Texas, Tony Khan Reportedly Interested In Another Hit Song
Jon Moxley will put his AEW World Championship on the line against Hangman Page in a Texas Deathmatch at AEW All In: Texas.
Hangman has framed the bout as part of his personal redemption journey, hoping to reclaim the AEW World Title he lost in 2022 while coming to grips with choices he’s made over the past three years.
In an interview with Justin Barrasso of “Undisputed,” Moxley didn’t hold back, offering blunt thoughts on Hangman and his so-called redemption story. He said,
“I don’t care what he’s going through or what song he listens to on the way in. Unless he finds what he’s looking for and grows into a beautiful butterfly right in front of our eyes and beats me, then good for him. But that’s not going to happen.
“The Millennial Cowboy, the Emo Cowboy, that vulnerability, it’s what endeared himself to so much of the audience in wrestling. Those people will support you to the end of the earth. Now they’re asking more of him. Now he has to live up to that.
“The walls are closing in on Hangman Page. He’s about to reach the summit of a mountain, a personal mountain, he’s been climbing for the last two or three years. He created this out of his own emotional baggage, his own f**kups, and I couldn’t even explain the rest – you’d have to ask him. But he’s clearly been searching for something for a long time, and it would be a very long, very painful fall if it doesn’t happen for him. That’s exactly what’s going to happen.
“I don’t need a fancy entrance. I don’t need pyro. I don’t need sh*t. In fact, I don’t even need to wear the f**king belt. I’m inherently the AEW World Champion. You can steal the belt, make your own, it doesn’t matter. You can’t take away what I’ve cultivated. Hangman is worried about who I’m bringing to the ring, or the type of weapons I’ll bring. None of that shit matters. Myself and my wits, that’s what I rely on to get the job done. Can he do what I do when you take away all that extra sh*t? What happens then? He ain’t got sh*t. He should worry about that more than his soul search from the past three years. I’m going to absolutely torture him, and I’m going to embrace and revel in it.
“The world will see the difference between him and me. He doesn’t want to win. He’s thinking about The Young Bucks and his apology for burning down Swerve’s house. That was cool. Why apologize? F**king own it, man. He’s in his own head. I’m at peace with the world. I give less than zero f**ks. I have less than zero sympathy for him. It’s going to be ugly, people are going to be sad, and I’m going to love it.”
Blake Christian has embraced the “Vanilla Baby” persona, a nickname born from a viral edit featuring Jack Harlow’s hit song “Lovin On Me.” The video, which Christian put together himself, quickly gained traction and became a meme within the wrestling community.
Despite the strong association with the song, “Lovin On Me” has yet to make its way into Blake’s entrance music on AEW or ROH television.
Speaking on the “In The Weeds” podcast, Christian revealed there have been internal conversations about acquiring the rights to the track. He said,
“I think it was Final Battle when the whole ‘Vanilla Baby’ thing really took off, and that’s when I asked about changing my music. I was sitting on the stairs waiting around. Tony [Khan] was in the ring talking to someone. As he walked out, he saw me and said, ‘Blake! I’m going to try and get the song! I love it! I love the idea!’ I’m not sure where things stand now, but I do know it’s on his radar.”
Tony Khan has previously secured licensed music for AEW talent, including “Final Countdown” by Europe for Bryan Danielson, “Jane” by Jefferson Starship for Orange Cassidy, and “Underground” by Jane’s Addiction for Anthony Bowens, among others.
Coming up on July 12, All Elite Wrestling presents its annual stadium spectacle, All In, taking place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Among the most highly anticipated matches on the card is the AEW Women’s World Championship bout, where ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm will defend her title against Mercedes Mone. With several years now behind her since transitioning away from her WWE persona, Mone reflected on her past as Sasha Banks in an interview with CBS Sports. She said,
“She [Sasha Banks] wanted it all, but she never got to hold it all. Mercedes Mone, the CEO, is everything ‘The Legit Boss’ wanted to be. She controls her life, her narrative, and her intellectual property.”
In addition to preparing for the title match, Mone is also celebrating a new partnership with anime giant Crunchyroll, launching her own merchandise line. For Mone, the collaboration marks a full-circle moment. She stated,
“It’s a dream come true. I’ve loved anime since before I can remember. I always connected with anime, watching it before and after school. It was a different kind of escape before I discovered pro wrestling. To now combine two of my biggest passions and unite two incredible fanbases—it’s going to be amazing to watch.”
MJF is officially set to enter the Casino Gauntlet match at AEW All In: Texas, drawing the number two entry. He’ll face Mark Briscoe, who earned the number one spot, and could potentially eliminate him before the next competitor enters.
The winner of the Casino Gauntlet will earn a future AEW World Title shot, with the 2024 stipulation allowing the victor to “cash in” their opportunity at any time. MJF has made it clear that he plans to take full advantage of that rule — particularly if Jon Moxley retains the title.
Speaking on “The Masked Man Show,” MJF said,
“If Dictator Jon wins, I’m cashing in on him. I have nothing to prove with that guy. I already beat that shmuck at Full Gear in New Jersey. If Hangman wins, bit of a different story. I’m not going to get into it now, but I have a lot of plans and a lot of Plan Bs, Cs, Ds, and Es for whatever is going to occur at the end of the night. The one thing I can assure you is, no matter what, I am winning that Casino Gauntlet.”
Moxley will defend the AEW World Title against Hangman Page in a Texas Deathmatch at All In on July 12.
During a recent appearance on Wrestling Observer Radio, AEW International Champion Kenny Omega shared his thoughts on his in-ring versatility, stating that he believes he’s capable of much more than just serious singles matches. Omega expressed that he has a broader skill set to offer beyond those types of bouts.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On wanting to prove he can do more than just serious singles bouts: “If something is working and if something can become a commodity, there is no reason to fight it. I do think the idea of ‘your top guys must be singles performers and must have singles matches,’ I’ve heard that my whole career as well. ‘If we’re getting Kenny, it better be a singles match with no hijinx, no interference.’ They just want it to be serious and hard-hitting.”
On feeling he has more to offer than that: “I’m sorry, but I feel like I have more to offer than that and I want to prove I have more to offer than that. I want to be able to have great tag matches and a great three-way or four-way. I want to be able to do a great battle royal or make people laugh if I need to, if that’s the appropriate place to do it.”
On how Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland want to prove that as well: “I think Will and Swerve want to prove that too. They want to prove they can be complete, all-around professional wrestlers. If having a great tag team run is a way for them to do that, show that, and there is money in that and the fanbase and viewership goes up because of it, no reason not to do it.”
(h/t – Fightful)
