AEW has had a host of incredibly talented stars hold the world title, but Tony Khan has named the current AEW World Champion, Darby Allin, to be the ultimate fighting champion.

Allin, who won the world title from MJF in April, has defended his title at each edition of “AEW Dynamite” since his win on April 15, as well as on two episodes of “AEW Collision.” Ahead of another title defense at AEW’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view against former champion MJF, Khan praised Darby Allin, describing how he embodies the idea of a “fighting champion.”

“Double or Nothing’s going to be an incredible event. Now, MJF has signed the contract, and it’s set for Darby Allin versus MJF for the AEW World title, if Darby Allin is still in one piece by then. Darby Allin is out as the ultimate fighting champion to be out fighting left and right, certainly he gives new meaning to the term fighting champion. And for AEW, we’re very proud to have somebody that is always willing to look for a fight, but in the case of MJF, he wanted Max to put up something of his own, and MJF is putting up his hair. It’ll be the hair of MJF versus AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing. I can’t wait for that,” said Khan to “Sactown Sports 1140.”

Allin’s current title reign, which recently crossed the one-month mark, has featured more title defenses on AEW television than MJF’s nearly four-month reign, further proving Khan’s point about him being a fighting champion. 

While he may have more matches, some, like Bully Ray, don’t believe that Allin’s title reign — and having more matches than MJF — is increasing interest or ticket sales. Allin and MJF will clash against each other for the first time since the title change in New York’s Louis Armstrong Stadium, where Allin’s belt will be on the line against MJF’s hair. 

Swerve Strickland is keen to see The New Day in AEW and has already spoken to them about it.

It’s almost a given that the celebrated tag team stars will join Tony Khan’s promotion after their non-compete clause expires, and Strickland discussed how he feels about their release and what the future could hold for them.

“I wouldn’t even call them a cut. They were just like pulled apart,” he said on “Bootleg Kev.” “I’m honestly happy that [left the way they did]. That still shows their how their value, they could say no and they still can walk out like 100%, you know what I mean?”

Strickland opened the door for them to trade WWE for AEW, seemingly confirming a recent report that several AEW stars are keen to see New Day in AEW. Strickland said he spoke to them after their release, with the duo confident about their future and in full control of how their careers will pan out.

“There’s a lot of wrestlers that want to see them end up in AEW,” Strickland added. “I talked to them the same day. Kofi took like another day to get back to me, but they’re in high spirits. They’re motivated. They’re happy. They have the ball in their court court and they honestly feel like they can control their own narrative, and Xavier’s really good at that. Kofi is walking [as a] free agent for the first time in his whole career. He was a Hall of Famer like five years ago. … almost five, six years ago. And then, add the world title match on top of that — he’s the only black wrestler to ever win the world title at Mania.”

He conceded that he also wants a moment akin to KofiMania at some point in his career, while crediting Kingston’s WWE Championship win for helping pave the way for his own AEW World title victory. Strickland also discussed the dream match fans have wanted for years — The New Day vs. The Young Bucks — revealing that he has initiated discussions about it.

Finn Balor has discussed the difficulty of being away from his family while chasing his pro wrestling dream, as well as the conflicting emotions he feels pursuing his dream while being far away from them.

Balor spoke on Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast about how he was determined to do everything in his power to succeed in the business, but how it has become difficult to balance family life with his career now.

“Earlier in my career, when you’re chasing the dream, and you’re trying to be successful, and you’re trying to make money to get yourself, I’m sacrificing time with my family to like follow my dream and achieve these targets that I’ve set myself,” Balor said. “I’ve achieved more than I could ever have imagined in this business, and I’ve reached all these like targets and goals that I’ve ever imagined. Really, once I won the Universal title like that one time, for me, that was the top of the mountain.”

Balor then explained that he began to question his dedication once he made enough money to become financially stable and comfortable. While his family is home in Ireland, Balor’s job requires him to remain in the United States. “Before, it was a trade-off of: you’re not with your family, but you’re following your dream. Now, I’m not with my family, but I have my dream and I have like – I don’t need anything else here. I don’t need any more money, I don’t need any more success, I don’t need any more attention. So why am I doing it?”

He pointed out that his wife, journalist Vero Rodríguez, has family in Mexico, and that she is also away from her family to pursue her dream in the United States. Stephanie suggested he move to Mexico to be a part of AAA. He said that he wants to be in WWE, wrestle at the top of the industry, and have the opportunity to compete in major events like WrestleMania.

Caesar Sikoa or Jacob Fatu. Which name carries more pizzazz? Evidently, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque preferred the latter, as it has a stronger connection the wrestler’s legacy. 

In an interview with “Cheap Heat,” Fatu recalled learning that he’d be using his legal name in WWE, and shared how relieved he was over the news. The revelation came shortly after his debut in WWE, during a quick backstage chat with Levesque.

“I was like, ‘I don’t even know what my name is,'” Fatu said. “He turned around and was like, ‘Motherf***er, your name is Jacob Fatu.’ My original name was supposed to be Caesar Sikoa.”

The wrestler made it clear he wasn’t a fan of that name, comparing it to the character Caesar from the more recent Planet of the Apes movies. Instead, Fatu is able to carry on the lineage that his uncle Rikishi started. Jacob said it means a lot to him when he hears the fans chant the “Fatu” name, as it’s not just an homage to him, but to his family’s legacy.

After losing to his cousin and World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns at Backlash earlier this month, Fatu refuses to be just another defeated opponent on Reigns’ long and decorated list. Rather, he wants to end his reign long before it picks up any steam. That vision is starting to come to fruition after the uncontrollable back-to-back melees he’s given the champion since their contested match.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenberg,” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.