SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Backstage Tensions in AEW Women’s Division

    Backstage Tensions in AEW Women’s Division

    For the past month, it has been reported that there has been conflict and unhappiness within AEW.

    On last week’s Dynamite, CM Punk reportedly went off-script to bury ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, as a reported receipt for comments made by Page during their feud earlier this year.

    Both Andrade El Idolo and Miro have liked tweets suggesting that they are being wasted in AEW and would do better working for WWE.

    Baker and Rosa

    It’s not just the male wrestlers of All Elite Wrestling that are dealing with drama and tension.

    A new report from Voices of Wrestling’s Joe Lanza claims that AEW’s women’s division has plenty of issues within their roster.

    Lanza claims that there is legitimate heat between AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa, and the woman she defeated to win the title, Britt Baker (via WhatCulture.)

    “Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa cannot stand one another. They have been mortal enemies for years now at this point. They can’t look each other in the eye. They hate each other’s guts.”

    “They Have been mortal enemies for years.”

    Joe Lanza on the reported real-life beef between Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker.

    Broken Nose

    Baker isn’t the only wrestler reportedly at odds with the reigning AEW Women’s World Champion.

    In his report, Lanza adds that Jamie Hayter also has a genuine disdain for Rosa, after the former suffered a broken nose during their match at AEW Battle of the Belts III.

    It is claimed that after the match, Rosa was afraid that she would be attacked by Hayter behind the scenes and hid backstage.

    “Rosa was scared that Jamie Hayter was going to beat the living sh*t out of her and was hiding in a bathroom.”

    Joe Lanza

    Responding to Lanza’s report, Fightful’s Will Washington tweeted that he too has heard of backstage conflict between Rosa and Baker & Hayter.

    On this week’s AEW Dynamite, Rosa said she would be unable to defend her AEW Women’s World Championship due to an injury.

    Lanza suggested that this injury may be a work, and that AEW may just want Thunder Rosa away to give people the chance to “cool off.”

    An interim AEW Women’s World Champion will be determined at AEW All Out 2022 in a four-way including Baker, Hayter, Toni Storm and Hikaru Shida.

    Possible Backstage Heat on Thunder Rosa
  • What Was Said at the Pre-AEW Dynamite Talent Meeting?

    What Was Said at the Pre-AEW Dynamite Talent Meeting?

    In recent weeks, a lot has been said about the atmosphere behind the scenes in All Elite Wrestling.

    Last week, CM Punk went off-script to bury ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, and it was reported that Punk had been difficult in recent months.

    A report this month said that there is “a ton of backstage drama” within the company right now, with multiple wrestlers liking tweets suggesting they would do better in WWE.

    The Meeting

    With plenty of reports about the company, last night’s AEW Dynamite was pre-empted by a roster-wide meeting held by Tony Khan.

    Fightful Select reports that Khan was “fired up” for the meeting, which took place around four hours before Dynamite went live.

    A lot of talent attended the meeting, including wrestlers who were specifically called in, and hadn’t been booked for Dynamite or any of the other tapings yesterday.

    Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone also spoke at the meeting, with Schiavone having taken on a larger role in AEW’s Talent Relations department.

    Communication

    One big topic of the meeting was the subject of communication, as reports have suggested that Khan has been hard to reach as of late.

    Khan addressed how much access the talent has to him and that his door is open to new ideas as well as criticism.

    Kenny Omega, who returned to AEW TV this month, as well as The Young Bucks also chimed in, saying their doors are always open, and that if anyone has any concerns, they can always approach them.

    Contract Tampering

    During the meeting, the topic of contract tampering was also addressed, following allegations that WWE may have done just that.

    It’s been reported that WWE has shown interest in AEW talent, including MJF and Wardlow.

    AEW’s Chief Legal Officer sent a message to WWE co-CEOs Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon about the allegations, but it is unclear if they received a response.

    Tony Schiavone Fires Back At Reports of Backstage Tensions In AEW
  • Eddie Kingston Breaks Silence On His AEW Suspension

    Eddie Kingston Breaks Silence On His AEW Suspension

    Story broke out late last night that AEW star Eddie Kingston had been suspended from the company after getting into a real-life altercation with Sammy Guevara.

    PWinsider provided some more details on the matter. They confirmed that the confrontation took place several weeks ago in Minneapolis.

    According to the site, Kingston took issues with things Guevara said about him during an on-screen promo. Eddie confronted the former TNT champion after he returned backstage and the two had to be separated.

    The Mad King was then suspended by the management. He has completed his suspension and is expected to make his return next week.

    What Eddie Kingston Has To Say

    When reached out about the whole story, Eddie Kingston issued the following response to the site, admitting that he was wrong for being unprofessional:

    “You know the truth.  I wouldn’t lie.  I was wrong for being unprofessional.  That is the blind fact.  He did what he did and the public can judge that but I know for a fact I was wrong.”

    – Eddie Kingston

    Sammy Guevara missed last week’s TV tapings in West Virginia as well. However, there were a lot of travel issues coming into and out of Charleston and it’s hard to say if he was suspended too. Guevara was back at AEW tapings this week, and he worked a mixed tag match on Rampage.

    AEW is still advertising the match between Eddie Kingston and Guevara on social media. So contrary to the previous reports, it appears that the match is still on for All Out next month.

  • Jon Moxley Takes Aim at “Crazy Old” Vince McMahon After AEW Rampage Taping

    Jon Moxley Takes Aim at “Crazy Old” Vince McMahon After AEW Rampage Taping

    On this week’s AEW Dynamite, Jon Moxley became the AEW Undisputed World Champion, defeating CM Punk decisively.

    Not only was Moxley’s win a surprise, as Punk had been the favorite to win going in, but he also defeated the Chicago wrestler in mere minutes.

    Moxley Takes Aim

    Immediately after Dynamite, AEW taped this Friday’s Rampage, which saw an appearance by Moxley.

    After the taping, the Undisputed AEW World Champion addressed the Cleveland crowd and had harsh words for WWE.

    Moxley implored fans to ask their friends to check out AEW programming if they were watching “that Monday and Friday night crap,” a not-so-subtle nod to Monday Night Raw and SmackDown on FOX.

    Not finished, Moxley turned his attention to his fellow Blackpool Combat Club member Claudio Castagnoli.

    In 2014, Vince McMahon claimed on ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin’s podcast that Castagnoli, then Cesaro, lacked the ‘It-factor’ required to be a top WWE Superstar.

    Addressing the comments, Moxley praised the Ring of Honor World Champion for “ignoring some old crazy man’s” opinions and believing in himself.

    What Else?

    Moxley’s promo after Rampage wasn’t entirely dedicated to taking shots at his former employer.

    The Undisputed AEW World Champion also took the time to praise Wheeler Yuta and Arn Anderson.

    Moxley also discussed Dustin Rhodes, who faces Castagnoli for the ROH World Championship this Friday.

    Moxley ended his appearance by introducing hometown star and AEW TNT Champion Wardlow before exiting the ring.

    Details On Who Pushed For Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk On AEW Dynamite, Talent Meeting Scheduled

  • Eddie Kingston Suspended From AEW (Report)

    Eddie Kingston Suspended From AEW (Report)

    A planned match for AEW All Out has reportedly been nixed because of the suspension of Eddie Kingston.

    According to Fightful Select, the company had originally planned a match between the Mad King and Sammy Guevara for the upcoming PPV. Rumor among talent is that the two AEW stars developed real life heat that turned into a shoot ‘altercation’ after some remarks from Guevara.

    The word is that Sammy made a comment about the physique of Kingston and in turn, Eddie took a swing at him. Though these reports have not been confirmed by anyone who might have witnessed the incident. Eddie Kingston was then suspended from the company for a brief period. Fightful has since heard that he has already completed the suspension but they haven’t been able to confirm it with the officials.

    Update: Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline has confirmed that Kingston was actually secretly suspended a few weeks ago and the suspension is already over. The promotion also shot an angle during the August 10 Rampage tapings where Guevara accepted a challenge for All Out. Eddie then appeared on the video screen and said that he would do what Guevara and Conti did – take a vacation.

    This exchange was taped but it never made it to TV, and no reference to the All Out match has been made since then. This might be another indication that the bout has been nixed. In the absence of Kingston, the feud has continued. Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti faced Ortiz and Ruby Soho during the latest AEW Rampage tapings.

    Eddie Kingston last competed for AEW during the July 20 episode of Dynamite. He lost to Chris Jericho in a barbed wire death match. AEW management have not yet commented on the reports of Kingston’s suspension or the backstage altercation. We will keep you posted about any development in the story.

  • Another AEW Champion Injured, Interim Championship Match Announced For All Out

    Another AEW Champion Injured, Interim Championship Match Announced For All Out

    AEW is still dealing with the ramifications of CM Punk getting injured right after his AEW world title victory, and now another champion has gotten injured.

    The current AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa announced in a backstage segment tonight that she won’t be able to defend her title at the upcoming All Out PPV and an interim champion will be crowned at the show:

    “I for today have to step down as the Women’s World Champion. I’m no longer able to defend the Championship due to an injury. So on September 4, at All Out, there will be a new interim world champion.”

    Though Rosa later claimed that this injury will not stop her from getting better. She is going to come back stronger and with a bigger chip on her shoulder.

    Is Thunder Rosa’s Injury Real?

    There were speculations about this injury being a work after this sudden announcement but Sean Ross Sapp confirmed that it’s not the case:

    AEW has since announced a fatal four-way match among Toni Storm, Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter, and Hikaru Shida to crown the Interim Women’s Champion at All Out.

    There is no word yet on what kind of injury Thunder Rosa is dealing with. So it’s hard to say how long she’ll stay out of action.

    Stay tuned for more updates on her health.

  • Watch: What Happened With Kenny Omega After Dynamite Went Off Air

    Watch: What Happened With Kenny Omega After Dynamite Went Off Air

    The war of words between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay continued after tonight’s episode of Dynamite from Cleveland, OH went off air.

    The main event of tonight’s show saw The United Empire facing The Death Triangle in a first-round match of the AEW Trios Championship tournament.

    The match was won by Ospreay and his partners. After the bout, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks came on stage, and the two teams had a stare-down to end the show.

    After the show went off air, The Cleaner took on a mic and started taking shots at the NJPW star. Will responded to this by claiming that he has done everything Omega has done, just better.

    Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay

    Kenny Omega then mentioned Will Ospreay’s loss to Kazuchika Okada. He claimed that nobody even remembers all the 5 star matches Ospreay has had:

    “You lost to Okada. Big deal, I’ve lost to Okada too, but I’ve also beaten Okada on the biggest stage of them all, something you could never do.

    And guess what? The match that I’m talking about Will? That’s the one everybody calls the best of all time, something that no one says about your matches. In fact, no one can even remember your matches Will.”

    The two teams came face to face at the ringside towards the end of this segment, but they ultimately refrained from fighting each other.

    The United Empire and The Elite will get the chance to settle this rivalry when they meet in the semi-finals of the ongoing tournament.

  • CM Punk: “If I Addressed Every Rumor, I’d Be Here All Day. I Love AEW.”

    CM Punk: “If I Addressed Every Rumor, I’d Be Here All Day. I Love AEW.”

    CM Punk is shutting down “bullshit” rumors about him and says he’s more than content in All Elite Wrestling.

    Punk has been the subject of much discussion over the last week following his “unplanned” promo on Adam Page on AEW Dynamite. It led to rumors that Punk had been showing his displeasure backstage just a year after joining the company in dramatic fashion last summer.

    Some speculate that Tony Khan and AEW are leveraging the buzz about “backstage drama” to generate interest in the product.

    As for Punk, he isn’t shy of discussing the matter. The champ recently sat down with Sports Illustrated to promote his world title unification matchup with Jon Moxley at AEW Dynamite in Cleveland, a match that was originally set for ALL OUT.

    When talking about his reported displeasure, Punk addresses internet rumors & social media. He’s focused and appreciates that AEW gave him a second chance to do what he’s great at.

    “You try not to put too much stock in internet rumors. But for AEW, I definitely think that’s part of our audience. Twitter’s not real life, though. On top of that, a lie makes its way around the world twice before the truth puts his boots on or gets out of bed.”

    “If I addressed every rumor, I’d be here all day. I love AEW. It’s not a competition of who loves it more or who’s the heart and soul, or who’s this and who’s that. AEW allowed me a second chance to do what I do best, and that’s professionally wrestle.”

    – CM Punk (Sports Illustrated)

    Come Talk With Me

    CM Punk
    (AEW)

    Punk makes it clear that his locker room door is never closed. If anybody has a problem with him, or feel like sending fake news to wrestling journalists, to talk with him personally.

    “It’s one side of the story. My locker room is never closed. It’s always open. Anybody who wants to DM Meltzer some bulls— can come talk to me about it. It’s not macho, stupid bulls—. I’m an adult. Come talk with me.”

    Punk vs. Moxley

    Finally Punk hypes up his showdown with the Purveyor of Violence, which many are calling one of the most important matches in AEW’s short history.

    “I don’t want to let the team down, but I don’t want to reinjure myself. I told my wife, my surgeon, and Tony [Khan] that I’m in a rush to be healthy, not in a rush to get back. Whereas, in the past, two weeks after knee surgery, it was, ‘I’ll owe you one, pal. We need you to do this match.’ I didn’t feel comfortable about that. I feel 100% testing my limits on Dynamite.”

    Check out our article explaining why Moxley vs. Punk is much more than a title match right here.

  • Details On Who Pushed For Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk On AEW Dynamite, Talent Meeting Scheduled

    Details On Who Pushed For Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk On AEW Dynamite, Talent Meeting Scheduled

    AEW surprised many fans when they announced that World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and Interim World Champion Jon Moxley would collide in an undisputed title bout on tonight’s episode of Dynamite instead of saving it for the All Out pay-per-view event in Chicago next Sunday. 

    Moxley vs. Punk

    Fightful Select reports that sources indicated “Moxley was in favor of the move, and one source even indicated that it was his idea and pitch, and All Elite Wrestling went with it.”

    One source noted that Punk eventually agreed to it. It’s unclear if this was connected to any of the reported issues with Punk last week. 

    Grapsody’s Will Washington noted that he’d heard there was an idea in play a few days before to increase ticket sales and add buzz to the Cleveland show. The decision was not the original plan, and “multiple plans” for AEW All Out had changed.

    All Elite Wrestling has still yet to confirm what the main event will be for All Out. 

    Mandatory Talent Meeting 

    Tony Khan

    Fightful also reported that AEW will be holding a mandatory talent meeting at Dynamite in Cleveland, OH with company president Tony Khan in attendance. 

    Talent does expect management to address “the rumors of unrest, contract inquiries, and personal issues, as well as those things being leaked.”

    As previously reported, Tony Schiavone dismissed that there is a lot of backstage tension in the promotion by calling the reports bulls**t.

  • New Gameplay Footage & Details for AEW: Fight Forever

    New Gameplay Footage & Details for AEW: Fight Forever

    Since AEW launched in 2019, fans of the All-Elite promotion have been hoping for a video game akin to WWE’s 2K series.

    While AEW has had two mobile games, ‘AEW Elite General Manager’ and ‘AEW Casino: Double or Nothing,’ the promotion has yet to have a console video game.

    Fans and gamers alike are excited for the upcoming console game ‘AEW: Fight Forever’ which is scheduled to release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.

    New Gameplay Footage

    Features

    This week, Evil Uno and Colt Cabana were at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, and gave a ton of new information.

    The pair confirmed a “deep career mode” which will see players go “on the road” with AEW in this mode and select a manager as well.

    Mixed-gender matches are possible. Wrestlers can also be placed in matches against themselves. CPU vs CPU matches will also be possible.

    Online play was referred to as “a big part” of AEW: Fight Forever.

    The Game will feature a lot of customization, with entrances, ring attire, and arenas being changeable to the player’s desire.

    Gameplay

    The game’s controls are similar to past wrestling games with strike, grapple, strong strike, and strong grapple options by a series of different buttons.

    Blocking and reversals are performed by using the left and right bumper buttons.

    Kick-outs and escaping submissions are done through button-mashing as opposed to mini-games, as have been seen in WWE’s 2K series.

    There are 40 different weapons that are useable in the game which the wrestlers can grab from under the ring. 

    Extra Information

    While it has been reported that AEW is looking at getting the game out by the end of year, neither Cabana nor Uno confirmed a date.

    “In the future sometime,” “soonish” and “stay tuned” were all responses given when asked about a release date.

    The game is rated 16+, in part due to the inclusion of blood.

    It was confirmed that original music from The Acclaimed’s Max Caster will be in the game.

  • Tony Khan Confirms Heat Between CM Punk & Hangman Page

    Tony Khan Confirms Heat Between CM Punk & Hangman Page

    Tony Khan confirms there are issues between CM Punk and Hangman Page.

    The All Elite Wrestling (AEW) president confirmed during an appearance on Busted Open Radio that there is “unresolved anger” between the pair. Seemingly due to something from their match at Double Or Nothing.

    It’s unresolved anger, I think, from the world title match at Double or Nothing, and we had not really tied up all of those issues. CM Punk made one appearance to wrestle after Double or Nothing and then it was immediately after that, that he got injured and was forced to step away. So there was clearly some stuff that never got resolved at Double or Nothing.” 

    Tony Khan on CM Punk & Hangman Page’s Relationship

    Legitimate Heat

    Punk Hangman

    Punk made some unscripted comments about Page last week on AEW Dynamite. The AEW World Champion challenged Page to a World Title match right on the spot, before calling him a coward for not coming out. He then moved on to cutting a promo on Jon Moxley.

    Prior to the show, Punk reportedly had a meeting with Khan about the ordeal. There were even reports that Punk was considering not showing up to Dynamite at all.

    While his on-screen rivalry with Page seems to be done with, the issues between the pair backstage are still very much alive.

    Punk is currently slated to face Jon Moxley in an AEW World Title unification bout on tonight’s episode of Dynamite.

    Why is Punk vs. Moxley taking place on Dynamite?

    Tony Khan also addressed the surprising news that Punk vs. Moxley will take place on AEW Dynamite instead of at All Out.

    “It’s a great match for the fans now and I feel like it would be a great match at any time,” said Khan. “But tonight, it felt like the right night for this big fight, and given that last week, we really could not keep these guys apart, it just did not seem sustainable to try and have this show get taken down week after week by these guys who were clearly just going to tear the ring apart if we continued this way.”

    Khan said we are going to have a much clearer picture of the AEW All Out card after tonight’s Dynamite.

  • Tony Schiavone Fires Back At Reports of Backstage Tensions In AEW

    Tony Schiavone Fires Back At Reports of Backstage Tensions In AEW

    Over the last week multiple reports have surfaced stating that there have been a number of backstage issues going on in AEW, specifically citing the CM Punk promo on Adam Page as Punk “going into business for himself” for being upset at something Page said during their Double or Nothing match build.

    Aside from that there were rumors that things were incredibly hectic backstage and several talents were unhappy. However, one top AEW name refutes those rumors.

    Tony Schiavone, who recently got promoted to a Senior Producer and Special Advisor to Talent, appeared on the What Happened When podcast with Conrad Thompson to discuss the matter and to confirm that most of the reports have been completely overblown.

    “There are some challenges, as you know, and of course the internet is going crazy about this or that. I’m not going to get into it because… I’m going to say this right now, things are not as bad as bullshit people on the internet would say. Not even close to it.”

    Schiavone Enjoying His New Role with AEW

    Tony Schiavone

    Schiavone adds that certain plans are in motion that are going to make thinks in AEW better than ever.

    “We’ve got some things in place now that I think are going to make us better than ever.”

    The backstage turmoil wasn’t the only thing Schiavone touched on. He also spoke about his his new position and how much he’s been enjoying the new responsibilities.

    “[I] enjoy my job, enjoy my new responsibilities with the company. They are challenging, but those are challenges that I readily accepted when I took the job. I’m seeing a whole new part of wrestling and wrestlers that I didn’t see before.”

    This interview with Schiavone came out ahead of this evening’s AEW Dynamite, which will featured the highly anticipated undisputed world title matchup between CM Punk and Jon Moxley.

    (Quotes via Fightful)

  • CM Punk Likens Jon Moxley to ‘The Next CM Punk’ in 2012 Video

    CM Punk Likens Jon Moxley to ‘The Next CM Punk’ in 2012 Video

    CM Punk and Jon Moxley go to war tonight on AEW Dynamite to determine the Undisputed AEW World Champion.

    This will not be the first time the Chicago Savior and the Purveyor of Violence have clashed inside the squared circle. They worked together extensively on WWE television, but many fans may not be aware that they once wrestled in WWE’s former developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling.

    This match in FCW convinced him that Moxley was no ordinary talent. Punk saw something very familiar in Mox. He saw himself.

    “I hate saying that anybody is the next CM Punk. I don’t wish that upon anybody, but I think if anybody was, it’s this guy. He’s got it.”

    – CM Punk on Jon Moxley (2012)

    The Next CM Punk

    CM Punk spoke about Jon Moxley’s potential in a resurfaced video from 2012’s Wizard World Comic Con event. Punk raves that the Cincinnati fighter has all the tools to make it to the top of the industry, including just the right amount of crazy.

    “[Moxley] is special. I say that and I mean it both ways,” said Punk. “He’s a little touched up here (points to head), but I think you have to be to do what we do. I hate saying that anybody is the next CM Punk. I don’t wish that upon anybody, but I think if anybody was it’s this guy. He’s got it.”

    Punk continued, “Something about him. He can talk, he can work. I’m fortunate that I got a chance to work with him. I actually got in trouble for wrestling him. I wasn’t suppose to.”

    “I went down to FCW to do an autograph signing and it was just an opportunity, and when opportunity strikes I always take a hold of it. I was like, ‘I’m gonna work the kid.’ It was fun, and now we got him on television.”

    You can watch a clip of the interview here:

    Moxley’s WWE main roster debut came in 2012, when The Shield arrived on the scene as mercenaries for none other than CM Punk. Fast forward a decade, Punk and Moxley have crossed paths once again in AEW.

    Punk captured the AEW World title back in May from Adam “Hangman” Page at Double or Nothing. The following week, he’d be sidelined with a foot injury. During his absence, Moxley was crowned Interim champion, his second AEW World reign since the promotion launched back in 2019.

  • “It Wouldn’t Exist” – Cody Rhodes on His Role in AEW’s Creation

    “It Wouldn’t Exist” – Cody Rhodes on His Role in AEW’s Creation

    When Cody Rhodes left WWE, he started a chain reaction that ultimately led to the creation of All Elite Wrestling. The former AEW star believes that the company wouldn’t exist without him.

    The former IC Champion started his wrestling career in WWE in 2006. He had a decade-long run with the promotion, where he went through various phases.

    However, after being repackaged as Stardust, Rhodes became increasingly frustrated with his creative direction and he finally left WWE in 2016.

    He went on to make a name for himself in the independent circuit. Cody joined The Bullet Club and made friends with the Elite and the rest is history.

    Cody Rhodes and AEW

    A fan recently tweeted how people seem to underestimate Cody Rhodes’ importance in the creation of AEW. Replying to it, the former TNT champion said that the facts are there for everyone to see:

    “Facts are all out there to see…without Brandi or I it wouldn’t exist. Look no further than some of the infrastructure in place or even half the names of the events. Tony, Bucks, Kenny, Jericho, Dana, Hang…pioneers. I’ve moved on to the next stage for me, but beautiful memories.”

    What do you think about Cody Rhodes’ role in the inception of AEW? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

  • Chris Jericho Isn’t Interested in Having the Same Matches in WWE

    Chris Jericho Isn’t Interested in Having the Same Matches in WWE

    In 2019, Chris Jericho joined AEW at the promotion’s launch event and has consistently been one of the company’s top stars.

    Later that year, Jericho would become the first AEW World Champion, and his work as part of the Inner Circle and later the Jericho Appreciation Society has kept him a fixture on TV.

    Returning to WWE

    Jericho has been a fixture of AEW for over three years now, but there are still some fans who hope to see him in WWE again.

    It was in WWE that Jericho became a nine-time Intercontinental Champion (a record that stands to this day) and the first-ever WWE Undisputed Champion.

    On Twitter, a fan suggested to Jericho that a return to WWE would be good for him, and that matches pitting Jericho against AJ Styles or Kevin Owens would be ‘fire.’

    In response, Jericho pointed out that these matches have happened, multiple times.

    Jericho was the first major feud for Styles after the former TNA Wrestling star joined WWE in 2016.

    Jericho Vs. Owens

    Fans won’t be seeing Chris Jericho face Kevin Owens in WWE, but this is a match fans have seen before.

    In 2017, the former friends feuded after Jericho cost Owens the Universal Championship, payback for Owens attacking Y2J during the Festival of Friendship.

    In an interview with TalkSport last year, Jericho said that there had been plans for him Vs. Owens for the Universal Championship as the main event of WrestleMania 33.

    After realizing WWE did not care about the feud, which saw Owens beat Jericho for the U.S. Title at WrestleMania, the AEW star said he knew it was time to finish with WWE.

    Chris Jericho Once Wanted To Punch Vince McMahon In His “Stupid Face”
  • Konnan Claims AEW Talents Complained To Him About Their Booking

    Konnan Claims AEW Talents Complained To Him About Their Booking

    Not everything has been right in AEW. Tensions have been brewing in the promotion over the booking of the company originals and the spotlight shifting towards ex-WWE talents for a while now. According to Konnan, people have actually complained to him about their bookings.

    The wrestling veteran recently discussed the reports of talent being unhappy in AEW during his Keepin It 100 podcast. He first mentioned how he loves talking to Tony Khan because they both are fans of the same things.

    Speaking about the situation in AEW, Konnan actually claimed that a lot of people complained to him about their spot the last time he visited a show:

    “Then the last time I was there, bro, you have no idea how many people came up to me and they were pissed about the booking. They weren’t happy how they were being used. They were very, very vocal about it.”

    According to the Mexican star, people believed that Konnan may be joining the AEW creative team. So talents talked to him openly about their frustrations. Though the AAA promoter made it clear that he is not trying to get a job with ALL Elite Wrestling

    What do you think about the influx of ex-WWE talents and how it has changed the booking philosophy in AEW? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

  • CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley: Betting Odds Reveal Strong Favorite for AEW Dynamite

    CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley: Betting Odds Reveal Strong Favorite for AEW Dynamite

    AEW surprised the wrestling world last week when they announced the much-anticipated AEW Championship unification match between CM Punk and Jon Moxley for this Wednesday night on Dynamite.

    The match was previously thought to be taking place at All Out during Labor Day weekend. Instead, someone will likely walk away with both belts this Wednesday night. Will the match result in a large television ratings bump? That remains to be seen. And who will be involved in a title match at All Out? That also remains to be answered.

    With all of that being said, oddsmakers see one of these men as the heavy favorite to walk out of Cleveland this Wednesday night the undisputed champion: CM Punk. With All Out taking place in his hometown of Chicago in less than two weeks, Bet Online forecasts Punk’s chances at victory at -400. They have Moxley as the underdog at +250.

    CM Punk

    The Summer of Punk That Wasn’t

    CM Punk captured the AEW World Championship from “Hangman” Adam Page back at AEW Double or Nothing Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas. It was expected to lead to a “Summer of Punk,” with the former multi-time world champion having high profile matches throughout June, July, and August.

    Instead, a foot injury sidelined Punk for over two months and Moxley was crowned interim AEW World Champion after a brief tournament.

    Since Punk’s surprise return to AEW at Dynamite in Minneapolis two weeks ago, there’s been no shortage of headlines. Last week, Punk took a shot at Page during his promo to start Dynamite, and there have been conflicting reports of real-life animosity between he and Page, as well as he and Moxley.

    Nevertheless, Punk has tried to quell some of the rumors that he is unhappy at AEW through postings on social media of late.

    Last weekend on Instagram, Punk wrote, “One year ago began the best year of my professional career. Too many great moments, not enough space to post all the great pics. Rekindled passion, made new friends, reunited with old ones. Can’t stop smiling, won’t stop until the wheels fall off. Thank you most of all to all the fans who made it possible. I’m having the time of my life.”

    Who do you think will walk out of AEW Dynamite as the undisputed world champion? Let us know in the comments section below.

    Make sure to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

  • “There’s No Passion” – Cornette Criticizes AEW Star’s Promo Ability

    “There’s No Passion” – Cornette Criticizes AEW Star’s Promo Ability

    AEW star Jungle Boy and Christian Cage have been in a feud on Dynamite for the past two months. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus were known as Jurassic Express in the promotion, and Christian served as their manager during their reign as AEW Tag Team Champions.

    However, the 48-year-old betrayed Jungle Boy at AEW Dynamite: Road Rager and even convinced Luchasaurus to turn heel for a couple of weeks. Christian has made it even more personal with references to Jungle Boy’s mother and his recently passed father, famous actor Luke Perry.

    He recently challenged Christian to a match at AEW All Out on September 4th and brutally attacked him on this past Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite. Jungle Boy has since responded with a promo of his own and beat Christian down on last week’s episode of Dynamite.

    Jim Cornette Wonders If Jungle Boy Will Figure It Out

    On a recent episode of the Jim Cornette Experience, he was very critical of Jungle Boy and wondered if he was ever going to “get it”.

    Does Jungle Boy have it? Is it going to come out? If it was, would it have come out by now? Verbally, speaking on television, having any kind of passion or emotion. Are all people of his age bracket this boring?

    Jim Cornette on Jungle Boy

    Co-host Brian Last suggested that Jungle Boy may find more success down the road as a heel but Cornette wasn’t optimistic. Jim claimed that the only way he could pull that off was if Jurassic Express reunited as heels, and Jungle Boy played the role of an instigator hiding behind Luchasaurus.

    While Jungle Boy may not be dynamic on the microphone yet, he’s already established himself as one of the talents with the most potential on the AEW roster. The 25-year-old’s match against Christian Cage at all All Out will be the biggest match of his young career.

    Do you agree with Jim Cornette’s assessment of Jungle Boy or do you believe he will be one of AEW’s biggest stars down the line? Let us know in the comments section below.

  • Tony Khan Reveals That Recent AEW Special Did Record Viewership In The U.K.

    Tony Khan Reveals That Recent AEW Special Did Record Viewership In The U.K.

    Tony Khan issued a statement on his personal Twitter account promoting this week’s Dynamite on TBS, a show that will feature the highly anticipated showdown between world champion CM Punk and interim champion Jon Moxley, with the winner being crowned the undisputed AEW champion.

    The AEW President writes, “Thank you everyone who watches @AEWonTV! In 48 hours Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite @CMPunk vs @JonMoxley to finally crown an Undisputed @AEWWorld Champion! It’s been a great summer of 12 straight weeks & counting for Dynamite on @TBSNetwork in the top 2 shows on cable in the US.”

    Along with that, Khan touts the success of AEW’s recent Quake By The Lake television special from two weeks ago, which he reveals scored AEW their record viewership number on ITV4 in the United Kingdom. For those who don’t remember that show was headlined by Jon Moxley taking on Chris Jericho for the AEW world title, with Punk making his surprising return from injury. Khan’s full second tweet reads:

    “In addition to a great summer domestically, it’s been a huge summer for @AEW internationally including great news that #AEWDynamite #QuakebyTheLake with @JonMoxley vs @IAmJericho for the @AEW Interim World Title + @CMPunk’s epic return did our UK record viewership on @ITV4 Friday.”

    You can check out the tweets below.

    Some analysts predicts that AEW will score their biggest viewership and demo increase for this Wednesday’s show due to the Moxley vs. Punk match, as well as the trios tournament matchup between the Death Triangle and NJPW’s Aussie Open & Will Ospreay.

  • AEW & NXT Going Head-to-Head Tuesday, October 18

    AEW & NXT Going Head-to-Head Tuesday, October 18

    AEW Dynamite and NXT 2.0 will go head-to-head once again, at least for one night.

    WWE and AEW will see programming interruptions this October due to scheduling conflicts with Major League Baseball’s post season schedule.

    A special Tuesday edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS will take place on October 18th from Cincinnati, Ohio (Tickets). This show will run against NXT 2.0 on the USA Network.

    This will be the first time in over a year that AEW and NXT run opposite one another. Both companies are expected to present loaded shows. AEW will pull out all the stops to draw fans to a different night, while NXT will also want bragging rights up against its former rival.

    As noted earlier, the upcoming WWE Worlds Collide (NXT vs. NXT UK) premium live event is scheduled for Sunday, September 4th, the same day as All Out.

    AEW Dynamite Preemption(s)

    All Elite Wrestling’s flagship show, AEW Dynamite, will be affected first. At least one week of Dynamite will have to air on a different channel or date than usual.

    The American League Championship Series kicks off Wednesday, October 19th. Game 1 of the ALCS will air live on TBS that night, during AEW Dynamite’s weekly time slot.

    Should the ALCS go to a series-deciding 7th game, the following week’s Dynamite (Wednesday, October 26th) would also be preempted.

    MLB Preemptions

    WWE SmackDown Preemption(s)

    WWE SmackDown will also be preempted on Friday, October 28th. FOX will be airing Game 1 of the 2022 World Series.

    Should the best-of-7 World Series go to 6 games, the September 4th edition of SmackDown would get bumped as well.

    SmackDown has aired on FOX cable affiliate FS1 for preemptions, so this is a likely scenario here.

  • Road Dogg Calls AEW TV Production ‘Horrible’

    Road Dogg Calls AEW TV Production ‘Horrible’

    Road Dogg is not a fan of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and their TV production style.

    The WWE Hall Of Famer was a guest on Konnan’s “Keepin’ It 100” podcast recently, where he discussed AEW and their progress as a young promotion. Specifically, Road Dogg talked about AEW’s production style, which he called “horrible.”

    “The production of the show, not how you produce and execute the creative, but the production of the show is horrible. I have been very, very open to saying that.

    “From a television point of view, and you can not like me for saying it, you can not like me for whatever you want to not like me for, but WWE is good TV.

    “I think you could bring, I know I could bring, that good TV and execute it from a production and a camera standpoint to them. I just think they have too many people.

    “I lose track of who all they are, They don’t focus on one. They tell the long term story, but the only reason they do that is because each guy’s only on TV every four weeks.”

    Road Dogg

    Road Dogg, real name Brian James, isn’t the only professional wrestling veteran to have some harsh criticisms for AEW. Eric Bischoff’s relationship with president Tony Khan has soured over the past several months for his own criticisms.

    However, James seems to be approaching his analysis of AEW from a different perspective. He seems to be open to bringing his talents to the company as an official, helping it grow and improve.

    James has said numerous times, he’s surprised that Khan hasn’t reached out to him for a job yet. With over 30 years of experience in the industry as a competitor, producer, and writer, James would certainly bring a wealth of knowledge to the table.

    https://youtu.be/of67CpXv2TA

    Quotes via WrestlingNews.Co

  • Eddie Kingston On His Feud With Chris Jericho: “I Learned What It Was To Be A Snake Backstage”

    Eddie Kingston On His Feud With Chris Jericho: “I Learned What It Was To Be A Snake Backstage”

    For the last two years Eddie Kingston has been rising to the top of the AEW card. The Mad King recently finished up a feud with former world champion Chris Jericho, one that carried over for months and ultimately ended with a barbed wire everywhere match that received mixed reviews from fans and analysts.

    Kingston and Jericho’s rivalry was the main subject of his latest interview with Under The Ring. The New York native was not shy of giving himself some criticism for his work against the Demo God, nor did he hold back on his experience working with the future hall of famer.

    “Oh I hated them all, I hated every single one of them,” said Kingston on his matches with Jericho. “I don’t like any of my work plus I don’t like Chris. Being in the ring with him was a headache, it was seven months of a headache but I’m proud that it’s over, for now. Knowing Chris, [he’ll] probably do something to get me mad and we’ll probably get back in there.”

    It should be noted that Kingston always enjoys blurring the lines of reality in his interviews, but he also isn’t someone who tells too many lies. He continued taking shots at Jericho by saying that all he learned from the feud was how to be a snake backstage.

    “Did I learn a lot? Yeah, I learned what it was to be a snake backstage like Chris. I learned to avoid people like Chris and his group, so I did learn from it but it was seven months of my life that I can’t have back so thanks a lot Chris.”

    Kingston has since moved on to feuding with another member of the Jericho Appreciation Society, Sammy Guevara. He recently challenged the Sex-God to a grudge matchup at the September 4th ALL OUT pay-per-view in Chicago. AEW has yet to officially confirm the bout.

    (Quotes via Fightful)

  • AEW Fight Forever Playable Demo Coming to Gamescom This Week

    AEW Fight Forever Playable Demo Coming to Gamescom This Week

    The first playable demo for the AEW Fight Forever video game will be featured at this week’s Gamescom convention from Cologne, Germany.

    This will be the first time that AEW’s in-development console video game can be played by the general public. The game is due out this year, although the release date has yet to be confirmed.

    Amazon.com lists December 31st, 2022 as the release date for AEW Fight for the Fallen, but that is a placeholder until the actual date is announced.

    AEW Fight Forever Screenshot

    AEW at Gamescom

    In addition to the AEW Fight Forever playable demo, All Elite Wrestling is also sending talent to the convention for a series of live exhibition matches.

    From Thursday to Sunday, THQ Nordic will host the first-ever AEW matches from Cologne, Germany. A press release sent in from THQ Nordic reads:

    “Watch famous AEW talents fighting forever (well, maybe not forever) in our very own ring and bring incredible wrestling action right to you.”

    If you can’t make it to Cologne, Germany, don’t sweat it. THQ Nordic will be streaming live from the convention center from Wednesday through Sunday live at Twitch.tv/thqnordic.

  • Former WWE Star Debuts at AEW Dark Tapings

    Former WWE Star Debuts at AEW Dark Tapings

    Former WWE NXT star Westin Blake, formerly known as Wesley Blake, made his All Elite Wrestling debut at the newest set of AEW Dark tapings.

    On August 21, All Elite Wrestling taped two sessions of AEW Dark at Universal Studios in Florida, and during the second session, Blake worked a match. 

    Westin Blake Back in Action

    blake murphy

    Blake originally signed with WWE in 2013 before being paired with  Buddy Murphy in the early portion of his time there where they found success with Alexa Bliss as their manager and were tag team champions. 

    He later teamed up with Steve Cutler (Steve Maclin) and Jaxson Ryker to form The Forgotten Sons faction that was featured on NXT TV until the trio was called up to WWE SmackDown in April 2020. 

    After Ryker posted some controversial tweets, they were pulled from TV, but later returned to television as The Knights of the Lone Wolf alongside King Corbin in December. However, Cutler was released in February 2021 before the company cut Blake two months later. 

    Following his WWE departure, Blake has been working on the independent scene for various promotions, including Control Your Narrative and The Wrestling Revolver.

    He did reunite with Maclin and won the tag titles in The Wrestling Revolver to later drop them to The OGK in July.

  • AEW Tag Team Gets a New Name & Manager

    AEW Tag Team Gets a New Name & Manager

    AEW has repackaged the tag team known as Bear Country. 

    The team will now be known as The Iron Savages with JT Davidson as their manager. The change was made at the AEW Dark tapings in Orlando on Sunday. 

    Bear Country Background

    Bear Boulder and Bear Bronson have been teaming together since 2017 where they worked for Create A Pro Wrestling Academy and Chaotic Wrestling. They started working for AEW in 2020.

    Their first AEW match was on the December 3 episode of AEW Dark where they lost to The Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson). The tag team made their AEW TV debut on the March 11, 2021 episode of Dyamite when  Matt Hardy, Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) & The Butcher And The Blade (The Blade & The Butcher) defeated Bear Country& Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt) 

    Their last televised match came on the July 6th episode of Dynamite where The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) & The Gunn Club (Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn) defeated Fuego Del Sol & Ruffin It (Boulder, Bronson & Leon Ruffin).

    All Elite Wrestling is taping two sets of tapings for the weekly YouTube show that will air in the coming weeks.