AEW News Roundup: 8-time champion to dethrone Roman Reigns? Former WWE star signs, Steve Austin possibly unhappy with creative
AEW recently took their show off towards Canada, and this week's Dynamite and Rampage took place in Chris Jericho's hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Naturally, the show included many surprise twists and turns, but outside of the Squared Circle, AEW still did the rounds in the news cycle.
Continue reading as we dive right into this week's AEW News Roundup and list five of the top stories surrounding All Elite Wrestling.
#5. Nikki Garcia (Bella) shoots down rumors of her and Brie jumping to AEW
WWE Hall of Famers Nikki and Brie, formerly known as the Bella Twins, have officially parted ways with the promotion, and naturally, fans were convinced they would be AEW-bound next.
However, according to Nikki Garcia herself, that isn't the case at all. During a recent Instagram Live, the former WWE Divas Champion addressed the rumors.
"We’re not going to AEW. I’ve seen a lot of that, because we are just there visiting Renee and Paige. I haven’t had an opportunity to take Matteo backstage to a wrestling event. Brie and I are like, we have to go see Bryan. The kids had so much fun," Garcia said.
While this wouldn't be the first time a wrestler has swerved rumors of an impending debut, it does seem like the Garcia Twins might have something other than pro wrestling planned.
#4. Jim Ross believes that Stone Cold Steve Austin won't have another pro wrestling match again
After The Texas Rattlesnake's return last year, many fans wondered if the Attitude Era icon would permanently return to the industry. While some have held out hope, Jim Ross believes that last year might have been the last.
During an episode of Grilling JR, Ross explained that WWE has likely been unable to offer Austin anything worth returning this year and emphasized that the legend is likely done.
"It just tells me they haven't come up with the right idea that makes him happy. If he's not booked, it's because WWE didn't come up with an idea that he was high enough on to take the plunge again but I can't see him having another match," Ross said. [H/T - Wrestling Inc.]
#3. Tony Khan has officially signed IMPACT Wrestling/WWE veteran Taya Valkyrie (Frankie Monet)
John Morrison (Johnny Elite in AEW) made his debut for the promotion back in 2022. Despite only having a few appearances, fans began clamoring for the promotion to pick up his wife and fellow wrestler, Taya Valkyrie.
Shortly after the show, Tony Khan took to Twitter to officially announce the acquisition of Valkyrie as the latest member of the All Elite Wrestling roster.
Some fans speculated that Taya would've been Jade Cargill's mystery opponent since she is a native Canadian. During her debut, she did just that and made it clear that she's going after the TBS Champion. So, could she be the one to dethrone Jade?
#2. Saraya has been fined for her explicit gestures and profanity on AEW Dynamite
Saraya has been receiving a lot of harsh criticism from fans online ever since she first cut a promo on Dynamite. The promotion quickly turned this heat into a storyline, and she turned heels, but it seems that has led to unforeseen consequences.
During this week's Dynamite, Saraya notably called the crowd "bearded t*ats," but it seems that the remark has resulted in an unspecified fine which the star took to Twitter to announce.
"I indeed got fined for saying T*at on live TV @AEW #Outcasts," Saraya tweeted.
Check out the uncensored tweet here.
According to a subsequent report from Fightful Select, the star's tweet wasn't simply in character, and the fine she received was, in fact, real.
#1. Mark Henry believes that Cody Rhodes will be the one to dethrone Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39
Mark Henry recently appeared on the Attitude Era podcast, where he gave his honest opinion on what the end result of the match between former AEW EVP Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns will be.
"I think Cody is going to pull it off. Roman has been champion for a thousand days. If he loses, does that diminish him? No. If Cody loses, he goes from being at the top back to the middle. He's got something to lose. I hope he goes into the match, like, 'Man, I've got something to lose.' And if he does that, I think he'll come out on top," Henry said. (H/T: WrestlingInc.)
🏽 #WWERAW“I will be the first Rhodes to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion."
April 2nd Cody Rhodes Vs Roman Reigns Can’t Come Soon Enough Man WHAT A PROMO!😤🔥💯👏🏽 #WWERAW https://t.co/HG9gJLgew6
So far, the online consensus amongst many of the fans is that The American Nightmare will end up walking away as the winner. This would make him the first major former AEW star to win gold in WWE.