During the March 11th WWE Raw episode, the wrestling world witnessed intriguing nods to AEW.
The notable references to AEW stars commenced with an emotionally charged in-ring segment featuring Cody Rhodes, where the Raw audience was treated to an AEW reference, signalling a subtle yet significant acknowledgement of the rival promotion.
Furthermore, the emergence of Rhea Ripley alongside Buddy Matthews, a former WWE Superstar now plying his trade in AEW, during a moment featuring stars attending UFC 299, added another layer of intrigue to the crossover implications. The on-air banter between commentators Pat McAfee and Michael Cole further amplified the curiosity, as McAfee humorously sought to ascertain Ripley’s companion without receiving a definitive response.
Notably, the inclusion of Chris Jericho in the Intercontinental Championship video package further fuelled the buzz surrounding the potential interplay between the two wrestling entities.
WWE highlighted Rhea Ripley attending UFC this past weekend with her fiancé AEW star Buddy Matthews during Raw pic.twitter.com/NSux8U9Ikz
— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) March 12, 2024
What Other AEW References Have WWE Made Recently?
WWE recently referenced Sting’s final match at AEW Revolution. As a match between Gunther and Dominik Mysterio got underway, Michael Cole sent his congratulations to Sting and thanked him for his contribution to the wrestling industry and for the memories he has created along the way. Pat McAfee also noted that Sting’s retirement match was “absolutely epic” but before he could divulge further he was stopped by Cole. According to Dave Meltzer, this nod to Sting’s last match was a call by Triple H to congratulate The Icon on his career and retirement.
In recent news, an AEW Continental Title match between Eddie Kingston and Kazuchika Okada has been scheduled for the March 20th Dynamite.