AEW Hits Another Roster Roadblock
Mark Briscoe is sidelined. The AEW veteran is dealing with a legitimate injury, throwing a major wrench into the promotion's summer plans.
The issue came to light following Briscoe's AEW World Championship match on Dynamite last Wednesday. He went toe-to-toe with MJF but fell short. By Thursday night, the fallout was clear.
When Collision aired the following night, the promotion indicated that Briscoe was injured and would be out of action. Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez confirmed the injury is legitimate.
However, details regarding the exact nature of the injury remain tightly under wraps. There is currently no official timeline for his return.
This sudden absence leaves a massive void on weekly television. Briscoe has been a workhorse for the promotion, transitioning into a key singles role.
The physical toll of his high-risk style is catching up at a terrible time. Now, Tony Khan must once again rewrite his creative plans on the fly.
The Attrition of the Conglomeration
The timing of the injury is particularly brutal for Briscoe's stable, the Conglomeration. The group, which includes Orange Cassidy, Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Konosuke Takeshita, has been a central fixture of AEW programming.
They recently emerged victorious in a wild Death's Door steel cage match at Forbidden Door. That triumph has quickly turned to ash.
On Collision, the stablemates addressed the situation in a backstage promo. Orange Cassidy noted the toll of their recent schedule, stating that the cage match was crazy.
He acknowledged that while Briscoe got his title shot, things did not work out. Kyle O'Reilly was even more blunt about the future.
"Because of his injuries, we don't know when we're going to see Mark again."
This is not the only physical blow the stable is weathering. The Conglomeration also revealed they have no idea when Tomohiro Ishii will return.
In a minor bit of good news, Willow Nightingale is expected back soon. Still, the group's momentum has been completely derailed by physical attrition.
Historical Context: Briscoe's Physical Toll
This is not the first time injuries have disrupted a major singles push for Briscoe. In July 2023, Briscoe suffered a torn meniscus that forced him out of a scheduled ROH World Championship match.
He was set to challenge Claudio Castagnoli at Death Before Dishonor before the knee gave out. That injury required surgery and cost him months of active competition.
Briscoe's career has been defined by a reckless, crowd-pleasing style. Along with his late brother Jay Briscoe, he spent two decades tearing up the tag team division.
Their matches were legendary for their sheer brutality and high-impact spots. Following Jay's tragic passing in January 2023, Mark had to reinvent himself as a singles competitor.
That transition required a massive increase in physical workload. Working singles main events on weekly television places a very different demand on a forty-one-year-old body.
His recent run as the ROH World Champion proved he could carry a brand, but the physical bill has come due. History suggests his recovery will not be rushed.
AEW's Strategic Shift: MJF and Roster Attrition
AEW's creative team has a bad habit of papering over injuries with rushed booking. With Briscoe out of the picture, the promotion immediately pivoted to MJF's next challenger.
MJF will defend the AEW World Championship against Dynamite Beach Break main event against Kenny Omega next Wednesday, July 8, 2026. The stakes are incredibly high for the challenger.
If Omega loses the match, he is barred from ever challenging for the world title again. Rushing into a high-profile match like MJF vs Omega on free television feels like a desperate attempt to distract from a depleted roster.
It skips the necessary build that a match of this caliber deserves. Fans are left with a blockbuster matchup, but the long-term storytelling suffers.
The promotion's depth is taking hits beyond the training room. William Morrissey, known to fans as Big Bill, has officially given notice to AEW.
The 40 next month veteran is reportedly headed back to WWE. His departure comes after AEW abandoned his pairing with Chris Jericho.
"William Morrissey (Big Bill/Big Cass), who turns 40 next month, looks to be headed in (to WWE). He gave notice in AEW."
AEW dropped the Learning Tree act when Jericho went on hiatus. While critics claimed the gimmick was hurting Morrissey, Meltzer noted he was never more over in AEW than in that role.
The planned turn and feud that would have given Morrissey his biggest spotlight never materialized. His exit further thins AEW's big-man ranks.
Morrissey is expected to reunite with his former partner, Enzo Amore. The duo formed a highly popular tag team in WWE from 2013 to 2017.
They later split and feuded before both were released in 2018. Now, WWE is looking to capitalize on nostalgia and Morrissey's vastly improved in-ring work, following reports of a WWE reunion.
Meltzer indicates that WWE will initially run the team as a nostalgia act. Enzo Amore remains a limited worker but represents a unique talker who can move merchandise.
The booking strategy mirrors how WWE utilized Danhausen's popularity to justify signing charismatic, talk-heavy performers. For AEW, losing a polished big man like Morrissey right as Briscoe goes down is a double blow.
AAA's Celebrity Gamble: Mysterio's Pursuit of Bad Bunny
Roster movement and physical attrition are also impacting promotions south of the border. During Saturday's AAA on Fox broadcast on July 4, 2026, general manager Rey Mysterio dropped a massive tease.
Color commentator JBL asked Mysterio if AAA could secure Bad Bunny now that Damian Priest has arrived. Mysterio confirmed that the promotion is actively working on making that happen.
Bryan Alvarez confirmed there is legitimate substance to Mysterio's broadcast tease. Bad Bunny is a massive global star who has proven to be a highly capable in-ring performer.
However, his Lucha Libre ambitions run counter to recent WWE plans, following negotiations for a singles match against Logan Paul. Paul openly lobbied for the match on his podcast, calling it potentially the greatest WWE match of all time.
Moving to AAA would represent a massive strategic shift for Bad Bunny. Lucha Libre presents a far more dangerous environment than WWE's highly controlled television tapings.
The hard rings and high-flying style carry a tremendous risk of injury. Physical attrition is a constant threat in the Mexican promotions.
Bad Bunny is no stranger to the physical toll of professional wrestling. He previously teamed with Damian Priest to defeat The Miz and John Morrison at WrestleMania 37.
Later, at Backlash 2023 in Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny defeated Priest in a brutal street fight. Meltzer awarded that match a rating of 4.5 stars due to its high-octane action.
A Lucha Libre run would test the limits of Bad Bunny's physical conditioning. At thirty-two years old, the recording artist has a demanding global touring schedule that leaves little room for long injury rehabilitations.
If AAA pulls off this signing, it will be a historic coup. But Lucha rings are notoriously stiff, and the risk of injury is incredibly high.
