AJ Befumo bringing the boom to AEW
Plus–a look at UFC 313, Cody Rhodes, and more
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Time to bring the boom back to AEW
AJ Befumo returns to the ring later tonight.
And yes, he’ll be bringing the boom.
The charismatic social media star coined a catchphrase–bringing the boom–that has placed a bright spotlight on himself and his family. He is capitalizing on the newfound fame by returning to an old flame–professional wrestling.
“Pro wrestling has been a love of mine since I was very young,” said Befumo, who left pro wrestling in 2005, long before he became a TikTok sensation–and decades before the app even existed. “Ever since AEW called, it’s been a crazy ride getting back in the ring.”
Known as “The Costco Guys” with his son, Befumo teams with Orange Cassidy and Mark Briscoe in a six-man tag during the Zero Hour pre-show for the AEW Revolution pay-per-view, wrestling against Johnny TV and MxM Collection’s Mansoor and Mason Madden. His son, who goes by Big Justice, will be in his corner.
“I get to do it with Big Justice–that’s my guy,” said Befumo. “He has the itch for pro wrestling now. That’s the best part of all this.
“And look who we’re teaming with–Orange Cassidy and Mark Briscoe. Between Orange, Mark, myself, and Big Justice, it works together so well. We bring something for everyone.”
A Florida transplant originally from New Jersey, Befumo is a beacon of positivity. He credits his mother for his work ethic and outlook on life, noting that she remains the wind beneath his wings.
“I grew up with a mother who gave me so much confidence,” said Befumo, 47. “She believed in praise, praise, praise. So I always believed in myself. Always. Even now, I know this is where I’m meant to be. I always keep my confidence going, and that’s what ‘The Boom!’ is all about.
“Negativity never bothers me. Negative thoughts do not belong in your mind. Get them out of your mind just like you get the garbage out of your house. I learned to think positive, move forward, expect nothing, appreciate everything–and bring the boom.”
Big Boom AJ surprised people in his AEW debut this past November, defeating QT Marshall at the Full Gear pre-show, wrestling an entertaining bout despite working with a broken bone in his foot. He looks to shine again tonight, taking the next step in an unexpected journey.
“When I come down the ramp and I bring the boom at the Crypto.com Arena, the boom will come right back–and I’ll be taking it into the ring,” said Befumo. “That means I would not want to be MxM or Johnny TV.
“Orange Cassidy is coming, Mark Briscoe is coming. I’m coming. Big Justice is coming. Hey, we might even see The Rizzler–and we’re bringing the boom.”
Alex Pereira’s loss is a win for the UFC
Magomed Ankalaev defeated Alex Pereira at UFC 313, winning the light heavyweight title by unanimous decision. The fight played out in a slow, prodding manner, and there were many–myself included–who thought Pereira should have won.
The three judges all scored the fight in Ankalaev’s favor, with Mike Bell and Derek Cleary scoring it, 48-47, for Ankalaev. But the most mystifying scorecard came from Sal D’Amato, who saw fit to score this one more lopsided, 49-46, for Ankalaev. Besides landing one vicious shot, Ankalaev wasn’t especially impressive, though, to be fair, neither was Pereira.
On a night filled with fights that were good but not quite great (Justin Gaethje’s victory against Rafael Fiziev standing out as the notable exception), the card needed a signature performance from Pereira to close out the night. Yet that didn’t happen, and he looked especially fatigued in the championship rounds.
In some ways, the loss works in UFC’s favor. Pereira had made this all look too easy. He was running through the light heavyweight division, with no real rival. Suddenly, that has all changed. If he can have a rematch with Ankalaev this summer, there is still time to reclaim the title–then shift his focus to the winner of the Jon Jones-Tom Aspinall bout, which can headline Madison Square Garden in November.
Regardless of what any scorecard may tell you, Ankalaev did not dominate here. Pereira finally has a challenge in front of him, but this is a rematch he can win.
Cody Rhodes calls out John Cena
Sporting a gnarly-looking black eye, Cody Rhodes did exactly what a babyface champion should do: call out his challenger.
Rhodes was superb on SmackDown, adding a personal touch to his feud with Cena. Even though I think a babyface vs. babyface match between Rhodes and Cena would have worked, there is much more intensity to the feud now that Cena has turned heel.
Now all eyes turn to Cena. He is expected to be back on Raw next week, which feels like an eternity since his infamous turn at Elimination Chamber. His absence will be less glaring tomorrow since Raw will be built around the CM Punk-Seth Rollins steel cage match, but Cena is overdue to return and continue this storyline while it is still red hot.
One big question entering Revolution PPV
There are some certainties heading into tonight’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view.
One is that the bout pitting Kenny Omega against Konosuke Takeshita is going to be spectacular. MJF-Hangman Page should also exceed its high expectations, as well Swerve Strickland-Ricochet (which is especially important because Ricochet is seeking his first major PPV moment in AEW). Mercedes Mone will put on a starring performance against Momo Watanabe, and the Will Ospreay-Kyle Fletcher cage match will include some massive risks.
I’m curious how the Toni Storm-Mariah May title match will play out, but my prevailing question ahead of this show is whether Adam Copeland will defeat Jon Moxley to become the new AEW world champion.
And I’m leaning toward no.
“Switchblade” Jay White is destined to be a heel. Perhaps he turns on Copeland (I still can’t call him Cope) and costs him the match. Maybe there is some sort of interference from Christian, though he and Copeland need a lot more separation between the two of them. But it just doesn’t feel like this is the time to put the belt on Copland.
If you were to tell me that Omega is dethroning Moxley, I’m fully behind that move. There is also an argument that Swerve should be the one to do it (and he’ll be number-one contender with a win against Ricochet tonight), which also makes a lot of sense. While Copeland adds a lot of value to AEW, he is more valuable in a program where he puts over White than if he were to have a run as champ.
So my prediction? The title stays with Moxley.