All Elite Wrestling is headed to Cincinnati, Ohio for the first-time later this summer.

AEW Dynamite will emanate from Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena on Wednesday, September 8th. This will be a ‘PPV fallout’ week, taking place just three days after the upcoming AEW All Out pay-per-view from Chicago.

Tickets for AEW Dynamite’s Cincinnati debut go on sale this Friday at AEWTix.com and start at just $25.

AEW released this video of Jon Moxley announcing Dynamite is headed to his hometown:

AEW Dynamite Upcoming Schedule

The following is an updated look at AEW’s road to All Out:

• 7/21: Garland, TX (Fyter Fest: Night 2)
• 7/28: Charlotte, NC (Fight for the Fallen)
• 8/4: Jacksonville, FL (Homecoming)
• 8/11: Pittsburgh, PA
• 8/18: Houston, TX
• 8/25: Milwaukee, WI
• 9/1: Chicago, IL

AEW Champion Kenny Omega appeared in the main event of the IMPACT Slammiversary PPV this weekend against Sami Callihan.

Omega successfully retained his IMPACT World Championship at the show, and IMPACT seemed to push the ‘forbidden door’ angle even further with a tease of AAA, AEW, IMPACT and NJPW all being represented at the upcoming Bound For Glory PPV event.

During the Slammiversary event, Don Callis would say that Omega was ‘tougher’ than GCW Champion and Deathmath King, Nick Gage. After hearing this on the broadcast, Game Changer Wrestling would invite Kenny Omega to take part in their Homecoming event next weekend.

“GCW tweeted, “Omega “tougher” than Gage? @TheDonCallis what are you smoking pal?” The promotion responded.

Kenny Omega vs Nick Gage

“You and Kenny are welcome to come and prove it but you have to get in line & the line starts this Saturday at #GCWHomecoming Weekend in AC… Saturday: GAGE vs CARDONA Sunday: GAGE vs OMEGA??? See ya there???” GCW added.

It is not confirmed if this is part of the ongoing forbidden door angle, or if Game Changer Wrestling are attempting to just get some more buzz for the PPV shows next weekend.

GCW Homecoming Night 1 (July 24) and Night 2 (July 25) takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Nick Gage will be defending his GCW Championship against Matt Cardona/Zack Ryder on night 1. Both shows will be available to view on FITE TV.

When Jay White showed up at IMPACT Slammiversary, the wrestling world sat up straight and paid attention. The history between Jay White and Kenny Omega is rich and prime for a re-visit. The idea of another match between them would be television gold. Their last match, in 2018 is a criminally underrated affair that saw Jay White pick up a huge victory.

That loss remains a sore point with Kenny Omega, who took to Twitter following his successful title defence against Sami Callihan. Omega seems eager to put to bed any idea of a fight between him and White.

However, in pro-wrestling terms that means it’s a done deal, and now we just have to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Omega has been a dominant champion, holding belts in three different companies. While he doesn’t defend the belts week in week out, he has been in regular action. This mentality follows the thinking echoed in NJPW. Saving title matches for big occasions.

Kenny Omega and Jay White is a Story That Runs Deep

There is far more to the story between Kenny Omega and Jay White than just the IMPACT Heavyweight Championship. That is not to dismiss the belt, but a simple fact.

The pair have met in singles competition twice before. Both coming during Kenny Omega’s NJPW run. They hold one victory apiece. A third match between the pair would be a spectacle without a doubt. To make the pot even sweeter, both men currently hold a championship. Could a belt vs belt clash be on the cards?

Jay White replaced Kenny Omega as the leader of the Bullet Club and the animosity between the pair runs deep. Especially with the way the Elite left NJPW after the ‘Civil War’ between them and the OGBC.

Should Kenny Omega and White square off, whether it is for one title, both titles, or just retribution, it will be a firecracker of a match.

AEW star Frankie Kazarian was reportedly backstage during the Sunday night IMPACT tapings. It has not yet been confirmed if he played an active role in those tapings. However, it seems likely that Kazarian will feature in IMPACT soon.

The move is not surprising given the current Elite Hunter storyline in which Frankie Kazarian is embroiled. The moniker stems from when the Young Bucks cheated their way to victory over S.C.U. and forced the team to disband. The bloody affair was a wicked match to watch, and the end of S.C.U. a moment to be remembered for wrestling fans.

Since then, Christopher Daniels has not been seen on AEW television, and Frankie Kazarian has been going it alone. Turning up at every opportunity to attack the various members of the Elite. With the open relationship between IMPACT and AEW, it was only a matter of time before Kazarian arrived on IMPACT. Especially as Kenny Omega is the IMPACT champion and the Good Brothers are part of the IMPACT roster.

Frankie Kazarian Enjoying a Singles Career Renaissance Post S.C.U.

Since the breakup of S.C.U – the first-ever AEW tag team champions – Frankie Kazarian has been enjoying a singles run. His Elite Hunter persona is a storyline that he seems to be relishing. Exploring a darker, vigilante-style character. Loved by fans, he is intent on hunting down the various member of the Elite and making them pay.

It’s clear this feud has to end in a match, it remains to be seen how this will play out. Will Daniels make a return so S.C.U can challenge for the tag team titles? It seems unlikely that Kazarian will go after AEW Championship as Omega is currently in a story with Adam Page. Their tale is, in itself one of the best-managed stories in wrestling, and one several years in the telling.

Whatever the planned outcome, Frankie Kazarian is a man on a mission, and he will not stop until he has taken care of the Elite.

“I am going to hunt down every member of the Elite. You are going to learn about loss, you are going to learn what it feels like to get your heart ripped out of your chest. I will have my recompense or I will die trying. Right now what you are looking at is a bomb that you can’t defuse and a gun that you can’t unload.” Frankie said the week following S.C.U’s loss to the Young Bucks.

It’s a sleeper storyline, one playing out around everything else, interwoven into programming rather than being given its own slot. The best way for such a story to be done. Frankie Kazarian is putting in the performance of a lifetime and it’s exciting to watch it play out each week.

AEW star and former WWE/WCW legend Chris Jericho recently appeared on the Keepin It 100 with Konnan podcast. ‘Le Champion’ and leader of The Inner Circle discussed a number of topics during the show, including last weekend’s UFC 264 event that saw Conor McGregor lose to Dustin Poirier.

McGregor lost the fight due to doctor stoppage, with the Irish fighter’s ankle breaking towards the end of the first round, thus meaning he could not continue. Although Jericho doesn’t appear to be working an angle, he said that McGregor is ‘done’ in the sport of MMA.

“Conor’s done and I think everyone knows it,” Chris Jericho began on Konnan’s podcast. “I think he knows it. I think the best thing that could’ve happened is that he snapped his ankle, because he would’ve lost in the second round.”

Chris Jericho Talks Conor McGregor

“Herb Dean almost called it at the end of the first, but he was letting it go because it was towards the end and it’s a championship, million dollar fight” the former Y2J continued. “Not a championship but it was a million dollar fight. Those elbows in the corner man, once you get a guy down like that he’s finished.”

“So I think it was actually a stroke of fate that’s going to end up making them all more money that Conor broke his ankle” Jericho added. “Because he would’ve been done in about another two minutes anyway.”

“The only thing I would say for Dustin, if he’s going to take a number four, which I would say ‘go f**k yourself, I’m not doing it.’ I’d say ‘okay, you want number four? I want a 50-50 purse split with Conor.’ See what happens” Jericho would then conclude.

Would you like to see Conor McGregor have a run in pro wrestling? If so, would you rather he be in WWE or AEW? Let us know in the comments

Rey Fenix will soon return to action for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The high-flying luchador has been sidelined since April with a groin injury. His most recent match was a win over Chuck Taylor on the April 21st edition of Dark: Elevation.

With Rey Fenix out of action, his partner Penta El Zero Miedo has teamed with PAC and Eddie Kingston. Penta and Kingston recently made a run at the AEW tag titles and even scored a victory over the champions in a non-title match.

Expect to see the Lucha Bros. and Death Triangle reunited in the weeks ahead – just in time to start a new program with a very tranquilo individual.

This past week on AEW Dynamite, Andrade El Idolo stated that he’s looking for Death Triangle (PAC, Pentagon & Fenix). It’s unknown exactly what Andrade’s motives are, but we do know Andrade will be at Dynamite next week in hopes of meeting with Death Triangle.

Current AEW Women’s Champion Dr Britt Baker has spoken to Daily Star Online about the evolution of the women’s division in AEW. The current champion has been with AEW since the very beginning and has grown and evolved as a performer each and every week ever since.

Talking candidly about AEW and its first three years, Dr Britt Baker openly admits that the AEW women’s roster were inexperienced when it comes to working live television.

“I came in and was pushed as one of the top girls [but] I’d never wrestled a match on live TV, I had no idea what a hard cam was and had never cut a live promo.” Dr Britt Baker said, speaking humbly, leaving her character at the door. “Now I humbly dub myself one of the faces of the whole company, and that has been a very challenging yet rewarding growth process.”

Dr Britt Baker Admits the NXT Women’s Division is Impressive

During the interview, talk turned towards WWE, specifically NXT. The black and gold brand was AEW’s biggest rival. Branded the Wednesday Night Wars, Dr Britt Baker stood at the forefront of the women’s division.

Baker was eager to point out that she has no hard feelings towards her competitors and is very close with many of them. “I love the NXT women’s division and am friends with so many of those girls.”

However, Dr Britt Baker was also keen to point out that WWE stars have an entire training complex to rely on. While the women of AEW did that in the ring before a live audience week in and week out. Honing their craft thanks to trial and error and the unwavering support of Tony Khan.

“But they have a Performance Center. My Performance Center was AEW Dynamite, live on Wednesday nights. I was learning as we go… you train in the ring, you cut promos and practice as much as you can, but I don’t have a wrestling ring in my back yard, a television set-up or a hard cam to pan to. So, a lot of what you see on tv was just trial and error because, again, we don’t have that Performance Center.”

During her time in AEW, Dr Britt Baker has defined herself as the ultimate professional. Earning fans respect the hard way, the organic way. By busting her butt each week, refining her promos and competing in matches. From squash matches to her record-setting unsanctioned match against Thunder Rosa.

With gold now around her waist, Dr Britt Baker is eager to lead the charge. Repaying Tony Khan for the faith he instilled in everyone on the AEW women’s roster.

Malakai Black shocked the world when he appeared on AEW Dynamite just a month after his WWE release. Since his release, Black has taken to the popular streaming platform Twitch, using it as a platform to air his thoughts and feelings.

Talking on his wife’s (WWE’s Zelina Vega) channel he talked about how Malaki Black was a character a long time in development. Black elaborated, explaining that this was the vision he had from the very start. He even went as far as pitching the idea of Triple H ahead of his NXT debut.

“It’s funny. The reason I did this is because this is actually how I wanted the WWE version to be,” Malakai Black explained. “When I started, I wanted to come in as a heel. Hunter [Triple H] wanted me face. If anyone has ever seen any work of me on the independents, you would know that the gimmick I was portraying in the WWE was an amplified version of what I did on the indies. That’s why they wanted me. But I wanted to be a heel because I was coming off a heel run on the independents. But then Hunter had this idea of making me face, a stoic face character.”

Malakai Black Has Room to Grow in AEW

Malakai Black then went on to explain how he is enjoying the creative freedom afforded to him by AEW.

“It feels really good that I’m in a place now where my creative mind can be utilized versus stopped, and controlled, and being presented in things that I know are not gonna work. Because, no offense, I knew a lot of the stuff wasn’t going to work. I said that to them as well back in the day. Lo and behold it didn’t work.”

The level of frustration behind the words speaks volumes and echoes the thoughts and sentiments of other released superstars. However, WWE’s loss is AEW’s gain, and Malakai Black is now free to unleash his full creative force on the world. We have already seen glimpses of Black’s creativity. The wrestling world now waits with bated breath to see where he goes from here.

There can be no denying that Chris Jericho is a man who has been there and done it all. One of the greatest of all time in a ring. A multiple-time champion the world over and known for some of the best fights we have seen.

Talking during a recent interview with Busted Open Radio the G.O.A.T of professional wrestling discussed his time wrestling in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Many will think of his iconic match with Kenny Omega from WrestleKingdom 13. Yet it was a match the following year that Jericho spoke about. Likening his match with Hiroshi Tanahashi to the first time he fought the Undertaker.

“When you get in the ring with him (Tanahashi), wow,” Chris Jericho said. “He is so good, I’m smiling just thinking about it. What it actually reminded me of was the first time I ever worked with Undertaker, who I did not work with until I had been in the WWE for about ten, twelve years. We just never were on the same show and never really crossed paths. And to be in there with a guy like that was just unbelievable, like ‘oh my gosh it’s all true. It’s true! Everything you hear about The Undertaker is true! He’s really that good.’ And that was the same way I felt about Tanahashi. We just had so much fun being in there together and it was such a blast.”

Chris Jericho Understands the Importance of Chemistry

Chemistry is essential in wrestling. You can have two of the best wrestlers around but if they have no chemistry with each other, the audience will pick up on it in a heartbeat. There are a lot of parallels that could be drawn between Chris Jericho and Tanahashi. They both hold legendary status in their individual promotions and in the eyes of fans around the world.

“He’s so smooth. People think that the Japanese style is dumping each other on each other’s heads and all that stuff, it’s not the case at all. It was really just a great match and as I said, it helped sell out the Tokyo Dome that year. When we did the two nights in Tokyo, it was the second night My last match in New Japan, maybe ever. Who knows if we’ll ever go back. But if that’s the last one, what a way to go out.”

With the pandemic slowly ebbing away, and the forbidden door well and truly open, we can all hope that we will get another chance to see Chris Jericho and Tanahashi square off once more. The G.O.A.T versus the Ace, just one more time.

AEW’s Trent is looking at a long stretch on the injured list. The popular member of the Best Friends underwent spinal fusion recently. According to a report on Wrestling Observer Radio, the surgery went well but he’s going to be out of action for quite awhile.

“He had his surgery, they fused 2 vertebrae in his neck. It went well but he’s going to be out for quite awhile. But the surgery went well,” said Dave Meltzer.

Trent’s doctor, Michael J Sampson, took to Twitter yesterday to share an X-Ray from Trent’s surgery:

Trent was out of action due to a torn pec from last December to this April as well. His injuries have prevented the Best Friends from remaining in the top-5 rankings.

The last time the Best Friends appeared in the top-5 was on January 6th, 2021. They challenged for the AEW World tag team titles most recently last October.

The Best Friends accompanied Wheeler Yuta the ring for his match on Dynamite this week. Yuta was defeated by Sammy Guevara in singles action. It was said on the broadcast that Yuta is something of a protege for Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor.

On night one of AEW Fyter Fest, current TNT champion Miro showed off his brand new, customized TNT Championship belt. In its brief existence within AEW, the TNT title has already gained a prestige that some could argue runs deeper than the AEW Championship. This is largely thanks to the legacy of Brodie Lee and the crowd-endearing fearlessness of Darby Allin.

Now, the TNT Championship is in the hands of God’s Greatest champion Miro. A wrestler who is relishing the creative freedom offered in AEW and is becoming the brutal warrior everybody always knew he could be.

The new TNT title design is one that has been fully customized for the new champion. It carries a deep and personal meaning for Miro, who was born and raised in Bulgaria. The belt, designed from white leather has a green ribbon replacing the red running across the center. This has been done to represent the Bulgarian flag. The missing component of which in the design is the lower red section which will be completed by Miro’s trunks.

Miro is an old school champion and wears the TNT Championship around his waist. This is a clever design that goes deeper than just the belt but incorporates the champion wearing it also.

The belt also has the traditional customized side plates which include the Bulgarian flag at the Bulgarian crest.

Will We See a Customized TNT Championship for Every Champion?

This is the third TNT Championship design so far. The first was retired and awarded to Negative One after Brodie Lee passed. The second was held by Darby Allin. The highly personal nature of this design would indicate that AEW is going to give all of its champions a customized belt.

Changing the side plates of a belt is standard practice for a new champion, but there are easily interchangeable parts. To design an entirely new belt for each holder is an investment in the champion and a wonderful touch to make each reign mean something to said wrestler.

It could be that this design is a once-off, and Miro is going to be given a good run with the belt, after which it will revert to its standard design. However, that seems counterintuitive to the way AEW have conducted their business thus far.

The effort and thought that has gone into this new TNT Championship belt is further proof of AEW’s investment in their wrestlers. Not only from a financial standpoint but from every angle.

If there was ever a man in wrestling who had an eye for talent, an ability to spot potential, then it is Jim Ross. He has been influential in the careers of so many stars over the years. In addition to his role as the voice of a generation. So, when he took time out on his podcast Grilling JR to talk the praises of Ethan Page, everybody listened.

“Darby is one of my favorites,” said Ross. “He’s one of my favorites to talk to. Darby is very creative. He comes up with a lot of his own material, shall we say. He’s one of our homegrown guys that we take pride in; he and Jungle Boy Jack Perry, for example. Nobody should sleep on Ethan Page. He’s going to be a big-time player. He’s doing really well.”

Ross says Page has the look, the attitude and the smarts to reach the upper echelon of AEW. As long as Page stays healthy, JR sees him contributing in a big way for many years to come.

Jim Ross Has an Eye for Talent

Ethan Page joined the AEW roster after the Revolution PPV back in March. Since then he has gone on to team with Scorpio Sky, entering into a long-running and violent feud with Sting and Darby Allin. That rivalry looks to reach its culmination this week at Fyter Fest when the pair face off in a coffin match. Jim Ross will be there to call the shots and has spoken to both fighters in recent weeks about their feud.

Ethan Page is no rookie when it comes to professional wrestling. He had quite the reputation in IMPACT, forming a formidable tag-team with Josh Alexander. However, the AEW roster is stacked for to get special praise from Jim Ross speaks volumes.

While partnering with Scorpio Sky, both men have been actively pursuing singles competition. Once the feud with Darby is over, it will be interesting to see where they position themselves. They will inevitably be chase gold, but which belt remains to be seen. There is no real opening right now, as all of the current AEW champions are involved in long-running feuds. However, that doesn’t mean the men of the year won’t start building something.

Jim Ross has been around a long time and doesn’t give praise where it’s not due. Expect to see Ethan Page move from strength to strength within AEW.

Impact Wrestling executive Scott D’Amore appeared on Vickie Guerrero’s Excuse Me podcast yesterday. During the discussion, D’Amore mentioned that he was cornered by AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker for a match against Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo.

“I got cornered by Britt Baker down in Jacksonville a few weeks ago and she’s like, ‘When do I get Deonna?’ I said, ‘Hey, Britt oh, come on. We’ve always said we have an open-door policy and we’re open to doing it,'” D’Amore said on the show.

“Sometimes there’s a lot of hurdles to jump through but I think the relationship with AEW has been fantastic,” he continued.

Baker has made no secret of the fact that she would like to face Purrazzo. She’s posted to social media about the potential match multiple times.

Britt Baker Wants To Face Deonna Purrazzo

Baker also discussed possibly facing Purrazzo during an interview with TV Insider.

“Personally, I would love to see Deonna Purrazzo come through the forbidden door. She is one of my best friends and arguably one of the best technical wrestlers in the world. She is amazing.. When she was released from WWE, she was told in a roundabout way she wasn’t good enough. Now she is one of the faces in Impact Wrestling. I was similar in that I was told I wasn’t ready, and now I’m the face of All Elite Wrestling. Our paths are paralleling, so it would be amazing to be in the ring with her.”

D’Amore continued to talk about his relationship with AEW’s Tony Khan.

“We share our vision for a world like that and I love to see it because I mean whether it’s Nyla Rose or whether it’s some of the many other talents that you have there. Imagine if Nyla came in and hid the ring on Deonna and just laid her lying there and picked up the title, right?”

Purrazzo is scheduled to face a “Mystery Opponent” this Saturday at Slammiversary. Gail Kim revealed to the Knockouts Champ last week that her opponent will not be named ahead of time.

H/T to Fightful for the transcriptions.

AEW will hold a Dynamite episode on Wednesday, September 22nd at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, Queens, NYC, which is titled Dynamite: Grand Slam. 

The pre-sale for tickets will be this Wednesday. Pwinsider.com reports it will be just for 24 hours on Ticketmaster.com in advance of this Friday’s official on sale date. 

The pre-sale will last from 10 AM – 10 PM EST. The reason for that is due to tickets going on sale for the US Open Tennis at the same stadium on Thursday. 

The pre-sale code is AEW718. For fans planning to attend the show, ticket prices are listed as the following: $250, $100, $80, $60, $40 and $25

This will not only be AEW’s first-ever stadium show, but also the first-ever professional wrestling event at the stadium. Weather conditions won’t be an issue as the stadium has a retractable roof. AEW will air a live Dynamite episode in addition to taping matches for Dark Elevation and Dark before Dynamite then the Rampage episode after.

The likes of Eddie Kingston, MJF, Santana, Ortiz, Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Max Caster, Kris Statlander, Trent Beretta, and more are from the area.

This venue is the largest tennis stadium in the world as it sits 23,000 for tennis. As the event gets closer, All Elite Wrestling will be announcing matches for the show, which is likely to be loaded.

Deathmatch legend and leader of 44.OH Rickey Shane Page has been announced for this week’s episode of AEW Dark. The tenured GCW star has been with Game Changer Wrestling since 2018, and Page has worked with AEW star Joey Janela in the past.

RSP will be facing Dark standout Dante Martin on this week’s episode of the show, following his recent Dynamite match against Matt Sydal.

Rickey Shane Page held the Game Changer Wrestling title for 488 days until he was defeated by the Deathmatch King Nick Gage at GCW rSpring Break on April 9 of this year.

Rickey Shane Page in AEW

RSP has also held several titles from the independent scene, racking up an impressive resume that includes the likes of the AAW Heritage, IWA King of The Deathmatch and the CZW World Heavyweight Championship. Page also won the fabled CZW Tournament of Death in 2016.

Here’s the full confirmed lineup for this week’s episode of AEW Dark:

• Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson) vs. Papadon & Sean Maluta
• Brian Cage vs. Foxx Vinyer
• Matt Hardy vs. Jah-C
• Lee Johnson & Brock Anderson vs. Mark Davidson & Aaron Frye
• Penelope Ford vs. Robyn Renegade
• The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) vs. Derek Pisaturo & Roman Rozell
• Dante Martin vs. Rickey Shane Page
• Gunn Club (Billy & Colten Gunn) vs. The Wingmen (Cezar Bononi & JD Drake)
• Diamante vs. Harlow O’Hara

Former WWE Superstar Buddy Murphy has been confirmed for his first post-WWE match this September. The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion will be facing AEW star and FTW Champion Brian Cage on an independent card in the ECW Arena.

Brian Cage confirmed on Instagram that he would be facing the ‘Best Kept Secret’ on Saturday, September 18 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. The match will be taking place for the Battleground Championship Wrestling promotion.

“JUST ANNOUNCED! Murphy vs Machine” Brian Cage wrote concerning the upcoming match with Buddy Murphy. “One of the hot matches I was looking forward to since the slew of WWE releases.”

Buddy Murphy vs Brian Cage

“Bout to own the spotlight, have the match of the night and def get my s–t in! One helluva return to the ECW Arena. On Saturday September 18th live from the 2300 Arena Worlds Collide! Secure your tickets now at battlegroundcw.com and witness live the epic clash of two forces that will come together in one incredible showdown.”

Buddy Murphy was released from his WWE contract back on June 2, meaning that he is still currently under the 90-day non-compete clause which ends on Tuesday August 31. Murphy would then be eligible to sign for the likes of IMPACT, NJPW, MLW or All Elite, who run the ALL OUT PPV event just a few days after his non-compete is up.

AEW has been licensing music for some of its top stars recently. Orange Cassidy uses the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” as entrance music and Jungle Boy now uses “Tarzan Boy” by Baltimora as well. According to comments made by Chris Jericho, however, attempts by AEW to license songs by AC/DC and Van Halen have not been successful.

Jericho commented on this recently while on the Two Man Power Trip podcast.

“We tried to get ‘Back in Black’ for our return promo after we attacked The Pinnacle in our dressing room,” Jericho said about the popular AC/DC song. “They wouldn’t even give us the time of day.”

“There have been other ones,” Jericho continued. “We wanted Van Halen right after Eddie [Van Halen] died, we wanted to use ‘Runnin’ With The Devil and they came back with $500,000. That’s just a polite way of saying ‘No fuckin’ way.’ AC/DC didn’t even come back with that, but then I see them on an Applebee’s commercial using ‘Back in Black.’ I guess they are fans of the baby back ribs. I thought the concept of back in black fit us; we’re coming back focused, serious, and darker.”

Tony Khan has previously spoken about difficulties in licensing music for AEW as well. He had the following to say during a post-show media scrum from Double or Nothing:

“You can’t just want to buy a song, you have to get responses and you never know who’s going to bite on it,” Khan said. “Sometimes they’ll make—sometimes people don’t even respond and they wait a long time to get back to you. In some cases, you’re really far apart on money.”

High-flying AEW star Jora Johl has accepted the offer from ‘Big Money’ Matt Hardy to join the former world champion’s Hardy Family Office faction.

The Indian star made his debut for the promotion last month. After wrestling the young prospect during an episode of AEW Dark: Elevation, the former WWE star had offered him a position in his group.

Johl at the time had mentioned how Hardy was one of his heroes growing up and wrestling him was a dream come true. Though mentioning Hardy’s recent heel turn, Jora had claimed that he was struggling with the decision.

The star formerly known as Robo The Punjabi Lion, finally accepted the offer from the veteran before tonight’s Dark: Elevation episode with a promo.

Jora Johl said that he had been thinking about Hardy’s offer day and night. He is accepting the offer because it’s the only way to achieve his dreams:

The high-flying star made his wrestling debut in 2016. He had been competing in the independent circuit. He has wrestled for promotions such as Beyond Wrestling, Immortal Championship Wrestling, and more.

Jora Johl joins stars such as The Private Party, The Butcher and the Blade, and The Hybrid 2 in the Hardy Family Office faction.

AEW Games announced today that fans will be able to download “AEW Elite General Manager’ later this week. According to a comments made by Aubrey Edwards on social media, the game is scheduled to be released on July 15th.

“AEW Elite General Manager will drop on iOS and Android this Thursday. Get hype,” the referee/video game producer Tweeted. She included a video of an enthusiastic Kenny Omega playing the game.

“Think you have what it takes? Prove it, with AEW Elite General Manager. Draft your favorite AEW wrestlers and book your own shows from week to week. Download AEW Elite General Manager available July 15th on IOS and Android,” Paul Wight says in the video.

The game went through a series of beta testing last month.

”We’ve spent more than a year dissecting the wrestling GM genre, analyzing feedback and rebuilding it in a way that appeals to today’s fans,” said Stephen Kim, CEO of Crystallized Games said in a press release back in May. “AEW Elite GM takes the best elements of the simulator genre to create an immersive experience that wrestling fans will love. We’re excited to put the responsibility of calling the shots in the hands of wrestling fans.” 

Managers have always been an important part of professional wrestling. They play a crucial role in a wrestler’s career. This is a mentality that AEW has run with. The list of managers is long, including Arn Anderson, Jake the Snake Roberts, Vikki Guerrero and more. Talking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff addressed what he sees as a problem with the AEW managers scene.

Eric Bischoff had nothing bad to say about the current managers in AEW but rather commented on the lack of diversity among them.

 “Arn, Tully, Jake, these are serious shoot ass-kicking motherf—ers,” Bischoff said. “There’s no Jimmy Hart’s in that conversation, there’s no balance. Yes AEW is doing a great job in terms of integrating some of the legends, I being one of them occasionally getting to show up and I love that. Balancing the serious, intense with the high-flying, super athletic ridiculous skill sets but still have some of that goofy sh-t mixed in so that the whole audience is satisfied. Not just the portion of the audience that identifies with one specific era or style of wrestling.” Bischoff said.

Eric Bischoff Understands The Need for Diversity

Too much of a good thing can make it bad. That applies to all walks of life. Eric Bischoff understands that different fans are looking for different things when they tune in to a show each week. By having something to cater for all tastes, a brand like AEW can appeal to a wider audience.

AEW already have a mix of wrestling talent, from the serious to the comedic. Eric Bischoff believes adding more managerial variety would bring more balance to the ranks. You already have Vikki Guerrero who, it could be argued, plays a Mouth of the South style role, however, she lacks the comedic appeal.

Could a faction like Best Friends benefit from having a jovial manager leading them? Possibly not, but is there validity in Eric Bischoff’s words? With two weekly shows and two dark shows each week, there is surely a spot that could be filled by a comedically inclined manager.

On Dynamite this week, a fan jumped the guardrail and was briefly on the stage area before being grabbed by security. The fan, or someone purporting to be him, then appeared on social media yesterday.

“I did this for all of us real wrestling fans, wrestling is no longer a safe space for friends to dance around and play dress up,” the fan Tweeted at Jim Cornette.

Cornette then Tweeted the following in response to the fan.

“Got news for you dipshit, the ring is sacred ground for US, and even if you and a lot of others THINK you can kick the shit out of the Young Bucks, I would have turned you into a tennis racket popsicle, & you’re lucky someone there didn’t gut you like a fish. And you’re blocked,” Cornette Tweeted.

Kenny Omega then Tweeted out some comments that many are taking as being directed at Cornette.

Cornette then responded to Omega.

“You & I agree for the first time–this guy IS a moron, or he wouldn’t have been at a show with your phony ass on it. Two clarifications: Unlike you I’ve SEEN violence in an arena & this wasn’t it, & secondly looking at your supporters I wouldn’t toss the phrase “low IQ” around,” Cornette Tweeted.

Cornette continued:

The co-host of Jim Cornette’s podcast also responded to Omega’s comments.

The Varsity Blondes are mounting a charge through the AEW Tag Team rankings. After debuting. Spending their early days appearing on AEW Dark, they can now be found as a mainstay of AEW Dynamite. The team of Brian Pillman Jr and Griff Garrison have already challenged the Young Bucks for the AEW Tag Team titles, and are currently ranked number two behind the team of Eddie Kingston and Penta el Zero.

Pillman is certainly a star on the rise with AEW, and while he might not have any gold around his waist, he has good cause to celebrate. Following the expiry of his contract with MLW, he has now signed as a full-time member of the AEW roster.

It was thanks to a loophole that Brian Pillman Jr had been able to work for AEW. The contract he signed with MLW did not allow wrestlers to work for other promotions. However, when he signed his deal, AEW did not exist. This meant that they were not mentioned in his deal.

On Monday, AEW confirmed the news of Brian Pillman Jr.’s signing by announcing that he is #AllElite:

Bright Future Ahead for Brian Pillman Jr.

When Brian Pillman’s episode of Dark Side of the Ring aired, a new light was cast over his son. The extent of what Brian Pillman Jr had to endure following his father’s passing pulled at the heartstrings, endearing him to fans around the world.

At just 27, Pillman has the world at his feet, with his size, power and athletic ability. It is surely only a matter of time before we see the Varsity Blondes with gold around their waist. AEW is building a roster full of talent not just for the present day, but for the future.

With the likes of Jungle Boy, MJF and Darby Allin all primed to lead the singles division, Brian Pillman Jr and Griff Garrison could well be the future of tag team wrestling.

Outspoken pro wrestling personality Jim Cornette has taken to social media to rip into a ‘fan’ who claims that they jumped the barricade at the AEW Dynamite Road Rager show ‘in his name.’

There was an altercation at the start of the Chris Jericho and MJF segment on this week’s episode of the show, an both Jericho and Maxwell Jacob Friedman referencing the ‘fat b*stard’ jumping the rail during their promos.

The ‘fan’ was sent to jail following the incident, however he has now taken to social media himself to tell Cornette and Brian Last that he did it in the name of ‘real’ wrestling fans.

Jim Cornette Responds To Dipsh*t

“@TheJimCornette @GreatBrianLast, how did you like my #AEW debut?” The ‘fan’ wrote. “I did this for all of us real wrestling fans, wrestling is no longer a safe space for friends to dance around and play dress up.”

“Reality can hit at anytime” the man removed from Dynamite continued, “did they think it is going to be f*cking playtime forever?”

Despite Jim Cornette not liking AEW or some of the stars on the show, he absolutely ripped the ‘fan’ a new one for his actions and said that he does not do anything in his name.

“Got news for you dipsh*t” Cornette began. “The ring is sacred ground for US, and even if you and a lot of others THINK you can kick the s–t out of the Young Bucks, I would have turned you into a tennis racket popsicle.”

“You’re lucky someone there didn’t gut you like a fish. And you’re blocked,” Cornette concluded.

Cornette’s podcast host Brian Last also lambasted the barricade jumper, saying “real wrestling fans don’t jump the rail. You should be embarrassed. You are blocked.”

Chris Jericho had an interesting moment in Miami on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite when a fan tried to rush the ring to attack the former AEW World Champion and MJF. 

Security was quick to stop the fan while it looked like Jericho took a swing at him. The person was seeking approval from Jim Cornette on social media but he found out that Cornette wanted nothing to do with him. 

Cornette tweeted, “Got news for you dips**t, the ring is sacred ground for US, and even if you and a lot of others THINK you can kick the s**t out of the Young Bucks, I would have turned you into a tennis racket popsicle, & you’re lucky someone there didn’t gut you like a fish. And you’re blocked.”

Jericho also ripped the fan by writing, “Do you really think @TheJimCornette would condone this you fu**in loser? Jimmy would’ve shoved a tennis racket up your ass and smashed your car windows.”

Speaking of Jericho, Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the top AEW will be missing some Dynamite episodes later this year. 

He’ll be on tour with his rock band Fozzy in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Ireland from November 30 to December 12. According to that schedule, he’ll be missing the December 1st and 8th episodes of AEW Dynamite. 

Once again, tickets for AEW All Out sold out almost immediately.

Thursday, AEW held a ticket presale for the event, which resulted in nearly every ticket inside Chicago’s NOW Arena to sell out. Friday, the general public was given access to the remaining seats, which were also snagged incredibly quickly, selling-out the venue for the September event.

POST Wrestling reported they were told once AEW arrives in Illinois and finalize production set-up, the company may have more seats available.

According to WrestleTix, a Twitter account that posts live ticket information for numerous wrestling promotions including AEW, NJPW, and WWE, the map held 9,496 seats, with suite seats likely increasing that number. The venue’s website itself states the center has 11,800 seats.

WrestleTix also reported that the All Out sold out before the que could lighten, sharing screenshots that revealed very few seats were available before the general public sale began. Even the Trio Combo packages were mostly sold out when WrestleTix made it to the front of the ticket line.

In 2019, AEW also sold out the same venue in 15 minutes for their inaugural All Out event.

This is the third All Out in the event series, the second to be held an hour outside of Chicago in Hoffman Estates, IL. AEW will hold a total of three events at NOW Arena during the same week as All Out— including Dynamite on Wednesday and Rampage on Sunday.

AEW All Out Week begins Wednesday, Sept. 1 with Dynamite. AEW All Out 2021 takes place Sunday, Sept. 5, live from NOW Arena starting at 7:30pm EST.