Category: AEW

MLW Hosts International Summit, Welcomes Surprise Appearance from MJF

Major League Wrestling isn’t slowing down this summer. Hot off the heels of their “Summer of the Beasts” event on June 26 at the Melrose Ballroom in New York City, the company pulled off a surprise that has the wrestling world buzzing—and possibly laid the groundwork for major future collaborations.

In a development that flew under the radar until now, MLW held a closed-door international summit following the show, bringing together top executives from New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). While exact details of the summit remain scarce, the meeting signals MLW’s growing ambition to establish deeper global partnerships and expand its influence beyond the U.S. indie scene.

The in-ring action that night was equally headline-worthy, thanks to the shocking return of MJF. The former AEW World Champion made an unannounced appearance, storming the ring to attack lucha legend Mistico. The ambush immediately reignited their long-dormant rivalry that began during AEW’s Grand Slam: Mexico special.

MJF’s surprise involvement wasn’t just a one-off, either. According to a report from PWInsider, the belief within MLW is that this won’t be his only appearance for the promotion—suggesting a potential storyline arc that could carry through the summer and beyond.

Between forging new international ties and welcoming one of wrestling’s most talked-about stars back into the fold, MLW is clearly positioning itself for a major leap forward. Fans should keep a close eye on what’s next. The “Summer of the Beasts” might just be the beginning.

AEW Collision Preview 6/26/2025

AEW Collision tonight on TNT and Max.

  • TNT Championship: Adam Cole (c) vs. Josh Alexander
  • Christian Cage & Nick Wayne vs. Big Bill & Bryan Keith
  • Queen Aminata vs. Skye Blue
  • Kyle O’Reilly vs. Kyle Fletcher
  • Templario & Brody King vs. Hechicero & Rocky Romero
  • We’ll hear from FTR

ROH x CMLL Global Wars Mexico 6/26/2025

Ring of Honor will present a special show tonight, as ROH teams up with CMLL for Global Wars Mexico. It airs on HonorClub. The show was taped last week at Arena Mexico. It will include the following matches:

* ROH World Championship: Bandido (c) vs. Mascara Dorada
* ROH World Television Championship Proving Ground Match: Nick Wayne (c) vs. Titan
* Athena & Red Velvet vs. Thunder Rosa & Persephone
* Lee Moriarty vs. Blue Panther

AEW Dynamite Preview 6/25/2025

AEW Dynamite tonight live on TBS and Max, beginning at 8:00pm ET/5:00 pm PT. from the accesso ShoWare Center in in Kent, Washington.

  • Kota Ibushi vs. Trent Beretta
  • 4-Way for the No. 1 spot in the Men’s Casino Gauntlet at AEW All In Texas: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mark Briscoe vs. Bandido vs. Roderick Strong.
  • 4-Way for the No. 1 spot in the Women’s Casino Gauntlet at AEW All In Texas: Athena vs. Willow Nightingale vs. Thunder Rosa vs. Kris Statlander

WWE Reportedly Upset Over AEW Talent Appearing Alongside The Miz on American Gladiators Reboot

The revival of American Gladiators on Amazon Prime Video is generating a lot of buzz — and some behind-the-scenes tension. The show, which features former WWE Champion The Miz as its host, has cast several wrestlers as modern-day Gladiators, including former WWE Superstar Rick Boogs, OVW’s J-Rod, and former TNA Tag Team Champion Jessie Godderz. But what’s causing the biggest stir is the involvement of current AEW talent: Kamille and Wardlow.

According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE isn’t thrilled that one of their marquee personalities, The Miz, is sharing the screen with wrestlers still under AEW contract — even if Kamille and Wardlow haven’t been actively featured on AEW programming for a while. The concern reportedly centers on potential brand crossover, especially if the AEW stars are promoted on-air alongside Miz, or worse, if The Miz ends up in segments that could inadvertently shine a spotlight on AEW.

The tension illustrates WWE’s longstanding policy of keeping its talent (and by extension, its brand) distinct from rival promotions — a stance that’s being tested more often as wrestlers branch out into mainstream entertainment.

This isn’t the first time WWE has found itself in a promotional tug-of-war. Just last week on the June 16 episode of RAW, WWE took issue with Netflix airing a trailer for Happy Gilmore 2 — which prominently features MJF, a top AEW star, in a major role as one of Gilmore’s sons. WWE stars Becky Lynch and Nikki Bella also appear in the film, though in smaller roles.

WWE reportedly pushed for a customized trailer that completely omits MJF, which Netflix agreed to air during RAW. Despite Netflix’s desire to market Happy Gilmore 2 as one of its biggest summer titles, WWE is unwilling to indirectly promote AEW by giving screen time to one of its breakout stars.

From AEW’s perspective, there’s less cause for concern. Sources suggest that AEW isn’t bothered by Lynch and Bella being involved in the same project as MJF. While it’s unlikely that AEW will do a full promotional push for Happy Gilmore 2 — especially since Netflix isn’t a direct partner — the exposure MJF gains from the film is likely seen as a net positive, especially following the success of The Iron Claw last year.

As mainstream media continues to embrace pro wrestlers from all promotions, expect more crossover complications like these. While fans enjoy seeing their favorite stars in new arenas, promotions like WWE remain hyper-aware of where and how their brand — and their competitors’ — is represented.

AEW Collision Preview 6/21/2025

AEW Collision live tonight on TNT and Max at 8:00 PM EST rfom the Accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington.

  • All-Star Eight-Woman Tag Team Match: Thunder Rosa, Queen Aminata, Anna Jay, and Tay Melo vs. Athena, Thekla, Megan Bayne, and Penelope Ford
  • AEW World Champion Jon Moxley vs. AR Fox
  • Shane Taylor vs. Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Women’s Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm to speak live

Backstage Friction Keeps Rush & Dralistico Out of CMLL Despite AEW Push

The wrestling landscape between AEW and CMLL has been shifting fast — and mostly for the better. Over the past year, AEW’s partnership with the historic Mexican promotion has opened doors that once seemed firmly closed. We’ve seen Bandido defend the ROH World Championship inside Arena Mexico, Mistico team with The Lucha Brothers, and even The Beast Mortos (formerly known as Black Taurus) clear a longstanding ban to appear at the AEW x CMLL “Grand Slam Mexico” show. But while many talents have benefitted from this new alliance, two notable names remain on the outside looking in: Rush and Dralistico.

According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, both Rush and Dralistico have been actively pushing AEW to negotiate with CMLL on their behalf. Their goal? A potential program between Dralistico and Mistico — a feud that could light up Arena Mexico and generate serious buzz (and money) for CMLL. But despite the clear potential, CMLL isn’t budging.

The root of the tension appears to stem from past exits and burned bridges. Rush’s departure from CMLL back in 2019 was anything but smooth. Instead of appearing at CMLL’s marquee 86th Anniversary Show, Rush opted to wrestle for Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor, a decision CMLL didn’t take lightly. Officially, the promotion claims it fired Rush — not the other way around — and they’ve harbored resentment ever since. The situation wasn’t helped by the perception that Rush encouraged talent to explore better-paying offers outside the company.

Dralistico, on the other hand, left CMLL under far less dramatic circumstances in 2021. At the time, he was performing under the Mistico persona and eventually chose to join his brothers in AAA. While his exit didn’t stir as much controversy, CMLL’s blanket stance on keeping both him and Rush away from their events still stands.

Interestingly, Dralistico reportedly respects CMLL’s decision, even if he’d jump at the opportunity to represent AEW and La Facción Ingobernable (LFI) inside Arena Mexico. But the door remains shut — for now.

With AEW and CMLL continuing to deepen their partnership, it’s worth watching whether time — and business opportunity — will eventually thaw the ice. A Dralistico vs. Mistico program writes itself, and fans across Mexico and the U.S. would be more than willing to buy in.

But until CMLL is ready to forgive and forget, the Ingobernables remain persona non grata in Arena Mexico.

Report: Fan Reportedly Goes After MJF at Hotel Following AEW Grand Slam Mexico

The buzz from AEW Grand Slam Mexico didn’t end when the cameras stopped rolling — and not all of it was positive. According to a report from Fightful Select, a fan allegedly attempted to confront MJF at the hotel where he was staying after the controversial conclusion to his match against Mistico.

Sources claim the incident occurred shortly after Wednesday’s AEW event, with one individual reportedly “going after MJF” in what appears to have been an emotionally charged reaction to the show. Thankfully, the situation didn’t escalate further. MJF was unharmed and, true to form, reportedly laughed off the encounter. According to those close to the situation, he remained in good spirits and even expressed pride in the electric crowd reaction he generated throughout the night.

MJF certainly gave fans plenty to talk about in Mexico. During his match with Mistico, the former AEW World Champion brought the heat by hitting a low blow, getting himself disqualified. He then ripped Mistico’s mask off — a major sign of disrespect in lucha libre culture — before mocking the crowd by donning the mask himself and flipping them off.

The post-match chaos didn’t end there. Members of The Hurt Syndicate — Speedball Mike Bailey, Kevin Knight, Templario, and Titan — rushed to the ring to check on Mistico and run MJF off, reinforcing their new alliance and continuing AEW’s cross-promotional heat in the region.

This incident serves as a reminder that while wrestling thrives on passionate fans, there’s always a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and the AEW star walked away unscathed — and apparently, even more fired up than before.

Dr. Chris Nowinski Praises Wrestling’s Strides in Concussion Awareness

In an industry built on high-impact storytelling and physical spectacle, the phrase “bump card” has long symbolized the finite number of hits a wrestler can safely absorb in their career. But thanks to the work of former WWE Superstar turned neuroscientist Dr. Chris Nowinski, that card might last a little longer these days.

Speaking on a recent episode of Talk Is Jericho, Nowinski reflected on how far professional wrestling has come in terms of protecting its performers from the long-term effects of head trauma, particularly chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). His mission began after a series of devastating losses rocked the wrestling world — including the deaths of Test, Superfly Snuka, Mr. Fuji, Axl Rotten, Balls Mahoney, and most infamously, Chris Benoit.

“Wrestling is dramatically safer than it used to be,” Nowinski told Chris Jericho. “They’re putting top-down constraints on what can happen.” He credits these changes to a cultural shift in the business — one that encourages smarter in-ring decision-making and values longevity over spectacle.

While many fans are aware that chair shots to the head are now banned in WWE, Nowinski pointed out that the real progress is happening behind the scenes. Ringside doctors are more visible, wrestlers are taking fewer unnecessary risks, and there’s a growing focus on executing moves that pop the crowd without endangering the performer’s health.

AEW, he noted, still allows the occasional high-risk spot, but even there, he sees a growing consciousness among talent. “Performers are now empowered to realize, ‘I don’t need to go off the top of a ladder through a table if there’s another way to get the same reaction,’” Nowinski said. “They’re thinking more about the reward versus the risk — and about brain health.”

Once dismissed or ignored, the conversation around concussions and CTE is now a serious part of wrestling’s evolution. And for Nowinski, who has been leading the charge for over a decade through his work with the Concussion Legacy Foundation, the industry’s response has been nothing short of encouraging.

As the business continues to balance its roots in spectacle with the reality of athlete health, it’s clear that the future of wrestling lies not just in louder pops or riskier stunts — but in smarter storytelling and longer, healthier careers.

AEW Grand Slam Mexico 6/18/2025

All Elite Wrestling will air AEW Grand Slam: Mexico tonight on TBS and MAX at 8pm ET from the iconic Arena México in Mexico City. The event marks AEW’s first full-scale televised show in Mexico and features a stacked lineup.

  • MJF vs. Mistico
  • CMLL Women’s Championship Match: Zeuxis defends against Mercedes Mone’
  • AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Mark Briscoe (non-title)
  • 10-Man Tag Team Match: Jon Moxley, Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta vs. Will Ospreay, Swerve Strickland, Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Katsuyori Shibata
  • 12-Man Tag Team Match: Bandido, Adam Cole, Daniel Garcia, Brody King, Templario, and Atlantis Jr. vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, Josh Alexander, Hechicero, Dax Harwood, and Cash Wheeler
  • Four Million Pesos High Flying 4-Way Match: Mascara Dorada vs. Ricochet vs. Hologram vs. Lio Rush