Sting is retiring on Sunday at AEW Revolution, and this is a time when fans can look back at his legendary career. Sadly, they do not have a match against The Undertaker to remember, because it never happened.

The Undertaker and Sting never had their Icon vs Dead Man match that fans wanted to see. Sting wanted to see that match happen too, and he said that he could have ended his career on that note.

Sting Laments About Lost Undertaker Match

Although The Undertaker and Sting were under the same roof, Vince McMahon never booked the match to happen in WWE. If it did take place, The Icon believes that would have been a fitting end to his career.

Sting spoke with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, where he said that he thinks that his career could have ended against The Undertaker instead.

“I think if it was done right, it could have been a night, for sure, everyone would remember and never forget. They would be talking about it to this day. But it just was not going to happen. I thought, ‘Well, maybe if I get my foot in the door, we’ll see what happens.’ So I got my foot in the door. We did a WrestleMania with Triple H and then Vince [Vince McMahon] called and said, ‘Hey, I want you to have a world title match with Seth. Would you be willing to do that?’ ‘Yeah, I’d be willing to do that.’ Still, in hopes that somehow I could get in there with Taker.”

Sting went on to say, “I had so many ideas over the years, A lot of times, smoke and mirrors aren’t good things. But in our situation, I think with his gimmick and the mystiques of his character and mine, we couldn’t have enough smoke and mirrors. I think it definitely would have been a night that people remembered.”

The WWE Hall of Famer said that he would have loved a match with Undertaker, and if that happened then,“I wouldn’t have had to do anything else.”

The Stinger had an amazing career with multiple Hall of Fame entries to his name. Now, he is wrapping things up at AEW Revolution on March 3rd. SEScoops will be here with all of the coverage you need for the next AEW pay-per-view.

AEW Full Gear 2024 Card:

• Sting and Darby Allin (c) (with Ric Flair) vs. The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson) in a Tornado tag team match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship; This will be Sting’s retirement match.
• Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Roderick Strong (with Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) in a Singles match for the AEW International Championship.
• Samoa Joe (c) vs. “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) in a Three-way match for the AEW World Championship.
• “Timeless” Toni Storm (c) (with Mariah May and Luther) vs. Deonna Purrazzo in a Singles match for the AEW Women’s World Championship.
• Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Bryan Danielson in a Singles match for the Continental Crown Championship (AEW Continental Championship, ROH World Championship, and the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship); If Danielson loses, he has to shake Kingston’s hand.
• Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita in a Singles match.
• Christian Cage (c) (with Killswitch, Mother Wayne, and “The Prodigy” Nick Wayne) vs. Daniel Garcia in a Singles match for the AEW TNT Championship.
• FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli) in a Tag team match.
• Chris Jericho vs. Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Lance Archer vs. Hook vs. Brian Cage vs. Dante Martin vs. TBA in an All-Star Scramble match; The winner will receive a future AEW World Championship match.

Welcome to SEScoops: the Daily Drop, your go-to for the latest news and rumors in wrestling. February 29. Leap day only comes one every four years, so let’s make the most of it.

Days until WrestleMania XL: 37

WWE:

– Virgil passed away at 61-years-old. This was a terrible loss for the pro wrestling world, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

– Billy Jack Haynes was officially charged with second degree murder.

– The Rock has publicly spoken out after his former co-star Rebecca Ferguson said she was abused during the shooting of a movie.

Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins appeared on Hot One, and that was quite an episode for the real-life married couple.

– Matt Riddle confirmed that it was cocaine that was responsible for his suspension from WWE. As we’ve mentioned several times, WWE doesn’t even care about positive THC tests anymore, but cocaine is enough to warrant a suspension.

– Shawn Spears explained why he returned to WWE after his AEW exit.

AEW:

– Sting appeared for his final episode of AEW Dynamite this week, and he did so by coming down from the rafters, just like he used to over 20 years ago in WCW. That was quite a moment, and it went viral as well.

One more time… @STING FROM THE RAFTERS!! #AEWDynamite #AEWonTBS pic.twitter.com/T62gq09d3A

— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) February 29, 2024

– AEW may have spoiled MJF’s return to television with a new logo drop.

– Sadly, Meat Madness is not going down at AEW Revolution as some fans thought.

– Paul Wight reflected on what he’s learned from Sting. Obviously, The Icon has done a lot to inspire a generation and many more after that.

– AEW Revolution is this Sunday, live on pay-per-view. It should be one of AEW’s biggest events yet, because it will feature Sting’s retirement match. You can check out the card below.

• Sting and Darby Allin (c) (with Ric Flair) vs. The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson) in a Tornado tag team match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship; This will be Sting’s retirement match.
• Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Roderick Strong (with Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) in a Singles match for the AEW International Championship.
• Samoa Joe (c) vs. “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) in a Three-way match for the AEW World Championship.
• “Timeless” Toni Storm (c) (with Mariah May and Luther) vs. Deonna Purrazzo in a Singles match for the AEW Women’s World Championship.
• Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Bryan Danielson in a Singles match for the Continental Crown Championship (AEW Continental Championship, ROH World Championship, and the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship); If Danielson loses, he has to shake Kingston’s hand.
• Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita in a Singles match.
• Christian Cage (c) (with Killswitch, Mother Wayne, and “The Prodigy” Nick Wayne) vs. Daniel Garcia in a Singles match for the AEW TNT Championship.
• FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli) in a Tag team match.
• Chris Jericho vs. Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Lance Archer vs. Hook vs. Brian Cage vs. Dante Martin vs. TBA in an All-Star Scramble match; The winner will receive a future AEW World Championship match.

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events

• AEW Revolution is planned for the following weekend, on Sunday, March 3.
• AEW Dynamite: Big Business will be hosted at Boston’s TD Garden on March 13th.
• WWE NXT Stand & Deliver is slated for the afternoon of April 6th, just before the start of WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.
• WrestleMania XL is set to take place on April 6th and 7th at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a two-part event.
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

AEW Revolution is taking place this weekend but an exciting match was pulled from the pay-per-view.  One of the matches that was scheduled to take place at AEW Revolution was ‘Meat Madness’ and it has been postponed.

AEW President Tony Khan recently announced that multiple wrestlers who were set to be added to the match are currently out of action. Thereby, Meat Madness will no longer be taking place at AEW Revolution. However, it has been replaced with an All-Star Scramble match which will take place. 

Tony Khan announces the replacement 

Ahead of AEW Dynamite, Tony Khan revealed that Meat Madness will be happening when the injured wrestlers make their return as he he’s ‘temporarily freezing the bout.’ He then announced that Sunday’s pay-per-view will see an All-Star Scramble match.

With multiple wrestlers slated for #AEWRevolution’s Meat Madness match out injured + shelved by AEW docs, I’m temporarily freezing the bout until they’re clear

Meat Madness is on ice; instead Sunday’s ppv will feature an All-Star Scramble Match!

See you tonight on #AEWDynamite!

With multiple wrestlers slated for #AEWRevolution's Meat Madness match out injured + shelved by AEW docs, I'm temporarily freezing the bout until they're clear

Meat Madness is on ice;
instead Sunday's ppv will feature an
All-Star Scramble Match!

See you tonight on #AEWDynamite!

— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) February 28, 2024

Participants for All-Star Scramble

On this week’s AEW Dynamite, it was announced that Chris Jericho, Powerhouse Hobbs, Wardlow, Hook, Brian Cage, and Lance Archer will participate in the match. The final two participants will be determined with qualifying matches. CMLL’s Magnus will take on Matt Sydal on Friday’s Rampage, while Saturday’s Collision will see 3-way match featuring Penta El Zero Miedo, Brian Keith and Dante Martin).

The Meat Madness is now an All-Star 8-Man Scramble match for Revolution!

Hobbs, Wardlow, Archer, Jericho, HOOK, Cage and 2 more wrestlers yet to be announced. pic.twitter.com/8aTV08vnDc

— Drainmaker ?? ? (@DrainBamager) February 29, 2024

AEW Revolution is set to take place from Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday, March 3. Check out the full lineup below:

• Tornado tag match: AEW Tag Team Champions Sting & Darby Allin defend against The Young Bucks (Sting’s retirement match)
• Three-way match: AEW World Champion Samoa Joe defends against Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page
• AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Deonna Purrazzo
• AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy defends against Roderick Strong
• AEW Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston defends against Bryan Danielson
• TNT Champion Christian Cage defends against Daniel Garcia
• Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita
• Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. FTR
• All-Star Scramble match

A trademark filing by All Elite Wrestling may have revealed the promotion’s next pay-per-view which would join the company’s growing list of annual events. 

AEW has filed a trademark for the term ‘AEW Dynasty.’ The filing cites the following uses: 

“AEW: DYNASTY trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services in the nature of live wrestling performances; Entertainment services in the nature of production of wrestling programs and events; Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing multimedia program featuring wrestling distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media; Entertainment services, namely, production and distribution of ongoing television programs in the field of wrestling.”

A New Pay-Per-View? 

According to Fightful Select, the trademark is connected to a pay-per-view/special show, which is potentially slated for April. AEW has yet to host a pay-per-view in April but holds Revolution in March and Double or Nothing in May. 

A Returning Star? 

The AEW Dynasty name has raised some eyebrows, with some believing it could mark the return of a former AEW World Champion. Outside of AEW, MJF was part of The Dynasty, which included himself, Alexander Hammerstone, Richard Holliday, and others. Holliday, who overcame cancer last year, was backstage at a July 2023 edition of AEW Collision. 

AEW’s Growing Schedule

When AEW launched, it did so with four annual events: Revolution, Double or Nothing, All Out, and Full Gear. Since then, the company has doubled that number with the introduction of AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door, All In, WrestleDream, and Worlds End. 

The legendary career of Sting will end this week, but the Icon is going out in style as seen with his appearance on this week’s Dynamite. 

The February 28, edition of AEW Dynamite served as the go-home show before Revolution 2024. The event saw AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, Hangman Page, and Swerve Strickland collide ahead of their title match this Sunday. 

Sting’s Epic Entrance

During AEW Dynamite, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson were on the hunt for Sting but couldn’t find the WWE Hall of Famer anywhere. During the show, they were blindsided by Darby Allin but were able to overcome the AEW World Tag Team Champion thanks to their numbers advantage. 

Even when Ric Flair showed up to help Allin, he was outmatched by the AEW EVPs. That is when Sting’s music hit and the Jackson brothers made their way to the ramp, ready to attack the Icon. 

The pair hadn’t counted on Sting descending from the rafters in WCW fashion, earning a huge pop from the fans in attendance. With his signature black baseball bat, Sting sent his challengers packing in an epic moment from Dynamite. 

This is a version of Sting that the EVPs were not ready for!

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@YoungBucks | @Sting | @DarbyAllin | @RicFlairNatrBoy pic.twitter.com/W1YM9LRlm8

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 29, 2024

What’s Next? 

Sting will compete in his final match this weekend at AEW Revolution 2024. He and Allin will defend the AEW World Tag Team Championships against the Young Bucks. The show will take place at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Darby Allin has a special entrance planned for Sting at the show. 

Tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite built as ‘Sting’s Final Dynamite’ was an emotional show for many fans and the company did not disappoint when it came to helping people relive the nostalgia one more time before The Icon’s final match this Sunday.

Throughout the show, The Young Bucks were looking for the wrestling veteran but they failed to find him backstage. They finally came down to the ring after the main event match between Chris Jericho and Atlantis Jr.

The EVPs were confronted by a bunch of fans in Sting masks, one of whom turned out to be Darby Allin. Though having the number’s advantage, they took out the former TNT champion. The duo also took out Flair when he turned on them.

This is when Sting’s music finally hit and the Bucks went to the ramp to confront the wrestling legend. Sting however, came from the rafters one final time and used his bat to take down their Revolution opponents. The show ended with Allin nailing Matthew Jackson with a Coffin Drop as Sting delivered a Scorpion Death Drop to Nicholas.

What Happened After Dynamite

The heels retreated to the back after the broadcast ended. Although Sting and Darby Allin remained in the ring and the former WCW Champion addressed the crowd after Dynamite went off air.

In his address, Sting thanked the fans for their support throughout the years. He also put over both Darby Allin and Ric Flair for helping him in his final run.

The Young Bucks will be challenging Sting and Darby for the AEW World Tag Team Championships in a Tornado tag team match at this Sunday’s Revolution PPV.

You can tune in to SEScoops for all the updates during the show.

• Read More: Sting Insisted On Taking Dangerous Bump In Daily’s Place At AEW Dynamite Homecoming

The AEW EVPs share a bond that cannot be broken, no matter if one leaves and joins the promotion’s chief competition.

Alongside Tony Khan, Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and the Young Bucks oversaw the creative of AEW, which was officially announced on January 1, 2019. Since then, AEW has risen dramatically to become the biggest rival to WWE since the demise of WCW in March 2001. 

The AEW EVPs Unbreakable Bond

Currently, Matt and Nick Jackson are the only EVPs currently appearing on AEW TV. Kenny Omega remains absent due to his diverticulitis while Cody Rhodes parted ways with AEW in February 2022. 

Since then, Rhodes has returned to WWE and is poised to capture the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania. Speaking to SI, the Bucks were pleased to see Cody do well in WWE and addressed the bond they share. 

“Cody is the face of the WWE now, and it’s cool to see because we always knew how much of a star he was,” said Nick Jackson. “The founders of AEW will always have a lifetime bond with each other because we all know what we did for wrestling. We talk every week and in a weird way him leaving made us grow more as friends.”

Matt Jackson had similar praise for the American Nightmare and former AEW EVP.

“We’re proud of the things we accomplished with Cody and happy to see him rising to the occasion. We’re all rooting for each other.”

What’s Next? 

Cody will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania. There’s also the possibility he’ll pull double duty at the event. A tag match, pitting Rhodes and Seth Rollins against Reigns and The Rock has been disccused as a Night One headliner. 

The future is more clear for the Young Bucks. They will challenge AEW World Tag Team Champions Sting and Darby Allin this weekend at AEW Revolution. The match will be the last of Sting’s career. 

‘The Icon’ Sting will be going out in style this weekend at AEW Revolution, with a special entrance planned for his last match.

In October 2023, Sting announced that he would retire in 2024 at the Revolution pay-per-view. It was at Revolution 2021 that the Stinger made his wrestling debut for AEW, after arriving in the company the previous December. 

Special Entrance For Sting

For his final match, Sting and Darby Allin will put their AEW World Tag Team Championships on the line against Matthew and Nicholas Jackson. Sting was initially against the idea of winning the titles (or even challenging for them) but was talked into the idea. 

AEW is expected to go all-out (pardon the pun!) for Sting’s final match and give the wrestling legend a proper send off. Speaking to Fanatics View, Darby Allin spoke about plans for his tag-team partner. 

“I got a special thing planned for Sting’s final entrance that I’ve been working on. So, we’ll see how everything plays out in Greensboro.”

AEW Revolution 2024

AEW Revolution will take place on Sunday, March 3, from the Greensboro Coliseum from Greensboro, NC. Here is how the card currently stands. 

• Sting and Darby Allin (c) (with Ric Flair) vs. The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson) (AEW World Tag Team Championship)

• Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Roderick Strong (with Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) (AEW International Championship)

• “Timeless” Toni Storm (c) (with Mariah May and Luther) vs. Deonna Purrazzo (AEW Women’s World Championship)

• Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Bryan Danielson (Continental Crown Championship, If Bryan loses, he must shake Kingston’s hand)

• Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita

• Christian Cage (c) (with Killswitch, Mother Wayne, and “The Prodigy” Nick Wayne) vs. Daniel Garcia (AEW TNT Championship)

• Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Lance Archer (Meat Madness)

• FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli)

• Samoa Joe (c) vs. “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) (AEW World Championship)

Welcome to SEScoops: the Daily Drop, your go-to for the latest news and rumors in wrestling. February 28. It should be the last day of the month, but we have leap year this time, so the 29th is coming tomorrow. In the meantime, let’s get right into the news!

Days until WrestleMania XL: 38

WWE:

– SEScoops ran a comprehensive retrospective of WWE Superstar reactions to the allegations in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon. It is worth a read to catch up on everything that has been said.

– Shawn Spears made his return to WWE NXT last night. This came a few months after he left AEW when his contract expired. Now, he is back in WWE, with a brand-new gimmick and momentum.

– It was revealed in the TKO earnings report that WWE gave MLW $20 million to settle their antitrust lawsuit. This would explain Major League Wrestling’s current spending trend.

– RVD heavily insinuated that Vince McMahon has ties to the Mafia.

– It was reported by several outlets that Tama Tonga is on his way to WWE.

AEW:

– AEW revealed a brand-new logo for Dynamite. Needless to say, fans have been quite vocal about their feelings regarding this new change. Most of it has been positive, but there are always going to be fans who resist change.

– Darby Allin had a great quote when he recalled the first time he met Sting. He said in the Player’s Tribune: “When I got paired with Sting, I didn’t know what to expect. It’s funny — for weeks they had me up in the rafters, and I wasn’t sure why. You’d think I would’ve put two and two together, but I didn’t. I was just like, ‘Sit in the rafters? OK cool.’ But then at some point someone said, ‘Yo….. you know why we’re doing this, right? Sting’s coming.’ And I just remember thinking how crazy that sounded. Like, I couldn’t process it. STING? And in his first show back…. he’s going to have a staredown with ME? Haha what the f***.”

– Hangman Page is set to address his Revolution status on Dynamite this week.

– Tony Khan spoke to GV Wire about AEW’s ratings situation. He is very happy with how things are going for his company. “I think our ratings are tremendous,” Khan said. “We’ve beaten the NBA on Wednesday nights three out of the last four weeks. That’s pretty good for a league that’s been around for less than five years. The NBA is a very established league and ESPN is a very established network, so to premier AEW, a league that’s been around for less than five years, and beat the NBA straight up several weeks in a row is pretty powerful.” 

– QT Marshall cleared up his in-ring situation with AEW as he posted on Twitter/X to say, “I’m not wrestling at AEW. The fans didn’t like me out there so I’m going to wrestle everywhere else. I’m a man of the people.” 

I’m not wrestling at AEW. The fans didn’t like me out there so I’m going to wrestle everywhere else. I’m a man of the people.

— QT Marshall (@QTMarshall) February 27, 2024

AEW Dynamite card for 2/28/24:

• Sting’s Farewell Match Set for AEW Dynamite
• Hangman Page Set to Reveal Revolution Plans
• Blackpool Combat Club Collides with Eddie Kingston & FTR
• Will Ospreay Joins All Elite Roster
• Chris Jericho Faces Atlantis Jr. in AEW Bout
• Kris Statlander Clashes with Skye Blue on Dynamite
• Final Countdown to AEW Revolution Begins

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events

• AEW Revolution is planned for the following weekend, on Sunday, March 3.
• AEW Dynamite: Big Business will be hosted at Boston’s TD Garden on March 13th.
• WWE NXT Stand & Deliver is slated for the afternoon of April 6th, just before the start of WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.
• WrestleMania XL is set to take place on April 6th and 7th at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a two-part event.
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

Pro wrestling legend Sting is retiring soon and another veteran Paul Wight (formerly Big Show in WWE) has shared some lessons he has learned from ‘The Icon.’

Sting joined AEW back in 2020 and ‘The Icon’ has since created some memorable moments with his age-defying spots and moves as he faced several high-profile talents. The final run of his career has been a fairytale for him. In 2015 it seemed that a neck injury would threaten his career, Sting has overcome the odds and he’s ending his storied career on his own terms. 

Sting will bring down the curtain on his decorated career with his final match in AEW taking place at next month’s AEW Revolution 2024. 

Sting brings more than four decades of experience to the table and has shared his wisdom with several young superstars over the years. It was back in 1994 when Paul Wigh met Sting and they became not only on-screen rivals but also great friends. In the May of 1996, Wight headlined WCW’s Slamboree pay-per-view against Sting which remains to be the former’s landmark match. 

Wight recently spoke with Sports Illustrated and recalled some priceless lessons he has learned from Sting. Back in 1995, the infamous brawl between “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff and Vader broke out. While Wight was eager to get a closer view, Sting had another opinion on the matter.

“As I was getting up, Sting said to me, ‘Nothing good will come from that,’” said Wight. “I said, ‘What? I want to see what’s happening.’ And he said, ‘That’s their business.’ So we stayed there and finished the game.”

In the process, Paul Wight learned a valuable lesson.

“I learned something a lot deeper than that, too. I still remember how I wanted to jump right into the chaos. But he was right–it was between Orndorff and Vader. I didn’t have any business getting involved in it.”

Paul Wight couldn’t have asked for better influence than Sting 

During the interview, Paul Wight said that Sting had a huge influence on him in shaping his career. He recalled another lesson he’d learned about the business. He said:

“Somebody has to cook and somebody has to eat, and Sting taught me that core philosophy. I learned that my first job in a match is to get my opponent over, then get the match over. That’s Point A and Point B. If you do that right, you’ll automatically get yourself over. That’s not, ‘You do your stuff, I’ll do my stuff.’

It’s bigger than you. Some guys only take care of themselves, and good for them. But the guys I respect most are the ones who make people better in the ring. That’s someone like Ric Flair, he has to be mentioned. So does Sting. I couldn’t have asked for a better influence early in my career.”

Sting and Darby Allin recently defeated Ricky Starks and Big Bill to capture the AEW World Tag Team Championship. This marks ‘The Icon’s first title run in the promotion and it seems that his title run is in jeopardy with The Young Bucks setting their sights on the gold.

AEW veteran star Chris Jericho is set to make his return on this Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite against CMLL’s Atlantis Jr.

AEW has built a working relationship with CMLL recently and AEW has featured several stars from the Mexican promotion. Atlantis is one of CMLL’s legendary stars, and he has competed around the world. He has held various titles in the promotion. He is a five-time CMLL World Tag Team Champion, a four-time CMLL World Trios Champion, and a two-time World Light Heavyweight Champion.

Now, his son, Atlantis Jr., who is the reigning NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Champion and one-third of the CMLL World Trios Champions will be making an appearance on Dynamite.

Chris Jericho set to return

Jericho will be making his return to the ring for the first time since the February 7 Dynamite. On the Wednesday, February 28 episode of Dynamite, Jericho will compete under his “Lionheart” gimmick and face Atlantis Jr. as announced by AEW President Tony Khan on Tuesday. 

The legendary Atlantis will be in his son’s corner for the match. Khan noted that Jericho and Atlantis teamed together in CMLL more than 30 years ago:

TOMORROW

Huntsville, AL Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite TBS, 8pm ET/7pm CT

Atlantis Jr vs “Lionheart” Chris Jericho

Over 30 years after @Atlantis_CMLL’s tag team with Corazon de Leon, he’ll be in his son’s corner vs his former partner when Atlantis Jr fights @IAmJericho

TOMORROW

TOMORROW
Huntsville, AL
Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite
TBS, 8pm ET/7pm CT

Atlantis Jr vs "Lionheart" Chris Jericho

Over 30 years after @Atlantis_CMLL's tag team with Corazon de Leon, he'll be in his son's corner vs his former partner when Atlantis Jr fights @IAmJericho TOMORROW pic.twitter.com/jZSu5K0ATK

— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) February 28, 2024

Meanwhile, it has been announced that Kris Statlander & Skye Blue will square off for the third time on the show as well. Skye Blue had issued a challenge for a rubber match on last week’s Rampage and Statlander has accepted. Tony Khan has also announced on social media on Tuesday that the third match between Statlander & Blue has been made official for this week’s Dynamite.

AEW appears to be fully embracing a new beginning for the company in light of Sting’s retirement.

The company is set to send Sting off in a big way as “The Icon” will be competiting in his final match at AEW Revolution on March 3 in a city he’s very familiar with in Greensboro, NC. However, although Tony Khan and AEW are losing a bonafide legend in the business with Sting’s exit, the company aims to ride that moment right out of Revolution.

Notorious AEW fan Drainmaker on X noted that on Sammy Guevara’s latest video blog that the company is set to reveal a new logo and set for Wednesday night’s AEW Dynamite. 

The logo AEW Dynamite logo has been spotted in the wild for the first time in this ad for an upcoming Dynamite from Winnipeg. Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcast says he’s seen a “different color logo” so there may be variations to this logo when it premieres on TV. 

Those changes won’t take place until after Revolution, but Guevara, along with Matt Sydal did note that they saw the new logo ahead of time. Sydal commented on the new logo in time during Sammy’s video.

“It looks good. A good color scheme. It’s kind of Neo.”

New Look AEW Dynamite

This Wednesday will mark the final week for the current look of AEW as they hail out of Huntsville, AL.

My This new look will only be a week away from when AEW presents Big Business from Boston where all signs point to Mercedes Mone making her very long-awaited debut with the company.

As AEW has built towards Revolution, they have been making some significant changes not just externally, but internally. QT Marshall is back in a behind-the-scenes role with the company, but an even more notable move is the hiring of Jennifer Pepperman, former senior writer at WWE and daytime Emmy winner. Pepperman happened to leave her position at WWE not even a week before it was announced she inked a deal with Tony Khan.

Darby Allin is grateful for his three years with Sting and got the opportunity to express as much in the written word.

One of the pillars of AEW was given a platform to speak his mind on “The Player’s Tribune” and starts it off by when he first got paired with “The Man They Call Sting” and how it didn’t click with him at first.

“When I got paired with Sting, I didn’t know what to expect. It’s funny — for weeks they had me up in the rafters, and I wasn’t sure why. You’d think I would’ve put two and two together, but I didn’t. I was just like, ‘Sit in the rafters? OK cool.’ But then at some point someone said, ‘Yo….. you know why we’re doing this, right? Sting’s coming.’ And I just remember thinking how crazy that sounded. Like, I couldn’t process it. STING? And in his first show back…. he’s going to have a staredown with ME? Haha what the f***.”

Allin notes that it was Cody Rhodes who implored Darby to be introduced to Sting before they had a moment in the ring together. He recalled when “The American Nightmare” took him to meet the WWE Hall of Famer.

“He was like, ‘Alright. Sting’s here. I want you to meet him before you go out there.’ Then he walked me over to Sting’s trailer. It happened so fast, I barely had time to remember how nervous I was. But there was nothing to be nervous about. We started talking through the segment, and it was actually wild: there was no ego from him, no big-timing, no This is how it’s gonna happen, kid. None of that. If anything, it was the other way around. He was asking me how it’s gonna happen, and if I was OK with this, this and this, and if everything was cool.

“We’re talking about a guy who’s headlined some of the biggest shows ever, made shitloads of money, been on top longer than I’ve been alive. He’s showing up for this massive return. And his main concern is that I’m feeling comfortable. A 27-year-old nobody who he’s probably thinking jacked half his look. I was just like, WHAT IS HAPPENING. THIS IS INSANE. HOW IS STING SO NICE.”

Sting is not only genuinely a nice person, but he’s been notoriously nice for AEW as a major star. Sting, along with Darby, are set to square off against The Young Bucks in what is more than likely the main event of AEW Revolution on March 3 in Greensboro, NC.

QT Marshall is officially back with All Elite Wrestling, but he’s working in a slightly different capacity than his role last year. 

Marshall attempted to resign from AEW in the summer of 2023 due to issues with the the company’s creative direction, including his own lack of ring time. Tony Khan convinced him to reconsider, but later wound up announcing his formal resignation.

On Monday, Marshall announced on Twitter that he’s back with the company, but does not plan on wrestling any time soon. He’s back working behind the scenes and will continue wrestling “everywhere else” (except WWE).

“I’m not wrestling at AEW. The fans didn’t like me out there so I’m going to wrestle everywhere else. I’m a man of the people,” wrote Marshall.

He’s already back working with AEW and was backstage at Saturday’s Collision tapings. He posted this new ‘promo’ photo of himself, showing that he’s gotten himself into the best shape of his career. He also included the hashtag #VP, an indication that he’s back in a Vice President capacity.

Best part about being back at #Collision on Saturday….the promo shots!#VP pic.twitter.com/bbLDLllMXn

— QT Marshall (@QTMarshall) February 26, 2024

Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling

QT Marshall recently relaunched Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, the independent promotion founded by the late Dusty Rhodes.

Marshall competed at TCW’s ‘relaunch’ event earlier this month from McDonough, GA.  He teamed with Glacier, Luther Biggs, and Scotty Riggs in a win against Adam Priest, Duncan Mitchell, Owen Knight, and Sunny Daze.

His next appearance will be at Coastal Championship Wrestling Bash At The Brew on March 2. He will take on Martin Stone for the CCW World Heavyweight Championship at CCW Conquer Kissimmee on March 8. 

AEW in 2024

AEW getting Marshall to return is another move the company has made to prepare for another record-breaking year,

AEW recently signed former WWE senior writer Jennifer Pepperman as the new Vice President of Content Development. She is expected to be involved with Mercedes Moné as a writer when she makes her debut with AEW.

Earlier this week, the company hired a new backstage announcer.

The company is also reportedly looking to host three stadium shows, as AEWxNew Japan Pro Wrestling Forbidden Door will occur at Arthur Ashe Stadium in June. However, AEW has yet to make an official announcement. 

The decision to sign Marshall in a backstage role, as well as other business moves, has the potential to create great results for the company in 2024. 

AEW has fired back at the plagiarism lawsuit against itself and WWE by a man seeking $250 million in damages as well as ownership of AEW. 

In a hand-written suit rife with spelling errors, Duane Wilson claimed that both companies engaged in “plagiarism, market damages, product damages, personal damages, and financial damages.”

When it comes to AEW, Wilson alleges that he had talked with Bullet Club members to join him and that the plan of starting a wrestling company was his plan. Wilson again did not provide clarification but stated that the Bullet Club members stole his plans to create AEW.

What Wilson Wants

Duane Wilson is seeking $250,000,000 in damages, as well as a public apology from AEW. He is also seeking full control of Tony Khan’s wrestling promotion. 

AEW’s Rebuttal

In a rebuttal this week, AEW denied all allegations against them and requested a jury trial. They noted:

Wilson’s Complaint, in whole or in part, fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.

Wilson’s Complaint, in whole or in part, fails to comply with Fed. R. Civ. P. 8 because it fails to provide a “short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.”

Wilson’s Complaint, in whole or in part, is barred by the applicable statute(s) of limitations.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for copyright infringement, such a claim is barred because Wilson does not allege the existence of a registered copyright.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for copyright infringement, such a claim is barred because any alleged work is not an original work of authorship.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for copyright infringement, such a claim is barred because of All Elite’s independent development of any allegedly infringing work.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for copyright infringement, such a claim is barred by fair use.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for trademark infringement and/or unfair competition, such a claim is barred because Wilson does not allege the existence of a valid trademark.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for trademark infringement and/or unfair competition, such a claim is barred by fair use.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for trademark infringement and/or unfair competition, such a claim is barred by the First Amendment.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for trademark infringement and/or unfair competition, such a claim is barred by abandonment.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for violation of his right of publicity and/or invasion of privacy, such a claim is barred because Wilson’s name, likeness, and/or persona have no commercial value and/or were not used by AEW for a commercial purpose or for commercial profit.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for violation of his right of publicity and/or invasion of privacy, such a claim is barred by the First Amendment.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for fraud, it is barred because he failed to plead it with specificity as required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 9.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for tortious interference, it is barred because no enforceable contract existed at the time of AEW’s alleged improper conduct.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for tortious interference, it is barred because there was no breach of an underlying contract or disruption of an underlying relationship.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for tortious interference, it is barred because AEW’s actions were legally justified and/or privileged, including but not limited to the privilege of fair competition.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for tortious interference, it is barred because the underlying contract was unconscionable.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for tortious interference, it is barred because AEW has no duty to contract with Wilson.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for conversion, such a claim is barred by abandonment.

To the extent Wilson alleges a claim for conversion, such a claim is barred by the non-existence of, failure to identify, or lack of value of the allegedly converted property.

To the extent Wilson alleges an entitlement to special damages, such a claim is barred by the failure to plead with particularity as required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 9.

Wilson’s claims are barred, in whole or in part, due to Wilson’s failure to mitigate its damages.

Wilson’s claims are barred, in whole or in part, because to the extent Wilson has suffered any damages, those damages were caused by his own actions or inactions, or the actions or inactions of third parties.

Wilson’s claims are barred, in whole or in part, by the doctrines of waiver, laches, estoppel, and unclean hands.

Wilson’s claims are barred, in whole or in part, by lack of consideration.

AEW reserves the right to amend this Answer and to raise any additional affirmative defenses not pleaded herein should it discover that such defenses are appropriate and/or available. WHEREFORE, having fully answered and stated affirmative defenses, AEW prays for judgment in its favor, for an award of attorneys’ fees and costs, and for such other further relief as this Court deems just and proper.”

WWE has received an extension on responding and must file a response by March 7. 

The wrestling world was out in force for the premiere of Dune: Part Two which stars none other than WWE’s animal Dave Batista. 

Dune: Part Two is the sequel to 2021’s Dune. Both films are based on the 1965 novel of the same name from Frank Herbert’s Dune franchise. The films tell the story of Paul Atreides, whose noble family is thrust into war for ‘Spice’ the key to interstellar travel that can be found only on the dangerous sand planet Arrakis. 

WWE & AEW at Dune: Part Two

Dune: Part Two sees Batista return as the villainous Glossue Rabban, a psychotic warrior and nephew of primary antagonist Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. On Twitter, Titus O’Neil, a close friend of the Animal, shared a photo from the premiere in New York alongside Batista and MVP. 

Had a great time at the @dunemovie premiere in New York. Super proud of my brother @davebautista and the entire Dune cast on a Spectacular Performance all around. Looking forward to more of what’s to come ?? @davebautista THANK YOU, LOVE YOU TO THE MOON!!! #DreamChaser indeed ? pic.twitter.com/UYFfcF6yIH

— Titus O'Neil (@TitusONeilWWE) February 26, 2024

AEW’s CJ Perr was also at the premiere of Dune: Part Two and had some fun on the red carpet with Ashley Yi and others. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/reel:C3y7Rf-OFMZ

The Animal on the Big Screen

The two Dune films are just some of the massive blockbuster projects that Dave Batista has been attached to. After a series of roles, the former WWE World Champion had his breakout moment in 2014 as part of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The following year, he would go one-on-one with Daniel Craig’s James Bond as the villainous Mr. Hinx in Spectre. He once again shared the screen with Craig in 2022’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and also starred in the 2023 psychological thriller Knock at the Cabin

A new on-screen personality has officially come aboard to All Elite Wrestling.

Over the weekend, Arkady Unterleidner, also known as Arkady Aura, gave a major update on her future in professional wrestling. After serving as a backstage interviewer, ring announcer, and manager on the independent wrestling circuit, Arkady confirmed (via Instagram) that she has now signed on to AEW. Arkady was previously affiliated with promotions such as SoCal Pro Wrestling and The Crash Lucha Libre, where she recently acted as the manager for AEW’s Brian Cage.

“Feeling beyond blessed to be apart of such an incredible company,” Arkady wrote on X (formerly Twitter) earlier today. “Thank you for all the love and support on this journey. This is only the beginning!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C3srogWxxeY

Arkady’s arrival to AEW comes just days after the company welcomed in a new member to the creative department as well. Following her recent exit from WWE, three-time Emmy winner Jennifer Pepperman was announced as AEW’s new Vice President of Content Development. Pepperman previously worked as a senior writer for WWE.

More Details On Arkady’s AEW Arrival

Fightul Select has since provided more details on Arkady’s signing, reporting that she is expected to join the company as a backstage interviewer in an effort to further balance the responsibilities currently shared by Renee Paquette and Lexy Nair. The report added that AEW has considered other candidates for the role in recent months. More additions could also be coming to the broadcast team soon.

It is currently unknown when Arkady will officially start with AEW.

AEW Revolution will mark the fifth annual pay-per-view for Tony Khan’s company, and this could be the most historic yet. Sting is set to wrestle his last match during the March 3, 2024, show at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. That being said, Hangman Page may not make it.

Hangman Page May Miss AEW Revolution

We previously reported that AEW used an injury angle during Dynamite with Hangman Page. While many fans were afraid that he was actually hurt, it seems that this was all part of the show.

It was then noted that there could be another situation to keep Page from working the Revolution show. At this point, things are up in the air for his status.

During Fightful Select‘s Backstage Report podcast, Sean Ross Sapp stated that there is a “touch-and-go situation” surrounding Hangman Page right now. The thought is that they can use his injury angle to write him out of the event if they need to, but the hope is that he will be able to wrestle at the show.

“There is a sort of touch-and-go situation that may see him ending up not being able to work the Revolution show, and if that’s the case, then they can use this as a reason. The hope is that he’ll be good to go for it as well, but it was a carefully-crafted work, and well done. “

What’s Next

AEW has a lot of stories in the pipeline, especially with Revolution coming up in a matter of days. SEScoops will have complete coverage of the event, and you may check out the card below.

AEW Revolution 2024 Card: 

• Sting & Darby Allin (c) vs. The Young Bucks – AEW World Tag Team Championships
• Samoa Joe (c) vs. Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland – AEW World Championship
• Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Bryan Danielson – AEW Continental Crown
• Toni Storm (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo – AEW Women’s World Championship
• Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita
• Christian Cage (c) vs. Daniel Garcia – TNT Championship
• Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Roderick Strong – AEW International Championship
• FTR vs. Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli
• Wardlow vs. Lance Archer vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. ??? – Meat Madness

Welcome to SEScoops: the Daily Drop, your go-to for the latest news and rumors in wrestling. February 26. The Elimination Chamber is in the rearview mirror with RAW tonight. Now, we have a lot to unpack for the day.

Days until WrestleMania XL: 40

WWE

– SEScoops has a full preview of this week’s RAW available. You can click here to check that out.

– I was told that WWE determined that Rhea Ripley vs Nia Jax would main event Elimination Chamber several weeks before the event. 

I was able to confirm that they determined Rhea vs Nia would main event the Elimination Chamber event “several weeks ago”

— Aaron (@AaronVarble) February 24, 2024

– Bodyslam.net reported that WWE hired a new writer’s assistant from the indie wrestling world.

– Finn Balor is totally fine after his bloody injury during Elimination Chamber.

-It was a busy day for Vince McMahon allegation talk. Kevin Owens reacted to the allegations, where he condemned them. Also, Becky Lynch opened up a bit about her experience in WWE in response to a question about the allegations in Janel Grant’s lawsuit.

– Raquel Rodriguez competed at WWE Elimination Chamber, but she didn’t have a great time before the event. A flare-up of her MCAS almost caused her to miss the match.

-WWE has two matches announced for RAW this week. You can check out the two matches planned for Feb 26’s episode of RAW (so far) below.

• Sami Zayn vs. Nakamura
• Street Fight: New Day vs Imperium

AEW

– Although QT Marshall is not planned to wrestle for AEW, he was backstage at Collision on Saturday, and Fightful reports that they took photos of him in his ring gear. 

– Ric Flair turned 75-years-old, so happy birthday to The Nature Boy.

– Lex Luger was asked on his Lex Expressed podcast whether he will be at Sting’s last match at AEW Revolution on March 3rd. The former pro wrestling star replied to say, “You want me to answer that? Let me put it this way. I will go back to 35 years of friendship. Friendship sometimes transcends the kayfabe or workup the other and there may be ramifications or there may not. Sting was there for me at three in the morning when I had my motorcycle wreck and they wanted to cut my arm off and kind of stopped the doctors from cutting my arm off. So people could read into that what they want, on whether I might be at the building or not. I won’t confirm anything, but I’m just saying. I’ll leave it in that context. How’s that?”

– Matt Hardy had big props for AEW picking up Jennifer Pepperman from WWE as their new VP of Content.

– Speaking of Jennifer Pepperman, Fightful reported that she was at AEW television last week, but it’s unknown if she has officially started working in her new role, or what capacity she had her hands in anything yet.

– Jack Perry’s first match since AEW All In London is confirmed for March 6, 2024, where he will square off against Shota Umino for NJPW.

– Swerve Strickland admitted that he’s still a Paul Heyman Guy. On that note, you can check out a great list of next perspective Paul Heyman Guys/Girls below.

– It looks like AEW has Okada locked in. While speaking to Tokyo Sports, he said that he has no intention of returning to NJPW. “I’m already looking ahead to what’s next, and I’m going out with the intention of never coming back to New Japan,” Okada said. “I’m sorry about that, but I don’t think so. Of course, I want to treasure the feeling and the words I received.”

TNA

– Fightful reported that Steve Maclin only has a couple of months left on his TNA Wrestling contract.

-Josh Alexander also didn’t want TNA Wrestling to renew his contract for another year, but they did. 

– It was reported that one top star for the company wanted to leave, but the talent meeting they held changed their mind. Stay tuned for this still-developing story. 

– It has been revealed what TNA talent said to higher-ups after Scott D’Amore’s firing. There was also a special meeting. This story has a lot to unpack at the end of the day.

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events

• AEW Dynamite: Big Business will be hosted at Boston’s TD Garden on March 13th.
• AEW Revolution is planned for the following weekend, on Sunday, March 3.
• WWE NXT Stand & Deliver is slated for the afternoon of April 6th, just before the start of WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.
• WrestleMania XL is set to take place on April 6th and 7th at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a two-part event.
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

Swerve Strickland may have found a home for himself in AEW, but the popular star remains in touch with one of WWE’s most notable on-screen personalities. 

Strickland joined WWE in 2019 and the former NXT North American Champion was released in late 2021. He would later join AEW at Revolution 2022 in March. On the latest edition of his Swerve City podcast, Strickland spoke about his journey in wrestling and revealed that he still converses with Paul Heyman. 

“Little do people know, I still talk to Paul Heyman. Just on a mentorship-type state. I go to him for advice on like my promos and my segments that like … when I was doing the home invasion segments and all this stuff, I was like ‘how did this make you feel?’ I would get reception back from him.”

Paul Heyman on AEW

Heyman has unsurprisingly never appeared for AEW, but the special counsel to Roman Reigns does keep an eye on the competition. Speaking to BT Sport ahead of Survivor Series 2021, Heyman was asked for his take on Tony Khan’s company. 

“Oh, they’re viable. They are a viable entity, and God bless them for being there.”

What’s Next? 

This weekend, Swerve Strickland will compete in the main event of AEW Revolution 2024. Strickland will challenge AEW World Champion Samoa Joe in a triple threat match that will also feature ‘Hangman’ Adam Page. With that said, the Cowboy may not be in the match despite his recent ‘injury’ on Dynamite being confirmed to be a work. This match will mark Strickland’s first AEW pay-per-view main event. 

As for Heyman, he will remain close to The Bloodline on WWE TV. Roman Reigns will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. At WWE Elimination Chamber 2024, Cody Rhodes challenged The Rock to go one-on-one. 

Sting has certainly given his all since signing with AEW. Few fans thought that he would get involved in AEW matches like he has, and now The Icon is set to have his final match at Revolution on March 3rd, and he wanted to go out with all guns blazing at this point.

Sting Insisted On Danger

Darby Allin and Sting took on the Don Callis Family during AEW’s Homecoming episode in Daily’s Place. That match ended with The Stinger going through a table, but that wasn’t supposed to be his spot. 

Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that Darby Allin was supposed to take the big bump in Daily’s Place that ended their tornado tag team match, but that wasn’t how things turned out. It seems that Sting insisted on taking that bump instead. 

In asking around about the road to Sting’s retirement match, there were some backstage that had pushed for Darby Allin to take the bump at the end of the Daily’s Place tag team match instead of Sting, but Sting was insistent. Obviously he’s been fine in the follow up.

Sting Was Advised Against This

Darby Allin previously spoke about that dangerous spot at Daily’s Place. He told Sting not to take the bump, but that didn’t convince The Icon from doing it anyway.

What’s Next For Sting

Sting and Darby Allin are set to take on The Young Bucks at AEW Revolution on March 3rd. That will be a historic event at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it will also mark the company’s first pay-per-view in the city. It will also be the end of Sting’s in-ring career, so odds are the whole pro wrestling world will be watching.

SEScoops will have continued coverage of Sting’s final days as an active wrestler for AEW. 

AEW has pulled in a few former WWE names in the past, and they scored a big behind-the-scenes acquisition by securing a tenured Senior Writer and Producer. Matt Hardy remembers his days in WWE, and he can see why this signing will be very beneficial.

Matt Hardy Speaks on AEW’s New Creative Force

Former WWE Senior Writer and Producer Jennifer Pepperman opted to leave the company. Her departure was voluntary rather than a result of being let go. I was told at the time that the overall thought was that she already landed a job elsewhere.

Pepperman has since joined AEW for an extended period, a move that Matt Hardy sees as beneficial. She has also worked extensively with Sasha Banks in the past, and Mercedes Mone is expected to make her AEW debut during March 13th’s Big Business Collision in Boston.

While speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, the show’s co-host, Jon Alba, highlighted the recruitment of Jennifer Pepperman. Hardy then pointed out that he views her as a valuable addition to AEW, particularly given her background in WWE.

“I worked with her when I went back to WWE in 2017. I was there [from] 2017 through 2020, got along good with her, interacted with her some. I don’t know her extremely well, but I do know her. I think it’s very interesting.”

“I think it’s a positive thing that Tony is bringing someone that has been in the WWE format and the WWE writing room and the WWE structuring room, to bring them and give insight on AEW. I think it’s a positive.”

What’s Next for Jennifer Pepperman in AEW

Jennifer Pepperman has taken on the role of Vice President of Content at AEW. She is expected to work closely with Mercedes, similar to Brian Gewirtz’s collaboration with The Rock.

We will have to see how her creative influence changes AEW’s product. She had a lot of creative pull in WWE, and many were shocked by her departure.

SEScoops will have more on this story as additional information is available. 

Tony Khan has done a lot while booking AEW so far, but his transformation of Orange Cassidy has been impressive to see. Some were initially worried when TK signed the indie darling who couldn’t keep his hands out of his pockets. After introducing Cassidy to the world, they have not accepted him as a pro wrestling star. Still, it’s hard to shake that comic stigma that brought him to the table.

Orange Cassidy Speaks on Comedic Wrestling

Orange Cassidy, a prominent figure in Tony Khan’s AEW, is celebrated for his captivating in-ring abilities. Despite his silence and comedic routines, Cassidy has garnered immense popularity among wrestling enthusiasts.

The current AEW International Champion is often seen as a comedic attraction, known for his playful gestures such as teasing opponents with kicks and responding to others with his signature thumb raise. 

During a recent interview with theathletic.com, Cassidy expressed gratitude towards AEW, highlighting the opportunity it provides to showcase a range of emotions. He emphasized the importance of versatility in professional wrestling, stating that being pigeonholed into one role would lead to stagnation. In the end, he doesn’t really care for the term “comedic wrestling.”

“I don’t really like the term comedy wrestler because I feel that professional wrestling is an art. This is the art I create and art, to me, should generate emotions out of people. Those emotions could be laughter. They could also be joy, it could also be sadness, it could be regret, it could be depression. If I was just a comedic wrestler, would people really care, would they be invested?“

Orange Cassidy remarked that in a movie solely filled with laughter for 90 minutes, there’s always a moment that deeply resonates with the audience. He expressed gratitude towards AEW for providing him with the opportunity to display various emotions, emphasizing that elsewhere, he might be confined to a single comedic role. Cassidy noted the risk of becoming stale if restricted to one-dimensional character portrayals. He stressed the importance of being a professional wrestler above all else to evoke genuine emotions from the audience.

It was once difficult to get more than three words out of Orange Cassidy. Now, he’s doing full-fledged interviews, while diving into his own version of pro wrestling theory.

What’s Next

AEW has built Orange Cassidy into a legitimate champion, as fans follow what Freshly Squeezed does next. We will have to see how Tony Khan books OC in the future, because he has certainly done a lot for him so far.

SEScoops will have continued coverage of AEW and Orange Cassidy whenever new headlines drop, so keep checking back for more.

Welcome to SEScoops: the Daily Drop, your go-to for the latest news and rumors in wrestling. February 25. The Elimination Chamber started off yesterday with a very early, and exciting, event. Now, we have a lot to unpack.

Days until WrestleMania XL: 41

WWE:

– WWE released a full video of 2024 Elimination Chamber highlights. You can check that out below.

– I was able to confirm that Logan Paul vs Randy Orton 

– Becky Lynch won the 2024 Women’s Elimination Chamber match, which was her first-ever appearance in that dangerous match set-up. Now, she will face Rhea Ripley for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40.

 – Seth Rollins said during Elimination Chamber that he is “days away” from being medically cleared to compete. So, we may see the Visionary wrestle on the road to the show of shows.

– Cody Rhodes challenged The Rock to a match at any time during Elimination Chamber as well. Then Seth Rollins stepped up to say that he has Cody’s back, because it’s never just one-on-one against The Bloodline. 

– Kevin Owens granted a Make-A-Wish at the Elimination Chamber. He really is one of the best guys in the business. 

– Rey Mysterio is the most recent WWE/UFC crossover, as he appeared at a UFC event in Mexico. 

-After Elimination Chamber, WWE has two more big matches booked for WrestleMania. You can check out the updated card below, but there will be a lot more added to fill the two-night extravaganza.

WrestleMania 40 Card:

• Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes: Singles match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
• Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley: Singles match for the WWE Women’s Championship
• Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch: Singles match for the Women’s World Championship
• Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre: Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship

AEW

– WWE gave Chris Jericho some love during the Elimination Chamber event. That was a bit of a surprise, and it strayed from their norm of not mentioning AEW talent as they have in the past.  

– Jun Akiyama dropped a message on Twitter/X after his Collision match this week. He said, “Thank you very much to all AEW fans! Everyone’s cheering helped me. See you again.”

Thank you very much to all AEW fans! Everyone's cheering helped me. See you again.#ddtpro #AEW#JunAkiyama

— ????Jun Akiyama? (@jun0917start) February 25, 2024

– The Young Bucks re-named the Meltzer Driver to honor Tony Khan instead. So, that happened as a part of their new heel characters.

– Tony Khan’s explanation about why AEW keeps running larger venues despite crowds that can’t fill them was not received well online.

– During AEW Collision this week, they booked a big trios match for next week’s AEW Dynamite featuring Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Bryan Danielson, and Jon Moxley) facing off against FTR and Eddie Kingston.

– Eric Bischoff had great things to say about AEW picking up former WWE senior writer Jennifer Pepperman as their new VP of Content. During his Strictly Business podcast, Bischoff said, “She’s a very sweet person, easy to get along with, she’s got a great personality and she’s very outgoing. But, she’s also tough. She’s not gonna be intimidated. I’ve watched her interact with Vince, and Vince can be very, very intimidating. I watched her stand up to Vince, I watched her react to pressure that a lot of creative people that I’ve worked with in the past would’ve probably taken pretty hard. She digs in and does the work.”

TNA Wrestling

– Mustafa Ali cut a very emotional promo when he became the X-Division Title at TNA No Surrender. He has certainly been through a lot, and fought hard for his spot. Everyone here at SEScoops is wishing him the best as he keeps going to achieve great things.

EXCLUSIVE: "This is my first major championship in 20 years." @MustafaAli_X addresses the crowd after capturing the X-Division Title at #NoSurrender. pic.twitter.com/UWt0eYpY90

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) February 24, 2024

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events

• AEW Dynamite: Big Business will be hosted at Boston’s TD Garden on March 13th.
• AEW Revolution is planned for the following weekend, on Sunday, March 3.
• WWE NXT Stand & Deliver is slated for the afternoon of April 6th, just before the start of WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.
• WrestleMania XL is set to take place on April 6th and 7th at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a two-part event.
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

On the latest episode of AEW Rampage on February 23, we saw the renaming of the Young Bucks’ Meltzer Driver.

During the event, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson squared off against Jonny Lyons and Cappuccino Jones, executing their signature move, the Meltzer Driver, which has been rebranded as the Tony Khan Driver.

Young Bucks’ finisher is now called the Tony Khan Driver.

pic.twitter.com/K1kHpEgJ8P

— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) February 24, 2024

The Meltzer Driver, a springboard somersault spike kneeling reverse piledriver, has been a staple move for the team since 2014.

The name of the move pays homage to wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, whom the Jacksons affectionately refer to as “Uncle Dave.” They share a close relationship with the journalist, which inspired them to name the wrestling move after him.

When Meltzer’s father, Herbert, passed away in 2017, The Young Bucks honored him at the G1 Special in USA by introducing a new version of the Meltzer Driver. They named this move the Herbert Meltzer Driver as a tribute to his memory.

The Young Bucks ‘apologize’ to Tony Schiavone in a hilarious way

On Dynamite last week, the Young Bucks fined Tony Schiavone $1000 for using a tone and asking questions that didn’t sit well with them. This led to a minor altercation that resulted in Schiavone falling down.

To make amends, the brothers wanted to apologize to him on Rampage. The Young Bucks offered Schiavone a $25 Amazon gift card as a gesture of apology.

Young Bucks gave Tony Schiavone a $25 Amazon Gift Card as an apology. ?

If you know, you know. LOOOOOOOL. pic.twitter.com/W0MANnTvI4

— Drainmaker ?? ? (@DrainBamager) February 24, 2024

In case you’re not aware, this is a reference to CM Punk distributing Starbucks gift cards to the AEW locker room. As per Dax Harwood, Punk purchased Starbucks gift cards for all members of AEW’s women’s division. He also distributed these cards to members of The Pinnacle before working with MJF.

Punk had also delivered a speech about making money together, and his enthusiasm for working with everyone in AEW.