AEW News Roundup: Veteran names top star being better than AJ Styles; Paul Heyman called out to manage WWE legend's protege; John Cena reached out to rising star (April 20, 2022)
Welcome to another stacked edition of the AEW News Roundup, where we assemble all the biggest news stories coming from the world of All Elite Wrestling.
Today's column will discuss a wrestling veteran's proclamation about how a former world champion is better than AJ Styles. Meanwhile, Jim Cornette feels Paul Heyman could manage a 31-year-old rising star.
In an interesting revelation, a top AEW star revealed that John Cena reached out to him.
In addition to these lead stories, we have plenty to pen down before wrapping up today's roundup. Now without further ado, let's dive straight into the top five news stories of the week.
#5 Don Callis calls AEW star Kenny Omega better than WWE veteran AJ Styles
It’s very simple: @KennyOmegamanX is the best big match wrestler who ever lived and number two is not close twitter.com/bulletclublovv…
The debate over who is the best wrestler has ruled the wrestling world. Over the years, fans and veterans alike have drawn comparisons between various generational talents.
The latest to spark such a discussion is Don Callis. In a Twitter exchange with a wrestling enthusiast, the manager was asked to name the better wrestler between Kenny Omega and AJ Styles.
Callis bluntly chose The Cleaner over The Phenomenal One, calling him the 'big match' wrestler:
"It’s very simple: @KennyOmegamanX is the best big match wrestler who ever lived and number two is not close" - Don Callis tweeted.
For those who don't know, Omega and Styles have a sordid history dating back to their Bullet Club days in NJPW.
If one may recall, the former WWE Champion was booted out of the faction, and subsequently, The Best Bout Machine took over the reins of The Bullet Club. A highly-anticipated singles match between the two foes has been brewing since then.
#4 Jim Cornette is unhappy with Powerhouse Hobbs' booking in AEW
Speaking on the Jim Cornette Experience podcast, Jim Cornette lashed out at AEW for mishandling the booking of Powerhouse Hobbs.
The wrestling manager even asserted that Roman Reigns' special counsel, Paul Heyman, could turn around Hobbs' career by managing him:
"Hobbs needs a Heyman. Can you imagine what Heyman could do with Hobbs? As a coach, as someone to take care of him. As someone to not let people take care of him in these matches because he’s green and he doesn’t know. Either these other guys are so stupid that they don’t know how to make sure he doesn’t look like a piece of s*** or they just don’t care. He needs somebody looking out for him" Jim Cornette suggested.
Cornette criticized the company for making Hobbs a stepping stone to other talents rather than booking him as a legitimate threat:
"He’s certainly deserving of being a project for future stardom. They’re just going to d*** around and teach him to not take care of himself and not get over. People are going to get over at his expense which is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. You have to make him look like a physical threat."
On Dynamite last week, Hobbs and Starks scored a surprising victory over Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland in an exciting tag team match.
#3 Max Caster reveals John Cena reached out to him
Max Caster has grabbed the attention of fans outside AEW's sphere as John Cena recently lauded his rapping skills.
As The Dr. of Thugonomics, Cena captivated millions of fans with rap-style heelish promos during his early days. It's no secret that Caster's rap battle in AEW programming is reminiscent of the iconic gimmick.
During a virtual signing with Golden Ring Collectibles, Caster revealed that Cena reached out to him before praising his work publicly.
"John has been very, very nice to me and when he didn’t need to. He reached out and he made that public so I’m allowed to say it now. So he reached out and then he said things publicly about me in Forbes and that means a lot to me. So, it’s never been about beating him in a rap battle. It’s about trying to get past the point of people saying I’m a Thuganomics rip-off.” (H/T - POST Wrestling)
The Acclaimed member also busted fans' opinion by asserting that he's not trying to edge out the WWE legend in a rap battle, as the latter has influenced his wrestling career.
#2 Jim Ross makes a bold prediction about MJF
MJF, the next AEW World Champion?💢 https://t.co/rsE3DeZWtX
Speaking on the latest episode of Grilling JR, Jim Ross asserted that MJF would become the AEW World Champion by the end of this year:
"MJF will definitely be the AEW World Champion at some point in time. I suggest sooner than later, this year as in sooner. I don’t have that written down."
The 26-year-old star is hailed as one of the four pillars of AEW, including Jungle Boy, Sammy Guevara, and Darby Allin. He has established himself as a top heel in the promotion. Friedman's recent feuds with Chris Jericho and CM Punk have helped him solidify his status as a mainstay of AEW.
MJF has previously claimed that when his current contract runs out in 2024, he will create the biggest bidding war between AEW and WWE.
It will be interesting to see how the company books him moving forward, considering the pressure of potentially losing their rising star in a few years.
#1 Matt Cardona wants Hangman Page's world championship
IMPACT Wrestling star Matt Cardona has been on a roll since leaving WWE in 2020. He currently holds seven championships from different promotions and wants to add the coveted AEW World Title to his illustrious collection.
During a Q/A on Twitter, Cardona was asked which specific title he was planning to set his sights on next. In response, the former WWE Superstar tagged Hangman Adam Page, dropping a subtle hint that he wants to capture the AEW Championship.
Matt Cardona made sporadic appearances for All Elite Wrestling back in 2020. Should Tony Khan open the forbidden door for IMPACT Wrestling again, Cardona could potentially challenge for the world championship.
What do you make of these news stories? Sound off in the comments section below.