Josh Mathews, a former on-air personality for WWE and TNA, was recently seen backstage at an episode of AEW Dynamite in Minnesota—and it now appears the appearance wasn’t just a casual visit. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter at F4WOnline.com, Mathews has officially joined the AEW team in a backstage role.
Mathews’ wife, Ashley—better known to wrestling fans as Madison Rayne—has been working behind the scenes in AEW since August 2022, making this a full-circle moment for the duo within the company.
In additional AEW news, veteran pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer also noted in the Observer the attendance and pay-per-view buy figures for the AEW Dynasty 2025 pay-per-view, which took place this past Sunday, April 6, from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The event drew a live crowd of 7,921 fans. While the turnout was considered a strong showing, the event fell just shy of a complete sellout, with fewer than 400 tickets left unsold. Those unsold seats reportedly became available only after last-minute production changes, which is common for televised wrestling events as final camera and stage setups are solidified.
As for the event’s pay-per-view performance, an exact buy rate hasn’t been confirmed just yet. However, early estimates indicate AEW Dynasty 2025 pulled in between 110,000 and 120,000 buys, which is nearly identical to the 122,000 buys recorded for last year’s show.
