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Welcome along to another edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's AEW News and Rumour Roundup. Today, we will look at news stories involving Jon Moxley, Mercedes Mone, Will Ospreay, and more.
There were major developments in Tony Khan's promotion, including a top star's accusations against WWE, an update on Mercedes Mone's backstage influence, and Jon Moxley's historic milestone. Moreover, Will Ospreay shared details about his journey to stardom. Let's go ahead and dive into these stories.
#5 Top AEW star accused WWE of ruining his "love" and "passion" for wrestling
Known for his high-flying, acrobatic style, Ricochet quickly became a reputable talent in WWE, winning both the United States and the Intercontinental Championships before deciding to leave the Stamford-based promotion in 2024 due to bad booking.
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Ricochet recently revealed his reason for departing from WWE via X, stating that the company ruined his love and passion for professional wrestling.
"No, the main reason was that the WWE ruined my love and passion for the sport that I grew up loving. AEW helped me find that love again."
#4 Update on Mercedes Mone's reported backstage influence on AEW's creative decisions
Mercedes Mone is one of the top talents in AEW at the moment and is currently the promotion's TBS Champion. While it's normally her skills that keep her in the news, she's been historically accused of having too much power and influence backstage to dictate the terms and outcomes of her matches.
However, a new update regarding the accusation has now surfaced, one that paints a picture that might surprise fans. Fightful Select reports that these accusations are untrue and stated that they have never heard of her having creative control.
Additionally, they mentioned that Mone's claims of having creative control are more down to her being in character.
#3 Four-time WWE Champion brings up major event that influenced his opinion of AEW
Bryan Danielson, formerly known as Daniel Bryan in WWE, has had a stellar wrestling career. From main eventing WrestleMania to becoming an all favorite at All Elite Wrestling, the former WWE Champion and AEW World Champion has cemented his legacy as one of the greats.
In a recent interview with talkSPORT, The American Dragon shed light on how Tony Khan's promotion's special tribute for the late Brodie Lee influenced his opinion of the Jacksonville-based promotion.
"I was thinking like, ‘Oh, these are the good guys of professional wrestling’. There's going to be times where we make wrong or bad decisions, that happens everywhere. But one of the things that I like to think about AEW is that we try -- and we don't market ourselves as this -- to be good professional wrestling.' But that's one of the things that I thought of when I was in WWE. I was like, ‘Oh, the people behind this, who are running this thing, they care about the wrestlers. They care about the fans, too.'" [H/T - talkSPORT]
Bryan Danielson retired from full-time competition last year. His last match was at WrestleDream 2024, where he lost the World Championship to Jon Moxley.
#2 Will Ospreay reveals odd jobs before AEW fame
Will Ospreay's incredible in-ring work has made him a fan favourite, gotten him cool nicknames, and made him one of the most must-see talents in AEW. The former International Champion recently shed light on the early days in his journey to stardom.
Talking with Q101, Will revealed details of his stint with Revolution Pro Wrestling, wrestling on the weekends and working at a mastic firm on the weekdays. He even recalled facing Matt Sydal and AJ Styles in RevPro.
"I was a 22-year-old boy who was working at a mastic firm," Ospreay said. "If you don't know what mastic is, it's the rubber seals by your bathrooms and your windows. I would do that Monday to Friday, and then from Friday to Sunday, I'd be a professional wrestler. I didn't have enough money to even afford a gym membership. I struggled so hard with imposter syndrome because a lot of the times, I would be the chosen guy to wrestle a lot of these imports [in RevPro]. I wrestled Matt Sydal and AJ Styles, and I struggled understanding who I was."
Ospreay is now set to face Hangman Adam Page in the Owen Cup finals later this month at Double or Nothing 2025, with the winner earning a shot at the World Championship.
#1 Congratulations to AEW World Champion Jon Moxley
Jon Moxley is currently in his fourth reign as AEW World Champion, and the Purveyor of Violence is on a path of domination that has never been seen before in the AEW.
He has now added another feather to his cap, surpassing 200 days as World Champion, a feat he has achieved before in 2020 in a reign which lasted 277 days.
Moxley's ongoing title run began last year at WrestleDream, where he beat former stablemate Bryan Danielson.
