The latest issue to be uploaded in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter archives takes us back to May 7, 2008, when Taz and Mike Adamle simply walked away from the broadcast table during an ECW TV show.
Was it a work? Was it a shoot? What happened? Dave Meltzer covers it all in this issue.
Dave also does a deep dive into the WWE Hall of Fame at the time, reporting that Steve Austin was likely for the next class and also giving his thoughts on who should be in, and why they weren’t just yet.
There’s that, plus results from around the world and plenty of news.
Jump back in the time machine as our full WON archive from 2008 nears completion.
Taz made his return to commentary duties on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite from Orlando, Florida, alongside Tony Schiavone and Excalibur.
The 58-year-old underwent successful shoulder surgery last October which was preceded by total knee replacement surgery in 2024.
The ECW icon and longtime broadcaster stayed away from AEW television and PPVs after his knee replacement which also kept him away from AEW’s UK shows last year which included Forbidden Door due to concerns about what the long flight would do to his knee.
During Taz’s absence from commentary duties, former AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson had taken up the role of a commentator. It’s unclear what Danielson’s role will be in the future.
A fixture in the promotion since 2019, Taz was inducted into the 2300 Arena’s Hardcore Hall of Fame last summer in a surprise move. His son, Hook, has been under AEW contract since late-2021, signing a new multi-year deal in 2024.
During the broadcast, lead commentator Excalibur stated that the man known as the “Human Suplex Machine” had indeed undergone “successful” shoulder surgery earlier on Wednesday.
On October 8, the former ECW and WWE star revealed on social media that he was going under the knife soon and would taking time off away from commentary. No timetable for his return was given.
Taz was told in May 2024 that he needed both knees and shoulders replaced, but he said he would be trying “regenerative procedures” rather than surgery. He eventually had one knee replaced in October 2024, keeping him off AEW TV and PPVs until late-December. The pressure on his new knee kept him away from long travel like August’s Forbidden Door and lead-in Dynamite in London, England.
He attributed the injuries to working out too hard in the gym and not from the damage he took in the ring.
Taz was told in May 2024 that he needed both knees and shoulders replaced. At the time, he said he would be trying “regenerative procedures” rather than going under the knife. He had one knee replaced in October 2024, which led to him being off AEW programming until late December.
Taz also missed Forbidden Door and an episode of Dynamite from London, England this summer, as the long flight would have been hard on his new knee.
Taz says his injuries are from training too hard in the gym, and not from taking bumps in a ring. He posted to social media last year: “This is NOT from bumps… It’s from training too heavy like a caveman trying to be ‘big’. I’m posting this for today’s wrestlers, please be smarter, times have changed for the better!!”
Taz is happy to now have Bryan Danielson as a partner on the AEW broadcast team.
Earlier this month, Danielson — a former AEW World Champion and one of the best in-ring competitors of his era — joined the Dynamite commentary team on a full-time basis. He calls the show every week alongside Excalibur and Taz.
Danielson’s addition means AEW now has two analysts/color commentators on the team. When asked about working with Danielson, Taz told Going Ringside that he’s happy to have Danielson in the booth and thinks the dynamic works since they both offer different perspectives.
“I think it’s cool. I mean, I like Bryan, I respect Bryan. I get along great with him,” Taz said about Danielson joining commentary. “He’s got great insight. You know, some people say, ‘Well, wait a minute, Taz is an analyst, so now we have another analyst in Bryan Danielson?’ That’s true, and it’s okay to have two analysts. It happens in mainstream sports all the time…
“It’s okay to have two analysts because we have different perspectives on what you’re seeing, the physicality going down in the ring. So I’m happy that Danielson’s part of the announce team with us, with Excalibur and myself, and I think it’s cool. And so, we’ve just got to build some chemistry together. It takes some time, as a unit, especially a three-person booth can get a little tougher. So we just need a little time to get our sea legs as a unit under us a little bit. And we will, it’ll take a couple of weeks.”
Taz’s appearance on Going Ringside was to promote AEW’s October 7-8 return to Daily’s Place in Jacksonville for Dynamite and Collision. Taz said Jacksonville holds special significance to his family as the place where his son Hook really learned the industry. Before Hook had his first match, Tony Khan wanted him to get experience in a variety of roles behind the scenes.
“During those times, before [Hook] was wrestling, he was on ring crew, he was helping with merchandise, he was doing — what do you call it? — the SIM cards for the photographers, running them back and forth. He was learning the business behind the scenes,” Taz said.
“And even once fans started coming into Daily’s Place as the pandemic loosened up a teeny bit and we were still running in Jacksonville, everybody was wearing masks and everything, so Hook was one of the people that was doing the temperature checks with a mask on.”
AEW has now released official video of Taz’s induction into the 2300 Arena’s Hardcore Hall of Fame.
Last Wednesday, AEW surprised Taz with the news that he would be honored with a Hardcore Hall of Fame induction recognizing his ECW career. The induction was originally supposed to happen on Collision last weekend before being moved to Dynamite. Per Taz’s request, the ceremony played out before the show instead of airing on television.
“I want to say thank you to everybody here. I got to say, for so many years, wrestling here and performing here as a New York guy — Philadelphia opened up their arms to a New York guy, which I’ll never forget that,” Taz told the fans at the former ECW Arena.
“And obviously, I want to thank AEW and Tony Khan and everyone backstage putting this together, people here at the 2300 Arena. It’s very much appreciated. Very humbled, and I appreciate it, Tony. Thank you very much.”
On social media, Taz — who works as a commentator for AEW — explained that he didn’t want the segment to be on TV because he believes that time is better spent on the current roster.
“Nah…as per my request no need to have it on tv,” Taz wrote. “We have lots of current in ring wrestlers that should get the tv time…this isn’t about me, it’s 2025…I been retired for years. I do not want or need anyones tv time. Not how I’m wired.”
The Hardcore Hall of Fame was started in the 2000s and serves as a way to honor the 2300 Arena’s ECW past. AEW is at the venue for a multi-week residency that runs through September 11.
Per Taz’s request, his Hardcore Hall of Fame induction, banner and tribute at the 2300 Arena that took place Wednesday did not air on the live AEW Dynamite broadcast.
In an eight-minute live video by Tony Khan seen below, he and Taz talked about the situation and that Taz preferred to not have any ceremony take up time on Dynamite so the focus could be on the current talent instead. Khan said he wanted to put the whole thing on TV, but wanted to honor Taz’s wishes. The two also ran down the card at length and joked about the TV show Seinfeld.
The banner (seen below) inside the former ECW Arena was shown on TV during the broadcast and acknowledged by Taz who said he was appreciative of the gesture and that it was “humbling.” He appreciated Khan and the fans, especially those in Philadelphia.
The ceremony that took place before Dynamite has yet to make it to social media or YouTube as of this writing.
Taz’s 2300 Arena tribute is being pushed back slightly.
During Friday’s ROH Death Before Dishonor media scrum, Tony Khan said that Taz had asked if they could move the Hardcore Hall of Fame ceremony to this coming Wednesday’s Dynamite instead of Collision so more of his family could attend.
“He asked for more time to get his family and everybody lined up,” Khan explained. “It’s for him. It’s the least we can do for Taz….it’s a real honor for us to do that for him here in this building. Taz is an indespensible part of the team. ”
Khan surprised Taz on Wednesday by announcing that he would be the latest to be inducted into the 2300 Arena’s Hardcore Hall of Fame. The arena is better known to longtime fans as the ECW Arena, where Taz was a major star in the 1990s.
Here are notes from Saturday’s press conference with Paul Walter Hauser, Shane Taylor Promotions, ROH Champion Bandido, ROH Women’s Champion Athena, and Khan all took questions from the media.
Paul Walter Hauser
He took time to praise Khan, saying he provided so many jobs to people. To see Tony create these jobs and this world, he is indebted as a fan. Tony Khan said with his performance tonight Paul Walter Hauser proved that he is a wrestler.
He said that he felt more equipped for this match than previous matches, saying AEW cares a lot about performer safety.
Hauser said he wanted to pay tribute to people like Mick Foley and Dustin Rhodes by doing a rolling senton.
He said he didn’t even feel the tacks connect to the back of his head, he felt the powerbomb and had the wind knocked out of him and as a result didn’t have to sell much.
Khan during this segment put over QT Marshall, saying he’s one of the most intelligent people in wrestling.
Shane Taylor Promotions
Taylor said our goal was to do our best and win titles and we proved that tonight.
The Infantry said that the gear they wore tonight was a tribute to New Jack. Shane Taylor thanked the city of Philadelphia, saying they recognize real rather than “bull****.”
Taylor said out of all of his accomplishments, this was the most important title win of his 18 year career because of the people he’s involved with now. They are the most complete unit in pro wrestling.
ROH World Champion Bandido
Bandido says after two years out, since he came back to AEW and ROH, it’s been like a dream. He’s excited to be part of AEW and ROH.
He said being ROH Champion now feels incredible. He said he would be back to wrestle during the residency and wanted a Philly cheesesteak.
ROH Women’s Champion Athena
Regarding her match with Mina Shirakawa, Athena said it was tough, it was hard, but she is the ROH Women’s Champion. She considered Mina a great opponent but wished she did less dancing.
They pushed Athena was nearing 1000 days as champion.
Athena said that ROH was the be all growing up, bringing up names like Samoa Joe and Bryan Danielson. She said now not only is she working with them, she’s proven she is better than them, this platform is where the best wrestle. AEW is where the best wrestle but ROH is where people grind and become the workhorses.
Athena says she’s prepared for Mercedes Mone if she is looking to collect a tenth belt. She said she is also changing her mentality for a future Toni Storm rematch.
Tony Khan
First question asked if we’ll see AEW Dark, Elevation, and ROH content on HBO Max. Khan talked about the success of AEW on HBO Max. More content would be great and they are trying to put up more free content as well, mentioning recent ROH content being put up on YouTube.
He mentioned that he made the decision mid-show to make the show free due to streaming issues on some browsers. All current Honor Club subscribers will get a month free as a result of the error. He said that will cost a lot of money, up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. But it’s okay, because they made new fans tonight.
Asked if they’ll return to the 2300 Arena. Fans have been excellent, the environment is awesome. He wants to do more shows here and loves Philadelphia.
Tony Khan said he was figuring out who was cleared before booking more matches for tomorrow’s Collision.
Someone asked if we could see more of Adam Priest. Khan said he was a big fan and scouted him at a recent show, saying he was impressive in the British J Cup. Great competitor.
He mentioned that Anthony Henry asked for the night off and that’s why the Workhorsemen weren’t on the show.
Tony Khan suggested we could see ROH Women’s Pure title tournament matches on Collision, since ROH is taped during these shows.
Taz is showing appreciation for the surprise honor he received from AEW after Dynamite this week.
On Wednesday, AEW kicked off its seven-show residency in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena — the former home of ECW. A special post-show segment took place after Dynamite ended with AEW honoring Taz for his legendary ECW career. The moment was a surprise to Taz, with even his wife and son keeping him in the dark about it.
Tony Khan called Taz the greatest legend in the history of the ECW Arena, and it was revealed that Taz will be inducted into the venue’s Hardcore Hall of Fame.
“I was completely blindsided & extremely surprised after this acknowledgment for me in Philadelphia [Wednesday] night at 2300 Arena,” Taz tweeted. “THANK YOU @TonyKhan & @aew production, all the talent on the roster for taking the time to acknowledge my contributions to the industry, all the fans & that you made sure my wife and son was there right next to me last night durning it! Words cannot describe what this meant to me …thank you. Very much appreciated!”
AEW’s residency at the 2300 Arena runs through September 11. Up next is ROH Death Before Dishonor tonight, then Taz’s Hardcore Hall of Fame induction will happen on Saturday at AEW’s Collision event. It’s not known if the induction will be televised.
Taz ended his in-ring career in the early 2000s and has since worked as a commentator for WWE, TNA, and AEW.
*The most detailed coverage of the WWE’s deal with ESPN starting early, why the different moves were made by all sides, the costs, more details on Wrestlepalooza, the embarrassment to sports journalism that ESPN has been and emphasized this week, how WWE benefits and doesn’t from the changes,and more. *Will Ospreay, his neck issues, comparisons with other major stars and their serious problems, and his future. *More questions regarding the death of Hulk Hogan. *A look at Forbidden Door and the card, AEW injury rate ,NXT Heatwave, WWE Clash in Paris, France attendance record and more. *Full coverage of TripleMania, lots of behind the scenes stuff, why the next show is where it is and when it is, what Nick Khan told AAA talent, records set and a record claimed that was so far from accurate, actual viewer numbers for each match and more. *A look at The G-1 Climax tournament, the booking, the business, Konosuke Takeshita, new record set and upcoming book New Japan bouts. *Real attendance figures for WrestleMania in Las Vegas and stats on who traveled for the show vs. who lived in Las Vegas and bought tickets, *Full coverage of UFC 319, business, Chimaev and his future. *Dragon Gate’s Dangerous Gate 2025 show *The most detailed look at the ratings for all pro wrestling and MMA shows this past week, including weekly standings, nightly standings, head-to-head shows, segment numbers and more notes. *Details of another big CMLL week *Stardom Five Star Grand Prix update *Kents vs. Marufuji *Women’s legends show packs Korakuen Hall *Cauliflower Alley Club awards *Man who claims to have saved Scott Steiner’s life. *Wrestler charged with murdering a neighbor in a brawl *Sami Callihan retires *Lots of thoughts on Chris Jerich as a free agent *Tony Khan media call *Unionizing wrestlers *Ticket advances for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows. *Dana White talks Jon Jones *Sean Strickland suspended. *PFL crowns new world champions. *The farce that is Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis. *Gable Steveson’s MMA debut. *BJ Penn back in court. *Time changes for a lot of the WWE TV shows over the next month. *High level athletes being recruited by WWE. *Rhodes talks about leaving AEW. *Bronson Reed talks about his injury.
AEW shared video of the post-Dynamite moment from last night where ECW legend Taz was honored at the 2300 Arena. Tony Khan and other AEW personnel wore orange Team Taz shirts to celebrate him. The celebration was done as a surprise to Taz, with even his wife kayfabing him about it.
On Dynamite, Mark Briscoe revealed in a taped promo that he was not at the show due to the birth of his new son Mack – the ninth child for him and his wife.
CMLL and Pokemon are collaborating together for a special event in celebration of the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A video game. The Pokemon x CMLL show will be held at Arena Mexico on September 25:
If you’re hoping to see even more high-flying action, look no further than a special collaboration between Pokémon and the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) at the Pokémon Legends: Z-A × CMLL Event. Pokémon and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre are partnering up to showcase lucha libre—a traditional style of Mexican wrestling—at its finest.
The event will take place on September 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. PDT (local time 7:00 p.m. CST) at Arena México in Mexico City, Mexico, with tickets soon to be available on Ticketmaster. The match will also be broadcast on the official CMLL YouTube channel for fans all around the world to see!
In an interview with NJPW’s website following their match in the G1 finals, Konosuke Takeshita called EVIL one of his best-ever opponents, crediting EVIL for how good he is at being “the worst.”
I think when it comes to being the worst, he’s the best. I really think he’s one of the best opponents I’ve ever had. And he’s tough you know? He has to be. He really is the best at being the worst.
The live episode of TNA Impact in Minneapolis on September 4 is set to feature:
Ash By Elegance Knockouts World Championship celebration
The Hardys & Mara Sade vs. John Skyler, Jason Hotch & Tasha Steelz
Moose vs. AJ Francis
Nic & Ryan Nemeth vs. Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers
Indi Hartwell vs. Dani Luna vs. Jody Threat
Blue Panther Jr. vs. Zandokan Jr. in the first round of the 2025 Opera Cup tournament is set for MLW Fightland in North Richland Hills, Texas on September 13.
Enzo Amore praised Big Bill (his former tag team partner Big Cass) for how far he’s come in his recovery from alcoholism:
He found an angel in his wife, Lexy [Nair]. I didn’t think there was any coming back from this for him…
What he’s managed to do since he left WWE is far greater than what you can achieve in a wrestling ring. He helps people, bro. People DM him and he answers
ECW legend and AEW announcer Taz was honored following Wednesday night’s Dynamite at the former ECW Arena in Philadelphia.
Taz’s wife, his son Hook, AEW owner Tony Khan, and members of the AEW staff and roster were part of a ceremony at the 2300 Arena on Wednesday night honoring the former ECW World, Television, Tag Team, and FTW Champion.
Additionally, a special segment honoring Taz and raising a banner in his honor into the 2300 Arena rafters will be held on this Saturday’s AEW Collision episode.
From our Jim Valley:
After Dynamite, “War Machine” by KISS played. Tony Khan and probably 30 wrestlers, refs and staff (Hook, Mrs. Taz, and more) came out wearing orange Team Taz Dojo t-shirts.
In the ring, Tony Khan said the best way to end the show was to “pay tribute to the greatest legend in the history of this building.”
Taz thanked his son and his wife for “kayfabing” him. He said he had mostly great memories in this building. He’s very blessed for his career, his family and to be with this company.
Tony Khan said this Saturday on Collision they will officially honor Taz by hanging his name in the rafters of the 2300 Arena.
AEW will be without one of its top commentators for this week’s Dynamite episode as well as Forbidden Door.
This Wednesday, AEW will be in Glasgow for Dynamite and a Collision taping. The promotion then heads to London for its Forbidden Door 2025 pay-per-view that’s taking place on August 24. Taz announced today that he won’t be doing commentary at the events because a long flight over to the United Kingdom would not be good for his surgically replaced knee right now.
“I will be off this week, a combo of doctors appointments/imaging test on a couple of future surgeries, some R&R & most importantly my new knee does not cooperate to well w/very long flights at the moment,” Taz wrote. “Hope u all enjoy #AEWDynamite & #ForbiddenDoor!”
Michael Cole has named his all-time favorite broadcast partner.
During an interview with WFAN, Cole named Taz, who previously worked at the station, as his favorite. Cole and Taz were the broadcast team on SmackDown from 2001 until 2006, when Taz moved to the newly revived ECW brand.
Cole also mentioned Corey Graves, Pat McAfee, and JBL, but noted that he and Taz were the best announce team in wrestling for a number of years.
Cole said:
“I’ve had a lot of great partners over the years. JBL was a great one, Corey Graves, Pat McAfee. But to me, my favorite partner of all time was Taz. Taz and I really took over SmackDown, under the tutelage of Paul Heyman. And we, to me, became the best announce team in the business there for a few years.”
Cole also gave his thoughts on WWE SummerSlam as a two-night event during the interview:
“I love the two-night format, especially for our big shows, WrestleMania and SummerSlam, because we were getting to the point on these big shows where we were going five, six, sometimes seven hours. That is viewer fatigue. I think now we’re able to get more of our talent on the cards. We can keep the shows to three and a half to four hours.“
Taz worked primarily in radio after departing TNA Wrestling in 2015. In addition to hosting a show on CBS Radio, Taz also occasionally hosted shows on WFAN in a fill-in role. He also hosted a special post-WWE Survivor Series show on the station in 2018. He later joined AEW in 2019 and began working on the AEW Dynamite commentary team in June 2022.
Cole’s full appearance on WFAN, where he also gives his thoughts on his New York Mets, is available below. His thoughts on Taz begin around the 16:25 mark.
While the main stories coming out of Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite Beach Break were focused on this month’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view, several other happenings made news.
Video: Taz honors Sabu
With the passing of the legendary Sabu this past weekend, his former partner and frequent opponent Taz took some time to honor his friend during the broadcast — getting understandably emotional in doing so.
When she first came out, she entered to new music that was considerably different than her original. The backlash to the new entrance song caught fire on social media and caught the attention of Tony Khan during the match, resulting in him going back to her old song when the match ended.
The impending debut of former Stardom wrestler Thekla continues to be teased.
During the aforementioned women’s four-way, the black and red spider graphic once again appeared on screen as the match was going on. It’s unknown when “The Toxic Spider” will debut, but she has reportedly signed her contract.
For the first time in nearly three months, Taz was back in the AEW commentary booth, rejoining Excalibur and Tony Schiavone for Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.
It was Taz’s first appearance since undergoing total knee replacement surgery in October. He was written off TV with an angle on the October 2nd Dynamite where it was said that he had been attacked in the parking lot. The actual attack was never shown.
Hook vowed revenge against his father’s assailants who were later revealed to be Christian Cage and The Patriarchy. However, Hook has yet to face Cage one-on-one. He and Katsuyori Shibata were defeated by Nick Wayne and Cage on last week’s Dynamite and he will face Nick Wayne on this Friday’s Rampage.
Wednesday’s show was taped in New York City this past Sunday. It’s unclear if Taz is cleared to fly and if he will be on the call for this Saturday’s Worlds End from Orlando, Florida.
Taz revealed in May that doctors told him he would need both his knees and shoulders replaced at some point, caused by what he said was training too heavy in the gym over the course of his long in-ring career.
