AEW News Roundup: Former WWE Champion returns in a new role, Jon Moxley gets new allies, Mercedes Mone's final opponent revealed

Welcome to the latest edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's AEW News & Rumor Roundup. Today, we are looking at stories involving All Elite Wrestling stars like Jon Moxley and Mercedes Mone, among others.

A former WWE Champion has returned to the Jacksonville-based promotion in a new role. Meanwhile, The Purveyor of Violence has gotten new allies. Mercedes Mone's third and final opponent for Forbidden Door has finally been revealed. This and more as we uncover the headline-making news stories coming out of the AEW universe. Let's get started.

#4. Bryan Danielson returns to AEW as a commentator

Bryan Danielson made a huge return this week on AEW Dynamite in Glasgow. The five-time WWE World Champion appeared as a guest commentator for the entire show. His arrival was met with thunderous “YES!” chants from the audience, something he made popular in WWE.

WWE in legal trouble after Brock's return? - Check out!

Danielson officially ended his full-time in-ring career at WrestleDream 2024, where he lost the AEW World Championship to Jon Moxley. It was also confirmed during the broadcast that The American Dragon will host the Forbidden Door Zero Hour show. He will join Renee Paquette, RJ City, and Jeff Jarrett at The O2 in London, England, to provide analysis and commentary ahead of the major event.

#3. Jon Moxley gets new allies in NJPW’s Bullet Club War Dogs ahead of Forbidden Door 2025

Jon Moxley has seemingly secured new allies ahead of his highly anticipated Lights Out Steel Cage Match at Forbidden Door 2025. The match is scheduled to feature Moxley teaming up with Claudio Castagnoli, Gabe Kidd, and The Young Bucks against Will Ospreay, Darby Allin, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Hiroshi Tanahashi.

On this week's Dynamite, a massive brawl unfolded after Tanahashi and JetSpeed defeated The Death Riders. Following the match, The Death Riders launched an aggressive attack, which escalated when NJPW’s Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors, Robbie X, and Drilla Moloney) intervened on Gabe Kidd’s behalf.

The Bullet Club War Dogs presented themselves as new allies of The Death Riders and created a temporary seven-on-three situation. Amid the chaos, Ospreay attempted to assist his team but was stopped by the Bucks. The odds were ultimately evened when Darby Allin emerged from a body bag alongside The Opps, officially joining the melee.

#2. STARDOM's Bozilla confirmed as Mercedes Mone's third opponent at Forbidden Door

The third and final challenger for Mercedes Mone’s TBS Championship at Forbidden Door 2025 has been confirmed. The CEO, who has held the title for more than 450 days and simultaneously carries eight championships across different promotions, will defend her gold in a four-way match at the event.

The match will see representatives from AEW, CMLL, and STARDOM competing against Mone. Alex Windsor was announced as All Elite Wrestling’s representative, while Persephone was revealed as CMLL’s participant. The third competitor, announced this week, is STARDOM’s Bozilla.

#1 Killswitch returns to AEW Dynamite after 360 days

Killswitch has officially returned to AEW after nearly a full year away from weekly television. The powerhouse made his comeback during an episode of Dynamite, where he directly confronted his former ally Christian Cage. His hiatus began in September 2024 after he was sidelined with double pneumonia, leaving him out of action for approximately 360 days.

The former Luchasaurus will now replace Nick Wayne in a scheduled match at Forbidden Door 2025. Initially, Christian Cage and Adam Copeland were set to face Wayne and Kip Sabian, following The Patriarchy's betrayal of Cage after an unsuccessful attempt to capture the AEW World Tag Team Championship at All In: Texas.

The faction's attack led to Copeland returning to aid Cage, leading to the Canadian duo's reunion as a team. However, with Wayne sidelined due to an undisclosed injury, Killswitch has stepped in as his replacement.

About the author

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

Know More

WWE has no solid plans for Rhea? Here's the update!

Edited by Pratik Singh