{"id":249829,"date":"2026-06-24T15:14:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/24\/aew-news-roundup-former-wwe-name-signs-tony-khan-addresses-huge-announcement-rhea-ripley-buddy-matthews-celebrate\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T15:14:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:14:49","slug":"aew-news-roundup-former-wwe-name-signs-tony-khan-addresses-huge-announcement-rhea-ripley-buddy-matthews-celebrate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/24\/aew-news-roundup-former-wwe-name-signs-tony-khan-addresses-huge-announcement-rhea-ripley-buddy-matthews-celebrate\/","title":{"rendered":"AEW News Roundup: Former WWE Name Signs; Tony Khan Addresses Huge Announcement; Rhea Ripley &#038; Buddy Matthews Celebrate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"5183327\" data-slug-id=\"2799257\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Welcome along to the latest rendition of Sportskeeda Wrestling&#8217;s AEW News &amp; Rumor Roundup. Today, we are looking at stories involving top pro-wrestling stars, including Tony Khan, Buddy Matthews, and Rhea Ripley, among others.<\/p>\n<p>A former WWE star has all but confirmed they have signed with Tony Khan&#8217;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&#8217;ve got some exciting news lined up for you today, so without further ado, let&#8217;s get this roundup underway.<\/p>\n<h2>#5. Ex WWE star Tatyanna Dumas has seemingly signed with Ring of Honor<\/h2>\n<p>Tony Khan has seemingly added former WWE star Tatyanna Dumas to his roster. Dumas, who previously competed in WWE&#8217;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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-breaking-former-wwe-star-makes-sensational-debut-tony-khan-s-company\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">competing during the recent Ring of Honor (ROH) television tapings<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p>Following her match, Dumas shared a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-breaking-former-wwe-star-seemingly-signs-tony-khan-s-company\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">photo on her Instagram story<\/a> 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 &#8220;gifted&#8221;. This viral post strongly indicates that Dumas has officially joined Tony Khan&#8217;s creative regime and signed with the promotion for appearances in AEW and ROH.<\/p>\n<h2>#4. Tony Khan dispels rumors that AEW&#8217;s partnership with WBD will be canceled<\/h2>\n<p>All Elite Wrestling&#8217;s future on television has been a major topic of discussion recently, following rumors about Paramount Skydance&#8217;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&#8217;s multi-year deal with WBD, renewed in 2024, might be canceled. However, AEW President Tony Khan has officially broken his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-tony-khan-addresses-claims-of-aew-losing-its-tv-deal-with-warner-bros-discovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">silence to dispel these rumors<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent interview with <em>Joshua Godwin<\/em>, Khan expressed extreme excitement about the merger, noting that it will be a massive benefit for AEW. Khan detailed the company&#8217;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&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-tony-khan-addresses-claims-of-aew-losing-its-tv-deal-with-warner-bros-discovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">David Ellison is the best possible person<\/a> to take over Warner Bros.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;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&#8217;ve been with TBS and TNT going to back to 2019 now and it&#8217;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,&#8221; said Khan.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>#3. Rhea Ripley and Buddy Matthews celebrate a major personal milestone<\/h2>\n<p>Outside of the squared circle, AEW star Buddy Matthews and WWE Women&#8217;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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-congratulations-rhea-ripley-aew-star-buddy-matthews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">heartwarming photograph<\/a> with his wife, captioning the post: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Happy 2nd Anniversary to the love of my life! Let&#8217;s Ride or Die forever!,&#8221; Matthews wrote on Instagram<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Meanwhile, Ripley shared a major update on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-rhea-ripley-provides-an-update-on-buddy-matthews-after-the-aew-star-does-not-return-at-double-nothing-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Matthews&#8217; highly anticipated return<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<h2>#2. Thekla plays down comparisons with WWE star Gunther<\/h2>\n<p>AEW Women&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<p>During a recent interview with <em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/zvJ-PUazaUw?si=tm4h561rYGfXcAeE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">TMZ&#8217;s Inside the Ring<\/a><\/em>, 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-aew-star-addresses-the-ring-general-comparison-not-gunther-that-s-for-sure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">play entirely different games<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;I don\u2019t think we\u2019re in competition at all. He is so, so, so much better at some stuff than I am. And he\u2019s very real about his style too. There\u2019s really nothing bad I could say about what he\u2019s doing. He\u2019s very outstanding. I\u2019m just playing a game that\u2019s very different from anybody\u2019s game. I don\u2019t know who you could actually compare me to. Not Gunther, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d she said.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>#1. Thekla deems everyone in AEW locker room as good-looking and h*rny <\/h2>\n<p>In the same interview with <em>TMZ<\/em>, 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/news-thekla-aew-locker-room-everybody-s-good-looking-h-rny\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">made a blunt observation<\/a>, stating that everybody is good-looking and h*rny. <\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;I think I\u2019m not sure if it\u2019s a good idea, per se. Everybody\u2019s a good-looking and and horny from what I can tell really. So, but I think it\u2019s a good idea in a way that it\u2019s obviously it\u2019s hard to probably date somebody who isn\u2019t immersed in your world as we live very strange lives as professional wrestlers. So, I wouldn\u2019t want to, you know, it\u2019s hard to explain all that, all the travel and all the horniness,&#8221; she said.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Meanwhile, Thekla is set for a blockbuster defense of her AEW Women&#8217;s title against STARDOM&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\" title=\"like article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\" title=\"dislike article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bottom-tagline bottom\" data-tab=\"bottom\">\n<p>Get all the hottest wrestling news FIRST by clicking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=sportskeeda.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\" class=\"bottom_tagline_link\" data-tab=\"bottom\">here<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Karan Raj<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/aew\/aew-news-roundup-former-wwe-name-signs-tony-khan-addresses-huge-announcement-rhea-ripley-buddy-matthews-celebrate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome along to the latest rendition of Sportskeeda Wrestling&#8217;s AEW News &amp; 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&#8217;s promotion. Meanwhile, the AEW president has made [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":249830,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6806],"tags":[2907,74458,1753,31913,22193,3654,74456,3137,5900,10620,74457,71718],"class_list":{"0":"post-249829","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gossip","8":"tag-aew","9":"tag-aew-womens-championship","10":"tag-athlete-manager-quotes-podcast-twitter-shows","11":"tag-news-roundup","12":"tag-push-aew","13":"tag-rhea-ripley","14":"tag-ring-of-honor","15":"tag-roundup","16":"tag-rumour-roundup","17":"tag-tony-khan","18":"tag-wwe-womens-championship","19":"tag-wwe-world-heavyweight-championship"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249829\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}