Samoa Joe beat MJF at AEW Worlds End, and now he is the AEW World Champion. That will come with an aesthetic change for the title belt itself.
Samoa Joe expressed his clear intention to change the design of the AEW World Title, doing away with the Burberry title and pledging to present a more respectable one. ‘
Recent details have emerged, with Sean Sapp on Fightful Select stating that, while it’s unclear if the title will be entirely new, steps have been taken to make some alterations. He also dropped a photo that could be a massive spoiler for the upcoming title.
Tony Khan, in a recent gesture, presented a custom title to the Clemson Tigers, indicating the possibility of side plate options for the new title. Following Clemson’s victory in the AEW TaxSlayer bowl, Khan customized a world title for them with Clemson side plates. There are, at the very least, side plate options for the upcoming version of the championship, with AEW also having plates produced for Kentucky had they won.
The report mentioned that the new version of the title seen so far displays the AEW logo on a black background. The debut of this title remains to be seen.
Samoa Joe had notably criticized MJF’s Burberry World Title during the press conference after Worlds End.
“Oh, this is going in the garbage, don’t worry about that. This trash right here. This little knockoff Gucci stuff that he got going on, it’s going away. We got the good belt, the right belt, something that’s designed well. I spoke with Tony Khan intensely about it, and we’re very much looking forward to it.
Adam Copeland had a hard-fought No DQ match at Worlds End in Long Island, and he actually won the AEW TNT Title while he was at it. Sadly for him, that reign was incredibly short-lived, but the Rated R Superstar has the battle wounds to prove he was in a war.
Adam Copeland vs Christian Cage at AEW Worlds End
Adam Copeland made his AEW debut at WrestleDream and the WWE Hall of Famer was off to the races with his old friend, Christian Cage. His feud with former friend Christian Cage reached its peak in a No DQ match at AEW Worlds End. Copeland initially won the title but faced surprising twists that led to its loss.
Killswitch, who won a battle royal for a #1 contender match previously on the show, came out and presented that contract to Christian, who cashed in like it was a Money in the Bank situation to steal the TNT Title back. Now, Adam Copeland is revealing the aftermath of the intense match.
”It’s not a tumah! Now the work starts on becoming a 2 time TNT Champion.”
Adam Copeland and Christian Cage’s story in AEW doesn’t appear to be over yet. They are apparently going to stretch that feud into 2024, but they also have a lot of unfinished business between E&C.
The former Edge wants to hold the TNT Title again, and next time he wants it for more than 3 minutes.
Adam Copeland has suffered bumps and bruises for decades at this point, so that gash on his head isn’t going to keep him down. If anything, the blood in that AEW Worlds End match only added to the drama.
AEW Worlds End captured audiences’ attention for a few reasons. The closing moments of the pay-per-view saw The Devil reveal himself to be Adam Cole. That was a bit of a surprise, especially for MJF.
Adam Cole Is The Devil
Adam Cole has played a heel before, and he’s quite good at it. Now, the former NXT Champion will get to flex that villain muscle once again.
Adam Cole broke his silence after AEW Worlds End. This was not a prophetic statement, or any long address. He simply dropped a photo of himself during that big reveal at Worlds End, along with a succinct caption.
Adam Cole is still injured, because that surgery situation was a shoot. Still, as the leader of a heel faction, Cole can also get by without taking bumps for a while, which he may need to do so for a long time.
Tony Khan built toward The Devil’s reveal for a very long time. It finally went down at Worlds End. Love it or hate it, Adam Cole will be back on AEW television now, just as MJF starts an expected hiatus from the company.
Andrade is making headlines today, as it is reported that his AEW days are done. He could have a big surprise return to WWE coming for him, but some in AEW will miss him.
Thunder Rosa’s Message For Andrade El Idolo
Thunder Rosa hasn’t been on AEW television over the past year, as she was out of action with an injury. She was still a voice on the company’s Spanish language commentary team. After just making her return to in-ring action, Thunder Rosa is now losing someone she will truly miss in AEW.
In her caption, translated from Spanish, Thunder Rosa included a touching message for Andrade El Idolo. She will miss having him around AEW, as he is one of the most real people she’s ever met.
You are one of the most real people I have ever met. I am proud of you my friend and for always doing what is best for you. You are a role model! I hope to see you soon and much, much success buddy and I’m going to miss you
Eres una de las personas más reales que he conocido. Estoy orgullosa de ti mi amigo y por siempre haber hecho lo que es mejor para ti. Eres un ejemplo a seguir! Espero verte pronto y mucho, mucho éxito compa’ y te voy a extrañar ? @AndradeElIdolopic.twitter.com/Ba60vsnaWs
As we previously reported, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there’s an expectation within WWE that Andrade might make a return to the company. With a champion’s return hyped for the January 1st Day 1 RAW, anything is possible.
People close to Andrade El Idolo indicate that a return to WWE is a possibility, but he remains open to staying if Tony Khan puts forward a more enticing offer than WWE. Some have voiced concerns about AEW not fully utilizing Andrade, who hasn’t secured any championships in the promotion.
Andrade is also interested in collaborating with New Japan Pro Wrestling if the opportunity arises. While he would have liked to participate in the FantasticaMania show in February, scheduling conflicts prevent him from doing so.
It was later reported by Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select that Andrade El Idolo wrapped up his time with AEW at Worlds End, as he lost to Miro. His exit was reportedly not a pleasant one. Tony Khan also confirmed Andrade’s exit during the press conference following the pay-per-view, but he provided an open door for his eventual return.
Everybody has an opinion on the internet and Julia Hart cares about none of them.
The 22-year-old has been one of the break-out stars of AEW in 2023. She picked up a number of impressive victories in the last few months. The female star is ending the year as a champion after defeating Kris Statlander and Skye Blue for the TBS title in a triple-threat match at Full Gear and becoming the youngest champion in AEW history.
She picked up another victory while successfully defending her title against Abadon at the Worlds End PPV. In the post-show press conference, Hart was asked about handling criticism online. The young star claimed that the only opinions that matter are hers and her boss Tony Khan’s:
“When it comes to the internet, it’s different because at the end of the day, the only person’s opinion that matters is Tony and myself. So whatever, the internet’s always going to have an opinion on you. It’s going to be negative, it’s going to be positive.” said Julia Hart,
She continued: “They can think whatever they want because I also remember being a fan and I thought I knew everything as well. A fan doesn’t know everything. What I do know, Tony is my boss and if he says I do good job, I believe him. If I tell myself I do a good job, that’s all that matters. The fans, they can say whatever they want.”
Worlds End was only the third title defence for Julia Hart in her title reign and 2024 will bring even more challenges for her. You can check out the full media scrum featuring the AEW star below:
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Swerve Strickland is not waiting for anybody going into 2024 and if Keith Lee wants to have a match with him, then he’s gonna have to work hard for it.
The two former tag team partners were supposed to finally face each other in a singles match at the Worlds End PPV. Hours before the show, however, it was revealed that Lee was not cleared by doctors. This resulted in a last-minute change in the match card, and Dustin Rhodes stepped up to face Strickland in a match instead.
The Limitless One’s injury was addressed at the Worlds End press conference. In response to a question, company president Tony Khan confirmed that Lee wanted to wrestle at the show and detailed why he wasn’t allowed to do so:
“Keith absolutely did want to wrestle. There is a process there and it involves a doctor examining the wrestler every time before they go out and wrestle but also keeping in touch with him during the week. Keith mentioned he got injured in his match at Final Battle. He had a great match with Shane Taylor hard hitting match in Dallas at Final Battle. Then after that, Keith had gotten back in the ring and had a great match with Brian Cage. Did a great number on Collision.
Keith, today when he went in to see the doctor, his injury had gotten worse during the week and really it was worse than it was after the Shane Taylor match and it was worse than it was after the Brian cage match. The swelling had gone up and with the swelling being what it was the doctor didn’t feel comfortable clearing Keith. So it’s a tough call. But the doctor did what he thought was right and I respect the medical team’s decision.”
On the question of this long-anticipated match taking place sometimes later, Swerve Strickland said that he is done waiting. He explained that if Keith really wants to get a shot at him now, he’ll have to do something to earn it:
“It’s quite unfortunate. I’m done waiting though. I don’t wait on anybody. For me. I’ve been waiting for a while now. Now I have my sights set on something else, and that’s championship gold. So either Keith’s gonna have to work harder than ever in 2024 to reach me at that point or reach to the championship or do something, but I’m not waiting on anybody. If the match happens, he’s gonna have to work hard to get to me at this point.”
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Adam Copeland’s days as a WWE Superstar may be a thing of the past, but the Rated R Superstar paid tribute to one of his iconic WrestleMania matches last night.
Since joining AEW at WrestleDream, Copeland has been feuding with his former friend and ex-tag team partner Christian Cage. The two faced off for the TNT title in Montreal earlier this month on an episode of Dynamite in a match that Cage would win.
Copeland’s WrestleMania 22 Tribute
At AEW Worlds End, Copeland once again challenged for the AEW TNT Championship, this time in a No Disqualifications match. Throughout the match, Copeland paid tribute to his epic Hardcore match at WrestleMania 22 in 2006, which saw the then-Edge defeat Mick Foley. Copeland wore the same attire at Worlds End that he wore for the match with Foley, right down to his vest.
Later in the match, Copeland used a flaming table, just as he had at WrestleMania 22 nearly two decades earlier. Rather than spearing someone through the table though like he did in Chicago, Copeland powerbombed Nick Wayne onto the table at Worlds End.
Tony Khan has confirmed that Andrade El Idolo’s AEW contract is expiring at the end of the year and he will not be renewing his deal with the company.
The AEW President took part in the media scrum after the World’s End PPV. Among other things, he talked about this being the 5 year anniversary of AEW and how it means that some contracts are bound to expire. Khan gave a shout-out to QT Marshall who is one of the day one talents leaving the promotion at the end of the year. He then confirmed that Andrade’s AEW deal is coming to an end as well:
“Somebody who has not been with us the entire five years, but they’ve been with us about half the time. They’ve been outstanding and somebody I really respect and I don’t expect to see necessarily, as it stands right now renewing the contract but somebody that I have a great amount of respect for and would be parting on good terms and was tremendous, was here and did wrestle tonight is Andrade El Idolo.
Andrade El Idolo’s contract is up at the end of the year. We’ve had great talks. I have a tonne of respect for Andrade El Idolo. He’s been a huge performer in the Continental Classic week after week I talked about this great run Collision’s been on, Andrade El Idolo has been a huge part of it. Also has wrestled on the other shows and the Blue League of the Continental Classic.
Tony Khan claimed that they would have given a prominent position to Andrade if he had decided to stay with the company. He then praised him for the World’s End match with Miro, saying that he will be leaving on a high note:
“He’s outstanding. I wanted to keep him involved at the top. If we had been able to reach an agreement, certainly he would be somebody we would slot in, in a prominent position. I think we did everything we could to show Andrade El Idolo we really do value him.
I think this last run he’s had in recent months has been tremendous. If this is going to be the way he’s gonna leave AEW, talk about leaving on a high note because he had a great match with Miro tonight.”
Andrade has long been rumored to be on his way back to WWE. A contract expiration means he will be free to make an appearance for any company he likes at the start of the year. With Triple H’s latest tease, many believe that we may see him back in the Endeavor owned promotion sooner rather than later.
You can check out the full Worlds End media scrum below:
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
After months of build, the reveal of the Devil has had the wrestling world talking. Taking to Twitter, Cole shared a snippet from the song ‘pride.is.the.devil. by J. Cole and Lil Baby.
Anthony Bowens has been aligned with MJF and was attacked by The Devil’s henchmen alongside the rest of the Acclaimed recently. The AEW Trios Champion had just two words for Cole and his allies.
Alex Hammerstone recently wrapped up his time with MLW and has teased joining AEW. The former MLW World Champion shared a photo of himself alongside MJF, and others during their time as The Dynasty and asked if MJF needs some help.
There have been some negative reactions to the closing moments of AEW Worlds End, but that hasn’t phased Samoa Joe. The new AEW World Champion made it clear he’s enjoying the ‘salty tears’ of fans.
Damn, ankles gonna swell all these salty tears I’m drinking.
AEW is the safest place for professional wrestlers, according to AEW President Tony Khan, as the allegations against Chris Jericho continue to make headlines.
Jericho faced NDA and Kylie Rae chants during AEW Worlds End, and a hashtag movement calling for him to be fired trended on Twitter. Speaking on the post-Worlds End Media Scrum, Tony Khan was asked about the allegations and the protocol to keep wrestlers safe from unwanted advances.
“We’re very serious about [that] and we’ve had a policy in place. Certainly I think any time there’s anything like that, we would make sure we do everything we can to prevent it. AEW has the best safety record I believe of any pro wrestling company in the world. I believe we have the most safe environment. I believe we have the best safety record of any pro wrestling company and I would hold the record of AEW on safety against any wrestling company in the world. I think we, AEW is the safest place for pro wrestling and if any of our wrestlers ever have a concern they always have an open line to talk to me and I you know I believe anybody would sit here and tell you they always can talk to me anytime they are concerned about anything.”
When asked for details about the steps wrestlers can take if they feel they are being harassed, Khan outlined what happens to a wrestler if they are found to have violated company policy.
“If there was anything that came to light to me, I would take it to the disciplinary committee. That’s how we’ve been doing it and I think our disciplinary committee has been doing a great job. Everybody knows they have an open line to me or anybody on that committee.”
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
The new AEW World Heavyweight Champion Samoa Joe has confirmed that we will be getting a new belt for the top prize of the company in his new era.
The Samoan Submission Machine took part in the World’s End press conference after his big win at the PPV. He was asked about the current title design and Joe confirmed that the current belt is ‘going into garbage’:
“Oh this is going into garbage, Don’t worry about that. I mean this trash right here, this little knockoff, BS Lucha stuff that he got going on, this is going away.
We’re getting the good belt, the right belt. Something that’s designed well. I’ve spoken with Tony intensively about it and we’re we’re very much looking forward to it. I mean, we got a whole new era starting up here.”
The current AEW title design was introduced by MJF last year after he defeated Jon Moxley at the Full Gear PPV to win the title.
The Scumbag held the championship for 406 days before Samoa Joe defeated him for the title. Though Joe had a lot of help in doing so.
The new AEW champion had been helped by the mysterious devil who was revealed at the show tonight. You can check out the identity of the masked man here, and read what the future holds for MJF after the show tonight here.
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
AEW Worlds End will go down as one of the worst nights in the career of MJF, who lost his AEW World Championship and his best friend in one fell swoop.
For months, MJF has been targeted by somebody in his ‘Devil’ mask, who has been attacking anyone close to the scarf-wearing wrestler. Suspicion had been running rampant within AEW, with several wrestlers and even MJF himself being accused of being behind the attacks.
A New AEW World Champion
With his tag-team partner Adam Cole injured, MJF was until recently in an unlikely team with Samoa Joe. On this week’s Dynamite though, Joe betrayed MJF, who would lose the ROH World Tag Team Championships to two of the Devil’s henchmen. It was revealed on Dynamite that MJF had done ‘business’ with the Devil.
At Worlds End, MJF defended his AEW World Championship against Joe and a title change took place. The finish saw Samoa Joe lock MJF in the Coquina Clutch, and his arm fell three times, resulting in the submission victory and a title change.
Following the match, the Devil’s goons attacked MJF and Cole, who was at ringside for the match to ‘support’ his ‘friend.’ When one of the masked men was about to hit Cole with a chair, the lights went out. When they came back on, CVole was revealed as the Devil.
The masked men were also revealed as Roderick Strong, Wardlow, Mike Bennett, and Matt Taven. The four men beat down MJF and left him out cold to close the show.
All Elite Wrestling’s final pay-per-view of 2023 is in the books, but the show wasn’t short of headlines.
News, rumors, and more flew around the wrestling world just hours leading up to the event and once the main event closed, we were left with more questions than answers.
So, without further ado, here’s what you need to know coming out as AEW closed out their 2023:
Samoa Joe Heads Into 2024 as AEW World Champion
A legitimate injury, nearly everybody in the AEW locker room going after him, and the impending arrival of The Devil, it was very much a MJF vs. the world scenario in the now-former World Champion’s hometown of Long Island, New York. While everyone thought it would be the doing of The Devil that would be the ultimate undoing of MJF’s World Title reign, it was a Coquina Clutch from Samoa Joe that would put MJF out cold and leave referee, Bryce Remsburg with no choice but to call for the bell. Samoa Joe now sits at the top of the mountain in All Elite Wrestling.
Is MJF YOUR scumbag? MJF puts the #AEW World Title on the line against Samoa Joe in the main event of #AEWWorldsEnd.
‘The Devil’ Adam Cole Was Pulling The Strings All Along Against The Puppet Master Himself, MJF
Rewind all the way to the June 14, 2023 edition of AEW Dynamite…MJF and Adam Cole fought to a 30-minute time limit draw with MJF’s AEW World Championship up-for-grabs. Just weeks later, the pair were ‘randomly’ drawn together as teammates in the inaugural ‘Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament,’ a tournament the pair ending up winning, but ended up falling short in their bid for the AEW Tag Team Titles against then-champions, FTR. However, MJF and Adam Cole would gain something more valuable than gold (to some)…friendship. MJF and Cole put their differences to the side and respected one another after such a grueling rivalry. The pair would kick-off AEW’s biggest show in the company’s history ‘All In’ by defeating Aussie Open to become Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions in front of 70,000-plus fans inside of London, England’s historic Wembley Stadium. MJF and Cole would also close out the show with their long-awaited AEW World Title rematch, but this time, MJF would get the better of Cole, and retained his title.
After a string of injuries and health woes, Cole would be in-and-out of competition, leaving MJF to fend for himself and defend the titles by himself, which led to numbers being too much for the Long Island-native to handle, when he dropped the ROH Tag Titles to his newest rival ‘The Devil’s’ masked friends on the December 27 edition of Dynamite. With Samoa Joe lurking in the shadows for a rematch of his own, MJF accepted Joe’s challenge, for a helping hand leading up to tonight’s showdown…something Joe honored until the aforementioned 12/27 Dynamite, where Joe took out MJF following the latter’s title loss.
And on one fateful night in MJF’s hometown of Long Island, New York…his past finally caught up to him as he lost the AEW World Championship…and his best friend, Adam Cole. Following Joe’s victory over MJF, the vaunted masked men surrounded the ring before rushing inside and attacking both men…but the attack stopped and the masked assailants held MJF and Cole face-to-face before the lights would go out…and when they came up, Cole was standing side-by-side with the masked men, all facing MJF. By the time the now-former champion figured out what just happened, it was too late as Wardlow, Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett all removed their masks to reveal Cole’s newest creation…which closed out ‘Worlds End’ by taking out Cole’s now-former tag team partner…and The Devil was no longer MJF…but the man playing the strings all along, Adam Cole, Bay Bay.
‘The Mad King’ cemented his place in AEW history. During AEW’s inaugural Continental Classic tournament, Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley did exactly what they do best, brutalize their opponents and a collision course to the finals was exactly what many wanted and predicted. The Heart and Soul of AEW against the Ace of AEW was exactly what the doctor ordered for what was otherwise a somewhat lackluster pay-per-view event. Both Kingston and Moxley came with their best and after violent attack after violent attack, it was the pride and joy of Yonkers, New York who came out on top in front of his home state fans as the first-ever AEW Continental Classic Champion.
Take a look at All Elite Wrestling’s newest title belt, as well as some of the highlights of this brutal encounter, below:
The only person who may be able to handle these blows from Eddie Kingston is Jon Moxley.
In-ring wise, the best match on the card was Christian Cage’s (technically) unsuccessful TNT Championship defense against longtime friend and rival, Adam Copeland. After a beautifully violent 20-plus minute encounter, Copeland planted Cage’s protege, Nick Wayne through a table engulfed in flames before delivering a Killswitch of his own to Cage to secure the 1-2-3. Just moments after his victory, Copeland was celebrating with his first title in AEW, however, Cage’s sidekick and former TNT Champion, Killswitch (FKA Luchasaurus) attacked Copeland before getting ready to cash-in his TNT Title opportunity that he earned by outlasting 19 other competitors during the show’s ‘Zero Hour’ battle royale affair.
However, Cage would return to the ring and somehow convince Killswitch to hand him over the contract, which the then-former champion would sign and hand over to senior referee, Paul Turner. The bell would ring before Cage did what Copeland did to him…finish him off with his own signature move, the spear. The devastating spear would garner the three-count for Cage, and in doing so, make him a two-time TNT Champion, and now becoming the TRUE Ultimate Opportunist.
Miro Sends Andrade el Idolo Packing While Redeeming His Ultimate Prize
With rumors swirling that Andrade el Idolo would be departing AEW following tonight’s pay-per-view, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Miro would have his hand raised following the pair’s match. While that was exactly the case, it was far more competitive than many previously thought after the news of Andrade’s impending departure came about, and while securing the 1-2-3 was the goal of the match, Miro gained something far, far more valuable…his wife CJ Perry, who assisted ‘The Redeemer’ and was reunited with her husband at long…long last.
As previously mentioned, many rumors and news surrounded tonight’s show. Throughout the first handful of matches, the damper of the earlier day’s news sure casted a dark cloud over AEW’s final pay-per-view offering of 2023, however the classic TNT Championship match between Christian Cage and Adam Copeland began a hot streak for the night as Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley’s Continental Classic Final before the ultimate reveal of Adam Cole as The Devil lea
ding to Samoa Joe’s World Championship victory over MJF closed out the night on a high note.
Who will Samoa Joe set his sights on for his first title defense? Will Adam Cole have answers for MJF after months and months of manipulation? Will MJF even be with AEW in 2024? We have a TON of loose ends to tie up as All Elite Wrestling opens up to a new chapter, starting this Wednesday night on Dynamite.
AEW begins their 2024 when the company returns to your screens this coming Wednesday, January, 3, when Dynamite takes place from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
All Elite Wrestling will be back on pay-per-view on Sunday, March 3, 2024 at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The show will feature the legendary Sting’s final match against a yet to be announced opponent.
Adam Copeland captured the AEW TNT Championship at Worlds End, in his first title win in over a decade, but the Canadian’s run with the gold was very short-lived.
Since joining AEW at WrestleDream, Copeland has been feuding with his former friend and ex-tag team partner Christian Cage. The two faced off for the TNT title in Montreal earlier this month on an episode of Dynamite in a match that Cage would win.
Adam Copeland Wins (and Loses)
In a No-Disqualification match at AEW Worlds End, Cage and Copeland held nothing back in their efforts to leave Long Island with the TNT Championship. As the winners of the first two TLC matches, it was fitting that the bout featured Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. In the end, Copeland hit Cage with Christian’s own Killswitch finisher to get the win and become the new TNT Champion.
This was an emotional win for Copeland, as it was his first time winning a championship since he captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Dolph Ziggler in early 2011. Unfortunately for the Hall of Famer, his time on top was short-lived. After the match, Killswitch (formerly Luchasaurus) hit the ring with a guaranteed TNT Championship match contract Killswitch had won the opportunity during the Zero-Hour pre-show battle royal.
Look who’s here to cash in their TNT Title Shot!!! KILLSWITCH!
Rather than challenge Copeland, Killswitch surrendered that contract to Christian who had the match restarted. Cage then used Copeland’s finisher, a spear, to win the title back.
This makes Copeland a history maker in AEW, but not in a good way. The Canadian legend now holds the record for the shortest title reign in the history of the company.
AEW Worlds End 2023 proved to be a tough night at the office for Chris Jericho who was on the receiving end of some choice chants from the Long Island crowd.
In the fifth match of the show (and eighth match if you include the pre-show) Jericho was victorious in an eight-man tag-team match. The bout saw Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Sting and Darby Allin defeat AEW World Tag Team Champions Big Bill and Ricky Starks, and Konosuke Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs.
Chris Jericho Faces Chants
Jericho’s appearance at the show was something of a surprise, as some fans expected him to be pulled from AEW Worlds End. In the hours before the show, Jericho faced allegations of misconduct with wrestler Kylie Rae. Nick Hausman made mention of Jericho having skeletons in his closet, and Rae herself reacted with a heart to a post saying that Jericho is not a safe person to be around for young women in wrestling.
At this time, AEW President Tony Khan has yet to address the allegations against Jericho, who was the first-ever AEW World Champion. It is likely he will be asked about the matter during the post-Worlds End media scrum.
AEW saw a few random injuries throughout 2023 that greatly changed their booking plans. They couldn’t get through the final pay-per-view of the year without being forced to change things up.
Keith Lee was scheduled to take on Swerve Strickland in a singles match at AEW Worlds End, a long-awaited showdown that some fans doubted would ever materialize. Sadly, that match wasn’t meant to be in 2023.
Unexpected Change Of Plans For Keith Lee
In an update on X, Keith Lee shared that he was going to enter the Worlds End match with an injury. Although he did not divulge the specifics of the setback, he assured fans that he is committed to giving his best effort in the upcoming match.
Today… I keep it very real with you guys. I have been working through an injury since Arthur Ashe Stadium 2022.
It has been mostly well taken care of. Things have been worse since Final Battle.
I am trying to get through today for you guys, but I cannot promise anything.
Today… I keep it very real with you guys.
I have been working through an injury since Arthur Ashe Stadium 2022. It has been mostly well taken care of.
Things have been worse since Final Battle. I am trying to get through today for you guys, but I cannot promise anything.
Keith Lee was taken out of AEW Worlds End and Dustin Rhodes was placed in his spot. Swerve Strickland picked up the win against The Natural in the end, which continued his winning streak in AEW.
This is not good news for Keith Lee, and we can only hope that whatever kept him off the AEW Worlds End card isn’t something that will persist far into 2024.
The pro wrestling PPV calendar will wrap up with the brand new AEW Worlds End PPV event on Saturday night December 30, live from the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum on Long Island on Bleacher Report, Fite TV internationally, and traditional PPV. On paper, the event is a “B” show with the main hook being the final match in the first annual AEW Continental Classic tournament.
The Continental Classic has been the primary focus of AEW television for the past month, so it makes sense for that to be the key point of intrigue for fans. It’d be nice to see Tony Khan round out the show with strong bouts around it, but that simply isn’t the story.
MJF will defend the AEW World Championship against Samoa Joe in an all to predictable main event. Both women’s championships are on the line, but both are even more predictable the MJF vs. Joe. Outside of that, Christian Cage vs. Adam Copeland should be interesting and Hook vs. Wheeler Yuta in an FTW Rules Match that has the potential to reignite Hook to 2021 levels of popularity.
The other reason why fans may purchase this event has nothing to do with the card itself. It’s that ‘ol devil mystery that AEW has cooking. The AEW Devil has been a prevalent story in AEW for months, but is overdue for some true narrative progression. On a show without a lot of news on it, a devil reveal is a logical move to keep people talking about AEW heading into the new year.
Call this a preview, a calm look into the distant future, or a gaze into a wondrous crystal ball; just don’t hold me to anything, ok?
Adam Copeland vs. Christian Cage – TNT Championship No Disqualification Match
Christian Cage has a win over Adam Copeland in AEW, but he’s not going to add to that record in this match. The Cage vs. Copeland feud has had it’s high points, but doesn’t seem to have captured the full attention and intrigue of the AEW faithful. There’s an element of “been there, done that” with these two that the new AEW environment isn’t adding to at this point in their career.
Cage has been wonderful in the heel role he occupies. He’s not only tormented Copeland, but has found a way to get real bad guy heat regularly.
It’s time to wrap this up so both guys can go their own way. That means the good guy goes over to finish the story properly. So, Copeland gets the win and finally silences The Patriarch.
Prediction: Adam Copeland
Toni Storm vs. Riho – AEW Women’s World Championship
Riho is a formidable opponent for Toni Storm given her history as a former AEW Women’s World Champion, but formidable doesn’t mean credible. Storm is the “it” act in the AEW women’s division right now and the only real over character in that division as well. It would be silly for her to lose the championship given those circumstances.
AEW jumped through the right hoops and had Riho earn her way to a title shot by winning, but the story between her and Storm starts and ends there. This is missing heat, but Storm’s “Timeless” persona is doing wonders to fill the void. Look for Storm to win clean.
Prediction: Toni Storm
Swerve Strickland vs. Keith Lee
This match has been over a year in the making, so it’s a bit tough to see AEW finally get to it with almost zero build or hype. Strickland has been involved in the Continental Classic and Keith Lee has been calling out “Him.” Apparently “Him” is Swerve Strickland and now both men are on a collision course.
There was a lot of meat on the bone here considering Lee and Strickland were tag team champions and the match will have a bit of meaning and context because of that. Outside of that context, though, there isn’t a broad story here. With Strickland losing in the Continental Classic semifinal he needs a win here and will get it cleanly opposite Lee.
Prediction: Swerve Strickland
Hook vs. Wheeler Yuta – FTW Championship FTW Rules Match
Honestly, this feels like an AEW Rampage main event. Hook and Yuta have a little history that the feud is leaning on, but it isn’t a deep one.
Hook hasn’t show and ability to connect on a narrative level with his stories and the end result is usually a flat tone and tenor. Yuta isn’t a beacon of charisma either, which leaves this match with an uphill battle to climb.
The high end of expectations would be these two tearing it up in a bloody brawl that changes the perception of both coming out regardless of who wins. The more likely scenario is a bloody brawl that leaves both in the exact same position.
In either scenario, Hook wins to retain his championship. The bottom line is the FTW Championship isn’t anything without Hook and Hook isn’t anything without the championship. They need each other.
Prediction: Hook
Andrade El Idolo vs. Miro
I’ve really liked what these guys have done with this feud. Lana and Miro have been at odds with one another because of Lana managing Andrade, but it’s been done in a tasteful way that very much features Miro’s dedication to wrestling. Andrade is a strong heel foil for Miro and has shown to have some chemistry with Lana.
As for Lana, she’s worked in a very believable way that shows off her sadness due to her split from Miro on the topic of wrestling, but also her determination to continue working in the business she loves.
At this point, Lana is the most important character in this story, so Andrade takes the win if for no other reason than to simply give Lana credibility as a returning manager.
Prediction: Andrade El Idolo
Julia Hart vs. Abadon – TBS Championship
The Abadon program is a holdover feud for Julia Hart and that’s ok. Establishing Hart as a winner is a key element of her run as champion, so it’s nice to see AEW take a couple weeks to try and establish Abadon as a challenger, so Hart can beat her.
This is the pinnacle of the Abadon character. In it’s current form, the gimmick can’t get past this spot on the card and to that end, Abadon has played things ok. Hart is a strong personality to play off of, which enhances the act.
Fans aren’t salivating for an Abadon title win here and that’s a good thing because she certainly isn’t getting one. Hart wins as clean as a sheet in the middle of the ring.
Prediction: Julia Hart
Sting, Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara & Darby Allin vs. Ricky Starks, Big Bill, Kyle Fletcher & Powerhouse Hobbs
Not much to this except for a one night brawl on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Kenny Omega getting sick threw off the courses of Jericho, Ricky Starks, and Big Bill and this is a way to collect some of those pieces and get them on the card. Sting is involved, so the babyfaces take this after a wild fight.
Prediction: Sting, Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Darby Allin
20-Man Battle Royal
This one doesn’t have an announced participant list, but it is for a shot at the TNT Championship, so there are are some stakes even if it is on the PPV Zero Hour pre-show. That said, I’ll go out on a limb and say Malaki Black is the winner as I strongly believe Copeland is walking out of the show with the TNT title.
Prediction: Malaki Black
Jon Moxley vs. Eddie Kingston – AEW Continental Classic Tournament Final
You’re looking at the match of the night with this one. The tournament final creates some very high stakes, but the personal nature of Moxley and Kingston’s friendship and rivalry adds significant depth to the match as well. The tournament has been about Eddie Kingston. He got the comeback angle and put up his championships to create the triple crown title that the winner of the tournament gets. It makes perfect sense for him to vanquish Moxley and get the W. Plus, Moxley simply isn’t going to be toiling around with lower card ROH and NJPW titles as part of the AEW Triple Crown. Kingston is a strong choice for that role.
Prediction: Eddie Kingston
MJF vs. Samoa Joe – AEW World Championship
AEW has a lot of balls to juggle with their final main event championship of the year. So many, in fact, it’s as if the Joe vs. MJF story and feud is a secondary player to everything else going on.
The big focus going into the match and within the build to the match itself has been the AEW Devil. The Devil has played a central role in the relationship between Joe and MJF, bringing both men together and on the same page ahead of the match. Not great given the fact you of course want the championship at the center of what’s happening, but it leaves AEW the opportunity to reveal who the devil is on PPV as the company heads into 2023.
The other big focus is on MJF himself. The champion’s contract ends at the end of this year and one has to wonder whether or not he’s signed a new deal. If he has, of course he’s retaining the title here. If not, Joe just may get a surprising world title win.
Now, my guess is MJF has re-signed or will re-sign and will retain his championship over Joe with the big devil reveal coming after the match. MJF will get a clean win on Joe and then execute the angle with the devil, leading to that feud taking over AEW programming in the first quarter of next year.
We’re just days away from AEW’s newest pay-per-view, Worlds End. The show is live from Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, MJF’s hometown. The main event will see MJF defend his AEW World Championship against Samoa Joe, who turned on him and attacked him with a chair at the end of Dynamite. It also saw MJF finally lose the ROH Tag Team Championship to unknown assailants of The Devil.
Worlds End isn’t just all about MJF. Andrade and Miro have had beef since the latter’s wife took on El Idolo as a client. Miro has wanted to fight him for weeks and now finally has the chance on Saturday.
The “New Year’s Smash” edition of Dynamite saw the return of Sammy Guevara. He took exception to Don Callis not only including his newborn daughter on a painting, but for not contacting him when he was out of action with a concussion. He turned on Callis and was promptly attacked by Powerhouse Hobbs, Konosuke Takeshita, and Kyle Fletcher. Guevara was saved by Chris Jericho. Big Bill and Ricky Starks came from the crowd to beat them up. Sting and a returning Darby Allin came to save them.
Since Omega is out of action indefinitely, the AEW tag team championships will no longer be defended at Worlds End. Instead the champions will be teaming up with Hobbs and Takeshita versus Jericho, Guevara, Allin, and Sting in an 8-man match.
The Continental Classic had league finals matches on Wednesday. Dynamite opened with “Switchblade” Jay White vs. Swerve Strickland vs. Jon Moxley. Moxley won the Gold league to advance to Saturday’s finals. In the Blue league, Eddie Kingston defeated Bryan Danielson.
Zero Hour will see a 20-man Battle Royale for a shot at the TNT Championship any time, any where. The pre-show will begin at 6:30 PM ET on YouTube and AEW’s social media.
HOOK saved Katsuyori Shibata after Wheeler Yuta beat him up after he won the ROH PURE Championship. HOOK will put his FTW World Championship on the line under FTW Rules.
The main card for Worlds End will start at 8 PM ET.
Either Jon Moxley or Eddie Kingston will be crowned the Triple Crown Champion at AEW Worlds End in the finals of the inaugural AEW Continental Classic.
On this week’s AEW Dynamite: New Year’s Smash. Moxley defeated Jay White and Swerve Strickland in the finals of the Gold League. All three men had earned 12 points in the tournament, leading to a triple-threat match. On the same show, Kingston, the reigning ROH World Champion and NJPW Strong Openweight Champion, defeated Bryan Danielson. Kingston amassed nine points in the tournament to Danielson’s ten.
The winner of the match at Worlds End will become the inaugural Triple Crown Champion. This accolade will come about as the victor will be the AEW Continental Champion, the ROH World Champion, and the NJPW Strong Openweight Champion.
The Road to the Finals
Jon Moxley has perhaps been the most impressive performer in the AEW Continental Classic from either league. In week one, Moxley defeated Mark Briscoe to earn three points and defeated Jay Lethal the following week. Moxley defeated Rush via technical submission in week three and earned a hard-fought win over Swerve Strickland in week four. In week five, Moxley took his only first-round loss of the entire tournament when he was defeated by Jay White on the AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash episode.
Eddie Kingston’s road to AEW Worlds End was far less smooth. In his first two matches in the tournament, he lost to Brody King and Bryan Danielson respectively. It wouldn’t be until his third match against rival Claudio Castagnoli that Kingston earned his first win. Kingston would go on to defeat Daniel Garcia and Andrade El Idolo to earn enough points to advance to this week’s Blue League Finals.
Everyone knows what that means. Whether it’s sitting across the desk from an obnoxious salesperson for hours on end trying to buy a car, negotiating a new salary at work, or hammering out expectations in an “eat this and you can get that,” battle of wits with your children, it’s the pesky details that get in the way of a smooth operation.
AEW knows this better than anyone right now. The Devil storyline that has been a regular episodic feature of AEW programming for the better part of three months is still running rampant and seemingly will come to a head at the company’s upcoming World’s End PPV event on December 30. The details in this devil story, well, they’re as pesky as ever and it’s imperative AEW pay attention to them in order to put a bow on their biggest story of the year.
The Mystery of The Devil
This is the situation. A rogue star with an inside track on the happenings in AEW has commandeered MJF’s devil mask and has been threatening and physically harming various members of the AEW roster with a gang of masked thugs.
The Devil was the alter ego of MJF and he famously appeared wearing the mask when he made his return to AEW at All Out in 2022 after a summer vacation hiatus. MJF went full “devil” that night, dressing up as the villain, but also walking out to a specialty entrance song, Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones. The presentation got him cheered in Chicago opposite CM Punk, who had just won the AEW World Championship.
The AEW Devil and his masked assailants have left a who’s who of top AEW talent dropped and hurt including former number one contender to the AEW World Championship, Jay White, former champion Adam Page, The Acclaimed, and presumably MJF in a vicious backstage assault — one that nobody saw.
So, the mystery at hand here is, just who the heck is The Devil and what the heck do they want? The conspiracy theories are out there among fans and media. Hidden clues have populated discussion around AEW programming and within AEW programming itself. Even AEW stars have made public comments that allude to involvement with the angle.
The Devil story in AEW is the biggest of the year and the most important long term arc they’ve attempted in their four years on national television. With the finish line in sight, they have to get it right and it means shoring up the devil’s details in the story.
Who is The Devil?
There are names that make sense as the AEW Devil and potential names that make you want to bash your head into a door. Let’s start with the good ones.
Adam Cole is guilty party A. Cole and MJF had a budding friendship prior to The Devil making an appearance and he only did once Cole was sidelined with a serious ankle injury. Or, was it a fake injury? Cole and MJF are friends, but have done battle on two different occasions for MJF’s AEW World Championship. The two wrestled to a time limit draw on AEW Dynamite and MJF defeated Cole at AEW All In late in August.
Cole failed twice to secure the world championship from MJF. Is that a good enough reason to stalk your best friend and turn on the entire company? Maybe it is. Cole as The Devil is the least sexy choice of everyone possible, but is the most logical given the history he has with MJF and the fact that the devil has centered his attention him.
Guilty party B? Kyle O’Reilly. O’Reilly has been away from AEW for months nursing an injury, but reports indicate he’s potentially ready to rejoin the company soon. What a better way to make an impact upon returning than to forcibly threaten your way back in as a masked maniac? O’Reilly has history with Adam Cole, which makes him a viable candidate. Cole would stay an MJF ally in this scenario, but O’Reilly would feel betrayed by his former best friend and want to take out the man who stole him away.
Could it be Britt Baker? Sure it could. Baker has obvious ties to Adam Cole as his better half and she’s posted scud missiles on social media that rail on the company for neutralizing her talents. A bit of a longer shot with her, but it makes sense.
Cole, O’Reilly, and Baker all work as the identity of the devil, but there are details that don’t add up around each of them.
If it’s Adam Cole, why would he attack Jay White? White was an MJF opponent at the Full Gear PPV. If Cole wanted to get to MJF, he wouldn’t help him out by attacking his opponent would he?
As for Kyle O’Reilly, the devil’s detail is more of a gargantuan issue and that is he simply just isn’t a big enough star in AEW to be the reveal of such a major storyline. The reveal has to be a home run and O’Reilly isn’t that at this point.
Baker checks the star box and the logic box as being a devil character that just wants to watch AEW burn. The missing detail with her is the payoff. Because of being terrorized by The Devil like he has, MJF has vowed revenge in the form of violence. AEW isn’t going to run with Baker vs. MJF. If not, what’s the point? The business of this angle is a match between MJF and whoever the devil is. It’s immediately off the table if Baker is revealed in the end.
Other theories about AEW’s Devil
Who are some bad choices, but options that AEW potentially has on the table? Well, Jack Perry comes to mind. Perry was suspended because of a backstage incident with CM Punk at All In and hasn’t been seen on AEW TV since. A return as the AEW Devil would immediately put him into the top tier of AEW, but he’s not ready for that. His character isn’t either. Bottom line? Nobody would buy it.
Dolph Ziggler? A long shot, but it has to be put out there. AEW loves nothing more than overhyping sub-par talent acquisitions and this would certainly fall in that bucket. Ziggler becomes a free agent as of Thursday December 21 after being released from WWE earlier this year.
The worst of the bad choices is MJF himself. Yeah, it could be ‘ol MJF just up to his mean tricks again and he was the one that set everything up, attacked everyone, and made it all look like it wasn’t him. He’d certainly be a heel if that was the reveal, but it would be a nauseating one. AEW cooled off it’s biggest star with a babyface turn this summer and the smart play isn’t to turn him back until he’s hot again — if ever. Too much effort has been put into MJF working as a babyface and this would derail all that effort. Plus, what, MJF took himself out backstage? He recorded promo videos on his own to interrupt his own promos in the ring? It’s just too much and too cute to believe.
It was the devil, in the parking lot, with the pipe
Now, mysteries in wrestling are always fun because of the clues at hand. They are there to analyze with The Devil story as well with more pouring in week after week, day after day, and show after show. How about this one?
Last week on AEW Dynamite, The Devil appeared from a car as his henchmen attacked Adam Page. With one nod he demanded that they put Page through the windshield of a car. Sound familiar? It should. Jack Perry is synonymous with car wind shields for better or worse — it was a spot on a car during his match with Hook at All In that sparked the backstage incident with CM Punk and his indefinite suspension from the company. Coincidence?
How about
this one? A giant devil henchman has been spotted by fans throughout the last month and some hat hair possibly gave the surprise away. In one segment, the giant man threatened in the ring with a mask on and in the next segment Wardlow appeared with messy hair that could only come from wearing a mask and pulling it off fast perhaps? Coincidence?
More nuggets and clues are sure to drop prior to the reveal, but the reality is AEW is juggling a lot with this angle. The details will either make this a memorable moment and story for the company or a giant eye roll for a company that consistently is weak at telling week to week stories on their episodic television show.
Regardless of whoever the devil ends up being, the reveal has to tie the loose ends and teases together so that everything that has happened to this point makes sense. Did The Devil have a reason to attack heel and babyface talent? Did The Devil have enough of a connection to MJF to make the stalking of him believable? Same thing with Samoa Joe. Joe is the challenger to MJF’s world title at World’s End, but is in the mix with The Devil now because of his relationship with MJF. AEW has to make those details blend together with logic.
Final Dynamite before AEW World’s End
Next week on AEW Dynamite, Joe and MJF will team up to take on some of The Devil’s henchmen in a tag team match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship. The match was made official on this week’s Dynamite after Joe and MJF destroyed a large contingent of devil supporters in black outfits. Will there be more clues dropped next week? Likely.
The bottom line with this is angle is that AEW has to hit on it. Not only has the company driven some fan interest with the mystery, but a hot story is a smart way to enter the new year with some momentum. Plus, the company hasn’t proven it cares to or can effectively execute week to week stories that engage an audience to watch the show. Hitting here with The Devil would alleviate that criticism.
To hit, AEW has to have key answers to major questions. Does the reveal make sense? Can it connect back to the history of the story? Is the revealed devil a big enough star to command the time the story has gotten and the interest its generated?
The devil is in the details, remember? It’s imperative AEW gets these right.
Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega were all set to challenge Big Bill and Ricky Starks for the AEW World Tag Team Titles at Worlds End on December 30th, then Kenny Omega’s health took a turn for the worse. Despite losing his Golden Jets partner, Chris Jericho will continue without The Cleaner.
AEW Tag Team Title Match At Worlds End
Chris Jericho is determined to win the AEW Tag Team Titles at AEW Worlds End, even in the absence of Kenny Omega due to diverticulitis. He made that very clear on AEW Collision this week.
During the December 23rd episode of AEW Collision, Ricky Starks and Big Bill announced their intention to take the night off and celebrate. They suggested that the scheduled tag team match at Worlds End was canceled since Kenny Omega is not able to compete.
However, Chris Jericho stepped in, and he revealed something very important. He still possesses a contract entitling him to an AEW Tag Team Title match. Le Champion is not fazed by Kenny Omega’s absence, because the show must go on.
Chris Jericho then declared his intention to find a partner and challenge Ricky Starks and Big Bill for the titles at AEW Worlds End. He didn’t reveal who his partner will be at the pay-per-view.
Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega secured their opportunity for the AEW Tag Team Titles by defeating The Young Bucks at AEW Full Gear. The Young Bucks used that loss to turn heel as well.
Ricky Starks and Big Bill address the status of the #AEW World Tag Team Championship match at #AEWWorldsEnd.
Kenny Omega and the rest of The Elite inked new deals with AEW just a few months ago. It appeared that Omega would be someone that Tony Khan could rely on, and he was getting consistent spotlights. Now, The Cleaner has pulled the plug on his own AEW run.
Kenny Omega’s Injury Announcement
Former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega revealed on X that he is now out of action indefinitely. He revealed a photo of himself in a hospital bed as well, so it appears that he is being tended to.
Although Kenny Omega did not reveal the nature of his injury, it seems serious enough to pull him from action now. In his message, which he didn’t sugar coat in the slightest, Omega encouraged fans to watch wrestling until he returns.
I can’t really sugar coat this. I’m out indefinitely. I tried to keep pushing past the pain for as long as I could until it became too much. Luckily doctors caught me when they did. I’ll be here so in the mean time, please enjoy wrestling!
Kenny Omega’s absence from AEW will be a huge blow for them to take. At this point, The Cleaner was involved in a tag team program with Chris Jericho. Now, the Golden Jets will have to wait.
I can’t really sugar coat this. I’m out indefinitely. I tried to keep pushing past the pain for as long as I could until it became too much. Luckily doctors caught me when they did. I’ll be here so in the mean time, please enjoy wrestling! pic.twitter.com/kn9ZKUgSls
This announcement comes days after AEW added Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho vs Ricky Starks and Big Bill to the Worlds End card, where the AEW World Tag Team Titles will be on the line. This match will need to be changed now.
AEW has suffered many injuries, and big blows, to their roster over the last year. It appears that Tony Khan will have to figure out an alternate booking situation for one of the two matches he’s booked for Worlds End on December 30th so far.
UPDATE: Reason For Kenny Omega’s AEW Absence
Sean Ross Sapp reported on X to say that Kenny Omega was suffering from an illness last week. It was not disclosed what he was dealing with, but he still pressed on and wrestled against Ethan Page. He was later diagnosed with diverticulitis.
We’re told Kenny had been ill throughout the last week, even ahead of his match with Ethan Page. He still did the match and the promos, and sought medical attention after, where he was hospitalized and diagnosed with diverticulitis.
We're told Kenny had been ill throughout the last week, even ahead of his match with Ethan Page.
He still did the match and the promos, and sought medical attention after, where he was hospitalized and diagnosed with diverticulitis.
