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Sean Waltman On CM Punk And Daniel Bryan Coming To AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
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Reports of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk being close to joining the AEW roster have created a lot of buzz in recent weeks. It has got a lot of people talking and Sean Waltman recently joined the list.

The former WWE star talked about these rumors on the latest episode of his Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast and claimed that the news is exciting.

Waltman explained that while these signings will not hurt WWE, it will definitely help AEW. The former champion claimed that it’s gonna be ‘a f**king game changer’:

“It’s exciting. It’s just good for everyone, It doesn’t hurt WWE, I don’t think. It definitely helps AEW. They already have some really good momentum as far as I’m concerned. It’s gonna be a f**king game changer.

The difference is one is just a publicly-traded company that’s just f**king monstrous.” said Sean Waltman, “It’s huge, and I don’t think it’s going anywhere. That’s why I don’t think this necessarily hurts them. It just helps AEW, and it f**king helps the industry.”

The former DX member also discussed if it would have been better if these signings were kept a secret. The Attitude Era star compared them to the time when The Outsiders’ moved to WCW.

Waltman explained that even though people were aware of the duo jumping ships, it made their arrival even more impactful because of the anticipation it built.

Maven On His Interaction With The Rock Before WrestleMania 18

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star Maven recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He talked about many different things and discussed his time with the company in detail. Probably the most successful run of his career was his reign with the Hardcore championship. He held the title heading into WrestleMania 18.

Recalling that time of his career and his experience at the Show of Shows, Maven revealed that he was very nervous about going out in front of 70 thousand people. He recalled how the Rock helped him in this situation:

“So it’s WrestleMania 18 in Toronto, I went in the Hardcore Champion and left the Hardcore Champion. I’m backstage and I am scared to death, there’s 70 something thousand people out there. The Rock sees this and he says ‘Mave, come here.’ So I go up to him and I think I’m going to get words of advice from the best.

He goes ‘hey, no one is really expecting much out of you. So just do the best you can.’ He turns around and walks away I’m like ‘what the f**k was that?’ He then turns and winks at me.” said Maven, “That calmed me down. That one little joke, then it was like ‘f**k it, lets have some fun.”

Apart from this, the former champion also discussed another important moment from his career, the time when he eliminated The Undertaker from the 2002 Royal Rumble. Maven revealed that it was Shane McMahon who told him about the spot and even The Undertaker was surprised by these plans. You can check out his interview below:

Domino’s Issues Statement On Pizza Cutter Spot On AEW Dynamite

Anutosh Bajpai
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Chris Jericho and Nick Gage put on a brutal but impressive match on this week’s episode of Dynamite. Though it appears that the pizza cutter spot in the bout didn’t go over very well with Domino’s.

The company released a statement to Front Office Sports regarding the spot. In the statement as seen below, spokeswoman Jenny Fouracre-Petko said that they are assessing their advertising presence on the show:

“We share the concerns expressed about this incident and the content of this TV-14 rated program, and are assessing our advertising presence on it going forward,”

For those who don’t know, the Fight For The Fallen special of Dynamite saw former AEW champion Chris Jericho taking on hardcore wrestler Nick Gage in a No Disqualifications match.

There was one point in the bout where Gage used a pizza cutter on his opponent. Right after he cut open Jericho’s head, the broadcast went into split-screen mode.

The second screen featured a Domino’s commercial with an image of a pizza being sliced. This got a lot of attention on social media.

Many people wondered if the two companies worked together for the spot. Though this report makes it clear that the pizza delivery chain was not involved and it appears that they didn’t have any prior knowledge of it either.

https://twitter.com/trillmoregirls/status/1420740036841050113

NJPW’s Super Jr. Tag League Tournament Returns in August

Tyriece Simon
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The Super Jr. Tag League tournament will be returning next month.

New Japan Pro Wrestling announced yesterday that the Super Jr. Tag League would run from August 7th to August 17th. The tournament will also be a part of the Summer Struggle events that NJPW is doing at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Rules of the Super Jr. Tag League

People may be unfamiliar with the tournament, so NJPW also explained the rules in a statement.

“Six teams will be part of the round-robin league, with matches running from August 7 to 17. The top point scorers at the end of the league will be the victors, with tiebreakers also at play; if teams are still tied, there will be a playoff match to determine the winners,” said NJPW.

The winners also get a chance to compete for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.

Teams Competing in the Super Jr. Tag League

As well as announcing this year’s Super Jr. Tag League, NJPW revealed the teams competing. Included among the competitors are the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori.

The other teams involved are Roppongi 3k, Suzuki-Gun, Team One or Eight, and Far East Connection. The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Robbie Eagles will team with Tiger Mask to compete in the tournament.

Favorites to win the Tournament

While anything can happen, Roppongi 3k could be considered the favorite. The five-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions have won the tournament in 2018 and 2019. The team will look to win for the third time and become six-time champions. However, every team, including the champions, will look to pull off the upset.

AEW Rampage At Chicago’s United Center Will Test AEW’s Popularity

Tyriece Simon
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All Elite Wrestling revealed a new event that will take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

AEW announced yesterday during AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen that Rampage will occur on August 20th at the United Center. AEW also indicated that the August 20th event would be significant by advertising it as Rampage “The First Dance.”

Rampage marks AEW’s fourth show that takes place in Illinois. AEW also announced that tickets go on sale on Monday.

AEW Schedule in Chicago

The August 20th Rampage event will be AEW’s first big event in Chicago this year. Their last Chicago show was AEW Revolution on February 29, 2020, at the Wintrust Arena. However, it comes as a surprise as AEW already announced a Dynamite show on September 1st, Rampage on September 3rd, and All-Out on September 5th, which would occur in the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Tickets for the September AEW shows in Illinois went on sale to the public on July 9th. Both the Dynamite and Rampage show still have tickets on sale on Ticketmaster, while All Out has sold out.

With the addition of Rampage on August 20th, AEW seems confident that it can sell out all four events. However, this will be an ambitious act by AEW to sell out the United Center on two weeks’ notice. The United Center can have over 20,000 capacity crowd and will be the biggest venue AEW has run.

CM Punk Rumors

The announcement of “The Last Dance” has created speculation if former WWE Superstar CM Punk has signed with AEW. He is a well-known native of Chicago, Illinois, and Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that Punk was in talks for an in-ring return with AEW. However, the company has yet to confirm Punk is signed. It’s also unclear if AEW signed Punk if they’d reveal the news to help boost sales for August 20th or make it a surprise if he was to appear.

Update On Why Karrion Kross Lost To Jeff Hardy, Future Plans On RAW

Chris Stephens
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Karrion Kross lost his debut match on the WWE main roster last week to Jeff Hardy. He got in the winners circle this week when he defeated Keith Lee, however. Kross is also believed to have been scheduled to lose to Hardy again this week on RAW had Hardy not tested positive for COVID-19.

According to comments from Andrew Zarian on the Mat Men Podcast, the plan had been for Kross to continue losing up until he was joined by Scarlett, who would then turn his luck around.

“Karrion Kross was supposed to lose again to Jeff Hardy in the rematch and then finally go berzerk,” said Zarian. I’m not 100 percent on this but I was told that the plan was that Karrion Kross keeps losing until Scarlett shows up and that’s gonna bring him back on track because she is able to unleash the warrior, whatever they’re calling him, the gladiator in him.”

Karrion Kross’ Tough Loss

Following his victory over Keith Lee on RAW this week, Kross was interviewed backstage and spoke about his “tough loss” to Hardy the week prior.

“Tough loss, it’s an interesting choice of words,” Kross said. “I would say Jeff Hardy cheated but then again, he might be the smartest man in WWE, because if I were him that’s exactly what I would have done.”

“It lit a fire in me. I need to understand and not lose sight that people will do anything they possibly can to get out of that ring in one piece. But Jeff Hardy and I, we’re not done yet, not by a long shot,” Kross continued.

H/T to WrestlingNewsCo for the transcribed quotes

Carmella On Potentially Moving To Raw In Upcoming Drafts

Anutosh Bajpai
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Carmella has almost exclusively been a SmackDown star since the return of WWE brand extension back in 2016, though she is open to a move to the Raw roster in the upcoming drafts.

The former SmackDown women’s champion recently had an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling where she talked about things such as why she wants to face Toni Storm and more.

Discussing a potential move to Monday nights in the upcoming drafts, Carmella admitted that she sometimes feels as if she has done everything she could do on the SmackDown roster:

“Sometimes I feel like I kind of have done everything I could do on SmackDown, That’s why I do get excited when new girls come up because it’s like okay, opportunity for fresh matchups and fresh stories.

Because I don’t ever want to ever get to a point where it’s like, okay we’ve seen this a million times, I don’t wanna do this anymore.”

Though according to the SmackDown star, the blue brand will forever have a special place in her heart whether she gets drafted to Raw or not:

“So if it happens, if this is the year, cool. If not, then maybe I’ll just bleed blue forever. I have no idea. But no matter what, SmackDown will have such a place in my heart because this is Carmella. Carmella is SmackDown.”

Latest reports suggest that WWE has moved the planned dates for the drafts a bit further. It’s currently expected to take place sometime in early October.

Fandango On The Origins Of His Ballroom Dancer Gimmick

Chris Stephens
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Johnny Curtis adopted the Fandango gimmick in the fall of 2012. That spring, he defeated Chris Jericho in a singles match at WrestleMania 29. According to comments he made recently on the “Such Good Shoot” podcast, Jericho’s appearance on Dancing with the Stars in 2011 set the stage for Fandango’s ballroom dancer gimmick.

“Chris did an amazing job at getting me over and I don’t blame him. It’s a ridiculous character. Look at it this way, guys, so Vince thought it was probably stupid that he went on Dancing with the Stars, right? Vince thought Bryan Danielson was crazy to be a vegan. So anything that Vince thinks is stupid, he’ll make a character out of it, right?”

“So he thought Chris going on Dancing with the Stars was stupid, so what is he gonna do? He’s gonna make an evil dancing gimmick because he thinks it’s outrageous.”

Curtis/Fandango was trained by Killer Kowalski and made his pro debut in 1999. He signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2006 and was assigned to Deep South Wrestling territory. In 2008, he moved to Florida Championship Wrestling and then started with NXT during the 4th season under its original format.

Fandango continued to say that he felt stuck with the character. Meanwhile, someone like Chris Jericho was able to evolve and change his character throughout his career.

“Unless you’re that tippy-top guy like Roman Reigns, you’re gonna kind of go into no man’s land, and that’s kind of what happened to me because I was just riding the wave, you know? So look at what Chris would do. So Chris was always evolving and coming up with different stuff, new characters, twists on his character, and I kind of felt stuck with that character.”

Stephen Amell On How CM Punk Replied When Asked About Wrestling Return

Anutosh Bajpai
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Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig recently appeared on Busted Open Radio. The duo talked about a number of things and also discussed the recent rumors surrounding their Heels co-star CM Punk.

The former WWE champion has been heavily rumored for a wrestling return in near future. Many signs point towards him being AEW bound already.

Discussing his reaction to these rumors, Amell revealed that he actually texted Punk to ask about the reports and the former WWE star simply sent him a picture of a cat:

“And I actually texted him when all this stuff broke, I’m like, ‘You coming back?’ And he sent me back a photo of a cat shrugging.

But I mean look, anything, I think as a general rule, anything in the world of pro wrestling that is gonna piss Vince McMahon off and get his competitive juices flowing is probably good for business.”

Stephen Amell then talked about CM Punk’s involvement in their drama series. He revealed that Punk wasn’t originally going to be part of the show:

“We had originally another actor, not a wrestler, really good guy, set for the role of Ricky Rabies. And then scheduling-wise, it ended up not working out. And then all of a sudden, it’s like; we got CM Punk on the show? Really?

And I get to train with him a little bit, and I mean Phil was so great in and out of the ring that we ended up bringing him back for the finale.”

Heels is an upcoming wrestling drama series featuring Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig among others which is set to premiere on Starz on August 15.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKFfSSXavYc

Tony Khan Spoke To TNT About Chris Jericho vs Nick Gage Match

Chris Stephens
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Chris Jericho and Nick Gage had a no disqualification match with light tubes, a pizza cutter, broken glass, and lots of “blood and guts” at Fight for the Fallen last night. According to a report on Wrestling Observer Radio, Tony Khan spoke to TNT ahead of time to let them know what was going to happen.

“I know Tony Khan talked to TNT ahead of time and basically told them what was going to happen. So, they’re okay with it. It’s not an issue where they’ll get kicked off the air,” said Dave Meltzer.

It was noted during the discussion that Jericho would not have done anything he did not want to do during the match. It was also speculated that the idea for the match likely came from Jericho himself but that was not be confirmed.

“Jericho didn’t do anything that he didn’t want to do. Whatever spots were in that match, Jericho would say no if he doesn’t want to do it, he’s not going to kill himself. And those were the spots he said yes to, I don’t know if he said no to anything,” Meltzer said.

While AEW has put hardcore matches on Dynamite before, this was a particularly brutal one. Meltzer continued to say he’s heard that doing a match like this on television is not something AEW is planning on doing again.

“I am told it is a one time thing and they won’t do it again. We will see because if it does a good quarter, they will do it again, probably, because that’s wrestling,” Meltzer continued.

WWE has an earnings call today. The last time AEW had a hardcore match so close to a WWE earnings call is when Vince McMahon coined the term “Blood and Guts” to describe it.

Juventud Guerrera Comments On AEW Debut Next Week

Chris Stephens
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Maxwell Jacob Friedman announced that Chris Jericho’s rival from WCW, Juventud Guerrera, will be the “3rd Labor of Jericho” next week. Juvi took to Twitter to comment on his match next week.

https://twitter.com/JUVENTUDGUERRE2/status/1420578455054389249

Chris Jericho vs Juventud Guerrera History

In WCW, Jericho and Juventud Guerrera had 22 singles matches against each other, were in 2 tag matches with each other, and were also in 3 battle royals together. Of their 22 singles matches, 11 were on house shows and 11 were on television. Of the 11 televised matches, Jericho holds an 8-3 advantage in the series. Jericho also holds a 9-2 lead in their house show series, giving him a 17-5 edge in their head to head series.

In WCW, Juvi is a 3x former WCW Cruiserweight Champion and once held the tag belts along with Rey Mysterio. Juvi also won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship once. In WWE, Juvi twice won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship as well. Subscribers to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter voted Juvi the Best High Flyer of the year in both 1998 and 1999.

Jon Moxley Hints at Possible G1 Climax Participation

Alex Laybourne
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For several months now, Jon Moxley has been trying to goad Hiroshi Tanahashi into a fight. His efforts were in vain. Now, just one week after losing the belt, Tanahashi appears on AEW Dynamite and issuing a challenge to the new champion.

Jon Moxley is not known for being a calm or patient man. An act of such disrespect is not going to be taken lightly. Mox has already vented his frustration with NJPW. Claiming they have been reluctant to invite him over to Japan. Saying he has sent stacks of contracts over to the promotion, trying to force through a run and a feud with Tanahashi.

Very few things in wrestling happen without planning, even rejections and moments of flat-out silence. AEW are known for their long-term planning and have shown solid abilities in storytelling. Who knows how long this moment has been in the offing?

One thing that looks as good as certain is that both Jon Moxley and Lance Archer are Japan bound. The question is, what will they do when they get there?

Jon Moxley Needs a Fresh Direction Following Title Loss

It is safe to say that right now, Jon Moxley is out of the AEW title pictures. He lost his feud to Omega and the Elite. Both have moved on to new things. For Mox however, he has nothing right now. After taking some time off following the birth of his daughter, he is ready for a new challenge.

With AEW currently running with major storylines, a run out in Japan could be exactly what the Death Rider needs. With the G1 tournament coming up, it could give him the chance to both rebuild his character, get his feud with Tanahashi, and give the Japanese public another look at Mox up close and personal.

There is no denying Jon Moxley’s popularity in Japan. Moreover, with several big stars already out of G1 contention, it could be a great time for NJPW to honor their part of the forbidden door arrangement and bring some AEW talent to its shores.

Hiroshi Tanahashi Makes Shock AEW Debut Challenging Lance Archer

Alex Laybourne
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We have seen several different NJPW stars appear on AEW Dynamite in recent months including Yuji Nagata, Rocky Romero and Hikuleo. However, it was a very different calibre of NJPW star that got fans exciting. The Ace himself, Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared and challenged Lance Archer to a match for the IWGP United States Championship.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CR5F2mepdSz/

Hiroshi Tanahashi is a wrestling legend and revered in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He has held every title he could hold in NJPW. With the exception of the United States Championship. It’s worth noting that Tanahashi is a heavyweight, and as such cannot compete for certain titles in the promotion.

The United States Championship is one of the newest NJPW belts and has only been in circulation since 2017. In that time it has largely been held by gaijin wrestlers. By challenging Lance Archer, Hiroshi Tanahashi wants to become the first Japanese wrestler to hold the crown.

Hiroshi Tanahashi Has Wrestled His Entire Career for NJPW

In an industry where people move around from promotion to promotion with some regularity, Hiroshi Tanahashi is something of a unique entity. A product of the NJPW system, he has wrestled his entire career in the promotion.

With the exception of an excursion to CMLL – part of the NJPW learning process – and a few appearances for TNA/IMPACT. Even these appearances came as an NJPW athlete. Now, he has stepped through the forbidden door and made a surprise appearance for AEW.

Not only is Tanahashi aiming to become the first Japanese holder of the US title, but he is also looking to bring it back into the NJPW promotion. Ever since Jon Moxley’s first title reign, no NJPW contracted wrestler has held the belt.

This undoubtedly sits badly with an NJPW stalwart such as Hiroshi Tanahashi and will only give him extra motivation to bring the belt home.

David Crockett to Reunite With Tony Schiavone on AEW Commentary

Alex Laybourne
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In professional wrestling, teams and allegiances come and go. They form and they fall apart. It’s the nature of storytelling. However, some relationships run deep and to the bone. Last night on Dynamite one such deep running reunion was seen. Wrestling legend David Crockett was spotted in the AEW Dynamite crowd, and it was shortly thereafter confirmed that he will be joining the AEW commentary team as a guest next week.

David Crockett will guest host AEW Dark Elevation alongside Tony Schiavone. This will be a commentary reunion some thirty plus years in the making.  Schiavone and Crockett were the voices of World Championship Wrestling while it was part of Jim Crockett Promotions.

The pair worked as a team from 1985 through to 1988. Following the acquisition of WCW by Turner media in 1988 David Crockett left the commentary booth. While he remained involved in wrestling serving as a WCW Producer.

David Crockett Making a Historic Wrestling Return

David Crockett left wrestling when WCW closed its doors, having remained in a producer role the entire time. His appearance in the commentary booth for AEW Dark Elevation will be his first real commentary appearance since 1988.

It is one of those quiet wrestling stories that will be an undeniably emotional experience for the men in the commentary booth. After Fight for the Fallen AEW tweeted out a picture of Crockett, Schiavone and Jim Ross.

The trio worked together briefly in 1988 just prior to the Turner acquisition. The emotion of the night will surely be heightened when considering that David Crockett’s brother Jim Crockett Jr passed away earlier this year.

It is most likely that the return of David Crockett to the commentary booth is just a one-time affair, however, for wrestling fans, that doesn’t matter. There is an undeniable lineage that can be traced from AEW back to this commentary duo. One that deserves to be honored and celebrated.

Update On Cash Wheeler After Injury On Dynamite

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW star Cash Wheeler suffered a nasty injury during FTR’s tag team match against Santana & Ortis during Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.

The AEW star was seen bleeding heavily from one of his arms. It made fans wonder about him after the show. PWinsider has provided some updates on his status.

The site notes that Wheeler suffered what was described as a ‘really bad cut’ to his arm when he was shoved off the ropes during a spot in the match.

The incident occurred when FTR were attempting a superplex/splash combo. Santana broke the spot and sent the injured star off the top to the floor.

His arm connected with the metal piece between the ring post and turnbuckles, causing the cut. The heavyweight star was immediately treated by the medical staff at the ringside. He was said to be ok in the back afterward.

The officials decided to cut to the finish of the match after Cash Wheeler’s injury. His partner Dax Harwood picked up the victory for his team using a brainbuster.

There is no word yet on if the injury will cause the former WWE star to miss any ring time. We will keep you posted about any updates on his health.

Cody Rhodes On Wanting To Face Former WCW Champion

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former TNT champion Cody Rhodes recently had an interview with the Inside The Ropes magazine for its latest issue where he discussed many different topics.

AEW has signed a number of wrestling veterans in past year. Legendary names that have joined their roster includes people such as Paul Wight, Christian, and more.

However, if there is one star Rhodes is interested in facing more than all others, it’s Sting. During the interview, Cody said that while the idea hasn’t been discussed creatively, he still hopes to have a match with the Icon in future:

“I absolutely was adamant about wanting to do a match with him and it’s not something that’s been discussed or contracted or anything like that but, while he’s here, I still would hope that it happens,

He’s such a huge part of who I am and he was such a d*ck to me on the second week when he showed up,” said Cody Rhodes, “and I love that. And I love his love for my dad as well.”

The former WWE star said that Sting is a big part of the company. He explained having people like Sting and Jack Evans signed to the promotion at the same time is an example of how diverse AEW’s roster is.

Apart from this, Cody Rhodes gave AEW president Tony Khan the credit for signing Sting to the company. He also discussed things such as the process of getting the former WCW star cleared for his in-ring return and more.

NXT On SyFy Draws Lowest Viewership Since TV Premiere

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

While AEW’s audience is on a steady increase since the end of Wednesday night wars, NXT doesn’t seem to be attracting a lot of new viewers. This week’s episode of it has recorded the lowest audience since the show’s premiere.

This Tuesday’s edition of the Black and Yellow brand on SyFy drew a total of 520,000 viewers according to Nielsen which is the lowest TV viewership in the show’s history.

Last week’s episode of NXT drew 709,000 viewers. The numbers this week saw a big 20.5% decline compared to last week’s average audience.

The episode drew a 0.12 rating in the much talked 18-49 demographic which is a 40% decline from last week’s 0.20 ratings in the same demo.

USA Network was airing the Olympics this week due to which NXT was moved to SyFy. This change and the competition from the Olympics seem to have been important factors in the big rating drop.

The show will air on SyFy next week as well so the ratings aren’t expected to improve much. NXT will return to USA Network for the August 10 episode and we will have to see how the viewership rebounds for that episode.

AEW Dynamite Fight For The Fallen Results: Jericho vs. Nick Gage, The Elite vs. Dark Order

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen aired live from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. The Elite faced Dark Order in a 10-man Elimination match. Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared during tonight’s show and said he wants to face the winner of tonight’s IWGP US Title match in NJPW.

Fight For The Fallen Results

  1. The Elite def. Hangman Page & Dark Order
  2. FTR def. Santana & Ortiz
  3. Lance Archer def. HIKULEO to retain the IWGP US Title
  4. Jurassic Express & Christian Cage def. Private Party & Angelico
  5. Thunder Rosa def. Julia Hart
  6. Chris Jericho def. Nick Gage

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

The Elite def. Hangman Page & Dark Order

Dark Order & Hangman Page faced The Elite in a 10-man Elimination match. If Dark Order & Hangman Page won the match, Page would get a shot at the AEW Championship and Dark Order would get a AEW Tag Title match.

Hangman planted Anderson with a Fallaway Slam to start off the action. Dark Order battled back and knocked The Elite out of the ring. Alex Reynolds hit a Superplex onto everyone outside the ring. Dark Order hit Gallows with a bunch of Clotheslines in the corner. Reynolds planted Anderson with a German Suplex and went for the cover but Gallows broke it up. Anderson rolled up Reynolds and grabbed his trunks for leverage to eliminate him.

Karl Anderson quickly got eliminated and Matt Jackson got into the ring. John Silver made his return to the ring and launched Matt to the corner. Brandon Cutler sprayed Matt down but the Young Buck got launched across the ring again as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, the action spilled into the crowd as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Grayson flipped onto everyone and landed hard outside the ring. Kenny Omega and Evil Uno battled in the ring. Uno hit a slam and went for the cover but Omega kicked out at two. Omega battled back and hit the One Winged Angel to eliminate Evil Uno.

It was down to Omega and the Young Bucks against John Silver and Hangman Page. John Silver took control and planted Matt Jackson with an Airplane Spin for a two count. The Young Bucks hit Hangman Page with a Powerbomb on the ring apron during the commercial break.

Young Bucks botched an Indie Taker dunk spot and the crowd mocked Nick Jackson for missing. Young Bucks eliminated John Silver and it was now 3 vs. 1. Young Bucks leveled Hangman with a few super kicks and Omega went for the cover but Hangman kicked out. Hangman went for the Buckshot Lariat but Matt blocked it.

Page booted Nick in the face and then delivered a double Buckshot Lariat on the Young Bucks to eliminate Matt & Nick. Omega grabbed the AEW Championship but the referee ripped it away. Kenny tried to hit him with another title but Page blocked it. Page got hit with a cheap shot with a title and Omega planted Hangman with the One Winged Angel for the pinfall victory. Hangman and Dark Order lost their title shots.

Ricky Starks Celebrated Winning The FTW Title

FTW Champion Ricky Starks said he is the glue that holds Team Taz together and it was time to get rid of Brian Cage. Ricky Starks complained that Brian Cage didn’t check up on him when he broke his neck. Starks joked that Brian Cage has no charisma and finally Cage interrupted. Cage rushed the ring and beat down the band that was playing as Ricky retreated.

FTR def. Santana & Ortiz

FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) faced Santana & Ortiz. Tully Blanchard and Konnan were ringside for the match. Santana and Dax traded punches to start off the action. The two began to trade chops as the crowd chanted “woo!”.

When Dynamite returned from a break, Dax connected with a Dropkick. Ortiz battled back and tagged in Santana. Santana slammed Harwood into the ring post and followed it up with a Suicide Dive to Wheeler outside the ring.

Back in. the ring, Ortiz tagged in and hit wheeler with a Splash of his own. Ortiz Powerbombed Harwood and tagged in Santana. Santana hit a Frog Splash off the top rope and went for the cover but Dax kicked out at two.

Harwood and Santana then traded Clotheslines in the middle of the ring. Santana hit a German Suplex and followed it up with a Powerbomb for a near fall. Dax hit a Superplex and went for the cover but Ortiz kicked out at two. Harwood hit a Brainbuster on Santana for the pinfall victory. Wheeler apparently injured his arm or cut his arm on the post during the match and spent most of the end of it outside the ring.

Rampage Will Be At The United Center, Darby Allin Dropped A CM Punk Tease

Tony Schiavone announced that 2nd episode of Rampage will be live from the United Center. The crowd broke out in a CM Punk chant as the camera cut to Darby Allin and Sting backstage. Darby Allin said he will be in Chicago and ready to fight. Allin added that AEW is the place to prove you are great, even if you think you are the “Best in the World”.

Lance Archer Retained

Lance Archer defended the IWGP Championship against Hikuleo tonight on Dynamite. Haku accompanied Hikuleo to the ring. Hikuleo controlled the match early as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Archer battled back and hit Hikuleo with a Splash.

Archer perched Hikuleo up on the top turnbuckle and went for the Blackout but Hikuleo blocked it. Lance then connected with a massive Superplex for a two count. Archer followed it up with the Blackout for the pinfall victory. Archer will travel to NJPW to face Tanashi.

Malakai Black Attacked Cody

Cody Rhodes was interviewed backstage but was immediately attacked by Malakai Black. Malakai and Cody battled to the entrance ramp as the crowd went nuts. Malakai caught Cody with a knee to the face and knocked him to the floor. Malakai kneeled over Cody and said “welcome to the House of Black” to end the segment. Malakai Black will face Cody next week at Dynamite Homecoming at Daily’s Place. Malakai leveled Fuego del Sol with the Black Mass as well.

Christian Cage & Jurassic Express Picked Up A Win

Private Party and Angelico faced Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and Jungle Boy tonight. Marko Stunt and Matt Hardy were ringside for the match. Angelico and Christian started off the action. Angelico hit an Arm Drag and Jungle Boy tagged in. Jungle Boy connected with a Dropkick and then sent Kassidy into the barricade outside the ring.

Matt Hardy hit Jungle Boy with a cheap shot and got chased backstage by Christian and Marko Stunt. Kassidy tagged in and started choking Jungle Boy. Luchasaurus tagged in and slammed Kassidy to the mat. Luchasaurus leveled Marq Quen with a Clothesline and beat Angelico down in the corner of the ring.

Lucharsaurus planted Private Party and Angelico with a triple German Suplex as Christian Cage returned to the ring apron. Private Party hit Luchasaurus with a couple Superkicks and then knocked Cage off the apron. Jungle Boy hit Kassidy with a Clothesline and then flipped onto Angelico. Christian tagged in and hit Quen with a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory. After the match, The Blade hit Christian Cage with brass knuckles and celebrated with Matt Hardy on the entrance ramp. It was later announced that Christian will face The Blade next week on Dynamite Homecoming.

Thunder Rosa def. Julia Hart

Thunder Rosa faced Julia Hart tonight on Dynamite. Thunder Rosa sent Julia to the corner of the ring and hit her some with chops. Rosa connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with Double Knees to the midsection. Thunder Rosa applied a Knee Bar but Julia was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold.

Hart hit an elbow to the face but Thunder Rosa shrugged it off. Thunder Rosa hit a big Dropkick in the corner of the ring and followed it up with the Thunder Driver for the pinfall victory.

Jericho def. Nick Gage

Chris Jericho battled Nick Gage in a No Rules match. It was the 2nd of the five Labours of Jericho. Jericho will earn another match against MJF is he completes the five Labours. MJF joined commentary for the match. Before the match, Jon Moxley cut a backstage promo. Moxley was holding a flask and was pissed that he couldn’t get into Japan as he was watching the Olympics. Jon claimed that Tanahashi was dodging him for months and that he is dead to him now. Moxley added that the Forbidden Door might be open but there is nothing good waiting for them on the other side.

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Gage came to the ring with a pizza cutter and slashed Jericho’s arm. The action spilled out of the ring and Jericho sent Gage into the barricade. Back in the ring, Jericho made his way to the top rope but Nick tripped him up. Gage bounced Jericho’s face off the ring post and grabbed some light tubes form under the ring.

Jericho grabbed a baseball bat and brought it into the ring. Gage busted Jericho open and brought out the pizza cutter again. When Dynamite returned, Gage brought glass into the ring and set it up in between two chairs. Gage climbed to the top rope but Jericho hit him with a jab.

Jericho unloaded several punches to Gage’s face and then slammed him through the glass for a near fall. Chris went for the Codebreaker but Gage caught him and slammed Jericho onto the glass. Nick then broke a light tube over Jericho’s back and Chris screamed in pain as MJF celebrated. Gage then broke one over Jericho’s face and followed it up with a Pilediver on the glass.

Gage went for the cover but Jericho kicked out at two. Gage broke off a piece of the tube and started scraping Jericho in the eye. Jericho sprayed myst into Gage’s eyes and broke a light tube over his head. Jericho followed it up with the Judas Effect for the pinfall victory.

After the match, MJF demanded the music be cut and told the crowd to shut up. MJF announced that Jericho has to move off the top rope to win. MJF announced that Jericho will face Juventud Guerrera next week.

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Eric Bischoff Believes That Nick Gage’s Wrestling Style is “Bad for The Business”

Jake Skudder
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0

Former WCW President and co-host of the 83 Weeks Podcast Eric Bischoff recently discussed the deathmatch style of wrestling on the show.

Specifically, Bischoff would bring up Nick Gage and his style, referencing the recently Dark Side of The Ring episode focusing on the Deathmatch King.

“I just don’t think that kind of thing [works],” Bischoff began. “Number one, it doesn’t interest me, that style of wrestling. I think it’s bad for the industry in general, I think it appeals to such a small portion of the audience that a larger portion of the audience is turned off by it.”

“Those guys that love that, we saw it the other night with [Jon] Moxley and whatever his name was [Lance Archer]” Bischoff added. “They were digging at each other with a fork. Alright, cool, whatever. For me, I won’t watch that kind of stuff. Number one it’s not entertaining, there’s nothing magic about it.”

Eric Bischoff on Deathmatches

“When Dark Side of the Ring focuses too much on that story, I think it gives the entire industry a bad name,” Bischoff continued, discussing Nick Gage and his deathmatch style. “Passive wrestling audience, the advertising community, the television network executive community, when people see that kind of thing they walk away with a perception of what wrestling is. That perception becomes harmful in the long run.”

“I get it, I love the storytelling I see out of the Dark Side for the most part, but when you get too dark like that, I just think it’s not good for the business long term overall” Eric Bischoffc concluded. “The Jake Roberts story for example was dark, that was hard to watch but I don’t think it hurt the business.”

AEW Stars Contacting Journalists About CM Punk and Bryan Danielson

Jake Skudder
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0

The rumors surrounding CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have reached boiling point over the past few weeks.

Whilst the news of both Punk and Bryan negotiating with All Elite took fans by surprise, it also appears to have taken some of the wrestlers themselves have been contacting journalists to get more information on the situation.

Louis Dangoor of GiveMeSport and formerly WrestleTalk confirmed that he had been contacted by wrestlers at All Elite wondering what exactly is going on with Punk and Bryan.

AEW stars on CM Punk and Bryan

“Despite knowing nothing about this before Sean broke the news last week, I had more than one AEW wrestle reach out to me last week to ask about CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson coming in” Dangoor wrote on Twitter. “So it looks like it caught wrestlers by surprise too.”

https://twitter.com/TheLouisDangoor/status/1420465871437324289

Right now there is no official confirmation either way as to whether or not CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson will be heading to All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan recently refused to comment on the situation, purely saying that the rumors are ‘exciting.’

Tony Khan Refutes Story About AEW EVPs Travelling To Chicago

Chris Stephens
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0

Recent reports suggested that AEW President Tony Khan and AEW’s EVPs recently traveled to Chicago. The report speculated that this could have something to do with AEW eyeing a bigger venue in the city. According to comments made by Tony Khan on Busted Open Radio, however, the report was “pure fiction.”

“There’s been a lot of false rumors out there, that’s the other thing, there are people chasing these things and trying to connect the dots,” Khan said on the show. “I know a lot of the stuff that has been reported in the last week has been totally false.”

“There’s this website BodySlam, for example, I saw them put a report out that myself and all the EVPs had traveled this past weekend and it was total BS. None of us were even in the same state,” Khan said.

Khan continued to say that he was in Florida for Paige VanZant’s bare-knuckled boxing fight when he saw the report. He continued to say that his family’s private jet had been tracked but it was his parents who were on it at the time.

“It was total fiction. They tracked my family’s plane, it was my parents on the plane! And then the guy claimed ‘oh, I know which tail number is yours and which one’s your parents,’ it was total fiction and this guy got totally bamboozled by a fake source and it was embarrassing and there’s been a lot of fake reporting like that the last couple of weeks,” Khan continued.

Khan’s comments were posted to Twitter below:

https://twitter.com/Machobeard4life/status/1420419551427276800

Queen of the Ring Finals Planned For Saudi Arabia Show (Report)

Chris Stephens
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Recent reports have suggested that WWE is planning a single-elimination Queen of the Ring tournament in October. According to a recent report from Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast, the current plan is for the finals of the tournament to take place in Saudi Arabia.

“Hearing that the current plan is to hold the Queen of the Ring finals in Saudi Arabia in October,” Zarian Tweeted.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on the October 8th edition of Smackdown and the October 11th edition of RAW. The next Saudi Arabia show is planned for October 21st, although this has yet to be officially announced.

There have only ever been two women’s matches on WWE shows from Saudia Arabia. The first was at Crown Jewel in 2019 when Natalya and Lacey Evans wrestled. The second came at Super ShowDown on February 27th, 2020 when Bayley wrestled Naomi.

Provided the event in October takes place as planned, it will be the 6th event WWE has run in Saudi Arabia as part of its agreement with the Saudi Sports Authority. 2 SuperShowdowns, 2 Crown Jewels, and 1 Greatest Royal Rumble event have taken place. WWE’s deal with the Saudi Sports Authority runs until 2027.

Tony Khan: “There Are Certainly A Lot Of Exciting Rumors Right Now”

Chris Stephens
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Tony Khan was recently interviewed by the NY Post and did a solid job of not answering questions relating to CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. The AEW President would state, however, that “there are certainly a lot of exciting rumors right now.”

When asked if he had “signed and/or talked to any former WWE champions” lately, Khan was quick to say there were some things he would not be commenting on during the interivew.

“I have no comment on those, but those are good questions but I can’t comment on those,” Khan said.

Khan was then asked what it would mean if another wrestling promotion were to sign CM Punk and/or Daniel Bryan.

“I can’t comment on those two guys, but I think there are certainly a lot of exciting rumors right now,” Khan said.

Tony Khan on Fight for the Fallen

Tony Khan would comment on what Fight for the Fallen has come to mean for AEW over the last few years. This will be the 3rd event in its history.

“I think it’s one of our major events — the charitable component really makes it stand out — and an important event on the calendar, and it’s something we’ve done from the beginning. It predates even ‘Dynamite.’ We always load it up with big matches, I always try to put a lot of great matches on a “Fight for the Fallen” card, but also now it will have an extra special touch to it because the event is also about helping people.”

6 matches and 2 segments have been announced for tonight. In addition to the matches below, Tony Khan will announce a new AEW live event and Ricky Starks will have a celebration segment for winning the FTW title.

  1. Christian Cage & The Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) vs. The Hardy Family Office(Angelico, Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen)
  2. Julia Hart vs Thunder Rosa
  3. Five Labours Of Jericho #2 No Disqualification Match
    Chris Jericho vs. Nick Gage
  4. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) (w/Tully Blanchard) vs. The Inner Circle (Ortiz & Santana) (w/Konnan)
  5. IWGP United States Championship
    Lance Archer (c) vs. Hikuleo
  6. 10-Man Elimination Match
    Adam Page & The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno, John Silver & Stu Grayson) vs. The Elite (Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)

Natalya Comments On Injury She Suffered On RAW

Chris Stephens
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0

Natalya had to be helped to the back after her match on RAW this week. Her and Tamina defeated the team of Eva Marie and Doudrop, but Natalya appeared to hurt her ankle or knee during the bout.

There is no update as to the severity of the injury but Natalya took to Twitter today to thank fans for their concern and well wishes.

“Thank you to everyone for the kind words about what happened on WWE Raw,” she Tweeted. “There are the beatings you can plan for, and the ones you can’t. That’s the job. But I’m willing to give whatever bones, muscles and tendons I have to continue doing what I love. Good thing I’m UNBREAKABLE.”

You can see footage of Natalya’s injury here:

Natalya’s Injury

Natalya’s injury was addressed this week on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“It was not evident watching the match but what happened was essentially Doudrop, Piper Niven, when she did the takedown she kind of rolled and the ankle was twisted in a very ugly way,” said Dave Meltzer.

“We don’t know right now how serious it is but it’s probably serious.”

The 39-year-old Natalya has been with WWE for 14 years. She first signed with the promotion in 2007. Natalya is a 1x Divas Champion, 1x Smackdown Women’s Champion, and 1x WWE Tag Team Champion.

Nikki A.S.H. On Inspiration For Her New Superhero Character

Chris Stephens
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0

New RAW Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. recently took part in an interview with Ryan Satin on the “Out of Character” podcast. During the discussion, Nikki spoke about her new “Almost a Superhero” character and what influenced the gimmick.

“When we started to explore it, it was going to be a super positive role model for children and the younger audience,” Nikki said during the interview (transcriptions via 411Mania).

She would then talk about how superhero characters from Marvel and D.C helped influence the character.

“We did a concept cartoon and then I looked into the research,” Nikki continued. “For Wonder Woman, what were the numbers like at the box office? It was successful, but how much money did it make? How much money did Captain Marvel make? Looking at the success, especially with female-led superhero movies and television shows. The female-led franchises and female-led movies are what I wanted to really focus on and show that there has been a huge success and it’s inspirational.”

Nikki continued to talk about how she sees how much superhero characters can touch people’s lives. She wanted to bring the same feeling to her new character on RAW.

“I have younger nephews and they are obsessed with superheroes. You see how much it can touch people’s lives and at WWE, we also want to touch people’s lives and connect with families and people with all ages. Superheroes and WWE, we want to unite people.”

Nikki A.S.H became the 10th wrestler in history to win the RAW Women’s Championship when she cashed in on Charlotte Flair. Her reign is currently the 21st in the title’s lineage.

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