AEW News Roundup: Major name suffers a serious injury and gets stretchered out of arena, Rhea Ripley's heartwarming post, New name for Kris Statlander

Kris Statlander (left) and Rhea Ripley (right) [Images via Ripley
Kris Statlander (left) and Rhea Ripley (right) [Images via Ripley's IG and allelitewrestling.com]

Welcome everyone to the latest edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's AEW News & Rumor Roundup. Today, we are looking at stories involving top pro-wrestling stars, including Rhea Ripley and Kris Statlander, to name a few.

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A major AEW star suffered a serious injury on Collision and had to be stretchered out. Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley posted a heartfelt message about a top All Elite Wrestling figure, and AEW Women's World Champion Kris Statlander has revealed a new name. We have a lot of headline-worthy news to cover today, so without further delay, let's get started.

#4. Kota Ibushi stretchered out during AEW Collision: Homecoming Taping

Last night, AEW taped Collision: Homecoming at Dailyโ€™s Place. However, the show was overshadowed by a serious injury Kota Ibushi sustained during his Collision debut. The Golden Star faced Josh Alexander in what was meant to be a showcase match as part of his ongoing involvement in the storyline against The Don Callis Family, alongside his longtime friend Kenny Omega.

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According to fans present, the incident happened when Ibushi took a bad fall from the top rope during the match. Medical staff quickly rushed to ringside and treated him as officials halted the match. Ibushi was then stretchered out of the arena. Although AEW has not issued an official statement yet, new reports suggest that backstage belief is Ibushi has suffered a broken femur and will be out for a long time.

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#3. AEW has reportedly suffered a decline in viewership and ratings

Tony Khan has reportedly faced a new setback following a noticeable decline in viewership and ratings for last week's Collision episode. The show saw a drop in both total audience and key demographic numbers.

According to Programming Insider, Collisionโ€™s audience declined by 8.9%, dropping from 248,000 to 226,000 viewers. The rating in the P18-49 demographic also decreased from 0.05 to 0.03. Itโ€™s important to note that these numbers exclude streaming platform viewership, such as MAX, which could change the overall total.

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The Jacksonville-based promotion's ongoing Homecoming week celebrations at Dailyโ€™s Place, the venue that became All Elite Wrestlingโ€™s home during the pandemic, are expected to boost momentum. It remains to be seen if it does.

#2. Kris Statlander has revealed a new moniker

Kris Statlander has officially declared a new moniker following this weekโ€™s episode of AEW Dynamite: Title Tuesday. The Galaxy's Greatest Alien took to Instagram to share photos of herself holding the Women's Championship and captioned the post with her new name, โ€œCosmic Killerโ€. The persona appears to build upon her previous space-themed character while incorporating a darker edge.

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"Cosmic Killer ๐Ÿ’ซ๐Ÿ”ช๐ŸŒ™๐Ÿฉธ," wrote Statlander on Instagram

Statlander has been part of Tony Khan's promotion since its inaugural year in 2019 and remains a vital force in the women's division as its World Champion. Stat captured the AEW Womenโ€™s World Championship at All Out 2025, defeating Toni Storm, Jamie Hayter, and Thekla in a four-way bout. Although Stat did not appear on Dynamite: Title Tuesday, she has made her presence felt through her post.

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#1. Rhea Ripley shares funny but heartwarming picture with Buddy Matthews

Rhea Ripley recently shared a light-hearted moment featuring her husband and missing All Elite Wrestling star Buddy Matthews. The couple, who tied the knot last year, have remained fan favorites for their interactions outside the ring. Ripley posted a humorous picture to her Instagram story showing Matthews flexing his muscles while she snapped a mirror selfie behind him, which quickly garnered reactions from fans.

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Check out Ripley's Instagram Story here.

Matthews has been off-screen since his match against Kazuchika Okada at Grand Slam Australia in February, where he unsuccessfully challenged for the Continental Championship, and there is no official word on his return. Meanwhile, the Eradicator is set to team up with Iyo Sky to face The Kabuki Warriors at WWE Crown Jewel in Perth this weekend.

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Edited by Karan Raj
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