Ricky Starks last appeared on the March 30th episode of AEW Collision, during which he suffered an injury scare, which changed the planned outcome of the match.
Since that show, Starks has publicly stated that he is not injured and expressed uncertainty regarding AEW’s decision not to involve him in programming. Meanwhile, AEW President Tony Khan publicly expressed his desire to bring Starks back to television.
There were plans to reintroduce Starks to television as a babyface and initiate a storyline involving a betrayal by Big Bill, leading to a feud between the two. However, the planned babyface turn did not materialize due to Starks’ decision not to pursue this direction.
Pwinsider reported earlier this week that there is “certainly interest” in several AEW stars, including Starks, whose deals are close to expiring or who have been absent from TV for some time.
According to the latest update by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Starks is expected to sign with WWE when his AEW contract expires.
As AEW and Warner Bros Discovery continue their negotiations surrounding AEW’s future on WBD networks, the company has made an announcement that appears to be good news for the fledgling wrestling promotion. On WBD’s Q2 Earnings Call on Wednesday, CEO David Zaslav announced a plan to rebrand TruTV’s primetime schedule as “TNT Sports” in October, according to Brian Steinberg.
WBD CEO: Converting TruTV to TNT Sports in Prime in October
According to Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, the programming block is intended to be similar to the Adult Swim programming block on Cartoon Network, which is treated as a separate brand despite sharing a channel with Cartoon Network, in the same way as TNT Sports and TruTV. This, coupled with AEW talents being a focal point in the advertisement for the upcoming “TNT Overdrive” program, likely spells good news for AEW. WBD continuing in the sports programming world, despite seemingly losing the NBA to Amazon Prime, means they’ll likely need sports-centric programming like AEW and even potentially Ring of Honor. AEW President Tony Khan has been publicly adamant throughout the negotiation process that ROH is an important part of AEW’s portfolio, though there have thus far been no concrete plans to bring the streaming promotion to television. There have also been conflicting reports as to how dedicated WBD is in investing in the television side of things.
Some clarification on TruTV/TNT Sports — TruTV still will exist, but is just adding TNT Sports blocks as announced in July.
We're told that prime time block will become TNT Sports branded, similarly to how Adult Swim is a block on Cartoon Network.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) August 7, 2024
Khan has described negotiations with WBD as “complicated” but has maintained an upbeat attitude throughout the process, recently meeting with Zaslav in Paris during the Olympics, about which Khan later tweeted very positively. The exclusive negotiating window with WBD recently expired, and AEW is free to entertain offers from competing networks unless a deal is announced in the coming days.
According to PWInsider Elite, AEW star Britt Baker will appear in season six of “Cobra Kai.”
The second half of season six is scheduled to premiere Friday, November 15 on Netflix.
The report further notes Baker, on the show, will be on one of the teams competing in an international karate tournament known as “Sekai Taikai.”
Martin Kove, who plays Karate instructor John Kreese in the Karate Kid movies and “Cobra Kai” made an appearance in a segment back on the February 16, 2022 episode of Dynamite, in which he gave karate advice to Baker.
AEW President Tony Khan traveled to Paris last week to meet with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav during the Olympic Games. The two parties are continuing to negotiate a new media rights deal.
In a recent interview with “Q101,” Khan commented on the ongoing talks between AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery regarding the new television rights.
Khan said, “Right now is the most important time ever in AEW. We’re on the verge of the most important deal we’ll ever make, this upcoming media rights, and it’s been great working with Warner Brothers Discovery on the future. For all these years, we’ve had so much great experience with Warner Brothers Discovery, and now, under the leadership of David Zaslav, the company, for us, the connection, the things we’ve been able to do, I think it’s getting stronger and stronger. I think now, over five years, it’s really been building to this point where AEW’s going to jump into the media rights and be a very profitable, successful company that has lived up to every expectation we ever could have had because we’ve done so many amazing things in this years. We’ve had all these amazing pay-per-view records. We’ve really come in and we’ve done pay-per-view numbers, whether adjusted or straight-up, head-to-head, very strong compared to the last few years of WCW, and I think that’s really a success story. I think pay-per-views are really fun, but it’s a really interesting business point that our business on pay-per-view has continued to get stronger. This year’s been great for us, we’ve had some huge events, including Revolution, which was one of our biggest pay-per-views ever.”
Since the launch of AEW Dynamite in October 2019, AEW programming has been featured on Warner Bros. Discovery channels. Khan has consistently emphasized the significance of bringing wrestling back to TBS and TNT following the conclusion of WCW in 2001.
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) August 6, 2024
Reports had previously suggested that Baker was fined and suspended for one or two weeks after her confrontation with MJF backstage. The issues reportedly began after Baker was heard criticizing MJF in the women’s locker room, which was narrated to MJF by Alicia Atout, his girlfriend and AEW broadcaster. Baker was also rumored to have been angry at Atout for telling MJF about what she had said in the locker room, while MJF is said to have entered the women’s locker room to confront her.
A recent report has claimed that the AEW star was reportedly “burying” both MJF and Will Ospreay in the locker room, and this report has added that the English star also confronted Baker. Despite her suspension, Baker is set to compete at this month’s All In pay-per-view, where she will face AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Mone. MJF and Ospreay, who have also been involved in the controversy, will go one-on-one with each other at the show in London on August 25, where “The Salt Of The Earth” will put his AEW American Championship on the line.
The luchador market could be about to welcome two new free agents, but they might not be free agents for long. According to a report from WrestlePurists, AEW’s Lucha Brothers are not expected to renew their contracts when they expire. As for Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo’s next destination, there is an overwhelming belief within AEW that the two luchadors are WWE-bound.
WrestlingPurists’ Ibou broke the news on their post-SummerSlam livestream and included details about the Lucha Brothers’ immediate plans, especially in regards to AEW’s upcoming All In pay-per-view. The Lucha Brothers were slated for a match alongside fellow Death Triangle member PAC against The Patriarchy for the World Trios Championship at Wembley Stadium. However, according to WrestlePurists, that plan has since been scrapped following news of the Lucha Brothers’ intentions to leave the company; the plan now is reportedly to run a triple threat trios title match involving The Patriarchy, the Bang Bang Gang, and House of Black. This match has yet to be announced in any official capacity, but the three teams have been feuding on AEW programming.
“When the [All In] match got canceled, I asked around internally … multiple sources within AEW told me, basically made it clear to me, that the Lucha Brothers are expected to depart AEW at the end of their contract,” Ibou said. “Some of them speculated that WWE was the destination, others outright said to me that it was a formality.”
Previous reports have indicated WWE has interest in Penta, whose contract is expected to expire within the next two months. While there have been no reports of WWE’s interest towards Fenix, it’s been speculated that Fenix’s injury caused his AEW contract to be extended, and that WWE would sign both Fenix and Penta as a unit.
Tonight’s AEW Collision will have a special start time on TNT, with the tape delay broadcast starting at 5:00 pm EST. from Arlington, Texas as the Path to All In Summer Series continues.
Continental Collision: Lee Moriarty vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Thunder Rosa vs. Taya Valkyrie
Darby Allin, Mark Briscoe, and FTR vs. The Beast Mortos and the Undisputed Kingdom
The Acclaimed promised to confront FTR tonight.
Toni Storm vs. TBA (Mariah May will be on commentary)
Mistico and Hologram vs. The Premier Athletes (Tony Nese & Josh Woods)
Kyle Fletcher vs. Brian Cage
We’ll hear from AEW World Trios Champions Christian Cage and The Patriarchy
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