There’s an axiom that goes back to the beginning of time, which is that you draw based on the main event and not the depth of the show. It’s been shown over-and-over again in every combat sport. Granted, in wrestling, things have changed in the sense that WWE draws based on the name value of its biggest shows although in the PPV era, the highs and lows of those shows were always main event based.
Double or Nothing on 5/30 turned out to be the exception, because most saw it as a deep card, but it didn’t have the killer main event that other shows had. But it ended up as the second most successful PPV show in company history, trailing only Revolution earlier this year.
Unlike with Revolution, which, when it became clear it was breaking the old record, we asked people why and the reason was largely exactly what one would think, people were interested in the explosive barbed wire match with Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW title and that match got people to buy.
While still early, AEW Double or Nothing’s pay-per-view buys are trending toward the second highest total the company has ever done.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that the U.S. streaming numbers for last Sunday’s show were up 12% from the previous year’s Double or Nothing which did 120,000 total buys — the most in company history going into this year.
Meltzer said the advanced linear TV buys data were also up, but those typically take months to be settled.
If the numbers hold up, it would be another strong PPV outing for AEW who did a company best in PPV buys and revenue for March’s Revolution, headlined by AEW World Champion Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley in a exploding barbed wire deathmatch.
This year’s Double or Nothing was headlined by Omega defending against Orange Cassidy and PAC in a three-way in addition to Stadium Stampede II. Like Revolution, the PPV was on a Sunday and also had a full capacity at Jacksonville’s Daily’s Place.
The one-year reign of Hikaru Shida is now over as Dr. Britt Baker, DMD, submitted the AEW Women’s Champion at Sunday’s Double or Nothing to win the title.
In a battle that featured a flurry of near falls and submission attempts by both women, Baker followed up a crucifix pin near fall with the Lockjaw, getting Shida to tap out.
It appeared Baker was done after taking an accidental crutch shot by Rebel that was intended for Shida, but the champion reversed it. However, Baker kicked out, later surviving a falcon arrow for another two count.
Baker had her own moment earlier in the match as she hit a curb stomp onto the Women’s title belt that was brought into the ring by Rebel, but Shida kicked out.
Baker becomes the fourth Women’s champion in company history, following Riho, Nyla Rose and Shida.
Shida won the title at last year’s Double or Nothing by defeating Rose and had eight successful title defenses befor Sunday night.
Dave Meltzer reports on WWE returning to live crowds, the proposed WarnerMedia-Discovery merger, Nick Khan has been in talks with New Japan Pro Wrestling about WWE becoming NJPW’s exclusive American partner.
Also in this issue:
Updating WWE going on tour and what early ticket sales show
Double or Nothing preview and ticket sales for all upcoming AEW events and what it says about the brand right now
Full UFC coverage from last week
A look at both Warrior documentaries and separating fact from fiction
Collision in Korea and going through fact vs. fiction as well
Most detailed look at television viewership over the past week
Amazing training notes about an 80s star about to return to the ring
AEW TV schedule notes for June
And much more.
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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking AEW Double or Nothing and the rest of the current news with Wrestling Observer Radio as well as taking mailbag questions that can be sent to [email protected].
Some business notes regarding tonight and AEW. Based on one national television company, advanced PPV orders as of Friday were up nine percent from Revolution. Keep in mind that 82 percent of orders come in the last 36 hours so that doesn’t mean they’ll end up well above their record, but it’s a very good sign. Revolution blew away all prior AEW shows.
That same company’s clientele saw Dynamite on Friday night as down 38 percent from the 5/19 show, so that’s very significant since that’s the time slot for the proposed new Rampage show and based on the makeup of the AEW TV audience, Friday is going to be tough. The sample size is millions, so the actual numbers and they are legit views and not estimates, would be literally 100 times that of Nielsen’s sample size. But they are not strategically done like Nielsen and don’t provide the level of data that Nielsen does so we don’t have any demo info from it or viewers per home or things like that that is so important. Smackdown was down 1.3 percent from the prior week based on the same company’s clientele, actually more total viewers but watched less time on average. The Nielsen numbers for Friday will be out on Tuesday and the detailed numbers won’t be out until Wednesday. Smackdown numbers should be out Tuesday and Raw should be out Wednesday due to the holiday weekend.
As of 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, there were 352 tickets still out and more than 4,600 accounted for meaning they are very close to sold out. This will be the company’s largest crowd since the pandemic and the biggest crowd for North American pro wrestling aside from the two WrestleMania shows of the past year plus. We’re looking for your thoughts on the show so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
Here are thoughts on the show and Skybet odds. It should be noted that most of the matches have very sizable favorites and if predicted star ratings are an indication, the belief is this will be a tremendous show on paper:
Adam Page vs. Brian Cage – The winner is likely in line for an AEW title shot. On paper this match looks crazy. Page’s forehead was a mess Friday night so he’ll be easy to cut. Page is right now a -500 favorite. Kambi has posted star ratings so the over and under here is ***3/4
Battle Royal – AEW Battle Royals usually have more storyline elements but the concept of the original Casino Battle Royal was received negatively so it’s been tweaked. The latest odds have Christian Cage as a -200 favorite with the next being Penta at +500, Jungle Boy at +600, Powerhouse Hobbs at +900 and Matt Hardy, 10 and Max Caster at +1400.
Cody Rhodes vs. Anthony Agogo – This is the most interesting because Agogo has only done short matches. Agogo is a -175 favorite. The winner should depend entirely on what is the next thing planned for each. The over/under here is ***1/4
Hikaru Shida vs. Britt Baker for the women’s title – Most expect a title change here and the odds reflect that with Baker a -600 favorite. These two actually should have a great match. The over/under is **** which really speaks a ton of what bettors and oddsmakers think of these two.
Kenny Omega vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Pac for the AEW title. It’s an interesting mix. We know Omega vs. Pac an have a match of the year candidate since they did that once on Dynamite already. Cassidy can go, but he’s mainly known for comedy spots and it’ll be interesting how that mixes in. Omega right now is a -650 favorite while Cassidy is +400 and Pac is +600. Betters and oddsmakers are very confident putting over/under at ****1/2
Miro vs. Lance Archer for the TNT title. It’s a big one for both. This is Miro’s first real back-and-forth match in a high-level spot in AEW where it’s a different style and standard from WWE. Miro is a -600 favorite. The over/under here is ***3/4
Sting & Darby Allin vs. Scorpio Sky & Ethan Page – Allin will work most of the way and he’s crazy always, let alone on PPV. Still, the whole match is a set up for Sting’s hot tag and how much he can do at the age of 62. Sting & Allin are -300 favorites. The over/under here is ***3/4
Stadium Stampede with The Inner Circle vs. The Pinnacle. The pressure is huge because they have to live up to last year’s show. Jericho is working with a dislocated elbow from his fall off the cage at Blood & Guts. The Inner Circle has to disband if they lose. That stip has made them a -200 favorite. There is no odds on star ratings because this is a taped match .
Young Bucks vs. Eddie Kingston & Jon Moxley for the tag titles. The match will likely be great, but it is a huge style clash and a very different match for all four than their usual. The Young Bucks are -150 favorites to retain in the closest the odds are for any match on the show. The over/under here is ****1/2
The Buy in match of Serena Deeb vs. Riho for the NWA title has no odds. My own prediction is a very good match if they are given time and they probably will be, and Deeb has to be a major favorite.
In gambling odds for what wins match of the night, the Omega vs. Cassidy vs. Pac match is at -111 and the tag title is +110.
Yahoo has a story on the Cody Rhodes vs. Anthony Agogo match. (thanks to Patrick Baseline)
With no UFC or boxing major events this weekend, the only thing that made Google trends related to combat sports this past week was on Tuesday. John Cena, for his apology to China was No. 8 for the day at 200,000. Mike Tyson, because of the TV special, was No 13 at 100,000.
AEW does have big competition in sports today with the Indianapolis 500. The Miz & Titus O’Neil were both on NBC’s coverage of the event today (thanks to Brian Henke)
A&E tonight at 8 p.m. has a Mick Foley special. The only thing that I know is that Mick Foley himself seemed really happy about it. I’m not sure if I’m on it but I was interviewed extensively for it. Jake Roberts is featured on WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures which is notable politically.
KTLA in Los Angeles had a lengthy feature today talking about Cardi B and SummerSlam and crediting the Mat Men podcast for the story.
The semifinals of the King of Gate tournament on 6/3 at Korakuen Hall have Yamato vs. Kota Minoura and SB Kento vs. Kzy. It will be on the Dragon Gate streaming service.
The annual Mitsuharu Misawa Memorial show by Pro Wrestling NOAH takes place at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning. It’s available on FITE at 5 a.m. on PPV:
A video feature of the Bollywood Boys making it to WWE in local Vancouver, BC news. The Sirha brothers were longtime area independent wrestlers.
OTHER NOTES
New Japan has a show from Korakuen Hall Tuesday morning at 5:30 a.m.Eastern with Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa defending the IWGP tag titles against Zack Sabre Jr. & Tasichi.
Warrior Wrestling returns on 6/5 in Chicago Heights, IL with War of Attrition. They will crown their first Lucha champion in a match with Laredo Kid, Golden Dragon, Aramis, Gringo Loco, Arez, El HIjo de Canis Lupus,Dragon Bane and Black Taurus, which is one hell of a lineup. It will be a series of three matches. It starts with a four vs. four match under Lucha relevos rules and the losing four are eliminated. The next four will have a tag team match under Lucha rules and the losing two are eliminated. Then there will be a singled match for the championship. Kyle Rae returns to wrestling to defend her women’s title against Holidead, Trey Miguel defends the Warrior title against Lee Moriarty, plus Deonna Purrazzo vs. Ray Lyn, Matt Cardona vs. Sam Adonis, Warhorse vs. Jake Something, KC Navarro vs. Cole Radrick and Kongo Kong vs. Beast Man.
Jorge Masvidal’s first Bare Knuckle promotion on 6/18 in Biloxi, MS has announced former UFC fighter Jason Knight vs. former ride fighter Charles Bennett as the main event. Bennett was a charismatic stars many years back but has gone 0-3 in the Bare Knuckle arena.
Ruthless Pro Wrestling from last night in Erie, MI: Alex Weir b Sage Phillips, Mo Atlas won over Nate Wings, Nick King, Dylan Derringer and Alex Cluckey, Tommy Vendetta b Jake Crist, Dread King Logan b Zach Thomas in a street fight, Gary Jay b Jason Page, Justin Kyle b Sam Beale to win the Ruthless title, Randi West b Chuck Stein in a home run derby match, Satu Jinn b Schwartzy in a four corners of pain match, Dale Patricks b Reed Bentley in a death match title match (thanks to Leonard Brand)
Sean Henderson’s Birthday Blast streams live today on IWTV featuring 2 Cold Scorpio vs.; Tim Donst as the main event.
All Melbourne pro wrestling shows this weekend were canceled due to a COVID lockdown. It is likely the same for this coming weekend as well.
Adelaide Championship Wrestling from last night in Adelaide, Australia: Matt Hayter b El Neon to keep ACW title, Kit Condor b Downunder, Draven b Malykai Slic, Joe Mundie won over Jesse Henry and Joey Triton, Adam Brooks b Duke Marshall-DQ. Next show is 7/3. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
Editor’s Note: The following is an opinion-based preview and reflects that of the writer.
We (well, me) are used to the beats of WWE where it’s pay-per-view rematch, rematch, rematch, and then a rushed build to the next pay-per-view. But since AEW only runs four major shows a year (special episodes of Dynamite notwithstanding), they have a longer time to build to the events like this Sunday’s Double or Nothing which, for whatever reason, they don’t always like to do.
Some matches get announced far in advance, and some, like Miro vs. Lance Archer, get announced a couple weeks before they happen. Even the triple threat for the big belt came about quickly. And you know what? I don’t care. If this process continues to produce an incredibly high quality weekly TV show and stacked cards like this, I really can’t complain.
It’s almost like there’s a switch they can flip that makes their talent the best versions of themselves. Miro was an afterthought for months, but look at him now. He became a captivating monster in like three weeks. They know the levers to pull and when to pull them. For us, as fans, waiting has always been the hardest part. We need and demand satisfaction right away.
What AEW has proven is that they have plans for everyone. Even if we aren’t getting what we want right away, we can reasonably assume that it’s coming. It feels nice to be able to trust the stories a wrestling promotion is telling.
This card? It’s good, my pals. Nine matches with every major title defended and intrigue up and down the card. Is this the end of The Inner Circle? Is this the coronation of Britt Baker, DMD? Is Cody writing a love letter to Cody? Does Orange Cassidy shock the world? In order: No, yes, yes, no. The rest of the predictions? Just keep scrolling.
Hangman Page vs. Brian Cage
This is a man with a unique connection to the fans vs. a man with the charisma of lawn clippings. Much like green grapes are a blight on all of fruit, Cage is a blight on Team Taz. He’s not the biggest (Powerhouse Hobbs), not the most charismatic (Ricky Starks), not the best talker (Taz), and not Hook (Hook). He’s just…there, chock full of muscles and with a tremendous “has a vanity plate” vibe. It’s strange when the top-billed member of a faction is, by far, its least compelling member but hey, here we are. Cage is a perfect example of how someone can have just about everything, yet have nothing of substance to offer.
Meanwhile, Hangman has it all: the ring work, the mic skills, the charisma, and the connection to the crowd. He’s got it all and whenever AEW decides to pull the trigger on his title run, they will have a babyface champion for as long as they want. Let me be more declarative: they will have THE babyface champion for as long as they want. Over the past few months, he’s been heated up and cooled down to fit whatever role is necessary. The lack of fans has hurt his ascent up the card more than anyone. He thrives off their reactions and they love nothing more than reacting to him. Now that fans are coming back, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cowboy-boy is main eventing All Out.
It’s Hangman’s time. Cage won earlier this year, but Page gets his win back here.
Casino Battle Royale for a future AEW World title match
A funny thing: at one point, the Wikipedia page for this show listed CM Punk as being in the match. I will be the living embodiment of the coffin emoji if that actually happens (it won’t). As is often the case with these kinds of matches, there are very few people who can actually win it. In this particular one, there are even less. The only realistic possibilities are Christian Cage, Jungle Boy, and possibly Penta El Zero Miedo. Considering Christian is the latest big signing and has talked about wanting a title shot, this is the easiest way to get him to the top of the card.
Jungle Boy has been close a few times and Penta is kind of living in the same world as Hangman Page where he can get moved up and down the card depending on where he’s needed. Neither of these guys are really needed at the top, but Christian sure is. With Jon Moxley otherwise busy in a tag team, he’s the biggest name with mainstream reach that AEW has. He wins this gimmick.
Sting and Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky
Sting, please don’t die, my guy. You don’t need to kill yourself trying to elevate a midcard feud. It was uncomfortable watching him in the cinematic match from the last PPV and I fully plan on watching this with my eyes half covered. Every bump could seriously reduce the man to ashes and it’s worrisome. I’m going to try really hard not to write about Sting like this every time he has a match, but it’s hard not to. I do love him wrestling in a long sleeve t-shirt with his face on it, just like all wrestling legends are legally required to do.
I’m all in on All Ego. I like just about everything he’s ever done and he’s one of the more creative guys in wrestling. And folks, we appreciate creativity in this column. We really do. What we do not like is seeing Page and Sky wrestle almost exclusively on the Dark series of shows. I know those do decent-ish numbers, but it seems like AEW wildly overestimates how much the audience cares about those matches. Does wrestling 30 minutes spread over seven episodes of Dark/Dark: Elevation really matter?
The larger wrestling world is probably not nearly as aware of Page and Sky compared to their more diehard fans. The same thing happened with the Varsity Blonds. They never wrestled on Dynamite and all of sudden, they were getting a tag team title match. Put at least one of these lead-up matches on the big show and make us care about these guys. Tell some of the story on Dynamite and let Dark fill in the gaps.
This is a weird one. Is Sting really going to lose to these guys? Then again, what purpose does winning serve? I’ll say Page and Sky get the win with Allin taking the pin.
Cody Rhodes vs. Anthony Agogo
A heterosexual, cis-gendered white male like me has no business weighing in on the actual content in Rhodes’ “focus group approved” promo from a few weeks ago. All I can say is that at best, it was a meandering, self indulgent mess. At worst, it was something significantly worse. What I will touch on is the end: the American Dream.
Most of us are, in some way, consumed by our fathers. We want to make them proud. We hate them. We love them. We wonder where they are. We want to be them. We want to be nothing like them and everything in between. But we are not our fathers and never will be. For all his faults (of which there are many), Cody Rhodes is a talented performer. He has made his own legacy (not this one). By constantly invoking the memory of his father, we are constantly thinking of Dusty Rhodes and we are constantly reminded of everything Cody is not. Comparison, as always, is the thief of joy. He will never be his dad, nor should he try to be. He’s his own successful individual. Just be happy with that.
I have no idea what the point of The Factory is other than a vehicle for this feud. No one was clamoring for more QT Marshall’s bowling shirts on TV. We didn’t care about him when he was tagging with Dustin Rhodes and we certainly don’t care now, no matter how big of a steel steps guy he becomes.
The silver lining to this otherwise kind-of-embarrassing cloud is Agogo who comes off like a serious star. If he can wrestle even a little bit, there’s really something here. Hopefully his rib injury doesn’t limit him too much because all the potential in the world exists with him. If everything that has happened serves as a way to establish him as an actual player in AEW, then I’m with it. Ultimately, no one will remember the lameness and the eye rolls that brought us here if we wind up with another star. But if all of this was so Cody could whip someone with his weight belt and have his hand raised, that’s a tremendous yikes from me. Agogo gets the win here, hopefully.
Stadium Stampede II: The Pinnacle (MJF, Wardlow, FTR, Shawn Spears) vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz) with the Inner Circle disbanding if they lose
The Blood and Guts match blew away expectations with the obvious exception of the finish. I’m firmly on the (correct) side of history that says a subpar ending does not ruin a half hour of incredible work. What an ending like that does do, however, is put a whole bunch of pressure for AEW to deliver from start to finish the next time they do a big match with a violent lean.
Between that and the impossibly bad ending to the exploding barbed wire deathmatch from Revolution, they really need to stick the landing. Yes of course, no one expected anyone to actually explode and yes, no one wanted 50-year-old Chris Jericho to take a full bump from the top of the cage, but both of those things needed to land better: pun very much intended. No one is better at pivoting from a mistake than AEW, but their two landmark moments of 2020 are significantly tarnished. Say what you want about WWE, but the moments they want to be big and memorable are just that. The next stipulation match AEW runs live needs to be a tremendous success.
Luckily, they don’t need to worry about that during this match. Gone is the pressure of getting it right live and a world of creativity is open to them. The first Stadium Stampede was fantastic and this one could be even better. The Inner Circle and The Elite was a nice program, but this is a full-on blood feud.
The Inner Circle is a proven commodity, so it’s The Pinnacle I’m excited to see here the most. MJF’s willingness to show ass is matched only by Jericho. FTR continues to be the best tag team in the world. Wardlow is going to be a singles star sooner rather than later. That leaves Shawn Spears. I’ll say something nice this time: this is the best version ol’ Double S there ever has been.
All that said, everything in this feud feels two months early. Blood and Guts happened very quickly and having a match with this stipulation feels even more rushed. Maybe this is my WWE-poisoned brain that’s been conditioned to expect things to be stretched out more, but this could have marinated a bit longer. I think The Inner Circle wins and this gets a proper, epic, blowoff down the road.
TNT Champion Miro vs. Lance Archer
It was funny when people thought Miro was anything but an absolute star. Even in a previous life when he was saddled with storylines that daytime soap opera writers would laugh at, he was a star. Sure, it was lame he was in a video game based storyline with Kip Sabian, but ‘it’ never went away. It just wasn’t time, yet. But now, it’s time. Now the chains are off and Miro looks and talks like a total star. The promos he’s been cutting are not quite Eddie Kingston quality, but have Kingston intensity. It’s all there and always has been. This is him fully realized and the TNT title might not be big enough for him.
It’s all there for Archer as well minus the wins. He’s still looking for his first real signature moment since he came to AEW. When I think of the big man, I think of his entrance and throwing guys out of the tunnel. That’s cool, but that’s nowhere near enough. I also think of the husk of Jake Roberts limping out week after week and while that may confuse me a bit, I’m largely with it. Jake’s wardrobe choices are nothing if not inspired and if he keeps throwing fits like he does, he’s forever welcome on my TV.
Miro just got the belt and has serious momentum behind him. No shot he loses on Sunday.
AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks vs. Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley
The Corny Christian Boys vs. Full Grown Men should be an absolute treat — two teams that are as opposite can be making for such a great pairing. Where The Bucks come off as caricatures of wrestlers, Kingston and Mox are as real as it gets: two grumpy, grimy guys that love to throw down.
We all know what a big stakes Young Bucks match is at this point. For whatever you think of them and for all their shortcomings, their ability to perform at an extremely high level under the brightest lights is unquestionable. And Moxley will bring those bright lights. Even without the belt, he’s the top draw in the promotion and his presence means people are watching. This will probably be the match everyone is talking about after Sunday.
Then there’s Kingston who continues to create incredible moments. The King has been doing this so well and for so long that it shouldn’t be surprising that he’s, well, great. His magnetism stems from his passion, one that borders on desperation. It’s like he thinks that if he loses focus or gets complacent for even a second, everything is gone. He doesn’t care what he looks like, what he wears, or what people think about him. All he cares about is this and right now, the brothers Buck are getting in the way of this, so they gotta go.
Styles make fights and this is going to be a good one. Mox/Kingston can provide the grounding that sometimes eludes the Bucks in their matches and the Bucks will certainly bring the athleticism and high spots. This can go either way, but I think AEW is invested in the story of Kenny and his pals having all the gold. The Bucks keep the gold, for now.
AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Dr. Britt Baker DMD
Britt Baker (D-M-D) just does not miss. She has fully arrived and is fully realized. She is miles and miles from the performer she was when AEW first launched and legitimately the best part of whatever show she’s on. This is what an all-caps SUPERSTAR looks like. Even though she’s so clearly the best thing on Wednesday night, she is somehow losing TV time to an overwrought Bullet Club drama that would have been bad six years ago when most of those guys were actually popular. That popularity allowed AEW to form, but it won’t take them to the next level.
People like Britt Baker (D-M-D) can, and will, take them there. Give her more TV time! She’s in a world title program! Did we really need to see The Bucks wrestle the god damn Varsity Blonds at the expense of a feud with actual heat? It’s a testament to her talent that she hasn’t really cooled off after her MOTY contender with Thunder Rosa despite a lack of screen time on Dynamite. She’s just that damn good.
Shida has been the champ, and a strong one, for over a year. She’s pulled good-to-great matches out of just about everyone she’s worked with and deserves all the praise in the world for what she’s done during the pandemic era of wrestling. She has openly spoken about her desire to defend her belt in front of a full crowd and how much that means to her. She more than deserves her time in the spotlight and I just hope this match gets all the time it needs.
Even though Shida will finally get to defend her belt in front of a crowd, she won’t be leaving with it. The doctor’s reign starts this weekend. C-H-A-M-P.
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega vs. PAC vs. Orange Cassidy
It speaks to the popularity of Cassidy that PAC is almost an afterthought in this match. PAC, a legitimate top five wrestler, is getting third billing in this one. If this is reading as a criticism, I assure you, it is not meant that way. It speaks to the phenomenon that Cassidy has become. His level of popularity is one of the great things about wrestling.
In a vacuum, none of this should work at the main event level but it absolutely does. He’s so different and so unique. There really isn’t anyone else like him. If you had told me that one of Beyond Wrestling’s staples was going to be a massive star in AEW, Cassidy would not have been my first, second or third guess. But that’s what he is: a star of a different type. It’s great to see something that is so different resonate with so many.
The more the old Bullet Club guys get pulled back into Omega’s orbit, the less I care about all of them. Yeah, the band is back together, but do we really want them to play their hits? The Bullet Club was a phenomenon in pro wrestling when it first started, but by the time Omega became the absolute top guy, he was more a part of The Elite than anything else. He was bigger than the group. His success wasn’t because of the Bullet Club and it didn’t belong to them, it was his.
Sure, being a part of them helped, but being a transcendent, generational talent helped even more. He’s the one who people came to see, not Gallows and Anderson, and, sorry, not The Young Bucks either. Kenny is the draw, Kenny is the main event and the more people there are around him, the more it takes away from him.
As great as Cassidy and PAC are, neither of them have a prayer of winning. The story of Omega as the belt collector and the biggest prick in pro wrestling is not even close to being over. He didn’t go into all these promotions to win their titles, just to lose the top prize in his home promotion. Kenny’s reign continues.
Ahead of Sunday’s AEW Double or Nothing, Cody Rhodes spoke to the media for nearly an hour Thursday afternoon, answering direct questions about rumors of in-fighting, his “focus group” comment as relates to his recent promo and more.
Full audio can be heard for free by clicking the red button below.
Rhodes denied any in-fighting rumors among himself, the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, saying he communicates with them every day. He insinuated some hard feelings among WWE/NXT fans on moving to Tuesdays may be fueling those rumors.
Rhodes also walked back saying he used a “focus group” for his recent promo for his match against Anthony Ogogo Sunday. He said there is no focus group and he used the term wrong.
He reiterated that he won’t challenge for the AEW World title as it’s important to him, the fans, and the AEW brand to stand by his promises.
He said the TNT title will remain even after the move to TBS, but that another title is imminent, hinting at the much-discussed Trios titles.
Rhodes also discussed the Ogogo feud, his promo process, the excitement about performing in front of a live audience, avoiding oversaturation as a brand, and more.
Serena Deeb will defend the NWA Women’s title against former AEW Women’s Champion Riho on Sunday’s The Buy In, the pre-show for AEW Double or Nothing
The match was going to be announced on Friday’s AEW Dynamite, but an image was accidentally shared by an international announcer Wednesday morning on social media.
After a three month absence due to a knee injury, Deeb returned to action this month on Dynamite, successfully defending the title against Red Velvet — her first action since a mid-February loss to Riho in the AEW Women’s title eliminator tournament.
Deeb defeated Thunder Rosa for the title last October on an episode of UWN Primetime Live. She has five defenses of the title, all on AEW TV, but has yet to make any appearance on NWA Power since the show returned. She also doesn’t have an announced match for NWA’s upcoming When The Shadows Fall pay-per-view.
After returning to AEW after more than a year away, Riho defeated Deeb, lost to Rosa in the semifinals, teamed with Rosa in a losing effort to Britt Baker and Maki Ito, and defeated Ito on the first-ever Dark: Elevation on March 10th. She hasn’t been back since.
Sting will return to live in-ring action for the first time in nearly six years at Double or Nothing.
Darby Allin will team with Sting as they take on the team of Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page. The two teams had a confrontation tonight, which ended up with Page being ejected out of the ring while Sting put Scorpio Sky in the scorpion deathlock. The Double or Nothing match, which will take place on May 30, was announced later in the show.
Sky and Page, since debuting as a team, have set their sights on Allin and Sting in recent weeks. After Allin confronted them during a promo, Sky and Page attacked Allin, throwing him down a flight of stairs.
Sting hasn’t wrestled live since Night of Champions 2015, when he lost to Seth Rollins. He suffered a neck injury during that match, leading to him announcing his retirement in 2016. However, since appearing on AEW, Sting has been physical, including working a cinematic street fight that took place on March 7 at AEW Revolution.
With Double or Nothing coming up in just under two weeks, AEW announced seven new names on Tuesday that will compete in the Casino Battle Royale for a future World title shot.
Announced thus far:
Evil Uno
Colt Cabana
Matt Hardy
Marq Quen
Isiah Kassidy
Powerhouse Hobbs
Jungle Boy
Christian Cage (announced last week)
Matt Sydal (announced last week)
Earlier on Tuesday, AEW announced that the rest of the May 30th pay-per-view will be set on this Wednesday’s Dynamite. Here’s what has been announced thus far:
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega vs. PAC vs. Orange Cassidy title match
Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Britt Baker title match
Hangman Page vs. Brian Cage
Cody Rhodes vs. Anthony Ogogo
Casino Battle Royale
Expected to be made Wednesday: Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks vs. Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston after the challenge was laid out by the Bucks last week; a TNT Title match between new champion Miro and Lance Archer; Darby Allin and Sting against Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page; and Stadium Stampede II between The Inner Circle and The Pinnacle with the Inner Circle splitting up forever if they lose.
Dave Meltzer covers the state of emergency in Japan, the actual stats, shows canceled, when NJPW is set to return.
Lots more on the life of Brian Pillman, what Dark Side didn’t cover, his football career, contract disputes, booking idea if he stayed with WCW, children and legacy.
Also in this issue:
Match and wrestler of the week
AEW & WWE back on the road and details
A look at the next two major pro wrestling PPV shows
UFC coverage of Saturday’s show, next week’s show, new fights, new financial info
Most detailed look at ratings, what shows do people watch longest, what shows do they watch live or most on DVR, Segment breakdowns and and exclusive info on how the different shows are consumed
U.S. Olympic wrestling preview
The amazing historical story of a fugitive in a foreign country who held the biggest tag team title in the world, and his shocking death
Notes on AEW television schedule for the next six weeks
2016 Gold medalist talks WWE
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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight covering Raw, the AT&T/Discovery merger, the return of ROH to live shows and more news from WrestleMania Backlash. You can send email questions for the show to [email protected]
The Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight that seemed to be a go is now on hold as arbitrator Daniel Weinstein ruled that the contract for Fury to face Deontay Wilder that they signed prior to the first fight that guaranteed an automatic rematch was valid. The fight, set for 8/14 in Saudi Arabia, could still happen if Wilder gets paid enough to agree to step aside. But that would have to be a huge amount of money. Fury was at the WWE PPV yesterday with his son, and shared photos of his son with Vince McMahon and Rey Mysterio.
For the first time ever, a WWE PPV failed to crack the top 20 in Google Searches, with No. 20 being at 100,000. That would indicate the lowest interest level except maybe for some of the overseas shows. However, Dave Bautista did chart No. 6 at 200,000, some of which was for responding to people who blamed him for the Miz vs. Damien Priest fiasco. He said to blame Vince. We’re currently taking polls on WrestleMania Backlash as well as UFC 262, so you can leave a thumbs up, down or middle along with a best and worst match for each show to [email protected]
AEW put tickets on sale for Double or Nothing on 5/30. They did not sell out instantly although they sold 3,000 tickets in the first few hours. As of last word a few hours back, they had set up for 3,700 and had about 3,000 sold.
As far as the NBA Playoffs go, Raw is lucky tonight with nothing. NXT on Tuesday goes against two games, Charlotte vs. Indiana at 6:30 p.m. and Washington vs Boston at 9 p.m. AEW on Wednesday goes against San Antonio vs. Memphis at 7:30 p.m. While they are lucky not to go against Golden State vs. Los Angeles, which starts after Dynamite ends, many people will want to catch at least the end of the first game. There will also be one game on Friday night to be determined.
Fit Finlay was on Gerald Brisco & John Layfield’s podcast and Finlay said that the COVID outbreak in New Japan included his son. He said that several wrestlers when they were leaving the country to go home and had to take a test to get on the plane tested positive. The names he gave were his son and Jay White, so both had to stay in Japan to quarantine before they could travel home. He also said that his son was confused about his next move career-wise. We were able to confirm the story but Finlay and White were the only other names we heard that tested positive and are remaining in Japan. At this point, with New Japan back running, on 5/25, it makes sense for them to stay since White for sure was booked for Dominion and both could work shows shortly.
Announced for Raw tonight is Alexa’s Playhouse with new women’s tag champs Natalya & Tamina. The show has been torn up several times today and as of a few hours ago was still being rewritten.
Ringside News reported that the original plan for yesterday’s show was for the Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman match to be in the main event slot, but it was changed to the Roman Reigns vs Cesaro match. We have confirmed this is accurate and actually the entire order of the matches were changed the day of more than once.
Kip Sabian announced today that he had undergone surgery. The angle with Miro on Dynamite was to set up the needed surgery. Sabian on social media said the surgery was a success.
The New York Post called the Miz vs. Priest match one of the saddest moments in WWE history. (thanks to Barry Werner)
Miz suffered a knee injury last night.
WWE
The bruising of Cesaro’s arm was not from a prior injury but called “lucky bruising” in the sense the match was about working the arm, and in a ring accident, it ended up bruising.
UFC
Conor McGregor announced today the birth of his third child, a boy named Rian.
Philip Rowe vs. Orion Cosce is being looked at for the 7/31 show.
OTHER NEWS
CWE announced its first Internet PPV with Sugar Cube Entertainment on 6/12 at 8 p.m. Eastrn time from Winnipeg for $10. The build will be on the TV show that starts airing on Friday nights at 9 p.m. local time on Shaw TV Winnipeg Ch. 9.
NWA Powerrr tomorrow has Thunder Rosa vs. Kamille. If Rosa wins, she becomes the top contender for the title held by Serena Deeb. If Kamille wins, she gets the shot at Deeb and Rosa can no longer work for AEW or any other promotion besides the NWA. Pope vs. Matt Cross for the TV title plus NWA tag champs Aron Stevens & JR Kratos, Nick Aldis, Tyrus with manager Austin Idol, War Kings, The end, JennaCide, Melina, Fred Rosser, Marshe Rockett and Sal Rinauro.
Game Changer Wrestling on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Jack Cartwheel b Jimmy Lloyd, Chris Dickinson b Bad Dude Tito, Jordan Oliver b Ricky Marvin, Lio Rush b Starboy Charlie, Mance Warner & 1 Called Manders & Matthew Justice b Eli Everfly & Damian Drake & Matt Vandagriff, Shlak b Juice Finau, Effy b Dark Sheik, Joey Janela b Allie Kat, Nick Gage b AJ Fury to retain the GCW title. Jon Moxley attacked Gage and they had a big brawl after the match (thanks to Nick Mahmood)
AXS on Thursday at 10 p.m. will have The Best of Drew Galloway in TNA. Also on Thursday at 3 p.m. they will air the 2014 Lockdown PPV which was headlined by Magnus (Nick Aldis) vs. Samoa Joe and MVP & Jeff Hardy & Eddie Edwards & Davey Richards vs. Bobby Roode & Austin Aries & The Bromans in a Lethal Lockdown match plus Gail Kim vs. Madison Rayne.
Combate Global and Univision announced Friday’s show starting at midnight on Univision will have Christian Perez (4-0) vs. Brian Del Rosario (5-4) Del Rosario is the WBC super welterweight Muay Thai champion. Also Marcos Lloreda (9-6) vs. Luis Iniguez (3-1) and Blanca Marquez (0-0) vs. Mariel Celimen (0-0).
The third match in the best-of-three with Kanji vs. Gisele Shaw for the Progress women’s title will take place on Saturday airing on Peacock.
After their two factions went to battle in the first-ever Blood & Guts match, The Inner Circle and The Pinnacle appear destined for another high-profile clash at this month’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view: a Stadium Stampede match.
As MJF’s crew was celebrating their win Wednesday on Dynamite with a coronation party, a horn started beeping and an Inner Circle-branded cart with Ortiz, Sammy Guevara and Jake Hager pulled up. As MJF verbally ran them down, Chris Jericho then appeared in the cart with his left elbow taped up and in a brace. He demanded an answer for a rematch and MJF said no. Guevara then sprayed down the ring with a giant hose, soaking all of the Pinnacle members.
An incensed MJF got back on the mic and challenged The Inner Circle to a Stadium Stampede match at the Sunday, May 30th pay-per-view, but with a stipulation. If The Inner Circle loses, the team has to break up forever. Jericho didn’t answer, leaving the question up in the air.
The Inner Circle competed in the first-ever Stadium Stampede match at last year’s Double or Nothing, losing to The Elite.
Hangman Page vs. Brian Cage has been added to the May 30 AEW PPV lineup.
The match announcement was made on tonight’s Dynamite.
Page and Cage last met on the April 28 edition of Dynamite, a match that Cage won. At the time, Page was the top-ranked singles competitor in AEW.
In the most recent rankings, which were revealed today, Cage was ranked fourth and Page came in fifth. Former AEW champ Jon Moxley holds the third spot. The top two contenders, PAC and Orange Cassidy, will face AEW World Champion Kenny Omega for the AEW World title at Double or Nothing.
Here is the full card announced so far for Double or Nothing:
AEW Double or Nothing, Sunday, May 30 —
AEW World Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Orange Cassidy vs. PAC
AEW Women’s World Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Britt Baker
A Casino Battle Royale for a future AEW title shot has been announced for the May 30 Double or Nothing PPV.
Christian Cage made the announcement on tonight’s AEW Dynamite.
AEW’s Dasha Gonzalez was conducting an interview with Cage backstage regarding his recent issued with Team Taz. Cage said that Tony Khan has given him an open contract for next week’s Dynamite and Cage challenged any member of Team Taz to face him.
Cage then announced the Casino Battle Royale for a future AEW title shot.
Matt Sydal then approached Cage and said that he would be the one accepting Cage’s open challenge for next week, not a member of Team Taz. Sydal then revealed that he and Cage are the first two participants announced for the Battle Royale.
The Casino Battle Royale has become a staple of AEW PPV events. The first was held at the first Double or Nothing in May 2019. Another was held for an AEW Women’s title shot at All Out in August 2019. Lance Archer won the third iteration of the match at All Out in September 2020, while Rey Fenix and PAC won the first tag team version of the match at Revolution in March 2021.
Here is the full card announced so far for Double or Nothing:
AEW Double or Nothing, Sunday, May 30 —
AEW World Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Orange Cassidy vs. PAC
AEW Women’s World Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Britt Baker
Cody Rhodes will face Anthony Ogogo at the AEW Double or Nothing PPV on Sunday, May 30.
Rhodes made the announcement in a promo on tonight’s Dynamite.
Rhodes and his Nightmare Family faction have been engaged in a storyline with QT Marshall’s The Factory stable, of which Ogogo is a member. Rhodes will have Arn Anderson in his corner on May 30, while Ogogo will be seconded by The Factory.
Rhodes defeated Marshall on last week’s Dynamite, but Ogogo hit Rhodes with a bolo punch after the match.
In announcing the match with Ogogo, Rhodes delivered a promo where he discussed the history of the United States.
He stated that despite it not being fashionable to be patriotic, he has always been proud to be an American. Rhodes said that Atlanta was segregated before 1961, but in 2021, his wife will give birth to a daughter with a multiracial background in the same city.
Rhodes invoked Bruno Sammartino and Shad Khan without mentioning either directly, citing them as examples of immigrants to the United States who made their mark on the country.
Rhodes then said that for one night only, at Double or Nothing, he will assume the mantle of “The American Dream,” the nickname of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, a name that he said only he and his brother Dustin have any right to claim.
