Tag: AEW News

‘AEW Advance’ TikTok pre-show launching next week

Posted on by Joseph Currier

AEW, Warner Bros. Discovery, and TikTok are partnering together for a new pre-show that is set to launch next week.

A couple hours before the Double or Nothing fallout edition of Dynamite on May 27, a new “AEW Advance” pre-show will air on the AEW, AEW on TV, and TBS TikTok accounts. The 60-minute live stream begins at 6 p.m. Eastern and will be hosted by AEW broadcast team members Arkady Aura and Lexy Nair. It aims to give fans a behind-the-scenes look before Dynamite with segments like AEW wrestlers sharing their pre-match routines.

“AEW Advance is a 60-minute TikTok LIVE event bringing fans behind-the-scenes of AEW Dynamite,” a press release said.

“Featured segments include exclusive access to AEW stars ‘get ready with me’ content, pre-show routines, appearances from AEW personalities and executives, previews of scheduled storylines and matches from the night, and behind-the-scenes looks at the arena atmosphere as fans fill the venue ahead of airtime. Viewers may also get a glimpse of announcer preparations and other select pre-show moments featuring rising AEW stars.”

It wasn’t noted how often AEW Advance will be airing past the first edition or if there are any plans for it to become a weekly pre-show.

The May 27 episode of Dynamite is being held in Philadelphia at The Liacouras Center.

Jim Ross provides new health update

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Jim Ross is feeling great physically despite currently going through the process of being evaluated for dementia/Alzheimer’s.

On his Grilling JR podcast this week, the 74-year-old announcing legend shared that he just had a “very positive” appointment with his neurologist. They’re concerned about dementia/Alzheimer’s so are putting Ross through some tests. Ross is approaching the situation with a positive mindset and is willing to do whatever doctors suggest, but, given that there’s no cure, he doesn’t really know what the treatment plan would be if he does have the condition.

Ross will be in New York City this Sunday to provide commentary at AEW Double or Nothing. He reacted to the news that Mick Foley will make his AEW debut at the event and discussed how often we could see Foley appear. Ross said he does not know whether Foley has signed a full-time AEW contract.

“I don’t know how much he wants to work,” Ross said. “And if you look at other guys, myself included, we’re used on a limited basis. And that keeps me, in this case, fresher and it gives me a chance to continue to get my ailments addressed.

“I had a very positive doctor’s appointment with my neurologist. Everybody’s getting in on the act, man. So the neurologist and I had an appointment and they took a bunch of blood and ran some tests. You know, I think they’re worried about dementia or Alzheimer’s. And I said, ‘What the hell are you going to do about it?’ It’s not a cure. You know, if there’s meds I could be taking preventively, tell me what they are and I’ll do it.

“We’ll see how it works out. I’m going through a lot of tests now. I don’t feel bad at all. I feel great, actually. But you know, Conrad, let me tell you something buddy. Getting old is a bitch.”

Ross and his old broadcast partner Jerry “The King” Lawler appeared together at Motor City Comic Con in Detroit last weekend, with Ross saying it was a fun experience and the largest turnout he and Lawler have had at a convention. Weekends like this help Ross feel like everything is worthwhile. He’s had a rough few years health-wise, including a bout with colon cancer in 2025.

Dementia/Alzheimer’s —

Dementia is defined as the loss of cognitive functioning to such an extent that it interferes with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, with early symptoms commonly including “forgetting recent events or conversations.” Those who suffer from more advanced forms of Alzheimer’s experience significant memory loss and can have trouble performing routine tasks.

Daily Update: Nikki Bella, new John Cena movie trailer, Michael Tarver

Posted on by Joseph Currier

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Wednesday Update

Darby Allin | AEW
Darby Allin celebrates winning the AEW World title on Dynamite. (Image credit: AEW)

WWE

  • During an interview with USA Today, Nikki Bella said she’s hoping to return from her ankle injury by the end of June:
    • Injuries are so funny. I always try to ask that (asking the medical team for updates). (They’re like) ‘not until I see what your ankle looks like in June,’ and I’m like, ‘But if you were to just guess,’ and they’re like, ‘Don’t know, not until June,’
    • I’m hoping, for me in my head, end of June would be incredible, but I also don’t want to go back too early, because you know the big part about when people get reinjured is because their strength isn’t matching, so I need to make sure the calves, the quads, glutes, I need to make sure they’re all built up.
  • WWE uploaded the full Tatum Paxley vs. Lizzy Rain NXT Women’s North American Championship match from last night.
  • The Mark Moses Show interviewed NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo.
  • Charlotte Flair appeared on the latest episode of TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast.
  • Bianca Belair shared photos (part one, part two) of her baby shower, which was attended by many WWE colleagues including Liv Morgan, Nattie, Angelo Dawkins, Alexa Bliss, Ivy Nile, Nia Jax, Lash Legend, Maxxine Dupri, Michin, Solo Sikoa, LA Knight, Omos, IYO SKY, and Jey Uso
  • Netflix released the official trailer for the upcoming John Cena-Eric Andre comedy “Little Brother.” The movie debuts on June 26:
    • Rudd (John Cena) has the perfect life – great job, loving family, and a thriving career as a real estate agent… until his little brother, Marcus (Eric Andre), crashes back into his world as a full-blown agent of chaos, stress-testing every part of Rudd’s carefully controlled existence.
  • To mark yesterday being the 30th anniversary of the “Curtain Call,” WWE Vault uploaded the 2015 documentary “The Kliq Rules.”

Other Wrestling

  • In a feature story for ESPN, Darby Allin discussed potentially becoming a father at some point and whether that would change him:
    • Will having kids of my own change me and make me tone it down? No, I don’t believe so. And I’ll tell you why. Because the moment I have a kid, I want to keep showing them that there’s no age limit that says you must calm down. You have to be that much more inspiring to them, because, who am I if I’m playing it safe with my 5-year-old? That’s not Darby Allin. But if I’m strapping the 5-year-old to a Can-Am and going on some jumps? That’s who I am. I want my kids to have the confidence I never had growing up.
  • The Allin story is the first AEW-focused piece to appear on ESPN’s website in quite some time. It was written by Andreas Hale, who was declined a credential for WWE WrestleMania 42 after covering the Janel Grant/Vince McMahon story for ESPN.
  • MJF made an appearance on SNY’s Baseball Night in NY.
  • Mark Briscoe celebrated today being the 26th anniversary of he and his late brother Jay making their in-ring debuts.
  • The Wrestling Classic interviewed Shelton Benjamin.
  • Will Ospreay praised NJPW wrestler Robbie X, who defeated Kosei Fujita in the main event of today’s Best of the Super Juniors show:
    • Robbie X is legitimately has been the best jr heavyweight for the last 4 years.
    • Seeing him get his flowers and rocking korakuen hall is a different level of special to see!!
  • Wrestling broadcaster Sam Laterna thanked Tony Khan for giving her the opportunity to serve as an on-screen interviewer at this week’s ROH TV tapings in Jacksonville:
    • If there’s one thing I’ll always bet on, it’s myself.
    • Huge thank you to Ring of Honor and Tony Khan for bringing me in for interviews at this round of ROH TV tapings. It was so wonderful seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and getting to work in such a fun environment!
  • Claressa Shields, a top women’s boxing star, showed up for Sukeban in New York City last night and got physically involved by delivering a punch and even earning a pinfall victory during the surprise appearance.
  • Fabian Aichner has filed a trademark for the nickname “Il Gladiatore,” which translates to “The Gladiator.”
  • Former Nexus member Michael Tarver is retiring from the ring with his final shows happening this Saturday and Sunday:
    • This is emotional week
    • This is my official goodbye to the pro wrestling Biz (in ring)
    • I finish my now 22 year journey with the 2 brothers who took me in 22 years ago in Barberton in a little dive bar called the Shamrock night club Josh E Robinson , Lamont Williams my brothers for life. I will be sharing some of my favorite moments of my career over the next week. Drew Jeffrey Andrew Taylor, from my start in UWC, CAPW, AIW, PWU, NWA to WWE / NXT and NJPW
    • From Akron Ohio to Japan to London to India to Puerto Rico to South Africa
    • From signing a @wwe contract homeless to being a part of a WrestleMania main event and main eventing SummerSlam

Mick Foley ‘extremely happy’ to be making AEW debut

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Mick Foley is looking forward to reconnecting with Tony Khan for the first time in more than a decade.

This afternoon, it was announced that Foley will make his AEW debut at Double or Nothing as one of the co-hosts for the event’s Buy In pre-show. Foley sent out a brief social media post reacting to the announcement and said he’s “extremely happy” to be making this appearance. He praised AEW’s roster and said he’s looking forward to meeting up with them, his co-host Renee Paquette, and Khan on Sunday.

“FOLEY IS ALL ELITE!,” the Hardcore Legend wrote on Facebook and Instagram.

“I am extremely happy to be making my debut with @aew – joining @reneepaquette on the #DoubleOrNothing pre-show. Looking forward to seeing @tonyrkhan for the first time in many years (we had lunch fifteen years ago) and meeting up with AEW’s amazing roster.”

There has been no confirmation as to whether this is a one-off appearance or if Foley is signing a contract with AEW. When revealing the news, Khan referred to Sunday as being Foley’s “first night” in the promotion. The 60-year-old Foley is still under a WWE Legends contract until next month.

AEW Double or Nothing 2026 Buy In —

The Buy In portion of Sunday’s event begins at 7 p.m. Eastern time and will air for free on AEW’s social media channels, in addition to platforms that are carrying the pay-per-view. No matches have been announced for The Buy In yet, but that will likely change on Dynamite/Collision tonight.

Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York is hosting Double or Nothing. The card is headlined by a hair vs. title match with MJF challenging AEW World Champion Darby Allin. It remains to be seen if Foley will appear during the main card, but MJF hasn’t been shy about playing up issues with him.

Mick Foley’s AEW debut announced for Double or Nothing

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Mick Foley’s AEW debut is officially set for this Sunday night.

After it was reported last week that AEW was interested in working with Foley, Tony Khan sent out a tweet today announcing that Foley will have a role at Double or Nothing. He will co-host The Buy In pre-show for the event alongside Renee Paquette.

Khan did not state whether Foley has signed an AEW contract, though he did refer to Double or Nothing as being Foley’s first night in the promotion.

“Before #AEWDoN, watch the The Buy In FREE before the ppv THIS SUNDAY! Your new co-hosts are
@ReneePaquette & Mick Foley!,” Khan wrote. “Foley’s coming back to TBS, where he ran wild as Cactus Jack! Don’t miss his first night in AEW on Sunday + see you for Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite TONIGHT!”

The Buy In starts at 7 p.m. Eastern and will be carried on AEW’s social platforms, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and more.

Mick Foley and MJF angle? —

Whether Foley will make any kind of appearance on the pay-per-view itself is unknown. Double or Nothing is being held in his home state of New York, and the main event will pit fellow Long Island native MJF against AEW World Champion Darby Allin in a hair vs. title match. Potentially setting the stage for a future interaction between the two, MJF insulted Foley in a media interview this week. Any angle between them would likely have limited, if any, physicality from Foley given the concussion issues he’s dealt with. The Hardcore Legend suffered a concussion in 2024 that led to him calling off plans to return for one final match.

MJF reacted to today’s announcement:

Foley, 60, announced in December 2025 that he was parting ways with WWE due to the company’s close ties with President Donald Trump. Foley remains under a WWE Legends contract that is set to expire next month.

Sting: Darby Allin ‘taught me how to live life to the fullest’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Teaming with Darby Allin in AEW had a big impact on who Sting is as a human being.

Before retiring in March 2024, Sting spent the last few years of his career paired with Allin. They became AEW Tag Team Champions and still held the belts when Sting went out victorious in his final match. Allin, now in the midst of the biggest singles run of his career, is AEW World Champion and has a title defense against MJF set for Double or Nothing this Sunday.

ESPN published a feature story on Allin ahead of the pay-per-view and interviewed Sting about their partnership. With Sting in his 60s, he initially tried to talk Allin out of some of his riskier ideas, but it was Allin who won out, with Sting even joining in and doing the stunts with him.

“At first, I was trying to talk some sense into him by saying he didn’t have to do these risky moves every match. But, man, he rubbed off on me, and I ended up taking way more risks than I anticipated myself taking,” Sting said. “By the end, you didn’t know whether the young guy was going to jump off the balcony or the old guy was going to jump off the balcony. And sometimes we both did together.”

The bond that Sting and Allin formed is one that Sting believes will be lifelong.

“We haven’t had a chance to go play miniature golf together. I still owe him that,” Sting told ESPN. “We’ll be friends until one of us leaves the earth. He taught me how to live life to the fullest.”

Sting was there when Allin won the AEW World Championship from MJF last month. The Allin vs. MJF rematch on Sunday is a hair vs. title match where MJF is putting his hair on the line for a shot to reclaim the belt.

Sting’s continuing legacy —

Allin is helping to continue Sting’s legacy with his AEW success, and now Sting’s two sons — Steven and Garrett — have entered the business. Neither had any interest in becoming wrestlers until taking part in their father’s retirement tour. Now, Steven has already worked dark matches for AEW and is competing on the indies. Allin helped train him for his debut and participated in Steven’s first-ever match in October 2025.

Not quite as far along as his brother, Garrett had his debut last weekend for Dustin Rhodes’ Rhodes Wrestling Association.

MJF addresses possibility of Mick Foley joining AEW

Posted on by Joseph Currier

MJF fully kept kayfabe while addressing the possibility that Mick Foley could join AEW.

It was reported last week that AEW has “real” interest in working with the 60-year-old Hardcore Legend, potentially setting the stage for Foley to appear at Double or Nothing in his home state of New York. Fellow Long Island native MJF spoke with SNY ahead of the pay-per-view and was asked about a possible Foley AEW debut. MJF didn’t do anything to dispel the rumors, instead insulting Foley and maybe laying the groundwork for an interaction.

“I think Mick Foley is fat and he’s ugly,” MJF responded when asked what he thinks about the Foley-AEW speculation. “I think he was the blueprint of what Darby Allin is now, which makes me hate him even more. That’s what I think of Mick Foley.”

Allin will be MJF’s opponent in the main event of Double or Nothing at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens this Sunday (May 24). It’s a hair vs. title match where MJF had to agree to put his hair on the line to get a rematch for Allin’s AEW World Championship.

Working together is something that Foley and MJF have been wanting to do for a while. When Foley was planning to come out of retirement for one last match, MJF was the opponent he hoped to face. But Foley suffered a concussion in training in 2024 that led to him abandoning that idea. Any AEW role for Foley would likely have limited, if any, physicality.

Mick Foley’s WWE status —

Foley’s WWE Legends contract is set to expire next month, with Foley deciding to let the deal lapse after taking issue with WWE’s “close relationship” with President Donald Trump. We’ve seen Foley make recent appearances for OVW and GCW, so it’s possible that he could show up in AEW before June. Rob Van Dam previously worked matches for AEW while under a WWE Legends deal.

The Takedown on SI, which was first to report AEW’s interest in Foley, wrote that it’s not known if Foley’s debut would be a one-off appearance or if he would sign with the company.

MJF pumping the brakes on criticism of TNA President Carlos Silva

Posted on by Joseph Currier

MJF is softening his tone in regards to TNA President Carlos Silva.

A match between MJF and TNA star Nic Nemeth was scheduled to take place for indie promotion Create-A-Pro earlier this month, but the bout ended up being canceled after a new policy was instituted by Silva. Citing partner conflicts, Silva put a stop to any indie matches that would have pitted TNA talent against wrestlers from AEW. The decision was made after an episode of AEW Collision was moved opposite TNA Impact on April 2 due to the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament.

In the wake of this, MJF called Silva a “dumb motherf***er” and accused him of lying. But the former AEW World Champion was a bit more cordial during his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show this week. MJF said he’s heard from people that Silva is a good guy who is learning on the job after having no prior experience in pro wrestling.

“The truth is he didn’t want AEW talent to go up against TNA talent because he thought that my boss intentionally put, I believe it was a Collision, on the same night as TNA,” MJF said. “Even though every single year, I believe it’s the college basketball playoffs, I’m not sure, but I just know every single year during a specific season of the year we get pushed to — are they on Tuesdays or Thursdays? I don’t even f***ing remember. Thursdays, sorry. We get pushed to Thursdays. He thought that we intentionally asked Warner Bros. Discovery. We were preempted. And he didn’t know that, so because he didn’t know that, he got offended. And then he pulled a couple of matches off. I was offended because, A: You’re taking a match away from me that I was looking forward to, I was looking forward to beating the sh*t out of Nic Nemeth, formerly known as Dolph Ziggler. And B: You’re taking money out of people’s pockets.

“So I was a little upset, but I have been informed that this guy’s getting smarter to the business, he’s fairly green, he’s fairly new, and he’s learning on the job. And I’ve been told that he’s a good guy, so I’ve pumped the brakes a little bit on ol’ Carlos Silva. He’s learning on the job.”

Silva was named president of TNA in February 2025. Already an executive for TNA’s parent company Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Silva did not work in wrestling prior to this but was a top executive for MMA promotions PFL/World Series of Fighting.

AEW Forbidden Door & TNA Slammiversary no longer set for direct competition —

AEW and TNA were set to go head-to-head on June 28 when the companies present their respective Forbidden Door and Slammiversary pay-per-views. However, Slammiversary has moved its start time to the afternoon and will not be going directly against the AEW event.

MJF calls Malakai Black a ‘mark’ who used AEW as stepping stone

Posted on by Joseph Currier

MJF believes the AEW locker room became a better place without people like Malakai Black in it.

With Black having been released by WWE last month, there’s speculation over whether he could make a return to AEW once his 90-day clause is up. Based on what MJF said during his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show today, it sounds like the AEW locker room would be opposed to that idea. MJF said there’s been a night and day difference for the better since wrestlers who viewed the company as a stepping stone were weeded out of AEW. He described Black as the biggest offender of those who had that mindset.

MJF clarified that he does not really know Black on a personal level, describing him more as a “mark” than a bad guy.

“I think it’s pretty obvious that [the biggest offender was] Malakai Black,” MJF said. “But I don’t know the guy, like, on a personal level. Do I think he’s a bad guy? No. Do I think he was a mark for wanting to have his, ‘Oh, I need my Mania moment.’ Yeah, and there were a couple of guys like that, and they got weeded out.

“And then they went over there and some of them found out the grass isn’t greener. And perhaps some of them did, for them the grass was greener. But I’d say a majority of the guys that were like, ‘I’m just going to use All Elite Wrestling to go back to WWE,’ I think you’re going to see a lot of those guys asked for a 50 percent pay cut from the office. Or you’re going to see a lot of those guys just get released. And it’s unfortunate because if you show up to our company and you work hard, there’s really no need to burn bridges.”

“Majority” of AEW locker room felt the same way about Black —

MJF noted that he was speaking as a team captain and relaying how the majority of wrestlers in AEW felt about Black.

“Like I said, I’m not sh*tting on him. I’m just simply telling you what I was told by a majority of the locker room about this specific individual,” MJF said. “So as a team captain, as a leader — even though, yes, I am 30 — and as somebody who has been part of this promotion since day one, I don’t want to deal with guys that don’t want to be team players. F*** off, go elsewhere. Or f***ing prove me wrong. I would love to be proven wrong. It would be great. Prove me wrong.”

Black joined AEW in 2021 following his initial release from WWE and was with the promotion until he went back to WWE in 2025. Though disputed by Black, there were rumors that he was reluctant to lose matches during his AEW run.

AEW has denied that it is already in negotiations with Black for a return. Swerve Strickland, another one of AEW’s top stars, was less abrasive than MJF but non-committal when addressing whether he would like Black to return, saying that he just hopes Black is able to find what he’s looking for in wrestling to make him happy.

MJF: There’s something ‘very enchanting’ to me about never going to WWE

Posted on by Joseph Currier

If he could write the story for the rest of his career, it sounds like MJF would never leave AEW for WWE.

MJF opened up about his future while appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show on Tuesday, addressing the interest WWE has had in him. While claiming that WWE “hypothetically” was willing to offer him huge money in the past, MJF says it was not difficult to turn that down. His goal is to become the greatest wrestler of all time and join Batista, John Cena, and The Rock as the greatest wrestler-turned-actors ever. The idea of doing that without the WWE machine behind him is very intriguing to MJF.

“Was it tough? No,” MJF said about turning down WWE to stay in AEW. “You have to know your worth, and I know my worth. And my worth was built because of the legacy that I’m building in AEW. There is something very enchanting to me, no matter how much money did, or does, or will get thrown at me. And trust me it was a lot, hypothetically. It was a f***ing lot, hypothetically. It doesn’t matter because I care about my legacy more than anything…

“The idea of going down as the greatest of all time is really important to me. And I also think that there’s something very special about being able to say that with having never worked ‘there.’ I think that that’s really cool. I think the idea of that happening in the wrestling world, and to me the Mount Rushmore of professional wrestlers-turned-actors are Dave Bautista, John Cena, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. As you know, Mount Rushmore has how many heads? Four. My goal is to be that fourth head. And if I could pull that off on my name alone and the legacy that I’ve built on my own back, not from a machine, just the Maxwell machine — I think it would feel all the more sweeter.”

MJF did give the caveat of “never say never” and said this is just how he’s feeling in this moment at 30 years old. He and Sting have had conversations about how much pride Sting took in making his name outside of WWE and never going there until 2014.

MJF as an actor —

Balancing both wrestling and acting full-time is MJF’s plan going forward. His biggest role so far has been playing one of Happy Gilmore’s sons in “Happy Gilmore 2,” which led to MJF forming a friendship with Adam Sandler.

MJF is set to feature in the Christmas-themed action comedy “Violent Night 2” later this year. When he dropped the AEW World Championship to Darby Allin in April, there was speculation that MJF could be taking time off for another movie role, but those rumors were untrue. He’s remained on AEW television and will get his rematch against Allin at Double or Nothing 2026 this Sunday. It’s a hair vs. title match where MJF’s hair and Allin’s championship are both on the line.

MJF says AEW boss Tony Khan has become ‘incredible leader’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

MJF is proud of the evolution AEW founder Tony Khan has made as a boss in recent years.

To promote AEW Double or Nothing 2026, MJF returned to The Ariel Helwani Show for an interview on Tuesday. The conversation opened with MJF discussing the interview Helwani conducted with Khan in November 2025. There had previously been heat between Khan and Helwani, but that appearance marked a turning point where Khan has become more willing to answer questions and engage with outlets that may have been unfavorable to AEW.

“No interview is ever going to be as good when I’m not in the room. But for an interview that didn’t have me in it, it was a good watch,” MJF said about the Helwani-Khan interview. “And I also think it showed the evolution, frankly, of my boss as an interviewee. I think he faces questions head-on. I think that he took all your questions on the chin and answered them in a very professional manner. I think he continues to be incredibly professional, even when bullsh*t is happening around him and lies are being spread. So, yeah, I’m happy for him.”

MJF might be referring to the issues between AEW and TNA there, given that he has called out TNA President Carlos Silva for “lying” after Silva claimed that AEW had tried to come at TNA by airing against Impact and blocking TNA from some venues.

He also could be referencing last week’s report that WWE believes AEW won’t get a new TV deal from Paramount in 2027, which Khan said “could not be further from the truth.”

MJF says Tony Khan has leveled up as a leader —

Like with all interviews he does, MJF largely kept kayfabe while speaking with Helwani, taking most of the credit for the success AEW has had this year. But MJF also offered genuine praise for Khan, saying he’s become one of the best minds in wrestling and an incredible leader.

“Yeah, man,” MJF responded when asked if Khan has evolved as a boss. “The fact of the matter is, look, do I love the guy? No. But I love money. And I also love seeing my company do well, and we’re white hot right now. Now, is that all because of me? There’s an argument to be made there, there’s an argument to be made there. But I also am willing to say that Tony Khan — in case you’re unaware, he’s a billionaire — and for him to be a billionaire and to decide to, with his money and his time, when he could be sticking with the futbol thing or the other football thing that’s in America that’s the type of football that I prefer, and he could just be doing that. But he decided to start a professional wrestling company because he’s so passionate about professional wrestling and he loves professional wrestling.

“And he’s become one of the best minds in wrestling, man. And he’s been a great leader. You can talk all of the sh*t you want about him. Why? I don’t know. Because he gave you an alternative so you wouldn’t only be eating one type of food. You have options now. I don’t know why anybody would be mad about options…

“I think he’s become an incredible leader too, man. He always was, but I just think he is really, really just — as we all do, we level up, we evolve as we age.”

A two-time World Champion, MJF has the chance to reach the summit of AEW again when he challenges Darby Allin at Double or Nothing this Sunday. It’s a hair vs. title match where MJF will be forced to shave his head if he loses.

Adam Copeland addresses interest in possible AEW backstage role

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Adam Copeland loves working in AEW and isn’t closing the door on remaining with the promotion even after his in-ring career ends.

At Double or Nothing this Sunday, Copeland & Christian Cage are set to challenge FTR for the AEW Tag Team titles. Copeland spoke with Westwood One Sports Night ahead of the event and said he feels like a “kid in a candy store” with how much he enjoys going to work at AEW. He isn’t sure what he wants to do whenever his time as an active wrestler is over, but Copeland would be willing to have a conversation with Tony Khan about post-wrestling possibilities.

“That’s up to Tony and what he may need,” Copeland said. “And that’s stuff that I don’t know. Like, I don’t know, where would you need me? And then I think we’d just discuss it at that time and go, ‘Okay, that sounds like fun.’ Or, ‘I just want to sit on my deck or [go] jet skiing or kayaking or something.’ I don’t know.

“But I’m a creative person, and I know that no matter what, I’ll need to scratch that creative itch, whether that’s just purely acting or maybe it’s helping with creative in AEW and still continuing in acting. I don’t know. But I do know, in terms of the workplace, I love going there. So it wouldn’t be like twist my arm to keep me around.”

The 52-year-old Copeland knows that, when he does retire, it will be easier to step away than when he was medically disqualified from WWE competition in 2011. This time, the hardest thing will be not being part of the AEW locker room anymore.

Adam Copeland on giving advice to AEW peers —

Copeland told Westwood One Sports Night that he’s more than willing to give advice to fellow AEW wrestlers who are seeking his input. He described it as a “really fun” locker room that is shared by veteran wrestlers and those who are fairly new to the business.

“Man, I got all day for the Darby Allins and the Will Ospreays and the guys who really just want to crack this code. And there really is no fully cracking it, right? Just great attitudes, great work ethic, yeah, I got all day for people like that,” Copeland said. “And then also, take any advice for what it’s worth, but you have to put it in your spin cycle and make it you. And you have to feel comfortable with it. You’re probably going to get told 20 different things by 20 different people. So then it’s deciphering who do you want to listen to, who has the type of advice that you relate to.

“The great thing is, it’s a really fun locker room in that you can look and there’s Dustin [Rhodes] and there’s Griff Garrison. Like, that is opposite ends of the experience spectrum, right? And that’s a good thing. It really, really is.”

FTR vs. Copeland & Cage at Double or Nothing is an “I Quit” match where, if Copeland & Cage lose, they will not be able to team together again. In the Westwood One interview, Copeland said he and Cage are both really proud that they’ve been able to reinvent their team into something “entirely different” than it was when they were younger.

ROH TV taping spoilers from Jacksonville

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ring of Honor was back at WJCT Studios in Jacksonville on Monday night with a full slate of HonorClub tapings.

Thirty matches in total were taped, with the show being headlined by an ROH Television Championship match with AR Fox defending against Dezmond Xavier. Here are the full results:

– Action Andretti defeated Soleil

– Serpentico & The Colons defeated Kiran Grey, Alex Kane & Bruss Hamilton

– Anthony Ogogo defeated Darian Bengston

– Proving Ground match: ROH World Champion Bandido defeated Angelico

– Lio Rush defeated Griff Garrison

– Top Flight defeated Premier Athletes

– Billy Gunn, Brady Booker & Drago defeated The Supastarz

– Pure Rules match: Viva Van defeated Rachael Ellering

– Proving Ground match: ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty defeated Mance Warner

– Proving Ground match: ROH Women’s World Champion Athena defeated Hyan

– Matt Taven & Mike Bennett defeated Alec Price & Jordan Oliver

– Eddie Kingston & Ortiz defeated The WorkHorsemen

– Red Velvet & Zayda Steel defeated The IInspiration

– Shane Taylor & The Infantry defeated Serpentico & The Colons

– Proving Ground match: ROH Women’s Pure Champion Deonna Purrazzo defeated Isla Dawn

– Maya World defeated Trish Adora

– AEW National Champion Mark Davis defeated Adam Priest to retain

– Stori Denali defeated Brooke Havok

– Billie Starkz defeated Robyn Renegade

– Proving Ground match: ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions Dalton Castle & The Outrunners defeated Frat House

– Jay Lethal, Lee Johnson & Blake Christian defeated Il Cartello Grillo

– Queen Aminata defeated Lacey Lane

– Tehuti Miles defeated Daddy Magic

– The Von Erichs defeated Dark Order

– Bryan Keith defeated Tommy Billington

– The Rascalz defeated Grizzled Young Veterans

– Angelico defeated Main Man Oro

– Mason Madden defeated Terry Yaki

– Ace Austin defeated Mansoor

– ROH Television Champion AR Fox defeated Dezmond Xavier to retain

ROH began holding standalone tapings at WJCT Studios back in March, and Tony Khan hyped that he believes this was the best show ROH has done in Jacksonville since then.

“I thought that it was our best @ringofhonor tv taping so far in this Jacksonville era!,” Khan tweeted last night. “We have some very exciting rivalries emerging and these will be awesome ROH tv shows!”

Chris Jericho teaming with Young Bucks on AEW Dynamite/Collision

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Before Double or Nothing, Chris Jericho will team up with The Young Bucks in trios action.

AEW has announced that Jericho, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson will face off against Ricochet, Andrade El Idolo & Mark Davis on this Wednesday’s Dynamite/Collision special. It will serve as a preview for the Stadium Stampede match at Double or Nothing.

That Stadium Stampede bout is a 14-man match where Jericho, The Young Bucks, Jack Perry, Kenny Omega, Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin are on one side. Their opponents — with representatives from The Demand, Don Callis Family, and The Dogs — are Ricochet, Andrade, Davis, The Gates of Agony, Clark Connors & David Finlay.

Serving as the final build to Double or Nothing, Dynamite and Collision are airing live as a combined special this Wednesday night. The show is being held at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine and will run from 8-11 p.m. Eastern time on TBS and HBO Max.

Here is the updated lineup:

AEW Dynamite/Collision (Wednesday, May 20) —

  • AEW World title: Darby Allin defends against Speedball Mike Bailey
  • AEW Continental title eliminator: Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O’Reilly
  • Anything goes: Mark Briscoe vs. Tommaso Ciampa
  • AEW Tag Team titles: FTR defend against Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong
  • Divine Dominion 5-minute Women’s Tag Team titles eliminator
  • Triangle of Madness & Athena vs. Thunder Rosa, Mina Shirakawa, and the Brawling Birds
  • Katsuyori Shibata vs. Will Ospreay
  • Chris Jericho & The Young Bucks vs. Ricochet, Andrade El Idolo & Mark Davis
  • Swerve Strickland returns

AEW reveals date and location for Beach Break 2026

Posted on by Joseph Currier

AEW is heading to Clearwater, Florida this July for one of the promotion’s signature summer-time events.

It was revealed today that Beach Break 2026, a special edition of Dynamite, will be held at Baycare Sound in Clearwater on Wednesday, July 8. It will be the fifth-ever edition of Beach Break, following last year’s edition in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Past Beach Breaks were held in Chicago, Cleveland, and Jacksonville.

Baycare Sound is an “outdoor (with roof cover), waterfront boutique concert venue” that has traditional seating as well as a lawn area. Tickets for the show are going on sale to the general public this Friday (May 22).

Beach Break first took place in 2021, replacing Bash at the Beach on the AEW calendar after the company was no longer able to use that WCW-era trademark. The 2025 Dynamite Beach Break episode was headlined by Jon Moxley defeating Samoa Joe in a steel cage match.

In addition to this, AEW has announced that Viejas Arena in San Diego, California will host a Dynamite episode and Collision taping on Wednesday, July 1. That will be the first Dynamite to take place after Forbidden Door 2026.

AEW will be in Boston for Dynamite the week after Beach Break.