Tanahashi is so good. Still to this day the best new japan has to offer when it comes to great in ring story tellers.

Crazy stuff being reported today. What do you guys make of the Matt Hardy stuff?

I couldn't find anything regarding Matt Hardy. What's going on?

Apparently Matt Hardy is in for a big mega push and will be added to the main event of All Out to capitalize on his decades long feud with Christian and the match will be turned into a ladder match. Sources say that Hardy will then win the AEW Championship and begin to dawn Omega's interpromotional champion gimmick. Report says that first he will enter a main event interpromotional feud with Will Ospreay for the legit IWGP Heavyweight Championship to eventually become a double champion and then at some point he will begin to work the NWA tapings and hold the World's Heavyweight belt along with his other hardware.

The source also says that Matt Hardy will get a 6 month to a year run at the top and while working AEW will have programs with CM Punk (to capitalize on his abusive feud in WWE with Jeff), Jungle Boy (one of the top programs slated for Boy to get over to main event caliber) and likely Chris Jericho which is expected to be Jericho's retirement program.

The leaked information also details how Matt Hardy will at some point become "Broken" again and begin to interdeminsionally transport from promotion to promotion sometimes ever on the same night, but realistically that may just be accomplished with tapings.

This sounds very farfetched.

It's been leaked from Gavin on Reddit who has been breaking a lot of the big AEW news lately like Punk, Bryan, Henry and the Max Castor drama. Apparently Hardy had a Championship clause in his contract and the feeling is that he's ready for the top spot. AEW legal made notice to creative that they should begin to work the story in because Hardy has tacked up a lot of notches on his bump card and they don't want to get into a pickle where they can't fulfill their side of the contract due to his health.

Is he doing a bit? It seems like he’s doing a bit. It’s a terrible bit.

Well some people found The Broken gimmick to be a bit much but the fact is in the finances and that gimmick not only moves merch but it moves numbers. Don't shoot the messenger. I'm not Gavin, but he has been right about a lot of things coming from backstage in AEW.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wild tattoo. <a href="https://t.co/r1hC8S8ShN">pic.twitter.com/r1hC8S8ShN</a></p>&mdash; DARBY ALLIN (@DarbyAllin) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarbyAllin/status/1427010554636423170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Hardy doesn't need to be anywhere near the title picture. He's tried the broken thing a few times and it kinda worked once.

I agree. Hit the bricks.

I know people knock Tony Khan as a money mark but that Hardy stuff can’t be true. They can’t have been so desperate to get Matt Hardy in that they gave him a “Championship Clause”.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Max Caster is now selling AEW worn gear on eBay! �� <a href="https://t.co/KkQhgO3kU8">pic.twitter.com/KkQhgO3kU8</a></p>&mdash; The Macho Beard (@Machobeard4life) <a href="https://twitter.com/Machobeard4life/status/1427331858149298178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Wow, Tony Khan is worse than Vince McMahon. Kills Brodie Lee and then bankrupts wrestlers who cross him

R.I P

They gave Andrade creative control, and his career is far less decorated than Matt Hardy's. But really it is just a matter of how much the wrestler can swoon the money mark.

Everything we have heard about Tony since day one certainly seems like fanboy Tony, assuming he was a huge fan of Broken Matt in Impact, would give away his house and whatever else Matt asked for to get him in his "collection" of wrestlers.

It's also why he is so bad at handling criticism and why he buckles under outside pressure almost immediately to any kind of backlash (see Max Caster).

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">AEW Rampage on Friday was watched by 740,000 viewers on average. 396,000 were aged 18-49 (0.30 rating).<br><br>Smackdown on Fox was watched by 2,084,000. In 18-49, 746,000 (0.58 rating) watched.<br><br>More details soon at <a href="https://t.co/1SscdBCpr8">https://t.co/1SscdBCpr8</a></p>&mdash; Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandonThurston/status/1427359283537223684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Wow big win for Rampage, that's a good sign. I know this coming week should be even bigger, hopefully they keep it steady going forward.

Hmmm @ Caster... hope he's "trolling"

Wouldn't be surprised if he quit over it. Sure it was tasteless, but it was also a taped show. Absolutely not his fault it aired.

Completely agree, I dont buy for one second that they just missed it. They knew it was in there, they just did not think it would be received negatively. As soon as it was, AEW and Tony Khan threw some "unknown" editor and Max Caster under the bus.

If I was Caster i'd be pissed too.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Showbuzz Daily is back Bryan! They've got the charts and everything. <a href="https://t.co/i3WVjcWBDN">pic.twitter.com/i3WVjcWBDN</a></p>&mdash; Suit Williams �� (@SuitWilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/SuitWilliams/status/1427365230657605633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

So many people over 50 watch Fox News, like 80% of Tucker Carlson's viewership...

It would be a good gimmick for him to start dragging the company in his raps. Maybe build him up to a batch with the main evp Cody when he comes back.

At least they lend they’ll be dying off in the next few decades

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I thought these were related ads about a divorce cage match <a href="https://t.co/G5dLJLvSC6">pic.twitter.com/G5dLJLvSC6</a></p>&mdash; ahmed ali akbar (@radbrowndads) <a href="https://twitter.com/radbrowndads/status/1427810292789022726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It would have been good to feature an "AEW original" on the promo material for Rampage, or Dynamite for that matter. I'd go with Hangman. I think that poster just made me realize that Hangman really should be the next AEW World Champion. Just for the sake of the title's lineage I don't think that the majority of World Champions should be former WWE workers. Jericho, Mox, Omega and then Hangman would be a better way forward than latching onto Punk, Christian or Danielson for the next Champion.

I read that nobody put a bid on Max Castor's gear auction.

He and Baron Corbin should form a cross-promotional tag team.

How they have not had 5 broken necks already is amazing.

I mean, the auction gear *does* match the white shirt with mustard stains Corbin is wearing weekly...

That's good shit!!

If they wanna make Punk a heel, here’s a good way to do it.

Have his music hit in Chicago but MJF comes out instead and blasts the crowd for being gullible.

Punk shows up the next week to a huge ovation in whatever town they’re in. He soaks it all in and then reveals that he and MJF actually planned the swerve the week before. He left wrestling because it was ruined largely by nepotism and the internet and he refuses to cater to that by showing up when the internet tells him to because it happens to be the town his parents raised him in.

He then reveals that he will make himself the biggest star in this company on his own terms. And he refuses to ever appear live at a show in Chicago.

From there, you have a few tours through Chicago with only pre-tapes before eventually putting him in a position where he has a title shot at All Out but he has to do it in Chicago. Even better if you manage to stretch it out for 2 years.

The live crowd that night would be insane.

... Imagine (and I know this is unrealistic even with Tony Khan’s unlimited bank account) if a year and 6 months in to this douchebag Punk “Fuck the internet and fuck showing up in Chicago” angle, they got Brock. And Brock has bulldozed his way to the title and run roughshod. And now Punk has the chance to avenge the loss that stung him the most but he has to do it in Chicago. There’s your face turn.

I think khan and AEW would shit the bed to the point that they would lose viewers and momentum if they blew it on all this hype surrounding Punk and building arguably the company’s biggest moment by having him no show Chicago tomorrow.

BUT….I do think when he does go heel, and he absolutely will, I think no showing or going via satellite would be awesome. He can go the Hollywood Rock route.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">After they arrived in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a> and called out the toughest competition from day one and then survived a brutal Texas Tornado match last night on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWDynamite?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWDynamite</a>, there is no doubt: Matt Lee and Jeff Parker, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/2point0?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#2point0</a> are <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllElite?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AllElite</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/2forTheShow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#2forTheShow</a> <a href="https://t.co/MRYMh7cCNr">pic.twitter.com/MRYMh7cCNr</a></p>&mdash; Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/TonyKhan/status/1428445187240566784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

We now know who the next team to get buried by the Bucks are.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m betting that excitement from the most anticipated announcement in <a href="https://twitter.com/AEW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AEW</a> history at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWRampage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWRampage</a> The First Dance will build up through All Out on PPV. We’ll make new fans + we’ll welcome dormant wrestling households worldwide back into the fold; a new era in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a> begins tomorrow</p>&mdash; Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/TonyKhan/status/1428479191486537728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I was also trying to think of a way he could no show and work it into his character and not have it backfire on them. What I came up with is to have his music hit and then AJ comes skipping down to the ring, grabs a mic and says "He's back" and maybe a "But you aren't good enough to get to see him" and then she smiles and drops the mic and skips back up the ramp as the show goes off the air.

I caved and will go tomorrow. Knowing what the crowd here is like, I can tell you that AEW should never come back to Chicago if they don't deliver tomorrow.

Also, they have lots of seats available. UC is big you see.

Awesome, please give a detailed report of the experience. I'm particularly interested in knowing how the tape the Youtube shows and when and if anyone cares about those matches.