Welcome back, wrestling fans – I want to take a quick second to apologize for my typo-ridden column earlier this weekend; I wish I could say I had a valid excuse for the sloppy presentation, but if I’m being honest, it’s just been a busy week and I forgot to proofread before as I was up against a deadline. I promise I’ll read this over before I hit post!
That said, last week I promised a new series and as you all know, I’m a man of my word! The Superstar Series is an opportunity for me to sit down with the major players in All Elite Wrestling, and we’re kicking this series off right with the biggest viral player on the internet – the Social Media Maverick, Logan Paul!
Chris Hyatte: Thanks so much for taking time out of your schedule, Logan, I know things have been hectic since you arrived on scene at New Year’s Revolution two months ago. Now, tomorrow evening you’re going to make your long awaited in-ring debut in a non-title match against the AEW World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles. How are you feeling heading into this main event match?
Logan Paul: Excited doesn’t even begin to describe how I’m feeling, Chris. Stepping into the AEW ring for the first time, against none other than AJ Styles, the World Champion? It’s surreal. I’ve been training relentlessly for this moment, pushing myself to new limits physically and mentally. When I first showed up, I said I wasn’t here to be the next Dragonfly, I’m here to be the FIRST Logan Paul. This is finally an opportunity for me to showcase what I can do inside that ring, and I think it’d be pretty stupid of the champion to take this threat lightly. Don’t get me wrong, AJ is a legend in his own right, and his title reign has been impressive, but I didn’t come here to just participate. I came here to make an impact.
AJ, I respect you, but I’m not intimidated. I’m here to prove myself, to show the world what I’m made of. And if that means going toe-to-toe with the best in the business, then so be it.
I’m feeling confident, Chris. I’m focused, and ready to leave everything I have in that ring. This is my debut, my chance to show the AEW fans what Logan Paul is all about.
Chris Hyatte: Towards the end of 2023, you were one of the highest sought after free agents in the entire industry, and I know for a fact that MMouse Enterprises expressed interest in signing you. Why did you choose to sign with All Elite Wrestling and BWM Inc.?
Logan Paul: There’ve been plenty of rumors about this, and all the rumors try to chalk it up to money. Yes, I came into this business with a price tag that most rookies do not and simply cannot demand, but I’m worth it. I’ve established myself as a legitimate A-List celebrity outside of the wrestling industry, and originally that made WWE look like the most attractive place to sign. But in the WWE, the celebrities – while given plenty of time to shine – are more for comedy and I’m not here to tell jokes, Chris. I’m here to be the best, and I simply thought that All Elite Wrestling would be the right place for that.
Chris Hyatte: And since arriving, you’ve been featured quite prominently, given main event segments and have gotten to work with the likes of Sami Zayn, MJF, Cody Rhodes, and now AJ Styles. How’s it feel to be thrust into such a prominent position?
Logan Paul: That’s exactly why I signed here, Chris. Because BWM Inc. has a knack for bringing new superstars in and helping them get over quickly. Take a look at people like the Ultimate Warrior – he returned to PWI, got thrust into a world title program, and then he just disappeared after the program ended. I didn’t want to be put into a “one and done” position, because I’ve got a staying power that’s unrivaled. I think it was smart of Sami to hold off on my debut in the ring, too, because as eager as I’ve been to get to it, I also want to make sure things have time to breathe and that the moment is unforgettable.
Chris Hyatte: Speaking of unforgettable, you’ve received some interesting fan mail since debuting in January, perhaps most notably from Lenny Mouse. The dude was enraged that you cost MJF the TV Championship, and now he’s beside himself since MJF doesn’t seem to know who he is.
Logan Paul: (laughs) Yeah, that has been an unexpected part of all this – and while it’s funny to me that Lenny has always been the most serious of the Mouse brothers, he’s just as unstable as Mickey and Benny when you think about it. Some of the stuff he sent me was borderline criminal, if I’m being honest. But ya know what, Chris? I get it. I grew up a fan of the business, and I too have been worked by a storyline a time or two. But can I break a little news here, Chris?
Chris Hyatte: Be my guest!
Logan Paul: I spoke to MJF, and he’s more than willing to grant a make-a-wish for Lenny, if Lenny so chooses. On March 4, at Dynamite Presents: Dragon’s Fury, I’m inviting Lenny Mouse to the show to meet his hero. I couldn’t stand seeing Lenny so upset that MJF didn’t recall who he was, and MJF owes me for getting him the title shot at New Horizons in front of his hometown crowd, so he’s more than happy to make this kid’s dream come true. The offer’s out there, Lenny, let me know if you’ll be there!
Chris Hyatte: Last question, as we’re pressed for time, and I know you’re busy. I am curious, if you had the chance to face any AEW talent, who would it be and why?
Logan Paul: I don’t want to sound ungrateful for my opportunity tomorrow night against the World Heavyweight Champion, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to get into the ring with Ricky Starks. Starks was the second-round draft pick last summer, and he put up a good fight in the Beat the Clock Championship Series a few weeks back. But even more than that, he’s walking around with something that would be better with me… and that’s the Internet Championship! I’m the viral sensation, it only makes sense that I’d be the one representing that unofficial championship.
Chris Hyatte: Well, there you have it folks! Thanks again to my guest Logan Paul, and we’ll all be eagerly awaiting Lenny’s response to your invitation!
…but wait, there’s MORE!
That’s right, I’m here to provide even MORE content to the fans, as I’ve always been the hardest working journalist in the field of professional wrestling. So, without further delay, let’s take a look at the week to come!
WWE:
- For the first time, the WWE has released a preview ahead of Monday’s episode of Raw (or is it Raw SuperShow?) Either way, we’ve been promised our first face to face interaction between the WWE Champion The Rock, the most sensitive, er, I mean, electrifying man in sports entertainment and the number one contender, Big E! As I noted earlier this weekend, the WWE has booked this program exceptionally well, and they’ve done so while keeping the two away from one another. That ends this Monday, as the champ and the challenger will sign the contract for Then Now Forever 2! If I’m booking this segment, I’d keep the physical confrontation to a minimum and give Big E a microphone. Let them duel it out on the stick, so to speak, and if Big E can hang, he’ll get a huge rub and will finally start to feel like more than an underdog challenger. Then again, this is the WWE we’re talking about here, so all bets are off. They’ll probably sodomize each other with Doc Brown’s elixirs… I kid, kind of.
- We’re also promised to see Jeff Murrey and Curtis Axel come face to face. The two former best friends have had a lot of beef brewing in the background, as Axel’s conscious proved to be disadvantageous to his role with Murrey’s Misfits. To add a layer of depth to all of this, Camden Cross has promised to find a “hard to locate” BEAST to serve as Jeff’s bodyguard for the segment! All signs are pointing to the missing Brock Lesnar, who was last seen at AEW Genesis as the Brothers of Destruction dragged him through the ring and into the gates of hell. I’d say there’s an 80 percent chance that this BEAST will not be Lesnar, but I’m leaving some room for such a surprise because WWE and AEW have worked together in the past with talent exchanges, so truly, all bets are off!
- Though those are the only two things we’ve been given in terms of a preview from the company, I think it’s safe to say we’ll see some movement this week in the Lawrence/Ryback saga, as well as the Reed/King program and the chaos in the Women’s Division. We’re also probably in for an update on what’s motivating that she-devil Candice LaRae, following her sinister turn on Austin Theory last week.
PWI:
- The Global Conflict series continues Monday with Global Conflict 2: Retaliation, and this installment is sure to see some more twists and turns as we head towards the end of PWI. Last week, Ted DiBiase and the Million Dollar Corporation officially got involved in a big way, after DiBiase failed to lure the Undisputed Champion to his team. That was offset by the incredible week DiBiase just had, in which we saw Adam Cole, Liv Morgan, and Attitude jump to the MDC! Now, the MDC has 3 points heading into the show, tied with PWI at 3. HCW leads the series with 4, and I suspect that lead will grow slightly come the semifinals of the women’s Premier Athlete Tournament. Charlotte Flair is set to take on Michelle McCool, who was handpicked to represent the HCW in its quest for the Women’s International Championship. Flair was decimated by AJ Lee the last time we saw her, and we know for a fact that she’s still in the crosshairs of the deranged Lee. I predict we’ll see an upset Monday, with McCool advancing thanks to help from Lee.
- Next up, the tag team champions The Young Bucks are set to defend their championships against the Super Luchadores. While I’ve appreciated the attempt to get the Luchadores over as a legitimate threat to the champs, I just don’t see the Bucks dropping the belts here in what I believe is their first title defense. (I could be wrong about that, but if it’s not their first it has to be their second, and the aforementioned remains true. They’re not losing.)
- Next up we’ll see the conclusion to the long-going feud between Karrion Kross and Slammu, which began way back when Slammu was the acting commissioner of the ill-fated Ascendants brand. I want to see Slammu win and end this program once and for all, but I could see the thought process behind a Kross win here… I think it’d be the wrong move, since Slammu is the biggest face on team HCW (since Dragonfly is technically a heel and hasn’t really associated much with the team) and I think it’d be a mistake to have him lose here.
- Then, we’ll see the Women’s Championship on the line as Becky Lynch defends against Maryse. Maryse was given a big win to become the number one contender in the final Women’s Tag Titles match, but then she lost to Michelle McCool. The bigger story here is Becky/AJ Lee/and Charlotte Flair, and I don’t see Lynch dropping the belt until it’s to one of those two ladies. Sorry, Maryse, it’s just not your night!
- In the main event, Finn Balor is going to challenge Dragonfly for the Undisputed Championship, his first world title shot since No Boundaries about 3 years ago when he failed to unseat the former EWA World Champion Granddaddy Duxen. Balor is also coming off a big loss to the Fiend, but there’s the whole sub plot of the Fiend “fixing” people by beating them, and there’d be no better way to prove that theory to be true than for the Demon to conquer the Champion. That said, I don’t see Dragonfly’s reign ending on a Monday night, that’s just not PWI’s style. Dragonfly will secure the win, perhaps with some unwanted help from his cousin Krusader…
AEW:
- Logan Paul is set to take on the World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles in a non-title match in the show’s main event. Paul was hand selected for Styles by the American Dragon Bryan Danielson, as part of the Dealer’s Choice stipulation. I know people are probably expecting Styles to win, but I’m gonna go out on a limb here and predict that Paul wins his debut match, by hook or by crook.
- Danielson will also be in action, as he takes on an opponent hand selected by AJ Styles. We were promised the reveal to who Styles picked by the end of the weekend, but as of press time that reveal hasn’t been…. revealed? Yeah, sure, that works. Anyways, Danielson showed a level of intensity we’ve not see from him before this past Monday when he kicked Rey Fenix’s fucking head in, and I suspect we’ll see more of that heading into his title shot on March 4 at Dragon’s Fury.
- I’ve also learned that Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page will be in tag team action against the Bloodline’s Samoan Connection, the team of Yokozuna (who will challenge Cody Rhodes for the TV Championship at Dragon’s Fury) and Umaga. The Bloodline’s B Team has their work cut out for them with Page and Omega, who are two of the hottest up and coming acts in the industry. That said, can the Bloodline really afford another loss after the tag champs, the Usos, were upset by Riddle and Savage last Monday? Time will tell!
- We’re also set to hear from Athena Star following Living Dead Girl’s shocking return last Monday. These two have a storied rivalry, and as much as I hated seeing Star’s head go through that table last Monday, I can’t say I’m not pumped for the potential head to head conflict between these two legends – ya know, assuming that BWM Inc. is able to follow through this time!
- Last week, Splinter was flung head first into the top row of the arena as Menotaur speared him in one of the coolest visuals we’ve seen in the industry in a hot minute. This week, Splinter is going to TRY to speak again, and I say try because things haven’t worked out so well for Splinter the last few times he’s tried to address the audience. Will Splinter get to speak uninterrupted? Will he give us the rest of the dirt on Benny and Sami? Or will Zayn foil his plans once more? I guess there’s only one way to find out!
All of this and more, Monday on Dynamite!
World Of Wrestling: Murrey Universe 