Powerhouse Hobbs appeared in a pre-taped segment on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, announcing that he wasn’t cleared to travel for the show. This came just days after his brawl with Big Bill on Collision.

During the segment, Hobbs boasted about taking the big man to hell and made it clear that their feud was far from over, stating that “hell was just the beginning.” However, despite his absence from the live broadcast, Hobbs was actually in attendance for the show. 

According to Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp, Hobbs was not medically cleared for in-ring action on Wednesday night, which led to the decision to air a pre-taped segment instead. While Hobbs was present at the venue and willing to perform, the report states that he had stitches that had not yet fully healed. He was reportedly advised to take an additional week before being cleared for competition.

The report also noted that Hobbs was originally planned to play a major role on both Dynamite and Collision. As a result, his absence caused a ripple effect, leading to multiple changes in AEW’s programming this week. AEW is taping Saturday’s Collision immediately after Dynamite.

Powerhouse Hobbs has achieved one of the most significant milestones of his AEW career, earning the #1 contender spot for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship, currently held by Jon Moxley.

Hobbs previously challenged Moxley for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title on the April 24, 2024, episode of AEW Dynamite. However, a leg injury sustained during the match sidelined him until November.

On this week’s Dynamite from the F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tennessee, Hobbs secured his spot as the top contender by winning the Casino Gauntlet Match. The match featured a stacked lineup of competitors, including:

• Jay White
• Hangman Page
• Wheeler Yuta
• Ricochet
• Adam Cole
• Daniel Garcia
• Powerhouse Hobbs
• Roderick Strong
• Lance Archer
• Kyle O’Reilly
• Jeff Jarrett

With the victory, Hobbs will face Moxley for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship on next week’s Dynamite, which carries the special title Maximum Carnage. The event will take place in Cincinnati, Ohio, Moxley’s hometown.

Also announced for Maximum Carnage is a match between Christian Cage and Hook, as well as a Women’s Casino Gauntlet Match. The winner of the gauntlet will earn a shot at Mariah May’s AEW Women’s Title at Grand Slam Australia.

Powerhouse Hobbs says he’s gonna start bringing more of his real-life self into his character to fill a gap in the wrestling world after his return.

The 33-year-old recently had an interview with Uproxx. He talked about things such as his knee injury that kept him out of action for 7 months this year, his AEW return earlier this month, and more.

Talking about his future plans, the heavyweight star revealed that there were talks of him bringing more of his real-life self into his character before his hiatus. Now that he is back, he is going to show people how much more intense he can be:

“I’m just gonna show everyone how much more intense I can be, how destructive I can be, how I don’t give a shit at times who’s in my way. In the end, this business, there only can be one.

It’s going to come to a point where I’m going to show everybody that it’s all about me. They’re either going to be with me or be against me. It doesn’t matter. They boo me, I’m just going to start tearing everything up in front of them.”

• Original Title Plans For Powerhouse Hobbs Revealed

It’s Time To Bring It Out: Powerhouse Hobbs

Powerhouse Hobbs explained that wrestling is missing the crop of big guys that can make people afraid just by their presence. The former TNT champion feels that he can be one such performer:

“And I think that’s what wrestling is missing a little bit. That one guy who makes people afraid, but they want to see him kick someone’s ass. I feel that it’s time to bring it out.”

Wrestling has had a rich history of heavyweight stars who can intimidate people just by their presence. Though it does feel like the tradition has taken a backseat with the influx of smaller, more athletic talents in the last few years.

WWE also seems to be recognizing this void. The most recent reintroduction of Bronson Reed suggests that the company sees an opportunity in having a monstrous performer who can strike fear in the hearts of talents with his capability for destruction.

• Powerhouse Hobbs on Tony Khan’s Tweets: “It’s His Company, He Believes in Us”

You can check out Hobbs’ AEW return match below:

Powerhouse Hobbs has confirmed the reports about him being cleared for action after his knee injury earlier this year. The heavyweight star was last seen wrestling Jon Moxley for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. The match took place on the April 24, 2024 episode of Dynamite. Hobbs not only lost the bout but also ended up sustaining the knee injury that has kept him out of action ever since.

During a recent conversation with In The Kliq, the 33-year-old confirmed previous reports about his status and announced that he has already been cleared to compete:

“Ruptured my patellar tendon. A pretty gruesome injury. Me being me, I’ve been cleared. Healed up pretty fast. Got that Wolverine serum in me a little bit. I’m cleared. I’m back. It’s already been put out in the internet world that I’m cleared. Time to pick up where I left off,”

– Powerhouse Hobbs

With the unfortunate injury now behind him, the question of Powerhouse Hobbs’ return relies solely on the creative team coming up with something for the former TNT Champion to do.

The wew AEW World Champion Jon Moxley has been running rough shots in the company recently. Hobbs could seek retribution from Mox for injuring him and try to stop the momentum of the world champion in the process.

There is also the possibility of him getting involved with MVP’s Hurt Syndicate. The AEW star would make for a perfect friend or foe for Bobby Lashley who is expected to make his debut for Tony Khan’s promotion very soon.

• Powerhouse Hobbs on Tony Khan’s Tweets: “It’s His Company, He Believes in Us”

Powerhouse Hobbs might be on his way back to AEW programming very soon after spending the last 5 months on the shelf due to injury.

The former TNT Champion has been spotted backstage at AEW shows recently, starting rumors about a potential return for him.

Now Fightful Select is reporting that Hobbs has actually been cleared for action in the last few weeks. Hobbs went through extensive in-ring testing before being cleared and now he’s just awaiting creative plans for his return.

The heavyweight star last wrestled during the April 24, 2024 episode of Dynamite. He unsuccessfully challenged Jon Moxley for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on the show and sustained a knee injury in the same bout.

• Powerhouse Hobbs on Tony Khan’s Tweets: “It’s His Company, He Believes in Us”

The Future of Powerhouse Hobbs

Powerhouse Hobbs had primarily been involved in a storyline with Don Callis before being put on the shelf. He was recruited into Callis’ faction in October 2023.

Prior to that, the 33-year-old had a short run with the TNT Championship between March and April 2023. He also briefly joined the short-lived QTV faction but that didn’t lead to anything significant.

There is no word on what the company is planning for Hobbs upon his return but the recent debut of MVP opens up a very intriguing possibility for him.

The appearance from the former WWE star teased the arrival of The Hurt Syndicate on AEW programming. Though the faction is expected to be one member short compared to their WWE days as Cedric Alexander recently signed a new deal with the Endeavor-owned promotion.

If the group feels the need for a new member to strengthen their position, then someone like Powerhouse Hobbs would be the perfect addition. It will make the faction more dominant and allow the former champion to learn from the veterans.

Two of AEW featured stars in Powerhouse Hobbs and Julia Hart are reportedly injured and the initial thought is not promising for the former champions.

According to Fightful Select, Julia Hart has suffered an injury that may require surgery. This is after Hart has ran into a string of recent injuries as of late and the timeframe for her return is currently unknown. She reportedly was injured on the lead-up to AEW Dynasty where she dropped the TBS Championship to Willow Nightingale. Hart is still very early her pro wrestling career and has hit a note with fans since aligning with the House Of Black.

Powerhouse Hobbs Is Also Injured

In the very same update, Fightful Select confirmed that Powerhouse Hobbs is also now out with injury as first reported by Bryan Alvarez of The Wrestling Observer. The injury is said to be significant and the former TNT Champion is not expected back anytime soon.

Hobbs was just featured in the main event match this past Wednesday on AEW Dynamite as he became the first challenger to Jon Moxley as the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Hobbs lost to Moxley via technical submission when the Blackpool Combat Club member got Hobbs in a rear-naked choke.

Hart and Hobbs now join a significant list of name talent on the AEW roster out with injury. MJF, Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, Darby Allin, Kota Ibushi, Bandido, Jamie Hayter, Miro, Britt Baker and Jeff Hardy are only a handful of talent on the shelf.

Newly signed All Elite Wrestling superstar Will Ospreay has been getting plenty of action on TV lately. He made his in-ring debut as a talent in a win against Don Callis Family ally Konosuke Takeshita at AEW Revolution on March 3. Since then, he has racked up wins over Kyle Fletcher and Katsuyori Shibata on AEW Dynamite.

On Twitter, AEW President Tony Khan has shared that Ospreay will again be featured in a match on the April 3 episode of the company’s flagship show. The ‘Commonwealth Kingpin’ will take on Powerhouse Hobbs on the upcoming AEW Dynamite. Khan also revealed that Callis will be on commentary as he watches two people from his faction face off. 

The decision to have Ospreay challenge another Don Callis Family member is interesting, as it could cause a split within the group. AEW currently positions Ospreay as a ‘Babyface,’ while the faction remains ‘Heel.’ It may not happen in the next week, but the company may be laying the groundwork to eventually separate their newly signed superstar from the faction. 

Ospreay is also expected to defeat Hobbs next week, as he is set to face Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynasty on April 21. The matchup was announced on the March 7 episode of AEW Collision. Both superstars have been gaining wins on TV to build anticipation for their pay-per-view bout. 

A win for either Ospreay or Danielson would immediately put them in the running for the AEW World Championship. That said, the former IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion must first get through Hobbs on April 3. 

What Else Has Been Announced For April 3 Episode Of AEW Dynamite?

Ospreay vs. Hobbs wasn’t the only featured match announced for the upcoming AEW Dynamite episode. The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) will take on Best Friends (Orange Cassidy & Trent Beretta) in the semifinals of the AEW tag team tournament. The winners will move to the finals, where they will compete for the vacant AEW World Tag Team Championships. 

The April 3 episode will also have the contract signing segment between Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland for their match at AEW Dynasty. It’s expected that they will get enough time to hype up their bout for next month.

Khan may announce more matches as the show approaches next week. The upcoming AEW Dynamite looks to be important as it continues to set the stage for the company’s next PPV. 

Tony Khan may cut loose on Twitter from time to time, but Powerhouse Hobbs believes it only demonstrates his boss’ dedication to AEW. 

In the days leading up to this week’s Raw, Khan fired off a series of tweets, outraged at the booking of Jinder Mahal in a World Heavyweight Championship match. Khan’s comments would be mocked by fans online, with some pointing out AEW talent who have been thrust into title matches after lengthy breaks from programming. 

Powerhouse Hobbs Reacts

Khan has never shied away from letting his views known on social media, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by the AEW roster. In a recent interview with Adrian Hernandez, Powerhouse Hobbs shared his two cents on Khan’s online activity.

“It’s his company. He believes in us, and you know, if you believe in something, speak your mind. If you’re 100% sure on it, speak your mind. If you’re 99% sure on it, don’t speak on it. He’s 100% sure and he’s speaking his mind. He believes in his company and he believes in us.”

Tony Khan on Social Media

Khan’s outburst about Jinder Mahal is hardly the first time the AEW President has run his mouth on social media. Ahead of the Tuesday Night War of October 2023, Khan made a series of disparaging remarks about WWE’s gold brand. Khan labeled Triple H and Shawn Michaels “bald a**holes” which made it all the more embarrassing when NXT decisively beat Dynamite in the ratings. While NXT soared to its third-highest viewership of all time, Dynamite hit its lowest viewership in close to two years.

Khan has claimed that an anti-AEW ‘army’ of bots bash the product on social media. In 2022, Khan suggested that only WWE would pay for such a wildly-expensive army of bots, but gave no hard evidence of this being the case at the time.  

Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Wardlow to capture the AEW TNT Championship on the latest edition of AEW Dynamite. This marks Hobbs’ first championship in the promotion.

Hobbs defeated Wardlow in a Falls Count Anywhere match on the March 8 episode of AEW Dynamite to win the AEW TNT Championship. QT Marshall made his return and interfered in the match. He assisted Powerhouse Hobbs to get the title win. You can also check out what happened after the show went off air.

As it turns out, AEW had plans to put the TNT Championship on Hobbs several months ago.

Powerhouse Hobbs Creative Plans

According to Fightful Select, Hobbs’ push from last fall always had the championship win in the plans.

Powerhouse Hobbs faced the now-former TNT Champion as a result of winning the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match on the March 1 episode of AEW Dynamite. QT Marshall had previously shared a text message exchange that he had with Hobbs before his AEW debut in 2020. Hobbs had recently expressed the desire to be featured on AEW television more often and being the champ, it increases the possibility.

Meanwhile, Wardlow recently revealed that the TNT Championship was among the possessions stolen from his rental car in a recent break-in.

We will now have to see what the future holds for the newly crowned champ.

New AEW TNT Champion Powerhouse Hobbs had some choice words for the fans after this week’s episode of Dynamite went off the air.

In the main event of the show, Hobbs dethroned Wardlow to capture the TNT title, marking Hobbs’ first championship as part of AEW.

The Powerhouse had earned an opportunity at the gold the previous week by winning the Face of the Revolution Ladder match.

After Dynamite

Hobbs defeated Wardlow in a Falls Count Anywhere match, albeit thanks to the assist of QT Marshall.

Marshall attacked Wardlow with a steel chair and a low blow, and he and Hobbs would double power-bomb the former champion to end the match.

After the show, Marshall told the Sacramento crowd that he and Hobbs were going to go celebrate in a real city, before handing the mic to the Champion.

Hobbs shared the sentiment, saying that he was going to get out of Sacramento and head back to Oakland.

The new AEW TNT Champion called his win new chapter of the Book of Hobbs and told the crowd to kiss his “black a**” before leaving.

TNT Championship

This may be Hobbs’ first reign as TNT Champion, but the title belt he won wasn’t the one Wardlow had been holding.

Prior to his title loss, Wardlow informed fans that his rental car had been broken into and the TNT Championship had been one of the items stolen.

Wardlow also had his ring gear stolen, which is why the now-former champion was wearing a makeshift attire for his title defense against Hobbs.

All Elite Wrestling’s Team Taz tag team partner Powerhouse Hobbs shows off his insane new gains in a recent Twitter post.

Hobbs has had an incredible professional wrestling journey, in which he has achieved numerous accolades. In his career that started in 2009, he has won championships in multiple promotions.

For example, he won the All Pro Wrestling Internet and Tag Team Championships 3 times. And in 2012 he won the Gold Rush Pro Wrestling Dynamite Division Championship under the name Will Rood.

Additionally, Hobbs was the Pro Championship Wrestling and United Wrestling Network Tag Team Champion.

His AEW journey began in 2020 as Will Hobbs. That year in July he lost his debut match to Orange Cassidy on an episode of AEW Dark.

He continues to improve in his wrestling game and delivers entertaining performances in the ring. And although he was already sporting an intimidating physique, he now struts the figure of an established bodybuilder.

Over the past 18 months, Hobbs entered beast mode and has completely transformed his body. The new version of the Powerhouse has already gotten praise from fans on Twitter.

Undoubtedly, it took a lot of focus and discipline to achieve such an incredible transformation. And surely those new muscles will help eliminate future opponents.

Check out Powerhouse Hobbs’s before and after photos below.

Samoa Joe enjoys his options as he remains a free agent.

“The Samoan Submission Machine” wants to return to professional wrestling after WWE released him on Jan. 6. During his last tenure with the company, Joe competed in NXT before rebranding into NXT 2.0. He relinquished the NXT Championship, after testing positive for Covid-19.

Since Joe couldn’t compete and was taken off NXT TV, he worked as a trainer at the Performance Center. It’s unclear why the WWE released Joe, but he shared that he was grateful for his time with the company.

Wrestling fans wonder which promotion will be lucky enough to add Samoa Joe to its roster. In an interview with Busted Open on Sirus XM, Samoa Joe commented on the potential of signing with All Elite Wrestling or returning to WWE.

“…I’m open to whatever opportunity. Obviously, at this point, I’m blessed enough that I get to make decisions, and I get to work on some things outside of wrestling. Which is a rarity when you are this far in and committed to the business, said Joe.

He continued, “…I got my team working on stuff, and when they eventually connect, we’ll see if something works out.”

What’s Next for Samoa Joe?

Joe will be under the WWE 90 non-compete clause until Apr. 6. However, he keeps himself busy with projects outside of wrestling and being with his family.

“We’re training. We’re ready. Honestly, I’m not on paper with anybody anywhere. We haven’t signed anything. We’re just kind of exploring our options, and I’m taking little time personally just to be with the family and shore up some things home side, and we’ll see what the coming months hold,” said Joe.

He did share during the interview that he’d like to wrestle against Powerhouse Hobbs and Jon Moxley if Joe were to sign with AEW.

Samoa Joe is also working as a voice actor for the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League video game. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was scheduled to be released this year, but the developers have pushed it back to next year. It’s unclear if he has to do additional voice acting for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

AEW or WWE hasn’t publically expressed interest in signing the free agent. Although it doesn’t seem like Joe is rushing to sign with anyone.

Powerhouse Hobbs has received valuable guidance from a Hall of Fame big man.

Hobbs is currently a member of Team Taz. Many have high hopes for Powerhouse and believe he can one day make a bid for the main event scene. He certainly has his supporters and one of them is Mark Henry.

Piece Of Advice

Powerhouse Hobbs appeared as a guest on Tuesday Wrestling Tuesday and discussed who have been his biggest supporters in AEW.

“From the very first time I debuted on AEW until now, I’ve completely done a 180. Everything has changed. Cody Rhodes is a big influence on me. Mark Henry, that’s my wrestling dad.

“I have him on my phone as ‘Dad.’ FTR, Arn Anderson, Dustin Rhodes, obviously Taz, Billy Gunn. There are so many people that influence me, daily. There are so many people I can call and get advice from. It’s not just one.”

Hobbs then went on to reveal the key piece of advice given to him by Mark Henry.

“He let me know, like, ‘Hey, you need to change up the way you look. Stop eating carbs after 5 o’clock.’ Since then, my body has like, switched.”

Mark also works in AEW but he isn’t mixing it up inside the ring. He is known for his backstage interviews on Rampage these days but he also works behind the scenes.

H/T (transcription): ewrestlingnews

AEW star Powerhouse Hobbs is addressing some of the criticisms that have been levied at All Elite Wrestling and Tony Khan in recent months.

The issues mainly stem from a perceived lack of diversity in the company, which has been brought up by several former names in the company such as Big Swole and Lio Rush.

Speaking to the Tuesday Wrestling Tuesday, Hobbs gave his own qualified perspective.

“I can only speak from my own experience. So I don’t know about anybody else’s experience in the company,” Hobbs began. “I can tell you from my experience that everything has been really well.

“I’ve had ideas that I’ve pitched that worked. I’ve had ideas that I’ve pitched that haven’t worked. Overall, the company is very diverse.”

Powerhouse Hobbs on Diversity in AEW

Hobbs also went to bat for AEW President Tony Khan. He can only speak from his personal experience, but he’s completely satisfied with what he’s seen in AEW.

“As I said before, Tony Khan has been very fair to me. I can’t speak about anyone else’s situation. I can only speak on mine. The same thing can be said with Google, with Facebook, with any company. It can be said with any company on this planet.

“What I said is what I said, and that’s just from my personal experience. I will back that up a hundred per cent, a thousand, million times over again” the Team Taz member concluded.

Tony Khan has not discussed the situation publicly since the tweet where he previously referenced Big Swole.

H/T to eWrestlingNews for the transcription