According to a new report, some changes had to be made to the second night of AEW New Year's Smash because of a talent’s exposure to COVID-19.
Originally, the second night of AEW’s New Year's Smash event was supposed to feature Britt Baker going one-on-one with Thunder Rosa in what was to be the first one-on-one encounter after Britt Baker and the former NWA Women's Champion have been feuding for several weeks.
However, as of the most recent episode of Dynamite, it was announced that Britt Baker would be hosting Cody Rhodes in The Waiting Room and Serena Deeb will be defending her NWA Women's Championship against Tay Conti.
According to a new report by Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, these changes were made because Thunder Rosa was exposed to somebody who has tested positive for COVID-19. The match will take place when all parties are once again healthy, according to the report.
Cody Rhodes’ appearance will mark the first time Britt Baker’s talk show segment will appear on AEW Dynamite and the upcoming NWA Women's Championship match will Mark the first time that Tay Conti, a former NXT Superstar who was released during the early days of the pandemic, will get a championship opportunity on television.
The rest of the card is slated to feature several major matches including Darby Allin defending his TNT Championship against Brian Cage, Miro going one-on-one with Chuck Taylor, and Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks in six-man action in a match that Don Callis, who doesn't work for AEW, believes that he booked himself. Learn more at this link.
