Will Tony Khan buy New Japan?

Ahead of this weekend's Wrestle Dream pay-per-view, All Elite Wrestling's third PPV in the span of just five weeks, the rumor mill began to stir up speculation that prehaps the event, which is advertised as a tribute to New Japan founder, Antonio Inoki, might be more than just another co-promoted card. In truth, it was rather odd that the event popped up more or less out of nowhere, as it was originally announced at the All Out post-PPV press conference, but the annual Forbidden Door show, had just taken place two months earlier and would've been a more fitting place to pay tribute to the Japanese founder. If anything, it seemed somewhat random that Tony Khan wanted to host an event in honor of the New Japan founder, but some of the top NJPW names are already booked for events in Japan. It is really an Antonio Inoki tribute without Okada and Tasnahashi on the card? Perhaps, some cameos from other Japanese legends, such as Jushin Liger?

More than anything, this all appears to be a reason for Tony to run somewhat of a New Japan card, and maybe that's why there are rumors that this pay-per-view is actually going to be used as a platform to announce that he bought the company.

Obviously, it must be recognized that any of this must be taken with a grain of salt. However, it does create different scenarios and how each might affect both promotions. First, we all know that Tony is from a billionaire family so he undoubtedly has enough capital to purchase the organization that Inoki founded in 1972. The question is, would Bushiroad, the parent company of New Japan, be willing to sell the organization that it purchased from The Yuke's video game company in 2012. Make no mistake about it, without Bushiroad, New Japan probably wouldn't exist today and much of the surge in popularity that the company had in the modern era was directly because of not only the investment, but also the merchandising from Bushiroad. Reportedly, NJPW was sold for $6.5 million in 2012, which was the conclusion of an extremely rocky period for the organization that began years earlier when Inoki still had ownership. As mentioned, Bushiroad put money into the company that brought back more foreign talent and thus the foundation of the Bullet Club was put into place. That along with the emergence of top tier native talent like Okada gave New Japan big success until the pandemic halted much of its momentum.

As with almost everything, New Japan lost money during the pandemic because of the shutdown and then limited attendance for events. The exit of key talent in recent years, and the possibility that Will Ospreay might departure the promotion to join All Elite in 2024, puts the Japanese league in somewhat of a difficult spot, as it must look to establish the next group of stars that will draw for the company. It goes without saying that there are no guarantees in that process, and in some ways, this is uncharted territory in the Bushiroad era.

 According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, New Japan generated $36.4 million in revenue and $1.6 million in profit last year. Assuming that's correct, because of the reasons mentioned earlier with the pandemic and the rebuild that was in progress the past few years, the organization has a rather thin profit margin. That means that any dip in business could put them at risk of losing money. If or how much money Bushiroad would be willing to lose is anyone's guess, but given the current climate of the industry, it might be possible that Bushiroad would look to "cash out" on New Japan if Tony Khan offered the right number. If Khan offered $50 million for the organization, it might be tough for them to turn it down, given the slim profit margin from last year. Granted, Asia TV owns 10% of the organization, but that has more to do with their TV deal and is basically cannon fodder in the grand scheme of things.

While I doubt that New Japan would actually sell the company, I think Tony Khan would definitely be willing to offer major cash for it because it would essentially stamp him in pro wrestling history books. Keep in mind, All Elite Wrestling is still a relatively new project, but ownership of NJPW would solidify Khan's position in the industry. However, just as some might say that booking an E-fed online didn't qualify him to launch AEW, just because Tony is a longtime subscriber to The Wrestling Observer, that doesn't mean that he would have any idea about how to run the Japanese organization. Sure, there's a niche group of American fans that follow New Japan and in some cases, there can be a profitable niche, but the product must be tailored to the Japanese audience. There's a different presentation and psychology to the Japanese product so Khan wouldn't be able to attempt to book it like an AEW event.

The bottom line is, the argument could be made that Tony Khan can't consistently book quality segments for one weekly show so there's no reason for him to attempt to purchase another organization on the other side of the globe. As I said, I doubt there's much to the story, even with the difficult financial aspects New Japan had to endure during the pandemic. Bushiroad has a very popular trading card series in Japan so theoretically, they have the capital to keep New Japan stable throughout the downturn in business.

Tony Khan claimed that there will be a "new era" of All Elite Wrestling for Wrestle Dream, but such announcements have fallen flat, well below expectations, or both in the past so it's doubtful that the pay-per-view will be the start of a shift for the company. Outside of the New Japan rumors, the bigger story is the fact that Tony Khan is running yet another pay-per-view, and outside of the Bryan Danielson/Zack Saber Jr. and Christian/Darby Allin matches, there's nothing truly "PPV worthy" on the card. The vast majority of the bouts were thrown together with only a week or two of build up, and outside of the two previously mentioned contests, there's not much of a selling point that would give fans a reason to spend another $50 on an AEW pay-per-view in the span of just five weeks.

The bigger problem might be that with the increase of the number of pay-per-views and the addition of another two hours of television for Collision, it's very possible that there's an over saturation of AEW content in the industry.

WWE releases

After the merger between the WWE and the Ultimate Fighting Championship was completed earlier this month to form the TKO group, there were several layoffs expected, which took place shortly afterward with the majority of those cuts being the WWE office staff. At first, some thought that given the company's current financial success, with the opening price of the new TKO stock at $102 on Wall Street, that maybe there wouldn't be roster cuts for talent. However, more than twenty wrestlers were released earlier this week. It's a harsh reality, but cuts being made following a merger isn't surprising. It also wasn't surprising when it was announced that Smackdown, the brand that airs on Fox, will move back to the USA network in October of 2024. Taking into account that this will take Smackdown from a broadcast station back to a cable network, maybe WWE brass wanted to trim the roster if there aren't any specific plans for certain performers.

As always, this will be a discussion of what talents deserved more of an opportunity or if they were misused by the office, as well as the potential to work elsewhere.

For organizational purposes, it's important to point out that the vast majority of the list of wrestlers that were released are more or less cannon fodder within the WWE landscape. That's not to say that they don't have talent, but rather how they were used or not used put them in a secondary position so their exit doesn't have a major impact on the industry either way. Shanky, Ikemen Jiro, Yulisa Leon, Quincy Elliott, Bryson Montana, Kevin Ventura-Cortez, Daniel McArthur, Alexis Gray, Brooklyn Barlow, and Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald had no to little television exposure so their releases have more impact on paper than anything that could translate to newsworthy. Again, that's not to say that they can't continue their careers to find success outside of the WWE, but at this point, it was an easy way to trim the budget to add to the profit for the company during the next conference call.

There was another tier of athletes that were cut, those that had some exposure, and in some cases, looked to have some potential, but for different reasons, they didn't get a chance to standout from the rest of the roster.

Dabba Kato is a guy on the surface that looks like he could be money, but after more than seven years in the WWE system, that potential is still rather undistinguished. Perhaps his biggest success, if you want to call it that, was when he was showcased as a monster during Raw Underground in 2020 during the pandemic era of the show. But, when the concept went nowhere, neither did he and then he faded into obscurity until the following year when he was paired with Apollo Crews. The Commander Azeez character and the entire gimmick of the team was cringe worthy. He looked silly in the general outfit and the brief push made almost no progress. Assuming Dabba Kato want to continue wrestling, I'd say a place like New Japan Strong would suite him best, as he doesn't have enough cache to make a splash in AEW, and the Japanese spin off might allow him to reinvent his career. I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up on Impact, simply because seemingly anyone that had a WWE deal at one point appears to be an option for Impact Wrestling.

Mace is another guy that, similar to Dabba Kato, had a look that seemed to be perfect for the WWE prototype, but a series of horrendous gimmicks never gave him the chance to be successful. He worked briefly as an announcer on Raw as Dio Madden before he was written off the show. He resurfaced in 2020 as a member of the doomed Retribution stable. Retribution were ultimately booked like enhancement talent and more or less everyone from the faction was either released at some point or had to be repackaged. Retribution was only booked as a spin off of the political tension of the time and when it faded from the headlines, the faction was beaten into powder. After that, he was paired with Mansoor, who was also released, as a part of the Maximum Male Models, a gimmick that flopped and was dropped from TV. I'm not sure what Mace does next if he continues to wrestle, but in some ways, he would almost have to start from scratch to reinvent his career since his WWE characters were such drek. Mansoor was more or less only signed so that the company could spotlight a Saudi star when they went to the country for the stadium shows so I don't he lands anywhere else in the industry.

Dana Brooke being released wasn't much of a surprise, given that she was more or less typecast in a lower-tier role in the Women's division. If I had to guess, this was a scenario where the division has such depth that it wasn't necessarily going to make a major difference if she was on the roster or not. The same could more or less be said for Emma since she didn't really do anything of importance on the shows in several months. Plus, with the rumored addition of Jade Cargill to the WWE, that's one less spot on the main roster. That being said, I think it's a safe bet that Emma will return to Impact, and I wouldn't be shocked if Dana Brooke debuts there, too.

Aliyah getting her walking papers makes sense since she barely had any television exposure, but I think it should be mentioned that this is a textbook example of when the office brought someone to the main roster with absolutely no plan for them besides their initial debut. There was no direction or purpose for her on the shows and it more or less ruined any chance she had to get over on television.

The final group were a few talents that I was surprised that got cut, either for their accomplishments in the company or the missed opportunities. Dolph Ziggler is the one that stands out the most because of his extended tenure with the organization. You have to give Dolph a lot of credit, he has a tremendous work ethic and he was the only one that survived The Spirit Squad gimmick. Fairly or unfairly, he got typecast into the role of being known as a good utility worker, he could do anything the company needed him to do and make it work. If I had to guess, after the two concussions that he had earlier in his career, the office thought it was too much of a risk to invest too much stock into him so he was kept around for when the company needed a good match or segment. At 43, Dolph is clearly in the latter portion of his career, and assuming he doesn't need the money, there's really no reason for him to look for another full-time gig in wrestling. If he went to AEW, he'd be lost in the shuffle within weeks. If I had to guess, I think Dolph will make a profitable tour of the independent scene for a few years, and I wouldn't be shocked if he eventually returned to the WWE as a producer.

Shelton Benjamin being released was a surprise, as I expected him to retire from the ring and then be a coach at the WWE Performance Center. Shelton's accomplishments are well-documented so there's no reason to retread how well-regarded he is as an athlete. I'd guess that this was done simply as a short-term way to trim the budget and that he will eventually be re-hired as a coach for the organization. Elias is a really entertaining performer, but never really had the chance to run with it beyond a certain point, which says more about the office's management style than his skills. I'm not sure what's next for him, but he undoubtedly has the talent to be successful somewhere. Riddick Moss and Rick Boogs were guys that show glimpses that they could be stars, but weren't given enough consistent television time to have a chance to develop that potential to be a star on the shows.

Mustafa Ali actually publicly requested his release a few years ago, but it was denied. It goes without saying that Ali is a really talented athlete and can do better outside of the WWE. I think it's a safe bet that he will work for New Japan.

Matt Riddle being cut wasn't a surprise, but it's still disappointing. Riddle is a great athlete and it looked like he was on the path to being an established star, but his personal problems, including a stint in rehab, derailed that progress. Recently, Riddle had an incident at an airport, and ultimately, he was more trouble than he was worth. I'd guess that Riddle will resurface somewhere, but I'm not sure if it's a wise decision for his health. Maybe he took the opportunities he had for granted, but you can't blame the office for not wanting to invest too much money into him, especially after the altercation at an airport because he would be a liability for the company. There was just a $21. 9 billion merger and the headlines have touted the success of the organization, does the WWE need the negative press of an unruly wrestler at the airport?

What's next for Jade Cargill?

After this week's episode of Rampage, a broadcast that was taped earlier this week, it appears that Jade Cargill, who All Elite Wrestling protected, but not necessarily developed as a talent, made her exit from the organization. At this point, nothing is confirmed, but there continues to be much speculation that the fitness star could be on her way to the WWE, which just completed the mega merger with the UFC through the TKO group.

I have to be honest, while details are sparse on if Jade's deal expired or if she simply requested her release, I was surprised to read that she returned on Collision last week, and was even more surprised when I saw on Dynamite that the company promoted the Kris Statlander/Jade Cargill title match for Rampage, especially because the Friday night show is more or less cannon fodder with the addition of Collision to the AEW weekly line-up. It definitely looked like her exit was indeed planned, as fan footage from the taped show surfaced online a few days ago, showing Jade and Statlander embrace following the bout.

I actually penned an article about a month and a half ago to discuss Jade's status, mostly based on her sudden disappearance from the organization three months earlier after she dropped the TBS championship to the previously mentioned Kris Statlander at Double or Nothing. I don't want to retread everything from that column, but to reiterate, I think that All Elite made a few key mistakes in how it handled Jade's tenure with the organization. Considering that she made her debut with the company during the pandemic era in a segment with Brandi Rhodes that was memorable for all the wrong reasons, with literally no experience, I'm not sure that it was the best decision for her debut on national TV when she didn't get to work on a smaller scale before that. I'm just guessing, but given her look, athletic ability, and charisma, it seemed like AEW knew that they a potential star and didn't want to miss the chance to get her under contract. Still, it's a tough situation to expect someone to flourish under those circumstances. When you take into account that Tony Khan has dozens of wrestlers under contract that have as much exposure as the witness protection program, perhaps it would've been better to sign Cargill to a deal, but allow her to work smaller shows after than pandemic so that she could've been more polished for national television.

Along the same lines, she was booked for short, one-sided matches, and while that makes sense at first, she wasn't given the chance to truly develop into a more well-rounded performer, as even her title matches on pay-per-view only went six or seven minutes. If Jade couldn't work a longer match than her skills weren't up to par for the spot she was given, or management overprotected her by not allowing her the opportunity to show that she was a more complete performer. Either way, it was definitely an example of how her All Elite tenure was mismanaged.

Again, the circumstances of her departure are puzzling since she was gone from the organization for a few months, returned to do the job for Statlander, and might depart the company. I doubt it was simply a matter that her contract expired, and given that the way the defeat Double or Nothing was still booked in a way protected her status, it doesn't appear like her four-month hiatus was planned either. Obviously, if her deal did actually expire, there's only so much Tony Khan can do, as far as the money he could offer her to re-sign. If Jade had bigger plans outside of AEW or even the wrestling business in general, Cargill might've already decided that she wanted bigger exposure than All Elite can offer. It goes without saying that only Tony and Jade know the details of those possibly negotiations so that scenario can only be based on speculation if Cargill wasn't looking for a specific amount of money to re-sign.

However, if Jade requested a release, and Tony just granted it, it's another example of how Cargill was mismanaged in the organization. The argument could be made that Jade was the most protected and spotlighted stars in AEW during the past few years. She was booked to win 60 matches in a row, the TBS title was more or less created for her, and she only did one clean defeat in the company. From a presentation standpoint, Cargill was made to look like a total star. The fact that none of that was developed beyond a basic presentation might be one of the reasons that she had to go elsewhere to continue to evolve as a performer. Unfortunately, the extended winning streak and the television exposure was basically an audition for WWE, not a way to do business for AEW.

When you take into account that the state of the women's division in All Elite was the subject of debate recently, and all of the behind-the-scenes drama between CM Punk and several other competitors over the past year, it's very possible that Jade wanted to continue her career in a more professional environment. On one side of the coin, Tony Khan said publicly that he was afraid for his life at All Out, and the WWE just completed a $21.9 billion dollar merger this week.

All things considered, as I said in the prior article, the WWE is a better place to develop Jade's skills to maximize her potential, regardless of if that's as a top star or just an addition to the card. Aside from the Performance Center, where some of the best coaches in the world work with young talent, the WWE's women's division is one of the most consistent aspects of the organization. Not only are there more experienced athletes on the female roster to work with young talent, they have a level of star power that can help establish new stars. Make no mistake about it, AEW is a profitable niche, but still a niche. That's nothing wrong with that, either since profit is the true barometer of success. That said, Jade is in the theoretical prime of her career, and the WWE offers the chance for main stream exposure, especially after the TKO merger, that a competitor won't have the opportunity for in AEW.

Samoa Joe vs. MJF

This week, All Elite Wrestling taped its Dynamite program in Cincinnati, the hometown of one of the promotion's top star, Jon Moxley. This will lead to next week's Grand Slam event at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York before the company's next pay-per-view, Wrestle Dream in Seattle.

A few notes that are important for context, while the record-setting draw in England was proof of the demand for the live product in Europe, it was also more evidence that its much easier to draw in a new market because the novelty of the live event experience adds more of a selling point. By nature, the sizzle of the debut in the UK helped move tickets, which is fine because revenue is revenue. At the same time, it underscored what happens when that sizzle fades domestically when a product lacks substance. For example, All Elite drew a record-setting crowd in Wembley and then didn't sell out in Chicago for a pay-per-view the following week. It goes without saying that the organization over saturated the market, but the point being, after four years in existence, they've toured a sizable portion of the United States in terms of wrestling cities so the novelty of the alternative alone isn't going to bring fans to the box office.

Understandably, the fans wanted to support AEW when it launched because it was a chance to spark the sports entertainment industry that had been extremely stagnant for years, and in some respects, that goal was achieved. However, as the organization evolved in both its role in the business and the presentation of the product, it must stand on its own merits. That scenario also yielded mixed results.

The status of All Elite Wrestling is such an odd  dichotomy at times, as the league seems to either hit a home run or completely miss the mark, both in terms of the booking of its on-screen product, as well as its backstage drama.

That entire situation was summed up well in how this week's edition of Dynamite played out in Cincinnati. No, the sky isn't falling, and as much as some might hope for it, AEW isn't going out of business. The Khan family has the money to keep Tony's project around as long as he wants to play promoter. That being said, those that somehow hope for the downfall of All Elite are completely foolish. With as much drek that Tony might script, make no mistake about it, the pro wrestling business is much better off with AEW than it is without a second national organization. As cringe worthy and counterproductive as the Adam Cole/MJF storyline is, you aren't going to see a stellar match-up like the Ricky Starks/Bryan Danielson bout on WWE programming.

The common knock against Tony Khan is that he's not a qualified wrestling booker, and that might be a valid criticism. I've praised Tony's passion for the sport and his willingness to fund a wrestling project, but fandom alone doesn't automatically translate to success. In fact, outside of being a member of a billionaire family that is well-connected in the sports and television business, what exactly qualified Tony to be the booker of a national pro wrestling organization? I'm not trying to take a jab at Tony, but rather to point out that he made the leap from a just a fan to the owner of a company without any experience at any level of sports entertainment. He didn't work for anyone in the business to truly learn the finer points of the genre. I don't think that's an unfair standard, especially because so many of the most accomplished bookers had the chance to learn from others before they put their on spin on a territory or promotion. For example, Kevin Sullivan is regarded as one of the brightest minds in the history of the industry, and he credited much of what he learned to the legendary Florida promoter, Eddie Graham.

Tony has said himself that Dynamite is based on concepts that he originally booked for an E-fed on the internet, and his actually booking reflects a lot of the pitfalls of that philosophy. Simply putting names on paper isn't booking, it's matchmaking, and that is very easy because it doesn't have to translate to the application of the angles on-screen. Sure, Bryan Danielson vs. Kenny Omega is a great match that has an intrinsic value as far as a selling point to the audience, but the circumstances of how the match takes place is what ultimately allows for the ability to maximize the payoff. There's no doubt that Tony is very good at being a matchmaker, which is putting names on paper that generally seem like that contest will result in a good performance. If that good performance is booked at the right place, at the right time, and in the right scenario is a completely different matter.

Tony Khan often books matches that he wants to see, and technically, since he picks up the tab, he has the right to do that, but if those decisions lead to the overall expansion of the audience is questionable. Tony can cite his charts and graphs, but the bottom line is, if he books a product that the audience is willing to pay for then it will yield success for the company. Revenue and profit are the true barometer of success, not how many times Tony wins "booker of the year" from The Wrestling Observer.

The attempt to parse detail would be too lengthy, but when you consider the women's division, the pointless continued use of the Ring Of Honor titles as props, and the lame basis of the Cole/MJF angle, you can see a lack of knowledge of how to build storylines. Too often, the direction or lack thereof with the shows is so scattered that there's a lack of overall direction. The addition of Collision to the AEW line-up only made this problem exponentially more apparent. A prime example is how certain performers are booked for a featured spot and then disappear for months at a time. For example, Lee Moriarty is an outstanding prospect that had the chance to compete against CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Katsuyori Shibata. In theory, you book those matches because there's a plan in place to make Moriarty a bigger star in the process, but those three bouts didn't elevate his status among the AEW landscape because there was zero follow-up to it.

One of the main E-fed booking troupes that Tony uses so often that it's almost comical is a ridiculous amount of tournaments. The structure of a tournament more or less eliminates the necessity for compelling booking because it's quite literally a simple narrative that is based on matchmaking throughout the brackets. At one point, there were multiple tournaments going on at the same time with the tag team eliminator tournament, as well as the Owen Hart tournament. Finally, the recent world title eliminator tournament had some level of substance to it and thus this week on Dynamite had a rare main event where something looked to be at stake in terms of a storyline.

The reason being, Rodrick Strong was involved in the Cole/MJF feud, and we saw the Samoa Joe confrontation at All Out so there were two realistic options to see who would challenge MJF at Grand Slam. There was a reason to watch the match because it determined the next chapter in the storyline. Furthermore, Samoa Joe was made to look like a monster and choked out Adam Cole for an added element of intensity. None of this was reinventing the wheel, and it doesn't have to be, it was common sense storytelling that pushed a credible challenger for the world championship next week.

It was a great segment and proved that despite his age or any injuries, Samoa Joe is still a top quality performer. It sets the stage for an anticipated title match that gives viewers a reason to watch the show. The problem is, this type of scenario where AEW has a concise and defined storyline that logically connects all the dots is more often than not the exception to the rule for a product too scattered for the fans to truly invest in the results of the shows. 

The UFC/WWE merger

After more than five decades and three generations, World Wrestling Entertainment is no longer under the full control of the McMahon family, as yesterday launched the official start of the TKO Holdings Group, the completion of the blockbuster merger that brought the Ultimate Fighting Championship and WWE together under the Endeavor banner.

As we know, this corporate merger saw Endeavor purchase a 51% controlling stake of the WWE and create a new conglomerate that includes the UFC with the TKO umbrella with an estimated value of $21.9 billion for the newly-created corporation.

The circumstances of the merger, which may or may not have taken place without the Vince McMahon misconduct scandal last year, were well-documented, but given that the TKO group is officially on Wall Street, what does this mean for the biggest sports entertainment organization in the world?

In truth, at least for the foreseeable future, this honestly doesn't translate to anything different, as WWE will be business as usual since that's what put them in the position to sell the organization for $9 billion earlier this year. With Nick Khan on the management team to negotiate some massive deals on behalf of the company, WWE was able to leverage the climate of not only the television industry, but also the streaming market to maximize its earning potential before it "cashed out" so to speak with the sale to Endeavor.

With the advancement of modern technology, it's not so much that viewers are consuming less content, but rather that the countless options sometimes fragment pieces of the audience. For example, there was a time when The Sopranos was the top show on premium television and that along with boxing, fueled subscriptions for HBO through traditional cable providers. In the modern era, a show that has great reviews might not be watched when it would've been in a previous era, simply because there's only a certain amount of time for viewers to consume content and they have to choose that time wisely. It's not just the TV business either, every podcast and social media influence are also competing for the portion of time that people are willing to dedicate to the consumption of some form of media content. Every media provider, regardless of its a full-scale company or an individual content creator, competes to get viewers for their shows.

In 2019, the TV business needed live content because that was the most DVR proof programming that was available since recording shows allowed for viewers to skip through commercials and thus that can affect ad revenue. Naturally, live content is more expensive to produce, but networks were willing to pay top dollar for it to attempt to maximize ad rates. As much as TV viewership might be down, the NFL and NBA still garner big ratings, obviously because of the mega fan following of each sport, but also because of the live broadcasts. Television networks wanted live programs, and even the sports leagues are seasonal so it made sense for cable stations to consider the WWE brand, mostly based on the fact that there are live shows every week, and that despite a dip in ratings in recent years, there's still a steady and consistent number for most WWE broadcasts. That consistency allows for advertisers to get a general idea of how many viewers and what demographics will see their products when they buy commercials during Raw or Smackdown.

In retrospect, it's safe to say that at least Fox overpaid for its five-year rights deal for Smackdown, taking into account that the network actually lost money on the $1.4 billion deal it signed four years ago. The USA network put up $1 billion to keep Raw on the channel for five years. Keep in mind, it wasn't the popularity of the WWE that landed the contracts, but rather the climate of the television business almost five years ago. In a similar fashion, as a myriad of options over saturated the streaming market, several platforms looked to secure their piece of the streaming pie. As with almost anything, the economics of the situation will more or less determine what services find long term success, but it's still a unique scenario, as the bulk-pricing model hasn't been suitable for every form of media.

NBC Universal has Raw on USA and knew that if they bought the streaming rights for the WWE Network, they had a built-in audience that they could sell the Peacock platform to as viewers tuned in to the Monday night show. The Peacock deal was worth $1 billion, again because of the dynamics of the streaming market, not the popularity of WWE. But, from strictly a business perspective, all of that is moot. The WWE was able to secure record-setting profit through its distribution rights contracts.

Obviously, since the most recent TV deals were signed in 2019, the TV business continued to evolve, with less of an emphasis on specifically live content, and more of a focus on different types of programming to attempt to draw from a wider demographic. It goes without say that the WWE won't get the same amount of cash as they did previously, particularly when Fox lost money on the Smackdown deal.

But, that's where the TKO merger makes such a massive difference to the entire situation.

At a time when media commodities will have to offer networks consistent and diverse content to land the best TV contract possible, TKO will have all of the bases covered. The UFC is always a target for the 18-34 demographic, while the WWE product skews to have younger and then older fans. Essentially, TKO could theoretically offer networks the chance to secure WWE and UFC programming on their channels. If the pro wrestling side takes a dip, the MMA events can pick up the slack, and if a few key MMA stars aren't available for a fight, the WWE has its own brand of star power. As simplistic as it sounds, it doesn't matter what side of the corporation draws for TKO because it's all revenue for the same organization.

The ability to leverage the sum total of that star power, brand awareness on both sides, and the amount of content gives the TKO group major muscle in the entertainment industry.

Furthermore, with the amount of cash involved, specifically with the TKO stock price at $102 per share when it opened on Wall Street, it's very doubtful that there will ever be true competition to the WWE again. That's not a knock on All Elite Wrestling or any other company that might try to be an alternative, but rather to point out that with the WWE/UFC combination, there's enough money and media muscle to maintain the top spot in the sports entertainment business. WWE brass could easily offer any top AEW performer millions of dollars a year and at some point, a wrestler has to consider the financial security of the contract.

One of the biggest reasons that this gives the WWE exponentially more power within the entertainment industry with this merger is that while you won't see a crossover with Conor McGregor in the squared circle or Roman Reigns in the octagon, they can run commercials for the next UFC pay-per-view on WWE programming, as well as advertise Raw or Smackdown on the MMA cards. The TKO group can offer networks consistent live programming with a steady audience and the ability to promote shows across different platforms.

The reason that I pointed out that there won't be a major difference for the on-screen product for the WWE is the same reason there wasn't a major shift when Endeavor bought the UFC in 2016. The CEO of Endeavor, Ari Emanuel is smart enough to know when there's already a formula that works. The UFC found what works with how they promote and advertise their fighters. That's why Dana White is still the outspoken president of the organization. Emanuel knows that Vince McMahon brought the WWE to main stream prominence and isn't going to change a business strategy that touted record-setting profits for the sports entertainment organization. If Vince McMahon should still be a part of the WWE after the misconduct revelations is a completely different matter. If McMahon is still the best choice to lead the WWE is also a different discussion. However, from strictly a business perspective, there's no reason for Endeavor to shift anything about the WWE anytime soon since the company yields major profits.

Perhaps, the biggest takeaway from all of this is that besides the fact that this merger gives the WWE extensive power within the media industry, it should be noted that the subpoena and the search warrant that were issued last month from the Securities and Exchange Commission based on the prior Vince McMahon misconduct revelations didn't prevent the merger. As sleazy as the allegations were, the TKO merger is a win-win scenario for Vince McMahon, as he sold the WWE for billions of dollars and he's still going to run the company.

The career of Phil Cross

"It’s exactly that, a dream, something that even now doesn’t seem real. It still feels like this tenuous thing. I don’t think it’ll really hit me until I go through that curtain, one way or the other. But, it’s something that I’ve always dreamed of since I was an unpopular freak sitting alone on a bus, dreaming of tag teams and moves."

You've heard the cliche from countless people about countless genres, they don't want to sit on the porch in their 70s and look back with regret of "what if" they took a chance to chase that improbable dream. Sure, it's easy for any local yokel to say that they could've, should've, or would've accomplished that wild goal they set for themselves in the midst of their youthful optimism years earlier.Quite frankly, it takes guts to get off the couch, especially after the general consensus says the window is closed, to take a leap of faith toward the goal to truly be able to look back with no regrets when someone reaches their golden years.

Phil Cross, by any standard, is not your typical pro wrestling rookie, and when he laces up for boots for his first pro bout this Saturday for Ryse Wrestling at the Uniontown Mall in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, he will be twice the age of some of his peers that are also set to compete that night in the converted Sears building that was transformed into a full scale wrestling arena. The entrance way, complete with lights and banners is complimented by a video screen, which is a stark contrast to the blue collar atmosphere of the town that is just south of the city of Pittsburgh.

Ryse Wrestling, founded by longtime trainer and 25-year wrestling veteran, Brandon K, in 2016, touts its ability to give enthusiastic newcomers a chance to chase their dreams of sports entertainment glory. Many of those featured on Ryse cards, specifically after the pandemic allowed for more regular events again, are youngsters that broke into the sport under Brandon's guidance at The Stronghold Academy, the training center that is run alongside another twenty-year pro, Dean Radford, in the same mall complex. Jason Hendrix, an arrogant villain that started his career at the beginning of the year, already travels to compete for other organizations outside of his home base, as an example of the talent that is developed in the Stronghold center.Just a few months ago, Hendrix graduated with a Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University, while one of his stablemates in The Great Success faction, Gorgeous Gregory finished high school around the same time.

For Phil, he will be 40 years old for his next birthday, and the gray streaks in his trademark beard reflect his hard-working attitude as a forklift operator during the week. He trades in the warehouse for the squared circle most week nights at the Stronghold, under the direction of Brandon and Dean, the two coaches that were impressed with his grit from the time he walked into the office just prior to the pandemic a few years ago after Phil discovered that one of his co-workers in the warehouse was a friend of a local wrestling star. Ironically, that was Brandon K.

"Once I knew there was a chance, a real chance to try, I knew I had to do that. Because in five years my body was going to hurt regardless of whether or not I did it, but at least this way I wouldn’t have the regret, wondering what might have been. Thanks to the pandemic, it’s taken longer than it might have, and it’s been a real journey," Phil explained.

Make no mistake about it, the long hours shifting crates around in the dusty warehouse is a tough task during the day, but Phil knew from the first time that he stepped onto the canvas of a wrestling ring that his week night gig was going to be just as difficult, as he began the tedious process of hitting the stiff mat repeatedly to learn how to do so in the safest manner possible, as well to understand the in-ring maneuvers.

"Some of the toughest aspects of learning the sport are conditioning and bumping. Conditioning, because no matter how athletic you are or were, ring shape is different from anything else you’ve ever done. Bumping is about as counter intuitive a thing as you can ask yourself to do. For Brandon, he’s a remarkable trainer, if you give him the sweat equity, show up, and put in the effort, he can teach you what you need to know. That aside, he’s also a remarkable human being, one of the outright best I’ve ever met or known," Cross commented.

The circumstances that brought Phil to his first match are almost as unique as the industry itself. Ron Mathis, a wild mid-west wrestling veteran, made a career with combination of technical skills outrageous brawling tactics. Proudly dubbed, "Pure Trash" Ron Mathis competed with tables, chairs, and barbed wire, as he zigzagged around the independent circuit. As such an accomplished veteran, Mathis became a regular at Ryse events, and when he disregarded the rules, it was Phil's job as Head of Security at events to try to restore order. Of course, this created conflict and the two have clashed over the past several months. This led to a challenge from Mathis for Phil's official wrestling debut this Saturday in Uniontown.

"Ryse is my home, Brandon and everyone else there are people that I love. Mathis thinks he’s going to come in and run things because he’s willing to play dirty. I’ve spent my life getting dirty, it’s part and parcel of working for a living and growing up where and how I did," Phil said.

“I wasn’t sure I could co-sign this match. I know how dangerous Ron Mathis can be, and Phil has been a loyal member of our staff for years now. However,  Phil made his case and man can only take so much," added Chris LeRusso, a longtime pro that transitioned from the ring to the office last year when he took over as the matchmaker for Ryse.

So, the kid that sat alone quietly thumbing through wrestling magazines on the bus a few decades ago will accomplish something that he never thought would be a reality, and he won't be alone. Phil will have the support of his peers and the fans in a jam-packed building in Uniontown  when he walks through the curtain to live his dream of finally becoming a pro wrestler.

"It’s never too late to follow your dreams and if you commit to something, you can do it. It can still be the realization of a dream," Phil concluded.

CM Punk released

After more than a year of controversy and two backstage fights, along with numerous rumors of other behind the scenes arguments, as well as the occasional rant on social media or in the arena, CM Punk was finally fired by Tony Khan, the first move that Tony made as an actual boss since the whole debacle began at the infamous All Out press conference last year.

There's more drama involved in this scenario than at a middle school dance so let's get to the meat of the matter to get as concise a view on the situation as possible.

As I wrote last week when I covered the initial reports of the fight backstage between Punk and Jack Perry at All In, it's not that difficult for Tony Khan to say, especially when he pays these guys very well, that if they don't want to work with each other that's fine, but everyone must be professional enough to at least be in the same building without a backstage brawl that puts the product in jeopardy for the paying audience. That goes for The Elite, CM Punk, and anyone else. Yes, it's the pro wrestling business, an ego-driven industry and it's an unconventional way to make a living, but it's still a workplace. The top priority for anyone should be the goal to draw money so that everyone involved can make the most money possible, which is the entire point of any business venture. Tony ran his organization like a tree house and some of his roster treated it the same way. Again, the fact that Punk and The Elite were kept in different parts of the building because they couldn't be professional enough to even see one another speaks to the lack of a combination of professionalism and maturity.

When Punk stood on a soap box and buried the company at the media scrum last year, and Tony Khan looked totally afloat sitting next time him, Phil Brooks crowed to anyone that would listen that pro wrestling was a business, but nothing that he did in the time frame that he ranted last year until his final appearance with the company suggested that it was about business for him. Punk threw Adam Page under the bus after an edition of Collision went off the air to drag the drama back into the headlines just two weeks before Wembley Stadium, he had to get his receipt in against The Elite when he returned for the debut episode of Collision to make sure it was in the forefront as soon as he was back on television, and ultimately, he got into the scuffal with Jack Perry because each of those situations allowed Punk to stroke his ego. He jabbed at The Elite to make sure he told the audience that nobody was his boss, he took a shot at Adam Page to let the fans know that it's only over when he says it is, and he didn't mind  getting into a fight with Perry so that he could make himself sound like a "real" fighter that was the same guy that got embarrassed twice in the UFC.

Make no mistake about it, CM Punk is about CM Punk, he's not a martyr for pro wrestling, and much of that smokescreen was lifted during his All Elite tenure. Phil Brooks wanted to "change the system" to put himself in the top spot, not to do a service to the wrestling industry. Brooks, who often cites names like Roddy Piper, Harley Race, and Bret Hart, ironically took the opposite path of any of them. Piper didn't trust Hulk Hogan in the 80s, and you can't blame him, but he did business with Hogan because that's where the biggest money possible was at the time. Harley Race was rumored to have been offered a hefty sum of cash to no-show the first Starrcade and not drop the title to Ric Flair in 1983, but Race was there to pass the torch because he knew it was the right move for the business. Bret Hart certainly seemed to have the right to punch Shawn Micheals in the mouth in 1997, but he showed up and didn't cheap shot Micheals when they worked together because the ability to put personal grudges aside to draw money is what allows everyone to make the most money possible.

Phil Brooks claimed that WWE management was against him and he couldn't get along with the office to work there. He went to All Elite Wrestling and it didn't take long for him to claim that management was against him there, too. Clearly, Brooks can't get along with AEW office either. I'm not taking anything away from his ability in the ring or the star power that he brought to the table, but the harsh reality is, the narrative that unfolded about CM Punk in the major leagues was ultimately that he made himself unemployable. Brooks might think so, but he's not as big of a star as Steve Austin or The Rock, and eventually his bitterness towards seemingly everything that doesn't serve him wasn't worth the hassle. While there are positives and negatives to this, All Elite is more or less the opposite of the WWE in terms of structure and presentation. Brooks was fired from both places because he couldn't get along with management so he's the common denominator.

Keep in mind, this all started because Brooks said it anyone had a problem with him then they could go to him, and then someone did so he wasn't a victim in the brawl with The Elite.

That being said, The Elite and Tony Khan are also responsible for this mess. The fact that anyone from The Elite are still considered EVPs is laughable. One thing that Punk was right about is, none of them probably could handle the responsibility of managing a Target. Granted, Punk continued to knock The Elite even after his return to the company so you can't blame them for not wanting to work with him on a personal level, but if they were true professionals, especially in a management role in the organization, they would've met with Punk and then everyone agrees to at least be in the same building without incident. If The Elite honestly wanted to draw money for AEW, they would've booked a six man tag against Punk and FTR at one of the recent pay-per-views because that would've been the biggest business possible for the company.

A management role means that the company comes before personal grudges, that's one of the sacrifices made when someone takes an office job. Your personal view is secondary to what draws money for the company, and that's why it's often a conflict of interest when active wrestlers work in the office. Similar to how Tony Khan failed as a boss in how he handled or didn't handle the initial incident, The Elite failed just as much in their office roles.

As far as the fight with Jack Perry, it should be mentioned that he should be the next one to get a pink slip. He's a secondary talent that plateaued, and after his infamous appearance at a convention in England earlier this year where it sounded like he didn't care about the sport anyway, he's completely expendable. While I honestly believe it was a matter of time before another incident happened with Punk to prompt his exit from AEW, Jack Perry isn't valuable enough to the company to be able to try to provoke one of the highest paid stars on the roster. Quite frankly, Punk is a commodity, and Perry isn't. In fact, if Jack Perry burned his boots, bought a horse, and moved to Montana, it would make zero difference to AEW business.

Tony Khan actually comes out of this whole situation looking the worst. Everyone knew that Phil Brooks was a jerk, a talented jerk, but still a jerk. Everyone knew that The Elite probably did leak information to the dirt sheets because they are too egotistical to see the bigger picture and want to maintain their friendship with The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, which is probably why the argument could be made that AEW is still a niche product. There were questions about if someone from a billionaire family could translate some of his sports and business background to pro wrestler, or if this was an expensive way for Tony Khan to get a chance to be friends with his favorite wrestlers. Unfortunately, the way this entire debacle was mishandled answers a lot of the questions about if All Elite is more of a vanity project than a serious business venture.

Where anyone goes from here is anyone's guess. Maybe Punk looked for a way to be fired or just didn't care if he was release, because at this point, what choice did Tony Khan have? It took Punk just two months to get into another backstage fight, how exactly was Phil Brooks going to continue to work there? Some have speculated that prehaps this could open the door for a WWE return for CM Punk, which is probably why Punk showed up backstage at Raw to attempt to mend fences earlier this year. Make no mistake about it, Phil Brooks is a very good politician and knew what he was doing when he humbly showed up at a WWE production when he was still on the shelf with the triceps injury. However, I'm not sure WWE brass would want to deal with any of that baggage, and truthfully, they don't need CM Punk when the organization already has record-setting profits. This isn't 1996 when Vince brought back The Ultimate Warrior to try to sway the ratings away from Nitro. Why does the WWE need a 44-year-old injury prone CM Punk on the roster in 2023?

As far Tony Khan, his statement that he felt his life was in danger during the All Out incident is completely ridiculous and prehaps legal jargon to try to avoid paying Punk the remainder of his hefty contract. If Tony honestly felt like his life was at risk at an AEW show then it's best that he doesn't continue as a promoter. CM Punk isn't that dangerous, and if Tony truly thinks that Phil Brooks is capable of putting someone's life at risk then it's better to Tony to step away from the pro wrestling business. Along with that, I'd guess that the story that Brooks supposedly "lunged" at Tony is an exaggeration to views online. I also find it difficult to believe that Punk was rude to William Regal upon his debut in the organization, but considering that William Regal is more or less unanimously respected in the industry, if the story is true, it says a lot about the attitude of Brooks.

The bottom line is, unless CM Punk was given the top spot, he wasn't happy. He couldn't work for WWE and then he couldn't work for AEW. He was given his own show to play the top star that he thought he deserved to be, he was given his own championship, and got to pick who was allowed on Collision, but that wasn't enough. He was under AEW contract for two years, and spent roughly half that time on the injured list between the original foot injury and then the triceps injury. In the span of just a year, he got into two backstage fights, not to mention the numerous times he trashed the company online. There wasn't a drastic shift in business for All Elite, but Phil Brooks made millions of dollars from his contract so it's not as though he will be in the bread line since he was fired. CM Punk had well-documented issues with The Elite, Adam Page, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Jack Perry in the span of just two years.

If AEW can continue to be a profitable niche then that's great, but one thing is for sure, while the odds of a major increase in viewership is slim without CM Punk on the roster, the company had no chance to reach the next level with CM Punk signed to the company. However, make no mistake about it, there are no "winners" in this situation because the argument could be made that Punk tarnished his legacy, while the ineptitude of management more or less proves that All Elite is a secondary company.

https://ok.ru/video/6078646263390

All Out review

After a very tumultuous week for All Elite Wrestling, they presented their second pay-per-view within that same span of time, with All Out in Chicago. Truth be told, I had very low expectations for this card, based on how it looked on paper, as well as the lack of build up with only a week between PPVs. I plan to discuss CM Punk's exit for the organization in an article of its own, but I'd like to wait a few days to see how much more information comes to light to be able to give as accurate of an assessment as possible on the very complex story.

The event opened with MJF and Adam Cole, the two performers that worked the main event last Sunday for the AEW world championship, defending the ROH tag titles against the Dark Order combination of Jon Silver and Alex Reynolds. Aside from the fact that the ROH belts are meaningless in AEW, something that was underscored when both Samoa Joe and Claudio were pinned last weekend on pay-per-view, one of the reasons that All Out lacked any major importance on paper was because the AEW world championship wasn't on the line for the event. If anything, the championship and the champion, MJF were almost an afterthought on this card since he was involved in the opening match of a nearly four-hour PPV. Again, aside from the fact that the ROH tag belts have zero cache so it didn't present the bout as if something was at stake, The Dark Order used in this spot was almost laughable. Don't get me wrong, Silver and Reynolds are decent in-ring workers so it's not a jab at their skills, but rather the status of their characters in the company. The Dark Order are secondary comedy characters that are rarely on television so why would they be seen as credible challengers? Sure, they kicked it up a notch and appeared to turn heel during the course of the contest, with a more serious edge to their work, but that should've been something that was established before the pay-per-view. If it was given time to develop and build then they could've been some level of substance to a new chapter in their careers, but it just doesn't gel when the same guys that were B-level comedy characters are randomly shoehorned into a role as dastardly villains without much explanation. At the very least, this was a prime example as to why there shouldn't have been two pay-per-views in the span of a week. MJF and Cole retained, but this was mostly cannon fodder, despite the world champion's involvement in the match.

Samoa Joe vs. Shane Taylor was a slug fest and the physicality added something unique to the AEW production, which often has too many recycled or overdone cliches of the high spot style. I've said for years that Shane Taylor is money, and I still think he could have a very bright future somewhere, particularly for a promotion in Japan. That said, more or less nothing was done to make this match more than a TV bout because the vast majority of the AEW audience wouldn't have seen Shane Taylor recently. Yes, he had a very successful stint in ROH before the company was sold to Tony Khan, and yes, he advanced in a tournament to get a title shot on the Honor Club streaming service, but that still does nothing to establish him to the AEW fans. A few months ago, Tony mentioned that Honor Club had roughly 12,000 subscribers, and if that's profitable for him then that's great, but those subscriptions are a minuscule amount in the grand scheme of things. Even one Dynamite appearance from Taylor could've given this match more context, but the booking missed the mark in terms of hyping the match. Joe looked a little winded during a portion of the contest so prehaps he worked through some injuries. Joe is one of my favorite performers, and undoubtedly one of the best of his generation, but it must be said that his weight gain at various points through his career affected his in-ring work. Joe is a major asset to the organization so it'd be disappointing if minor injuries would limit him at this point in his career. The finish with the submission that saw Samoa Joe retain the ROH TV championship was sudden and a little flat, but this was definitely an entertaining bout. Hopefully, Shane Taylor gets more exposure than just the ROH brand because he still has the potential to be a star somewhere.

The TNT title match was really solid, and Darby Allin took some ridiculous bumps early in the match. At one point, he took a German suplex and it looked like he landed on his head. This was the classic David vs. Goliath narrative, and Allin made the champion look like a monster. Luchasarus' offense looked brutal in this contest. Christian worked well outside the ring to set up for the finish where he attacked Nick Wayne and that allowed for the distraction that gave Luchasarus the victory. The only problem that was obvious in this segment is that Luchasarus needs to change his gimmick, as the wrestling dinosaur is too much of a typical fun baby face character to be effective as a heel. That's not to say that he needs to be completely repackaged, but a name change and some slight alternations to the mask could better reflect a heel persona. That being said, this was probably one of the best performances of Luchasarus' career.

The Miro/Powerhouse Hobbs match was physical, but not quite as stiff as Samoa Joe/Shane Taylor earlier in the night. The first half of the match was probably better, as the latter portion became more about the crowd with silly "meat slapping" chants than the action in the ring. Miro won and then Hobbs attacked him to get some heat back before the debut of CJ Perry, the former Lana in WWE. For whatever reason, Miro left the ring, seemingly to reject his real-life wife, but that narrative won't get over, especially because the fans know about their real-life relationship. If anything, if they reunite on-screen, it could help rejuvenate Miro's career, which stalled after he had an extended hiatus from the organization.

The TBS title match was fine and seemed to pick up in the latter stages of the segment, but was more like something you'd watch on Rampage than on pay-per-view. Despite the skills of both of these athletes, this contest lacked any importance, simply because the TBS title hasn't had any spotlight since Jade Cargill dropped it to Kris Statlander. Furthermore, there was a conflicting narrative being told, as The Outcasts are heels, and Toni Storm, who is also a heel, cost Ruby Soho the match. That doesn't exactly make Statlander look like a strong champion.

The strap match was tremendous and quite possible the best match on the show. It was a physical segment that added to the quality of the match, with an emphasis on not only the selling ability of both performers, but also their willingness to take punishment to take the bout to the next level. There were welts on both competitors, and on a pay-per-view that overdid blood, this contest made it count. The intensity during the strike exchanges in the match was an example of what can be accomplished when that type of spot is done right. Perhaps, the biggest takeaway from the entire segment is how much of an MVP Bryan Danielson truly is, not only to AEW, but the entire industry. The American Dragon was still healing from a broken forearm and had been away from the ring for two months, but didn't miss a step when the company needed a quality performance, particularly based on the circumstances of CM Punk's exit. Furthermore, despite the defeat, this performance elevated the status of Ricky Starks within AEW. He didn't get the push he probably should've gotten prior to this, but Starks proved he could be a main event guy for the promotion.

The Blackpool Combat Club vs. Eddie Kingston and Katsuyori Shibata was fine, but again, similar to other matches on the card, this seemed more like a TV match that something you'd expect on pay-per-view, which was probably another example of what happens when there's not a proper build for an event. I understand that Claudio and Kingston have a rivalry, but Shibata randomly added to the bout didn't do much to boost the contest. It's not as though Kingston and Shibata had a prior alliance or that the Japanese star is regularly featured on AEW programming. The Blackpool Combat Club got the win, but on a weekend with multiple pay-per-views and the headlines of CM Punk's firing, this tag match was forgettable.

 Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kenny Omega was a great match, and the top quality of that style of pro wrestling. These two did all the little things to make the most of the action, and that's something that so many on the AEW roster overlook. This bout had a high impact and fast-paced style that didn't look overly choreographed. Omega took a brutal suplex and it looked like he landed on his head. After nearly thirty minutes, Takeshita got the win and it was a wise decision because he has all the skills to be a top guy in the company.

The eight man tag team match had a lot of action, but for the third time on the show, this was more of a TV match than a PPV bout, primarily because there wasn't much explanation given as to why The Young Bucks and FTR would work together after The Bucks refused the post-match hand shake last week. If anything, this was another contest on the broadcast that looked to be more of a way to get as many wrestlers as possible on the card than anything that is designed for a payoff. Again, there was a lot of action, but when it was after 11 PM during the course of a nearly four-hour show, it became a somewhat tedious viewing experience. Bullet Club Gold got the victory, and it would be wise to continue to put Jay White and Juice Robinson in more featured spots since they are such quality workers.

The main event was fine, but nothing too memorable or spectacular. Maybe it was because it was the conclusion of almost eights hours of wrestling in the span of two days or the fact that a few other wrestlers already bladed on the pay-per-view, but there just wasn't anything that stood out about this match. Granted, it's become a joke about how often Jon Moxley bleeds, but it's getting to the point that his matches are the same basic matches that are rather predictable. Moxley won the title, but I'm not sure it means that much in the grand scheme of things of the company.

Payback review

The WWE's portion of a jam-packed wrestling weekend took place last night, with Payback held at the PPG Paints Arena, the venue that hosts Penguins games, in Pittsburgh, PA. Prior to the show, a hefty amount of tickets were sold, primarily based on the strength of the current WWE product, but the argument could be made that before the broadcast, the pay-per-view lacked a hype that gave it a "must see" atmosphere. A side note, while some have claimed that WWE is in a hot period right now, I'd disagree, given that Raw usually falls below two million viewers, which would've been unthinkable in the past. That said, while the pitfalls of several years prior eroded a portion of the WWE viewing audience, the core fan base that remains will respond to quality content. So, I don't think the WWE product or the pro wrestling business as a whole is in any type of boom period, but rather the WWE audience has bought into current WWE programming. In fact, for the first time in several years, you could say that management has done a lot to directly serve its audience rather than attempt to shoehorn a corporate narrative. The office wanted Roman Reigns to be the next John Cena, which wasn't organic and the fans rejected it. When Roman was allowed to evolve as a performer in the heel role, it was a draw for the organization.

However, as much of a draw as The Bloodline were for the Summer Slam stadium show last month, none of them were advertised for Payback, even though Jey made a surprise appearance to announce his arrival on Raw. Furthermore, Cody Rhodes, the top baby face in the company, was scheduled for a promo segment, not a match so the card was a little thin on paper.

But, how did the show play out on PPV?

The broadcast kicked off with the Becky Lynch vs. Trish Status cage match, and despite being the opener, this might've stole the show right from the start of the event. These two are such quality performers, and you have to give Trish an extra nod of credit when you take into account that she hasn't been a full-time wrestler in several years, but didn't miss a step in this featured bout. They worked with the cage rather than just working a match that happened to be inside a cage. The exchanges when they stood on the ropes and hit the mesh looked brutal. It was a physical bout and that added a lot to the segment. The spot where Trish was hanging from the cage looked scary, but again added a sense of danger to the contest. The momentum of the segment built toward its conclusion and that maximized the crowd reaction. Becky won with the manhandle slam from the top rope. This match was more proof that the women's division continues to be the most consistent aspect of WWE programming.

The SAG-AFTRA strike is really unfortunate for those that it puts on the picket line until the contract disputes get settled, but it opened the door for John Cena, who works nearly full-time in film, to return to the WWE, with a slew of appearance announced. I'd guess that will lead to one or two key matches, which is a smart decision, as it maintains the "special event" atmosphere when he competes in a match. That said, it made sense to book him in host and special guest referee role for Payback since it was somewhat of an added bonus and allowed LA Knight to get an endorsement from him. The Miz/LA Knight contest was fine, but nothing too spectacular in terms of in-ring presentation, and truthfully, it didn't need to be. Knight is one of the most over performers on the roster right now and the crowd was behind everything he did so the "work rate" of the segment was secondary. Knight got the win prior to the previously mentioned Cena endorsement, but I'm really not sure how far Knight moves up the ladder. He's a solid in-ring worker, but not necessarily someone that you'd immediately think of as a performer that could carry someone else through a match. Sure, some will say he's too much of a spin off of The Rock or Steve Austin, and they might have a point, but the bottom line is, he's at a career peak in terms of popularity, it just remains to be seen how much stock the office will invest in him, especially with Seth Rollins as the baby face champion on Raw so it doesn't look like there's a main event spot open for him.

The US title match was a good segment and the pacing of the match built well toward the finish. More importantly, with only six matches on the entire card, this contest had about ten minutes, which really helped pace the entire event. If too many matches are given the typical twenty-minute slot, the bouts become predictable since the audience knows that a pin fall earlier in the match won't be the conclusion of the contest. Despite his age and a lengthy list of injuries throughout his legendary career, Rey Mysterio can still go. Austin Theory did well in this segment, and the finish was a leverage maneuver so it allowed Rey to retain without sacrificing too much momentum for Theory. If I had to guess, this was done more or less to keep options open to move Theory up the card in the future.

The Steel City Street Fight was a really fun segment, and as a Pittsburgh native,  I will always appreciate a Myron Cope reference, as well as the Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby jerseys that were used in the match. It was a wild brawl that had a lot of action and provided a combination of sizzle and substance to the show with the gimmicks used, along with the finish. Sami Zayn took a brutal suplex onto the chairs, and Kevin Owens, who was reportedly dealing with some injuries recently, did a crazy dive from the balcony in the crowd. It almost looked like Owens' leg landed directly on the floor so hopefully, he didn't aggravate any existing injuries. The finish made sense, especially if Owens was working hurt, as it shines another spotlight on The Judgment Day since each member of the stable has a championship. I know I've said it before, but for a stable that was more or less dead in the water at one point, The Judgment Day have become one of the highlights of WWE programming.

I understand that the Grayson Waller segment was used to pace the card after the street fight, but I think the talk show, especially on a pay-per-view actually hindered the viewing experience, specifically for the latter half of the event with the last two matches becoming rather tedious. Plus, I'm not sure it did much for the PPV to have Cody Rhodes in the ring, but not actually wrestle since it seems like more of a Raw spot than something you'd see on PPV.

The Women's title match was fine, but for whatever reason, it just didn't get into second gear. Perhaps, it was become Damien Priest and Finn Balor won the tag titles in the previous match so there wasn't any realistic chance that the title was going to switch, but this resembled more of a TV match than anything else. More specifically, I'm not exactly sure what it is, but Raquel Rodriguez seems to be missing something in the ring. Don't get me wrong, she's obviously a great athlete, but there just doesn't seem to be anything that makes her performances standout from an average match. Rhea Ripley retained and that was the right decision.

Unfortunately, the main event also fell into the category of a bout that never got into second gear, which was really disappointing since this was a match on paper that might've seemed like it had the potential to be very memorable. The contest went about thirty minutes, but could've been about ten  minutes shorter, as it began to drag toward the finish. While I don't think Shinsuke Nakamura mailed in the performance, it's a safe bet to say that he's not the same dynamic performer that he was five years ago when he worked with AJ Styles at Wrestlemania. To be fair to Nakamura, management more or less had him cast as a secondary wrestler for the past few years so there wasn't a reason for him to take any unnecessary risks in the ring, either. If the office was going to make put the WWE title on him, it would've been in 2018 so this push looked to be based on the fact that they needed a challenger for Seth Rollins' consolation prize championship, not because they thought Nakamura could add to the prestige of the title. I was really surprised that The Great Muta traveled to the United States for a very brief cameo, but other than sitting at ringside, he didn't have a role at the show. Seth Rollins retained, but this was a rather underwhelming conclusion to the pay-per-view.