Following Kenny Omega’s victory over Christain at All Out, Luchasauraus and Jungle Boy were both down after failing to save Christian from a post-match beatdown from The Elite. Omega was on the mic, boasting that nobody could defeat him, and then to the crowd’s delight, the lights went out, and Adam Cole’s AEW entrance music would hit. The former NXT wrestler would walk down to the ring, and it was teased he was there to challenge Omega. However, it would soon become evident that he was part of The Elite once he superkicked Jungle Boy and hugged everyone.
At this point, it appeared the rumored debut of Bryan Danielson, formerly known as Daniel Bryan in WWE, wasn’t happening. But then, while Omega was set to close the show with his goodbye and good night phrase, Flight of the Valkyries hit. Danielson would make his entrance and join the babyfaces in the ring, helping to fight off The Elite. He would hit his signature moves during this, and the show would end with the babyfaces celebrating in the ring as fans repeatedly chanted AEW’s initials.
Danielson has been a free agent since losing to Roman Reigns on the April 30th episode of SmackDown. At the time, it was thought he was set to move to Raw or even NXT, but it came out shortly afterward his contract had expired. The belief is WWE was so keen to have him re-sign that Nick Khan began negotiations with New Japan so he could work for both companies. Nevertheless, nothing materialized, and by late May, WWE was no longer discussing creative ideas or future merchandise for him.
With regards to Cole, he became a free agent on Friday, August 27th, after failing to agree on a new contract with WWE. The belief is WWE was very keen to get him to re-sign, with Vince McMahon personally meeting with him. The sticking point was that he wanted to keep his Twitch channel, which was against WWE’s policy of allowing main roster talents to have third-party deals. By not allowing that, WWE essentially handed Cole over to AEW.
- Santos Escobar Explains Why He Is Using A New Ring Name Post-WWE Rather Than El Hijo del Fantasma - July 26, 2026
- Hardy Boyz & Freebird Legend Michael Hayes Recreate Iconic Photo 27 Years Later - July 25, 2026
- TNA’s Lawsuit Against Gail Kim Heading Back To Court After Mediation Stalls - July 25, 2026
