According to WrestlingNews.co , by way of Sportskeeda , Joseph Ruud — who competed as Erick Rowan in WWE — will be on the next episode of AEW Dynamite .
The report stated that a Reddit user was at the latest tapings and provided some information about what went down at the show, which is set to air on August 22. Ruud reportedly appeared in a mask to help Brodie Lee defeat Cody Rhodes for the TNT Championship.
Ruud and Lee’s relationship goes all the way back to their days in WWE. They were members of the Wyatt Family before going on to form their own tag team. Lee is currently the leader of the Dark Order faction in AEW, and his former partner could be their newest member.
The Reddit user described the match as entertaining but criticized it for being overbooked. However, Ruud’s interference has brought an end to Rhodes’ run with the title, and that might come as a shock to many fans. Rhodes has been dominated the title scene since he won the gold, and he’s been using his platform to bring independent stars into the company.
AEW brings in performers for one-off appearances from time to time. New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Jeff Cobb was a notable example. It’s possible that Ruud has been brought in on a short-term basis, but he has hinted at making the young promotion his new wrestling home in the past.
The Dark Order faction also has a tendency to recruit relative unknowns and former free agents. Ruud’s character also suits their monster heel dynamic, and the company is known to be in the market for wrestlers of his size. Now that he’s completed his 90-day noncompete clause following his WWE release , Ruud is free to compete anywhere.
In a separate report from Sportskeeda , Ruud stated that he’s a fan of the product. He joked about not planning on joining because he wanted to stay away from his former tag team partner. However, if the latest rumor is true, they could be paired up all over again.
The WrestlingNews.co report also noted that NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa also made her debut. She follows Eddie Kingston as the latest performer from the promotion to work with Tony Khan’s company in recent weeks.
Rosa reportedly showed up and challenged Shida to a match at All Out . The Japanese star accepted Rosa’s challenge to set up a showdown between the two champions at the pay-per-view.