The March 1st episode of AEW Dynamite saw eight men compete in the Face of the Revolution ladder match to crown the next contender for the TNT Championship.
In addition to Konosuke Takeshita, Ortiz, Eddie Kingston, Action Andretti, Sammy Guevara, AR Fox, and eventual winner Powerhouse Hobbs, the bout featured the AEW debut of Komander, a luchador currently signed to KAOZ in Mexico.
Komander impressed in the match, even running along the top rope before diving onto his opponents. However, in the end, it was Powerhouse Hobbs who was able to climb the ladder and grab the so-called brass ring. He will go on to face either Samoa Joe or Wardlow following their TNT Championship match at the upcoming Revolution pay-per-view.
AEW Initially Wanted El Hijo Del Vikingo Instead Of Komander
While Komander certainly made an impression in his AEW debut, a new report reveals that All Elite Wrestling initially wanted a different luchador to participate in the Face of the Revolution ladder match.
According to Dave Meltzer writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Tony Khan wanted El Hijo del Vikingo to participate in the match, and only asked for Komander when Vikingo was unavailable. The report also notes that WWE has its sights set on Komander, who has not signed a contract with All Elite Wrestling as he’s currently contracted to KAOZ.
“Komander, who debuted on Dynamite in the ladder match with no buildup at all, was not under contract when put on the show and is very much on WWE radar. Komander actually is under contract with the KAOZ promotion in Mexico and not sure how that would impact his ability to actually sign with WWE or AEW. But he couldn’t sign with either right now without the approval of KAOZ. Tony Khan wanted El Hijo de Vikingo to debut in the ladder match but he wasn’t available so the office asked for Komander.”
El Hijo del Vikingo is the current AAA Mega Champion, having won the belt back in December of 2021.