Triple H has scrapped two longstanding Vince McMahon edicts.
It’s “The Game’s” show now, and he’s certainly making his presence felt. Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Triple H first has done away with the notion that, in a tag team match, the illegal man can only attack a legal competitor in the ring when the referee is done.
The long running Vince McMahon rule stated that WWE producers have been told for years that an illegal competitor can’t successfully attack a legal competitor in a match without it being a DQ.
You can get away with doing the five-second double team spot, however, if it’s a straight up attack on the legal competitor from the illegal one, the referee had to be down. That is no longer the case.
The second rule “The Game” has done away with has been banned by McMahon for years, but was a staple in major matches during the Attitude Era.
(BT Sport)
There was a pin spot where the babyface of the match would look like they had the match won, but someone would pull the referee out of the ring from outside to kill the count.
Vince McMahon reportedly banned the spot because “it makes no sense.” However, as Dave Meltzer points out, nothing in pro wrestling makes sense.
The spot is no longer banned and was returned with Solo Sikoa debuting at Clash At The Castle by assisting Roman Reigns in defeating Drew McIntyre.
Johnny Gargano was living a peaceful life at home and contemplating the idea of never returning to wrestling at all. This was until he heard a song.
The former NXT champion appeared on After The Bell podcast. Among other things, he discussed his time away from wrestling and how he was enjoying his stint as a stay-at-home dad. When Vic Joseph asked Gargano if he considered just calling it a career at the time, Gargano noted that he was considering the possibility, until he heard the song Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush:
“This is when I knew what I wanted to do. I was watching Stranger Things and the song came on. The first thing that popped into my head was ‘Wait a minute, that’s Shawn vs. The Undertaker song from WrestleMania.’ That’s where my mind went. I was like, ‘I remember that.’ That’s right and I watched a hype video for Shawn and Taker from Mania.”
‘It Just Hit Me’: Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano recalled watching the video on his kitchen table. It reminded him of what he originally got into wrestling for:
“I sat there in the kitchen. Candice was right there. She can tell you this. I sat there in the kitchen. I watched this hype video. She’s doing baby stuff. It just hit me watching this video. I was like, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I want this. This is where I want to be and this is what I want to do. This is why I got into this. To have videos like this about me but also to have these WrestleMania stories and matches, and I haven’t had that yet. “
You can watch the promo that inspired Johnny Gargano’s return below:
CM Punk shook the foundations of All Elite Wrestling and gave Tony Khan his biggest challenge yet as the leader of a wrestling promotion with his All Out media scrum rant. Latest reports have now come out that suggest the move might have been premeditated as opposed to what was previously believed.
Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that when Punk originally made his return two weeks ago, he had claimed that the All Out press conference would be interesting.
A report from Wade Keller supports these claims as well. Before the Newsletter came out, Keller reported on Todd Martin’s The Fix audio show onPWTorch VIP that Punk had spoken to Tony Khan ahead of the scrum. The former world champion had apparently told the AEW president that he would be firing some shots at the press conference:
“I was told that Tony knew something was coming from punk, and he had some idea he had something he wanted to bring up.. so, watching Punk, he had the agenda,”
Several fans had noted after the PPV media scrum that the Straight Edge Star went on a rant for no reason and he kept bringing up the EVPs every now and then during the whole segment. These claims if true, changes the whole narrative of what transpired after the show.
The comments being preplanned would mean that CM Punk intentionally tried to bury the AEW EVPs. The promotion has hired an independent firm to investigate the whole issue. If the claims against Punk are verified, then it could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for his AEW run.
Bobby Fish isn’t done sharing his opinions about CM Punk.
Fish was released by WWE on August 6, 2021 after four years with the promotion. He spent his entirety of that run in NXT, where he was part of the Undisputed Era faction. By October, he was wrestling for All Elite Wrestling. He’s since left AEW after two sides failed to come to terms over a new deal.
He was gone from Tony Khan’s promotion by the time Punk melted down at the All Out post-show media scrum, but that didn’t stop Fish from challenge Punk to a fight during the latest episode of his Undisputed Podcast. He had more to say about the self-proclaimed “Best in the World” during a new interview.
Bobby Fish’s Harsh Words for CM Punk
Bobby Fish spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston earlier this week. As a lifelong martial artist, he feltwas personally insulted having to ‘sell’ for Punk’s “bunk-ass martial arts” during their match on the October 27, 2021 edition of AEW Dynamite.
“Phil is not a bad pro-wrestling, but what Phil is not is a martial artist,” said Fish. “I’ve been doing martial arts since I was eight years old so I take a lot of pride in it… You are insulting the audience’s intelligence. It’s honestly insulting for you as one of my co-workers. As a martial artist you’re asking me to go out and sell, put over your bunk-ass martial arts. It’s insulting to the audience. It’s insulting to me. At the same time, I’m working for AEW. They’re the ones paying my check. You asked me to go out and put my shoulders down for Phil Brooks. I go out and I do it.”
“Phil, after the match, was a c***.”
Bobby Fish on his October 27, 2021 AEW Dynamite match with CM Punk.
Instead of thanking him for a good match, as is customary, Fish says Punk was bent out of shape over a blown spot. Fish says Punk was salty after he executed his Go to Sleep finisher poorly, a move that Fish reminds everybody was lifted from NJPW star KENTA.
“Phil, after the match, was a c*nt. Frankly as a martial artist, I laid my shoulders down for you. You should be grateful that I did, because on national TV if I decided I wanted to ‘Haku’ your ass, I could have. You’re that little of a threat in my world. I’m not Jon Jones or Anderson Silva, but like, I’ve been doing martial arts since I was young and I can handle myself enough to where I will fold you like a wet-nap, Phil Brooks.”
“So for you to be c*nt afterwards because of a mistake that you made, it doesn’t it doesn’t wear well, not to mention the move that he finished me with, it’s not even his finish. It was Kenta’s. Phil, you took a man’s finishing move, which anybody who knows pro wrestling knows like, that’s kind of fu*ed up, and you weren’t even decent enough to change the name.”
“So yeah, I mean, it goes back. It wasn’t a challenge. It was an invitation like Phil, if you want to throw hands with The Young Bucks, who are on a short list of people that are my friends when it comes to this business, I’m happy to oblige. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what exactly went on. But like, if you’re feeling froggy, man, come on. Let’s jump together.”
As seen below, Fish does kick out of Punk’s finisher at the “3.1” second mark of the pinfall, so that might be a factor in Punk’s post-match frustration.
Watch: CM Punk vs. Bobby Fish (AEW Dynamite, 10/27/21)
Open to All Options
When asked about the possibility of going back to work for WWE, Fish said he’s open to the possibility.
“I don’t know. I’m open to all options and offers at the moment. I do know that there have been quite a few people who have come back through those doors. And I’m happy for you know, the people, that I know were left there after I had left.
“Things were weird there for a bit. So for them to be back in the direction of some normalcy and some positivity, working for Hunter. I know I enjoyed it.”
Speaking about his relationship with Triple H, Fish praised the WWE Head of Creative and Talent Relations as “awesome” and “down to earth.” Last month, while still under contract with AEW, Fish was quoted saying that he would go to war for Triple H.
Watch Bobby Fish’s interview with Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston:
AEW has grown their roster exponentially in the past year or so and brought in a number of big stars. Though with limited TV time, it also means that the company has to make some changes to other people’s deals to accommodate and let some talents go. Alan Angles, previously known as number Five of the Dark Order is one such star who parted ways with the company earlier this year.
The former AEW star appeared on Talk Is Jericho recently. When asked about his decision to leave the promotion, he explained that it was just time to go:
“I just decided that maybe it was time to [go]. I was told they weren’t gonna renew my contract about 45 days before it was up. Basically, they just weren’t gonna give me the same deal. They were gonna give me a per appearance deal If I wanted it.” said Alan Angles, “I kind of just I figured that maybe I had reached the limits of where I could get here right now. In this run in my career, at this point in my career. I’m so young, I came into AEW virtually a nobody. I wrestled maybe three years doing the South East circuit.
He continued: “I had built up a little bit of a following on the internet and stuff like that, but I feel like there was a perception of me. I know a lot of people hate this word, but, I was kind of like the jobber of the Dark Order, or the bottom guy on the Dark Order. I feel like when fans build up that perception of you it’s kind of hard to change that. I think once that’s decided, once they get that, there’s no changing it. Unless, gradually you build up, build up, build up. But I feel like in AEW that would have taken a really long time, if that makes sense.”
Chris Jericho then asked Alan Angles what the final straw that led to his departure from the promotion was. The former Dark Order member explained that he just realized that he could do a lot more elsewhere:
“I don’t know if there was a final straw. I think it was just I kind of realized that I could do a lot more on the indies and or other companies, I could really build up my name doing that as opposed to just staying here and doing the same thing over and over again.”
Alan Angles had a relatively easy start in wrestling, and he was signed by AEW to a contract at only 22 years old. Though this doesn’t mean that he didn’t pay his dues and Angles had already been wrestling in the independent circuit for a while before that.
The former Dark Order member detailed his experience in the indie circuit during his recent appearance on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. When asked about his worst indie booking, Angles recalled wrestling in a barn for his very first show:
“Probably the first indie show that I ever did. There was about seven of us packed in a car. We drove about seven hours to a town called Dyersburg, Tennessee for I think it was called DXW.” recalled Alan Angles, “It was in a shoot barn like an actual barn. There was hay on the floor.
A small lowboy ring, [with] just the worst ropes of all time. We got paid, I think $20 Each or something like that. That’s actually not the least I’ve ever been paid.”
Jericho then asked him what’s the lowest amount he got paid. Angles recalled getting paid $5 for a tag match “One time I got paid in a $5 bill, and it was supposed to go to me, and my tag partner.”
Alan Angles was part of the AEW roster from 2020 to 2022. He left the promotion earlier this year after the company offered him a per appearance deal instead of a full contract. The star previously known as Five explained that he wanted to rebuild himself.
During the AEW All Out 2022 post-show media scrum, CM Punk had some explosive comments for Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.
Punk criticized the management skill of the AEW EVPs and also accused them of spreading false information about him.
The two-time AEW World Champion also fought with the Bucks and Omega, in a brawl that also involved Punk’s trainer Ace Steel.
Return to WWE?
Due to his comments and involvement in the fight (in addition to an injury) Punk has been removed from AEW programming and stripped of the AEW World title.
It has been reported that Punk could be fired (if not already) or could choose to leave AEW, especially if Steel is fired as expected. Speaking to WrestlingInc, Booker T discussed a possible WWE return for the ‘Best in the World.
“It would be hard, it would be really hard for him just to swallow his pride and go back to that.”
Booker T on CM Punk.
Booker added that while Punk’s time on WWE Backstage provided an opportunity, he believes that ship has sailed.
The two-time WWE Hall of Famer also questions what Punk’s “positioning” would be in WWE’s current roster.
Is a Deal Possible?
Punk walked out of WWE after the 2014 Royal Rumble Pay Per View, citing injuries and frustrations with the company.
Though Punk was part of WWE Backstage in 2019, the former Champion never returned to WWE, signing a deal with FOX instead.
AEW Rampage is set to go live for the next two months, according to the schedule for the show.
While Rampage airs on Fridays, the show is traditionally taped on Wednesday’s following the live AEW Dynamite.
According to the schedule, the majority of episodes after September 28, will be live rather than taped.
The exception to this is the October 13, taping of Rampage in Toronto, Canada, which will be aired on Thursday instead of Wednesday or Friday.
It has been speculated that the delay will be due to international travel from the United States to Canada.
This pattern will continue until the November 4, episode of AEW Rampage.
Making the Show Important
While AEW Rampage started strong last year, with Christian Cage beating Kenny Omega for the Impact World Championship on the debut episode, the show has lot a lot of steam since then.
During a media call leading up to the All Out pay-per-view, Tony Khan said that the fall of momentum was down to several stars being out of action (via Comicbook.com)
“A lot of the biggest stars in AEW have been out and the stars that I do have, I’ve had to put them on Dynamite every single week.”
Tony Khan on AEW Rampage losing momentum.
Khan added that Rampage will pick up momentum again with many stars coming back from injuries as of late.
It’s worth pointing out that Khan made these comments prior to All Out and before Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, CM Punk, Ace Steel and others were removed due to their involvement in the post-show media scrum fight.
During the April 11, 2022 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, Tommaso Ciampa had his call-up to the main roster, appearing in a segment with Kevin Owens and Ezekiel.
For his run on the red brand, Ciampa has aligned himself with The Miz, and both lost and regained his first name.
Change of Plans
Ciampa may be seen on the main roster these days, but for years, the two-time former NXT Champion was against being called-up.
In an appearance on a 2019 episode of After the Bell, Ciampa told Corey Graves that he would rather retire than leave NXT.
Speaking to Fightful, Ciampa explained his previous comments, saying that at the time, he felt his career was coming to an end soon, and he does not feel that way now.
Instead, the former NXT Champion said he now feels to be finished with the first half of his career, because he’s learned to wrestle with his neck injury, andnjot be in pain.
Addressing the call-up, Ciampa said that lot of things changed, from the world, his life and maturity that made him more open to joining the main roster.
Creative Freedom
Speaking about his time on Raw, Ciampa addressed his passionate promo during the July 25, 2022 edition of Raw Talk.
Ciampa said that he was given a lot more freedom than expected, and was told to say what he wants as long as he made the relevant points.
The Miz, who was also in the promo, encouraged Ciampa to improvise along the way.
Cruiserweight Classic
In 2016, Ciampa competed in the Cruiserweight Classic, the tournament of cruiserweights which was won by TJP.
Ciampa’s time in the tournament was short-lived, as he lost to his friend and rival Johnny Gargano in the first round.
Tommaso told Fightful that he was not planned to be in the tournament at first, but told William Regal he wanted to be included and wanted to face Gargano.
Regal, then the NXT GM, encouraged Ciampa to pitch the idea to Triple H, who approved the change.
Chris Jericho is not only helping talents get under the spotlight but he is helping them get contract extensions as well.
The former AEW champion spoke to Inside The Ropes before the All Out PPV. He talked about things such as Triple H’s comments about Dynamite beating NXT and more.
During the talk, Chris Jericho also confirmed that Angelo Parker, Matt Menard, and Jake Hager have all signed contract extensions with AEW:
“They all got contract extensions. I’ve told the story many times about how the Jericho Appreciation Society came to be. It was never planned; it was just something that happened in accordance to the circumstances that we were facing.
I do feel proud that they got contract extensions, raises, everything in-between.” said Chris Jericho, “They earned it, they earned it by showing what they can do.”
Bobby Fish unexpectedly left AEW last month after his contract with the company expired and both sides failed to negotiate a new agreement.
Fightful Select provided some news on his exit, noting that there was interest from both sides in continuing their relationship. They had entered the discussion about possibly renewing his deal.
However, the two sides couldn’t come to terms financially and decided to part ways. AEW officials thought the split was amicable, until Fish’s comments about CM Punk.
The creative didn’t have much for him after Kyle O’Reilly’s injury either, though it’s said that he remains friendly with many people in the promotion.
There has been no news of WWE reaching out to Bobby Fish and the creative haven’t been told anything about a potential return so far.
The issues between Fish and CM Punk have been highlighted since he left AEW. The former AEW star had told many that he didn’t appreciate Punk’s attitude after their match in October 2021. Though it didn’t have any effect on his contract negotiations.
Bobby Fish has been announced for an indie appearance later this month. There is no word on how long the 45-year-old plans to continue wrestling after his AEW departure.
The backstage altercation at All Out was the buzzing topic among fans going into this week’s episode of Dynamite, but it appears that the talent backstage were actually trying to move past it.
According to reports from Fightful Select, there was a much more positive vibe in the locker room after the Wednesday night show, with one source saying that it couldn’t have been worse than the chaos of the last few days.
The situation was ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for plenty of the roster. A talent said that the best way for all parties to make up the public embarrassment would be to get over the issues, make money for the company and help other talents along the way.
As of Tuesday, most of the roster didn’t know if they would be allowed to address the altercation on screen. AEW chose not to make any mentions of it except for the Tony Khan segment and some content had to be adjusted accordingly.
It was reported on Sunday that a top talent was scheduled to take time off. Jon Moxley confirmed during his promo that he was supposed to be on vacation.
The company planned on him being back by the Cincinnati show in October but he ended up staying to help conduct a talent meeting and add star power to the show.
Mox has since been added to the announced tournament for the vacant AEW World Championship, so it appears that he won’t be taking time off in the foreseeable future.
The phrase any publicity is good publicity seems to be true for AEW as the negative fallout from CM Punk media scrum and the backstage altercation seemed to have helped the viewership of Dynamite.
This week’s episode of the Wednesday night show averaged 1.035 million viewers, which is actually a 1.5% increase compared to last week’s show.
Last week’s episode which featured the final build for the Jon Moxley vs CM Punk match at All Out had averaged 1.020 million viewers.
The show did a 0.38 rating in the 18-19 demographic, which is an increase from the 0.35 rating last week. Dynamite ended up being #2 on cable for the night.
Tony Khan Reacts
Tony Khan didn’t miss the opportunity to tout these viewership numbers. He made a tweet sharing some stats about the show’s ratings:
“Thanks to you, last night marked the first time since Oct 2021 that Dynamite’s had 3 straight weeks over 1 million viewers! + we made it 15 straight Wednesdays Dynamite ranked in cable’s top 2 shows in the 18-49 demo!”
Thanks to you, last night marked the first time since Oct 2021 that Dynamite’s had 3 straight weeks over 1 million viewers!
+ we made it 15 straight Wednesdays Dynamite ranked in cable’s top 2 shows in the 18-49 demo!
See you TOMORROW for a huge Friday Night #AEWRampage on TNT!
The quarterly breakdown shows that fans were interested in knowing how the company will handle the fallout from the backstage altercation at All Out. Over 1.2 million tuned in for the first quarter of the show and it slowly decreased from there.
Now that it’s confirmed that we won’t be seeing The Elite or CM Punk on TV in the foreseeable future, it’d be interesting to see if the show is able to hold the viewership numbers next week.
Dalton Castle has been one of the Ring of Honor’s top talents for the last several years, and has remained a fan-favorite of the loyal ROH followers even after the company was purchased by AEW President, Tony Khan.
Castle and his loyal servants, The Boys, captured the ROH six-man tag team titles at the Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view back in July, their second reign as the six-man tag champs. Aside from that, Castle is a former ROH Television champion, and a one-time ROH world champion. (He defeated Cody Rhodes at Final Battle 2017 to capture the world title).
Castle is currently working without a contract
According to PW Insider, Castle is a free agent and not working under contract despite holding ROH gold. The report does not note whether any company is looking to bring Castle in, nor does it specify if Tony Khan is preparing to sign Castle to a full-time deal.
Under the Tony Khan era of ROH Castle wrestled on the previously mentioned Death Before Dishonor, as well as Supercard of Honor back in April. He did appear on AEW programming as well, wrestling former world champion Jonathan Gresham at Battle of the Belts II.
We will keep you updated on Castle’s free agency status.
Ken Shamrock believes that he is worthy of the WWE Hall of Fame.
The World’s Most Dangerous man is best known in the wrestling world for his run with the WWE during the Attitude Era, where he is a former Intercontinental champion, a former tag team champion, and a one-time King of the Ring winner. Shamrock had just as many accomplishments with IMPACT, a promotion who inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2020.
He is also considered a legend of the Mixed Martial Arts world, and one of the greatest competitive fighters of all time. UFC honored Shamrock by inducting him into their inaugural Hall of Fame back in 2003. To this day Shamrock contributes to the MMA world as an analyst.
Why He Believes He Is Worthy Of The WWE Hall of Fame
While speaking on the Universal Wrestling Podcast Shamrock would be asked whether he even cared about joining the WWE Hall of Fame.
“Of course, I care,” he replied. “I think anybody that does anything at the highest level wants to be recognized for their greatness. It’s out of my control. Obviously, I think I did enough for me to be recognized, especially if you have seen some of the guys that went in there.”
Shamrock later explained how his shoot fighting and submission offense has been utilized in professional wrestling ever since his run with WWE.
“If you look at the stamps that are all over wrestling, it’s Ken Shamrock. Submission holds, I brought those in. I mixed them in with pro wrestling and now everybody is doing it. If you’re looking at it and you want to figure out whether or not I do or don’t belong, those are the things you look at. I look at and say absolutely, I belong in there.”
Ending his rant…Shamrock states that he will not lose any sleep if he never gets into WWE’s prestigious Hall of Fame, as it is something that is entirely out of his control.
“I was already inducted into other hall of fames for things that I have done, I’m very proud of that, but if I don’t get into WWE (Hall of Fame), it’s not something I’m going to lose sleep over. I see it as something important, but those are decisions that I cannot control, and therefore I have to move on and do other things to make sure my legacy and life and family are left in a better place.”
Malakai Black has been pulled from an upcoming appearance due to “health issues.”
Black was slated for the upcoming Northeast Wrestling show on Friday, where he was billed to face Matt Taven. Jay Lethal and Enzo Amore. However, the promotion has announced that Black has been pulled from the show due to “health issues.”
The promotion is currently searching for a replacement for Black.
Malakai Black was recently granted a conditional release from his contract with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The former leader of the House of Black faction joined AEW in 2021.
However, reports suggest that Black was dealing with personal issues and could be considering a hiatus from professional wrestling. Of course, Black’s release was a conditional one.
Malakai Black (Photo: Scott Lesh)
With that being said, the conditions of those release have not been made public. However, it’s believed that a big one could be not signing with WWE until the duration of their original agreement is complete.
This is certainly interesting considering AEW president Tony Khan noted in July that “Malakai Black has almost five years left on his deal. I wouldn’t expect him going anywhere anytime soon.”
Black’s exit was subtly hinted at after he bowed and waved goodbye to the Chicago crowd a AEW All Out this past weekend, after House of Black’s loss to Sting, Miro, and Darby Allin.
An ex-WWE writer is claiming that he’s heard it “sucks backstage” in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Former WWE writer and actor Freddie Prinze Jr. took to his podcast, “Wrestling With Freddie,” to offer his thoughts on the current backstage environment in AEW.
Prinze stressed that AEW is in desperate need of leadership right now. He added that he has spoken to several people who work for the company, who say that the environment backstage “sucks.”
“It’s bad there, man. There’s no leadership. He was saying stuff in front of his boss that was making Tony cringe and become this shrinking violet, and that’s his boss. So there is no leadership backstage. Things have to be a mess back there.
“They have to find someone that everyone universally respects that can, not have a wrestlers court, but at least, or maybe that’s what they need is a wrestlers court. I mean, one of their EVPs, Adam Page, said he doesn’t need advice. He doesn’t take advice.
“I know a lot of actors that talk like that and they’re in their 20s, and I’m like, ‘Yo man. This is Peter Falk. You like not going to take a minute?’ They said, ‘I’m going to do what brought me here.’ All right, dog. I don’t know what’s going on there. I have a couple of friends who work there who just say it sucks backstage.
“They need leadership or someone from the outside that is in a position of power above the EVPs that ain’t having this or at least can bring people together and say have it, like hash it out right now even if that means you guys gotta throw some punches.
“I’ll drive you to the doctor as soon as it’s over. I don’t know what’s going on there, but if they don’t get their sh*t together, Triple H is going to run away with the wrestling business. Run away with it.”
(via AEW)
There have been several stories coming out of AEW about stars not getting along with one another. One being Sammy Guevara and Eddie Kingston. And of course, the most recent and biggest to date – CM Punk and The Elite.
Punk has been having issues with Hangman Page, and voiced his frustrations with Page in the AEW All Out post-show press conference. During the presser, Punk also took harsh shots at AEW EVPs Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks.
The then-AEW World Champion and former WWE star stated that The Elite “couldn’t manage a Target.”
Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair has reacted to CM Punk’s recent All Out press conference comments, as well as his brawl with The Elite.
As noted, CM Punk made some pretty strong comments about Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks during his press conference interview after All Out this past weekend.
Shortly after returning backstage, The Elite confronted Punk in his locker room, which led to a brawl.
Speaking on his podcast, “To Be The Man,” Ric Flair offered his thoughts on the entire situation.
In regards to Punk’s comments at the presser, and the AEW World Champion inviting people to come see him if they have a problem with him – Flair loved it.
“I’ve been watching it from afar and it’s very entertaining. If it’s entertainment the fans want, it’s entertainment they’re getting. Punk is giving them a lot of it. We just barely got to say hi [in WWE].
“I was long gone when all the bad blood seemed to appear between he and Hunter, then the lawsuit with the doctor and all that. I wasn’t aware of any of it and saw it like everybody else on social media. I always sided with Hunter on that because I didn’t know the other guy.
“But [Punk] is creating excitement now, and if he’s not afraid to say it – I like the way he said, ‘I’ll walk down the hall and be ready.’ That’s Harley Race talking right there. I don’t know if he’s that tough, but I love that.
“That’s old-time stuff right there. ‘If you got a problem with me, you can find me right there in the building.’ It’s got to be dividing the locker room.’
The Elite certainly took Punk at his word, as they did confront him immediately after his comments, leading to the altercation.
Flair doubled down that he loves that Punk felt strongly enough to speak up on the situation, but was reluctant to take sides in the end, as he has had nothing but pleasant experiences with Omega and The Young Bucks.
“There’s two kinds of brawls. There’s one where a guy will start a fight because he knows it’s gonna get broken up because there’s so many people around. I would think this is probably the situation with these guys.
“It’s not like they’re walking into the dressing room to talk to Harley Race or Blackjack [Mulligan]. That would take a lot of thinking and talking and walking to talk to Harley Race about something they didn’t like as an individual.
“The fact that Punk said, ‘I’m in the building if you want to find me,’ or something like that, I like that. It’s probably not what Tony [Khan] or anybody wants to hear, but if he has the courage to say that and he feels that strongly about somebody, then I don’t blame him for saying it.
“I like Omega and I like the Young Bucks. They seem like really easy guys to get along with, but I don’t know them that well. For me, it’s how they treat me as an individual, and they treat me great.
“I was able to be around Kenny when he wrestled [Andrade] in Mexico, and the Young Bucks have been awesome, so I don’t know. CM Punk, I don’t know him. But he said it.”
The fallout from CM Punk’s backstage altercation with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks has led to significant changes to future AEW storylines. Jon Moxley is among the wrestlers whose creative plans have been thrown into disarray.
Moxley lost the AEW World Title to Punk in the main event of Sunday’s All Out pay-per-view. However, after the backstage incident between Punk and Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, things were forced to change in a major way.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, there was a longterm storyline in the works for Moxley that had nothing to do with the championship. He was also approved to take time off, as as he alluded to during his promo on Dynamite, when he said he was supposed to be on vacation this week.
As a result of the ongoing investigation into the backstage melee at All Out (and subsequent suspensions that have been levied), AEW President Tony Khan called upon Moxley and Jericho to work Dynamite on short notice.
Another talent meeting that was held prior to Dynamite to address uneasiness in the locker room. Locker room veterans Moxley, Jericho and Bryan Danielson preached unity and reinforced the positive aspects of what has made AEW such a desirable place to work up until recently.
For more on the big shakeup to AEW’s creative plans, check out:
Christian Cage has joined the list of AEW wrestlers who will need to take a long break from AEW programming due to an injury.
The former WWE star competed in a very short match at the All Out PPV. He defeated Jungle Boy with a spear and a killswitch in just 33 seconds. Jungle Boy was attacked by Luchasaurus before the match began.
A lot of people wondered about the length of the bout. After the PPV it was revealed that the wrestling veteran is actually dealing with an injury.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer provided the latest update on Christian recently. He confirmed that the AEW star will be out of action for 6 to 9 months:
“His injury may be the exact same injury as [CM] Punk. So we’re talking again like an eight-month-ish, six-to-nine months of being out.”
CM Punk suffered the injury during his AEW World Championship match against Jon Moxley at All Out. It’s believed that he suffered a torn triceps that will see him stay out of action for the remainder of the year.
Christian has joined the list of AEW stars that are expected to stay out of action for the foreseeable future with Punk and Thunder Rosa.
The eyes of the wrestling world were on TBS last night at 8:00 Eastern as a promotion that made headlines for all of the wrong reasons over the previous 72 hours went on the air.
The million dollar questions was how would Tony Khan handle the fallout from the melee that ensued after AEW’s All Out PPV in Chicago last Sunday evening. Would public suspensions be announced? Even firings? What would happen with the championships?
The result was a pre-taped segment with Khan to open the show where he announced that the AEW World and Trios Championships would be vacated, with new champions being crowned immediately (in the case of the Trios Championship) and in the future (the World Championship).
Public announcements regarding disciplinary action taken because of the backstage fight between The Elite and CM Punk and Ace Steel? There was nothing of the kind. In fact, the brawl itself was not directly mention at all throughout the broadcast, and Khan didn’t even clarify why the titles were being vacated.
And you know what? That was the right call.
While not everyone would be aware of what happened in the locker room of the NOW Arena three days earlier, many were, and it’s unquestionably a black eye (no pun-intended) for the promotion. Moving past it as fast as possible, changing the narrative, and giving a fresh start to the two titles previously mentioned was a necessity. As Bob Seger once wrote, “Turn the page.”
And as far as fresh starts go, the promotion succeeded. Everything felt back on track when the show reached its conclusion. AEW produced one of the better episodes of Dynamite in several months, top to bottom, including a fantastic second hour of wrestling that is among the best hours of in-ring action the promotion has broadcast on cable television.
Following Khan, we jumped right in with MJF making his Dynamite return by way of a spoof-babyface promo, and he eventually got confronted by Jon Moxley who gave the perfect promo that was needed after a wild couple of days, sending messages to the locker room and audience in the process. Moxley did his best to build up the significance of the AEW title after, once again, its champion will be unable to drop it in the ring. In doing so, he succeeded at making the Grand Slam Tournament feel as significant as possible given the unfortunate circumstances of its lineage.
That segment was followed by an excellent match between the Best Friends and Death Triangle to crown new Trios Champions and we were off to the races. New Women’s Champion Toni Storm and Penelope Ford delivered a very good women’s match. The Acclaimed were interrupted by Swerve (what better way to draw heel heat these days than blocking a Max Caster rap?), and a rematch for the tag titles was officially announced for Grand Slam. Wardlow gave an intense promo and ran over Tony Nese.
But that second hour? Wow. Bryan Danielson and Adam Page had a heck of a television match, with Bryan getting his win back on Page (he lost to him last January) and advancing in the world title tournament. One would expect Bryan to get his win back on Jericho in the next round, likely setting up a tournament final with his Blackpool Combat Club teammate Jon Moxley — a match big enough for a show that will emanate from Arthur Ashe Stadium in two weeks.
The main event slot was given to the hometown boy as Wheeler Yuta defended the ROH Pure Championship against Buffalo’s own Daniel Garcia, another fantastic bout. When Garcia hoisted the ROH Pure Title and celebrated with Danielson and an elated crowd to close Dynamite, the sins of three days earlier seemed like a faint memory.
This show served as a reset for AEW and made you believe the company can move forward, successfully, with a different roster dynamic right now. And while the promotion will continue to grapple with fallout from last weekend’s backstage fight for months to come, AEW talent not associated with that dark moment were given something to sink their teeth into and move forward. And so were the fans.
More from Ryan: Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news. Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
WWE announced today that they’ve hired two new people on the executive side of their company, including a former president of an NFL team.
The announcement touted the hires of former Las Vegas Raiders president Dan Ventrelle in the role of EVP, Talent, and Maurice F. Edelson in the role of EVP, Chief Legal Officer.
This past May, Ventrelle departed from the Raiders and claimed that he was fired “as retaliation for informing the [NFL] of alleged complaints claiming [Raiders owner Mark Davis] created a hostile work environment as well as other potential misconduct, which he says Davis dismissed.”
In the role of EVP of talent, Ventrelle will oversee WWE’s talent department and report to chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
The New Hires
(via Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media)
WWE touted that Ventrelle was an integral part of the Raiders’ successful move from Oakland to Vegas and the opening of Allegiant Stadium. He began his tenure with the Raiders as an attorney in 2004 before expanding into other business roles.
“As a lifelong fan, it is an honor to join the world’s premier sports entertainment company,” Ventrelle said. “I am inspired by the vision that Stephanie [McMahon], Nick [Khan] and Paul have for the future and excited to further the commitment to deliver exceptional talent to the WWE Universe.”
“Working with Dan during SummerSlam at Allegiant Stadium last year, we were impressed by his expertise across a number of business and personnel areas,” Levesque said. “We’re excited to welcome him to the company.”
Edelson will report to chairwoman and co-CEO Stephanie McMahon. Edelson was previously an EVP & General Counsel of Time Inc and served as General Counsel since 2015 for The Juilliard School.
“I could not be more delighted to be joining the WWE team at this moment,” Edelson said. “I look forward to contributing to the ongoing success and expansion of the WWE business.”
Triple H Has Made Some Big Changes Since Taking Over WWE
Chris Jericho was one of the biggest names to join AEW early on. He has been helping the company grow in every way possible since then. Jericho has stepped even more into the leadership role in AEW amidst all the locker room drama. Though despite this, he doesn’t want an official title in the company.
“I don’t need a job title to help the company. I do it every day. Whenever I show up to TV, it’s a constant. Constant working from two o’clock until the show is over. If I’m wrestling or not.” said Chris Jericho, “That’s the way it should be. There’s not a lot of guys that have been doing this as long as I have. In our locker room there’s Sting, there’s Dustin Rhodes and then there’s me.
I’m one of the original AEW guys, probably was very integral in getting the company off the ground in a lot of ways. So I don’t have a problem with giving advice and helping people. It’s what I’m there for. It’s part of my job. Like I said there’s nothing to be written on a business card, you know, Director of EVP or whatever the fuck it is, who cares. I’m Chris Jericho. That trumps all of that.”
You can check out Chris Jericho’s full interview below:
All Elite Wrestling is hitting the reset button amid the fallout from Sunday’s All Out pay-per-view. The World Championship has been vacated. Death Triangle won the vacant Trios Championships on Dynamite. The next few months of storylines are being rewritten due to the company’s top stars serving suspensions.
A tournament of champions is underway to crown a new AEW World Champion. The semi-finals will take place next week on Dynamite. Chris Jericho will battle Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley will face the winner of Friday’s match between Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara. The finals will take place at the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite on September 21st.
Tony Khan books storylines several months in advance, so he’s been forced to scramble and come up with new ideas for remainder of the year. Whatever plans for November’s Full Gear pay-per-view are out the window. A new main event is currently in the works.
(NOTE: the following information contains potential spoilers for the ongoing AEW Tournament of Champions)
Full Gear Main Event
AEW is discussing Jon Moxley vs. MJF as the main event for Full Gear 2022, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. The implication is that Moxley will win the Grand Slam Tournament of Champions. MJF earned a contract to challenge the AEW World Champion by winning the Casino Ladder match at All Out.
As we saw on Wednesday’s Dynamite, the chess pieces are already being put into place for this eventual showdown.
AEW Full Gear takes place Saturday, November 19th from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
Claudio Castagnoli 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:
