Over the last couple of weeks, during AEW programming there have been vignettes of The Elite being erased from programming. On this week’s episode of Dynamite, a hand was shown deleting files of The Elite and replacing them with files of Death Triangle. Questions started coming in asking if Matt Hardy was the one deleting the files. He did have a “Delete The Elite” shirt after all.

In the latest episode of “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy”, he and host Jon Alba were discussing the imminent return of The Elite. Hardy stated, “I’m very happy they’re back. I will say this right here, right now: those guys didn’t do anything wrong in that situation. I think they were the victims. I’m telling you from a first person perspective. I was there. I witnessed it all. I love all three of those guys. I’ve known Matt and Nick forever. I’ve just gotten to know Kenny while working with AEW. I am very happy they are returning to TV and they are back. They’re back in the mix. They deserve to be in the mix.”

Hardy provided this clarification in response to media coverage of his quotes about the events that transpired at All Out:

Matt Hardy believes The Elite are the “heart and soul of the AEW”

Hardy also said that he was excited for Colt Cabana’s return this past Wednesday. “Colt Cabana had been away from AEW for a very long time. It is what it is. You know, I don’t really have to sit here and go into things. We’re in a position where he can be back on AEW TV and I’m glad to have him back.”

With the investigation being over, Hardy said, “I’m glad their names have been cleared and they’re coming back to TV. And I’m very happy to see Colt Cabana who I think is a great human being and also a great performer. I’m very happy to see him back on AEW programming.”

• Colt Cabana’s AEW Return was “For the Locker Room” (Report)

Hardy saw the Young Bucks the day before recording his podcast. He says he told them that they “are the heart and soul of the AEW. I feel like The Elite — Matt and Nick and Kenny — in many ways the identity of AEW. You know, without those guys, you don’t have AEW as it is right now. It would be very, very different. Tony Khan may have started wrestling in some capacity. AEW, All Elite Wrestling, those guys are the identity of AEW. So it’s very important to have them back.”

“Full Gear” is just a couple weeks away, so it seems that The Elite will return then if they don’t came back sooner.

The Elite, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, were backstage at Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, according to PWInsider.

AEW teased The Elite early in the show with this clip featuring the EVPs being erased.

The Elite off AEW television

The Elite have not been on AEW programming since ALL OUT on September 4. The infamous BRAWL OUT happened that night, leading to suspensions of The Elite, CM Punk, and Ace Steel. The first four were stripped of their respective titles.

• Backstage Update on Triple H Potentially Bringing CM Punk Back to WWE

In recent days, it seemed like The Elite may be coming back to TV soon. Steel was released last week. There have also been reports that the investigation is winding down. In another twist to the saga, Punk’s camp says that his dog, Larry, was injured during BRAWL OUT.

Earlier today, Fightful Select reported that Don Calls is also backstage.

It appears that AEW is finally starting to make some decisions after the long investigation into the backstage brawl that took place after All Out last month.

Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio confirmed on Wednesday that Ace Steel has officially been released from his contract:

“So he was officially released yesterday, so I guess that is the first bit of news out of that whole situation in weeks. There’s a lot of other stuff going on.”

Ace Steel joined AEW earlier this year and he worked as a producer backstage. He also made an on-screen appearance before All Out where he encouraged CM Punk to answer the open challenge issued by Jon Moxley.

The now former AEW talent was part of the backstage brawl that took place after the All Out media scrum on September 5.

CM Punk first called out AEW EVPs during his post-media scrum. He was confronted by The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega once he reached his locker room.

• AEW is Going Through “Addition by Subtraction” After All Out Controversy

Steel who was on Punk’s side joined in the physical confrontation and it was reported that he bit Kenny Omega at one point.

AEW suspended everyone involved in the brawl. The company has not made any public comments about the incident and has been criticised for their silence over the matter.

It has been over a month since fans saw The Elite on AEW programming, but there was a mention of the group on last night’s Dynamite.

The Elite, consisting of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, have been suspended from AEW for their role in the All Out 2022 post-show backstage fight.

Punk has also been removed from AEW programming and became the first wrestler stripped of the AEW World Championship.

The Bucks and Omega were also stripped of the AEW Trios titles, which they had won on the All Out pay-per-view.

AEW Dynamite

There’s still no word on when The Elite will be back on AEW programming, but ‘Hangman’ Adam Page made a nod to the group last night.

During a segment with AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, Page’s toughness was called into question.

In response, Page said that he “hesitated in May, and it cost me,” a nod to his AEW World Championship loss to CM Punk at Double or Nothing.

In a more direct reference to The Elite, Page talked about how he misses seeing his “best friends” around.

“I have to watch, as week after week, they seemingly disappear. My old friends, they have disappeared.”

‘Hangman’ Adam Page referencing The Elite.

This wasn’t the only nod to The Elite at AEW’s debut in Toronto as shirts for The Elite, stylized in the Canadian flag, were sold.

The Investigation

Despite these references, neither Punk nor The Elite is expected back until the ongoing investigation is finished.

An external investigation is underway but is reportedly being delayed due to one person involved threatening a lawsuit.

While the Bucks and Omega are not expected to lose their jobs, it is believed that Punk could be fired, or quit AEW.

• CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW

AEW Dynamite is set to make its International debut on Wednesday night, as it emanates from Toronto, Ontario Canada for the very first time.

The show features a packed card, with Chris Jericho defending his ROH Championship against Bryan Danielson, Pac defending his AEW All-Atlantic Championship against Orange Cassidy, ‘Jungle Boy’ Jack Perry taking on former friend and partner Luchasaurus, and more.

But fans online are still reticent about the show because they feel that Elite member and former AEW Trios Champion, the Canadian-born Kenny Omega should be a part of the first AEW Dynamite from Canada.

Omega, of course, was one of the wrestlers suspended after a reported backstage brawl between Omega, The Young Bucks, CM Punk, Ace Steele, Ace Steele’s wife, CM Punk’s dog, the AEW company lawyer, and more.

Granted, not all of those names listed were actually throwing hands, but they were in the vicinity that the brawl took place.

The Elite and CM Punk Suspended

It’s been alleged that CM Punk threw the first punch in the brawl. It’s also alleged that Ace Steele, Punk’s friend and a (former?) producer for AEW threw a chair and bit Kenny Omega on the arm.

Most reports seems to indicate that Omega didn’t actually do anything wrong, but he was suspended anyway, at least until any legal ramifications might be cleared up.

Omega still appeared in Japan last month on behalf of AEW for the Tokyo Games Show, but he hasn’t been seen on AEW television since All Out.

Now, a new piece of merchandise may just mean that Omega could be in Canada.

Twitter user Kyle Masters Tweeted a photo of a Canadian Leaf-themed Elite shirt.

It would be weird to promote The Elite in Canada without a member of The Elite actually appearing in Canada, but stranger things have happened. Maybe this is nothing. Or maybe, just maybe, Kenny Omega could appear on AEW Dynamite.

• Update On AEW Suspensions Of CM Punk & The Elite

Whether he does or not remains to be seen, but stick with SEScoops as we provide updates on this developing situation.

As the month of September comes to an end the pro-wrestling community is still reeling from the events of the AEW ALL OUT media scrum, and the tirade from former two-time world champion CM Punk, who called out the wrestling media for their “mishandling” of the Colt Cabana situation. The Second City Saint also took aim at the AEW EVPs Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.

The situation only became worse when a backstage melee occurred between Punk and the Elite, one that got multiple names suspended and threw a wrench into several ongoing storylines that cause Tony Khan to alter his plans once again. At this point an investigation is still going on, with Punk’s status the biggest question mark up in the air. A number of top legends, analysts, and current superstars have weighed in on this monumental moment, and now we can add one more to the list.

Mick Foley Calls Punk’s tirade a disaster for AEW President Tony Khan

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley spoke about the ALL OUT media scrum and the ensuing backstage altercation on the latest edition of his Foley Is Pod program. The Hardcore legend begins by stating the obvious, which is that Punk’s comments at the scrum were counterproductive to his world title win earlier in the evening, and put AEW President Tony Khan in a terrible position.

“I think anything that takes away from the majesty of that moment is counterproductive. By that standard, everything Phil did, Punk did, was disastrous because it put Tony Khan in a bad position. Anything that ends up with, Punk I believe was hurt and would have probably been out. But it put a lot of eyeballs on the product the next night, that’s a given. It was just really unfortunate. You don’t want to see that side of your superstars.”

That’s not all. Foley further elaborated on the situation by comparing Punk’s victory over Jon Moxley to his victory over The Rock, his first world title win in WWE.

“You know, I know when I held that title aloft when I beat [The Rock] for the WWE Title, and I never thought I was a WWE Title guy, so I never based my career on it the way that a lot of people have. But I remember that feeling of just utter joy. I moved pretty good for a big guy when I ran my two or three laps around there and then gave the impromptu promo, Big Daddio did it. I can’t imagine going backstage and being angry or bitter, or taking the joy out of the experience for our fans. So I didn’t see Punk’s promo in its entirety, but it put Tony Khan in a bad position, and there’s a time and a place, maybe, to play with emotions. If you have something substantial that can make people feel strange in their gut, but not after a title win.”

Aside from just the incident Punk was also injured during his matchup with Moxley, which has put him on the shelf once again. At this time it is unknown if he will return when he is all healed up.

CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW

Sammy Guevara and Eddie Kingston are set to battle this Friday night at AEW Rampage Grand Slam from Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Grand Slam is one of All Elite Wrestling’s biggest events of the year and there are several exciting matchups on both Dynamite and Rampage this week. Friday’s Grand Slam edition of Rampage will be a special two-hour show.

Guevara and Kingston were supposed to square off at All Out but real-life personal issues prevented the match from happening. The issue stemmed from a Rampage taping in August. Sammy cut a promo in the ring with Tay Melo and called Eddie a “fat piece of sh*t”. Kingston got heated about the comments and confronted Sammy backstage.

The altercation led to Eddie getting suspended for two weeks and their match at AEW All Out being canceled. Eddie apologized for his actions, Sammy issued a statement, and the two men have apparently put the real-life issue behind them so that they can work together again. The promo never aired on television but a fan uploaded the footage and you can check it out below.

The Benefit of Using Real-Life Drama In Storylines

Eddie Kingston cut a promo about the upcoming match and stated that he doesn’t respect Sammy Guevara and thinks he’s a horrible person. Kingston vowed to “beat the piss” out of Guevara this Friday at Rampage Grand Slam.

“You may think I don’t like you or I don’t respect you because of the things you say, or because you are so in love with Twitter, and the only reason why you are in this great sport is to be famous. You don’t care, but nah Sammy, it is not because of any of that. No man, I don’t like you and I don’t respect you because inside when I look into your eyes, I see nothing but a horrible, rotten human being. You make me sick and that is why I am going to beat the piss out of you in Queens.”

Eddie’s brief promo above is a great example of how a real-life issue can be spun into a positive in the wrestling business. He clearly does not like Sammy personally, but that doesn’t mean they cannot provide an entertaining product to fans as professionals. The Mad King is always passionate in his promos, but you can tell when there is something extra behind it.

There was nothing cute about what he said about Sammy Guevara and there were no jokes. He simply called Sammy a horrible person that he wants to beat the hell out of in the match. Enough said, I’m sold. Kingston also got personal in his memorable rivalry with CM Punk leading up to their match at Full Gear and it added to the rivalry. This was before CM Punk decided to get offended about such things.

Can CM Punk & The Elite Do The Same?

It seems ludicrous to suggest that CM Punk, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks could put their issues behind them at this point, but some fans are still holding out hope. In case you’ve been under a rock, CM Punk went on an expletive-filled rant about Colt Cabana, Hangman Page, and The Young Bucks following winning the title at All Out.

Instead of talking about becoming champion again, Punk opted to go on a twenty-minute rant while eating muffins. To make matters worse, he was also injured during the match and relinquished the title again. He is a two-time AEW Champion without making a single title defense.

The former AEW Champion claimed that the EVPs (Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks) could not even manage a target and blamed them for starting the rumors that he wanted to get Colt Cabana fired. The EVPs then confronted CM Punk in his locker room and a wild Ace Steel appeared. Ace Steel is/was an AEW producer that was unknown to the audience until the Wednesday before All Out, in which he delivered a passionate promo to convince CM Punk to accept the match against Jon Moxley.

The circumstances surrounding the brawl make it seem highly unlikely that CM Punk and The Elite could work together in the future, but they would have everyone’s attention if they did. AEW Brawl Out remains one of the biggest stories of the year and people are still awaiting to find out the repercussions for everyone involved.

While CM Punk probably shouldn’t be relied on to carry the company anymore as he’s injured again, a Trios match with FTR against The Elite would be instant money for AEW. One can only hope that CM Punk and The Elite can follow in Eddie Kingston’s footsteps and put the past behind them. Hopefully, a positive can be found in Punk’s injury and it might actually allow the time needed for cooler heads to prevail.

• CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW

The fallout from CM Punk’s backstage altercation with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks has led to significant changes to future AEW storylines. Jon Moxley is among the wrestlers whose creative plans have been thrown into disarray.

Moxley lost the AEW World Title to Punk in the main event of Sunday’s All Out pay-per-view. However, after the backstage incident between Punk and Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, things were forced to change in a major way.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, there was a longterm storyline in the works for Moxley that had nothing to do with the championship. He was also approved to take time off, as as he alluded to during his promo on Dynamite, when he said he was supposed to be on vacation this week.

As a result of the ongoing investigation into the backstage melee at All Out (and subsequent suspensions that have been levied), AEW President Tony Khan called upon Moxley and Jericho to work Dynamite on short notice.

Another talent meeting that was held prior to Dynamite to address uneasiness in the locker room. Locker room veterans Moxley, Jericho and Bryan Danielson preached unity and reinforced the positive aspects of what has made AEW such a desirable place to work up until recently.

For more on the big shakeup to AEW’s creative plans, check out:

AEW has seen a shift in duties behind the scenes. According to a report Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net, the company’s Executive Vice Presidents have been less involved in the creative aspect of operations.

Sources within the Jacksonville-based promotion indicated that AEW President Tony Khan has taken an even greater role in crafting storylines and angles. While talents are encouraged to pitch ideas and give suggestions, it ultimately comes down to Khan, and “creative is absolutely Tony Khan’s prerogative now.”

It’s unclear when this transition happened but the report notes that at one point, Cody Rhodes was the only EVP who regularly attended office meetings. Though now his office role, as well as his creative input, has ‘greatly diminished.’

Matt Jackson’s EVP role has been assisting his wife Dana with merchandise while Nick Jackson is focused on handling Being The Elite.  Kenny Omega is focusing on the gaming side of things. He is very hands-on with the upcoming AEW Game. Although Kenny still helps put together the women’s matches.

After these changes, members of The Elite do not have the final say in the creative or hiring talents anymore and they are basically ‘EVPs in name only’ now.

Cody’s relationship with other EVPs appears to have been affected as well.  Per sources, “Cody doesn’t really have much of a relationship with any of the EVPs, anymore. The others are still great friends, but Cody is very much on the outside looking in.”

This isn’t the first time we are hearing about in-fighting among the EVPs. It was reported earlier this year that some AEW EVPs were no longer on talking terms. Though at the time the Young Bucks had tried to dispute the news by joking about it.

Adam Cole will face Frankie Kazarian in his first AEW match on Wednesday. Dynamite will take place from the Prudential Center in New Jersey this week. Cole spoke with the Asbury Park Press about the show.

“It’s so incredibly awesome that I’m getting to make my in-ring debut with AEW in that area,” Cole said. “To me, those fans have been some of the most passionate, some of the most excited, and some of the most dedicated that I have ever seen. The fact that I kind of cut my teeth in the Northeast area is something that those fans hold near and dear to them, and it’s something that I hold near and dear to me, too.”

Cole also teased a faction war between the Elite and Bullet Club could becoming to AEW soon. This has been teased in both Impact Wrestling and at the NJPW Resurgence PPV earlier this summer as well.

“I think there’s been tension with the Bullet Club over in Japan and the Elite here in AEW,” Cole said. “The history kind of speaks for itself, seeing the tension between the two teams and the two groups. So, ‘unfinished business’ I think would be an understatement. I think it’s very possible that at some point, me and the Elite are going to have to take care of some business.”

Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Karl Anderson, and Doc Gallows were all members of Bullet Club before becoming members of the Elite. Cole joined the faction in May of 2016 but then left in 2017 when he was killed off on BTE. He won the ROH World Championship while a member of the faction as well.

Adam Cole On Wrestling’s “Forbidden Door”

Cole also spoke about his excitement about the Forbidden Door opportunities currently available in wrestling.

“I keep going back to imagining me as a fan,” Cole continued, “thinking that two promotions could collide and have the chance to have, say, Impact wrestlers come on AEW or New Japan Pro-Wrestling wrestlers come there and wrestle AEW stars — and that is just so exciting.”

Bullet Club vs The Elite

Over the summer, Bullet Club and members of the Elite have clashed on shows for both Impact and NJPW. On Impact Wrestling, Jay White arrived and inducted Chris Bey into Bullet Club. White got into a back and forth with Anderson and Gallows, however, as they requested White thank them for making Bullet Club the world-famous name that it is.

Anderson and Gallows were confronted by Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa at NJPW Resurgence, however. Anderson again said that the members of Bullet Club need to thank the Elite for putting the faction on the map but when the Guerrillas of Destiny came out to confront the team, Anderson and Gallows simply left the ring area.

Tanga Loa who is part of Bullet Club recently talked about The Elite’s departure from the stable in an interview.

Tanga Loa has seen the faction go through a lot of changes and transitions. A member for more than five years, the 6-time IWGP Tag Team Champion talked about the major change that happened in Bullet Club.

Subgroup The Elite – comprising of The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, Marty Scurll and Hangman Page – officially left Bullet Club at the G1 Special in San Francisco in 2018.

The split was inevitable as The Elite had become separated from the identity of Bullet Club, according to Tanga Loa. He said that it had become necessary to establish what the faction meant to them and where they wanted it to go.

“One, I think you could see fans could see there was a real difference in the Bullet Club at that time, and Kenny [Omega] and The Bucks are amazing talents, and then Cody of course, was a part of Bullet Club at that time too. Marty [Scurll] was too, and I think when two of the members, the original members of Bullet Club feel like the club is not holding on to its roots, the tradition, that mindset of what started Bullet Club, I think they felt it necessary to pump the brakes and establish what it meant to be a part of Bullet Club, and San Francisco, I think was that point where we had to draw the line in the sand,” Tanga Loa told POST Wrestling.

After the departure of The Elite, Bullet Club is under the leadership of Jay White, who joined in October 2018. Tanga Loa has been with the faction since March 2016.

Bullet Club will be hosting Bullet Club Beach Party during WrestleMania 36 weekend in Tampa, Florida. The event is set to take place on April 4 at Whiskey Joe’s and many names from the pro wrestling world will be present. You can find more information about the event and ticketing here.

Tama Tonga Talks Bullet Club Beach Party WrestleMania Weekend

Members of the Elite appeared at Joey Ryan’s Bar Wrestling last night in Los Angeles. Cody said he was at the show because they were interested in signing someone to AEW.

“3 Executive Vice Presidents; Didn’t work for WCW but it’s going to work for AEW!” Cody proclaimed. “So we’re in charge of hiring and firing people, right?”

The live crowd chanted for Joey Ryan to be hired by Cody. Unfortunately, Cody revealed Joey Ryan is under contract to Lucha Underground until 2028. So, Cody announced he was signing everyone in attendance instead and then went crowd-surfing.

Video of their performance at Bar Wrestling can be viewed below:

Bar Wrestling was founded in Los Angeles in 2017 by Joey Ryan. Last night’s event was the 28th in the promotion’s history and was named “The Best City I’ve Ever Been To.” Their next event is on January 31st and is titled “Four Touchdowns In A Single Game.”

The Elite At Bar Wrestling

During the Elite’s performance, Hangman Page and Joey Ryan buried the hatched. The two had been involved in a heated rivalry last year in the build-up to All In. Page had left Ryan for dead and lived under suspicion of his murder for several months. Page posted the following to Twitter after last night’s show:

https://twitter.com/theadampage/status/1085822185103474688?s=12

All Elite Wrestling’s “Chief Brandi Officer”, Brandi Rhodes, posted the following:

You never know where we might show up 😈 #BarWrestling pic.twitter.com/OoELSih7v9

— Brandi Rhodes (@TheBrandiRhodes) January 17, 2019

Cody posted the following early this morning:

Fun night at the matches

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) January 17, 2019

He also teased the Elite could show up at other wrestling shows:

Surprised the LA crowd

Where to next? https://t.co/1Lq8WPnBLp

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) January 17, 2019

The All Elite Wrestling news continues to roll in. On Tuesday night, Cody Rhodes issued a statement regarding the new venture. Dustin Rhodes, Cody’s older brother, congratulated him on following in their father’s footsteps.

Want to take this time to say just how proud I am of @CodyRhodes . My brother has everything our father had. He has learned so much about being a wrestler, a business man, and an entertainer. He will bring it, in this huge venture he has created. #BestOfLuck #AEW. Love ya brother

— Dustin Rhodes (@dustinrhodes) January 2, 2019

WWE Superstar Xavier Woods also wished the Young Bucks good luck with All Elite Wrestling. New Day and the Young Bucks have long talked about working together one day. With the formation of All Elite Wrestling, this dream match is more likely to take place in AEW than WWE.

Good luck y'all! pic.twitter.com/x1c8VDaJyy

— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) January 2, 2019

Finally, the official Twitter account of All Elite Wrestling posted a photo of what appears to be Cody and Brandi Rhodes Rhodes, The Young Bucks and Hangman Page signing their AEW contracts. Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks joked that he and Nick were free agents for about 12 hours, confirming Dave Meltzer’s report that the Bucks were unsigned when the AEW announcement was made at midnight on New Year’s day.

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1080430937953906688

Update: ALL ELITE WRESTLING is officially announced.

Previously: The Elite is set to make a major announcement in a matter of hours. What do Cody, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and the rest of the gang have in store for us in 2019? After months of hints and an ambitious campaign to #ChangeTheWorld, a new episode of Being The Elite should set the record straight once and for all.

Fans on social media have been wondering exactly when to expect this big announcement. Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks clarified that the “very special” episode of Being The Elite drops January 1st, 2019 at Midnight PST / 3AM EST.

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1079898649365078017

We hope to get an article up soon after the new episode of Being The Elite is released. The Elite has vowed to stick together in 2019, wherever that may take them. Cody and The Young Bucks have finished up with Ring of Honor and will be featured prominently at Friday’s NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 pay-per-view from Tokyo.

Whether it’s the official announcement of All Elite Wrestling, another All In event or something else entirely, The Elite has once again commanded the attention of wrestling fans worldwide.

Head over to the Being The Elite Youtube channel and Subscribe if you don’t already. 

I’m SO excited 😆 https://t.co/Okb6dTsqvZ

— Brandi Rhodes (@TheBrandiRhodes) January 1, 2019

This Friday, New Japan Pro Wrestling presents Wrestle Kingdom 13 live from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The card is stacked, with IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega defending against Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event. In addition to Kenny Omega, fellow Elite members Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Hangman Page and Marty Scurll will all be in action.

Wrestle Kingdom is the biggest show of the year for New Japan, but it’s no secret there’s something else brewing involving The Elite that could alter the landscape of the entire industry. Of course, we’re talking about All Elite Wrestling, the upstart wrestling promotion involving The Elite and financially backed by the Kahn family, owners of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

Cody Rhodes will defend the IWGP United States Championship against Juice Robinson at Wrestle Kingdom. One week out from this challenge, Cody posted a photo on Twitter showing off the weight-lifting belt he’ll be wearing at the Tokyo Dome.

The belt, seen below, is inspired by the Jacksonville Jaguars’ logo and features the words “Won’t Back Down” in teal and gold. For what it’s worth, Cody’s tweet showing off the belt has since been deleted.

Cody’s Jacksonville Jaguars Inspired Weight Lifting Belt

Ring of Honor has announced that a “Farewell to the Elite” video will air tonight on Honor Club. The popular faction bid farewell to the promotion on Saturday at a set of TV tapings.

Farewell to #theELITE

TONIGHT 730 ET #HonorClub pic.twitter.com/pY7mxS5FAq

— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) December 17, 2018

The tapings were held inside the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. The Elite is expected to take part in a multi-person tag-team match to end their ROH tenures on ROH TV.

Farewell to the Elite In Ring of Honor

There is some speculation at the moment that members of the Elite could still wrestle big shows with ROH next year. If the Elite continue in NJPW, they could take part in joint ROH/NJPW shows in 2019. Cody has made it clear, however, that he won’t be on the Madison Square Garden show this April.

“I can’t imagine me being on that particular show,” Cody told SI.com earlier this month. “After two ‘supercards’ and breaking my back essentially against Kenny last year, it still can’t change the fact that people are in town for WWE.”

Hangman Page, who had been with the promotion since the beginning of his career, had the following to say regarding his departure from ROH:

“I had my last ROH match this weekend,” Page Tweeted. “Showed up to their training school for a tryout as a scrawny 18-year-old. Made a lot of good friends and memories along the way. Thanks, everyone. Full speed ahead.”

Members of The Elite bid farewell to Ring of Honor after the conclusion of Friday night’s Final Battle pay-per-view from New York City.

The Young Bucks, Cody, Hangman Page and S.C.U. (Christopher Daniels, Kazarian and Scorpio Sky) were all in action on the card. All of them are rumored to be departing Ring of Honor and all of them lost their matches Friday night. You can check out our full breakdown of the Final Battle pay-per-view here. The main event saw the Briscoe Brothers defeat the Young Bucks and S.C.U. in a Ladder War to capture the ROH world tag team championships for the 10th time.

After the show went off the air, The Elite hit the ring to address the live crowd. Matt Jackson thanked everyone for their support and said the Manhattan Center is their favorite venue to wrestle in. Fans chanted, “January 1st” in reference to The Elite teasing a major announcement regarding their future after the new year.

Jackson said this was not going to be some emotional farewell speech or anything like that, which brought on more supportive chants. The Young Bucks started in Ring of Honor 10 years ago and this past 2-year run as best the best time of their lives. They thanked Ring of Honor executives and their families for joining them each step of their journey.

Matt Jackson then asked, “We’re all elite, right?” He said “the timer is ticking” and something big is about to go down. He encouraged everyone to stay tuned and keep watching their Youtube series, Being the Elite, for details on their next moves.

Fans chanted “Double or Nothing” as The Elite signed off and promised they will return to New York City again.

Check out this video of The Elite saying farewell to Ring of Honor, courtesy of Youtube user Joseph Santangelo.

As we head into 2019, there are plenty of unanswered questions surrounding what the pro-wrestling landscape will look like in the new year. One of the most burning questions is where will members of the Elite end up?

Cody, the Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and eventually Marty Scurll (he’s under contract to ROH until the spring) are expected to form the nucleus of the All Elite Wrestling. Still, many members of the Elite are hoping to continue working with New Japan Pro Wrestling next year.

Will The Elite Continue With New Japan Pro Wrestling?

What could possibly prevent the Elite from returning to NJPW, is the promotion’s approach to talent-sharing deals. This issue was addressed in the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

“Obviously, both AEW and ROH will want a business relationship with New Japan,” Meltzer wrote. He would continue to say every promotion in the United States would like to have such a relationship.

“New Japan has blocked its talent from working for Impact, even though Don Callis is an announcer for New Japan, because of the ROH relationship,” he continued. “They have not blocked people from working for MLW.”

The question then becomes whether NJPW will allow their talent to work for All Elite Wrestling as they do for MLW or if they will block them from doing so, as they have done with Impact Wrestling.

A possible sign the Young Bucks could be staying occurred this week, however. The popular tag-team announced they are finally being flown first-class to Japan for NJPW shows. This was something the brothers had complained about on their YouTube series in recent weeks.

“New Japan could work with both AEW and ROH,” Meltzer concluded. “The ball really is in their court.”

We expect to hear some big announcements out of the Elite camp after New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 event on January 4th.

Cody is said to be recovering comfortably after enduring a controversial exorcism at the hands of the “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels.

On the latest episode of “Being the Elite”, the group concluded that Cody had become possessed, leading him to recite facts about WWE repeatedly. The Elite then decided to call in Daniels’ former “Fallen Angel” gimmick to give Cody an exorcism.

Matt Jackson provided the following description of the Fallen Angel to others on the show: “He’s the guy who has dealt with far worse evil spirits and demons of this Earth… named Vince Russo and Dixie Carter,” Matt Jackson said. “He’s the only guy who can perform this exorcism to save our friend, Cody.”

Daniels was quick to point out that Cody’s symptoms were some of the worst he’d ever seen. As Cody began to convulse, Daniels explained what was happening to the rest of the faction.

“(Cody’s got) the money-shakes,” Daniels said. “I haven’t seen them this bad since AJ debuted at the Royal Rumble.”

It was also revealed that the old WWF logo had been burned into Cody’s stomach.

Christopher Daniels Performs Exorcism On Cody

“The Power of Crockett compels you!” Daniels shouted as Cody responded with more random WWE facts. Scorpio Sky forcefully made Cody swallow a handful of “Blue Chew”. Unfortunately, Brandi would later confirm the medication was not effective.

Finally, after Daniels read to Cody from the Young Bucks’ recently published children’s book, he declared “this house is clean.”

Cody still has a torn meniscus which will require surgery in early 2019. Daniels didn’t do anything about that.

Although this is just speculation, one could possibly assume Cody’s possession on the show is an analogy relating to WWE’s attempts to sign him and/or other members of the group. There is a sledgehammer/Excalibur analogy going on as well. The mysterious allusions to candy bars which Matt Jackson has been making in recent weeks did not make an appearance in this episode, however.

You can watch the full episode and exorcism in the player below:

An entity called ALL ELITE WRESTLING, LLC has filed several new trademarks linked to a new upstart wrestling promotion launching next year.

Last month, SEScoops.com broke the news that a new wrestling promotion is in the works involving members of The Elite (Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks), Jim Ross, Chris Jericho, agent Barry Bloom with financing by the billionaire Khan family. There were denials by the parties involved, there was skepticism, but our friends at WrestlingNews.co have uncovered trademarks that provide a lot more information about what’s coming next.

AEW: All Elite Wrestling

Based on the trademarks filed November 5th, the new promotion will be known as All Elite Wrestling (AEW). All Elite Wrestling, LLC is based out of Jacksonville, Florida with the same address as TIAA Bank Field, the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The Jaguars are owned by the Khan family, co-owner Tony Khan heavily involved in AEW’s formation. The company also owns AllEliteWrestling.com.

The trademarks held by AEW’s parent company include:

• All Elite Wrestling and AEW
• Tuesday Night Dynamite
• AEW Double Or Nothing
• AEW All Out

Tuesday Night Dynamite indicates the promotion will be going with a weekly television series. As noted in our original report, AXS TV was fast-tracking plans to work with this new upstart wrestling organization. A rep from AXS TV denied this aspect of our report and we do not have any further details regarding the television home of AEW.

The following artwork was also trademarked for AEW: Double or Nothing and AEW: All Out (presumably events that will be taking place in 2019):

2019 is already shaping up to be a very interesting year for pro wrestling fans. We’ll keep you posted as more details are available regarding this new promotion.

As we reported earlier, The Elite were guests on Talk is Jericho this week, and delivered a newsworthy appearance.

The Elite Depart Bullet Club

For starters, Kenny Omega,Cody, Marty Scurll, Hangman Page and The Young Bucks made their Bullet Club departure official.

“This group right here is no longer The Bullet Club,” said Cody. “From this day forward, why don’t we just call ourselves The Elite?” asked Matt Jackson.

Cody and Omega further clarified their statement.

“The Tongans, Jay White, The Bullet Club, they’re all going to kick ass, we wish them the best. This is The Elite,” Cody said. “I don’t want this to be a negative announcement,” Omega said. “We fully support The Bullet Club and what they’re doing moving forward, it’s just that what we have in mind for ourselves and the business, just doesn’t align with what the Bullet Club OGs are doing.”

While careful to note that he meant no negativity towards the OGs, Omega went on to make some statements that could be construed that way.

“We take a lot of extra time to do the Being The Elite show, we really feel that it’s important to give back to you fans… Whereas the Bullet Club OGs just prioritize the other aspects of professional wrestling. They’d rather not do the extra stuff, which is fine. It’s okay to punch the clock,” he said.

“I’ll never forget it,” said Matt. “The Bullet Club was the best thing in our career. It’s time to do something new, something fresh, and to look out for ourselves and our families, and make a little bit of money on those t-shirts.”

Hangman Page

There was some collective head-scratching in the wrestling world when Hangman Page joined Bullet Club in 2016. Page had never held a title in Ring of Honor and had yet to debut in New Japan.

Page has since acquainted himself quite well, and has established himself as a can’t miss prospect, destined for singles stardom.

On Talk Is Jericho, Page revealed that he too was taken aback when he was told that he would be joining Bullet Club.

“I was a high school teacher at the time, I taught graphic design and journalism classes,” said Page. “I was really treading water, I didn’t know how long I could go on doing this.”
That changed with a phone call from ROH booker Delirious.

“I got into a good opportunity, I was told I’d be touring Japan a lot, including a three-week tour in a month or so… I asked, ‘Hey, am I going to make a lot of money doing this?’ Yeah, so I quit teaching that month,” Page said.

For much more, including how much input The Elite have into their New Japan booking, the Jericho cruise, and how Stardust came to be, you can check out the full episode below.

If using any of the above quotes, please credit SEScoops.com. This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.

https://youtu.be/m16tluZN4hI

Jim Ross speaks on Becky Lynch as a heel, the Evolution pay-per-view, and the future of The Elite in the latest edition of The Jim Ross Report.

Ross recorded this week’s episode from aboard the Rock N’ Wrestling Rager At Sea ship, while stationed in The Bahamas. While his internet connection was unreliable during Sunday’s Evolution show, Ross likes what he saw from Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.

Evolution, Becky Lynch As A Heel

“It was amazing what they did,” Ross said. “They didn’t close the show, but they could have. The issue is, WWE likes to close the show with a happy ending.”

“Becky is allegedly being positioned as a villain,” Ross explained. “Which I don’t agree with. It’s not working in that respect.”

Ross feels that Lynch’s current storyline has done wonders for her career.

“I love the fact that she’s developing as a star. If you want her to be a babyface, she’s a babyface. I think that’s what she is. Your paying customer, your greatest research material, tells me that,” Ross said. “The fans cheer her. They’re buying her merch.”

While he advocated for Flair and Lynch to close Evolution, Ross said he understands why Ronda Rousey and Nikki Bella went on last.

“Rousey’s the top female in the company… She’s the biggest attraction in the company, of any gender, perhaps. You can make an argument of that,” Ross said.

The Future Of The Elite

The Elite and their future after January has been one of the hottest topics in the wrestling world this year. Good Ol’ JR gives his take on what comes next.

“They’re all doing a lot of good work in New Japan. They’re doing well. The company is successful, which is great,” Ross said.

“But all those guys are desirable dudes. And they’re all getting ready to have contracts come up. It’s interesting.”

JR delves deeper into this subject, interviews Diamond Dallas Page, Ricky Steamboat, and Hurricane Helms, all on the Jim Ross Report.

The full episode can be found below.

When referencing this transcript, please credit SEScoops.com. This transcript has been condensed and edited for clarity.

What do you think of JR’s comments? 

A lot has been said and speculated about the current status’ of Elite members, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Cody, Marty Scurll, and Adam Page in relation to the Bullet Club.

More fuel was added to the fire earlier in the month as the collective released new t-shirts that they claimed would be their “final Bullet Club style” merchandise. Cody also took to Twitter and plainly stated that he was “100% not in the Bullet Club.”

Whilst on the Jericho Cruise, Chris Jericho scheduled a recording of his popular podcast, Talk Is Jericho with the entirety of the Elite group.

Matt Jackson touched on a number of subjects during the course of the conversation, including the origins of the YouTube hit series, Being The Elite, and how the show has evolved and changed since it started. He also confirmed that the group were now officially “The Elite,” and that they are no longer a part of the Bullet Club in any capacity.

He would go on to address the gradual separation that led to the split between Bullet Club and the Elite over the years, highlighting that it’s “not like I’m going to make this crazy announcement because it just feels natural, right?”

He went on to clarify his point, saying, “I think everyone on the ship can agree, it’s not just Kenny, me, and Nick as The Elite. We’re all elite. So, from this very day forward, why don’t we just call all of us The Elite?”

Bullet Club Is Fine

On the other side of the split, Tama Tonga took to Twitter in order to solidify the Bullet Club’s unity since attacking the Elite at NJPW’s G1 Special in San Francisco.

Back to business. We run this game now you bitches. #BulletClub #CutThroatEra pic.twitter.com/oSIjmScoEq

— Tama Tonga (@Tama_Tonga) October 23, 2018

So there you go, we now have official confirmation: the feud between the two factions is not a reignited Bullet Club civil war, and the Elite has branched off into their own, separate unit away from BC.

What do you make of this announcment? What do you see the two factions accomplishing going forward?

On the latest episode of The Jim Ross Report, Good Ol’ JR gave his take on the likelihood of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks leaving the ROH and NJPW promotions in January.

Ross also discussed Impact’s Bound For Glory, Evolution, and much more.

Jim Ross On Kenny Omega And The Young Bucks

“As I said early on, the card for the Ring of Honor Madison Square Garden Show, with New Japan, will probably look entirely different then, compared to what one would assume it look like if it was booked today,” Ross said. “I think there’s gonna be a lot of movement with some of the biggest stars in the game.”

While not betraying anyone’s confidence, Ross implied that his opinion is informed, and not just speculation. “Just picking up a little bit here, a little bit there, and I’ll keep you apprised,” Ross said.

“I’m talking to a lot of these cats that have opportunities to do other things, casually… I think some people’s motors are running and the wheels are turning,” he said.

JR On Bound For Glory

Ross also gave his take on Impact’s Bound For Glory event. Specifically, he discussed the angle involving Johnny Impact and Austin Aries.

“It was a creatively structured event. Got a lot of people talking. I’m guessing that was the goal, because I’ve never known Austin Aries to be unprofessional in anything,” Ross said. “I love what they did because it got people talking about a show that needed positive verbal reinforcement.”

WWE Evolution

JR also discussed the upcoming WWE Evolution show. He strongly put over Nikki Bella and Ronda Rousey’s segment from Raw this past Monday, and gave his thoughts on a potential match order for the event.

“I would pick Charlotte and Becky to close the show, in spectacular fashion, with death-defying athleticisism and physicality, and I would open the show with the tag match, Lita and Trish against Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. That’s a lot of star power and it gets people emotionally invested early,” he said.

Drew McIntyre

Ross offered some insight into Drew McIntyre’s booking, his potential, and his future. “It’s really clear to me now that the brass in WWE fully realize how great McIntyre can be as their top champion.”

JR posited that McIntyre may be headed for a coronation at the upcoming WrestleMania. “Let’s all keep our eye on Drew McIntyre and how he’s booked between now and WrestleMania,” he said.

“If my intuitions are right, and what seems to be the general direction WWE may be traveling right now, McIntyre is destined for greatness in the most supreme way.”

Other topics Ross covered on the show include the booking of Braun Strowman and what he would do differently, Bobby Lashley as a heel, Smackdown 1000, and the controversy surrounding Crown Jewel. The show also contains the second part of JR’s chat with Matt Hardy.

The full episode can be found below.

When referencing this transcript, please credit SEScoops.com. This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Do you think The Elite are bound for WWE? 

The bad blood between The Firing Squad/Bullet Club OGs and The Elite doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, with both sides taking to social media for months in order to have their say.

The most recent addition to their incendiary feud has been cast by the “Bad Boy” Tama Tonga.

Short and sweet, unlike many of his previous barbs, Tama Tonga tweeted that “The Elite doesn’t exist without #BulletClub,” before punctuating his thought with a loaded sentiment, saying, “Good luck in WWE.”

The Elite doesn’t exist without #BulletClub . Good luck in WWE

— Tama Tonga (@Tama_Tonga) October 15, 2018

The most notable thing about this is the direct reference to The Elite potentially going to the WWE. This has been heavily rumored despite their current success worldwide.

Further speculation could be made after members of The Elite released new shirts, highlighting that they will be the last “Bullet Club” style shirts they will offer.

Firing Squad vs The World

Since making their intentions clear at the end of NJPW’s G1 Special this past July in San Francisco, the Firing Squad have been on a tear throughout NJPW.

They recently claimed the IWGP Tag Team Championships, with the Guerrillas of Destiny besting their Bullet Club stablemates, and Elite representatives, The Young Bucks, at NJPW’s recent Fighting Spirit Unleashed event on September 30th.

Firing Squad have also recently added “Switchblade” Jay White to their ranks, bolstering their stable in the reignited civil war against Bullet Club.

What do you think? Will this new civil war lead to a satisfying payoff? Do you think we will see The Elite in the WWE?