Kevin Knight has quickly emerged as one of the most dynamic rising stars in All Elite Wrestling, blending high-flying athleticism with a relentless work ethic shaped by his time in the New Japan Dojo.
Jon Moxley’s pro wrestling career is fascinating.
At Starrcast 2023, the wrestling world comes alive with a special touch of nostalgia as wrestlers from around the globe gather to share their cherished Chicago memories.
In a city where wrestling history has been etched into the very fabric of its culture, these athletes take the stage not just to showcase their incredible talents, but to pay homage to the iconic moments that have unfolded in this wrestling industry, which took place at the Hyatt Hotel over this past weekend.
Matt Cardona, formerly known as WWE’s Zack Ryder, told us that he lost his GCW title in Chicago, calling it the “Chicago Screwjob” as he never got a rematch. Beyond this, he has a passion for wrestling figure collecting and shared some of his plans to work with talent to bring these figures to life in the upcoming months.
“I like to see Demolition and now we’re making their figures of Marty Jannetty. So now it’s my turn to make the figures. So I get to go around these conventions and meet guys I grew up watching, or even guys like Nick Gage, who I hate, but I’ll make a figure of them and I’ll make money off them. So it’s fun to collect figures and to make figures,” he said.
Cardona is no stranger to social media as he was one of the first over a decade ago to use it for his advantage to broaden his awareness beyond the wrestling bubble.
“I mean, it’s smart, it’s free advertising, Twitter, X, whatever you want to call it, YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram. It is all free advertising. Double edged sword. It’s free for everybody. How are you going to stand out from every other wrestler? I don’t know. Some things you just gotta throw at the wall. The Indie God thing, It was supposed to be a one night spoof. Just come out dressed as Indiana Jones one night. But I saw the match on social media and I realized that I got something here. And now I’m selling phone figures, hats, micro rollers, figures, and stickers. like I’m making so much money off something else, mostly a one night spoof. So you just have to capitalize and be aware of what your audience wants,” said Cardona.
As the wrestlers take a trip down memory lane, their stories provide a poignant reminder of the deep connection between the squared circle and the city that has played host to some of the most unforgettable moments in wrestling history. Starrcast 2023 is not just an event; it’s a heartfelt tribute to the enduring legacy of wrestling in the Windy City.
AEW Superstar Will “Powerhouse” Hobbs, who had his match against Miro on AEW All Out this past weekend, told us at Starrcast that the fans are the best part of Chicago.
“Every time we come here, it’s a banger for me. just specially being in front of the Chicago crowd. I’ve said in a few interviews that the fans of Chicago let you know how they feel and they bring a different vibe,” he said, adding that one of his favorite hip hop artists is Ice Cube when asked about the 50th anniversary of the music genre.
AEW Superstar Skye Blue, who is a Chicago native, shared the same sentiment about the fans while also explaining that she has navigated the grueling 12-hour car rides and wrestled in venues practically within walking distance. Reflecting on her experiences, Skye Blue considers the worst scenario to be the unfortunate convergence of a flat tire and a traffic ticket on the very same day, a frustrating twist in the wrestling journey. Conversely, her best moments on the road are exemplified by the sheer simplicity of a quick five-minute drive to the show, where convenience reigns supreme, and she finds himself right at the heart of the action.
“I love Chicago. It’s very heartfelt to me that I get to represent Chicago for AEW. So I’m just very grateful that I get to say I’m from Chicago for AEW and I’ve done so many indies throughout Chicago,” she said.
Ricky Starks told us that he has a deep respect for the people of Chicago because they’ve treated him so nicely. Starks cited that the day before Starrcast, someone just stopped him to meet him and was so polite and kind and very encouraging.
“That’s the thing, fans are very encouraging for someone who kind of had to give himself his own encouragement when I was growing up. I had some fans come up to me and they recognized me on the street and they were very sweet people. And this was two years ago when I wasn’t on the All Out pay per view. And I vowed that the next year, I would be and I did. And now I’d vowed that I would do something bigger and better,” he said.
Also to note, WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett took the stage to talk about Chicago at Starrcast. When Jeff Jarrett took the stage at the Starrcast panel, the room buzzed with anticipation.
With a career spanning decades, Jarrett’s presence was a testament to his enduring legacy in the wrestling world. As he settled into his seat, fans and fellow wrestling enthusiasts hung on his every word. Jarrett delved into the storied chapters of his career, sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes and memorable encounters with some of the industry’s biggest names.
His charismatic storytelling, coupled with his passion for the sport, had the audience captivated, making his Starrcast appearance a truly unforgettable moment for all in attendance. It was a rare opportunity to hear firsthand from a wrestling icon whose contributions continue to shape the industry.
Thunder Rosa has been part of the AEW Roster since 2020 and she has made an impact on the women’s division.
Rosa has had several matches with Britt Baker thorough 2021 into 2022 which became one of the best women’s rivalries in AEW history. Thunder Rosa was set to defend her AEW Women’s Championship during All Out weekend this year. But unfortunately, she had to surrender her championship due to an injury.
But there is more to Thunder Rosa than her wrestling. She is active in her communities and she has a huge reach in the latino demographic. We recently spoke with the AEW Superstar about all of this in our exclusive interview.
The Knockturnal: When did you find out that you were not able to compete at All Out?
TR:”I really can’t pinpoint it, honestly, but I know my back was hurting for a couple weeks. And then the announcement was made on Wednesday (8/29) that I was unable to compete. So because I just literally got the news last week that I was hurt. But it was more serious than that. And I was encouraged to go and do the MRI to make sure to rule out any bad stuff. I did it and I got the news and I was very shocked to announce that I was actually lhurt. So now I’m trying to focus on getting better and it makes me sad because this is the first All Out that I miss.I mean, I’ve been to the last two All Outs and and there’s always been amazing moments and just being in a big show that’s so special because that’s where everything started at with AEW And that was a humongous opportunity. I say sometimes you are an athlete little things can really become big things until you get diagnosed with certain stuff. And I’m really blessed. I know God had me under his wing because I didn’t need to have surgery.”
Photo Credit: Julian Cannon
The Knockturnal You have a great reach in the Latino demographic. How much does this mean to you?
TR: “It’s very special because I wanted to portray when I became mainstream was me and my culture and how proud I am to be who I am to come where I come from. Other guys and girls that are not Latinos, they feel like a piece of Thunder Rosa that means something to them. For a person to be accepted into a new culture, they have to leave behind things they know and assimilate into that culture. I feel amazing about being able to bring color, flavor, loudness, everything that comes with being a Latina, and getting accepted because for so long, so many different companies weren’t willing to work with me. They wanted something else. And now I’m able to bring that in and just have people saying that they identify with it, it’s super awesome.”
The Knockturnal: With AEW’s roster being very diverse, what are your thoughts on why representation matters?
TR: “It is very important to to show representation and to show that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can achieve your goals. And that goes into any aspect of life. Let’s say that somebody wants to be an astronaut and then they see a person of color that is an astronaut and they are inspired by the person of color. As they saw someone like them in this world making a difference, this will push them to become a part of that when they grow up.It’s a bit far-fetched, but I’m talking about women who would not have imagined themselves as athletes otherwise. Despite the fact that they are trying something new, they are pushing themselves and they are representing themselves, and that, to me, is so important because after all, no matter what you put in the ring, it’s about how you treat people and how you make them feel outside the ring. That’s what they’re going to remember all the time. It’s very powerful if you are able to inspire someone or influence them to change their mind about things, about perspective, about life.”
The Knockturnal: Do you have interests outside of the ring?
TR: “I love singing. I been working on taking classes for singing. Last month, I began taking it on again. Since last month, I’ve been working on a song. My next project is to record it in a studio. Since this is Mexican regional music, which is what I’m mostly working on, I would love to share my culture with others, and the lyrics are very important to me because I’ve had a lot of struggles in my life, such as misunderstanding people and the fact that, no matter what, you have to be positive. I also have someone who coaches me too. So it is really cool that you can find somebody that is super positive too, and is pushing you to to really express yourself in such a different way. So I’m working also on writing some songs, and then we’ll find the music for it, which is like a different level of being an artist. It’s something I’ve never done before. So it’s going to be a very interesting thing, and I’m working on other things as well. I am very active in my community and am very dedicated to helping women, children, and educational groups, but I am also more interested in writing a book. With my brother, I’d like to write a children’s book and discuss different things. Throughout my career, I look forward to being able to share a lot more things I’m excited about.”
It has been almost three years since All Elite Wrestling made an appearance at San Diego Comic Con. But the upstart promotion is back. Before the stars of AEW meet their fans at the Jazwares booth along with the panel, they took their time to speak with the media.
I had the chance to speak with AEW stars CM Punk, Britt Baker, Orange Cassidy, and Jade Cargill. This was Punk’s first public appearance since he was injured over a month and a half ago. The topics of discussion were about Punk and Cargill’s workout regimen, Britt Baker balancing her career as a dentist while also being a professional wrestler, the agents that help them on their matches, and Punk providing an update on the second season of STARZ’s Heels.
Also to note, I attended the All Elite Wrestling panel that took place at San Diego Comic Con. The stars listed above including Chris Jericho, and Bryan Danielson took the center stage to talk about the promotion. The biggest piece of news to come out the panel, is that Bryan Danielson is cleared to wrestle. This comes after about a month from his injury. CM Punk also stated that he did not know when he will be able to return to the ring again. Chris Jericho also teased that AEW Dynamite could soon make their AEW debut sometime this year.
The Hammerstein Ballroom has long been associated with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW).
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) made it’s worldwide debut back in early 2019. The vision of Cody Runnels, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and owner Tony Khan came to reality when the promotion was launched at that time. What came with AEW, is the first professional wrestling show to air on TNT since the closure of WCW (World Championship Wrestling) back in 2001 and that is, AEW Dynamite.