Andrade El Idolohasn’t used the way he and fans thought he would be in AEW when he signed with the promotion. He was believed to be on his way out of the company at one point. He has further ignited the fuel by posting a cryptic message.
El Idolo made a name for himself in Mexico before signing with WWE, where he was a top NXT star. However, expectations weren’t met on the main roster due to his booking, so he left the company in March 2021.
El Idolo made his debut in AEW in June 2021. When he first debuted, some fans thought he would have a better run in All Elite than he had in WWE. However, that clearly has not happened.
Andrade is sidelined with an injury, and it’s been heavily reported that he was unhappy in AEW and wants to leave the company despite having years left on his deal.
The Post
On social media, he shared a photo that showed his mask packed in a bag with a goodbye message in the caption.“Bye!!!”
A fan asked Conrad Thompson why Andrade is not following him on Twitter. Andrade saw the post and responded, “someday I will be with you in the podcasts and I will talk about everything….Sueña Interesante!”
If Andrade does leave AEW, it will be interesting to see if he returns to WWE under the new management led by WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H.
Wrestling veteran Konnan doesn’t fancy Mercedes Moné’s chances in AEW if she decides to become ‘All-Elite.’
The former Sasha Banks made her debut last month for New Japan Pro Wrestling, attacking IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI after a successful title defense.
KAIRI will put her title on the line against Moné at NJPW Battle in the Valley in San Jose, California on February 18.
A Couple of Weeks
Despite Moné being contracted to New Japan, there is plenty of speculation that she will soon compete for AEW.
On his Keepin’ it 100 podcast, Konnan shared his doubts about how Moné would fair in AEW.
“I’m just afraid, and all you’ve got to do is look at their past history, that [Moné is] going to be there, be a big deal for a few couple weeks and then they won’t know what to do with her.”
Konnan.
It had been speculated that Moné would be Saraya’s mystery partner for this week’s tag-team match against Dr. Britt Baker and AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter.
Though AEW has announced that Saraya will team with Toni Storm, many believe that Storm will be taken out of the match, giving Moné the spot.
One Woman Roster
Konnan is hardly the only person to have an issue with AEW’s women’s division, as this has been one of Tony Khan’s biggest pitfalls.
After Thunder Rosa had a minute-long backstage segment to explain her injury last August, Khan said he opted not to give her a long in-ring spot (akin to CM Punk’s injury) as he believed it wouldn’t be a ratings draw.
On his podcast, Konnan said that the whole women’s division is Britt, Britt, and Britt,” referring to Baker’s frequent appearances, and called on AEW to “give other girls a chance.”
Legendary wrestling broadcaster Jim Ross has no plans to retire, despite fans who complain online about his work.
JR spoke about this topic and more on the latest episode of his Grilling JR podcast focusing on the 1998 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.The Oklahoma native is a polarizing figure these days. He’s one of the most iconic voices in wrestling history, but some believe his best days are behind him. If ever he makes a mistake while calling a match, it quickly becomes a topic of conversation on social media.
Ross says he sees negative feedback about his work every day, including calls for him to retire. With nearly five decades in the business, he’d developed a thick skin.
Retiring on His Terms
Jim Ross was a legend before many of these ‘critics’ were born. He still enjoys what he does and is savoring this chapter of his illustrious career.
“I read about it every day. ‘When is JR Going to quit? When is JR going to get off Wednesday, I gotta get off the air.’ Well, you know, I got no timeline on this thing. I know when my agreement with Tony Khan is up. But does that mean I’m not going to continue? No.”
– Jim Ross
Ross is in charge of his destiny and gets to decide the amount of work and travel he takes on. The older he gets, the more he feels that he does not want to pass up on these valuable opportunities to continue contributing.
In addition to his role as an on-air commentator, Ross also serves as a ‘senior advisor’ for AEW. At some point, the day will come when he hangs up the headset. Even then, he can still contribute in a managerial role.
Daniel Garcia’s departure from this year’s Battle of Los Angeles came about thanks to a request by All Elite Wrestling.
In the first round of the tournament hosted by Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Garcia lost to Titus Alexander, who would lose to Konsuke Takeshita in the second round.
Takeshita would make it to the tournament finals, where he would lose a 27-minute war to ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey.
Request
Given that he is the reigning PWG World Champion, Garcia’s early elimination came as a shock to the fans in attendance.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that AEW did not want Garcia to lose clean, and requested the DQ finish.
While Garcia came up short this year, he won last year’s Battle of Los Angeles, ironically defeating this year’s winner Mike Bailey in the finals.
Night Two
Garcia’s elimination from the tournament allowed him to exit the running without dropping a fall, but also freed him up for night two of the event.
On the second night, Garcia, would make a surprise appearance among the rest of the Jericho Appreciation Society.
That show saw Chris Jericho make his PWG debut, teaming with Garcia, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker and Sammy Guevara to defeat Jonathan Gresham, Evil Uno, SB Kento, Michael Oku, and Kevin Blackwood.
Jericho got the pinfall on Blackwood, and after the match, said he and the JAS had a “f***ing blast.”
The former AEW World Champion added that PWG is the modern-day ECW in that the show has passion and allows indie wrestlers to hone their skills in front of a rabid crowd.
Last Wednesday, Mercedes Monè made her much anticipated debut in NJPW at Wrestle Kingdom 17. She’s been the talk of the wrestling world and the conversation has turned to AEW.
Last month, AEW began hyping up a mystery opponent for Saraya for the January 11 episode of Dynamite. Social media began buzzing that none other than Monè would be her partner. The two have a history and it would make sense for “The Blueprint” to be her partner. Last week, Saraya told Toni Storm that she was her partner.
Matt Hardy on what Mercedes Monè would bring to AEW
On the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Hardy said that Monè “really bet on herself. It’s hard for me not to appreciate that because I’m one of those guys too where I feel like — Vince knew that too — I don’t have to be in WWE. I’m not afraid to step out of Alexandria, a safe zone. I kind of compare Alexandria from the Walking Dead to WWE. If you stay inside and you have these walls, you’re going to have like, a nice life and it’s safe and it’s easy. You can make decent money and it’s good. But, you can go outside those walls and you can survive on your own, but you have to hustle. So, I have huge respect for anyone who is willing to leave WWE and go out and hustle on their own.”
“I think Mercedes is killing it and she’s doing a great job keeping herself relevant, keeping herself in conversations, being a huge talking point in wrestling business and showing up in New Japan and doing what she did. It was a big deal.”
When asked if he could see Monè in AEW, Hardy replied, “without a doubt.” “I could almost see her being a free agent for a while and just doing spots in AEW. I could definitely see that happening. And it wouldn’t surprise me if she ends up showing up this coming up Dynamite as the mystery partner. It wouldn’t surprise me at all. I don’t know, I don’t have that information. But, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
(Note: this episode was recorded prior to Saraya’s announcement of Toni Storm.)
On what Monè would bring to AEW, Hardy declares that “she is a big star. I mean, there’s no ifs, ands, or buts, about it. I mean, she really has put a ton of equity on her name and on her character and on her identity as a pro wrestler. And she’s been able to continue to hold that as she hasn’t been working with WWE. She’s kept herself in the headlines, which is great.”
“Her coming in to AEW would be a big deal. I feel in some ways, it would be very similar to almost like Cody situation in some ways. It’s like a huge jump; left WWE and came to AEW. It would have that feel.”
After becoming the first woman to sign with AEW, Baker would go on to become the first woman to win an AEW match, defeating Nyla Rose, Kylie Rae, and Awesome Kong, in fatal-four-way action at Double or Nothing 2019.
A legitimate concussion suffered at AEW Fight for the Fallen that July sparked a feud between herself and Bea Priestly (now WWE’s Blair Davenport) leading to a match on the Full Gear pre-show which Baker would win.
Turning heel in January 2020, Baker would suffer a leg injury that forced her to miss much of 2020, and would return at All Out to lose to Big Swole that September.
Baker’s breakout performance would come on the March 17, 2021 AEW Dynamite, where she lost to Thunder Rosa in the critically-acclaimed Lights Out match.
Despite the loss, Baker’s momentum was undeniable, and would win the AEW Women’s World Championship at Double or Nothing 2021, and won the inaugural Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament at the following year’s event.
This Wednesday will see Baker team with her ally and current AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter to face Saraya and Toni Storm, in the former Paige’s second match with AEW.
Chris Jericho has now added yet another promotion to his impressive collection by showing up at Pro Wrestling Guerilla’s Battle of Los Angeles.
Alongside the entire roster of the Jericho Appreciation Society, the former World Champion teamed with Sammy Guevara, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, and Daniel Garcia, who is the reigning PWG World Champion
The Jericho Appreciation Society would face Jonathan Gresham, Evil Uno, SB Kento, Michael Oku, and Kevin Blackwood in a 10-man tag bout.
Jericho’s debut for PWG proved to be a successful one, with the leader of the JAS getting the pinfall on Blackwood after hitting the Judas Effect.
Dave Meltzer’s live notes on the match called it “super entertaining” and that the crowd and wrestlers treated it as a “major match, all action.”
Meltzer added that there was a slow-motion spot for minutes until Jericho started chopping Oku hard, and called Oku and Jericho the highlight of the match.
Jericho gave Blackwood multiple near-falls on him before hitting the Judas Effect.
After the Match
Jericho and his team were victorious, but the former AEW and WWE World Champion had plenty to say after the match.
Saying that they had a “f***ing blast,” Jericho added that PWG is “the modern-day ECW,” noting the passion of the fans and the lack of guard rails.
Jericho added that PWG, like ECW has a great atmosphere that allows indie wrestlers to hone their skills in front of a rabid crowd.
AEW’s Kyle O’Reilly has opened up about his recovery and the post-surgery issues that he’s had to deal with.
O’Reilly, a former WWE NXT Tag Team Champion, in December 2021 as he opted not to resign his contract, and debuted for AEW weeks later.
His arrival in AEW saw O’Reilly reunite with Adam Cole and Bobby Fish, members of NXT’s Undisputed Era, and briefly formed the Undisputed Elite with the Young Bucks.
Surgery
O’Reilly’s most recent match for AEW came in June of last year, where after winning a battle royal, lost to Jon Moxley in a AEW World Championship qualifying match for AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door.
In early September, O’Reilly posted an image to his Instagram story of himself laying in a hospital bed, and hinted that he had undergone neck fusion surgery.
Taking to Instagram this week, O’Reilly spoke about how it is a cliché, but he plans on this new year seeing a new him.
The 35-year-old wrestler added that he has been “dealing with a post-surgical issue” and promised to explain more later.
O’Reilly also spoke about living with diabetes and thanked those who have supported him change his approach to his condition and “hop off the blood sugar roller coaster.”
In an interview with Beyond Type 1 last October, O’Reilly said that this was his first “significant injury” throughout his 17-year wrestling career.
O’Reilly said that he will be using the time to evaluate himself so that he can come back better than ever, and be an overall better athlete.
Neither O’Reilly nor AEW have disclosed when fans can expect him back, but those who have dealt with neck-fusion surgery in the past have missed anywhere from nine months to a year of in-ring time.
O’Reilly’s Undisputed Era ally Bobby Fish left AEW last year and has since joined with Impact Wrestling.
Fans of Xavier Woods’ popular UpUpDownDown YouTube channel will soon get to hear the group’s single ‘Can’t Stop Da Party.’
Da Party consists of Woods, former WWE Superstar and current trainer Tyler Breeze, Ring of Honor World Champion Claudio Castagnoli, and AEW’s Adam Cole.
On Twitter, Cole shared an image of the four members and said it is just two more days before the track’s release.
Given that the tweet was released yesterday, that means that ‘Can’t Stop Da Party’ will drop at some point tomorrow.
Fans can find out more information on how to purchase the track by clicking here.
Harley Cameron
Harley Cameron, who has performed with Shotzi and Scarlett, will feature in the track set to be released on Monday.
All four members of Da Party have proven themselves in the ring, and while Woods can hold his own on the trombone, none are known for their singing.
In addition to the foursome, the track will feature Harley Cameron, who is a wrestler/singer.
Cameron worked with Shotzi and Scarlett last October for a cover of ‘I Put a Spell on You’ and produced the theme song for The IInspiration in Impact Wrestling.
Da Party
The quartet of Woods, Breeze, Castagnoli, and Cole were highlights of UpUpDownDown for years, but the group’s run was cut short by factors outside of their control.
Breeze was released from WWE in 2021, and Cole would choose not to re-sign with the company shortly after.
In October 2022, members of Da Party teased a reunion and in November, streamed on Twitch for their first time playing together since Cole’s departure.
Jade Cargill is getting rave reviews for her improved ring work.
The reigning TBS Champion is coming up on the two year anniversary of her AEW debut (March 3, 2021). She’s still early in wrestling career, which has led some critics to call her green. Fortunately, Cargill has star power to spare and had joked that she’s “green like money.”
On Friday’s live edition of AEW Rampage, Cargill successfully defended her gold against Skye Blue. Cargill looked impressive – especially this finishing sequence:
Jade Cargill is really improving – she’s been “green like money” but will be the total package sooner than later #TBSpic.twitter.com/5Xq60Npf6d
Ospreay is one of the most talented wrestlers in the world, so an endorsement from him carries a lot of weight. He just wrestled a Match-of-the-Year candidate against Kenny Omega at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17. The match was so good that Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer rated it 6.25 stars (on a scale of 1-5).
Ospreay is not the only main event star who has taken notice of Cargill’s development. Last month, Cargill was asked about her dream opponent. She named WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, “because she can go.” Flair replied:
Keep killing it queen. #undefeated
– Charlotte Flair to Jade Cargill
Ex-WWE Writer Freddie Prinze Jr. is also a big fan of Cargill, calling her an incredibly unique performer and likening her to a unicorn who deserves to be booked in a special way.
“Lions and tigers and bears are cool, but a Unicorn, a Minotaur, a Cerberus,” said Prinze. “They’re magic, and they’re treated that way in the stories I read as a kid. And that’s what Jade is, she’s a Unicorn.”
There’s no doubt that Jade Cargill is one of the most promising home-grown stars on the AEW roster. The 48-0 champion has proven that she’s willing to put the work in to improve her skills. If she continues at this pace, she really will be the “total package” in the near future.
Although it was originally believed that AEW reached out to The Young Bucks about negotiating a new contract, the two sides have yet to officially begin the process of doing so.
Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez discussed the situation on Wednesday’s Wrestling Observer Radio.
According to Meltzer, the deals for both Nick & Matt Jackson are up at the end of 2023. AEW President Tony Khan is looking to “lock them in” to a new deal for multiple years.
Where Things Stand
“AEW contacted them and wants to start the negotiations, but there have been no negotiations as of today, and they are certainly not close to a deal,” Meltzer said on the show.
Alvarez noted that it’d been acknowledged by both sides that they should be negotiating, but that acknowledgment is all that has been done right now.
Meltzer stated it’s similar to when AEW re-signed Chris Jericho to a new deal despite him still having time on his existing deal.
On next week’s episode of Dynamite, The Young Bucks will team with Kenny Omega in the seventh and final match in their series with Death Triangle for the AEW Trios Titles.
Darby Allin has regained the AEW TNT Championship, and the face-painted wrestler didn’t wait long before offering a title match to one of the company’s youngest prospects.
During this week’s Dynamite, Allin dethroned Samoa Joe to win the gold, ending the Samoan Submission Machine’s reign at 46 days.
The closing sequence saw Allin throw Joe into an exposed turnbuckle and hit a Code Red and multiple Coffin Drops to get the win.
This win marks Allin’s second AEW TNT title reign, as he held the title for 186 days (a record-long reign) after winning the gold at Full Gear 2020.
Allin’s Title Defense
AEW Dynamite went off the air with Allin celebrating his newly-won championship with Sting, who hoisted the young wrestler in the air to close out the show.
After Dynamite finished taping, Allin brought Nick Wayne into the ring and promised him a shot at the TNT Championship once he finishes high school.
After #AEWDynamite went off the air, Darby brought Nick Wayne in the ring and promised him a TNT Title match after he graduated High School. pic.twitter.com/zRtCT6mLHY
At 17-years-old, Wayne is the second-youngest name signed to an All Elite Wrestling contract, only being bested by ‘Negative One’ Brodie Lee Jr.
Wayne is yet to compete for AEW due to his age, but has big plans for his future in the ring.
Speaking to Andrew Thompson last April, Wayne said he’s ready to wrestle for AEW the moment he turns 18 and in some impressive foreshadowing, spoke about a match with Allin.
“I hope it happens one day. Me and Darby have so much backstory behind us. You know, I was there for Darby’s first day of training. Yeah, he was trained by my father. I saw him about 4-5 times a week training. We have a really big story together.”
Nick Wayne.
Outside of AEW, Wayne has competed for GCW, DEFY, and PROGRESS among other promotions.
The Young Bucks will seemingly be staying with All Elite Wrestling for quite some time as the duo is discussing new deals with the company.
Matt and Nick Jackson are founding members of AEW, having co-created the company in 2019 alongside the likes of Tony Khan, Kenny Omega, and Cody Rhodes.
In the ring, the Bucks are the first (and only) two-time AEW World Tag Team Champions, and hold the record for most days as champion (330 days.)
Contracts
The Young Bucks have been in discussions with All Elite Wrestling about new contracts for some time, Fightful Select has learned.
It is currently unclear how long these new deals will be for, or if they have already been signed.
The length of the Young Bucks’ current contracts with AEW is something of a mystery, with conflicting reports over their length.
Upon AEW’s launch in January 2019, the Wrestling Observer reported that the Bucks, Omega, and Rhodes had signed five-year deals which would expire in early 2024.
On the October 7, 2019, episode of Being the Elite, the contracts were described as “four-year deals,” meaning that they would expire at some point this year.
Several sources in AEW told Fightful that the Young Bucks have been discussing new contracts with the company that would keep them around “for quite some time.”
Frozen Contracts?
There is a possibility that Tony Khan froze the deals for the Young Bucks following the controversy stemming from All Out.
The now-infamous September 2022 Pay-Per-View is primarily remembered for CM Punk’s explosive comments after the event, and the backstage fight.
This fight resulted in all parties involved being suspended, which included the Bucks, who would miss two months of TV time before returning at AEW Full Gear.
AEW is making their debut in Seattle. Of course, MJF couldn’t wait for the opportunity to trash the city before Dynamite went on air.
The AEW World Champion told the crowd they “blew it” before a video played of the Seahawks losing the Super Bowl. MJF said it’s because they suck to which the crowd laughed.
In another tweet, a fan noted that MJF said Seattle is depressing, the SuperSonics left for Oklahoma, and that Kurt Cobain died by suicide.
MJF cuts a promo on Seattle, how it’s depressing here, how the SuperSonics left for OKLAHOMA, how Cobain killed himself, and then showed a clip of Seattle losing the Superbowl pic.twitter.com/RmV0J4QmAf
Last week, AEW tweeted a graphic stating that the champion was contractually obligated to be in Seattle. He quote tweeted it with “haven’t I suffered enough?”
Bryan Danielson has a match on Wednesday night against Tony Nese. Danielson and MJF have been feuding since the champ turned on Regal and attacked him. MJF has a penchant for sitting in suites to watch matches of his nemesis.
Fans of All Elite Wrestling have been given a glimpse of the show’s new introductory package, complete with a remixed theme song.
It has been reported that the new look has been in the works for some time ahead of tonight’s show.
In a tweet, the official AEW account shared the new intro which includes the likes of Chris Jericho, FTR, Orange Cassidy, Jon Moxley, Darby Allin, and MJF.
Tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite will take place at the Climate Arena, in Seattle, Washington, marking the debut for AEW in the city known for the likes of Bill Gates, Jimmy Hendrix, and Dr. Frasier Crane.
Here is an EXCLUSIVE look at the new #AEWDynamite intro!
This week’s AEW Dynamite will see AEW TNT Champion Samoa Joe defend against Darby Allin.
AEW World Champion MJF is “contractually obligated” to make an appearance, while AEW World Tag Champions The Acclaimed will defend against Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
Jon Moxley has also been announced to make an appearance.
New Era
After a difficult 2022, with injuries, suspensions, arrests and more, AEW is looking to turn over a new leaf in 2023.
Appearing on the Sports Guys Talk Wrestling podcast, AEW President Tony Khan addressed the new look for the show.
“It’s a sports-based presentation and that’s what we always go for. It’s a great pro wrestling show and we wanted to change the set to reflect a new era, and I think it’s going to be a great look. It’s a great set.”
Fans of the current AEW roster won’t have to worry too much about the fate of the in-ring action, which will remain unchanged according to Khan.
“It’s still going to be the same great wrestling with new matches and new stories and a lot to look forward to.”
Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood will defend the IWGP World Tag Team Championships at Wrestle Kingdom 17, but the trip to the show has been far from easy.
The AEW tag team will defend their titles later today against Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi.)
The IWGP World Tag Championships are the only titles that FTR currently holds, after losing the Ring of Honor World Tag Titles and AAA World Tag Team Titles in December of last year.
Travel Delay
Taking to Twitter, Wheeler explained that he had intended to make the trip to Tokyo on Monday morning, but he was not allowed to board his flight.
A flight to Atlanta that would have allowed Wheeler to fly to Japan was also delayed before later being canceled.
With no alternative, Wheeler had to drive to Atlanta to make his flight to Japan, and only recently arrived at his hotel in Tokyo.
Despite these setbacks, Wheeler remained positive about the match, saying it is “can’t miss.”
7am Monday: Issue with paperwork. Can’t board my flight to Japan. Bad.
7pm Monday: flight to ATL for new Tuesday morning flight delayed. Then cancelled.
10pm Monday: drive to ATL.
4:15am: Arrive at hotel.
WrestleKingdom day: land & go straight to the Dome.
Today’s title defense will make the third for Wheeler and Dax Harwood who captured the titles at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door in June of last year.
The AEW tag team’s first title defense was against Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) at NJPW Royal Quest II in October 2022.
Their second defense saw Wheeler and Harwood retain against United Empire (Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan) at NJPW Battle Autumn in November, the same team FTR dethroned at Forbidden Door.
For months after the proverbial ‘Brawl Out’ situation between CM Punk and The Elite (Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks) CM Punk has pretty much remained radio silent on all of his social media platforms.
Recently, Dax Harwood spoke about Punk on the first episode of his podcast for Adfree Shows. Since then, Punk has come out of the woodwork on a couple of occasions.
As always, Punk has chosen to remain mysterious and evocative with his social media presence.
On December 28, a twitter user quote a comment that Dax made on his podcast, in which he pleaded that CM Punk and The Elite “find a way to make it work.” Punk responded to the tweet, simply saying ‘Duh.’
It gave a lot of people hope that maybe, possibly, there might be a way to turn ‘Brawl Out’ into an angle that would make everybody involved a lot of money.
(AEW)
CM Punk Toots His Own Horn
Now, Punk has made a couple more posts, touting his success in AEW in terms of merchandise and video views.
Punk noted that his action figure was the number-one seller for AEW action figures in 2022. His AEW debut action figure was also the number-six best seller. That action figure came complete with an ice cream bar and commemorative t-shirt.
Punk was also the subject of three of the top 10 viewed YouTube videos that were published in 2022.
Whether Punk is simply taking a victory lap, or trying to sell others on how big of a “draw” he was remains to be seen. But there can be no question, Punk was a big component of the success of AEW in 2022.
Hopefully he could be a part of their success in 2023 as well.
There has been speculation about Jeff Hardy’s future in AEW following his DUI arrest last year, and now his brother, Matt, has cast doubt on whether he will return to wrestling.
Matt also revealed that Hardys were set to become AEW Tag Team Champions if Jeff had not been suspended by AEW and entered rehab after his legal issues.
Jeff Gone for Good?
“It’s just very unfortunate, the things that happened with Jeff. Hopefully it’s something that he is going to make into a positive and he’s going to turn everything around in his life, and he can come back and be better. We’ll see, I don’t know, I don’t know.
Maybe he comes back, maybe he doesn’t, but we were scheduled to do all kinds of things during the summer and it really sent me down a big path of detour following that, but it is what it is. It’s pro wrestling where you have to adapt and change on the fly, and I’ve made the most of it and tried to do what I can.”
The former WWE Champion was arrested on June 13. Hardy has been charged with Driving While License Canceled/Suspended/Revoked, Violation of Restrictions Placed on Drivers License, and DUI Alcohol/Drugs Third Offense within 10 Years. Hardy has entered a “not guilty” plea to the charge.
Dax Harwood’s new FTR podcast has only had one episode so far, but the show is already garnering both a following and a backlash.
Harwood’s new show with co-host Matt Koon replaces William Regal’s Gentleman Villain podcast, which has ended due to Regal’s departure from AEW and iminent return to WWE.
The first episode of the FTR podcast featured an in-depth discussion of CM Punk, who is currently on an extended hiatus from All Elite Wrestling.
Among the many Punk-related topics discussed, Harwood pleaded with Punk and The Elite to sit down and make amends so they can all move forward and do business together.
On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that people in AEW were ‘not particularly happy’ with everything that was said.
“From what I heard from different people, not the people who you probably heard from, they were not particularly happy at all about this. All I heard the other day was how unhappy people were about that podcast.”
Dave Meltzer.
It has been speculated that Harwood’s pro-Punk stance has caused this backlash, given that many in AEW are against bringing back the former World Champion.
When Harwood’s comments were shared on Instagram, Punk commented “Duh.”
WWE Hall of Famer and AEW commentator Jim Ross has had it with talking about the infamous 1997 Montreal Screwjob.
That year’s Survivor Series saw Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart lose the WWF Championship to Shawn Michaels despite never tapping to the Sharpshooter, after Vince McMahon called for the bell.
The infamous moment is cited by many as the birth of the evil Mr. McMahon character, while Bret would debut for World Championship Wrestling not long after.
Never
As WWE’s chief play-by-play announcer at the time, Jim Ross had a ringside seat to seeing the Screwjob go down.
Since then, Ross like others involved has spoken about what went down and what followed, but JR is saying enough.
On his Grilling JR podcast, the Oklahoma native expressed is frustration about having to relive the Screwjob.
“If we never talk about that [Survivor Series] again ever in my life, I’ll be very content. Having to relive it again and again [is awful.]”
Jim Ross.
Hart would eventually return to WWE in January 2010 and has made appearances for the promotion ever since.
In an interview, Hart would say that Michaels’ WrestleMania 25 match with The Undertaker would play a role in his return, as he questioned how he could have so much hatred for Michaels, a man he also respected.
Punching the Boss
Hart has since made amends with Michaels and McMahon, but in the heat of the moment, the Hitman wasn’t in a forgiving mood.
After the match, Hart trashed the ringside area and backstage, punched McMahon in the face.
WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling are teaming up for Karl Anderson to compete at Wrestle Kingdom 17, but that’s not a problem for Tony Khan.
Anderson returned to WWE alongside Luke Gallows in October of last year, despite holding the NJPW Never Openweight Championship at the time.
After opting to compete at WWE Crown Jewel over NJPW Battle Autumn in November, the Machine Gun will wrestle this Wednesday at Wrestle Kingdom.
Cool
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 will be a stacked show, with talent from New Japan, WWE, AEW, and STARDOM all competing.
Speaking to Fightful Select, New Japan’s Rocky Romero said he speaks with Khan quite frequently and was the one to tell Khan about WWE and NJPW working together.
Khan “understood why” the deal had been reached, and said he was “cool” about what was happening.
Anderson will defend the NJPW Never Openweight Championship against Tama Tonga this Wednesday.
Kenny Omega
AEW will have representation at Wrestle Kingdom 17, with Kenny Omega challenging for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Will Ospreay.
Romero told Fightful that Omega was forecasting his return to NJPW, teasing a match with Ospreay, before it was even a done deal.
Speaking about Omega’s suspension from AEW following the backstage fight at All Out, Romero said it “caused a pause” as nobody knew what was going to happen.
Romero said that NJPW worked with Barry Bloom on making this happen, and that Bloom was the one that made the Chris Jericho deal when he was in NJPW years ago.
Dax Harwood has been especially busy as of late, competing for ROH, AEW, and AAA, but the FTR member is working hurt.
Harwood and Cash Wheeler recently competed at AAA’s Noches de Campeones event, losing the AAA World Tag Team Titles to Dragon Lee and Dralistico.
Post-match, Dragon Lee announced that he has signed with WWE and the titles have since been vacated.
Working Hurt
This title loss comes mere weeks after FTR was dethroned as Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champions, losing to The Briscoes at ROH Final Battle.
Harwood is still banged up from the Double Dog Collar match and is working through the pain, Fightful Select reports.
Harwood was reportedly injured after being suplexed by Jay Briscoe onto a pile of steel chairs.
What’s Next for FTR?
There’s no rest for Harwood though, as he and Wheeler will be defending the IWGP World Tag Team Championships next week at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.
FTR, who won the titles at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door in June of this year, will defend against Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi.)
In a previous report from Fightful, Harwood told the site that he believes his and Wheeler’s contracts with AEW expire in April of next year.
Harwood also suggested that the pair may take a year away from pro-wrestling, or possibly just work non-televised events.
Speaking on the final episode of the Gentleman Villain podcast this month, Harwood refuted claims that they complained backstage about their role in WWE, adding that they knew they’d stay “in the rut” if they remained with the promotion.
William Regal is officially no longer under contract with All Elite Wrestling. The former leader of the Blackpool Combat Club wants people to know he truly enjoyed his time there and any reports to the contrary are incorrect.
Regal announced on Twitter that his contract officially expired on Thursday, December 29, 2022.
“Yesterday was my last official day with AEW. I’d like to thank Tony Khan, Megha and all the hard working crew.
Contrary to people who’ve never spoken to me or have their information from people who don’t know me or are trying to make themselves noticed, I had a lovely time working there and had a great time. Lots of talented Wrestlers, and lovely people to work for.
To my fellow BCC members, it was a special, albeit brief few months but it cemented our already strong friendship. To everyone there, thank you for welcoming me. Best wishes.”
Regal will be returning to work for WWE in early 2023. He’s expected to resume working at the Performance Center and the company’s developmental brand, NXT.
Regal previously served as the General Manager authority figure in NXT, but he’ll remain behind the scenes for the foreseeable future. The terms of his AEW release require this to be a non-televised role.
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Britt Baker, Saraya and Eddie Kingston were among a group of performers who were unable to attend the latest Holiday Bash edition of AEW Dynamite.
After Dynamite went off the air, AEW taped matches for Friday’s Rampage. The show will feature Orange Cassidy defending the All Atlantic Championship against Trent Baretta, Swerve Strickland vs. Wheeler Yuta and Jade Cargill vs. Kiera Hogan. We’ll also hear from Jon Mocxley, AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter, Darby Allin and Sting.
Hall of Famer announcer Jim Ross will not be part of the broadcast, but it’s not due to any problems with his flights. AEW President Tony Khan gave JR the night off on Wednesday so he could attend the big Cheez-It Bowl game in Orlando, FL featuring Florida State vs. JR’s beloved Oklahoma Sooners.
The commentary team for Rampage will instead see Excalibur calling the action alongside Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight. JR will be back at the announcer’s desk next week for the first Rampage of 2023.
FTR are no longer the AAA World Tag Team Champions and their time with the promotion has come to an end.
At the recent AAA Noche de Campeones, the team’s 438-day reign ended at the hands of Dragon Lee and Dralistico.
After the match, Lee announced that he has signed with WWE and the titles have since been vacated.
Finished
FTR’s title loss marks the end of their 438-day reign as champions, and also marks the end of their AAA run, Fightful Select has learned.
It is reported that the tag team is “finished up” with AAA for the time being, and had informed the promotion that they wanted to lose the titles by the end of the year.
Fightful noted that FTR’s reign has been surprising, given that they are AEW talents who have been working with AAA and NJPW.
AAA and NJPW do not have a working relationship akin to New Japan’s agreement with AEW.
What’s next?
It has been a difficult month for FTR, who in addition to losing the AAA World Tag Titles, lost the ROH World Tag Team Championships to The Briscoes at Final Battle.
The pair’s next title defense will be at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17, where they will put the IWGP World Tag Team Titles on the line against Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi
Speaking to Fightful recently, Dax Harwood said he believes their contracts with All Elite Wrestling are up in the Spring and have considered wrestling off of national television for a while.
