AEW: Jake Atlas Injury Update, Paige VanZant on Past WWE Visit

Jake Atlas Injury Status Update

As noted before, Jake Atlas has been out of action for AEW since this past January due to him suffering and undergoing surgery for a torn ACL injury.

Highspots held a virtual Sign It Live event with Atlas as the guest discussing a variety of topics. One of the topics discussed included Atlas providing an update on the status of his knee injury.

“Yeah, I mean five weeks removed [from surgery] and I’m doing pretty good.

I had just had a tryout match with them [AEW] on the Dark: Elevation show right before Rampage that week. So I was in Jersey to wrestle Adam Cole and wrestled him early January. Right after the Dynamite show, it was a Rampage taping. It was gonna be my first — that was gonna be my nationally televised AEW debut and unfortunately, somewhere towards the end of the match, just my mechanics weren’t there and I actually blew my knee out inward or caved in and tore my ACL. I didn’t know it that night. I didn’t know until probably a couple days after when I flew home but definitely couldn’t walk. The athletic trainers were taking a look at me and just… they were kind of hopeful and I was trying to be positive as well but when the match aired and I saw it for myself, I was like, okay, this is something that may be a little bit off and then got the MRI done and unfortunately, it was a torn ACL. So that is quite a bit of recovery time as a lot of people know. It’s like nine months. I’m trying my best to see if I can work, make a miracle happen.”

Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com

---

Paige VanZant Comments on Visiting WWE in 2021 and Differences in Plans for Wrestling Career

A recent episode of the Throwing Down with Renee Paquette and Miesha Tate podcast had Paige VanZant as the guest. One of the topics discussed included VanZant’s thoughts on her visit to WWE in 2021 and why she decided to not sign with them.

“I did know my career would take me to pro wrestling eventually. I wasn’t sure what venue that would be, if it would be WWE or AEW. I’ve been a fan of both, I made it out about a year ago to WWE headquarters. They had a different plan for what they wanted for me. With AEW, I’m so excited they were happy to partner with me and let me continue to fight MMA and do bare knuckle boxing. They’re on board to build my career, build me as a wrestler, and let me be myself.”

In a separate interview with The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani podcast, VanZant gave more details regarding the differences in plans WWE and herself had for her career and why she decided to sign with AEW instead.

“Dan Lambert] was definitely a big part of it, I went with him in a few instances, he’s a big part of AEW. Watching them, I knew my career was going to take me to WWE or AEW, I was watching both of them, huge fan of both, the first AEW show I went to though, the feeling, the audience, the crowd, everything about it, I just knew I belonged and it would be something I’d be really good at. The whole atmosphere of the show they put on is iconic. I knew that was the place for me.

I went down to the training center about a year ago. I did have some things in the works, but AEW kind of said what they needed to say and said all the right words to get me to come over to AEW …

Not a bidding war, no. There were different contract details and styles. There were things that AEW, they’re working hand-in-hand with BKFC and letting me be a professional fighter. I still get to be myself. It’s not an exclusive full-time wrestling contract. I’m in AEW and going to wrestle for them, but they’re also letting me be a part of BKFC, so I’m definitely not done boxing and definitely not done fighting. It was an amazing partnership that they’re willing to work with me and all the other things I still want to do.”

Paige also stated that WWE wanted to sign her to an exclusive deal which would have meant she would not have been able to continue her boxing and MMA career.

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com 1 & 2