatient alcohol treatment program.
In a recent interview with his hometownCincinnati Inquirer, Moxley openly admitted he was afraid of dying in the ring.
“Over a year ago, I was afraid of dying of a seizure in the ring,” Moxley said. “I had that on my mind every day. It was all (messed) up, and going through an absolute personal hell for a long time that nobody else even knew about.
“When you’re scared for your actual life, to make the decision to go to rehab and (stuff) was basically – I had to basically assume I’m giving everything away. I was like, OK, I’m either going to live a long, happy life and raise my kid and be a person, or I can wrestle. But I can’t have both.”
Moxley returned from rehab a new man, both in and outside of the ring. With renewed focus, he became a 3-time AEW World Champion.
Initially, Moxley was wondering if the AEW fan base would be disappointed or upset with him for taking time off. He would soon learn that wasn’t the case.
“But when I got out, it turned out that nobody was mad at me at all,” Moxley stated. “Everybody was very happy. I was welcomed back by AEW and by the fans, and it was just like, go and get back to it. And when you’ve already lost everything, all you fear for is your life, literally and figuratively.
“If I had taken another step in the wrong direction, I could have been on the verge of losing my family if I had gone that way. If I had kept going in another direction, I could have died on live television. I could have literally lost everything. So to make that choice, I had to completely give away everything.
“I’ll never wrestle in this arena again, I’ll never get to wrestle in front of these fans again, I’ll never get to be on TV again, I’ll never win a championship again, I’ll never make any money again, I’ll go back and get my old job at the arena – I don’t know. I had to give it all away.”
Upon CM Punk’s initial departure from AEW in June due to injury, Moxley was crowned world champion and admirably held the belt all summer long without missing a beat. Then, he retained the belt against Punk in a very quick match on Dynamite upon Punk’s return, only to lose it to Punk at AEW’s All Out PPV. And we all know what happened after that.
Regaining the title for a third-time following Punk’s second departure from the company, Moxley continues to be the heart, soul and flag bearer for the promotion.
Jon Moxley will defend his AEW World championship vs. MJF at Full Gear on Saturday, November 19th. SEScoops will have full coverage of the PPV and all of the events leading up to it, so make sure you keep it tuned here.
AEW star Andrade El Idolo deleted a recent tweet stating that he would rather quit the company than be fired.
Andrade El Idolo has quietly stayed out of the limelight after being sent home on October 5th after a backstage altercation with Sammy Guevara. Having spent nearly a month away from AEW, Andrade celebrated a birthday on the fourth of November.
As a sarcastic gesture, he thanked AEW for the birthday wishes. Even though the official Twitter account did not wish El Idolo a happy birthday on social media.
Following up on the deleted tweet, a fan responded, questioning why Andrade would want a message from the company he seemingly dislikes? Andrade El Idolo retorted.
“Look man, I’m a man and if I wanted them to fire me, I’d quit and I’ve never done it.”
We’ve seen Andrade’s stablemate Rush featured on TV, as he will be apart of the AEW World title eliminator tournament starting on Dynamite this Wednesday. The question to ask here is: Will El Idolo return to AEW in the near future?
The mystery remains unsolved as AEW President and owner Tony Khan hasn’t said a word about Andrade since the incident. El Idolo himself had been mum on this topic until his deleted tweet.
We at SEScoops will continue to update you on the situation as it unfolds.
AEW has booked a 4-Way match at Full Gear on November 19th for the ROH Championship.
Chris Jericho will put the ROH Championship on the line against Claudio Castagnoli, Bryan Danielson, and Sammy Guevara.
Danielson battled Chris Jericho for the ROH Championship on a recent episode of Dynamite. Chris Jericho picked up the victory after Daniel Garcia betrayed him and re-joined the Jericho Appreciation Society. Jericho defeated Castagnoli at Dynamite: Grand Slam to become ROH Champion.
On this week’s edition of AEW Rampage, William Regal, Claudio Castagnoli, and Bryan Danielson cut a backstage promo on Chris Jericho. They both wanted a title shot, Claudio wanted to battle Jericho because he was attacking ROH announcers. Danielson spoke about his ROH legacy and wanted one more shot against Jericho. William Regal ended the promo by telling Jericho to choose his opponent at the PPV on November 19th.
Later on Rampage, Chris Jericho said he will face them both at Full Gear along with Sammy Guevara in a 4-Way. The ROH Champion said that the Blackpool Combat Club members will wind up picking each other apart, and added that he knows Sammy will do “the right thing” in the match.
Now William Regal with his amazing General Manager experience is going to tell me which match I have to choose for my next Ring of Honor World Championship defense. A less honorable man would say neither.
But The Ocho, the Ring of Jericho Champion, what if I said both? Sounds crazy, right Tony? Is it really though? Because I don’t think the Blackpool Combat Club really like each other.
Another match announced for AEW Full Gear is the finals of the World Title Eliminator tournament. The winner of the tournament will earn a shot at the AEW World Championship. Ricky Starks announced that he will be in the tournament on this week’s episode of Rampage. Ethan Page and Eddie Kingston will battle Wednesday on Dynamite in the first round.
Ricky Starks has been added to the card for Friday’s AEW Rampage episode with the promise that fans will hear from him via a promo segment.
This was a notable addition to the lineup as Starks has notably been absent from television as of late, with his last televised appearance being on AEW Dynamite on September 28.
Per Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestler Observer Newsletter, the reasoning behind Starks’ absence from TV has been somewhat explained.
Where Has Starks Been?
Meltzer wrote, “Ricky Starks hasn’t been in the ring for a few weeks due to something not wrestling related but he’ll be back on the show for a promo this week.”
Although no other details were given, it does clear up any speculation of Starks being injured. His return tonight is a step in the right direction for fans of Starks who wish to see him return to in-ring action.
Starks’ most recent prominent feud was with former tag partner, Powerhouse Hobbs, as Hobbs defeated Starks during AEW All Out on September 4 before their rematch during the Grand Slam edition of AEW Rampage that was billed as a ‘lights out’ match where he defeated Hobbs with a Roshambo securing the pin.
Other things confirmed for Rampage include a dream match between Orange Cassidy and NJPW’s Katsuyori Shibata for the AEW All Atlantic championship.
Dr. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter vs., Madison Rayne & Skye Blue and more names for Full Gear Eliminator Tournament will be announced.
Over the last couple of weeks, during AEW programming there have been vignettes of The Elite being erased from programming. On this week’s episode of Dynamite, a hand was shown deleting files of The Elite and replacing them with files of Death Triangle. Questions started coming in asking if Matt Hardy was the one deleting the files. He did have a “Delete The Elite” shirt after all.
In the latest episode of “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy”, he and host Jon Alba were discussing the imminent return of The Elite. Hardy stated, “I’m very happy they’re back. I will say this right here, right now: those guys didn’t do anything wrong in that situation. I think they were the victims. I’m telling you from a first person perspective. I was there. I witnessed it all. I love all three of those guys. I’ve known Matt and Nick forever. I’ve just gotten to know Kenny while working with AEW. I am very happy they are returning to TV and they are back. They’re back in the mix. They deserve to be in the mix.”
Hardy provided this clarification in response to media coverage of his quotes about the events that transpired at All Out:
My comments from this week’s @matthardypod have been misconstrued. I WAS NOT at All Out 2022. I DID NOT say I witnessed the events at All Out. I witnessed the entire process in real time over the months & stand by my comment that the Elite were not in the wrong.
Matt Hardy believes The Elite are the “heart and soul of the AEW”
Hardy also said that he was excited for Colt Cabana’s return this past Wednesday. “Colt Cabana had been away from AEW for a very long time. It is what it is. You know, I don’t really have to sit here and go into things. We’re in a position where he can be back on AEW TV and I’m glad to have him back.”
With the investigation being over, Hardy said, “I’m glad their names have been cleared and they’re coming back to TV. And I’m very happy to see Colt Cabana who I think is a great human being and also a great performer. I’m very happy to see him back on AEW programming.”
Hardy saw the Young Bucks the day before recording his podcast. He says he told them that they “are the heart and soul of the AEW. I feel like The Elite — Matt and Nick and Kenny — in many ways the identity of AEW. You know, without those guys, you don’t have AEW as it is right now. It would be very, very different. Tony Khan may have started wrestling in some capacity. AEW, All Elite Wrestling, those guys are the identity of AEW. So it’s very important to have them back.”
“Full Gear” is just a couple weeks away, so it seems that The Elite will return then if they don’t came back sooner.
AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill is confident in the company’s women’s division but wishes they were given more time.
Cargill is the inaugural holder of the TBS Championship, a title she has held for over 300 days.
The 30-year-old wrestler debuted in AEW in November 2020 and has remained undefeated since then.
Give Us Time
AEW has received praise from fans for being an alternative to WWE programming, but one major issue with audiences is the company’s women’s division.
Many have said that the promotion does not give their female wrestlers enough opportunities, especially when compared to WWE’s Women’s Revolution.
Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall, Cargill said she is sure the women would be able to deliver if given the chance.
“I know for a fact the women in the locker room, all of them can give five-star matches. We just need the time to do it and the time to shine. I mean, we have a very talented roster of ladies. It’s just, we have one match to show and we’re trying to do the best and perform and maximize the minutes that we’re given.”
When asked about the response from fans, and the accusation that AEW does not want to invest in their women’s division, Cargill said it wasn’t her place given how fresh she is to wrestling.
“I’m new to the industry so I’m gonna sit back and just watch how things are going. I haven’t worked in other industries. I mean, we’re going to keep on maximizing the time that we have and just trying to kill and prove that we are worthy of more time.”
AEW Evolution?
In 2018, WWE held their first (and to-date only) all-women’s event ‘Evolution,’ and NWA followed suit with their Empowerrr show in 2021.
Speaking about an all-female Pay-Per-View, Cargill was on board with the idea.
“The all-women’s pay-per-view, I think if that happened it would be a home run. There’d be matchups for the faces that haven’t been on Dynamite and Rampage or haven’t been on there in many months. It would be a great, stellar show. I’m very certain of that.
“Especially with not having to worry about fighting for positions or anything like that. It’s just an all-woman show and everybody has time. I think it’d be outstanding
Cargill was also asked about a dram-match created by fans that would pit her against WWE’s Sasha Banks.
“I have no idea [whether a match with Sasha Banks could happen.] Fans always want to create these fantasy matches that probably never happen. But I mean, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Let’s just say that with wrestling and how unpredictable wrestling is, you just never know.”
In addition to WWE and NWA, Impact Wrestling held several women’s events as part of their One Night Only series of shows, titled ‘Knockouts Knockdown.’
Dealing with Fans
Like many wrestlers, Cargill has had her fair share of toxic fans who use social media to troll and harass her.
The issue is unfortunately much more prevalent for female wrestlers, but Cargill hasn’t shied away from firing back with comments of her own.
When asked about dealing with toxic fans, Cargill said it’s important to have a thick skin, but people shouldn’t be shocked with a response.
“If you’re in this position you should be okay with taking criticism and taking people’s judgments and opinions about you. It’s just when you [fans] throw something, be able to take it back.
“This is what we do. This is our job. We’re entertainment and you can’t throw stuff at an entertainer and don’t think we’re not gonna spin it back.”
Cargill and other AEW stars recently called out a fan on Twitter for comments made about Marina Shafir.
Colt Cabana was emotional during his return to AEW programming on this week’s AEW Dynamite, but his big comeback wasn’t exactly for him.
Cabana returned to challenge Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho in a losing effort to The Wizard.
This marked Cabana’s first match on AEW TV in close to a year, with his previous being a November 2021 loss to Bryan Danielson.
For the Locker Room
During Cabana’s lengthy absence from AEW TV, rumors circulated that this was down to CM Punk.
It had been suggested that Punk had arranged for Cabana to be removed from AEW TV, due to the bad blood between the former best friends.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer writes that Colt’s World Championship opportunity was “more for the locker room than anything else.”
AEW President Tony Khan wanted to give the roster some positivity after “months of being ostracized for reasons that had nothing to do with him.”
It is reported that Cabana has a lot of friends in All Elite Wrestling.
Colt’s AEW Journey
Hired in 2019, Cabana started off for AEW as an agent, before being put on Dark and Dark: Elevation as part of the Dark Order.
After returning from filming for Young Rock (where he plays the Brooklyn Brawler) Cabana was no longer used as an agent, which coincides with the time Ace Steel was hired.
When Cabana’s contract was set to expire, he was given the offer to work for Ring of Honor for the same amount of money.
The Observer confirmed reports that Cabana’s appearance on Dynamite was a one-off and he remains part of the Ring of Honor roster.
AEW’s roster is hoping for more opportunities to compete in the ring and is hopeful that untelevised house shows will soon be a reality.
Since forming in 2019, AEW has held Pay Per Views, TV, and produces content on YouTube, but has yet to hold house shows.
Many plans AEW President Tony Khan had were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic which caused shows to take place with zero love fans.
House Shows
House shows are a staple of several promotions, including WWE and Impact Wrestling, and AEW’s roster hopes to be next.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that there are no “definitive plans” for the company to host untelevised events.
AEW’s roster has made it clear to higher-ups that they would like to wrestle more and are pushing for house shows.
Meltzer said that AEW house shows would be great to develop younger, more inexperienced talent.
However, it’s reported that AEW would struggle to host live events at this time as when it comes to life events, AEW is the “coldest” it has ever been.
Who’s on the Card?
In his report, Meltzer said that while AEW has its selection of main eventers for potential house shows, not everyone would be on the shows.
It was noted that stars like Chris Jericho and Bryan Danielson would be draws, age, and prior injuries could keep house show appearances to a minimum.
Meltzer added that while MJF is certainly young enough to make do regular house shows, it would clash with his character, who competes sporadically.
Last month, Shawn Spears made his return to AEW when Rampage debuted in Toronto, Canada. He was in a match with FTR against The Embassy. Prior to that, Spears was last on AEW programming back in May when he lost a steel cage match against Wardlow.
His mother had terminal cancer. Spears explained that in Canada, “you can set yourself up on how you want to go, so that’s what she did. She wanted to go at home, surrounded by her children. She made me promise that if something happened where she wasn’t able to walk, speak, anything like that, that it was time to go.”
Shawn Spears Mother Left Him With One Last Lesson
Shawn Spears
“I was actually supposed to go to a signing on a Friday and she was doing well. But a major stroke had hit on Friday and basically paralyzed her ability to speak, walk, move, anything. So when we were finally all back home — all the kids were there — I had to make the decision to go ahead with the process. She could squeeze your hand, so I was asking her if you’re ready to go, squeeze and let me know she’s ready to go. Everything was on her own terms. That was the most beautiful thing. And that was the thing that brought me comfort during that time was that it was her call and we’re doing things how she wanted them done.
But the lesson that I learned, the final one that she left with me — and it’s something I always knew — but it was made more paramount in that moment: family was everything. That’s all that mattered to her. So, all the money that I have would not have been able to take away her cancer. All that mattered is that she wanted to be surrounded by her kids.”
“And once she passed, it was just like, you don’t believe it, but it’s just right in front of you. You can have everything together. You can have your job, your life, your marriage, everything is together, but then you feel absolutely lost. You don’t know where to start, you don’t know where to go or how to move and it kind of freezes time for a little while.”
After speaking about why he was absent from TV, Spears received many messages from people who had recently lost people. He tried to respond to as many as he could. He reminded fans that we are all going to go through it eventually.
Former AEW star and Dark Order member Alan Angels has a new squad in Impact Wrestling.
Alan is now a part of Eric Young’s Violent By Design faction in Impact Wrestling. Angels helped Eric and Deaner beatdown Sami Callihan on tonight’s episode of Impact.
Angels took to Twitter after the segment and said that he loved violence after joining the faction.
Alan Angels contract with All Elite Wrestling expired at the end of June earlier this year and he exited the promotion. Speaking with Fightful, Angels reveals that he was told be AEW that they were not going to offer him a full-time deal and wanted to pay the 24-year-old per appearance.
“My contract, I was told about a month and a half ago, that they are not going to re-sign me. They did offer me a per-appearance, which I decided not to take, just solely based off what I thought was best for me. I feel there is more room to grow outside of AEW, right now, at this point in my career. It’s nothing against AEW or Tony Khan or any of the higher-ups in the business. It’s a personal thing.
“I feel, me going on the Indies and showing people what I can really do and showing people that I am a good fucking wrestler, I feel that will raise my stock — not saying it’s impossible to do that in AEW, but I guess the perception, how fans perceive Alan Angels, is, I’m the bottom guy in Dark Order and I feel I can change that outside of AEW. It’s possible in AEW, but I feel it would take longer.
On top of that, I never got to have a great Indie career. I was on the Indies for three years, got lucky, and got scooped up. As a wrestling fan, being an Indie wrestler and doing cool ass Indie shows, that’s a thing I want to do. There are plenty of places to make money in pro wrestling right now. That’s not to say that I won’t be back in AEW, maybe I will, I don’t know, but that’s pretty much it. They offered me something, I felt it was better for me not to. That’s all it was.”
Ring of Honor Champion Chris Jericho has made it his mission to destroy the legacy of the promotion since winning the title.
Jericho captured the ROH Championship from Claudio Castagnoli at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Since becoming the champion, Jericho has defeated Bandido, Bryan Danielson, Dalton Castle and Colt Cabana. He’s also attacked ROH commentator Ian Riccoboni and ring announcer Bobby Cruise.
Chris Jericho had an eventful night last night on AEW Dynamite. In addition to defending the ROH Championship, The Wizard also called out Baltimore Ravens QB Lamer Jackson while he was seated in the front row. The former NFL MVP has since responded.
Jericho issued an Open Challenge last night on AEW Dynamite to “any former ROH Champion”. Former ROH Tag Team Champion Colt Cabana answered the call. Colt Cabana and his former friend, now seemingly mortal enemy CM Punk captured the ROH Tag Team Championships in 2004.
The Second City Saints;Colt Cabana and C.M.Punk,celebrate winning the ROH Tag Team Championship.April 24,2004,Chicago Ridge,https://t.co/2xwlJdVJsl always,Punk is the life of the party.? pic.twitter.com/rzYoSUyddc
— Rasslin' History 101 (@WrestlingIsKing) June 5, 2018
Cabana got a big pop from the crowd in Baltimore and “welcome back!” chants echoed throughout the arena. The 42-year-old took to Twitter today to react to his return to All Elite Wrestling.
I returned to national tv last night on @AEW. I love wrestling!
One of the main factors in the CM Punk and The Elite saga was the disappearance of Colt Cabana from the Dark Order and AEW TV. Cabana rarely did anything besides stand with the Dark Order on TV but his absence all of the sudden was bizarre.
Colt’s return coincided with AEW wrapping up their investigation into AEW Brawl Out (the brawl during the media scrum). It is hard not to look at it as a shot at CM Punk and confirmation that Cabana was taken off of television at the request of the former two-time AEW World Champion.
Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer & Bryan Alvarez noted the timing of Colt’s appearance on last night’s edition of Dynamite and said that it all but confirms the reports of Punk not wanting Colt in AEW.
Chris Jericho issued an Open Challenge last night to any former ROH Champion and former ROH Tag Team Champion Colt Cabana answered the call.
Colt Cabana was ROH Tag Team Champions with former AEW World Champion CM Punk back in the day. Cabana put up a solid fight but in the end Jericho picked up the victory with the Codebreaker.
After the match, Jericho Appreciation Society attacked ROH announcer Ian Riccaboni but Blackpool Combat Club. JAS and BCC brawled on the entrance ramp to continue their never-ending rivalry until AEW security broke it up.
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Reacts to Chris Jericho Calling Him Out on Dynamite
Before the ROH Championship match, Jericho cut a promo and said he’d even kick Lamar Jackson’s ass tonight. Last night’s Dynamite episode was in the Chesapeake Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore Ravens star quarterback was seated in the front row for the show and Jericho called him out. Lamar got a kick out of it and reacted on social media.
At a Ravens press conference earlier today, Lamar revealed that he didn’t hear what Jericho said at first but laughed after they told him. The former NFL MVP added that Jericho is “crazy” and that he enjoyed it because he was a huge wrestling fan growing up.
I got called out. I wasn’t thinking he was going to call me out. You know, Chris Jericho called me out. I didn’t really hear what he said at first and then they told me. I’m like ‘this man is crazy’. I enjoyed it though because growing up I was a huge fan of wrestling.
On this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, Colt Cabana made his return to take on Chris Jericho for the Ring Of Honor (ROH) World Championship. He came up just short, losing to Jericho after a Code Breaker.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider offered an update on the situation. Johnson reports that Cabana’s Dynamite appearance was planned as a one-off event, and he’s still a part of the Ring Of Honor roster.
Cabana’s return was not about him returning to the AEW roster, but rather about Jericho simply knocking off another Ring Of Honor name.
Colt Cabana (Photo: AEW)
Some speculated that Cabana’s return was framed to be a shot at CM Punk amidst Punk’s current issues with AEW, and expected departure from the promotion. If it was, Johnson doesn’t expect anyone to admit it.
However, WrestleVotes did offer up a report on the situation, noting that Cabana’s appearance on Dynamite did not go unnoticed by WWE. The report could be indicating that WWE could swoop in and scoop up Punk for a return should things between him and AEW ultimately come to a close.
Colt Cabana showing up on Dynamite last night didn’t go unnoticed in Stamford. That’s all I’ll say on that right now…
The action didn’t end when this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite went off the air.
Last night’s episode aired from the Chesapeake Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, and saw Tony Khan’s promotion continue on the road to Full Gear.
The show is most notable for the debut of WWE Hall of Famer ‘Double J’ Jeff Jarrett, who has signed as the promotion’s Director of Business Development.
Joe and Wardlow
In the main event of the show, ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe put his title on the line against Brian Cage.
In an unsurprisingly physical match, Joe got the win via submission, but he was attacked by the Gates of Agony and other members of The Embassy.
The show ended with TNT Champion Wardlow running the group off, before being attacked by Powerhouse Hobbs, who ended AEW Dynamite by raising the title in the air.
According to several fan reports, Powerhouse Hobbs went backstage while the referee checked on Wardlow after the show.
Samoa Joe got back into the ring and shook hands with Wardlow, and the two champions raised hands before leaving.
Matt Hardy
After Wardlow and Joe left, Tony Khan came out and introduced Matt Hardy, but the pair were interrupted by Stokely Hathaway and The Firm.
Hathaway told Khan to go to the bank because he owns the contracts for Private Party and Matt, who he called “Matthew Hardy.”
Ethan Page told Hardy that he isn’t going to help him, and touted himself as a future AEW World Champion.
While Page and W. Morrisey’s backs were turned, Hardy hit Hathaway with a Twist Of Fate to send the crowd home happy.
