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CM Punk Takes Shot At Goldberg

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CM Punk won a hard-fought dog collar match against MJF during the Revolution PPV. He let himself loose in the post-show media scrum and didn’t pull any punches back.

During the talk, Punk took some shots at the former Universal champion Goldberg, for injuring Bret Hart and effectively ending his career:

“I love Bret Hart, His career was cut short [by Goldberg], and it’s a god damn tragedy because there are people who go over to Saudi Arabia and get paid millions of dollars. That should have been Bret.”

CM Punk, who himself had left wrestling at one point, mentioned how he is super grateful for his second chance in AEW. He claimed that he would give it up to Bret in a heartbeat because he loves Hart that much:

“I just feel super fortunate and grateful that I got a second chance, I’d give it up in a heartbeat to give it to Bret. I just love that mother f**er so much. He’s the greatest of all time.”

It’s worth noting here that Goldberg’s contract with WWE expired after his match with Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber. As far as we know, he is now a free agent.

Apart from this, CM Punk also commented on Tony Khan purchasing ROH and he got emotional talking about it. You can check out Punk’s reaction here.

Tony Khan Wants To Keep ROH Running, Plans To Be The Booker

AEW boss Tony Khan has plans of continuing the ROH wrestling operations.

Khan announced that he purchased Ring of Honor from Sinclair Broadcast Group on the March 2 episode of Dynamite. Not much else was known about the acquisition other than Khan now has full access to the ROH tape library along with brand assets, intellectual property, production equipment, and more.

Future Of ROH

As expected, reporters at the AEW Revolution post-event scrum had some questions for Tony Khan in regards to the purchase of Ring of Honor. Khan revealed that he plans to keep ROH in business and he’s even looking to be the booker (h/t F4WOnline.com).

“What we’re going to do going forward? I think it assumes that we’re going to do something going forward. And yeah, I do still want to continue the operations going forward, and I am very excited about it and do have a lot of plans for it. I do expect to continue the wrestling operations. 

“I’m gonna be the booker. And there’s a reason for that. Because I will be bringing in young wrestlers, and they have a lot of young wrestlers, and I think we’re very successful here and we’re doing very well here.

“There should be a Ring of Honor, and I think I’ve got the resources to present a better version than anybody else can.”

It’ll be interesting to see how Khan plans to run ROH. Reading through the tea leaves, one might assume that Ring of Honor will become sort of a developmental system for AEW. Especially when Khan talked about the brand having “young wrestlers.”

SEScoops will keep you posted in the coming weeks and months on Tony Khan’s vision for ROH.

Tony Khan Responds To Chavo Guerrero’s Frustration With Him

Tony Khan is aware that Chavo Guerrero has expressed gripes with him recently.

When Chavo made his AEW debut back in July 2021, fans were excited to see him manage Andrade El Idolo. Chavo’s run was short-lived, however, which left many confused before it was revealed that he took on a role for the filming of Young Rock.

Tony Khan Owes Chavo Guerrero A Call

Chavo told Wrestling Inc that he was none too pleased with Tony Khan for not responding to his messages and a voice mail. He took it as a slight and assumed Tony no longer had any plans for him.

During the AEW Revolution post-event presser, Tony Khan cleared the air and insisted he only failed to respond to a single message from Chavo.

“I am gonna call Chavo. I’m about — to be honest, I was a little surprised cause I only missed one message from him and then he went to the media after I missed one message from him.

“I don’t wanna say what Chavo got paid for being the stunt coordinator for Young Rock but he got paid a huge amount of money and he asked if he could take the time off and leave. I said like — he was not under contract, he was on a weekly deal.

“So, I said, ‘I would love to have you back and I do like you a lot and you did a great thing,’ but now we’re gonna have to make our plans going forward without him here. We made plans going forward without him here and we went on and we’ve done a lot of great stuff and I really like him. He did great stuff for us.

“I definitely owe him a phone call and I was a little surprised to hear that.”

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Tony Khan Confirms William Regal Will Have Onscreen & Backstage Roles In AEW

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AEW boss Tony Khan has high hopes for what William Regal can contribute.

This past Sunday night (March 6), AEW Revolution was held inside the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida. A grudge match between Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson was featured on the card.

Both men did indeed bleed together as advertised. Ultimately, Moxley got the pinfall but the two kept brawling after the match. This led to William Regal making his way out and forcing Moxley and Danielson to embrace. Khan quickly revealed that Regal is All Elite.

William Regal In AEW

Speaking to media members during the AEW Revolution post-show scrum, Tony Khan said he was caught off guard when WWE released Regal back in January.

“Well, I was very surprised to see he had been released and he was gonna be available. I have tons of respect for his mind and I think he’s gonna be a very valuable person here in AEW.

“Obviously, I think people who follow his career closely know that he has a very long, established connection with Bryan Danielson and was instrumental in shaping the pro wrestler that Bryan Danielson has become, who I think is not just — he is one of the greatest pro wrestlers today and I think he’s also one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time, I really do.”

Khan went on to say that he didn’t hesitate to make the move to bring William Regal to the company.

“I think Lord Regal had a big contribution to that. When he was released, first of all, I was very surprised but also eager to bring him here. I think he can contribute onscreen in a major way to both Bryan Danielson and also, he has a history with Jon Moxley. I think some of the last matches we saw Lord Regal wrestle were against Jon Moxley and they had a great rivalry also.

“So, he’s very familiar with both men, they have a lot of respect for him and I think you saw after the violence and the way that they bled together tonight, they’ve built a lot of mutual respect with each other. So, I think that’s very exciting.”

When a company signs someone like Regal, they’re not just getting an onscreen talent. Regal played a key role backstage during his time with the NXT brand. He’ll have a presence backstage for AEW as well.

“Also, behind the scenes, I’m really excited to have him here. I think Lord Regal can teach all of us here a lot. It’s gonna be great having him here and I’m very excited like I said, onscreen and offscreen. It came together very recently and I think it fits very well with what we’re doing here in AEW all around.”

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Sting Reveals Advice For Young Talents

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Sting has been on the top of the wrestling business for over 30 years. His advice is priceless for any young star who is looking to make it big into the industry. According to the Icon himself, what he tells young talents is to put effort into learning the ropes and spend time understanding the craft.

The wrestling veteran was asked what advice he would give to a young talent during the post Revolution media scrum. Replying to it, he mentioned how he has seen many loose cannons over the years, and his advice is to be quick to listen and slow to speak:

“Really, because I’ve seen so many loose cannons over the years, so many people that believe that they can break into the wrestling business easy if they just dye their hair or come up with some kind of crazy gimmick. I’ll tell them all pretty much the same thing [be] quick to listen, slow to speak.” said Sting, “You know, learn first. Keep your mouth shut. Just learn how to respect the business and everyone who came before you.

He continued, “Don’t ever dog it out there. Wrestling fans will look right through that.  They know when someone’s just kind of going through the motions versus somebody who’s thinking about how their wrestling gear looks. What their physique looks like and they’re giving it their all in the ring and they’re putting it out there. They’re taking risks. Fans see that and they appreciate it.”

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CM Punk Breaks Down In Tears Discussing Tony Khan’s Purchase Of ROH

CM Punk was feeling quite emotional in the aftermath of Tony Khan purchasing AEW and his entrance at Revolution.

Back in Oct. 2021, ROH shocked the wrestling world by announcing a “reconceptualizing” period. The company released all of its talent and planned on resuming operations in the spring of 2022.

Little did anyone know, the company would be purchased by AEW’s head honcho. On the March 2 episode of Dynamite, Tony Khan announced that he is now the new owner of Ring of Honor.

CM Punk Gets Emotional

Longtime CM Punk fans got a pleasant surprise when he walked out to his old ROH theme song for his dog collar match with MJF at Revolution. Punk even donned his ROH gear.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1500661549148643328

During the AEW Revolution post-event presser, CM Punk talked about the significance of Tony Khan purchasing ROH and things got emotional.

“I mean it was pretty important. I loved ROH so much, you know? I can’t explain how happy I am that my footage is in good hands.

“It’s just good to know that it’s in the hands of somebody who will treat it well. I literally feel like my baby is in somebody’s hands that I know will raise the child the right way and do good things with it.

“It won’t get made into just some tab on a sh*tty, confusing app that’s hard to navigate and the boys don’t get paid anything off it, you know what I mean?”

Punk wrestled for ROH from 2002 through 2006. He is a former ROH World Champion and won the tag team titles twice under the promotion. Punk is a 2022 inductee in the ROH Hall of Fame.

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Sting Speaks On Crazy Table Spot At AEW Revolution

Sting had a wild table spot during his match at AEW Revolution and he’s amped up.

Before the main event title match between champion “Hangman” Adam Page and Adam Cole took center stage, Sting teamed with Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara to take on Andrade El Idolo, Matt Hardy, and Isiah Kassidy.

Sting Takes Leap Of Faith

The six-man tag team match had some gnarly spots. One of them involved Sting, who dove off a mezzanine onto Andrade through three tables.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1500687513400266755

During the AEW Revolution post-event media conference, Sting described the rush he felt during the spot.

“Ah man, what was it like? That was probably the highest one I’ve ever done through tables like that. So, my heart was pumping pretty good but at the same time, the adrenaline was pumping. The crowd was going crazy and it becomes a little easier at that point. So, exciting. Exciting stuff.”

When asked if he would like to have more matches of that magnitude going forward, “The Icon” said he wouldn’t hesitate.

“That would be pretty awesome to me. I love to do something different from your standard wrestling match. So, I tend to like those types of matches.”

Sting, Darby, and Guevara ended up winning the match after Darby hit the Coffin Drop on Hardy.

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AEW Revolution Results: CM Punk vs. MJF, Title Matches, Wardlow, William Regal Debuts

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AEW Revolution aired live from the Addition Finance Arena in Orlando, Florida. Hangman Adam Page defended the AEW Championship against Adam Cole in the main event. CM Punk squared off against MJF in a Dog Collar match. In addition to the takeaways below, Swerve Strickland debuted and signed his AEW contract tonight.

Revolution Results

  1. Leyla Hirsch def. Kris Statlander (Buy In)
  2. Hook def. QT Marshall via submission (Buy In)
  3. House of Black def. PAC, Penta, Erick Redbread (Buy In)
  4. Eddie Kingston def. Chris Jericho via submission
  5. Jurassic Express def. Young Bucks & ReDragon to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
  6. Wardlow won the Face of the Revolution Ladder match to earn a shot at the TNT Championship
  7. Jade Cargill def. Tay Conti to retain the TBS Championship
  8. CM Punk def. MJF in a Dog Collar match
  9. Britt Baker def. Thunder Rosa to retain the AEW Women’s Championship
  10. Jon Moxley def. Bryan Danielson
  11. Darby Allin, Sting, Sammy Guevara def. Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy, Andrade El Idolo
  12. Hangman Page def. Adam Cole to retain the AEW Championship

Here are the takeaways from AEW Revolution 2022:

Eddie Kingston Tapped Out Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho faced Eddie Kingston in the first match of the night. Kingston rushed the ring and dominated early. Eddie planted Jericho with a Suplex and Chris rolled to the outside. Jericho grabbed his head and Eddie chased after him.

Kingston bounced Jericho’s face off the apron and rolled him back into the ring. Eddie hit a slam for a near fall and applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Jericho escaped and sent Eddie out of the ring. Chris slammed Kingston into the barricade and brought him back inside. Jericho unloaded some punches and held up a middle finger to the booing crowd.

Jericho and Kingston then traded chops in the middle of the ring with the crowd behind Eddie. Kingston got the better of the exchange and planted Chris with a DDT for a near fall. Chris battled back with a few Clotheslines in the corner and a rake to the eyes.

Chris perched Kingston up on the top turnbuckle and joined him up there. Jericho connected with a Hurricanrana off the top and went for the cover but Eddie kicked out at two. Chris ripped off the turnbuckle pad to expose the steel underneath but turned around into an Exploder Suplex from Eddie.

Eddie brought Jericho to the apron but it backfired as Chris hit a Suplex down to the floor. The action returned to the ring and Jericho avoided a Clothesline and planted Kingston with a couple of release German Suplexes.

Kingston tried to battle back but Jericho caught him with another German Suplex for a close two count. Chris quickly followed it up with a Lionsault for another near fall. Kingston hit a Clothesline but Chris shrugged it off and got Eddie in the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring. Kingston battled through the pain and reached the ropes to break the hold.

Jericho started arguing with referee Aubrey Edwards and that allowed Eddie some time to regroup. Kingston hit a Suplex and the Backfist to the Future but Chris kicked out at the last moment. Jericho responded with the Codebreaker and went for the cover but couldn’t keep Kingston down for three.

Chris hit another release German Suplex but Eddie popped right up. Eddie charged but ran right into a 2nd Codebreaker from Jericho. The Influencer waited in the corner as Eddie slowly got up. Eddie ducked under the Judas Effect and got Jericho in the Stretch Muffler submission. Kingston wrenched back on Jericho’s arm until the legend had no choice but to tap out. After the match, Eddie extended his hand for a handshake but Jerricho opted not to shake Eddie’s hand and walked away.

Jurassic Express Retained The AEW Tag Titles

Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) and ReDragon (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) in a Triple Threat match.

O’Reilly and Jungle Boy started off the action. Jungle Boy went for a springboard Arm Drag but O’Reilly beautifully countered into an Arm Bar before tagging in Bobby Fish. Young Bucks tagged themselves in and Jungle Boy took them both down. Jungle Boy hit the springboard Arm Drag and followed it up with a Dropkick to Nick Jackson’s face.

Luchasaurus tagged in and began unloading chops. He knocked everyone out of the ring and set up for a dive but Young Bucks & ReDragon scurried away. They moved right into Jungle Boy’s path and he took them out with a dive before the action returned to the ring.

Bobby Fish sent Luchasaurus out of the ring and tagged in Nick Jackson. Young Bucks stomped on Jungle Boy and isolated him in the corner of the ring. Jungle Boy battled back but Kyle dragged him out of the ring. Jungle Boy leveled O’Reilly with a Clothesline but couldn’t tag out because Matt knocked Luchasaurus to the floor.

Nick Jackson beat Jungle Boy down in the corner of the ring. Matt tagged in and rolled Jungle Boy up but O’Reilly broke it up. Matt and Kyle started arguing in the middle of the ring and then Kyle accidentally booted him in the face after Jungle Boy ducked. Luchasaurus got back int he action and started hurling people around. Luchasaurs set up Young Bucks and ReDragon in the four corners and hit some Splashes.

Luchasaurus hit a Moonsault onto ReDragon outside the ring and posed for the crowd. Back in the ring, Young Bucks sent Luchasaurus to the corner and Nick hit an absurd Destroyer. Matt Jackson tagged in but Luchasaurus recovered and hit everyone with a Chokeslam. Luchasaurus tried to cover Matt but he kicked out at two.

Luchasaurus got Matt up in the Electric Chair and Jungle Boy leveled him with a Clothesline off the top rope for a close two count. Bobby Fish tripped up Luchasaurus and Matt accidentally booted Fish in the face this time. Kyle O’Reilly was pissed and started trading punches with Matt. Bobby Fish then traded punches with Nick but they both turned around into a Clothesline from Luchasaurus. O’Reilly bounced off the ropes into a couple Superkicks but bounced off the bottom rope and leveled Matt & Jungle Boy with a Clothesline as the crowd popped.

O’Reilly hit Jungle Boy with a knee to the face and then a DDT. Bobby Fish connected with a slam for a two count. Fish perched Jungle Boy up on the top turnbuckle and delivered some jabs to the face. Bobby hit a Superplex and O’Reilly followed it up with a Knee Drop. O’Reilly locked in a submission hold as Fish hit another Knee Drop on Jungle Boy. Nick broke up Kyle’s submission hold with an Elbow Drop. Young Bucks hit some Supericks but Luchasaurus got back into the ring. Luchasaurus sent Nick out of the ring with a Chokeslam but O’Reilly got him in a Headlock. Jungle Boy flipped onto them to break up the hold.

Jungle Boy tagged in and made his way towards O’Reilly. Kyle ripped the tag titles away from Young Bucks as they were trying to bring them into the ring. Kyle hit Jungle Boy with the title for a two count. ReDragon hit Jungle Boy with the High/Low but Luchasaurus broke it up at two. He dragged Jungle Boy to the corner but could not tag himself in. Young Bucks leveled Bobby Fish with a Superkick and sent Luchasaurus into the barricade. Nick flipped onto Luchasaurus and tagged in Matt Jackson. Young Bucks had the match won but Kyle broke up the cover.

Matt was pissed and threw Kyle to the outside. Jungle Boy hit Young Bucks with a Hurricanrana and German Suplex combo as Luchasaurus hit a dive outside the ring. Back in the ring, Jurassic Express planted Matt with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. Jurassic Express remain the AEW Tag Team Champions.

Wardlow Won The Face of the Revolution Ladder Match

Christian Cage, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, Wardlow, Keith Lee, Orange Cassidy competed in the Face of the Revolution Ladder match. The wrestler that grabs the brass ring suspended in the air will earn a shot at the TNT Championship on the St. Patrick’s Day edition of Dynamite. Dan Lambert, Men of the Year, and Paige VanZant were shown in the crowd before the match.

Keith Lee, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Wardlow cleared the ring. Orange Cassidy popped up and hit the three of them with his lazy kicks. He tried to jump on their back and reach the brass ring but they stopped him. A brawl then broke out and Christian got in a few strikes with the ladder.

Ricky Starks and Orange Cassidy battled in the ring. Orange started climbing the ladder with his hands in his pockets but Cage brought him down. Christian sent Cassidy and Starks to the outside with a couple Back Body Drops. Hobbs knocked Cage down and started climbing the ladder. Cage caught up to him and brought Powerhouse down with a reverse DDT.

Keith Lee appeared behind Christian and bashed him into the ladder. Ricky Starks went after Keith but he sent them both to the ropes. Lee hit Starks and Cage with a Crossbody and then caught Orange Cassidy. Lee swung Orange into Wardlow and knocked him out of the ring. Lee swung Cassidy around until he cleared the ring.

Lee set up a ladder and began climbing but Wardlow stopped him. Wardlow asked Lee to climb down and he did so. Keith shoved the ladder away and the two had stare down. Powerhouse Hobbs broke it up by bashing them both in the face with the ladder in a cool spot. Starks and Hobbs of Team Taz then raced each other up the ladder but Cassidy shoved it over.

Orange Cassidy put the ladder on his shoulders and casually started spinning around as wrestlers walked into it. Wardlow and Keith Lee lifted the ladder and Orange Cassidy did an incredible pull-up and almost won the match. Lee and Wardlow quickly slammed him back to the mat and the match continued.

Powerhouse brought Cassidy to the corner and dropped him with a massive Superplex. Christian sent Hobbs to the outside and then Starks to the corner. Ricky leaped over a ladder and took out Cage with a Spear. Starks started climbing but Wardlow tipped the ladder over.

Wardlow started climbing but Starks and Cassidy hopped on his back. He knocked them off and traded punches with Hobbs on top of the ladder. Keith Lee set up another ladder and started climbing towards that elusive brass ring. Everyone got up on the ladder and started swinging. Cassidy and Cage were the first to fall down. Wardlow shoved over the ladder with Keith Lee and Ricky Starks. Hobbs and Wardlow grabbed the ring at the same time and traded punches. They both crashed down to the mat and the match continued.

Keith Lee, Wardlow, and Powerhouse Hobbs were the three standing in the ring again when Orange Cassidy started hobbling up. They took him out before Wardlow & Hobbs teamed up to beat Keith Lee down. Wardlow and Hobbs ripped apart a ladder but Hobbs struck Wardlow from behind. Hobbs bashed Keith Lee with the ladder before unloading a couple more shots to Wardlow.

Hobbs and Keith Lee batted to the commentary table next to the entrance ramp. The grabbed each other by the throat but Wardlow wound up shoving them both off the stage and through a couple tables below. Back in the ring, Christian Cage began setting up a ladder but Ricky hit him with a low blow.

Starks took a look at the brass ring before he began climbing the ladder. Wardlow got into the ring but Danhausen interfered and knocked him down. Cage climbed but Starks knocked him down. Wardlow planted Christian with a Powerbomb and then leaped onto a ladder. He hit a Powerbomb on Ricky Starks and grabbed the brass ring to win the match. Wardlow will face Sammy Guevara for the TNT Championship on March 16th.

Jade Cargill Retained The TBS Title

Jade Cargill defended the TBS Championship against Tay Conti tonight. Mark Sterling and Anna Jay were ringside for the match. Jade dominated the match early but Tay battled back and sent her out of the ring. Tay went for a Crossbody but Jade got out of the way and Conti took out Sterling. Jade leveled Anna Jay with a big boot and the action returned to the ring.

Conti connected with a DDT and went for the cover. Cargill kicked out at two and slammed Tay to the canvas. Jade climbed to the top rope and flexed before connecting with a massive Frog Splash for a near fall. Tay regrouped and hit the champion with a Piledriver for a two count. Conti climbed to the top rope but Cargill caught her with Jaded for the pinfall victory. Jade is now 29-0 and remains the TBS Champion.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1500659348393107458?s=20&t=hAyJg-td_I95bnlTiUZ8iQ

Wardlow Helped CM Punk Win The Dog Collar Match

MJF faced CM Punk in a Dog Collar match tonight at Revolution. MJF made his entrance before Punk entered to his old ROH theme and attire.

MJF and CM Punk put the dog collar on and officially started the match. MJF whipped the chain into Punk and tried to run away but Punk dragged him back to the ring by the collar. Maxwell hit a Jawbreaker and wrapped the chain around his fist. Punk booted him in the midsection and stomped him down in the corner of the ring. Punk wrapped the chain around the ring post and pulled MJF into the turnbuckle every time he tried to escape from the corner.

Punk unloaded some strikes to MJF’s face before wrapping the chain around his fist. MJF escaped before Punk could capitalize and hit him with a boot to the face followed by a Powerbomb off the middle turnbuckle for a near fall.

MJF busted Punk open and the blood started to pour. Maxwell ceased the opportunity to rake the chain across Punk’s wound and grabbed a microphone. MJF demanded that Punk say he wants to quit and Punk told him to eat shit. Maxwell hit a couple punches and hopped up on the middle turnbuckle with the microphone.

CM Punk ripped the chain and MJF crashed to the floor. Punk had a big smirk on his blood covered face as he delivered a boot to MJF’s ribs. He wrapped the chain around MJF’s face and slammed him down with a Russian Leg Sweep. Punk hopped to the middle turnbuckle and dropped a knee down on Maxwell’s head.

Punk wrapped the chain around MJF’s neck and connected with a Running Bulldog. CM Punk began hitting MJF across the back with the chain before slamming his knee down on MJF’s wrist several times. Punk escaped the Salt of the Earth Armbar and wrapped the chain around his knee. CM Punk connected with a running knee with the chain that sent MJF tumbling to the outside.

MJF was bleeding from the head now and Punk raked the chain across his eyes. Punk delivered some punches to MJF’s face outside the ring. CM Punk bashed MJF into the steel steps and went for another running knee but Maxwell dodged it. Punk slammed his knee into the steps and collapsed to the floor in agony.

CM Punk caught MJF with a jab to the face and rolled him back into the ring. Punk hobbled to the apron as the referee checked on MJF. Punk signaled for the GTS but his knee gave out and he couldn’t hit his finisher. MJF punched Punk in the injured knee on the apron and set up for a Tombstone. Punk reversed and spiked MJF into the ring apron with a Tombstone Piledriver. Punk fell to the floor and grabbed his knee in pain as he spiked it off the ring apron as well.

Back in the ring, Punk climbed to the middle turnbuckle as MJF was laid out on the canvas. Punk then climbed to the top turnbuckle and went for an Elbow Drop but MJF got out of the way. MJF rolled over for a cover attempt but Punk kicked out at two and the match continued.

MJF brought out some thumbtacks and poured them around in the ring. MJF hit a knee to the face and set up for a Running Bulldog but Punk bit Max’s hand. MJF clocked Punk in the face with a couple punches and Punk almost fell onto the tacks. Punk booted MJF in the midsection and went for a Suplex but MJF blocked it.

Punk connected with a roundhouse kick to the side of the head and MJF fell to the corner. CM Punk brought MJF to the middle rope and went for the Pepsi Plunge but MJF escaped. MJF tripped Punk up and crotched him on the top turnbuckle. MJF planted Punk with a Superplex onto the thumbtacks below. MJF went for the cover but Punk kicked out just in time.

Maxwell wrapped the chain around his fist and unloaded some strikes to Punk’s head. MJF motioned to the back and Wardlow made his way down the ramp. MJF asked for the Dynamite Diamond Ring but Wardlow couldn’t find it. Wardlow then found the Dynamite Diamond Ring and put it down on the apron just a few feet from CM Punk. Wardlow then exited and made his way up the entrance ramp to a great reaction from the crowd.

CM Punk put on the Dynamite Diamond Ring and started pulling MJF up. Punk gave MJF the finger and he responded by spitting in his face. CM Punk then punched MJF in the face with the ring on and covered him for the victory.

Britt Baker Retained The AEW Women’s Championship

Britt Baker defended the AEW Women’s Championship against Thunder Rosa tonight at Revolution. Baker was wearing a new version of the AEW Women’s Championship. Jamie Hayter & Rebel were ringside for the match. Baker dominated early and beat Rosa down. Baker connected with a Suplex for a near fall before throwing Rosa to the corner. Britt went for the Lockjaw but Thunder Rosa was able to block it. Rosa connected with a Backbreaker and Britt rolled to the corner of the ring.

Thunder Rosa hit her with an Enziguri and went for a Clothesline but the champion blocked it. Britt bounced Rosa’s face off the middle turnbuckle before stomping on her a few times. Baker started trash talking and wrapped Rosa’s knee around the bottom rope. Britt stomped on her some more and then distracted the referee so Rebel & Hayter could get in some cheap shots. Baker capitalized with a Suplex for a near fall. Britt bashed Thunder Rosa’s face into the canvas several times but couldn’t keep her down.

Rosa battled back with a Dropkick and her Suplex of her own for a near fall. Britt went for a Fisherman’s Suplex but Rosa blocked. Britt hit a standing Spanish Fly for a two count before putting on her glove. Baker set up for the Lockjaw but Rosa hit her with a Dropkick that sent the champ to the corner. Rosa perched Britt up on the top turnbuckle and hit a Superplex. Rosa followed it up with a sliding Clothesline for a two count.

Britt hit a forearm to the face and followed it up with a swinging Neckbreaker. Baker connected with a Michinoku Driver and went for the cover but Rosa powered out at two. The champ and challenger traded punches from their knees in the middle of the ring. Britt ducked and took Rosa to the canvas. Baker went for the Lockjaw but Rosa countered into a roll-up for a near fall. Britt got the Lockjaw applied but Rosa battled to her feet. Rosa hit a Russian Leg Sweep for a near fall. Rosa climbed to the top rope but Britt bashed her in the face with a punch.

Baker joined Rosa on the top turnbuckle and planted her with a Death Valley Driver for a two count. They traded punches again and Thunder got the better of the exchange. Rosa went for a Tombstone but Baker reversed it. Rosa countered out of the Tombstone into a roll-up for a near fall. Thunder Rosa hit the Tombstone but Rebel distracted the referee. Baker rolled up Rosa for a near fall. Baker hit a Superkick and Jamie slid the title into the ring.

Baker stomped Rosa’s face onto the title and went for the cover but Rosa somehow kicked out at two. Baker bashed Rosa’s head a few times and went for the Lockjaw but Thunder countered it into a submission hold of her own. Baker tapped out but the referee was distracted again. Rosa hit Rebel with a Spear off the ring aoron and followed it up with a Clothesline to Hayter. Britt hit Rosa with the Stomp as she got into the ring for the pinfall victory. Britt Baker remains the AEW Women’s Champion.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1500674987618971648?s=20&t=PR1-nXbVrGNBf0BW8kZZCw

William Regal Brought Moxley & Danielson Together

Jon Moxley faced Bryan Danielson tonight at Revolution. Danielson controlled the action early and sent Moxley tumbling out of the ring. Danielson hit in the ropes and made sure the referee separated them. Moxley got annoyed and slapped Bryan in the face. Danielson laughed before the two locked up in the middle of the ring.

Moxley dared Bryan to deliver a chop and it echoed throughout the arena. Moxley shrugged it off and delivered some chops that lit up Danielson’s chest. Bryan popped up with a smile on his face and started trading haymakers with Jon in the middle of the ring.

Danielson got the better of the exchange and sent Moxley to the corner with an uppercut. Bryan focused his attack on Jon’s midsection and delivered a flurry of strikes to his ribs. Danielson stayed on the attack with some chops but Moxley got fired up and hit some chops of his own.

Bryan delivered a Suplex before climbing to the top turnbuckle. Danielson posed for the crowd and went for a diving headbutt but Jon got out of the way at the last moment. Danielson hit the running kick in the corner and followed it up with another one that hobbled Moxley.

Danielson posed for the crowd as Moxley pulled himself up. Bryan went for another running kick but Jon countered into a Suplex. Danielson applied a Guillotine choke in the middle of the ring but Moxley countered into a slam. Moxley got up and delivered some punches to Bryan’s face. Danielson raked the eyes but Moxley shrugged it off and sent Bryan flying out of the ring with a Back Body Drop.

They traded punches again outside the ring before both falling down to the floor. Back in the ring, Moxley was busted open and started hitting Danielson with knees to the face. Danielson responded with knees of his own until Moxley started hitting headbutts. Jon went for the Paradigm Shift but Danielson blocked it. Bryan hit a Clothesline but Jon bounced off the ropes and turned Bryan inside out with a lariat of his own.

The crowd chanted “this is awesome!” as both men stumbled back up. Moxley drove Danielson to the corner and perched him up on the top turnbuckle. Jon started raking away and Bryan’s back before Danielson escaped to crotch Moxley on the turnbuckle. Danielson hit a massive Belly to Back Suplex off the top rope and went for the cover but Jon kicked out at two. Danielson applied a sleeper but Jon got his boot on the bottom rope to break the hold.

Danielson hit some kicks but Moxley got him in a sleeper hold of his own. Danielson escaped but Moxley hit him with a flurry of elbow strikes to the face. Moxley applied an Armbreaker but Bryan broke free. Danielson locked in the LeBell Lock but Jon clawed his way to the bottom rope to break the hold.

Bryan tried to stomp on Jon’s face but he blocked it and the two started trading kicks to the face now. Jon emerged and stomped on Danielson’s face some more before applying a choke hold. Danielson began to fade but countered into a roll-up for a near fall. Danielson hit a knee to the ribs and then the running knee but somehow Moxley kicked out at two.

Danielson grabbed Jon’s arms and started stomping away at his bloodied face. Danielson locked in the choke hold and unloaded some elbow strikes to the top of Jon’s head. Moxley grabbed Danielson’s face but Bryan unloaded some more elbows to the face followed by punches. Jon countered into a cover for the pinfall victory out of nowhere. Danielson shoved the referee and got in his face.

Moxley got to his feet and the two started throwing punches again. AEW security rushed the ring to break them up. William Regal arrived to a “holy sh*t!” chant. Regal separated the two and slapped Moxley in the face. William then delivered a slap to Danielson and demanded that they shake hands. A loud “yes!” chant broke out and they shook hands as Regal nodded in approval.

Sting, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara Won A Wild Trios Match

Darby Allin, Sting, and TNT Champion Sammy Guevara faced Andrade El Idolo, Isiah Kassidy, and Matt Hardy in a Trios match. The bout started out in pure chaos as everyone battled to the outside for the ring. Sammy launched Kassidy over the barricade and Darby sent Matt into the steel steps.

Andrade bashed Sting over the head with a garbage can as Andrade Suplexed the TNT Champion onto the barricade. Allin and Guevara then delivered a Suplex to Andrade onto the floor. Matt and Kassidy teamed up on Sting but he fought them off with ease. Sting bashed them over the head with the garbage can and Darby followed it up with some uppercuts. Sammy hit a springboard Cutter but Andrade sent him out of the ring. Andrade hit Sting with a Dropkick and then delivered a Buckle Bomb to Allin.

Andrade put Allin in the Tree of Woe in the corner but Sammy broke it up. Andrade fought him off and hit Allin with a Double Stomp. Matt planted Sammy with a Twist of Fate but Sting broke up the cover at two. Sting took Matt out of the ring and punched him to the floor. Matt went for a Splash off the top rope but Allin dodged it and Hardy crashed tot he floor.

Sting launched Matt into the barricade as Sammy climbed to the top rope. Marq Quen showed up and hurled a steel chair into the TNT Champion’s face. Sammy sent Quen over the barricade but turned around into a Tornado DDT from Kassidy. Sting and Matt battled into the crowd but Butcher & Blade showed up. They attacked Sting and Allin. Blade beat Sting down as Butcher bashed Darby into the stairs. Sammy hit Quen with a Superkick and climbed on top of the entrance tunnel with Kassidy.

Guevara said he’s crazy and hit a ridiculous Spanish Fly on Kassidy through a couple tables on the entrance ramp. Butcher and Blade then set up a table but Sting battled back with punches. Andrade bashed Sting over the head with a foreign object and Matt dragged Sting through the crowd.

Allin and Darby fought on top of tables as Sting and Matt were on the stairs above. Darby knocked Andrade onto the table and Sting hit an absurd Splash as the crowd went crazy.

Darby and Matt battled their way back to the ringside area. Matt brought Allin in the ring and started bashing him with a steel chair. Hardy put Darby’s face in the chair and went for a Twist of Fate but Allin blocked it. Darby hit a Scorpion Death Drop on the chair and then barely connected with a Coffin Drop for the pinfall victory.

Hangman Page Retained The AEW Championship

Hangman Page defended the AEW Championship against Adam Cole in the main event of Revolution.

The crowd chanted “lets go Adam” as the two Adams circled each other in the ring. Hangman drove Cole to the ropes to begin the match before backing away. They locked up again and Cole brought Page to the mat. Hangman battled to his feet as “lets go Adam!” and “Adam sucks!” chants broke out in the crowd.

Hangman brought Cole to the outside and launched him into the barricade a couple times before positioning him on the ring apron. Page delivered a running kick to Cole’s face and he dropped to the floor. Cole battled back and sent the champion into the steel steps before rolling him into the ring.

Cole connected with a Neckbreaker over his knee and went for the cover but the champion kicked out at two. Adam followed it up with another Neckbreaker before arguing with the referee. Hangman capitalized and hit Cole with a couple chops. Cole shrugged them off and planted him with a slam for a two count.

Hangman hit a big boot and lifted Cole up in a Fireman’s Carry. Cole countered into an awesome Backstabber and went for the cover but the AEW Champion kicked out at two. The champ and challenger traded strikes in the middle of the ring. Cole set up for Panama Sunrise but Hangman saw it coming from a mile away and Cole wound up leaping right into a boot to the head.

Page connected with a Fallaway Slam and quickly hopped to his feet. Cole rolled to the apron but got hit with a springboard Clothesline. Hangman followed Cole to the outside and delivered a Powerbomb on the ring apron. Page climbed to the top rope and hit a Moonsault onto Cole on the floor outside the ring.

Back in the ring, the champion set up for the Buckshot Lariat but Cole rolled away. Page went after him again but Cole hit him with an Enziguri to the face. Adam connected with another Backstabber and went for the Boom but Page countered into a Powerbomb for a near fall.

Cole got Hangman in a Crossface in the middle of the ring but the champion fought through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold. Cole and Hangman traded punches on the apron and then got back into the ring. Hangman planted Cole with a Tombstone Piledriver and went for the cover but Adam kicked out at two.

Hangman and Cole traded punches again but this time from their knees. They battled to their feet and Cole hit a kick to the face. Hangman hit a Suplex and went for another one but Cole countered into another Neckbreaker over the knee for a close two count.

Adam Cole climbed to the top turnbuckle but Hangman hit him with a forearm to the face. The champion joined Cole on the top rope and went for a Superplex but Cole blocked it. Cole went for a Destroyer but Hangman blocked it and hit a massive Fallaway Slam for a near fall.

Page crawled to the ring apron and set up for the Buckshot Lariat but ReDragon provided a distraction. Cole capitalized with a Superkick and then Panama Sunrise on the floor. Cole went for the cover in the ring but Hangman was able to kick out at the last moment.

Fish and O’Reilly were ringside now as Cole climbed to the top turnbuckle. Cole went for Panama Sunrise again but Hangman blocked it. ReDragon distracted the official again and Cole hit a low blow. Cole followed it up with Panama Sunrise and the Boom but Hangman somehow kicked out at two. Cole hit Page with two Superkicks and pulled down his knee pat.

Cole went for the Boom but the champion got up and leveled him with a Clothesline. Hangman went for a Buckshot Lariat but Cole hit him with a series of Superkicks. Cole was about to hit the Boom but Hangman fell to the canvas and the challenger couldn’t deliver his finisher.

ReDragon grabbed a table and set it up next to the ring. Cole went for a move but it backfired as the AEW Champion connected with Dead Eye through the tables below. Dark Order finally showed up and brawled with ReDragon all the way backstage. Hangman rolled Cole into the ring and delivered the Buckshot Lariat but Cole got his fingers on the bottom rope at two.

Page tied Cole’s hand to the top rope and circled him. Hangman hit Cole with three kicks but Cole responded with one of his own. Adam Cole untied himself but Hangman used the time to regroup and hit Cole with another Superkick. Hangman then took down his knee pad and hit Cole with the Boom. Hangman quickly followed it up with the Buckshot Lariat for the pinfall victory. Hangman Page is still the AEW Champion.

Adam Page Retains World Heavyweight Title At AEW Revolution

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“Hangman” Adam Page made his latest title defense as the AEW World Heavyweight Champion against Adam Cole in the main event of the Revolution pay-per-view event in Orlando, Florida at the Addition Financial Arena.

The match started off as a brawl. Page hit a powerbomb on the apron then a moonsault off the top rope. Cole caught him with a superkick as Page was attempting a moonsault. Page hit a tombstone for a near fall. Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish came out to distract Page so Cole could hit the panama sunrise from the apron to the floor. 

There was a false finish when Cole hit a low blow to Page as the referee was distracted by Fish and Kyle, which allowed Cole to hit panama sunrise and then the running knee strike. Page hit the dead eye off the apron through a table. Page hit his finisher, but Cole grabbed the bottom rope. Page with a superkick then hit the running knee and buckshot lariat for the win. 

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Cole had a staredown with Page following “Hangman’s” successful title defense against Lance Archer last month on Dynamite. The following week, the match was set up during a promo segment where Cole confronted Page and stated that people had always called Adam Page the “other Adam”. Cole was about to leave when reDragon attacked Hangman from behind. This led Cole to join the beatdown.

Page beat Kenny Omega to win the AEW World Heavyweight Title at November’s Full Gear pay-per-view event. Originally, AEW was planning this match for the All Out PPV event, but the decision was made for Omega to defend the title against Christian Cage at this event instead as Page took time off for the birth of his child.

William Regal Makes AEW Debut At Revolution

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William Regal is All Elite!

Regal came out after the Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley match at Revolution. The finish saw Danielson have him in a triangle choke and Moxley rolled over him as he passed out for the pinfall with Moxley coming out victorious. After they brawled until William Regal came out to stop them. He slapped Moxley to calm him down then did the same to Danielson. Regal told them to shake hands and they did. 

The storyline was that Danielson wanted to be tag team partners, but Moxley said he would only team with someone he has wrestled so they booked the match. 

After working around the world and in WCW, Regal went to WWE in 2000 where as an in-ring performer, he became a two-time Intercontinental Champion, a five-time Hardcore Champion, a four-time European Champion, a four-time World Tag Team Champion, and the 2008 King of the Ring winner.

He would later transition into the on-screen role of the General Manager of NXT that lasted from 2014through 2021. Regal also worked behind the scenes in NXT and as an independent scene scout. Regal was among the latest names to be released by the company in January that swept through the NXT brand. 

Britt Baker Retains Women’s Title At AEW Revolution

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Thunder Rosa was the latest wrestler to step into the ring with the longest-reigning AEW Women’s Champion in the history of the promotion, Britt Baker, to challenge her for the strap. 

The match at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view event in Orlando, Florida featured Baker beating her down in the early going. It then turned into a back and forth match. Rosa with a superplex then hit a neck breaker. Rosa hit the tombstone, but Rebel distracted the referee. A clever near fall was when the referee was distracted and Baker with a curbstomp onto the title belt. Rosa with a spear through the ropes to Rebel. Baker with another curbstomp for the win. 

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In recent weeks, the two stars had reignited their feud as Baker hired Mercedes Martinez to take out Rosa. Once Rosa beat Martinez in a No DQ Match last month on an episode of Dynamite, Baker, Jamie Hayter, and Rebel jumped Martinez and beat down both her and Rosa.

Rosa and Baker last wrestled each other last year in a bloody unsanctioned main event match on an episode of Dynamite, which was highly praised. 

Tony Khan stayed with his reported plans back in August of wanting to save the match for a major PPV or episode of Dynamite in early 2022, which is exactly what happened. 

CM Punk Beats MJF In Dog Collar Match At AEW Revolution

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match. Punk wrapped the chain around his knee and hit him in the face. 

Punk with a tombstone on the apron. MJF hit a superplex through thumbtacks. After Wardlow couldn’t find the diamond ring, Punk hit the GTS on MJF, who landed in thumbtacks. Wardlow placed the diamond ring on the mat and left. Punk with a right hand while wearing the ring for the win. 

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These two stars have been feuding since after November’s Full Gear show. Punk had to go through the majority of MJF’s Pinnacle stable to get to MJF.  Their first match took place  in Chicago on February 2 in the main event of Dynamite where MJF won thanks to Wardlow giving him the diamond ring and hitting Punk in the face. 

The following week, MJF said that he would give him a rematch should he find a friend that wasn’t Darby Allin or Sting and defeat FTR in a match. Punk ended up teaming with Jon Moxley to get the win and ultimately the rematch. 

Punk came up with the gimmick for the match as MJF constantly references Roddy Piper so he thought of Piper’s famous Dog Collar Match with Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. 

Swerve Strickland Officially Signs With AEW

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“Swerve” Shane Strickland is All Elite as the former WWE star made AEW debut at Sunday’s Revolution pay-per-view event when Tony Schavione revealed a special free agent signing.

Strickland came out and said that he could talk about everyone he will get to wrestle and all the titles he plans to win, but he just wanted the fans to acknowledge whose house it is now. 

This was expected as it was first reported by Fightful that Swerve had signed with AEW and could be making his promotional debut as soon as this show. He was spotted at the AEW concert on Saturday. 

While in WWE NXT, Strickland held the Cruiserweight Title once and formed the Hit Row group alongside B-Fab, Top Dolla, and Ashantee Thee Adonis. They were later called up to the main roster and placed on SmackDown, but Vince McMahon didn’t do much with them before he let them go last November. 

When Strickland was first let go by WWE, it was reported there were multiple companies, including major ones such as AEW, who had shown interest in bringing him in. Since his release from WWE, Strickland had been booked for dates in GCW and numerous high-level independent companies, including NJPW.

Wardlow Wins Ladder Match At AEW Revolution, Earns TNT Title Shot

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All Elite Wrestling held its Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match at this year’s Revolution pay-per-view event, which was won by Wardlow. Other competitors in the contest included Powerhouse Hobbs, Keith Lee, Ricky Starks, Orange Cassidy, and Christian Cage.

The match was wild as expected. Cage hit a reverse DDT off a ladder on Hobbs. Orange stood on a ladder held by Wardlow and Lee at one point. Starks with a spear from the middle rope through a ladder to Cage. Lee tossed Orange out of the ring and he overshot Cage and Starks who were supposed to catch him. Wardlow powerbombed Starks off a ladder onto another ladder and then grabbed the ring. 

As a result of this win, Wardlow has earned the right to challenge TNT Champion Sammy Guevara for the title on the Dynamite episode later this month in San Antonio. Guevara recently retained the TNT Title on Rampage by defeating Andrade El Idolo and Darby Allin in a three-way. He will make his next title defense on this Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite. 

All of the wrestlers had to earn their way into the match. Wardlow pinned Max Caster with his Powerbomb Symphony to advance while Hobbs defeated Dante Martin with a spinebuster, Starks defeated Preston “10” Vance, Cage defeated Ethan Page, and Cassidy defeated Anthony Bowens on episodes of Dynamite and Rampage. 

Over the past two years at Revolution, the promotion has held a ladder match. In 2020, Brian Cage made his promotional debut and won the match while in 2021, Scorpio Sky won the match while Ethan Page made his AEW debut. 

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Jurassic Express Retain Tag Team Titles At AEW Revolution

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AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus) had the odds in storyline stacked against them when they made their latest defense in a triple threat match against reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) and The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view event.

The match was wild as it started when Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus got the better of the heels. However, everyone started to attack the champions. Jungle Boy hit an outside dive to take everyone out. After Jungle Boy got the hot tag to Luchasaurus, the big man cleared house on the heels with various impressive moves including a moonsault off the apron to take out Fish and O’Reilly. 

Nick with a Canadian Destroyer to Luchasaurus. Moments later, Luchasaurus hit a double chokeslam to The Bucks. The champions hit the Doomsday Device on Matt for a near fall. Jungle with a shooting star press to Fish, but Nick broke up the pin attempt with a dive. Jurassic Express hit their tag finisher for the win. 

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The two teams earned their way into the match by winning battle royales. reDRagon won the first match, which led to an argument with The Young Bucks post-match. The Young Bucks later won a second battle royale. 

Major Update on Plans for Steve Austin at WrestleMania 38

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Several weeks ago, a report surfaced noting that WWE was planning for Stone Cold Steve Austin to return to the ring at WrestleMania 38 to face Kevin Owens. The match would be Austin’s first in 19 years.

In a new update, those plans appear to be in jeopardy. According to a new report from the Wrestling Observer, Austin is indeed scheduled to be at the show, but as of right now, it won’t be a match that he will be participating in. Austin is scheduled to have some kind of in-ring confrontation with Owens instead.

According to the report, WWE would indeed like to have Austin participate in a match at WrestleMania, but Austin has not signed on for a match as of this moment.

“They will have a confrontation but it is not clear if that will be a match or not anymore,” Dave Meltzer said. “It’s essentially up to Austin at this point. They want the match, they thought they had the match and Steve…there’s a reason he hasn’t wrestled in 19 years. I just know that as of Friday, he had not agreed to do the match even though it was on the books. Now, it’s on the books as a confrontation.”

Viewers have seen Owens run down the state of Texas in recent weeks, the site of WrestleMania as well as Austin’s home state, and the purpose of this is for the eventual confrontation with Austin.

Austin has not been publicly announced for the show in any capacity. When the location of the event was announced last year, Austin was featured in the early commercials for the show.

WrestleMania 38 will take place over two nights, April 2nd and April 3rd, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (suburban Dallas). The event is not sold out, and WWE has even run two-for-one ticket deals in an effort to move the thousands of tickets which remain. There’s no doubt that announcing Austin in an official capacity would speed up ticket sales.

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. 

Big E Comments on Similarities With His & Kofi Kingston’s Title Reigns

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Big E has recently addressed things he would’ve changed about his WWE Championship reign. He also discussed the many parallels between his reign & the reign of Kofi Kingston.

Big E held the WWE Championship for 110 days. He defeated Bobby Lashley on September 13, 2021. He cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase and celebrated with his New Day brothers to close out that episode of RAW. In a last minute change, Brock Lesnar was added to the WWE Championship at Day 1 which led to Big E losing the title. Brock would end up pinning Big E in a Fatal 5 Way match to become the new WWE Champion.

Big E recently did an interview with Josh Martinez on Superstar Crossover, and he discussed the things he would’ve done differently with his title reign.

The former WWE Champion said, “I think there are several things I would do differently. But like I said, my focus really is just on performing. I do the best I can. I wish it would have lasted longer and we would have had that period to produce more dynamic things. 

It’s difficult to latch on to a new champion when, within the first month, they have multiple losses on TV. We can go down this path, but I appreciate, genuinely, the people who support me and wanted better for me. I also want better for myself. I guess I’ll just leave it there.”

When Kofi Kingston lost the WWE Championship in 2019, it was to Brock Lesnar as well. He was the champion for 180 day before the quick loss. The match only lasted seven seconds total. Kofi never received a re-match after the loss. Kofi was shifted back into the tag division like the reign never happened. 

Big E & Kofi Kingston Title Reign Parallels

The same could be said for Big E as his match only lasted 8 minutes and 20 seconds. In a Fatal 5 Way with a title change, it normally is never the current champion that is being pinned. The following week, it seemed as if Big E had been forgotten and he also never received a re-match. The title picture moved on without Big E. He is now back in a tag team, on a new brand, with Kofi Kingston again.

Following the end of Big E’s title reign, many fans began to draw comparisons and parallels from Big E’s run with the title to Kofi’s. In this interview, Big E addressed those comparisons and similarities. 

“I think the thing about Kofi is he’s not a guy who’s gonna pull you aside and lecture you, he leads by action. I was able to see the way he handled things with his title run and the way things ended. It’s interesting how our runs weren’t too drastically different. That falling off of a cliff feeling at the hands of one Brock Lesnar and then suddenly, it feels like you woke up a year prior and you’re back to doing what you were doing before. 

He’s a guy who handled it with grace. He’s a guy who didn’t complain, show up to work pouting. He’s a consummate professional and someone who always leads by example,” Big E explained.

H/T to Blake Lovell of 411mania.com for the transcription

Ricochet Was “Half Blind” When He Won The Intercontinental Title

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Ricochet sent out a tweet following his Intercontinental TItle win that revealed that he was “half-blind” for a majority of the match.

Ricochet’s Intercontinental Title Win

On the March 4 edition of SmackDown, Ricochet won the Intercontinental Championship for the first time. He took on Sami Zayn in the first match of the night. Zayn lost mainly due to a distraction by Jackass star Johnny Knoxville. 

This was a very quick title run seeing as Sami Zayn only held the title for 13 days. Zayn only defeated the former champion, Shinsuke Nakamura, on the February 11 episode of SmackDown.

Ricochet Wrestled A Majority Of The Title Match ‘Half-Blind’

In a post on Twitter the next day, Ricochet opened up about his title win. The IC Champion responded to a fan and said that he lost a contact during the match which left him mostly blind.

The tweet reads: “Speaking of contacts. My right contact came out really early in last nights battle. So I had was half blind for 3/4 of it.

He also went on to add more about his visual acuity. He followed up the first tweet by saying, “-5.25 vision btw.

According to Cagematch, the match lasted 8 minutes and 20 seconds. If you were to do the calculations, that would mean that Ricochet was wrestling ‘half-blind’ for about 6 minutes and 15 seconds; give or take that is of course. 

Bryan Danielson Reveals What He Told Vince McMahon About Leaving WWE

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In advance of his match with Jon Moxley at AEW Revolution on Sunday evening, Bryan Danielson sat down with Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales of Wrestling Observer Radio for a lengthy conversation about his career, as well as life in general.

During the early part of the interview, Bryan was asked about his exit from WWE. Meltzer noted that it seems as if Bryan is happier now than he has been in several years and Bryan agreed.

When asked about making the decision to leave WWE, Bryan noted that he was in a comfortable place and content and so he kind of dragged out making a final decision until his wife, Brie Bella, started pressing him that he had to let the two sides (WWE and AEW) know what he was going to do.

He said two things that were really important to him were: Spending time with his family and being able to bleed.

“When I did the checks and balances as far as what do I want from my life, where would I make a bigger impact and help more people. What would my quality of life be like for my children, as far as being on the road. Two things that are not related at all would be I’d be able to spend more time with my family, and that I’d also be able to bleed,” Bryan said, laughing.

Once he finally made the decision to head to AEW, Danielson noted that he immediately spoke to Vince McMahon, perhaps even before he told Tony Khan (he couldn’t remember for sure.

In the end, McMahon asked him why he was leaving and Bryan revealed what he told the WWE boss.

“I don’t like to divulge my conversations with Vince [McMahon] at all because I know he’s a very private person,” Danielson said. “But I will say this, one of the things..because I wanted to tell him before I told anybody else. I don’t remember if I told Vince even before I told Tony. But, one of the things, when I finally made my decision, I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m set on this decision,’ and he was kind of asking me why and I said, ‘You know, there’s part of me too that just wants to be able to bleed.’ And he immediately said, ‘Well, I’m sorry I’ll never be able to give you that.’ (laughs) And so yeah, it’s not like I want to do it all the time. There’s something, I don’t know, incredibly life affirming about it, as strange as that sounds.”

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. This week’s show features a full preview for AEW Revolution.

Please credit and h/t SEScoops when utilizing these transcribed Bryan Danielson quotes, as well as link to the original interview on F4WOnline.

Keith Lee Appreciative of His Royal Rumble Moment With Brock Lesnar

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Keith Lee is grateful for the moment he shared with Brock Lesnar at the 2020 Royal Rumble.

The majority of the 2020 Royal Rumble match was controlled by Brock Lesnar. The Beast eliminated twelve competitors, back to back, by himself. Number 13 was the brand new NXT North American Champion Keith Lee. The moment that stood out to everyone was how shocked and impressed Brock was by the size of Lee. Lee then rocked Lesnar with a shoulder tackle which left him in shock. This showdown, no matter how short it was, was one of the most memorable parts of the match.

Keith Lee’s Royal Rumble Moment With Brock Lesnar

The new AEW superstar recently appeared on Talk Is Jericho. Lee told the story of finding out he’d be a part of the match and what his experience was like working with Brock.

The Limitless One explained, “He’s [Brock Lesnar] always been so cool with me. it’s not something you expect based on specific stories and what have you. The reality was, I didn’t even know I was in the Rumble until like two hours before. They bring in a bunch of people. I’m like, ‘I don’t want to be in the way,’ your back is against the wall, and then you find out you are on. ‘Here we go,’ I don’t know what’s going on and then they start sorting out everything and there is a meeting because the Rumble is basically built around Brock. I got to chat with him and we sorted things out.

They wanted a moment and I think that moment was probably between myself and Riddle, but he had at that time, so they gave it to me. We didn’t really do a lot. Just from the walk…here’s what made it, this Rumble happens and everyone has these ideas and Brock’s like, ‘Cool, awesome, sure thing,’ then the bell rings and he’s just chucking people. ‘Whatever you said you wanted to do doesn’t matter because I don’t remember or I don’t care.’

I’m backstage and I’m like, ‘That’s not what they said, that’s not what they said. I’m gonna have to fight him because I’m not about to lose my shit [laughs].’ My walk, I had gotten taped up because Undisputed ERA jammed my ankle the week prior. I’m so adrenaline hype because I’m gonna fight this guy. I’m walking out, not selling a thing. The walk wasn’t about the Rumble, it was about, ‘I might fight this guy.’

I get there and it’s like, ‘Oh, he wants to work. Okay! We’ll make it a show.’ You can feel it. He’s selling me coming down and I’m like, ‘That guy did more for me in four seconds than anybody can.’ I knew right then, ‘Let’s make this thing last. Take 40 seconds and stare at each other. Let him make the first move and follow.’ It was awesome. Paul (Heyman) is brilliant at what he does.

All of it made it a special three minutes. Him and Roman did that and made potential massive matches down the line and….oh well.”

Current Plans For Lee & Lesnar Respectively

Lee was a part of the November 4, 2021 WWE releases. He signed with AEW following his debut on the February 9 edition of AEW Dynamite. Keith defeated Isiah Kassidy, in his debut, to qualify for the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match on March 6 at Revolution.

Lesnar is scheduled to face Roman Reigns in a Winner Takes All, Title vs Title, Unification Match for the WWE and Universal Championships. The match will take place in the main event of Night 2 of WrestleMania 38.

H/T to Jeremy Lambert & Gisbert Guzzo of Fightful for the transcription

Tony Khan Doesn’t Plan to Find an EVP to Replace Cody Rhodes

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Tony Khan does not plan on appointing a new AEW Executive Vice President to replace Cody Rhodes. 

Cody and wife Brandi Rhodes held many positions in AEW prior to them leaving on February 15. The AEW CEO/President has now begun to speak about how those positions will be filled behind the scenes.

Ahead of AEW Revolution, Tony Khan spoke to Baby Huey on the In The Kliq podcast. Khan explained that he currently has no intentions of finding an EVP to replace Cody Rhodes. However, he will be looking for a new Chief Brand Officer after Brandi Rhodes’ departure. 

AEW Executive Shakeup

“They were both big parts of the company from our launch,” Khan said of Brandi and Cody Rhodes. “I give them so much credit for being a big part of our success, both of them. I’m not planning to replace the Executive Vice President role. I take on a lot of responsibility myself and we have some great people in that position right now, other Vice Presidents, and I work with a great team.”

Khan continued, “For that position, we’ll have to look, and also for the [Chief] Brand Officer position, you know, Brandi has been awesome for us. So that one I will likely fill, but right now we’re just moving forward. I think the company’s stronger than it’s ever been today. So right now, everybody’s on the road to Revolution.”

On the AEW Revolution media call, Tony clarified that he wanted to keep Cody as a member of the roster beyond the option years in his contract. Unfortunately, Tony says that they were unable to come to an agreement. 

H/T to Jeremy Lambert of Fightful for the transcription

Vince McMahon Talks About WWE Releasing “Dead Weight” Talent

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WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has shared his thoughts on the company’s hiring decision.

WWE has faced backlash for how they released talent last year. The company released over 80 talent in 2021, most of the reasons due to budget cuts. Meanwhile, WWE also praised themselves for their financial success last year.

McMahon explained his decision to release talent in an interview with Pat McAfee on Mar. 3.

“I’m always concerned about what’s best for the audience, always. What does the audience want, and if you have dead weight around you or if you had a situation by someone not cutting it and you have an opportunity for someone to come in, it’s like, okay, that’s probably the best thing,” said McMahon.

Vince McMahon on Listening to the Audience

Sometimes in professional wrestling, a talent may do something that could burn bridges to work with a company. An example could be Hulk Hogan working for WCW. However, McMahon believes that as long as the fans want valuable talent, WWE will always consider hiring a wrestler. He also tied in that while he releases talent, he also looks to add new people to the WWE roster.

“… Hogan and a lot of those guys left me at one time, why I brought them back. It’s like, ‘I’ll never bring that son of a b*itch back as long as I live.’ When you say stuff like that, you’re really hurting yourself because you’re not thinking about your audience. You’re not thinking about your product, and it’s not about you and your ego,” said McMahon.

He continued, “It’s like, ‘Yeah, okay, maybe I really felt that way. Maybe I didn’t, but nonetheless, it doesn’t matter. What’s the best thing for business? If the audience wants Hulk Hogan back, you bring him back if he has value that way.”

Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon on Proritizing the Stockholders

McMahon also believes that the WWE going public made him a better businessman. While the WWE releases seem unjust, McMahon expressed that he lets people go due to the business and isn’t personal.

“Once I took the company public, it helped me become a better businessman because prior to that, I was running the business with my head, but mostly with my heart as well, said McMahon. He continued, “These decisions are so damn tough when you do that, because of who it is, he has kids or this that and the other or someone has cancer in the family, and all that computes in your head, but once you’re a public company now you owe stockholders. It is the business then, so it helps me make easier and better business decisions.”

McMahon wants fans to know that he does have a heart. While WWE releases seemed callous, the WWE Chairman prioritizes his business.

IMPACT Wrestling Star a Free Agent Following Sacrifice

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A top IMPACT Wrestling star has reportedly become a free agent following the Sacrifice event on Saturday 5th March.

Fightful Select reported that Jake Something has now left the company, with his original contract being up at the end of February.

The site noted: “Fightful reported recently that Jake’s deal was up at the end of February, which was true, but there was one outstanding date remaining on the contract.

“Despite the deal being set to expire, IMPACT put him in a top spot in an X-Division title match for Sacrifice, which is slated to be his last date with the company as of now” it was also revealed.

Fightful also revealed that as of writing that no deal had been reached, and that Jake was not scheduled to be at the Sunday television tapings for the company.

Jake Something now a Free Agent

Jake Something has reportedly left the company on good terms, and that he would “likely be welcomed back.”

Josh Alexander appeared at the end of the Sacrifice event and revealed that he had re-signed with the company. There’s a good chance that we could see Something also re-sign in the coming weeks unless there is a deal waiting for him from the likes of WWE, NJPW or AEW.

We do not currently know if Jake Something has any open offers on the table from other promotions, but we will update you on the story as and when it becomes apparent.

WWE Files Trademark for NXT UK Superstar

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WWE has filed a trademark for an NXT UK Superstar who does not appear to have yet officially signed with the company.

The company has filed a trademark for the name Eliza Alexander, the name used for British independent star Lizzy Evo as part of the recent NXT UK tapings.

It’s not currently known if Evo has actually signed for WWE, but what is interesting is that they’ve decided to try and trademark the name.

Lizzy Evo is a prominent name on the UK independent scene, having arguably one of the top feuds in all of 2020 with Alexxis Falcon.

Lizzy Evo – NXT UK

Evo has also been working for the likes of PROGRESS, TNT Wrestling, Pro Wrestling EVE and Catch Pro Wrestling, where she recently had a match against Millie McKenzie, who is signed to WWE.

The company filed for the following:

Mark For: ELIZA ALEXANDER trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered live and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; providing information in the fields of sports and entertainment via an online community portal; providing a website in the field of sports entertainment information; fan club services, namely, organizing sporting events in the field of wrestling for wrestling fan club members; organizing social entertainment events for entertainment purposes for wrestling fan club members; providing online newsletters in the fields of sports entertainment; online journals, namely, blogs, in the field of sports entertainment.

Austin Theory Wants to Work With a WWE Legend

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Austin Theory is being positioned as the next big star and he has already gotten to face many big names including The Beast Brock Lesnar himself.

Though there is one name that the protégé of Mr McMahon aspires to face in the future, that is the 16-time world champion John Cena.

Theory revealed this aspiration when asked about his dream opponents during an interview with WWE Deutschland. He claimed that he has been building himself for this match from the start:

“John Cena. Every time, John Cena, you know what, I, I feel personally that I just got to keep building myself and keep climbing that ladder and keep, you know, just impressing.

I felt like I kicked that off when I got drafted to Raw taking out Jeff Hardy.” said Austin Theory, “You know, dealing with Rey Mysterio, Finn Balor, AJ Styles, all these names.”

Apart from this, the former NXT star also talked about working with the boss. He recalled how he was very nervous the first time he found out about it.

Theory claimed that there is no bigger star in WWE than Mr McMahon and when it comes to Mt Rushmore of sports entertainment as a whole, he is the first person on the list. You can check out his interview below:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CapsUCBo5HM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Thanks to WrestlingInc for the transcribed quotes