AEW: Tony Khan Thanks Christopher Daniels After Daniels’ Match on 1/18 AEW Collision Maximum Carnage Show, Max Caster on The Acclaimed Breaking Up, More News

Tony Khan Thanks Christopher Daniels Following Daniels’ Assumed Retirement Match at AEW Collision Maximum Carnage Show

As noted before, AEW talent and executive Christopher Daniels is believed to have retired from his in-ring wrestling career following his Texas Death Match against Hangman Adam Page at AEW’s Collision Maximum Carnage show that was taped this past Thursday and aired on Saturday.

Following the airing of Daniels’ match, AEW CEO Tony Khan commented on Twitter thanking Daniels.

Prior to his assumed retirement match, Daniels had been wrestling since 1993.


Max Caster Comments on The Acclaimed’s Breakup as a Team on AEW Collision Maximum Carnage Show

As noted before, Saturday’s AEW Collision Maximum Carnage show featured The Acclaimed’s Max Caster and Anthony Bowens breaking up as a team.

Following his segment on the show, AEW held a digital exclusive backstage interview with Caster about his thoughts about his decision to break up The Acclaimed and Bowens choosing Billy Gunn instead of him.

“Yeah, The Acclaimed is done. I’m just trying to grow as a person. Anthony Bowens, Billy Gunn, they’re not ready to grow. But everybody’s at different stages of their lives, and you gotta understand that. But I knew that going into this speech today. Anthony Bowens is my best friend for life, and I know he’s hard-headed, and ever since he started listening to Billy Gunn, he’s been a real stubborn guy, and I have been too. Billy is a bad influence, has been since the 90s, but I just told it like it was, and as the captain and the leader of The Acclaimed, sometimes the captain’s gotta go down with the ship, and I was going down with the ship. Even though I said, I wanna stop rapping, they said, no, it’s all we got. I said, let’s stop scissoring. They said, no, that’s, everyone loves it, and I said, okay, let’s keep doing it, but I wanna grow, I wanna grow, but they never let me grow. So, I went a little off the deep end, and I just had to find that life raft off that sinking ship, and that life raft was me. I found myself, my self-worth, my self-confidence… I love myself, and I think that’s a good thing to say. But Anthony Bowens, Billy Gunn, they’re not at that point in their lives yet, so, hopefully one day they are, and it’s just not today. So thank you guys very much. Best wrestler alive, read the jacket, cause the jacket don’t lie.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com


AEW News & Notes

Buddy Matthews filed a new trademark for “Hounds of Hell” on January 17th for wrestling and entertainment-related purposes to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This is the similar term that was filed by Brody King on the same day and potentially could be the name of a new post-House of Black stable for Matthews, King, and Julia Hart.

Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that his sources stated that the reason why AEW has yet to announce an official date for this year’s Double or Nothing 2025 event is due to them trying to keep certain dates for their scheduled events this year under wraps due to issues over how they announced their events schedule last year. This issue reportedly revolved around AEW announcing the dates to all of their major shows in advance which led to WWE being able to easily counter certain AEW shows with their own shows. This included WWE holding a house show event in the same city and date as AEW’s Worlds End 2024 event this past December.

As noted before, rapper Action Bronson stated in a recent interview that AEW had never called him back for another potential match following his match with HOOK in 2023. Bronson also claimed that Matt Menard & Angelo Parker turned down a bunch of stuff he wanted to do for their tag team match. Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that his sources within AEW stated that Bronson’s claims are not true. Those spoken to reportedly stated that AEW had invited him for a potential show last year. Those spoken to reportedly also stated that Taz was the producer who put the tag team match together and there were no issues with how the match was put together by any of the participants.

In a recent interview with the Up Close with Stephen Brunt podcast, Adam Copeland gave his thoughts about his reason why he recently shortened his ring name to “Cope” in AEW. Copeland stated “I go to AEW, and now I’m Copeland, or Cope. I’m trying to get the Cope thing (over) because it just looks sexier on a marquee.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

In the same interview, Adam Copeland also gave his thoughts about wanting his last match for his wrestling career to be against a young talent to help give that person a big rub for their own career. Copeland stated “That’s going to be the big decision for me. Who do I get in there with last? I’d love to get in there with a young person and just try and strap a rocket to him. In my last match, what can I do to try to get someone set up? Or at least another block in the foundation to set them up to be able to take it further and further. I think to Bret [Hart], and I take his example, and I look at what he did for me. He didn’t need to do that. He didn’t need to put that time in and need to care, but he did. That really taught me the whole giving back is true. I don’t want to be the old guy who is hanging on. I want wrestle somebody who I feel is going to be part of the future of AEW and just have fun, and experience it together, and after go, ‘Take it and run.’ I’m thinking maybe two years. Being off with a broken leg has kind of extended it. Six months that I’ve been off, tack that on.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)