Last week at Fight for the Fallen, HIKULEO came out for his IWGP United States Championship match against Lance Archer along with his father, Haku. Chris Jericho took to Instagram recently to praise the legend.

“It was great to see #KingHaku….my Sempai & one of my favorite people on Earth…in Charlotte last week!! From 1993-1995, I travelled the world with #Tonga and we had many amazing adventures together….some of them were even sober!!” Jericho wrote.

“Whether it was taking on the entire security team in the #MexicoCity Airport, drinking coconut rum right from a coconut (that Tonga scaled a tree to grab) or doing Mezcal fueled aerobics in a gym surrounded by futbol moms at 7am, we always had a blast! He’s also such a kind hearted & gracious man…you don’t hear that much, but it’s true. And of course he’s tough as f**k!! Malo e lelei Tonga!!”

Chris Jericho’s Haku Stories

During an appearance on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s podcast earlier this year, Jericho told the story of him and Haku getting in a brawl at an airport. Jericho was being surrounded by security agents when Haku sprung to the rescue.

“He threw guys out of the way to get over to me. They were starting to get like, it was a fight and dude was like Old Western back to back, kind of pushing guys and throwing guys around. I remember he had a guy like Darth Vader, he just picked the guy up by his collars and had him in the air, and then out came the guns.”

Adam Cole reportedly will have the decision to either re-sign with WWE or test the waters as a free agent. The contract of the former NXT Champion will expire later this month shortly after SummerSlam. 

AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker, who has been dating Cole for the past few years, recently did an interview with the Daily Star before the report about Cole’s status came out. 

During the discussion, Baker was asked about the possibility of Cole jumping ship to All Elite Wrestling and if he would do it for her.

“He has got to hold down Tuesday night and I’ll hold down Wednesday night, right?! I think it’s funny when people say, ‘He has to go to AEW because of Britt!’ because there are so many more people at AEW who have played a bigger role in the wrestling side of his life.”

I Just Want Him To Be Happy

Baker continued by noting that The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega were in the Bullet Club for the majority of the time that Cole was a big star in ROH so he was around them. She noted that his history with some of the top stars in AEW would create endless storylines for Cole. 

“But he’s happy where he is. So, if he were to jump ship and come my way, that would be awesome, but if he stays in WWE forever then I’d be happy, too, as I just want him to be happy.”

Cole nor WWE has yet to publicly comment on his contract status. It was reported that WWE executives were surprised to learn that they had let the expiration date of Cole’s contract get so close without realizing it was set to end.

AEW’s “First Dance” event on Friday August 20th inside Chicago’s United Center has sold out. Over 12,000 tickets were sold during the presale last Friday. Tickets went on sale to the general public today and the rest sold quickly. In total, 13, 654 tickets have been distributed to the event.

Just under 5000 seats in the venue will likely be behind the stage or camera setup. It’s possible more tickets open up closer to the date of the show.

It’s a big next month for wrestling in Chicago. Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW will emanate from the Allstate Arena in the city. The show is a near sellout of over 12,000.

AEW First Dance will technically be the second ever episode of Rampage. The first edition of the show will be on Friday, August 13th, in Pittsburgh.

Other Event Ticket Sales

NJPW has just over 2000 tickets distributed for NJPW Resurgence from the LA Coliseum on August 14th.

The NWA 73rd Anniversary show in St. Louis at the end of the month is almost sold out. Capacity for the show is just under 900.

WWE SummerSlam has just under 45,000 tickets distributed.

AEW has signed a deal with Eurosport India to broadcast episodes of AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage. According to a report from Sportskeeda, the first broadcast will be on Sunday August 15th, 2021 which happens to be Independence Day in the country.

Eurosport India also broadcasts episodes of Impact Wrestling and NJPW. WWE is broadcast on Sony Sports India.

Tony Khan was quoted in a press release announcing the news.

“In less then two years since launching AEW DYNAMITE, we’ve started a professional wrestling revolution,” said Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. “Through our partnership with Eurosport India, we’re looking forward to showcasing the best professional wrestling that fans in India demand and deserve.”

“We were an instant success in the U.S., and now fans across the world are discovering AEW, feeling refreshed and excited about professional wrestling again. We can’t wait for fans in India to experience our dynamic storytelling, high-flying action and incredible roster of global stars and homegrown talent on a weekly basis.”

The deal comes just as AEW is getting ready to begin airing its 2nd show. AEW Rampage will debut a week from Friday on August 13th, 2021 from Pittsburgh.

This week on AEW Dynamite, the 3rd “Labor of Jericho” match will take place. Chris Jericho will face his old rival from WCW, Juventud Guerrera. Ahead of the match, Juvi posted a promo to social media directed at the former AEW World Champion.

“I want to dedicate this match to my mentor and best friend, Eddie Guerrero. So, I want everybody to be there next Wednesday and start chanting the Juice’s name! Juvi Juvi! Let’s get juicy!” he says in the video.

“MJF, I got this my friend. Chris Jericho, you took my mask but I will take your soul. Because when the Juice says so, the Juice makes so. And this is the proof, I see you Wednesday!”

AEW Dynamite Preview

The 1st Labor of Jericho saw Jericho face Shawn Spears in a match where chairs were legal for Spears but not for Jericho. Last week, the 2nd Labor of Jericho saw him take on Nick Gage in a deathmatch.

5 matches have been confirmed for the August 4th edition of Dynamite.

1. Malakai Black vs. Cody Rhodes
2. TNT Championship
   Miro (c) vs. Lee Johnson (w/Dustin Rhodes)
3. Christian Cage (w/Jungle Boy) vs. The Blade (w/Matt Hardy)
4. NWA World Women’s Title Eliminator Match
   The Bunny vs. Leyla Hirsch
5. 3rd Labor of Jericho
   Chris Jericho vs Juventud Guerrera

When Jon Moxley came to the ring to the sound of Wild Thing many fans were a little confused. Why change it? Talking in a recent interview with Cincy 360, Mox talked about the original plan for the theme. The original intention was for a one night only use of the song for his now infamous exploding barbed wire deathmatch with Kenny Omega. However, because the rights didn’t come through in time, plans needed to be changed.

“So we’re doing this Exploding Barbed Wire match,” Moxley said. “And I was being compared to the innovator of that, who’s called Atsushi Onita, who’s a Japanese wrestler who came out to that (song). A month before Tony (Khan) was like, we’re talking about it and Tony, who is the owner and booker and so forth, he goes ‘should we get ‘Wild Thing’ for that?’ Just for one night for the Exploding Match. And I was like ‘no that’s too derivative. No, it’s too much.’ And then a week before I started thinking about it again and I was like ‘well it might be cool for one night. People might get the reference. Just for that one night, I was like ‘let’s do it.’ By then it was too late, and we couldn’t get the rights for it or whatever.

Jon Moxley Is Happy with His New Entrance Theme

However, Tony Khan did manage to get the rights and surprised Jon Moxley with the tune ahead of his match with Yuji Nagata. The Japanese reference was still there for the Onita comparisons.

“But then it came through a couple of weeks later, and I was in the ring with Yuji Nagata. And I thought it was the ‘Season of the Witch’ playing. I was like ‘why is Season of the Witch playing right now?’ And after the match, I heard it was like the original, the Troggs ‘Wild Thing.’ I was like ‘oh, they must’ve got ‘Wild Thing’ after all. That’s my music now.’ And they then changed it to the X version, the Major League version. So, it kind of just happened by accident. But if the people like it, I like it. So that’s all that matters. I’m into it, it’s cool.”

There is a funny irony about a man like Jon Moxley getting ushered to the ring by a tune such as Wild Thing. However, somehow, it works perfectly.

Serena Deeb posted a video on Instagram updating fans on her current injury status. Deeb missed all of March and April with a knee injury. In her recent video, Deeb reveals her knee has been giving her problems in matches lately.

“Recently, I hit a roadblock and I wanted to address it and be honest. I see everything. ‘Serena should be on Dynamite more. Serena should be on pay-per-view more. Serena is the best.’ You’re right. The truth is, right now, I’m hurt. I’m injured. My knee has been playing up for a while and bothering me in matches. I tried to fight through the pain.”

“Yes, right now, I’m injured and I’m hurt,” Deeb continued. “But I will be back to AEW and I will be back to once again be champion and I will remind each and everyone one of you that not only am I the best women’s wrestler in the world, I’m the best wrestler in the world. I am Serena Deeb, the woman of a thousand holds.”

Deeb wrestled six times after returning from injury in May. She defined the NWA Women’s title twice in AEW. She defeated Red Velvet on Dynamite and then Riho at Double or Nothing’s Buy-In event. Deeb then lost the NWA title to Kamille at the When Our Shadows Fall PPV. She would team with Kylie Rae and defeated Skye Blue and Thunder Rosa on NWA Powerrr after the PPV. Deeb defeated Tesha Price on Dark Elevation at the end of June. Her last match in AEW came on Dark Elevation as well when she teamed with Tay Conti and defeated Jazmin Allure & Vertvixen.

Transcriptions via Fightful

All Elite Wrestling filed to trademark the term “King of Harts” on July 28th with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Martha Hart began selling Owen Hart merchandise on Pro Wrestling Tees not long after the Dark Side of the Ring documentary aired on Vice. Many of the items available have the “King of Harts” nickname on it. Sales of the merchandise go to benefit the Owen Hart Foundation.

Chris Jericho spoke about AEW possibly doing something to honor Owen in an interview with Sportkeeda last year.

“I think the family realises there’s other places to go other than WWE, there’s a lot of other Halls of Fame and a lot of other places where Owen could get some of the accolades that he deserves, 21 years later.”

“I’d love to see (Martha) do something with AEW. I think the spirit of Owen Hart lives on in AEW for sure.”

Owen Hart Wins 1994 King of the Ring

Owen Hart began using the nickname shortly after winning the 1994 King of the Ring tournament. His brother Bret Hart had won the tournament the previous two years. Just a few months earlier, Owen had defeated Bret in the opening match of WrestleMania 10. Bret then defeated Yokozuna in the main event of that same show to win the WWF Championship, however. Bret and Owen would then face each other at SummerSlam 94 inside a steel cage.

The states purposes of the trademark are listed as:

“Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered live and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; information in the fields of sports and entertainment via an online community portal; a website in the field of sports entertainment information; fan club services, namely, organizing sporting events in the field of wrestling for wrestling fan club members; organizing social entertainment events for entertainment purposes for wrestling fan club members; providing online newsletters in the fields of sports entertainment; online journals, namely blogs, in the field of sports entertainment.”

AEW is reportedly looking at a major AEW vs NJPW match for their upcoming All Out PPV event on September 5th. Hiroshi Tanahashi made an appearance in a pre-taped segment on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, and according to Dave Meltzer, Moxley will be facing the Japanese legend at the PPV in Chicago.

“What I do know is that fairly recently, at 4am, Jon Moxley had a discussion” Meltzer revealed on Wrestling Observer Radio. “I don’t know the night, I think it was the night of the taping – with Tony Khan.”

“He had an idea for a match which I believe is for the September 5 pay-per-view. And Tony Khan liked the idea. I knew it was a top New Japan wrestler, I didn’t know the name of who it was, but I know about the discussion” Meltzer concluded.

Jon Moxley vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

With Jon Moxley calling out Tanahashi on this week’s episode of Dynamite, it appears as though this is the aforementioned match that Meltzer was alluding to.

All of the recent excitement surrounding CM Punk and Bryan Danielson signing with AEW means that this news has been lost somewhat in the shuffle, but it is arguably the biggest match in the ‘Forbidden Door’ angle thus far.

What do you think of Jon Moxley vs Hiroshi Tanahashi on an AEW PPV? Let us know in the comments

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and one time WWE Superstar Cain Velasquez has revealed that he will soon be making his return to pro wrestling, although not with WWE.

Speaking on In the Corner with Cyrus Fees, the former UFC Heavyweight confirmed that he will be making a returning to Mexican promotion AAA.

“I’m doing a show in December for AAA,” Velasquez revealed on the podcast. “For me, I love AAA and I’m going to keep doing that right now.”

“I love WWE as well, but I have to first develop myself in order for me to go out there” Cain Velasquez continued. “I’m going to keep doing stuff and have fun with it.”

Cain Velasquez Returns To AAA

Cain Velasquez joined AAA back in 2019, before making his way to WWE. Velasquez signed a three match deal with the promotion.

The former UFC Heavyweight Champion made his first appearance for AAA at TripleMania XXVII, where he teamed with AEW’s Cody Rhodes and Psycho Clown to take on Black Taurus, Karrion Kross and Texano Jr.

Velasquez was released from WWE back in April 2020, after only having one televised match against Brock Lesnar that only lasted 88 seconds. That contest took place at Crown Jewel 2019, where Tyson Fury also faced former WWE Superstar Braun Strowman.

Interestingly, AAA has an ongoing working relationship with AEW, IMPACT and NWA as part of the ‘forbidden door’ angle. Although it isn’t likely right now, we may well see Velasquez appear on an All Elite Wrestling show at some point in the future.

Hager vs Velasquez in a cage anyone?

Do you think that Cain Velasquez will one day be brought back to WWE? Let us know in the comments

“Machine Gun” Karl Anderson and Tama Tonga are 2 of the original 4 members of Bullet Club. Anderson left NJPW in 2016 for WWE, however, setting the stage for the Guerrillas of Destiny to take over as the faction’s top heavyweight tag team.

Now, however, Anderson is in the Elite with former Bullet Club members Kenny Omega, Doc Gallows, and the Young Bucks. On Impact Wrestling recently, Jay White aid he was not allowing Anderson and Gallows back in the group. Don Callis then noted that it should be White asking for permission to join the Elite. So, tension has been brewing between the two stables.

The rivalry brewing between the Elite and Bullet Club spilled over onto Twitter recently. Anderson Tweeted out a photo “The Elite Squad” from Fight for the Fallen leading to the exchange with Tama.

This led to Tama Tonga responding with the following:

“I would argue with you, but we’re past that. Your good brother philosophy is shallow deep. The day is coming,” Tonga Tweeted.

Anderson then responded, asking Tonga to not make him “Kill what I created.”

“Don’t do this Tama.. I’ve been holdin off on Killin the Bullet Club for good. Please don’t make me kill what I created. I’m beggin u”

Nick Gage’s recent performances in GCW and AEW have gotten a lot of people talking. One of those people is Booker T. He mentioned on his Hall of Fame show recently that if more wrestlers were like Nick Gage, the industry would be better off for it.

“I’ll tell you this. Nick Gage, I have never met this dude before in my life. But I’ll tell you, if everyone in this business had the same thought process as a Nick Gage, the business would be in a much, much better place,” Booker said.

“This guy, Nick Gage, you pull up photos of this guy, and you’ll never gonna see him smiling in any of them. He’s got the same look on his face in every photo, in every picture I have ever seen him in. There is not a picture of him being happy. It’s a picture of a guy who’s getting ready to go into a deathmatch, each and every night. He’s the real deal.”

Booker T Praises Nick Gage

40-year-old Nick Gage is a 21-year pro, having first made his debut in February of 1999. He was trained by the CZW school and John Zandig. Gage is a 4x CZW World Champion and was inducted into the CZW Hall of Fame in 2009.

“The guys in WWE, Impact Wrestling, AEW – they can learn a whole lot from Nick Gage, and that’s just my opinion. I don’t know a lot about him, but when someone sees something different about you in this business, it’s uncanny.”

Booker continued to say he’s not actually seen Gage wrestle, but that doesn’t impact his opinion. Gage feels different, serious and real, and that is what is appealing about him to Booker.

“I’ve never watched one match. But I know when you look at this dude, he isn’t the guy you’re gonna walk up on and say, ‘What about that wrestling stuff ya’ll do?’ Because he might hit you. He’s the real deal. If everybody walked along that same line and took it as serious as this guy does, it would be a much better place.”

H/T transcriptions via 411 Mania

Jon Moxley recently joined Cincy 3:60 to promote an upcoming episode of AEW Dynamite scheduled for September 8 in his hometown of Cincinnati.

The former AEW champion talked about a number of things during his appearance and commented on their recent controversy with Domino’s.

The pizza chain threatened to pull their ads from AEW programming over a spot on last week’s Dynamite. Talking about it, Mox said that the company needs to child out:

“Domino’s Pizza needs to chill out. They need to chill man.”

“It was a coincidence. You know what? Jump on the bandwagon man. You don’t think Nick Gage can sell some pizzas for you? Come on. You know that the Noid is played out at this point and you’re bringing back the Noid? Come on.”

• Nick Gage On Domino’s Pizza Controversy: “Guess I’m Too Ultraviolent For TV, Oh Well”

For those who don’t know, the Fight For The Fallen special of Dynamite featured a No DQ match between Chris Jericho and Nick Gage. A spot in the bout saw Gage busting Jericho open with a pizza cutter.

A Domino’s ad appeared on the screen right after this. Many speculated that the pizza chain may have partnered with AEW for the spot but they released a statement, denying any involvement in it.

AEW has announced a free-to-attend premiere party for Rampage in Chicago taking place on August 13 from the Replay Lincoln Park bar.

The party hosted by Warrior Wrestling’s Nick Hausman will feature many festivities including AEW swag giveaways, AEW trivia, WWF WrestleMania arcade and pinball competition, and more:

The party will start a couple of hours before the premiere of AEW’s second TV show Rampage that will be taking place from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

This is an interesting announcement from AEW, especially since the second episode of their new TV show will also be taking place in Chicago from the United Center just a week later on August 20.

Though that won’t be all as the promotion is set to hold 4 more shows in the Chicago area after the mentioned Rampage episode which includes the All Out PPV event from Now Arena on September 5th.

• Sean Waltman On CM Punk And Daniel Bryan Coming To AEW

Reports suggest that Chicago native CM Punk has agreed to make his wrestling return for AEW. Many expect him to make his comeback during one of these shows.

Whether or not this turns out to be the case will be seen in the future but it’s clear that fans will be in for another fun wrestling night during the upcoming premiere party.

Domino’s Pizza recently released a statement to Front Office Sports regarding the deathmatch between Chris Jericho and Nick Gage at Fight for the Fallen.

“We share the concerns expressed about this incident and the content of this TV-14 rated program, and are assessing our advertising presence on it going forward,” the pizza company’s statement reads.

Nick Gage recently took to Twitter to “apologize” to Domino’s.

“i tried to cut jerichos scalp off my bad TMZ it is what it is but yeah thanks aew and thanks all MDK gang members we showed em whats up and also sorry dominos didnt mean to offend you guess im too ultraviolent for tv oh well all my new fans come see me at GCW its MDK all fn day,” Gage Tweeted.

Meanwhile, Pabst Blue Ribbon seems to have really enjoyed the match. They have been posting to Twitter in the hopes of picking up Dominos’ advertising spots.

PBR seems to want to join MDK.

Gage was just the “2nd Labor of Jericho” as part of his feud with MJF. The 3rd Labor of Jericho will take place next week. Jericho is scheduled to face his former WCW rival Juventud Guerrera on the show.

AEW and Upper Deck are announcing an exclusive trading card and memorabilia deal today. The first AEW trading cards will be released in November of 2021. It will be the first time Upper Deck produces trading cards for professional wrestlers.

“We are excited to offer professional wrestling trading cards to our collectors and AEW fans for the first time,” said Upper Deck Sports Brand Manager, Paul Zickler. “AEW is a prominent organization in the industry with a passionate fan base, and we look forward to building a long-lasting relationship and a robust wrestling product portfolio.”

Upper Deck representatives spoke about the deal below:

“Upper Deck is the premier collectibles company in the world for trading cards and memorabilia, and we’re thrilled to work with them in expanding our engagement even further with fans around the world,” said Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. “Since day one, we’ve made it a priority to listen to our fans and connect with them in new and immersive ways.”

The cards will be available at retail outlets and online. An online marketplace will provide a place for fans to buy, sell, and trade cards as well.

Fans are encouraged to sign up for exclusive updates on Upper Deck’s website here.

A ticket pre-sale was held Friday morning for the upcoming AEW Rampage: The First Dance event from Chicago’s United Center arena on August 20th. Despite the short notice and a saturated market, AEW is looking at another successful showing at the box office.

AEW sold over 10,000 tickets within a matter of hours. @WrestleTix estimates the production setup will make for a sell-out crowd of around 13,000. It was ambitious, but this will be a packed house.

AEW Rampage: The First Dance

The stakes are high for AEW’s debut at the United Center. The show was announced on Wednesday’s Dynamite, leaving just three weeks for AEW to sell a respectable amount of seats. It will be the second episode of AEW Rampage, which premieres Friday, August 13th at 10pm (Eastern) on TNT.

Of course, this is not your typical television taping. Wrestling fans are expecting the highly anticipated debut of CM Punk, based on some not-so-subtle hints by AEW. The United Center is the largest basketball/hockey arena in the United States, so

Tickets for AEW Rampage: The First Dance go on sale to the general public this coming Monday at Ticketmaster.com.

Follow @WrestleTix on Twitter and Patreon for more wrestling ticket sales info.

At AEW Fight for the Fallen, The Elite defeated Hangman Page and the Dark Order in a 10-man elimination tag match. The loss knocks Page out of the title picture for All Out on September 5th. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Page vs Omega for the title had once been the plan for the show, however.

“Adam Page is not getting the main event for All Out with Kenny Omega. At one point it was the plan but plans change. The ten-man tag was designed to shock people when they veered off that match,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

As for who is getting the title shot at All Out, only speculation can be had. Christian Cage is ranked #3 and could possibly be in the mix. Other names thrown around include Eddie Kingston.

Darby Allin is ranked #4 as well. #1 Hangman Page is out of the running, #2 Jungle Boy was already defeated by Omega, and #5 Orange Cassidy was in a triple threat title match against Omega on the last PPV. It’s possible someone from outside the top-5 could earn a title shot between now and the PPV, however.

Page also fell out of title contention before the last PPV as well. After going several week ranked at #1, Page lost a key match to Brian Cage on Dynamite. He would go on to avenge that loss at Double or Nothing, however, putting him back in title contention.

“They were pushing Christian Cage for a title match next. Whether that’s for TV in a few weeks or PPV should be clear pretty soon.”

Reports of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk being close to joining the AEW roster have created a lot of buzz in recent weeks. It has got a lot of people talking and Sean Waltman recently joined the list.

The former WWE star talked about these rumors on the latest episode of his Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast and claimed that the news is exciting.

Waltman explained that while these signings will not hurt WWE, it will definitely help AEW. The former champion claimed that it’s gonna be ‘a f**king game changer’:

“It’s exciting. It’s just good for everyone, It doesn’t hurt WWE, I don’t think. It definitely helps AEW. They already have some really good momentum as far as I’m concerned. It’s gonna be a f**king game changer.

The difference is one is just a publicly-traded company that’s just f**king monstrous.” said Sean Waltman, “It’s huge, and I don’t think it’s going anywhere. That’s why I don’t think this necessarily hurts them. It just helps AEW, and it f**king helps the industry.”

• Sean Waltman Confirms WWE Is Creating a Post 9/11 Documentary

The former DX member also discussed if it would have been better if these signings were kept a secret. The Attitude Era star compared them to the time when The Outsiders’ moved to WCW.

Waltman explained that even though people were aware of the duo jumping ships, it made their arrival even more impactful because of the anticipation it built.

Chris Jericho and Nick Gage put on a brutal but impressive match on this week’s episode of Dynamite. Though it appears that the pizza cutter spot in the bout didn’t go over very well with Domino’s.

The company released a statement to Front Office Sports regarding the spot. In the statement as seen below, spokeswoman Jenny Fouracre-Petko said that they are assessing their advertising presence on the show:

“We share the concerns expressed about this incident and the content of this TV-14 rated program, and are assessing our advertising presence on it going forward,”

For those who don’t know, the Fight For The Fallen special of Dynamite saw former AEW champion Chris Jericho taking on hardcore wrestler Nick Gage in a No Disqualifications match.

There was one point in the bout where Gage used a pizza cutter on his opponent. Right after he cut open Jericho’s head, the broadcast went into split-screen mode.

The second screen featured a Domino’s commercial with an image of a pizza being sliced. This got a lot of attention on social media.

Many people wondered if the two companies worked together for the spot. Though this report makes it clear that the pizza delivery chain was not involved and it appears that they didn’t have any prior knowledge of it either.

• AEW Dynamite Fight For The Fallen Results: Jericho vs. Nick Gage, The Elite vs. Dark Order

All Elite Wrestling revealed a new event that will take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

AEW announced yesterday during AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen that Rampage will occur on August 20th at the United Center. AEW also indicated that the August 20th event would be significant by advertising it as Rampage “The First Dance.”

Rampage marks AEW’s fourth show that takes place in Illinois. AEW also announced that tickets go on sale on Monday.

AEW Schedule in Chicago

The August 20th Rampage event will be AEW’s first big event in Chicago this year. Their last Chicago show was AEW Revolution on February 29, 2020, at the Wintrust Arena. However, it comes as a surprise as AEW already announced a Dynamite show on September 1st, Rampage on September 3rd, and All-Out on September 5th, which would occur in the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Tickets for the September AEW shows in Illinois went on sale to the public on July 9th. Both the Dynamite and Rampage show still have tickets on sale on Ticketmaster, while All Out has sold out.

With the addition of Rampage on August 20th, AEW seems confident that it can sell out all four events. However, this will be an ambitious act by AEW to sell out the United Center on two weeks’ notice. The United Center can have over 20,000 capacity crowd and will be the biggest venue AEW has run.

CM Punk Rumors

The announcement of “The Last Dance” has created speculation if former WWE Superstar CM Punk has signed with AEW. He is a well-known native of Chicago, Illinois, and Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that Punk was in talks for an in-ring return with AEW. However, the company has yet to confirm Punk is signed. It’s also unclear if AEW signed Punk if they’d reveal the news to help boost sales for August 20th or make it a surprise if he was to appear.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman announced that Chris Jericho’s rival from WCW, Juventud Guerrera, will be the “3rd Labor of Jericho” next week. Juvi took to Twitter to comment on his match next week.

Chris Jericho vs Juventud Guerrera History

In WCW, Jericho and Juventud Guerrera had 22 singles matches against each other, were in 2 tag matches with each other, and were also in 3 battle royals together. Of their 22 singles matches, 11 were on house shows and 11 were on television. Of the 11 televised matches, Jericho holds an 8-3 advantage in the series. Jericho also holds a 9-2 lead in their house show series, giving him a 17-5 edge in their head to head series.

In WCW, Juvi is a 3x former WCW Cruiserweight Champion and once held the tag belts along with Rey Mysterio. Juvi also won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship once. In WWE, Juvi twice won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship as well. Subscribers to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter voted Juvi the Best High Flyer of the year in both 1998 and 1999.

For several months now, Jon Moxley has been trying to goad Hiroshi Tanahashi into a fight. His efforts were in vain. Now, just one week after losing the belt, Tanahashi appears on AEW Dynamite and issuing a challenge to the new champion.

Jon Moxley is not known for being a calm or patient man. An act of such disrespect is not going to be taken lightly. Mox has already vented his frustration with NJPW. Claiming they have been reluctant to invite him over to Japan. Saying he has sent stacks of contracts over to the promotion, trying to force through a run and a feud with Tanahashi.

Very few things in wrestling happen without planning, even rejections and moments of flat-out silence. AEW are known for their long-term planning and have shown solid abilities in storytelling. Who knows how long this moment has been in the offing?

One thing that looks as good as certain is that both Jon Moxley and Lance Archer are Japan bound. The question is, what will they do when they get there?

Jon Moxley Needs a Fresh Direction Following Title Loss

It is safe to say that right now, Jon Moxley is out of the AEW title pictures. He lost his feud to Omega and the Elite. Both have moved on to new things. For Mox however, he has nothing right now. After taking some time off following the birth of his daughter, he is ready for a new challenge.

With AEW currently running with major storylines, a run out in Japan could be exactly what the Death Rider needs. With the G1 tournament coming up, it could give him the chance to both rebuild his character, get his feud with Tanahashi, and give the Japanese public another look at Mox up close and personal.

There is no denying Jon Moxley’s popularity in Japan. Moreover, with several big stars already out of G1 contention, it could be a great time for NJPW to honor their part of the forbidden door arrangement and bring some AEW talent to its shores.

We have seen several different NJPW stars appear on AEW Dynamite in recent months including Yuji Nagata, Rocky Romero and Hikuleo. However, it was a very different calibre of NJPW star that got fans exciting. The Ace himself, Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared and challenged Lance Archer to a match for the IWGP United States Championship.

Hiroshi Tanahashi is a wrestling legend and revered in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He has held every title he could hold in NJPW. With the exception of the United States Championship. It’s worth noting that Tanahashi is a heavyweight, and as such cannot compete for certain titles in the promotion.

The United States Championship is one of the newest NJPW belts and has only been in circulation since 2017. In that time it has largely been held by gaijin wrestlers. By challenging Lance Archer, Hiroshi Tanahashi wants to become the first Japanese wrestler to hold the crown.

Hiroshi Tanahashi Has Wrestled His Entire Career for NJPW

In an industry where people move around from promotion to promotion with some regularity, Hiroshi Tanahashi is something of a unique entity. A product of the NJPW system, he has wrestled his entire career in the promotion.

With the exception of an excursion to CMLL – part of the NJPW learning process – and a few appearances for TNA/IMPACT. Even these appearances came as an NJPW athlete. Now, he has stepped through the forbidden door and made a surprise appearance for AEW.

Not only is Tanahashi aiming to become the first Japanese holder of the US title, but he is also looking to bring it back into the NJPW promotion. Ever since Jon Moxley’s first title reign, no NJPW contracted wrestler has held the belt.

This undoubtedly sits badly with an NJPW stalwart such as Hiroshi Tanahashi and will only give him extra motivation to bring the belt home.

In professional wrestling, teams and allegiances come and go. They form and they fall apart. It’s the nature of storytelling. However, some relationships run deep and to the bone. Last night on Dynamite one such deep running reunion was seen. Wrestling legend David Crockett was spotted in the AEW Dynamite crowd, and it was shortly thereafter confirmed that he will be joining the AEW commentary team as a guest next week.

David Crockett will guest host AEW Dark Elevation alongside Tony Schiavone. This will be a commentary reunion some thirty plus years in the making.  Schiavone and Crockett were the voices of World Championship Wrestling while it was part of Jim Crockett Promotions.

The pair worked as a team from 1985 through to 1988. Following the acquisition of WCW by Turner media in 1988 David Crockett left the commentary booth. While he remained involved in wrestling serving as a WCW Producer.

David Crockett Making a Historic Wrestling Return

David Crockett left wrestling when WCW closed its doors, having remained in a producer role the entire time. His appearance in the commentary booth for AEW Dark Elevation will be his first real commentary appearance since 1988.

It is one of those quiet wrestling stories that will be an undeniably emotional experience for the men in the commentary booth. After Fight for the Fallen AEW tweeted out a picture of Crockett, Schiavone and Jim Ross.

The trio worked together briefly in 1988 just prior to the Turner acquisition. The emotion of the night will surely be heightened when considering that David Crockett’s brother Jim Crockett Jr passed away earlier this year.

It is most likely that the return of David Crockett to the commentary booth is just a one-time affair, however, for wrestling fans, that doesn’t matter. There is an undeniable lineage that can be traced from AEW back to this commentary duo. One that deserves to be honored and celebrated.