AEW President Tony Khan unexpectedly announced Wednesday morning that Britt Baker wouldn’t be competing as scheduled on this week’s Dynamite episode. 

Khan cited that she wasn’t medically cleared to compete and had been pulled from a scheduled triple threat bout against Ruby Soho and Toni Storm on this week’s show. 

Dave Meltzer noted on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio that Baker’s injury is not considered serious although it’s still unclear what the exact injury is. She wasn’t cleared and won’t be sidelined for a lengthy period of time. 

Plans Change

Soho vs. Storm in a singles match was booked instead on the show. AEW did use Baker on Dynamite as she was seen on the stage area during the match, leading to a distraction that allowed Soho to pick up the victory.

Khan revealed on Wednesday morning’s Busted Open Radio that the planned triple threat would take place once Baker is medically cleared. 

Baker’s last Dynamite match happened when she teamed with Jamie Hayter and defeated Saraya and Toni Stormon on the January 11, 2023, edition of Dynamite from Los Angeles. She teamed with Jamie Hayter and defeated Saraya and Toni Storm that night. Last week, Hayter & Baker beat the Renegade twins on Rampage.

Action from All Elite Wrestling will be available in dozens of markets across Europe and Asia as part of a new broadcast deal with DAZN.

DAZN, the popular global sports streaming service, began in 2015, and holds domestic broadcasting rights for several top soccer teams in their main markets, include Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s La Liga and Germany’s Bundesliga.

The Statement

In a statement by DAZN Group, it was confirmed that they had secured “exclusive broadcast rights to AEW, in a multi-year deal that will bring the promotion to DAZN subscribers in 42 markets across Europe and Asia.

The deal will include AEW Dynamite and Rampage, Dark and Dark: Elevation, four Battle of the Belt events a year, and four Pay-Per-Views a year.

The statement by DAZN calls the introduction of AEW to is schedule “another major addition to the breadth of multi-sport content available on the platform.”

AEW is described in the statement as “the new professional wrestling league taking the world by storm with its meteoric rise, record-high ratings, world-class roster and highly entertaining product.”

AEW will air in the following markets as part of DAZN:

Albania, Alderney, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Georgia, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Jan Mayen Islands, Jersey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Svalbard, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Is CM Punk the best wrestler in the world as he claimed during his iconic June 2011 Raw pipebomb?

Perhaps, perhaps not. But he’s a darn fine ‘Sports Entertainer.’

Punk has been a huge topic of discussion ever since his actions following last September’s All Out 2022 event, and he has been suspended ever since.

Sports Entertainer

Punk has often credited himself as a professional wrestler, and during his 2011 pipebomb spoke about ‘sports entertainers’ like The Rock and John Cena.

Oh his Oh You Didn’t Know podcast, ‘Road Dogg’ Jesse James admitted that Punk is a great wrestler, but believes that the Sports Entertainer label fits him better. He added:

“Punk’s a great example of a guy that if you just went with wrestler, wrestler, wrestler, wouldn’t have made it without the attitude, mic skills and I don’t want to say character because Punk was never really a character, he was just himself, but he’s good at it.”

‘Road Dogg’ Jesse James.

CM Punk’s Future

Punk’s future with AEW remains uncertain, with Tony Khan refusing any and all requests for comment on the former World Champion’s situation.

It has been reported that some top names in AEW have refused to work with Punk if he is brought back, and that Chris Jericho is one of them.

Things are not looking better for Punk in WWE, with reports that some in the company absolutely do not want him to return.

The belief is that Punk (who walked out of WWE in 2014 on bad terms) will only bring the problems seen in AEW if he is rehired.

h/t – Wrestling Inc

Mark Briscoe was allowed to appear on this week’s Dynamite but only after the monumental efforts of AEW President Tony Khan.

The Briscoes were not allowed to appear on AEW programming due to an edict by Warner Bros. Discovery, over problematic comments made by Jay a decade ago.

After Jay’s death earlier this month, Mark was allowed to compete on this week’s Dynamite, where he faced Jay Lethal.

Khan’s Efforts

Briscoe’s debut on this week’s Dynamite came hours after a report stating that WBD wanted no part of him on their show, due to Jay’s comments.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that it was Tony Khan who went to bat for the Briscoes.

“You have to credit that one to Tony Khan. I mean, he pushed and pushed and I mean, he pushed really hard on this one and got them to change their minds. They [Warner Bros. Discovery] were pretty dead-set against it. I mean, the social media stuff, that possibly could have helped.”

Dave Meltzer.

Team Effort

While Khan was able to convince WBD to ditch their ban on either Briscoe, he wasn’t the only one who worked on this.

On his show, Meltzer said that it was a team effort of people who showed the better side of Jay Briscoe to AEW’s broadcast partners.

“It was certainly a lot of people. We said it last Wednesday, but a lot of people had been saying it all week like ‘how do you ban Jay Briscoe, the tribute show? How do you ban the tribute show when you’re showing Dana White on Slap-Fight?’ Dana White’s mistake was December 31st, 2022 [and WBD moved on.] Jay’s mistake, a big mistake, both of them were big mistakes. His mistake was in 2013 and he had certainly apologized and atoned for it. Just read the article that I did. The stuff from [ROH commentator Ian] Riccaboni and other people. Cary Silkin and others.

“Nobody hid from that part of Jay Briscoe’s life, and neither did he. So [allowing Mark on Dynamite] was the right thing to do and I’m glad he got to do it. But it took a lot a lot a lot of work to get it done.”

Meltzer added on his show that Mark is free to compete on AEW going forward, implying that his appearance this week was not a one-off.

For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

The wrestling world is in mourning following the death of Jay Briscoe, but that is no excuse to harass the family of the other driver killed in last Tuesday’s accident.

Briscoe, 38, was killed in a vehicular collision mere minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware and his daughters (who were in the car) were also seriously injured.

Delaware State Police confirmed that another driver crossed the center line and collided with Jay’s vehicle head-on and that they too were killed in the accident.

Harassment

While the wrestling world has come out in support of Briscoe and the Pugh family, the response to the other victim’s family has been far more hostile.

Lillyanne Ternahan, a mother of two, was the driver of the other vehicle, and her family has been on the receiving end of hurtful comments.

Josh Wharton, a friend of the Pugh family, addressed these attacks on Facebook, and made it clear he and the Pughs are against such comments.

“It’s been a tough week for our community, but also has been heartwarming to see the outpouring of love towards the Pugh family during this tragedy. Once again-Jamin touched so many lives across the world and that has been evident by the daily tributes, comments and love we’ve all witnessed. The girls are still progressing, as God continues to hear all of our prayers.

“Unfortunately this has not been the case for the other family, as there have been numerous rumors and information out there which has led to attacking/degrading comments on social media that the family has seen. Her children will read these at some point.

“Jamin, Ashley, the Pugh family, myself and K.c. do not stand for this. In a time of tragedy, pointing fingers does not reverse what has been done.

“The driver of the other vehicle has 2 young children, and we all should be showing the same love and compassion for them as we have done for the Pugh’s. Be reminded that their world has also been turned upside down undeservingly, and there is a huge hole left in their family.

“I am sincerely asking that everyone stop with the negative comments and feelings towards them. Let me remind you all that none of us, and I know myself better than anyone-have things we are not proud of. We all struggle with something.

“To judge an entire life by the outcome of this tragedy is not who we are. Only love can conquer hate. Instead of expressing harsh feelings, pray for them.”

Our thoughts remain with the Pughs and the Ternahan family at this sad time.

A donation page for the Pugh family can be found here, and a donation page for the Ternahan’s can be found here.

h/t – 411 Mania

A former WWE NXT Superstar will be making their presence felt on next week’s AEW Dynamite, as part of the feud between Bryan Danielson and MJF.

Danielson is currently working towards a match with the reigning AEW World Champion but must remain undefeated until February 8 to do so.

If Danielson does reach that date without taking a loss, the AEW World Championship match between the pair will be a sixty-minute Iron Man match at AEW Revolution 2023.

AEW Debut

During this week’s Dynamite, Danielson continued his winning ways, defeating Brian Cage, who attacked the American Dragon after the match.

MJF would join Cage in the ring, but Konosuke Takeshita would arrive to make the save.

Later on, MJF appeared in a video promo where he stated Danielson’s next opponent will systematically eliminate him.

That opponent turned out to be Timothy Thatcher, who will face Danielson next week on AEW Dynamite.

Timothy Thatcher

Before coming to WWE in 2020, Thatcher proved his toughness on the independent scene, working for promotions like wXw and Evolve.

The former Evolve Champion would be assigned to NXT in 2020, replacing Pete Dunne as Matt Riddle’s tag partner, when the Bruiserweight was unable to travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Not long after his debut, Thatcher walked out on Riddle, turning heel, and would defeat the Original Bro in WWE’s first Fight Pit match.

After transitioning into a teaching role at the WWE PC, Thatcher would be released on January 5, 2022, and make his debut for Pro Wrestling Noah that June.

Eight days after Jay Briscoe’s shocking death, AEW was finally able to pay tribute to him with a video.

On the Dynamite following Briscoe’s death, AEW was not allowed to show any type of tribute video for him due to a long-standing decision by Warner Media Discovery. Commentary spoke about him and several wrestlers paid tribute to Briscoe throughout the night.

Jay Briscoe Tribute Video

On Tuesday, Tony Khan announced that Jay’s brother, Mark would be facing Jay Lethal on this week’s Dynamite. With this announcement, Dave Meltzer confirmed that AEW was cleared to pay tribute to Jay this week.

After the opening match, Excalibur spoke about Jay before this video aired. It features clips of his daughters, who were injured in the car accident.

This tribute video follows tributes from IMPACT at their tapings, GCW, NJPW and NOAH, and WWE.

Mark vs. Lethal is the main event on Wednesday night.

Chris Jericho has been in the wrestling business for 30 years, where he found success in ECW, WCW, WWE, and now AEW. 

Throughout his career, he has reinvented himself at various times. Once he went to NJPW for a one-off match with Kenny Omega in 2018, it opened up his mind to what could be outside of the WWE bubble, eventually leading to him going to AEW when the promotion launched in 2019. 

Jericho became the inaugural AEW World Champion at All Out in August 2019 when he beat Hangman Page. 

Retirement

While speaking on the WTF with Marc Maron Podcast, the top AEW star discussed what would cause him to quit the business. 

“People say, ‘Well, how much longer are you going to do this?’ I could end tomorrow. I could end five years from now, or who cares? Sting is 63 and still doing great stuff. So who knows, man? To me, as long as you can still compete at a high level — like I have a high standard for myself. If I went out there and two, three, four times in a row I felt like, ‘Oof, I’m starting to f*cking phone this in,’ I would quit.”

On this week’s AEW Dynamite, Jericho teams with Sammy Guevara to face the duo of Action Andretti and Ricky Starks.

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcription

Tony Khan is on board with the idea of a ‘World Cup’ of pro wrestling. He knows it wouldn’t be easy to get WWE on board working with the likes of All Elite Wrestling New Japan Pro Wrestling, but he’s open to working with “anybody” for the greater good.

“You never know.”

– Tony Khan

Last year’s AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view was successful, despite injuries nixing plans for several inter-promotional dream matches. An event of this magnitude involving competing promotions can present a lot of hurdles that need to be cleared. Khan worked hard to establish a level of trust with NJPW executives. Having been down that road once before, the AEW President is optimistic this could be done on an even larger scale.

Tony Khan Open to a ‘World Cup’ of Wrestling

Earlier this week, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada expressed interest in organizing a wrestling World Cup. He said he’d be willing to meet with Khan and Paul “Triple H” Levesque to broker a deal to make such an event a reality.

Tony Khan appeared on the Battleground podcast and was asked about the wrestling World Cup concept. During his conversation with Tim Battle, TK said he loved last year’s Forbidden Door show and would be willing to work with “anybody” on an even bigger inter-promotional super-event.

Khan has already co-promoted a pay-per-view with NJPW. He’s featured talent (and championships) from Impact and AAA on AEW television. Without saying who “anybody” is, it’s clear who the big holdout would be. It’s unlikely that WWE would sign off on working with AEW in any capacity, but 2022 and (already) 2023 have shown us that even the most outlandish scenarios may come to pass.

• AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door Drew Over $5 Million on Pay-Per-View

H/T to Fightful and Jeremy Lambert for the transcribed quotes

All Elite Wrestling superstar Britt Baker won’t compete on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite due to injury.

The company broke the news this morning on its Twitter account. AEW wanted Baker to compete in a 3-way match against Ruby Soho and Toni Storm on the Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite. Since Baker is injured, Soho and Storm will compete in a singles match.

It’s unclear what the severity is of the injury or how long Baker will be out of action. Her last aired match was against Billie Starkz on AEW Dark on Jan. 24. Baker took a kick to the face that caused her nose to bleed during the match. AEW hasn’t shared if it’s a nose injury or if there is another issue.

AEW Dynamite Preview

The Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite will be an emotional one. Tonight’s episode will have Mark Briscoe making his AEW debut against Jay Lethal in tribute to his late brother Jay, who tragically passed away last week. The significance of the match happening tonight is also because today would’ve been Jay’s 39th birthday.

Mark’s debut comes after Warner Bros. Discovery lifted its longstanding ban on Briscoes from appearing on AEW Dynamite or Rampage yesterday. AEW also sells T-shirts with Jay on them, with 100% of the proceeds going to Jay’s family. It’s unclear if the entire episode will be a tribute to Jay.

The rest of the show will have exciting matchups. The Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite will have TNT Champion Darby Allin defending the title against Buddy Mathews. The show will also continue the build to the main event of the AEW Revolution pay-per-view, MJF’s hand-picked opponent Brian Cage taking on Bryan Danielson.

You can check out our preview article here to see the rest of the AEW Dynamite card.

Mark Briscoe will make his AEW Dynamite debut one week after his brother Jay Briscoe (Jamin Pugh) was tragically killed in an automobile accident.

The wrestling world has been rallying around the Pugh family during this incredibly difficult time. There’s been an outpouring of support from Jay’s friends and fans and a fundraiser has been set up to ease the family’s financial burden. Unfortunately, AEW has not been able to do much to honor Jay Briscoe due to a longstanding policy by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Up until this week, the Briscoes have been effectively blackballed from TBS & TNT due to insensitive (homophobic) comments made by Jay many years ago that he’d since atoned for. Thankfully, it appears that policy has been changed.

Tony Khan announced on Tuesday that Mark Briscoe will be in action on Dynamite, thus ending their controversial ban. He’ll wrestle Jay’s longtime friend and rival, Jay Lethal.

According to TK, the match was requested by both men to honor Jay Briscoe on what would have been his 39th birthday.

• Family Friend Provides an Update on the Health of Jay Briscoe’s Daughters

AEW Dynamite Preview (January 25, 2023)

Here’s an updated preview for Wednesday’s Dynamite from Lexington, Kentucky:

• ROH World Tag Team Champion Mark Briscoe vs Jay Lethal
• Buddy Matthews of the House of Black answers Darby Allin’s TNT Championship Open Challenge
• JungleHOOK (Jungle Boy & Hook) vs Ethan Page & Matt Hardy
• Women’s 3-Way Match: Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D vs Ruby Soho vs Toni Storm
• “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. “The Machine” Brian Cage
• Le Sex Gods (Chris Jericho/Sammy Guevara) vs Action Andretti/Ricky Starks

Plus, Billy Gunn will mediate a ‘family therapy’ session involving his sons, The Gunns, and AEW World Tag Team Champions, The Acclaimed.

SEScoops will have live results of AEW Dynamite Wednesday night starting at 8pm (Eastern).

ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion Brian Cage is about to become a free agent. 

A new report from Fightful Select notes that Cage’s AEW contract is set to expire in a matter of weeks. That could change at any time if an extension is reached.

Cage originally signed his AEW contract in 2020 when he joined the promotion, and it was a two-year deal. However, his option year was picked up by AEW. At that time, word going around was that Cage was pleasantly surprised as he didn’t expect to have his option year picked up because he had been off TV for almost one year.

WWE Interest?

The report noted there have been feelers within WWE to gauge the company’s interest in possibly bringing Cage in. As of this writing, it remains to be seen whether either side has an interest.

While away from AEW, he had been working for Warrior Wrestling, XPW, and other indie promotions. Cage has received internal praise for his work since returning to AEW TV in September. 

Cage is currently on a four-match winning streak in AEW as Cage has picked up wins over Schaff, Carl Randers, and Willie Mack before beating Mack again on last week’s Rampage episode.

This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite will feature Cage vs. Bryan Danielson in singles action.

AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin has given some new details on his television show as he finished filming the pilot for the series.

The show was announced last year as it replaced “Rhodes to the Top,” which had aired on TNT but was put to an end once Cody and Brandi Rhodes left the company. 

TNT contacted D Allin about his own TV show, which he discussed when speaking with Tony Hawk and Jason Ellis ‘Hawk vs Wolf Podcast’. Allin mentioned that a pilot for his television show has been filmed and that he wore a dog’s shock collar while trying to skateboard during the filming. 

Due to his interests outside of the ring of doing various stunts, there has been speculation the show may be like the “Jackass” franchise, where he puts his body on the line.

The Show

“I was wearing one (electric shock collar) when we were filming the pilot for my TV show and we were trying to do some skating with the shock collar and stuff like that and I was like, this is impossible. I couldn’t imagine putting that on a dog. Crazy.”

Allin won the TNT Title for a second time to kick off the year and has made three successful defenses against the likes of Mike Bennett, Juice Robinson, and KUSHIDA. Darby’s next scheduled defense is against Buddy Matthews this Wednesday. 

H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcription

Should women be blading in professional wrestling? Willow Nightingale says yes.

While blood is common in men’s matches for promotions that allow blood, women’s wrestling has often gone years if not decades without a single laceration.

That has changed in recent years, though there are some (including Ric Flair) who are opposed to the idea of women blading.

The Tag Match

During the January 13, AEW Rampage, Nightingale teamed with Ruby Soho to face Tay Melo and Anna Jay, which saw plenty of the red viscous liquid.

Speaking on The Sessions, Nightingale recalled the match and the restrictions put in place before the bell rung.

“We are all very excited to be given the opportunity to do something like this. Anna and Tay have already done this a year ago on Television. They had a lot of fun with it. There are limits, I guess, on how grotesque it’s allowed to be. I can only speak from my experience. I don’t know if this is the case with other matches, other tag matches, or men’s wrestling. I don’t know what those conversations are like. I only know the conversations that we had and for us, it was that one person from each team was allowed to bleed.

“We all wanted to get our hands dirty and we all wanted to do crazy stuff.”

Willow Nightingale.

“We all wanted to get our hands dirty and we all wanted to do crazy stuff, but we were like ‘okay, understood.’ We didn’t have to worry about it because Ruby bled enough for everybody. I felt it was awesome, I thought she looked killer. She thought she looked great. She had to get stitched up after and I held her hand as she got injected [with an anesthetic.]”

The match saw Soho and Nightingale get the win in the main event of Rampage

Backlash

While the match was lauded by many, many fans also criticized the match, arguing that the level of blood wasn’t fitting for a women’s division match.

Speaking about the negative response, Nightingale felt fans needed reminding that countless women will bleed once a month, whether they want to or not.

“We were just really excited about everything and I think if people are getting their panties in a bunch about [women blading in wrestling,] then that’s the least of your concerns. Like, we bleed every single month. Nobody talks about that, and I’m sure if that happened [in the match] or if it happened ever on the show, people would make a big deal about that too. You know, If someone was to bleed through their gear.”

“If people are getting their panties in a bunch about [women blading in wrestling,] then that’s the least of your concerns.”

Willow Nightingale.

“We bleed the same as men do. We take the same bumps in the ring as they do. We’re at the same risk so I just don’t understand why there has to be a double standard about physically seeing blood. Ultimately, it’s what we signed up for. We were aware of this possibility.”

For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

Mark Briscoe will still not be allowed to appear for All Elite Wrestling, even after the death of his brother Jay.

Jay Briscoe died in a car accident last week when a vehicle driving the other way swerved onto his lane, mere minutes from Jay’s home in Laurel, Delaware.

Briscoe was 38 at the time of his death, and his daughters, who were in the vehicle at the time, have since undergone surgery.

Controversy

The Briscoes were one of the most popular tag teams of their era but were banned from appearing for AEW.

The decision was made by AEW’s partners at Warner Bros. Discovery, who did not want the Briscoes given controversial statements from Jay’s past.

In June 2011, Jay stirred controversy when he tweeted “a lot of f*gs out in New York today,” and would share a similar homophobic message following Hurricane Irene.

When the Delaware Senate passed a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in May 2013, Briscoe said “try and teach my kids that there’s nothing wrong with that and I’ll f*cking shoot you.”

After considerable backlash, Briscoe explained these comments as his redneck heel character, and did not reflect his personal beliefs on homosexuality.

Briscoe also agreed to donate his full salary from the next two shows to the Partners Against Hate charity.

In 2021, Ian Riccaboni said “If folks only knew how Jay supports and puts over all talent, specifically LGBTQ+ talent, as a leader in the locker room.”

Following his death this month, Dave Meltzer said that Briscoe was considered to have completely reformed his views on the LGBTQ+ community, and that he enjoyed the support of LGBTQ+ wrestlers.

Banned from AEW

Though it was Jay who made the comments that saw the Briscoes banned by WBD, his brother Mark will suffer the consequences.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alverez read asked if Mark will be allowed on AEW TV and to join the roster following Jay’s passing.

“I already know the answer. The answer is no. Okay? I can’t tell you more. It could change, but that is the answer.”

Dave Meltzer.

Both Meltzer and Alverez were evidently frustrated, and Meltzer said he hopes this changes.

The Young Bucks and The Briscoes have had a long history and spent many years together. After Jay Briscoe’s sudden passing last week, they weren’t even sure that they could wrestle the following night.

The latest episode of Being the Elite was a tribute to their longtime friend and dancing partner. In the opening segment, the brothers talked about how they didn’t know how they could wrestle and that their hearts were broken and they were in shock. According to Nick, “today is completely voluntary for the wrestlers to come to the show.”

The Young Bucks Wanted The Briscoes in AEW

Nick said he told Matt that Jay’s death hurts more than his only own family members dying and he’s lost quite a few relatives over the last couple of years. Matt pointed out that “you go through this bond where you wrestle someone, it’s such an intimate experience. You go through war and there’s just so much pressure and you’re holding their life in your hand. When you get through that, it’s something nobody else understands unless you are a wrestler. And he was one of the good ones.”

Matt went on to say, “I remember when we first started AEW, we told them we started the tag division, we need the Lucha Brothers and we need the Briscoe brothers. We need those sets of brothers; the three best brother tag teams in the world. They were one of the first teams we tried to hire. We couldn’t get it done. But, I’m so glad they got to have their final little run in ROH. They got, as far as wrestling goes, go out in style.”

The Young Bucks did end up wrestling Top Flight that night where they paid tribute to Jay with black armbands and by doing a Doomsday Device in the match. After the match, they said they were so distracted that they forgot to bring out their Trios titles. Neither one remembered until they heard it mentioned on commentary that they won them the week prior. They also said that Mark texted them after their match because he watched their tribute.

After Dynamite, a tribute show was filmed for Jay. The show will air on Honor Club and on the ROH YouTube. The air date has not been announced.

Kathleen Finch, Chairman and Chief Content Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. Networks Group, has given respect to the fanbase of AEW. 

AEW airs two weekly television shows on networks owned by the company, with Dynamite on Wednesday nights on TBS and Rampage on Friday nights on TNT. They also air quarterly specials titled, Battle of the Belts, which air on TNT with the last two being broadcasted live after Rampage. 

Kathleen Finch’s Comments

Speaking candidly during a Deadline-moderated keynote at the Realscreen conference in Austin, Texas, Finch noted that they find sports and sitcoms work well on the Turner networks. 

Finch discussed AEW while talking about the company’s concerns about Dana White’s Power Slap show after his New Year’s Eve debacle where he was seen on video slapping his wife. 

“This is an experiment. The goal is, we are making shows for our fans, that’s who we work for. Fans of wrestling have a lot of overlap with the fans of this and it’s huge on social media so the idea really is, if we can take something that’s huge on social, bring it to a linear audience giving the fans what they want. This may surprise you to know that I did not know much about wrestling before I took this job. I know, I seem like a wrestling fan, but I’m not. But I did have to learn a lot about the audience. A lot of families that watch [wrestling], I was very surprised to learn this. I have huge respect for this audience. AEW wrestling airs on two of our networks, TNT and TBS — on both nights it kills. Finding something that speaks to that audience, that would be gold.”

AEW’s TV rights deal will expire in 2024 with talks expected to happen this year. 

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Dax Harwood has opened up about FTR asking for their WWE release in 2020.

The Revival, Harwood and Cash Wheeler, joined WWE as a duo back in 2014, spending several years in NXT before getting the call up to the main roster. Ultimately, the team’s run with WWE came to an end in 2020 after being granted their requested release.

Recently, Harwood took to The FTR podcast to open up about the team’s decision to leave WWE, and how the process went down. Harwood explained how the conversation with Vince McMahon went and gave the team’s reasons for wanting to leave.

“So we had asked for our release. Initially, we were told ‘are you sure you want to do this because there’s a big quote-unquote wind of change coming, and we would love for you to be a part of it.’ We said, respectfully, we would love to have our release.

“We need to go out, make a name for ourselves, and hopefully come back and make more money but also increase our marketability for you. Vince said okay, I’ll have Mark Carrano contact you tomorrow and start the process. This was again, earlier in the year, not SummerSlam.”

Triple H apparently attempted to try and keep The Revival onboard, and although they stuck around a few months more, ultimately the team stuck to their decision and ultimately went through with the release.

“Mark Carrano called and some things led to other things and we talked to Hunter. He said, ‘we can’t let you go right now. But in six months, if you’re not happy with the position you’re in in our company than we can revisit the conversation.’

“We said okay, thank you. Obviously, we respected Hunter and had a lot of faith and trust in him anyway; we had no reason to doubt him. Come around SummerSlam time, we were pretty sure we weren’t going to be figured in, but we had done all we could to get our release.”

During their time with WWE The Revival captured the NXT Tag Team Titles twice, before going on to the main roster where they were two-time RAW Tag Team Champions, and one-time holders of the SmackDown Tag Team Titles.

Currently, FTR work for both AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), where they are former Tag Team Champions for both organizations.

Quotes via 411Mania

Chris Jericho was part of some iconic moments from Monday Night Raw, so it is only fitting that he is featured in a promo for the upcoming Raw is XXX show.

Tomorrow’s Raw will mark the 30th anniversary of the red brand which launched back on January 11, 1993.

Several Hall of Famers are confirmed for the show, including Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels.

Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho will (likely) not be appearing at tomorrow’s celebration, but he was featured in a video promoting the show.

In the promo, footage from Jericho’s WWF debut from 1999 is used.

Addressing WWE using footage of him, the AEW star had no issue with this, saying that good pro wrestling transcends any given company, and is about making memories.

Other AEW talent including Mark Henry and Bryan Danielson were also featured in the promotional video.

Raw’s 30th-anniversary show will air from the sold-out Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and will be the go-home Raw before the Royal Rumble.

Raw is Jericho

Debuting on the August 9, 1999, episode of Monday Night Raw, Jericho didn’t waste time making an impression, interrupting The Rock, and holding his own on the mic with the Great One.

Less than a year later, the now-face Jericho dethroned Triple H for the WWF title, but the controversial title change was later reversed and nullified.

In 2012, after over a year away, Jericho would make his return to WWE on the first Raw of the new year, and would unveil his popular ‘The List of Jericho’ on Raw in September 2016.

In early 2017, Raw would see the ‘Festival of Friendship’ in which Jericho would be betrayed by Kevin Owens.

All Elite Wrestling has announced five matches and a unique ‘sports entertainment’ style segment for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite from Lexington, Kentucky at the Rupp Arena.

There are six episodes of Dynamite until the next AEW pay-per-view, Revolution on Sunday, March 5. If you’re in the Lexington area, tickets are still available at AEWTix.com.

The top items for the show including Darby Allin’s latest TNT Championship Open challenge and Bryan Danielson’s next ‘gauntlet’ match to earn a shot at MJF’s AEW World Heavyweight Championship, the ‘Big Burberry Belt.’

Ahead of Dynamite, you can catch up on results from last week’s episode.

AEW Dynamite Matches (January 25, 2023)

• Buddy Matthews of the House of Black answers Darby Allin’s TNT Championship Open Challenge

• JungleHOOK (Jungle Boy & Hook) vs Ethan Page & Matt Hardy

• Women’s 3-Way Match: Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D vs Ruby Soho vs Toni Storm

• “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. “The Machine” Brian Cage vs

• Le Sex Gods (Chris Jericho/Sammy Guevara) vs Action Andretti/Ricky Starks

Plus, Billy Gunn will mediate a ‘family therapy’ session involving his sons, The Gunns, and AEW World Tag Team Champions, The Acclaimed.

Could CM Punk make a shocking return to WWE, over nine years after his departure from the promotion?

In January 2014, Punk walked out of WWE following that year’s Royal Rumble and was released from the promotion that June.

The former World Champion was sent his termination papers on his wedding day, timing that Vince McMahon later said was merely coincidental and apologized for.

WWE Return

With Punk still suspended from AEW due to the All Out brawl, questions remain as to his future with AEW.

Speaking on his ‘Oh You Didn’t Know’ podcast, WWE’s Senior Vice President of Live Events ‘Road Dogg’ Jesse James weighed in on whether Punk could return.

“Never say never with these guys. They will give you a second chance. [WWE] will give you an opportunity if it’s business savvy, and bringing him back might be. The reason it might be is because he’s a needle mover.”

‘Road Dogg’ Jesse James.

Punk has had a hostile relationship with WWE following in the years since his walkout, but did appear for WWE Backstage, though his contract at the time was with FOX.

Unhappy Roster

CM Punk could (in theory) return to WWE, but if so, he shouldn’t expect a warm response.

It has been reported that there are some who “absolutely do not want” Punk back, believing he would just bring the same attitude that has inflicted his AEW run.

A return to AEW won’t be much better for Punk either, with top talent refusing to work with him if he is brought back by Tony Khan.

There is a group, said to be led by former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho, which is working to prevent his return to the All-Elite promotion.

h/t – Wrestling Inc

AEW star Fuego Del Sol is showing off his new bulked-up physique.

Wrestlers can get attention for their ability and charisma in the wrestling business. However, their physical appearance can also significantly affect their career. A person’s physical appearance and health can aid in preserving their career and possibly getting more opportunities.

FDS posted a video on Twitter this week to show off the results of the past six months of hard work. Thanks to a new fitness program by the Modern Wellness Center, he’s added 15 pounds of muscle over the past six months.

Fuego Del Sol Status With AEW

Sol is still signed with AEW, although he hasn’t been seen on TV. The company has used Sol in several programs, but it, unfortunately, isn’t consistent. His last appearance on AEW Dynamite was a loss against Luchasaurus on Oct. 5, 2022. While he may not often compete on AEW Dynamite or Rampage, he competes for several independent promotions.

He competed in Pandemonium: Pro Wrestling’s Holiday in Hollywood against Alan Angels on Dec 4. 2022. Sol put on a great effort but ultimately lost the match. Fans could watch the entire event with Sol on IWTV for ten dollars.

Sol is advertised to compete in Rugged Pro Wrestling against Justin Fowler on Feb. 25. It’s unclear when his next AEW appearance will be or if the company has creative plans for him. However, he seems to be in good spirits and keeps busy with his indie dates and workout program.

Thunder Rosa has provided another update on her status with AEW. 

The former AEW Women’s Champion has been sidelined with a back injury since August. She announced at the time that she would have to step away from in-ring competition as a result, leading to the creation of an Interim AEW Women’s Championship. 

This interim title later became the undisputed AEW Women’s Championship due to Rosa’s extended absence. Toni Storm was named the Women’s Champion before she dropped the title to Jamie Hatier. 

Showing Face

While speaking on Busted Open Radio, she said she would be back on the road with AEW soon. However, she doesn’t know when she will wrestle again. Her plan is to ‘show face’ and be around backstage again while she gears up for an in-ring return.

“It’s going to be nice to be around everyone and see how things unfold,” she said.

The previous update on her in-ring status was last month when Rosa said she was lifting again but wasn’t ready to train in the ring and take bumps.

• Last Month: Thunder Rosa Still Has a Long Road Ahead Before AEW Return

AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill has revealed how she feels about CM Punk when discussing the infamous backstage All Out incident.

Cargill was recently a guest on the Bootleg Kev podcast to discuss a variety of topics. During the interview, Cargill was asked about the backstage brawl that took place between Punk and The Elite shortly after his explosive post-event press conference at All Out.

The champion said she had already left the stadium by the time the madness broke out backstage, but did note that she has had nothing but positive interactions with Punk in the past, and has a ton of respect for him.

“I wasn’t there. I had already left the stadium — right after my match, I left,” Jade Cargill said. “So I heard about it just like the rest of the world, at the same time. It was pretty shocking… from my opinion, Punk’s a great guy.

“He’s been nothing but nice to the women’s locker room. He talks to me, tells me his experiences. Again, at Comic Con, we got really close because he was my tag mate in the interviews, and I learned so much from him, and so much knowledge in the industry.

“He’s been in two different companies, and he can do whatever the hell he wants to do. So he doesn’t need it. He does it cause he loves it. And that speaks to me. I don’t need it. I do it because I love it. And I appreciate people like that.”

Punk’s future with AEW remains in limbo. With some expecting him to eventually be released from his contract and go his separate way from AEW, others believe he could be brought back into the fold as well.

As it stands, AEW president Tony Khan has yet to make a final decision on how to handle things moving forward.

Quotes via NoDQ.com

The fate of CM Punk in All Elite Wrestling remains hanging in the balance, with Tony Khan yet to make a decision on the problematic star.

Punk has not appeared for AEW since September’s All Out due to his comments on the post-show media scrum and his involvement in the backstage fight.

The two-time former AEW World Champion remains the only person suspended following the fallout from All Out to remain suspended.

Decisions, Decisions

Given Punk’s lengthy hiatus, many believe his time with the promotion is up, but that is not the case just yet.

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that it is “months away” from when Tony Khan will have to make a decision on whether to keep Punk under contract.

Those on Punk’s side believe that Khan has put Punk “on ice” for the time being, with no plans to use him at this time.

The belief is also that there has been “no talk at all” as of late to release him either.

Tony Khan has repeatedly refused to comment on Punk or the All Out backstage fight when asked in various interviews.

Friends and Enemies

Punk’s actions following AEW All Out have split the locker room, with many believing he should be fired from the promotion.

Some top AEW stars have reportedly refused to work with Punk if he is brought back by Tony Khan.

It is also reported that Chris Jericho is part of a group that is trying to prevent Punk’s return to the company.

The Chicago-Made wrestler does have some allies, including Dax Harwood, who defended Punk and praised his work on the premiere episode of his FTR podcast.