Survivor Series review

Yesterday, Survivor Series was held in Boston for what is considered the premiere pay-per-view of the Fall on the WWE calendar, somewhat of benchmark before the Royal Rumble and the start of Wrestlemania season. Sure, there will be other premium live events, but Survivor Series is often considered to be a key event, mostly because it has such an extensive history. The broadcast started with the always well-produced WWE video package from the state-of-the-art production staff. Too often because pay-per-views have become more of a formality than major events, an aspect that was made exponentially more clear after the Peacock deal since the WWE priority is to produce content as opposed to sell PPVs, there aren't nearly as many opening videos that stand out, but the Ozzy Osbourne music video was top-notch stuff that gave the atmosphere of an important show.

When there are two signature gimmick matches on the show, the card usually kicks off with one of them and this time, it was the women's war games match. The bout went about 40 minutes and it dragged toward the conclusion, but the main takeaway from this contest should be that it again highlighted just how much talent the division has right now. The exchanges between Bianca Belair and Dakota Kai at the start of the match were tremendous and that was followed with superb work from Io Sky. Truthfully, there was really too much action in this contest to attempt to discussed all of it, but it was a quality performance from everyone involved. Rhea Ripley continues to prove that she can be a star, and Becky showed that she didn't have any ring rust after the return from injury. The only downside is that continuous chaos will eventually fizzle out if it goes on too long and that's what happened. The particular spot where the momentum halted was the handcuff spot with Nikki Cross and Alex Bliss. I'm not sure if there was a miscommunication or if the cuff got stuck somehow, but Nikki more or less had to stand on the ropes, fumbling with the cuffs before Alexa eventually got them to handcuff her. I understand why they wanted to give Lynch more minutes in the bout to establish her return, but they could've trimmed at least five minutes from this segment to keep the action tight. Still, this was a great match and one of the better matches on the card. Becky hit a leg drop from the table of the cage through a table at the finish for a solid way to conclude the bout.

The problem with those extra few minutes in the cage match was that there were over 15 minutes of video packages and commercials until there was action on the show again. There was a rather unnecessary video package for Brock Lesnar, who wasn't scheduled for the show and then there was a video package for the Bloodline, even though those same clips were replayed again before the main event. Of course, there had to be a video package to hype the next match, AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor before they got in the ring. This isn't meant as a negative at all, but there's not too much to say about this bout because it was what you'd expect from an AJ/Finn match. It was quality in-ring wrestling from two polished pros, and in many ways, this was the substance on the card to go with the sizzle of the War Games match in the main event. There was a confrontation between the two factions at ringside before AJ hit a flying forearm for the win.

After another ten minutes of commercials and video packages, the Smackdown Women's title was next on the broadcast. Quite frankly, the bloom is off the rose for the Ronda Rousey experiment, and despite the level of star power she might have left from her MMA career, I think management should seriously consider if their investment in the Ronda character is worth the return. Keep in mind, Ronda was discontent with the fans after her initial run in the company, and with lackluster performances in recent months, it's doubtful there will be a fan demand for her to remain a centerpiece of the division on Smackdown. Perhaps, the Fox executives want her in that spot, and considering Fox paid over a billion dollars for the broadcast rights for the blue brand, that overrules the fans. This match was clunky and sloppy, and the bottom line is, Ronda just hasn't improved in the ring at all. Sure, she shined when she was in there with the top talent that could make her look good, but that's to be expected under those circumstances. Unfortunately, she's completely subpar without someone to carry her to a good match. I'm not sure how much of an upside Shotzi has as a potential star, but it wasn't enough to camouflage Rousey's weakness. There was a botched DDT on the apron and the match was completely flat after that. There were some "Sasha" chants from the crowd and you could tell the production truck turned down the crowd mics. The match had no pace and even though it only went about six minutes, it was still a tedious viewing experience. Rousey retained the title with an arm bar for the submission.

The triple threat match for the US title was fine and the action picked up near the conclusion, but I have to say, I just didn't care who won the match, which was more because of the stagnant angle than anything else. Seth Rollins is one of the most talented in-ring performers on the roster, but what exactly is his character? Is he a baby face? is he a heel? Is he supposed to be the Joker? Is Bobby Lashley a baby face? Is this primarily a feud between Lashley and Rollins, or Rollins and Theory? Theory got the win after Lashley speared Rollins, and I understand that the finish was designed to get heat, but I'm still not sold on Theory. As I mentioned before, I didn't exactly see what the hype was about or why he was being given the McMahon push, and with the way he was booked to look like a total dork with the failed cash-in a few weeks ago, it's going to take more than this type of win to rejuvenate his status on Raw.

The main event was solid, but again went around 40 minutes so it had a few low points. That said, this match was booked to be the storytelling bout of the pair of War Games matches booked on the card, which is fine. Sometimes, when the world title isn't being defended on the show and there are two gimmick matches with multiple competitors on the pay-per-view, it would be very easy for the show to be chalked up to just a speculate without much purpose for storylines, but this gave the event specific context to the progress of an angle. The ability of Sami Zayn as a well-rounded performer can't be understated. Obviously, Roman Reigns is well-established, but this segment made the rest of the Bloodline look like major stars and elevated their status. The Bloodline get the win and they are undoubtedly the top draw in the company.

The Elite on Dynamite

This past Wednesday on Dynamite, The Elite returned to television, following a two-month suspension after the post-media scrum brawl with CM punk at All Out. The trio made its return to the organization at last weekend’s Full Gear pay-per-view after investigation supposedly was completed.

Not much is known on the particulars of the investigation, or who, if anyone, was found at fault for the backstage flight. However, judging from the fact that The elite are back on television, and there are reports that AEW management are in negotiations with Punk to buy out his contract, it would appear that Punk was considered the one to blame or at least that is the narrative from the All Elite side. Tony Khan, who is usually more than happy to comment excessively at the post-PPV press conferences was tight-lipped on the CM punk situation. Usually, Tony responded with claims that he could not comment on punk. However, he said that Punk contributed to the organization.

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Kenny Omega  said that the fans should let it go, as far as the Elite/Punk confrontation. Considering there are still contract negotiations as a result of the backstage flight, the lack of comment from the key players is a smart strategy, especially because anything disparaging towards Punk could theoretically be used as leverage in the buyout of his contract. Essentially, Punk could use anything possible to get a full buy out of his deal and more beneficial terms than he would’ve otherwise. 

That’s why it’s so puzzling that The Elite, who as far as we know, are still considered EVPs of the company, would spend the energy to take shots at Punk on television. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve written extensively about Punk being too difficult to work with and thus making himself more or less unemployable in professional wrestling, despite a dedicated fan base and a noticeable level of star power. I also explained that the entire point of the wrestling business is to make money, and Punk's inability to do business in either WWE or AEW prevented money being draw so money was left on the table. Undoubtedly, there is plenty of blame to rightfully be put on the shoulders of CM Punk, who buried the company, while Tony Khan sat there, looking completely lost. 

That along with a few other backstage scuffles, gave the impression that Tony Khan was in over his head and that the inmates were running the asylum. Tony  had to learn, in rather short order that the wrestling business is a shark tank, and he had to be a boss, not always friends with the roster. Tony also learned a hard lesson that sometimes the carnies in the wrestling business are friends based on who pays them. At some point, Tony had to do what was best for the company and perhaps that was a buyout of CM Punk's contract. . 

But, when you taken into account that the elite are supposedly a part of the office, these petty jabs at Punk, both on the Being The Elite blog and on television, almost reinforce that the problems of the inmates running the asylum, which would make Tony more or less being an ineffective boss, still persist. Khan has done more or less everything he can to avoid commenting on the situation so clearly he doesn’t want to put more of a spotlight on it. That’s the right move since the entire point of the CM Punk/Elite story gave the company negative publicity.

Quite frankly, if Tony Cohen was an effective boss, or at the very least, if the EVP‘s took their roles as management seriously, these silly, petty cheap shots at Punk wouldn't have happened. Aside from the highlight of anti-CM punk chants on the Being The Elite video, there were several references to the backstage fight during the trios match on Dynamite. Matt Jackson went for a slingshot clothesline and fell to the canvas as a way to mock Punk, who botched the move when he beat Adam Page for the AEW title in May. Kenny Omega also bit Pac on the arm during the contest, a reference to the story that Ace Steel bit him during the melee behind the scenes. Finally, Omega hit  Pac with the GTS, Punk's signature move, as a way to mock him. 

What exactly does any of this prove other than perhaps The Elite are as immature as Punk claims they are?

Basically, this is one of the many reasons that active wrestlers shouldn't be a part of the office. By nature, pro wrestling is an ego-driven business, and more often than not, if wrestlers are allowed to leverage a management position to work in their favor, they exploit it to the fullest. In this case, The Bucks and Omega put their personal grudge with CM Punk a head of everyone else on the roster because they put the story back in the headlines. Let’s keep in mind, the story claimed that AEW was run unprofessionally backstage. Again, is it worth The Elite getting a chance to snicker to themselves?

If Tony didn’t make it clear to everyone still with the company that was involved in the debacle that the subject was persona non-grata then that's an indication of his lack of leadership On the other hand, if The Elite did it on their own and went against Tony‘s request not to to make any reference to Punk then it’s also a lack of leadership, because the trio know they can ignore the boss without any consequences. No matter how you look at it, none of this paints a good picture of the management structure, or lack there of for the company. If Tony has true aspirations to establish AEW as a legitimate alternative to the WWE and maintain a presence on that level then he must act like a boss, not someone that attempts to be friends with the roster.

The bottom line is, The Elite were selfish and put their personal grudge against Punk ahead of a match on national television for a show that the organization is trying to expand to a bigger audience. Don’t get me wrong, this isn't meant as a personal criticism against any of them. I actually met Kenny Omega, The Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and a few others at a Ring Of Honor show in 2017 during the autograph session before the event. Everyone was very polite, and Cody and The Bucks were especially polite, thanking us for waiting in line to meet them . On a personal level, The Young Bucks were very nice to me and I sincerely appreciate it, but that’s not the discussion here. 

The bottom line is here that while The Elite are over and have a dedicated following from the diehard AEW fan base, these type of antics do absolutely nothing to help the product that they are supposedly on the management team of so the whole thing is counterproductive. The titles are EVP are self-serving and rather useless in terms of management of the company. It goes without saying that if Punk returned to the promotion, which is very doubtful, it would be a huge draw on pay-per-view. Remember, Dynamite draws roughly 1 million viewers, and the PPVs generate about 140,000 buys, depending on the card, and that's actually not a terrible conversion rate of the typical television viewers that will pay to order events, especially in the modern era. However, there's certainly a gap between the fans that watch AEW television and those that will spend the cash to order a pay-per-view so there's undoubtedly more money to be drawn on pay-per-view with the right angle. Macho Man punched Hulk and gave him a black eye right before Wrestlemania IX. Bret and Shawn had a backstage scuffle in the months prior to Montreal. The are numerous stories of real-life disputes in professional wrestling, but more often than not, everyone was still willing to do business because there was money to be made. The ability to draw money is the entire point of the industry. Even if Punk doesn't wrestle again, Tony Khan and The Elite should remember that the top priority is to draw money for the company.

What's the status of AEW?

Since Twitter is still in existence, after eccentric billionaire, Elon Musk brought back the orange villain, I was scrolling through the social media platform Monday night, and was pleasantly surprised to find something positive about pro wrestling. AEW star Pentagon was featured on Monday Night Football meeting, one of the San Francisco 49ers, George Kittle, the tight end for the team who is a big wrestling fan. The Luchador sported his trademark mask and presented a 49ers themed mask to the Kittle. It gave me the impression that Pentagon could be somewhat of a main stream star for the promotion, if Tony Khan ran with him on a more streamlined basis, as opposed to being a placeholder for The Elite's return in the trios division. Granted, I have written that I think Pentagon has the gimmick, the look, and the skill to be a top guy. Much of the same can be said for a Fenix, but that’s a different discussion for a different time. 

This brings up the bigger point of if Tony can adjust his booking philosophy to attempt to maximize the pieces of the puzzle already on the roster instead of looking for the artificial pop of signing new acquisitions. Ironically, just within the past few weeks, Bandido, AR Fox, and Takeshita were signed to contracts. The situation, despite being overly complicated in the AEW landscape, is rather simplistic in the grand scheme of things. Just because a performer has the talent to be on a national stage, it doesn’t always mean that they should get signed to a specific promotion. The reason being, is that it must be taken into account  if  a competitor fits in the promotion or if there's a place for them on the roster. One example would be ECW alumni, Mikey Whipwreck's six=month tenure in WCW. The former ECW champion  had a handful of matches on Turner television, but wasn’t used in any way that would be considered productive and his entire tenure there was so under the radar that it was mostly forgettable to casual fans of that era. Point being, Whipwreck had a prominent spot in the Philadelphia-based organization because Paul Heyman knew how to best utilize his skill set. The Turner company simply didn’t know how to book a misfit character as an underdog. Along with that, much of his success in ECW was also based on how the diehard crowd adopted him as a sentimental favorite. Even after his return to ECW and when his character evolved, it was still tailored for an extreme product for his association with the Sinister Minister and the tag team with Tajiri.

In a similar fashion, AR Fox is undoubtedly an incredible athlete with spectacular aerial offense. This doesn't take away from any of those skills, and perhaps he should have a spot ina promotion on a bigger scale than just the independent circuit, but the question should asked, is there a place for him on the current AEW landscape? That is not diminish his talent but he works a very similar style to the rest of the roster so the question becomes not if he’s talented enough, but rather is AEW the best place for him? He might be better off with the chance to compete somewhere that has the ability to fully utilize his skills. Based on the almost comical amount of signings in All Elite, the odds say that he will get lost in the shuffle on the YouTube shows within a few weeks. In the same way, AEW as a promotion should take into account if they can fully showcase AR Fox. If not, the return on the investment won't be worth the contract. That’s why timing is so critical with signings, and the overall career path of these competitors. As stellar as Bandito is, and the argument could be made that he has a bigger upside than Fox, I wouldn’t be shocked if Bandito gets lost in the shuffle, too.

It’s a harsh reality, but not everyone can be a star. That’s not a knock on anyone’s talent level either, I have used this example a few times since this scenario continues to be relevant, D'Lo Brown wasn’t necessarily going to main event Wrestlemania, but was a solid in-ring performer that consistently delivered quality matches and helped build a card in the process. His role wasn’t to work a a 20-minute main event, but rather contribute to the overall quality of the card. The same can be said for Al Snow, who knew how to entertain audience and was a solid performer that consistently delivered what was asked of him by the office. In the social media page, so often fans jump to the conclusion that a performer is being buried by management, but you have to consider that some talent are showcased in a specific role for the overall quality of  the product. A successful career as a mid-card performer is still successful because it provides financial security, and the bottom line of the wrestling business is to make the most money possible. There’s a reason that guys like also Brad Armstrong and others were under contract for as long as they were because they could deliver what was needed for the show on any given night.

In many ways, AEW or more specifically, Tony Khan has not grasp this concept. It’s a harsh reality, but when you try to get everyone over, generally nobody fully gets over as well as they would’ve otherwise.

That is to say that not every match on a pay-per-view needs to be given 20 minutes, or that each performer should be given equal time to shine throughout a contest. While it would be nice if everyone could be a big time star, it’s not realistic and ahead of 2023, AEW must work to maximize its assets in an attempt to maximize its audience. 

This is where the situation gets a little murky because with Raw, the traditional flagship show of the biggest wrestling promotion in the world, garnering less than 2 million viewers on some weeks, and SmackDown generating a little over two million viewers on network television, the question is, what's the ceiling  on an audience for the second biggest national wrestling promotion in the United States? We can make the assumption based on the fact that All Elite Wrestling debut broadcast drew 1.4 million viewers that they could definitely be drawing better numbers than the million or so viewers that they hover around on a regular basis. In fact, more recently, the program drew a little over 800,000 viewers, which would be concerning because there is somewhat of a level of inconsistency with the ratings based on the competition of other sports on a certain week.

Regardless of how you look at the numbers, it's clear that All Elite could draw better ratings.

If that can be accomplished remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, if Dynamite is going to draw better numbers, there must be a more organized approach to the product. Again, when you try to get everyone over, it makes it difficult for anyone to get over. Pentagon was featured on national television, but his current path will probably be to put The Elite over in an unnecessary best-of-seven series. In my opinion, Tony Khan should pick a few of the prospects that might have potential to be the future of the company and plan to give them consistent and meaningful television exposure. A few months ago, Daniel Garcia was a regular on Dynamite, but has been floundering in Youtube obscurity for the past five weeks. How's he supposed to become a star for the company without consistent momentum? Can anyone find Miro?

Booking pro wrestling isn't easy, and Tony Khan found that out during the past few years. There's a reason that the vast majority of notable bookers throughout the history of the sport are also usually considered some of the best minds in the industry. Tony putting names on paper isn't necessarily booking wrestling. As I've said before, you have to give Khan credit for being willing to invest in a sports entertainment venture, but at the same time, getting the "booker of the year" award from The Wrestling Observer doesn't sell tickets. Tony Khan is a billionaire so I'm nobody to tell him anything, but my two cents on the situation would be book the product with guys like Wardlow, Powerhouse Hobbs, Eddie Kingston, and Pentagon as those that should have the main event spots this time next year. The reason being, the argument could be made that all of those guys should already be in a better spot than they are now, but Tony didn't fully utilize the opportunities for them to get to the status in the company.

Full Gear review

After a rocky few months, All Elite Wrestling was back on pay-per-view for their first PPV since the infamous All Out debacle led to a backstage brawl that resulted in the EVP‘s of the company suspended and arguably the biggest star on the roster set into exile. The Full Gear event served as somewhat of a benchmark in terms of being an indication of if the promotion could get back on track as far as making progress toward building the product, as well as elevating the status of key players on its roster. After the broadcast went off the air, the argument could be made that all of the pieces of the puzzle were moved into the right place, but the follow up is just as, if not more important in the grand scheme of things..

Still, considering that AEW follows the traditional pay-per-view model of a $50 premium event, how did the show measure up in terms of quality and presentation?

The show opened with Luchasaurus vs. Jungle Boy in a steel cage match, which I’m guessing had something to do with setting up the cage so it was put on the card first to avoid having to stall at some point to get the cage around the ring. While that’s understandable, the flip side of that is when you start with the cage match, it becomes much more difficult to properly pace the card and thus you could unintentionally have a low point in the action as the night progressed. That said, this match-up was a textbook example of when the narrative of classic professional wrestling is applied correctly. Jungle Boy was the fiery underdog baby face that had to fight from underneath the entire time, and this was one of the rare occasions that Luchasaurus actually looked like a vicious heel. The spot fests usually seen on AEW programming showcase incredible athleticism, but the argument can be made that the visual of Jungle Boy bleeding up against the cage is really where you make progress toward making a star. The match had great action and built to a baby face come back, which are the key elements that can make a match work on multiple levels. The way Jungle Boy hit the cage and sold showed the progress in his overall presentation, which seemed to be lacking at certain points to the past. The choke slam through the chair looked absolutely brutal, and the finish with the elbow drop from the top of the cage through the table looked spectacular. More than anything, this looked like a fight and a true grudge match. The bottom line is, that type of narrative is what draws money. You’re going to see high spots throughout the entire night, but the storyline and the characters are what made this particular belt stand out. Jungle Boy got the victory and appeared to make major progress as an overall performer in this match so it was mission accomplished. I’m not sure what the status of Christian's injury is, but I’d say there’s still at least one more grudge match for this angle.

After the previously mentioned controversy and the supposed investigation that cleared them of blame for the backstage fight with CM Punk, The Elite made their return to the company after a three-month hiatus. As I’ve written before, I don’t think the company would be in any jeopardy if Kenny Omega or The Young Bucks left, but I also said that it wasn’t meant as a knock against the trio, but rather to point out that the company has enough depth and star power to continue to draw fans. However, despite what any critics might say and even if those critics have valid points, it’s undeniable how over The Elite are with the core AEW audience. Their return received a tremendous reaction and regardless of some of the repetitive spots with trademark offense of their style, the crowd followed the action throughout the contest.

The match itself was what you would expect, it was a dazzling spot fest with incredible action and athleticism. However, maybe I’m too much of a traditionalist, but one of my biggest pet peeves is the lack of tags or following any of the rules. Granted, the trios titles were more or less created in AEW to allow for these type of high spot matches, but I don’t think that justifies ignoring the rules or the blatant lack of logic. With as popular as Death Triangle are, this contest was missing the baby face/heel dynamic because The Elite were tremendously over with the audience, but up until this point Death Triangle weren’t exactly portrayed as heels. I’m guessing that’s why the hammer was finally used, but there needs to be a clear statement made about who the baby faces and heels are across the board in AEW. I know the trope of shades of gray is sometimes used as an excuse, bottom line is, there are heels and baby faces in real life. That dynamic is something the audience can identify with and that’s ultimately what draws money in the wrestling business. After the disputed finish, with Fenix using the hammer to get the win, it was announced that there will be a best-of-seven series for the Trios titles. Again, maybe I’m too much of a traditionalist, but there's absolutely no reason to have carbon copy matches seven times for these titles. If I had to guess, Tony Khan was a fan of the WCW best-of-seven series in the late-90s and wants to re-create that in AEW. The nature of high spot wrestling can be repetitive and this series can make that aspect exponentially more obvious if fans are see the same spots from the same wrestlers in the same type of match on a weekly basis for an extended period of time.

The TBS title was up next and after following a bloody cage match and the trios bout, this was probably an avoidable low point in terms of action, but the six-minute bout was needed to attempt to pace the card. There wasn’t anything too spectacular, but that’s not a criticism, only to point out that this segment was more to benefit the overall presentation of the card. That’s something Tony Khan should actually try to focus on more often because not every match needs to have half a dozen false finishes and be given twenty minutes. If anything, too many matches are given that type of structure and it actually takes away from specific matches standing out more than they would otherwise. Jade getting the win made sense because it continues to build her title reign as TBS champion.

The action of the Ring Of Honor title contest was fine and there was nothing wrong with it, except that the result didn't truly have an impact in the company so I would actually consider this match skippable on a four-hour show. At this point, the result of Chris Jericho retaining was obvious because we know that Tony Khan wants to use Jericho‘s name value to attempt to get ROH TV deal. I understand the logic, but as I’ve written many times and will attempt not to retread it, Ring Of Honor is not a brand that can draw on its own in 2022. I will still say that the ROH titles and the attempts to keep the brand relevant dilute the progress of AEW. This match was fine, but I think the card would’ve been better suited for any combination of matches with these performers than the four-way bout for a championship that represents a stagnant brand. Jericho got the win and will continue the title reign, but I think the attempts to get ROH off the ground are moot.

Saraya squared off against Britt Baker for her return to the ring after a five-year hiatus from what was considered a career-ending neck injury. I’m not sure if it was the understandable ring rust or perhaps the segment just didn’t gel, but for some reason this match never got into second gear. It wasn’t a subpar contest, but it wasn’t necessarily the quality you’d expect from these two performers. However, the bigger story is the 30-year-old British grappler is healthy enough to return to the sport, and considering all that she has endured on a personal level over the years, it’s great to see Saraya doing better today. She got the win, but I would guess this rivalry will continue on Dynamite.

The TNT three-way title match was a hard hitting, physical segment that made each athlete look like a star. This was only about 10 minutes and that’s all it needed to be. It was impactful and got the story across to the audience. Depending on what happens next, the decision to put the title on Samoa Joe might be a little puzzling. This could open the door for Wardlow to move up the card to feud with MJF for the world title, which would make sense based on their history previously. The other option would be to continue the Joe/Wardlow feud and that might be able to continue to showcase Wardlow since he will be working with an experienced veteran. Powerhouse Hobbs is a money prospect, but was basically shoehorned into this equation  so it would be wise for Tony to give him a clear direction going forward so he doesn’t get lost in the shuffle again. I know it probably won't happen, but it would be nice if Joe unified the ROH TV title and the TNT title to get rid of some of the extra props on AEW television.

Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal vs. Sting and Darby Allin was fine for what it was but, all things considered, it was really unnecessary to put it on this card. Double J is in great shape for his age and he has history with Sting, but I think a slot on Dynamite would be more than fair for this segment. That’s not a knock on any of the participants in this match-up, but this is where that four-hour aspect of the show is a factor. What is this really needed to add anything to the shelf that wouldn’t have been there otherwise? Again, this isn't meant as a jab, and you have to give Jarrett credit for working on pay-per-view at this point in his career, but was there really a demand to see another chapter of Sting/Jarrett in 2022?

The AEW women’s title match was very solid and one of the better matches on the card. It was almost a 15-minute contest that built toward the conclusion and had a major reaction when Jamie Hayter finally won the title. The only problem and this was mentioned earlier is, it it wasn’t clearly defined who the baby face and heel was throughout the match. Sure, Hayter was portrayed in the heel role, but she received a baby face reaction for several weeks before the pay-per-view. It's Tony’s responsibility to adjust accordingly to that. it didn’t do anything to diminish this particular segment, but something should be booked to firmly turn Hayter baby face on television. Side note, unless Thunder Rosa is going to return to the ring within the next few weeks, Hayter should be considered the undisputed champion. The interim status dilutes the championships for a promotion that already has too many belts.

The tag team title match was fine and The Acclaimed are of the most over acts on AEW programming, but at this point in the show, the broadcast started to drag. Furthermore the Swerve character has to become a full-fledged heel because the heel turn was somewhat flat previously. The Acclaimed retained the championships.

The main event was very solid and a quality world title match. However, there was a lot of stunts booked throughout the show so it put MJF and Jon Moxley in a tough spot when they had to work a standard match. The audience saw blood, tables, chairs, and high spots for three and a half hours, you just can’t expect to get the same reaction from a head lock or submission reversals. The Regal turn was obvious, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right decision. As I’ve said before, Regal is one of my favorites of all time and I sincerely believe he’s one of the best minds in the history of the industry. The endorsement from the legend puts a stamp of approval on the coronation of the young champion. How they follow up with this will be key, more specifically the next feud for the championship. It should be noted that Jon Moxley might be the MVP of All Elite for 2022 because he provided a level of stability for the company when there was speculation about disarray backstage.

Overall, I think full gear gave the fans their money's worth and that’s ultimately a critical point of success because it helps make the sell for the next pay-per-view, the company's biggest revenue stream, easier in the future. That being said, more wrestling does not automatically translate to better wrestling and these four-hour shows are just too long and often become a tedious viewing experience.

Will Stone Cold return?

After a historic and newsworthy 2022, with the "retirement" of Vince McMahon, and the backstage fights in AEW,  the prospects for an interesting 2023 have already began to take shape before the end of this year. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that WWE brass offered "Stone Cold" Steve Austin another match for next year‘s Wrestlemania, which is set to be held over two nights in Hollywood. While you have to take most of what Meltzer reports with a grain of salt because that’s the nature of the business, there seems to be some credibility to the speculation since Steve Austin, the 58-year-old former champion, posted a workout video on social media recently and looks to be in great shape.

The rumors of a return of the ring go along with reports that Austin was happy with his comeback against Kevin Owens earlier this year. Keep in mind, Austin was asked to come out of retirement 19 years after his final bout because the company had to sell tickets to two stadium shows, and it’s no surprise that Owens was chosen as his opponent. Despite the fact that the booking of Owens was hit or miss over the course of his WWE run, make no mistake about it, he’s a quality performer that can do anything management ask of him, and that versatility is what made him a great opponent for a returning legend. Owens made Austin look like a million dollars and was safe in the process. As much as some fans on social media will overlook it, the fundamentals of the industry are always key to success.

Of course, with reports of a return to the ring, there will be speculation of who the opponent might be at Wrestlemania.

The first name to jump from the rumor mill was John Cena, which makes sense because of the location and his status as a new star in the film industry. Adding Cena to the card would make another Hollywood addition to the event, with speculation that we could finally see Roman Reigns vs. The Rock on the second night. If I had to to guess, I’d say that Cena/Austin is the bout that has the best chance of actually happening, as well as being the biggest draw. As we know, Steve Austin is the biggest star in the history of the business and sold more merchandise in a relatively short time than anyone else in the history of the industry. Sometimes it seems like within the Pryo and ballyhoo of the Attitude Era, some fans don’t realize that Austin had an abbreviated run because of the injuries, but still sold more merchandise than any other wrestler in the history of the company. Obviously, Austin represented the Attitude Era more than anyone else on a star-studded roster at the time  and along with that was the biggest pro wrestling star when more people were watching a product than any other time in history. On the flip side, Cena is the biggest star of a different generation and his character was tailored to the PG era. That dichotomy and stark contrast between the two is a story that writes itself. Steve Austin was the rebel that broke all the rules to become the antihero, and John Cena represented the traditional baby face hero. It’s not often that the two biggest stars from two different generations truly get a chance to face off on a big time stage because the timing usually isn’t right. As disgraced as Terry Bollea might be in real life, the last time a generation vs. generation match on this scale happened, The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan was one of the most memorable matches in pro wrestling history. Aside from the draw and the ability to sign him for an appearance, John Cena is also a safe opponent that will make Austin great during the match. With all those ingredients, Austin /Cena is a match that can print money.

However, nothing is confirmed and there are other rumored names that could be an opponent for Austin, assuming Stone Cold wants to do another match. CM Punk, who is recovering from surgery to repair a torn triceps, is a name that has been thrown around, but I put no stock into that speculation. Besides the fact that punk has been injury prone and has a rocky history with WWE management, he hasn’t finished the negotiations for a release or buyout of his AEW deal. That puts the odds against Punk being cleared, either medically or legally, for such a match. Considering how rare another Austin match would be, it might be taken into account that CM Punk proved not to be at the level of a star that could shift the industry when he showed up in AEW, and by that standard alone, the Cena match should take priority. Don’t get me wrong, Punk is a star, but aside from being difficult to work with, his tenure in All Elite proved that he is just a level below the truly top-tier names of the industry, which isn't meant as a jab against him, but rather a realistic look at his Impact in All Elite wasn't comparable to when The Outsiders showed up on Nitro. The ratings for Dynamite were relatively the same so Punk's ability to move the needle was minimal. That’s why I would say that Cena/Austin is the bigger match. In many ways, the bloom is off the rose for CM Punk so to speak. Fans waited seven years for him to return to pro wrestling and it garnered mixed results so by nature there won’t be the same level of anticipation if he returned to the WWE. It might be harsh, but the ratings were the same, Punk was injured for about a quarter of the time he was there, and he buried the company in what will probably be his final AEW appearance.

Another name throwing around was Brock Lesnar and while it’s undeniable that it would be a huge match for a number of reasons, the fact that Lesnar works such a physical style would not gel with the 58-year-old Austin as an opponent. Especially given Austin‘s history of neck injuries, German suplexes and the vast majority of Lesnar‘s offense would realistically be off the table. In a match at that level, you either have to deliver with the fans expect what would be an authentic Lesnar bout against Stone Cold or it could be a disappointing segment. Given how protective Austin is of his legacy, including turning down several offers  to to return to the ring before he actually did earlier this year, I don’t think he would want to risk a disappointing performance if his health wouldn’t allow him to work an authentic match on a stage like Wrestlemania.

Former WCW champion, Bill Goldberg has even been mentioned for what would be the WWF vs. WCW clash that everyone wanted to see 20 years ago, but it’s another one of those matches that is better left to the imagination because neither Austin or Goldberg could replicate what they were two decades ago and thus it wouldn’t be what fans expect from such a spectacle. Similar to the Lesner scenario, Goldberg works a very physical style and while none of it is intentional, The Undertaker bout proved that injuries can happen if  he's not in the ring with someone that complements his style. Let’s be honest here, again with Austin‘s history of neck injuries, is it really wise for him to take the spear?

As mentioned, John Cena would be my pick for Austin's opponet, but just the fact that the match is a realistic possibility for Wrestlemania 39 shows just how unpredictable the industry can be and as cliche as it might be, anything is possible in the pro wrestling business.

What's the status of the NWA?

After a slew of independent shows this past weekend, many fans are talking about the National Wrestling Alliance, which held its "Hard Times" pay-per-view in New Orleans, but unfortunately, the chatter around the historic "ten pounds of gold" is for the wrong reasons. In the main event, Tryus, former WWE grappler Brodus Clay, won the NWA World Heavyweight championship after he competed in a three-way bout against Trevor Murdoch and Matt Cardona.

First, it should be noted, and as I wrote a few years ago, Billy Corgan did more to make the NWA relevant in a relatively short time span than the jokers that were involved with it the previous two decades. Without getting into a rant, the vast majority of the organization's existence in the post-Turner purchase of Jim Crockett Promotions, was based on a few carny nickle-and-dime indy promoters that wanted to leech off of the legitimate history of the initials. The 1994 tournament that was associated ECW was probably the only legitimate chance of reigniting the original brand, but as we know, Paul Heyman and Shane Douglas had other plans.

Corgan, who had a role in the latter stages of TNA before he had to take Dixie Carter to court, bought the NWA in 2017. At the time, I wasn't sure what exactly he bought other than the rights to the name and the use of the world championship. Keep in mind, the famous Jim Crockett library was included in the WCW buy out. Again, give Corgan credit for making the most of the name, because for a brief time before the early existence of All Elite Wrestling and the pandemic, the NWA Power series on Youtube generated a cult following. That said and also as I mentioned at the time, I just couldn't put too much stock into the NWA project because the economics of a Youtube platform doesn't lend itself to a venture that could sustain itself, especially in a pro wrestling landscape that would become more crowded.

Similar to the original Power series, the current NWA product showcases some really solid free agent talent. Matt Cardona, who was completely underutilized during the bulk of his WWE tenure, completely reinvented himself on the independent circuit and looks to be exactly what the NWA needed, considering that he could be the traveling world champion as a throwback to the prior era. Cardona made himself a draw without mainstream television behind him. Colby Corino, Marti Bell, and others have done well on the NWA stage. The studio setup for most NWA shows is really unique in the modern era and has a cool retro look for the broadcast. However, the major downside is that the NWA episodes are about 45 minutes each and costs $4.99 on Fite. Granted, five dollars doesn't break the bank, but comparatively speaking, when the WWE Network is $4.99 or free in some cases on Peacock for access to thousands of hours of wrestling content, it makes selling pro wrestling more difficult across the board, let alone less than an hour of footage for the same price. Thankfully, the answer to that can be the newly-launched Fite+ service that will include several independent groups, along with the NWA at the $4.99 price point, which definitely gives the Corgan shows more exposure going forward than there was in the past if fans had to pay for individual episodes.

How Fite makes its new service a profitable revenue stream for all of the companies involved remains to be seen, but if the concept gets all the ground, it could theoretically give each league more exposure at a more modern price point.

It's a harsh reality, but in the modern era, it's much more difficult to get a piece of the pro wrestling pie so to speak. Even the most diehard fans have a "wrestling budget," both for the time and money spent on sports entertainment. WWE tries to target a mass audience, marketing its content to the general public to attempt to maximize viewers in an attempt to maximize ad revenue, especially because the broadcast rights already bring in guaranteed money. All Elite Wrestling is still somewhat of the old school modern, as far as the company tries to sell quarterly pay-per-views, albeit at a higher price than in the past, which puts more pressure on the organization to not only sell the shows on television, but to deliver a quality event. By nature, any other product is attempting to carve its own profitable niche, which is possible, but difficult. Despite its previous working agreement with All Elite and a solid roster of its own, Impact doesn't have enough cache in the sport to truly make a difference within the rest of the industry. The promotion isn't necessary subpar in quality, but the scope of the promotion is rather minimal in the grand scheme of things. The shows are held in front of small crowds and its television ratings in the United States aren't comparable to either WWE or AEW. Keep in mind, Anthem bought the group because it was the highest rated show on the Fight Network in Canada so as long as Impact continues to do solid numbers there, it's doubtful that management would attempt to change the status of Impact. That being said, the NWA in some ways, is similar to Impact, but without television to fuel the product.

If that's the case, you have to ask, is there realistically room for the NWA in the modern landscape?

Of course there is, if Billy Corgan can find and market toward a target audience. Despite the myriad of talent, I'm not sure the NWA product has truly found its audience yet. Is it supposed to be the old school fans? By nature, that demographic is a niche, and as we know, nostalgia has a limited draw. Plus, Conrad Thompson, the real estate mogul that turned his passion for pro wrestling into a profitable side gig through his podcast network, has promoted retro events around pay-per-view weekends the past few years so that caters to most of the old school market.

If Corgan's answer is Tyrus as the face of the promotion, the search for an NWA audience will probably continue. Nick Aldis was the champion for most of the time for the past few years, but recently gave his notice to the organization, citing differences with the direction of the product. Corgan responded with claims that the former TNA competitor attempted to politic to win the belt back. In truth, a rift between a promoter and a wrestler isn't anything unusual. Aldis leaving isn't an indication for the status of the NWA, but Corgan's decision to put the title on Tyrus, a nearly 50-year-old wrestler that had a two-year stint as a mid-card comedy act in WWE, might lend some credibility to Aldis' criticism with claims that Corgan doesn't know the industry.

Plain and simple, Tyrus isn't a performer that anyone would identify as a world champion. Was anyone clamoring for that big Tyrus title run at any point in his career before there? How about all those great Tyrus matches that fans think of when you mention his name? What about all those compelling Tyrus promos? Granted, Cardona got hurt and had to relinquish the championship, and Trevor Murdoch was a decent substitute because of his history with Harley Race, but outside of that Cardona should be the guy for the NWA. He markets himself as good as anyone in wrestling and without the restrictions of a national contract, he can work very well in the role of a traveling champion.

Finally, society is politically divided now more than any other time in the history of the country and besides being an outspoken conservative, Tyrus appears frequently on Fox News, which some consider to be an extreme network. There was a reason Micheal Jordan said, "Republicans buy shoes, too" because when a figure is associated with politics, it can sour half of the audience. It might not be fair to judge someone based on their political views, but the dumpster fire of social media is proof just how much of an impact it can have on if people spend their money on a product. There was also a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Tyrus a few years ago from another Fox host, but the lawsuit was dismissed after the network offered her a settlement.

Tyrus already used his political views as a crutch, tweeting that the criticism of his title win was from "woke trolls," which will do nothing to help the situation, but let's be honest here, the negative fan reaction isn't based on politics, but rather that Tyrus just isn't over. If he makes money with his "brand" as a contributor to Fox News, good for him that's capitalism, but that doesn't mean he will sell tickets for the NWA. Based on the social media feedback, fans just don't think Tyrus is very good, nobody cited anything based on who he voted for in the elections. On the flip side, someone like Low Ki has a reputation for being difficult to deal with so he might be a jerk, but it's almost unanimously mentioned that he's a very talented jerk. Nobody praised Tyrus' in-ring skills after he won the title.

During an appearance on the Briscoe and Bradshaw podcast, Billy Corgan made comparisons to Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley before he mentioned Tyrus and Murdoch, which isn't exactly a fair comparison. Corgan also said that if fans don't like the Tryus and  Murdoch type of wrestling than don't watch the NWA. My guess would be that as long as Tyrus is world champion, fans will take Corgan's advice for the product.

What's the status of Full Gear?

With just one more Dynamite broadcast before the Full Gear pay-per-view, the first PPV since the infamous All Out media scrum that will probably lead to the departure of CM Punk, the question can be asked, is this build toward Full Gear going to be effective?

As we saw on Dynamite, Samoa Joe turned heel and attacked Wardlow, setting up a title match for the TNT championship or potentially the ROH TV belt. While Samoa Joe is the Ring Of Honor Television champion, as I’ve said before many times in this column, I don’t put any stock into the ROH brand. The reasons for that are numerous, but since that was already covered, I won’t retread all of it again, except to say that being an ROH champion in 2022, at least for Samoa Joe, has not provided him with any progress in his AEW tenure. If anything, Samoa Joe stalled considerably from not only his debut, but also the run that he had in the Owen Hart memorial tournament. His feud against Jay Lethal did him no favors either, and the argument could be made that he has almost no momentum right now. Granted, Joe took time off to do some film work, which is fine, but it still speaks to the fact that he has not built any true momentum since his AEW debut. Again, outside of the Owen Hart tournament, he hasn’t been booked for any marquee matches, especially when you consider that the Lethal feud was secondary. The heel turn was necessary because it’s not only gave Joe a fresh coat of paint, it also gave him a purpose on the show. Even if this TNT title feud is just to give Wardlow a notable opponent, this also gives the Joe character a direction on AEW programming. 

Speaking of which, the lack of true direction is apparent when you take into account how many people are on the roster compared to how many are involved in a storyline that is meaningful and progresses on the show. The heel turn for Joe is probably the best use of his character at this point, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Tony Khan has missed the boat to make the most of an establish star on the roster that is theoretically towards the latter stages of his career. That is another problem with the structure of AEW, there are several talented wrestlers with name value that haven't been fully utilized, which translates to the investment in their contract not being fully utilized either.

For his role, Wardlow must continue to present himself like a star and be able to continue to look like a star while working competitive matches against name talent. That being said, as talented and as much potential as Wardlow has, the way he has been used since thae TNT title win hasn’t really done anything to further establish him. Somehow, Wardlow ended up in a tag team with Samoa Joe because Tony Khan didn't seem to have anything better for him to do on the show. Sure, some might say that the tag team was booked to set up for the heel turn, but even if that was the case, Wardlow coasted through the shows without a storyline for the TNT title too long and doesn't have the hype around him that he had when he initially started the power bomb gimmick. This is where the lack of a clear long-term direction with steady progress can affect how a prospect is presented and more specifically, how over a competitor can get with the audience. Don’t give me wrong, I still think Wardlow is money, but his character was more or less booked to coast along in a tag team instead of making progress to further establish himself as the TNT champion. Hopefully, this feud with Samoa Joe can provide the physical matches that can put a spotlight on him and thus reaffirm his potential to the audience.

It was also announced on the show that Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal will be in a tag match against Darby Allin and Sting at Full Gear. As I wrote last week, you have to give Jarret credit for landing another job with a national organization at his age. That said, I also mentioned that at this point, there’s really no reason or demand for the 55-year-old grappler to compete in the ring or even necessarily be involved in storylines. This tag match makes sense if Tony Khan wants to use some WCW history, while at the same time giving Sting another legend to work with. Beyond that, this should be a one-off with Jeff Jarrett in the ring. Don’t get me wrong, Jarrett is in great shape for his age, but on a national level there’s a minimal role for any 55-year-old, particularly for someone of Jarrett's level. But, for a one-off on a pay-per-view, it’s an entertaining concept to see Jarrett and Sting in the same ring again based on their history. However, the most interesting aspect of Jarrett's AEW deal might be what he can bring to the company as far as the structure of the organization.

Saraya, the former Paige, cut a fiery promo in the ring to reveal that she was medically cleared to wrestle again, concluding speculation about if the 30-year-old star would be physically able to compete again after a serious neck injury put her career in doubt over five years ago. On one hand, the time away from the ring gave her more time to heal so if there was a chance that she could heal enough to wrestle again then this would be the opportunity. On the other hand, as is the nature with any scenario like this, there will always be a level of concern, at least at first, for every bump she takes in the ring. Considering what she endured on a personal level, if she is healthy and there is no direct risk another neck injury then it’s great to see her get the chance to perform again.

While the promo Wednesday had its strong points, it’s still fair to say that Saraya's promo work thus far in AEW was hit or miss. Along with that, I understand that there’s a pay-per-view on the calendar, but this particular match-up seems somewhat rushed. With as much as Tony Khan enjoys throwing gimmick matches on television, I think he could’ve booked the initial Saraya vs Britt Baker match at Winter is Coming before the rematch was put on pay-per-view. That way the feud has some time to build towards a more natural conclusion on pay-per-view as opposed to booking it for Full Gear with only a few weeks to hype the match.

 

Finally, based on the MJF promo that aired on the broadcast, it seems like he will eventually complete the baby face turn, but as I wrote previously, I don't think the MJF persona, specifically how it was portrayed prior to this lends itself to an antihero role. In some ways, Tony might've booked himself into a corner because if it was a swerve and MJF was still aligned with The Firm all along then it's predictable. If MJF actually turns baby face, it might be a rather flat way to win the championship since the presentation of his character in the past few years doesn't mesh with the previously mentioned antihero role. Unless there's some type of surprising conclusion, and it's possible there will be, I'm not sure how this will be booked to elevate MJF with a title victory. It would be great if Regal turns heel to join him because the endorsement from a legend would be a stamp of approval for MJF as champion. But, right now, there isn't much of a grudge match built for the main event of the pay-per-view.

What's next for Theory?

The biggest story of the year and arguably the biggest in the history of professional wrestling unfolded earlier this year when Vince McMahon, who bought the WWWF from his dad in 1983 before he took the company national, "retired" from the company after the Wall Street Journal reported millions of dollars of hush money payments were made in the previous 15 years to keep his affairs quiet. It goes without saying that McMahon is a major reason why the WWE is a publicly traded global corporation today. However, it was the same board of directors that was formed when the company went public, allowing him to become a billionaire, that ultimately hired a firm for the investigation that sent him into retirement.

The details of that story were discussed at length at the time, and I'm sure there will eventually be books written about the swift fall of the emperor of sports entertainment. As much as Vince's influence on the business will always remain a part of the fabric of the industry, the shift in direction and philosophy might be nearly as impactful in retrospect. Of course, we know the old Vince tropes that he fell back on when the numbers were down or a somewhat narrow-minded view of what type of superstar could be a successful draw based on the patterns of the past. In some ways, in the post-WCW landscape, especially in the early-2000s, some of the McMahon tactics were recycled so often that they became punch lines if a segment was particularly subpar. I don't think I've ever heard someone say they have tickets to the "sports entertainment matches," but somehow the company with wrestling in its name was banned from using the word on its programs. The people in the audience that bought tickets to the "sports entertainment matches" weren't fans, they were members of the "WWE universe" on television. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand packaging the broadcasts as "sports entertainment" and for years in the late-90s, there was a reference to the term in the opening video packages of shows. Buying commercial time on sports entertainment programming sounds like a better investment to advertisers than "pro rasslin'" but at some point, it jumps the shark and becomes too pretentious. It got to the point where even the most diehard WWE fans were given the impression that the product was something that the office was trying to "dress up" for the shareholders. Keep in mind, wrestling is quite literally still on the marquee.

When Triple H took over the company, something that looked to be a done deal for years before NXT was repackaged in recent years and some thought it would be Nick Khan to take over, it looked like all the pieces of the previous puzzle were back in place. So, naturally, NXT was rebranded again and a slew of talent, many that were cut during the pandemic because the McMahon regime thought they were expendable, were brought back into the organization.

As I've written before, I don't think the changes implemented by Triple H, now or in the future, are necessarily anything too earth-shattering on their own. The goal for the WWE is and will remain to draw the general public to the product. Remember, the WWE is the Walmart of pro wrestling, it's easily accessible and relatively cheap, especially when you considered that pay-per-views, broadcasts that used to be the biggest revenue stream for the company, are either $4.99 or in some cases free with a cable package. The goal is to get the causal fans to tune into the show, which became even more of a priority when the company landed the major television deals. That being said, the sum of the small changes can allow for a more organic presentation. The fact that the word wrestling can be said on a wrestling show didn't tank the stock price.

For the past several years, McMahon relied on nostalgia to boost events rather than taking any risk to build around younger talent. Sure, it allowed for nostalgic runs for guys like Sting, Goldberg, and others, but the downside of that strategy is that by nature, it has a limited draw. We all know what can happen when the office tries to play those cards too many times on key events. Aside from the quality being hit or miss, you can only rely on so many aging legends for so long until there simply isn't anyone else to bring back from a prior top-tier level. This was made very clear when Steve Austin was brought out of retirement to sell tickets to a stadium show at Wrestlemania this year.

Outside of Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, and Ronda Rousey, the rest of the roster was kept at a secondary level. The McMahon philosophy didn't create anyone else to truly move the needle, and the argument could be made that John Cena is still the last legitimate money-drawing star the company made over 15 years ago.  Make no mistake, Roman is a star and he’s  doing the best work of his career as a heel. But, at the same time, you wouldn’t put Roman on the same level as some of the other top guys from the eras preceded him. It’s beyond his control but as far as main stream popularity, he’s not on the same level as The Rock, Stone Cold, or John Cena because the business itself isn’t as popular with the main stream audience. However, Roman is one of those top-tier talents that could’ve been a star in any era. He’s just a big fish in a small pond because the brand is usually promoted ahead of individual stars. As I’ve written in the past, there are positives and negatives to that but at this point there must be a definitive shift towards the future.

What other star from the 90s can they bring back to boost Wrestlemania? Some might say that booking Steve Austin in the main event of night one of Wrestlemania this year was the final nostalgia card that they could play to substitute for a lack of star power of the current roster.

Only time will tell if the Triple H philosophy builds those stars that can draw in the future, but after Raw this past week, it seems clear that he didn't buy into a prior Vince McMahon project, the push of Austin Theory. I wrote a few weeks ago that while Theory is decent enough, there wasn't anything that made me think he was potentially the next top guy. Instead, I'd guess that's the future for someone like Bron Breakker. Still, Theory won the MITB contract, and the office had to do something with it. The pay off of a successful cash-in can propel a competitor to the next level, but a failed attempt implies the opposite for their career trajectory. After Seth Rollins was beat down, Theory attempted to cash-in for the US title, which is rather odd because the world title is promoted as the top championship in the company. Rollins kicked out of Theory's signature moves and then beat him to retain the title. Rollins was beat down by Bobby Lashley, but still defeated Theory, which leaves Austin Theory completely flat.

At this point, keeping him off of television for a few months and scripting him to show up in NXT might be the only way to avoid him getting labeled as a total flop. As mentioned, the overall goal of the WWE product will remain the same, but how to get there and thus how effective it will be are different under the Triple H regime. Proof of that is that Vince's project was made to look like anything but a future star this past week on Raw. It remains to be seen how effective the Triple H philosophy will be on a long term basis, but he's definitely not using the McMahon playbook for the company.

Crown Jewel review

Amid reports of a potential threat from Iran, the WWE was full steam ahead for its propaganda tour and most lucrative event in Saudi Arabia this weekend for Crown Jewel. While the controversy persisted, many wondered if the mega cash that the government pays for these tours would be worth the money. In the past, names like Goldberg, The Undertaker, Shawn Micheals, and others made the trip for the almighty dollar, making millions for just one match in the process. Granted, there's a certain level of sleaze with these shows because essentially, any moral compass an individual might have is ignored for a specific amount of cash. On the other hand, you can't be surprised when the pro wrestling business doesn't have standards, and the entire point of the industry is to make money.

That being said, without the nostalgia to boost what were often glorified house shows in prior years, it looked like management used this event to actually progress some of the storylines throughout the show, which at the very least gave American fans a reason to watch a "premium live event" at noon on a Saturday.

The show opened with Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley, and it had Paul Heyman's finger prints all over it, as it started as a fireworks show right from the bell. It was all the big moves thrown out there at once before a quick conclusion. In many ways, this was almost a carbon copy of their Royal Rumble match from earlier this year, which is fine because it was an entertaining contest. The match only went about five minutes so Brock was probably happy to be back on the private jet before the finish of the second match. Brock got the win, and that sets up for a rubber match since Lashley won the previously mentioned Rumble bout. Bobby attacked Lesnar post-match, which was needed because up until this point, there wasn't a clear baby face or heel in this angle. Brock jumped Bobby to cost him the US title in a rather random segment on Raw that was only designed to set up this Saudi match to get Lesnar on the show. Cowboy Brock is a baby face so it initially didn't make sense for him to jump Lashley, but the post-match beat down at  Crown Jewel allows for more context to set up the eventual rubber match. So, Bobby appears to be the heel going forward, and it should be noted that Lashley has done the best work of his entire career during this current run.

Damage Control beat Asuka and Alexa Bliss to become the new Women's Tag Team champions, and while it makes sense to put the belts on Dakota and Io, I'm wondering why Asuka and Bliss were used as transitional champions, unless the office thought that the previous champions didn't have enough star power for a Saudi show? Regardless, this was another example of the tremendous talent in the women's division. It was all action and everything was crisp, which kept a pace that built toward the finish. Maybe there are other plans for Bliss, but for the first time in its existence, it seems like there will be a spotlight on the women's tag belts with the association of Damage Control as champions.

Man, Karrion Kross has come a long way since he was aimlessly wearing a gladiator helmet on Raw. Granted, Drew McIntyre is one of the most well-rounded performers in the sport today, but it was very interesting to see Kross in a featured bout on the show when the previous regime didn't have anything for him. Kross and McIntyre work very well together, and each continue to benefit from this angle. Kross has a chance to show that he wasn't some random guy that had a silly outfit, and this feud put more of a spotlight on Drew after he was lost in the shuffle somewhat in recent months. The structure of the match was rather simple, with the baby face trying to overcome the odds as the heels put obstacles in his way, which is completely fine because it accomplished the goal of the storyline. There's no reason to reinvent the wheel if the classic narrative can get the job done. The heels tried to break the rules, with Scarlett spraying Drew in the eyes and locking the cage door before McIntyre eventually overcame the odds to get the win. It will be interesting to see if management tries to get another PPV match from this feud or if this was the conclusion of the storyline.

Something I have to point out, the amount of video packages and commercials at this point, and it continued throughout the event was so ridiculous it was almost comical. After each match, you could've went to the kitchen to get some food, or probably taken a short dive to get a takeout order from your favorite local wing place, and get back in time before the opening bell to the next match. I understand that these commercials are why the company makes the money from these broadcasts, but if nothing else, they should at least consider cutting down on the video packages because it makes for such a tedious viewing experience.

The OC vs. Judgment Day was a rather basic six man tag so there's not much to discuss about it, except that the finish that saw Rhea Ripley help her team get the win sets up for a female member to join the OC, which makes sense. As far as the actual faction, you have to give all the members of The Judgment Day credit, they took a stable that didn't have much direction and appeared to be on its way to fizzling out and made progress with each of the characters in the group. I don't know how far up the card Domink Mysterio will go, but for the first time in his entire WWE tenure, it looks like he belongs there rather than just being there because of his last name. That's not to say he doesn't have talent, but rather from a storyline perspective, the justification for him being on Raw the past few years was simply because he was Rey's son. As far as purpose and progress, the faction also rejuvenated Finn Balor's status too. In a similar way, Damien Priest has the most direction of his WWE run. It goes without saying that Rhea Ripley has the potential to be a major star and this stable helps put the spotlight on her.

I won't take a lot of time to discuss Braun Strowman vs. Omos, mostly because it was extremely basic, but there's nothing wrong with that. This was the monster movie match on the card, and the face off was more or less the key moment. That said, this was probably the best Omos match you're going to find and the six minutes it was given was a wise decision. Braun got the victory, but I'm not sure how many rematches could realistically be booked for this contest.

The Brawling Brutes vs. The Usos was a quality tag match and it continues to prove that the WWE has a solid tag team division when management chooses to showcase it. This was only about 10 minutes so it didn't drag at any point, but given The Bloodline storyline, there was never a point where you thought there was realistically a chance where the belts could switch. This contest had good action, but there wasn't much drama because you knew The Usos were going to retain the titles.

Very similar to their recent matches, Bianca Belair vs. Bayley was quality action and very entertaining. The Last Woman Standing match had physicality, but still allowed for the sizzle of sports entertainment with the golf cart spots. The bump that Bayley took from the golf cart onto the table that didn't break looked brutal. The finish of the match was well done because it wasn't the same Rocky/Apollo finish that the vast majority of last man standing matches use for the conclusion. Bianca retained, but it would be great to see another Bianca/Bayley match on pay-per-view.

When Logan Paul debuted in the WWE, I made a point not to review his match, mostly because I will never understand the concept of "being famous for being famous." Despite technically still being in the demographic that might be a part of such a following, I've never watched any of the Logan or Jake Paul Youtube content. I guess I'm an old soul because I have absolutely no interesting in watching the Kardashians get coffee or one of the Paul brothers go shopping for furniture on Youtube.

It goes without saying that Logan Paul is athletic, but as I said when the match was announced a few months ago, if Logan Paul, someone with only two matches, has a competitive match with Roman Reigns, what does that say about the rest of the roster that he steam rolled as champion in the past two years? Being a WWE superstar is supposed to be the pinnacle of sports entertainment, what does it say about the caliber of athlete in the WWE when the dominate champion is selling for someone that isn't an actual competitor? Don't get me wrong, I understand that the Saudis are paying that $40 million per show for western star power, not necessarily a wrestling show, but the optics of how this could make the rest of the product look should be taken into consideration, especially after The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that the numbers for the Logan Paul segments on Raw aren't higher than the usual segments. Sure, Logan Paul has a following, I don't understand why, but he was able to became a social media star and make money from it. Fair play, that's capitalism, I don't blame anyone for making the most money possible. That said, I'm not sure that the vast majority of his following has any interest in WWE, even when he's on the shows. If there was a major jump in the ratings when he appeared on Raw, it would be a completely different story, but the reality is, his value to WWE is really only in the vacuum of these Saudi shows since it didn't increase the numbers otherwise. Reportedly, he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the match so he won't be back in the ring for several months. If he won't be there to do more business with WWE, you again have to ask if it was worth Roman selling for him in the match?

Jeff Jarrett debuts for AEW

Yesterday afternoon, The Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez made headlines when he revealed rumors of a “big surprise” for AEW Dynamite last night. Alvarez explained that while he didn’t know the particulars of the reveal, it was told to him the fans would be talking about this debut on social media after the show. Matty wondered if this would be yet another free agent acquisition by Tony Khan, who seems rather fond of adding just about anybody on the free agent market to his roster. While there are certainly positives and negatives to that philosophy, considering that you can either call it a roster with depth or a bloated roster with underutilized talent, but that’s a different discussion for another day.

I don’t think that anyone could’ve guessed that the surprise would be the All Elite debut of long-time veteran, WWE Hall of Famer, and TNA founder Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett, a true pro of the sports entertainment business, has a career that spans decades. His legendary father, Jerry, who promoted cards in Memphis on a shoestring budget for several years, taught his son the ropes, both literally and figuratively, as Double J had an accomplished full-time career inside the ring ropes, working for virtually every major promotion of his era. When you take into account that Double J took TNA from the dingy Asylum in Nashville to a national entity before its eventual collapse, there’s no doubt that Jarrett has found a way to continue to survive in the sports entertainment industry.

Dixie might’ve finished in the red in TNA, but Jarrett definitely didn’t.

After Jarrett left TNA under less than ideal circumstances several years ago, he struggled with substance problems before he sought help from the WWE Wellness program in 2018. Thankfully, Jarret was able to successfully complete the program and overcome those past problems. Still, it was surprising when Jarrett signed on as a WWE producer in 2018 because he was infamously fired on television in 2001 after the WCW buyout. The controversial story of Jarrett demanding money from Vince McMahon after his contract expired while he was still WWF IC champion in 1999 had different versions through time, Jarrett maintains he only asked for an advance on the pay-per-view money he earned for the show that night because he would know longer be under contract after the event since the office didn’t realize his deal expired. Regardless of what version of the story you believe, it was again surprising to see Jarrett back under the WWE umbrella, which also included the previously mentioned HOF induction. He was one of those released during the pandemic when his role in the live events department was put on hiatus when the world shut down and the WWE road schedule was canceled. With the shows in the Thunder Dome for over a year, Jarrett was quietly released until he re-signed with the organization earlier this year. He continue to work in the producer and live event roles before he was released again just three months into the tenure. However, that had more to do with the “retirement” of Vince McMahon than anything else. Triple H, who took over the company in July, brought in his own crew to implement his vision for the product, which isn’t anything new in the history of the sport. A new booker always brought their own talent to put a fresh coat of paint on a company or territory. After such an accomplished career, many assumed that Jarrett would continue his ventures outside of the wrestling business, as well as his successful podcast with Conrad Thompson. Despite being 55 years old, Double J is still in good shape, which we saw when he worked the tag match with Jay Lethal for the Ric Flair’s last match in July.

Jarrett  made his impact on AEW when he smashed his signature guitar over Darby Allin. He cut an anti-AEW promo against the audience, seemingly to put a spotlight on some of the common criticism of the fan base to generate heat. This is somewhat similar to the role that Dan Lambert had with American Top Team, but it’s certainly a different presentation with a veteran of the sport like Jeff Jarrett. Undoubtedly a resource, he could bring a lot to the table for AEW, but it remains to be seen where this on-screen role will take him.

Truthfully, and this isn’t meant as a knock against Jarrett as a performer or what he’s accomplished, I think that his role should be kept behind the scenes. As noted, the 55-year-old semi-retired grappler is still in good shape, but outside of a potential one-off match against Sting,the vast majority of the AEW roster work a style that would be too much of a clash for him. Even with his ability to still generate legitimate heat on the mic, the fact that he was paired with the Lethal stable, it’s a secondary act and therefore the importance of an angle involving Jarrett on the show would also be almost automatically secondary in the grand scheme of things. Tony Khan tweeted after the Dynamite  went off the air that Jarrett would work in the live event side of the organization. Considering this is what Jarrett had been doing prior to his WWE departure and his experience in live event promotion with TNA, His ability to contribute to All Elite might be the office work instead of what he can do in front of the camera. There’s nothing wrong with that either because the chance to have brilliant minds to work with the younger talent is a very valuable asset.

At the same time, the criticism that the younger grapplers in AEW do not fully utilize the coaches that are available to them was given a level of credibility when Billy Gunn, who is having a career resurgence alongside The Acclaimed, mentioned that the roster does not consult with names like Dean Malenko, Jerry Lynn, or others on a recent podcast. If that’s the case, Jarrett ability to tutor the next generation on the true tricks of the trade and more specifically, how to gain longevity in their careers might be a missed opportunity. Make no mistake about it, the money generated in the pro wrestling business is ultimately the measure of success. Star ratings might be nice as a gesture of appreciation, but profitability is and always will be the most important metric from a business perspective. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Darby Allin or the Lucha Brothers should work a headlock for eight minutes on television, but if a talent shortens their career with unnecessary risks, it also shortens the time frame that they can draw money for a promotion, as well as make the most money possible in their prime to provide a level of financial security for themselves. Outside of the office work, the concept of career longevity and a balanced approach of when to take risks might also be extremely valuable assets that Jarret can bring to AEW.

Of course, there will be critics that view this as Jarret trying to latch on to a billionaire that is funding a wrestling project. That might be true because as accomplished as Jarrett‘s career is, the carny aspects of his career are another reason that he has survived in the industry for years. So, it remains to be seen if Jarrett is just there to collect a check from Tony Khan or if he could potentially have a backstage impact that would have a ripple effect toward a positive contribution for the company. Only time will tell how wise this latest hire was for Tony Khan, but more than anything you have to give Jeff Jarrett credit for his ability to land yet another contract in a major promotion in the United States.

What's the status of Crown Jewel?

This Saturday, the WWE is scheduled to return to Saudi Arabia for one of its very lucrative and very controversial events. As was the case after the Saudi government planned the murder of journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, controversy also surrounds this weekend's Crown Jewel pay-per-view. Just days before the broadcast is scheduled to air live, there are reports from The Wall Street Journal that both the United States and the Saudi government were told of possible attacks from Iran against Saudi Arabia, stemming from ongoing tension in the region. Reportedly, WWE officials are "monitoring" the situation, but with the plans that the roster will arrive in Saudi a few days before the show, the threat of harm to the talent extends beyond just the on-air time frame of the event.

With threats of international attacks a topic of conversation, along with the other negativity surrounding these Saudi events, you have to ask, is there a point where even the millions of dollars the company profits from these shows aren't worth it?

Granted, I'm sure the old trope of "the show must go on" will be the motto when the stars board the plane, but I think it's fair to at least weigh the options of this situation. When the company first announced its long-term and very profitable deal with the Saudi government, it was met with a slew of rightful criticism. However, from strictly a business perspective, it was a great move, especially for the stockholders and for the quarterly conference calls. Along with the company's pair of billion-dollar TV deals over the span of five years with USA and Fox respectively, the Saudi shows are actually the most profitable events on the WWE calendar, as reports suggests the government pays around $30-40 million for each event.

These overseas events yield a higher profit margin than Wrestlemania.

Still, it's important to keep this in the proper context, the WWE will continue to be the most profitable its been in its history based on the major TV deals and the Peacock deal. Technically, the company doesn't need the Saudi money to continue to set profit records. At some point, doesn't the revenue just become numbers on the page?

While I don't think Vince McMahon, like him or not, would knowingly put his roster in specific danger, mostly because that's ultimately the product he sells, and more importantly, he's not quite as ruthless as some want to portray him, if he was still running the company, I don't think there would be any hesitation to present the show as planned.

On the flip side, Triple H might want to weigh the options. Remember, when payment was held up a few years ago, Vince made the decision to cut the local broadcast feed to the show and then the roster was "unexpectedly" stuck at the airport with claims of mechanical problems with the plane. The talent didn't get back in time for a Smackdown taping so the company scrambled to throw together a line-up for the live broadcast. At the time, there were rumors that the talent was intentionally being kept at the airport because McMahon made the decision to cut the local broadcast feed. Nothing was officially confirmed, but most seem to speculate that the talent were used as pawns because of the payment disagreement. Obviously, those issues were resolved and the company was paid per the agreement since WWE returned there. However, at some point, aren't there enough red flags that even the millions of dollars isn't enough to put the roster in jeopardy?

Aside from the murder of a journalist and the criticism of the treatment of women in the country, the whole agreement seems sleazy because it essentially proves that with enough money, anything is possible. The Saudi government has massive wealth from the oil industry in the country and uses that cash to buy propaganda material in an attempt to claim the country is making progress in equality. It's not limited to WWE, as boxing, golf, and other entertainment acts accepted the Saudi cash to perform in the country.

Ted DiBiase was right, everyone has a price.

Granted, I'm not in the position to make millions of dollars from this event so it's rather easy for me to say this, but my two cents on the whole situation would be to postpone the event until the tension in the region is resolved. God forbid, if there was a political attack at the venue or during the event, it would be the absolutely worst case scenario for the WWE. That's why this situation is very risky because there's very little margin for error so to speak. Either nothing happens and everyone is fine, and hopefully, that's how this event happens, or there's an attack that could put lives at risk.

It goes without saying that the Saudis are paying for star power from the western world so that's why Logan Paul was booked against Roman Reigns. These events, despite being produced by the WWE, aren't booked for a sports entertainment audience, but rather the Saudi government since that's what the country pays for. Brock Lesnar is on the card in a match with Bobby Lashley, which might've been a major money match at The Royal Rumble, but will be put on Peacock at noon on a Saturday because of the mega cash the Saudis pay for these events. That's another key point to remember within this whole discussion, WWE management dilutes its own scheduled booking to accommodate these shows. That's how important the Saudi money is to the company.

Still, at what point does the WWE draw the line?

Listen, I sincerely hope that everyone is safe and absolutely nothing happens while the talent is there, but we have to put this in the proper scope. There are political tensions in the region and international attacks won't be delayed simply because the WWE is in the country. If anything, I'm worried that a big time event from an organization from the west might be seen as a target if Iran actually has an attack planned. We live in an often sad world, but it's the harsh reality. Again, I sincerely hope that any speculation will be moot, but I'd still say that WWE management truly needs to consider if the money is worth the potential risk to the roster.

What's the status of MJF?

Last week, I penned an article about the impending return of The Elite trio, summed up what it meant for CM Punk, and asked the question, does All Elite Wrestling need the faction back on television? While they were undoubtedly a part of the core of the launch of AEW, I mentioned that it wouldn't be a total negative if they were kept in backstage roles, especially if they planned to retain their EVP status. As I also mentioned, that's not a knock on their talent or popularity, but rather points out that the organization, despite its bloated roster, has the depth to continue to draw without them.

One of the biggest pieces of that puzzle, it appears, is the ascension of Maxwell Jacob Friedman to the top of the card.

As we know, Friedman refused to show up to an autograph signing in May, citing frustrations with his contract, and in the process took all of the focus off of his opponent that night, Wardlow in what was supposed to be the culmination of a two-year storyline. Unfortunately, it was the start of several backstage riffs and much of the year for All Elite Wrestling was known more for its behind-the-scenes drama than the on-screen presentation. If it set a negative precedent or not for Tony Khan to cave to MJF's money demands or if it was an indication of how Friedman could do business in the future are both different discussions for a different time.

The bottom line is, the AEW boss saw enough potential in MJF to sign him to a new deal, a contract that is only worth the extra cash if Friedman is eventually put in a position to draw bigger money for the company.

That's why it was so puzzling to see who some have called one of the best young heels in the business put in the role of a baby face when The Firm, a stable formed just two months ago to help him win the casino ladder match to set up a title shot, attack him after they beat down Jon Moxley, Friedman's opponent for the Full Gear pay-per-view in a few weeks.

Granted, there's always the notion of, "how can we miss you if you don't go away" that allowed for the huge pop for his return at All Out, but outside of that moment, what exactly says that there's a demand to see Friedman as a baby face? I'm not necessarily saying it's impossible, but almost all of the potential that is discussed about him is based on his work as a heel. Sure, some will cite the role of the antihero in pro wrestling, which would be a valid point, except for the fact that the vast majority of his persona isn't based on the traits of an antihero, especially in sports entertainment. The easiest example would be Steve Austin, and while he dished out stunners to everyone in sight, he was a lone wolf that never accepted cheap help from anyone and only begrudgingly accepted fair assistance. What casts an antihero in that particular role is that they do things their own way, but have a code of conduct, which is ultimately why they become a favorite of the audience. It's a concept that can span across different genres of entertainment. The Wire's Omar, brilliantly played by the late Micheal K. Williams, robbed drug dealers to earn a living, but once said, "I ain't never turn my gun on nobody that ain't in the game" because he wouldn't rob civilians since they weren't a part of the drug trade in Baltimore. The previously mentioned Stone Cold might've stunned Commissioner Slaughter, but also saved Stephanie McMahon when she was "abducted" by the Ministry in the name of moral justice.

MJF won the title shot with the help of several wrestlers in The Firm and walked down to ringside to retrieve the casino chip with very little effort. He also mocked William Regal's past of substance problems in a promo with Wheeler Yuta just a few weeks ago. Again, other than the fans happy to see MJF back on television, what justifies the implication that he should be a baby face?

Don't get me wrong, Friedman is extremely talented and better in the ring than most realize, given his limited matches on television. That said, he was supposed to standout as the one guy in the modern era that was willing to be a "legitimate" heel in terms of staying in character in public and on social media. Some of that boiled down to attempts at cheap heat with the notion that he was willing to go "too far" in an effort to maintain the heel persona, but that was often seen with bush league antics. Some fans and even MJF mentioned it in a promo of comparisons to "Piper in Portland," but if I had to guess, I'd say that this was a scenario where those fans might've heard about Piper in the Don Owen territory on podcasts or elsewhere without actually watching the footage. Not that this is meant as a knock on Friedman, but Roddy Piper was one of the best talkers in the history of the industry, and anyone that actually watches his promos from Portland will see that MJF isn't on that level.  Still, the talent and the potential is there, assuming he will be showcased in the right fashion under the right circumstances. As far as the Piper comparisons, that might be an unfair scale, but keep in mind, Roddy generated heat as much through body language and presentation as he did on the mic. On the flip side, most of the heat-seeking promos from Friedman are based on attempts at "shocking" antics.

Perhaps, Friedman can use some of his natural mic ability to broaden his persona.

As far as the attack from The Firm on Dynamite last week, the stable has only existed for two months so there's not enough cache built up for it to be considered a drastic event, but rather an aspect that could dilute the upcoming title match on pay-per-view. Unless there's a major payoff with the conclusion on the title bout, which is possible, is it worth presenting a rather flat match as a selling point for Full Gear?

MJF attempted to save Moxley from a beat down so where exactly is the heated feud for the championship? I understand the narrative that they might've been trying to portray, but it still doesn't help sell the actual title match. Of course, there are ways that this can impact the finish of the pay-per-view. The easiest way would be that this was a set up all along and it was a swerve to make Moxley think that MJF wanted a fair title shot. Friedman would still be aligned with The Firm and win the title. The problem with that scenario is, it's rather predictable and wouldn't add too much sizzle to the MJF victory. Considering how well-received his promo with Regal was on television was, it's also possible that maybe the young heel joins forces with the veteran villain as an endorsement from a legend such as Regal. However, where would that leave The Blackpool Combat Club? Claudio already lost most of the momentum he had upon his debut, and if the stable dissolves, he wouldn't have much of a direction in the company.

There are options for how this could unfolded, but the biggest takeaway from any of this, at least in my opinion, is that it would be a drastic mistake to attempt to turn MJF baby face for a title victory. Again, when you look at his track record in the promotion, he just isn't in the role of an antihero for the audience.