Welcome to the latest edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling’s News and Rumor Roundup. In today’s special, we will take a look at some of the top AEW news and speculations.
The company is gearing up for Double or Nothing 2026 later this month, and Tony Khan has been busy. The CEO recently made some major changes to the pay-per-view. Popular star Will Ospreay dropped some shocking “retirement” claims. Former WWE star Aleister Black has been in the news following his release from the company, with fans speculating whether he may show up in the Jacksonville-based promotion.
Let’s get started with the latest edition of News and Rumor Roundup.
#1. Will Ospreay dropped a retirement bombshell
Popular AEW star Will Ospreay may already be planning for a life outside of the squared circle. The aerial assassin joined the company back in 2024. Since then, he has become a top star for the Tony Khan-led promotion. He recently returned after having neck surgery, which kept him out of action for several months. The former International Champion has now aligned with the Death Riders and is training with the group.
The British wrestling sensation recently shed light on what his post-retirement life would look like. Some time ago, his real-life partner, Alex Windsor, had shared a picture of Ospreay dressed as a Royal Mail postman delivering a letter. A fan reposted that same clip, wishing Ospreay a happy birthday. Ospreay retweeted the hilarious clip, claiming that this could be a possible retirement plan for him.
#2. Tony Khan making last-minute changes to AEW Double or Nothing
AEW is gearing up for Double or Nothing 2026. The pay-per-view is scheduled for May 24 and will emanate from the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.
The pay-per-view looks like it will be a sellout for the company. WrestleTix reported that the event has already surpassed last year’s attendance records, with AEW selling 12,800 of the 13,680 seats in the current setup. The platform also confirmed that other ticket sale sections have opened up recently. This was possibly a decision that came from company president and CEO Tony Khan. According to them, several new rows were added on the hard cam side, and some rows were also added to sections 9 and 10, which were being scooped by resellers for sale.
#3. Bayley spoke about her betrayal of Mercedes Moné
Mercedes Moné made a name for herself in WWE as Sasha Banks. The star went on to become a multi-time Women’s Champion. She was also the inaugural WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion alongside Bayley. The two stars have a storied history from their time in NXT.
The Role Model recently shed light on why she had betrayed the CEO and ended their partnership a few years ago. The Boss ‘n’ Hug connection was on a roll as part of the Tag Team Division in WWE back in 2019. Despite losing the tag team titles at WrestleMania 35, the duo recaptured the gold again in June 2020. However, this title reign came to an end at Payback, where they lost against the team of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. When the duo failed to recapture the titles in a rematch, Bayley turned on Sasha Banks, ending their partnership for good.
This week, a fan questioned the role model about her actions on social media. Bayley responded, claiming that she had been held down, which drove her to violently backstab her tag team partner.
#4. Shocking claims on Aleister Black
WWE recently went through a huge post-WrestleMania shift, releasing 24 stars from the roster. The Wyatt Sicks, Motor City Machine Guns, Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Kairi Sane, Apollo Crews, and many others were let go from the company.
Black was one of the major names to be released just a year after he returned to WWE for his second stint. A recent report claimed that the former WWE star is in negotiations with AEW. The promotion quickly squashed these rumors. Black was a part of All Elite Wrestling from 2021 to 2024. As the leader of the House of Black, he had some memorable matches during his stint and was a regular feature on the show.
On the Grilling JR podcast this week, Jim Ross revealed that Black never wanted to be in AEW. He suggested that the star viewed the promotion as minor league. Ross mentioned that the star was a formidable competitor in the ring and a top attraction, but needed to have the right attitude to make it big for himself in the business. The legendary announcer’s comments resonated with the sentiments of some AEW stars who have openly claimed that they do not want Black returning to the company.
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Edited by Prityush Haldar
