Who would win in a fight between Batman and Kenny Omega? How about a showdown between Wonder Woman and “Timeless” Toni Storm? Can the acrobatic Nightwing match the aerial arsenal of Will Ospreay? These questions could be answered when the heroes and villains of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and DC Comics unite for a groundbreaking collaboration. The main event of this partnership will be a 48-page, two-part comic book saga.
Continue reading “DC Comics and AEW Team Up for Epic Crossover”Tonight, on AEW Dynamite, Powerhouse Hobbs challenges Jon Moxley for the World Championship. It’s a match-up that has fans excited. Hobbs has looked good since he returned from injury on November 6th. He went from looking good to looking amazing, winning last week’s Casino Gauntlet match to earn his title shot.
There is increasing chatter calling for Hobbs to not only win but absolutely blitz Moxley to become champion. I would love to see it, but no.
A scenario where Hobbs wins the title this evening would be hotshot booking. The idea of pushing a mid-card act immediately to the top of the card needs two important things for it to work.
First, you need the right wrestler at the right time. Powerhouse Hobbs is the right guy, and the time is oh so right. Besides a few bright spots here and there, the quality of AEW’s creative has never been lower. How low? Think WCW in 2000.
Jon Moxley’s Death Rider’s angle is not resonating with the audience. The storyline started with a lot of promise. There were even teases of Shane McMahon being the puppet master behind it all.
Eventually, it’s become another vaguely explained angle about taking over the company or saving the promotion from itself. Moxley’s promos are nothing more than hollow words making noise.
To quote his t-shirt, Hobbs is “Big, Black and Jacked” and his name sells no wolf tickets. The Palo Alto, California native is a powerhouse who looks like he can conquer the world. Hobbs has also shown improvement as a wrestler, and his portrayal of an ass-kicking machine keeps fans eagerly anticipating what will happen next.
Continue reading “Should Powerhouse Hobbs Win the AEW World Title”The winds of change in WWE’s women’s division arrived in the form of the Women’s United States Championship. A tournament to crown the inaugural champion kicked off on SmackDown last Friday when Bayley defeated B-Fab and Candice LeRae and will meet the winner of the Bianca Belair vs. Chelsea Green vs. Blair Davenport. The other side of the bracket sees Jae Cargill vs. Michin vs. Piper Niven and Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi vs. Elektra.
The tournament finals will be held on 12/14 at Saturday Night’s Main Event, emanating from the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. The first round will comprise four Triple Threat Matches, with singles matches filling the semi-final rounds.
Fans have clamored for a women’s mid-card title in WWE for years. NXT was the testing ground for the initiative in June when Kelani Jordan became the inaugural Women’s North American Champion.
Fatal Influence’s Fallon Henley recently bested Jordan to hold the gold. There are rumors of either a Women’s Intercontinental Title or a Netflix Title being implemented on Raw as the brand’s secondary women’s championship.
Tony Khan popularized the women’s mid-card title concept in the U.S. when AEW introduced the TBS Championship 2021, and ROH followed suit with the Women’s World Television Championship in May 2024. Mercedes Moné and Red Velvet are the respective title holders. Last year, Billy Corgan’s NWA also implemented a Women’s World Television Title.
Women’s wrestling in WWE and abroad has significantly expanded over the last decade. The top storyline on Monday Night Raw was the love triangle between Rhea Ripley, Dominick Mysterio, and Liv Morgan. In the eyes of many, it demonstrates how female acts on television are now on par with male performers in terms of importance.
While hard-nosed grizzle veterans say title belts are simply props, the right champion differentiates between them being a fashion accessory and a coveted prize. Mid-card championships allow members of a particular roster to work their way up, and as with most things in life, there are levels to professional wrestling.
Throughout WWE lore, most male wrestlers win the secondary or mid-card championship before capturing the World Championship. However, the women’s roster has no silver medal to win. No progression to establish a character’s credibility as they work through the ranks.
Female wrestlers have either been in the world title mix or have been irrelevant until now. With sixty-eight active women’s wrestlers in WWE and more on the horizon, it is the perfect time to introduce a second singles title across all three brands.
After months of intense speculation that predicted glorious ascension from some and the utter demise from others, All Elite Wrestling and Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced a new multi-year media rights deal on Wednesday.
The renewal of the deal calls for Dynamite and Collision to remain on TBS and TNT respectively, with AEW programming streaming live simultaneously on Max for U.S. subscribers in January 2025. AEW pay-per-view events will stream live on Max later next year for an additional cost.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Kathleen Finch confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that AEW’s library will be available on Max as part of the deal.
The Sports Business Journal is the first mainstream source to report that WBD has an equity stake in AEW and retained it as part of the new deal.
Industry insiders, including former WCW President Eric Bischoff, have long since suspected ownership stake was part of the equation, considering their financial support of the promotion despite declining ratings.
There was no mention of AEW’s Friday night show Rampage, their quarterly specials Battle of the Belts, Ring of Honor, or Tru TV, which is rebranding as a sports channel. The word on the street is Rampage has been canceled and will finish its run through 2024.
Continue reading “The Max of AEW’s Media Rights Renewal”
Only in professional wrestling can a home invasion carry fame and success instead of a prison sentence. How about burning the perpetrator’s house down in retaliation? Yep, same thing. Swerve Stickland and “Hangman” Adam Page shifted roles throughout their feud. Both have been the hero of the day and the villain of the story.
Hangman’s descent into madness and Swerve’s lust for revenge created a beautiful disaster in their unsanctioned main event steel cage match at AEW’s All In pay-per-view last Saturday night in Chicago. The words beautiful and disaster are apropos as the reaction to their bloody battle garnered mixed results. Some feel it was the perfect match for such a hate-filled saga. Others believe it was garbage wrestling akin to pointless Death Match fodder.
Continue reading “Did Swerve vs. Hangman Go Too Far?”
All In at Wembley Stadium has become the flagship showcase for All Elite Wrestling. It featured a strong lineup, headlined by the title versus career match between Swerve Strickland and Bryan Danielson. What was anticipated as an exciting wrestling show turned into something truly special. The event in London was packed with action, suspense, and many surprises.
Continue reading “All In 2024: AEW’s Spectacular Showcase at Wembley Stadium”
AEW brings All In to Wembley Stadium for the second year in a row. Over 53,000 fans will make London ground zero professional for pro wrestling with four marquee bouts headlining an eleven-match card.
Continue reading “AEW All In 2024 Predictions”
What seemed to be another false wrestling rumor was true after all. AEW will run its first U.S. stadium show next year. All In comes to the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, July 12, 2025. It will be the first pro wrestling show held in the home of MLB’s Texas Rangers. Globe Life Field opened in 2020 and holds 40,300 people at capacity.
Saturday’s episode of Collision will wrap up AEW’s five-week residency at Arlington’s Esports Stadium (it’s not a stadium). Tony Khan denied the rumors of a stadium show in Texas last month, saying it’s an exciting idea, but it’s not something he’d do anytime soon.
All In will return to London in 2026. AEW’s flagship pay-per-view will emanate for the second consecutive time at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, August 25. The headline bouts feature Swerve Strickland defending the AEW World Championship against Bryan Danielson, and MJF puts the American Championship on the line against Will Ospreay.
Can AEW fill a stadium in the United States with 40,000 people? Can they draw a respectable number if the show isn’t a sellout? It was the first question on everyone’s mind when they heard the news. AEW has struggled with TV ratings and at the box office lately. While the shows have improved recently, a long stretch of bad shows has seemingly eroded consumer confidence.
Continue reading “All In Texas Is Not a Good Idea”I’m baaaack! Wow, it’s been seven months. Don’t worry—as the kids say, I got the deets. Seriously, though, my personal life is usually persona non grata on the site. However, I want to explain my absence and how wrestling became some much-needed soul soup.
Illness, surgery, post-surgery complications, and COVID put me down for the count. I was in pain, which seemed endless. Desperate for relief, I withdrew from everyday life, only appearing where the obligation trumped expectation. A brave face and a big smile became the mask of an endless front.
Meanwhile, an independent wrestling promotion, Royal Crown Wrestling, announced that former WWE superstar Paul London would appear on an upcoming show in my area. I couldn’t mark the date on my calendar fast enough.
Most people cheer on the titans of their favorite genre while gaining a deep appreciation for the work, talent, and skill of an underrated and, perhaps, unappreciated few. For me, it’s Sam Cassell in basketball, Reggie Wayne in football, Max Rebo in Star Wars, and Paul London in professional wrestling.
Continue reading “Thank You, Paul London!”
Perhaps the greatest Japanese wrestler in history could find himself stateside in 2024. Kazuchika Okada is reportedly “seriously entertaining,” leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and signing with another promotion.
Sports Illustrated broke the news that Okada’s contract expires at the end of January 2024. WWE or AEW are the two likely landing spots for the 36-year-old star. SI’s Justin Barrasso believes AEW would allow Okada to continue living in Japan with occasional matches in NJPW, while WWE is the biggest stage and can offer more opportunities.
For the uninitiated, Okada is the leading man in New Japan, the exact role Roman Reigns occupies in WWE. “The Rainmaker” is a five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. His fourth reign as champion is the longest in NJPW history at 720 days.
Continue reading “Will Okada Leave New Japan?”
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