Archive for the ‘AEW’ Category

Update on Plans for Mike Tyson’s Appearance on AEW Rampage

Will Mike Tyson’s appearance on next week’s AEW Rampage be a one-off? Don’t bet on it.

During this week’s Rampage, it was confirmed that the Boxing icon will be on next Friday’s show, where he will provide guest commentary.

This marks the latest appearance from the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet,’ whose deal with AEW came together just days before the announcement.

More than a Commentator

After Tyson’s appearance for next week was announced, it was reported that this will be a one-off for the Boxing legend.

That no longer appears to be the case, as PW Insider reports that his return to AEW will include multiple appearances.

If so, it is likely Mike will get physical during his time on Rampage, setting up a future appearance.

The last time Tyson appeared for AEW, he became a member of the Inner Cirlce, but Chris Jericho has since dissolved the group and formed the heel Jericho Appreciation Society.

Tyson and Boardwalk Hall

Friday’s Rampage will be at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall which has played host to some of ‘Iron Mike’s biggest fights.

In October 1987, Tyson knocked out Tyrell Biggs in the seventh round, retaining his Undisputed Heavyweight Championship.

Less than a year later, the undefeated Tyson would face the also undefeated Michael Spinks, who also had a legitimate claim to being the heavyweight champion.

Tyson would again win, this time with a first-round knockout, giving Spinks his first loss in 32 fights.

Mike would fight Carl Williams in July 1989 and Alex Stewart in December 1990, winning both fights with first-round knockouts.

AEW Wrestlers Attend Snoop Dogg’s Birthday Bash (Photos)

Some of the big names from All Elite Wrestling represented the company at the recent birthday bash for Snoop Dogg.

The music legend turned 51 earlier this month and had a huge party in Miami, Florida.

On Twitter, AEW’s official account shared images of TBS Champion Jade Cargill, Swerve Strickland, and Ricky Starks at the event.

Cargill, who attended in her wrestling gear, later shared a video of her giving Snoop his cake, calling it a bucket list moment.

Snoop and AEW

Snoop Dogg appeared for AEW on the January 6, 2021 edition of Dynamite, which was the company’s ‘New Year’s Smash’ special.

Appearing in the corner of Cody Rhodes for his match with Matt Sydal, the rap legend would get physical himself later on, delivering a frog-splah to Serpentico.

Rhodes would then deliver a three-count, given Snoop an unofficial victory in AEW.

Snoop was one of the four judges for season one of the Go-Big Show, which Rhodes is also a judge for.

Snoop and WWE

Snoop has appeared for AEW, but the vast majority of his wrestling appearances have come with WWE.

The rapper was the Master of Ceremonies for a women’s tag team match at WrestleMania, and later shared a kiss with Maria Kanellis, who won the match alongside Ashley Massaro.

In March 2016, Snoop was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame the night before WrestleMania 32.

At WrestleMania, Snoop would perform for the entrance of his cousin Sasha Banks, who unsuccessfully competed for the WWE Women’s Championship.

Booker T: AEW Fans Don’t Care About Wrestlers Getting Hurt in the Ring

Booker T has lashed out at fans of All Elite Wrestling, saying they treat the wrestlers as nothing more than toys who can be broken.

AEW has been plagued with injuries this year, with CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole all being on the shelf at some point in 2022.

In Cole’s case, he has been out since June’s AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door event with a concussion and there have been concerns he may never be cleared to wrestle again.

Don’t Care

During last week’s Tuesday edition of AEW Dynamite, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page was left motionless after a lariat during his title match with AEW World Champion Jon Moxley.

The match was ended ten minutes earlier than scheduled, and the Cowboy has been diagnosed with a concussion.

Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker said that AEW’s audience don’t care about who gets hurt as long as they are entertained (via 411 Mania.)

“The AEW fans, man. They don’t care about those guys in the ring. They do not care about those guys working. Those guys could — they’re nothing more than toys, video games for these guys.

“They don’t care about those guys in the ring.”

Booker T on AEW fans.

“If they’re not out there getting a ‘This Is Awesome’ chant, they don’t give a damn about these guys going out there getting hurt. They really don’t.”

Hangman Page

After the match was ended, Page was stretchered to the back and later taken to Cincinnatti trauma center.

In a statement, AEW confirmed that he has suffered a concussion but has since been discharged.

AEW added that both they and Page are “grateful” for the response from the medical staff and thanked fans for their support.

Mike Tyson Announced For Upcoming AEW Appearance

Former world champion boxer “Iron” Mike Tyson will return to All Elite Wrestling next week.

As announced on the October 28th edition of AEW Rampage, Tyson will once again appear on the Friday night show. Next week, Tyson will serve as a special guest commentator as AEW emanates from Atlantic City, New Jersey.

https://twitter.com/WrestlingCovers/status/1586177408721653760?s=20&t=Ykk8It2uREvKFo-cdlXuQQ

What Went Down During Mike Tyson’s Last AEW Appearance?

Tyson’s last AEW appearance occurred on April 7th, 2021 at Dynamite. There, Tyson bolted to the ring to fend off The Pinnacle as they attacked Chris Jericho. Tyson would lay a series of punches on “The Chairman” Shawn Spears before The Pinnacle members pulled him to safety. The Inner Circle then emerged, joining Tyson in the ring as The Pinnacle fled backstage. Tyson shared a hug with former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho as the two had seemingly patched things up from their previous encounters in the company.

Tyson also joined The Inner Circle in being named to Pro Wrestling Illustrated‘s 2021 Faction of the Year. Since Tyson’s last appearance in AEW, though, Jericho has gone on to adopt a heel persona and formed the Jericho Appreciation Society.

Will Y2J and Iron Mike meet again? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Nick Hausman on Talks with CM Punk’s Camp After AEW All Out: “Doesn’t Sound Like a Guy Coming Back”

Wrestling Inc’s Nick Hausman has found himself a part of the CM Punk scandal with All Elite Wrestling because he did standup comedy with Colt Cabana years ago.

After defeating Jon Moxley to capture the AEW World Championship at All Out, CM Punk went on an explosive rant during the media scrum. He spoke very little of winning the title, his match against Jon Moxley, or MJF returning to confront him at the end of the show.

Instead, CM Punk ripped Hangman Page, The Elite, and Colt Cabana while AEW President Tony Khan sat next to him. The Elite confronted Punk after the rant, resulting in a brawl, and the AEW World and Trios Championships being vacated on the following Dynamite.

Nick Hausman on CM Punk Contacting Him After the All Out Media Scrum

Wrestling Inc’s Nick Hausman recently appeared on the WrestleRoasts podcast and discussed CM Punk getting into contact with him following the media scrum. Dave Meltzer had reported that Punk spoke with Hausman after the PPV. Nick revealed that he told Dave that off the record but will discuss it now that he’s made it public.

I told Dave that off the record, so cool. It was something I was going to try and keep for the book but I guess the cat is out of the bag.

It was a very surreal experience. I was up very late doing the scrum and got a message from an unlisted number the next day when I woke up at like 1 in the afternoon.

I rolled over and it was this number that said ‘hi Nick, this is Phil’ and I knew who it was. Yeah, I got to message back and forth with Punk a little bit that day. Like I told him and like I’m telling ya’ll, there’s no heat with me.

Just for some historical perspective, when I was doing comedy with Scott Colton (Colt Cabana) years ago, like a decade ago, Punk was really cool to me. He’d come to our shows, he brought the WWE title around.

He definitely made me some money because people knew he was coming to our shows. I went his house one night after a PPV and hung out.

Nick added that he had a falling out with Colt Cabana and Punk wasn’t aware when he referenced them doing comedy together at the media scrum. Hausman reached out to Punk’s camp yesterday and was informed that Larry (Punk’s dog) was allegedly injured during the brawl because the door was “kicked open”, according to Punk’s camp.

I was just explicitly told communication had broken down and there had not been communication from their side (AEW) with Punk’s camp.

It does not sound like a guy who’s coming back. And that is surprising to me because I really thought that he was going to come back.

And the fact that it just seems dead is surprising to me.

It felt to me as I was being given information, there was a kind of resentment towards how much of the story had been told from one side.

I think that is kind of why I got this waterfall of information at all to be honest.

I don’t know what Dave’s (Meltzer) motivations are, I mean I’ll trust him. It would seem to me that people on the other side of the aisle are easy for Dave to get a hold of, not me. Not the case with me.

Nick stated that he’s reached out to AEW President Tony Khan multiple times since the media scrum at All Out but has not heard back. He added that he’s operating under the assumption that he will be invited back to Full Gear to participate in the media scrum at the PPV on November 19th. Hausman said that the injury to Larry the Dog during the brawl may not have been reported initially because he was taken to the vet days after All Out.

There was obviously reporting the dog was involved, the dog got touched, picked up, pushed, taken, whatever. We knew the dog was involved in the melee.

We now know that days later, it sounds like. Dog gets taken to a vet, that vet says two teeth that were not loose before are now loose and we are going to have to remove these teeth.

The conclusion I obviously feel was drawn here was that the dog got knocked in the face, and his teeth got loose and he had to lose some teeth.

I don’t know if that detail didn’t get leaked initially because they didn’t know, right?

There was obviously talk about the dog, but at that point, they didn’t know that the dog was going to be losing teeth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clAmK_Rr1ws

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit WrestleRoasts with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

Tony Schiavone’s Son Joins AEW as a Producer

AEW has another Schiavone working behind the scenes as Tony Schiavone’s son, Matt, is now in the promotion. 

Tony is one of the most accomplished wrestling announcers of all time, and after years away from the wrestling business, he joined AEW to return to calling the action. Schiavone has various responsibilities behind the scenes in AEW

Matt Schiavone’s AEW Role

Tony Schiavone
Tony Schiavone (Photo: AEW)

On the latest episode of AEW Unrestricted, Tony announced that his son Matt is also working behind the scenes in AEW. It started at last week’s AEW Rampage in Jacksonville, Florida.

“I’ve really kind of wrestled with even mentioning this, but I’m going to, we have just hired a brand new producer to help us backstage. It’s a producer who’s had 15 years of network TV experience, and really knows what he’s doing. I really wrestled with even wanting him to come to work for us, and it’s my son, Matt. He will start as a producer in Jacksonville, and as this thing airs, it’s already happened. He had such a good job, but he just like us, just absolutely loves pro wrestling and wanted to do it. I went, ‘Matt, are you sure? Because it’s freaking crazy back there!'”

Tony noted that AEW President Tony Khan told him that his son will be working under Sonjay Dutt.

Matt previously worked for Fox News as his LinkedIn notes that he was a producer for America’s Newsroom w/ Bill Hemmer & Dana Perino.

H/T to Fightful for the transcript

“Total Psycho” CM Punk Did Not Care About Larry the Dog During AEW All Out Fight (Report)

CM Punk showed no interest in the safety of his dog Larry during the backstage fight at AEW All Out 2022, it has been claimed.

After Punk’s explosive comments during the All Out post-show media scrum, a fight broke out backstage which resulted in CM Punk, Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks and others being suspended.

This month, Ace Steel was fired from AEW, presumably for his role in the fight, and the investigation into the matter has since concluded.

Total Psycho

This week, it was reported that CM Punk’s dog Larry was injured during the All Out fight, when the Elite ‘kicked’ the door to Punk’s locker room.

Punk’s camp claimed that the door connected to Larry’s face, damaging two teeth which were later removed, though many are suspicious of the claim.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that Punk showed no interest in his pet, according to a neutral source who was present for the fight.

“The dog story is a complete lie. When the altercation was happening Punk was a total psycho and could [not] have cared less about the dog. Kenny picked the dog up to save him from being hurt and gave him to Megha. Megha was holding the dog screaming at Punk to stop. Punk didn’t even register that his `baby’ was being held by a stranger in the middle of a fight. It didn’t stop him one bit.”

“Punk was a total psycho and could [not] have cared less about the dog.

The Outright Lie

This is the latest claim against the dog story, which has been previously described as an “outright lie.”

Meltzer questioned, if Larry’s injury is true, why did Punk’s side not mention this in the seven weeks since the All Out fight?

It is believed that AEW will buy out the remainder of Punk’s contract with the company and release him soon.

Chris Jericho Told CM Punk he is a Cancer After AEW All Out Fight

CM Punk wanted wrestlers who have an issue with him to speak to him face-to-face, and Chris Jericho certainly did that.

During the AEW All Out 2022 post-show media scrum, Punk had explosive comments for AEW’s EVPs The Elite, former best friend Colt Cabana and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page.

Backstage, a fight broke out which resulted in Punk, Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, and others being suspended.

Cancer

AEW’s roster is reported to be ‘anti-Punk’ at this time, with many believing he has proven to be toxic to the company.

Fightful Select was told by numerous sources that after the fight, Chris Jericho confronted Punk and was extremely unhappy with what had happened.

Jericho told Punk that he is a cancer to the AEW locker room, and that he has been detrimental to the company.

While Punk’s response was not captured verbatim, the two-time former AEW World Champion effectively told Jericho that it wasn’t his business and he should leave.

When Fightful reached out to Jericho and AEW regarding the matter, they did not hear back, but sources close to Punk confirmed the interaction happened.

After the heated words between the two, Jericho, fresh off an All Out win over Bryan Danielson, appeared on the media scrum.

Time’s Up for Punk

This week, it was reported that AEW’s third-party investigation into the All Out fight has concluded.

On his Wrestling Observer Radio show, Dave Meltzer said it was obvious by this week’s Dynamite who has been punished and who hasn’t.

While Dynamite saw no mention or sighting of Punk, a promo package aired highlighting the return of the Elite.

There have been talks that AEW will buy out the remainder of Punk’s contract, but fear he will sign with WWE.

Jon Moxley Appears at NJPW Night Before Rumble on 44th Street

Jon Moxley thrilled fans in New York City on Thursday night as he made a surprise appearance at the NJPW Night Before Rumble on 44th Street event at Palladium Times Square.

The AEW World Champion teamed with Eddie Kingston, Amazing Red, Homicide, Shota Umino, and Kazuchika Okada in a 12-man elimination match. They faced Tom Lawlor, Royce Isaacs, Jorel Nelson, El Phantasmo, Juice Robinson, and Jay White.

Moxley’s team ended up being victorious. The AEW Champion eliminated El Phantasmo by throwing him over the top rope. There was a large brawl that left Moxley and Lawlor alone in the ring. Lawlor attempted a Death Rider, but Moxley hit one instead to eliminate Lawlor. Later, Moxley pinned Robinson after he was hit by Okada with a Rainmaker (Okada was then eliminated by White when he was tossed over the top rope). White and Moxley then faced off before Kingston helped Moxley eliminate White to win the match.

Jon Moxley Will Wrestle on Rampage This Week

It was revealed this week that Moxley’s fellow Blackpool Combat Club member Wheeler Yuta was double booked for AEW Rampage (airing live from Connecticut) and New Japan’s Friday night show in New York.

To cover this problem, Moxley will work a match on Rampage in Yuta’s place so that he Wheeler can work his originally scheduled match for New Japan. Moxley will wrestle Matt Menard on Rampage in an AEW World Title Eliminator Match.

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news. Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

Bryan Danielson Reveals He Almost Signed with Ring of Honor in 2018

AEW star Bryan Danielson is currently a member of the Blackpool Combat Club with World Champion Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, and Sir William Regal.

Danielson recruited Wheeler Yuta to the group and brought in Claudio Castagnoli as his replacement at AEW Forbidden Door.

The American Dragon and Wheeler Yuta have been arguing as of late on Dynamite. Danielson has come up short in every title match he’s been a part of in AEW and recently lost his ROH title match to Chris Jericho due to interference from Daniel Garcia.

Bryan had been trying to convince Garcia that he’s a professional wrestler but ultimately Daniel chose to be a sports entertainer in the Jericho Appreciation Society. Yuta questioned how Danielson didn’t see the betrayal from Garcia coming and seemed disappointed in him.

Bryan Danielson Considered Going to Ring of Honor in 2018

It was announced in March 2018 by WWE that Bryan Danielson was cleared to return to the ring.

In a recent interview with Inside The Ropes, Danielson revealed that his contract with WWE was coming up around that time and he considered going to Ring of Honor. He was in contact with Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks but discovered that their deals with ROH were also coming up around the same time.

“It was really interesting. My contract with WWE was up in 2018 and I was considering going to Ring of Honor and I was talking to The Young Bucks and I was talking to Cody [Rhodes] just to kind of see — all their contracts were up with Ring of Honor and I was like, ‘What are you guys gonna do?’ Because even my lawyer, who doesn’t know anything about pro wrestling, he said, ‘Hey, I don’t think you’d wanna sign with Ring of Honor if these Young Bucks aren’t going because they’ve got this YouTube show.

I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, called Being The Elite’ and it’s essentially the driver for the popularity of Ring of Honor at the time, right? And so those guys go away, we don’t know if Ring of Honor will nearly still be as popular and then with Cody’s contract coming up, if they leave and Cody leaves, what will Ring of Honor’s popularity be like? So that was a part of the discussion.”

Danielson added that AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, The Elite, and Chris Jericho are the heart of All Elite Wrestling.

“It’s cool for me that Mox is where he’s at. To me, there was that excellent interview segment with CM Punk and Jon Moxley and he talked about being the heart and soul of kind of AEW and I see him as that as well. Him, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks is kind of like — and Chris Jericho, you know what I mean?

But I see those kind of people as the guys, right? And it’s cool that when I first wrestled him, it was in front of like 75 people on a Wednesday show in the middle of nowhere. Mox actually knows exactly where it was but I don’t even remember so it was like, all of that kind of stuff is just neat.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFYP_OphRHY

H/T: Post Wrestling

Jon Moxley Announced as Replacement for AEW Star in Match Tomorrow Night on Rampage

All Elite Wrestling star and member of the Blackpool Combat Club, Wheeler Yuta, has commented on being double booked for Rampage and NJPW tomorrow. Rampage will be live tomorrow night from Uncasville, CT.

  • 5 Reasons Jon Moxley is AEW’s MVP in 2022

AEW’s official Twitter account posted the following video from Wheeler Yuta and here are his comments:

Well, folks it seems that I’ve found myself in a little bit of a pickle. I got a little too excited celebrating my birthday, and my big win on Dynamite. I accidentally double-booked myself for Friday, committing to a match on AEW Rampage as well as one for New Japan Strong.

Now, I did make the New Japan Strong commitment first and in the Blackpool Combat Club we honor our commitments. I will be at New Japan Strong this Friday.

But don’t fret AEW fans, New Japan will be sending one of their best and brightest stars very soon. And there will be a replacement match featuring a Blackpool Combat Club member, he’s the World Champion, Jon Moxley.

A graphic then appeared in the video to announce that Jon Moxley of Blackpool Combat Club will battle Matt “Daddy Magic” Menard in a AEW World Championship Eliminator match tomorrow night on Rampage.

WWE Superstar Karl Anderson is currently in a similar situation with NJPW. Karl is the NEVER Openweight Champion and was scheduled to defend against Hikuleo at Battle Autumn on November 5th. However, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows recently returned to WWE and reunited with AJ Styles.

The OC have been booked against The Judgment Day in a 6-man tag team match at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5th. NJPW recently warned Karl Anderson that he must defend the title on November 5th at Battle Autumn or he will have to vacate it.

People in AEW Pushing for MJF to Become a Full-Blown Babyface

After returning to AEW programming at the end of the All Out pay-per-view event, MJF has been greeted with cheers from the crowd at AEW events.

He has done some heel antics in his promos and other times as a babyface. He told Renee Paquette to shut up in a promo for his Full Gear bout with the AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. This was an example of the back-and-forth that his character is doing. 

He was attacked by The Firm on the show, indicating he is a full-fledged babyface, though that might be a swerve.

On today’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that MJF wants to stay as a heel and does not want to be a babyface. Bryan Alvarez said on Wrestling Observer Live that people in AEW want MJF to become a full-blown babyface. 

Alvarez pointed out how the fans have wanted to cheer him since he came back and was supposed to be a heel when he returned. AEW went to the point where he would come out before the show and bury the crowd to try to make sure they would boo him, but that still didn’t help him from getting cheered. 

MJF to Give in?

MJF SK 2
(AEW)

“Well, now they are no longer doing that. Now they are just going with it at this moment. The question is do you go all the way with it or do you do whatever and he ends up being a heel again. What I can tell you is there are people within AEW that strongly believe that they should go with him as a babyface right now. They feel that he could be a massive babyface star for AEW. They think that is what he should do now.”

“There are people who believe he could be a generational babyface. That was not the intention when he came back but things happen.”

MJF is the heavy-betting favorite to defeat Jon Moxley to win the AEW World Heavyweight Title at Full Gear. 

Jim Ross Provides Update on Skin Cancer Battle and Recovery

AEW commentator Jim Ross is optimistic that a new treatment will speed up his recovery time after defeating cancer.

In October 2021, Ross was diagnosed with skin cancer which resulted in him missing several weeks of AEW programming.

Ross informed fans that December that he was cancer-free and made an immediate return to the announcer’s desk.

New Treatment

JR may be cancer free now, but he still has a long road to recovery before he is fully healed.

Speaking on the latest episode of Grilling JR, Ross explained the new treatment he will be starting soon.

“I’ve had a good week regarding my cancer issues. I’m going to start next week with some treatment. I can’t remember what the thing is called. Hyperbaric Chamber? Something along those lines. I’m going in on Tuesday for my first test run. See how it works. They think it will speed up the healing. And if it does, I win. And that’s what I’m looking for.”

Hyperbaric Chambers are often used during a cancer battle, but have been used after people have beaten cancer.

Recover Time

While JR will start treatment soon, the WWE Hall of Famer is well-aware that his recovery process will not be quick.

On the podcast, Ross explained that it’ll be at least a year before he’s 100%.

“We’re making some progress there. But I still think it’s going to be about a year of healing this wound. I’m just tired of dressing it and undressing it. Medicating and all that s***.”

Ross remained positive in the face off his new treatment, saying:

“Life is good. I’m alive, I have no cancer and I’m just healing. These burns, that’s what they look like. It looks like I’ve been caught in a fire. But it’s looking a lot better than it did.”

CM Punk’s Dog Larry Being Injured at All Out “Outright Lie” (Report)

The claims that CM Punk’s dog Larry was injured during the backstage fight at AEW All Out may not be entirely truthful.

Larry, a rescue from a Chicago shelter, was reportedly present during the backstage fight which pitted CM Punk and Ace Steel against the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega.

The fight has resulted in Punk, Steel, the Bucks, and Omega (among others) being suspended from AEW, with Steel later being fired.

Outright Lie

This week, CM Punk’s side claimed that Larry was injured before the fight backstage, as the Elite ‘kicked’ the door open.

It has been said the door hit Larry in the face, resulting in two of his teeth being knocked loose and later removed.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio Dave Meltzer said that when speaking to the Elite’s side, he was told this was a complete fabrication.

“What was said is basically, it’s an outright lie. I did have that told to me.”

Dave Meltzer.

Meltzer added that the timing of this ‘revelation’ about Larry is very suspect, given that Punk’s side has been reportedly sitting on this information for nearly two months.

“I had heard from his [CM Punk’s] side on and off since a couple of days right after it happened… Never in seven weeks have I heard anyone mention anything about the door opening [and] hitting the dog. The dog being hurt or anything like that. I just find that so weird.

“The side that was trying to defend him, all along, never brought that up once, and now all of a sudden, that’s the story. And like I said, the other side just called it a lie.”

Investigation Over

On his show, Meltzer added that the investigation into the matter is now complete.

He also added that judging by who was featured on AEW Dynamite last night and who wasn’t, it’s clear who is being punished.

Last night’s Dynamite saw no reference to Punk, but did feature a video package hyping the Elite’s return.

Investigation Into AEW All Out 2022 Backstage Fight is Over (Report)

The investigation into the backstage fight at AEW’s All Out 2022 Pay-Per-View has reportedly reached its end.

After the show, CM Punk had explosive comments during the media scrum, lashing out at the Elite, former best friend Colt Cabana, and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page.

After Punk’s comments, a fight broke out backstage resulting in Punk, the Elite and others being suspended.

The Investigation

After the fight, AEW arranged for a third-party investigation into the matter to determine what happened and who is responsible.

Speaking on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that while talent are banned from discussing the matter, the investigation is over.

“Everyone is still banned publicly from talking about what happened and the situation. The investigation is over and you can tell by who’s back and who’s not back [who will be punished.]”

Dave Meltzer.

During this week’s AEW Dynamite, a video promo teased the return of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, and the trio was reported to be backstage.

This week’s Dynamite saw no mention of Punk, who is believed to have thrown the first punch.

CM Punk

There is a growing belief that CM Punk will lose his job with AEW as all signs have pointed to him instigating the fight.

On his show, Meltzer suggested that comments made by those close to Punk are a sign that the former World Champion is unhappy with the investigation.

“[Punk’s camp] mentioned that the investigation never talked to Lucy Guy [wife of Ace Steel who was present at the fight] which is true. They never did… He mentioned that which would tell you that he was not happy with the investigation.”

Dave Meltzer.

Ace Steel, who aided Punk in the fight, was fired from AEW last week, presumably for his role in what happened.

Meltzer added that with AEW teasing the return of the Elite this week, while avoiding Punk, it is clear what the investigation has determined.

“If what happened, happened as he [Punk] claimed, it would be the other way around. He would be the one back and they would be the ones not back. So I think that is pretty clear as far as to what the investigation found.”

Dave Meltzer.

Punk’s side have claimed that the Elite kicked the door open and instigated the fight, and if Punk threw the first punch, it was because he feared that the Bucks and Omega were about to fight him.

CJ Perry on Miro’s Lack of AEW TV Time: “Tony Khan has his Favorites”

CJ Perry has insinuated that Miro not being a ‘favorite’ of AEW President Tony Khan has resulted in the Bulgarian not getting regular TV time.

Miro, formerly Rusev in WWE, joined AEW in September 2020 and is a former TNT Champion.

Over the past year though, Miro’s TV time has greatly diminished and he has been the victim of lengthy absences from programming.

Playing Favorites

Weeks and months can go by without an appearance from Miro, which his wife is, unsurprisingly, not a fan of.

During an appearance on Busted Open Radio on Tuesday, Perry was asked about her husband’s stop-start booking in AEW (via F4W Online.)

“Tony Khan has his favorites and he’s going to push the favorites just like Vince [McMahon] would push his favorites, just like Hunter is going to push his people. It’s show business.”

CJ Perry on her husband’s AEW booking.

Miro himself has teased being unhappy in AEW, liking a tweet that suggested he would do better back in WWE.

The Bulgarian worked for WWE from 2010 to 2020 and held the United States Championship three times.

Miro has wrestled just one match in the past four months for AEW, competing at All Out 2022 where he teamed with Sting and Darby Allin to defeat the House of Black.

Unhappy

Miro doesn’t wrestle in AEW nearly as much as he did in WWE, but the former Superstar still has big dreams.

When asked whether her husband is enjoying his time working for Tony Khan, Perry responded:

“I mean, he wants to be champion so he’s not going to be happy until he’s champion. I’m just going to leave it at that.”

CJ Perry.

There have been rumors that AEW could sign Perry to a contract, presumably as the on-screen manager for her husband.

“Austin-esque” – Jim Ross Compares AEW Star to Stone Cold During Dynamite

AEW commentator and wrestling legend Jim Ross took to Twitter tonight and said that AEW World Champion Jon Moxley reminded him of a WWE legend.

Jon Moxley defended the AEW World Championship against Pentagon Jr. in the main event of this week’s episode of Dynamite.

It was a back-and-forth matchup, but in the end, Jon retained the AEW World Championship via pinfall after connecting with the Paradigm Shift. Jim Ross compared Jon Moxley to Stone Cold on social media toward the end of the title match.

.@JonMoxley is Austin-esque. Love his game.@AEW#Dynamite

The Firm Attacks MJF & Jon Moxley

After the match, Stokely Hathaway’s stable The Firm attacked Jon Moxley. MJF hired The Firm as his stable on retainer, and the group helped him win the Casino Ladder match at All Out, ensuring him a future title show.

However, Maxwell had warned Stokely earlier on the show to not lay a hand on Jon Moxley before Full Gear. MJF wants to prove that he can earn the title on his own to William Regal and has vowed to not use the Dynamite Diamond Ring as a weapon at the PPV on November 19th.

The Firm ignored MJF’s request and attacked the champion at the end of the show. W. Morrissey, The Gunn Club, Lee Moriarty, and Ethan Page beat down Moxley as MJF paced around on the entrance ramp.

MJF made it seem like he was going to go backstage but wound up sprinting to the ring. The numbers game was too much and The Firm beat both men down. Ethan Page planted MJF with the Ego’s Edge and W. Morrissey sent Maxwell through a table with a Chokeslam as the show went off the air. Jon Moxley will defend the AEW World Championship against MJF on November 19th at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

“She Needs Some Damage Control” – Bayley & Saraya React to Interview on AEW Dynamite

Renee Paquette, formerly known in WWE as Renee Young, recently signed with All Elite Wrestling.

She appeared several times during this week’s episode of Dynamite. Renee was set to interview Saraya, formerly known as Paige, when Britt Baker interrupted.

Britt and Saraya traded words until Renee shut them both up. Paquette said that they were going to do this properly if they wanted to talk about it and Britt stormed away.

Saraya debuted in All Elite Wrestling last month at Dynamite: Grand Slam. Toni Storm defeated Britt Baker, Athena, and Serena Deeb to retain the AEW Interim Women’s Championship. After the match, the heels attacked and Britt set up for the Lockjaw on Storm. Saraya’s music hit and Britt retreated with Jamie Hayter, Rebel, and Serena Deeb.

Bayley Reacts to Interview on AEW Dynamite

Bayley is currently involved in a bitter rivalry with RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. The Role Model battled her for the title in a Ladder match at Extreme Rules but came up short. Bayley defeated The EST in the main event of RAW. A repackaged WWE Superstar interfered in the match and it led to Bayley picking up the victory.

After Renee Paquette put an end to the bickering between Saraya and Britt Baker on Dynamite, Saraya took to Twitter and claimed that she loves “spicy” Renee.

Bayley responded and said that Renee was in “a bit of a pickle”. Saraya then joked that she needed some “damage control”. Bayley is currently the leader of the Damage CTRL faction with Women’s Tag Team Champions IYO SKY & Dakota Kai.

She needs some damage control…

The Elite Were Backstage at AEW Dynamite (Report)

The Elite, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, were backstage at Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, according to PWInsider.

AEW teased The Elite early in the show with this clip featuring the EVPs being erased.

The Elite off AEW television

Kenny Omega Young Bucks
Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks

The Elite have not been on AEW programming since ALL OUT on September 4. The infamous BRAWL OUT happened that night, leading to suspensions of The Elite, CM Punk, and Ace Steel. The first four were stripped of their respective titles.

In recent days, it seemed like The Elite may be coming back to TV soon. Steel was released last week. There have also been reports that the investigation is winding down. In another twist to the saga, Punk’s camp says that his dog, Larry, was injured during BRAWL OUT.

Earlier today, Fightful Select reported that Don Calls is also backstage.

CM Punk Camp Says Larry the Dog Was Injured in Backstage Fight

To borrow a phrase from the kids, ‘Big if true.’

With rumors of an imminent return of The Elite (Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks) to AEW television, a new report from Nick Hausman with Wrestling Inc. adds another layer to the already muddled situation between CM Punk and the AEW EVP’s.

This layer, however, seemingly paints Punk in a more sympathetic light than has otherwise been reported.

According to Hausman, AEW hasn’t even reached out to Punk since the fallout of AEW All Out. Reports state that after Punk verbally tore down Omega, Adam Page, MJF, The Young Bucks, and Colt Cabana during the All Out Media Scrum, he returned to his locker room and a ‘brawl’ between Punk, Kenny Omega, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson, Ace Steele, Ace Steele’s wife, and Larry the Dog commenced.

Accounts vary as to who was at fault, who punched whom, who bit whom (though everybody is pretty sure that it was Ace Steele that bit Kenny Omega) and more, but most recent reports suggest that Punk was the one who ‘threw the first punch.’

CM Punk All Out

Larry the Dog Was Injured

Now, however, a new report from Hausman seems to suggest that Punk may have been justified in his anger.

“From the perspective of Punk’s camp, the scrum itself — which became the talk of the wrestling world due to Punk’s comments on Colt Cabana, “Hangman” Adam Page, and The Elite — didn’t seem like a big deal, and only escalated once Punk’s locker room door was “kicked in” and accidentally hit Punk’s dog, Larry, in the face,” Hausman wrote. “At a pre-scheduled veterinarian appointment a few days later, Punk was informed that two of Larry’s teeth had been knocked loose and had to be removed.”

If that is indeed the case, many people believe Punk may have been justified in throwing hands.

“It was noted to us that Punk felt threatened and reacted in a legal way under Illinois’ Castle Doctrine laws, which allow for the use of force in defense of a person in their dwelling,” Hausman reported. “At this time, there is no litigation against Punk on behalf of anyone involved. It was also relayed to us that Steel’s wife, Lucy, was in the room during the incident, but has not been interviewed as part of the internal investigation into the matter.”

Hausman did not specify from whom in Punk’s camp he spoke with.

It should also be noted that most reports stated that The Elite brought AEW’s Head of Legal with them to confront Punk, which led to speculation that The Elite weren’t actually “looking for a fight” when they entered Punk’s locker room.

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the third part investigation was nearing its conclusion, but that it was Punk who was stalling the proceedings. Meltzer also reported that Ace Steele was released from his AEW contract. Reports suggest that AEW is going to ‘buy out’ CM Punk’s contract, but that Punk doesn’t want to agree to any non-compete clauses should a buy out occur.

Could that mean that CM Punk has intentions to return to WWE? Was CM Punk the aggressor in the backstage fight? Is there any chance Punk could return to AEW? Is this whole thing one big storyline? Stick close to SEScoops for more information as it develops in this complicated, and utterly fascinating, story.

Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks Expected Back in AEW “Imminently”

Following the news of AEW releasing Ace Steel and there being talks of the promotion buying out CM Punk’s contract, there has been speculation that the investigation is wrapping up, which could mean that The Elite will be back soon.

The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega have been added back to television commercials for Dynamite and Rampage, indicating that they are returning soon. Also, last week, Tony Schiavone mentioned The Elite during Dynamite in reference to them being the first-ever AEW World Trios Champions.

The Elite’s Return

Kenny Omega Young Bucks AEW Trios Titles
(via AEW)

According to Fightful Select, there’s been talk backstage about The Bucks and Omega returning to work soon, at least in a backstage capacity. One source said their return could happen “imminently,” although there is no definite answer on when exactly they will be back. 

The report added that there was also a meeting scheduled for last week, but no details were available on what was said.

AEW had suspended Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Pat Buck, Chris Daniels, Michael Nakazawa, and Brandon Cutler following the backstage fight with Punk at AEW All Out last month. Everyone listed above except for The Elite have returned to work.

The Kingdom Signed to Full-Time Contracts with AEW

The Kingdom has become the newest team to be All Elite, after signing full-time deals with AEW.

The group currently consists of Matt Taven, Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis-Bennett and debuted for AEW during the October 14, episode of Rampage.

The group has previously worked in Ring of Honor and recently finished up with Impact Wrestling.

All-Elite

Despite debuting close to two weeks ago, The Kingdom were not signed to AEW at that time.

Fightful Select reports that Taven and Bennett lost the Impact Wrestling World Tag Team Championships during the Bound for Glory tapings, but the match hasn’t aired yet.

This means that given delay, the group were in canon, still Impact’s top team when they appeared on Rampage.

The report adds that all three members of The Kingdom have signed multi-year deals with AEW.

WWE

Before appearing on the October 14, Rampage, it was reported that WWE had been interested in signing Matt Taven.

In their report, Fightful notes that both Mike and Maria had conversations with WWE, but clearly did not reach an agreement.

It is not currently known if a firm offer was made by Head of Talent Relations Triple H.

All three signings had been part of Impact’s Honor No More stable, alongside Vincent, who was backstage at a recent Monday Night Raw.

Friends

The Kingdom debuted by challenging FTR for the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championships, but the two groups aren’t enemies.

In fact, Fightful’s report noted that it was FTR who were pushing backstage for Taven and the Bennetts to be hired.

While Maria has openly discussed helping Tony Khan with the ROH Women’s division, she is contracted solely as an on-screen performer.

Britt Baker on ‘Toxic’ Wrestlers: Anybody Can be Replaced in AEW

Dr. Britt Baker DMD has become one of AEW’s most featured stars, but she’s well aware that she could be replaced.

Baker signed with AEW in January 2019 and was the first female wrestler to ink a deal with the upstart promotion.

At Double or Nothing 2021, Baker captured the AEW Women’s World Championship and held the title for 290 days before losing the gold to reigning Champion Thunder Rosa.

Replaceable

Baker is, to many fans, the biggest female star in AEW today but is aware that this is only thanks to Tony Khan.

Speaking on the Swerve City podcast, Baker spoke about what she believes to be the most ‘toxic’ attitude a professional wrestler can have.

“What’s so toxic is when somebody thinks they’re bigger than the company. Or that the company needs them. There’s literally no one in AEW that they need, other than Tony Khan to survive. Everybody can be replaced.”

– Britt Baker

Baker is currently embroiled in a feud with Saraya, who debuted at the AEW Grand Slam: Dynamite show last month.

A match between the two, which would be Saraya’s first match in nearly five years, is yet to be announced.

Baker Vs. Rosa

Baker’s on-screen feud with Thunder Rosa is long over, but there is reportedly very real beef between the two.

It was reported earlier this year that Rosa has significant heat, not just with Baker but in the AEW locker room, especially after breaking the nose of Jamie Hayter.

Rosa is currently out of action with an injury but has not been stripped of the AEW Women’s World Championship.

Some have claimed that the injury is not legitimate and that AEW is using this as an excuse to keep her away from the locker room, a claim Rosa has denied.

It has also been claimed that Rosa has exaggerated her real injury, as she only told AEW of the injury after learning she’d be losing her title to Toni Storm at All Out 2022.

HT: PWTorch

Britt Baker Comments on Thunder Rosa’s Hiatus from AEW: “I Was at Work Every Week”

Britt Baker has shared her thoughts on AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa’s hiatus from the company.

Thunder Rosa was scheduled to defend the AEW Women’s Championship against Toni Storm at the now infamous All Out PPV. She announced on the Dynamite before the PPV that she was pulling out of the match due to injury in a backstage interview.

Toni Storm is the current AEW Interim Women’s Champion and has taken some shots at the situation surrounding Thunder Rosa. She said the following to Bleacher Report:

I guess my first thing would be to beat Thunder Rosa and stop this interim nonsense. That’s kind of what’s been bothering me. I think that’s been bothering a lot of people because she’s still calling herself the AEW women’s world champion and I’m the one here every week doing the work.

Thunder Rosa responded on Busted Open Radio and said she will hopefully be returning to AEW in January. The AEW Women’s Champion added that she doesn’t book the show and it is not her problem what is decided backstage.

Britt Baker Comments on Thunder Rosa

Former AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker recently spoke with Swerve Strickland on The Swerve City podcast and commented on not missing time from All Elite Wrestling while out with an injury. Britt noted that she was at TV every week because she wanted to be there.

I never missed any episodes of TV, with every like broken bone and injury. I’m just sayin’.

What bone have I not broken at this point? My leg, my nose twice now, my wrist, the concussion, and I was at work every week because that is where I wanted to be.

I had my nose surgery on a Monday, Dynamite was on a Wednesday, and I was there cutting a promo. Because I wanted to be.

Tony (Khan) is the most caring and wonderful guy. But I was like this is an opportunity, I’m going to have a black eye, I’m sick in the head and thought I’m going to look cool.

Britt added during the podcast that they don’t get along but complimented Thunder Rosa for upping her game.

It is kind of like The Batman and Joker, like one needs the other for the success story to happen.

We don’t like each other. There’s always tension but that tension makes good TV. So, I still think it’s my division.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Swerve City podcast and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

CM Punk Breaks Silence on Social Media for First Time Since Fight at AEW All Out

Former AEW World Champion CM Punk has reemerged on social media for the first time since the All Out PPV.

CM Punk captured the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley at the All Out PPV on September 4th. He was injured during the match and would likely have had to relinquish the title regardless.

However, the 44-year-old opted to go on a rant during the media scrum following the PPV. Despite just winning the title, CM Punk wanted to discuss his issues with The Elite, Colt Cabana, and Hangman Page while AEW President Tony Khan was seated directly beside him.

The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega reportedly went to CM Punk’s locker room following the rant and a brawl broke out. Ace Steel was released from the company and AEW is reportedly in negotiations for a contract buyout with the former champion.

CM Punk was stripped of the AEW World Championship on the Dynamite following All Out. He is a two-time AEW World Champion without defending the title a single time.

The Elite were stripped of their Trios Championships and have not appeared on AEW TV since the PPV.

CM Punk Hypes AJ Mendes’ New Film

CM Punk’s wife, AJ Mendes (FKA as AJ Lee in WWE), co-wrote the film ‘Blade of the 47 Ronin’ which was released today on Netflix. The 44-year-old posted a story on Instagram and told fans to go check out the film.

cm punk social media

‘Blade of 47 Ronin’ is a sequel to the 2013 film ’47 Ronin’ starring Keanu Reeves. The story takes place 300 years after the original film and is about modern-day Samurai clans that exist in complete secrecy. You can check out a trailer for the film below.