Eddie Kingston looks to be on the road back to an AEW ring — and he’s wasting no time calling his shot. After over a year on the sidelines, Kingston confirmed via Instagram that he has officially signed a contract for his return, setting his sights on Big Bill.
The update came through a screencap Kingston shared on Threads, where he wrote:
“So got the phone call and the money is right and the contract is signed on my end. So Big Bill you dumb goofy bastard just send location.”
Fans were surprised when Big Bill publicly challenged Kingston during a recent episode of AEW Collision, given Kingston’s lengthy absence. The “Mad King” has been out of action since tearing both his ACL and meniscus in a hard-hitting match against NJPW’s Gabe Kidd at Resurgence. Though Kingston gave a positive rehab update last month, the timing wasn’t right for him to compete at Forbidden Door. Now, however, it looks like he’s ready to settle the score.
The ball is in Big Bill’s court when it comes to choosing the time and place. In the meantime, Bill has kept busy in AEW despite mentor Chris Jericho’s absence since dropping the ROH World Championship in April. Teaming with fellow “Learning Tree” member Bryan Keith, Bill competed in this summer’s AEW World Tag Title Eliminator Tournament, though the duo fell in the first round to Juice Robinson and Austin Gunn.
With Kingston freshly cleared and fired up, and Big Bill standing tall as one of AEW’s most imposing big men, fans could be in for a bruising return match that sets the tone for Kingston’s next chapter.
Ring of Honor will be without one of its cornerstones for the next several weeks. According to Fightful Select, reigning ROH Women’s World Champion Athena is expected to step away from in-ring action for around five to six weeks. The exact reason for her hiatus hasn’t been disclosed.
The timing is notable, as “The Fallen Goddess” just hit a major milestone in her reign. Days after successfully defending her title against Mina Shirakawa at Death Before Dishonor on August 29, Athena officially surpassed 1,000 days as ROH Women’s Champion. She first captured the gold in December 2022 and has since built one of the most dominant legacies in the brand’s modern era.
During her reign, Athena has remained unbeaten in ROH-sanctioned singles competition, boasting a staggering 69-0 record. Along the way, she’s turned back challenges from names like Billie Starkz, Queen Aminata, Thunder Rosa, Alex Windsor, and Hikaru Shida. Her dominance even extended beyond ROH, as she recently tested herself against AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm at Forbidden Door. While Storm walked away victorious in their crossover clash, Athena’s showing further solidified her standing among the elite of women’s wrestling.
With Athena temporarily out of action, questions naturally turn to how Ring of Honor will handle her absence. Given her iron grip on the division, this break could open the door for challengers to emerge — or simply allow Athena to return refreshed and ready to extend her historic run even further.
Regardless, surpassing 1,000 days as champion cements Athena’s reign as one of the most dominant in modern wrestling, and her return will be a major moment for both ROH and AEW fans alike.
The business side of pro wrestling just got even more complicated. Fresh off completing their merger, Paramount and Skydance are reportedly preparing a massive bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery — the current broadcast home of AEW.
According to The Wall Street Journal, WBD was already considering breaking the company into pieces, but Paramount’s move would scoop up the whole operation before that could happen. That means if a deal goes through, Paramount wouldn’t just inherit HBO Max and Warner Bros. Studios — they’d also gain control of TNT, TBS, and the entire slate of Turner networks that air AEW programming and pay-per-views.
The ripple effect here for AEW is huge. Paramount already has ties to UFC, which is under the TKO umbrella alongside WWE. If the takeover happens, Paramount may be forced to decide between backing UFC or continuing its relationship with AEW — and history tells us that networks don’t usually double down on competing combat sports brands.
It’s also worth noting that WWE has never been stronger in the media space, with deals spread across Netflix, Peacock, ESPN, and The CW. Meanwhile, AEW just kicked off a fresh rights agreement in January, moving pay-per-view distribution from Bleacher Report to HBO Max, while Amazon Prime picked up regular streaming duties. Their next big test comes September 20 with All Out airing on HBO Max.
Of course, any potential Paramount-WBD merger would face intense scrutiny from the FCC and FTC given the size of the companies involved, so this isn’t something that would happen overnight. But if it does, AEW could find itself at another crossroads in its short but turbulent broadcast history.
One thing’s for sure: just when it seemed like AEW had finally settled its media home, the playing field might be shifting again.
Bryan Danielson’s surprise appearance at AEW All In 2025 was one of the weekend’s biggest moments, but “The American Dragon” is making it clear that fans shouldn’t expect a full-time comeback.
After dropping the AEW World Championship to Jon Moxley last fall and stepping away from active competition, Danielson spent much of the past year enjoying life outside the grind of professional wrestling. Still, he slowly dipped his toe back into the scene this spring with appearances for ACTION Wrestling and Ring of Honor, even sneaking in a quick dark match following Collision. That all set the stage for his shocking return at Wembley, where Danielson hit the ring in disguise to help “Hangman” Adam Page fend off the Death Riders and reclaim the AEW World Title.
Speaking on the Kairouz Brothers show, Danielson shared some behind-the-scenes details of that All In moment — including how his body reacted to the physicality and why he ended up wearing a Blue Panther mask.
“It felt good while I was doing it,” Danielson admitted. “And then the next day I didn’t feel so good. I was a bit sore… My doctor just shook his head and said, ‘Bryan, you’re an idiot.’”
Danielson explained that the mask was supposed to help him move through the crowd unnoticed, but it quickly became a comedy of errors.
“Originally, the Blue Panther mask was to get through the crowd without being spotted. But when I tried to hop the rail, I couldn’t get it off! So I had this hoodie, I got the hoodie off, but then I just had the Blue Panther mask on. And then, of course, I start ‘Yes-ing!’ right when I got in.”
What’s Next for Danielson?
Since All In, Danielson has taken on a bigger role with AEW — this time behind the desk. He officially joined the Dynamite commentary team last week, sparking questions about whether his in-ring days are truly behind him. While Danielson didn’t rule out wrestling again, he sounded unsure about whether he could meet the high bar set by today’s AEW roster.
“I don’t know how much you’ll see of me in the ring. Maybe some more commentary. I did Forbidden Door, and I’m backstage sometimes. From a wrestling perspective, it feels more fun to do an indie show in front of 200 people, because the expectations are lower. AEW is action-packed and hard-hitting, and I don’t feel confident I can perform at that level anymore.”
For now, fans will be hearing more of Danielson’s voice than seeing him throw knees in the ring. But if wrestling has taught us anything, it’s to never say never — especially when it comes to “The American Dragon.”
A familiar face from AEW and IMPACT Wrestling is lacing up the boots once again. Allie—known to AEW fans as The Bunny—revealed on social media that she’s officially returned to wrestling training after two years away from the business.
Allie’s last appearance inside the squared circle came on the September 6, 2023 episode of AEW Dynamite, where she teamed with Anna Jay and Taya Valkyrie in trios action against Hikaru Shida, Skye Blue, and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. Shortly after that match, Allie stepped away from AEW and professional wrestling entirely.
In a heartfelt video posted to Instagram, Allie opened up about her time away, admitting she had completely disconnected from the industry:
“Not only did I not have a match but I hadn’t trained, I hadn’t bumped, I hadn’t been in wrestling at all for quite a long time. Maybe the last couple months, I started feeling like I really missed it in a way that I honestly didn’t expect.”
During her time in AEW, Allie carved out a niche as one of the company’s most versatile women’s performers, transitioning from her darker “Bunny” persona to more traditional roles depending on the story. Prior to that, she enjoyed a successful stint in IMPACT Wrestling, where she captured the Knockouts Championship and became a cornerstone of the women’s division.
While there’s no word yet on whether this return to training will lead to an in-ring comeback with a major promotion, it’s clear Allie’s passion for wrestling has been reignited. With her veteran presence and proven track record, fans will be watching closely to see if “The Bunny” hops back into the spotlight.
AEW may have hit a major snag with one of its returning stars. According to a new report from Fightful Select, Wardlow could be sidelined once again—this time with a feared torn pectoral muscle.
Wardlow made his surprise comeback at Forbidden Door, aligning himself with Don Callis after ambushing Prince Nana and Swerve Strickland in the aftermath of Kazuchika Okada’s successful title defense. The return was positioned as the start of a major push for the former TNT Champion, but an injury suffered either during or after the pay-per-view may have derailed those plans.
If confirmed, a torn pec would keep Wardlow out for six to nine months, a brutal timeline for someone who just fought his way back from shoulder issues tied to a past motor-vehicle accident. AEW had actually cleared him months ago, but his return was delayed so he could participate in filming the first two seasons of Amazon Prime’s upcoming American Gladiators reboot, hosted by WWE’s The Miz.
While Wardlow’s in-ring future is uncertain, the report notes AEW is open to keeping him on TV in a non-wrestling role to maintain his presence alongside Callis. Still, the news reportedly left many in the locker room “bummed,” given how long Wardlow had waited to get back on television and the string of setbacks he’s endured.
This is another tough break for the powerhouse who, not long ago, was one of AEW’s fastest-rising names. Now the question becomes: can Wardlow’s momentum survive another long layoff?
Bryan Danielson is officially back on AEW television every week—just not in the way fans might have expected.
AEW President Tony Khan announced on social media that “The American Dragon” will be joining the AEW Dynamite commentary team full-time, starting this Wednesday in Philadelphia. The episode will also mark the end of AEW’s residency at the historic 2300 Arena, with the final show from the venue taking place on the September 11th edition of Collision.
What isn’t clear just yet is how Danielson fits into the current broadcast booth. The regular Dynamite lineup features Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz, but Khan hasn’t said whether Danielson will replace someone or if the announce desk will expand into a four-man team. If a shake-up does happen, it’s possible the odd man out could shift over to Collision, where Nigel McGuinness currently calls the action.
Danielson’s move to commentary comes nearly a year after he stepped away from full-time competition. His brutal defeat at the hands of Jon Moxley at WrestleDream last October signaled the end of his run as AEW World Champion and his full-time in-ring career. Since then, Danielson has made limited appearances, including a win over Max Caster in June and a cameo at All In, where he aided Hangman Page against Moxley.
Fans also got a preview of what to expect from Danielson behind the desk earlier this summer when he provided guest commentary on the August 20th episode of Dynamite and again at Forbidden Door on August 24th. Both outings were well received, with viewers praising his insight and ability to blend technical knowledge with personality.
Now, with a headset on instead of boots, Danielson’s presence on Dynamite will give fans a weekly look into the mind of one of wrestling’s most respected performers. Whether he eventually transitions back into the ring or sticks to the desk, the AEW faithful are guaranteed a fresh voice calling the action every Wednesday night.
AEW Collision live tonight at 8PM ET on TNT and HBO Max from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia
Jon Moxley vs. Daniel Garcia
Matk Briscoe vs. Konosuke Takeshita
All-Star 8-Woman Tag: AEW women’s World Champion “Timeless: Toni Storm, Interim ROH Women’s world TV Champion Mina Shirakawa, Kris Statlander & Harley Cameron vs. triangle Of Madness & Megan Bayne
FTR vs. Adam Priest & “The Dynamite Kid” Tommy Billington
AEW was set to celebrate Taz on this week’s Dynamite in Philadelphia, but plans shifted just before showtime. Instead of an in-ring ceremony at the legendary 2300 Arena, Tony Khan opted to honor the ECW legend in a more personal way—with a live video posted to social media just an hour before the broadcast.
The eight-minute clip featured Khan sitting down with Taz to reflect on the surprise announcement of his induction into the 2300 Arena Hall of Fame. While AEW had intended to acknowledge the honor on TV, Taz revealed he personally asked for the tribute to be scaled back, explaining that he didn’t want to take the spotlight away from the current AEW roster.
Even with the toned-down approach, AEW still made sure the moment carried weight. Khan confirmed that Taz’s Hall of Fame banner had been officially raised inside the arena before Dynamite went live on TNT and HBO Max, giving fans in attendance a chance to see the recognition firsthand.
The rest of the video saw Taz and Khan breaking down that night’s Dynamite card, blending the tribute with AEW’s usual hype for the show. It wasn’t the big in-ring celebration fans may have expected, but it was a fitting nod to a man whose legacy is forever tied to the 2300 Arena and its hardcore history.
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