AEW: Reason for Julia Hart’s In-Ring Absence & Wheeler Yuta Dealing with Injury, Updated Card for Friday’s Rampage Show, More News

Feb 16, 2024

Reason for Julia Hart’s Recent In-Ring Absence & Wheeler Yuta Dealing with Injury

TBS Champion Julia Hart and ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta have been noticeably absent from in-ring action for AEW and Ring of Honor over the past month.

Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that the reason for Hart’s current in-ring absence is not due to any injury-related issue and instead simply due to AEW officials have been working on some creative ideas for her that were just waiting to be approved.

In regards to Wheeler Yuta, those spoken to reportedly stated that Yuta is currently dealing with an injury. No other details were given regarding the nature of his injury nor how long he will be out of action for AEW. Despite his injury, Yuta is currently advertised to be competing for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre at their Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 2024 event on March 29th at the Arena Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico.

One New Match & One Updated Match for Card of Friday’s AEW Rampage Show

AEW recently announced one new official match and one updated match for the card of Friday’s AEW Rampage show, which was taped this past Wednesday in Cedar Park, Texas.

In regards to the new match, this was announced to be a Trios match of Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall Von Erich) vs. mystery team.

TOMORROW!
Friday Night #AEWRampage
SPECIAL START TIME 7pm ET/6pm CT | TNT

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS! @DustinRhodes & the #VonErichs will be in ACTION TOMORROW! Don’t miss #AEW Rampage at its SPECIAL START TIME TOMORROW at 7pm/6pm CT on TNT! pic.twitter.com/lxmN6HN9Y3
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 15, 2024

In regards to the updated match, this was announced to be a 12-Man Tag Team match of Bang Bang Scissor Gang (The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster), Billy Gunn, & Bullet Club Gold (The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn) & Jay White) vs. The Dark Order (John Silver, Alex Reynolds, & Evil Uno), Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, & Satnam Singh.

TOMORROW!
Friday Night #AEWRampage
SPECIAL START TIME 7pm ET/6pm CT | TNT

The #BangBangScissorGang debut as a team vs #DarkOrder, @realjeffjarrett, @hellosatnam, & @thelethaljay in 12-man action! Don’t miss #AEW Rampage at its SPECIAL START TIME TOMORROW at 7pm/6pm CT on TNT! pic.twitter.com/mhr8jD65n3
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 15, 2024

Full card for February 16th AEW Rampage show:

No DQ match – Jeff Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara
Anna Jay vs. Queen Aminata
Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall Von Erich) vs. mystery team
12-Man Tag Team match – Bang Bang Scissor Gang (The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster), Billy Gunn, & Bullet Club Gold (The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn) & Jay White) vs. The Dark Order (John Silver, Alex Reynolds, & Evil Uno), Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, & Satnam Singh

AEW News & Notes

Fightful’s Jeremy Lambert reported that Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling talent Yuka Sakazaki’s profile on AEW’s roster page had been removed for some time and was only re-added to the roster page on Thursday. Lambert reported that it is currently not known why Sakazaki’s profile was removed nor her current status in the company.

AEW recently released the debut episode of their new romcom series Johnny Loves Taya featuring Johnny TV and Taya Valkyrie on their official YouTube channel.

As noted before, Kazuchika Okada’s contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling expired this past January and he is currently expected to be joining AEW. In a recent interview with Tokyo Sports, Bryan Danielson gave his thoughts about Okada’s current free agency. Danielson stated “Of course I want him to come to AEW. Fans all over the world know how great Okada is. Both WWE and AEW are major players, but I hope he comes to AEW.” (English translation via Fightful.com)

RUSH recently announced on Twitter that his current goals for La Faccion Ingobernable is for his group to grow in size in 2024 with at least two new members, one being a female member. RUSH stated “2024 will see a bigger LA FACCION INGOBERNABLE. I will add a new Man to the group And a WOMAN. NO PASA NADA #AEW #LFI“

Dustin Rhodes recently reflected on Twitter about getting to team up with The Von Erichs’ Ross and Marshall Von Erich for this Friday’s Rampage show. Rhodes stated “A little history lesson for you. Our own @alexmarvez told me last night that their dad Kevin tagged 1 and only 1 time with my pops back in 1978. So you can imagine how special this meant to me. #VonErichsAndRhodes #TexasBoys whooping tail!! Trios anybody? Thanks @TonyKhan for making this happen. Historical and honored. #keepsteppin and see you tomorrow night on #AEWRampage baby!!!#hookem“

In a recent interview with FOX Sports’ Levack and Goz podcast, AEW CEO Tony Khan gave his thoughts about his interest in potentially wrestling in AEW in the future. Khan stated “I don’t think anybody really wants to see that … Not anytime soon. That’s not anything I think we’re going to do. I do think AEW has a great roster, the best wrestlers in the world. I would rather try to put the best matches and we have exciting rivalries building in AEW right now.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

In a separate interview with Adrian Hernandez, AEW CEO Tony Khan gave his thoughts about his mentality when it comes to his Twitter habits for AEW. Khan stated “We’ve been able to promote the show and build engagement. Also, the company has a great presence. We have a great connection with the fans. We’ve been able to build real engagement at times. There is tangible proof of that and our huge TV ratings and the fact that three of the last four weeks, Dynamite has beat the NBA on ESPN straight up. We’ve had great success connecting with our fans. I think what we have going works really well.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

In a recent interview with Alicia Atout, Roderick Strong gave his thoughts about his recent “Neck Strong” character in AEW and how it helped give him the opportunity to grow as a performer for his wrestling career. Strong stated “It made it fun. It made it extremely fun. I’ve always wrestled and performed and wanted myself to be out there. But within this, it gave me an opportunity to use part of me but also become something else. That was something that I was really having a hard time figuring out. This whole situation created an opportunity for me to grow as a performer. I’m very old-school. I was 12 when I started, so in that day and age, they took everything so seriously. So for me, I’m like, for this to work, I have to do what a lot of people don’t do nowadays and just commit to it, like all the time. Every single thing I did because I just knew. Even when I would go to take my son to jiu-jitsu, depending on what day of the week it was, I would wear it, just because you never know.” Strong also stated that he wore the same neck brace for his entire Neck Strong character’s run. Strong stated “The funny thing, too, as much as I wore it, it still doesn’t stink. That’s what I find funny. [It was the same one] every single time. It smells like roses.” In response to a comment made by Atout about how you would think it would smell horrible, Strong responded stating “Yeah, and especially because I wore it after I wrestled, just sweaty neck juice in there, but no, I guess I got lucky [laughs] It’s disgusting also.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com 1 & 2)

In a recent interview with the Sunday Night Main Event podcast, Athena gave her thoughts about AEW’s upcoming Big Business show and the potential of getting to have her dream match with Mercedes Mone in AEW. Athena stated “When it comes to Big Business, I am immensely curious, as you all are, because that is the most closed-lip thing in this entire locker room. If what I think is going to happen, and what we all think…we’re hoping. I might finally get one of my dream matches. That is one of the coolest things because I’ve shared the ring with this person for many times, and whether we were on the same tag team at live events in WWE, to us getting to briefly touch at Money in the Bank, to us briefly touching in this awesome fatal four-way we had on Raw, I just wish the world for this person because she is someone that I think is one of the absolute best wrestlers in the world. Though I love to be immensely humble about myself, because I do have those self-esteem issues, I would love to see what I could really stack up against this person if she does come here. I would like to see if I am better than her. I would like to see what we could create because I’m a firm believer of, when you have two dedicated women to the cause, it’s going to be money and it’s going to be magic. This woman has had some of the best matches in women’s wrestling history. I just have to (have a match). I don’t care if I have to go to Japan for it. I just have to get it one time.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)