Tag: AEW

AEW Star Joey Janela Expresses Frustration With How He’s Being Used

AEW star Joey Janela took to Twitter on Tuesday night and made an interesting tweet that has since been deleted.

Janela noted that he did not get on his flight to Chicago for tonight’s Dynamite episode, and said AEW officials aren’t answering his phone calls.

He wrote, “Didn’t get on my flight for @AEWrestling Dynamite tonight, I’m not going…. Nothing was addressed about the way I was eliminated from the match last week, I’m losing all the steam I created on my own through 14 years of hard work, right these wrongs and answer the phone…”

Janela then deleted the tweet shortly after. There’s no word yet on if this is part of an angle, but we will keep you updated.

Janela was not previously announced for a match on tonight’s Dynamite episode and really hasn’t received much focus over the past few months. He worked the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale last Wednesday night but was eliminated by Shawn Spears during a commercial break.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dynamite Preview 11/27/19

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite will air live from the Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois.

* AEW World Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Scorpio Sky

* Chris Jericho’s “Thanksgiving Thank You Celebration”

* MJF vs. Adam Page (DDP to present AEW Dynamite Ring to the winner.)

* Cody Rhodes in action.

AEW Dark Preview 11/26/19

The following matches were taped for tonight’s AEW Dark episode on YouTube:

* “The Librarian” Leva Bates vs. Awesome Kong w/Brandi Rhodes

* Big Swole vs. Shanna

* Trent vs. Pentagon Jr.

* AAA Mega Championship: (C) Kenny Omega vs. Jack Evans

WWE NXT Tops AEW Dynamite In Viewership For The First Time

It took 8 weeks, but WWE NXT has finally topped AEW Dynamite in viewership.

Wednesday’s NXT drew 916,000 viewers on the USA Network while AEW Dynamite on TNT drew 893,000 viewers, according to Showbuzz Daily. NXT topped Dynamite by 2.6%.

This is the best NXT viewership since the official two-hour USA premiere on October 2. The first two NXT USA episodes had just one hour air on cable, and they drew 1.179 million viewers and 1.006 million viewers. The NXT viewership is likely up due to fans expecting top RAW and SmackDown Superstars to appear for the final Survivor Series build on NXT. As noted, top main roster stars such as Seth Rollins, RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, Drew McIntyre, The Revival, and others appeared.

AEW still topped NXT in the 18-49 demo, as it ranked #8 in the Cable Top 150 for the 18-49 demo, while NXT ranked #14. AEW ranked #36 in overall viewership, while NXT ranked #35 in viewership.

Last week’s Dynamite episode drew 957,000 viewers and ranked #5 in the Cable Top 150, and #37 in viewership, so it dropped 6.7%. Last week’s NXT episode drew 750,000 viewers and ranked #22 in the Cable Top 150, and #41 in viewership.

AEW drew a 0.39 rating in the 18-49 demographic while NXT drew a 0.30 in the same demo this week. Last week’s AEW episode drew a 0.43 in that demographic while NXT drew a 0.25.

The Democratic Debate on MSNBC topped the night in the 18-49 demographic at #1 with a 1.08 rating, also topping the night in viewership with 6.604 million viewers.

Chicago Med on NBC at 8pm topped the night in viewership on network TV with 8.433 million viewers. The Masked Singer on FOX topped the 18-34 demographic with a 1.2 rating.

To compare, this week’s pro wrestling viewership looks like this so far:

* Monday’s Survivor Series go-home edition of WWE RAW drew an average of 2.128 million viewers, up from last week’s 2.058 million viewers for the taped episode from England. RAW was #11 for the night in viewership on cable, and #4 in the 18-49 demographic on the Cable Top 150, for the fourth week in a row

* Tuesday’s Total Divas season 9 finale on the E! network drew 295,000 viewers, up from last week’s 258,000 viewers. Total Divas ranked #95 on the Cable Top 150 this week with a 0.12 cable rating in the 18-49 demo

* Tuesday’s WWE Backstage episode on FS1 drew 180,000 viewers in the 11pm hour, up from last week’s 100,000 viewers

* Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite on TNT drew 893,000 viewers, down from last week’s 957,000 viewers. Dynamite was #36 for the night in viewership on cable and #8 in the 18-49 demographic on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.39 rating

* Wednesday’s NXT episode on the USA Network drew 916,000 viewers, up from last week’s 750,000 viewers. NXT ranked #35 for the night in viewership on cable, and #14 on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.30 rating in the 18-49 demographic

Below is 2019 NXT Viewership Tracker:

September 18 Episode: 1.179 million viewers (one hour on the USA Network)
September 25 Episode: 1.006 million viewers (one hour on the USA Network)
October 2 Episode: 891,000 viewers (season premiere, both hours on the USA Network)
October 9 Episode: 790,000 viewers
October 16 Episode: 712,000 viewers
October 23 Episode: 698,000 viewers
October 30 Episode: 580,000 viewers with a 0.18 demographic in the 18-49 demographic
November 6 Episode: 813,000 viewers with a 0.30 demographic in the 18-49 demographic
November 13 Episode: 750,000 viewers with a 0.25 demographic in the 18-49 demographic
November 20 Episode: 916,000 viewers

Below is 2019 AEW Dynamite Viewership Tracker:

October 2 Episode: 1.409 million viewers (premiere episode)
October 9 Episode: 1.018 million viewers (on TNT, 122k on truTV)
October 16 Episode: 1.014 million viewers
October 23 Episode: 963,000 viewers
October 30 Episode: 789,000 viewers with a 0.33 rating in the 18-49 demographic
November 6 Episode: 822,000 viewers with a 0.35 rating in the 18-49 demographic
November 13 Episode: 957,000 viewers with a 0.43 rating in the 18-49 demographic (post-Full Gear episode)
November 20 Episode:893,000 viewers

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dynamite Preview 11/20/19

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite will air live from the Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana.

* AEW World Champion Chris Jericho to make a huge announcement.

* Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin

* Fenix vs. Nick Jackson

* Private Party vs. Santana and Ortiz

* Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal (The final two participants will meet next week, winner of that match receives an AEW Diamond Ring.)

* Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida

* Kenny Omega to speak.

AEW Dark Preview 11/19/19

The following matches were taped for tonight’s AEW Dark episode on YouTube:

* The Young Bucks vs. Strong Hearts

* Big Swole and Kris Statlander vs. AEW Women’s World Champion Riho and Britt Baker

* Best Friends (with Orange Cassidy) vs. Private Party

* Dustin Rhodes is the special guest commentator

Randy Orton And AEW President Tony Khan Spar On Twitter After Khan Responded To a CM Punk Tweet

Tensions between WWE and AEW escalated on Monday when Randy Orton went back back and forth on social media with All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan.

Things kicked off earlier today when CM Punk tagged Khan in a tweet promoting his appearance on tomorrow’s episode of WWE Backstage. “It IS weird trying to catch up on 5+ years of rasslin’, I’m doing what I can. There’s bright spots, mostly women from what I can tell. There’s BAD too. I’m gonna talk about it, and no one is safe. Join us,” he wrote.

Tony Khan responded hours later saying, “No one is safe? Sounds like a plane full of wrestlers in Saudi Arabia!” This was obviously in reference to WWE’s recent travel delays after Crown Jewel.

“What’s that whole thing about glass houses and stones,” Orton replied along with a news article on allegations made against Tony’s father Shahid Khan, who funded the promotion.

Tony wrote back: “I thought you only tagged me in your posts when you were grasping for leverage. That article’s over a year old + is about baseless claims made about my dad years ago. That’s the best you can do, nothing. Meanwhile in the time since that was written, you used the N word on twitch.”

And lastly, Randy ended the night firing back with: “Jacksonville Dixie: Why else would I tag you? If I wanted to talk business, I’d call your father.” He also added a kissy-face emoji.

You can see the tweets below:

AEW Announces “Bash At The Beach” Dynamite Episode, Dynamite To Also Air On Chris Jericho’s Cruise

AEW has announced that their Dynamite episode scheduled for January 15, 2020 in Miami, Florida will have a special Bash at the Beach theme.

AEW “Dynamite: Bash at the Beach” will take place at the Watsco Center from the University of Miami. Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 22.

This event will serve as the kickoff to the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager at Sea, presented by AEW World Champion Chris Jericho. The nine-day experience will also include another Dynamite episode filmed on Jericho’s sold out Norwegian Pearl ship, airing on January 22.

Jericho said in a press release, “AEW’s Bash at the Beach events will deliver nine unforgettable days of wrestling and much more from the hottest company in the business today. Thousands of the Friends Of Jericho onboard the SOLD OUT ‘Rock N Wrestling Rager At Sea’ will have the experience of their lives, and now millions more will be able to watch AEW Dynamite along with us, as we break out the bubbly together from Miami to the Bahamas.”

Below is the press release sent to us by AEW today, which includes full details on the experience:

AEW Announces Nine-Day “Bash at the Beach” Fan Extravaganza— Two Dynamite shows on Land & Sea Plus Nine Outrageous Days of Wrestling, Special Events, Live Music and Non-Stop Action from Miami to the Bahamas —

MIAMI, FL (Nov. 18, 2019) — AEW today announced “Bash at the Beach,” an unprecedented, nine-day experience for superfans that features two Dynamite shows, a cruise onboard Chris Jericho’s tricked-out party ship, and non-stop entertainment in between.

The adventure begins on Wednesday, Jan. 15, when AEW Dynamite takes over the Watsco Center at the University of Miami for a Bash at the Beach themed episode, and continues with Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea, sailing round-trip from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas, on Jan. 20-24.

High-octane bouts with the biggest names from AEW will be filmed from Jericho’s sold-out Norwegian Pearl ship, including the Jan. 22 episode of Dynamite on TNT. The history-making event will be bubbling with exclusive opportunities to meet AEW’s star-studded roster, as well as non-stop wrestling, rock ‘n’ roll, live podcasts, paranormal explorations, talent-hosted activities, autograph sessions, parties and more.

“AEW’s Bash at the Beach events will deliver nine unforgettable days of wrestling and much more from the hottest company in the business today,” said Chris Jericho. “Thousands of the Friends Of Jericho onboard the SOLD OUT ‘Rock N Wrestling Rager At Sea’ will have the experience of their lives, and now millions more will be able to watch AEW Dynamite along with us, as we break out the bubbly together from Miami to the Bahamas.”

Tickets for the Jan. 15 Bash at the Beach show in Miami go on sale this Friday, Nov. 22, at noon ET. Tickets for the show will be available for purchase exclusively at http://www.AEWTIX.com. For your chance to join the party at sea, sign up for the waitlist at http://www.chrisjerichocruise.com.

https://twitter.com/AEWrestling/status/1196473473390063622

 

Earl Hebner Says “You Feel Like A Prisoner” When You Work For WWE

Earl Hebner is perhaps the most famous wrestling referee of all-time. He’s been in the business for over 40 years and worked for Jim Crockett Promotions/NWA from 1977 to 1988, WWE from 1988 to 2005 and TNA/Impact Wrestling from 2005 to 2017  He is now a part of AEW and Hebner talked about the differences between AEW and WWE when he spoke to Wrestling Inc. on their WINCLY podcast.

“It doesn’t feel like you’re in prison here,” Hebner said of AEW as compared to WWE. “You’ve got more leeway and it’s more relaxing. It felt like you were in a prisoner in WWE but not in AEW.

“This is just a more laid back company and at my age, this is great for me.”

Hebner has been involved in many memorable wrestling matches and moments. He was asked what he would pick as the highlights of his career.

“The first one would be Saturday Night Main Event when I screwed Hogan. And the next one would be the Bret Hart deal [Montreal Screwjob],” Hebner said before being asked why he considers that controversial match a highlight.

“It made a name for me…”

“I don’t think they are ever gonna let that go. It’s gotta be over 20 years ago… [The fans] wanna torture me but I’m torturing them!”

WWE officiating, and their product in general, came under fire recently with the Seth Rollins-Bray Wyatt Hell in a Cell match. Hebner was blunt when asked what he thought of that controversial finish.

“I don’t watch their product,” stated Hebner.

Earl Hebner can be seen every Wednesday night on TNT, 8/7c, as part of AEW Dynamite. Hebner’s full interview with Wrestling Inc aired as part a recent episode of our WINCLY podcast. It can be heard via the embedded audio player at the bottom of this post, or via the video player at the top.

You can check out past episodes of the WINCLY here. Subscribe to Wrestling Inc. Audio on iTunes or Google Play. Listen to the show via Spotify here or through TuneIn here.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

CM Punk Reportedly Turned Down Big Money Offer From AEW, Punk Is Signed To A FOX Deal, Not WWE

CM Punk reportedly turned down significant money from AEW, according to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live.

Punk did actually have talks with AEW, despite what has been said in the media, and he met in person with AEW President & CEO Tony Khan, according to Alvarez. There’s no word yet on details of AEW’s offer, but Khan reportedly offered “a lot of money” to the former WWE Champion.

There’s been no update on Punk possibly returning to the ring for WWE, but turning down the AEW deal could be a sign that he has no plan for an in-ring future.

Punk is signed to a FOX deal, not WWE. It’s been reported that Punk’s agents contacted FOX a few months back, which led to the initial tryout in Los Angeles, where the show is filmed each week. WWE did give their blessing to the hire, but this was a FOX decision.

As seen in the tweet from FOX Sports PR below, “CM Punk” and “WWE Backstage” trended #1 and #2 worldwide on Twitter. The return had more than 5.5 million video views across the FOX Sports social media platforms, and counting. This was also the most re-tweeted post of the year on any FOX Sports account.

As we’ve noted, Punk appeared at the end of this week’s Backstage episode after being introduced by host Renee Young. It was later announced that the former WWE Champion will appear as a Special Contributor and Analyst beginning next week, making “select appearances” in the studio alongside host Renee and analyst WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.

Source: Wrestling Inc.