It’s common to hear wrestling personalities talking about how storylines from the Attitude Era got them hooked on wrestling. However, we have seen the rise of a new generation of talent in recent years which grew up watching the programming of the more recent times. Britt Baker is one such star who actually became a fan of wrestling after watching one of the most popular storylines from the PG era of WWE.
The former AEW Women’s Champion recently had an interview with The Ringer. She talked about things such as her rivalry with Thunder Rosa, the women’s division of AEW, and more. Speaking about how she became a fan of wrestling, Britt Baker revealed that Bryan Danielson’s WrestleMania XXX story was the one that made her obsessed:
“The first story line that made me immensely obsessed with wrestling and gave me the bug to want to do something like this and want to do this because of how the story made me feel, it was the Bryan Danielson storyline at WrestleMania XXX,”
Bryan Danielson defeated Batista and Randy Orton in the main event of WrestleMania XXX to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. It was the culmination of the Yes! movement that helped him reach the top of the pro wrestling mountain. Per Britt Baker, it was the coolest thing in the world for her:
“How the fans really decided the storyline. To me, that was one of the coolest things in the world—that the entire wrestling universe got behind this one wrestler who was a massive underdog and should not have been in the spot he was in, but the fans made sure of it.”
The AEW star later explained that there is no other sport where fans get to decide which star will go over. So it was really cool to see the effect of fans in leading Bryan to the huge success.
The AEW roster was left fighting for their professional livelihoods in the fall out of the All Out braw, Chris Jericho has claimed.
After the now-infamous September Pay-Per-View, new AEW World Champion CM Punk bashed several members of the roster during the post-show media scrum.
Backstage, a fight broke out, which pitted Punk and Ace Steel against The Elite.
Fighting
Chris Jericho was present at All Out, as he had defeated Bryan Danielson on the Pay-Per-View and was far from impressed from the backstage brawl.
On the latest Talk is Jericho, the first AEW World Champion recalled the negative publicity the company faced following what happened.
“We were fighting for our lives at that time. There was so much bad publicity on the company and kind of a black cloud, a haze over it, and dude, we were fighting back.
“We kind of took charge, [Jon Moxley] and Bryan and I and let them know the sky wasn’t falling, that things happen, and we gotta keep the show rolling.”
Chris Jericho
Jericho had been critical of Punk after the brawl, telling the now-suspended AEW wrestler that he is a “cancer” to the locker room.
Jericho, Moxley, and Danielson
Following the AEW All Out backstage fight, Punk, Steel, the Elite, and others associated with the fight were suspended.
In their absence, the trio of Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Bryan Danielson assumed roles as locker-room leaders.
Before the first Dynamite after All Out, all three men, as well as AEW President Tony Khan, spoke at a talent-wide backstage meeting.
At the meeting, talent were told to “keep their personal issues personal” and were encouraged to move on from All Out.
In a Fightful report, it was said that Danielson was a “calming” presence, Jericho was praised for his professionalism, and Mixley was “adored” for being a reliable name in the company.
AEW World Heavyweight Champion MJF will be in attendance at UFC 282, which takes place on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The top AEW star previously traded shots with UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett on social media, where MJF called Paddy a “dollar store Connor McGregor.” He also claimed he wouldn’t last two seconds in a wrestling ring.
Pimblett told MJF to meet him when AEW travels to England in 2023, which led to MJF stating that he’s more than game to knock Pimblett out. Marc Raimondi of ESPN first reported on Friday that MJF would be at the UFC 282 pay-per-view event following the exchange.
The Confirmation
(AEW)
MJF seemingly confirmed the news in a tweet of his own as he told Pimblett that he’d see him in Vegas, as seen below:
At the event, Pimblett will fight Jared Gordon. With a win, he would continue his undefeated streak in the UFC.
For MJF, he is scheduled to defend the AEW World Championship against Ricky Starks on the December 14 episode of AEW Dynamite. After winning the title with help from Wiliam Regal when he beat Jon Moxley for it at Full Gear, MJF turned on Regal by attacking the respected wrestler.
Posted December 9th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TBS and TNT that airs AEW programming, has cut more prominent leaders.
Variety has an article looking at the company releasing HGTV and Food Network chief Jane Latman and “D-Nets”/”T-Nets” exec Nancy Daniels, both of whom were well-liked at the company and served as longtime legacy Discovery execs.
Travel Channel’s Matthew Butler and D-Nets/T-Nets’ head of franchise series expansions and tentpole programming Scott Lewers are also gone.
The Moves
Latman served as the home and food content president at HGTV and Food Network. Her content programming responsibilities will move under execs Betsy Sanner Ayala (for Food Network) and Loren Ruch (for HGTV).
Daniels had overseen content across “D-Nets” Discovery, Animal Planet and Science Channel on the legacy Discovery side and recently took over content for Warner Bros. “T-Nets,” TNT, TBS and truTV,
Daniels is handing the reins over to TLC and Travel Channel exec Howard Lee for the D-Nets, while Jason Sarlanis of ID and HLN crime content will oversee the T-Net side.
These are notable cuts as AEW President Tony Khan has praised Nancy Daniels and Scott Lewers as advocates for the promotion. AEW’s TV deal with Warner Bros. Discovery expires at the end of 2024.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. networks chief Kathleen Finch announced the changes in a memo to staff Friday. This is the latest post-merger cost-cutting move made at Warner Bros. Discovery.
Although the build-up to the show was criticized for being lackluster, AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in June 2022 ended up being one of the best PPVs of the year and did good business for the promotions.
A second Forbidden Door show has been speculated about, but a new report suggests Forbidden Door II could be set for 2023.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer was talking about AEW/ROH President Tony Khan’s recent pre-ROH Final Battle media call, particularly Khan’s claims that 2022 was AEW’s strongest year for PPV buys.
During the call, Khan was asked about the possibility of AEW adding more PPVs to their yearly rotation.
The Plan
Meltzer wrote: “When asked if he’d add more PPV shows, he didn’t give an answer but said that he wants to not do so many that they aren’t special, but that they just finished their best PPV year in their history, and the adding a fifth event worked out (the plan is for another Forbidden Door show coming year).”
Khan noted on the call that they would internally discuss the right number of PPV shows per year.
The 2022 event did over $5 million on pay-per-view after drawing over 100,000 buys and over $1 million in ticket sales. Jon Moxley became the interim AEW World Heavyweight Champion when he beat Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event.
Back in June, Jeff Hardy was arrested for DUI among other charges just days after Double or Nothing. Since then, his court dates have been pushed back several times. Hardy did enter alcohol rehabilitation.
In September, Matt Hardy said on his podcast that Jeff had been improving. “I feel like his mentality is that he knows he has to make changes and do what’s right and I feel like he’s at the point where he will this time around. I’m excited to have him back.” That quote gave some the impression that he was on his way back to AEW, but he still has legal issues to contend with.
Jeff Hardy is ‘In a Good Place’
(via AEW)
During this week’s episode ofThe Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Matt did a Q&A episode where he provided an update on his brother.
“He’s basically doing the same thing he’s been doing, he’s doing exactly what he needs to be doing to get where he needs to be in life. More or less, we just have to get these legal issues behind him before we can move forward. So, that’s kind of where we’re at with Jeff. We’re hoping that happens sooner rather than later.”
“He seems to be in a really good place. It’s very nice and refreshing to see. Hopefully, that continues and we get him back to where he belongs.”
Matt didn’t provide further information on when legal issues might be behind Jeff. There is still no timetable for his potential AEW return.
Ricky Starks had some harsh words for AEW World Champion MJF this week, but these weren’t planned in advance.
During AEW Dynamite, the two had a back and forth, with MJF borrowing from The Rock to call Starks a “roody poo candy a**.”
In response, Starks vowed to become the new AEW World Champion with some choice dialogue.
“I’m slapping that mole off your neck, I’m stomping an a**hole into you, and I’m taking that title.”
Ricky Starks.
Off Script
Starks certainly got the attention of fans with his promo this week, but it wasn’t what was originally planned.
During Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez noted that Starks did have a promo written down which was not used.
“I heard from multiple people yesterday that, apparently, he had a whole thing written down. It wasn’t like scripted or anything, but he had a thing written down that he was gonna do. And then he got out there and he just went off [Script.] He just went with it, and he went wild.”
Bryan Alvarez.
MJF and Starks will battle for the AEW World Championship on next week’s Winter is Coming edition of Dynamite.
The match will also be for MJF’s $150,000 Dynamite Diamond Ring.
Winter is Coming
This huge main event is just part of a stacked show that will take place next week.
The show will also feature the fourth match in the best-of-seven series between The Elite and AEW World Trios Champions Death Triangle.
The Champions currently lead over the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega by 2-1.
The House of Black will also be in action next week against opponents yet to be announced.
It was reported earlier today that Sasha Banks is heading to New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year.
Mike Johnson of PW Insider reported that Mercedes Varnado (Banks) is reportedly set to appear at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome.
“While it is unknown whether Varnado will be appearing before the live crowd, we are told that NJPW is bringing Varnado in to the event.”
According to a new report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, AEW talent is excited about the possibility of The Boss coming to All Elite Wrestling.
AEW aired a segment on Rampage to set up a tag team match between Britt Baker & AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter versus Saraya & a mystery tag team partner for the January 11th episode of Dynamite in Los Angeles.
Sasha Banks has been rumored to be the mystery superstar a couple of times now. Many fans hoped that she would be the final superstar on Team Bianca at Survivor Series WarGames in her hometown but it was Becky Lynch instead. Now some fans and AEW talent are hoping that she’s Saraya’s partner on January 11th.
Fightful spoke with several AEW talent after the news earlier today about Mercedes reportedly appearing at Wrestle Kingdom. One source told Fightul that Sasha Banks joining AEW would be huge and referred to her as a potential anchor of the women’s division. The source added that Sasha Banks joining AEW would kickstart interest in the company and help viewership “significantly”.
The Boss will be appearing on an upcoming episode of Barmegeddon on January 2nd, 2023. The celebrity game show airs after WWE Raw on the USA Network.
Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE during the May 16th edition of Raw. Sasha recently teased that the date she has been waiting for is coming and “something crazy” is going to happen.
In September 2021, Satnam Singh signed with AEW. When he made his television debut in April 2022, he attacked Samoa Joe and aligned himself with Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal. Singh has had a few tag team matches, but had yet to have a singles match.
Dutt gets to speak Punjabi every week with Singh. “Obviously, his English is good. He’s been here since ’13 or ’14 he’s been here experiencing the NBA and whatnot. But, I understand –I kind of empathize with him in that he’s still in a strange place. He’s still surrounded by people that he — his sister finally got her visa and finally got to move to Canada, so she’s a little closer. It was great. He was telling me and he was crying. It was an emotional moment for both of us. I felt for him. But most of the time, we strictly speak Punjabi.”
“It’s a connection me and Satnam have. And you know, hopefully he can feel a little more at home when he’s around me at work.”
Sonjay Dutt on His Connection with Satnam Singh
Dutt has really enjoyed getting to know and work with Singh. He and Paqutte discussed Singh’s warmth and his presence. “I love him as a person. Me and him obviously have this bond where we’re both from the same place with the same background. We speak the same language and there’s not many of us in professional wrestling. That connection kind of brings us together right off the bat. We have this connection and he wants to excel at this.”
“And Lethal and I have kind of taken a hand in kind of cultivating his in-ring stuff whenever we can. Anytime there’s tag matches with he and Lethal — he hasn’t had a singles match so we’re getting to that point. I think we’re getting real close. Anything we show him, anything we tell him, he soaks it up. He utilizes stuff that we tell him to utilize; ‘hey, do this differently.’ And I didn’t think that would be the case. I’ve worked with other Indian giants and that was not the case at all.”
“So, you know experiences with him is cool because I always tell people yes, he’s seven-foot-four. Yes, he’s giant or whatever you want to call somebody of that stature. He’s got size 20 feet, but he’s an athlete. That’s the difference between him and anyone else of his size that’s gotten in professional wrestling. He’s a legitimate athlete, so anything we show him or tell him, bam! He pulls it off.”
“And I love that and he’s got such a bright future in wrestling. He’s 26, Renee. Let’s not forget that. He is a kid. So, I always kind of keep that in the back of my mind every week when we’re kind of talking to him, that ‘hey, he’s still a kid.’ He’s 26 and he’s working in this new world that he probably had no clue about before he stepped in it. So for him to excel this quick in something he probably never even watched as a child, that says a lot about his character and his athletic prowess.”
Paul Wight Mentoring Satnam Singh
Paul Wight (Photo: AEW)
“Paul Wight has taken a lot of interest in Satnam and they kind of hit it off. So when it comes to tape study and stuff, I tell Satnam, ‘whatever Paul tells you, just listen and do that.’ And I appreciate Paul taking that time, effort, and energy that he spends with Satnam because there’s just some days where Lethal and I don’t have time get in the ring with him, but Paul does.”
“I’ve kind of told Satnam, ‘Paul will be your ticket to success if you just listen to what he’s telling you to do. He is experienced.’ If there’s anyone in AEW that can empathize and sympathize with Satnam’s issues and problems and kind of excelling at something like this, it’s Paul.”
“So that’s why I tell Satnam a lot of times, ‘look, Lethal and I will tell you our perspective, but our perspective is going to be way different than his. His perspective and his insight will be more centered and gear to you. So, whenever he wants to sit with you, just sit down and listen and soak it all in.'”
AEW World Champion MJF confronted Ricky Starks after he won the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale last night on AEW Dynamite.
Maxwell accused Starks of ripping off The Rock and called him a “Dollar Store Dwayne”. MJF continued with the insults and referred to Ricky as “The Pebble” and vowed to skip him back to “Billy Corgan’s NWA so he can wrestle on YouTube where he belongs”.
Ricky Starks responded with the promo of his life and insulted everything about MJF from his spray tan to his attitude. Starks became a star last night and has a chance to become the face of AEW when he battles MJF for the AEW World Championship next week at Dynamite: Winter is Coming.
MJF Blames Ricky Starks for Low Dynamite Rating
According to Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics, AEW Dynamite brought 840,000 viewers with a 0.29 in the key 18-49 year old demographic. Last night’s show ranked #3 in the demo behind the NBA on ESPN.
Dynamite ranked #3 in P18-49 among cable originals for the day, according to Showbuzz Daily. #14 incl broadcast primetime.
The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer noted that Spectrum cable had issues with TBS and TNT last night during the Dynamite broadcast and that negatively impacted the rating.
5 Opponents for AEW World Champion MJF
MJF suggested that Ricky Starks is to blame for the low rating because he was the one that took out the spectrum boxes after their segment so he could look like a star.
I have inside information Ricky Starks took out all the spectrum boxes after our scuffle to ensure he seemed like a ratings draw in comparison to the rest of the show. This man is selfish and yet you love him?!? Sad.
I have inside information Ricky Starks took out all the spectrum boxes after our scuffle to ensure he seemed like a ratings draw in comparison to the rest of the show.
William Regal is bidding farewell to the Blackpool Combat Club once and for all. Regal appeared on this week’s AEW Dynamite in a backstage segment that will serve as his final appearance for All Elite Wrestling.
With BCC members Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta standing in the ring, Regal said it’s time for him to move on. He gave the group one final ‘lesson’ on his way out.
He urged Moxley, Castagnoli, Yuta and Bryan Danielson to “always stay one step ahead and make sure you have eyes in the back of your head.”
To the members of the BCC. My favourite song by my favourite band who somehow knew when I was a child to write the story that is my life. It’s been a pleasure fellas. We’ll meet again…..
– William Regal
He included a link to the song “Far Far Away” by the band Slade:
The confusion over William Regal’s status with AEW and future in the wrestling world has been the trending topic among fans. AEW star Saraya claims that his decision to leave the promotion is about how he feels.
The former Diva’s Champion recently had an interview with Metro. Among other things, she also commented on the situation with the former NXT GM.
Saraya mentioned how everyone seems to have an opinion on Regal’s decision to leave AEW. According to her, it’s doesn’t have to do with anything that happened backstage:
“Everyone has an opinion on that. The reality is, it doesn’t have anything to do with anything backstage, it’s to do with how he feels. Us behind the scenes know why, and we’re happy for him!”
It’s expected that William Regal would return to WWE once he is free of his AEW contract. While Saraya didn’t confirm these reports, she mentioned that Regal should be able to do whatever he wants:
“Whether he’s going there or whatever, it doesn’t matter. We’re just happy with whatever he wants to do with his life.
He’s at the age where he can do whatever he wants to without the internet deep diving into it, or everyone saying this, that and the other about him. Who cares? Let him be happy!”
How do you feel about William Regal potentially returning to WWE in near future? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
All Elite Wrestling’s Saraya will be back in the ring next month as part of a tag-team match.
Saraya joined AEW in September of this year, months after her contract with WWE expired.
At AEW Full Gear, Saraya competed in her first match since December 2017, defeating Britt Baker.
Second Match
On this week’s AEW Dynamite Baker congratulated Saraya on her victory at last month’s Pay-Per-View, and promised that she would not beat her again.
It was later announced that Baker and AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter will team with Saraya, a mystery partner, in the English star’s second AEW match.
Britt offered Saraya tickets to the January 11 episode of AEW Dynamite at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, where the match will take place.
The show is also set to feature the final match in the best-of-seven series between the Elite and Death Triangle, should it be necessary.
Mystery Partner
There’s no word yet on who Saraya’s partner could be, but there are plenty of options available.
Toni Storm seems a likely candidate, given that she lost her AEW Women’s World Championship to Hayter at Full Gear.
On social media, some fans speculated on her partner being Thunder Rosa, who has feuded with Baker and Hayter in the past and reportedly had heat earlier this year with both women.
Others suggested that it could be Sasha Banks, who recently trademarked her real name Mercedes Varnado for entertainment purposes.
Note: This article contains SPOILERS for this week’s AEW Rampage! If you want to go in completely blind, we suggest clicking on one of our other articles.
A former WWE NXT Tag Team Champion is set to make their debut this week for AEW as part of Rampage.
After this week’s AEW Dynamite went off the air, the promotion filmed its Rampage tapings, which saw the debut of Trent Seven.
Seven made his AEW debut by challenging AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy, and was hand-picked by Kip Sabian.
Unfortunately for Seven, he was unsuccessful in dethroning Freshly Squeezed, and there has been no word on whether there are plans for future appearances.
This match marked Cassidy’s seventh title defense since becoming champion on the October 12, 2022 episode of AEW Dynamite.
Trent Seven in WWE
After establishing himself on the independents, Seven signed with WWE in 2016, and was considered a favorite of many to win the tournament to crown the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Champion.
Seven was eliminated in the quarter-finals, but would often find himself challenging for the title, but never won.
In June 2018, Seven and Tyler Bate won the NXT Tag Team Championships from the Undisputed Era, but lost the titles back to the faction days later.
In December of last year, the two would capture the NXT UK Tag Titles and would hold the gold until June 2022, losing to Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter.
Seven would turn heel on Bate not long after, but would be released on August 18, 2022.
FTR finally got their shot at the AEW Tag Team Championships tonight in the main event of AEW Dynamite.
Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler gave it everything they had but it was not meant to be. The Acclaimed retained after it appeared that Cash had the match in control.
Wheeler delivered a Powerbomb and was about to go for a cover but Max Caster countered into an inside cradle for the pinfall victory.
After the match, The Acclaimed and FTR showed each other respect and “scissored” in the ring. Gunn Club showed up on the jumbotron and most assumed they were going to challenge FTR to a match for the ROH Tag Team Championships.
Gunn Club did issue a challenge but on behalf of The Briscoes. FTR will have to shake off their loss to The Acclaimed tonight quickly as they will be defending the ROH Tag Team Championships against The Briscoes this Saturday at Final Battle in a Dog Collar match.
ROH Final Battle 2022 Preview
Dax Harwood took to Twitter and summed up his thoughts after FTR lost their opportunity to capture the AEW Tag Team Championships for the second time.
6-Man Tag Team Match added to ROH Final Battle 2022
The ROH Tag Title Dog Collar match wasn’t the only title match added to the Final Battle card during this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
Dalton Castle & The Boys are set to defend the ROH 6-Man Tag Team Championships against Gates of Agony and Brian Cage. During tonight’s Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale, The Machine Brian Cage eliminated Dalton Castle by hurling him over the top rope and onto The Boys below. Cage was eliminated by Jungle Boy moments later.
Miro has not appeared on AEW TV since teaming up with Sting and Darby Allin on September 4th.
They defeated the House of Black in a Trios Match at the PPV. House of Black went on to disappear from television as well but for different reasons.
Wrestling fans have been wondering where The Redeemer has been and some have grown concerned that he is dealing with an unknown injury. As it turns out, Miro is not injured, he is just not being booked.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, Miro hasn’t been featured on television because creative “simply hasn’t been presented to him.” There were also plans in place for creative discussions to be held but, those haven’t taken place as of this writing.
The Redeemer has competed in just four matches in 2022, despite signing an extension with the promotion earlier this year. Miro’s current contract with All Elite Wrestling has him locked up until 2026.
Orange Cassidy Set to Defend the All-Atlantic Championship this Friday on Rampage
During this week’s edition of Dynamite, All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy and Kip Sabian had a backstage segment. Sabian had competed in the Dynamite Diamond Ring Battle Royale to begin the show but was eliminated early.
Cassidy told Sabian that he can have a title match if he wants it but Kip claimed he was hurt. The champ suggested that he should find someone else and Kip seemed to have someone in line to accept the challenge.
Miro debuted in All Elite Wrestling as Kip Sabian’s “Best Man”. The gimmick fizzled out but perhaps he will be Kip’s selection as an opponent for Cassidy this Friday night on AEW Rampage.
Several weeks ago at Full Gear, William Regal slid MJF his brass knucks to cost Jon Moxley the AEW World Championship. The following Wednesday, Mox had to be stopped from beating up Regal.
Last week on Dynamite, MJF turned on Regal with his own brass knucks. We still didn’t have answers from Regal to answer the question, “Why Regal Why?”
Regal Teaches One Final Lesson
(AEW)
Tonight, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta had a match and were accompanied by Moxley. Danielson was nowhere to be found (and Moxley didn’t mention him in his promo). While celebrating their win, Tony Schiavone told them he had a video from their former leader.
Regal said if they were seeing the video, something bad has happened to him. He helped MJF win so he’d have a target on his back and to teach the Blackpool Combat Club on final lesson. A few months ago, he came to the conclusion that the veterans of BCC didn’t him anymore.
“I knew they wouldn’t let me go, but I needed to show them why they don’t need me. And I needed to show them what they could teach Wheeler to be the best professional wrestler in the world because they’ve all got that capability. But, you have to lead by example. Hopefully — and I know he will because Jon Moxley’s a very calculated man; he’ll understand this — the reason I did what I did and to lead by example was to teach you the final thing that I could ever teach you, always stay one step ahead and make sure you have eyes in the back of your head. I’m Blackpool Combat Club until the day I die.”
On the media call today, Tony Khan explained that Regal wanted to return to WWE to be with his son, NXT Superstar Charlie Dempsey. Regal will be with AEW through the holidays and then will be released.
William Regal will finish his time with All Elite Wrestling this month, company President Tony Khan has confirmed.
For the past week, it has been reported that Regal’s time with AEW was up and that he planned on returning to WWE when he had the chance.
Regal himself has kept quiet throughout this period of time, but previously stated that he signed a three-year deal with AEW when he joined after Revolution in March of this year.
Leaving
This weekend will mark ROH Final Battle, the third event for the promotion since Khan acquired the company earlier this year.
Speaking on a media conference call ahead of the show, Khan publicly confirmed that Regal is set to leave AEW this month.
Khan explained that Regal contacted him and explained that he would live to spend more time with his son Bailey, who competes in WWE NXT as Charlie Dempsey.
The two had a “long, good talk” and Khan said he realized that Regal was honest with his reasons to return to WWE.
The AEW President said that after granting Regal’s request to depart AEW, there was a need for a complete overhaul of plans for the World Championship scene which featured him aligned with MJF.
Khan concluded his talk about the former King of the Ring by saying that Regal will remain with AEW through to the end of the year and that he is sad to see him go.
Medical Issues
During his talk about Regal, Khan addressed the recent health issues his mother has faced.
The AEW President explained that prior to AEW: Grand Slam in September, his mother suffered a stroke, and would suffer a second stroke weeks after being released from the hospital.
Calling his sister an ‘unsung hero’ for being by their mother’s side, Khan stayed with her at night, and doctors found a spot on his mother’s heart.
The discovery coincided with Regal’s request, and Khan said he didn’t want to prevent any parent and son from being together.
The surgery on Mrs. Khan was a complete success and Tony said that she is recovering well.
AEW commentator Jim Ross has become the latest name to suggest that William Regal’s time with the promotion has come to an end.
Regal was cut from WWE in January of this year from his role with NXT, after over 20 years with the promotion.
A former WWE Intercontinental, European, and Tag Team Champion, the 2008 King of the Ring would debut for AEW at the Revolution Pay-Per-View in March 2022.
Jim Ross
William Regal was written off AEW TV last week with an attack by MJF and it has been reported that the British legend is set to leave the company and return to WWE.
On the latest episode of Grilling JR, Ross praised what Regal has brought to All Elite Wrestling.
“He’s been a very valuable resource, you can’t replace guys with that kind of experience and in Regal’s case, the patience to help these young guys. He was in the ring every day at [AEW] TV, he always had time for the talent, young green guys.”
Jim Ross
Neither Tony Khan nor Regal have confirmed reports of his departure, and the British veteran had previously stated that his three-year contract would expire in early 2025.
The Future
Regal’s apparent exit comes not long after he betrayed the Blackpool Combat Club and aided MJF in winning the AEW World Championship at Full Gear.
On his podcast, Jim Ross spoke about the Salt of the Earth, and said he isn’t sure what’s next for William Regal.
“I mentioned to MJF, I said ‘The more you can sit under that learning tree of William Regal and talk about the psychology of being a wrestling villain, you should because he’s got great psychology.’ A very valuable asset wherever he may be, I don’t know what the future holds for him.”
“I don’t know what the future holds for him.”
Jim Ross on William Regal.
MJF (sans Regal) is expected to appear on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
AEW World Tag Team Champion was concerned that coming out as gay would negatively affect or possibly end his career in the ring.
In November 2020, Bowens, alongside Acclaimed teammate, Max Caster, signed a five-year deal with AEW and are in their first reign as World Tag Team Champions.
After coming out as bisexual in 2017, Bowens shared a video in 2019 with his partner, stating he now solely identifies as homosexual.
Career-Ending
Bowens is proud of who he is, but for years he feared he would never have the chance to come out due to his career.
“I would sit in my room, in my car, and just cry thinking if I came out, you know, my career is over, fans would hate me, wrestlers would hate me, a national TV company wouldn’t take a chance on me.”
Anthony Bowens.
Bowens added that he feels proud for coming out, and hopes to be an example to others that there is nothing wrong with being LGBTQ+.
“To be able to be somebody that people can watch on television, hopefully connect to and relate to, to give them that sense of hope that, I made it through, they can make it through.”
Anthony Bowens.
LGBTQ+ Wrestling
While there was once a stigma around LGBTQ+ in wrestling, that isn’t the case (as much) anymore.
In addition to Bowens, AEW’s first openly gay champion, AEW is also home to Nyla Rose, a transwoman, and both Toni Storm and referee Aubrey Edwards identify as bisexual.
In WWE, Sonya Deville is the promotion’s first openly lesbian Superstar, while Doudrop, Kayla Braxton, and the recently returned Tegan Nox have also come out as bisexual.
Athena has had a major character shift in All Elite Wrestling as of late and completely dominated Dani Mo on this past Friday’s episode of Rampage.
Athena was known as Ember Moon in WWE. She spent six years with the promotion before being released on November 4th, 2021. Athena debuted in All Elite Wrestling at Double or Nothing 2022 following Jade Cargill’s match.
The Fallen Goddess recently got very aggressive in a match against Jody Threat on AEW Dark: Elevation and some fans thought she went too far. She has used the negative reaction to the match to inject a new attitude into her character and it has paid off on screen.
Athena will challenge Mercedes Martinez for the ROH Women’s Championship at Final Battle this Saturday at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
Athena appeared on Busted Open Radio and explained her character change. The 34-year-old revealed that she worked her entire indie career as a “bad guy” and was fearful of getting lost in the shuffle in All Elite Wrestling.
Cause I feel like it. Sometimes, nice guys finish last.
Sometimes, you just get frustrated and it’s really hard because you’re trying to find an opportunity to not get lost in the shuffle because at AEW, there are so many talented women just across the board and it’s like, ‘What can you do to stand out?’
You’re asking your questions like, ‘Why am I stuck in this position? Why is this happening to me? Am I not good?’ Finally, you have to just say ‘eff it.
ROH Final Battle 2022 is this Saturday night at 4 PM EST at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
There are currently only four matches on the card but presumably more will be added on Dynamite and Rampage. Chris Jericho will defend the ROH Championship against Claudio Castagnoli in the main event. Jericho defeated Claudio at Dynamite: Grand Slam to win the ROH Championship.
ROH Final Battle 2022 Preview
Speaking on the Battleground Podcast, AEW President Tony Khan hyped up the PPV this Saturday.
Tony was asked how Final Battle will stand out from previous ROH shows this year and here was his response:
Well, the ROH PPVs have been excellent for in-ring wrestling. I think so far we’ve seen at Supercard of Honor, at Death Before Dishonor, this new iteration of Ring of Honor you are going to see some of the best wrestlers in the world having some of the best matches in the world on these PPVs. Trying to build a consistent rhythm of great shows, and we are two for two so far. [09:21 – 09:46]
Tony then hyped up this Saturday’s main event for the ROH Championship between Chris Jericho and Claudio Castagnoli.
Now at Final Battle, it is the final major wrestling PPV of this year, and a lot of the big scores are going to be settled. Of course, it doesn’t get any bigger in Ring of Honor than the World Championship match. Chris Jericho versus Claudio Castagnoli.
Two great World Champions, and really we are seeing two men on top of their profession, two guys with completely different approaches and opposite philosophies to pro wrestling. But frankly, the issue has gotten very personal.
Not only are their approaches very different, but if Chris Jericho wins this match, Claudio Castagnoli has to join the Jericho Appreciation Society and go back to applying his trade as a sports entertainer.
He (Claudio) has been in a tag team with Jake Hager in the past. I see Jake has got a second bucket hat with Claudio’s name on it. That is what is in Claudio’s future if he cannot beat Chris Jericho this weekend. [09:47 – 10:47]
Tony praised Chris Jericho’s run as ROH Champion and noted that he’s going for “The Ocho”, his 8th straight victory over a former Ring of Honor Champion at Final Battle.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Battleground Podcast with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
AEW President Tony Khan was a guest on the BattleGround podcast to promote ROH Final Battle this Saturday night. The PPV will air live at 4 PM EST at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
ROH Final Battle 2022 Preview
Speaking on the Battleground Podcast, Tony hyped up this Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite featuring AEW World Champion MJF, Samoa Joe versus Darby Allin for the TNT Championship, and The Acclaimed versus FTR for the AEW Tag Team Championships.
Tony was asked if Billy Gunn managing The Acclaimed was the turning point for the AEW Tag Team Champions and Khan noted that they have only been a team for a short amount of time. He praised Billy Gunn for guiding The Acclaimed to the top of the sport and credited Caster and Bowens for their hard work.
The Acclaimed have only been a tag team for a couple of years. So with a few years under their belt, I think they have done an incredible job. Because just over two years ago in Jacksonville, The Acclaimed teamed up together for the first time ever on AEW Dark.
They worked their way up from Dark onto wrestling matches on TV pretty regularly. They didn’t win every single match but they made a big impression. I think they have quickly earned a place at the top of tag team wrestling.
I might not have put them at the top of the list at the very beginning, but I do think really very quickly, with the guidance of Billy Gunn, he has helped guide them to the top of the sport. Billy is a great mentor for them. He is also very popular.
I think their popularity was skyrocketing really quickly and Billy Gunn was clearly the right person at the right time for The Acclaimed.
And it has all just come together quickly. It was the perfect combination of things. And most of all, it was the hard work of Max Caster and Anthony Bowens to become the AEW World Tag Team Champions. [From 06:17 – 07:29]
Tony Khan on what Billy Gunn has brought to The Acclaimed
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the Battleground Podcast and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Naomi has been off WWE television since ‘walking out’ of a Raw taping back on May 16 due to creative differences with company company.
Cargill is scheduled to compete on Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite. She’ll team up Baddies Red Velvet and Leila Grey against Madison Rayne, Skye Blue and former Baddie Kiera Hogan.
