Home Blog Page 613

Malakai Black Pulled From Upcoming Appearance Due To ‘Health Issues’

Jon Fuentes
-
0

Malakai Black has been pulled from an upcoming appearance due to “health issues.”

Black was slated for the upcoming Northeast Wrestling show on Friday, where he was billed to face Matt Taven. Jay Lethal and Enzo Amore. However, the promotion has announced that Black has been pulled from the show due to “health issues.”

The promotion is currently searching for a replacement for Black.

image 6

Malakai Black was recently granted a conditional release from his contract with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The former leader of the House of Black faction joined AEW in 2021.

However, reports suggest that Black was dealing with personal issues and could be considering a hiatus from professional wrestling. Of course, Black’s release was a conditional one.

Malakai Black
Malakai Black (Photo: Scott Lesh)

With that being said, the conditions of those release have not been made public. However, it’s believed that a big one could be not signing with WWE until the duration of their original agreement is complete.

This is certainly interesting considering AEW president Tony Khan noted in July that “Malakai Black has almost five years left on his deal. I wouldn’t expect him going anywhere anytime soon.”

Black’s exit was subtly hinted at after he bowed and waved goodbye to the Chicago crowd a AEW All Out this past weekend, after House of Black’s loss to Sting, Miro, and Darby Allin.

Ex-WWE Writer Claims He’s Heard ‘It Sucks Backstage’ In AEW

Jon Fuentes
-
0

An ex-WWE writer is claiming that he’s heard it “sucks backstage” in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Former WWE writer and actor Freddie Prinze Jr. took to his podcast, “Wrestling With Freddie,” to offer his thoughts on the current backstage environment in AEW.

Prinze stressed that AEW is in desperate need of leadership right now. He added that he has spoken to several people who work for the company, who say that the environment backstage “sucks.”

“It’s bad there, man. There’s no leadership. He was saying stuff in front of his boss that was making Tony cringe and become this shrinking violet, and that’s his boss. So there is no leadership backstage. Things have to be a mess back there.

“They have to find someone that everyone universally respects that can, not have a wrestlers court, but at least, or maybe that’s what they need is a wrestlers court. I mean, one of their EVPs, Adam Page, said he doesn’t need advice. He doesn’t take advice.

“I know a lot of actors that talk like that and they’re in their 20s, and I’m like, ‘Yo man. This is Peter Falk. You like not going to take a minute?’ They said, ‘I’m going to do what brought me here.’ All right, dog. I don’t know what’s going on there. I have a couple of friends who work there who just say it sucks backstage.

“They need leadership or someone from the outside that is in a position of power above the EVPs that ain’t having this or at least can bring people together and say have it, like hash it out right now even if that means you guys gotta throw some punches.

“I’ll drive you to the doctor as soon as it’s over. I don’t know what’s going on there, but if they don’t get their sh*t together, Triple H is going to run away with the wrestling business. Run away with it.”

Hangman Page CM Punk
(via AEW)

There have been several stories coming out of AEW about stars not getting along with one another. One being Sammy Guevara and Eddie Kingston. And of course, the most recent and biggest to date – CM Punk and The Elite.

Punk has been having issues with Hangman Page, and voiced his frustrations with Page in the AEW All Out post-show press conference. During the presser, Punk also took harsh shots at AEW EVPs Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks.

The then-AEW World Champion and former WWE star stated that The Elite “couldn’t manage a Target.”

Quotes via WrestlingNewsCo

Ric Flair Reacts To CM Punk’s Presser Comments, Brawl With The Elite

Jon Fuentes
-
0

Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair has reacted to CM Punk’s recent All Out press conference comments, as well as his brawl with The Elite.

As noted, CM Punk made some pretty strong comments about Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks during his press conference interview after All Out this past weekend.

Shortly after returning backstage, The Elite confronted Punk in his locker room, which led to a brawl.

Speaking on his podcast, “To Be The Man,” Ric Flair offered his thoughts on the entire situation.

In regards to Punk’s comments at the presser, and the AEW World Champion inviting people to come see him if they have a problem with him – Flair loved it.

“I’ve been watching it from afar and it’s very entertaining. If it’s entertainment the fans want, it’s entertainment they’re getting. Punk is giving them a lot of it. We just barely got to say hi [in WWE].

“I was long gone when all the bad blood seemed to appear between he and Hunter, then the lawsuit with the doctor and all that. I wasn’t aware of any of it and saw it like everybody else on social media. I always sided with Hunter on that because I didn’t know the other guy.

“But [Punk] is creating excitement now, and if he’s not afraid to say it – I like the way he said, ‘I’ll walk down the hall and be ready.’ That’s Harley Race talking right there. I don’t know if he’s that tough, but I love that.

“That’s old-time stuff right there. ‘If you got a problem with me, you can find me right there in the building.’ It’s got to be dividing the locker room.’

CM Punk

The Elite certainly took Punk at his word, as they did confront him immediately after his comments, leading to the altercation.

Flair doubled down that he loves that Punk felt strongly enough to speak up on the situation, but was reluctant to take sides in the end, as he has had nothing but pleasant experiences with Omega and The Young Bucks.

“There’s two kinds of brawls. There’s one where a guy will start a fight because he knows it’s gonna get broken up because there’s so many people around. I would think this is probably the situation with these guys.

“It’s not like they’re walking into the dressing room to talk to Harley Race or Blackjack [Mulligan]. That would take a lot of thinking and talking and walking to talk to Harley Race about something they didn’t like as an individual.

“The fact that Punk said, ‘I’m in the building if you want to find me,’ or something like that, I like that. It’s probably not what Tony [Khan] or anybody wants to hear, but if he has the courage to say that and he feels that strongly about somebody, then I don’t blame him for saying it.

“I like Omega and I like the Young Bucks. They seem like really easy guys to get along with, but I don’t know them that well. For me, it’s how they treat me as an individual, and they treat me great.

“I was able to be around Kenny when he wrestled [Andrade] in Mexico, and the Young Bucks have been awesome, so I don’t know. CM Punk, I don’t know him. But he said it.”

Quotes via 411Mania

Details On AEW’s Jon Moxley Plans Changing After CM Punk/The Elite Altercation

Jon Fuentes
-
0

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:

New Plans for the AEW Full Gear Main Event

Potential Timetable For Christian Cage’s Recovery

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Christian Cage has joined the list of AEW wrestlers who will need to take a long break from AEW programming due to an injury.

The former WWE star competed in a very short match at the All Out PPV. He defeated Jungle Boy with a spear and a killswitch in just 33 seconds. Jungle Boy was attacked by Luchasaurus before the match began.

A lot of people wondered about the length of the bout. After the PPV it was revealed that the wrestling veteran is actually dealing with an injury.

Christian Cage Out For Rest Of 2022

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer provided the latest update on Christian recently. He confirmed that the AEW star will be out of action for 6 to 9 months:

“His injury may be the exact same injury as [CM] Punk. So we’re talking again like an eight-month-ish, six-to-nine months of being out.”

CM Punk suffered the injury during his AEW World Championship match against Jon Moxley at All Out. It’s believed that he suffered a torn triceps that will see him stay out of action for the remainder of the year.

Christian has joined the list of AEW stars that are expected to stay out of action for the foreseeable future with Punk and Thunder Rosa.

AEW Dynamite Served as a Reset This Week. It Was a Success.

Ryan Droste
-
0

The eyes of the wrestling world were on TBS last night at 8:00 Eastern as a promotion that made headlines for all of the wrong reasons over the previous 72 hours went on the air.

The million dollar questions was how would Tony Khan handle the fallout from the melee that ensued after AEW’s All Out PPV in Chicago last Sunday evening. Would public suspensions be announced? Even firings? What would happen with the championships?

The result was a pre-taped segment with Khan to open the show where he announced that the AEW World and Trios Championships would be vacated, with new champions being crowned immediately (in the case of the Trios Championship) and in the future (the World Championship).

Public announcements regarding disciplinary action taken because of the backstage fight between The Elite and CM Punk and Ace Steel? There was nothing of the kind. In fact, the brawl itself was not directly mention at all throughout the broadcast, and Khan didn’t even clarify why the titles were being vacated.

And you know what? That was the right call.

While not everyone would be aware of what happened in the locker room of the NOW Arena three days earlier, many were, and it’s unquestionably a black eye (no pun-intended) for the promotion. Moving past it as fast as possible, changing the narrative, and giving a fresh start to the two titles previously mentioned was a necessity. As Bob Seger once wrote, “Turn the page.”

And as far as fresh starts go, the promotion succeeded. Everything felt back on track when the show reached its conclusion. AEW produced one of the better episodes of Dynamite in several months, top to bottom, including a fantastic second hour of wrestling that is among the best hours of in-ring action the promotion has broadcast on cable television.

Following Khan, we jumped right in with MJF making his Dynamite return by way of a spoof-babyface promo, and he eventually got confronted by Jon Moxley who gave the perfect promo that was needed after a wild couple of days, sending messages to the locker room and audience in the process. Moxley did his best to build up the significance of the AEW title after, once again, its champion will be unable to drop it in the ring. In doing so, he succeeded at making the Grand Slam Tournament feel as significant as possible given the unfortunate circumstances of its lineage.

That segment was followed by an excellent match between the Best Friends and Death Triangle to crown new Trios Champions and we were off to the races. New Women’s Champion Toni Storm and Penelope Ford delivered a very good women’s match. The Acclaimed were interrupted by Swerve (what better way to draw heel heat these days than blocking a Max Caster rap?), and a rematch for the tag titles was officially announced for Grand Slam. Wardlow gave an intense promo and ran over Tony Nese.

But that second hour? Wow. Bryan Danielson and Adam Page had a heck of a television match, with Bryan getting his win back on Page (he lost to him last January) and advancing in the world title tournament. One would expect Bryan to get his win back on Jericho in the next round, likely setting up a tournament final with his Blackpool Combat Club teammate Jon Moxley — a match big enough for a show that will emanate from Arthur Ashe Stadium in two weeks.

The main event slot was given to the hometown boy as Wheeler Yuta defended the ROH Pure Championship against Buffalo’s own Daniel Garcia, another fantastic bout. When Garcia hoisted the ROH Pure Title and celebrated with Danielson and an elated crowd to close Dynamite, the sins of three days earlier seemed like a faint memory.

This show served as a reset for AEW and made you believe the company can move forward, successfully, with a different roster dynamic right now. And while the promotion will continue to grapple with fallout from last weekend’s backstage fight for months to come, AEW talent not associated with that dark moment were given something to sink their teeth into and move forward. And so were the fans.

More from Ryan: Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news. Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

WWE Names New Executive VP of Talent

Andrew Ravens
-
0

WWE announced today that they’ve hired two new people on the executive side of their company, including a former president of an NFL team. 

The announcement touted the hires of former Las Vegas Raiders president Dan Ventrelle in the role of EVP, Talent, and Maurice F. Edelson in the role of EVP, Chief Legal Officer.

This past May, Ventrelle departed from the Raiders and claimed that he was fired “as retaliation for informing the [NFL] of alleged complaints claiming [Raiders owner Mark Davis] created a hostile work environment as well as other potential misconduct, which he says Davis dismissed.”

In the role of EVP of talent, Ventrelle will oversee WWE’s talent department and report to chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

The New Hires

WWE HQ
(via Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media)

WWE touted that Ventrelle was an integral part of the Raiders’ successful move from Oakland to Vegas and the opening of Allegiant Stadium. He began his tenure with the Raiders as an attorney in 2004 before expanding into other business roles. 

“As a lifelong fan, it is an honor to join the world’s premier sports entertainment company,” Ventrelle said. “I am inspired by the vision that Stephanie [McMahon], Nick [Khan] and Paul have for the future and excited to further the commitment to deliver exceptional talent to the WWE Universe.”

“Working with Dan during SummerSlam at Allegiant Stadium last year, we were impressed by his expertise across a number of business and personnel areas,” Levesque said. “We’re excited to welcome him to the company.”

Edelson will report to chairwoman and co-CEO Stephanie McMahon. Edelson was previously an EVP & General Counsel of Time Inc and served as General Counsel since 2015 for The Juilliard School. 

“I could not be more delighted to be joining the WWE team at this moment,” Edelson said. “I look forward to contributing to the ongoing success and expansion of the WWE business.”

  • Triple H Has Made Some Big Changes Since Taking Over WWE

“I Don’t Need a Title to Help AEW… I’m Chris Jericho, That Trumps All of That”

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Chris Jericho was one of the biggest names to join AEW early on. He has been helping the company grow in every way possible since then. Jericho has stepped even more into the leadership role in AEW amidst all the locker room drama. Though despite this, he doesn’t want an official title in the company.

The former AEW champion spoke to Inside The Ropes before the All Out PPV. He was asked about the recent restructuring within the company where several people were promoted. Jericho explained why he doesn’t need such a promotion:

“I don’t need a job title to help the company. I do it every day. Whenever I show up to TV, it’s a constant. Constant working from two o’clock until the show is over. If I’m wrestling or not.” said Chris Jericho, “That’s the way it should be. There’s not a lot of guys that have been doing this as long as I have. In our locker room there’s Sting, there’s Dustin Rhodes and then there’s me.

I’m one of the original AEW guys, probably was very integral in getting the company off the ground in a lot of ways. So I don’t have a problem with giving advice and helping people. It’s what I’m there for. It’s part of my job. Like I said there’s nothing to be written on a business card, you know, Director of EVP or whatever the fuck it is, who cares. I’m Chris Jericho. That trumps all of that.”

You can check out Chris Jericho’s full interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

New Plans for the AEW Full Gear Main Event

Michael Reichlin
-
0

All Elite Wrestling is hitting the reset button amid the fallout from Sunday’s All Out pay-per-view. The World Championship has been vacated. Death Triangle won the vacant Trios Championships on Dynamite. The next few months of storylines are being rewritten due to the company’s top stars serving suspensions.

A tournament of champions is underway to crown a new AEW World Champion. The semi-finals will take place next week on Dynamite. Chris Jericho will battle Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley will face the winner of Friday’s match between Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara. The finals will take place at the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite on September 21st.

Tony Khan books storylines several months in advance, so he’s been forced to scramble and come up with new ideas for remainder of the year. Whatever plans for November’s Full Gear pay-per-view are out the window. A new main event is currently in the works.

(NOTE: the following information contains potential spoilers for the ongoing AEW Tournament of Champions)

Full Gear Main Event

AEW is discussing Jon Moxley vs. MJF as the main event for Full Gear 2022, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. The implication is that Moxley will win the Grand Slam Tournament of Champions. MJF earned a contract to challenge the AEW World Champion by winning the Casino Ladder match at All Out.

As we saw on Wednesday’s Dynamite, the chess pieces are already being put into place for this eventual showdown.

AEW Full Gear takes place Saturday, November 19th from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

Claudio Castagnoli Recalls The Giant Swing From Blood And Guts Cage

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Claudio Castagnoli had a crazy first week in AEW. He made his debut at the Forbidden Door PPV defeating Zack Sabre Jr. and went on to compete in the Blood and Guts match only days later. Castagnoli gave fans a number of memorable moments during his very first week, including a giant swing on Chris Jericho from the top of the Blood and Guts cage.

The former WWE star recently appeared on AEW Unrestricted podcast. Speaking about the giant swing he delivered from the top of the cage, Claudio Castagnoli mentioned that it was Chris Jericho’s idea:

“He suggested it. He was like ‘We need to do it at the top of the cage.’ I’m like, ‘Sure, let me go up there and see’ Because it was my first time in that cage or especially on top of that cage. So the place where he suggested, I was like ‘Yes, that is possible,’ but in my mind his body would be almost over the cage for a second there. He was like ‘It’s fine I trust you.’ I am like ‘Yes, I trust myself too but accidents can happen.’ The highest priority is that my opponent is safe.”

‘Alright, We’re Done’: Claudio Castagnoli

However, the roles were reversed as soon as they got onto the top of the cage. Per Claudio Castagnoli, this time it was Jericho who was concerned about the success of the spot and wanted to be done with it:

“When we went and did it though. As soon as I did like one rotation I was like, ‘oh yeah, this is fine. We’re good. I can do this for a long time.’ But that’s when then Chris on the other hand was like, ‘No, no, we’re done. This is good. This is good.’ Because all he saw was obviously you know, being 20, 30 feet up in the air, seeing the crowd below him. He was kind of like, ‘Alright, we’re done.'”

Thankfully both the stars were unscathed coming out of the spot. You can relive the amazing moment from Blood and Guts below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

CM Punk Needs Surgery, Will Be Out 6 to 9 Months

Thomas Lowson
-
0

CM Punk will not be returning to All Elite Wrestling any time soon, if ever. Punk was on top of the world after defeating Jon Moxley to reclaim the AEW World Championship in the main event of Sunday’s All Out pay-per-view from Chicago. It would all come crashing down soon after that.

Aside from all the drama resulting in his post-show media scrum appearance, SEScoops has learned that Punk was injured during his match against Moxley. He’ll require surgery which will keep the 2-time AEW World Champion out of action for the remainder of the year.

Six to Nine Months

Punk tore a muscle in his arm after hitting a tope suicida (suicide dive) on Moxley mid-way through the bout, as first reported by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. It’s unclear if the injury affects his triceps, biceps, or pectoral muscle, but he’s expected to miss 6-9 months of ring time.

Meltzer added that Punk’s injury and guaranteed layoff time made Tony Khan’s decision to strip him of the AEW world title a no-brainer. It’s possible that Khan will decide Punk is not worth the trouble he brings.

“Punk’s out for eight months, or whatever it’s going to be, six months/eight months, whatever. If he’s not let go, and a lot of people don’t want him back.”

Dave Meltzer.

The Fight

Punk has been stripped of the AEW World Championship, in part due to his comments at the All Out media scrum and his participation in the backstage fight.

In his report, Meltzer noted that Punk didn’t feel respected, as his philosophy when it comes to wrestling differs from how the Elite do things.

Meltzer said that Ace Steel’s side of the story is that he grabbed and bit Kenny Omega, because Omega was trying to pull CM Punk off of Nick Jackson.

Steel also mentioned wanting to protect his wife, who was also in the room at the time.

Eric Bischoff: CM Punk Disrespected Tony Khan At Media Scrum

AEW Held Another Talent Meeting Before this week’s Dynamite

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Last night’s AEW Dynamite was the first show since All Out 2022, and the first after what happened following the Pay Per View.

During the post-All Out media scrum, CM Punk had explosive comments about AEW EVPs Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, as well as Colt Cabana and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page.

Backstage, Punk and his trainer Ace Steel engaged in a fight with Omega and the Bucks.

Talent Meeting

With AEW under scrutiny, a talent-wide meeting was held prior to last night’s episode of Dynamite.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reports that Chris Jericho, Bryan Danielson, and Jon Moxley led the meeting, which included wrestlers, referees, coaches, and announcers.

It was reported that Chris Jericho has been commended by the talent for his professionalism and demeanor following the CM Punk/Elite controversy.

This meeting comes weeks after an AEW talent meeting last month to address reports of issues within the company.

What’s next?

During this week’s AEW Dynamite, Tony Khan confirmed that CM Punk has been stripped of the AEW World Championship and that the Elite have been stripped of the AEW Trios Tag Team Championships.

The Death Triangle won the vacant AEW Trios Tag Titles during Dynamite with a win over Best Friends and Orange Cassidy.

A new AEW World Champion will be crowned at the Grand Slam Dynamite on September 21.

CM Punk is also reported to be out with an injury that he suffered during his world championship win over Jon Moxley at All Out.

There’s no word on when Punk is expected to return to AEW TV if he is not fired.

Wrestlers React to CM Punk AEW All Out Madness

Claudio Castagnoli Shares Memories Of Working With Brodie Lee

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Both Claudio Castagnoli and Brodie Lee came from nothing and became big stars in wrestling. The two shared a lot of steps in this journey and Castagnoli has a lot of fond memories of working with the late star.

The AEW star shared some of these memories during his appearance on AEW Unrestricted podcast. He was asked about his experience of having the first ever Steel Cage match in the history of Chikara with Brodie. Replying to it, the BCC member first recalled how Lee used to stay with him everytime he visited the Philly area:

“Oh, it was awesome. Back then, Brodie came down from Rochester all the time to the Philly area for Chikara and Ring of Honor. Towards the end of my Ring of Honor run he was there. Every time Brodie came into town, he stayed at my place.

I remember one of my first paychecks from Japan, I bought a new bed. I could finally afford it. I saved my old mattress though, so he could sleep on it. Because he would just sleep on the couch. So then he had like his own bed.”

‘We Always Had A Laugh’: Claudio Castagnoli

Claudio Castagnoli then mentioned how they had a lot of fun working together. The cage match between the two was no different:

“We always had a laugh. We always had fun when we had our matches because we would always try to do something crazy.

To have the steel cage match, the first ever was a lot of fun. He still accused me every time he’s got the chance to of whipping him into the cage too hard and thus, he got color which was a big no no at the super PG Chikara. He would remind me every single time that I made him bleed. It was because I was shutting him too hard. Not so sure about that.”

More Originals From SEScoops:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Velveteen Dream Allegedly Bit Man & Threatened to Kill in Battery Arrest

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Last month, Patrick Clark, aka Velveteen Dream, was arrested twice.

On August 20, Clark was arrested over an alleged first-degree battery, and was arrested again six days later for a violation of probation by the Orlando Police Department.

Battery

TMZ has added new details to Clark’s first arrest from last month, which is reported to have happened around 8:45pm EST at the Club Orlando fitness facility in Orlando, Florida.

Officers connected to the case claimed that Clark was confronted by a senior employee of a gym, who informed the wrestler that he had to vacate the area of the gym as it was due to cleaning.

Clark reportedly became “irate and argumentative” and after things escalated, the ex-NXT Superstar was told to leave the gym entirely.

Threats

After being ordered to leave the gym, Clark is reported to have become more aggressive at the employee.

TMZ’s report states that Clark threatened to kill the man, before punching him in the face.

Officers said the gym employee told them the two then got into a fight, during which Clark bit him on the left side of his chest, near his armpit.

The two were separated by other employees of the gym.

According to the documents, officers arrested Clark after they observed teeth marks on the employee.

The Plea

According to court records, Clark has been charged with two misdemeanors: battery and trespassing on a property after warning.

Clark’s attorney has filed a not guilty plea in this case.

Velveteen Dream Arrested on Multiple Charges Earlier This Month

CM Punk & The Elite Pulled from AEW Dynamite Intro

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Last night’s AEW Dynamite was the first show after All Out 2022, but the Pay Per View has been overshadowed by what happened after.

In the post-show media scrum, CM Punk had some explosive comments about AEW EVPs the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, accusing them of spreading false information about him.

Punk also took aim at his former best friend Colt Cabana, as well as ‘Hangman’ Adam Page.

The Fight

In addition to comments, Punk was involved in a backstage fight at the All Out post-show media scrum.

Several reports have stated that Punk was the one to throw the first punch, hitting Matt Jackson, while his trainer Ace Steel would hit Nick Jackson in the eye with a chair.

Steel is also reported to have bit and pulled the hair of Kenny Omega.

AEW Dynamite

The Bucks, Omega, and CM Punk are four of the biggest names in AEW, but none were featured on last night’s Dynamite.

AEW’s production team also worked quickly to remove Punk and the Elite from the opening video package, which had featured all four men prominently until this week.

During his announcement that the AEW World Championship and AEW World Trios Championships had been vacated, Tony Khan did not reference any of the suspended individuals by name.

New AEW World Trios Champions were crowned during Dynamite, with a new AEW World Champion set to be crowned during the Grand Slam special edition of Dynamite in two weeks on September 21.

AEW World Title Vacated, ‘Grand Slam Tournament of Champions’ Announced

“It was a Year of Me Being an A**hole” Becky Lynch on Her Rivalry With WWE RAW Star

Robert Lentini
-
0

Becky Lynch suffered a separated shoulder during her match against Bianca Belair at WWE SummerSlam. Big Time Becks came up short at SummerSlam but left Nissan Stadium in Nashville as a fan-favorite once again.

After Bianca Belair retained the RAW Women’s Championship Damage CTRL (Bayley, Iyo Sky, Dakota Kai) made their debut and surrounded Belair. Becky returned to The Man persona and stood by the champ’s side.

Damage CTRL retreated but attacked Becky on the following RAW as a way to write her off TV as she recovers from her injury. Bayley seems to be next in line for a title shot as she pinned the RAW Women’s Champion during the 6-woman tag team match at Clash at the Castle this past Saturday.

Becky Lynch on her Rivalry With Bianca Belair

The EST did more than just retain her RAW Women’s Championship over Becky Lynch at SummerSlam. She avenged her loss to Becky in 26 seconds at SummerSlam 2021.

Becky joined Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast and said that she is really happy with the feud and noted that it began and ended with a handshake at SummerSlam. She added that she spent the past year being an a**hole but has come back around to being The Man.

I’m really happy with what we did because I do think that it was a beautiful end to the story. It began with a handshake at SummerSlam, it ended with a handshake at SummerSlam. It was a year of me being an a**hole and coming back around to being The Man. I feel like it was, we don’t often do long-term storytelling like that, and more often when we do it is by accident.

But we had it in our minds what we wanted to push forward, especially that WrestleMania moment. Everything that happened afterward wasn’t ideal, but actually turned out to be ideal. So, I’m really proud of that year.

Becky Lynch on her feud with Bianca Belair
  • Triple H Has Made Some Big Changes Since Taking Over WWE

H/T: Sportskeeda

Rumor Killer On Ricky Starks Following All Out Match

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Ricky Starks is considered a future world champion by many and so fans were left surprised over his quick loss to Will Hobbs at All Out.

Fightful Select provided some update on the situation and addressed some rumors that have been going on about the status of the AEW star.

They confirmed that the rumors of the former FTW champion being injured are not true and he is ‘healthy and good to go.’

In midst of all the backstage drama going on in AEW, some speculated that Starks might have asked for his release too. There were other rumors that said that he has signed a contract extension with the company recently but both are incorrect.

The All Out match between Ricky Starks and Will Hobbs originally had more time allotted to it. There is no word on why it was cut short. The current working plan is for Hobbs to get a push after his victory.

Ricky Starks won the FTW championship by dethroning Brian Cage in July 2021. He defended the title a number of times in the following year before dropping it to Hook in July this year at Fight For The Fallen.

During a post-match interview with Tony Schiavone, fellow Team Taz member Will Hobbs snapped and attacked Starks. The two have been feuding ever since.

Watch: What Happened With Bryan Danielson And Danial Garcia After Dynamite Went Off Air

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

The main event of this week’s Dynamite from Buffalo saw the crowning of a new champion. Danial Garcia beat Wheeler Yuta to become the new ROH Pure champion.

After the match, Yuta’s BCC teammate Bryan Danielson came out to congratulate Garcia. Chris Jericho also came out and stood at the ramp.

Once the cameras stopped rolling, Danielson hyped up Danial Garcia’s hometown crowd over his title win.

When the new ROH champion started celebrating with Bryan, Chris Jericho asked ‘What are you doing?’ The Buffalo crowd then chanted ‘You’re a wrestler’ to Garcia.

Garcia seemed torn between Jericho and Bryan for a moment but he shrugged and continue celebrating his title victory with Danielson. This led to Jericho storming back up the ramp while shaking his head in disapproval before leaving.

Rapper WESTSIDEGUNN who is also from Buffalo then came out in the ring to celebrate with Danial Garcia. Garcia cut a promo and said that it’s a big night for both AEW and wrestling and sent the crowd home happy.

Garcia wasn’t the only new champion crowned during the night. AEW also crowned new Trios Champions after the suspension of The Elite.

10 Takeaways From AEW Dynamite (9/7): MJF Speaks, New Champions, Titles Vacated, Jon Moxley, More

Robert Lentini
-
0

AEW Dynamite aired live from the Keybank Center in Buffalo, NY. Wheeler Yuta defended the ROH Pure Championship against Daniel Garcia in the main event. AEW President Tony Khan addressed the situation with the AEW & Trios Championships and MJF spoke after winning the Casino Ladder match at All Out.

Dynamite Results (9/7)

  • Death Triangle def. Best Friends & Orange Cassidy to become the new Trios Champions
  • Toni Storm def. Penelope Ford
  • Wardlow def. Tony Nese to retain the TNT Championship (squash match)
  • Bryan Danielson def. Hangman Adam Page to advance to the semifinals of the AEW Championship tournament
  • Daniel Garcia def. Wheeler Yuta to become the new ROH Pure Champion

Here are 10 takeaways from this week’s AEW Dynamite

Tony Khan Vacated Both the AEW & Trios Championships

Tony Khan addressed the crowd via a backstage video. Tony Khan announced that both the AEW Championship and the Trios Championships have been vacated. Tony announced that the new Trios Champions will be crowned in the first match of the night and the new AEW Champion will be determined in a tournament ending at Grand Slam.

Note: Tony Khan provided no reason as to why the titles were vacated. He did not mention the brawl between The Elite, CM Punk, and Ace Steel. None of the wrestlers involved in the incident had their names mentioned during the show likely for legal reasons.

MJF Pretended to be a Babyface Before Showing His True Colors

Maxwell Jacob Friedman came to the ring in a Bills jersey and announced that the devil is back. MJF admitted that he said some offensive things the last time they saw him and the crowd chanted “you were right!”.

MJF said that he loves AEW and will never leave this place. MJF kept making jokes before announcing that why he’s not in the tournament. He said he’s got a chip that gives him a title shot whenever he wants. MJF stated that we are not in dark times, they just need leadership and he can’t think of someone more trustworthy than himself. Maxwell added that he’s going to lead AEW to the promise land before Jon Moxley interrupted.

Moxley made his way through the crowd and got into the ring with Maxwell. Jon told MJF that he’s full of crap. MJF then ripped off the Bills jersey and wiped his buttocks with it before shouting “Josh Allen sucks!”. Maxwell pointed out that Jon went to sleep on Sunday but he might have a point.

MJF suggested that maybe he looks at the AEW Championship as a bargaining chip for WWE. Maxwell added that maybe he’ll get to work at a real wrestling company and for the only Khan that matters in the wrestling industry, Nick Khan. Moxley challenged him to a fight but MJF exited the ring.

Opinion: MJF is in an unbelievable position right now. There is no way WWE wouldn’t want to sign him, but at this point he should Tony Khan for the world. He’s an undeniable talent and the person All Elite Wrestling should be trying to build around.

Jon Moxley Delivered a Passionate Promo About What it Means to be AEW Champion

Moxley joked that MJF’s theme music sucks before he exited the ring. Jon said he’s pissed off and embarrassed about what happened. Jon added that the AEW World Champion represents the freedom to be as great as you are willing to dare to be. Moxley was very passionate during this promo and the crowd chanted his name.

Jon noted that he lost on Sunday and that is on him. Moxley mentioned the names in the tournament and said that winners always when the game is on the line. Jon stood tall in the ring and said that it is time to be a legend to close the promo.

Opinion: This was a tremendous promo by Moxley. His matches might not be for everyone but there is no denying that he cares about the company above all else. Unfortunately, that cannot be said for a lot of the top talent at the moment.

Death Triangle are the new Trios Champions

Best Friends (Chuck Taylor, Trent) & Orange Cassidy battled Death Triangle (PAC, Rey Fenix, Pentagon Jr) to crowd the new Trios Champions. Best Friends dominated most of the match early and isolated Rey Fenix in the ring.

Chuck and Trent shared a hug as the crowd popped. Orange Cassidy planted Pac with a German Suplex and went for an Orange Punch but Penta broke it up. Trent connected with a Code Red for a near fall as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Death Triangle got Chuck alone in the ring and Pac hit him with the Black Arrow for the pinfall victory. Death Triangle are the new Trios Champions.

Opinion: The crowd was very into this match and it added a lot to it. The Trios Championships could not have gotten off to a worse start than what has happened. The Elite won the finals of the tournament at All Out and threw them away a few hours later. Hopefully, Death Triangle can salvage the titles but AEW is already having a hell of a time making Pac’s All-Atlantic Championship relevant.

Toni Storm def. Penelope Ford

AEW Interim Champion Toni Storm battled Penelope Ford tonight on Dynamite. Kip Sabian accompanied Penelope to the ring while wearing the box over his head again. The action spilled out of the ring and Penelope sent the champ into the steel steps. When Dynamite returned, Toni battled back and hit Sweet Cheeks Music (Hip Attack). Penelope tried to battle back but Storm prevailed by rolling her up for the pinfall victory.

Wardlow Dominated & Retained the TNT Title

Wardlow defended the TNT Championship against Tony Nese tonight on Dynamite. This was a complete squash by the TNT Champion. Wardlow hit a few Powerbombs and retained the title with ease.

Swerve in our Glory vs. The Acclaimed II Announced For Grand Slam

The Acclaimed made their way to the ring with Billy Gunn. Max Caster was about to rap but was interrupted by AEW Tag Team Champion Swerve Strickland. Swerve said it was a joke that The Acclaimed would become champs. Billy Gunn interrupted and told Swerve that this isn’t his house anymore. Anthony Bowens said that they have another shot at the AEW Team Championships at Grand Slam because everyone loves The Acclaimed. Bowens then shouted “scissor me Daddy Ass!” at Billy Gunn to close the promo.

Opinion: I thought this was the best match of All Out and am excited to see the rematch. I am wondering now that The Elite aren’t around if FTR might actually get a shot at the AEW Tag Team championships after being ranked #1 for an eternity. Cash Wheeler seems to believe so.

Bryan Danielson will Battle Chris Jericho Again Next Week in the Semifinals of the AEW Championship Tournament

Bryan Danielson battled Hangman Adam Page tonight in the AEW Championship tournament. The winner of the match will face Chris Jericho next week in the semifinals. Hangman controlled the match early and leveled Danielson with a Clothesline. Hangman sent Bryan out of the ring and went after him. Danielson shoved Hangman into the ring post and smirked as the show went to a commercial.

When Dynamite returned, Hangman connected with a Powerbomb for a near fall. Danielson went for a Suicide Dive but Hangman countered into another Powerbomb on the ring apron. Back in the ring, Hangman went for the Buckshot Lariat but Danielson ducked. Bryan went for the LeBell Lock but transitioned into a roll-up for the victory.

Opinion: You wouldn’t think it, but Danielson and Jericho actually had a solid match at AEW All Out. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed by the brawl and also the All Out being far too long of a show with way too many matches.

Stokely Hathaway’s Crew Attacked a member of AEW’s Production Team

Stokely Hathaway, Gunn Club, Ethan Page, Lee Moriarty, and W. Morrissey were about to cut a promo when a crew member tried to cut them off because they were low on time. Hathaway bashed him over the head with a microphone and his crew beat the hell out of the poor crew member.

Daniel Garcia Captured The ROH Championship

Wheeler Yuta defended the ROH Pure Championship against Daniel Garcia in the main event of Dynamite. It was announced that Claudio Castagnoli will defend the ROH Championship against Dax Harwood on Rampage. Jericho Appreciation Society was not ringside for the match.

The action started back and forth, with Blackpool Combat Club’s Wheeler Yuta taking control as Dynamite went to the final break of the night. Both men were on the canvas when Dynamite returned. Daniel Garcia locked in a submission and tapped out Wheeler Yuta.

After the match, confetti reigned down as Garcia celebrated in the ring. Bryan Danielson came down to the ring as Wheeler & Daniel Garcia shook hands. Daniel Garcia then put the ROH Pure Champion on Daniel as Chris Jericho flipped out on the entrance ramp as Dynamite went off the air.

Final Thoughts: AEW needed to put on a solid show tonight after a chaotic weekend and they delivered. It appeared that everyone put their best forward for at least a night. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come and the company can back on track.

What did you think of tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch: What MJF Said In His First Promo Back

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

After a couple months of absence MJF finally returned to AEW at All Out and confronted the former AEW world champion CM Punk.

This week’s episode of Dynamite opened with Tony Khan addressing the future of the trios titles and the world title after the backstage drama that unfolded at the PPV on Sunday night.

MJF made his way to the ring after TK and addressed the fans for the first time in months. He got the Buffalo crowd behind him by wearing a Josh Allen shirt.

The AEW star mentioned how he said some offensive stuff when the fans last saw him. The crowd responded with ‘You were right’ chants. MJF claimed that he didn’t mean it and he loves AEW which led to an AEW chant.

MJF then explained why he isn’t a part of the announced tournament to crown the new AEW world champion. He mentioned that he already has a guaranteed world title shot after winning the Casino Ladder Match:

“You might think we’re in dark times, but we’re not.” said MJF, “What we need is leadership. I’m not saying I’m Moses, I’m better than Moses,”

When Jon Moxley came out to call MJF on his bullshit, MJF showed his true colors very quickly. He explained that he was going to use the world title as a bargaining chip for the 2024 bidding war.

The young star said that in 2024, he would go to WWE with his best friend Cody Rhodes and the ‘only Khan that matters’ because ‘that’s what’s best for business.’

He then teased a confrontation with Mox but MJF eventually backed off. He headed back to the ramp, leaving Mox to cut a promo about the AEW title.

AEW Dark Elevation Taping Results From Buffalo

Ryan Droste
-
0

Prior to this week’s newsworthy edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS, AEW taped Dark Elevation matches that will air in the future on their YouTube channel.

SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay sent in the following results. If using these results elsewhere, please give credit to both SEScoops and Ella Jay.

AEW Dark Elevation Results

Nyla Rose & Marina Shafir defeat JC Storm & A Local Talent
Julia Hart defeated Tiara James
Dante Martin & Matt Sydal defeat Zack Clayton & Serpentico
Athena defeated Emi Sakura
Brody King & Buddy Matthews defeat Kubes and Isiah Prince
Hikaru Shida defeated Christina Marie
John Silver defeated Ryan Nemeth
The Butcher & The Blade defeated Aaron Solo & Nick Commorado

AEW World Title Vacated, ‘Grand Slam Tournament of Champions’ Announced

AEW World Title Vacated, ‘Grand Slam Tournament of Champions’ Announced

Ryan Droste
-
0

This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite opened with Tony Khan addressing the audience with a pre-taped segment.

Khan announced that following the events of this past weekend at All Out, he has been forced to vacate both the AEW World Trios Championship and the AEW World Championship.

Khan went on to announce that new Trios Champions would be decided this week as PAC and Death Triangle will take on the Best Friends to crown new champions. This follows The Elite (The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega) becoming the first-ever AEW Trios Champions at All Out when they defeated “Hangman” Adam Page and the Dark Order.

However, the real life fight that happened backstage between The Elite and CM Punk and Ace Steel forced Khan’s hand.

CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at All Out. However, his participation in the backstage fight (as well as the fact that he suffered an injury in his match with Moxley) also forced Khan’s hand here as it relates to the world title.

A new AEW World Champion will be crowned at AEW Dynamite in two weeks at AEW Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The tournament begins tonight on Dynamite.

Participants in the tournament include: “Hangman” Adam Page, Bryan Danielson, Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin, Chris Jericho, and Jon Moxley.

Make sure to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news. Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

Tony Khan to Address the AEW & Trios Championships on Tonight’s Dynamite

Robert Lentini
-
0

AEW President Tony Khan has announced that he will address the AEW Championship and the Trios Championships tonight on Dynamite.

Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (The Elite) became the inaugural Trios Champions at All Out by defeating Dark Order and Hangman Adam Page. CM Punk once again became AEW Champion by defeating Jon Moxley in the main event of the PPV.

Jon had previously demolished Punk on a recent episode of Dynamite to unify the Interim and AEW Championships. AEW producer Ace Steel hyped up Punk on last week’s show and his inspirational speech led to The Best in the World accepting a rematch for the title at All Out. MJF then returned after Punk won the title and had a stare-down with him to close the PPV.

After the PPV, instead of talking about winning the title, CM Punk arrived at the media scrum and brought up Colt Cabana’s name on his own after seeing Wrestling Inc’s Nick Hausman. The champion ranted for close to twenty minutes about Colt, Hangman, and the EVPs all while his boss Tony Khan sat beside him.

The backstage drama then reached an absurd level with The Elite storming into the AEW Champion’s locker room. A brawl ensued that has already resulted in the suspensions of The Elite and several others. Ace Steel reportedly hurled a chair that clocked Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks in the face with a chair.

As of now, there has been no update on where CM Punk stands with the company. It was also reported today that Punk suffered a serious injury during the title match and would have likely had to vacate the title again regardless of the brawl following All Out.

Tony Khan took to Twitter to announce some plans for tonight’s highly anticipated episode of AEW Dynamite. He said that he will address the situation regarding the championships tonight on Dynamite. It will be interesting to see if both the AEW Championship and Trios Championships are vacated on tonight’s episode of Dynamite.

Thank you everyone who watches @AEWonTV! Tonight LIVE on @TBSNetwork on Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite I’ll address the@AEW World Championship +@AEW World Trios Championship! Please join us on TBS tonight on #AEW Dynamite for a great wrestling show live @ 8pm ET/7pm CT TONIGHT!

CM Punk Sustained Serious Injury at All Out, Status for AEW Dynamite

Thomas Lowson
-
0

At AEW All Out 2022, CM Punk captured his second AEW World Championship, dethroning Jon Moxley in their rematch.

Punk’s win has been overshadowed by what happened after All Out, as he had fiery comments for Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, Colt Cabana, and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page in the post-show media scrum.

A fight broke out pitting Punk and trainer Ace Steel against Omega and the Bucks, which has reportedly led to suspensions for all involved.

Injured

CM Punk match may have been overshadowed by his actions out of the ring, but the AEW World Champion isn’t just facing a possible firing from the company.

Dave Meltzer reports that Punk is injured, which is believed to have happened after hitting a tope suicida during his All Out main event with Moxley.

It had been rumored since Sunday that Punk may have been injured in the match.

Meltzer added that no matter what punishment Punk receives for his role in the media scrum fight, the AEW World Championship situation will be addressed on tonight’s Dynamite.

Punk is reported to be at home in Chicago, and is not scheduled to appear at tonight’s AEW Dynamite in Buffalo, New York.

Change of Plans

Addressing a CM Punk injury is just the latest change of plans made for tonight’s AEW Dynamite.

With reports that everyone involved in the fight after All Out is suspended, Tony Khan has had to book multiple last-minute appearances.

It was reported earlier today that Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley are set to appear on Dynamite, despite not previously being advertised for the show.

In a tweet, AEW confirmed Jericho’s participation in tonight’s show, saying he will address the ‘AEW Galaxy.’

AEW Personality Expected to Lose Job Over All Out Media Scrum Fight

Kris Statlander Undergoes Knee Surgery, Timeframe for Return

Ryan Droste
-
0

Kris Statlander has undergone knee surgery that will keep her out of action for the remainder of the year. Statlander was climbing the ranks in AEW’s Women’s division before sustaining an injury at the August 5th AEW Dark tapings. The company confirmed her injury on the August 10th edition of Dynamite.

Statlander reached the #2 spot in the rankings, which put her within striking distance of a title match. Unfortunately, she won’t be wrestling again any time soon.

On August 11th, she took to social media to address the news of her injury.

“Welp. One knee fixed, one to go. After the first knee injury I came back stronger and better than ever so it’s all over for you all when I come back from this one. I’m sorry to let you all done once again. I’ll be back bigger, more powerful, and more than a woman.”

Kris Statlander Injury Update

Statlander underwent knee surgery earlier today, based on her posts on social media. This is her second major knee injury since joined AEW.

She recently spoke about the timeline for her recovery, which you can read about below:

Kris Statlander Confirms Timetable For Recovery
1...612613614...3,413Page 613 of 3,413