Parker Boudreaux To Make Rampage Debut Against Star Who Has Not Been On AEW TV In Years

It doesn't get any more different in pro wrestling than Parker Boudreaux and Sonny Kiss, and not just because Boudreaux looks like the long-lost son of WWE star Brock Lesnar. It was not long ago when the young, powerful Boudreaux looked like a sure lock to be a WWE star. He was even dubbed "the next big thing" by WWE's Paul Heyman. Instead, the 24-year-old was released by WWE earlier this year following a short stint in "NXT 2.0", where he performed as Harland. He now finds himself in AEW as part of The Trustbusters, a group lead by former WWE star Ari (Ariya) Daivari and featuring long-time veteran Slim J.

And then there's Kiss, the former Lucha Underground star turned AEW original, who signed with promotion shortly after it formed in early 2019. On the whole, though, Kiss' run with AEW has been inconsequential, with no title matches since Kiss challenged Cody Rhodes for the TNT Championship in 2020. Kiss' biggest program was a tag team run and that led to a breakup and feud with former AEW star Joey Janela, largely relegated to "AEW Dark" and "Dark: Elevation." As such, the differences, particularly in trajectory, between Kiss and Boudreaux would lead one to think they'd never cross paths. But as Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend!

As announced last night on "Dynamite", Kiss and Boudreaux will be opponents this Friday on "Rampage", squaring off in one-on-one action. The match was set up on this week's episode of "Dark" when Kiss and their teammates Zack Clayton and Xavier Walker were defeated by Boudreaux, Daivari and Slim J. Kiss notably didn't enter the ring during the match and was offered a spot in The Trustbusters after the match. The situation was left unresolved.

While Boudreaux appeared on "Dynamite" last night, this will be his first official match on one of AEW's two main TV shows. For Kiss, it's arguably an even bigger occasion, as it will be their first match on AEW TV since October 2020, nearly two years ago, when Kiss was defeated by Kenny Omega in the first round of the AEW World Championship Eliminator tournament. It's also Kiss' first match ever on "Rampage." The AEW star has been waiting a long time for this opportunity, and despite the long absence, has continued to receive support from fans, including some who started a petition to get Kiss back onto AEW TV.