Below are a couple of top AEW news stories of the day, featuring Saraya, Matt Menard, and Matt Cardona.
• Saraya Turned Down Romantic Storyline In AEW With Former WWE Wrestler
Saraya has opened up about turning down a romantic storyline during her time in AEW, saying it was the only pitch she rejected while working there.
Speaking on her Rulebreakers with Saraya podcast, the former AEW and WWE star said the company wanted her to be involved in a love angle with AEW’s “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard, who has also been in WWE NXT. Saraya said she declined because she had a boyfriend at the time and didn’t feel comfortable with it.
“Daddy Magic. They wanted me to do a love storyline with him, and I’ve managed to go my whole career without doing a love storyline — and I wasn’t going to start then, you know,” Saraya said.
“They were like, ‘No, all he’s going to do is kiss you.’ And I had a boyfriend at the time, so I was just like, ‘I can’t do it, you guys. I just can’t do it.’ So I turned that down.”
She added that this was the first time anyone in wrestling had ever asked her to take part in a romance-based angle.
“I’ve never really had them come up to me and be like, ‘What do you think of this? You want to kiss somebody today?’ Like, I’ve never had that … until I got to AEW. And then they were like, ‘Can you kiss Daddy Magic?’ And I love Daddy Magic. Good guy.”
Saraya also said she had no issues with Daddy Magic personally. She simply wasn’t interested in that kind of storyline.
Also Read: Saraya Issues Statement After A Fan Tried To Kiss Her On The Lips
• Matt Cardona Reacts To Reports Of AEW Offering Him A Contract
Matt Cardona (fka Zack Ryder) is clarifying some things about a supposed AEW contract.
The Wrestling Observer previously reported that AEW offered Cardona a contract. However, Matt stated in a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, “Again, I don’t know. Dave Meltzer reported that I got offered a contract, but I did not, so I don’t know what happened.”
Going back to December 2024, the Wrestling Observer reported that AEW made Cardona an official contract offer, adding, “I know [Matt Cardona] was offered [an AEW] contract. I don’t know if he’s signed or anything.” Now, Matt confirms this wasn’t the case.
Cardona debuted in AEW in 2020 and a had a few matches. He returned to company in March 2024 for a one-off match. Then in December 2024, Cardona returned once again, this time for AEW’s sister promotion ROH.
He had a match against Chris Jericho for the ROH World Championship at the Final Battle 2024 pay-per-view, but didn’t win.
