More on Aug. 25th Episode of AEW Dynamite – Match Pulled, Gangrel Appearance Dropped, & Other Changes

Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that AEW officials had to make several changes to their original plans for this past Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Some of the changes were due to issues beyond their control while another was related to Edge’s Brood-based segments during this past weekend’s WWE shows.

Meltzer reported that one reason for the weaker than expected card for CM Punk’s high profile AEW Dynamite debut was due to one match being pulled over COVID-19 issues. This match reportedly was originally planned to be a late advertised addition to the show’s card but was pulled due to two people in the match recently tested positive for the coronavirus. Meltzer reported that neither talent had any symptoms and both were fully vaccinated but AEW officials learned of the issue before the match could be officially announced.

Meltzer also reported that AEW officials also originally had plans for a segment featuring tag team 2point0 to air during the show. Those plans were dropped following Tony Khan giving 2point0’s Matt Lee the week off for paternity reasons following the birth of his child a few days ago.

In regards to a planned segment that was dropped due to WWE-related issues, Meltzer reported that AEW officials originally had plans for Gangrel to make a surprise appearance and likely be involved in an angle between Christian Cage and Kenny Omega. Those plans were pulled following Edge’s Brood-like promo and entrance during this past weekend’s WWE SmackDown and SummerSlam 2021 shows. AEW officials reportedly did not want to be seen as copying WWE right after their own Brood-based segments. Despite being pulled from his scheduled booking, Meltzer reported that AEW still paid Gangrel as if he was on the show.

During a recent episode of the FANGING N BANGING podcast, host Gangrel gave more details regarding his dropped booking from AEW over WWE’s Brood-related issues.

“I’m supposed to catch a flight today, right now. I’m supposed to be on a plane. It’s Tuesday, today is Tuesday. I was supposed to be on a plane to Milwaukee. So yesterday, as I’m running around tying up my last errands, I get a return phone call saying, ‘Oh man, we’re so sorry. We’re gonna go a different direction because of the WWE media stuff’ so, with all that being said, now I’m going to say that entrance, everything Edge did was f*cking awesome. It was great and the reason I wasn’t so excited about it is because I knew I was offered another great opportunity, the timing just sucked. The timing sucked. AEW contacted me and they wanted me to come in and do Dynamite tomorrow, Wednesday night Dynamite and they were putting the entrance together, they were going to do the fire, they were doing the pyro stuff, they were putting the music together. They were getting it all together so the same time that I was trending and really happy for Edge inside, I was no selling it because I was super worried going, ‘Oh no. Please don’t let this ruin things. Please don’t’ and it just kept blowing up and getting bigger and bigger and bigger on the Twitter thing. I’m like, ‘Oh man’ so then I call a couple other people I know. I made a couple phone calls, they go, ‘I wouldn’t worry about it. Your thing is different’ but then when SummerSlam hit, I knew that was like the final nail in the coffin and it was so cool because I was like, ‘Wow.’ I never thought Gangrel, which was my entrance originally and then it became The Brood’s entrance, would look like in 2021. It looked flipping awesome, it was cool, it’s cold, everything. He came up, came down and it hit his music. It was just tremendously done.”

Gangrel also stated that Edge had apologized to him for costing him a booking in AEW over WWE’s Brood stuff during a recent talk they had together.

“When I got the phone call that they were gonna go a different direction, it’s not their [AEW] fault man, it’s just timing and I was so grateful and so happy to be a part of that and they even thought about, you know, Tony Khan and everybody — I think it was Tony’s idea to bring me in and do all that. I believe it was. I was so grateful and so happy but I knew deep down inside, I know how things go. It was just like that timing so I was thinking like, ‘Alright, it’s time for me to call Edge,’ Adam. So yesterday, after that happened, I called him and he goes, ‘Hey man, did you see it? Did you see it? I was getting ready to call you.’ I go, ‘I saw man’ and he goes, ‘Man, I was so happy and honored to pay tribute and you worked so hard and The Brood was a cool time in my life and everything.’ He goes, ‘I hope this helps ya get more money on some bookings, you can move some merch,’ this and that and I let him go, he was so happy. I didn’t know what to say and then I go, ‘Yeah, you kind of cost me some work too.’ He goes, ‘What do you mean buddy?’ And I go, ‘Well, that little other company over there, AEW, we were getting ready to — they were getting ready to do a thing.’ Whether it was a one-off or two-off or whatever it was, I was gonna be able to do my entrance again. I was gonna get to go through the fire and not Edge paying tribute, but me. But I didn’t tell him that. I held that in. I didn’t act like — I didn’t sell that. I just like — and he goes — and he got so quiet. Like it felt like an eternity. I was like, ‘Hey, you still there?’ He goes, ‘Man, I’m so sorry.’ He goes, ‘If you would’ve told me –’ I go, ‘I didn’t know man. I just got booked and they just were gonna do it.’ He goes, ‘I’m so, so sorry’ and I could hear it. Felt like he was gonna cry and I was like, ‘No, it’s okay man. It’s good. I work every weekend, I’m doing things.’ I didn’t tell him how stoked and pumped I was that they were gonna give me a chance to do my entrance, but he felt like so, so bad.”

Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com