Category: AEW

Backstage News On AAA TripleMania Main Event Plans Follow Jeff Hardy’s Arrest

AAA are still hoping to have Matt Hardy involved in the main event of TripleMania this weekend, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of “Wrestling Observer Radio.”

The Hardy were scheduled to compete in the main event of the show this Saturday in Tijuana against Dragon Lee and Dralistico, but that match is now up in the air due to the recent news of Jeff Hardy being arrested for a DUI emerging. But, the company does still want Matt to be involved, and they would ideally like to find a new partner for him.

As of now, nobody has been determined for that, as it is short notice for someone to make that trip, but they have reportedly asked for a bunch of guys as AAA are hopeful of making this match work still. There is still no confirmation on the match happening though, including Matt’s status.

Jeff was reportedly bonded out of jail Monday evening with a $3,500 bond being paid via the assistance of a bail bondsman. He was previously slated to appear in court Tuesday at 1:30 pm ET, but that appearance is currently listed as “canceled.”

The Hardys were originally scheduled to compete at “AEW Dynamite” this week in a triple threat ladder match for the AEW Tag Team Championships, and the status of that encounter is still up in the air as well. The company has reportedly asked Warner Bros to pull all advertising of this match and Jeff in general, but no official statement has yet to be made by AEW or Tony Khan on this situation.

The lineup for TripleMania this weekend is as follows:

* The Hardys vs. Dragon Lee & Dralistico (This is currently up in the air)

* Ruleta de la Muerte Semifinal: Villano IV vs. Psycho Clown (The loser advances to the finals)

* Ruleta de la Muerte Semifinal: Blue Demon Jr. vs. Pentagon Jr. (The loser advances to the finals)

* AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Laredo Kid vs. Rey Fenix vs. Hijo del Vikingo vs. AAA Latin American Champion Black Taurus vs. Bandido

* Elimination Cage Match: Chik Tormenta vs. Sexy Star II vs. Reina Dorada vs. Lady Shani vs. La Hiedra vs. Lady Maravilla vs. Flammer vs. another competitor to be announced.

* Final Elimination Cage winners will face each other in a Mask vs. Mask Match

* TripleMania Cup: Competitors TBA

Matt Hardy Breaks His Silence On Jeff Hardy’s Arrest

Matt Hardy has issued his first statement since his brother Jeff Hardy was arrested yesterday morning in Volusia County, FL. Jeff was pulled over and later incarcerated following several charges which included his third DUI in ten years and on Tuesday his older brother took to Twitter to comment on the well-being of his brother.

“It was disheartening to hear the news about my brother yesterday,” Matt tweeted. “Recovery isn’t a linear process & I’ll continue doing whatever I can to help my brother be healthy. Being healthy & well is the most important thing for Jeff, his wife, his children & our family at this time.”

https://twitter.com/MATTHARDYBRAND/status/1536725719451160578

Jeff was bonded out of jail on Monday evening after paying $3,500 bond via the assistance of a bail bondsman. According to PWInsider, Hardy was slated for a court appearance later today, but that court appearance is currently listed as canceled.

The Hardys were set to participate in a three-way ladder match this Wednesday at “AEW Road Rager” for the Tag Team Titles against The Young Bucks and the Champions Jungle Express, but since Jeff’s arrest, that match has been pulled. In addition, it’s being reported that AEW has requested WarnerMedia to remove Hardy from any promotional material moving forward.

Matt and Jeff were also scheduled to compete at AAA TripleMania against Dragon Lee and Dralistico, but that match has also been pulled. Dave Meltzer is reporting that AAA would still like Matt Hardy to compete on the card and would ultimately like to find him a new partner to work with.

Jeff Hardy first showed up in AEW on the March 9 episode of “AEW Dynamite” in an effort to help his brother Matt. He has since competed in tag matches and was a singles participant in the Owen Hart Cup. The last match he worked was a tag team match against The Young Bucks at Double or Nothing.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Jeff Hardy Arrested For DUI, AEW Asks WarnerMedia To Remove Jeff From All Advertising

In a frustrating and concerning bit of news, AEW star Jeff Hardy was arrested Sunday night or early Monday morning for driving while intoxicated. This comes just days before he was set to compete in a Triple Threat Ladder Match on Dynamite with The Young Bucks and Jurassic Express and continues the long upsetting saga that is Hardy’s battle with addiction.

Hardy’s previous issues with alcohol or drug-related arrests are well documented. In March 2018, he was arrested for driving while impaired in Concord, North Carolina, He was arrested again in July 2019, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for public intoxication. In October 2019, he was arrested in Moore County, North Carolina for driving while impaired. For these latest charges — license charges are second-degree misdemeanors and the DUI is a third-degree felony — he is slated to appear in front of a judge for his first hearing on June 14 at 1:30 pm.

At this point, some fans are saying he should be done getting chances, but most fans are simply concerned for Jeff’s well-being. That he’s continued to struggle is not a good sign and some are looking back at WWE’s offer to get him into rehab as something he potentially should have accepted instead of leaving and having his WWE contract terminated.

This is clearly becoming an issue for Jeff and one that perhaps requires immediate intervention. He seems unable to overcome these alcohol issues and his health is far more important than a single wrestling match or his run in AEW. WWE seemed to recognize he needed help and gave him an ultimatum. Perhaps AEW will do the same if they recognize this is an issue that needs addressing immediately.

UPDATE:

We might not be seeing Jeff in AEW for a while.

The details of the arrest, and what comes next for Hardy, remain unclear. A three-way tag team ladder match in which both Hardy Boyz were supposed to compete was slated to take place on Dynamite this week. That match has been removed from AEW’s social media ads, and apparently the promotion has now asked WarnerMedia to remove Hardy from all AEW advertising.

Although there has been no official statement from AEW on the Hardy situation just yet, The Wrestling Observer reports it has asked WarnerMedia to stop advertising the veteran effective immediately. While that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be a ladder match on Dynamite this week, it almost definitely means Hardy will not be a part of it.

AEW isn’t the only promotion that will be sweating the status of Hardy right now. He and his brother Matt are also supposed to be competing in a big time match at Triplemania for AAA this weekend. Another match that seems likely to be altered ahead of the weekend with FTR prime candidates to step in. They’re the AAA Tag Team Champions after all.

The news that Hardy has once again been arrested for driving while under the influence has sparked a number of conversations since it broke. Some have questioned whether this has been going on for months and WWE was in the right to try and get Hardy to agree to rehab. The vast majority of fans are just hopeful this latest incident will finally be the last, as sooner or later, Hardy is going to seriously hurt himself or, even worse, someone else.

Source: TheSportster

Lets all pray that Jeff finally accepts and gets the help he really needs.

AEW Rampage Preview 6/10/22

One of the most celebrated in-ring performers of his generation and an eye-popping pro wrestling prospect will make their AEW in-ring debuts on tonight’s episode of “Rampage”.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Will Ospreay will be in a trios match alongside Aussie Open against the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champions FTR and Trent Beretta. Ospreay, Aussie Open, and their United Empire stablemate Aaron Henare attacked Beretta and FTR on Wednesday’s “Dynamite”.

Ospreay is a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in NJPW and is almost universally recognized as one of the best professional wrestlers in the world today. Ospreay is also the leader of NJPW’s United Empire stable, which added Aussie Open late last year. Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis are rising stars in the world of tag team wrestling. They joined NJPW in April after building their reputations in Australia and Europe.

The following line-up is announced for tonight:

  • Eddie Kingston vs. Jake Hager
  • Kris Statlander vs. Red Velvet
  • FTR & Trent Beretta vs. Will Ospreay & Aussie Open
  • The in-ring debut of Satnam Singh, teaming with Jay Lethal
  • We hear from Hook and Danhausen

Chris Jericho And MVP Clashed In A Hotel After Dynamite This Week

Apparently Chris Jericho and MVP was involved in a heated verbal altercation.

The Wednesday Night War might have come to an end when NXT moved to Tuesdays nights, and there might be friends on both sides, but there is still a healthy competition between WWE and AEW. While some wrestlers might not care which side is doing better than the other and mean it, others very much do. That was reportedly made evident in a hotel lobby during the early hours of Thursday morning after Dynamite this week.

According to Wrestling Observer‘s Dave Meltzer, Chris Jericho and MVP came to verbal blows in a hotel in Houston, Texas. “Jericho was talking to Matt Hardy and MVP shows up. Most people didn’t know what was up and thought he was kidding around until it became clear he wasn’t kidding,” Meltzer explained. Apparently the argument may have hinged on an issue between the two that dates back 18 months.

Apparently no punches were thrown, nor was there a physical altercation of any kind, but it seems likely that might have been the case had the two not been separated. “Nothing bad happened even though it was a tense situation. Jericho did tell him that he doesn’t fight jobbers when he got in the elevator ad MVP was screaming it in the lobby,” Meltzer went on to say.

Jericho and MVP will have shared a WWE locker room in the past, but not for a very long time. By the time MVP returned for his latest stint in WWE during the 2020 men’s Royal Rumble, Jericho had already become All Elite. In fact, it has been more than 12 years since the two were in the same match together. Coincidentally, that match was the 2010 Royal Rumble.

As for why the two of them don’t get along to the point that they openly fought, at least verbally, remains unknown. What would happen if the two of them had been allowed to fight, that’s anyone’s guess. MVP seems like a pretty tough guy, but apparently Jericho once managed to restrain Goldberg backstage, so he’s definitely not someone you’d want to mess with if it can be avoided.

Source: TheSportster

Will Ospreay Debuts On AEW Dynamite, Leads United Empire Invasion

Cheeky Englishman Will Ospreay and his United Empire comrades ambushed FTR and Trent Beretta on this week’s AEW Dynamite on TBS.

Will Ospreay made his All Elite Wrestling debut when he and his United Empire cronies (Aaron Henare, Mark Davis, and Kyle Fletcher) ambushed FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) and Trent Beretta on this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS.

It all went down at the Cable Dahmer Arena in Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday, June 8. The segment began with Trent Beretta cutting a promo in which he addressed the ROH World Tag Team Title match from the May 25 edition of Dynamite, which ended in a double disqualification when United Empire member Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb interfered, allowing FTR to retain the gold while screwing Roppongi Vice in the process.

FTR came to the ring and informed Trent that he needs to take his grievances up with “Will Ospreay’s bitch boys” in United Empire … and then the man himself arrived on the scene.

Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion appeared on the ramp, which distracted FTR and Trent long enough for Aaron Henare and Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) to ambush the trio from behind. Ospreay got involved in the ensuing brawl which allowed United Empire to maintain the upper hand and leave their enemies reeling. Ospreay hit Rent with a Hidden Blade and the UE celebrated as the segment drew to a close.

Later in the night, it was announced that Ospreay and Aussie Open would take on FTR and Trent in trios action on this week’s Rampage.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1534700811808292864
https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1534701329125367808

Ospreay was sidelined with a neck injury last May and was forced to relinquish the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship he’d won the previous month at Sakura Genesis. Ospreay sustained the injury during a match against Shingo Takagi, who would go on to defeat Kazuchika Okada for the vacant championship at Dominion on June 7.

The Essex boy shocked the wrestling world when he gatecrashed NJPW’s Resurgence event which emanated live from The Torch at LA Coliseum in Los Angeles, California on Saturday, August 14. The 28-year-old revealed that he was medically cleared to compete and proclaimed that he was the rightful IWGP World Heavyweight Champion since he never actually lost the title.

Source: TheSportster

AEW Introduces All-Atlantic Title, First Champion To Be Crowned At Forbidden Door

A brand new title that was unveiled on Wednesday night and the plans for how a new champion (AEW All-Atlantic Champion) will be crowned were revealed. Yes, there’s going to be another tournament, but this one’s a little different, and it’s already underway.

The match to decide the first-ever All-Atlantic Champion will be a Fatal 4-Way. Eight wrestlers will get the opportunity to qualify through four different matches, the first of which took place on Wednesday night. Buddy Matthews faced off against Pac, with the latter booking his spot, and a chance to become the first All-Atlantic Champion, at Forbidden Door.

Since it’s an AEW championship, three of the spots will be going to AEW wrestlers. The other two qualifying matches will feature Ethan Page battling against the returning Miro, and Malakai Black versus Penta. The fourth spot will go to a New Japan star, giving someone from the promotion the chance to become the first All-Atlantic Champion. Who exactly will get that opportunity is yet to be announced.

The All-Atlantic championship will be the sixth title introduced to AEW, joining the World, TNT, Women’s, TBS, and Tag Titles. Tony Khan has already revealed there will be Trios Titles added in the future, and has considered bringing in Women’s Tag Titles too. The introduction of the All-Atlantic Championship came as quite a surprise, and will likely fill a similar role to the one the Intercontinental Title does in WWE.

Source: TheSportster

AEW Dynamite Preview 6/8/22

The chase for the interim AEW World Championship begins on tonight’s “Dynamite” from the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri. (Kansas City area)

Tonight’s show will open with a battle royal. A list of participants has not been announced. However, an ad for tonight’s show mentions a “star-studded field” while showing images of Penta Oscuro, Miro, Powerhouse Hobbs, Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin, and Wardlow.

The following line-up is announced for tonight:

  • Battle Royal to face Jon Moxley in the main event
  • Jon Moxley vs. Battle Royal winner
  • Hangman Page vs. David Finlay

CM Punk Announces Injury, Interim AEW World Champion To Be Crowned

Just five nights after capturing the AEW World Championship at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view in Las Vegas, CM Punk announced that he has an injury that will require surgery.

Punk appeared live on Friday’s “Rampage” to make the announcement.

“When I got here earlier today, I pulled up to the arena and every bone in my body was screaming at me to turn around and go home and go hug my wife and Larry [my dog],” Punk began. “And when I say every bone in my body, I mean even the broken ones. But my brain told me to stay, and my gut told me that everybody here live deserved an explanation – so here I am.

“Since I stepped foot here in All Elite Wrestling, I told you I would give you my all till the wheels fell off. I got good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?”

Punk continued, “The last thing I ever want to feel is that I’m letting any one of you down. The last thing I ever wanted to do was leave you feeling disappointed. So I hope thus far, I haven’t made you feel that way.

“I have loved every single second I’ve been in this ring, every single time I’ve been in this ring in front of all of you has been a gift I never thought I’d be able to experience again.”

Punk revealed he requires surgery to repair an injury.

“So, here’s the bad news – I’m injured and need surgery. A couple of things are broken. The biggest one is my heart because I love nothing more than to perform for all of you, and I wanted to go on one hell of a run. That’s the bad news.

“The good news is, I can still do all that. I told you I was going to go till the wheels fall off, and the wheels are still there, they haven’t fallen off. It’s just that one of them happens to be broken. I’ve come back from worse, I’ve felt better than I feel today, but I’m also here to tell you that I’ve felt a hell of a lot worse.”

Punk then referred to the situation as just “a bump in the road” before putting over AEW’s talented young roster. He added that he didn’t want to hold up the company and will relinquish the title. In conclusion, Punk promised to come back bigger, faster, stronger, and hungrier than ever before. You can see the entire promo segment below.

AEW later announced that an interim AEW World Champion will be crowned. A battle royal will be held on Wednesday’s “Dynamite” with the winner advancing to face the #1 ranked contender Jon Moxley later that same night. The winner of that match will advance to compete for the interim AEW World Championship at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view on June 26.

Although CM Punk didn’t specify the nature of the injury, he had a noticeable limp during an off-camera segment with MJF earlier this week on “Dynamite.” It’s possible that he suffered the injury during a six-man tag team match where Punk & FTR defeated Max Caster & The Gunn Club. He was also not wearing one of his boots during a backstage photo with FTR.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Rampage Preview 6/3/22

“AEW Rampage” is back in its regular timeslot and broadcasting live tonight from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

The arena is located just miles away from Rancho Cucamonga, the hometown of The Young Bucks. They’re scheduled to be in action tonight against their longtime rivals the Lucha Brothers.

The following line-up is announced for tonight:

  • TNT Championship Match: Dante Martin vs. Scorpio Sky (c)
  • Lucha Bros. vs. The Young Bucks
  • Athena vs. Kiera Hogan