AEW: Start Time Update for 5/31 AEW Collision Show Broadcast, Thunder Rosa On AEW’s Women’s Division Being “We Love That We Are Accepted For Who We Are”, More News

Start Time Update for 5/31 AEW Collision Show Broadcast

As noted before, AEW recently announced that the start time for this Saturday’s AEW Collision show on TNT will be dependent on the status of the network’s 2025 NBA Playoffs coverage for that night. This start time was dependent on if the Eastern Conference Finals series between Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks reached a Game 6 or not.

Thursday’s 2025 NBA Playoffs Game 5 in New York City featured the Knicks defeating the Pacers to avoid elimination and extend the series to a Game 6.

As a result, this Saturday’s Collision show will now be airing following TNT’s NBA Playoffs coverage that night.

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Thunder Rosa Comments On AEW’s Women’s Division Being “We Love That We Are Accepted For Who We Are”

KFOX14 held a recent interview with Thunder Rosa. One of the topics discussed included Rosa’s thoughts about AEW Women’s division and how good it is to be able to be herself in the division and in AEW.

“Well, we can be all of it. All of the above. We can be eye candy. We can be like gladiators. We can be, you know, monsters. We can be half dead, half alive. Like we all have our characters, but we all, as one thing that we all have to say, it’s, we have the commitment to be the best in the world, the best at wrestling in that ring. So yeah. I’m very proud to say that I am one of the best wrestlers in the world, and I could possibly one day I can come and look like I can be… and the next day you can see me and look like I’m about to whip your ass. So we love that. We love that we are accepted for who we are, and we can show that on TV, which is probably one of the best assets that we can have at AEW.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

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AEW News & Notes

As noted before, “The Glamour” Mariah May’s contract with AEW is currently believed to be expiring either this summer or this November and she is currently believed to be potentially leaving AEW for WWE once her contract expires. Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp reported in a recent Q&A article that he has not heard anything positive regarding May’s current status within AEW based on talent spoken to. Sapp reported that some talent spoken to stated that they were surprised May only had a two-year contract with the company. Sapp also reported that wrestlers spoken to within the wrestling industry currently see May leaving the company as being a business move.

Mercedes Martinez has been absent from AEW since December of 2023 and from ROH since April of 2024. Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp reported in a recent Q&A article that Martinez is still active in the indies despite her current abscense from AEW but she has been wrestling less frequently than before and only had a few matches last year. Sapp reported that his sources stated that Martinez is still under contract with AEW.

In a recent interview with Sportskeeda’s WrestleBinge podcast, Paul Wight gave his thoughts about his praise of Powerhouse Hobbs for being a legitimate tough man in an era where not many wrestlers possess that type of aura. Wight stated “Kyle Fletcher and Nick Wayne both. Another big run in favor of mine is Will Hobbs, believe it or not. Will Hobbs is one of the few characters I see on TV who presents himself as a man in a tough guy situation, where you would believe in an alley, Will Hobbs would beat the snot out of you. It’s believable. Now, if you’ve ever met Will Hobbs, he’s one of the kindest, nicest gentlemen you’ve ever met, but he has that presence on TV, like he doesn’t care if you live or breathe. I think that’s a lost art in our business now, because everyone wants to be a showman, everybody wants to be loved, everybody wants to be liked.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

In a recent interview with the Casual Conversations with the Classic podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley gave his thoughts about his praise of MJF’s work on the microphone and a recent meeting they had together at a steakhouse. Foley stated “Oh, man. It doesn’t look like it. It does not look like it, but I was just flattered. It’s pretty cool. Two Long Island guys meeting at a steakhouse. We didn’t even take a photo of the situation, but it was cool. I don’t want to tell you. It’s up to him whether he wants to share his ideas, but they were good ideas. If I could have carried it off, it could have been a really good six-week program. He’s so good and such a great pro that you know he would have lifted my game on the microphone and you know we could have probably found a way to work around my weaknesses in the ring, accentuate the positives and even if it wasn’t a great match, I bet you we could have convinced a lot of people it was a great match.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

In a recent interview with The #JJRBTS (rehashed) podcast, Will Ospreay gave his thoughts about his connection to Hayabusa, getting Hayabusa’s daughter’s blessing to wear a Hayabusa mask in tribute at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2024, and helping out Hayabusa’s family. Ospreay stated “It was 2022, I really wanted to don the mask. I wanted to wear the mask because it hadn’t been donned on a wrestler in Japan for years. It was almost like, ‘We don’t want to talk about it because it brings up a bad memory.’ I sourced out where his daughter was and I found her on Instagram. I said, ‘I wrestle for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, your dad inspired me. Could I take you out to dinner?’ I took her out for lunch in Japan and I asked for her blessing to wear the mask at one of these big stages. She was honored. She was like, ‘No one talks about my dad anymore.’ Not only that, she was like, ‘Thank you so much.’ It got around, and the guy who originally made his mask contacted me and was like, ‘Can I please make you one Hayabusa mask to wear?’ Goosebumps. He is one of the icons when it comes to high-flying wrestling. His name is the flying assassin, there is a connection because I was the Aerial Assassin, a connection came through that. Obviously, it came from Assassin’s Creed, but Hayabusa was the Flying Assassin and I wanted to combine that and pay homage. That’s why I went to the daughter first. A lot of wrestlers now will be like, ‘Today, I’m cosplaying as this wrestler,’ and I feel there might be some dark untold truths where when you pay homage to that, it brings up bad memories. I wanted to ensure it was okay to do that. I sold the mask and all the money I made, I sent over to the family.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

Dustin Rhodes recently responded on Twitter about certain online wrestling fans claiming that he never had any charisma during his career and recent comments made by Eric Bischoff about his firing from WCW in 1995. Rhodes stated “For those in the IWC that say I have never had any Charisma, you’re absolutely wrong. You could never do what I do, EVER. I have busted my ass my whole career. Real fans know.And on another note, Eric Bischoff was speaking on my firing of WCW about bleeding. Number 1, and this will be talked about in my book at length, I reached out beforehand to Craig Leathers and was told we could. I would never disobey what my boss says. 2, why did Hogan bleed on that same ppv but it was ok. Need to get your facts straight. I lost my job and they did not. You know why? Cause Hogan and his boys had just arrived and they needed to clear out a few contracts. It was wrong, but you know what I didn’t do? Sue. Because I knew I was gonna be just fine because I bust my ass each and every time I am out there and have had an extraordinary career. For the record, I don’t have a problem with Eric, but this shouldn’t have been talked about on air. I’m Dustin Fucking Rhodes, a charismatic, hard working legend. Man this shit pisses me off.“