Ricky Starks has been added to the card for Friday’s AEW Rampage episode with the promise that fans will hear from him via a promo segment. 

This was a notable addition to the lineup as Starks has notably been absent from television as of late, with his last televised appearance being on AEW Dynamite on September 28.

Per Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestler Observer Newsletter, the reasoning behind Starks’ absence from TV has been somewhat explained.

Where Has Starks Been?

Meltzer wrote, “Ricky Starks hasn’t been in the ring for a few weeks due to something not wrestling related but he’ll be back on the show for a promo this week.”

Although no other details were given, it does clear up any speculation of Starks being injured. His return tonight is a step in the right direction for fans of Starks who wish to see him return to in-ring action.

Starks’ most recent prominent feud was with former tag partner, Powerhouse Hobbs, as Hobbs defeated Starks during AEW All Out on September 4 before their rematch during the Grand Slam edition of AEW Rampage that was billed as a ‘lights out’ match where he defeated Hobbs with a Roshambo securing the pin.

Other things confirmed for Rampage include a dream match between Orange Cassidy and NJPW’s Katsuyori Shibata for the AEW All Atlantic championship.

Dr. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter vs., Madison Rayne & Skye Blue and more names for Full Gear Eliminator Tournament will be announced.

Over the last couple of weeks, during AEW programming there have been vignettes of The Elite being erased from programming. On this week’s episode of Dynamite, a hand was shown deleting files of The Elite and replacing them with files of Death Triangle. Questions started coming in asking if Matt Hardy was the one deleting the files. He did have a “Delete The Elite” shirt after all.

In the latest episode of “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy”, he and host Jon Alba were discussing the imminent return of The Elite. Hardy stated, “I’m very happy they’re back. I will say this right here, right now: those guys didn’t do anything wrong in that situation. I think they were the victims. I’m telling you from a first person perspective. I was there. I witnessed it all. I love all three of those guys. I’ve known Matt and Nick forever. I’ve just gotten to know Kenny while working with AEW. I am very happy they are returning to TV and they are back. They’re back in the mix. They deserve to be in the mix.”

Hardy provided this clarification in response to media coverage of his quotes about the events that transpired at All Out:

Matt Hardy believes The Elite are the “heart and soul of the AEW”

Hardy also said that he was excited for Colt Cabana’s return this past Wednesday. “Colt Cabana had been away from AEW for a very long time. It is what it is. You know, I don’t really have to sit here and go into things. We’re in a position where he can be back on AEW TV and I’m glad to have him back.”

With the investigation being over, Hardy said, “I’m glad their names have been cleared and they’re coming back to TV. And I’m very happy to see Colt Cabana who I think is a great human being and also a great performer. I’m very happy to see him back on AEW programming.”

• Colt Cabana’s AEW Return was “For the Locker Room” (Report)

Hardy saw the Young Bucks the day before recording his podcast. He says he told them that they “are the heart and soul of the AEW. I feel like The Elite — Matt and Nick and Kenny — in many ways the identity of AEW. You know, without those guys, you don’t have AEW as it is right now. It would be very, very different. Tony Khan may have started wrestling in some capacity. AEW, All Elite Wrestling, those guys are the identity of AEW. So it’s very important to have them back.”

“Full Gear” is just a couple weeks away, so it seems that The Elite will return then if they don’t came back sooner.

AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill is confident in the company’s women’s division but wishes they were given more time.

Cargill is the inaugural holder of the TBS Championship, a title she has held for over 300 days.

The 30-year-old wrestler debuted in AEW in November 2020 and has remained undefeated since then.

Give Us Time

AEW has received praise from fans for being an alternative to WWE programming, but one major issue with audiences is the company’s women’s division.

Many have said that the promotion does not give their female wrestlers enough opportunities, especially when compared to WWE’s Women’s Revolution.

Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall, Cargill said she is sure the women would be able to deliver if given the chance.

“I know for a fact the women in the locker room, all of them can give five-star matches. We just need the time to do it and the time to shine. I mean, we have a very talented roster of ladies. It’s just, we have one match to show and we’re trying to do the best and perform and maximize the minutes that we’re given.”

When asked about the response from fans, and the accusation that AEW does not want to invest in their women’s division, Cargill said it wasn’t her place given how fresh she is to wrestling.

“I’m new to the industry so I’m gonna sit back and just watch how things are going. I haven’t worked in other industries. I mean, we’re going to keep on maximizing the time that we have and just trying to kill and prove that we are worthy of more time.”

AEW Evolution?

In 2018, WWE held their first (and to-date only) all-women’s event ‘Evolution,’ and NWA followed suit with their Empowerrr show in 2021.

Speaking about an all-female Pay-Per-View, Cargill was on board with the idea.

“The all-women’s pay-per-view, I think if that happened it would be a home run. There’d be matchups for the faces that haven’t been on Dynamite and Rampage or haven’t been on there in many months. It would be a great, stellar show. I’m very certain of that.

“Especially with not having to worry about fighting for positions or anything like that. It’s just an all-woman show and everybody has time. I think it’d be outstanding

Cargill was also asked about a dram-match created by fans that would pit her against WWE’s Sasha Banks.

“I have no idea [whether a match with Sasha Banks could happen.] Fans always want to create these fantasy matches that probably never happen. But I mean, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Let’s just say that with wrestling and how unpredictable wrestling is, you just never know.”

In addition to WWE and NWA, Impact Wrestling held several women’s events as part of their One Night Only series of shows, titled ‘Knockouts Knockdown.’

Dealing with Fans

Like many wrestlers, Cargill has had her fair share of toxic fans who use social media to troll and harass her.

The issue is unfortunately much more prevalent for female wrestlers, but Cargill hasn’t shied away from firing back with comments of her own.

When asked about dealing with toxic fans, Cargill said it’s important to have a thick skin, but people shouldn’t be shocked with a response.

“If you’re in this position you should be okay with taking criticism and taking people’s judgments and opinions about you. It’s just when you [fans] throw something, be able to take it back.

“This is what we do. This is our job. We’re entertainment and you can’t throw stuff at an entertainer and don’t think we’re not gonna spin it back.”

Cargill and other AEW stars recently called out a fan on Twitter for comments made about Marina Shafir.

Colt Cabana was emotional during his return to AEW programming on this week’s AEW Dynamite, but his big comeback wasn’t exactly for him.

Cabana returned to challenge Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho in a losing effort to The Wizard.

This marked Cabana’s first match on AEW TV in close to a year, with his previous being a November 2021 loss to Bryan Danielson.

For the Locker Room

During Cabana’s lengthy absence from AEW TV, rumors circulated that this was down to CM Punk.

It had been suggested that Punk had arranged for Cabana to be removed from AEW TV, due to the bad blood between the former best friends.

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer writes that Colt’s World Championship opportunity was “more for the locker room than anything else.”

AEW President Tony Khan wanted to give the roster some positivity after “months of being ostracized for reasons that had nothing to do with him.”

It is reported that Cabana has a lot of friends in All Elite Wrestling.

Colt’s AEW Journey

Hired in 2019, Cabana started off for AEW as an agent, before being put on Dark and Dark: Elevation as part of the Dark Order.

After returning from filming for Young Rock (where he plays the Brooklyn Brawler) Cabana was no longer used as an agent, which coincides with the time Ace Steel was hired.

When Cabana’s contract was set to expire, he was given the offer to work for Ring of Honor for the same amount of money.

The Observer confirmed reports that Cabana’s appearance on Dynamite was a one-off and he remains part of the Ring of Honor roster.

AEW’s roster is hoping for more opportunities to compete in the ring and is hopeful that untelevised house shows will soon be a reality.

Since forming in 2019, AEW has held Pay Per Views, TV, and produces content on YouTube, but has yet to hold house shows.

Many plans AEW President Tony Khan had were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic which caused shows to take place with zero love fans.

House Shows

House shows are a staple of several promotions, including WWE and Impact Wrestling, and AEW’s roster hopes to be next.

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that there are no “definitive plans” for the company to host untelevised events.

AEW’s roster has made it clear to higher-ups that they would like to wrestle more and are pushing for house shows.

Meltzer said that AEW house shows would be great to develop younger, more inexperienced talent.

However, it’s reported that AEW would struggle to host live events at this time as when it comes to life events, AEW is the “coldest” it has ever been.

Who’s on the Card?

In his report, Meltzer said that while AEW has its selection of main eventers for potential house shows, not everyone would be on the shows.

It was noted that stars like Chris Jericho and Bryan Danielson would be draws, age, and prior injuries could keep house show appearances to a minimum.

Meltzer added that while MJF is certainly young enough to make do regular house shows, it would clash with his character, who competes sporadically.

Last month, Shawn Spears made his return to AEW when Rampage debuted in Toronto, Canada. He was in a match with FTR against The Embassy. Prior to that, Spears was last on AEW programming back in May when he lost a steel cage match against Wardlow.

After the show ended, Spears explained his five month absence; his mother had died. On the latest episode of The Sessions with Renee Paquette, he opened up about her death.

His mother had terminal cancer. Spears explained that in Canada, “you can set yourself up on how you want to go, so that’s what she did. She wanted to go at home, surrounded by her children. She made me promise that if something happened where she wasn’t able to walk, speak, anything like that, that it was time to go.”

Shawn Spears Mother Left Him With One Last Lesson

“I was actually supposed to go to a signing on a Friday and she was doing well. But a major stroke had hit on Friday and basically paralyzed her ability to speak, walk, move, anything. So when we were finally all back home — all the kids were there — I had to make the decision to go ahead with the process. She could squeeze your hand, so I was asking her if you’re ready to go, squeeze and let me know she’s ready to go. Everything was on her own terms. That was the most beautiful thing. And that was the thing that brought me comfort during that time was that it was her call and we’re doing things how she wanted them done.

But the lesson that I learned, the final one that she left with me — and it’s something I always knew — but it was made more paramount in that moment: family was everything. That’s all that mattered to her. So, all the money that I have would not have been able to take away her cancer. All that mattered is that she wanted to be surrounded by her kids.”

• Shawn Spears Claims Former WWE Superstar Has Retired

“And once she passed, it was just like, you don’t believe it, but it’s just right in front of you. You can have everything together. You can have your job, your life, your marriage, everything is together, but then you feel absolutely lost. You don’t know where to start, you don’t know where to go or how to move and it kind of freezes time for a little while.”

After speaking about why he was absent from TV, Spears received many messages from people who had recently lost people. He tried to respond to as many as he could. He reminded fans that we are all going to go through it eventually.

Former AEW star and Dark Order member Alan Angels has a new squad in Impact Wrestling.

Alan is now a part of Eric Young’s Violent By Design faction in Impact Wrestling. Angels helped Eric and Deaner beatdown Sami Callihan on tonight’s episode of Impact.

Angels took to Twitter after the segment and said that he loved violence after joining the faction.

John Silver of the Dark Order responded with a tweet riddled with jealousy.

Alan Angels Departs All Elite Wrestling

Alan Angels contract with All Elite Wrestling expired at the end of June earlier this year and he exited the promotion. Speaking with Fightful, Angels reveals that he was told be AEW that they were not going to offer him a full-time deal and wanted to pay the 24-year-old per appearance.

“My contract, I was told about a month and a half ago, that they are not going to re-sign me. They did offer me a per-appearance, which I decided not to take, just solely based off what I thought was best for me. I feel there is more room to grow outside of AEW, right now, at this point in my career. It’s nothing against AEW or Tony Khan or any of the higher-ups in the business. It’s a personal thing.

“I feel, me going on the Indies and showing people what I can really do and showing people that I am a good fucking wrestler, I feel that will raise my stock — not saying it’s impossible to do that in AEW, but I guess the perception, how fans perceive Alan Angels, is, I’m the bottom guy in Dark Order and I feel I can change that outside of AEW. It’s possible in AEW, but I feel it would take longer.

On top of that, I never got to have a great Indie career. I was on the Indies for three years, got lucky, and got scooped up. As a wrestling fan, being an Indie wrestler and doing cool ass Indie shows, that’s a thing I want to do. There are plenty of places to make money in pro wrestling right now. That’s not to say that I won’t be back in AEW, maybe I will, I don’t know, but that’s pretty much it. They offered me something, I felt it was better for me not to. That’s all it was.”

Ring of Honor Champion Chris Jericho has made it his mission to destroy the legacy of the promotion since winning the title.

Jericho captured the ROH Championship from Claudio Castagnoli at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Since becoming the champion, Jericho has defeated Bandido, Bryan Danielson, Dalton Castle and Colt Cabana. He’s also attacked ROH commentator Ian Riccoboni and ring announcer Bobby Cruise.

Colt Cabana Reacts to AEW Return

Chris Jericho had an eventful night last night on AEW Dynamite. In addition to defending the ROH Championship, The Wizard also called out Baltimore Ravens QB Lamer Jackson while he was seated in the front row. The former NFL MVP has since responded.

Jericho issued an Open Challenge last night on AEW Dynamite to “any former ROH Champion”. Former ROH Tag Team Champion Colt Cabana answered the call. Colt Cabana and his former friend, now seemingly mortal enemy CM Punk captured the ROH Tag Team Championships in 2004.

Cabana got a big pop from the crowd in Baltimore and “welcome back!” chants echoed throughout the arena. The 42-year-old took to Twitter today to react to his return to All Elite Wrestling.

Did CM Punk Force Colt Cabana off of AEW TV?

One of the main factors in the CM Punk and The Elite saga was the disappearance of Colt Cabana from the Dark Order and AEW TV. Cabana rarely did anything besides stand with the Dark Order on TV but his absence all of the sudden was bizarre.

Colt’s return coincided with AEW wrapping up their investigation into AEW Brawl Out (the brawl during the media scrum). It is hard not to look at it as a shot at CM Punk and confirmation that Cabana was taken off of television at the request of the former two-time AEW World Champion.

Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer & Bryan Alvarez noted the timing of Colt’s appearance on last night’s edition of Dynamite and said that it all but confirms the reports of Punk not wanting Colt in AEW.

Chris Jericho issued an Open Challenge last night to any former ROH Champion and former ROH Tag Team Champion Colt Cabana answered the call.

Colt Cabana was ROH Tag Team Champions with former AEW World Champion CM Punk back in the day. Cabana put up a solid fight but in the end Jericho picked up the victory with the Codebreaker.

After the match, Jericho Appreciation Society attacked ROH announcer Ian Riccaboni but Blackpool Combat Club. JAS and BCC brawled on the entrance ramp to continue their never-ending rivalry until AEW security broke it up.

Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Reacts to Chris Jericho Calling Him Out on Dynamite

Before the ROH Championship match, Jericho cut a promo and said he’d even kick Lamar Jackson’s ass tonight. Last night’s Dynamite episode was in the Chesapeake Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore Ravens star quarterback was seated in the front row for the show and Jericho called him out. Lamar got a kick out of it and reacted on social media.

At a Ravens press conference earlier today, Lamar revealed that he didn’t hear what Jericho said at first but laughed after they told him. The former NFL MVP added that Jericho is “crazy” and that he enjoyed it because he was a huge wrestling fan growing up.

We have an update to pass along regarding the AEW status of Colt Cabana after his Dynamite return this week.

On this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, Colt Cabana made his return to take on Chris Jericho for the Ring Of Honor (ROH) World Championship. He came up just short, losing to Jericho after a Code Breaker.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider offered an update on the situation. Johnson reports that Cabana’s Dynamite appearance was planned as a one-off event, and he’s still a part of the Ring Of Honor roster.

Cabana’s return was not about him returning to the AEW roster, but rather about Jericho simply knocking off another Ring Of Honor name.

Some speculated that Cabana’s return was framed to be a shot at CM Punk amidst Punk’s current issues with AEW, and expected departure from the promotion. If it was, Johnson doesn’t expect anyone to admit it.

However, WrestleVotes did offer up a report on the situation, noting that Cabana’s appearance on Dynamite did not go unnoticed by WWE. The report could be indicating that WWE could swoop in and scoop up Punk for a return should things between him and AEW ultimately come to a close.

Of course, given how bad things ended between Punk and WWE in 2014, repairing such a relationship could prove difficult.

The action didn’t end when this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite went off the air.

Last night’s episode aired from the Chesapeake Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, and saw Tony Khan’s promotion continue on the road to Full Gear.

The show is most notable for the debut of WWE Hall of Famer ‘Double J’ Jeff Jarrett, who has signed as the promotion’s Director of Business Development.

Joe and Wardlow

In the main event of the show, ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe put his title on the line against Brian Cage.

In an unsurprisingly physical match, Joe got the win via submission, but he was attacked by the Gates of Agony and other members of The Embassy.

The show ended with TNT Champion Wardlow running the group off, before being attacked by Powerhouse Hobbs, who ended AEW Dynamite by raising the title in the air.

According to several fan reports, Powerhouse Hobbs went backstage while the referee checked on Wardlow after the show.

Samoa Joe got back into the ring and shook hands with Wardlow, and the two champions raised hands before leaving.

Matt Hardy

After Wardlow and Joe left, Tony Khan came out and introduced Matt Hardy, but the pair were interrupted by Stokely Hathaway and The Firm.

Hathaway told Khan to go to the bank because he owns the contracts for Private Party and Matt, who he called “Matthew Hardy.”

Ethan Page told Hardy that he isn’t going to help him, and touted himself as a future AEW World Champion.

 While Page and W. Morrisey’s backs were turned, Hardy hit Hathaway with a Twist Of Fate to send the crowd home happy.

Chris Jericho is the Ring of Honor Champion and has made it his mission to destroy the legacy of the promotion. Jericho challenged any former Ring of Honor to face him tonight on Dynamite and his Open Challenge was answered by Colt Cabana.

Colt got a big pop from the crowd in Baltimore and put up a good fight against The Wizard. In the end, Jericho connected with a Codebreaker to retain the title.

After the match, Jericho tried to attack ROH announcer Ian Riccaboni but Claudio Castagnoli broke it up. Jericho Appreciation Society and Blackpool Combat Club battled on the stage until security broke it up.

Bobby Fish Reacts to Colt Cabana’s Return

Bobby Fish had a bizarre run in All Elite Wrestling that came to an end earlier this year. The Undisputed Era wasn’t meant to be in AEW but Bobby has since found a new home in Impact Wrestling. Fish took to Twitter to post Colt Cabana’s entrance said it was great to see Chicago’s own Colt Cabana.

Former two-time AEW World Champion and Chicago’s own CM Punk and Bobby Fish had a match on Dynamite in October last year. Speaking with Steve Fall on NBC Ten Count following his exit from All Elite Wrestling, Fish had some strong words for CM Punk.

“Phil is not a bad pro-wrestling, but what Phil is not is a martial artist,” said Fish. “I’ve been doing martial arts since I was eight years old so I take a lot of pride in it… You are insulting the audience’s intelligence. It’s honestly insulting for you as one of my co-workers. As a martial artist you’re asking me to go out and sell, put over your bunk-ass martial arts. It’s insulting to the audience. It’s insulting to me. At the same time, I’m working for AEW. They’re the ones paying my check. You asked me to go out and put my shoulders down for Phil Brooks. I go out and I do it.”

Jeff Jarrett shocked the wrestling world by showing up on AEW Dynamite. Moments before, Cole Karter was revealed as the person dressed as Sting who attacked Darby Allin.

Two weeks ago, Jay Lethal told Allin that he had friend that knew his weaknesses. Jarrett has a history with Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Sting. While standing over a bloodied Allin, “Double J” told him that his admiration of Sting has made him Allin’s “biggest weakness”.

Jarrett also addressed the crowd by running down his family’s many decades in wrestling business from his grandmother, Christine, and his dad, Jerry. After insulting the audience, Jarrett declared:

Jeff Jarrett Has A Backstage Position

Tony Khan tweeted that not only was Jeff Jarrett All Elite, he is also the AEW Director of Business Development. Khan is looking forward to expanding the live events calendar next year with JJ’s help. Jarrett held a similar position in WWE earlier this year. He was only employed by WWE for 3 months after a surprise appearance as a special guest referee at SummerSlam.

In addition to briefly working for WWE, Jarrett wrestled EFFY in GCW earlier this year. He was also a special guest referee in NWA when Nick Aldis defended the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Matt Cardona. Jarrett and Lethal faced Ric Flair and Andrade El Idolo in Flair’s last match.

• Orange Cassidy to Defend All-Atlantic Championship in Dream Match

The winner of the triple threat All-Atlantic Championship match between Orange Cassidy, Luchasaurus, and Rey Fenix would get to defend the title in a dream match this Friday on Rampage.

Jungle Boy returned with a surprise attack on Luchasaurus to take care of him. PAC tried to get Fenix to use the ring bell hammer to cheat. Cassidy ended up pinning Fenix and immediately paid for it when PAC attacked the champion. “The Bastard” was about to live up to his moniker and attack Cassidy with the hammer when Katsuyori Shibata’s music hit (yeah, you read that right).

Following him out of the tunnel was Rocky Romero and Best Friends. Shibata also had a hammer in hand while PAC safely awaited on the other side of the ring. He needn’t worry because “The Wrestler” wasn’t coming for him, he was coming for the All-Atlantic Champion. Cassidy handed Shibata the contract and a pen, which he signed on the spot.

Shibata had Orange Cassidy’s back at Forbidden Door

Shibata was last seen in AEW back in June at Forbidden Door. Will Ospreay attacked Cassidy and Shibata made the save. That makes it surprising that he wants to challenge Cassidy for his title.

• Title Match Set For AEW Full Gear

Shibata hasn’t wrestled since January at Wrestle Kingdom 16. He beat his protege, Ren Narita. Last October, Shibata made his surprise in-ring return at the G1. He and Zack Sabre, Jr. went to a time-limit draw in a grappling match. Shibata stopped wrestling (he says he wasn’t retiring) in 2017 after suffering a subdural hematoma in a match against Kazuchika Okada, which left the right side of his body paralyzed.

His match on Rampage will only be his third match since that fateful day.

AEW announced another title match for Full Gear during this week’s episode of Dynamite.

Thunder Rosa was the AEW Women’s Champion heading into AEW All Out in September but announced that she was pulling out of the event due to an injury on the Dynamite before the PPV. She has not appeared on AEW television since. Toni Storm went on to win the Interim AEW Women’s Championship at All Out by defeating Jamie Hayter, Hikaru Shida, and Britt Baker in a Fatal 4-Way.

It was announced tonight that Toni Storm will put the AEW Interim Women’s Championship on the line against Jamie Hayter at Full Gear on November 19th. The PPV will air live from the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

A video package aired during the show and Toni Storm noted that she and Jamie go way back. She noted that the two actually lived together during the pandemic.

Jamie Hayter then responded that she hasn’t changed at all.

Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter are set for a tag team match on Rampage this week. Britt was supposed to sit down with Saraya and Renee Paquette for an interview but didn’t show up. Renee asked Saraya if she was cleared to wrestle but she didn’t answer. Saraya said there is one more doctor she needs to check with (Britt Baker) next week on Dynamite.

It looks like AEW President Tony Khan has something special planned for the fans with tonight’s (November 2, 2022) edition of Dynamite that will have them talking after the show. 

On today’s Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez said that he was told on Tuesday about something big happening on tonight’s show, and he has heard similar things from other sources. He did note that he doesn’t know exactly what is happening but several people have told him that “something’s happening.”

Khan did appear on Busted Open Radio earlier in the day and previewed the show, but didn’t hint at any surprises for the show. The leading speculation will be about Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks returning to television because they were backstage last week after being suspended for the All Out Brawl with CM Punk. 

AEW Dynamite Card

• ROH Champion Chris Jericho defends against a former ROH Champion of any kind
• AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy vs. Rey Fenix and Luchasaurus
• TBS Champion Jade Cargill vs. Marina Shafir
• AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley vs. Lee Moriarty in a title eliminator match
• Darby Allin vs. Jay Lethal
• Saraya/Britt Baker interview with Renee Paquette
• The Acclaimed’s Daddy Ass Birthday Bash
• ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe vs. Brian Cage

CM Punk’s pro wrestling future is up in the air for his involvement in the All Out brawl with The Elite and Ace Steel after a controversial All Out media scrum where he ripped Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Colt Cabana, and Hangman Page. 

Punk is still on the shelf with an injury suffered at AEW All Out as he had surgery, and the expectation is he will be out of action for several months. The former AEW World Heavyweight Champion continues to be in talks with AEW about them buying out his contract and potential litigation. It’s been reported that most people do not expect Punk to return to AEW. 

Punk’s Future

Fightful Select confirmed a previous Wrestling Inc report about no active litigation against Punk. There are no working plans to bring Punk back to the company.

A WWE source indicated the company would likely be interested in possibly working with Punk again. Fightful notes that representatives from multiple pro wrestling companies have said they would at least be interested in having talks with Punk. Still, they aren’t sure how motivated he’d be to continue his wrestling career. 

Several people still expect a big demand for Punk to make appearances if he’s available.

One source close to Punk said they would not rule out him wrestling in the future because he “got the wrestling bug again.”

Punk is far from being able to wrestle again due to his torn left triceps injury, so it’s unclear whether Punk will feel the same way months down the line. The source close to Punk indicated that it’d been made clear to them that at least options would be available if and when Punk wanted to wrestle again.

Freddie Prinze Jr. is so impressed with Maxwell Jacob Friedman, he thinks it would be a travesty if MJF does not walk out of Full Gear as the new AEW World Champion.

Prinze, a Hollywood star and former WWE writer, hosts the popular Wrestling With Freddie podcast. He’s been singing MJF’s praises for a long time now, but kicks the gushing into an even higher gear on this week’s show.

“It’s MJF, and everybody else is after that. The stories this kid is telling at 26 years old are unbelievable. I mean, it’s so good.”

– Freddie Prinze Jr. on MJF

MJF has walked a fine line between hero and villain since he returned to AEW in September at the company’s All Out pay-per-view. He’s arguably the best pure heel in the business, but fans have been warming up to the Long Island native. His storylines are drawn largely from personal experiences and has somehow evolved to be relatable, a hallmark trait of babyface characters.

“Everything is based in reality,” Prinze continued. “He’s not a heel or a babyface. He is Maxwell Jacob Friedman, and he is completely unique to everyone else in this business right now. Nobody can touch him. Watch what this kid does.”

MJF’s Golden Opportunity at Full Gear

MJF won the Casino Ladder Match at All Out to earn the right to challenge for the AEW World Championship anytime he chooses. A heel might ‘cash in’ that opportunity when the champion is vulnerable, perhaps after a grueling match. However, MJF said he wants to fight Jon Moxley when he’s 100%, so there are no excuses when he’s crowned the youngest AEW World champion in history.

Prinze can hardly contain himself when he proclaims, “I am in young with this young man” and says he is certain that MJF defeat Moxley at Full Gear.

“I don’t know how they’re going to end this story, but he has a match with the AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, he said “So, I am certain MJF beats Jon Moxley at the pay-per-view. But I am in love with this young man. This dude is awesome. I will blow smoke up his a** every single week on this podcast.”

Listen to the latest episode of the Wrestling with Freddie podcast:

Former AEW star Joey Janela says AEW Dark has turned into a “stale ass” show that does “nothing for anyone” anymore.

Janela currently wrestles for GCW, but has some opinions about the way Tony Khan is booking the Dark. Janela claims short squash matches are “pointless bullshit for the sake of it” and a waste of everybody’s time.

Ironically, Janela’s rant about AEW Dark came while he was complimenting an AEW Dark match between Rey Fenix and AR Fox.

Joey Janela Not a Fan of AEW Dark

While referencing the Fenix vs. Fox match, Janela said, “This is what Dark should be, all around competitive action packed sprints, and maybe a one longer type storyline based match weekly,” before unloading his thoughts on what Dark has become since he left AEW.

Janela says whenever he worked with enhancement talent, he’s made a point of having the matches be 60/40 or 50/50. He considers himself a big wrestling fan and he wouldn’t want to waste people’s time or degrade his own in-ring abilities through squash matches.

Discussion: Do squash matches serve a purpose in 2022? Can they be an effective tool for establishing new talent, or are they really a waste of everyone’s time?

Bryan Danielson battled Sammy Guevara on last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

The American Dragon picked up the victory but there is some friction brewing within the Blackpool Combat Club.

Danielson recently battled Chris Jericho for the ROH Championship but lost after Daniel Garcia betrayed him. The storyline was that Danielson and Jericho were battling over whether Garcia was a sports entertainer or a professional wrestler.

Garcia opted to be a sports entertainer and aligned with the Jericho Appreciation Society. Wheeler Yuta of the BCC confronted Danielson backstage and mocked him for not seeing the attack by Garcia coming.

Danielson and Yuta had a shoving match before former ROH Champion Claudio Castagnoli broke it up. Danielson smacked Yuta in the face during the argument. Bryan later defeated Sammy Guevara in a singles match on Dynamite.

Jim Cornette on Wheeler Yuta Yelling at Bryan Danielson

Wrestling legend Jim Cornette reviewed the verbal exchange between Bryan Danielson and Wheeler Yuta on episode 455 of The Jim Cornette Experience.

Cornette said that he hopes this leaves to Danielson turning heel but suggested it is more likely that AEW President Tony Khan thought the argument would be a good segment.

Co-host Brian Last questioned how into Wheeler Yuta AEW fans are and if he should be the one shouting in Bryan Danielson’s face. Cornette noted that there is an established section of fans that are into everything AEW does.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Jim Cornette Experience with a H/T so SEScoops for the transcription.

There was a scary moment on the October 18th edition of AEW Dynamite during the AEW World Title match between champion Jon Moxley and “Hangman” Adam Page as Page took a King Kong Lariat that turned him inside out. 

Page hit the mat and was unresponsive, which led to referee Paul Turner calling AEW Ringside Physician Michael Sampson into the ring where Turner called for the bell, giving Moxley the victory by referee’s decision. After AEW Dynamite went off the air, AEW released a statement that noted Page had suffered a concussion.

Khan Shares an Update

While speaking to First Coast News, Khan said that Page was in “good spirits.”

“He’s doing really well. I talked to him just in the past 24 hours, and also saw him not long after he was officially cleared and saw him after he came back, not long after we took him to the hospital and he got out. It was great to see him in good spirits that night,” Khan said (h/t Fightful). “About 90 minutes after he got hurt, he was smiling and feeling pretty good. That’s about as fortunate as we could be given that he got knocked out in the match.”

Khan praised Turner and Sampson for their work in the situation, noting that it was the “right thing” to call off the match. He said that is what would happen in a big fight, and the doctors took care of him. 

It’s currently unclear when Page will be back in the ring. We wish him a speedy recovery.

AEW World Trios Champion Rey Fenix is set to battle AR Fox tonight on AEW Dark.

AR Fox is a veteran wrestler on the independent scene, and spent years in Lucha Underground as well as Dragon Gate, and Evolve. Rey Fenix is currently a Trios Champion with Death Triangle (PAC & Pentagon JR).

Fox took to Twitter to hype his match tonight against the Trios Champion.

Former Intercontinental Champion and WWE SmackDown star Ricochet responded and and claimed that the wrestling world wasn’t ready for the match.

Ricochet recently dropped the Intercontinental Championship to Gunther. After two successful title defenses against Sheamus, The Ring General is set to defend the title against Rey Mysterio this Friday night on WWE SmackDown.

Bayley & Saraya React to Interview on AEW Dynamite

Saraya, fka as Paige in WWE, arrived in All Elite Wrestling at Dynamite: Grand Slam. The crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium erupted as the inaugural NXT Women’s Champion made her way to the ring. Saraya debuted as Britt Baker, Rebel, Jamie Hayter, and Serena Deeb were attacking AEW Interim Women’s Champion Toni Storm. Her shocking arrival led the heels to retreat.

On last week’s episode of Dynamite, Renee Paquette was about to interview Saraya when Britt Baker interrupted. The two started shouting at each other and Renee put an end to it. Renee yelled that if they wanted to do this they were going to have to do it properly and Britt walked away. It was announced by AEW that Saraya and Britt Baker will have a full interview with Renee on this Wednesday’s show.

After the segment, Saraya posted on social media that Renee basically to them to shut up and she loves “spicy Renee”. Bayley responded that it looked like Renee was in a bit of a pickle. The Anti-Diva then joked that Renee needs some “damage control”, Bayley currently leads the Damage CTRL faction in WWE.

AEW’s controversial former World Champion CM Punk has yet to file any legal action against the company, amid reports of a buyout.

Punk has been absent from programming since September’s All Out Pay Per View due to his actions after the show.

The two-time AEW World Champion had explosive comments on the All Out post-show, with a fight breaking out between himself and the Elite backstage afterward.

Legal Action

It has been suggested by some that Punk could sue AEW if he is released from the company, just over a year after his epic arrival at Rampage: The First Dance.

Others have suggested that AEW could sue Punk, possibly for defamation, after criticizing the company’s EVPs The Elite.

Punk infamously said that Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, wouldn’t know”how to manage a target” and accused them of sharing false information about him.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that no lawsuits have been filed yet from Punk to AEW.

“As far as I know, there aren’t [any lawsuits yet] but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be. I suppose it’s possible on the other side, too, but I have not heard that. I mean the key to this is so much of the stuff has not come out and I don’t know that it ever will.”

Special guest Nick Hausman of Wrestlin Inc added that AEW has not filed any suits at Punk over his comments and behavior.

“I’m under the impression there’s no litigation against Punk at this moment.”

Nick Hausman.

Radio Silence

While fans have been clamoring for answers, Tony Khan has been noticeably silent on the matter and the investigation which has since concluded.

Speaking about AEW’s radio silence, Meltzer added that he doesn’t expect a public statement from Khan no matter what comes next.

“As far as what the investigation shows, I don’t think we’ll ever know that. I don’t think we’ll ever hear anything from AEW on this subject. I mean, maybe in years, we might, but I don’t expect to. Just from the fact that we haven’t [heard anything from AEW yet.]”

While Ace Steel is believed to have been fired from AEW last month, nobody from the company has publicly confirmed this.

The AEW women’s locker room and wrestling podcaster JDfromNY206 have gotten into a war of words today on Twitter.

JD has been a vocal critic in the internet wrestling community for years now. His “Off the Script” podcast has become quite popular and sometimes his opinions garner a response from the wrestlers themselves.

Alexa Bliss recently responded to JD’s podcast after he criticized her main eventing an episode of WWE RAW with IYO SKY.

Britt Baker, Jade Cargill & The AEW Women’s Locker Room Respond To JDfromNY

Earlier today, popular wrestling podcaster JDfromNY responded to the announcement that Marina Shafir will battle Jade Cargill this Wednesday on Dynamite. He had a negative reaction to the match and Jade Cargill responded to him.

A wrestling fan sent a question to JD wondering if the wrestlers don’t realize that he is talking about the characters they play and not them personally. JD claimed that they do not realize that and Britt Baker responded with a screen shot of JD personally criticizing her.

TBS Champion Jade Cargill had some more words for JD after he criticized her for insulting him.

AEW star Rebel added that their response is not just about a singular post and claimed that he has a history of slander.

Sonny Kiss added that it is hilarious for JD to try and play the victim now that someone has responded to his criticism.

Dax Harwood has said that he and Cash Wheeler are prepared for their “one last run” in the ring.

Harwood and Wheeler, collectively known as FTR, have been with AEW since 2020 and previously worked for WWE as The Revival.

The duo currently holds the IWGP Tag Titles, the Ring of Honor World Tag Titles and the AAA World Tag Titles, the first team to have the three championships simultaneously.

One Last Run

FTR has proven to be one of the most successful and popular teams around today, but Harwood is thinking about the group’s future.

On Instagram, Harwood shared images of FTR’s biggest matches, and addressed the possibility of “one last run.”

“All we’ve ever wanted to do in life was be a professional wrestler. Height, body-type, accent, life situations, we had all of it against us. Now, we leave a body of work I think we can be proud of.

When we started this journey in 2014, we tried to make sure we were always different from the everyone else wrestling currently. We also wanted to work so hard that eventually we’d go down as one of the greatest tag teams to ever do it. I’m not sure if we have reached that, but we’ll damn sure keep trying.

Thank y’all for going on this journey with us. Not sure where the next few years will take us, but I can’t wait for One Last Run

Top Guys, out.

Dax Harwood.

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A post shared by Uncle Dax FTR (@daxharwood)

FTR’s Future

Earlier this week, it was announced that FTR will compete at New Japan’s upcoming ‘Battle Autumn’ event.

In a video, the IWGP Tag Team Champions demanded that NJPW provide their best team to face them at the November 5 show.

It is currently unconfirmed who FTR will face, and while likely that it will be a title match, this has yet to be confirmed.

FTR will also team with Ricky Steamboat on November 27 for Big Time Wrestling, in the WWE Hall of Famer’s first match in over 12 years.