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We welcome you all to the inaugural edition of the AEW News Roundup, in which we will compile all the biggest news stories coming out of All Elite Wrestling.
A top AEW star revealed how WWE denied her release for a long time as they didn't want her to join Tony Khan's promotion. Jim Ross recently made a big statement about Randy Orton, and the comments have kicked off quite a fiery debate online. JR also revealed who will be the next breakout star in AEW during a recent interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling.
A highly sought-after free agent was recently spotted with Dustin Rhodes, giving rise to speculation about a potential AEW move. Hikaru Shida has also reached a massive milestone ahead of her Women's World Title defense against Britt Baker.
Dax Harwood's recent social media activity also turned many heads as he voiced his frustrations against AEW management. Was it a shoot or a work? We got an incredibly amusing answer!
The AEW News Roundup ends with a story about QT Marshall condemning WWE's decision to release a star who has been on a hot streak of late in AEW. On that note, here is the AEW News Roundup:
#7 Tay Conti reveals WWE denied her release, reason why the company didn't want her to go to AEW
Tay Conti has been positioned as one of the top names in AEW's women's division, and WWE's decision to release her as part of the budget cuts does seem like a bad one now in hindsight.
However, it has now been revealed WWE blocked Tay Conti's release on multiple occasions before letting her go out of the blue.
The Brazilian superstar appeared on the latest episode of AEW Unrestricted and revealed that WWE specifically told her about not joining AEW.
The company's higher-ups felt that they had invested a lot of money in Tay Conti, and her potential to become a main event mainstay was undeniable. WWE saw Conti as a star and wasn't willing to let go of her services.
However, Tay was unhappy with her standing in the company as she rarely got used to TV. After her attempts to leave were shot down by WWE, the former NXT star decided to stay for the remainder of her two-year contract.
"I remember they told me, 'No, you're not gonna go to AEW. 'We put a lot of money on you. You are star blah, blah, blah.' I'm like, 'Yes, you guys don't use me here. So I gotta go somewhere, but it's not there. I know nobody there. I have no plans to go to AEW.' I had no plans because I had no contacts at all. At end of the day, we figured it out. They said no, and I still had two years in my contract. And I was like, well, what I'm (sic) gonna do. I'm gonna be here." continued Conti.
WWE abruptly released Tay Conti along with many other talents in April 2020, and she was admittedly surprised by the phone call she got about the news.
"Out of nowhere, they called me because of — I mean, not out of nowhere. Everybody knew what was going on because of COVID, but I was not expecting the call since we were okay. They told me 'we are finally letting you go' not in a really good, I don't how to explain it without being too mean, they're not too nice." said Conti (H/t WrestlingInc)
Conti has thrived as a performer ever since joining AEW. Even though she has been unsuccessful in capturing the company's top women's title, championship glory shouldn't be too far away for the 25-year-old wrestler.
#6 Jim Ross picks Randy Orton as the world's best wrestler, AEW World Champion Kenny Omega responds
AEW veteran Jim Ross always speaks his mind, and he didn't disappoint during a recent edition of the Grilling JR podcast when he chose the best wrestler in the world.
The AEW announcer opined that Randy Orton was currently the best professional wrestling athlete in the world, and he even provided an explanation behind his pick.
JR might not be watching Randy Orton's work regularly these days, but the respected AEW personality highlighted that Orton never disappointed whenever the cameras were on him.
Jim Ross felt that the Viper always came out looking great irrespective of the creative direction the WWE gave him.
"If he's not, of course it's subjective and only my opinion, there's a lot of good ones out there right now," Ross said. "I don't think anybody is any better than Randy Orton in the wrestling business. Of course that's so subjective. I love Randy's work, although I don't watch it regularly enough to make a great evaluation, in the last several months that I have tuned in to watch some of Randy's segments, he doesn't disappoint. No matter how the creative is packaged to him, he doesn't disappoint," said Jim Ross. H/t WrestlingInc
Jim Ross was quick to note that many people consider Kenny Omega to be the best, and JR was in no mood to argue with the said group of individuals.
Jim Ross added that fans should feel lucky as the current professional wrestling landscape has many exceptional performers.
Former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho chimed in on the topic on Twitter and backed Omega as the most excellent wrestler in the world right now.
The Demo God's tweet got a response from the AEW World Champion, who went on to take a shot at Jim Ross, Jim Cornette, and WWE' E-Drones'.
What do you think? Who is truly the best wrestler in the world?
#5 Tessa Blanchard spotted with training with Dustin Rhodes
Tessa Blanchard's name continues to be discussed in correlation with AEW as the former IMPACT Wrestling World Champion is still one of the hottest free agents in wrestling.
Tessa Blanchard and her husband Daga, along with AEW regulars Jazmin Allure and Vertvixen, trained at Dustin Rhodes' wrestling school. The AEW star tweeted a photo with his guests, and his tweet also got a response from Blanchard.
This isn't the first time Blanchard has been spotted training with well-known wrestlers, as Tessa even had a session with Bayley and Sasha Banks earlier in the year at the Hybrid School of Wrestling in San Antonio, Texas.
Tessa Blanchard is patient about her next big move in her career. The speculation regarding a move to either WWE or AEW has been prevalent since the day she left IMPACT Wrestling, and something big could be in the works.
#4 Dax Harwood tweets about 'quitting' AEW and the business
Dax Harwood sent wrestling media into a frenzy a few days ago when he tweeted out his frustrations about Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley getting a shot at the AEW tag team titles.
Harwood was unhappy that every tag team received a title shot except FTR, and he vowed to quit the business if Mox and Kingston 'jumped the line.'
Harwood would later 'quit' as promised following AEW's match tag team titles match announcement for Double or Nothing, where Mox and Eddie will take on The Young Bucks.
Harwood later revealed that he just had a little too much wine and logged into Twitter at the wrong time.
The former WWE star was just working the masses!
#3 Hikaru Shida completes major milestone as AEW Women's World Champion
Hikaru Shida completed one year as the AEW World Women's World Champion on May 23rd, and the champ posted a heartfelt message on the momentous occasion.
Here's what Shida had to say in her message to the fans:
"1 year ago, I won the AEW Women's title. Thank you so much for your support for one year. I have been able to believe in myself because of many people, who has been believing me.I promise to do my best all the time, thanks again. See you at the next Dynamite and Double or Nothing. " said Hikaru Shida
Shida won the title from Nyla Rosa at last year's Double or Nothing pay-per-view, but her record-setting reign could end in a few days on May 30th.
The Japanese superstar will defend the title against Britt Baker, and the doctor is the favorite heading into the match following her highly-acclaimed recent work.
#2 Jim Ross on who will be the 'next big thing' in AEW
AEW's Jim Ross recently sat down for an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Kevin Kellam, and the WWE Hall of Famer spoke about the AEW roster and who he believes could be the next big thing in the company.
JR loved that AEW was heavy on wrestling, and he also enjoyed the comedic bits done by performers who were good at their craft.
Jim Ross highlighted the youthfulness of the AEW locker room and singled out Wardlow as a talent to watch out for in the promotion.
The veteran said that Wardlow possessed the physical traits that would have made him a top guy for many bookers in the early days of wrestling. Jim Ross had nothing but praise for the Pinnacle member during his chat with Sportskeeda. Here's what Good Ol' JR had to say:
"It's heavy on wrestling, and I love that. Maybe it's my age or what have you been... I like comedy, but I like comedy done by people who are good at it. Our guys came here to wrestle, and I'm glad that that's what we do and do very well. I'm so proud of these kids. The mix of all these guys, Sammy Guevara, MJF, all these guys... Jungle Boy, Wardlow. I look at Wardlow, and I go back every generation I've been in, seventies onward; there's not a booker that I ever worked for who would not have embraced and loved having Wardlow on the roster. I believe it's not where Tony Khan sits, that's not the way I work, but in my opinion, Wardlow could be our next big thing here. Great attitude, smart, polite, has integrity, character." (H/t Pratyay Ghosh of Sportskeeda Wrestling)
Wardlow has been well-protected in AEW, but could he really be the next big thing for Tony Khan?
#1 AEW's QT Marshall calls WWE 'stupid' for releasing fellow Factory member Nick Comoroto
Every professional wrestling company needs a giant monster, and AEW has them in abundance, with Nick Comoroto of The Factory being one of them.
Comroto was previously signed by WWE back in 2019 on a developmental contract. The New Jersey native was named Nick Ogarelli by WWE and made a few appearances for NXT before being released in 2020.
Nick Comroto first appeared for AEW on an episode of Dark in October last year, and he drew a lot of praise for his performance. One thing has led to another, and Comoroto currently finds himself under the tutelage of QT Marshall in The Factory.
During an appearance on The Wrestling Perspective podcast, QT slammed WWE's decision to release Nick Comoroto. Marshall felt WWE officials were stupid to let go of someone of Comoroto's caliber.
QT Marshall also put over Aaron Solow and appreciated what the ten-year veteran brings to the table for The Factory on AEW.
"Comoroto's another one. He was in NXT, and they let him go because they're stupid. They didn't know what they had—which they never do anyway—their loss is our gain. And then you have another guy in Aaron Solow, who's been traveling the world for the past ten years, and you know, I talked to them, and they were willing to do this, let's make it happen," said QT Marshall. (H/t Arpit Shrivastava of Sportskeeda Wrestling)
The Factory, a splinter group of the Nightmare Family, consists of leader QT Marshall along with Nick Comoroto, Aaron Solow, and Anthony Ogogo. The Factory is just one of the many factions currently plying their trade in AEW, but could the alliance take Nick Comoroto to the main event level in the company?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.
