Category: TNA

Dustin Rhodes Talks About His Match With Cody At AEW Double Or Nothing – His Look, Bleeding So Much

From Goldust to Seven to The American Nightmare, Dustin Rhodes has had many different gimmicks and looks over the years. He debuted a new look against his brother Cody at Double or Nothing, and Dustin credits Cody with help inspiring his new costume.

Dustin talked more about his look at Double or Nothing when he joined Talk is Jericho.

“Me and Cody were talking about it and we were like, what do we do? He didn’t want just Dustin. He had his vision of what he wanted and he kind of left it in the ballpark of me and my faith to create something for my face,” said Dustin. “I had asked him what he was looking for? Did he want me in trunks? Did he want me in jeans? Did he want me in my old Dustin Rhodes gear? He said no, he didn’t want the cowboy carney ass bullsh*t he would say. He said that he really wanted me to look the very best that I can.”

Dustin said his look was a combination of previous costumes and new designs. He also said he worked his tail off to get in the best shape he could in order to go sleeveless, but he also said “Cody is the only Rhodes with abs.”

“He said that I was the artist on the paint and all that stuff to come up with something. I did it; I showed him some pictures. He loved it and Tony Khan loved it and that was it.

“I looked at the Darth Maul character [from Star Wars] as well. One of the paint jobs that I did for Goldust was kind of Darth Maul-ish but if I did the Darth Maul like Darth Maul, I just reversed the colors. I reversed the color so that it wouldn’t be a complete rip-off of Darth Maul. I added just a little bit here and there and I think it came off looking really good.”

Dustin donned a crimson mask during the match and left himself, Cody and the ring covered in blood. He was a bit nervous about there being so much blood at first, but in the end all of the blood helped tell the story between he and his brother.

“I know a lot of people were worried. I was worried. You do it and you saw it streaming out and it’s like, oh no, I went a little bit too deep and then 10 minutes go by and you’re like now I’m starting to worry a little bit,” admitted Dustin. “The ring is all red. I can’t see; it’s all in my eyes. I am trying to wipe it out but it just keeps shooting out to my heartbeat. It gets scary, but then after 15 minutes I’m like, I’m going to be okay. It’s going to be fine. You saw the fans’ faces in the front row and in the arena they are just horrified but into it. They can’t take their eyes off of it and it was an incredible man. I was so happy. I was so glad to be a part of that and I hope I did Cody proud.

“To me, I have always been told that red on the head is green in the pocket. I believe that to be true to an extent when it is used sparingly here and there. It was just right in every way that night. It might have been a little bit excessive but it added to the story. It added to the emotions and it just felt incredible and I am still on a huge high from this match. Twitter has never blown up for me like that and all of the social media is going crazy and to tell me that I stole the show from the great Chris Jericho that means a lot to me.”

Source: Talk Is Jericho via Wrestling Inc.

Eli Drake Announces Departure From Impact Wrestling, Backstage Notes

Former Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Eli Drake announced on Twitter yesterday that he is a free agent, taking bookings via Bookelidrake@gmail.com.

“After 4 years with Impact Wrestling, some ups, some downs, I would like to thank them for the overall great experience. Through those years, I had the fortune of carrying 3 different title belts, having my own talk show (Fact of Life), and was always given the trust to craft my own promos, virtually from day 1. I appreciate the chance that was taken on me and the trust I was given, as well as the friends and experiences I gained along the way. I wish Impact Wrestling nothing but continued success and growth going forward. Today, I am OFFICIALLY a FREE AGENT,” the statement read.

Drake and Impact recently agreed on a settlement regarding his termination and his non-compete clause, which paved the way for Tuesday’s announcement on being a free agent, according to PWInsider. Drake is now free to sign a deal with any wrestling promotion.

Despite issues between the two sides back in April, it sounds like the split was on somewhat good terms. PWInsider noted that one Impact executive told them, “We are happy to have the issue resolved and we wish Eli Drake well going forward.”

It was reported in early April that Drake had been released from his Impact contract on April 7, weeks before it was to expire on May 31, and that Impact officials were looking to stop him from signing with any other promotions by pursuing a breach of contract claim. It was also reported that Drake had heat from the company for speaking out against intergender wrestling.

Drake’s first post-Impact booking has been announced for the Championship Wrestling From Hollywood promotion on Father’s Day – Sunday, June 16 from The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California. Drake will do battle with UWN TV Champion Scorpio Sky and Eric Watts in a Triple Threat.

Drake had a Twitter exchange today with former Impact executive John Gaburick, who returned to work for WWE after leaving Impact in late 2017.

Gaburick responded to Drake’s Twitter statement and wrote, “Nice job kid. Class.”

Drake responded, ” Thank you, sir. I appreciate you. Thank you for the opportunity.”

There were rumors on Drake talking with WWE earlier this year, but that was never confirmed. We will keep you updated on any potential interest from WWE or AEW.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Impact World Champion Brian Cage Almost Worked AEW Double Or Nothing

Impact World Heavyweight Champion Brian Cage almost worked the recent All Elite Wrestling Double Or Nothing pay-per-view.

Cage was backstage in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Arena for Double Or Nothing and was prepared to wrestle, according to PWInsider. Impact officials found out Cage was there, contacted him and informed him that he could not appear due to his contract with the promotion.

There’s no word yet on what Cage would have done at Double Or Nothing, but it would have been a surprise appearance. Impact creative team member Tommy Dreamer worked the Casino Battle Royale on the Double Or Nothing “Buy In” pre-show, but he’s not under contract to any promotion.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Jon Moxley — AEW Debut Was Highlight Of My Career, ‘Totally Trumps’ Winning WWE Title

Jon Moxley — who wrestled at WrestleMania and once won the WWE Championship — says his surprise debut at Double or Nothing this weekend was the highlight of his career.

Mox was interviewed by a radio show called Flip the Strip and explained that the appearance at Double or Nothing means more to him than winning the WWE Championship.

“Across the street from MGM Grand a few years ago at T-Mobile [Arena] I won the WWE title, the title that I wanted to win as a kid ever since I saw Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels Iron Man match over that title … I went and did that. That was pretty cool. This totally trumps that,” Moxley stated.

Adding, “To stand on my own two feet, no WWE involvement whatsoever — even though they obviously made my name … but 12,000 people, or however many people were there, chanting Moxley was an indescribably satisfying feeling.”

Moxley also covers topics such as his interview with Chris Jericho, his reaction to Cody Rhodes smashing a throne, All Elite Wrestling being “for the boys by the boys,” a phone call he received this week from “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and more.

Listen to the full interview HERE.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

WWE Hall Of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr. Praises Cody And Dustin Rhodes For AEW Double Or Nothing Match

WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr. took to Twitter this week to praise Cody Rhodes and Dustin Rhodes for their match at AEW Double Or Nothing.

“They stole the show, folks. @CodyRhodes vs @DustinRhodes had the makings to be a great match. It exceeded that & delivered something special. Cody & Dustin are very talented. Versatile students of pro wrestling. Dusty would be very proud. Dustin showed 50 is the new 30,” DiBiase wrote.

You can see The Million Dollar Man’s full tweet below:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Impact Wrestling Preview 5/31/19

Scheduled for tonight’s Impact, airing on Pursuit and Twitch 10 ET/9 C.

* Johnny Impact & Michael Elgin vs. Rich Swann & Willie Mack

* Street Fight: Eddie Edwards vs. Killer Kross

* Glen Gilbertti vs. Tessa Blanchard

* Tommy Dreamer, RVD & Sabu vs. Moose & The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander)

* Desi Hit Squad vs. The Deaners

* Health update on Impact World Champion Brian Cage

AEW Double Or Nothing PPV Buys, Online Interest Tops WWE Shows

All Elite Wrestling’s Double Or Nothing pay-per-view is currently estimated at drawing around 98,000 buys, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. This number includes buys from TV and digital pay-per-view, with close to a 50/50 split between the two platforms.

To compare, the All In event from 2018 reportedly drew around 55,000 pay-per-view buys.

The Observer noted that around 2/3 of the Double Or Nothing buys came from the United States. The UK came in at a strong second, followed by Australia, Germany and Canada. With replay buys, Double Or Nothing should top ECW’s best pay-per-view, which drew 99,000 buys, and become the biggest pay-per-view in pro wrestling history that was not produced by WWE or WCW. The Observer noted that Impact Wrestling/TNA only did half the buys that Double Or Nothing did in its 16 years, and they only did that a few times, and never came close to beating the number.

Regarding online interest in Double Or Nothing, AEW was the second most-searched item on Google Trends for Saturday night, topping 220,000 searches, trailing only the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. All In, New Japan Tokyo Dome shows and the ROH/NJPW Madison Square Garden show never cracked the top 20 trends list. WWE NXT as only broke the top 20 once, when it hit 50,000 for the recent NXT “Takeover: New York” event. The AEW interest on Saturday night beat the last UFC show by 12% and WWE Money In the Bank by 35%. When it came to second-day interest, Double Or Nothing more than quadrupled Money In the Bank and was more than six times greater than UFC 237.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Joey Ryan Reveals His Pro Wrestling Future

There have been a lot of questions as to where Joey Ryan would be heading following his recent legal battle with Lucha Underground. While AEW and WWE had both reportedly been interested in signing him, Ryan has decided to go a different route.

Joey Ryan stated at a Bar Wrestling event last night that he turned down lucrative deals from multiple promotions. He will remain on the independent scene where he built and innovated his brand.

Over the years, Ryan has become the “King of Dong Style” and has been known for his intergender matches. It was before this promo that he actually faced Priscilla Kelly. He stated that he wouldn’t be able to be his true self if he took a deal with another promotion.

Ryan, 39, compared himself to Aladdin, stating that he wanted to be a prince but knew he had to be his true, authentic self. He went on to say that independent wrestling and its fans have become the blonde girl he’s been looking for on Being The Elite. He finished by saying he may be a big fish in a small pond, but it is his pond.

You can see the video at this link.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Tony Khan Talks AEW’s Distribution Strategy

With Double or Nothing in the rear view mirror, AEW can now turn its attention to its upcoming events and its TNT premiere later this year. But in this day and age, broadcasts go beyond just TV as there are also numerous streaming options.

Tony Khan joined Busted Open to discuss some of those options and AEW’s distribution strategy.

“We are going to be doing a live, weekly television show on TNT. It will debut prime this fall. We are also going to be distributing to a number of other top-wrestling markets,” said Khan. “I can’t exactly say where the TV is going to be and then as far as pay per view distribution, I thought that our partners were awesome for this show. Like I said, we had done a great show and we now have that under our belts. The folks at Bleacher Report Live were awesome. The cable and satellite carriers were in demand, working with all the cable carriers, DirectTV and Dish Network; that has been great. I really like the people at FiteTV and ITV Box Office did an amazing job at the show and I think we are really going to be happy when the numbers come in from England from the UK in general because of the support that we received from them was great and we really would like to be partners with them for a long time.

“I can’t say enough great things domestically here in the United States to have wrestling back on the Turner Network or with Warner Media with TNT. They are a wrestling network, for better or for worse. There have been a few channels that have been really successful in our lifetime broadcasting wrestling and TNT is absolutely one of them as much as anyone. I think it is really cool that they are back in business.”

There are numerous content providers out there to provide a streaming option for AEW going forward, but Khan says that’s not his primary focus right now.

“Bleacher Report Live did it for [Double or Nothing], for the over-the-top distribution. It is a little bit of putting it in the cart before the horse a little bit, streaming services and things in that nature. I think there will be a demand for it but right now for 2019 and going forward this year, two big things I am really focusing on is pay per views, which we have done with these traditional shows, and this primetime television product,” stated Khan.

In just about five months, AEW launched, had their inaugural event and landed a TV deal with a major network. He talked about why and how AEW got this far this fast.

“It’s all according to plan. Even last summer I had kind of the idea that this summer it was going to be like this,” revealed Khan. “The stuff we had laid out – I really wanted to do a Memorial Day show. I really wanted to do All Out, which is what we are going to do, something along the lines of what the guys were doing with All In, with the same fans and marketplace, but it’ll be our show and under our banner and with the same spirit of fans and excitement. We have done Double or Nothing, we are going to do All Out. One other show I am really excited about is Fight for the Fallen and all of these things are falling into place. We are doing Fight for the Fallen July 13th in Jacksonville, Florida.”

Khan then talked about wanting to do a show for Jacksonville, which is where he resides, and where AEW’s headquarters are located. Once that July event is out of the way then his focus will be on the new TV show.

“The next step in the plan was to get a TV launch, so everything has gone into plan. I am sure there will be things that won’t work out our plan, but everybody that I wanted we have on our roster,” said Khan. “To me, I can’t believe we did it but we have done it. We got all of the performers essentially that you wanted to get to headline the shows that are going to be the guys that will be there week in and week out for the TV show and we have a deep roster too. I have always talked about not doing a lot of five, six nights a week touring and keeping the wrestlers away from their homes, their families and other things they have going on in their life.”

Khan then brought up AEW wrestler Britt Baker who is also a practicing dentist. He cited her as an example of work/life balance as she may have to reschedule some AEW appearances in order to accommodate her practice.

“She is a really important person to our roster and is a great person and a great headliner. I think we have really helped make that possible for her and I want to keep doing that for people,” revealed Khan. “It’s not just people who are working outside of AEW, there are even people who work full-time for AEW with full-time health benefits. When we are up doing TV, it’s not like we are going to be on the road. Despite doing TV, it’s not like we are going to do 5-6 shows a week, even then a full-time schedule.”

Source: Busted Open via Wrestling Inc.

Pac Removed From AEW “Fyter Fest” Poster

AEW has removed Pac from the promotional material for the June 29 Fyter Fest event in Daytona Beach, FL. Pac has been advertised to team with Rey Fenix and Pentagon Jr. to face The Elite’s Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. Tickets went on sale for the event this afternoon and we will keep you updated on sales.

As seen below, a mystery man is now being advertised to team with The Lucha Brothers. Pac’s AEW future has been up in the air following the creative differences that led to his match with “Hangman” Adam Page being pulled from Double Or Nothing. The match ended up being taped in England and released on YouTube.

Updated card for AEW Fyter Fest:

Hardcore Match
Jebailey vs. Michael Nakazawa

The Elite (The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega) vs. Lucha Bros & ?

Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin

Jon Moxley’s AEW in-ring debut vs. Joey Janela

Source: Wrestling Inc.