Scheduled for tonight’s AEW Rampage on TNT
- MxM Collection vs. Private Party
- Nyla Rose vs. Harley Cameron
- Wheeler Yuta vs. The Butcher
- Brian Cage in action
- Bryan Keith in action
Category: AEW
Report – AEW Suspended Britt Baker After Incident With MJF & Alicia Atout
AEW’s homegrown stars Britt Baker and MJF were recently embroiled in a backstage incident that led to the company’s disciplinary action against Baker.
Since his return at AEW Double Or Nothing 2024, MJF has been prominently featured in AEW storylines, turning heel and claiming the American Title.
On the other hand, Baker made her return at AEW X NJPW: Forbidden Door 2024 and has been feuding with Mercedes Mone, leading up to their scheduled match at All In 2024 later this month.
Moreover, MJF’s girlfriend, Alicia Atout, recently joined AEW as an on-air talent.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that Baker was suspended for one or two weeks and fined by the company’s disciplinary committee.
The incident originated backstage on the July 17th episode of AEW Dynamite, when Baker allegedly made a comment about MJF, which Atout overheard.
This led to an investigation, with HR speaking to individuals the following week, and the disciplinary committee recommended that Baker face consequences.
AEW President Tony Khan’s involvement in the investigation remains unclear, as efforts were made to keep the situation discreet.
It was also noted that most parties were sympathetic to Baker in this matter.
AEW’s handling of the incident was reportedly a response to unresolved past issues, prompting the promotion to establish a dedicated committee to address such matters swiftly.
Source: eWn
AEW Star Trent Beretta Undergoes ‘Quick Little American Neck Surgery,’ Vows Revenge
2024 was turning into a landmark year for Trent Beretta, as he broke away from his Best Friends, virtually retired Chuck Taylor, and decided to take a new path as part of The Don Callis Family. However, Beretta hasn’t wrestled since his match with Orange Cassidy at Double or Nothing in May due to a nagging injury, but details on what that injury was remained a mystery until very recently. Taking to X, Beretta revealed that he has recently undergone surgery to repair something in his neck. He wrote “quick little American neck surgery. turns out I wrestled so hard that two of the screws from my neck fusion broke. very cool. very tough. screws have been replaced. next I will be doing revenge.”
Beretta missed almost a full year of action in 2021 after having neck fusion surgery, only returning at the very end of that year. He had been dealing with issues with his neck for a number of years before joining AEW, and wasn’t exactly sure what the breaking point was. However, he did reveal that the initial injury came when he was performing motion capture footage for a WWE video game. As for his most recent surgery, nothing has been revealed in terms of a potential return to AEW.
The Don Callis Family hasn’t had the best of years thus far, as Beretta’s injury is the latest in a long line of absences and exits. Powerhouse Hobbs has been sidelined since April after suffering a knee injury in a match against Jon Moxley, Will Ospreay asked to leave the group after his loss to Swerve Strickland at Forbidden Door, and Konosuke Takeshita has also been away from AEW, as he is competing in the G1 Climax tournament in NJPW.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
AEW’s Skye Blue Undergoing Surgery For Ankle Injury
AEW and Ring of Honor’s residency at Arlington, Texas’ eSports Stadium has so far been a success, with one notable exception; an injury to Skye Blue. The AEW star was wrestling Hikaru Shida last Saturday when a crossbody to the floor saw Shida land on Blue’s right leg, leading to the match being stopped. Days later, Blue’s boyfriend, AEW’s Kyle Fletcher, posted a photo of Blue back home, sporting a cast on her right foot, while reports confirmed Blue had suffered a broken ankle, though the severity of the break was unknown.
Alas, it appears the injury was severe enough that Blue will be forced to go under the knife. Taking to X yet again on Tuesday morning, Fletcher posted a photo of Blue sitting on a bench outside a hospital. Fletcher asked fans to “send prayers & cat toys.” For her part, Blue seemed to be in good spirits, making a funny face for the photo while holding an energy drink.
Neither Fletcher nor Blue have commented on the matter since then, leaving it uncertain whether Blue’s surgery was scheduled for today, or if it will take place at a later date. No timetable has emerged regarding how soon Blue could return to action following surgery, though recovery time from a broken ankle can vary from up to several months to as long as a year.
The injury comes at a poor time for Blue, who had been having arguably the best year of her career following a heel turn that saw her align with House of Black’s Julia Hart, herself out recovering from injury. Blue’s most notable match of the year came back in April, when she challenged Willow Nightingale for the AEW TBS Championship in a wild Manitoba Massacre match.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Absent AEW Star Sammy Guevara Returns During ROH Taping
As part of AEW’s temporary residency in Arlington, Texas, this summer, numerous Ring of Honor events have been and will continue to be taped in the city’s Esports Stadium. Yesterday’s taping was notable as it featured the return of a long-absent AEW star — Sammy Guevara. During the show, Guevara came to the aid of Dustin Rhodes as he was attacked by The Dark Order, indicating that the controversial wrestler will be starting out as a babyface.
Guevara has been absent from AEW since February, when the young performer was reportedly suspended after not following proper procedure when Jeff Hardy was concussed during a match. The AEW star made several more appearances after the match with Hardy but disappeared later that month, when reports first emerged about his suspension.
That suspension was said to have ended months ago, but Guevara has not been brought back to television until now. It looks as though the Houston, Texas, native will now factor into ROH before presumably making a return to AEW sometime in the future.
The incident with Hardy earlier this year was not the first time Guevara has been attached to controversy. In the past, Guevara was reported to have had physical confrontations backstage with both Eddie Kingston and Andrade El Idolo.
Additionally, Guevara was previously suspended from AEW in 2020 over highly offensive comments he made regarding the former Sasha Banks on a podcast in 2016. At the time, Guevara apologized and Banks (now known as Mercedes Mone) acknowledged that the two had spoken privately. However, Guevara has not yet made an appearance in AEW proper since Mone debuted in March and it’s unclear if there are any lingering issues regarding the controversy.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
AEW Collision & Battle of the Belts XI Preview 7/27/2024
AEW will be running three hours live back-to-back tonight on TNT with a new episode of AEW Collision and Battle of the Belts XI. Tonight’s shows are being held at the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas as part of the Path to All In Summer Series.
Collision
- Orange Cassidy vs. Johnny TV
- The Beast Mortos vs. Hologram
- MxM Collection vs. FTR
- Thunder Rosa vs. Maya World
- Premier Athletes vs. The Conglomeration
- Lio Rush vs. PAC
Battle of the Belts XI
- AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Match: Toni Storm (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie
- CMLL Women’s World Championship Eliminator Match: Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
- ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match: The Undisputed Kingdom (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs
Tony Khan Comments On Possibility Of Re-Branding ROH Programming Under AEW Umbrella
ROH’s annual Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view took place on July 26, leaving fans extremely satisfied with what they saw, as many are already praising the show for its quality wrestling and memorable moments. However, since Tony Khan purchased the promotion in 2022, there has been a notion that Khan doesn’t put as much effort or care into ROH as many would like, especially considering how influential the company was during its 2000s boom period.
During the Death Before Dishonor media scrum, Khan noted that ROH could potentially benefit from being re-branded in order to have more association with AEW, considering that AEW is much more recognizable in 2024. “It’s really interesting what the promotion has grown into, but I’m really proud of it,” Khan said. “I think ROH holds an important place. I recognize that AEW is at the very top of pro wrestling. The ROH brand could frankly benefit from even more association. I don’t think it’s out of the question to say or sacrilegious to say. I think it would only help grow the ROH brand if I were to license it or sublicense it if it were “AEW ROH.” I don’t think that’s a crazy thing or sacrilegious or bad. I think it would be good for everybody. People would see more of the connectivity that exists between promotions and what we’re going for.”
Khan also noted that if “AEW ROH” became a reality, it would likely give ROH more of a chance to be broadcast on Warner Bros. Discovery platforms, especially given that Khan is still in negotiations with WBD regarding AEW’s new media rights deal. ROH currently streams on the HonorClub subscription service, and is usually treated as a separate entity away from AEW.
Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to AEW
ROH Death Before Dishonor 7/26/2024 (Results)
Zero Hour
MxM Collection defeated Angelico & Serpentico. Mansoor and Mason Madden made their ROH debut with nifty teamwork and stunning poses. Hot tag to Madden to clean house. Tag back to Mansoor for the double-team double underhook brainbuster on Serpentico to win. Afterward, Maria Kanellis complimented the work of the MxM Collection. The insinuation being that she is interested in managing them.
Marina Shafir defeated Angelica Risk. Shafir kicked ass to win via chokehold.
The Infantry defeated Griff Garrison & Anthony Henry. Maria Kanellis was ringside to support Garrison in a makeshift tag team due to the injured Cole Karter. As the match progressed, Henry argued with Maria. He ran the ropes and accidentally knocked her off the apron into the arms of Garrison. Meanwhile, the Infantry closed with the Boot Camp big boot to side Russian leg sweep finisher. Shawn Dean made the pin.
Top Flight defeated Outrunners. Dante Martin blasted a jumping knee to send Turbo Floyd tumbling out of the ring. Darius Martin finished Truth Magnum with a fireman’s carry cutter.
Death Before Dishonor
The Beast Mortos defeated Komander. Amazing highlight reel of cool moves. Komander gambled for a rope-walking shooting star press, but he missed the mark when Mortos moved. The beast hit a vicious backbreaker and the Power Bull inverted piledriver to win. Breaking news that Mortos will wrestle Hologram on Collision.
Melissa Santos interviewed the MxM Collection. They spoke in acronyms to call out FTR for Collision. Dax Harwood needs an extreme makeover, but Cash Wheeler has potential.
ROH World Tag Team Championship: Matt Taven & Mike Bennett defeated Kyle O’Reilly & Tomohiro Ishii to retain the titles. Epic action with a garbage finish. Drama was hot, then Don Callis and Kyle Fletcher entered the scene. Callis distracted the referee, O’Reilly lunged at Fletcher, and Bennett struck O’Reilly with a low blow to win.
Texas Death Match: Leyla Hirsch defeated Diamante. Badass violence. Hirsch was busted open when stuck in the Tree of Woe for a dropkick into chairs to the face. Diamante bled as well. I think that was from colliding face-first into a chair in the corner. Diamante duct taped Hirsch to the ropes to beat her on the head with a chancla stuck with tacks. Hirsch hit a Samoan drop off the apron through a barbed wire board. On the finish, Hirsch duct taped Diamante to the table. Hirsch climbed a tall ladder for a moonsault through the table. The referee began the ten-count. Hirsch rose to her feet at 9. Diamante was still down at 10.
ROH Pure Championship: Lee Moriarty defeated Wheeler Yuta to win the title. Pure rules in effect. Battle of technicians. Both men used all three rope-breaks. Yuta suckered Moriarty into an armbar. Moriarty reached the ropes, but no more breaks. Moriarty used the ropes to roll into top position for a pin, and he put his feet on the ropes for leverage to win.
ROH Women’s World Television Championship: Red Velvet defeated Billie Starkz to win the title. Starkz tried to fake a neck injury again, but it didn’t work this time. After Starkz ‘surprised’ her opponent to continue the match, Velvet played possum to throw her off the turnbuckles. Velvet pounced for a front reverse DDT to win.
ROH World Six-Man Championship eliminator match: Dustin Rhodes & the Von Erichs defeated Dark Order. Winners advance to wrestle the Undisputed Kingdom for the six-man straps at Battle of the Belts. Dark Order used cowbell and cowboy hat antics to take control. They worked a smart game plan consistently attacking Rhodes on the outside to keep him out of the match. That lasted only so long. Hot tag to Rhodes running wild with snap powerslams. Dark Order dumped the Von Erichs over the barricade to attack Rhodes with a numbers advantage. That led to an Iron Claw return from the Von Erichs to clear the path for Rhodes to deliver the Shattered Dreams kick to Reynolds. A Final Reckoning suplex sealed the deal. Afterward, Katsuyori Shibata entered the ring to give the Von Erichs his endorsement. The Texas crowd was hot throughout for this match.
ROH World Television Championship: Atlantis Jr. defeated Brian Cage, Johnny TV, Lio Rush, Shane Taylor, and Lee Johnson to retain the title in Survival of the Fittest. Elimination style of contest. The flow was often one-on-one action with highlights galore. Taylor was eliminated first by Rush via frog splash after everyone teamed up on Taylor. Rush was eliminated second by Johnson via lifting reverse DDT. Johnson was eliminated third by Cage via springboard kick powerbomb combo with Johnny. Johnny was eliminated fourth by Cage via Drill Claw. Cage was eliminated fifth by Atlantis Jr. via roll-up on countering the Drill Claw. Atlantis Jr. was the last man standing.
ROH Women’s World Championship: Athena defeated Queen Aminata to retain the title. Slow pace with hard hits. Athena crushed a tombstone piledriver onto the ring steps. Aminata kicked out on the cover and roared back with anger. Aminata headbutt Athena to set up a double underhook driver. Billie Starkz ran in with Red Velvet right behind to prevent interference. Aminata headbutt Starkz off the apron. Meanwhile, Athena called over Lexy Nair to take her microphone. Boom! Athena walloped Animata with the mic as the referee was dealing with Starkz and Velvet. Athena took flight for the O-Face to win.
ROH World Championship: Mark Briscoe defeated Roderick Strong to retain the title. As Briscoe had momentum setting up a Jay Driller, the Kingdom ran in to interfere. Mike Bennett bashed Briscoe with a title belt. 1, 2, dramatic kick out by Briscoe. Kyle O’Reilly and Tomohiro Ishii ran in to even the odds and brawl with the Kingdom. Briscoe surged for a froggy bow to win.
AEW Rampage Preview 7/26/2024
Tonight’s AEW Rampage on TNT.
- AEW Royal Rampage to earn shot at AEW World Title at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam
- Kris Statlander vs. Leila Grey
- The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd) vs. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) vs. The Righteous (Dutch & Vincent) vs. Kyle Fletcher & RUSH
- Lance Archer will be in action
Former NWA Women’s Champion Kamille Makes AEW Debut On Dynamite
Mercedes Mone brought in an enforcer in Kamille to stack the odds against Britt Baker during “AEW Dynamite.” The former NWA Women’s World Champion of 812 days was reportedly signed by AEW earlier this year after becoming a free agent and holding talks with both Tony Khan and WWE. And after months of waiting and speculation, she finally debuted during Wednesday’s show as Mone sought to eliminate her would-be challenger.
Before Kamille emerged, Baker had to endure a challenge from a fellow former Women’s World Champion in Hikaru Shida, dispatching her opponent by submission after 10 minutes of action. She hadn’t much time to celebrate as Mone’s music played and she emerged to tease a TBS Championship bout between the pair. Per the theme of the feud thus far, however, she said that wouldn’t happen and Baker was set upon by AEW’s latest debutant.
Britt Baker returned for the first time since September 2023 at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in June, confronting Mercedes Mone moments after she’d dethroned Stephanie Vaquer to become NJPW Strong Women’s Champion on top of retaining her TBS title.
Kamille’s arrival in AEW had been long in the making, as it had been heavily reported she had signed with the company earlier this year, but no word was mentioned on when she would show up. According to Fightful Select, her appearance on “Dynamite” was kept very quiet in order to maintain the element of surprise, but it was no secret that she had signed with the company. She was reportedly backstage at AEW events as early as January 2024, which ultimately led to contract talks and her eventual signing with the promotion, with graphics and materials being in place for sometime. There were rumors she was set to join WWE as part of the “WWE NXT” roster earlier this year, but those talks never fully progressed.
While newer fans to AEW will see her appearance as a debut, Kamille appeared in AEW in the past when the company had a brief working relationship with the NWA. She appeared on an episode of “Dynamite” in 2021 to confront “Legit” Leyla Hirsch ahead of their NWA World Women’s Championship match at that year’s EmPowerrr pay-per-view, where Kamille retained her title over the Russian star. Despite making an appearance for the company many years ago, she has yet to wrestle a match for AEW, but now that she is aligned with “The CEO,” expect to see more of Kamille on AEW TV going forward.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
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