Tag: AEW

Matt Hardy Teases Tony Khan May Have Bought Out Jeff Hardy’s WWE Contract

Since Friday night’s episode of AEW Rampage, speculation has run rampant about an upcoming announcement on AEW Dynamite that will see a brand new signee make their debut and challenge Isiah Kassidy in a Face of the Revolution Ladder match qualifier.

On his Monday Twitch stream, AEW star Matt Hardy talked about the big announcement and AEW President Tony Khan’s use of the term Forbidden Door when hyping it on social media.

“Tony Khan has been teasing a big announcement, and then he made the big announcement, that the Forbidden Door is going to be opening up again on Wednesday,” Hardy said. “Sometimes people think the Forbidden Door is when someone comes from another promotion into your promotion and they can go back in. And the way he referenced this is, somebody is going to walk through the forbidden door, which means they’re coming from another promotion, and they’re going to slam the Forbidden Door. This means they’re not going back to the other promotion. That’s what that means.

“Tony is one who coined this phrase ‘the Forbidden Door.’ And it opened up whenever the Good Brothers came over from Impact Wrestling and Kenny Omega was going over to Impact and he was coming back to AEW as well. And then there were some people who came in from New Japan Pro Wrestling. People came from NWA, Billy Corgan’s organization in AEW.

“That’s kind of what the Forbidden Door was, it was basically like ‘we can all work together because there’s a big company that’s kind of monopolized wrestling for a while. So let’s all work together and try and make all of our companies as exciting as possible.’ So now there’s a lot of speculation. ‘Is this Forbidden Door prospect that he’s talking about going to show up Wednesday night in Dynamite? Is he from WWE?’ And it sounds like it’s because they say they’re going to be slamming the door behind them. So that means they’re not going back to wherever they came from.”

One name that has been floated around as the potential new AEW star is Matt Hardy’s brother Jeff Hardy, who was released from WWE in December under controversial circumstances. At first Matt Hardy suggested that Jeff would not be the guy to wrestle Kassidy, who currently is aligned with Matt Hardy in the AHFO. He quickly however clarified that it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

“As far as an update on Jeff and what’s going on, I don’t think he’s the guy that’s coming in this Wednesday against Isiah Kassidy,” Hardy said. “Although who knows? Tony Khan, Papa Khan’s got a lot of money. Maybe he bought out his contract. And maybe it is happening early. Who knows?”

Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to Matt Hardy’s Twitch 

Bryan Danielson To Be Inducted Into ROH Hall Of Fame

Bryan Danielson is about to become a two time Hall of Famer. The AEW star, who was inducted into the 2016 class of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, will now be inducted into the Ring of Honor Hall of Fame. ROH announced Bryan Danielson’s induction in a press release on their website.

“Ring of Honor is proud to welcome Bryan Danielson, the embodiment of fighting spirit and technical wrestling excellence, into the inaugural class of the ROH Hall of Fame,” ROH’s statement read. “‘The American Dragon’ played a major role in establishing ROH as the Best Wrestling on the Planet, beginning with his performance in the main event on ROH’s debut show, The Era of Honor Begins, in 2002. Whenever ‘The Final Countdown’ blared throughout the building as Danielson made his entrance to the ring, fans knew they were about to witness a true master of his craft at work. A superior technician, striker and submission specialist, Danielson cemented his status as the best wrestler in the sport when he won the ROH World Title in 2005. His 462-day reign as ROH World Champion is the third-longest, and he made a record 38 successful title defenses. Danielson made history in 2006 when he defeated arch rival and ROH Pure Champion Nigel McGuinness in Liverpool, England to merge the titles. He also won the inaugural Survival of the Fittest in 2004 and main-evented ROH’s first pay-per-view in 2007.

“Danielson had many impressive victories in ROH, but one of his most memorable performances came in defeat. Just over four minutes into his match against then-ROH World Champion Takeshi Morishima in 2007, Danielson suffered a detached retina as a result of the Japanese powerhouse’s clubbing blows. Morishima targeted Danielson’s injured left eye throughout the match, but Danielson showed incredible toughness and heart and came within a fraction of a second of winning before Morishima ultimately prevailed after more than 20 dramatic minutes. After leaving ROH in 2009, Danielson would gain world-wide fame in WWE, where he main-evented WrestleMania in 2014 before more than 75,000 fans at the Superdome in New Orleans. Danielson is currently one of the top stars in AEW.”

Bryan Danielson is the second announced inductee into the ROH Hall of Fame, following The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe). More inductees are expected to be announced, with the ceremony airing the weekend of March 5, according to the statement. Bryan Danielson hasn’t commented on his induction at this time.

In the meantime, Bryan Danielson is keeping busy for AEW, recently starting a program with former rival and recently returned star Jon Moxley. In an in ring confrontation last week on AEW Dynamite, Danielson offered Moxley the opportunity to unite and take over AEW as a unit. Moxley has yet to give Danielson an answer.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Stars Teases Jeff Hardy Debut In Upcoming Ladder Match

Is Jeff Hardy on the verge of making his AEW debut?

As we’ve noted, Tony Khan announced last Friday that Isiah Kassidy will wrestle a mystery opponent in a Face of The Revolution Ladder Match qualifier on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.

Khan confirmed that Kassidy’s opponent “will walk through the Forbidden Door” and sign a contract with AEW on Wednesday.

The announcement has fueled a lot of speculation on social media, with fans throwing out names such as Hardy, Keith Lee, Karrion Kross and John Morrison, among others.

Over the weekend, Kassidy seemingly teased that he would be wrestling Hardy in the ladder match. While responding to a tweet from Tony Khan praising his performance against Sammy Guevera on Rampage, Kassidy mentioned how he doesn’t want to be forced to “put this dude out for good.” He also asked Matt Hardy, the older brother of Jeff, to get him ready for the ladder match.

I was good, but Sammy was better on Friday. Respect g.

But aye man, this better not be who I think it is… Y’all gonna force me to put this dude out for good 💯

By the way. I’ve called you 4 times @MATTHARDYBRAND. I gotta get ready for this ladder match.

#AEWDynamite

The Young Bucks have also continued to tease Hardy’s AEW debut. On Sunday, they changed their Twitter bio to “Bring us Jeff Harvey,” seemingly poking fun at a moment where Mike Adamle incorrectly referred to Hardy as “Jeff Harvey” at Royal Rumble 2008.

WWE released Jeff Hardy last December after a strange incident at a live WWE event where the Charismatic Enigma abruptly exited a six-man tag team match. The legendary wrestler is presently serving his 90-day non-compete clause with WWE, and won’t be a free agent until March 9.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Tony Khan Confirms ‘Forbidden Door’ Wrestler Will Make AEW Debut On Dynamite

AEW president Tony Khan has promised that a mystery wrestler will make his AEW debut on the February 9 edition of Dynamite.

Immediately following Friday’s edition of AEW Rampage, the company’s president Tony Khan took to Twitter to announce that another wrestler would soon be walking through AEW’s forbidden door … and would slam the door shut after signing an AEW contract.

“The Forbidden Door can be opened for anyone from any wrestling promotion in the world, whether or not it’s a company [AEW] is on good terms with, even if it’s someone from a company that’s open for business,” Khan wrote. “They’re also welcome to slam the door in the face of their prior company.”

The wording of Khan’s tweet left many fans confused, although he provided additional details in a follow-up tweet. Khan seems to be using the Forbidden Door analogy to describe a free agent acquisition, which probably means the new signing is another ex-WWE performer.

 The 90-day non-compete clause if several former WWE Superstars are due to expire imminently, or have very recently expired. Keith Lee, Karrion Kross, Ember Moon and Nia Jax are now all free to sign elsewhere, although the chances of Tony Khan being interested in Nia Jax’s services are extremely slim.

Khan also revealed that the new signing would go one-on-one with Isiah Kassidy in a Face of the Revolution qualifying match, the winner of which will be awarded a spot in the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match at AEW Revolution on March 6. This fact strongly suggests that the new acquisition is a man, so Keith Lee, arguably the hottest free agent in the industry, is a safe bet.

Source: TheSportster

Brian Kendrick Was Pulled From AEW Dynamite After Abhorrent Comments Resurface

Brian Kendrick’s planned AEW debut was canceled after comments he made regarding dangerous conspiracy theories resurfaced.

Brian Kendrick did not appear on last week’s AEW Dynamite.

On Wednesday, February 2, wrestling journalist David Bixenspan shone a light on offensive remarks Kendrick had publicly made in the past. In some footage recorded in 2011, Kendrick can be seen discussing dangerous antisemitic conspiracy theories. In another interview, Kendrick claimed that the number of Jewish people murdered by Nazis during the Holocaust is much lower than the consensus would suggest. This claim is, of course, total and utter bullshit and only a bigot with a severe case of brain worms would buy into it.

https://twitter.com/davidbix/status/1488956369822785536

AEW boss Tony Khan took to Twitter shortly before Dynamite to announce that Kendrick had been pulled from the show.

“We’ve been made aware of abhorrent & offensive comments made in the past by Brian Kendrick,” TK wrote. “There’s no room in AEW for the views expressed by Brian. We think it’s best for all that Brian be pulled from tonight’s card as we gather more info. We’ll announce a replacement bout ASAP.”

The canceled match with Jon Moxley would have been Kendrick’s first since October 2020 when he teamed up with Mansoor to defeat Ever-Rise (no known as 2point0 in AEW) on WWE 205 Live. As you might recall, Kendrick seemingly announced his retirement back in April 2021 in a video filmed at the Performance Center and posted to WWE’s YouTube channel.

Brian Kendrick has issued an apology, of sorts, after antisemitic comments he made in the past resurfaced.

“I apologize for all the hurt and embarrassment I have caused with my words. These are not my beliefs and never were beliefs of mine, and I crossed the line,” Kendrick tweeted on Wednesday, February 2.

“I spread the most vile comments without thinking of the damage it would cause,” he added in a follow-up tweet. “I will live with this regret for the rest of my life. I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused.”

Source: TheSportster

AEW Dynamite Preview 2/2/22

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite on TBS will air live from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. This week’s AEW Rampage on TNT will also be taped tonight in Chicago.

AEW has announced the following line-up for tonight:

* Brian Kendrick debuts vs. Jon Moxley

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

* Ruby Soho vs. Nyla Rose

* CM Punk vs. MJF

Brian Kendrick Set For AEW Debut, Will Face Jon Moxley On Dynamite

Weeks after parting ways with WWE, pro-wrestling veteran Brian Kendrick will make his AEW debut on this week’s edition of Dynamite.

The Brian Kendrick is about to perform inside an AEW ring for the very first time! On Tuesday, February 1 — one week after it was reported that Kendrick had requested his WWE release — AEW announced that the veteran wrestler would go one-on-one with former AEW Champion Jon Moxley on the February 2 edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS.

Wednesday’s match will be Kendrick’s first since October 2020 when he teamed up with Mansoor to defeat Ever-Rise (no known as 2point0 in AEW) on 205 Live. As you might recall, Kendrick seemingly announced his retirement back in April 2021 in a video filmed at the Performance Center and posted to WWE’s YouTube channel.

“Initially the idea of producing seemed like a good – not a retirement plan – but the next best thing to wrestling,” Kendrick explained during the clip. “It turns out it’s just as rewarding, in different ways. I love every bit of it. It’s a whole new way of looking at wrestling for me.”

Following the announcement, Kendrick began working at the WWE Performance Center as a coach/producer and occasionally appeared on-screen during NXT. Kendrick was briefly involved in a storyline with Harland (Parker Bordeaux) which was cut short as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak that affected several WWE staff.

Interestingly, Kendrick is a longtime friend and associate of AEW star Bryan Danielson, who has recently been teasing a match with Jon Moxley. Danielson and Kendrick were both students at The Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy in 1999 and came up in the independent scene together.

On the January 21 edition of AEW Rampage, Danielson sarcastically congratulated Moxley on his victory over Ethan Page. On the January 28 edition of Rampage, Danielson was shown backstage watching Mox’s match with Anthony Bowens. A Danielson vs. Moxley feud seems inevitable at this point … whether Brian Kendrick gets involved or not remains to be seen.

Source: TheSportster

AEW Rampage Beach Break Championship Friday Preview

Tonight’s AEW Rampage episode on TNT will be the special Championship Friday Beach Break edition, taped earlier this week from the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH.

* Jon Moxley vs. Anthony Bowens

* AAA World Tag Team Champions FTR vs. Brock Anderson and Lee Johnson

* AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill defends against Julia Hart

* AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express defend against Private Party

Matt Hardy Comments On Jeff Hardy’s Renewed Pro Wrestling Passion

AEW star Matt Hardy recently spoke with the Wrestling Perspective Podcast about how easy it is to get back into the groove with Jeff Hardy. For him, when it comes to teaming up, it is just like riding a bike. He also revealed that Jeff is excited about his future within the wrestling business following his WWE release.

“I’ll be honest, when it comes to myself and Jeff teaming up and being The Hardy Boyz, it’s like riding a bike,” he said. “You just get back on and you just start pedaling and it’s business as usual. That’s one thing that’s really cool, knowing that I have literally been there since this guy was born, you know, his whole life.

“So we really know each other inside and out and it’s going to be fun. You know Jeff’s excitement and passion for wrestling have been so renewed now that he has this new horizon in front of him. I’m very excited about that.”

Matt Hardy also provided a tease about the future of The Hardy Boyz as a tag team. Without giving away any official details, he did claim that 2022 will be good for both him and his brother.

“Without going too much into detail, I am very excited to where 2022 is going to take The Hardy Boyz,” he said. “I feel like it’s going to be a great year for both Matt and Jeff.”

While there have been rumors of Jeff joining Matt in AEW, their first official match has already been announced. The Hardy Boyz will be getting back into the ring on March 12, 2022, for Big Time Wrestling. Additional dates are set to be announced soon, but that has yet to happen.

Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to Wrestling Perspective Podcast 

Danhausen Signs With AEW, Debuts At Dynamite Beach Break

Former Ring Of Honor star Danhausen is officially ALL ELITE!

After months of teases, Danhausen is officially ALL ELITE! The former Ring Of Honor star made his AEW debut last night at Dynamite Beach Break and was confirmed as an official member of the roster shortly afterward by Tony Khan.

It all went down at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday, January 26 for AEW’s third annual Beach Break-themed edition of its weekly flagship show on TBS. During the Lights Out main event between Adam Cole and Orange Cassidy, Cole tried to pull a steel chair out from underneath the ring … but there was no chair, only a very evil man by the name of Danhausen. Danhausen emerged from under the ring and pointed at Cole, who was visibly baffled. AEW’s newest acquisition then hobbled up the ramp and disappeared.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1486530869368086529

If you’re unfamiliar with his work, Danhausen is a spooky-looking guy with demonic face paint and an extravagant cape who walks around carrying either a cartoonish sack of “human money” or a regular jar filled with human teeth — or both! Danhausen speaks in an exaggerated high-pitched voice which sounds like a cross between Mark Hammil’s Joker and Conan O’Brien, from whom the artist behind Danhausen admits to drawing inspiration.

Danhausen’s addition means that CM Punk is no longer the only man on the AEW roster who uses the GTS as a finisher. Danhausen adopted the move for himself, but not before asking both Punk (and KENTA’s) permission.

“So as Danhausen saw it, CM Punk, wonderful fellow, gave Danhausen the GTS as his finisher. Then Kenta got a little angry at him, but then said he doesn’t care who uses it besides CM Punk,” Danhausen said on an episode of Renee Paquette’s Oral Session’s Podcast. “So Danhausen got two blessings as far as he can see it, CM Punk and Kentahausen… Even named it Very Nice, Very Kneevil.”

Source: TheSportster