AEW: Martha Hart Reportedly Gave Blessing for Sting’s AEW Dynamite Rafters Entrance, RUSH Injury & Visa Update, More News

AEW Reportedly Received Martha Hart’s Blessing for Sting’s Rafters Entrance at This Past Wed. Dynamite Show

This past Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite show in Hunstville, Alabama featured Sting’s final Dynamite appearance for his active wrestling career. Sting’s entrance was notable for him coming down from the rafters as a call back to his Crow Sting character in WCW.

Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that his sources stated that AEW CEO Tony Khan had contacted Martha Hart, widow of Owen Hart, over AEW’s plans for Sting’s special entrance on this week’s Dynamite show. Sapp was reported that Khan wanted to make sure the spot was not insensitive due to his concerns from a similar spot that led to Owen’s tragic death in 1999 and Hart’s association with AEW.

Sapp was reported that Hart gave her blessing for AEW to go ahead with their plans for Sting’s rafters entrance for the show.

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RUSH Injury & Visa Status Updates – RUSH Medically Cleared to Return & Resolved Visa Issues

As noted before, RUSH has been out of action for AEW since this past December due to a torn hamstring injury and was medically cleared for an in-ring return this past February. Besides his injury, RUSH has also been currently absent from AEW due to work visa-related issues.

RUSH provided an update on Friday on Twitter stating that he recently got a new work visa and is ready to make his return to AEW soon.

I have my WORK visa with #AEW

I am injury free and cleared to wrestle.

I am ready for everyone to see a REAL LUCHADOR, EL TORO BLANCO RUSH
⏳
#LFI pic.twitter.com/vYZX4C1HxF

— RUSH OFICIAL (@rushtoroblanco) March 1, 2024

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AEW News & Notes

AEW reportedly has sold and distributed around 16,052 tickets for this Sunday’s AEW Revolution 2024 event in Greensboro, North Carolina as of Friday evening, according to WrestleTix. Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that AEW’s attendance for the event will be the largest since WWE’s 1999 King of the Ring event in the venue. Meltzer also reported that AEW’s attendance will also be the fourth or fifth largest ever in the history of the venue depending on if you count Jim Crockett Promotions’ Starrcade 1986 event.

AEW officials reportedly have locked in plans for the AEW World Tag Team Championship Tornado Tag match of The Young Bucks vs. Darby Allin & Sting (c) to be the main event of this Sunday’s AEW Revolution 2024 event, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

AEW recently released their Countdown to Revolution 2024 video on their official YouTube channel.

AEW also recently released a new AEW Timelines video focusing on Sting’s career in AEW.

Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that AEW is currently planning to hold their April 20th AEW Collision show at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois.

Deonna Purrazzo filed a trademark for “The Virtuosa” on March 1st for wrestling and entertainment-related purposes.

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Matthew Jackson gave his thoughts about the Young Bucks current evil EVPs characters in AEW and the online criticisms they have received from some people over it. Jackson stated “Our success is undeniable. One day, we will get our flowers, but unfortunately, they will be at our gravesides. When you are cast as a villain, you must accept that role. But we know what we’ve done–we lived it. Hate our style of wrestling? Hate the way we look? Hate the way we talk? That’s fine. But we made a lot of people a lot of money. I bathe in the tears of yesterday’s broke wrestling personalities, whose only content is talking about what I did last, in my backyard lazy river.“

In a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Darby Allin gave his thoughts about how everything that has been done by AEW for the lead-up to Sting’s retirement match has been from Sting’s vision and design. Allin stated “Everything (involving Sting’s retirement match was designed by Sting). Yeah. With the Bucks, everything… It’s really awesome if you really, really, really think about it that the fact that this company is letting this man go out on his own terms and his way with his vision, because there’s a lot of places that will straight up be like, alright, you’re retiring but we’re gonna make sure that you wrestle this guy and it could be a guy you have no interest in wrestling, and then the fact that you have to tuck your tail between your legs and be a nice, little good boy and get a paycheck and wrestle somebody that you have no desire to wrestle. We’re talking about your career, your life’s work. It’s baffling to me that people are such little b*tches. But yeah, anyways, Sting, he’s doing it his way, he’s doing it his way and it’s amazing and it’s awesome that AEW’s giving him that.” (Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com)

Sting’s son Steven Borden recently posted a tribute to his father on Instagram reflecting about Sting’s legendary wrestling career. Borden stated “You were Sting before I was born. I’ve never known a life where the possibility of you rappelling from the rafters, diving off high objects, and Scorpion death dropping people doesn’t exist. But now that day has nearly come, and I’ve never had more respect and admiration for you than I do today.There’s too many things I could say – I don’t know how to encapsulate it all. For now I’ll just say this. You did it, Dad. You found a way – through nearly four decades, you laid it all on the line. You stayed electric the whole way. You did that while also teaching me what it means to be a man of character, integrity, and grit. More importantly, you showed me – and you’re showing me now. Garrett, Gracie, and I have you to thank for more good than you’ll ever know.know you remember what my answer was that day as a kid in Central Park when I was asked who my hero was. The answer is still the same.I’m still convinced you’re the coolest dude to walk the planet. Now it’s time for one last ride. I’m not ready for it to be over, but I’m ready for you to enjoy the sunset. Until then, I can’t wait to watch you go do Sting things one last time. I love you Dad. Icon Forever.“

In a recent interview with Q93’s Morning Crew radio show, Swerve Strickland gave his thoughts about what it would mean for him to win the AEW World title at this Sunday’s AEW Revolution 2024 event. Strickland stated “Revolution is truly the perfect name for this because that’s where we’re going to start. That’s where I’m looking to start in the wrestling world, a true revolution. All the free agents out there that are looking to have a home, everybody’s going to be targeting AEW, I will say that. We welcome that as well. We want this place to grow. We want to showcase the best talent available, the best talent out there and for all of them to want to just assemble here and truly take the sport, the industry, to the next level… For me to be the number one guy, to be on top of the mountain with all that talent coming in means everything to me. It means something different and truly unique to the company and to the industry and the industry is going to see that. Everybody else in the industry is going to see that and watch. They’re going to watch and pay more attention than they ever have because of not just the talent coming in, but just myself being at the top of that and watching how I operate and move, which I’ve already been moving for the past year, a better part of like two years. I’ve always been in a very unique way with Rick Ross and Kevin Gates and going to the Grammys and my music, my podcast. I’ve always moved in a very unique way. Now imagine what I can do with an AEW World Championship on my shoulder.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)