SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Which AEW Stars Does Booker T Want in WWE?

    Which AEW Stars Does Booker T Want in WWE?

    Since AEW was founded, the company has welcomed several former WWE Superstars, including some of the latter promotion’s biggest names.

    CM Punk, Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson and others all reached fame and fortune in WWE, before trying their hand in Tony Khan’s company.

    In February this year, Cody Rhodes would leave AEW, and would return to WWE at WrestleMania 38, defeating Seth Rollins.

    Who Could be Next?

    Since returning to WWE, Cody Rhodes has received a hero’s welcome, being booked as one of the promotion’s biggest stars.

    Cody’s impressive comeback has led to speculation on who could possibly join him when their deals with AEW expire.

    Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T took to his Hall Of Fame podcast to discuss who he’d like to see make a splash in WWE next.

    “I’d love to see Wardlow, as well as Andrade, come back to WWE because he’s not doing anything significant in AEW — not saying that he’s not going out and performing. He’s performing, but you think about Andrade in WWE, and he had some star on him. He had some upside, but I don’t know. I could be wrong about this; I could be wrong.”

    Will they Jump?

    Wardlow has never worked in WWE, but the promotion has been keeping a close eye on the AEW TNT Champion.

    In January, it was reported that WWE has an interest in Wardlow, and are expected to make him an offer when his contract with AEW is close to expiring.

    Andrade recently liked a tweet, claiming that Miro would do better if he returned to WWE, and that El Idolo would do so as well.

    Will Booker T Follow Ric Flair with his Own Retirement Match?
  • Anthony Ogogo Opens Up About Weigh-In Segment With Cody: “F***ing Dogsh*t”

    Anthony Ogogo Opens Up About Weigh-In Segment With Cody: “F***ing Dogsh*t”

    AEW star Anthony Ogogo recently appeared on Insight With Chris Van Vilet to discuss a number of pro-wrestling topics, which included the former Olympian’s thoughts on his feud with Cody Rhodes in 2021.

    The two were set to meet at that year’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view from Daily’s Place in Florida, AEW’s first major event with a packed house since the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020. Prior to the match the hard-hitting Brit and the American Nightmare had several segments to build their feud on Dynamite, with one being memorable for all the wrong reasons.

    Ogogo and Rhodes met for a weigh-in segment hosted by Paul Wight, but things went horrendously wrong. Wight had issues reading the scale and fireworks from a local baseball game went off that caused a great distraction. The segment seemed never ending, and since there was no physicality it left everyone with a bad taste in their mouth going into Double or Nothing.

    When talking about the weigh-in…Ogogo could not think of one nice thing to say.

    “Fucking dogshit mate, fucking dogshit!”

    He later reveals that he thought the idea was lame even before the fiascos occurred inside of the ring.

    “So Cody said to me that we were going to do a weigh-in. I’m like ‘Cool, so what’s going to happen?’ And Cody is brilliant, he is brilliant at what he does and he has got a great mind for it. [Cody] was like ‘We are going to do a weigh-in.’ I’m like ‘Cool, who is getting knocked out? What are we going to do.’ [Cody responds] ‘It’s a weigh-in, we are not going to touch.’ I’m like oh, I have watched enough wrestling to know that that’s a bit drab, a bit of shit.”

    Ogogo doesn’t just call the whole segment a disaster, but believes he was the biggest victim of its failure.

    “Mate the whole thing was disastrous, but I feel like I’m the victim. It was my first kind of entry, and I am in this really weird segment that wasn’t my idea. I would have rather knocked out Goldust, knocked out Dustin.”

    Rhodes would go on to defeat Ogogo at Double or Nothing. Ogogo has been largely absent from AEW’s main programming (Dynamite & Rampage) ever since.

    (Special thanks to Chris Van Vilet for sending over quotes)

  • Dustin Rhodes has had it With Wrestlers Being Unhappy in AEW

    Dustin Rhodes has had it With Wrestlers Being Unhappy in AEW

    Since launching in 2019, AEW has been home to several wrestlers, with many coming from WWE, and others making it elsewhere. 

    The company also boasts some home-grown talent, but not everyone is happy with AEW at this time. 

    Disgruntled Talent

    In recent weeks, it’s been reported that multiple AEW wrestlers are unhappy with their positions in the company. 

    in June, MJF was pulled from programming after a scathing promo in which he addressed his own frustrations, culminating in begging Tony Khan to fire him. 

    While it is believed that MJF’s promo was in character, it’s also believed it touched on many real issues he has with AEW. 

    More recently, Miro and Andrade El Idolo have liked tweets suggesting they had things better as part of WWE.

    Dustin’s Advice

    One name who knows about working in WWE, and has been with AEW since the early days is Dustin Rhodes. 

    The brother of AEW co-founder Cody Rhodes, Dustin also has a backstage role as a coach in addition to being a wrestler. 

    Speaking at Terrificon 2022, Rhodes spoke about wrestlers being unhappy in AEW and advised those who want to leave to do just that (via POST Wrestling)

    “If you don’t like the current atmosphere, that’s a personal issue. You need to move on. Maybe they’ll do something different with you over there, you know what I mean? I think it’s going to be a change slowly with Triple H at the helm but it’s gonna be a good change… If your contract’s up and you’ve had enough with AEW, go, get the f*ck out.”

    “If your contract’s up and you’ve had enough with AEW, go, get the f*ck out.”

    Dustin Rhodes shares advice for AEW stars unhappy with the company.

    Rhodes did not directly name anyone who is reportedly unhappy with AEW. 

  • Miro Details His Struggles In America Before Wrestling Success

    Miro Details His Struggles In America Before Wrestling Success

    Miro is one of the most successful non-American wrestlers of the current generation. He took a huge gamble when he moved to America from Bulgaria and has built himself from ground up. Though this journey was not easy by any means, and the former TNT champion had to struggle from his very first month in America.

    The AEW star was recently interview by Renee Paquette for The Sessions podcast. Opening up about his struggles before making a name in wrestling, he recalled how he got fired from his job and was on the street within a month of moving countries:

    “Well it started with a hurdle because I came as an exchange student. I was supposed to work for three months and go back. I had a contract. But after the first month, I got kicked out. I got fired. They told me I’m not good at my job. I was a painter of houses. I had to paint outside houses. I have never done this in my life.

    I’m not saying I was good at my job but to fire me, to kick me on the street, kick me out of the house [wasn’t fair]. Because they provided the housing which we paid for. I’m in America for one month, and I got kicked out with 150 dollars on the street. I’m a month in.”

    ‘Two Bedroom Apartment And Seven Of Us’: Miro

    Miro
    Miro

    Detailing how he got out of that situation, Miro revealed that some guys from work took him in. So he went and lived with six other guys in a small apartment:

    “Well, there was a couple of guys that I knew from work. They were like, ‘Okay, come live with us.’ I was 20 years old. And took a huge debt to come to America. About five grand. And this is Bulgaria. You know in Bulgaria five grand is [huge], Especially [in] 2005. So they took me in. We lived in a two-bedroom apartment about seven of us.”

    Though despite all the troubles, Miro kept a positive outlook. He mentioned that he expected these things and said that it’s what life teaches you.”

    “It’s okay. It’s America. You expect these things. You know, you watch so many movies. You’re like ‘Shit happens, you gotta persevere’. I think that’s what life teaches you.”

    Miro continued working hard and took on many odd jobs. He finally got signed to a development contract by WWE in 2010, and the rest is history.

    More Originals From SEScoops:

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

    This article has been edited for clarity

  • Former AEW Star Cites Lack Of TV Time As Reason For Departure

    Former AEW Star Cites Lack Of TV Time As Reason For Departure

    Former AEW star Stu Grayson has cited the lack of TV time as the reason behind his departure from Tony Khan’s promotion. The former Dark Order member recently had an interview with Slam Wrestling. He discussed his post-AEW appearances and more during the talk.

    Speaking about his departure from the company, Grayson mentioned how Kenny Omega has been trying to work with him for a long time. Stu spent most of his AEW career wrestling matches on Dark and only got to wrestle on TV in multi-men matches. He noted how it’s hard to show how good you are in limited TV time:

    “It’s very hard to show the world how good you are in such a limited amount of time, I would trade in a hundred dark matches for 15 minutes on television,”

    Stu Grayson then explained that his intention wasn’t to make more money but to be given more opportunities and be challenged:

    “I never wanted to get paid to do nothing. I’d rather make less money and be useful than being useless and make a ton of money.

    That’s not how I am. I need to be challenged. I would go to the gym and hit a massive leg day so that way I’d feel challenged,”

    Stu Grayson left AEW in May this year. His contract with the company had expired and both sides were unable to reach a new agreement.

  • Top AEW Superstar Dealing With Back Injury That Almost Forced Him To Retire

    Top AEW Superstar Dealing With Back Injury That Almost Forced Him To Retire

    Malakai Black released a pair of videos on his personal TikTok account disclosing some very telling information about his health.

    The AEW star revealed in the post that he’s been battling a pretty severe back injury for quite some time, and that he was quite sure he was going to have to retire from the sport of pro-wrestling. Fortunately the former NXT champion finally hit a breakthrough while getting dry needling treatment.

    “Till about 3 months ago I was dealing with a back injury I was convinced was going to force me into retirement, but after a literal year of treatment that went from working to complete failure on several occasions we all of a sudden hit the correct vertebrae during a dry needling session and everything released. From there we were able to rehab and strengthen.”

    One of the videos shows Black’s intense reaction to the dry needling, but the second shows him deadlifting a pretty heavy weight amount in the gym, an indication that he is feeling much healthier than originally described.

    “You can check video 2 for this horrendous view and my personal reaction to it. However, allowing me now a few months later to slowly move back into deadlifting and a few more compound moves.”

    The House of Black have been one of the more dominant trios in AEW since they formed. Black has not missed any time since he debuted with the company back in July of 2021, but his in-ring time has been noticeably less than one would expect. However, this confession explains why. One of his faction mates, Buddy Matthews, is also dealing with his own injury that has kept him on the shelf. See Black’s post below.

    https://www.tiktok.com/@malakaiblxck/video/7129584037621959978?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
  • CM Punk Walking Without Assistance (Photo)

    CM Punk Walking Without Assistance (Photo)

    CM Punk looks to be recovering well from his foot injury.

    A fan recently snapped a picture of Punk in a Chicago airport, in which he’s seen walking on his own power without any sort of assistance. Punk was accompanied by Danhausen. Check out the photo below.

    Punk was also spotted at C2E2, where he also did not need crutches or a walking boot. The All Elite Wrestling (AEW) World Champion is just two months removed from surgery, and seems to be recovering well.

    AEW president Tony Khan recently noted that he’d like to have Punk back for All Out next month, however, he was unsure if that was realistic.

    CM Punk

    CM Punk won the AEW World Title at AEW Double Or Nothing earlier this year against Hangman Page. However, he later announced on the June 3 edition of AEW Rampage that he will need surgery to repair the injury, seeing him sidelined for several months. 

    In his absence, Jon Moxley has been crowned the interim AEW World Champion, which will set up a unification bout with Punk once he’s healthy enough to return. Of course, that’s if Moxley is able to retain the title until Punk finally is healthy enough to compete.

  • Another Big AEW Star Seemingly Unhappy With The Company

    Another Big AEW Star Seemingly Unhappy With The Company

    Tony Khan and AEW have been on a hiring spree in the last year or so. They have brought in people like CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Claudio Castagnoli.

    However, these big signings have also led to some other names being overlooked, who fans believed would be presented properly after joining the company.

    AEW star Miro suggested that he wasn’t happy with his position within the promotion just yesterday. Now Andrade has joined this list.

    The former NXT champion recently liked a tweet from a fan calling out Tony Khan for signing ex-WWE stars just to have them doing nothing in the promotion:

    Just like Miro, Andrade also joined All Elite Wrestling not long after leaving WWE in June last year. The former US champion was frustrated with the lack of exposure in the Vince McMahon-owned promotion.

    However, the former La Sombra hasn’t found himself in a much better position after jumping ships. He hasn’t been put in any significant feuds and has had no title runs in his first year in AEW.

    He has also been caught in the rivalry between AAA and CMLL, which led to a big Forbidden Door match between him and Will Ospreay getting nixed.

    With Triple H taking over the control of WWE creative, the prospect of someone like Andrade being pushed in the rival promotion has increased significantly.

    Though there is no word on if Andrade’s unhappiness in AEW has anything to do with the recent changes in WWE.

  • AEW Fight Forever’s Story Mode To Be ‘Much Different’ Than Anything Else

    AEW Fight Forever’s Story Mode To Be ‘Much Different’ Than Anything Else

    AEW fans have been waiting excitedly for the Fight Forever video game and new details about it are coming out every week.

    It was revealed recently that the video game will feature a story mode and many different types of matches such as unsanctioned match and more.

    Fightful Select provided some more details on the game, which which is due out some time before the end of the year. They revealed the story mode they have heard about is ‘much different’ than any other wrestling games fans have played.

    While the report couldn’t elaborate on what’s unique about the AEW Fight Forever story mode, they did reiterate that it is ‘much different than any before it.’

    The game’s cover was revealed recently featuring stars such as CM Punk and Jon Moxley. This cover was designed by THQ Nordic’s team and not the AEW graphic team.

    As a result, people within the wrestling promotion didn’t know what the cover would look like beforehand. Even the featured stars weren’t aware that they were on the cover.

    AEW showed three mini games from the upcoming title during a recent Twitch stream. The site revealed that there is also a fourth mini game, related to Orange Cassidy.

    However, there are several names who joined AEW around the start of this year that won’t be included in the game.

    Yuke’s has kicked the game production in the high gear the last several months. Though there is still not a set date for its release. The tentative release date for AEW Fight Forever is December 31.

  • Sammy Guevara And Tay Conti Get Married (Photos)

    Sammy Guevara And Tay Conti Get Married (Photos)

    Former TNT champion Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti have finally tied the knot and officially became husband and wife.

    The AEW stars made their relationship public in January this year. Guevara then proposed to his girlfriend at the Eiffel Tower in Paris back in June.

    Sammy and Tay had chosen August 8 as the date for their marriage. Unlike some other public figures, they had been pretty open about their decision and sharing updates about their wedding all week long.

    The AEW couple finally got married on Sunday. Many wrestling personalities were invited to the wedding, and current WWE star Nikki A.S.H. was one of the bridesmaids.

    Sammy And Tay’s Marriage Ceremony

    Photos from their wedding ceremony started surfacing online not long after as guests started sharing pictures of the newlywed couple.

    Amanda Huber went to the wedding with both her sons. She shared a photo of the couple afterward and posted a message for them:

    “We are not perfect. We’ll learn from our mistakes. And as long as it takes, I will prove my love to you. What a great night. My friends are amazing. We love you Mr & Mrs @sammyguevara @TayConti_”

    Other people who shared photos from the ceremony included NXT star Valentina Feroz, toymaker Jeremy Padawer and more. You can check out photos from Sammy and Tay’s wedding ceremony below:

  • Ex-AEW Star Calls Tony Khan ‘King Of Last Minute Mind Changes’

    Ex-AEW Star Calls Tony Khan ‘King Of Last Minute Mind Changes’

    Tony Khan is generally known to have long term plan for things as opposed to Vince McMahon, but a released star has called him the ‘king of last minute mind changes.’

    Former AEW star Jack Evans recently had an interview with Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast. He discussed the various stages of his wrestling career in detail.

    When asked about Khan, Evans said that Tony was a great boss. However, he revealed the one complain he had with the AEW president:

    “I really liked it. It was a great experience. Tony was a great boss. The only complaint I could ever make about Tony for sure is, he is like the king of last-minute mind changes.

    That would be my one complaint about him as a boss.” said Jack Evans, “But other than that, he was always actually very fair.”

    Later in the interview, the former champion mentioned how you hear stories about Vince McMahon and how he has to be the alpha in the room.

    Evans claimed that Tony was never like that and working with him was a pleasant experience. He also explained that Khan is extremely approachable, and if you want to pitch an angle, you can just go right up and pitch it to him.

    Quotes via WrestlingNews

  • Miro Suggests He ‘Had It Better’ In WWE

    Miro Suggests He ‘Had It Better’ In WWE

    Many thought Miro will be presented as a monster and reach main event status in AEW but things haven’t exactly gone the way people expected.

    The former US champion hasn’t been featured much on AEW TV in recent times and it appears that he is starting to get frustrated with his spot.

    This Friday’s episode of Rampage saw the Interim AEW champion Jon Moxley defeating Mance Warner in a singles match. Miro responded to this bout with a sarcastic tweet, asking who Mox’s opponent was.

    A fan then responded to this, referencing the former Rusev’s absence from AEW programming. He suggested that he ‘had it better in WWE’, and the AEW star actually liked this tweet:

    Miro was part of the WWE roster from 2010 to 2020. He won the United States title three times during his run with the promotion and was featured regularly on WWE programming.

    The heavyweight star has had a run with the TNT championship after joining AEW in 2020. Though fans believe that he is still underutilized in the company. He has not wrestled since the Forbidden Door PPV.

    This isn’t the first time Miro has made a move that expresses his disappointment with his spot in the company. Earlier this year, he discussed how his debut in the promotion wasn’t what he was expecting.

  • Britt Baker has Big Plans for the Future of AEW

    Britt Baker has Big Plans for the Future of AEW

    Since AEW launched in 2019, the company has been a hit with fans of professional wrestling.

    Fans have appreciated that the promotion provides an alternative to WWE, with several top former Superstars starting over in the All-Elite company.

    AEW is also host to homegrown talent, who regularly prove they are able to hang with their former WWE counterparts.

    Big Plans

    AEW has undoubtedly become a success in professional wrestling, but the promotion is still seen as second to WWE.

    Not only has WWE been around for longer, but the Stephanie McMahon/Nick Khan company continues to have a more recognizable brand, both within the United States and internationally.

    Appearing on the Absolute Geek Podcast, Britt Baker explained how she plans on AEW growing to the point that it is as mainstream as WWE (via Sportskeeda.)

    “For most people in the world, WWE is the number one wrestling promotion. You can pick out anybody on the street, they know what WWE is. Not everybody knows what AEW is yet, and I wanna get to a point where it is super mainstream and we do more entertainment and mainstream crossovers so that they can see one of our stars and they go, ‘Oh, that person’s a wrestler from AEW,’ not just, ‘who is that person?”

    “I wanna get to a point where it is super mainstream and we do more entertainment and mainstream crossovers.”

    Britt Baker on future plans for All Elite Wrestling.

    AEW has already had several partnerships, including with the American Heart Association and Diamond Select Toys.

  • Injury At AEW Battle Of The Belts III

    Injury At AEW Battle Of The Belts III

    The AEW Battle of The Belts III featured some interesting matches. It appears that it also resulted in a legitimate injury for one of the competing stars.

    The show that was taped in advance on Friday featured a match for the AEW women’s championship between Thunder Rosa and Jamie Hayter.

    After competing at the Battle of The Belts III on Friday, Hayter was pulled from an indie event scheduled for Sunday. Icons of Wrestling promoter Jerry Sorrentino made the announcement:

    “I just got a text and a call from Jamie Hayter. She won’t be able to make it tomorrow. I am really sorry as well as Jamie. She really wanted to come and meet everyone. Refunds will be issued. Jamie will be with us for all of the other shows scheduled this year.”

    Jamie Hayter Injured

    A report from Fightful Select revealed the reason behind this change. They noted that Hayter sustained a broken nose during her bout.

    It’s unknown whether the female star will be missing any extended ring time due to the injury. Though she was able to finish the championship match at the show.

    Apart from this, the Battle of The Belts III featured matches such as Wardlow vs. Jay Lethal and Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita. You can check out the complete results from the show here.

  • CM Punks Feels ‘Solidarity’ With Sasha Banks Over WWE Walk Out

    CM Punks Feels ‘Solidarity’ With Sasha Banks Over WWE Walk Out

    CM Punk is one of the faces of the anti-WWE movement. He has been critical of the company’s policies since infamously walking out in 2014. Punk has been taking shots at the promotion regularly since his return to pro wrestling last year.

    The Straight Edge Star recently spoke to The Hashtag Show. Talking about Sasha Banks taking a path similar to his own, the AEW world champion mentioned how he was the first guy to go ‘through the wall.’ Punk claimed that he feels solidarity with Banks, and he is always going to support anyone who stands up against WWE:

    “Somebody on Twitter is gonna be mad at me. My thing is always I can’t listen to people criticise me if I wouldn’t ask advise from them. You can’t lead people somewhere you’ve never gone; I try to be as humble as I can be and I don’t like talking about myself but I was the first guy through the wall. I got fucking bloodied for it, you know what I mean?” asked CM Punk,

    He continued “To watch somebody else stand up and walk out, I’m always gonna support that. One hundred fucking percent. I’ve never met Mercedes. I don’t know her, but I definitely feel solidarity with her. I know how that place is, I know how women are treated there. I’m not a woman myself, so I can’t put myself in those shoes, but there’s probably a lot of reasons why she peaced out.”

    CM Punk also discussed topics such as the current landscape of pro wrestling. You can check out his interview below:

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

  • CM Punk Reveals Thoughts On Current Pro Wrestling Landscape

    CM Punk Reveals Thoughts On Current Pro Wrestling Landscape

    The landscape of pro wrestling has seen a major shift in the last few years. On one hand, companies like AEW have risen that have reignited the interest of many lapsed fans. On the other hand, the ever-declining TV ratings of WWE have led many to believe that we are witnessing the death of pro wrestling. CM Punk is aware of both these sentiments.

    The AEW champion spoke to The Hashtag Show over the Starrcast weekend. He was asked for his thoughts on the current pro wrestling landscape. Replying to it, Punk said that he thinks pro wrestling is thriving, though he acknowledged the different opinions:

    “It depends on your perspective. It depends on how grumpy I am that day. You can go either way. You can say that, ‘Oh man, wrestling’s dying.’ Or you can say ‘Well look at it, it’s thriving.’” For the first time there’s a second company that’s viable and I’m not gonna say it’s a viable threat.” said CM Punk,

    He continued, “It’s just a viable, healthy company. A second place where men and women can get paid to wrestle in ring on television. I know there’s people that think dynamite is the greatest thing in the world. There’s people that think dynamite isn’t good. People that think it’s somewhere in the middle, it could be better.  But because we’re having that conversation, I supposed pro wrestling is thriving.”

    CM Punk later mentioned how Dynamite is a show where you can watch different styles of wrestling in one place. You can check out his interview below:

    More Originals From SEScoops:

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

  • Spoiler: AEW Battle of the Belts III Results

    Spoiler: AEW Battle of the Belts III Results

    AEW announced the Battle of the Belts III for this Saturday night featuring the first title defense of the new ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli and more.

    All three of the championship matches announced for the show were taped in advance from the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Friday.

    The first match of the show was Wardlow defending his TNT championship against Jay Lethal. The champion retained the title after pinning Lethal with a powerbomb.

    Thunder Rosa then defended her AEW women’s championship against Jamie Hayter. Toni Storm was in the champion’s corner for this bout.

    This Battle of the Belts III match saw Rosa successfully defending her title. This extended her reign to 144 days.

    The main event of the show was Claudio Castagnoli defending his ROH title against NJPW’s Konosuke Takeshita. This was Castagnoli’s first title defense after winning the championship at Death Before Dishonor.

    The two reportedly put on a great match that the audience enjoyed. Castagnoli ultimately came on top and defeated the Japanese star to keep his championship.

    AEW Battle Of The Belts III is scheduled to air on TNT this Saturday at 8pm ET/7pm CT & 8pm PT.

  • Thunder Rosa on Sandbagging T-Shirt: “Keep Bullying Me, I’m Gonna Make Money Out Of It”

    Thunder Rosa on Sandbagging T-Shirt: “Keep Bullying Me, I’m Gonna Make Money Out Of It”

    Thunder Rosa isn’t afraid to have a sense of humor regarding past criticisms.

    The AEW women’s champion wore a “sandbagging” t-shirt on this past Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite, a behind-the-scenes term that means a wrestler makes themselves heavier during a lifting spot so their opponent looks weaker or inept. Rosa got accused of “sandbagging” Marina Shafir in a TV matchup earlier this year.

    Rosa talked in-depth about the decision to make a shirt on the latest edition of Busted Open Radio.

    “So using the sandbagging t-shirt is a way for me to say keep bullying me because I’m gonna make money out of it. All right, straight up. You’re gonna call me fat. Well, guess what? I’ll be the biggest fat bitch in the world. Boom.”

    La Mera Mera adds that people will have their opinions, especially critics, but there is no denying that when the women’s division is given a chance in AEW they can truly shine, much like they did on Wednesday. On that night Rosa teamed up with Toni Storm (ThunderStorm) to battle Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker, a bout that got over huge with the crowd in Columbus.

    “I’m gonna do it because I’m gonna own it. I’m not a sandbagger. Let’s be honest; people are gonna have their opinions, fine. Have your opinions. Right there on Wednesday, the four of us, we showed up, showed off, and we have the people chanting; this is awesome. Why? Because they don’t get to see this all the time.”

    Rosa and Storm were on the losing end of the match, with Hayter picking up the deciding pinfall for her team. Tony Khan has since booked Hayter to challenge Rosa for the women’s title at tomorrow’s Battle of the Belts III television special.

    (Quotes via WrestleZone)

  • MJF Has ‘Vanished’ From The Wrestling World (Report)

    MJF Has ‘Vanished’ From The Wrestling World (Report)

    Both AEW and Tony Khan have kept quiet about MJF since his Dynamite promo, and the wrestling star himself also seems to be maintaining his silence very well.

    According to Fightful Select, the Salt of the Earth has effectively ‘vanished’ from the wrestling world. They have not heard from a single AEW talent who has admitted to hearing from the young star since his explosive promo.

    Plenty of people who have worked with him or are close to the wrestling star have also denied having any communication with him. Tony Khan has not talked about him to anyone since his Dynamite appearance either.

    The report noted that MJF remained in Los Angeles for a few days after his last AEW appearance. Although he was there conducting non-wrestling meetings.

    His latest sighting was in New Jersey last week, where he was filming with crew members of Impractical Jokers. Though it’s not confirmed whether he was shooting something for the show.

    There are people within the company that still believe MJF is on his way out. The belief is he wants to join WWE instead.

    On the contrary, a lot of fans think that this is all a work and Tony Khan is holding off MJF’s return for a CM Punk confrontation. Whether or not that actually happens will be revealed when Punk comes back.

  • Why is Batgirl Cancellation Bad News for AEW?

    Why is Batgirl Cancellation Bad News for AEW?

    If you’ve been following entertainment news this week, you’ll know that the DC Comics film ‘Batgirl’ has been canceled.

    The film was supposed to see Leslie Grace play the iconic character in the first stand-alone live-action film for Batgirl.

    WarnedMedia had reportedly invested over $90 million into the project before canning it, in one of the biggest net losses for any movie project ever.

    Bad News

    Batgirl isn’t the only big cut from WarnerMedia, as the company has been making sweeping cuts across the board.

    In April, it was announced that WarnerMedia was shutting down its CNN-Plus service, one month after its launch.

    During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that AEW may not be immune from these budget cuts.

    “Your parent company [Warner Bros. Discovery] is slicing budgets everywhere, they are stopping movies and TV shows in production, it’s been a bloodletting there and there’s probably more to come. The timing for AEW, with their deal coming up at the end of next year, last few days haven’t been looking good.”

    The Future of AEW

    AEW’s current deal with WarnerMedia will reportedly last until the end of 2023 and a lot is riding on a new deal.

    Tony Khan has been telling wrestlers who have shown interest in leaving to stay, promising that a new, better deal will be reached, resulting in higher pay for the roster.

    Earlier this year, Dave Meltzer was confident in AEW’s chances, saying “it would take someone who just hates wrestling” for AEW to be canceled.

    Top WarnerMedia Exec Largely Responsible for AEW Programming Exits
  • Jade Cargill Reacts To Goldberg & Chyna Comparisons

    Jade Cargill Reacts To Goldberg & Chyna Comparisons

    Jade Cargill has reacted to comparisons she’s received to Goldberg and Chyna.

    Cargill was recently interviewed on The Game 92.9, where she was asked about the comparisons she’s received to the likes of Chyna and WWE Hall Of Famer Goldberg. While Cargill is honored by the comparisons, she maintains she’s her own person.

    “I love what these two phenomenal, phenomenal people represent: beauty, posture, dominance, just running through people,” Cargill said.

    “I’m my own person, however. I can take these attributes from these amazing wrestlers, but I’m myself. I’m Jade Cargill. I have a different path than both of these phenomenal people.”

    Cargill has been extremely impressive throughout her run with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). One of the biggest reasons she finds herself compared to Goldberg is because she’s currently undefeated. Her record sits at 35-0 and she reigns as the inaugural TBS Champion for 211 days-straight.

    Goldberg racked up an amazing 173-0 undefeated record before ultimately being defeated by Kevin Nash. As for her comparisons to Chyna, both she and Cargill are physically imposing women whose physicality dominates inside the ring.

    Chyna helped break down barriers, winning the Intercontinental Championship as well as the WWE Women’s Title. Cargill hopes to make a similar impact throughout her run with AEW.

    Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

  • Another Former WWE NXT Wrestler Under Contract With AEW

    Another Former WWE NXT Wrestler Under Contract With AEW

    AEW President Tony Khan has signed another talent, and that’s Blake Christian. 

    Fightful Select reported today that sources told them this past weekend that Christian “Christian is under an agreement with All Elite Wrestling, tied to the Ring of Honor promotion.” It’s still unclear whether the deal is full-time or tiered. 

    Christian broke into the business in 2017 when he worked for several independent wrestling promotions, including Game Changer Wrestling, where he spent a three-year stint from 2019 to 2021.

    He made appearances in Impact Wrestling in 2019 and 2021, including his pay-per-view debut at Genesis, where he competed in the 2021 Super X Cup Tournament and lost the tournament final to Ace Austin. He finished his Impact run at No Surrender, where he lost an X Division Championship Number One Contender gauntlet match won by Josh Alexander.

    He first appeared for WWE in a tryout alongside wrestlers Colby Corino and Anthony Henry in October 2020. He later signed a developmental contract and would report to the NXT brand. Christian made his NXT debut in June 2020 in an open challenge title match against KUSHIDA for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship but came up short. He also worked the NXT Breakout Tournament, eliminating Joe Gacy. He was used on several episodes of 205 Live and NXT before being released by WWE last November. 

    Since his WWE departure, Christian has been working for various promotions, including AEW, ROH, NJPW, GCW, and Jim Crockett Promotions.

  • Taz Gives an Update on the Future of Team Taz

    Taz Gives an Update on the Future of Team Taz

    All Elite Wrestling is home to several factions, and one of the longest-running groups is Team Taz.

    The group has had ups and downs over their years in AEW, but now things have come to an abrupt end.

    The End of Team Taz

    Last week on AEW Dynamite, Ricky Starks defended the FTW Championship against Danhausen, but would later lose the title to Hook.

    After the match, Powerhouse Will Hobbs turned on Starks, blindsiding him with an attack and ending their tag-team.

    During this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, Taz was on commentary to give an update on the group.

    The Human Suplex Machine explained that the group is officially finished and that he has nothing more to do with any member of the faction past or present.

    Team Taz: A Retrospective

    Team Taz began in AEW in 2020 when Brian Cage signed a contract with the company.

    The group would later recruit Powerhouse Will Hobbs, Ricky Starks, and Taz’s son, Hook, before kicking out Cage in mid-2021, after losing the FTW World Championship to Starks.

    Brian Cage Discusses Issues with Team Taz and Being FTW Champion
  • Popular Independent Wrestler Debuts for AEW

    Popular Independent Wrestler Debuts for AEW

    There was a new name in the fold this week at AEW’s tapings in Columbus, Ohio.

    Fresh off his victory in the Bunkhouse Battle Royal at the Ric Flair’s Last Match PPV this past Sunday in Nashville, Mance Warner made an appearance during the AEW Dark Elevation tapings before Dynamite went on the air this week.

    Photos making their way around social media show Warner had a custom entrance video produced that used his “Southern Psychopath” nickname.

    This episode of Dark Elevation will air next Monday, August 8th. Warner reportedly worked against Serpentico.

    https://twitter.com/TheForestFuller/status/1554971614290137088

    Warner has been a popular star for Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) and Major League Wrestling (MLW), among other places. He has been advertised to appear for MLW again soon.

    Warner Has A Big Match Friday Night

    It was also revealed during the Dynamite broadcast that Warner will wrestle AEW Interim World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley this Friday night on AEW Rampage in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

    This match takes place five days before Moxley faces Chris Jericho in a title defense next Wednesday night at the AEW Dynamite broadcast in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

    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. 

  • Watch: Vince McMahon Mentioned on AEW Dynamite

    Watch: Vince McMahon Mentioned on AEW Dynamite

    There were lots of headlines coming out of this week’s AEW Dynamite, a show that was near universally praised as a great two-hour broadcast. One of those headlines, potentially one of the most eye-popping moments of the show, happened when Max Caster brought up the name of the former head of World Wrestling Entertainment.

    Caster and partner Anthony Bowens (The Acclaimed) were making their entrance for a Dumpster Match with The Gunn Club when, after taking out their opponents on the ramp, Caster got on the mic for one of his trademark raps.

    “We make the ass boys retire like Vince McMahon,” Caster said during the rap.

    Check out the video below.

    The Acclaimed Continue To Impress

    Caster and Bowens have really made a name for themselves in the AEW tag team division over the last year. They suffered a set-back when Bowens was injured, but with both members now back in the fold, it’s not hard to imagine an AEW Tag Team Championship reign for the duo down the line.

    Few teams in the division draw the kind of crowd response that The Acclaimed do. Tag team wise, it harkens back to the fan response that The New Age Outlaws had back in the late 1990s.

    That being said, the belts currently reside with Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland, so a potential championship reign for The Acclaimed is still probably some time away.

    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.