Cody And The Young Bucks Discuss Possibility Of AEW Providing Health Insurance To Talent

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One of the hot topics in wrestling since, essentially, the beginning of wrestling has been health insurance for those in the ring. Promotions view their wrestlers as independent contractors rather than employees, and thus, they don’t offer health insurance for one of the most dangerous jobs in sports entertainment.

All Elite Wrestling is trying to do something different in the wrestling world in more ways than one and that includes health insurance. Some AEW employees will receive health insurance and other benefits as Matt Jackson and Cody Rhodes explained at their launch rally.

“I don’t know if it’s something that [AEW President] Tony [Khan] would want to talk about further, but the big thing for All Elite is that we want to take care of the boys,” stated Matt Jackson.

“So many times you hear stories from wrestlers past or legends where they don’t have anything left and there’s nothing to show for it. One thing that we’ve always wanted to do is, if we started a wrestling organization, we wanted to take care of the guys. So, that’s one thing we’re working on.

“The executives are gonna have benefits and stuff. They’re gonna get taken care of. We’re in the day one process of that and we’re still working on it. But that’s the plan.”

The executives include The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes who are all EVPs as well as Brandi Rhodes who is Chief Brand Officer. Matt was asked if AEW talent might receive benefits one day.

“Maybe one day. Never say never,” said Matt. “We’re early on. We’re creeping up with that door barely open, so hopefully one day we can swing it wide open.”

Cody was also asked about talent receiving health insurance and benefits and he said that AEW will be similar to WWE in that they will take care of anyone that gets hurt in their ring.

“A lot of concerns that guys will have is what happens if I get hurt in the ring? Because that’s the one thing WWE covers and we can confirm anyone that gets hurt in an AEW ring will be 100 percent taken care of by AEW,” revealed Cody.

Cody then made a comparison between wrestling and Hollywood which insures its actors and actresses through labor unions such as SAG-AFTRA.

“I’d like to see wrestling just like the television industry,” said Cody. “I’ve done a few bit roles here and there but that treatment and that care you get for your time on-screen, you have a comparable influence as a pro wrestler. You’re just as recognizable and you should be just as taken care of.”

Source: WrestlingINC

All Elite Wrestling “Double or Nothing” Rally News, Chris Jericho, PAC, Billy Gunn, AEW Roster Update, Women’s Division Pay (Video & Photos)

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The new All Elite Wrestling promotion officially launched yesterday with their Double Or Nothing rally at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.

The biggest news coming out of the rally was the signing of future WWE Hall of Famer Chris Jericho, who closed the rally and announced that he is all in with AEW. Jericho said he’s with AEW because he believes in doing something new and something different, not for the money because he’s already got the money.

AEW also announced that their Double Or Nothing event will take place on Saturday, May 25 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. They announced a second AEW event for Jacksonville to be held at a later date but details were not released. There were also no details on a possible TV deal or any kind of online distribution but more announcements will be made in the future.

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AEW Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes spoke at the rally and confirmed the AEW women’s division, noting that they want this to be a strong division with the strongest women’s wrestlers in the world. Brandi said AEW cares about their female wrestlers and will be paying them equally with the male competitors. She said Cody agrees with her that there will be no sliding scale when it comes to pay. Regarding her role as CBO, Brandi said it will come with lots of hard work and long nights, but she is 100% committed to helping bring AEW to the level it’s supposed to be at, which she guaranteed.

Regarding the Khan family, several of the speakers gave thanks to Tony Khan and his father, Shad Khan. We noted that the Khans confirmed their roles with the company. Matt Jackson noted during the rally that the Khan family approached them after All In last year and asked them if they really wanted to change the world, then offered to really help make that happen.

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It looks like AEW will be working with other promotions as well. Matt said they have come to an agreement with OWE (Oriental Wrestling Entertainment) in China, and that they will bring OWE into AEW to give them a major spotlight. Matt promised fans will love OWE if they’re not already familiar with them, praising the promotion for the “gifted” in-ring work they bring. It was also interesting that PAC (Neville) carried his Dragon Gate Open the Dream Gate Title when he came out for a confrontation with “Hangman” Page.

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Cody Rhodes announced on Twitter before the really that former WWE Tag Team Champion Billy Gunn is the first agent for the promotion. He is the only producer announced as of this writing. Coming out of the rally, below is the confirmed roster for the promotion:

* Cody Rhodes (Executive Vice President)
* Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks (Executive Vice President)
* Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks (Executive Vice President)
* Brandi Rhodes (Chief Brand Officer)
* Billy Gunn (Agent)
* Chris Jericho
* PAC fka Neville
* “Hangman” Adam Page
* Britt Baker
* Joey Janela with Penelope Ford
* MJF
* Christopher Daniels of SoCal Uncensored
* Frankie Kazarian of SoCal Uncensored
* Scorpio Sky of SoCal Uncensored

The rally was trending on Twitter, before it even began. Hosts Conrad Thompson and Alex Marvez noted that more than 100,000 fans were watching the rally across the various platforms. I believe the YouTube stream peaked at around 60,000 live viewers. The rally featured pyro on the stage they used, and a larger fireworks display from inside the stadium, which is the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars mascot, Jaxson de Ville, and their cheerleaders were also featured.

Below is the video of Cody with Gunn, along with various shots from the press conference and the full stream video.

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Source: WrestlingINC

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Impact Sale Rumors Addressed At Backstage Meeting, Why Scott Steiner Was Used At TV Tapings, More

Anthem President Ed Nordholm led a backstage meeting and gave a speech to the wrestlers before last night’s Impact Wrestling TV tapings in Nashville, according to PWInsider. The speech was said to be very positive.

Nordholm reportedly said the company accomplished what they set out to do in 2018. He said 2017 was a “learning year” for Impact following the Anthem takeover, but 2018 was about getting them in position for the future. Nordholm added that everyone is optimistic an enthusiastic for what it coming for the company in 2019.

Nordholm also said Impact will continue to be a big part of The Fight Network, which Anthem also owns. He touted the growth of the network internationally. Regarding Impact moving to the Pursuit channel this coming Friday night, Nordholm said one of the reasons Anthem took Impact over was so that they could have it to use with their own assets. Anthem also owns a minority stake in Pursuit.

The roster was allowed to ask Nordholm questions during the meeting and one had to do with the rumors on Anthem possibly being interested in selling Impact last year. Nordholm assured everyone that this is not the case, and that they should not be worried about anything like a sale of the company.

Impact brought Scott Steiner back for last night’s tapings in Nashville as a bonus for Friday’s Pursuit debut. This was done just for these tapings and was not the beginning of a new Impact storyline for Steiner, but the door does remain open for more work down the line.

Source: WrestlingINC

WWE SmackDown Live Preview 1/8/19

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live will take place from the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL as the road to the Royal Rumble continues.

* Triple Threat Match to decide who will square off against Asuka for the SmackDown Women’s Title at Royal Rumble

* The Usos to battle The Bar with a SmackDown Tag Team Championship opportunity on the line

* AJ Styles to confront WWE Champion Daniel Bryan

* Who will gain momentum heading into the Men’s Royal Rumble Match?

* Will Rusev be looking for retribution?

Backstage News On Chris Jericho’s Status With NJPW

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At Wrestle Kingdom 13, Chris Jericho lost the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to Tetsuya Naito in a no disqualification match. In his post-match interview, Jericho was adamant in saying that he was not done with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Jericho also made his intentions clear about wanting to face the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Jericho’s contract with NJPW reportedly expired at Wrestle Kingdom 13, and with the former IWGP Intercontinental Champion recently thanking AEW President / Jacksonville Jaguars co-owner Tony Khan for helping him get tickets to an NFL game, many speculated that Jericho would end up signing with All Elite Wrestling.

During the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer discussed Jericho’s status with NJPW. Meltzer revealed that while Jericho’s contract with NJPW expired at Wrestle Kingdom 13, NJPW really wants to keep him. He noted that Jericho wants to stay with NJPW as well. Dave further said that New Japan wants to book a match between Jericho and Tanahashi in 2019, and with Jericho wanting to stay with the promotion, it is just a matter of both parties agreeing to a new deal.

Source: WrestlingINC

Third US City Added To NJPW New Beginning Tour

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As previously announced, NJPW is headed to Los Angeles on January 30 and Charlotte, North Carolina on February 1 for its The New Beginning USA Tour.

Both events have already sold out, although more tickets will be available in Los Angeles on January 15 at 10 am PT.

NJPW has revealed a third city has been added to the tour and the company will now make a stop in Nashville, Tennessee on February 2 at the War Memorial Auditorium. Tickets for the event will go on sale January 15 at 10 am CT.

NJPW is gearing up for a big 2019 where they will also hold events at the American Airlines Center on July 6 in Dallas, Texas to kick off the G1 Climax tournament and they will be heading to England on August 31 at the Copper Box Arena.

Source: WrestlingINC

Kenny Omega Expected To Sign With AEW

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Kenny Omega is expected to sign with All Elite Wrestling when his contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling expires at the end of the month, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. Nothing can be officially announced until February 1st.

Omega revealed during an interview with Tokyo Sports over the weekend that he would be leaving the promotion when his contract expires on January 31st. Meltzer noted that NJPW found out that Omega was leaving through the interview and were not happy about it. NJPW preferred how KUSHIDA, who is also leaving NJPW and is expected to start with NXT, handled his departure.

As noted earlier this week, NJPW had decided to work with ROH over AEW going forward. Meltzer stated that NJPW “badly” does not want to lose Omega, so it is very likely that NJPW will warm up to working with AEW. It was noted that ROH didn’t want The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes at the upcoming ROH – NJPW G1 Supercard event at Madison Square Garden on April 6th, even though they are all cordial.

With the current landscape in wrestling, NJPW is now signing talent to longer term deals. AEW had signed Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks to five-year deals. Meltzer noted that Cody and the Bucks did not have to use their own money on the venture.

AEW will be holding their “Double or Nothing” rally in Jacksonville this evening at 5 pm ET at the parking lot of West Club at the TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s expected that several signings and the upcoming Double or Nothing event will be officially announced at the rally. Tonight’s SmackDown will emanate from Jacksonville as well.

Source: WrestlingINC

The Billionaire Khan Family Confirm Involvement In All Elite Wrestling

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The billionaire Khan family have finally confirmed their involvement in All Elite Wrestling with lengthy statements about the future of the promotion.

Shad and Tony Khan released statements to the media on Tuesday ahead of AEW’s rally in Jacksonville. The statement from Shad reads as follows:

I am the lead investor, a supporter and a backer of All Elite Wrestling, and I anticipate great things today and into the future for AEW and everyone who has worked passionately on this week’s launch.  I know AEW will be welcomed by wrestling fans here in the U.S. and throughout the world who are ready for something new and authentic.  AEW will work hard to deliver on that promise.

As important, I am the father – the proud father – of Tony Khan, who will serve in a leadership role at AEW during the 2019 launch and in the years ahead.  Tony will assemble a great team to take AEW over the top, for the benefit of everyone who loves the wrestling industry, while continuing to serve in his current capacities with the Jaguars and Fulham.

AEW will operate as an organization completely independently from my other interests.  It will not deter attention or divert resources from any of my businesses, teams, projects or investments.  At the same time, AEW will enjoy the same full commitment I’ve given to everything and everyone in my life – my family and friends, my business and, in recent years, to sports, hospitality and now entertainment.

His son Tony, who will serve as President of AEW, states:

Wrestling fans are a community unlike most others. I’ve been a part of this community since I was 7 years old, and I can tell you that wresting fans see the world every day through a special lens.  We see wrestling in Hollywood films and tv shows, we see elements of wrestling in the presentation of sports and in the marketing of grandiose star athletes, and we certainly see wrestling in politics.

The wrestling community is a constant; its members are diverse, we are physically located on all corners of the planet, yet we are constantly connected. Recently, a new family has formed, bonded by love and respect for wresting but armed with a vision and resources that have never before been available to the wrestling community.  Our objective is to connect our community closer than ever before through All Elite Wrestling, or AEW.

AEW does not mean any less of a continued commitment to existing obligations and duties that I have, or my family has, to our business and sports interests.  That will never be the case.  What’s important is that every individual decision we make as family, whether it’s ownership or investment in a team or property, is 100 percent beneficial to those specific interests.  I will always welcome that accountability and responsibility, as nothing is more important than serving our supporters and friends.

AEW will launch with a roster of the top wrestlers in the world.  While they’ll clash in what will be some of the most intense and fast-paced contests ever sanctioned in the squared circle, they’ll also share a common goal: to make this the true golden age, to make this the greatest time ever to be a wrestling fan.  Likewise, as a business, by treating our wrestlers with respect and warmth, we also seek to make this the golden age for the performers themselves.

I urge everyone who believes in what we’re doing, or wants to believe in dreams coming true, to support AEW by spreading the word and passing the wrestling bug onto someone else.  My message: Get in on the ground floor with AEW today and help lead our movement to grow the wrestling community and ensure that the voices of the wrestling fans, their creative minds and their remarkable ideas, will always be heard.

Wrestlers currently signed to AEW include The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, Brandi Rhodes, Scorpio Sky, Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

“Mean” Gene Okerlund Obituary & Funeral Information, WWE Network – Okerlund Collection Note

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The obituary for WWE Hall of Famer “Mean” Gene Okerlund is now online from Dignity Memorial at this link.

The obituary notes that Okerlund passed away at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, FL on January 2, 2019. He was 76. Gene is survived by his wife, Jeanne, and their sons Todd (wife Patricia) and Tor (wife Dana), and grandchildren Henry, Arthur & Brady. His wife was at his side when he passed.

As noted before, Gene’s son Todd told TMZ that his father suffered a “nasty fall” back in December. The fall triggered a rapid decline in his health, which led to his passing. Okerlund had been in “frail health” but the fall made things much worse. He was admitted into a nursing home just four days before his death. Gene had trouble breathing last Wednesday morning and was rushed to the hospital. He passed away later that morning.

The obituary noted that Okerlund “had many friends in life and enjoyed spending time and socializing with them” and it talked about how he cherished his wife. The obit also talked about how Gene loved boating and spending time at his summer cabin on Big Sandy Lake in Northern Minnesota. It was also written that Gene “lived a very full and happy life.” They included the following on Gene’s pro wrestling career:

“Gene was driven to succeed and advanced his career by moving into selling advertising for WTCN TV in Golden Valley, MN in the early 1970s. It was at WTCN TV that Gene got his first break as a wrestling announcer when Vern Gagne of the AWA asked him to fill in for a missing announcer. His wrestling career grew from that point on. During his career as a wrestling announcer he also became a partner at Cohen Okerlund Smith Advertising in Minneapolis. Gene worked for the AWA until 1984 when he began working for World Wrestling Federation, which eventually became the WWE. Gene continued to work right up until he became ill. Gene recorded his last show in December of 2018. Gene was recognized for his contributions in creating the industry leading WWE with his induction into WWE’s Hall of Fame in 2006. He truly loved his career!”

A private service for the family will be held on Wednesday of this week in Sarasota. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Robert Toale & Sons Funeral Home at Palms Memorial Park in Sarasota. The family asks that people make donations to the PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) Foundation of Kansas City, in lieu of flowers.

A new WWE Network Collection on “Mean” Gene was scheduled to go live at 10am ET this morning, Tuesday.

Source: WrestlingINC

Hulk Hogan & WWE Pay Tribute To “Mean” Gene Okerlund

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WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan returned to TV on tonight’s RAW in Orlando, his first appearance since the Crown Jewel event from Saudi Arabia back in November and first time on RAW since his release in 2015. The Hulkster led a tribute to his good friend, WWE Hall of Famer “Mean” Gene Okerlund.

The RAW segment began with a 10-bell salute for Okerlund led by Mike Rome, followed by Hogan’s entrance. Hulk then got serious and said he only came out in character because it’s what Gene would’ve wanted.

Hulkster then setup a video package on “Mean” Gene’s career.

After the video was over, Hogan said he thinks he can speak for everyone in saying “we loved you, brother.” Fans chanted “thank you Gene” and Hulk randomly asked a fan wearing one of his shirts in the crowd if he should “do it one more time.”

Hogan then talked about what Okerlund is doing in heaven and name-dropped “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Andre the Giant, Mr. Perfect, Ultimate Warrior, Mae Young and Fabulous Moolah.

You can check out the videos below: