• Tony Khan Says Most Wrestlers Don’t Like Top AEW Star
MJF joined AEW in 2019 and quickly became one of the promotion’s biggest stars. He’s known for never breaking his heel character, which makes it very easy for fans to dislike him.
It seems The Salt of the Earth isn’t liked by a lot of his colleagues either.
In an interview with Going Ringside, AEW President Tony Khan spoke about MJF’s reputation backstage. While many appreciate his hard work, he admitted that MJF doesn’t get along with a lot of wrestlers.
“MJF’s not the most popular guy backstage. You know, most of the wrestlers don’t really like him very much. So, I would say that among some of the villains of AEW, there is some camaraderie. And you know, a guy like maybe Don Callis or Okada – I think those guys are probably happy for MJF. But a lot of the fan favorites in AEW really don’t like MJF very much.
That being said, everybody is very impressed with what he’s doing. He is a really hard-working guy, and I am very impressed with MJF. I think he’s an incredible wrestling talent. When he focuses on the wrestling, I think MJF is one of the best. But he always takes shortcuts. He’s always trying to cheat his way to the top. And I don’t even think he needs to, is the truth.
He’s a really gifted wrestler and a student of wrestling – a student of the history of wrestling and a student of technical wrestling. And also, MJF is a student of acting now. And he’s doing a great job with it.”
In 2024, MJF reportedly had an altercation with Britt Baker after the former AEW World Champion’s wife Alicia Atout informed him that Baker was berating him backstage. Baker also went off on Atout. The incident led to Baker being suspended as AEW decided that she was at fault, not MJF.
• AEW Star Almost Died
AEW star Luchasaurus was hospitalized last year due to severe lung damage. He was rushed to the hospital by his wife after he collapsed at home. Doctors discovered pneumonia in both of his lungs, and revealed that he was days away from suffering permanent lung damage.
His Tag Team partner, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry has now shared just how close Luchasaurus came to losing his life.
Here’s what the former TNT Champion said on the Battleground podcast:
“This past year we both ended up being off, and he was off – he had pneumonia, which has been documented, but it turned out to be pretty serious. He almost died. It’s surreal. This guy’s like your best friend, I’m talking to him every day, and then all of a sudden it’s like, ‘Oh, I could have died.’
It really puts things into perspective, just how fragile life is and what’s really important. Because it’s easy to get lost in the weeds, being mad about this or that, but moments like this really make you step back.”
Jack Perry returned to AEW after a long hiatus at All Out earlier this month and reunited with Luchasaurus to re-form Jurassic Express after three years. The duo will appear on tomorrow’s 6-Year Anniversary episode of Dynamite.
• “I hope that he’ll walk away & stay away” – 2x WWE Hall Of Famer On John Cena
Pro wrestling is an addictive business. Many stars have retired only to come back, some for the passion of the game, others for a good payday. WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair knows that cycle all too well, and now he’s advising John Cena not to fall into it.
Speaking to Escapist Magazine, The Nature Boy advised John Cena to leave wrestling permanently after the end of his Retirement Tour in December 2025.
“John is making so damn much money in the movies right now. He doesn’t need to do anything else. I hope that he’ll walk away and stay away. When you’ve done it as long as John has, over 20 years, it’s hard to change your way of life.
I see John periodically, but I can’t say enough nice things about John Cena. He’s a wonderful person. And he is very happily married, his wife is lovely. They’re building a new home here in Tampa.”
John Cena’s next appearance is scheduled for Crown Jewel: Perth on October 11, where he will face AJ Styles in front of a hot Australian crowd. The 17-time World Champion’s final match will take place at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13.
• WWE Forced To Rename “Invasion” On October 7 After Backlash From Israel, New Name Revealed
Following TNA’s invasion of NXT last week, WWE announced a special NXT vs. TNA event called “Invasion” for October 7, but the decision quickly sparked backlash in the state of Israel.
Sky News Arabia reported that the timing and name of the event angered fans and media in the country as October 7 marks the two-year anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel, which made the choice of date particularly controversial.
Israeli news outlet Israel Hayom also criticized WWE, noting that the company had ignored past complaints from Israeli fans and that naming a show “Invasion” on such a date was seen as particularly offensive.
Due to the backlash, WWE has changed the show’s name from “TNA vs. NXT Invasion” to “TNA vs. NXT Showdown.”
The countdown is on…
It's almost time for a TNA vs. NXT SHOWDOWN! pic.twitter.com/hnBmAUcf4b
— WWE (@WWE) October 1, 2025
• Sting’s Son Making In-Ring Debut Soon
WWE Hall of Famer Sting’s son Steven Borden Jr. will step inside the ring for his first professional wrestling match in a couple of days. He had been training with multiple names from AEW, including Darby Allin, Adam Copeland and FTR.
Steven will wrestle his first official match at a two-night event inside New York’s 52 Walker gallery space. The event is scheduled for October 3 and October 10.
The event will also feature Darby Allin and former WWE stars Karrion Kross and Timothy Thatcher.
Steven, who previously played football at the University Of Kentucky, was part of his father’s retirement match at AEW Revolution 2024. Alongside his brother Garrett, he paid tribute by dressing up as one of The Icon’s classic personas before hitting a Stinger Splash on The Young Bucks.
