Maxwell Jacob Friedman is firing back at anti-Semitic comments made by Kanye West.

West made headlines around the world overnight with his late night diatribe aimed at Jewish people. He wrote on social media, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”

Days before this Tweet, Jewish groups accused West of propagating anti-Semitic stereotypes during an interview with Fox News.

West has received blowback from various racially sensitive comments over the years, and Jews have not been his only target. In 2018, he floated the idea that African Americans “chose” to be slaves. He told TMZ, “When you hear about slavery for 400 years … For 400 years? That sounds like a choice.”

MJF Responds to Kanye West

On Sunday, MJF addressed the controversy on Twitter. He wrote:

The tweets got a lot of replies, as you can imagine. He followed up by writing, “And for the people out there who will try to attack me for bringing up the abolition of slavery in the US. I am not taking your very real pain away. Nor am I trying to play a game of ‘who’s had it worse.’ If you think that was the point of this tweet you’re dumb as bricks.”

MJF has been outspoken about the anti-Semitism he’s faced while growing up. Back in February, he cut an impassioned promo on AEW Dynamite explaining how he dealt with a high school classmate who bullied him for being Jewish.

Former WWE personality and commentator Renee Paquette (Renee Young) is expected to sign with All Elite Wrestling.

According to a new report from Fightful Select, their sources within WWE are expecting Renee to sign with AEW. Give Me Sport’s Louis Dangoor had heard that WWE reached out to Renee about a possible return to the company but Fightful could not confirm if that was the case. Fightful also reached out to both AEW and Renee Paquette but didn’t receive confirmation that she’s signed with the company.

Renee Young exited WWE after SummerSlam 2020. She was a backstage interviewer, a commentator, and a host during her WWE career. Renee also joined the cast of Total Divas for season six and hosted WWE Backstage on Fox.

After leaving WWE, the 37-year-old launched The Sessions podcast on Fox sports broadcaster Colin Cowherd’s The Volume Network. The Cincinnati Bengals recently announced that they will be partnering with Paquette for a new series called Renée All Day. The series will feature Renee interviewing players from the team. She recently filmed footage for WWE at the Performance Center.

Renee’s husband, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, just signed a 5-year extension with All Elite Wrestling. His new contract will keep him with All Elite Wrestling until 2027 and has expanded his role in the company to include coaching.

Moxley will be defending the AEW World Championship against Hangman Page in Cincinnati on a special Tuesday night edition of Dynamite on October 18th.

AEW’s women’s division continues to grow.

The promotion most recently added Saraya (formerly known as Paige) to their talented roster, one that already includes Britt Baker, Athena, Jade Cargill, Serena Deeb, Madison Rayne, Riho, Nyla Rose, Kris Statlander, Penelope Ford, Anna Jay, and a ton of rising stars like Willow Nightingale, Red Velvet, Leyla Hirsch, Jamie Hayter, and Skye Blue.

When looking at the top merchandise sellers for AEW the most common names, like CM Punk, Kenny Omega, Adam Page, MJF, and Orange Cassidy sit at the top, with some hotter acts like Danhausen and The Acclaimed working their way up. However, the top selling female star is not who you may think it is.

Former AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida Is The Best Female Merch Seller For AEW

According to the ShopAEW numbers (thanks to a report by WrestleNomics), Hikaru Shida currently sits among the top sellers for AEW, and is even outselling Saraya, who debuted a few weeks ago, and Britt Baker, arguably the company’s most featured star. Shida’s appearances in AEW have been scattered since she lost the title to Baker at Double or Nothing 2021, but she is set to compete this Wednesday in tag team action, which will be AEW’s debut show in Canada.

Shida defeated Nyla Rose at Double or Nothing 2020 to become the third-ever AEW women’s champion. Unfortunately, the entirety of her title reign was in front of a few fans due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite her scattered use Shida continues to remain one of AEW’s most popular stars.

A photo of the merch numbers can be seen below.

AEW World Champion Jon Moxley had been without a contract for quite some time prior to re-signing with the company this week.

In a statement, AEW confirmed that Moxley is now under a new five-year contract with the company, and will also serve as a mentor and coach in addition to his on-screen role.

AEW President Tony Khan praised Moxley in the statement, for being “on the best run of his already legendary career.”

Not Under Contract

Moxley’s new five-year deal will keep him in AEW for a long time yet, but he had been a free agent recently.

Sources who spoke to Fightful Select within AEW claimed that Moxley had been working without a contract, but did not specify for how long.

When Fightful asked about Moxley’s status prior to re-signing, they were told it was “quite a situation.”

Tony Khan had made it clear that re-signing Moxley was a priority, given the amount of time and money the promotion has invested in him.

Exclusivity?

In the statement, it was noted that Moxley will wrestle exclusively for AEW, but will be able to compete for New Japan Pro Wrestling, who AEW has a working relationship with.

The statement did not specify Moxley’s status for other promotions, including DEFY Wrestling or Game Changer Wrestling.

Fightful’s report notes that AEW wouldn’t comment on what his new deal means for his status with any of those companies.

Moxley, the reigning GCW World Champion will face Nick Gage in a title vs. career match later today.

AEW World Champion Jon Moxley is set to remain in with the promotion for a long time.

All Elite Wrestling has announced Moxley has signed a five-year extension. The new agreement expands his responsibilities to include mentoring and coaching talent. The champion will work exclusively for AEW and its international partners.

By 2027, Moxley will have been with AEW for 8 years, longer than his run with WWE.

The champion is set to defend the title on against #1 contender Hangman Adam Page on a special Tuesday Night Dynamite on October 18th from his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Press Release

Here’s the official press release sent in by AEW, including quotes from Tony Khan and Moxley:

All Elite Wrestling and President Tony Khan released the following statement about Moxley signing an extension:

October 7, 2022 – AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan announced that AEW World Champion Jon Moxley has signed a five-year contract extension. This ensures that one of professional wrestling’s top stars will remain in All Elite Wrestling through 2027, while expanding his responsibilities to include mentoring and coaching talent. Moving forward, Moxley will work exclusively for AEW and its international partners, including New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is a two-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion.

Moxley has had an incredible run in 2022, most recently recapturing the AEW World Championship at “AEW: Dynamite GRAND SLAM” against Bryan Danielson, pitting the Blackpool Combat Club’s top stars against one another for the grandest prize in professional wrestling. He defends the AEW World Championship next against Hangman Adam Page in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 18 on a special Tuesday edition of “AEW: Dynamite,” live on TBS at 8 p.m. ET. Moxley will kick off the action on tonight’s live episode of “AEW: Rampage,” the first night of year four of AEW on TNT at 10 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. CT.

“Jon Moxley is on the best run of his already legendary career, and this five-year extension ensures that he was not only here for AEW’s meteoric rise, but also remains a key part of the sustained success we’re witnessing, just days after the three-year anniversary show for ‘AEW: Dynamite,’” said Tony Khan.

“Jon is a great world champion for us in his third reign. His wrestling mind is invaluable, and our roster is lucky to have the opportunity to utilize him as a mentor and a coach as we continue to build the stars of today and tomorrow.”

“I love AEW and the spirit of both the company and its fans,” said Jon Moxley. “I cherish our shared passion for the sport of professional wrestling, and I’m going to dedicate everything I have in mind, body, and spirit to helping AEW be the best it can be going forward.”

Saraya, formerly known as WWE Superstar Paige, is going to be All Elite for quite some time. She made her promotional debut at the Dynamite: Grand Slam from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NY.

Due to spinal stenosis, Saraya hasn’t wrestled since 2017. WWE didn’t sign her to a new deal a few months ago, and she went on the free agent market in early July. AEW made contact with her shortly after she was a free agent, according to Fightful.

• Saraya Takes Dig at WWE with First AEW Dynamite Promo

Contract Details

Saraya has reportedly agreed to a three-year contract with AEW. Interestingly, AEW’s level of ‘financial commitment to the 30-year-old star “largely implies that she’ll be wrestling in some capacity.”

We’re still unclear whether or not Saraya has been medically cleared to compete. She’s scheduled to speak on tonight’s edition of AEW Dynamite tonight. AEW talent did go to bat for her and put in a good word, although one AEW source said: “she didn’t need it, since there was interest when she became available.”

The roster seemed excited about her joining the company and rightfully so. She brings a mega dose of star power to the AEW women’s division. If she does get cleared to wrestle, there are a number of marquee matches lined up with the likes of Britt Baker, Toni Storm, Jade Cargill, Thunder Rosa and others.

• Thunder Rosa On Saraya Arriving In AEW: “She’s A Star, She Has What I Want”

Medically Cleared

Ever since Saraya arrived in AEW, the big question is whether or not she’s cleared to wrestle. Dave Meltzer reported that she was not medically cleared in the days leading up to her debut, which prompted a tweet by Saraya telling fans not to believe everything you read.

In the October 10th Observer, Meltzer followed up with a note that AEW’s Dr. Michael Sampson has finally cleared Saraya to wrestle. She got physical on this week’s AEW Dynamite and the company is setting her up to feud with Britt Baker.

Saraya in AEW

The AEW Dynamite episode this week made more headlines for what happened behind the scenes between Andrade and Sammy Guevara, but the whole debacle seemed to have peaked people’s interest in the show regardless.

This week’s episode of the show celebrating the third anniversary of the weekly series, averaged 1.038 million viewers on TBS.

AEW President Tony Khan didn’t miss the opportunity to comment on the show’s viewership and he thanked everyone who watched the Dynamite episode:

“Thank you every one of you over 1 million live viewers who watched the #AEWDynamite 3 Year Anniversary Show last night! 18 out of 19 weeks (hurricane coverage the lone exception) in Wednesday’s Top 2 Shows on Cable 18-49!”

This week’s episode of the show featuring a tag team match between Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara vs. Bryan Danielson & Daniel Garcia did a 0.33 rating in the key demo.

In comparison, last week’s episode of the show featuring the Chris Jericho vs Bandido match in the main event drew 990,000 viewers with an 0.34 rating.

AEW will also be presenting a live episode of Rampage this week to celebrate the 2-year anniversary of Brodie Lee’s last match in the company.

While the match between Andrade and Dark Order’s 10 has been removed from the show after the backstage altercation, the event will still feature a number of interesting bouts including one for the AEW World Trios Championship.

• Watch: Suspended Star Returns To All Elite Wrestling

It was reported this week that Bandido was signed by All Elite Wrestling but it seems that is not the case.

Chris Jericho defended the ROH Championship against Bandido in the main event of last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Jericho retained the title in a match that received rave reviews from critics and fans.

The 27-year-old was immediately offered a contract following his match with Chris Jericho. Fightful reported on Wednesday that he had agreed to terms on a new deal with All Elite Wrestling.

However, Bandido himself has stated that he has not signed a contract with All Elite Wrestling. He noted that he will likely wind up in AEW, but hasn’t signed yet and has received an offer from WWE as well.

In an interview with Más Lucha, Bandido said that after his match with Jericho on Dynamite eight days ago, Tony Khan and Chris pulled him aside after the match. Bandido claimed that Tony said “I need you in AEW” during the conversation.

Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp noted that their report stated that Bandido had agreed to terms and they could not specify whether he signed a contract.

Andrade El Idolo was also recently interviewed by Más Lucha and had some interesting comments regarding former TNT Champion Sammy Guevara. Those comments led to the to two exchanging words on Twitter.

The Twitter beef then spilled over into Dynamite where Andrade and Sammy reportedly had a physical altercation. Andrade was scheduled to face Dark Order’s 10 in a Career vs. Mask match on this week’s Rampage but the match has been canceled.

A fan-favorite is expected to be returning to AEW very soon.

Japanese star Konosuke Takeshita, who had been building up his reputation at DDT-Pro, began regularly competing for AEW earlier this year and quickly won over the hearts of the AEW Universe with his in-ring performances. The 27-year old had marquee matchups against Adam Page, Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, and nearly won the ROH championship from Claudio Castagnoli at their encounter at Battle of the Belts III.

While Takeshita came up short in all of the aforementioned matchups his stock grew heavily within the company. He picked up a series of wins on their weekly Youtube shows (Dark: Elevation, Dark), as well as a victory over Ryan Nemeth on an edition of their TNT program, Rampage. Takeshita’s run with the company ended over the summer as he had to return to Japan.

A New Report Says Takeshita Will Be Back In AEW In Two Weeks

According to Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer, AEW is hoping to have Takeshita return in the next couple of weeks. While this is exciting Meltzer does note that there don’t seem to be any plans for Takeshita at the moment, but that could obviously change very quickly due to the nature of booking these shows.

The return couldn’t come at a better time for AEW, who have a number of top stars currently on the sideline either due to injury, suspension, or a mixture of both. This includes CM Punk, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Malakai Black, and now…Andrade El Idolo.

Are you excited to see Takeshita back in AEW?

Another wrestling couple is slated to get married – Julia Hart and Lee Johnson. 

During an appearance on this week’s episode of AEW Unrestricted with hosts Aubrey Edwards and Alex Abrahantes, Hart spoke about a wide range of topics, including her relationship with the fellow AEW talent. 

Julia Hart on the Engagement

Hart revealed that they are engaged. It was stated on the podcast that they’d been engaged for months, but it was something they wanted to keep to themselves and within the circle of people who knew.

Hart stated they have a good separation between work-life and real life, and she couldn’t ask for anyone better to be her man. 

House of Black’s Malakai Black is off AEW television because he is tending to personal matters. He has stated that he’ll be back ‘pretty soon’. Buddy Matthews also recently came out and stated that he is taking time away from wrestling. 

Johnson began working with AEW in April 2020. His first Dynamite appearance happened that same month as he took on the late Brodie Lee.

Johnson competed on Dark and Dynamite in the months following before signing with them in February 2021. Johnson last wrestled in a sanctioned match for AEW in early May.

It appears fans won’t see Jeff Hardy back on AEW TV in the near future due to his legal issues. 

Hardy has been suspended by AEW indefinitely and without pay following his DUI arrest in June. After the arrest, he checked himself into rehab. 

Hardy has been charged with Driving While License Canceled/Suspended/Revoked, Violation of Restrictions Placed on Drivers License, and DUI Alcohol/Drugs Third Offense within 10 Years. Hardy has entered a “not guilty” plea to the charge.

Latest on Jeff Hardy’s Status

Pwinsider.com reported today that Hardy has a pre-trial hearing for his DUI scheduled for Wednesday, October 19, after Hardy’s attorneys previously waived his right to a speedy trial. The hearing was supposed to happen in July, but was pushed back due to the request of his attorneys and is now scheduled for this month.

The report added that Hardy is still officially with the company but will not be brought back until his legal issues are cleared up. All Elite Wrestling also wants Hardy to show that he can maintain his sobriety as he has been in treatment “for some time.’

Jeff’s brother and fellow AEW star, Matt Hardy, recently stated that fans will see a new Jeff when he eventually returns. 

Andrade El Idolo has advised others to show respect to him following the backstage fight at this week’s AEW Dynamite tapings.

During the taping, the former NXT Champion fought with Sammy Guevara, resulting in Andrade being sent home from the show.

Andrade had been scheduled to face Preston ’10’ Vance of the Dark Order in a career vs. mask match on this Friday’s Rampage, but the match has been canceled.

The Fight

While reports are still coming in, the belief is that Andrade began the fight with Guevara, and had been waiting for him.

El Idolo reportedly threw up to three punches at the former TNT Champion, who did not fight back.

Guevara’s decision to not fight is why he was allowed to stay at the show and headlined Dynamite later that night.

Taking to Twitter, El Idolo seemingly referenced the fight with his advice to others.

Andrade on Twitter

This most recent tweet is the latest move by El Idolo on social media who has used Twitter to tease leaving AEW.

Last week, Andrade began using the hashtag #FreeElIdolo, seemingly expressing a desire to get out of Tony Khan’s promotion.

El Idolo has also liked tweets from fans who believe he should leave AEW and would fare better back in WWE, where he worked from 2015 to 2021.

The AEW star has also shared frustrations with his booking in the company and retweeted fans who call out Tony Khan for not using him more, especially last week when Hurricane Ian forced multiple stars to miss Dynamite.

Both Andrade El Idolo and Sammy Guevara assured AEW’s higher-ups that there would be no fighting, prior to the fight before this week’s Dynamite.

Before the show, Andrade and Guevara had an altercation backstage, resulting in El Idolo being sent home.

Andrade’s career vs. mask match with Preston ’10’ Vance of the Dark Order, initially scheduled for Rampage, has been canceled.

Breaking Promise

The fight backstage was the culmination of recent comments by both men, with Andrade claiming in an interview that Guevara complained about being hit too hard.

In response, Guevara claimed that Andrade was being dishonest, and said that El Idolo should go back to WWE, something the former Superstar has teased.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that AEW spoke to both men prior to the show.

“Tuesday night, they were talked to. Both of them. And they were told ‘no fighting.’ Andrade was told ‘if this is your idea [to try and get fired from AEW] you’re not going to get fired if you fight. But you will be sent home. Andrade said ‘don’t worry, there’s not going to be a fight. There’s going to be no fighting.’ This was Tuesday night.

“Sammy was the same thing. ‘Nothing is going to happen.’ They had security there. Everybody was warned ahead of time.”

Conflicting Reports

While most reports have stated that Andrade started the fight, some have suggested that he was goaded into an altercation by Guevara.

On his show, Meltzer gave his most accurate interpretation of events from a source he “totally trusts” within the company.

“Everybody was waiting. Andrade was waiting in the hallway. He got two punches in before things were broken up. Sammy didn’t fight back. Obviously if you watch the show [last night’s AEW Dynamite] the punches didn’t leave a mark. So they weren’t solid punches but he did throw two punches and then it was broken up right away and then Andrade was sent home.”

Bryan Alverez also refuted initial reports that the two had traded blows, clarifying that Guevara did not fight back.

“The story that was not on TMZ but I heard from multiple people was that in fact Sammy did not throw any punches. One person did say that Andrade spun him around and Sammy shoved him and then Andrade punched him. The other stories were that Andrade just punched him. And that Sammy did not fight back.”

What’s next?

Both Meltzer and Alverez agreed that if Guevara had fought as some believed, he would also have been sent home as per AEW’s warning.

Instead, Guevara headlined AEW Dynamite’s three-year anniversary, as he and Chris Jericho defeated ROH Pure Champion Daniel Garcia and Bryan Danielson.

AEW President Tony Khan has not commented publicly on the fight at this time.

AEW President Tony Khan has said that his shots at WWE is part of a “corporate philosophy” from his higher-ups at Warner Bros. Discovery.

Since launching in 2019, Khan and AEW’s roster have never shied away from making reference to WWE.

These digs have been met with a mixed response from audiences, many of whom believe Khan should focus more on his own product.

Challenger Brand

While AEW has proven to be popular with fans, the company still comes up second in almost all metrics to WWE.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Khan addressed whether he considers WWE to be competition, and spoke about a book handed to him from his bosses.

“I’ve said it before, I consider all wrestling as competition. Some people ask me why I’ll talk about other wrestling companies, especially WWE, and I’ll tell you. It was literally a book handed to me over three years ago before the launch of [AEW] Dynamite by Warner Media at the time before it was Warner Bros. Discovery.

“It was telling me what our place [was] already because Dynamite hadn’t launched, but we had carved out a space in the Pay Per View business.

“It was literally a book handed to me over three years ago before the launch of [AEW] Dynamite.”

Tony Khan on the inspiration for his digs at WWE.

“They handed me a book. It was [about] how to be a challenger brand. This is what you are. A challenger brand I learned then, three years ago, is not the industry leader, but it is also not a niche brand. It is not that. It is a big company. It is Pepsi [to Coca-Cola.] It is Burger King [to McDonald’s.]

Khan went on to explain that while challenger brands are not the number one industry leader around, their underdog role makes it easier to cultivate a loyal, passionate fanbase, which AEW has.

Taking Aim

Tony Khan is comfortable in his role as a challenger brand, and is using the tricks of the trade to get ahead.

Using his Burger King analogy, Khan explained how taking aim at the industry leader is part of what being a challenger brand.

“What will get Burger King marketing? What is Burger King marketing? Basically a lot of it is ‘hey McDonalds sucks guys.’

“So for AEW, it’s just part of what we are. We’re a challenger brand. There’s no reason to pretend we’re not. That’s what you are. Embrace it. So it is literally a corporate philosophy handed down on high to me by my boss [Warner Bros. Discovery.]

Earlier this year, Khan faced backlash for his tweet, praising himself as the longest-tenuring wrestling CEO, following the retirement of Vince McMahon amid sexual harassment allegations.

A suspended star has made his triumphant return to All Elite Wrestling during the tapings for Dark: Elevation.

On September 4th, All Elite Wrestling held the All Out PPV at the NOW Arena in Chicago. CM Punk captured the AEW World Championship for the 2nd time by defeating Jon Moxley in the main event. The first-ever Trios Champions were crowned as The Elite beat Hangman Page and Dark Order to win the belts. None of them would be champions a few days later on Dynamite.

AEW President Tony Khan was forced to strip CM Punk and The Elite of their titles following a brawl backstage. CM Punk went on a rant (while eating muffins) and The Elite went to his locker room after his comments. The brawl included some punches, Ace Steel reportedly hurling a chair and biting former AEW Champion Kenny Omega, and a myriad of suspensions.

One of those talents suspended was AEW wrestler/The Elite’s cameraman Brandon Cutler. Brandon returned tonight to battle Serpentico during the taping of AEW Dark: Elevation. Cutler got a hero’s welcome from the DC crowd, but the cheers turned to boos when many realized The Elite were not with him.

Cutler was suspended with AEW producer Pat Buck, Michael Nakazawa, and Christopher Daniels. They were not involved in the fight but tried to break it up and were briefly suspended while a third party carried out an investigation into the brawl between The Elite & CM Punk. Their suspensions ended last month but Cutler has not appeared since All Out.

There is no word on when Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks will return to the company. In addition to his suspension, CM Punk tore his tricep during the AEW World Championship match against Jon Moxley at All Out. He underwent surgery and the recovery time is typically eight months. The former AEW World Champion was recently spotted wearing a brace on his arm.

AEW Dynamite aired live in Washington D.C. tonight. Jericho Appreciation Society members Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara defeated Daniel Garcia and Bryan Danielson in the main event.

Chris bashed Daniel Garcia over the head with the ROH Championship while the referee was distracted and Sammy capitalized with the cover for the pinfall victory. However, most fans aren’t talking about the show tonight, they are talking about another backstage altercation.

Andrade El Idolo and Sammy Guevara reportedly got into a fight backstage ahead of Dynamite and Andrade was sent home. His scheduled Career vs. Mask match scheduled for AEW Rampage has also been canceled.

• Sammy Guevara & Andrade El Idolo Reportedly Fight Backstage Before Dynamite

What Happened After AEW Dynamite Went Off The Air?

Bryan Danielson and Daniel Garcia shook hands and posed in the ring after the loss. Daniel Garcia was a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society but Danielson talked him into leaving the group because he’s a professional wrestler, not a sports entertainer.

Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo shared a kiss on the entrance ramp as the crowd booed them. The crowd then broke out in an “Idolo!” chant as Jericho Appreciaton Society made their way backtage.

AEW President Tony Khan addressed the crowd before introducing ROH Champion Chris Jericho once again. Chris gave Tony a hug and made his way to the ring. The crowd sang “Judas” by Fozzy as Le Champion stood in the ring.

Chris Jericho addressed the crowd and said the following:

Chris said that AEW will be back in DC for many more anniversaries in the years ahead as the crowd cheered. You can check out everything that happened after Dynamite in the video below.

There’s even more drama between Andrade and Sammy Guevara to report, this time resulting in the second backstage fight in AEW over the last 31 days.

According to both TMZ and Fightful Select, there was an altercation backstage on Wednesday prior to the tapings beginning in Washington, D.C. Both outlets report that after some arguing, Guevara pushed Andrade. TMZ’s reporting then notes that there were “punches” thrown, while Fightful Select notes that Andrade fired a punch at Guevara following the push, though its unknown at the moment whether the punch connected.

(Update: On Thursday morning, Fightful Select updated their reporting on the fight and noted that it is now believed that Andrade was the aggressor and Guevara even pushing Andrade is not a confirmed fact. On Wednesday night’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez noted that Guevara was trying to avoid fighting. One source indicated Guevara may have pushed Andrade after he was spun around by Andrade, but that wasn’t confirmed. They report that Andrade got two punches in before things were split up.)

• Report: Andrade & Sammy Guevara Were Warned Before AEW Dynamite Backstage Fight

As reported earlier on Wednesday, Andrade was removed from Wednesday night’s AEW Rampage tapings where he was supposed to work against Dark Order’s 10 in a career vs. mask match. 10 has been booked in a different match instead while Andrade was sent home. Guevara was allowed to stay at the tapings and was booked for the main event of Dynamite.

Both Fightful and TMZ are adamant that this story is not a work and that it was a very real altercation.

Following the fight, Andrade took to his social media and posted a graphic that reads “respect me and i’ll respect u.”

• Backstage Update On The Drama Between Andrade El Idolo & Sammy Guevara In AEW

Guevara and Andrade have been going after each other on social media and in interviews over the last week. Numerous sources in AEW noted that if it was a work, it wouldn’t be a very good one to be doing as it paints the locker room in a bad light following the fight between Kenny Omega, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson, CM Punk, and Ace Steel after AEW All Out last month.

Several at AEW have noted that the locker room has been more harmonious in recent weeks following some backstage meetings that involved Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Bryan Danielson speaking up about getting everyone on the same page. The current situation between Guevara and Andrade is seen as especially disrespectful to those three because of how they have tried to pull everyone together.

SEScoops will provide updates as this situation continues to develop.

Andrade El Idolo recently called out Sammy Guevara in an interview with Más Lucha. He has also spent weeks using the #FreeElIdolo hashtag on social media in yet another backstage drama issue in All Elite Wrestling.

He claimed that the former TNT Champion complained backstage because he hit him too hard and this resulted in Guevara sending out a tweet referring to someone as a “jobber”. Sammy didn’t mention Andrade by name but the timing made it relatively obvious.

Andrade responded and claimed that Sammy is scared. Guevara directly responded to that tweet and claimed that Andrade only has a job because of Ric Flair and just wants to go back to WWE.

Backstage Update On Sammy Guevara & Andrade El Idolo

Fightful has provided another update on the drama between Andrade and Sammy. Several staff and talent have commented to Fightful Select about the latest drama in All Elite Wrestling between Sammy Guevara and Andrade El Idolo. Guevara also recently had an issue with Eddie Kingston but claims that he’s just minding his own business and is exhausted by the drama.

According to Fightful, one source stated that if it is a work, it is a bad one. A top talent in All Elite Wrestling was angered by how things played out because it paints a bad picture of the locker room.

Fightful added that the locker room has been more of a unit following the brawl at the All Out media scrum between CM Punk and The Elite. The now infamous brawl forced AEW President Tony Khan to suspend former AEW Champion CM Punk and the new crowned Trios Champions Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks.

An AEW original told Fightful that they viewed the situation between Sammy Guevara and Andrade as disrespectful to Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, and Jon Moxley. Those three put in a lot of work following the brawl after All Out to get the locker room on the same page. The report noted that Fightful spoke to some more people that confirmed that the locker room is better nowadays and they aren’t going to concern themselves with the latest drama.

Tony Khan just canceled the Mask vs. Career match between 10 and Andrade for this week’s Rampage and you can check that out here.

Last Friday during AEW Rampage, Andrade El Idolo challenged Preston “10” Vance for his mask. Vance added his own stipulation: Andrade must leave AEW for good if he loses. However, that match is now off.

Tony Khan tweeted that it was off, but didn’t give a reason. He only said the new match will now be Dark Order vs. Death Triangle for the World Trios Championship. “10” will get the shot he missed at All Out.

Andrade has been pursuing Vance

For weeks, Andrade and Jose the Assistant, have been trying to persuade “10” to join him. Vance has declined and they’re usually run off by the other members of Dark Order.

To add another layer to the match that was supposed to happen, October 7 is the anniversary of Mr. Brodie Lee’s final match. The mask that “10” dons was given to him by the late Lee as he was handpicked for Dark Order.

After the original match was announced, “10” tweeted that this match was for Dark Order and for Lee.

Match called off as punishment?

Late Monday night and into Tuesday, Andrade and Sammy Guevara had been exchanging barbs on Twitter in embarrassing fashion. You can read more about their childish behavior here.

• Tony Khan Discusses His Relationship With MJF

This comes on the heels of backstage drama being aired publicly. CM Punk went after multiple people at the now infamous ALL OUT media scrum, followed by BRAWL OUT. Guevara had issues with Eddie Kingston, which lead to the latter being quietly suspended.

After several locker room meetings, it seemed that the AEW locker room had been united and had stabilized. This is another example that band aids can only do so much.

AEW President Tony Khan has opened up on how he deals with MJF, who has been in the headlines through 2022 for what he has done on and off camera. 

During Double Or Nothing weekend, no-showed a meet and greet the night before the event but did lose in a squash match to Wardlow at the pay-per-view. He demanded that Khan fire him in a memorable promo on the following Dynamite before being pulled from television for several months. 

MJF returned at All Out by being revealed as the joker in the Casino Ladder match, earning him a shot at the AEW World Heavyweight Title. 

He has referred to this as “The Bidding War of 2024” between AEW and WWE. Although he didn’t sign a new deal, he did get a pay increase from Khan prior to his return to television. He is still set to become a free agent in January 2024.

MJF had been frustrated over the last several months because he felt like he outperformed the contract that he signed in 2019. 

Tony Khan on MJF

Khan discussed his relationship with MJF while speaking with Variety.

“It’s very professional,” Khan said of his current relationship with MJF. “He’s been part of AEW from day one, and he’s one of the most important stars on our TV show. … Whether you love MJF or love to hate MJF, I think he’s one of the wrestlers who’s connected with the audience in recent years and made himself a star. He’s also had the company behind him to help build him and support him. I think that he is the total package of everything it takes to be a successful pro wrestler. I think he has it all. He’s a really important part of AEW.”

On tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite, MJF will wrestle Wheeler Yuta in the opening match.

AEW President Tony Khan looks to have gotten his wrestler in Bandido despite having competition from WWE and being interested in his services. 

Bandido had a great outing against Ring of Honor Champion Chris Jericho on last Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. This marked his promotional debut. AEW immediately offered Bandido a full-time contract.

As previously reported, Bryan Alvarez noted on last Friday’s Wrestling Observer Live that he heard WWE was also interested in Bandido and tried to get his number during the match. 

Bandido is Committed

According to a report by Fightful Select, Bandido has agreed to terms with All Elite Wrestling. However, he has yet to sign a contract, although people close to him say that he’s agreed to terms.”

The report stated that Bandido was booked on short notice for the match against the top AEW star and struggled to get gear in time but managed to piece together what he wore that night. 

People in AEW spoke highly of Bandido’s demeanor and attitude regarding the situation of getting his gear and being booked to put Jericho over. 

Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair wishes that he’d have managed Andrade in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Speaking on his podcast, “To Be The Man,” Flair talked about wanting to manage his son-in-law for his current run in AEW. However, AEW president Tony Khan opted not to go that route in the end.

“I haven’t spoken with him, I knew he had a big match … I don’t really what — really haven’t kept track of what he’s doing there,” Flair said.

“I had hoped, as I told you before, I wish Tony would have let me manage him. He is an absolutely phenomenal worker and tough kid. I wish I could have managed him, but I guess Tony elected not to go with me for whatever reason.”

Ric Flair has managed Andrade several times before. One of the more memorable times being when Andrade faced Kenny Omega for AAA, as well as at the World Wrestling Council 49th Anniversary show in Bayamon, Puerto Rico when he faced Carlito.

Now, Andrade finds himself in AEW, where he’s experiencing some issues backstage. He recently engaged in a war-of-words with Sammy Guevara on Twitter over a recent interview in which Andrade revealed tensions between himself and Guevara backstage after one of their matches.

Now, Andrade has been teasing wanting a release from AEW. He’s even slated to compete in a Career vs. Mask match against Preston Vance.

If Andrade wins, Vance must remove his mask. If Andrade loses, he’s forced to leave AEW.

Andrade El Idolo is sick of talents being treated unjustly, and has called out a certain promotion for doing it.

The AEW superstar, who had already made headlines this week due to his online dispute with Sammy Guevara, is criticizing Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for not paying their talents well during an interview with Más Lucha, specifically mentioning AAA’s current Mega Champion, Hijo del Vikingo. Andrade even suggests that Vikingo, who has become one of AAA’s most popular stars, needs to get out of that situation.

Andrade Claims CMLL Pays Opening Match Talents Better Than AAA Main Eventers

While is isn’t sure of their exact payments Andrade speculates that Vikingo is making $100-$200 per match, later adding that the other major Mexico based lucha-libre promotion CMLL pays their opening match talents more than AAA main eventers.

A clip of this portion of Andrade’s interview has circulated online. (Special thanks to LuchaBlog for the translation)

Cinta De Oro, formerly known as Sin Cara in WWE, responded to Andrade’s recent tirade with Guevara to support and thank him for calling out certain injustices in wrestling. You can see that exchange below.

Andrade is set to face Preston “10” Vance on this Friday’s AEW Rampage, which has major implications for both men. If Vance loses he must give up his mask that was given to him by the late Brodie Lee, but if Andrade loses his AEW career is over.

Andrade is not scared to get fired from All Elite Wrestling (AEW) amidst his current issues with Sammy Guevara.

Recently, an interview with Andrade and Mas Lucha revealed issues that the AEW star had with Sammy Guevara. Guevara apparently complained that Andrade hit him too hard during a match they had inside the ring.

“I had an issue with him because he once came to the locker room and complained that we hit him too hard. It’s wrestling, solve it in the ring. If I hit hard, hit me hard too. I learned that he came in and that he accused me like a little girl.

“After I learned about it, I spoke to him and asked if he had an issue with me, but he said he did not and that’s all there was to it. It’s funny because not even in WWE.

“For example, Sheamus likes to hit, and all my respect for him because he loves to hit hard and loves the strikes. He is wild. Even The Miz likes to throw strikes.

“Not even John Cena complained about me, so if he did not complain, imagine this kid who is just starting, but there’s that.”

Seemingly responding to Andrade’s interview, Guevara took to Twitter and took a shot at Andrade, calling him a “jobber.”

Andrade then responded, suggesting he’s not afraid to speak up when he has an issue with someone. He then ended off his Tweet by saying he’s not afraid to get fired.

Andrade has seemingly been looking for his AEW release, using the hashtag #FreeElIdolo on social media lately. He’s actually slated to face Preston Vance in a Mask vs. Career mask. If Andrade wins, Vance must remove his mask. If Andrade loses, he’s forced to leave AEW.

Perhaps this is AEW’s way of writing Andrade off AEW TV – whether that be temporarily or permanently.

Quotes via Fightful

AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed have become wildly popular in All Elite Wrestling. They battled Swerve in Our Glory (Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland) for the tag titles at All Out and came up short.

The crowd was so heavily behind The Acclaimed during the match and it got such rave reviews, that AEW President Tony Khan wasted no time and announced a rematch for Dynamite: Grand Slam. The Acclaimed captured the titles in Arthur Ashe Stadium and Daddy Ass (Billy Gunn) provided some assistance in the matchup.

Billy connected with a Fameasser on Swerve Strickland outside the ring and rolled him back inside. Max Caster hit the Mic Drop and Anthony Bowens fended off Keith Lee as the referee counted to three. The crowd went ballistic as The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass scissored in the ring.

Road Dogg On Billy Gunn With The Acclaimed

WWE is set to have a DX Reunion next week on RAW without Billy Gunn and there reportedly have already been preparations in case a “Daddy Ass!” chant breaks out. Billy was aligned with his sons (Colten & Austin Gunn) in the Gunn Club originally but they were separated.

The former DX member is now a massive part of The Acclaimed’s act and Colten & Austin have joined Stokely Hathaway’s The Firm stable alongside W. Morrissey, Lee Moriarty, and Ethan Page.

Road Dogg recently spoke about Billy Gunn on his “Oh… You Didn’t Know” podcast and praised his work with The Acclaimed. He said that Billy’s kids (Austin & Colten) needed to break away from their father to grow as performers.

Road Dogg noted that The Acclaimed is capable of doing the same thing DX used to do with the long entrances and promos. He said that Billy being aligned with The Acclaimed is awesome and the group is on fire right now.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the “Oh… You Didn’t Know Podcast” and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.