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Claudio Castagnoli Recalls The Giant Swing From Blood And Guts Cage

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

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

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

‘Alright, We’re Done’: Claudio Castagnoli

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

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

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

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

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

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

Six to Nine Months

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

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

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

Dave Meltzer.

The Fight

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

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

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

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

Eric Bischoff: CM Punk Disrespected Tony Khan At Media Scrum

AEW Held Another Talent Meeting Before this week’s Dynamite

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

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

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

Talent Meeting

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

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

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

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

What’s next?

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

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

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

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

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

Wrestlers React to CM Punk AEW All Out Madness

Claudio Castagnoli Shares Memories Of Working With Brodie Lee

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

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

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

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

‘We Always Had A Laugh’: Claudio Castagnoli

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

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

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

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

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

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

Battery

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

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

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

Threats

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

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

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

The two were separated by other employees of the gym.

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

The Plea

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

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

Velveteen Dream Arrested on Multiple Charges Earlier This Month

CM Punk & The Elite Pulled from AEW Dynamite Intro

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

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

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

The Fight

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

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

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

AEW Dynamite

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Becky Lynch on her Rivalry With Bianca Belair

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

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

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

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

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

H/T: Sportskeeda

Rumor Killer On Ricky Starks Following All Out Match

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dynamite Results (9/7)

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

Here are 10 takeaways from this week’s AEW Dynamite

Tony Khan Vacated Both the AEW & Trios Championships

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

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

MJF Pretended to be a Babyface Before Showing His True Colors

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Death Triangle are the new Trios Champions

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

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

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

Toni Storm def. Penelope Ford

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

Wardlow Dominated & Retained the TNT Title

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daniel Garcia Captured The ROH Championship

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

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

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

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

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

Watch: What MJF Said In His First Promo Back

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AEW Dark Elevation Taping Results From Buffalo

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

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

AEW Dark Elevation Results

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Injured

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

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

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

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

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

Change of Plans

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

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

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

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

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

Kris Statlander Undergoes Knee Surgery, Timeframe for Return

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

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

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

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

Kris Statlander Injury Update

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

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

Kris Statlander Confirms Timetable For Recovery

Malakai Black Granted Conditional Release from AEW (Report)

Joey Galizia
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Amid the chaos surrounding the events that transpired following Sunday’s All Out pay-per-view, another performer has quiet been granted a release from the company.

Malakai Black, leader of the House of Black faction, is reportedly done with All Elite Wrestling. The Dutch-born star joined the promotion back in 2021, where he began a hot feud with Cody Rhodes. He also built the House of Black, a menacing faction comprised of Brody King, Buddy Matthews and Julia Hart.

In recent weeks, it’s been reported that Black has been dealing with personal issues and was considering taking a hiatus from pro wrestling. On Wednesday, Fightful reported that AEW talent is of the belief that Black has been granted a ‘conditional’ release. Although the terms of the release have not been made public, one would assume AEW President Tony Khan has allowed him to leave AEW with the condition that he cannot sign with WWE until the duration of their original agreement.

Just weeks ago (late July), Khan stated, on Busted Open Radio, “Malakai Black has almost five years left on his deal. I wouldn’t expect him going anywhere anytime soon.”

The news comes after Black bowed and waved goodbye to the Chicago crowd following the House of Black’s loss to Sting, Miro, and Darby Allin at Sunday’s All Out pay-per-view.

AEW Star Teases Leaving the Company at All Out (Video)

What Happens With The House Of Black

The faction hit an unfortunate rough patch with Black being banged up and Buddy Matthews going down with injury, which kept them from any major storylines on AEW programming.

AEW has yet to confirm the release of Black publicly, but with the ongoing drama between CM Punk and The Elite, it’s understandable that announcing the loss of a big star is not their top priority.

Triple H Defends Nick Khan Over Mass WWE Releases

Thomas Lowson
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In August 2020, WWE hired Nick Khan as their company President, following the departures of co-Presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson. 

Both Barrios and Wilson were cut from the company, just one week before the company’s 2019 Q4 Earnings report, and the act caused stock in WWE to fall by over 20%.

Khan joined WWE at a difficult time, as the company had spent months without live fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it would be just under a year before fans would return on a permanent basis. 

Taking the Blame

Around the time WWE hired Khan, the promotion was laying off several members of the roster. 

This process began in April 2020, months before Khan was hired as WWE President, but many considered him a factor in the mass releases. 

The releases, cited as due to ‘budget cuts,’ were deemed unnecessary by some, as they came at a time when the promotion was making record profits. 

Khan didn’t exactly do himself any favors, saying he’s happy to take the blame for fans’ unhappiness and the releases.

Not His Fault

Many fans saw Khan as the reason behind the budget cuts, with the then-WWE President still being blamed to this day. 

Speaking to Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, Triple H refuted the idea that Khan bore any responsibility for the cuts (via ITR Wrestling.)

“There was a period of time… where the whole world was like, ‘That damn Nick Khan.’ It just makes me laugh. He had zero to do with those decisions that are happening, the poor guy. He’s just getting battered online for having zero to do with any of those stories.”

Triple H on Nick Khan.

Promotion

After a year as WWE President, Khan was promoted to Co-CEO, a role he shares with Stephanie McMahon. 

Khan’s promotion came following the retirement of Vince Mcmahon in July, a month after stepping down as CEO and Chairman of WWE. 

In his place, Frank Riddick has been appointed WWE President after previously serving as Chief Financial Officer.

Triple H Promoted to Chief Content Officer, WWE Appoints New President

Finn Balor Reveals Reaction To Edge Leaving Judgement Day

Jon Fuentes
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Finn Balor has offered up his thoughts on Edge departing The Judgement Day.

Balor was recently interviewed by BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani, ahead of Clash At The Castle this past weekend.

During the interview, Balor was asked for his thoughts on WWE Hall Of Famer Edge being removed from the Judgement Day faction so quickly.

Several weeks ago, upon Balor being introduced to the group, Balor, Damian Priest, and Rhea Ripley attacked Edge, seemingly kicking him out of the group. The creative decision was one that confused fans greatly at the time, seeing as it had only started a few weeks ago.

Finn Balor
(via WWE)

As for Balor, he thinks the idea worked out in the long run, allowing the group to make it their own rather than playing “sidekick” to Edge.

“Things could always be different, and we can pick apart things that happen on a TV show weekly. But we have to adapt on the fly, unlike television. It is what it is. It wasn’t how I imagined it to be, but it’s a little cooler this way.

“For me personally, if Edge had been in the group, the reactions we would get – maybe myself, Rhea, and Damian – we would say ‘that’s because of Edge.’ But now the reactions we get, that’s because of us.

“We’re not leaning on Edge in any way, so it gives me more responsibility, Damian more responsibility, and Rhea the same. We can dive into this as ourselves as not as a sidekick to Edge. We’re excited with how it’s going.”

Currently, Edge is still feuding with The Judgement Day; which now consists of Balor, Priest, Ripley, and now Dominik Mysterio. The young Mysterio joined The Judgement Day on RAW this week after he turned on Edge and his father, Rey Mysterio, at Clash At The Castle.

Pat McAfee SmackDown Commentator Role On Hold After College Gameday News

Jon Fuentes
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Pat McAfee will have his SmackDown Live commentator role on hold after the announcement that he’ll be joining College Gameday full-time.

It was recently announced that McAfee will join ‘College GameDay’ on ESPN starting this Saturday. This won’t affect McAfee’s daily sports show on YouTube, which is currently in the middle of a four-year $120 million dollar deal with FanDuel. 

However, with McAfee’s commentator duties for WWE taking place on Friday nights on SmackDown, and College Gameday taking place the following morning, that could pose some travel concerns for the ex-NFL punter.

Pat McAfee
(via WWE)

As a result, McAfee announced on his show, “The Pat McAfee Show,” today that his role as a commentator on SmackDown Live will be put on hold. However, he’s still a member of the WWE family.

Triple H followed up with a Tweet confirming the news, suggesting that WWE is looking forward to McAfee’s return in the future.

McAfee has been competing for WWE as an in-ring performer sporadically over the past few months. He’s become quite the fan-favorite, especially on commentary, so his absence will certainly be felt.

The college football season ends in January, making that a likely return timeframe for McAfee should he decide to do so.

Eddie Kingston Names Several AEW Stars He Doesn’t Like

Jon Fuentes
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Eddie Kingston is not shy about letting it be known which fellow All Elite Wrestling (AEW) stars he doesn’t like.

Kingston was recently a guest on Busted Open Radio, and actually revealed several people within the company he legitimately doesn’t like.

He commented on how fans think a lot of what he does and says is a work, but proceeded to confirm he legitimately doesn’t like several of AEW’s top stars.

“People think a lot of the stuff I do is a work or whatever they want to call it right? Everybody likes to use insider terms. Everybody loves to be in the know and all the dirt sheets and all that stuff, right? I’ll give it to you plain and simple.

“I don’t like Jericho. I don’t like Bryan. I don’t like Claudio. I don’t like Punk. Those are the people I don’t like in this company. There’s nothing you can say or do or tell me that makes them different to me.”

Eddie Kingston Chris Jericho
Eddie Kingston & Chris Jericho

Kingston was pressed on why he doesn’t like those stars, but was reluctant to give any insight. He prefers to keep some things behind the curtain, unlike others who he says gets things leaked out to the media.

“I’m gonna keep that to myself because people don’t need to know inside baseball. No offense to the fans, but the curtain doesn’t have to be getting pushed back all the time.

“Look at the people who let stuff leak out. They need it leaked out so they can have interest in them. I don’t need anything leaked out about me for the people to relate to me, to like me, to hate me, whatever you want.”

There seems to be quite a bit of turmoil backstage within AEW at the moment. Kingston has had his fair share of issues backstage, and now with the ongoing situation between CM Punk, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks, it will be interesting to see how this affects the company overall moving forward.

Quotes via WrestlingNewsCo

Seth Rollins is the New Mr. WrestleMania and He Knows It

Michael Reichlin
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Seth Rollins has developed into one of WWE’s most valuable Superstars since bursting on to the scene in 2012 as a member of The Shield. He can always be counted on to deliver a show-stealing performance, especially when it is the most needed.

Rollins was Ryan Satin’s guest on the latest episode of the Out of Character podcast for Fox Sports. Their discussion took place at SoFi Stadium, site of next year’s WrestleMania. The 5-time World Champion boasts that he’s hit “all home runs” and delivered “all bangers” on WWE’s grandest stage.

“Yeah, WrestleMania is always good for me. I’ve got great memories of it as a fan and now as a performer,” he said. “I feel like, I’d have to rack by main, but I feel like I’ve had all home runs at WrestleMania. I think, all bangers, as far as I can remember. We had a couple of real short ones with The Shield, we opened our first WrestleMania in New York, and then did a straight squash of Kane and the New Age Outlaws, which is nice to have on your resume as well, those are Hall of Famers. Other than that, I feel like it’s just been knocking it out of the park every time. So yeah, WrestleMania kind of rocks for me.”

The New Mr. WrestleMania

Satin suggested that Rollins is the current generation’s “Mr. WrestleMania,” a moniker once bestowed upon WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. Those are big shoes to fill, but they’re a better fit on Rollins than anybody else.

“Yeah, there’s a lot of pressure at WrestleMania time. I think it’s one of those things, the longer you do this, I’ve been doing this I think 10 years now that I’m on the roster with WWE, the live events become lighter, there’s less pressure all around, TV becomes routine.

Even some of the bigger pay-per-views, I’ve done a lot of them, but WrestleMan is always WrestleMania. There’s something super special about it. There’s always that extra buildup and that extra pressure to steal the show or make an impact. You want to leave a moment that people will leave forever, so I’m very fortunate to be part of a few of those.”

rollins michaels
Seth Rollins and Shawn Michaels

Please credit the Out of Character podcast with a h/t to SEScoops if you use any of the quotes transcribed in this article.

Seth Rollins’ WrestleMania Record

Seth Rollins has competed in 10 WrestleMania matches since his debut at WrestleMania 29 back in 2013. Since then, he’s earned a record of 6 wins and 4 losses at WWE’s biggest event of the year. It’s a healthy winning record, but it’s the quality of his performances that solidify Rollins as this generation’s Mr. WrestleMania.

  • WrestleMania 29 (2013): The Shield def. Sheamus, Randy Orton & Big Show
  • WrestleMania 30 (2014): The Shield def. Kane and The New Age Outlaws
  • WrestleMania 31 (2015): Randy Orton def. Seth Rollins. Later in the night, Rollins cashed in Money in the Bank to defeat Brock Lesnar (c) and Roman Reigns to win his first WWE Championship
  • WrestleMania 33 (2017): Seth Rollins def. Triple H
  • WrestleMania 34 (2018): Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental Championship against The Miz (c) and Finn Balor
  • WrestleMania 35 (2019): Seth Rollins def. Brock Lesnar to win the Universal Championship
  • WrestleMania 36 (2020): Kevin Owens def. Seth Rollins
  • WrestleMania 37 (2021): Cesaro def. Seth Rollins
  • WrestleMania 38 (2022): Cody Rhodes def. Seth Rollins

Kenny Omega, Young Bucks, More Suspended By AEW

Jon Fuentes
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Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks have been suspended by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) for their participation in a physical altercation with CM Punk this past weekend.

It was rumored that some suspensions could be handed down for the incident, and now, Sports Illustrated has confirmed some of the names that have been suspended.

Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Pat Buck, Christopher Daniels, Michael Nakazawa, and Brandon Cutler have all been issued suspensions.

The report also suggests that Punk and Ace Steel are expected to either be amongst those suspended, or will no longer be with the company by the end of today (Wednesday, September 7, 2022).

This past weekend at the All Out pay-per-view (PPV), CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley to win the AEW World Title.

He spoke alongside AEW president Tony Khan in the post-show press conference, where he made some very scathing comments about Omega, The Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and more.

Kenny Omega on Dynamite

Shortly after Punk’s comments, Omega and The Young Bucks confronted Punk in his locker room. This led to a physical altercation between Omega, The Young Bucks, Punk, and Ace Steel.

The Sports Illustrated report notes that Punk and Khan had a meeting on Tuesday to discuss Punk’s status with the company, as well as how a potential “exit could be handled.” It was also noted that an external third-party investigation into the backstage altercation will be conducted.

2023 WWE Royal Rumble Headed to San Antonio’s Alamodome

Michael Reichlin
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WWE has announced the location for next year’s Royal Rumble premium live event. After hosting a record 6 stadium shows this year, the world’s leading pro wrestling organization is wasting no time booking huge venues for next year.

The 2023 WWE Royal Rumble will take place Saturday, January 28th from the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. This will be the third time the Alamodome will host the Royal Rumble, including 1997 (winner: Steve Austin) and 2017 (winner: Randy Orton).

2023 WWE Royal Rumble

WWE has confirmed the signature event will once again be headlined by Men’s and Women’s Rumble Rumble matches, with the winners earning championship match opportunities at WrestleMania Hollywood.

In a press release sent in to SEScoops, Mayor Ron Nirenberg says he’s thrilled to bring one of WWE’s most exciting spectacles back to San Antonio. WWE’s major shows bring tens of thousands of tourists into town. Nirenberg touted the “incredible economic boost” and community outreach events that the Rumble will bring.

Royal Rumble tickets go on sale Friday, September 30 at Ticketmaster.

R Truth Explains His ‘Clap Back’ Against CM Punk

Anutosh Bajpai
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R Truth has explained his ‘clap back’ against CM Punk over the former WWE champion’s remarks about their old match.

The wrestling veteran recently appeared on Premiere Live TV. He talked about things such as his childhood hero John Cena, his music career and more.

Speaking about his exchange with CM Punk over their match at Vengeance 2011, Truth claimed that he has no beef with the AEW champion:

“I’m still me at the end of the day. You don’t say no bullshit on me and I won’t come back. I am a clap backer. It depends. Sometimes I ignore shit, but I will clap back.

We cool. No beef with me and Punk.” claimed R Truth, “Me and Miz beat him because we were hotter than him at the time. Punk has gotten his push and all that shit, but we were hotter than him at the time. No beef,”

CM Punk teamed with Triple H to face Truth and The Miz in a tag match at Vengeance 2011. To many people’s surprise the team of Punk and H lost this bout.

In his infamous appearance at Colt Cabana’s Art of Wrestling podcast, Punk had questioned this booking decision. R Truth had later responded to the AEW star saying that they were hotter than Punk at the time.

Quotes via Fightful

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