AEW: Update on Jack Perry Suspension & Plans for AEW Devil, Chris Jericho on Criticisms of AEW Having Identity Crisis, More News

Update on Jack Perry’s Suspension & AEW’s Current Plans for AEW Devil Character Reveal

MJF currently has been involved in a several months long storyline featuring a mysterious AEW Devil character who wears a Devil mask similar to MJF. The December 6th Dynamite show featured MJF being attacked off-screen by either the AEW Devil or his group. This past Wednesday’s This past Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite Winter Is Coming 2023 show in Arlington, Texas featured Hangman Adam Page being the latest victim of the AEW Devil’s group attack.

Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that Jack Perry’s suspension from his involvement in the All In backstage incident with CM Punk recently ended. It was reported that those spoken to stated that AEW officials currently do not have any creative plans in place for Perry’s return from his suspension.

In regards to the identity of the AEW Devil character, one source spoken to reportedly stated that they do not believe that Perry will be revealed as the AEW Devil but did mention that “plans can always be adjusted.”

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Chris Jericho Comments on Criticisms of AEW Having an “Identity Crisis”

ABC’s WFAA held a recent interview with Chris Jericho. One of the topics discussed included Jericho’s thoughts about the recent online fan criticisms of AEW having an identity crisis.

“People’s opinions are opinions, especially on social media, when everybody is going to say what they think, with no consequences, and mostly negativity. I think our shows have been great, the matches have been great, and we’ve done a great job of balancing the storylines along with these amazing matches. The most important thing we’ve been doing is building stars. I’m sure people on the Dallas Cowboys or people making movies or if you’re in a band. It’s like being a KISS fan, KISS fans hate everything, but they still buy everything. I find a lot of wrestling fans are like that too. They hate everything. If you listen to public opinion online, I should be shot and killed and never show my face on wrestling again because I’m the worst possible thing that could ever happen to the business, me still being in existence. Either you believe that or you don’t, and I don’t. I don’t think the majority of people do either, but people are still going to say that. It’s your opinion. I never worry about people that don’t like what we do because you can’t convince them, they just don’t like it, and that’s fine. It’s your opinion. I worry about the people that do like our show and worry about making new fans of our show, that’s the most important thing.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

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AEW News & Notes

Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that AEW officials had originally planned to hold a talent meeting on December 3rd prior to that night’s AEW Collision show. AEW officials reportedly had made plans for this meeting a few days prior to its planned date but decided to cancel their plans for it for reasons that are currently not known. No other details regarding

Jack Perry filed a trademark for “Jurassic Express” on December 11th for merchandise-related purposes to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Perry also filed a trademark for “A Boy and His Dinosaur” on the same day for wrestling and entertainment-related purposes.

Deadline reported that Chris Jericho recently joined the cast of the upcoming new Terrifier 3 film.

AEW Games announced that a new DLC pack featuring the new Beat The Elite game mode was recently released for their AEW Fight Forever video game.

AEW CEO Tony Khan recently announced on Twitter that AEW will be partnering again with Jazwares and Toys For Tots for a special themed week of AEW programming called “AEW Tournament for Tots” in association with the final week of their Continental Classic tournament. Khan also stated that AEW will be donating over $1 million in AEW branded toys to the Toys for Tots charity for this holiday season.

New Japan Pro Wrestling statistician Chris Samsa stated on Twitter that Andrade El Idolo’s pinfall victory over Brody King at this past Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite show was King’s first singles loss of his AEW career.

NJPW statistician Chris Samsa also stated on Twitter that AEW’s fourth quarter of 2023 (October to December) is currently on track to break the record for the most bell-to-bell ring action for a quarter in AEW Dynamite history. Samsa stated that AEW is currently averaging around 1 hour, 1 minute, and 20 seconds of action per show this quarter compared to the previous record of 59 minutes and 21 seconds that was set in the first quarter of this year.

In a recent interview with the Under The Ring podcast, Athena gave her thoughts about her current goals for the future of her wrestling career. Athena stated “I think the next step for me would be to take a crack at AEW TV again. My first time around was not great, and I lost to the all powerful Jade Cargill. I think now, with me being the forever ROH Women’s Champion, I want to be a triple crown champion by the end of 2024. I’m going after all of the belts, the TBS Championship, Julia Hart. the AEW Women’s Championship, Toni Storm. I’m not content with just beating up these fragile broads left and right. This is your warning, I am coming for you guys in 2024. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, you got an X on your back and it’s only a matter of time before we get there.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

In a recent interview with TalkSPORT, Claudio Castagnoli gave his thoughts about CM Punk’s recent return to WWE. Castagnoli stated “I’m on no text chains. I’m on no text chains about any of that sorry to disappoint. It happens, right? People switch and it’s exciting for the fans and I’ve talked about that before with Forbidden Door [annual co-PPV between AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling]. Before it was like, man what if this guy would wrestle this guy from that company and then Forbidden Door happened. Now it’s just there’s two companies and there will be switches. I think it’s a very exciting time for the wrestling fans.” Castagnoli also gave his thoughts about if Punk’s return to WWE will drive AEW to “up their game” in response. Castagnoli stated “I can just speak personally I just try to do the best I can with what I’m given. If you start looking around you’ll just drive yourself crazy because there’s so many things out of your control that it’ll cloud your mind and cloud your judgment, so to me, I try not to worry about that. I try to put on the best thing that I can no matter what.“

In a recent interview with The Kurt Angle Show podcast, Mark Henry gave his thoughts about his approach when it comes to giving advice to other wrestlers for their careers. Henry stated “I’m always gonna be around wrestling to some capacity. I feel like I’m more of a wrestling counselor than a coach. I don’t teach them how. I want them to already know how. I teach them where you do it, when you do it, and why you do it. I teach them to think outside the box because that’s what Stu Hart did for me, and Leo Burke, and Tom Prichard, and Rip Rogers, and Jim Cornette did for me. They were all free-spirited thinkers. They would be like, ‘Stop being Mark Henry, nobody wants to hear that shit. Be somebody else.’ So when you start thinking, how can I get over being something else? It opens up your brain to pro wrestling. If somebody said Mark, you gotta be John Wayne. You give me 20-30 minutes with John Wayne rehearsal stuff, I’ll be the best John Wayne I can be. I don’t need a lot of study time because all I need to know is what the character references [are] and the sound and voice flexion, and that’s the science of studying wrestling or acting, and that’s what I teach. I enjoy the personal one-on-ones, the people I talk to every week. It’s working and when you see what you do works, it’s gratifying. I sit back sometimes like, ‘Man, I did that.’” Henry also stated that one AEW talent he has mentored is Action Andretti. Henry stated “Action Andretti, every time he passes me he goes [nods] and I know what that means. He’s saying, ‘Thank you, but I got it,’ and he got it. He’s one of those that you have a conversation with, he didn’t have a job, and two or three sessions with me, they hired him. So, those are the things that are good to me.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)