Many suspected that former NXT star, Kyle O’Reilly, was set to debut over at AEW after his contract with WWE came to an end. Perhaps there were those that felt that he wouldn’t debut as early as he did, but his debut came faster than expected.
Maybe he didn’t debut as early as say, Lex Luger, when he debuted on WCW Nitro after being over at WWF the day before for a house show. Or even the late, great Rick Rude, he appearing on WWF at the time and WCW on the very same night!
But O’Reilly’s debut came quickly enough and it was recently revealed that the mastermind behind the whole thing was Bobby Fish—a former NXT star himself—Fish playing the part of Sting back in 1995 when Sting tried to get Luger into WCW as per the man’s request, Bischoff finally caving, offering the man $100, 000…a salary Luger gladly accepted at the time.
It was yet another NXT expat himself that told of all of this…the one, the only Adam Cole bay bay! It was on an episode of BTE that Cole made the following statement very much in character:
“Can you believe it? You and myself, Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, all standing together in the same ring. I knew you’re probably worried about this because I was too. You know, Bobby’s the one who set this up. Bobby was the one who convinced Kyle to come here. I know me and Kyle have a lot of things… a lot of things that we have to settle, but we’re so dangerous together as a trio and think about this…
Now we are a super group because The Young Bucks are also involved. AEW doesn’t know what hit them; AEW is screwed because on top of how great we are, no one’s gonna be able to stop us. The ultimate group. So once again, Merry Christmas, guys. You’ve got to be elated. I know I am.”
Although The Bucks did not look all too happy at the end of that episode, the uniting of these three men that dominated so much in NXT is definitely a massive positive for AEW overall. Together they’re amazing, but also apart, they can deliver quite the match. Of course we now have reDRagon reunited—Fish and O’Reilly—and the Undisputed Era, minus Roderick Strong!
Yet who can forget the incredible matchups at the end of Cole’s NXT run…those three epic matches between he and O’Reilly. These three acquisitions are truly amazing, because no matter how all three men are utilized, they’ll give their all and deliver every time out. Months and years of epic battles on the way, dear readers, so stay tuned for these men to make quite a wee bit of noise moving forward.
Indie pro wrestling sensation, Markus Crane sadly passes on
Markus Crane passed away at the age of 33. He made quite the name for himself wrestling for GCW and gave his all in the ring every time out. Of course Game Changer Wrestling is a hardcore wrestling promotion, their matches quite high-octane, and some say excessively violent, but the promotion has quite the following.
Crane made many impressionable moments in that ring and the wrestling world is saddened by the loss and deeply so, as the outcry on social media has been overwhelming.
via SHLAK TV /YouTube
GCW released this statement:
“With sadness, GCW mourns the loss of Markus Crane. As a performer, Markus embodied the spirit of GCW. He was an underdog and an outlaw. He was fearless in the ring and determined to succeed against the odds. He played a major role in GCW’s early success and was part of the heart and soul of our roster from day one. Markus was passionate about GCW and Deathmatch Wrestling. We were proud to have him represent GCW at Korakuen Hall during our inaugural show in Japan…
In 2019, Markus suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly took his life. We were all inspired (but surprised) as he made a miraculous recovery and worked tirelessly to make his eventual return to the ring. Most recently, Markus returned home to his family with a commitment to focusing his energy towards a healthier lifestyle. He had celebrated a series of milestones in his sobriety in which he was proud to show off and left us all excited for his future. As a friend, Markus was caring and loyal. He was quick to smile, or bring a smile to your face. We were all lucky to know him. Rest in Peace, Markus. We will miss you.”
Domenic Marinelli is an author and freelance writer/journalist. His work has appeared in The Sportster, E-Wrestling News, Pro Wrestling News Hub, CFL News Hub, XFL News Hub, Ringside News, Daily DDT, USFL News Hub, Slam Wrestling, as well as other print and internet publications. He is the author of Generic V, Summer of the Great White Wolf, His Old Tapes (stories & poetry), Across a Dark River in Palermo and so many others. He lives in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. https://linktr.ee/AuthorDomenicMarinelli
