MJF vs. Danielson

Last week, I penned an article about the subpar MJF promo, where he used obscene mannerisms and made reference to a fictitious car accident when he was in high school before he claimed he switched seats with the passenger to make it look like she was responsible for the car crash. Besides the fact that the whole scenario was too unrealistic even for the stretched limitations of pro wrestling, it was a promo about a car accident just a few weeks after Jay Briscoe passed away in a real-life car wreck.

I explained that this all seemed more like a desperate attempt to try to "shock" the audience rather than build heat organically. It wasn't "Piper in Portland," it was Friedman trying to say something that some might think is "going too far" on the mic. Despite the MJF fans that ran to his defense via e mail and tweets in response to the article, I think the argument stands, especially after this week's episode of Dynamite that the main event tenure of Maxwell Jacob Friedman continues to be more about a reach to attempt to be controversial than the ability to organically generate heat through mannerisms and the presentation. Tully Blanchard was a smug jerk that didn't need to clamor for the low hanging fruit of implications of suicide or CTE, but Friedman has begun to cling to such topics because, despite the ability he has, can't garner the heat to sell a pay-per-view with just his persona. Tully Blanchard had the longevity he did because he was an arrogant jerk and the audience could believe that he was a jerk regardless of if he won or lost a match. The fans were willing to pay to see Tully bleed at the hands of Dusty Rhodes or Magnum TA because the member of the Four Horseman was so smug that everyone wanted to see him get punched in the mouth.

When you consider that premise for what a successful heel is, it becomes obvious just how far off the mark MJF continues to be with his stint as a main event heel.

First of all, Friedman made reference to wanting to take a "handful of pills" because all he has left is the AEW world championship. That doesn't generate heat, it makes MJF a sympathetic figure, especially with the work that is rightfully being done to reduce the stigmata around mental health in society. If someone was going to take a handful of pills, the vast majority of the audience would view that as someone that needs help, not pummeled on pay-per-view. Keep in mind, beyond the obvious TV rights fees and ad revenue, the purpose of pro wrestling television, at least in the more modern era, is to sell pay-per-views. Theoretically, every segment that involves the world champion, particularly ahead of a scheduled pay-per-view bout, should be designed to prompt fans to be willing to invest $50 to order the PPV. So, you have to ask yourself, did the MJF promo on Dynamite do anything to further the angle with Bryan Danielson for their pay-per-view main event next weekend?

Did MJF claiming that he wanted to take a handful of pills give fans a reason to want to watch an iron man match? Obviously, that was a way to imply suicide, and I just don't think there's truly any circumstance where suicide should be used as a discussion point for an angle, and it makes less sense when they person involved is a heel. Furthermore, as the promo progressed, Friedman made reference to CTE, and that's another topic that just doesn't have any place in a pro wrestling angle. There are way too many tragedies in pro wrestling, the NFL, and other sports for CTE being used in a promo for it not to sound low brow.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not "offended" by a pro wrestling promo. Considering some of the horrendous stuff that has become common place among the cesspool of politics in the United States, someone trying too hard to be a controversial bad guy isn't anything compared to some jobber like Marjorie Taylor Greene's nonsense.

Still, the problem with the content of the promo is two-fold. Despite WWE's disregard for the audience for almost the past two decades, pro wrestling is supposed to be entertainment for the fans. How you get there and the characters involved are a part of the art of booking, but the bottom line is, the audience is paying for entertainment. When there's an emotional investment in the result is the true key to drawing major money, but that's a different discussion for a different time. The point being, the audience invests time and money into a product for the entertainment value. How is MJF's use of suicide or CTE entertaining? If anything, it makes you want to change the channel because it has such a "yuck" presentation to it, as far as, "this is what they have to do for a reaction now?" When you take into account the perspective of a more casual wrestling fan or someone that doesn't regularly follow the All Elite product, it's almost embarrassing to have to explain why such low brow tactics are being used to sell a pay-per-view.

On the other hand, those subjects are taboo to the corporate suits, and if the wrong executive tunes in at the wrong time to hear the wrestlers talking about suicide, AEW's new TV contract might be considered less of a priority for the network or at the very least seen not as valuable of a television commodity.

Finally, MJF has only been the AEW champion for a few months. He already used car wrecks, suicide, CTE, and WWE references to try to get heat. At this point, the list of things he can say to try to "shock" the audience is dwindling. That's why it's so important to have the organic and natural heat that was discussed earlier with a performer like Tully because there's longevity if a performer can get heat just for their presentation.

Jerry Jarrett passed away

I was very sad to hear the news that legendary promoter, Jerry Jarrett passed away last week at the age of 80. Known as one of the architects of the business, Jerry was one of the driving forces behind the Memphis territory, and while some of it might get overlooked because of its regional ties, Jerry Jarrett had a profound impact on the entire industry for decades.

The Jarrett name, nationally known for Jerry's son, Jeff working for the WWF, WCW, and TNA in the more modern era, spans back as far as the 50s when Jerry's mom, Christine Jarrett started working in the ticket office for the Roy Welch and Nick Gulas group. "Teeny" became a fixture of the wrestling circuit in the territory, eventually running cards under the Welch/Gulas banner. With his family already with a vested interest in the ticket sales of the towns, a teenage Jerry helped promote the events with poster and ticket distribution when he was barely old enough to get a driver's license.

By the early-70s, Jerry Lawler was on his way to becoming a Memphis icon as "The King" of the territory, and Jerry Jarrett, who began wrestling a few years earlier, already started booking cards. The infamous split between Jarrett and the Welch/Gulas organization saw a brief dispute between the two sides before Jarrett, who had his top star in Lawler, claimed the territory. In his memoir, "The Best of Times" Jerry Jarrett explained that he invested money into the Welch/Gulas organization with the understanding that he would have a stake in the territory, which would theoretically translate to a percentage of sales in certain towns. According to Jarrett, Gulas refused to pay Jarrett based on the investment in the territory so Jerry decided to run events on his own, winning the wrestling war rather quickly because of the TV distribution he secured in the area.

The wild action of Memphis in its heyday, and the ripple effect it had on the business speak volumes to Jerry's skills as a booker and promoter. When the WWF's national expansion of the early-80s put pressure on the regional organization, Memphis stayed afloat, keeping itself in a "bubble" so to speak with a style tailored toward its local audiences. The names changed, with many of the biggest stars of the future making stops in the organization over the years, but the formula of wild brawls and an emphasis on heat to draw money kept the doors open longer than any other territory. Throughout the late-80s, specifically when World Class folded, Jarrett ran USWA into the 90s. The Memphis territory run in some form or fashion until 1997 when Jerry finally sold his portion of the company.

A smart and shrewd businessman, Jerry Jarrett knew how to run on a shoestring budget and make the most of what he had on the roster at any given time.Outside of Lawler and one or two of the other top guys in the organization, wrestlers didn't go to Memphis to make big money, but again, it was a place where many future major stars gained valuable experience, as well as a place for established stars to get a short run before they went to their next full-time gig in a different territory.

Jerry Jarrett's mind for the business was well-respected and there wasn't a better example of that than when he was brought into the WWF while Vince McMahon was on trial during the steroid scandal of the early-90s. If Vince did the job to Uncle Sam, Jerry Jarrett was trusted with running the WWF.

After he sold the USWA in the late-90s, Jerry invested his wrestling profits into a construction business that did very well into the early-2000s, landing a contract to remodel BP and Shell gas stations throughout the southwest, generating substantial cash. Part of that revenue was put towards the eventual launch of Total Nonstop Action in 2002. After Jeff saw that there was a market for pro wrestling outside of the WWE in the aftermath of the Attitude Era during his tours with the infamous World Wrestling All-Stars, he brought the concept of an upstart organization to his dad. As Jeff detailed on his "My World" podcast, he invested just over $600,000 to start the organization, while Jerry invested over $300,000 for a share of the company.

The rocky road of TNA is a different discussion for another time, but considering that the network executives just saw WCW go from the top show on cable to out of business in the span of three years, television wasn't clamoring for another pro wrestling entity. Without Jerry's initial involvement and business background to take the concept to outside investors, it's very possible that TNA wouldn't have launched. As we know, several major stars of today originally got their first major exposure under the TNA banner. Sadly, the tough times led to a strained relationship between Jerry and Jeff, with the father and son not speaking for several years as a result of the business disagreements surrounding TNA.

Thankfully, their relationship was mended in more recent years and they were on good terms, with Jerry and Jeff both appearing on The Tales From The Territories series on Vice TV just a few months ago.

I actually had the chance to meet the legendary promoter about a decade ago. Jerry made a rare independent appearance at one of the organizations that I did commentary for in Pittsburgh because he knew the local promoter through his time as a member of the NWA. At the time, I had only started doing commentary about three years earlier, but had the chance to work with current MLW commentator, the great Joe Dombrowski for the  organization's local TV program that aired on WBGN. Dombrowski, who has zigzagged around the independents for the past two decades, was extremely helpful, and I wouldn't be the announcer I am today without the chance that I had to work with him. Jerry, who was 70 at the time, was seated a few spaces down from out mics and watched the entire show from the press box. I was well aware of his legendary career and tried to sound as polished as possible, even at a younger age. After the show finished, I walked over to Jerry to say hello, and to my surprise, he introduced himself to me, saying "hello, I'm Jerry Jarrett" in a very friendly tone. To be honest, I didn't expect him to say too much to me because I was just the play-by-play announcer of some alphabet soup independent group that he would forget about by the time he got home, but his humble nature was such that he didn't just assume everyone would know his legendary reputation. I immediately said, "Absolutely, sir. I know who you are and it's an honor to meet you." he replied "you sounded good over there." I thanked him several times, and that interaction has always stuck with me because if Jerry Jarrett can be approachable then there's no excuse for anyone else to consider themselves too big of a star to be polite in the wrestling business. I try to afford that same kindness when I get information from rookie wrestlers for broadcasts on the events that I announce today. In a business driven by egos, Jerry Jarrett was humble and kind, which speaks to his character even outside of the wrestling business.

Sincere condolences to Jerry's friends and family at this difficult time. 

Elimination Chamber review

Last weekend Montreal, a famous wrestling city for a variety of reasons, hosted the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, the final "premium live event" before Wrestlemania. Since WM 39 has two nights, as unnecessary as that is, there are many different pieces of the puzzle that can be shuffled around before they are put into place.

Did this event add to the anticipation of Wrestlemania?

The pay-per-view kicked off with the women's chamber match and while these types of matches can be repetitive based on the format, with some of the same spots from prior years such as the move through the door of the chamber, this bout did enough to try to stay fresh. One of the biggest takeaways from this is that the contest was kept tight with about 20 minutes given for the segment, which helped it not drag at some point. Usually, these chamber matches are slotted for 40 minutes just because it's a gimmick match and it creates a rather tedious viewing experience. Again, some of spots are going to be recycled because of the nature of the match, with the sequence where everyone hits a move on the next competitor, which looks more like an assembly line than an actual match. Liv Morgan hit an impressive sunset flip power bomb from the top of the chamber, and Carmella has done very well since her return to television. The winner of the contest was also the MVP of this segment, as Asuka shined in the chamber. She's one of the absolute best performers on the entire roster and her skills continue to prove why she's such an asset to the division. The new look since her return from injury allowed her a fresh presentation, but make no mistake about it, Asuka wasn't stale as a character. Asuka vs. Bianca Belair should be a very solid match at Wrestlemania, proving that the argument can still be made that the women's division might be the best portion of WWE programming.

As silly as this might sound, I'm honestly not sure why Brock Lesnar vs.  Bobby Lashley was added the card, considering that as far as tickets go, it was a sellout based on Sami Zayn getting the title shot, and from a storyline perspective, the Lesnar/Lashley feud already has enough established, even just from the confrontations on television, to justify a Wrestlemania match. What exactly was gained from this four-minute DQ finish? If anything, this recycled the same formula of their previous bouts and that will hinder its effectiveness on the bigger stage of WM. It was the same playbook of the fireworks match with multiple finishers used, except there wasn't a definitive conclusion. I understand the WWE has record-setting revenue and are looking to sell the company for literally billions of dollars, but was it really worth Brock's hefty price tag to get him to leave the farm for this? The direction of Raw seems to put Lesnar against Omos, but I'd guess that it's just a way to put some space between Brock and Lashley until it gets closer to WM. I can't imagine that the Brock/Lashley feud would conclude with a rather flat DQ finish. Still, this match at the pay-per-view didn't really add anything to the storyline or even the card.

Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley was a solid match, but again, this was a recycled concept that will hopefully be put aside going forward, especially because Rhea has much more important work to do with the match against Charlotte at WM. The Judgment Day as a stable have done better than almost anyone would've thought after Finn became the leader, but the feud with Edge has a "been there, done that" atmosphere to it. Another Edge return after being attacked by the Judgment Day was already done a few times, and based on the attack from Finn on Raw, it looks like this angle is probably going to build toward a match at WM, but I don't think it has that type of hype to justify a WM spot. It just seems like the writing team doesn't have anything better for either of them to do so they are being booked in a feud so they have a match for Wrestlemania. Don't get me wrong, the in-ring work is fine, but keep in mind, the entire premise of the angle, when Edge was randomly kicked out of the stable, wasn't exactly a major storyline on the show. Reportedly, Edge asked to be taken out of the group because of the direction of the faction at the time so it's not as though this was designed to be a long-term storyline, which is probably why it seems like it's all being thrown together on a week-to-week basis.

There's not a lot to discuss with the Elimination Chamber match for the US title, mostly because of how devalued the championship was for almost two decades in WWE, it was difficult to be invested in the result one way or the other. As I've said before, I don't see the hype or the potential of Austin Theory. The whole push seemed forced, and if it wasn't for that, he'd probably be lost in 205 Live purgatory if that show still existed.

The main event was a quality bout that had the potential to be a special moment, but as I wrote previously, the office booked themselves into a corner, and it led to a rather underwhelming conclusion. I won't be repetitive with the same discussion that I wrote in an article about Sami Zayn a few weeks ago, but the bottom line is, you can't book the hometown hero to lose without a major disappointment. Granted, I mentioned that Cody has the story of winning the title for Dusty, and the cache of Roman's extended title run can only be used once so it makes sense to have Rhodes be the one to dethrone Reigns, but with that in mind, there was absolutely no reason to book Sami into a scenario where he loses in his hometown. Unless management wasn't concerned with that disappointment then they could've and should've booked Sami in any other match at this pay-per-view. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Sami should've beat Roman because that doesn't leave much on the table for WM, but I'm saying Zayn shouldn't have been booked in a championship match at this point unless he was going to win it.

As mentioned, a lot of the pieces of the puzzle still have to be put in place within the next month or so to truly gauge how much hype can be generated for WM, but as far as Elimination Chamber, I'm not sure it did anything to build toward the biggest event on the calendar. The promo on Raw seemed like Sami and Kevin Owens will probably be booked for a tag title match at WM, but after Zayn's defeat that appears to be a consolidation prize more than anything else.

Stronghold Academy

Professional wrestling is such a unique genre, a mixture of athleticism, spectacle, and drama. The performers are a breed all their own as well, blending theatrics with physicality to entertain a live audience. As much as the narratives within the sport often have a flare for the dramatics, the action within the squared circle, especially during a live event, doesn't have the benefit of a stunt coordinator or the option for another take at the sequence. So, it's particularly important that each grappler that laces up their boots to pursue a career in the industry has the proper training to ensure the safety of not only themselves, but their opponents as well.

As we know, the pro wrestling business, very similar to many other forms of the entertainment industry, can be a shark tank. Often, in the cash ventures at the box office, entertainment projects can be populated by less than reputable characters. Some local yokel that wants to play a dollar store version of Vince McMahon might be looking to buy a wrestling ring just around the time he gets a tax refund. These type of knuckleheads run a few sparsely-attended events before they disappear to plan their return the next time Uncle Sam sends them a refund. Of course, you've got the longtime carnies that put on cards in dingy buildings with expired food at the concession stand that draw 14 people that consider themselves a success.

Sadly, that's not just on the independent circuit either. The Undertaker once told a story that the eccentric Buzz Sawyer only taught him to write a check before the savvy veteran known as "Mad Dog" skipped town. The few thousand dollars that Mark Calaway paid to learn to wrestle went to Sawyer's relocation budget, as the future HOF'er found Buzz's house locked and dark when he showed up for his first lesson.

Thankfully, the Pittsburgh area, a region known almost as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced, has legitimate training centers that molded the careers of several stars that went on to work on national television.

One such place in The Stronghold Academy, the training facility associated with Ryse Wrestling, the organization that was founded by Jason Clements, a nearly 25-year pro that is known to fans as Brandon K. Founded in 2016, Ryse became a staple of the packed Pittsburgh Wrestling calendar over the past few years, generated its best year in existence for numbers in 2022. Clements, who started his own organization as a passion project to continue his dedication for the sport after he hangs up his boots later this year, worked extensively as a trainer during the latter half of his career under the umbrella of other groups so he knew that when he began his own venture as a promoter, he wanted to continue his role as a trainer, citing it as one of the most rewarding aspects of his entire stint in pro wrestling.

Since the inception of The Stronghold, Brandon's reputation as one of the most accomplished and respected figures in the history of the steel city circuit brought him a collection of students that became fixtures of not only the independent scene, but those that found national success as well. All Elite Wrestling's Lee Moriarty learned the ropes from Brandon in Pittsburgh before he made his way to TBS. NXT's Thea Hail started her journey in the squared circle under the guidance of Brandon K. Even Lady Frost, a stellar athlete that made waves in Mexico recently, has ties to The Stronghold.

Located in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, a blue collar town just south of Pittsburgh, The Stronghold is hosted inside the complex of The Uniontown Mall as a part of a way to revitalize the existing facilities. The clean and spacious area has event posters and banners that decorate its wall with the actual squared circle as its centerpiece. Just a few places over in the complex is the Stronghold Arena, a converted Burlington Coat Factory that was transformed into a wrestling venue for Ryse's live events.

As the chance to learn from someone as traveled and tenured as Brandon K became a priority for many aspiring hopefuls, he expanded the school with the addition of another longtime veteran and previous co-trainer for some of those already mentioned, with Dean Radford brought onto the Stronghold staff. Radford, who broke into the business over twenty years ago, wrestled literally coast to coast with his foundation in Pittsburgh, but a portion of his career spent with a very successful tenure in Arizona. He also worked intentionally, including a trip to Japan.

"Our philosophy, is basically, ears open and mouth closed. We play hard, but we also work very hard," said Radford.

The school hold classes several days a week, focusing on learning the sport safely, and allows for an environment that encourages those that attend to chase their dream. 

"I would say that training at the stronghold was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Everyone there was immediately so accepting and ready to help with anything. It felt like they were just as excited as I was about me starting this journey. Brandon K is not only a genius when it comes to wrestling. He’s also one of the most patient people I’ve ever met. He’ll stay as late as you want and be at the school as many days a week as people are willing to show up. He’s the best coach and teacher I’ve ever had," said Cowpoke Paul, a youngster that made his pro debut last year and is one of the most popular competitors on the Ryse roster.

"The Stronghold is an all-inclusive environment that I'm proud to be part of. Coach Dean Radford, one of the area's most prestigious trainers, has been instrumental in helping me learn the ins-and-outs of professional wrestling. With his experience level in the industry, he has been able to shine a light on the amount of mental and physical toughness it takes to get better. I trust his words with everything, and I know I'll be a good wrestler because of him," Seana Moucheron, a current trainee of the academy.

This Sunday, Brandon K and Dean Radford open the doors of The Stronghold for an open house, a complimentary tour and introduction for those that would like to pursue a path in professional wrestling. Sure, the stories of Verne Gagne's barn during the frigid Minnesota winter of 1972 might make for good cannon fodder on a podcast, but The Stronghold's approach of support, understanding and disciple to the craft provides aspiring wrestlers with a chance to chase their dream in the industry. 

MJF promo on Dynamite

Just over two months ago, I penned an article that asked if current All Elite Wrestling World champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman was a true heel or just using cheap heat? During a promo that particular week, MJF name dropped Nick Khan, the WWE executive, as well as several other WWE champions before he mocked the death of the legendary Bruno Sammartino. As I said at the time, the references to WWE and "the bidding war of 2024" only made AEW look minor league in comparison. You won't hear anyone on WWE programming name drop MJF unless he inks a deal there because quite frankly, the vast majority of the WWE audience probably isn't aware of who MJF is. On the flip side, Friedman's references to WWE came off as an almost desperate "hey, look at me being so edgy."

That's not meant as a total knock, but rather to point out that Friedman is better than that.

Make no mistake about it, MJF is one of the most talented performers on the All Elite roster, and most of the time, avoids the silly habits that draw criticism from some of the rest of the show. You don't see MJF in the segment with Rick Ross that went so far off the rails that Vince Russo could've booked it. You don't see MJF no-selling during a match to the point where it makes everything look phony. Friedman is a natural of the sport, both in the ring and on the mic. He has the potential to be a major star, either in All Elite or outside of it. He checks all the boxes as far as being a well-rounded performer that you can build an organization around. Plus, at a time when everyone wants to post gifs on social media or plug their Pro Wrestling Tees store, he embraces the role of a heel.

That's why it's so disappointing that more often than not in the past year, MJF seems to resort to cheap heat in an attempt to "shock" the audience rather than allowing his natural demeanor and mannerisms generate the type of heat that can draw money.

Following a very solid match against Konosuke Takeshita on Dynamite last week, Friedman did a locker room promo, where he made sexual gestures to imply what happened while he was in a car before he supposedly wrecked then switched seats with his date to make it appear that she was responsible for the car crash.

The easiest way to dice this segment would be to point out that it's too unrealistic to happen, which is why it drew comparisons to the horrendous Katie Vick angle from two decades ago. When something is too ridiculous, it jumps the shark so there's no heat from it. If you want to parse details then you can see just how far off the mark the promo was for anything productive as far as building to a pay-per-view main event. Since Friedman became known for his mic skills at such a young age during his time in MLW, he garnered comparisons to Roddy Piper, mostly because they were both very young when they turned heads in the industry, not necessarily because it was an apples to apples comparison. The term "Piper in Portland," a nod to Roddy's time working for legendary promoter Don Owen, was thrown around, but I'd guess that the vast majority of the people that made that statement had simply heard about Piper's time in the Pacific Northwest, not actually watched the footage. If they had, they would've realized that it's not an accurate or even fair comparison to make toward MJF. However, since Friedman himself uttered the phrase on television before, if you make that comparison, especially based on last week's promo, it becomes clear that he isn't in Piper's league. As mentioned, Friedman made a sexual gesture in the promo so you have to ask yourself, would Roddy Piper have to do something that lewd to get a reaction from a promo? At most, Piper occasionally used an innuendo in a promo that would've seemed like a bland statement to a younger audience, similar to the way some 90s cartoons carefully crafted a punchline that only adults would get during the show. Piper also mentioned in a shoot interview in the early-2000s that he didn't use profanity in promos because it was "a lack of talent" so again, would Piper have used any of the language that MJF has used in more recent promos?

Roddy Piper didn't have to use the "shock jock" antics because quite frankly, he was better than that, and MJF should be too.

Furthermore, and this should go without saying so if it was actually cleared through management, the AEW office should reevaluate their approach to how segments make it on television. Is it really the time to have a promo about a car wreck just a few weeks after Jay Briscoe passed away in a car accident? Granted, I'm sure it wasn't intentionally done to attempt to use Briscoe's passing to get heat for a wrestling angle, but it's so low brow that it's the type of stuff that makes you want to change the channel.

Finally, and this is probably the biggest takeaway from the current presentation of Friedman, the attempts at cheap heat to "shock" the audience aren't based on the substance of an angle so there's very limited heat from it. You can only attempt to shock the audience so many times before it falls flat or seems desperate to get a reaction. I get that Friedman is supposed to be a "real heel" but as I said in the prior article, isn't that supposed to be the goal for every villain in the industry? Did anyone think that Ric Flair was "playing a bad guy on television" in his heyday? With the exposure of the industry in the modern era, it's not that MJF is ahead of the curve, but rather that most of the other heels are behind it. The heels that can intrinsically get heat with their look and presentation are those that have longevity because those skills aren't based on just a specific promo or a match. Tully Blanchard looked like a smug jerk regardless of how many matches he won or lost so he maintained the heat he had from the audience.

AEW house shows

Earlier this week, it was announced that All Elite Wrestling will launch its "House Rules" series, it's venture into the house show or non-televised event business. While some might cite the ability for the younger talent on the roster, often those that get very minimal time on the Youtube shows that offer little exposure, to get some valuable in-ring experience, I think a non-televised project for AEW is rather moot.

As we know, the original basis of the pro wrestling business, as far as its use of television, was mostly to use its TV shows to sell the viewers on the live event experience so they'd buy tickets at the box office. At the time, it made sense, as pro wrestling, especially before the expansion of cable, often paid for its local TV time slot with the purpose of marketing its stars to the audience when the live events were in their area. Throughout the 80s, Kamala pummeled some ham sandwich that looked like he changed the oil in your car last week before "Mean" Gene Okerlund told the fans that they could see the Ugandan Giant battle Hulk Hogan at their local arena. Sports entertainment was still viewed as a regional commodity at the time so it didn't garner anywhere near the ad revenue or commercials that it does today. So, ticket sales, especially before pay-per-view was a regular staple of the industry, were the primary revenue stream for most promotions.

Throughout the past few decades with the evolution of media distribution, more viewers have more exposure to more products. Therefore, it becomes critical, specifically from an advertisement perspective, for companies to invest in avenues that will get their products seen by consumers that will make the purchases of those products. For example, USA paid $1 billion for the five-year deal for the broadcast rights to Raw because a show with consistent and steadily ratings (even as sluggish as they've been in recent years) brings the network better ad revenue and more money for commercials that air on the channel. Without the ratings to demonstrate that people tune into the channel, advertisers wouldn't have a reason to put their commercial on the network to attempt to sell their particular products to the audience.

You're not going to sell "The Best of Classical Music Volume 4" to a pro wrestling audience, but obviously, Mountain Dew thinks the sports entertainment crowd might be a demographic that would purchase their bubbly beverage. When there are so many entertainment options, there are naturally more advertisers to go along with them since that's how the vast majority of money is made through the media business. Advertisers are willing to spend major cash to get their commercials in front of key viewers.

Again, taking the distribution of media into account and the domino effect it has, the content business, both for broadcast rights fees and pay-per-view, is the biggest revenue stream of the modern era. Quite frankly, the house show business is an antiquated concept. Sure, there's something special about the rarity of the matches that only happened for those that were in the building, but that's from a prior era that doesn't apply to today. If a company is going to pay the costs of transportation, the production crew, and the venue, it doesn't make economic sense not to film it. Without the ability to distribute the footage for that added revenue, you could theoretically run the risk of actually losing money on the shows, and there's absolutely no reason that should be acceptable for live events. If you know you're going to lose money if ticket sales are the only revenue source for an event, you simply shouldn't run it. AEW has a bigger reach than that and there's no reason not to utilize it.

Even the reasoning that house shows will give the younger talent on the roster more experience doesn't justify the possibility of losing money for the company. Any of the younger talent on the roster has the ability to realistically get independent bookings, especially because most shady indy promoter would jump at the chance to have an excuse to put the AEW logo on their posters. If the office wants to give indy groups an incentive to bring in some of the younger AEW roster that might not have star power based on minimal TV exposure, sending Arn Anderson or another legend on the payroll to sign autographs at intermission is a much cheaper option than trying to cover all the costs associated with a house show loop with just ticket and merchandise sales.

Finally, the biggest hurdle for successful house show tours, besides that the nature of non-televised shows that limits revenue, is the fact that the reduced schedule that is one of the bigger perks of an AEW deal, at least for the major names, becomes more crowded with live events. Sure, you can say that Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, or a few of the other top draws for the company add the star power needed to sell tickets, but the issue is two-fold since it's reasonable to expect that a wrestler would get paid more if they work more dates than initially scheduled for their contract. That could be one of the more difficult balancing acts of a non-televised venture, you have to give the crowd a line-up that is representative to the product that is featured on national television. A scaled-down version of a national product doesn't showcase the brand, and as TNA proved, it doesn't draw fans either. The optics of a sparely-attended show didn't give the major league impression for TNA and wouldn't present AEW as a "must see" organization. This might sound too simplistic, but it's definitely a legitimate consideration as far as the potential for a successful tour, selling tickets, especially within the current economic climate, can be more difficult with non-televised shows. More often than not, if someone buys tickets to a show, they are going to buy tickets to the biggest show possible to be able to maximize the value that they can get for their money. Essentially, if a house show is booked for Baltimore, fans in that market might skip the non-televised show and wait for Dynamite to bring TBS cameras to the area. At this point, fans know that it's extremely rare that anything of major importance happens at house shows because of the typical notion that "if it didn't happen on TV then it didn't happen" and that is more emphasized put on content in the industry.

Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns

The most over scenarios in pro wrestling are often those that happen spontaneously and organically, with the main reason for the success being that ultimately, the fans, the paying customers, decide who they want to pay to see in the spotlight. Too often, especially in the past two decades since the collapse of WCW, which gave WWE no major competition, the personal or corporate agendas of management determined the direction of the product. When Hulk Hogan foolishly thought his next big payday was in movies or television instead of in the ring, he left the WWF in 1993, which also allowed him to attempt to avoid the negative press of the steroid scandal of the era. For the first time since his national expansion ten years earlier, Vince McMahon didn't have a red, white, and blue baby face to wave the American flag at his events. Lex Luger, who made the move from WCW the prior year to the WBF before he debuted in the WWF in early-1993, was suddenly pushed as the new American hero, despite the fact that he was originally introduced to the audience as a heel just a few months earlier. The fans didn't buy it because the entire Lex Express presentation seemed so manufactured that the character didn't connect with the audience. As we know, Lex was extremely popular a few years later as the Total Package in WCW in 1997 because it was a more authentic character.

Fast forward a few decades, baby face Roman Reigns wasn't going to get over because the audience saw that it was a blatant attempt for the office to try to shoehorn him into the position of the next John Cena, rather than allow him to develop into the top notch star of Roman Reigns. As we know, when Roman was allowed to develop his character outside of the concept of being the next John Cena, he became the top star of the company that management wanted him to be, and he has done the best work of his career in the process, especially over the past two years.

It doesn't matter what era it is, the building blocks of success in the sports entertainment business are based on the ability of a character to identify with the audience so that the fans can rally behind them.

That's why the current scenario that puts Sami Zayn, who was arguably the best performer in the industry in 2022, into the title picture is very intriguing and creates some questions for what direction management should go ahead of Wrestlemania.

It goes without saying that Cody Rhodes as the WWE champion is a solid plan, especially because he returned to such a tremendous reaction last year, and it appeared that the gruesome pec injury that put him on the sidelines was the only reason that he didn't win the championship already. Cody returning to the company after his run with All Elite Wrestling allowed him to rejuvenate his career to win the title in honor of his dad is a story that writes itself. In many ways, the injury, as unfortunate as it was, adds even more depth to the story because at a time when everything is exposed and the heat goes on the office for decisions rather than the heels on the show, Cody earned his way to the main event of Wrestlemania. He was overlooked and underutilized in the WWE during his original tenure. He was booked as a secondary comedy gimmick and probably could've continued to collect a paycheck for the rest of his career in that spot because of the level of respect that Dusty has in the business. However, Cody was willing to risk that and bet on himself, not only opting for the the opportunity to spark his career on the independent scene, but gamble on the possibility of getting a new organization off the ground as one of the faces of the promotion. The comeback from injury to finally win the title is classic pro wrestling and the drama that will unfold when the bell rings at Wrestlemania will be memorable.

But what about Sami Zayn?

Cody was brought back in a big way, as he should've been, with a stellar match against Seth Rollins at WM 38. The following Raw, Cody made his declaration about winning the title for Dusty with a very good promo. Make no mistake about it, he doesn't cut that promo unless there were plans for the office to book him to win the championship. As I said, the only reason it probably didn't happen yet is because of the previously mentioned pec injury.

The plan was Cody Rhodes wins the championship, but while he was on the sidelines with the injury, Sami Zayn organically got over with the audience during the Bloodline angle.

This puts management in a tough spot because Cody Rhodes winning the championship is definitely a good and understandable option, but at the same time, how do they book someone as over as Sami to lose in his hometown at The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view? More than anything, the office must be careful that their decision to book Sami to lose to Roman doesn't put heat on Cody as the one that "took the spot" away from Zayn.

In some respects, it's a good problem to have since the office had a long-term plan for the next top baby face, which was needed because as great as Roman Reigns has been over the past two years, there realistically aren't many challengers left for him, and Sami Zayn got over as one of the most popular on the roster at a time when the brand is promoted ahead of any specific individual competitor. On one hand, it'd be great for Sami to win the championship since the atmosphere will be will be electric in Montreal. On the other hand, what does that leave on the table for Wrestlemania? The cache of Roman's extended title reign can only be used to elevate a challenger once, and if he drops the belt to Zayn in Montreal, there isn't nearly as much on the line at Wrestlemania. The grand stage wouldn't have Roman's nearly thee-year title run on the line if he doesn't defend the championship. Furthermore, Sami vs. Cody would be a solid main event, but I'm not sure a one-month title run does anything for Zayn other than to cast him as a transitional champion. Management simply can't have Rhodes lose in his quest for the title when the angle is based on winning it for his dad. If Cody would be booked to do the job, his entire return to the company would be flat. What would Roman be booked for at WM if he's not the champion?

Of course, it's possible that the office finds a way to include Sami in the title picture at WM, considering that they have two nights for the event, as unnecessary as it is to have a pair of shows for it. Still, I wouldn't risk putting Rhodes in any scenario where it might look like he took the win away from Zayn. All things considered, I think there are too many pieces in place to shuffle up the deck at this point, especially because it wasn't revealed until recently that Cody would be cleared for The Rumble. I'd still say that Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns will be the WM main event, but after several years of predictable booking before the best event of the year, it's great that there's a reason to tune into the show to see what happens because the entire point of the angle is to draw viewers for the shows.

Lanny Poffo passed away

I was very sad to hear the news that Hacksaw Jim Duggan posted on Twitter, announcing that Lanny Poffo, brother of the iconic "Macho Man Randy Savage, passed away at the age of 68. As of this writing, no cause of death has been made public, but Lanny's passing marks the conclusion of a famous wrestling family that sometimes gets overworked because of its regional ties. 

Broken into the business by his father, Angelo who was a grappler for himself, Lanny followed his older brother into the family business of professional wrestling. Angelo, a villain that had a run as far back as the 50s, ran opposition to the famous Memphis territory with the ICW promotion. The Poffos ran on a shoestring budget with the over-the-top Randy Savage as it’s centerpiece, an early preview of the worldwide glory and fame that the iconic "Macho Man" persona would receive in the mid 80s during the national expansion of the WWF.. Along with the sizzle that Savage brought to the table, Lanny was another mainstay of the promotion. "Leaping" Lanny became known for a combination of technical ability and aerial skill, including being one of the few competitors that could land a moonsault during that era. ICW ran a meager and bare bones promotion, but achieved enough of an impact that through its television in the region, the rivalry with the traditional Memphis group, ran by Jerry Lawler and Jerry Jarrett became a topic of conversation among fans in the area. In fact, the ICW footprint was big enough that when Angelo closed up shop, Savage and Lawler had a memorable feud that drew big crowds at the Mid-South Coliseum. Make no mistake about it, Lanny might’ve been in the supporting role, but his contributions to ICW were one of the reasons that the promotion had enough steam to fuel the eventual Lawler/Savage rivalry.

Without a doubt, Lanny was a solid performer, and his technical skills allowed him to accumulate an impressive résumé during his career. Both before and after the ICW run, he often zigzagged around the territories, working as somewhat of a journeyman, but he always had a place to go  because of his solid skill set. There wasn’t necessarily some huge Lanny Poffo run outside of ICW, but there didn’t need to be since he was considered a good utility worker on the card. He could can get the job done for his role in a promotion, and the ability of the supporting cast of performers to provide the foundation to the card can’t be understated.

As we know, Lanny eventually followed his brother to the World Wrestling Federation, where he would have his biggest exposure, originally as a lower mid-carder that was known for his poems and booming voice on the mic before he was given the heel gimmick of The Genius, who antagonized audiences as both an in-ring competitor, as well as a manager. His very unique attire of the graduation cap and gown, along with his scroll of limericks made for a very memorable presentation. 

Lanny stayed in the WWF until 1992 and then eventually received a contract with WCW in 1994 when Macho Man made the jump to the Turner organization. Reportedly, as a part of Savage's deal, he requested that WCW sign his brother to a contract. He stayed under the Turner contract for over five years until Randy left the company in 2000. Despite never been used on television, this wasn’t simply a favor job. Throughout the time that he was had a Turner deal, Poffo kept him self in shape, and at one point, he dyed his hair blonde in preparation for a Gorgeous George gimmick that never materialized.

In many ways, Lanny was in a particularly tough position because he would undoubtedly always be in the shadow of his larger-than-life older brother, which isn’t a knock, considering that Randy Savage was one of the most iconic characters in the history of the sport. That being said, Lanny did a very commendable job representing his family and specifically the memory of Randy savage, inducting, Macho Man into the WWE Hall of Fame a decade ago. Of course, as we know, Savage and the WWE weren’t on good terms for several years, with the some of the possible reasons that become part of the urban legends of the industry. Lanny said in a Kayfabe Commentaries Breaking Kayfabe interview that his decision to induct his brother into the WWE. Hall of Fame was done for the Macho Man fans. Originally, it was reported that Savage wanted the Poffo family to be inducted as a group, similar to how the Von Erichs were inducted together. Some fans claimed that this was Lanny's attempt to be included in the Hall of Fame, but that assumption is completely misguided. Randy had a track record of keeping his family involved, including when he requested that Angelo be inducted in the short-lived, WCW, Hall of Fame, and of course, he got Lanny a job when he made the jump to WCW.

I can honestly say that I believe that Randy Savage wanted his family to be included in his Hall of Fame induction, which gives you some insight to Randy Poffo, the man behind the Savage gimmick. More recently, Lanny traveled and seemed to enjoy retirement. As mentioned, he was in a tough spot as the younger brother of The Macho Man, but he did a very good job representing his family.

Sincere condolences to Lanny's friends and family at this difficult time.

Samoa Joe vs. Darby Allin

Just over a week ago, I penned a column about the contradictions of the All Elite booking process, and last night's Dynamite was a prime example of the often conflicting narratives that dilute the overall presentation of the product. That along with Tony Khan's recent appearance on the Mark Maron podcast, where the All Elite kingpin detailed his booking theory, create some concern for the future of the program. No, AEW isn't going to flop next year or even in a few years, but I have to be honest, I'm genuinely concerned that the product might plateau and that a ceiling will be put on just how impactful the organization could be to the industry. It's a dreadful comparison if you have any optimism about the business at all, but TNA hit a ceiling in 2009 and its existence, even today, was minimal at best.

My concern, if All Elite does plateau around the one million mark for viewership, is that it will lead to an overall stagnant industry, which is more or less what happened for several years before AEW was launched. The WWE is ready to be sold, which is worrisome in itself, especially because corporate suits have never been able to successfully run a pro wrestling promotion because of the unique nature of the genre. Unless Vince Russo climbs a rope ladder into the NBC offices, the future of the WWE is stable based off of simply its brand name for at least a few decades. That being said, when the 2.8 that Raw drew for its 30th anniversary episode is considered a great number, that paints a rather bleak picture of the possibilities of the future. To put it in perspective, Thunder regularly drew 2.6 the year that WCW collapsed like a house of cards. Granted, it was a different era, but there's a reason that only a slightly better audience is watching today than the audience that watched Disco Inferno fumble around the ring in 2000.

It's the presentation and philosophy of each product. WWE as a corporation is doing great business, mostly because of the stock price, but less people are watching wrestling now than any other time in history. Does that create enthusiasm for the the future? Assuming the WWE is sold, it can go on autopilot for the rest of the modern era, and it will continue to draw the core of its audience with the typical, but minimal influx of casual fans. If AEW hits a ceiling then there will be nothing to spur WWE into anything different than the bare minimum it takes to continue to collect the rights fees or sell the organization to a corporate entity that will coast of the reputation of the letters. Either way, the consumers will have to settle for what's given, which is either the recycled playbook from the WWE or the AEW program that just can't get the pieces of the puzzle in the right place to get to the next level.

Hence why it's so important that All Elite doesn't fall into those TNA pattern of fumbled decisions and missed opportunities to avoided that previously mentioned ceiling. Make no mistake about it, if AEW stalls, and the WWE goes on autopilot, the business will become stagnant and thus the fans will have to settle for a rather flat industry. 

"Take what you're given because it's the best we got" shouldn't be the motivation for the audience to tune into the shows every week.

On the podcast appearance mentioned earlier, Tony Khan explained the charts he uses to organize booking, and I must say that it almost sounds ludicrous that a national television product is being booked like a pie chart in math class. 3.14 might be the analytical version of pie, but pro wrestling sells emotion, not graphs. The audience wants apple pie or blueberry pie, not the numbers pie represents in an equation. I understand that Tony is from a sports analytics background, but pro wrestling is much more than putting the names on the page, it's determining what performers connect with the audience, and ultimately, the ability to do that is what allows a company to draw money. You can script segments between two wrestlers from week to week in a logical manner, but if those performers aren't over or the storyline isn't over with the audience then the meticulous scripting doesn't matter. Tony commented on the order that he books the angles based on their importance to the product, but you don't need a chart for that. The most important angle is the storyline that can draw the most money for the company. The only numbers that truly matter in pro wrestling are revenue and profit. Sure, the ratings matter because the larger the viewership, the larger the demographic is for potential pay-per-view and ticket sales, but the bottom line is, that still boils down to how it translates to revenue.

Give credit where it's due, Tony Khan didn't have to fund a pro wrestling product and he has good intentions for the sport, but that doesn't automatically guarantee success. It's well known that he is fan of the history of the industry so you have to ask, did Eddie Graham, Dusty Rhodes, or Kevin Sullivan use a chart to book angles? It might not win The Wrestling Observer booker of the year award, but the booking process doesn't have to be something purposefully convoluted to appear more intricate than it actually is. Get a heel with heat, and a baby face that's over with the audience. Aside from the scenario that creates the conflict for a feud, a booker has to determine how effective the angle is with the audience. As an example, whatever pie chart Tony had to give ROH more time on the program should've been scrapped, along with the dozen belts that go along with it. Did Brain Cage wearing the ROH six man belt to the ring really mean anything?

As far as last night's edition of Dynamite, I saw two major problems, but none of it had to do with the quality of talent in the ring. Timothy Thatcher vs. Bryan Danielson was an excellent technical contest and the type of bout that could provide a true alternative to sports entertainment. For some of the rightful criticism of Tony's style, the fact that he isn't trying to present sports entertainment is a positive because nobody is going to present sports entertainment as well as the WWE. The problem is, the angle that brought Thatcher to AEW is a recycled concept from the Chris Jericho/MJF feud so there will naturally be diminishing returns. We've already discussed in a previous article about the misguided use of Konosuke Takeshita and Bandido against Danielson in this storyline. At least Thatcher was booked as a hired hitman for MJF and worked the role well in the match. But again, the problem is, this is a retread of a previous concept and so far, I don't think the realistic possibility of MJF dropping the title has been established. Granted, we know that some of the major selling points of the AEW product are in-ring quality and work rate, but the building blocks of pro wrestling are still the beloved baby face potentially winning the championship. I'm sure the iron man match at the pay-per-view will be fine, but nothing about this angle so far makes the bout "must see," and part of that is because this is a reused angle.

The main event was a Darby Allin vs. Samoa Joe rematch for the TNT title. While it made sense for Darby Allin to get the hometown win a few weeks ago, much of that momentum was moot after he dropped the title for such a brief reign. At the same time, Samoa Joe doesn't look as dominate as champion because he lost the title and thus if he eventually puts Wardlow over, it will mean less than it would've otherwise. The more title changes there are, the less importance it has in the grand scheme of things. The whole sequence seems thrown together, and that's something that appears to be the problem for the vast majority of AEW programming. "Hey, we're in Seattle so let's book Darby to win the title in his hometown" isn't the best booking decision if it dilutes the bigger purpose of Wardlow getting a push from eventually winning the championship.

I'm not trying to be completely negative on AEW, but rather to point out the importance that the proper decisions being made has to the rest of the industry. AEW, for all of its positives and negatives, is the best chance the industry has at competition that can keep things fresh. Unless Mark Cuban decides to run a wrestling company, All Elite is the best chance the business has at an alternative, and the talent is on the roster to be able to accomplish that, but the presentation is the key. When Brock Lesnar showed up once every three months and TNA was on Destination America right before ice fishing, there wasn't exactly hype around the industry so that's why it's so important that Tony Khan avoids a plateau for the company.