All Elite Wrestling star Hook has signed with sports agent Barry Bloom ahead of upcoming contract negotiations. According to PWInsider, Bloom actually signed Hook several months ago, but the news is only now coming to light. AEW is expected to make efforts to ensure the second-generation talent remains with the company.
Bloom represents several notable wrestling personalities, including Kenny Omega, Josh Alexander, and announcer Jim Ross.
Hook made his AEW debut in 2020 as part of Team Taz, aligning with his father, Taz, as well as Brian Cage, Ricky Starks, and Powerhouse Hobbs. He transitioned to singles competition in 2021 and, in July 2022, defeated Ricky Starks to win the FTW Championship—a title originally established by his father in ECW.
He held the championship for an extended period and feuded with Jack Perry over the FTW Title in the summer of 2023. He later regained the title in August 2023 before retiring it and presenting it to his father, Taz, in September 2023.
Currently, Hook is aligned with Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata. As of this writing, he’s not scheduled to compete at AEW Revolution on March 9th.
Before the Fifth Anniversary edition of AEW Dynamite, Taz announced he’d be stepping away from the commentary booth to undergo total knee replacement surgery, following an ambush in a parking lot. In actuality, this is a procedure Taz has been putting off for some time, but the Human Suplex Machine has at last gone under the knife.
On Twitter, Taz gave fans an update, sharing that the surgery went well but “now the work begins.” The veteran wrestling personality shared his dismay that he wasn’t given room 13, his signature number. Taz also promoted the ‘Title Tuesday’ edition of AEW Dynamite.
Look on my face when I requested room 13 and they missed by 5! ? Surgery went well, now the work begins.
With Taz still out of commission, Jeff Jarrett filled in during this week’s Dynamite, one week after Nigel McGuinness filled in for Taz on the Fifth Anniversary of Dynamite. Dynamite also saw HOOK backstage say he’s tired of chasing whoever attacked his father. Just then, Kip Sabian stumbled into HOOK, quickly denying any involvement before walking off.
Moments later, Christian Cage, accompanied by Nick Wayne and his mother, approached HOOK. Cage remarked that they’re both family men and that he recently lost Killswitch to a serious medical situation and offered HOOK condolences regarding Taz’s injury. As Cage and his entourage walked away, HOOK was left fuming.
A promo with Cage aired last week immediately after HOOK’s, and this, alongside Cage’s history of attacking father figures has left many to point the finger of suspicion at the Canadian. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on this mystery and to learn whether it was Cage who attacked Taz or if somebody else did the dirty deed.
Posted October 8th, 2024 in AEW. Tagged: Hook, Taz.
AEW Dynamite celebrated its fifth anniversary this week but while many of the company’s biggest personalities were around, Taz wasn’t among them. Mere hours before the show went live, it was reported that Taz had been attacked in a parking lot, leaving fans uncertain when he might return to his role behind the commentary desk. With the ECW legend temporarily out of commission, Nigel McGuinness stepped in to join Tony Schiavone and Excalibur.
The Human Suplex Machine was written off of TV so that he can undergo full knee replacement surgery as his knees have been bad “for years,” Dave Meltzer reports. Taz has suggested in the past that he needed the surgery but kept pushing it off to focus on his commitments. On X, Taz vowed that whoever attacked him had payback coming their way.
In another tweet, Taz said “Those guys got me good,” implying that he may have been assaulted by multiple assailants.
Was at the hospital there, heading back to NY now, I need to see my doctors asap. These guys got me good at the arena, destroyed my leg. https://t.co/3gwKfVPS2r
It hasn’t taken long for fans to point the finger of suspicion at potential attackers. Suspects so far include Christian Cage, who’s segment aired immediately after HOOK, Nigel McGuinness, who was able to commentate in Taz’s absence, and even HOOK himself.
I think Christian Cage attacked Taz in the parking lot before the show tonight#AEWDynamite
The AEW fanbase has a new mystery on their hands as it remains to be seen which person or persons is revealed to have attacked Taz. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on the Human Suplex Machine and the search for his assailant.
Posted October 4th, 2024 in AEW. Tagged: Hook, Taz.
At AEW Grand Slam: Dynamite, HOOK defended the FTW Championship against Roderick Strong, proving his skills against the veteran wrestler. Little did fans know going into this match that this would be the final FTW Championship match in the title’s illustrious history.
After the match, HOOK shared an embrace with Strong before joining Tony Schiavone at ringside to make a stunning announcement: he was retiring the FTW Championship. HOOK handed the title to his father Taz, declaring “This is yours” in a moment that brought tears to the eyes of the Human Suplex Machine/commentator.
While first introduced in ECW by Taz in 1998, it wouldn’t be until 2020 that the gold debuted in AEW. Five men held the title during its All-Elite run, with Ricky Starks boasting the longest reign at 378 days. HOOK holds the record for the most combined days, as his three reigns saw him hold the gold for a total of 627 days.
With the FTW Championship now officially retired, HOOK’s emotional tribute to his father marks the end of an era. It also raises the question as to what’s next for HOOK and whether he is ready to set his sights on AEW’s sanctioned titles. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on HOOK as he starts a new chapter in his career, one without the FTW Championship around his waist.
HOOK is once again the FTW Champion after dethroning Chris Jericho to win the gold at AEW All In: London 2024 in Wembley Stadium.
This victory makes HOOK a three-time FTW Champion, with his second reign kicking off one year ago inside the very same arena. The match saw plenty of weapons used including a barbed wire board, as well as cricket balls and bat.
Cricket has been introduced to the Wembley proceedings!
HOOK got the win after his father Taz locked in the Tazmission on Bryan Keith, ensuring that Jericho’s lackey would no longer be able to interfere. HOOK locked in his own submission to win the gold.
There are a number of massive matches set to take place from the Wembley Stadium in London, England and they are as follows:
Pre-Show Match: Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway vs. Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii
AEW American Championship: MJF (c) vs. Will Ospreay
Casino Gauntlet for future AEW world championship match
AEW Women’s Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Mariah May
Coffin Match for AEW TNT Championship: Jack Perry (c) vs. Darby Allin
Last Chance Match for FTW Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Hook
AEW TBS Championship: Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Britt Baker
Four-Way Ladder Match for AEW World Trios Championship: The Patriarchy (Christian Cage, Killswitch and Nick Wayne) (c) vs. The Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn) vs. House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews) vs. Pac and Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta)
Three-Way Tag Match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) (c) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) vs. FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler)
AEW World Championship: Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Bryan Danielson
We’ll be covering all of the events from tonight’s PPV event, so make sure that you keep checking back to SEScoops for the latest on AEW All In.
A popular second-generation pro wrestler is poised to let WWE and AEW compete for his talents. SEScoops has learned that HOOK (Tyler Senerchia) is interested in exploring his options in free agency once his contract with All Elite Wrestling expires later this year.
A source familiar with WWE’s recruitment strategy commented, “I can see WWE clearly being interested in him.”
Hook is the son of wrestling legend and AEW broadcaster Taz. He joined AEW in 2020 and is known as the ‘Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil.’ The 24-year-year-old from achieved a great deal during his young career. He’s in his second reign as FTW Champion, a title introduced by his father in ECW.
HOOK has not only improved his in-ring skills but has also shown a level of innate charisma that you either have or you don’t. Time at the Performance Center and integration into WWE’s unparalleled talent development system could significantly boost his long-term prospects.
Wrestling free’s agency market is currently booming, with WWE and AEW both aggressively pursuing talent and offering substantial sums to secure contracts.
Recently, AEW has had notable success, signing wrestlers like Will Ospreay, Mercedes Mone, Kazuchika Okada, and Adam Copeland. Meanwhile, WWE has attracted Giulia and several former AEW stars including CM Punk, Jade Cargill, Andrade, Brian Pillman Jr., and Shawn Spears.
The landscape could shift dramatically soon once again, as the contracts of WWE stars Becky Lynch, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins and Sheamus are set to expire in the coming months.
Posted April 11th, 2024 in AEW, WWE. Tagged: Hook.
Chris Jericho ended up making his offer to HOOK and the proposal could be a learning experience for both fighters.
During the 3/27 episode of AEW Dynamite, a backstage segment featured both HOOK and Jericho being interviewed by Renee Paquette. There Jericho reiterated how impressed he was with HOOK’s work in the ring as he and Renee both said that HOOK defeating Jericho last week on Dynamite was the biggest of his career.
Jericho then mentioned in his 33 years of pro wrestling he never managed anybody in his life, but he was so impressed with HOOK’s work in the ring that he’d be willing to give Taz’s son any advice at reaching that next level of super stardom. Jericho even said that he sees a future AEW World Champion in HOOK.
HOOK appreciated Jericho’s offer, but did say he knows who Jericho is, meaning he’s aware of his track record. All that considered, he’d love to take advice from Jericho because he is Chris Jericho. Jericho agreed and the two fist-bumped.
Will the FTW Champion HOOK take Chris Jericho up on his offer?
The FTW Champion did put on quite a showing against Jericho as he basically took ‘Lionheart’ to suplex city before he ultimately secured the win via pinfall, which happened to be HOOK’s first pinfall win in AEW.
Jericho won’t be the first wrestling legend to take HOOK under his wing. Obviously being the son of Taz, HOOK had an early tutelage when it comes to the squared circle, but he also received the experience of teaming with Rob Van Dam in AEW.
Chris Jericho is back to his Lionheart ways and has taken HOOK under his wing. After the duo picked up a victory on this week’s AEW Big Business special, All Elite Wrestling’s first World Champion laid down a challenge to his partner for a singles match next week on AEW Dynamite.
Jericho & Hook Victorious at Big Business
Jericho and HOOK seemed to compliment one another well in the ring and that was made clear in the finish as the two isolated Bishop Kaun. HOOK attempted to lock Kaun in the Red Rum and Jericho slid in to put him in the Walls of Jericho.
When Toa Loa went for the save, Jericho gave him a springboard dropkick and HOOK cinched in the Red Rum for the submission win.
LionHOOK Explodes Next Week
Paquette caught up with Jericho and Hook backstage after their hard-earned W. She dubbed them LionHOOK, which Jericho loved.
Jericho said the Gates of Agony were no joke, but Hook showed him he’s got ‘future world champion’ potential. He likes what he’s seen from hook when they’re on the same team, but wants to see what Hook is made of when they’re on opposite sides of the ring.
If one were going by the live crowd reaction, Joe was tremendously over to start the fight, but two-thirds into the battle, Joe and HOOK got the audience completely over on the challenger’s side.
Speaking on an episode of “My World,” Jarrett talked about how it takes a rare talent to be able to do that for their opponents. Joe did just as much during his undefeated streak in TNA.
“My default answer was, ‘Joe can win and still help get guys over.’ That’s an art. That was taught to me in many different ways from my dad and Jerry Lawler, but it is so true, and if you can’t really do that, I don’t think you can really get to the next level. It’s easy to win and get yourself over. It’s even more difficult to win and get your opponent over, but Joe could do it.”
How TNA Ended Joe’s Undefeated Streak In TNA
Jarrett admitted there was no end in sight for Samoa Joe to lose to anyone in TNA, but then Kurt Angle came along and signed with the company.
“…then that quick conversation to Orlando from Dave Hawk, who is Kurt’s manager, and said, ‘Hey man. I think you’ve got a shot if you want to have Kurt come on board ‘ and how all that came together, and then the Kurt and Joe trilogy.”
Please credit My World and h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
In the main event of this week’s Dynamite, Joe defended his gold against HOOK. Thanks to a sponsorship from the new Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League video game (in which Joe voices King Shark), the match aired commercial-free.
Joe dominated early on, and would put HOOK through the announce table, though the second-generation wrestler responded by flipping off the champ. This earned HOOK a powerbomb onto the apron, though he was able to make it back to the ring.
No matter how hard Samoa Joe throws HOOK around, he just keeps coming back!
HOOK mounted a comeback and was able to kick out of a Muscle Buster at one, to the surprise of Joe and the crowd. In the end, the Coquina Clutch sealed the win for the champion, but Joe looked shocked at how much it took to put HOOK away.
After the Match
Despite his defeat, HOOK refused to stay down and trash-talked Joe after the match. This earned the FTW Champion another beatdown. Before more damage could be done, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page and Swerve Strickland arrived on the scene and Joe walked away. Both Page and Strickland have made it clear they intend to challenge Joe for the AEW World Championship when the time is right.
#AEW World Champion Samoa Joe smelled the blood in the water, but “Hangman” Adam Page makes the save!
AEW superstar Hook recently took a shot back at WWE star Jinder Mahal ahead of the biggest match of his career.
Recently, AEW President Tony Khan attacked WWE for booking Jinder Mahal in a World Heavyweight Championship match on Raw. Khan argued that Mahal’s dismal win/loss record means he shouldn’t be competing for the title. Fans reacted negatively to this, citing Abadon’s abrupt push in the TBS title picture and Hook’s push in the AEW World Championship picture.
Tony Khan was enraged after seeing a tweet from the USA Network that made no mention of either Khan or AEW. The aforementioned post was a reaction to Raj Giri’s Tweet about the NXT Championship bout between Mahal and Rollins in 2012. The USA Network questioned about the Cagematch rating for the match which Khan took as a dig at him.
Tony Khan made an argument in that post that Hook, who has a 28-1 record, is also deserving of a World Title shot.
A double standard:@730hook 28-1 career record, on winning streak calls out the Champ, a logical challenge sparks online outrage
Jinder has literally lost every single match he's in for the past year, immediately gets title shot, where is the rage#AEWDynamite TOMORROW on TBS
FTW Champion Hook, who is inactive on social media, has responded to Jinder Mahal in a new promo hyping his AEW World Championship match against Samoa Joe on Dynamite this week.
In the video clip, the 24-year-old addressed the pressure that comes with the title match against Joe. He also questioned his own identity which is apparently a dig at Jinder Mahal.
“So who’s the pressure on tomorrow? I mean, is there really anything that I have to lose?
And also (bites into a slice of pizza), I’m not big enough to compete with Samoa Joe. Eh, but I am getting some calories right now (holds up pizza), so who knows.
Then again, who the f**k am I anyway?
24 hours Joe, I’m coming for that world title.”Sa
HOOK, 24-Hours before challenging for the #AEW World Championship
This will mark Samoa Joe’s first AEW World title defense after winning the title at AEW Worlds End pay-per-view and we will have to see how this match pans out.
Samoa Joe is quite intrigued for his upcoming title fight against HOOK. The AEW World Champion will put his newly acquired hardware on the line against the FTW Champion in what will be Joe’s first defense of the belt.
“This typifies what I want to see during my reign–I want these first-time matchups with something at stake. Hook is quite the dynamic little athlete, and he’s been doing his best to make his case. His record speaks for itself, and we’re going to find out if he’s the truth or not.
“It takes about 29 other athletes to equal something approximating me, so this will be a good little test,” said Joe. “We’ll find out where we’re at.”
The fight got a good deal of stir on social media as AEW President was heavy in defending the match-up against his critics and notoriously factored Jinder Mahal into the equation.
This match-up isn’t just intriguing to Samoa Joe, however. Rob Van Dam recently mentioned on his “1 Of A Kind” podcast that he’s thinks it’s going to be beneficial for both Joe and HOOK. He also stated that he believe HOOK has what it takes to be a top star in pro wrestling. RVD mentioned that the bout could end in the two exchanging handshakes and that could be a possibility, as Joe envisions his father Taz in some well-regard.
“That no-nonsense attitude, destroy-at-all-costs, that’s who he was. That’s who I am. Now it’s exemplified in an athlete like Hook, so let’s get in the ring and go.”
Rob Van Dam believes HOOK has a very “high” ceiling in pro wrestling.
On the upcoming episode of “1 Of A Kind With RVD” Van Dam got word that Samoa Joe was going to put his AEW World Title on the line against HOOK. Taz’s son will actually be Joe’s first title defense and it’s set to go down next week on AEW Dynamite.
RVD was asked what he thought about the Joe vs. HOOK match-up and if he thinks the current FTW Champion has what it takes to be a top guy.
“From what I know about him, absolutely. What I don’t know about him is very important here because this sounds like a good matchup. It’s probably a really exciting matchup.”
Van Dam said that he wasn’t completely aware of HOOK’s AEW journey and the path that he has taken to get to Samoa Joe, but believes their styles and size difference will compliment one another.
When asked about the bout itself, Van Dam believes HOOK being with Joe will elevate him even further and could see the finish of the fight involving the two earning one another’s respect. He adds that when that happens along with the two stars earning the crowd’s respect, that creates a special moment in wrestling.
“I could totally see that happening with these two guys. You know, I could see Samoa liking [HOOK] and maybe who knows, maybe take him under his wing or something?”
RVD also happened to share a special moment with Joe. On the previous episode of “1 Of A Kind” Van Dam talked about how while the two were in TNA Samoa Joe saved his life from choking to death on a hot dog.
Tony Khan saw that the USA Network’s official X account took a jab at him and his love of Cagematch ratings. The situation escalated quickly, and Jinder Mahal became more than aware that his name was brought into the conversation.
Tony Khan made an argument in that post that Hook, who has a 28-1 record, is also deserving of a World Title shot.
A double standard: @730hook 28-1 career record, on winning streak calls out the Champ, a logical challenge sparks online outrage Jinder has literally lost every single match he’s in for the past year, immediately gets title shot, where is the rage #AEWDynamite TOMORROW on TBS
A double standard:@730hook 28-1 career record, on winning streak calls out the Champ, a logical challenge sparks online outrage
Jinder has literally lost every single match he's in for the past year, immediately gets title shot, where is the rage#AEWDynamite TOMORROW on TBS
Jinder Mahal has a huge match against Seth Rollins on January 15th’s episode of WWE RAW. The Modern Day Maharaja saw what Tony Khan posted, but he is not going to let that distract him.
Mahal, instead of getting petty or firing off a vengeful reply, simply acted like he didn’t know who Hook is. He also took the opportunity to plug the upcoming episode of RAW in a now-deleted post.
Who tf is Hook? WATCH MONDAY NIGHT RAW ON USA NETWORK MONDAY 8PM EST!
It was not lost on anyone that Jinder also tagged the USA Network account that was responsible for this entire chain of events. As of this writing, the USA Network has not followed-up, but we have to wonder if they will post the Cagematch rating for Seth Rollins and Jinder Mahal’s WWE World Heavyweight Title match when the numbers are released.
During this week’s AEW Collision, FTW Champion Hook appeared and pointed out that his win/loss record in the promotion is second to none. Hook added that it’s time for him to go after another championship. Hook went on to say that thanks to ‘personal connections’ he’s had a close eye on the person he has his crosshairs on. Hook ended his promo by making it clear he’s coming for Samoa Joe and his AEW World Championship.
Hook debuted for AEW in 2020 and wasted no time in aligning himself with his father Taz as part of Team Taz. It wouldn’t be until December of 2021 that Hook made his in-ring debut, besting Fuego Del Sol on an episode of Rampage.
Hook is a two-time FTW Champion, a title introduced by his father in the original ECW. Hook’s current reign began with his victory over Jack Perry during the AEW All In Zero Hour pre-show.
2022 has been a wild year in wrestling, not just because staples of the industry like Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis have become a thing of the past.
This year has also seen an influx of young talent reach the forefront of wrestling and poise themselves as the top names of the future.
While some of these stars were wrestling before this year, 2022 has been a pivotal year for everyone involved, and here are our top five breakout wrestlers of this year.
5: Wheeler Yuta
Wheeler Yuta is in his record-breaking second reign as ROH Pure Champion. (via AEW)
The induction of Wheeler Yuta into the Blackpool Combat Club was a fantastic creative decision earlier this year, and a lesson on how to make a new name with established stars.
This time last year, sure, some wrestling fans would be aware of Yuta, but it his inclusion with the BCC that has turned him into one of the most exciting prospects in all of wrestling.
Now in his second reign as Ring of Honor Pure Champion, Yuta has also represented AEW in NJPW’s 29th Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and the future looks extremely bright for the young star.
4: Bron Breakker
Reports of WWE wanting to fast-track Breakker to the main roster come as no surprise.
Our reigning NXT Champion, it’s incredible to think that Bron Breakker has only been with WWE for slightly over a year.
In such a small amount of time, Breakker has become one of the biggest stars the gold brand has ever produced, thanks in part to his family connections as a Steiner.
But Bron isn’t just a tribute act to his father and brother, and has shown endless ability and charisma, so it’s hardly surprising that we see reports of WWE wanting to fast-track him to the main roster.
3: Hook
Originally a meme among wrestling fans, Hook has become one of the most promising future stars in AEW (Scott Lesh Photography)
What started off as a meme among fans, Hook has become one of the most popular names in AEW, all without having to do much.
The 23-year-old FTW Champion, Hook’s presence screams ‘star’ and his ability in the ring (complete with suplexes inspired by his father Taz) have only added to his starpower.
In short, Hook has all the tools to be a top name in wrestling, and when you consider his young age, the second-generation wrestler has oodles of time to make that goal happen.
2: Roxanne Perez
Roxanne Perez started this year as ROH Women’s World Champion and will likely end as WWE NXT Women’s Champion.
Roxanne Perez started this year as the first-ever ROH Women’s World Champion, and short of a monumental upset, will end it as the WWE NXT Women’s Champion.
Throw in a reign as NXT Women’s Tag Champion, Perez is proving herself each week, not just as a star of today, but as a top babyface for years down the line.
The 21-year-old former Rok-C is a babyface that fans naturally want to cheer (something that is a slight rarity in these modern times) and expect many more accolades, titles and moments in her future.
1: Logan Paul
Logan Paul has won over even his harshest of critics with his three WWE matches this year.
Logan Paul was once society’s public enemy number one, but it’s safe to say that he has found something of a home in WWE.
After a mixed response to his WWE debut last year, Paul stepped into the ring as a wrestler for the first time at WrestleMania 38, and exceeded expectations.
Paul’s impressive WrestleMania outing has been followed up with more impressive performances at Summerslam and Crown Jewel, and the Maverick has won over even his harshest of critics.
Rumors of Paul’s imminent return aren’t being met with disgust or outrage, but rather excitement and intrigue, as the YouTuber has proven he belongs in professional wrestling.
Sunday’s AEW ALL OUT pay-per-view has been overshadowed by the events of the post-show scrum, but that doesn’t mean that the show didn’t feature some marquee moments, which included a special cameo on the Zero Hour pre-show.
Rising superstar HOOK successfully defended his FTW championship against Angelo Parker on Zero Hour, but Parker’s longtime tag partner Matt Menard attacked the 23-year old New Yorker as soon as the match ended. However, HOOK would be helped by a very unlikely ally.
Rapper Action Bronson, who was shown sitting in the front row and fist bumped HOOK prior to the match beginning, jumped inside and disposed of Menard and Parker. This led to HOOK standing side-by-side with Bronson and having an intense staredown with the JAS members as the segment eventually came to an end.
Action Bronson & AEW
(AEW)
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, this won’t just be a one-off appearance for Bronson. Reports are that the famed hip-hop star has been training with Taz and will be tagging with HOOK to take on Menard and Parker at the upcoming AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam show from Arthur Ashe Stadium.
For those who don’t know Bronson’s work, he is the artist behind HOOK’s popular theme song, “The Chairman’s Intent,” and has dropped pro-wrestling references in his music for quite some time, including a full-length album entitled “Mr Wonderful.”
As of this writing AEW has yet to confirm that Bronson will be competing.
This week’s episode of AEW Rampage has come to a close and there was something extra for fans in attendance.
The June 17 Road Rager edition of Rampage was held inside the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. The show featured Darby Allin vs. Bobby Fish, a TBS Championship match, Jon Moxley vs. Dante Martin, and more.
Once the show went off the air, Tony Khan made his way out and he introduced HOOK and Danhausen. Sting grabbed the mic and called himself “Stinghausen.”
Sting was still in the ring as he had made his return to close the show. He helped Darby Allin even the odds as Kyle O’Reilly tried helping Bobby Fish put Darby out of action.
Commentator Tony Schiavone was also in the ring and Sting had some fun with his good friend.
In the end, Tony Khan thanked the fans of St. Louis for attending Dynamite and Rampage.
CM Punk was attacked by rising AEW star HOOK after the May 11, edition of Dynamite went off the air.
The post-show segment started with Punk being confronted by Danhausen, and after coming face-to-face with HOOK, begged for a handshake which the second-generation wrestler obliged.
As seen in the videos, HOOK would hit a T-Bone Suplex on Punk before applying the Redrum submission to send the fans home happy.
Earlier in the night, Punk had played up being a heel for his match with hometown wrestler John Silver, as the show was taped in Long Island, New York.
Punk will challenge AEW World Champion ‘Hangman’ Adam Page at AEW Double or Nothing 2022, which will take place on May 29, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Last night’s Dynamite also saw the in-ring debut of Danhausen who has been trying to win over HOOK since joining AEW.
Thanks to a sucker punch from Smart Mark Sterling, Danhausen was pinned by Tony Nese in a matter of seconds and suffered a post-match beatdown which ended when HOOK arrived.
Squaring up with Danhausen in the ring, the two finally shook hands, earning a massive pop from the crowd in Long Island.
On the May 11 episode of AEW Dynamite, Danhausen made his in-ring debut for the promotion. He went one-on-one with Tony Nese but it wasn’t much of a match.
Nese had his hand raised in a matter of seconds thanks to a distraction from “Smart” Mark Sterling and a running knee in the corner for the pinfall.
Danhausen has admitted he may need to reverse course when it comes to HOOK.
Danhausen has found great success in cursing just about every member of the AEW roster he’s come across. There is one big exception, however. Despite his best efforts, he simply hasn’t been able to curse HOOK.
During an interview with WhatCulture, Danhausen said that perhaps HOOK possesses too much power to be affected by a full-blown curse (h/t Fightful).
“It seems like he might be too powerful. Take him down a notch and absorb his powers. He’s so popular. You have to absorb little bits of popularity from everyone. Danhausen has cursed The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Jon Moxley, they are very popular wrestlers.”
We haven’t seen Danhausen in action since making his AEW debut. He has been recovering from a broken tibia and fibula. A good sign is that he has been able to run around, so perhaps his in-ring AEW debut isn’t too far off.
Hook has garnered a ton of buzz despite having just one match and one seasoned veteran believes that hype is here to stay.
AEW fans have been fascinated with Hook, the son of Taz, ever since he appeared on television. He had his first match on the Dec. 10 episode of Rampage, defeating Fuego Del Sol. Most are in agreement that Hook looked impressive in his debut.
Some are left wondering if the hoopla over Hook is a fad. Others are convinced that the young prospect is here to stay.
Mark Henry Thinks Hook Has Staying Power
Count Mark Henry as a believer in Hook. Here’s what he told Ryan McKinnell on an episode of Busted Open Radio.
“There’s some people guys, I hate to be a pessimist because normally you know I’m an optimist. You know I like the positive side but everybody’s not gonna make it.
“Everybody that you see that comes on, they’re not gonna stick. It’s just the nature of the business.
“From that first opening impression, I think Hook’s gonna stick, man. I think that he’s a guy that can evolve and that’s the thing in pro wrestling if you don’t evolve if you don’t change with the times you’re not gonna be around very long.
“I can see him in the next three years, as AEW grows, being one of AEW’s future stars. Like, I mean a legit bonafide star.”
Hook garnered a ton of praise following his in-ring debut. He received support from the likes of MJF, Thunder Rosa, Dustin Rhodes, and AEW boss Tony Khan.
Hook is currently a member of Team Taz. His fellow stablemates are Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, and of course Taz.
Do you think Hook will be a long-term star or a flash in the pan?
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article
AEW boss Tony Khan has revealed why it has taken him this long to showcase Hook inside the squared circle.
Hook has the internet wrestling community buzzing. Fans online can’t get enough of Hook and neither can live audiences.
The young prospect, who is the son of Taz, finally made his in-ring debut against Fuego Del Sol on the Dec. 10 episode of Rampage. The general consensus is that he did not disappoint, demonstrating solid mat skills and transitions.
In fact, he looked very much like his father at certain points. He even ended the match with a Tazmission, which he’s calling the “REDRUM.”
Why Was Hook’s In-Ring Debut Delayed?
It’s clear that Hook has some skills in the ring but Tony Khan says that patience is key. He told Dave LaGreca and Mark Henry on Busted Open Radio that the timing was finally right.
“It’s really important we haven’t rushed him. There’s been plenty of times where I thought Hook in training and in practice looked fantastic.
“He’s got every bit of the skill it would take to wrestle on Dynamite or Rampage but the reason I held off till tonight for Rampage on Long Island, I really felt like to give Hook this chance to debut tonight in front of the big audience, give him a chance to debut in his hometown [was ideal].
“I think people are gonna see the way the crowd reacts to Hook tonight and all the fans watching at home when Rampage and Dynamite come to their city, they’re gonna see how fans have reacted to Hook and that’s how they’re conditioned to see him as a star.
“I really wanted to give him a great debut. I think Hook is a great, great prospect and I’m really excited about his debut tonight.”
As you can tell, that interview was conducted hours before Rampage aired. Khan was quite pleased with Hook’s performance and has given him a full-time deal.
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AEW star Hook made his debut on this week’s episode of AEW Rampage, beating Fuego Del Sol in impressive fashion.
Fans were extremely excited to see how the son of ECW legend Taz would fare in the ring, with the young performer already having amassed a huge following of “hookers.”
Taz reacted on social media to the outpouring of support for Hook since his in-ring debut for All Elite, and the former ECW Champion also confirmed that the Tazmission finisher has now officially been changed.
“Folks, I really need to say THANK YOU to all of you for the tons of tweets toward me about the kind words about @730hook – it’s just too many to reply to lol!!” Taz tweeted.
“And yes, it was SO special for me to call his first worldwide TV match. Tazmission is now – ‘REDRUM'” the AEW commentator and head of Team Taz confirmed.
For those eagle-eyed fans out there, yes, REDRUM is MURDER spelt backwards. Also, did you know that Rellik is Killer spelt backwards?
Hook Changes the Tazmission Name
It’ll be interesting to see how Hook is used going forward, with the company reportedly ecstatic with his first-ever match in front of a crowd.
Fightful Select recently noted that Hook has been working on his in-ring game for some time: “We’re told it didn’t appear originally if Hook would get into wrestling, despite knowing plenty about it and respecting the business.
“Based on those we spoke with, it became evident during his first training session, he was going to get it. Hook has been training ‘non-stop’ with Create-A-Pro Wrestling, as well as QT Marshall, and had a lot of early help from MJF.”
After more than a year of building anticipation, Hook finally made his in-ring debut on this week’s episode of AEW Rampage.
The hometown star got a huge response from the crowd. He took on Fuego Del Sol in a one-on-one bout in his first match for the company.
The 22-year-old impressed everyone with his performance. Hook performed some impressive moves, living up to the hype that had been built for so long.
The young star went on to pick up a victory in his first match for the promotion. He put Fuego to sleep using the Katahajime submission for the win.
After the match, Tony Khan took on his Twitter to confirm that the youngest member of Team Taz has officially been signed by All Elite Wrestling.
AEW Stars React To Hook’s Debut
Though the AEW president wasn’t the only person who was impressed by their newest star. Many fans commented on how impressive he looked in his first outing. Several AEW personalities also reacted to his arrival on Twitter.
Among the prominent AEW names reacting to the debut was Hook’s father Taz, who made a short tweet expressing that he was very proud of his son.
Thunder Rosa, Dustin Rhodes, and MJF were some of the other names who reacted to Hook’s debut. You can check out all the reactions below:
Last year Hook was a young lion. Just hung back next to his Dad. Did nothing. Then did something. Then a little more. Then his look got more interesting each week. Then he got psysical a bit. Then a bit more. Then Punk mentioned him. Then he made his debut. A perfect build. Bravo
