In recent days, Hurricane Helene has ravaged the United States, with at least 125 people losing their lives and many more being affected. Alongside national assistance, individuals have been trying to do what they can to help out, and the world of wrestling is opening its hearts, and its wallets, to those in need.
AEW’s Cash Wheeler has launched a GoFundMe to help those affected by Hurricane Helene which has proven to be a huge success. The fundraiser has already smashed past its original goal of $25,000 USD and at this time, is sitting at over $53,000.
Here are some notable names from wrestling who have pitched in:
AEW President Tony Khan – $10,000
Chris Jericho – $5,000
Nick Massie (aka Nick Jackson) – $2,000
Orange Cassidy – $1,500
Pamela Martinez (aka Bayley) – $1,250
MJF – $1,000
Matt Cardona – $500
Cezar Bononi – $300
Hurricane Helene has affected several plans in the world of wrestling, with MLW canceling its October 4, event due to the storm. TNA has similarly canceled its upcoming tapings in Spartanburg, South Carolina, that had been scheduled for October 4. CJ Perry’s mother was left stranded due to the storm, as was her father, though Perry has since shared that her mom and dad have now been reunited.
Hurricane Helene has devastated lives, and Wheeler’s GoFundMe will do a lot of good to help those most in need. We here at SEScoops are sending our very best wishes to those affected by Hurricane Helene.
Jack Perry is once again on AEW programming, and bringing back the ‘Scapegoat’ may be a decision AEW President Tony Khan lives to regret.
Perry made his return to the airwaves during AEW Dynasty. The former FTW Champion interfered in the AEW World Tag Team Championship ladder match and would cost FTR the match to the Young Bucks. This marked Perry’s first AEW on-screen appearance (in person) since AEW All In in August of 2023.
On the April 24, edition of Dynamite, Perry was spotted arriving at the show with the Elite, furthering the idea that there was some sort of alliance between the two sides. Later on, it was revealed that Perry and Khan would come face-to-face in the ring.
During this segment, Perry admitted that he and Khan hadn’t seen eye to eye, but they agreed that they wanted the best for AEW and the future. Having said that, Perry offered a truce to bury the hatchet with the AEW CEO and asked to reinstate him.
Khan agreed but the moment they shook hands, Perry attacked the AEW President. The Elite, consisting of the Bucks and Kazuchika Okada then came to the ring. While it appeared they wanted to stop Perry from inflicting further damage, they also joined in on the attack on Khan.
AEW Dynamite went off the air with the Elite and Perry standing tall while officials and Khan’s father Shahid checked on the injured AEW President. This segment was quite the change for Khan, who unlike Vince McMahon and other higher-ups in WWE, had for the most part avoided being involved with AEW’s on-screen angles.
It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming weeks, especially with Kenny Omega’s return to AEW TV set for next week’s Dynamite. No doubt the EVP will have plenty to say about the Bucks, Okada, and Perry after what transpired this week.
Cody Rhodes loved his time in AEW and views his old boss a little differently than CM Punk.
Ariel Helwani played host to CM Punk earlier in the week where Punk mentioned to him that he thinks Tony Khan is a nice guy, but not a boss. Rhodes happened to be Helwani’s guest on Wednesday’s edition of the MMA Hour and asked ‘The American Nightmare’ if he felt the same way.
“That’s his assessment. It is not my assessment. It is always important for me to remind people that I am so proud of what me Matt, Nick, Kenny, Tony, Bernie [Cahill], Brandi, and Dana, and Chris [Harrington], and I name all these people, because I was in those meetings. As much as the Internet will try to spin a narrative one way, if one of those people had not been at that start-up level, the company would not have happened. And I am so proud of what was created. I am so insanely proud of what it does for the industry overall.”
Rhodes says he has an unbelievable love for so many people there. Rhodes reiterated that it was a start-up company and he wishes AEW nothing but the best as it goes forward.
Cody Rhodes Believes The Tension In AEW Was A Misunderstanding
Helwani then followed up by asking if Cody Rhodes can envision Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks getting abrasive with an outsider and established star like CM Punk.
“I just think what happened there was a ton of misunderstanding, a ton of miscommunication, you will see on indies and wrestlers that aren’t properly trained and I’m not talking about bullying etiquette or anything like that, but you do need to have a little ‘old school’ in you to know the collaborativeness of what this is, and I just think they were ships in the night. I know I was Switzerland the last time you asked me, I love Matt, Nick and Kenny and I love CM Punk. I don’t know how, but I do. I’m just happy for everyone involved.”
Several times since leaving AEW, Rhodes has tipped the cap to his former AEW EVPs and they’ve done the same in exchange.
Kazuchika Okada has been one of several big-name free agents AEW has locked down and Tony Khan is hoping it helps signifies a new era for the company, but could he have gone to WWE?
A new report from Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated states that there was a real consideration on Okada’s behalf to ink a deal with WWE. He especially loved the idea of being apart of WrestleMania, however, there were several factors coming to to play with him signing with AEW instead.
Okada has been friends with The Young Bucks for nearly a decade-and-a-half so that obviously came into play. Another added element is that Okada was not expected to relocate to the United States if he did sign with AEW.
Not only that, but The Rainmaker believes that he’ll be given the greatest chance at succeeding in AEW and has a lot of trust in AEW President Tony Khan.
Okada made his greatly-anticipated debut for AEW this past week on AEW Dynamite and did so in a memorable way, swerving the fans with an immediate heel turn.
After The Young Bucks made several announcements following their loss at AEW Revolution, Eddie Kingston came out to confront the brothers. Matt and Nick Jackson began attacking Eddie when The Rainmaker entered, making it seem like he was there to help Kingston. However, he joined in on the assault and aligned with The Bucks, officially becoming a member of the Elite.
With him attacking Kingston and indicating an interest in his AEW Continental Championship, one would likely believe that it could be Okada vs. Kingston at AEW Dynasty on April 21 in St. Louis, MO.
Kazuchika Okada’s arrival in All Elite Wrestling has had the wrestling world talking following this week’s edition of Dynamite.
On the most recent edition of AEW Dynamite, the Young Bucks were furious following their loss to Sting & Darby Allin at AEW Revolution 2024. The EVPs exercised their authority by suspending ‘Hangman’ Adam Page and firing Kenny Omega.
AEW President Tony Khan took great pleasure in response to a tweet alleging that Okada was set to debut for WWE in January of this year as part of the Men’s Royal Rumble match.
Khan would also confirm Okada’s status by sharing the All Elite graphic while adding that the Rainmaker is a ‘business partner’ of Matthew and Nicholas Jackson.
— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) March 7, 2024
TNA Wrestling, who have often made use of Search Engine Optimization, shared a video of Okada taking on Generation Me (the future Young Bucks) during a TNA Xplosion match from 2010.
Check out Kazuchika Okada and Homicide vs. Generation Me from Xplosion in 2010.
The AEW EVPs share a bond that cannot be broken, no matter if one leaves and joins the promotion’s chief competition.
Alongside Tony Khan, Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and the Young Bucks oversaw the creative of AEW, which was officially announced on January 1, 2019. Since then, AEW has risen dramatically to become the biggest rival to WWE since the demise of WCW in March 2001.
The AEW EVPs Unbreakable Bond
Currently, Matt and Nick Jackson are the only EVPs currently appearing on AEW TV. Kenny Omega remains absent due to his diverticulitis while Cody Rhodes parted ways with AEW in February 2022.
Since then, Rhodes has returned to WWE and is poised to capture the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania. Speaking to SI, the Bucks were pleased to see Cody do well in WWE and addressed the bond they share.
“Cody is the face of the WWE now, and it’s cool to see because we always knew how much of a star he was,” said Nick Jackson. “The founders of AEW will always have a lifetime bond with each other because we all know what we did for wrestling. We talk every week and in a weird way him leaving made us grow more as friends.”
Matt Jackson had similar praise for the American Nightmare and former AEW EVP.
“We’re proud of the things we accomplished with Cody and happy to see him rising to the occasion. We’re all rooting for each other.”
What’s Next?
Cody will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania. There’s also the possibility he’ll pull double duty at the event. A tag match, pitting Rhodes and Seth Rollins against Reigns and The Rock has been disccused as a Night One headliner.
The future is more clear for the Young Bucks. They will challenge AEW World Tag Team Champions Sting and Darby Allin this weekend at AEW Revolution. The match will be the last of Sting’s career.
The Young Bucks are now a heel team in AEW, and they made that statement very clear. Now, Nick and Matt Jackson have new music, but they’re not the only people who looked toward the same inspiration.
The Young Bucks’ New Song
Roman Reigns’ theme song is known throughout the WWE Universe, as he makes his way to the ring with strength and authority. It appears that the Young Bucks wanted to borrow some of that magic.
The Jackson Brothers debuted a new piece of music for their entrance this week on Rampage, departing from their usual Superkick Party song. It appears that the pair drew inspiration from the same song that is responsible for Roman Reigns’ entrance.
Sean Ross Sapp noted on Fightful Select that the Young Bucks looked toward Succession’s intro theme for their new music. That is a very popular source of inspiration as well.
There was a lot of speculation on Twitter that Young Bucks’ theme was inspired by Succession’s theme song, which is accurate. Roman Reigns’ theme is also inspired by the show.
What’s Next
Roman Reigns is on his way to WrestleMania 40. At this time, his only opponent is Cody Rhodes. Only time will tell what WWE does to deal with the fact that The Rock is around now.
The Young Bucks are a top heel team in AEW, and they may just face Sting and Darby Allin. That match may go down at AEW Revolution on March 3rd, which will be the Icon’s final match.
The Young Bucks didn’t hold back in their comments on this week’s Dynamite, which some believe was about a certain Chicago-Made punk.
During last week’s Dynamite, the Bucks returned to programming following a hiatus and had a staredown with Darby Allin and Sting. While not confirmed, it is believed the Bucks will face Allin and the Icon at AEW Revolution 2024. The March pay-per-view will mark three years since Sting’s wrestling debut for AEW and will see the WWE Hall of Famer’s last match.
“We did lose our way, it was like the culture shifted and toxicity creeped into the locker rooms, and the perception of the company, it was just different. I think I know why. We started to lean on yesterday’s self-serving, superficial, cancerous superstars.”
Renee Paquette has a sit down interview with the Young Bucks on #AEW Dynamite.
Many fans have seen this comment as a nod to CM Punk, who the Bucks would butt heads with in AEW. The Bucks and Punk would be on opposite sides during the infamous AEW All Out 2022 brawl that would see all three men (and others) suspended.
I love how CM Punk and the Young Bucks had this big feuds, and in the fallout, CM Punk became a huge babyface in WWE while the Young Bucks are heels in their own company of AEW. Hilarious. #AEWDynamitepic.twitter.com/CUTk1zl7wh
The Young Bucks have to call CM Punk a cancer indirectly in promos, it's the only interesting thing they can possibly say since they suck at promos. I think it's hilarious. #AEWDynamitepic.twitter.com/NCIAJ4HXcg
It looks like Bryan Danielson is in for a big match on the Oct. 1 edition of AEW Rampage.
Tension has been brewing between Danielson and The Elite. It’s been this way ever since “The American Dragon” made his AEW debut at the conclusion of the All Out PPV on Sept. 5. It led to a non-title match between Danielson and AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega.
Danielson vs. Omega took place on the Grand Slam edition of AEW Dynamite. It was held inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. The two went to a 30-minute draw. After the match, The Elite attacked Bryan Danielson before Christian Cage and Jurassic Express made the save.
There have been rumblings about a big match being set for the upcoming Rampage episode. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio got fans buzzing with the following tweet.
Evidently there is a big match being taped tomorrow unannounced for Rampage on Friday.
Nick Jackson has spoken about a possible relationship between AEW and NJPW where he has been quoted by saying there’s not a working relationship.
In the last few weeks, there’s been speculation as to whether an agreement has been made. The issues go back to when AEW was launched and saw several talents leave NJPW for the new promotion. These stars include the likes of The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and Kenny Omega.
The Young Bucks made an appearance on ESPN West Palm where they discussed a possible working relationship between the two promotions.
Nick Jackson Says Nothing Is Happening
“Yeah, that was just a rumor, nothing happening. I think [Chris Jericho] just did that to get the internet to talk a little bit more about the situation. But the door has not opened up at all,” says Nick Jackson.
We wish them luck in what they are doing because like Matt said with NXT, a lot of our friends work in New Japan. Most of them are our friends. We have friends everywhere in the wrestling world. If something came along then we would be open, but nothing is happening right now.”
The Jericho thing that Nick was referring to talking about was Jericho making it known at the press conference after Wrestle Kingdom 14 where he beat Hiroshi Tanahashi on Night 2 that he hopes a relationship is made.
The stipulation going into the match was that Tanahashi claimed that if he defeated Jericho he would ‘open the forbidden door’ by asking for an AEW Championship match.
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has taken great pride in establishing itself as an all-inclusive wrestling promotion. This mind-set extends to its backstage mentality, where they promote a collaborative atmosphere.
Speaking with TVInsider, Matt and Nick Jackson addressed cultivating this collaborative atmosphere, highlighting how open-minded they are to ideas in order to make AEW has good as it can be.
“If we’re working with a particular talent, we go to them with, ‘What do you think is best?’” Matt Jackson said. “Jon Moxley has a great mind and something the five of us have seen, he may see differently. He might have a different idea because he knows his character better and those nuances. Same with Pac. What a great mind he has and useful tools he has. Hangman Page, too. It’s not just us.”
He continued, “Chris Jericho, who is a genius, he’ll come up with an idea completely than what we had. Something we’ll call in a production meeting the night before, and he’ll go, ‘No, I think we should do it this way.’ And we listen. That’s what is fun about all this. That’s why it has come across so well the first few episodes because we are open-minded, and our ears are open. We’re willing to adjust and go with the flow.”
Alongside this collaborative workspace, their talent is also trusted to deliver on their promos without scripts. AEW World Champion Chris Jericho has previously explained how “There are no writers because that is what wrestling is.”
Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks opened up his Twitter for a short q&a session yesterday. During the conversation, Jackson commented on AEW’s relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling, his favorite wrestlers, dream matches and more.
Highlights from Jackson’s Twitter q&a are below.
Jackson responded with the following when asked about an AEW working relationship with NJPW:
Nick Jackson also commented on a potential Canadian TV deal for AEW. NXT will not air in Canada on Wednesday nights, rather a 1-hour condensed version of the show will air on Sportsnet Fridays at 7 p.m. before SmackDown.
With their vision coming to fruition this Saturday night at the show they helped put together, Double Or Nothing, The Young Bucks sat down with Justin Barrasso (@JustinBarrasso) of Sports Illustrated to promote the inaugural All Elite Wrestling (AEW) pay-per-view event.
“It’s exciting to know that so many fans who may not have seen or even heard about us now have the opportunity to do so,” said Matt Jackson when referrin to the AEW on TNT show. “TNT will shine a spotlight on so many talented wrestlers who look, feel and sound so different than what casual fans might be used to.”
During the interview, Barrasso broke the news to Nick and Matt Jackson that WWE is already planning to air programming directly opposite their show. The SI journalist informed them that WWE has a Tuesday night program that is rumored to be premiering on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) after the company moves SmackDown Live from USA Network to FOX as part of their new cable television deal.
“I didn’t know any other wrestling organization was planning on airing opposite of us until this interview,” Matt said in response to the news. “So, that’s news to me!”
Nick Jackson, however, took things a bit further. Nick would go on to talk about the pro wrestling business needing competition right now, so he’s happy to hear the news.
“I love it,” said Nick. “That’s exactly what wrestling needs right now, competition. They’ve been so comfortable for the last two decades that they need something like this. This only helps the whole landscape of wrestling.”
The Young Bucks also discussed the creative process behind-the-scenes at the new upstart wrestling promotion, which also consists of creative input from other AEW executives, including Tony Khan, Cody Rhodes, Brandi Rhodes and Kenny Omega, just to name a few.
“The creative team is essentially a group chat that goes 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Matt said of the creative process in AEW. “Some people in the group think a bit more traditionally, while others think super outside the box. We always come to some sort of agreement, somewhere in the middle. It’s a recipe that works. The process has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding.”
Nick offered his brief follow-up, agreeing that the group has had a good cross-balance that has “meshed well” thus far.
“So far, it’s been pretty good,” said Nick. “We all are fantastic at separate things and, when we come together, it all meshes well.”
“I was actually very sad to see him taken off,” said Nick about the WWE legend being forced out of his advertised appearance. “Fans would’ve loved to meet him in Vegas.”
AEW: Double Or Nothing 2019 goes down from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, May 25th. The show will air live via pay-per-view, and will be available via the Bleacher Report (B/R) Live online streaming service for $49.99.
Featured below is the current advertised lineup heading into Saturday night’s AEW PPV:
AEW DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2019
Alpha vs. Omega II
* Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega
Nightmare vs. Natural
* Cody vs. Dustin
AAA Tag-Team Championships
* The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) vs. The Lucha Bros (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix)
Six Man Tag-Team Match
* SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky) vs. Strong Hearts (Cima, T-Hawk & El Lindaman)
Women’s Triple-Threat Match
* Britt Baker vs. Nyla Rose vs. Kylie Rae
Tag-Team Match
* Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta) vs. Angelico & Jack Evans
Six Woman Tag-Team Match
* Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki & Emi Sakura vs. Hikaru Shida, Riho Abe & Ryo Mizunami
21-Man Casino Battle Royale (“Buy-In” PRE-SHOW)
* Sonny Kiss vs. Brandon Cutler vs. Ace Romero vs. Glacier vs. Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Sunny Daze vs. MJF vs. Joey Janela vs. Dustin Thomas vs. Billy Gunn vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. Michael Nakazawa vs. Jungle Boy vs. Isiah Kassidy vs. Marq Quen vs. Luchasaurus vs. Shawn Spears vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD
Singles Match (“Buy-In” PRE-SHOW)
* Kip Sabian vs. Sammy Guevara
Matt and Nick Jackson got some revenge on Pentagon and Fenix last night. In the process, they also made a match between them official for AEW Double or Nothing.
The Lucha Bros attacked the Young Bucks at the recent AEW rally in Las Vegas but the Bucks repaid the favor last night at an AAW show in Chicago. It is the first time the Young Bucks had been back in Chicago since All In on September 1st.
The Lucha Bros were defending the AAW tag-team titles against LAX when the Bucks interfered.
The interference by the Bucks allowed LAX to secure the victory over Pentagon and Fenix and win the AAW tag-team championships. The Bucks then challenged Pentagon and Fenix to a match at Double or Nothing and the Lucha Bros accepted.
Matt and Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks, are set to change the world with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Even lucrative offers from WWE couldn’t change their minds. WWE’s offer extended to an “Invasion angle,” and included the WWE Network hosting future episodes of ‘Being The Elite.’
For some, this opportunity would have been too good to turn down. Not for The Young Bucks. The reason behind their decision couldn’t have been simpler and lies in creative freedom.
“Nobody Else Can Compete With That”
Speaking with SportingNews.com, The Young Bucks would divulge the power of creative freedom that has been granted to them. They cited this autonomy as a key factor in their decision in getting involved with AEW.
Nick Jackson would state that “Right off the bat, I would say the freedom, the creative freedom. It was an outlet for us to express the way we feel pro wrestling should be done, the way we think it should be done in 2019 and the future. […] We were like ‘OK, we can should the world how we feel wrestling should be represented and this is how we feel like it should be.’”
He continued, “The other options were to stay where we were or go to WWE. For me, personally, I feel like this was the easy choice because we’re going to be with all of our friends and we’re having a good time. It feels like it pretty much what we have been doing for the last four or five years but on a bigger scale.”
His brother, Matt, would add that Tony Khan essentially gave them carte blanche control. He quoted Khan, saying, “‘Listen, hire who you want to hire and you’re in charge.’”
Matt then added, “Nobody else can compete with that. A dollar figure can’t compete with that. We’re artists and we’re creative.”
Nick Jackson came to the defense of former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega for deciding to sign with AEW (All Elite Wrestling) over WWE once his contract with NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) expired last month and was set to be a free agent.
He joins the latest batch of talents to be confirmed under contract with the promotion that includes Sonny Kiss, Sammy Guevara, Trent Barreta, Chuck Taylor, Pentagon Jr., Fenix, Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki, Kylie Ray, and Nyla Rose.
The news of his signing was made official at the All Elite Wrestling Double Or Nothing ticket announcement party last week from the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It’s been well known that Omega received contract offers from three top promotions – WWE, NJPW, and AEW. Once Nick welcomed Omega to AEW through the power of social media, a fan took issue with it and claimed that the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion going to AEW was an easier move than going to the WWE.
In the eyes of Jackson, he thinks Omega going to WWE would’ve been the easy way out.
We couldn’t start AEW without this man. Matt, myself, and Kenny have been trying to change wrestling for the better since 2015 when we formed The Elite. Now is the time and we couldn’t be more excited for the challenge. pic.twitter.com/rDVQKMSnAZ
Of course it’s a challenge you ignorant human being. We’re trying to give Wrestling it’s first true alternative in 2 decades. The easy way out was become a millionaire and go to the wwe.
Omega is slated to face Chris Jericho for a second time at the first official event under the AEW banner, Double or Nothing, on May 25th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Members of the Elite have been showing up at independent wrestling events recently. Cody and Hangman Page appeared at an event in Waterbury, MA recently. The Young Bucks, Page, and Cody have also appeared at Bar Wrestling in LA and DEFY Wrestling in Seattle recently.
It appears the Young Bucks could be headed to Atlanta this weekend. Nick Jackson appeared in the replies section for an event featuring SCU versus the Lucha Bros.
Kazarian made a point to capitalize the letters A, E, and W in the following post:
The Young Bucks On Independent Wrestling Event Appearances
On the most recent episode of Being the Elite, the Young Bucks revealed they are making these appearances to give back to independent wrestling. They are paying their own ways to the shows and not accepting payment from the promotions.
Matt Jackson On OWE Partnership
Matt Jackson recently took the time to speak on AEW’s partnership with Oriental Wrestling Entertainment (OWE).
“Immediately when I saw a couple of GIFs of the OWE guys on Twitter, I was attracted,” he said. “So, I looked up more clips and did research on them. I quickly learned my old friend CIMA, who I’d made friends with years ago in Japan, was affiliated with them. That made sense right away, because the clips I watched had a real Dragon Gate feel to it.”
He continued, “Yet still, it looked and felt so original. Like a fight scene from an old Kung fu movie. I knew I’d one day work with these guys right away. I’m attracted to anything out of the ordinary.”
Matt and Nick Jackson won’t be taking part in NJPW’s World Tag League this year. While the Young Bucks did move up to the heavyweight division this year, Matt Jackson says NJPW never offered a spot on the tour to them. He continued to say that even if they had been offered a spot, they likely would not have accepted.
Matt Jackson’s response to a fans’ question regarding the tour stated the team is too busy and NJPW doesn’t pay enough. “We’re too busy and they don’t pay enough.”
Matt Jackson would expand on his thoughts in a later tweet. “Truthfully we were never even offered the tour. But yes, it wouldn’t make sense to leave our families for close to 4 weeks during the holidays for many reasons; finances only being one amongst many.”
The World Tag League runs from November 15th to December 9th. The Bucks’ ROH schedule would allow them to compete on the tour. ROH’s Global Wars tour ends on November 11th and the promotion doesn’t have another show until Final Battle on December 15th.
The Bucks are, however, promoting their recently released children’s book. They announced a special event on November 15th at a Dave & Busters location to promote and sell the book.
Earlier this week on Monday Night RAW, now-former WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns delivered some devastating news. After years of remission, he has once again been diagnosed with leukemia. Reigns revealed that he would be taking a leave of absence to focus on his health. He was adamant that he wasn’t retiring, and will come back to the WWE ring after he beats leukemia.
This situation has sparked a serious conversation in the professional wrestling world. Currently, most major professional wrestling promotions don’t provide their talents with health insurance. That’s because they’re considered independent contractors and don’t receive benefits from their employers. Many within the industry would like to see this change.
However, it might not unless wrestlers unionize similar to the way NFL players did – before being given insurance, pensions, education, and more. With that being said, The Young Bucks’ Nick Jackson recently commented on the matter. He responded to a fan on Twitter who said he believes companies should provide their wrestlers with health insurance. Jackson agreed with the fan:
Last week’s All In pay-per-view (PPV) was a big success. The Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois played host to the self-funded event by Cody and The Young Bucks.
Several big names in the indy professional wrestling scene were on the card. Kenny Omega, Cody, The Young Bucks, Rey Mysterio, Pentagon Jr., Okada, and so many more competed at the show.
Also, big names like Jeff Jarrett, Diamond Dallas Page, Tommy Dreamer, and Road Warrior Animal made special appearances as well. When it was all said and done, Cody and The Young Bucks did what they set out to do – put on one of the biggest professional wrestling shows of the year.
Recently, a fan on Twitter asked Matt Jackson if there were any plans to bring in Batista for the show. The former WWE Champion is currently a free agent in the professional wrestling world but is focusing more on his acting career.
Jackson joked that they considered “The Animal” to be put in the Burnard the Business Bear suit:
@NickJacksonYB@MattJackson13@CodyRhodes Quick question for you guys, at any point in the process of booking talent for #ALLIN did you guys ever consider booking @DaveBautista in any capacity for the event? Considering he has expressed interest in returning to pro wrestling.
The Bucks talked about former WWE stars who have worked for NJPW, moving up to the heavyweight tag team division, and every NJPW title (except the NEVER Openweight Title) being held by a foreign wrestler. Check out the highlights from The Bucks’ interview with NJPW here:
Former WWE stars working for NJPW:
Nick Jackson:
“I think it’s great. It shows you how big of company New Japan is. And it shows you that even from up bigger company like WWE, those superstars want to compete here because they know deep down in their head that this is where the best wrestling is.”
Matt Jackson:
“New Japan is the destination now. Everybody wants to come here because NJPW has the best wrestlers.”
Moving up to the Heavyweight Tag Team division:
Matt Jackson:
“Now we don’t have to just wrestle the junior tag teams, who we’ve wrestled many years. So now, we wrestled bigger guys, different guys, different styles.”
Nick Jackson:
“Different matches now. We won the junior titles 7 times, so it was time for us to move on.”
Matt Jackson:
“Let’s us change our styles.”
All NJPW titles currently being held by foreigners (except for the NEVER Openweight belt):
Nick Jackson:
“I think it’s crazy. It shows you how much talent there is worldwide. Every nationality has good wrestlers everywhere. New Japan is all about expanding and I feel like it’s good because it shows how many different wrestlers are around the world.”
Matt Jackson:
“I think pro wrestling is the healthiest stage right now. I think the wrestling economy is booming. Wrestling is cool again because of the vast majority of wrestlers in styles, characters, and talent.”
Nick Jackson is said to be battling an illness just days out from All In and Starrcast weekend. Cody, Matt Jackson, and others have been asking fans to send the 29-year-old well-wishes.
“Full blown flu for the last 24 hours,” Nick Tweeted. “That 12 hours of travel home was the worst of my life. BTE might be delayed this week. I’ll keep you updated.”
Being the Elite was released a little later than normal this week. The Bucks didn’t factor heavily into the episode, however.
Being the Elite Notes
Marty Scurll opened the show this week and cut a promo on Okada. Scurll has been trying to bulk up for the match and prove he is a heavyweight. Okada has joked that after he beats Scurll, he’ll send the Villain to 205 Live.
Cody tried to give Stephen Amell some advice on how to face Christopher Daniels at All In. Daniels interrupted them, however. Amell said he was going to beat Daniels and that he wanted some royalties from the Young Bucks for wearing their T-shirts (Cody wasn’t impressed with this comment). He then said his first single’s victory would be Daniels’ last match.
Joey Janela interuptted a Hangman Page autograph signing and smoked a cigarette inside. He stabbed Page’s hand with a pen and said he’d see him at All In.
Rey Mysterio cut a promo about his main event match against the Bucks and Kota Ibushi. After the director called “cut” the cameras kept rolling and Rey revealed he isn’t getting paid for the event but is just doing Cody a solid. Some are saying the person he was talking to is the actor who played Juice on Sons of Anarchy but that is not confirmed.
SCU trained like Rocky in Philadelphia. At first the crew seemed to enjoy the city but after awhile they figured out that they like SCU way better.
Is Black Machismo All In?
The Bucks ran into Jay Lethal in the back. Lethal has been acting funny as of late. With the simplest bump to the head Lethal has been chanelling his old “Black Machismo” gimmick from TNA. This week he opened his travel bag and saw only Macho Man wrestling gear. Lethal left in a huff but when the camera panned back to his bag it showed his normal Jay Lethal gear.
Chico asked Cody to book some of his family into the Over Budget Battle Royal.
Jay Lethal had a conversation with Black Machismo in the mirror while in the washroom. Black Machismo said he’ll be going to All In and not Jay Lethal.
A fan gifted Hangman Page a new pair of boots that he hopes don’t talk to him.
Finally, Cody’s promo from the last ROH event was shown. He said WWE does not own all of professional wrestling. Cody did not take the opportunity to book Flip Gordon for the show, however.
There has been a ton of speculation regarding IWGP Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks’ (Nick and Matt Jackson) professional wrestling futures.
The pair are one of the most decorated tag teams of all time and have won championships all over the world. Their current contracts with Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) are set to expire at the end of the year, causing many to speculate as to whether or not they’re going to be WWE bound soon.
Matt Jackson recently answered 10 questions in a Q&A on his Instagram account. Given that their contracts are set to expire soon, Jackson was asked if he’s considering signing with WWE. He said “I’m considering everything right now.”
Another fan asked if Jackson has plans for retirement and how much longer he and his brother plan on wrestling. Interestingly enough, Jackson answered “much shorter than people imagine.”
He also noted that he doesn’t think The Young Bucks are the greatest tag team of all time, but said when their careers are all said and done the goal is to make that notion come true.
