'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On this edition of the AEW news roundup, we take a look at the latest from Friday night's ratings including MJF sending a message to Roman Reigns as well as CM Punk firing back at SmackDown's Sasha Banks. We also look at WCW veteran Crowbar's comments on how his AEW debut came about and a whole lot more.
#5 MJF sends a message to Roman Reigns
MJF was recently a guest on Rasslin' hosted by Brandon F. Walker. During the iinterview Roman Reigns briefly addressed the Friday night ratings battle where SmackDown and AEW Rampage went head to head for half an hour. He also commented on Roman Reigns' recent statements about AEW.
MJF said Roman Reigns' segment lost in the demo to AEW stars Ruby Soho and The Bunny. He went on to praise Reigns, calling him an "incredible" performer before taking shot at Reigns:
"Roman Reigns lost in the key demographic to Ruby Soho, and Ruby Soho su*ks, so I don't know what to tell you. Don't get me wrong, that's not me shi**ing on Roman Reigns. I think Roman Reigns is a hell of a performer, he really is. I think he's absolutely incredible. Am I better than him on the mic and in the ring? Sure. But I'm not gonna go out of my way and talk sh*t about him because I respect him. I respect what he does. I respect the hard work that goes into putting out that product that is WWE," said MJF.
"Again, someday I might work there. I'm also sure if he sees this, he'll pretend he doesn't know who I am because that's what they do over there. When, in reality, I know that they're all watching our stuff. Again, I cannot stress this enough, a huge fan of Roman Reigns. I think he's great. Would love to work with him one day," said MJF.
#4 CM Punk seemingly takes a shot at WWE SmackDown star Sasha Banks after AEW Rampage's win in the demo
SmackDown and Rampage went head to head for half an hour last Friday, with SmackDown running a half hour longer than usual against the first half of Rampage. Sasha Banks tweeted out Punk's catchphrase "It's clobberin time" ahead of her match against Becky Lynch on SmackDown, which went head to head with Punk's match against Matt Sydal.
Punk fired back on Twitter after AEW Rampage's win in the key demo:
The ratings for last week are in and AEW defeated WWE in the 18-49 demo with 328,000 to 285,000.
#3 WCW veteran Crowbar on his AEW debut on Dark Elevation
WCW veteran Crowbar recently made his AEW debut earlier this month on Dark Elevation, facing Joey Janela. Despite a good showing, Crowbar ended up losing the match to Janela.
Crowbar recently spoke on 2 Dynamite Dudes On A Rampage and gave some backstage insight into his AEW debut. The veteran wrestler revealed that QT Marshall was the one who first contact him during the summer.
"QT [Marshall] reached out around summer and he said, ‘We might bring you in. Joey really wants to work with you, yada yada yada,’ and that was around the end of July, and I’m excited, but again, coming from the time that I come from, wrestling is wrestling. Anything can happen, I’ll believe it when I’m there so a month goes by, they go to Newark, NJ which is right by the house, I don’t hear anything."
"They go to Arthur Ashe, I don’t hear anything. Then, I get the call the week before Philly, but I’ve been preparing. Since COVID hit, I’ve been preparing. That enabled me to do the [ECWA Super 8], that enabled me to do the JCW/GCW show, I prepared for this. I think for the first time in my career I was prepared as I could be," said Crowbar.
During the interview, Crowbar also opened up about what it was like backstage in AEW. Check that out HERE.
#2 Arn Anderson on Cody Rhodes' character in AEW
Cody Rhodes has recently been booed by fans at some AEW shows including particularly at Grand Slam during his match against Malakai Black. There have been rumors of a heel turn since then, although Rhodes himself has spoken about not wanting to turn heel in interviews.
Recently on AEW television, we have also seen vignettes of Arn Anderson coaching Cody Rhodes and trying to get a change in attitude from him. Speaking on his podcast, Arn addressed this:
There’s been some attitude changes necessary, mine for one to begin with, Cody [Rhodes’] for another, and we’re starting to get a little different feel when we talk and strategize, and we’ll see. It’s gonna be very, very interesting next month," said Arn Anderson
#1 AEW stars take a shot at SmackDown's Top Dolla
AJ Francis, aka Top Dolla, and The Young Bucks have been going back and forthrecently,y including the SmackDown star taking a shot at the former AEW Tag Team Champions:
Some of y’all favorite wrestlers only wear sneakers on-camera to seem “cool & hip” but in real life they rock vans and ASICS exclusively… but y’all not ready for that conversation.
On the latest edition of Sammy Guevara's vlog, Sammy, Aaron Solo and Nick Comoroto seemingly took a shot at Top Dolla during a segment with dollar bills. The skit started with Comoroto asking for a dollar for the vending machine and progressed:
"Give me a green dollar...This doesn't look like they finished it..You know The Top Dollar should probably been in development a little longer huh..You know," said Nick Comoroto.
Sammy and Aaron Solo also joined in, with Solo using the word "dangerous" while Sammy also took a shot using the word "unsafe".
