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Strong Demand For AEW Rampage Chicago Pre-Sale

Michael Reichlin
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A ticket pre-sale was held Friday morning for the upcoming AEW Rampage: The First Dance event from Chicago’s United Center arena on August 20th. Despite the short notice and a saturated market, AEW is looking at another successful showing at the box office.

AEW sold over 10,000 tickets within a matter of hours. @WrestleTix estimates the production setup will make for a sell-out crowd of around 13,000. It was ambitious, but this will be a packed house.

AEW Rampage: The First Dance

The stakes are high for AEW’s debut at the United Center. The show was announced on Wednesday’s Dynamite, leaving just three weeks for AEW to sell a respectable amount of seats. It will be the second episode of AEW Rampage, which premieres Friday, August 13th at 10pm (Eastern) on TNT.

Of course, this is not your typical television taping. Wrestling fans are expecting the highly anticipated debut of CM Punk, based on some not-so-subtle hints by AEW. The United Center is the largest basketball/hockey arena in the United States, so

Tickets for AEW Rampage: The First Dance go on sale to the general public this coming Monday at Ticketmaster.com.

Follow @WrestleTix on Twitter and Patreon for more wrestling ticket sales info.

Update On Changed Plans For AEW All Out Main Event

Chris Stephens
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At AEW Fight for the Fallen, The Elite defeated Hangman Page and the Dark Order in a 10-man elimination tag match. The loss knocks Page out of the title picture for All Out on September 5th. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Page vs Omega for the title had once been the plan for the show, however.

“Adam Page is not getting the main event for All Out with Kenny Omega. At one point it was the plan but plans change. The ten-man tag was designed to shock people when they veered off that match,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

As for who is getting the title shot at All Out, only speculation can be had. Christian Cage is ranked #3 and could possibly be in the mix. Other names thrown around include Eddie Kingston.

Darby Allin is ranked #4 as well. #1 Hangman Page is out of the running, #2 Jungle Boy was already defeated by Omega, and #5 Orange Cassidy was in a triple threat title match against Omega on the last PPV. It’s possible someone from outside the top-5 could earn a title shot between now and the PPV, however.

Page also fell out of title contention before the last PPV as well. After going several week ranked at #1, Page lost a key match to Brian Cage on Dynamite. He would go on to avenge that loss at Double or Nothing, however, putting him back in title contention.

“They were pushing Christian Cage for a title match next. Whether that’s for TV in a few weeks or PPV should be clear pretty soon.”

Update On Jeff Jarrett’s Status With WWE

Chris Stephens
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According to a report from WhatCulture, Jeff Jarrett was amongst the many names backstage in the company to have been released back in April. According to the report, Jarrett has been reaching out to other organizations regarding potential bookings.

Update:

This report is now being refuted, however. Michael Morales Torres of Lucha Libre Online is reporting that Jarrett is still with the company. He says that taking outside bookings is part of his deal with WWE.

“So the correct information is that Jeff Jarrett does continue to work for WWE, but not exclusively, as he is working on other projects in addition to his duties with WWE,” a translation of Lucha Libre Online’s Tweet reads.

Jarrett was hired as a backstage producer in early 2019. He had been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the previous year.

His return to the company and induction into its Hall of Fame in 2018 was met with some surprise considering the way he left the company in 1999. Jarrett’s contract expired 1 day before the No Mercy 99 PPV where he was scheduled to defend the Intercontinental title against Chyna.

Chyna spoke about Jarrett’s WWE departure in her book “If They Only Knew”. She claimed that Jarrett was paid $200,000 to lose the title to her on that show. Chyna also alleged that Vince Russo and Jeff Jarrett colluded to delay Jarrett’s title defence against her until after Jarrett’s contract was up. Jarrett refuted this on his “King of the Mountain” DVD in TNA. He says he was paid only what WWE owed him at the time. Jarrett also said that all negotiations between him and the company were cordial.

Jarrett was a 6x Intercontinental champion in WWE. He was also a 1x European Champion. Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart also once held the WWE tag titles.

Impact Results (7/29): Bullet Club vs The Elite

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling on 7/29 featured Moose vs Chris Sabin and Bullet Club facing the Elite in tag-team action.

Impact 7/29 Quick Results:

  1. The Good Brothers defeated Chris Bey & Jay White
  2. Taylor Wilde defeated Kaleb with a K
  3. Fallah Bahh, No Way & FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson) defeated Ace Austin, Madman Fulton, Rohit Raju & Shera
  4. Rich Swann & Willie Mack defeated Violent By Design (Deaner & Rhino) w/ Eric Young & Joe Doering
  5. Moose defeated Chris Sabin

The Good Brothers Defeat Jay White & Chris Bey

Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows picked up a victory over Bullet Club’s Jay White and BC recruit Chris Bey. Gallows hit a choke slam on Bey and then both Good Brothers hit the Magic Killer for the win.

After the match, White told Bey that he wasn’t sure if he was Bullet Club material. He did have an idea for how Bey could redeem himself, however.

Taylor Wilde defeats Kaleb with a K

Taylor Wilde returned to Impact Wrestling last week and helped Matt Cardona, Jake Something and Chelsea Green pick up a win over Brian Myers, Sam Beale, and Tenille Dashwood. This week, Wilde would face Dashwood’s personal photographer, Kaleb with a K, in singles action. Wilde would pick up the win with a bridging German suplex.

FinJuice, Fallah Bah, & No Way Pick Up Victory In 8-Man Tag

David Finlay picked up the victory for his team by hitting Trash Panda on Rohit Raju. Finlay is preparing to face Jay White for the NEVER Openweight title at NJPW Resurgence on August 14th. FinJuice’s night wasn’t over, however, as they would later run into Bullet Club in the back.

Battle Royal To Determine Kenny Omega’s Next Challenger

Earlier in the show, Scott D’Amore tasked Tommy Dreamer with determining who would be Kenny Omega’s next title challenger. Dreamer told Omega that in two weeks, Impact would have a battle royal with the winner earning a title shot at Emergence.

Bullet Club Attack David Finlay & Juice Robinson

The redemption that Jay White offered Chris Bey was evidently to attack FinJuice in the back. As Finlay and Robinson were being interviewed backstage following their victory earlier, White and Bey attacked.

The Elite Hunter Is In The Impact Zone!

The Elite were in the ring and were upset about Tommy Dreamer scheduling a battle royal to determine Omega’s next challenger. Sami Callihan then came out and said he will win the battle royal to get another shot at Omega. He also said he can’t wait until two weeks to get his hands on the Elite so next week a trios match will take place with Callihan and two partners against Omega and the Good Brothers.

Out of nowhere, The Elite Hunter Frankie Kazarian hit the ring and attacked Omega and the Good Brothers. Kazarian will be one of Callihan’s partners next week. Dreamer would later reveal that Callihan’s longtime rival Eddie Edwards would be the other.

Rich Swann & Willie Mack Pick Up Victory Over Violent By Design

Violent By Design blamed Rich Swann and Willie Mack for them losing the tag belts at Slammiversary. It would be Swann and Mack who would pick up the victory in this grudge match, however. Swann pinned Rhino after a Phoenix Splash.

Moose Avenges Previous Loss To Chris Sabin

At Slammiversary, Chris Sabin picked up the victory over Moose but things would not go the same way in the rematch. The finish of the match came when Moose fought off the Cradle Shock and then hit his Lights Out spear for the win. After the match, Moose tried to toss Sabin out of the ring but Sabin came back with a crossbody from the top and then hit a suicide dive on the outside. Officials had to pull Sabin off Moose to end the show.

Impact Homecoming Lineup

  • Homecoming King and Queen Tournament (1st Round)
    Hernandez & Alisha Edwards vs Deonna Purrazzo & TBA
  • Homecoming King and Queen Tournament (1st Round)
    Petey Williams & Jordynne Grace vs Matt Cardona & Chelsea Green
  • Homecoming King and Queen Tournament (1st Round)
    Crazzy Steve & Rosemary vs Tasha Steelz & Fallah Bah
  • Homecoming King and Queen Tournament (1st Round)
    Rachael Ellering & Tommy Dreamer vs Brian Myers & TBA
  • Homecoming King and Queen Tournament (Semi-Final #1)
    TBD vs TBD
  • Homecoming King and Queen Tournament (Semi-Final #1)
    TBD vs TBD
  • Homecoming King and Queen Tournament (Finals)
  • TBD vs TBD
  • Hardcore Match
    W. Morrissey vs Eddie Edwards
  • X-Division Championship
    Josh Alexander (c) vs Black Taurus

The Rock Praises Bret Hart, The Hitman Responds

Chris Stephens
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is busy doing media to promote his new movie, Jungle Cruise. During a recent interview, Rock took the time to explain to his co-star, Emily Blunt, how good Bret Hart was to him early in his career.

The Rock Honors Bret Hart

“The t-shirt he’s wearing is a guy who didn’t have to be but he was so good to me when I was a rookie professional wrestler and his name is Bret “the Hitman” Hart, comes from a very famous wrestling family. But at that time, he was world champion and there were a lot of guys in that world at that time in 96, that didn’t necessarily embrace me.”

“Just when I was a rookie coming in because everyone is hungry for their spot and there’s a lot of sharks in the water.”

Blunt then asked Rock why he thinks Bret was nice to him.

“I think because he knew that our families knew each other and knew that I came from a lineage of pro wrestling and that I had a real love and respect for wrestling and he was just a great guy. I always try and give him props where I can,” Rock continued.

Bret’s Reaction

Matt Cardona: “I’m The New Deathmatch King” After GCW Win

Anutosh Bajpai
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Matt Cardona picked up one of the biggest wins of his wrestling career when he defeated Nick Gage to become the new GCW world champion at Homecoming night 1.

The former WWE star recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated where he opened up about his big win and discussed what it means to him.

Cardona first commented on the wild crowd reaction to his victory. He explained that hearing the boos made him realize that they had something special, before claiming himself as the new deathmatch king:

“Tasting my own blood and hearing those boos, I knew we had something special, but it was all worth it. I’m the new deathmatch king.”

The GCW championship is the first world title of Cardona’s career. Discussing how the title win is a big deal for him, Matt Cardona said that people are crazy if they don’t think he is going to treat it as the biggest thing:

“This title is a big deal. I was fortunate in WWE to win the tag team title twice, the intercontinental title, and the United States title,

But the GCW title is my first world title. So people are absolutely crazy if they don’t think I’m going to treat this as the biggest thing in the world. I took the title to Disneyland and posed in front of the castle.”

Matt Cardona also discussed the negative crowd reaction at the Homecoming special that stemmed from his victory. He claimed that he is not trying to be a heel.

According to the former US champion, he was just being himself. He had fans in the arena too but it just happened to be that the vocal fan base there were the ones who didn’t want him to win.

Vince McMahon Says He Doesn’t Consider AEW Competition Like WCW

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW has made some significant additions to its roster in recent times. The company has also been gaining in viewership but according to Vince McMahon, he doesn’t see them as competition. The WWE chairman took part in the Q2 2021 earnings call where he was asked about their rival promotion

Vince was asked whether he feels the need to counter AEW’s investments to their roster considering that the two companies could be competing for media rights in future or if it’s “rising tides lift all boats” kind of situation similar to how it was with WCW back in the day. Replying to it, the boss explained why the situation with WCW was different:

“Well, it certainly is not a situation where ‘rising tides’ because that was when Ted Turner was coming after us with all of Time Warner’s assets as well, that was a different situation. AEW is where they are. I don’t really know what their plans are; all I know is what our plans are. I don’t consider them competition in the way that I would consider WCW back in the day, not anywhere near close to that.

And I’m not so sure what their investments are as far as their talent is concerned, but perhaps we can give them some more.” said Vince McMahon.

New WWE President Nick Khan then made some additional comments and claimed that they look at these situations like a horse race. Khan explained that similar to how horses have blinders on during a race, they are looking straight ahead at their lane. The promotion’s focus is on making sure that they stay in the front of the pack:

“At the same time, everything is our competition. Someone had a line a couple of weeks ago, that we all chuckled at and agreed with – sleep is our competition. Right?

If it was up to us, people could be up 24 hours a day, watching content from different content providers, hopefully including ours. So, we don’t look at any organization particularly as competition, yet we see everything as competitive with what we’re trying to do, in terms of eyeballs.”

Sean Waltman On CM Punk And Daniel Bryan Coming To AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
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Reports of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk being close to joining the AEW roster have created a lot of buzz in recent weeks. It has got a lot of people talking and Sean Waltman recently joined the list.

The former WWE star talked about these rumors on the latest episode of his Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast and claimed that the news is exciting.

Waltman explained that while these signings will not hurt WWE, it will definitely help AEW. The former champion claimed that it’s gonna be ‘a f**king game changer’:

“It’s exciting. It’s just good for everyone, It doesn’t hurt WWE, I don’t think. It definitely helps AEW. They already have some really good momentum as far as I’m concerned. It’s gonna be a f**king game changer.

The difference is one is just a publicly-traded company that’s just f**king monstrous.” said Sean Waltman, “It’s huge, and I don’t think it’s going anywhere. That’s why I don’t think this necessarily hurts them. It just helps AEW, and it f**king helps the industry.”

The former DX member also discussed if it would have been better if these signings were kept a secret. The Attitude Era star compared them to the time when The Outsiders’ moved to WCW.

Waltman explained that even though people were aware of the duo jumping ships, it made their arrival even more impactful because of the anticipation it built.

Maven On His Interaction With The Rock Before WrestleMania 18

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star Maven recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He talked about many different things and discussed his time with the company in detail. Probably the most successful run of his career was his reign with the Hardcore championship. He held the title heading into WrestleMania 18.

Recalling that time of his career and his experience at the Show of Shows, Maven revealed that he was very nervous about going out in front of 70 thousand people. He recalled how the Rock helped him in this situation:

“So it’s WrestleMania 18 in Toronto, I went in the Hardcore Champion and left the Hardcore Champion. I’m backstage and I am scared to death, there’s 70 something thousand people out there. The Rock sees this and he says ‘Mave, come here.’ So I go up to him and I think I’m going to get words of advice from the best.

He goes ‘hey, no one is really expecting much out of you. So just do the best you can.’ He turns around and walks away I’m like ‘what the f**k was that?’ He then turns and winks at me.” said Maven, “That calmed me down. That one little joke, then it was like ‘f**k it, lets have some fun.”

Apart from this, the former champion also discussed another important moment from his career, the time when he eliminated The Undertaker from the 2002 Royal Rumble. Maven revealed that it was Shane McMahon who told him about the spot and even The Undertaker was surprised by these plans. You can check out his interview below:

Domino’s Issues Statement On Pizza Cutter Spot On AEW Dynamite

Anutosh Bajpai
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Chris Jericho and Nick Gage put on a brutal but impressive match on this week’s episode of Dynamite. Though it appears that the pizza cutter spot in the bout didn’t go over very well with Domino’s.

The company released a statement to Front Office Sports regarding the spot. In the statement as seen below, spokeswoman Jenny Fouracre-Petko said that they are assessing their advertising presence on the show:

“We share the concerns expressed about this incident and the content of this TV-14 rated program, and are assessing our advertising presence on it going forward,”

For those who don’t know, the Fight For The Fallen special of Dynamite saw former AEW champion Chris Jericho taking on hardcore wrestler Nick Gage in a No Disqualifications match.

There was one point in the bout where Gage used a pizza cutter on his opponent. Right after he cut open Jericho’s head, the broadcast went into split-screen mode.

The second screen featured a Domino’s commercial with an image of a pizza being sliced. This got a lot of attention on social media.

Many people wondered if the two companies worked together for the spot. Though this report makes it clear that the pizza delivery chain was not involved and it appears that they didn’t have any prior knowledge of it either.

https://twitter.com/trillmoregirls/status/1420740036841050113

NJPW’s Super Jr. Tag League Tournament Returns in August

Tyriece Simon
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The Super Jr. Tag League tournament will be returning next month.

New Japan Pro Wrestling announced yesterday that the Super Jr. Tag League would run from August 7th to August 17th. The tournament will also be a part of the Summer Struggle events that NJPW is doing at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Rules of the Super Jr. Tag League

People may be unfamiliar with the tournament, so NJPW also explained the rules in a statement.

“Six teams will be part of the round-robin league, with matches running from August 7 to 17. The top point scorers at the end of the league will be the victors, with tiebreakers also at play; if teams are still tied, there will be a playoff match to determine the winners,” said NJPW.

The winners also get a chance to compete for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.

Teams Competing in the Super Jr. Tag League

As well as announcing this year’s Super Jr. Tag League, NJPW revealed the teams competing. Included among the competitors are the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori.

The other teams involved are Roppongi 3k, Suzuki-Gun, Team One or Eight, and Far East Connection. The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Robbie Eagles will team with Tiger Mask to compete in the tournament.

Favorites to win the Tournament

While anything can happen, Roppongi 3k could be considered the favorite. The five-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions have won the tournament in 2018 and 2019. The team will look to win for the third time and become six-time champions. However, every team, including the champions, will look to pull off the upset.

AEW Rampage At Chicago’s United Center Will Test AEW’s Popularity

Tyriece Simon
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All Elite Wrestling revealed a new event that will take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

AEW announced yesterday during AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen that Rampage will occur on August 20th at the United Center. AEW also indicated that the August 20th event would be significant by advertising it as Rampage “The First Dance.”

Rampage marks AEW’s fourth show that takes place in Illinois. AEW also announced that tickets go on sale on Monday.

AEW Schedule in Chicago

The August 20th Rampage event will be AEW’s first big event in Chicago this year. Their last Chicago show was AEW Revolution on February 29, 2020, at the Wintrust Arena. However, it comes as a surprise as AEW already announced a Dynamite show on September 1st, Rampage on September 3rd, and All-Out on September 5th, which would occur in the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Tickets for the September AEW shows in Illinois went on sale to the public on July 9th. Both the Dynamite and Rampage show still have tickets on sale on Ticketmaster, while All Out has sold out.

With the addition of Rampage on August 20th, AEW seems confident that it can sell out all four events. However, this will be an ambitious act by AEW to sell out the United Center on two weeks’ notice. The United Center can have over 20,000 capacity crowd and will be the biggest venue AEW has run.

CM Punk Rumors

The announcement of “The Last Dance” has created speculation if former WWE Superstar CM Punk has signed with AEW. He is a well-known native of Chicago, Illinois, and Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that Punk was in talks for an in-ring return with AEW. However, the company has yet to confirm Punk is signed. It’s also unclear if AEW signed Punk if they’d reveal the news to help boost sales for August 20th or make it a surprise if he was to appear.

Update On Why Karrion Kross Lost To Jeff Hardy, Future Plans On RAW

Chris Stephens
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Karrion Kross lost his debut match on the WWE main roster last week to Jeff Hardy. He got in the winners circle this week when he defeated Keith Lee, however. Kross is also believed to have been scheduled to lose to Hardy again this week on RAW had Hardy not tested positive for COVID-19.

According to comments from Andrew Zarian on the Mat Men Podcast, the plan had been for Kross to continue losing up until he was joined by Scarlett, who would then turn his luck around.

“Karrion Kross was supposed to lose again to Jeff Hardy in the rematch and then finally go berzerk,” said Zarian. I’m not 100 percent on this but I was told that the plan was that Karrion Kross keeps losing until Scarlett shows up and that’s gonna bring him back on track because she is able to unleash the warrior, whatever they’re calling him, the gladiator in him.”

Karrion Kross’ Tough Loss

Following his victory over Keith Lee on RAW this week, Kross was interviewed backstage and spoke about his “tough loss” to Hardy the week prior.

“Tough loss, it’s an interesting choice of words,” Kross said. “I would say Jeff Hardy cheated but then again, he might be the smartest man in WWE, because if I were him that’s exactly what I would have done.”

“It lit a fire in me. I need to understand and not lose sight that people will do anything they possibly can to get out of that ring in one piece. But Jeff Hardy and I, we’re not done yet, not by a long shot,” Kross continued.

H/T to WrestlingNewsCo for the transcribed quotes

Carmella On Potentially Moving To Raw In Upcoming Drafts

Anutosh Bajpai
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Carmella has almost exclusively been a SmackDown star since the return of WWE brand extension back in 2016, though she is open to a move to the Raw roster in the upcoming drafts.

The former SmackDown women’s champion recently had an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling where she talked about things such as why she wants to face Toni Storm and more.

Discussing a potential move to Monday nights in the upcoming drafts, Carmella admitted that she sometimes feels as if she has done everything she could do on the SmackDown roster:

“Sometimes I feel like I kind of have done everything I could do on SmackDown, That’s why I do get excited when new girls come up because it’s like okay, opportunity for fresh matchups and fresh stories.

Because I don’t ever want to ever get to a point where it’s like, okay we’ve seen this a million times, I don’t wanna do this anymore.”

Though according to the SmackDown star, the blue brand will forever have a special place in her heart whether she gets drafted to Raw or not:

“So if it happens, if this is the year, cool. If not, then maybe I’ll just bleed blue forever. I have no idea. But no matter what, SmackDown will have such a place in my heart because this is Carmella. Carmella is SmackDown.”

Latest reports suggest that WWE has moved the planned dates for the drafts a bit further. It’s currently expected to take place sometime in early October.

Fandango On The Origins Of His Ballroom Dancer Gimmick

Chris Stephens
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Johnny Curtis adopted the Fandango gimmick in the fall of 2012. That spring, he defeated Chris Jericho in a singles match at WrestleMania 29. According to comments he made recently on the “Such Good Shoot” podcast, Jericho’s appearance on Dancing with the Stars in 2011 set the stage for Fandango’s ballroom dancer gimmick.

“Chris did an amazing job at getting me over and I don’t blame him. It’s a ridiculous character. Look at it this way, guys, so Vince thought it was probably stupid that he went on Dancing with the Stars, right? Vince thought Bryan Danielson was crazy to be a vegan. So anything that Vince thinks is stupid, he’ll make a character out of it, right?”

“So he thought Chris going on Dancing with the Stars was stupid, so what is he gonna do? He’s gonna make an evil dancing gimmick because he thinks it’s outrageous.”

Curtis/Fandango was trained by Killer Kowalski and made his pro debut in 1999. He signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2006 and was assigned to Deep South Wrestling territory. In 2008, he moved to Florida Championship Wrestling and then started with NXT during the 4th season under its original format.

Fandango continued to say that he felt stuck with the character. Meanwhile, someone like Chris Jericho was able to evolve and change his character throughout his career.

“Unless you’re that tippy-top guy like Roman Reigns, you’re gonna kind of go into no man’s land, and that’s kind of what happened to me because I was just riding the wave, you know? So look at what Chris would do. So Chris was always evolving and coming up with different stuff, new characters, twists on his character, and I kind of felt stuck with that character.”

Stephen Amell On How CM Punk Replied When Asked About Wrestling Return

Anutosh Bajpai
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Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig recently appeared on Busted Open Radio. The duo talked about a number of things and also discussed the recent rumors surrounding their Heels co-star CM Punk.

The former WWE champion has been heavily rumored for a wrestling return in near future. Many signs point towards him being AEW bound already.

Discussing his reaction to these rumors, Amell revealed that he actually texted Punk to ask about the reports and the former WWE star simply sent him a picture of a cat:

“And I actually texted him when all this stuff broke, I’m like, ‘You coming back?’ And he sent me back a photo of a cat shrugging.

But I mean look, anything, I think as a general rule, anything in the world of pro wrestling that is gonna piss Vince McMahon off and get his competitive juices flowing is probably good for business.”

Stephen Amell then talked about CM Punk’s involvement in their drama series. He revealed that Punk wasn’t originally going to be part of the show:

“We had originally another actor, not a wrestler, really good guy, set for the role of Ricky Rabies. And then scheduling-wise, it ended up not working out. And then all of a sudden, it’s like; we got CM Punk on the show? Really?

And I get to train with him a little bit, and I mean Phil was so great in and out of the ring that we ended up bringing him back for the finale.”

Heels is an upcoming wrestling drama series featuring Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig among others which is set to premiere on Starz on August 15.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKFfSSXavYc

Tony Khan Spoke To TNT About Chris Jericho vs Nick Gage Match

Chris Stephens
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Chris Jericho and Nick Gage had a no disqualification match with light tubes, a pizza cutter, broken glass, and lots of “blood and guts” at Fight for the Fallen last night. According to a report on Wrestling Observer Radio, Tony Khan spoke to TNT ahead of time to let them know what was going to happen.

“I know Tony Khan talked to TNT ahead of time and basically told them what was going to happen. So, they’re okay with it. It’s not an issue where they’ll get kicked off the air,” said Dave Meltzer.

It was noted during the discussion that Jericho would not have done anything he did not want to do during the match. It was also speculated that the idea for the match likely came from Jericho himself but that was not be confirmed.

“Jericho didn’t do anything that he didn’t want to do. Whatever spots were in that match, Jericho would say no if he doesn’t want to do it, he’s not going to kill himself. And those were the spots he said yes to, I don’t know if he said no to anything,” Meltzer said.

While AEW has put hardcore matches on Dynamite before, this was a particularly brutal one. Meltzer continued to say he’s heard that doing a match like this on television is not something AEW is planning on doing again.

“I am told it is a one time thing and they won’t do it again. We will see because if it does a good quarter, they will do it again, probably, because that’s wrestling,” Meltzer continued.

WWE has an earnings call today. The last time AEW had a hardcore match so close to a WWE earnings call is when Vince McMahon coined the term “Blood and Guts” to describe it.

Juventud Guerrera Comments On AEW Debut Next Week

Chris Stephens
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Maxwell Jacob Friedman announced that Chris Jericho’s rival from WCW, Juventud Guerrera, will be the “3rd Labor of Jericho” next week. Juvi took to Twitter to comment on his match next week.

https://twitter.com/JUVENTUDGUERRE2/status/1420578455054389249

Chris Jericho vs Juventud Guerrera History

In WCW, Jericho and Juventud Guerrera had 22 singles matches against each other, were in 2 tag matches with each other, and were also in 3 battle royals together. Of their 22 singles matches, 11 were on house shows and 11 were on television. Of the 11 televised matches, Jericho holds an 8-3 advantage in the series. Jericho also holds a 9-2 lead in their house show series, giving him a 17-5 edge in their head to head series.

In WCW, Juvi is a 3x former WCW Cruiserweight Champion and once held the tag belts along with Rey Mysterio. Juvi also won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship once. In WWE, Juvi twice won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship as well. Subscribers to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter voted Juvi the Best High Flyer of the year in both 1998 and 1999.

Jon Moxley Hints at Possible G1 Climax Participation

Alex Laybourne
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For several months now, Jon Moxley has been trying to goad Hiroshi Tanahashi into a fight. His efforts were in vain. Now, just one week after losing the belt, Tanahashi appears on AEW Dynamite and issuing a challenge to the new champion.

Jon Moxley is not known for being a calm or patient man. An act of such disrespect is not going to be taken lightly. Mox has already vented his frustration with NJPW. Claiming they have been reluctant to invite him over to Japan. Saying he has sent stacks of contracts over to the promotion, trying to force through a run and a feud with Tanahashi.

Very few things in wrestling happen without planning, even rejections and moments of flat-out silence. AEW are known for their long-term planning and have shown solid abilities in storytelling. Who knows how long this moment has been in the offing?

One thing that looks as good as certain is that both Jon Moxley and Lance Archer are Japan bound. The question is, what will they do when they get there?

Jon Moxley Needs a Fresh Direction Following Title Loss

It is safe to say that right now, Jon Moxley is out of the AEW title pictures. He lost his feud to Omega and the Elite. Both have moved on to new things. For Mox however, he has nothing right now. After taking some time off following the birth of his daughter, he is ready for a new challenge.

With AEW currently running with major storylines, a run out in Japan could be exactly what the Death Rider needs. With the G1 tournament coming up, it could give him the chance to both rebuild his character, get his feud with Tanahashi, and give the Japanese public another look at Mox up close and personal.

There is no denying Jon Moxley’s popularity in Japan. Moreover, with several big stars already out of G1 contention, it could be a great time for NJPW to honor their part of the forbidden door arrangement and bring some AEW talent to its shores.

Hiroshi Tanahashi Makes Shock AEW Debut Challenging Lance Archer

Alex Laybourne
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We have seen several different NJPW stars appear on AEW Dynamite in recent months including Yuji Nagata, Rocky Romero and Hikuleo. However, it was a very different calibre of NJPW star that got fans exciting. The Ace himself, Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared and challenged Lance Archer to a match for the IWGP United States Championship.

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Hiroshi Tanahashi is a wrestling legend and revered in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He has held every title he could hold in NJPW. With the exception of the United States Championship. It’s worth noting that Tanahashi is a heavyweight, and as such cannot compete for certain titles in the promotion.

The United States Championship is one of the newest NJPW belts and has only been in circulation since 2017. In that time it has largely been held by gaijin wrestlers. By challenging Lance Archer, Hiroshi Tanahashi wants to become the first Japanese wrestler to hold the crown.

Hiroshi Tanahashi Has Wrestled His Entire Career for NJPW

In an industry where people move around from promotion to promotion with some regularity, Hiroshi Tanahashi is something of a unique entity. A product of the NJPW system, he has wrestled his entire career in the promotion.

With the exception of an excursion to CMLL – part of the NJPW learning process – and a few appearances for TNA/IMPACT. Even these appearances came as an NJPW athlete. Now, he has stepped through the forbidden door and made a surprise appearance for AEW.

Not only is Tanahashi aiming to become the first Japanese holder of the US title, but he is also looking to bring it back into the NJPW promotion. Ever since Jon Moxley’s first title reign, no NJPW contracted wrestler has held the belt.

This undoubtedly sits badly with an NJPW stalwart such as Hiroshi Tanahashi and will only give him extra motivation to bring the belt home.

David Crockett to Reunite With Tony Schiavone on AEW Commentary

Alex Laybourne
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In professional wrestling, teams and allegiances come and go. They form and they fall apart. It’s the nature of storytelling. However, some relationships run deep and to the bone. Last night on Dynamite one such deep running reunion was seen. Wrestling legend David Crockett was spotted in the AEW Dynamite crowd, and it was shortly thereafter confirmed that he will be joining the AEW commentary team as a guest next week.

David Crockett will guest host AEW Dark Elevation alongside Tony Schiavone. This will be a commentary reunion some thirty plus years in the making.  Schiavone and Crockett were the voices of World Championship Wrestling while it was part of Jim Crockett Promotions.

The pair worked as a team from 1985 through to 1988. Following the acquisition of WCW by Turner media in 1988 David Crockett left the commentary booth. While he remained involved in wrestling serving as a WCW Producer.

David Crockett Making a Historic Wrestling Return

David Crockett left wrestling when WCW closed its doors, having remained in a producer role the entire time. His appearance in the commentary booth for AEW Dark Elevation will be his first real commentary appearance since 1988.

It is one of those quiet wrestling stories that will be an undeniably emotional experience for the men in the commentary booth. After Fight for the Fallen AEW tweeted out a picture of Crockett, Schiavone and Jim Ross.

The trio worked together briefly in 1988 just prior to the Turner acquisition. The emotion of the night will surely be heightened when considering that David Crockett’s brother Jim Crockett Jr passed away earlier this year.

It is most likely that the return of David Crockett to the commentary booth is just a one-time affair, however, for wrestling fans, that doesn’t matter. There is an undeniable lineage that can be traced from AEW back to this commentary duo. One that deserves to be honored and celebrated.

Update On Cash Wheeler After Injury On Dynamite

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW star Cash Wheeler suffered a nasty injury during FTR’s tag team match against Santana & Ortis during Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.

The AEW star was seen bleeding heavily from one of his arms. It made fans wonder about him after the show. PWinsider has provided some updates on his status.

The site notes that Wheeler suffered what was described as a ‘really bad cut’ to his arm when he was shoved off the ropes during a spot in the match.

The incident occurred when FTR were attempting a superplex/splash combo. Santana broke the spot and sent the injured star off the top to the floor.

His arm connected with the metal piece between the ring post and turnbuckles, causing the cut. The heavyweight star was immediately treated by the medical staff at the ringside. He was said to be ok in the back afterward.

The officials decided to cut to the finish of the match after Cash Wheeler’s injury. His partner Dax Harwood picked up the victory for his team using a brainbuster.

There is no word yet on if the injury will cause the former WWE star to miss any ring time. We will keep you posted about any updates on his health.

Cody Rhodes On Wanting To Face Former WCW Champion

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former TNT champion Cody Rhodes recently had an interview with the Inside The Ropes magazine for its latest issue where he discussed many different topics.

AEW has signed a number of wrestling veterans in past year. Legendary names that have joined their roster includes people such as Paul Wight, Christian, and more.

However, if there is one star Rhodes is interested in facing more than all others, it’s Sting. During the interview, Cody said that while the idea hasn’t been discussed creatively, he still hopes to have a match with the Icon in future:

“I absolutely was adamant about wanting to do a match with him and it’s not something that’s been discussed or contracted or anything like that but, while he’s here, I still would hope that it happens,

He’s such a huge part of who I am and he was such a d*ck to me on the second week when he showed up,” said Cody Rhodes, “and I love that. And I love his love for my dad as well.”

The former WWE star said that Sting is a big part of the company. He explained having people like Sting and Jack Evans signed to the promotion at the same time is an example of how diverse AEW’s roster is.

Apart from this, Cody Rhodes gave AEW president Tony Khan the credit for signing Sting to the company. He also discussed things such as the process of getting the former WCW star cleared for his in-ring return and more.

NXT On SyFy Draws Lowest Viewership Since TV Premiere

Anutosh Bajpai
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While AEW’s audience is on a steady increase since the end of Wednesday night wars, NXT doesn’t seem to be attracting a lot of new viewers. This week’s episode of it has recorded the lowest audience since the show’s premiere.

This Tuesday’s edition of the Black and Yellow brand on SyFy drew a total of 520,000 viewers according to Nielsen which is the lowest TV viewership in the show’s history.

Last week’s episode of NXT drew 709,000 viewers. The numbers this week saw a big 20.5% decline compared to last week’s average audience.

The episode drew a 0.12 rating in the much talked 18-49 demographic which is a 40% decline from last week’s 0.20 ratings in the same demo.

USA Network was airing the Olympics this week due to which NXT was moved to SyFy. This change and the competition from the Olympics seem to have been important factors in the big rating drop.

The show will air on SyFy next week as well so the ratings aren’t expected to improve much. NXT will return to USA Network for the August 10 episode and we will have to see how the viewership rebounds for that episode.

AEW Dynamite Fight For The Fallen Results: Jericho vs. Nick Gage, The Elite vs. Dark Order

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen aired live from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. The Elite faced Dark Order in a 10-man Elimination match. Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared during tonight’s show and said he wants to face the winner of tonight’s IWGP US Title match in NJPW.

Fight For The Fallen Results

  1. The Elite def. Hangman Page & Dark Order
  2. FTR def. Santana & Ortiz
  3. Lance Archer def. HIKULEO to retain the IWGP US Title
  4. Jurassic Express & Christian Cage def. Private Party & Angelico
  5. Thunder Rosa def. Julia Hart
  6. Chris Jericho def. Nick Gage

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

The Elite def. Hangman Page & Dark Order

Dark Order & Hangman Page faced The Elite in a 10-man Elimination match. If Dark Order & Hangman Page won the match, Page would get a shot at the AEW Championship and Dark Order would get a AEW Tag Title match.

Hangman planted Anderson with a Fallaway Slam to start off the action. Dark Order battled back and knocked The Elite out of the ring. Alex Reynolds hit a Superplex onto everyone outside the ring. Dark Order hit Gallows with a bunch of Clotheslines in the corner. Reynolds planted Anderson with a German Suplex and went for the cover but Gallows broke it up. Anderson rolled up Reynolds and grabbed his trunks for leverage to eliminate him.

Karl Anderson quickly got eliminated and Matt Jackson got into the ring. John Silver made his return to the ring and launched Matt to the corner. Brandon Cutler sprayed Matt down but the Young Buck got launched across the ring again as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, the action spilled into the crowd as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Grayson flipped onto everyone and landed hard outside the ring. Kenny Omega and Evil Uno battled in the ring. Uno hit a slam and went for the cover but Omega kicked out at two. Omega battled back and hit the One Winged Angel to eliminate Evil Uno.

It was down to Omega and the Young Bucks against John Silver and Hangman Page. John Silver took control and planted Matt Jackson with an Airplane Spin for a two count. The Young Bucks hit Hangman Page with a Powerbomb on the ring apron during the commercial break.

Young Bucks botched an Indie Taker dunk spot and the crowd mocked Nick Jackson for missing. Young Bucks eliminated John Silver and it was now 3 vs. 1. Young Bucks leveled Hangman with a few super kicks and Omega went for the cover but Hangman kicked out. Hangman went for the Buckshot Lariat but Matt blocked it.

Page booted Nick in the face and then delivered a double Buckshot Lariat on the Young Bucks to eliminate Matt & Nick. Omega grabbed the AEW Championship but the referee ripped it away. Kenny tried to hit him with another title but Page blocked it. Page got hit with a cheap shot with a title and Omega planted Hangman with the One Winged Angel for the pinfall victory. Hangman and Dark Order lost their title shots.

Ricky Starks Celebrated Winning The FTW Title

FTW Champion Ricky Starks said he is the glue that holds Team Taz together and it was time to get rid of Brian Cage. Ricky Starks complained that Brian Cage didn’t check up on him when he broke his neck. Starks joked that Brian Cage has no charisma and finally Cage interrupted. Cage rushed the ring and beat down the band that was playing as Ricky retreated.

FTR def. Santana & Ortiz

FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) faced Santana & Ortiz. Tully Blanchard and Konnan were ringside for the match. Santana and Dax traded punches to start off the action. The two began to trade chops as the crowd chanted “woo!”.

When Dynamite returned from a break, Dax connected with a Dropkick. Ortiz battled back and tagged in Santana. Santana slammed Harwood into the ring post and followed it up with a Suicide Dive to Wheeler outside the ring.

Back in. the ring, Ortiz tagged in and hit wheeler with a Splash of his own. Ortiz Powerbombed Harwood and tagged in Santana. Santana hit a Frog Splash off the top rope and went for the cover but Dax kicked out at two.

Harwood and Santana then traded Clotheslines in the middle of the ring. Santana hit a German Suplex and followed it up with a Powerbomb for a near fall. Dax hit a Superplex and went for the cover but Ortiz kicked out at two. Harwood hit a Brainbuster on Santana for the pinfall victory. Wheeler apparently injured his arm or cut his arm on the post during the match and spent most of the end of it outside the ring.

Rampage Will Be At The United Center, Darby Allin Dropped A CM Punk Tease

Tony Schiavone announced that 2nd episode of Rampage will be live from the United Center. The crowd broke out in a CM Punk chant as the camera cut to Darby Allin and Sting backstage. Darby Allin said he will be in Chicago and ready to fight. Allin added that AEW is the place to prove you are great, even if you think you are the “Best in the World”.

Lance Archer Retained

Lance Archer defended the IWGP Championship against Hikuleo tonight on Dynamite. Haku accompanied Hikuleo to the ring. Hikuleo controlled the match early as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Archer battled back and hit Hikuleo with a Splash.

Archer perched Hikuleo up on the top turnbuckle and went for the Blackout but Hikuleo blocked it. Lance then connected with a massive Superplex for a two count. Archer followed it up with the Blackout for the pinfall victory. Archer will travel to NJPW to face Tanashi.

Malakai Black Attacked Cody

Cody Rhodes was interviewed backstage but was immediately attacked by Malakai Black. Malakai and Cody battled to the entrance ramp as the crowd went nuts. Malakai caught Cody with a knee to the face and knocked him to the floor. Malakai kneeled over Cody and said “welcome to the House of Black” to end the segment. Malakai Black will face Cody next week at Dynamite Homecoming at Daily’s Place. Malakai leveled Fuego del Sol with the Black Mass as well.

Christian Cage & Jurassic Express Picked Up A Win

Private Party and Angelico faced Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and Jungle Boy tonight. Marko Stunt and Matt Hardy were ringside for the match. Angelico and Christian started off the action. Angelico hit an Arm Drag and Jungle Boy tagged in. Jungle Boy connected with a Dropkick and then sent Kassidy into the barricade outside the ring.

Matt Hardy hit Jungle Boy with a cheap shot and got chased backstage by Christian and Marko Stunt. Kassidy tagged in and started choking Jungle Boy. Luchasaurus tagged in and slammed Kassidy to the mat. Luchasaurus leveled Marq Quen with a Clothesline and beat Angelico down in the corner of the ring.

Lucharsaurus planted Private Party and Angelico with a triple German Suplex as Christian Cage returned to the ring apron. Private Party hit Luchasaurus with a couple Superkicks and then knocked Cage off the apron. Jungle Boy hit Kassidy with a Clothesline and then flipped onto Angelico. Christian tagged in and hit Quen with a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory. After the match, The Blade hit Christian Cage with brass knuckles and celebrated with Matt Hardy on the entrance ramp. It was later announced that Christian will face The Blade next week on Dynamite Homecoming.

Thunder Rosa def. Julia Hart

Thunder Rosa faced Julia Hart tonight on Dynamite. Thunder Rosa sent Julia to the corner of the ring and hit her some with chops. Rosa connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with Double Knees to the midsection. Thunder Rosa applied a Knee Bar but Julia was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold.

Hart hit an elbow to the face but Thunder Rosa shrugged it off. Thunder Rosa hit a big Dropkick in the corner of the ring and followed it up with the Thunder Driver for the pinfall victory.

Jericho def. Nick Gage

Chris Jericho battled Nick Gage in a No Rules match. It was the 2nd of the five Labours of Jericho. Jericho will earn another match against MJF is he completes the five Labours. MJF joined commentary for the match. Before the match, Jon Moxley cut a backstage promo. Moxley was holding a flask and was pissed that he couldn’t get into Japan as he was watching the Olympics. Jon claimed that Tanahashi was dodging him for months and that he is dead to him now. Moxley added that the Forbidden Door might be open but there is nothing good waiting for them on the other side.

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Gage came to the ring with a pizza cutter and slashed Jericho’s arm. The action spilled out of the ring and Jericho sent Gage into the barricade. Back in the ring, Jericho made his way to the top rope but Nick tripped him up. Gage bounced Jericho’s face off the ring post and grabbed some light tubes form under the ring.

Jericho grabbed a baseball bat and brought it into the ring. Gage busted Jericho open and brought out the pizza cutter again. When Dynamite returned, Gage brought glass into the ring and set it up in between two chairs. Gage climbed to the top rope but Jericho hit him with a jab.

Jericho unloaded several punches to Gage’s face and then slammed him through the glass for a near fall. Chris went for the Codebreaker but Gage caught him and slammed Jericho onto the glass. Nick then broke a light tube over Jericho’s back and Chris screamed in pain as MJF celebrated. Gage then broke one over Jericho’s face and followed it up with a Pilediver on the glass.

Gage went for the cover but Jericho kicked out at two. Gage broke off a piece of the tube and started scraping Jericho in the eye. Jericho sprayed myst into Gage’s eyes and broke a light tube over his head. Jericho followed it up with the Judas Effect for the pinfall victory.

After the match, MJF demanded the music be cut and told the crowd to shut up. MJF announced that Jericho has to move off the top rope to win. MJF announced that Jericho will face Juventud Guerrera next week.

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