AEW Blood & Guts 2023: The Elite and Blackpool Combat Club Confirm Their Fifth Members
AEW's lineup for Blood & Guts 2023 is officially booked for July 19 on AEW Dynamite at the TD Garden in Boston. Don Callis initially came out to confirm who would be joining Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta and Konosuke Takeshita, but his promo drew out a vengeful Kenny Omega. Members of The BCC then jumped Omega from behind, alongside "The Bastard" Pac. The former All-Atlantic Champion called back to his old feud with Omega and announced he'd be the fifth member.
With a chair wrapped around his throat, Omega started laughing as he reminded Moxley that they still had a fifth member to announce. It was none other than Kota Ibushi, Omega's former tag partner.
The 5th man on the side of the #BlackpoolCombatClub has been revealed: it is none other than The Bastard PAC, and he is OUT FOR REVENGE against Kenny Omega!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) July 13, 2023
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@BASTARDPAC | @KennyOmegaManX pic.twitter.com/VMjURNbn5s
The rivalry between the two factions has been going on since March, with The BCC picking up the first major win when Jon Moxley defeated Kenny Omega inside of a Steel Cage. This was done thanks in large part to the betrayal of Omega's former manager Don Callis, who snuck into the ring after one of the cage walls had been broken through and stabbed Omega in the face with a screwdriver. Moxley & Co. would then win at Double or Nothing in an Anarchy in the Arena Match when Takeshita revealed his allegiance to Callis. The Elite would get a bit of payback at Forbidden Door when Page & The Young Bucs teamed with Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro Ishii to win a 10-man tag match, but this only promoted The BCC to raise the stakes and call for a Blood & Guts Match.
CM Punk Reportedly Denied Spot in Blood & Guts 2023
Despite the fact that he hasn't interacted with either faction since his return to AEW TV last month, CM Punk reportedly offered to be involved in the 10-man match. According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, the offer was declined. One source went so far as to say, "Neither team would want him."
Punk will be competing in the finals of the annual Owen Hart Cup this Saturday, taking on Ricky Starks on AEW Collision. Stay tuned for full coverage of the show!
AEW Collision Card (July 15, 2023)
- AEW World Tag Team Championships: FTR vs. Jay White & Juice Robinson (Two Out Of Three Falls)
- Owen Hart Cup Finals: CM Punk vs. Ricky Starks
- Owen Hart Cup Finals: Ruby Soho vs. Athena/Willow Nightingale
- TNT Championship: Luchasaurus vs. Shawn Spears
