All Elite Wrestling

Just days after winning the AEW World Championship, CM Punk announced Friday on Rampage he'll have to take time away from the company to undergo surgery on an undisclosed injury.

Punk, 43, confirmed he's planning to eventually return and "prove exactly why I'm the best in the world":

ESPN's Marc Raimondi reported AEW will crown an interim champion while the Chicago native is on the mend. A battle royal will be held Wednesday on Dynamite for a shot to face Jon Moxley for one of the spots in the main event at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view on June 26, where the interim belt will be up for grabs.

It's a disappointing turn of events for Punk, who made his long-awaited return to wrestling last August and put together entertaining feuds with the likes of MJF and Darby Allin before getting a shot at the company's top title.

He was likely set for an extended run as AEW world champion, as each of the first four title-holders—Chris Jericho, Moxley, Kenny Omega and "Hangman" Adam Page—held the belt for at least six months.

Given that, he'll probably be the heavy favorite to win the unification match upon his return and embark on his expected title run.

Punk didn't provide information about his recovery timetable, likely in order to retain the surprise element for his eventual comeback.

Meanwhile, the good news for AEW is its roster features plenty of depth, giving the company ample options to carry the load while Punk is rehabbing.

Along with Moxley, it wouldn't be a surprise if MJF is thrown into the mix, as his current anti-establishment storyline is gaining serious traction. Wardlow, who defeated MJF at Double or Nothing, is also a star on the rise.

The biggest question is whether AEW would prefer to go with a more established option like Mox or use this opportunity to elevate a new face to the top of the card.

It'll be intriguing to watch the situation play out leading up to Forbidden Door later this month.

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AEW stars Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti got engaged Friday in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

TMZ Sports posted photos of the newly engaged couple with a smiling Conti sporting her engagement ring.

The 28-year-old Guevara and 26-year-old Conti went public with their relationship on Jan. 1, 2022, after months of Conti appearing on Guevara's vlog.

Guevara is an original member of the AEW roster, as he made his debut in 2019 and joined The Inner Circle with Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Santana and Ortiz on the first episode of Dynamite.

Sammy briefly went solo following the dissolution of The Inner Circle this year, but since March, he and Conti have been an on-screen item in addition to their off-screen relationship.

Guevara is considered one of the "four pillars" of AEW and has held the TNT Championship three times, which is tied with Cody Rhodes for the most reigns.

Conti broke into wrestling in 2016 when she signed with WWE following a career in judo.

The Brazil-born Conti competed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017, as well as the second Mae Young Classic in 2018.

After not receiving much television time in NXT, Conti was released in April 2020, and she debuted for AEW four months later.

Conti was married once previously, while Guevara proposed to his previous longtime girlfriend during an AEW show in Houston in August 2021 before they ultimately broke up.

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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

Reigns vs. Riddle at MITB Possibly Off

WWE is reportedly going back on its original plan to have Roman Reigns defend the undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Riddle at Money in the Bank next month.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc's Matthew Wilkinson), WWE had planned out Reigns' next three title defenses to be against Riddle at MITB, Randy Orton at SummerSlam and Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle.

Meltzer noted that while Reigns vs. Riddle isn't necessarily off entirely, it "probably" won't happen at Money in the Bank, if at all.

Last week, WWE announced that it was moving Money in the Bank from the Raiders' Allegiant Stadium to a much smaller Las Vegas venue in the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Accompanying the announcement was a new poster that no longer included top stars such as Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.

Reigns also hasn't been announced for Sunday's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, meaning it will be the second consecutive premium live event at which Reigns hasn't defended his titles since beating Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 to unify the WWE and Universal Championships.

Currently, Riddle is feuding with Reigns' Bloodline stablemates in The Usos, who recently beat him and Orton to unify the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

With Orton now out because of injury, Riddle is teaming with Shinsuke Nakamura. On Monday's Raw, Riddle and Nakamura beat The Usos by disqualification to earn a future title shot, although it wasn't announced when the match will take place.

Reported Reaction to MJF's Promo from AEW Wrestlers

MJF's fiery promo on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite reportedly received some strong reactions from fellow AEW wrestlers.

According to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingInc's Sai Mohan), many of the AEW wrestlers who were asked about the promo either felt MJF's reported frustrations with AEW have either always been a work or transformed into one.

Fightful previously reported that MJF had taken issue with his contract and the fact that many of the former WWE talents AEW has signed in recent months are apparently making more than him.

MJF incorporated that into his promo on Wednesday when he criticized AEW President Tony Khan for treating former WWE stars better than him.

At the end of the promo, MJF used profanity and had his microphone cut off, which led to some speculation that it was legitimate, although most believe it was all planned to come off that way.

Since the promo, during which MJF asked to be fired, AEW has removed him from the roster page and removed his merchandise from its website.

The promo came on the heels of Double or Nothing weekend when MJF no-showed at a meet and greet, forcing AEW to give fans refunds or offer them an opportunity to meet a different wrestler.

Fightful also reported that a plane ticket had been purchased for MJF to leave Las Vegas before Double or Nothing, but he ultimately showed up and lost to Wardlow in a virtual squash match.

Some of the wrestlers who spoke to Fightful were reportedly upset over the idea of MJF missing the meet and greet being a work since wrestlers were led to believe it was legitimate and some had to stay late to cover for him.

Fightful initially reported that MJF no-showing was not a work, but the lines have since been blurred because of Wednesday's promo.

Although it is almost certain that much of what has happened since the meet and greet is a work, many of those who Fightful spoke to believe MJF has real frustrations as well.

Some said he has been "more frustrated" this spring than in the past, and that he isn't someone who is "always working" angles behind the scenes.

MJF has said that his AEW contract expires on Jan. 1, 2024, and the promo on Dynamite undoubtedly added intrigue regarding whether he will re-sign with the company or jump ship to WWE.

Jeff Hardy Suffered Potential Concussion at Double or Nothing

AEW star Matt Hardy divulged this week that his brother, Jeff Hardy, got injured during their match at Double or Nothing on Sunday.

Speaking on the Extreme Life of Matt Hardy (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Matt said Jeff was "almost knocked out" very early in their match against The Young Bucks and "got hurt pretty bad."

Matt added that Jeff was "running on fumes" for most of the bout.

Many fans on social media seemed to notice that the 44-year-old didn't look like himself during the match, as he struggled to gain his footing on the top rope on a couple of occasions and missed his mark a few times.

Despite that, Jeff managed to make it through the match and even hit a Swanton Bomb outside the ring and onto the steel steps.

Jeff officially made his AEW debut in March following his WWE release and immediately aligned himself with Matt.

Double or Nothing marked their first AEW pay-per-view match as a team, and it came against their former Ring of Honor rivals in The Young Bucks,

Jeff had been scheduled to compete in a 10-man tag team match on Wednesday's Dynamite, but he was replaced by Darby Allin, presumably because of the injury.

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It’s hard to pull off a convincing comeback story. On Sunday night, CM Punk did just that when he returned to Las Vegas, the city where he once made his claim to fame on the June 27, 2011 episode of WWE Raw.

At Double or Nothing, the 43-year-old shocked the world again when he defeated Adam Page to become the new AEW world champion during the first year of his return to professional wrestling.

The seemingly improbable win officially sets off the third Summer of Punk. This iconic term for two of the most formative stints of his career will evoke different memories for two very different sets of fans. Nevertheless, they’re both just as important to the tale of the unconventional megastar from Chicago.

The original Summer of Punk started following his upset victory over Austin Aries on June 18, 2005. At Death Before Dishonor III, The Second City Saint controversially became the new Ring of Honor world champion even though he had just signed a developmental deal with WWE. This infamous moment kicked off his last great stretch as an indie wrestler and molded the undeniable mystique that followed him for the rest of his career.

Six years later, The Voice of the Voiceless crossed his legs, sat at the top of the ramp and delivered the promo that transformed him into a household name. The pipe bomb led to the biggest win of his career at Money in the Bank 2011 and primed him for a year-long reign as WWE champion in November.

Now, the anti-hero has the chance to achieve a trifecta in the latest chapter of his storied career. One could argue the law of diminishing returns will set in, but it’s truly exciting to imagine what Punk can do on this third run with a renewed love for wrestling and more creative control.

Striking the Right Balance

Punk has this impeccable ability to tell a story in the ring and on the microphone; it’s his greatest strength as a performer. His convincing promos and match psychology separate him from other greats of the ring.

It’s what made the Summer of Punk with ROH and WWE so special. On both occasions, he made us believe he could do the impossible. He threatened to take the most prestigious indie title to WWE and we were invested.

In 2011, the self-proclaimed "Paul Heyman guy" told us he was The Best in the World and he bested John Cena in front of his hometown crowd. Then, he hopped the barricade and took off into the crowd with the WWE Championship in tow. It’s the kind of stuff that an average performer could only dream of, and he did it on the biggest stage in the industry.

Nevertheless, the biggest difference between those two runs is consistency. The initial Summer of Punk crafted a concise but memorable storyline from June to August 2005. Meanwhile, WWE started hot in June 2011 but Punk returned a little too soon in July, leading to a convoluted story in which he lost the title to Alberto Del Rio and feuded with Kevin Nash.

Did we mention that he ended up wrestling and losing to Triple H instead of either of them at Night of Champions? Then, it got even more confusing until his match with Del Rio at Survivor Series, where he reclaimed the WWE title.

If All Elite Wrestling wants to make the latest iteration of the Summer of Punk memorable, it will be important to properly plot out the story for the next few months and stick the landing. That’s what ROH got right the first time around. Sure, WWE created some unforgettable moments but it didn’t strike the right balance between meaningful wins and coherent storytelling.

It would also be easy to just put the new champion in a series of dream matches, but there must be an engrossing underlying story to tie it all together. Otherwise, it won’t be nearly as effective as what he accomplished the first two times.

Old Man Punk

In 2008, Marvel Comics published an eight-issue mini-series entitled Wolverine: Old Man Logan. The popular story, which eventually inspired the 2017 movie Logan, chronicled the protagonist’s return to action after he retired his codename and refused to use his claws to kill again.

For most of the story, Logan gets by using his wits and tenacity to get back home to his family, but he inevitably reaches his breaking point and unsheathes his claw again. This may seem like a random reference, but AEW has laid the groundwork for a similar story with Punk.

At the moment, the straight edge star is in uncharted territory as an earnest and vulnerable babyface. Fans appreciate him for what he did for the sport and have welcomed him back with open arms. In return, he has said all the right things and soaked up the adulation in an awe-inspiring comeback run.

Punk has even taken part in some exceptional matches, but he isn’t quite the same guy in the ring. To be honest, he was never a technical savant like Bryan Danielson, but he made up for that as a consummate storyteller. To that end, there has been this subtle thread throughout his first year with AEW.

The Second City Saint has worked well with a slew of new opponents. However, he has narrowly escaped some of his matches, forcing him to dig deeper into his array of moves to eke out a win in many of his early showings. This is an older and wiser Punk who has used his experience and guile to beat some of his younger opponents.

When that hasn’t worked, he capitalized on their shortcoming to come out on top. For example, MJF’s narcissism and tension with Wardlow cost him a win at Revolution. Similarly, Adam Page's self-doubt made him second-guess himself long enough for Punk to nail him with a GTS and secure the AEW World Championship.

There is a tremendous story in place for the opponent who forces him to delve back into the persona that made his other runs legendary. It’s only a matter of time before he reaches the end of his rope and turns heel again.

There are so many ways AEW can get back to that point, but it’s not time yet. There is still so much the company can do with him as a legitimate draw with mainstream appeal. Nevertheless, there’s a fascinating dynamic there as he continues to show his age and the target on his back is growing larger now he is at the forefront.

It was a grueling task to get back to the top, and the question remains: What will Punk do to stay there? In a company with some of the best in-ring workers in the world, it will get harder and harder. Consider the fact that he hasn’t been in the ring with Danielson since he returned and The American Dragon has only lost to one man on the roster in singles competition.

That’s the story and it will be exciting to see if championship gold changes The Best in the World. After all, we just saw the lengths Page thought he needed to go at Double or Nothing, which seemed like foreshadowing.

That’s how you complete the trilogy. The original Summer of Punk was about a younger and opportunistic man who became one of the most prolific stars in the industry the second time around on a bigger stage.

The third installment depicts a legend who is trying to learn from his mistakes but the temptation to go back to his old ways is looming over him.

Professional wrestling is, was and always will be at its very best when rooted in reality, as fans witnessed Wednesday night when MJF stood in the center of the All Elite Wrestling ring and cut a scathing promo on company owner Tony Khan.

The 26-year-old voiced his disenfranchisement with his perceived value to the promotion he has been with since day one and his desire to no longer be there.

The vitriol that spewed from the lips of the self-proclaimed Salt of the Earth not only made public his heavily rumored disputes with Khan and the current landscape of AEW, but it also resulted in the Long Island native becoming the hottest star in professional wrestling following a promo that can most accurately be described as "explosive."

It isn't the first time a disgruntled employee with a live mic and a penchant for speaking his mind has captured the attention of the wrestling world and elevated his own stock in the process.

It also isn't the first time reality has blended with storyline to elevate the talent involved and bring in new eyes intrigued by a segment of television that left fans buzzing.

First, though, how did MJF get here?

The Salt of the Earth and How MJF Got Here

From day one in AEW, it was clear Khan and Co. had struck gold by signing Maxwell Jacob Friedman to a contract.

He was red hot, had captured the attention of indie fans through his work with Major League Wrestling and other high-profile promotions, and he was almost instantaneously viewed as one of the pillars on which AEW could build its future.

Then he was positioned in a program with Cody Rhodes that saw him buddy-buddy with The American Nightmare before turning on him in a fierce angle and rivalry. From there, he would battle Jon Moxley for the AEW world title in a feud that further proved his ability to hang with top-tier talent.

A show-stealing match with Jungle Boy at Double or Nothing 2020, a main event feud with Chris Jericho, an extraordinary program with CM Punk and a storyline in which he single-handedly elevated Wardlow's star all proved MJF was ready to grab the industry by the horns and run to the top of the card.

So it is easy to see why a guy responsible for so many memorable matches, moments and promos would be frustrated by the idea of former WWE guys infiltrating AEW and making "four to five times" what he is, per PWTorch's Wade Keller.

Guys like Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Malakai Black, Christian Cage, Adam Cole and Mark Henry.

Yes, Henry, the former world heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer whose past greatness is undeniable but whose only on-screen role with AEW is his weekly, Friday night catchphrase, "It's time for the main event!"

The other guys are undeniably high profile, but they all arrived at AEW only after competitors like MJF had laid the groundwork to ensure the promotion would be a success.

His frustration and anger over the lack of reciprocity by Khan is absolutely fair. The list of genuine stars MJF has worked with to help evolve the AEW product is awe-inspiring and to think he is so underpaid, at least according to the Keller report, is insulting to the reader let alone the talent himself.

It should be no great surprise that tensions boiled over in Las Vegas before Double or Nothing, when MJF no-showed at a meet and greet at the AEW fanfest and reportedly booked a flight out of town before his match with Wardlow.

He showed up, did the business and appropriately paid off the months-long storyline with Wardlow, ensuring the big man got the moment he had been working toward for the better part of two years, but that was not to suggest things had improved between him and Khan.

All of MJF's reported points of frustration were laid out in a promo that not only made him the hottest wrestler in the business but also replicated that of his childhood idol and set him up for the most significant run of his young career.

Pipebomb

The wrestling world knew MJF could talk long before he took to the ring Wednesday night. He was regularly lauded as one of the best promos in the business, courtesy of his ability to get under the audience's skin and the conviction with which he spoke.

Act or not, no one had any problem believing the scarf-wearing heel believed every word hurled from his mouth. The pipebomb he unleashed on the post-Double or Nothing episode of Dynamite, though, was an entirely different beast.

Whether it was a shoot, work or something inbetween, the promo MJF delivered just a half-hour into the broadcast blew everything else on the show away and left fans buzzing. He talked about his frustration over his perceived value, namedropped WWE when talking about the new guys Khan has paid exorbitant amounts of money for and said he no longer wants to be in AEW.

It played to preconceived notions about his real-life feelings toward his employer, his status as the best in the world, a contract that is legitimately up in January 2024 and his disenchantment with a company that does not at all resemble the one he started to help build three years ago.

The promo was based in reality, and the fans recognized it as such. MJF spoke with such conviction that it was easy to buy everything he was selling.

Was it mostly genuine? Probably. Was it part of an expertly concocted plan by MJF and Khan to take real-life animosity and project it on television, for the sake of the show and possibly public therapy? Most likely.

And therein lies the beauty of it: Even if this is a work, that is hardly a bad thing. Much like Punk's famed pipebomb promo in 2011, which was also rooted in mounting frustrations, MJF's promo has the ability to make him the biggest star in the company and the most sought-after name in the industry.

The money he feels he is owed for his work? It will come tenfold as a result of what he accomplished Wednesday night. He was given the floor to voice his frustrations and, even if Khan was in on the whole thing, it works for all involved.

MJF's star burns brighter than it ever has (and with that comes a larger payday), AEW gains new viewers and fans are enthralled by the "is it or isn't it real?" nature of the storyline.

Even if Khan fails to pony up the money MJF feels is fair for everything he has done, Vince McMahon will be licking his chops at the prospect of writing the pro wrestling prodigy a check with more zeros than AEW Dark Elevation has squash matches.

As of Thursday morning, AEW Dynamite was still trending at No. 3 on Twitter. The most talked-about topic? MJF.

We have seen this play out before in the aforementioned Punk promo. MJF did not do or say anything that his idol and on-screen foe didn't in his own industry-shaking moment, right down to voicing frustration over other stars receiving accolades he believes he should have, assigning blame to fans for not supporting him and ranting his way right into his mic being cut off.

Just like Punk a decade ago, MJF is suddenly the hottest act in wrestling. How AEW follows up on his promo will be key to either protecting itself against his claims it was a shoot or ensuring it can build on the angle's momentum moving forward.

Either way, fans have every reason to be excited in the wake of Wednesday's jaw-dropping promo. If nothing else, the landscape of professional wrestling is about to get even hotter and more enjoyable than it has been in recent memory.

All thanks to a guy whose work to this point is reflective of someone in line for a massive pay raise, regardless of who is paying it out.