AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida recently spoke to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated. The Japanese star discussed a number of topics ahead of her Double or Nothing Title defence against Dr Britt Baker this weekend.

Shida would have massive praise for her opponent, who many are touting as the one to beat the current Champion and go on as the face of the division for the time being.

“She is the type of person who studies pro wrestling more than anyone else in AEW,” Shida said of Britt Baker. “Her progress in these years is proof of that. The most important moments in pro wrestling are the ones after a loss. When I show how I stand again after a tough loss, I think people will understand me better. However, this Double or Nothing is the first time to wrestle in a full arena as the champion for me, and I’ve retained this title until now for this moment.”

Hikaru Shida has been AEW Women’s Champion for over a year. Since the start of the pandemic, she’s talked about wanting to defend the gold in front of a sell-out crowd. This Sunday, she’ll finally get her chance.

“This match is going to be one of the toughest and most emotional matches in AEW history,” she said. “Those are two very important elements for a great match. And after it is over, I’ll celebrate my win with all fans at Double or Nothing.”

Head over to Sports Illustrated to read the full interview with Hikaru Shida.

Double or Nothing Card

Here’s the full card for AEW’s Double or Nothing on May 30:

• AEW World Championship Match – Kenny Omega (c) vs. PAC vs. Orange Cassidy
• AEW Women’s World Championship Match – Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Britt Baker
• TNT Championship Match – Miro (c) vs. Lance Archer with Jake Roberts
• AEW Tag Team Championship Match – The Young Bucks (c) vs. Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston
• Stadium Stampede 2 – The Pinnacle vs. Inner Circle
• Casino Battle Royale – Christian Cage, Matt Sydal, Powerhouse Hobbs, 10, Evil Uno, Colt Cabana, Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, Marq Quen, Jungle Boy, Penta El Zero Miedo, The Acclaimed, Nick Comoroto, Lee Johnson, Dustin Rhodes, Varsity Blonds
• Cody Rhodes vs. Anthony Ogogo
• ‘Hangman’ Adam Page vs. Brian Cage
• Sting and Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky
• NWA Women’s Championship Match – Serena Deeb (c) vs Riho

All Elite Wrestling has announced that the NWA World Women’s Championship will be defended this weekend on the Double or Nothing Buy-In show. NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb will defend against former AEW Women’s Champion, Riho.

Deeb recently returned from knee surgery that had kept her out of action for 3 months. She defeated Red Velvet in a well-reviewed match on last week’s edition of Dynamite. 23-year-old Riho hasn’t wrestled in AEW since March 10th. She picked up a victory over Maki Itoh on the first-ever edition of AEW Dark: Elevation.

This will be just the 2nd ever match between Riho and Deeb. They met back in February in the 1st round of the AEW Women’s title-eliminator tournament. Riho pulled out the victory in a match, which is the likely reason she has been granted this title shot.

Serena Deeb vs Riho

The announcement of this match comes one day after a new #1 Contender to the NWA Women’s title was not able to be determined on last night’s edition of NWA Powerrr. Thunder Rosa and Kamille wrestled to a 20-minute time limit draw on the show. It is now unclear who will challenge for the belt on June 6th when the NWA presents its next PPV, When Our Shadows Fall.

AEW Dynamite will not air tonight in its usual time slot due to the NBA Playoffs. Instead, it will air on Friday night. According to a report from PW Insider, this will also be the case for next week’s show.

Dynamite will air on Friday night at 10 PM est next week on June 4th, 2021 instead of its usual timeslot.

Additionally, it is being reported that his likely won’t be the last time Dynamite is preempted during the NBA Playoffs. Following the conclusion of the NBA Playoffs, AEW Dynamite will return to its normal time slot on Wednesday nights.

Unfortunately for AEW, this means both the important go-home show for this weekend’s PPV and the usually high-rated first post-PPV edition of Dynamite will not air in its usual time slot over the next 2 weeks.

TBS Move Could Prevent Preemptions

AEW’s move to TBS in 2022 will likely prevent further preemptions of Dynamite. TNT has a lot of sports programming and these have caused disruptions to Dynamite’s schedule over the last two years.

Tony Khan was asked about Dynamite possibly moving nights to make room for the NHL back in April. Khan said at the time they would consider a move if it made sense for AEW. Knowing what we know now, it’s likely Khan already knew about the move to TBS at this time.

“If there was ever an opportunity to move, or if there was a deal to be had, I would consider it,” Khan said back in April. “If we did something, it would have to be a really good deal for AEW.”

The betting odds for the matches that will take place at the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event have been released.

The card for the show that takes place on Sunday (May 30, 2021) in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place appears to have been finalized.

Christian Cage is favored to win the Casino Battle Royale to earn a shot at the AEW World Heavyweight Title. Kenny Omega is favored to retain the AEW World Title at -450 while Miro is favored to retain the TNT Title as a massive -600 favorite over Lance Archer. Britt Baker is a big favorite to win the Women’s Title. 

Double Or Nothing Betting Odds

AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega -450 vs. PAC +500 vs. Orange Cassidy +350

The Inner Circle -120 vs. The Pinnacle -120 – Stadium Stampede

AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida +250 vs. Dr. Britt Baker -400

“The American Dream” Cody Rhodes +120 vs. Anthony Ogogo -160

Adam Page -200 vs. Brian Cage +150

TNT Champion Miro -600 vs. Lance Archer +350

AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks -120 vs. Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston -120

Casino Battle Royale:

• Christian Cage 5/2
• Penta El Zero Miedo 7/2
• Jungle Boy 9/2
• Powerhouse Hobbs 5/1
• Matt Hardy 8/1
• Preston Vance 8/1
• Max Caster 10/1
• Nick Comoroto 12/1
• QT Marshall 16/1
• Evil Uno 25/1
• Isiah Kassidy 25/1
• Marq Quen 25/1
• Colt Cabana 33/1

Make sure to join us on Sunday for match recaps, and our takeaways from this latest pay-per-view event held by AEW.

AEW star Scorpio Sky recently appeared on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast. Sky discussed a number of topics on the show, including his Double or Nothing PPV match.

Scorpio Sky will be teaming up with Ethan Page to take on Darby Allin and ‘The Icon’ Sting at the event in a tag team match. This match will Sting’s first in-ring bout as part of the All Elite roster.

“Everyone in my generation grew up watching Sting,” Sky began on the podcast, discussing his match including the WCW legend. “I had a buddy of mine text me, he actually works for the other company (WWE), and he’s like, ‘Bro, Sting was my favorite wrestler growing up, don’t hurt him.’”

“I just laughed about that” Scorpio Sky continued, referring to the talk surrounding the previously retired Sting. “And you know, Sting was one of my favorite wrestlers growing up too. He can still go he still has that magic, when he all he has to do is walk out and there’s just something special about him.”

Scorpio Sky on Sting

Sting of course had to retire originally following a match against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions 2015. The Icon took two Bucklebomb moves that would essentially end his career, until he was confirmed as an AEW star back in December 2020.

“He has that IT factor. And he brings a lot to the table still even this late in his career” Sky noted, praising The Icon. “Again, I’m honored to be a part of it, and I think it’s gonna be a great match.”

“I have no hesitations about it” Sky revealed, talking about the match. “I think he is a professional. He’s an intelligent person and he wouldn’t be stepping into the ring if he wasn’t ready.”

“If he wasn’t medically cleared, emotionally cleared, mentally ready, I think he wouldn’t put himself in that position” Sky concluded.

AEW star Ethan Page recently took to social media to announce his biggest news of the year. It has nothing to do with his upcoming tag match against Darby Allin and Sting. Rather, the 31-year-old announced to the world that he and his wife are expecting their second child.

Page was also quick to update his tweet after being lambasted by his mother.

Ethan Page will need to direct his attention back to the ring now. He and Scorpio Sky face a stern test at AEW Double or Nothing, squaring off against Sting and Darby Allin.

The fight represents Sting’s first in-ring match in six years. Page and Sky have gone to great lengths to try and shelve both Sting and Allin in recent weeks. When they finally face off at Double or Nothing, it promises to be as physical a match as any on the card.

Page and Sky have formed an impressive team in recent weeks. You have to expect they will turn their attention to the titles but the current run of feuds end.

Ethan Page spent most of his career on the Indie scene, followed by a run in IMPACT, where he was a two-time tag team champion with Josh Alexander. With the AEW roster boasting as many great names as it does, a run as a tag team offers both Page and Sky a great opportunity.

That said, Ethan Page is a talented wrestler, as well as a blackbelt in both karate and taekwondo. He possesses all the skills needed to be a singles champion also.

AEW broadcaster Jim Ross recently named Randy Orton as the best pro wrestler in the world. Ross acknowledged that some people would give that honor to Kenny Omega, but Orton is still his pick.

Chris Jericho gave his two cents on the matter on Monday. According to Jericho, Omega is the best wrestler in the world – and believes that ‘fact’ is impossible to argue.

“In my opinion, Kenny Omega is the best wrestler in the world today,” said Jericho. “Others may feel differently, but I’ve been in the ring w everybody currently working on top & there’s nobody close. That’s why Kenny’s AEW Champ-the most protected title in the biz. It’s Impossible to argue,” Jericho Tweeted.

Despite the high praise from Jericho, Omega does not seem impressed.

“Meh. I’d rather believe the bigot cuck, dimwit e-drones, and the guy that thinks I’m the WWE champion,” he Tweeted in response.

Chris Jericho vs Kenny Omega

The two Winnipeggers have met in singles action twice. The first time they met was at Wrestle Kingdom 12. Omega won the match which was for the IWGP United States Championship. The second time they met in singles action was at Double or Nothing 2019, when Jericho defeated Omega.

Omega and Jericho have met in tag-team action 5x. Jericho’s side has won 3 of those matches and Omega’s side has won twice. Their last match against each other was at Double or Nothing 2020 when Omega’s Elite stable defeated the Inner Circle in a Stadium Stampede match.

The AEW women’s division has a lot of promising stars, but none are shining brighter right now than Tay Conti. The 25-year-old Brazilian wrestler has everything to be a dominant name in wrestling. Since joining the Dark Order her career has blossomed. The well-rounded fighter is working hard on perfecting her skills, and improvement can be seen from week to week.

She is a long way from the frustrated WWE figure who was begging for a release from her contract. Talking on a recent episode of the AEW Unrestricted Podcast, Tay Conti spoke at length about her time with WWE.

Recalling the multiple occasions that she requested a release, and the interesting answer she was given.

“I remember they told me, ‘No, you’re not gonna go to AEW. ‘We put a lot of money on you. You are star blah, blah, blah.’ I’m like, ‘Yes, you guys don’t use me here. So I gotta go somewhere,”

Tay found it an interesting excuse, especially as she had no intention of joining AEW at the time. “I had no plans because I had no contacts at all.”

After accepting her employer’s refusal to grant her a release, Tay Conti was resigned to finishing her two-year contract. Then, just as things seemed to have settled, COVID hit.

“Out of nowhere, they called me because of — I mean, not out of nowhere. Everybody knew was what was going on because of COVID, but I was not expecting the call since we were okay. They told me ‘we are finally letting you go’ not in a really good, I don’t how to explain it without being too mean, they’re not too nice.”

WWE’s loss is certainly AEWs gain, as they have a real star in the making in Tay Conti.

Former TNT champion Darby Allin cuts quite the figure in WWE. Aside from his partnership with Sting, it is easy to see why he draws so many parallels with the Hall of Famer.

In a recent interview, Darby spoke openly about how he likes to keep to himself, especially when he’s at Daily’s Place. Preferring his own company, and changing down in the boiler room. Escaping the maddening, gossip fuelled work of wrestling locker rooms.

Talking on the Wrestling Perspective Podcast, Darby Allin said that he found it tiring to be around the gossips and the showboating.

“You can’t find me backstage. We’ve been in Daily’s Place now for the last year and it sounds ridiculous, but I literally change in the boiler room by myself.” Darby shared. “I lock myself in there and I just come up with storylines all day and working on promos and working on everything that I do outside of the ring; all of the business deal and random stuff; clothing line.”

“I just feel way more productive not hearing people’s gossip about stupid ‘who slept with who’ and ‘who’s talking to who.’ I don’t have time for that. It pisses me off and I don’t — 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.”

A known practitioner of the Straight Edge lifestyle, Darby Allin sounds like a serious professional. Whatever he does, it is certainly working for him. He has a very bright future within the AEW ranks.

AEW star and former TNT Champion Darby Allin recently appeared on the Wrestling Perspective podcast. The former professional skateboarder talked about a number of topics during his time on the show, including his Championship loss to Miro on a recent episode of AEW Dynamite.

Before the loss, Darby Allin had been a major ratings success for AEW in the main event of shows. Having a multiple week run of main event matches, Allin would consistently draw well and prove to be a asset across multiple demographics.

Darby Allin Talks TNT Title Loss

“I was hyped to go out when I did” Darby Allin began, talking about his Championship loss to the former WWE Superstar Miro on AEW programming. “Because I was having those string of main events and we were drawing good numbers when I was main eventing. I didn’t want to overstay my welcome.”

“’Like, ‘What the f*uck, when’s this guy gonna lose?’ I didn’t want to be that guy” Allin continued, “I don’t have no ego when it comes to this. I was like, ‘Dude, I’m ready to roll out when I’m on top with it,’ so it was good, I really liked it.”

The former TNT Champion is currently scheduled to team with Sting to take on Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page at the Double or Nothing 2021 PPV event at the end of the month.

When Paul Wight signed for AEW he did so as both a color commentator and a part-time performer. Since then we have yet to see the big man in an AEW ring. However, that could be changing if recent events on AEW Dark Elevation mean anything.

Paul Wight has been fun to listen to since the launch of Elevation, and the show is a great place to catch a packed card with some very good names each week.

It was during the match between QT Marshall and Baron Black that Marshall first the first shot of a possible feud. Raising his arm into the air ala Wight’s previous incarnation as The Big Show in WWE. He followed this up with stare at the commentary table and a gesture in Wights direction that left nothing to the imagination.

Paul Wight All Too Eager to Put QT Marshall in his Place

Both the crowd and the commentators reacted to the gesture, with Tony Schiavone remarking “Well, he knows you’re here, Paul.”

Paul White smiled and added “Yeah, well he might feel I’m here pretty quick too.”

It was always expected that Wight would step between the ropes. He has plenty of gas left in the tank. With Double or Nothing coming up, and QT Marshall currently without an opponent, perhaps we will be seeing Wight sooner rather than later.

They were certainly fighting words and actions from both Paul White and QT on Elevation, and there are no coincidences in professional wrestling.

The timing of the actions are a little strange, given the Nightmare Family – Factory feud that is currently going on. That might be why we saw it take place on Dark Elevation rather than Dynamite. Either way, it will be interesting to see if anything comes from it. Seeing Paul Wight in action in an AEW ring will certainly be met by cheers from fans around the world.

Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn of The Gunn Club have been impressing people with their performance in AEW. However, due to their heritage, a lot of people wonder why the duo did not start their career in WWE instead.

The two AEW stars recently appeared on Talk Is Jericho podcast where they talked about a number of things and explained why they did not try to get a job with WWE before joining AEW.

Talking about their decision to not join the WWE PC, Austin Gunn revealed the advice they got from their father and WWE Hall Of Famer Billy Gunn about it:

“This came up, and I was like, ‘What do you think about the Performance Center?’ He goes, ‘I don’t want you to lose your love for wrestling that you have right now by going there and then them having you turn into that Performance Center, follow directions. you need to be this

Instead of me being just free spoken and just express myself naturally.’ So it was a discussion that we had, but we tried everything to not go there.”

Colten expanded on his brothers’ comments recalling how their father’s advice to them was to find themselves and develop a character first:

“I think the discussion was, if I remember it correctly, more of like, you can go there, but you need to go do your own thing for two to three years,” recalled The Gunn Club member, “And find out who you are and try to develop a character yourself or feel out the landscape

Before you just go straight to the Performance Center and they tell you what to be, as opposed to you know kind of what you are when you go in there and you have a little more confidence.”

• WWE Blocking Billy Gunn From Using His Last Name In AEW

Chris Jericho then recalled similar advice he gave to Davey Boy Smith Jr. in past. Jericho told him that WWE would still be there in a few years but he would gain a lot of life experience competing for different promotions.

Apart from this, The Gunn Club also talked about Billy Gunn’s Hall Of Fame induction alongside DX, the freedom they get in AEW and more.

AEW has announced a number of interesting matches for the upcoming episode of AEW Dark: Elevation and it includes the addition of two NJPW stars in Rocky Romero and Ren Narita.

The company announced that the main event of the upcoming show will see NJPW’s Rocky Romero going one on one against former NXT star JD Drake.

Though this wasn’t all as they also confirmed the debut of NJPW young lion Ren Narita who will be facing Royce Isaacs in his first match for the promotion:

Rocky Romero is a Cuban American professional wrestler who has had a couple of stints with ROH. He has also competed for a number of well-known promotions in Mexico including CMLL and others.

He was originally trained by Antonio Inoki at the NJPW Dojo in Los Angeles. He has been a regular for the promotion ever since his return to the company in 2010.

• NJPW Veteran Satoshi Kojima To Make Impact Debut Next Week

Ren Narita on the other hand has been training under the company’s young lion program since 2017. The 23-year-old has received some praise for his work so far.

Other matches announced for the show include Thunder Rosa vs. Ashley D’Amboise and OT Marshall vs. Robo. AEW Dark Elevation airs on the company’s YouTube channel every Monday at 7pm ET.

Jim Ross has less than a year left in his current contract with AEW and he has started thinking about his future after his current deal with the company expires.

The former WWE star recently had an interview with DAZN where he discussed a number of things and also opened up about his current run with the promotion.

During the interview, Ross talked about the length of his current contract with All Elite Wrestling and revealed that he signed a three-year deal with the promotion when he first joined the company in 2019:

“The contract I came in here was three years because that’s what he (Khan) wanted. He wants stability. It made Time Warner happy because they’re used to my work in their company for many years and the WWE stuff as well.”

Discussing his plans after his contract expires, Jim Ross said that he would like to continue working for Tony Khan but take things one year at a time:

“I’d like to, in a perfect world, Steven, I would say I’ll do this year, and then let’s evaluate and see where we are health-wise, motivational-wise. Then if I come back, I’d like to come back for a year at a time.”

Jim Ross signed for three year with AEW in April 2019 which means his current deal would expire sometime around the same month next year. We will have to wait and see what decision the company makes about him after that.

Buy Jim Ross’ latest book now from Amazon:

Kenny Omega is a wrestler everybody loves to hate right now. Since pairing with Don Callis to rob Jon Moxley of the AEW title, he has grown into one of the best heels in the business. A throwback heel. One with character and slimy charm. A villain that gets under your skin and makes you want a shower after seeing him on TV.

Yet, beneath that is a man who loves wrestling. An athlete who is as dedicated as any to the profession he loves.

Talking on the Wrestling with the Week podcast, Kenny Omega opened up about the pressures of being a multi-belt champion and the toll it takes.

“It’s a blessing and a curse. As champion, you get some high-quality matches and you’re the focal point of the shows, but at the same time, there is a schedule that is required and a demand for your body and health and psychological health.” Omega said, talking openly and honestly about life at the top.

Kenny Omega Realizes It’s Not Easy Being Number One

It’s not easy to be the best. Kenny Omega has created a universally hated heel persona. However, it’s easy to forget that he is just as human as the rest of us.

“It’s cool to look at pictures and be like, ‘wow, look at all these belts,’ but then I think, ‘Man, I have to defend these and make time to defend these.”

Omega is defending his AEW championship in a triple threat event Double or Nothing on May 30^th.

There is no denying that Kenny Omega is at the top of his game. Every wrestling fan is hoping he can maintain his hectic schedule. He must do credit to the belts he carries, and not spark out for flying too high.

The recent AEW announcement relating to their move from TNT to TBS has got the wrestling world talking. The young company are certainly taking big strides into the wrestling world. Confident in their vision and unafraid of competition.

News of a new weekly show on Friday’s is further proof of their confidence in the AEW brand. They will have special events broadcast on TNT through the year running alongside the weekly shows and regular PPV’s.

There’s no news on when these shows will start. However, there is already one name likely to be used. AEW trademarked ‘Battle of the Belts’ back in January this year. Until now this name has not been used or mentioned. It stands to reason, therefore, that it will be used for one of the new events they mentioned in their announcement.

The name is a clever and quirky one that resembles names of events used by other organizations. However, with AEW’s openness to working with other companies, and belt swapping with them, the concept of a Battle of the Belts, suddenly takes on a whole new realm of possibilities.

AEW has already proven that they are not afraid to go all-in when it comes to embracing the creativity of wrestling. Battle of the Belts could soon become a fascinating event, whatever network or time of the year it appears.

Wrestling fans are clamouring to get their hands on Jon Moxley’s upcoming autobiography. Moxley’s life in professional wrestling is certainly a story that would appeal to most fans, hungry for details. Earlier this week, Moxley spoke to John Cassidy from Inside the Ropes and gave a startling insight into his mindset.

For Jon Moxley, wrestling is the easy part of his life. It’s the reward he seeks, and after a match is when he feels the best. The wrestling equivalent to a runner’s high?

“I usually feel like crap most of the day, every day,” Moxley admitted. “The best I ever feel is usually right after the match, even if it was a very physically demanding match. My adrenaline is high, I’m loose, I’m on a high, I’m feeling good. When I walk into the back and I’m bleeding and sweating and everything and all busted up, that’s usually when I actually feel the best.” Moxley explained.

It is an interesting glimpse into the mind and psyche of a professional wrestler. One that does not get explored enough. Jon Moxley is a master of his art, and deserving of the regard in which he is held.

It makes sense that wrestlers find the release in the ring. They lead busy lives and away from the glitz and glamor of the big leagues, it is a hard life and often a lonely road. Wrestling isn’t a profession you can do without being fully in love with it. It is an art unlike anything else, and there is a reason that Jon Moxley sits on its throne right now.

Jon Moxley’s autobiography, titled MOX titled, will be available this November and is destined for the bestsellers list. Pe-order MOX now from Amazon:

AEW star Austin Gunn has suffered an injury during his match on Dynamite tonight that is gonna keep him out of action for the next couple of months.

The young star faced Anthony Ogogo in a singles match on this week’s episode of the show. It turned out to be a one sided contest in Ogogo’s favor.

The bout saw the English boxer-turned-wrestler hitting his opponent in guts several times, leading to Austin Gunn bleeding from his mouth.

The referee tried to end the match but the injured star stopped him. The match eventually ended after Ogogo hit him with a pop-up punch to the face. The referee then had to call the bout off.

After the show went off air, AEW provided some update on Austin. They made a tweet confirming that the AEW star will be out of action for 8-10 weeks:

The match was only the second televised match for Ogogo after his match with Cole Karter on Dynamite back on April 14. He will now face Cody Rhodes at Double Or Nothing on May 30.

Austin Gunn is the son of wrestling veteran and WWE Hall Of Famer Billy Gunn. He made his wrestling debut in 2017 and was signed by AEW in 2020.

• AEW Dynamite Results (5/19): Two Title Matches, The Pinnacle & Inner Circle

All Elite Wrestling announced several bouts for their upcoming Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event during Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.

Stadium Stampede featuring The Inner Circle vs. The Pinnacle was made official. The two factions worked the Blood and Guts match a few weeks ago. Last week, The Inner Circle threw out the challenge for Stadium Stampede. The stipulation to go along with this match is if Inner Circle loses the match then they must disband.

Miro will defend the TNT Title against Lance Archer at this show after Miro won the title from Darby Allin on last week’s Dynamite. Post-match, Archer had a staredown with Miro. 

AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks will defend against Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston. Finally, Sting and Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky in a tag team match will go down. 

AEW Double Or Nothing Card

The AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event will take place on Sunday, May 30, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. 

AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. PAC and Orange Cassidy

Stadium Stampede: The Inner Circle vs. The Pinnacle

AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Dr. Britt Baker

“The American Dream” Cody Rhodes vs. Anthony Ogogo

Adam Page vs. FTW Champion Brian Cage

AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks vs.  Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston

TNT Champion Miro vs. Lance Archer

Casino Battle Royale: Competitions announced thus far include Christian Cage, Matt Sydal, Powerhouse Hobbs, 10, Evil Uno, Colt Cabana, Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, Marq Quen, Jungle Boy, Penta El Zero Miedo – winner gets world title match

Sting and Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky

AEW dropped some bombshell news on Wednesday. Two years after the announcement of AEW Dynamite at the 2019 TurnerMedia up-fronts, AEW President Tony Khan reveals that All Elite Wrestling has negotiated its relationship with its television partner. The main developments:

• AEW Rampage is the new television show launching Friday, August 13th. Rampage will air Friday nights at 10pm (Eastern) on TNT.

• AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage are moving to TBS in 2022.

• AEW will present quarterly specials on TNT in 2022. Think, Blood and Guts, Beach Break, Winter is Coming, etc.

Here’s the official word from Tony Khan:

Tony Khan on Busted Open

The announcements were made during Tony Khan’s weekly appearance on Wednesday’s episode of Busted Open on SiriusXM. Here are some additional highlights of Khan’s conversation with Dave LaGreca and Mark Henry:

• Tony ran down the card for tonight’s AEW Dynamite. Top matches he’s excited for include AEW World tag team champions The Young Bucks will defend against the Varsity Blonds, Moxley & Kingston vs. The Acclaimed, Serena Deeb vs. Red Velvet, Christian Cage vs. Matt Sydal, Anthony Ogogo vs. Austin Gunn and more.

• He called MJF the ‘Bret Hart of the Create-a-Pro dungeon’ (wrestling school) on Long Island, NY. Tony said C.A.P. has produced many talented AEW stars, including The Acclaimed, Kris Statlander, members of the Dark Order and more.

• Max Caster has a killer rap lined up for The Acclaim’s entrance tonight on Dynamite. Luckily, Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston have thick skin.

Catch Busted Open weekday mornings from 9-12pm (EST) on Sirius XM Fight Nation (Ch. 156).

All Elite Wrestling has announced more participants for the Casino Battle Royale at Double Or Nothing on Sunday, May 30, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida from Daily’s Place. 

The reveal took place during Tuesday’s episode of AEW Dark. The new names were Powerhouse Hobbs, 10, Evil Uno, Colt Cabana, Matt Hardy, Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen), and Jungle Boy. 

They join Christian Cage and Matt Sydal in the match as the two wrestlers declared last week on Dynamite. The winner will receive a shot at the AEW World Championship.

During Dark, Hardy cut a promo about the Hardy Family Office’s war against the Dark Order and promised to embarrass them then win the Casino Battle Royale for a future title shot.

Jungle Boy also did a promo where he talked about his loss to Darby Allin for the TNT Championship and recalled how he was in the first Casino Battle Royale so now he hopes to win it this time around.

Other top matches booked for the show include AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Dr. Britt Baker, “The American Dream” Cody Rhodes vs. Anthony Ogogo, and AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. PAC and Orange Cassidy in a triple threat match. 

The full card will be announced on Wednesday’s Dynamite. 

AEW President Tony Khan recently appeared (again) on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. Khan discussed a number of topics during his time on the show, including the general landscape of pro wrestling.

“Wrestling is hotter than ever,” Khan claimed on the podcast, which is a pretty bold claim to make. “This past week, to have three different wrestling shows ranked number one on their night? And to have AEW be a part of it? It’s huge.”

“And it’s a great time for wrestling” Tony Khan added. “I feel like we were all there, part of the peak era of fandom, and now it’s a splintered audience. Things are very fragmented, it’s hard to get as many people to watch something as there used to be.”

Tony Khan on Modern Pro Wrestling

“But I believe that, and I see it first hand with the NFL and the great numbers we do, if you deliver a quality, compelling product consistently, people are going to show up and watch it” Tony Khan continued.

“And that’s why we built audience and we’re up year over year. It’s a great time to come and join AEW as a fan” Khan concluded.

Again, it’s interesting for Khan to make such a bold claim when you look at the general lay of the land in pro wrestling 2021. Whilst AEW is doing extremely well in the ratings; compared to the late 90’s and early 2000’s and the Monday Night Wars there’s a gulf in the popularity and mainstream appeal of pro wrestling.

Former WWE personality and host of WWE Backstage Renee Paquette recently appeared on WrestlingINC Daily. Paquette discussed a number of topics during her time on podcast, including her former Backstage colleague, CM Punk.

Paquette and others have answered the question of CM Punk returning to pro wrestling a number of topics over the past few years. When Punk joined Backstage these questions ramped up, but now even with the hype having died down Paquette feels there’s always a chance that CM Punk will return to pro wrestling.

“I think it’s just like anything else with WWE, you just never say never,” Renee began on the podcast. “We’ve seen people come back who none of us ever thought would return. I think Punk is somebody who falls under that category. End of the day, the guy is a wrestler. That’s who he is. I feel like in some capacity, I hope we get to see Punk wrestle someone someday.”

Renee Paquette on CM Punk

“At this point, I don’t think anyone cares where it is” Paquette added, alluding to the other options that Punk has available if he were to return, such as AEW, where her husband Jon Moxley of course works. “Everyone just wants to see him get back out there. Tick Tock, brother. Let’s go. There’s always going to be rumblings.”

“The fact is people just want to see him back wrestling” Renee stated. “And whatever way that happens, if it ever does, I think people would freak. I’ll freak.”

There had been rumors in the past surrounding CM Punk and a potential run in AEW. Punk himself said a few years ago that Cody Rhodes himself had ‘texted an offer’ to the Straight Edge Superstar; something that Punk wasn’t exactly enamoured with.

Almost an age old question at this point, but do you want to see CM Punk return to WWE or AEW? Maybe even ROH or NJPW? Let us know in the comments

A big match has been announced for AEW Dynamite this week. Reigning champion Hikaru Shida is set to go one-on-one with Rebel (not Reba). The match is the latest step in the long-running feud between Dr Britt Baker and the AEW champion.

The feud dates back to when Baker suffered a broken nose at the hands of the Japanese champion in 2020. Since then, Baker has clawed her way up the rankings, developing a strong heel character in the process. The title match between Hikaru Shida and Rebel is not really one that is going to have fans chomping at the bit to see, but the expectation of what will flare up either during or after will certainly set the tone ahead of Shida’s Double or Nothing clash with the good doctor.

Hikaru Shida is the longest-reigning champion in AEW and has held the belt for 359 days. The stage is set for Dr Britt Baker to win the crown at Double or Nothing. Expect to see a beatdown on Dynamite to help further establish Baker’s heel persona. There is also every chance that this match will result in a stipulation being set for the Double of Nothing clash.

Many fans would argue Rebel has earned a match against the champ. If not just for putting up with everything she does from the good doctor. While she has been used sparingly in the ring in AEW, Rebel has a wrestling pedigree and could pose an interesting challenge for the current champ.

Even if the result is already evident, it should be a good match. This has been a well-played feud and surely won’t be the last time this group face off.

Jon Moxley is preparing to tell his story via a new book that will give fans an insight into his life and career. Fans can now pre-order his upcoming autobiography, MOX, which will be released on November 2nd.

Pre-order from Amazon:

Jon Moxley Book Description

The description reads like the following: 

“A vivid trip through the mind of the top professional wrestler in the business—a nobody from nowhere who achieved his ambitions and walked away with the gold and the girl of his dreams.

Ride alongside Jon Moxley as he retraces some of the highways traveled on his remarkable journey. Revel in the never-before-told stories about his early life in Cincinnati, Ohio; the gritty independent wrestling scene where he cut his teeth; the complicated corporate landscape of the WWE where he bucked against authority; and the rebellious upstart AEW, where he won the championship in 2020 and was finally free to achieve the vision of the wrestler he’d always wanted to be.

With plenty of pitstops and revelatory insights, including grizzly ultraviolent encounters, crazy characters who became lifelong friends, and his unforgettable matches in Japan, MOX is the riveting account of the life of a brawler. It is a tale written in blood and soaked in debauchery, with a good dose of wisdom accumulated along the way.

More than a backstage pass into the arena, MOX is a ticket into the ring. Once inside, you’ll never look at pro wrestling the same again.”

Mox

Moxley made a name for himself on the independent wrestling scene before going to WWE where he became a top star as Dean Ambrose when he was paired with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in The Shield. He later branched off to being a singles star where he would become the WWE Champion. In 2019, Moxley left WWE to join AEW and also became a top star for the promotion. 

Moxley will team with Eddie Kingston to take on (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) this Wednesday night on AEW Dynamite.