AEW Roster & Champions

SPOILER: Click to show

AEW World Champion
Samoa Joe

AEW Women's Champion
"Timeless" Toni Storm

TNT Champion
Christian Cage

TBS Champion
Julia Hart

AEW Tag Team Champions
Ricky Starks & Big Bill

AEW Trios Champions
Bullet Club Gold (Jay White & The Gunns)

AEW International Champion
Orange Cassidy

AEW Continental Champion
Eddie Kingston

FTW Champion
HOOK

Elite Roster
Action Andretti
Adam Cole
Adam Copeland
Adam Page
Alex Reynolds
Angelo Parker
Anthony Bowens
Austin Gunn
Bandido
Big Bill
Billy Gunn
Brody King
Bryan Danielson
Cash Wheeler
Chris Jericho
Christian Cage
Chuck Taylor
Claudio Castagnoli
Colten Gunn
Daniel Garcia
Dante Martin
Darby Allin
Darius Martin
Dax Harwood
Deonna Purrazzo
Dr. Britt Baker, DMD
Dustin Rhodes
Eddie Kingston
Ethan Page
Evil Uno
Hikaru Shida
HOOK
Jack Perry
Jake Hager
Jamie Hayter
Jay Lethal
Jay White
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Jarrett
John Silver
Jon Moxley
Juice Robinson
Julia Hart
Keith Lee
Kenny Omega
Killswitch
Komander
Konosuke Takeshita
Kota Ibushi
Kris Statlander
Kyle O'Reilly
Lance Archer
Malakai Black
Mariah May
Matt Hardy
Matt Jackson
Matt Menard
Matt Sydal
Matt Taven
Max Caster
Mike Bennett
Miro
MJF
Nick Jackson
Nyla Rose
Orange Cassidy
PAC
Penta El Zero Miedo
Powerhouse Hobbs
Queen Aminata
Rey Fenix
Ricky Starks
Riho
Roderick Strong
Ruby Soho
RUSH
Sammy Guevara
Samoa Joe
Saraya
Satnam Singh
Serena Deeb
Skye Blue
Sting
Swerve Strickland
Tay Melo
Thunder Rosa
Toni Storm
TRENT
Wardlow
Wheeler Yuta
Will Ospreay

ROH Roster & Champions

SPOILER: Click to show

ROH World Champion
Eddie Kingston

ROH Women's Champion
Athena

ROH Television Champion
Kyle Fletcher

ROH Tag Team Champions
Vacant

ROH Pure Champion
Vacant

Honor Roster
Abadon
Anna Jay
AR Fox
Athena
Anthony Ogogo
Billie Starkz
Bishop Kaun
The Blade
Blake Christian
Boulder
Brian Cage
Bronson
Bryan Keith
The Butcher
Cole Karter
Danhausen
Dutch
EJ Nduka
Griff Garrison
Harley Cameron
Isiah Kassidy
Johnny TV
Josh Woods
Katsuyori Shibata
Kiera Hogan
Kip Sabian
Kyle Fletcher
Lee Johnson
Lee Moriarty
Leila Grey
Leyla Hirsch
Marina Shafir
Mark Briscoe
Mark Davis
Mark Quen
Megan Bayne
Mercedes Martinez
Mike Santana
Nick Comoroto
Nick Wayne
Ortiz
Penelope Ford
Preston Vance
Red Velvet
Scorpio Sky
Serpentico
Shane Taylor
Taya Valkyrie
Toa Liona
Tony Nese
Vincent
Willow Nightingale
Yuka Sakazaki

BREAKING: Tony Khan Steps Down As Head Of Creative; Will Remain Owner & President
Tony Khan announced today that he will be taking a step back from his involvement with All Elite Wrestling, mainly by removing himself from his role as head of creative at the company.

Khan has come under fire in recent months by fans and analysts alike, saying for months or years that Khan has taken on too large of a role at AEW. Apparently Khan has heard the criticism and taken it to heart, and is shaking things up backstage to try and zap some new life into the company.

"I will be stepping down as head of creative at AEW and handing the reigns over to the extremely talented and capable people that want AEW to be the best wrestling company in the world," Khan stated in a press release posted on X, formerly Twitter. "I hear you. I understand where the fans are coming from and want them to know that I listen, I hear you, and I want AEW to be the best it can be and the product you all enjoy week in and week out. If that means I have to stand aside, then I am happy to do that."

Khan referenced his latest "earth-shattering announcement" on the Nov. 1st episode of Dynamite, where he announced that tickets for All In at Wembley in August 2024 would be going on sale early. This did not sit well with fans, and it opened the flood gates to criticisms about how stale and directionless the product has become. AEW talent not being utilized, storylines being pushed hard for a short time then forgotten, the lack of female talent on screen...these are just a few of the main complaints that have haunted AEW for years now, and it appears that Tony has finally heard them.

There is no word on how creative will be handled going forward, but not to be outdone, Tony Khan had one more jab at the fans after his press release:

Awesome.

RT, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with this.

AEW Dynamite: Nigel McGuinness & Christopher Daniels Named GMs; Update on AEW's Future
Last night on a what felt like a reboot of sorts, Nigel McGuinness was named the General Manager of AEW. McGuinness addressed the audience in attendance and the fans at home at the beginning of the episode, taking just a few minutes to fill everyone in.

"As General Manager, I have the honour of being entrusted with the everyday workings and ins and outs of AEW, working with the immense talent behind the scenes, to give you the very best product in wrestling. With any luck, AEW will be unlike anything else on the planet under my watch, and I will give everything I have to make sure that happens."

"So let's get down to business. I am going to have a lot of announcements and things to say in the days to come, but for now, let's get the boring stuff out of the way."

"While I am the General Manager of AEW, there will also be a General Manager of Ring of Honor. After discussing with several of my peers backstage, there was only one name that made sense and one person who we all knew could make ROH what it deserves to be: Christopher Daniels."

Daniels joined McGuinness and gave the fans something they had been waiting to hear since ROH was acquired by Tony Khan in 2022.

"Effective immediately, Ring of Honor will branch off from AEW and be it's own entity. The talent that makes up the ROH roster will be hand-picked by myself and a select few, and only those worthy of fighting for honor will be lucky enough to step foot in our ring. There, some of the very best talent on the planet will fight for honor, in the hopes that they will one day become...Elite."

McGuinness then continued..

"Due to this decision, the current Ring of Honor champions will be offered a choice. They may remain champion and fight in the Ring of Honor exclusively, or they can remain in AEW and vacate their titles. All champions will be given until next Wednesday to decide."

"Now there are still many questions unanswered, and believe me we will do everything we can to address these in the coming days. But for now, we've gabbed on long enough, and it's time to get on with it."


AEW Dynamite Match Results - Nov 8th, 2023
Skye Blue & Willow Nightingale def. Red Velvet & Kiera Hogan
Willow was suspicious of Skye all match, but between her amazing talent and Skye's new brutal attitude, they came away with a relatively dominant win. But then, after the match, Skye Blue hit the blue mist on Willow. As she left the arena, Julia Hart appeared and tried to embrace her, but Skye brushed her off. Julia Hart then cackled on the stage while Willow was tended to by Aubrey Edwards, Red Velvet & Kiera Hogan.

Claudi Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta def. Daddy Magic & Cool Hand Ang w/Anna JAS
The match was essentially a squash and afterwards, Anna JAS looked disgusted with her counterparts. Noticing this, Claudio whispered something to Wheeler, who nodded in agreement. Claudio then motioned for Anna to join them, and without much enticing, Anna left with Claudio and Wheeler...

Orange Cassidy & HOOK def. The Acclaimed w/Daddy Ass - AEW Trios Championship Eliminator Match
Cassidy & HOOK earn a trios title shot with a partner of their choice. Tony Schiavone entered the ring to ask them who they would choose, however before they could decide, Danhausen returned to his evil music, and was not looking like his very nice self. He carried a metal spike to the ring and without saying a word, jammed it into HOOK's forehead! Stunned by this, OC almost suffered the same fate, but managed to escape the ring and help HOOK to safety. The crowd absolutely lost it as Danhausen brought the spike down towards HOOK again, but missed and drove it into the canvas.

Swerve Strickland w/Mogul Embassy def. Action Andretti
Another quick match that was incredibly unfair. Swerve immediately called out Hangman, who responded, but as Swerve was surrounded by the entire Mogul Embassy, The Young Bucks intervened and held Hangman back. Exclaibur then commented that either The Elite need more backup, or Hangman has to get Swerve alone to exact his revenge. There will be no in-between.

Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher def. Chris Jericho & Paul Wight
A warm up before the 4-on-4 battle next week saw two halves of each team fight in a traditional tag match. And to the surprise of everyone (except Don Callis), Takeshita and Fletcher came away with the win when Fletcher dodged a Knock Out Punch from Wight that connected with Jericho. Then, as Callis gloated about how young, up-and-coming talent SHOULD beat 'a washed up rock star and an old giant that hasn't wrestled in years,' the beat down began. Sammy Guevara & Powerhouse Hobbs rushed the ring, followed closely by Kenny Omega but the 4-on-3 beat down was too much. With Ibushi not yet in the country, and nobody left that wants to have Omega & Jericho's backs, Omega, Jericho & Wight were dismantled by The Don Callis Family to close out the show.

Notes & Extras
During commercial break after Anna JAS headed backstage with Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta, Toni Storm approached the group and attempted to congratulate Anna on her new outlook. However Anna brushed her off and continued walking, leaving Toni to turn to the camera and strike a pose. Behind Toni, Claudio tapped Anna on the shoulder and motioned to Toni. After thinking for a moment, Anna struck Toni in the back of the head with an elbow strike, putting Toni on the ground and out of commission. Claudio and Wheeler smiled.

*****

After being attacked by Danhausen, HOOK was seen backstage getting stitches in his forehead. Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, TRENT & Kris Statlander were all seen talking nearby when Lexi Nair approached and asked HOOK if he could answer some questions. HOOK brushed her off, clearly still angry, but TRENT and Chuck Taylor stepped up, saying that Danhausen clearly had a problem. They felt betrayed, but had expected something like this. Danhausen is very evil, after all. TRENT offered to take on Danhausen on Rampage, but HOOK stood up and shoved him aside. He grabbed the microphone and pulled it close to his lips, then said "nobody fights my battles for me. My dad taught me a lot but something he said to me once stuck with me. It was: 'finish what you started, and finish anyone that starts something with you.' So Danhausen, show up on Collision for a Brooklyn Street Fight, and remember something else my dad said: 'Beat me if you can...survive if I let you!'"

*****

Samoa Joe appeared in another pre-taped video sitting in a penthouse, smoking a cigar, and sipping on an expensive whiskey. This 'Kingpin' version of Joe as fans had dubbed him, had the ROH Television Championship sitting on a table in front of him, displayed for all to see. Joe said the following:

"So Tony stepped aside, huh? Doesn't surprise me. I never respected him. I always knew he was too weak to run MY show. The King of Television is more than enough for one man to handle, and I'm just one man in a sea of many. Good riddance to him, but now I got bigger fish to fry."

"I've been given an ultimatum, as have the other Champions with honor: appear on Ring of Honor exclusively, or stay the course and hand over my title. The new head hanchos had to step in and shake things up, eh? Well good for them. Can't say I wouldn't have done the same. But here's the thing: I don't need a week to make up my mind. I saw something like this coming and made up my mind the second I became Ring of Honor Television Champion...and that's if you want my title, COME AND TAKE IT."

*****

Before the main event, MJF's music hit and the AEW World Champion entered to a huge ovation. MJF cut a promo that started out light-hearted, talking about his upcoming title match at Full Gear with Jay White, talking about how 'your scumbag' has a target on his back the size of Samoa Joe's ass, and talking about how 'even though I was against it at first, scissoring isn't actually that bad. Always try new things, kids.'

But his demeanor turned somber as he looked down at another title on his waist. MJF removed his ROH Tag Team Championship belt and held it firm in his grasp. The crowd immediately realized where this was headed. MJF turned to the camera..

"Adam, I know you're at home watching. I know you know what I'm going to say. You're my best friend, and I love you..."

MJF placed his ROH Tag Title belt on the canvas, then removed the AEW World Championship title and held it up to the camera.

"...but I love this more."

MJF then dropped the mic, leaving the ring and the ROH Tag Team title behind...

I love the idea of Anna Jay joining the Blackpool Combat Club, I'm definitely looking forward to see what you have planned for her and the group as a whole.

Of course I write a segment about Samoa Joe refusing to give up the TV title then in real life he immediately vacates it. :lol:

ROH Women's Championship
Athena (c) def. Billie Starkz

ROH Pure Championship
Wheeler Yuta (c) def. "Filthy" Tom Lawlor

ROH Television Championship - Survival Of The Fittest Match
Kyle Fletcher (c) def. Dalton Castle, Lee Moriarty, Komander, "Big Shotty" Lee Johnson & "The Bounty Hunter" Bryan Keith

ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship
The Mogul Embassy (Brian Cage, Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun) (c) def. TMDK (Shane Haste, Kosei Fujita & Bad Dude Tito)

AAA Mega Championship
Vikingo (c) def. Black Taurus

#1 Contendership to the ROH Women's Championship
Nyla Rose def. VertVixen

Grudge Match
Keith Lee def. Shane Taylor

Special Six-Man Fight Without Honor for Jay Briscoe
Dem Top Guys (Mark Briscoe & FTR) def. Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli)

Notes & Extras
After the historical main event, Athena, Billie Starkz & Lexi Nair hugged it out and sent the fans home happy. No telling who will be able to end Athena's historic reign as ROH Women's Champion. Nyla Rose earned her shot, and the former AEW Women's Champion is hungry for gold, but Athena looks unstoppable.

.....

After defeating Tom Lawlor, Wheeler Yuta was confronted by FTW Champion HOOK. Yuta challenged HOOK to a match for the FTW title at World's End, which HOOK accepted.

.....

Eddie Kingston made an appearance, lamenting over his poor start in the Continental Classic tournament. As the ROH World Champion and NJPW Strong Champion, he can feel the titles he worked so hard for slipping out of his grasp. But he's still alive, and warned that from this point forward his opponents will have to kill him before he will be eliminated.

.....

Keith Lee and Shane Taylor showed respect after their match six years in the making. Could we see a reunion of The Pretty Boy Killers?

.....

Before their six-man tag match, Blackpool Combat Club cut a promo, and in the background we saw Anna Jay dressed in a black track suit beating the absolute shit out of a heavy bag. Her training seems to be coming along much quicker than expected.

.....


Tony Khan Announces More Changes To Come in 2024
With Ring of Honor seeing a slight bump in activity and ratings since the announcement that it would essentially become AEW's developmental brand, the little company that could had their final PPV of 2023 and it was quite a success all things considered. A women's main event, a push of young up-and-coming talent, and everything you would expect out of the ROH brand we all knew and loved in the 2000's was on full display. It appears to be in safe hands with GM Christopher Daniels at the helm and ROH is on an upswing for the first time since being acquired by Tony Khan.

Speaking of, TK announced at a press conference for World's End that things would continue to shake up in AEW and ROH in 2024, but didn't get into any specifics. Khan did say that he was pleased with his newly-appointed GMs and that the future of AEW and ROH was as bright as ever. He also commended Nigel McGuinness for a job well done and was very impressed with the Continental Classic tournament, a brain child of Nigel McGuinness and unlikely co-creator Bryan Danielson.

Unfortunately the press conference came with bad news, that being that Kenny Omega is out of action indefinitely due to an emergency medical procedure. Again Khan did not go into specifics, but said that they were doing everything they could to ensure that Omega would make a full recovery and be back in an AEW ring as soon as possible. Omega and Chris Jericho were the #1 Contenders to the AEW Tag Team titles, and Khan announced that Chris Jericho would be allowed to find a partner to replace Omega in the match.

Khan finally added that in talks with Nigel McGuinness, they decided that World's End would be the perfect place to have every AEW title on the line in one show, and be the "season finale" to 2023 and mark the dawn of a new era in AEW. While the full card has not yet been finalized, the following info was released after the press conference:

AEW World Championship
MJF vs. Samoa Joe

Continental Classic Finals
Winner to become the first AEW Continental Champion & modern North American Triple Crown Champion
(AEW Continental Champion, ROH World Champion & NJPW STRONG Champion)
Blue League Winner vs. Gold League Winner

AEW Women's Championship
"Timeless" Toni Storm (c) vs. Riho

AEW Tag Team Championship
Big Bill & Ricky Starks (c) vs. Chris Jericho & TBD

TBS Championship
Julia Hart (c) vs. TBD

TNT Championship
Christian Cage (c) w/Nick Wayne & Killswitch vs. TBD

AEW Trios Championship
The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass (c) vs. Top Flight & Action Andretti

FTW Championship
HOOK (c) vs. Wheeler Yuta

BREAKING: AEW Rings in the New Year with Massive Buy-Outs; Details On Expiring Contracts
Jacksonville, FL - In an unexpected press release dropped this morning, AEW has announced that the following superstars will be receiving contract buy-outs for the purpose of terminating their contracts:

Aaron Solo
Angelico
Ari Daivari
Buddy Matthews
Diamante
Emi Sakura
Paige VanZant
Parker Boudreaux
Peter Avalon
Rebel
Stu Grayson

It was noted in the statement that while these contracts will be terminated immediately, these performers may still appear in AEW or ROH and be paid on a per performance basis.

Also it was confirmed that the following stars had not renewed their expiring contracts with AEW, and would be free agents as of today:

Andrade El Idolo
Shawn Spears
QT Marshall

And finally, it was noted that the following names had been removed from the AEW roster page for the purposes of commiting to a backstage role full-time and were still with the company. This happened when Christopher Daniels and Nigel McGuinness became GMs, and it appears these names will not be appearing in an AEW or ROH ring going forward in order to commit to their other jobs:

Brandon Cutler (Executive Producer)
Colt Cabana (Trainer/Coach)
Madison Rayne (Trainer/Coach)
Shawn Dean (Talent Coordinator)





Ring of Honor Website Gets an Overhaul; Roster Page Updated
For the first time since being bought out by Tony Khan, the Ring of Honor website has been given a complete overhaul. On the website the only things that can be seen are the ROH logo pictured above, an updated roster page, and a "History of ROH" section detailing the company's storied 20+ year history.

On the roster page it is noted that the following stars will be appearing exclusively on Ring of Honor going forward, and the sentence "they will learn to fight with Honor before they can become Elite" is front and centre. It appears ROH has become AEW's full-time developmental territory, something many fans have been expecting since the buy-out.

The names are as follows:

Abadon
Anna Jay
AR Fox
Athena
Anthony Ogogo
Billie Starkz
Bishop Kaun
The Blade
Blake Christian
Boulder
Brian Cage
Bronson
The Butcher
Cole Karter
Danhausen
Dutch
EJ Nduka
Griff Garrison
Harley Cameron
Isiah Kassidy
Johnny TV
Josh Woods
Katsuyori Shibata
Kiera Hogan
Kip Sabian
Kyle Fletcher
Lee Johnson
Lee Moriarty
Leila Grey
Leyla Hirsch
Marina Shafir
Mark Briscoe
Mark Davis
Mark Quen
Megan Bayne
Mercedes Martinez
Mike Santana
Nick Comoroto
Nick Wayne
Ortiz
Penelope Ford
Preston Vance
Red Velvet
Scorpio Sky
Serpentico
Shane Taylor
Taya Valkyrie
Toa Liona
Tony Nese
Vincent
Willow Nightingale
Yuka Sakazaki

WON: Details On AEW/ROH Shake-Up
With the surprise announcement on New Year's Day, Dave & Bryan had an unscheduled WOR episode to detail as much information as they could give on the situation. Things are still changing but the highlights are below:

-Dave says the buy-outs are Tony Khan being generous with talent that committed to the company. He said that is not something he had to do and could have just let the talent run out their contracts, but he wanted to let them leave in good spirits. He says that Buddy Matthews had requested his release some time ago and Tony asked that he at least stay until the end of 2023.

-He expects that there will be more buy-outs to come. The roster has been bloated for some time and needs trimming, and this gives Tony and the performers more flexibility, especially since he is open to per performance payments.

-The buy-outs were for the full contract amount, something that is unprecedented in this industry. Bryan praises the decision and laughs when he says the term "worker's rights."

-ROH becoming developmental is a great step. Dynamite & Collision can become more streamlined now and give younger talent somewhere to shine.

-They both speculate that some kind of television or streaming announcement is coming for ROH. Dave says there are "substantial rumours" that the episodes will air on YouTube on a weekly basis until something more concrete arrives. Tony wants to have some kind of income from ROH and YouTube ad revenue is enough to keep him happy for now.

-Dave says that he knows for a fact that both Mark Briscoe & Kastuyori Shibata requested to go to ROH full-time. He expects that Shibata will work a light schedule at first and may bring his LA Dojo to television.

-Bryan asks if Samoa Joe is going to come after Kyle Fletcher now that he has his TV title. Dave suspects that he won't since he won the AEW World Championship at Worlds End. Bryan says he was kidding. Dave coughs loudly.

-Bryan wonders aloud if Eddie Kingston will be required to perform on ROH as the World Champion, and wonders why he wasn't stripped like Samoa Joe was when he didn't give up the TV title. Dave says they must have decided since Eddie put the world title on the line in the CC that that was good enough. He says the Triple Crown and AEW Continental title are more important, but it is something to keep an eye on.

-Bryan says a developmental territory without a world title is a bad thing and they wrote themselves into a corner. Dave agrees.

-Dave likes that names like Anna Jay and Nick Wayne, who were part of groups in AEW, are showing that no one is safe and will be sent to ROH if development is needed. Bryan likes the fact that there will be stable representation across both brands.

AEW Trios Championship
Bullet Club Gold def. The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass
Excellent trios match that absolutely brought some life back into the division after becoming an afterthought since the Best of 7 between The Elite & Death Triangle. It was a huge back and forth with lots of drama between Billy Gunn and his sons, double and triple team spots, and a wild ovation when Jay White squared off with Billy Gunn. When it was all said and done, with Rock Card Juice Robinson watching from ringside, Jay White & The Gunns took advantage and took gold for the first time as a trio.

Dr. Britt Baker, DMD def. Ruby Soho
After several months away from television for personal reasons (and perhaps some overlooking), Dr. Britt Baker returned to Dynamite to a huge ovation, and made somewhat quick work of Ruby Soho. Saraya tried to get herself involved to give Ruby an upperhand, but Baker took out months of frustration on one half of The Outcasts and damn near ripped her jaw off with the Lockjaw.

"Hangman" Adam Page def. TRENT w/Chuck Taylor
Solid back and forth between two AEW vets. Match wasn't anything to write home about but was a damn entertaining 10 minute brawl. TRENT held his own but Hangman's wrath was too much and his new mustache too powerful. Buckshot & a Deadeye for good measure put TRENT away as Chuck Taylor could only look on.

TBS Championship Eliminator Fatal Fourway Match
Kris Statlander def. Skye Blue, Emi Sakura, & Nyla Rose
The opening bout saw four women vying for the TBS Championship determine the new #1 Contender to Julia Hart's title. With three of the most powerful women in AEW history in the ring, Skye Blue seemed out of her element but tapped into that dark side just a little further to hold her own. Unfortunately it wasn't enough, and while she almost had the match won after hitting a Code Blue off the top rope on Nyla Rose, Stat had other plans and got the win with The Big Bang Theory.

Notes & Extras
HOOKHausen, I Guess (HOOK, Danhausen & Orange Cassidy) had a shot at Trios gold but came up short against The Acclaimed two weeks ago. After the match, Bullet Club Gold made their return to Dynamite and dismantled The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass. Jay White informed the masses that their waists were made for gold and made good on his claims. Reacting out of anger, The Acclaimed put their gold on the line to get BCG in the ring, which proved to be a costly mistake.

*****

After the match between Britt Baker & Ruby Soho, Saraya helped her defeated partner to the back. Just as they exited, the screen above the stage flickered to life and a very familiar silhouette appeared of a woman striking a pose. The words "COMING SOON" then appeared and the screen went dark.

*****

After defeating TRENT, Hangman got on the mic and said his rampage will not end until he gets Swerve Strickland back in this ring. Swerve entered to a tremendous applause and a loud "SWERVE'S HOUSE" from the crowd. Swerve said he was getting sick of reminding Hangman who's house it was, and that he has already beaten him twice. Swerve doesn't owe Hangman a damn thing, and he's focused on one thing and one thing only: the AEW Championship. Hangman says if he wants that title he has to go through him, and Swerve holds up two fingers and says "I already did. Twice." before dropping the mic and leaving a frustrated Hangman in the ring.

*****

After Kris Statlander became the #1 Contender to the TBS Championship, Julia Hart snuck into the ring and hit the black mist on her. The crowd booed as Statlander writhed in pain in the ring, and commentary speculated if this would have the same affect that it had on Skye Blue.

*****

Eddie Kingston cut a promo from an empty staircase with his three belts on display behind him. Kingston talked about winning the Continental Classic and how much it meant to him, and said he would do everything in his power to bring prestige to these titles. He knows how people view him, always thinking the worst, thinking he is underserving, and maybe they're right. But he's been proving people wrong his entire life and he ain't about to stop now. Kingston then announced that he would be defending the three titles separately, not as a Triple Crown, saying that in order to maintain the prestige of becoming the stateside Triple Crown Champion, one would have to earn it one at a time like he did. After Kingston's promo, Excalibur announced that there would be tournaments held in both ROH and NJPW Strong to determine the #1 Contenders to each respective title.

*****

The return video package of Serena Deeb aired again, this time ending with her return announcement. Deeb will be appearing this week on Collision!

*****

AEW World Champion Samoa Joe appeared via pre-recorded video, in his usual suite with his cigar, whiskey, sharp suit & AEW World title on prominent display. Joe said that after he walked into Daily's Place and said he wasn't going to listen to whiners and complainers, and rankings be damned, old Tony had to go and announce that the ranking system was coming back in full force. Joe says he's barely been champ a month and the powers that be already think they can tell him what to do. Nobody tells him what to do, and he doesn't care who claws their way out of the masses and steps up to him first. He's a fighting champ and he's ready to knock anyone back into the mud where they belong.

ROH Television Championship
Kyle Fletcher (c) def. El Vikingo del Hijo
Great high-flying match with tons of smooth high spots. In the end Fletcher defended his title successfully, despite the crowd's wishes. Fletcher flipped off the audience as he exited with the strap dragging behind him disrespectfully.

ROH World Championship #1 Contender's Tournament
Tony Nese def. Johnny TV w/Taya Valkyrie
In a surprise twist, it wasn't "Smart" Mark Sterling causing the outcome of this match, but Dalton Castle's Boys. The duo took advantage of a referee distraction to attack Johnny TV, connecting with a double superkick that gave Nese an opening to roll him itno a small package for the win.

ROH World Championship #1 Contender's Tournament
Mark Briscoe def. Blake Christian
An excellent bout between the old and new of ROH. Blake Christian held his own and even looked like he might pull off an upset, but Briscoe was too wiley for him and got the win with the Jay Driller.

Billie Starkz def. Red Velvet
Red Velvet's first match in ROH did not go as planned when The Minion proved to be a far tougher opponent than expected. The former #1 Contender to the ROH Women's title lived up to her name and impressed everyone, showing she hasn't lost a step since her defeat at Final Battle.

Anna Jay def. Penelope Ford
An excellent opener that drew the crowd in and ended with them on their feet applauding. Neither woman has lost a step and appear to have improved in a lot of ways, especially Anna Jay. Her training is paying off and she looks far more tuned and vicious in the ring, and when it was all said and done Jay got the win after escaping the Rings of Saturn and knocking Ford out cold with a Roundhouse Kick.

Notes & Extras
In an attempt to big league Ring of Honor, Kyle Fletcher announced he would not be appearing on ROH TV despite the fact he was the ROH Television Champion. Fletcher felt he was above ROH and viewed the fact he was put on the roster as a demotion. GM Christopher Daniels put a stop to that immediately, stating that if Fletcher did not live up to his end of his contract, he would be stripped of the TV title and suspended indefinitely. Thank goodness Daniels stepped in too, because Fletcher and Vikingo put on one hell of a match.

*****

After Tony Nese defeated Johnny TV, knocking him out of the World Championship tournament, Dalton Castle appeared on stage and applauded while laughing maniacally. Castle has had it out for Johnny TV ever since he eliminated him from the ROH TV title match at Final Battle, and it looks like this feud isn't going to end until these two tear each other down entirely.

*****

Mark Briscoe raised Blake Christian's arm after their match, and microphones at ringside picked him up saying "kid's got a bright future here," while leaving the ring.

*****

After her win over Red Velvet, Billie Starkz was viciously attacked by Nyla Rose! The Native Beast stormed the ring and laid waste to Starkz, holding her hostage until the ROH Women's Champion Athena would come out and face her. Athena did not give in to Rose's demands, which Rose expected, and she stomped on Starkz's arm before leaving, possibly snapping it in half. It appears Nyla Rose has chosen to join ROH and wants to be the one that dethrones the undefeated Athena.

*****

Eddie Kingston's staircase promo from Wednesday re-aired, where Kingston announced the three titles he holds will be defended separately. This led to Kevin Kelly announcing that next week's #1 Contender Tournament matches would be Brian Cage versus a returning Anthony Ogogo, and Shane Taylor versus Josh "The Goods" Woods.

*****

There was also a backstage interview with Willow Nightingale who said she was putting the entire ROH women's locker room on notice. When asked if she felt coming to ROH was a demotion after a run in AEW, Nightingale said no, that she saw this as an opportunity to become an even better performer and prove she can be the best women's wrestler in the world. Nightingale was then confronted by Leila Grey who scoffed at Nightingale, saying she wasn't welcome here, and that if she wanted to prove herself she could do it against The Baddie next week.

*****

Another video package also aired mid-show, this showing The Righteous walking in a field somewhere sunny and warm. Dutch walked with his hands on his jacket as always, and Vincent spun in circles with his arms open and flowers in his dreadlocks. They took turns speaking, saying that they felt free for the first time in their lives, that ROH gave them a chance to be reborn yet again, and this time it felt like they could truly be themselves. The camera then pans across the field to a rundown, abandoned cemetery with crumbling headstones and broken wooden crosses strewn about. Vincent kneels down and picks up one of the broken pieces of wood that is very similar to the block of wood they used to perform a hobbling on Rampage. Vincent raises the block of wood above his head and Dutch takes it from him, smiling wide and cackling.

FTW Championship
Jack Perry def. HOOK (c)
The surprise appearance of Jack Perry received an incredible reaction from the AEW crowd. The red hot audience was extremely mixed for Perry, but their endless chants and shouting was not enough to distract him from the task at hand. Jack Perry left Collision with the FTW Championship over his shoulder, handing HOOK his second straight loss and taking the prize created by his own father.

#1 Contendership to the AEW Women's Championship
Deonna Purrazzo def. Riho
Hard-hitting match and Purrazzo gets the W. Crowd was split 50/50 on both women and Purrazzo was gracious in victory by helping Riho to her feet afterwards.

Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs def. Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara
Since reuniting for the third or fourth time (we lost track), Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara have been struggling to find their footing. This was a good back and forth match but Takeshita and Hobbs have proven they are just on another level, and overpowered Jericho & Guevara to get the win.

Serena Deeb def. Queen Aminata
Serena Deeb returned to an AEW ring for the first time in over a year, and she hasn't lost a step. The rising star Queen Aminata held her own and got some offence in, but the Professor was simply not losing this match, and had an answer for everything Aminata threw at her. Deeb won with a Triangle Choke and flexed on the crowd to celebrate before leaving.

Miro w/CJ Perry def. Keith Lee
Collision kicked off with BIG MEATY MEN and the "MEAT" chants were deafening as Miro and Keith Lee took one another to the butcher shop. Incredible back and forth with neither man giving an inch for most of the match. Miro attempted the Game Over twice, but Lee was too big to properly get the hold locked in and it looked like Lee might pull off the win, but Miro surprised him with a Machka Kick right on the button and Keith Lee was knocked out cold.

Notes & Extras
After coming up short against Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship, HOOK issued an open challenge for his FTW Championship the following week. That was answered by Jack Perry, who entered to Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River" and a heavily mixed reaction from the crowd, but a loud one. Chants of "CM Punk" and "Real Glass" echoed through the arena, and at one point the crowd even broke out singing, singing the aforementioned song.

After the episode ended, Jack Perry posted his first tweet in months. It was a photo of his torn up AEW contract from his appearance at NJPW Battle in the Valley with the caption "Fuck The World."

*****

Toni Storm was on commentary for the #1 Contendership match and after Purrazzo won, Storm entered the ring and threw a shoe at Purrazzo's head. The distraction was enough for Storm to pounce and she landed a few hard shots on Purrazzo before Riho intervened and dragged Storm off. Toni Storm turned her wrath on Riho, but Purrazzo got back to her feet and decked Storm in the back of the head, then locked her in an Armbar to send a message. Storm escaped with help from Luther and Mariah May, and was furious as she was helped to the back.

*****

Chris Jericho was visibly upset after losing to Hobbs and Takeshita. Guevara attempted to cheer him up and console him, but Jericho walked away. He didn't appear angry or frustarted with Guevara, but rather guilty, like he was taking the blame for their loss, and taking it hard.

*****

As Serena Deeb left the arena after her victory, the same silouhette that appeared on the screen on Dynamite popped up on the screen, again with the words "COMING SOON." Whoever is behind this has put the AEW women's locker room on notice.

*****

Miro's first win since reuniting with CJ Perry was an impressive one, but he still appears to be skeptical of his wife and manager. Perry raised his arm after the match but the side-eye Miro gave her was one to be reckoned with.

*****

Jon Moxley appeared live and cut a promo in the ring, putting the AEW locker room on notice. Said he is setting the pace in 2024 and it's up to the rest of them to keep up. He said AEW has gotten soft, and too many bodies backstage are treating this place like a vacation spot. Moxley said that isn't respectful, that isn't what this business is about, and that isn't Elite. Huge cheers as he left through the crowd.

Posted by malakaiblxck via Instagram



And then there were Three.

When a member of your family leaves on their own terms, the hurt seems to be more cruel and unfair. As if they are saying you are not good enough. You are not worthy. You are not who I choose.

There may be good reasons why they leave, and you may still want them to be happy, and still love them. But that does not make the pain any easier, or feel less targeted.

When a dead branch falls from a great oak, the oak only becomes stronger. And a new branch will grow in its place.

Expect us to grow. AEW will live in the shadow of an even stronger oak. Our power will only become greater.

The House Always Wins.