Tonight on AEW Rampage:
- ROH World Championship: Claudio Castagnoli (c) vs. Dax Harwood
- AEW World Championship Tournament Match: Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin
- Serena Deeb vs. Madison Rayne
- ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe speaks
Category: AEW
Backstage News On The Division Between Thunder Rosa And The Women In AEW
It was reported in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that while a lot of people believe she is not hurt, Thunder Rosa really is dealing with a back injury and she stopped wrestling out of fear that she would have to get surgery if he kept going.
Last week on his podcast, Konnan said that Rosa told him that she was dealing with a knee issue and because she told him a different injury, he believed that she wasn’t hurt and what was really happening was that she was being punished by AEW. During the AEW All Out media scrum, Toni Storm seemed to indicate that she believed that Rosa wasn’t really injured. However, it appears that she is not being punished and Meltzer reported in the Observer that the injury is legit.
There were people comparing Rosa to the 1997 version of Shawn Michaels because she informed the company about the injury hours after she was told that she would be losing the Women’s Title to Toni Storm at the pay-per-view. The belief is that Rosa will be out for two to three months and then wrestle Storm in a unification match.
Meltzer also wrote, “There was a lot of division among many of the women and Rosa, basically the ones who made public comments that insinuated her injury wasn’t that bad or those who privately felt due to the timing of her saying her injury was serious and she’d need time off after being told she was dropping the title to Toni Storm.”
Source: WrestlingNews.co
CM Punk Set To Be Out Of Action For Eight Months Due To Torn Muscle, Regardless Of Punishment Due To All Out Altercation
There was reports that CM Punk may’ve suffered some type of an injury during his AEW World Heavyweight Championship match against Jon Moxley this past weekend at All Out. The Wrestling Observer noted Punk’s injury might’ve come from a top rope maneuver. During the post-show media scrum, Punk was seen icing his arm.
On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, it was reported Punk had torn a muscle in his arm and that he would require surgery. This comes after AEW President Tony Khan announced a tournament last night on Dynamite to determine a new AEW World Heavyweight Champion.
“He may have already undergone surgery. Either way, he’s undergoing surgery. And it was not confirmed to me it was a torn triceps, but it was confirmed to me that it’s surgery for a torn muscle in the arm. So that’s triceps, biceps, maybe pec. But probably triceps. That’s usually about an eight month or so recovery period. So he was gonna be stripped of the title either way.”
An investigation is underway regarding the backstage melee involving Punk and members of The Elite. As of now, it’s unclear whether Punk will be suspended indefinitely or fired from the company.
Source: EWrestlingNews
AEW Trios And World Championship Vacated, New Trios Champions Crowned!
After a wild and ugly fallout to AEW All Out, Dynamite looked to get the company back on track with big announcements and great matches.
This week’s highly anticipated episode AEW Dynamite was broadcast live from Buffalo, New York. Hot off of All Out and the fallout thereof, Dynamite was full of big announcements in terms of championship implications.
The show opened with Tony Khan announcing that the Trios Championship and AEW World Championship had been vacated.
Death Triangle (Pentagon, Fenix, PAC) def. Best Friends (Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, Trent Beretta) via pinfall with Black Arrow to become NEW AEW World Trios Champions
A Grand Slam tournament to crown a new AEW Champion started on Wednesday. The winner would be crowned in two weeks at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam. The competitors in the tournament include Hangman Adam Page, Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin and Chris Jericho.
Bryan Danielson def. Hangman Adam Page via pinfall with a Pat O’Connor Roll with a bridge to move on in the AEW World Title Tournament. Danielson will face Chris Jericho next week on Dynamite.
Sammy Guevara will face Darby Allin Friday on Rampage, the winner will face Jon Moxley next week on Dynamite.
AEW Dynamite Preview 9/7/2022
AEW Dynamite will air live tonight on TBS, and emanate from the Key Bank Center in Buffalo, New York. Tonight’s Dynamite is the fallout show from this past Sunday’s All Out PPV.
Some changes have been made to tonight’s AEW Dynamite due to suspensions after the backstage incident after All Out.
- Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley will be appearing on Dynamite in Buffalo. They originally were not scheduled to be on the show but they are now booked to make up for losing some of the top names that were originally scheduled for the show
- Best Friends & Orange Cassidy vs. Death Triangle (PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix)
- ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta defends against Daniel Garcia
- We’ll hear from MJF
CM Punk Meets With Tony Khan To Determine Future In AEW, Possible Exit From Company, Punishment For Those Involved In The CM Punk/The Elite Altercation
Tony Khan and CM Punk reportedly sat down to talk about his future, including how he might potentially exit the company.
As per a report by Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, CM Punk’s fate — as well as the fate of friend and AEW producer Ace Steel — should be determined by the end of today (Wednesday) and there is a chance Punk is released from his contract, with the minimum punishment for his actions after Sunday’s All Out pay-per-view being a suspension.
Barrasso writes, “Multiple sources have shared that Punk and Ace Steel will either be among those suspended or will no longer be with the company by the end of Wednesday. Punk met with AEW owner Tony Khan on Tuesday, so the two had an opportunity to discuss how that exit could be handled.” In other words, if it is determined that Punk will be gone from AEW, the two didn’t just meet about his employment, but it sounds like there was a discussion about what to do with the title and how to write him out of the promotion.
Barrasso also adds that an external third-party investigation is being conducted which could explain the delay in a decision, but that all of Kenny Omega, Matt and Nick Jackson, Pat Buck, Christopher Daniels, Michael Nakazawa, and Brandon Cutler will be suspended for their role in the physical altercation. None are expected to be at Dynamite tonight. As for Hangman Adam Page — who Punk mentioned by name — , he had already left the building when Punk’s comments were made, thus he was not part of the altercation.
If the meetings went well and the suspensions are served without issue, there is a chance that all parties involved can put what happened past them. If so, the potential to turn this real-life situation into a storyline is there and it could equate to big numbers for AEW. That’s assuming cooler heads will have prevailed and all parties involved are willing to do business.
There is always a chance CM Punk has no desire to stick around after this. If that’s the case, he may elect to leave on his own before he’s told to.
Source: TheSportster
Backstage News On How WWE Talent Feels About CM Punk’s AEW All Out Scrum Comments
It’s fair to say that the rumored backstage issues behind the scenes in AEW escalated significantly following the AEW All Out pay-per-view on Sunday night. In the post-show media scrum, newly-crowned AEW World Champion CM Punk went on a verbal tirade against his former friend Colt Cabana before targeting AEW’s “irresponsible” EVPs Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), while also furthering his spat with “Hangman” Adam Page. In light of reports of an ensuing backstage brawl between Punk, his friend Ace Steel, and the new AEW World Trios Champions Omega and The Bucks following Punk’s comments, reactions from behind the scenes at WWE have come to light.
According to Fightful Select, “numerous talent” reached out to them expressing their views on the situation, with one top talent noting that “the CM Punk that they knew years ago is being highlighted.” Additionally, two WWE talents reportedly confirmed to Fightful that the incident was not a work, and expressed their surprise that the situation happened. The pair called into question AEW chief Tony Khan, asking why he didn’t follow up with a comment after Punk criticized AEW’s EVPs.
Meanwhile, one WWE talent said it feels as though Punk “is trying to run things, and it looks as though he’s doing it,” with another longtime WWE performer said they felt Punk was “unprofessional,” calling him “selfish and arrogant.” This sentiment was also reportedly shared by colleagues who worked with Punk on the set of the short-lived Fox program “WWE Backstage.”
The Fightful report had more to say, including the fact that a WWE official added — again seemingly calling Khan into question — that with Punk and The Elite feud, “the power had to be asserted in order to let everyone know that wasn’t tolerable.” The same official noted that such situations were very rare in WWE, because talent knew that while Vince McMahon at the helm, they would not be welcomed back, similar to how former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio was fired in 2014 following an altercation with an employee. A lack of discipline for the incident would also likely be poorly received given AEW’s recent suspension of Eddie Kingston for getting physical backstage with Sammy Guevara.
Finally, a top WWE name told Fightful that, in regard to the parties involved in the dispute, “if they don’t put their issues aside and make money from it,” then “none of them have business talking about drawing houses or losing fans or interest. They have a good show but this is still the biggest piece of business they’ve done and they have to capitalize.” AEW already has long history of using dirtsheet rumors and backstage incidents to further on-screen storylines.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Backstage Updates On Reported Altercation After AEW All Out, Ace Steel “Lucky To Not Be In Jail”
After news of a backstage altercation following AEW’s All Out pay-per-view, more details are being reported about what happened behind the scenes involving some of the company’s biggest stars.
PWInsider reports Kenny Omega along with Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks (all three hold the title of Executive Vice President in AEW) confronted newly crowned two-time AEW World Champion CM Punk in his locker room, not long after Punk publicly lashed out at the EVPs, “Hangman” Adam Page, Colt Cabana and others during his portion of the post-show media scrum.
The altercation primarily involved Punk and the Bucks, with Omega not getting physically involved with Punk, according to PWInsider. According to the Wrestling Observer, it was Punk who allegedly threw the first punch, directing it at Matt Jackson.
Punk’s trainer Ace Steel also reportedly got involved in the altercation. Multiple accounts state that Steel threw a chair that struck Nick Jackson in the eye. The Observer’s report added that Steel also allegedly bit Omega and pulled his hair.
It was AEW security and staff who eventually broke up the altercation. One security guard could be seen running out of the room where the media scrum was still ongoing.
AEW has not commented publicly on the incident. It’s believed there is a process underway to determine who is to blame for the altercation. However, Fightful is already reporting that Steel is not expected to stay with the company. He’s been working as a producer for AEW and played an on-screen role over recent weeks in the build-up to Punk’s main event title match against Jon Moxley at All Out.
Last month, Eddie Kingston served a two-week suspension following a backstage altercation between he and Sammy Guevara during the recording of “Rampage” on August 10 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The physicality was reportedly described as Kingston “pie facing” Guevara.
During the media scrum following All Out, AEW Owner and C.E.O. Tony Khan described the situation backstage as “dicey.” Khan held a talent meeting to address backstage issues before the “Dynamite” broadcast on August 24.
Ace Steel is “lucky to not be in jail” due to his actions
Ace Steel has had quite a week in AEW. The long-time friend and mentor to CM Punk played a major on-air role in motivating the “Second City Saint” to face Jon Moxley in an AEW World Championship rematch at All Out, a match Punk ultimately won. However, according to Fightful, he’s now in hot water with AEW, and it’s a minor miracle he isn’t behind bars.
Following his victory Punk felt it was important to address personal and professional issues about some of his AEW colleagues behind the scenes during the All Out post-show media scrum, and after he left the stage, a reported fight broke out between him and The Young Bucks that also involved Steel and Kenny Omega. According to PWInsider, The Bucks and Omega were the ones to confront Punk in the locker room after those comments. Steel also happened to be there with his wife, who was watching Punk’s dog, Larry, at the time, and matters got heated. It’s not confirmed who threw the first punch, but Steel got physically involved.
Fightful Select later confirmed Steel’s involvement in the fight as he “shoot cracked Nick Jackson with a chair” and got in an altercation with Omega. A source from Fightful believes that Steel is “lucky to not be in jail” due to his actions, and one even said of the melee that security was breaking up a situation “to save lives.” There’s a lot of heat on Steel in light of the incident, with one source claiming that the fight didn’t escalate to the level where a chair was needed. It was reported earlier that Steel allegedly bit Omega, and according to Fightful, “several sources in AEW that we spoke with said that they believe Ace Steel will not be back in the company.”
Source: Wrestling Inc.
More AEW Stars Left Out Of Fight Forever Video Game
Several AEW wrestlers won’t be part of the upcoming Fight Forever video game, the first console game for the promotion.
It was reported last month that FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) won’t be in the game but had made it to the ‘model phase’ of production.
According to Fightful Select, Evil Uno, Jake Hager, Private Party (Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen), The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster), and Santana and Ortiz will not be in the game.
It was reported that plans are for FTR to be included as Downloadable Content (DLC) at some point after the game’s release.
Stu Grayson, who left AEW earlier this year, was not going to be included in the game when he was with the company.
No confirmed date for AEW: Fight Forever has been announced, but the game is now available for pre-order.
Source: EWrestlingNews
AEW Stars May Face Legal Rammifications For Altercation After All Out
We are coming off the back of what might well have been the biggest weekend of wrestling so far this year. Clash at the Castle, Worlds Collide, and then All Out meant wrestling fans likely spent a lot of time in front of the TV over the two nights. However, the one thing everyone is talking about most coming out of that weekend didn’t even happen on those shows.
After All Out, CM Punk sat with Tony Khan for the post-show press conference and proceeded to air his true feelings about Hangman Page and a few of AEW‘s EVPs. That reportedly resulted in a physical altercation backstage right after during which Punk has been accused of throwing the first punch. Punk’s friend and trainer Ace Steel has also been accused of throwing a chair and biting Kenny Omega.
Some fans will still be hopeful that this is all a very elaborate work. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, that is not the case. Quite the contrary, and it’s entirely possible some of those involved in the fracas after All Out could face legal ramifications. “It is not a work at all, and you don’t have legal issues and police officers run in there [if it’s a work],” Dave Meltzer explained on WOR (H/T to WrestleTalk for the transcription).
What those legal ramifications are is currently unclear, but it means no one involved, and probably no one in the company, is allowed to talk about what happened. That may well mean we don’t hear anything from an official source, or from someone who was actually involved, for quite a while. Especially if anyone involved chooses to push forward with whatever these legal issues might be rather than sweeping them under the rug and trying to move forward for the sake of the company.
After weeks of rumors suggesting all was not well backstage in AEW, it exploding in such a public fashion is not a good look and not a good sign for the company’s future. What has likely been forgotten by many due to what has happened since is Punk is now the AEW Champion. If everyone can learn to get along, turning this into an angle and a match between Punk and Omega could be huge business. If those involved can’t move past it, it could spell disaster.
Source: TheSportster
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