The Don Callis Family has added another reigning champion to its ranks. On the June 3 episode of AEW Dynamite, TNT Champion Kevin Knight officially aligned himself with Don Callis, bringing championship gold with him into one of AEW’s most influential factions.
The announcement crystallizes the heel turn Knight began at Double or Nothing, when he betrayed Darby Allin and dissolved his popular JetSpeed partnership with “Speedball” Mike Bailey.
The reveal hijacked a segment that initially looked focused on the AEW World Championship picture. Fresh off a dominant win over an enhancement talent, Andrade El Idolo grabbed a microphone and called out AEW World Champion MJF, questioning whether the Salt of the Earth truly believed he could beat him.
Before Andrade could get an answer, Don Callis and Jake Doyle made their way out and changed the direction of the segment entirely. Callis announced that TNT Champion Kevin Knight had officially joined the Don Callis Family.
The reveal was followed by a title defence, with Knight putting his championship up on the line against Mike Bailey. The new partnership started paying dividends immediately as Doyle and Callis ran interference, which allowed Kevin to retain the belt against his former partner.
Having lost the Continental and International Championships over the last few months, the Don Callis Family had been faced with the challenge of relevancy. Adding the TNT Champion to their ranks gives a new life to the faction and gives them a new direction.
Mercedes Moné ended her 2026 AEW absence in dramatic fashion on the June 3 episode of Dynamite, dropping straight into the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament with a guaranteed AEW Women’s World Championship match on the line. The defending Owen Hart Cup winner returned not for a soft reintroduction but with a chance to chase a rare back-to-back tournament victory.
Moné surfaced as the mystery wild card entrant, the unannounced opponent waiting for Alex Windsor in a quarterfinal matchup. AEW held the surprise until the last moment, revealing “The CEO” as the entrant for her first AEW appearance of 2026.
Mercedes Moné re-enters the Owen Hart Tournament picture
In the quarterfinal, Moné defeated Windsor via submission after a competitive back-and-forth contest. Windsor found moments of offense and repeatedly pushed the former champion, but Moné stayed a step ahead, connecting with multiple Meteoras and backstabbers throughout the bout.
The finish came when she locked in the Statement Maker for a second time, forcing Windsor to tap. Mone will now be facing the winner of the Hazuki vs. Persephone match in the semi-final of the tournament.
Her comeback ended a lengthy hiatus that began after she lost the TBS Championship at New Year’s Smash late last year. Questions about Mone’s status had circulated throughout the absence, and her return had been telegraphed by recent reporting that she remained under an AEW contract.
Rather than ease back into competition, Moné jumped directly into a tournament where the stakes could hardly be higher. The winner earns a guaranteed AEW Women’s World Championship match at All In: London.
The return carries added weight given her history in the event. Having won the Owen Hart Cup in 2025, Moné now has an opportunity to pull off a back-to-back tournament triumph.
AEW Dynamite airs tonight (Wednesday, June 3, 2026) from the Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia, live on TBS starting at 8 PM ET.
AEW stacks tonight’s episode with two championship matches and two Owen Hart Foundation Tournament bouts. MJF defends the AEW World Title against Rush, Kevin Knight puts the TNT Championship on the line against Mike Bailey, and the Owen Cup rolls on in both divisions. Here’s everything you need to know including start times, how to watch, and the full card.
How to Watch AEW Dynamite Tonight
Date
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Venue
Siegel Center, Richmond, Virginia
Channel/Stream
TBS / HBO Max (simulcast)
US Start Time
8 PM ET / 7 PM CT / 5 PM PT
UK Start Time
1 AM GMT (Thursday)
India Start Time
5:30 AM IST (Thursday)
Duration
2 hours
AEW Dynamite Match Card for June 3, 2026
Here are the matches and segments announced for tonight’s show:
MJF (c) vs. Rush (AEW World Championship)
MJF makes the first defense of his third AEW World Title reign tonight after reclaiming the belt from Darby Allin at Double or Nothing. Rush earned the shot by confronting the champion last week and brings momentum, having not lost in AEW or ROH since April.
Kevin Knight (c) vs. Mike Bailey (TNT Championship)
Will Ospreay vs. Mark Davis (Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Semifinal)
Another pair of former friends collide, with a spot in the tournament final at stake. Ospreay advanced past Samoa Joe at Double or Nothing, while Davis eliminated Jack Perry. The history here cuts deep: the last time these two met, Davis beat Ospreay via medical stoppage with a piledriver, so Ospreay is chasing revenge and a step closer to All In London.
Alex Windsor vs. Wild Card (Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Quarterfinal)
Windsor’s quarterfinal opponent remains unannounced as of Wednesday. The slot opened up after Willow Nightingale was forced out due to injury, and the identity of the wild card is one of the biggest talking points heading into tonight.
Road to AEW Forbidden Door 2026
The Owen Hart Foundation Tournament finals take place at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door on June 28, with the men’s and women’s winners earning AEW World Championship matches at All In London from Wembley Stadium on August 30.
Tonight’s semifinal and quarterfinal results move both brackets one step closer to those finals, making every Owen Cup match a direct path to Wembley.
Follow SEScoops for any news and developments from tonight’s AEW Dynamite.
AEW star Rebel is not stepping back from the fight of her life.
The AEW star, whose real name is Tanea Brooks, has announced that she is joining the non-profit organization I AM ALS as an ambassador, taking on an active advocacy role as she battles the disease herself. She shared the news in a video posted to X by the organization.
Rebel explained in the video that she is hoping to help the organization to make an impact and move closer toward finding a cure. Her involvement comes after she publicly revealed that she had been diagnosed with ALS.
“I am Tanea Brooks. I am Rebel. Now, I AM ALS,” she said. “ALS may be terminal, but I’m showing up to fight as an Ambassador for I AM ALS, a patient-led movement pushing for real progress. I’m proud to join I AM ALS and I’m asking you to step into the ring with us.”
I am Tanea Brooks. I am Rebel. Now, I AM ALS.
ALS may be terminal, but I'm showing up to fight as an Ambassador for I AM ALS, a patient-led movement pushing for real progress. I’m proud to join I AM ALS & I’m asking you to step into the ring with us ? https://t.co/RVHbWz6I52pic.twitter.com/v6ELnHHo8m
The wrestling community is rallying around her. AEW launched a special merchandise collection, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting the ALS Association and Team Gleason.
I AM ALS describes itself as an ALS support organization committed to offering comprehensive resources. Its programs are aimed at educating the public about the disease, pushing for policy reforms, and assisting families affected by it.
The group empowers patients and caregivers to become advocates, funds research initiatives, and builds communities through peer-to-peer support and storytelling.
Rebel’s decision to take on the ambassador role turns a personal diagnosis into a public push for progress, with the broader wrestling world lining up behind her.
AEW is heading back to Mexico City. The company announced that AEW Grand Slam: Mexico returns to Arena Mexico on Wednesday, August 5, marking the second straight year the promotion runs a televised special inside CMLL’s home venue.
The event airs live on TBS and streams on HBO Max in the United States, with Fox Sports Mexico carrying it locally. Tickets go on sale Saturday, June 6 at 10 a.m. CST through AEWTix.com and Ticketmaster.com.mx.
As announced by @FOXSportsMX, AEW is returning to Mexico City with #AEWGrandSlam: Mexico, LIVE from Arena México on Wednesday, August 5!
Tickets go on sale Saturday, June 6, at 10am local time.
AEW’s promotional graphic features world champion MJF alongside lucha libre names Místico, Mascara Dorada, Andrade El Idolo, Thunder Rosa, and Bandido. No matches have been confirmed, and AEW says additional details are coming.
The date itself tells the bigger story. Last year’s inaugural Grand Slam Mexico ran on June 18, but the 2026 edition slides to August, a move tied to the FIFA World Cup occupying Mexican venues through mid-July. That timing plants the show squarely in AEW’s late-summer run toward All In at Wembley Stadium on August 30.
The 2025 special drew a packed Arena Mexico crowd and produced one of the year’s signature moments, with Hangman Page cutting a Spanish promo and a controversial MJF segment in a heated main-event-level encounter. The AEW and CMLL partnership has only deepened since, making the return to the “cathedral of lucha libre” one of the more anticipated entries on the company’s calendar.
Tony Khan says AEW will return to Australia, describing the company’s presence there as “something really special” and pointing to the growth of the fanbase across two Grand Slam events.
“I absolutely want to come back to Australia. We’ve had incredible events with the fans in both Sydney and Brisbane. I think we’ve built a great audience, our wrestlers are so popular and some of the top stars in AEW are actually from Australia. Given what a great wrestling country it is and how many awesome stars we have in AEW from there, I think we’ve got something really special.”
AEW has held two Grand Slam Australia events to date. The inaugural event took place in Brisbane on February 15, 2025, at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, where Toni Storm defeated Mariah May to win her fourth AEW Women’s World Championship in the main event. The second event was held in Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena on February 14, 2026, drawing 7,029 attendees, with MJF retaining the AEW World Championship against Brody King in the main event and Kyle Fletcher winning a TNT Championship Ladder match.
No specific date or city has been announced for a third Australian event.
Ronda Rousey is not interested in a wrestling return.
The former WWE star surprised everyone with an appearance at the AEW Revolution PPV in March this year. With the former UFC Champion claiming that her appearance was a ‘fuck you’ to TKO and Tony Khan giving an open invitation to her for a return, the MMA veteran looked poised for a run with the promotion.
So it’s no wonder that she was asked about a potential AEW run during her recent interview with the Up & Adams Show. Ronda Rousey, however, gave an unexpected answer, indicating that she has no interest in going back on the road:
“No. That life of being on the road is probably more time-consuming than doing training camp at home. I had a great time but it just happened to be in town and my best friend was there, you know what I mean?”
Ronda Rousey had appeared on Revolution to confront Toni Storm, who defeated her longtime friend Marina Shafir in a singles match at the PPV. With the Timeless One going on an extended hiatus right after the show, however, it’s possible that any preliminary talks for a match between the two fell apart.
After the Gina Carano fight, the UFC legend had also indicated that she wanted to extend her family, which could be another reason for her hesitation towards going back on the road for a wrestling run.
Chris Jericho says his most memorable characters are not invented from scratch. They are built in a creative blender from old wrestling tape, prestige film villains, and David Lee Roth music videos.
Speaking to David Shoemaker on The Masked Man Show ahead of AEW Double Or Nothing, the 55-year-old walked through the influences behind characters like the suit-and-tie Jericho who feuded with Shawn Michaels and the Festival of Friendship segment with Kevin Owens that became a viral 2017 moment.
For the Shawn Michaels feud, the source material came from a couple of unexpected places.
“The suit and tie Jericho, which was the famous feud with Shawn Michaels, that was highly influenced by Bockwinkel. The suit, using big words to make people feel stupid. And then it was a lot of No Country for Old Men, Anton Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem. Very quiet speaking and ‘this is what’s going to happen.’ So that was kind of the combination of that.”
Festival of Friendship, the segment where Kevin Owens turned on Jericho ahead of WrestleMania 33, had a similarly cross-medium pitch.
“The Festival of Friendship with Kevin Owens, that was meant to start out as an 80s David Lee Roth video and end as the Game of Thrones red wedding.”
The Blender
Jericho says the move he keeps making is not impression. It is reassembly.
“Not so much mimicking, but taking certain elements of things and putting them all into a blender and shaking them up, and suddenly you’ve got this really cool persona that you’ve created with little pieces of all your favorite ingredients of your inspirations.”
The result is a catalog of distinct gimmicks, from Y2J to the Painmaker to the Learning Tree, that each got the same level of commitment regardless of how the audience eventually received them.
“Whether you like it or not, I’ve given 1,000% for every single iteration of Chris Jericho. There’s never been one where I thought, ‘Oh, this one’s not going to work.’ Everything that I’ve done, I’ve put a million percent into it. Sometimes it doesn’t work as well as the others, but the intent and the passion and the effort has always been there.”
Jericho framed the whole catalog with a building metaphor for fans who picked him up at different points across three decades in WWE, WCW, New Japan, and AEW.
“If the Chris Jericho career is a skyscraper building, and you got on the first floor and got off on the 5th, or if you got on the 6th and stayed on till the 20th, or if you got on the 21st and got off on the 22nd, whatever it is, if you appreciated my work at any time, I’m happy about that.”
Jericho is back in action this Sunday at AEW Double Or Nothing in Queens, leading a Stadium Stampede team that includes Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, Jack Perry, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin against the team of Ricochet, the Gates of Agony, Mark Davis, Andrade, Clark Connors, and David Finlay.
AEW Double or Nothing 2026 saw the latest chapter of the rivalry between MJF and Darby Allin unfold, as the heel regained the world title he’d dropped to his fellow Pillar of AEW in an intense main event. So ended a brief, but very memorable championship run.
Indeed, while mainstream wresting fans have grown accustomed to certain type of top title reign via WWE—particularly in recent years—Allin’s time on top demonstrated there are different and exciting ways to book the top prize a company has to offer.
There’s Only Been One World Title Defense In WWE Since WrestleMania
Roman Reigns. Photo: WWE.com
When Roman Reigns spent 1,316 days as WWE’s top champion from 2020 to 2024, it didn’t so much invent as reinforce a specific model of champion. Gone are the days when WWE adhered to its rule that titles must defended at least once every thirty days. Here are the days of part-time champions and normalizing two-to-three month stretches without a given title being up for grabs.
While Cody Rhodes defended the Undisputed WWE Championship more regularly than The Tribal Chief, each of his reigns has demonstrated a certain kind of sameness in title defenses mostly sticking to PLEs and not happening at every single one. World Heavyweight Championship reigns of Seth Rollins, Damian Priest, Gunther, and Jey Uso all skewed in similar directions, as did John Cena’s last WWE Championship reign along his farewell tour.
Indeed, only the reigns of CM Punk and Drew McIntyre felt at least a little different. McIntyre’s reign ran just shy of two months, with one PLE and one free TV defense (but also quite a few house show defenses). Punk’s five months on top saw him work a fighting champion gimmick that stood out from others, including three Raw and two PLE title defenses (plus a number of house show title matches).
Still, despite a few anomalies, the story of WWE world titles post WrestleMania 42—at press time, five weeks and counting–seems representative of the current picture. Reigns has defended his newly won World Heavyweight Championship once, opposite Jacob Fatu at Backlash. Rhodes has not yet defended his WWE Championship since fending off Randy Orton.
On the women’s side, Rhea Ripley hasn’t put the Women’s Championship on the line yet, nor has Liv Morgan defended the Women’s World Championship. (To be fair, three of these titles will be on the line at Clash in Italy, but that still after over 40 days of waiting.)
One might draw all manner of conclusions about these trends, but regardless, it’s undeniable that WWE’s top titles haven’t been on the line much this spring.
Darby Allin Worked Fresh Title Defenses And Worked Them Constantly
Darby Allin. Photo: AEW
Darby Allin unseated MJF for the AEW World Championship in a shocking upset squash on April 15, the same week as WrestleMania 42. The reign has now come to a close, but it’s very telling in his less-than-six weeks on top, he defended the title eight times.
Allin fended off Tommaso Ciampa, Brody King, Kevin Knight, PAC, Konosuke Takeshita, Sammy Guevara, and Mike Bailey—a truly diverse set of challengers, many of them fresh to the world title picture (and/or it had been quite a while since they sniffed the main event scene). Moreover, none of these matches ran under ten minutes, only one lasted less than fifteen, and every single outing proved hard-hitting, with no “safe,” easy bouts along the way.
Even CM Punk—WWE’s fightingest world champ in recent memory—only worked four different men in five matches across a reign over four times as long.
Darby Allin’s Reign Was Short And Sweet
MJF. Photo: AEW
Particularly in WWE, fans are in an age of long-reigning world champions as full-year spans spent on top are not out of the ordinary. Indeed the reigns that don’t exceed reach the half-year mark tend to have either been significantly less memorable and eventful like Damian Priest’s time as World Heavyweight Champion or else clearly set out to serve specific booking purposes like Drew McIntyre’s most recent WWE Championship reign adding some drama and giving Cody Rhodes a reason to work the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber.
Darby Allin only reigning for a month and change was less a fluke than a specific kind of story as he defended his championship with a fury, backing down from no one, working no easy matches, dropping the title in line with a narrative of him fighting himself into exhaustion. Despite the brevity of the reign, his time as champ may well be one of the best-remembered title reigns of recent years, and particularly so in AEW.
Different Styles Of Reigns Have Different Merits
AEW
Ultimately, Darby Allin’s short but exhaustive world title reign that saw him defend this belt more than once a week on average was not necessarily a better reign than any of MJF’s, or the reigns of other top stars in AEW, nor WWE’s world champs. Indeed, there’s something to be said for a world title being defended sparingly, making it important when title matches do come and ensuring all challengers feel like credible threats who’ve earned number one contendership.
Moreover, stability at the top of the card does matter to give a world champion the opportunity to assert his or her place as the face of a company in the time-honored tradition of talents like Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan, and John Cena.
However, there is also merit to different kinds of reigns, and particularly different kinds of reigns that match the styles of different kinds of performers. CM Punk’s 2025-2026 World Heavyweight Championship showed echoes of Bret Hart’s babyface WWE Championship reigns in the 1990s. Each were, largely defined by an in-ring virtuoso putting on solid matches against an array of opponents with greater frequency than WWE fans were accustomed to seeing.
Allin’s reign was its own beast—a daredevil taking on all comers, not shying away from heavy punishment or risky spots to go down in a blaze of glory. Truth be told, wrestling would probably be the better for more reigns that are not necessarily like Allin’s, but similarly tailored to the character and style of performer at hand.
The latest episode of Being The Elite gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at Team Jericho’s incredible Double or Nothing entrance for their Stadium Stampede match. One of the scenes in the entrance video showed Kenny Omega smoking a cigar.
The Cleaner who had never smoked a cigar in his life before, talked about his experience in the video. Kenny Omega said that the cigar tasted like tree sap but it made him feel like the coolest kid in town. The former AEW Champion then remembered a former member of the Elite who was all about cigars:
“We once had a member of the Elite that was all about cigars. I just feel like there’s a hole in my heart.”
Cody Rhodes is a known cigar connoisseur who has talked about his love for a good smoke on many occasions. The Undisputed WWE Champion was even featured on the cover of the April 2026 edition of Cigar Aficionado magazine.
A founding member of All Elite Wrestling, Cody left the promotion in February 2022 and returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38 a couple of months later. Rhodes has made cryptic comments about his departure from the company including claims that he felt disrespected but he has not revealed the full story.
Samoa Joe announced that he is taking an extended hiatus from AEW during the May 27th episode of Collision. The announcement came during a backstage segment featuring The Opps, Joe’s faction that includes Katsuyori Shibata, HOOK, and Anthony Bowens.
The two-time AEW Champion revealed he will be stepping away for a few months, noting that Hollywood has come calling once again. He instructed the group to “keep things in order” while he’s gone, making it clear this is a temporary exit rather than a permanent departure from the promotion.
A tough week won’t stop The Opps!
The mission remains the same as opportunity continues to call!
While no official project has been confirmed, Joe has previously taken time away from AEW to work on the Twisted Metal series on Peacock, where he portrays Sweet Tooth. The series has already been renewed for a third season and is currently expected to premiere in 2027.
Joe’s Hollywood commitments have periodically taken him away from in-ring action throughout his AEW tenure. His most recent absence for the Twisted Metal series demonstrated the promotion’s willingness to accommodate outside projects for talents while maintaining their role within the company.
The Opps will continue their mission during Joe’s absence, with the veteran wrestler expected to return to AEW programming once his filming commitments are complete.
Tonight’s episode of Dynamite saw multiple challengers making a claim at the AEW World Title following Max’s victory at the Double or Nothing PPV. The most notable name on the list was Kevin Knight, who turned heel at the show on Sunday after attacking Darby Allin.
Among all the challengers, it was Rush who earned the first shot at the new champion. The former Don Callis Family member was involved in a fatal four-way match at the show, also featuring Brian Cage, Lio Rush, and Orange Cassidy.
Rocky Romero and Lance Archer interfered in the bout early on. A returning star then took out Orange Cassidy. All the chaos allowed Rush to pin Lio for the victory.
The Mexican star then confronted the World Champion during his celebration segment later in the night. Rush reminded MJF that he came very close to beating him before. After some more back and forth, the Salt of the Earth announced that he will defend his title against the 37-year-old on Dynamite next week.
Next week’s episode of the Wednesday Night show will also feature the quarterfinal of the Women’s Owen Hart Cup involving Alex Windsor. Windsor was originally supposed to face Willow Nightingale at Double or Nothing before the TBS Champion’s injury, and she will now be facing a Wild card entry in the tournament.
Kevin Knight turned on tag team partner Mike Bailey during the May 27 episode of AEW Dynamite in Philadelphia, ending their partnership with a brutal attack. The betrayal came after Knight addressed his controversial actions at Double or Nothing.
Knight opened the Wednesday Night show, explaining his attack on Darby Allin following Allin’s AEW World Championship loss to MJF at the pay-per-view. He claimed he warned Allin not to let AEW down and argued he should have been headlining the event instead. Knight reminded fans he was the last wrestler to defeat MJF earlier this year.
"I decided that I wasn't going to trust the process anymore."
The Philadelphia crowd immediately turned on Knight with loud chants before Bailey walked to the ring to confront his partner. Bailey attempted to calm the situation, telling Knight that his ambition was both “his best and worst trait.” He called the attack on Allin a mistake and encouraged Knight to apologize before things escalated further.
Instead, Knight responded with violence. As Bailey turned his back, Knight blasted him with a microphone shot before continuing the assault in the ring. Knight then walked away, leaving his former partner lying in the ring.
The betrayal cemented Knight’s heel turn and dramatically shifted his role in AEW. The 29-year-old currently holds the TNT Championship, while the partnership with Bailey has completely imploded following the attack.
A wrestler made an unexpected return during the May 27 episode of AEW Dynamite in Philadelphia, stepping back onto television for the first time since a serious injury halted his momentum earlier this year. The comeback happened during a chaotic match and immediately added more fuel to an already crowded ringside brawl.
AEW star Jake Doyle officially resurfaced after being sidelined since January with a torn bicep. Before the injury, the performer had quickly become part of a major storyline and looked poised for a breakout run in AEW’s tag division.
The return came late in a four-way match featuring Rush, Brian Cage, Lio Rush, and Orange Cassidy. The match had already spiraled into chaos after Rocky Romero and Lance Archer appeared through the crowd to target Cassidy.
As Archer blocked an Orange Punch attempt, Doyle suddenly emerged and attacked Cassidy from behind. The surprise appearance shifted the momentum completely, with multiple wrestlers overwhelming Cassidy and Roderick Strong before dragging them away from ringside. In the end, Rush picked up the victory, pinning Lio Rush:
Jake Doyle had been absent from TV since Jan 28, when he suffered a torn bicep during an AEW World Tag Team Championship match. Teaming with Mark Davis against FTR, the injury reportedly occurred while taking an apron DDT from Cash Wheeler. Officials quickly removed the wrestler from the match once the severity became clear, and surgery followed shortly afterward.
The Don Callis Family member had joined AEW in early January, only a few weeks before his unfortunate injury. The pairing with Mark Davis gave the faction another powerhouse presence, and AEW appeared ready to push the wrestler before injury forced a hard reset.
Now back on Dynamite, the return suggests AEW may be ready to pick up where that story left off.
All Elite Wrestling brings a special three-hour combined Dynamite/Collision broadcast to the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania tonight — Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Belltime is 7:30 PM ET on TBS, and the card is loaded with street fights, Owen Hart Tournament action, and a championship celebration that should set the tone for the coming weeks.
Here’s everything announced for tonight’s show and what it means heading into AEW’s next chapter.
Full Announced Card
Lights Out Philly Street Fight: Kris Statlander vs. Hikaru Shida
This one has been building for weeks and it’s going No DQ in Philadelphia — the perfect city for a brutal street fight. Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida are two of AEW’s most physically gifted women’s division talents, and with no rules and no disqualifications, expect chairs, kendo sticks, and a fight that leaves marks. Philly fans will be in their element for this one.
Watch for: Any post-match implications for the AEW TBS Championship picture.
Owen Hart Men’s Tournament Quarterfinal: Mark Davis vs. “Jungle” Jack Perry
The Owen Hart Foundation Tournament rolls on with a high-stakes quarterfinal. Mark Davis of Aussie Open brings raw power and crowd-pleasing charisma, but “Jungle” Jack Perry — currently one of AEW’s hottest heels — is the kind of disruptive force that tournament brackets fear. A Perry win keeps his momentum rolling; a Davis win would be a massive upset pop.
Watch for: Don Callis Family interference, given tonight’s Renee Paquette interview with Kyle Fletcher & Callis is already on the card.
Chris Jericho vs. Ricochet — Everyone Banned From Ringside
When AEW has to ban everyone from ringside, you know there’s been chaos leading into this one. Chris Jericho and Ricochet go one-on-one in what should be a technically sharp, story-driven contest. Stripping away the entourages puts the focus squarely on both men — and in Philadelphia, where the fans know their wrestling, expect a crowd that is invested in every nearfall.
Watch for: Whether Jericho’s Learning Tree cronies find a way to get involved regardless of the stipulation.
Key Segments
MJF’s 3x AEW World Championship Jamboree
MJF celebrating himself in Philadelphia is a pro wrestling gift. The Salt of the Earth is a three-time AEW World Champion, and you can bet he’s going to milk every second of that in front of a crowd that has a complicated — and electric — relationship with him. This segment almost certainly sets up MJF’s next feud or puts a target on his back. Don’t skip it.
TNT Champion Kevin Knight Speaks
We’ll hear from TNT Champion “The Jet” Kevin Knight tonight. With the title freshly in his hands, Philadelphia is as big a stage as any for Knight to establish his championship voice. His direction heading into AEW’s next major event is likely to crystalize here.
Renee Paquette Interviews Kyle Fletcher & Don Callis
The Don Callis Family’s internal dynamics and next targets are always worth monitoring. With the Owen Hart Tournament bracket in play, this interview could reveal their strategy — or implode it.
What to Watch For
MJF’s Opponent: The post-celebration challenge or attack will likely signal his next program. Every major heel and babyface on the roster is a candidate.
Owen Hart Bracket: With a quarterfinal tonight, AEW should give us a clearer picture of the semifinal matchups. Keep track of who advances.
Street Fight Fallout: Statlander vs. Shida in a Lights Out match with no rules almost guarantees a brutal finish — and possibly a new rivalry sprout from the wreckage.
Kyle Fletcher/Callis Plans: With Fletcher likely positioned near the top of the card and the Owen Hart Tournament in progress, tonight’s interview sets the table.
AEW Head of Talent Relations Christopher Daniels recently opened up about his future in professional wrestling, stating he has no desire to return to in-ring competition.
The 56-year-old executive cited physical decline and concerns about his performance quality as the primary reasons for stepping away from active competition.
During a virtual signing with K & S WrestleFest, Daniels addressed questions regarding a potential return to the ring with candid honesty. He acknowledged the toll his decades-long career has taken on his body.
“I mean, I wish I could, but I have to be honest about physically how my body’s beat up, and I watched some of the last matches of my career,” Daniels said. “I did a lot of stuff in DEFY in Seattle, Washington, and I watched a lot of those matches and while the mental part of those matches is really, really good at least — I’m very proud of it — I have to be honest and say I wasn’t really in the best of shape, and I could tell that I was slowing down.”
“The way it ended for me is probably best that it ended, and yeah, I don’t really have a desire to get back into it just because I don’t wanna embarrass myself,” he added.
Daniels’ Legendary Career
Daniels has wrestled professionally since the early 1990s, accumulating approximately 1,917 documented matches. His career includes championship reigns in ROH, TNA, and numerous independent promotions, making him one of the most decorated veterans in the industry.
He currently serves in AEW’s talent relations department. While Daniels has taken occasional matches since transitioning to his backstage position, he has significantly reduced his in-ring schedule in recent years.
Daniels’ last high-profile televised match in AEW was against Adam Page.
Adam Copeland and Christian Cage are set to bring back one of their most iconic segments from the past. The newly crowned AEW World Tag Team Champions will revive their signature Five-Second Pose.
Copeland and Cage captured the AEW World Tag Team Championships at AEW Double or Nothing 2026, defeating FTR. The victory marked their first tag team championship together in more than 25 years, dating back to their WWF World Tag Team Championship win in 2000.
AEW President Tony Khan announced on X, the iconic duo would be celebrating their win by performing a 5-second pose for the fans. Khan’s announcement read:
“#AEWDynamite/#AEWCollision 8/7c, TBS & HBO Max Wednesday, 5/27 TOMORROW! For the benefit of those with flash photography, @RatedRCope & @Christian4Peeps will celebrate their unforgettable #AEWDoN AEW World Tag Team Championship win with a Wednesday Night 5 Second Pose, TOMORROW!”
The Five-Second Pose originated in 2000 after the duo turned heel following their WWF World Tag Team Championship victory. The pair, who previously entered through the crowd, explained they had become too good to be that close to the fans.
They introduced the concept by posing with their titles for five seconds, allowing fans to take photos of the new champions. The segment evolved into comedic poses that often mocked the city where they were performing.
The revival of this classic bit brings back a piece of wrestling history that defined their original tag team run over two decades ago.
A wheelchair user claims AEW production staff took over their paid accessible seating at Double or Nothing 2026.
The fan, known as Mantis the Dad on social media, says production equipment was set up in the handicapped section, forcing them to stand for the show despite mobility challenges.
The fan shared their experience on social media following the May 25 event. According to their account, they purchased two ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) seats but found production crew had occupied the space with equipment.
“Robbed. I paid for seats and the Production crew set up their equipment and we had to stand all night,” the fan wrote. “End up leaving half way through the show. It was in the handicapped section too. When I asked the worker they said ‘we’re not moving.’”
Fan Left Event Early Due To Accessibility Issue
The situation resulted in the fan leaving Double or Nothing halfway through the card. The ADA prohibits discrimination based on both visible and non-visible disabilities and requires venues to provide accessible seating for patrons who need it.
The incident was one of multiple fan complaints from the event. Other attendees reported being stranded after the show when exits outside the arena were shut down and no trains were available for transportation.
Mick Foley will be a regular presence in AEW but will not be at this week’s Dynamite in Philadelphia due to a prior commitment he had locked in before signing with the company, according to PWInsider.
Foley made his AEW debut at Double Or Nothing at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, co-hosting the Zero Hour pre-show alongside Renee Paquette before getting involved in a segment with MJF that ended with Foley taking a low blow.
Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp later confirmed that Foley is officially signed to AEW and expected to work all pay-per-view shows and some television going forward. No matches for Dynamite have been confirmed yet.
AEW will hold its newest pay-per-view, Redemption, on Sunday, July 26 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Tony Khan confirmed the event in an interview with the Toronto Sun, putting an official date and venue on a show that had drawn weeks of speculation.
It’s the first-ever AEW Redemption and the company’s first pay-per-view in Montreal. The show gives AEW its second Canadian PPV of 2026, following Dynasty in Vancouver this past April, and pushes the promotion to 10 annual pay-per-views for the first time in its history.
Reports from Fightful Select had pointed to Montreal as the likely host, and AEW filed a trademark tied to the project in April. Khan made it official this week. “Montreal’s one of the greatest wrestling cities in the world,” he told the paper.
Redemption carries a special 7 p.m. start time. Presales begin today, with general admission tickets going on sale June 1 at 10 a.m.
Copeland, Christian Cage And Foley In The Mix
Khan said fans can expect the AEW World Tag Team champions, Adam Copeland and Christian Cage, on the card. The Canadian duo captured the titles in an “I Quit” New York Street Fight earlier this month.
“Copeland and Christian are red hot right now,” Khan said, pointing to a first run as a tag team in AEW for one of wrestling’s most established pairings.
Mick Foley could also factor in. Khan said there’s a strong chance the recently signed Hall of Famer will host the Montreal event, continuing the role he took on at the Double or Nothing Buy In alongside Renee Paquette.
More information is available through AEW’s official website.
FTR is approaching their option year on the four-year AEW deals they signed in 2023, with the team believing they should be compensated among the promotion’s top financial tier, according to Bodyslam.net.
The report also notes preliminary interest from WWE has been communicated to the team through mutual contacts.
“Sources close to the situation describe FTR as believing their value and consistency over the last several years should place them among AEW’s top-tier acts financially. There has also reportedly been at least preliminary interest from WWE communicated through mutual contacts as the situation continues to draw attention internally. At present, there is no indication a departure is imminent, though FTR’s future beyond the current option year remains unclear.”
The news comes one night after Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler dropped the AEW World Tag Team Championships to Adam Copeland and Christian Cage in an I-Quit match at Double Or Nothing. It was FTR’s third reign with the titles since debuting in AEW in 2020 following their WWE release.
FTR previously stated they expected their full-time wrestling careers to wind down at the end of this AEW deal. Their WWE run as The Revival was marked by frustration over the company’s perceived lack of investment in tag team wrestling.
WWE is reportedly interested in rebuilding its tag team division, though most of that effort is expected to come from internal talent rather than outside signings. The division has recently lost both New Day and Motor City Machine Guns to releases. Bodyslam’s report does not indicate whether FTR has any interest in returning to WWE, which is now operating under a significantly different leadership structure than during their previous run.
AEW star MVP has unleashed a scathing verbal attack on Triple H during a recent podcast interview, delivering some of the harshest criticism heard from a former WWE performer in recent memory. The former United States Champion did not hold back when discussing his views on WWE’s Chief Content Officer.
MVP said he decided he no longer wanted to stay in WWE after seeing Shelton Benjamin released without being offered a backstage role despite his long career and talent.
The former WWE star praised Benjamin as an underappreciated all-time great and explained that the breakup of the Hurt Business, combined with Benjamin’s release, heavily influenced his decision about his own future in WWE.
He said:
“And if Triple H is in charge, then I definitely want to be here. Because I don’t like Triple H. I don’t respect Triple H. I think he’s a coward and a liar. And there have been many situations where he was dealing with Bobby, where he didn’t tell Bobby the truth creatively what he wanted to do. There are multiple times that I tried to talk to him.
And he would always, I’ll get with you in a little bit or the few times that I got a chance to get him in his office alone, he would call somebody to come in. He didn’t want to deal with me. I don’t respect that. Tell me. I’m a professional. Tell me how you feel. We’re doing business. Based on it, you ain’t got to like me. There’s lots of people throughout my career that I’ve worked with that I don’t like. We’re making money. We’re doing business.”
The comments represent a dramatic escalation in public criticism from MVP, who previously worked under Triple H’s leadership structure during his most recent WWE run.
MVP is best known for his championship runs in WWE, including his United States Championship reign and his role as the leader and manager of The Hurt Business stable alongside Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and Cedric Alexander from 2020 to 2021.
The Hurt Business Legacy
The Hurt Business was one of WWE’s most prominent factions during its run on Raw, with MVP serving as the group’s mouthpiece and strategist. The stable currently goes by the name The Hurt Syndicate in AEW and has been a dominant force in the promotion.
Most recently, at AEW Double or Nothing, Lashley and Benjamin teamed up with Chris Jericho and The Elite to win a chaotic Stadium Stampede match.
Mick Foley says he is “genuinely happy” to be part of AEW following his debut at Double Or Nothing, where he co-hosted the Zero Hour pre-show alongside Renee Paquette before having an in-ring segment with new AEW World Champion MJF that ended with MJF kicking him below the belt.
“ALL ELITE. I am so genuinely happy to be part of AEW, and to have contributed in a small way to such an amazing night of wrestling.”
Foley is officially signed with AEW. During the pre-Double Or Nothing media call, Tony Khan said Foley will be contributing to the AEW broadcast and helping out behind the scenes. Khan also added that he would love to see Foley return to the ring for the promotion.
MJF captured the AEW World Championship at Double Or Nothing on Sunday night, defeating Darby Allin in the hair vs. title main event.
Alicia Atout, wife of AEW World Champion MJF recently reacted to his win at Double or Nothing.
Atout took to social media to celebrate MJF’s victory at AEW Double or Nothing, where he defeated Darby Allin in a Title vs. Hair match. The win saw MJF capture the AEW World Championship while keeping his hair intact.
Atout posted on X, the morning after the pay-per-view, clearly relieved her husband avoided the barber’s chair. Her reaction highlighted both the title win and the successful defense of MJF’s signature look.
Woke up this morning in our mansion to a husband with a full head of hair. Life’s good. @The_MJF
— Alicia Atout-Friedman (@AliciaAtout) May 25, 2026
MJF Becomes Three-Time AEW World Champion
MJF defeated Darby Allin in the main event of Double or Nothing in Queens, New York, becoming AEW World Champion for the third time in his career. The Title vs. Hair stipulation meant the loser would have their head shaved, adding extra stakes to an already intense rivalry.
The match featured brutal spots, including Allin hitting a Coffin Drop off scaffolding through a table that left the back of his head busted open. MJF ultimately secured the victory with a top-rope tombstone piledriver, ending Allin’s challenge and keeping his hair.
Immediately after the match, MJF posted his own reaction on Twitter, mocking anyone who thought he would actually lose his hair. He celebrated becoming a three-time world champion at 30 years old and dismissed critics with characteristic brashness.
The victory marks another chapter in MJF’s decorated AEW career and continues his rivalry with Darby Allin. For Atout, the result meant celebrating both a championship win and no trip to the barber.
Tony Khan called Darby Allin’s run as AEW World Champion one of the greatest title reigns in company history, speaking at the Double or Nothing post-show media scrum roughly an hour after that reign came to an end.
Allin lost the AEW World Championship to MJF in the Title vs. Hair main event on Sunday, May 24 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. The 24-minute match made MJF a three-time AEW World Champion.
Khan was asked about the reign ending and reflected on what Allin has brought to the company. “It’s hard to put into words how much Darby Allin means to this company because nobody would ever ask somebody to put their body on the line,” Khan said. “No boss could ever go to somebody and ask somebody to do the kinds of things Darby Allin does.”
“He’s a very, very special person and he was fantastic as the TNT Champion, he was fantastic teaming with Sting, and he’s been fantastic as the World Champion,” Khan continued. “Everything Darby Allin’s done for us, he’s done his very, very best. He’s done just about everything he’s ever set his mind to in pro wrestling, and I believe it’s one of the greatest title reigns of any kind we’ve ever had in AEW.”
Allin captured the title on the April 15 Spring BreakThru edition of Dynamite, pinning MJF in a little over two minutes in front of a home-state crowd in Everett, Washington. It was his first AEW World Championship in his fourth career attempt at the belt.
The reign lasted close to six weeks, one of the shorter title runs in the championship’s history. Allin filled it with volume instead, defending the title seven times across Dynamite and Collision against opponents that included Konosuke Takeshita, Tommaso Ciampa, Brody King, PAC, and “Speedball” Mike Bailey before MJF took it back at Double or Nothing.
A Bruising End And A New Problem For Allin
The mileage caught up with Allin on Sunday. He passed out in his own Scorpion Deathlock late in the match, and MJF capitalized to win the title and keep his hair.
The night got worse afterward. As Allin lay strapped to a stretcher, TNT Champion Kevin Knight delivered a UFO Splash to him in an apparent heel turn. Khan said he was interested to hear what Knight has to say about the attack.
Khan also noted he had matches planned for this Wednesday’s Dynamite, but could not finalize the show until wrestlers are medically cleared.
