Category: AEW News

Mercedes Mone auctioning off ring-worn gear

Posted on by Ian Carey

Mercedes Mone is auctioning off several ring-worn items.

The former TBS champion announced in her Mone Mag that she is launching a limited-edition archive collection featuring authentic pieces from her wardrobe, including ring gear and accessories. She noted that quantities are extremely limited and that the items are only obtainable through her auction.

Among the items currently up for auction are the gear she wore at AEW Grand Slam 2025, the ring shoes she wore at NJPW’s Battle in the Valley, a custom Boss and Glow WWE Raw shirt from 2022, as well as several dresses she has worn through the years. Many of the items come signed by Mone.

Mone wrote:

“I’m opening my vault. Moné Wear is a limited-edition archive collection featuring authentic pieces from my wardrobe — yes, including ring gear and accessories — worn throughout more than 15 years of my defining and most memorable moments, each delivered as a collectible with a note from your CEO. Quantities are extremely limited and available by auction only, giving you a direct connection to my legacy and a first glimpse into the future of the Mercedes Moné fashion era. Action is going live week of Feb 22, 2026, on my website: www.mercedes.mone.com.”

Mone has not wrestled since AEW New Year’s Smash on New Year’s Eve. It was later revealed in early January that she was taking a sabbatical from wrestling. She is set to return to the ring next week, defending her CMLL World Women’s Championship against Persephone at Arena Mexico on March 6. She will then appear in Milan, Italy on March 8 for BestYa Wrestling, followed by a March 14 appearance in Paris, France.

A link to the items being auctioned is here.

Update on Danhausen’s AEW status amid WWE speculation

Posted on by Ian Carey

Danhausen no longer appears to be with All Elite Wrestling.

On Friday, the 35-year-old posted several messages to social media that hinted at the theme of “freedom” as speculation grew that he was nearing the end of his AEW contract. At the time, Danhausen was still listed on the AEW roster page.

As of Saturday, Danhausen’s bio has been removed from the AEW website.

Danhausen signed with AEW in early 2022 but was used only sparingly on the promotion’s programming. It was reported last August that he had requested his release from the company. However, it was later said that AEW had added time onto his contract to account for time missed while recovering from a torn pectoral muscle.

Dave Meltzer addressed the possibility of Danhausen going to WWE in Friday’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, writing:

“He’s absolutely not the kind of wrestler that Paul Levesque would want as a top star. But he can be a comedy character, could get over as a cult figure early and would likely sell a lot of merchandise. I expected discussion regarding him and that in the end they’d give him a try.”

On Friday, Danhausen shared the song “Freedom Slam” by the band Freedom, along with an image from the 1992 film Aladdin showing the Genie being set free. He later posted his email address for booking inquiries.

AEW Dynamite viewership & 18-49 ratings drop

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite averaged 633,000 viewers on TBS, down 8.5% from the previous week. It’s the second lowest audience for the show since Nielsen adjusted the way they report numbers using the Big Data + Panel method.

Dynamite averaged a 0.10 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 16.7% from last week and is the lowest audience the show has done in that category since January 28th.

Dynamite went head to head with the 50th season premiere of CBS’s Survivor as well as the NBA on ESPN and the NHL on TNT. The show finished 15th on the prime time cable charts on the night.

As compared to the same week in 2025 the overall viewership was up 5.9% while the 18-49 rating was down 44.4%.

Listed below are the last 10 weeks of available overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for AEW Dynamite on TBS, with the numbers for the Christmas Eve episode still not being reported, along with the 9 week average in both categories. This week’s show was up 12.8% in overall viewers but even in 18-49 as compared to recent averages.

DateAEW 18-49AEW total viewers
12/17/20250.08511,000
12/24/2025
12/31/20250.07398,000
1/7/20250.08516,000
1/14/20260.08526,000
1/21/20260.08498,000
1/28/20260.09653,000
2/4/20260.15654,000
2/11/20260.12604,000
2/18/20260.12692,000
2/25/20260.1633,000
*10 wk avg0.10561,333
*not includingcurrent week

The Butcher hoping to end AEW absence: ‘Would love to get back out there’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The Butcher is hoping that he’ll get the chance to wrestle for AEW again soon.

More than a year removed from his most recent AEW match, Butcher (Andy Williams) sent out a tweet on Thursday night expressing that he would love to get back into the ring for AEW — whether it’s in a singles match or alongside his tag team partner The Blade. Blade underwent spinal surgery in 2024 but is now able to compete again.

“Last time I wrestled an @aew match was a year and 7 days ago,” Butcher wrote. “Would love to get back out there either with Blade or just myself. Best shape of my life and no dance partners.”

While replying to a fan in a follow-up tweet, Butcher clarified that he does not have any bad feelings toward AEW.

“Honestly, there’s so many great wrestlers right now. I’m sure it’s difficult to book a show with such an insane roster,” he wrote. “It’s not hard feelings, i just feel i have a lot more in the tank.”

Butcher & Blade are long-time members of the AEW roster, having joined the promotion during its inaugural year of 2019. During his AEW absence, Butcher has worked some indie dates, including for Evil Uno’s Mystery Wrestling this past October.

The 48-year-old Butcher is an accomplished musician who played rhythm guitar for the now-defunct hardcore band Every Time I Die.

Danhausen teases ‘freedom’ amid WWE speculation

Posted on by Ian Carey

Something very nice and very evil could be heading to WWE.

On Friday, Donovan Danhausen, better known to wrestling fans as Danhausen, posted several recent teases related to “freedom,” fueling speculation about his future.

The 35-year-old is still listed on the AEW roster page. He has been signed with the promotion since early 2022 but has appeared only sparingly on AEW programming. Last August, it was reported that he had requested his release from AEW but that the company had extended his contract into 2026 due to time he was out with a torn pectoral muscle.

Danhausen recently shared an image of the Genie from the 1992 film Aladdin, specifically a scene in which the character is freed at the end of the movie. He also posted the song “Freedom Slam” by the band Freedom.

Dave Meltzer addressed Danhausen possibly signing with WWE in this week’s edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, writing:

“He’s absolutely not the kind of wrestler that Paul Levesque would want as a top star. But he can be a comedy character, could get over as a cult figure early and would likely sell a lot of merchandise. I expected discussion regarding him and that in the end they’d give him a try.”

Danhausen’s posts are below:

Bobby Lashley gives update on his AEW injury status

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Bobby Lashley is healthy and ready to get back into action in AEW.

While appearing at the recent For the Love of Wrestling convention in the United Kingdom, Lashley clarified that he is healthy and looking forward to going after gold with his Hurt Syndicate stablemates MVP & Shelton Benjamin. Lashley is targeting the AEW Trios titles that are currently held by Hangman Page, Kevin Knight & “Speedball” Mike Bailey.

“All I want to do is win titles, so that’s where I’m really focused on. When we get back, between Shelton and MVP, we want to do things collectively. We want to do things as a group,” Lashley said. “So I think we’re going to go after the Trios guys. Let’s see what we can do with those guys. Because I think that that’s what we need, man. The crowd loves us over there. We have an opportunity to bring back what we have before. And it’s real, man.

“Shelton’s an amazing person, an amazing wrestler. MVP’s amazing at everything that he does. And same here. So it’s like, we just have a great group. And we’re all friends, so we all pull for each other. So anytime one of us is down, the other one pulls us up. And I think right now, they’re pulling me up. They’re yanking me back in. They said, ‘It’s ready. We’re ready to go back out there and win some titles.’

“So I am healed. Everybody thought I was hurt, I’m not hurt. You can’t hurt the All Mighty.”

Lashley has been sidelined since AEW Full Gear in November 2025. An undisclosed injury was reported to be the reason for his absence.

Going after the AEW World Championship would also make sense for Lashley given current champion MJF’s history with The Hurt Syndicate. However, Lashley is more focused on the Trios belts.

“MJF has the title, so I think everybody has some unfinished business with him,” Lashley told For the Love of Wrestling. “But, you know what, I have no hard feelings to anyone.”

AEW Collision spoilers from Denver, Colorado

Posted on by F4W Staff

The following are spoilers for this Saturday’s AEW Collision from Mission Ballroom in Denver, Colorado. The episode was taped on Wednesday after Dynamite and will air on Saturday, February 28, 2026.

The following results are courtesy of PWInsider.

Collision spoilers from Denver, Colorado:

  • Nigel McGuinness was back.
  • AEW Champion MJF and Kevin Knight had a face-to-face segment in the ring.
  • The Death Riders (PAC, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, & Claudio Castagnoli) defeated The Don Callis Family (Rocky Romero, Trent Beretta, Josh Alexander, & Lance Archer). Konosuke Takeshita and Jon Moxley got into a brawl after.
  • Andrade el Idolo defeated Tomohiro Ishii.
  • Toni Storm defeated Zayda Steel.
  • Tommaso Ciampa defeated Jay Lethal.
  • The Brawling Birds (Jamie Hayter & Alex Windsor) defeated Gypsy Mac & Tyler R.
  • Kyle Fletcher & Kazuchika Okada defeated Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin).
  • Kris Statlander & Thunder Rosa defeated Sisters of Sin (Julia Hart & Skye Blue).

Brodie Lee Jr. announced for GCW Baller Blockin

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Brodie Lee Jr. is now all set to appear on GCW Baller Blockin.

Announced earlier on Thursday, February 26, late wrestling veteran Brodie Lee’s son, Brodie Lee Jr., will now be appearing at GCW Baller Blockin on Saturday, February 28, in Hartford.

The upcoming appearance will mark his second straight appearance in GCW. He is also set to be at GCW What’s My Name in Rochester on Friday, February 27.

Lee Jr., 14, made his in-ring debut last year at GCW Clusterf**k Battle Royal and won the match at Joey Janela’s Spring Break IX during WrestleMania weekend. Hoping to follow his father’s footsteps, he currently trains at The Dungeon with TJ Wilson and Natalya.

GCW Baller Blockin lineup | February 28, 2026

GCW Baller Blockin is set to take place at The Webster in Hartford, Connecticut, on February 28, 2026.

  • Atticus Cogar vs. Megan Bayne
  • Otis Cogar vs. Matt Tremont
  • Charles Mason vs. Dr. Redacted
  • Terry Yaki vs. Dustin Waller
  • YDNP vs. SAVAGE GNOMES
  • BEASTMAN vs. JIMMY LLOYD
  • GRINGO LOCO vs. KJ ORSO
  • Appearance from Joey Janela
  • Appearance from Effy

Netflix declines to raise offer after Paramount’s ‘superior’ bid for WBD

Posted on by Ian Carey

Netflix has announced it will not increase its offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

Earlier this week, WBD said in a press release that it had received a revised offer from Paramount Skydance that it determined was “superior” to Netflix’s existing deal, triggering a four-business-day window for Netflix to match or improve its bid.

The move means WWE’s streaming partner Netflix is out of the running to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns a 10 percent stake in All Elite Wrestling and airs its programming.

In a press release issued Thursday, Netflix confirmed it is declining to raise its offer, with co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters stating:

“The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we’ve always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid. 

Warner Bros. is a world-class organization, and we want to thank David Zaslav, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Bruce Campbell, Brad Singer and the WBD Board for running a fair and rigorous process. We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros.’ iconic brands, and that our deal would have strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the U.S.  But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price.

Netflix’s business is healthy, strong and growing organically, powered by our slate and best-in-class streaming service. This year, we’ll invest approximately $20 billion in quality films and series and will expand our entertainment offering. Consistent with our capital allocation policy, we’ll also resume our share repurchase program.

We will continue to do what we’ve done for more than 20 years as a public company: delight our members, profitably grow our business, and drive long-term shareholder value.“

The full Netflix press release is available here.

MJF pulled from indie date due to ‘unforeseen scheduling conflict’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

AEW World Champion MJF won’t be able to make his previously scheduled appearance for Mystery Wrestling in Canada next month.

The Evil Uno-owned indie promotion announced today that, due to an “unforeseen scheduling conflict,” MJF is off their March 26 show in Edmonton. No other details on the scheduling conflict were provided. Mystery Wrestling apologized for the inconvenience and noted that any fans who want a refund on their tickets can do so through the original point of purchase.

In a video addressing the news, Evil Uno said it sucks to have this happen, but it’s just the nature of the business. Uno is upset about not being able to give fans what was promised and will be using the next couple of weeks to sort out a suitable replacement. He did reveal that Taka Michinoku, who was originally intended to be a surprise, will be competing at the event. It’s Michinoku’s first time wrestling in Canada in over 25 years.

Mystery Wrestling is a concept where most of the competitors are not announced in advance, and Evil Uno said cancellations like this are one of the reasons he prefers to handle things that way. When fans don’t know what to expect, they can’t be disappointed when someone has to miss the show.

MJF has been making some indie appearances during his AEW World Championship reign as he attempts to prove himself as a traveling World Champion. He has a busy schedule while balancing his wrestling and acting careers.

At AEW Revolution in Los Angeles on March 15, MJF is defending his title against Hangman Page in a Texas Death Match. The match has a stipulation where Page won’t be able to challenge for the championship again if he loses.

Penelope Ford injury update following AEW Dynamite

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: AEW

Penelope Ford suffered an injury during a tag team match on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite that resulted in the finish needing to be changed as she was unable to continue.

Our Bryan Alvarez has a positive update on Ford’s status Thursday, stating she suffered an ankle sprain and should be be back soon.

Ford and Megan Bayne were challenging Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron for the AEW Women’s Tag Team titles when Ford sustained the injury on a moonsault to the outside (pictured above) after she landed on her feet.

She was able to continue for several minutes before she had to bow out, attended to by ringside doctors. AEW then made a backstage change on the fly due to the injury, having Lena Kross interfere by using a title belt, resulting in a DQ win for the champions.

Ford was out for three months in late-2025 with a torn UCL in her elbow and returned in January alongside Bayne.

Ric Flair reflects on 77th birthday: ‘Everything was perfect’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ric Flair had a “perfect” day on Wednesday celebrating his birthday.

The wrestling legend turned 77 years old on February 25, a milestone that is especially sweet after successfully battling skin cancer in 2025. Flair sent out a message today thanking everyone who reached out and made his day special. A party for him was held at The Pearl restaurant in Tampa.

“If You Have To Be 77, I Couldn’t Have Enjoyed A Better Day In My Life,” Flair wrote. “Everything Was Perfect. Thank You To Everyone Who Reached Out And For All The Nice Messages On Social Media. Thank You To The Pearl For The Great Party Last Night! WOOOOO!”

Flair’s daughter Charlotte posted a tweet yesterday wishing her father a happy birthday and telling him she loves him as “big as the sky.” Among the celebrities to reach out to Flair were rapper Killer Mike.

Earlier this month, Flair fueled speculation about an in-ring return when he revealed that an undisclosed promoter had offered him a comeback match against Ricky Morton. However, Flair quickly shut that speculation down and clarified that he will never wrestle again. His last match took place in 2022, and Flair passed out multiple times during that bout.

Charlotte seemed to be very much against the idea of her father coming out of retirement, tweeting “absolutely not” when the subject was brought up.

Flair is still under contract with AEW but only makes very sporadic appearances for the promotion. He was brought into AEW in 2023 for a sponsorship deal and to be part of Sting’s retirement run.

AEW Slam Dunk editions of Collision returning in March, Zero Hour update

Posted on by Josh Nason

AEW will once again be holding Slam Dunk editions of Collision in March due to NCAA tournament coverage on TNT.

The HBO Max listings for March have one hour editions set for 11 pm Eastern on both Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 after NCAA coverage.

Those week’s episodes will be taped in Fresno, California, after the March 18 Dynamite.

Other AEW notes from the Max listings:

  • A one hour Zero Hour pre-show will return for next month’s Revolution, listed at 7 pm Eastern for March 14 with the PPV beginning at 8 pm Eastern. The Revolution countdown show will air after that Saturday’s Collision per usual.
  • Last September’s All Out from Toronto will be uploaded to the HBO Max archives.
  • On March 27, episodes of AEW Dynamite and Rampage from 2023 during MJF’s first World title run will be uploaded to the archives.
  • All other new Dynamite and Collision will begin at their usual start times.

For subscribers: Bryan Alvarez’s AEW Dynamite report

Posted on by F4W Staff

Image: AEW

Bryan Alvarez has posted his full thoughts and recap from Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite which featured a wild anything goes main event, an unfortunate injury that changed a match finish, a Continental title eliminator, and the final stipulations set for next month’s AEW Revolution main event.

Click here to read (sub needed)

AEW wrestlers taking part in sports, art & culture event

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

AEW wrestlers Thekla and Lee Moriarty are part of the upcoming Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture event.

On March 19-20, 2026, during the opening weekend of Game: Sports, Art, Culture event, where PAMM (Perez Art Museum Miami) will be hosting GAME TIME: Session 1—Dialogues on Art, Sports, and Headlines, a public event that looks forward to unite artists, athletes, curators, poets, journalists, and cultural icons, where they will be encouraged to take part in “electrifying conversations, performances, live events, and screenings.”

The upcoming event will also include the US premiere of On The Line, which is a documentary based on the lives of three professional fighters. AEW Women’s Champion Thekla and Lee Moriarty will also be present amongst all the other prestigious attendees.

The official website of PAMM lists Thekla as “Thekla Kaischauri (Professional Wrestler; Artist, House Show, MFA St. Petersburg)” and Moriarty as “(Professional Wrestler; Artist, Get in the Game).”

The rest of the participant list looks as follows:

  • Hanif Abduraqqib (Poet; Cultural Critic)
  • Alexandre Arrechea (Artist, Get in the Game)
  • Paul Farber (Director and Co-Founder, Monument Lab; Curator, Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments, Philadelphia Art Museum)
  • Tom Farrey (Sports & Society Program Founder and Executive Director, Aspen Institute)
  • Desmond Howard (Sportscaster; Former NFL Player)
  • Nora Halpern (Executive Director, Cultural Olympiad, LA28)
  • Carling Jackson (Artist)
  • Andrew Kuo (Artist; Host, Cookies Hoops; Contributor, The New York Times)
  • Najja Moon (Artist; General Manager and Co-founder, The Miami VIS)
  • Cheryl Pope (Artist, Get in the Game)
  • Vincent Piazza (Actor, Tulsa King; Producer, On The Line)
  • Francesco Saviano (Director, On The Line)
  • Kelefa Sanneh (Staff Writer, The New Yorker)
  • Tabitha Soren (Artist, Get in the Game)
  • Franklin Sirmans (Sandra and Tony Tamer Director, PAMM)
  • Isaiah Smalls (Founder, The 44 Percent; Reporter, The Miami Herald)
  • Felandus Thames (Artist, Get in the Game)
  • Dr. Damion Thomas (Supervisory Museum Curator, Professional Sports, Amateur Sports, and Leisure Activities, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History)
  • Jake Troyli (Artist, Get in the Game)
  • Travis Vogan (Author, The Boxing Film: A Cultural and Transmedia History and LeRoy Neiman: The Life of America’s Most Beloved and Belittled Artist)
  • Summer Wheat (Artist; Commissioned Artist, Kansas City Chiefs)

More participants and the full schedule are now set to be announced on March 2, 2026.