Category: AEW

AEW Dynamite Moving To TBS Next Year, New AEW Rampage TV Show To Premiere Soon

AEW President, CEO, General Manager & Head Of Creative Tony Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio and announced a new agreement with WarnerMedia.

The new agreement will see AEW Dynamite move to TBS in 2022.

It was also revealed that a new TV show, called AEW Rampage, will premiere on Friday nights at 10pm ET. The one-hour TNT show will premiere on Friday, August 13.

Rampage will move to TBS with Dynamite in 2022.

Khan also revealed that AEW will begin airing quarterly TV specials on TNT in 2022.

Khan noted that AEW has renegotiated their contract with TNT and TBS. More details will be announced soon as the WarnerMedia Upfronts are being held today, which explains the timing of Khan’s announcement. The 2019 Upfronts are when WarnerMedia presented AEW for the launch of Dynamite.

On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer answered questions from fans regarding the deal. About the four supercard specials that will be airing TNT, it is similar to WCW’s “Clash of the Champions” specials, however that is trademarked by WWE. AEW will have to use a different name similar to AEW using “Beach Break” instead of “Bash at the Beach.”

Rampage is scheduled to air on Friday nights at 10 p.m. ET on TNT, which will be after SmackDown has ended. Meltzer noted that the show is expected to be aired live at times, especially on a week before a PPV. While everything is up in the air right now, the expectation is that Rampage, on most nights, will tape on Wednesday.

Rampage and Dynamite will both move to TBS in January.

It has been reported that this new deal between Warner Media and AEW has presented a “financial upside” for AEW. Some fans have questioned if AEW’s use of blood and profanity will change when they move to TBS with that station being more sitcom heavy. However, it was noted there will not be a change, and they’ll be under the same standards of practice.

Many fans have pointed out that the TNT Title might have to change its name due to changing stations. However, Meltzer said that the plan right now is to keep the title as is.

AEW is seeing an increase in revenue with this expanded TV deal. This has fans speculating on if this allows AEW to have the financial means to sign big free agents like Brock Lesnar and Daniel Bryan. Meltzer dismissed the likelihood of Lesnar signing with AEW. As for Bryan, he said that AEW’s added finances most likely won’t make a huge difference. Bryan is a free agent after his contract reportedly expired, but it is unknown what his next move will be.

In terms of financials, it was originally reported that AEW is making an “eight-figure payday”. Meltzer confirmed that AEW is making over $10 million with this expanded TV deal.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Says Austin Gunn Out 8-10 Weeks Due To Injury

AEW has announced that Austin Gunn, who faced Anthony Ogogo on this week’s AEW Dynamite, sustained injuries during the match and will be out of action for 8-10 weeks.

A few hours after Dynamite went off the air, AEW tweeted:

The one-sided contest saw Ogogo striking his opponent several times in the gut, which led to Gunn bleeding from his mouth. When the referee tried to stop the match initially, Gunn stopped him and went for a single leg takedown but to no avail. Ogogo eventually hit Gunn with a pop-up punch to the face, and the referee called off the match.

This was only Ogogo’s second televised match in AEW. His last match was against Cole Karter on the Apr. 14 episode of Dynamite. The English boxer-turned-wrestler will face Cody Rhodes at Double or Nothing on May 30.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dynamite Preview 5/19/21

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite episode airs on TNT at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. On tonight’s show, the entire Double or Nothing (May 30) PPV card will be revealed.

* The Inner Circle will respond to The Pinnacle’s Stadium Stampede challenge

* The full Double Or Nothing card will be revealed

* New TNT Champion Miro will speak

* Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston vs. The Acclaimed

* Christian Cage vs. Matt Sydal

* Anthony Ogogo vs. Austin Gunn

* NWA World Women’s Champion Serena Deeb defends against Red Velvet

* AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks defend against The Varsity Blonds

* AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Rebel in a Women’s World Title Eliminator

Kenny Omega And Andrade’s Mega Title Match Confirmed For Triplemania XXIX

AAA has confirmed Kenny Omega will defend the Mega Championship against Andrade at Triplemania XXIX.

Kenny Omega has had time to think about it and decided he would like to defend the Mega Championship against Andrade at Triplemania. Omega will return to the Mexican promotion to defend its richest prize this summer at Triplemania XXIX. The promotion also confirmed its biggest event of the year will take place on August 14, 2021, with a limited number of fans in attendance.

Andrade made a surprise appearance in AAA via a video package earlier this month, at which point he challenged Omega to a title match. Omega responded, telling Andrade he was very busy and would have to get back to him.  The Mega Champion found some time in his busy schedule to properly reply to Andrade’s challenge, accepting the match and telling the former WWE Superstar he should be thankful Omega is flying the flag for lucha libre.

In defense of Omega, he is a pretty busy guy right now. Being the World Champion for three different promotions comes with a pretty packed schedule. Following the announcement of his match at Triplemania, Omega now knows when he will have to defend each of those titles next. The Mega Title at Triplemania, the Impact Championship at Against All Odds, and his AEW Title later this month at Double or Nothing.

The women’s divisions in Impact and AAA are also set to merge at Triplemaina. Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo will defend her title against AAA Women’s Champion Faby Apache. As was the case when Omega faced Rich Swann earlier this year, the winner of this match will leave Triplemania with both titles. Wrestling’s forbidden door has truly never been more open.

Andrade fans won’t have to wait until Triplemania to see the lucha star back in action. The former NXT Champion currently has a match booked in June, and will also face Alberto Del Rio in July. As for where Andrade will land on a more permanent basis, he has teased a number of landing spots. The most recent reports suggest AEW will be his promotion of choice. Perhaps he will show up on Dynamite to confront Omega.

Source: The Sportster

Chris Jericho Reportedly Out Of Action For 4-6 Weeks

Chris Jericho will reportedly be out of action for 4-6 weeks.

On Thursday, it was revealed that Jericho suffered a legitimate left elbow injury during the fall from the Blood & Guts cage on the May 5 AEW Dynamite show. This is why Jericho wore the brace on his arm during this week’s Dynamite segment with The Inner Circle and The Pinnacle.

In an update, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Jericho suffered a dislocated elbow in the fall off the cage at the end of the Blood & Guts match.

The Pinnacle is set to face The Inner Circle in a Stadium Stampede match at the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view on Sunday, May 30, and this week’s Dynamite indicated that Jericho will be working that match. However, the Observer added that Jericho will be out of action for 4-6 weeks.

There is no word yet on how Jericho will work the Stadium Stampede match with the elbow injury, but we will keep you updated.

Jericho recently discussed the story behind the Blood & Guts cage bump, while addressing criticism and complaints from fans. He also said he wouldn’t change anything with the finish of the match, but wouldn’t do the bump again. You can click here for his in-depth comments on the finish.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Dynamite Match Ends Early After Orange Cassidy Gets Knocked Out, Original Plan Revealed

A match to decide Kenny Omega’s challenger at Double or Nothing had to be changed on the fly after Orange Cassidy was unable to continue.

Wrestling can be unpredictable at times, even to those who put the matches together. That seems to be more prevalent this week than usual. First Humberto Carrillo’s match-stopping injury on Raw, and now via the same thing for Orange Cassidy on Dynamite. Freshly Squeezed was unable to continue on Wednesday night leading to his match with Pac coming to a premature end.

While it’s unclear when exactly Cassidy was first injured in the match, a sunset powerbomb outside the ring was the move that seems to have finished Cassidy off. Despite his best efforts, Cassidy was unable to make it back to his feet in order to finish the match. An audible was called and the match was declared a no contest.

According to PWInsider, while the match was supposed to end in a draw, it was meant to go for another seven minutes, hitting the time limit. At that point, it would have been declared that Omega will face both men at Double or Nothing in a triple threat. Since Cassidy was hurt and the planned finish was a draw, the decision was made to end the match early so Cassidy could be checked.

Reports suggest Cassidy was briefly knocked out at some point but the belief he suffered a concussion may be unfounded. A follow-up report from PWInsider has confirmed Cassidy was okay and responsive when he got back to the locker room. Tony Schiavone confirmed after the match that the AEW Title will be defended in a three-way match at Double or Nothing.

Source: The Sportster

In an update from PWInsider, Cassidy is said to be “OK” and was seen socializing with a number of talents after Dynamite went off the air. The report added that Cassidy is expected to be “good to go” for the Triple Threat Match for the AEW World Championship with Kenny Omega and PAC at Double or Nothing on May 30.

AEW Star Ricky Starks Reportedly Is Out Of Action With A Fractured Neck

As first reported by Voices of Wrestling, and then later confirmed by F4WOnline, AEW star Ricky Starks is out of action with a fractured neck. 

Starks apparently suffered the injury during his match against Hangman Page on the April 21 episode of AEW Dynamite. 

The injury is said to have occurred when he tried to flip over after taking a german suplex from Page.  Instead of landing on his feet, he hit the mat awkwardly on his neck and then his ankle.  He finished the match, and took the pin. 

 He took to Twitter later after the match tp respond to a fan that he “was good” and also gave credit to DDP Yoga for his flexibility.

It should be noted that Starks appeared on the following week’s episode of AEW Dark in a tag match with Powerhouse Hobbs. He never participated in the match that lasted around 30 seconds. 

https://twitter.com/TheBlackConrad/status/1385049360568700930
https://twitter.com/starkmanjones/status/1385052955427082241

Source: WrestleView

AEW Dynamite Preview 5/12/21

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite episode airs on TNT at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.

* Jon Moxley (c) vs. Yuji Nagata (IWGP US Championship)

* The Young Bucks (c) vs. SCU (AEW World Tag Team Championship) – SCU will split up if they lose

* Darby Allin (c) vs. Miro (AEW TNT Championship)

* Orange Cassidy vs. PAC (AEW World Title #1 Contenders Match)

* Cody Rhodes to make Double or Nothing announcement

* Tony Schiavone interviews Jade Cargill

* The coronation of The Pinnacle

AEW Announces Return To Touring

AEW has announced that they are returning to live touring with upcoming Dynamite tapings on the road.

AEW will run Dynamite on July 7 from the James L. Knight Center in Miami; July 14 from the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas; and July 21 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, TX.

Tickets for all three Dynamite shows will go on sale this Friday, May 14, and will start at $30. Each event will be held in compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

AEW has also announced two re-scheduled live event dates for St. Louis, Missouri and New Orleans, Louisiana. The June 23 taping at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis will now take place on Friday, November 5, and will be a TV taping to air on TNT, but apparently not as a Dynamite show. The event scheduled for the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans will now take place on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, and will be a Dynamite taping.

“We’re so appreciative of our fans in Jacksonville who have been with us these past nine months,” said AEW President, CEO, General Manager and Head of Creative Tony Khan. “Their support and incredible energy have lifted us week after week, and viewers have fed off their enthusiasm and support. Daily’s Place will always be our home.

“Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to welcome our fans back to become part of the action in Miami, Austin and Dallas. We’ve missed touring cities, meeting the fans and hearing their roar during our live shows. Please be assured, we are working closely with the venues to comply with state and local regulations in each city. Miami, Austin and Dallas are the first of many as we gear up the trucks to travel around the country again!”

Below is the AEW announcement with full details on the return to touring:

AEW Dynamite Is Back On The Road With Live Ticketed Events In Miami, Austin, & Dallas

— Rescheduled Dates Announced for St. Louis and New Orleans Shows —

May 10, 2021 – After safely hosting 27 live, ticketed events throughout the past nine months at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Fla., AEW is bringing the excitement of its flagship show AEW DYNAMITE to Miami, Austin and Dallas this summer. AEW will become the first major wrestling promotion to safely return to a traveling schedule since March 2020.

The dates for the live shows in Miami, Austin and Dallas are:

* Wednesday, July 7: James L. Knight Center in Miami.

* Wednesday, July 14: H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas (greater Austin area)

* Wednesday, July 21: Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas (greater Dallas area)

General tickets for the three shows will go on sale this Friday, May 14, at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT via AEWTIX.com. At the same time, tickets for the Miami and Austin shows will be available via Ticketmaster.com, while tickets for the Dallas show can be purchased at CurtisCulwellCenter.com. Tickets start at $30 (not including service charges or fees). Each event will be held in compliance with state COVID safety guidelines, and seating capacities will adhere to state and local mandates.

“We’re so appreciative of our fans in Jacksonville who have been with us these past nine months, ” said Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. “Their support and incredible energy have lifted us week after week, and viewers have fed off their enthusiasm and support. Daily’s Place will always be our home.

“Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to welcome our fans back to become part of the action in Miami, Austin and Dallas. We’ve missed touring cities, meeting the fans and hearing their roar during our live shows. Please be assured, we are working closely with the venues to comply with state and local regulations in each city. Miami, Austin and Dallas are the first of many as we gear up the trucks to travel around the country again! ”

In the near future, AEW will be announcing additional live events for the late summer.

The company also announced two rescheduled dates for St. Louis and New Orleans:

* The show at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis on June 23 has been rescheduled for Friday, November 5, 2021. The live event will be an AEW TNT television taping.

* The show at the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans has been rescheduled for Wednesday, January, 12, 2022, as an AEW DYNAMITE event.

Fans who have already purchased tickets to either show will have their original tickets valid for admission to the respective rescheduled show, or they can receive a refund via the point of purchase.

As AEW continues to deliver the best matches and most entertaining moments in professional wrestling today, be sure to tune into AEW DYNAMITE every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on TNT.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE’s Reaction To AEW Blood And Guts Match

WWE officials “hated” the inaugural Blood and Guts match on last week’s AEW Dynamite, according to a report on PWInsider, which was first reported by Ringside News.

The report noted that one person in WWE management told Dave Scherer that the Blood and Guts match “set the business back 30 years.”

However, several active WWE Superstars, that Scherer spoke to, loved the match since “they would love to do something like that themselves.”

While there were no major injuries coming out of Blood and Guts, the 10 wrestlers involved in the match suffered a lot of bumps and bruises. Sammy Guevara of The Inner Circle posted a graphic photo to show off his nasty scars and welts, and Cash Wheeler tweeted a photo of his bloodied gear.

PWInsider noted that there was far more blood in the bout than originally intended.

The conclusion to the Blood and Guts match was a major talking point among fans. After MJF pushed Chris Jericho off the top of the cage, the camerawork exposed the cardboard-covered crash pad below the stage where Jericho landed.

Source: Wrestling Inc.