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We're back with another stacked edition of the AEW News Roundup, and we've got some massive stories lined up for you today.
Chris Jericho was at his unfiltered best during a recent edition of his Saturday Night Special live stream as the former AEW world champion addressed the criticism he drew for the Blood and Guts cage spot. The Demo God even mentioned the comments of certain female stars from WWE.
A popular AEW star also confirmed that he has been out of action due to a concussion. Paul Wight opened up on the matches he wants in AEW, and we must say that The Big Show has quite an enviable wishlist.
Paul Wight also revealed how he and Mark Henry lied to each other about their respective AEW signings. We ended the roundup with Arn Anderson's reaction to his son Brock Anderson's AEW in-ring debut.
#5. Chris Jericho comments on his AEW Blood and Guts bump and has a message for his detractors
Chris Jericho was sent falling from the cage by MJF at Blood and Guts, and the big spot was meant to be the eye-catching finale to a brutal contest.
However, Jericho was shown landing on a crash pad, and the camera angles didn't realistically portray the bump, according to fans. Viewers were left underwhelmed by the bump as the crash pad grabbed all the headlines in the show's aftermath.
Chris Jericho stated that he didn't care about the criticism as he was 'terrified' about the bump.
"I'm not even going to address the criticism for it," Jericho began. "It was taking the bump off the top of the cage at [AEW] Blood & Guts. It was terrifying because I've never done anything like that before. It was not a crash pad that I fell on; there were cardboard boxes that were basically set up across the board. You fall on them, and, I guess, the cardboard kind of softens the blow. The piece of plywood over the top that was not even as thick as this book — and I was scared."
Jericho did walk away from the match with an elbow injury, and he highlighted how the crash area was actually set up.
"I really was [scared] because I didn't know what to expect. You know what I mean? What's this going to be like? When I hit, it was hard. I mean, I really did — the elbow injury is legit; just so you guys know, it's not a 'work.' It came from that because I hit the side of the stage, and then my head missed the back by just a little bit. If you see it, there's a bunch of spotlights and stuff."
Jericho then went on the offensive against everyone who 'bagged him,' including members from within the wrestling industry.
NXT's Shotzi Blackheart was one of the wrestlers who trolled Chris Jericho for the bump, and the legendary wrestler has kept tabs on all the comments.
Jericho didn't mince his words when he said that people who mocked him for putting his body on the line could 'f*** off.' The former AEW world champion admitted that the 'chicks in WWE' should have refrained from making a few comments.
Y2J was savage as he alluded that the wrestlers who targeted him were not well-trained and could be looking for a job in AEW within the next six months.
"People laugh at that sort of stuff, but there's no reason to because this is the real deal, and it can happen at any time," Jericho said. "Best of luck to anybody in our business, and anybody that bags on somebody who's taking a chance and putting their bodies on the line can really f*** off. Especially people in the business. "I could say some names. There's a couple of chicks in WWE who said some stuff, and they should probably not have said that. They probably weren't trained any better, and in six months, they'll probably be asking us for a job anyways, and I'll remember that. So, we'll leave it at that." H/t WrestlingInc
What do you think? Was the criticism that Chris Jericho received justified or unnecessary?
#4. Joey Janela reveals that a concussion is keeping him away from AEW in-ring action
Joey Janela is currently amid a break-up angle with Sonny Kiss on AEW TV, but the Bad Boy has not wrestled in weeks.
Janela has been away from the ring since his singles match against Adam Page on the go-home Dynamite before Double or Nothing. Janela revealed during his appearance on The Wrestling Perspective podcast that he is currently dealing with a 'little concussion' and expects himself to be cleared soon.
"I'll be coming back soon. I'm dealing with an injury right now, a little concussion deal. Sh*t happens; everyone knows that; it's wrestling. All sports, everyone gets concussions. I'll be cleared from that in the coming weeks, maybe the coming weekend. I'll be good and hopefully doing AEW stuff soon. Things were about to pick up for me right before [the concussion]." H/t Fightful
As noted, AEW has begun building up towards a feud between Janela and Kiss, and all roads lead to Joey's heel turn. Janela's inability to save Sonny Kiss from several beatdowns over the past few weeks has been a significant crux of the storyline, and the feud between the two looks set to be a solid mid-card program moving forward.
#3. Paul Wight and Mark Henry lied to each other about their AEW signings
Oddly, both Mark Henry and The Big Show have somehow managed to end up in AEW in 2021. Henry and Show have been fierce on-screen rivals and close real-life friends from their time together in WWE, and it's surprising to note that neither of them was truthful about joining AEW.
Paul Wight has revealed that he lied to Mark Henry before signing with AEW. Mark Henry also didn't tell Wight that he was joining AEW and Big Show said it was a common trend in wrestling.
Old-timers protect kayfabe and secrets at any cost, and Wight and Henry merely followed the basics of the wrestling business. Wight cited Mark Henry's retirement from years ago as an example when the Hall of Famer pulled off one of the greatest swerves in Monday Night RAW history.
Mark Henry's pink salmon jacket and heel turn are now considered iconic, and Wight admitted that he was upset after he got worked that night. Paul Wight watched the segment on TV and was emotional throughout the angle until Henry attacked John Cena.
"No, we both lied to each other. I lied to him (Mark Henry) before I went to AEW, and then when he was coming to AEW, he lied to me about coming so, we both — the term in the business is called kayfabe, and we're old timers, and we appreciate kayfabe, and I mean, he did that years ago when he had on that pink salmon jacket and was gonna retire and dropped his boots at that stage, and I was at home watching, and I got all emotional, and then he turned heel and got me all upset. If I had been there, I would have kicked his butt," said Paul Wight.
Wight and Henry have been brought into AEW to guide the young company and its talents, with the option of wrestling a few matches also on the table.
#2. Paul Wight reveals the wrestlers he wants to face in AEW
It took some time, but Paul Wight seems to have settled down in his new role as AEW Dark: Elevation's commentator. While the Big Show continues to evolve as an on-screen analyst, the respected giant also intends on wrestling for AEW.
During a recent interview with Jim Varsallone of the Miami Herald, Paul Wight named several AEW stars he would soon like to face. Kenny Omega's name was unsurprisingly at the top of the list as Wight believes they could tear the house down together.
Wight named some of the most prominent big men in AEW, including Lance Archer, Wardlow and Jake Hager, and expressed his desire to have titanic clashes against the wrestlers. Paul Wight also added Miro and Hangman Adam Page's names to the list of men he would like to wrestle with in AEW:
"If I went to the top, I'd go right to our champion at the top, Kenny Omega. I know for a fact in a situation with Kenny Omega, we could tear the house down. I think Kenny Omega, I think Lance Hoyt [Archer], The Murderhawk, he's just so big and impressive, ambitious. I'd like to get in the ring with Miro again because Miro has really evolved... Wardlow is another younger talent that's coming up that has a lot of potential. Jake Hager, of course, I've battled with him back in the day. I used to break all his trophies. He's really seasoned up, so there's a lot of guys I would like to get in there and mix it up with again. That's the thing. Hangman Adam Page is another one," Wight said. H/t POSTWrestling
Out of all the matches that could be booked for Paul Wight in AEW, which bout sounds the most appealing to you?
#1. Arn Anderson reacts to his son's in-ring debut in AEW
Brock Anderson made his professional wrestling debut in a tag team match on AEW Dynamite. He teamed up with Cody Rhodes in a winning effort against QT Marshall and Aaron Solow.
Brock Anderson secured the pinfall over Solow for the win, and he looks set to follow in his legendary father's footsteps. Talking about Papa Anderson, the former Four Horsemen member reacted to his son's debut during a recent episode of his podcast, ARN.
Arn Anderson admitted that he was nervous before the match and had no contact with his son. Arn didn't want to 'pound too many ideas' into Brock's head, and he let his son have some space to mentally prepare himself for a high-profile debut.
Arn was very proud of his son's work as Brock held his own in a high-profile AEW debut match:
"I would be a liar if I just stuck out my chest and said, 'He's an Anderson. It's business as usual.' Well, that's all bullsh**. I was a proud Papa. We spent that day mostly separate. I didn't want to be pounding any ideas into his head. I was nervous and trying not to show it. If he was nervous, he wasn't showing it to me or anybody else, and that's what scared me. I'm thinking, 'Is he that confident in himself? What's going on here? Or did he go blank?' That's two different looks that look exactly the same. But no, he went out. I was very proud of him." said Arn
Arn Anderson recalled that while his son had worked small matches in training, Brock had never put together a proper bout and his first outing on AEW Dynamite thankfully proved to be a success.
"That was his first legitimate match. He's had some matches in training that were 6-8 minutes in front of no people in training school. Man, I tell you, he held his own, and I'm very proud of him. I think AEW is going to be a perfect fit for him, and he's going to be allowed to make some mistakes which he's going to make, but that's how you learn. So, good news. It was a great week," said Arn. H/t WrestlingNews.co
What are your predictions for Brock Anderson in AEW? Let us know your thoughts on all the questions mentioned throughout this article in the comments section.
