AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa hasn’t appeared on television since before the All Out PPV.
Thunder Rosa announced in a backstage segment that she would be unable to compete at the PPV. Toni Storm went on to capture the Interim Women’s Championship and has recently taken a couple of shots at Rosa.
Toni recently spoke with Bleacher Report and said she’s the one here doing all the work and is getting tired of the “interim nonsense”. The 27-year-old debuted with All Elite Wrestling in March. Thunder Rosa defeated Britt Baker in a Steel Cage match at Dynamite: St. Patrick’s Day Slam to capture the title.
I guess my first thing would be to beat Thunder Rosa and stop this interim nonsense,” she said. “That’s kind of what’s been bothering me. I think that’s been bothering a lot of people because she’s still calling herself the AEW women’s world champion and I’m the one here every week doing the work.
AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa Responds to Toni Storm
Thunder Rosa recently responded to Toni’s comments during an appearance on Busted Open Radio. She told Toni to go complain to the booker (AEW President Tony Khan) if she has an issue. The 36-year-old added that she hopes to return to All Elite Wrestling in January. Rosa suggested that the AEW Interim Women’s Champion check out her updates on her YouTube page as well.
They haven’t given me a time yet when I’m coming back. I’m saying it’s January, and I hope it is January.
Again, if Toni Storm disagrees with what’s decided in the back, that’s not my problem. That is not my problem, Toni.
If you have something to ask, you can go on my YouTube and watch my YouTube videos I have posted every time I’m in a doctor’s office, showing you and explaining what’s going on with me.
News broke earlier this week that WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque had tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, he missed Monday Night Raw and NXT the following night.
WWE will present a live episode of SmackDown tonight, and fans have been wondering whether “The Game” will be back in time to run tonight’s show. PWinsider.com reports that Triple H “remains in WWE’s COVID-19 protocol” and will therefore be unable to be present at the show.
Health Update
(BT Sport)
Just like at Raw, Triple H continues to be in close contact with those helping creative in his absence.
Triple H is said to be feeling fine and is simply doing what’s required before he can return in person. The hope is that he will be able to come back to television next week, but that will depend on the test results. This would also mean that he will miss Saturday’s NXT Halloween Havoc special on Peacock.
This week’s SmackDown from Toledo, Ohio, will feature an appearance by Logan Paul as WWE continues to build to his Undisputed Universal Championship matchup with Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next month.
Chris Jericho isn’t going anywhere, as the former AEW World Champion signed a new deal with All Elite Wrestling this week. That new deal will see him be under contract with the promotion through December 2025. It also will see Jericho take on additional responsibilities as a producer and creative advisor.
Jericho originally signed with AEW in January 2019, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal with a two-year option reportedly for $3 million per year before AEW ever had a television deal.
Many, including Jericho, didn’t think he would work for another promotion besides WWE in America after two stints from 1999 until 2018.
WWE Interested in Jericho
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that there was an expectation within WWE that Jericho would go back after his initial deal with AEW expired. Those in WWE believed Jericho would have one final run in WWE and be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at the end to cap off a great career.
Jericho maintained a good relationship with former WWE CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon over the years. The Painmaker told his former boss about the offer from AEW in 2019.
The new deal with AEW will keep him under contract until he’s 55 years old, which may make Jericho’s chances of one more WWE run appear slim. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that Jericho received a raise that made his new deal “the biggest contract of his life.”
CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley to win the AEW World Championship in the main event of AEW All Out on September 5th.
He suffered a torn tricep during the match and is out of action while he recovers from surgery. Following the PPV, All Elite Wrestling held a media scrum and led off with the newly crowned AEW World Champion.
CM Punk went on a rant for the ages while AEW President Tony Khan was seated right next to him. Punk claimed that the company’s EVPs weren’t capable of running a Target, let alone a wrestling company.
After his rant, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks confronted CM Punk backstage and a brawl broke out. Ace Steel has been released from the company, CM Punk and The Elite were stripped of their titles and have not appeared on TV since All Out.
Will CM Punk Return to WWE?
(AEW)
It was reported earlier today by the Wrestling Observer that CM Punk is not likely to return to AEW and the company is working on a buyout for the former champion A non-compete clause appears to be the hold-up at the moment.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, sources within WWE believe that CM Punk would not have been brought back to the company with Vince McMahon at the helm, but that may not be the case with Triple H. A source told Fightful that Triple H wants to create compelling TV “more than anything” but can’t see WWE bringing CM Punk back on a full-time deal like he had in All Elite Wrestling.
However, if the money, creative and situation is right, Triple H’s regime can leave the door open for anything. It was also noted that Punk may not need to wrestle again if his contract gets bought out.
The report echoed previous sentiments that many within All Elite Wrestling do not want CM Punk back unless he makes serious amends for how he made the company look following All Out.
Matt Hardy recently celebrated 30 years in the pro wrestling business. While enjoying a career resurgence with his “Broken Matt” character that led him back to WWE briefly, he joined AEW.
He debuted during the “No Fans Era” with the Damascus character. It was one that struggled without live fans. Hardy’s heel character from IMPACT, “Big Money Matt”, came to AEW. He charged a “wee fee” for his services with Private Party, Butcher, Blade, and Bunny. His clients formed Hardy Family Offices (HFO) before merging with Andrade El Idolo to become AHFO. Private Party eventually turned on him.
For a few months, Jeff Hardy joined him in AEW. The pair teamed up for tag and trios matches. Their biggest match was the “Modern Dream Match” against the Young Bucks at Double or Nothing. Unfortunately, Jeff was arrested for a DUI a few weeks later.
Recently, Hardy has made amends with Private Party. There is the possibility that Hardy Party will make a run at Trios gold. Isiah Kassidy lost his match last week and per the stipulation, LFI now owns the contracts of the Hardy Party.
Matt Hardy discusses retirement
In the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, he did a Q&A episode. He was asked when he retires, which company does he want to retire with.
“I don’t know. Honestly, I can see myself retiring with AEW. I love being here. I love the family feel that it has. And I just love the lack of horseshit and bullshit, it’s pretty much straight-forward. And Tony is really good at working with people and remembering they’re human beings, especially families, and allowing them to take time off and address issues there may be. He’s great with that and works around people’s schedules and whatnot. I love AEW. I’m very cool spending the rest of my career at AEW.”
“With that being said, I love WWE as well. I think it’s a big positive at HHH has taken over and has been in charge. I would imagine that it’s going to continue to change as it evolves over the next few years with him at the helm.”
He goes on to say that Michael “P.S.” Hayes has to be the one to induct the Hardy Boyz into the WWE Hall of Fame when the time comes.
Despite having what was advertised as his retirement match, Ric Flair is still not closing the door on the idea of stepping back into the ring for one more match.
This past July, Flair partnered up with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo and faced Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett in the main event of “Ric Flair’s Last Match” event during SummerSlam weekend at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium that Jim Crockett Promotions and Conrad Thompson presented.
During the match, Flair took some scary bumps and bled throughout it, which was something that he promised to do heading into the bout. Flair managed to finish without any serious injury.
Since then, Flair has teased getting back into the ring and regretting saying it would be his last match.
Ric Flair Not Ruling It Out
(via WWE)
While speaking to TMZ Sports, Flair was asked about returning to pro wrestling again and he made it clear that he does not rule out competing again.
“I don’t know,” Flair told us out in LA this week. “I’ve already promised [I was done] once. Right now, I’m not doing anything. But, never say never.”
The WWE Hall Of Famer responded to the recent comments made by Joe Rogan regarding his Figure Four Leglock submission finisher.
Ric Flair has responded to the recent comments made by popular podcaster and standup comedian Joe Rogan regarding his Figure Four Leglock submission finisher and threw out a challenge to him.
On a recent episode of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. The UFC commentator referred to the legendary move as “dumb” because the technique of the move doesn’t make sense when applied to real-life fighting.
Flair Fires Back
On Friday, in a post on Twitter, the legendary pro wrestler responded to Rogan and called for an appearance on his podcast so he could put him in the submission hold that helped him win many of his 16 world titles.
“@joerogan, You’re Getting A Lot Of Attention For Calling Me Out! The Only Way To Resolve This Is To Have Me On The Show. I’ll Put You In The Figure Four Leg Lock & We’ll See If You Can Take It! LFG! WOOOOO!”
Flair wrestled his final match at the “Ric Flair’s Last Match” event during SummerSlam weekend at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium that Jim Crockett Promotions and Conrad Thompson presented.
He teamed up with his son-in-law and AEW star Andrade El Idolo to beat Jeff Jarrett and AEW wrestler Jay Lethal in a tag team match.
Renee Paquette is widely regarded as one of the most likeable non-wrestling personalities in the world of professional wrestling. She made headlines when she debuted for AEW in October, making good on longstanding rumors she may one day join her real life husband Jon Moxley as well as a host of friends from her WWE days on this stage.
Paquette talked over what led to her decision and what it was like to make her first appearance on an episode of her podcast immediately after her debut. Amidst the conversation, Mean Gene Okerlund came up, and she briefly joked about starting her own hotline in the tradition of what the broadcaster did first for WWE, then for WCW back in the 1990s. Whether it was intended purely as a joke or not, the idea has potential.
Renee Paquette Tends To Get Compared Gene Okerlund
No one would ever mistake Renee Paquette for Gene Okerlund based on their physical appearances. However, the two have drawn a high number of comparisons based on the respective roles they’ve played in the wrestling industry, primarily working as backstage interviewers and hosts, in additional to forays into the commentary booth. Most specifically, there’s a relatively frequent assessment that Paquette is “the best backstage interviewer since Mean Gene.”
Paquette, to her credit, doesn’t shy away from the comparison or dispute her standing, but rather expressed in the podcast that she was flattered to be mentioned in the same breath as Okerlund. She even went so far as to reference that the two were able to work together on some projects for WWE, and that she enjoyed grabbing a bite to eat with him after work, describing him as a class act.
An Actual Mean Gene-Style Hotline Could Be a Great Nostalgia Play In The Short Term
Mean Gene Okerlund famously facilitated a hotline first for WWE, then for WCW. The gist was that he would tease major news or rumors on TV, inviting the viewer to call a 1-900 number that charged an initial fee, plus extra money for every minute the caller stayed on the line. Typically, there was a conscious design to keep the customer listening for a while to get more money out of them.
As Eric Bischoff has discussed on his 83 Weeks podcast, it was Okerlund, personally, who brought this business over to WCW, suggesting it as a revenue stream he knew well and could facilitate.
The idea of a hotline itself is pretty outdated in 2022. Just the same, AEW could bring back this concept—be it following the traditional model on the phone as more of a novelty Internet or app-based utility. The nostalgia-factor alone would probably draw some old school fans to call Renee for an inside scoop—throwing few dollars or a download at it for their entertainment.
AEW Could Switch From A Hotline To Something More Modern For Renee Paquette
While Renee Paquette running a fee-based hotline might be able to create some revenue and good will in the short term, the idea probably wouldn’t have much of a shelf life. The Internet and social media are so robust in their coverage of wrestling news and rumors nowadays that it’s hard to image many fans calling an old school hotline nowadays more than a handful of times.
Either after or instead of the hotline model, though, AEW might use similar branding for a more modernized take on the concept. Perhaps it would be a news source with a paywall like Fightful Select or the way The Wrestling Observer offers some of its content. AEW would, after all, have unique access to share news on this kind of platform about upcoming events or matchups, or taking control of news reporting about backstage happenings.
Paquette has already established herself as a highly skilled interviewer via not only her on-air wrestling efforts, but her podcast. Offering conversations, for example, with Tony Khan himself or other major figures from AEW could offer an additional incentive for fans to pay a modest fee to listen.
While wrestling fans by and large enjoy free content, it only seems fair for a promotion to take advantage where there’s a potential revenue stream the fans might clamor for. Renee Paquette is that rare figure in wrestling hardly any fans have anything negative to say about, and no one could blame AEW for cashing in with some variation of a hotline concept, taking advantage of Paquette’s personality and Mean Gene Okerlund nostalgia.
A member of WWE’s roster could join the likes of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and Booker T as King of the Ring next year.
The King of the Ring tournament began in 1985 with Don Muraco becoming the first King, with the first televised event seeing Bret Hart claim the crown in 1993.
WWE’s most recent King is Xavier Woods, who defeated Finn Balor at Crown Jewel 2021.
Good to be the King
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that WWE is considering bringing back the iconic tournament in 2023.
Rather than in recent years, when only the finals would be on a Premium Live Event, the reported plan is for there to be an official King of the Ring event.
WWE canceled the KOTR Pay-Per-View after 2002’s event reportedly due to drawing weak numbers.
Nowadays, Pay-Per-View buys are no longer the metric WWE uses to gauge a show’s success, as money is guaranteed by Peacock, allowing for more unique shows.
A Throne Fit for a Queen
In the report, it is also noted that WWE is looking to bring in a Queen of the Ring tournament as well.
In 2021, WWE held its first ‘Queen’s Crown Tournament,’ but avoided using the term ‘Queen of the Ring.’
At Crown Jewel that year, Zelina Vega, who’d returned to WWE months prior, defeated Doudrop to become the first Queen.
Vega defeated current AEW Interim Women’s World Champion Toni Storm in the quarter-finals and future tag-team partner Carmella in the semis to advance.
WWE may be looking for talent outside of their own company to follow the buzzards into Bray Wyatt’s rumored stable.
Wyatt returned to WWE at Extreme Rules 2022, 15 months after his controversial release under the previous regime.
At the time it was reported that Wyatt’s contract, estimated to be $3 million per year, and creative differences with then-CEO Vince McMahon, led to his release.
New Members
During his Extreme Rules return, characters from the Firefly Fun House appeared, portrayed by real people.
This has led to speculation of a stable, which has been dubbed by fans the ‘Wyatt-6,’ a nod to his Twitter handle ‘@Windham6.’
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that former Ring of Honor talent Vincent and Dutch have been considered to play two of the Wyatt characters.
Vincent, a record-setting four-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Champion, was with the promotion from 2012 to 2019.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 336lbs, Dutch is an imposing figure, and also a former ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion.
Both men were backstage during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
Other Members
Vincent and Dutch may soon be part of the Wyatt-6 but other names have been rumored.
After being in a ‘dark place’ following her SmackDown Women’s Championship loss at Extreme Rules, Liv Morgan has been rumored to join.
Alexa Bliss is also rumored to join, playing into her past with Wyatt.
Bo Dallas is reported to be returning to WWE, and many expect him to align with his brother.
It is believed that Grayson Waller portrayed Mercy the Buzzard at Extreme Rules, while Joe Gacy has also teased involvement.
WWE did not offer any money and AEW did not request any money for the WWE Hall of Famer to appear.
Instead, Tony Khan requested that WWE make reference to AEW on the show, similar to acknowledging Impact Wrestling during Mickie James’ return in January this year.
James appeared in the WWE Women’s Royal Rumble despite being with Impact and the promotion’s Knockouts World Champion at the time.
After agreeing and disagreeing on whether to have Gunn appear, the Newsletter reports that a “last-minute” call was made for Gunn not to appear.
Gunn did not appear but Corey Graves referenced a DX member who now works in office supplies.
Graves’ reference was a nod to Gunn who has been scissoring with AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed this year.
Payback?
Billy Gunn didn’t appear for WWE during the DX reunion, but he has made a WWE appearance while with AEW.
In 2019, Gunn, mere months into his role as an AEW coach, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of DX.
During the event, Gunn joked that he couldn’t be fired from WWE, and Triple H responded that then-CEO Vince McMahon could buy the “p*ss-ant” AEW.
In the report, Dave Meltzer writes that he is surprised that WWE and AEW had any discussions about bringing Gunn in, given the frosty relationship between the two companies at this time.
CM Punk’s days with AEW are seemingly coming to an end as the promotion is against the idea of bringing him back.
Punk, who debuted for AEW last year after a seven-year hiatus from wrestling, was suspended after the AEW All Out 2022 post-show backstage fight. The Chicago-Made wrestler was also stripped of the AEW World Championship and is believed to have thrown the first punch.
After All Out 2022, AEW President Tony Khan approved a third-party investigation into the fight and any possible legal ramifications.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that AEW are in talks to buy out the remainder of Punk’s contract for an undisclosed sum. Dave Meltzer writes that this suggests that Khan and other higher-ups do not intend to bring Punk back to TV.
Sentiment within AEW is said to be very anti-Punk, and sympathetic to Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.
CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW
A WWE Return?
If Punk is fired from AEW, then a return to WWE is possible, despite leaving on bad terms in January 2014.
Meltzer reports that there is an issue with the non-compete clause in Punk’s contract and AEW fear Punk joining WWE, likely the only promotion that can afford him.
WWE has been very negative about Punk in the past and did not sign the former World Champion when FOX pushed them to strike a deal.The belief is that signing Punk, even while he’s injured and won’t be able to wrestle for several months, would be a major coup for WWE.
Punk has been heavily critical of WWE and has not had any direct contact with the promotion. However, he is said to be good friends with Adam Pearce and Paul Heyman, both WWE employees. Neither Punk nor AEW responded to a request for comment.
Karl Anderson’s decision to choose WWE Crown Jewel 2022 over NJPW Battle Autumn has infuriated NJPW President Takami Ohbari.
Anderson, the reigning NJPW NEVER Openweight Champion, returned to WWE earlier this month alongside Luke Gallows.
The duo will team up with AJ Styles to face the Judgment Day at Crown Jewel on November 5.
Double Booking
After his return to WWE, it was reported that Anderson was still booked for Battle Autumn, where he was set to defend against Hikuleo.
In an updated card, published after the Good Brothers returned to Raw, the match was still on the schedule, with many believing NJPW and WWE had reached a deal.
After his match at Crown Jewel was announced, Anderson took to Twitter, where he and Gallows said they will not be competing at Battle Autumn.
The show is also scheduled for November 5 and is will take place in Osaka, Japan, over 5,200 miles away from Crown Jewel’s host city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Furious
Anderson and by proxy, Gallows, are off the Battle Autumn card, which hasn’t gone down well with New Japan’s higher ups.
In a recent interview with Tokyo Sports, company President Takami Ohbari stated that he was “furious,” but declined to comment further on the matter.
The report also noted that in early 2006, Brock Lesnar was forced to pull out a NJPW event, though in his case it was due to Visa issues.
Anderson’s decision to skip Battle Autum in favor of WWE Crown Jewel is the first instance of a “foreign fighter blatantly refusing to participate” at a pre-advertised show.
Bill Goldberg’s rise to the top of WWE after joining in 2003 was incredibly quick, but that wasn’t exactly what the promotion wanted.
After WCW folded in March 2001, Goldberg, one of the company’s few home-grown stars, would join WWE in March 2003.
Goldberg would interrupt The Rock, fresh off his WrestleMania XIX win over ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, culminating in a match at Backlash which Goldberg would win.
Not World Champion
In September 2003, Goldberg captured the World Heavyweight Championship, ending Triple H’s nine-month reign.
The match at Unforgiven saw Goldberg put his career on the line, and the title would change hands if Triple H was disqualified or counted out.
“I think at WCW I was the world champion for a while. WWE, I don’t think they ever wanted me to be the champion for more than like 10 minutes. Although I’m still in a contract, sorry guys.”
After retaining at that year’s Survivor Series against Triple H, Goldberg lost the title back to the Game at Armageddon, in a match that included Kane.
Goldberg Today
Goldberg returned to WWE in 2016, and has had two brief reigns as Universal Champion.
In 2017, Goldberg flattened Kevin Owens, before losing the title to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33.
In 2020, Goldberg defeated ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt in a controversial title-change many criticised WWE over.
Like before, Goldberg’s reign would be short-lived as he’d lose the title at WrestleMania 36 to Braun Strowman, who replaced Roman Reigns.
On “The Business of the Business” podcast, GCW’s Brett Lauderdale, talks about a variety of topics from the situation between his promotion and AEW, what happened with Jon Moxley, and if he will return to the company.
GCW Fight Club took place in Atlantic City the weekend of October 8 and 9. Due to a change in some of the management and confusion over the calendar, the venue was double booked for the Saturday show. To make matters worse, Lauderdale wasn’t informed until it was too late to move the event to another date. This forced them to move the show outside on the pier.
399 days after beating Matt Cardona for the GCW World Championship, Jon Moxley dropped the title to Nick Gage in a Title vs. Career match. Mox was ambushed by Morrissey from The Firm and they cost him the title.
“One thing about Mox’s run– you know there’s people that wished he was at every show– but we have to be realistic here, this guy is one of the top stars of a weekly wrestling company and he’s not going to be able to make every show, he has commitments– real life and professional commitments that extend beyond GCW.
As I saw it, I loved having him as champion this entire time because it made it seem extra special every time he would come and every time he would have a match, put the title on the line. For me, it seemed like a bigger deal than had he been there every week or every show or once a month.”
Jon Moxley’s importance
Jon Moxley
“It was significant having him, for obvious reasons. He’s one of the biggest stars in the world. So to see him wearing our title belt, wearing GCW sweatshirts on TV, and doing crazy matches for us when he doesn’t have to do them, that’s obviously a big deal for GCW. It opens eyes, it takes us beyond the indie wrestling bubble and introduces new fans to us that we never would have known what GCW is.
And furthermore, when other AEW wrestlers or just top name, international talent, or even just top indie wrestlers, when they see Moxley willing to come do GCW, knowing that the guy doesn’t need the money — it’s not about a payday –when they see he does it because he wants to be there, obviously, it helps GCW’s credibility and helps our reputation amongst wrestlers and inside the business. Mox again, his contributions to GCW also extended beyond the ring.”
Lauderdale had no idea about Moxley’s new deal with AEW. He’s also had very little interaction with AEW directly over the years. “Booking Moxley, I never spoke to AEW. It was always just Mox and talking to him and him handling whatever needed to with AEW. But, yeah, I’m sure things are going to change now. I don’t think we’ll see him as frequently. But I do think we’ll see him again. I think if there comes a time when there’s somebody he wants to wrestle or show he wants to be a part of, I think he’ll be there. I think he’ll let me know, much the same way he’s let me know over the last 399 days. He’ll shoot me a text and say, ‘whattya coming up in this month or when are you going to be in this place?’ and that’s how it would often come together.
So, I wouldn’t be surprised if I hear from him again in a few months or six months or whatever. Sometime in the next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he came back again and stops in for another event. Again, he does have priorities and I don’t expect it, rather — I don’t know what the word is — I wouldn’t be surprised and I’ll continue to look at it as a bonus anytime he comes around.”
“He’s not doing it for the money. He does not need the money from indie wrestling companies. And I can’t pay him the amount of money, I can’t pay him close to what he probably gets paid on a weekly basis from AEW; nor would he ever expect that or ask for that. He’s just here because there’s a side of him that still loves indie wrestling. That’s where he came from and its part of his personality.
I think there’s a reason why he’s done so many shows for us and why he was cool with being our champion for over a year. That’s because I think he respects us and what we do and what we stand for. Again, Mox is a guy–even with his new contract — he is still a guy that calls a lot of his own shots and if he were ever to ask for a favor or permission for something, I can’t see Tony Khan saying ‘no’ forever. There’s always a time and a place and a reason that could make sense, so we’ll see.”
GCW’s relationship with AEW
(Photo: Jay Lee Photography)
When asked what his relationship is with AEW, Lauderdale replies, “to be honest, I don’t know what our relationship is with GCW. And I don’t mean that in a bad way or a good way. But again, I have very little interaction with AEW. So, I don’t know. In terms of AEW people being banned or barred from wrestling for GCW, I’m not sure that such an edicts exists and I would think that if that was a rule, I think I would know. But again, they don’t send me a weekly email or an update. So, I’m not sure. Everything is on a case-by-case basis. So, we’ll see. I think that we’re very fortunate and very grateful for all the times they have been gracious to allow their talent to come and work for us. Even if it is the end, even if we aren’t going to be seeing any of their people around anymore, it’s been good while it’s lasted. It’s helped our company a lot and I’m thankful, I’m grateful for that.”
Lauderdale said he’s read some “outrageous” comments about Mox, AEW, and GCW from people that think they know what happened. “The literal beginning of Mox in GCW is just him texting me at two in the morning or whatever, asking if we have show in this place or this date anytime soon and him just saying, ‘okay, cool. I’ll come do this or that. Like that’s literally the end of it. There is no talking to talent relations. There is no talking to Tony Khan. There is no talking to an agent. There is no this or that, its Moxley shows up and he wrestles the match and then goes home. That’s what it comes down to. There is not much more to it. There’s no seeking permission or getting rules or guidelines, it’s just that simple.”
Listen to Brett Lauderdale’s appearance on The Business of the Business, the official business podcast of SEScoops:
Darby Allin was one of the first unknown names that AEW helped bring the spotlight on during the company’s initial days. Only 26 years old at the time of his signing, Darby’s daredevil style of wrestling instantly attracted people and made him a star. Though despite his early success, the former TNT champion had his own struggles before being signed. Just like he does in the ring, he also made some crazy decisions in his life to improve his chance of success. This includes going homeless for a few years.
The AEW star was the most recent guest of Renee Paquette’s The Sessions podcast. During the interview, he recalled the time he went homeless during his early days of wrestling. The high-flying star explained that he wanted to give it his all:
“Yeah, that’s when I moved from Seattle to Atlanta. Because Seattle was the black hole of wrestling. There was no shows at the time. This was before Defy and everything, you couldn’t wrestle in the state. The commission wouldn’t let you have pro wrestling shows in the state. So we’d always have to go to Vancouver, Canada, or Oregon or something like that. I was like ‘I gotta do something. I gotta get out of here.’
I just didn’t have a comfort zone. I feel like a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, I really want this to work out,’ But they don’t put everything into it. I wanted to look at myself in the mirror and be like, ‘Yo, you dedicated everything in this so you have no fucking excuse if you don’t make it.'”
‘Why The Hell Does It Smell Like Salmon?’: Darby Allin
Darby Allin later detailed the struggles he had to go through during his homeless days. He recalled living in his car and cooking food in the bathroom of a gym:
“When you don’t have the comfortability to sit down on the couch and be lazy and watch episodes of whatever. When you’re living in your car. Especially in Georgia, it was so hot in the summer. I would have to have like a strict bedtime so I got decent sleep before. Then I parked in this hotel parking garage.
It was connected to an Anytime Fitness and I got the Anytime fitness membership. Then I was just like, cooking all my food there at the George Foreman grill in the bathroom at like one in the morning. There would always [be] like one random guy that’s in there like ‘Why the hell does it smell like salmon in this fucking gym?’ Then I’d walk out like I didn’t know what he’s talking about. But it was fun.”
MJF has taken the professional wrestling world by storm and he’s just getting started. Maxwell became wildly popular after his “pipebomb” promo about AEW President Tony Khan on the Dynamite after Double or Nothing.
He had skipped an autograph signing leading up to the PPV and there were rumors he was going to no-show the PPV. Friedman ultimately did show up and got squashed by Wardlow. However, it was MJF that emerged as the bigger star following the PPV.
Here are 3 reasons MJF is already a generational talent:
The Mic Skills
MJF has a skill that most of today’s wrestlers do not possess, he can captivate an audience with his words.
Maxwell doesn’t just hold the audience’s attention when he speaks, he has them hanging on every word. He’s an old-school heel that will say whatever it takes to get his opponent off their game. MJF is also old-school in regard to his interviews. He rarely breaks character and is the same on Dynamite as he is on a podcast.
The rivalry between former AEW World Champion CM Punk and MJF culminated in a Dog Collar match at AEW Revolution. Punk emerged victorious in the match to even the record up at 1-1. Time will tell if we ever get to see the third match in the series.
MJF has made the claim that his feud with CM Punk will go down as one of the best of all time. Their promo at Dynamite: Thanksgiving in 2021 alone makes their rivalry a memorable one.
The Character
It is easy to dismiss MJF as a jerk or just another heel, but you aren’t paying attention if you do so. Friedman has referenced being bullied in the past for being Jewish, as well as hinting that he’s not the biggest fan of himself recently.
AEW Dynamite had a special Tuesday night edition of Dynamite this week. During the show, Tony Schiavone was set to interview Blackpool Combat Club’s William Regal. MJF quickly interrupted and brought up an email Regal sent him 7-years ago.
Max had tried out for WWE and Regal told him that he was too young, but to email updates on his work. Regal apparently scolded MJF in one of the emails and Max resented it. William mocked the 26-year-old, called him sunshine, and claimed that he’s had it easy in his career if he’s hung up on an email.
Following Hangman Page’s injury, MJF and Jon Moxley had an impromptu promo while William Regal was ringside. MJF announced that he will be cashing in his chip for a shot at the AEW World Championship at Full Gear. He added “for once in my miserable life, I’m going to earn it” as Regal grinned.
Thus, he’s not a complete vile character. There is a kernel of dignity somewhere within MJF’s character that fans get to see from time to time.
The Future
MJF may just have the brightest future of anybody in wrestling.
There was a brief moment when Austin Theory appeared to be on his way to the top of the industry, but the 25-year-old seemingly hasn’t won a match since capturing the Money in the Bank contract.
At 26, the future is incredibly bright for Maxwell Jacob Friedman. He’s established himself as an attraction, meaning he doesn’t get inside the squared circle often. However, whenever MJF does get in the ring he proves that he is one of the best wrestlers on the planet as well.
It is must-watch television when MJF delivers a promo. When MJF wrestles a match, it is must-watch television because you don’t get to see it often and you know it is going to be worth your time.
MJF’s epic rant at The Forum in Los Angeles following Double or Nothing, and his subsequent absence from AEW TV, has made him a massive star in the wrestling industry. It was a promo that only a qualified oratory exhibitionist like MJF could deliver. The following months without him only proved how much AEW needed him.
His return at AEW All Out was overshadowed by CM Punk’s rant and the brawl at the media scrum after the PPV. However, Max has gotten fans to talk about him and less about the controversy since All Out.
It sure looks like MJF will be capturing the AEW World Championship at Full Gear on November 19th. He will also likely be heading into the bidding war of 2024 as one of the biggest free agents the industry has ever seen. MJF is Salt of the Earth, better than you and you know it, and has set himself up to become a legend in the years to come.
5 Reasons MJF Should Win The AEW World Championship
Popular YouTuber, boxer, podcaster, and WWE Superstar Logan Paul is scheduled to battle Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5th.
The Tribal Chief will put the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on the line against Logan at the Premium Live Event. Roman Reigns has held the title for 778 days now and the 27-year-old will look to put an end to his title reign in a couple of weeks.
Logan Paul and The Bloodline held a press conference in Las Vegas last month to make the match official.
Roman Reigns Reacts to Logan Paul Training with Shawn Michaels
Logan Paul has only competed in two matches during his young WWE career. He teamed up with The Miz at WrestleMania 38 to battle Dominik and Rey Mysterio. The A-Lister and Logan picked up the victory but The Miz betrayed him after the match.
The Miz planted Logan with a Skull Crushing Finale at WrestleMania as the crowd cheered. Logan got his revenge a couple of months later at WWE SummerSlam. Logan defeated The Miz in a singles match and impressed the WWE Universe with his skills in the squared circle.
He is in for the match of his life at Crown Jewel against The Tribal Chief but appears to be taking the necessary steps in order to give himself a fighting chance. Logan took to Twitter today to share a photo of him training with WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. The 27-year-old is in mid-flip in the photo seen below.
Ring of Honor will hold its next PPV event on December 10th. ROH Final Battle will live from the University of Texas at Arlington with a start time of 4 PM ET.
The Wednesday night wars were revisited this week, only this time it was on a Tuesday. AEW Dynamite aired on Tuesday night this week due to postseason baseball. Dynamite drew a larger audience and a bigger number in the key demographic in this week’s ratings war.
AEW President Tony Khan also spoke with Sports Illustrated recently and said that there will be “great news” soon about a weekly ROH TV show after the PPV.
We’ll have great news soon about Ring of Honor weekly shows,” Khan says. “The success of Death Before Dishonor on pay-per-view has ensured there will be more Ring of Honor pay-per-views.
Our goal is to have one more great pay-per-view for Ring of Honor in 2022 and then follow that up with a weekly show in 2023.
Tony Khan on the future of ROH via Sports Illustrated
WWE Planning Show The Same Day As ROH Final Battle
WWE reportedly is planning an event on the same day as ROH Final Battle. The company employed a similar strategy against AEW All Out weekend, with Clash at the Castle and an NXT event happening the same weekend.
In a new report from Fightful Select, NXT talent were informed that December 10th is the date internally scheduled for the next WWE NXT Premium Live Event.
The show is rumored to be related to the “Deadline” trademark recently filed by WWE but that has not been confirmed.
While the shows will be on the same day, the companies will not be going head-to-head. ROH Final Battle is scheduled to air in the afternoon, while the unnamed NXT event will be at night.
Fightful’s report also notes that the NXT PLE will likely be held in the Performance Center and is expected to be announced at the Halloween Havoc event this Saturday.
WWE NXT’s Arianna Grace has provided an injury update after getting surgery to repair a knee injury.
Gace first revealed on October 13th that she suffered the injury that needed surgery with the following message on Twitter:
“Hey you guys!!!! Sadly, I’m injured and will have surgery next week. I’m going to do all I can to recover properly and come back stronger so I can get back to doing what I love, performing for all of YOU! I can’t wait to get back in the ring.”
Gace later thanked fans and fellow wrestlers for their support and well wishes following her announcement.
Arianna Grace’s Road to Recovery
WWE
Grace later revealed on TikTok that she had surgery due to a torn ACL and meniscus in her knee. In another TikTok video, she noted that she would miss in-ring action for nine months. “The Iron Princess” announced today that she underwent successful surgery this past Tuesday.
“Hey guys, surgery went well. Now is the hard part. Really difficult to move or even use my crutches without excruciating pain. Hoping it gets better soon,” Grace wrote via Twitter.
Gace had a WWE tryout last December and signed with the company to start training at the Performance Center earlier this year. She worked the inaugural NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament but fell short to Nikkita Lyons in the opening round. Her last match happened at the October 4 NXT Level Up taping, where she teamed with Kiana James against Fallon Henley & Sol Ruca.
Kane may have spent decades terrifying countless WWE fans, but it is an iconic dance move that keeps the Devil’s Favorite Demon up at night.
After multiple previous gimmicks including ‘Fake Diesel’ and Isaac Yankem D.D.S, Jacobs debuted as the hellish Kane during the In Your House: 1997 Bad Blood Pay-Per-View.
Attacking his ‘brother’ The Undertaker, Kane cost the Phenom the very first Hell in a Cell match against Shawn Michaels.
The Kanearoonie
By 2002, Kane’s monstrous personality had somewhat simmered, and he was a babyface adored by fans on Raw.
In one of the character’s most infamous moments, Kane used Booker T’s ‘Spinaroonie,’ dubbed by fans as the ‘Kanearoonie.’
Speaking on the latest episode of WWE’s The Bump, Jacobs recalled the segment, calling it the scariest moment of his career.
“The most horrifying was the Kaneroonie, I’ll tell you that. I had to get some lessons from Booker T on how to do the Kaneroonie. It turns out it’s all about momentum, getting your lower body and your legs going first. Booker was kind enough to show me how to do that.”
Repackaging
While many Superstars would be opposed to performing the dance move, Jacobs was open to the idea.
The WWE Hall of Famer explained in the interview that he wasn’t against doing the move, as he was working on changing the Kane character.
“We did want it to be a more lighthearted Kane and a more entertaining Kane as opposed to the dark brooding character that I had been initially. So I didn’t really had to be talked into it.
“After I saw it, I kind of wished that I’d never gotten talked into it.”
Kane would remain as a babyface until losing a mask vs. title match against then-World Heavyweight Champion Triple H in June 2003.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is working on a new television project. During the latest episode of his Foley is Pod podcast, the Hardcore Legend commented on a mysterious project in the works.
“I may or may not be within a few miles of WWE’s compound where I may or may not be working on a television show. But if I am working on a show, it is going really well.”
It sure sounds like he’s working with WWE on this new project, but he’s keeping things close to the vest for now.
Cody Rhodes Revisits The Throne
Cody Rhodes remains out of action after undergoing surgery to repair his torn pectoral muscle earlier this year. The American Nightmare’s recovery is going well and he’s expected back in action in early 2023.
On Wednesday, Rhodes posted a photo on social media of himself in front of Triple H’s iron cross throne. The last time he stood in front of a throne like that, he was destroying it at All Elite Wrestling’s first pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing 2019.
At the time, the defiant act symbolized his plan to chart a new path for himself outside the auspices of Triple H and WWE. Fast forward three years and Cody in front of the throne takes on an entirely different meaning.
Bobby Lashley was recently interviewed by RainmakerNYC and discussed his current run with WWE. Lashley returned to the company in 2018 after a 10-year hiatus, which saw him working primarily for Impact Wrestling.
Here’s what the 46-year old Almighty one had to say about the biggest change during those ten years way:
“I’m older!”, he joked. “No, older, wiser — I mean, there’s there’s a little bit of everything. There’s a different kind of training that you have when you’re a little bit of an older athlete. You know, I take care of myself a little bit more, I have different — just different thoughts. Before when I was younger, it was like, yeah, early lifestyle, money you run around doing a whole bunch of different things. Now, I’m more of a businessman.
Green Kane
WWE legend Kane (Glenn Jacobs) is debunking the rumor that the company planned for him to wear an alternate green costume during the Attitude Era.
Kane was loosely affiliated with DX when he and X-Pac won the WWE tag team championships in 1999. Over the years, photos of Kane in a green outfit have circulated online, as seen below:
The Big Red Machine appeared on WWE’s The Bump this week and says there were never any plans for him to wear a green outfit on television.
“There is no green gear,” he said. “There was never going to be any green gear, and there never will be green gear. Kane’s red and black all the way, man.”
– Kane
Kane did change up his look over the years, including different black and red gear, as well as variations of his mask (and later, no mask at all). However, nothing green was ever considered. In fact, he hates the idea of Green Kane.
“I think that would have kind of undermined the character, actually,” he said. “So that’s one of those deals that sparked on the Internet, and that’s the first time I’d ever seen it, was when people started to talk about green Kane like part of DX. To my knowledge, that was never even discussed, although maybe I would look good in green. I don’t know.”
You can watch Kane’s comments about “Green Kane” below:
"There is no green gear, there was never going to be any green gear and there never will be any green gear!"
AEW star Darby Allin is a risk-taker in and out of the ring, but thought he wasn’t going to make it through a match with Jeff Hardy.
During the May 11, 2022, edition of AEW Dynamite, the two popular wrestlers faced off in what was billed as an ‘Anything Goes’ Match.
The match, which Hardy would eventually win, saw both men use weapons in one of the most extreme matches AEW has ever produced.
Meet my Doom
Arguably the biggest spot of the match (at least from a literal sense) came when Allin dove off a ladder in the ring, onto Jeff outside the ring.
The pair landed on ten steel chairs, earning ‘Holy Sh*t’ chants from the crowd in attendance.
Speaking on the latest episode of ‘The Sessions’ Allin told new AEW signing Renee Paquette about the trepidation going into the match.
“Earlier in the day, I climbed that ladder and I looked down and I was like ‘yeah, I’m for sure going to the hospital tonight.’ There’s no way around it.”
Despite how dangerous the spot seemed and looked to fans, Allin said he found it a mostly pleasant experience.
“Everybody asks me ‘dude how’d that feel?’ And honestly, it didn’t feel like anything, it was so safe. You can see me if you watch the video back, I kinda go to Jeff’s ear ‘that sh*t was so fun!”
“AEW-wise, that was the craziest thing. I thought for sure I was going to meet my doom.”
Darby Allin on Anything Goes match with Jeff Hardy.
The match would be one of Jeff’s most recent matches with AEW, as he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence the following month.
Wrestling Myself
With his face paint, daredevil attitude, and unique personality, Darby Allin has often been compared to Jeff Hardy.
Speaking about working with the former WWE World Champion, Allin said it was like working with himself.
“It felt like I was putting a match together with myself…It was like I was talking to myself. It was fun. A week before, it was just supposed to be a normal match. Just a straight-up match. And I went up to Tony [Khan] and I said ‘hey, nobody wants to see us exchange wrist locks.'”
Allin’s only regret is that the match was under the watchful eye of New York’s State Athletic Commission, which kept some of his most extreme ideas off of the show.
“It was in New York where there’s a state commission, and I was like ‘why couldn’t we wait a week when we’re in Texas when no-one gives a sh*t?”
Darby Allin
Out of the Ring
Allin considers the Jeff Hardy match a personal highlight of his risk-taking life, which isn’t just for the cameras.
In the interview, Allin explained how even when he’s got time to ‘relax’ his version of chilling out includes more risk-taking.
“Every time I’m off for the week, it’s like ‘alright, Darby is going to take the week off and chill out and whatever.’ [But really,] I go harder outside of work than I do in the realm of AEW. I’m never really stopping. It’s fun though because I never know when I’m going to get hit by a bus or something.”
Allin has taken to social media to show off some of his stunts, including driving a jeep over his own home.
For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.
AEW felt the need to check that both Athena and Jody Threat were okay after their hard-hitting match on Dark: Elevation.
The match, which aired this week, saw Athena portray the heel role while Threat was the babyface in her hometown of Toronto, Canada.
The match has become notable for the stiff, hard-hitting strikes which have led some to believe that there are genuine issues between the two.
Backstage
Athena got the win in the hard-hitting match, but a lot took place backstage after the match.
Fightful Select reports that during a planned spot in the match, Threat slipped while attempting a comeback sequence.
Threat, thrown off by the error, asked Athena what was the next spot and the two got more physical afterward.
A source who spoke to Fightful said that the aggressiveness shouldn’t have happened and things should’ve instead been made more clear.
Another source criticized Athena, the veteran in the match, saying she should have led by example rather than let the match get more physical than planned.
Both women were reportedly approached by management after the match to make sure things were okay between them.
Some close to Athena added that this hard-hitting style was always her plan to play up her heel role in front of Threat’s hometown crowd.
Avoiding Drama
This match has quickly become what many fans know Jody Threat for, but she hopes that isn’t the case for long.
Fightful’s report adds that there have been no reports so far on heat for either woman.
Threat is described as someone who attempts to avoid attention and doesn’t like to get involved in wrestling politics.
She is reportedly hopeful that this is not a career-defining match.
Wrestling is the business of iconic moments. You never know which moment or segment will become a classic and many of them have gone on to have a life of their own. One such segment that is talked about to this day is the infamous math promo cut by Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner.
The wrestling veteran recently had an interview with The Bullet Cast. He first talked about the 2022 Hall of Fame induction of the Steiner Brothers and mentioned that the fans had been waiting for them to be inducted for years:
“Oh, it’s great because my nephew introduced us. So it was good. For the fans too because for years they had been asking [for us to be inducted].”
– Scott Steiner
‘It Made Sense’: Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner was then asked about his infamous promo and if he knew it would become as popular as it did. Replying to it, the former WWE star admitted that he didn’t think it’s gonna last for as long as it has:
No, I don’t think you can ever do an interview and think it’s gonna last forever the way it did. But no, It took off. People still enjoy it today. So, it’s great and It made sense.”
– Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner cut the infamous math promo before TNA Sacrifice 2008. He had a match against Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe at the PPV. He explained how adding Kurt Angle to the mix drastically reduced the chance of a victory for Joe.
You can relive the iconic promo in the video below:
