All Elite Wrestling faction The Nightmare Family have added several new members to the group. During a recent episode of Sammy Guevara’s vlog, Cody Rhodes confirmed that four All Elite stars have been officially added to ever-growing group.

“If you are somebody who is part of The Nightmare Family, then I consider you more than a one day a week wrestler,” Cody Rhodes said on the vlog.

“And can take that Nightmare Family logo, jacket, familial connection. Do whatever the hell you want with it, take it to any company in the world — go anywhere with it, it means you are family” the former TNT Champion added.

Fuego del Sol, Red Velvet, KiLynn King, and Baron Black have all now officially been added to the stable, with Cody Rhodes also mentioning how fans incorrectly believed that Red Velvet was already a member.

The Nightmare Family now consists of:

• Cody Rhodes
• Brandi Rhodes
• Dustin Rhodes
• Arn Anderson
• Gunn Club (Austin, Billy, and Colten Gunn)
• Lee Johnson
• Brock Anderson
• Red Velvet
• Fuego del Sol
• KiLynn King
• Baron Black
• Diamond Dallas Page (association)
• Glacier (association)
• Tommy Dreame (association)
• Stephen Amell (association)

With CM Punk’s links to Stephen Amell, there’s potentially a chance that he aligns himself with the group, should he make his much anticipated debut for AEW. That chance is slim however, as All Elite will likely keep Punk and the other rumored signee Daniel Bryan as main event singles talents.

Malakai Black was a recent guest on Talk is Jericho. During the interview questions obviously arose about his recent departure from WWE. Talking candidly, Black explained how he knew the writing was on the wall moments after he attacked Big E in his comeback moment.

Talking to new AEW roster mate Chris Jericho, Malakai Black explained how he had spoken to Vince McMahon ahead of his comeback, and the boss seemed interested in the storyline. However, it never felt right, and once it happened, he knew things were not going to work out.

“Two weeks before I attacked Big E. on the night of the last vignette, I had a sit down with Vince. And he was very convinced of it, he liked it. I just wanted to get his thoughts, I hadn’t seen him in six months, a lot happened at that point. So I wanted to sit down with him a little bit and kind of see how he was doing.”

“We had a little bit of, just a normal conversation. Like I said, I wanted to gauge, ‘How do you feel about it?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, no, I like it. I like it a lot,’ And then when we did the attack on Big E, I came back. Something about it just didn’t feel right, and I told my wife … I don’t know what it was. The way he looked, something about it, there was a disconnect.”

Malakai Black Doesn’t Hold a Grudge and is Happy to Be Wrestling Again

Talking more, Malakai Black said that ultimately, Vince is the boss at WWE, and so has the right to call the shots. He knew the moment he walked backstage after attacking Big E. One of those moments where you just look around, and you know.

“I kind of felt that he had made up his mind even back then. Which is, hey, it’s his company. It’s fine, no harm, no foul.”

Not long after his release Malakai Black realized his contract only included a 30-day no-compete clause. Something he couldn’t believe at first, but soon took advantage of, signing for AEW as soon as he could.

“I contacted someone within the company. I said, ‘Look, am I reading this correct?’ And this person said, ‘No, that’s correct. Even now, I’m looking at it, you have 30 days,’ and I’m like, ‘Alright, perfect.’”

Malakai Black’s debut in AEW will go down as one of the most shocking moments in their short history given the expected downtime people believed he would have following his release.

Malakai Black was one of the talents Paul Heyman tried to push during his time as the Executive Director of Monday Night Raw. Though he got lost in the shuffle not long after Heyman was removed from the position.

The former NXT champion discussed his relationship with Heyman during a recent appearance on Talk Is Jericho and claimed that they ‘meshed’ from day one.

Talking about Heyman’s run as the Executive Director of Raw, Black claimed that the former ECW owner told him that he only had ‘one night of control’ over things:

“He once told me that he had one night of control. That was the first night he was on, and after that, everything became a fight. Well, maybe ‘a fight’ is not the right word but a debate, which I can understand, but sometimes it makes you wonder.”

• Malakai Black On Advice Shawn Michaels Gave Him

Malakai Black also revealed the plans Paul Heyman had for him and Buddy Murphy, another former WWE talent who Heyman saw as a big future star:

“He’s like, ‘I want to set something up between you and Buddy, that we can come back on WrestleMania in three – four years, maybe five years down the line. We lay a foundation now, and then five years from now, we circle back around,

But we make it bigger. We put it on a bigger stage, and we can draw from what you guys did there.’ It writes itself because that’s how wrestling’s done.”

Paul Heyman was made the Executive Director of Raw back in June 2019. He tried to push young talents as opposed to WWE’s approach of relying on older stars before being relieved of his position in June 2020.

Paul Wight, fka Big Show recently had an interview with The Ring Report where he talked about a number of things such as the recent WWE releases and more.

The former world champion was asked about the recent WWE releases potentially ending up in his new promotion. Replying to it, he claimed that the momentum is with AEW and explained why he made the transition himself:

“Anyone now who has been in this business long enough is smart enough to see where momentum is going and you’ve got to agree that it’s with AEW. It’s got a great groundswell of support from fans who are really into the product.

The storylines are unique. They have a different flavour and excitement about them. I made the transition myself because after four decades, I left as I could see the writing on the wall of where professional wrestling was headed.”

• Shaquille O’Neal Teases Paul Wight Match In AEW, Wight Responds

He was then asked specifically about Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman and Ric Flair potentially joining the promotion. Paul Wight claimed that there is always an opportunity for them to contribute:

“For those other talents like Bray Wyatt, Braun, Ric Flair, and all those guys, there’s always an opportunity for people of that caliber to be a part of AEW and contribute, that’s the thing with wrestling. You never say never.

Wight continued to explain that the young prospects can learn from these veterans and the former WWE stars can prepare young AEW names for the future.

AEW star Andrade El Idolo reportedly wants to have ‘the whole family’ with him in All Elite Wrestling.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that means that the former WWE Superstar wants to see stars from ROH and beyond make their way over to All Elite.

Dave Meltzer confirmed that the new AEW signee wants to bring more than Chavo Guerrero with him over to All Elite, with his partner Charlotte Flair someone who he is really eager to see make the jump over from WWE.

Andrade Wants Charlotte Flair in AEW

It’s doubtful that Flair will be making a move over to AEW, but there’s a chance that this news was leaked to try and help secure the WWE Superstar a better contract.

With Charlotte Flair one of the bigger names on the main roster, WWE will no doubt want to ensure that she does not go anywhere, and news like her partner wanting her to move to the competition (despite what Vince McMahon may say) is a good bargaining tactic for negotiation.

Ric Flair however is a different prospect, with the former WCW and NWA star almost a shoe-in to appear on the AEW product, with the history between himself, the TNT network and stars such as Tully Blanchard? There’s at least a one-off appearance waiting to happen for the Nature Boy.

AEW Star Chris Jericho recently spoke to the Inside the Ropes website. The former WWE Superstar discussed several topics during the interview, including his no holds barred/deathmatch against Nick Gage on AEW Dynamite.

‘Le Champion’ Jericho revealed in the interview that he has no plans to do any other deathmatches for the rest of his career; although, he would be prepared to get gory once again if the storyline dictated as such.

“Well, I’m not being egotistical when I say, ‘Of course it was my idea, and of course I was fine with it’ because I thought of it. I booked the whole match as well” Jericho began.

“You never thought you’d see Chris Jericho in that type of match, maybe not on TNT, but why wouldn’t you see Chris Jericho in that type of match? Because I’ve done every other match!” the former AEW Champion continued

Chris Jericho vs Nick Gage

It was then that Jericho stated that he would do another similar match if the storyline called for it. The ongoing blood feud between Jericho and MJF may well necessitate a match of this type, or close to it.

“I think it might even be the most-watched death match of all time in the fact that we had 1.2 million people watching it. Show me another deathmatch that had that type of viewership” Jericho would conclude.

With CM Punk widely believed to be headed to AEW in just two weeks, Conrad Thompson asked Jim Ross about Punk on the latest edition of “Grillin Jr“.

“I hope we sign him, I hope he’s one of our guys,” JR said about Punk on the show. “CM Punk is a treasure. And he can contribute a lot to a lot of guys and he’s willing to share his knowledge and his expertise to other talents. He pays it forward and has no problem doing so, that’s my take on him.”

“If we can sign CM Punk to our team and our roster, it’s a great get,” JR continued.

Punk’s debut in AEW is heavily rumored to take place at AEW First Dance. The event will be held in Chicago’s United Center on August 20th. Ross also commented on if Punk’s 8 years away from the ring will impact his work.

“He’s a huge player in the big picture and am I worried his layoff is going to affect his work? We know it’s going to affect his work to some degree because he’s 8 years older. And he’s in his 40s. But that doesn’t seem to matter in today’s wrestling business especially when you have a schedule like ours.”

JR also spoke about how valuable he feels Punk will be for developing talent on the roster. Having someone like Punk around gives up-and-comers a valuable veteran to get advice from.

“There’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to be effective as hell,” JR continued.

“If CM Punk signs with us he will be used and valued in multiple areas and I don’t think that anybody that’s concerned about his in-ring game have anything to worry about.”

AEW has released the new entrance video used by Darby Allin to its official AEW Music YouTube channel. The video was animated by video production company, Rooster Teeth.

The full video can be viewed in the player below:

Darby Allin On Filmmaking and Art

A former film student, Darby Allin spoke to the Independent about filmmaking, art, and more earlier this year.

“There’s so much in this world that I want to do that I don’t want to pigeonhole myself into one thing. I love art, whether it be film-making, fashion, anything. I don’t want to be this 55-year-old guy wrestling in a high school gym, not because he wants to but because he has to,” Allin said during the interview.

“The wheels are spinning in my head on what’s after all of this, so it’s fun.”

During an appearance on the Wrestling Perspectives podcast earlier this year, Allin spoke about how he feels he’s more productive when he’s alone.

 “So I really just feel super more productive when I’m by myself. But when it’s time to go out there and put a match together or put a storyline together, I’ll be totally in your face like super collabing and just talking, but otherwise man I really like to be left alone.”

Tonight is the last Friday without an episode of AEW Rampage but AEW has announced a special episode of Friday Night Dark will take place tonight on YouTube. The show will air in the same timeslot that AEW Rampage will be in starting next week. No matches have been confirmed for tonight’s show.

AEW announced the news Twitter:

The first-ever edition of AEW Rampage will take place next Friday, August 13th, 2021. The event will take place in the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Just one match has been confirmed for the show thus far. Pittsburgh’s own Dr. Britt Baker DMD will defend her AEW Women’s World Championship against Red Velvet.

AEW’s second episode of Rampage will air from Chicago’s United Center. Over 13,000 tickets have been sold to the event. While no matches have been confirmed for “The First Dance” event, it has been widely speculated that CM Punk could debut in the promotion then.

Tony Khan spoke to PW Insider about the different taping schedules that will occur for Rampage and Dynamite.

“With Rampage, there’s going to be some weeks Rampage will be live and there’ll be weeks where we plan to tape Rampage after Dynamite, including here at Arthur Ashe Stadium [in NYC], where we will be filming also after. We’ll do Dynamite live and we’ll also film Rampage. And in some of the markets where we have these amazing crowds, I think it’s okay.”

Even before AEW existed, members of the Elite frequently put easter eggs in YouTube videos, Tweets, or elsewhere as little bread crumbs for fans to follow. With so many rumors out there regarding new AEW signees, fans have been pointing out possible easter eggs on AEW programming as of late. We’ve compiled the most notable of these below.

AEW Teasing CM Punk On Dynamite The Last 2 Weeks

For the last two weeks, fans have been pointing out possible references to CM Punk on Dynamite. Last week, the most notable tease of CM Punk heading to AEW was a backstage segment with Darby Allin, when he slowly and dramatically delivered the line “Best in the World.” Fans have noted other teases of Punk on that show, however.

It was noted that Nick Jackson did Punk’s running knee and bulldog out of the corner combo during the 10-man Elite vs Dark Order match. Some fans have noted that MJF’s promo to Chris Jericho at the end of last week’s show was very similar to the first few lines of Punk’s famous Pipe Bomb promo as well.

“As you sit there in more pain than you’ve ever been in your entire life, I need you to listen to me,” MJF said.

“John Cena, while you lay there hopefully as uncomfortable as you can possibly can be, I want you to listen to me,” Punk said during his Pipe Bomb promo.

This week, many fans pointed out that Kenny Omega was wearing a Cookie Monster t-shirt. Punk has previously said that the CM in his name can stand for Cookie Monster, in addition to other things. Joe Pearl Tweeted out Punk’s comments and how they relate to Cookie Monster.

Other Easter Eggs On Dynamite

Other Easter Eggs some fans have been pointing out include the following:

• Doc Gallows wearing a robe – possible Ric Flair reference?
• The Young Bucks wearing flowery attire – possible Bray Wyatt reference? (Granted, they’ve been wearing these since their heel turn, but maybe they knew ahead of time…)
• The cutting down of the basketball net – some have said this might be a reference to CM Punk “Breaking the internet” or “breaking the net” – Or it could just be the Elite won all the titles so they cut down the net like they do in college basketball.
• Karl Anderson is wearing a Bollywood Boyz shirt.

What CD Did Hangman Page Leave For The Dark Order?

There was also another interesting moment on Dynamite this week. When Hangman Page spoke to the Dark Order backstage, he left a CD on the table. This was pointed out by some fans online.

Nothing For Bryan Danielson?

Also notable is that there do not appear to be any teases for Bryan Danielson. Unless we’ve missed some. If you’ve noticed any easter eggs for him on AEW programming, let us know in the comments section.

All Elite Wrestling is in the development stage of various new projects.

Warner Bros. Career posted a job listing for a new Director in Scripted Development and Programming. While giving details about the position, Warner Bros. also revealed that AEW is working on several new series and projects.

“Starting in August 2021, AEW is expanding from one two-hour weekly live show to a second weekly live one-hour show as well as adding quarterly specials. As well, we have 4 other AEW series in various stages of development (including Rhodes to the Top to be launched this year) and are helping them expand into various ancillary businesses such as comics, NFTs, EST distribution, streaming, etc.,” according to the job listing.

AEW Announced Projects

While not specified, Warner Bros. is referring to AEW Rampage as the new weekly one-hour show. Rampage’s first episode will be on August 13th. In a media conference, AEW’s Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes gave few details regarding Rampage. Miami Herald’s Jim Varsallone asked Rhodes about expectations for Rampage, and Rhodes said that the show would be “…more centered around the fight itself. The match itself, being that’s a one-hour program.”

AEW also revealed that the reality tv series Rhodes To the Top was in development in March. The project will show the behind-the-scenes life of Rhodes and his wife, Brandi. AEW hasn’t released more information about the show.

This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite finally saw the in-ring debut of Malakai Black. Black took on Cody Rhodes after making a very impressive entrance. However, despite Black picking up the win, it was Cody Rhodes who got everybody talking after the bell.

The man whose vision became AEW took to the center of the ring and addressed the crowd. Doing so with a tear in his eye and a tremble in his voice.

“There is no better place than here. There is no better time than now, and I say this with absolutely zero bitterness in my heart. I thank you guys so incredibly much. I love you so incredibly much. You have made my life incredibly special.” Cody Rhodes was in tears as he placed the microphone on the floor and began to remove his boots.

The AEW commentary team made no short reference to the significance of the gesture, and it being the time-honoured way for a wrestler to retire.

However, before Cody Rhodes could remove his second boot, Malakai Black struck. Levelling Rhodes with a crutch shot across the back. The broadcast went off the air with Rhodes laid out in the middle of the ring and Black standing tall.

Have We Seen the Last of Cody Rhodes in an AEW Ring?

It remains to be seen if this is all part of a storyline, of how Cody is broken and ready for the end. To have his zest for wrestling re-ignited by Malakai, or if it is indeed, really the end of the Rhode road.

Wrestling is a sport built around emotion and storytelling. It is a sport where retirement is more often than not impermanent. Many have already drawn parallels to Ric Flair and his numerous retirement matches and celebrations. However, Cody Rhodes is a businessman. He has the taste for life backstage, and maybe, just maybe he wants to stop while his body is still working with him.

Enjoying his time as an EVP of AEW, running a business, the recent discovery of fatherhood. All of these things can put a new perspective on life. However unlikely it may seem; all eyes will surely be tuned in to Dynamite next week to see what Cody Rhodes has to say.

Miro recently appeared on Action Sports Jax and spoke about the possibility of his wife Lana joining him in AEW.

“Well, currently she’s doing her own thing. But also it’s not about me. It’s about what she wants to do. She’s been in the business for such a long time and came fresh out of nowhere. I wouldn’t be surprised if she stays in wrestling because there are so many opportunities coming because she’s one of the best. She could always go outside of wrestling because before wrestling, she was something else. My mind is blown if she decides to focus on a different career path, how successful that would be,” Miro said (transcriptions via Fightful). 

Miro defeated Lee Johnson last night on AEW Dynamite. He has never been pinned or submitted in AEW. Lana noted on Twitter that she prepared brownies for the defending champion.

Lana is fairly busy for the time being. She has been cast on the rebooted “Surreal Life” series. Lana also spoke recently about helping her husband with his AEW promos.

“I think I played a big part in his success behind closed doors in AEW” Lana said on Talk is Jericho. “I can talk about that now.”

“A big turn for him was when we really started talking about ‘let’s make your message more clear over there’” Lana noted. “So it’s reassuring to me that I do grasp storytelling. I do grasp storytelling in wrestling as well.”

Chris Jericho and Nick Gage’s deathmatch at Fight for the Fallen ended up resulting in Dominos making a statement that they are evaluating their advertising presence on the show. Eric Bischoff commented on the fallout from the match recently on his 83 Weeks podcast.

“If I was a Dominos shareholder, I’d be a little hot. I’d question what the f**k is my advertising agency doing?” Bischoff said on the show.

“Take it from the guy who wrote the book ‘Controversy Creates Cash’ there is some controversy that really works in your benefit and particularly in this state of affairs we find ourselves in culturally today, there is a lot of controversy that can kick your ass and not be a benefit.”

Bischoff continued to say that it’s not so much that AEW chased off Dominos, but now the agency that represents Dominos will be less willing to purchase AEW ad spaces for other clients in the future as well.

“Dominos has an advertising agency, do you think that Dominos is the only client that that advertising agency has?”

He continued to say that there are very likely executives at Turner worried about the impacts this will have on ad sales for the network.

“Then everybody got excited when Pabst Blue Ribbon jumped in,” Bischoff continued. “Good for them, guess what? They don’t have a pot to piss in in terms of national advertising. Why is that? Because Pabst Blue Ribbon isn’t even a brewery, it’s a brand.”

Bischoff’s comments can be heard in the player below:

Last month, a fan jumped the guardrail at AEW Road Rager in Miami. It was AEW’s first show back on the road. The promotion has since revealed a fan “Code of Conduct” that has been presented to the live audience before the last few episodes of Dynamite.

AEW’s Fan Code of Conduct bans the following:

“Obscene or offensive gestures, signage, including the use of such language or gestures concerning a person’s race, ethnicity, color, gender religion, creed, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or national origin; or to instigate, incite, or encourage a confrontation or physical assault.”

“Interference with the progress of the show (including throwing objects onto or entering the ring).”

“Failing to follow instructions of law enforcement, guest services, or security personnel.”

“Any conduct deemed inappropriate or dangerous to fans, talent, or staff.”

“Damaging the venue or personal property.”

“Behavior that is unruly, disruptive, threatening or illegal in-nature including fighting and physical harrassment.”

“Four, harassing or abusive language towards other fans or staff.”

“Unreasonably obstructing the view of other patrons and standing in aisles.”

“Smoking (including e-cigarettes).

“Abuse of drugs or alcohol.”

AEW travels to Pittsburgh for two events next week at the Petersen Events Center. Dynamite will air from the venue on Wednesday and the first-ever episode of Rampage will take place that Friday.

Following the controversy last week during the Chris Jericho match versus Nick Gage on AEW Dynamite, Dominos has seemingly gone through with their decision to withdraw their sponsorship. However, one company’s loss is another’s gain as Pabst Blue Ribbon stepped in to claim the vacant spot.

While this is great news for AEW Dynamite, the advert itself is strange as while it is a wrestling-based advert, it doesn’t feature an AEW wrestler. Rather, Matt Cardona and his fiancée Chelsea Green. Between them, both have made sporadic appearances for AEW, but are more known for working with ROH, IMPACT, NWA and as of last month, GCW.

Pabst Blue Ribbon released a statement talking about how Matt Cardona embodied everything Pabst Stands for. This may be true; however, the unanswered question is why this was aired during an episode of AEW Dynamite.

“We are proud to support independent wrestling, and debut Pabst Blue Ribbon’s first-ever cable advert with the Michael Jordan of wrestling figure collecting and GCW world champion, Matt Cardona. Matt’s embodiment of having fun and betting on yourself is what independent wrestling and Pabst Blue Ribbon are all about. We work directly with creatives, artists, and athletes like Matt, which allows us to move quickly, like producing this commercial in-house to air within 4 days. It’s fast and furious and fun. #MajorPBR forever.”

AEW Dynamite Opened the Forbidden Door for Commercial Crossovers

In the day of brand and company crossovers, is an advert such as this a mistake or is it just a clever extension of the open-door policy of modern wrestling? AEW Dynamite is a place where anybody, from any promotion, could seemingly appear. Yet, despite this, the decision to run an advert featuring a wrestler from another company still seems a little strange.

Perhaps it was rushed, a last-minute change. It could be the original plans for the Pabst Advert were for alternate placement. After all, the goal of the ad is to make money for the beer and not AEW Dynamite. Either way, it would appear that even without Dominos, AEW will not struggle to find other sponsors.

AEW is expected to pick up another talented wrestler for its women’s division in the not too distant future. According to a report from Fightful, Ruby Soho, the former Ruby Riott in WWE, is expected to end up in AEW. Riott’s 90-day no-compete clause is believed to be up at the end of August.

Ruby’s name was brought up recently by Vickie Guerrero, who mentioned her when asked about unsigned talent who could end up in AEW.

“I think the one that comes to mind is Ruby. You know she was formerly with WWE; I would love to have Ruby on the roster for AEW,” said Guerrero. 

“She was really underutilized, and I love her. She was on my podcast and just a great talent and a good wholesome human being.”

Ruby is now known as Ruby Soho, which is a reference to a song by Rancid. She was on the Wrestling Perspectives podcast, co-hosted by Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen and spoke about the meaning of the name.

“I am shopping for a new name I would like to keep [the name Ruby] if it’s possible. I feel like it fits me. Ruby came from Ruby Soho and that’s dear to my heart,” she said on the show. 

Nick Gage certainly had an eventful debut in AEW. He was the 2nd Labor of Jericho and created one of the most notable moments of accidental product placement in wrestling history. Gage appeared on Sean Waltman’s “Pro Wrestling 4 Life” podcast and spoke about his experience.

“I was fired up. I was born for that moment. The AEW locker room is awesome. The boys are great. I never felt like I was unwelcome or anything, so that was cool. I was able to focus on what I wanted to do. Then, they were able to let me be…I’m gonna be Nick Gage. They brought me in to be Nick Gage. If you don’t want me to be Nick Gage, I’m going to leave. I felt great and I was fired up. That match was great. Shoutout to Chris Jericho for being a tough dude. It was awesome,” he said (transcriptions via Fightful). 

Gage then spoke about what Tony Khan said to him backstage.

“Tony came up to me all fired up. As soon as I got to the back, he came up to me, I looked that man dead in his eyes and I said, ‘You’ve got something awesome going here. Thank you for making me feel at home.’ I was fired up. He said, ‘Thank you, what an awesome match.’ He showed me nothing but love.”

The following day, Gage carving up Jericho in picture-in-picture during an ad for Dominos made a lot of headlines. Gage said he wasn’t even aware of the situation until much later. When he did find out he thought it was a funny coincidence.

The 3rd Labor of Jericho will take place tonight on Dynamite. Jericho will take on his old rival from WCW, Juventud Guerrera.

AEW President Tony Khan has reacted to the controversy surrounding Max Caster’s latest rap on Tuesday’s AEW Dark.

Caster and AEW faced strong pushback after his rap referenced the mental health of US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and the 2006 sexual assault criminal case involving members of the Duke University lacrosse team.

Caster rapped, “The Acclaimed kicking ass for miles, make you claim mental health like Simone Biles. The Sydals gonna pay the cost, I’m gonna treat those bitches like Duke lacrosse. The Blondes say they the best but those dudes are faker than a PCR test. And what’s that smell here in North Carolina, oh wait that’s Julia’s …”

Tony Khan Reacts To Max Caster Controversy

During his weekly appearance on Busted Open Radio, Tony Khan announced he is taking over editing duties of AEW Dark and AEW Dark: Elevation. Khan called the situation “terrible” and said the controversial comments never should have made it to air.

To ensure something like this does not happen again, Khan will be taking over editing duties for the show in order to prevent something like this happening again.

“Last night on Dark, Max Caster’s rap was terrible. I was not out there in the moment when he did it, it was not during Dynamite,” Khan said. “I had not heard it until last night, truthfully. In the editing process, it should have been caught. We deleted the episode and re-posted it with that edited out but it shouldn’t have aired.”

“This would never have happened (on Dynamite) because Max’s raps, I have always gone over them with him,” he continued. “I don’t script or write wrestler’s promos, but the bullet points I give. In this case, it shouldn’t have happened and what will happen going forward is I will take over the editing of Dark and Elevation myself.”

Khan was praised on social media for his handling of the situation.

A reference to Simone Biles was also made on WWE RAW this week. Charlotte Flair mentioned the gymnast in her promo this week regarding Nikki ASH.

The Acclaimed are currently ranked #2 in the AEW top-5 tag-team rankings.

Malakai Black appeared as Chris Jericho’s guest on Talk is Jericho recently. During the discussion, Black spoke about advice he received from Shawn Michaels while in NXT. Black says that advice he got from Michaels and Terry Taylor really had an impact on him. Both Taylor and Michaels were criticized for doing too many flashy moves in their day, and Black says they taught him how to wrestle in a way where those moves make sense.

“Shawn was always considered a smaller guy but he revolutionized the business,” Black said on the show. Black then spoke about how guys like Shawn Michaels and Terry Taylor used to be criticized in their days for just doing flashy moves.

“It was funny to hear that guys like (Terry Taylor) and (Shawn) Michaels, guys from two different eras, would get the same criticism that a lot of us get now. But, he was one of those guys (who told us) to make it okay but find a way to do it, find a way for it to make sense.”

“You’re never ever going to convince everyone and your goal is not to convince everyone. Your goal is to progress the business in the way that the business is installed in 2021 by also maintaining the old school and maintaining what is relevant and keeping an ear on the ground to look at pop culture and what is current, and Shawn was great at that.”

Malakai Black on Terry Taylor’s Influence

Black continued to talk about how Terry Taylor has influenced his career and wrestling style.

“I love Terry Taylor. I owe so much to Terry, I speak to him every week,” Black said. “Him and me got real personal in my time in NXT. I love that man like my father, I really do. He was the one that guided guys like Hunter and Shawn in that era too, so all his teachings came through Shawn to me.”

“Terry just made me aware of what good solid work was,” Black continued.

The former members of Ever-Rise in WWE are set to make their AEW debuts on Dynamite this week. Now known as Matt Lee & Jeff Parker (FKA Chase Parker and Matt Martel) they will team with Daniel Garcia to take on Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston and Darby Allin on Dynamite this week.

“Free agency tastes real good! 2.0 in the AEW but you know what you gotta do when you’re the new kids in the neighbourhood? You have to find someone to watch your back!”

The 3 then decided they were going to call out the 3 “baddest dudes” in the promotion. Tony Khan later sanctioned the match for this week’s Dynamite.

The members of Ever Rise spoke to WhatCulture about their release from WWE earlier this year.

“Yeah, [we were] surprised to say the least,” Martel said. “Surprised to say the least. It seemed to us that we had our whole careers in front of us in WWE. We were on TV every week doing what we wanted to do.”

“Since, like, the month of October, we were doing something every week. Especially on NXT, finally getting, like, those… fleshing out those characters, which was always the idea, but it was a slow start.”

Ever since their debut, The Acclaimed has had people talking. This is partly due to their in-ring skills, but largely due to the pre-match raps of Max Caster. His words are cutting, barbed and designed to skirt the line between acceptable and offensive.

There is no denying Max Caster is a talented linguist. However, this week on AEW Dark Caster went a little too far over the line. As is the nature of art, whether it is lyrical or visual, boundaries need to be pushed.

While his lyrics aired during the ‘live’ AEW Dark stream, they were sufficiently controversial to warrant a re-upload of the episode to YouTube. In the new file, Max Caster’s words were edited out. In fact, the entrance of both teams was fully removed from the broadcast.

During his entrance rap, Max Caster spat lines such as “make you claim mental health like Simone Biles” and a jab at the expense of the Duke lacrosse rape trial. He also referred to COVID conspiracy theorists with the line “those dudes are faker than a PCR test.”

Max Caster is No Stranger to Pushing Boundaries

This is not the first time that Max Caster’s pre-match raps have caused a bit of a storm. Including his barb at Jon Moxley following an appearance on Renee Young’s Oral Sessions podcast. However, there was something different about the venom this time around.

There was an air of poor decision making ahead of the incident, especially given when the show was filmed. This particular episode of AEW Dark was filmed immediately after Fight for the Fallen. A show hosted for the benefit of the victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. It is difficult to say where the blame should lie. Max Caster should have known better, but sometimes, in the moment, things are forgotten.

The real question is why AEW allowed the entrance to air during the initial stream when they had been sitting on the footage for close to a week.

All Elite Wrestling Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes spoke with the wrestling media ahead of AEW Homecoming.

Rhodes will face Malakia Black this Wednesday at AEW Homecoming at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. Before the event, Rhodes held a media conference to answer questions regarding AEW.

Rhodes started the conference by warning that he will not be answering any rumors or speculation.

Rhodes Answers Black Signing with AEW

Givemesport’s Louis Dangoor asked the first question. Dangoor greeted Rhodes and talked about Black’s surprise debut in AEW. he asked to get Rhodes’s reaction to finding out about Black being available to sign with AEW and “If any potential plans had to be changed” due to Black’s arrival.

“From my understanding, no plans have been changed. Whenever there is a free agent of that caliber, male or female, you have to jump on it,” said Rhodes. He credited AEW President and CEO Tony Khan for signing Black.

Rhodes also discussed the timing of the hiring and the match not being on Pay Per View. “Dynamite is the heart and soul of the company and what we do. Being able to put these matches on Television is huge, said Rhodes. He followed up by talking about AEW not following the classic model of doing the match on PPV and said, “TV is where their bread is buttered.”

Rhodes Discuss AEW approach to Signing Free Agents

SEScoops correspondent Michael Shalik talked to Rhodes about the current state of wrestling free agency and asked, “What is AEW current appetite for talent acquisition?”

Rhodes replied, “If there is a free agent out there that can move the needle and be something significant for us, I personally think you have to go after them.” He also touted AEW’s growing success and that the company can give wrestlers opportunities.

Rhodes Reveals Live Tour Status

Digital Spy’s Stephanie Chase asked Rhodes, “How much is AEW got an idea of their live touring schedule for the rest of the year.” Chase also asked AEW ambition to tour in the United Kingdom and the west coast of the United States.

Rhodes responded by saying AEW has “Already have a good layout of where they want to go.” He also confirmed that going to the west coast in the U.S is part of the schedule.

Regarding AEW touring the U.K, Rhodes revealed he wanted to face Anthony Ogogo in the U.K. “I had always envisioned that the match with Anthony Ogogo was meant to happen in the United Kingdom,” said Rhodes. While AEW wants to go to the U.K, Rhodes admitted that it depends on what happens with the handling of the pandemic and wants to make sure fans are safe.

Rhodes Shares Opinion on Deathmatches

Bleacher Report’s Chris Wheeler wanted Rhodes’s opinion on the Nick Gage vs. Chris Jericho match last week. Wheeler also wanted to get Rhodes’s thoughts on deathmatches and their place in mainstream wrestling.

Rhodes said about Gage’s match with Jericho last week, “The match was as advertised.” He also shared that he once considered having a deathmatch with Matt Tremont.

Rhodes also said, “We were the number one show on cable, and that is a huge honor. Three weeks in a row. That’s a huge honor and responsibility to our fanbase. During the Olympics, we are the number one show on cable.” He also believes there is a place for it but said, “I don’t think it’s something you’ll see often.”

Rhodes Gives Update on AEW Rampage

Miami Herald’s Jim Varsallone asked Rhodes what AEW will do to separate AEW Rampage other AEW programming and “What are the expectation for Rampage.”

Rhodes responded that Rampage would be “More centered around the fight itself. The match itself, being that’s a one-hour program.”

He also reveals that Mark Henry will be one of the commentators on the show. In another minor spoiler, Cody said the AEW logo on the ring canvas for Rampage.

Rhodes Discuss AEW’s Community Outreach Program

Wrestle Joy’s Amy Nemmity asked Rhodes about AEW ‘s Community Outreach Program and how AEW chooses the program they will be working with.

Rhodes says that “All the stars were aligning at once on community outreach. Paul Wight, he’s an ambassador of the Special Olympics. Wight arrived, I have a relationship with him. Mark Henry is all about community outreach, and at the time, I was banging on Tony Khan’s door everywhere wanting to put this department together.”

Rhodes credits former WWE employee Sue Aitchison immensely for inspiring him to give back to the community. He also praised Paul Wight, Mark Henry, Thunder Rosa, and Sean Dean for their involvement with the program. Now with a committed department to the community outreach program, Rhodes shared the excitement that he can pull from different talent on the road for programs that AEW can help with. “I can ask Lance Archer about Texas. I can ask Jon Moxley about Cincinnati, and I can do that everywhere we go,” said Rhodes.

At AEW Homecoming, Rhodes announced that AEW would help transport 600 kids to attend the event.

Rhodes Thoughts on the United Center

Comicbook’s Connor Casey asked Rhodes about the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, and if they will do more shows there when in Chicago.

“I know for Tony Khan it was a childhood dream to run the United Center and to sell it out instantly,” said Rhodes. He went on to say that it’s not about the venue but that Chicago has been a great place to have shows.

Rhodes shared he doesn’t believe he’s wrestled in the United Center. “I can’t wait to see the vibe there,” said Rhodes.

Rhodes speaks on Mask Mandate

Spectrum Sport’s Jon Alba asked Rhodes about AEW’s stance on the CDC’s mask mandate and “Is there any concern over how that may impact future events like All Out.“

Rhodes responded by saying, “We’re always going to go off of state mandate. We’re not going to try to break any rules or any laws. The health and safety of our talent, staff, and fans it’s the highest priority.” He also said that while there won’t be a mask mandate for AEW Homecoming, AEW encourages wearing a mask if fans feel comfortable.

Vince McMahon was asked about WWE seeing AEW as competition during last week’s Q2 earnings call with investors. This is where he noted that he doesn’t see AEW in the same way that he did with WCW. 

AEW’s Chris Jericho spoke with Kenny McIntosh of Inside The Ropes and noted that McMahon was smart to say what he did because what else was he going to say. 

“We’re not worried about what WWE is and we haven’t been since day one,” Jericho said. “We weren’t worried about what NXT did. The whole time with the NXT vs. AEW war, which ended in a total abysmal failure for NXT, we never once had a TV screen watching what they were doing when we were doing it. 

Jericho stated that he thinks WWE is watching what the competition is doing, but AEW is just focused on what they’re doing and he thinks that’s one of the reasons why AEW has done so well.  He noted that AEW couldn’t control the fact that NXT was put up against Dynamite so they can only control what All Elite Wrestling is doing. 

“So WWE is not competition for us,” Jericho said. “We’re competition for ourselves. So for Vince to say that – to me, it’s probably reverse psychology and that he does see us as competition. But deep down inside, what does it really matter?”

Jericho stated that while WWE has billions of dollars locked in via TV deals right now, AEW is working towards that. 

“Now when our demo ends up beating theirs and TV deals start coming in for us at the billions, then I truly think there will be a lot of competition because now you’re fighting for money, you’re not just fighting for bragging rights – and bragging rights don’t mean anything.”

Jericho ended by stating that it’s the money that a company makes that counts. 

The rumors surrounding CM Punk and his impending debut for AEW have been ramping up over the past few weeks.

Several AEW stars alluded to the former WWE Superstar on this past week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, with Darby Allin essentially calling out the man who was known as the ‘Best In The World.’

Although Allin has since denied that his promo was aimed at CM Punk, the straight edge Superstar will be making his debut at an upcoming event, likely AEW Rampage in Chicago on August 13.

CM Punk Betting Odds

Bet Online recently released the following list of odds for Punk’s first AEW opponent, with Daniel Bryan and Darby Allin looking like the two most likely candidates:

• Darby Allin: +100
• Daniel Bryan: +200
• Christian Cage: +320
• Orange Cassidy: +600
• Matt Hardy: +700
• Chris Jericho: +800
• Cody Rhodes: +800
• Jungle Boy: +900
• Sting: +1000

Although Punk vs Daniel Bryan would be a big match for AEW, it is unlikely that his first match in the company would be against the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Darby Allin seems to be the safe bet for Punk as a first match when he finally debuts in All Elite. It’s unlikely that he will wrestle on the Rampage show itself on August 13, but he may well set up an ALL OUT match against the former TNT Champion for September 5.

Who do you think CM Punk will face in his first AEW match? Let us know in the comments