Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts is a pro wrestling veteran with decades of valuable experience. He’s currently signed with AEW and recently began working in a new capacity behind the scenes.
Roberts is regarded as one of the greatest talkers the business has ever seen. His expertise with promos have been studied long after he hung up his boots. He’s now working to impart his mic work mastery on the AEW roster.
The master of the DDT recently spoke with Graham “GSM” Matthews for Daily DDT and opened up on his new role helping talent hone their interview skills.
“They’re not taking the time to develop characters,” Jake Roberts said. “They’ve got a lot of great athletes going out there flying through the air and doing inconceivable things with their bodies, but at the end of the night, nothing sticks. It’s like, ‘What was that? What are they going to do next?’
“It’s because there’s not a character involved and I’d like to see them work on their characters, starting with interviews. That would help a lot. Hopefully I can help some of those guys do better interviews. That’s my new job in AEW and hopefully I’ll do a good job.”
In addition to this, the WWE Hall of Famer clarified that he’s glad to give talent advice if they are inclined to it. Furthermore, he also expressed that it can be “frustrating” to see the same mistakes happen.
Jake Roberts was first featured in the promotion during “The Road to All Out” back in 2019. Following that, he made an appearance on the March 4 edition of AEW Dynamite. The following week, he introduced AEW star Lance Archer as his client.
He has been serving as the manager of ‘The Murderhawk Monster’ ever since. However, Jake Roberts had been dealing with several health issues which put him on the shelf. He also thanked his fans for their support. Both Roberts and Archer returned on the February 24 episode of AEW Rampage. It is also noted that Roberts was featured in the newest edition of A&E’s Biography: WWE Legends, which aired on February 26.
Chris Jericho is expecting to finish his career with AEW despite working for WWE for the majority of his time in the wrestling business.
Jericho was the biggest name to sign with AEW in 2019 before Tony Khan secured a weekly television deal to air Dynamite on TNT, now TBS.
The top AEW star was asked about this while speaking with Daily Star, and he has zero interest in ever going back to WWE. Jericho said he loves everyone in WWE.
The Place to be
“I don’t see why it wouldn’t be. I don’t hold a torch for WWE. To me, that’s not ‘the place to be’. AEW is the place to be. It really is. I’ve been in WWE. I know how it works. They work that way, I don’t care if Vince is there, Hunter is there, or whoever is there. They have a way of doing things, and I was there for 20 years and was pretty good at it.”
Jericho stated that he likes how things are done in AEW and doesn’t know why he wouldn’t want to finish his career in the promotion because he’s having fun in wrestling.
“Business is business and there’s always ups and downs, but I have zero interest in ever going back to WWE. That’s not out of bitterness or anger. I love Vince and I love Hunter and all the people there.”
Jericho believes he has a stake in the game and he takes pride in being one of the few to have had the experience of being on national TV before AEW launched in 2019. He also feels like there is so much more for him to do in the promotion.
After signing an extension, Jericho is under contract with AEW through December 2025. Jericho will be in action at AEW’s Revolution by taking on Ricky Starks.
The Young Bucks have fond memories of the early years of All Elite Wrestling.
Nick and Matt Jackson have been with AEW from the very beginning. They were instrumental in making the dream of AEW a reality. Through some exciting highs and heartbreaking lows, the brothers from Rancho Cucamonga have unquestionably left their mark on the wrestling industry.
Since AEW launched in May 2019, there are some matches that stand out above the rest. One of the most memorable AEW matches occurred at Revolution 2020, when the Young Bucks challenged Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page for the AEW World tag team championships.
On Tuesday, the Bucks commented on the match, calling it their “vision of what wrestling can be.” They also reminisced about the early days of AEW.
Our vision of what wrestling can be. Will always look back fondly at the early years. Happy 3 year anniversary. https://t.co/M7vV2WmHCH
In the end, Hangman Page and Omega were victorious. The match was an instant classic and may be the best tag team match in AEW history. For what it’s worth, this match is the highest rated tag team match ever by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
On his podcast, Jim Ross said, “That was one of the best tag team matches that I’ve ever seen. Certainly I don’t know if I’ve ever called a better executed one.”
The Bucks are two-time AEW World tag team champions. Along with Kenny Omega, they are the reigning World Trios Champions.
The Elite will defend the trios championships against the House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews) at AEW Revolution 2023.
Kenny Omega was Renee Paquette’s guest on the latest episode of The Sessions podcast. The reigning AEW World Trios Champion spoke at length about the injuries that resulted in him taking extended leave of absense from wrestling, the events that unfolded at All Out 2022 and how it’s affected things behind the scenes.
Omega was working through a slew of injuries during his reign as AEW World Champion. When he lost the title to “Hangman” Adam Page at Full Gear 2021, he decided it was finally time to get healthy.
“I had to get both my knees done, I had to get a shoulder done, I had to get my septum fixed, and then a stomach hernia, so there’s a lot,” said Omega. “So knowing that I had to get all those things done, it felt like they were more minor surgeries, it felt like it, but I ended up being out for like eight months.
But I’d felt like the company was in a fantastic position, and i’d felt that the story i was able to tell with Hangman, was one that i was very proud of, and i felt that the people were behind him. I was happy we were moving forward, in a direction that didn’t necessarily require me. I felt like, ‘Now is a good time to get this stuff taken care of.'”
Kenny Omega sensed something ominous upon his AEW return
When Kenny Omega finally returned to AEW, he felt that things were very different. There were some new faces in the locker room. More importantly, he sensed there was very bad energy brewing.
“Then I felt like, 8 months had passed, and it was time to come back, and it was kind of like, the GIF of the dude walking in with the pizza boxes and the whole room is on fire. I didn’t get it, I was like, ‘What’s with this strange atmosphere? What’s with this strange aura? Why does something feel so ominous right now?’
– Kenny Omega
“I didn’t even know, i couldn’t figure it out, and next you knew, there was more stuff happening again, like.. it’s so surreal because it’s almost like it never even happened. It happened! Of course, it happened.”
Of course, the “it” he’s referring to is the backstage brawl that took place with CM Punk and The Elite after AEW’s All Out 2022 pay-per-view. More on that to come.
Kenny Omega returning to AEW after his 8-month hiatus
“I hadn’t even gotten like, familiar with my surroundings yet, or re-familiarized backstage with the new AEW at that point, because there were new people in the locker-room, and a lot had happened in 8 months. So, to kind of come back and see a lot of old faces, and be like, ‘Oh, hey’ but then feel this eerie sort of.. I felt like i was in Eerie, Indiana for a second, it was like, ‘Oh, boy’ and then, stranger things started happening.
I was like, ‘Oh man, what do i do? This isn’t right. Someone needs to be the voice of reason. This is silly.’ Then, things fell off the rails, and we just involved in a very silly situation that people are probably going to be talking about for months and possibly years to come, i don’t know.'”
AEW All Out and the Fallout
Renee asked about the incident that took place at All Out, and if it bothers Omega that people will be talking about it for so long, especially considering all the secrecy that remains until this day. Part of you wishes you could sweep everything under the rug, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding what went down.
“Here’s the way I look at it,” Omega began. “I’ve been involved in competitive sports, contact sports, at the highest level. some people on our roster have, some people on our roster have not. but i feel like, if you have, you’ve probably been in a spat or two with a teammate, and maybe sometimes, a time or two, it might come to blows, you know, it happens. so, coming from that sort of background, there was a point to it all, when i felt like, ‘Oh, this just happens. We’re gonna get over it. Let’s just calm down and talk it over.’ Nope, nothing is … we’re all doing ok here, you know, we’re getting it out of our system, no problem, but let’s maybe stop? You know?
We just don’t live in that world anymore, I suppose, sometimes there are things, especially now when you are in a multi-billion dollar industry, when there are sponsorships on the line, and TV deals on the line, it’s not like high school football. It’s not a little tiff you maybe have on your fellow amateur wrestling team or whatever, or maybe someone held a submission too long in jiu jitsu training, it’s not that. These things shouldn’t even be happening.
It’s a shame, that the general public and a lot of people aren’t ever going to know what went down and how it could have been prevented or how it could have ended differently.
– Kenny Omega
That’s just sort of how things go, again, when it’s a big business operation. i don’t think anybody is happy that it happened, or is proud that it happened, or anything like that. i think across the board, everybody thinks it was a terrible situation that was unnecessary.”
AEW’s Backstage Atmosphere Today
Omega says the atmosphere in AEW has been cleared up and things have calmed down considerably. It’s unfortunate that the public will probably never know exactly what happened that night, but he’s moved on. H’s thankful nobody got seriously injured and sincerely wishes everybody well.
“There was a while when, and I can understand the confusion, it’s sort of like, “Hey, we heard this thing happened, we know this thing happened, it’s all over the dirtsheets, why don’t we know what happened?’ It’s like, we were gone and we were sworn to secrecy, we can’t say anything, legally, so that was the poopie part, where it was like, ‘Well, why doesn’t anybody tell us what’s happening?’ And then you’re forced to form your own opinion, or come up with your own theory as to what happened.”
Renee said this creates a really weird situation. Omega agrees.
“Of course! ‘Well, I’m more of a fan of the other, so here’s the way I’m going to create the story, so that it puts this person in the best possible light’ It might be that, chances are, it’s something else, or it might be a combination of various theories. And we might never get to speak about it.
But what’s important, is that nobody was seriously injured emerging from that, and I’m so thankful from that, and we’ve moved on with life. I’m completely fine, it doesn’t dictate what I do, what i say. I’m sure the bucks are in the same boat, i can’t speak to the other parties, hopefully they’re doing well. and i mean that. that’s it.”
Listen to Kenny Omega’s appearance on The Sessions:
Young talents usually do many different things to try and improve their performance in the ring. This generally includes studying tapes of older generations and different styles from across the world. Kenny Omega, however, took a very different approach. When he felt the need to improve his storytelling, the former IWGP world champion found inspiration from the most unlikely of places.
The AEW star recently had an interview with Renee Paquette on Oral Sessions podcast. He talked about his start in wrestling and his rise to fame. Omega was asked what he did to improve his performance and he noted that he had always been athletic. The former world champion then revealed that to improve on his storytelling, he took inspiration from cartoons instead of old wrestling tapes:
“I was getting matches around 18 minutes to 25-ish. Then for the big ones that’s anywhere from 30 to 50 to an hour. But the main ones are like 20-ish. So I thought how can I study for this? How can I improve myself? Can I take nods from anything around me? I began to study weekly cartoons, specifically superhero cartoons.” said Kenny Omega, “Because an episode lasts about 21 minutes long. There’s a beginning, there’s a middle, there’s an end. The hero gets put into peril at some point. Every week there’s probably a new villain featured.
He continued: “For example, Batman cannot fight the Joker every week. It’s not always going to be that serious. There’s not always going to be that. ‘Oh my goodness, the world may end’ moment. Sometimes he has to fight the Riddler. Sometimes he has to fight Mr. Freeze or Clayface. How do you make all those instances, How do you make all of those altercations interesting? How do you make them feel like they mean something? How do you make them different from one another? Sometimes you can elicit other emotions. Even though you are supposed to be taken as this incredible superhero. Someone that’s larger than life. Someone who is supposed to be one of the best at doing what you do. So I have found that specifically Batman cartoons – Justice League, Yeah, they really helped a lot.”
The betting odds have been released for the AEW Revolution pay-per-view event ahead of the show this Sunday night from the Chase Center in San Francisco, California.
So far, five normal AEW titles are on the line, including the AEW Tag Team Title bout pitting champions The Gunn Club vs. The Acclaimed vs. Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal vs. a tag team that will be decided on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.
As of this writing, the only title expected to change hands is Wardlow being favored to win the TNT Title from Samoa Joe.
AEW RevolutionOdds
As a reminder, we will provide the show coverage this Sunday. The favorites to win are listed as –, while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the final betting odds, courtesy of BetOnline:
AEW World Champion MJF -5000 (1/50) vs. Bryan Danielson +900 (9/1) 60-Minute Iron Man Match
AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter (c) -1000 (1/10) vs. Ruby Soho +350 (7/2) vs. Saraya +450 (9/2)
TNT Champion Wardlow -500 (1/5) vs. Samoa Joe (c) +300 (3/1)
AEW World Trios Champions The Elite -220 (5/11) vs. House of Black +155 (31/20)
“Hangman” Adam Page -600 (1/6) vs. Jon Moxley +350 (7/2) – Texas Death Match
Ricky Starks -400 (1/4) vs. Chris Jericho +250 (5/2)
Vickie Guerrero will be leaving AEW in a few months.
Guerrero made her promotional debut as a guest commentator in December 2019 on an episode of Dark. She was later revealed as Nyla Rose’s manager at Fight for the Fallen the following summer.
Behind the scenes, Guerrero also worked with the AEW Heels community and recently appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast with Aubrey Edwards and Amanda Huber to discuss the project.
AEW later paired Vickie with Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir as their manager. As recently as last week, she was in their corner when they teamed Diamante on the Dark: Elevation taping before Dynamite. The bout will air on this week’s edition of the show.
The Report
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported today that Guerrero and All Elite Wrestling have mutually decided not to renew her contract when it expires this July. This comes after she has been teasing “a new journey” on social media.
Outside of the ring in 2019, Guerrero graduated from Herzing University with a Bachelor of Science in healthcare administration. While with WWE, she was General Manager of SmackDown from 2007 to 2011 and Raw from 2011 to 2013 before leaving in 2014.
CM Punk has given an interesting response to a fan on Instagram following the recent comments made by Mark Henry.
Punk hasn’t wrestled since AEW All Out 2022, when he won the AEW World Title from Jon Moxley, but suffered an injury that led to him getting surgery and being sidelined ever since, in addition to the drama that played out after the show.
During the post-event press conference, the former AEW World Champion ripped Colt Cabana, Hangman Page, and others. He later got into an altercation with The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks), leading to him being suspended.
Where It Started
Henry stated on Busted Open Radio today that he doesn’t view Punk as a ‘cancer’ to the locker room, considers himself and Punk to be outsiders in AEW, and thinks AEW should bring back Punk.
Punk responded to a fan on Instagram who wrote, “Keep CM Punk retired.” Punk replied to the comment, “you liked your own comment. Bold. I’ll wrestle again just to upset you. You’ll watch no matter where.”
Is CM Punk truly a cancer to the wrestling industry, as some have claimed?
Punk has certainly been a controversial figure in recent months, following his inflammatory comments after last September’s AEW All Out Pay-Per-View.
It was these comments, as well as the backstage fight, that resulted in Punk’s second reign as AEW World Champion coming to a swift and unceremonial end.
Not a Cancer
After the infamous Pay-Per-View, Chris Jericho branded Punk a “cancer” and the same term was used by WWE’s Seth Rollins last month during a Royal Rumble week interview.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry discussed Punk, and said that while he may rub some people the wrong way, that’s only because Punk is passionate about his craft.
“He’s not a cancer. He’s opinionated, but he’s also a teacher and supporter. I’ve seen him do stuff he didn’t have to do. He just did it because he loved the business and he wanted to make that wrestler better.”
Mark Henry.
Punk remains the only person suspended after AEW All Out 2022 to still be suspended at this time.
Others who have spoken favorably of Punk following All Out include FTR’s Dax Harwood and AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill.
Bringing Punk Back
CM Punk’s arrival in AEW saw the company’s ratings rise dramatically, and many believe that only by bringing Punk back can the company reach those heights again.
While Punk has some allies backstage, it has been reported that some top names have refused to work with the former World Champion if he is brought back.
Punk is currently healing from a torn triceps injury suffered at All Out, but should be 100% within two months.
Is CM Punk truly a ‘cancer’ to the wrestling industry as some believe, or have those claims been greatly exaggerated?
This week will mark the six-month anniversary since Punk’s infamous comments on the All Out post-show, and the backstage fight that led to his suspension.
Punk is now the only person suspended following All Out to still be suspended, with the Elite and others being brought back to TV and Punk’s trainer Ace Steel being fired.
Cancerous
After the All Out fight, which came amid a difficult year for All Elite Wrestling, Chris Jericho branded Punk a “cancer” to the company.
Jericho isn’t the only one who feels this way, with Seth Rollins using similar verbiage when asked about Punk during a pre-Royal Rumble interview with Wrestling Inc.
In an Instagram post this week, Punk poked fun at the idea that he is cancerous, with the help of a photoshopped image of Danhausen.
In the image, Danhausen can be seen taking lemonade from a child without paying, which is actually from a panel from Marvel Comics featuring Kang the Conqueror.
Punk joked that ‘Danhausen’ was “cancerous” and needed to be blackballed for this action, and also made reference to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
What’s Next for CM Punk?
For Punk, the idea that he is “cancerous” may seem laughable, but many don’t find his actions at All Out so funny.
In addition to calling him a cancer, Jericho is reportedly part of a group within AEW who are trying to fight against Punk being brought back to TV.
Many in WWE also feel the McMahon-led promotion would be making a mistake if Punk is brought in, believing that he would just cause more problems as we’ve seen in AEW.
On Sunday, a former WWE NXT wrestler made their AEW debut at the Dark tapings from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Steph De Lander, formerly known as Persia Pirotta in WWE NXT, was that star as she lost to Marina Shafir.
Before signing with WWE, Pirotta had previously worked for Melbourne City Wrestling and Newcastle Pro Wrestling. In March 2021, she was one of two Australian wrestlers signed by WWE. She was used most notably in a tag team with Indi Hartwell before being released in April 2022.
Peter Avalon defeated Dean Alexander. In a post-match interview with Tony Schiavone, Avalon spoke about his match with Chris Jericho coming up.
Julia Hart defeated Zoey Lynn
Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh defeated Oliver Sawyer, Jay Malachi & Jackson Drake. In a post-match interview with Schiavone, Lethal and Jarrett said they will be the next tag team champions.
Juice Robinson defeated Leon Ruffin
Dark Order (John Silver & Alex Reynolds) defeated The Outrunners
Riho defeated Diamante
Leila Grey defeated Kiera Hogan
Action Andretti defeated Lee Johnson (w/ Cole Karter)
Sonny Kiss (w/ Jeeves Kay and Slim J) defeated Terry Kidd
Iron Savages defeated The Wingmen (Ryan Nemeth & Cezar Bononi). In a post-match interview with Schiavone, the Savages said they are in the best shapes of their lives and want to put AEW on their backs
The Renegade Twins defeated Avery Breaux & Mafiosa
Brock Anderson & Brian Pillman Jr. defeated O’Shea Edwards and Moses
Toni Storm defeated Billie Starkz
AR Fox defeated Nick Comoroto
Skye Blue defeated Queen Aminata
Evil Uno defeated Alexander Moss
Marina Shafir defeated Steph De Lander
Zack Clayton defeated Schaff
Top Flight defeated Adrian Alanis and Liam Grey
Brady Booker defeated Serpentico
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Cole Karter (w/ Lee Johnson). Post match, Johnson attacked Takeshita until Orange Cassidy made the save to send everyone home happy.
AEW fans and gamers may be mere weeks away from finally getting their hands on AEW’s first console video game: Fight Forever.
Following on from mobile games AEW Elite: GM, and AEW Casino: Double or Nothing, Fight Forever was first announced in late 2020.
For many on the roster, AEW Fight Forever will mark their gaming debuts as playable characters.
Release Date
Despite hopes for an early 2022 release, fans are still yet to get their hands on the game, with the only playable versions being featured at conventions.
This week, Best Buy listed AEW Fight Forever with a release date of March 31.
While this date could change, it is the first official release date that the much-anticipated game has seen in some time.
Currently, Amazon is listing the release date as December 31, 2023, and the game has been rated T for Teen by the ESRB.
What We Know So Far
While AEW Fight Forever is still yet to reach shelves, plenty is known already about the game.
The game will feature a “deep career mode,” according to Evil Uno and Colt Cabana, who spoke about the project at Gamescon in Cologne, Germany last year.
Online play will be a “big part” of the game, which will feature AEW staples including the Casino Ladder match and the Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match.
AEW Fight Forever will release on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Dax Harwood has teased leaving All Elite Wrestling within a matter of weeks after being snubbed by the promotion following the Wrestling Observer’s awards.
Harwood, alongside Cash Wheeler, joined AEW in 2020, one month after being granted their release from WWE.
The former Raw, SmackDown, and NXT Tag Team Champions signed over their considerable down-side guarantees in order to be released without a non-compete clause in effect.
In AEW, the pair are former AEW World Tag Champions and have also held tag gold for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and AAA.
The Snub
This week, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter shared its annual awards, and there were a lot of victories for the stars of AEW.
On Twitter, the official AEW account congratulated several AEW stars, including Bryan Danielson for the Best Technician, and MJF for Most Charismatic.
Tony Khan also received a celebratory tweet for winning Best Booker for the third year in a row, and Promoter of the Year for the fourth time.
FTR, who won Tag Team of the Year, did not receive such a congratulatory message, something Harwood vented about in a tweet of his own.
One week ago, Mercedes Moné made her in-ring for NJPW. She defeated KAIRI to become the second IWGP Women’s Champion.
Shortly after winning the title, AZM emerged as her next challenger. The STARDOM High Speed Champion was one of the women Moné named as someone she’d like to face. The match hasn’t been made official, but is rumored for NJPW’s Sakura Genesis show on April 23.
Will Mercedes Moné Go to AEW?
Now that Moné has made her in-ring debut for NJPW, fans are wondering if they’ll see her in AEW.
AEW Trios champion and EVP, Kenny Omega, fueled rumors when he quote tweeted Moné this week. He wrote “Our work with NJPW isn’t quite done yet, so I’m sure they will! I hear they sometimes do mix matches now too…”
Our work with NJPW isn’t quite done yet, so I’m sure they will! I hear they sometimes do mix matches now too… ?? https://t.co/h4JOIwarX3
This has led to speculation that they might do something at Forbidden Door 2. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that should Moné wish to competeat Forbidden Door 2, she can. However, something more long-term with AEW isn’t a priority for her.
On “Wrestling Observer Radio”, Dave Meltzer reported that Moné isn’t eager to sign a long-term deal. He also reported that it’s believed “The CEO” is scheduled for two more matches with STARDOM. Besides the match with AZM, she is supposed to face Mayu Iwatani on April 23. At this time, she has not been announced for NJPW’s shows in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. in April.
In an interview with TV Insider, the champ said, “I’m a free agent. It doesn’t matter with New Japan. I can go anywhere. I can go to New Japan, Impact, Mexico, Germany, Europe. The potential matchups are endless. The same for New Japan. I know they have partnerships with CMLL, Impact, AEW.”
AEW has announced several things for Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite including the debut of a wrestler.
Komander will make his AEW debut in the Face of the Revolution ladder match on the show. He will be taking on Konosuke Takeshita, Ortiz, Action Andretti, Sammy Guevara, Powerhouse Hobbs, Eddie Kingston, and AR Fox in the bout.
The winner of the match will get a shot at the TNT Title, currently held by Samoa Joe who will be on commentary for the match.
Kommander, a 24-year-old high-flyer, has worked for AAA, Lucha Memes, MDA, Pro Wrestling Mexico, EMLL, and WAR City.
It's official@KomandercrMX will debut in AEW this Wednesday on TBS on the last Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite on the Road to Revolution, fighting in the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match!
Thank you everyone watching #AEWRampage on TNT right NOW! We're off to a hot start tonight
Also announced for the show include Orange Cassidy will defend the All-Atlantic title against Big Bill, Hook vs. Matt Hardy in an FTW Title match, Toni Storm vs. Riho, and Chris Jericho vs. Peter Avalon.
Updated AEW Dynamite Card
Komander vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Ortiz vs. Action Andretti vs. Sammy Guevara vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Eddie Kingston vs. AR Fox – Face of the Revolution Ladder Match for a future TNT Title shot
Top Flight vs. Aussie Open vs. Matt Menard & Angelo Parker vs. Best Friends vs. Alex Reynolds & John Silver vs. Mike Bennett & Matt Taven vs. Preston Vance & Rush vs. Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta vs. The Lucha Bros vs. The Butcher & The Blade – Casino Tag Team Battle Royale for a spot in the Tag Team Title Match at Revolution
AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy vs. Big Bill
Anna Jay AS has revealed why she has been sidelined for the last month in a message on Twitter.
The AEW star suffered dislocated ribs during a recent AEW Rampage match. In a response to a fan on Twitter, Jay confirmed the injury that took place in a match that aired on January 13.
The Confirmation
“No bruised tailbone, but I did have some dislocated ribs. Not fun,” Jay AS wrote.
This injury would’ve happened when she teamed up with Tay Melo to wrestle Ruby Soho and Willow Nightingale in a street fight on the show that airs every Friday night on TNT. At one point in the match, Jay was grabbed by Nightingale and powerbombed her off the ramp.
Both stars were supposed to go through a table. Unfortunately, Jay ended up missing the table. She landed hard on the floor and the ribs were dislocated. As a result, she has not wrestled since the match took place.
In recent months leading up to this bout, Jay has aligned herself with the Jericho Appreciation Society and formed a tag team with Melo, who has been feuding with Soho since her return from a broken nose. Ironically, she was sidelined with the injury that was caused by Melo during the AEW All Out pre-show last September.
There has been a lot of talk about Kenny Omega’s future recently. Amid reports about his AEW contract and rumors of WWE interest, people have been wondering if The Cleaner could be the next big AEW star to jump ships.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently provided an update on the matter, confirming that Omega will not be going anywhere at least in the next few months.
Per Meltzer, the company has decided to add time to Kenny Omega’s deal for whatever time he has missed due to injury over the past four years.
It’s estimated that The former AEW World Champion’s contract could be extended by 9 months but the exact timeframe for it ‘hasn’t been finalized’ yet.
Omega missed the longest amount of time when he dropped the AEW world title to Adam Page and took time off to deal with multiple nagging injuries.
His hiatus from the company lasted from November 2021 to August 2022. He underwent both hernia and knee surgeries during this time.
Kenny Omega was also off TV from September 2022 to November 2022 in the fallout of the backstage brawl at All Out. Though it’s unknown if that time is also being factored into the decision.
The same day, a special AdFreeShow for Patreons only episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardywas released. One of the questions was asking for an update on Jeff. The episode was recorded a day ahead of Jeff’s court date.
“He’s doing great. (…) He just wants to get this all behind him. Y’know, they feel like they’re in a pretty good position because he’s done like, all the work necessary. Rehab for many, many days. He did outpatient treatment for months. He has really dedicated himself and he’s committed himself to getting better. And the biggest barometer — my biggest judge — is how happy his wife is with him and where his life is. Every time I’ve talked to him, he’s been very good, very positive.”
What’s next for Jeff Hardy
(via AEW)
While it’s too early to say if Jeff ever returns to AEW or wrestling in general, he may potentially have something lined up with his brother outside of the ring.
“Actually, I had a very long conversation with him today about some stuff myself and Reby are working on as far as business goes about expanding the House Hardy brand. He was definitely on board, he just has to get past this. (…) He just wants to get it all behind him and try and right his wrongs. He’s just, so to say — I can’t really compare these because they’re different things — but he’s ready to like pay his penance and move past it and begin anew.”
Early on Friday morning, Matt also tweeted about how proud he is of his brother. He praised how hard Jeff has worked on himself over the last nine months.
Incredibly proud of my brother. For the last 9 months, he’s worked extraordinarily hard on himself. He’s in the best space I’ve seen him in for decades. I’ll always support him, believe in him & love him. I’m excited for your new lease on life & where it takes you. pic.twitter.com/qwK31JrE4R
It appears as if Jeff Hardy’s recent court case has been closed.
According to records from the Volusia County Clerk of Circuit Court, Jeff Hardy’s DUI case stemming from an incident in June 2022 was closed on Thursday, February 23, 2023.
Following ‘unreliable breath test results’, a motion to suppress was filed this past Monday on February 21, 2023:
20. Mr. Hardy’s breath tests did not comply with FDLE’s requirements established in FDLE’s administrative rules to ensure reliable quantitative breath tests.
21. There is insufficient probative evidence that the breath tests in Mr. Jeff Hardy‘s case were performed substantially in accordance with methods approved by FDLE and with a compliant machine approved by FDLE.
22. For the above reasons, this Court should enter an order excluding any evidence of a breath test and breath test results obtained in this case.
On the morning on Wednesday, February 23, 2023, Jeff Hardy signed a written plea of ‘no contest’ for the charges of 3rd DUI offense in the last 10 years, driving with a suspended license, and causing a driving violation with a restricted driver’s license.
Jeff Hardy was credited with 38 days served in jail and will be on probation for two years (24 months), and fined $4,000 with an additional $586 to cover court costs. Hardy’s driver’s license has been suspended for 10 years and has had his vehicle impounded for 90 days.
Jeff Hardy was originally arrested on June 13, 2022 in Volusia County, Florida and was charged with DUI, driving with a suspended driver’s license, and allegedly violated restrictions that were placed on his driver’s license. The following day on June 14, 2022, Hardy was subsequently suspended without pay by AEW and it was noted that he cannot return to the company until he completes substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation.
SEScoops will provide any updates on the condition and status of Jeff Hardy as they become available.
All Elite Wrestling has announced new matches for their upcoming Revolution pay-per-view event on March 5, 2023, at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California during this week’s Dynamite.
Jamie Hayter will defend her AEW Women’s Championship against Saraya, and Ruby Soho in a triple threat match. This comes after Soho’s loyalty has been the focal point of a storyline between Saraya and Toni Storm as outsiders, a play on their WWE history, against hometown talent such as Hayter and Britt Baker. Now, Soho will have to decide which side she’s on.
Also confirmed for the show is Chris Jericho vs.Ricky Starks in a bout where “everyone” will be banned from ringside. This comes after Starks beat Jericho last month on Dynamite while Jericho scored a victory against Starks and Action Andretti in a recent tag team bout.
For the last several weeks, Starks has since been feuding with the Jericho Appreciation Society.
AEW Revolution Card
AEW World Heavyweight Champion MJF vs. Bryan Danielson – Sixty Minute Iron Man Match.
AEW Tag Team Champions The Gunn Club vs. The Acclaimed vs. Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal vs. TBA
AEW TNT Champion Samoa Joe vs. Wardlow.
Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page – Texas Death Match.
Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Starks – Everyone is banned from ringside
AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter vs. Ruby Soho vs. Saraya
AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s recent comments about his engagement to Naomi Rosenblum being ended were not just part of the show during Dynamite.
During Dynamite, MJF hyped up his upcoming title defense at AEW Revolution against Bryan Danielson, which will be the promotion’s first sixty-minute Iron Man match.
The upcoming title defense will mark MJF’s first title defense on Pay-Per-View since capturing the AEW World Championship last November at Full Gear 2022.
Ended Engagement
During his promo on Dynamite, MJF called himself a guy who has got stranded by, and looked down upon by everyone he once looked up to.
The Salt of the Earth added that he met a girl (Rosenblum) who was his only source of comfort, only for her to leave him as well.
"Every time you step foot in that ring, you are saying wrestling is more important that your family and your children."
This comment left fans questioning whether their engagement has really ended, and both MJF and Rosenblum have unfollowed one another on Instagram.
Taking to Twitter, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful confirmed that MJF’s comments about his engagement being ended by Rosenblum was honest.
The MJF promo had a lot of truth to it. Normally wouldn't cover that type of thing, but he and his fiancee did have a split as was referenced on tonight's AEW Dynamite
MJF and Rosenblum announced their engagement in September of last year, with the always-in-character AEW star saying that other women shouldn’t worry, and that “just cuz there’s a goalie doesn’t mean you can’t score.”
What Else Was Said?
In his promo, Friedman also addressed Bryan Danielson’s children, saying he would rip their father’s arm out of its socket and ensure he could never play with them again.
He stated that during their Iron Man match, he would make sure that he could never use his arm to pick them up again and that he would also land multiple shots to his head as a present.
Danielson interrupted the promo by taking MJF down, resulting in a brawl that had to be separated by referees and security guards.
Jon Moxley already has multiple records to his name in All Elite Wrestling, and now the Blackpool Combat Club member has another accolade.
Since arriving in AEW in 2019, Moxley has become a staple of the brand and is seen as one of the most loyal stars the company employs.
Despite plans for a vacation in late 2022, Moxley cut his time-away short to return following the suspension of CM Punk and the Elite following last year’s All Out
New Record
On this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite, Moxley defeated Evil Uno, dispatching of the Dark Order member with extreme brutality.
With this win, Moxley has accomplished 100 victories in AEW, the first person in the company’s four-year history to do so.
Post-match, Moxley refused to break the hold, which brought out Alex Reynolds and John Silver, and the former World Champion had backup with BCC member Claudio Castagnoli.
It was the arrival of ‘Hangman’ Adam Page that escalated things, and the Cowboy pummeled Moxley, busting him open as the show went off the air.
Page and Moxley will face off at AEW Revolution 2023 next week in a Texas Death Match.
Record Breaker
Achieving 100 wins on AEW programming is an impressive accolade, but is by no means Moxley’s only record.
The former WWE Superstar also holds the record for the most reigns as AEW World Champion, holding the title three times (as well as one Interim title reign.)
Moxley’s three title reigns have also given him the record for the most days as AEW World Champion, holding the title for a collective 347 days (406 days if you include the reign as Interim AEW World Champion.)
All Elite Wrestling is stacking the deck for the 2/24 edition of AEW Rampage.
During the 2/22 episode of AEW Dynamite, several matches were announced for the ensuing Friday’s edition of Rampage. The show will feature the Young Bucks facing Aussie Open in tag-team action in addition to the in-ring return of ‘The Murderhawk Monster’ Lance Archer.
AEW Rampage (2/23) Updated Card
Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)
Sammy Guevara vs. Action Andretti
Willow Nightingale vs. Toni Storm
The Elite and House of Black Face-to-Face Confrontation
We Hear From Keith Lee and Dustin Rhodes
Lance Archer’s In-ring Return
Archer hasn’t been featured on AEW programming since he was defeated by Ricky Starks in the AEW World Championship eliminator tournament on the 11/18 episode of AEW Rampage. While Archer’s lengthy absence was rumored to be to nurse some nagging injuries, the man himself noted that him being left off of the company’s programming for the duration of 2023 was ‘not by choice’.
SEScoops’ full report on the 2/22 episode of AEW Dynamite can be found by clicking here.
SEScoops will have complete coverage of the next edition of AEW Rampage on Friday, February 24, beginning at 10:00 p.m. EDT/7:00 p.m. PDT.
AEW and Tony Khan having been teasing an “important announcement by Tony Khan” since last week.
Just minutes before the main event, Tony Khan was backstage with Renee Paquette hyping “huge news”. Khan said it was so huge, that he was letting a “major AEW star” make the announcement. Adam Cole announced that beginning in March, AEW: All Access would air on TBS after AEW Dynamite.
It’s an unscripted series that will follow certain AEW stars. According to Variety, the show will follow Cole, Britt Baker, DMD, Eddie Kingston, Wardlow, Tay Melo, Sammy Guevara, Saraya, Young Bucks, and Khan.
“We’re always looking for new ways to engage with fans and give them unique access to our incredible talent,” Khan said. “With the new ‘AEW: All Access’ series, they’ll have a chance to peek behind the curtain and into the lives of their favorite wrestlers like never before. To show the human side of some of these larger-than-life figures will give fans a rare perspective about who these wrestlers are when the cameras aren’t typically on.”
“AEW has such an amazingly loyal and dedicated fan base that brings in more than 4 million viewers to TBS every Wednesday night,” added Jason Sarlanis, president of Turner Networks, ID, & HLN, linear and streaming. “With ‘All Access,’ we are bringing that incredible audience a whole new way to experience the wrestling universe they love. We have a powerful partnership with Tony Khan and AEW. With this new series we are expanding the franchise in a way that invites viewers inside the world of wrestling like never before.”
