SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Jim Ross Believes Punk vs. Moxley Could Be Biggest AEW Main Event Ever

    Jim Ross Believes Punk vs. Moxley Could Be Biggest AEW Main Event Ever

    Jim Ross believes that CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley for the Undisputed All Elite Wrestling (AEW) World Title will be the promotion’s biggest main event ever.

    Ross recently took to his podcast, “Grilling JR,” to offer his thoughts on the potential CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley match to unify their AEW World Titles. Punk recently made his return to AEW TV to confront Moxley, teasing their eventual matchup.

    Of course, given Punk’s current injury, there’s no indication as to when that match could finally take place. With that being said, Jim Ross believes when the match finally does go down, it could do historic business for AEW.

    “I knew he was in the building. I saw him briefly, earlier in the day, in the trainer’s room, getting some attention. He sure has been missed, there is no doubt about it. The crowd’s reaction would indicate the same. They are ready to see him.

    “I still don’t know how healthy the guy is. I asked on air ‘has he been cleared to wrestle?’ Nobody knew. He will be cleared. He’s under good doctor’s care. This process has been ongoing.

    “He’s still in the process of healing as far as I’m concerned, until I get word that he’s 100%, I’m going to play it by ear. He’s a tough guy. Everyone wants to see him and Moxley beat the shit out of each other.

    “You can count your bottom dollar that’s what they’re going to do. They both have that pride. It’s going to be, arguably, the biggest main event we’ve ever had considering all the ramifications going in and injuries and all these things.

    “I’m excited about calling that match. I think it’s going to be fun as hell.” 

    CM Punk

    Punk won the AEW World Title at AEW Double Or Nothing earlier this year against Hangman Page. However, in June it was announced that Punk suffered a foot injury that needs surgery to repair.

    In his absence, Moxley has been crowned as the interim World Champion. He’ll be ready to welcome Punk back once the former WWE Champion is ready to get back inside the squared circle.

  • Chris Jericho: Cons of Vince McMahon Departure Will Be Felt Later

    Chris Jericho: Cons of Vince McMahon Departure Will Be Felt Later

    Chris Jericho believes that the cons of Vince McMahon’s departure from WWE won’t be felt for another few months.

    Jericho was recently a guest on the Swerve City podcast, where he talked about Vince McMahon stepping down as WWE CEO, as well as retiring as the head of creative on television. This happened shortly after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against McMahon.

    “Y2J” explained that, while there will certainly be some positives from McMahon’s WWE departure – especially creatively – there will also be some negative impacts. Those negatives in particular likely won’t be felt for a few more months.

    “I can go back working for him for 17-18 years. Obviously, there are Vince-isms and Vince-foibles that don’t make sense, but I did learn a lot about the psychology of the business and how to be a star, how to conduct yourself, how to be a true main eventer and money draw.

    “I think the pros, if that’s the right word, the pros of Vince leaving WWE will be seen very quickly. There are a lot of changes right off the bat, very refreshing. Lots of in-ring time. The cons of Vince leaving won’t be felt for a few months, maybe more, six months, a year.

    “There are a lot of things that Vince did, little things, and I know people bag on him for his recent booking, and obviously there was a habit he had, but the guys who are true main event stars are legit stars. Legit stars.

    “You can spot them from a mile away. Look at the difference between Drew McIntyre now, prior to the last run he had. Vince worked with him to make him a top guy and top star. Same with Roman (Reigns).

    “Completely different now than it was before he turned heel. Brock as a babyface, I can tell Vince worked with him as being a babyface. You can spot it. I can see it.”

    Chris Jericho
    (AEW)

    Chris Jericho certainly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to working with McMahon. The current All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star worked under McMahon during his nearly 20-year run with WWE.

    After departing from WCW in the late 90s, Jericho debuted for WWE and instantly became one of the company’s biggest stars. The six-time WWE World Champion eventually joined AEW in 2020, where he became the promotion’s inaugural World Champion.

    Quotes via Fightful

  • Hangman Page Reveals the Most Difficult Matches of His Career

    Hangman Page Reveals the Most Difficult Matches of His Career

    Hangman Page has wrestled in many competitive matches over the course of his career. The two hardest matches for him are a death match where he suffered a gruesome injury…and wrestling Bryan Danielson.

    The former AEW world champion recently held a Q&A session at GalaxyCon Raleigh 2022. During the talk, Page was asked which are the hardest matches he has had to wrestle. He first recalled his Texas Death Match against Lance Archer:

    “Probably the hardest match I would say two. One of them would be wrestling Lance Archer in a Texas Death match. I got my eyebrow cut. I didn’t know there were like vessels and veins in your eyebrow a lot. So I bled so much.” remembered Hangman Page, “There’s blood in my eyes and I couldn’t see.

    I couldn’t breathe because it was just like going up my nose and stuff like that. I couldn’t see anything, I got thrown onto the steel steps and my left arm crashed into the edge of it. I lost feeling in my left arm for a while. It was a terrible combination. So that was a really hard match.”

    ‘I’m Just Huffing and Puffing’: Hangman Page

    The second match was Hangman Page’s very first AEW world title defense against Bryan Danielson. The two wrestled for an hour in a match that ended in a draw. Per Page, Bryan was enjoying this bout while he was looking for an opportunity to throw up:

    “Secondly, I’d probably say wrestling Bryan Danielson for an hour. An hour is so long to do anything, especially wrestle someone like Bryan. He’s just doing jumping jacks and having a good ol’ time lefts and right in the ring and I’m just huffing and puffing and trying to throw up. So those are probably my two hardest matches.”

    You can check out the session featuring the AEW star below:

    More Originals From SEScoops:

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

  • AEW Dynamite Preview (8/17): House of the Dragon

    AEW Dynamite Preview (8/17): House of the Dragon

    All Elite Wrestling returns tonight with a special “House of the Dragon” themed edition of AEW Dynamite from Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, West Virginia.

    The show is being presented as a promotional tie-in to the Game of Thrones spinoff series premiering this Sunday on HBO Max.

    Dynamite will feature a huge 2 out of 3 falls main event, a Trios Tournament first round match, a special appearance by Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and more.

    Daniel Garcia shocked the world when he defeated Bryan Danielson last month. Can the Jericho Appreciation Society member do it again?

    The Young Bucks need a partner for the AEW World Trios Championship tournament. “Hangman” Adam Page turned them down last week. Will they be able to find a suitable third man?

    AEW Dynamite Preview (8/17)

    AEW has announced the following for tonight’s AEW Dynamite:

    • Best-of-3 Falls Match: “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia
    • Trios Tournament (First Round): Andrade El Idolo, Rush and Dragon Lee vs. The Young Bucks and a Mystery Partner
    • Toni Storm vs. KiLynn King
    • The Gunn Club vs. The Varsity Blondes

    Plus, wrestling legend Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will serve as the special guest time keeper for tonight’s matches.

    Check back later tonight for our AEW Dynamite Results and news coming out of the show.

    AEW Control Center

    AEW has produced this special “control center” preview for tonight’s House of the Dragon episode of Dynamite:

  • Thunder Rosa Addresses her “Challenging” AEW Women’s World Title Reign

    Thunder Rosa Addresses her “Challenging” AEW Women’s World Title Reign

    In March this year, Thunder Rosa captured the AEW Women’s World Championship, ending the 290-day reign of Dr. Britt Baker DDS and doing so inside of a steel cage.

    The win was made even more special as it happened in her adopted hometown of San Antonio, Texas.

    Rosa has held on the title since then, defending against the likes of Toni Storm, Nyla Rose, Serena Deeb, Marina Shafir, and Miyu Yamashita.

    The Challenge

    Prior to signing full-time with AEW, Thunder Rosa competed for the NWA, where she is a former NWA Women’s World Champion.

    Rosa’s 277-day reign as NWA Women’s World Champion began in January 2020 and would end at the hands of Serena Deeb that October.

    Speaking to Bullet Cast, Thunder Rosa explained how being the Champion of AEW has brought on more challenges than her time with the NWA (via Wrestling Inc.)

    “It’s been really challenging because being a champion on a major platform is different than when I was the NWA Women’s Champion. There’s a lot more at stake, there’s a lot more that you’re representing, and also a little bit of pressure.

    “It’s been really challenging… There’s a lot more at stake.”

    Thunder Rosa on her reign as AEW Women’s World Champion.

    “Every time you stand in front of the camera, you just want to make sure that you’re perfect. The thing is, it’s not about perfection, it’s about making a difference and I hope that I have been making a difference in the women’s division.”

    Rosa’s most recent title defense saw her retain against Jamie Hayter on the August 5, Battle of the Belts III special taping.

    Thunder Rosa & Marina Shafir Make Amends After Sabotage Claims

  • Kris Statlander Confirms Timetable For Recovery

    Kris Statlander Confirms Timetable For Recovery

    AEW star Kris Statlander joined the ever-growing injury list when she suffered a leg injury during the AEW Dark tapings on August 5.

    The female star provided some updates on her health on the most recent episode of AEW Road To. She revealed that she has completely torn her ACL:

    “After getting an MRI, I have a completely torn ACL. My lateral meniscus is torn, and there is lateral impaction fractures in my tibial and femoral heads. So just tiny little cracks that are more of a bruise, but still, technically a broken leg.”

    Speaking about her recovery, Kris Statlander noted that it’ll be six to eight months before she gets cleared to compete again:

    “So recovery time, it’s about six-to-eight months post-operation. Once we got the MRI, we were hoping it was just a meniscus tear. That would have either been a few weeks to three months, at most. But now that we know the ACL is completely torn, that’s the one you don’t want to get, children.”

    The timing of the injury is unfortunate for Statlander as she was gaining momentum in AEW before that. She has reached the #2 spot in the ranking and was making a strong case for a shot at the women’s title.

  • WWE Hall Of Famer Announced for AEW “House of The Dragon” Dynamite

    WWE Hall Of Famer Announced for AEW “House of The Dragon” Dynamite

    All Elite Wrestling invades the Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, West Virginia this Wednesday for the House of the Dragon edition of AEW Dynamite. The tie-in comes from the soon to be released House of the Dragon HBO series, a spin-off of the hit Game of Thrones.

    AEW President Tony Khan revealed on Twitter this evening that along with a stacked lineup the show will feature an appearance from WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, who will serve as the company’s guest timekeeper for the evening. Khan writes:

    “For tomorrow’s Wednesday Night AEWDynamite presented by HBO’s @HouseofDragon, we have the perfect special guest timekeeper for the event: Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all-time, making his return to TBSNetwork tomorrow night @ 8pm ET/7pm CT!”

    Steamboat’s appearance won’t be the only thing fans can look forward to on Dynamite. The big rumor is that former world champion Kenny Omega will be returning as the Young Bucks mystery partner for the opening round of the trios tournament to crown the first-ever AEW Trios champions. They will be facing RUSH, Dragon Lee, and Andrade El Idolo.

    Stay tuned.

  • AJ Styles Reveals How Close He Was to Signing with AEW

    AJ Styles Reveals How Close He Was to Signing with AEW

    AJ Styles has revealed exactly how close he was to becoming a member of the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) roster.

    Styles was set to be a free agent this summer before signing a new multi-year extension with WWE. Now, Styles is enjoying a deal that is seeing him make well over a reported $3 million a year.

    The former WWE Champion was asked about his contractual situation earlier this year with WWE in a recent interview with Inside The Ropes. Styles was specifically asked about how close he came to becoming a member of the AEW roster, where he has several friends.

    AJ Styles
    (via WWE)

    Styles admits he doesn’t think it was close for him, but he does ultimately want AEW to succeed, as it benefits everyone in the long run.

    “I didn’t really sign a new [WWE] deal. Basically, I had a player option and I just used that option. I had no plans, really, looking back.

    “I want to be with WWE and as much as I’d like to be with my friends [in AEW], this is what I know, this what I know is expected of me, I understand what they need here in WWE, and I want to be a part of it.

    “Like I said, this is a business. I’m going to go where business is best for AJ Styles… Was it close? I wouldn’t say it was close for me.”

    “I want AEW to do well. Competition is a good thing, it makes everybody better, there that. We want to see people succeed and to tell the truth, I have friends in every company, I would like to see them do well.

    “So, they have my support, just like anybody else. I want to see them do well, I don’t want to see anyone lose their job and you never know who might show up in WWE.”

    Currently, AJ Styles is one of the top stars on Monday Night RAW. This week he even challenged for the United States Championship against Bobby Lashley.

    Despite putting on a great performance with “The Almighty” inside the ring, he came up just short, eating a Spear off of a Phenomenal Forearm attempt for the defeat.

  • WWE Contacted Top AEW Star About Jumping Ship (Report)

    WWE Contacted Top AEW Star About Jumping Ship (Report)

    WWE reportedly tried to poach a talent from All Elite Wrestling (AEW) recently.

    Since Triple H has assumed control of WWE creative, there have been several returns made on television. Former NXT stars such as Karrion Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, B-Fab, Dakota Kai, and Hit Row have all been brought in.

    Of course, it seems like this is only the beginning of the main roster Triple H has envisioned moving forward. While more NXT stars are expected to be brought up, some desired talents Triple H has his eyes on might not even be under the company’s umbrella at the moment.

    Some could be with AEW, such as former WWE stars Adam Cole, Daniel Bryan, and more. Apparently, WWE tried to make a move on a current top AEW star to bring them into WWE.

    WWE Headquarters

    Fightful Select reports that a notable AEW star “reported to AEW management that WWE had reached out to them about coming to WWE.” The reported talent made it clear that they’re happy in AEW and wanted upper management to know about the situation.

    The talent added that they have no desire to leave AEW. It was noted that the talent received a call from one of WWE’s talent relations department members. The talent responded by referring them to their representation rather than speaking directly.

    A source also notes in the report that there were no mistakes made in regards to knowing that the talent was under contract with AEW on a full-time basis. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

  • Eric Bischoff: Tony Khan Is Booking AEW Like a 14-Year-Old

    Eric Bischoff: Tony Khan Is Booking AEW Like a 14-Year-Old

    Eric Bischoff is not a fan of how Tony Khan is booking All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

    It’s no secret that the former WCW president has been critical of the Khan-led promotion in recent months. Both he and Khan have exchanged harsh words through the media as of late, mainly due to Bischoff’s criticisms of AEW.

    In a recent interview with SHAK Wrestling, Bischoff was asked for his thoughts on the booking in AEW at the moment. Bischoff doesn’t seem to be a fan of Khan’s creative mind or storytelling ability.

    Instead, he feels like Khan is booking the promotion as a 14-year-old with too many toys to play with.

    “If Tony Khan is smart, and I know he’s very, very smart, a lot smarter than me in a lot of ways. I don’t exactly think he’s got a creative instinct in his body.

    “I think what he’s doing is reliving a childhood memory, you know of ECW and the indie scene, and super matches. He’s booking, in my opinion, like a 14-year-old would – who would have a lot of toys and things he can play with.

    “But I’m not seeing story – we’ve seen the wrestling audience or AEW audience call it a story but it’s not. It’s an excuse for having a super match or dream match.”

    Eric Bischoff
    (A&E)

    At one point Bischoff made a few appearances for AEW in 2020. However, that all stopped after he became more vocal about his issues with the product. That doesn’t mean fans should expect Bischoff to show up in WWE anytime soon.

    Bischoff noted that WWE doesn’t need him back, and any changes he would make seem to already be in the works in the post-Vince McMahon era.

    Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

  • AEW Talent Set to Appear at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17

    AEW Talent Set to Appear at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17

    This coming January, New Japan Pro Wrestling will host its annual Wrestle Kingdom event, highlighting the biggest stars of the promotion.

    Wrestle Kingdom is NJPW’s biggest event of the year, and next year’s show will have an international flavor to it.

    AEW at Wrestle Kingdom

    Wrestle Kingdom 17 will showcase NJPW’s biggest stars, but will reportedly include names from All Elite Wrestling.

    Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio today that there are plans for some AEW wrestlers to compete at the event, but didn’t name any specific stars.

    This wouldn’t be the first time AEW and NJPW had teamed up, as at Wrestle Kingdom 14, then-AEW World Champion Chris Jericho defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi.

    The two-night event also saw Jon Moxley defeat Lance Archer for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship in a Texas Death Match.

    AEW and New Japan

    Wrestle Kingdom 17 will be just the latest team-up by the two massively popular promotions.

    AEW star Wheeler YUTA competed in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament while Lance Archer is working the G1 Climax tournament.

    The promotions also teamed together for the Forbidden Door Pay Per View in June which saw Jon Moxley defeat Hiroshi Tanahashi.

    A Confirmed Match?

    Wrestle Kingdom 17 is still months away, but one match may already be known.

    AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door was rumored to have CM Punk face Hiroshi Tanahashi in the show’s main event, but that did not take place due to the AEW World Champion’s injury.

    While speaking to Tokyo Sports in June, Tanahashi threw out the challenge for Punk to face him in the Tokyo Dome for Wrestle Kingdom.

    What Happened After AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door Went Off The Air
  • AEW Champion Makes History with Fight Forever Video Game

    AEW Champion Makes History with Fight Forever Video Game

    The upcoming AEW Fight Forever video game will be historic in multiple ways. In addition to being the first console game from All Elite Wrestling, the game’s promotional artwork will be groundbreaking in its own right.

    Jade Cargill will make history when she graces the cover of the upcoming AEW Fight Forever video game. After dozens of wrestling video games over the past three decades, Cargill will be the first Black woman on the cover of a wrestling video game.

    On Monday, the leader of the Baddies shared on Twitter that she’s feeling #blessed over the career milestone.

    “Just found out that I’m the first black woman on the cover of a wrestling video game #blessed.”

    – Jade Cargill

    Along with Jade Cargill, CM Punk, Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, Britt Baker and Chris Jericho are also featured. Here is the cover art for AEW Fight Forever, which you can pre-order now from Amazon.

    Cargill made her promotional debut in November 2020 when she interrupted Cody Rhodes. This eventually led to her teaming with Shaquille O’Neal for a mixed tag team match against Rhodes and Red Velvet. Originally, the bout was supposed to feature Brandi Rhodes, who was pulled from the match due to her pregnancy.

    As the reigning TBS Champion, Cargill remains undefeated.

    AEW Fight Forever

    All Elite Wrestling is gearing up to present its first-ever video game, AEW: Fight Forever. An official release date has yet to be released, but the game is available for pre-order with a tentative date of December 31, 2022. 

    It will be released on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo® Switch. There will be a career mode and a wide range of customization modes.

    Several match types, including Unsanctioned Lights-Out and Exploding Barbed Wire Death Matches will be featured. 

  • Konosuke Takeshita Not Interested In WWE, Plans To Return To AEW

    Konosuke Takeshita Not Interested In WWE, Plans To Return To AEW

    It was recently reported by Dave Meltzer that WWE may be looking to sign Konosuke Takeshita. However, it seems like Takeshita has his sights set elsewhere.

    Takeshita First Excursion

    Takeshita just finished up his excursion in America this month. He headed to the UK for some bouts in PROGRESS Wrestling before he returns to Japan to compete for DDT Pro Wrestling. 

    Takeshita competed against top AEW names such as Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, and Hangman Page on AEW TV and traveled around the independent scene, wrestling for various promotions.

    Konosuke is already looking to return to All Elite Wrestling and he is hoping to be back in the United States in October. 

    Takeshita To Return To AEW

    When speaking with Cultaholic, Konosuke revealed that he is looking to return to All Elite Wrestling.

    “To be honest, now I’m not interested in WWE. My next goal is more fights in AEW I hope. So I have to go to back to Japan in August and September. Maybe, not decided yet, I hope I go back to America in October. Then if I stay in the US I can come to the UK more times. From Japan to the UK is so far but US to UK is maybe seven hours. It’s possible,” Takeshita said.

    Takeshita competed at PROGRESS Wrestling over the weekend and is set to wrestle at DDT Wrestle Peter Pan on August 20.

  • Former WWE Superstar Signs Full-Time with AEW

    Former WWE Superstar Signs Full-Time with AEW

    Another former WWE Superstar is All Elite.

    AEW has been criticized for signing too many former WWE performers, but that trend does not appear to be slowing down.

    Ariya Daivari is the latest wrestler to sign a full-time deal with AEW, according to Fightful.

    Daivari has been featured on AEW programming over the past several weeks. The former 205 Live star has been throwing his not-so-hard earned money around in AEW. He leads the Trustbusters faction, a group that has been making noise on AEW Dark.

    Ariya Daivari in AEW

    The Trustbusters
    (AEW)

    Since joining AEW, Ariya Daivari has received a fair degree of creative direction. He’s positioned as a “trust fund kid” who has a lot of not-so-hard-earned money to throw around.

    The Trustbusters faction includes Daivari, Slim J, fellow WWE castoff Parker Bordeoux and Sonny Kiss is the latest addition.

    Aside from his work on-screen, Daivari has also worked as a producer behind-the-scenes for AEW. He recently helped put together the Thunderstorm vs Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter match from AEW Dynamite. The bout got rave reviews, which only helped Daivari’s standings behind the scenes.

    In addition to some critics feeling that Tony Khan is signing too many former WWE wrestlers, certain AEW performers have publicly expressed frustration with the company. Last week, company president Tony Khan addressed the chatter that underutilized performers are growing frustrated. You can read his reaction at the link below:

    There is a case to be made that AEW should focus on the talent already under contract. However, someone like Ariya Daivari is extremely talented. At 33 years old, he’s in his athletic prime and has a lot to offer the business on and off screen. As noted earlier, he’s starting off on the right foot. Daivari’s character is being developed and a faction is being built around him, so it does appear that AEW has the creative ‘bandwidth’ for him.

    We’ll wait and see how Ariya Daivari does in the months ahead.

  • Eric Bischoff has ‘Thrown in the Towel’ When it Comes to AEW

    Eric Bischoff has ‘Thrown in the Towel’ When it Comes to AEW

    As the title of his book ‘Controversy Creates Cash’ implies, Eric Bischoff knows all about being controversial in wrestling.

    Bischoff was a huge driving force behind the NWO in WCW, and would later make his presence felt in WWE as the Raw General Manager.

    In August 2020, Bischoff made his first TNT appearance in two decades by appearing on AEW Dynamite, officiating a debate between Orange Cassidy and Chris Jericho.

    Throwing in the Towel.

    Bischoff’s August 2020 appearance for AEW would be the first of a handful from the WWE Hall of Famer.

    Over the past year, however, Bischoff has been very critical of AEW and Tony Khan, recently calling the promotion a ‘Mom & Pop Burger Stand‘ compared to WWE.

    Speaking with Shakiel Mahjouri for SHAK Wrestling, Bischoff said he has effectively given up expecting to see improvements in AEW (via eWrestlingNews.)

    “I had a little bit of hope with AEW. I had some hope there. I thought, ‘Oh, man,’ I mean, up until probably six months ago, or eight months ago, I kind of threw in the towel because I started seeing the same pattern of whatever over and over again. I’d go, ‘Okay, something different, something different.’ But there’s been nothing different.”

    ” I kind of threw in the towel because I started seeing the same pattern.”

    Eric Bischoff on giving up on AEW.

    Bischoff and WWE

    Eric Bischoff has thrown in the towel with AEW, but that doesn’t mean fans will see him on Raw or SmackDown anytime soon.

    In the same interview, the WWE Hall of Famer addressed a possible WWE return, saying that the company doesn’t need him to come back.

    He added that any changes he would look to implement are already being made as part of the post-Vince McMahon era of WWE.

    Eric Bischoff: “Stephanie McMahon Would Kill Tony Khan” in a Fight
  • AEW Star Sees Triple H’s New Role as a “Game Changer” for WWE

    AEW Star Sees Triple H’s New Role as a “Game Changer” for WWE

    Matt Hardy discussed Triple H becoming the new head of WWE creative on the latest edition of his Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast.

    The Broken One began by discussing how plugged in The Game is to pro-wrestling in 2022, comparing him to his current boss, AEW President Tony Khan.

    “Triple H is much more tuned in to 2022 pro wrestling, much like Tony Khan is. So I think now you have two guys who really have their fingers on the pulse of pro wrestling. So I think that’s going to benefit everyone.”

    Hardy does mention how Vince McMahon seemed to have an antiquated view of the industry as he got older, adding that he isn’t trashing the retired former chairman, but Triple H provides a much fresher look for the future.

    “it is a positive thing and another huge positive to Triple H running WWE now, Vince, it is what it is, but his views and his mindset about pro wrestling, were a little bit antiquated, and that’s no slant on him, I’m not trash talking him. It’s just because he’s an older guy.”

    Furthermore, Hardy calls Triple H taking over WWE creative a game-changer for the industry, one that will benefit talent, who he knows already has a better relationship with Hunter than they did with Vince.

    “This deal with Triple H taking over WWE is a game-changer. I mean, on top of that, it also opens up the door for so many people to go back. There are so many more people that have a better relationship with Triple H than Vince, Triple H, I have already spoken to people that are there, Triple H has already been so much more accessible from the people I’ve talked to there with the current experience. So it’s great.”

    Triple H’s run as head of creative is only a few weeks old but fans have already noticed improvements over the weekly television product. We will have to wait and see what long-term affects it has on WWE.

    (Quotes via Fightful)

  • Japanese Wrestling Star Leaving America

    Japanese Wrestling Star Leaving America

    Konosuke Takeshita is leaving America to return to Japan after working in the United States for the last four months. 

    He announced the news on Twitter: “Today I am leaving America. I have so many great memories of the last 4 months. Thank you all for being so nice to me. @AEW.”

    Takeshita in AEW

    Takeshita made his pro wrestling debut in August 2012 for DDT and, since then, has found a lot of success, including being a four-time Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion and five-time KO-D Openweight Champion five times. 

    The 27-year-old has also been crowned the winner of the King of DDT Tournament on two different occasions and won the D’Oh Grand Prix twice. He’s also held the KO-D Six-Man Tag Team Championship five times and the KO-D Tag Team Championship. 

    He has impressed American fans since working in the country in April with notable performances, including when he challenged ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli at AEW’s Battle of the Belts III. 

    Dave Meltzer previously reported that it would be a seamless process to bring him back over to the United States due to AEW’s “good relationship” with DDT Pro-Wrestling. Meltzer noted that Takeshita doesn’t have a full-time deal with any promotion and may be on Triple H’s radar to sign him to a WWE contract. 

  • Backstage Update on CM Punk & Kenny Omega’s Injuries

    Backstage Update on CM Punk & Kenny Omega’s Injuries

    AEW is starting to have some wrestlers return from injury, which has impacted the promotion over the last few months. 

    Adam Cole, CM Punk, and Bryan Danielson were all on the shelf with injuries throughout the summer, while Kenny Omega has been gone since last November. Cole is expected to return to in-ring action soon. AEW made an Interim Championship while the actual champion (Punk) recovered from foot surgery.

    Danielson and Punk have since returned as Danielson came back a few weeks ago and lost to Daniel Garcia, while Punk was back this week when he confronted Jon Moxley to seemingly set up their match at All Out on September 4th. 

    PWinsider.com reports that while Punk appeared to be ready to fight on Wednesday night, he is still rehabbing his repaired foot and was reportedly still in pain as of a few weeks ago. Punk will likely not wrestle before All Out.

    Regarding Omega, he is still likely the mystery partner of The Young Bucks in the upcoming AEW Trios Titles tournament to crown the inaugural champions. 

    The Young Bucks and their mystery partner are set to face Dragon Lee, Andrade El Idolo & Rush on Wednesday’s Dynamite. 

  • Rob Van Dam On Working With AEW: “Never Say Never”

    Rob Van Dam On Working With AEW: “Never Say Never”

    Rob Van Dam recently spoke with Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston about the possibility of working with AEW and his current relationship with WWE.

    Back in 2019, Van Dam made a one-night return to WWE for the special Raw Reunion episode of Raw on July 22, 2019. RVD was inducted into the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame class. He later made an appearance at the 2022 Hall of Fame ceremony.

    Since then, the former WWE Champion has been wrestling in Pro Wrestling NOAH and competed at NOAH Destination 2022. Van Dam & Masato Tanaka defeated NOSAWA Rongai & Super Crazy in a hardcore tag team match. He also competed at the CyberFight Festival 2022 when he made his Pro Wrestling NOAH debut. He teamed with the Stinger duo of Hayata and Yoshinari Ogawa to defeat Kaito Kiyomiya, Daisuke Harada and Yo-Hey.

    “Never Say Never”

    When speaking with Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston, the former ECW World Champion spoke about his current view of the landscape of pro wrestling and any connections he might have to the major companies in the business.

    The former WWE Champion:

    “Oh, it’d be awesome. Yeah. You know what, I kind of feel like, if they wanted me there, that I would be there. They would make it so that I would want to be there. And so I mean, I’m on the front without having any, just being on the fence and not feeling you know, hungry. Or either way, just, whatever happens, happens, like RVD is, you know, I kind of feel like, like that. I mean, 

    I don’t know, what they want to do, what their plan is, what their agenda is, for all their talent now. You know, seems like they want more normal looking people that normal people look at, that normal-looking people could relate to maybe, I really don’t even know, it’s whatever. 

    WWE Legends Deal

    Van Dam continued, “But you know, I am, I’m around. And I do have a legends deal with WWE, which is merchandise related. But I’m not somebody that they call a lot to pop up at a meet and greet or anything, you know, and for whatever reason, maybe they think I don’t want to do it, and they don’t want to bother me, whatever. 

    For that matter, just like my documentary said, I mean, that was the takeaway from the icons, WWE icons documentary for me to take away was that WWE doesn’t think that I want it or that or that I want it bad enough, because of my laid back attitude. And, and because they think that I would maybe change in ways they wanted me to if I did want it. 

    So, I don’t know, I think they kind of got it right, you know, so maybe they just, I don’t know. But to answer your question, though, you know, honestly, how I feel about it. I say, you know, never say never, because I am still wrestling a lot more this year than I thought I would last year I only wrestled like twice the whole year.”

    Watch Steve’s interview with Rob Van Dam here:

  • AEW Star Says He’d “Go to War” For Triple H

    AEW Star Says He’d “Go to War” For Triple H

    In the three years since AEW was founded, the promotion has built a stacked roster, featuring some of the most talented stars in wrestling.

    Many AEW stars previously worked with WWE, but were laid off as part of the company’s dreaded ‘budget cuts.’

    Some never even got a chance to make it to WWE’s main roster, instead being cut during their time as part of NXT.

    Go to War

    Bobby Fish is one of the former Superstars who was cut from WWE while still part of NXT.

    Fish, a former NXT Tag Team Champion, was released by WWE in August 2021, and would make his debut for AEW less than two months later.

    As part of NXT, Fish worked closely with Triple H, who was the head of the brand during the former’s tenure with WWE.

    During a recent appearance on the “Rewind Recap Relive” podcast, Fish addressed ‘The Game’ now being Head of WWE’s Creative and Talent Relations, and is optimistic (via 411Mania.)

    “I can’t really speak firsthand, but to know that there is a chance now with Hunter back doing his thing there that things could return or maybe become something entirely new and different but under him. I just can’t see anything in the wrestling business that he has a hand in that’s not going to be successful. And I’m obviously biased and partial to the man, but I would go to war for him seven days a week.”

    “I would go to war for him seven days a week.”

    Bobby Fish on his relationship with Triple H.

    Under Triple H’s watch, WWE has seen several Superstars return after being released last year.

    Karrion Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, Dexter Lumis and Dakota Kai have all returned to WWE since Triple H gained power.

    Bobby Fish Opens Up About Undisputed Era’s NXT Debut
  • Tony Khan Announces House Of The Dragon Tie-In To Next Week’s Dynamite, Early Card

    Tony Khan Announces House Of The Dragon Tie-In To Next Week’s Dynamite, Early Card

    AEW President Tony Khan had been teasing all day that next week’s Dynamite would have a tie-in to a major IP that was owned by Warner Bros, causing fans to speculate what crossover they could see featured with their favorite superstars.

    That tie-in is the House of the Dragon, the soon to be released HBO Original series that is an extension of the hit Game of Thrones show that wowed audiences for years.

    AEW has since announced an early lineup for the episode, which includes Bryan Danielson in action and the start of the highly-anticipated trios tournament (full brackets here). Matchups are below.

    -La Faccion Ingobernable vs. The Young Bucks & Mystery Partner

    -Daniel Garcia vs. Bryan Danielson (two out of three falls)

    -Toni Storm vs. KiLynn King

  • AEW Trios Tournament Brackets Reveal a Stacked Field

    AEW Trios Tournament Brackets Reveal a Stacked Field

    This evening AEW held their Quake By The Lake edition of Dynamite from Minneapolis Minnesota, which saw the promotion announce details for the upcoming trios tournament that will crown the first-ever trios champions.

    AEW teams that will be competing: House of Black, Dark Order, Trustbusters, Best Friends, Death Triangle, Young Bucks w/mystery man, and La Faccion Ingobernable.

    The final spot will be taken by NJPW’s Will Ospreary & Aussie Open, who previously competed on AEW programming in the build-up to Forbidden Door. Ospreay has since taken to Twitter to hype his participation.

    AEW Trios Tournament Brackets

    AEW Trios Championships

    You can see the first round matchups below:

    • Death Triangle vs. Will Ospreay & Aussie Open
    • La Faccion Ingobernable vs. Young Bucks & Mystery Man
    • House of Black vs. Dark Order
    • Best Friends vs. Trustbusters

    The finals for the trios tournament will take place at the September 4th ALL OUT pay-per-view from the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

  • Kota Ibushi Eying Potential AEW Run Soon

    Kota Ibushi Eying Potential AEW Run Soon

    New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Kota Ibushi is looking for a potential run with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

    Ibushi recently took to Twitter to respond to a fan asking him about potentially showing up in AEW. The Japanese star responded by saying, “At least once.” In another tweet on the subject, Ibushi said he’d like to show up to AEW more than once, and believes Golden Lover teammate Kenny Omega can make it happen.

    “I’m going because there are kind of a lot of AEW expectations, maybe three times. I can’t promise that the card will be set up correctly, but Lovers can.”

    At the moment, Ibushi is nursing an injured shoulder that has kept him sidelined as of late. In addition to his injury, Ibushi is also dealing with some pretty heated issues with NJPW at the moment.

    Ibushi has called out NJPW executives as “cheaters-gun and sexually harassing bosses.” He also claims that NJPW executive Yusuke Kikuchi tried to get him to return from his shoulder injury earlier than he felt comfortable doing.

    He suffered the injury at the G1 Climax Final last August. Ibushi was also allegedly reprimanded by Kikuchi for appearing at a Just Tap Out event. Kikuchi allegedly threatened to release Ibushi over the ordeal.

    Kota Ibushi
    (via NJPW)

    Ibushi has stated that he wants a release from his contract with NJPW, indicating he doesn’t believe he can to back after the comments he’s made. While he wasn’t released from his contract, NJPW did announce financial penalties on Ibushi for his comments.

    With everything going on between Ibushi and NJPW, it’s no surprise that he wants out of the promotion.

  • Rumor Killer on AEW Expanding PPV Events to 2 Nights

    Rumor Killer on AEW Expanding PPV Events to 2 Nights

    Tony Khan is setting the record straight about AEW possibly expanding its pay-per-views to be two-night events.

    During a Wednesday appearance on Busted Open Radio, Khan squashed the rumor that AEW will be shifting to 2-night pay-per-view weekends.

    AEW currently runs four big pay-per-view events per year: Revolution, Double or Nothing, All Out, and Full Gear. The shows typically run for four or five hours, which many fans find excessive.

    AEW star Dustin Rhodes recently stated that AEW will address this issue by expanding pay-per-view events to 2 nights, similar to what WWE does with WrestleMania.

    According to Tony Khan, Rhodes is mistaken and this is not the case.

    AEW Not Shifting to 2-Day Pay-Per-Views

    Dustin Rhodes appeared at the “Terrificon” convention Fandom Spotlite and said:

    “I think we’re going to go to two-day events now, for pay-per-views. I believe. I’ve heard that down the pike. It’ll be like a WrestleMania experience, you have two days of Double or Nothing or two-days of All Out or Revolution.”

    Tony Khan says he’s not sure what Dustin Rhodes is talking about here, because it’s not something that has been seriously discussed internally. He made it very clear: AEW is definitely not shifting to 2-day PPV events in the foreseeable future.

    “I love Dustin so much and I was surprised that he said it because it’s not something we seriously internally discussed.”

    – Tony Khan

    All Elite Wrestling’s next pay-per-view event is AEW All Out,. The show takes place Sunday, September 4th at the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois (outside Chicago).

  • Tony Khan Addresses Rumors of Bad Morale in AEW

    Tony Khan Addresses Rumors of Bad Morale in AEW

    AEW President Tony Khan has addressed the chatter that certain performers are unhappy with their roles in the company.

    Khan spoke with Josh Martinez of Z100’s Superstar Crossover this week to promote Wednesday’s Quake by the Lake edition of AEW Dynamite.

    In addition to hyping up the latest themed Dynamite, Khan was asked about disgruntled members of the AEW locker room.

    According to TK, “the vibe is really positive” in AEW and he believes people are excited for the big season ahead. He touted AEW’s recent management hires and promotions and said they’re focused on continuing to improve communication with talent.

    Listen to Josh Martinez’s interview with Tony Khan on Superstar Crossover for Z100:

    Improving Communication

    “Well, we have a great crew, we’re very happy with the shows we’ve been doing,” said Khan. “I think we’ve got a great team of people. I recently did some promotions and added to the team, and I think with the new group, hopefully, communication is only going to get better, because I can only be in so many places at one time and talk to so many people on such a big team.”

    He continued, “I think that will help, but also, I jus tin general think we have a really great environment and a really great backstage, and overall it’s been a really great summer for us and it’s only going to get better. A lot of the big stars in AEW have been out, so it’s been great for us to maintain position.”

    “The Vibe is Really Positive”

    Miro
    (via AEW)

    AEW Dynamite has been the top show on cable on Wednesdays for 6 of the past 7 weeks, a feat that Khan feels deserves some attention. That consistency has been thanks to the wrestlers and staff they have, and of course, wrestling fans.

    Khan says there’s a lot of good camaraderie and momentum in AEW, but it’s been challenging to feature everybody regularly when they only have 3 hours of cable TV programming each week.

    “I can’t get everybody on to the show,” said Khan. “It is challenging in some ways when you have 3 hours of television. I get that if you’re looking at a competitor that has 7 hours of television, that really, the people in that company are more than twice as likely to be on TV, if you look at it that way.”

    “So, I think it’s very competitive for spots, but it also means that people have to do the most to maximize the time they do get, wherever it is, whether its on TV or streaming.”

    He added that overall, there are no serious morale issues in AEW.

    “Overall, I think the vibe is really positive and we’re all really excited.”

    – Tony Khan

    AEW has a big couple months coming up, with All Out taking place in early September and Grand Slam, the company’s biggest TV event of the year, just a few weeks after that.

    AEW Morale Issues?

    Here are some recent articles related to possible morale issues in AEW: