Tag: AEW

AEW Dynamite Moving To TBS In January, Rampage Will Remain On TNT

AEW has set a date for Dynamite’s previously announced switch from TNT to TBS. Meanwhile, the company confirmed that Rampage is staying on TNT.

AEW Dynamite’s previously announced move to TNT’s fellow WarnerMedia network TBS will officially take place on January 5, 2022. AEW announced the date of the switch on Thursday, September 23 — the day after the company’s historic Grand Slam event in New York City’s prestigious Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The company also revealed that Dynamite’s sister show Rampage will remain on TNT instead of moving to TBS as was initially planned. “Rampage” has aired weekly on Fridays at 10 p.m. ET/PT since its debut on TNT on Aug. 13.

The move to TBS could potentially help Dynamite reach a wider audience, as the channel is available in more homes than TNT. That being said, the move was largely necessitated by TNT’s recent deal with the NHL.

“Both TBS and TNT have an incredibly storied past with wrestling so for us being able to put more AEW onto TBS was a natural fit,” Brett Weitz, General Manager, TBS, TNT and truTV, confirmed during a press call when the switch was first announced. “For me, being able to program these networks as a portfolio gives me the latitude to put them where it makes most sense for the consumer. Did the NHL have anything to do with it? Sure. The NBA had something to do with it… we felt TBS had an opportunity to be the best platform for expansion,” he added.

Regardless of the reasoning, having its two main shows spread out over two networks is unlikely to be anything other than beneficial to AEW.

In case you missed it, AEW will reportedly add a second women’s division championship called “The TBS Championship” in the near future. An exact date for the new title’s introduction is yet to be revealed, but it’s safe to assume that it will be up for grabs on the debut edition of Dynamite on TBS, or very shortly thereafter if not.

Source: The Sportster

AEW Will Reportedly Add A Second Women’s Title In The Near Future

AEW is gearing up to add a second women’s title which will apparently be known as the TBS Championship.

AEW is reportedly going to add another women’s title to the mix coming up and it will be called the TBS Championship.

AEW’s star continues to rise in the middle of what might be the biggest week in its short history. Grand Slam week’s Dynamite is in the books and the show closed with a Women’s Title match between defending champion Britt Baker and new signing Ruby Soho. The champ won and continues to move AEW’s women’s division forward.

That division will likely be built upon with new signings as AEW continues to move forward, but also a new title. Andrew Zarian revealed via Denise Salcedo’s podcast that a new women’s championship is in the works, but didn’t reveal when it will be unveiled. The belt will be called the TBS Title, much like the men’s secondary belt was dubbed the TNT Championship.

https://twitter.com/_denisesalcedo/status/1440902556620767233

Some fans might worry AEW is going the same way as WWE when it comes to adding more titles. However, it could also be argued that adding another title will help the women’s division continue to grow. One of the issues WWE faces is having nothing for a growing women’s roster other than a feud over the title, which is normally reserved for two wrestlers at a time.

As AEW continues to add more women to its ranks, it will need more for those wrestlers to do. While building feuds that don’t require a title at all will also be necessary, and is something WWE needs to improve upon too, adding another title into the mix will give at least two more female performers an angle to build alongside whatever the AEW Women’s Champion is doing at the time.

When the TBS Title is officially added to AEW’s collection of belts, it will bring its championship collection up to a total of five.

Source: The Sportster

AEW Dynamite Grand Slam Preview 9/22/21

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam episode airs on TNT from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York.

* Malakai Black vs. Cody Rhodes

* Brian Pillman Jr. vs. MJF

* AEW World Champion Kenny Omega with Don Callis vs. Bryan Danielson (Non-Title Match)

* CM Punk live interview

* Britt Baker (c) with Rebel vs. Ruby Soho (AEW Women’s World Championship)

* Sting and Darby Allin vs. FTR with Tully Blanchard

AEW To Hold An Owen Hart Cup, Could Include Him In Upcoming Console Game

AEW has partnered with the Owen Hart Foundation and will hold a tournament bearing his name in the future.

AEW has partnered with The Owen Hart Foundation and will hold The Owen Hart Cup as well as honoring the late star’s legacy in other ways.

AEW has released a statement detailing a new partnership with The Owen Hart Foundation. The charity, which was set up by Owen’s widow Martha Hart, was established to help people in need in Owen’s name. AEW will now work alongside the charity and will be putting a number of things in place to keep Owen’s name alive in the wrestling business.

As well as helping Martha and the OHF continue to help people around the world, AEW will be holding the first-ever Owen Hart Cup. The Owen Hart Cup will be an annual tournament where the winner will receive a cup named The Owen. No further details about the tournament, including when the first one will take place and who will be involved, have been revealed at this time.

AEW’s partnership with the OHF and the Hart family will also include the production and distribution of all-new Owen Hart merchandise. A few products were created following the Dark Side of the Ring episode on Owen’s death, but this sounds like it might be a step beyond although again, not many other details have been disclosed.

What is mentioned right at the end of the statement is the inclusion of Owen Hart merchandise in the upcoming AEW console game. While not mentioned specifically, that could mean Owen is a playabale character in the game. If so, it would be the first time the former Intercontinental Champion has been in a wrestling game since 1999’s WWF Attitude.

WWE has probably wanted to sell Owen merchandise and even include him in video games. However, Martha blames the company for his death and has said on multiple occasions that she doesn’t want them making any more money from his legacy. Either Martha and Owen’s children are okay with AEW benefitting from Owen’s legacy since the company has no affiliation with WWE, or everything made through their partnership will go directly to the Owen Hart Foundation.

Source: TheSportster

Below is the AEW release about their partnership with the Owen Hart Foundation and The Owen Hart Cup:

AEW and The Owen Hart Foundation Enter Into
A Relationship to Honor World Renowned Wrestler Owen Hart’s Legacy
September 20, 2021 – All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and The Owen Hart Foundation (OHF), a
nonprofit charity which provides a vast range of assistance and opportunities to individuals inneed across the world, are collaborating to honor the legacy of late wrestler Owen Hart, a
beloved figure in the professional wrestling community and beyond. This collaboration includes
launching the annual Owen Hart Cup Tournament within AEW, which will see the winner receive
a Cup known as “The Owen,” as well as the production and distribution of unique and original
Owen Hart merchandise, including specified retail goods as well as the upcoming AEW console
video game.
This alliance incorporates opportunities to develop Owen Hart action figures via AEW’s
partnership with Jazwares, apparel, posters, and additional collectable merchandise. Owen Hart
is survived by his wife, Dr. Martha Hart, who spearheads The Owen Hart Foundation with a
mission of providing global aid to at-risk communities (e.g., scholarships, housing, various forms
international assistance, food drives, backpack giveaways and Christmas projects).
“AEW’s relationship with the Hart family dates back to our inaugural pay-per-view event, Double
or Nothing in 2019, and Owen’s influence is still felt today,” said Tony Khan, AEW CEO, GM and
Head of Creative. “To extend his memory and his legacy even further through this agreement is
a powerful and meaningful moment for the entire wrestling community.”
“The Owen Hart Foundation is extremely pleased to partner with AEW in this wonderful joint
venture to honor Owen’s substantial international wrestling career and the lasting influence he
and his craft has had in the sport. AEW’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament serves as a tremendous
tribute to Owen and provides an incredible way for professional wrestling enthusiasts to
celebrate his work in a most fitting way. We trust that Tony Khan and his amazing AEW team
will do a brilliant job with this highly anticipated project. This OHF/AEW partnership is my
special gift to all of Owen’s magnificent loyal fans who forever remember him and his inspiring
repertoire of talents,” said Dr. Martha Hart.
About The Owen Hart Foundation
The Owen Hart Foundation was established in 2000 in memory of celebrated world-renowned
Canadian wrestler Owen Hart. Our mandate is ‘Education’ and our goal is to help provide opportunities worldwide for hard-working people who have limited resources but unlimited
potential. http://www.owenhartfoundation.org


About AEW
Founded by CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan, AEW is a new professional wrestling league
headlined by Kenny Omega, Dr. Britt Baker, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, Cody & Brandi
Rhodes, The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), Adam Cole, Sting, Jon Moxley, Miro, Lucha Bros.,
PAC, Hangman Page, MJF, Darby Allin, Nyla Rose, Red Velvet, Ruby Soho, Hikaru Shida, Jade Cargill,
Thunder Rosa, Malakai Black, Andrade El Idolo, Christian Cage, Jungle Boy, Sammy Guevara,
Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page, Orange Cassidy, Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, Lance Archer, and
many more. For the first time in many years, AEW is offering an alternative to mainstream
wrestling, with a roster of world-class talent that is injecting new spirit, freshness and energy into
the industry.
“AEW: Dynamite” airs every Wednesday from 8-10 p.m. ET on TNT and attracts the youngest
wrestling audience on television. The new fight-forward show “AEW: Rampage” airs every Friday
from 10-11 p.m. ET. AEW’s multi-platform content also includes “AEW Dark” and “AEW Dark:
Elevation,” two weekly professional wrestling YouTube series, “Being the Elite,” a weekly behindthe-scenes YouTube series, and “AEW Unrestricted,” a weekly podcast series. For more info, check
out Twitter.com/AEW; Instagram.com/AllEliteWrestling; YouTube.com/AEW;
Facebook.com/AllEliteWrestling

AEW Rampage Preview 9/17/21

Tonight’s AEW Rampage airs on TNT from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

* The Lucha Brothers (c) vs. The Butcher & The Blade (AEW World Tag Team Championship)

* Miro’s TNT Championship vs. Fuego Del Sol’s New Car

* Anna Jay vs. The Bunny

* Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson comment on their future matchup

AEW Dynamite Preview 9/15/21

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite episode airs on TNT at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Tonight shows features the AEW in-ring debut of Adam Cole.

* CM Punk does commentary

* Bryan Danielson addresses AEW World Champion Kenny Omega

* Matt Hardy continues his feud with Orange Cassidy

* Lance Archer and Minoru Suzuki issue a challenge to Jon Moxley

* Adam Cole makes AEW in-ring debut vs. Frankie Kazarian

* Shawn Spears vs. Darby Allin

* Leyla Hirsch vs. Jade Cargill

* Dan Lambert hosts a Tough Guy Challenge

* Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley vs. 2point0

AEW Rampage Preview 9/10/21

Tonight’s AEW Rampage airs on TNT from the Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. More fallout from last Sunday’s All Out

* PAC vs. Andrade El Idolo (w/Chavo Guerrero)

* Darby Allin and Sting interview

* Ruby Soho, Riho & Kris Statlander vs. AEW Women’s Champion Dr. Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter & Rebel

* Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Max Caster

Brian Cage And His Wife Suggest He’s Being Misused By AEW

Brian Cage’s wife took to social media to suggest AEW has overlooked him and isn’t treating him like the star that he is. He agreed.

It was only a matter of time before certain members of the AEW started using social media to hint they’re getting frustrated with their roles in AEW. With so many new faces and big-name talent coming into the wrestling promotion, other stars were bound to get pushed aside. Whether fans view Brian Cage as one of those stars being overlooked, and whether or not they agree he’s got the ability to be a top-level guy is up for debate. Still, his wife seems to think so and it appears the wrestler himself tends to agree.

Cage’s wife took to social media on Thursday and flat out said her husband was a star and was being misused by AEW. Melissa Santos used Twitter to vent about how AEW has seemingly cast him aside in favor of other talents. She noted, “Brian Cage is a superstar. Those people who know him from the indies, Impact, Lucha Underground where I met him know that he is a superstar. All you have to do is google him and watch all of his matches. He’s a superstar and he’s being misused right now.”

While spouses have been known in the past to speak out on behalf of their other halves, Cage actually retweeted a post his wife put together and included a meme of Will Smith shrugging his shoulders with the caption, “I mean…” The hint here is that he didn’t think she was wrong in her assessment and that he recognizes AEW should be doing more with him. Specifically, he shared a screenshot of an article suggesting he has gotten lost in the shuffle in AEW.

Cage was brought into the company last year as a surprise entrant in a Casino Battle Royale. Since then he’s been part of Team Taz and then booted from the group, only to wrestle more on Dark shows than on Dynamite or Rampage. He recently lost a match to Powerhouse Hobbs, who AEW seems very keen on pushing.

Cage may not be wrong, but there’s only so much television time to go around in AEW and the company is signing a lot of people on a regular basis. As such, originals and talent who have been in the company for a few weeks are bound to get less time to show their stuff. What’s interesting here is that Cage is actually still being featured in segments and matches and has been a regular on AEW programming. It’s hard to imagine what more he (or his wife) really wants considering he’s part of a company that has a ton of eyeballs and major buzz surrounding it.

Source: Jim Parsons/TheSportster

AEW Not Offering Huge Money To Woo Newly-Acquired Talent From WWE

AEW has added a number of big names, but it doesn’t sound like they’re handing out big fat contracts to acquire these stars.

Talk in the professional wrestling world has been highly focused on big names jumping from WWE to AEW. With CM Punk, Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson, Christian Cage, Andrade El Idolo, and others potentially already a part of the AEW roster, the question about how many more WWE stars might follow suit is valid. Recent chatter that both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have WWE deals that expire soon and would be on AEW’s radar is interesting, while the futures of talent like Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt are still to be determined.

What seems to be the case, with exception of Punk — who was on Tony Khan’s radar for some time — is that AEW is not actively going after these former WWE stars. In fact, even when these talents become available, the talk is that AEW is not offering big money to convince the talent to join the roster. In some cases, these stars are being offered less and gladly accepting the deals because they are prioritizing the work environment over money.

One of the consistent themes is that AEW has money, but they aren’t eager to throw it away. Their pitch is creative input, a team atmosphere, fewer days, the ability to work outside the promotion, strong in-ring wrestling matchups, healthy relationships with the people in charge, and a family environment where talent wants to work together and there isn’t nearly as much political dissension as there might be in WWE. That’s how AEW is selling coming aboard and for wrestlers who value earning the best money over those things, AEW is happy enough to let wrestlers look at other options. In fact, Danielson said he almost didn’t come over.

In other words, AEW is not doing what WCW did back in the day and offering bigger money to acquire talent.

In some situations, Tony Khan is going after the talents that he wants. He had his eyes on 2.0 after they were released from NXT and he patiently waited for Punk to feel like the timing was right and AEW was the right fit. In other cases, Khan isn’t chasing free agents. Ruby Soho mentioned that she wasn’t sure if there was a spot for her in AEW and reached out to find out there was. If Ric Flair joins, it will likely be because he’s asked to work with Andrade El Idolo. Adam Cole was surprised to learn his contract had expired in AEW and Khan didn’t know anything about it until he was told as much. While the pay is likely fair for everyone, it doesn’t sound like any of these stars have hit a financial home run.

As such, don’t be surprised if stars like Owens and Zayn don’t jump. It will depend on what they value. It could be financial security or it could be the freedom that comes with having the best matches with creative input and joining a “wrestling promotion” over a sports entertainment company.

Source: TheSportster

Kenny Omega Tops 2021’s PWI 500, Top 10 Revealed

Kenny Omega has topped the PWI 500 for the second time in his career, beating Roman Reigns to number one.

Kenny Omega has topped the PWI 500 for only the second time in his career, knocking Jon Moxley off the top spot and all the way down to number six.

Pro Wrestling Illustrated has been ranking the 500 best male wrestlers in the business since 1991. Who deserves to be number one each year is heavily debated, with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Stone Cole, CM Punk, and AJ Styles all having clinched the top spot in the past. This year’s top ten has been revealed, and PWI has declared Kenny Omega 2021’s best male wrestler.

This is actually the second time Omega has topped the PWI 500. The Cleaner was named the publication’s best wrestler in 2018 as well. It was hard to argue with the decision to place him first then, and maybe even more difficult to make a case against him in 2021. During PWI’s assessment period, Omega won World Titles in three different promotions, holding them simultaneously.

The rest of the top ten has been revealed too, with Universal Champion Roman Reigns claiming the number two spot. That’s the highest Reigns has placed since he took the number one spot in 2016, bouncing back from dropping out of the top ten completely in 2020 when he missed a chunk of the year due to the pandemic.

Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, and Finn Balor also make the top ten, as does Will Ospreay. However, the New Japan star appears to be a little miffed with only making it as high as seventh. It’s actually the highest Ospreay has ever placed, only cracking the top ten one time before this in 2019. The British star tweeted that he could beat Omega any night of the week in response to the top ten being posted on Twitter.

SouOmega responded that New Japan has been “ice cold” since he left, to which Ospreay replied by pointing to a sold-out MSG show and the best-selling Tokyo Dome show in the promotion’s history. Ospreay closes by challenging Omega to a match. The forbidden door between AEW and New Japan is wide open right now, so it could happen. Just last night on Dynamite Moxley defeated Minoru Suzuki.

Source: TheSportster