"You're hoping your opponent does the right thing" - Konnan on who's to blame for major AEW botch
AEW is a young promotion that has had its fair share of botches. These mishaps often go viral and make headlines, which leads to an increase in fan criticism against the All Elite in-ring product. Wrestlers and fans continue to debate a recent incident, including the legendary Konnan.
The May 1 edition of AEW Rampage was a special Wednesday show, airing after Dynamite from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The main event was a Manitoba Massacre Match between Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale, who retained her TBS Championship in just under 11 minutes to end the rivalry. A general fan consensus was that the match went longer and was more brutal than expected. However, early on there was a botch as Blue dove off the ringside barrier to catch a bad chairshot on the way down.
The spot was labeled the worst chairshots one WWE veteran has ever seen. On a recent episode of his Keepin' It 100 podcast, Konnan was asked who was to blame for the botch - Blue, the production team, or someone else. The 37-year veteran said you can't blame the camera angle because production didn't know what was coming. The former Max Moon then offered insight into bad botches:
"Bro, that's happened to every wrestler... where they've had to sell something that they thought was good, but it wasn't, and then when they [watch] it back, they're like, 'Why did I sell that?' So, you know... you're hoping that your opponent does the right thing," Konnan said. [From 0:25 onwards]
Blue was in the headlines again this month after AEW ejected a fan who was disrespecting the 24-year-old. She later issued a statement on the incident.
Skye Blue speaks on turning heel in AEW
Skye Blue began her career in 2017 and debuted for AEW in April 2021. She was signed to a contract in April 2023, and quickly became a fan-favorite on the roster.
The Chicago-born grappler, who also wrestles for ROH, turned heel a while back during a program with Julia Hart, which AEW billed as an "odd pairing." Speaking to Kicking Out, Blue talked about being a heel for the first time in her career:
"Yeah, it's really been... I have never been a heel in my entire career until now and I feel very comfortable. I feel like myself and... I like it because I'm also still learning. Like, I'm learning how to portray the character better. You know what I mean? Like, I feel like I'm always learning and I'm surrounded by, like, such great people at AEW to learn from," Skye Blue said.
Blue continued with very interesting comments on the locker room help she receives, and what is "very cool" about the job. She has not wrestled since losing the Manitoba Massacre Match to Willow Nightingale on May 1.