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Welcome to today's AEW news roundup featuring Jon Moxley, CM Punk and more. Excitement is at fever pitch as Tony Khan's promotion looks to deliver on the hype surrounding AEW Rampage: The First Dance in Chicago. On that note, we'll begin today's roundup with AEW president Tony Khan adding further fuel to the CM Punk fire.
Jon Moxley's highly anticipated dream match against a Japanese megastar might be off the table for now. A popular former WWE United States champion was sighted at AEW Dynamite on Wednesday.
A former NXT tag team were officially signed by All Elite Wrestling and to finish our roundup, Lance Archer teased a faction with two powerhouses in AEW.
Without delay, let's jump into it:
#5. Tony Khan promises new era in AEW following Rampage amid CM Punk hype
AEW Rampage: The First Dance has a ton of hype going into it, simply because of the thought that CM Punk may be there.
Although AEW has never mentioned CM Punk explicitly, there have been enough teases and hints over the last few weeks to suggest it will happen. Tony Khan furthered that belief as he tweeted a day before the show that at Rampage, we'll hear the "most anticipated announcement in AEW history."
"I’m betting that excitement from the most anticipated announcement in @AEW history at #AEWRampage The First Dance will build up through All Out on PPV. We’ll make new fans + we’ll welcome dormant wrestling households worldwide back into the fold; a new era in #AEW begins tomorrow," Tony Khan tweeted.
Unlike the AEW Rampage premiere, this week's show is slightly subdued. Last week had titles at stake in all three matches. For Tony Khan to tweet this, coupled with all the hints from AEW stars on Dynamite over the past month, it seems like CM Punk is more or less a lock to show up at the First Dance.
#4. Potential Jon Moxley vs Hiroshi Tanahashi match at AEW All Out probably cancelled
Former AEW world champion Jon Moxley was set to take on Hiroshi Tanahashi at All Out but that might be off the table. Hiroshi Tanahashi is set to take on Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Grand Slam night one on September 4. All Out is scheduled for September 5, making a match against Jon Moxley almost impossible.
Jon Moxley, according to Dave Meltzer, saw Hiroshi Tanahashi as his dream opponent.
"That's probably going to be in Chicago for All Out. I know that Jon Moxley... there was a whole scenario built, I presumed Tanahashi would win and the way that it was all set up but this. It was Tony Khan's call but Moxley asked Tony Khan, I don't know the name but obviously, the name is Tanahashi, so I do know the name. He [Jon Moxley] wanted a match with a certain guy and Tony Khan said I will do my best to make it happen. This was his call. So this is Moxley's dream match and that's a big one for the pay-per-view I think, in a lot of ways just because it's Tanahashi on an AEW pay-per-view so that's a pretty big deal," said Meltzer.
Mox called out Tanahashi on an episode of AEW Dynamite in July and Lance Archer invited the New Japan legend to AEW following his loss. Jon Moxley watched the match from ringside.
While it may not happen at All Out, hopefully the dream match will take place sometime down the line with the forbidden door a thing of the past.
#3. Former WWE US Champion Carlito was present on AEW Dynamite
Carlito, an Intercontinental and United States champion as well as a 2-time tag team champion in WWE, was present at AEW Dynamite on Wednesday in Houston, Texas.
Carlito thanked former FTW champion Brian Cage on Twitter for arranging the tickets for him.
"Thanks for the hook up @MrGMSI_BCage"- Carlito tweeted.
Carlito was a popular mid-card act in WWE and defeated John Cena in his first match in the company for the United States Championship. The charismatic Puerto Rican returned to WWE in 2021 at the Royal Rumble and wrestled on RAW the following night in a tag team match with Jeff Hardy.
Carlito has previously stated that he would be open to working in AEW.
AEW has a pretty solid roster so it's up for debate if they need another mid-carder right now. But that doesn't take away from Carlito's qualities as a wrestler. A tag team with Brian Cage in AEW would definitely be an interesting prospect and Carlito would get a chance to work for other companies like IMPACT Wrestling at the same time.
#2. Chris Jericho and AEW confirm 2point0 are All Elite
AEW's first ever world champion Chris Jericho welcomed Matt Lee and Jeff Parker aka 2point0 on his podcast, Talk is Jericho. Before the guests said anything, Le Champion revealed that the former Ever-Rise had signed with AEW.
This was before the Texas Tornado match on AEW Dynamite between 2point0 and Sting and Darby Allin. It was a highly entertaining affair that saw Sting wrestle on TNT for the first time in 20 years. 2point0 delivered a double powerbomb to The Icon but eventually succumbed to a double Scorpion Death Lock.
Shortly after, Tony Khan announced that the veteran tag team had been signed to AEW. Both men expressed their delight on Twitter, acknowledging what had been a huge couple of weeks for them.
2point0 are veterans in the wrestling industry. They are extremely entertaining and great in the ring. AEW has done a great job of building them up so quickly and the crowd has taken to them as well.
It's unlikely the duo will reach the top rungs in the company, but their qualities make them a valuable addition to the AEW roster.
#1. Lance Archer teases new faction with Brian Cage and Jade Cargill in AEW
Lance Archer came up with a new idea to dominate the AEW roster as he proposed a trio of himself, Jade Cargill and Brian Cage.
Former FTW champion Brian Cage was totally on board.
"I know we had our differences, and the fans glamouring for us to fight," Cage tweeted. "But this is a bad a** trio. What's the name people?"
All three wrestlers are highly regarded in AEW. Jade Cargill is still undefeated and has the looks, presence and athleticism to reach the pinnacle of the AEW Women's Division.
Brian Cage and Lance Archer are two of the most athletically gifted big men in AEW and have the power to go with it. Brian Cage, in particular, has arguably the best physique of anyone in AEW.
Lance Archer, meanwhile, pushed Hiroshi Tanahashi to the absolute limit despite losing at NJPW Resurgence. Although he lost, the Murderhawk Monster looked like an absolute star as he controlled the pace of the match and was dominant throughout.
A trio of Jade Cargill, Brian Cage and Lance Archer will send shockwaves around AEW and hopefully it can come to fruition at some point.
Check out Sportskeeda Wrestling's review of AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT in The Debrief below:
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