The WWE draft

The WWE draft, coinciding with the NFL draft, has come and gone. A few names were shuffled around, but very similar to years prior, this will all translate to very little difference in the grand scheme of things. In truth, the WWE draft was cannon fodder, and outside of the original concept, which didn't get over either, it more or less always has been rather moot in the big picture of WWE. That becomes more apparent under the TKO umbrella when draft picks will be ignored when the cash dictates a different decision. Similar to almost anytime in the past, the talent will go where the angles or the company needs them to go, and when that happens, as it always does, that renders the concept of the draft pointless.

In some ways, the concept of brand exclusive talent, with several rounds to keep track of as far as what talent goes where, dilutes the presentation of the product and makes things too "inside baseball" for the general public. When the casual fan asks, "who's the champion?" they want to know who the top guy is, not a convoluted explanation of what champion for what show. Again, the viewer from the general public isn't invested enough to find out the rules and regulations of the draft or watch consistently enough to know what talent is on what show. They just want to know who the top guy is, or what the top talent is doing on the show.

In this case, and this isn't a knock on Damien Priest at all, the answer is Cody Rhodes. He's the top guy, he beat Roman Reigns, The Rock's cousin, and his dad is Dusty Rhodes.

That's the answer for the guy that occasionally "puts wrestling on" to see who's on the show and what's going on with the product. Who got drafted to Raw in the second round or Smackdown in the third round is irrelevant to the general public.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the premise of the original brand extension in 2002, as the rosters were flooded with dozens of wrestlers from WCW and ECW so creating brand exclusivity allowed for more talent to be featured across the specific hours of television the company had at the time. That being said, I always thought the concept was too convoluted and not something that would get over with the main stream audience, and it didn't. If anything, the initial brand extension in the early-2000s exposed the fact that the organization didn't have enough true star power, especially in the post-Attitude era industry to split the rosters. Furthermore, because pro wrestling had a natural decline after such a hot period a few years earlier, it made the task of trying to get such a concept of split rosters over with the audience more difficult. Some of those early brand exclusive pay-per-views aren't exactly classic events.

In a pattern that was repeated throughout the years, when the brand exclusive product began to struggle, the draft was ignored and talent appeared on both shows anyway. Among the few major reasons that brand exclusive "competition" didn't get over with the audience is because the fans knew that it was the same company so the idea that two commodities under the same umbrella are competing is silly.

While it is completely understandable that the company had to pivot to bring in more star power when needed, especially in the era of traditional pay-per-view with the $40 price tag, the lack of staying the course with the rules of the draft didn't allow for the fans to truly invest in the concept. If the audience was going to buy into the angle at all is debatable, but after the company exposed that they were willing to bend the rules when the angles needed it, the audience knew that exclusivity was temporary at best.

Ironically, the current WWE product is probably the most suitable for the draft concept, given the level of depth the company has in terms of star power and work rate.

That being said, I will still stay the concept of a draft won't connect with the main stream audience and will eventually be a footnote, especially after Raw moves to Netflix at the start of next year. As I wrote about when the blockbuster deal was announced earlier this year, putting the television show that was on free TV for more than thirty years behind a paywall is uncharted territory for the company. That's not to say that it won't work, but rather that it's an unproven concept so it wouldn't be surprising if there was an "all hands on deck" approach to the start of the Netflix era.

In short, the draft provided a slight ratings boost for Raw, but the brand exclusivity will eventually be a moot point when stars appear on different brands anyway.

That said, there were a few noteworthy appearances on Raw, which are amplified in importance with the current amount of injuries. Braun Strowman made his return to the company after being sidelined for several months following neck surgery last year. Strowman's WWE career has been a mixed bag for a variety of reasons, and despite the big man look that the company often recruits for talent in the WWE system, he hasn't reached the next level to truly being solidified as a top guy. In fact, Strowman was released from the organization in 2021 before he controlled his narrative for a year and was then re-signed to the WWE.

At 40, Strowman is probably near the latter stages of his career, but definitely still has some money years left in his pro wrestling tenure. If WWE can maximize that remains to be seen, but this return is the chance at a fresh start for him. Taking into account that Seth Rollins is on the shelf with a knee injury, and CM Punk will be out of action for several months, there's an opportunity for Strowman to claim one of the top baby face spots on Raw. If nothing else, Strowman back into the fold on Monday creates some intriguing possibilities after Backlash in France this weekend.

Ilja Dragunov was drafted to Raw after a very successful stint as NXT champion and he's a very unique talent that has the potential to translate that success to the Monday night show. Dragunov had an incredibly stiff match with Gunther during the pandemic, and it would make sense for them to reignite the rivalry on a bigger platform, especially because that could give Gunther a solid opponent to work with after he dropped the IC title at Wrestlemania last month.

Tony Khan on Dynamite

 It took five years, but it finally happened.

Tony Khan is a character on his own television show, allowing him to live out his fandom of emulating owners of pro wrestling companies in the late-90s. As you can tell from the tone of the opening stanza, I'm not impressed with Tony's segment that was used in the main event slot of Dynamite this week when he was attacked by Jack Perry and The Young Bucks before wrestlers, and his dad, Shad Khan made the save as the show went off the air.

The viewing audience wasn't impressed either, as the show drew 683,000 viewers, the lowest rating for an episode of Dynamite in more than three years. It was a 10% dip from last week's 762,000 viewers for the show. In fact, the biggest rating of the past two months was the 819,000 viewers that tuned in to see the CM Punk/Jack Perry backstage fight footage. So, despite being under contract to the WWE, Punk is still a bigger ratings draw than anyone currently on the AEW roster. 

Was it still a good idea to air the footage, Tony?

When it was announced that the footage would air, I discussed why it reeked of desperation and also why there was very little, if any, upside to the segment. Dynamite had a slight boost in the ratings, proving that more fans wanted to see the CM Punk fight than those that usually tune into the show, but it didn't increase the number enough to make a major difference in the direction of Dynamite. When the ratings decreased the week after, it proved that Punk is still the biggest draw they have, and perhaps as a reaction to the decline the week after the backstage fight footage was aired, Tony Khan took a pile driver in the ring.

The pile driver was so devastating that less than 24 hours later, Tony was able to appear at the NFL draft on behalf of the Jaguars wearing a neck brace. At least Andy Kaufman would be proud. I understand the concept of trying to sell the injury, but if Tony wanted to truly sell it then he wouldn't have appeared in public at all. In some ways, by wearing the neck brace in such a public setting and on television, Tony gets everyone to acknowledge his wrestling project. "hey, look he has a neck brace from wrestling." Maybe I'm being too pessimistic, but I've seen too much grandstanding and weak comparisons to the Attitude era from Tony not to think that this public display was just another way for him to publicly get recognition for playing pro wrestling promoter.

The same could be said for the stunt that put him in the ring as a character to begin with, as this wasn't him as the promoter with the mic before a live event to thank the fans. This was Tony Khan as a character on the show and thus selling an attack from the heels. Is this just another way for Tony to play pro wrestling? It's very possible, but the bottom line is, will it work? Will it increase the amount of viewers that are watching the show? If it does then any criticism is almost moot.

I've said on numerous occasions that I sincerely hope that All Elite Wrestling can be as successful as possible because the ability to have options within the industry is key for the overall status of the business. I've also said that Tony Khan is almost always unanimously praised as a nice guy, and it's wonderful that he genuinely cares about the roster. At the same time, being a nice guy doesn't mean that he can be an effective booker or promoter of a pro wrestling company. The reality of the situation is, the way that he mismanaged many of the problems that AEW had, and his slapstick approach to booking, haven't provided any indication that they will be a major improvement for the company in the future. A prime example of this was pointed out by Bully Ray on social media this week, Swerve Strickland is the new AEW world champion and he was booked in a fandom opening match against Kyle Fletcher. Swerve wasn't a focus of the television show, and the angle that put Tony Khan in the ring got the spotlight.

I could be wrong, and in some ways I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think the Tony Khan attack or anything associated with it will benefit the company in any way, shape, or form.

The angle won't work for a variety of reasons. First, Tony Khan just isn't good on camera and he's definitely not a natural performer. That's why wide shots were used for a majority of the segment when he was attacked. Furthermore, given that the heels attacked him, that puts Tony in the sympathetic baby face role within the storyline. That's not going to get over, either. The reasons being that it's difficult for the typical wrestling audience to be sympathetic to a billionaire, and furthermore, he has eroded much of the good will that he had with the audience through the series of mismanaged scenarios mentioned previously. Again, the numbers tell the story, All Elite Wrestling doesn't have the same level of fan support that it had before so it's not an automatic baby face role for Tony Khan as the owner that got jumped by the heels. This is where all the cringe worth press conference moments and ridiculous social media posts can come back to bite him.

On some level, Tony working an angle almost reinforces the notion that All Elite is a vanity project. Remember, when he bought ROH, he made a reference to the Nitro segment where Shane McMahon bought WCW so it's not too much of a stretch to assume that this is Tony putting himself in the late-90s owner role.

The whole series of events that have taken place since the CM Punk MMA Hour interview, including this segment with Tony reeks of desperation. The way that it was portrayed since the show went off the air implies this is another way for Tony to play pro wrestling more than anything else.

When he was interviewed for a show about the NFL draft, proudly wearing the neck brace and looking like a doofus since the 683,000 number proves that most people had no idea why he had it, Tony called All Elite Wrestling the Pepsi of pro wrestling. Now, I'm a Coca Cola fan, but AEW is more RC Cola than Pepsi. Tony also called the WWE " the Harvey Weinstein of pro wrestling," which prompted the host to wrap up the segment rather quickly on the show. Listen, Vince is sleazy and it's very possible that what he allegedly did was criminal. If that's the case then he should undoubtedly face the consequences for it. However, Triple H, Cody, and The Rock had nothing to do with Vince's depraved behavior. Cody is the baby face world champion that has fan support, Triple H as the new leader of the company has fan support, and the endorsement of Paul Heyman during his Hall of Fame speech, which will only add to the level of fan support, and The Rock is an extremely popular figure in the entertainment world. From a PR prospective, those are the guys at the top of WWE, not Vince McMahon, who just sold his remaining stock in the company anyway. Is Tony really going to try to vilify Cody, Triple H, or The Rock to the public?

It's ironic that Tony putting himself on television as an on-screen character, the ultimate vanity move, might be the iceberg for the All Elite Titanic. No, All Elite Wrestling isn't going to fold as long as Khan's billionaire family wants to fund it, but this might be the angle that sinks any chance the company has of rebounding to the momentum it had at its launch. The estimate for the Dynasty pay-per-view is around 100,000 buys, a noticeable decrease from Revolution last month and Worlds End prior to that. If the mission for AEW seems to be more about Tony's chance to play Vince McMahon or Eric Bischoff than to spark the wrestling industry, which is what many thought was the initial intention, than it will continue to erode the company's good will with the fan base. At that point, Tony's project will be self-serving, not serving the audience, which can sour the fans. Sure, AEW generates revenue, but the company lost an estimated $34 million last year, and the true barometer of success from a business prospective is profit. Taking into account that less fans were willing to order the Dynasty pay-per-views it should be an indication that something should be fixed within the product, but is anyone in the organization going to tell Tony that? As mentioned, AEW will continue to exist, but if the perception of the company doesn't improve than there will be a ceiling on the level of success it can achieve in the industry.

Matt Hardy returns to TNA

After it was reported that longtime veteran, Matt Hardy allowed his All Elite Wrestling contract to expire, there was some speculation about if he would eventually re-sign a deal with Tony Khan since his brother Jeff still had at least a few months left on his contract, or if he would test the free agency market. Last weekend, Matt Hardy not only returned to TNA at their Rebellion event, he also brought back the "Broken" gimmick.

It's a testament to Matt's longevity, as he somehow managed to jump between organizations, and more often than not, keep himself in the conversation one way or another after a thirty year career. Give credit where it's due, there was a time in the early-2010s that Matt's career could've become a cautionary tale, but thankfully, he recovered from a bleak period in his life.

That being said, I'm not sure what there was left for him to do in All Elite Wrestling because after four years on the roster, he was completely lost in the shuffle and was more or less irrelevant over the past year or so. The combination of Jeff Hardy's DUI arrest in mid-2022 and injuries he suffered, including the concussion that currently has him on the sidelines, ruined the chances of a Hardy Boys reunion or retirement tour in All Elite Wrestling. When Jeff was off of television following the DUI arrest, the momentum of Matt's AEW tenure was completely stalled because his direction in the organization was shifted toward a Hardy Boys run that wasn't going to happen. Furthermore, with another reckless decision to drive intoxicated and the legal consequences of it, it was difficult for management to truly invest the TV time and promotional dollars into the Hardy Boys as a team because you don't know if Jeff will be available for television. In that respect, you can't blame the office for regulating the Hardys to Rampage prior to the concussion that put Jeff on the shelf because at some point, it becomes a risk to promote him.

That basically left Matt Hardy without anything of importance to do on the show, and unfortunately, that can be said for a lot of talented athletes on the All Elite roster.

According to Matt Hardy, All Elite offered him a new deal, but he didn't discuss details. Sure, Hardy could've continued to take the money, which isn't a terrible idea at this point in his career, but he might want to take the final years of his career to wrestle matches rather than watch the show from catering each week. In truth, if Matt was going to go anywhere else, TNA was probably the place for him, as it will allow him to retread the broken gimmick that he started there years ago, and it's also a way for him to work the character rather than continue to take bumps at almost 50 years old. It works well for the Anthem-owned company as well since they will take what they can get in terms of star power, and there's no doubt that The Hardys' fan base has continued to follow their careers over the years. With TNA touring more often, albeit in smaller venues, The Hardys can definitely be a draw for the live audience, even if they're passed their in-ring prime. That's nothing wrong with that either, using the cache that was build over the course of a career to add a few more years is one of the perks of being a star, and it's a decent business move.

Obviously, Matt Hardy will be a big fish in a relatively small pond, but it's another fresh run to make decent money and he's getting the chance to compete again. I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff isn't too far behind his brother when his AEW deal expires, but for now, the question is, outside of the artificial return pop, what will Matt Hardy do in TNA?

As much as I will acknowledge that Matt Hardy tapped into something that found a niche with the cinematic matches and the broken gimmick, it's just not for me. It's too hokey and too phony. At the time that it got fans talking years ago, it seemed more like "LOL wrestling" rather than some revolutionary concept. But, that's not to take away from the fact that Matt added a completely new chapter to his career and it was popular enough that he used a version of the character when he returned to WWE.

However, I'm not sure that "Broken" Matt Hardy should be teleporting around the arena or appearing in cinematic segments with roman candles in 2024.

When Matt did the deletion matches in TNA eight years ago, the company was on the brink of collapse, and in truth, the organization looked for anything to try to get them some hype as the future of the promotion was in doubt. As far as the promos, the mannerisms, and the chants, those are aspects that can probably still work within the current TNA product, but aside from being too goofy, even the teleportation stuff is "been there, done that." Considering that the company rebranded back to its original initials and landed a few free agent signings, should they really take the presentation of the product back almost a decade with more cinematic content? For an organization that put a lot of stock into a new era at the start of the year, recycling those niche concepts might actual hinder its attempt to bring something new to the modern wrestling landscape.

We've heard rumblings of TNA and the WWE possibly working together, and it makes sense, as the Anthem product isn't a threat to the TKO corporation's market share, and there could be certain opportunities that can be a win-win for everyone involved. For example, Jordynne Grace appeared in the women's Royal Rumble match earlier this year, and it added an extra spotlight to both the segment and TNA as a group. So, it might not be too difficult for Matt Hardy to be able to appear for WWE, even if he's technically under a TNA contract. With the vignettes that seem to imply the return of Bo Dallas, and speculation that Erik Rowan and Alexa Bliss will join him to form a Wyatt-inspired stable, it's possible that Matt might be added to the faction since he had a tag team run with the late Bray Wyatt. In some ways, the broken gimmick might work really well with the Wyatt stable.

Overall, Matt Hardy resurfacing in TNA isn't really a ground-breaking story, as it was probably the only place that he'd get the chance to have a fresh run. More than anything to do with TNA, it speaks volumes about Matt's ability as a performer to land another national contract. While Matt Hardy doesn't necessarily move the needle in 2024, it's still a wise signing for Anthem because as mentioned, it's definitely a boost for live event tickets. The biggest takeaway might be the current status of the industry and the options that the talent has on the free agent market.

WWE releases

Last week, the WWE announced that they cut five wrestlers from the roster, not anything near the mass releases around April each year in the past, but still an indication that the billion dollar corporation will continue to run like a true business, releasing talent if there isn't anything for them from the creative team.

Xyon Quinn was given a pink slip, and the only reason that this release was surprising was that most people probably forgot that Quinn was on the roster. The 34-year-old former rugby player inked a WWE developmental deal almost six years ago and worked on the NXT brand for a few years, debuting in 2020 before he appeared sporadically on the main roster throughout the past year. All things considered, Quinn was a WWE project, as far as he was recruited to be in the WWE system and was trained specifically for WWE television without any prior wrestling experience. There's not necessarily anything wrong with that, especially with the top notch coaches that work with the developmental talent at the Performance Center, but it takes an athlete with an incredible aptitude for sports entertainment to progress to a level where they are ready for national television within only a few years of the first time that they stepped into a ring.

Obviously, Xyon Quinn was a good athlete with the rugby background, but he never really stood out as someone that seemed destined for major success within the major leagues of pro wrestling. He was a WWE project that worked like a WWE project, but didn't seem to be on the cusp of any break out success in terms of being able to work at a level that would've gotten over with the national television audience. He was okay in the ring, but nothing spectacular and seemed to be an average WWE project at best.

As far as why he would get the axe, it was probably a combination of a lack of anything from the writing team, and the fact that the company invested nearly six years into his development as a performer. Granted, the pandemic had a major effect on the industry, but the point is, Quinn was on the payroll for six years, including when dozens of wrestlers were released during the shut down so if he didn't reach the next level yet, there probably wasn't a reason for the company to continue to invest money into him as a project. Speaking of which, since he was signed specifically as a WWE project, it's doubtful that he will continue to pursuit the sport.

Another release that was added to the list earlier this week was Von Wagner, a second generation wrestler that only had five matches on the NXT brand this year. Wagner seemed to have the size and the athleticism that the company looks for, but for whatever reason, he didn't have the opportunity or the skill set to make the jump to the main roster. In some ways, he's in the same boat as Xvon Quinn, the company inked Wagner to a deal in 2019 so he was near the five-year mark of working within the developmental system. At some point, the office had to see the potential to move him to the bigger platform of the main roster or decide to release him, because again there's a five-year investment from the organization. The main difference between Quinn and Wagner is that at just 29, the second generation grappler has time to find himself and evolve his career in other promotions to become a more complete performer. It will be interesting to see what he does next since the argument could be made that he just needs the opportunity to evolve and he might be an asset for a pro wrestling group.

Another athlete that was recruited by WWE and was also released was Veer Mahaan, a former pro baseball player that spent the majority of his baseball tenure in the minor leagues, but achieved notoriety for being the first Indian player to be signed to a MLB team. Similar to Xvon Quinn in the WWE developmental system, Veer inked a WWE contract in 2018. Veer had the look of a monster, even if his in-ring work was somewhat flat at times. In fact, he had a few different stints on Raw, and it almost became comical that vignettes would air for weeks to hype his arrival but it didn't lead to a debut. If I had to guess, I'd say management probably didn't see enough improvement in the ring to try to repackage him again so they released him. There are only so many times a performer can be repackaged before the organization has to put its resources and invest the TV time elsewhere. The same can be said for his tag team partner, Sanga, who was also released. Sanga wasn't a terrible performer, but he was just another name on the roster and ultimately, he's an expendable talent.

However, there were a few talents that were cut from the company that were surprising releases.

Among the initial list last week, former WWE champion, Jinder Mahal was a name that you wouldn't have expected to see. In the early-2010s, Mahal had a mid-card stint in the company when he eventually worked as a comedy figure in the 3MB stable. He was released in 2014 and spent almost two years outside of the organization, getting himself in great shape during his time off. There was speculation online about how Jinder made such a transformation to his body, but let's just assume that he had a lot of Icopro and a regular exercise routine. More because of his look at the time, Jinder won the WWE championship in 2017 when he beat Randy Orton for the title. He had a rather undistinguished six-month reign and was eventually shuffled back down the card. He was booked with Veer and Sanga, but the trio had limited TV time. Jinder worked just six matches last year and eight matches this year so despite his prior accomplishments with the company, this might be a situation where the writing team didn't have anything for him, especially if Veer and Sanga were already released. Still, it's surprising because with as much potential as you've heard about the Indian market in recent years, and with the WWE's expansion of more international events under the TKO banner, you'd think that Jinder would be kept on the roster, if for nothing else than being spotlighted as the top star of those potential overseas events.

It was somewhat puzzling that Xia Li was released because despite a cup of coffee on the main roster, she didn't really get the chance to do much in the company outside of her time in NXT. Maybe management didn't see enough progress to move her to the main roster full-time or maybe there wasn't a spot for her on the main roster, given the depth the division has, but between decent in-ring skills and the flashy entrance, it just seemed like he would accomplish more on the main roster.

The most surprising release was  Cameron Grimes, considering that the young grappler had a lot of success and popularity during his NXT run. For whatever reason, after he was brought to Smackdown last year, he was used as an enhancement talent, which was completely counterproductive to anything that was established during the stint in NXT previously. Cameron Grimes is a talent with all the tools to be successful and an asset to a promotion, he just wasn't given the chance on the main roster. At just 30, Grimes still has the prime of his career ahead of him, while he has enough experience on television to already be set to make an impact in another promotion. I'm not sure where Trevor Lee will go next, but he will undoubtedly be an asset to any company in the industry.

The career of Elijah Dean

"The first time I ever stepped in his ring, I just knew"

Elijah Dean, a Pittsburgh-based pro wrestler that ranks among the best on the independent circuit, felt at home the first time the soles of his shoes touched the woven canvas of a wrestling ring. No, it wasn't his first day of training to pursue the sport, that would come a few years later at a converted storage facility, but rather alongside one of his high school pals that bought an actual ring to put in his backyard. The enthusiastic teenage that was able to convince his parents to allow him to put a pro ring on their property was current 2PW champion, Jami Jameson.

Elijah and Jami remain boned to this day more than a decade later through their shared passion of the ring, both accomplished champions in the sport that they emulated as teenagers before they finished their math homework that night.

"Elijah Dean, whether it be friend or foe, he is one of the best in the game. He truly sets the standard for the western Pennsylvania pro wrestling scene," said Jameson.

From the time their teenage wrestling shenanigans quite literally drew a crowd of neighbors to see what the rascals were up to, Elijah Dean stayed laser focused on his goal to compete as an actual pro wrestler, knowing the house party contests were fun, but only a way to experience the sport before he took the steps to become a legitimate professional performer.

Dean stuck to the plan, as he signed up to train at the IWC Wrestling Academy when he was just 18. The training center is associated with the International Wrestling Cartel, an organization that was originally founded by radio persona, Bubba The Bulldog and then run successfully for nearly a decade under the direction of Norm Connors, the godfather of the Pittsburgh independent scene. Ownership changed hands throughout the years, with Justin Plummer, a former video host for the organization, promoting the brand very successfully for the past several years. Regardless of who ran the promotion, the IWC maintains its reputation as the group that brought the biggest stars in the industry to the region.

"I attended IWC shows during high school, it was the first ever indy company I saw," said Dean of what led to his initial decision to choose the IWC school as his place of pro wrestling education.

Similar to the promotion itself, which has seen stars of the area rotate as the staples of different eras of the company, the IWC school saw a myriad of trainers over the years to help keep the philosophy and training regiment fresh for aspiring hopefuls. When Elijah Dean walked into the facility and saw the same IWC logo on the wall that he was so familiar with in 2017, Chris LeRusso, a more than 20-year pro with an accomplished tenure of zigzagging across the independent scene over those two decades, was the man tasked with his wrestling education.

"First, let me say that there isn’t a better trainer around than LeRusso. The dedication he put in to helping Pittsburgh wrestling should be respected a lot more. The most important thing I’d say I learned was just to respect everyone. Don’t be the guy that somebody doesn’t want to be around," Dean said of his earliest lessons inside the ring ropes.

“The thing most people notice about Dime is, his supreme confidence, but it’s not unfounded. I’ve seen this man transform his body in the time he’s been in the business. He has always been in good shape, but he’s next level now. I’ve seen someone who had great natural talent and charisma also become a great student of the game, and one of the more cerebral and intellectual wrestlers in the area. He is confident because he has put in the time and discipline and he knows how good he is," added Chris LeRusso, who is also the current matchmaker for Ryse Wrestling.

Similar to how he felt at home the first time he stepped into a wrestling ring as a teenager, when "The Man Dime" Elijah Dean, his brash over-the-top in-ring persona, laced up actual wrestling boots for his pro debut in 2018, many in attendance saw the natural poise he had for the squared circle. Despite being in his rookie year of the sport, Dean showed skills well beyond his level of experience, prompting many to tout the bright future they saw for him in the genre.

After a few years of one of the top young lions of the industry, the momentum that Dean, and the rest of the wrestling world had was stalled by the global pandemic in 2020. IWC promoter, Justin Plummer went to extra lengths to continue to provide events for his audience, running limited capacity events in doors, while promoting outdoor events at the Washington Wild Things minor league baseball park to allow for socially distanced seating for the fans. For Dean, he was paired with another youngster that was also considered a natural by many, the equally brash Zach Nystrom, forming the duo Money Shot, a tag team that had an extensive reign as IWC tag team champions.

“I have insight like nobody else. We’ve spent countless hours training together, traveling in the car together, and hundreds of matches preforming together. The number one thing that sticks out about him through all of that time together is his drive and vision. Whether it’s workout plans, promos, matches or anything else there are very few that can speak things into existence like he can. I’ve seen it happen time and time again he comes up with a vision, creates a plan, and executes it through tireless hard work," commented Nystrom.

After pandemic restrictions were lifted and with a successful tag title run, Elijah Dean looked for the top prize in the organization, the IWC heavyweight championship, a title that he saw defended years earlier from the front row of the audience. Dean obtained that goal, defeating the stellar Bill Collier for the belt in mid-2022. After he six-month tenure as champion, he lost a highly competitive bout against Collier and departed IWC.

Dean spent last year focused on tag team bouts with Nystrom, winning multiple tag titles, including the Ryse Wrestling and Absolute Intense Wrestling tag team championships with simultaneous reigns in each organization. It wasn't until Money Shot held the Ryse tag belts for almost a full calendar year that they lost the belts last December. With another historic tag title reign on his resume, Dean looked to return to where it all started for him, the International Wrestling Cartel.

After more than a year away, the venue in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, the home base for IWC for the past 18 years, erupted when "The Man Dime" walked back into the building in February. He challenged Collier for the championship the following month, losing a very evenly-matched bout, but now finds himself at odds with Plummer.

"My return to IWC thus far has been nothing short of incredible. I’m in a very different head space from the last time I was there in 2022. I’ve matured a lot. I like to see all promotions in Pittsburgh strive and do big things. But IWC is my home, and where I started. So, this run to me is extremely personal. I look forward to helping the younger guys on that roster grow, and it’s going to be a very memorable moment when I get my hands on that slimy punk Justin Plummer," remarked Dean.

Along with his IWC return, Elijah, a fitness fanatic since he was in middle school, launched his personal training business, offering workout and meal plans online or in-person for clients that look to focus on their health goals.

"As far as my training plans go, currently that’s something I’m putting a lot of time and effort into. I believe that a big key to happiness in life is having good health. Health is wealth. Currently, I’m offering workout & diet routines, and as of recently, I’m starting to take in person clients. No matter what a person's goal is, I believe I can help, mainly because I care about helping. That’s what separates me from a lot, I believe. It’s not just about the money. Everybody’s body and genetics are different, so it’s all about finding out what works for you," Elijah explained.

"It’s safe to say if you want to set a goal and actually follow through and achieve it I couldn’t recommend anyone better to have in your corner than him,” added Nystrom.

At just 25, despite the slew of accomplishments already, Elijah Dean has yet to enter the prime of his career, with undoubtedly a bright future in the pro wrestling industry. The first time he stepped into a wrestling ring was in Jami Jameson's backyard when he was a teenager. The next time he steps into the squared circle will be this Saturday when he competes at the CFS Bank Event Center, the historic venue formerly known as The Rostraver Ice Garden. Dean is set to compete against Plummer's hand-picked opponent, Anthony Catena as a part of the IWC Superstar Showdown, an event that will feature Team 3D, Tommy Dreamer, Teddy Long, Ron Simmons, and other stars.

Dynasty review

The first ever AEW Dynasty pay-per-view was held in St. Louis, a historical pro wrestling city built by Sam Muchnick, Larry Matysik and others of the territory era. The live crowd reflected that as they stayed involved in the action throughout the night, despite the fact that the runtime of the broadcast was just over four hours. The main card had nine matches, which again proved to be problematic at certain points, but that's basically just the nature of Tony Khan pay-per-view cards. While Revolution had a much better pace last month with bouts that had shorter times than some of the more featured contests, Dynasty fell into the typical Khan PPV pitfall of an obligatory 20-minute slot for almost the entire card without taking into account if the match up or the storyline around it justified that amount of time for the segment.

I have to be honest, I was very surprised that Kazuchika Okada, former IWGP Heavyweight champion and one of Tony's recent high-priced acquisitions, opened the show with the Continental title defense. Okada, given his standing among the diehard All Elite audience that is willing to order the $50 pay-per-views and the skills he brings to the table, simply isn't an opening match guy. It's more about the presentation and the message that it sends rather than anything that is beneath him. Reportedly, Khan paid Okada some hefty cash and rightfully so, to leave the top spot in New Japan and move to the United States. Granted, with the financial security that such a contract brings, it's difficult to image that Okada is going to complain about where he's scheduled on the card, but again, based on the level of investment that the company made in the Japanese superstar, putting him on first doesn't spotlight him as the main event talent that he should be. On the flip side, a co-main event spot continues to give the impression that the signing of New Japan's top star was a big deal, and it is.

As far as the match itself, it was essentially what you'd expect from two excellent workers like these two grapplers. Everything they did was crisp and smooth. The opening sequences of technical exchanges was top notch pro wrestling and emphasized their talent. As the match progressed there was a DDT spot that looked brutal, and throughout the contest, Okada occasionally gave a smirk, generating jeers from the crowd. The character work is really valuable stuff, as it will give more depth to Okada's character and thus more can be done with him in storyline for hopefully a bigger spot on pay-per-view. The counters toward the finish of the match were very well done and it built toward the conclusion. Okada retained the belt for a really solid bout.

The problem is, particularly with Pac's sporadic at best schedule, is that this match-up was basically a one-off that has very little impact in the grand scheme of things. Pac's agreement with All Elite is rather odd, as he is only on television for a handful of appearances once every few months so despite his stellar talent, he's not on the show long enough to truly get over or stay over with the audience. His lack of regular appearances don't allow for the audience to get the chance to invest in his character or the direction his persona takes on the shows. So, that reduces his work in All Elite to just the move set, including a great moonsault to the outside during the bout with Okada, but there are a lot of great in-ring talents on the AEW roster so it's somewhat puzzling why Pac is still signed to the company without a regular schedule. For an organization that is desperate to draw TV ratings, Pac isn't a guy that can help move the needle since he's not on the show enough to make a difference. Furthermore, as talented as he is, if he's not there enough to get over beyond the move set, would it truly make a difference if he was released? Don't get me wrong, Pac is a tremendous talent, but his standing within the company is minimal since he's often not there so the Okada bout was almost an exhibition.

In some ways, you could make the argument that part-time Pac isn't the best use of the British athlete, or that maybe booking Okada in the opener didn't emphasize his star power. In a similar fashion, the six man tag team contest that saw Adam Copeland, Mark Briscoe, and Eddie Kingston compete against The House of Black was another case of miscast talent on this show. The former Edge didn't leave the comfort of the WWE and the relatively easy paycheck he could've collected until he decided to hang up his boots for peanuts. He's another high-priced talent on the All Elite roster, and so far, all that he has done was rehash history from the WWE. Sure, the feud with Christian was good storytelling, but should it have been the first angle that he did in All Elite? Copeland debuted in AEW four months ago, working a dozen matches so far, but hasn't competed against any of the top stars on the All Elite roster. At 50, Copeland is obviously at the latter stages of his career, there should be a priority to get some of those marquee matches that are unique commodities that can be promoted for the organization. Within four months, the guy that looked like a major signing is booked in a throwaway tag in the second match of a four-hour card.

The optics look like this contest was booked just to shoehorn a few extra names on the card. As great as The House of Black are, taking into account that they don't seem to want to do the job for opponents too often, or at least that was the rumor, and the concept of a trios division is still very flimsy, they could've worked a six man tag on the preshow to allow for better use of PPV time. Eddie Kingston is still one of the most over stars on the roster, and I really think a lot more can be done with him from a storyline perspective, but he's also in a random six man for the second match of the night. The match itself was fun, as it had a lot of action and showcased each participant, but unless there's some angle to develop from this, and there might be, then it was just another PPV exhibition. The finish saw Copeland get pinned after taking the mist to the face so perhaps there will be more to the storyline in the next few weeks.

I've already mentioned that presentation can impact perception, and that was also the case with the TBS championship contest, as it went just five minutes, giving a clear indication of the lack of faith that the office has in the disarray of the women's division. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that Julia Hart is dealing with an injury, and it that is accurate then the argument could be made that the switch should've been done on television to allow for a better representation of the women's division on the bigger star of the pay-per-view. If the belt switches in five minutes on TV, there's not much that can be taken from it, considering that there was timing issues with TBS broadcasts on a semi-regular basis, but for such a short match at Dynasty, it gives the impression that management didn't trust the quality of a longer contest. Willow got the win to claim the title, and a match against Mercedes Mone was announced for Double or Nothing next month.

The International title means very little among the pro wrestling landscape, but Roderick Strong/Kyle O'Reilly was a really solid bout that added a lot of substance to the card in terms of quality, especially for an event that had the primary selling point of work rate over storylines. Sure, it was similar to contests that they've had before, but again, quality is quality, as far as physical and solid pro wrestling. Strong retained the belt, and Adam Cole made a rather pointless cameo appear to show the fans that he doesn't need the wheelchair, which more or less ruined any element of surprise that could've been used when he's actually ready to to return to the ring. He just showed up, walked down the ramp, and stood in the ring. He's a superb talent, but he didn't look like the leader of a faction or a star in this segment.

Speaking of pointless, the FTW title match didn't do anything to help anyone, not Chris Jericho, Hook, or the viewing audience. Make no mistake about it, in many respects, Chris Jericho is in a league of his own, but at 53, he's understandably beginning to show his age in the ring. For a guy that was always ahead of the curve and reinvented himself to stay fresh, the fact that he had to go back to the Lion Heart moniker might be an indication that it's time to hang up the boots. When you add the controversy that made the rounds online a few months ago and wasn't ever addressed or disputed, it doesn't endear him to the audience. The bout had its moments with a brutal suplex from the apron to the floor through a table and another suplex when Jericho had a trash can over his head, but the bulk of the match was very clunky and flat. There was no pace and it almost exposed Jericho for being maybe a step or two behind at some points. Hook actually kicked out of the Judas Effect, a finisher that was protected, but it didn't get a reaction from the crowd because the segment had no momentum at all. It didn't help that Jericho won the FTW title because there's a fine line between working with younger talent to help elevate them, and working with younger talent to try to stay relevant. Unfortunately, it appeared to be the latter in this segment. So far, this storyline made Hook seem aloof, and unless there are some better plans for him in the future, he might want to try to get a tryout with WWE. Maybe this angle would've worked better a year or so again when he still had a surge in popularity, but they might've missed the boat on that opportunity. Jericho won the title, but there weren't any winners in this segment.

The Women's title match was fine, nothing subpar, but nothing too spectacular either. Thunder Rosa isn't nearly as popular as she was prior to the injury that put her on the shelf for an extended period of time or the speculation that she was difficult to work with backstage. The segment went 15 minutes and they could've accomplished the same narrative in about half of the time so the pacing wasn't ideal. Toni Storm retained the title, and she's a really good performer, but there women's division lacks the depth of capable opponents to challenge her for the championship.

At this point in the show, the event was a mixed bag in terms of quality, but the last three matches were truly the meat of the matter so to speak. If the final portion of the PPV delivered then you could chalk Dynasty up as a success. Of course, Dave Meltzer already proclaimed that Will Ospreay/Bryan Danielson was potentially the greatest match ever, which is completely misguided. With Kenny Omega injured indefinitely and in the latter stages of his career, Meltzer picked a stellar athlete ten years younger to bet his contrarian chips on now. It gives Meltzer a debatable topic to continue to keep his newsletter in the conversation. No matter how well Cody or The Rock draw for WWE, Meltzer will counter with, "but they aren't Will Ospreay." Sure, it's a completely one-dimensional viewpoint, but it serves his base, which is a very smart business move.

That being said, Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay was a classic and an incredible performance from both of them. I'm just not going to jump to the conclusion that it was a better drama than Bret/Stone Cold or as epic as Misawa vs. Kawada, especially because Meltzer makes those claims more to serve an agenda than anything else.

The crisp and fast-paced action was tremendous. There was an exciting pace to the contest that kept the audience involved as the momentum tilted back and fourth. Similar to Ospreay/Konosuke Takeshita at Revolution last month, when you have two of the best in-ring workers in the business, in this case, Ospreay and Danielson working this type of style, anyone else that tries to compete with the same style on the show seems completely secondary. The spot where Danielson intercepted the British grappler with a knee strike was incredible. Ironically, the only portion of the bout that I completely disagreed with was the finish. Ospreay got the victory, which is completely fine, he has the potential to be a major deal for All Elite in the future. However, the worked injury was low brow, completely unnecessary, and added nothing to the segment. In the modern era, head injuries or neck injuries being used in storylines seem sleazy. That becomes even more apparent when a neck injury is used for an angle with a guy that has a history of very serious head injuries.

The Tag Team title ladder match was the car crash segment you'd expect and there were definitely some dangerous moments, particularly when Dax looks like he slipped when he landed a pile driver on the ladder. This segment had the thrills and bumps that made it stand out. The finish saw Jack Perry return to the company to help The Young Bucks win the championships. This comeback from an eight-month suspension was booked after the backstage fight footage was aired on Dynamite. Given his comments in the past and the way that he conducted himself at Wembley Stadium, I honestly don't think that Perry has the mindset to ever be a major star in pro wrestling. I still don't think airing the footage was a good idea and it definitely won't do anything to propel Perry's career. He was choked and had no offense in the backstage fight. His return right after the footage aired is pointless because there's no payoff for AEW. Perry gets heat because he was the guy that ultimately cost the company CM Punk, but the real-life Phil Brooks works for WWE so it's not as though Tony Khan can book Punk/Perry to get a payoff or draw money from this fiasco. As I wrote previously, Jack Perry is expendable so I don't think anything of importance will be possible with this return to the company.

Samoa Joe vs. Swerve was a quality main event match. Everything they did was solid and there was a level of drama as the match built toward the conclusion. The only problem was, the audience just saw the dazzling 30-minute spot fest of Ospreay/Danielson and then the car crash ladder match with FTR/The Bucks so there just wasn't a lot of new ground for them to cover on the pay-per-view. Joe was essentially used as a transitional champion, and that's not completely a negative, but all things considered, he should've been used for more than that. In many ways, the bulk of his four-month title reign consisted of him booked as the third wheel in the Swerve/Adam Page feud. I still don't get exactly what Strickland's character is supposed to be, but he's undoubtedly very popular with the AEW audience so this was a wise decision. That might be the biggest takeaway from the entire pay-per-view, the company needed something positive take place after the past few weeks of negative publicity, and the Swerve victory gives the organization a great moment to highlight the conclusion of the pay-per-view.

Rhea Ripley injured

Usually, there's somewhat of a "reset" within the landscape of the WWE following the peak of Wrestlemania after the culmination of many storylines, and it's almost somewhat of a natural decline in momentum because fresh angles have to start to build again. Management understands this and looks to use the draft to kick start a fresh direction of the product with shuffling the deck as far as the talent that works together on specific shows. With that, the post-WM programming can sometimes be used as a way to put the pieces of the puzzle in place for the new direction rather than the immediate sizzle of angles, especially if WWE brass plans to save those big storyline moments for after the draft.

That being said, Raw this past Monday was extremely newsworthy, probably even more so than anything that will be revealed or set up at the draft episode.

The show opened with the biggest news of the week, as Rhea Ripley revealed that she was forced to vacate the Women's championship after she suffered a shoulder injury. As of this writing, it's not known if she will require surgery, but according to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, it would put her on the shelf for 3-4 months, depending on the severity of the injury. Assuming there's minimal damage, that opens the door for Ripley to be back in time for Summer Slam in August, but it's important to keep in mind that the extent of the injury will be key to determine what stage might host her return. Her recovery in time for Summer Slam isn't a given yet so it will be interesting to see the direction the women's title scene takes while she's on the sidelines.

Obviously, it's very unfortunate that she suffered an injury after such a high profile match at Wrestlemania 40 during such a wave of momentum as one of the most popular stars on the roster, but I really don't think that the injury will truly hinder her career path. Despite being the champion ahead of WM, the win against a star the level of Becky Lynch was still somewhat of a coronation for Ripley as a bonafide star so there was still a lot of mileage for her as the champion on Raw.

However, the ability to turn a negative into a positive exists with this situation, as regardless of her role as a heel in The Judgment Day, she was being cheered on a regular basis by the audience so this allows her to return as a baby face. At the same time, since the injury happened in a brawl with Liv Morgan, it will elevate her stock as a heel on the show, and thus there will be a natural rivalry for the championship when Ripley is back on Raw.

Speaking of The Judgment Day, Damien Priest, who won the world championship after the MITB cash-in at WM, will be elevated, at least for the time being in that role on Raw. It will be intriguing to see if management runs with Priest or if he's used in the role of a transitional champion. More specifically, that decision might be determined by who gets drafted to the Monday night show, especially if you take into account that the brand will be somewhat thin on star power until the rosters get shuffled around. Cody Rhodes did a promo that implied that he will be back on Smackdown since he won Roman Reigns' belt, Seth Rollins is scheduled to take time off, Ripley is injured, Punk is on the sidelines, and Drew McIntyre's status is unknown so there's not much to work with in terms of the main event scene right now.

The Damien Priest/Jey Uso bout that is scheduled at Backlash for the title make sense since it gives the new champion an over babyface to work with, taking into account Uso's popularity from his association and then feud with The Bloodline. At the same time, it was more or less the only option for a title match since Uso is essentially the only top baby face available at the moment. If I had to guess, I'd say that the draft will send Kevin Owens to Raw to set up for the next challanger for Preist to give him another over baby face to work with in the title scene. Sure, Priest can go in the ring, but it always helps to have an opponet that can make you look good, and Owens has always been able to do that, which is what he did for Roman Reigns early in the heel turn, and also why he was chosen as the opponet for Steve Austin when Stone Cold did a comeback match a few years ago.

Drew McIntyre, as mentioned, is currently unavailable on the Raw roster, with some speculation that he might not to resign with the company right now to be able to spend time with his family. The rumor mill suggest that McIntyre has 5-6 weeks left on his current contract. I have to be honest, while it is completely possible that he might decide to allow his current deal to expire, it’s very doubtful that he’s going anywhere outside of the WWE scope at this point in his career. In truth, it gives him much more flexibility in terms of how much time he wants to takeoff if he isn't signed for any obligations. For example, if he inks a new deal, he would have some type of timetable to be back on television within a certain amount time frame, given that you could reasonably assume that he would be working there for very good money with a new contract. On the flip side, if Drew allows his contract to expire, it gives him the choice to spend time with his family for as long as he wants and gives him more leverage for negotiations as far as when he returns to the WWE road schedule.

Some fans might want to fuel misguided speculation that Drew could make the jump to All Elite Wrestling, but the much more realistic option is that he will remain under the WWE umbrella. The wheels are already in motion for the big time CM punk match, and it’s more a matter of when the real-life Phil Brooks would be health that it takes place, not if the office would continue to spotlight the feud. The ability to work with Punk and be featured in a high profile spot, suggest that McIntyre will remain in the WWE in the future. Just for the sake of discussion, if Tony Khan wanted to throw a silly amount of money at McIntyre, you could make the flimsy argument that perhaps McIntyre would consider it, but with all of the discussion of chaos behind the scenes, AEW probably isn’t a realistic option for McIntyre . 

Finally, Sami Zayn defended his newly-won Intercontinental championship against Chad Gable in the main event segment. This was a very wise decision, both in terms of adding depth to the roster, which as mentioned previously is needed, and in the very well done post-match angle. Keep in mind, presentation is the key to emphasizing importance. Gunther had a record-breaking championship reign because of his believability and in-ring skills. However, what truly spotlighted that as much as possible was how the title run was featured on the show and thus the level of importance that it was given. Along the same lines, booking the IC title for the main event slot on television and allowing two stellar workers like Sami and Gable have the time to work a competitive bout, emphasized not only the importance of the title, but presented both athletes in a brighter spotlight than they had previously. Furthermore, the Gable heel turn was brilliant since it wasn't done in the typical cliche pro wrestling heel turn spot.