In a significant shift in sports broadcasting, the NBA has chosen Amazon Prime Video over Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) for its long-term media rights deal. Despite WBD’s attempt to match Amazon’s impressive $1.8 billion per year offer, the NBA selected Amazon to help maximize the reach and accessibility of its games.
An official statement from the NBA reads, “Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon.”
The NBA’s new arrangement with Amazon is designed to enhance the fan experience by complementing the existing broadcast, cable, and streaming packages under Disney and NBCUniversal arrangements. The league emphasized that all three partners have committed substantial resources to promote the NBA and improve fan engagement.
Expressing gratitude towards their previous partner, the NBA stated, “We are grateful to Turner Sports for its award-winning coverage of the NBA and look forward to another season of the NBA on TNT.”
What This Means For AEW
This move has broader implications beyond the NBA. Warner Bros. Discovery, which is also the media rights partner for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), is in the late stages of negotiating a new deal with the wrestling promotion. With the NBA deal off the table, WBD frees up substantial resources, which could be advantageous for AEW and the terms of their next media rights deal. Stay tuned to SEScoops for further updates on AEW’s next TV deal.
The latest tapings of AEW Collision saw some huge developments, including some champions in the All-Elite company being stripped of their titles.
The Collision taping took place after the July 10, edition of AEW Dynamite. That show saw the finals of the Men’s and Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournaments. In the men’s tournament, Bryan Danielson earned a shot at the AEW World Title at All In by defeating ‘Hangman’ Adam Page. In the women’s tournament, Mariah May defeated 2023 winner Willow Nightingale, earning a shot at the Women’s World Championship. After the match, May attacked Toni Storm and left her ‘mentor’ in a bloodied heap on the stage.
AEW Collision Spoilers [7/13/2024]
Here are the spoilers for the July 13, edition of AEW Collision:
Konsuke Takeshita defeated ‘Dynamite Kid’ Tommy Billington. Post-match, Don Callis welcomed Billington into the family only to get a “Kiss my Ass!” in response. Callis’ family attacked Billington before FTR made the save.
Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn, and Juice Robinson defeated three enhancement talents (London Lightning, Michael Allen Richard Clark, and Shaun Moore). Acting EVP Christopher Daniels then stripped the Gunns and Robinson of the Unified Trios Titles, not allowing them to use Robinson instead of the injured Jay White. Christian Cage came out and expected that he, Nick Wayne, and Killswitch would be awarded the titles. Instead, a match for the vacant titles will take place at a later date.
Roderick Strong (w/Matt Taven, Mike Bennett) defeated Dalton Castle (w/Truth Magnum, Turbo Floyd). There was an unfortunate botch near the end of the match as Strong caught Castle with a knee to the face. The referee hesitated with his count even though Castle did not kick out and the match was awarded to Strong. The Undisputed Kingdom seemed unsure what was happening and Castle was motionless in the ring for ten seconds after the pin, with some fearing he was knocked out.
Nyla Rose beat local wrestler Ava Lawless
“Top Flight” Dante Martin and Darius Martin (w/Action Andretti) beat Lee Moriarty and Anthony Ogogo (w/Shane Taylor).
Skye Blue defeated Harley Cameron
Matt Taven and Mike Bennett defeated Orange Cassidy and Kyle O’Reilly. Trent Beretta attacked Cassidy after the match.
If you thought Swerve Strickland was a man on an island heading into Forbidden Door against Will Ospreay, think again.
Strickland happened to team with his opponent on the go-home episode of AEW Dynamite to face The Gates Of Agony. Swerve and Ospreay ended up winning the fight, but not without their share of trouble. Ospreay accidentally kicked Swerve in the face and post-match, it prompted Swerve to drop Ospreay. The AEW Collision elevated that tension ahead of Sunday.
Fan footage has Swerve and Will confronting one another on the entryway ahead of their big Forbidden Door battle. Swerve once more broke a cardinal rule of Will’s by once again bringing up his family, but this time the champ had some literal big back-up.
EJ Nduka happened to be standing behind Swerve as he mentioned Ospreay’s wife and it led to a pull apart brawl onstage, with Kyle Fletcher and Nduka taking swings at one another.
As #AEW readies for Forbidden Door this weekend, the go-home of #AEWCollision tapings had Swerve Strickland confronting Will Ospreay.
Nduka has been a blue chip acquisition by AEW since 2023, but The Judge had yet to make his TV debut until this coming Saturday. Nduka impressed Tony Khan and AEW in a memorable tryout match against Konosuke Takeshita, but has been kept on the back-burner since. The Judge was in WWE developmental for a time, but was released during the pandemic.
EJ eventually found opportunity to hone his craft in Major League Wrestling as he was a dominant force on their programming. Along with Calvin Tankman, Nduka captured the MLW World Tag Team Titles and Nduka also had a World Title program with then champion, Alex Hammerstone
Pro wrestling is going through a booming period, and let’s take a look at some of the biggest players in their advertising game.
EDO, a TV advertising analytics company, has profiled WWE and AEW, giving strong marks to both. Wrestling remains a major draw for TV advertisers due to its large, engaged audience.
WWE’s Monday Night Raw, the longest-running weekly episodic program, will move to Netflix in January 2025. This transition signifies a major shift in the platform for WWE’s flagship show. Meanwhile, AEW has established itself as a strong competitor in the wrestling world. Its Dynamite show frequently tops cable ratings on Wednesday nights, demonstrating its popularity among viewers.
WWE’s rise is thanks to Endeavor merging the company with the UFC and Vince McMahon departed from the company, leaving things to Triple H and Nick Khan’s vision. That momentum has been noticed all over.
AEW’s ad effectiveness has seen notable growth, particularly on its Rampage program. Brands such as Bud Light and Crest have experienced increased engagement through their advertising on AEW shows.
WWE’s programs, including Raw and SmackDown, also show significant ad engagement. Top advertisers like Credible and Purple have reported impressive results from their campaigns on these shows. Advertisers benefit from the high engagement rates of these programs, making them effective platforms for brand promotion.
Top 10 AEW Advertisers
Here are the top 10 most effective advertisers on AEW programming, among brands with 10 or more airings from April 2023 through March 2024:
Innovation Refunds (+284% more effective than the average AEW advertiser)
Just for Men (+201%)
Pampers (+195%)
Ferrero Rocher (+182%)
Bud Light (+169%)
Crest (+108%)
Miller Lite (+102%)
Schwarzkopf (+97%)
Applebee’s (+93%)
Diet Coke (+93%)
Top 10 WWE Advertisers
The top 10 most effective advertisers on WWE programming, among brands with 10 or more airings from April 2023 through March 2024, include:
Credible (+2,978% more effective than the average WWE advertiser)
AEW’s road to the company’s second-ever All In pay-per-view will see the roster stay in Arlington, Texas for a series of Collision tapings.
In a statement released by AEW, it was confirmed that the city will host five Collision tapings at the Esports Stadium, starting with the July 20 show. Not only that, but the deal ensures that Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor 2024 will also happen in the Esports Stadium on Friday, July 26.
AEW President and CEO Tony Khan was excited about the deal with Arlington.
“We are thrilled to partner with the City of Arlington for AEW’s first-ever events at Esports Stadium. This AEW summer series will add to the rich legacy of major professional wrestling events held in the great state of Texas and serve as the ultimate springboard for AEW: All In London.”
Arlington Sports Commission Executive Director Matt Wilson was similarly excited to host the Collision tapings in the city.
“We are honored to team with Tony Khan and All Elite Wrestling for this incredible opportunity. The ability to host TNT’s wildly popular AEW: Collision program is another milestone achievement to bring worldwide events to Arlington and shine a global weekly spotlight on our beautiful city.”
Five episodes of AEW Collision will air from the Esports Stadium.
This is a much different move from AEW’s usual method of weekly touring and will mark the longest period that an AEW show has stayed in one place since the pandemic. At this time, no matches have been confirmed for All In: London 2024, but the show has already seen over 40,000 tickets sold for Wembley Stadium.
More information about the upcoming AEW Collision episodes in Arlington, including how to purchase them, can be found at AEWTix.com
Fans were in store for a stacked AEW Collision taping this week as the promotion continues on the road to AEW Double or Nothing.
On AEW Dynamite, Darby Allin made his return to programming to be revealed as the fourth man for Team AEW at the upcoming pay-per-view. The quartet of Allin, Bryan Danielson, and FTR will face The Elite in Anarchy In The Arena at Double or Nothing.
Here are the spoilers for the May 18, edition of AEW Collision:
Will Ospreay defeated Shane Taylor. Post-match, Roderick Strong and The Undisputed Kingdom attacked Ospreay but he took out Mike Bennett and Matt Taven and escaped unscathed
Bryan Danielson & FTR defeated Lance Hoyt and The Righteous. The Righteous attacked Dax Harwood with a steel chair after the match and Archer hit Blackout on a chair on Cash Wheeler. Danielson and Daniel Garcia made the save.
Orange Cassidy pinned Brother Zay. Trent Beretta was at ringside and was interviewed after the match. Trent challenged Cassidy to a ‘wrestling match’ at Double or Nothing, saying Cassidy had cheated to beat him in the past. Cassidy and Beretta scuffled before being pulled apart.
Hook defeated Johnny TV with Taya Valkyrie
Katsuyori Shibata defeated Rocky Romero
Bryan Keith defeated Beefcake Boulder of the Iron Savages
A segment took place that saw Jay White and The Gunns on the stage with a beaten PAC.
Serena Deeb defeated Anna Jay. ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm stole the flag for Deeb’s dojo and Storm undressed behind it, wrapping herself in it to disrespect Deeb.
Nick Wayne defeated Jack Cartwheel
This was the order of the matches as they were taped. It is possible that they could air in a different order when AEW Collision goes on the air this Saturday.
An overzealous fan breached security and entered the ring during the latest edition of AEW Collision. However, the security personnel were able to get the situation under control.
Last night’s AEW Collision emanated from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. A video clip surfaced on social media which captured the whole incident that took place during the show.
Garcia could be seen celebrating after the match against Kevin Matthews as the fan rolled into the ring. While his intentions were not clear, the security personnel and the referee acted promptly to get hold of the intruder. The fans in the arena soon chanted “You f***ed up” while the invader was escorted out of the arena.
The show was stacked with some amazing matches. Apart from the aforementioned battle, Bryan Danielson teamed up with Claudio Castagnoli and defeated Top Flight. The crowd was enthralled with the proceedings and it featured some spectacular moments. Following the match, ‘The American Dragon’ showered praise on Top Flight before hyping the upcoming ‘Anarchy In The Arena’ match at Double Or Nothing pay-per-view on Sunday, May 26.
During the show, Will Ospreay locked horns with Lee Moriarty. The ‘Aerial Assassin’ emerged victorious after hitting Storm Breaker on his opponent. However, things didn’t turn out too well for Ospreay as he was attacked by The Undisputed Kingdom following the win.
On the other hand, Brian Cage joined forces with Gates of Agony and squashed Evan Rivers and The Voros Twins in a quick match.
Dax Harwood continued to gain momentum by defeating Thomas Billington ahead of his match against Kazuchika Okada for the AEW Continental Championship on next week’s AEW Dynamite.
Speaking about the women’s division, the former AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa picked up a win over Robyn Renegade by trapping her in a Cobra Clutch.
In the main event, Adam Copeland put his TNT Championship on the line against the hometown hero, Kyle O’Reilly. After a back-and-forth affair, ‘The Rated-R Superstar’ successfully retained his title by hitting the spear.
AEW has called Warner Bros Discovery their home since the company debuted Dynamite. As their deal with the television company ticks down, they are exiting a very important window of time.
Tony Khan confirmed during the ROH Supercard of Honor media call that AEW’s deal with Warner Bros Discovery is exiting their exclusive negotiation window. The AEW President did not reveal any further details or timetable of the contract’s actual expiration.
“I’m not sure that I am able to answer that question. I don’t want to endanger anybody who works here or get anybody in trouble. I’m not sure I can say. It’s coming up soon. I probably shouldn’t say the exact date. I do appreciate you asking that. I probably shouldn’t say the exact date. It’s coming up pretty soon here.”
TNT and TBS hosts All Elite Wrestling’s weekly television shows: Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision. Their partnership even caused AEW Dark to cease production on YouTube, because they wanted exclusivity.
How AEW Got Their Television Deal
In January 2020 AEW’s deal with WBD was extended with a four-year, approximately $175 million contract that included the addition of Rampage for Friday nights. Now, as we get even further into 2024, a new deal has not been signed. It all started in a rather interesting way in 2018.
AEW first came to Warner Bros Discovery thanks to Tony Khan’s friend, Kevin Riley, who helped him get on the network. Years later, and Riley is no longer a part of the company. His firing as part of WBD’s massive restructuring was a big blow to AEW, as they lost an important ally.
I explained that to them pretty clearly in the interview, to be fair. I officially started on the project that became AEW on April 6, 2018 when I saw my friend Kevin Reilly at a party in Beverly Hills & said that I was interested in creating a wrestling league + working together.
In 2021, Tony Khan appeared on AEW Restricted, as he walked Aubrey Edwards and Tony Scahivone down the road to AEW’s first television deal. It really all happened thanks to a close friend he already had, and the fact that Khan dressed as “Macho Man” Randy Savage at a Halloween party
Ricky Starks appeared to have legitimately gotten hurt on AEW Collision and it led to a change in the outcome of the AEW Tag Team Title tournament match.
According to Fightful Select, Ricky Starks and Big Bill were the planned team to advance in the tournament as they faced Top Flight in the opening round.
Towards the end of the match, Starks was supposed to kick out of a pinfall attempt but he missed. The referee stopped the count despite Starks’ shoulder being on the mat which led to booing from the crowd.
Ricky Starks then got up and took a DDT from Darius Martin before finally being pinned. Trainers were seen checking on the AEW star after the bell rang.
Even on the television broadcast, one could tell that Tony Schiavone was preparing to call for a kickout by Starks but sadly that didn’t happen. Big Bill and Starks were penciled in to face FTR in the next round of the tournament, but now it is Top Flight advancing.
Starks and Big Bill had a credible run as AEW World Tag Team Champions before they dropped the titles to Sting and Darby Allin not long before Sting retired at AEW Revolution.
So far the teams who have advanced in the tournament apart from Top Flight are The Young Bucks who defeated Private Party, The Best Friends who beat Undisputed Kingdom, and FTR who defeated The Infantry earlier in the evening.
Ricky Starks has since provided an update on his status and noted that he is doing fine. It’s possible that he may be kept away from ring for a while just to be sure.
The show also featured a surprise appearance from a former IC Champion who answered Adam Copeland’s open challenge. You can check out full details of the segment here.
The April 6, edition of AEW Collision will air at a later time than usual to avoid being decimated by the viewing might of WrestleMania 40.
TNT’s programming schedule reveals that the show will air at 11:30pm EST, much later than the usual 8pm EST slot. This will likely prevent it from going head-to-head with WrestleMania 40: Saturday, which is set to start at 7pm EST.
Not only that, but the April 6, edition of Collision will be taped in advance. The show will be taped following the April 3, edition of AEW Dynamite. Both shows will take place at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Currently, no matches have been announced for the April 6, edition of AEW Collision.
A Change from the Norm
This strategy marks a change for AEW Collision. In the past, the show has aired head-to-head with WWE Premium Live Events, including this year’s Royal Rumble that featured AEW alum Cody Rhodes & Jade Cargill. AEW Collision also went head-to-head with WWE Elimination Chamber 2024 last month.
AEW Collision
Collision was launched in 2023 and marked CM Punk’s return to AEW programming following his first suspension. Punk was immediately presented as the focal point of the show and was said to have a say in picking talent for the show. After Punk’s firing from AEW in September 2023, this soft brand split was relaxed.
WWE WrestleMania 40
WrestleMania 40 will be the promotion’s fifth-annual WrestleMania to take place across two nights. Currently, ten matches have been announced for the show. The event will mark the in-ring return of The Rock, who hasn’t wrestled for WWE since 2016.
The tournament to crown the next AEW World Tag Team Champions will officially begin on next week’s episode of Collision, it has been confirmed.
At AEW Revolution 2024, Sting and Darby Allin defeated the Young Bucks to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships. This match marked the final bout of Sting’s legendary career. During the post-show media scrum, Tony Khan announced that the titles had been vacated. This decision was reiterated during the March 6, episode of AEW Dynamite in which Allin surrendered his AEW World Tag Team Championship.
AEW World Tag Titles Tournament
It has been confirmed that the Young Bucks will be a part of the tournament, as well as Orange Cassidy & Trent Beretta. On this week’s episode of AEW Collision, two-time former AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR also officially declared for the tournament. Tony Schiavone added that the tournament will begin in one week’s time on the March 16, episode of Collision.
FTR’s promo would be interrupted by The Infantry. The pairing of Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean also alluded to potentially being in the tournament to crown the next AEW World Tag Team Champions.
FTR and the Young Bucks share the record for the most AEW World Tag Team title reigns with two each. The Bucks hold the record for the longest individual reign, with their first lasting an impressive 302 days. The Bucks also hold the distinction for being the lightest champions, weighing in collectively at 350lbs.
Sting and Darby Allin’s 25-day reign with the titles is the shortest in AEW history and the Icon holds the distinction of being the oldest champion (at 64.) Four decades his junior, Jungle Boy became the youngest champion at 24 when he and Luchasaurus won the gold in January 2022.
This week’s episode of AEW Collision was an action-packed show as the promotion continued forward following this week’s season premiere of Dynamite.
AEW Collision was taped following the most recent episode of Dynamite, which served as the season premiere of AEW programming. This marked the debut of a new stage (which marked the return of the tunnels) as well as a new color scheme.
Dynamite saw the debut of Kazuchika Okada who established himself as a heel by attacking Eddie Kingston and aligning himself with the Young Bucks. It had been reported for some time that Okada was going to debut on the show, with Tony Khan promising something huge in the days leading up to Dynamite.
AEW Collision Spoilers [4/9/2024]
Here are the spoiler results for this week’s AEW Collision:
The House of Black defeated Mark Briscoe & Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett in a Street Fight
Mistico defeated Angelico
Bryan Danielson defeated Shane Taylor. After the match, Will Ospreay came out to confront Danielson. The American Dragon challenged Ospreay to a match at AEW Dynasty to which Ospreay agreed.
The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada defeated Jon Cruz & Liam Gray & Adrian Alonis. Eddie Kingston tried to attack the Bucks and Okada but was overpowered. Penta and then PAC hit the ring, setting up a six-man tag for Big Business on March 13.
Mariah May defeated Trish Adora. Toni Storm came out and awarded May a “Toni Award” but Deonna Purrazzo attacked Storm. May made the save.
Nick Wayne defeated Adam Priest. Christian Cage ripped up a masked fan’s sign. The fan attacked Cage and unmasked as Adam Copeland.
Tony Schiavone interviewed FTR in the ring about the tournament to crown the AEW Tag Team Champions. FTR said they want to be the first-ever three-time AEW World Tag Team Champions. The Infantry came out and said they want to be champions before everyone shook hands.
Lionheart Chris Jericho defeated CMLL’s Titan with the Walls of Jericho. The Gates of Agony attacked Jericho but Hook made the save with a Singapore Cane.
A comment made on this week’s episode of AEW Collision has caught the attention of fans with many believing it was a nod to Mercedes Mone.
The March 2, episode of Collision served as the go-home show before tonight’s AEW Revolution 2024 pay-per-view. That show will take place at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The show will mark the retirement of Sting, whose AEW World Tag Team Title match with Darby Allin against The Young Bucks will be the last bout in the Icon’s legendary career.
Serena Deeb’s Promo
During this week’s Collision, Serena Deeb had a promo in which she addressed her impressive record in AEW. The veteran dubbed herself “The Professor of Professional Wrestling” and “The Woman of 1000 Holds,” the latter being a nod to AEW’s Dean Malenko. With that said, it was the final line of her promo that caught the attention of fans as she made a challenge.
“Test yourself against the most elite wrestler, because I’ll be here each and every week showing the world that nobody can do what I do in the ring and why I am ‘The Final Boss.”
Deeb's Dojo is offering a free clinic to anyone who thinks they have what it takes step in the ring against The Professor.
In promotional material, the term ‘Bo$$ton’ can be found, with fans seeing this as further proof that Mone, known affectionately as ‘The Boss’ will be debuting. Mone is reportedly already under contract with AEW and has been for some time.
AEW Collision will be in for the fight of its life for ratings this April when the show goes head to head with WWE WrestleMania: Night One.
AEW will hold a live Dynamite on Wednesday, April 3, in Worcester, MA at the DCU Center. That same night they will tape the AEW Collision that will air that week. The show will air at the same time as WrestleMania 40: Night One, on TNT.
So far, no matches have been announced for either Dynamite or Collision. WrestleMania 40 has two matches currently confirmed. They are.
IYO SKY (c) Vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
Roman Reigns (c) Vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
This weekend, WWE will host its Elimination Chamber: Perth Premium Live Event from Perth Australia. Next weekend, AEW will host its Revolution pay-per-view from Greensboro, North Carolina.
TNA Wrestling Meeting
TNA will host a meeting this Saturday with it’s roster, ahead of the day’s tapings in New Orleans, PW Insider reports. There are some in the company who believe Anthem head Len Asper will be at the meeting. Anthem Entertainment recently fired Scott D’Amore and as TNA President and have replaced him with their own President Anthony Cicione. TNA’s roster has issued a letter to Anthem expressing their support for D’Amore. It has since been reported that
New Name for AXS TV
TNA Wrestling currently airs on AXS TV, which could soon be getting a rebrand. The report adds that the current front runner for a new name is ANTHEM.
AEW has brought in a few names for one-time appearances, and several of them have been former WWE Superstars. RVD has made a couple of appearances for Tony Khan already, and now he’s booked for one more.
RVD’s Next AEW Appearance
Tony Khan logged onto Twitter/X to reveal that RVD is booked for AEW Collision’s April 20th event. That 4/20 return for RVD in AEW is most appropriate. This is exciting, but AEWTix currently has no listing for the April 20th show, so we’re not sure which market is getting the Whole F’n Show.
While Tony Khan was at it, he also threw in a plug for tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite’s upcoming episode.
I’m excited to announce that RVD will return to @AEWonTV on TNT for 4/20 Saturday Night AEW Collision!
I can’t wait for THIS Wednesday #AEWDynamite in Tulsa on TBS: AEW World Champion @SamoaJoe / @swerveconfident / @briancagegmsi vs Hangman Page/FTW Champion @730hook / @TherealRVD !
RVD has a big match coming up before 4/20. Big Time Wrestling booked a first-time ever collision between Matt Riddle and RVD will take place Saturday, March 9th, 2024 during “The Reunion 3: Cavalcade of Legends” Super Show from Chillicothe, Ohio at the OU-Shoemaker Center.
AEW Collision is going off the air for one week only next week due to the impact that NBA programming would have on the Saturday night show.
During this week’s AEW Collision, Tony Schiavone shared that there will not be an episode of the show next week. AEW’s third weekly wrestling show is being preempted by TNT network’s coverage of the NBA All-Star weekend. In the past, the NBA has caused havoc to AEW’s programming. Typically, shows will be moved to another night of the week or to a worse time slot on the same night.
Instead, AEW Collision will not be airing whatsoever next week. The show will return on February 24, with a live episode from the Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield, Missouri.
AEW’s Other Shows
While Collision will not be airing next week, AEW’s other shows will be on TV, albeit with a slight change. TNT’s schedule lists the Friday, February 16, episode of AEW Rampage with an early start time of 7 PM ET. There will also be a replay at 11:30 PM ET. AEW has yet to announce the change. There has so far been no change made to AEW Dynamite.
AEW Collision
AEW Collision launched in June of last year, becoming the promotion’s third weekly televised program, following the launch of Dynamite in 2019 and Rampage two years ago. Much of AEW Collision’s early focus was on CM Punk. The former AEW World Champion returned to TV after a lengthy hiatus during the show’s first episode but his time with Collision ended after his release from AEW in September 2023. Punk has since returned to WWE.
FTR has been a staple of AEW Collision since the beginning. The pair quickly became allies of CM Punk when Punk returned to AEW programming as part of the first Collision. Speaking to WTKR, Dax Harwood compared Collision to Dynamite.
“Dynamite could be more of your sports entertainment based show and I think Collision is more of your sports based show. On Collision, we like to feature that knockdown, drag out hard-hitting style.”
Cash Wheeler also had praise for AEW’s newest weekly TV show.
“They’re really fun shows, especially on a Saturday night. There’s plenty of time to come in, have a great time, and get out by 10:00 and still have your Saturday night.”
The Ultimate Goal
For FTR, being one of the top teams in professional wrestling is nothing short of a dream come true. In the interview, Harwood said as a kid, he dreamed of being a wrestler or a power ranger.
“I was allowed to be a professional wrestler. Living that dream on national television every single week, the greatest tag team of all time, ten time world tag team champions, those are the things that you dream about.”
Wheeler chimed in about the impact wrestling has had on them and what is the ultimate goal.
“Wrestling has legitimately saved our lives. To leave wrestling better than we found is the ultimate goal.”
Has FTR figured out the ‘real’ reason for Eric Bischoff’s criticism of AEW?
Britt Baker, apart from Brandi Rhodes, was among the first female talents signed by Tony Khan. Transitioning from the indies with limited television presence, Baker rose to prominence as a key figure in AEW’s women’s division. However, her visibility on television has significantly decreased lately.
Britt Baker’s AEW Absence
On November 29th, Britt Baker dropped a post on X which insinuated that she isn’t thrilled about how much she’s been used in 2023 by AEW.
It’s no secret that Britt Baker received zero promos in 2023, which is a total surprise. She held the microphone down on a weekly basis for promos during the pandemic era. Now, things are much different in AEW.
Britt Baker Speaks On Lack Of Television Time In AEW
Britt Baker spoke with DS Shin on Ring The Belle, where she opened up about her lack of exposure on AEW television in recent memory. She also gave credit to the AEW fan base for their passion.
“I think with our very passionate fans, they’re very vocal with what they want, what they don’t want, what they like, what they don’t like. We listen, I listen. If they are telling me they want [more] or less of something, okay, I hear you loud and clear. A lot of them said, ‘We want less Britt Baker.’ So, if that’s what they want, that’s what they’ll get. Let me take a step back. Here are the rest of the women. Someone else take the ball and run with it, make the women’s division about you, and you be the face of the women’s division. When no one else can do that, I’ll be there to pick up the pieces and do it all over again.”
Britt Baker On Being A Real-Life Wrestling Dentist
Britt Baker is a real-life dentist, which she still keeps a practice. She also went into detail about how weird it was at times as AEW’s resident dentist when she was out in the real world.
“It’s a weird territory with fans coming into the dental office, something you can’t prepare [for]. They don’t teach me that in dental school how to deal with fans coming into my office. So we’ve had some weird situations. My staff, they’re great with handling it. They really are. But you have to pick and choose those battles. So, I actually don’t take any new patients. It’s all my old patients that I know are tried and true dental patients and not crazy fans in disguise.”
Britt Baker has been backstage in recent memory for AEW’s television tapings. That did not see her get any screen time. Perhaps, Tony Khan is waiting for that right moment. With Deonna Purrazzo’s recent debut for AEW, it seems that there is no shortage of fresh names for Britt Baker to wrestle.
AEW’s television deal with Warner Brothers Discovery is set to expire at the end of 2024. The next year will be a very important one for Tony Khan, as he looks forward to what is next for his television shows. Tony Khan is committed, but that brings a very important question about WBD’s interest.
AEW Possible Television Problem
Tony Khan has commented in the past about how strong AEW’s deal is with Warner Brothers Discovery. Still, the possibility is out there that AEW may not retain that platform for their next set of television deals.
During 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff discussed how Tony Khan is committed to the product and ‘in it for the long haul, but he also questioned what that means if they don’t get renewed by Warner Bros Discovery.
“Let me make it simple. If in fact, they lose WBD, Warner Brothers Discovery, if they’re no longer part of that platform. I’m not sure where they’re going to go. It’s going to be a smaller cable outlet. I don’t see a big cable outlet [picking them]. And this whole thing with Paramount and WBD, that’s such a wildcard. I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of variables that’s gonna throw into the equation. It could be really good for AEW. Whenever that is, the Paramount WBD thing if it actually becomes a reality. Because it’s too soon to know if it’s real or not. But if it becomes a reality, and there’s a merger there, it can either be the absolute stake through the heart of AEW or it can be the golden ticket. We don’t know. But in a case where it’s not the golden ticket and AEW finds itself on the outside looking in and WWE is now the television partner for Paramount WBD or whatever that ends up looking like.”
“I don’t know where Tony’s gonna go. Because the world is getting so small. Vertical integration, you’re looking at probably two or three companies that own everything. Where are you going to go? What cable outlet are you going to go to that isn’t owned by NBC Universal, Paramount. Where are you going and what do you have to sell? Not much. Here’s what you get to sell, ‘Hey, we were on Turner for five years and prime time. Over the last five years, our audience has deteriorated. But we want to be on your network.’ I don’t want to sell that. I wouldn’t want to be the person assigned to try to sell that story.”
Nothing is set in stone yet, and this is all hypothetical at this point. Still, it is enough to get people talking, because there are some big rumors about the upcoming television landscape, and where AEW falls into that.
Warner Brothers Discovery Interested In WWE RAW
There is reported interest in WWE from Warner Bros Discovery. WWE has not found a new home for RAW yet, and that new deal will go into effect in October 2024.
The recent rumor is that CM Punk’s WWE return brought WBD interest. That could present another obstacle for Tony Khan if WWE is able to secure Warner Brothers Discovery as the new home of RAW.
Thunder Rosa returned to in-ring action on the December 23rd episode of AEW Collision. She also did so with a memorable entrance, as she rode on a low rider. It turns out that car had a bit of history behind it as well.
The tag team match, where Skye Blue and Julia Hart took on Thunder Rosa and Abadon, provided a preview of Julia Hart’s TBS Championship defense against Abadon. Of course, in San Antonio, the attention was on Thunder Rosa.
Thunder Rosa’s Special Entrance
Thunder Rosa’s low rider entrance had a unique touch, as many fans called out the fact that it looked like the car featured in the 1997 film “Selena.” Many fans will remember that car if they’ve seen the Jennifer Lopez movie.
Over a year out of #AEW action, the former #AEW Women's World Champion Thunder Rosa is BACK in action as she joins Abadon in tag team action!
In the “Selena” movie, their tour bus breaks down, but they soon find help. A low rider shows up, and they can’t believe that they get to help Selena out of a jam. Many fans know that low rider by the unique paint job, and that is exactly what showed up on AEW Collision this week.
Although it is unconfirmed whether it is the exact car from the film, the ‘Selena car’ is known to make appearances around the San Antonio area. This adds credibility to the possibility that Thunder Rosa used either the actual car for her entrance. Regardless.
Thunder Rosa’s AEW Hiatus
In the end, Thunder Rosa’ team secured the win on AEW Collision, marking a successful comeback to the ring. Thunder Rosa hadn’t wrestled since August 10th, 2022 prior to that. Needless to say, fans in San Antonio had a night to remember.
Thunder Rosa was still working for AEW during her time away from the ring. She provided Spanish language commentary for the show. It’s unknown if she will continue that gig after her in-ring return.
AEW is gearing up for a loaded episode of Collision this week. Their Holiday Bash in San Antonio also brought a familiar face to the show, who is under contract with another company.
Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net noted that Chase Owens is backstage at AEW Collision in San Antonio. He is not expected to appear on the show for AEW or ROH, but he is backstage.
Chase Owens currently lives in San Antonio, and is said to be visiting friends who work for AEW. Owens is not expected to participate on screen in any capacity on tonight’s Collision, or the ROH tapings.
Chase Owens is home for the holidays right now, but he won’t stay in Texas for long. The Crown Jewel of the Bullet Club is set to appear at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 18 and New Year’s Dash.
It’s good to know Chase Owens was able to get backstage and visit. Tonight’s episode of AEW Collision will be special in San Antonio, because it will see the return of Thunder Rosa to in-ring action, and her home city is bound to give her a rousing ovation.
You can check out the card for the December 23rd episode of AEW Collision below. Even if Chase Owens doesn’t show up during the broadcast, it will still be a packed two-hour broadcast.
AEW Trios Champions The Acclaimed vs. Top Flight & Action Andretti
Thunder Rosa & Abadon vs. Julia Hart & Skye Blue
We’ll hear from Christian Cage
Keith Lee vs. Brian Cage
AEW Continental Classic Blue League: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Bryan Danielson
AEW Continental Classic Blue League: Brody King vs. Daniel Garcia
AEW Continental Classic Blue League: Andrade El Idolo vs. Eddie Kingston
AEW has a few people who are out of action for one reason or another. Right now, Rebel is on the verge of breaking a huge streak in her career, because she hasn’t been seen on television in a very long time.
Rebel hasn’t been on AEW television in quite some time, but she’s still been under contract with the company. Now, we have a bit of an update about her current status.
Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that Rebel hasn’t been backstage much during her absence from AEW television. She is open to make a television return, and there are currently some internal talks to make that happen.
When asking around, we’re told that Rebel hasn’t been backstage much during her absence from All Elite Wrestling, but has been open to returning to TV if asked. When we followed up on that, we were told there were some internal talks about her possibly being back on television, but specifics or a likelihood of that happening wasn’t revealed. We were told there weren’t working plans for her to wrestle. She has publicly expressed her desire to wrestle on the indies next year.
Rebel has been on television every year since 2014 as part of some pro wrestling company. This might change this year if she doesn’t wrestle, because she hasn’t been seen in 2023.
Rebel used to appear on a regular basis, as she worked alongside Britt Baker. However, she hasn’t been on television since Britt Baker turned babyface. It was also noted that Rebel also quit her job in the makeup department at AEW.
We will have to see if Rebel makes a return to television any time soon. Right now, there are a lot more questions than answers about her current absence.
What’s your take on Rebel’s absence from AEW television? Do you miss seeing her around? Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media!
WWE and AEW often run the same markets, but there was an issue with Tony Khan’s company booking a lot of the same venues at times. It appears that issue is in the past.
In June, Dave Meltzer noted in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE was actively trying to prohibit their venues from booking AEW events. It was written:
“There is an interesting note that in arenas that do rent to both AEW and WWE, WWE has put clauses in its deals that AEW can’t run a certain number of weeks before or after the WWE show, and also that AEW and the arena can’t announce the show or sell tickets until after the WWE show has taken place.”
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that WWE is no longer blocking AEW from running certain venues. The Coca Cola Coliseum in Toronto was cited as an example, because AEW just announced a show at that venue, despite the fact that WWE is running the same building. Dave Meltzer reports:
It is notable that the new owners are not as vigilant, or maybe because of the lawsuit, regarding AEW having dates get out and tickets put on sale in buildings they are running shows in. AEW announced its return to Toronto even though WWE has a show in the same Coca Cola Coliseum
WWE’s current antitrust lawsuit with MLW may have also played into the company altering their tactics. They used to have a much different mindset toward the idea of AEW running the same venues that they do.
Tony Khan has previously expressed his appreciation for competition in professional wrestling, but he emphasized the importance of ethical practices. During the press conference following Double or Nothing, he noted that this hasn’t always been the case “from the other side.”
A WWE-imposed clause once restricted AEW from booking events seems to be a thing of the past now. We will have to see how this situation pans out in the future.
AEW has been having apparent issues packing their houses in recent memory as well. Either way, WWE will not stop Tony Khan’s company from running those venues, as they have apparently altered their philosophy on the matter.
What’s your take on WWE no longer restricting venues from booking AEW shows? Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media!
AEW is apparently going through some changes, and that called for a big firing this week, one that left many in shock. Kevin Sullivan was fired from his position with Tony Khan’s company, and some are critical of this decision.
We previously reported that Kevin Sullivan was fired from AEW. Not to be confused with the wrestler Kevin Sullivan, AEW’s Sullivan joined AEW in October 2019, making him one of the organization’s most seasoned backstage figures. Prior to his time at AEW, he had an extensive background in the wrestling industry, having served as Vice President of Production and an executive producer during his tenure with IMPACT Wrestling.
Kevin Sullivan Departs AEW
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Kevin Sullivan, who has been with AEW since they started the company, was fired in a surprising fashion. Nobody saw it coming, as Michael Mansury simply told Sullivan that they’re going in a new direction for 2024. Meltzer wrote:
“The story going around was Mansury told Sullivan that morning that they were moving in another direction in 2024.
Sullivan had no idea it was coming and was given no real explanation as to why, just that it was a Mansury decision.
People in the division didn’t even know that Mansury was Sullivan’s boss, noting that among those who worked in production that was never made clear.
The story in production is that nobody else was expected to be cut, but it was a team created by Sullivan so they are his guys.”
Tony Khan reportedly faced criticism within AEW due to a recent firing that surprised many in the company. Kevin Sullivan held the position of Vice President of Post Production, and his termination left people within AEW feeling shocked by the decision. Some wondered why Tony Khan didn’t step in and stop this from happening as well.
Kevin Sullivan had been with AEW since its early days, earning respect behind the scenes. He also had played a pivotal role in building the post-production team, primarily based in Nashville.
It appears that AEW is going to go in a different direction production-wise in 2024. They no longer needed Kevin Sullivan around to fulfill his duties. At this time, Sullivan’s firing is the only one that is expected, but he did leave a team of his curated guys behind in AEW.
What’s your take on AEW going in a different direction with production in 2024? How will that change things for fans watching at home? Let us know what you think by engaging on social media!
