AEW: VP of Post Production Reportedly Released, Jeff Hardy on Feeling “Kind of Like a Ghost” Backstage in AEW, More News

Dec 5, 2023

AEW Reportedly Released Vice President of Post Production

AEW reportedly recently released their Vice President of Post Production Kevin Sullivan from the company, according to the Wrestling Observer.

Dave Meltzer reported that his sources stated that Sullivan, no relation to famous wrestler of the same name, was released from the company on Monday and that this decision was made by AEW Senior Vice President and Co-Executive Producer Mike Mansury. The reason for the decision for Sullivan’s release is currently not known.

Meltzer reported that Sullivan was very highly regarded by others within AEW and had built up their entire post production team that is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Prior to his release, Sullivan had been working for AEW since 2019. Sullivan previously had worked for Impact Wrestling in a similar role from 2005 to 2019.

Jeff Hardy Comments on Feeling “Kind of Like a Ghost” Backstage in AEW

As noted before, Matt Hardy recently voiced his frustrations over his issues with The Hardys current direction and booking in AEW.

A recent episode of the Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast featured Jeff Hardy as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Hardy’s thoughts about his current feelings over his career in AEW.

“When I first came back, it was pretty exciting, I didn’t know what was going to be happening in the near future. The last time I was in this extreme dimension of your podcast, I said in WWE I felt like I was a ghost just walking around backstage. Honestly, I kind of still feel like that at AEW just because not being involved in something cool, and I feel like there is something so special that we have within us to really bring out, and that brings me to things with ego. Honestly, I’m in a place in my life where wearing this Jeff Hardy (shirt), I feel like a goofy goober for wearing my own shirt. ‘Why does this feel so goofy to wear my own shirt?’ My thing has always been, there isn’t much difference between the in-ring performer Jeff Hardy and the reality and human world Jeff Hardy. At the show the other night, at the concert, I talked about ego, and another wrestler said, ‘You’ve never had an ego,’ but I think I need to bring my ego back ten times more intense than it was when I was the anti-Christ of professional wrestling. It feels like it’s inevitable. It feels so right. You have to create the moments yourself and when you’re passionate about something, and little by little, we’re eventually going to get there.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

AEW News & Notes

Adam Copeland recently commented on Twitter about his upcoming match against Christian Cage for the TNT Championship at this Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite show in Montreal, Canada. Copeland stated “For 40 years we’ve been through everything together. Triumphs. Losses. Births. Deaths. Forced retirements. Wednesday on @aew Dynamite we face each for the first time in 13 years. We haven’t wrestled each other for a title in 22 years. The TNT Championship. After both being told we’d never do this again. In Canada. Main Event. Bring it Montreal. I will. #copevscage“

Post Wrestling John Pollock reported that TSN currently has this week’s AEW Rampage and Collision shows scheduled to air on their TSN 2 channel instead of their usual TSN app in Canada. Pollock reported that the reason is due to this week’s AEW set of AEW television shows taking place in Montreal.

Monday’s NFL game of Cincinnati Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Florida featured Swerve Strickland among those in attendance. AEW and Strickland revealed on Twitter that he was on the sidelines of the field during the pre-game warm-ups and festivities.

In a recent interview with Sportskeeda’s Wrestle Binge podcast, Satnam Singh gave his thoughts about QT Marshall’s recent resignation and departure from AEW. Singh stated “I’m really sad. When I talk to Coach always, and he’s a really good friend of [mine]. He’s my coach, he teach me everything. So when I ask him last week, I said, ‘Hey Coach, are you coming this week? Because I’m going to India, I want to see you before I go.’ He [sent me a] message, he said, ‘I’m sorry, I missed AEW tonight, and I’m not coming anymore over there. So I hope I can come there, but I’m [leaving] AEW.’ I said, ‘Oh, seriously?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ I was really sad. I will say he’s [an] amazing coach. He knows everything [about wrestling]. From zero wrestler, like me, I was totally [a] basketball player. I don’t know anything about wrestling, and he teach me everything. How good is that? I want to say to him, good luck for the future, and I hope he finds a better opportunity somewhere so he can teach or maybe he can coach, whatever he want to do. But I want to say, good luck for the future, good luck with everything. I go to his school, so I go see him always. So I [would] really like to learn from him more and more.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

This past Saturday’s AEW Collision show in Eerie, Pennsylvania featured a Continental Classic Blue League tournament match between Bryan Danielson and Eddie Kingston, which was won by Danielson. Following the show, AEW held a digital exclusive backstage interview with Kingston discussing his thoughts about being winless after his first two tournament matches. Kingston stated “0-2. Yeah, that sounds sounds good. Bryan, I saw that sign he threw down that a fan held. I don’t care. Fans can love me or hate me, that’s their business. That’s their right. You pay for a ticket to do what you do. If Bryan thinks that because I see a sign that calls me a bum, that I’m gonna go back and be self-hating and be self-destructive. I’ve done that dance, Bryan. I’ve done that dance. I’m not doing it again. I’m trying to grow. I’m trying to be better. 0-2, but I got to move on to the next one, and that’s you, Claudio. Claudio, I want you to go to Bryan later. Actually, no, go to Bryan after our match. After I beat the dog shit out of you, I want you to go to Bryan and blame him. Blame him for that because Bryan Danielson, you gave me all of the motivation in the world. Claudio, Bryan, I’m going to get you again. I’m going to fuck you up. Everybody who’s in my way, I’m going to fuck you up. Because now, it’s my time now.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

This past Saturday’s AEW Collision show in Eerie also featured Brody King defeated Claudio Castagnoli in a Continental Classic Blue League tournament match. Following the show, AEW also held a digital exclusive backstage interview with King discussing his thoughts about AEW’s new tournament. King stated “2-0. Eddie Kingston and Claudio Castagnoli, and I’m 2-0. You know, the thing I love about this tournament is that we are the group that sets the standard for this tournament for years to come. The first class for the Continental Classic, to set the standard for how professional wrestling should be delivered in AEW from here on out. Coming into this tournament, they said I wasn’t a single competitor, that I didn’t have the edge up because I’m used to being in trios and tag teams, and now I am 2-0 against two of the toughest people in this company. Don’t underestimate me. Don’t underestimate anybody in this tournament. Everybody is a threat. Be harder.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)