AEW NEWS - DECEMBER 2025

[ExcellenceofAirPollution]

I miss Taven calling people 'melvins' 

[Nice Guy Eddie]

Taven's ROH world title run soured me on him for a long time. I was at the G1 Supercard when he won the title against Jay Lethal and Marty Scurll, and holy shit Taven winning sucked the air out of MSG. The crowd was so hot for Marty. I guess ROH couldn't put their top title on a guy that would be competing in the BOSJ shortly after, thus unable to appear on tv, but Taven just felt like the wrong call. I don't know what would have been the right call, but in 2019 ROH was pretty much circling the drain. 

Edited December 23, 2025 by Nice Guy Eddie

[The Green Meanie]

Taven & Bennett are great as a leader's lackeys, but not much else. I can remember several times before the Undisputed Kingdom era when they would come out and the crowd would just go mild, there was just dead silence.

Kyle, on the other hand, is wacky in a nerdy/Canadian way. He's also my second favorite Diabetic wrestler.

[Technico Support]

3 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Taven's ROH world title run soured me on him for a long time. I was at the G1 Supercard when he won the title against Jay Lethal and Marty Scurll, and holy shit Taven winning sucked the air out of MSG. The crowd was so hot for Marty. I guess ROH couldn't put their top title on a guy that would be competing in the BOSJ shortly after, thus unable to appear on tv, but Taven just felt like the wrong call. I don't know what would have been the right call, but in 2019 ROH was pretty much circling the drain. 

ROH and putting the world title on the wrong guy or giving it to the right guy too late.  Name a more iconic duo.

[Casey]

Anna Jay’s contract is up in Spring 2026 and she’s “open to exploring her options”.

If she wants to stick with this, she desperately needs an excursion or to take indie bookings or just go to the Performance Center. Working sporadically in AEW isn’t going to make her improve. The women’s division has already lapped a lot of the women from the early days, and she’s definitely one of them. 

[porksweats]

37 minutes ago, Casey said:

Anna Jay’s contract is up in Spring 2026 and she’s “open to exploring her options”.

If she wants to stick with this, she desperately needs an excursion or to take indie bookings or just go to the Performance Center. Working sporadically in AEW isn’t going to make her improve. The women’s division has already lapped a lot of the women from the early days, and she’s definitely one of them. 

Gotta cycle out, the TayJay team just isn't the move.

[username]

I thought Taven & Bennett did good work during the whole "NECKSTRONG" bit, I don't think they have what it takes to be a credible team but have solid lackey energy.

[HarryArchieGus]

15 hours ago, The Green Meanie said:

Taven & Bennett are great as a leader's lackeys, but not much else. I can remember several times before the Undisputed Kingdom era when they would come out and the crowd would just go mild, there was just dead silence.

I'm sure that's true, but 'dead silence' happens on every show. Besides that, they weren't exactly ever meant to be anything to anyone. Sidenote, 'I'm Matt Taven' must be in contention for the worst taunt/catchphrase in the last 25 years or so.

8 hours ago, username said:

I thought Taven & Bennett did good work during the whole "NECKSTRONG" bit, I don't think they have what it takes to be a credible team but have solid lackey energy.

They did well with the promo stuff, but this was also the time of their most annoying TV contribution - running around the ring during Roddy's TNT title run. Again and again, AEW creative loves to go back to a heel with two stooges running around wherever they want to go. All without barely even an acknowledgement from the officials. It's happening again with (P)Ricochet and the GOA. It's one of the most consistently annoying tropes about the company. I suspect they think it's a good juxtaposition with things like the C2, but it's not. I'd love it if they just completely stopped with it. It's sub-House of Torture booking with the same unsatisfying results.  

[JLSigman]

So today's show is early (gonna be eating dinner in front of the computer), tomorrow's show is late (might have to nap to stay awake for it), then the PPV. I love wrestling, but these guys need a break occasionally! (yes, I know the shows were recorded ahead of time)

[Matt D]

No this is an exhausting amount of wrestling this week. Thankfully I can pick and choose and won’t catch much live but I want to see most C2 matches and most of ROH Boxing Day brawl, so….

[Niners Fan in CT]

I'd like to see Anna Jay stick around, Fans like her and she has improved some.  She went to Japan and worked for STARDOM last year.  She just needs to continue doing things like that. 

[zendragon]

With all the various partnerships AEW has there is no reason for someone not to be able to get the reps in a variety of setting to improve. 

[The Green Meanie]

7 hours ago, HarryArchieGus said:

I'm sure that's true, but 'dead silence' happens on every show.  

Not to the degree they got. It almost seemed like there was negative (as in the opposite of audible) crowd noise when they would come out.

[Casey]

30 minutes ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

I'd like to see Anna Jay stick around, Fans like her and she has improved some.  She went to Japan and worked for STARDOM last year.  She just needs to continue doing things like that. 

I like her, I really do, but she’s been signed for 5 years - “she’s improved some” is pretty damning. This is another Britt Baker scenario.

[Jenalysis]

19 hours ago, Casey said:

Anna Jay’s contract is up in Spring 2026 and she’s “open to exploring her options”.

If she wants to stick with this, she desperately needs an excursion or to take indie bookings or just go to the Performance Center. Working sporadically in AEW isn’t going to make her improve. The women’s division has already lapped a lot of the women from the early days, and she’s definitely one of them. 

 

I kinda want Anna gone because I think Tay would be better off without her.  I see how Shafir has taken off, and I think Tay has twice the potential of Marina, she has a cooler moveset and can be a badass face- she sucks as a diva-style heel, but I think she'd be great as a killer heel taking limbs.

 

[Peck]

13 hours ago, HarryArchieGus said:

Sidenote, 'I'm Matt Taven' must be in contention for the worst taunt/catchphrase in the last 25 years or so.

"Say My Full Name" would like to have a word.

[Ramo2653]

6 hours ago, zendragon said:

With all the various partnerships AEW has there is no reason for someone not to be able to get the reps in a variety of setting to improve. 

I'd to see someone with connections look into this because I wonder if it's a case of do these other partner companies even want those AEW wrestlers? 

[Shartnado]

17 hours ago, Peck said:

"Say My Full Name" would like to have a word.

That sounds awkward enough in bed, the idea of it in wrestling context is, well...

[Technico Support]

I don’t last long enough to say a full name

[Shartnado]

13 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

I don’t last long enough to say a full name

Same.

[JLowe]

On 12/23/2025 at 10:02 PM, porksweats said:

Gotta cycle out, the TayJay team just isn't the move.

Agreed, and I think it would benefit Anna as well to go somewhere else, learn from some new people. She definitely was better after her brief excursion, but it wasn’t really that long and she quickly plateaued.

There is a weird thing online with the people who have been watching AEW from the start not being able to accept that just because someone has been around a long time means that they deserve a push/belt. Nyla Rose is another example of this. I do think she should be on TV from time to time, but her best role is a gatekeeper monster as she’s really not all that great a wrestler and is funnier online than in promos.

[JLowe]

Speaking of AEW originals getting (IMO) unwarranted pushes without having notably improved in-ring/on the mic/in character work, how about this Jack Perry C2 run?

[username]

2 hours ago, JLowe said:

Nyla Rose is another example of this. I do think she should be on TV from time to time, but her best role is a gatekeeper monster as she’s really not all that great a wrestler and is funnier online than in promos.

Regarding Nyla I just think it sucks that she was working every single month in AEW last year, usually multiple times a month even if often in dark matches, and then suddenly come January 2025 her AEW in-ring career suddenly ceased to exist, almost like something big in the world changed starting January of this year and they no longer wanted her wrestling for them. It's odd as a lot of other corporations made similar decision about people like her right around the exact same time, must just be a coincidence.

[Brandon Bones]

11 hours ago, JLowe said:

Speaking of AEW originals getting (IMO) unwarranted pushes without having notably improved in-ring/on the mic/in character work, how about this Jack Perry C2 run?

But that’s only because of the Darby injury, right?

 

On the surface, him being a substitute as a tag wrestler would make it easier to plug him to do a bunch of jobs.  Or maybe these would be the matches Darby would have won and Coach Tony is still following the mapped out plan?

 

[JLSigman]

11 hours ago, JLowe said:

Speaking of AEW originals getting (IMO) unwarranted pushes without having notably improved in-ring/on the mic/in character work, how about this Jack Perry C2 run?

He's willing to take ridiculous bumps, so in some ways it's a 1-1 substitution for Darby.