One year ago, the wrestling world was stunned by the death of Jay Briscoe (Jamin Pugh). He and his brother, Mark, were 13-time ROH Tag Team Champions. They last competed together just a few weeks earlier at ROH’s Final Battle.
At the time of the accident, Jay had his daughters in the car with him. Youngest daughter, Jayleigh, sustained serious injuries. She had to wear a neck brace and an external fixator for several weeks.
Gracie had back surgery the morning after the accident. Following surgery, she needed outpatient rehab five days a week. Last February, a family friend stated that Gracie was walking with assistance, although she didn’t have full movement below her knee.
On Dynamite, the Pugh family was in the audience. Mark came out to talk about the anniversary of his brother’s death.
“My nieces were in the truck with them. Tragically, they told my oldest niece they were injured severely. They told my oldest niece, ‘you’ll never walk again.’ However…dammit. God is on the throne! We Dem Boyz, dammit! We won’t stop because we can’t stop! We ain’t going nowhere! We thank every one of y’all from the bottom of our heart and we love y’all, man. God bless y’all.”
Over the last year, Mark has been wrestling primarily as a singles wrestler. He has called this his rookie year as a singles competitor. Mark splits his time between AEW and his beloved ROH.
Kota Ibushi put his body through a lot during his years in NJPW prior to signing with AEW. Sadly, his time in AEW started off with an injury, and now he could need even more work done.
Kota Ibushi Will Need More Work After Surgery
Kota Ibushi was set to have surgery on January 17th. He had that operation and afterward, he took to social media to give fans an update.
While posting to Twitter/X, Kota Ibushi revealed that he is recovering after his latest operation. Now, he needs to worry about what is next, which includes a pesky bad shoulder.
Sorry for the late report. It looks like the ligament was completely torn (another spot was already little to begin with) and is now completely immobilized in a cast up to about below the knee. The next step is to see what will happen to the left side, and the right side will go for 2 weeks. My shoulder is not in perfect condition and I intend to fix everything this time. I apologize for the inconvenience. I will think about the rest in various ways.
How Kota Ibushi Was Injured
Tony Khan’s roster has seen a few big names go down for an extended period of time. Pro wrestling always comes with risks, but Ibushi is one of the best in the world when he’s on his A-Game. Hopefully, AEW will get a good run with Ibushi before everything is said and done.
Kota had a match against Naomichi Marufuji at NOAH The New Year, during which he sustained an ankle injury. Following the conclusion of the match, he faced difficulty standing and was subsequently transported to the hospital. Pro Wrestling NOAH disclosed that he received a diagnosis of a right tibiofibular ligament tear and a right ankle lateral ligament complex injury.
Samoa Joe is known to be a hard-hitter, but the AEW World Champion named three other names who pack their own special kind of power. However, none of them hit as hard as he does.
The champ was asked about who he would name as the hardest hitters in wrestling. Joe named two Japanese legends before naming three modern talents that devastate with their own power.
“The list is a Mount Rushmore of some of the most dangerous people in the world,” he said. “You start from [Kenta] Kobashi and [Mitsuharu] Misawa. Young Wardlow. He hits like a truck. Brock Lesnar hits like a truck. Roman Reigns hits like a truck.”
There’s tons of people around the sphere of wrestling who all hit hard, and I’ve felt all that power, but they don’t hit as hard as me.”
Reigns and Lesnar have had their fair share of championships, but the AEW World Title is the first World Championship Joe has held since his TNA days.
WWE has seen several returns over the last couple of years. Triple H brought back several people that Vince McMahon either released or he let their contract expire. Now, all signs point to Andrade’s return.
Andrade’s Expected WWE Return
Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that Andrade el Idolo has concluded his time with All Elite Wrestling, and has reached an agreement with WWE. This was said to be a “roller coaster” situation.
Initially Andrade signed to a two-year deal with AEW, the inclusion of injury time extended his contract. So, his contract was stretched to the end of the year.
AEW talent noted Andrade’s transparency regarding his contract status, as he did not hide anything backstage. El Idolo made it clear that his deal would conclude in or by the end of 2023. Despite there was a brief time when he reportedly expressed intentions to stay with AEW and consider another contract, towards the end of his run, he informed fellow wrestlers of his decision to return to WWE.
Some within AEW even anticipated his appearance on WWE programming shortly after his departure. They were surprised that he hasn’t debuted yet. With the Royal Rumble coming up on January 27th, that could very well be a landing pad for his return as well.
Reasons Behind Andrade’s AEW Exit
Although Tony Khan left the door open for Andrade’s return publicly, individuals working closely with Andrade found the process frustrating, with him revealing days before World’s End that he was concluding his time with AEW.
Additionally, it is reported that Charlotte Flair advocated for Andrade’s return to WWE, and Andrade himself had suggested that AEW link up with Ric Flair.
WWE has not confirmed Andrade’s return to the company just yet, but the general belief is that he is coming back to television. The former NXT Champion may be back on RAW or SmackDown very soon.
All Elite Wrestling superstar Keith Lee’s year is off to a rocky start. He suffered a setback last month when he had to pull out of a match against Swerve Strickland at AEW World’s End due to an injury. While fans have been hopeful he would return to action soon, he won’t be able to compete for a while.
In a statement written to Nick Hausman, Lee shared that he is set to undergo two double surgeries. AEW star seems to admit that he didn’t need surgery for 19 years of his career, but unfortunately, it was his time.
Hausman transcribed the following quotes he received from Lee.
“Took roughly 19 years…. but I guess it’s my turn,” wrote Lee. He continued, “Time to get fixed. Here’s to double surgeries. Certainly, one way to start 2024.”
It’s unclear what the specific injury Lee has to get fixed or how long he is expected to be out of action. The update from the AEW superstar is unfortunate, as it seemed like he was recently building momentum in the company.
Lee started gaining traction by winning a mixed eight-person tag team match at AEW WrestleDream on October 1, 2023. He continued to be featured for both AEW and Ring Of Honor, including competing in a loss against Samoa Joe for the ROH World Television Championship. In his last three matches, he won three consecutive matches, and AEW was ready to feature his long-awaited rematch with Strickland.
At this time, it’s unclear if the company plans to continue with the program when he eventually returns.
Could AEW Continue the Feud Between Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland
Although the feud between Lee and Strickland is unresolved, Strickland has moved on to another big storyline. He is in the mix to compete for the AEW World Championship and is involved in a feud with “Hangman” Adam Page.
On the January 10 episode of AEW Dynamite, Strickland shared his intentions to challenge for the world title before Page interrupted him. AEW may have another match planned between Page and Strickland as they look to end their rivalry. While it’s unclear if Strickland will get another win and move on to challenge for the championship, AEW seems to have plans for him.
Lee’s primary focus for the foreseeable future will be to recover from injuries. If he can return fully healthy, he can build momentum again, and the company can restart his feud with Strickland.
Although the timing of the injuries is unlucky, AEW fans will support Lee and look forward to him returning to the ring at 100 percent.
CM Punk & Jack Perry fought backstage at AEW All In 2023, but the pair did not have some epic showdown according to Samoa Joe.
The infamous brawl would take place after Perry’s kick-off match with HOOK, in which the former Jungle Boy referred to using real glass. Punk, who has previously made clear his opposition to using real glass, would confront Perry about the comment, resulting in a fight.
Samoa Joe On All In Brawl
Much like the brawl at AEW All Out 2022, the fight at Wembley Stadium would dominate headlines and in the eyes of many, would overshadow AEW’s historic international event. Despite threatening to quit AEW on the spot, Punk would compete in the All In main-card opening contest against Samoa Joe. In a recent interview with ESPN, the reigning AEW World Champion played down the notion that the fight between Perry and Punk was some massive spectacle.
“There was a little bit of an incident. We got it broken up. We went out there and wrestled, man. That’s the gist of it. Everybody wants it to be a lot more than what it is, but that’s what it was. And to speak any more on it would be pointless unless you’re trying to get a scorecard and stuff — but trust me, it wasn’t that type of a fight.”
Dustin Rhodes has accomplished plenty in the world of professional wrestling, but his consistent sobriety is the veteran’s greatest accomplishment.
Rhodes is perhaps best known for his WWE tenure as the bizarre Goldust but has also competed for WCW and other promotions. In 2019, Rhodes joined AEW as a wrestler and also works as a coach for the promotion.
Like many wrestlers, Rhodes has faced struggles and dealt with addiction to alcohol and substances. In an episode of The Sessions, Rhodes shared that medicating to recover from a 1996 injury would set him down a destructive path. Thankfully, Rhodes has been able to overcome addiction and has proudly been sober for over 15 years.
Dustin Rhodes on his legacy
Speaking to veteran sports journalist Justin Barrasso for Sports Illustrated, Rhodes noted his sobriety as the most long-lasting accolade he has.
“My sobriety, that’s my legacy. And I understand it’s OK to have bad days. There will be better ones. Life has been an incredible teacher. I’ve learned a lot, and I plan on being clean and sober for the rest of my life.”
Rhodes also reflected on his years of addiction and the toll it took on him and his career.
“I wasn’t seeing clearly back in the day, and I paid for it heavily. Sometimes, I’m still trying to prove myself, even when I don’t need to. I came out the other side. The devil is still sitting here, right on my shoulder. All’s I need to do is walk with him. But each new day, I tell him, ‘No, I’m going to be good today.’ So I’m not going to drink. I’m not going to do drugs. I have my sh– together, and I’m fixin’ to get on with my life.”
Rhodes will face Christian Cage for the TNT Championship on tonight’s AEW Dynamite. The match will be the first singles encounter between the two veterans since 2003.
AEW superstar Hook recently took a shot back at WWE star Jinder Mahal ahead of the biggest match of his career.
Recently, AEW President Tony Khan attacked WWE for booking Jinder Mahal in a World Heavyweight Championship match on Raw. Khan argued that Mahal’s dismal win/loss record means he shouldn’t be competing for the title. Fans reacted negatively to this, citing Abadon’s abrupt push in the TBS title picture and Hook’s push in the AEW World Championship picture.
Tony Khan was enraged after seeing a tweet from the USA Network that made no mention of either Khan or AEW. The aforementioned post was a reaction to Raj Giri’s Tweet about the NXT Championship bout between Mahal and Rollins in 2012. The USA Network questioned about the Cagematch rating for the match which Khan took as a dig at him.
Tony Khan made an argument in that post that Hook, who has a 28-1 record, is also deserving of a World Title shot.
A double standard:@730hook 28-1 career record, on winning streak calls out the Champ, a logical challenge sparks online outrage
Jinder has literally lost every single match he's in for the past year, immediately gets title shot, where is the rage#AEWDynamite TOMORROW on TBS
FTW Champion Hook, who is inactive on social media, has responded to Jinder Mahal in a new promo hyping his AEW World Championship match against Samoa Joe on Dynamite this week.
In the video clip, the 24-year-old addressed the pressure that comes with the title match against Joe. He also questioned his own identity which is apparently a dig at Jinder Mahal.
“So who’s the pressure on tomorrow? I mean, is there really anything that I have to lose?
And also (bites into a slice of pizza), I’m not big enough to compete with Samoa Joe. Eh, but I am getting some calories right now (holds up pizza), so who knows.
Then again, who the f**k am I anyway?
24 hours Joe, I’m coming for that world title.”Sa
HOOK, 24-Hours before challenging for the #AEW World Championship
This will mark Samoa Joe’s first AEW World title defense after winning the title at AEW Worlds End pay-per-view and we will have to see how this match pans out.
Samoa Joe is quite intrigued for his upcoming title fight against HOOK. The AEW World Champion will put his newly acquired hardware on the line against the FTW Champion in what will be Joe’s first defense of the belt.
“This typifies what I want to see during my reign–I want these first-time matchups with something at stake. Hook is quite the dynamic little athlete, and he’s been doing his best to make his case. His record speaks for itself, and we’re going to find out if he’s the truth or not.
“It takes about 29 other athletes to equal something approximating me, so this will be a good little test,” said Joe. “We’ll find out where we’re at.”
The fight got a good deal of stir on social media as AEW President was heavy in defending the match-up against his critics and notoriously factored Jinder Mahal into the equation.
This match-up isn’t just intriguing to Samoa Joe, however. Rob Van Dam recently mentioned on his “1 Of A Kind” podcast that he’s thinks it’s going to be beneficial for both Joe and HOOK. He also stated that he believe HOOK has what it takes to be a top star in pro wrestling. RVD mentioned that the bout could end in the two exchanging handshakes and that could be a possibility, as Joe envisions his father Taz in some well-regard.
“That no-nonsense attitude, destroy-at-all-costs, that’s who he was. That’s who I am. Now it’s exemplified in an athlete like Hook, so let’s get in the ring and go.”
AEW may have proved to be pivotal in the career of Lexis King, but the NXT Superstar experienced the worst case of self-doubt of his career while he was ‘All-Elite.’
King has quickly become a top guy in NXT, in stark contrast to his tenure with AEW. On the latest edition of the Insight podcast, King spoke about making his WWE NXT TV debut and how he’d felt in AEW.
“It [his WWE NXT TV debut] was great. I was just sitting in it and I’m backstage thinking ‘Is this real?’ I spent, and this isn’t a knock on anybody, but I spent so many months of my career at the previous company, just second-guessing myself. Am I really any good? Am I worth it? A lot of self-doubt. And just to see how my career has done a total 180 since then [is incredible].
“I went from just sitting in the back and filming a few dark matches in Orlando here and there. Six-minute tag matches, barely getting in the ring and feeling the canvas to now, I’m sitting on a throne, making my entrance. In the biggest wrestling company in the world, they have this confidence in me. And it fuels me, now I have confidence in myself.
“Hell, they gave me the name King! It doesn’t get any better than that. So just to feel that 180 and go out there and perform with a certain level of grit and attitude. You know, I’m going to prove everyone one wrong, everyone who didn’t believe in me, It’s a dream come true.”
While King feels he is thriving now that he’s part of WWE NXT, the second-generation wrestler wanted to make it clear he doesn’t resent AEW or his time with the company.
“There’s no ill-will [towards AEW] but it’s just sort of that mindset. I put myself in that mindset. Nobody else put me in that. I just put myself in that mindset of ‘What’s going on here?’ That self-doubt. And I kept griding. Like I said I moved back home. I kept grinding, going to the local [wrestling] school. Trying to find out what makes me tick as a performer. And just the experience living there, the experience I gained traveling with AEW made me the performer I am today.”
King has been embroiled in the storyline surrounding Trick Williams’ mystery attacker from months ago. The former AEW star has implicated Trick’s longtime ally Carmelo Hayes as the culprit.
Lexis King recently had a unique request for his fans…
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
Tony Khan may cut loose on Twitter from time to time, but Powerhouse Hobbs believes it only demonstrates his boss’ dedication to AEW.
In the days leading up to this week’s Raw, Khan fired off a series of tweets, outraged at the booking of Jinder Mahal in a World Heavyweight Championship match. Khan’s comments would be mocked by fans online, with some pointing out AEW talent who have been thrust into title matches after lengthy breaks from programming.
Powerhouse Hobbs Reacts
Khan has never shied away from letting his views known on social media, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by the AEW roster. In a recent interview with Adrian Hernandez, Powerhouse Hobbs shared his two cents on Khan’s online activity.
“It’s his company. He believes in us, and you know, if you believe in something, speak your mind. If you’re 100% sure on it, speak your mind. If you’re 99% sure on it, don’t speak on it. He’s 100% sure and he’s speaking his mind. He believes in his company and he believes in us.”
Tony Khan on Social Media
Khan’s outburst about Jinder Mahal is hardly the first time the AEW President has run his mouth on social media. Ahead of the Tuesday Night War of October 2023, Khan made a series of disparaging remarks about WWE’s gold brand. Khan labeled Triple H and Shawn Michaels “bald a**holes” which made it all the more embarrassing when NXT decisively beat Dynamite in the ratings. While NXT soared to its third-highest viewership of all time, Dynamite hit its lowest viewership in close to two years.
Last month, CJ Perry sustained a serious MRSA infection after getting a small splinter in her finger while backstage at AEW. After the infection began spreading up Perry’s arm, Perry was then required to undergo emergency surgery Perry and real-life Miro later announced that the surgery was successful.
Unfortunately, Perry is now experiencing a setback in her recovery journey.
Infection ‘Relapse’
Over the weekend, CJ Perry provided an update on her post-surgery care (via X), revealing that she had a ‘relapse’ in her MRSA infection after her antibiotics stopped working. As a result, Perry was rushed to the hospital, where a surgeon cleaned out her wound in the search for blood.
When no blood emerged, the doctor inserted a long IV needle into Perry’s hand, which Perry described as a fire-like ‘stinging sensation,’ to numb the area around her finger. The doctor then continued to dig through Perry’s finger until they spotted blood.
Following this treatment, Perry was instructed to return to the surgeon to repeat the process every day this week. Perry has also been put back on antibiotics.
In a separate TikTok video, Perry revealed she may need a second surgery on her finger. Should doctors determine that a follow-up operation is necessary, Perry says they plan on taking skin from either a ring finger or her palm to act as a skin graft.
For now, though, Perry will continue forward with her daily doctor’s visits in the hope that her recovery continues on an upward trajectory.
From everyone here at SEScoops, we send our best wishes to CJ Perry.
WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff is relishing in not working for Tony Khan, and is grateful for every day he doesn’t have to answer to the AEW President.
While Bischoff has made a handful of appearances for AEW, it’s been some time since the WCW magnate was invited to a show. Bischoff has been critical of AEW in recent years, and while he’s made it clear he wants AEW to succeed, he has been unimpressed by the work of Tony Khan. Last October, Bischoff claimed that Khan is “beyond help” and dismissed the AEW President as a Vince McMahon and Paul Heyman wannabee.
Bischoff Responds to Dax Harwood
Bischoff’s issues with Tony Khan are well-documented and Easy-E only added to the tensions this week. On the latest episode of his 83 Weeks Podcast, Bischoff didn’t hold back. He first discussed Dax calling him out over his remarks on AEW:
“Either my skin has gotten so thick that I just don’t react to things the way I used to or maybe you just get wiser with age and having kind of been there when I was younger, kinda where Dax is right now, so I kind of get it. Where is Dax in his career? He’s got to say these things. He’s out there promoting his company. He’s defending his company. His boss made a complete Jackass of himself on social media during the week previous to this appearance he made.
So I get it, because what else is Dax going to do? If he doesn’t have a gig in AEW? And I don’t mean that as a shot because I like him. I like the tag team, like you do for the same reasons. But I don’t know if going back to the WWE is an option. Maybe it is. We’ve seen crazier things. I don’t know the situation where Dax left and how he left it and if he had heat or didn’t have heat or I don’t know any of that stuff. Maybe there’s chance he could go back but I think those odds are probably remote at this point. So what’s he’s got? He’s got the gig he’s got. And I don’t disagree.
Tony Khan has put a lot of money in a lot of talent’s pockets. I know people personally who are making more money who have been in the business for longer than I have and are making more money than they ever have. So you know that I’m not exaggerating anything here. You don’t hear anybody in AEW complaining about their paychecks, but the opposite. Sure, that’s great for talent. That’s great for those individuals, and I’m happy for them. Just like I’m happy for someone who wins a lottery. I don’t wanna see anybody not get what they can get out there in the marketplace. So let’s dispel that, I agree with that, it’s a wonderful thing for humanity.
But it doesn’t mean it’s good for the business. What Tony Khan has been doing and some of the presentations that we’ve seen out of AEW is not better for the business, because it’s turning off advertisers. It’s turning off his own viewers. The audience is deteriorating, it’s not growing and you can talk about ‘Yeah but less people are watching TV’ and go back to that trope all you want is. Is it a fact? Sure. Is it an excuse? Probably not. WWE is growing in the same environment. Why isn’t AEW? It’s because of lack of story, it’s because of lack of character development. It’s because of lack of vision, and it’s because a lot of the chaos that’s going on behind the scenes.”
Eric Bischoff Explains His Financial Troubles
Bischoff then went into length to explain the financial troubles that led to him filing for bankruptcy in 2017. He explained that he still had to pay off all his debts which he did earlier than expected:
“Let’s just get the elephant out of the room. I wrote a book called grateful. I talked a lot about having to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This isn’t a financial [podcast] but because that’s kind of there right? So I want to address it. I’m not gonna go into detail about the differences between Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 13 Because they’re all different. Chapter 11 is a business bankruptcy primarily. It doesn’t allow me to walk away from my debts. I ended up filing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in 2017.
I’ve talked on this show at length about the reasons that led up to it. Basically me transitioning out of the television business. I went from making close to seven figures a year and I took an about 80% cut in pay over the course of 24 months. And then I had the state of California come knocking on my door and say, ‘I know you thought you paid all your taxes, but we realised we can find a different way to tax you on business that took place out of state simply because you have a mailbox in California.’
That was kind of a big hit. None of that really matters. To protect my home. This home is my legacy. I built this home in 1998 because I really really wanted to provide a place of stability in any situation for my family, to have a beautiful home in a beautiful part of the country. People from all over the world come here to visit. It’s that beautiful. I wanted to be able to leave this legacy to my children to enjoy it for the very same reasons. When it got to the point where that legacy, this property, this home was at risk.
I made a business decision to reorganize my debt. Not walk away from it, not fulfil my obligations to it, simply to reorganize it. That’s what a chapter 11 is. Now when I filed that chapter 11, this is back in 2017. You go through that process. At the end of it, the court says ‘Okay, you’re going to pay back 100% of this debt. you have, in my case, five years to do it.’ I did it in three. I have a seven-figure net worth. I have a very healthy credit score. I’m in really good shape as a result of being able to do some smart things.”
Eric Bischoff is Grateful
Later in the podcast, the former WCW President explained that his frustrations with AEW have nothing to do with him wanting a job with the promotion. He mentioned he had been very supportive of the promotion since the beginning and explained what changed his stance:
“I stayed supportive until I think it was around November two years ago, a little over two years ago. Tony came out and made that completely ignorant in a literal sense of [the word] comment about Ted Turner. Paraphrasing, if Ted Turner knew 1% of professional wrestling as I do maybe WCW would still be around. Completely ignorant. Tony doesn’t have a fucking clue what went on in WCW and why it’s not around. The only thing he knows is what Dave Meltzer told him. That’s it. He wasn’t there. He has no idea.
And it was disrespectful. It was ignorant and disrespectful simultaneously. As Tony Khan’s trying desperately to hang on to his television time on Turner Network Television and Turner Broadcasting System, disrespecting the man that made that opportunity even an option. Once someone disrespects publicly, someone who I respect or have a relationship with, they go on a different list. Doesn’t mean I don’t like them. I just don’t have any respect for them. They’re just like everybody else.
I don’t care if you’re a trust fund baby that’s a wrestling fan and has a wrestling company. I no longer have any respect for you. And I’m going to react to you just like I would anybody else. So that was it, Dax. It wasn’t because I asked for a job and didn’t get one. It wasn’t because I was hoping I would get an job offer and it never came. As I said before that clip. I wake up every day grateful that I don’t have to work for someone like Tony Khan. Or even if I wanted to work for Tony Khan, I’m grateful that I don’t have to jump on a plane every week and do it. As much as anything for sure. Or put up with what has obviously been….the amount of drama that’s taken place backstage in AEW far surpasses any of the fictional drama that’s taken place in the ring for the last five years. I don’t want to be a part of that.
Now Dax I understand you have to cause you don’t have opti
ons, but I do. As I said seven-figure net worth, I live in the most beautiful place in the world. I have almost no consumer debt. Nickels and dimes. I have a beautiful wife. I have great kids, i have a new grandson. Everybody’s healthy. Everybody’s successful. I can come and go as I pleae. I can work with who I want, on what projects I want. And I have absolutely no pressure. And I’m not saying that to brag even though it is, I don’t mean it to be – but it’s context. What I’m really grateful for Dax, is I have the freedom to say whatever I want to say about whoever I want to say it about. I don’t have to worry about it affecting my income or what I want to do. Can you say the same thing Dax?”
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
This move from the former Jurassic Express member was shocking, to say the least. They also kept the angle very close to the vest.
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer brought up Perry’s big NJPW surprise appearance. Apparently, even security was in the dark about what was going to happen.
“The security didn’t know about this angle. They thought it was a fan hitting the ring. They were quickly told it wasn’t.”
Jack Perry’s AEW Status
Jack Perry’s absence from AEW is notable, and it is even more odd that Tony Khan would allow this huge angle about his company to go down during a NJPW event. Obviously, there is a lot to unpack here, but Perry needs to make some kind of impression on AEW television to really send the message home.
He has been absent from AEW television for a very long time, as CM Punk, who was fired for his part in Brawl In, is already back in WWE at this point.
While some fans thought The Devil was Perry, that role went to Adam Cole. Now, the pro wrestling world will have to wait and see how Tony Khan plays his next move in this situation.
AEW star Pac is seemingly closing-in on his return to the squared circle.
The Brit hasn’t competed inside the ring in over five months, but he was backstage at the Homecoming edition of AEW Dynamite on January 10. It has now come to light that he was also backstage at the latest edition of AEW Collision.
The Death Triangle member’s backstage presence at Daily’s Place has prompted some to assume that his return could be only around the corner. Pac was reportedly one of several names backstage during the performance who haven’t been seen in a while.
Pac was backstage at AEW Collision
PWInsider has now reported that AEW’s first Doube Champion also made his presence felt backstage on Saturday’s AEW Collision. The outlet noted that he was working out in the squared circle before the show. This indicates his return is closer than ever.
“PAC was backstage at last night’s AEW Collision taping and was working out in the ring before the taping, so he’s back Stateside and will be back soon.”
PAC has been a part of AEW since its inception. However, his run at the promotion has been hindered by extended time offs, and the former AEW All-Atlantic Champion, who’s based out of the UK, faced travel-related complications. In addition, he has been dealing with multiple injuries in recent years.
PAC’s final match before the hiatus saw him win against Gravity on the July 26, 2023, edition of Dynamite. A few days prior, at Death Before Dishonor on July 21, Pac suffered a defeat to Claudio Castagnoli.
We will now have to wait and see how AEW plans Pac’s return.
Posted January 15th, 2024 in AEW, News. Tagged: PAC.
FTR has been a staple of AEW Collision since the beginning. The pair quickly became allies of CM Punk when Punk returned to AEW programming as part of the first Collision. Speaking to WTKR, Dax Harwood compared Collision to Dynamite.
“Dynamite could be more of your sports entertainment based show and I think Collision is more of your sports based show. On Collision, we like to feature that knockdown, drag out hard-hitting style.”
Cash Wheeler also had praise for AEW’s newest weekly TV show.
“They’re really fun shows, especially on a Saturday night. There’s plenty of time to come in, have a great time, and get out by 10:00 and still have your Saturday night.”
The Ultimate Goal
For FTR, being one of the top teams in professional wrestling is nothing short of a dream come true. In the interview, Harwood said as a kid, he dreamed of being a wrestler or a power ranger.
“I was allowed to be a professional wrestler. Living that dream on national television every single week, the greatest tag team of all time, ten time world tag team champions, those are the things that you dream about.”
Wheeler chimed in about the impact wrestling has had on them and what is the ultimate goal.
“Wrestling has legitimately saved our lives. To leave wrestling better than we found is the ultimate goal.”
Has FTR figured out the ‘real’ reason for Eric Bischoff’s criticism of AEW?
It appears that the Undisputed Kingdom has found their match in Adam Copeland and his friends.
AEW presented the ninth Battle of The Belts special from Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia after this week’s episode of Collision.
The show was headlined by the AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy defending his title against Preston Vance. The Undisputed Kingdom all came out for this match and sat on the ramp during the bout.
Towards the ending of the fight, Cassidy took out the faction and Vance also flipped them off. Orange Cassidy then successfully retained his title using the Orange Punch and Stundog Millionaire.
The Undisputed Kingdom finally came down the ring after the bout ended. While they didn’t attack the International Champion, the broadcast ended with Roderick Strong telling Cassidy that his time was over.
This wasn’t the end of the show however. The feed continued even after this and the team of Danial Garcia and FTR, led by Adam Copeland came out and attacked the Kingdom. This newly formed alliance took out the faction with Orange Cassidy getting the final shot at Roderick Strong before he retreated from the ring.
After BOTB IX went off the air, the feed kept going as Adam Copeland, Daniel Garcia & FTR ran down to make the save for Orange Cassidy!
Elsewhere in the show, Julia Hart successfully defended her TBS title against Anna Jay and the duo of Ricky Starks & Big Bill managed to outlast Sammy Guevara & Chris Jericho in a crazy street fight to retain their tag titles.
Though Battle of The Belts wasn’t the only place AEW stars were making headlines. An interesting name that hadn’t been seen on any wrestling programming since last year made his return during NJPW’s Battle In The Valley. You can check that out here.
It wasn’t lost on Konosuke Takeshita that he recently competed in the ring against Sting and The Icon gave quite the hat tip to the young star.
With Sting’s retirement match impending at AEW Revolution, Takeshita took to social media to make note of his recent battles against Sting. Takeshita and Stinger competed in a multi-man tag match at the latest PPV and on the January 10 episode of Dynamite, the two fought once more in tag action. Konosuke noted how he admired Sting’s early work against a name star against someone like Great Muta.
“To be honest, it was very special to be able to fight against Sting. Sting vs Great Muta VHS had a huge impact on me as a kid. Thanks.”
Sting reciprocated Takeshita’s comments with even higher praise, saying that Konosuke has all the abilites to be the next Great Muta.
“Another Great Muta in the making. He has all the tools, for sure.”
Sting’s team came out victorious at AEW World’s End and also won his tornado tag this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite against Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs.
Sting’s road to Revolution should have its fair share of drama as it was indicated his final opponents appear to be Nick Jackson and Matt Jackson as The Young Bucks returned to the company. The brothers had heelish new looks and it’s likely Sting will team up with his “pillar” protege in Darby Allin.
However, Allin reportedly was messed up real bad in the match up after his neck bumped harshly off the ring ropes following a big toss by Hobbs and Takeshita.
Dax Harwood hasn’t been afraid to express his feelings against his critics and he just set his sights on Eric Bischoff.
Bischoff has been blunt in his constructive criticism of Tony Khan’s AEW and it hasn’t sat well with Khan and now apparently with one of Tony’s top tag teams.
In a new interview with Jeff Snyder, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler didn’t hold back in what he felt about Bischoff and other wrestling personalities who have given their opinions on AEW.
“You got all these old-time, miserable podcasters like Eric Bischoff and some of the others who make a living just by going on their podcasts and burying Tony and AEW when they know that AEW is a place where business is thriving.”
Wheeler then goes on to accuse Bischoff that he holds sour grapes because Khan didn’t offer him a job with the company.
“I think he’s really mad that Tony wouldn’t give him a job the few times he was there to collect the paycheck.”
Harwood doubled down on Cash’s assessment before stating that Bischoff only criticizes AEW for clicks and publicity.
“I know there’s quite a few that glowingly talked about AEW initially, and when Tony didn’t give them a job, now all of a sudden, they’re talking crap about it? Eh, that don’t make sense to me.”
Harwood said that he takes Bischoff’s opinions personally because AEW is how he puts food on the table.
However, on previous episodes of “83 Weeks” and “Strictly Business,” Bischoff has mentioned multiple times that he hopes that AEW succeeds.
Rob Van Dam believes HOOK has a very “high” ceiling in pro wrestling.
On the upcoming episode of “1 Of A Kind With RVD” Van Dam got word that Samoa Joe was going to put his AEW World Title on the line against HOOK. Taz’s son will actually be Joe’s first title defense and it’s set to go down next week on AEW Dynamite.
RVD was asked what he thought about the Joe vs. HOOK match-up and if he thinks the current FTW Champion has what it takes to be a top guy.
“From what I know about him, absolutely. What I don’t know about him is very important here because this sounds like a good matchup. It’s probably a really exciting matchup.”
Van Dam said that he wasn’t completely aware of HOOK’s AEW journey and the path that he has taken to get to Samoa Joe, but believes their styles and size difference will compliment one another.
When asked about the bout itself, Van Dam believes HOOK being with Joe will elevate him even further and could see the finish of the fight involving the two earning one another’s respect. He adds that when that happens along with the two stars earning the crowd’s respect, that creates a special moment in wrestling.
“I could totally see that happening with these two guys. You know, I could see Samoa liking [HOOK] and maybe who knows, maybe take him under his wing or something?”
RVD also happened to share a special moment with Joe. On the previous episode of “1 Of A Kind” Van Dam talked about how while the two were in TNA Samoa Joe saved his life from choking to death on a hot dog.
AEW fans are well aware that their injured list is growing more by the week. It appears that Darby Allin is a big banged up after this week’s Homecoming Dynamite in Daily’s Place.
Darby Allin’s Recent Botched Spot
Darby Allin is known for embracing risks, both inside and outside the wrestling ring. His daring moves and extracurricular ventures extend to dangerous spots during matches and extreme sports activities like stunts and skateboarding.
The January 10th episode of AEW Dynamite featured a Texas Tornado Match in the main event, pitting Sting & Darby Allin against Konosuke Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs. The babyface duo pulled down the victory in the end, but it wasn’t without some big bumps.
One spot during that match saw Takeshita and Cage hurl Allin across the ring by his hands and feet. The former TNT Champion smashed against the other side of the ring, catching his head under the bottom rope in the process.
Bryan Alvarez reported on the F4Wonline Board that Allin suffered an injury during the match, particularly from a neck bump into the ropes. The extent of the injury and potential impact on Allin’s availability for upcoming events remains uncertain, and we hope for his swift recovery.
“Actually, I was told the neck bump into the ropes really messed Darby up in that match.”
Sting also took a pretty bad bump to end that match. He tried to do a Scorpion Death Drop on Will Hobbs through two tables, but they only hit one of them.
Since they didn’t have proper placement on the hardware, they missed the first table completely, sending Hobbs and the WWE Hall of Famer through only one table. Sting also hit his head on the floor in the process, but he seems to be okay.
After that match, Sting and Darby Allin took to the ring, where Tony Schiavone asked The Icon about his opponent for that final match at AEW Revolution. That is when The Young Bucks returned, sporting mustaches, to make their presence known.
While it hasn’t been 100% confirmed by AEW yet, it appears that the Young Bucks will battle Sting and Darby Allin at Revolution.
AEW veteran commentator Jim Ross recently expressed his desire to call ‘The Icon’ Sting’s final match at AEW Revolution in March.
Good Ol’ JR has been a familiar voice in the world of pro wrestling and has lent his voice to several iconic matches over the years. He wants to be a part of the history when Sting graces the squared circle one final time.
During the main event of AEW Dynamite ‘Homecoming’, Jim Ross made his return to the commentary booth and joined the regular team of Tony Schiavone and Excalibur. They called the match which featured the team of Sting and Darby Allin taking on Konosuke Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs.
Jim Ross wants to be part of the history
Speaking on Grilling J.R podcast, the veteran commentator shared his thoughts on the match which he called on Dynamite. Ross went on to state that he’d like to be a part of the commentary team call with Tony Schiavone for Sting’s final match at AEW Revolution. He revealed that he mentioned it to AEW President Tony Khan to which Khan agreed that it makes sense for that to happen. Here is what he said:
“Me too, me too (I’m hoping to be on the call with Tony Schiavone for Sting’s final match). I mentioned that to Tony Khan last night. He agreed. It’s only right, it makes sense. I said, you know, ‘God dang, mother nature’s gonna tag in somewhere along the way with two old timers like Schiavone and I.’ We’re both feeling good. I’m feeling better today than I’ve felt in a long time. I still got the wound on my ankle. I’m seeing my doctor on Friday to go over an M.R.I., just to double check I didn’t have any bone disease on my tibia. So, I have a doctor’s appointment on Friday morning to go over all that deal and so, I just had a great night. It was one of those really feel good nights.”
Sting in AEW
Sting decided to join AEW back in 2020 and ‘The Icon’ has since participated at several high-profile events. The final run of his career has been nothing short of a fairytale for him.
Sting has had a “major say” in his final match, Fightful Select reports. Sting has said in the past that he didn’t want to wrestle a singles match and would prefer to work a tag-team match. As of a few weeks ago, the plan was for Sting and Allin to face the Bucks and the Icon was “on board” with the idea.
Tony Khan & Sting
Tony Khan sees Sting’s retirement as very important and wants to make sure it’s done correctly and is a fitting send-off for the legendary wrestler. Whatever Sting wants for his last match and the build to it, AEW has been willing to do.
Whatever Sting wants to do, it likely won’t involve Ric Flair stepping back in the ring. While Flair got physical on this week’s Dynamite, he hasn’t been considered for any actual matches. Flair has been pushing to do more physical things, including the chops and poke to the eye we saw on Dynamite.
Posted January 11th, 2024 in AEW, News. Tagged: Sting.
CM Punk and Jack Perry’s backstage altercation at All In London garnered attention in the pro wrestling world. It inspired a slew of memes and commentary due to how AEW handled the aftermath as well. Now, one man who was there is talking about how it all went down.
What DJ Woo Kid Saw At AEW All In London
DJ Whoo Kid, who was present at the All In London event because he was part of Swerve Strickland’s entrance, shared backstage insights during the Jim and Sam show on SiriusXM. He saw a lot, but we already know what happened. Punk and Jungle Boy had it out backstage, and chaos broke loose.
“You already know what happened in the back,” he started before saying it was “straight brawl city.” He then made a quip about how he’s not talking about all the “blood and killing and death” before laughing.
The famous rapper said that he was, “right there. We were next. They put us to be ready to go.” It seems that the situation made everyone alert on site and ready for anything to pop off.
“It was like the moment for AEW and I guess he [Punk] tried to sabotage that moment. He wasn’t trying to go out there. I’m in the middle. You know me, I’m the fly on the wall… It was very intense. I always thought it was fake and sh*t. It’s more real…the sh*t that’s crazy is there was a yelling moment where he was like “yo, f*ck this sh*t this is our moment, everybody get the f*ck out there and do your sh*t. It was very intense. I always respect wrestling after I saw that.”
“There was a yelling moment where he [Joe] was like ‘f*ck this sh*t, this is our moment, everybody get the f*ck out there and do your sh*t.’ I was like, I don’t wrestle, but I was about to go out there. It was very intense. I will always respect wrestling after I saw that.”
He continued and said that Samoa Joe, who he called a big guy “Hawaiian looking dude,” had to talk some sense into CM Punk. After all, Joe and Punk were set to open the Wembley Stadium event with their “Real” World Title match, a contest that CM Punk won.
CM Punk famously declared that he was quitting AEW after his fight with Jungle Boy, but Joe was able to talk him down. In the end, it was a bloody affair backstage.
“The big guy. The Hawaiian-looking [dude]. It was the guy going ham and I was like, ‘Oh sh*t.’ Then blood was everywhere from the fight before that. They came in and they were bleeding. I was like, ‘what is going on around here?’ This was intense.”
What Happened After AEW Brawl In
CM Punk was fired for that altercation with Jack Perry at All In. It did not take very long for Punk to defy all reports, odds, and expectations by returning to WWE at Survivor Series just a few months later.
Samoa Joe became the AEW World Champion after beating MJF at AEW Worlds End. He also debuted a snazzy new title belt during the January 10th AEW Dynamite Homecoming episode.
Jack Perry was suspended for his part in Brawl In. Although there were rumors that he may have been The Devil, Perry has not been seen on AEW television since All In London. He was also not revealed to be The Devil, as that role went to an injured Adam Cole.
Chris Jericho’s name captures attention whenever he makes a headline. In recent memory, some stories have come out about Chris Jericho that he may have wished stayed under the rug. This is likely one of those times he wishes an NDA was signed.
Chris Jericho Was Allegedly KO’ed On His Own Cruise Ship
Brian Last shared a tale during an episode of the Cornette’s Drive Thru podcast, recounting an incident where Jericho was knocked out on his own cruise. Sadly, he couldn’t go into a ton of details at the time, but Last promised listeners that he had a great story to tell.
“Man, there is a story I would love to tell, but i didn’t get permission, but him getting knocked out on his own cruise ship by someone he mouthed off to. It’s the most incredible f*cking story, but I can’t talk about that today.“
Now, we have a lot more information about what happened, including who allegedly knocked Chris Jericho out.
Chris Jericho leads a rock star lifestyle, and it’s not just a gimmick. It appears that, according to Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net, it was MVP who put Chris Jericho down for the count on his own cruise in 2020.
The incident took place during Chris Jericho’s Rock N’ Wrestling Rager At Sea – Part Deux: Second Wave, back in January 2020. During the cruise there was an altercation between Jericho and former WWE US and Tag Champion MVP, where heated words were exchanged that resulted in MVP knocking out Chris Jericho.
Another incident was reportedly confirmed by sources a year or two after the cruise. This time, the situation unfolded in a hotel lobby. During a heated exchange, Jericho quickly headed to the elevator, closing the door with a remark, “I don’t fight jobbers.”
The story that was told to me was that the two once again engaged in a heated exchange, which lead to Jericho “hurrying to the elevator, and as the door closed saying “I don’t fight jobbers.””
Nick Hausman stated on his Rumor and Innuendo podcast that Jericho, who spoke out against NDAs regarding the Brawl Out fiasco, may have skeletons in his own closet.
“There are issues with Chris behind the scenes, where I know a lot of people who were hurt by Chris and his actions. You know, it’s very uncomfortable to me to see him lauded like he is and only having the focus on that, because I do think there are a lot of questionable stories about Chris that will find their way out over time when people are ready to tell those stories, that will cast him in a very different light.”
“I mean, Harvey Weinstein won a lot of Oscars, Harvey Weinstein produced a lot of very popular films. Harvey Weinstein is now in jail … I’m not saying that is happening to Chris, but the narrative can quickly turn if you’re hiding a lot of skeletons in your closet.
Nick Hausman compared Chris Jericho to Harvey Weinstein
Later on, an online allegation surfaced about Jericho’s conduct with Kylie Rae. This behavior allegedly led to her requesting a release from AEW. Rae reacted to that accusatory post with a heart emoji.
Following the spread of the Nick Hausman clip, an X account revisited an overlooked tweet from an earlier time. The resurfaced tweet suggested a potential connection between Kylie Rae’s departure from AEW and Chris Jericho.
“So here’s the deal, you don’t quit the hottest fed going today (AEW) without reason. I have it from people in the know that Kylie was asked to go to Chris Jericho’s room. With the understanding that others would be there. When she got there it was just him. He made a pass at her (no other details are given) and she freaked out.”
Chris Jericho’s Future in AEW
Despite these allegations about Chris Jericho, he is still featured on AEW programming. He wrestled at Worlds End, although “NDA” and “Kylie Rae” chants were audible during the pay-per-view.
To remedy any chance of negative fan chants during the January 10th AEW Dynamite Homecoming episode in Daily’s Place, they let Fozzy’s “Judas” song play for the entire time Jericho was on camera.
Jericho and Sammy Guevara are set to battle Big Bill and Ricky Starks for the AEW World Tag Team Titles at AEW Battle of the Belts on January 13th.
UPDATE: MVP Responds
MVP has posted on X in response to this story about him knocking out Chris Jericho surfaced. He did not deny a single thing, as he only asked fans if they heard any good rumors lately.