Tony Khan has revealed that plans for the creation of AEW had been in motion since before the 2018 All In event.
The inaugural All In event held on September 1, 2018, is widely considered to be the precursor of All Elite Wrestling. The success of the event is what many believe led to Tony Khan deciding to start his own promotion.
The exact timeline of events, however, has been a matter of debate recently. Multiple different accounts of the sequence in which the key people were made aware of the project and brought into the fold has been shared online.
During a recent interview on, The Rich Eisen Show, Tony Khan was asked about the belief that All In led to the formation of his company. The AEW President explained that the narrative is not true and he had first shared the idea with former TNT President Kevin Riley months before All In:
“I had started working about five months before that in April of that year I guess so you know I guess it would be like four and a half months earlier with a friend of mine who was the president of TBS and TNT Kevin Riley.
I ran into him at a party and brought up to him that I thought it would make a lot of sense to bring pro wrestling back to TBS and TNT and he was interested. Then I started working on it and well before like almost two months before All In I was actually talking to the Young Bucks.”
Tony Khan later revealed the date of his first serious discussion with Mattew Jackson and his wife Dana Massie, which in turn led to him making acquaintances of the rest of The Elite and Chris Jericho:
“On July 3 which would be almost two months before the show I had a really long call with Matt and his wife Dana and we had a really nice talk. That led to me starting to talk to the Young Bucks.
Then I started having conversations with Chris Jericho through his agent. Not long after that right around the same time and actually I think I might have like within a week or so give or take had a dinner then and followed up on that.
So I was talking to Chris Jericho and the Young Bucks and then through the Young Bucks also to Cody Rhodes and Hangman and a number of other great wrestlers. Kenny Omega was going to be available from New Japan not long after that. So I was actually before All In.”
The AEW executive also mentioned how he was in attendance for the 2018 All In event, though according to Khan, he was there only as a spectator.
MJF believes he’s the true blue ‘Nature Boy’ while he thinks Will Ospreay watches too much tape of Simone Biles.
MJF just defeated Ospreay in a near 60-minute marathon to kick off last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite to become the new AEW International Champion and Maxwell Jacob Friedman is relishing every single minute of it.
In a new interview with Justin Barrasso ofSports Illustrated, MJF had some harsh words for his recent opponent all while putting over his own athletic efforts.
“I’m on the Stairmaster every day for two hours. That’s the difference between me and Will Ospreay. I’m a real athlete. He’s a f—— gymnast.”
MJF was far from done as ‘The Scumbag’ also caught wind of Ric Flair’s praise. The two-time WWE Hall Of Famer happened to put a side-by-side photo of him and MJF hoisting up freshly won hardware. Max tipped the cap to ‘The Nature Boy’ but in natural heel form, put himself over at the same time.
“There’s a reason that after my match, Ric Flair posted a side-by-side comparison photo. I’m Ric Flair incarnated–and with all due respect to Ric, better.”
MJF certainly pulled from the page of ‘The Dirtiest Player In The Game’ in how he defeated Ospreay on Wednesday. Will’s conscience got the better of him nearing the end of the bout as he hesitated to hit his self-banned Tiger Driver and MJF took advantage, hitting him with the Dynamite Diamond Ring. We’ll more than likely hear from both stars this week on a stacked episode of AEW Dynamite that features a big Blood & Guts bout.
Some of the biggest names in wrestling will be part of Chris Jericho’s ‘Six on the Beach’ Cruise which will set sail in January 2025. The ‘Six on the Beach’ cruise will take guests from Miami to Puerto Plata, DR from January 31 to February 4. Only a select few cabins remain and can be purchased from ChrisJerichoCruise.com.
Wrestling Guests
Like previous years, the cruise will feature some huge names from the world of wrestling. This year’s cruise will see three guests of honor: Scott Steiner, Jushin Thunder Liger, and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler. The trio of WWE Hall of Famers will be joined by names including Bull Nakano, Al Snow, Koko B. Ware, Juventud Guerrera, and many more stars of yesterday and today. New TNA World ChampionNic Nemeth will serve as the cruise’s guest host while Ash By Elegance will be the guest cruise director.
AEW In Action
Guests will also get to see some of All Elite Wrestling’s finest compete as part of the four-night cruise. AEW first hosted events on Jericho’s first cruise in October 2018 and matches from the 2020 cruise were broadcast on the January 22, episode of AEW Dynamite.
Music, Comedy, and More
If wrestling isn’t for you, despite being on a cruise ran by a wrestling legend, then there will be other activities on next year’s voyage. Comedy shows will be posted by Anya Zova, Jay Washington, and AEW’s RJ City. For music fans, there will be performances by Fozzy, Great White, Downstait and many more bands. Live editions of the Talk is Jericho and Paranormal 60 podcast, will also take place.
Darby Allin is known for many wild things but even the most hardcore of fans get surprised when they found out about one of his very early TV appearances.
Before he was a successful wrestler, Allin actually made an appearance on the Sex Sent Me To The ER reality series where he claimed to have been stung by some bees in the forest.
The infamous video still pops up on social media every now and then. During a recent interview with Battleground podcast, Allin was asked about it and he revealed how the whole thing came about.
The high-flying star revealed that he was in the film school at the time and found out about the show through a website:
“It’s so funny when people repost it as if I’m trying to hide it. It’s like, I’m the one who told in an interview years ago with Chris Van Vliet that I did that show and people [are like], ‘Wait, he did?’ I’m the one who told people, it’s funny, it’s hilarious.
It’s like ‘Oh breaking news’ because no one has a goddamn life anymore. The thing is, I was going to film school in Arizona, and I saw this, there’s website with all these reality shows. And I said, ‘Oh, Sex sent me to ER, that sounds funny. Let’s come up with a story.'”
Darby Allin Forged A Doctor’s Note
According to Darby Allin the whole thing was made up and he even forged a doctor’s note to prove its authenticity. The girl who was featured in the video alongside him was an aspiring actress:
“So I made up this fake story, forged a doctor’s note that had happened, because they actually asked, ‘Did it really happen? We need doctor’s notes.’ And I was like, ‘yeah.’
So I met the girl on Craigslist. She was an aspiring actress, and we came up with the story. The day that we shot is the first day I met her. Then we just got our story straight, and then went in and filmed it.”
The Whole Experience Was Fun
Darby Allin later revealed that the video resulted in a good pay day that was like a godsent to him during his struggling days because he was surviving on very little money:
“It was just funny because that’s back when I was in film school, and I had no money. Literally no shit. I was living off of $5 a week on food. It was horrible. It was so bad. I worked at the 99 cents store at the time. So when I was in the freezer where they keep all the food, I’d be like, eating the food secretly back there. I had no money.
I forgot exactly the numbers it was like $500 or maybe $800 to do this reality thing. They flew me down to California. I was like ‘This is awesome. I can afford to eat now.’ Yeah, the whole experience was fun. It’s just fun coming up with stories and messing around and having a good time.”
Apart from this, Darby Allin also talked about taking risks and doing extreme spots ahead of his Blood & Guts match this Wednesday. You can check out what he said here.
A seven-year-old fan, Mia Liszewski was recently involved in the match between Will Ospreay and MJF for the AEW International Championship last week. It has come to light that she received a gift from ‘The Aerial Assassin’ after the 250th edition of AEW Dynamite.
The milestone edition of the show emanated from Little Rock, Arkansas last week. As MJF and Ospreay were battling in the crowd, Mia punched MJF. ‘The Salt of The Earth’ was not happy with it and gave her the one-finger salute. The video clip of the incident went viral on social media and it has garnered more than 10 million views on X.
Alongside her father, Stan Liszewski, the Arkansas girl spoke with ABC7 News. They talked about the special moment during the show. Mia’s father then revealed that Will Ospreay gave her one of his t-shirts which she was wearing.
“Will Ospreay, big hero at that time, he was the champion. As you can see, he gave her one of his shirts and she’s wearing it.”
It must be humiliating for MJF to get punched by a seven-year-old but he had the last laugh that night. He dethroned Will Ospreay to become the AEW International Champion. The pair of talented wrestlers battled it out for the title in a gruesome match that went on for an hour.
At one point, ‘The Aerial Assassin’ lifted MJF for the Tiger Driver 91. However, Ospreay, who said he wouldn’t use the move looked hesitated. MJF laid out Ospreay with his Dynamite Diamond Ring before pinning him for the three count. It seems that the newly-crowned AEW International Champion has already become a target.
Darby Allin says he is always ready to take big risks in any match because he doesn’t want any of his performances to feel like he’s phoning it in.
The former TNT Champion recently had an interview with Battleground podcast to promote the upcoming Blood and Guts special of Dynamite this Wednesday.
During the interview, Allin first discussed his crazy Anarchy In The Arena match at Double or Nothing 2024. During the bout, Darby took a superkick from the Young Bucks who were wearing boots lined with thumbtacks.
The AEW star revealed that he had to pull thumbtacks out of his lip after the bout and his nose injury made for an awkward conversation with his doctor:
“My nose, you couldn’t see it cause this shirt was hanging over my face, but my nose blew up like a faucet. When I got to the back, I had to pull thumbtacks out of my lip. I went right to the hospital. I thought this whole thing was re broke.
It was a pretty crazy night, and trying to explain that to [the doctor], because right before of that match, I had to get clearance from my nose doctor. Then the nose doctor signed me off, he said, ‘Be careful.’ And coming back and having to explain that, yeah, that was really awkward conversation.”
I Don’t Take Any of This Shit For Granted: Darby Allin
Darby Allin later mentioned how a lot of people advise him against such spots. According to the former champion, however, the drive to take big risks comes from the necessity to prove his haters wrong:
“Everybody tells me, ‘Take it easy. Slow down. You’re not gonna be able to walk when you’re 30.’ And it’s like, ‘Well, I’m 31 and I feel great.’ Believe it or not, even though like my foot, my face, everything feels great. It comes from a background of growing up working as a dishwasher, constantly being told that you’re never gonna amount to anything.
So going out there every night, I don’t forget where I came from. So that’s why you’ll never see Darby Allin phone it in. It could be on in front of 10 people, 10,000 people. 81,000 people. I never phone it in. Because I don’t take any of this shit for granted.”
The Blood And Guts episode of AEW Dynamite will see Darby Allin teaming with Swerve Strickland, Mark Briscoe, Max Caster & Anthony Bowens to take on Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson, Jack Perry & “Hangman” Adam Page in the extreme bout.
All-Elite Wrestling and Warner Bros. Discovery have an agreement in principle to keep AEW on Turner networks for the next several years.
According to sources in the television industry, AEW and WBD’s deal would add AEW content to the MAX streaming platform, including pay-per-views. It’s unknown how much AEW would earn moving PPVs to streaming.
Two sources emphasized the deal was an agreement in principle only and on paper, but could change as both sides get closer to signing off, but there is an agreement on paper.
An official announcement of an extension could happen within the next several weeks. Garrett Gonzalez and Dave Meltzer corroborated the report on Saturday’s Wrestling Observer Radio.
Exact numbers on the deal weren’t available but were said to be on “the middle to high side” of what the two groups were negotiating.
AEW’s exclusive negotiation window with WBD ended on July 21.
NJPW Strong Openweight Champion Gabe Kidd recently launched a scathing attack on AEW International Champion MJF.
Taking to his X account, Kidd decided to take shots at ‘The Salt of The Earth.’ The NJPW wrestler wrote that the former world champion could never touch him in the squared circle. A few minutes later, Kidd sent out another Tweet. He said that MJF never had a “real scrap”, and he challenged the AEW wrestler to come to Nottingham so that he could show how to fight. Check out the Tweets below:
FUCK MJF ??????
MAN COULD NEVER TOUCH ME IN ZA SQUARED CIRCLE ?????????
It is unclear why Kidd decided to go after MJF and the latter is yet to respond.
Gabe Kidd has made a handful of appearances in AEW. He had joined forces with Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly at last month’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view. Kidd is currently competing in the NJPW G1 Climax 34.
Meanwhile, MJF recently became the AEW International Champion. The 250th edition of AEW Dynamite emanated from Little Rock, Arkansas last week. Will Ospreay and MJF showcased a remarkable match that saw some back-and-forth action.
In the final moments of the match, ‘The Aerial Assassin’ tried to lift MJF for the Tiger Driver 91. However, he paused and was reluctant to hit the move. For those who are unaware, Ospreay had previously said that he retired the move.
MJF took advantage of the situation and shoved Ospreay into the referee. MJF went on to hit Ospreay with his Dynamite Diamond Ring and earned the pinfall victory to capture the title. During the match, Will Ospreay even used Styles Clash but that went in vain.
There are plans for Jay White and his Bang Bang Gang of Colten and Austin Gunn, but they might be tabled just for a bit.
According to Fightful Select, Jay White is currently dealing with an injury, but their is a gameplan in place for The Bullet Club Gold story to continue to develop.
There certainly was a ripple in that story this past Saturday on AEW Collision when Austin, Colten and Juice Robinson lost the AEW Trios Tag Titles to Christian Cage, Killswitch and Nick Wayne.
White was initially a big signing for All Elite Wrestling, but his star power got lost in the shuffle for quite awhile before he aligned with The Gunn Club. However, that “lost in the shuffle” feeling was further fueled at AEW Full Gear 2023, when White decisively lost to MJF in the main event of the PPV, making ‘Switchblade’ almost feel like an afterthought.
Despite all this, White has continued to excel in the ring and also behind the microphone as he’s gotten the opportunities to showcase his speaking ability on a consistent occassion. If Tony Khan and AEW want to maxumize the most out of White, the company has the opportunity to do so and even he’s gone for a short period due to the aforementioned injury, it could present a good opportunity to gameplan for the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
If you do miss having Jay White on your television, he recently became new DLC content for the AEW: Fight Forever videogame.
More has come to light regarding the fate of Bobby Lashley and MVP after the two Hurt Business alum were pulled from WWE’s internal roster. Lashley hasn’t competed for WWE since a May 2024 live event, while MVP, the manager of Omos, has similarly vanished from TV. Tamina Snuka’s name was also removed from the internal roster, and her most recent match came in February 2023.
Latest On Bobby Lashley & MVP
There is talk of Lashley and MVP heading to AEW, Dave Meltzer reported on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio. It was added that AEW and MVP/Lashley cannot enter direct talks at this time as both men are still under contract with WWE. The contracts of both men will expire “relatively soon” and WWE is under the assumption that a new deal won’t be reached.
“Their contracts are going to expire…as things stand right now, WWE is under the assumption that they are gone.”
The Hurt Business
WWE believes there will be an attempt to revive the Hurt Business should Lashley and MVP leave. Lashley and MVP want to revamp the group alongside Shelton Benjamin, who was released from WWE in September 2023. The group’s fourth member, Cedric Alexander, has been teaming with Ashante Thee Adonis as of late.
It would ultimately be Tony Khan’s call as to whether the Hurt Business reunites in AEW but the idea is “under consideration.” Meltzer made clear that things are not a “done deal” yet, but are currently “alive.” MVP has tried to register the Hurt Business name, but the USPTO states that the term is a WWE-owned trademark.
Bringing Lashley and MVP (as well as possibly Shelton) would be a huge coup for Tony Khan, one that WWE is currently under the assumption could very much happen. Keep tuned in to SE Scoops for the latest on this developing situation.
Hologram made an impact with his debut match in AEW and those behind the scenes liked what they saw from the masked wrestler. After a series of vignettes teasing his arrival, Hologram made his in-ring debut on the July 20, edition of Collision with a victory over Gringo Loco.
Hologram was praised backstage following his debut, Fightful Select reports, as officials felt it went very well. Gringo Loco also received recognition for being a solid ‘base’ for Hologram’s first match in AEW.
There are more elements to Hologram, including “technologically ambitious” ideas that will be rolled out as part of the character’s presentation moving forward. Hologram is signed to an AEW deal but Gringo Loco is not.
A Case Of Mistaken Identity
After AEW Collision went off the air, the latest ROH TV tapings were held which saw the return of Fuego Del Sol. Given that Del Sol appeared so suddenly after Hologram, some fans speculated that they were the same person, an idea Del Sol rejected on Twitter.
A bunch of people have tagged me, some joking and some serious, I am not Hologram. His debut was great, I’m a fan of his, also shoutout to Gringo Loco who’s the best base in the world.
Hologram is being portrayed by former AAA wrestler Aramis who has faced Gringo Loco numerous times in the past. Now with a new name and new presentation, the future looks bright for Hologram after his well-received arrival on Collision.
Wrestling legend Kevin Von Erich has shared the latest on his sons Ross and Marshall following their recent, impactful appearance on AEW Collision. During the July 20, show, the legendary family aligned with Dustin Rhodes and Kevin made clear that his boys could learn a lot from the former Goldust.
Speaking to Third League Radio, Kevin, the subject of the A24 biopic The Iron Claw, Kevin said he’d gotten “choked up” watching Ross and Marshall in the ring for their matches in AEW and Ring of Honor. Kevin was also asked whether fans can expect to see more of his son in Tony Khan’s company (h/t Fightful.)
“I don’t know what I can say or can’t say. I know they are in negotiations right now. They’re talking to different people… I really like AEW. That’s kind of where I’m leaning right now, but it’s up to the boys, so we’ll just see. We’ll find out.”
The Von Erichs in AEW/ROH
Across both AEW and Ring of Honor, Ross & Marshall Von Erich have six matches to their name and boast an impressive 6-0 record. The pair’s most recent match saw them defeat Alex Reynolds and John Silver during the latest ROH Honor Club TV taping and Kevin taught the Iron Claw to Katsuyori Shibata. Joining AEW/ROH full-time would be a huge step for Ross & Marshall, who are former MLW World Tag Team Champions, and add another incredibly talented tag team to Tony Khan’s roster.
Shibata may be adding another move to his repertoire and it came courtesy of the legendary Kevin Von Erich.
Marshall and Ross Von Erich reunited with Dustin Rhodes on the latest episode of AEW Collision as the company finds itself deep in the heart of Texas which means their father was not far off. The family was backstage with Rhodes who made clear that he had his generational good brothers’ backs.
They may soon have another ally as it was caught by fan footage during Ring Of Honor tapings that Kevin Von Erich was showing Shibata the proper way to administer the treachorous Claw, a move that has put many a many down at the notorious Sportatorium.
Shibata was clearly excited and honored for the moment as the Japanese star was in the ring with Kevin, the brothers and Dustin.
There could be a good trio feud forthcoming as Chris Jericho and The Learning Tree recently had an angle where they took out Shibata, Samoa Joe and HOOK one by one.
Marshall & Ross Von Erich have always been an ultimate babyface tag team as they cut a great deal of their pro wrestling teeth in Major League Wrestling and Japan. The brothers even became the MLW World Tag Champions by defeating MJF and Richard Holliday years back.
Dustin Rhodes continues to wrestle for AEW as he’s been in a select bit of high-profile matches, even competing in a World Title eliminator match. He also recently made clear he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
Mandy Rose and Mercedes Mone share plenty in common as the two former WWE stars have found their own success outside of the company, but in different manners.
Rose happened to fired from WWE due to her selling provactive content behind a paywall. Mone, on the other hand, walked out of the company due to creative differences.
Speaking with TMZ Sports last month, Mone revealed that she now has creative contral while in AEW, but does work closely with Tony Khan in developng stories and ideas.
As it stands now, Mone is the top heel in the women’s division and has two titles to hold in the TBS Women’s Championship and the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship. She’s now finding herself in a budding feud with the returning Britt Baker, but may have some added allies as she’s formed a friendship with The Elite.
Rose was a recent guest on the “Speaking Alphas” podcast and said that the creative aspect was always a big sticking point for Mone while she was Sasha Banks. She commended her former colleague for getting what she wanted in AEW.
“I remember in WWE, like, if she wasn’t happy with something, it was hard for her to be able to speak out about it because certain circumstances and people really weren’t going to change it. Then it was useless to even speak out cause you’re just wasting your breath. So I think that’s cool that she does have all of that creative control.”
Rose hasn’t competed in the ring since getting fired from WWE at the end of 2022, but she was one of the hottest acts for NXT as the leader for Toxic Attraction alongside Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin.
Skye Blue is recovering at her home after an injury suffered during the latest AEW Collision put an abrupt end to her match. In the second match of the night, Hikaru Shida hit a crossbody to Blue on the floor and the referee immediately called for medical attention. After a commercial break, it was decided that the match had to be called off.
Skye Blue vs Hikaru Shida was just stopped abruptly due to this dive and Shida was announced the winner.
Blue, who also wrestles in ROH, had to be carried to the back and fans chanted her name in a show of support. AEW/ROH President Tony Khan announced later on that Blue had suffered an injury to her right ankle.
Our previous match was stopped + @shidahikaru was declared the winner, due to an ankle injury to @Skyebyee. Skye Blue is being evaluated now by the Doctors; we're all wishing her the very best.
This is a heartbreaking setback for Skye Blue who just a few weeks ago was in the AEW TBS Championship picture. On Twitter, Blue’s partner Kyle Fletcher shared a photo of her recovery at home, though Skye hardly seemed in the mood for a photo.
we got her home everyone, doctor Kyle on the clock
Saraya was only informed that she’d be winning the AEW Women’s World Championship at the last minute, according to the wrestler herself. Saraya’s victory came at AEW All In: London 2023 where she won the gold in a four-way that included Britt Baker, Toni Storm, and then-Champion Hikaru Shida. Not only did Saraya win the gold in her hometown, but she had quite the entrance with her family to Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You.’
Sitting down with the Broad Ideas podcast, Saraya said that before they arrived in England, the four women had no clue who was going to win, and made up finishes that’d see each woman win. It was only when Tony Khan arrived fresh from a Fulham FC match that the four finally learned the plan. [h/t POST Wrestling]
“[Tony Khan] flew in, you know, at last-second as we’re about to leave because the show was the next day and he was like, ‘Oh, you’re going over, you’re gonna win’ and I cried… With championships, you’re like, yes, it’s predetermined, right? But they trust in you to be the face of that company but I never thought I would be in this position again.”
Saraya’s victory in London marked her first championship win in close to a decade, with her previous victory seeing her regain the WWE Divas Championship at SummerSlam 2014. Given that she lost nearly five years of her career due to a neck injury, it’s not hard to see why Saraya feared her days of winning gold in wrestling had ended. Though that injury came at the hands of Mercedes Mone, Saraya isn’t afraid to get back in the ring with the CEO.
Saraya’s reign as AEW Women’s World Champion would last 44 days before she lost the gold to Hikaru Shida on Dynamite: Title Tuesday in October 2023. While Saraya holds the unfortunate honor of having the least amount of days of any AEW Women’s World Champion, capturing a title again meant a lot to Saraya who has vowed to appear at AEW All In: London 2024 this August.
Dalton Castle will not be wrestling at Death Before Dishonor next week and will not be wrestling for quite some time.
Tony Khan announced on social media that Castle will not compete at the upcoming ROH PPV, stating that the former ROH World Champion was injured during his match on AEW Collision against Roderick Strong. What’s even worse is ‘The Peacock’ won’t be strutting in the squared circle for the remainder of 2024.
Some injury news that's forced changes to the plans for this Friday's #ROHDBD Death Before Dishonor@theDALTONcastle was injured in his Saturday Night #AEWCollision bout last week vs @roderickstrong. Sadly Dalton will be out of action for the remainder of 2024. Get well soon DC
Dalton quote-posted Tony Khan, stating he’ll “See y’all baby chickens in 2025.”
Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer claims that Castle was knocked out during his match with Strong after being connected with a flying knee. There was a clear edit in the broadcast of Collision as Castle didn’t kick out, who was out for several minutes after the spot. Up until this unfortunate injury, Castle has been a regular presence on Collision programming.
Currently on the card for Death Before Dishonor is Diamante taking on Leyla Hirsch in a Texas Deathmatch, Billie Starkz defending her ROH Women’s TV Championship against Red Velvet, Athena putting her ROH Women’s World Championship on the line against Queen Aminata and Mark Briscoe putting his ROH World Title up against the aforementioned Strong.
We at SEScoops want to wish Dalton Castle a healthy and speedy recovery.
MJF will bring his newly won AEW International Championship to CMLL on August 2, after what he has called an easy victory over former champion Will Ospreay. During the latest episode of CMLL, MJF was seen in a bathtub and spoke about his hour-long war during this week’s Dynamite.
MJF bragged that his showdown with Ospreay was the “easiest match of my life” and was proud that he, unlike Ospreay, had a killer instinct (referring to Ospreay hesitating to use the Tiger Driver 91.) MJF then confirmed that he will be defending the International Title against those “masked morons in Mexico” on August 2, at the Arena Mexico.
???? ¡MJF apostará el Campeonato Internacional de AEW en La Catedral de la Lucha Libre!
Despite calling it an easy victory, MJF required an oxygen mask after his 59:58 showdown with Ospreay, a match that saw more in-ring action than all of WWE RAW. Despite this, the AEW International Champion is firmly back to his heel roots and plans to show the world what kind of champion he is this August when he makes his debut for CMLL.
AJ Styles has seemingly responded to former AEW International Champion Will Ospreay using his finisher, Styles Clash.
This week’s AEW Dynamite was the 250th edition of the show took place in Little Rock, Arkansas. The show featured the exciting AEW International title match between Will Ospreay and MJF. The match kicked off the show and it saw some spectacular spots which got the fans buzzing on social media. During the match that went on for 60 minutes, Ospreay performed a couple of Styles Clash on his opponent. However, many fans bashed Ospreay for hitting the move.
Taking to hisX account, ‘The Phenomenal One’ responded and shared his thoughts on the matter. He backed ‘The Aerial Assassin’ and he is not bothered by Ospreay hitting his move. He wrote:
“Why do you think it bothers me that someone else is doing my move? We all do it. It’s wrestling! I think if nothing else, it shows appreciation.”
Why do you think it bothers me that someone else is doing my move? We all do it. Its wrestling! I think if nothing else, it shows appreciation.
The final moments of the match saw Ospreay lifting MJF for the Tiger Driver 91. However, he hesitated to perform the move as he previously said he retired it. This helped MJF to bounce back and shoved Ospreay into the referee. With two seconds left on the clock, MJF hit Ospreay with his Dynamite Diamond Ring and pinned him for the victory. This ended Ospreay’s title reign of 52 days.
With AEW All In: London 2024 taking place next month, Ospreay will certainly attempt to reclaim the title in front of his home crowd at Wembley Stadium. The pay-per-view is scheduled to take place on August 25.
MJF was attacked by a fan at this week’s AEW Dynamite…granted, the “attacker” was only seven years old. As he and his opponent Will Ospreay brawled in the crowd, Ospreay prompted a young female fan to hit MJF, which prompted a middle finger in response.
The girl’s father proudly posted alternative angle of the ‘attack’ on social media:
MJF went on to win the match over Ospreay in the final seconds before the expiration of the 60-minute time limit. In doing so, MJF is the new AEW International Champion.
MJF Interacting w/Young Fans
This isn’t the first time that Maxwell has had a dust-up with young fans during his AEW matches. His now infamous ‘water throwing incident’ from AEW Revolution 2023 got him coverage on outlets such as TMZ. His decision to throw water in the face of a child at ringside led to AEW President Tony Khan having a “serious conversation” with MJF over conduct that he deemed unbecoming of the AEW World Champion.
“We had a serious conversation and I mean that. It’s not to be taken lightly. The young man, Titus, was a real pro about it. We’ll see Titus here again at AEW… I was just with him, and he was a real champ about it.
The champion [mjf] didn’t act like a champion there, but I think Titus was great.”
This week’s 250th AEW Dynamite was a massive milestone for the company, and a ton happened on this action-packed show. We got an hour-long ‘Match of the Year’ candidate between MJF and Will Ospreay, a disturbing in-ring promo from ‘Timeless Mariah’ May and the surprise return of Darby Allin, who descended from the rafters and is the final man on Team AEW for next week’s AEW Blood and Gutsspecial.
All Elite Wrestling has now uploaded all of the video highlights for the show to their official YouTube channel, which we have compiled in an easy to view format on one page below.
Minoru Suazuki Confronts Chris Jericho
The Learning Tree & Minoru Suzuki?! FTW Champ Jericho faces off w/ a LEGEND!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGj5PZ5ICnk
TBS Champ vs. Former Women’s World Champ
Could TBS Champion Mercedes Moné hold off The Native Beast Nyla Rose? | 7/17/24, AEW Dynamite
‘Timeless’ Mariah May
After her SHOCKING attack on AEW Women’s Champ Toni Storm, Mariah May SPEAKS!
Champion vs. Champion
It’s CHAMP vs. CHAMP! Swerve Strickland vs. Kazuchika Okada
More AEW Videos
Head over to our Wrestling Videos section for more AEW videos, and check out these AEW channels on Youtube:
All Elite Wrestling made sure to get the blessing of Dr. Martha Hart for Darby Allin’s entrance during the 250th episode of Dynamite.
Allin arrived inside the Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock by descending from the rafters during a brawl between the Elite and those they’ll face in Blood & Guts. Allin confirmed that he will join Swerve Strickland, Mark Briscoe, and The Acclaimed in next week’s match.
AEW was mindful to consult Dr. Hart about the entrance, Fightful Select report, given the tragedy that took her husband Owen’s life at WWF Over the Edge 1999. This isn’t the first time that AEW has sought Martha’s blessing, as she approved of Sting making his iconic entrance from the rafters on the go-home Dynamite before AEW Revolution 2024.
In September 2021, it was announced that the Owen Hart Foundation and AEW would be working together to honor the legacy of the late wrestler. This partnership has seen six Owen Hart tournaments (three for men and three for women,) and Owen be included in the AEW Fight Forever video game. This partnership has allowed for a whole new generation of fans to celebrate the life and career of The Rocket who remains a beloved name in professional wrestling.
The 250th episode of AEW Dynamite saw plenty of in-ring action and one more would surpass all the wrestling fans saw on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
This one match from Dynamite had more wrestling than the entirety of Monday Night Raw, according to stats from Cagematch as pointed out by Drainmaker on Twitter. From bell to bell, the July 16, edition of RAW saw 48 minutes and 52 seconds of wrestling, over eleven minutes less than the MJF-Ospreay showdown.
AEW is often considered to be a more wrestling-centric promotion when compared to WWE, and stats like these suggest that to be the case. In total, the 250th episode of AEW Dynamite had 80 minutes and 50 seconds of bell-to-bell action, over half an hour more than WWE’s flagship show.
Here are results from this week’s special 250th AEW Dynamite from Little Rock, AK at the Simmons Bank Arena:
[AEW International Championship] Will Ospreay (c) vs. MJF: MJF won the title with two seconds left on the clock in a 60-minute match, (allegedly) cheating by (allegedly) punching Ospreay in the face with his Diamond Ring while the referee was down.
Chris Jericho and The Learning Tree Promo: Interrupted by Minoru Suzuki, who has a contract for a match against Jericho for the FTW Championship with the rest of The Learning Tree banned from ringside. Suzuki sends a message by landing a headbutt on Jericho.
[TBS Women’s Championship] Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Nyla Rose: Winner: Mercedes Mone via submission.
Ringside Attacker: After the match, a fan wearing a Sting mask attacks Mone at ringside, revealed to be Britt Baker. Security quickly separates them.
Mariah May Promo: Dressed as “Timeless” Toni Storm, Mariah May explains her actions and announces her intent to make AEW all about her. She mocks Toni Storm and declares her best performance will be at All In.
Backstage with the Bang Bang Gang: They hand over their Undisputed Trios Championship belts to Christopher Daniels and promise to win the tournament to get them back.
Swerve Strickland vs. Kazuchika Okada: The match ends in a no contest when it’s interrupted by a run-in from The Elite, with Team AEW making the save ahead of Blood & Guts. Darby Allin joins Team AEW by dropping from the rafters! The show ends with both teams fighting while security struggles to intervene. A graphic airs showing Darby Allin as the final member of Team AEW.
The countdown is on for AEW All in on August 25. SEScoops has the prediction for the match card for the event!
All Elite Wrestling is officially on the road to All In. The event will mark the company’s return to Wembley Stadium in London, England, on August 25. Tickets for All In are currently on sale for standard pricing starting at £27.25 on Ticketmaster.
AEW All In Matches Confirmed
So far, AEW has announced two matches that will be featured on the card:
AEW World Championship: (C) Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson
All In: Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson earned an opportunity to challenge for the world title after defeating ‘Hangman’ Adam Page in the Owen Hart Foundationation Tournament finals on the July 10 episode of Dynamite. Swerve Strickland aims to retain his AEW World Championship for the fifth time and get a statement win over ‘The American Dragon’ in the main event.
AEW Women’s World Championship: (C) Toni Storm vs. Mariah May
AEW All In: Toni Storm vs. Mariah May
Mariah May won the women’s Owen Hart tourney by defeating former TBS Champion Willow Nightingale on the July 10 episode. After the victory, May viciously attacked AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm to set up their bloody feud for All In. Both will try to settle their differences at the event, with the title up for grabs.
AEW All In Match Card Predictions
AEW TBS Champion: Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Britt Baker
One match the company has started to build towards is AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Moné defending her title against Britt Baker. The AEW veteran returned at the last AEW pay-per-view to confront Moné. The feud continued on the July 10 episode, when Moné threatened that if she did face Baker at All In, she would leave her for dead. The champion’s comment caused her rival to run to the ring to confront Moné, who ran away. Baker will likely get her chance to take on the champion at the upcoming PPV.
AEW International Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. PAC
PAC defeated Claudio Castagnoli, Kyle Fletcher, and Tomohiro Ishii in a Fatal Four Way match to become the number one contender for the AEW International Championship on July 10. He shared after the win that he would be on the All In card.
Although MJF has a title match with Ospreay, he is already involved in a feud with Daniel Garcia. ‘The Devil’ challenged Garcia to a match at All In on the June 26 episode of Dynamite. A week later, MJF attacked the Buffalo, New York native, leading to Garcia leaving the venue on a stretcher. Based on the storyline, it makes sense for Garcia to return to get revenge against MJF at All In, just as the former AEW World Champion wanted.
Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander
Kris Statlander has been feuding with Nightingale after she turned on her at Double Or Nothing on May 26. They faced each other in the Owen Hart tournament on the July 3 episode of Dynamite, which resulted in Nightingale being victorious. Statlander would get revenge by interfering in her former ally’s matchup against May the following week. After losing the tournament due to Statlander’s involvement, it makes sense for a rematch between the two superstars to happen on AEW’s biggest event of the year.
FTW Championship: (C) Chris Jericho vs. Hook
Chris Jericho won the FTW Championship by defeating Hook at Dynasty on April 21. Since then, Hook has been trying to get the title back and has pinned Jericho in a six-man tag team match at AEW x New Japan Pro Wrestling Forbidden Door on June 30. On last week’s episode of Dynamite, Jericho defeated Hook’s new mentor, Samoa Joe, in a Stampede Street Fight Match to retain the championship
A rematch at All In would make sense, as the young AEW superstar aims to reclaim the title his father created.
AEW TNT Championship: (C) Jack Perry vs. Darby Allin
The last time Darby Allin was in the ring, he was beaten alongside FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) and Bryan Danielson by The Elite (Jack Perry, Kazuchika Okada, Matthew & Nicholas Jackson) in an Anarchy In The Arena Match at Double Or Nothing.
Perry and Allin tried to sideline each other permanently, including Allin using a flamethrower to set his rival on fire. The ‘Scapegoat’ would recover to win the violent matchup for his team and has moved on to become the AEW TNT Champion. Allin could return for the upcoming PPV to challenge Perry to avenge his defeat and win the title for the third time in his career.
AEW World Tag Team Championship: (C) The Young Bucks (Matthew & Nicholas Jackson) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster)
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) defeated the AEW World Tag Team Champions, The Young Bucks(Matthew & Nicholas), on the June 19 episode of Dynamite. The victory earned the fan-favorite tag team a title opportunity against the champions in the future. It’s possible Bowens and Caster will look to call their shot for a matchup at All In to become two-time tag champions.
We will check back when the All In card is finalized and will grade our own predictions.
More on AEW All In 2024
Check out our All In section to keep up to date with the upcoming PPV and here is a highlight of last year’s event in the meantime.
