Tag: AEW

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)

Kenny Omega Talks AEW’s Upcoming Console Game, Won’t Be On The Same Level As WWE 2K22, Cross-Platform

Kenny Omega is excited to see what WWE 2K22 has to offer.

This time of year is always pretty busy for the wrestling business. Elimination Chamber has been and gone, AEW Revolution is still to come, and then the month after that we’ve got WrestleMania. This year will actually be a little busier than usual as wrestling fans’ more than two year wait for a new WWE game will come to an end.

WWE 2K22 launches on March 11, with those of you who pay extra for the Deluxe Edition getting the opportunity to play three days earlier. As 2K reveals more and more about its upcoming game, wrestling video game fans are wondering when exactly AEW’s first console game will be here. There was a time when it almost seemed as if the two games might launch at roughly the same time.

Kenny Omega spoke about the project during an appearance on Wrestling Observer Radio. Suffice to say, AEW’s first game will not be launching at the same time as WWE 2K22. The Cleaner didn’t want to commit to anything but did say the team behind the game is hoping to reveal new information and perhaps even some new footage during the week of Revolution.

“We were hoping to possibly show a little more of where we’re at and progression and reveal possibly a new character,” Omega said. The Cleaner was also very candid about 2K22, admitting that AEW’s first offering simply won’t be able to compete with WWE’s next game. “We’ll never be able to compete with the production values of WWE’s game. 2K22 is absolutely gorgeous, I’m excited to see all their bells and whistles.”

Omega also revealed that the AEW console game will support cross-platform play. “We have a lot of match types, game modes, there is going to be cross-platform and an online component where you can create your own lobby,” Omega explained.

Even if you own it on one console, you’ll still be able to play with and against those who own it on something else.

Cross-platform is a long-awaited but relatively new feature in the video game world. The ability to play games online even if you own a title on PlayStation and your friend has it on Xbox. Such a new concept that some studios still aren’t interested. There has been no confirmation whether WWE 2K22 will do the same, although it seems likely as Community Creations will be able to be shared across multiple platforms.

As for which platforms AEW’s unnamed game will be available on, Omega did not divulge that information. Probably PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as PC and maybe even Nintendo Switch. That’s all speculation at this point, and it’s also worth noting that there has currently been no mention of WWE 2K22 launching on Switch. It might happen eventually but won’t arrive on March 11 as is the plan for other platforms.

It’s certainly an exciting time for the wrestling video game landscape right now. The first impressions of 2K22 are already in and while there have been good things relayed to those who are interested, those impressions appear to be mixed overall. Even though there’s still a long way to go for AEW, and Omega is being somewhat coy about it, there will still be a lot of excitement for the promotion’s first game. As Eric Bischoff always says, it doesn’t need to be better, it just needs to be different.

Source: TheSportster

CM Punk To Be Inducted Into ROH Hall Of Fame

The final inductee of Ring of Honor’s inaugural Hall of Fame class will be none other than CM Punk. The current AEW star was announced as the last inductee on Monday morning in a press release available on ROH’s website. He joins fellow AEW star Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe and Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions The Briscoes (Jay and Mark Briscoe) in ROH’s inaugural class.

“Ring of Honor is proud to welcome CM Punk, one of the most charismatic and compelling performers in ROH history, into the ROH Hall of Fame,” the statement read. “Punk is the final member of the inaugural class, joining the Briscoes, Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe. Punk made his ROH debut in 2002 and experienced a meteoric rise thanks to his in-ring ability, mic skills and brash attitude. He incited fans by proclaiming that his straight edge lifestyle ‘means I’m better than you.’ Punk had many memorable moments in ROH, including the iconic ‘Summer of Punk’, which began when he won the ROH World Championship in June 2005 right after accepting a deal with WWE. Throughout the summer, Punk taunted ROH fans by repeatedly threatening to take the ROH World Title with him to WWE. He lost the title that August.

“In 2004, Punk engaged in an epic trilogy of matches with then-ROH World Champion Samoa Joe that have become legendary. They wrestled to two 60-minute draws before Joe prevailed in their final meeting. Punk also had a heated rivalry with Raven that is regarded as one of the greatest feuds in ROH history. They waged war against each other in unforgettable dog collar and steel cage matches. In addition to his ROH World Title reign, Punk also won the ROH World Tag Team Championship on two occasions as a member of The Second City Saints. After leaving ROH, Punk became one of the biggest stars in the industry in WWE. He wrestled in main events against the likes of The Rock and John Cena, and his 434-day reign as WWE Champion is the sixth-longest in company history. After stepping away from pro wrestling for more than seven years, Punk made his return last year in AEW, where he continues to be one of the promotion’s top stars.”

As with the Briscoes, Danielson and Samoa Joe, Ring of Honor also announced that a career retrospective on CM Punk would air on the next episode of Ring of Honor television, with a YouTube special focusing on Punk airing on ROH’s YouTube next Monday. As of this writing, CM Punk has yet to comment on his induction. There is no word on who will induct him.

The Ring of Honor Hall of Fame special, which will feature CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson and The Briscoe Brothers, will air on TV on March 5th, one day prior to AEW Revolution in Orlando. Punk is currently scheduled to wrestle MJF at AEW Revolution in a Dog Collar match.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Rampage Preview 2/18/22

Tonight’s AEW Rampage episode on TNT will be a special Slam Dunk edition, with an early start time of 7pm ET instead of 10pm ET. The show is airing early due to NBA All-Star Weekend coverage on TNT.

Rampage was taped earlier this week from the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, after Dynamite went off the air.

* Adam Cole vs. 10 of The Dark Order

* Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Dante Martin in a Face of The Revolution Ladder Match qualifier

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

* Jay White vs. Trent Beretta in the main event