Full Backstage Details On AEW Signing The IInspiration (AEW News)

Jess McKay and Cassie Lee are #AllElite.

by Andrew Pollard
The IInspiration Jess McKay Cassie Lee
AEW

With AEW running a non-televised House Rules live event from Brisbane, Australia yesterday, those in attendance were surprised to see an appearance from Cassie Lee and Jess McKay, the IInspiration, fka the IIconics, as they picked up a dominant win over a couple of local talents, Aysha and Frankie B.

Per Fightful Select, this appearance was not simply a one-off for the IInspiration, with the Australian tandem having signed multi-year deals with AEW. In fact, Fightful notes how Lee and McKay's signing had been a "forgone conclusion" for over a month, and that Tony Khan's promotion had "nailed down" the team nearly a month ago.

Most recently, the IInspiration had been working for TNA, where they were two-time Knockouts Tag Team Champions. However, the pair had been working without a TNA contract since Bound for Glory back in October, and they formally left the Anthem organisation after dropping the Knockouts Tag Titles to the Elegance Brand on TNA's AMC debut last month. Fightful adds that Cassie Lee and Jess McKay's TNA exit was an amicable one.

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Of course, there had been some speculation that Lee and McKay - or Peyton Royce and Billy Kay - could return to WWE after they wrapped up with TNA. On that topic, WWE sources told Fightful that if the IIconics didn't appear at the Royal Rumble, it was believed they'd be on their way to AEW. The former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions did not appear at the Rumble, and they are indeed now a part of AEW.

For those who missed it, Saturday's AEW Grand Slam Australia also saw another Australian talent join the company, with the impressive Lena Kross debuting by attacking Harley Cameron and Willow Nightingale, seemingly aligning herself with the Tiangle of Madness. Kross received the #AllElite graphic shortly after Grand Slam.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.