Royal Rumble review

The Royal Rumble is considered the kickoff to Wrestlemania season, and was regarded as one of the "Big Four" pay-per-views on the WWE calendar. Unfortunately, this year's edition really emphasized the difference between a pay-per-view and a "premium live event."

The show started off with the Universal title match, and the reasoning for that was probably because of the finish, but more on that later. This match was the Paul Heyman type of bout with a fireworks show of high spots throughout it to jump start the crowd. It was successful for the crowd reaction, but it also set up for a steep drop in the show afterwards, which is the downside for that type of booking. As far as the in-ring action, this was easily the best match on the show, but when you've got table spots within ten minutes of the opening bell, how do you follow it? If this was booked in the main event to conclude the show then you have a wild match to finish the event. Instead, you have table bumps and finishing moves in the opening minutes of a four-hour event so the contest isn't nearly as memorable or effective as it could've been if put at the right place on the card. More than anything, this proved that despite being booked in some absolutely horrendous scenarios that completely halted any momentum he had for the past several years, Seth Rollins is a top-notch talent. The Roman Reigns heel turn continues to be the best run of his career, and it might be because there's a noticeable lack of star power on Smackdown, but Roman should probably remain the champion for another year, he's that effective in the role of the champion. Keep in mind, this was a heel vs. heel match so the DQ finish is completely illogical. Are the fans supposed to rally behind the heel Rollins to get a fair title shot? Seth was booked in some really silly scenarios in the past few years so another defeat wasn't going to make or break his status within the company. As mentioned, it was booked like a Paul Heyman match, but it had a Vince McMahon finish, which led to a rather flat pace for the rest of the show.

The Women's Royal Rumble match was nearly an hour so there's no need to get too in-depth with it other than the few notable spots. Since the company released a few dozen wrestlers in the past year, the female Rumble had more guest stars because there simply weren't enough competitors on the roster for the full match. I'm not sure what Kelly Kelly has been doing since the last time she was in a WWE ring, but she certainly wasn't attending any training sessions. Summer Rae looked more lost here than she did during her original stint in the company. Ivory made a cool cameo and the Right To Censor persona was comical. Ivory didn't get the credit she deserves during the majority of her career so it's nice that she got a spotlight moment in the Rumble. It was nice to see Mickie James back in the WWE after she was infamously sent her belongings in a trash bag after she was released from the company. That being said, as much as some want to claim it was earth-shattering that the Impact Knockouts champion was in the Rumble, keep in mind, even in the WWE audience could find the channel that airs Impact, the product is so niche that any gained viewership would be minimal. More than anything, the footage of Mickie with the Knockouts title on WWE programming is a great way to get MLW's rather silly anti-trust lawsuit dismissed. Ronda Rousey's return was rumored and not only did she return to the company after a three-year hiatus, but she also won the match to jump the line to main event Wrestlemania again. I already wrote an article about the situation last week so I'm not going to repeat everything again, but the two major points that should be taken into consideration with this fresh Rousey run are she called the WWE fake after she left and called the fans ungrateful so other than the publicity that will appease the stockholders, is there really a demand for Ronda back in the WWE? Furthermore, at a time when the company depends on part-timers for star power, will anyone from the roster be a bigger star with Ronda in the main event?

The Raw Women's title match was fine, but got zero reaction from the audience. Supposedly, there were 44,000 fans in the building, and nobody thought it was remotely possible that Doudrop could win the title so nobody had any interest in anything that happened during the 15-minute contest. That said a lot more about the structure of the WWE product than it does about either wrestler. There's something wrong when Becky Lynch, one of the biggest stars in the entire company, is in the match that garnered the lowest crowd response. This happened later in the show as well, but when the product becomes too predictable, the fans just wait for the finish. I also want to mention that it's ridiculous that Piper Niven got stuck with the name "Doudrop" because it's literally just a way to mock her and it's completely counterproductive to make a star. Becky got the win, which still got a mediocre reaction.

Similar to Roman/Rollins, the WWE title match was a Paul Heyman style contest for a 10-minute bout that was very physical and a fast-paced in the ring. The match was entertaining for what it was, but it  wasn't anything more than what we've already seen from the Brock Lesnar playbook, which is why it had to be kept relatively short. The much bigger problem was the booking for this match and the rest of the card was so predictable that the broadcast was more or less put on autopilot until it went off the air. Management had to call an audible when Roman was off of the Day One pay-per-view with COVID so Brock was booked to win the WWE title. Brock/Roman is still the plan for WM 38 so the office had to figure out a way to get to that destination without both of them being champions. I understand it's easy booking, but sometimes if something is too obvious, it takes away from the show. Of course, Reigns was going to cost Lesnar the title so that Brock could enter at number thirty to win the Rumble and management could get to their original main event. When you know the finish, does the rest of the segment actually matter?

Speaking of easy booking, as I wrote before the mixed tag of Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz and Maryse was a story that wrote itself, but was there really a demand for an Edge/Mix feud? If not, the office should've let Edge stay home. Edge and Beth got the victory, but the match is skippable.

Another example of skippable was the men's Royal Rumble match because you could've skipped about 45 minutes of it without missing anything important. Outside of Shane McMahon and Bad Bunny, there were no guest appearances. Nothing against either of them, but would anyone have been disappointed if Shane and Bad Bunny weren't there? After Shane's last extended run on television, there's not much else for him to do and he had more TV time than most of the roster so it's not as though the fans are clamoring for his return. Outside of Brock at number thirty, which everyone knew, there wasn't really anything memorable about the Royal Rumble match. Drew McIntyre was one of the final two competitors in the match, but when he's feuding with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss, did anything think he was going to eliminate Lesnar? As I've written several times, I think management has recycled the Reigns/Lesnar match too many times, but they are the only athletes on the roster that consistently get booked like stars so what choice did the office have for Wrestlemania? That being said, it speaks volumes about the company's lack of ability to make new stars when the same match that was booked as the main event seven years ago will be the main event of Wrestlemania in a few months.

VHS Memoirs Volume 23

Since we're just hours away from this year's Royal Rumble, a "premium live event" that has two world title matches and two Rumbles scheduled, I wanted to write this edition of the VHS memoirs about the 1992 pay-per-view, which featured arguably the best Rumble match in history. Despite the horrendous interface of the Peacock app that had minimal improvements since the WWE Network was integrated into it almost a year ago, I found the 1992 Royal Rumble, and wanted to take a look at the entire event since most rightfully remember the main event more than the complete show.

The broadcast opened with the classic Vince McMahon introduction of the competitors for the Royal Rumble, and say what you want about him these days with the golden egg and the selfies, but in his heyday, nobody hyped an event like the emperor of sports entertainment. The opening match was The Orient Express vs. The New Foundation, Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart. When this bout was introduced, I was wondering why I had no recollection of "The Anvil" and Owen as a team at this period of time, but instead knew they formed a duo during Owen's 1994 heel run. Upon further review, it turns out that the reason I can't recall this team is because their stint was very brief, working together only three months before Neidhart left the company after a failed drug test. However, now it makes sense all these years later as to why "The Anvil's" Hasbro figure had High Energy gear instead of his traditional attire. Speaking of High Energy, that would also explain how Koko B. Ware and Owen became a team because the New Foundation gimmick was completely transferred to High Energy with the only difference being that Koko took  Neidhart's place. The outfits and the persona were entirely the same.

As far the actual match, it went twenty minutes, something that was rare for WWF programming at the time, even for pay-per-view. The match had a few flat points, but overall, it was very entertaining with a lot of fast-paced action with maneuvers that weren't often seen in the company. Paul Diamond, who appeared under a mask as Kato, did fine, but Pat Tanaka really showed why he was an underrated talent during most of his career. The exchanges with Owen and the bumps that Tanaka took were the highlights of this bout. Something to mention about the bumps from this match, the WWF rings were notoriously stiff up until around the year 2000, and you can definitely see that there was almost no given upon impact during some of the bumps that Tanaka took in this contest. The New Foundation got the win in a solid match.

Next up was The Mountie, who won the Intercontinental title at a house show just two days prior, vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper for the championship. In reality, the switch was done to use The Mountie as a very, very brief transitional champion to set up the classic Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper bout a few months later at WM 8, but the on-screen drama of how the angle was constructed to still make Bret look strong in defeat was pro wrestling storytelling 101 in this segment. Supposedly, Bret had 104 degree temperature and competed against doctor's orders because he was a fighting champion so even in defeat the classic baby face didn't want to let the fans down. It also gave a reason for Bret to challenge Piper because the former champion didn't lose the belt at 100% so if Piper wanted to prove he was the IC titleholder, he could compete against "The Hitman" when he was at full strength in the ring. The Mountie vs. Roddy Piper bout itself wasn't anything spectacular from an in-ring perspective and only went about five minutes so there's no much to discuss, but quite frankly, the quality of the match didn't matter in this situation. More than anything, this segment showed how over Piper was, and the fans went crazy when he won the IC title so mission accomplished. As incredible as the in-ring stuff of the modern era is, it should be noted that being over is more effective than just high spots.

The Beverly Brothers beat The Bushwhackers in about 15 minutes, but this match went about ten minutes too long. In many ways, this bout did the opposite of the previous contest. The Bushwhackers, who originally made their name the previous two decades as a brawling team, used a comedy gimmick, which made sense at this point in their careers. That being said, the team was over with the crowd and got a great reaction for their entrance. Unfortunately, that was the peak of this segment and the in-ring stuff was rather bland. This should've been much shorter to maximize the baby face reaction, but keep the show from dragging at this point in the broadcast. Thankfully, the banter between the legendary duo of Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan made this segment watchable. The Beverly Brothers got the win in a rather flat match.

The Natural Disasters won via count out against The Legion of Doom, who retained the tag team titles because the belts only change hands via pin fall or submission. I'm guessing this finish was booked to keep both team strong, and along with that, there wasn't much selling in this contest either. Instead of a "clash of the titans" type of bout, this is another tag contest that falls flat because there's not a lot of action and more of just stand off spots. These are two accomplished teams, but there just wasn't anything too spectacular in this contest.

The Rumble match itself is remembered for all the stacked names that were involved in the match because the WWF title was on the line so more main event talent were involved than usual, and for the commentary that enhanced the presentation. As far as why the match was as entertaining as it was, it's easy to see how the one-long bout went fast because there was an all-star team of talent booked for it. Flair, Piper, Savage, Hogan, etc. all in the same match. Heenan was absolutely tremendous throughout this match, as he was almost hysterical when Flair was the third entrant, claiming it was unfair. "The Brain" desperately cheers for the villain throughout the contest, as Monsoon reprimands him throughout the broadcast. As we known, Hulk assist with the elimination of Sid to set up their match at WM 8, and Flair wins the Rumble to claim the championship.

Will Ronda Rousey return?

The Royal Rumble is considered the kickoff of Wrestlemania season, and ahead of this weekend's "premium live event" speculation has swirled as to what tactic the WWE might use to generate some buzz toward its biggest event of the year. With Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar as one of the rumored main events and a card the company has played several times in the past, that alone won't necessarily spark more interest than it already does.

The speculation online is that former UFC and Raw Women's champion, Ronda Rousey could be scheduled for a return as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble, but would "Rowdy" Ronda bring the publicity that management wants for Wrestlemania?

The superficial answer is, yes, she's a former combat sports star that had main stream media exposure before her relatively short, but impactful MMA career abruptly ended. On the other hand, Ronda had a stint in the WWE over three years ago and it didn't necessarily go as smoothly as the office would've wanted it to go on television. As we know, professional wrestling fans are some of the most loyal, but most jaded fans of any genre, and when the audience began to boo Ronda because of some resentment toward her walking into the featured spot ahead of those regularly on the roster, she handled it the completely wrong way. If Rousey returns, the well-produced WWE video packages will be able to camouflage it, but when the audience booed her, Ronda pouted about it on live television and the visual discontent on her face fueled the perceived narrative that she thought she was entitled to sports entertainment glory simply because of her name.

Perhaps, the biggest problem for not only Rousey back in the ring, but also for the WWE to try to promote her is, after she finished up with the company in 2019, she made statements in interviews that the WWE was fake and that the fans were ungrateful so would the audience really welcome her back at the Rumble? Granted, sports entertainment is scripted, but the risks and injuries are real so there's no way to view what Ronda said other than sour grapes that she didn't get the reaction she thought she deserved during her stint in WWE. As far as the sports entertainment being scripted, that's how she claimed the Raw Women's title, and we all know what happened to her when the sport wasn't scripted in her last two UFC fights.

Aside from the fact that she didn't do much to make any WWE fans with her comments, you have to wonder if there's really a demand for Ronda to be back in the spotlight or more specifically in the WWE? Based on her major success in the UFC, movies, and WWE stint, she probably has financial security so would the PR garnered from a Ronda appearance in the Rumble be worth the money it would take it to sign her to a new contract? Keep in mind, despite being a tremendous athlete, Rousey is still a novice in pro wrestling and in many ways, her back in the title picture has a "been there, done that" atmosphere to it. "Rowdy" Ronda jumped to the front of the line to take the main event spot at WM a few years ago and received a mixed reaction at best. More importantly, booking her in the featured spot of the women's title match doesn't do anything to further solidify any of the other female talent on the roster. Remember Bianca Belair made herself a bigger star at the Rumble with the emotional post-match promo and then the win at Wrestlemania last year.

The argument could be made that there's some unfinished business with Ronda and Becky Lynch based on the goofy finish of Wrestlemania in 2019, but the question there is, would there really be a demand for a rematch based on a botched finish from three years ago? I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but Rousey debuted for the WWE after her star power began to decline following two devastating defeats in the UFC that made her quit the sport. Sure, the novelty of "Rowdy" Ronda in the WWE had an intrigue, but the story already had its time on television. Rousey decided to start a family and has been out of the spotlight for extended period of time, is anyone clamoring to see her back on television? If not, management should really consider if a Ronda return would be worth it, particularly because her comments about ungrateful fans won't do anything to help her crowd reaction.

My two cents on the matter would be no, mostly because based on her current status, Ronda Rousey is closer to former star than she is main stream draw. That being said, it's almost too easy for the WWE not to book her in a featured spot for Wrestlemania because with the MMA star on the card, the writing team doesn't have to script a compelling angle for the women's title match. Bianca's post-match interview at the Rumble set up for a narrative that was allowed the fans to rally behind her to win the title since she was presented at the classic baby face chasing the title. What's the reasoning the fans should want to see Ronda challenge for the title again? Granted, a rematch with Becky Lynch or Charlotte is on the table, but that would initially be a heel vs. heel match, which doesn't make much sense for Wrestlemania. Either way, I wouldn't be surprised if Ronda Rousey is in the women's Royal Rumble match this weekend because it definitely goes along with management's current philosophy, which is probably also why the company doesn't have nearly as much star power as in the past. I've said it before and I will say it again since the story remains the same with structure of the product, with the guaranteed money from the hefty TV contracts and the Peacock deal, a level of complacency developed within the company. Why should management take the chance to make new stars when it's much easier to book Reigns/Lesnar again and bring Ronda back to WWE? Keep in mind, the company makes the same amount of money for Royal Rumble on the Peacock app regardless of how many people watch it so why should the company change its direction?

Mustafa Ali requested release

Mustafa Ali requested his release from the WWE and made it known publicly with a post on social media, explaining that he thought he couldn't accomplish his goals. Earlier today, "#FreeAli" was trending on Twitter with the thought that the public pressure might persuade the company to grant his request, which was reportedly denied. Will this social media campaign actually work?

Ali, who initially inked a WWE contract in 2016, is rumored to have at least a few more years on his current deal so unless the organization decides to release him, there might be a stalemate, similar to the Pac situation from a few years ago. From an in-ring perspective, Ali is a very talented athlete, but there are many talented performers among the current sports entertainment landscape so that alone isn't necessarily going to ensure success. However, from a corporate perspective, Ali has all the tools that the publicly traded company wants with its talent. He's well spoken and as a former police officer, he can have a role as a community ambassador with the company. Despite that, for whatever, reason WWE brass hasn't found anything meaningful for him in the past five years.

If I had to guess, I would say that he was typecast from the start of his tenure because of his in-ring style and that skewed the office's view point of him. Keep in mind, Ali began his WWE career on 205 Live most of the time, which offers as much exposure as the witness protection program. Even when he wasn't in 205 Live purgatory, his appearances on Raw and Smackdown usually didn't involve a storyline. Did Ali have more to offer? Sure, but the same can be said for the majority of those that were stuck in the cruiser weight division.

After several months away from television, Ali resurfaced as the leader of Retribution, a stable that might end up ruining more careers than the Spirit Squad. The angle seemed more like a way for the company to try to get cheap heat based on the tension of society at the time, and despite the amount of television time it was given, I find it hard to believe that the writing team actually thought there was any longevity for the gimmick. Aside from the premise being lowbrow, the entire presentation was so goofy that again, it's doubtful anyone in the office thought that names like Slap Jack, T-Bar, and Mace would draw money. Granted, the potential of athletes behind the gimmick might be a different story, but that's also the entire point of how far off the mark the portrayal of the faction was on Raw. Aside from the premise that Slap Jack in a hockey mask trying to take down the entire WWE was a tough sell, the fact that Retribution were booked like jobbers in almost every match on TV tells you that management didn't have any solid plans for the faction. The group stated they wanted to bring down the WWE and then lost most of their matches so how exactly was the writing team trying to sell the angle to the audience?

The group disbanded after a few months on television and some of its members were eventual released, while the others, including Ali have more or less been lost in the shuffle. Ali hasn't been on Smackdown since October, and there were rumors of an argument with Vince McMahon, but that has to be taken with a grain of salt. In reality, the story is probably a lot less interesting and the writing team simply doesn't have anything for Ali to do. The whole "#FreeAli" trend on social media might be a way for jaded fans to think they're getting over on the WWE while they still spend money on the product so who actually got over? Don't get me wrong, Ali is a very good talent and has supporters, but you can't put too much stock into social media outrage because most of it is quite literally based on what's trendy at the moment. No Way Jose never has as many fans as he did after he got fired. Would the same people tweeting shade at the WWE watch every week if Ali was pushed to the moon?

As far as Ali getting a release from the company, my opinion of it is rather simple, if they aren't going to use the guy for anything, why keep him under contract? Sure, Ali will make his downside money to stay home, but for a company that released dozens of wrestlers for "budget cuts" why continue to pay Ali just to keep him on the roster? No disrespect intended, but it's not as though Ali has the star power to be a game changer somewhere else at this point so management doesn't have to keep him away from the competition. How the deck is stacked against the talent when they sign these deals and what would have to be done to change it is a completely different discussion for a different time. The bottom line is, the WWE has a contract and if they don't want to terminate the agreement early, its within their legal right to retain him on the roster.

So, why keep him under contract?

Obviously, this is just a guess on my part, but I would say that this has more to do with the WWE maintaining control of not only its leverage, but also of public perception. Within the past year, several talents have opted to simply walk away from WWE and sign with the competition. Keep in mind, All Elite Wrestling didn't just get talent that the WWE cut, there were key guys that allowed their deals to expire so they could work for another company. Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, and others decided they didn't want to work for Vince McMahon. That's not to say there was any malice involved, but when so many guys jump to another group, it begins to send the message that perhaps there's a reason for it. Should Ali get the release? Sure, but if the company caves to any social media pressure, what message does that send to the other talent? Just complain on social media and you can get what you want? I'm not saying Ali's complaints aren't valid, but rather to point out that from the office side of the scenario, the attempt to go public with the release request might not be effective. If I had to guess, I would say that this will be a situation where the company will keep Ali under contract for several months, specifically to wait until the social media buzz quiets and then release him with as little hype around him as possible. That being said, Ali is a talent performer and will have offers somewhere else. The usual guess would be AEW, but with how bloated the roster is, New Japan might be a better option for Ali to rejuvenate his career.

Jon Moxley returns

One of the most compelling aspects of the professional wrestling industry in 2022 is to see how each of the major players in the industry on a globe level take their specific products in different directions and then how other organizations react to it. For example, Adam Page as the AEW world champion is a building process as the promotion looks to solidify one of the top stars for its future. At the same time, the WWE appears to be ready to play the Brock Lesnar/Roman Reigns card again, albeit with a new coat of paint and arguably a better narrative than their original feud. MLW claims that the WWE violated anti-trust laws, which more or less translates to MLW trying to get some cash from Vince McMahon since its very doubtful that the emperor of sports entertainment would have any concern for a project that amounts to basically an independent group with a minimal television deal. As a way to help against the accusations, regardless of if it was the intention or not, Mickie James, the current Knockouts champion, will be in the Royal Rumble. Granted, this means significantly less now than it would've in TNA's heyday because quite frankly, Impact Wrestling is so scaled down that it's a "safe" option for the WWE to promote on its television. All of this is going on while it would seem like there's more business to be done with All Elite and New Japan, considering that Eddie Kingston appeared on a recent NJPW Strong show. Plus, Game Changer Wrestling, an independent group that grew from a death match niche to generate a buzz similar to ECW on different scale, will have a live pay-per-view from the sold out Hammerstein Ballroom this weekend.

Yes, the professional wrestling world is very intriguing just a few weeks into the new year.

Despite WWE's slight flexibility on the invitation for Mickie to join the Rumble, I doubt that the company would have a full-fledged working agreement with any of the main organizations in America. On the flip side, Tony Khan's willingness to incorporate other groups, including the fact that Jon Moxley will defend the GCW title at the previously mentioned Hammerstein pay-per-view, gives All Elite more options to promote something unique, which truly is key when the market is already flooded with content.

While they are a few exceptions, the nostalgia booking for the past several years gives an indication of what fans will see from McMahon programming, and in truth, there's nothing necessarily wrong with that based on the fact that the corporation has hefty guaranteed money so why change it? The pros and cons of that can be debated, but the point being, the general direction of Roman vs. Lesnar is a given. However, AEW has more variety to its booking, something that also has its pros and cons, with this week's edition of Dynamite as a prime example of it.

The show opened with Jon Moxley making his return to the company and it's great to see him healthy. The promo he cut was absolutely stellar and will be one of the more memorable segments of this era. While AEW has too much swearing on its television shows, Moxley putting the heckler in check was justified. From what I've read on social media, the "fan" yelled at Moxley to go get another drink, and Moxley dealt with the situation. Whoever said such a blatantly disgusting insult, especially at that time, deserved to be kicked out of the show. Since its a topic on social media, I will briefly address the comments that Bully Ray made about Moxley supposedly owning an apology to the fans for missing time away from the ring to attend rehab. All due respect to Bubba for everything he accomplished in his career, but he was completely off the mark with these statements. Moxley doesn't owe anyone anything and any true fan of his work would rather see him return healthy than remain on the roster if he had substance issues. Furthermore, it was known that Moxley would be away from AEW because his treatment was publicly announced so fans knew when they bought a ticket or watched Dynamite when he wouldn't be on the show. Bubba wouldn't ask for a performer to apologize for an injury so he shouldn't ask Moxley to apologize for rehab.

The Kris Statlander/Orange Cassidy vs. Adam Cole/Britt Baker match was fine, but the table spot where Baker went through the table was completely pointless and accomplished nothing. In general, there are way too many table spots used in AEW and at this point, it has more or less completely devalued the effectiveness of the spot. Just over an hour after Baker went through a table for more or less no reason, Sting awkwardly dove through a table in the main event. Neither spot accomplished anything, but to put them on the same show continues to take away any value from using gimmicks in matches. Perhaps, this is because Tony Khan is known as an ECW fan, and don't get me wrong, the extreme company that was based in south Philly revolutionized an entire industry in the 90s, but ECW had its day, and if you look back at some of the content now, particularly with an objective viewpoint, table spots were completely overused when Paul Heyman substituted gimmicks for the lack of star power when the company didn't have as much depth in its latter years. There wasn't really a need for the tables that were used in Super Crazy vs. Tajiri matches the same way there wasn't a reason for a table to be used in any of the matches on Dynamite. If someone gets put through a table, use it to enhance a feud, not as a throwaway spot on a random episode.

Along the same lines, there's entirely too much swearing on AEW programming and it really has lost its effectiveness. When used at the right time, some profanity can emphasize an angle or a promo, but the language is used on AEW television simply because more can be said on cable now than in the past few years. Roddy Piper mentioned it in a shoot interview years ago, if someone has to swear in a promo to get the point across then it's a lack of talent. AEW has too many talented performers to have to use a crutch of profanity on the show.

The Cody Rhodes promo was very well done, and while I think the audience has already made the decision that booing Cody is what they are going to do because it became trendy for AEW shows, if anything is going to get the audiences on his side, it was this particular promo. Cody is a stellar performer and despite the tremendous additions to the company, he's still one of the most talented on the roster. That said, hot-shotting a title vs. title ladder match is completely unnecessary. The argument could be made that booking an interim champion when Cody was only off the show for a week was unnecessary too, but if that's the direction of the angle, at least build up the title vs. title aspect and then put the gimmick match on pay-per-view. I'm not trying to be too critical, but much more can be done with this type of angle than a one week run on television. If Sammy racks up title defenses, it adds to his credibility as the interim champion so then the question for the audience is, "who is the legitimate TNT champion?" and it provides enough longevity for the angle to get the ladder match booked on pay-per-view. More specifically, why exactly is this going to be a ladder match? There was no actual justification for it other than Cody had a ladder set up in the ring for the promo. In reality, this is probably Tony Khan's way of attempting to duplicate the Razor Ramon/Shawn Micheals IC title feud, but keep in mind that their ladder match was booked for a Wrestlemania, the biggest show on the calendar. I could be wrong, but with the way the feud is being rushed, this seems more like a way for Tony Khan to copy an angle he watched as a fan than a storyline that is booked to make the biggest impact possible for the company.

I wasn't a fan of the rather quick squash from The House of Black against the Varsity Blonds, specifically because while I understand that Brody and Black had to be put over strong, there are probably more than a dozen other wrestlers that are lower card talent that could've been used for that role instead of squashing a younger team that has potential as something more than just matches on Dark. This is why the Youtube shows are more or less irrelevant in the grand scheme of things because what did the wins on Dark accomplish if Pillman and Griff were squashed on Dynamite? If the theory is that working with Brody and Black will eventually put the younger team over, it's doubtful that it will be effective because after such a one-sided defeat the storyline is done.

On the flip side, the main event was very well done, and it used Sting very well. The Acclaimed have all the tools to be stars for AEW and they have a major upside as a team. Darby has the potential to be a main event star for AEW and the association with Sting to spotlight him has been very effective. All Elite Wrestling has such a talented roster and the company as a whole has provided a spark to the entire industry, but this week's episode of Dynamite proved that the pieces of the puzzle have to be put in the right place for it to benefit the company.

UFC 270

This weekend, the Ultimate Fighting Championship kicks off its 2022 pay-per-view schedule with UFC 270 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California for a card that will be headlined by a heavyweight championship bout. In truth, it will be very interesting to see how the UFC, through its partnership with ESPN, will generate buyrates during the new year because the first quarter of the PPV calendar doesn't necessarily have anything mainstream scheduled. While next month's Adesanya/Whittaker rematch should provide a quality bout, it's more of a contest for diehard fight fans. The UFC 272 headliner of Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal is more sizzle than substance, and considering that they were both dominated in their last fight by Kamaru Usman, the amount of interest in that sizzle might be minimal.

The narrative in the heavyweight division is somewhat murky because after an impressive KO victory against Stipe Miocic nearly a year ago to claim the title, Francis Ngannou hasn't defended the championship. When Ngannou said he wasn't ready to fight against Ciryl Gane for an event in August of last year, Dana White scheduled a rather pointless interim title fight for Ciryl Gane vs. Derrick Lewis, which Gane won via TKO in the third round. I would say that Gane/Lewis was more or less a number one contender fight, and that prehaps Dana made it an interim title bout as a safety net if the UFC couldn't get a Ngannou defense on paper.

As far as the result of the heavyweight title bout, as usual, it can be a toss up in the heavyweight division because one punch can end the fight, but outside of that, it might depend on what Ngannou shows up in the Octagon this weekend. His first shot at the belt in 2018 was hampered by a lack of cardio and technique, the same thing that led to a very lackluster loss against the previously mentioned Lewis later that year. However, since that time, Ngannou improved his cardio and striking, which is basically what allowed him to win the title during the Stipe rematch last year. That being said, much of the narrative of his title defense will depend on if he stayed in fighting shape in the past year and if he will have the focus to retain the belt. Occasionally, you've seen in MMA before that when someone reaches the top of the mountain with the championship win, an unintended level of complacency develops with their approach to the fight game. This is a concern because Ngannou didn't seem to eager to fight in August, and if any fighter isn't prepared, especially in the heavyweight division, it could be a rather brief title run.

Outside of Gane's undefeated record, on paper, the challenger is a more well-rounded fighter and thus it makes sense that the sports books have him at about a 1.5 favorite to win. Gane has a mixture of KOs, submission, and decision wins on his record so he has the power to compete in the heavyweight division, but he's not one-dimensional either. At the same time, Ngannou's power can't be underestimated and it literally only takes one punch for him to end the fight. The argument could be made that he's the most dangerous puncher in the entire UFC.

As far as a winner, I think it depends on if the fight goes into the championship rounds. Despite the improved cardio, the vast majority of the champion's victories are in the first round and it remains to be seen if he can be successful in the later rounds. As mentioned, Gane has wins on the score cards so it might be wise for him to attempt to get the champion into the fourth or fifth round to test the cardio. I would say that Ngannou will be the most dangerous inside of the first two rounds. If it gets to the third round, the advantage will probably tilt toward Gane. Similar to the vast majority of Ngannou's fights, the determining factor will be if he can land the KO punch. It's only a little more than a guess, but I will pick Ciryl Gane to get the win, mostly because I think he will use movement and technique to score more points in the early rounds.

The Flyweight title fight in the co-main event should be very entertaining, but the majority of the under card is rather undistinguished so the narrative of the pay-per-view will be the heavyweight division. It certainly didn't hype the division when the champion simply declined to fight last August, but a continuous story around the weight class is the potential debut of former Light Heavyweight champion, Jon Jones to possibly challenge for another belt. Jones, who vacated the 205 LBS belt in mid-2020 with the claim that he wanted to move up to heavyweight to fight for more money, couldn't agree on a contract with the UFC so he has been on the sidelines for two year since he last fought, a close decision win against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247. Some cite Jones' stellar skill, but his numerous mishaps outside of the octagon have completely overshadowed his ability as a fighter. I sincerely don't think someone has a claim to potentially be the greatest fighter of all time if they've taken themselves out of competition on several occasions because of their own unwise decisions. The bottom line is, Jones hasn't consistently fought the best competition because at this point, he hasn't consistently fought for the majority of his career. Don't get me wrong, Jon Jones has a tremendous amount of talent, but he's also equally a waste of talent.

In September 2021, he was arrested for a domestic violence incident, and it goes without say that anyone that hits a woman is a coward. Following the incident, MMA coach, Mike Winkeljohn banned Jones from the gym he trained at previously. The story of Jon Jones' career will be arrests, failed drug tests, anabolic steroids, and a waste of his true potential, not his accomplishments in the octagon. Considering Jones' extensive history of legal problems and failed post-fight tests along with his money disagreements for a contract, it's very doubtful that he actually fights in the heavyweight division. So, the direction of the heavyweight will probably be determined by the winner at UFC 270 and potentially another Stipe title shot in the next few months.

Brody King signed for AEW

Just a few weeks into 2022 and news was made across a few different promotions as the talent shuffles continue, which is something that has made the rejuvenated industry much more compelling. Granted, it's very doubtful the business will see the week-to-week jumps of the late-90s because that was a completely different era and quite frankly, the contract structure of today is often designed to prevent such quick debuts in other organizations. Still, the talent exchanges have kept things fresh and provide intriguing narratives for each group.

Lance Archer made his return to All Elite Wrestling last week to seemingly set up a title feud with Adam Page, which might be exactly what Page needs to solidify his status as AEW champion. Archer took a scary bump on his head following a botched moonsault a few months ago so it's great to see him back in the ring. Archer is a really solid talent and it's disappointing that it took toward the latter stages of his career for him to be properly used on American TV, but he's definitely an asset for AEW. At 44, it's doubtful that Archer will necessarily be the future of the organization, but his work is at a level that it will keep him in the conversation for at least the next few years. Speaking of the future of the promotion, Adam Page is one of those guys and has all the skills to be a major player, particularly because the blue collar persona is very easy for the audience to connect with as far as the character work. That being said, for whatever reason, his title reign so far has been somewhat lukewarm. Don't get me wrong, the one-hour draw with Bryan Danielson was an absolutely incredible bout, but outside of strictly the match quality, did it really put Page over strong as the new champion? Considering that Page has to be elevated to the main event level, did a tie in his first title defense really accomplish that goal? Sure, the rematch was another great contest, but I'm not sure Page has the hype around him as world champion as the previous wrestlers that had the belt. That's why this angle with Archer is so valuable for Page's status as champion because Archer is a monster heel, and the feud gives the blue collar champion a monster to slay. I would guess that this storyline will be very beneficial to Adam Page and cement him as the AEW champion.

Brody King made his surprise debut, aligning himself with Malakai Black, and for a company with a bloated roster, Brody is one of the few exceptions that should be made as an addition to the organization. He was known for him time on the indy circuit and ROH, but considering his look and skills, Brody King should be on a bigger platform. Despite the scheduled relaunch of Ring Of Honor in April, Brody is a level above working on a per-night basis so it made sense for him to take an AEW contract offer. He looks like a star and he can go in the ring, and quality additions to the roster shouldn't be overlooked. That being said, and this is often the harsh reality of the business, you will probably see some of the original roster that signed at the launch of the company either have their deals not renewed or simply phased out of the product. That's not to say that any of those people didn't work hard or deserve the chance to work for a national group, but as the star power on the roster increased, there's just not a spot for some talent that is more associated with the indies than national television. Peter Avalon might be a really nice guy, but he's in the witness protection program as far as his exposure on AEW TV. Aaron Solow, Nick Comoroto, Serpentico, Luther, Anthony Ogogo, and a few others just aren't as valuable to a national promotion as CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, Eddie Kingston, Malakai Black, or Brody King. Again, I want to make it clear, it's not meant as a personal insult toward someone like Solow or Luther, but rather to point out that AEW simply can't use some of those still on the roster. To be fair, sometimes, it's just a matter of timing and some of these athletes might have a better run in a few years, but releases are a part of the wrestling business, even if Tony Khan wants to avoid some of the social media backlash when cuts are made to the roster.

Speaking of Brody King, his stablemate in Ring Of Honor, PCO reportedly signed a deal with Impact Wrestling to go along with the ROH angle currently booked in the organization. First of all, you have to give PCO credit for not only completely rejuvenating his career in the past five years, but arguably getting his best run in the past three decades. Most fans knew and identified him as one of the Quebeckers from early-90s WWF, despite the fact he remained on the undercard in the United States until 2000. The Frankenstein gimmick garnered him a cult following, and while his stint as ROH champion was rather lackluster because of the state of the company at the time, you can't deny that the guy works hard. At 54, I'm not sure how many wild bumps he has left in his career, particularly because he showed his age during more recent matches, but I'm happy that he landed another full-time contract. As far as the ROH invasion as a whole, I doubt it will spark much interest for either promotion aside from the surprise run-ins at the Hard to Kill pay-per-view. Granted, on one hand, it's very unique to see the ROH belts being defended on other shows and the name being kept in the conversation on Impact, but it's important to remember that there was a reason that ROH had to go on hiatus in the first place. Furthermore, I'm not sure what the payoff is supposed to be for either group. Impact's viewership is minimal in the grand scheme of things so while it keeps a narrative in the wrestling world for Ring Of Honor until the company's scheduled return, it's not as though Impact provides a level of exposure that could jump start ROH's momentum for its relaunch. Plus, I still don't think that ROH will make any full-time return because none of the reasons for the hiatus have been addressed, and the argument could be made that it will be more difficult for the group for find a niche now than it did before with some of its key talent signed to AEW. ROH didn't have the buzz or generate the revenue to sustain itself, and as the competition between WWE and AEW gets more intense, specifically after the additions of names like CM Punk, Danielson, and Adam Cole, there might not be an opportunity for ROH to find an audience. Keep in mind, the competition between WWE and AEW boils down to securing revenue streams based on the audience. It might be ratings, sponsorships, tickets sales, or anything else either company can use to generate profit, any of those results in a smaller piece of the pie for the Sinclair company.

Mickie James announced for Royal Rumble

There continues to be a lot of talk about the "forbidden door," a phrase originally coined at a New Japan media conference that became a much more common point of discussion in recent years with the shift of dynamics in the industry. I was extremely surprised when it was announced last week on Smackdown that Mickie James, the current Impact Knockouts champion, will be in the women's Royal Rumble match at the end of the month. The announcement was just a day prior to the Impact "Hard to Kill" pay-per-view and while it probably didn't prompt too many extra buys, it definitely had fans talking about the organization. It also seemed to play a factor in the company's decision to put the Knockouts title match in the main event spot on the pay-per-view. It must be mentioned that while the effort was there, the KO title bout seemed to be a less impressive attempt to copy the weapons match from a recent edition of Rampage.

As we know, Vince McMahon has kept a tight grasp on intellectual property and copyrights for several years so why would they allow a champion from another organization to compete in one of the featured "premium events" of the year?

The answer could be as simple as the company needs more women to book in the Rumble match because there aren't enough currently on the roster after dozens of releases over the past year.

The other possibility is a little more complex, but might offer some insight into the current WWE thought process. As much as some fans might be shocked with the mention of the Impact name on Fox, this isn't really new territory for the promotion. Over the years, at various times, WWE had working agreements with other organizations, it just usually wasn't a promotion in America, which reduced any conflicts of interest. Several lucha libre stars appeared in the 1997 Royal Rumble, and Shawn Micheals was a referee for an FMW main event with a Vader/Ken Shamrock cage match on the under card in 1999. Let's not forget that ECW was paid by WWE after 2 Cold Scorpio's exit from South Philadelphia to replace a record store sponsorship the group had, and ECW itself became almost an unofficial feeder system for the WWE at a time when the company needed the surplus of talent to fight WCW in the wrestling war of the 90s.

So, why would Vince McMahon be willing to book an Impact champion for the Royal Rumble?

In short, the public perception of the WWE in the view of the fans is very negative, particularly based on "budget cuts" while the company touts record-setting profits for its shareholders. Keep in mind, a huge portion of those releases were announced during the peak of the shutdown so the corporation that made the most money in its history fired dozens of talents at a time when there literally weren't other options for pro wrestling. Obviously, the WWE could've kept all of those wrestlers under contract until after the shutdown and it truly wouldn't have affected the profits. Quite frankly, the WWE often looks like a greedy corporation under the direction of Nick Khan, who seems to view wrestlers as just names on a paper or interchangeable parts of the WWE machine. Granted, the company also does a tremendous amount of wonderful charity work, but the point is, the narrative of the organization on social media is, wrestlers got fired while management raked in the money.

Sure, it's definitely within the WWE's right to release someone from their deal, but in the case of Alison Danger, she relocated to take a job at the Performance Center and was cut just a few months later. It's ridiculous that the company would even offer her a job if there wasn't some level of job security and she deserved better.

In some ways, welcoming Mickie James into the Rumble softens the WWE's corporate image since it presents the possibility that the McMahon empire doesn't want to just stomp out any alternative product just because it can flex its sports entertainment muscle to make things more difficult for another company. It will also help in the company's upcoming lawsuit that was filed against them by MLW, which claims that management called Vice TV and insisted the station drop the league from its schedule. The fact that WWE is willing to work with Impact could be an example cited that it doesn't attempt to block exposure for other groups. A side note, I have to say that while anything is possible in the over-the-top world of pro wrestling, I just don't think Vince McMahon would concern himself with something on the level of MLW. McMahon is too smart to put himself into an anti-trust situation, and truthfully, why would it make a difference to the WWE what MLW does? It's not as though MLW is a threat to the WWE, and in many respects, MLW is an indy promotion with television so I doubt anything major will result from the potential lawsuit.

Using the Impact crossover could just be something to add to the Jerry McDevitt playbook, but the more possible option is the chance to soften the company's image, specifically when it involves Mickie James, who was sent her belongings in a trash bag after she was released. Mickie posted a photo of the package that was delivered and the executive responsible for it was fired. Putting Mickie James, who is still a great performer, in the Rumble is a way to patch up that mishap.

Finally, if adding Mickie to the match was strictly a way to get enough competitors for it, Impact is a "safe" option for the WWE to work with because Impact viewership is marginal at best. The WWE could plug Impact every week on Raw or Smackdown, and the vast majority of the viewing audience either wouldn't have to the Axs channel on their cable package or have minimal interest in the product because of its niche presentation. Don't get me wrong, that's not meant as a jab against the Impact since there's a solid roster, but last week's episode garnered just over 100,000 viewers before the Hard to Kill pay-per-view so it's just a realistic look at the status of the promotion. If I had to guess, I would say that this working agreement is probably a one-off scenario, but it will be very interesting to see if any other wrestlers from Impact are scheduled for WWE television in the next few months.

The career of Sam Adonis

Bruiser Brody, the wild man that became a global icon throughout the 1980s, was known for his legitimacy, amazing agility, and being a true independent of the sport of professional wrestling. Always insisting on being treated fairly and doing the same in return, Brody knew his business and kept himself a commodity around the world, even as territorial boundaries in the United States dissolved in favor of national groups in that era. The real-life Frank Goodish, a sportswriter before he broke into grappling, worked everywhere from St. Louis, Japan, and Puerto Rico because he wanted to conduct his own business without promotional ties.

Reaching mythical status for Giant Baba's All Japan before his passing, the man with the trademark chain and furry boots inspired generations of athletes that came after him, both in style and approach to the industry.

One of those names was from a time a few decades after his passing. Sam Adonis (@RealSamAdonis), a legitimate international star that zigzags the country on a regular basis when he isn't waiting for an international flight, first saw Brody on a grainy compilation VHS during his tape-trading days of the late-90s when he was still in elementary school. Other names like Hayabusa, Ultimo Dragon, and an array of international stars quickly became his favorites, but the genesis of his fandom started much closer to home. A native of western Pennsylvania, a region known almost as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced, Adonis grew up with more than one family connection to the business. His father, Dan Polinsky promoted independent cards throughout the area for years, but as early as Sam can remember, his dad told him the legendary tales of the Bruno Sammartino and of course, "Pittsburgh Studio Wrestling," a local program that echos around the iron city even decades after it went off the air.

"I basically grew up around the wrestling business. My dad promoted his first show in 1992, and I remember being terrified of the wrestlers. Since then, wrestling was a part of every day life. My mom understood the wrestling business more than a lot of the wrestlers did. My brother and I were absolutely obsessed. WWF, WCW, ECW, and whatever we could get our hands on," Sam said over the phone as he waited for a flight for Chicago to perform on a lucha card.

Most families have picnics or movie night, Sam and his family had their wrestling. It might've been the big stars from TV at an arena, or a local card that they ran, wrestling was a Polinsky staple. On any given weekend, a young Adonis was hauling ring posts or setting up chairs, while his mom wrote names on tickets before the doors to an independent show opened.

"I definitely think my obsession of international wrestling has led to my opportunities. Most kids wanted to wrestle in WWF, I wanted to travel the world like Chris Jericho or Andre the Giant from a young age and that’s exactly what I’ve done. I firmly believe that my obsession and overall passion that I gained from being in a wrestling family has helped my career," Sam explained.

However, Adonis' family ties to the industry weren't just from parents. Before he was Corey Graves as one of the premiere voices of WWE Raw, Sterling James Keenan was regarded as the top wrestler in Pittsburgh for most of the 2000s, working extensively around the world in different countries for several years before an injury put him in the announce booth. Still, before Graves hassled Bryon Saxton on Raw, Keenan gave his brother no shortcuts when his sibling wanted to pursue the family business. Adonis has since found himself under the bright lights of Arena Mexico, but at the age of just 16, his introduction to the squared circle was much less glamorous. In a converted storage facility with bare walls and just enough room to fit a ring, the older brother put Sam through the paces, completing the tedious process of repeatedly landing on the canvas to learn how to do so in the safest way possible, as well as performing technical maneuvers until the form was perfect.

"My brother was extremely hard on me. He knew how harsh wrestling can be and he made sure that I wouldn’t be seen as having it easy. His tough training was exactly what I needed to survive," Adonis remarked.

Sam spent years going along with his brother to events, but the shoe was quite literally on the other foot when it was Adonis that laced up the boots for his pro debut on February 2, 2008 at a sparsely attended indy card. Despite being a rookie to the sport, Sam had a natural poise inside the ring ropes and standing 6'4 with plenty of agility got him noticed after just two years on the indy circuit. His potential was seen by the biggest league in the business when he signed a WWE developmental deal in 2010. An injury kept him on the sidelines for much of his year under contract, but what some might've seen as the conclusion of a path was just the beginning of the true journey into sports entertainment for Adonis. The legendary William Regal, a true pro that started his in teens in his native England, is regarded unanimously as one of the brightest minds the business has ever seen, and the Brit saw the true potential that the youngster had as a future star. Regal made a few calls to get him started in All-Star Wrestling, England's longest-running promotion, and Adonis cites it as a critical part of his wrestling education.

"That’s where I really honed my craft. We had over a hundred matches per year. I learned how to be professional, how to protect myself and others, how to slow down and tell a story. It was as close to being in a territory as possible. We wrestled in a lot of the same towns every week and spent so much time on the road. We learned how to adapt and update matches to keep them fresh. The experience was invaluable, working in the UK made me an experienced pro,” he explained.

As is often the case in the over-the-top world of sports entertainment, doors can open when you least expect it. After a few years across the pond, the grind of the schedule put Adonis on the shelf for a brief period to rest from a few nagging injuries. Along his travels he befriended lucha star, Angelico, who invited his American pal to visit him in Mexico to train in the art of lucha libre to shake off the ring rust. While Adonis was there, he was invited to train to with Mexican superstar Ultimo Guerrero, learning sessions that opened the door to the next chapter  of his career in 2016.

"A two-week trip turned into two years. I was literally told to leave his gym and go directly to Arena México about immediate bookings. I learned so much in Mexico, really grew as a performer and worked with everyone. At one point, I had more press than any other wrestler on earth with my Trump supporter gimmick. Working at a main event level did so much for my career, especially after with Ultimo Dragon," Sam commented.

His two-year stint in CMLL, the world's longest-running pro wrestling group, made headlines, as Adonis infuriated the diehard Hispanic audiences. The red, white, and blue villain drew comparisons to the late Art Barr. Ironically, "Love Machine" Barr lost his mask to the iconic Blue Panther before Adonis had an extensive rivalry with Panther, winning a hair vs. hair bout against the Latino hero in 2017. A fellow legend avenged the loss for his countryman when Negro Casas had a lengthy feud with Adonis, eventually claiming the villain's hair in front of a jam-packed crowd at Arena Mexico in 2018. The weeping Adonis watching his hair fall to the canvas prompted more reminiscence of Art Barr when he and his partner Eddie Guerrero lost their locks after an all-time famous bout in 1994.

Between his tours of Mexico, Sam had the chance to realize a personal dream of competing for All Japan Pro Wrestling, the same promotion he first saw on "Mayfield Mayhem" compilation tapes, the VHS that longtime vendor George Mayfield had at conventions and independent events in the late-90s. His bouts with Ultimo Dragon had done so well in Mexico that Ultimo wanted to import them to Japan. Considering that when he was just a 10-year-old fan that the prized possession in his wrestling collection was a signed Ultimo Dragon mask, Sam considers his friendship with the legend to be a very special part of his wrestling journey. Adonis had seen Korakuen Hall countless times through a television screen as a fan, but when he set foot in the world-famous venue as a polished pro, it was a surreal experience for him.

"Dragon was my absolute idol as a kid so working with him was a dream come true. We became pretty good friends so he invited me to tour with AJPW. All Japan had been a dream of mine forever, but that’s where I learned that wrestling means so much more than just cool moves. Wrestling is cultural, and cultural perception plays into story telling. Japan knows all about American wrestling and they saw me as a throwback. They wanted to see me wrestle like a Johnny ace or Terry Funk, which is ultimately what worked for me. I really hope to return to Japan in 2022. I have always worked for my match, the show, the fans, and the boss, but never for myself. Figuring out each crowd in each country is the fun part of wrestling. Being able to understand and adapt is how I’ve been able to stay busy internationally for nearly ten of the fourteen years of my career," Adonis said.

Being an international and independent star has its perks, both for its personal and professional achievements, but when the world was turned upside down by the COVID pandemic in 2020, a harsh reality hit everyone, even global pro wrestlers. The upside of being a truly independent talent is the ability to work for promotions literally around the world, but with professional wrestling almost completely shuttered in 2020, Adonis faced much uncertainty. True to his blue collar roots, Sam made it work, driving for Amazon and delivering packages to many that needed supplies during the shutdown so that he could replace his usual income as a full-time pro wrestler. Frigid temperatures in a truck were a far cry from hot crowds in Mexico, but he took lessons even from that experience.

"The pandemic taught me to enjoy and cherish every moment even more Wrestlers are always thinking of what’s next, and with no wrestling at all, we realize how lucky we are," Sam explained.

Similar to how Brody toured the territories a few decades ago, Sam Adonis was all across the map in 2021, working for Impact Wrestling, the NWA, several different independent groups, and returned to Mexico, but this time for AAA. Airports and particularly international travel can be difficult in the current climate with COVID and variants, but Adonis sees it all as a small hurdle for the chance to do what he loves for a living.

"I travel more now than I did before the pandemic. Even though I’m vaccinated, many airlines and US Customs require a negative test every international flight. It’s definitely a more difficult process, but safety is important. I’m back to doing what I love so it’s totally okay with me. Right now, I'm happier than I’ve ever been. I couldn’t be more excited to work with anyone than I already am in AAA. I really believe that AAA will be the next big thing when it comes to wrestling in the next year or two, and I'm proud to be a part of it," he said.

Dubbed "El Rudo De Las Chicas" during his original stint in Mexico, Sam Adonis hasn't lost sight of the passion or the dedication to the sport that made him a diehard supporter in the first place. His home is still decorated with rare action figures, but the difference is, a poster that features him in the main event of a CMLL card accompanies his collection. Adonis started on the dirt-stained canvas of a ring in a storage garage, but his passion, skill, and enthusiasm for the grappling arts took him quite literally around the world.

"I'm finally to the point that I'm no longer in a rush to 'make it' because I feel I already have. Everyone is so desperate to keep up” or fit in that they lose sight of the fact that this is a business and sometimes the first job offer isn’t the right one to take. We are all lucky to be able to do this job, and it doesn’t owe any of us anything. I believe I’ve found the perfect balance. I’m able to make a comfortable living wrestling and at the end of the day, I’m able to control my own destiny. I know, without question, my best days are still ahead. I just appreciate everyone that has had my back along the way," Adonis concluded.

William Regal released

The "overhaul" of NXT and the WWE Performance Center continued this week with the releases of numerous office staff, as well as some of the coaches that fans would know from their careers. Granted, some of those in the office aren't public figures, but it certainly sends the message that Vince McMahon wants to rebuild the Performance Center from scratch since many of the Triple H hires were among those released.

There are several questions around what this means for some of the wrestlers released, the WWE itself, and the rest of the industry. However, these particular cuts might also reveal the WWE agenda for the future.

I was absolutely shocked to read the news that William Regal was released from his role within the WWE developmental system. In my opinion, Regal is not only an underrated legend, but one of the best all-around performers to ever lace up a pair of boots. Considering that Regal wasn't being used on television, if he doesn't have a non-compete clause, Tony Khan should be on the phone to offer him a job ASAP. From a political level, Regal's exit was a way to get rid of the Triple H formula, considering that he is longtime friends with Regal and trusted the British grappler to scout many of the talents that found success in WWE in recent years. Although, when you take into account that the speculation is that management is not longer looking to sign known talent from the indy circuit, it's very possible that one of Regal's main duties was phased out from the company. Still, as a trainer, coach, and an overall brilliant mind, if a company can't see the extreme value that William Regal brings to the table, I sincerely question that organization's decision-making process.

A few more from the Triple H regime that were cut are Road Dogg and Scott Armstrong. The two brothers worked on both the main brands and developmental in recent years. Road Dogg had a stint on the writing team for Smackdown before he transitioned to the developmental system. It's not really a knock on  either guy, but both could be replaced with other veterans with a similar experience level that would bring a different focus to the new direction of the NXT brand. In short, any time there was a complete overhaul in the direction of an organization in the wrestling business, the old regime is usually released to make room for new management so I would guess that their releases have less to do with their specific performances and more to do with Vince McMahon's decision for a fresh start with the developmental system.

Timothy Thatcher and Danny Burch were among the active wrestlers released, and it more or less goes along with the repackaging of NXT, as the brand shifts to a more sports entertainment style. In particular, Thatcher has such a wrestling-based presentation that his in-ring style just doesn't seem to gel with the direction of the brand. That said, and I might be wrong, but I always got the notion that Thatcher signed with WWE because it was an opportunity that happened to present itself and offered good money as opposed to signing a deal because it was a specific goal for him. Keep in mind, Thatcher spent years as one of wrestling's best kept secrets wrestling in Europe full-time. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he returned to WXW and continued his career in Germany. I'm not sure where Burch goes, but somewhere such as New Japan Strong could be an option.

Gabe Sapolsky, former Ring of Honor booker and ECW office staff, was also released from working with the NXT brand. Considering that WWE bought Evolve and before that the group had unofficially funneled talent to the brand, this is another one of those Triple H cuts. Sapolsky, who ran Dragon Gate USA and Evolve after his stint with ROH, has his critics, but nobody can deny that he has worked in the industry for more than twenty years so obviously, he brings some valuable tools to the table. This might be another call for Tony Khan to make because Gabe might be very helpful with the booking structure of All Elite Wrestling. One of the criticisms of the Khan-owned organization is sometimes a competitor will plateau after a notable match or angle. Where's Miro? Perhaps, Sapolsky could lend some of his experience to tighten up the shows. However, that would depend on if Khan would be willing to relinquish part of the creative control for his shows, which is difficult for any owner in pro wrestling. Still, I think Sapolsky would land work somewhere else sooner rather than later since he has too much experience not to be an asset for another organization.

Alison Danger, longtime veteran wrestler, was signed to be a coach just a few months ago and was released. I have to be honest, I completely understand it's within the WWE's right to release someone from their contract, but to hire someone with the thought that they have a new career and then to cut them three months later is completely ridiculous. It's totally disrespectful and she deserved better than that.

Finally, Samoa Joe was cut from the company for the second time in a year and the entire scenario is very puzzling. In many ways, Joe's status in general is a grey area because a concussion originally put him on commentary on Raw where he did very well, but for whatever reason he was shifted away from that before another injury put him on the shelf again. He wasn't medical cleared and released for "budget cuts" before he was re-signed, wrestled one match to win the NXT title, was medically uncleared, and then eventually released. Reportedly, Joe worked backstage for NXT since he wasn't cleared to wrestle for the brand. Given his skills in a variety of areas, I would think that Joe will land a job in AEW as soon as his no-compete clause expires. The determining factor is if he's actually medically cleared as far as what he does for the company. Obviously, he's at the latter stages of his in-ring career, but if he can wrestle, I would say that AEW could get at least two years of solid matches from him. If not, Joe as a broadcaster for the slew of All Elite shows is an option. The bottom line is, Joe is too talented not to work for a major company.

The bigger story and the narrative of the sum total of these releases is that WWE is pivoting away from the Triple H version of NXT, and prehaps that's the right move for the corporation. Keep in mind, the "work rate" version of NXT was assembled because Ring Of Honor began to make a lot of noise in the pro wrestling world with The Elite and the working agreement with New Japan. The Triple H booking of NXT was more or less to garner that part of the market before ROH expanded with it. Granted, we know now that Tony Khan took that same buzz that The Elite had and actually put money behind it to create AEW, but the point being that a few years ago, Triple H designed the NXT brand for a specific purpose in the industry. That's exactly why this move makes sense for the WWE in terms of repackaging the show, but not necessarily the releases themselves. Despite its critics, AEW is basically the "work rate" product on a national level, and considering that the WWE has a much broader agenda as a publicly traded company, they aren't going to compete for that smaller demographic. Their attempt to capture that audience failed during the Wednesday night ratings competition so it makes more sense for Vince McMahon to use NXT to attempt to generate more main stream stars, especially because of the lack of star power on the current roster.

AEW prospects

Considering the bleak outlook for 2022, I wanted to attempt to bring something positive to the start of the year, particularly with a more optimistic outlook for the future. It goes without saying that All Elite Wrestling with its status as an upstart company that has been in existence as far as a television product for less than three years, must build toward the future because it doesn't have years of cache to rely on, which the WWE has done in recent years when the current roster didn't bring enough sizzle to a show. That's not necessarily a knock against the McMahon empire either, one of the perks of surviving the industry downturns and the wrestling wars is the ability to use that history to draw money when it becomes nostalgic for the audience.

By definition, All Elite Wrestling looks to create those moments that will hopefully be seen as nostalgic a decade from now, but again, the company had to use a more progressive formula if it wanted to be more than a short-lived project that fizzled out. Clearly, the rights fees from TNT and TBS made the organization a profitable venture so it's safe to say that AEW is a legitimately player in the industry and its existence will shape the narrative of the industry in 2022. While the past few years have seemed like a few decades because of the pandemic that turned the entire world upside down, since AEW must look toward the future, who are some of the potential stars in the background that Tony Khan should look to spotlight this year?

Obviously, one of the reasons that All Elite had success was because it had roster depth and potential for many of those under contract, but for the purposes of this column, I will limit it to five draft picks of those that could breakout as AEW homegrown talent in 2022.

When Ethan Page made his All Elite debut on pay-per-view, the reaction was rather lukewarm, mostly based on the fact that he was booked for some rather goofy segments on Impact before he surfaced in AEW. While I understand Page's association with Dan Lambert, who does some of the best mic work in the business, I really think Tony Khan hasn't scratched the surface on what Page could do as a heel. We've seen glimpses of it when he gets the chance to cut meaningful promos, mostly notable during the brief feud with Darby and Sting, that Page knows how to get legitimate heat on the mic. In an era and more specifically often in a promotion when heels don't necessarily try to get or generate actual hostility from the crowd, Page is one of the few that can do it. At the same time, in an organization that puts a priority on work rate, he can go bell-to-bell, which adds another layer to matches. Rightfully so, MJF gets a lot of praise and propriety in AEW, and while I'm not sure Page could reach a major level as a heel until MJF gets a main event run so the two aren't too similar at the same time, I think there's definitely an argument to be made for Ethan Page to be one of the featured heels in the company this year. That's not to say that Dan Lambert can't have a role in this either, but rather to point out that the focus of his promos would have to shift from being the leader of American Top Team to a spot as Page's manager. Again, I understand why Page had a secondary role when the MMA fighters were involved, but if he's going to be presented as a major player in the company then he can't be lost in the shuffle of Dan Lambert's stable.

When Jade Cargill started on television, her inexperience was very apparent, and in retrospect, it probably wasn't a good idea to put her in front of the camera that early, particularly because it can be difficult to rebound from a misstep during a debut, but thankfully, Jade has developed as a performer exponentially. You can see that she looks much more comfortable in the ring and can assert her presence as a very unique athlete. She's tall, very strong, and the silver hair makes her look like a real-life super hero. Her athletic background transitioned well to the squared circle, and she still has to continue to make improvements with more experience in the ring, but all things considered, she has done very well for someone with less than a year as a wrestler. Jade might won the TBS championship, and I would say that it was a very wise decision because taking everything into account, Cargill has all the qualities to be a major star for the organization, it seems to be just a matter of time to polish her skills to be a more well-rounded performer in the future. The bottom line is, Jade is money, and at 29, she has her prime ahead of her as a star that could be a major asset for the organization.

Brian Pillman Jr. had notoriety when he entered the industry because of his last name, but he landed an AEW contract because of the potential for a big upside as a second generation talent. Trained by the underrated legend Lance Storm, Pillman started further along than most aspiring hopefuls that break into the business on their particular local scene. The look, the charisma, and the promo ability are all points of potential for Brian Jr. Not to discount Griff Garrison in any way, and I think the Varsity Blondes should be given more to do as a team team first, but hopefully, Pillman isn't typecast as a tag team wrestler either. This is where such a jammed roster can unintentionally create some hurdles for lesser known talent because while Brian Jr. has major potential, outside of the very recent angle with Malakai Black, he had very limited television exposure. I really think more should've been done with the MJF feud and it could've been used to propel him further up the ladder instead of being to relegated back to the Youtube shows. Since the Black feud hasn't materialized too far yet, I'd say it's still a toss up if Pillman gets moved up the card, but he should be in the mix for the TNT title this year.

I know some of the initial buzz was probably meant in an ironic context, but Hook is not only competent in the ring, he has a poise that could allow for him to achieve big things with the younger demographic, particularly if AEW as an organization can continue to expand its reach. Granted, there's a small sample size of Hook's in-ring work, and it remains to be seen if he will develop into a major draw after he gets more experience, but it must be said that the pieces of the puzzle are there for him to make a name for himself this year.

Finally, in my opinion, the guy that has the biggest upside as a "can't miss" baby face is Jungle Boy because he has all the skills to be a top star for AEW. He personifies the style of the company, but has enough of the old school presentation as a fiery baby face to connect with the causal fans. As we saw he won the tag titles with Luchasaurus, which is a good start to 2022, but as far as the main event scene, while I think MJF should be the one to eventually dethrone Adam Page, Jungle Boy should be the grappler to eventually beat MJF for the championship.

Day One review

Ironically, I penned an article last week about the WWE Day One pay-per-view and mentioned that the show highlighted a lack of star power on the roster, and discussed the potential impact of recent COVID numbers in the country. Unfortunately, both of those situations materialized, as Roman Reigns announced on social media just hours before the broadcast that he tested positive for COVID and wouldn't be on the show. Obviously, I hope Roman gets well soon, as he's a very talented guy that was booked in a tough spot for the majority of his WWE tenure, and by all accounts, he's a great guy outside of the ring. However, as I wrote last week in this column, one of the reasons that the hype for this show that was more of a PR move for the corporation than a substantial sports entertainment show was that the company makes it blatantly clear with the lack of attention to detail on the majority of the product that if it's not Roman Reigns or Brock Lesnar, there's undoubtedly a lack of importance to the presentation. Well, with Roman out of the Universal title match, not only was the featured match on the event, which was promoted more prominently on television than anything, off, but there wasn't anything specific for Brock Lesnar to do because he was only been paired with Reigns in recent memory. Too often, too many of the roster are presented as interchangeable parts of the WWE machine, and when there's such a noticeable divide between the importance placed on Roman as compared to the next tier of star power on the roster, the lack of star power becomes even more apparent when there has to be some type of replacement.

The Usos beat The New Day to retain the belts, and while the bout had good action, it was basically the same match you've seen between the two teams for the past several years. There wasn't enough time between bouts for this to be portrayed as "revisiting the rivalry" so it was basically just a retread of something the audience already saw prior to this show. Another aspect that was seen here and throughout the pay-per-view was that since the Roman/Brock match was cancelled, there were only six matches on the main card so in order to stretch the show, there were a few bouts that were given more time than they needed to get the narrative across to the audience. Considering it was an opener, The New Day/Usos bout going near the twenty minute mark was less of a hot start to the show and more of a contest that went about five minutes too long so it dragged near the conclusion.

On the flip side, the Randy Orton/Riddle vs. Street Profits match was a fresher tag title match and possibly could've used the extra time that was given to the opener. This match was fine and there wasn't anything wrong with it, but it went about ten minutes without getting into second gear. After Orton and Riddle retained the belts, the title match that was built up for a few weeks with the tournament on television seeeds like just another match on Raw instead of a pay-per-view caliber bout. Again, that's not to say anything was terrible in the match, but it was more or less just the average television bout.

Drew McIntyre defeated Madcap Moss in about eight minutes for what was completely a television match that the audience had very little reaction to despite Drew's status as one of the best workers in the company. I've said it before and I will say it again, management did Drew a total disservice with how they presented him during the bulk of his title reign and have completely misused him since he dropped the belt. I doubt Madcap Moss has the skills to be anything more than a mid-carder in the WWE, but with the gimmick of being Happy Corbin's sidekick, he's just a notch about The Red Rooster in terms of if it makes a difference to the audience if he's in the ring or selling popcorn in the crowd. Drew is a former champion and theoretically one of the main stars of the brand. The character of Madcap Moss shouldn't even be in the ring with the McIntyre persona, but if he is, Drew should hit two moves and win the match. The crowd had zero reaction to the contest, and the only thing that this bout accomplished was that it made Drew look like less of a star. Reportedly, McIntyre might be injured, which would further hinder his momentum. I'm not sure if or how management can rebuild the hype around Drew, especially if an injury puts him on the shelf for an extended period of time, but either way, he deserves better than matches against Happy Corbin's sidekick on pay-per-view.

As I said last week, I didn't think much of the Edge/Miz feud because while it's nothing against The Miz, if management doesn't have something better for Edge to do than to feud with him then he should just stay home until they find a major opponent. Edge was medically cleared and is in great shape, but the fact remains that at 48 not only does he have a shorter window as an active wrestler, but you would think that given his age, his body has a limited number of big time matches left in his current run. Since Edge's return as an active wrestler after nine years away from the ring because of a neck injury, he had a level of mystic around him when he appeared on television, but that mystic diminished greatly throughout this feud. The office tried to use the brood gimmick on Raw last week and the entrance at the pay-per-view to add some sizzle to this rivalry, but it didn't have the same effect as it did during the Seth feud because the fans have already seen it. The match almost went twenty minutes and dragged a lot with zero crowd reaction. The return of Beth Phoenix got a pop, and seemingly, this will set up Edge and Beth vs. Miz and Maryse, but is there really a demand for that? It's easy booking, but is that the best use of Edge? Edge got the win, but I wouldn't be surprised if this feud continues until Wrestlemania.

Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan had a solid in-ring match, but again, the crowd was nearly non-existent for most of it because it was obvious to everyone in the building that Liv wasn't going to win the title, which goes back to the fact that the WWE has a few pushed stars, and the rest of the roster is just used to occupy the other spots on the card. The narrative is there for an angle that could make Liv an established star in the process, but unless management wants to give her a run with the title than the impact of the well-done video package to hype the match is moot. Furthermore, if the office does actually plan for Liv to eventually win the title, there are diluting her potential success with too many defeats in title matches before it. A wrestler can only lose so many times in title matches before the audience loses faith that they will actually become champion.

The main event got the biggest crowd reactions of the night by far and speaks volumes to how over Brock can be, while pointing out how one-dimensional the product is today. It's clear to the audience, Brock is the star and the other wrestlers are just in the match to take the suplex. Don't get me wrong, the WWE has a tremendous amount of talent on its roster, but the product isn't well-rounded at all because of the cynical nature of the booking. Edge brings star power to the table so let's book him against The Miz because that will get heat, right? Let's make Bobby Lashley, the heel, have to beat three wrestlers in one night on Raw to get into the title match because a heel should always have to overcome the odds, right? Drew McIntyre carried the company on his back during the pandemic, but feuded with Jinder Mahal and Happy Corbin since then because that's money, right?

Brock winning the title was more or less the only option if he was going to be put into the match because otherwise what's the point? That being said, unless this is somehow used to set up an impromptu unification match with Reigns at Wrestlemania, Brock winning the title again does absolutely nothing for the Raw brand. If Lesnar drops it before WM to resume a Universal title feud with Reigns, what does it really accomplish? Management has played the Lesnar card to the point that him winning another title doesn't provide the boost that it originally did. All things considered, it looks like Brock vs. Roman will be the main event of one of the nights of Wrestlemania, the same match that was the main event of the show at Wrestlemania seven years ago so what does that say about the ability of the WWE to make legitimate money-drawing stars for the company?