Former AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker has opened up on some advice she received from former WWE NXT/Raw/SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

Baker has been pushed as a top star for AEW since the start of the promotion in 2019 and had a reign as the Women’s Champion for over a year after winning the title from Hikaru Shida back at Double or Nothing in 2021. She dropped it to Thunder Rosa back at St Patrick’s Day Slam.

While speaking to Swerve Strickland and Monteasy on Swerve City, Baker had the following to say about comparisons made between herself and the Queen.

“I do get compared to Charlotte all the time on Twitter. For me, okay cool, one of the best women’s wrestlers of all time. You’re so mean for calling me that. People don’t understand the constant pressure that comes with all the hate that you get. We are people.”

Britt Baker on Charlotte

She said being the face of a division means you’re under a microscope no matter what you do. She said that you can’t let the negative comments get to you or it will drive you insane.  Baker continued by revealing some words of advice Flair gave her.

“Back to Charlotte, her and I have chatted, and she has given me so much great advice just to get through this. She’s given me solid advice to just stay true to what you know is true. Don’t worry about the narratives that fans are creating or what they want to be true because you know what’s going on and what you’re working with. She’s been fantastic to me.”

Baker most recently teamed with Jamie Hayter in a losing effort against Hikaru Shida and Toni Storm on the October 12 edition of AEW Dynamite.

Transcription courtesy of Fightful.

AEW’s investigation into the All Out backstage fight is reportedly nearing its end.

On the All Out post-show media scrum, CM Punk had explosive comments for several AEW wrestlers, including Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, Colt Cabana, and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page.

During the media scrum, a fight broke out backstage between Punk, Ace Steel, and the Elite resulting in all being suspended.

Time’s Up?

Last week, it was reported that AEW higher-ups are against bringing Punk back and are seeking to buy out his contract.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that a conclusion to the investigation should be soon.

“This thing feels like it’s wrapping up, it feels like the Young Bucks and Omega are coming back somewhat soon.”

Dave Meltzer.

Last week, Punk’s trainer Ace Steel was fired from AEW, presumably due to his role in the fight.

Not an Angle

After the backstage fight, many fans believed that what happened was an angle setting up a storyline.

Even after the suspensions, some believed that this could be turned into an angle, but that no longer seems to be the case.

On his show, Meltzer stated why this hasn’t become an angle.

“So many people have brought up to me the idea of turning this into an angle, which certainly UFC would have turned this into an angle if the guys were in the same weight class and promoted the hell out of it and been happy to do so. And WWE probably would have as well.

“In this situation, they [AEW] felt that they just needed to [not turn this into an angle] and I know a lot of the talent felt that.”

William Regal has explained why WWE didn’t hire MJF when he was 19-years-old.

One of the hottest topics going around at the moment in professional wrestling is MJF’s promo with William Regal on AEW Dynamite, addressing why Regal didn’t hire MJF back when he was with WWE.

MJF was only 19-years-old at the time, which was a big reason for Regal’s decision not to hire the current AEW star. Speaking on his Gentleman Villain podcast, Regal further explained WWE’s decision not to hire MJF when he initially tried out.

“NXT was a big part of the Network. Some people have said, ‘you just took people for here and there.’ Yeah, they were the ones the Adam Coles, Kevin Steens, Sami Zayns, Kyle O’Reillys, Fergal Devitts, made a name for themselves and they are more valuable.

“One thing that everyone understands is, if they already have a fanbase, and that fanbase joins them and they are on the Network and NXT and bring in 1,000 people, that’s $10,000 a month. This is business sense. At 19, you haven’t got a following.

“Fortunately for him, this is another thing, whatever nonsense he’s done with AEW, he should be kissing the feet of Tony Khan and anybody who started. Chris Jericho, the Bucks, Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, he should be down showering them with praise night and day.

“They started a company that he got hired in straight away because of what he’s been doing in another company. If [AEW] hadn’t started up, he probably still wouldn’t have gotten hired in WWE straight away, it would have been a year or two and he wouldn’t be in this position now.

“Perhaps he’s just an asshole. No matter how talented he is, has he got the mental capacity to handle all of it? We’ve seen how he reacts over an email.”

Things certainly seemed to have worked out for MJF since. He’s currently, arguably, the biggest star in AEW, and certainly one of the biggest in professional wrestling period.

He’s slated to become a free agent in 2024, leaving WWE the potential opportunity to make a big bid for the young star. It will be interesting to see if MJF does, in fact, end up in WWE when it’s all said and done.

All Elite Wrestling’s FTR will be stepping through the Forbidden Door to appear at the upcoming NJPW Battle Autumn event.

FTR debuted for AEW in 2020 and captured the company’s World Tag Team Titles at that year’s All Out.

The team of Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, FTR also currently hold the ROH, AAA, and IWGP World Tag Team Championships.

Battle Autumn

On the official NJPW Twitter, FTR confirmed that they will be at Battle Autumn in Osaka, Japan.

The duo begged New Japan to send their best wrestlers to the show and teased that their match in Japan will be for the IWGP Tag Team Titles.

No opponents have been announced for FTR at this time.

NJPW Battle Autumn will take place on November 5, at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, in Osaka, Japan.

Karl Anderson: Will he or Won’t he?

FTR has been announced for NJPW Battle Autumn but Karl Anderson’s position with the show is far muddier.

Before returning to WWE earlier this month, it was announced that Anderson would be defending his NJPW Never Openweight Championship at Battle Autumn against Hikuleo.

Even after returning on Raw, an updated card from NJPW still featured the title match, leading many to believe an agreement had been reached.

After being announced for WWE Crown Jewel (also on November 5,) Anderson uploaded a video saying he will not be at Battle Autumn.

NJPW President Takami Ohbari is said to be ‘furious’ over Anderson choosing WWE over his show, and has said he expects all promoted talent, especially champions, to be at Battle Autumn.

WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson has weighed in on possibly having one final match before calling it a career.

In July, Ric Flair competed in his final match, teaming with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo to defeat Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett.

Despite being billed as his last match, Flair has said he will never retire and has shown interest in getting back in the ring.

Arn Anderson

Ric Flair and Arn Anderson teamed together for years as members of the iconic Four Horseman, but don’t expect the duo to tag team again.

While Flair has teased wrestling again despite July’s bout, Anderson is against the idea.

During an appearance at the Highspots Live Virtual Gimmick Table, Anderson was asked if he’d ever have a retirement match, and made it clear he already has (via Fightful.)

“I had my last match back in 97. When the doctor said ‘quit wrestling, quit walking’.”

Arn Anderson.

When asked if fans may seen one more Spinebuster, a move Anderson used for decades, Arn didn’t rule out the idea with his comical response.

“How about I spinebuster myself so I can see what everyone has been complaining about all these years.”

Arn Anderson.

Anderson finished wrestling full-time in 1997 due to neck and back issues, but would have two more matches in WCW, with his final ever match being on the May 17, 2000, episode of WCW Thunder.

Anderson Today

In December 2019, after a handful of appearances, Anderson signed a contract with AEW, and signed a new multi-year deal in May the following year.

In late 2021, Anderson would drop Cody Rhodes as a client and cut his infamous ‘Glock’ promo, but would later resume managing the American Nightmare.

Arn’s son Brock Anderson also works for AEW as a wrestler.

Kurt Angle asked All Elite Wrestling (AEW) for a very large sum of cash to wrestle for the promotion.

Angle’s professional wrestling days are likely behind him, and any further involvement he will have in the industry will likely be with WWE. However, four years ago, AEW president Tony Khan was apparently seeking out the WWE Hall Of Famer’s services.

This was before Angle officially decided to hang up his boots for good. Taking to a Q&A segment on his podcast, Angle suggested he told AEW he’d need about $3 million to do 10 matches.

Of course, that deal never came to fruition, and Angle has yet to work with AEW in any sort of capacity.

“Well, to even consider coming back, it’s going to have to be for a substantial amount of money. I do remember, Tony Khan wanted me to come in and wrestle for him. This was like 4 years ago and I said, ‘For 10 matches, I want $3 million.’ That’s 300 grand a match.”

Kurt Angle has since inked a nostalgia/merchandise deal with WWE. It remains unknown if this would affect his ability to work with other promotions such as AEW in the future in any capacity.

We have a backstage report to pass along on how MJF is perceived backstage in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

There has been a lot of chatter about the backstage environment within AEW, especially with reports of backstage brawls involving some of the company’s biggest names.

According to a report from PWTorch, things are pretty good backstage at the moment and are not as bad as headlines have made them out to be as of late.

The report also speculated on MJF’s contract situation. While MJF continues to insist that he has not signed a contract extension with AEW, but instead received a pay bump, PWTorch speculates that the young star may have, in fact, signed an extension after all and is waiting for the right time to announce it.

Backstage, MJF is described as not being a problem backstage compared to other names such as Sammy Guevara, or Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa. He’s even said to be less of a problem than The Bucks and Kenny.

While someone like Omega is described as being more “political,” MJF is said to be more “ambitious” than anything. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops given the unconfirmed status of MJF’s contract heading into 2024.

Was CM Punk destined to have an underwhelming run in AEW? That’s certainly what those close to the former World Champion believe.

Punk joined AEW in August 2021 after a seven-year hiatus from professional wrestling, and is a two-time World Champion with the company.

The Chicago-Made wrestler is currently out with an injury and has been suspended for his role in the AEW All Out 2022 post-show backstage fight.

This week, it was reported that AEW intends to buy out the remainder of Punk’s contract and fire him.

Destined To Be

Punk’s days with AEW are seemingly numbered, and some close to him believed this would always happen

During a recent PW Torch Elite Audio stream, Wade Keller reported that when he spoke to sources close to Punk before his AEW debut, they predicted his run would not go well.

Those same sources also said that Punk’s run with AEW “wouldn’t last,” which appears to be the case now.

Punk’s personality and history of discontent were cited as reasons why his run with AEW would end poorly.

Returning to WWE

If Punk is fired from AEW, the only place he could realistically wrestle next is WWE.

If so, then a deal will need to be struck with WWE’s Head of Talent Relations Triple H, who Punk has been highly critical of in the past.

In his report, Keller stated that Triple H is more likely to bring Punk back than Vince McMahon, who “never fully got behind” the AEW star.

It was also noted that Triple H may attempt to bring him back, to move metrics such as viewership and prove that WWE has not missed a beat post-Vince McMahon.

The Future of AEW

AEW made a huge deal of CM Punk’s arrival in August last year on Rampage: The First Dance, but the company will be okay without him.

Keller reported that while Punk would be a “net plus” in bringing in ticket sales and moving merchandise, he is far from ‘needed’ in AEW.

Keller pointed to the many established main event talent and rising mid-card talent, and is more than capable of growing without Punk.

It was said that any growth in AEW’s viewership due to Punk being on the show has happened at this point.

CM Punk’s days with All Elite Wrestling are seemingly coming to an end, which may be good news as far as Chris Jericho is concerned.

Punk hasn’t appeared for AEW since being suspended for his explosive All Out post-show media scrum comments and the backstage fight that ensued.

It was reported this week that AEW is seeking to buy-out the remainder of Punk’s contract which is believed to have close to two years left.

• Chris Jericho’s Best Gimmicks Ranked

Good Riddance

CM Punk’s arrival in AEW, over seven years away from the wrestling world, was a huge win for the company and met with excitement from fans.

In the 14 months since then, fans have soured on Punk, especially after his actions at All Out.

On Twitter, a fan noted how Punk had “one of the most triumphant comebacks ever” and has since become “so toxic that you’re not worth having around.”

The tweet gathered over 2,000 likes, including one from Chris Jericho.

Jericho has been a locker-room leader without Punk and the Elite around, alongside Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley.

In backstage meetings, Jericho has stressed the importance of keeping private matters private and not letting issues behind the scenes get leaked.

Punk in WWE?

AEW reportedly wants to be rid of CM Punk, but there is a fear that he could jump to WWE.

Punk walked out of WWE in January 2014, and received his termination papers in June on his wedding date, timing Vince McMahon insisted was coincidental.

While Punk has not spoken directly with WWE, he does speak with friends in the company including Adam Pearce and Paul Heyman.

Ace Steel’s time with All Elite Wrestling has come to an end and the former backstage producer has made his thoughts clear on his abrupt exit.

Steel was fired from AEW earlier this week, presumably for his role in the All Out backstage fight.

Perhaps best known as the trainer of CM Punk, Steel took the former World Champion’s side during the fight with the Elite.

Steel Comments

Steel is alleged to have bitten Kenny Omega, and thrown a chair that hit Nick Jackson in the eye.

In public appearances by Omega, a bite mark has been visible on his arm, adding credence to reports that he was bitten.

On Instagram, Steel insinuated that what some have said about him is not entirely accurate.

In his post, Steel used an image of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage having issues backstage, with the text reading “false accusations running wild.”

Steel did not clarify who made the claims he believes to be ‘false accusations.’

CM Punk Next?

Steel’s time with AEW has come to an end, and CM Punk may soon be joining him.

This week, it was reported that AEW’s higher-ups do not want to bring Punk back to TV and are in talks about buying out his contract.

There is a concern that Punk could join WWE should he be fired by AEW.

While Punk and WWE have had negative things to say about each other, Triple H is reportedly dead-set on creating “compelling programming.”

Punk walked out of WWE after the 2014 Royal Rumble and was sent his termination papers on his wedding day, something that then-WWE CEO told Steve Austin on his podcast was pure coincidence.

AEW President Tony Khan has announced a big AEW World Championship match for this Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.

The announcement came just a few minutes after NXT Halloween Havoc went on the air.

Jon Moxley will put the AEW World Championship on the line against Penta El Zero Miedo this Wednesday night on Dynamite.

Tony Khan took to Twitter to announce the match for next week’s show in Norfolk, VA.

Jon Moxley Confronted at Daily’s Place

AEW Rampage was live this week from Daily’s Place. AEW World Champion Jon Moxley cut a promo outside the venue and boasted about knocking out the #1 contender (Hangman) on Dynamite. Jon added that he’s not satisfied and wants to pick up where he left off next week on Dynamite.

Penta and Alex Abrahantes interrupted Moxley outside of Daily’s Place. Penta claimed to be the only wrestler on the AEW roster that doesn’t have any fear and challenged the champion.

Willow Nightingale was supposed to battle Penelope Ford last night but the 30-year-old was pulled from AEW Rampage with an injury. Nightingale was given a new opponent, Leila Grey of The Baddies.

The match went back and forth but eventually, Nightingale took control. Willow hit a Spinebuster and then a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Tony Schiavone got into the ring to interview Willow. He announced that Nightingale was officially All Elite and the crowd cheered. Willow celebrated for a moment but it was short-lived.

TBS Champion Jade Cargill interrupted and demanded that Nyla Rose return her title. Rose was then shown outside Daily’s Place in Jacksonville with Marina Shafir and Vickie Guerrero. Nyla laughed and drove away with the TBS Championship as Jade Cargill beat down several AEW security guards.

Backstage Update on Willow Nightingale Signing with All Elite Wrestling

According to a new report from Fightful Select, it was known that Willow had signed with All Elite Wrestling in some capacity, but wasn’t confirmed to be full-time until the October 21st edition of Rampage. Nightingale now has merchandise on the AEW Shop.

Fightful added that when Nightingale finished with MLW, they believed that she was going to sign a full-time deal with another company. The report noted that independent promotions did not have to go through AEW to book Nightingale over the summer. Backstage reaction to the Nightingale signing is said to be very positive.

Nightingale debuted with All Elite Wrestling in May last year. She wrestled at ROH Death Before Dishonor earlier this year and defeated Allysin Kay.

Willow Nightingale defeated Leila Grey last night on AEW Rampage but that wasn’t the opponent she was originally scheduled to face.

All Elite Wrestling had advertised Willow versus Penelope Ford hours before the show but the match never took place.

On the October 21st edition of AEW Rampage, undefeated TBS Champion Jade Cargill sat down with Tony Schiavone to address Nyla Rose.

Nyla has stolen Jade’s TBS Championship and Cargill wants it back. During the interview, Schiavone mentioned that Cargill is going to hijack Rampage if she doesn’t get her belt back and then said “we also know Penelope Ford is injured and will not be able to wrestle Willow Nightingale tonight”. Jade would later hold Rampage hostage and beat down security after Nyla drove away from Daily’s Place with the stolen title.

The tweet from AEW of the interview states Penelope would not be able to compete due to a preshow injury. It is unknown how long Penelope will be out with an injury. She did not wrestle for AEW from mid-January to August with an undisclosed injury.

Penelope Ford last wrestled on AEW TV earlier this month on October 5th. She teamed with Jamie Hayter and Serena Deeb in a 6-woman tag team match. The trio lost to Athena, Toni Storm, and Willow Nightingale in the match on the 3 Year Anniversary of AEW Dynamite.

Ford, Hayter, and Deeb went on to defeat Brittany Blake, Jordan Blade, and Trish Adora on AEW Dark. The 30-year-old teamed up with her husband, AEW star Kip Sabian, to defeat Jeremy Prophet and Jessiki Neri on AEW Dark: Elevation episode #85.

AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa hasn’t appeared on television since before the All Out PPV.

Thunder Rosa announced in a backstage segment that she would be unable to compete at the PPV. Toni Storm went on to capture the Interim Women’s Championship and has recently taken a couple of shots at Rosa.

Toni recently spoke with Bleacher Report and said she’s the one here doing all the work and is getting tired of the “interim nonsense”. The 27-year-old debuted with All Elite Wrestling in March. Thunder Rosa defeated Britt Baker in a Steel Cage match at Dynamite: St. Patrick’s Day Slam to capture the title.

AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa Responds to Toni Storm

Thunder Rosa recently responded to Toni’s comments during an appearance on Busted Open Radio. She told Toni to go complain to the booker (AEW President Tony Khan) if she has an issue. The 36-year-old added that she hopes to return to All Elite Wrestling in January. Rosa suggested that the AEW Interim Women’s Champion check out her updates on her YouTube page as well.

Chris Jericho isn’t going anywhere, as the former AEW World Champion signed a new deal with All Elite Wrestling this week. That new deal will see him be under contract with the promotion through December 2025. It also will see Jericho take on additional responsibilities as a producer and creative advisor.

Jericho originally signed with AEW in January 2019, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal with a two-year option reportedly for $3 million per year before AEW ever had a television deal. 

Many, including Jericho, didn’t think he would work for another promotion besides WWE in America after two stints from 1999 until 2018.

WWE Interested in Jericho

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that there was an expectation within WWE that Jericho would go back after his initial deal with AEW expired. Those in WWE believed Jericho would have one final run in WWE and be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at the end to cap off a great career. 

Jericho maintained a good relationship with former WWE CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon over the years. The Painmaker told his former boss about the offer from AEW in 2019. 

The new deal with AEW will keep him under contract until he’s 55 years old, which may make Jericho’s chances of one more WWE run appear slim. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that Jericho received a raise that made his new deal “the biggest contract of his life.”

• Chris Jericho’s Best Gimmicks Ranked

Matt Hardy recently celebrated 30 years in the pro wrestling business. While enjoying a career resurgence with his “Broken Matt” character that led him back to WWE briefly, he joined AEW.

He debuted during the “No Fans Era” with the Damascus character. It was one that struggled without live fans. Hardy’s heel character from IMPACT, “Big Money Matt”, came to AEW. He charged a “wee fee” for his services with Private Party, Butcher, Blade, and Bunny. His clients formed Hardy Family Offices (HFO) before merging with Andrade El Idolo to become AHFO. Private Party eventually turned on him.

For a few months, Jeff Hardy joined him in AEW. The pair teamed up for tag and trios matches. Their biggest match was the “Modern Dream Match” against the Young Bucks at Double or Nothing. Unfortunately, Jeff was arrested for a DUI a few weeks later.

Recently, Hardy has made amends with Private Party. There is the possibility that Hardy Party will make a run at Trios gold. Isiah Kassidy lost his match last week and per the stipulation, LFI now owns the contracts of the Hardy Party.

Matt Hardy discusses retirement

In the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, he did a Q&A episode. He was asked when he retires, which company does he want to retire with.

“I don’t know. Honestly, I can see myself retiring with AEW. I love being here. I love the family feel that it has. And I just love the lack of horseshit and bullshit, it’s pretty much straight-forward. And Tony is really good at working with people and remembering they’re human beings, especially families, and allowing them to take time off and address issues there may be. He’s great with that and works around people’s schedules and whatnot. I love AEW. I’m very cool spending the rest of my career at AEW.”

• Matt Hardy Names 3 of Today’s Best Wrestlers

“With that being said, I love WWE as well. I think it’s a big positive at HHH has taken over and has been in charge. I would imagine that it’s going to continue to change as it evolves over the next few years with him at the helm.”

He goes on to say that Michael “P.S.” Hayes has to be the one to induct the Hardy Boyz into the WWE Hall of Fame when the time comes.

WWE and All Elite Wrestling were incredibly close to putting their differences aside in order for Billy Gunn to appear on Monday Night Raw.

On last week’s Raw, which served as the season premiere, all living members of D-Generation X reunited except for Gunn.

Prior to the show, there was speculation as to whether Gunn would appear, given he is signed to AEW as an on-screen performer and trainer.

The Deal that Wasn’t

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that AEW and WWE discussed a Gunn appearance.

WWE did not offer any money and AEW did not request any money for the WWE Hall of Famer to appear.

Instead, Tony Khan requested that WWE make reference to AEW on the show, similar to acknowledging Impact Wrestling during Mickie James’ return in January this year.

James appeared in the WWE Women’s Royal Rumble despite being with Impact and the promotion’s Knockouts World Champion at the time.

After agreeing and disagreeing on whether to have Gunn appear, the Newsletter reports that a “last-minute” call was made for Gunn not to appear.

Gunn did not appear but Corey Graves referenced a DX member who now works in office supplies.

Graves’ reference was a nod to Gunn who has been scissoring with AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed this year.

Payback?

Billy Gunn didn’t appear for WWE during the DX reunion, but he has made a WWE appearance while with AEW.

In 2019, Gunn, mere months into his role as an AEW coach, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of DX.

During the event, Gunn joked that he couldn’t be fired from WWE, and Triple H responded that then-CEO Vince McMahon could buy the “p*ss-ant” AEW.

In the report, Dave Meltzer writes that he is surprised that WWE and AEW had any discussions about bringing Gunn in, given the frosty relationship between the two companies at this time.

CM Punk’s days with AEW are seemingly coming to an end as the promotion is against the idea of bringing him back.

Punk, who debuted for AEW last year after a seven-year hiatus from wrestling, was suspended after the AEW All Out 2022 post-show backstage fight. The Chicago-Made wrestler was also stripped of the AEW World Championship and is believed to have thrown the first punch.

After All Out 2022, AEW President Tony Khan approved a third-party investigation into the fight and any possible legal ramifications.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that AEW are in talks to buy out the remainder of Punk’s contract for an undisclosed sum. Dave Meltzer writes that this suggests that Khan and other higher-ups do not intend to bring Punk back to TV.

Sentiment within AEW is said to be very anti-Punk, and sympathetic to Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.

• CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW

A WWE Return?

If Punk is fired from AEW, then a return to WWE is possible, despite leaving on bad terms in January 2014.

Meltzer reports that there is an issue with the non-compete clause in Punk’s contract and AEW fear Punk joining WWE, likely the only promotion that can afford him.

WWE has been very negative about Punk in the past and did not sign the former World Champion when FOX pushed them to strike a deal.The belief is that signing Punk, even while he’s injured and won’t be able to wrestle for several months, would be a major coup for WWE.

Punk has been heavily critical of WWE and has not had any direct contact with the promotion. However, he is said to be good friends with Adam Pearce and Paul Heyman, both WWE employees. Neither Punk nor AEW responded to a request for comment.

Ace Steel

Punk’s trainer Ace Steel, who was also involved in the All Out fight, was fired earlier this week.

Steel is alleged to have bit Kenny Omega and thrown a chair that hit Nick Jackson in the eye.

Part of Steel and Punk’s defense is that he was protecting his wife, who was in the room at the time of the fight

Steel’s wife was never spoken to for the investigation.

Darby Allin was one of the first unknown names that AEW helped bring the spotlight on during the company’s initial days. Only 26 years old at the time of his signing, Darby’s daredevil style of wrestling instantly attracted people and made him a star. Though despite his early success, the former TNT champion had his own struggles before being signed. Just like he does in the ring, he also made some crazy decisions in his life to improve his chance of success. This includes going homeless for a few years.

The AEW star was the most recent guest of Renee Paquette’s The Sessions podcast. During the interview, he recalled the time he went homeless during his early days of wrestling. The high-flying star explained that he wanted to give it his all:

“Yeah, that’s when I moved from Seattle to Atlanta. Because Seattle was the black hole of wrestling. There was no shows at the time. This was before Defy and everything, you couldn’t wrestle in the state. The commission wouldn’t let you have pro wrestling shows in the state. So we’d always have to go to Vancouver, Canada, or Oregon or something like that. I was like ‘I gotta do something. I gotta get out of here.’

I just didn’t have a comfort zone. I feel like a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, I really want this to work out,’ But they don’t put everything into it. I wanted to look at myself in the mirror and be like, ‘Yo, you dedicated everything in this so you have no fucking excuse if you don’t make it.'”

‘Why The Hell Does It Smell Like Salmon?’: Darby Allin

Darby Allin later detailed the struggles he had to go through during his homeless days. He recalled living in his car and cooking food in the bathroom of a gym:

“When you don’t have the comfortability to sit down on the couch and be lazy and watch episodes of whatever. When you’re living in your car. Especially in Georgia, it was so hot in the summer. I would have to have like a strict bedtime so I got decent sleep before. Then I parked in this hotel parking garage.

It was connected to an Anytime Fitness and I got the Anytime fitness membership. Then I was just like, cooking all my food there at the George Foreman grill in the bathroom at like one in the morning. There would always [be] like one random guy that’s in there like ‘Why the hell does it smell like salmon in this fucking gym?’ Then I’d walk out like I didn’t know what he’s talking about. But it was fun.”

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Scott Steiner Opens Up About Math Promo
• What Triple H Told Candice LeRae About Her Pregnancy
• Bobby Lashley Explains When He Plans to Retire
• Saraya Reveals Which Stars Convinced Her To Join AEW
• Dakota Kai Reveals Dismay Over Scrapped WWE Plans

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

AEW star Darby Allin is a risk-taker in and out of the ring, but thought he wasn’t going to make it through a match with Jeff Hardy.

During the May 11, 2022, edition of AEW Dynamite, the two popular wrestlers faced off in what was billed as an ‘Anything Goes’ Match.

The match, which Hardy would eventually win, saw both men use weapons in one of the most extreme matches AEW has ever produced.

Meet my Doom

Arguably the biggest spot of the match (at least from a literal sense) came when Allin dove off a ladder in the ring, onto Jeff outside the ring.

The pair landed on ten steel chairs, earning ‘Holy Sh*t’ chants from the crowd in attendance.

Speaking on the latest episode of ‘The Sessions’ Allin told new AEW signing Renee Paquette about the trepidation going into the match.

“Earlier in the day, I climbed that ladder and I looked down and I was like ‘yeah, I’m for sure going to the hospital tonight.’ There’s no way around it.”

Despite how dangerous the spot seemed and looked to fans, Allin said he found it a mostly pleasant experience.

“Everybody asks me ‘dude how’d that feel?’ And honestly, it didn’t feel like anything, it was so safe. You can see me if you watch the video back, I kinda go to Jeff’s ear ‘that sh*t was so fun!”

“AEW-wise, that was the craziest thing. I thought for sure I was going to meet my doom.”

Darby Allin on Anything Goes match with Jeff Hardy.

The match would be one of Jeff’s most recent matches with AEW, as he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence the following month.

Wrestling Myself

With his face paint, daredevil attitude, and unique personality, Darby Allin has often been compared to Jeff Hardy.

Speaking about working with the former WWE World Champion, Allin said it was like working with himself.

“It felt like I was putting a match together with myself…It was like I was talking to myself. It was fun. A week before, it was just supposed to be a normal match. Just a straight-up match. And I went up to Tony [Khan] and I said ‘hey, nobody wants to see us exchange wrist locks.'”

Allin’s only regret is that the match was under the watchful eye of New York’s State Athletic Commission, which kept some of his most extreme ideas off of the show.

“It was in New York where there’s a state commission, and I was like ‘why couldn’t we wait a week when we’re in Texas when no-one gives a sh*t?”

Darby Allin

Out of the Ring

Allin considers the Jeff Hardy match a personal highlight of his risk-taking life, which isn’t just for the cameras.

In the interview, Allin explained how even when he’s got time to ‘relax’ his version of chilling out includes more risk-taking.

“Every time I’m off for the week, it’s like ‘alright, Darby is going to take the week off and chill out and whatever.’ [But really,] I go harder outside of work than I do in the realm of AEW. I’m never really stopping. It’s fun though because I never know when I’m going to get hit by a bus or something.”

Allin has taken to social media to show off some of his stunts, including driving a jeep over his own home.

For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

AEW felt the need to check that both Athena and Jody Threat were okay after their hard-hitting match on Dark: Elevation.

The match, which aired this week, saw Athena portray the heel role while Threat was the babyface in her hometown of Toronto, Canada.

The match has become notable for the stiff, hard-hitting strikes which have led some to believe that there are genuine issues between the two.

Backstage

Athena got the win in the hard-hitting match, but a lot took place backstage after the match.

Fightful Select reports that during a planned spot in the match, Threat slipped while attempting a comeback sequence.

Threat, thrown off by the error, asked Athena what was the next spot and the two got more physical afterward.

A source who spoke to Fightful said that the aggressiveness shouldn’t have happened and things should’ve instead been made more clear.

Another source criticized Athena, the veteran in the match, saying she should have led by example rather than let the match get more physical than planned.

Both women were reportedly approached by management after the match to make sure things were okay between them.

Some close to Athena added that this hard-hitting style was always her plan to play up her heel role in front of Threat’s hometown crowd.

Avoiding Drama

This match has quickly become what many fans know Jody Threat for, but she hopes that isn’t the case for long.

Fightful’s report adds that there have been no reports so far on heat for either woman.

Threat is described as someone who attempts to avoid attention and doesn’t like to get involved in wrestling politics.

She is reportedly hopeful that this is not a career-defining match.

MJF is one of the biggest stars of All Elite Wrestling and wrestling legends are starting to take notice.

On this week’s special Tuesday night edition of AEW Dynamite, Maxwell confronted William Regal of the Blackpool Combat Club. MJF brought up an email Regal sent him in the past that he thought was an attempt to crush his dreams. Regal responded by claiming MJF has had it easy if he’s hung up on an email from seven years ago.

William also referred to MJF as “sunshine” multiple times in the segment. The 54-year-old’s words must have left an impact on MJF as he made a proclamation to close the show. After Hangman Page suffered a concussion in the title match against Jon Moxley, the AEW World Champion called MJF out.

Jon wanted to fight but MJF announced that he will be cashing in his chip for a title match at AEW Full Gear. Maxwell added “for the first time in my miserable life, I’m going to earn it” before whipping the microphone to the floor.

MJF Responds to Praise from Mick Foley

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley took to Twitter after the incredible segment between William Regal and MJF on this week’s Dynamite. Mick praised MJF for his mic skills and added that he’s believable.

MJF responded to the WWE legend and used his “right here” catchphrase. Maxwell joked that Foley should go take a “Nestea plunge off a bridge”.

Hangman Adam Page provided a reassuring update on his health after an injury scare during the main event of Tuesday’s AEW Dynamite. During a world title match against Jon Moxley, Paige was legitimately injured and had to be stretchered out of the arena after the match was called off.

• AEW & WWE Stars React to Hangman Page Injury on Dynamite

AEW issued a statement on Page’s condition late Tuesday night, noting that he was taken to to the trauma center of a Cincinnati hospital after Dynamite and diagnosed with a concussion. He was discharged later in the evening and will remain in AEW’s concussion protocol.

On Wednesday, Page thanked everybody for supporting him through this tough time. He’s “feeling good today” and thanked AEW personnel for taking care of him at Dynamite.

All Elite Wrestling’s flagship TV show aired on Tuesday this week due to a preemption for the Major League Baseball playoffs. The special Tuesday Night Dynamite on TBS went head-to-head with NXT on the USA Network, a throwback of sorts to the Wednesday Night Wars that ran from October 2, 2019, to April 7, 2021.

Both companies put their best foot forward in their latest battle, with AEW presenting Jon Moxley’s world title defense against Hangman Adam Page and WWE sending several main roster stars to NXT including Kevin Owens, Austin Theory, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rhea Ripley and more.

The October 18, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite won the night with viewership, averaging 752,000 viewers. It was the #8 ranked show on cable for the night with a 0.26 rating (P18-49).

NXT drew 676,000 fans and ranked #12 on cable with a 0.18 rating.

Dynamite returns to its usual time slot next Wednesday. NXT has a special event this Saturday night, Halloween Havoc, airing on Peacock.

Catch up on the Top 10 Moments from this week’s NXT:

H/T Brandon Thurston, Wrestlenomics

Longtime professional wrestling commentator Jim Ross has discussed potentially retiring after his current deal with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) goes out.

Ross recently took to his podcast, “Grilling JR,” and discussed the possibility of walking away from professional wrestling at 70-years-old. The WWE Hall Of Famer didn’t confirm that he’ll be retiring, but admitted he is definitely considering it.

“I think my contract with AEW is about another year and change. I’m looking at finishing that out and then taking it from there. So, that means I’m thinking about [retirement].

“I haven’t talked to Tony Khan about this, but when I signed an extension – I think for 18 months or something like that – and it’s still in effect. I’m happy with that arrangement. We’ll take it one week at a time.

“I don’t know if I’m gonna stay, or if he wants me to stay. I think he does, and I know I do. But I also have to be realistic. I’m not a young kid.

“Maybe I’m traveling too much, maybe I don’t need to come to Dynamite, and stay at home an extra day before you get on that next airplane. I like what I’m doing. I really do.”

Jim Ross has been involved in the professional wrestling world since the mid-70s. He’s best known for his historic 20-year run with WWE where he became known as the “voice of wrestling.”

In 2013, Ross left WWE and would go on to do work with the likes of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), a few independent shows, a brief return to WWE, and now, under contract with AEW.