A popular name has agreed to a brand new AEW contract. Will Vince McMahon ever return to WWE? And a former WWE Superstar is wanted on suspicion of murder. But first, be sure to subscribe with notifications turned on so you don’t miss the latest pro wrestling news.

**LATEST MAJOR AEW SIGNING REVEALED**

Let’s begin by taking a look at last night’s major AEW debut. Heading into last night’s episode of the rebranded AEW Dynamite, fans were anticipating an announcement from EVPs The Young Bucks. This following their loss in Sting’s retirement match this past weekend at the Revolution pay-per-view. Initially, when Matthew and Nicholas appeared backstage to break the news, they would perform their best Tony Khan impression, saying “Thanks, guys,” before stating that they will instead be delivering the announcement inside the ring later that night. When the segment eventually rolled around, they confirmed that they have issued a suspension to former Elite member Hangman Page after he laid hands on a referee this past weekend, using this as the kayfabe reason as to why he’ll be away from television due to personal issues. They would then announce that fellow EVP Kenny Omega has been fired, citing his recent absence from work. The duo would then be interrupted by an appearance from Eddie Kingston, and an exchange of words led to a two-on-one attack on the Mad King. The assault would then be interrupted by the sound of a coin drop, confirming the appearance from former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada. As Nick Jackson confirmed, Okada is the latest member of The Elite. Tony Khan would then release an official Kazuchika Okada is All Elite graphic, confirming that he’s been signed from free agency. While many assumed that we would be seeing the same Rainmaker that we’ve seen step through the Forbidden Door in the past, AEW has instead turned his character on its head in what is a total reset. The Young Bucks will now provide their longtime friend two brand new mouthpieces as he settles into wrestling in the United States, while setting up future matches with the likes of Hangman Page, Kenny Omega, and current AEW Continental Champion Eddie Kingston.

**TOP AEW STAR PUTTING HIS LIFE IN DANGER**

Elsewhere on Dynamite, we would hear from Darby Allin for the first time since Sting’s retirement match, where he would team with the icon to defeat The Bucks at Revolution. Allin would address the crowd ahead of his match with Switchblade Jay White next week on AEW Dynamite Big Business. More importantly, before his upcoming climb of Mount Everest at the end of the month. In an emotional promo, Darby would thank the fans for their support to get him to where he is today, from living homeless on the streets 15 minutes away from last night’s venue in Atlanta to being part of Sting’s last match five years later. Allin would then say that next week could be his last match too, as there’s no guarantees that he’ll return from Everest alive. He’d then be face to face with Jay White as he asked for Bullet Club gold to stay in the back for the match so he can fight Switchblade one-on-one. In regard to the Everest comments, one positive from the situation is that Darby will be accompanied by a television crew to document the climb, something that you can assume will be partnered with an expert crew and medical team, making the journey a little bit safer than usual. With that said, the risk is still very much real, with there being many dangers ahead for the young star. The Hindu writes of why climbing Mount Everest is so dangerous, citing risks like avalanches, falling rocks, crevasses, hypothermia, and severe fatigue. Despite the dangers, Darby remains determined to conquer Everest, but the wrestling world holds its breath in hope for his safe return.

**HUGE AEW WORLD TITLE MATCH ANNOUNCED**

Speaking of Dynamite Big Business, a huge AEW World title match has been announced for next week. The Big Business Edition of AEW Dynamite is looking to be one of the company’s biggest television shows in some time as we await to see the follow-up on the debut of Kazuchika Okada as an official AEW roster member. On top of this, we also have news of a huge main event match that will take place next week between AEW World Champion Samoa Joe and the number one contender for the belt, Wardlow. Following his big win at Revolution, where he earned a shot in the All-Star 8-man scramble match, it was confirmed last night that Wardlow will be challenging for the world title next week. This isn’t the first time that the two men have met, as they have one win over the other in one-on-one action from their feud for the TNT Championship, having also met multiple times in multi-man matches. But who leaves AEW Dynamite Big Business as the AEW World Champion? Is it time to pull the trigger on the long-awaited Wardlow title run? Let me know what you think in the comments down below.

**AEW RELEASE & AEW CONTRACT ENDING**

In recent times, we’ve seen many stars exit All Elite Wrestling following the expiration of their contracts, with the likes of Jade Cargill, Shawn Spears, and Brian Pillman Jr. later making the jump to WWE. Could the same fate be awaiting another AEW star? It appears that another AEW star could be heading towards a departure from the company, as a fresh report from Fightful Select has revealed that Matt Hardy’s contract is set to expire this month. The report also claims that Jeff Hardy’s deal would have been up at the same time had it not been for injuries and inactivity. The report states, “Fightful followers learned that former WWE, WCW, TNA, and ROH World Tag Team Champion Matt Hardy’s current contract with AEW is set to expire in March.” Hardy was brought in March 2020, where he was signed to a contract originally told. Jeff Hardy’s AEW deal was set to match up to Matt’s deal as far as length, but injuries and inactivity led to that no longer being the case and there’s time added to the deal. Fightful would add that there have been talks between AEW and Matt Hardy over a renewed contract, although as of now, nothing has been agreed between the two parties. There was no mention of how long’s been added to the contract of Jeff Hardy, although he missed significant time following an arrest in 2022, having also suffered injuries at various points. The news of another AEW contract coming to an end follows the recent exit of Santana, formerly one half of the Proud and Powerful tag team alongside Ortiz, with Fightful Select breaking the news after eagle-eyed fans noticed his removal from the official AEW website roster page. Whether Matt Hardy will also be heading for the door remains to be seen, although all signs seemingly point towards the possibility of him remaining in the company alongside his brother Jeff.

**POPULAR AEW STAR SIGNS BRAND NEW DEAL**

On a brighter note, a popular name has agreed to a brand new AEW deal. In recent months, speculation has mounted regarding the future of longtime commentator Jim Ross, who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. Despite his contract coming up to an end on February 14th, 2024, he’s continued to appear on broadcasts. Now, revealing that he signed a new

deal. According to Jim on his Grilling Jr. podcast, he and Tony Khan were able to agree on new terms. He stated, “We wrote a completely new deal. No extension, new contract, and it was part of the quickest, easiest negotiation I’ve ever done in my career. 50 years. And that’s all because of Tony Khan’s commitment to me as a broadcaster. And he’s always been a fan of my work, which really helps your calls when your boss is a fan of your work.” Jr. revealed that the length of his new contract is for another year. The negotiations, he said, were smooth and quick, with Tony Khan stepping up term-wise and financially, everything was to his liking. Ross expressed his satisfaction with the deal, indicating that he’s happy with it.

**WILL VINCE MCMAHON EVER RETURN?**

Finally, will Vince McMahon ever return to WWE? WWE is now in the post-Vince McMahon era of the company after the former chairman resigned from his position following a sex trafficking lawsuit filed against him earlier this year. However, this is not the first time we’ve seen McMahon leave the company, as he did so in 2022 before forcing his own return in order to pursue the sale of WWE to Endeavor. Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecom conference, TKO President Mark Shapiro was asked if TKO participated in the recent sale that saw McMahon sell a further 5.3 million shares in the company. He denied their involvement and addressed McMahon’s departure, stating, “This is now his second time he’s gone from 28 million shares to 15 million shares. He now has roughly 88.5%. We’re not in conversation with him. We don’t talk to him. We don’t know his motive, his plan, his timeline, what, if any, he doesn’t consult with us. He doesn’t work for the company. He doesn’t work at the company. He doesn’t come into the offices. He’s not coming back to the company.” It seems that one of WWE’s most powerful figures is fully against the return of Vince McMahon, and the chances of his eventual return post-lawsuit look very slim.

**FORMER WWE WRESTLER WANTED FOR MURDER**

In shocking news, a former WWE Superstar is wanted on suspicion of murder. Daniel Rodimer, who earned a WWE developmental contract in 2006, is now wanted in Las Vegas in connection to a homicide investigation. According to a police statement, a suspicious death is now being investigated as a homicide, and Daniel Rodimer has been identified as the suspect. The incident occurred on October 29, 2023, when medical personnel responded to a call regarding a male later identified as 47-year-old Christopher Tap suffering injuries as a result of a purported accident. Tap was transported to the hospital and was later pronounced deceased. Through the course of the investigation, homicide detectives have learned that Tap was in an altercation inside a room at a resort before being located and transported to the hospital. The Clark County Coroner’s Office has since ruled Tap’s death a homicide as a result of blunt force trauma to the head. As of now, there is no word on Daniel’s whereabouts, and it appears that he’s yet to be arrested following the warrant. However, he will likely be located or hand himself in in the coming days. This is a developing story, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.

Before you go, make sure you check out 10 Tony Khan Secrets AEW Wants You to Forget.