AEW President Tony Khan wrote that the most important announcements in AEW history are “looming large now” in a post on X while hyping All In and last night’s episode of Collision.
One of those announcements is the AEW media rights deal which is expected to stay within the Warner Bros. Discovery family. While the exclusive negotiating window has expired, it is believed that AEW is not actively looking at a different partner and all signs point towards the extending of the relationship between AEW and WBD.
The question now is how much AEW will get for their next deal and that sum will eventually determine the profitability of the company and ability to secure top talent over the next few years.
Khan traveled to Paris, France last week to meet with WBD President David Zlasav to wrap up contract negotiations between the two sides.
What other announcements apart from the TV deal that Khan is alluding to remain unknown.
During an interview aired last night on Collision, Bryan Danielson admitted that he will have to undergo neck surgery before the end of the year.
“That’s the reality of it,” Danielson told Jim Ross in the sit-down interview. “And that’s kind of something I have accepted, it’s coming down the pike relatively soon.”
The American Dragon is set to face AEW World champion Swerve Strickland at the upcoming All In pay-per-view in Wembley in a title vs career match. Danielson has never won a title in AEW and this is the final shot.
Over the past several months, Danielson said that he will wind down his in-ring career after his current contract ends. His deal ended on August 1 but he remains part of AEW and intends to remain part of the AEW family in some form.
The current WWE World Tag Team champions, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh, will be making a rare indie appearance in October to celebrate the Irish-based Over The Top Wrestling’s 10th year anniversary.
Their involvement was revealed earlier today via video during the OTT Scrappermania VIII event where a video showing several OTT alumni appeared on screen and the voice over said that they all left it on the canvas to get OTT where it is today, but soon they would meet their Judgment Day!
The video got a massive ovation from the crowd when McDonagh was shown on screen and an even bigger pop for Finn Balor.
The 10th anniversary show will be held on Saturday, October 26 live at Dublin’s National Stadium.
AEW star Anna Jay began her STARDOM 5Star Grand Prix tournament today with a win over Saori Anou.
This is the first time that an AEW star is wrestling in this tournament, and Jay certainly made a good first impression in Japan. Jay is in the Blue Stars block of this tournament.
Last year’s event had a familiar face for AEW as Mariah May was one of the participants. WWE-bound Giulia was also in the tournament last year which was won by Suzu Suzuki.
If the Stardom locker room didn’t know what #AEW’s Anna Jay was all about, they do now 🙀🙀#STARDOM
Appearing on Busted Open Radio, former TNA President Scott D’Amore revealed that he found out that he was being forced out of his position two days before the Hard To Kill pay-per-view in January.
He said that he and Anthem CEO Len Asper had a chat about it and while he saw signs along the way, he admitted it still hit him pretty hard.
“But I did what professionals do. I locked that in that place in my brain and kept it there and flew to Las Vegas with Tommy and the rest of the team,” D’Amore said.
He said that TNA succeeded because of the team they assembled and he’s proud to have assembled that particular team.
D’Amore added that following the television tapings in Florida after Hard To Kill, he had fulfilled his obligations but the next day, he secured Jordynne Grace to be in the Royal Rumble and started thinking about raising funds to purchase TNA from Anthem.
“Any of the BS that I tried to buy the company and that’s what led to me leaving, was not the case,” D’Amore said. “It boiled down to a difference of opinions on how things should be. There was no f you…no, f you.”
He said that he’s spoken to Asper since then and Asper told D’Amore he hopes there are no hard feelings.
“I said I can’t say there are no hard feelings, but there are no personal feelings,” D’Amore continued.
Former WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins will be taking some more time off to address other injuries that are preventing him from being 100%.
The attack by Bronson Reed on Raw this past Monday was a way to write Rollins off television for whatever necessary time is required, and upon his return, he would already have two feuds he needs to tackle: Reed and of course, CM Punk.
Rollins underwent knee surgery right after WrestleMania XL after injuring the knee in January during a match against Jinder Mahal. He returned in time for Money In The Bank where he got a title match against Damian Priest, which remains the only match he wrestled since WrestleMania.
The flamboyant Rollins was kept off the SummerSlam card although they still find a way to integrate him by making him the special guest referee for the CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre match.
WWE is expanding the Speed show to feature women as well and is introducing the WWE Speed Women’s title. The Speed title is only defended on the show that streams exclusively on the X social media platform.
The news was announced by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque last night.
“Time to turn #WWESpeed up another notch… excited to announce that the WWE Speed Women’s Championship Tournament will premiere Sept. 4 at 12pm ET / 9am PT, exclusively on @X,” he wrote.
Andrade is currently the WWE Speed champion for the men.
New episodes of WWE Speed air on X every Wednesday at Noon ET.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appeared at the Disney D23 Celebration yesterday in Anaheim.
Johnson, who just finished wrapping filming The Smashing Machine, came out on stage and did a small performance with the rest of the Moana 2 crew and introduced the trailer of the popular Disney movie.
Moana 2 will open in theaters nationwide on November 27, 2024. Johnson will once again voice the character of Maui.
Disney is also doing a live-action movie of Moana which will have Johnson playing the role of Maui. Filming on that movie is supposed to start this month.
The WWE championship will be defended at the upcoming Bash In Berlin premium live event with Cody Rhodes taking on his friend Kevin Owens.
During Smackdown last night, Solo Sikoa demanded a rematch in Berlin but Cody blew him off, mentioning how he failed at SummerSlam. At that point, The Bloodline – minus Jacob Fatu – surrounded Rhodes until Kevin Owens hit the ring with steel chairs, fending them off.
Rhodes told Owens that he would like to face him in Germany. Owens appreciated Cody’s gesture but told him he has to earn it first. Cody told Owens that he earned it by having his back every single time over the past several months.
In a backstage segment later in the show, Smackdown GM Nick Aldis told Owens that he’s thinking about giving Reigns a rematch, but Owens stopped complaining and argued that the rematch clause has been dead for a while and there are others who should get a title shot instead.
So Aldis made it official and at Bash In Berlin, it will be Cody Rhodes vs Kevin Owens for the gold.
The post-SummerSlam Smackdown takes place tonight live on FOX and it will feature the return of the original Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns!
Reigns is advertised to appear on the show following his surprise return at SummerSlam, helping Cody Rhodes take down Solo Sikoa in his Bloodline Rules match.
Four matches are set for the show, including Andrade vs Santos Escobar to crown the new number one contender for the United States title, DIY vs Pretty Deadly to see who will challenge the Bloodline for the WWE Tag Team titles, Jade Cargill vs Alba Fyre, and The Street Profits vs A-Town Down Under.
Also, new United States champion LA Knight will be in the house to celebrate his first-ever title win in WWE.
With their rumored impending departure from AEW, Penta and Fenix have filed for several trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Penta, under his Zero Miedo Corp company registered in California, filed to trademark the names Zero Miedo, Cero Miedo, and An1mo while his brother Fenix, under The Mesa King Brand company also registered in California, filed to trademark the names Rey Fuego and King Fuego.
All applications, registered for “entertainment services, namely, exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer,” were filed by attorney Jeffrey H. Brown of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP based in Chicago, Illinois.
Meanwhile, the New Era Wrestling indie promotion from Texas announced that Rey Fenix will not be appearing for them as advertised for the September 27 show due to “personal circumstances.”
Both brothers are heavily rumored to be departing AEW once their deal is up in a few weeks. They have been part of the company since the first show in 2019.
Week 21 of WWE programming on A&E had two Biography: WWE Legends shows featuring Trish Stratus and then Becky Lynch.
The Trish Stratus biography started first and drew 210,000 viewers and a 0.07 in 18-49. That is down 52,000 viewers from the Heyman episode but up 0.02 in the demo rating.
Becky Lynch’s bio episode which aired immediately following Trish’s drew 177,000 viewers and a 0.04 in 18-49. It was the second least-watched episode of the series behind The Miz. (Ratings credit: Wrestling Observer)
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling is reporting that Bobby Lashley’s contract with WWE will expire this weekend.
Lashley has not signed a new deal and is not expected to stay with the company once it’s up. His former manager MVP is also on his way out, with the two looking to reunite and do business outside the WWE.
The former champion has not wrestled since the May 5 non-televised live event in France, beating Santos Escobar. His last televised appearance was on April 12 of this year, in a triple threat match against LA Knight and Santos Escobar.
The 48-year-old Lashley has been with the company since 2018 and is a former two-time WWE champion, two-time Intercontinental champion, three-time United States champion and two-time ECW champion.
The wrestling world paid tribute to “Taskmaster” Kevin Sullivan on social media today following the news of his passing. Sullivan was 74 years old.
“WWE is saddened to learn that Kevin Sullivan has passed away. We extend our condolences to Kevin’s family, friends and fans,” read a short statement by WWE. A post on WWE.COM was also uploaded.
AEW also issued a statement, reading, “AEW and the wrestling world mourn the passing of the legendary Kevin Sullivan. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans.”
Diamond Dallas Page, who worked closely with Sullivan during his WCW days, said this passing really hurts his heart.
“I recently was talking to Ric Flair who told me that Sully wasn’t doing well and I should call him. I immediately called him,” Page wrote. “This one hit me really hard. Sully was a huge part of my life. Yes, we had our ups and the downs, but like so many of our brothers over the years we really grew to love each other.”
WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H also chimed in, saying that Sullivan had one of the most unique minds in the history of the industry, pushing creative boundaries and developing some of the most intriguing characters to step into the ring.
“He had an unwavering passion for what we do. My thoughts are with his family, friends & fans,” he wrote.
Other former colleagues also took time to honor Sullivan with posts on social media platform X.
Ric Flair: “I am so saddened to hear about Kevin Sullivan’s passing. Rest in peace Kevin! You were an all time great athlete & friend!”
Adam Pearce: “Godspeed, Kevin Sullivan. Whether in front of or behind the camera, your contributions to our industry are without question. Grateful for the times we shared, your advice, and kindness. Honored to have gone into the @nwa HOF together. Rest well, sir”
Bully Ray: “Always loved when his thick Boston accent and my rough NY accent would collide. Learned from him. RIP to the Devil himself, Kevin Sullivan.”
Jake Roberts: “I’m deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my friend Kevin Sullivan. What an incredible mind for the business and an even greater person. Please say a prayer for his family.”
Taz: “Man, I feel horrible just hearing about the passing of the great Kevin Sullivan… The real devil of Pro Wrestling. I cannot begin to tell you how much this man helped me in my career, I knew him way before ECW where we were tag team champions. But I worked with KS in Japan, Bahamas, throughout the NE Indies before ECW. I’ve called him countless times years ago for advice. One of the greatest minds in the history of the industry. He always helped me.”
Gabe Sapolsky: “Kevin Sullivan was a huge influence on me from my early days as a fan to being a booker. Thank you, sir. RIP. Deepest condolences to his friends and family.”
Cauliflower Alley Club: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of legendary professional wrestler and ardent Cauliflower Alley Club supporter, Kevin Sullivan, who has left us at the age of 74. Sincerest condolences to his family, friends and fans the world over. Rest in Peace Kevin.”
Marc Mero: “Sad to see that Kevin Sullivan, best known for his work in WCW as both a booker and an in-ring performer, has passed away following a recent battle with serious health issues, Kevin was 74. I had the pleasure to wrestle him and work with him during the 5 years I was with WCW. RIP.”
Vince Russo: “Kevin Sullivan was an absolute Genius. Period. End of Story. Decades ahead of his time. That’s how I will always remember him. God Bless his entire family.”
Missy Hyatt: “Many years ago,I said mean & false statements about Kevin Sullivan. I was stupid to harbor hatred towards him over Eddie Gilbert’s heat w/ him from the 1989 WCW booking committee. Over the years, he was always professional to me.i even managed him in 2008. RIP.”
WWE Vice President of Talent Relations Operations Kristin Altman was let go from her role after 17 years with the company. The news was broken by PWInsider.com.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Altman started in 2007 as a receptionist before moving to the talent relations department as a coordinator in 2008. In 2012 she received a promotion to a manager and three years later to senior manager. In 2017, Altman was promoted Director of Talent Development before getting the Senior Director role in 2019.
In 2021, she climbed to Vice President of Talent Development and a year later to her latest role.
While no reason is known why she was fired, the talent relations department underwent a massive overhaul lately and she joins a long list of high-ranking executives who were dismissed following the TKO merger.
This week’s episode of Dynamite drew 622,000 viewers, up 12,000 viewers from the prior week. Facing the Olympics, this was the third least-watched episode of Dynamite in its regular time slot. The show pulled a 0.19 rating in 18-49, up 0.01 from the previous week and was #8 in the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Wrestlenomics)
The 2024 TNA Bound For Glory pay-per-view will take place from the Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan on Saturday, October 26.
The date and location was revealed on last night’s episode of Impact.
This is the second time that TNA will hold BFG from the state of Michigan, with the 2006 version of the PPV held at Plymouth Township headlined by Jeff Jarrett vs Sting in a title vs career match with Kurt Angle as the guest enforcer.
Tickets for TNA’s biggest event of the year go on sale on Friday, August 23 at 10AM ET.
The company will also hold a set of television tapings the following day from the same location.
Former WCW wrestler and booker Kevin Sullivan passed away today at the age of 74. His passing was announced by close friend Barry Rose.
“With the heaviest of hearts, we are devastated to have to report the passing of the legendary Kevin Sullivan,” Rose wrote. “May he RIP and his family, friends and fans find comfort in how much he was loved.”
Known as “The Taskmaster,” Sullivan was in hospital in intensive care for the past few months after an accident and a GoFundMe campaign was launched to cover hospital bills. Several of his peers donated over $50,000 to support him and his family.
Sullivan started his career in 1970 with the NWA and then moved to Championship Wrestling from Florida before joining Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW. After short stints with Smokey Mountain Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling in the early 90s, he returned to WCW for his most famous run.
It was in 1994 when he assembled the Three Faces of Fear and Dungeon of Doom factions, feuding with the top stars in the company at the time. Following his in-ring career, Sullivan transitioned behind the scenes as a booker where he lasted until 2001.
Sullivan married Nancy “Woman” Toffoloni in 1985 but divorced in 1997. She went on to marry Chris Benoit three years later. He then met Linda, his partner till his death.
During the conference call with investors, TKO President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro revealed that WWE President Nick Khan is working on several other short-form deals for WWE which they hope to announce soon.
The last short-form deal that WWE signed was with Elon Musk’s social media company X for WWE Speed, a weekly show airing exclusively on the platform featuring quick matches with a time limit.
WWE also had Mixed Match Challenge airing on Facebook years ago but that ended in 2018 after just two seasons.
In the same call, Shapiro also put over Paul “Triple H” Levesque big time and credited him for WWE staying hot while breaking records along the way.
