Tony Khan “Optimistic” About Bringing WWE Hall of Famer Out Of Retirement In AEW; May 29th Live Wrestling News Round-Up

A new report from WRKD Wrestling has revealed multiple spoilers for tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw.

The report includes confirmation of a rumoured return, a new championship challenger revealed and much more.

You can read the full spoilers below:

• Tommaso Ciampa set to make his WWE return after eight months (previously reported by PWInsider).
• Matt Riddle set to be unveiled as Gunther’s new Intercontinental Championship challenger.
• Cody Rhodes will ‘speak his mind’.
• Seth Rollins next storyline will be revealed.
• Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to enter a feud with Judgment Day.
• Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark will confront Becky Lynch.

At AEW Double or Nothing FTR took on Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal for the AEW Tag Team Championships.

Despite Aubrey Edwards taking a guitar shot from Karen Jarrett and all sorts of mischief from Lethal and Jarrett, it was FTR who came out on top.

Taking to Twitter, Dax shared a hilarious moment from before the match in which tag partner and best friend Cash Wheeler would claim the ring attendants had taken his championship…only to realise it was still around his waist.

You can check out the hilarious clip below!

👴🏼: “Cash, hand Mark your belt.”
🧔🏻: *looking around in a panic* “They (the ring attendants) took it!”
👴🏼: “It’s on you…”
🧔🏻: “Oh yeah.” pic.twitter.com/1wxEctQeCP

— Uncle Dax FTR (@DaxFTR) May 29, 2023

WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam is known for his incredible in-ring work and laid back attitude.

But ‘The Whole F’in’ show has revealed that he wasn’t always as chilled and relaxed as he is known to be, recalling a heated altercation with fellow WWE legend Kurt Angle.

Speaking recently on his podcast 1 Of A Kind With RVD, Van Dam recalled a time during the attempting relaunch of ECW when he had an issue with The Olympic Gold Medallist.

“We might have bumped heads or something in the ring … the match was almost over.

He said something like, ‘You’re not listening to me.’ I took so much offense to that, you know? Being the veteran, and being in the position that I was, I was like, ‘What? I’m not listening to you?’

After the match, he left first, and I was still in the ring so hot about it. I got myself all worked up.”

A furious Van Dam stormed backstage to confront the Olympic Hero, who he encountered in a relaxed mood whilst eating some food. After a quick discussion the situation was quickly diffused with Angle seemingly having no recollection of his words:

You can read RVD’s full comments, here.

A recent report has provided an update on the recovery of Shane McMahon after he suffered a nasty injury at WrestleMania 39.

McMahon underwent surgery for a torn quadriceps muscle in the days following WrestleMania39. Now a report has revealed the latest update on the former WWE European Champion’s recovery.

A report from PW Insider has revealed that McMahon is recovering well following the surgery and was recently spotted in New York:

“Shane McMahon and his sons were at yesterday’s New York Yankees game in NYC.

McMahon was walking around with a knee brace but beyond that, looked to be in good spirits and fine physically.”

Would you like to see McMahon have on final match in the WWE to right the wrongs of WrestleMania 39? Let us know by hitting the thumbs down below!

At AEW’s Double or Nothing PPV, Sammy Guevara made his entrance alongside wife Tay Melo with the couple decked out in white. In something of a throwback the pair carried a series of cue cards, and announced they were having a baby.

Social media erupted with congratulations for the couple and now WWE Superstar Nikki Cross has joined in, congratulating the AEW stars before stating that she “is coming” for the title of favourite auntie.

Over the moon for @taymelo @sammyguevara.

These two will be amazing parents, can’t wait to meet new addition to your family. Congratulations you two love birds, @DamoMackle and I are so delighted for you I’m totally coming for favourite auntie title.”

Congratulations to Guevara and Melo on their incredible news!

WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels has revealed a key ingredient behind the success of NXT.

During the NXT Battleground media call, WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels highlighted an unsung hero for her key role in the success of NXT:

“I feel the need to tout the system here. To tout the system, I have to give a lot of credit to Sara Amato [Sara Del Ray].

The women’s division, not just here in NXT, even on the main roster, is on a level that I think is off the charts. When everything is said and done, everything comes down to the work of Sara, she had been the one that has been the pioneer of that here in NXT for the longest time.

I know there are a lot times…Sara is a mom now, and we obviously work around her schedule, but she is so good at staying in the background and saying she doesn’t like to get noticed that much and she’ll probably get mad at me for talking about her here.

She is the single greatest secret, I think, that NXT had because she does absolute wonders with the women that come through the doors of NXT. I need to get that out there on Sara. She does an amazing job here”. [h/t Fightful]

Did you check out NXT’s Battleground PPV? Let us know using the thumbs down below!

Adam Cole has given a positive update on Kyle O’Reilly’s in-ring status.

In a recent interview with Barstool Rasslin’, Adam Cole provided a positive update on the recovery of his friend:

“He’s doing good. He’s in good spirits. He’s on the right track. There is nothing that Kyle wants to do more than come back to work, especially now that Roddy’s [Roderick Strong] here and things like that. He’s seriously one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met for sure, so everyone keep your fingers and toes crossed.

Kyle’s doing awesome, he’s seeing great progress, and hopefully, we’ll see him again very soon.”

What would you like to see AEW do with Kyle O’Reilly when he makes his return? Let us know by using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page!

MJF didn’t mince words when it came to his thoughts on not main eventing AEW Double or Nothing.

Speaking in the post-show media scrum, Maxwell Jacob Friedman was asked about his match’s position on the card. The champion made it clear that not only did he not mind going on before the main event, he prefers it as he didn’t want to “roll around in Jon Moxley’s blood.”

“No, why the f*ck would I want to roll around in Jon Moxley’s blood? I’m f*cking good. No thanks. Also, realistically, whether it’s this company or WWE, the World Title, ‘having to go on last,’ kind of is dead in wrestling. How times has the World Title not gone on last in this company?” [h/t Fightful]

You can read more about MJF’s scathing comments to Jon Moxley, here.

During AEW’s Double or Nothing Max Caster would name drop WWE Superstar Dominik Mysterio claiming that he was “cucking” House of Black’s Buddy Matthews, Rhea Ripley’s real life partner.

The Acclaimed star rapped that Matthews is “getting cucked by a kid named Dominik,” a reference to Matthews’ real-life girlfriend Rhea Ripley and her on-screen partner Dominik Mysterio.

Rhea Ripley has now taken to Twitter reacting to the name drop in humorous fashion.

The SmackDown Women’s Champion would state:

“Hey @DomMysterio35, we’re over in two companies.”

What did you think Max Caster’s Double or Nothing rap? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

Chris Jericho talks exclusively to Kenny McIntosh of Inside The Ropes about how Tony Khan’s booking really works and the untold differences between AEW and WWE creative.

Check out this never before seen interview clip below ⬇️

AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm has expressed their displeasure in how a major decision was handled.

Following the conclusion of AEW’s Double or Nothing PPV, Storm was one of the guests at the post-show media scrum. The new Women’s Champion stated that this victory is righting the errors of the previous reign, blasting the concept of interim champions:

“It felt extra special this time. I’m sure we can all agree that the interim thing was bullsh*t. Right, Tony? Crazy. That was a tough, terrible time. It feels great because this is what it should have been the whole time,” [h/t Fightful]

You can read more about Storm’s scathing comments, here.

Do you agree with Toni Storm? Do you think AEW messed up by not stripping Thunder Rosa of her AEW Women’s Championship soon? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

Hulk Hogan is known for being the face of WWE for over two decades and for being one of, if not the most, recognisable names in wrestling history.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, Hulk Hogan has praised All Elite Wrestling for the work they have done in their short history. The Hall of Famer even believes that in the future Dynamite could directly compete against Monday Night Raw:

“I was talking to somebody, and I equated it to NASCAR drivers. You need seat time. You need to spend time in that seat until you start winning championships. It’s almost like AEW is on track. They’re kind of like the little engine that could, and they’re on track. I just think they need more seat time. They just need to be around just a little bit longer to be really, really, really competitive, where they could go head to head on Monday nights, but they’re moving forward quite quickly. They’re doing a great job over there,”

Although the multi-time WWE Champion has always been vocally supportive of Vince McMahon [if we ignore his iconic nWo WCW run] this hasn’t stopped the WWE Hall of Famer checking out and being a fan of WWE’s biggest competition AEW.

You can read Hogan’s comments on watching AEW, here.

Two of AEW’s biggest stars, Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Cesaro and Jon Moxley, are set for a huge match in NJPW.

At the 30th Best of the Super Juniors final night on May 28th, Shota Umino declared that he wanted a shot at the NEVER Openweight Six Man titles, currently held by Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii. He would go on to announce that the match would take place at NJPW Dominion, and that his partners would be none other than Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli.

Moxley has appeared frequently for NJPW in recent years, however, this will be Claudio Castagnoli’s first-ever appearance for New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Will you be checking out Claudio’s NJPW debut? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

A new report has provided an update on MJF following an injury scare at Double or Nothing.

Although the Salt of the Earth emerged victorious at AEW Double or Nothing, he wasn’t unscathed. One spot during the match saw him perform a top rope Powerbomb on Allin. Following the move, the star clutched his arm in pain.

It has been reported on multiple occasions that WWE would love to secure the signature of AEW World Champion MJF.

During last night’s Double or Nothing post-show press conference, much to the chagrin of Tony Khan, MJF would respond to the reported interest in the way that only he can.

“Now, does Nick Khan want me to work in his company? Sure. Does Triple H want me to work in his company? Sure.

[Looking at Tony], calm down, it’s fine, or maybe it’s not, but I’m kind of bored of this sport and I’m bored of the lack of respect from professional wrestling fans, so when I say ‘take my ball and go home,’ I mean literally, just hang it up, and f*ck up the lineage of this title. Frankly, I don’t know if anybody is worthy of beating me for this thing.

Now, I’m not just going to hand it away, why would I do that? I earned this thing. Please, by all means, take it off of me, somebody put me out of my misery. Until then, we’ll see what happens,” [h/t to Fightful]

Would you like to see MJF jumpship to WWE? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

Tony Khan has given fans the latest update on ticket sales and revenue for AEW All In.

peaking at the Double or Nothing post-show Press Conference, Tony Khan revealed the latest total ticket sales, along with how much money the event equates to:

“I haven’t released a new figure yet, but we’re roughly at 65,000 (tickets). We’re well over the $8 million mark, with the exchange rate it changes with pounds, so when I say that, I mean $8 million, going on $9 million that we’re closing in on,”

Khan’s statement that over 65,000 tickets have been sold confirms that the Wembley show will have a higher attendance than WWE’s Clash at the Castle Premium Live Event back in September 2022. The Cardiff hosted show had a total audience of 62,296.

You can read a full breakdown of Khan’s latest statement, here.

What would you like to see main event All In when AEW comes to the UK this August? Let us know by using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page!

A long-time absent WWE Superstar could be returning during tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw, over eight months after his last in-ring appearance.

We aren’t going to name the talent here in order to avoid spoiling it to anyone who wants to watch Raw spoiler free, but you can click the link below to find out which WWE Superstar Mike Johnson of PWInsider has reported is in town ahead of tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw.

To read the potential return spoiler, click here.

It’s an AEW sort of afternoon as more news unfolds coming out of last night’s Double or Nothing post-show press conference.

Tony Khan was hyping up the return of the Owen Hart cup in the coming weeks ahead of AEW’s Forbidden Door PPV on June 25th when he was asked about potential challengers for the tournament.

Khan would name drop NJPW legend and WWE Hall of Famer Jushin Thunder Liger as his dream competitor for the tournament, event stating that he is “optimistic” about getting the legendary Junior Heavyweight involved in the tournament despite his retirement following Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January 2020.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could get Jushin Thunder Liger over to Canada? […] I think it’d be great if Jushin Thunder Liger can come over, and I’m optimistic that he’ll be able to.” [h/t WrestlingInc]

Liger and Hart would clash on no less than three occasions across their careers, in 1989, 1990 and for the final time in 1991 in a critically acclaimed singles match during NJPW’s 1991 Explosion Tour.

Would you like to see Jushin Liger come out of retirement for one last match in honour of Owen Hart? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

The fallout from AEW’s Double or Nothing post show press conference continues to dominate headlines, this time for MJF’s scathing assessment of NJPW.

Speaking on the topic of NJPW ahead of the companies cross promotion PPV with AEW, Forbidden Door, MJF would call the company a “f*cking indie fed” before shooting down any chance of him appearing on the show next month.

““Do I have to wrestle at Forbidden Door? F**k that. Oh God, it’s a f**king indie fed, dude… But everyone else there [except the Great-O-Khan] is the drizzling s**ts.”

You can read MJF’s full scathing comments, here.

Who would you like to see MJF take on when NJPW and AEW collide in June? Let us know by using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page!

At AEW Double or Nothing, Jade Cargill was pinned for the first time in her impressive young career.

A new report from Fightful Select has revealed that Statlander has been planned to dethrone Cargill for a number of weeks. The report adds that Cargill will be taking some time off, perhaps even immediately, before “returning to the ring with a personality shift down the road.”

You can read more about Cargill’s planned departure, here.

Do you think Kris Statlander was the right person to end Cargill’s incredible undefeated streak? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

During the AEW Double or Nothing post-show press conference Tony Khan shocked those in attendance when he shut down a question surrounding CM Punk’s AEW status ahead of the debut episode of AEW Collision in just under three weeks.

At the post-Double or Nothing press conference, Tony Khan was asked whether Punk would be coming back. Unsurprisingly, the AEW boss refused to confirm or deny the speculation, simply talking up the debut of the new show instead.

Khan went on to compare the debut episode of Collision to “Rampage, The First Dance,” where Punk made his debut, claiming that it will be one of the biggest shows of the year.

You can read Khan’s full statement on CM Punk and the arrival of AEW Collision, here.

Do you think CM Punk is returning to AEW? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

Let’s start things off with possibly the biggest new of the weekend, Goldberg’s possible move to AEW.

Tony Khan has fuelled speculation that WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg could be on his way to AEW after confirming recent talks during the AEW Double or Nothing post-show press conference.

The AEW Chairman would go on to state that Goldberg has a great history in Jacksonville, before adding that the details and topics of his conversation with Goldberg will remain private.

“Yeah, I have talked to Bill. It wouldn’t be that unusual.

I’ve talked to Bill when he’s not been under contract at times, and I have a good relationship with Bill. I have had a good conversation with him, but I’ve had a lot of great conversations with Bill.

His family has done a lot of great things in Jacksonville, he’s related to the Wolfson family, who built the Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville. Bill is a great former football star, I worked in football, and it’s a big part of my life. We have a lot in common and we have a lot of mutual friends, and I have a really good relationship with Bill.

I like him a lot. As to what I’ve talked to him about, I would say that’s just between the two of us. It was a good chat. I like Bill a lot, he’s a great guy,” [h/t Fightful]

You can read more about Goldberg’s current retirement plans and possible AEW appearance, here.

Do you think Goldberg will make a shock move to AEW? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

Good Afternoon!

A late on from us today, after a long rest and recovery following last nights spectacular AEW Double or Nothing PPV we are back with today’s Inside The Ropes live news blog.

We will be kicking things off with the fallout from last night’s WWE and AEW events before getting into all the news breaking this beautiful Monday afternoon!

I (Liam) will be with you from 4pm to 10pm BST and then Robert will be with you from 10pm covering all this nights news and the live results and reactions for Monday Night Raw!