AEW: Crazzy Steve Makes AEW Debut & Backstage Notes from 1/22 Dynamite Show, Shelton Benjamin on AEW Run Being “Bit of a Career Resurgence”, Britt Baker Denies Rumors She Cheated on Adam Cole

Crazzy Steve Makes AEW Debut in Dark Match & More Backstage Notes from Wed.’s AEW Dynamite Show

TNA Wrestling and indies talent Crazzy Steve made his official debut appearance for AEW at Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite taping in Knoxville, Tennessee. Steve competed in a dark match against Serpentico, which was won by Serpentico, prior to the start of AEW’s Dynamite show.

Besides Steve, Conrad Thompson and Beau James reportedly also attended AEW’s show in Knoxville, according to PWInsider.

As noted before, Wednesday’s show was impacted by several AEW talents dealing with weather-related issues affecting their travel to the venue resulting in the scheduled Samoa Joe vs. Nick Wayne match being pulled as a result. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that Will Ospreay was among the talent who were affected by the weather-related travel issues affecting AEW’s original plans for the show. Johnson reported that the reason why Ospreay was in his street clothes for the show was due to Delta Air Line had lost his bags while he was changing flights in Atlanta. Johnson reported that Delta workers were unable to find his bags during the multi-hour delay that Ospreay dealt with for his flight out of Atlanta.

Following the show, Tony Khan gave a speech to the live crowd talking about how he loved watching Smoky Mountain Wrestling as a kid and getting to promote the Knoxville market was a dream come true for him. Khan also stated that this would not be the last time that AEW will hold a show in the city.


Shelton Benjamin Comments on His AEW Run Being a “Bit of a Career Resurgence”

A recent episode of the Talk Is Jericho podcast featured Shelton Benjamin as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Benjamin’s thoughts about his current time in AEW being a “bit of a career resurgence” for him.

“I’m having a blast. I’m having, I feel like, a bit of a career resurgence. I wasn’t really expecting it to go as well as it is. I’m constantly being surprised. First of all, by the fans of AEW because with all the, to me, unnecessary tribalism in professional wrestling, I never knew how I was going to be viewed, especially with most of my history being WWE.

Sometimes some people just don’t like that. There are some people that, I’m pretty sure, are never going to like me no matter what I do, and they are always going to see that guy who, in my opinion, WWE misused a lot/

Everybody I’ve worked with has been so incredibly cooperative, amazing, helpful. The talent speaks for itself. So, I’m really enjoying my time here right now.”

Benjamin also gave his thoughts about the Hurt Syndicate being open to anyone for potential new members and is not specifically meant to be an all-black group.

“I’d like to point out that, clearly, anyone looking at us, yes, we’re three Black men. We were businessmen who just happened to be Black

We are not an all-Black group. We’re just a group that just happens to be all Black. Our doors are open to anyone. It’s the Hurt Business. You can’t have a business unless everyone’s included.”

Transcript h/t: F4WOnline.com


Britt Baker Denies Rumors Regarding End of Her Real-Life Relationship with Adam Cole

As noted before, Adam Cole confirmed this past October that him and Britt Baker are no longer a couple but they are still supportive of each other’s wrestling careers.

Baker recently responded on Twitter stating that some of the “salacious” rumors going around online claiming that she had cheated on Cole for the reason why their relationship ended is not true. Baker stated that this is just low life people spreading lies about her personal life.