Ricochet is #AllElite. The former WWE Intercontinental Champion arrived in All Elite Wrestling this past Sunday at AEW ALL IN: London, joining the Casino Gauntlet Match as a mystery entrant. Ricochet impressed in the contest but ultimately did not factor in to the deciding pinfall, as Christian Cage pinned Kyle O'Reilly. His arrival to AEW has been a long time coming, as rumors of him joining Tony Khan's company have been rumbling as far back as May. Specifics about Ricochet's deal have been kept close to the vest, but it was noted in the initial report that he his AEW contract is for multiple years.

Will Ospreay Responds to Ricochet's AEW Debut

It didn't take long for the man who has been calling on Ricochet to join AEW to respond to his arrival.

Speaking during the AEW ALL IN: London post-show press conference, AEW International Champion Will Ospreay responded to a question about rekindling his rivalry with Ricochet, noting that AEW's new acquisition is at the back of the line.

"Man has got to work for it," Ospreay said. "There is a long list of people that he's going to have to beat before he can call out the International Champion. It's been eight years since that Best of Super Juniors match and we've both gone in our separate directions. We've both done well. Now, he's under this microscope. Maybe, just maybe, I called him out all those times to see if he's got any balls. He's shown up. I'd like to see what he's going to be doing in AEW. I'm excited and I'm really happy for him."

Those call outs began when Ospreay spoke to ComicBook in an exclusive interview back in May. When asked if he still keeps up with Ricochet's work in the years since they lit the wrestling world on fire across the independent circuit, Ospreay candidly expressed frustration at Ricochet's WWE booking and urged the high-flyer to "bet on himself."

One week later, Ricochet gave his notice to WWE, and within one month he was written off of WWE programming and moved to the alumni section of the WWE.com roster page. Ricochet laid low throughout the summer before arriving in AEW this past Sunday at AEW ALL IN: London. While it remains to be seen as to how long AEW will wait to pull the trigger on renewing the Ospreay vs. Ricochet rivalry, it is worth noting that Ricochet's televised AEW debut is against Kyle Fletcher, a longtime friend and stablemate of Ospreay's.

Ricochet makes his AEW TV debut this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite, which airs at 8 PM ET on TBS.

The wrestling world has lost another legend. Former WWF star Sid Eudy, best known as Sycho Sid, has passed away at 63 years old after a battle with cancer. Sid is championed for his work in the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1990s, a run that had numerous peaks including WrestleMania main events in both 1992 against Hulk Hogan and 1997 against The Undertaker. Sid captured the WWF Championship on two occasions during his tenure in the company and added accolades like the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (2) and WCW United States Championship when he competed for World Championship Wrestling.

Sid's son, Gunnar Eudy, confirmed the news of his father's passing on Facebook.

"I am deeply saddened to share that my father, Sid Eudy, has passed away after battling cancer for several years. He was a man of strength, kindness, and love, and his presence will be greatly missed," Gunnar wrote. "We appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we grieve this loss. Details for a memorial service will be shared soon.Thank you for your support."

While Sycho Sid was his most famous monicker, Sid also found success under the ring names Sid Justice and Sid Vicious. He is one of a few wrestlers to have multiple reigns with WWF and WCW's top prize, sharing that rarefied air with Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Big Show, and Bret "The Hitman" Hart.

Sid was initially forced into retirement in 2001 due to a leg injury which required near daily rehabilitation. Despite being told he would never run again, Sid made a full recovery and returned to the ring in 2004. Sid went on to have sporadic matches on the independent circuit throughout the 2000s before returning to WWE in Summer 2012. In the lead up to Raw 1000, Sid was one of the many legends to take on Heath Slater on preceding episodes of WWE Monday Night Raw. Sid made quick work of Slater and reappeared on the eventual Raw 1000 itself weeks later. His final match went down in August 2017 when he defeated Paul Rosenberg at a Great North Wrestling event in Ottawa.

While he has not shown face on television in multiple years, Sid still kept up with the WWE product. His final tweets came during live broadcasts of WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE SmackDown where he expressed admiration for stars JD McDonagh and Carmelo Hayes.

Sid is survived by his wife, Sabrina Paige, and his two sons, Frank and Gunnar.

Jey Uso has cemented himself as a bonafide singles star. The Yeet Man's rise really came into form in late 2023 after he officially left The Bloodline and joined the WWE Monday Night Raw roster. Jey began to showcase his own babyface personality, one that quickly became infectious with the WWE audience, and it has resulted in him receiving some of the loudest reactions on weekly television and monthly premium live events. The former multi-time tag champion saw singles momentum around April when he defeated brother Jimmy Uso at WWE WrestleMania 40 and became the No.1 Contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship the next night.

Despite the raucous reaction from the French crowd at WWE Backlash, Jey lost that title match to then-champion Damian Priest. Since then, Jey has only had one premium live event match, as he competed for the Men's Money in the Bank briefcase at WWE Money in the Bank in July. Drew McIntyre went on to win that match and fail his cash in attempt just one hour later.

Rikishi Blasts WWE's Jey Uso Booking

Papa Uso is not happy with his son's current direction in WWE.

Speaking on Off The Top Rope, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi put WWE on blast for how the company has booked Jey Uso, pointing out that his crowd response and merchandise numbers do not align with his position on the card.

"I want to know what this kid has to do. He's probably the hottest intro when he's coming out. You talk about fan engagement, we all see it," Rikishi said. "Yet, when it comes time to give this kid his flowers and 'let's do business,' why wasn't my son handled with Money in the Bank? Where is the guy who won Money in the Bank? What is he doing now? What business sense does that make for a company that let the most exciting guy, a guy that is not a liability, a guy that shows up and shows out, a guy who does his job, what does it hurt this company to even give this kid a shot?"

Rikishi then suggested that WWE factors Jey into either the WWE Intercontinental Title or the WWE World Heavyweight Championship storylines, but thus far neither have come to fruition.

"I'm at this point where I want to call my son, 'Go ahead and take a break. Obviously, the writers don't know where to put you,'" Rikishi continued. "Definitely, WWE is making money off The Yeet Man. The Yeet Man is making money himself. The only difference is, The Yeet Man is working for his money. You see it every week. Why aren't you lighting this kid up and letting him do his thing? Let's hope WWE gets it together and does the right thing."

If things don't turn around for Jey, Rikishi suggested that his son explore his other options, specifically suggesting AEW as a future landing spot.

"The kid is so good, and WWE ain't the only spot. He could probably go to AEW if he wants to write his own ticket, maybe more than what WWE is making on him," Rikishi suggested. "Hopefully, they turn it around and do the right thing by The Yeet Man."

Kevin Owens's long-term wrestling future is far from ironclad. The former WWE Universal Champion has been with WWE since 2014, earning his initial developmental contract after a successful tryout at the WWE Performance Center. Owens leapt to the main roster in short order, confronting then-WWE United States Champion John Cena less than one year after he put pen to paper with WWE. What followed from his debut victory over Big Match John was one of the most decorated WWE careers in the modern era, as Owens went on to become a grand slam champion and headline WWE WrestleMania 38 and WWE WrestleMania 39.

Kevin Owens Becomes Free Agent in Early 2025

What's next for Kevin Owens?

Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Owens revealed that the "only change" in his current contract status is that "there's now less time" on his deal. This builds upon his previous contract update, as this past May he noted that his deal was due up in "the early part of next year."

It's d?j? vu for Owens, as he was in this exact predicament three years ago. Back in Fall 2021, Owens and close friend Sami Zayn's WWE futures were in question, as both men were set to become free agents in early 2022. Both men ultimately opted to stay and went on to main event WWE WrestleMania 39 together in April 2023.

"This has been my home for ten years and it's beyond the locker room," Owens said in May. "There's some very, very, very special people that work behind the scenes that I've become very close with, and I really can't imagine not seeing them as part of my life."

Would Kevin Owens Entertain Joining AEW?

It's worth noting that Owens also has some very special people on the other side of the fence.

Prior to signing with WWE, Owens shared a Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla locker room with many members of the current AEW roster, AEW Executive Vice Presidents The Young Bucks among them. Owens is also close friends with AEW stars Adam Cole and Mark Briscoe.

"I would have been interested in that. He's a great wrestler," AEW President Tony Khan said in December 2021 when asked about his thoughts on bringing Owens into AEW. "I think he ended up signing for what I believe is probably a lot of money. I think that's great and good for him. We have a lot of people spotlighted here and he's great. Any company he goes to, he'll be a great wrestler for them."

Owens challenges Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship this Saturday, August 31st at WWE Bash in Berlin.

The ComicBook Nation crew previews the Fall TV and Movie schedules and share their hype levels for some of the most highly anticipated releases! There's also a review and discussion of The Crow reboot starring Bill Skarsg?rd!

PLUS: Deep-dive discussion about the status of Star Wars after The Acolyte's cancelation, and a debate about Marvel's Blade reboot and what kind of film it should be.

The Crow Reboot Review

This is what ComicBook Nation host Kofi Outlaw had to say in his 2-star review of The Crow:

Under the direction of Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) and the genuine effort made by stars Bill Skarsg?rd and FKA Twigs, The Crow isn't a total failure - but it is a messy mismatch of high-art aspirations and bloody, brutal, B-movie action-horror. It's both vibrantly alive with creative spark and passion - and a listless, muddled attempt at telling a cinematic story.

...It's not impossible that, despite its flaws, The Crow will follow the path of the original and grow into a cult hit in years to come. If nothing else, it's one of the biggest showcases yet of Bill Skarsg?rd's potential as a leading man (and not just the lineup of odd creatures and/or creeps he's played). But, after more than a decade of trying to get this reboot off the ground - and all the creative talent that's been attached to it along the way - it's almost amusing that middling effort is the end result.

FALL PREVIEW

MOVIES

• BEETLEJUICE 2 (9/6)
• TRANSFORMERS ONE (9/13)
• THE WILD ROBOT (9/20)
• JOKER 2 (10/4)
• VENOM 3 (10/25)
• RED ONE (11/15)
• GLADIATOR 2 (11/22)
• MOANA 2 (11/27)
• WICKED PT. 1 (11/27)

TV

• RINGS OF POWER S2 (8/29 - Prime Video)
• TERMINATOR: ZERO (8/29 - NETFLIX)
• PENGUIN (9/19 - HBO)
• AGATHA ALL ALONG (9/18 - Disney+)
• ZACK SNYDER's TWILIGHT OF THE GODS (9/19 - Netflix)
• CITADEL: DIANA (10/10 - Prime Video)
• CITADEL: HONEY BUNNY (11/7 - Prime Video)
• SILO SEASON 2 (11/15 - Apple TV+)
• JAMES WAN'S TEACUP (10/10 - Peacock)
• LIKE A DRAGON: YAKUZA (10/24 - Prime Video)
• STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW (12/3 - Disney+)
• KOFI: ST. DENIS MEDICAL - IMAGE
• MATT: MATLOCK - IMAGE

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Some wrestlers refer to themselves as the Best in the World. Others let the fans and their peers do it for them. Bryan Danielson is the latter. The American Dragon has spent the last 25 years cementing his legacy as one of the very best to ever do it, and he put that career on the line at All In: London. Facing Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship, Danielson put his retirement up against the belt, confirming that he'd step away for good if he lost. Fortunately for all of Danielson's fans out there, his career continues for a little while longer, and now he can add the grandest prize in All Elite Wrestling to his resume.

The main event of AEW's All in card began with an emotional entrance, as "The Final Countdown" rang through Wembley Stadium and Danielson entered for potentially the last time. His wife and kids were ringside for the entire match, adding another layer of emotion to the entire situation.

For most of the match, Swerve looked to be in control, beating down Danielson and taunting his family in the process. But one of the signature's of Danielson's career has been his ability to get back up when he's down, even when facing the most dire circumstances. A serious neck injury couldn't end his career, and neither could Swerve Strickland.

No matter what Swerve threw at him, Danielson kicked out and got back up. The tide really started to turn, though, when Danielson made eye contact with his family, and began shouting "I love you so much" as Swerve delivered blow after blow. The American Dragon also got a little bit of help when Adam Page ran into the arena looking for Swerve. He didn't interfere in the match, but the kerfuffle was enough to distract the champion.

YES! YES! YES! #ANDNEW #AEW World Champion!
"The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson!

Order #AEWAllInLondon LIVE on PPV right now!

? https://t.co/JlBXZPMlvR@bryandanielson pic.twitter.com/QTcopj22rD

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 25, 2024

Surprisingly, Danielson actually made Swerve tap out to end the match. Since arriving in AEW in 2022, Strickland has never tapped out to an opponent. Danielson defeated one of AEW's best champions to-date, and will leave the United Kingdom with one of the biggest prizes of his career.

And it's so exciting to know that career isn't over just yet.

AEW All In Card

• AEW World Championship Title vs. Career Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs Bryan Danielson
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Toni Storm (C) vs Mariah May
• AEW American Championship Match: MJF (C) vs Will Ospreay
• AEW TBS Championship Match: Mercedes Mone (C) vs Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D.
• AEW TNT Championship Coffin Match: Jack Perry (C) vs Darby Allin
• AEW Trios Championships London Ladders Match: The Patriarchy vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House of Black vs. PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta
• FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (C) vs. HOOK
• Casino Gauntlet Match: Orange Cassidy vs. TBD
• Mixed Tag Match: Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway

A lot of wrestling fans thought the Aerial Assassin would win back the AEW International Championship in front of his home fans in London, and that's exactly what Will Ospreay did at All In on Sunday night. Ospreay defeated MJF to not only win back the International Championship, but he returned the title itself to its proper standing, ditching MJF's All-American theme for the belt.

While Ospreay taking home in front of the London fans felt like a pretty sure thing, there was still a big wrinkle to the action on Sunday -- Ospreay had a little help getting past MJF. When Ospreay was down and the referee wasn't in position to see any antics, MJF readied a devastating and illegal blow with some version of brass knuckles. He couldn't deliver the hit, though, because a mysterious stranger ran up to the ring and stopped him.

That stranger turned out to be none other than Daniel Garcia, who MJF turned on just a few weeks ago. Garcia and Ospreay have had a bit of a rivalry in the ring, but it was made clear that they have nothing but respect for one another. Garcia put that into action on Sunday night by saving Ospreay when it mattered most.

In addition to Garcia's arrival, fans will also be talking a lot about exactly how Ospreay beat MJF. He ended the match by delivering the incredibly dangerous Tiger Driver 91, the move that he has previously said he wouldn't do again. MJF's evil antics pushed Ospreay to the brink, and he brought out every possible stop to end his opponent's reign. He did exactly that, with a flawless Tiger Driver.

AEW All In Card

• AEW World Championship Title vs. Career Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs Bryan Danielson
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Toni Storm (C) vs Mariah May
• AEW American Championship Match: MJF (C) vs Will Ospreay
• AEW TBS Championship Match: Mercedes Mone (C) vs Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D.
• AEW TNT Championship Coffin Match: Jack Perry (C) vs Darby Allin
• AEW Trios Championships London Ladders Match: The Patriarchy vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House of Black vs. PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta
• FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (C) vs. HOOK
• Casino Gauntlet Match: Orange Cassidy vs. TBD
• Mixed Tag Match: Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway

One of the most phenomenal athletes in all of professional wrestling is now All Elite. The high-flying Trevor Mann, better known as Ricochet, spent the last several years as a fan-favorite in WWE with an frustratingly low ceiling from the company's creative team. No matter how great he's been in the ring, Ricochet never got the real star push from WWE. Earlier this year, he left the company, and he has since taken his talents to AEW.

There have been rumors and reports about Ricochet joining AEW since even before he officially left WWE. On Sunday afternoon at All In, those conversations became truth when Ricochet ran out as part of the 21-man Casino Gauntlet Match, which gave the winner a shot at the AEW World Championship. Within minutes of Ricochet trotting down the runway and confront "Hangman" Adam Page face-to-face, AEW CEO Tony Khan had already taken to social media to share the infamous All Elite graphic and welcome Ricochet to the company.

Welcome to AEW!@KingRicochet is All Elite!

Thank you all watching #AEWAllIn right NOW! pic.twitter.com/VLBhkkm8Jk

-- Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) August 25, 2024

Ricochet didn't win the match (Christian Cage ultimately took the title shot), but he is set up for all sorts of great feuds in AEW. As a high-flyer, he's already in a great position with several other key athletes on the roster. He's also got some real history with many of the company's stars.

Through Lucha Underground, before he was in WWE, Ricochet worked opposite and alongside current AEW names like Penta, Rey Fenix, and AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland. He also shares connections to many through his time in WWE. Malakai Black, formerly known as Alistair Black in WWE, was Ricochet's tag team partner when they came up onto the main WWE roster.

There's also Will Ospreay, who has a ton of personal history with Ricochet, and has already spoken about working together in AEW.

AEW All In Card

• AEW World Championship Title vs. Career Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs Bryan Danielson
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Toni Storm (C) vs Mariah May
• AEW American Championship Match: MJF (C) vs Will Ospreay
• AEW TBS Championship Match: Mercedes Mone (C) vs Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D.
• AEW TNT Championship Coffin Match: Jack Perry (C) vs Darby Allin
• AEW Trios Championships London Ladders Match: The Patriarchy vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House of Black vs. PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta
• FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (C) vs. HOOK
• Casino Gauntlet Match: Orange Cassidy vs. TBD
• Mixed Tag Match: Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway

In just a few short months, Mariah May has made an incredible impact on the world of All Elite Wrestling. She became a favorite amongst fans out of the gate, spent a ton of time in one of the most beloved storylines within the company, delivered a brilliantly brutal heel turn, and is now holding one of the most prestigious titles in AEW. At All In, in front of her home crowd, Mariah May became the new AEW Women's World Champion.

Mariah had been in a feud with now-former AEW Women's World Champion Toni Storm, who served as May's friend and mentor for months. She was by Toni's side through most of this 23-match win streak since regaining the title last year, and even took an a persona inspired by Toni's previous looks. But that changed after Mariah turned on her mentor and announced her intention to take her title. On Sunday afternoon, she did just that.

"Timeless" Toni Storm and "The Glamour" Mariah May finally settled their differences in the ring at Wembley Stadium, in a match that had the enormous crowd invested from the moment the bell rung. It was a back-and-forth affair, with Storm clearly establishing herself as a babyface once again. At one point, May slapped her own mother in the face, and it was Storm who comforted her at ringside. Toni also had the opportunity to end things with the hell of the shoe that May attacked her with so viciously a few weeks ago, but the champ refused. She laid the shoe down, and it ultimately swung the momentum back in the direction of May, giving her what she needed to take the title.

#AndNEW!
Your NEW #AEW Women's World Champion is 'The Glamour' @MariahMayx!#AEWAllInLondon pic.twitter.com/A5c8gYkOCy

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 25, 2024

It's now a new day in the women's division of All Elite Wrestling, with Mariah sitting right at the top of the food chain.

AEW All In Card

• AEW World Championship Title vs. Career Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs Bryan Danielson
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Toni Storm (C) vs Mariah May
• AEW American Championship Match: MJF (C) vs Will Ospreay
• AEW TBS Championship Match: Mercedes Mone (C) vs Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D.
• AEW TNT Championship Coffin Match: Jack Perry (C) vs Darby Allin
• AEW Trios Championships London Ladders Match: The Patriarchy vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House of Black vs. PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta
• FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (C) vs. HOOK
• Casino Gauntlet Match: Orange Cassidy vs. TBD
• Mixed Tag Match: Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway

All Elite Wrestling's All in 2024 show in Wembley Stadium hadn't officially kicked off yet when fans were treated to one of the company's most exciting returns in recent memory. Former AEW Women's World Champion Jamie Hayter has been away since an injury took her off AEW TV back in May of last year. One of the most popular women on the entire roster, Hayter hasn't been able to compete in the ring for nearly 15 months. That changed on Sunday afternoon as Hayter strolled into the ring and made her presence known.

Saraya was out in the ring in her native United Kingdom, flanked by her family, letting the crowd know how angry she has been about not being a part of the All In card this year. Really, for the last several months, Saraya hasn't been much of a factor in AEW. During her rant, Saraya referred to herself as the "Queen of England," and said that she was the best women's wrestler to ever come from the UK. That line is what brought Hayter out.

Former #AEW Women's World Champion Jamie Hayter has returned to #AEW!

Watch #AEWAllInLondon ZERO HOUR right now!
? https://t.co/MDEOUB0J0P@Saraya | @jmehytr pic.twitter.com/xxzxitqjw6

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 25, 2024

Hayter, also from the UK, clearly disagrees with Saraya on the sentiment -- the sheer volume of the fan response suggests they might disagree as well. Unfortunately for those fans, the conflict between Saraya and Hayter might have to wait just a little bit, because they aren't fighting in London.

When Hayter came to the ring to respond to Saraya, the latter immediately fled the scene, setting up a prominent future conflict between the two. There might be some hope that they face off at All Out, but there will likely need to be little bit longer program between such prominent names before they have a marquee matchup.

AEW All In Card

• AEW World Championship Title vs. Career Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs Bryan Danielson
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Toni Storm (C) vs Mariah May
• AEW American Championship Match: MJF (C) vs Will Ospreay
• AEW TBS Championship Match: Mercedes Mone (C) vs Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D.
• AEW TNT Championship Coffin Match: Jack Perry (C) vs Darby Allin
• AEW Trios Championships London Ladders Match: The Patriarchy vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House of Black vs. PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta
• FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (C) vs. HOOK
• Casino Gauntlet Match: Orange Cassidy vs. TBD
• Mixed Tag Match: Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway

There was one more stop to make before AEW All In, and that was in Cardiff for tonight's episode of AEW Collision. While the card for All In is pretty much set, there was one more spot to fill in the Trios Championships London Ladder Match. That match will see Christian Cage and The Patriarchy defending their Titles against three other teams, and there was a wild card match on tonight's show to decide who that third challenging team would be. It would be decided between Top Flight (Dante Martin and Darius Martin) with help from Lio Rush and the unlikely team of PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta, and it would ultimately be PAC, Claudio, and Wheeler getting the win and moving on to the London Ladders Trios Titles match at All In.

Can't Dodge Your Challengers

Over the past few weeks, The Patriarchy has been taking out any possible threats to their Trios Championship reign, and they've been rather successful with the strategy. That all ended last week, as Interim AEW EVP Christopher Daniels informed Cage and his crew that he would have to defend the Trios Titles against three other teams at All In, which did not make the Champions very happy in the least.

"For the past few weeks, Christian Cage has done everything in his power to clear the field of all the contenders for the Trios Championships," Daniels said. "But I want to assure the fans that at All In, Christian Cage is not going to have an easy road if he hopes to remain Trios Champion, because The Patriarchy will be defending those Titles against The Bang Bang Gang, The House of Black, and a third team to be determined in a wild card match at Cardiff Collision. Those four teams will go to All In to wrestle for the AEW Trios Championship in a London Ladders Match."

The Competition

There are very few in AEW that The Patriarchy haven't burned bridges with, including House of Black and The Bang Bang Gang, who were the first to be announced for the match. Tonight's Wild Card match officially enters PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta into the mix, who also have no love for the Champions. All three teams will be looking to take those Trios Championships for themselves at All In, so while they have a puncher's chance, The Patriarchy could be looking at the end of their Title reign this weekend if they can't figure out a way to gain an advantage.

Ladder matches are rarely not thrilling, but when you look at the talent that's involved in this particular match, especially someone synonymous with them like Christian, it's hard not to get hyped for this one in particular. With a talent pool that includes Buddy Matthews, PAC, Brody King, Jay White, and Claudio, this match has the potential to be one of if not the best match of the night, even against some of the big matches elsewhere on the card. You can check out the full card for All In below.

AEW All In (Current Card)

• AEW World Championship Title vs. Career Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs Bryan Danielson
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Toni Storm (C) vs Mariah May
• AEW American Championship Match: MJF (C) vs Will Ospreay
• AEW TBS Championship Match: Mercedes Mone (C) vs Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D.
• AEW TNT Championship Coffin Match: Jack Perry (C) vs Darby Allin
• AEW Trios Championships London Ladders Match: The Patriarchy vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House of Black vs. PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta
• FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (C) vs. HOOK
• Casino Gauntlet Match: Orange Cassidy vs. TBD
• Mixed Tag Match: Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway

Are you excited for All In? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Many fans have wanted to see WWE bring back its all-women premium live event Evolution for a while now, as the first and last one was back in 2018. It turns out at one point WWE did put a second Evolution on the table, and it was part of a deal with Ronda Rousey. In an interview with DS of Ring the Belle, Rousey revealed that WWE wanted her to stay after WrestleMania, and if she did, they would hold another Evolution shortly after (H/T to Fightful). The other big addition was that it would be headlined by Rousey and Becky Lynch in a singles match, which Rousey and Lynch had wanted for a long time. Rousey had already promised her family she was leaving though, and wasn't going to go back on that.

Evolution 2 and Becky Lynch

In the interview, Rousey revealed that WWE asked her to stay after WrestleMania 35, and if she did, they would build towards a Becky Lynch match for Evolution 2. "Well, they offered to bring it back for a second time. They said, 'Ronda, if you stay after WrestleMania, we'll have another Evolution in six weeks, and have you Becky as a singles.' I was like, 'I promised my family.' First, I was saying, 'Oh, I will only go from WrestleMania until Survivor Series. Then, Triple H convinced me to stay from WrestleMania to WrestleMania, and I promised my family, 'Okay, that's it. That's it.' I have kids, a husband, and a home, and I'm gone for weeks on end," Rousey said.

"So when they said that, I was like, 'No, I've already asked too much of my family. I can't ask any more of them. I promised them this. I promised you I would stay this long, and I promised them I would only stay this long, and I'm not gonna keep moving the goalpost'. I ended up shattering my knuckle anyway like I got an extra little nub now, so I wouldn't have been able to do it regardless, but, yeah, they tried to dangle that carrot for me, but I just couldn't," Rousey said.

Future of Evolution

While we have yet to even hear about another Evolution happening over the past few years, Rousey hopes they do eventually bring it back, regardless of whether she's a part of it or not. "Hopefully, they'll bring it back, and I don't think that they need me for it, and I think that they're past that point, and they just need to believe in the women because they can do it. That event was incredible, and it sold out the venue, and I feel like there should be more, but no one's asking me."

The Women's divisions in both WWE and NXT were already talented at the time of the first Evolution, but since then both divisions have only become bigger and better in every way, and could easily handle the load of a premium live event on their own. Then there's the recent partnership with TNA to also throw into the mix, as that style of event would be a perfect opportunity to feature talent from both companies, increasing the available pool yet again. If the event does happen, it should end up being something pretty special.

WWE Bash in Berlin (Current Card)

Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (C) vs. Kevin Owens
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Gunther (C) vs. Randy Orton
Women's Tag Team Match: The Unholy Union (C) vs. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill
United States Championship Open Challenge: LA Knight (C) vs. TBD
Strap Match: CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre
Mixed Tag Team Match: Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley vs. Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan

Would you have wanted to see an Evolution 2 and Rousey vs Lynch? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

LA Knight got his first win as United States Champion during tonight's WWE SmackDown, overcoming the numbers advantage and taking down Santos Escobar. Escobar won the chance to challenge Knight thanks to some meddling from Carmelo Hayes during his fight with Andrade, and now Knight is looking for a new challenger. Never one to just sit idly by, Knight took matters into his own hands after his match with Escobar, and he revealed that he would be holding an Open Challenge for the United States Championship at Bash in Berlin.

Who Will Challenge Knight?

Going off of the previous match to decide Knight's first challenger, perhaps we'll see Andrade jump back into the mix and go for the Title at the premium live event. That also means we could see Hayes enter that mix as well, or perhaps cost Andrade another shot at the Championship if he's not directly involved. We could also see someone else completely throw their hat into the ring, and since it's a premium live event, maybe it's even from Monday Night Raw.

There are a few names we know it won't be, including Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, and Randy Orton, who are all either defending or challenging for other Championships. We could see it be someone from The Bloodline, but that would be either Solo Sikoa or Jacob Fatu, as Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga are currently the Tag Team Champions. Fatu is still in a boot, so while he's taking on storyline related things, I doubt they just want him in another Title match without it being part of the story with Roman Reigns, and Sikoa wouldn't' necessarily go after the US Title at the moment.

There's also another returning superstar heading back to SmackDown, and that would be The Phenomenal One AJ Styles. Unfortunately Styles and Knight already feuded extensively ahead of Knight becoming Champion. It was before the Logan Paul feud so perhaps enough time has passed to revisit it, but still seems like old territory to visit upon Styles' return. While we wait for that superstar to be revealed, you can find the updated card for Bash in Berlin below.

WWE Bash in Berlin (Current Card)

• Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (C) vs. Kevin Owens
• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Gunther (C) vs. Randy Orton
• Women's Tag Team Match: The Unholy Union (C) vs. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill
• United States Championship Open Challenge: LA Knight (C) vs. TBD
• Strap Match: CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre
• Mixed Tag Team Match: Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley vs. Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan

Which show will you be going to? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

The Bloodline have reigned supreme over WWE SmackDown the past few weeks, even taking down the original Tribal Chief himself Roman Reigns last week. Tonight the new Bloodline sought to continue their dominance with a defense of their WWE Tag Team Championships, and it would be against Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins of the Street Profits. Solo Sikoa would reveal that it would be Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa representing the Bloodline instead of Jacob Fatu, and the four superstars would go on to have a fast paced match. Unfortunately despite not being in the match, Fatu couldn't help but intervene, and it was enough to give his team the win.

A Bitter Battle

Loa and Dawkins started things off, and Dawkins went for a quick cover attempt, but Loa kicked out. Dawkins connected with some strikes in the corner but Loa knocked Dawkins down with a clotheslines and then tagged in Tonga and went for a pin, but Dawkins kicked out. Tonga missed Dawkins in the corner and got stopped cold by a tackle from Ford. Ford then hit a moonsault into a cover, but Tonga kicked out.

Ford brought Tonga down into another cover, but Tonga kicked out and used the distraction of Loa to gain the advantage. Loa tagged in and the duo hit Ford with a slam and a pin attempt, but Ford kicked out before two. Loa got rocked with a dropkick and slammed down by Dawkins and Ford, who then brought down Tonga as well.

The Numbers Game

Dawkins slammed Loa down and Ford hit a big splash for a cover, but Tonga broke it up. Dawkins knocked Tonga out of the ring but Ford got thrown out of the ring as well, colliding with the stairs. Tonga hit a painful looking DDT into the floor on Ford, giving The Bloodline the advantage going into the break.

Back from break the Profits wrestled control from The Bloodline, but as momentum was turning, Fatu made his presence felt and rocked Dawkins with a superkick. The referee didn't see him and the other members dealt with Ford on the other side, allowing a pin of Dawkins and the retaining of their Tag Team Championships. The Bloodline attacked the Street Profits after the match was over but DIY jumped in and cleared the ring aside from Solo, but thanks to the numbers game they couldn't take Solo out without first getting devastated by Fatu.

WWE Bash in Berlin (Current Card)

• Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (C) vs. Kevin Owens
• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Gunther (C) vs. Randy Orton
• Women's Tag Team Match: The Unholy Union (C) vs. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill
• Strap Match: CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre
• Mixed Tag Team Match: Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley vs. Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan

What did you think of the match? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

LA Knight defeated Logan Paul to become the new WWE United States Champion at SummerSlam, and tonight's episode of SmackDown would put him to the test with his first Title defense. After a showdown during last weeks SmackDown, Santos Escobar won the right to challenge Knight, and he wasn't about to let it fly past him, as Escobar had his Legado del Fantasma allies attack Knight before the bell even rang. Knight would get things back on track, in part because they got thrown out, and after a number of close-calls, Knight emerged with the win and the first Championship defense under his belt.

Unfair Advantage

Escobar got a head start by having Angel Garza and Humberto Carillo attack Knight before the bell, and they managed to throw him for a loop before he managed to get back in the ring. While they did end up getting thrown out (along with Elektra Lopez), the damage was already done to the US Champion. Escobar took things from there, but Knight was able to get back in the fight, attacking Escobar outside the ring and then clearing off the announce table.

Escobar tired to run back into the ring but Knight caught him and pushed him by the table. Escobar knocked Knight down with a kick and then hit the meteroa, slamming Knight face-first into the announce table. Escobar brought Knight down quickly with a frog splash and went for a cover, but Knight kicked out.

A Fair Fight

Escobar stomped on Knight's hand and then hit chops in the corner on the Champion before landing yet another move, but Knight came right back with a monster clothesline. Knight hit another clothesline on a charging Escobar, and then hit the BFT before stomping on the challenger in the corner.

Knight caught a kick from Escobar and then slammed Escobar down for a cover attempt, but Santos kicked out. Escobar hit a back elbow strike and a kick that sent the Champ careening towards the turnbuckle. Escobar got Knight up top but got pushed to the mat, allowing Knight to hit the elbow drop. Knight followed with a BFT and then went for the cover, getting the win and retaining his United States Championship.

Bash in Berlin Updated Card

• Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (C) vs. Kevin Owens
• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Gunther (C) vs. Randy Orton
• Women's Tag Team Match: The Unholy Union (C) vs. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill
• Strap Match: CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre
• Mixed Tag Team Match: Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley vs. Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan

What did you think of the match? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

AJ Mendez is busier than ever these days, and that includes an upcoming television series based on her memoir Crazy Is My Superpower. Since the show's announcement back in 2017, there hasn't been much in the ways of updates on the series, but in an interview with The Comicon regarding her new comic series Day Of The Dead Girl with Aimee Garcia, Mendez said not only was the series still in development, but it was also going to be airing on A&E whenever it eventually makes it to TV (via transcript from Fightful).

Crazy Is My Superpower

During the interview, Mendez talked about how writing the book was always going to be a challenge, simply because she is so guarded about her personal life. Opening up was important though if it ended up being able to help someone.

"It was an interesting struggle at first because I am the most private person in the world. I share nothing. I'm a brick wall. When you do have a lot of people listen to you, the things you say matter. There is value in that and you have to be considerate. I was willing to share this life lesson I learned embracing my mental health struggles. That's a piece of me I'm willing to share with the world, if it can help other people," Mendez said.

"My book is very much about growing up in poverty, growing up homeless, and not understanding the mental illness that was getting in my body and within my family. Really starting to embrace these things in the world seen as negatives and turning them into armor and weapons and making them my greatest strengths. That's been a huge part of my creative process, embracing this weird fucked up mind that I have," Mendez said.

Death Isn't The End

Mendez's next project is Day of the Dead Girl, which she is co-writing with Aimee Garcia and will be illustrated BY Belen Culebras. The series is described as a "beautifully blood adventure" by Mendez, and Garcia is excited to see the series reflect Mexican culture in a way we don't always get to see. You can find the official description for Day of the Dead Girl below.

"Death is never the end of the story. Coroner Sam Castillo will learn this the hard way, when a supernatural serial killer targets her hometown just as she moves back. A skeptical woman of science, Sam butts heads with her spiritual mother Ana, a leader of a witch coven specializing in Brujeria. But when the coven's Brujas start turning up murdered, Sam and Ana must work together to find the killer and save their town's Day of the Dead festival from turning into an occult bloodbath. As if sharing a bathroom with her mom wasn't hard enough."

Day of the Dead Girl hits comics stores on October 9th.

Are you excited for the new series? You can talk all things TV, comics, and wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Ricochet is AEW bound. As reported by Fightful Select earlier this week, the former WWE Intercontinental Champion signed a multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling and is rumored to make his debut as early as AEW ALL IN: London this Sunday. Ricochet's wrestling future has been the topic of conversation ever since Will Ospreay spoke with ComicBook this past May, as the Aerial Assassin called upon the Future of Flight to "bet on himself" in regards to his wrestling career. In the weeks that followed, Ricochet gave his notice to WWE and was written off of programming come June.

Considering Ricochet's WWE exit came shortly after Ospreay's comments, many have expected that the two will tango sooner than later and rekindle their historic indie rivalry from the mid-2010s.

Will Ospreay Calls Out Ricochet Following Signing Reports

The Aerial Assassin has a hidden blade with Ricochet's name on it.

Speaking to talkSPORT ahead of AEW ALL IN: London, Will Ospreay reflected on his history with Ricochet and spoke fairly definitively about what's next for his former rival.

"That whole match kind of changed my perspective on wrestling, it changed my output and how people viewed me," Ospreay said. "But I feel like him coming in now, it's one of those things where we [did] that match, and we went off on our separate journeys, and now we're coming back together again.

"For me now, it's like, this is your chance now. This is your chance to show people. Because look around. Look at this generation of wrestlers, look what everybody is doing when it comes to that athletic style of pro wrestling, right? It's him. He is the guy that did it, and he's just got to find that fire within himself because he knows he can do it. I honestly feel like he's just been downplayed for so bloody long that people have forgotten the freak athlete that he is."

Ospreay circled back by putting a question mark on Ricochet's AEW status but declared that if it's happening, he wants to see him in the ring.

"So if it is true, and if he is coming to AEW, I'm calling out to remind everybody who the f--k you are, bruv," Ospreay continued. "Because you, without a shadow of a doubt, were the man. Dragon Gate, PWG, the indies, around the world, no one could f--king touch you. I am calling you out, bruv. I am saying, remind the world that you are one of the best to have ever done this s--t, man. I believe it, and if I believe it, you've got to believe in yourself now, boss."

Ospreay challenges MJF for the AEW American Championship at AEW ALL IN: London this Sunday, August 25th.

John Cena is about to embark on his farewell tour. This past July at WWE Money in the Bank, Big Match John announced that 2025 would mark the final year of his in-ring career. Cena is making an added effort to have that final year be a full 12 months, as he has noted that himself and WWE are looking at a range of 30-40 dates in 2025. Among those dates will be WWE Royal Rumble, WWE Elimination Chamber, and WWE WrestleMania. Who stands opposite Cena in the squared circle remains to be seen, as the 16-time world champion himself has stressed that he will not be hand-picking any opponents next year.

Cody Rhodes Wants to Wrestle John Cena in 2025

The American Nightmare has his sights on Big Match John.

Speaking during a live signing at Fanatics Fest NYC, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes called the prospect of wrestling John Cena "the honor of [his] life" during his farewell tour next year.

"It would be the honor of my life to wrestle John Cena in any capacity. He's the GOAT for a reason," Rhodes said. "We get to live in this era, and he's definitely a man of his word. When he says it's farewell, it truly is farewell. If you have the farewell tour t-shirt, go and get it, this is it. I drove John around for a year and I learned everything I possibly could. Didn't realize I was learning so much at the time."

Rhodes and Cena have locked up four times, with their first bout coming in 2009. They most recently wrestled in 2015 when Rhodes, wrestling as Stardust at the time, answered Cena's WWE United States Championship open challenge.

While Cena has never wrestled the American Nightmare version of Rhodes, the two have had a couple of encounters over the past few years. Cena introduced Rhodes to a WWE Monday Night Raw crowd in March 2022 and joined in on his WWE Championship celebration at WWE WrestleMania 40 this past April.

"I told him in the ring last night, when I got to embrace him, he had the championship in his right hand. I said, 'Do you feel that?' I said, 'Do you feel how heavy it is?' He said yes, [and] I said it will get heavier every day," Cena said of what he told Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 40. "Because that is the burden you bear of trying to craft the path to being the greatest of all time. I hope a year from now, two years from now, three years from now, we can all sit here and be an advocate that Cody Rhodes is the greatest of all time. Because that's the way it should work."

All Elite Wrestling is making a pivot in its pay-per-view calendar next year. Tony Khan's wrestling promotion is taking AEW ALL IN back to the states after two years in London's Wembley Stadium, as Arlington, Texas's Globe Life Field will host the 2025 edition of the supersized show. This will be the first time that AEW ALL IN emanates from the United States since the inaugural event, ALL IN (2018), which was an independently-produced pay-per-view from Chicago's Sears Centre. AEW President Tony Khan promised that despite the pivot, AEW will be back in London in 2025 in a different capacity.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 Heads to London

The banished passageway is opening its gates in the United Kingdom.

As revealed by advertising around Wembley Stadium, AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2025 will emanate from London. The specific date and venue have yet to be confirmed. Also among advertising around Wembley Stadium is confirmation that AEW ALL IN will return to London in 2026.

Advertisements in London just revealed:

o AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door 2025
o AEW All In 2026
BOTH COMING TO ENGLAND!!!! ?? pic.twitter.com/MnXoUoVm4e

-- Drainmaker ? ? (@DrainBamager) August 23, 2024

"I think it's the most exciting time in the history of the company right now," AEW President Tony Khan shared in a recent interview. "There's a lot of cool things happening in the company right now."

It's worth noting that AEW ALL IN: Texas is set to go down on July 12th, 2025, nearly six weeks before its previous place in the last week of August. While Forbidden Door has been regularly slotted in the last week of June, that would leave just two weeks between the 2025 show and AEW ALL IN: Texas. AEW will likely shift Forbidden Door 2025 to a different spot on the calendar to accommodate AEW ALL IN: Texas's date.

The other variable to consider is New Japan Pro Wrestling's G1 Climax. The Far East's historic round robin tournament typically begins in mid-July and goes on for about one month. The field is occupied by just about every top and blossoming star in NJPW, and the round robin nature of it forces participants to essentially have no other commitments at the time. AEW and NJPW will likely need to slot Forbidden Door 2025 outside of next year's G1 Climax's field of play.

AEW's next event in London, AEW ALL IN: London, goes down this Sunday, August 25th and kicks off at 1 PM ET.

CM Punk, otherwise known as Phil Brooks in the world outside of professional wrestling, is set to embark on a new acting journey with comedy film Let's Start a Cult from director Ben Kitnick. It's unclear exactly what role Punk will play in the film at this time, however, it's not his first acting gig. Punk recently signed with Paradigm Talent Agency like a number of other WWE superstars as of late, hoping for more exciting opportunities outside the squared circle.

Per the synopsis, "Having missed out on his cult's long awaited ritual suicide, an obnoxious loser teams up with his bogus ex-messiah to rebuild their doomsday commune. Traveling together through middle America, the constantly-bickering duo induct a military wannabe, a mentally unstable mom, and a mysterious foreign hitchhiker into their cult... but will this family of outcasts fulfill their transcendent destiny, or decide this life might be worth living after all?"

The film also stars comedian/actor Stavros Halkias (Netflix's Stavros Halkias: Fat Rascal comedy special), Wes Haney (Adult Swim's S.T.A.R. H.A.W.K.S.), Eric Rahill (Friendship), Katy Fullan (Luxury, Chowder) and Daniel Simonsen (Going Both Ways, House of Fools). Joe Pera, Ethan Suplee, and Tom Papa will also make appearances.

Punk has acted in several projects over the years in his initial post-WWE career, including television series Maron, thriller flick Girl on the Third Floor, Rabid, Jakob's Wife and most recently, STARZ series Heels with Stephen Amell which will have a new home on Netflix next month. Currently he is back in wrestling full-time after returning in 2021 in AEW. His stint there came to an end last fall after a number of backstage incidents. He smoothed things over with higher-ups in WWE and made his grand return after nearly a decade away from the company.

His return was cut short due to injury in January, but he has kept himself busy in a feud with one of WWE's top stars, Drew McIntyre. The two finally clashed at WWE SummerSlam where Punk took his eye off the ball, allowing McIntyre to get a sneaky victory. They will battle in a rematch at WWE Bash in Berlin next weekend with an interesting stipulation attached to that match.

Dark Sky Films' Let's Start a Cult hits theaters on October 25th. In the meantime, stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on CM Punk and WWE.

It appears that a popular WWE NXT Superstar might have been injured during a recent taping, as a new report from Fightful's Corey Brennan (via Fightful Select) states star Fallon Henley suffered a possible broken nose. NXT taped two episodes of NXT on August 20th, and during the second taped episode Henley teamed up with her Fatal Influence teammate Jacy Jayne in a match against Meta-Four's Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson. While Henley did evidently suffer a broken nose, the good news is she went on to finish the match. We wish Henley all the best and hope for a quick recovery.

Introducing Fatal Influence

Last week NXT fans finally got an official name for the new faction in the Women's Division that includes Henley, Jayne, and Jazmyn Nyx, and the trio is now officially known as Fatal Influence. Jayne and Nyx were already allies after Jayne's stint with Chase U, but when Henley turned heel and attacked Thea Hail at Spring Breakin', suddenly an opportunity for a partnership opened up.

It would take a few weeks, but eventually Jayne and Nyx started helping Henley after their viewpoints started to align, and then they would become a full blown faction over the past few weeks, though they didn't have a name yet. Now they've been officially introduced, and and the team is ready to start making their pretense felt in the Title scene, at least once Henley is fully recovered from her injury.

A Powerhouse Trio

Fatal Influence will look to carve out their lane amongst a crowded (and extremely talented) NXT Women's Division. While Nyx is a newer addition to NXT, Henley and Jayne have both held Championship gold and have been on the babyface and heel sides of the coin. Henley's heel turn is much more recent, as she's been one of the more popular faces since she debuted, but Jayne has primarily been one of the brand's strongest heels throughout her time there, especially during her time with Toxic Attraction.

After the faction's breakup (which was caused by the sudden release of Mandy Rose), Jayne would turn face for a bit as part of Chase U, which showed a while other side to her skill-set, though she would eventually return to her heel ways after turning on Thea Hail and aligning with Nyx.

Now the trio looks to forge a new path together, and as long as Henley is back to 100% soon, that could start as soon as No Mercy. The trio doesn't currently have a match on the card, but we could see them make a statement there in some form or fashion, but we'll have to wait and see. You can find the current card for NXT No Mercy below.

NXT No Mercy Current Card

• NXT Championship Match: Ethan Page (C) vs. Joe Hendry
• NXT Women's Championship Match: Roxanne Perez (C) vs. Jaida Parker
• NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Chase U (Ridge Holland and Andre Chase C) vs. Axiom and Nathan Frazer
• NXT North American Championship Match: Oba Femi (C) vs. Tony D'Angelo

Are you excited for No Mercy? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Over the last year AEW has taken the ship international to bring fans in many countries live events with their favorite stars. What began with promising turnouts in Canada quickly turned into their most ambitious quest yet, last year's AEW All In. In the end over 80,000 people embarked on the journey to Wembley Stadium to see the once-in-a-lifetime event, which has opened many more doors for AEW. This week AEW has returned to London for the first-ever U.K. AEW Dynamite event as well as the second-annual All In pay-per-view.

AEW will switch up their pay-per-view locations in 2025, with next year's AEW All In already confirmed for a destination that has been begging for an AEW pay-per-view since their inception five years ago. Reports that AEW may be looking to branch out to another country, Australia, recently dropped and it immediately got fans excited for the future. While nobody in AEW had confirmed it at the time, during the AEW All In media call, AEW President Tony Khan confirmed that they are in talks to bring AEW down under.

"We can confirm that we're currently looking at various locations in Australia to run an event sometime next year in 2025 potentially," he said. "We'll have more information about this in the near future. 2025 is going to be a milestone year."

They are currently in the midst of a new media rights deal that could bring them a major increase should they choose to stay with Warner Bros. Discovery. Khan has spoken highly of the relationship between both companies, even going as far as to reveal that he visited with WBD executives and David Zaslav in Paris, France during the Olympics.

With the uncertainty about whether or not AEW will be back in the U.K. in the future, Khan once again quieted concerns when asked if AEW would be opening to hosting a pay-per-view or a TV event in 2025. "Certainly on the table. Definitely something we would consider. I absolutely love the UK," he added. "I've spent a lot of my life living in England and specifically London. I love it. It's great being back here and great traveling in the UK."

AEW All In goes down this Sunday, August 25th at 12 p.m. ET. In the meantime, stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on AEW.

Another high-flying superstar is on their way to AEW. Speculation has been running rampant across the internet the last few months about Ricochet's status within WWE. Reports noted that while he was nearing the end of his contract, he may not re-sign at all. This got the fantasy booking brains in a tizzy trying to figure out where exactly he could fit in a promotion like AEW. As his contract was about to expire, he was attacked by Bron Breakker on WWE Raw and thrown into a car windshield, whisked away to (probably) never be seen again.

A new report from Fightful Select indicates he is on his way to the Jacksonville based wrestling promotion. Fightful confirmed that he is currently signed to a multi-year contract and is scheduled for various AEW shows. Several people familiar with the situation saying he will be in town for AEW All In at Wembley Stadium this Sunday, August 25th. While there's no details into what he could possibly do at the event, the Casino Gauntlet seems like the most obvious choice to debut a star like him. The winner of that match will get a guaranteed shot at the World Championship. Whether that's Swerve Strickland or Bryan Danielson remains to be seen, but several in AEW have already called their shot, including Swerve's blood rival "Hangman" Adam Page.

ComicBook interviewed one of Ricochet's greatest rivals, AEW star Will Ospreay, back in May where he expressed hope that Ricochet would eventually sign with AEW. "I don't know how much longer he has got in his contract, but I think it might be up soon, man, I don't know. I want him to know that there are people here that genuinely appreciate his work and I want to wrestle him again. I want him back here," Ospreay said. "I want him to know that there isn't a bar. You are the f--king bar."

AEW All In 2024

The second-annual AEW All In event will be the last London-based event, at least for the immediate future. In 2025, AEW will venture to a destination that has long been asking for a pay-per-view of some sort and they are finally getting their wish. This year will feature many cant-miss matches on paper, including the aforementioned Swerve and Danielson match which is title vs. career.

On the other hand, AEW Women's World Champion Toni Storm will put the title on the line against her former mentee Mariah May, desperate to step out of the shadows. Ospreay will also his rematch against American Championship holder MJF who previously beat him for the title. Check out the full match card for AEW All In below.

AEW All In Current Card

• AEW Women's World Championship: "Timeless" Toni Storm (c) vs. Mariah May
• AEW American Championship: MJF (c) vs. Will Ospreay
• AEW Tag Team Championships: Young Bucks (c) vs. The Acclaimed vs. FTR
• Casino Gauntlet Match
• AEW World Championship: Title vs. Career: Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Bryan Danielson
• TBS Championship: Mercedes Mon? vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
• Zero Hour: Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway
• TNT Championship: Jack Perry (c) vs. Darby Allin
• AEW Trios Championships London Ladders Match: The Patriarchy vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House of Black vs. TBD
• FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (C) vs. HOOK

Stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on Ricochet and AEW.

WWE 2K24 recently extended its already stacked roster with even more stars, legends, including Honky Tonk Man, Sensational Sherri, Post Malone, Mosh, Thrasher, and the legendary manager himself Jimmy Hart. With megaphone in hand, Hart is prepared to take any 2K24 superstar to the top as he's done so many times throughout his Hall of Fame career. ComicBook had the chance to speak to Hart about seeing himself brought to life in 2K24 and what it's like to see himself included in such a powerhouse DLC. We also find out what he thinks of the new mechanic that allows someone to use the megaphone as a weapon, and then we find out which three current WWE Superstars he would draft to manage right now.

A New Hart Partnership

In WWE 2K24 you can now use Hart as a manager for any of your favorite legendary and current WWE Superstars, and the importance of a great manager is still as foundational as ever. So, we asked Hart if he could pick three people on the current roster that would be the first Jimmy Hart pairings for this modern era, who would they be?

"If I had a choice, if Triple H came to me and said, 'Jimmy, we got, Paul Ellering just came back, we want to bring you back for a while.' I said, 'Okay, great. I'm in.' I would take Austin Theory, I love him. I think he's got a lot of possibilities. Pretty Deadly, the tag team Pretty Deadly. I'd love to be with those guys. And so I think the ladies, Piper Niven, I'd like to be with Piper. I'm telling you right now, she's got the look, she's got the size. She could do so many great things in the ring, and I think she's that close to being maybe a World Champion, but she'd be great. I'd like to be by her side. Because I had the glamour girls at one time, remember Judy, Lonnie Kahn, and Judy Martin."

That's quite the roster, and all of those would hold a lot of promise. With Piper's recent partnering with Chelsea Green, throwing Hart into that mix would be kind of amazing. Theory holds a lot of promise too, especially once he splits from Grayson Waller and turns face. That said, the one I think is pure gold is Pretty Deadly. A Jimmy Hart Pretty Deadly pairing might just be too good to pass up, and now I can't lie, I want to see it.

Megaphone Is The Weapon

One of the additions to 2K24's gameplay was the welcome ability to throw weapons, which means you can launch a chair, a trash can, kendo stick, or something else you find laying around at your opponent. It's actually incredibly handy, especially in multi-man matches, but 2K added another weapon to that mix, and it's one of the most unique in the arsenal. That would be Hart's megaphone, which can now be thrown, and he couldn't be happier about it.

"We won so many matches with the megaphones. Now I'm not saying I had anything to do with it. Some of the wrestlers were clumsy and fell into it, knocked themselves out, and we got the pin in the end, but like I said, you have a chance to throw it in and do stuff with it, probably take it away from me and use it yourself, but I'm excited," Hart said.

It's weird to think of Hart without the megaphone, as it's become such a trademark element for him, but at one point that was the case. "The megaphone has been such a big part of my career. When I was in Memphis with Andy Kaufman and Lawler and everybody, I used to have a cane down there. I used to use it at ring, but when I went to New York, Mr. Fuji had the cane. So I couldn't do that against Mr. Fuji, you know where that would've wound up. So what happened is I have the megaphone and I was able to paint it, make it, if I had the Heart foundation, it was pink and black. If it was with Hulk, I had red and yellow. And of course with the Jimmy Hart stuff, I just made it generic with the mouth of the south on it and all the hearts and stuff. But it's been a major part of my career. It really has," Hart said.

Legendary Names

Hart joins a roster filled with legends, and he has unique history with several of them as well. "Look at some of the legends there, Dusty Rhodes, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Undertaker, Honky Tonk Man, Harley Race, Bruno Sammartino, Billy Superstar Graham, who I managed in Memphis, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Legends House together with him, Rick Rude, who I managed in Memphis, Randy Savage, who I managed in Memphis," Hart said.

"You've got the Steiner brothers, Shawn Michaels, of course, Big Boss Man, who I managed in WCW, and Andre the Giant, just to mention a few. And then over 100, like I said, of the up and coming young superstars, and then you got all the managers in there too, from Paul Bearer to Paul Hayman to Sensational Sherri. Well, she's wrestling on this video game, to Elizabeth. It's just unbelievable. And to be part of that, I kind of look in the mirror every day and go, 'Did I get really paid for doing this?' So it's great," Hart said.

"I'm just thrilled to be on the game. Like I tell everybody, having the Hall of Fame ring in 2005 was an honor, to having all the merchandise that I have been having out this year and everything that WWE still puts out on me. To be able to go back to the WrestleManias and do promotion, like in Philly this year. And I was on WrestleMania one, so that really meant a lot to me. But I think being on this game is really the icing on the cake for me. If they came to me tomorrow and said, 'Jimmy, it's over.' I'd say, 'Okay, thank you.' But I can still see myself on this game the rest of my life," Hart said.

WWE 2K24 is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC now, and you can download Jimmy Hart as part of the Post Malone & Friends Pack, which is also available now.

Who would you want to see Hart team-up with in current WWE? You can talk all things wrestling and gaming with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

A Casino Gauntlet match will take place at AEW All In this weekend to determine which male AEW star will get a shot at the AEW World Championship. While many of the names are kept under wraps in these scenarios, Orange Cassidy confirmed himself last Wednesday on AEW Dynamite and both Kyle O'Reilly and Mark Briscoe threw their names in the hat on tonight's episode. There have been reports that it may become a star-studded affair, but one unsurprising name entering the fray is none other than "Hangman" Adam Page.

Renee Paquette catches up with Hangman who was told to leave the building due to an altercation backstage. He informs her that he will be in the Casino Gauntlet match this weekend and anyone that stands between himself and the World Champion will be taken out. His former Dark Order associate Evil Uno walks past and he grabs him and inquires about the match and who may be in it. Uno lets him know that after speaking to Christopher Daniels he will be part of it and he can't contain his excitement. Hangman sneaks up behind him with a steel chair and attacks him to further his point about people in his way.

"Hangman" Adam Page has his sights set on the #AEW Casino Gauntlet at #AEWAllInLondon!

Watch #AEWDynamite on TBS!@EvilUno | #HangmanAdamPage pic.twitter.com/g0HqREacd4

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 22, 2024

The Cowboy has been in a heated blood feud with the World Champion for the better part of a year now. Him entering the match is honestly the least surprising thing he could do at this point, however getting a statement making win in Wembley could set him on the path to becoming a two-time World Champion in AEW. Recent reports have indicated that Swerve and Hangman may very well be headlining AEW All Out in early September, so if that's the case, making it for the World Championship makes a lot of sense.

The only wrinkle in that is Bryan Danielson who is set to put his career on the line against Swerve this weekend. Danielson has been candid about his career winding down and how he wants to spend more time at home, but fans have been hopeful that he will finally win gold in AEW. In recent interviews he's made it clear that he's content with the results of this weekend no matter what happens.

AEW All In goes down Sunday, August 25th starting at 12 p.m. ET. In the meantime, stay tuned to ComicBook for the latest news and updates on AEW.

Toni Storm will defend her AEW Women's World Championship at All In, but it's much more than just at Title defense, as she will be facing her former protege Mariah May in what has become a bitter and bloody rivalry. Storm had one last challenge to push through before that anticipated confrontation though, as Storm would have to defend her Title against Saraya on tonight's AEW Dynamite. Storm and Saraya were once allies as well, but Storm didn't let that phase her, nor did she let Harley Cameron's interference cost her the match. Storm would take down Saraya and retain her Championship, but she was then ambushed by May with the shoe once again, and May hugged her former friend before throwing her down to the mat and taunting her to close out the segment.

Outcasts Reunion

Saraya charged at Storm and Storm quickly threw her back and celebrated, and then a quick cover was attempted, but Saraya got her shoulder up at 1. Storm then kept Saraya guessing with a host of evasions and went for another cover, but Saraya quickly kicked out. Saraya lured Storm over and connected with several knee strikes, and Harley Cameron then slammed Storm's head into the barricade before Saraya knocked Storm to the floor.

Saraya continued to punish Storm on the outside, pinning her against the barricade and applying pressure to her neck and back before throwing her into the barricade once again. Saraya threw Storm into yet another barricade, and then Cameron got a few more shots in while the referee was distracted.

In the ring Saraya was still in control, slamming Storm down and going for a cover, but Storm kicked out. Saraya got Storm up top and hit a flipping power bomb and a big slam before going for the pin, but Storm got her hand on the bottom rope to break up the attempt. Storm countered a move quickly and went for a pin of her own, but Saraya kicked out.

Don't Celebrate Just Yet

Cameron then tried to hit Storm but Storm dodged it and kissed her, and that left her stunned as Saraya came charging in, consequently knocking Cameron to the floor. Then Storm kissed Saraya and hit the big finisher while she was stunned, getting the win and retaining her AEW World Championship.

As Storm celebrated in the ring, Mariah May came out of nowhere and attacked Storm in the back of the head with the shoe. May then picked up Storm and kissed her on the cheek before taunting the Champion and celebrating her latest move against her former mentor. The two will face each other at AEW All In, and you can find that card below.

AEW All In (Current Card)

• AEW World Championship Title vs. Career Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs Bryan Danielson
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Toni Storm (C) vs Mariah May
• AEW American Championship Match: MJF (C) vs Will Ospreay
• AEW TBS Championship Match: Mercedes Mone (C) vs Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D.
• AEW TNT Championship Coffin Match: Jack Perry (C) vs Darby Allin
• AEW Trios Championships London Ladders Match: The Patriarchy vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House of Black vs. TBD
• FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (C) vs. HOOK
• Casino Gauntlet Match: Orange Cassidy vs. TBD
• Mixed Tag Match: Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway

Are you excited for the Storm vs May throwdown at All In? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Ahead of their title match at AEW All In, MJF and Will Ospreay came face-to-face on AEW Dynamite in Cardiff, Wales. While Ospreay got a thunderous applause from the crowd as his theme hit and he made his way to the ring, MJF got quite the opposite as he taunted the fans in his mismatched stars and stripes. If you'll recall, a few weeks back MJF beat Ospreay for the International Championship in a near 60 minute match. It sent both men to their limits, but what MJF did next made several in the locker room upset. He unveiled the new "American Championship" effectively defacing the value of the International title.

In an interview with ComicBook, Orange Cassidy even noted this, explaining how "disrespectful" it was for him to see MJF deface the title. Ospreay agreed and called for his rematch which was granted for AEW All In this Sunday, August 25th. Ospreay began talking about his wrestling history in the town, making niche references that only the fans in attendance would understand (namely the Barry Scott Cillit Bang reference), and that on Sunday he is going to clean up MJF's mess. The champion didn't take to kindly to Ospreay's words, calling him arrogant and claiming the fans chant his name twice as loud as Ospreay's.

Sunday at #AEWAllInLondon, it'll be "The Feeling" vs "The Facts"

Watch #AEWDynamite on TBS!@WillOspreay | @The_MJF pic.twitter.com/sXmVlvhKsR

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 22, 2024

He talks about how wrestling hall of famers respect MJF and think he's the best wrestler in the world, so what does that make Ospreay? He doesn't care about the opinions of the fans as he doesn't believe they know anything about wrestling. He gets in the challenger's face and screams at him about how the fans loved him until he showed up and ruined it. Once he starts bringing Will's family into it -- namely his wife and stepson -- Will turns to Tony Schiavone to ask him how much the fine would be to punch MJF in the face.

When Tony Khan responds with 100,000 pounds ($127,000 dollars) he decides its worth it and does just that. MJF counters his attack with one of his own, clocking him with the Dynamite diamond ring and a brainbuster. He looks in the camera and pins Ospreay with a three-count, seemingly simulating what he believes is to come on Sunday.

AEW All In goes down Sunday, August 25th starting at 12 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to ComicBook for all the latest news and updates on AEW.

The TBS Championship is at the center of one of AEW's biggest feuds at the moment, as The CEO Mercedes Mone is facing one of the AEW originals in Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. at AEW All In. Thrown into that already compelling mix is AEW's newest signing Kamille, and all three factored into tonight's contract signing segment on AEW Dynamite. That segment featured a compelling promo from both stars, and after both had signed n the dotted line, Baker struck back at Kamille and got some welcome revenge for her previous attacks. Then Baker ran Mone out of the ring and picked up the TBS Championship, possibly giving fans a preview of what's to come on Sunday.

Are You Truly All In

The segment started with both stars sitting across from each other as Kamille stood by Mone's side, and Mone questioned Baker's loyalty to not just AEW, but professional wrestling. Mone cited Baker's dentistry profession as her not truly being 100% committed to wrestling. "Are you really All In? I've been all in since i was 10 years old," Mone said. "I've been putting women's wrestling on the map, that's all in. You don't have the guts to go all in like me, because you'll never be like me, and this Sunday, you won't beat me."

Baker shot that down rather quickly. "The guts...no I had the guts, I had the guts, I had the heart, and I had the balls. I never had a plan B, I had two plan As," Baker said. "You were one of four, I've always been one of one. But you did get one thing right. I adored you. I wanted to be you Mercedes. You walked so girls like me could run. So girls like me could be the first female and the foundation of the company you're sitting in right now."

"You made a difference, but that person doesn't exist anymore. That person is gone. You're a smug arrogant ass and you care more about being the highest paid female in pro wrestling than your own damn legacy that inspired role models like me," Baker said. "I don't know where that girl went Mercedes, but i hope you find her again. And I hope you find her fast, because when I win that TBS Title on Sunday at All In, that's the girl that I want to be able to say that I beat."

Sweet Revenge

That's when Baker signed the contract and the match was fully official, but Baker wasn't done. While Baker said she would honor the established rules of no fighting and confrontations before All In with Mercedes, she said she had had enough of Kamille. Baker then clocked Kamille and knocked her back, and soon after Mone also vacated the ring. Baker then picked up the TBS Championship and held it up high as the segment closed out. Now it's time for the two to face each other one-on-one at All In, and you can find the full card for the pay-per-view below.

AEW All In (Current Card)

• AEW World Championship Title vs. Career Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs Bryan Danielson
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Toni Storm (C) vs Mariah May
• AEW American Championship Match: MJF (C) vs Will Ospreay
• AEW TBS Championship Match: Mercedes Mone (C) vs Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D.
• AEW TNT Championship Coffin Match: Jack Perry (C) vs Darby Allin
• AEW Trios Championships London Ladders Match: The Patriarchy vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House of Black vs. TBD
• FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (C) vs. HOOK
• Casino Gauntlet Match: Orange Cassidy vs. TBD
• Mixed Tag Match: Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway

Are you excited for Mone vs Baker? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

The long awaited Hulk Hogan Biopic that involved Todd Phillips and Chris Hemsworth is now no longer happening, and the news comes right from Phillips himself, who revealed that the project doesn't look to be coming together for him during an interview on his new project Joker: Folie a Deux. In the interview Phillips was asked about the Hulk Hogan biopic and said, "I love what we were trying to do, but that's not going to come together for me." That's pretty much a wrap then, and it seems to never recovered after Netflix exited the project.

A Fork in the Road

Hogan shed some light on the project's status during an interview on Chris Van Vliet's Insight, revealing that Netflix's involvement had come to an end, blaming it on a business glitch that resulted in Hogan moving on. "It was a situation where business-wise, Netflix kind of missed the date as far as a business situation," Hogan said. "I had a choice at that time to switch gears. My life rights and stuff are somewhere else now and there's a lot of things that are getting ready to happen. Hopefully, [director] Todd Phillips and Chris Hemsworth will still want to play, there's still a huge opportunity there."

"Scott Silver wrote the script, he wrote the Joker and a bunch of other movies," Hogan said. "Todd Phillips has done the Joker, Wolf Of Wall Street*, all of the crazy stuff that he did. The script came back and it was amazing because my favorite movies are like Scarface, Godfather, True Romance. It was there. All of a sudden there was a business glitch and they tried to fix it a few days later, and I had already decided to move on.

A Second Film

That's not the only Hulk Hogan project currently in development though, as reports have confirmed that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's Artists Equity Production Company has acquired a screenplay for a film titled Killing Gawker. The project would bring the real life legal battle between Hogan and Gawker Media to theaters, and the script is based on Ryan Holiday's book about the real life story Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue. Charles Randolph, who was nominated for an Oscar for The Big Short, is writing the script, but no word on a possible release date or official casting.

The film is based on the courtroom drama that unfolded in 2012, which saw hogan sue Gawker Media for publishing a clip of a sex tape from 2006. Hogan sued Gawker Media for $100 million in damages for invasion of privacy, infringement of personality rights, and emotional distress, and in 2016 Gawker Media would agree to pay Hogan $31 million. It's unknown whether we'll see this Hogan project hit the big screen ultimate, but this one does seem to currently be on track.

What do you think of the current Hogan project? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

This Sunday, August 25th, AEW will be back in London for AEW All In, the second annual pay-per-view. Several of the company's top stars will be involved with the show including Swerve Strickland who is putting the World Championship on the line against Bryan Danielson. It could very well be the veteran's final match as his full-time in-ring career winds down. One wrestler not featured on the show at this time is "Hangman" Adam Page. At last year's event he teamed with his Elite allies Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi against Bullet Club Gold. This year there are no current plans for the cowboy who has been in an intense blood feud with Swerve Strickland for the last year.

Will Hangman Page be at AEW All In?

Despite him not being advertised, fans have speculated that he will be part of the Casino Gauntlet which will earn the winner a guaranteed title match. So far, the only confirmed name to participate is Orange Cassidy who won a spot, but reports indicate there will be star-studded involvement at the show. Hangman hinted at his involvement at the event, noting that he will be in town for the show.

"Well, I've bought a ticket. I booked a hotel. I will physically be at All In," Page told Paste Magazine. "I'm not going to tell you my intentions, not going to tell you my thoughts, but I will be there because they want to book me in a match. If I can get my way into a match, I certainly have my opinions on which it would be. I have my ideas on what I want to do at Wembley and I will be present."

Rumblings that Hangman and Swerve may go at it in their fourth singles outing at AEW All Out has gotten audiences hyped for the next installment of their feud. If Swerve can retain the title on Sunday against Danielson, it's hard to imagine what the next match between him and Page would be. They've already done the Texas Death stipulation which has become Page's signature in AEW, so they could definitely take a play out of CM Punk and Drew McIntyre's book and do either a Strap match or a Dog Collar match.

AEW All In goes down Sunday, August 25th at 12 p.m. EST. Until then, be sure to stay tuned to ComicBook for the latest news and updates on AEW.

This weekend, Sunday, August 25th, AEW will put on the second annual AEW All In pay-per-view live from Wembley Stadium. Fans from all over the world will be tuning into the event which has its card pretty much set in stone ahead of the big night. As of this writing there are 10 matches between the pre-show and the main show, including several title defenses. Swerve Strickland will be putting the AEW World Championship on the line against Bryan Danielson in what may be his "Final Countdown" as well as Jack Perry defending the TNT Championship against Darby Allin.

The night will be bringing out all the stars, including one former AEW legend. According to a report from Fightful Select, Sting has notified people that he will be in town for the big event. It's unclear whether he's just visiting or if he will have involvement on the show, however, Darby revealed in recent interviews that Sting has been around backstage in AEW.

Sting took part in last year's festivities teaming with Darby Allin against Christian Cage and Swerve Strickland in a Coffin match. Sting retired from professional wrestling earlier this year after facing the Young Bucks with Darby by his side for the AEW World Tag Team Championships. He retired with the titles prompting new champs to be crowned which would eventually become Matthew and Nicholas Jackson.

Darby will participate in a match that is completely in his daredevil wheelhouse -- the famed Coffin match. Perry decided on the stipulation himself, wanting to beat Darby at his own game. That would be the perfect moment for Sting to stand by his former tag team partner's side, especially given the nature of last year's match. While Sting may be retired, the wrestling continues in the blood of his son, Steven, who is currently in training to become a wrestler with Darby.

Steven told ComicBook back in March that the line has gotten "less murky" since he'd been in the ring with his dad at AEW Revolution. "So whenever I answer the question of whether or not I would, I'm answering whether or not I would attempt it. I think it's super presumptuous to say, 'yeah, you know, I'll decide whether or not to grace whoever with my presence.' Because I have not earned anything at this point, not the approval of the fans and not a spot at AEW. So regardless of who my dad is, I would say I'm very similar to anybody else who wants to get into AEW."

Stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on AEW.

Claudio Castagnoli is seeking his first piece of championship gold in All Elite Wrestling. The Swiss Superman joined AEW in June 2022, debuting as a member of the Blackpool Combat Club and defeating Zack Sabre Jr. in the process. Weeks later, Castagnoli captured the Ring of Honor World Championship and established himself as a cornerstone of the recently relaunched brand while simultaneously competing in multi-man matches alongside his BCC stablemates on AEW TV. After losing the ROH Title to Eddie Kingston last September, Castagnoli directed all of his attention to AEW, and that has led him to a showdown with The Rainmaker.

Claudio Castagnoli Hypes Kazuchika Okada Match

Castagnoli is set to challenge Kazuchika Okada for the AEW Continental Championship tonight on AEW Dynamite. This marks the third time that the two men have shared a ring together but the first time it is happening in a singles capacity.

"The question is how does Okada prepare for me? I feel I'm always preparing for the very best every day," Castagnoli told ComicBook. "I guess we'll find out tonight how that really works out because I don't really adjust my training for one single person. I push myself to be better and I like to measure myself up against the best. I hope I'm going to face The Rainmaker. We all know the real Rainmaker, not the one we've been seeing over the last couple of months."

Those last couple of months have seen Okada embrace villainy, as he has aligned himself with The Elite and has regularly taken shortcuts to retain his title.

"I've known Okada for over 15 years," Castagnoli continued. "I've known him since before he became The Rainmaker. I've known him since before I went to WWE, I think maybe even before I went to Ring of Honor. I've known him for a very long time. It was amazing to see his transformation into The Rainmaker and to see what he has achieved, and I've always tried to keep up with what's going on in the wrestling world. I was always curious to see how we would match up."

The opponent may be new to Castagnoli, but the location is all too familiar. Castagnoli vs. Okada goes down on AEW Dynamite's Welsh debut, as it is set to emanate from the Utilita Arena in Cardiff, Wales. Castagnoli last wrestled there in 2019 when he defeated Ilja Dragunov at NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff.

"It's always been amazing in Europe in general," Castagnoli reflected on competing in front of European crowds. "I have some very fond memories of live events there. I have really, really fond memories of my match with Ilja at that NXT Takeover. That match was very special to me and it was cool to get in the ring with him and see how good he is firsthand."

As of this writing, neither Castagnoli nor Okada is scheduled for AEW ALL IN: London, AEW's biggest pay-per-view event of the year, which goes down in just four days. When asked if a victory tonight would mean a defense at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, Castagnoli stayed quiet, but teased that something is in the works.

"I guess we have to wait and see," Castagnoli teased. "Right after my match, I'm going to go to Mexico City for the Grand Prix and then I'll come back for Wembley, so [I have a] full schedule. I'm super excited and I'm glad that the fans are still excited to see me wrestle. There's some good stuff in store."

Castagnoli challenges Okada for the AEW Continental Championship tonight on AEW Dynamite, which airs at 8 PM ET on TBS.

Ricky Starks has vanished. The Absolute One has not been seen on professional wrestling programming since March, when he and former tag partner Big Bill lost a tag title tournament contest. Just weeks prior to this, Starks and Big Bill were AEW Tag Team Champions and were regularly featured on AEW programming. Today, Big Bill is aligned himself with Chris Jericho, a hard pivot from his tag unit with Starks, while Starks has not been involved in anything on AEW television. This is a far departure from where Starks was this time last year, as he had won the 2023 Owen Hart Cup Tournament, was a centerpiece of AEW Collision, and was poised to headline AEW All Out against CM Punk.

Ricky Starks Garners "Significant Interest" From WWE NXT

Even amidst his absence, the greater wrestling world has its eyes on Pretty Ricky.

As reported by Fightful Select, there is "significant interest" within WWE, the NXT brand specifically, in signing Ricky Starks when he hits free agency. The report adds that Starks's former AEW colleagues and current WWE stars Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill have "spoken highly" about the former AEW Tag Team Champion's in-ring work.

There is no word as to when Starks's AEW contract is set to expire. Starks officially signed with AEW in Summer 2020 and recently surpassed four years with the company. His current situation seems to be a holding pattern between himself and AEW, as Starks emphasized that he is not injured and wishes to be back on AEW TV.

"I wish that I was on Dynamite. I wish I was on Dynasty. I wish I was on these things," Starks said in May. "I think at a certain point, just for my own sanity, I can't go too crazy about it because the proof is in my work and my effort that I've constantly given. I've constantly given 1000 percent effort. At a certain point, it's not in my control. I think that's the biggest lesson I have. Things are just not in my control, but the things that are, I try the hardest."

When asked about Starks's status earlier this summer, AEW President Tony Khan also responded enthusiastically about working Starks back into AEW plans.

"I think Ricky Starks is tremendous. I'd love to get him involved and back in AEW anytime," Khan said in June. "He's been a huge part of what we've done here for about four out of the five years. Tons of respect for him."

Stay tuned to ComicBook for updates on Ricky Starks's professional wrestling future.

John Cena's swan song is being conducted next year. This past July at WWE Money in the Bank, Cena made a surprise appearance before the Toronto crowd to announce that 2025 will host his farewell tour, as he will be retiring from in-ring competition next December. Cena emphasized that this farewell tour will stretch across the calendar, as he has plans to compete in one last Royal Rumble Match, one last Elimination Chamber contest, and of course one last WWE WrestleMania bout. When December rolls around, Big Match John as WWE fans know him will be done, but John Cena the person will continue to champion WWE in an ambassadorial capacity.

John Cena Reveals WWE Contract Status

Big Match John is poised to be a WWE lifer.

Speaking on Club Shay Shay, John Cena revealed that he has "already signed an extension" with WWE that will keep him in the family for the foreseeable future.

"I have such a trustworthy relationship with them. Over two decades. I am a champion of the brand. I love the company. It is my home. They are my family," Cena said. "Even after 2025, I've already signed an extension to remain a member of the WWE family for the near, mid, and long-term future. I don't think there will be a beat of my heart where WWE blood doesn't come out of it."

Cena had previously said that he and WWE were workshopping a schedule of 30-40 dates in 2025, those being a combination of televised appearances, premium live events, and house shows. The terms of Cena's post-2025 deal are likely akin to that of a WWE Legends contract, which basically allow retired talent to continue to be involved in merchandise opportunities as well as scheduled guest appearances at fan events and WWE television shows.

"I look forward to ending my participation in the ring in the best way that I possibly can. And being a member of the extended WWE family for quite some time," Cena said in a previous interview. "I have no intention on being physical in any way. No guest refereeing, no falling through an accidental table. None of that stuff. I will be a fan and an advocate, and that's it."

Cena's farewell tour kicks off in January 2025, with his first premium live event anticipated to be WWE Royal Rumble.

WWE NXT No Mercy is on the horizon, and tonight's episode of NXT solidified much of the card. Early on in the night a Gauntlet Elimination match revealed who Roxanne Perez's opponent for the NXT Women's Championship would be, and then the main event revealed that TNA's Joe Hendry will be challenging Ethan Page for the NXT Championship. In between those were even more Title match teases, and by the end of the night those were made official, as WWE added the North American Championship match between Oba Femi and Tony D'Angelo to the card as well as a Tag Team Titles rematch.

A Clash of Titans

During the episode the No Quarter Catch Crew came out to the ring and ended up being confronted by NXT North American Champion Oba Femi. Femi said that he has taken on quite a few challengers already during his time in NXT, and he wouldn't be adverse to taking on a Heritage Cup Champion in the future as well. They were then interrupted by The Family, who has a history with No Quarter Catch Crew and has actually been rather friendly with them over the past few months.

Upon hitting the ring, Tony D'Angelo even referred to Charlie Dempsey as mini Don, and that led Dempsey to assume D'Angelo was here for his rematch request over the Heritage Cup, as Dempsey beat the Don for the Cup previously (thanks to Wren Sinclair of course). D'Angelo then said he actually had his eyes on a bigger prize and looked at Femi, but then he also added that The Family doesn't forget, and after snapping his fingers his allies all attacked No Quarter Catch Crew for cheating in their previous match.

That led to a staredown between D'Angelo and Femi, and Femi struck first, kicking The Don and setting up for a powerbomb. D'Angelo was able to get to his feet, and then D'Angelo knocked Femi back and hit him with a powerbomb instead, flooring the Champion and shocking the crowd. Then D'Angelo picked up Femi's Title and teased what the future might hold, with the match being made official later in the episode.

Round 2

The second Title match confirmed during the episode was a rematch of Great American Bash. Earlier in the episode Axiom and Nathan Frazer confronted Chase U, who they were defeated by for the Tag Team Championships. Chase U said if they could defeat Duke Hudson and Riley Osborne, they might just get a second shot at those Titles at No Mercy, and that's exactly what happened. Axiom and Frazer were on a mission, and though Hudson and Osborne put up a good fight, the former Champs got the win.

Later in the episode, it was confirmed that the rematch would indeed be happening at No Mercy, so it will be Andre Chase and Ridge Holland defending their Championships against Axiom and Frazer. The previous match between these two teams was spectacular, and round 2 has the potential to be just as good if not better. You can check out the full current card for No Mercy below.

No Mercy Updated Card

• NXT Championship Match: Ethan Page (C) vs. Joe Hendry
• NXT Women's Championship Match: Roxanne Perez (C) vs. Jaida Parker
• NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Chase U (Ridge Holland and Andre Chase C) vs. Axiom and Nathan Frazer
• NXT North American Championship Match: Oba Femi (C) vs. Tony D'Angelo

Are you excited for No Mercy? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Orange Cassidy has been one of AEW's brightest stars over the past five years, uniting fans young and old with his unorthodox wrestling style. He's been in an interesting spot in AEW over the last few months after Trent Beretta turned on Best Friends and he faced Zack Sabre Jr. at AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door. He is currently aligned with Tomohiro Ishii, Kyle O'Reilly and Mark Briscoe, otherwise known as The Conglomeration.

Speaking to ComicBook in studio at San Diego Comic-Con, Cassidy discussed his future plans in AEW and who he most wants to face that he hasn't. The number one person on his list is AEW American Champion MJF as he isn't taking kindly to how he's defaced the International Championship.

"So I never had an answer to this because I don't want to wrestle anybody because I don't want to get beat up," Cassidy said. "Like, you know what I mean? So if I can avoid doing the hard stuff that I will, but if I have to, I will. MJF did some pretty disgusting things the past couple of weeks and I take a lot of pride in the International Championship and he kind of just ruined it. And, you know, if it wasn't for Will Ospreay going after him, I would have done something about it. So, MJF is probably on my hit list now."

Cassidy is a two-time AEW International Champion, one of those reigns is currently the longest-reigning, and Cassidy currently holds second place as well. The two wrestlers have faced one another once before in their careers, back in 2020 in the Dynamite Diamond Ring Finals. They are undoubtedly two different wrestlers at this stage of their careers as two of the top guys in AEW.

Both MJF and Cassidy will be featured on this weekend's AEW All In pay-per-view, but not against each other. MJF will defend the American Championship against the U.K.'s own Will Ospreay whom he previously beat for the championship. Cassidy won a coveted spot in the Casino Gauntlet for a championship opportunity. With AEW All Out just a few short weeks afterward, it's likely the match will take place there. He's competed in a World title match in AEW exactly one other time -- AEW Double or Nothing against then champion Kenny Omega and PAC.

Stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on AEW.

After several stars threw their names into the ring for a shot at the NXT Championship, Ava Raine made a Triple Threat Match official for tonight's NXT to decide who would take on NXT Champion Ethan Page at No Mercy. Wes Lee, Pete Dunne, and TNA's Joe Hendry would battle it out for the shot at Page's Championship, and the three stars didn't leave much on the table, delivering some truly impressive spots throughout. Page sat at commentary watching things play out, but at one point he couldn't help but meddle, pulling out the referee when Hendry was about to get the win. Page continued to interfere and cost Hendry a second victory, but then Trick Williams got some payback and helped Hendry get the win, making Page vs Hendry official for NXT No Mercy.

No Love Lost

Lee and Dunne both attacked Hendry right off the bat and then turned on each other before the bell rang, and then Hendry came right back and threw Dunne out of the ring before catching Lee and slamming him down. Henry hit Dunne with a vertical suplex and then got hit with a slew of strikes and a dropkick from Lee. Dunne got back into it and knocked Lee down before going back after Hendry, stomping on his hand.

Dunno and Hendry traded loud chops and then Lee ate a hard chop as well from Dunne. Lee reversed a move but then got slammed into Dunne's family jewels by a great move from Hendry, causing Dunne to roll out to the floor. Lee connected with a super kick on Dunne and then Hendry knocked both to the floor after going over top.

Back in the ring Lee and Dunne would battle for a bit and then Henry made his way back into the mix, though Dunne would connect with some hard shots on Hendry to take back control. Dunne threw Lee out of the ring and turned his attention towards Hendry, wanting Hendry until Hendry started hitting back with strikes and clotheslines. Henry took out both Lee and Dunne with a clothesline and then hit them with fallaway slams right after.

Henry picked up both stars and hit the double fallaway slam, getting the crowd on their feet. Henry got the crowd chanting and then went for the slam on both stars but Dunne broke it up. Henry went for it again but got rocked by Dunne, though Lee wiped out both of them, and all three stars were down on the mat. Dunne went to break Hendry's fingers and then got Lee in the hold too, bending both of their fingers back. Dunno then slammed Lee onto Hendry and went for a pin, but Lee kicked out.

Hendry Overcomes The Odds

Lee landed on his feet and took out Hendry outside, and then he had Dunne reeling a bit before hitting a DDT into a cover, but Dunne kicked out. Henry had Dunne up top at one point and slammed Dunne down, but Lee knocked his feet out from under him and hit the frog splash, though Hendry kicked out of the ensuing pin attempt. Dunno gabbed Lee's hand and broke the fingers, but Hendry met hm in th ring and hit the finisher into a cover, but Page pulled the referee out of the ring before the 3 count.

Henry slammed Lee down onto the announce table right after, clearly angered by Page's attempts at sabotage. In the ring Hendry hit Dunne with the slam again and went for the pin, but Page kept the second official from going to the ring. Henry was frustrated and then got hit with a slam by Dunne, though Trick Williams hit the Bitter End on Dunne and got the referee back in there, giving Hendry the win and the Title shot at No Mercy.

Then out of nowhere Zachary Wentz ran in and attacked Lee, getting some payback for his betrayal a few weeks ago. We'll likely see those two battle at No Mercy too, but right now that match isn't official.

What did you think of the match? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

It was finally time for the WWE NXT No Mercy Gauntlet Eliminator Match, which would have six women batting for the right to take on Roxanne Perez for her NXT Women's Championship at NXT No Mercy. The women in that battle included Sol Ruca, Wren Sinclair, Kendal Grey, Adriana Rizzo, and Brinley Reece, who was subbed in after Karmen Petrovich was attacked backstage. After a thrilling battle, the final two women left standing were Ruca and Parker, and the two would come close several times before Parker sealed the deal and got the win. It will now be Perez vs Parker for the NXT Women's Championship at No Mercy.

Ruca vs Sinclair

Sol Ruca and Wren Sinclair started things off, with Sinclair kicking out of a quick cover. Sinclair and Ruca traded holds and reversals, and then Ruca went for a crossface but couldn't lock it in. Sinclair did lock in a single leg crab though, and was able to then get another submission locked in from there. Sinclair went for yet another submission right after, though Ruca was able to go for a cover attempt and break free. A collision between the two brought the next superstar out.

The next superstar in the math was Rizzo, who hit the ground running an knocked both Sinclair and Ruca to th eat with big suplexes. Rizzo connected with a punch to the head on Sinclair but then missed Ruca, though she did hit a big slam into a pin attempt just a few moments later. Rica managed to get an inside cradle on Rizzo but Rizzo kicked out and brought Ruca down, though Ruca got Rizzo up and to the mat with a powerslam to get the first elimination.

New Challengers

Next in was Reece, who came in like a rocket and floored both Sinclair and Ruca. Reece's speed and energy was on display right away, as Ruca couldn't quite slow her down before Reece went for a cover. Reece missed Ruca shortly after though and hit the ring post, though that didn't slow her down much at all. Sinclair tried to pin Reece but she came back with a double clothesline and a slams for both Sinclair and Ruca.

Next in was Grey, and Grey slammed Reece down and then followed up with slams for Ruca and Sinclair. Grey reversed a move up top and then sent Sinclair flying, and then another duplex followed for Reece before slamming her down for a cover, eliminating Reece from the match. Grey tried to pin Sinclair but despite that not working out, Grey still threw both superstars to the mat before hitting a springboard cutter. Grey tried to take down Ruca but Ruca countered with a slam to the mat face-first and a submission. Grey managed to get away and Ruca slammed Sinclair down before lifting up Grey and throwing her over to the floor. Rica went up top and knocked down both superstars, and then it was time for Jaida Parker.

The Final Two

Parker came in and threw Ruca and Sinclair into the barricades before rolling Grey into the ring. Parker lifted up Grey and slammed her back into the turnbuckle before the chop and slam combo. Parker slammed Grey down and went of the pin, eliminating Grey. Sinclair tried to pin Parker but Ruca hit a Soulsnatcher on Sinclair and got the elimination.

That left Ruca and Parker as the last two, and Parker stopped Ruca's springboard maneuver and slammed her down for a pin, but Ruca kicked out. Parker got slammed down by Ruca and pinned but Parker grabbed the bottom rope to break it. Ruca went up top but missed, and then hit a suplex on Parker. Rica missed the next attack though and hot hit with the huge hip charge, and Parker got the final elimination and is challenging Perez for the Title at No Mercy.

What did you think of the match? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

With 2024 winding down so is AEW's current contract with Warner Bros. Discovery. They have been in constant negotiations for much of this year with AEW President Tony Khan speaking highly of the ongoing relationship between both companies. While some previous reports said AEW were "disappointed" with the offer on the table, Fightful Select is now reporting that sources claim that at one point AEW was offered "at least double" of what their current deal is said to be. While there are no public numbers, that's still a major increase for the young promotion. It is unclear whether or not that number includes the many projects AEW has going or Ring of Honor which Khan currently owns. He previously indicated that they'd been negotiating for ROH to be part of their next deal.

Earlier this month Khan made the media rounds and teased that AEW's most important deal is "imminent." He explained that he believes their relationship is only getting stronger as time passes. With WBD officially losing rights to the NBA, it gives AEW even more leverage to broker a higher deal. They'd obviously be looking to fill that void on TBS but losing AEW would be a punch to the gut as well.

"They really want us here, which is very exciting and we're just working through it. There's a lot to figure out," Khan told ComicBook in July. "We're doing three TV shows, totaling five hours of television per week. I think the quality of Dynamite right now is as good as it's ever been. It's great being here on TBS and TNT. I think there's more possibilities, lots more things we can do together.

In the meantime, AEW is headed back to the U.K. this week for the first-ever AEW Dynamite/Collision in the U.K. as well as the second-ever AEW All In. The overseas reactions to professional wrestling have proven widely successful across the board as fans are chomping at the bit to see more of it. For AEW, while they make not be back in London for AEW All In next year, Khan has talked about further plans to come back.

AEW has a number of stadium shows planned for 2025 including the Tokyo Dome with a special new collaborative pay-per-view featuring multiple companies. There are also reports that AEW may be headed to another popular wrestling destination in 2025, although that has yet to be confirmed.

Stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on AEW.

This Wednesday night AEW will be live from Cardiff, Wales at the Utilita Arena for their first-ever AEW Dynamite in the U.K.. The event has nearly sold out of tickets as of this writing, with a current 4,110 distributed according to WrestleTix's latest update. Some of AEW's biggest stars will be on the show, including Will Ospreay and AEW American Champion MJF who will be going face-to-face ahead of their title re-match at AEW All In this weekend. Toni Storm will also get one final title defense in against Saraya before she meets her former mentee Mariah May in Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

AEW's trips overseas have proven to be extremely beneficial for them as they follow in the footsteps of WWE who have been doubling the amount of non U.S.-based shows over the last year. While they won't be back in London for AEW All In next year, AEW President Tony Khan has promised that they will be back thereafter. Recent reports have also indicated AEW might be trying to head to another popular wrestling destination in 2025, but that has yet to be confirmed.

How Will AEW Dynamite Air in the U.S.?

For those not attending the show live, it leaves a lot of questions on the table, especially for those that don't live overseas. The show will be on tape delay as it is filmed at 6 p.m. U.K. time which is 1 p.m. ET. For those in the United States, AEW Dynamite will air at its regularly scheduled time on TBS, 8 p.m. ET despite the tape delay. POST Wrestling has confirmed that it will be much of the same for Canadian residents who watch AEW via TSN 2, as well as AEW Plus subscribers on Triller TV. While AEW Collision doesn't air until Saturday, fans will be treated to a doubleheader with the Dynamite/Collision combo, so avoid spoilers online as much as possible.

Other matches currently announced are AEW Continental Champion defending against Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Jericho facing recent AEW-signee Tommy Billington. For Collision, the final spot in the huge trios ladder match will be determined via a "wildcard in Cardiff" match. AEW will be back to normal beginning next week when they head to Champaign, Illinois on the road to AEW All Out happening shortly after All In.

AEW All In Current Card

• AEW Women's World Championship: "Timeless" Toni Storm (c) vs. Mariah May
• AEW American Championship: MJF (c) vs. Will Ospreay
• AEW Tag Team Championships: Young Bucks (c) vs. The Acclaimed vs. FTR
• Casino Gauntlet Match
• AEW World Championship: Title vs. Career: Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Bryan Danielson
• TBS Championship: Mercedes Mon? vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
• Zero Hour: Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway
• TNT Championship: Jack Perry (c) vs. Darby Allin
• AEW Trios Championships London Ladders Match: The Patriarchy vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House of Black vs. TBD
• FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (C) vs. HOOK

Stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on AEW.

AEW's Willow Nightingale has been in an intense feud with her TBS Champion and best friend Kris Statlander for quite a few months. Things got sour between them after Stokely Hathaway began meddling in their friendship, eventually leading to him attacking her at Double or Nothing in May. Statlander consoled her friend but it turns out it was all a ruse. She ended up kicking her down, soldifying her heel turn and allowing Mercedes Mon? to win the TBS title.

At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, ComicBook sat down with Nightingale to discuss her boiling personal feud with Stat and where she foresees it going from here. "You know, I think there are so many things that people can think when they hear wrestling," she said. "They think of the rage, the anger, the highs and the lows, but like heartbreak is a hard one. That's a hard one to move on from and Kris Statlander is somebody I was friends with for so long, like even before there was an AEW.

To be backstabbed by her, to have a big moment and have it kind of like interfered with and like her muddle it, it hurts. So, you know, I could be a mature adult and move on and try and find another friend, but this is professional wrestling. I'm channeling the heartbreak into rage and I want to beat her up. Obviously, I'm not the one who calls the shots. I can't just be like, 'give me a match!' But I'm hoping my boss will schedule something that is particularly violent because that is the mood I'm in when I see Kris Statlander."

Nightingale will get that opportunity this weekend at AEW All In London live from Wembley Stadium. Teaming with Tomohiro Ishii against Stokely and Statlander, the two will finally meet in the ring after months of building. Statlander previously cheated to earn a CMLL World Women's Championship opportunity against Nightingale. AEW All In takes place live on pay-per-view starting Sunday, August 25 at 12 p.m. ET for those in the United States. This will be the second time AEW has held a stadium show in the United Kingdom, the first being last year's inaugural AEW All In show. That will change next year when they go to Texas instead, but AEW President Tony Khan has reassured fans they will be back in the U.K. soon.

Stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on AEW.

WWE is making its biggest television pivot yet. Earlier this year, the global leader in sports-entertainment landed a deal with Netflix to bring its flagship show, WWE Monday Night Raw, to the streaming service beginning in 2025. This marks the first time in the red brand's multi-decade history that it will air outside of traditional cable television. Buzz surrounding the shift has been big, as fans and talent alike are clamoring for the expanded audience Netflix's platform will bring the product as well as its opportunity to deliver an edgier, unrated product on a weekly basis.

The Undertaker Wants a Two-Hour WWE Raw on Netflix

The Deadman has one suggestion for WWE Monday Night Raw's move to Netflix.

Speaking on his Six Feet Under podcast, The Undertaker revealed he personally spoke to WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levseque to inquire as to if WWE Monday Night Raw would revert back to a two-hour broadcast after the Netflix move.

"I saw Paul, Triple H, at the end of the night [at WWE SummerSlam]. That's a lot of wrestling for be to attend on my schedule these days. I went up to him, gave him a hug. Told him bye. I said, 'Alright, I'll see you at Mania.' He got what I was saying. The whole time I sat up at Gorilla Position with Paul and Bruce Prichard and then myself, we're sitting up there," Taker said. "I was like, 'This show's really three hours long?' I know it is, but I was just like, 'When you guys go to Netflix, is this show going to cut back down to two hours? Three hours, why three hours?' It's been three hours forever now, but I was just kind of trying to stress the point of three hours is a lot of wrestling on a Monday night."

WWE Monday Night Raw expanded to a three-hour broadcast in Summer 2012 and has operated as such ever since. While fan sentiment surrounding the lengthy runtime has always been polarizing, WWE has never entertained the idea of changing it largely due to the extra advertising dollars that that third hour brings in. On Netflix, commercial breaks are not something WWE has to consider. The ad-supported tiers will still see commercials, but those spots are no longer paying for the product, as Netflix's subscriber fees cover it.

WWE Monday Night Raw moves to Netflix in January 2025.

Dominik Mysterio is bent on getting a victory over his deadbeat dad. Back at WWE Clash at the Castle 2022, the second-generation wrestler turned on his father, Rey Mysterio, attacking him in front of the Welsh crowd and joining The Judgment Day in the process. This began an eight-month long feud between the two, which culminated at WWE WrestleMania 39. Despite Rey's insistence that he would not fight his son, he was pushed beyond his breaking point weeks before the Showcase of the Immortals and agreed to a match, which he won. This past July, Rey defeated Dominik once again in singles competition on WWE Monday Night Raw.

Rey Mysterio Pitches Mask vs. Mullet and Mustache Match

When that third bout between father and son comes, the legendary luchador wants some substantial stakes.

Speaking to ComicBook at Fanatics Fest in New York City, Rey Mysterio revealed that he is willing to put his mask on the line in a third bout against Dominik Mysterio.

"If that trilogy does happen, and when it does, I am willing to put my mask on the line," Rey said. "And he loves his mullet so much, so I would be expecting for him to put his mullet on the line. That or his Dirty Sanchez (mustache)."

Rey responded enthusiastically when ComicBook's Liam Crowley suggested both Dominik's mullet and mustache are put up for grabs in this hypothetical threequel.

Dominik is currently entangled in inter-faction warfare within The Judgment Day. Earlier this month at WWE SummerSlam, Dominik turned on longtime partner Rhea Ripley and officially aligned with WWE Women's World Champion Liv Morgan. Hours later, Finn Balor cost Damian Priest the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. This led to a new-look Judgment Day forming, that being the unit of Dominik, Morgan, Balor, Carlito, and JD McDonagh while Ripley and Priest have broken off into their own two-man power trip known as The Terror Twins.

Rey has often stood opposite The Judgment Day during the past couple of months but has not been involved in a substantial premium live event feud since WWE WrestleMania 40, when he and Andrade teamed to defeat Santos Escobar and Dominik. At 49 years old, Rey's career is beginning to wind down, and he nearly considered hanging up his mask in 2019, but Dominik ultimately convinced him to stay in the ring. Rey has had over 250 matches since and has spent limited time on the shelf.

Moments after John Cena announced his in-ring retirement tour, speculation ran wild regarding who his final opponents will be. Stars from across the industry have campaigned to go one-on-one with Big Match John, including WWE Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker and TNA's Joe Hendry, but one name has always been the common denominator of fan conversation: Randy Orton. Per CageMatch.net, Cena and Orton have wrestled each other in a singles capacity on 123 occasions, with their first encounter going down in 2001. Their feud truly began at WWE SummerSlam 2007 when they squared off for the WWE Championship. The two would go on to have ten total matches against one another on pay-per-view, and their most recent televised encounter went down on February 2017 edition of WWE SmackDown.

Randy Orton Spoke With John Cena About One Final Match

The Viper has Big Match John in his sights.

Speaking on What Do You Wanna Talk About? with Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton revealed he caught up with John Cena this past July at WWE Money in the Bank just minutes before Cena announced his retirement tour.

"I saw John before he went in there and did his retirement speech. I hadn't seen him in a while. I didn't know he was going to be there. We caught up in like ten minutes. For all I knew, he was going to be around, like me, for as long as his body will permit him to," Orton said. "Of course, he has other things going and this is my life. Hats off to him doing the Hollywood thing. If I could, I would, but that takes a lot and I have other priorities, and I don't think I have it to give."

Orton went on to gauge Cena's interest in a final match between the two, but Cena emphasized that he leaves any and all creative plans up to the WWE creative team.

"I said, 'What do you think?' He said, 'Randy, I've never pitched anything. I always do my best with whatever they give me,'" Orton continued. "I'm like, that's me. I've never had a pitch. I've never set myself up to be let down. 'Hey writers, here is a six page storyboard of everything I want to do for the next six months.' Not once. I've always been very fortunate. They give me what they give me and I do the best I can with it. That's what he does. When I brought it up to him, I felt kind of like a mark. He shut it down right away and said, 'If creative comes up with it, maybe we'll do it.'

"I would love to work with the man and have a couple of TVs or more to set it up and really make something special of it. No matter how much we faced each other back in the day, almost to the point where people were sick of it, when people look back and think of it, 'Orton and Cena was this amazing rivalry.' We can go out there, have some fun, and tear the place down. I would love to do that. I guess, according to John, if it organically happens, it'll happen. I think it'll happen. I think it's in the cards."

Cena's farewell tour kicks off in January 2025.

On tonight's WWE Raw CM Punk got right to it after his assault on Drew McIntyre last Monday. Last week he whipped "The Scottish Warrior" with his own belt, leaving his body bloody and bruised. Their feud has gotten extremely personal over the last few months as McIntyre has been walking around with Punk's bracelet that includes the names of his wife and dog. It's obviously about much more than a couple of beads, their match at SummerSlam was just the beginning of what's to come. When Punk entered the ring he had pieces of leather draped around his neck -- straps -- revealing he had a "special announcement" for fans.

He talked about the chaotic weekend at Fanatics Fest NYC where he got to meet many members of the WWE Universe, some who traveled far and wide just to see him. He doesn't want fans to think he takes their support for granted, discussing a specific fan who told him she just beat cancer. It hits home for him as he has several people in his life going through their own battles. Then he gets to the strap -- since McIntyre is such a big fan of his and wants to be tethered to him, he lays out the challenge for a Strap match, an underutilized match concept in WWE that Punk knows quite well.

BREAKING NEWS: CM Punk gets the rematch against the Scottish Warrior ... a STRAP MATCH at #WWEBash! ? pic.twitter.com/XdznGJ9XfG

-- WWE (@WWE) August 20, 2024

Punk has competed in a few Strap matches in his wrestling career, the latest being in 2009 against Umaga, his final WWE match. In 2022 McIntyre competed in his first Strap match against Karrion Kross at Extreme Rules. In order to win the match, one of the two competitors must touch all four corners of the ring to beat their opponent.

Things will surely get brutal as they battle it out, Punk more laser-focused than ever. McIntyre doesn't want to wait a week to get his hands back on Punk, however, instead he offers to give the fans in attendance a show. Punk tries to broker a deal with him for the bracelet, but McIntyre denies it, agreeing to face him in the match.

The Bash in Berlin Premium Live Event is shaping up to be pretty memorable with several key matches coming out of SummerSlam. First, the Terror Twins -- Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley -- were blindsided by their Judgment Day stablemates, and they are out for vengeance. They will tag team against two of their biggest rivals at the moment, Women's World Champion Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio.

As for titles, Gunther is putting the World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Randy Orton who feels he deserves a rematch after the faulty ending of King and Queen of the Ring. If he wins, he could become a 15-time World Champion, second place behind John Cena and Ric Flair. Cody Rhodes will also defend the title in which he currently holds against one of his strongest allies, Kevin Owens.

Stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on WWE.

WWE is set for another shakeup beginning on tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw. The Royal Rumble in January marked the return of Pat McAfee behind a WWE commentary desk after missing nearly all of 2023. He has been a regular member of the commentary team with Michael Cole on WWE Raw ever since, but that all changes tonight. McAfee announced via social media that he will be taking an indefinite hiatus from the WWE Universe following tonights episode. "I'm very bummed out that tonight will be my last trip to that wonderful WWE family for a while," he said in the video.

While he didn't give an exact reasoning, it's safe to assume that his leave is in part due to the college and professional ffall sports season amping up. McAfee has a number of hosting duties, including ESPN's weekly College GameDay show which is set to get underway this weekend. If that and his hit daily show The Pat McAfee Show don't keep him busy enough, he also regularly does NFL coverage.

Even though McAfee is leaving the desk, he has a legendary replacement in veteran ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Joe Tessitore. He will begin commentary duties on WWE Raw in September alongside Corey Graves and Wade Barrett, revealed in a previous press release. Cole will be the head of the blue brand, SmackDown, though it us unclear who will join him at this time. McAfee closed out the video with a heartfelt message to WWE and its fans."football season is starting, which is awesome, but the WWE family is where I'm supposed to be," McAfee added. "And I know that, and I hope they do too."

Tonight's WWE Raw will get underway with CM Punk who has a message for "The Scottish Warrior" after his assault on Drew McIntyre last week. Not only that, Randy Orton is back on Raw to address the WWE Universe after his actions from last Monday night when he RKO'd Gunther ahead of their title match at Bash in Berlin. If that wasn't exciting enough, the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships will be on the line when Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn put them on the line against Damage CTRL and Pure Fusion Collective's Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark.

WWE Raw goes down every Monday night at 8/7c on USA. In the meantime, stay tuned to ComicBook for all the latest news and updates on WWE.

For the past several months WWE and TNA have been working together in what has become an incredibly fruitful partnership. TNA stars like Joe Hendry, Jordynne Grace and the Rascalz have all made appearances on WWE television, growing their fanbases to new heights. With more options to explore it has led to many wrestlers hoping to get in on the new era, including some former WWE talents. Matt Cardona for example (WWE's Zack Ryder) has been vocal on social media about wanting to return to WWE in some capacity and TNA may just be the gateway.

Matt Cardona on Wanting To Wrestle in NXT

Cardona has been out of action for the past few months after suffering a torn pectoral injury during a match when he clotheslined someone over the top rope. Although he hasn't been wrestling in the ring, he has made several appearances including in GCW as general manager. After just four months of the projected six to eight, Cardona is set to return to the ring very soon. One of his goals upon his return is to continue his partnership with TNA.

"I have so much more I want to accomplish. I see that TNA is absolutely killing it with NXT, I wanna be a part of that," Cardona told Sports Guys Talk Wrestling. "I want to get back in TNA, especially when SDL, my partner, my property, is marrying PCO behind my back. I gotta go and see what's up over there" (h/t: Fightful).

Since his release from WWE in 2020 Cardona has done everything in his power to remain a huge name in the professional wrestling-sphere. He immediately took over the independents wrestling in every company against their top stars. It led him to a few AEW appearances and even to this day he is still doing just as well as he was then. He was teaming with his wife and fellow wrestler Chelsea Green for a beat, however when she officially re-signed with WWE he found a new partnership with Steph De Lander.

Prior to his injury he reappeared in AEW to face Adam Copeland as part of his "Cope Open" challenge for the TNT Championship, a match that he had been hoping for since he originally signed with WWE. As far as TNA goes, Cardona's first match back will be at the upcoming TNA Emergence pay-per-view against PCO on August 30th. Check out the current card for TNA Emergence below..

TNA Emergence (Current Card)

• TNA World Championship One Hour Iron Man Match: Nic Nemeth (c) vs. Josh Alexander
• X-Division Championship Ultimate X Match: Mike Bailey (c) vs. Zachary Wentz vs. Riley Osborne vs. Jason Hotch vs. TBD vs. TBD
• Jordynne Grace and Spitfire (Jody Threat and Dani Luna) vs. Ash By Elegance, Alisha Edwards, and Masha Slamovich
  
• Matt Cardona vs. PCO

Stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on TNA.

Japanese female wrestling superstar Giulia officially bid farewell to the fans at today's Marigold event at Korakuen Hall. She will soon head overseas to compete in WWE, a groundbreaking signing for the company and women's wrestling as a whole. Rumors sparked when Rossy Ogawa was ousted from STARDOM as a co-founder, only for him to create his own promotion with many of the original STARDOM girls. Speculation about him making deals with WWE ran rampant over social media and while he denied the talent tampering allegations, he did later explain he had contact with WWE CCO Paul "Triple H" Levesque.

Giulia and Ogawa made an appearance at WrestleMania 40 earlier this year where the multi-time women's champion appeared on screen at an NXT event. Since then, several WWE stars, including NXT Champion Roxanne Perez, have called out Giulia to come and wrestle them. She was expected to remain in Japan until she fulfilled her prior obligations with Marigold which was technically today as she wrestled in her finals singles match. After her win over former Donna del Mondo stablemate Mai Sakurai, fans paid their respects with colorful streamers and chants of her name. She promised those in attendance that she would come back a "superstar."

Giulia's WWE Debut

Giulia is one of several women expected to debut with WWE in the near future, alongside former CMLL star Stephanie Vaquer and Delta. While she had her major send-off this morning, she does still have one date left to fulfill before she makes the trek to the United States. On August 25 she will host a gauntlet match where each woman in Marigold will have exactly one minute a piece to wrestle her. She called out women from other companies to compete in the gauntlet, including Ice Ribbon star Tsukasa Fujimoto.

Just a few short days after that NXT will be in Denver, Colorado for NXT No Mercy where Perez will defend the NXT Women's Championship. A Gauntlet Eliminator to determine her challenger will take place on tomorrow night's NXT with Jaida Parker, Karmen Petrovic, Wren Sinclair, Kendal Grey, Sol Ruca and Adriana Rizzo. Previous reports indicate they want to get Giulia into the fold as soon as possible and debuting her at a major Premium Live Event certainly sets the tone for her upcoming journey in WWE.

Stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on WWE.

Former AEW Trios Champion Jay White has been on the shelf with an injury to his foot causing the "Bang Bang Gang" to be stripped of the championships effective immediately. In their absence a new set of champions was crowned -- The Patriarchy's Christian Cage, Killswitch and Nick Wayne -- but they have remained feuding with the former champs. At AEW All In, Juice Robinson and The Gunn's will challenge for the belts in a giant London Ladder match. The Patriarchy must defend against them, House of Black and one other surprise trio.

White's time off has certainly been felt by fans who are wholeheartedly behind the beloved group. They may not have to wait long to see him back in action, however, if new reports are any indication. Fightful Select is reporting that White is healed and being factored into plans to return to AEW television "soon." While there's no specific date or even a timetable to go by, Fightful claims he was never slated to be sidelined long anyway which likely means it wasn't a super serious injury.

If he makes it back in time for AEW's trip to the United Kingdom, he could appear as soon as this upcoming week's AEW Dynamite in Cardiff, Wales. Previous reports stated that AEW All In is scheduled for 10 to 12 matches and with the addition of the trios match that takes the card to 10. It's unclear if that number includes Zero Hour or not, but White could easily fit onto the card regardless.

AEW All In is shaping up to be a worthwhile event with many exciting title matches. By the end of the night there could be one -- or many -- new champions carrying AEW into the new era. Two of those matches include women who have historically been an afterthought in AEW. Over the last year that has certainly begun to shift, especially since Mercedes Mon?'s signing in March. Bryan Danielson will also challenge for the AEW World Championship but there are extra stakes added to the match as it will be Swerve's title against Danielson's career. Check out the full card for AEW All In below.

AEW All In (Current Card)

• AEW World Championship Title vs. Career Match: Swerve Strickland (c) vs Bryan Danielson
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Toni Storm (c) vs Mariah May
• AEW American Championship Match: MJF (c) vs Will Ospreay
• AEW TBS Championship Match: Mercedes Mone (c) vs Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D.
• AEW TNT Championship Coffin Match: Jack Perry (c) vs Darby Allin
• AEW Trios Championships London Ladders Match: The Patriarchy (c) vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House of Black vs. TBD
• FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. HOOK
• Casino Gauntlet Match: Orange Cassidy vs. TBD
• Mixed Tag Match: Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway
• AEW Tag Team Championships: Young Bucks (c) vs. The Acclaimed vs. FTR

Stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on AEW.

Fans in attendance and at home were surprised with a real treat when Arn Anderson showed up in support of Cody Rhodes at WWE SummerSlam. He accompanied Rhodes ahead of his match against Solo Sikoa, giving him words of encouragement and handing off Pharaoh so he could make his entrance. The moment was brief but heartwarming and emotional for fans that have watched his journey back to WWE. Anderson was a big part of Cody's AEW run, managing him as part of the Nightmare Factory. When Rhodes opted to head back to WWE in 2022, Anderson remained where he was until the remainder of his contract ran out earlier this summer.

Rhodes turned the wrestling world into a frenzy when he hinted at possibly wanting a "classic wrestling manager" and considering Arn was so integral to him in AEW, fans quickly connected the dots. Arn discussed the tender moment on his podcast and how exactly his SummerSlam appearance came to be. He explained that while he was already in town for SummerSlam weekend meeting fans, he received a text from Rhodes early in the morning that he describes as "like it's in code."

Arn Anderson on Attending WWE SummerSlam for Cody Rhodes

"It was like, 'We had a conversation, Triple H and myself. Wonder what we could do to maybe have you come to one of the shows.' According to his text, Triple H said that 'maybe some of the young guys and ladies have met [Arn], so maybe it would be a nice treat.' It wasn't like I was going to be the only legend there," Anderson said on his ARN podcast. "He said, 'What do you think?' I said, 'I'd always be interested in saying hello to you and some type of cameo,' so he put me in touch with Benjamin Brown. He's the one that takes care of some of the lost treasures on that show. Got a hold of me, 'Yes, would love to have you. Fly you in. Bring a guest'" (h/t: Fightful).

Rhodes went on to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship with the help of some surprising faces and he's now headed to Bash in Berlin to defend against one of those helpers -- Kevin Owens. Also set to take place is a World Heavyweight Championship match between Gunther and Randy Orton, cashing in his rematch from the questionable King of the Ring ending. Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest will go up against their former Judgment Day member Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan, both of whom turned on the "Terror Twins" at SummerSlam.

Stay tuned to ComicBook for news and updates on WWE.