AEW Official Has “Heavy Heat” With Talent; September 28th Live Wrestling News Round-Up

WWE has announced that NXT Deadline will be streaming live from the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. on Saturday, December 9.

Ahead of WWE No Mercy, WWE released the following press release:

“STAMFORD, Conn., September 28, 2023 – WWE®, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced that NXT Deadline will take place live at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. on Saturday, December 9.

This marks the fifth state that NXT will tour in 2023.

Tickets for NXT Deadline go on sale Friday, October 6 at 10 a.m. ET via www.ticketmaster.com. Exclusive pre-sale opportunities will be available beginning Wednesday, October 4 at 10 a.m. ET. To learn more about registering for pre-sale opportunities, please visit: https://www.wwe.com/nxtdeadline-presale.

NXT Deadline will feature the biggest Superstars from NXT in action, including NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes, Tiffany Stratton, Ilja Dragunov, Roxanne Perez, NXT Tag Team Champions Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Bron Breakker, and more.

NXT Deadline will stream live exclusively on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else.”

At WrestleDream Bryan Danielson will compete in an international dream match as he clashes with NJPW star Zack Sabre Jr.

AEW fans have been expressing concern online regarding the status of Danielson following his rushed return from injury following CM Punk’s untimely departure.

However, it has now been revealed that fans have nothing to worry about as Bryan Danielson is “fully cleared” ahead of the show.

Speaking to Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post, Danielson would reveal that although he had been performing more gimmick matches in recent weeks, such as the Texas Deathmatch, in order to protect his arm, he is now fully cleared and will be back to his best for his face off with Zack Sabre Jr this weekend.

The full card for this weekend’s WrestleDream show can be found, here.

The International Title match between Rey Fenix and Jon Moxley likely caused some big changes to AEW WrestleDream.

The big battle between Jon Moxley and Rey Fenix didn’t go as planned with Moxley getting hurt even before the match. Fightful followed up today with additional news on the situation.

Although Moxley later indicated that he was okay following the fight, an audible was called in the match that had Rey Fenix winning the title.

The outcome of the bout caused major changes to Dynamite and more than likely, WrestleDream.

According to Fightful, the plans were to have a non-AEW wrestler come out on Dynamite and challenge Moxley for the title at the PPV this weekend. There is no word as to who the talent was.

You can read the full report, here.

Our friends over at Wrestling Shoot Interviews are back with another banging video.

This time it is a ONE HOUR compilation of wrestlers shooting on the ever controversial Hulk Hogan.

Check it out!

AEW Dynamite ended on a mysterious cliff hanger as the Devil came around once more.

The show-closing segment featured the highly-anticipated contract signing between Adam Page and Swerve Strickland for their upcoming match at AEW WrestleDream.

However, the drama escalated backstage when a mysterious group, clad in all-black outfits and masks, launched a vicious attack on Jay White.

The apparent leader of the group was then shown dawning MJF’s iconic Devil mask leading many to question if it was the man himself or has Adam Cole finally snapped.

You can check out the segment below!

Former WWE Superstar Afa Anoa’i Jr., known by fans as Manu, has been hospitalised with a serious cardiac issue.

The wrestling world was recently shaken by news of Afa Jr.’s failing health.

According to a GoFundMe page set up for him, Afa Jr. has been in the hospital since September 23rd, battling a complex cardiovascular issue that has put his life at risk.

The fundraiser description reveals the severity of Afa Jr.’s condition. His heart injection fraction is only operating at 35%, and his heart is filling with fluid by the hour. To cover the significant medical expenses associated with his treatment, the GoFundMe campaign aims to raise $100,000.

You can read more on this, here.

This Saturday WWE presents NXT No Mercy live from 1am BST.

Here is the latest card following this week’s NXT show!

• Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov
• Becky Lynch vs. Tiffany Stratton
• Dominik Mysterio vs. Trick Williams
• Noam Dar vs. Butch
• Tony D’Angelo & Stacks vs. OTM vs. The Creed Brothers vs. Humberto Carrillo & Angel Garza
• Bron Breakker vs. Baron Corbin

NXT viewership has seen a massive 23% decrease week-on-week following Becky Lynch’s NXT Championship victory on September 20th.

The September 20th episode of WWE NXT featuring Becky Lynch drew a whopping 824,000 viewers.

However, the September 26th episode of NXT, the go-home show before WWE No Mercy, saw a massive 23% drop in viewership sitting at 636,000 views.

Becky Lynch was not featured on the September 26th edition of the show, however, this Saturday Lynch will return to NXT to defend her NXT Women’s Championship against former champion Tiffany Stratton.

You can read a full breakdown of the NXT numbers, here.

Wade Barrett talks exclusively to Inside The Ropes, back in 2017, about the night that he, along with The Nexus destroyed the WWE ring at Vince McMahon’s request.

Check it out below!

Former WWE Superstar Alexis Gray has opened up on her recent WWE release revealing that she is “baffled” by the companies decision to cut her.

In an interview with WrestlingNewsCo, Gray expressed her initial surprise but also acknowledged a lingering sense of uncertainty. She admitted:

I personally did have that thought in the back of my mind, but because I was so new, I kind of didn’t accept that ‘You know, maybe I was a part of the people that were going to get laid off.’

The suddenness of her release left her baffled, as she believed she was finally finding her place within the company and understanding their expectations.

“When I did get the call, it was baffling to me, because when I tell you … I had a plan. I felt like things were finally making sense in the company, I felt like I understood what they were requesting of us. To just be cut off immediately, as I understood it … it was a lot. It was crazy.”

You can read Gray’s full comments, here.

Karrion Kross, Scarlett and Shotzi spend the night at Bobby Mackey’s Music World, the most haunted night club in America, in the second installment of Chamber of Horrors.#

Check it out below!

In case you missed it – here is everything match went down during last night’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

• Rey Fenix defeated Jeff Jarrett to retain the International Championship
• Nick Jackson defeated Claudio Castagnoli & Brian Cage by pinfall.
• Orange Cassidy defeated Matt Jackson, Austin Gunn and Penta El Zero Miedo.
• Julia Hart defeated Willow Nightingale by pinfall.

You can read our full results, including breakdowns of the shows promos and announcements, here.

Tony Khan has addressed the technical issues on the latest broadcast of AEW Dynamite.

On September 27th, AEW presented the latest episode of AEW Dynamite, but the show was marred by technical difficulties that affected the broadcast on TBS. Fans noticed issues with the audio and experienced a complete feed cut-out towards the end of the show.

AEW CEO Tony Khan promptly addressed the situation on Twitter and apologised for the broadcast problems on TBS. He explained that the issues were related to a new operating system at TBS, which affected the feed in the United States. However, Khan assured fans that the international feeds remained unaffected.

You can read Khan’s full comments, here.

Former WWE Superstar Maven has revealed the long term damage to his body sustained by decades of being a professional wrestler.

During an interview with Chris Van Vliet on his Maven Huffman channel, the former Tough Enough winner would reveal that he limps for 20 minutes every day due to injuries sustained during his career.

Check it out below!

Wrestling media personality Chris Van Vliet recently appeared on former WWE Superstar Maven Huffman’s YouTube channel.

During the quickfire interview, Chris would recall his hilarious encounter with John Cena inside a New York gym.

Check it out below!

IMPACT Wrestling star and Rascal Trey Miguel has been involved in a hit and run accident.

Taking to social media, Miguel would reveal that he, and his partner, had been involved in a hit and run traffic collision on Wednesday September 27th.

Writing on Twitter, Miguel would state:

“Was involved in a hit and run tonight that sent my fiancée and I into a pole on the Florida turnpike.

The Ford F150 hit a car that hit us and sent us spiralling into a pole before fleeing. No reports from witnesses have been mad

e. Such good people we live amongst. 10 cars, 0 eyes”

Inside The Ropes would like to send our best wishes to Miguel and his fiancée following this terrifying ordeal.

Here’s everything that went down on the latest episode of AEW Rampage!

• AEW World Trios Championship: The Acclaimed (Max Caster, Anthony Bowens) and Billy Gunn defeated The Hardys (Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy) and Brother Zay to retain the titles.
• .NJPW Strong Openweight Championship: Eddie Kingston defeated Rocky Romero to retain the title –Katsuyori Shibata made an appearance to confront Kingston.
• The Righteous (Vincent and Dutch) defeated two enhancement talents — The Righteous will face MJF in a handicap match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship at WrestleDream.
• Hikaru Shida defeated Ruby Soho in a number one contender’s match for a shot at the AEW Women’s World Championship at Dynamite Title Tuesday on October 10.

h/t Wrestling Observer for the spoilers.

Following last night’s episode of AEW Dynamite, the card for WrestleDream is:

• FTR vs. Aussie Open for the AEW World Tag Team Championship
• Eddie Kingston vs. Katsuyori Shibata for the ROH World and NJPW Strong Openweight Championships
• MJF vs. The Righteous for the ROH World Tag Team Championship
• Kris Statlander vs. Julia Hart for the AEW TBS Championship
• Christian Cage (c) vs. Darby Allin for the AEW TNT Championship
• Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
• Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho & Kota Ibushi vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Sammy Guevara & Will Ospreay
• Hangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland
• Wheeler Yuta vs. Ricky Starks

The show is set for Sunday, October 1st 2023 with the main show set to start at 1am BST.

This Sunday at AEW WrestleDream it will be Ricky Starks vs Wheeler Yuta.

The match was set in motion when Yuta and Starks crossed paths after Starks’ intense match with Bryan Danielson at AEW Collision on September 23rd. Yuta wasted no time in seizing the opportunity to challenge Starks to a match at AEW WrestleDream in Seattle, Washington on October 1st.

You can check out the full segment, here.

Adam Cole may not have been competing at AEW Grand Slam but he has left the show requiring surgery following an injury to his ankle.

On the latest episode of Dynamite, Cole appeared alongside MJF for an in-ring promo.

Despite wearing a cast on his leg and relying on crutches, he addressed the audience, expressing his need for surgery and promising to return as soon as possible.

Adding to the news, Cole’s partner, Britt Baker, shared images and x-rays of his broken ankle on social media platform X, shedding light on the severity of the injury.

MJF and Cole were initially set to defend their ROH Tag Team Championships against The Righteous at AEW WrestleDream this weekend, however, following Cole’s injury the match will now be a 2-1 handicap match for the championships instead.

Do you think Adam Cole’s injury is a work? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

During AEW Grand Slam – Rey Fenix successfully dethroned Jon Moxley to capture the AEW International Championship.

However, the match was not initially planned to end this way.

After Moxley suffered a concussion early into the match, he called an audible to Fenix informing him that he would need to go over.

Things then went from bad to worse as AEW official Rick Knox failed to recognise Moxley’s concussed state and refused to count the pin fall following a Fenix Driver onto Moxley.

Clips online surfaced showing Moxley audibly shouting “f*ck you” at Knox as he was then forced to take the move for a second time whilst concussed in order for Knox to amend his error and count the pinfall.

In a new update Fightful Select has revealed that there is “heavy heat” on Knox for failing to protect Moxley and failing to count the initial pinfall.

The report states that after speaking with several members of the AEW locker room, the general feeling was that although they “like” Rick Knox there is “heavy heat” on him following the incident as this was not the first time he has been involved in a scenario such as this.

Knox was previously involved in a terrifying incident on AEW TV when Alex Reynolds was knocked out cold in the centre of the ring.

Knox failed to recognise that Reynolds was unconscious and failed to check on him after he visibly was not moving.

You can read more on this report, here.

Good Afternoon!

I hope everyone is doing well and has has a rocking week so far!

I will be with you from 2pm to 6pm BST (9am – 1pm ET) covering all the biggest stories from WWE, AEW, NJPW, IMPACT and more.

We will be kicking things off today with the biggest stories from the last 24 hours including:

• An AEW official has “heavy heat” with talent backstage.
• Mystery masked man attacks Jay White to close AEW Dynamite.
• Adam Cole requires surgery following ankle injury.
• Ricky Starks opponent for AEW WrestleDream revealed.
• IMPACT star Trey Miguel involved in a hit and run.
• NXT ratings drop a whopping 23%.
• Tony Khan apologies following technical difficulties during AEW Dynamite.