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We're back with another stacked AEW News Roundup where we cover all the top stories from All Elite Wrestling.
Max Caster's uncertain AEW status continues to dominate the headlines, and his recent social media activity has given rise to some interesting speculation, including a possible move to WWE.
During a recent interview, Chris Jericho opened up about his retirement match and revealed if he foresees hanging up his wrestling boots soon. Kurt Angle dropped a massive teaser of possibly wrestling in AEW by confronting a reigning champion on social media.
A former WWE Champion reacted to rumors of CM Punk going to AEW and expressed his excitement about seeing his former rival return to professional wrestling.
The roundup ends with an AEW wrestler revealing that he did not want The Dark Order to have a new leader.
#5. Max Caster hints at leaving AEW; possible WWE move teased?
Max Caster has been absent from AEW TV ever since he dropped a controversial rap on an episode of AEW Dark. The Acclaimed member's verse drew heat from fans and the company had to edit it from the final AEW Dark cut.
Caster has since been on 'thin ice' backstage, with his social media activities hinting towards a possible departure from AEW.
While Caster has maintained his silence, he has removed all references to AEW from his social media handles. He has also unfollowed many AEW wrestlers on Twitter and, to make matters interesting, has been liking WWE-related tweets over the past few days.
WrestlingNews.co highlighted that Caster has liked multiple NXT tweets and recently started following the Black and Gold brand's official Twitter handle.
Caster continued to tease an AEW exit and potential retirement by putting his wrestling gear up for sale on e-Bay.
"This set of gear has been worn on AEW Dynamite. I've worn this in matches against Chris Jericho, MJF, the Young Bucks, Jon Moxley, SCU, & more. Need some extra $ this month, and I don't think I'll be needing this stuff anymore… Get it off my hands! Will personalize an autograph on kneepads at request. Perfect collectors item for AEW fans! Thanks!" stated the eBay post.
Friends of Caster noted that the star doesn't shy away from making comments to garner some attention and that his social media stunts could be a way for him to stay relevant while away from AEW TV.
Is Caster just messing around with the fans, or is he really on his way out of AEW to join Vince McMahon's company? Only time will tell.
#4. AEW's Chris Jericho opens up on his retirement plans
Former AEW champion Chris Jericho is still going strong at the age of 50, but there will come a day when the Demo God will have to call time on his iconic career.
The veteran from AEW revealed on the Bubba Show on 100.7 Star that fans might not even realize when he retires as he isn't keen on having a highly-publicized retirement match.
While Y2J didn't have a specific opponent in mind for his last wrestling bout, he did explain that his final storyline would matter a lot and that his swan song would be a relatively low-key affair.
Jericho is still performing at an incredibly high level in AEW, and he isn't expected to pull the curtains down on his in-ring career anytime soon.
Here's what AEW's Jericho had to say about his retirement:
"Whenever I have the last match, who knows when that might be? It all depends on what the storyline is and what's going on at the time, but I don't think I'm going to be one of those guys that has like, 'this is the last match, and it's the big brouhaha' and then cry at the end of it as Jericho wipes the tears away and goes thank you for the memories — I'm not that type of guy, I don't care about that sort of stuff. So, when I have my last match," Jericho said, "you might not even know it."
"It just depends (sic) as long I can continue to perform at the highest of levels that I feel that I can, then I'll keep going, and when I feel that I can't, then I'll step aside," Jericho revealed.
Jericho is one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time and will undoubtedly get a fitting farewell when the time comes.
Who would you like to see Jericho face in his retirement match? Let us know your picks in the comments section.
#3. Kurt Angle confronts AEW TNT Champion Miro in an intense face-off
Kurt Angle sent the internet into meltdown yesterday when he posted a photo of himself engaging in an intense staredown with AEW's Miro.
The following caption accompanied the WWE Hall of Famer's photo:
If I didn't already have a room full of world titles and championships... I'd take that one too. 😏 IT'S…DAMN….TRUE @ToBeMiro #USA
Angle wrestled his last match at WrestleMania 35, where he lost to Baron Corbin and retired from active in-ring competition.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Angle revealed that he would have to undergo fusion surgery soon to fix some severe issues with his neck.
"Well, my neck is not that great. I have a lot of motor skill problems in my hands and in my fingers because of my neck. Numbness down my arms. I have a lot of pain in my neck. I've been putting off fusion surgery for gosh, 15 years, and I may not be able to put it off much longer. I'm going to eventually have to have fusion surgery," revealed Angle.
Angle is in phenomenal physical condition in the photo above, and as we've learned countless times before, anything is possible in wrestling. Would you be up for a match between God's Favorite Champion and The Olympic Hero in AEW?
#2. Preston Vance doesn't want Dark Order to have a new leader in AEW
Preston Vance, aka 10 of AEW's Dark Order, revealed during a recent appearance on the Battleground Podcast that he did not wish the faction to have a new leader.
Vance stated that Dark Order will never be able to replace Brodie Lee and added that the only logical long-term storyline would be for Negative One to take his father's spot in the future.
"I don't want a new leader of the Dark Order. In my eyes, you'll never replace Brodie. The only one that would make sense, and it's very long-term storytelling, is if his son would be 10 years down the road," stated Vance. H/t WrestlingNews.co
Several names have been tossed around regarding the vacant leadership spot in the Dark Order. Based on all the fan speculation going around, former WWE star Bray Wyatt is unsurprisingly the frontrunner to succeed Brodie Lee as Dark Order's leader.
Adam Page has also been heavily involved with the stable on AEW TV in recent months, hinting towards him getting a push to the top.
AEW might not have a replacement for Brodie Lee until Negative One is ready to carry forward his father's legacy. But would that be the best course of action?
#1. Alberto Del Rio reacts to rumors of CM Punk's return to wrestling for AEW
Alberto Del Rio sat down for an interview with Pro Wrestling Defined, and the former WWE champion shared his thoughts on CM Punk's rumored AEW debut.
Del Rio had some memorable battles with Punk in the WWE, and he was glad to hear about his former rival's desire to wrestle again. The Mexican superstar called Punk one of the best wrestlers in the world and added that the former WWE star was also a great human being.
Alberto El Patron stated that it didn't matter where CM Punk went as the entire pro wrestling business would benefit from the Second City Saint's in-ring comeback.
"When I heard the news and rumors about Punk making a comeback it gave me joy," said Alberto Del Rio. "I was so happy to hear that because he is one of the best wrestlers in the world. A fantastic guy, a fantastic person. Someone that since day number one, he became my friend. He was always helping me.
"I'm happy. If it's real that he is going to wrestle again, it doesn't matter where he goes. WWE, AEW, they are going to win. I mean, the companies and the fans. We are all going to win with CM Punk if he returns to the ring again." H/t Sportskeeda Wrestling
CM Punk is reportedly scheduled to debut on the upcoming episode of AEW Rampage on Friday, which is incidentally one day before WWE's SummerSlam show. Are you hyped to see CM Punk back in the ring? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
