Tag: CM Punk

CM Punk, Jack Perry reportedly had backstage conflict at AEW Collision over planned glass spot

The latest CM Punk conflict story at least has a safety issue at the heart of it.

Since his return to AEW in June, CM Punk‘s alleged conflicts at AEW tapings have been as frequent as his televised matches. The kettle has been boiling for a long, long time, from AEW sending home personnel with whom he doesn’t get along with from Collision tapings, to keeping him far away from The Elite. The most recent woe featured Punk’s questionably worded promo about Hangman Adam Page after the Aug. 12 episode of Collision ended — though Punk is said to have apologized for that.

Apparently adding to the issues Punk has already faced, Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended) reports that he and Jack Perry had a backstage disagreement over a planned spot that the FTW Champion wanted to do. It happened near the start of Punk’s run on Collision.

Perry came to Collision to film a segment where he wanted to use real glass for a backstage segment. Punk thought that Perry wanted to do this so he wouldn’t have to come to work next week, which he saw as a big problem with the company.

Punk’s side of the story also indicated that Perry disregarded production, doctors, and Tony Schiavone’s advice not to do the spot since breaking real glass was a safety hazard. Consequently, guidelines were put in place after this for spots that require clearance.

Punk reportedly stepped in to calmly tell everyone that Collision doesn’t do this, and that Perry could stay on Wednesdays if he didn’t like it. Word spread that referred to it as an argument, and that Perry had thrown a temper tantrum over the spot not being cleared. Fightful Select added that it is unknown how the situation ended, but that several people had sided with Punk.

Punk-related activities backstage have seemingly escalated since this conflict. Despite this, Perry’s incident appears to be more about safety than anything else, which, on the surface, is beneficial for protecting everyone’s health and well-being.

However, AEW All In and All Out in Chicago are approaching, and the stories around Punk are not slowing down. If more of these incidents occur, it begs the question of if, or when, the bubble will burst as it did at All Out 2022.

CM Punk texted Hangman Adam Page apology after post-Collision joke fell flat

Yes, CM Punk does apologize when he feels he’s done something wrong.

Whether you believe CM Punk is the source of the most recent round of backstage drama in AEW or being made to seem like it because he has been in the past, at least say this about the guy: He’s able to own it when he does something that goes awry.

In this case, that means his comments about Hangman Adam Page that were captured by people in the crowd this past Saturday after AEW Collision went off the air. Among other things, Punk made fun of Page being a “peg warmer” (a term used by toy collectors to describe action figures that don’t sell) and implied he couldn’t sell merch or toys.

Was this Punk trying to set up an angle or reignite the tensions between himself and The Elite? As it turns out … it’s quite possible it was neither.

During the Monday episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez said that Punk texted Page an apology after Collision, and that the message was confirmed “from both sides.” Dave Meltzer added that sources close to Punk said it was an attempt at a joke that simply flopped.

Dave Meltzer said that he heard from the Punk side of things that Punk’s comments on Saturday about Page being a “peg warmer” that doesn’t move merchandise was a botched attempt at a comedy line and that he realized it backfired the minute he did the promo.

Though much of the enmity between Punk and The Elite has been centered on the physical altercation he got into with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks after All Out last year, it was his feelings about Page when the two of them were working a program together that arguably set the whole thing in motion. Punk took exception to a promo Page cut insinuating that Punk used his influence to keep Colt Cabana off TV, something that came up at the very beginning of the now infamous post-All Out press conference tirade.

Both sides have made at least some attempts to move on, and with The Elite on Dynamite and Punk a featured player on Collision, they appear to have little if any interaction with each other. That made Punk’s promo after Collision that much more surprising, but at least he quickly moved to snuff out ay new fires it could have started.

CM Punk ripped into Hangman Adam Page after AEW Collision went off the air

CM Punk couldn’t resist the chance to poke fun at someone he’s had issues with since last year.

Is last year’s post-All Out brawl finally turning into fuel for AEW storylines? Or is CM Punk just not willing to let some bygones be bygones?

Those were natural questions following the end of this week’s episode of AEW Collision in Greensboro. While Punk and FTR were unsuccessful in their attempt to win the AEW World Trios Championship from House of Black, a big reason they came up short was interference against Punk from Samoa Joe, who has been calling out Punk for a potential match at All In later this month in London.

Yet when Punk got on the mic after the show went off the air on TNT, he seemingly wanted to look back instead of forward, aiming some barbs at Hangman Adam Page — as shown in the video below from Jase on X.

“I went to a local supermarket, and I found out why they call him Hangman,” Punk said. “It’s because the pegs in the toy aisle are full of Hangman action figures, ’cause nobody wants to buy them. He’s a peg warmer, unlike me, who moves merchandise and pops ratings and sells toys.”

Punk also mocked people for saying they were the heart and soul of AEW, which is a comment that certainly could have included Page as well.

Punk’s issues with Page were at the very heart of his now famous press conference rant last year, spurred by a promo prior to All Out where he felt Page went into business for himself at Punk’s expense. Afterward, when Punk got into an altercation with The Elite, much of the focus was on his interactions with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks (who were also targets during his tirade).

At this point, the line between reality and showmanship on this issue has bee more or less eradicated, so this could have been Punk trying to set something up for down the road (for All Out, maybe?) or just him being him with an open mic. Regardless, it’s a moment that will catch the attention of plenty of fans and be filed away for later.

AEW Collision results 08/12/23: Samoa Joe’s rage spoils CMFTR’s title hopes

Also tonight on AEW Collision, we heard from Ricky Starks after he attacked a legend last week.

Since returning to AEW and reuniting with his good friends FTR, CM Punk has been on  pretty nice run. Can they win golf together now? That’s one of the big questions that will be answered tonight on AEW Collision from Greensboro.

FTR already knows it has a tough defense of its AEW World Tag Team Championship at All In toward the end of the month. In this case, however, the duo is teaming with Punk (the kids like to call them CMFTR) to try to take the AEW World Trios Championship from its current holders, the House of Black. That figures to be the night’s main event, and may also tell us what Punk may be up to when London rolls around.

The other match being promoted is a big tag team match in the women’s division. TBS Champion Kris Statlander will join forces with Willow Nightingale to take on Mercedes Martinez and Diamante. Oh, and The Acclaimed will be in action as well, but that’s usually the nice way of saying they’ll be on the winning end of a squash match.

What else have we got? Well, Powerhouse Hobbs has asked for some microphone time, and he’s not one you really want to refuse when he makes a request. Also, Ricky Starks is supposed to explain his actions from last week, when he beat down a legend. We’re sure that’s going to be a fun one.

Greensboro is of course smack dab in the middle of Flair Country, but there’s no reason it can’t also be Collision Country for a night. And if that hasn’t been trademarked yet, TK, call us and we’ll work out a deal.

AEW Collision results from Greensboro:

Tony Schiavone is in the ring since there’s a lot to talk about. And we’re starting with someone who should have something to say, Ricky Starks. He takes his belt off in a symbolic show, but Schiavone has some bad news: Starks is suspended for 30 days.

Ricky says there has to be consequences for actions, so he had to whip Ricky Steamboat with the belt for costing him the match last week. He reveals that he got his manager’s license so he can stay on the show while he can’t wrestle, and also asks CM Punk if he can live with his victory.

To finish it off, Starks vows to set the whole company on fire, starting next week.

A hype video is shown for the FTR-Young Bucks match at All In.

The Acclaimed def. Iron Savages by pinfall

Poor Anthony Bowens is sad when he gets to the “scissor me Daddy” part of their intro shtick, turns and realizes that Daddy Ass isn’t there.

Maybe a squash match will make him feel better. One big dude hitting both of them with a fallaway slam definitely won’t, however.

After a commercial break, The Acclaimed looks better, but the Savages rally to score a near fall, and now the framing is “maybe The Acclaimed isn’t as sharp without Billy Gunn with them.”

Everything is about to be right with the world, however, as some scissoring leads to a double Fame-Ass-er, and that’s enough for Bowens and Max Caster to seal up the dub.

After the match, Caster grabs the mic while holding Billy’s boots and declares that The Acclaimed is back. He says the duo will wrestle again on the next Dynamite, while Bowens offers the fans a chance to say goodbye to Billy by throwing their scissors in the air and saluting Daddy Ass.

Jay White says Bullet Club Gold is the most elite version of Bullet Club ever. And the group says The Gunns will head to Dynamite to prove the Young Bucks aren’t the best brother tag team.

Mercedes Martinez and Diamante def. Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander by pinfall

Willow and Kris have dubbed their team “Saturday Nightingale,” which is awesome on its own but perhaps even better now that AEW has a weekly show on Saturdays. Martinez and Diamante are working well together, however, giving our heroes all they can handle early on.

Nightingale even gets placed in the Paradise Lock, much to her chagrin. A picture-in-picture segment is exactly what Willow needs to rally, capped by a tag to the TBS Champion.

After Nightingale takes a healthy bump to the floor, the heels rally again, with Diamante flipping the world the double bird as her teammate throws her over the top rope onto their foes.

All four women are in the ring hitting moves now as the ref has somewhat lost control. That works to the advantage of the villains, as Martinez cheats and pins Nightingale.

Toni Storm takes exception to the idea that she’s been a little out of sorts. But she’s feeling a bit better since she’s in the four-way title match at All In, and the presence of Saraya means there will be no “funny business.” Storm is upset when it’s brought up that Hikaru Shida is also in the match, and Toni storms out. Uh, pun intended, we guess.

Samoa Joe def. Andrew Everett by submission

Everett briefly looks like someone who doesn’t realize he’s supposed to get squashed, but after Joe finally finds him with a big clothesline (which Everett sells like a champ), he’s tapping out to the Coquina Clutch.

Joe takes the mic after his match and accuses the “Real World Champion” of acting like a real bitch right now. He’s very upset that CM Punk hasn’t answered his challenge for All In, it seems. Joe warns that he’s done asking for what he wants and will now turn to convincing him.

Christian Cage tells the crowd he doesn’t know much about North Carolina and doesn’t want to know much, but that doesn’t stop him from insulting the fans and the area.

He also taunts Darby Allin, promising to complete making him 100% dead inside. Someone needs to stop Christian, but surprisingly, it’s Arn Anderson with son Brock. Double A says this is Horsemen Country, hallowed ground for pro wrestling, and he reminds Luchasaurus that he’s the actual champion, not Cage.

Christian has said no more open challenges but would be willing to make an exception for Arn. If it was 20 years ago … Arn sends Brock into the ring, but Cage has Luchasaurus fight in his stead, of course.

Luchasaurus def. Brock Anderson by pinfall to retain the TNT Championship

Tony Khan has apparently made this for the title, so off we go, apparently. Brock is in trouble early, though.

It gets no better afterward, as the dinosaur pins him to retain his title, but …

… Allin attacks Luchasaurus right after the bell, driving both the heels away before challenging Cage to a match next week. Christian accepts, but Allin also warns Luchasaurus he’s coming for the championship at All In.

Powerhouse Hobbs says an opportunity presented itself at All Out, and that while he hasn’t found much peace lately, he went back to the Book of Hobbs. In the book, the next chapter is called ‘Redemption.’

How can he redeem himself after losing his title? It can only come by challenging The Redeemer. Miro obliges and comes to the stage, slowly making his way toward the ring.

But while he does, Miro is attacked from behind by some of QT Marshall’s guys. Miro takes them out when they get to the ring, but Hobbs then nails Miro with a spinebuster and lays the Book of Hobbs on his chest.

Jim Ross is back for the main event, and it’s good to see him healthy enough to do it (and apparently battled numerous travel issues to make it to Greensboro).

House of Black def. CMFTR by pinfall to retain the AEW World Trios Championship

It’s funny to hear cheers for FTR and a mixed reaction for Punk as their partner. He does have a SAG-AFTRA strike shirt on, which is cool to see.

Buddy Matthews and Cash Wheeler start out, but Wheeler immediately tags in Punk. But Wheeler is back in shortly after as the fans continue to make their voices heard.

Wheeler wins the wrestling battle with Matthews and tags in Dax Harwood to continue in that vein. But Brody King manages to catch his partner while being whipped into the ropes and tag himself in, where he happily exchanges strikes with Dax.

Harwood is able to chop King down to size, and now CMFTR has some good teamwork going against their largest opponent. King is sent to the floor, where his teammates manage to calm him down to refocus.

Malakai Black enters for the first time and is up against Punk. Black knocks both members of FTR off the apron but finds Punk has a counter ready for him, sitting on the mat before being joined by Black doing the same. All six men are in the ring now, and they just start throwing hands so we can go to picture-in-picture.

Harwood is in some trouble when the full broadcast returns, though the fans attempt to rally him. He eventually makes the hot tag to Punk, who uses a DDT to get a near fall on Matthews.

Punk hits Black with a head kick but is nearly rolled up for three by Matthews. He heads up top but gets crotched when he is delayed just a sec by Julia Hart hopping on the apron.

King tags in and crushes Punk with a cannonball, taking us back to side-by-side action for what should be the final time tonight.

After taking an extended beating, Punk is able to hit Matthews with the GTS, but he still desperately needs a tag. Wheeler is the one who gets it, but he needs to be smart to work over King. He powerslams Black and goes to work with corner punches on King, then joins with Harwood to send King to the floor. For good measure, Wheeler dives over the ropes and lands on King.

A big bulldog off the top rope allows Wheeler to score a near fall. Harwood takes over for his team, but he has to hustle to prevent King from leaping from the top turnbuckle. That doesn’t stop the big man for long, but crotching him does.

FTR hits King with a double superplex, and Punk, now the legal man, hits a top rope elbow that can’t quite win it. Here comes a flurry of signature moves from both sides, and there are bodies everywhere. Most fans rise to their feet in appreciation.

Harwood hits a diving headbutt off the top but King kicks out, and as Hart is on the apron, Samoa Joe is choking Punk out on the floor. King hits a running lariat and pins Dax to retain the belts for the House.

Best WWE SummerSlam main events of all time: Tier list rankings

Some WWE SummerSlam main events were legendary. Others were duds. Our tier list helps rank them all.

No matter what WWE tells you on television, this year’s SummerSlam has one true main event.

No, it is not the World Heavyweight title match between Seth Rollins and Finn Balor, nor is it the grudge match between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar.

It’s undoubtedly, no, unequivocally, Tribal Combat between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso. That’s it, end of discussion, debate whomever you hold dear.

Although I believe Tribal Combat is the biggest WWE match of the year so far, does it have the chance to sit among the classic main events in SummerSlam history? Before we answer that question, we have to answer another question: What are the classic main events in SummerSlam history? And to that end, where do the other ones rank?

That is where I step in to help provide an answer … my answer, at least. I attempt to answer these questions with a tiered list of the main events throughout the event’s 35-year history.

I broke down every SummerSlam main event into four tiers: The Classics, The Hall of Very Good, “It was fine, I guess”, and “Feel free to skip.”

The only matches that qualify are the ones that closed the show, so no double main event nonsense here. However, there is one exception in 2013, which I will explain when it comes up.

Each match is listed in each tier based on chronological order, so don’t take anything away from the order that they are listed.

CM Punk reportedly led AEW meeting on how to differentiate Collision from Dynamite

CM Punk, locker room leader? Maybe so on AEW Collision.

CM Punk returned to AEW as the face of Collision, the company’s new Saturday show, which aims to differentiate itself from Dynamite. His return marked his first appearance since All Out in September 2022, and now he is taking a leadership role backstage to help move things along — another contrast from his first stint.

According to Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended), Punk led a talent meeting ahead of the July 8 episode of Collision.

The meeting focused on how Collision can differentiate itself from Dynamite, to the point where many of Dynamite’s usual detractors have taken to liking Collision.

At the Punk-led meeting, they discussed ways Collision could differentiate itself from Dynamite, as well as what works and doesn’t work for Collision, such as match finishes and other shenanigans.

They also highlighted how talent can promote more AEW projects and shows, such as AEW Fight Forever, which released on gaming platforms in June, as well as safety guidelines.

Overall, it seems like a positive discussion. The talent highlighted on Collision can positive steps to amplify AEW’s weekend show, which is still new and fresh despite inconsistent ratings. It is better to point out any potential improvements now than later, so the show can become a steady source of pro wrestling like Dynamite has in recent years.

This bolsters Punk’s status as a leader on Saturday nights as Collision gains momentum. The July 15 episode had a positive reception when FTR and Bullet Club Gold clashed in a Match of the Year candidate, and Punk himself faced off with Ricky Starks in a surprising conclusion to the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament, so it sounds like Collision is moving in the right direction.

Let’s see what else Collision does to differentiate itself from Dynamite and push the envelope as it celebrates its one-month anniversary.

AEW Collision results 07/15/23: FTR wins instant classic, Starks takes a shortcut

AEW Collision from Calgary also saw Willow Nightingale capture the Women’s Owen Hart Cup.

Calgary is usually best known for its stampede, but tonight it’s going to be the site of a collision. AEW Collision, to be precise, which is offering up a high stakes card for this mid-July Saturday evening.

Both the men’s and women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament winners will be decided. The former will see CM Punk take on Ricky Starks in a battle that should see Absolute as the fan favorite, while the latter sees Willow Nightingale, fresh off a scintillating victory over Athena, go up against Ruby Soho.

On top of those intriguing bouts, the AEW World Tag Team Championship is also on the line at the Saddledome. The Bullet Club Gold duo of Jay White and Juice Robinson earned their shot by defeating the champs. But outwitting FTR for one fall is one thing, and taking two of three falls from them is quite another — though that’s exactly what White and Robinson will have to do tonight if they want to walk away with the belts.

And speaking of belts, there are even more of them up for grabs after Collision as Battle of the Belts VII will offer up three additional championship matches. But you know, that’s a tale for a different time, or in this case, a different post.

Let’s focus on Collision first, shall we?

AEW Collision results from Calgary:

FTR def. Bullet Club Gold (Jay White and Juice Robinson) 2-1 in a 2 out of 3 falls match to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship

This one starts off very slowly with a ton of posturing and mind games. Bullet Club Gold gets the better of things during the first picture-in-picture segment, but the crowd is trying to will the champs into the lead.

Dax Harwood takes a rare shortcut with White in an abdominal stretch, using the ropes for leverage. The announcers put over Robinson’s patience as he works against Cash Wheeler, and White also looks good when he re-enters the fray.

The big question is who’s going to get the first fall as White and Harwood both end up down on the mat with their partners urging them to rise. FTR looks for the Shatter Machine, but Robinson foils it and White hits a Blade Runner to give the challengers a 1-0 lead.

The assumption is that FTR will get the second fall and take it to a third and decisive fall, but it’s Bullet Club Gold who controls most of the next bit of action. Wheeler fights heroically to make a hot tag to Dax, who unleashes on both of the challengers. He pulls off a cool spot when he back drops White while still being tied up with Robinson, but his brainbuster on Juice gets only a two count.

White is also in trouble shortly after but manages to kick out at two … and then again. The fans are legitimately in disbelief. The challengers turn the tables on FTR with a frog splash by Robinson and a cover by White, but Harwood kicks out at the very last second. That proves vital, as FTR hits the Shatter Machine, finally, and evens the score at 1-1.

After a commercial break, all four men are fighting on the outside, and White and Harwood take a tough spill over the barricade to the concrete floor. Wheeler and some officials go to check on them, but it appears all is well as they continue on.

FTR ends up suplexing both of their foes on the floor, where only thin mats are there to cushion the impact. All four men make it back into the ring for a face to face showdown as the fans shower them with applause.

Harwood looks like he’s in big trouble as White locks him in the Sharpshooter, much to the dismay of the Calgary crowd. He manages to make it to the bottom rope, however, to force a break. The ring announcer reveals there are only five minutes remaining.

The fans roar back to life again as both members of FTR have their foes in Sharpshooters, but Robinson and White reach out for each other and are able to break free. Juice, still legal, goes for Pulp Friction but ends up back in a Sharpshooter, and Harwood leans back super deep and manages to get the tapout. Fantastic stuff.

FTR offers handshakes after the bout, but instead of accepting them, White spits on the mat in front of the champs.

A hype video is shown for Blood and Guts, with clips from both The Golden Elite and Blackpool Combat Club.

Willow Nightingale def. Ruby Soho by pinfall to win the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament final

Can Soho defeat Nightingale without cheating? We may never know, because that’s exactly what Ruby is trying to do. Willow does survive the No Future, barely, and at least the other Outcasts aren’t out there.

A Pounce sends the spray paint can flying, and Nightingale follows with a powerbomb to win the trophy and the belt that goes with it.

QT Marshall tries to convince Powerhouse Hobbs that he didn’t intentionally cost him a chance at the Owen Hart cup, but it remains to be seen what he’ll have to do to prove it.

Malakai Black and Brody King def. Randy Myers and Arty by pinfall

In what is otherwise a squash match, the most interesting thing to note is Andrade El Idolo coming out to watch right before Black wins the match with the Black Mass.

Ricky Starks def. CM Punk by pinfall to win the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament final

Dueling chants break out for both men, sounding split about down the middle — though Punk certainly received more heels than boos while being introduced. Starks mocks some of Punk’s trademark mannerisms after getting the better of an early exchange, though Punk is able to hip toss him out to the floor.

After a commercial break, the fans sound more anti-Punk as he slowly takes control of the action. Starks is able to take advantage as Punk is too slow to come off the top rope, and we go side-by-side during ads again.

Simultaneous cross body attempts leave both men down and make it appear we’re headed toward a finish. They get to their knees and start slugging it out, with Starks hammering home forearm shots. But Punk is able to counter Starks with a piledriver, nearly winning it even though he’s slow to cover.

Starks is able to slide away from the Go to Sleep and hit a spear, but Punk rolls to the outside. Ricky’s next spear is countered into a guillotine, forcing Starks to stretch his foot to the ropes to break the hold.

A top rope hurricanrana for Punk leads to a trade of covers back and forth, but Starks grabs the ropes on one of them and get the three count.

Don’t worry, AEW fans: The promotion’s new safety protocols won’t ruin the product

Even with certain limitations, AEW matches should continue to be elite – and more meaningful.

If there’s one thing All Elite Wrestling can consistently hang its hat on, it’s the in-ring action.

From bell to bell, AEW puts on as exciting a product inside the ring as any promotion in the world. The impact from whatever missteps and inconsistencies that exist elsewhere in the company, including a backstage rivalry that has essentially divided the locker room, is lessened by the fact that when the bell rings, AEW can be, at times, electrifying.

With that proverbial ace up its sleeve, AEW has garnered a passionate and dedicated fan base in only a few short years. However, things may begin to look a little different in the ring soon, and some AEW fans are very concerned. 

Fightful Select (subscribe here) was the first to report Thursday that AEW sent a memo to the roster earlier this week outlining some new health and safety protocols for matches moving forward. The protocols range from certain moves and spots needing to have prior approval to some being outright banned. AEW plans to enforce these protocols by fining whomever breaks them.

Let’s pick this apart piece by piece.

First up are the moves that are now outright banned. AEW got rid of unprotected chair shots to the head, which should have been the case from Day 1. By 2019, we had plenty of evidence of the head trauma that could be caused by chair shots. There was never a good reason for AEW to ever allow them. This also includes shots to the back of the head.

Next up are buckle bombs or any move that sends someone backward into the turnbuckle. WWE once banned the buckle bomb when Sting and Finn Balor suffered serious injuries after taking a version of the move. It was apparently reinstated at some point because Seth Rollins is back to using it again. However, AEW is getting rid of them. I honestly believe WWE should do the same.

Then you have fencing response/seizure sells, which probably has Bryan Danielson somewhere seething. All jokes aside, this is pretty much always in poor taste and rarely has the desired effect. Danielson’s version of this at Forbidden Door would fall under both of those categories.

AEW wrestlers can no longer spit, which again, should not be a thing anyway. Spitting has always been disgusting, but you would think after an entire pandemic that we, as a society, would be more conscious of germs, especially when it comes to our saliva. But AEW has to remind everyone not to spit on each other. I don’t think this is going to hamper the product in any way.

For hygiene and legal reasons, AEW wrestlers are no longer allowed to bleed in the crowd. The last thing any company needs is for someone to attain some type of illness because they somehow exchanged blood with one of the wrestlers. That’s horrible overall, but it could also lead to a very, very expensive lawsuit. AEW does not want those problems.

Speaking of lawsuits, the wrestlers can no longer take weapons or projectiles into the crowd. Another thing AEW doesn’t need is for one of the fans to be mistakenly whacked over the head with a kendo stick. Soon after calling a doctor, that person is going to call a lawyer.

Wrestlers cannot physically interact with a fan or allow a fan to hit another wrestler because, again, lawsuits.

But all hope is not lost because there are things AEW wrestlers can still do. They just have to receive prior approval before doing them. That list includes things such as using weapons, spots on the ring apron, intentional bleeding, fighting in the crowd in general, bumping the ref, and any usage of a piledriver.

The list is long, but it is necessary. And like items on the banned list, they should have been in place from Day 1. AEW has employed agents and producers from its inception. If they weren’t already enforcing these protocols, what exactly were they enforcing? Could the AEW wrestlers literally just do whatever they wanted to?

As quality as AEW’s wrestling product can be, it comes at a price. And that price is usually the health and well being of the wrestlers. Left to their own devices, wrestlers are liable to do anything short of dying to make a name for themselves. It is up to the promotion to place governors on them to keep them healthy. It is up to the promotion to protect the wrestlers from themselves.

Even Forbidden Door, a night for AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling to showcase some of the best wrestling in the world, was marred by Danielson fracturing his arm and Kenny Omega being dropped on the back of his head via a Tiger Driver ‘91. Let us not forget that Omega has missed significant time in the last two years due to a variety of injuries. As Omega nears the age of 40, the injuries could have more lasting effects.

AEW diehards tried to talk these incidents down as the price of doing business when you want to witness great wrestling, but these new protocols are proof that the promotion itself saw Forbidden Door and many other nights as a major concern.

What should be of major concern is the quality of AEW’s product. I don’t see how these protocols could dampen anyone’s enjoyment. If anything, they should enhance it as they should make the major moments the wrestlers create even more meaningful.

Right now, everyone in AEW is trying to have the best match of the night and while that is a noble cause, it doesn’t help the flow of the show. It definitely doesn’t help when almost every match has variations of the same spots. The point of the list of moves that require prior approval is so that every single match doesn’t have a ref bump or an apron spot or a dive.

Watch AEW on a weekly basis, and you will see that these troupes are littered throughout the show. But when they happen in almost every match, it loses its impact.

Now, when you see that ref bump, we probably won’t see another one on the show, which makes it more meaningful. We’re still probably going to see a lot of dives because it is such an ingrained part of nearly everyone’s offense.

However, I do believe we will see fewer spots on the ring apron. And guess what? I’m fine with that. Having a spot on the ring apron is not required in order to have a great match.

So fear not, AEW fans. Your beloved promotion is still going to provide you with five hours of quality television on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights, you will still chant “Fight forever!” during the events, and AEW will continue to carve out its space in the marketplace.

Remember, the “e” in AEW stands for “elite,” and the promotion will maintain that status, even with some safety protocols.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 results: All the winners from Toronto

AEW and NJPW come together once again for Forbidden Door. See who had their hands raised in Toronto.

It’s time to see which side of the Forbidden Door reigns supreme.

For the second straight year, AEW and NJPW are coming together to do something that only a few years ago would have been unthinkable, putting some of the top pro wrestling stars from North America and Japan (and all around the world, frankly) together on one massive card.

Following the success of the first Forbidden Door last year in Chicago, the sequel is coming to us from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. If anything, the card for 2023 looks even better than the original, with most of both companies’ big stars participating.

The night will start and end with big matches. The AEW World Championship is on the line right off the bat, with MJF (reluctantly, as is his wont) defending his title against the Ace of New Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi. The main event is a dream meeting between two of the very best wrestlers on the planet over the last 10-15 years, Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada.

Yet neither may be the best bout of the night. That honor could very well go to a rematch of a pairing that many consider a top candidate for match of the year, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. The two men absolutely thrilled during their first meeting at Wrestle Kingdom in January, where Omega prevailed. Ospreay will pull out all the stops to get his win back, and there’s no reason to think the result won’t once again be spectacular.

We’ll be updating this post in real time as the action plays out.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 results from Toronto:

(click any match with a link for full details)

AEW Collision results: Toronto isn’t Punk Country (but it does like Naito)

See the final matches and actions of AEW and NJPW’s finest the night before Forbidden Door on AEW Collision.

If someone had come back in time from 2023 to tell a slightly younger version of me that “hey, there’s a second big U.S. wrestling promotion and they work hand in hand with New Japan Pro-Wrestling,” younger me would have thought, “wow, that sounds pretty cool!” And as it turns out, it definitely is, as we’ll see tonight on the second episode of AEW Collision.

As you no doubt are already aware, AEW and NJPW are teaming up for their second annual Forbidden Door supershow Sunday night in Toronto. But as it turns out, a bunch of wrestlers from both companies will also be in action tonight.

One very intriguing crossover match has already captured our imaginations. Swerve Strickland has been superb these last few months as a heel, even though AEW hasn’t exactly booked him toward the top of the card. That hard work pays off on Collision, when he’ll take on none other than New Japan’s Ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi. It should be a really fun matchup, to say the least.

The main event has some of the flavor of last week’s, with CM Punk and FTR joining forces once again, this time adding Ricky Starks to the mix. Bullet Club Gold is on the other side for the second straight week as well, bolstered by The Gunns. Could Jay White and company have some other devious tricks up their sleeves? You can’t put it past them.

We’ll also see Miro and Andrade El Idolo, plus another first round match in the Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament. Plus Darby Allin and Sting will announce their mystery partner for Forbidden Door. Sounds like a fun two hours, and we’re looking forward to recapping it.

AEW Collision results from Toronto:

  • CM Punk, FTR and Ricky Starks do a cold open of sorts, along with the other side of the main event: Bullet Club Gold and The Gunns
  • Tony Schiavone calls out Darby Allin and Sting, but he gets Chris Jericho instead, flanked by Minoru Suzuki, and they plan on torturing Schiavone to tell them who the mystery partner is; happily for Schiavone, Allin and Sting come out and tell Jericho their partner is someone who already kicked Jericho’s ass … at the Tokyo Dome … yep, it’s Tetsuya Naito, who appears in the flesh to confront Jericho in the ring

  • Miro says he’s been in exile for almost a year, but says he must walk alone so he has renounced his god, his gold and his beautiful wife

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Swerve Strickland by pinfall, then saw MJF on the big screen promising to embarrass him and claiming he asked Tony Khan for their match to lead off Forbidden Door

  • Andrade El Idolo def. Brody King by disqualification after Buddy Matthews invades the ring while King is about to submit to the Figure Eight, and the House of Black teammates administer quite the beating
  • Christian Cage and Luchasaurus come to the ring to talk with Schiavone, and Cage spends his time running down his own hometown and acting like he’s the TNT Champion, not Luchasaurus

  • A video package hypes the field of the Men’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament

  • Willow Nightingale def. Nyla Rose by pinfall in a Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament first round match; The Outcasts surround the ring after the match, but Skye Blue runs down with a chair to deter an ambush
  • Scorpio Sky says he wasn’t thrilled by the video package last week because he let his first big break control him, so now everyone will find out who he really is
  • Powerhouse Hobbs def. Jeremy Prophet by pinfall
  • Bullet Club Gold and The Gunns def. Ricky Starks, FTR and CM Punk as Jay White pins Starks