AEW: Brawls, Bites, and Bodyslams (oh my)

AEW produced a fun pay-per-view outing over Labor Day weekend. New champions were crowned, several great matches occurred, and the show closed out with the return of MJF. But no one is talking about that.

The genuine backstage drama that has been reportedly simmering for months reached a boiling point, culminating in a locker room “melee” that is still grabbing headlines over one week later.

It’s the story that will not die.

In a scene reminiscent of Scarface’s spirited “resignation” in the film Half Baked, CM Punk made disparaging remarks at the post-All Out media scrum about Colt Cabana, Colt Cabana’s mama, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, Target retail stores, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Reseda, California.

Punk ended his tirade by stating his door is always open if anyone has a problem with him.

From here on end, words like “allegedly” or “reported” heavily apply as this pier six brawl has grown more fantastical by the day, Which is why I waited so long to write about it.

Nick & Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks) and Kenny Omega took Punk up on his offer and kicked the door down. If anyone creates a parody of this fight, please play Bigge Samlls’ Kick in the Door.

Ok, back on task.

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Trios Championship Coming Soon to AEW

Depending on who you are, the overflow of championship gold in AEW was either praised or skewered before the promotion introduced the Trio’s Title’s Wednesday on Dynamite. While another prize risks diluting all of the AEW titles, Tony Khan had the belts made some time ago, meaning their inclusion in the all elite ranks was inevitable.

But is it a good idea?

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Thoughts on ROH Death Before Dishonor

Lowell, MA, added another historical event to its pro wrestling resume with the first full-on presentation of Tony Khan’s Ring of Honor with Death Before Dishonor. Many wondered what match would close out the show.

Would it be the World Championship or the Tag Team Championship?

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The Problem with AEW

All Elite Wrestling has become a viable pro wrestling alternative. However, the Jacksonville-based promotion receives as much adoring praise as it does staunch criticism. AEW booking the newest WWE release, Cole Karter, on Dynamite this week is the latest example of the promotion’s biggest problem.

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AEW Forbidden Door 2022 (Review)

Ringside Logic editor Atlee Greene sits down with the host of the CS:GO Clutch Podcast Adam Kohn and review this past Sunday’s AEWxNJPW pay-per-view event, Forbidden Door.

We’re going the Podcast route with this one! We break down all of the matches, surprises, and fallout as we head into Blood & Guts on Dynamite.

Vince McMahon Investigated by WWE Board for hush money allegations

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, WWE board members are investigating a $3 million settlement that Vince McMahon agreed to pay a former employee he allegedly had an affair with.

The former employee was hired as a paralegal in 2019 and signed a separation agreement in January 2022, barring her from discussing the relationship with Vince McMahon or disparaging him.

The board’s investigation reportedly began in April. They’re now looking into other nondisclosure agreements signed by former female WWE employees who filed misconduct claims about McMahon and WWE’s head of talent relations, John Laurinaitis.

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Interim Titles: A History Lesson

AEW’s path to crown an interim world champion is clear. Last Wednesday on Dynamite, #1 contender Jon Moxley beat Casino Battle Royal winner Kyle O’Reilly in a good back-and-forth contest. O’Reilly’s battle royal win was surprisingly damned with faint praise in the crowd and online. He’s a good wrestler, but some find the Undisputed Elite member boring.

NJPW was in a similar situation with their half of the interim title equation. Hiroki Goto is a good wrestler, but some find him dull as a character. No one expected Goto to beat Hiroshi Tanahashi at Dominion on Sunday, and they were right. Tanahashi pinned Goto in a highly engaging match despite the result never really being in question.

Jon Moxley will face Hiroshi Tanahashi to determine the interim AEW World Champion at Forbidden Door on June 26 in Chicago. CM Punk’s injury put a damper on things, but hopefully, the interim title will begin to right the ship. Of course, the end game down the line is the interim titleist colliding with Punk to determine an undisputed champion.

Does anyone know how the interim concept got started in the first place? I do, I do (eagerly raising my hand in class). So, here’s a history lesson.

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Don’t Call it a Promo: MJF’s Pipe Bomb

Art imitated life last Wednesday when Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) put on a scathing worked shoot rant that stole the show. His legitimate contract dispute with Tony Khan was used to convey a prohibited sense of astonishment.

MJF’s profane rhetoric laced with authentic and harsh criticism lobbied against Khan, and AEW was one of the most well delivered and passionate performances in a long, long time.

However, it didn’t sell anything.

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CM Punk Injured; AEW to Crown Interim Champion

Bad luck has postponed the Summer of Punk 3.0.

CM Punk announced on Rampage Friday night that he’s injured, a couple of things are broken, and he needs surgery. While Punk will be out for an undetermined time, he will remain AEW World Champion.

Later on, Excalibur announced that a battle royal will open Dynamite on Wednesday, where the winner will face #1 contender Jon Moxley in the main event. The winner of that match will face an unnamed opponent for the interim AEW World Championship on June 26 at Forbidden Door.

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AEW 2022 Double or Nothing Review

Nearly 5 hours of AEW’s brand of professional wrestling on Sunday culminated with CM Punk pinning “Hangman” Adam Page to become the fifth AEW World Champion. AEW Double or Nothing emanated from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a 13-match card.

It was a show of peaks and valleys with a hot opening, some less than stellar stuff in the middle, and a solid second half to celebrate All Elite Wrestling’s third anniversary. And, of course, it wouldn’t be an AEW PPV without a few new additions to the roster.

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