BodySlam

Author: Marc Middleton

  • Future Plans And Major Expansion For MyAEW Revealed

    Future Plans And Major Expansion For MyAEW Revealed

    Tony Khan’s long-term vision for MyAEW extends well beyond serving as a home for AEW programming alone, as the company plans to eventually position the service as a broader destination for professional wrestling content worldwide.

    MyAEW’s website notes that an AEW podcast network is currently in development, but that’s not all. During the media scrum following AEW Double or Nothing, Khan discussed the recent addition of One Fall Wrestling programming to MyAEW and indicated it is only the beginning of a larger expansion strategy.

    Khan noted that adding 1FW was a natural fit given the promotion’s ties to QT Marshall, who works both on-screen and behind the scenes within AEW. He added that the company intends to continue bringing in additional wrestling promotions over time as MyAEW grows.

    According to Khan, the service has already become an important piece of AEW’s international distribution strategy, though the company also sees opportunities for growth domestically. He said the goal is for MyAEW to eventually become a centralized platform where fans can access wrestling content from multiple organizations around the world.

    At the same time, Khan stressed that AEW’s primary domestic streaming focus remains tied to its partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO Max.

    MyAEW officially launched earlier this year and largely replaced TrillerTV for AEW viewers outside the United States and Canada. International subscribers can pay monthly subscription fees for access to AEW television programming and Ring of Honor content, with higher subscription tiers also including AEW pay-per-views.

    Within the U.S. and Canada, the service currently operates primarily as a FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channel featuring archival AEW programming alongside select free on-demand AEW and ROH content. The platform has also begun offering free on-demand access to 1FW events. The Georgia-based independent promotion recently drew attention after Darby Allin made a surprise appearance for the company.

  • Tony Khan Makes Telling Remarks On Darby Allin’s AEW Role

    Tony Khan Makes Telling Remarks On Darby Allin’s AEW Role

    Tony Khan had strong praise for Darby Allin following the end of Allin’s AEW World Championship reign, specifically highlighting the pace, punishment and physical risks that defined his run on top.

    Although Allin’s reign lasted only 39 days, ending at the hands of MJF at Double Or Nothing this weekend in a Hair vs. Title bout, Khan suggested the reign further cemented Darby’s importance to AEW as one of the promotion’s original “Four Pillars.”

    Speaking during the post-show media scrum after AEW Double or Nothing, Khan described Allin as one of the most unique performers AEW has ever built around and emphasized that nobody in the company would ever be asked to put themselves through the type of punishment Allin willingly takes on.

    Khan praised Allin’s willingness to wrestle frequently, compete through physically demanding matches and continue performing dangerous stunts while carrying the pressure of being world champion. He said Allin has consistently given everything possible to AEW throughout his career, whether as a singles wrestler, tag team performer or champion.

    The AEW president also reflected on Allin’s previous accomplishments in the company, including his TNT Championship runs and partnership with Sting, before calling his world title reign one of the strongest championship runs AEW has produced.

    Khan specifically pointed to the schedule Allin maintained during the reign, noting that he was often wrestling multiple times per week while still working his trademark high-risk style. He compared the pace to Jon Moxley’s run as champion during the pandemic era, though Khan noted AEW was operating with only one weekly television show at that time and not the expanded schedule the company now carries.

    According to Khan, AEW has rarely had a world champion compete with the same frequency and physical intensity Allin displayed throughout the reign, which is part of why he considers him one of the company’s greatest fighting champions.

  • John Cena Opens Up On WWE Creative And Taking Risks

    John Cena Opens Up On WWE Creative And Taking Risks

    John Cena recently appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and discussed the creative direction behind his final WWE run, including the long-awaited heel turn that ultimately produced a divided response from fans.

    For years, many wrestling viewers had pushed for Cena to embrace a villain role after spending most of his career positioned as WWE’s top babyface. When the company finally made the change during his farewell run, however, a large portion of the audience quickly began gravitating back toward the more traditional version of Cena they had known for years.

    That response eventually helped steer Cena back into a more recognizable fan-favorite role heading into SummerSlam.

    During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Cena explained that he intentionally approached the heel character in a grounded and realistic way rather than dramatically reinventing himself.

    According to Cena, he chose not to alter his look, entrance music or overall presentation because he wanted the turn to feel authentic instead of cartoonish. Rather than portraying a completely different personality, he said the character was built around the idea of frustration after years of receiving such polarized reactions from WWE audiences.

    Cena noted that while fans were initially curious to see the change, many ultimately decided they preferred the older version of his character and wanted that version back on television.

    He also made it clear that personally, he enjoys taking creative risks and rarely pushes back against WWE storylines or character ideas. Cena said he has almost never rejected a creative direction proposed by the company because he enjoys the challenge that comes with trying something different.

  • Mick Foley Is Happy To Be A Part Of AEW

    Mick Foley Is Happy To Be A Part Of AEW

    Mick Foley officially made his first appearance for All Elite Wrestling at AEW Double or Nothing and later spoke glowingly about the experience following the show.

    After the event, the hardcore wrestling icon shared a message on Instagram thanking AEW for including him in the pay-per-view and praising the overall presentation of the show. Foley said he was genuinely happy to be part of the company and proud to have contributed, even in a small role, to what he called an “amazing” night of wrestling.

    Foley appeared during the Zero Hour pre-show alongside Renee Paquette, helping host the coverage leading into the pay-per-view. During the segment, Foley discussed the AEW World Championship main event and attempted to offer some perspective and advice regarding the situation surrounding the match.

    The segment eventually turned physical when MJF interrupted Foley mid-discussion. After exchanging words with the WWE Hall of Famer, MJF attacked Foley with a low blow before Darby Allin ran out to intervene and chase him off. This led to a major night for the villain.

  • Major Updates From Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano MMA Fight

    Major Updates From Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano MMA Fight

    The first MMA event streamed live by Netflix appears to have delivered massive numbers, fueled largely by the long-awaited return of Ronda Rousey after nearly a decade away from competition.

    In a joint announcement released Tuesday, Netflix and MVP Promotions stated that more than 12.4 million viewers worldwide watched the event live, with audience figures reportedly climbing to nearly 17 million during the 17-second Rousey vs. Gina Carano main event. According to the release, that would place the show among the most-watched MMA events ever.

    The companies also claimed the U.S. main card averaged 9.3 million viewers and peaked at 11.6 million during the headline fight. If accurate, those figures would surpass the numbers generated by the UFC’s debut event on FOX, which peaked at 8.8 million viewers during Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos and averaged 5.7 million overall.

    Netflix and MVP further stated that the event produced a global average minute audience of 12.4 million viewers on a Live+1 basis, citing VideoAmp, G&C and Netflix data. The additional viewership figures in the release were not specifically attributed to those same measurement sources.

    Financially, MVP Promotions said the event generated a $2.2 million live gate at Intuit Dome near Los Angeles.

    In the statement, MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian said the promotion has received significant interest from investors, business partners and fighters following the success of the show. The two added that they are currently evaluating long-term opportunities for expanding MVP’s MMA presence alongside a distribution partner such as Netflix.

    The weekend event on Netflix also featured appearances from former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou, along with the fan-friendly matchup between Nate Diaz and winner Mike Perry.

  • Tony Khan Is Now An “Incredible Leader” For AEW

    Tony Khan Is Now An “Incredible Leader” For AEW

    MJF recently spoke with Ariel Helwani and offered sincere praise for AEW President Tony Khan, and the way he has grown into the role of leading the company.

    When asked whether Khan has changed as a boss since AEW launched, MJF admitted the company president has developed significantly over the years, even while framing the conversation through his usual ego-driven lens.

    MJF joked that while he may not “love” Khan personally, he certainly appreciates both money and the success AEW is currently enjoying, calling the company “white hot” right now. He also humorously suggested there is at least “an argument” that he deserves much of the credit for that success.

    At the same time, MJF credited Khan for investing heavily into professional wrestling out of genuine passion rather than necessity. He pointed out that Khan could easily spend all of his time focused on his other sports ventures, but instead chose to build an alternative wrestling promotion because of his love for the industry.

    MJF went on to describe Khan as one of the top minds in wrestling today and praised him for providing fans and wrestlers with another major platform outside the longtime industry status quo. He also pushed back on critics who continue to target Khan despite AEW giving audiences more variety in the wrestling marketplace.

    MJF spent the interview frequently taking credit for much of AEW’s momentum in 2026. Regarding the boss, Maxwell said Tony’s biggest growth has come as a leader, adding that he believes AEW’s president has continued to evolve and improve alongside the company itself.

    MJF is hoping to become a three-time AEW World Champion when he faces Darby Allin at Double or Nothing this Sunday. The bout carries added stakes as MJF will be forced to shave his head if he loses the Hair vs. Title match.

  • Paul Wight Reportedly Staying With AEW

    Paul Wight Reportedly Staying With AEW

    Paul Wight is reportedly remaining with All Elite Wrestling after agreeing to a new contract extension with the company.

    According to a report from Fightful Select, Wight’s previous deal was expected to expire earlier this year, but sources close to the situation now indicate he has signed a new agreement to stay with AEW. While specific details regarding the length of the contract have not surfaced, the belief is that Wight remains securely under contract with the promotion moving forward.

    The former Big Show, who joined AEW in 2021 following his lengthy run with WWE, currently works primarily in a backstage role and has not wrestled since 2024. Although he has not officially announced his retirement from in-ring competition, the 54-year-old has recently documented a major weight-loss transformation while continuing to hint that he still has interest in wrestling again before his career is over.

    In previous interviews, Wight has spoken openly about wanting to remain part of AEW during the later stages of his career. While discussing a possible return to the ring, Wight recently named Kenny Omega as one of the AEW stars he would most like to work with, either as a tag team partner or as an opponent.

    Wight also mentioned interest in working with Darby Allin, joking about the kind of chaos and physicality the matchup could produce given Darby’s reputation for taking extreme bumps. During the discussion, Wight referenced his infamous past angle involving Rey Mysterio being swung into a ring post while strapped to a stretcher, saying he could only imagine what a program with Darby would look like.

  • Watch: Ronda Rousey Defeats Gina Carano In MMA Return

    Watch: Ronda Rousey Defeats Gina Carano In MMA Return

    With a combined 27 years away from active MMA competition, former UFC champion Ronda Rousey and former Strikeforce champion Gina Carano made their long-awaited returns Saturday night on the first MMA event streamed live by Netflix.

    Despite a main card stacked with early finishes, the headline fight ended even faster than expected.

    Rousey needed only 17 seconds to stop Carano, securing a double-leg takedown almost immediately before locking in the armbar submission that defined much of her career. The victory now stands as the third-fastest finish of Rousey’s professional run, trailing only her wins over Cat Zingano and Alexis Davis.

    Purse figures released by the California State Athletic Commission listed Rousey at $2.2 million and Carano at $1.05 million before any potential bonuses or additional agreements.

    After the event, Rousey praised Carano once again for helping pave the way for women’s MMA, though she maintained that another extended comeback is unlikely as she wants to focus on family life and having more children. Carano said she was disappointed the fight ended so quickly and joked that she probably should have been matched up with a striker if she decides to compete again.

    The card was held at Intuit Dome near Los Angeles, where crowd shots throughout the night became a discussion point online due to the arena’s sparse-looking appearance. Some fans suggested the lighting setup inside the building may have made attendance appear lighter than it actually was.

    Main card notes and results from tonight:

    -Mike Perry defeated Nate Diaz via second-round TKO after Diaz’s corner stopped the fight between rounds because of multiple cuts that led to heavy bleeding. Veteran cutman Jacob “Stitch” Duran was working Diaz’s corner.

    – Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou scored another quick finish, knocking out Philipe Lins in the opening round. Post-fight discussion centered around the possibility of Ngannou facing Jon Jones, who was cageside for the event, though neither man sounded optimistic that the matchup will happen. Ngannou was also asked about a potential fight with Jake Paul, but appeared lukewarm on the idea.

    – The upcoming Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway fight was also officially announced during Ngannou’s walk to the cage, drawing a major reaction from the crowd.

    – Salahdine Parnasse turned in one of the stronger performances on the card with a first-round TKO victory over Kenneth Cross.
    Opening the main card, Robelis Despaigne stopped former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos by first-round knockout.