Tag: jd drake

Anthony Henry & JD Drake ‘100 percent officially cleared’ to return

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Injuries have plagued them over the last year-plus, but The WorkHorsemen are now healthy and hoping to get back on the right track.

Anthony Henry announced on Wednesday night that he and JD Drake are both “100 percent officially cleared” to return to the ring. The two are signed to AEW where they wrestle as a tag team on AEW programming and in ROH. Henry has been out of action since October 2024, while Drake most recently competed in November 2024.

“It’s been a long year, but the workhorsemen are both 100% officially cleared to return to the ring,” Henry tweeted. “Let us rejoice!”

Henry was sidelined with major injuries at two different points in 2024, first suffering a broken jaw and later needing to undergo surgery for a torn biceps. He suffered the latter injury while facing Gabe Kidd at an October taping for ROH.

Drake has been out due to a foot injury, but he’ll be back in the ring this Saturday facing Josh Woods at Dean~! 2 in Glendale, Arizona. AEW is partnering with Action Wrestling for the show, which is a tribute to the late Dean Rasmussen of the Death Valley Driver Video Review website.

JD Drake dealing with torn foot ligament

Posted on by Ian Carey

The Workhorsemen have dealt with their fair share of injuries this year.

JD Drake was injured in the team’s match against Katsuyori Shibata and Daniel Garcia at the May 30 AEW Collision tapings. Shortly after, he took to social media to say his foot “went into business for itself” during the bout.

“I’m hurting something fucking awful. My foot went into business for itself really early in the match. But, there was still work to be done. Thank you @Antnyhenry for having my back always. F the haters! Thank you to the real fans for the support!” Drake wrote on social media.

Anthony Henry provided an update on his partner’s condition on Monday, writing that Drake is dealing with a torn ligament in his foot.

“For those wondering… the #workhorsemen will be back soon enough. Our first match back on Collision, @RealDrake, unfortunately tore a ligament in his foot. 2024 hasn’t been kind to us.”

Henry was sidelined earlier this year as well after suffering a broken jaw in March at an independent show against Bryan Keith. At one point, Tony Khan announced Henry had been released from AEW while he was out injured. The AEW president would go back on that decision a short time later, however.

Henry also revealed on social media recently that Drake was supposed to come with him to WWE when he signed with the company in early 2021. Drake has said in previous interviews that WWE was concerned about the state of one of his knees and that’s why he didn’t sign.

Sting tag team match booked for AEW Collision

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On AEW Collision this Saturday night, Sting will wrestle in the city of Charlotte for the final time.

Saturday’s Collision episode is taking place from Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. AEW has announced that Sting & Darby Allin will face The Workhorsemen (JD Drake & Anthony Henry) on the show.

Sting is currently on a retirement tour that will conclude with him having the last match of his career at AEW’s Revolution pay-per-view in Greensboro, North Carolina on Sunday, March 3.

North Carolina is JD Drake’s home state. He tweeted about the tag match announcement:

Sting & Allin have also been announced for a tag match on Dynamite next Wednesday (January 10). They’re facing Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs on Dynamite.

The updated card for Saturday’s Collision episode is listed below. The show airs live on TNT starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

AEW Collision (Saturday, January 6) —

  • Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston defends against Trent Beretta
  • FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs. House of Black (Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews)
  • Sting & Darby Allin vs. The Workhorsemen (JD Drake & Anthony Henry)

JNPO: The underappreciated wrestling career of AEW’s JD Drake

Posted on by Josh Nason

This is a free show, courtesy of NordVPN. Scroll down to listen.

A Josh Nason’s Punch-Out bucket list guest can now be crossed off the list as wrestling veteran and AEW roster member JD Drake makes his debut.

For twenty years, Drake has been working in wrestling rings around the world, either solo or with longtime partner Anthony Henry of The WorkHorsemen.

Here’s a few thread from our near-hour long conversation:

  • His thoughts on his near-two year run in AEW and whether he’s happy with how things have gone
  • The decision to reunite with Henry after he was released by WWE
  • His approach to dealing with unruly fans at shows, especially those who say bigoted things
  • His recent Twitter comments about NXT’s Josh Briggs
  • His path to improving his mental health and standing up for himself
  • Some crazy travel stories
  • How he chooses what indies he works with among his 70+ matches a year and the process of telling an indie promoter that he can’t work a show due to an injury or double booking with AEW

Click Here To Listen

This show is brought to you by NordVPN, a service I have personally used since 2020. If you’ve ever thought about a VPN, check them out now with this unique URL to get a big discount and four free months — all with a money back guarantee. 

Two matches added to AEW Dynamite

Posted on by Ian Carey

AEW has added two more matches to the lineup for Dynamite. 

Tony Khan announced on Wednesday that Wardlow will face JD Drake on the show. He also revealed that Johnny Elite will return for his third match in the promotion and has “signed an open contract to fight anyone in AEW.” 

“For AEW’s LA debut, hometown hero Johnny has signed an open contract to fight anyone in @AEW! Who will he face on Dynamite on TBS @ 8pm ET/7pm CT tonight?” Khan wrote on Twitter. 

Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite will take place from the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. The updated lineup for the show is as follows:

  • AEW World Champion CM Punk & ROH World Tag Team Champions FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs. Max Caster & The Gunn Club (Colten & Austin Gunn)
  • Darby Allin, Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, Matt Hardy, and Christian Cage vs. Hikuleo, Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, and The Young Bucks
  • Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter vs. Ruby Soho & Toni Storm
  • Jon Moxley vs. Daniel Garcia
  • Wardlow vs. JD Drake
  • Johnny Elite open contract
  • We hear from MJF

JD Drake announced for PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2022

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Photo: JD Drake on Twitter

JD Drake will take part in the 2022 PWG Battle of Los Angeles. 

PWG announced tonight that Drake is the thirteenth entrant in the BOLA. The tournament will be held on Saturday, January 29 and Sunday, January 30 at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles, California. 

Drake, an AEW regular as part of The Wingmen, joins PWG World Champion Bandido, ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham, AEW’s Lio Rush, Daniel Garcia and Lee Moriarty, JONAH, Alex Shelley, Kevin Blackwood, Black Taurus, Jack Cartwheel, Aramis, plus Davey Richards in the BOLA field. 

After making his PWG debut in 2019 at The Makings Of A Varsity Athlete, Drake has appeared on three PWG events in 2021 as the company returned to running shows following a pandemic-related hiatus. Drake teamed with Anthony Henry to challenge PWG World Tag Team Champions Malakai Black and Brody King at November’s It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) show.

Jon Moxley, new Orange Cassidy music set for AEW Dark: Elevation

Posted on by Ethan Renner

This story was updated at 8 PM Eastern.

Orange Cassidy & Chuck Taylor will take on Ryan Nemeth & JD Drake on this Monday’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation with the match set to be taped before tonight’s Dynamite, according to Tony Khan.

Khan also tweeted that Cassidy will debut new entrance music for the match:

“For the fans attending tonight’s LIVE #AEWDynamite here in Jacksonville at @dailysplace, we’ll tape one of the top matches for next week’s #AEWDark: Elevation, Chuckie T/@orangecassidy v. Nemeth/Drake! Also 1st time anyone’s heard the new Orange Cassidy theme; I promise it’s dope”

Khan clarified that his new theme will not be “Jane” by Jefferson Starship. Khan tweeted that he had tried to buy the rights to that song, but had not heard back. 

“It’s not Jane. I’d tried to get it for a year & a half, they never even answered my emails, so I decided to take a huge swing & it came through. It’s a new theme. The fans attending #AEWDynamite tonight in Jacksonville will be the first to ever hear it before we go Live on TNT!”

As fans tweeted, the song is “Where Is My Mind?” by The Pixies.

Drake is a veteran indie wrestler who has made four appearances on AEW Dark this year, most recently defeating Fuego Del Sol Tuesday. On Monday, after Cassidy beat Nemeth, Drake ran out to help Nemeth after Taylor prevented a post-match attack.

Just as Dynamite started, Khan tweeted that Jon Moxley also wrestled a match for Elevation.

NXT Tampa live results: JD Drake appears, Tino Sabbatelli returns

Posted on by JJ Williams

Friday night’s estimated attendance: 450 people.

– Joaquin Wilde defeated Brendan Vink

Vink went for a buckle bomb, but Wilde rolled through and scored a quick pin.

– Xia Li defeated Santana Garrett 

A buzzsaw kick got the win for Li. 

– Killian Dain defeated Babatunde 

Dain hit a series of sentons and a Vader Bomb to keep the giant down for three.

– Shane Thorne was making his way to the ring when NXT UK’s Pretty Deadly (Sam Stoker & Lewis Howley) showed up. They proceeded to jump Thorne until Bronson Reed made the save.

– The Forgotten Sons defeated Rinku Singh & Saurav Gurjar

Jaxson Ryker got the win with a big slam.

– JD Drake defeated Dio Maddin

Former WWN Champion JD Drake appeared as a surprise and wrestled in NXT for the first time here. These two had a mean guy match and traded huge moves down the stretch before Drake got the win.

– Shane Thorne & Bronson Reed defeated Pretty Deadly

Reed got the win for his team.

– The returning Tino Sabbatelli did an in-ring interview. He noted that nobody cared that he was out over a year, nobody behind that curtain checked in on him, and he doesn’t need to be here. He said he has an ESPN resume and said everyone back there is sh*t. They can’t compete with him and he’s an elite athlete. 

– Aoife Valkyrie defeated Aliyah

Like Pretty Deadly, new NXT UK talent Valkyrie made her Florida loop debut on this show. She picked up the win against the returning Aliyah.

– Cameron Grimes defeated Rik Bugez

– Kushida defeated Ridge Holland