Forbidden Door review

Last weekend's Forbidden Door pay-per-view was the subject of much discussion, as injuries that plagued the card caused changes to basically every match on the line-up in so form or fashion. That said, the post-PPV reaction was generally positive with solid bouts and a rowdy crowd in Chicago. However, was the pay-per-view anything more than an exhibition that won't have an impact on the All Elite product going forward?

With more than a dozen matches on the broadcast, I will discuss the main card to attempt to keep this review from getting too lengthy. The opening six man tag of Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Minoru Suzuki vs. Eddie Kingston, Wheeler Yuta, and Shota Umino was solid, despite the thrown together nature of the teams. The highlights of the match was the Kingston and Suzuki exchange, and Shota Umino was showcased as a legitimate star, even though he's relatively new to the New Japan landscape. Suzuki has worked frequently in the United States in recent months so it would work well if there was another Kingston vs. Suzuki bout for Dynamite, but outside of that, nothing that happened in this match was essential to the BCC/JAS feud. In the same way, Shota Umino, an almost complete unknown to the vast majority of the All Elite television audience, looked good in this contest, which is a benefit to New Japan, but unless there are plans for him to work on at least a semi-regular basis in AEW, why should the audience be invested in him? JAS got the victory to gain the advantage for this week's Blood and Guts match on Dynamite, but that was expect because it follows the standard War Games format.

The three-way tag title match was fine, and it was great to see FTR get the win, if for no other reason than it gets them to some potentially major events in Japan. For my money, FTR is the best tag team in the business today and two of the best workers anywhere in the world. The downside here is, there are so many belts, particularly tag belts on AEW programming that it comes across as comically, not prestigious. By nature, the more belts there are, the less important any specific belt is and at this point, most championships are reduced to props in AEW. For example, Wheeler Yuta is a very talented athlete, but does the Ring of Honor Pure title really do anything to make him seem like a bigger star? There was already some speculation that this was booked to set up another FTR vs. Young Bucks match with all the belts on the line, but again, there are so many belts on AEW programming, I'm honestly not sure a winner-take-all for three sets of tag belts would be that much bigger than a standard contest for the AEW Tag Team Championships. Furthermore, if FTR drop the IWGP Tag Team championships before they get the chance to go to Japan then the entire title switch was more or less pointless.

Pac beat Clark Connors, Miro, and Malakai Black to win the All-Atlantic championship, and much like the titles mentioned so far, this belt means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Sure, Pac is obviously a championship level talent, but very similar to the ROH TV and Pure belts, I don't think the All-Atlantic championship really elevates the wrestlers who wins it, especially for someone as talented as Pac. Unfortunately, the All-Atlantic title is another prop that will get lost in the shuffle within a few weeks.

The Dudes with Attitude defeated The Bullet Club in a really fun match. This type of contest is the stand alone bout that works really well because it was designed strictly to entertain the audience and accomplished the goal. The Bullet Club made Sting look like a million dollars, and somehow, even at 63, Sting can still project the baby face fire to pop a crowd. Shingo hit The Last Dragon on El Phantasmo to get the win.

Thunder Rosa defeated Toni Storm to retain the AEW Women's championship in a really solid match. Hopefully, Rosa will get more TV time, particularly after this title defense showed why she's one of the most well-rounded and marketable performers on the women's roster. It was very disappointing that Rosa more or less ended up in the witness protection program after she won the title, but she undoubtedly has the talent to be a bigger star in AEW. Toni Storm is very good in the ring, but I don't see a scenario where she doesn't get lost in the shuffle in the organization.

Will Ospreay retained the IWGP US title when he pinned Orange Cassidy in what was probably the best "work rate" match on the card. I get that Cassidy has a shtick that got over with the audience, but when a match has the potential of this contest, there has to be a way to limit the comedy stuff to before the bell. Again, as far as athleticism, this segment might've stole the show, but the early comedy spots took away from an otherwise stellar match.

As soon as Bryan Danielson announced that he was injured and couldn't compete at the pay-per-view, many thought that Claudio Castagnoli would be the replacement. The news was more or less confirmed before the show went on the air, but the former WWE star got a major reaction from the crowd in the building. He beat Zack Sabre in a decent match, but I will be honest, I expected more from this contest. For whatever reason, the bout had a rather clunky pace at some points and just didn't get into second gear. It goes without say that Claudio is a tremendous wrestler that deserved much more of an opportunity than he was given in the WWE, but I sincerely don't think that even booking him as an addition to the BCC is guaranteed success for him in AEW. It's a repetitive statement, but there are so many guys on the roster that I wouldn't be surprised if he faded into the background of segments on Dynamite within three weeks.

The IWGP championship match had a lot of great action and delivered a quality bout, which saw Jay White retain the title. However, the bigger story was that Adam Cole reportedly suffered a concussion and it's not known how long he will be on the sidelines. As I've written in the past, I think Cole had the talent to be his generation's version on Shawn Micheals, he's that talented, and I'm not sure how the WWE missed the boat on him, especially when the original HBK works for the company. So, please keep in mind that I think Adam Cole is money and absolutely a main event level talent. That said, his tenure in All Elite so far has been rather underwhelming based on how he was booked and presented earlier in his run. The segments with The Bucks after his debut didn't maximize the spotlight, but rather had him blend into the stable. The feud with Orange Cassidy didn't do him any favors and made him just another guy on the roster. The title matches with Adam Page didn't have nearly the amount of hype as the usual AEW championship bouts, partially because of how poorly Page was presented as champion. The point being, when Cole made his debut the same night as Danielson last year, while he didn't have the star power of American Dragon, it's fair to say that many assumed he would have a bigger role in the company since he was mentioned in the same conversation with CM Punk and Danielson. After almost a year in All Elite, is Adam Cole a bigger star than he was in the WWE? If not, the blame has to be put on Tony Khan because Cole has all the tools to be a top guy for the promotion.

Jon Moxley won the AEW Interim World title when he pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi. The match was fine, but the result was never in doubt, despite what some All Elite loyalist would've tried to tell you before the event. Again, there wasn't anything wrong with the contest at all, but there was no investment in the action because it was obvious that Moxley was going to win the title at the pay-per-view.

Wrestle Rex returns

In the modern day landscape of professional wrestling, particularly with the easier access to content through current technology, there's more exposure to more types of sports entertainment than any other time in history. Not only are there diverse options on television, with an alphabet soup of different initials that cater to different audiences, there are also almost instant ways to consume alternative content as well. Waiting for a few weeks to get clunky VHS tapes in the mail to watch grappling from another country was replaced with literally a push of a button to enjoy international athletes.

So, it's much more difficult now to produce wrestling content that will standout from the pack.

However, that's exactly what 32-year-old international wrestler, Sam Adonis has offered with his Wrestlerex project, a venture that takes the flare of lucha libre, the drama of the sport in America, and the atmosphere of a rock concert to obtain a presentation that truly can't be replicated anywhere else.

A Pittsburgh native, Adonis is a legitimate international star, working extensively in Mexico as a part of the AAA trios champions, as well as zigzagging across the United States in between international tours. He has also previously competed for All Japan and spent the early portion of his career learning the finer points of the craft in England. Sam wanted to bring all of those international aspects to his hometown, a place that nurtured his love for the sport that became his profession.

Adonis launched the Wrestlerex organization a few years ago, and the platform hosted such stellar talent as lucha legend LA Park, Gangrel, Pentagon, Rey Fenix, and others. Every few months, a fresh crop of headliners that aren't often featured in the northeast would highlight the announcements for the next event. But, just as it affected the entire world, the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered live events and many venues couldn't sustain themselves. Similar to so many entrepreneurial projects, Wrestlerex was thought to have been lost to the pandemic.

"Everyone was affected by the pandemic in so many ways. Wrestling was no different. We actually had a show planned for May of 2020 that we had to cancel. After the Rex Theater was forced to close for good, We honestly thought that Wrestlerex history. Fast forward a few months and we had heard the Rex had been sold," Sam explained.

As it turned out, a friend of Sam's family ended up with the rights to the building that was formerly the Rex Theater, renaming it The Enclave for a fresh start after such a rocky period for everyone during the pandemic. This revelation ultimately paved the way for Wrestlerex to return to the Pittsburgh area.

"It felt like fate. At that moment, I knew we had to come back. Too many people worked too hard to give up on such an amazing product. I felt an obligation to everyone who enjoyed WrestleRex. The fans in attendance, as well as the wrestlers and staff who made it happen," Sam said enthusiastically.

With this Thursday's card set to feature AAA star, Psycho Clown, former WWE star Lince Dorado, and some of Pittsburgh's best talent, including The Mane Event of Ganon Jones Jr. and Duke Davis, as well as several others, Adonis finds himself in the unique position of a traveling talent, while organizing an event in his hometown.

"By far this has been the hardest event I’ve ever had to promote. Not only am I regularly out of town, I’m very often out of the country so I have had to cram seven days of a work into about four nights per week," Adonis said just hours before he was headed to the airport for another trip to Mexico.

However, aside from his brother's work at the announce desk as Corey Graves on Monday nights, Sam is from a wrestling family, as his father promoted independent cards around the Pittsburgh region for years previously. It wasn't uncommon for his dad to greet wrestlers upon their arrival while his mom worked the ticket table before the doors opened for a live card in the past. A young Sam would set up chairs and hang poster, a foreshadowing of his eventual career inside the ring ropes. Despite the busy schedule, Sam cites that support and the team behind-the-scenes for the planning that went into the highly-anticipated event.

"Luckily we are a wrestling family and I know that they have the experience to make it work," Sam commented.

So, Wrestlerex will make its return to the Pittsburgh area while it makes it's debut at the new venue. International stars will land in the steel city to showcase a style not often seen around the area. Most of all, the event appears to be set to deliver a show to fans that won't be experienced anywhere else than the Wrestlerex organization.

"I want Wrestlerex to be a genre of its own. We are not going to be a touring wrestling company. We don’t want to compete with anyone on TV or be 'the next ECW.' We use the highest quality independent and unsigned talent available, but we don’t aim for the wrestling crowd we aim for everyone. Any one and everyone is welcome to the events and I think there’s the perfect balance of wrestling, theater, art, and music to be enjoyed by all. The production setup alone is out of this world. I want people leaving not being able to compare it to anything else they’ve seen. The way I see it, we are not Indy wrestling. We are Wrestlerex," Adonis concluded.

Jimmy Rave items

In December of last year, Jimmy Rave, a pro wrestling prodigy that broke into the business over two decades earlier, passed away. The 39-year-old grappler struggled with several health problems in the months prior to his death, including the amputation of his arm before further illness required the amputation of both legs. Online donations were given when he was attempting to recover from the initial amputation, with contributions from both wrestlers and fans. WWE Hall of Famer, Mick Foley even held a special signing that was able to raise funds for Rave's medical costs.

Rave, in his all-too-short life, experienced the highs and lows that his profession had to offer. The sport took him from local VFW halls all the way to national television during his stint with TNA Wrestling. His ability in the ring even took him as far away as Japan, competing for New Japan's Best of The Super Jr. tour in 2008. He also struggled with addiction, stemming from the injuries of the ring. Thankfully, Rave turned his life around and spent time as a counselor to help other deal with their own problems.

Still, Rave's heart was always in the ring and a few years before his death, he took the position as the head trainer of the Combat Zone Wrestling academy. CZW, one of the longest-running independent groups in the United States, was based on Philadelphia, where Rave lived at the time of his passing.

Despite the sadness and grief many of his friends and fans endured after the real-life James Guffey passed away, the memories of Jimmy Rave were etched into the history of professional wrestling, as he was one of the most notable performers of his era.

Unfortunately, some of the items closely-tied to those memories went missing, including one of Jimmy Rave's ring robes and a famous Ribera Steakhouse jacket that he was given upon his previously mentioned tour of Japan.

His daughter, Kailah Guffey has spent the time since her father's passing attempting to locate the items as a way to preserve his legacy within her family. Kailah is a sixth grade math teacher at Cartersville Middle School that graduated from The University of West George with a degree in Elementary Education in 2020 before she obtained a Master's degree there in the same field earlier this year. Similar to how her dad taught prospects the ropes, Kailah is a cheerleading coach and a favorite among students at the school.

Kailah cites that much of her childhood was very much assosicated with her dad's profession, prompting her to search online for anyone that might have information about where the jacket or robe are located.

"Growing up, I knew that every weekend, he would be on the road. I remember getting so excited when I would find out that he had an off weekend because it was a rarity. it was difficult at times when he was gone. We had a very close bond so I would always miss him. He always made time for me during the week after school when he was home. Sometimes it was difficult when he was on the other side of the world because with the difference in time zones, it would be difficult for me to be able to talk to him. There were times where he would purposely set an alarm during a late hour for him to be able to talk to me. My dad was very passionate about wrestling, and he loved to share that with me," she explained.

In an effort to get the items found, Jade Chung, Rave's valet during his memorable run at the crown jewel of The Embassy faction, has offered several rewards the return of the robe and jacket. One thousand dollars cash, signed ring-worn Josh Alexander gear, and other perks are included in the offer.

 "I am so thankful for all the support," Kailah said of those that have donated items for the reward.

A Georgia native, Kailah took a trip to Philadelphia after her dad's death to collect some of his belongings, but the jacket or the robe weren't found, with some speculation that the items might've been in a storage unit that Rave had before he relocated to the northeast. When she returned home and tracked down the unit, neither piece of memorabilia was there so her search continued.

"There are many people who are trying to say that my father sold the items, but he talked about the items months before he passed away because they were a priority to him. He didn’t sell them. As I conducted further research, I discovered that there are pictures and videos of my father wearing his Ribera Jacket in matches in PA. I think some people think that they are no help because they might not know specifically where the items are currently. If anyone knows any little details such as where they saw it last, it could lead to a huge discovery,"  Kailah said.

So, Kailah still has the tasks to try to track down some of her dad's memorabilia, and the rewards for the return of the ring robe and Ribera jacket are still offered. Still, Kailah remembers her dad for his passion for professional wrestling.

I" think we can all agree that he was underrated as a wrestler. He deserved more opportunities than what he was given in the wrestling world. His mind for wrestling and his ability to understand how to put together a match was of superior quality. He would want to be remembered as a helpful, encouraging, and a kind person. He would want everyone to remember the good memories of him and continue to do what is best in life and in the wrestling world. All he wanted was all of us to be happy and healthy," she concluded.

The career of PB Smooth

A champion's mentality is a tale as old as sports, the ability to use natural gifts to their fullest potential through the mindset of complete preparation and execution. That approach can be seen at every level across a variety of sports, a place where the mental aspect is just as important as the physical competition. Micheal Jordan's nearly obsessive approach to the game garnered half a dozen championships and a 10-part documentary series to tell the story behind it. Linebacker, Kevin Greene landed at the third spot all-time for sacks in his career, a tenure on the gridiron that saw him win numerous awards on the field during his nearly decade and a half in the NFL before he was on the coaching staff during a Green Bay Packers Super Bowl win. When he wasn't chasing quarterbacks, he had a stint in the squared circle through a series of memorable performances in the 90s. In an age where political red tape hampers many top match-ups, Tyson Fury beat top competition to become the truly recognized Heavyweight champion in boxing.

The champion's mentality is a combination of the preparation and execution.

One such professional wrestler that has all the physical tools to be the champion that he is today, is PB Smooth, a 6'9 athlete that weighs in at 272 LBS. At a recent card earlier this month in Uniontown, Pennsylvania for Ryse Pro Wrestling, PB defended his Ryse Grand Championship against Jackson Stone, a former Impact Wrestling Gut Check winner that is known as "The Suplex Shogun" to his foes.

After a hard-hitting battle, where both men showcased their skills and had the rowdy crowd on the edge of their seats, Smooth got the three count to retain the title. However, much more goes into PB's victory than just his size, speed, agility, and power.

Before Smooth arrives with his roller bag of gear at the Uniontown Mall, where a remodeled Burlington Coat Factory was transformed into a wrestling arena, he juggles what it takes it be a champion with what he considers championship responsibilities.

Long before championship belts were a part of his luggage, PB became hooked on the spectacle of professional wrestling the way that so many others have, he watched the Monday night wrestling competition with his dad. Later on in life, always following the sport, he went to an independent event with some friends while he was in college, and it was a decision that eventually shaped the direction of his life.

"I started bringing some friends to shows and they talked me into truly pursuing the passion, knowing it was something I truly loved but wasn’t sure I could do," PB said.

Learning his craft for professional wrestling wasn't much different than the higher education he pursued at Hofstra University in his native state of New York and then later completed at Mercyhurst University outside of Erie, Pennsylvania. He had to go to school to learn the ways of the squared circle.

A former Division I and then Division II basketball player at Hofstra and then Mercyhurst respectively, Smooth had the natural athletic gifts already, but needed to find the correct training center to maximize those tools. He chose the Absolute Intense Wrestling academy, a part of the AIW organization, one of the most established and tenured independent groups in the United States.

"Training at the AIW Academy under Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae was great. They always had good, positive energy and encouraged us to get out of our comfort zone. I’m also grateful that they made sure we had a good base of the fundamentals before moving on to the more advanced things. Josh Prohibition and Dominic Garrini are now the head trainers and they are doing a fantastic job with the new class of students," Smooth explained.

After several months of learning the ropes from two of the top stars of the modern era, PB Smooth made his debut in 2016 and his career has ascended on a steady pace since that time, working as a regular in AIW, as well as branching out to other promotions in other states. Despite his already impressive resume and seasoned wrestling status, many pundits have suggested that the 30-year-old is just now truly entering the prime of his career. Aside from the fandom and notoriety associated with being a recognizable name in the sports entertainment business, Smooth also cites personal growth for himself as  a part of his journey in the sport.

"It feels good to be living my truth in the ring and doing things on my terms, rather than taking on a persona that others feel I fit the bill for. Successfully doing things on my terms and enjoying every moment of it is all I’m focused on and have been focused on this past year," he commented.

With a Bachelor's degree in Communications and then a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership from  Mercyhurst, PB Smooth looked to give back to the university through the awareness that he can raise as a professional wrestler, establishing the PB Smooth Scholarship Fund.

"My goal is to help recruit more students into that program, while also giving back to my black community and help diversify the school," he said of the noble cause.

PB Smooth's style and presentation meshes with his power and physicality to create a persona all his own. As he continues to climb the ranks of the sports entertainment world, he landed a role in the upcoming film, Pact of Vengeance.

When he's not on set or in the ring, Smooth has a strict workout regiment and fitness program to keep himself strong and his mind sharp. Despite all of his projects, he remains focused on his status as Ryse champion, a title he will defend at their next event on July 9th in Uniontown.

 "Being the Ryse champion is the most important thing to me right now. A lot of people want to find their way into the super big independent wrestling companies, which is cool and all, but in my opinion, the measure of a true star is the ability to help build a house from the ground up. My goal is to be a fighting champion that builds this company up every chance he gets. I want Ryse to have a larger reach and I want to prove that I can be the guy to help bring that to fruition," Smooth concluded.

So, how does PB Smooth maintain his status of pro wrestling champion, traveling competitor, actor, and a role model to the community through his scholarship fund? The answer is, he has the champion's mentality.

The Forbidden Door pay-per-view

This weekend, The Forbidden Door pay-per-view will bring together a co-promoted event between New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling. There were co-promoted events previously, most recently for New Japan when they did the "War of The Worlds" series with Ring Of Honor a few years ago, but this is a much bigger scale with the live PPV broadcast that was promoted on national television on TBS.

As much as this alliance is a "dream match" type of scenario, the logistics of the situation show why some dream matches reach that status because they aren't realistically possible. All things considered, a concept that should've had the wrestling world anticipating this event lacks hype and the key of any specific "dream matches" on the card.

So, why isn't there more hype for the Forbidden Door event?

First it should be noted that the vast majority of these super cards fall short of expectations because of the political nature of the industry, and it's not always a form of pettiness. Each promotion has their key stars and want to protect their value on such a platform, but at the same time, not every match can go to a draw or be a DQ so how do you negotiate match-ups and finishes that keep both sides strong? More often than not, you have to sacrifices the biggest bouts possible to get to a place where both organizations get a chance to shine. For example, when there were rumors of a potential AEW pay-per-view with New Japan being involved, the fans immediately booked Okada vs. Punk, Tanahashi vs. Danielson, or White vs. Moxley. Inherently, even if Punk wasn't injured, would Tony Khan want his champion to lose in the main event spot? Would NJPW really be willing to allow their top guy to look secondary on such an American platform, especially since the company has expanded more into the market? Plus, there are the traditional petty politics that have plagued pro wrestling for decades, as any talent that works for AAA in Mexico, such as Andrade, Pentagon, and Rey Fenix can't appear on the show because of New Japan's working agreement with CMLL. In my opinion, Andrade's run in All Elite has been somewhat underwhelming, but The Lucha Brothers, particularly Rey Fenix, are two of the best in-ring talents on the roster so it's definitely a missed opportunity that they aren't on the card.

Again, some dream match scenarios should stay dream matches.

While New Japan has done more in the American market in recent years, the Japanese product is still a niche to the audience in the United States. In fact, in some ways, the AEW presentation is a niche product so this crossover is a niche of a niche, in terms of its audience. Taking absolutely nothing away from the incredible action and athletes of the Japanese league, New Japan is, at best, a vague concept to the viewers on TBS. Again, this isn't a knock on the talent, but there were only a few weeks for the company to promote this show on television, and it's obvious that the vast majority of the audience doesn't know who most of the New Japan talent are. Too often in recent weeks, random guys run in and that's their introduce to a national television audience. How many of the people watching on TBS know who Great O'Khan or Desperado is? Suzuki-gun is a notable stable in Japan, but the American fans don't have a reference point for it so just mentioning the name on television doesn't do much to promote their involvement.

Essentially, this crossover concept is too "inside baseball" for TBS.

Don't get me wrong, the show will be successful to a limited demographic, which is why it's not necessarily surprising that the show sold out in Chicago, but a core group of diehard fans that are willing to travel to an event doesn't automatically translate to a successful pay-per-view buy rate, especially just a month after the $50 Double or Nothing broadcast.

As far as the actual card, between the political hurdles and injuries, there aren't any major matches on paper.

Jon Moxley is definitely a star, but I think it's fair to say that there was more interest in the previously announced CM Punk/Tanahashi match than the replacement bout. The circumstances of the contest actually hinder its drawing power. It's obvious that Moxley is winning the interim title since the Japanese legend will have a busy schedule in his native country with the upcoming G1 tournament. Tanahashi is a top guy in NJPW, but at this point in his career, most of that is based on his status as a legend. He can still go in the ring, but isn't at his physical peak because of several injuries over the years. Unfortunately, Tanahashi doesn't have the cache with the American audience to allow his status to elevate the presentation of his matches. The match will be fine, but it's not something I would call a work rate match on the card. Plus, Tanahashi standing around barely saying anything last week didn't exactly present him as a possible interim champion in the future. The All-Atlantic title is completely unnecessary so the four-way match is really just another match on the card. The random six man tag is just a way to shoehorn a few more names onto the card so there's no major importance for the results. Will Ospreay  vs. Jungle Boy could've stole the show, but instead it's Orange Cassidy in that spot. Outside of a bout that Ospreay can win, I'm not sure why this contest was booked. Will Ospready is a championship level performer for New Japan so it's doesn't exactly make sense that he was booked against a comedy wrestler. Unless the triple threat tag match is a way for FTR to get a run in New Japan, the match is more or less pointless because the amount of tag titles featured on AEW programming is so comical that outside of the AEW tag belts, the other tag championships lack importance. Jay White, the current IWGP heavyweight champion, is rumored to be on the card, but even if his match is announced this week, will only a few days to advertise it make a major difference for the buy rate?

Bryan Danielson, who was on the sidelines since the Double or Nothing event, with an injury, was announced for Dynamite tomorrow to clarify his status ahead of the show. If I had to guess, I would say that he probably won't wrestle at the event, but even if he does, again does only a few days to promote it honestly make a difference? I'm not sure how long the Japanese talent would've needed exposure on TBS for most of the All Elite audience to be familiar with them, but I know for sure that it would've been more than a month.

The numbers tell the story with last week's edition of Dynamite, a broadcast the featured a lot of New Japan talent, draw 761,000 viewers, which is a decrease from the rating that usually hovers around a million viewers.

Ultimately, injuries and timing are what took away the "dream match" scenarios from this card. Why isn't there more anticipation for this show? The answer is easy, the biggest stars from both companies won't be at the pay-per-view. Kenny Omega, the biggest former NJPW talent that works for All Elite, is still on the shelf. CM Punk is on the sidelines, as far as we know Danielson is still injured, and Okada will be in Japan for the upcoming addition to his family. The show will probably be a good event for what is it, but it just doesn't have the ingredients to be the historic event that some would've thought of when the concept was initially mentioned last year.

The 50/50 effect

In the past few years, it was a topic of discussion, and something I've mentioned in this column frequently, the 50/50 booking philosophy hindered the star power across the board in the WWE. For whatever reason, prehaps because the company strategy is to market the brand ahead of any individual talent, the vast majority of the roster is kept at relatively the same level, as most of them will exchange wins rather then certain talents that are pushed ahead of the pack.

It might be because of the social media age, but somehow the term "mid-carder" is seen as a total negative, as if a talent is either being misused or is subpar if they aren't in the main event scene. Granted, the topic of 50/50 booking has undoubtedly led to some key talent being underutilized, but the bigger point being that not every wrestler has to main event Wrestlemania to have a successful career. Al Snow, who toiled in obscurity for a portion of his career, despite being a very talented in-ring performer, became a legitimate star in the wrestling business with a mannequin head as the main part of his act. Granted, Al wasn't going to main event Wrestlemania with that gimmick, but he had more than a decade under WWE contract and has kept a job in the profession in some form or fashion for over thirty years. Again, Al Snow wasn't going to win the world championship, but he was a perfect mid-card wrestler that brought entertainment to the show. The term mid-carder isn't meant as a knock, but rather that he played the role so well for that portion of the event. Keep in mind, one of the reasons that the Attitude Era had such depth on the roster was because guys knew how to be stars without just a main event push that already puts the spotlight on them. The same could be said for someone like D'lo Brown in that era or R-Truth today. There's a reason that Ron Killings has had a job with the WWE for such an extended time, because he can do anything that's needed on the show. Killings even proved he had the ability to work as a heel near the top of the card during a brief feud with John Cena several years ago.

In many ways, the 50/50 booking where talent trade wins in an attempt to get everyone over actually prevents how far any of them can get over with the audience.

Proof of that is the fact that outside of Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, or Ronda Rousey, more or less the entire roster is subjected to the 50/50 concept. Ironically, that's why Roman, Brock, and Ronda are the biggest stars in the company.

Remember, the biggest draws in the history of sports entertainment are the baby faces that were rallied by the crowd, and the villains that were hated by the audience. The 50/50 pattern is the middle of the road, which by nature doesn't draw by comparison.

There was no better example of this 50/50 booking in recent years than the Judgment Day attack against Edge just two weeks ago on Raw. Edge, who was still over, but rather lukewarm recently in his baby face role, turned heel just two months ago after a solid match against AJ Styles at Wrestlemania. Proof of Edge's almost floundering status was that the bout with AJ was more or less thrown together because the writing team didn't seem to have anything better for either of them to do for the biggest show on the calendar. At first, the heel turn seemed to serve a dual purpose since it would refresh Edge's character, and the addition of Damien Priest would give him something meaningful to do instead of being just another wrestler on the roster. Rhea Ripley joined them, and considering that she was more or less wasting the prime of her career in a comedy tag team with Nikki Ash, most fans thought that the acquisition would give her a better chance to truly showcase her stellar in-ring ability.

Following the usually WWE playbook and the recycled trope, Edge blamed the fans for his heel turn. Usually, a wrestler that makes it to the Hall of Fame is always over as a baby face for their legendary status, but Edge went with a full heel turn to trade in that cache for an angle that could truly add a fresh chapter to his already accomplished career. However, that was neutralized just two months after the angle started so there wasn't really a chance for the stable to have a run or just anyone over with the new gimmick. Based on the attack, it looks like Finn Balor is the new leader, but at this point, the Judgment Day faction didn't have a long enough run that a takeover of the group means all that much in the grand scheme of things. Mostly, Balor just seems like a replacement for Edge. If nothing else, particularly with the original additions of Priest and Ripley, there looked to be some purpose for the storyline, as it gave previously overlooked wrestlers a chance to proclaim their importance to an ungrateful public. Edge using the cult leader role could use his status as a WWE legend to put the spotlight on the other prospects. Finn Balor is one of the best talents of his generation, but aside from attacking Edge, what's his role or motivation for the storyline?

Mostly importantly, where does any of this leave Edge?

Sure, he might be cast as a baby face going forward, but is he really over as a baby face to the audience? Just two months ago, he turned heel and blamed the fans for everything. He was kicked out of the heel group by the other heels, it's not like he did anything to turn baby face in the process. He didn't stand up for one of the other baby faces or anything that would give the fans a reason to cheer him again. If Edge swears revenge on the Judgment Day faction, will the crowd really get behind that? He was a dastardly heel that got a dose of his own medicine so in terms of the storyline, Edge got what he deserved. The bottom line is, the turn against Edge has put his character in a position where he can't be an over baby face because he just blamed the audience for his recently heel turn, and he can be an effective villain because he was just kicked out of the heel faction. So, Edge, one of the most popular performers in the company at one point in his career, is now floundering in the 50/50 booking of the company.

Vince appears on Smackdown

It was announced on Friday that amid the Wall Street Journal report that Vince McMahon paid a former employee to stay quiet about an affair he had with her that the emperor of sports entertainment was "stepping aside" from his position as CEO until the conclusion of an independent investigation on behalf of the WWE Board of Directors. As I wrote in an article a few days ago, unless the money could be tied directly to funds specifically from the WWE, not Vince's personal cash then besides the public embarrassment, there wasn't necessarily anything that would prevent McMahon from continuing to run the company.

That said, when the news hit social media that Vince was stepping down, and Stephanie McMahon, who about a month ago announced she was going to take an extended hiatus from the company to spend time with her family, would return to become the CEO, I was stunned.

Could there really be a WWE without Vince McMahon?

However, as details emerged, including that Vince would appear live on Smackdown to kickoff the show, it became obvious that this announcement was nothing more than corporate lip service.

In fact, it was mentioned publicly that McMahon would still continue in his role as the head of creative and thus still make all the decisions about the content that makes it on-screen. It goes without saying that he will still wield the same power within the WWE decision-making process across the board. So, nothing changes, other than Stephanie, who was actually criticized prior to his departure as rumors swirled that her hiatus was a result of her lack of productivity within her corporate role and thus was not a voluntary hiatus, has the title of CEO in name-only.

Vince's Smackdown appearance solidified just how much of a facade this transition of power was for the corporation.

The music hit and Vince casually strolled to the ring while Kevin Dunn was in the production truck, cutting to camera shots of the fans cheering and bowing to the eccentric billionaire. You could say that it's one of the perks of being the boss, but this whole segment was nothing more than an ego trip for McMahon. He wanted to show everyone, including the WWE Board of Directors and the stockholders that he still has an adoring public. Within about 25 seconds, Vince mentioned the WWE tagline, said welcome to Smackdown, and left.

Aside from the optics of a cheering arena, which was probably something that was used to try to help his public image, this was McMahon's way of letting everyone know, he's still there and nothing has changed. Granted, there's nothing criminal about this situation and no charges have been filed. As far as we know, Vince had a consensual relationship with a former employee and decided to pay her $3 million to sign a non-disclosure to prevent any negative publicity in the future. How public opinion interprets that is up to the individual, but the fact that it was a personal matter, not based upon any legal consequences, it gives him some leverage to try to tilt the public perception in his favor.

At the same time, the whole thing is sleazy and just sounds scummy because another wealthy businessman used his power to attempt to cover up an affair with an employee. That's why the optics of the segment were terrible and said a lot about pro wrestling fans. As we know, there's always a stereotype about wrestling that it's low brow entertainment and hence why the ad rates for pro wrestling are usually lowered than the other types of shows on television. What does it say about the fan base that they were cheering and bowing to a guy that paid someone to stay quiet about an affair? On some level that visual reinforces the common negative stereotypes about pro wrestling fans. There's a reason that the sport in Japan and Mexico is looked at more favorably within the culture than the genre in America. As misguided as it might be, the mainstream press and the general public will see that brief clip and assume that those bowing to McMahon on his way to the ring are rowdy, obnoxious barbarians that won't draw the line in the name of moral decency.

Obviously, within his own world, Vince is teflon as far as the fans that buy tickets to his events, but what impact will this have outside of the WWE bubble?

Despite the facade of "stepping down," I still think the investigation will yield that McMahon paid the former employee to sign the non-disclosure with his own cash and he will eventually resume his position at the top of the company. However, it's very possible that it could have an effect on the stock price, the company's negotiating power, and projects in the future.

As much as we've heard the speculation about Nick Khan being hired to eventually set up a sale of the company, Vince's latest publicity stunt might confirm something that I wrote about when the sale rumors originally started, the WWE is what Vince dedicated his life to and it's doubtful that he would want to see anyone else run the organization because the status of the WWE is so closely associated with his legacy. At some point, the money just becomes a number on the page, and Vince is already a billionaire. If McMahon was willing to even consider the company under someone else's ownership, we wouldn't have seen such a public display to let people know that he isn't going anywhere.

On the other hand, this scandal could impact some of the projects in the future, more specifically the valuable sponsorships that generate major revenue for the company, considering that an association with the WWE is mostly negative at the moment. The bigger story could be that this scandal could potentially affect The Rock's possible involvement in the company in the future. There was speculation for the past few years that Roman Reigns' run as the "tribal chief" will eventually lead to a Samoan showdown with The Rock based on their family heritage, and when you take into account the star power The Rock has in Hollywood, a Roman/Rock bout would be at least some of the biggest business the company has done for a Wrestlemania. However, Dwayne Johnson is known for his kind and charitable acts in between movie roles, would he want to risk any negative press for a WWE return? The same could be said for John Cena, who was announced to return to Raw later this month before the scandal made headlines on main stream media outlets.

The Vince McMahon scandal

The fall of the Roman empire is the story of an entity that got too big for itself, became too big to manage, and after it was invaded then the empire eventually crumbled.

Yesterday, shock waves hit the sports entertainment world when the Wall Street Journal published a story that the WWE Board of Directors were investigating claims that the owner, Vince McMahon agreed to pay a former employee $3 million in January to stay quiet after an affair he had with her last year. The story detailed that an alleged friend of the former employee had sent an e mail to board members to inform them of not only the payoff, but that Head of Talent relations, John Laurinaitis was also involved with the employee before her departure from the company earlier this year. Supposedly, the investigation, which started in April, already under covered other non-disclosure agreements with former female employees in the past that were paid to stay quiet about activities with McMahon.

As sleazy as it might be, it's not exactly shocking that a wealthy businessman might've paid to cover up an affair, and as long as the relationships were consensual and nothing criminal happened, the only consequence is the negative publicity.

However, the fact that the WWE is a publicly-traded corporation, the same status that allowed McMahon to become a billionaire, the consequences for the company and McMahon personally could be much bigger in the grand scheme of things.

Keep in mind, while offering an IPO dramatically increased WWE's value as a global entity, it also gave the company a responsibility to its shareholders. The organization has to theoretically be above board for the investors to have full disclosure of what they're putting their money into, regardless of how silly that might sound for the wrestling business, an industry that doesn't historically have a track record of ethical standards.

The situation is still developing and much of the result of this scandal will depend on what exactly the independent investigators that represent the board find out with the entire scenario. On the surface, it's possible that Vince could be ousted from his own organization, but I doubt that will happen. At the same time, the Wall Street Journal story reported that the former employee was given a raise after she began her relationship with McMahon, and if that's true then it's very possible that the board could find that McMahon used company funds as an incentive for the employee to begin the affair. If company funds were used in any form of fashion during the relationship, it could be disastrous for McMahon. Again, this portion of the story has nothing to do with the personal embarrassment of the affair being revealed, but rather the potential deception of the investors as to what the company funds were used for under his direction.

It's important to note that the former employee hasn't claimed any forceful activities, and the relationship appears to have been consensual so there's not any criminal charges involved in the situation.

That being said, the misuse of company money to either give a raise as an incentive for an affair or the payoff for a non-disclosure agreement have taken down bigger titans than Vince in the business world. Granted, we've heard stories of payoffs in the wrestling industry, including for McMahon for years. As long as criminal charges weren't involved then the incidents were swept under the rug because the problems ended there. In this case, the fact that WWE is a publicly-traded corporation makes it clear that even Vince McMahon has to answer to someone for this, which is the board of directors.

McMahon's longtime and high-priced attorney, Jerry McDevitt already went to work on this, making a statement that WWE's money wasn't paid to the former employee. All things considered, I can't imagine that Vince would've conducted an affair without all the bases covered, in terms of legal protection from anything that could've affected his status within the WWE. It seems too obvious of a mistake to get an employee a raise directly after an affair started, but perhaps McMahon thought his sports entertainment empire would offer him protection. from any public consequences. Still, I'd expect that the slick attorney, McDevitt made sure that nothing could be tied to the company as misuse of funds.

Another aspect of this scenario was that the non-disclosure agreement was signed in January and the investigation started in April so you have to wonder if Stephanie McMahon's hiatus from the organization had anything to do with this. Surely, she can't be happy that her dad had another affair after being with Linda for decades. Ironically, this isn't the first time that Vince admitted to infidelity publicly because he discussed the topic during a Howard Stern interview in 2001.

Obviously, someone is going to have to take the fall for this scandal.

If I had to guess, I'd say that John Laurinaitis will resign from his position as the Head of Talent Relations to take the heat for it and the company can publicity proclaim that they took action based on the corporate misconduct. The 60-year-old Laurinaitis will quietly get a decent severance package to stay quiet and retire from the industry.

Again, as long as it can't be proven company money can was used for the transactions or incentives then this will be reduced to an embarrassing personal situation for McMahon. After Laurinaitis gets his pink slip, Vince will endure the negative publicity before the company continues it's normal business, mostly because of the major amount of guaranteed and that translates to profit for the same stockholders that the board represents in this situation.

The Jeff Hardy situation

Yesterday, All Elite Wrestling star, Jeff Hardy made news online when it was reported that he was arrested for DUI with a blood alcohol content of more than three and a half times the legal limit. Reportedly, Hardy was detained early Monday after he performed a concert at a Dave and Buster's in Orlando, Florida. Hardy was weaving in and out of traffic and his erratic driving prompted calls to the authorities of a possibly intoxicated driver.

This was just days before the advertised three-way ladder match on this week's edition of Dynamite, as well as a main event tag match the Hardys are scheduled for this weekend in Mexico. As of this writing, All Elite has yet to comment on the incident, and according to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, there are attempts to find Matt Hardy another tag partner for the bout scheduled in Mexico.

However, all that is completely irrelevant because the real-life consequences of Hardy's behavior could've had a much bigger impact than cancelled pro wrestling matches.

The career of Jeff Hardy is as complex as it is thrilling. He's a charismatic star that could connect with an audience, and his unique style made him a commodity in the sports entertainment business. The risks he took made him a staple of highlight videos for years, but it also became the downside of the other narrative of his run in pro wrestling. For the past two decades, there was the sporadic narrative that Jeff battled addiction throughout his career. When he was on the cusp of major stardom in the WWE in 2003, he was released after he refused to go to rehab for his drug use. After a stint in TNA, Hardy returned to the WWE and actually had two wellness policy violations in the mid-2000s. Eventually, WWE management put a level of trust in him, booking him to win the WWE championship in 2008. He spent most of 2009 in the main event scene before his contract expired in August of that year and he opted to take a hiatus from the company to heal from various injuries. Less than a month later, Jeff was arrested when massive amounts of pain killers and drugs were found at his home.

In January of 2010, Hardy inked a deal with TNA and as we know, there was the infamous Victory Road match against Sting in 2012 when Jeff showed up on a live pay-per-view completely intoxicated so the match went to an impromptu quick finish to get him out of the ring.

Jeff has gone back and fourth to different organizations over the years, including making a memorable return with Matt at Wrestlemania in 2017. Obviously, it's clear that Jeff was a valuable star because he received several chances from the WWE, and when the legal trouble would've been negative publicity, he had chances to go elsewhere because of his name value.

At some point, that should stop, but the sports entertainment business isn't known for its ethical standards.

In some ways, Jeff's arrests in 2019 at least seemed manageable because he was under contract to the WWE and while the corporation isn't perfect, it's well-known that talent are offered help with substance problems. Ironically, when Jeff walked out of a house show contest late last year, it was assumed that he was intoxicated and he was offered help, but declined so he was released from the WWE before the results of a drug test were negative.

That opened the door for Jeff to sign a deal with AEW for a Hardys reunion in March, but it was clear that this wasn't the same tag team that made waves two decades earlier. It's not meant as a knock against either of them, but particularly Jeff looked to be physically limited during some of his AEW appearances. Unfortunately, that's not surprising after several years of big bumps and high risk matches. That's why I said when Jeff originally debuted in All Elite that it would probably be better for The Hardys to play the greatest hits and allow their name value to be the main draw of this All Elite stint. Instead, Jeff did a dive through a table just a few weeks after his debut, and more recently, took some unnecessary bumps in a match against Darby Allin.

Just two weeks ago, Hardy appeared to be injured in a match against the Young Bucks at Double or Nothing, which prompted criticism from fans when the previously mentioned ladder match was announced for Dynamite.

By all accounts, Jeff Hardy is a great guy, and he probably is a genuinely good guy, but there was absolutely no excuse for his decision to drive when he was intoxicated. It goes without saying that Jeff is a tremendously talented performer, which is why so many people want to see him be successful and maintain a healthy lifestyle, but that isn't an excuse for his behavior either. Swerving on the road while intoxicated more than three times the legal limit is the path to a tragedy, not a hurdle to a success story.

Many will say that Jeff needs help and they are probably right, but that's a decision that only he can make for himself. The decision to allow Jeff Hardy to work on national television is Tony Khan's decision, and while I doubt he will be released from AEW, I really think that would be the right decision in this situation. If some indy promoter wants to pay big cash to book Jeff in North Carolina, where he can be a major hometown draw then let him be a big fish in a small pond there. But, an aging star that clearly has a problem will be nothing but negative press for AEW. Again, the wrestling business isn't known for its ethical standards, but if Tony Khan wants to protect Jeff Hardy from himself then he should release him from the company so that Jeff has to really consider his next move since WWE won't be an option until he gets some help.

I say this with all sincerity, I hope that Jeff Hardy find a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I truly hope that he can overcome his substances problems and retire from pro wrestling. The results of this situation will be that Jeff has a legacy as a wrestling star or his story will be a tragedy when he hurts himself or someone else. Sadly, the Sunny scenario is probably an indication of what will happen if Jeff doesn't get some help for the problems.

The impact of Jurrassic Park

The highly-anticipated Jurassic Park:Dominion hits theaters this weekend, and depending on the schedule to do commentary for a wrestling show on Saturday, I plan to see it either this weekend between calling the chaos on the canvas or next weekend. Either way, since Comcast owns Universal Studios, the production company of the franchise, the original trilogy has been on various channels on the Comcast system to further promote the release of the latest installment. Plus, even if you have another cable provider, the advertisements for this film are everywhere. Fast food commercials have sandwiches based on the dinosaurs, and Dr. Pepper cans are stamped with the Dominion logo.

One thing is for sure, in the pandemic era when some new releases opted to go the stream route, this is a movie that has a major atmosphere around it that not many films have had recently because of the pandemic. Since Sam already did a very good job of the individual film analysis of the series for this site, and recent bouts on insomnia have kept this franchise on my TV on a regular basis, I wanted to take a different approach to the premise of this franchise.

What made this series work and so popular for almost thirty years?

Similar to most successful franchises, some of the sequels have been hit or miss. I found that Jurassic Park is a particularly good example of cinema that had to attempt to thread the needle between art and the cash at the box office. Granted, the discussion can be that the movie business is just that, a business, and the total revenue is the true barometer of success. Before the receipts for Dominion are even tabulated, the franchise has generated nearly five billion dollars over the spans of three decades. That doesn't take into account the numerous spin offs, the merchandise, and theme park attractions associated with it.

Still, some purists have to wonder if the aura of a certain production would've remained untainted without a subpar sequel?

The majority of the Halloween sequels diluted what was accomplished with the John Carpenter original. Speaking of the original, as we know, the legendary Steven Spielberg directed the first two installments of the dinosaur adventure, and opted to serve as an executive producer for the remainder of the franchise. Still, even Spielberg knows the risk of sequels, which is why he stepped away after the iconic Jaws original film. We could've done without Meyers running around for a few extra decades, the same way nobody was really clamoring for Jaws to invade Sea World.

Still, cash is king and the almighty dollar is what drove Universal Studios to cash-in on the massive success of the 1993 movie.

Michael Crichton, the author of the 1990 novel that the original film is based on, made big money for his involvement in the movie, and it was only after the enormous success of the movie that Universal wanted a follow-up book from him so that a sequel could be developed to capitalize on the success. The Lost World was published in 1995 and hit screens by 1997, but the biggest takeaway was that the narrative of Jurassic Park was originally intended to be a stand alone story. The novel wasn't designed to have a follow-up or leave unanswered questions to be answers with a later edition. By nature, stretching the story to get another film from it lowered the quality of the story. Sure, the logic was there that explorers went to find dinosaurs, and knowing the danger, Ian Malcolm traveled to rescue them, but the fact that a second island wasn't mentioned at all in the first film tells the audience that this entire concept materialized to justify another movie at the box office. Of course, after two films, it's only natural to want to complete the trilogy, and it wasn't surprising that the further the story got away from the original premise, it quite literally yielded diminishing returns, as 2001's Jurassic Park III, a project that was still very profitable, generated the least amount of revenue of the initial trilogy.

Although, it wasn't simply the extension of the story that saw a dip in its effectiveness.

There are many key aspects of the 1993 version that the two follow-up films just didn't have. First and most importantly, the concept of dinosaurs wandering around the modern day world is such a neat concept. We've seen the fossils and the illustrations of what these massive creatures would've looked like so there's always the question about what it would be like to see the animals in-person. Next, the casting and character dynamics, while garnering mixed reviews at the time from critics, was very well-done. This movie is about dinosaurs chasing humans, it's not supposed to be on par with the character depth of Citizen Kane. Sam Neil's Dr. Grant was an all-business paleontologist that detailed how the velociraptors would've devoured a youngster who disrespectfully called the fearsome creatures "a giant turkey" in an early scene before he protects the kids of the film, Lex and Timmy, the grand children of InGen founder, John Hammond, during their adventure through the park. Pittsburgh's own Jeff Goldblum played the role of Dr. Ian Malcolm, the bombastic professor that was so cool that he became a favorite of the film for audiences. Hence the reason why Malcolm is the lead protagonist in the second film, taking the role previously held by Alan Grant. At the same time, it wasn't Lex and Timmy in danger, but Ian's daughter, who invited herself along for the trip not knowing what would be on the island. At the very least, it was the same basic story with the same basic premise. Still, I think The Lost World gets a little too much flak and in my opinion, the dinosaur rampaging through the streets was a little too much of a stretch (even for a dinosaur film) after the initial story on the second island was solid. As we know Jurassic Park III brings Dr. Grant back onto the scene, but the narrative is very flat, and I'd consider the film nothing more than an excuse to complete a trilogy.

Ironically, the stray away from the original concept is more or less what allowed Jurassic World to jump start the franchise again. It was almost 15 years since audience saw the dinosaurs on the big screen, and with a combination of Chris Pratt as the new protagonist, and kids cast to rejuvenate the original Timmy and Lex roles, the movie worked.

Aside from the humans, the hero and villain dynamic was used for the prehistoric creatures throughout the franchise. The 1993 movie had the raptors to chase the humans before the T-Rex makes the save in one of the final scenes. When the new trilogy hit screens, Blue was a raptor that became a favorite of the audience to combat the more "villainous" dinosaurs.

Some of the key aspects that made such an impression on audiences during the release of Jurassic Park were both the animations, which were made by the Sam Winston production company, and the visual effects. There are a few different documentary clips on Youtube that show some amazing footage of how the prop dinosaurs were used in some of the more iconic scenes, as well as filming techniques that were used to camouflage the computer-generated portions as well. I always thought film sequences were much more impactful when the audience actually saw the object on screen as opposed to something computer-generated. Maybe I'm wrong, but there just seems to be a disconnect when you can tell that the "danger" on-screen is just a digital addition in post-production. Perhaps, that's another reason the sequels didn't quite reach the level of the original since CGI creatures are much cheaper to add in later, thus adding to the eventual profit margin at the box office.

The Jurassic World sequel, Fallen Kingdom was a subpar film that lacked story and the visual presentation previously seen in the franchise. I'm generally a very pessimistic person, but I've honestly wondered if Fallen Kingdom got the green light simply because Universal wanted to get a second trilogy from the franchise.

That leaves us with Dominion, a film that will bring together our original favorites with the modern day cast. I don't have major expectations for this film, but I hope I'm wrong about doubts of the quality of the narrative. I'm hoping that Dr. Grant, Malcolm, and Ellie Sattler weren't just brought back for the sole purpose to use the nostalgia to sell the final piece of a second trilogy because there wasn't a quality story for Dominion.

Ultimately, Jurassic Park remains such a treasured part of American cinema because it had adventure, action, and wholesome characters. The score by legendary composer John Williams, who worked on a number of Spielberg projects, enhances all of those pieces of the puzzle to create a franchise that remains an endearing movie nearly thirty years after its debut in theaters.

The career of Keith Haught

"I remember being five or six years old watching Undertaker vs. Mankind, and I was hooked."

When journeyman Mick Foley, who had glimpses of national exposure in the earlier-90s in WCW, was signed to the WWF in 1996, many in the sports entertainment world questioned if he could be a top act in the industry. Famously, the emperor of sports entertainment, Vince McMahon was resistant to the idea because Foley didn't fit the mold of a typical superstar. Jim Ross, an avid Foley supporter from seeing him under his Cactus Jack persona a few years prior, was able to ink the wild wrestler to a contract to set up a rivalry with The Undertaker.

The feud and its moments inspired a generation.

Keith Haught, a West Virginia-based grappler, was that youngster that saw the mayhem play out on their television. As time went on, they were hooked on the squared circle and consumed as much of the sport as they could find, including the discovery of Japanese wrestling through their college days. When the chance to learn the ropes presented itself, Keith couldn't say no, and in the process, met some best friends through the pursuit of the ring.

Just like Mick Foley, Keith wasn't a bodybuilder and had a unique frame. Keith shared a few more qualities with the former IWA Japan King of the Deathmatches. Keith had a charisma all their own and and endearing quality that made them a favorite among peers during the course of their career.

However, the start to their path to the ring wasn't anywhere near as glamorous as those Undertaker/Mankind bouts that inspired them. 

"It was rough, but a fun experience. We would do most of our training on gym mats in an old college gym. We would work on mostly chain work and psychology. When It was time for a show date, we were able to get a good amount of ring time since the ring was set up early at KSWA and other promotions. That is where we could learn the rest of our trade. The main lessons, I would say, we learned were to always focus on psychology and never stop learning," Keith said of their earliest exposure to the canvas.

Grimey mats offered no glitz as the group of wrestling pals meticulously practiced the techniques taught to them by the trainers, Vinnie Stone and Alex Arcadian. The athletes that would go on to become staples of the tri-state area Edric Everhart, Tyler Cross, Tony Johnson, and Jay Flash joined Keith for these sessions. It wasn't uncommon for the friends to pile into Keith's Jeep to make it to an event hours before the doors opened just to get some ring time. After the collection of competitors made their pro debuts in 2010, that same Jeep would be crammed with wrestlers on their gear bags. In the early years, the friends would wrestle on small cards around the region on a Saturday night before they zipped back to college to study for an exam on Monday.

"I have pretty much been a local PA, WV, and OH guy for my 12-year career, but I'm still working on trying to get out more and expand. I think with the start of the pandemic, I hit a hard stop for awhile, but now things seem to be picking up much more and I'm happy for it," Haught explained.

 

The late-night car trips and gas station food after a merger payoff early on in their career offered Keith valuable experience and it wasn't long before their profile began to pick up around the circuit, prompting memorable opportunities over the past decade. A combination of the previously mentioned endearing trait mixed with a solid in-ring foundation and a unique in-ring persona made Keith a standout star over the years.

 

"I would eventually mold it to become more of an inspiration from anime, video games, comics, and cryptids. I wanted to combine elements from characters like Wolverine, Koga from Inyuasha, and San from Princess Mononoke. I wanted to make a persona that would be animalistic and cunning, but could also stay goofy if needed. I love the way it has grown over the years," they said of their in-ring presentation.

 

Keith's success over the years saw them share moments with national stars like Rikishi, Hillbilly Jim, Booker T, Zack Gowen, and others. Of course, they also had the chance to share championship wins with friends, some of those same buddies they met during those primitive training sessions in the college gym.

 

"I'm happy to have had so many wonderful moments with my fellow training class along the way. I'm very proud of all of them," Keith commented.

 

But being a public performer had its pressures, even for someone like Keith that was always greeted with cheers from the crowd.

 

"I would say I definitely have a unique look for sure and having a low center of gravity has worked out with using leverage using strength in the ring. I've been praised that I move well despite my size so that is another positive. I would say the negatives I face are that it's definitely been a stigma in wrestling being short and having a bigger body. I do constantly deal with dysmorphia. I'm trying everyday to find acceptance in my body and keep training to stay in ring shape," they commented.

 

Thankfully, the support of the fans and peers helped Keith embrace themselves, announcing that they were non-binary last year. With the confidence to live as their true selves, Keith looks to use the stage of pro wrestling to promote inclusion and education of those topics.

 

"I wish to show representation in our business and making it normalcy. Wrestling has historically been bad with its treatment of some groups, but it has come along way in changing for the better and we still got more to do. I really want to keep getting better and keep growing as a performer. I definitely think I have grown both as a performer and person. Wrestling honestly has made me a better person and learn so much about life. I'm so glad to be apart of it," they said enthusiastically.

 

All those years ago, Foley showed that it's okay to be different and it's okay to be yourself. Those differences, regardless of what they are, are what makes each person unique. Keith Haught's unique presentation, in-ring style, and genuine appreciation for the support they receive are all a part of what makes them the athlete that they are in the ring. Furthermore, Keith uses their platform as a pro wrestler to let others know, it's okay to be yourself, too. After more than a decade, this special athlete keeps moving forward with a combination of passion and dedication to the ring.

 

"Japan is the dream," they concluded. 

Ryse at Ringside 12

This Saturday Ryse returns to the Uniontown Mall after a successful trip to Baldwin just two weeks ago, and many pundits consider this June 11th event a key piece of the puzzle for the status of Ryse in the second half of 2022.

I'm scheduled to be on commentary for the event for our friends at indywrestling.us so if for some reason you can't make it there live this weekend, be sure to watch the broadcast online, which is available on a variety of platforms.

When you check out the line-up on any of Ryse's social media pages, you will see that there are several matches on the card that might steal the show, an aspect of this event that is a credit to both Ryse management and the athletes themselves. One such match is Edric Everhart vs. Chase Oliver. Edric came up short in his attempt to wrestle away the Grand Championship from PB Smooth a few months ago, but he proved he can hang in the championship conversation with the best that the promotion has to offer. As we know, Edric spent years as a tag team specialist, including a reign as the first-ever Ryse Tag Team champions with the now-retired wrestler, and my current broadcast pal, Tyler Cross. We heard chirps around the local scene for years that Edric had the potential to breakout on his own, and he's proving that notion right so far this year. Ty Cross spent a decade as a pure tag team specialist and chalked up a very accomplished in-ring career for himself. That being said, it appears that Edric has seamlessly made the transition to a career outside of the System Elite team and has the chance to even surpass their success.

We've talked in this column several times about how Ryse, particularly in 2022, looked to give fresh athletes a chance to make a name for themselves. There maybe nobody on the roster ready to do that more than Chase Oliver. Oliver, who has a tremendous amount of athleticism, is a guy that really only needs the opportunity to shine. How he flew under the radar earlier in his career is anyone's guess, but a win against Edric could move Chase further up the Ryse rankings.

Back in March, I called Cowpoke Paul's first victory the "Uniontown miracle" after he scored an upset win over Dalton Throttle, with a small assist from Brandon K. Cowpoke is talented, energetic, and entertaining. He continued to gallop around Ryse and picked up a few more wins in the process, solidifying himself as a member of the organization. That being said, if I was a betting man, I'd have to put the chips on Colby Redd this weekend. As I've said before, Colby has all the physical tools, but needed the guidance, which he receives as a member of Steele Corp. How far Colby progresses remains to be seen, but I sincerely believe that with direction from BC Steele, Redd will be able to maximize his potential, which is why I see Steele Corp racking up the wins on Saturday.

Geddy Cahoon vs. Matt Conard will be violence personified. As this story unfolded, we learned more about Carl Martin's intentions, as he planned to attempt to recruit Conard, but when that was rejected, the unstable Cahoon emerged on the scene. The shocking segment we saw in the ring a few months ago and then the confrontation last month leads me to believe that this match-up will be a battle in a war that won't be settled until one of these athletes sustains a tremendous amount of punishment. That said, you have to wonder, what will Dr. Carl have up his sleeve this weekend?

The Ryse tag team gauntlet is a wild card. Even those of us that work for the company aren't being told the full story with this one, as management is keeping the cards close to their vest. How many teams and which teams are signed for this will make for a fun and unpredictable bout. However, it does put the new champions, Primal Fear at a disadvantage. That downside is the odds are against them, but if Omen and Hodder retain the belts throughout a gauntlet scenario, they can quickly put themselves in the discussion for the most dominate tag team in Pittsburgh.

Noir cost Tony Johnson a match-up last month and while we don't know the motivation behind it yet, we will see "The Iceman" get a chance at revenge against one of the most dangerous competitors in the promotion. Noir, who spent some time of the sidelines in recent years to heal from some injuries, can be as good as anyone in Pittsburgh. The same can be said for Johnson so I'd expect a very competitive contest between this two athletes at the event.

Adrien Soriano was signed to compete against The Great Alexander, who recently took over The Great Success stable. The arrogant Alexander will have to put up or shut up. If he wants to prove how talented he is, this is he chance. Soriano and his Primal Fear stablemates have the repuation as a talented trio for a reason so this will be a true test for Alexander.

Scarlett and Laura Loveless are a very dangerous combination and the rivalry with Layna Lennox and The Honey Badger escalated quickly over the course of just a few months. I'd expect this contest to be another wild confrontation where anything can happen.

The main event is PB Smooth defending the title against Jackson Stone. As we know, a schedule conflict prevented Lee Moriarty from challenging for the championship, but that allowed Jackson Stone, winner of the Impact Wrestling Gut Check competition, to get a chance to make his name in Pittsburgh in just one night. In many ways, Stone is playing with house money because the pressure is truly on PB Smooth to be the caliber of a champion that can successfully defend against the top-tier competition. I would wager a few dollars on PB Smooth to retain, but keep in mind, the landscape of Ryse could change completely if Jackson Stone is able to capture the title, which is why you have to be in attendance this weekend.

Cody Rhodes injury

Just hours before the HIAC pay-per-view, WWE announced that Cody Rhodes, who returned to the company just two months ago at Wrestlemania after six years away from the organization, suffered a torn pec muscle, but would still compete in the main event of the show.

When Cody removed his ring jacket to reveal an insane amount of swelling and bruising on his chest, the sold out crowd in Chicago was virtually silent. I'm not a doctor so I'm just guessing with this as some have speculated about why the WWE medical team cleared him to compete with such an injury, but depending on the nature of the tear, I would only guess to say that if it's a complete tear that prehaps he couldn't actually do any further damage than what was already done so it was a minimal risk for him to compete at the show.

Aside from the well being of Cody Rhodes, this injury creates many questions about the top of the card for WWE.

It goes without saying that this was probably the worst time for Cody to sustain such an injury, as he was finally on track to be pushed as a top guy and looked poised to become one of the top stars with the shift in focus to him after Roman Reigns recently announced he planned to work a lighter schedule. As I've said before, Cody has all the tools to be the world champion that can be promoted as one of the cornerstones of the organization, which he proved that during his tenure in All Elite Wrestling, albeit in a smaller pond. We know that WWE needs to replenish its star power, particularly since Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns were promoted far above anything else in the organization, with the exception of Ronda Rousey.

A torn pec requires surgery usually puts a talent on the shelf for about eight months, which would put Cody back in the fold around Wrestlemania season next year, but what does the WWE book for the top of the card now?

The previously mentioned lighter schedule for Roman Reigns limits the use of the company's top heel, and arguably, the promotion's top baby face just went down with a serious injury so I'd expect the WWE to go into panic mode to shuffle the deck rather quickly. Situations like this are why the 50/50 booking philosophy has so many downfalls since it essentially puts the brand ahead of any individual star and thus true star power becomes a limited commodity. The organization has sold Brock, Roman, Ronda, and nostalgia more than anything else over the past several years. Ironically, the lack of star power doesn't have anything to do with the level of talent on the roster. AJ Styles and Finn Balor have the talent to be in the main event scene, but given how they were presented more recently, particularly Balor, would they really have the momentum to assume the top baby face spot on Raw right now?

If I had a vote, they should throw enough money at Bray Wyatt to agree to re-sign with the company and give him a big run throughout the second half of the year. Wyatt is a guy that the company not only missed the boat on as a main event talent, but the booking of The Fiend more or less destroyed his career. If he returns, the fans will be happy to see him again, and if the intention to give him a run that the fans think he already deserved before is clear then the audience will get behind the character. By nature, that would be a short-term solution since most of that angle would be based on his return to the company, and obviously, the writing team would have to script meaningful storylines for him next year as well. That being said, considering that Wyatt has done film work in more recent months, it's possible that he wouldn't even be interested in a comeback to the WWE, and based on how he was booked for the majority of his career, you can't blame him.

Again, not that the stock investors are asking my opinion, but if an outside talent isn't in the cards to restock the void of the Cody injury then I'd suggest that Bron Breakker should get the rocket push to get him into the main event scene on Raw immediately. Bron is a natural, and while there's only one Kurt Angle, Breakker is in the category in terms of how quickly he learned to be a star on national television. Sure, it's early and it would be  rushed, but I honestly believe Bron would shine in a featured spot on Raw, especially considering the lack of depth for the top baby face on the show. Plus, it really doesn't make sense for him to waste time in NXT 2.0 because the brand is more or less irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

The only positive of any of this is that the gutsy performance for Cody to compete with such an injury basically solidified him as a top baby face. Rhodes didn't have to wrestle, but wanted to deliver on the main event because he was finally booked to be the star that he thought he could be when he left WWE six years ago. Cody showed a lot of heart and determination for a match that will probably be talked about for years. As disappointing as it is that he will be on the sidelines, he will definitely return as an even bigger star after such a memorable performance.

The downside is that the company released dozens of wrestlers in recent years to essentially pad the already record-setting profit margin for the shareholders conference call, but the eventual result of that was a rather thin roster without much depth. The misuse of certain talents, Finn Balor being a key example, doesn't give the writing team an automatic replacement for the top baby face spot. Seth Rollins deserves a lot of credit for his role in the HIAC match as well. Considering that Rhodes will be on the shelf, it might've made more sense for him to get close to a victory before Rollins got the win because now Seth has no momentum, while Cody requires surgery so the short-term progress of the HIAC main event is moot. Rollins couldn't beat a wrestler that was noticeably injured so what value does he have as a heel?

The biggest takeaway from this whole scenario is that it should be a wake up call for WWE brass as far as how the talent is presented and how to fully utilize the assets on the roster. More importantly, there must be a priority to make new stars for the company.

Miro returns

Within the past week, the pro wrestling landscape continues to change with news about the status of the AEW world championship, returns to television, and departures from a promotion. As always, you have to wonder how some of these headlines could impact the business in what should be a busy few months for WWE, AEW, and New Japan.

Miro made his return to Dynamite this past week, defeating Johnny Elite, the former John Morrison, and looks to be back into the fold of All Elite. Between taking some time off to heal from injuries and filming a television show, Miro was away from the promotion for nearly six months. While his early booking really missed the mark, Miro showed before his hiatus that with the right opportunity, he can be a major asset for the organization. The look, the in-ring ability, and the character all work very well on the program. The question is, much like some of the other wrestlers mentioned in this article, how will Miro fit into the current All Elite landscape? Too often, when a talent gets the standard debut pop, Tony Khan features them for a few weeks and then the majority of them fade into the Youtube obscurity or simply blend into the background of Rampage. When was the last time Matt Sydal had a match on Dynamite? Miro's opponent, Johnny Elite, might be a better example of what the promotion should do with some of the talents on the free agent market. Reportedly, the former Morrison hasn't signed a contract with the company, but is working on a per-appearance basis. This might be the middle ground that Tony should look for in regards to bringing talent into the organization. The bottom line is, the roster is so bloated, it's almost comical how many contracts Khan has given during the rather brief existence of All Elite. There were three additions to the roster just during the Double or Nothing pay-per-view. Instead of giving away contracts the way that Oprah gives away cars, using certain talent on a per-show schedule gives the company something unique to promote with fresh talent on a semi-regular basis without signing someone to the roster without a specific plan for them.

For example, Jay Lethal inked and AEW deal prior to the Ring Of Honor purchase, but was he signed because Khan had a certain direction for him or was he added to the roster simply because he was available?

It goes without saying, but fully utilizing talent is truly the key to building a promotion.

While the freelance option for Morrison gives him the chance to return to Mexico or Impact, one of Mexico's more popular stars, Rush, who is former ROH champion, was one of the previously mentioned debuts at Double or Nothing, aligning himself with  Andrade. Why Rush's title reign fell flat has more to do with ROH management than anything else, but that's a different discussion for a different time. On the surface, the addition of a very talented athlete like Rush is a good acquisition for the company. However, the same question applies, does AEW really have room for another signing and more importantly, what's his role going to be there? It should also be noted that Rush works a pure lucha libre style and it's possible that the clash might not translate well to American television. I'm not necessarily saying that he shouldn't have been offered a contract, but again, outside of the debut pop, you have to consider if there's a meaningful role for him in All Elite. Some might cite that he could resume a run in Ring Of Honor under the Khan banner, but that's only based on speculation since nothing is concrete about the future of ROH, and as I've said several times before, outside of the stellar video library, ROH shouldn't be presented as its own entity, mostly because the focus should be on building the All Elite brand.

The news that Jay White finished up with Impact Wrestling made the rounds online, and truth be told, there wasn't really much of a reason for him to continue to work there. Make no mistake about it, White is a top-tier talent, and at a time when New Japan will have bigger American exposure on TBS to promote the upcoming Forbidden Door pay-per-view, it makes sense to feature him on the biggest platform possible. Impact was a decent place for him to have a rather short run while there were still pandemic restrictions in Japan, but let's be honest here, someone could be in the witness protection program and still be safe if they appear on Impact. Don't get me wrong, it's great that more wrestlers have a place to make a full-time living in the industry, and it would appear that the show does well for the Fight Network in Canada, which is the reason Anthem originally bought the company, but from a main stream perspective, the viewership is minimal. Quite frankly, Jay White is too talent to be reduced a show that averages about 120,000 viewers. The bigger story is what role he might have at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view.

Speaking of Impact departures, W. Morrissey, known during his WWE stint as Big Cass, reportedly had his last match with the promotion. Morrissey struggled with mental health and alcohol problems after his WWE release, but emerged with a fresh start in Impact last year. By all accounts, he had the best run of his career, albeit as a big fish in a small pond. It's great that Morrissey was able to clean his life up. That being said, outside of being nearly seven feet tall, I'm not sure this Impact tenure necessarily proved that he brings a wealth of other skills to the table. Sure, he's an agile big man,  but that is more common now than any other time in the history of the sport so size alone doesn't automatically translate to signing a contract. Perhaps, he will get another chance to have a run in WWE, and that  might be the most realistic option for him. I don't think All Elite or New Japan would be a full-time option for him.

The biggest takeaway from all this is that Jay White might be poised to make a big impact at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view, especially with the interim title situation. White as the interim champion creates a scenario where All Elite has a fresh champion and a top-notch talent that can deliver main event quality matches during the title reign. Plus, an eventual Punk vs. White feud for the championship could be a compelling angle for a unification match when he returns to the company.