Longtime professional wrestling commentator Jim Ross is worried about the number of titles in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) right now.

The WWE Hall Of Famer recently took to his podcast, “Grilling JR,” and voiced a bit of concern over the growing amount of championship belt that are being integrated into AEW at the moment. Ross fears this could lead to a bit of oversaturation down the line.

“We’re facing that right now in AEW with the Six-Man titles. I just believe that you have to be very careful on how many titles are represented on your television. You can get overexposed very easily.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to belittle anybody for their opportunities to earn a championship, earn more money, earn a bigger place on the roster and all those things. I don’t.

“I just think you have to be very careful in how many titles they have. I just think the more you have, the less most of them mean.”

Currently, there are eight official titles listed for AEW. The AEW World Championship, AEW All-Atlantic Championship, AEW TNT Championship, FTW Championship, AEW Tag Team Championships, the upcoming AEW Trios Titles, AEW Women’s World Championship, and the AEW TBS Championship.

The newest titles of the bunch being the All-Atlantic Title as well as the upcoming AEW Trios Titles. AEW is currently holding a tournament to crown the inaugural Trios Champions, which features some big names that are left in the brackets.

As for the current title holders around AEW, they’re undoubtedly around the waists of some of the promotion’s biggest stars; such as Jon Moxley, PAC, Wardlow, Thunder Rosa, and Jade Cargill.

While putting a title on a young star such as Wardlow or Cargill can certainly help their growth, the potential issue Jim Ross brings up is certainly a valid one.

It will be interesting to see if AEW continues to add more titles to the mix moving forward.

Quotes via WrestlingNewsCo

Thunder Rosa wants to clear the air.

The AEW women’s champion recently revealed that she would not be able to compete at next weekend’s ALL OUT pay-per-view due to a back injury, and that an interim women’s champion would be crowned in her absence. Competing for the interim title will be Toni Storm, Jamie Hayter, and former champions Hikaru Shida and Britt Baker.

However, Rosa’s injury wasn’t the only news that surfaced this week. Multiple reports claimed that La Mera Mera had a ton of backstage heat due to working stiff in the ring. This apparently included some problems with Hayter, who had her nose broken by Rosa when they wrestled earlier this year. It also reported that Rosa was set to lose the title to Toni Storm at ALL OUT so that there would be a new face of the women’s division.

Rosa addressed the rumors of her backstage heat on today’s edition of Busted Open Radio.

Clearing The Air

Thunder Rosa says there’s been a lot of misinformation about her spread online. She faces her issues head on and anybody who has a problem with her should speak to her directly.

“Stop reading the dirt sheets, guys. Not everything that’s being said is true. Seriously, and that’s why I’m here to clear the air. If anyone has a problem with me, anyone, you can call Busted Open, you can call my number, tell me to my face. I don’t hide from my problems, I don’t run from my problems. You can talk to me, my door is open and that goes for anybody.”

“I have taken accountability for things that have happened, we have talked about it on Busted Open, we have talked about it with people and that’s the person I am. I’m straightforward and some people don’t like that. Some people are scared of that, but I’m not. I’m a trained fighter, I don’t run away from sh-t, so stop reading stupid shit online. That’s all I have to say about that.”

Her Back Injury Is Bad Enough She Can Barely Walk

The next subject the champ would address is her back injury. She clarifies that not only is her injury legitimate, but pretty severe.

“I’m not the best physically right now, I’m not going to lie. I was in a lot of pain yesterday and one of the reasons I called — thank you for having me — a lot has been happening the past couple weeks and unfortunately, I’m going to be out of commission. I don’t know for how long, [but] for a couple months, probably. I have a problem with my back. And Tommy can [attest to this], back problems are not easy. Some days it’s very good, some days they’re not. Yesterday was not a good day. It was not a good day and I was in a lot of pain.”

Unfortunately, Rosa also reveals that she’s had some trouble walking due to the back pain.

“That’s one of the reasons I’m taking time off. I want to clear the air — this is not fake, this is not a work. I am not comparing injuries to [others], but if I can f-cking walk, I can f-cking work, I’m sorry. My doctor, he didn’t clear me to wrestle. I’m not cleared to wrestle and it’s not that I don’t want to wrestle on Sunday, I can’t work.

It’s a shame about — and we were talking about this last week about how people just want the dirt — it’s a shame to put it out on social media because it discredits me as an athlete, but it also discredits me as a wrestler. I’m sorry guys, I want to walk when I’m 40. I have the right to say no, I can’t walk. I can’t do it. I’m in my rights, because I don’t want to have surgery. And if we keep going, and you know this Tommy, if we keep going through the pain, then I’m going to be out for longer and I don’t want to do this.”

H/T to WrestleZone for the transcribed quotes

Earlier this year, Will Ospreay made his AEW debut, alongside his fellow United Empire teammates Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis.

So far, Ospreay holds a 2-2 record in AEW, including a singles win over Dax Harwood at the Road Rager episode of Dynamite in June this year

Ospreay’s Accusation

Will Ospreay has been impressive in AEW so far, but his time in the company could have come much earlier.

Speaking to Wrestle Inn recently, Ospreay accused a certain top AEW star of preventing him to come to the company last year.

“The rumor was that I was meant to be in AEW a year ago, just doing Forbidden Door stuff and somebody is putting the block on it. It doesn’t take two and two to realize who it is. One person who has not been there for a while and all of a sudden, I’m welcome in with open arms.”

Ospreay’s comments are aimed at Kenny Omega, as the former AEW World Champion had been out of action for months following last November’s Full Gear Pay Per View.

It was during Omega’s absence from AEW that Ospreay made his debut for the company.

Ready to Embarrass

Despite the alleged best efforts of Kenny Omega, Ospreay is now working with AEW, and is ready to embarrass the roster.

Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Samira last October, Ospreay spoke about several AEW stars including Bryan Danielson, Kenny Omega and Sammy Guevara calling him out for a match.

“Guys like Bryan Danielson made a living being one of the best wrestlers in the world. But if I showed up, he would not last in the ring with me.”

Ospreay added that the AEW roster don’t want him to show up, because he will “embarrass” them in the ring.

From the moment All Elite Wrestling launched in 2019, the company has tried to be an alternative to WWE.

Over a decade into WWE’s PG rating, which is reportedly not going away anytime soon, AEW has tried to push the envelope with what makes it to TV.

Many fans have enjoyed AEW’s edgier content, comparing it to the WWE’s acclaimed Attitude Era.

Profanity

One way AEW has set itself apart from WWE is by the use of profanity that makes it on its programming.

AEW wrestlers have often used “sh*t” when cutting promos about their opponents, or in the case of Christian Cage earlier this year, when insulting the mother of Jungle Boy, saying that she “raised a piece of sh*t.”

In June, MJF laid into AEW and Tony Khan, branding the latter a “f**king mark.”

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter now reports that AEW is expected to tone down the use of profanity in programming, an order that has come from Warner Bros. Discovery.

It is unclear how AEW President will implement these changes and if certain words are outright banned if not limited.

Blood

AEW is expected to tone down the amount of cursing that makes it on their shows, but it appears blood is here to stay.

Blood has become a large part of AEW, as wrestlers are often bleeding both at Pay Per Views and on TV.

The red viscous liquid is obviously part of the Blood and Guts match, a name based on a dig by former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

The Observer reports that there is no word on Warner Bros. Discovery wanting to tone down blood on AEW programming.

The use of blood in AEW has set the promotion apart from WWE, which very rarely allows blood.

In WWE, Christian captured the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in 2011, after the title had been vacated following the retirement of Edge.

This was the highest peak of Christian’s WWE career, which also included reigns as ECW Champion, Intercontinental Champion, and several tag titles.

For many fans, Christian’s World Championship win was a long-time coming, as fans had followed his career since 1998 both in WWE and later in TNA Wrestling.

Parents Know Best

Cage’s two WWE World Heavyweight Championships were something fans (or rather ‘peeps’) were thrilled to see, but it could’ve happened much earlier.

In his new memoir, ‘There’s Just One Problem…: True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE’ former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz recalled writing for Saturday Night Live as The Rock’s writer, and dropped a bombshell on Cage.

“SNL doesn’t really like outsides, especially friends of the host coming in and attempting to write material. As someone who’s received countless pitches from friends agents and even wrestlers’ parents who feel their prodigy should be Champion *cough* Christian *cough* I completely got the mindset.”

Gewirtz didn’t specify which title Mr. and Mrs. Cage pitched for his son to win, though it’s believed to be a World title.

Christian Today

Last year, Cage made his in-ring return, nearly seven years after his last match, competing in the 2021 WWE Men’s Royal Rumble match.

Despite this, Cage would leave the promotion, and join AEW at their March 2021 Revolution Pay Per View.

At this year’s Road Rager edition of AEW Dynamite, Cage turned heel, attacking Jungle Boy after he and Luchasaurus lost the AEW World Tag Team Titles to the Young Bucks.

Story broke out yesterday that Eddie Kingston had been suspended from AEW after a real-life altercation with Sammy Guevara.

The cause of this shoot confrontation was a promo the former TNT champion cut during a Rampage taping on August 10. Sammy used some derogatory remarks in the promo that Kingston wasn’t aware of.

The company chose not to air the segment on TV after the altercation. A video of the unaired segment has now emerged, which you can check out below:

Sammy Guevara and Eddie Kingston React

Reports have since revealed that Eddie Kingston has already completed his suspension and he is expected back on AEW programming next week.

Both Kingston and Sammy Guevara have also released statements on the matter. The Mad King admitted that he was wrong for being unprofessional.

Guevara on the other hand, blamed Kingston for not communicating things properly. He claimed that the fellow AEW star needs to do some kind of anger management because this isn’t the first time he has gotten out of control.

Sammy was originally expected to lose the match against Eddie Kingston at All Out. The bout is still advertised on social media by the company but it hasn’t been made official on TV. There is no word on who might win if the match does take place.

AEW star Sammy Guevara has issued a statement in regard to a backstage incident with Eddie Kingston. The two were involved in a feud that was supposed to lead to a match at AEW All Out on September 4th.

At the taping for the Quake by the Lake edition of Rampage, Sammy had a promo in the ring following his match. The 29-year-old mocked Eddie’s physical appearance during the promo, leading to the backstage incident. It has also been reported that Sammy has heat with previous wrestlers he’s worked with in the promotion as well.

Eddie Kingston apologized in a comment to PW Insider earlier today: “You know the truth.  I wouldn’t lie. I was wrong for being unprofessional. That is the blind fact. He did what he did and the public can judge that but I know for a fact I was wrong.”

Sammy Guevara’s Statement

Sammy Guevara has provided the following statement of his own to Fightful Select on the matter and called Eddie’s actions unprofessional:

“As a professional you communicate things that you don’t want to be said (like other people I’ve been in programs with and have worked with Matt Hardy, Jericho and others) and I did communicate of what I didn’t want to be said in this angle and Eddie didn’t. But Eddie did not do the same and Eddie did not mention to me or the coaches or TK or anyone in AEW what he didn’t want said.
 
So after Tay’s and my match with Sky Blue and Dante I cut a promo on Eddie insulting Eddie and the fans as a heel. Which I know the thing everyone loves to do is hate Me & Tay so I’m the perfect person to play this ass hole character for Eddie to ultimately beat at All Out. I see what people say online about Eddie and his appearance. (Which anyone who legitimately shames Eddie for how he looks can go to hell, it’s the same people who shame me for being too small) so Sammy Guevara the character I could be the physical person playing that person that Eddie can shut up at All Out.
 
But Eddie did not do the professional thing and communicate to me, which if he did I never would have said it cause the last thing I want to do is hurt someone for real.
 
So after the promo I get to the back and Eddie is flipping out yelling “YOU CANT CALL ME FAT” over and over as I’m trying to walk down the stairs in gorilla making a big scene. People get in between us, Eddie try’s to pie face me and he more life touches my face it was weird. And everyone backs everyone up. It was unfortunate cause this promo was on a taped show and easily could have been edited (which they ended up doing anyways) i know this isn’t Eddie’s first time being aggressive and getting out of control backstage. I know he had to do some kind of anger management after this whole thing. This whole thing was very unnecessary but it Is what it is, Live & learn I guess, onto the next we go.”

This week’s AEW Dynamite saw the surprise announcement by Thunder Rosa that she is not medically cleared to compete. As a result, she will be unable to defend the AEW Women’s World Championship against Toni Storm at All Out on September 4th.

During her absence, an Interim Champion will be crowned. a fatal-four way matchup will occur between Toni Storm, Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter, and Hikaru Shida, with the winner being crowned AEW interim women’s champion.

Thunder Rosa vows to return with a chip on her shoulder and solidify her spot at the top of the card. She did not disclose the nature of her injury on Dynamite, but PWInsider reports that Rosa is dealing with a back injury. It’s something she has been working through for some time and there is no timetable for her return.

There was a rumor going around that Thunder Rosa has been suspended by AEW, but we can confirm this is not true.

Original Plans for the AEW Women’s title

According to the Wrestling Observer, Thunder Rosa was booked to lose the AEW Women’s World Championship to Toni Storm at All Out.

Say what you want about Rosa’s title reign, but AEW officials are well aware that interest in the women’s division has taken a considerable hit since Britt Baker dropped the title to Rosa earlier this year.

It will be interesting to see if Toni Storm still gets the Women’s title at All Out. Britt Baker is the most popular female performer on the roster and they might just put the gold back on her as a ‘reset.’

This isn’t the first time AEW has had to rely on an interim championship. CM Punk went down with an injury one week after winning the world title at Double Or Nothing, with Jon Moxley capturing the title at Forbidden Door. The Purveyor of Violence solidified his second championship reign when he squashed Punk on last night’s Dynamite.

This week, it was reported that Eddie Kingston has completed a suspension over comments made about Sammy Guevara.

Kingston’s suspension is said to have happened a few weeks ago, which explains the “Mad King’s” recent hiatus from television.

The Update

In the initial report about Kingston’s suspension, it was unclear what exactly had been said that forced AEW to take action.

In an update from PW Insider, it’s reported that Kingston took issue with a promo that was ultimately cut from AEW TV.

Kingston was mad because Sammy Guevara hadn’t spoken with him or cleared the content of the promo ahead of time.

The promo in question saw Guevara refer to Kingston as a “fat piece of sh*t.”

Kingston felt the line was wrong, especially as he was booked to win their match at AEW All Out 2022.

His reasoning is that Guevara’s line buried the match, especially as the “fat piece of sh*t” was going to won.

More than just words

While the initial report claimed that Kingston was suspended for what he said about Guevara, that isn’t the whole story.

It’s reported that when Kingston confronted Guevara, the latter simply smiled at Kingston, which did little to calm him down.

This led to Kingston ‘pie-facing’ Guevara, shoving the former TNT Champion in the face, that Sammy was furious about.

Kingston’s suspension lasted two weeks before it ended.

Silent Treatment

The report adds that before this incident, the pair had not spoken since Blood and Guts where Kingston threw Guevara off of the cage.

Kingston had asked to work with Sammy, which came as a shock to some, as Guevara had earned a reputation of being difficult to work with, following his program with Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page.

When asked by PW Insider, Kingston said “I was wrong. That is all.”

During last week’s AEW Dynamite, then-World Champion CM Punk declared that he would unify his title with Interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, in the main event of All Out 2022.

Instead, the two had their title unification match on this week’s Dynamite, which saw Moxley destroy Punk to be crowned the AEW Undisputed World Champion.

The Main Event

With AEW’s arguable biggest match ever taking place earlier this week, this has left All Out 2022 without a main event, or so it would seem.

During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed that despite the match announced for All Out happening on this week’s Dynamite, the plan has not changed.

“It is Punk and Moxley. I don’t know if they’re gonna add stips or whatever but that is the main event.”

Dave Meltzer

It is unclear how AEW will put Punk back in the title picture, especially with All Out just over one week away.

Punk-Moxley 2: Should it Happen?

With AEW All Out 2022 fast approaching, it makes sense that the promotion wants a main event that already has a story connected.

However, some fans have questioned whether Punk should receive a rematch so quickly after not just being beaten, but beaten decisively by Moxley.

While AEW’s story appears to be that Punk returned from his injury too soon, as seen by how little offense he got in during the title-unification match, it makes little sense that he would try again mere days after being defeated with ease.

Some have suggested that the loss on Dynamite was done to make Punk’s title win at All Out 2022 ‘bigger’ and kick off the title run that was supposed to start earlier this year prior to his injury.

In the latest AEW rankings, Hangman Page, Powerhouse Hobbs, Jay Lethal, Darby Allin, and Bryan Danielson are all in line for an AEW Undisputed World Champion opportunity.

In 1993, just four years into his wrestling career, Billy Gunn debuted for the World Wrestling Federation and became a staple of the company.

Gunn’s first stint with WWE lasted until 2004, and saw him become part of D-Generation X, an Intercontinental, Tag Team, and Hardcore Champion, as well as the 1999 King of the Ring.

His second run in the company from 2012 to 2015 saw Gunn have one final run as a Tag Team Champion.

The Wild West

Gunn spent years with WWE, but was hired by AEW in January 2019, initially as a coach.

In addition to coaching, Gunn has transitioned into being an on-screen performer, and has noticed the differences between his current and previous employer.

Speaking on The Sessions, Gunn told Renee Paquette that personally, he preferred how WWE was operated behind the scenes compared to AEW.

“I’m very used to that [the structure in WWE.] I’m a very structured person. Especially in the wrestling business, the more structured you are, the better things are… and I’m not saying it’s not good in AEW. I’m just saying it’s a little bit on the Wild West side. Which I guess if you’re used to that then it’s okay. I am not used to that.”

” It’s a little bit on the Wild West side.”

Billy Gunn describes AEW’s backstage structure compared to WWE.

Gunn added that “the hardest adjustment” for him has been moving from how WWE works behind the scenes to how AEW operates.

Speaking about his sons, Colten and Austin Gunn, the WWE Hall of Famer said he has to fight the urge to control what they do in accordance to his own ideas about structure.

Coaching in AEW vs. WWE

Billy Gunn has served as a coach in both WWE and AEW. According to Gunn, WWE talent has been more willing to tap into the wisdom of legends behind the scenes.

“In WWE, I don’t want to say they listen more, because that’s not true, [coaches] are just taken a little more serious, I think. Everybody in WWE knows that’s what we are there for and you can come to us anytime you want and run an idea by. Not that they don’t want to, I don’t know what it is.”

“I’m more than happy to help you if you come to me and say, ‘Hey, would you help me with this, or could you watch this and show me this.’ So, there’s a few people that take advantage of that, I just don’t know.. I’m trying to figure out what it is, it’s not a bad thing, and it’s not like they know everything, maybe it’s just me and my demeanor [laughs].”

Renee suggests, maybe talent in AEW just want to figure it out on their own, or if it’s the looser culture. Gunn speculated, maybe talent thinks that if they ask his advice and don’t do it, he’d be really mad, which is not the case.

• Billy Gunn Not Interested in a WWE vs. AEW War

Listen to Billy Gunn’s appearance on The Sessions with Renee Paquette

Please credit SEScoops with a link to this article if you use any of the transcribed quotes.

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

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

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

Baker and Rosa

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

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

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

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

“They Have been mortal enemies for years.”

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

Broken Nose

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

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

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

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

Joe Lanza

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Meeting

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

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

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

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

Communication

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

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

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

Contract Tampering

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Eddie Kingston Has To Say

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

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

– Eddie Kingston

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

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

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

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

Moxley Takes Aim

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Else?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Eddie Kingston Breaks Silence On His AEW Suspension

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

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

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

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

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

Is Thunder Rosa’s Injury Real?

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

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

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

Stay tuned for more updates on her health.

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

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

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

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

Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay

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

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

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

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

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

• AEW Dynamite Results (8/24/22): Jon Moxley Destroys CM Punk, Trios Tournament, Ricky Starks

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

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

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

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

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

Come Talk With Me

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

Punk vs. Moxley

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

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

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

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

Moxley vs. Punk

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

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

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

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

Mandatory Talent Meeting 

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Pre-Order AEW Fight Forever Now from Amazon

New Gameplay Footage

Features

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

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

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

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

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

Gameplay

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

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

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

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

Extra Information

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

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

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

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

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

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

Legitimate Heat

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

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

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

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

Why is Punk vs. Moxley taking place on Dynamite?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schiavone Enjoying His New Role with AEW

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

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

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

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

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

(Quotes via Fightful)

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

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

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

The Next CM Punk

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

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

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

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

You can watch a clip of the interview here:

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Update on Plans for Cody Rhodes When He Returns from Injury

Cody Rhodes and AEW

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

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

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