At this past weekend’s AAA on Fox show, Bronco Nima was defeated by Penta in the show’s main event, which led to Bronco Nima being removed from Los Perros del Mal in a move that shocked a lot of fans.

However, it has now become clear exactly why Bronco was removed from Los Perros del Mal on AAA, as he has made his way up to the WWE main roster as part of a new faction.

Royce Keys & OTM Form New Faction To Close WWE Raw

Several weeks ago, Royce Keys was taken out of action by an attack by Jacob Fatu following their Street Fight main event, with Jacob locking in the Tongan Death Grip on Keys after the match.

Keys had not been seen on WWE Raw for weeks, but he reappeared with some new friends to close out tonight’s WWE Raw show.

The main event saw the Usos face off with LA Knight and Solo Sikoa, but the match didn’t reach it’s conclusion after Keys would return and put the Usos and Solo Sikoa through the barricade.

Keys did not come alone though, as Bronco Nima and Lucien Price of OTM joined in on the attack, with the three men laying waste to the Usos, Sikoa and Knight to close the show.

A Much Needed Shot In The Arm For WWE Raw’s Tag Division

With the arrival of OTM on Monday Night Raw, a new credible tag team has been added to the mix to add a shot in the arm to Raw’s ice cold tag division.

OTM’s arrival could see them face off against a number of duos on Raw, including matches with the likes of the Usos, the Judgment Day and new alliances between the likes Ethan Page and Rusev or the potential reunited Lucha Bros.

SmackDown’s tag team division is also set to see some new additions in the form of Shinsuke Nakamura and the debuting Kyoki (Hiromu Takahashi) in the coming weeks.

OTM were unable to capture the NXT Tag Team Championship during their time in NXT, with the group challenging for the titles on a number of occasions.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

In recent weeks, a tournament has been taking place on WWE Raw and in AAA to determine Roman Reigns‘ next challenger for the World Heavyweight Championship.

The tournament featured 8 of WWE’s top luchadores; Penta, Laredo Kid, La Parka, Psycho Clown, Dragon Lee, El Hijo de Dr Wagner Jr, Rey Fenix and El Fiscal, with the winner of the tournament facing Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship on the September 14 episode of Raw in Mexico City.

Rey Fenix vs. Penta Set For Tournament Final

The semi-finals of the tournament took place tonight on Raw, with Rey Fenix facing Dragon Lee and La Parka facing Penta.

The first match of the night saw Rey Fenix pick up the win over Dragon Lee in an incredible outing from both men to advance to the final, while Penta would pick up the win over La Parka later in the night.

Due to their respective victories, the Lucha Brothers will officially meet each other in the ring for the first time in their WWE careers, with Penta and Rey Fenix facing off in the final next week on Raw.

WWE announced that Roman Reigns will be appearing on the show to watch the final between Fenix and Penta.

Will Penta vs. Rey Fenix Lead To The Lucha Bros Reunion?

Ever since both Penta and Rey Fenix debuted in WWE, fans have been waiting to see the Lucha Bros finally reunited as a team on the WWE main roster.

While Penta and Fenix have been separated by brand over the past year and a half, it seems as though the duo may finally be set to reunite as a team soon.

Firstly, Penta and Fenix will team with Dragon Lee against Los Perros del Mal at AAA’s Ola de Calor show this Sunday in a six-man tag team match.

Also, with Roman Reigns set to be at next week’s show, we could see the Usos also get involved in the tournament final, either at his request or against his orders.

With Penta now in the Bloodline’s crosshairs, it would be a surprise if we don’t leave this angle with a match between the Lucha Bros and the Usos, potentially at Worlds Collide in Chicago.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

Back at the Great American Bash event in June, Kendal Grey would defeat Lola Vice to begin her first reign as NXT Women’s Champion.

After winning the right to get a rematch for the title, Lola and Kendal had a rematch in an Underground match on the August 4 episode of WWE NXT, with Kendal defeating Lola to retain the title, Lola’s first loss in the Underground.

The match was Lola’s final match in NXT, with her also wrapping up with AAA prior to the match when her and Mr. Iguana lost the AAA Mixed Tag Team Championship to La Hiedra and Laredo Kid.

Lola Vice To Debut On September 14 WWE Raw

It had been reported last week that Lola Vice had filmed vignettes for her main roster call up, with fans speculating which brand she would land on, as her real-life boyfriend Damian Priest is part of the SmackDown roster, while the Raw women’s division is in need of names more.

The answer was revealed on tonight’s episode of WWE Raw, when a vignette aired teasing the arrival of Lola Vice to the red brand.

The vignette ended with the date ‘9/14’, which is the date of the WWE Raw episode in Mexico City.

WWE Raw Needs More Than Lola Vice

The WWE Raw women’s division has been crying out for new faces for months now, with the same 7 wrestlers being cycled in and out of the division.

Lola being added to the roster is a help, but the division desperately needs more than just her addition, as Lola will currently struggle to find momentum in the division given how baron it is, and WWE not wanting to beat a lot of the current names in the division.

After firing most of it’s midcarders, Lola will almost have to instantly be thrust into high profile angles against the likes of Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Stephanie Vaquer and Becky Lynch, all of whom shouldn’t be losing too many matches.

WWE will hopefully eventually realise that it’s women’s divisions need midcard depth, but with the way TKO operates nowadays, the women that fill those spots get phased out due to not being pleasing enough for the company’s analytics department.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

On last week’s episode of SmackDown, after weeks of teases by Shinsuke Nakamura, his new tag team partner was officially revealed as former New Japan Pro Wrestling star Hiromu Takahashi, now going under the name ‘Kyoki’.

Kyoki and Nakamura are set to be a tag team on the SmackDown brand going forward, and while the duo has not yet officially debuted, Kyoki has now competed in his first WWE match.

Kyoki Makes WWE In-Ring Debut

Prior to tonight’s WWE Raw and SmackDown double taping in Ottawa, Kyoki was in a dark match prior to the show, where he defeated Kit Wilson in singles action.

It is not known whether or not the match was simply a dark match, or if the match was taped to air as part of this week’s episode of WWE Main Event.

Both the Raw and SmackDown rosters are on hand for tonight’s double taping, with a double taping of Raw and SmackDown also set for this Friday in Cleveland, Ohio.

WWE is reportedly set to attempt to put more focus on it’s tag team divisions in the coming months, with the new look MFTs and the new alliance between Kyoki and Shinsuke Nakamura set to be big parts of the SmackDown division following Kyoki’s debut and the return of Haku.

Will Kyoki Be A Hit In WWE?

With a number of recent signings and call ups failing to make an impact on the WWE main roster, questions will emerge about whether or not Kyoki will be a hit in WWE.

While the Ticking Time Bomb undeniably has the charisma and in-ring capability to succeed, it is up to the company to feature he and Shinsuke prominently to allow him to get over.

One ‘person’ that didn’t appear during the vignette was Daryl, Hiromu’s plush cat, who would likely become an instant hit on SmackDown much like Mr Iguana’s La Yezca if WWE lets Kyoki bring him along for the ride.

Pairing him up with an established name like Nakamura will ease Kyoki onto the show, with fans being able to see what he’s capable of in short bursts as they get to know the latest international star.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

For over five years Adam Pearce has been an authority figure on WWE TV, and currently holds the position of Raw General Manager.

Before his time in a suit however, Pearce was a prolific wrestler on the independent scene, wrestling for notable promotions such as Ring of Honor and NWA, the latter of which he was a World Champion five times.

With Pearce now strictly focused on his managerial role and work behind the scenes, rather than competing in the ring, the 48-year-old has admitted that he does not keep up with any wrestling from NWA or any other promotion outside of WWE.

Speaking with Love Wrestling, Pearce said:

“This will piss wrestling fans off but I will tell you the truth. If my fingerprints are not on the product, I do not watch the product.

“And people do not believe me when I say that but I have not watched a second of wrestling outside of Raw or SmackDown or Saturday Night’s Main Event or a pay-per-view or PLE that I’m working on. Because I am passionate and devoted to my company.

“I am a company man, corporate through and through. I know who signs my check and I do as they say and collect my pay.”

If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

Pearce’s SmackDown counterpart Nick Aldis is also a former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, and he recently got the chance to wrestle his first match in WWE at SummerSlam 2026 Night One, when he took on GUNTHER.

During the same interview, Adam Pearce addressed his in-ring future in WWE following Aldis’ recent comeback – click here for full details.

An Abundance Of Choice In Modern Wrestling

Much like most forms of entertainment these days, there is an abundance of choice when it comes to pro wrestling content.

WWE alone have five weekly televised shows, with PLEs, Saturday Night’s Main Events, social content and reality shows such as LFG sprinkled on top.

The most dedicated fans will find time for AEW, ROH, NJPW, TNA and maybe even more, but your average fan likely has to pick a company and stick with it, and WWE is obviously the biggest in the world, meaning that is the one most will gravitate to.

For wrestlers and those that work in a wrestling company, there is a likelihood that they too would stick to who they work for, as the free time they do get outside of work likely isn’t going to be spent trawling through every other promotion’s weekly programming.

So while Pearce may get some stick for his comments, it’s totally understandable on many different levels.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

Dating back to the latter years of his AEW run, many fans have cried out for Cody Rhodes to turn heel. While it’s unclear whether WWE or Rhodes himself has any plans to follow through with those potential plans, one line from Cody’s promo on the August 20 episode of SmackDown certainly raised a lot of eyebrows.

During his exchange with Randy Orton, Rhodes told his mentor that he would be the one to take him out for good, adding that that “wasn’t just a prediction, it’s a spoiler.”

This line is of course one Paul Heyman has used several times over the years, and it was enough for the fans in Toronto to audibly gasp in wonderment regarding whether it was a tease for a Rhodes and Heyman allegiance.

The latest episode of Busted Open saw Bully Ray analyse Rhodes’ line and whether it could lead to that long-awaited heel turn for ‘The American Nightmare.’

While he praised the line, he warned WWE that a moment as significant as Rhodes’ turn would have to match Hulk Hogan joining the NWO at Bash at the Beach 1996, or it would be “all for naught.”

“Got people stirred up, got people talking, got people gasping. Love it. What if Paul is not going to align himself with Bron (Breakker)? What if Paul is not going to align himself with Oba (Femi)? What if Paul is going to finally align himself with Cody?

“The great thing about it is we all expect it to happen one day. They can play with it as much as they want, as we just heard, and people are going to buy in. They can wait for the perfect moment to do so.

“Eventually it’s going to make sense that yes, now is the right moment in time – ala Hulk Hogan coming up and being the third member of the NWO. And I believe that is the measuring stick, the bar, for the moment in time for Cody. Cody’s heel turn has to be as precise and effective as Hogan coming out at Bash at the Beach in Daytona and dropping the leg on Savage and turning and becoming a part of the NWO. Otherwise it’s all for naught.

“That’s gotta be the goal… We always talk about heels in the WWE, the lack of heels – Gunther is a heel but this is your opportunity for Cody Rhodes to become a monster heel when the time is right. In the mafia we have the boss of all bosses. Cody Rhodes can become the heel of all heels.”

If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

Cody Rhodes will face off with Randy Orton at WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event on September 6, in what will be the pair’s first meeting since Rhodes defeated Orton in the main event of WrestleMania 42 Night One.

Paul Heyman is currently caught in-between Bron Breakker and Oba Femi’s feud over on WWE Raw, with the two up and coming stars also set to face off at Sunday Night’s Main Event.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

Following SummerSlam, Solo Sikoa found himself delivered to Roman Reigns following a loss to Jey Uso on the August 10 episode of WWE Raw.

Despite being drawn back into The Bloodline, Sikoa would betray Reigns and The Usos just one week later, addressing his decision in a social media post that read “SIKE!!”

One for catchphrases, Sikoa had previously brought “Pew Pew Pew” into the world of WWE, something that has now been celebrated in a new merchandise drop.

WWE Shop has three new merch drops for Sikoa, all of which bear variations on the “Pew Pew Pew” theme.

A men’s black T-shirt bearing the slogan “Warning Shot… Pew, Pew, Pew” is available to pre-order in sizes from S to 5XL with shipping on or before October  9.

Fans can also pre-order the men’s black T-shirt featuring a ‘cartoon’ image of Sikoa surrounded by “Pew, Pew, Pew”.

As if that wasn’t enough, another men’s black T-shirt is available, featuring the caption “Warning Shot” and “Pew Pew Pew”, although in grey and white this time.

Last week’s episode of Raw saw Sikoa team up with La Knight to unleash a beating on The Bloodline. No doubt Roman Reigns will have something to say about this betrayal and what went down with The Bloodline.

A New Schism In The Bloodline

Solo was delivered to Roman Reigns, only to prove to be a surprise package in his own right.

Jacob Fatu stood on the sidelines during the betrayal and subsequent attack.

It’s not difficult to image the fury that The OTC will have in the wake of what happened just one week ago.

Where his rage will be focused remains to be seen, though.

Jey Uso delivered Sikoa, as instructed, but it was all a ruse. It would seem unfair to take revenge of Jey, given he did as he was ordered.

For Fatu, opting not to assist either The Bloodline or Sikoa & Knight led to its own interaction after WWE Raw. Footage emerged showing Jey Uso pointing out Fatu, leading to Roman approaching the man who had challenged him for the World Heavyweight Championship earlier this year.

For Jey Uso, this may have been a moment for him to save face. Fatu, however, is a different matter entirely, having proven where his loyalties lay in the past, betraying Solo Sikoa at Money in the Bank back in June of last year.

Fatu challenged Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash and Clash in Italy this year, being unsuccessful both times. Forced to acknowledge Reigns as the Tribal Chief, the star has hardly been a willing member of The Bloodline.

Perhaps now is the moment when The Bloodline will collapse under the weight of the betrayals, leaving Reigns as World Heavyweight Champion, but increasingly isolated and an easy target for any of his former faction members.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

The WWE Summer Tour rolled into Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on August 23 and saw CM Punk team with Cody Rhodes in a victory over GUNTHER and Ricky Saints.

Also in attendance at the show was Davey Boy Smith, Jr, catching up with “some old friends” backstage at the show.

In a post shared on Twitter, Smith Jr reflected on the experience and catching up with CM Punk, sharing a photo with the Undisputed WWE Champion, and teasing a future match, posting:

“Was really great seeing some old friends from the past tonight backstage at WWE Live Event in home city of Calgary AB Canada!!! I had been on both same side and opposite teams with @CMPunk in the past.

“One day that might happen again…you never know…. 🇨🇦 🤼‍♂️ 🔥”

CM Punk teamed with Smith Jr and Tyson Kidd (known as The Hart Foundation) back in August 2009 in a loss to The Hardys & John Morrison on SmackDown.

In January of the following year, Punk and Luke Gallows would be victorious in their United WWE Tag Team Championship Number One Contenders Fatal Four Way, defeating The Hart Dynasty, Cryme Tyme (JTG & Shad) and Matt Hardy & The Great Khali.

Their final televised match together would see Punk team with Darren Young and Luke Gallows in a losing effort to Rey Mysterio & The Hart Dynasty.

With The Hart Dynasty as Unified WWE Tag Team Champions, Smith Jr & Kidd would face Punk & Gallows three more times at SmackDown house shows.

Smith Jr would be released from his WWE contract in August 2011, heading to the independent circuit and to a successful tour of New Japan Pro-Wrestling in the subsequent years.

A return to WWE in 2020 would see the star sign a new contract the following year but be released in November the following year without returning to television.

A WWE Return For Davey Boy Smith Jr.?

Could it be third time lucky for the son of British Bulldog when it comes to a WWE run? A WWE Tag Team Champion and the last World Tag Team Champion, the 41-year-old star continues to compete on the independent wrestling scene, with tours of NJPW, All Japan Pro-Wrestling and MLW in the record books.

There was clearly interest in the star’s services given his re-signing in 2021 following a dark match on SmackDown, with Smith revealing the scrapped plans that would have seen him introduced as “The Stampede Stud”. He would also confirm that catching COVID-19 saw him “out of commision” for a number of weeks, leading to his eventual release.

Being over forty isn’t a barrier to becoming a WWE star, with Smith clearly having all the tools in his arsenal to affect a return to the promotion, having amassed championships across the international independent scene.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

Nick Aldis made his WWE in-ring debut at SummerSlam, taking on GUNTHER in a losing effort on Night 1 of the Premium Live Event.

Aldis returning to the ring would see his WWE Raw opposite number, Adam Pearce, asked if he would consider the same during an interview with Love Wrestling.

A clip from the interview was shared on Twitter, with Pearce making it clear that he’s not likely to be entering the ring, saying:

“Less than zero interest in putting on my size 13 stagecoach boots.

“I am 48 years old and have no desire to put spandex on.

“You at home don’t need to see 48 year old, bald, caucasian, Adam Pearce, wearing tights in 2026 or beyond.

“This is something that will detach retinas, so we are going to say “no”, but we will not ever say “never”.

If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

Following the loss to GUNTHER, Aldis would be reinstated as SmackDown general manager during the SummerSlam post-show.

Never Say Never

Adam Pearce last competed back in 2021, with his final two matches taking place in a WWE ring.

The January 8 episode of SmackDown saw Pearce defeat Daniel Bryan, King Corbin, Rey Mysterio, Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura in a WWE Universal Championship Number 1 Contender Gauntlet match, while March 1 would see him team with Braun Strowman in a losing effort to The Hurt Business (Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin) for the Raw Tag Team Championship.

Arguably, these two matches, his first since 2014, were relatively high profile for a star that was untested as an in-ring talent in WWE.

An on-screen authority figure since 2020, very much like Aldis, who would sign with WWE in 2023, Pearce has remained in that role ever since, alongside operating in a backstage capacity as a producer.

“Never say never” is something that is often thrown around my former stars, particularly when it comes to “one more match”. For a star like John Cena, he’s pretty much ruled out the possibility of getting physical, noting that his suit is the attire that indicates his new direction. When it comes to Pearce, however, there’s something about him that suggests, given the right incentive, he could drop anyone who gets in his face.

Perhaps, one day, fans will get a brand warfare match, with Pearce and Aldis leading a team of Raw and SmackDown stars.

If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

Earlier today, it was confirmed that Grand Slam France would be taking place on October 6, marking the first time AEW had run in the country.

With Grand Slam France featuring a taping of AEW Dynamite and Collision, that’s not the only special that will take place in October.

AEW has now confirmed that Fright Night Dynamite is returning on October 28, sharing the announcement in a post on Twitter that reads:

New AEW events announced!

• #AEWCollision – Highland Heights, KY: Sat. Oct 3

• #AEWDynamite – Cleveland, OH: Wed. Oct 14

• #AEWCollision – Winston-Salem, NC: Sat. Oct 24

• #AEWDynamite + #AEWCollision Fright Night – St. Louis, MO: Wed. Oct 28

The first Fright Night Dynamite aired on October 30, 2024, and saw the return of Adam Cole and the AEW debut of Bobby Lashley.

Last year’s show took place on October 29 and saw Samoa Joe defeat Bobby Lashley, Ricochet and Hook to determine the AEW World Championship number one contender.

The Theme Of The Show

The AEW calendar has many themed episodes of Dynamite and Collision in its schedule, with this year having seen Maximum Carnage, Spring BreakThru, Summer Blockbuster, Beach Break and Grand Slam Mexico already taking place.

While 2019 would see a Halloween episode and the Thanksgiving Eve episode of Dynamite, things would ramp up in the following year with 14 such events, starting with Homecoming and finishing with Brodie Lee Celebration of Life.

2021 would see a staggering twenty themed episodes across the year, with 2022 seeing that number drop to 18. More recently, numbers dropped in 2023 to just 12, while the following year had 13 and 2025 ended with 16.

Some of these specials have become part of the fabric of AEW, with Fyter Fest, Blood & Guts, Winter is Coming, Dynamite on 34th Street, and Grand Slam being among those. If the theme is well-defined and with a purpose, the specials will no doubt have a place in the heart of fans.

It can, however, seem to some that the specials are just named for the sake of names. It makes sense for AEW Dynamite to celebrate milestone episodes, for example, less so to have a string of specials as was seen with Winter is Coming on December 10 last year, followed by Holiday Bash the next week and Dynamite on 34th Street the week after, despite the season and fondness of the shows.

Specials for the sake of a special, in essence, run the risk of taking away from the show being… well, special.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

Bronson Reed hasn’t wrestled since facing Jey Uso and the Original El Grande Americano in an Elimination Chamber qualifier on the February 23 Raw episode.

With Reed suffering a torn bicep during this match, the Vision member has shared a number of photos of his physique and him training amid his in-ring absence.

Speaking on The AJ Styles Show, Styles noted that he feels Reed’s photos show that he’s ready to make his return.

Believing that Reed is in the best shape of his life, the Phenomenal One said:

“To me, he looks like he’s in the best shape he’s ever been. I think that’s awesome, I love that for him.

“Getting the time to freaking dial in who you are, and sometimes it sucks because of injury, but to be able to freaking dial that in is pretty cool. I think it just goes to show that he’s ready to come back to work.” 

If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link back to this page. 

Discussing potential plans for Bronson Reed’s return, Styles said:

“What’s the next thing for The Vision? Is it something where Bronson Reed fits right in to help them win another championship? I don’t know.”

If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link back to this page. 

Following reports that Bronson Reed is “very close” to making a return, the absent star recently shared a video showing him visiting WWE Headquarters in Stamford, CT, fuelling speculation about his comeback.

Bronson Reed is not the only member of The Vision currently on injury hiatus, with Logan Paul tearing his tricep during his and Austin Theory’s World Tag Team Championship defense against the Street Profits at the May 23 Saturday Night’s Main Event special.

Paul’s physical therapist Kevin Wilk recently shared a photo with the WWE star, following Paul previously stating that his recovery was months ahead of schedule.

The latest WWE updates and news stories can be found right here.

If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link back to this page. 

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

Darby Allin was one of the earliest stars to be signed to an AEW contract, being considered one of the Four Pillars alongside MJF, Sammy Guevara and Jungle Jack Perry.

Signed with the company since April 2019, Allin would look back on the early days of the promotion when comparing it to how things look in 2026.

In a recent interview with Forbes, Allin was asked if the company felt like the same place it did in 2019, noting that the bar is now set much higher when it comes to success.

“I think the bar got set way higher now because you have to remember, it’s year one on TV. We were throwing a lot of stuff at the wall, seeing what stuck because we’re brand new, and a lot of guys like myself never had any TV experience. So we got to see what worked.

“But now the talent is so high, and everybody needs to step up. You aren’t going to be on TV unless you’re literally the best of the best. So, I feel it just shows everybody that no one can coast, no one can just chill, and that’s the beauty of it.

“Because I never wanted to be in a company that felt like me and all my friends have a TV company. I don’t care if I don’t know you. I don’t care if I don’t like you. As long as you care about AEW and you want to produce some of the best, then I want you on my team.”

Allin would go on to look back at the early days and how some unnamed people treated AEW, suggesting there was a sense of “taking it for granted”, stating:

“I’m not going to say a lot of people—it felt like maybe some people were taking it for granted. Year one, they were treating it like spring break, like, “Oh, this is so fun. I got a job for life. I’m just hanging out with my boys.” They weren’t going there with a mission. But I’m like, “I have to show the wrestling world what AEW is capable of,” because this changed the whole landscape.

“When I first got in, I never thought it was possible to have another game in town like this. I thought at the time, “This kind of sucks.” And then AEW started, and I thought, “I’ll do anything to be part of that company. Anything.” And that’s where I knew I needed to finish.

“So, I saw the importance of AEW from the beginning, but I don’t think a lot of people did.”

The AEW star would also reflect on a lesson that he learned from Sting that he only understood after the WWE Hall of Famer retired.

Taking It For Granted

It’s not beyond imagination that, in its early days, some stars took AEW for granted, particularly given that the professional wrestling space hadn’t had a completely new company come into existence and secure prominent TV time in an age.

Tony Khan having no background in professional wrestling no doubt added to the impression that he was just a man with money that was ripe for the taking. Allin doesn’t name those who felt that “they were treating it like spring break”, but it was clearly a concern for a relatively young star who was new to that environment, and it’s something that has obviously stuck with him over the years.

Khan has demonstrated that, over the past few years, he’s not just in this for the short haul, having a vision for AEW that has seen him attract new and veteran stars with a shared interest in those goals. While he may oversee many aspects of the company, he’s comfortable in sharing elements that responsibility with the likes of Jon Moxley.

There’s bound to still be those who think that it’s going to be an easy ride, but with the stars currently signed to AEW, it’s apparent that, as Allin says, “as long as you care about AEW and you want to produce some of the best, then I want you on my team.”

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!