SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • “One Of The Best Promos In Wrestling” – Jim Cornette Praises Jon Moxley For Speech On AEW Dynamite

    “One Of The Best Promos In Wrestling” – Jim Cornette Praises Jon Moxley For Speech On AEW Dynamite

    Jon Moxley delivered a passionate promo on last week’s Dynamite about what it means to be AEW Champion.

    The AEW Championship, along with the newly introduced Trios Championship, had to be vacated by Tony Khan following an embarrassing brawl between CM Punk, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Ace Steel at the media scrum for All Out.

    Tony kicked off Dynamite by announcing that the titles were vacated and there will be a tournament to crown a new AEW Champion. The finals will take place at Dynamite: Grand Slam at Arthur Asche Stadium on September 21st. Death Triangle defeated Best Friends & Orange Cassidy to capture the Trios Championships on last week’s Dynamite.

    MJF cut a babyface promo only to reveal that he still has WWE on his mind and the bidding war of 2024 is right around the corner. Jon Moxley interrupted and stormed to the ring after losing the AEW Championship to CM Punk at All Out. He demanded that MJF exit the ring and let him know that his theme music sucks on his way out.

    Moxley then spoke about what it means to him to be AEW Champion and the passion in his voice was undeniable. After saying that he was embarrassed and pissed off about what happened,Jon reminded everyone that winners take the last shot and he wants the ball. Moxley is set to battle former TNT Champion Sammy Guevara in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions this week. You can check out Jon’s entire promo below.

    Jim Cornette Praises Jon Moxley For His Promo On AEW Dynamite

    Jim Cornette has offered many criticisms of Jon Moxley in the past but offered nothing but praise on his podcast following the passionate promo. Cornette suggested that Moxley has peaked and will not be able to top the promo the rest of his career. Co-host Brian asked Cornette if he liked the promo and he gave the following response:

    I cannot believe that I am gonna say this, but this promo was brilliant. This promo was not only the best, I mean in one way Moxley ought to quit now. He ain’t gonna top this. This was not only the best Jon Moxley promo I’ve ever heard, this was actually one of the best promos in wrestling, period, that I’ve ever heard for a particular situation.

    For the sticky wicket that they have found themselves in and he was speaking to the smart fans. And the people that are aware of everything going on, it was good regardless. But this was exactly what that fanbase needed to hear and wanted to hear. It was great material, and again I can’t believe I’m saying this, brilliantly delivered.

    Not only as a babyface, he took responsibility for losing. He put the tournament and the guys in it over, he made himself the underdog, and then vowed to take the shot, and bring home the gold. You can tell he really wants to be the champion. He wants to be the guy in that company.

    What did you think of Jon Moxley’s promo on AEW Dynamite? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Jim Cornette Experience and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Bully Ray On How The Elite Should Have Reacted To CM Punk’s Rant

    Bully Ray On How The Elite Should Have Reacted To CM Punk’s Rant

    The wrestling world has spent the last week debating whether CM Punk’s actions at the All Out media scrum were right and if the AEW EVPs should have responded to it the way they did. Bully Ray is of the belief that the Executives should have used their corporate power instead of trying to confront Punk physically.

    The WWE Hall of Famer talked about the whole situation on Busted Open Radio. Speaking about The Elite’s reaction to CM Punk’s comments, Ray said that the trio of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks should have flexed their corporate muscle:

    “Once Punk says the shit that he does, it’s up to the EVPs also to actually flex their corporate muscle. Who’s higher up on the food chain, an Executive Vice President or your World Heavyweight Champion? [The Executive] because that’s a real job within AEW. That’s a real job within the WWE.

    So at that moment, the EVPs should have gotten together and said ‘Punk, Phil, we’d like to talk to you. Sit down’ When he turns around and goes ‘Screw you. I don’t have to talk to you’ [You go] ‘No, we’re the Executive Vice Presidents of company. You’re going to sit down. We want to talk to you.’”

    ‘You Can Shut Them Down’: Bully Ray

    Bully Ray also discussed how Tony Khan handled the media scrum rant of the then AEW champion. Ray explained that once Punk shut Tony down, the AEW President should have turned around and said that it was enough:

    “I went as far as to say that I quote unquote, felt bad for Tony Khan in that moment, because it seemed like he could not control what Punk was saying or what he was about to say. But in that moment, once Punk shut Tony down. That’s where Tony had to turn around and go ‘Timeout. Enough. This is where it ends. Next question please.’

    You are the billion-dollar owner of the company. You have all the control in the world. If you want to shut them down. You can shut them down.”

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  • WWE & AEW Stars Team Up for Fashion Runway

    WWE & AEW Stars Team Up for Fashion Runway

    Wrestlers from both WWE and All Elite Wrestling were able to put their differences aside last weekend to strut their stuff as part of a fashion runway.

    During a celebrity fashion show in Pittsburgh, PA, stars from both companies walked the runway, wearing outfits from David Alan Clothing.

    AEW TNT Champion Wardlow was on hand to show off the clothes and removed them on the runway.

    Shawn Spears gave fans a little dance during his performance, while AEW’s lawyer and manager ‘Smart’ Mark Sterling had someone play an electric violin for his walk.

    Sterling also handed out business cards to those in the audience.

    As for WWE, Braun Strowman walked the runway and was also billed under his real name Adam Scherr.

    The event also featured former WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley.

    Strutting their Stuff

    It’s not just male wrestlers who have been walking the runway in the name of fashion recently.

    Last week, Sasha Banks and Naomi participated in a fashion runway as part of New York Fashion Week.

    This is the latest public appearance by the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, who haven’t been seen since walking out of Monday Night Raw during the May 16, 2022, episode.

    Despite belief that the pair were set to leave WWE, there has been reports that Banks and Naomi have agreed to return under the company’s new regime.

    Reports have suggested that Banks and Naomi could return to WWE TV within a matter of weeks.

    Wardlow Says “So Much Ruined” with MJF match at AEW Double or Nothing 2022.

  • Ric Flair On CM Punk’s Media Scrum Rant: “I Love It”

    Ric Flair On CM Punk’s Media Scrum Rant: “I Love It”

    Different people have different opinions on CM Punk’s post All Out media scrum rant. There are many who believe that Punk was in the wrong. There are some others like Ric Flair who seem to support the former WWE star.

    The 16-time world champion talked about the whole debacle on his To Be The Man podcast. He first mentioned how Punk is giving a lot of entertainment to fans.

    Ric Flair then commented on the Straight Edge Star telling people to come and find him in his locker room. The wrestling veteran explained that it’s the old-school way of doing things and he loves it:

    “He’s creating excitement now, and if he’s not afraid to say it…. I like the way he said I’ll walk down the hall and be ready.

    That’s Harley Race talking right there. I don’t if he’s that tough but [laughs] I love it.” said Ric Flair, “That’s old-time stuff right there, it is. You got a problem with me, you can find me, right there in the building,”

    The 2-time WWE Hall of Famer noted how he doesn’t know The Elite all that well and they have seemed easy to get along with in the limited encounter they have had.

    However, Flair reiterated that what Punk did was showing courage. If he feels so strongly about someone then Ric doesn’t blame him for calling them out.

    Quotes via Fightful

  • CM Punk and Bobby Fish’s Relationship Soured After Their 2021 Dynamite Matchup

    CM Punk and Bobby Fish’s Relationship Soured After Their 2021 Dynamite Matchup

    One week ago AEW held their annual ALL OUT pay-per-view from the NOW Arena in Chicago, which saw CM Punk recapture the world championship from Jon Moxley in the main event, and the monumental return of MJF.

    However, the post-show media scrum and eventual backstage altercation between Punk and The Elite have dominated the headlines as the incidents have put a dark cloud over the promotion’s successes. Former AEW star Bobby Fish has not been shy of giving his thoughts on the situation, where had some major criticisms of Punk and even called him a not so kind word. You can read about Fish’s dislike of the Second City Saint here.

    When Fish and Punk’s relationship took a turn

    Fish and Punk actually wrestled each other an an October episode of AEW Dynamite back in 2021. The bout was a competitive back and forth that Punk ended up winning via his GTS finisher, but for some reason Fish kicked out at 3.1 seconds. The ending was clearly not the original plan as the live crowd, and Punk, were visibly confused as to why the kickout had occurred.

    According to Fightful, this was the reason Punk and Fish’s relationship soured as Punk was indeed upset at the kick-out happening. The report states that communication between the two pretty much stopped aftewards.

    Fish is now a free agent as his AEW contract expired after being absent from television due for several weeks. Fish was getting married at the time, but injuries to Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly kept him off television longer than anticipated.

  • Claudio Castagnoli Reveals When He Wants To Retire

    Claudio Castagnoli Reveals When He Wants To Retire

    Claudio Castagnoli dared to leave his well-earned position in WWE and try something new with AEW. According to the former US champion, his motivation was keeping himself sharp and making sure that he still got it.

    The former WWE star recently appeared on The Kurt Angle Show. He was first asked about his WWE departure and Castagnoli explained that it was time for him to try something new:

    “I kind of felt that it was time to try something new. To look for a new challenge. Towards the end [of my run] my mind was made up. I’m always happy and grateful. I was happy and grateful [in WWE]. But I also knew where I was thought of, you know what I mean?

    So I was just looking for something different at this point, and to me when I look at AEW, there’s so many guys that I want to be in the ring with that I have not necessarily been in the ring with.”

    ‘I Want To See If I Still Got It’: Claudio Castagnoli

    Claudio Castagnoli
    (via AEW)

    Claudio Castagnoli then explained the philosophy he learned from John Cena. He mentioned that he wants to surround himself with people who can push him to do better and he wants to retire while he can still wrestle competently:

    “There’s so many young people there that I was like, ‘This is amazing. I wanna be part of that.’ I really want to because again you’re only as good as your last match. You need to surround yourself with people, and I always have, that push you and are better than you. To me it was like I looked at it and I was [like] ‘Okay, I wanna go to AEW, and I want to wrestle of all those young guys. I want to see if I still got it.’

    Because when people ask me like ‘When you think it’s time for you to retire? Certain age, this or that’ it’s whenever I get in that ring and I feel like I [have] lost two steps. I never want people to think, ‘Oh man I wish he would have [retired]’ I’m like ‘No, I wanna go out when I still can do what I can.’”

    You can watch Claudio Castagnoli’s full interview below:

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  • Claudio Castagnoli Reveals Philosophy He Learned From John Cena

    Claudio Castagnoli Reveals Philosophy He Learned From John Cena

    Claudio Castagnoli got to wrestle some of the biggest names in the wrestling world during his time with WWE. One of them was John Cena, who the former WWE star got the chance of sharing the ring with during Cena’s US open challenge run.

    Castagnoli recently joined The Kurt Angle show. When asked about his experience with John, the AEW star claimed that he has nothing but good things to say about the Cenation Leader. He also revealed the philosophy he has learned from the 16-time world champion:

    “I’ve nothing but good things to say about John. John is an awesome person. He has a very high standard for himself. He’s one of those people that doesn’t just say how you should do it or say how it should be done. He shows you.” said Claudio Castagnoli, “He does it every day. He lives it. You know what I mean?

    If he tells you to watch all the matches, he’s sitting there at the monitor watching all the matches. If he tells you, ‘You should work out.’ He is there working out early in the morning. [He’s] somebody I deeply respect. That’s kind of how I tried to do my career. Whatever I would say, I just do it. If people wanna take notice that’s good. If not, I feel like I don’t want to park it all around.”

    ‘Absolutely Amazing’: Claudio Castagnoli

    Speaking about their matches as part of the US open challenge, Claudio Castagnoli mentioned how Cena was already a legend at that point. However, he still worked hard and tried to prove himself with every match:

    “Being in the ring with him for that open challenge was awesome. Because he was a legend at that point, and still every match he wants to go out there and prove it. He’s the one that said it. I probably had it always kind of in my brain but he’s the one that said that ‘You’re only as good as your last match.’

    That kind of stuck with me because every time you go through that curtain, you want to prove yourself to everybody. So with him to have that open challenge and him working so hard and having such a fun match with me was absolutely amazing.”

    You can watch Claudio Castagnoli’s full interview below:

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    If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

  • AEW has Done “Maybe One Thing Wrong” Claims Chris Jericho

    AEW has Done “Maybe One Thing Wrong” Claims Chris Jericho

    If AEW has made any mistakes, it certainly hasn’t been many, at least according to Chris Jericho.

    Jericho has been with AEW since the beginning, joining the promotion during a press conference in January 2019.

    That same year, Jericho would become the first AEW World Champion, and has been prominently featured in AEW for years.

    One or Two Things

    Like many in AEW, Jericho is intensely passionate about the company.

    Sitting down with Inside the Ropes, Jericho spoke about the company, and what he perceives as a lack of mistakes (via Wrestling Inc.)

    “We’ve been doing this for three years now and continuing to grow, and this is a big-time corporate business. We are run and paid for by a giant television corporation.”

    “We’ve done nine things right and maybe one thing wrong or two things wrong.”

    Chris Jericho on AEW

    “So, there’s always gonna be growing pains when you start a company. I think we’ve done nine things right and maybe one thing wrong or two things wrong. So we learn from that and we continue to build our brand and continue to improve.”

    Fans

    AEW has a deeply loyal fan base, but its programming still falls behind WWE in terms of viewers.

    Speaking about his former employer, Jericho said that AEW is in this for the long game.

    “WWE has a lot of [fans], but they’ve also been around for 50 years. Give us another 47 years to see where we’re at. I guarantee we’ll still be here.”

    The Next World Champion?

    Following CM Punk’s actions at AEW All Out, the Chicago Made wrestler has been stripped of the AEW World Championship.

    Jericho is part of the tournament to crown the next AEW World Champion, with the new champion to be crowned at the Grand Slam Dynamite on September 21.

    Jericho will face Bryan Danielson on next week’s AEW Dynamite, with the winner advancing to the finals.

    “I Don’t Need a Title to Help AEW… I’m Chris Jericho, That Trumps All of That”

  • Kenny Omega Interview Postponed due to ‘Unfortunate Circumstances’

    Kenny Omega Interview Postponed due to ‘Unfortunate Circumstances’

    Kenny Omega has been suspended from All Elite Wrestling, meaning fans won’t be seeing him on TV, and they won’t be hearing from him either.

    Omega had been scheduled to be on Swerve Strickland’s Swerve City podcast, but that isn’t going ahead at this time.

    Strickland, one-half of the reigning AEW World Tag Team Champions, took to Twitter to say that the interview has been postponed due to what’s being described as “unfortunate circumstances.”

    Omega’s appearance on the show was announced last month, and Strickland said that a replacement guest will be confirmed tomorrow.

    Strickland also promised that the former AEW World Champion and former World Trios Tag Champion will appear when the time is right.

    The Suspension

    Strickland didn’t confirm what the ‘unfortunate circumstances’ are that led to Omega being postponed, but it is believed to be as a result of his ongoing suspension.

    Omega, along with the Young Bucks, has been suspended from AEW due to their actions during the All Out 2022 post-show fight.

    This decision also led to Tony Khan stripping the Elite of the AEW Trios Tag Titles, and the Death Triangle won the gold on this week’s Dynamite.

    While the Bucks and Omega have been suspended, there’s been no talks of them being fired by AEW, unlike CM Punk and Ace Steel.

    Punk is reported to have instigated the fight backstage after last week’s Pay Per View, while Steel is reported to have bit Omega and pulled his hair.

    Punk has been stripped of the AEW World Championship, but it is unclear at this time whether he’s been suspended or fired by the company.

    AEW Personality Expected to Lose Job Over All Out Media Scrum Fight

  • Eddie Kingston Catches COVID-19, Pulls Out Of NJPW STRONG Tapings

    Eddie Kingston Catches COVID-19, Pulls Out Of NJPW STRONG Tapings

    Eddie Kingston has unfortunately caught COVID-19.

    The Mad King announced his diagnosis on Twitter earlier today, revealing that because of the virus he will be unable to compete at this weekend’s NJPW STRONG tapings. Kingston adds that the situation sucks, and that there is a chance he might miss this week’s AEW Dynamite from Albany, New York.

    He writes, “So here we go, got covid won’t be able to make Strong this weekend. It fucking sucks going to test again to see if I can make tv this week.”

    https://twitter.com/MadKing1981/status/1568681110720380929

    Kingston is coming off a huge victory over top NJPW talent Tomohiro Ishii at the Zero Hour pre-show of ALL OUT. The match was a brutal and hard-hitting contest that Kingston won by using Ishii’s brainbuster finisher, evening their score at 1-1. He was originally set to face Sammy Guevara at ALL OUT, but due to a backstage incident the match was called off, and Kingston served a temporary suspension.

    We will keep you updated on Kingston’s condition ahead of next week’s AEW Dynamite.

  • Watch: Darby Allin Tricycle Backflip at Nitro Circus

    Watch: Darby Allin Tricycle Backflip at Nitro Circus

    All Elite Wrestling star Darby Allin decided to get extreme as he competed for Nitro Circus.

    Allin appeared during Nitro Circus’s tour Nitro Circus: Good Bad and Rad on Sep. 9. The event took place at Maimonides Park in Brooklyn, New York.

    His participation at Nitro Circus: Good Bad and Rad shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Both he and AEW has promoted that he would the former TNT Champion has promoted his involvement earlier this week on social media. AEW also shared a special code offer that would’ve given fans that wanted to attend 30 percent off.

    Allin has participated in Nitro Circus in the past, as he unsuccessfully attempted to do a backflip down a long ramp while on a tricycle. However, yesterday the AEW star redeemed himself and successfully performed the stunt.

    Here is the video from AEW’s Twitter Account.

    Darby Allin Out of AEW Grand Slam Tournaments of Champions

    Allin was unsuccessful in his recent quest to challenge for the AEW World Championship when he faced Sammy Guevara at AEW Rampage yesterday. The loss happened after multiple distractions from Anna Jay, and Tay Melo led to Guevara defeating Allin.

    The loss to Guevara puts Allin in an interesting position in his AEW career. The company’s Aug. 31 men’s contender’s rankings have him ranked fifth.

    His loss to Guevara removes him from contending for the AEW World Championship, at least for a little while. Now that he is no longer in the title picture, for the time being, it should be interesting to see what the company has planned for Allin.

    Allin and Sting seemingly ended their feud with the House of Black at AEW All Out on Sep. 4. As AEW builds towards AEW Grand Slam, it’s unclear if Allin will be involved at the event. Hopefully, the company will soon give Allin another notable feud.

  • The Young Bucks Have Sent WWE ‘Feelers’ to Gauge Interest

    The Young Bucks Have Sent WWE ‘Feelers’ to Gauge Interest

    As founding members of AEW, it’s hard to imagine that the Young Bucks would be willing to join any other promotion, especially WWE. On the F4W Message Board, a fan claimed that Matt and Nick Jackson have signed new deals with AEW, but that isn’t the case.

    The Wrestling Observer’s Ryan Frederick corrected the fan, saying that their current deals were renewed. “They didn’t sign new deals. Their options were picked up. They did reach out to a talent to send feelers that they would be interested in talking about coming in when their deals are up.”

    When Cody Rhodes returned to WWE in April 2022, fans speculated on who could be next to join him. Since returning, the three-time AEW TNT Champion has been treated very well, and is expected by many to hold the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion when he’s back from injury. WWE has also got their eye on certain AEW talent, with reports of reigning AEW TNT Champion Wardlow and MJF being on their radar.

    Young Bucks to WWE?

    With a budding tag-team division in WWE, including teams like The Usos, the Street Profits, and RK-Bro, there’s no shortage of fans who hope to see the Young Bucks join the company.

    Frederick explained that while the Bucks may not have spoken to WWE directly, they did try and gauge what it’s like to work there.

    “I can’t say they talked to anyone direct at WWE, but that would fall under tampering and this came at the same time the legal letters were being sent about tampering.

    “They talked to other WWE talent about coming in.”

    Ryan Fredrick on the Young Bucks joining WWE.

    “Can’t confirm they actually talked to WWE people themselves, but they talked to other WWE talent about coming in, which they can do (much like WWE talent can send feelers thru AEW talent, which has happened and happens on both sides often).”

    The Bucks are currently serving a suspension for their role in the All Out post-show fight.

    Young Bucks Feel Superior to the Attitude Era’s Best Teams
  • Latest on Talent Meeting Before this week’s AEW Dynamite

    Latest on Talent Meeting Before this week’s AEW Dynamite

    This week’s AEW Dynamite came hot off the heels of All Out 2022, and the explosive media scrum and backstage fight that has overshadowed the Pay Per View.

    During the scrum, CM Punk had harsh words for the Elite, Colt Cabana and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, and fought with the Elite backstage, in a brawl that included Punk’s trainer Ace Steel.

    The Elite have since been suspended from AEW, and there are talks that Punk and Steel could be fired, if not already.

    The Meeting

    Mere weeks after hosting a talent-wide meeting to discuss reports of conflict in AEW, another meeting was held prior to this week’s Dynamite.

    Instead of Tony Khan, this was led by Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley.

    Fightful reports that talents were complimentary of the meeting, noting that Danielson, Moxley, and Jericho were the right people to lead.

    What was said?

    Talent were told to “keep their personal issues personal” and solve their problems backstage instead of leaking news.

    The issue of stories of problems getting out to the media was also a topic of discussion during the previous meeting in August.

    Wrestlers were encouraged to leave AEW All Out 2022 in the past and move on.

    One source noted that it was the “best backstage meeting” the talent have had

    CM Punk

    A large topic of discussion during the meeting was CM Punk, who’s future with AEW is unclear at this time.

    The meeting was said to be not “anti-Punk,” and that wrestlers left in a better mood than the day before.

    Danielson was commended as a “calming” presence during the meeting, while Jericho has been praised for his professionalism throughout his time in AEW and especially during this recent period.

    Moxley was said to be “adored” during the meeting, with wrestlers agreeing with his promo about being “the answer” to AEW’s problems.

    CM Punk & The Elite Pulled from AEW Dynamite Intro

  • AEW Grand Slam Tournament of Champions Betting Odds

    AEW Grand Slam Tournament of Champions Betting Odds

    AEW will crown a new World Heavyweight Champion on the September 21st edition of Dynamite: Grand Slam from Arthur Ashe Stadium. 

    Punk became the World Champion when beating Jon Moxley in the main event of All Out, but was stripped of the title following a backstage fight involving Punk, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Ace Steel.

    Tony Khan confirmed during Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite that Punk has been stripped of the AEW World Heavyweight Title and a Gran Slam Tournament of Champions began on this same show. 

    In first-round matches Bryan Danielson beat Hangman Page and is slated to take on Chris Jericho in a second-round matchup next week as Jericho received a first-round bye. Jon Moxley will face Sammy Guevara next as well, after the Spanish God bested Darby Allin on Rampage.

    AEW World Championship Tournament Winner

    Fans who actually bet on wrestling have selected Bryan Danielson as their favorite to walk away with the AEW World Championship on September 21st.

    Here are the current betting odds for the four remaining participants in the tournament, courtesy of BetOnline.ag:

    • Bryan Danielson: -130.
    • Chris Jericho: +150
    • Jon Moxley: +450
    • Sammy Guevara: +650

    BetOnline is also gauging whether or not fans think Maxwell Jacob Friedman will hold the AEW World Championship before the end of 2022. As of this writing, things are looking good for MJF.

    • Yes: -300
    • No: +200
  • AEW on Track for Record-Setting Year – PPV Gate Milestone

    AEW on Track for Record-Setting Year – PPV Gate Milestone

    AEW may have more than its fair share of problems at the moment, but money certainly isn’t one of them. 

    Since launching in 2019, the promotion has won fans over with its alternative style to WWE, and Tony Khan’s promotion is paying dividends. 

    The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that AEW is on track to gross over $100 million this calendar year, the first company in two decades to do so, not named WWE. 

    While it’s an impressive figure, it is dwarfed by WWE, which is projected to gross $1.1 billion. 

    All Out

    Speaking at the now-infamous All Out post-show media scrum, AEW President Tony Khan spoke about the show’s buy rate, which he believes will be affected by WWE. 

    The opposition produced not one but two shows to run the same weekend as All Out, WWE Clash at the Castle, and NXT Worlds Collide. 

    Khan considers the actions by WWE a ‘predatory’ move by running multiple events in competition during Labor Day weekend.

    Regardless of WWE’s ‘interference’ All Out has proven to be a financial success. 

    All Out drew a gate of just over $1 million from the 9,100 fans in attendance (8,800 paid.)

    The show marks the third consecutive AEW Pay Per View to surpass $1 million.

    Dynamite

    Tony Khan isn’t just pleased with the numbers for All Out, but has been impressed by the figures for this week’s Dynamite. 

    In a tweet, Khan noted that this week’s show surpassed one million viewers, the third week in a row Dynamite has done so well, and the first time since October 2021 that this streak has been reached. 

    This week’s Dynamite had a lot of intrigue ahead of going live, as fans tuned in to see what Khan would do regarding the post-All Out comments by CM Punk and the fight backstage which saw Punk and Ace Steel fight the Elite. 

    This week’s DYnamite marked the 15th Wednesday in a row that the show has been in cable’s top two shows in the 18-49 demographic. 

    “They Don’t All Need To Be Friends” – Tony Khan Addresses Backstage Drama In AEW Ahead of All Out
  • More On Issues Between Thunder Rosa And The Women’s Locker Room

    More On Issues Between Thunder Rosa And The Women’s Locker Room

    Thunder Rosa announced her injury on August 24 episode of Dynamite and confirmed that she will be taking time off.

    This was just a couple weeks before she was supposed to face Toni Storm for the title at the PPV event and it appears that the timing of the announcement got her some heat.

    Dave Meltzer provided the latest update on the situation in Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He reiterated that Rosa’s injury is legit. She stopped wrestling in fear that she may require surgery if she continued.

    However, the Women’s Champion informed people of the damage only hours after she was told that she would be dropping the title to Storm at the PPV.

    This peculiar timing created a lot of conjecture about the situation, with some comparing it to Shawn Michaels in the 90s.

    The women’s division already had divisive issues about Thunder Rosa before the announcement. It has only been fuelled further because Rosa didn’t drop the title in the ring before taking the time off.

    Talents like Storm and Britt Baker have publicly taken shots at Rosa insinuating that the injury isn’t really that serious. She took the time off to avoid dropping the title at All Out.

    There is no word yet on how long Thunder Rosa will stay out of action and it would be interesting to see if she drops the title when she comes back.

  • MJF Was Google’s Most-Searched Wrestler This Past Weekend

    MJF Was Google’s Most-Searched Wrestler This Past Weekend

    MJF was all the rage this week upon his return to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) this past weekend.

    For those who missed it, MJF returned at the All Out pay-per-view (PPV) this past weekend, winning the Casino Ladder match as a masked mystery Joker opponent in the contest. He now has a guaranteed shot at the AEW World Title in the future.

    Later in the show, CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley to win the AEW World Title. After the match, the lights went out and a voicemail from Tony Khan was playing, pleading with someone to return to AEW and offering them a lot of money to do so.

    MJF then made his way out, standing on stage and starring down Punk, motioning for the title around his waist.

    According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Google Trends shows that MJF was actually the highest-searched wrestler over the weekend.

    MJF
    (via AEW)

    That’s certainly quite the accomplishment, as he out-scored WWE’s Roman Reigns after the Clash At The Castle event, which was a massive show for the promotion. MJF out-scored Reigns on Saturday as well as Punk on Sunday.

    Of course, after the drama that occurred after All Out, Punk then out-scored MJF on Monday and Tuesday.

    In fact, Punk’s interest did over 70% more than what his title win generated after the stories broke about his backstage altercation with The Elite.

  • CM Punk’s All Out Media Scrum Rant Was Premeditated

    CM Punk’s All Out Media Scrum Rant Was Premeditated

    CM Punk shook the foundations of All Elite Wrestling and gave Tony Khan his biggest challenge yet as the leader of a wrestling promotion with his All Out media scrum rant. Latest reports have now come out that suggest the move might have been premeditated as opposed to what was previously believed.

    Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that when Punk originally made his return two weeks ago, he had claimed that the All Out press conference would be interesting.

    A report from Wade Keller supports these claims as well. Before the Newsletter came out, Keller reported on Todd Martin’s The Fix audio show onPWTorch VIP that Punk had spoken to Tony Khan ahead of the scrum. The former world champion had apparently told the AEW president that he would be firing some shots at the press conference:

    “I was told that Tony knew something was coming from punk, and he had some idea he had something he wanted to bring up.. so, watching Punk, he had the agenda,”

    Several fans had noted after the PPV media scrum that the Straight Edge Star went on a rant for no reason and he kept bringing up the EVPs every now and then during the whole segment. These claims if true, changes the whole narrative of what transpired after the show.

    The comments being preplanned would mean that CM Punk intentionally tried to bury the AEW EVPs. The promotion has hired an independent firm to investigate the whole issue. If the claims against Punk are verified, then it could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for his AEW run.

  • Bobby Fish: CM Punk Was a C*** When We Fought in AEW

    Bobby Fish: CM Punk Was a C*** When We Fought in AEW

    Bobby Fish isn’t done sharing his opinions about CM Punk.

    Fish was released by WWE on August 6, 2021 after four years with the promotion. He spent his entirety of that run in NXT, where he was part of the Undisputed Era faction. By October, he was wrestling for All Elite Wrestling. He’s since left AEW after two sides failed to come to terms over a new deal.

    He was gone from Tony Khan’s promotion by the time Punk melted down at the All Out post-show media scrum, but that didn’t stop Fish from challenge Punk to a fight during the latest episode of his Undisputed Podcast. He had more to say about the self-proclaimed “Best in the World” during a new interview.

    Bobby Fish’s Harsh Words for CM Punk

    Bobby Fish spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston earlier this week. As a lifelong martial artist, he feltwas personally insulted having to ‘sell’ for Punk’s “bunk-ass martial arts” during their match on the October 27, 2021 edition of AEW Dynamite.

    “Phil is not a bad pro-wrestling, but what Phil is not is a martial artist,” said Fish. “I’ve been doing martial arts since I was eight years old so I take a lot of pride in it… You are insulting the audience’s intelligence. It’s honestly insulting for you as one of my co-workers. As a martial artist you’re asking me to go out and sell, put over your bunk-ass martial arts. It’s insulting to the audience. It’s insulting to me. At the same time, I’m working for AEW. They’re the ones paying my check. You asked me to go out and put my shoulders down for Phil Brooks. I go out and I do it.”

    “Phil, after the match, was a c***.”

    Bobby Fish on his October 27, 2021 AEW Dynamite match with CM Punk.

    Instead of thanking him for a good match, as is customary, Fish says Punk was bent out of shape over a blown spot. Fish says Punk was salty after he executed his Go to Sleep finisher poorly, a move that Fish reminds everybody was lifted from NJPW star KENTA.

    “Phil, after the match, was a c*nt. Frankly as a martial artist, I laid my shoulders down for you. You should be grateful that I did, because on national TV if I decided I wanted to ‘Haku’ your ass, I could have. You’re that little of a threat in my world. I’m not Jon Jones or Anderson Silva, but like, I’ve been doing martial arts since I was young and I can handle myself enough to where I will fold you like a wet-nap, Phil Brooks.”

    “So for you to be c*nt afterwards because of a mistake that you made, it doesn’t it doesn’t wear well, not to mention the move that he finished me with, it’s not even his finish. It was Kenta’s. Phil, you took a man’s finishing move, which anybody who knows pro wrestling knows like, that’s kind of fu*ed up, and you weren’t even decent enough to change the name.”

    “So yeah, I mean, it goes back. It wasn’t a challenge. It was an invitation like Phil, if you want to throw hands with The Young Bucks, who are on a short list of people that are my friends when it comes to this business, I’m happy to oblige. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what exactly went on. But like, if you’re feeling froggy, man, come on. Let’s jump together.”

    As seen below, Fish does kick out of Punk’s finisher at the “3.1” second mark of the pinfall, so that might be a factor in Punk’s post-match frustration.

    Watch: CM Punk vs. Bobby Fish (AEW Dynamite, 10/27/21)

    Open to All Options

    When asked about the possibility of going back to work for WWE, Fish said he’s open to the possibility.

    “I don’t know. I’m open to all options and offers at the moment. I do know that there have been quite a few people who have come back through those doors. And I’m happy for you know, the people, that I know were left there after I had left.

    “Things were weird there for a bit. So for them to be back in the direction of some normalcy and some positivity, working for Hunter. I know I enjoyed it.”

    Speaking about his relationship with Triple H, Fish praised the WWE Head of Creative and Talent Relations as “awesome” and “down to earth.” Last month, while still under contract with AEW, Fish was quoted saying that he would go to war for Triple H.

    Watch Bobby Fish’s interview with Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZP9UUVs6fo
  • Alan Angles Explains Why He Left AEW

    Alan Angles Explains Why He Left AEW

    AEW has grown their roster exponentially in the past year or so and brought in a number of big stars. Though with limited TV time, it also means that the company has to make some changes to other people’s deals to accommodate and let some talents go. Alan Angles, previously known as number Five of the Dark Order is one such star who parted ways with the company earlier this year.

    The former AEW star appeared on Talk Is Jericho recently. When asked about his decision to leave the promotion, he explained that it was just time to go:

    “I just decided that maybe it was time to [go]. I was told they weren’t gonna renew my contract about 45 days before it was up. Basically, they just weren’t gonna give me the same deal. They were gonna give me a per appearance deal If I wanted it.” said Alan Angles, “I kind of just I figured that maybe I had reached the limits of where I could get here right now. In this run in my career, at this point in my career. I’m so young, I came into AEW virtually a nobody. I wrestled maybe three years doing the South East circuit.

    He continued: “I had built up a little bit of a following on the internet and stuff like that, but I feel like there was a perception of me. I know a lot of people hate this word, but, I was kind of like the jobber of the Dark Order, or the bottom guy on the Dark Order. I feel like when fans build up that perception of you it’s kind of hard to change that. I think once that’s decided, once they get that, there’s no changing it. Unless, gradually you build up, build up, build up. But I feel like in AEW that would have taken a really long time, if that makes sense.”

    Chris Jericho then asked Alan Angles what the final straw that led to his departure from the promotion was. The former Dark Order member explained that he just realized that he could do a lot more elsewhere:

    “I don’t know if there was a final straw. I think it was just I kind of realized that I could do a lot more on the indies and or other companies, I could really build up my name doing that as opposed to just staying here and doing the same thing over and over again.”

    More Originals From SEScoops:

    If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

  • Booker T On Whether a CM Punk WWE Return is Possible

    Booker T On Whether a CM Punk WWE Return is Possible

    During the AEW All Out 2022 post-show media scrum, CM Punk had some explosive comments for Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.

    Punk criticized the management skill of the AEW EVPs and also accused them of spreading false information about him.

    The two-time AEW World Champion also fought with the Bucks and Omega, in a brawl that also involved Punk’s trainer Ace Steel.

    Return to WWE?

    Due to his comments and involvement in the fight (in addition to an injury) Punk has been removed from AEW programming and stripped of the AEW World title.

    It has been reported that Punk could be fired (if not already) or could choose to leave AEW, especially if Steel is fired as expected. Speaking to WrestlingInc, Booker T discussed a possible WWE return for the ‘Best in the World.

    “It would be hard, it would be really hard for him just to swallow his pride and go back to that.”

    Booker T on CM Punk.

    Booker added that while Punk’s time on WWE Backstage provided an opportunity, he believes that ship has sailed.

    The two-time WWE Hall of Famer also questions what Punk’s “positioning” would be in WWE’s current roster.

    Is a Deal Possible?

    Punk walked out of WWE after the 2014 Royal Rumble Pay Per View, citing injuries and frustrations with the company.

    Though Punk was part of WWE Backstage in 2019, the former Champion never returned to WWE, signing a deal with FOX instead.

    Appearing on the Barstool Sports’ ‘Pardon my Take’ podcast in April 2021, Triple H didn’t rule out a CM Punk return, saying “never say never.”

    However, Triple H added that there has to be a desire on both sides for a Punk-WWE return to work.

    AEW Suspends Several People (Report), Update on Punk’s Future
  • Major Change Coming to AEW Rampage for Next Two Months

    Major Change Coming to AEW Rampage for Next Two Months

    AEW Rampage is set to go live for the next two months, according to the schedule for the show.

    While Rampage airs on Fridays, the show is traditionally taped on Wednesday’s following the live AEW Dynamite.

    According to the schedule, the majority of episodes after September 28, will be live rather than taped.

    The exception to this is the October 13, taping of Rampage in Toronto, Canada, which will be aired on Thursday instead of Wednesday or Friday.

    It has been speculated that the delay will be due to international travel from the United States to Canada.

    This pattern will continue until the November 4, episode of AEW Rampage.

    Making the Show Important

    While AEW Rampage started strong last year, with Christian Cage beating Kenny Omega for the Impact World Championship on the debut episode, the show has lot a lot of steam since then.

    During a media call leading up to the All Out pay-per-view, Tony Khan said that the fall of momentum was down to several stars being out of action (via Comicbook.com)

    “A lot of the biggest stars in AEW have been out and the stars that I do have, I’ve had to put them on Dynamite every single week.”

    Tony Khan on AEW Rampage losing momentum.

    Khan added that Rampage will pick up momentum again with many stars coming back from injuries as of late.

    It’s worth pointing out that Khan made these comments prior to All Out and before Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, CM Punk, Ace Steel and others were removed due to their involvement in the post-show media scrum fight.

  • Multiple AEW Contract Extensions Revealed

    Multiple AEW Contract Extensions Revealed

    Chris Jericho is not only helping talents get under the spotlight but he is helping them get contract extensions as well.

    The former AEW champion spoke to Inside The Ropes before the All Out PPV. He talked about things such as Triple H’s comments about Dynamite beating NXT and more.

    During the talk, Chris Jericho also confirmed that Angelo Parker, Matt Menard, and Jake Hager have all signed contract extensions with AEW:

    “They all got contract extensions. I’ve told the story many times about how the Jericho Appreciation Society came to be. It was never planned; it was just something that happened in accordance to the circumstances that we were facing.

    I do feel proud that they got contract extensions, raises, everything in-between.” said Chris Jericho, “They earned it, they earned it by showing what they can do.”

    Apart from this, Y2J discussed helping AEW in a backstage capacity and explained why he doesn’t need an official title in the promotion.

    Jericho mentioned that he is always there helping talents as needed. He doesn’t need a job title because his name trumps it all.

  • Backstage News On Bobby Fish’s AEW Departure

    Backstage News On Bobby Fish’s AEW Departure

    Bobby Fish unexpectedly left AEW last month after his contract with the company expired and both sides failed to negotiate a new agreement.

    Fightful Select provided some news on his exit, noting that there was interest from both sides in continuing their relationship. They had entered the discussion about possibly renewing his deal.

    However, the two sides couldn’t come to terms financially and decided to part ways. AEW officials thought the split was amicable, until Fish’s comments about CM Punk.

    The creative didn’t have much for him after Kyle O’Reilly’s injury either, though it’s said that he remains friendly with many people in the promotion.

    There has been no news of WWE reaching out to Bobby Fish and the creative haven’t been told anything about a potential return so far.

    The issues between Fish and CM Punk have been highlighted since he left AEW. The former AEW star had told many that he didn’t appreciate Punk’s attitude after their match in October 2021. Though it didn’t have any effect on his contract negotiations.

    Bobby Fish has been announced for an indie appearance later this month. There is no word on how long the 45-year-old plans to continue wrestling after his AEW departure.

  • Backstage Notes From This Week’s Dynamite

    Backstage Notes From This Week’s Dynamite

    The backstage altercation at All Out was the buzzing topic among fans going into this week’s episode of Dynamite, but it appears that the talent backstage were actually trying to move past it.

    According to reports from Fightful Select, there was a much more positive vibe in the locker room after the Wednesday night show, with one source saying that it couldn’t have been worse than the chaos of the last few days.

    The situation was ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for plenty of the roster. A talent said that the best way for all parties to make up the public embarrassment would be to get over the issues, make money for the company and help other talents along the way.

    As of Tuesday, most of the roster didn’t know if they would be allowed to address the altercation on screen. AEW chose not to make any mentions of it except for the Tony Khan segment and some content had to be adjusted accordingly.

    It was reported on Sunday that a top talent was scheduled to take time off. Jon Moxley confirmed during his promo that he was supposed to be on vacation.

    The company planned on him being back by the Cincinnati show in October but he ended up staying to help conduct a talent meeting and add star power to the show.

    Mox has since been added to the announced tournament for the vacant AEW World Championship, so it appears that he won’t be taking time off in the foreseeable future.