Tag: The Elite

AEW Revolution 2023: Start time, card, predictions and more

AEW Revolution in San Francisco is the first AEW PPV of 2023. Here’s everything you need to know, including date, start time and card.

If you were to ask a pro wrestling fan what AEW Revolution is all about, they’d probably respond with something like, “well, it’s the first AEW pay-per-view of the year!”

Indeed it is. Though Revolution hasn’t had much of a chance to build up its own unique identity yet — in large part due to it being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in two years of its brief history — it has some built-in importance as the PPV that really kicks a year in AEW into gear.

It also has a history of AEW World Championship main events, and the 2023 event should be no different. MJF hasn’t held the title all that long, but he’ll get a test worthy of a legendary reign: a 60-minute Iron Man match against Bryan Danielson. It’s the kind of bout that automatically makes fans think better of anyone who turns in a top notch performance, so it stands the chance of boosting MJF’s in-ring status to the same level of esteem his microphone work is held in.

The length of that match means this card might be slightly lower in terms of number of matches than a typical Revolution (there were 13 bouts last year, including those on the pre-show). That said, there could be more added even in this final week.

We’ll add those if needed, but for now, here’s everything you need to know for Revolution in San Francisco.

AEW Revolution 2023

Please scroll down for a closer look at each match, including our predictions.

AEW Dynamite results: Ruby wins but has had it with women’s division turmoil

Live AEW Dynamite results for Feb. 15, 2023 from Laredo, TX, including a three-way battle between Toni Storm, Britt Baker and Ruby Soho.

It’s time for the first part of a little Texas two-step for AEW. Tonight it’s Dynamite from Laredo, and the path to Revolution should start getting a bit more clearly illuminated.

But the highlight of tonight’s show should be the in-ring action, which will be plentiful and varied. The headline bout is a Texas Tornado tag team match (never more appropriate than when it’s, you know, really in Texas) that features Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli going up against Rush and Preston Vance.

Want an even bigger tag team match? We’ve got that too. Orange Cassidy, The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass are on one side of it, with Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt on the other.

The women’s division has been full of intrigue, and Ruby Soho has been in the middle of most of it. She’ll experience that in the most direct way possible in Laredo, as she’s slated to be in a three-way dance that also involves Toni Storm and Britt Baker. Is this the night where Soho will have to pick a side?

There’s much more, as well. Even AEW World Champion MJF will appear, even though he’s made it clear he’d rather not. Will be run scared again from his Revolution opponent, Bryan Danielson, or has he finally found his courage ahead of the pay-per-view?

AEW Dynamite results in 60 seconds:

  • Orange Cassidy, Daddy Ass and The Acclaimed def. Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt by pinfall
  • Bryan Danielson thinks MJF is scared and desperate, which … perhaps
  • Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli def. Rush and Preston Vance by submission
  • The Butcher and The Blade attack Hangman Adam Page backstage, who was busy watching the previous match
  • Wardlow tells Jim Ross a personal story about his dad and how Samoa Joe used some personal knowledge of his younger days against him
  • Mark Briscoe def. Josh Woods by pinfall
  • Adam Cole tells Renee Paquette when he’s cleared to return, he has a few ideas of who he’d like to face
  • MJF reluctantly makes his appearance to run down Danielson again, but Christopher Daniels won’t join in with him, even for big money
  • The Gunns brag about winning the tag team titles and say Revolution will be The Gunn Show
  • “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry def. Brian Cage by pinfall, but is confronted by a returning Christian Cage, who maces him and delivers the Killswitch on the ramp
  • The Acclaimed says they will invoke their rematch clause and take the tag team titles back at Revolution
  • The Elite talk NBA All-Star weekend and accept another challenge from Top Flight and AR Fox for Rampage
  • Hangman Adam Page def. Kip Sabian by pinfall
  • The Blackpool Combat Club comes to the ring and surrounds Page, and Moxley tells Hangman to let things go between them … but Page says they can settling things at Revolution, and Evil Uno ends up getting in Moxley’s face before Mox proposes a Texas Death match
  • Chris Jericho says another match for Ricky Starks isn’t going to happen, but Daniel Garcia looks forward to facing him Friday on Rampage
  • Stokely Hathaway says Hook broke his arm, and he and The Firm laugh it up when Tony Schaivone says Hook has been suspended pending investigation
  • Ruby Soho def. Toni Storm and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. by pinning Baker

Please scroll down for more details on every match and major non-match segment.

AEW Full Gear 2022: Best photos of The Elite returning to face Death Triangle

See the best photos from the return of The Elite as they took on Death Triangle at Full Gear 2022.

The Elite is back.

While never officially announced by AEW, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks were out of action for several months serving suspensions resulting from the backstage altercation following All Out. They returned in dramatic fashion at Full Gear, taking on Death Triangle in a thrilling bout that was revealed to be the first in a best-of-seven series.

Check out some of the best photos of The Elite’s return in Newark here. (Photos courtesy of All Elite Wrestling)

Kenny Omega on CM Punk-Elite drama: ‘I’d encourage people to let it go’

Omega also reminds us that at the end of the day, pro wrestling is a collaborative effort to entertain people.

Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks are back in AEW as of Full Gear, and they’re ready to put their post-All Out altercation with CM Punk and subsequent suspensions behind them. Not only that, but they’re encouraging fans to do the same.

AEW has never spoken publicly about what happened after All Out, and as Omega told Justin Barrasso of SI, no one is ever likely to get into the specifics of that night. With that in mind, Omega is suggesting that fans take the advice of the famous song from “Frozen” when it comes to all the behind the scenes drama.

“There are things no one can talk about, so I’d encourage people to let it go,” Omega said. “It doesn’t change that we want a team effort in AEW. I don’t even mean implicitly myself and my opponent. It also means the referee, the fans, the people who set up the ring, everyone — even a technical error can ruin the memory of a match. I can refer back to the exploding barbed wire death match. So I encourage people to move away from it because there is no information to be released. Though I cannot talk about it, I do want the fans to know I still want the best for pro wrestling.”

Omega’s point could very well apply to wrestling fans as a whole. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that even when there are personality clashes and other issues, wrestlers are ultimately working in a collaborative effort to entertain people.

“This isn’t Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks against CM Punk,” Omega said. “It is people trying to show off their craft. You can boo Kenny Omega, or the Young Bucks, or CM Punk, but I hope people don’t forget we’re human beings struggling to show our art.”

Omega and the Bucks will get another chance to show off their craft this Wednesday night on AEW Dynamite, when they will take on Death Triangle in the second match of their best-of-seven series for the AEW World Trios Championship.

Opening Bell: Survivor Series WarGames beckons, AEW finds a contender for MJF

Get set for the week in WWE and AEW with Opening Bell: quick previews of Raw, SmackDown, Dynamite and Rampage.

Welcome to the Opening Bell, where we round up what’s been announced for WWE (Raw and SmackDown) and AEW (Dynamite and Rampage) programming for the week we’ve just begun.

WWE Raw preview – Monday, November 21, MVP Arena, Albany, NY

Before you dig into your turkey and stuffing or other foods of choice this week, there’s business to take care of on Raw. The women’s WarGames teams are set for Survivor Series, but which side will have the advantage is up for grabs on Monday in Albany.

To settle that important question, Asuka will take on Rhea Ripley. The winner will get a numerical advantage every few minutes during WarGames, so both Team Bianca Belair and Team Damage CTRL will be watching anxiously (and perhaps even intervening) to see who comes out on top.

And that’s all WWE has officially revealed for this week’s show so far. Considering Survivor Series WarGames only has four matches announced and the women’s match still has one participant yet to be revealed, smart money suggests we’ll get some answers on Monday night.

AEW Dynamite preview – Wednesday, November 23, Wintrust Arena, Chicago

AEW is headed back to one of its homes away from home, the Windy City, for the pre-Thanksgiving episode of Dynamite. The biggest thing on the card is determining a No. 1 contender for MJF, who you may have heard is now the AEW World Champion following Full Gear. Ethan Page and Ricky Starks will wrestle for that honor in the final of a tournament that’s been going for a few weeks.

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But the show is pretty loaded beyond that. The Elite and Death Triangle tore it down at Full Gear, where it was revealed they’re going to do it again … and again and again, in a best-of-7 series for the AEW World Trios Championship. Match two takes place Wednesday on Dynamite.

Chris Jericho is still The Ocho, but he’ll get a formidable challenge for his ROH World Championship from Tomohiro Ishii of NJPW. And Orange Cassidy, who’s been putting his All-Atlantic Championship on the line regularly, will face perhaps his physically biggest test as champ in the form of Jake Hager (and his purple bucket hat).

A good night of wrestling before turkey? It sounds like it.

AEW Rampage preview – Friday, November 25, Wintrust Arena, Chicago (recorded on November 23)

We still don’t know much about what AEW has planned for Rampage this holiday week, but we do know one thing: It’s not going to be on at 10 p.m. ET like usual.

Nope, Rampage is moving earlier, much earlier, for this pre-taped show from the Chi. It will air at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on TNT. So … just be thankful for some afternoon wrestling, we suppose.

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, November 25, Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI

We’re bummed this venue is no longer the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, even though we’re sure the folks at Amica Mutual are lovely. It’s unusual to know much more about the SmackDown card than the Raw card on a Monday, but that’s exactly the case here for this big show on the night before Survivor Series.

The men’s WarGames advantage will be up for grabs in a tag team match between the undisputed champs, The Usos, and the brothers from another mother, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre. It would certainly help the Brawling Brutes and company if they can gain an edge over the Bloodline.

Speaking of the Brutes, another one of their own, Butch, is still alive in the SmackDown World Cup, and will take on Santos Escobar Friday in one semifinal. The other semifinal will also take place in Providence, when Ricochet goes up against Braun Strowman.

Last but certainly not least, Shotzi and Ronda Rousey continue to circle each other ahead of their title match at Survivor Series WarGames. They’ll meet in a tag team match Friday, with Shotzi teaming with Raquel Rodriguez while Rousey calls upon her BFF, Shayna Baszler.

You’ll be all shopped out by Black Friday night anyway, so this is the best possible way to end Thanksgiving week.

The Elite undeleted: Kenny Omega, Young Bucks to return at Full Gear

Will The Elite win their trios belts right back?

One of the most heavily rumored returns in recent memory is now official: The Elite are back in action come Saturday.

Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks have been suspended since the brawl with CM Punk and Ace Steele that followed the infamous post-All Out press conference … though AEW never officially said so. The three EVPs have been reported to have been backstage in recent weeks, however, and a series of vignettes that showed them deleted from AEW history hinted at a return.

Since they were stripped of the AEW World Trios Championship when they were suspended, a match for those titles always made sense for The Elite, and that’s exactly what played out on the Nov. 16 episode of AEW Dynamite.

After the current champions, Death Triangle, defeated Top Flight and AR Fox (making his AEW Dynamite debut), Pac took the microphone to address the “rumors” about “certain individuals in this company who think they can make their triumphant return this Saturday.” Following his assertion that Death Triangle runs from no one, a graphic on the big screen showed The Elite fading back in as their opponents at Full Gear.

The AEW World Trios Championship match is the 10th confirmed bout for Full Gear, which takes place this Saturday, Nov, 16 from the Prudential Center in Newark.

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Kenny Omega, Young Bucks could be back, at least backstage, soon

Being The Elite may be possible again in AEW soon.

The shadow banning of The Elite could be coming to an end.

While AEW has never publicly addressed it, it’s well known around the world of pro wrestling that Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks have been suspended from the company since their role in the post-All Out brawl precipitated by CM Punk’s infamous press conference tirade.

It’s been widely reported that potential legal entanglements were holding up a firm date for suspensions to end, but there were some signs last week that perhaps Omega and the Bucks were reaching the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel when they were pictured and mentioned on the air for the first time in a while.

Now it sounds like they might be back in some capacity soon. Fightful Select reports that “there is talk backstage of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks coming back to work, at the very least in a backstage capacity.” One source even suggested “it could happen ‘imminently,'” though the outlet wasn’t able to confirm that.

Having the three EVPs back would help AEW return to some semblance of normalcy behind the scenes, though there have been promising signs that the company has been able to move on without them for the time being. Multiple outlets and the wrestlers themselves have noted that people like Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson have stepped up to fill any leadership void in the locker room. And while not having The Elite on TV isn’t ideal, AEW has weathered absences from them before, particularly in the case of Omega, who missed significant time recovering from injuries in the last year.

Naturally, early reaction to the report has included fans excited that The Elite could be back on Dynamite as early as the episode airing tonight (Oct. 26). While those expectations may prove to be a bit premature, it now certainly won’t be a shock if that’s the case.

Kenny Omega, Young Bucks ‘haven’t heard anything’ about suspensions ending

Being The Elite still means being it at home for now.

The Elite are expected back in AEW eventually, but exactly when is still up in the air.

Dave Meltzer reported in his latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks “haven’t heard anything” about when they might be able to return. All three men have been suspended since the now infamous behind the scenes fight after All Out that also involved CM Punk and his friend and trainer Ace Steel.

The company hasn’t and won’t address anything regarding pretty much anything these days on these type of subjects, but the belief is that their situation is on hold pending potential legal action, which unless cleared up, could delay things for some time and there is also a second hold up that hasn’t been made clear.

Earlier reports indicated that the length of the suspensions would be dependent on the results of an internal investigation AEW launched after the incident. That investigation quickly cleared some of the people who were determined to be either bystanders or those looking to break up the altercation, and they’ve been back to work for a while.

Omega and the Bucks, however, are right at the center of the confrontation, and while accounts differ a bit on whether or not they were the aggressors, there doesn’t seem to be any doubt that they went looking for Punk after his post-All Out press conference comments (one of which was for people who had a problem with him to say it to his face).

The possibility of legal complications could certainly complicate things and draw them out a bit further, and AEW would no doubt want its EVPs back ahead of Full Gear in mid-November if possible. But the promotion has rolled on without them, and would seem to have enough things going on and talent in the fold to keep going with Omega and the Bucks sidelined if necessary.

As for Punk, a number of observers expect that his time with AEW could be done, but the same factors holding up an end date for The Elite are likely to be preventing a final word on his fate as well. For now, the wrestling world continues to simply wait and see.