AEW Dynamite Preview 2/10/2021

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

* Ryan Nemeth vs. PAC

* World Title Eliminator Tournament First Round Match: Thunder Rosa vs. Leyla Hirsch

* Chris Jericho and MJF vs. The Acclaimed

* Cody Rhodes and Lee Johnson vs. Cezar Bononi and Peter Avalon

* TNT Champion Darby Allin defends against Joey Janela

* AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and KENTA vs. Jon Moxley and Lance Archer in a “Falls Count Anywhere, Anything Goes” match

* Tony Schiavone to interview Sting

* Hangman Page will speak

Dustin Rhodes Asks Fans To Pray For Terry Funk

AEW star Dustin Rhodes took to Twitter to ask fans to pray for WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk.

Rhodes revealed that he talked to the 76-year-old today and that he is in a lot of pain.

He tweeted, “Just got off the phone with Terry Funk. He is in a lot of pain and could use some prayers. One of the greatest #TrueLegends to ever be in the ting. Appreciate y’all”

Last Thursday, Funk sent out a video on Twitter asking fans to please stop sending fan mail to his home.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Details On AEW – NJPW Working Relationship

The wrestling world was stunned when KENTA attacked Jon Moxley on AEW Dynamite following the end of the main event. The two are set to face off for Moxley’s IWGP United States Championship at NJPW Strong and follows Moxley’s attack on KENTA at the last NJPW Strong show.

On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed that AEW and NJPW are in a working relationship. He said that a deal needed to be made for NJPW to have Moxley on their shows to defend the U.S. Title and in return, KENTA would show up on Dynamite.

Post-Dynamite, AEW World Champion Kenny Omega met up with KENTA backstage. Things did not go smoothly between them with KENTA telling Omega to “shut the f**k up.” However, Omega challenged Moxley and Lance Archer to a Lights Out, Falls Count Anywhere Match where he would team up with KENTA.

The future of AEW and NJPW’s relationship is unclear going forward due to the pandemic, travel restrictions and quarantine preventing talents from both companies traveling to and from the U.S. and Japan. Meltzer noted that KENTA could easily crossover because he lives in Orlando, and it is possible for other NJPW talent that live in the U.S. to possibly crossover as well.

Meltzer also noted that there are people in AEW that cannot wait to go back to Japan. He followed up by saying that once travel restrictions and quarantine regulations are cleared up, anything is possible including IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Kota Ibushi and AEW World Champion Omega facing off, something that the two want to happen someday.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

KENTA Appeared At AEW ‘Beach Break’

Former WWE Superstar and current New Japan Pro Wrestling roster member KENTA has appeared on AEW programming for the first time.

KENTA showed up at the end of this week’s special Dynamite episode, which was titled “Beach Break.”

The man formerly known as Hideo Itami invaded the ring with his face covered and attacked Jon Moxley following the main event. He then pulled down his face mask to reveal himself before hitting Mox with a G2S.

The New Japan star — who was wearing a “G2Sleep” Bullet Club t-shirt — also stared down former Bullet Club member Kenny Omega.

Check out KENTA’s AEW debut in the clip below.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

AEW Dynamite ‘Beach Break’ Preview 2/3/2021

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

* Lance Archer vs. Eddie Kingston in a Lumberjack Match

* The wedding of Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford

* Dr. Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa

* Tag Team Battle Royal to determine the new #1 contenders to AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks for a title shot at Revolution

* AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Impact World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers vs. Jon Moxley, PAC and Rey Fenix

* Matt Hardy and Hangman Page vs. Chaos Project

Shaq’s Super Bowl Event To Feature WWE Stars, However No AEW Talent

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre and The Miz are scheduled to participate in The Shaq Bowl during Super Bowl Weekend, which is being put on by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.

Shaq is currently working a storyline in AEW, but there are no AEW wrestlers participating in Shaq’s Super Bowl event. Shaq recently challenged AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes to a match in March, likely at the Revolution pay-per-view, and Cody responded on Dynamite this week. It looks like the match will feature Cody and Red Velvet vs. Shaq and Jade Cargill, but AEW has not made it official.

The Shaq Bowl will feature Team Kansas City (The Miz, Steve-O, Quavo, Olivia Culpo, Ezekiel Elliott, Diplo) vs. Team Tampa Bay (McIntyre, Winnie Harlow, Tim Tebow, Offset, Nelly, Anthony Anderson). The three-hour event airs on Sunday, February 7 at 3pm ET, live on Facebook.https://2b587de40aba6b4f74eb90081917f385.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Below is the Shaq Bowl promotional poster, along with full details in the official announcement sent to us this week:

Shaquille O’Neal Takes On The Biggest Sunday In Sports with ‘Mercari Presents The SHAQ Bowl’ – The Ultimate Big Game Kickoff Show Live from Tampa on Sunday, Feb. 7

Migos, DJ Diesel, And Superstar Special Guest TBA To Headline The Halftime Show Presented by Pepsi Stronger Together

Hosted by Terrell Owens & Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson; Featuring Ezekiel Elliott, Anthony Anderson, Nelly, Tim Tebow, Quavo, Offset, Winnie Harlow, Olivia Culpo, Diplo, Drew McIntyre, The Miz and More Competing in Live Challenges. Plus, an epic live performance from Bryson Tiller presented by Papa John’s

New York, New York – The biggest Sunday in sports just got SHAQ sized – Shaquille O’Nealis set to bring his unrivaled game-day energy to millions of living rooms with the ultimate Big Game Sunday Kick-Off Show: Mercari Presents The SHAQ Bowl. Broadcasting live from Tampa, FL in a custom-built SHAQ Bowl stadium, the all-new event will feature professional athletes, celebrities, and A-list stars across two teams competing in fun, viral challenges to win the first-ever SHAQ Bowl Trophy. The live three hour special begins Sunday, February 7, at 3:00 PM ET and is available for free on Facebook (@SHAQ) and via SHAQBowl.com. Additionally, it will be simulcasted by LiveXLive across 20+ other platforms including: LiveXLive, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Twitter and more.

“The Big Game looks pretty different than it has in years past. With no in-person events, I decided to team up with Mercari to create The SHAQ Bowl and connect fans across America on the biggest Sunday in sports,” said Shaquille O’Neal. “We’ve got celebrity fueled viral challenges, plus a superstar musical line-up for our Halftime Show. Be prepared for the most exciting and action-packed kickoff event ever!”

Known as the Big Game Weekend’s most in-demand and buzzed-about event, Shaq’s Fun House returns as The SHAQ Bowl. Hosted by Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, 4x Pro-Bowler Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, and Sarah Walsh, featuring an unrivaled slate of celebrity guests, SHAQ is inviting America to join him for the biggest kickoff event of all-time.

The SHAQ Bowl Halftime Show Presented by Pepsi Stronger Together will feature Multi-Platinum recording artist Migos, DJ Diesel, and a Superstar Special Guest TBA, in a one-of-a-kind performance. Plus, Pepsi will present Restaurant Battles, showcasing four local Tampa restaurants live on The SHAQ Bowl competing for a $10,000 grant.

The Corona® brand is bringing beach vibes and game-day excitement to fans at home as The Official Beer and Hard Seltzer of The SHAQ Bowl. Papa John’s® is serving up its all-new Epic Stuffed Crust featuring an epic performance from Bryson Tiller presented by Papa John’s. Fans at home will do what moves them and enjoy a BACARDÍ Coco Conga – The Official Cocktail of The SHAQ Bowl.

Mercari presents The SHAQ Bowl will showcase professional athletes, A-list celebrities, and musical artists in a series of showstopping viral challenges. The full list of participating talent includes:

* Team Kansas City – Diplo, Ezekiel Elliott, Olivia Culpo, Quavo, Steve-O, The Miz

* Team Tampa Bay – Anthony Anderson, Drew McIntyre, Nelly, Offset, Tim Tebow, Winnie Harlow

Mercari Presents The SHAQ Bowl Celebrity Challenges Live From Tampa:

* #PassTheBall Challenge Presented by Mercari – A sports obstacle course that will include football, basketball, golf, and more

* Celebrity Dodgeball – Prepare for the ultimate game of celebrity dodgeball

* Hot Wing Challenge Presented by Truff – Shaquille O’Neal will find out who can handle the heat in this hot wing battle featuring Truff hot sauce

* Tug-of-War Presented by JCPenney – The biggest battle of strength will be officiated by Shaquille O’Neal

* Dance Challenge Presented by Aéropostale – Shaquille O’Neal will serve as a judge when the teams bring their swagger to the dance floor

* Six-Pack Challenge Presented by Emsculpt Neo – Witness the celebrity teams as they duke it out in a sit-up challenge to determine which team has the most grit and which celebrity has the strongest core

* Sauce Showdown Presented by Skillshare – Bring “all the boys to the yard” with a game day skill test led by famed “Milkshake” R&B singer and chef Kelis

* Surf’s Up Challenge Presented by Nautica – An ocean-inspired challenge to test which team can last the longest on a mechanical surfboard

In addition to the celebrity challenges, Shaquille O’Neal will join in on the fun with one very special challenge:

* Shaquille O’Neal vs Bryson The #EpicStuffs Challenge Presented by Papa John’s – An epic race between SHAQ and Bryson Tiller in Papa John’s Epic Stuffed Chair, the ultimate sports-watching seat to enjoy the new Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza.

Mercari, The Presenting Partner of The SHAQ Bowl, connects millions of people across the U.S. to shop and sell almost anything. Aiming to empower the next generation of athletes by giving them access to pre-loved equipment and gear, sellers on Mercari have the opportunity to ‘Pass the Ball’ to those following in their footsteps. “Mercari is delighted to bring a new element of fun to this year’s all-new Mercari Presents The SHAQ Bowl,” said John Lagerling, Mercari US CEO. “This has been a challenging year for many Americans, and at its core, Mercari is about connecting people. We look forward to partnering with SHAQ to bring people together across America in what is sure to be Big Game Sunday’s most exciting event.” The partnership is highlighted by the forthcoming Mercari x SHAQ Bowl shop, which will offer limited edition SHAQ Bowl signed memorabilia to benefit The Boys & Girls Club of America. Fans can learn more about the shop at SHAQBOWL.com.

The SHAQ Bowl Halftime Show Presented by Pepsi Stronger Together – Pepsi’s series of grassroots initiatives bringing tailored programming to communities around the country – will feature Multi-Platinum recording artist Migos, DJ Diesel, and a Superstar Special Guest TBA in a one-of-a-kind performance. In addition, Pepsi Stronger Together is partnering with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) to donate $100,000 in grants to help struggling bay-area restaurants. Through the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA), Pepsi and the NRAEF will award $10,000 grants to Tampa restaurants – recipients of which will be announced live during the SHAQ Bowl!

“Shaq has been an invaluable partner for Pepsi Stronger Together, helping us give back to communities around the country while inspiring people to take action,” said Derek Lewis, President, South Division, PepsiCo Beverages North America. “We have seen an incredible response in cities from Miami to Memphis, Louisville to Washington, D.C. – from a charitable food drive, a community basketball court refurbishment, to mentorship programs with local universities – and we are thrilled to be able to give back to Tampa Bay small business community with the wildly popular SHAQ Bowl as a platform.”

Papa John’s has teamed up once again with Shaquille O’Neal, a Papa John’s board member and restaurant owner to showcase the brand’s all-new Epic Stuffed Crust. During The SHAQ Bowl, Papa John’s will present a performance from legendary artist Bryson Tiller, known for his 2016 breakout TrapSoul, which paved the way for his musical career while an employee at Papa John’s. Most of all, fans won’t want to miss SHAQ vs Bryson in “The #EpicStuffs Challenge presented by Papa John’s,” where the pair will race to the finish line in a Papa John’s Epic Stuffed Chair, the grand prize of the Epic Stuffs Sweepstakes the company is holding from now until February 14th. To learn how to enter and see rules, visit http://www.papajohns.com/sweepstakes.

In a year where tailgates are fewer and watch parties are more intimate, BACARDÍ is bringing game-day excitement to fans at home with its Coco Conga, a delicious coconut mojito, the official cocktail of The SHAQ Bowl. BACARDÍ encourages fans across the globe to “do what moves you” with the cocktail inspired by the brand’s reimagining of the global hit ‘Conga’ releasing this week.

Corona® will present a special segment full of surprises with some of Shaquille O’Neals closest friends.

Skillshare is excited to bring one of its celebrity teachers, Grammy-nominated artist turned cooking icon Kelis, to The SHAQ Bowl. Kelis’ sauce-making class is one of tens of thousands of classes that Skillshare members can explore, including illustration, photography, film, design, productivity, and so much more. In addition to teaching a new skill to each participant and judging their new found mastery, or lack thereof, she’ll also provide recipe demos for viewers at home looking to up their game day sauce regime.

Xersion® activewear, available only at JCPenney, has created the custom jerseys for SHAQ’s celebrity teams which will compete in a series of viral challenges including Tug of War Presented by JCPenney. SHAQ will officiate Tug of War as the teams battle it out in what is sure to be a highlight of the show! Xersion activewear is built for performance and inspires the Motivation to Move, regardless of size or fitness level.

During the trying times of today, the thought of a six-pack is going straight to the store and bypassing the gym. Watch some of your favorite celebrities take on a six-pack challenge brought to you by Emsculpt Neo, the first FDA-cleared 2-in-1 body contouring treatment that simultaneously melts fat while building muscle. Who will survive? Which celebrity contestants will be smart enough to seek out Emsculpt Neo in advance to get 12-16 weeks of HIIT training in, 30% fat reduction and a 25% increase in muscle?

The SHAQ Bowl is produced by Medium Rare, in partnership with ABG Entertainment. Medium Rare’strack record at Big Game Weekend is second to none with some of the most viral events in history including Gronk Beach and Shaq’s Fun House. Now pulling in huge audiences for primetime broadcasts, Medium Rare recently produced The Sports Illustrated Awards, SHAQ vs GRONK, and Black Entrepreneurs Day. This live broadcast merging incredible celebrity fueled challenges, a halftime show, and championship predictions from some of the greatest names in the game, will be no exception as it’s poised to be watched by millions of fans around the country.

“We are incredibly excited to deliver Mercari Presents The SHAQ Bowl to millions of Americans on the biggest day for sports and entertainment of the year. There is a real need for an entertainment driven Big Game kickoff show and The SHAQ Bowl will not only be a warm-up to the Big Game, but a pop culture phenomenon in its own right.” -Joe Silberzweig and Adam Richman, Medium Rare

“Building off of the success of the innovative events we have co-produced with Medium Rare, we are incredibly proud to unveil The SHAQ Bowl as an extraordinary Big Game show watched by millions of fans around the country and developed in partnership with some of the greatest names in the business,” said Marc Rosen, President – Entertainment at ABG.

The SHAQ Bowl will air live from Tampa on Sunday, February 7th from a brand-new, custom built studio. The live, three-hour special begins at 3:00 PM ET and is available for free on Facebook (@SHAQ) and via SHAQBowl.com. Additionally, it will be simulcasted by LiveXLive across 20+ other platforms including: LiveXLive, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Twitter and more.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dynamite Preview 1/27/2021

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

* Hangman Page vs. Ryan Nemeth

* Chris Jericho and MJF vs. The Varsity Blondes

* Dr. Britt Baker vs. Shanna

* Lance Archer vs. Eddie Kingston

* Dax Harwood vs. Jungle Boy (Cash Wheeler and Tully Blanchard will be handcuffed to Luchasaurus to prevent outside interference)

* AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks and Impact Wrestling World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers vs. The Dark Order

* Cody Rhodes will respond to recent comments from NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal

* Sting and TNT Champion Darby Allin will discuss their Revolution Street Fight against Brian Cage and Ricky Starks

* Jon Moxley will discuss his Beach Break six-man match with PAC and Rey Fenix vs. AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Impact World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers

Tama Tonga Calls Out Kenny Omega And The Good Brothers For “Bullet Club” Reunion

Many wrestling fans were stoked to see a Bullet Club reunion with Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and The Good Brothers throwing up the “Too Sweet” symbol on AEW Dynamite. The trio of Omega and The Good Brothers then took part in a six-man tag match at Impact Wrestling’s Hard to Kill as part of the AEW-Impact partnership.

But one person who wasn’t thrilled to see this reunion is founding Bullet Club member Tama Tonga. He called out Omega and The Good Brothers for being part of the “Bootleg Club” on his Tama’s Island podcast.

“If I was Dave Meltzer, I would have given the shirt 5 stars and given Kenny Omega 2 stars because his tan was more orange than a damn pumpkin! Who taught you how to tan, bro? Damn! You need to stop using that maple syrup as tanning because that’s not it, bro. That’s not it,” said Tonga.

“And let me tell you something, Karl Anderson, nice sweatshirt. I like it. I’ll give you props cause you’re an OG. But I’m gonna correct everybody that’s been saying, ‘Oh he’s an OG.’ Are y’all f***ing crazy? Are y’all f***ing out of your mind? You haven’t been in the group for five f***ing years, bro! You’ve gone onto greener pastures and you don’t have no say no more in Bullet Club. You know no longer claim Bullet Club. You were the OC. You were Bullet Proof. You were Bullet Brigade. You were the Bullet nobody cares. You were this. You were that. How many godd**n times are you gonna try, dog? It ain’t gonna work. When you ain’t got the heart and soul in it, it’s just bulls***.”

Anderson and Gallows departed the Bullet Club – and New Japan – in 2016 to join WWE and then Omega departed two years later to form AEW. Thus, the three didn’t leave the stable on the best of terms as they were essentially kicked out by the remaining members.

Tonga says that the reunion would have been great if it had taken place back in Japan but since it didn’t, the reunion made no sense for three people who were originally kicked out of the group.

“It would have been all gravy if they came back to Japan. There would have been a big ass reunion. I would have thrown a party. I would have gotten like 900 sponsors all over the place. We would have thrown out everything for these guys,” stated Tonga.

“And you sold out to the one team that we kicked out? How are you gonna have a reunion with guys that got kicked out? What kind of sh** it that, bro? What kind of sh** is that? That’s the dumbest, stupidest sh** I ever heard, bro. Y’all can’t get any dumber than that but I expect that. I expected you guys to play that stupid card. C’mon, you can do better than that, Karl Smanderson and Luke Smallows. Come on man!”

After being released by WWE, The Good Brothers could have returned to New Japan where they were three-time IWGP Tag Team Champions. But they elected to join Impact Wrestling and that doesn’t sit well with Tonga.

“Once a sellout, always a sellout. Never forget that,” Tonga said of Gallows and Anderson. “They’re always about that quick buck and whoring off, knowing the right time to pull the trigger. You guys are a bunch of, ‘Click. Click. Click. Click… No BANG!’ Nothing.

“The ‘Too Sweet’ heard around the world? F**k all that nonsense. That stupid-ass f***ery. That sh** is whack anyway. We done moved on. We done moved on.”

After the Bullet Club Reunion on Dynamite, AEW has filed a trademark to the ‘Too Sweet’ phrase. Omega, Gallows and Anderson then teamed as “The Elite” on an episode of Dynamite and some fans have argued that the Elite is further promoting the Bullet Club brand.

Tonga argues against that notion and says the members of the Elite are only out for themselves and don’t care about the Bullet Club.

“The only people they’re advertising are themselves, not Bullet Club. And you all should have known that when they did the whole Elite thing,” said Tonga. “‘Oh, the Elite made Bullet Club more famous.’ B***h, the Elite made the Elite more famous, not the Bullet Club. But that’s how they were able to go on. They used Bullet Club to go on and do their other sh**. They used us as a platform and let’s not forget that bulls***. Come on now! They used us, they used ROH. Who else did they use?

“I’m gonna tell you this – remember this – how you treat people on the way up is how they’re gonna treat you on the way down. Don’t forget that! Look at them struggling right now, man. Struggling so bad and so desperate, ‘Oh, let’s bring Bullet Club and all the ex-members.’ What kind of dumb sh** is that? I’ve never seen anything so dumb before. Karl Anderson, I expected more man. But I guess I was wrong. I guess five years out there in New York really cluttered your brain.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Confirms Sting Will Compete In A Street Fight At Revolution

All Elite Wrestling has officially confirmed that Sting will team up with Darby Allin to take on Team Taz in a Street Fight at Revolution

In case you missed it, Team Taz laid down a challenge to “The Icon” and Darby on this week’s edition of Dynamite.

“You wanna take it to the streets? Balls in your court, bitches,” Taz said in a backstage promo aimed at Sting and the TNT Champion, who were in the ring.

“Be careful what you wish for,” Darby replied, before leaving with the ring alongside the WWE Hall of Famer.

The match was officially confirmed by AEW on social media on Thursday. It will be Darby Allin and Sting vs. Brian Cage and Ricky Starks in a Street Fight at Revolution February 27.

This will be Sting’s first match since retiring due to injury following a match with Seth Rollins in September of 2015.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

AEW Dynamite Preview 1/20/21

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

* Peter Avalon vs. Cody Rhodes

* Penelope Ford vs. Leyla Hirsch

* Chris Jericho and MJF vs. Santana and Ortiz vs. Sammy Guevara and Jake Hager (Winner is the official tag team of the Inner Circle)

* Hangman Page, Colt Cabana, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds vs. The Hybrid2 and Chaos Project (Page to give his answer on joining the group after the match)

* Top Flight and Matt Sydal vs. Matt Hardy and Private Party

* Miro to give an update on his new butler Chuck Taylor

* Jon Moxley in action

* Sting to congratulate AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin

* AEW World Champion Kenny Omega to reflect on his dominance