A new challenger for Miro’s TNT Championship was named this week while AEW was taping episodes of Dark and Dark: Elevation. Lee Johnson defeated Luther of Chaos Project during the tapings and after the match, Miro came out and announced him as the next challenger for his title.
It’s not yet clear when this match will take place. What took place will likely air on either AEW Dark or AEW Dark: Elevation next week.
The 23-year-old Johnson is from Gary, Indiana. He has been trained by AR Fox and QT Marshall. Last week, Johnson wrestled on both Dark and Dark: Elevation in tag team action along with Brock Anderson. Both up-and-comers are aligned with the Nightmare Family in AEW.
Don't cheer too loudly, False Leader. Soon you'll have to talk to The Redeemer yourself. https://t.co/gGMVuDd9Ui
As of this writing, Miro is at 72 days as TNT Champion. He’s defended the title 4x since winning it from Darby Allin. Miro’s successful defenses have come against Dante Martin, Lance Archer, Evil Uno, and Brian Pillman Jr.
Darby Allin and Cody are tied for the record of most successful title defences in a single TNT title reign with 8. Cody defended the title 8x in his first run and then twice more in his second before dropping the belt to Darby Allin.
At the conclusion of Slammiversary this weekend, “Switchblade” Jay White confronted Kenny Omega. White took part in the tapings on Sunday and Monday as well. As it turns out, however, AEW’s Andrade El Idola was the one originally booked in that spot.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Andrade was to confront Omega building to their TripleMania match for AAA next month. There would also be a trios match on Impact television featuring Omega and the Good Brothers against Andrade and two other wrestlers. Andrade and Impact couldn’t come to a deal, however, leading to the change.
The switch to going with Jay White instead was something Omega only found out about when he arrived in Nashville for the shows.
“The plan was for Andrade to be in that spot, to build a program with Andrade, managed by Konnan, against Omega,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “They were going to do a six-man tag at the tapings with Omega & Gallows & Anderson vs. Andrade and two others.”
“But in the end, it fell through because Impact and Andrade didn’t come to money terms for the deal.”
It is not clear if a match between Jay White and Kenny Omega will take place. If it does, it’s not clear which promotion it would take place in. TripleMania will take place the same day as NJPW Resurgence on August 14th.
In addition to Omega vs Andrade for the AAA Mega Championship, Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo will face Reina de Reinas Champion Faby Apache in a title vs title match.
The news of CM Punk being in talks for an in-ring return for the first time since leaving WWE in 2014 has possibly been the biggest wrestling story of the week.
Multiple parties are said to be interested in bringing the Straight Edge star on board. Though AEW seems to be the most likely destination for his comeback. It appears that people within WWE believe the same.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the internal belief in WWE is that Punk has already signed a deal with their rival promotion.
There are ‘a number of things going on behind-the-scenes’ that would indicate that AEW is going to be the new home for the former world champion.
Meltzer notes that nobody in AEW has confirmed the news about CM Punk so far. It’s understandable as people would keep quiet about an announcement of this magnitude until the top brass decides to go public with it.
The former WWE champion had originally shot down the possibility of an in-ring return in the future after quitting WWE. However, he seems to have changed his mind in recent times.
Punk himself has claimed that he would be open to making an in-ring return against the right opponent. He has indicated that the right circumstances and storyline are more important than the amount offered to him for a comeback.
With AEW becoming home to some of the most exciting free agents of the wrestling world in recent months, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if a potential program with any of them has caught his eye and made him consider the return.
Former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi says he’s been cleared to return to New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Takahashi posted on Twitter today that doctors have cleared him to wrestle again after rehabbing a torn left pectoral muscle. NJPW Global Twitter account also quoted Takahashi’s post and said, “Somebody is clear.”
Fightful’s Jeremy Lambert reported that the injury occurred in a tag team match with current IWGP World Heavyweight champion Shingo Takagi vs. Kota Ibushi and Tomoaki Honma on February 19th at Road to Castle Attack at the Iwate Prefectural Gymnasium in Iwate, Japan.
As a result, The timetable after he sustained his injury was that he’d be out for six months. The timing of Takahashi’s tweet suggests that the rehab went according to plan.
The tweet from Takahashi said, “Good news. The doctor gave me permission to return! Let’s go crazy again. Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.”
— ????? / Hiromu Takahashi (@TIMEBOMB1105) July 22, 2021
Hiromu Takahashi Injury History
When Takahashi announced his injury shortly after, he had to relinquish his IWGP Junior heavyweight championship. It marked the second time Takahashi had to vacate the championship because of an injury.
The first time Takahashi vacated the championship was when he broke his neck. The injury occurred in a match against Dragon Lee during the G1 Special on July 9, 2018, at the Cow Palace in San Fransisco, California.
Takahashi would be inactive for over a year until he made his return in December 2019. He reclaimed the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship by defeating Will Ospreay on January 4, 2020, at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Picture
El Desperado won the vacant championship at Castle Attack at the Osaka-j? Hall in Osaka, Japan, on February 28 in a three-way match against Bushi and El-Phantasmo.
Desperado will defend against Robbie Eagles at Wrestle Grand Slam on July 25th in the Tokyo Dome. However, now cleared, Takahashi could be on track to reclaim the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship once again.
The decision to let Braun Strowman go was a surprising move from WWE. Now latest reports suggest that the officials are interested in bringing him back.
Dave Meltzer talked about the Monster Among Men on the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He wrote “there is interest in bringing Strowman back especially after recent AEW signings”
AEW has recently signed a number of stars released by WWE during the budget cuts in the past year. People like Andrade and Malakai Black have already made their debut for the promotion.
Braun Strowman was released from WWE on June 2. At the time it was said that Strowman’s massive contract that earned him over $1 million per year was one big reason behind his release.
The belief among fans has always been that the company will bring him back after a renegotiation of his salary. Now the competition from AEW seems to be an added incentive for WWE officials to get him back before his non-compete clause expires on August 31.
Though people like Mark Henry have shown interest in signing Braun Strowman to AEW. So it’s possible that the two companies will find themselves competing over the former Universal champion in near future.
Impact Wrestling on 7/22 featured the fallout from an event Slammiversary PPV. Jay White, Mickie James, Chelsea Green, and FinJuice were all back in the Impact Zone for the show.
Impact 7/22 Quick results:
Chris Bey defeated Rohit Raju
Chelsea Green, Matt Cardona & Jake Something defeated Tenille Dashwood, Brian Myers, and Sam Beale
Knockouts Tag Team Championships Havok & Rosemary (c) defeated Fire N Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz)
What Happened After Slammiversary Went Off The Air?
The camera cut away at Slammiversary before fans could see if White aligned with the Elite. Footage of what happened was released by Impact and White did not, in fact, 2 sweet the Elite. Finjuice ran out and ran off both White and the Elite, although White returned to give Finlay his finisher to close the segment.
This week on Impact Wrestling, Chris Bey kicked things off with a singles victory over Rohit Raju. Before the match, highlights of Bey coming inches away from winning back the X-Division title at Slammiversary in the Ultimate-X match were shown.
After Bey’s victory, Jay White came up to Bey to ask him if he had gotten his message. Earlier this week, Impact put out a video on Twitter that featured Bey discovering that someone had left a Bullet Club shirt by his locker. White said that BC is always looking for new talent but Bey said he rides alone. White asked him how that was working out for him and asked him to think about what he said.
Deonna Purrazzo Accepts Mickie James Invitation, With Some Help From Gail Kim
After Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo defeated Thunder Rosa at Slammiversary, Mickie James came to the ring. James invited the Virtuosa to NWA Empowerrr next month but Purrazzo said that James was trying to steal her moment. This week, Mickie James came out again and attempted to smooth the situation over with the KO champ. Gail Kim came out as well and told Purrazzo that it was her idea for James to come out at Slammiversary and it wasn’t meant to steal the moment from her. In a rare occurrence in wrestling, this talking segment ended up with everyone coming to an agreement. Purrazzo and James shook hands and it looks like we’ll see the Knockouts title defended at NWA Empowerrr.
It’s been a big week for Drama King Matt. A vignette previewing his debut in Impact aired at Slammiversary, then he was announced for the broadcast team of NJPW Resurgence, and this week another vignette previewing his arrival was played.
Taylor Wilde’s Return Helps Chelsea Green Pick Up Another Win
At Slammiversary, Chelsea Green and Matt Cardona defeated the team of Tenille Dashwood and Brian Myers. This week on Impact, Green and Cardona would team with Jake Something while Dashwood and Myers would team with Sam Beale. Kaleb with a K tried to get involved from the outside, as he is one to do, but a returning Taylor Wilde thwarted his efforts. Wilde has been gone since Under Siege back in May. Green picked up the win on Beale with the UnprettyHer, giving her team two straight wins over Myers and his teammates.
Later on in the show, Dashwood told Myers she didn’t want to go to homecoming with him anymore, meaning she’s not going to team with him on the Homecoming Impact Plus show on the 31st. Beale said he’ll find Myers a new partner.
Eddie Edwards and W. Morrissey Brawl In The Parking Lot
Morrissey picked up the win over Edwards at Slammiversary after hitting him in the head with a fist wrapped with a steel chain. This week, Edwards challenged Morrissey to meet him in the parking lot. The two brawled until Edwards picked up two kendo sticks and beat the big man into retreat. A hardcore match between the two has since been scheduled for Homecoming on July 31st.
Jay White came out to cut a promo. He said that he was in Impact Wrestling for one man and that man is David Finlay. White and Finlay will meet at NJPW Resurgence for the NEVER Openweight title. Earlier this year, Finlay defeated White in the New Japan Cup. White then spoke about the Good Brothers and the Elite. He said that The Good Brothers weren’t good enough for the faction anymore and said their application for re-entry into Bullet Club was denied.
Don Callis, Kenny Omega, and the Good Brothers then hit the stage. Callis gave White some disingenuous compliments, as he is one to do, but then ran down the current incarnation of Bullet Club as being less important. Callis said it is White who should be applying to them for entry into the Elite.
The Good Brothers then hit the ring as Callis and Omega went to the back. Anderson and Gallows said that White should be thanking them for making Bullet Club the big thing that it is. Things turned into a brawl and while the Good Brothers had the numbers advantage at first, Chris Bey hit the ring to make the save for White.
Later in the show, The Good Brothers challenged White and Bey to a match for next week. The match was later made official.
Is There Something Brewing Between Kenny Omega and Josh Alexander?
Kenny Omega walked in on Josh Alexander’s interview this week. Omega had some words for Alexander but Callis encouraged him to just keep walking. Alexander seemed unfazed but we’ll see what this potentially leads to.
Juice Robinson and David Finlay picked up a win in tag-team action this week against Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. After the match, however, Rohit Raju and Shera hit the ring and joined Austin and Fulton in a 4-on-2 attack.
Havok & Rosemary Retain Knockouts Tag Titles Over Fire N Flava
Havok and Rosemary won the Knockouts tag team titles from Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz on the Slammiversary pre-show. This week, the rematch would headline the show. The finish of the match saw Hogan and Steelz uncharacteristically fall out of sync with one another. Hogan ended up accidentally kicking Steelz off the apron, leaving her vulnerable to a double team from Decay. Rosemary hit her with a spear and picked up the victory to retain the titles. Decay would celebrate to end the show.
Next Week On Impact Wrestling
The following matches have been booked for next week’s show:
The Good Brothers vs Jay White & Chris Bey
Violent by Design (Deaner and Rhino) vs. Willie Mack & Rich Swann
Levi Cooper – formerly known as Tucker in WWE – recently joined Joey Karni for a chat on The Angle Podcast. During the chat, he naturally spoke about his time as part of Heavy Machinery. Despite being loved by the fans during their run, the team never won a single championship in WWE.
My exclusive with @REALLeviCooper is available everywhere now!
We discussed his @WWE release, changing his lifestyle, Heavy Machinery breakup, Mandy Rose, what he thinks about @otiswwe current story, & MORE!
Levi Cooper was happy to share his thoughts on why this was, and why he isn’t bothered by that fact.
“At the risk of sounding arrogant, I think maybe a part of the reason we didn’t get those [Tag Team Titles] is because we were able to get over on our own. We’re this big babyface team, you listen to the crowd when we come out. They love us they’re all about us, you don’t need to put the straps on us for them to be like ‘hey we like these guys and we’re all about them, we’re already all about them.” Levi Cooper explained.
Levi Cooper Feels Titles Are Secondary When It Comes to Success
As he spoke, Levi Cooper expanded on his theory regarding Heavy Machinery. Explaining how he viewed the use of tag team titles in wrestling. Viewing them as props that are used to get certain teams to where they need to be, rather than a reflection of one team necessarily being better than the rest.
“Championships are… for a lack of a better term television props. It’s the prize that’s fought over when there’s a protagonist and an antagonist, they have to both want the same thing for that conflict to work. In a wrestling setting, that’s what the championship exists for. Obviously, the main championship, the top prize that comes with a level of stature. There’s a realness about being that guy… The tag championships for me, it doesn’t mean that we’re any better or worse than any other tag team, it’s just a part of our television atmosphere and what we do. And of course, we’re gonna try and get those, but when we were having conversations together me and Otis, it was about how do we think the audience is gonna react to us, versus what do we need to do to get those tag team championships.” Levi Cooper said.
Championships are used to proclaim a person or team as being the best. However, there is a reality to Levi Cooper’s words. They don’t sound bitter, or resentful, but rather down to earth and straightforward. Every wrestler wants to win titles. However, real success and true character is not driven by gold, but by a connection with the fan base.
Recent reports of former world champion Daniel Bryan signing a contract with AEW have excited fans. WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T recently commented on it.
The former WCW star talked about this major development on the latest episode of his Hall Of Fame podcast. He said that he is not going to hate this decision.
Booker explained how WWE shouldn’t hate the decision either, giving the example of basketball players who change teams every year. He then mentioned how Bryan will be able to do his own thing in AEW:
“One thing about Daniel Bryan and AEW, he’s going to be able to pretty much write his own ticket, go out and have the matches that he wants to have. Go ahead and create the stories that he wants to create.
That’s what guys want to do, they want to be able to do their own thing” said Booker T, “And AEW has given a lot of these guys a chance to do their own thing.”
Daniel Bryan’s contract with WWE expired in May this year. While WWE officials were said to be pushing hard to re-sign him, there hadn’t been any positive update in the direction since then.
A report then came out earlier this week that claimed the former world champion has made his choice. It mentions that he has officially signed a contract with AEW and his debut date for the promotion is already set.
Any long-term WWE fan will remember the heated rivalry between Edge and John Cena back in 2006. The pair had undeniable chemistry, with their feud running for ten months and an impressive eleven singles matches.
Talking during his recent appearance on The Kurt Angle Show, Edge spoke about his feud with Cena and revealed the one match they never had.
Edge spoke fondly of the recently returned Cena and said their chemistry worked because they were both on the same page from the get-go. Both understood the point of the feud and the expected end result.
“When I got to John, and we kind of got on the same page and he realized what I was out to do, which was just that, to make him Superman. Once we both had that understanding. Then, we were off and running, because I don’t think that program was supposed to last more than three weeks.” Edge explained.
Edge and John Cena Have Never Met at Wrestlemania
One fact that Edge raised during his chat was that while he and John Cena have fought many times over the years. There was one event where they are yet to clash.
“The only thing was with John and I, we never wrestled a one-on-one at WrestleMania. Which is crazy, right? We worked everything else, but.”
The pair have not faced off in a ring since 2010, however, now, in 2021, both men are active on WWE programming once more. Currently, Edge and Cena both have feuds taking place on Smackdown. Edge with Seth Rollins, and Cena with Roman Reigns. It is not inconceivable to think that the pair could still get their shared Wrestlemania moment.
“I’m back. The scent is in the air. You never know, it could happen one day.” From the sound of things, Edge thinks it could happen too. Whether there are titles on the line or not, there is no denying the fact that a match between them would be a perfect fit for any card.
Listening to Kevin Nash chat with Stone Cold Steve Austin is something special. The two nattered like long lost buddies catching up on old times. During his recent appearance on Broken Skull Sessions, Nash and Austin spoke about a great many things. One of which was acting, which seems to be the go-to backup profession for wrestlers these days.
Kevin Nash admitted that he would love to get into film and tv work. Nash admitted during the talk that opportunities would likely be limited for him, given his size. However, he did reveal there was already a role out there he wanted to claim as his own.
“I love to act,” Kevin Nash said. “Like right now, Rob Zombie’s got the rights to The Munsters. I’d love to play Herman. The thing is, there’s a sensibility and femininity in Herman Munster. That would be if I had to pick the perfect role that I’ve always wanted to play.”
As of the time of writing, there is no official word on who has been cast for any roles in the Munsters reboot. However, it is believed all roles have been filled.
Kevin Nash is No Stranger to the Big Screen
While Kevin Nash is correct, a big man may struggle to find roles in most conventional movies, he is certainly no stranger to the camera.
Nash has acted in films dating back to 1991. Then, he played the role of Super Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. In fact, Kevin Nash has quite a number of small productions under his belt.
It’s not surprising that so many wrestlers turn towards acting when their in-ring careers begin drawing to a close. A large part of wrestling is developing a character and performing night after night. Skills that will serve you well on the big screen. Just look at the success of The Rock or John Cena.
Kevin Nash is a talented man, and he is right about one thing. The role of Herman Munster would be perfect for him.
W. Morrissey better known to WWE fans as Big Cass has created a spot for himself in the Impact Wrestling roster since his debut for the promotion in April earlier this year. The former WWE star recently appeared on the Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast, where he discussed his current run and future in Impact Wrestling.
During the interview, Morrissey claimed that he doesn’t know how long his run with Impact will last. When asked if he is under contract with the promotion, the heavyweight star revealed that he is signed until October:
“I wasn’t at first, but I am signed with IMPACT until Bound For Glory in October. Things could change tomorrow. We’ll see. We’re kind of going on a ‘feel’ basis. They brought me in and I’m not stupid, I understand I’m a high risk because they don’t know what they’re getting.
We’ve gone taping by taping and they were like, ‘We’ll sign you up until Bound For Glory’ and that was cool with me” said W. Morrissey, “because I’m not interested in signing anything long-term right now. It worked out perfectly. I’m there until October for right now.”
Big Cass made his Impact Wrestling debut during the Rebellion PPV in April. He was revealed as a surprise replacement for Eric Young in an 8 men tag match.
He has been on a PPV winning streak since then. W. Morrissey defeated Rich Swann at Against All Odds and Willie Mack at Under Siege. He then beat Eddie Edwards in a singles match at this past Sunday’s Slammiversary.
WWE is a brand that is known the world over. Say what you want about their creative side, but when it comes to branding, they know what they are doing. In their most recent move, the company has announced a deal with Iconic Events Releasing.
The deal will see Summerslam, and other WWE PPVs broadcast in movie theaters around the United States. WWE broke the news of their Iconic Events Releasing deal on their website yesterday.
“Iconic Events Releasing is proud to be in partnership with WWE to bring their incredible brand to movie theaters coast to coast,” said Iconic CEO Steve Bunnell. “Summerslam is a marquee event that demands to be seen on the big screen, with big sound, in an auditorium full of excited fans.”
Summerslam is also available live on the Peacock Network. Streaming a PPV directly to theaters is a new first for WWE. It is unclear if WWE plans to use their relationship with Iconic to show every PPV or just their core shows. Events like Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Summerslam and Survivor Series.
WWE and Iconic Events Releasing Just Made Summerslam Even Bigger
Often touted as the biggest event of the summer, WWE Summerslam 2021 was already shaping up to be a huge event. Live crowds and the return of John Cena and living legend Goldberg has fans chomping at the bit. However, with the Iconic Events Releasing partnership, everything about Summerslam just got that much bigger.
Yes, you can still watch the event at home, however, there is something special about watching anything in a movie theatre. Seeing the wrestling on a truly big screen, with the volume cranked up high. It would certainly be a memorable experience. You can get tickets from local box offices or online through the Iconic Events Releasing website.
While Mark Henry has spent his entire pro wrestling career in WWE, the former world champion is determined to have his final match in AEW.
The WWE Hall Of Famer recently made an appearance on Battleground podcast. He reiterated his comments about preparing for a retirement match.
Henry said that his retirement match is ‘definitely gonna happen in AEW’. Though he explained that it’s not going to happen anytime soon :
“Well, it’s definitely gonna happen in AEW, It’s not going to be anytime soon, I think. I want to be 100%. I am still nursing injuries from 4 years ago.
The wrestling business is a tough business, it’s not meant for everybody.” said Mark Henry, “Being in my home state, it would be cool to be able to do that, but not at this current time.”
The former WWE star then discussed his upcoming commentary gig as part of AEW’s second TV show Rampage. He claimed that he wants to compete with people such as Jim Ross and Pat McAfee in his new position.
AEW Rampage will be premiering on TNT on Friday, August 13 at 10 PM right after SmackDown. Mark Henry will be one of the commentators and a top AEW star is expected to join him in the commentary booth.
AEW’s newest member of the announcement team, Mark Henry has spoken up about working for AEW and in particular, Jade Cargill.
Mark Henry believes that Cargill has everything it takes to be a major star for the promotion despite only being involved in wrestling for a very short time.
“Jade is going to be a superstar. I’ve told her recently, I said, ‘You’re me. You are a star, you are a celebrity. Without a doubt, she will do all of it. She’s going to have to get to the point where she can wake up at 4 in the morning and if somebody grabs her in a headlock, she’ll know exactly what to do. In this industry, there is a lot to learn, and if you want to learn it at a good clip, but you don’t want to learn so fast that you get injured and that’s kind of the thing. She has tried to do things she probably shouldn’t be doing yet, and she has gotten injured. So, we’re going to slow down, work on the fundamentals, and let her evolve.”
“It took me three years, and she’s been in it less than one. So, the Jade Cargill that we’re going to get in three years is going to be one of the main event players on the show. She is already ‘must-see TV’. We’ll be talking about her like we talked about Kenny Omega in three years.” Mark Henry explained. Talking during an appearance on the Battleground podcast.
Mark Henry Was Been Jade Cargills Mentor Before Either Signed for AEW
It is no secret that Mark Henry knew Jade Cargill before both signed for AEW. It was thanks to Henry that Cargill started training at Heath Slaters wrestling school. Jade has also made sure that people know she views Mark Henry as her mentor in the wrestling world.
Jade Cargill is a woman just starting her wrestling career and had her first-ever match live on AEW Dynamite. It’s oddly poetic that Mark Henry intends to have his last ever match on the same show. Possible Elevation, but that lacks the poetry this piece needed.
Hearing the enthusiasm in Mark Henry’s voice when he talks about Cargill’s potential in a wrestling ring certainly makes you take notice. She has already accomplished a lot in a short time and certainly seems to have the tools necessary to succeed.
The going is good right now for All Elite Wrestling. The return of fans has boosted their viewing figures, and Fyter Fest proved to be a very exciting occasion with plenty of surprises. It seems as if there is a new announcement every single week. Not to mention recent rumours of both CM Punk and Daniel Bryan signing for the company. It has also just been discovered that All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has applied for a new trademark. This time for the term The First Dance.
The First Dance trademark is for Entertainment Services which is described as:
“THE FIRST DANCE trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of educational and entertainment services, namely, a continuing program about wrestling accessible by radio, television, satellite, audio, video and computer networks; Entertainment services in the nature of development, creation, production, distribution, and post-production of wrestling programs and events; Entertainment services in the nature of live wrestling performances; Entertainment services in the nature of production of television shows and multimedia entertainment content featuring wrestling programs and events; Entertainment services, namely, production and distribution of ongoing television programs in the field of wrestling; Entertainment services, namely, providing ongoing webisodes featuring wrestling via a global computer network; Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing multimedia program featuring wrestling distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media; Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing series featuring wrestling provided through a global computer network; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network.
The First Dance is the Latest AEW Trademark to be Filed
This is not the first time news has broken for AEW trademarks. Earlier reports included their application for Battle for the Belts. While we are yet to hear that name associated with AEW, it shows their intentions and echoes their penchant for forward planning. The First Dance certainly has an interesting air to it and would make a great PPV name.
As of the time of writing, nothing more is known about how AEW plan to use The First Dance should they be given the trademark for it. However, with their plans for regular TNT specials and ongoing PPVs already known, it makes sense to assume this will fall into one of those open slots.
AEW has proven itself to be a well-run company, making decisions that are thought out and well planned. Don’t expect them to throw The First Dance around before they knew exactly how and when the music will start to play.
NJPW Never Openweight Champion Jay White made his Impact Wrestling debut during the Slammiversary PPV last Sunday. The company has now confirmed the date for his in ring debut as well.
This week’s episode of Impact Wrestling saw the Bullet Club leader offering Impact Wrestling star Chris Bey a spot in the nefarious faction. Though Bey initially declined the offer.
White called out the Elite later in the show claiming that they were not relevant anymore. The segment led to The Good Brothers attacking White and delivering a nasty beatdown.
This was until Chris Bey came out to help the NJPW star. The former X Division champion helped make things even. The duo then sent the team of Gallows and Anderson retreating.
Impact Wrestling announced after this that Jay White will return to the show next week. He will make his in ring debut for the promotion and team up with Bey to take on The Good Brothers in a tag team match.
There is no word yet on who could be Kenny Omega’s next challenger but the recent interactions between him and Jay White are suggesting that we are gonna see a rematch between these two sooner rather than later.
The Thunderdome era saw WWE scoring some of the lowest TV ratings in their history. WWE officials seem to have taken note of this. Triple H recently talked about their efforts to bring the attention of fans back to the WWE product.
Dan Gelston of The Associated Press did a story looking back at the Thunderdome era of wrestling and the effect the lack of fans had on WWE programming.
Talking about the record low ratings, Triple H said that the company will “take a hard look” at how it can attract more fans to the product each week. He then explained how they are seeing it as a moment in time to shift everything:
“It never is one thing; we see this as a moment in time to shift everything. I think you’ll see it in just the layout of everything, the set designs, the way it’s presented.
There’s a greater emphasis on utilizing the spaces that we have and the TV aspect of it while still engaging the fans.” said Triple H, “A lot of that comes from the time we had to experiment inside the Thunderdome.”
The article also featured comments from the Universal champion Roman Reigns. He explained why the situation would have been better if they were doing it in front of live crowds, claiming that crowd response keeps you sharp.
Triple H went on to praise the Tribal Chief for his performance during the pandemic era. The Game claimed that Reigns has been able to bring a level of emotion to his performance that wouldn’t have been possible with the fans cheering or booing over him.
AEW announced earlier today that former NWA women’s champion Thunder Rosa has finally signed an official contract with the promotion. While she has been a regular for AEW in recent months, the news of her signing still surprised many because she was under contract with NWA until the end of this year.
In an update to this development, Fightful Select is reporting that Rosa was able to sign with AEW after a buyout of her NWA contract was orchestrated. The site noted that AEW officials including the boss Tony Khan are careful about not tampering with contracts. The company wanted to play by the book in the situation with NWA.
Thunder Rosa had previously asked for a release in 2020 but her request was declined at the time. Previous reports have revealed that Tony Khan and NWA president Billy Corgan have worked with each other in the past, though whether they were directly involved in the negotiation over Rosa is unknown.
Cris Cyborg Wants Thunder Rosa in an AEW MMA Fight
The former Lucha Underground star made her AEW debut back in August 2020. She has been making regular appearances for the promotion ever since. Thunder Rosa is already used as one of the top stars of AEW’s women’s division. Now after her signing with the promotion, the officials are free to build long-term storylines around the female star.
Impact Wrestling has been focusing on Kenny Omega and other visiting stars for their top storylines in recent months. Many have wondered how the company will fare once these names leave and Gail Kim recently discussed this.
The Impact veteran recently appeared on Busted Open Radio where she opened up about the current AEW champion being the focus of their top stories.
Kim was asked about the company’s future once stars such as Omega and Jey White stop making appearances for the promotion. Replying to it, the former Knockouts champion showed faith in the Impact management:
“I think if they do things right, and I do trust the creative and management process right now, I think they’ve done a really good job. Just a couple years ago, people hated us. For years! It was very hard to get that stink off, we’ll call it. And we’re getting viewers back; we’re getting people talking about it.
I just recently talked to a guy who has a store, a wrestling store. And he was talking about how he could see the difference in sales and people asking for Impact merchandise. We’re making those steps and I think it’s been so positive.”
Gail Kim went on to claim that she trusts the creative team. The TNA Hall Of Famer explained that they will be fine even after the big stars leave as long as they intertwine all the stories:
“I think as long as they intertwine all of these stories, and like I said, I trust the creative team. They’re great. Any person that’s on our roster is used. That’s what I love about this company. If you have a contract with our company, you’re being used.
So I think, ultimately, I would trust this management team right now, the creative team. And I think we’re making the moves in the right direction.”
Kenny Omega made his return to Impact Wrestling on December 8 last year. This relationship has since developed into a full-blown partnership between not only Impact and AEW, but companies like NJPW and NWA as well.
Women’s wrestling star Thunder Rosa has officially signed with All Elite Wrestling. AEW sent out the customary “Thunder Rosa is #AllElite” tweet on Thursday afternoon.
Thunder Rosa has wrestled for AEW since August 2020, but was not formally signed to a longterm contract.
The former MMA fighter turned pro wrestler made her Impact Wrestling debut this past weekend at Slammiversary.
Thunder Rosa issued a statement following the news of her signing. She wrote, “Never in my life doubt that I would be where I want to be! Today one of the biggest accomplishments in my career has been announced!”
Never in my life doubt that I would be where I want to be! Today one of the biggest accomplishments in my career has been announced! #lameramera Is FINALLY WHERE SHE BELONGS https://t.co/iOX3sIM0pg
Prior to signing with AEW, Thunder Rosa was under contract with the National Wrestling Alliance. The NWA posted a congratulatory message wishing her well in the next chapter of her journey.
She'll always be #NWAFam for a lot of us, but we want to send love to @thunderrosa22 and wish her well in the next chapter of her journey.
Thunder Rosa joins a flourishing AEW women’s roster that also includes (Champion) Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida, Penelope Ford, Nyla Rose, Jade Cargill, Tay Conti, Riho, Anna Jay and more.
CJ Perry, aka Lana, will join the new “The Surreal Life” reboot.
Deadline’s Peter White reports that VH1 will bring back the reality tv series “The Surreal Life” this fall. The article also reports that Perry will join other celebrities like Dennis Rodman, Tamar Braxton, and Stormy Daniels.
“The Surreal Life is known for bringing together some of the biggest names in pop culture and creating many unforgettable moments in reality television,” said Nina L. Diaz, President of Content and Chief Creative Officer of MTV Entertainment Group, in a statement to Deadline. “We are excited to see how this stellar celebrity cast will make captivating television for audiences everywhere.”
Perry’s Release From WWE
The WWE released Perry from her contract last month. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp and Jeremy Lambert were the first to report the news, which WWE later confirmed. Ryan Satin reported that Perry signed a five-year deal with WWE in November 2019. However, WWE decided to let her go regardless. Perry’s career with WWE lasted eight years.
Perry’s last match was a tag team loss with Naomi to Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose on May 31st, Monday Night Raw. As of now, “The Surreal Life” will be Perry’s first TV appearance since her release.
Seventh Season of “The Surreal Life”
The upcoming reboot is the seventh season of “The Surreal Life.” The first season was in 2003 and lasted until 2006. The series revolves around celebrities living together in a mansion for a period of time while being filmed. It is unclear where the new season will occur or if the show will be in a different format.
“The Surreal Life” History with Wrestlers
Perry will be the fourth wrestler to appear in the reality series. “The Surreal Life” has seen former WWE wrestlers like Chyna, Sean Waltman, and Maven. Both Chyna and Waltman were in season 4, and Maven appeared in season 6.
Perry’s History on Reality TV shows
Perry is not unfamiliar with reality tv series. She appeared in four seasons of WWE’s reality tv series “Total Divas.” Perry has also been active in her acting career. She was featured in a movie released to Video on Demand this year with Bruce Willis called “Cosmic Sin.”
Former Knockouts tag team champion Kiera Hogan has announced that she is leaving Impact Wrestling. The 26-year-old took to her OnlyFans account to announce the news.
“What’s up babies! I’m in Nashville for tapings and you guys will be the first to know that this is my last IMPACT tapings and I’m going to see what else is out there for me I’m so excited and scared but I know whatever I choose to do I’m gonna be the best and that’s on periodt,” she wrote.
Hogan formed a team with Tasha Steelz known as Fire N Flava last year. In January, Hogan and Steelz won an 8-team single-elimination tournament to win the Knockouts tag team championships. The titles were brought out of retirement for the first time since 2013.
Hogan and Steelz lost the titles to Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering at Rebellion in April. They regained the belts at Under Siege the following month, however. Recently at Slammiversary, Havok & Rosemary defeated Fire N Flava to become the new Knockouts tag team champions.
Hogan made her pro-debut in 2015 on independents near Atlanta. She was trained by Curtis “Mr.” Hughes. She signed with Impact in the summer of 2017.
This year’s Survivor Series will also be the 25th Anniversary of the Rock’s WWE in-ring debut, in a sense. Technically, The Rock wrestled under his birth name on one episode of Superstars in 1996 before this. He also wrestled 3 Dark matches under the name “Flex Kavana” before the Survivor Series that year. Flex Kavana also wrestled with the USWA throughout 96.
His in-ring WWE debut as Rocky Maivia was at Survivor Series 96, however, when he teamed with Jake Roberts, Marc Mero, and “The Stalker” (Barry Windham). They defeated the team of Jerry Lawler, Crush, Goldust, and Triple H.
Survivor Series is also where The Rock won his first-ever world title. At Survivor Series 98, Rock defeated Mankind in the finals of a tournament to determine a new WWF Champion. Rock would turn heel and align with the Corporation in the process.
The Rock hasn’t wrestled an official match since WrestleMania 32, where he defeated Erik Rowan in an impromptu match that lasted only 6 seconds.
All Elite star Andrade El Idolo revealed on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite that his new ‘consultant’ was former WWE Superstar Chavo Guerrero.
Before this week’s show, Andrade El Idolo had been accompanied to the ring by Vickie Guerrero, who was acting as his manager on-screen. According to a report from the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, several ‘complaints led to the storyline direction being changed for Andrade.
Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez did not confirm if the ‘complaining’ had come from those within AEW or the fans, but it was enough for Tony Khan himself to change the former WWE Superstars’ push.
Meltzer stated, “I guess sometimes when you complain a lot, things happen. [Chavo] was not the surprise, this was a change. Tony Khan made a change from Vickie Guerrero to a new manager, and the new manager is Chavo Guerrero. So, that was not the original plan. The original plan was for Vickie Guerrero.”
Andrade El Idolo and Chavo Guerrero
There’s no news either on whether Andrade himself requested the change of manager to now have Chavo as his consultant.
El Idolo and Chavo interacted with Death Triangle on this week’s episode of Dynamite, with PAC, Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix interrupting the newly signed AEW star during his segment.
It’s not confirmed what the direction now is for Andrade going forward. Still, it will likely be similar to what was originally planned, but with Chavo Guerrero managing him rather than Vickie.
Vickie Guerrero appears only to be managing Nyla Rose on AEW programming at this point. Dr Britt Baker D.M.D defeated Rose on this week’s episode of Dynamite in a contest for the AEW Women’s Championship.
WWE has toyed with the idea of running a single-elimination women’s tournament dubbed the Queen of the Ring for a few years now but it has never come to fruition. According to WrestlingInc, however, plans are in place for the company to run such a tournament by the end of the year.
In December, Sasha Banks spoke about wanting the company to run an annual Queen of the Ring tournament.
Queen of the Ring
“A Queen of the Ring tournament on a whole PPV for itself would be really freaking cool,” Banks said during an interview with ProSieben MAXX. “But I’ve been waiting for Evolution 2 for a very long time. So maybe we can do that first, and maybe we can start off little bit [with] matches at Evolution for the Queen of the Ring Tournament. Maybe something like that can happen. But that’s up to you guys, you have to tweet Vince [McMahon]. Make sure you keep on tweeting him so we can have that in 2021.”
In 2019, Bayley also spoke publicly about hoping for such a tournament.
“We kinda want a Queen of the Ring,” Bayley said on the KSFY Morning Show. “If you guys could make that happen, I would love that.”
