Boca Raton Championship Wrestling (BRCW) hosted its annual Festival of Fights at the VIP Ballroom at CBI, blending professional wrestling with festive Hanukkah-themed entertainment. The event drew a crowd of approximately 350-450 attendees, including several wrestling legends and personalities.

Despite wearing a walking boot, Big Boom AJ made a surprise appearance for a meet-and-greet, attracting a long line of fans.

MJF played a dual role, babyfacing for Jewish fans while staying true to his abrasive character for others.

Event Results

1. Scramble Match

Ariel Levy defeated Cha Cha Charlie, Steve Maclin, Tito Lincoln, and Lakay in an action-packed opener. Highlights included a Tower of Doom spot and a series of finishers broken up at critical moments. Levy secured the victory by donning Cha Cha’s “magic hat” and pinning him, earning a $5,000 check.

2. Mad Man Fulton vs. Chris Masters

Mad Man Fulton pinned Chris Masters following a devastating chokeslam. Observers noted that Masters appeared significantly larger than usual.

3. BRCW Cruiserweight Championship

Neil the Heel retained his title against Alan “S2S” Martinez in a competitive matchup.

4. Spin the Dreidel Match

The Righteous defeated Better Together in a match governed by the dreidel’s spin, landing on “Hardcore Match.” The contest featured plenty of weapons and comedic moments, keeping the audience engaged.

5. Colt Cabana vs. Bull James

On the 30th anniversary of his bar mitzvah, Colt Cabana triumphed over Bull James, adding sentimental value to his victory.

6. Open Challenge Promo

MTV reality star Mark Long cut a promo, issuing an open challenge for BRCW’s next event on March 9, 2024.

7. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Chelsea Durden

Deonna Purrazzo defeated Chelsea Durden, who wrestled in the very temple she grew up attending.

8. BRCW Tag Team Championship Match

Matt Riddle & Stallion Rogers (c) successfully defended their titles against Anthony Greene & Matt Taven in a highly competitive tag team bout.

9. Main Event: MJF vs. QT Marshall

MJF defeated QT Marshall in a match loaded with drama and crowd interaction.

QT Marshall cut a promo denouncing his Jewish heritage, claiming his Catholic side was superior and insulting both MJF and the audience.

MJF embraced his Jewish identity, humorously calling Boca Raton the “second most magical place in the world after Long Island” and promised to give Marshall a kangaroo kick.

Big Boom AJ made a surprise run-in, helping MJF by laying out QT Marshall, sealing the win for the “Salt of the Earth.”

H/T Mike Johnson for details used in this recap

QT Marshall, All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) Vice President of Show and Creative Coordination, recently addressed the company’s declining attendance and viewership metrics. In an interview with Metro, Marshall emphasized the need for AEW to revisit the core elements that initially attracted fans while simultaneously innovating to maintain momentum.

Reflecting on AEW’s early days, Marshall noted, “When AEW first started, there was a charm in making mistakes, right? We were gritty, we were new, we were not WWE.” He acknowledged that the wrestling landscape has evolved, with WWE undergoing significant backstage changes that have positioned it as an underdog, potentially drawing some of AEW’s audience.

To address these challenges, Marshall stated, “We have to go back to what brought us to the dance, but also, you know, continue to move forward.” He highlighted the importance of reconnecting fans with AEW’s brand identity and enhancing the live event experience.

QT Marshall’s upcoming match with Andrew ‘A.J.’ Befumo of the Costco Guys has been two decades years in the making for the AEW wrestler. Speaking to RJ City on the latest Hey(EW!), Marshall discussed the much-anticipated match and what it’ll do for his career in the ring.

“I’ve known A.J. for 20 years and I knew that if I could convince him to step back in the ring, that it would be a major spotlight for me. I could exploit him to for my own personal game. When I came back to AEW Tony [Khan] and I spoke about me not wrestling and I, you know, I do a dark match every here and there but I knew this would really help me out.”

Befumo and Marshall will face off on the AEW Full Gear 2024 pre-show after Befumo signed a one-match deal with the promotion. A.J. and his son Big Justice were part of the AEW All Out Zero Hour show, while Marshall took their feud to the next level by powerbombing A.J. at CCW Bash 45 last month.

A.J. is no stranger to the world of professional wrestling as he worked until 2005 as ‘The American Powerhouse’ Eric Justice, the namesake for Big Justice. Until his TikTok popularity exploded, A.J. had been working full-time as a regional manager for a nationwide mortgage-lending company. The upcoming match has transcended the world of wrestling media and was discussed when the Costco Guys recently appeared on Jimmy Fallon.

The father-son duo have become viral sensations this year with their charismatic reviews of food products from Costco. With over 1.3 million followers on TikTok, there’ll be no shortage of fans interested to see how A.J. performs in the ring when he takes on QT Marshall. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest from AEW and its place in the world of wrestling.

Earlier this year, QT Marshall met with WWE, exploring the possibility of joining the rival promotion after several years with AEW. Though he left AEW in November, he returned to the company in an executive role as announced on February 14, 2024.

In addition to his AEW duties, he co-runs the Nightmare Factory in McDonough, Georgia alongside Cody Rhodes. During an interview with SI Wrestling, Marshall reflected on his brief period as a free agent, and his brief talks with WWE.

“I had one conversation with somebody that doesn’t even work there anymore,” Marshall said about the WWE meeting.

“I just got rubbed the wrong way during the conversation. It was like, ‘Hey, yeah, oh yeah, that’s great. All right.’ And I told him, ‘Yeah, all right, we’ll stay in touch.’ But to me, it was like, ‘I’m not staying in touch.’”

The Nightmare Factory, which opened in 2020, was recently recognized as an official member of the new WWE’s ID program, joining five other training schools. However, Marshall clarified that he is unaware of WWE’s specific arrangements with the school, as he chose to step back from coaching a few months ago.

Marshall has a big match against MJF coming on December 15 for Boca Raton Championship Wrestling.

QT Marshall won a bodybuilding competition on Saturday in Atlanta, GA. The AEW executive announced on social media that he won first place in a ‘classic physique’ event at the 2024 NPC Lenda Murray Atlanta Classic, presented by Wings of Strength.

Marshall has kept an active in-ring schedule this year, competing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada this past week for Ring of Honor and at last month’s AAA TripleMania XXXII pay-per-view from Tijuana, Mexico. He’s the reigning Heavyweight Champion of Florida’s Coastal Championship Wrestling.

Pro Wrestling & Bodybuilding

Pro wrestling and bodybuilding share a deep-rooted connection, as impressive physiques have been a selling point of the sport since its inception. This natural synergy has led many promoters and wrestlers to embrace bodybuilding, often competing in prestigious competitions and starting bodybuilding federations. Triple H, for instance, began competing in bodybuilding competitions as a teenager. John Cena’s eye-popping physique has been a hallmark of his wrestling persona, earning him features in various bodybuilding and fitness magazines. Trish Stratus transitioned from a successful career as a fitness model to becoming one of WWE’s most celebrated wrestlers.

Alexa Bliss’s journey is particularly inspiring, as she credits bodybuilding with helping her overcome an eating disorder. Her dedication to the sport led her to compete in the Arnold Classic and become a certified pro bodybuilder by the age of 20. Bianca Belair and Montez Ford have both competed in bodybuilding in recent years, showcasing their dedication to maintaining peak physical condition. In November 2023, Montez Ford announced he’d overcome body dysmorphia to win his first bodybuilding competition.

Bodybuilding requires incredible discipline, strength, and determination, but it’s even more impressive for the pro wrestlers who have dabbled in bodybuilding and excelled at the highest level in a sport that demands much more than just looking good on stage. Their ability to combine the physical rigor of bodybuilding with the athleticism, charisma, and performance skills required in pro wrestling that truly sets them apart.

Photos: Bianca Belair Impresses in Bodybuilding Competition

Several names took part in creating the blueprint for the Casino Gauntlet match that went down on the 5/29 episode of AEW Dynamite, but one significant name was a catalyst, as expected.

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Khan was instrumental in laying out the main event match for AEW Dynamite, which happened to be the fallout show for this past weekend’s Double Or Nothing. 

Internally, Khan was listed as a coach on the match and had help from QT Marshall, Colt Cabana and Serpentico at laying out the match. AEW has been very happy with the reception as it will be Will Ospreay challenging Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship at Forbidden Door.

• Will Ospreay Pitches Scott D’Amore To Run ROH

Some surprise names were implemented into the bout including Mistico, Shota Umino, Lio Rush and Hechicero. The other competitors were PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, Orange Cassidy and Jay White.

Ospreay happened to also be the winner of the first Casino Gauntlet, a match that actually earned him the right to face Roderick Strong for the AEW International Championship at Double or Nothing, who Ospreay ended up defeating.

Many were speculating that Strickland and Ospreay would first go head-to-head later this year at ALL IN at Wembley Stadium, but fans will get at least an early sample of that fight next month when Forbidden Door takes place in Long Island.

This news of Tony Khan laying out the fight comes not long after the AEW President was accused of booking AEW television last minute by Bryan Alvarez.

Other matches that went down on the 5/29 AEW Dynamite was Jon Moxley in another IWGP World Title Eliminator Match against Rocky Romero, Mercedes Mone took on Skye Blue and Swerve Strickland faced Killswitch.

QT Marshall is officially back with All Elite Wrestling, but he’s working in a slightly different capacity than his role last year. 

Marshall attempted to resign from AEW in the summer of 2023 due to issues with the the company’s creative direction, including his own lack of ring time. Tony Khan convinced him to reconsider, but later wound up announcing his formal resignation.

On Monday, Marshall announced on Twitter that he’s back with the company, but does not plan on wrestling any time soon. He’s back working behind the scenes and will continue wrestling “everywhere else” (except WWE).

“I’m not wrestling at AEW. The fans didn’t like me out there so I’m going to wrestle everywhere else. I’m a man of the people,” wrote Marshall.

He’s already back working with AEW and was backstage at Saturday’s Collision tapings. He posted this new ‘promo’ photo of himself, showing that he’s gotten himself into the best shape of his career. He also included the hashtag #VP, an indication that he’s back in a Vice President capacity.

Best part about being back at #Collision on Saturday….the promo shots!#VP pic.twitter.com/bbLDLllMXn

— QT Marshall (@QTMarshall) February 26, 2024

Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling

QT Marshall recently relaunched Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, the independent promotion founded by the late Dusty Rhodes.

Marshall competed at TCW’s ‘relaunch’ event earlier this month from McDonough, GA.  He teamed with Glacier, Luther Biggs, and Scotty Riggs in a win against Adam Priest, Duncan Mitchell, Owen Knight, and Sunny Daze.

His next appearance will be at Coastal Championship Wrestling Bash At The Brew on March 2. He will take on Martin Stone for the CCW World Heavyweight Championship at CCW Conquer Kissimmee on March 8. 

AEW in 2024

AEW getting Marshall to return is another move the company has made to prepare for another record-breaking year,

AEW recently signed former WWE senior writer Jennifer Pepperman as the new Vice President of Content Development. She is expected to be involved with Mercedes Moné as a writer when she makes her debut with AEW.

Earlier this week, the company hired a new backstage announcer.

The company is also reportedly looking to host three stadium shows, as AEWxNew Japan Pro Wrestling Forbidden Door will occur at Arthur Ashe Stadium in June. However, AEW has yet to make an official announcement. 

The decision to sign Marshall in a backstage role, as well as other business moves, has the potential to create great results for the company in 2024. 

Welcome to a new feature for SEScoops, the Daily Drop – a rundown of the top stories in pro wrestling all in one place. 

Our mission is to provide our readers with the most important and interesting news from WWE, AEW and more that’s timely, informative and engaging. The Daily Drop is a destination where you can catch up and the wrestling news you need.

WrestleMania 40 COUNTDOWN: 51 days days away

Here’s the Daily Drop news report for Wednesday, February 15, 2024:

WWE News

– The Rock and Roman Reigns are advertised for tomorrow’s WWE SmackDown from Salt Lake City, Utah. (Tickets)

– WWE released Matt Camp from his contract sometime last week. This news broke on February 14th, and it was also a big shock for many. Camp never missed an episode of The Bump, and his departure was not mentioned on this week’s show, either.’  We’ve updated our WWE Releases tracker to reflect this departure.

– Jade Cargill was removed from her planned spot in the Elimination Chamber match. Cargill made her in-ring debut at the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble and was slated to be part of the upcoming Chamber match from Australia, based on a graphic that leaked on WWE.com showing the participants. This would have been another chance to feature Cargill in a multi-person match that would have protected her, but it seems those plans have been scrapped.

– Shotzi Blackheart was legit injured during the NXT television taping this week. She seriously hurt her knee, and reports later confirmed that she left the NXT Arena on crutches. We’re still awaiting word on her condition.

– The new WWE Experience exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia opens tomorrow. WWE-themed events center will be located at Boulevard City.  (Tickets)

“Dive into the world of WWE, where fans walk in the footsteps of legends, immersing in sights, sounds, and epic stories of global stars. Every guest will enjoy a front-row seat, unparalleled access to exciting opportunities, and moments exclusive to WWE.”

AEW News

– During AEW Dynamite this week, they finally announced Sting’s final match. The Icon will team with Darby Allin to take on The Young Bucks in an AEW World Tag Team Title match at AEW Revolution on March 9th.

– Jeff Hardy was possibly injured during the AEW Rampage taping this week. Sammy Guevara went for a shooting star press, and it appeared that his knee struck Hardy in the head. The match was then called off. We do not have any more updates at this time.

this is NOT the first time Sammy Guevara has injured Jeff Hardy with his amateur hour bullshit

HE IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER pic.twitter.com/Hm4EOwzU0z

— Degenerate George (@DGen_Media) February 15, 2024

– QT Marshall is returning to AEW. He will not be wrestling, but he will work with the company in a backstage capacity. Marshall left the company at the end of 2023, but came to terms on a revised role. 

Marshall’s ‘new’ promotion Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling is expected to continue. TCW held its return event last week at the Nightmare Factory training facility, where they crowned inaugural champions.

– Rob Van Dam returns next week in an all-star 6-man tag match on AEW Dynamite. The ECW legend will team with Hook and Hangman Page against Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland and Brian Cage.

What’s Next

– WWE Elimination Chamber takes place next weekend, Saturday, February 24 from Perth, Australia. This will be the final stop on the road to WrestleMania 40.

– The following weekend, All Elite Wrestling presents AEW Revolution 2024 live on pay-per-view from the historic Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The event will feature Sting’s retirement match and Samoa Joe defending the AEW World championship against Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland.

Check back tomorrow for the next installment of the Daily Drop wrestling news report and make sure to Follow SEScoops on Google News, Facebook and Twitter.

More has come to light over the role of QT Marshall now that he has made his return to All Elite Wrestling. 

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Marshall would be returning to AEW in a behind-the-scenes role. This is quite a surprise, given that Marshall left AEW relatively recently in late 2023. The former leader of QTV had reportedly not been at AEW for weeks prior to his official exit from the company.

QT Marshall’s New Role with AEW

Marshall has previous experience working behind the scenes for AEW, which will come in handy upon his return. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer shared what Marshall will be responsible for under his new role with the promotion. 

“QT, his key role is going to be talent development as well. Trainer and everything like that. He left (on) December 31 and Tony Khan said, if he wants to come back, the door’s open, and I guess he wanted to come back.”

Meltzer also acknowledged part of Marshall’s decision to leave AEW was because he felt he would not be pushed any further on TV. It was confirmed that he is free to still work independent shows following his AEW return.  

Rocky Romero in AEW

Rocky Romero also recently began a backstage role with All Elite Wrestling. On his show, Meltzer explained the kind of roles he will be working under. 

“Romero’s role is gonna be talent development, so essentially training wrestlers and working with the younger talent, and also international liaison obviously with New Japan and CMLL.”

QT Marshall has a huge project outside of All Elite Wrestling… 

H/T – Wrestling News

QT Marshall was one of the names that left AEW last year. His departure was due to differences that he had with the job he was given to do. He lost a lot of pull backstage since Cody Rhodes’ departure, and many expected him to seek out another home for his talents. Now, he is back in AEW.

QT Marshall’s AEW Return

According to Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select, QT Marshall is set to return to All Elite Wrestling, albeit in a different role. 

It’s been reported that Marshall and AEW have resolved their previous issues, and he will be resuming his former position as vice president. However, there are no plans for him to return to the ring as a wrestler.

Sources familiar with the matter have also reportedly confirmed that an agreement was reached a couple of weeks ago, although Marshall has not yet officially rejoined the company. He is also able to take bookings outside Tony Khan’s company.

We’re told that Marshall is free to wrestle outside of AEW, with the exception of WWE. The 38-year old Marshall hadn’t wrestled since his AEW deal officially ended on December 31 until this past week’s TCW show, but has shown off his physical transformation on Twitter.

What’s Next

In collaboration with Teil Rhodes, Marshall has joined efforts to revive Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, originally founded by Dusty Rhodes. Their inaugural show took place on February 8 in McDonough, GA, featuring former WWE Superstar Matt Cardona, Scotty Riggs, Glacier, Aaron Solo, and others.

We will have to see if AEW provides any assistance to Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling in the time to come.

Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling is set to relaunch this Thursday. The promotion founded by the late Dusty Rhodes returns after 20 years for its relaunch event from the Nightmare Factory in McDonough, Georgia. 

While the card is still being determined, TCW has announced two matches to crown their new champions. 

The first title match was announced on February 1 by TCW on Twitter. The promotion shared that Angelica Risk will take on Hyena Hera for the inaugural Nightmare Factory Women’s Championship. Both wrestlers have a history with each other and trained at The Nightmare Factory. 

The last time they faced each other in singles action, Hera defeated Risk at WrestleMerica The Reckoning on August 13, 2022. Although Hera won, time has passed, and both will have something to prove in their matchup for the title.

After announcing their first title match, the Georgia-based promotion shared on February 4 on Twitter that the Nightmare Faction Championship will also be decided. All Elite Wrestling talent Aaron Solo will face Adrian Ward for the inaugural title at Thursday’s event.  

Solo wants to start the year well and make history as the first Nightmare Faction Champion. He had difficulty last year by being on the losing side in most matches in AEW. However, he has a chance to remind fans of his ability in the ring and potentially build momentum in his career for 2024. He faces Ward, who will also be motivated to win gold and a notable win over the AEW star. 

Both matches will likely be featured in the event, but the company has announced another interesting match.

QT Marshall Involved In Eight-Man Tag Team Match At TCW Relaunch Event

Longtime wrestling could be in for a treat after TCW announced their latest match added to the card. The promotion recently revealed on Twitter that an eight-man tag team will be on the show, featuring a mix of independent wrestling talent and WCW legends. 

In eight-man tag action, QT Marshall will team with Glacier, Scotty Riggs, and Luther Riggs to face Sunny Daze, Owen Knight, Duncan Mitchell, and Adam Priest. Glacier, Riggs, and Biggs have competed in TCW in the past, so they are being billed as the TCW All-Stars. All three haven’t competed in a wrestling ring for some time, which could make for an interesting match for fans in attendance. 

The promotion is seemingly still finalizing the card, but they have shared that Ricky Starks and Matt Cardona will appear. Fans looking to attend the relaunching of TCW may need to RSVP soon as the event card continues to take shape. 

Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, the promotion founded by the late Dusty Rhodes will host an event next month, the first in over two decades. 

PW Insider reports that TCW will host an event on February 8, in Atlanta, Georgia from the Nightmare Factory school in McDonagh. Rhodes’ daughter Teil and QT Marshall are said to be heavily involved with the promotion. Last month, Cody Rhodes and Marshall filed a trademark for the company’s name, which led to the belief that a revival was in the works. 

Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling

Dusty Rhodes started making plans for TCW in 1999 and would establish offices in East Cobb County, Georgia. At the time, Rhodes described his idea for the new promotion as “old school but with modern ideas.” The first TCW event took place in July 2000 and saw Glacier win a tournament to become the first TCW Heavyweight Champion.

The following year, TCW would host its first pay-per-view, and would also begin airing on TV. In March of 2001, Scott “The Clap” Anton and “The Extreme Dream” Erik Watts became the first TCW Tag Team Champions defeating Glacier and Jorge Estrada.

With the demise of WCW and ECW, TCW welcomed talent that the WWF did not pick up. In an August 2001 interview with Greg Oliver, Dustin Rhodes had high praise for TCW.

“TCW is the alternative to the World Wrestling Federation. To me in my mind, my opinion, and my dad’s opinion, we are the World Wrestling Federation’s competition. We are not an independent, we are a company. We want to be treated as one.”

The original TCW saw several notable names compete, including Scott Hall, ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan, New Jack, Leilani Kai, Daffney, and Steve Corino. Years before he’d make it big as part of TNA Wrestling, James Storm would compete during the latter stages of the company.

AEW has an official Vice President Global Programming & Partnerships. Shane Emerson, who has been with All Elite Wrestling since 2021, announced on his LinkedIn that he was given a new job title.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Vice President Global Programming & Partnerships at All Elite Wrestling!”

Previously, Emerson was simply listed as the Head of Global Programming & Partnerships, a position he held since September 2021. Before that, Emerson worked for TNA’s parent company, Anthem Sports, in the same type of role for over a decade.

Another name to receive a promotion is Eric Murphy, who also announced via LinkedIn that he is a senior producer with AEW.

Other Internal Changes In AEW

While Emerson sees a new horizon under AEW, a few other long-time employees decided to ride off in the sunset.

Before 2023 closed its doors, QT Marshall asked for his release from the company. Marshall was an imperative part to the growth of AEW and was held in high regard backstage, partly due to his versatility. Marshall wore a lot of hats in AEW including coach, talent relations manager and on-air competitor.

Another name to leave is Dana Massie, who was in charge of AEW merchandise since the company launched. Massie is Matt Jackson’s wife and voluntarily made the decision not to continue with the company as Chief Marketing & Merchandising Officer.

The final notorioius name of note to exit AEW is Rafael Morffi. Morffi served as Vice President of Live Events/Touring but has decided to take a new job at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Morffi is a New York City native.

The AEW tenure of QT Marshall has already come to an end, despite some time remaining on his contract with the All-Elite promotion. 

In November, Marshall announced that he was going to resign from AEW and that his time with the company would run through the end of this year.  Marshall had worked both on-screen as part of the QTV faction in addition to working behind the scenes. Marshall had reportedly felt frustrated within AEW, and felt like he wasn’t being used on screen effectively nor was he being positioned to be a wrestling store. Those in AEW told SEScoops that people understand his decision to move on and appreciate his contributions. 

QT Marshall is Already Finished

Sources within AEW have confirmed to Fightful Select that Marshall has effectively finished his time with the company already. Marshall has not been at AEW shows in weeks after giving his notice months ago. Marshall had signed a short-term extension through the end of the year. 

What’s Next for QT Marshall? 

Marshall is gone from AEW, but it may not be long before we see him back in the ring. MLW has had its eye on Marshall, who they feel would be greatly beneficial to the company’s future. Marshall would likely factor into plans for a complete overhaul of the promotion’s ‘front office.’ 

Marshall, alongside Cody Rhodes, recently filed a trademark for Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, the promotion founded by Dusty Rhodes. While it is unclear if the duo plans to resurrect the promotion, Marshall has been adamant that he wants to perform in-ring while he was in his prime. 

Cody Rhodes could be prepared to revive Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, the promotion founded by his father ‘American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes. 

Recently, Rhodes and his Nightmare Factory partner QT Marshall filed a trademark for the term ‘Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling’ for entertainment services and merchandising. The filing specifically refers to “wrestling contests” and “exhibits” as applicable to the TCW term. 

Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling

Dusty Rhodes started making plans for TCW in 1999 and would establish offices in East Cobb County, Georgia. At the time, Rhodes described his idea for the new promotion as “old school but with modern ideas.” The first TCW event took place in July 2000 and saw Glacier win a tournament to become the first TCW Heavyweight Champion. 

The following year, TCW would host its first pay-per-view, and would also begin airing on TV. In March of 2001, Scott “The Clap” Anton and “The Extreme Dream” Erik Watts became the first TCW Tag Team Champions defeating Glacier and Jorge Estrada.

With the demise of WCW and ECW, TCW welcomed talent that the WWF did not pick up. In an August 2001 interview with Greg Oliver, Dustin Rhodes had high praise for TCW. 

“TCW is the alternative to the World Wrestling Federation. To me in my mind, my opinion, and my dad’s opinion, we are the World Wrestling Federation’s competition. We are not an independent, we are a company. We want to be treated as one.”

The original TCW saw several notable names compete, including Scott Hall, ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan, New Jack, Leilani Kai, Daffney, and Steve Corino. Years before he’d make it big as part of TNA Wrestling, James Storm would compete during the latter stages of the company. 

The Nightmare Factory

The Nightmare Factory is Rhodes and Marshall’s training school based in Norcross, Georgia. Training seminars often feature notable names in professional wrestling, including Rhodes, Marshall, and Jerry Lynn. The Nightmare Factory is currently accepting applicants for their 2024 class. 

Pour one out for The Factory.

The group comprised of students from Cody Rhodes and QT Marshall’s Nightmare Factory training facility has officially disbanded.

Formed during the early days of AEW, The Factory was originally branded as the Nightmare Factory and served as a ‘training camp’ of sorts for the American Nightmare.

Members of The Factory included Marshall, ‘Big Shotty’ Lee Johnson, Anthony Ogogo, Nick Comorodo, Aaron Solo and Cole Karter.

QT Marshall says The Factory is No More

Over the weekend, a fan on Twitter tagged QT Marshall and said he misses The Factory and hopes to see them back in AEW. He replied saying they broke up due to overwhelming hate from wrestling “experts.”

On a brighter note, Marshall said the guys had fun together and encouraged people to follow the members’ careers.

• The 10 Biggest Mistakes AEW Made in 2022

After members of The Factory defeated the team of Rhett Titus, Cheeseburger, and Logan Laroux on AEW Dark: Elevation, QT Marshall cut a promo about how they were “running on cylinders” and repeatedly referred to the crowd as “pieces of crap”.

As he was yammering, a grainy video popped up on the screen. Two long nails were shown, with one being pulled away from the other. The video ended as abruptly as it started and all members of The Factory looked confused, as was Paul Wight on commentary.

Who Could Be Behind the Video?

Although the video was in black and white and reminiscent of House of Black, it’s unlikely that it’s them. They appear in their vignettes and don’t have any reason to be involved with The Factory.

There was speculation that Darby Allin was coming for Cole Karter after he attacked Allin on Dynamite while dressed as Sting. This led to the AEW arrival of Jeff Jarrett.

Some fans have been buzzing about “Evil Danhausen”. There is a photo of this version of his character in which he’s holding a long nail, similar to the ones seen in the video.

Last week, Marshall beat Danhausen during the main event of AEW Dark Elevation. Afterwards, Danhausen quote tweeted a clip of his loss with song lyrics from “Unclean Spirit” by Code Orange. The next night on AEW Dark, he beat Jon Cruz in a more vicious way than we typically see from him. He quote tweeted a clip of that win with “the executioner is here and he’s sharpening his axe.”

Following tonight’s AEW Dark: Elevation, he once again took together tweeting an intriguing photo.

Evil Danhausen would bring a dimension to his character that AEW fans haven’t seen yet. It may move him away from Best Friends and company (and HOOK) and let him be on his own for a while.

• Lio Rush: ‘AEW Didn’t Know What to do With Me’

QT Marshall trained Shaquille O’Neal for his match along with Jade Cargill against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet earlier this year. Shaq and Cargill were victorious in the match that took place at “AEW Cross Rhodes” on March 3rd, 2021.

Marshall recently discussed training Shaq during an appearance on My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox for Barstool Sports.

“I was like, I could teach you how to do this in 10 days,” said Marshall. “For what I think we’re looking to do, 100%.’ He got in there and I suplexed him, right, with a crash pad. Then he was like, ‘Alright, let’s move the crash pads’ and I suplexed him again. He was saying, ‘That’s not too bad.’ He’s like, ‘It hurts, but it’s not that bad.’ I said, ‘When the adrenaline’s going, you don’t feel anything.’”

Marshall continued to say that they tried to hold off the match for as long as possible due to the pandemic. Eventually, the decision was made to go forward with it, however.

QT Marshall on Training Shaquille O’Neal

“We were trying to hold off as long as we could, because of, you know, the pandemic, and the crowd, all that stuff. But then one thing led to another, but like I said, he was there all the time and really paying attention to what I was saying. I mean, he powerbombed by me the first time and he dropped me right in my head. I was like, ‘Hey, you’re really tall. So if you don’t squat down with this, you’re gonna dump everyone on their head, and you can’t do that to Cody.’ So, yeah, he was really dedicated. Also, he was having fun.”

The match was officially the 2nd of Shaq’s pro-wrestling career. In 2016, he also appeared in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32.

His appearance in the match looked as though it was going to lead to a match against the Big Show (Paul Wight). The match never materialized, however.

The full interview with QT Marshall can be viewed in the player below:

H/T To Fightful for the transcriptions.

One AEW star doesn’t believe Cody Rhodes is bothered by fans booing him.

Cody insists he has no plans of turning heel in AEW but the fans haven’t taken too kindly to him. The boos rained down on Cody during his AEW Grand Slam match with Malakai Black. It wasn’t just the New York City crowd who turned on Cody Rhodes, however.

QT Marshall, the heel leader of The Factory, appeared on the Battleground Podcast and expressed his belief that Cody Rhodes doesn’t actually care whether or not fans boo him. 

“Yeah, I mean, well, it depends,” said Marshall. “I think they were booing him because, like, especially right now with Malakai, Malakai is cool. He’s fresh, he’s from the other place. So it’s like, we’re in the honeymoon phase of Malakai. So, I did expect that.”

It is hard, on the surface, to like him

Marshall understands that Cody Rhodes can be a polarizing figure. Aside from his in-ring career, he’s a successful businessman and television star. This may rub some people the wrong way.

“On top of that, Cody is like a very polarizing figure, right? He’s got his own tour bus that suits. He’s rich. He says, he has a reality show. I mean, it is hard, on the surface, to like him, but at the same time, what has he done to deserve to get booed?

“I don’t know. You know, I punched Arn Anderson in the face. So I deserve to get booed. You know, Malakai kicked Arn’s head off, he deserves to get booed. I’m trying to think of one thing that Cody’s done that deserves booing from the fans. At the same time, as long as they’re making noise, I don’t think he really cares one way or the other.”

Rhodes ended up defeating Black in their third outing. He recently took on Andrade El Idolo on the Nov. 3 episode of Dynamite. A run-in from FTR cost Cody the match.

H/T to Fightful for the transcribed quotes

One AEW star may be closing in on making his way back to the ring.

Since splitting from the Nightmare Family, The Factory has been ruffling the feathers of other AEW talent. That includes Paul Wight, although Wight got his revenge on QT Marshall at the All Out PPV event. There has been one member of The Factory who has been out of action for a while, however.

Anthony Ogogo Close To Making Return?

Back in July, it was revealed that Anthony Ogogo was taking time off due to having his tenth eye surgery. Ogogo is a former boxer who suffered damage to his left eye and has had to undergo numerous procedures. Back in March 2017, Ogogo was registered blind in his left eye.

In an interview with Daily DDT, QT Marshall delivered the good news that Anthony Ogogo is back in the United States and is ready to return at any time.

“He just came back. He was overseas getting everything taken care of, so we’ll see. I think it’s about right place, right time, and trying to figure out the right story as well. Just to throw someone out there is… my biggest thing for me personally, after 17 years, the last thing I want to do is go in there and take random bumps for no reason.

“I try to explain that to Anthony and everyone’s itching to get back. Right now, we have a huge roster of huge stars, so it’s just one of those things of going back to the drawing board and figuring it out. But in the meantime, he’s been training and working out and doing what he does. He’ll be ready when that call comes.”

Ogogo was last seen feuding with the Gunn Club. Since then, Gunn Club has turned heel so we aren’t likely to see Ogogo wrap up his issues with Billy Gunn.

Paul Wight will be back in the ring on Sept. 5 at the All Out PPV.

Wight has gotten involved in a feud with QT Marshall and The Factory. It all started when Marshall, Nick Comoroto, and Aaron Solow attacked Tony Schiavone and his son. Paul Wight made the save and chokeslammed Solow.

Wight had an in-ring interview with Schiavone on the Aug. 18 edition of Dynamite. He was ready to make an announcement when QT Marshall interrupted.

Marshall showed off X-rays of Wight’s hip and dismissed the big man as a competitor in 2021. That’s when Wight dropped a bombshell, announcing that he will meet Marshall in a match at All Out.

“I had a little talk with Tony Khan last week. It felt so good to step over that top rope to be in this ring in front of this amazing AEW crowd. That’s why at the All Out pay-per-view in Chicago, I have a match. And guess who my opponent is my little guppy. At All Out it’s gonna be Paul Wight one-on-one against QT Marshall.”

All Out will be held inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will put his title on the line against Impact World Champion Christian Cage.

Are you looking forward to seeing Paul Wight return to the ring?

QT Marshall spoke with SEScoops this week to promote Wednesday’s special Blood and Guts edition of AEW Dynamite on TNT.

The leader of The Factory faces his former friend, Cody Rhodes, at Blood and Guts. During our discussion, QT explained why he turned on Cody, athletes like Anthony Ogogo crossing over to the world of professional wrestling, how The Factory is different than other factions and more.

Topics discussed include:

• His role as AEW’s Director of Creative coordination
• AEW gearing up for the post-pandemic era
• His Nightmare Factory training facility
• What he looks for in trainees
• Athletes and celebrities crossing over to pro wrestling
• Why he turned on Cody Rhodes
• How The Factory stands apart from AEW’s other factions

Check out our exclusive interview below and make sure to Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Catch AEW Blood and Guts Wednesday night on TNT.

AEW star QT Marshall recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The Nightmare Family member discussed a number of topics during his time on the show, including teaming with Dustin Rhodes in All Elite Wrestling.

“There’s a lot of nepotism and stuff that goes along with that, being friends with Cody” QT Marshall began on the podcast. “I always feel like I just, I need to prove myself. Even though like I’ve been training in wrestling for 16 years and I don’t really need to prove myself? But to certain fans? I feel like I always do. I always have to justify why I’m here.”

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QT Marshall also discussed the Bunkhouse match that he took part in recently. The Natural Nightmares took on The Butcher and The Blade on Dynamite in a bloody affair. Marshall hit a massive elbow drop during the match from the top of a ladder, something he discussed on the Talk Is Jericho podcast.

QT Marshall on The Bunkhouse Match

“What could I do…that if I never wrestle again? What could I do that would live forever? The night before I was just at the building looking over stuff, you know as I do for the production side of things. I saw a humongous ladder and I was like, ‘what if I jump off this ladder?’ And then I climbed up when no one was here, I just climbed up and I looked down. I literally yelled to one of the production guys and was like, ‘hide this ladder, because this one is way too big!”‘

Did you watch the Bunkhouse match on Dynamite? Are you impressed with the tag team of QT Marshall and Dustin Rhodes? Let us know in the comments

Former AEW Champion Chris Jericho recently discussed Dean Malenko and the role of an agent/coach on his Talk Is Jericho podcast. This week’s episode featured AEW star QT Marshall, who himself has apparently been working with Chris Jericho to ‘agent’ some of his matches.

“Dean [Malenko] was always my coach, agent, producer, until finally recently I was like, ‘he’s being wasted with me'” Jericho began on the podcast. “Because I put together my stuff and I’ll always ask Dean his opinion. But [AEW should] put him with some guys that he can really be helping with.”

Jericho and Malenko are of course two stars who are very well aware of each other’s in-ring capabilities. Chris Jericho’s famous ‘man of 1,004 holds’ promo (including the armbar) came during the duo’s feud in WCW. During the late nineties both Jericho and Malenko were an integral part of WCW’s Cruiserweight division. Both men would end up leaving to join the then WWF at different points.

Chris Jericho on QT Marshall

“I said just put QT with me” Chris Jericho would continue. “Because the few times when I had a question for QT or I said ‘do you have any suggestions?’ He came up with a couple of things. That’s like what Jamie Noble was like [as an agent], it didn’t have to be a lot.”

Jericho would finish by saying how he is at a point in his career where he wants to get pointers and ideas, whereas someone the calibre of Malenko can be helping younger talent on a more 50/50 basis.

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“Dean did it last week with me and Max’s [MJF] match. Sometimes one idea is all you need to fit everything together you know? I was like ‘just put QT with me, let me bounce off my 99%. if he has 1%? Great. Let Dean go do 50/50 with the younger guys, you know?”

Do you think that Chris Jericho will move into a ‘coaching’ role when he finishes in-ring with AEW? Let us know in the comments

AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will not be on tonight’s broadcast AEW Dynamite. QT Marshall will miss tonight’s show as well. Both wrestlers will be missing the show due to having been exposed to the COVID-19 virus. Neither Moxley or Marshall have tested positive for the virus themselves but were exposed to the virus through contact with others.

Both wrestlers have been told to stay home and get tested for COVID-19.

In the case of Jon Moxley, he had second-hand exposure to the virus recently. This means he was in contact with someone who was in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus. In QT Marshall’s case, he was in contact briefly with someone who tested positive for the virus.

QT Marshall and Dustin Rhodes were scheduled to face Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler of FTR tonight. FTR will now face SCU in tag-team action instead.

Jon Moxley did not have a scheduled match tonight but is building to his Fyter Fest match with Brian Cage.

AEW President Tony Khan announced the news today on Twitter.

“Jon Moxley can get slammed on a car, crawl through tacks & fall through the stage, but it’s every bit as cool that he came forward & told us he’d had secondhand exposure to COVID. We test everyone here at #AEWDynamite, but Jon protected everyone onsite like the great champ he is,” wrote Tony Khan.

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