SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • The Acclaimed Win AEW Tag Team Titles at Dynamite: Grand Slam

    The Acclaimed Win AEW Tag Team Titles at Dynamite: Grand Slam

    Swerve In Our Glory (Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland) made their latest defense of the AEW Tag Team Championships against The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) at the Dynamite: Grand Slam event on Wednesday night from New York City.

    The match was the second bout on the card. There was a moment where Strickland hit Lee by accident, and it looked like The Acclaimed was going to win, but it was a near fall. Billy Gunn hit Strickland with the fameasser on the floor when the referee wasn’t looking and Caster and Bowens hit their finisher to him in the ring for the win. 

    The Acclaimed’s Journey

    This was a rematch from All Out, which saw Swerve In Our Glory retain the titles, a surprising finish as many fans expected to see a title change. 

    Lee and Strickland became the champions on the July 13th edition of Dynamite when they beat then-champions The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) and Team Taz (Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks) in a triple threat match. 

    What are your thoughts on Max Caster & Anthony Bowens winning the AEW Tag Team Titles? Was this the right call by AEW officials? Sound off in the comment section.

  • Chris Jericho Wins ROH World Heavyweight Title

    Chris Jericho Wins ROH World Heavyweight Title

    A new ROH World Champion has been crowned.

    Chris Jericho was able to knock off Claudio Castagnoli to capture the Ring Of Honor World Championship in the opening contest of the AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam event on Wednesday night. 

    The finish saw Jericho beat Castagnoli by nailing him with a kick to the nuts when referee Aubrey Edwards was distracted and followed that up with a Judas Effect.

    Jericho’s Beginning, Castagnoli’s End

    This marks the first time that Jericho has held the title as he has never competed in the Ring Of Honor before. Now, he’s the face of the brand that is still without a weekly television deal. 

    It also means the end of Castagnoli’s reign with the belt that started back on July 23 when he defeated Jonathan Gresham at Death Before Dishonor to win the belt.

    The next ROH event has still not been confirmed.

  • The PWI 500 and the Hardys: How a magazine helped a scared kid after Sept. 11

    The PWI 500 and the Hardys: How a magazine helped a scared kid after Sept. 11

    Two weeks after the attacks on Sept. 11, a then 12-year-old Jacob Grondy was on his way to the airport – and he was scared.

    Not only was this his first flight, but he was dealing with what many in the country were feeling – fear of flying due to the recent attacks. But a surreptitious introduction with a few pro wrestling passengers – thanks to the just-released Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 issue – assuaged his fears.

    Grondy’s flight out of the Raleigh, N.C. airport was shared by the Hardy Boys, Amy Dumas – who wrestled for the WWF at the time as Lita – and Shane Helms on board. They were four of the hottest acts in the WWF at the time and were heroes to a 12-year-old Grondy, especially after they turned what could have been a traumatic experience into one of his favorite childhood memories.

    “I was honestly trying to act tough,” Grondy said. “But as we were getting closer to the airport, I was visibly scared. I wasn’t talking at all, which was extremely rare (for me) as a kid.”

    On the way to the airport, his dad gave him a copy of the PWI 500 issue to read and keep his mind off the recent attacks. Growing up in North Carolina, Grondy said he was immersed in pro wrestling. As a kid he watched WCW and the WWF religiously and was excited when ECW made its TNN television debut. He’s continued to be a fan well into adulthood. He hosts a podcast called Curtain Jerkin’ on Spotify.

    The issue provided a bit of a distraction, but it was who he saw in the airport that relieved his fears.

    “I don’t remember anything other than getting to the terminal, sitting down and looking up – and there was Jeff Hardy,” Grondy said. “He was dressed exactly how you would see him on TV. I leapt up in excitement. My dad had a pen on him and gave it to me so I could ask to get my PWI signed.”

    Jeff walked Grondy over to his brother Matt Hardy to get his autograph. Matt then said they should get him Lita’s as well. As he walked back to his dad, his dad was smiling with relief, that he wasn’t as scared as he had been when he got to the airport. As he sat back down, he was approached by Shane Helms – who had just joined the WWF after the WCW sale and was beginning his Hurricane Helms gimmick. He said Helms asked to sign the issue, then asked if he could read it on the plane.

    “As I let him read it, that’s when I realized that no terrorist was going to take down this plane, Team Extreme wasn’t going to let that happen,” Grondy said.

    Grondy shared this story with Jeff at a meet-and-greet a year ago.

    “He thought it was pretty cool.”

    Grondy and his dad were flying to the United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis. It was the final race of the Formula 1 season, and was the first international sporting event to take place after the Sept. 11 attacks.

    “(I) couldn’t tell you who won the race we went to, but every year the PWI 500 comes out I look back at that moment fondly. It was definitely a childhood highlight.”

  • AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam Betting Odds

    AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam Betting Odds

    The betting odds for the matches that will take place at the AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam event has been released.

    The card for the show that takes place tonight is finalized, with five championship matches confirmed. AEW will also tape Friday’s two-hour version of Rampage after Dynamite. 

    Bryan Danielson is favored to win the AEW World Heavyweight Title over Jon Moxley. Oddsmakers also expected to see The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) dethrone Swerve In Our Glory (Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland) as the Tag Team Champions. 

    Punk won the AEW World Heavyweight Title from Moxley in the main event of All Out but was stripped of the title because of his involvement in the All Out fight with Ace Steel, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks. 

    AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam Betting Odds

    AEW Grand Slam
    (Photo: SEScoops)

    Here are the betting odds, courtesy of Bet Online:

    AEW World Championship Match Winner

    • Bryan Danielson -400 (1/4)
    • Jon Moxley +250 (5/2)

    AEW Interim Women’s Championship Match Winner

    • Toni Storm (c) -900 (1/9)
    • Britt Baker +450 (9/2)
    • Serena Deeb +650 (13/2)
    • Athena +1600  (16/1)

    AEW World Tag Team Championship Match Winner

    • The Acclaimed -700 (1/7)
    • Swerve In Our Glory (c) +375 (15/4)

    AEW All-Atlantic Championship Match Winner

    • PAC (c) -700 (1/7)
    • Orange Cassidy +400 (4/1)

    ROH World Championship Match Winner

    • Claudio Castagnoli (c) -800 (1/8)
    • Chris Jericho +425 (17/4)
  • Sammy Guevara Threatens to Leave AEW Over Hostile Fan Response

    Sammy Guevara Threatens to Leave AEW Over Hostile Fan Response

    Sammy Guevara’s tenure with All Elite Wrestling could be about to come to an end, at least according to the Spanish God himself.

    Guevara joined AEW in February 2019, making him one of the first wrestlers to sign with the promotion.

    Since then, he has become a record-tying three-time AEW TNT Champion, and worked in the stables the Inner Circle and the Jericho Appreciation Society.

    Threatening to Leave

    Guevara has become a star in AEW, but he may soon be seeking his exit from the company.

    Speaking on his latest vlog, the Spanish God addressed his future with the company, blaming hostile fans for his possible abrupt departure (via Sportskeeda.)

    “Maybe I should go away, maybe this is it for me. I had a nice ride, and maybe I need to go away to get y’all [fans] to appreciate me, ’cause that’s what you guys do.”

    Sammy Guevara.

    Guevara also made reference to Cody Rhodes, a fellow three-time AEW TNT Champion, who left in February after years of a mixed response in AEW.

    “That’s what you did to Cody [Rhodes.] While he was in AEW, you hated him and then he went to WWE and you guys love him now.“

    Sammy Guevara.

    These comments come after Guevara teased that things were “coming to an end” in a cryptic tweet.

    Despite this threat, Guevara’s recent comments come just one week after he said how he enjoys AEW and is planning to stay.

    AEW Departures

    Cody Rhodes isn’t the only name to leave AEW this year, as multiple names have ended their tenures with the promotion.

    Stu Grayson and Alan Angels have both left AEW this year after working as part of the Dark Order.

    In August, it was reported that Bobby Fish’s contract would not be renewed.

    Earlier this month, Malakai Black was granted a conditional release from his contract, and is rumored to be considering a WWE return.

    Watch: Unaired Sammy Guevara Segment That Led To Altercation With Eddie Kingston
  • Ricky Starks Addresses Comparisons to The Rock

    Ricky Starks Addresses Comparisons to The Rock

    Ricky Starks does not mind the comparisons to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

    While speaking with The Ringer’s Cameron Hawkins, he was asked about fans comparing him to the former WWE Champion.

    Starks said some fans have even suggested he is The Great One himself but thinks the comparisons are a huge compliment. He also noted that he was a big fan of The Undertaker growing up.

    Ricky Starks on The Rock

    “I really don’t [hate the comparison]. In fact, it’s a huge compliment to have,” Starks said. “I think there’s a misconception that I hate the comparison; I actually don’t. What I hate about the comparison sometimes is people say, ‘You steal the Rock. You try to be just like …’ And it’s like, I actually don’t.”

    He continued, “The Rock was never … the Rock was no. 3 on my list of favorite wrestlers; Undertaker was no. 1. So when people try to discredit my talents because they think I’m trying to be someone else, that’s when I have an issue with it. Yesterday, I went to this event and people are like, ‘You remind me of …’ They always have to put an era of Rock on it for some reason, like ‘the Nation of Domination Rock’ or something like that. But then I get people who say, ‘You just remind me of a young Rock.’ And I go, ‘That’s really nice. That’s really cool,’ because at least that’s a connection that you have.”

    Starks will face his former tag team partner Powerhouse Hobbs on Friday’s Grand Slam edition of AEW Rampage.

  • Did You Catch Alexa Bliss’ White Rabbit Reference on WWE Raw?

    Did You Catch Alexa Bliss’ White Rabbit Reference on WWE Raw?

    It looks like fans will soon see a different side of the Alexa Bliss character on WWE television. 

    During Monday Night Raw, Bayley did a promo segment where she ripped Bliss for being a shell of herself before defeating Bliss during the main event. In the match, the announcers were pointing out that Bliss was not putting everything she had into the match with the idea that she had lost a step into the ring. The lights went out briefly during the main event.

    A Change Coming for Alexa Bliss?

    Alexa Bliss

    Bliss dropped the supernatural aspects of her gimmick earlier this year after portraying a similar gimmick to Bray Wyatt’s character. WWE has been doing a storyline with Bliss where she has been floundering on Raw. 

    Bliss said in the promo segment that Bayley was acting “like you’re 10 Feet Tall.” In the White Rabbit song, there is a lytic that states, “Go ask Alice, When she’s ten feet tall.”

    As previously noted, WWE showed a QR code during a backstage segment with Austin Theory. The company did another White Rabbit tease during a Raw commercial break, dimming the lights in the arena. 

    Many fans believe the song could be used for Karrion Kross or Bray Wyatt because Wyatt recently had talks with WWE about a possible return, and Kross was known as The White Rabbit when he was in Lucha Underground.

    Some fans take that Bliss line as an indication that Wyatt is returning and aligning himself with Bliss.

    For more, visit our main thread taking a deep dive into WWE’s White Rabbit mystery.

  • Wardlow Names the Best Moment of His AEW Career

    Wardlow Names the Best Moment of His AEW Career

    AEW star Wardlow is riding high right now as the reigning TNT Champion, but that isn’t quite the highlight of his career with the company.

    Wardlow joined All Elite Wrestling in 2019, initially as the bodyguard of MJF, before splitting with the Salt of the Earth earlier this year.

    Face of the Revolution

    Speaking on the Dynamite Diamond Podcast, Wardlow said that the Casino Ladder Match at AEW Revolution 2022 will go down as his favorite moment to date.

    “The ladder match at Revolution. That was the best moment of my life that night. Winning that ladder match. Holy sh*t. Standing up there with that ring and the reaction from that crowd, especially after murdering Ricky Starks.

    Wardlow added that while the fan reaction wasn’t as he predicted, that made the moment with Starks even better.

    “It was supposed to be I powerbomb him, the place goes wild, [I] grab the thing, They go even more wild. Instead, it was powerbomb, place goes f***ing silent, because I just murdered him. Then I was like ‘F**k you’ and as soon I did that, the place came f***ing back up. Then I grabbed the thing and it was all good.

    As if winning the match wasn’t enough, Wardlow also enjoyed the crowd reaction after the bell.

    “The eruption from the crowd as I turned around and walked up that ramp was [amazing]. The eruption from that crowd. That is the best feeling in the whole world. It really is, hands down. There is nothing in the world that can compare.”

    Turning Face

    Later in the show, Wardlow would turn on MJF, establishing himself as a face and beginning a feud with his former employer.

    When Wardlow cashed in his shot at the AEW TNT Championship, MJF cost him the match against then-Champion Scorpio Sky.

    At AEW Double or Nothing 2022 in May, Wardlow would defeat MJF, earning his freedom from the latter’s contract, and would capture the TNT Title in July.

    WWE & AEW Stars Team Up for Fashion Runway
  • AEW Rankings Being Phased Out? Not Dead, But De-Emphasized

    AEW Rankings Being Phased Out? Not Dead, But De-Emphasized

    The AEW rankings system has been a double-edged sword for All Elite Wrestling’s matchmaking and storylines. When AEW launched in 2019, Tony Khan and his Executive Vice Presidents emphasized that “wins and losses matter,” unlike other promotions that have been hampered by directionless ’50/50 booking.’

    AEW tracks the win/loss records of everybody on the roster, but it’s the Men’s, Women’s and Tag Team divisions that have generally been published each week. The records and rankings can be a useful tool when determining the challengers to AEW’s top championships. However, there have been instances where wrestlers who are not highly-ranked receive title shots, which muddies the waters.

    Over the past several weeks, we’ve seen AEW announce and reference the rankings less frequently. At the AEW website, the most recent ‘weekly rankings’ available are from August 31, 2022.

    The company still shows wrestlers’ W/L records on-screen during match entrances, but there has been a noticeable pull-back on this initiative. Dave Meltzer mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio, “There was a decision not to emphasize them as much on television.”

    Of course, this could be a temporary measure and AEW could always give a renewed push to the rankings system. We know the rankings will play a big part in the storyline mode in the upcoming AEW Fight Forever video game.

    The AEW rankings system has been a bold challenge to execute. The rankings are currently being de-emphasized. For the foreseeable future, we expect AEW to utilize rankings when it makes sense, without the challenges that come from regular weekly reporting.

  • Swerve Strickland: AEW-Hip Hop Crossover is Attracting New Fans

    Swerve Strickland: AEW-Hip Hop Crossover is Attracting New Fans

    AEW should carry on blending the worlds of professional wrestling and music according to one-half of the World Tag Team Champions Swerve Strickland.

    In February this year, AEW announced an album featuring Hip Hop & R ‘n B artists for Black History month, including performers such as Jon Connor, Mega Ran, Brinson, Omega Sparx, Monteasy, and Josiah Williams.

    Earlier this month, Daniel Garcia’s ring entrance was performed by Westside Gunn, ahead of the ‘Dragon Slayer’s’ ROH Pure Championship win over Wheeler Yuta.

    Hip Hop star Action Bronson has been training ahead of an appearance at this week’s AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam.

    AEW and Music

    AEW has seen plenty of Hip Hop artists already, and that trend is set to continue if Strickland has his way.

    Speaking on the latest episode of ‘The Sessions’ Strickland told host Renee Paquette how he thinks that pro-wrestling and entertainment crossovers just make sense.

    “I’ve always been a big advocate of the crossover. Sports and media and entertainment, now we’re seeing Dwayne Johnson announce the Superbowl and things like that. There’s those same types of parallels that are transferring over and I’ve always been a big proponent for it.”

    Bringing it Back

    While Strickland said that AEW was crossing over with music prior to his arrival in March this year, he felt that the company’s interest in Hip Hop had wained in that time.

    “I had a connection make the Kevin Gates thing that we did happen, and I was like ‘man I feel like we can bring that back to life and provide something that has been missing for quite some time on the show.

    “Especially for hip-hop culture and African American culture and stuff like that. I think that may influence, and ripple through the industry. Even when we did LA. right after Double or Nothing I brought in Jeff Hamilton to do a little one-minute backstage with me. Hip-Hop heads, true hip-hop heads through the music industry and fashion were like ‘yo! What is he doing here on AEW Wrestling?’”

    Responding to Critics

    AEW has a huge fan base, but it is impossible to please everyone.

    Speaking about recent crossovers, Strickland admitted that not everyone is on board with seeing musical artists take up time on AEW programming.

    The AEW World Tag Team Champion countered that seeing artists is likely to win over people who want to watch wrestling, but don’t quite know how to start.

    “There were some critiques about it like ‘what was this for? It was like a minute. What was that put on TV for?’ Some wrestling fans were like ‘I don’t understand what the purpose of that was.’

    “You guys are already watching, it wasn’t for you as fans. It was for these people who want to like wrestling, but they’re so hesitant because they don’t see representation on certain shows.

    “It was for these people who want to like wrestling, but they’re so hesitant.”

    Swerve Strickland on AEW’s crossover with music winning over new fans.

    “So now just having that ‘oh Jeff Hamilton he just did the NBA 75 jackets for Lebron James and Steph Curry and all these guys. What is he doing in AEW? Oh, they’re in the forum!’

    “That’s a pop culture thing that goes all the way through You don’t have to be a wrestling fan to appreciate those connections. And that’s why I try to find.”

    The Future

    AEW has shown no signs of easing up on their involvement with music now that Strickland is around, and he has big plans for the future.

    When asked what he hopes to be the next step, Strickland said that with Hip Hop artists coming to AEW, it’s time for AEW to enter their domain.

    “I want to see us transfer over there to that side a little bit more. Because when you look at a lot of wrestling that gets involved with rap and music or doing it, it always feel like its very charicature, where it’s a parody of the music.”

    For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

    Swerve Strickland Drops “Lifeline” Music Video feat. Anthiny King
  • “One Of The Greatest Feuds Of All Time” – MJF Comments On His Rivalry With CM Punk In AEW

    “One Of The Greatest Feuds Of All Time” – MJF Comments On His Rivalry With CM Punk In AEW

    MJF returned to All Elite Wrestling at All Out on September 4th. Stokely Hathaway and The Firm attacked during the Casino Ladder match and a man in a devil’s mask entered as The Joker. The masked man grabbed the chip to ensure a future shot at the AEW Championship.

    Following CM Punk capturing the AEW Championship from Jon Moxley in the main event, MJF appeared on the entrance ramp. Maxwell and CM Punk had a stare-down as All Out went off the air. Punk and MJF had an incredible rivalry and AEW fans were looking forward to revisiting it with the AEW Championship on the line.

    Unfortunately, CM Punk was injured during the match and also was involved in a brawl with The Elite following his rant at the media scrum. MJF has traded words with Jon Moxley in recent weeks. Jon will battle Bryan Danielson this Wednesday night at Dynamite Grand Slam to determine the new AEW Champion.

    MJF On The Media Scrum Brawl, His Rivalry With CM Punk

    Speaking with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, Maxwell noted that he cannot comment on the press conference but said that the company is in a great place right now and backed it up with numbers.

    “It doesn’t apply to me, it doesn’t concern me. I’ll tell you why and I’m going to use numbers. Because numbers don’t lie, numbers are facts and facts don’t care about feelings. When MJF goes out there, I pop a huge number. We just killed it in the ratings for the second week in a row. And again, if people leave, come, go, stay, people are going to step up to the plate.

    We’ve got massive stars in our company, so I am not concerned in the least. I’m not going to comment on what was said because it doesn’t apply to me. But what I will say is our company, numbers don’t lie, our company is great right now. We’re about to have an incredible show at Arthur Ashe.”

    Ariel then asked if All Elite Wrestling needs CM Punk and MJF decline to comment MJF added that his feud with CM Punk will go down as one of the greatest of all time.

    “No comment. What I will say is that me and CM Punk had the greatest feud in the history of the company. And I do honestly think it will go down as one of the greatest feuds of all time.” [07:09 – 07:20]

    MJF on his rivalry with CM Punk

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit MMA Hour with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • “People Want That Spotlight” – MJF On How The Locker Room Reacted To Cody Rhodes Leaving AEW

    “People Want That Spotlight” – MJF On How The Locker Room Reacted To Cody Rhodes Leaving AEW

    Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known as MJF in AEW, joined Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour today.

    He discussed several topics, including getting paid more money by Tony Khan without having to sign an extension. MJF was asked about The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes and his departure from All Elite Wrestling earlier this year. Cody was one of the original EVPs of the company but jumped to WWE at WrestleMania 38.

    The American Nightmare was revealed to be Seth Rollins opponent at WrestleMania and went on to defeat him three times before tearing his pectoral muscle before WWE Hell in a Cell.

    Max said that Cody Rhodes is a businessman just like himself and did what he had to do. The 26-year-old called the tribalism within fans nowadays “cute” before bringing up Terry Funk. He said that Terry traveled from territory to territory throughout his career because he was a draw like MJF.

    Ariel asked MJF about how the AEW locker room responded to Cody exiting the company and he said that Cody leaving gave opportunities to other stars on the roster.

    “I think honesty favorably, not favorably in the sense like ‘yay Cody’s gone!’ but favorable in the sense that we are all professional wrestlers and what happens when somebody leaves is it opens room for opportunity for another person to step up to the plate. And you know, that is wrestling.

    Wrestling is cyclical, it is like a wheel. As somebody who has the highest wrestling IQ in the history of this business, I can tell you when big names leave big names step up. That is just how this business works and that is a fact.

    So again, I think people who were friends with Cody were sad to see him go on a personal level. But this is a very competitive sport. People want that spotlight and people stepped up to the plate.” [11:52 – 12:37]

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit MMA Hour and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Sammy Guevara Sends Out Cryptic Message Ahead Of AEW Grand Slam

    Sammy Guevara Sends Out Cryptic Message Ahead Of AEW Grand Slam

    Sammy Guevara is set to battle Eddie Kingston this Friday night on AEW Rampage Grand Slam. This Friday’s episode of Rampage will be a special two-hour edition of the show from Arthur Ashe stadium.

    The two recently had personal issues that resulted in Eddie Kingston receiving a two-week suspension for confronting Sammy backstage. They were originally supposed to face each other at All Out but the match had to be canceled due to the confrontation. There happened to be a much worse confrontation between CM Punk & The Elite after All Out which resulted in more suspensions for the company.

    Sammy Guevara issued a statement on the matter and called Eddie unprofessional. The Mad King apologized for his actions and admitted that he was wrong. Both men claim that the issue is behind them now.

    Eddie and Sammy both wound up competing on the kickoff show at All Out. Kingston defeated Tomohiro Ishii and Sammy & Tay Melo retained the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championships against Ortiz & Ruby Soho.

    Sammy Guevara Sends Cryptic Message

    Sammy Guevara has posted a cryptic message on Twitter and changed his profile images to the night sky. The 29-year-old said that things are coming to an end and will reveal more tomorrow on his vlog.

    Thank you to the ones who’ve paid attention. Things are coming to an end. More tomorrow on the Vlog…

    Some fans responded to the Tweet and claimed that Sammy is just attempting to get more views. Another asked Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful if he had any information about Guevara’s post and SRS stated that he has no clue.

  • AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam is Approaching $1 million in Ticket Sales

    AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam is Approaching $1 million in Ticket Sales

    AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam is looking to be a big success for the second straight year. 

    AEW President Tony Khan noted on Twitter that the gate for this year’s event at Arthur Ashe Stadium surpassed last year’s gate. He also noted it will be AEW’s first $1 million gate for a non-pay-per-view. AEW has reached $1 million gates for Double or Nothing, Forbidden Door, and All Out this year.

    Last year’s event drew a reported 21,277, with 18,300 paying just over $960,000. The show sold fewer tickets this year, although ticket prices are higher this year. 

    According to WrestleTix, tickets distributed are just over 11,400 as of one week ago.

    The Cards

    Grand Slam: Dynamite

    AEW Championship (Vacant): Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley

    AEW Tag Team Championship: Swerve in Our Glory (champions) vs. The Acclaimed

    ROH Championship: Claudio Castagnoli (champion) vs. Chris Jericho

    Interim AEW Women’s Championship: Toni Storm (interim champion) vs. Dr. Britt Baker vs. Serena Deeb vs. Athena

    AEW All-Atlantic Championship: PAC (champion) vs. Orange Cassidy

    Grand Slam: Rampage

    No Disqualification: Sting & Darby Allin vs. Brody King & Buddy Matthews

    TBS Championship: Jade Cargill (champion) vs. Diamante

    Eddie Kingston vs. Sammy Guevara

    Wardlow & Samoa Joe vs. Josh Woods & Tony Nese

    Hook & Action Bronson vs. Matt Menard & Angelo Parker

    Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Ricky Starks

    Jungle Boy vs. Rey Fenix

    Golden Ticket Battle Royale

  • MJF Confirms New AEW Deal: “I have Tony Khan by the Balls!”

    MJF Confirms New AEW Deal: “I have Tony Khan by the Balls!”

    AEW star Maxwell Jacob Friedman is happy to be back on TV with the promotion, as long as company President Tony Khan keeps paying him the big bucks.

    MJF returned to AEW at All Out, winning the Casino Ladder Match as the Joker, earning an AEW World Championship opportunity.

    Prior to this, MJF hadn’t been seen since the June 1, AEW Dynamite, where he cut a scathing worked-shoot promo on Tony Khan, daring Khan to fire him.

    A New Deal

    MJF has never shied away from teasing leaving AEW, even claiming during last week’s Dynamite that he could take the AEW World Championship to WWE.

    Speaking to Ariel Helwani, MJF announced that he has a new deal with the promotion, one that is seeing him be paid more.

    “I’m making a stupid, absurd amount of money now, and I didn’t have to sign a contract extension.”

    MJF.

    MJF had reportedly been against signing any new deal with the company which would have extended his current contract, which is set to expire on January 1, 2024.

    Despite blasting Khan as a “f***ing mark” during his June 1, promo, MJF now says he loves the AEW President thanks to the new deal, but says he has Khan “by the balls.”

    Double or Nothing

    Before his three-month hiatus from programming, a lot had been said about MJF’s antics before May’s Double or Nothing Pay Per View.

    Prior to the event, MJF had no-showed a fan appearance, and had not been responding to attempts to contact him by AEW management.

    The self-professed ‘Salt of the Earth’ claimed that during his three months away, he vacationed across Greece with his girlfriend (now fiancee.)

    MJF claimed that he told Khan “pay up or daddy doesn’t show up.”

    Leaving AEW

    MJF is pretty pleased with himself, and his new deal with AEW, but he may still leave when the time is right.

    Speaking about the January 1, 2024, expiration date on his contract, MJF said that “the devil goes to the highest bidder.”

    MJF reiterated later in the interview that his loyalty is to who will pay him the most in 15 months’ time.

    “A lot of people think I’m leaning towards one place or the other. All I’m leaning towards is money. That’s all I live and die by. I go where the money is at. Whoever is going to offer me the most amount of money, that’s where I’m going to do. It’s that simple.”

    AEW

    MJF may still have one foot out of AEW (or at least wants people to believe that) but he did have some rare kind words for the promotion.

    MJF put over some of AEW’s top stars, while still considering himself the brightest star of them all.

    “[AEW] has a lot of great stars. Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, Brody King. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, the show had a big gigantic void, and I was that void.”

    MJF.

    When asked, MJF said he could not discuss the current situation with CM Punk, who is serving a suspension and could be fired for his actions following All Out.

    MJF Fires Back At Fan Criticism: “I Don’t Play A Character”

  • Kenny Omega Pulled From AAA Appearance Due To Suspension

    Kenny Omega Pulled From AAA Appearance Due To Suspension

    Kenny Omega will be missing Triplemania due to his All Elite Wrestling (AEW) suspension.

    It was recently noted on Konnan’s podcast, “Keepin’ It 100,” that Kenny Omega will not be making the advertised TripleMania show for October 15. Omega was actually slated to headline the show, but due to his AEW suspension, that is no longer the case.

    Konnan noted that both Omega and AEW head of talent relations Christopher Daniels confirmed “The Cleaner” will not be able to attend. Omega has found himself in the middle of a dicey situation in the AEW locker room.

    Back at the AEW All Out pay-per-view (PPV) on September 4, then-AEW World Champion CM Punk made some disparaging comments about Omega and The Young Bucks in his post-show press conference.

    This reportedly lead to a backstage brawl involving several people backstage, including Punk, Omega, and The Young Bucks, which latter led to several suspensions being handed out. Omega being one of the selected to be suspended.

    After the fact, Punk was forced to vacate the AEW World Title, but this is more so due to injury. Also, Omega and The Young Bucks were stripped of the AEW Trios Championships after their suspensions.

    It remains to be seen how much longer the group will be held off TV. However, it looks like Omega won’t be able to make any appearances for any promotion until the time is served out.

    While he won’t be able to compete at TripleMania, other matches slated for the Mexico City event include Pentagon Jr. vs. Villano IV in a mask vs. mask match, Taya Valkyrie vs. Kamille for the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship, Hijo del Vikingo vs. an mystery opponent for the AAA Mega Championship, and Pagano vs. Cibernetico in a hair vs. hair match.

  • Kenny Omega Seen with “Unmistakable” Bite Mark From AEW All Out Fight

    Kenny Omega Seen with “Unmistakable” Bite Mark From AEW All Out Fight

    Kenny Omega has been seen in Japan with what is believed to be a bite mark stemming from the AEW All Out 2022 fight.

    After the promotion’s latest Pay Per View, new-World Champion CM Punk had explosive comments about Omega, the Young Bucks, Colt Cabana, and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page.

    Backstage, a fight broke out between the Elite and Punk with Ace Steel, resulting in all being removed from AEW programming.

    The Bite

    During the AEW All Out 2022 backstage fight, Ace Steel bit Omega on his left forearm, and pulled the hair of the former World Champion.

    Last weekend, Omega was in Japan and appeared on a Capcom TV live stream, where a noticeable bruise could be seen where the bite is reported to have been.

    Several outlets have reported that this bruising is from Steel’s bite on Omega, and is unlikely to have happened in a match, given the Cleaner’s suspension.

    According to Fightful, the Capcom ‘live stream’ was filmed last week, so the bruise from a bite mark would still be visible.

    Unmistakable

    One source who saw Omega in Japan, who had seen the former World Champion after the fight said the bite mark was “unmistakable.” 

    Another source told Fightful that Omega’s arm looked “disgusting” immediately following the fight.

    It was also noted that Omega was “very verbal” after receiving the bite and furious over the situation.

    Both sides have confirmed that the bite did occur, with a neutral source saying that the visible evidence on Omega’s arm means there’s no way Punk’s side could deny the bite happening.

    Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi Reunite In Japan (Photos)

  • Christopher Daniels is Close to Ending his “In-Ring” Career

    Christopher Daniels is Close to Ending his “In-Ring” Career

    Christopher Daniels is well-aware that he will soon have to hang up his boots for good after a lengthy career in professional wrestling.

    The 52-year-old wrestler made his debut in the industry in April 1993, and has worked for several promotions over the decades.

    While best known for his stint in Impact Wrestling, Daniels has also competed for Ring of Honor, WWE, WCW, Chikara, AAA, and others, before coming to All Elite Wrestling in 2019.

    Daniels signed with AEW in January 2019, becoming one of the first names to be contracted to Tony Khan’s company.

    The End is Near

    Taking to Twitter, the ‘Fallen Angel’ reflected on his career and working for so many promotions throughout his tenure.

    Daniels also addressed that he is getting “close to the end” of the “in-ring part” of his wrestling life.

    The former Ring of Honor World Champion gave no specific time for when he plans on retiring from the ring.

    Daniels’ most recent televised AEW match was in July, where he lost on Rampage to fellow Impact and ROH alum Jay Lethal.

    He did compete this month at the Tokyo Games Show representing AEW, where he defeated Chris Brookes but later lost to Konosuke Takeshita

    Life Outside of the Ring

    Daniels’ time in the ring may be coming to an end, but he does have a large AEW role outside the squared circle.

    In addition to wrestling, Daniels serves as AEW’s Head of Talent Relations, which was confirmed during a February 2019 episode of Being the Elite.

    Daniels recently returned from a brief suspension, following his role in the AEW All Out 2022 backstage fight.

    Christopher Daniels on AEW Return: “I’m Sort of at the Mercy of Circumstance”
  • Brian Pillman Jr. Expresses Frustration With Creative Decision In AEW

    Brian Pillman Jr. Expresses Frustration With Creative Decision In AEW

    Brian Pillman Jr. thought that the addition of Julia Hart would have made The Varsity Blondes a great babyface group. He admits that he wasn’t happy with AEW management’s decision to take her away.

    The AEW star recently made an appearance on Café De René with René Duprée podcast where he talked about a number of things.

    Speaking about the creative decision to take Hart away from their tag team, Pillman mentioned that they lost their edge due to the call:

    “As soon as we lost [Julia Hart], we lost our edge and our spark that made us a good babyface group that could’ve gotten over. But somebody came in and decided she would be better with [House of Black]. That’s just how it goes.

    I definitely wasn’t happy with it to be quite honest.” said Brian Pillman Jr, “It is what it is. It’s business. I thought probably what really stopped us from seeing the true potential of the Varsity Blondes was that we lost her before we really got going.”

    The Varsity Blondes originally consisted of Pillman, Griff Garrison, and Julia Hart. Hart however aligned herself with The House Of Black at Double or Nothing in May, leaving Pillman and Garrison behind.

    Julia Hart remains with the AEW stable even without Malakai Black. The Varsity Blondes on the other hand have only made a total of 5 appearances since then, including appearances on AEW Dark.

    Quotes via WrestlingInc

  • MJF Fires Back At Fan Criticism: “I Don’t Play A Character”

    MJF Fires Back At Fan Criticism: “I Don’t Play A Character”

    Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known to the wrestling world as MJF, has responded to a fan accusing him of playing a character in All Elite Wrestling.

    MJF made his shocking return to the promotion at AEW All Out on September 4th. During the Casino Ladder Match, a group of masked men rushed the ring and attacked the participants. It was revealed to be Stokely Hathaway and “The Firm” faction (W. Morrissey, Lee Moriarty, Gunn Club, Ethan Page) working for MJF.

    He came down to the ring in a devil’s mask to retrieve the chip guaranteeing a future title shot at the end of the match. MJF would go on to interrupt CM Punk’s victory celebration after his match with Jon Moxley at All Out. It was MJF’s first appearance since his legendary promo at The Forum on the Dynamite after Double or Nothing.

    Time will tell if it was CM Punk’s final appearance in the company, as he suffered an injury during the match and brawled with The Elite during the All Out media scrum. CM Punk and The Elite have since been stripped of the AEW and Trios Championships.

    MJF Responds To Criticism From A Wrestling Fan

    MJF recently got engaged to his longtime girlfriend and shared the news on social media.

    A wrestling fan responded to the news and claimed that it was “killing” MJF’s character. He brought up Sammy Guevara’s short-lived engagement that aired on the August 18, 2021 edition of Dynamite. The fan closed his tweet by misspelling Jamie Hayter’s name. Maxwell responded to the fan and pointed out the irony of his occupation being a lifestyle coach.

    “Hey Joey. I don’t play a character. Never have. I’m MJF 24/7. MJF has a fiancé now. I see you’re a life coach. Pretty ballsy move considering you don’t have a life of your own. F*** off and die. Respectfully, Maxwell Jacob Friedman.”

  • Malakai Black Breaks Silence & Confirms He Requested AEW Release

    Malakai Black Breaks Silence & Confirms He Requested AEW Release

    Malakai Black has broken his silence in regards to the rumors surrounding his release from All Elite Wrestling.

    House of Black competed in a 6-man tag team match against Miro, Darby Allin, and Sting at AEW All Out on September 4th. Sting spit mist in Malakai’s eyes and Darby followed it up with the Last Supper for the pinfall victory. Following the match, Malakai blew a kiss to fans and took a bow on the entrance ramp.

    Malakai was reportedly granted a conditional release from All Elite Wrestling following the PPV. AEW president Tony Khan revealed during a conversation on Busted Open Radio that Malakai Black had almost five years remaining on his deal.

    He addressed the crowd after his match at a Prestige Wrestling show this past weekend. Malakai said he needs a few weeks, or months, to recalibrate himself and put the past two decades into perspective. Black added “I promise you this is not a goodbye, it’s we’ll see each other soon”.

    Malakai Black Issues Statement

    In addition to addressing fans at the Prestige Wrestling event over the weekend, Malakai released a statement on his Instagram account. He said that he asked for his release from AEW due to several setbacks, including the suicide of a close friend and injuries. The 37-year-old added that he’s taking some time to “recalibrate” the last two decades of his life.

    You can check out his entire statement below:

    All.

    Firstly thank you all for your messages, know they are being read and appreciated. With all the turmoil going on in the landscape of Professional Wrestling I took the time to think of my words but also needed to wait until conversations between mine and AEW’s camp had come to a conclusion.

    Firstly, I dislike reading parts of my private conversations between myself and AEW in regards to my mental well being on the internet. These conversations were private and not meant to be shared with the public. As by now most people realize I am a very private person and do not feel the need to have stuff like this out on the internet.

    If you’ve been following me longer than a cup of coffee you’re aware I’ve spoken about them prior but would like to be the one deciding when this finds it’s way to the public and not through someone else’s mouth, as with anything through the lips of someone else: that story gets distorted.

    Secondly, to be in line with the above, they also need context:

    I did indeed ask for my release, the last 2 years of my life have lended to a lot of set backs. Both me and my wife have been affected by uncontrollable actions from the outside that resulted in loss of life, medical set backs, career jeopardizing, the suicide of a close friend and a close family member almost losing their life, then experiencing an injury that I was sure was the end of my career.

    I spend every week going through several sessions of rehab, dry needling and therapy just to be able to walk and compete. Now this being the tip of the iceberg and with the combination of the promises in my professional field that were not upheld which resulted as a combination of all of these to a complete demoralization of life and career. This decision had been in my mind for the past six months.

    It’s hard to really put a finger and say “this was the moment it all went wrong.” But I can tell vou after many years that I have learned from a rational point of view to see when I need to hit the breaks; which is what this is.

    Perhaps once my mind settles on certain things and processes the last 2 years a bit better I will convey (via a different platform than written out) what the exacts were that happened, and have a more informed conversation about them.

    For now know that I am good, and am taking, for the first time in 22 years, a few months to recalibrate the last 2 decades of my life.

    Lastly, I have read a few narratives online in regards to my “release”, mental health and my personal life that I can summarize swiftly; if it didn’t come from me, it didn’t happen. Stuff about conditional releases, stuff in my marriage or using said mental health to leverage the other when as I said before that part wasn’t even going to be part of the public conversation are false. My marriage is fine, I am fine. It is just time to make sure those things stay that way.

    Once again, I appreciate your support and we will see each other soon enough.

    MB

  • Thunder Rosa Addresses Her Injury, Road to Recovery

    Thunder Rosa Addresses Her Injury, Road to Recovery

    AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa has a long road back to the ring ahead of her as she continues to recover from her injury.

    During the pre-All Out episode of AEW Dynamite, Rosa confirmed that she is injured, and will be unable to defend the Women’s World Championship.

    Despite the injury, Rosa has remained champion, with an Interim AEW Women’s World Championship created in her absence, which is currently held by Toni Storm.

    Recovery

    Speaking during her latest vlog, Thunder Rosa discussed her recovery and the process she’s undergoing.

    “I’m here at the South Texas Spine & Joint Institute with Dr. Kaiser. He is the one who helped me out, find out that I had a back injury. I’ll be coming here pretty often. I’ve been treated by him for over four years so he knows me very well.

    “I just had my first treatment. It’s gonna be six weeks, just to start. I’m going to be here four times a week.”

    Rosa added that not being on the road has already made a huge difference to her injured back.

    “I’m doing my first physical therapy session today. This is after six weeks of being injured. Not traveling has actually made a huge difference.”

    TripleMania

    Thunder Rosa is keeping positive about her recovery, but it’s not just her bookings for AEW that have been effected.

    AAA have confirmed that Rosa will not compete at Triplemania XXX: Mexico City on October 15.

    Taya Valkyrie had previously been set to defend her Reina de Reinas Championship against Rosa but will now defend against NWA Women’s World Champion Kamille.

    Thunder Rosa Denies ‘Backstage Heat’ Reports, Says Her Back is So Bad She Can Barely Walk
  • Top Prospect Wants to See AEW Show in Japan

    Top Prospect Wants to See AEW Show in Japan

    All Elite Wrestling has proven to be incredibly popular with fans around the world, and could be heading to Japan if Konisuke Takeshita gets his way.

    Since launching in AEW, Tony Khan’s first foray into professional wrestling has operated entirely within North America.

    Takeshita and AEW

    AEW has yet to have an official show in Japan, but the company was recently featured at the Tokyo Games Show.

    AEW was part of the event to promote AEW: Fight Forever, the promotion’s first console video game which fans are hopeful will release this year.

    Multiple matches were hosted as part of the Games Show, and on Twitter, Takeshita expressed his desire to have an official event in his home country.

    This earned a response by AEW’s Lee Moriarty, who is on board with the idea.

    https://twitter.com/theleemoriarty/status/1571131582832062464

    The Games Show also featured a playable demo for Fight Forever.

    Takeshita has previously wrestled for AEW, including challenging ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli at Battle of the Belts III last month.

    AEW and Japan

    AEW is home to several prominent Japanese stars, such as Riho and Hikaru Shida, and has developed a large following overseas.

    In June, the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door crossover event proved to be a hit with fans, despite receiving just over a month of promotion.

    Forbidden Door will be an annual event, according to Tony Khan.

    In August, it was reported that AEW is planning on sending talent to work at Wrestle Kingdom next January.

    Wrestle Kingdom 17 will take place on January 4, 2023, the first time in four years that the show will be a one-night event.

    Tony Khan Shows Interest in Bringing AEW to Japan
  • Colt Cabana Seemingly Responds To CM Punk Media Scrum Rant

    Colt Cabana Seemingly Responds To CM Punk Media Scrum Rant

    CM Punk going off at Colt Cabana and the AEW EVPs turned out to be the biggest story coming out of the All Out PPV. One of the strange things about Punk’s promo were the shots he tried to take at his former best friend.

    Punk revealed some previously unknown details about his court case with Cabana. During the scrum, he also strangely mentioned that the wrestling star, real name Scott Colton shares a bank account with his mother.

    While Colt Cabana hasn’t responded to his former friend’s rant directly, he did make a reference to it recently. During a Twitch stream, the AEW star noted that his brother also shares a bank account with their mother:

    “My brother is the director of family guy, you can look up his name, he also shares a bank account with my mother.”

    – Colt Cabana

    We haven’t heard from CM Punk or The Elite since the media scrum and the locker room fight. The only update has been that both Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks have been suspended from the promotion until the investigation is complete.

    Punk has undergone surgery for a torn triceps in the meantime which means that he won’t be returning to the company anytime soon, if ever.

  • Anthony Henry On How CM Punk Has Treated Him In AEW

    Anthony Henry On How CM Punk Has Treated Him In AEW

    The recent backstage drama has spiked people’s interest in the behind the scene happenings of AEW. Many stories have come out about how both CM Punk and The Elite handle things behind the scenes. Atleast for Anthony Henry, Punk has treated him well the couple of times they have interacted.

    The wrestling star who primarily competes in AEW Dark recently had an interview with WrestlingInc. Speaking about the Straight Edge star, Henry noted that Punk has been nice to him:

    “I have talked to Punk a couple of times; he was very nice to me. Actually, when I came in, he introduced himself to me. Which – very nice. That’s a rare thing that usually doesn’t happen. But he just walked up to me like, ‘Hi, I’m Phil.”

    Anthony Henry stressed that he hasn’t had any in-depth conversations with Punk so far, but to him the former AEW champion has always seemed like a ‘cool guy.’

    Apart from this, Henry also talked about the AEW locker room and compared it to his experience in WWE. He said that he felt the pressure of people judging you in Vince McMahon’s promotion. According to him, it’s not the case in AEW and here everybody wants everyone else to do well.