The TBS Championship match between Jade Cargill and Anna Jay was very notable as two former WWE talents would make their AEW debuts during and after the match. The first was Malcolm Bivens, who has returned to his using his post-WWE name Stokely Hathaway and appears to be replacing Smart Mark Sterling as Cargill’s manager as he would cause the distraction allowing Cargill to defeat Jay. Then during a post-match staredown also featuring Kris Statlander, Red Velvet, and Kiera Hogan, music would play, and Ember Moon, now going by the name The Fallen Goddess Athena, would make her debut.
WWE released Bivens along with nine other wrestlers from NXT and developmental on April 29th, 2022. At the time, it was thought to be related to cuts. However, it would later be reported that he was let go before his contract could expire, with him having turned down a renewal offer earlier this year. It was also stated that at one time, he was in line to be Omos’ manager on Raw but has himself claimed no knowledge of this. Prior to his WWE run, he worked for ROH, Evolve, and MLW alongside names such as Moose, MJF, and Low Ki.
Ember Moon’s six-year run, which featured her holding the NXT Women’s Championship and NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship with Shotzi Blackheart, ended on November 4th, 2021. Officially her release was down to budgetary cuts. Yet, she would later reveal that management had asked the women in NXT 2.0 to dress more like Mandy Rose, which she was against, so this may have played into the company’s decision. However, considering her talent, it was always assumed she’d eventually sign with AEW.
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