After shocking the AEW galaxy by ending Wardlow's TNT Championship run after just three days in a Falls Count Anywhere Anything Goes match on Dynamite with a little help from QT Marshal, Powerhouse Hobbs and his co-conspirator were afforded some promo time on Rampage to finally explain what happened. Have Hobbs and Marshall been in cahoots all along? And if not, when did this deal with the devil come into being?

For Hobbs, it's all a chapter in his book.

“It’s already been written, it’s been said, it’s been done; the new chapter in The Book of Hobbs is the TNT Championship,” Hobbs said.

“That’s right, Powerhouse, I told you my word is my bond,” Marshall said. “And next week on AEW Dynamite, live from Winnipeg, the first episode, the premier of QTV, where we will give you the breaking scoop on who really broke into Wardlow’s car.”

Oh snap, AEW is going to play into Wardlow's car breaking being part of the storyline afterall. While it would have maybe made more sense to do that during the match on Dynamite, with Hobbs or even Marshall potentially hitting “Mr. Mayhem” in the face with the TNT Title after on his way into the crashpad KO, considering the belt was actually stolen, maybe that just wasn't in the cards. Either way, good on TK, Marshall, and company for finding a way to make the story all the more interesting.

For Powerhouse Hobbs, patience paid off in AEW.

Discussing his huge win on AEW Dynamite as a guest on the Deuce and Mo podcast, Powerhouse Hobbs explained everything he's learned in his time at AEW.

“That I'm patient,” Hobbs said. “That I actually love what I do. I've become obsessed with this. Knowing my ability, knowing that I can perform. Knowing what I can do to make people boo me or cheer me. I've learned a whole lot about myself.”

Discussing the matter further, Hobbs noted that AEW has amassed an incredible collection of veterans who younger wrestlers like himself can turn to whenever they have a question or need some advice.

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Will Ospreay with a text bubble reading "You have no idea what I fight for!" with Triple H on his left and Dave Meltzer on his right and the AEW Dynamite logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Mercedes Mone with a text bubble reading “I have unfinished business” next to the blacked-out silhouette of Willow Nightingale with the AEW Dynamite logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

QT Marshall with the WWE logo on his left and the AEW logo on his right.

Matty Breisch ·

“There are a lot of our vets that I hit up, like Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, Arn Anderson,” Hobbs said. “A lot of our agents I hit up. Pat Buck, Sonjay Dutt, I ask these guys for advice. ‘What should I do, what should I be looking for, how can I switch this or change that?' I have everything I need in the palm of my hand, it's just up to me to capitalize on it. I'm not satisfied where I am, I'm not. My goal is to become the first African American World Champion in AEW. That's the goal I've had since I inked my name on the piece of paper. I've dreamt about it, as a kid, being a world champion. I have people looking up to me. It's something that I want to accomplish and I have to get better. I have to do it for me and my family. It's something that I've been becoming obsessed with.”

Is Marshall really the best vet for Hobbs to put his trust in, especially since no member of The Factory has ever won anything of note in AEW? Debateable. Did putting his trust in Marshall, the man who initially secured his spot in AEW all those years ago pay off in this particular instance? Yes, as Hobbs is the only man in AEW who can truthfully call himself the TNT Champion, and the deciding factor of why that happened is Marshall's insertion into the match.

Would Hobbs have won the TNT Championship if all things were even and he was afforded a fair shake with Wardlow? Had “Mr. Mayhem” been able to celebrate his victory, get to his rental car, and arrive at the venue with his gear and his strap, maybe the match wouldn't have become a Falls Count Anywhere Anything Goes match. If the match wasn't a Falls Count Anywhere Anything Goes match, maybe Marshall wouldn't have been able to interfere with the finish or would have at least struggled mightly to secure the same sort of advantage without the benefit of being near the announcing table. Either way, it would appear Hobbs has thrown his hat in with Marshall, his title run has been prematurely tainted, and AEW fans will have t0 wait and see what the duo have to share on QTV, let alone what Wardlow has to say – or do – when he's able to get his hands on the duo once more.