In this WrestleTalk News, even more on the AEW backstage brawl that utterly imploded
the top of their card, included the WHAT HAPPENED according to the Bucks and Omega, plus Oli
is going to be here reviewing Dynamite Subscribe and enable notifications to always
on for daily wrestling news videos. Tony Khan is a man I do not envy this week,
he’s clearly out here looking for a rug big enough to sweep this under and only finding
more drama at every turn. Maybe that’s what happens when you name your two main shows
Dynamite and Rampage, really sets a tone, AEW Cuddle Puddle might have set a more wholesome
vibe. Anyhow, following confirmation that those
involved in the brawl backstage at All Out would be handed suspensions and ahead of Dynamite
it was announced that TK would be addressing the AEW crowd RE: the World Championship and
the Trios titles. Though no mention was made of what went on
to cause the titles to be vacated it was indeed announced that they had been and a tournament
would crown the new world champion: TK is out here just trying to give us a wrestling
show that we can really… sink our teeth into.
Because that’s the problem, nothing happening on AEW telly is half as interesting as this
melee and the stories coming out of it about Ace Steel reportedly biting Kenny Omega.
Fightful Select have been updating with accounts from both sides of the conflict, initially
saying that from Punk’s unbiased side the Bucks had essentially kicked the door of his
dressing room down and started swinging. Ace Steel’s wife was in the room at the
time and this is what in this account is said to have caused him to go ballistic.
Well time for the opposite, unbiased account of what happened.
They noted that sources close to the Bucks and Omega said that the Jackson brothers went
to talk to Punk as he'd outlined they should do if they had a problem.
But as the Bucks opened the door the report states that Punk went off and was throwing
“sucker punches at Matt's head. Nick went to intervene, and Ace Steel allegedly threw
a chair and hit Nick in the face.” But this account adds more to the story than
just a rumble, it has a rescue mission, because its said that Kenny Omega’s involvement
was him trying to remove CM Punk’s dog Larry from the situation “to help keep him safe
because he was barking and going nuts.” Omega was said to hand off the dog and then
try to get Steel off of Nick Jackson which is when “Steel bit Omega and pulled his
hair”. Not the hair, that’s illegal. Ref give him
the five count. Now this account feels equally as lopsided
as the one recounted by those close to Punk and Steel, so suggests that somewhere in the
middle lies the truth. In the real story Steel is carrying his wife from the room and trying
to bite Omega who is carrying Larry out. The thing to remember is that these are grown
men with a workplace grievance. We’re still waiting on word of what is going
to happen with Punk, as everyone else involved has been handed suspensions, but some sources
state Punk might be done with AEW now. According to Fightful CM Punk and Ace Steel
were set to have a Zoom call with the company yesterday afternoon to discuss, while backstage
a meeting was held to address the ordeal with AEW personnel and talent there.
Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson reportedly led the meeting with Jericho being
praised for the manner in which he carried himself during the events that took place.
But according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio Punk was already due to be
out of action after reportedly suffering another injury in his Championship match with Jon
Moxley, here’s what he said: “He may have already undergone surgery,
but either way he’s undergoing surgery. It was not confirmed to me it was a torn triceps,
but it was confirmed to me that it’s surgery for a torn muscle in the arm, so it’s triceps/biceps,
maybe pec, but probably triceps. And that’s usually about an eight-month recovery period.
So he was gonna be stripped of the title either way (regardless of the fight).”
Now before we get on with the rest of the news, I’d like to say a big thank you to
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Actually I don’t know what anything means anymore.
My review of WCW Dynamite… in about 5 minutes. The episode opened with CM Punk and The Elite
edited out of both the starting credits and MJF’s big return video package. That, once
upon a time, was meant to be all about him vs CM Punk.
To tackle the situation head on - and by head on, I mean a month after it should’ve been
dealt with professionally backstage - Tony Khan appeared onscreen to play wrestling’s
version of the trolley dilemma: do you run over your biggest draw and top champion CM
Punk, or your three remaining co-founders of the company, who are also trios champions?
In true decisive style, Tony managed to flip the trolley on its side so it ran over all
of them. Punk, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks are
all being stripped of their championships. VACANT REIGNS SUPREME!
I’m exaggerating for comedic effect here. Right now, while the investigation is still
ongoing, this is the appropriate course of action. It’s the best of all the sucky ways
you can deal with it. What a f***** mess. At least getting it out the way early, with
Khan being notably booed when he appeared onscreen - again, his own fault, which can
be traced back to letting MJF turn the promotion heel with his post-Double or Nothing promo
- allowed for the rest of Dynamite to run on as best it could.
And there’s no-one better in wrestling right now than MJF. And I’m not just saying that
because practically everyone else is now either injured or suspended. He’s brilliant.
Almost as a meta jab at all the old-timers who said he had to be a full on babyface now,
MJF came out as a grossly over the top good guy, getting cheap local hometown pops, positioning
him as the guy to lead AEW forward now. Enter Jon Moxley, who just told MJF he’s
full of crap. Max’s veil immediately fell, now getting
cheap local hometown heat, and said he’s going to win the AEW Championship thanks to
his guaranteed title shot, which is why he isn’t in the tournament, and he’ll use
the belt as a bargaining chip in the big war of 2024 - threatening to take the title to
a real wrestling company with real fans and real wrestlers like his friend Cody Rhodes,
the best boss in wrestling, Nick (not Tony Khan), and quoting Triple H - in front of
Jon Moxley - saying it’s what’s best for business.
It was an excellent heel promo, and such a tantalising tease for a Year of MJF holding
the championship hostage. It allowed Mox to not just be the badass babyface.
It positioned him as the heart of AEW, something we really need right now, and he scared Max
off and cut a beautifully passionate promo about this promotion, its performers and why
he’s going to win the championship. Never directly addressing the stuff, but, always,
underneath, saying: the AEW you all know and love is still here in me. He couldn’t have
done a better job. As much as Adam Blampied would love it, two
tournaments running at the same time is overkill. So the vacant trios titles where decided in
a great match where Death Triangle beat the Best Friends. Because PAC’s actual gimmick
is AEW giving him titles they don’t know what to do with.
This was an opportunity to declare this isn’t just a holding period until the Elite return,
but three wrestlers who are going to put this new division on the AEW map. Instead, the
show immediately cut to a Dark Order interview where Andrade was trying to recruit 10.
I know scheduling is awkward, but given last month’s tournament, I would’ve moved heaven
and earth to get the belts on United Empire. Speaking of filler seeming champions!
Because almost every championship in AEW has a dysfunction right now, we then got interim
women’s champion Toni Storm beating Penelope Ford with an awkward DDT in about five minutes.
The Acclaimed got a monster pop for their entrance that was only equalled by the monster
heel heat Swerve Strickland got for cutting off Max Caster’s rap… which is probably
for the best considering all the material he’s got this week. They talked about their
tag title rematch at Grand Slam… but never explained why The Acclaimed were getting another
shot so soon after losing. Wardlow squashed Tony Nese with three powerbombs
to retain his TNT title, and then cut a passionate, well delivered promo at his critics saying
he’s lost momentum. Which I guess includes me. Because I still believe that. It’s a
shame it’s got to a point where wrestlers are addressing bad booking criticism on air.
In the first match to unseat Vacant from his belt collecting reign of terror, Hangman Page
took on Bryan Danielson in an excellent match. Yeah, that Hangman Page. Evil to the core
Adam Page. Look at him, with his evil puppy dog face. I bet he’s thinking right now
how he can go into business for himself. What an incredibly toxic genuinely lovely seeming
man. Danielson and Hangman have fantastic chemistry,
and worked a slick match around Bryan nullifying Page’s Buckshot arm.
Danielson won, not only making their overarching, longer arc a dead tie now, but also setting
up the next stage in The Custody of Daniel Garcia, with Bryan facing Jericho in the next
round. Stokely Hathaway and his gang of randoms were
about to explain their ladder match actions, but decided to beat up a producer instead.
This didn’t get enough time to really land, and it feels destined to the AEW wastelands
of undercard factions. And the main event saw hometown boy Daniel
Garcia beat Wheeler Yuta for the ROH Pure Championship - a brave bit of booking to keep
gently elevating these two wrestlers. Garcia cut a far more respectful figure than
his recent JAS antics, and showing Jericho willing him on backstage added a surprisingly
heartfelt layer of drama for the heel faction. Garcia’s Dragontamer was super over, because
it looks awesome, and he made Yuta tap to become the new champion.
In a great soap opera twist, it was Danielson who walked down to congratulate Garcia, putting
the belt around his waist, while Jericho watched on heartbroken from the ramp.
Nevermind the title, we need a tournament for Daniel Gracia’s heart.
What did you think of Dynamite? Let me know in the comments.
This was a very good show, but, let’s be honest, this is a big step backwards in terms
of star power. Tony Khan has spent a lot of the last few weeks in interviews talking about
how post-All Out, AEW will have its strongest roster ever, with everyone back from injuries.
Because of his own talent mismanagement, it’s actually been set back over a year - with
no Punk, Cole, Kenny, Bucks and Cody. But, sometimes, you need to take a step backward
to start moving forwards again. This week’s Dynamite is 75%.
Now watch on to find all the details about that backstage AEW fight.