Dax Harwood of FTR recently announced that he and partner Cash Wheeler have been given time off from AEW and won’t be appearing on television for a few months as they weigh out their options ahead of their contracts expiring in April.
Harwood has floated the idea of the tag team working exclusively on the independent scene for the rest of that year even though they have plenty of options, whether that is to sign with AEW, go full-time in NJPW or return to WWE now that Triple H is running WWE’s booking.
AEW President Tony Khan appeared on the In the Kliq podcast to address FTR’s futures with the company. Prior to their hiatus, the Top Guys lost five consecutive tag team matches to drop the ROH, IWGP and AAA World Tag Team Championships.
Tony Khan on FTR
“Well, I do hope to see FTR back,” said Khan. “They need some time to recover from what was one of the most intense years of wrestling any team has ever done. The schedule they went through, all of the different places they worked — they worked all over and won championships all over the world.”
Khan put them over for working all over the world, including the US, London, Japan, and in Mexico. He also praised them for their performance in the dog collar match at ROH Final Battle against The Briscoes.
“That was, to me, one of the most savage, barbaric wrestling matches I’ve ever seen, and that was for the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship. That was following a lot of other crazy matches for FTR.
So, I think, for those guys, we want to see them back in AEW and want to see them heal up and come back at 100%. We’re really looking forward to that, hopefully. I think they’re a great team, and we’d love to have them back.”
On Tuesday, Jamin Pugh, known to the wrestling world as Jay Briscoe, was killed in a car accident in Laurel, Delaware.
According to his wife, Ashley, their daughters were also injured in the accident. Their daughter, Gracie, had back surgery on Wednesday morning. Their other daughter, Jayleigh “has some pretty serious injuries, but is stable and resting!” She asked for prayers for all of them.
The first match of the night was Jay Lethal vs. Orange Cassidy. Lethal wore a black armband that read “Briscoe”. During the match, Best Friends were in the crowd. They each wore a black armband that read “Jay”.
On commentary, Excalibur talked about Briscoe and said more was coming.
The Young Bucks also wore black armbands that said “Jay” with a red heart on them. They also paid tribute with a Doomsday Device, a signature of the Briscoes.
Bryan Danielson and Bandido both wore black armbands that read “Jay”. Before getting to the ring, Bandido kissed his fingers and pointed to the sky.
After the match, commentary was shown on camera. Excalibur and Taz were also wearing black armbands.
Jay Briscoe special for ROH
Tony Khan tweeted that after tonight’s show they would be filming a special ROH tribute to Briscoe. It will be available “soon free to everyone on Honor Club”. He also tweeted that the special will also be on ROH’s YouTube.
Thank you all watching Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite on TBS tonight! We're just getting started, we have a great live show for you all, + after the live show we'll film a special ROH tribute to the late great Jay Briscoe which will be available soon free to everyone on Honor Club.
William Regal now serves as WWE Vice President of Global Talent Relations following his departure from AEW earlier this month.
Regal spent the majority of 2022 under the banner of AEW where he worked as the manager for the Blackpool Combat Club.
His AEW debut came at AEW Revolution last March, where he helped bring Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson together before recruiting Wheeler Yuta to their ranks. Claudio Castagnoli followed suit in the months after, and the Blackpool Combat Club was a force.
While speaking on Distraction Pieces Podcast, Regal noted that he felt his final moments in AEW were too focused on himself as he turned on Moxley to help MJF beat him for the AEW World Heavyweight Title at Full Gear in November.
His AEW Tenure
“In the last months of AEW, it was getting far too much about me. It should have been about the talent I was with, not about me,” Regal said (h/t Fightful). “I’m quite happy being in the background. I’ve had my run. I couldn’t have had a better last few months as far as TV and doing that, but I didn’t go there with that intention. The intention was to do something different, and it started off the way it did, but I didn’t expect it to end up being this thing that it was for the last seven months where I just became talent. I went there with a different plan because I was asked to go there to help out in a different capacity, and that never transpired.”
Regal wanted to return to WWE to be with his son in NXT, who wrestles under the Charlie Dempsey name.
Regal’s WWE return cannot appear on television until 2024, something he’s okay with after his run in AEW. He noted he’s happy not to be in the spotlight. He thinks it shouldn’t be about him but rather the active in-ring talent.
AEW president Tony Khan says that fans don’t even know the half of Adam Cole’s comeback story just yet.
Back on the January 11 episode of AEW Dynamite, Adam Cole made his surprise return to television after being out-of-action for several months. Cole stated that he’s back and he’s not done competing in the ring just yet.
He also opened up about the multitude of other issues that he dealt with aside from the concussion, such as anxiety and motion sickness. Speaking on The Kliq podcast recently, AEW president Tony Khan offered his thoughts on Cole’s current situation.
Khan revealed that, although they know some already, fans don’t even know the half of the uphill battle Cole has faced en-route to his in-ring return.
“Well, I don’t think he ever [ruled out returning to the ring]. Certainly, it was a very challenging recovery, and they were points where, I’m sure, he had to question if he was going to make it back or, you know, what he was putting himself through because, like he said, he didn’t leave the house to do anything but brain therapy,” said Khan.
“He wanted it so bad. He wants so bad to come back to AEW, to get back in the ring and wrestle for the fans on Wednesdays on TBS, and Fridays on TNT. That’s his dream. For us, it’s a dream come true having Adam Cole be a part of the AEW roster.
“It’s very exciting that he’s getting closer and closer to making a comeback. It’s a really inspirational story, and people don’t even know the half of it yet. I’m excited for people to find out more about what Adam Cole has been through.”
Cole hasn’t competed inside the ring since Forbidden Door in June, when he faced off against Jay White, Okada and “Hangman” Adam Page in a Fatal Four-Way match.
All Elite Wrestling presents Dynamite live tonight on TBS from Fresno, California at the Save Mart Center.
AEW looks to keep the momentum going after a hot show last week, which saw The Elite capture the AEW Trios Championships in ‘Game 7’ of their best of 7 series with Death Triangle. Tonight’s broadcast will see several of AEW’s top champions in action, as well as special appearances from top international competitors.
Here’s a look at what’s scheduled for the January 18 edition of AEW Dynamite:
Top Flight will face 2/3 of the new AEW Trios Champions, The Young Bucks.
Jay Lethal challenges Orange Cassidy (c) for the All Atlantic Championship.
KUSHIDA has answered Darby Allin’s TNT Championship Open Challenge
Bryan Danielson battles Bandido in the next round of the gauntlet to earn a shot at MJF’s AEW World Heavyweight Championship.
Toni Storm vs. Willow Nightingale
Plus, Hangman Page speaks with Renee Paquette one week after his hard-fought victory over Jon Moxley.
Jade Cargill is one of the top female wrestlers of the AEW roster. The 30-year-old has been positioned as a future mega star by the company. Though despite her position, she is not shying away from acknowledging the competition, going as far as to offer huge compliment to one of the biggest stars of the rival promotion.
The AEW star recently had an interview with Bootleg Kev. During the talk, Cargill was asked about other wrestling stars she admires. The TBS champion took the name of Charlotte Flair, saying that she is a total package:
I think she’s a total package that we have as far as an example for a woman wrestler today.
– Jade Cargill
“I think Charlotte Flair is great. I think she’s very sound wrestler. She can do all the flippy shit that you want to do. She can go out there and have a hardcore match. I think she’s a total package that we have as far as an example for a woman wrestler today.
She leaves and comes back and then she like, it’s like she never left.” said Jade Cargill, “I think she’s phenomenal at what she does. People can say whatever they want. I think she’s a great wrestler.”
Charlotte Flair recently returned from a 7-month-long hiatus and regained the SmackDown Women’s championship. This is her 14th Women’s World title and 17th overall title in the company.
You can check out Jade Cargill’s full interview below:
Jade Cargill has improved considerably in the ring since her start in wrestling a couple of years ago. There are a number of people who have contributed to the AEW star’s improvement. One of them is none other than Bryan Danielson, who has thought Cargill how to get comfortable inside the squared circle.
The TBS champion recently spoke to Bootleg Kev. She revealed that Danielson has started training her every Wednesday. According to the former Basketball player, the former WWE champion has taught her how to live in the moment:
“What you see is how he really is. He’s a really nice guy. He doesn’t play off. He doesn’t let people try him but he’s a very sound guy. He trains me on Wednesdays. Tony Khan is the one who set that up. He’s really, really great. The first thing he always asks me when I come back is like I will say, ‘Oh, man, I messed this up’ or whatever I have to say. He’s like ‘Jade, but did you enjoy yourself?’ So now I’m living in the moment.”
Do Karaoke
Bryan Danielson has not only helped Jade Cargill in getting better in the ring, but he has also been teasing her how to get comfortable on the mic. For this, the wrestling veteran offered a very unique piece of advice to the young star:
“He’s like, ‘If you want to get comfortable with doing promos, do karaoke. You should definitely do karaoke and you’ll be fine.’ Working with someone like that, I’m getting very comfortable in the ring.
He’s like ‘You need to just breathe in the audience. You’ll have so much fun if you just live in the moment and like with the hits and all this kind of stuff. Just breathe and take it in and listen. You’re gonna be fine.” Now I’m getting more comfortable.”
You can check out Jade Cargill’s full interview below:
With her impressive physique, some have compared Cargill to the late Chyna, who spent much of her wrestling career facing male WWF Superstars.
Fellow AEW star Saraya recently spoke about the possibility of intergender wrestling in the promotion, saying she too would love to square off with her male counterparts.
It appears that Matt Hardy is at least considering the idea of bringing back his popular Broken gimmick to television.
Hardy first started doing the gimmick in Impact Wrestling in 2016 before portraying it briefly in 2017, months after he made his WWE return alongside his brother, Jeff, at WrestleMania 33, where they won the Tag Team Titles.
It began as a crazed iteration of Matt and slowly evolved into a “broken universe,” with a series of supernatural elements. In WWE, he was ‘Woken’ instead of ‘Broken.’
Hardy has been Broken in AEW before, as he first debuted in the company with that gimmick back in March 2020. Although he continued with that persona for a couple of months, he ultimately returned to his “Big Money” moniker by that year’s end.
AEW President Tony Khan publicly gave his thoughts on the match in a past interview by noting some aspects of it were a little too much for him.
Broken Return?
However, the gimmick could be returning, as the latest episode of Being The Elite showcased Matt briefly transforming into his Broken persona before the screen went black.
Although Hardy has never been shy about teasing “Broken” elements, this is the first time in years that he has completely transformed with gray hair and sleeveless coat.
Tony Khan may have proven himself to countless fans with the success of AEW, but would he make a good owner of WWE?
The past two weeks of news have been dominated with reports of Vince McMahon’s return to WWE, less than six months after his retirement.
McMahon returned to oversee a sale of the promotion and has replaced his daughter Stephanie as Executive Chairman.
Lacking
The list of names reportedly interested in buying WWE is lengthy and includes Comcast, FOX, Disney, Amazon, and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.
Tony Khan and his father Shahid are also on that list with sources close to the situation saying that the Khans are interested in a merger with WWE.
Speaking on his 83 Weeks Podcast, Eric Bischoff said that Khan may not have the necessary skills to take over from McMahon.
“Could it happen? Sure, anything is possible. But if you really think about it, does the Khan enterprise have the experience, knowledge, infrastructure, ability to run a company as complex as WWE?”
Eric Bischoff.
Bischoff added that while AEW and WWE may be in the same industry, they “don’t live and play in the same universe.”
Buying WWE
The Khans certainly have plenty of money to their name, but a solo purchase of WWE is seemingly off the table.
With WWE seeking a reported $8.5 billion for the promotion, any deal by the father-son duo is expected to be shared with another financial partner.
Wall Street analysts have said they expect WWE to sell this year for anywhere between $7.4 and $8.2 billion.
Frankie Kazarian is no longer ‘All-Elite’ and is now part of the Impact Wrestling roster.
Kazarian signed with AEW in January 2019, making him one of the earliest wrestlers to join, and is one-half of the inaugural AEW World Tag Team Champions (with Scorpio Sky.)
After SoCal Uncensored was forced to disband following a loss to the Young Bucks, Kazarian would become the ‘Elite Hunter’ though struggled to pick up wins over the group.
Impact Wrestling
In July 2021, Kazarian appeared for Impact Wrestling as part of his feud with The Elite.
Returning in May 2022, Kazarian would make regular appearances for the promotion and won the X-Division Championship at Bound for Glory that October.
Invoking ‘Option C’ (vacating the X-Division title for a shot at the Impact World Championship) Kazarian would come up short in his efforts to dethrone Josh Alexander.
At Hard to Kill 2023 this week, Kazarian appeared on the Pay-Per-View and announced he has signed with Impact.
Kazarian spoke about being complacent in AEW, and working with “people he thought were his friends.”
Leaving AEW
After appearing at Hard to Kill, PW Insider confirmed that Kazarian is finished with All Elite Wrestling.
It is reported that it was after facing Alexander in November 2022 that Kazarian asked for his release which Tony Khan granted.
Kazarian’s reasons is that he wants to push himself in these final stages of his career, and believes he will have better luck in Impact than on AEW’s roster.
Kazarian reportedly “did business the right way” and would be welcomed back into the AEW locker room at any time.
Jade Cargill has reached a historic milestone in AEW as her dominant run as TBS Champion continues.
She has been the AEW TBS Champion for 373 days, making history by becoming the longest-reigning champion in company history. Cargill broke former AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida’s previous record of 372 days.
Throughout her time at AEW, she has accomplished several impressive feats. She had her first wrestling match in March 2021. Another impressive aspect of this accomplishment is that she has held a title longer than she has not in her short career thus far.
Another Impressive Stat
Cargill remains the only TBS Champion in history, as she won a tournament to be crowned the inaugural champion in January 2022 by defeating Ruby Soho in the finals.
She also broke Shida’s record when she was the AEW Women’s Champion, as Cargill has defended the TBS Championship 17 times. That’s also a record in AEW with the most title defenses by any champion in the company’s history.
Over that time, she has defended against various talents such as The Bunny, and Willow Nightingale. Her most recent title defense came against Skye Blue at Battle of the Belts V. Shida only defended her title eight times successfully during her 372-day reign as champion.
In an update from CNBC, they are reporting that several sources familiar with the situation have confirmed that the Khans are interested in a merger.
The report adds that the Khans would not seek to buy WWE themselves, but would team with a financial group and pool their resources.
The idea is described by CNBC as a “long shot” given the hostility between WWE and AEW that has existed since the latter was founded in 2019.
Shahid Khan is said to have a net worth of $7.56 billion, and in addition to AEW, the Khans own the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team, and the soccer club Fulham FC.
If this merger went ahead, it is unclear if the Khans would cease WWE production, keep the brand going, or create a new hybrid brand of WWE and AEW.
Competition
The Khans are interested in merging with WWE, but they’re not the only ones open to a deal.
This week, it was reported that the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund had purchased WWE, but those reports were later clarified to be premature.
As Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE CEO Nick Khan recently spoke to Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
Sting has spent decades building a legacy as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and now the Icon’s daughter is ready to follow in his footsteps.
D Magazine reports that Sting’s daughter Katelyn is taking her first steps into becoming a pro wrestler herself.
In addition to her training, Katelyn works for All Elite Wrestling as part of the promotion’s social media team.
Katelyn Borden
Katelyn still has plenty to learn in the world of professional wrestling, but the second-generation star has already reached championship glory.
Borden is currently the Rhodes Wrestling Academy Women’s Champion and is in her first reign.
Going by the name ‘Jael’ Katelyn captured the title last July, dethroning inaugural champion Shawna Reed.
The End of Sting
While Katelyn’s career is on the rise, her father’s career, by his own admission is coming to an end.
Speaking to D Magazine, Sting said that he has broached the topic of his final match, which he believes will be for AEW.
The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion added that he realizes the high expectations his final match will have.
“I’ve got some insecurities about that, I guess, mainly due to age. The more focus, now you’ve got to follow that big build-up, you know?”
Sting
Sting added that he knows the details of his retirement will be decided sooner rather than later, but he is trying to avoid specifics.
The Icon said that with his final match, the most important thing to him will be how he makes the fans feel, which takes precedence in his view over the setting or the opponent.
All Elite Wrestling talent Britt Baker has shared her thoughts on her husband, Adam Cole, returning to the company.
Cole made his shocking return to AEW Dynamite on Jan. 11 after several months off TV for AEW. His last match was against Jay White, Okada and “Hangman” Adam Page in a fatal four-way match at Forbidden Door on Jun. 26, 2022. He had been dealing with injuries, including a concussion that people were uncertain when Cole would return. However, Cole revealed in a promo on AEW Dynamite that he will return to competition and aspires to be the top performer in the company.
During his segment, he also spoke openly about the issues he faced from his concussion, including dealing with anxiety and motion sickness during his recovery. Baker has posted on Twitter about Cole’s return and expressed how proud she was of him.
“For months, the only time @AdamColePro left the house was to go to brain/physical therapy appointments. There was a time he wasn’t allowed to fly on planes or do anything more than go for a walk. I’m so damn proud of how hard he worked every single day to get back to you all,” said Baker.
Adam Cole responded to the tweet by saying, “Thanks for being in my corner every step of the way. Couldn’t have done it without you.”
(via AEW)
What’s Next For Adam Cole?
Although Cole made his return to AEW, it’s unclear when he will return to competition. In his promo, he didn’t say if he’s medically cleared to compete or when he expects to wrestle again. AEW also has yet to comment on when fans should expect to see Cole compete in the ring.
However, the important part of Cole’s return was that he seemed healthy and in good spirits. Cole’s immediate wrestling future may be unclear, but he is still motivated to be a top performer in professional wrestling.
All Elite Wrestling superstar Saraya wouldn’t mind participating in intergender wrestling matches in AEW.
Intergender wrestling matches I’ve caused debate throughout the years between wrestling fans. Some critics may say they don’t like seeing men wrestle women. However, people that support intergender wrestling may point out that it creates equal opportunity and that men and women should be able to work together. It’s a wrestling debate that doesn’t have a right or wrong answer but could depend on a fan’s preference.
Saraya spoke about possibly facing a male wrestler in AEW on the Whoo’s House Podcast. The AEW talent shared that she’s open to having an intergender match but doesn’t think fans would like it.
“I feel like people are really sensitive in this world currently, and it’s really hard to do matches like that without someone being offended by it. I would love to do matches like that.”
– Saraya on Intergender wrestling
Who Would Saraya Face in an Intergender Match?
(AEW)
As Saraya discussed possibly having an intergender match, DJ Whoo Kid asked about challenging Chris Jericho. She added that it is something that she has thought about with her boyfriend, Ronnie Radke.
“…It writes itself. I said even Ronnie even wanted to become part of it, like a storyline to do something against Chris Jericho,” said Saraya. Radke added that he loves Jericho, so it’s unclear if he wants to get physical with Jericho.
Saraya continued, “…He’s such a good bad guy. He plays a very good bad guy and people just love to hate him but I feel like they would have such a good storyline. I would love to wrestle one of the guys. If I have to beat up Chris Jericho, Chris Jericho I’m sure he’d be like ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ He doesn’t care, he’s very selfless worker. He’s a good guy. He’ll wrestle anybody and if he has to let somebody win he’d be like ‘Absolutely.’ There’s never an ego there, he’s always just like ‘Sure.’ He just wants to help people.
After praising Jericho’s selflessness, she joked that if they wrestled, she’d “…beat that sh*t out of him.” It’s unclear if Jericho would be interested in doing an intergender match. Fans may remember Jericho had a rivalry with WWE Hall of Famer Chyna in the 90s. However, Jericho is currently in a feud with Ricky Starks and Action Andretti.
Saraya has put the idea to the public, and it’s up to AEW and Jericho to make it happen.
All Elite Wrestling tag team FTR will take a break from the company as their contracts expire.
After leaving the WWE, the “Top Guys” have worked with AEW since 2020. During their career in AEW, FTR has gained popularity and success by winning the AEW, Ring of Honor, IWGP, and AAA Tag Team Championships. However, FTR’s future with the company is unclear.
FTR’s Dax Harwood spoke openly about the team’s contract situation on the Jan. 12 episode of his podcast. He also received permission from his teammate Cash Wheeler to publicly discuss the team’s status. He said the team has no championship titles, so they have a clean slate for the year.
“… I’ve also got the blessing of Tony Khan to talk about this and make a statement about this. Tony has been nothing but top-notch to me and Dan since day one. There are things we haven’t agreed on, as any boss and any employee, and even any friend. There are times I felt the boat was missed on opportunities for us. There were times that I was super happy with everything we were doing,” said Harwood.
Harwood began to explain why the team’s future with AEW is uncertain. “But, there has come a time where we are on the tail end of our career, okay. I mean, I’m 38 years old. I talked last week about how hard it is for me to play with my daughter and things like that. We are on the tail end of our career now, so I think right now this point in our career is the most important time in our career. I mean that monetarily. I mean that creatively. I mean that personally. It is the most important time of our career. With that being said, we have asked and been granted the next few months off of television so we can sit back, reflect, decide, let our bodies heal and figure out what we are going to do for the next few years, because whatever we decided to do next will be the absolute last thing we do.”
Dax Harwood Talks About His Future and FTR’s Expiring Contract
It’s unclear what Wheeler thinks about the future of FTR or his career. However, Harwood is still determining if he or the team will be active in five years.
“…I don’t see myself after I’m done with whatever we are going to decide next. I don’t see myself in five years going on the independents and wrestling independents. I don’t see myself working in five years a Japan tour or a Mexico tour or traveling around the world and wrestling all over places. That’s why these next few months are the most important few months for us, said Harwood.
He continued, “…By April at least at most we will have an answer, but now again I have to take in my health, I have to take in my family, I have to take in my creativity and I have to take in my personal life all into consideration about what we are going to do next. I know what I want to do, but whatever we do I just want to be respected. We, I feel, I have done something so special in 2022 and most of that is in part to the fans. I think we deserve to continue to build on our legacy for ourselves, but also we owe it to the fans to build on that legacy because they made us this past year.
What’s Next For FTR?
Harwood confirmed that FTR’s contract would expire this April. He also shared that he isn’t sure how long FTR will not be on AEW TV. The company did tease a feud between The Gunn Club and FTR, but it’s uncertain if AEW will drop the storyline until they can confirm FTR will re-sign.
If FTR’s next contract is their last, it’s possible both Harwood and Wheeler could be in their early 40’s. The AEW tag team is in limbo as both men try to figure out what is best for themselves. That could also mean testing free agency in April for the best offers for their careers and personal life.
It appears that All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) Young Bucks were actually offered to be part of Wrestle Kingdom 17 recently.
Sports Illustrated caught up with The Young Bucks this week ahead of yesterday’s episode of AEW Dynamite. The duo, alongside Kenny Omega, ended up re-capturing the AEW World Trios Titles on the program.
During their conversation, the topic of Kenny Omega’s return to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) at Wrestle Kingdom 17 was mentioned.
The duo revealed that they were actually offered to work the show in Omega’s corner for his match with Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Championship.
“We were actually asked to wrestle and be in Kenny’s corner,” Nick said. “But Matt and I had vacation plans that week. Maybe next year. Who knows?”
(AEW)
Matt added, “We got a fantastic offer. Personally, the timing and the situation didn’t fit for us. I’m sure one day you’ll see us back in a NJPW ring.”
Omega went on to win the match, capturing the IWGP US Title for the second time. He now reigns as the title holder for NJPW, as well as one-third of the Trios Champions in AEW.
The Elite captured the Trios Titles after winning a lengthy Best Of Seven series against Death Triangle.
With rumors running rampant about a WWE sale, Conrad Thompson has chimed in on whether or not he believes AEW’s Tony Khan could put in a winning bid.
Thompson recently took to his podcast with Eric Bischoff, “83 Weeks,” to discuss the ongoing rumors about a potential WWE sale. The longtime professional wrestling podcaster noted he has received calls from multiple people asking if he thinks Khan could purchase WWE.
While Thompson believes that Khan certainly has the ability to purchase WWE, he’s not sure it would make much sense for him to do so.
“I got two phone calls last week from different people who, well, they’re names in the wrestling community,” Conrad Thompson said. “‘Would Tony Khan have the capacity to buy WWE?’ And, I think the answer is, yes, he has the capacity.
“There is no question that he would be able to put together a deal. But, I would just, I would put the odds of that being near zero. Like what would be, I don’t know why Tony Khan would do that. I don’t see the upside of Tony Khan doing that.
“How much of your 11 billion dollars of your net worth — depending on how much of it is even liquid — are you willing to put on WWE? … You’ve got the Jags, you’ve got a football team in England, you’ve got AEW, I don’t know what other businesses they’re in, but do you really, really want to do that?”
Recently, Vince McMahon returned to WWE’s board of directors to reportedly help facilitate a trade. Frontrunners have emerged for the purchasing; with names like Amazon, FOX, and Comcast leading the way.
There was a brief rumor that the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund secured and finalized a deal to purchase WWE, however, that report was later proven false as no deal has been completed as of this writing.
Despite this, the Saudi investment fund still remains a very real contender to purchase the professional wrestling juggernaut.
This popular wrestling promotion celebrated its four-year anniversary recently and will soon be teaming with the hit quiz show Jeopardy.
The answer: What is All Elite Wrestling?
That’s at least according to AEW referee Bryce Remsburg, who on Twitter this week, shared a photo from the Jeopardy studio.
In his tweet, Remsburg thanked Ken Jennings, the host of the show for letting him visit his work, and teased a crossover project between AEW and Jeopardy that will be revealed next week.
Thanks to the great @KenJennings for letting me come visit him at work this week.
All Elite Wrestling may still be a young company (celebrating its four-year anniversary this week) but Tony Khan’s brand of wrestling has struck a chord with the mainstream.
Last June, several AEW stars, including Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Christian Cage, Ruby Soho, Powerhouse Hobbs, MJF, and Britt Baker, appeared on Apple TV’s Carpool Karaoke.
Not long after, it was confirmed that AEW’s Orange Cassidy, Kris Statlander, and Chuck Taylor would be part of season two of Netflix’s hit show ‘The Floor is Lava.’
The show sees teams attempt to traverse an obstacle course without falling in the ‘lava’ below.
Wrestlers and Game Shows
This will be the first time AEW teams with Jeopardy, but will hardly be the first example of wrestlers appearing on a quiz show.
In November 2001, stars of the WWF appeared on a celebrity edition of the Weakest Link, which was won by Triple H.
The Game outlasted other stars and his wife Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley to win for his charity.
A second edition of the show was hosted the following year, with the Big Red Machine Kane (in full Kane attire) defeating Bubba Ray Dudley in the finals.
Clad in street clothes, Adam Cole (baybay) said he had some “good news and some bad news.”
Cole asked if everyone was “ready for story time with Adam Cole, baybay?” He spoke about how thankful he is for his career and life. He revealed that he has been dealing with a “shoulder that was torn to shreds” and consecutive head injuries. He shared that he was seeing doctors multiple times a week. He struggled with headaches and dizziness, especially if he was riding in a car. Cole was struggling with anxiety.
Cole got emotional recounting what he’s been through and said he had bad news. But, it wasn’t for him. It was “for the AEW locker room because Adam Cole is back!” He thought his career was finished, but he “will not stop until I’m the very best.”
Saraya is bringing back up to AEW Dynamite tonight when she teams with Toni Storm to take on Britt Baker and AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter.
This will mark Sarayay’s second match in AEW as she worked her first match since 2017 last November at the Full Gear pay-per-view event against Bakker.
The match has drawn a lot of buzz, with many expecting Mercedes Mone to be involved in some capacity. Originally, Saraya announced that she would have a mystery partner that she would pick, which sparked speculation the former Sasha Banks would be filling that role.
The former WWE star had to wait out her non-compete clause that expired on January 1 before she made her NJPW debut just days later at Wrestle Kingdom 17 when she confronted KAIRI.
The Tease
AEW later announced that Storm would be teaming up with Saraya. There’s been speculation that Mone could show up after the match. Saraya stated during a Twitch live stream today that she has used two tickets she was given b yBaker.
Saraya stated, “Britt did give me two tickets, and they were put to good use, so thank you, Britt!”
We will have to wait and see who Saraya gave her tickets to for tonight’s Dynamite from the Forum in Los Angeles, CA.
Tony Khan says AEW plans to begin running non-televised live events.
All Elite Wrestling does not currently run house shows. This comes with positives and negatives. Many wrestlers find the AEW schedule favorable to WWE’s, because it is far less demanding.
AEW films Dynamite and Rampage on Wednesday nights most weeks, leading to a lighter travel schedule and more free time. On the flip side, the company is not earning revenue from a full-time touring schedule and younger talent is not getting the experience they need to develop as performers.
Beginning to run live events will bring a significant change to AEW’s business model. The initiative brings logistical coordination, as well as new expenses. However, it also comes with increased revenue from ticket and merchandise sales.
AEW Live Events Coming Soon
(AEW)
Khan appeared on the In The Zone podcast earlier this week and says AEW is actively talking about taking their show on the road.
“We have a great live events team,” said Khan. “It’s something we’ve talked a lot about and building out the live event business.”
When Jeff Jarrett signed with AEW in November 2022 and was named the Director of Business Development, the belief was that his function would include getting their house show business up and running.
Khan says the wrestlers and fans want AEW live events, so it’s something that he’s motivated to make happen.
“There is definitely a lot of demand for AEW live events, and now we have this great big strong roster that wants to do these live events, so it’s something we’re going to do.”
– Tony Khan
Jim Ross also recently addressed the topic of AEW live events on his Grilling JR podcast. He stated last month, “I believe, I don’t know this to be a fact but I believe in 2023, that AEW will be in the house show/ live event business to some degree. I just think that it’s an opportunity that can be capitalized upon if AEW is strategic in their planning. I think that’s what Jeff Jarrett is working on.”
H/T to Fightful and Jeremy Lambert for the transcribed quotes
The wrestling world is still processing the return of Vince McMahon to WWE as a member of the Board Of Directors along with Michelle Wilson and George Barrios.
Last July, the wrestling world changed when Vince McMahon announced his retirement and stepped down as WWE CEO amidst the hush money scandal, leading to Triple H taking over WWE creative. Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan were named co-CEOs. Stephanie also took over as Chairwoman.
McMahon officially returned on January 6, 2023, as a member of the board to help with media rights negotiations and a potential sale. WWE has reportedly hired JPMorgan to advise on a potential sale. Many people believe that McMahon will find a way or force his way back into power and take over creative again.
Khan’s Take
While speaking on In The Zone, AEW President Tony Khan was asked if he’s been following the news of Vince’s return to WWE. Khan responded,
“Yeah, absolutely. I’m following it very closely.”
– Tony Khan
Khan was asked what separated AEW and WWE and if there was room for both companies. Khan thinks there is enough room for both promotions but thinks what separates them are the fans of AEW, as they’ve built a loyal fanbase and cited the television ratings.
WWE’s media rights for WWE Raw on USA Network and WWE SmackDown on Fox are set to expire in 2024. They will be gearing up for its next set of negotiations with TV networks later this year for media rights.
