The next title challenger for Jon Moxley’s AEW World Championship has been revealed.
Moxley was in action to open the July 27 episode of Dynamite. He put the interim AEW World Championship on the line against RUSH. Despite interference from Andrade El Idolo, Moxley was able to score the win and retain his gold.
After the match, Moxley’s next title challenger made his entrance.
Jon Moxley vs. Chris Jericho
That title challenger turned out to be Chris Jericho. He made his way out with fellow Jericho Appreciation Society members.
Jericho laid down the challenge to Moxley for the Quake by the Lake episode of Dynamite on Aug. 10 in Minneapolis, MN.
Moxley accepted but on the condition that Jericho leaves his fellow JAS members behind and doesn’t show up as “The Wizard.”
Instead, Moxley wants to see the return of “The Lionheart.”
There is a lot of history between these two. Jericho was the inaugural AEW World Champion. Moxley would eventually end his reign.
Tony Khan has revealed two top stars who have years left on their All Elite Wrestling (AEW) deals.
The AEW president was recently a guest on Busted Open Radio where he discussed the contract statuses of two of his top stars. Those being Adam Cole and Malakai Black.
With Vince McMahon now out at WWE, and Triple H taking over creative, there has been speculation that some recently departed stars could consider returning.
However, in regards to Cole and Black, specifically, Khan notes that the pair are still contracted with AEW for several more years.
“Adam Cole is signed until 2027 now,” Tony Khan said. “I wouldn’t expect to see him going anywhere anytime soon. Malakai Black has almost five years left on his deal. I wouldn’t expect him going anywhere anytime soon.”
(via AEW)
Cole spent five years with WWE after signing with the company in 2017. During his time with the company he never left the developmental brand of NXT, however, he became a staple in the brand.
His run resulted in an NXT Championship win, along with a NXT North American Championship, as well as an NXT Tag Team Title reign.
Cole put on some memorable matches for the brand, and admitted it was an emotional exit for him when he decided to leave. Especially given the relationship he built with Triple H and Shawn Michaels, who were very hands on during his run with the company.
Soon after, he made his shocking debut at the AEW All Out pay-per-view (PPV), reuniting with his former Bullet Club brethren Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. This moment was especially memorable, as it was followed by the debut of Bryan Danielson just moments later.
As for Black, he also spent five years with WWE after signing with them in 2016.
Black spent most of his time with WWE on NXT as well, however, he was eventually called up to the main roster. Although he was a top singles star on NXT, winning the NXT Title at one point, he never seemed to get anything going as a singles competitor on the main roster.
He signed with AEW in July of 2021, making his debut on an episode of Dynamite.
One AEW star has spoken out on the notion that he might have backstage heat.
AEW has a lot of talent. It’s no secret that Tony Khan has a lot on his plate with AEW, ROH, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Fulham F.C.
Reports have surfaced that there has been a lack of communication within AEW and ROH, leaving talent frustrated. Khan has reportedly been working to smooth things over.
For one AEW talent, many have come to the conclusion that he hasn’t been used to his full potential due to backstage heat.
Brian Cage Speaks Out
(via AEW)
The performer in question is Brian Cage. He took to the K & S WrestleFest virtual signing to address rumors of having backstage heat over some social media activity.
“I’ve re-tweeted in favor of plenty of things that fans have said about me,” Cage said. “I mean, why would I not? They are supporting me. So regardless, if someone agrees or not, it’s someone’s opinion and it’s positive for me, why would I be against that? The fact that it’s my wife, she’s obviously going to have a biased opinion.
“It’s not really for what she said, it’s about certain people backstage in AEW who don’t like me there that pointed that [tweet] out and brought that heat to me intentionally. So it wouldn’t have been a big deal but certain individuals there made it a big deal. And that’s what they hung their hat on. There’s more to it, but I’m not going to say that. These certain individuals know who they are.”
Brian Cage on perceived backstage heat
Cage is expected to have a role with the ROH brand going forward. It’ll be interesting to see if Tony Khan can snag a TV deal for the promotion.
Khan claims there has been interest but he’s looking for a deal that makes sense. AEW is currently on TBS with Dynamite and TNT for Rampage.
There’s no word on whether or not Warner-Discovery is interested in bringing ROH to one of its platforms.
Tony Khan recently spoke with Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston about his relationships with the members of the AEW roster and the range of connections he has to them.
The former ROH World Champion had been told that creative decisions needed to go through Khan, but Gresham couldn’t get in contact with Khan until only a few hours before Saturday’s show.
There seems to be quite a bit of criticism regarding the lack of communication within AEW; from stars such as Joey Janela, Marko Stunt, and Chavo Guerrero. However, it does seem that it is not all across the board as many wrestlers have praised their relationship with the AEW Owner.
Tony Khan: “I Am A Boss And Try To Be A Friend”
When speaking with Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston, Tony Khan discussed his relationships with AEW wrestlers and how they vary.
“I think in most cases, I am a boss and try to be a friend. I mean, I guess in every case, if you work for AEW, I’m a boss, but if you know it’s somebody I’ve gotten to spend time with I try to at least be very friendly and make it a fun place to work.
And there are a lot of people I have different relationships with some people are older and you know, I can learn a lot from them. And a lot of the young wrestlers, I do try to give advice to and give them ideas and things they can use on TV on Wednesday night dynamite on TBS, or on Friday night rampage on TNT and hopefully things that they can use to develop their skills and also to make them more interesting to the wrestling fans who watch the shows.”
McMahon’s retirement comes one month after he stepped down as CEO and Chairman of the Board, due to the allegations of misconduct against multiple female employees.
McMahon is alleged to have paid over $12 million in Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) over 16 years.
WWE executive Paul Levesque (Triple H) has assumed “all responsibilities related to WWE’s creative,” the company announced Monday morning.
“I believe that there are a lot of great wrestling fans all over the world who are following pro wrestling pretty closely and there’s obviously been shakeups. I’ve definitely followed that promotion since I was a small kid. And it’ll be interesting to see how things turn out in the world of pro wrestling and I’m a big fan of pro wrestling all over the place, not just AEW. And now not just Ring of Honor either. We’ve worked with New Japan Pro Wrestling, and a lot of other great companies all over the world.
So, we’ll see what’s to be held for the future of the pro wrestling business. But I’m glad that AEW and Ring of Honor are both a huge part of it with AEW every Wednesday on TBS, and every Friday on TNT and now Ring of Honor with the Pay Per View events on Bleacher Report hopefully, will lead to a weekly Ring of Honor also going forward.”
In 2019, Tony Khan shook the wrestling world by founding AEW among others, bringing competition to Vince McMahon’s WWE.
In March this year, Khan expanded his wrestling hold by purchasing Ring of Honor, making a rare appearance on AEW Dynamite to announce his acquisition.
Hybrid Championships
With Khan controlling both companies, some have speculated of a possible crossover World title, which would be defended in both AEW and Ring of Honor.
“The titles, I think, are going to be kept separate. I wouldn’t have a hybrid championship or any hybrid championships, I think, between AEW and Ring of Honor.”
Tony Khan on the possibilty of unifying the AEW and Ring of Honor World Championships.
At this time, the ROH World Title is held by Claudio Castagnoli, with the AEW World Championship held by CM Punk, with Jon Moxley as interim AEW World Champion.
AEW-ROH Crossovers
Tony Khan may be against the idea of a hybrid World Championship, but both shows have had plenty of crossovers already.
At Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor, AEW’s Claudio Castagnoli captured the ROH World Championship from Jonathan Gresham.
Gresham, who recently requested his release from ROH, has also made a handful of AEW appearances, with his most recent being a win over Jordan Oasis on the July 16, 2022 Dark.
Samoa Joe, who signed with AEW earlier this year is the reigning Ring of Honor World Television Champion, having won the title from Minoru Suzuki on the April 12, 2022 AEW Dynamite.
Former WWE star Paige has verbally agreed to a massive matchup with Britt Baker in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Paige recently took to Twitter to respond to an article that was shared, in which Britt Baker named Paige as her dream opponent. The former WWE Divas Champion seems game for the match, responding with “sign me up. I love me some @RealBrittBaker.”
The time for a potential matchup between Paige and Baker has never been more right. Recently, Paige, real name Saraya Bevis, wrapped up her time with WWE when her contract expired in June.
Paige & Her Injury History
For the past several years, Paige has been sidelined from in-ring competition due to an injury. During that time, WWE tried to use her as an on-screen authority figure, as well as a manager, however, she later was removed from WWE TV altogether.
As for Baker, she’s currently one of the biggest stars over in AEW, who is the favorite to sign Bevis now that she’s free of contractual obligations from WWE. Both Bevis and Baker have teased a potential showdown in the past.
Despite Bevis’ injury concerns, she has stated she fully intends on wrestling again. She hasn’t competed inside of the ring since 2017 after neck injuries caught up with her.
Punk is currently out-of-action with a foot injury. This came in the midst of his first-ever reign as All Elite Wrestling (AEW) World Champion. Punk had only just won the gold at AEW Double Or Nothing against Adam Page.
However, he soon announced on the June 3 edition of AEW Rampage that he will need surgery to repair the injury, seeing him sidelined for several months. Instead of having him vacate the title, AEW president Tony Khan instead introduced an interim AEW World Title.
Currently, Jon Moxley reigns as the interim World Champion. He’ll likely face off against Punk to unify their titles once he finally returns from injury. As for when that may be, Punk spoke with Skewed and Reviewed Gareth Von Kallenbach at the San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend.
CM Punk Injury Update
During the interview, Punk provided the following update.
“It’s healing.. it’s not healed,” said Punk. “That’s a quote from my surgeon. It feels like it’s on fire every day, partly probably because I was on my feet all day yesterday. [I] still wear the boot, but that’s mostly because I want people to recognize that I don’t want them near my foot. I’m working hard to come back.”
Punk added that it’s been very difficult road to recovery, and “learning how to walk again is f’ing frustrating.” That said he’s feeling a little better each day.
Tony Khan Comments on Punk’s Recovery
AEW President Tony Khan addressed CM Punk’s injury situation over the weekend. During the ROH Death Before Dishonor post-show media scrum, Khan said Punk is doing well and is on-track with his recovery. (Read More)
We’ll keep you updated on CM Punk’s road to recovery.
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Paul Wight reveals which WWE Hall Of Famer would “kick the sh*t” out of him in the ring.
Wight was recently a guest on The Wrestling Classic’s “Casual Conversations. During the show, Wight talked about working with WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin. Wight says Austin would “kick the sh*t” out of him in the ring.
“He would kick the sh*t out of me for about 3 or 4 minutes, beat me, and pour beer on my head,” said Wight.
Wight then discussed having to work with Austin for 10 days straight during a UK tour. A match in London, in particular, where Vince McMahon wanted Wight to go over on Austin. Wight was in the midst of a feud with Brock Lesnar at the time, so McMahon wanted to give Big Show some rub.
However, Austin shut the idea down, saying, “Vince, these people paid a lot of money to see Stone Cold Steve Austin drink a few beers and hit a few stunners, not do a job to the freaking Big Show.”
After speaking with Austin, McMahon changed his mind, instead instructing Wight that he needed to be more aggressive.
Of course, Paul Wight would go on to become one of the most successful big men in professional wrestling history. He’s a four-time WWE World Champion, an eight-time Tag Team Champion, and has held both the United States and Intercontinental Titles once each.
Going by the name The Big Show for most of his career in WWE, Wight also won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal in 2015. After leaving WWE in 2021, marking the end of an amazing 22-year run with the company, Wight opted to sign with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
He currently serves as a commentator for AEW Dark, sporadically competing inside the ring as well. As for Austin, the former WWE Champion retired from professional wrestling back in 2003.
However, he made his long-awaited return to in-ring action earlier this year in Dallas, Texas, competing in a No Holds Barred match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. Austin won the contest, marking his first match in almost 20 years.
During Friday’s episode of AEW Rampage, it was announced that Tully Blanchard Enterprises would be in action during the kick off show to Ring of Honor’s Pay Per View Death Before Dishonor.
However during the ROH Death Before Dishonor Zero Hour we learned that Prince Nana had acquired Tully Blanchard Enterprises.
Brian Cage along with the Gates Of Agony members Toa Liona and Kaun now becoming part of The Embassy.
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) July 23, 2022
Prince Nana accompanied the new additions to The Embassy in their trios match against Alex Zayne, Blake Christian and Tony Deppen. The three men continued their dominance in Ring of Honor by picking up the pinfall victory on Deppen.
In the Death Before Dishonor post-show media scrum, president of AEW Tony Khan was asked about the status of Tully Blanchard.
“Tully’s good. I think for the workload and the things we’re asking I would just say and where he is in this stage I think it was a good fit and now the business transaction that went down here in Ring of Honor between Tully and Princess Nana.
“I think Tully, he’s doing really well, personally and thriving and I’m happy for him and excited and now Prince Nana.
“He’s a legend, it’s great to have Prince Nana and the Embassy back in Ring of Honor. So I think that’s something to be excited about its great group of wrestlers and very excited about that and wish Tully the best.
“And you know, we certainly could see him around AEW, Ring of Honor again. But now that transition and that transaction got Prince Nana back here, which is awesome.”
Tony Khan on Tully Blanchard’s status
With Tully Blanchard seen on the match graphic the day before the pay per view and no where to be found the day of, many speculated there might have been more to this story.
That hunch was correct as Fightful reports Tully is essentially done with AEW & ROH.
Athena, formerly known as Ember Moon, spent six years in WWE, where she now says she was forced to limit her moveset.
Athena’s AEW Career
Athena made her AEW debut at AEW Double or Nothing following Jade Cargill’s TBS Title defense against Anna Jay. Since then, she has had four matches and currently has a 3-1 record within the company.
Athena received her first loss in AEW this past week on AEW Dynamite. However, due to her feud with Jade Cargill, it is more than likely that Athena will become ranked and will challenge Jade for the TBS Championship.
In recent weeks, Athena has been partnering with Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander to take on Jade and The Baddies. Athena recently teamed with Willow Nightingale on the July 20 episode of Dynamite to take on Jade Cargill and Keira Hogan.
Athena’s Time In WWE
During her time in WWE, Athena, then Ember Moon, was known for being a high-flyer. Athena now says that this is due to her height and the restrictions that were placed on her because of how short she was.
Athena was in WWE from 2015–2021. She spent 2015–2018 in NXT. Athena was on the main roster from 2018-2020, but she then returned to NXT in 2020 until she was released in 2021.
She was released from WWE on November 4, 2021 alongside Keith Lee, Karrion Kross (Killer Kross), Mia Yim, Franky Monet (Taya Valkyrie), and many others.
“So I feel like, like I said, I’m 5’1. In a former life, I was 5’1. And I was required to be 5’1 is in like, I had to be a high flyer and jump around and do things. And I like doing that stuff, right? I’m not I’m not knocking any shade.
“That’s just the small window of what I’ve given. And I took advantage of it to the nines. And like that’s, that was the challenge given to me. You are a high flyer go out in high fly and do your thing woman, right? Because I’m short, right? I get it right. But before I got there, I was a technician, I was a powerhouse.
“I didn’t do any of the high-flying stuff. You know, I learned that to get a job because I saw that no one else was doing that at the time. Now everyone can do everything.
“That’s amazing, but that’s that was when I got signed. That was the role I was given. And I was like, ‘Ah, this is just kind of like ugh.’”
Athena on being limited in WWE
Expanding Possibilities Through An Unfiltered Moveset
“But having an unfiltered moveset, not having to worry about so much of who does what but what works for your match and your story within the match. Like, there’s so much more entertainment value to that to me.
“And a lot of that is like one of my favorite things I saw as a kid because I feel like I have to say this because then you’ll understand where my mindset is. Hurricane versus The Rock.
“Mind you didn’t realize hurricane was like six foot something till I met him in person but still, like Hurricane versus a rock? How many times? Did he tease that chokeslam? How many times? Chokeslam? No, no one’s taken the chokeslam.
“And then he finally gets to that championship match with The Rock on SmackDown. And he hits him with the choke slam boom. The crowd loses their crap because for six months, he’s been teasing this chokeslam, The Rock finally takes it that place explodes and everyone thought he was gonna win the match.
“Like that’s the type of like, I don’t want to be limited by the way I look. Right?
Athena Wants To Do What The Guys Can But Better
“But like, I just I want that excitement back. And I feel like that’s just me as a performer. That doesn’t apply to everyone. Some people are comfortable doing what they know.
“And that’s absolutely fine. But I want to push the limits. When I first signed, it’s because I wanted to change the world of women’s wrestling. I’m not a porcelain princess. And I want people to know that like, I am a warrior to and through.
“And I just want people to know that like whatever the guys can do. I can do it. And I’m going to try to do it better than them. And that’s what my whole life in this pro wrestling world has been is.
“I want people to see me as a performer, not a great women’s wrestler, a great wrestler, great performer, and I want them to look at me and say, oh my god, Athena is one of the best in the world.
“It doesn’t matter if she’s a man doesn’t matter if she’s a woman, she can do her job and she does it well.”
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Jonathan Gresham has asked for his ROH/AEW release.
In the report, there was a conversation between Gresham and Tony Khan that was said to have involved Gresham “cussing out” Khan.
Sapp would go on to tweet, “There seems to be a lot of lack of communication between talent relations and talent that we’ve heard from. We’ve had stories of Gresham, Marko, Cage, Janela, and others not being able to get answers or responses.”
There seems to be a lot of lack of communication between talent relations and talent that we've heard from. We've had stories of Gresham, Marko, Cage, Janela and others not being able to get answers or responses
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) July 24, 2022
“To be honest, I’ve not really talked to him. I don’t know what he thinks about me. Ive had very short conversations with him, when I say short I mean short. So I dunno. I would hope that he values me, I don’t know though. So we’ll find out in the coming weeks, months I guess.”
Jonathan Gresham on communication with Tony Khan
The backstage incident seemed to play a part in Gresham’s mood going into his match against Claudio Castagnoli at Death Before Dishonor.
Gresham made his entrance without his signature octopus mask, robe or flag. Twitter user @HeelWillMahoney described it as him being called into work on his day off.
Last night at Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor, the rematch of the dream match from Supercard of Honor earlier this year was held. The rematch between FTR and The Briscoes was contested under the stipulation of 2-out-of-3 falls.
Both teams went to war for around 50 minutes in another instant classic.
Following the aftermath, FTR cut a promo to end the show…or so we thought. The newly crowned ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli and ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta, both members of the Blackpool Combat Club, came out on stage.
Could they be the next challengers for the ROH Tag Team Championships?
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) July 24, 2022
In the media scrum following the pay-per-view, when asked about the ending of Death Before Dishonor and if the match could happen this Wednesday at Fight For the Fallen, Wheeler Yuta responded,
“Well, I’m not sure when it will happen, but I’m sure that that is a collision course that we’re definitely on now. Obviously, FTR in my opinion is the best tag team in the world.”
Wheeler Yuta on challenging FTR
“But there’s a reason that we have the Ring of Honor World Championship, the Ring of Honor Pure Championship. And Claudio and I’ve never tagged who’s to say that we’re not going to be the best tag team in the world.
“So I’m really excited for that one.”
The Fight for the Fallen edition of Dynamite will take place this upcoming Wednesday (July 27) at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Could we see another interaction or even a match between the Blackpool Combat Club and FTR?
Will Ospreay is one of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s most popular stars, in addition to being the reigning IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion.
Ospreay has amassed a huge fanbase who are willing to pay for merchandise, but one shirt is no longer available to them.
The Shirt
On Twitter, PW Tees announced that a shirt of Ospreay’s has been pulled, following a cease and desist being filed.
The front of the shirt depicts the British wrestler hitting the One-Winged Angel, while the back features the phrase ‘Better Than The Best Bout Machine,’ a nod to a nickname for Kenny Omega.
In response, Omega said that the shirt raised various legal concerns in AEW, and apologized to Ospreay’s fans.
Omega added that all orders already made for the shirt will be fulfilled.
This triggered various legal concerns within #Aew . Sincerest apologies to fans of Will. We’ve made it so all orders (up to today) will be honored. https://t.co/klHnk6XGL1
Will Ospreay is furious that his shirt has been taken down, and believes Omega is acting like a hypocrite.
In a video response, Ospreay referenced Omega’s own run-ins with C&Ds, noting that WWE filed a cease and desist when he and others were using the ‘Too Sweet’ hand gesture (via Fightful.)
“I have just exposed Kenny as an insecure little b*tch. It was fine when those guys were throwing up the Too Sweet and got hit with a cease & desist. They continued to poke the bear. When it is me doing it to you guys, you have a problem with it. It’s because Kenny is a miserable little pr*ck. He takes it out on me because I’m actually having fun with my life.”
“It was fine when those guys were throwing up the Too Sweet… When it is me doing it to you guys, you have a problem with it.”
Will Ospreay
Ospreay also claimed that Omega is unhappy that AEW has now “turned into something you don’t like.”
He noted that while AEW have portrayed themselves as the underdogs to WWE, they are now “the big boys, trying to look down on the little guys.”
Since being founded in 2019, All Elite Wrestling has become a smash-hit with fans, earning legions of loyal supporters around the globe.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, fans have stuck to AEW’s programming, calling it an alternative to WWE’s standard of entertainment.
Not everyone has been impressed over the years by what Tony Khan has been able to produce.
Cornette is “Fair”
One of the most vocal critics of All Elite Wrestling is Jim Cornette, who routinely bashes the product on his podcast.
From the booking to the in-ring style, Cornette has never shied away from taking shots at the All-Elite promotion and like AEW, has his own share of loyal listeners.
During the media scrum following Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor Pay Per View, Tony Khan admitted that some of what Cornette says has some truth to it (via Sportskeeda.)
“Just as also some of the other vocal critics of AEW, including Jim Cornette. One of the more vocal critics, but at times also a lot of what he says is very fair.”
Tony Khan admits that some of Jim Cornette’s criticisms of AEW are very fair.
Khan didn’t give a specific example of one of these “fair” assessments of AEW by Cornette.
Cornette and Omega
Arguably Cornette’s biggest issue with All Elite Wrestling is one of the company’s Executive Vice Presidents: Kenny Omega.
Earlier this month, Omega fired back to the constant criticisms by Cornette, saying that he has realized that “hateful speech” helps to pay his bills.
Firing back on his podcast, Cornette blamed Omega for making “wrestling something to be laughed at,” and that the former World Champion has “ruined a pastime, a hobby, an interest and entertainment that a lot of us had.”
Last month saw the AEW debut of former WWE star Cesaro, now using his real name again, Claudio Castagnoli. Following Bryan Danielson’s injury, Bryan handpicked Claudio as a mystery opponent for Zack Sabre Jr at AEW and NJPW’s joint show Forbidden Door.
Castagnoli also ended up taking Danielson’s spot as a member of the Blackpool Combat Club in the Blood and Guts match a few days later against the Jericho Appreciation Society. But was this always the plan for Claudio Castagnoli’s All Elite Wrestling debut?
During the Death Before Dishonor media scrum, Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated asked Tony Khan if the original plan was to debut him at the Ring of Honor PPV.
“It was the original plan. Yeah, it was originally. He was going to debut here and it would have been a different build to the pay-per-view than what we did. And I think in a way that, you know, everything worked out perfectly.”
Tony goes on to say:
“So originally my vision when we spoke, was that Claudio was going to come back at Ring of Honor and he would debut and he would be a mystery wrestler and I think there would have been a lot of anticipation for who was going to be.
Tony Khan on original plan for Claudio Castagnoli
“But I also think that it would have been a great delivery and I honestly think that like, you know, if the fans had gotten drawn to the possibility of who could be associated with Ring of Honor, who is a name that is so important to the history of Ring of Honor and also, was certainly, I believe the best free agent wrestler in the world, then I believe it would have been a lot of fans assuming, hoping, wishing, wanting to see it be Claudio.
“But things change and I also knew when we spoke, there was a possibility that you would come in, as the alternate replacing Bryan Danielson as Zack Sabre Jr’s opponent at Forbidden Door, and also replacing Bryan Danielson in the Blood and Guts match. And so everything’s worked out great.”
Last night Claudio Castagnoli competed against ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham in the opening match of ROH’s Death Before Dishonor.
Punk ended up not relinquishing the AEW World Championship, as originally speculated by fans, but a new Interim Champion would be crowned during his absence.
During the ROH Death Before Dishonor post-show media scrum, Tony Khan was asked for an injury update on CM Punk.
“Well, he’s doing well on his recovery. He was at the Comic-Con today. I didn’t see his panel and obviously, we saw that Bryan Danielson announced his return there, and not long after of course you saw that was confirmed here again on Death Before Dishonor that it will be on Wednesday Bryan Danielson returning from injury.
“Speaking of a Ring of Honor, true Hall of Famers CM Punk, the AEW World Champion. I don’t know exactly what he said, but I know that he’s doing well in his recovery. So I don’t want to scoop anything he may have said at the Comic-Con panel. So he’s doing well, he’s not behind in his recovery.”
Tony Khan on CM Punk’s recovery
“I wouldn’t want to step on what he said, but the last we spoke, I haven’t spoken to him since he did the panel, but going into the panel, he’s doing well, and on track and we look forward to a great unification match when he’s back. Whoever the Interim Champion is.”
When asked if we could see Punk back for Labor Day weekend in Chicago, Tony replied, “We’ll see, I mean I can’t rule it out but I also can’t promise because I don’t want to say anything when it comes to somebody’s recovery from a real serious injury and he’s really battling hard to get back as soon as you possibly can.”
During the AEW panel at SDCC CM Punk stated that he has no timeline for when he’ll be back inside the ring. His foot was shattered. He says it’s healing, but has not fully healed.
He also went on to say that he’s re-learning to walk.
CM Punk defeated Hangman Page at Double or Nothing on May 29th to become the AEW World Champion. His final match before the injury announcement was alongside FTR where they defeated Max Caster and The Gunn Club on Dynamite.
AEW presents Fight for the Fallen 2022 this coming week. The themed editions of Dynamite and Rampage will help raise awareness for Oceana, a Washington D.C.-based charity that aims to protect the world’s oceans.
AEW has announced several matches for each show, which you can see below. The most significant news is that Bryan Danielson has been medically cleared to return and will be in action Wednesday night.
Fight for the Fallen Matches
AEW Dynamite: Wednesday, July 27th
Bryan Danielson returns to action against Daniel Garcia
AEW Interim World Champion Jon Moxley vs. Rush
AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa vs. Miyu Yamashita
Danhausen challenges FTW Champion Ricky Starks
Tony Nese & “Smart” Mark Sterling vs. Swerve Strickland in a 2-on-1 match. Keith Lee will be banned from ringside.
Danielson has been out of action since late May. The top AEW star competed in an Anarchy in the Arena match during the Double or Nothing PPV.
It is believed that Bryan suffered a concussion during the match. While Danielson was feeling fine physically, AEW President Tony Khan left no stone unturned in ensuring that Danielson would wait until he was 100 percent ready to get back inside the ring.
That day has come.
Bryan Danielson Returning
(via AEW)
During an appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con Convention, Bryan Danielson announced that he medically cleared to get back in the ring.
Furthermore, it was announced during the ROH Death Before Dishonor PPV event that Danielson will take on Daniel Garcia on a special Fight for the Fallen edition of AEW Dynamite this Wednesday night (July 27).
The Danielson vs. Garcia matchup seemingly confirms that the rivalry between Blackpool Combat Club and the Jericho Appreciation Society will continue.
We’ve updated our Wrestling Injuries Tracker to reflect Bryan Danielson being medically cleared to wrestle.
AEW continues to receive good news after going through a wave of talent injuries. It was reported that Kenny Omega is expected to be back sooner than later. The target for Omega could be at the All Out PPV on Sept. 4.
Athena reflected on her feud with Jade Cargill, how it began, and some new details around it.
Athena & Jade Cargill’s History
Back in March of 2022, Athena and Jade Cargill teased a match between the two through a fiery Twitter exchange. It now appears that this exchange happened before Athena’s AEW plans were set in stone.
This exchange was a catalyst for Athena’s first feud in AEW against Jade Cargill and The Baddies. Athena made her AEW debut at AEW Double or Nothing following Jade’s TBS Title defense against Anna Jay. Since then, the two have been in a deep rivalry.
In recent weeks, Athena has been partnering with Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander to take on Jade and The Baddies. Athena recently teamed with Willow Nightingale on the July 20 episode of Dynamite to take on Jade Cargill and Keira Hogan.
“Well, yeah, for sure. But I look at this as an opportunity to kind of go into something massive to show people not only what I can do as a high flyer, a technician a strong man at times. And I look at like the collaborative effort that could be there. Right? Jade Cargill is a megastar. You just look at this woman, and you see her on the TV, and you’re like, ‘Hold on, let me flip back a couple more channels. What was- what was this Amazon woman I just saw right here?’ And she looks great doing it. And she owns that persona, which is even more fantastic. Because she has a character. Right? A lot of women they’re like, Oh, I’m the good girl. I’m the bad girl. Right? I’m all attitude. I am. I don’t know if I’m supposed to be a good guy different. So that dies. I just gotta say what I say do what I do, and just kind of wait people like me. It’s weird. But when you look at someone like Jade Cargill, it’s just like, ‘Oh, that’s a challenge.’ That’s something I need in my life, right?,” Athena said
How Their Feud Began
The 15-year veteran continued, “And it started on Twitter. Before I even like, before we even got into the final talks of me coming officially to AEW. And it was just like, ‘Ou, there’s something here.’ And like, just me going, ‘Hmm?’ With a little face responding to who’s next just went viral and then she responded. Then I responded. And it just blew out of the water. So it kind of started on Twitter. So thank you blue bird, you did the swimming. But like I think people were so interested in that feud.
And they’re like, ‘Oh, when is this happening?’ Then the Joker thing happened and I kind of I already knew I was going when the Joker happened. So, me and my husband we got on free. We’re like, ‘This is pretape.’ because we knew that weekend I was going. So, we’re like, ‘Oh no, still in Texas.’”
How Much The Feud Means To Athena
And so it was it was just really cool to just be able to go into a main feud right away because I feel like it’s been so long since one I got a singles run. Like not like a singles run, like when the other undefeated streak was alive. Telling stories are so important to what we do in pro wrestling, right, because that’s what gets people invested and coming into this story with Jade Cargill. Like, that means a lot to me.
Athena: I’m Gonna Knock Her Flat On Her Ass
So I want to put all of my effort, all of my emotion, all of my physical well-being into this, to make it good to make people relate to, ‘Hey, like, I’m 5’1. I don’t care that she’s six foot.’ Whatever, like, I don’t care, I’m gonna knock her flat on her ass. That’s what I do. You know. And like, the one thing that has stayed true throughout my entire career is that, like, if there’s a challenge there, it doesn’t matter how many times I get knocked down, I’m going to beat that challenge. And I don’t think people really know that about me as a person. Like, I’ve had so many tryouts in the former life. That like, I was like, ‘Nah, I’m kicking this door down, baby. We’re gonna get there, right? We’re gonna get there and though.’ I finally got there, so like, that’s just the type of person I am.
Maybe it’s because I’m a massive gamer, that I will sit here and rage play every game until I till I have a mental breakdown. But like, that’s me. It’s like, I’m going to beat the big monster. I’m going to beat the big bad at the end of the adventure. I like to win. That’s what I do. You know? And it’s just like an alpha mentality of just like, I gotta be the best. I’m gonna beat the best to be the best. You gotta beat this Hussy here. I’m gotta say the (unintelligible) because I don’t want someone to come after me with DNCAs and all that stuff.
Athena Imagines Epic Battle With Jade
But you guys get what I’m saying is that like, this person who has made a career out of nothing in the pro wrestling world, because she was very accomplishable before she got here. Out of nothing in the pro wrestling world, who is at the top of the mountain right now. And I’m like, ‘I want to kick her off this mountain.’ Even then, even if I don’t kick her off the mountain because we all know it’s pro wrestling, right? Like, I want people to remember what I did at the top of that mountain that we had this epic battle on top of Olympus and lightning was striking and angels were weeping and fire from Hell was blazing up and I want it to be that I want to do this epic, like rock battle, if you will.”
Athena’s AEW Record
Athena received her first loss in AEW this past week on AEW Dynamite. Her current AEW 2022 record is 3-1 and she is not yet ranked. However, due to this feud, it is more than likely that Athena will become ranked and will challenge Jade Cargill for the TBS Championship.
An update has surfaced on an injury Chris Jericho recently sustained.
Jericho was featured on the main event of Fyter Fest night three. This was a special edition of AEW Dynamite.
Jericho went one-on-one with Eddie Kingston in a Barbed Wire Everywhere match. The Jericho Appreciation Society was suspended above the ring in a shark cage.
Jericho ended up winning the match thanks to the interference but Kingston got the last laugh.
Eddie threw Jericho into a barbed wire board to end the broadcast. When Dynamite went off the air, Jericho was stretched out.
(Photo: AEW)
Chris Jericho Suffers Broken Nose
There was a spot in the match where Eddie Kingston was holding up a chair covered in barbed wire. Jericho countered with the Code Breaker but as Kingston went down for the move, the chair caught Jericho right on the bridge of the nose.
Both AEW and Jericho have revealed the injury status. It is indeed a broken nose.
With the angle after the match and having sustained a legit injury, it appears Chris Jericho will spend a brief period of time off TV. At the very least, he’ll probably take a few weeks off from having matches.
Time will tell if the feud between Jericho and Kingston is over. At the end of the Fyter Fest night three broadcast, commentator Excalibur did say Eddie Kingston finally delivered what he promised despite losing the match.
According to a new report, one of AEW’s key superstars is currently out and dealing with a minor injury, but will return in “a few weeks.”
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Matt Jackson suffered a “stinger”on the July 13 episode of AEW Dynamite Fyter Fest week one. However, Meltzer says that Matt is doing better. During this match, Matt competed with his brother Nick in a triple threat tag team match against Team Taz (Ricky Starks & Powerhouse Hobbs) and Swerve in Our Glory (Swerve Strickland & Keith Lee) for their AEW Tag Team Championships.
Update On Matt Jackson
Meltzer says:
“Matt described it as like bad whiplash. He’s had no loss of strength, and his mobility and range of motion is already back to normal. He passed a strength test right after the injury.”
Matt is expected to be out of in-ring action for “a few weeks.” On Twitter, the Young Bucks current bio reads “R&R.”
Swerve in our Glory won this triple threat tag team match, and captured the AEW Tag Team Titles in the process.
According to a new report, one of AEW’s injured wrestlers is already on the way to recovering.
A few weeks ago, during the Blood & Guts match on AEW Dynamite, AEW star Santana suffered an injury. He injured his left knee during a spot with Daniel Garcia just minutes after he entered the match. It was a non-contact injury.
Update & Timetable
Dave Meltzer reported, in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that Santana had “reconstructive knee surgery and looks to be out about eight months.”
This confirms what Chris Jericho said on the True Gordie Podcast. Jericho said that Santana injured his knee doing a simple rock bottom and that he would be out for eight months.
It was previously reported that Santana attended a live event in Puerto Rico last weekend to relinquish a championship that he was holding. He was also seen walking on crutches at the indie wrestling event.
Konnan recently confirmed reports of there being a rift between Proud & Powerful or Santana & Ortiz. They had not worked a normal tag team match together in 2022. Before he was injured, Santana had been working as a singles star on the indie scene this year.
Bitt Baker joined AEW in 2019 and has been one of the promotion’s most successful wrestlers.
At Double or Nothing 2021, Baker won the AEW Women’s World Championship, and held the title until March 16, this year, when she lost to Thunder Rosa.
During her time with AEW, Baker has faced some of the promotion’s biggest names including Hikaru Shida, Ruby Soho and Kris Statlander.
Baker and the Four Horsewomen
Britt Baker has spent years working for AEW, which means she has missed out on facing the women competing as WWE Superstars.
Arguably the four biggest names in WWE women’s division are the ‘Four Horsewomen’ the name given to Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley.
Speaking on the “Not Just Football” podcast with Cam Heyward, the former AEW Women’s Champion discussed watching the quartet when training as a wrestler, and which Superstar she wants to face most (via eWrestlingNews.)
“When I first started training, I studied every single night the Four Horsewomen, who are Bayley, Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch, and I always said any one of them would be a dream match for me. I always switched which one and why. Maybe right now I’ll say Bayley just because she had a really bad injury right now that she’s coming back from, and if it’s anything like me… I turned a new page, it was a new Britt Baker when I came back from my injury. I had a new energy, new everything. And if that’s what’s about to come out for her.”
“I’ll say Bayley just because she had a really bad injury right now that she’s coming back from.”
Britt Baker chooses Bayley as her dream opponent from WWE’s Four Horsewomen.
Bayley has been out with an injury since July 2021, having suffered a torn ACL during training ahead of the return of live fans.
“The Role Model” has been teasing a return in recent months.
Buddy Matthews hasn’t been seen on AEW programming in recent while. Turns out the reason behind his absence is not what fans speculated.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recently responded to a question about the House of Black member. He revealed that the high-flying star is on a tour of his home country of Australia:
Buddy Matthews has not been featured on AEW programming since the June 27 edition of Dark: Elevation. He teamed up with Brody King to defeat Brubaker and CJ Esparza.
His last Televised match came during the June 8 Dynamite. The AEW star competed against Pac in an All-Atlantic Championship Qualifying match.
Matthews had revealed in an Instagram post last month that he has been dealing with a shoulder injury that limits his movements. Though the former WWE star was rehabbing. He claimed that he was slowly increasing the weight again.
He has wrestled several matches in Australia since his last AEW appearance. So it appears that his injury is not affecting him as much anymore.
Buddy Matthews joined AEW in February this year after being released by WWE in June 2021. He aligned himself with House of Black immediately but he hasn’t had any significant matches or been part of any immortant feud yet.
