Welcome along to the latest rendition of Sportskeeda Wrestling’s AEW News & Rumor Roundup. Today, we are looking at stories involving top pro-wrestling stars, including Tony Khan, Buddy Matthews, and Rhea Ripley, among others.
A former WWE star has all but confirmed they have signed with Tony Khan’s promotion. Meanwhile, the AEW president has made a major announcement about his company, and real-life couple Buddy Matthews and Rhea Ripley recently celebrated a major personal milestone together. We’ve got some exciting news lined up for you today, so without further ado, let’s get this roundup underway.
#5. Ex WWE star Tatyanna Dumas has seemingly signed with Ring of Honor
Tony Khan has seemingly added former WWE star Tatyanna Dumas to his roster. Dumas, who previously competed in WWE’s developmental territory NXT against stars like Karmen Petrovic and Zena Sterling, recently made a surprising appearance. Under the new ring name Amira Soul, the 27-year-old shocked the internet by competing during the recent Ring of Honor (ROH) television tapings.
Following her match, Dumas shared a photo on her Instagram story from the AEW backstage area, specifically the still section where roster renders are photographed. In the caption, she expressed her gratitude for the opportunity with the simple word “gifted”. This viral post strongly indicates that Dumas has officially joined Tony Khan’s creative regime and signed with the promotion for appearances in AEW and ROH.
#4. Tony Khan dispels rumors that AEW’s partnership with WBD will be canceled
All Elite Wrestling’s future on television has been a major topic of discussion recently, following rumors about Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Because Paramount has TKO, the parent company of rival WWE, under its umbrella, there was speculation that AEW’s multi-year deal with WBD, renewed in 2024, might be canceled. However, AEW President Tony Khan has officially broken his silence to dispel these rumors.
In a recent interview with Joshua Godwin, Khan expressed extreme excitement about the merger, noting that it will be a massive benefit for AEW. Khan detailed the company’s long-standing relationship with TBS and TNT since 2019, asserting that the relationship will continue for a long time. He also added that Paramount’s David Ellison is the best possible person to take over Warner Bros.
“That is a huge, exciting development for AEW. We have a great partnership with Warner Brothers and we have been on TBS for many years. We’ve been with TBS and TNT going to back to 2019 now and it’s going to continue for a long time. There is a great tradition to wrestling on TBS and TNT as a lot of listeners know and I am really proud that AEW is big part of that tradition now, so I always appreciate when people watch the shows every Wednesday on TBS, every Saturday on TNT. There is a lot of excitment on all sides about this. Paramount just coming in, drives a great relationship with the owner and Chairman of Paramount, Mr David Ellison,” said Khan.
#3. Rhea Ripley and Buddy Matthews celebrate a major personal milestone
Outside of the squared circle, AEW star Buddy Matthews and WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley are celebrating a very special personal milestone. The prominently known professional wrestling couple officially tied the knot on June 23, 2024, and are now celebrating their second wedding anniversary. Matthews recently took to his Instagram profile to share a heartwarming photograph with his wife, captioning the post:
“Happy 2nd Anniversary to the love of my life! Let’s Ride or Die forever!,” Matthews wrote on Instagram
Meanwhile, Ripley shared a major update on Matthews’ highly anticipated return to the ring. The Best Kept Secret has been sidelined since a serious ankle injury sustained at the Grand Slam Australia event in February 2025, which ultimately required surgery. In a recent interview, the Eradicator revealed that her husband is finally getting back into the ring to rehab the injury and that the couple trains together, running the ropes and practicing rolls as Matthews pushes hard to get back into fighting shape.
#2. Thekla plays down comparisons with WWE star Gunther
AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla, who hails from Austria, like WWE star Gunther, recently addressed comparisons between herself and the former World Heavyweight Champion. The Ring General has been a dominant force since joining WWE in 2018, and Thekla holds deep respect for her fellow Austrian and former two-time World Heavyweight Champion.
During a recent interview with TMZ’s Inside the Ring, The Toxic Spider clarified that she does not view the 38-year-old WWE star as competition. Showering Gunther with praise, Thekla emphasized that there is nothing negative she could say about his outstanding work, but explicitly noted that they play entirely different games.
“I don’t think we’re in competition at all. He is so, so, so much better at some stuff than I am. And he’s very real about his style too. There’s really nothing bad I could say about what he’s doing. He’s very outstanding. I’m just playing a game that’s very different from anybody’s game. I don’t know who you could actually compare me to. Not Gunther, that’s for sure,” she said.
#1. Thekla deems everyone in AEW locker room as good-looking and h*rny
In the same interview with TMZ, Thekla also opened up about the dynamics of the AEW locker room. When discussing the topic of professional wrestlers dating other wrestlers, the Austrian native made a blunt observation, stating that everybody is good-looking and h*rny.
“I think I’m not sure if it’s a good idea, per se. Everybody’s a good-looking and and horny from what I can tell really. So, but I think it’s a good idea in a way that it’s obviously it’s hard to probably date somebody who isn’t immersed in your world as we live very strange lives as professional wrestlers. So, I wouldn’t want to, you know, it’s hard to explain all that, all the travel and all the horniness,” she said.
Meanwhile, Thekla is set for a blockbuster defense of her AEW Women’s title against STARDOM’s Starlight Kid at Forbidden Door 2026 this Sunday. It remains to be seen whether the Toxic Spider will retain her championship against her Japanese contemporary.
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Edited by Karan Raj