AEW Collision ‘Holiday Bash’ on TNT and HBO MAX today at 2:30 PM Eastern. This is part two of Collision as it was taped while AEW was in England on Wednesday.
Watch ROH Global Wars UK tonight exclusively on Honor Club 7/6c http://WatchROH.com
The fight over control of Warner Bros. Discovery is heating up, and it could have ripple effects across the entertainment landscape — including All Elite Wrestling.
Warner Bros. Discovery, AEW’s longtime broadcast and streaming partner, has officially rejected a hostile acquisition attempt from the Paramount Skydance group led by David Ellison. The move comes after WBD recently agreed to a major deal with Netflix, which would see the streaming giant acquire a significant portion of WBD’s assets, including Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max.
Following that agreement, Paramount launched an aggressive all-cash tender offer directly to WBD shareholders, offering $30 per share and valuing the company at roughly $108 billion. Unlike Netflix’s proposal, Paramount’s bid would include WBD’s entire portfolio, including its linear television networks.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, WBD’s board has now formally rejected Paramount’s offer, telling shareholders it is “inferior” to Netflix’s deal and warning that the bid carries “numerous significant risks and costs.” With that decision made, Paramount’s options are limited: either convince shareholders to sell at the current price or return with a higher offer in hopes of disrupting the Netflix agreement.
WBD Board Chair Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr. said the rejection followed a comprehensive review of Paramount’s proposal. In a statement, Di Piazza said the board determined the offer undervalued the company while placing unnecessary risk on shareholders. He added that the bid failed to resolve issues WBD had already raised during discussions around Paramount’s six previous proposals.
Di Piazza emphasized that WBD believes the Netflix transaction offers stronger and more certain value, stating the company is confident in the long-term upside of that partnership.
THR noted that the board’s response was widely expected. Paramount’s tender offer closely resembled a proposal submitted earlier in December, shortly before WBD finalized its agreement with Netflix. WBD has repeatedly expressed concerns about Paramount’s financing, particularly questions surrounding foreign investment and whether Oracle founder Larry Ellison would fully guarantee the deal.
In a December 17 filing, WBD specifically pointed to issues with the backstop provided by Ellison’s revocable trust, citing a lack of transparency regarding the trust’s assets and liabilities. The filing also raised red flags about funding tied to Middle East sovereign wealth funds, including $10 billion from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, $7 billion from Abu Dhabi, and another $7 billion from the Qatar Investment Authority.
Paramount has already had to adjust its financing structure. Tencent, which was expected to contribute $1 billion, was removed from the bid, while Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners has reportedly pulled out of a $200 million commitment. WBD has also stated it sees no meaningful regulatory advantage in Paramount’s proposal compared to Netflix’s.
Looking ahead, THR reports that Ellison and his team were waiting on WBD’s response before deciding their next move. If Paramount increases its offer, Netflix would have the opportunity to counter, potentially setting off a full-scale bidding war. Netflix, for its part, sent a letter to shareholders on December 17 calling its proposal “the right deal, with the right partner, at the right time.”
The report also revealed that Ellison texted WBD CEO David Zaslav just hours before the Netflix deal was finalized, signaling Paramount’s willingness to go higher than $30 per share. Notably, Ellison pointed out that the offer was not labeled “best and final.”
Despite the rejection, Paramount reaffirmed its $30 per share tender offer in a statement released today. Ellison reiterated his belief in the deal, arguing it offers superior value, a clearer path to closing, and avoids leaving shareholders with what he described as an overleveraged linear TV business.
Ellison and senior Paramount executives have continued lobbying investors, including at a recent UBS conference in New York. One attendee told THR they left believing Paramount is prepared to raise its bid and questioned whether Netflix could realistically match a higher offer given recent stock movement following the $83 billion announcement.
With several major WBD shareholders reportedly intrigued by Paramount’s all-cash proposal, pressure could continue to mount. If Paramount ups the ante, WBD may yet find itself forced to reconsider — setting the stage for an even bigger showdown in the media world.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman is officially back, and his return has instantly changed the landscape of the AEW World Championship scene.
During this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, MJF re-emerged to cash in his Casino Gauntlet contract, inserting himself into the already high-stakes World Title match scheduled for Worlds End. The bout was originally set to feature reigning champion Samoa Joe defending against both Swerve Strickland and “Hangman” Adam Page, but MJF has now made it a four-way showdown.
Samoa Joe captured the AEW World Championship at Full Gear in November by defeating Page, aided by Hook’s involvement and Joe’s renewed alliance with The Opps. Strickland later returned to the picture, joining forces with Page as the two former rivals united against Joe and his allies. Their partnership was on full display at Dynamite: Winter Is Coming, where Page and Strickland fended off Joe’s Trios Championship partners, Katsuyori Shibata and Powerhouse Hobbs, before officially declaring their shared pursuit of the world title.
On Dynamite, Joe, Page, and Strickland met in the ring to sign the contract for their upcoming clash. While tensions were high, Page and Strickland stood shoulder to shoulder, warning Joe that he had underestimated them. Moments later, the arena went dark — and MJF’s music hit.
The former champion made his first AEW appearance in three months, having last been seen losing to Mark Briscoe in a brutal Tables n’ Tacks match at All Out in Toronto. MJF wasted no time reminding everyone why he was there, signing the Casino Gauntlet contract he earned by winning the match at All In back in July, officially adding his name to the Worlds End title bout.
MJF then addressed each of his future opponents, taking shots at Strickland with a controversial comparison and referencing his WWE past, while also making it clear that his goal was to humiliate Page and the two men he considers his biggest rivals.
There’s plenty of history between all four competitors. Page defeated MJF to retain the AEW World Championship at Forbidden Door in August, while Joe ended MJF’s first title reign at Worlds End 2023. Joe would later lose the championship to Strickland at Dynasty 2024, setting the stage for a deeply intertwined and volatile main event heading into this year’s Worlds End.
AEW will present its 3-hour ‘Holiday Bash’ special episode of AEW Dynamite & Collision tonight on TBS and HBO Max from the Co-Op Live in Manchester, England.
AEW/ROH talent Leila Grey has confirmed that her recent match on AEW Collision came with a serious setback behind the scenes.
Grey revealed on X that she suffered a torn ACL during her TBS Championship match against Mercedes Moné on the December 6 episode of the show. The injury reportedly happened when Grey delivered a knee strike in the corner. Immediately after the move, she could be seen grabbing her knee, and moments later Moné locked in the Statement Maker to secure the title retention.
While the finish now makes more sense in hindsight, what’s impressive is what Grey managed to accomplish after the injury. Despite dealing with the torn ACL, she went on to compete in the WBFF Pro Fitness event, where she finished first place — all while wearing a knee brace.
Grey also shared that surgery will be required, and she expects to be sidelined for a significant amount of time as she recovers. It’s an unfortunate development for the rising AEW star, especially after getting a high-profile championship opportunity, but her toughness and determination have clearly not gone unnoticed.
There’s no timetable yet for Grey’s return, but AEW fans will undoubtedly be wishing her a smooth surgery and a strong comeback when she’s cleared to get back in the ring.
AEW Collision ‘Winter is Coming’ today from the Utilita Arena in Cardiff, Whales airing coast-to-coast at 4:30pm ET on TNT and HBO Max.
Andrade El Idolo’s strange post-WWE situation appears to finally be moving forward, though it comes with a very specific restriction.
After weeks of uncertainty surrounding his WWE non-compete clause, Andrade is officially set to return to the ring tonight in Puerto Rico, where he will compete for the World Wrestling Council (WWC). The former WWE star is scheduled to challenge Xavant for the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship, marking his first sanctioned match in some time.
According to reports, WWE initially enforced a non-compete clause following Andrade’s brief and controversial return to AEW. That clause put his in-ring career on pause, even after he resurfaced on AEW Dynamite to attack Kenny Omega — an appearance that ultimately led to WWE issuing a cease-and-desist notice to AEW and Andrade being pulled from television entirely.
However, new details suggest Andrade’s legal team has been hard at work behind the scenes. Sources indicate that negotiations with WWE resulted in a compromise that allows Andrade to wrestle — but only in Puerto Rico. The agreement reportedly went into effect today, December 13, and bars Andrade from competing for any promotion outside of the island for now.
Andrade himself confirmed the breakthrough during a recent interview, expressing relief that the long-standing issue had finally been resolved. He explained that his lawyer received official, signed documentation from WWE granting him clearance to wrestle for WWC, ending what he described as months of uncertainty tied to a 12-month non-compete dispute.
“I’m so happy to be in Puerto Rico. I want to say thank you to my lawyer because he now has a letter from the WWE, because we had problems with the no-compete for 12 months. Today, my lawyer texted me and told me, ‘Andrade, I have a letter, signed, that you can participate tonight in Puerto Rico in WWC. I can get back to the ring tonight. I’m so happy because after all these problems — not problems, but just what happens in life — I don’t know what to say. I want to be ready for tonight.”
The timing couldn’t be better. Andrade hasn’t competed since winning The Crash Heavyweight Championship on October 3, and fans have been waiting to see when — and where — he would be allowed back between the ropes. Tonight’s WWC appearance represents his first step back into active competition following his WWE release earlier this year, which stemmed from alleged wellness policy violations.
While Andrade’s future beyond Puerto Rico remains unclear, this development at least puts an end to his in-ring limbo. For now, Puerto Rico is the only place fans can see Andrade El Idolo compete — but it’s a meaningful return that could open the door to bigger things once his contractual situation fully clears.
ROH TV tonight on #HonorClub at http://WatchROH.com
AEW Dynamite: Winter Is Coming airs live tonight on TBS and HBO Max from the Gateway Center in Arena in College Park, Georgia – 10 miles south of Atlanta.
Wrestling News Blog 