Archive for the ‘AEW’ Category

MJF Returns, CM Punk Wins AEW World Title at All Out

All Elite Wrestling ran it back between Jon Moxley and CM Punk at Sunday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view event. However, it was the return of MJF, who left people talking. 

The match saw Punk come out strong as he hit his signature moves, including the GTS for a near fall. Moxley sent him into the ring post and Punk was bleeding. Punk went for an elbow drop off the top rope, but Moxley moved and put him in a sleeper. Punk went for the GTS, but it was blocked and Moxley hit the death driver for 2. It all ended when Punk hit the GTS twice. 

MJF is Back

Post-match, the lights went out and we hear a voicemail made by Tony Khan offering MJF a spot in the casino ladder match. We see a video of an old Punk promo then the reveal of the mystery joker as MJF, who got a monster pop. MJF flipped off the fans.

Earlier in the night, a mystery man with the help of Stokely Hathaway, won the Casino Ladder Match, guaranteeing him a title match. MJF has been away since the post-Double Or Nothing episode of Dynamite where he cut a memorable promo and demanded that Tony Khan fire him.  

Their first match came on the August 24th edition of Dynamite when Punk ended up being squashed by Moxley in the AEW World Title unification match. Punk went down and held the foot that he injured a few months ago. Punk took two Death Riders from Moxley and then was pinned. The match lasted over three minutes. 

It was later reported that Moxley didn’t like the original plans for the pay-per-view and he pitched what happened in their first match. He was also reportedly not a fan of the interim title idea. 

Punk originally won the AEW World Heavyweight Championshipfrom Hangman Adam Page at Double or Nothing in May, but was sidelined with a foot injury shortly after winning the title. 

Moxley became the interim champion at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view event when he beat NJPW’s Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Kevin Nash Responds To All Out Reference

WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash has responded to his name being mentioned at All Out.

It all started when the former nWo member reacted to a tweet about NJPW star Will Ospreay having more 5 star matches than John Cena, Kurt Angle and CM Punk combined.

Nash made a remark about how it’s the money these wrestlers draw that matters. This prompted Ospreay to make a joke about Kevin’s previous injuries:

This past week’s Dynamite then saw Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks taking on The United Empire in the semi-finals of the AEW trios title tournament.

Taking note of the exchange between Nash and Ospreay, Kenny included a line about selling more merchandise in his intro on Dynamite before defeating the NJPW stable.

Though this wasn’t the last of it as Kenny Omega once again mocked his arch-rival during his All Out intro. The Cleaner claimed that he might be the new favorite wrestler of Kevin Nash after his victory on Dynamite.

The wrestling veteran took note of this. He reacted to a clip of the intro supporting the former AEW champion’s move:

Will Ospreay has not responded to this latest shot yet but the response from Nash is a sign that the feud between them is far from over.

AEW Full Gear 2022 To Take Place In New Jersey

All Elite Wrestling is returning to New Jersey.

The promotion revealed at this evening’s ALL OUT that their next major pay-per-view, Full Gear, will be taking place from the Prudential Center on Saturday November 19th. Additionally, AEW will be running the same venue one night prior for an episode of their weekly episodic, Rampage.

The Full Gear pay-per-view has featured some of the biggest moments in the company’s short history. From Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega’s brutal street fight, to Adam Page finally become world champion, Full Gear will be AEW’s final pay-per-view of 2022.

AEW Star Injured During All Out Zero Hour

It appears that AEW star Ruby Soho suffered a broken nose during her mixed tag match at tonight’s AEW All Out Zero Hour pre show.

The kick-off show saw the female star teaming up with Ortiz to face Tay Melo & Sammy Guevara in a AAA Mixed Tag Team Championship match.

Soho took multiple concerning bumps during the bout. Early in the match, she was dropped on her neck following a brutal kick from Melo:

The ending of the All Out match saw Ortiz sending Guevara out of the ring. When Ruby Soho tried to jump down, Melo also got involved, and the two women crashed down into their partners.

The female competitors then got back in the ring. Soho got the upper hand but as she was going for a running knee strike, Anna Jay grabbed her foot.

This distraction allowed Tay Melo to hit the TayKO on the former WWE star. She then pinned Ruby to retain the titles for her team.

The TayKO however, seems to have done more damage than intended. Ruby Soho grabbed her face instantly after the hit and she even forgot to get her shoulders down for the pinfall.

The female star continued holding her face after the match and it has since been confirmed that she suffered a broken nose.

Toni Storm Wins Interim Women’s Title at AEW All Out

Toni Storm was supposed to be the latest star to step up and challenge Thunder Rosa for the AEW Women’s Title at Sunday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view event.

Thunder Rosa announced last week on AEW Dynamite that she had to pull out of her scheduled bout against Storm due to a back injury. She later said she wasn’t medically cleared and would be out of action for several months. 

AEW  booked Storm vs. Britt Baker vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida in a fatal 4-way bout at All Out to crown the Interim Women’s Champion. The match Baker hit a stomp to Shida on the ramp and Shida was helped to the back. Hayter with a tombstone to Shida for 2. Hayter with a lariat to Shida, but Baker pulled the referee out of the ring. The finish saw Storm hit a DDT to Shida for the win. 

Rosa will remain the Women’s Champion and face the Interim Women’s World Champion to unify the titles.

As the top-ranked female wrestler in the AEW Rankings once more, Storm her second chance in a rematch. To keep her #1 ranking, she has defeated the likes of  KiLynn King  Nyla Rose and Emi Sakura.

Swerve In Our Glory Retain Tag Team Titles at AEW All Out

Swerve In Our Glory (Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland) made their latest defense of the AEW Tag Team Championships against The Acclaimed at Sunday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view event.

The match saw a strong start by The Acclaimed. However, most of the match saw Bowens sell his knee and get worked over. Bowens with an overcastle to Lee before getting the hot tag to Caster. 

The Acclaimed suplexed Lee off the top rope. Strickland hit a stomp to Bowens for 2. Caster with a superkick to Lee then an AA to Lee. Bowens with a slam to Strickland then Caster with the mic drop for 2. The end came when Lee and Strickland hit their double team finisher to Bowens. 

The Acclaimed’s Journey

The match was set up on the August 24, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite when Lee and Strickland aided The Acclaimed as they were taken out by Gunn Club as they tried to aid a beaten down Billy Gunn. 

They had a staredown before The Acclaimed challenged the champions in a backstage promo afterward. 

Lee and Strickland became the champions on the July 13th edition of Dynamite when they beat then-champions The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) and Team Taz (Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks) in a triple threat match. 

What are your thoughts on the champs retaining the AEW Tag Team Titles? Was this the right call by AEW officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Samoa Joe Returns at AEW All Out

Samoa Joe is back on AEW programming. 

FTR & Wardlow defeated Jay Lethal & Motor City Machine Guns at Sunday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view event in Chicago, Illinois at the Now Arena. Post-match, Joe made his return to make the save for FTR and Wardlow from the heels. 

Where Has Joe Been?

Samoa Joe AEW

The ROH TV Champion has been off filming the Peacock series, “Twisted Metal,” based on the video game. Showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith noted last week on Twitter that the season had officially wrapped filming. Mike Mitchell, Tahj Vaughans, and Lou Beatty Jr will also star in the series.

Joe will play the dual role of Sweet Tooth, voiced by Will Arnett. The project has been described as a “high-octane action comedy” series and will include characters based on some of the different unique drivers from the games.

Joe last wrestled at the ROH Death Before Dishonor PPV by defeating Lethal earlier this summer. Based on this angle at All Out, it appears this feud will be continuing.

Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks Crowned Inaugural AEW World Trios Champions

Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks have been crowned the first-ever AEW World Trios Champions after beating Hangman Page, John Silver & Alex Reynolds at Sunday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view event in Chicago, Illinois at the Now Arena. 

The match saw some good exchanges between Omega and Page. Matt with an elbow drop off the top to Page for 2. Silver and Reynolds did a tag team move outside the ring to Nick. Omega fought back and hit the V-Trigger to Silver, who fell out of the ring. Page with an outside dive off the top rope. 

 Page went for his finisher and hit it to Omega for 2. The finish saw Page accidentally hit his finisher to Silver and Omega pinned him for the win. 

The opening round bouts featured Best Friends (Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, and Trent Beretta) defeat The Trustbusters (Ari Daivari, Parker Boudreaux and Slim J), The Dark Order defeat House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews) The Elite defeat La Facción Ingobernable (Andrade El Idolo, Rush, and Dragon Lee), and United Empire (NJPW) (Will Ospreay and Aussie Open (Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher) defeat Death Triangle(Pac and The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fénix). 

The semi-finals were The Dark Order over Best Friends and The Elite over United Empire. 

Mystery Man Wins Casino Ladder Match at AEW All Out

As expected, the Casino Ladder Match was wild but had an interesting finish. 

All Elite Wrestling booked this contest that featured Claudio Castagnoli vs. Wheeler Yuta vs. Penta Oscuro vs. Rey Fenix vs. Rush vs. Andrade El Idolo vs. Dante Martin vs. mystery man, which we still don’t know who it is. 

The mystery man ended up winning the contest at the AEW All Out pay-per-view event in Chicago on Saturday night. 

A new wrestler entered the match every 2 minutes. Fenix and Yuta started things off. Out third was Rush followed by Andrade. Andrade powerbombed Yuta onto a ladder. Claudio was fifth followed by Dante and then Penta, who hit a Canadian destroyer to Martin while making his entrance on the ramp. Penta with a canadian desoutter to Andrade on a ladder. Fenix with a splash off the top rope to the outside through a table on Rush. 

Several guys came out with masks and attacked everyone. One of them grabbed the chip. It was revealed to be Stokely Hathaway. The countdown clock expired and then a masked wrestler came out to grab the chip. 

As a result of winning the contest, this person has become the new #1 contender to the AEW World Heavyweight Title, which is currently held by Jon Moxley. 

Jim Ross Questions The Booking of AEW All Out Main Event

Jim Ross joins many fans in being critical of how Tony Khan has set up the main event of the AEW All Out pay-per-view event. 

World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk will be headlining the event despite AEW booking a champion vs. champion match between them less than two weeks ago on Dynamite that lasted three minutes, with Moxley going over.

AEW announced the rematch on Wednesday’s Dynamite. While speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, the AEW commentator noted some logical things that need to address. 

Jim Ross Voices Criticism 

Jim Ross
(AEW)

“Well, I think it’s gonna be unpredictable because I don’t know how you book this card. I don’t know how you have a match on Wednesday and your champion gets his ass whipped like a government mule and then you expect to return it Sunday. Why do I need a return? You just got your ass whipped. So there’s logical things we have to address, quite frankly. I think it’s gonna be a challenging show for Tony Khan to book but it’s loaded.”

Ross also noted that he thinks AEW PPV events are too long as there are 15 matches (4 on the pre-show and 11 on the main card) planned.

“Sitting out there with our group as it is, this is gonna be a 5-hour show. I’m not in favor of any 5-hour show. It’s just too long. Our attention spans are not going to maintain what it needs to be. It’s a chance for a lot talents to clear the deck and make a name for themselves.”

H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription

Tony Khan Reveals How Much Money AEW Will Make In 2022

Tony Khan touts the financial success of AEW ahead of the promotion’s fourth-ever ALL OUT pay-per-view later this evening.

The company president spoke with Dave Meltzer from Wrestling Observer Radio about a wide range of topics, most notably how he believes AEW is hitting these heights at a perfect time. One of the points Khan makes is that there hasn’t been another major alternative to the industry leader, WWE, in quite some time.

“We have a chance to hit these heights at the perfect time. I would say, the success we’ve had has been so great. The way the business is going right now…this is the first time there have been two wrestling companies that have the ability to be the number one show that night on cable and two wrestling companies that are grossing the kind of money.”

AEW Grossing Over $100 Million In 2022

While Khan is proud of the growth of AEW since their launch in 2019 he is certainly aware that they are still nowhere near WWE’s profits. However, he does reveal that this year AEW will gross over $100 million dollars, which includes a $1 Million Dollar gate for tonight’s ALL OUT.

“I’m not grossing a billion dollars, but I’m gonna gross over $100 million this year. That’s pretty unprecedented and it’s been over 20 years since anybody is doing that. To me, success is sustaining it.”

Elsewhere in the interview Khan discussed the reports of backstage drama in AEW, but he remained optimistic that people will keep things professional and not let it affect business. He also talked in great length about the ALL OUT card, which you can see here.

(Quotes via Fightful)

Final Card for AEW All Out, How to Watch

AEW All Out is finally upon us. It’s been a long, bumpy road, but we are finally just hours away from bell time.

All Out takes place Sunday, September 4th at the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois outside Chicago. We’ve got 15 matches signed, including 11 on the main card and 4 bouts on the Zero Hour kickoff show.

Here’s the full match card for Sunday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view:

  • AEW World Champion Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk
  • Toni Storm vs. Britt Baker vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida to crown an Interim Women’s Champion
  • Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho
  • AEW World Tag Team Champions Swerve In Our Glory vs. The Acclaimed
  • AEW World Trios Championship Tournament Finals: The Elite (Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks)vs. The Dark Order and Hangman Adam Page
  • AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill vs. Athena
  • Wardlow & FTR vs. Jay Lethal & the Motor City Machine Guns
  • Jungle Boy vs. Christian Cage
  • Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Ricky Starks
  • Casino Ladder Match: Winner earns a shot at the AEW World Championship
  • House of Black vs. Miro, Darby Allin and Sting

Zero Hour Kickoff Show

One hour before All Out goes live on pay-per-view, AEW presents the All Out “Zero Hour” kickoff show featuring:

  • Tomohiro Ishii vs. Eddie Kingston
  • All Atlantic Champion PAC vs. Kip Sabian
  • FTW Champion Hook vs. “Cool Hand” Angelo Parker
  • Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo vs. Ruby Soho & Ortiz

We’ll update this page when the card is finalized.

Jon Moxley Takes Shots at CM Punk Ahead of Title Match at AEW All Out

Jon Moxley defeated CM Punk on the August 24th edition of AEW Dynamite in shocking fashion.

CM Punk became the AEW Champion by defeating Hangman Adam Page at Double or Nothing. However, a broken foot would keep Punk out of action for a couple of months and Jon Moxley became Interim AEW Champion. The belts were unified on August 24th after Moxley defeated CM Punk with ease.

It led to Punk questioning himself the following week but getting the pump-up speech he needed from long-time friend and AEW producer, Ace Steel. Earlier in the night, Jon left an open contract in the ring and Ace grabbed it.

Punk signed the contract and fired up the crowd in the NOW Arena. Moxley will defend the AEW Championship against CM Punk this Sunday at All Out.

Jon Moxley Warns CM Punk Ahead of All Out

AEW Champion Jon Moxley spoke about being a father and the lessons he learned along the way in a backstage promo ahead of the title match tomorrow night. Jon noted that he started wrestling when he was 11 years old and he learned that he can have anything he wants as long as he’s willing to work harder than everyone.

“This Sunday I’m wrestling Chicago-made CM Punk, the little punk rock kid from Chicago! People say that me and CM Punk are a lot alike. Sure we have traveled some of the same roads and had some of the same rivals. We’ve even won some of the same championships. But no, me and CM Punk are nothing alike.”

Moxley continued and explained one fundamental difference he has with the challenger at All Out:

“There is one fundamental difference between me and CM Punk for example. Say I had a broken foot, not like a CM Punk broken foot, but say you had a wooden block and a sledgehammer and did a Kathy Bates from Misery on my foot right now. I’d have a broken foot going into Sunday, you think I’d care? Even a little bit?”

Moxley added that Punk has an ego that always needs attention and claimed that the Chicago crowd will not bother him at at all. The AEW Champion said that this all could wind up being a good story after all at All Out.

“This could be a great story. I’m gonna give you a chance, you say you are the heartbeat of Chicago, I’m the heartbeat of this business. When guys get in the ring with me, we find out what they are made of. I’m gonna give you a chance to be better than you’ve ever been, more than you ever have been.

I’m gonna give you a chance on Sunday to be that guy that you’ve been pretending to be for all these years. CM Punk, that messiah that everyone is looking up to, that all these fans believed in. A lot of guys, a lot of wrestlers from my generation believed in that turned out to be so full of sh*t.

I’m gonna give you a chance to be that guy, if that guy really exists, yeah Sunday would be the appropriate time for him to show up. Me? I’m not what you would call a “CM Punk fan” so I could care less. This isn’t just the biggest match of your life Punk, this is your life. Defined.”

“They Don’t All Need To Be Friends” – Tony Khan Addresses Backstage Drama In AEW Ahead of All Out

AEW President Tony Khan doesn’t appear to be too bothered by professional wrestlers not getting along.

One thing that has been a major topic of discussion as of late is the backstage turmoil in All Elite Wrestling. CM Punk called out Hangman Page to make him look like a coward in front of his hometown crowd in West Virginia. Eddie Kingston and Sammy Guevara had a backstage altercation that led to The Mad King getting suspended for two weeks. Sammy Guevara also released a statement on the matter and the two wrestlers have claimed that the issue is behind them.

AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa announced that she cannot compete at All Out and reportedly has a fair amount of heat backstage within the women’s division. Miro and Andrade El Idolo have liked posts on social media that suggest they would be better off in WWE, etc.

Despite it all, Tony is remaining positive heading into All Out and doesn’t think that wrestlers not getting along is a bad thing. Speaking with NBC Sports Chicago ahead of All Out at the NOW Arena, Tony was excited about his roster finally getting healthy and addressed the backstage drama within the company at the moment.

I’m actually pretty excited about it. I think our roster is going to be stronger than it’s been in a long time. There is a lot of competition for spots. As long as everybody is being professional, it’s professional wrestling, the first word is professional. The second word is wrestling.

This is not a doll factory or a normal place of business. Our product here is professional wrestling matches. People not liking each other, not getting along, can actually be positive, as opposed to most workplaces where people not getting along is detrimental.

Not everybody needs to get along in the pro wrestling business, they don’t all need to be friends to do this. I’ll be honest, a lot of pro wrestlers don’t like each other, that’s fine with me. I don’t think people watch wrestling to watch people be friends.”

Tony Khan on his roster not getting along

AEW Dynamite has seen its ratings increase the past two weeks heading into All Out. Time will tell if it lasts but for now, the discontent backstage is paying off for the company. You can check out the entire interview in the video below.

H/T to Fightful for the transcription

Triple H on AEW: “They Beat Our Developmental System? Good For Them”

Triple H has shared his thoughts on the “competition” between WWE and All Elite Wrestling.

Wrestling fans have been at odds for several years on whether WWE views AEW as competitors. WWE had NXT go up against AEW on Wednesday since the debut of AEW Dynamite on Oct. 2, 2019. NXT and AEW would go head to head for over a year, with AEW having the superior viewership ratings until WWE announced on Mar. 30, 2021, that NXT would move to Tuesday.

While WWE spent over a year competing for ratings with AEW, the company has consistently downplayed talks of AEW as rivals. Triple H, in the past, has denigrated AEW and has gone as far as calling them a “pissant company.”

In an interview with BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani, Triple H was asked if it was true that NXT got rebranded to NXT 2.0 because they couldn’t beat AEW in the ratings. The WWE executive Vice President of Talent Relations denied the rumor and again downplayed talks of WWE viewing AEW as a competition.

“People put so much pressure on this, all these competitive wars, it never was that. Look, first of all, they beat our developmental system. Good for them, right?”

– Triple H on AEW

He continued, “It was never that. There was never even a pressure of like you have to beat that like it was never that. It was put on the best product we could.”

Triple H on Why NXT changed to NXT 2.0

Many wrestling fans felt that NXT’s shift to NXT 2.0 resulted from not being able to compete with AEW Dynamite’s success. One reason could be that the change happened soon after moving the brand to Tuesday.

However, Triple H expressed that it was a necessary change because they missed the ability to use a developmental system to make new stars.

“It shifted over time during the pandemic, all of that shifted over time and the opportunity for us to change it back to what it truly was, right when you look at a lot of the stars that have come through that system that had either started from zero or very little exposure anywhere and then became massive stars with us, kind of so many people and we lost the ability to take those people and groom them from the ground up. We really had, and it’s the biggest change that’s out there,” said Triple H.

He also shared that he is proud of Shawn Michaels and the NXT 2.0 staff for handling the developmental brand. He added that the decision to rebrand NXT UK to NXT Europe is similar to NXT 2.0 situation and wants to expand the developmental system to different parts of the world like India or South Africa.

Conclusion

Wrestling fans continue to be split on whether they should be a fan of WWE or AEW. However, Triple H is of the mindset that the WWE is operating on what is best for them and thinking about AEW.

He also has a big ambition to focus on making developmental territories worldwide to discover new stars.

What AEW President Tony Khan thinks about Triple H’s comments is unclear. Although, we may hear his thoughts at the All Out post-Press Conference this Sunday.

What Time Does AEW All Out Start?

AEW All Out takes place this Sunday, September 4th.

AEW has fluctuated between Saturdays and Sundays when it comes to their PPV days over the years. This weekend, All Out will take place on Sunday.

AEW All Out 2022 starts at 8pm (ET) / 5pm (PT).

In case you forget what time All Out begins, you can always catch the show on-demand after the fact on B/R (domestic) and on the FITE (international). All Out is also available traditionally through cable and satellite TV providers, and select movie theatres in North America and Latin America are also showing the event.

In addition to the main PPV show proper, AEW will present “Zero Hour” at 7pm (ET), one hour before the start of All Out. Zero Hour will stream on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. It will also be on B/R, FITE, and traditional PPV channels.

For more information, including the full match card and the latest news, visit our AEW All Out event page.

AEW Star Kyle O’Reilly Recovering From Neck Fusion Surgery

Another AEW star will be out of action for significant time due to injury.

On Thursday, Kyle O’Reilly posted photos on Instagram indicating he’s undergone neck fusion surgery. In this first photo below, he’s in a hospital bed. Another photo he posted was an advertisement for the Ford Fusion car, with the name Ford replaced by the word, “neck.”

At this stage, we can safely say he will be out of action at least until the end of the year.

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Kyle O’Reilly Update

Kyle O’Reilly last competed for AEW on the June 8th edition of AEW Dynamite. He won a Casino Battle Royal to earn a shot at Jon Moxley later in the evening. Moxley won that match and went on to compete for the Interim AEW World title at Forbidden Door.

O’Reilly’s last televised appearance took place on the August 3rd edition of Dynamite, when he, Bobby Fish and Adam Cole turned on the Young Bucks.

Back in July, O’Reilly said he’s been dealing with a nagging injury for the past five years. During an interview with This is VANCOLOUR, he said:

“This October, I’ll be wrestling for 17 years now. It’s a lot of bumps, a lot of wear and tear on your body. Fortunately, nothing serious has really happened to me. I’ve been hurt a lot, I’ve been injured, but I’ve always grinded through, made the date, showed up and performed as well as I can in the ring despite whatever I was nursing. Sometimes, the medical staff needs to save us from ourselves.

“As wrestlers, we’ll go until the wheels fall off. ‘My shoulder is hurt? Okay, I won’t do any moves where I land on my shoulder.’ We’re crazy like that. 

“This is something I’ve been dealing with, it’s a nagging thing that I’ve been dealing with, specifically, pretty bad for the last five years. In the last few weeks of wrestling on AEW, I’ve been really banged up and didn’t know the extent of it until now.”

– Kyle O’Reilly, July 2022

SEScoops wishes Kyle O’Reilly a full and speedy recovery.

Malakai Black Calls WWE’s Judgment Day a Copy of The House of Black

In January, Malakai Black began teaming with Brody King, forming the team the ‘House of Black.’

This came after months of Black teasing that a stable was in the works, and in February, 2022, fellow WWE alum Buddy Matthews debuted for AEW and became the group’s third member.

Most recently, the group added Julia Hart to the faction, who had previously been aligned with the Varsity Blonds.

Mimicking the House of Black

The House of Black are a dark stable, but they’re not the only macabre group in wrestling today.

At WrestleMania 38, Edge began The Judgment Day with Damian Priest, before adding Rhea Ripley and Finn Balor.

Balor’s arrival also marked the end of Edge’s time with the faction, and the WWE Hall of Famer has been feuding with The Judgment Day since then.

Speaking on his Twitch stream, Black addressed the comparisons between the group.

“I was well aware that WWE were going to basically mimic the House of Black. Y’know, what can I do? It is what it is. It only tells me that what we’re doing is clearly something that is very interesting and going very well.”

“It only tells me that what we’re doing is clearly something that is very interesting.”

Malakai Black on WWE ‘mimicking’ the House of Black with The Judgment Day.

“I’m well aware of it. Nothing I can do. I’m going to continue what I do because I’ll always be one step ahead. I have no cuffs. The reason why it [The House of Black] works is because it’s myself and two other people who have great minds for it.”

The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest and Finn Balor will face Edge and Rey Mysterio at tomorrow’s WWE Clash at the Castle event in Cardiff, Wales.

If using quotes, please give a h/t to SEScoops.

AEW: Fight Forever to be Featured at Tokyo Games Show

So far, All Elite Wrestling has released two games for mobile devices, the AEW Double or Nothing Casino game, and AEW Elite General Manager.

Fans and gamers are eagerly anticipating the launch of AEW: Fight Forever, the first console wrestling video game by the company.

The game is rumored to launch later this year for all expected consoles as well as PC.

Tokyo Games Show

image 1
Tokyo Games Show 2022

A lot is riding on the success of AEW: Fight Forever, with reports that AEW has invested an eight-figure sum (at least $10 million) into their gaming department.

Fans in Tokyo, Japan will soon get to check out the upcoming game themselves, as it has been confirmed that AEW: Fight Forever will be featured at the upcoming Games Show.

In addition to the game, there will also be live wrestling at the Games Show featuring talent from AEW, though no matches have been confirmed so far.

This is similar to AEW’s recent visit to Cologne, Germany for GamesCon 2022, where Fight Forever won Best Game in the Sports/Racing category.

Tokyo Games Show 2022 will take place from September 15, to September 18, and will also feature Xbox, Capcom, and Konami at the event.

What we know about AEW: Fight Forever

At GamesCon, Evil Uno and Colt Cabana spoke about AEW: Fight Forever, promoting a rich story for the game.

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

It was also said that online play will be a large part of the game.

Daniel Garcia Gives his Pick for the Greatest of All Time

Daniel Garcia has been with AEW for less than a year, but has made a name for himself working with several top stars.

Garcia has proven he can hold his own against the likes of Bryan Danielson, as well as facing Jon Moxley and Sammy Guevara.

In addition to working with All Elite Wrestling, Garcia competes for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, where he is the reigning PWG World Champion.

The Greatest of All Time

Daniel Garcia may be an established member of the Jericho Appreciation Society, but the first-ever AEW World Champion is not the greatest ever.

In a Q&A with Bleacher Report, Garcia was asked about working with Bryan Danielson, and had nothing but praise for the American Dragon.

“I think Bryan is the greatest wrestler of all time. I think his body of work speaks for itself. His longevity, the matches he’s had across different countries, different promotions, different areas; it really speaks for itself. And being able to share the ring with somebody with that wealth of knowledge, and in a style that I’ve always appreciated so much, is really special to me.

“I think Bryan [Danielson] is the greatest wrestler of all time.”

Daniel Garcia.

Garcia added that he is content if he never wrestles Danielson again, as he is still learning from the matches he’s already had with the former WWE World Champion.

Still part of JAS?

Last week’s AEW Dynamite opened with Garcia speaking about the prior week’s show, where he, Danielson and Jericho had a segment.

That segment saw the two veterans plead their case as to why Garcia should side with them, but the young star left without making a clear decision.

When asked, Garcia confirmed he is still part of the Jericho Appreciation Society.

“”It’s not something that you just say that you’re in or out of. It’s a brotherhood.”

Daniel Garcia.

The segment between the three led to a match between Jericho and Danielson being confirmed for this Sunday’s AEW All Out.

Update on W. Morrissey’s Future with AEW

W. Morrissey, the man who was formerly Big Cass in WWE, made his second appearance for AEW this week on Dynamite and turned a lot of heads in the process.

Morrissey appeared to be in tremendous shape once again. Since exiting WWE back in 2018, he has overcome alcohol addiction and got himself in tremendous shape. After a run with Impact Wrestling that ended back in June, there were a lot of questions about whether he would return to WWE or end up with AEW.

Morrissey previously made an appearance for AEW during Dynamite back on May 4th. That night, he was brought in by MJF to face Wardlow. It was a losing effort, but it marked the first time non-Impact fans took notice of how the former WWE star has improved since last seen on a national level.

A new report from Fightful Select sheds light on Morrissey’s future with AEW. Fightful notes that we will be seeing him again, which shouldn’t be surprising after Stokely Hathaway made overtures to sign him following his appearance this week on Dynamite.

Per Fightful, Morrissey is booked to appear on Dynamite next week in Buffalo, New York. That will be the first of three consecutive shows for the promotion in New York state, with AEW Dynamite airing the following week in Albany and Queens after that. The Queens show is the gigantic Arthur Ashe Stadium event (dubbed AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam), and Queens also just so happens to be Morrissey’s hometown.

SEScoops will keep our readers updated on anything new that breaks regarding Morrissey’s future moving forward.

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. 

AEW Star Fined After Dropping F-Bomb on Dynamite

AEW producer Ace Steel was hit with a fine due to his use of profanity on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.

The incident occurred during an in-ring segment that saw Steel convincing CM Punk that he should sign the contract to challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW World title this Sunday at All Out.

Punk was questioning himself and his abilities after getting steamrolled by Moxley next week. Steel, a former wrestler who trained CM Punk, forced Punk to look within himself and muster up the courage to face Moxley once again. Even though he got ‘knocked down’ last week, he urged Punk to “f**king get up” and literally slapped some sense into him.

It made for some entertaining television, and Punk did sign that contract, but Steel was disciplined for his unscripted profanity. According to PWInsider, AEW talent was told to be on their best behavior this week, including no swearing on Dynamite or Rampage.

Talent was informed on Thursday that Steel took responsibility for his actions and was commended for doing so. A fine was levied, with the proceeds being donated to charity.

Ace Steel made his debut on the independent scene back in 1991. Over the years, he wrestled for TNA Wrestling, ROH and WWE.

Steel and Punk actually teamed together in TNA as the Hatebreed (2002) in a rare pairing of teacher in student. In an obscure bit of trivia, Ace Steel portrayed Donald Trump for the infamous ‘Trump vs. Rosie O’Donnell’ comedy match on WWE Raw in 2007. He joined AEW as a producer earlier this year.

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Ace Steel and CM Punk in TNA Wrestling

AEW All Out Predictions

AEW All Out takes place this Sunday from the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois (suburban Chicago). This will be the third incarnation of AEW’s All Out PPV event from the venue (2019, 2021, 2022). The 2020 edition was held in Florida due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The site was also home to the All In PPV event which helped lead to the launch of the promotion.

SEScoops correspondents Andrew Ravens, Robert Lentini, and Ryan Droste have assembled to provide our official AEW All Out predictions.

Trios Final: The Elite vs. The Dark Order or The Best Friends

Ryan Droste: Although at the time of this publishing, The Elite’s opponent is not finalized, I’m just going to go ahead and assume it will be The Dark Order (complete with Adam Page). This is a tough one to predict. Does Page turn on the Dark Order? Do they play into Page vs. The Elite some more? Push come to shove, I’ll go with The Elite. (Prediction: The Elite)

Robert Lentini: I think The Elite will emerge victorious at All Out, no matter the opponent. Best Friends and Orange Cassidy would make fun inaugural Trios Champions. Dark Order with Hangman Page would be a cool story. I feel like Hangman Page interacting with CM Punk is much more interesting though. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks as the first Trios Champions seems like the way to go, especially if Omega doesn’t have to do as much as he is just returning from injury. (Prediction: The Elite)

Consensus: The Elite

Wardlow and FTR vs. Jay Lethal and the Motor City Machine Guns

Ryan Droste: This will be cool to see the MCMG in AEW, but there’s absolutely no way Wardlow or FTR should even be considered to lose this match. (Prediction: Wardlow and FTR)

Robert Lentini: I feel like the TNT Champion and ROH Tag Team Champions should be doing something much more interesting at the PPV. They have to win this match. I can’t even imagine them losing it. (Prediction: Wardlow and FTR)

Andrew Ravens: This should be a great match and the perfect spot to put some shine on Wardlow, who has cooled off in recent weeks. I can understand the argument of having the heels go over if there are future plans for them, but this appears to be a one-off so let the faces go over. (Prediction: FTR & Wardlow)

Consensus: Wardlow and FTR

AEW Women’s Title: Britt Baker vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Toni Storm vs. Hikaru Shida

Ryan Droste: We know that Storm was slated to win the AEW Women’s Championship before the card was changed due to Thunder Rosa’s absence. I think that Jamie Hayter would be an interesting choice here, and I’d love to see it, but I’ll go with the original plan and stick with Storm. (Prediction: Toni Storm)

Robert Lentini: AEW was originally going to do Thunder Rosa versus Toni Storm at All Out, so I think they will just give the Interim Championship to Toni. Britt Baker makes the most logical sense as she’s still one of the only stars in the division, but I’d rather see Toni get a chance as champion at the moment and see if she can be a star as well. (Prediction: Toni Storm)

Andrew Ravens: There are only two names that make sense here, and that’s Baker and Storm. The oddsmakers are backing Storm since she was originally supposed to challenge Thunder Rosa for the title at this show. Baker could be made the champion, but I don’t see that happening unless she is going to beat Rosa to become the real champion. I’ll side with Storm and have AEW go with their original plans for a match against Rosa. (Prediction: Toni Storm)

Consensus: Toni Storm

Casino Ladder Match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Wheeler Yuta vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Rey Fénix vs. Rush vs. Andrade El Idolo vs. Dante Martin vs. TBD

Ryan Droste:A lot of this is dependent on who The Joker is of course, but of the announced lineup, Claudio is the only one I can see getting a shot at the AEW World Title right now. The ROH Champion vs. the AEW Champion would be a fun one. (Prediction: Claudio Castagnoli)

Robert Lentini: I’ve been waiting for MJF’s return since he left. It makes sense for MJF and CM Punk to meet again and Maxwell will get a future title shot if he wins the Casino Ladder match. I’ll pick MJF to return as The Joker and ensure a future shot for the AEW Championship on his first night back. (Prediction: MJF)

Andrew Ravens: I’m taking the mystery person as the joker entrant to win the match. I believe it will be MJF. AEW reportedly is bringing him back soon, and I think this would be the perfect spot as it’s a surprise that fans will like and gets him a title shot right away. (Prediction: MJF)

Consensus: Split

Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho

Ryan Droste: Danielson. No deep thoughts about this one. Should be a fun match, but it’d make no sense to beat Bryan here. I hope to see him in the world title picture very soon, so he has to win here. (Prediction: Bryan Danielson)

Robert Lentini: The build to this match has centered on Daniel Garcia and whether or not he’s a pro wrestler or a sports entertainer. It has been odd to watch, but these are still two of the biggest stars in the company. Daniel Garcia is battling Blackpool Combat Club’s Wheeler Yuta on Dynamite for the ROH Pure Championship, so it will be interesting to see if he plays a factor in this match. Bryan Danielson should get the win here and start working his way back into the title picture. I still wish they gave him the AEW Championship last year. I have no want to see Bryan Danielson on the losing end of another match involving Jericho. Anarchy in the Arena was enough of that for me. (Prediction: Bryan Danielson)

Andrew Ravens: Danielson should go over here. This should be a really fun match that, I think, kicks off the show. Jericho doesn’t need the win, but Danielson feels like he needs to be reset, and a win over Jericho would do just that. (Prediction: Bryan Danielson)

Consensus: Bryan Danielson

AEW Tag Team Champions Swerve In Our Glory vs. The Acclaimed

Ryan Droste: The Acclaimed is the hotter act right now, by far, and Strickland and Lee seem like a better fit in the singles division long term. The team was fun while it lasted, but it’s time to give The Acclaimed their due and strike while the iron is hot. (Prediction: The Acclaimed)

Robert Lentini: I’m all for The Acclaimed winning the titles on Friday. They are wildly entertaining and the crowd loves them. Max Caster and Anthony Bowens have also improved greatly in the ring since they signed with the company. If Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland are going to be a tag team for years, then keep the belts on them. I just don’t think that will be the case and would love to see The Acclaimed have their moment in AEW. (Prediction: The Acclaimed)

Andrew Ravens: The Acclaimed is mega over with the fans, and I can see them going over here. Lee and Strickland are a fun tag team, but while The Acclaimed is still hot, keep the rocket burning and put the titles on them. (Prediction: The Acclaimed)

Consensus: The Acclaimed

Jungle Boy vs. Christian Cage

Ryan Droste: The long-anticipated feud between these two has had its moments, but overall it has unfortunately showcased some of Jungle Boy’s shortcomings. Matched up with one of the better talks in the modern history of the business, Jungle Boy’s microphone skills have appeared weak. Do they continue the feud or move Jungle Boy on to something else where his greatest weakness isn’t so prominent? I’ll go with Jungle Boy here. (Prediction: Jungle Boy)

Robert Lentini: This feud started off great with Christian Cage’s incredibly distasteful promos on Jungle Boy while sporting a turtleneck. However, Jungle Boy’s promos didn’t have the same energy and brought the excitement level down for the match. Jungle Boy should definitely get the win though and I also predict it will be one of the better matches of the night. (Prediction: Jungle Boy)

Andrew Ravens: There’s no reason why Jungle Boy shouldn’t win the match. Let the younger guy get a big win over a veteran and move on to something else. (Prediction: Jungle Boy)

Consensus: Jungle Boy

Ricky Starks vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

Ryan Droste: A real tossup. I think Starks can recover from a loss and you have Hobbs look strong here. (Prediction: Powerhouse Hobbs)

Robert Lentini: Ricky Starks can explain away a loss because he’s incredibly gifted on the microphone. Hobbs needs to be treated like a man named Powerhouse and win this match in impressive fashion. (Prediction: Powerhouse Hobbs)

Andrew Ravens: Honestly, this is a pick ’em, and it comes down to which star Tony Khan wants a little bit more of a push. I see more upside with Starks and would have him go over. (Prediction: Ricky Starks)

Consensus: Split

AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill vs. Athena

Ryan Droste: Zero chance Jade loses here, nor should she. The biggest lock on the card. (Prediction: Jade Cargill)

Robert Lentini: Jade Cargill will walk out of All Out as still the TBS Champion and I’d be shocked if that wasn’t the case. Athena has been a great addition to the roster and hopefully, she can help that division as it grows. There’s no reason to hand Jade her first loss and take the title away from her right now. (Prediction: Jade Cargill)

Andrew Ravens: I don’t know who is going to be the right person to beat Jade, but at this point, she really should just be the Women’s Champion. I still have no idea why AEW introduced the TBS Title aside from Tony Khan liking championships. Athena could be the person, but I don’t think it’s time yet. (Prediction: Jade Cargill)

Consensus: Jade Cargill

House of Black vs. Miro, Darby Allin, and Sting

Ryan Droste: A tough one to pick because there hasn’t been a whole lot in the way of build. House of Black feels pretty insignificant right now. I’ll go with the babyfaces. Miro could use a strong win, Darby could use a hot streak, and Sting is Sting. (Prediction: Miro, Darby Allin, and Sting)

Robert Lentini: This is another 6-man tag that feels a bit thrown together. House of Black has never really gotten over with the AEW audience and it wouldn’t shock me if they get defeated by a random collection of talent. I’ll pick Miro, Darby, and Sting to win in a fun match. (Prediction: Miro, Darby Allin, and Sting)

Andrew Ravens: I’ll side with the babyfaces. I think House of Black needs to win here, but Sting usually goes over when he wrestles. It should be a fun match, especially when Sting gets the hot tag, and the crowd goes crazy. (Prediction: Darby Allin, Sting, and Miro).

Consensus: Miro, Darby Allin, and Sting

AEW World Champion Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk

Ryan Droste: They don’t do the quick match last week on Dynamite without having Punk win here. It’d make no sense for him to lose twice in a row, and it would seem the entire purpose of having him lose last week was so that he can regain the championship in his hometown. (Prediction: CM Punk)

Robert Lentini: CM Punk gave his rallying cry on Dynamite to the Chicago crowd at the NOW Arena and there’s no beating him now. His first title run was disastrously cut short and the company has been running in place ever since. They have to give CM Punk the title again and give him a proper run with it. Jon Moxley will get the AEW Championship again one day if he sticks around. He’s one of the biggest stars in the company but who knows how long CM Punk will be in AEW? Let’s try to get the most out of it. CM Punk wins his title back and Moxley bleeds all over the place. (Prediction: CM Punk)

Andrew Ravens: CM Punk wins. He has to win. It doesn’t make sense for them to go through all of this and not have Punk win the title. This has been a messy situation, but if AEW does go through with Punk winning, then the question remains of a trilogy happening. Perhaps that is saved for the Arthur Ashe Stadium show. (Prediction: CM Punk)

Consensus: CM Punk

Chris Jericho Has Bruised Larynx, Fozzy Announces Delay In Upcoming Tour

Chris Jericho continues to kill it in AEW, but he is dealing with a minor injury that will stop him from performing with his band, Fozzy.

The group announced this morning on Facebook that their upcoming Save The World tour will start two weeks later due to an injury he sustained at the August 10th edition of Dynamite, which was the promotion’s Quake By The Lake special.

On that night, The Wizard suffered a throat injury during his world title match with Jon Moxley that bruised his larynx, and has made him unfit to sing.

IMPORTANT TOUR MESSAGE FROM FOZZY

On August 10th during the Quake By The Lake AEW event in Minneapolis, Chris suffered a throat injury that left him with a severely bruised larynx. Unfortunately, even though the injury is healing and is NOT permanent, Chris hasn’t fully recovered and his laryngologist has recommended that Fozzy postpone the first two weeks of the Save The World tour (scheduled to start in Columbus on Sept) in order to facilitate a full recovery as soon as possible.

The postponed shows have been moved to the Spring of 2023. The rescheduled dates can be found at www.FOZZYROCK.com

ALL TICKETS REMAIN VALID

The next leg of the Save The World tour will now start on September 29 in Charlotte. Fozzy appreciates each and every one of you and we can’t wait to rock with you again at FULL STRENGTH very soon!!

Jericho put up a valiant effort against Moxley at Quake By The Lake, but eventually fell victim to the Purveyor of Violence’s bully choke submission.

He’ll have a chance at some redemption this Sunday as he faces Bryan Danielson in a high stakes grudge match at AEW’s ALL OUT pay-per-view.

Will Ospreay Takes One Final Shot At Kenny Omega As Run With AEW Ends

Will Ospreay says that his current run with All Elite Wrestling has come to an end…for now.

The Aerial Assassin competed on last night’s Dynamite main event, where he and Aussie Open (known as the United Empire) took on The Elite (Kenny Omega & the Young Bucks) in a trios title tournament semifinal. The Elite would pick up the victory after Omega hit a One-Winged Angel, but Ospreay and Aussie Open would get the last laugh as they attacked Omega and the Bucks as the show went off the air.

Ospreay and Omega have been at each other’s throats for a while, taking shots at one another online and setting up a potential singles-bout somewhere down the line.

One Final Shot At The Cleaner

Ospreay took to Twitter this morning to announce that his current run with the promotion has come to an end for the foreseeable future. He credits Tony Khan for trusting his gut, but doesn’t shy away from taking one more jab at Omega. His tweet reads:

“For the foreseeable future my time with AEW is done thanks to TonyKhan for having your own mind and not listening to KennyOmegamanX attempts at blocking me from coming to do a few matches for ya. We are even for now Ken, keep your mouth shut & we won’t have any issues.”

The former IWGP World Heavyweight champion has been featured multiple times in AEW over the last few months. He had a marquee matchup with Orange Cassidy at Forbidden Door, and competed on several Dynamites. Ospreay’s tweet can be seen below.

Omega and The Bucks will face either the Dark Order or the Best Friends & Orange Cassidy at ALL OUT depending on who wins the semifinal on this Friday’s Rampage.