Below are a couple of top AEW & WWE news stories of the day, involving Tony Khan, Shane McMahon and SmackDown.
• Shane McMahon, who has been notably absent from WWE since WrestleMania 39, has largely stayed out of the wrestling spotlight. Despite his low profile, speculation about his future in professional wrestling persists. Recent rumors suggest that McMahon may be contemplating a surprising move to All Elite Wrestling.
Amidst swirling rumors, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has weighed in on the possibility of Shane McMahon joining AEW. Speaking on his podcast, “Grilling JR,” Ross didn’t dismiss the idea, suggesting it might be a bold move that could pay off.
“Yeah, it would. It’s so crazy that it might work, depending on how it was positioned and how it was introduced. Shane called me the other day, he’s called me two or three times, which I really appreciate. He’s always been sensitive in that respect. That’s only a question that Shane could answer. Shane and Tony Khan being together, how would that work creatively, heck, who knows? Might be great. But in any event, that all depends on Shane and what he wants to do,” Ross remarked.
Adding fuel to the fire, Ross’s co-host Conrad Thompson revealed that he received a text from a reliable source claiming that Shane O’Mac has reached out to AEW talents to discuss a potential move.
“There’s a friend of ours. He went out of his way to text me, ‘Hey, that’s not as crazy as you think. I know for sure that Shane McMahon has reached out to wrestlers on the AEW roster to at least hypothetically discuss the idea,” Thompson shared during the podcast.
The Wrestling Observer asked AEW President Tony Khan about these rumors and Khan said the following:
“I’ve never met him or talked to him in my life.”
• WWE has sold over 14,000 tickets for tonight’s SmackDown. Below is the card:
– CM Punk will appear to give an update on his injury
– WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will address Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline attacking him at Clash At The Castle
– LA Knight will confront United States Champion Logan Paul
– Randy Orton vs. Tama Tonga vs. Carmelo Hayes in a Money In The Bank Qualifying Match
– Kevin Owens vs. Andrade vs. WWE Tag Team Champion Grayson Waller in a Money In The Bank Qualifying Match
