Tag: AEW

AEW Rampage Preview 3/4/22

The Revolution go-home edition of AEW Rampage will air live tonight at 10pm ET on TNT from the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida.

* Keith Lee will be in action

* Serena Deeb hosts another edition of The Professor’s 5 Minute Rookie Challenge

* Ethan Page vs. Christian Cage in the final Face of The Revolution Ladder Match qualifier. The winner joins Keith Lee, Wardlow, Powerhouse Hobbs, FTW Champion Ricky Starks and Orange Cassidy

* AEW TNT Champion Sammy Guevara defends against Darby Allin and Andrade El Idolo in a Triple Threat

AEW Planning To Use ROH As Its Developmental Territory [Report]

Tony Khan now owns ROH, and this might be what he has planned for the brand.

Khan revealed last night on AEW Dynamite that he has bought Ring Of Honor. Rumors that Khan had acquired the struggling promotion had started to circulate earlier in the evening and turns out those rumors were true. As for what exactly Khan plans on doing with ROH, which is currently on hiatus, well, that remains unclear.

According to a report from Bodyslam.net’s Cassidy Haynes, the current plan is for ROH to be AEW’s developmental territory. The NXT to AEW’s WWE, if you will. There will even be appearances from AEW’s “main roster” talent from time to time, again as is the case with NXT. Right now Dolph Ziggler is embroiled in a rivalry with Bron Breakker which has resulted in wrestlers milling back and forth between Raw and NXT.

Exactly what Khan now owns, and how much he paid for it, is also unclear at this time. The deal almost definitely includes ROH’s tape library which could lead to AEW launching a streaming service of some sort that will combine its own three years of content with 20 years worth of ROH stuff. Haynes was also told the deal is worth somewhere between $30 million and $40 million, but that information has not yet been confirmed.

ROH admitted all was not well with the promotion last year when it went on hiatus, releasing all of its talent in the process. However, it followed through on its promise that it would eventually return, announcing a Supercard Of Honor show over WrestleMania weekend. Despite AEW’s reluctance to piggyback on WrestleMania like the rest of the wrestling industry does, you would have to think the company will have a heavy presence on that show which takes place in Dallas on April 1.

Source: TheSportster

Backstage News On Tony Khan Purchasing Ring Of Honor

More details have been revealed about Tony Khan purchasing Ring Of Honor on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.

Dave Meltzer noted that the deal was put together two weeks ago, and the following day is when Khan started dropping hints. Both AEW and WWE were contacted regarding the sale, but Khan obviously put together the better offer.

The tape library was mentioned as being important to AEW, and the company does want a streaming service in some form. Ring Of Honor’s old footage is something that can help with that due to having more content. Plus, Ring Of Honor owned the footage for ALL IN, which was a crucial night for AEW’s own history.

It is not believed that WWE would have run Ring Of Honor as a separate brand. However, when the company was hot in 2018, WWE made a pitch, as Triple H wanted to buy the company. There were talks that went nowhere, as Vince McMahon wanted to buy somebody bigger. WWE ended up trying to buy New Japan Pro Wrestling, Stardom, and Pro Wrestling NOAH. The company also tried to buy AAA, but nobody would sell to them for the price that WWE was willing to pay.

In a press release, Tony Khan spoke about acquiring the ROH video library. Khan said he is exploring way to make the library available to fans.

“Ring of Honor’s influence on modern professional wrestling is etched permanently in the history books, and this acquisition ensures that its legacy will be kept alive and treated with the utmost respect,” Khan said. “This deal adds thousands of hours of content to our rapidly growing library and creates new opportunities to expand our footprint on a national and global scale, while having the potential to produce new content under the ROH banner.

“I will immediately begin exploring opportunities to make ROH’s video library available to fans, who’ll have the opportunity to witness the beginnings of the careers of some of AEW’s biggest stars.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Tony Khan Announces He Is The New Owner Of ROH

Throughout the past few weeks, Tony Khan and various AEW stars have hyped a “massive announcement” to be revealed on tonight’s episode of Dynamite. Tony even promised to personally appear in the ring for the big moment, which was a promise he fulfilled at the opening of the show this evening.

After thanking the crowd and promising the get the action going soon, Tony Khan said it would be the biggest night in the history of the company.

It was revealed that the major announcement is Tony Khan signed a deal to become the official owner of Ring Of Honor.

Earlier this week it was reported that sources from multiple wrestling companies say there was a possible sale of ROH and another promotion. It’s clear now that the deal was between AEW and Ring Of Honor.

ROH has been on a hiatus since December’s Final Battle pay-per-view, and Supercard of Honor is scheduled to be their first show back on Friday, April 1. The company announced in the lead-up to Final Battle that they were taking some time off during the first quarter of this year to “work internally to reimagine” the company and return with a “new fan-focused product and provide a unique experience.” You can click here for the updated Supercard of Honor line-up and more news from the company.

Tony Khan previously indicated that the announcement was not related to any individual talent acquisition, and instead, it had to do with a new business deal for AEW. He recently stated that keeping the details quiet was because the AEW legal team had him under NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements) until everything was finalized, but assured fans that it would be “huge” for the promotion.

You can see a press release from Tony Khan below:

TONY KHAN ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE RING OF HONOR

— Video Library, Brand Assets, Intellectual Property from Independent Professional Wrestling’s Most Prestigious Promotion Purchased Under New Partnership with Tony Khan —

March 2, 2022 – Moments ago on AEW: Dynamite live on TBS, it was announced that TonyKhan has agreed to acquire the assets of Ring of Honor Wrestling Entertainment, LLC from Sinclair Broadcast Group, including the promotion’s extensive video library dating back to 2002,brand assets, intellectual property, production equipment and more.

Known widely as the independent promotion that birthed some of wrestling’s biggest stars of today, including AEW’s CM Punk and Bryan Danielson, and highlighted dozens of members of the AEW roster, Ring of Honor’s purchase signifies a new chapter in the future of professional wrestling as AEW’s meteoric rise continues to draw the youngest-skewing wrestling audience on television.

“Ring of Honor’s influence on modern professional wrestling is etched permanently in the history books, and this acquisition ensures that its legacy will be kept alive and treated with the utmost respect,” said Tony Khan, CEO of AEW, Chief Football Strategy Officer of the Jacksonville Jaguars and GM/Sporting Director of Fulham F.C.

“This deal adds thousands of hours of content to our rapidly growing library and creates new opportunities to expand our footprint on anational and global scale, while having the potential to produce new content under the ROH banner. I will immediately begin exploring opportunities to make ROH’s video library available to fans, who’ll have the opportunity to witness the beginnings of the careers of some of AEW’s biggest stars.”

More than 40 members of the AEW roster have appeared in Ring of Honor during their careers.The promotion launched the careers of numerous AEW superstars, including CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Hangman Page, Dr. Britt Baker and Adam Cole. Additional members of the AEW roster have made their mark in ROH, including the late Brodie Lee, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, ReDragon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly), Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta), Jay Lethal, Christopher Daniels, Matt Sydal, Mercedes Martinez, Serena Deeb, Frankie Kazarian, Scorpio Sky, Keith Lee, Eddie Kingston, Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, QT Marshall, Danhausen, Lance Archer, Griff Garrison, Thunder Rosa, Wheeler Yuta, Luchasaurus, Orange Cassidy, Ethan Page, Austin Gunn, PAC, Kip Sabian, Jon Moxley, John Silver, Alex Reynolds, Jerry Lynn, BJ Whitmer, and Sonjay Dutt.

“Ring of Honor has produced some of the best professional wrestlers over the past 20 years,but more importantly, it created a family. I will be forever grateful to everyone in the ROH family who has worked tirelessly for the past two decades to take ROH to levels previously unimagined,” said Joe Koff, Chief Operating Officer, Ring of Honor Wrestling. “Tony has the utmost appreciation and respect for Ring of Honor, and I’m truly excited to see how he continues the legacy.”This acquisition will be completed through an entity that is wholly-owned by Tony Khan.

Further details about the extent of this acquisition will be announced in the coming weeks.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dynamite Preview 3/2/22

The AEW Revolution go-home edition of Dynamite on TBS will air live tonight from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.

* Thunder Rosa and Mercedes Martinez vs. Jamie Hayter and AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker

* Tag Team Casino Battle Royale to determine which team will join reDRagon and AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express at Revolution

* AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page, John Silver and Alex Reynolds vs. Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish

* Tony Khan reveals his “massive announcement”

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1499007111895949317

Tony Khan To Make A “Massive” AEW Announcement

AEW President, CEO, General Manager & Head Of Creative Tony Khan is planning on making a “massive” announcement during Wednesday’s Dynamite episode from Daily’s Place at Jacksonville, FL.

Khan first revealed to Busted Open Radio last Friday how he’d been “working on something pretty big” for AEW, calling it “massive” and something that would be a “big deal in pro wrestling.” It was reported the next day that Khan was in meetings all day that Friday, trying to put together the “massive” deal for AEW.

No other details were provided until AEW tweeted a pre-Dynamite video this week, where Khan said he hopes to reveal the announcement soon, noting that the AEW legal team has him under NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements) to prevent him from revealing any details before the deal was finalized. Khan noted in that video that they were “working on something that’s going to be really great for the fans and the wrestlers, and it’s going to be awesome.”

He added in Wednesday’s video, “I am so excited, and I don’t know exactly when we’ll be able to tell the fans, but I know that it’s coming very soon so stay tuned to AEW. Stay tuned to AEW, I promise you something big is coming. It’s not like ‘The First Dance’ where I can put a date and a time and a place on it and say that I know exactly when, but it is like ‘The First Dance’ in that I know something big and important is coming to AEW and I’m very excited about it. It’s a little bit different than anything we’ve done before, but it’s going to be awesome.”

In an update, Khan returned to Busted Open Radio today and provided an update on the “massive” announcement. He noted that he’s looking to reveal the big news during Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite on TBS.

“I am going to tell everyone right now you definitely don’t want to miss Wednesday night Dynamite next week,” Khan teased. “I’ve been talking a lot about a big announcement in the world of pro wrestling — not only is there going to be a lot of great wrestling on the show, the Casino Tag Battle Royale, 15 tag teams entering the ring. I’m going to add a lot more to the card, but I’m going to promise you guys right now that I have a huge announcement coming. Nobody knows what it is. It’s going to be something very important in the wrestling business. It’s not one particular piece of talent, it’s something very special and I’m excited about it. I believe it’s something we’ll be in position to announce on Wednesday. So I’m pretty excited about that.”

There is still no word on what Khan has to announce.

AEW has already announced two matches for Wednesday’s Dynamite, which will be the go-home show for the Revolution pay-per-view – six-man action with Adam Cole and reDRagon vs. AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page, John Silver and Alex Reynolds, plus the Casino Tag Battle Royale to determine who will join AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express and reDRagon in the Triple Threat title match at Revolution.

For those who missed it, below is the video Khan released on Wednesday before Dynamite:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Rampage Preview 2/25/22

Tonight’s AEW Rampage episode was taped earlier this week at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT.

* QT Marshall calls out Hook

* AEW TNT Champion Sammy Guevara defends against Andrade El Idolo

* Wardlow vs. Nick Comoroto

* Serena Deeb hosts the latest Professor’s 5 Minute Rookie Challenge

* Thunder Rosa and AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker sign their contract for Revolution

* Face of The Revolution Ladder Match Qualifier: Orange Cassidy vs. Anthony Bowens with the winner joining Keith Lee, Wardlow, Powerhouse Hobbs, and FTW Champion Ricky Starks as confirmed entrants in the 6-man match

* Appearances by Matt Hardy, Sting, Darby Allin, Mercedes Martinez, Aaron Solo, Shawn Spears, and others

Jeff Hardy Says That He’s “Going To AEW”

Since his WWE release in December, Jeff Hardy has been heavily rumored to be joining his brother Matt in AEW. Jeff is currently under a non-compete with WWE until March 9th.

With Jeff’s non-compete coming to an end soon, the Charismatic Enigma announced that he and his brother Matt would be bringing back the Hardy Boyz to wrestle a reunion tour starting March 12 at Big Time Wrestling in Webster, MA. With the news of him teaming with his brother again hitting the wrestling world, a deal with a major promotion seems inevitable.

While speaking with Jared Myers backstage at his own concert, Hardy flat out revealed that he is “going to AEW” and shared excitement about becoming All Elite.

“I’m going to AEW,” Jeff said. “I’m so excited, until this morning I didn’t really know. I’m so nervous and excited.”

It’s unclear when Jeff Hardy will make his AEW debut. Matt Hardy recently confirmed that his brother turned down an offer to go back to WWE following his release, with the company offering him a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame this year.

https://twitter.com/Machobeard4life/status/1496665014698221571

Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to Jared Myers

Buddy Matthews Debuts On AEW Dynamite, Joins House Of Black

Former WWE Superstar Buddy Matthews (Buddy Murphy) has signed with AEW and debuted last night on Dynamite.

Buddy Matthews is officially ALL ELITE!

After months of speculation, the former WWE Superstar finally made his All Elite Wrestling debut on this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS. It all went do wn at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut on Wednesday, February 23. The Kings Of The Black Throne (Brody King & Malakai Black) had just suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Death Triangle (PAC & Penta Oscuro) when all hell broke loose. After the bell, the irate losers delivered a beat down to PAC and Penta … until the lights went out. When the lights came back on, one of Malakai Black’s former foes was standing in the ring. It was Buddy Matthews.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1496666168295309312

At first, it seemed like Matthews would assist Death Triangle due to his history with Black, but after staring daggers at Black for a few moments, he sided with The Kings Of The Black Throne and attacked PAC and Penta. At one point, Malakai Black embraced the Aussie in what looked like an indoctrination tactic. It would appear that Buddy is now a resident of the House Of Black.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1496666796245630980

Shortly after the segment ended, AEW boss Tony Khan took to social media to confirm Buddy’s signing.

Shortly after being released by WWE last year, Malakai Black released a vignette in anticipation of his imminent return to professional wrestling. The video depicted Black as an inmate at an institution. At one point, Black tells a doctor that his eye was injured when he was pushed into some stairs by “Matthew” — Buddy’s real name. As you might recall, Matthews slammed Black’s eye into the steel steps on an episode of Raw back in July 2020.

Matthews is a former NXT Tag Team Champion, a former WWE Raw Tag Team Champion, and a former NXT Cruiserweight Champion. He was released by WWE on June 2 following an eight-year stint with the company.

Source: TheSportster

AEW Dynamite Preview 2/23/22

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite on TBS will air live from the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut as the road to Revolution continues.

* Chris Jericho and Eddie Kingston meet face-to-face

* Malakai Black and Brody King vs. PAC and Penta El Zero Miedo

* AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill defends against The Bunny

* Tag Team Battle Royal to determine one of two open spots in the Revolution Triple Threat against AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express (featuring John Silver and Alex Reynolds, 2point0, Santana and Ortiz, The Young Bucks, AAA World Tag Team Champions FTR, Private Party, reDRagon, The Gunn Club, The Butcher and The Blade, The Best Friends)