AEW News Roundup - Matt Hardy wants a top WWE star to jump ship, Tony Khan not a fan of wrestling veteran's gimmick, Paul Wight wants a big match (24th June 2021)

We're back with another bustling edition of the daily AEW Rumor Roundup. Today's lineup begins with Matt Hardy revealing his desire to see a top RAW star in AEW.

Tony Khan, as always, made a series of eyebrow-raising comments during a recent interview in which he compared Double or Nothing to WrestleMania 37. The AEW boss also revealed that he wasn't a fan of a veteran star's gimmick and was also glad that the wrestler in question was skilled enough to adapt to a new creative direction.

Another well-known AEW star revealed why he stopped watching WWE shows years ago, and we're sure there are a few fans who'd relate to him.

Tony Schiavone sat down for an exclusive Sportskeeda Wrestling interview, and the respected announcer revealed his favorite co-worker.

The roundup also has Paul Wight talking about a long-rumored dream match and how he wants to see it happen in AEW. On that note, here are all the stories in detail.

---

#6 Matt Hardy wants to end his career with Jeff Hardy in AEW

It's not uncommon to see Hardy Boyz ply their trade in different promotions, but it's a known trend that the legendary duo can't stay away from each other for long.

During a recent chat with Signed By Superstars, Matt Hardy revealed that he wants to see Jeff Hardy in AEW.

Big Money Matt admitted that he would love to wrap up his career alongside his brother as it just feels like a fitting end to his long run as a professional wrestler.

Both Jeff and Matt still have a few more years left in the gas tank, but the older brother is hopeful of a reunion in AEW. Matt Hardy is also hyped about a potential Hardy Boyz vs. Young Bucks feud.

"The gimmick I would like to end my career on, and I'm pretty confident in saying this, I would like to finish my career teaming with my brother as the Hardy Boyz. Real-life Matt and real-life Jeff just doing our thing. That is, I feel like, a beautiful way to tie up a career. It's probably going to be 30 years for both of us, probably over 30 years when it's all said and done. To go out the way you came in, that's super cool. I would like to finish my career with Jeff Hardy, my brother, as a team. "To correct the record, I would love to have Jeff Hardy come to AEW just so we could team together, and there's a lot of great teams there," he added. "A proper Hardy Boyz vs. The Young Bucks feud would be amazing."

Based on yesterday's contract update, Jeff Hardy is not expected to leave WWE anytime soon, but a move to AEW could be on the cards for the Charismatic Enigma once his current deal expires.

#5 Tony Khan reveals he was not a fan of Matt Hardy's Broken gimmick in AEW

We continue with Matt Hardy being the star in focus in the AEW News Roundup. Tony Khan appeared on Rasslin' with Brandon F. Walker and revealed that he was never a fan of Hardy's Broken Gimmick.

Tony Khan spoke about the importance of learning from one's mistakes and pivoting to a different direction. He felt that AEW had done a satisfactory job of switching things up and correcting various flaws with the product.

Tony Khan cited Matt Hardy's example and noted that, unlike many people, he was not into the Broken Matt Hardy persona.

The AEW President, however, recalled liking Chris Jericho and Matt Hardy's teleportation idea and how it made for one of the best Dynamite moments of all time.

"A great example I think would be, and he would be totally fine with me saying this, I was not as into Broken Matt Hardy as other people were," admitted Khan. "And I've said this on Jericho's podcast, that thing he did with time travel, that was the craziest Dynamite of all-time other than the Atlanta taping. . . Matt Hardy and Chris specifically to talk me into [it], specifically, Chris liked the idea of Matt teleporting. Dude, I'm lucky these guys are even there. . . But the idea of teleportation, I was just like, 'Alright. I'm just lucky you guys [are here].' At that point, it was a miracle the show was even coming off."

Matt Hardy ditched the Broken character for a more business-minded gimmick, and Tony Khan quickly highlighted the former WWE star's ability to execute a seamless transition. Khan was happy with how Matt Hardy has become a pivotal figure in AEW's shows as the leader of Hardy Family Office.

"But anyway. To get to the point, we are now with Big Money Matt and the stuff we're doing now. I feel like sometimes if you don't like an idea, you can move on and do something [else]. And I think Matt Hardy, and the stuff he's done with Private Party, The Butcher, and The Blade and the Bunny, and now with Christian Cage, is super compelling. He's really become a really center figure in the show," added AEW President Tony Khan. H/t WrestlingInc

Interestingly, Matt Hardy faced difficulties with the Broken Gimmick even in WWE, as Vince McMahon reportedly didn't know much about the storyline. It seems like the Broken Gimmick will always have only one rightful home: IMPACT Wrestling!

#4 Paul Wight wants AEW to book him against Shaquille O'Neal

Paul Wight, aka The Big Show, has had a relatively low-key start to his AEW run as the legend has not stepped into the ring just yet.

Wight has been improving tremendously as a commentator and analyst on AEW Dark: Elevation. The popular giant does eventually plan on wrestling again, and he also has a big match in mind.

During a recent interview with the Miami Herald, Paul Wight revealed his desire to complete his dream showdown against Shaquille O'Neal. The clash between the giants has been teased on a few occasions in the WWE, and Wight wants it to come to fruition before fans lose interest in the massive dynamic.

"I hope so at some point. It's been the biggest tease ever between Shaq vs. me for how many years. At some point, you either never do it because you can't live up to the tease, or we need to hurry up and do it before it gets to be yesterday's news," said Paul Wight. (H/T - Fightful)

Shaq and Wight first faced off against each other on a RAW episode in 2009. The four-time NBA champion was a special guest enforcer in a tag team match that featured The Big Show. Wight and Shaq also shared a memorable moment at the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32.

Would you like to see Shaq vs. Show at a big-time AEW show?

#3 AEW's Eddie Kingston reveals why he stopped watching WWE

Eddie Kingston's rise in AEW has been truly heartening to watch. The well-traveled wrestler is one of the most popular names in AEW, and there was a time when the WWE was also interested in signing the unique wrestler.

WWE, however, was never an option for Eddie Kingston as the star admittedly stopped watching Vince McMahon's product a long time back.

Kingston recently spoke to Pro Wrestling Junkies and revealed that he gave up on WWE shows several years ago. The former AEW world title contender admitted that he does watch major WWE shows from time to time, including 'Manias and Royal Rumbles.

Kingston has many friends and acquaintances who work in WWE, and he means no disrespect by not tuning into their shows. According to Eddie, paying too much attention to a competitor can negatively affect one's own work.

"I don't watch the other product. I stopped watching religiously years ago. I only watch the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. The dudes I know from the Indies that signed there, that's good for them. I don't watch that product or know who would be a good fit. That's not me being disrespectful; I just have to worry about me and AEW. I'm not looking over there. I feel that's when you mess yourself up, when you're looking at the competition and not worrying about yourself. We're not like them," said Eddie Kingston. (H/T - Fightful)

Are you with Eddie Kingston on this one? Do you still religiously watch WWE's content?

---

#2 AEW Tony Schiavone reveals his favorite co-worker

Tony Schiavone caught up with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Kevin Sullivan for a brilliant interview in which the legendary broadcaster revealed who he loved working with the most in his career.

Unsurprisingly enough, Schiavone named his commentary partner Jim Ross as the veterans have known each other for decades. Schiavone loved JR's sense of humor and recalled when they worked in a very serious setup.

Things have changed for the iconic voices of wrestling as both JR and Schiavone can now afford to have some fun in the commentary booth. Schiavone concluded by reiterating that he enjoyed working with Good Ol' JR the most.

"The guy I have often enjoyed working with more than anyone else probably because I worked with him for the longest is JR (Jim Ross). JR is a funny son of a gun, man. He's hilarious. He and I worked back when everything was serious, and we were playing it both serious. And now we are working together when we have a little bit more fun than we used to have. So out of all the people I worked with, I had the most fun with JR," said Schiavone.

The AEW personality also revealed exactly how he felt during the final episode of WCW Nitro during an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Kevin Sullivan.

#1 Tony Khan makes a big claim while comparing AEW Double or Nothing to WrestleMania

AEW's Tony Khan has developed the knack of making statements that kick off a social media storm. Fans and pundits have had a field day following Tony Khan stating that Double or Nothing was better than WrestleMania.

Khan appeared on the Pardon My Take podcast, and the AEW boss claimed that this year's Double or Nothing was a superior show compared to WrestleMania 37.

While Khan enjoyed WrestleMania 37 and credited the WWE Superstars for working extremely hard, the AEW President still felt that Double or Nothing was the better event overall. Khan, however, wasn't done as he added that last year's Double or Nothing also blew WrestleMania 36 out of the water during the pandemic.

"I'll tell you something; Double or Nothing last year and this year, in my opinion, was a better show (than WrestleMania)," Khan said. "I liked this year's WrestleMania a lot better than last year. They had some fans this year, and everyone there worked their a** off both years. This year I thought, both (were) good shows. They did a two-night show, and it was a good show. But I thought Double or Nothing this year was outstanding, and it was the best wrestling show of the year so far. And last year, Double or Nothing, during the pandemic, it kicked the s--t out of WrestleMania last year. The pandemic version last year? Not even close. Double or Nothing was a much better show." (H/T - WrestlingInc)

Obviously, Tony Khan has to put his shows over WWE's flagship offerings, but are the AEW CEO's comments justified? Were AEW's Double or Nothing shows actually better than WWE's WrestleManias?

We have given you several questions to ponder over throughout the feature. See you below in the comments section.