Virgil passed away

Mike Jones, famously and infamously known as WWF and WCW star Virgil, died today after a bout with a variety of health issues, as well as a dementia diagnosis.

Jones, a native of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, a town just outside of Pittsburgh, broke into the sport in the mid-80s in the Memphis territory as Soul Train Jones, a spinoff of the Apollo Creed persona in the Rocky franchise. As we know, he found perhaps his biggest success in the late-80s as the bodyguard of "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, a role that saw him work with the biggest stars of the era. The fact that DiBiase would be accused of federal fraud years later is irony to be discussed at a different time. Still, working with DiBiase more or less gave Virgil a career, as he eventually turned baby face to feud with The Million Dollar Man, and worked for the WWF until early-1994.

To say that his in-ring skills were limited would be somewhat of an understatement. Similar to many guys of the era, the real-life Mike Jones looked great in the cut off dress shirt as the hired muscle for DiBiase, but when the bell rang, it was more or less downhill in terms of in-ring performance. Perhaps, that's why he was relegated to a lower mid-card spot after the subpar matches with Ted during their feud for the million dollar championship, as DiBiase was known as a tremendous worker so if Virgil couldn't have a good match with him, it's doubtful that he'd work better a contest with other opponents, especially the more gimmick-based performers in the company at the time. A series of soft jabs and unconvincing hooks are more or less the only offense Virgil brought to the table.

But again, he played a key role in the late-80s and did very well at it so it opened the door for him later in his career.

The prime example of that being when, "Vincent" debuted in WCW in 1996 as another former WWF star to join the newly-formed NWO faction. One of the urban legends of the industry suggests that Mike Jones was given the name Virgil as an inside joke on then-Crockett booker, Dusty Rhodes, real name Virgil Runnels, so as a response Jones was named Vincent as a playful jab at McMahon. As WCW was crumbling in the later years of the organization, he was even renamed "Shane" as a rib on the younger McMahon generation.

In truth, Vincent was merely cannon fodder in the NWO, despite the fact that he used that accomplishment to shill autographs for two decades afterwards. That said, the faction needed cannon fodder, as it kept the stars strong, but gave the baby faces a small measure of revenge to fuel on-screen rivalries. Granted, the stable became completely bloated with C-level cannon fodder, but the argument could be made that Vincent was the best at the role. When The Giant needed to choke slam a foe during the course of an angle with The Outsiders or Hollywood Hogan, Vincent made him look like a million dollars.

Again, Jones was limited so you won't find many classic WCW bouts from him, but to be fair, he wasn't put in the position to be anything more than a secondary player in an organization that skyrocketed ahead of the WWF at one point in the late-90s and then fell off a cliff just as fast before it was sold just a few years later.

In more recent years, and arguably what he became known for more than his wrestling days, was Virgil's almost unbelievable commitment to hustling some cash based on his past fame. Specifically around Pittsburgh, you'd see Virgil literally anywhere that there might be a gathering of a crowd of people, regardless of if he was scheduled to be there or not. There were comic cons, flea markets, and even the Home and Garden show that saw Virgil shamelessly set up a merch table to try to sell autographs at insanely inflated prices to anyone in the area. It wasn't just his hometown, though. There were infamously pictures of Virgil set up in the New York subway, trying to sell signatures for $20 on glossy photos of him with his peers in the 80s. Among his slick or carny, depending on your perspective, tactics saw him display the "Wrestling Superstar Virgil" sign that claimed that Ted DiBiase was there, too. Of course, the million dollar man wasn't actually there and his last name was misspelled on the banner. Jones also had a series of completely outlandish claims about his accomplishments in the industry.

Sam Roberts, panelist on some of the WWE kickoff shows, launched the "Lonely Virgil" trend in 2012 when pictures of the former wrestling star without a line at autograph shows, and his stories of trying to get cash from less-than-enthusiastic potential customers, made the rounds on social media. The same group that managed the late Iron Sheik's social media accounts that gave him a second act in his career, also produced content for Virgil's social media presence. Virgil didn't achieve the same social media fame of the aging Iranian, who made a dent in pop culture in his 70s, but the real-life Mike Jones achieved a level of notoriety that he hadn't seen since his wrestling days.

Instead of being viewed as the carny trying to con cash at card shows, Virgil became a comical figure that was just trying to hustle. He proclaimed his passion for Olive Garden and bread sticks, while forming what he called "the meat sauce mafia" as a reference to the phony Italian restaurant.

When his declining health was reported online, fans came together to raise money for his medical bills. About a year and a half ago, my wrestling pal, the brass-voiced "Trapper" Tom Leturgey, ring announcer of the KSWA group, wrote a feature about Virgil's status for Slam Wrestling. According to Leturgey, the real-life Mike Jones was almost homeless before a roommate took him in as a way to look out for the well being of the former wrestler.

Not long before Trapper Tom's story, I actually saw Virgil at a local autograph signing in May 2022. D&E Collectibles hosted a signing with Tug Boat and Jimmy Hart. Virgil was added to the line-up, but I had met him years earlier so wasn't going to consider a purchase from him. As I was in line to meet the other two WWF stars, Virgil randomly began talking to me and tried to sell me an NWO lunchbox. He said, "here's some old school." I politely declined his sales pitch, but in the brief interaction, the reports of dementia appeared to be accurate. Virgil didn't seem to be all there and it was sad.

Perhaps, that's why there's such a level of sadness with the news of his passing. Sure, Virgil could've been a sleazy carny that tried to con people with a crooked sales pitch for autographs. But, the other side of the coin is that he might've just been a guy that fell on tough times and was desperately trying to make some money. Too often, especially in the social media age, the public often assumes the worst about people, and sometimes that might be true, but I'm not sure if that was the case with Virgil. His outlandish stories were such tall tales that nobody other than the real-life Mike Jones would've known his intentions with his merch table. At least in the latter stages of his life, Virgil's hustle obtained a level of endearment from the social media audience. One thing is for sure, in a business that was built on over-the-top personas, Virgil will be known as one of the most unique and memorable characters in the history of the industry.

The retirement of Sting

On the week when crusty and miserable legend, Ole Anderson passed away at the age of 81, Sting's retirement match will headline the All Elite Wrestling Revolution pay-per-view, appropriately held in Greensboro, North Carolina, the old stomping grounds of Jim Crockett Promotions where Sting got his first big break in the sport. The city remained a WCW stronghold based on is prior association with Crockett until the purchase of the company in 2001. So, it's a fitting location for the real-life Steve Borden's final bout, as he was the true franchise player of World Championship Wrestling.

Make no mistake about it, Sting was a stellar bright spot in the otherwise bleak first few years of Turner ownership of WCW. To call the Jim Herd era lean years would be an understatement, but Sting was the top guy that the company counted on, especially when Ric Flair left for a two-year stint in the WWF after a dispute with Herd.

The real-life Borden was also a smart businessman, he knew his value, and more often than not, was able to get it. As one of the top guys in WCW in the early-90s, the term "Sting money" was later used in negotiations for big names from the WWF as a reference for the potential to be among the highest paid performers on the roster. Granted, Sting wasn't Lou Thez in the ring, and he didn't need to be, he worked to his strengths, a fast-paced and flashy performance with a level of charisma that could connect with the audience. Despite the fact that his historic title victory at Starrcade 1997 was completely botched by management, there's no doubt that the Crow version of Sting was one of the most popular characters at the peak of WCW's popularity. The argument could be made that the Crow version of his persona was more popular than the original surfer character. Not only did Sting know how to maximize the presentation, but at a time when the NWO were the cool heels on the show, Sting was still an over baby face with the audience.

He also knew when to step away and when to consider a return to the ring, as it maximized his value.

After he made hefty cash in WCW, he had the financial security that he didn't need to jump at the first offer made to him by Vince McMahon. Instead in the five years after the Turner buyout, he only worked a handful of matches for major money each time he laced up the boots. A four-match run with TNA in 2003 and less than a dozen matches for the ill-fated World Wrestling All-Stars tours kept a level of mystic around him, particularly because even the brief TNA appearances were during the weekly PPV era so most fans hadn't seen him since the final Nitro went off the air.

Sting knew how to draw money and he knew how to make money, as did the previously mentioned Ole Anderson. Ole didn't evolve and ultimately, that saw the business pass him up so he didn't have a role in later years, but as bitter as he was, he undoubtedly understood the true fundamentals of success in the industry.

Just a few months after TNA debuted on Spike and had a level of cash from the network to bring in more star power, Borden inked a very lucrative contract with the organization and worked there for several years. Credit to Sting, most former WCW or WWE talent treated TNA like a paid vacation and mailed-in many of their performances, but he worked at a level to keep pace with the new generation. Don't get me wrong, Sting knew that the face paint and the scorpion presentation is what fans wanted to see, but at the same time, when he beat Jeff Jarrett for the title at Bound For Glory in 2006, even at 50, he was in great shape and added a few new aspects to the presentation with some red face paint and different entrance attire.

Sting finally landed in WWE in 2014 after it was the last big money company left to work at the time, and because there was nearly 15 years of anticipation behind it, he made major cash, despite only working two matches. Of course, he had to lose to Triple H at Wrestlemania since Vince McMahon was still fighting the wrestling war that he won a decade and a half earlier. Regardless of how well received Triple H is now and definitely has a positive impact to the current product, make no mistake about it, it's no coincidence that Vince's son-in-law got to beat the franchise of WCW at WM. A power bomb to the corner in a match against Seth Rollins in late-2015 caused a neck injury that presumably ended Sting's in-ring career. It was a rather flat conclusion to a very accomplished career, but as mentioned, the WWE contract was very profitable for Sting, specifically because there was an entire line of merchandise for him throughout his WWE deal.

Let's not forget, Steve Borden is a smart businessman.

When a billionaire started a wrestling company and was known to be a major WCW fan, Sting was able to capitalize on that and signed another hefty deal at almost 60. While there are probably some savvy veterans on the AEW roster that are just there to collect a paycheck from Tony Khan, Borden isn't one of them. Similar to his TNA run, Sting went above and beyond what he had to do to earn the cash, especially at his age. More than before, Sting could've played the greatest hits with a Stinger splash and the Scorpion Death Lock to work relatively easy matches for a limited schedule. I'm not necessarily sure how wise it is, but over the past four years, Sting has dove off of the balcony on more than one occasion in his mid-60s.

For a portion of his career, Steve Borden, for whatever reason, had somewhat of a label as a guy that was only in wrestling for the money. Maybe it was because he started with a bodybuilding background instead of a wrestling foundation, maybe it was because he had early success in his career and was sometimes a big fish in a small pond, or maybe it was because he was selective of when he inked a new deal. Again, he was away from the industry almost completely for five years after the WCW shutdown. For whatever reason, there might've been the narrative earlier in his career that pro wrestling was only a way to make major money, rather than a dedication to the sport itself. Hopefully, at this point, that notion has been disproved, because Sting without question has a passion for the pro wrestling industry. He was just a very smart businessman and maximized his opportunities and his earning potential. When there's no pension or retirement plan for pro wrestlers, you can't blame him for that.

Sure, he didn't jump at the chance to work a Wrestlemania just because of the name of the event, but as mentioned, Sting always worked hard, even when he probably didn't have to or could've coasted on his legacy. In the past four years in All Elite Wrestling, even when there were times when he showed his age, Sting gave a quality performance so the dedication to the sport is there. Sting has to have a passion for the business if he was willing to dive off the balcony at retirement age.

That's why it's great that his final bout is the centerpiece of the Revolution pay-per-view, he deserves the stage and the acknowledgement, and it's a much better conclusion to his career than the neck injury he suffered in 2015. Some have criticized The Young Bucks as the team for his last match, but reportedly, he requested to work with him, and if that's the case then he deserves to be able to pick his opponents. While there probably were times when AEW yielded to The Bucks' ego, specifically when they refused to work with CM Punk, egos aren't anything new in the wrestling business, and it's doubtful that's why they were booked to work Sting's last match anyway. The Young Bucks are going to make Sting look like a million dollars in his last match so anything else is moot.

The success of the Revolution pay-per-view will be based on Sting's retirement match, and he deserves that spotlight. Still, outside of the Eddie Kingston/Bryan Danielson match, and the Will Ospreay/Konosuke Takeshita bout, Sting's last match is the only solid selling point of the show. The world title match that might be a triple threat match was too convoluted to be built properly and only has a moderate buzz at best. Given Swerve's popularity, it would've made more sense to focus on Samoa Joe/Strickland than to dilute the storyline with the addition of Adam Page, who still hasn't recovered from being cast as a whiny baby face during his world title run a few years ago. The under card is total cannon fodder and lacks the substance to have a level of importance in the grand scheme of things for the company.

The career of Jakob Edwinn

"I took a bad face plant and separated my AC joint, my collar bone tried to come out of my shoulder."

 In late-April of last year, 12-year pro Jakob Edwinn, a pompous professor that lectures fans and opponents during the course of his matches, found himself on the canvas with a searing pain radiating through his shoulder. As he clutched his arm inside the squared circle at the Short Gap VFW Hall in Short Gap, West Virginia of all places, the philosopher knew that he was in trouble.

Just over a month later after a battery of tests to confirm and properly diagnosis the extent of the injury, the wrestling veteran went under the knife for his first major surgery to repair the damage the errant collision with the canvas caused. A few screws and plates allowed the surgeon to reattach his AC joint, and without any question, Edwinn began to prepare for his return to the squared circle.

In an ironic dynamic that only professional wrestling can provide, despite a persona based in higher education and a sophisticated presentation, Jakob Edwinn's path throughout pro wrestling was anything but high brow and glamours.

Back in 2011, Edwinn was put in contact with longtime veteran and trainer "Wild man" Robbie Page and wanted to learn the ropes of the sport. The only problem was, there were no ropes. In fact, there wasn't a ring available either. Instead, Edwinn and a group of other aspiring wrestlers put gym mats over a concrete floor, learning fundamental techniques and maneuvers in their makeshift training space. To actually get to learn more in-ring aspects, the grappling hopefuls would travel with their trainer to any card he was scheduled for and work the ring crew, setting up an actual ring just for the chance to be able to get ability to practice their skills before a live event.

His official debut in the sport in late-2012 didn't have much glitz or spectacle to it either.

In a forgotten town in rural Pennsylvania, Edwinn stepped into the ring ropes for his first match as a professional wrestler in a parking lot behind a small restaurant. There were exactly 12 paying fans in attendance that night for the moment that the future professor put so much time and effort into, practicing tumbles on concrete floors and setting up more rings than he could count just to get a chance to learn more about the sport. The dozen fans that were there had to bring their own chairs, as the venue didn't supply them, but at least Edwinn cites the chance to watch the legendary "Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant as a key learning experience.

"I would go on to study him greatly, and years later wrestle Jimmy in a six man tag match in Dyersburg, TN four or five years later in front of 200 people," Edwinn said.

Thankfully, Edwinn would have an upswing from the event that saw him perform in front of those 12 fans, honing his craft for more than a decade, zigzagging several states. He cited the long travel, late-night gas station food, and the exhaustion of wrestling a full schedule as key to his development as a polished talent. Working events along the east coast as far down as Florida, and as far west as Oklahoma, Edwinn displayed a work ethic not often seen on the independent circuit. Antagonizing audiences with his arrogant intellectual character, he showcased a poise in the ring, and most importantly, the ability to entertain an audience, which is a key aspect for a villain in the industry.

"Traveling isn't anything it's cracked up to be, it becomes a lot like the movie Office Space or Fight Club. You learn to love the road, you learn how to entertain yourself. When you find great traveling partners, that helps pass the time. In Arkansas I've wrestled in front of 1000 people in Pro Wrestling Mid South. I really honed my craft, in Dyersburg, TN. They wrestle every Friday in Ripley and every Saturday in Dyersburg, you can't help but get skilled with that kind of schedule," Edwinn explained.

However, it was the same place where his journey into the grappling arts started, the Mountain State of West Virginia, that provided the most unique experience of his 12 years as a professional wrestler in a town called River Bend Park.

"This is a community of mobile homes, with houses built around being able to park your mobile home in it, and paid entertainment throughout the year. So, we set up our ring in a field, and 300 golf carts, the mode of transportation in River Bend, pull up to watch a couple hours of wrestling. The place is like the Lost Boys grew up and named streets; Yogi Bear Lane, Hotdog Blvd, Jolly Rancher St. it's like another planet," Jakob recalled.

Over the course of those 12 years, Edwinn went from those 12 fans in attendance at his first match to sharing the ring with some of the legends that originally shaped his fandom for the sport. From Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Jimmy Valiant to upstarts with potential to forge their own careers in the sport like Ryse Wrestling's Cowpoke Paul, Jakob Edwinn has worked with a variety of opponents as he built an accomplished career for himself.

In a full-circle moment, Jakob Edwinn will return to from injury this Saturday for the same organization, Elite Pro Wrestling Alliance, in the same ring, and at that same Short Gap VFW hall where the shoulder injury initially happened.

The extensive rehab of his shoulder and extended time in the gym training for this comeback were only considered a small price to pay for the ability to entertain an audience again, as many of Edwinn's goals remain the same.

"The fire burns brighter than ever. I have three goals when I accept any wrestling endeavor, make money, learn something, and have fun. If one of those isn't happening, I'm not interested. I'm getting close to the best shape of my life and that's dangerous for anyone in my way. I'm looking far and wide for anyone as smart as me to learn from, because no one has a hope of being smarter," Edwinn concluded.

Elimination Chamber review

Usually, the only time I will set an alarm for a pro wrestling event is New Japan's signature Tokyo Dome event, Wrestle Kingdom that takes place on January 4th, but in the modern era, streaming technology allows for much more flexibility than in the past with traditional pay-per-view distribution. Aside from scheduling, that flexibility gives WWE brass more options for where these events can take place and thus the revenue that can be generated from it. Aside from the guaranteed cash that is a part of the Peacock deal, the WWE can get site fees to bring those shows to specific cities. For example, Perth, Australia paid some hefty cash to get a major WWE show in their city and a packed stadium in the process. The overseas market, even now remains such untapped territory in many ways because of the travel and logistics involved with importing American-based entertainment so while they are more opportunities to draw from the foreign markets, there still remains a strong demand since live events are relatively rare compared to the amount of events held in domestic markets.

The difference is, instead of an Australian house tour maybe once a year that there was a decade ago, there can be a major pay-per-view event in a stadium with more than 50,000 fans in attendance. Still, with the time difference and the American market not watching at the same time, you have to wonder, would this be a glorified house show or will key pieces of the Wrestlemania puzzle be put into place? One thing is for sure, it says a lot about the power of the WWE brand when they can run another stadium show on their schedule, particularly since there was a time when a stadium event was rare, but it has become more and more common in recent years. Wrestlemania became a stadium show more or less exclusively since 2007, and that was expanded upon with the introduction of a two-night event a few years ago. After that, the "big four" events were held in stadiums, most recently with Summer Slam in Detroit last year and then The Royal Rumble was held in Tampa last month. Now, a few of the other shows, including the Saudi events, are held in stadiums. Don't get me wrong, it's very doubtful that WWE pay-per-views will only be held in a stadium, the name value of certain shows just don't justify or would draw for it, but again, it says a lot about the power of the WWE brand when almost half of the pay-per-views could be held in a stadium.

For organizational purposes, I'm only going to discuss the main card, but the pre-show saw The Kabuki Warriors defeat Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell to retain the WWE Women's Tag Team titles. The match was fine, but it was a basic match that seemed to be there more to give the live audience some variety than anything else.

As is usually the case with pay-per-views that have two chamber matches on the card, the show kicked off with one chamber match, but didn't conclude with the other chamber bout. Instead, WWE brass played into the hometown crowd and put Rhea Ripley in the main event spot. On the surface it makes sense, but is Nia Jax really a main event performer? As far as the start of the show with the chamber match, in some ways this creates and almost natural dip in the pace of the show since it starts with one of the signature matches. The women's chamber match kicked off the show, and all things considered, it was a solid performance for everyone involved. Each competitor had a chance to shine, and while there were some clunky moments, there were enough highlights that this will be considered a good segment. At just 24, Tiffany Stratton still has time to develop as a perform. She is very athletic and the dive she did from the top of the chamber was a major moment, but you can still see her in-ring inexperience. She's very good at the choreographed moves that she knows how to do for a routine, but the "glue" of in-ring work for transitions between the moves isn't there yet. That said, she wasn't out of place her so it will be interesting to see if she can became a more well-rounded performer as she continues to work with the top-tier talent on the main roster. Bianca Belair was solid as she always is and looked like a total star throughout the match. That being said, based on the interactions on Raw and the fact that Becky Lynch was given the final introduction, it was rather obvious that she was going to win the chamber to advance to WM.  Raquel Rodriguez did well in this match, but her character is rather bland so there's still work to be done there if she's going to be considered on the same level as the top stars of the women's division. The quick pin that Becky got on Liv Morgan to win the match after Morgan eliminated Bianca was well done.

The tag team title match had a lot of action and was very entertaining. It was the "work rate" match on a gimmick pay-per-view and provided the substance to go along with the sizzle of the chamber matches. That said, it was obvious that Judgment Day weren't going to drop the titles so it wasn't a surprise when Finn Balor got the pin to retain the titles. It looked like Finn suffered a nasty thumb injury at some point near the conclusion on the contest so hopefully, it's not a serious injury.

I understand why they'd want to have the Grayson Waller segment on the show as another way to play into the hometown aspect, but this whole portion of the show was just too long and it became a rather tedious viewing experience. Austin Theory was there so that the baby faces could dispatch the heel, but this was the same talk show bit that we've seen before and it truly added nothing other than to stretch the broadcast. Between this segment, the commercials, and countless video packages, it was two hours into the show and there were only two matches.

Outside of spot where Bobby Lashley speared Logan Paul through the chamber, this was a rather paint-by-the-numbers chamber match. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but it was more or less just a series of moves rather than a narrative that unfolded throughout the contest. AJ Styles cost LA Knight the match so you can pencil that bout in for WM, which is a good choice since the two will probably have a solid match at the event. Similar to the women's chamber match, based on the interaction on Raw, it was fairly obvious that Drew McIntyre was going to win the bout to challenge Seth Rollins for the championship. Logan Paul costing Randy Orton the win would imply that they will have business to do at WM, but keep in mind, there wasn't anything resolved with Kevin Owens and the social media star with the DQ finish at the Royal Rumble last month so it remains to be seen how any of that could play a role in the line-up for April.

If you needed to know how much the audience didn't look for Nia Jax to be in the main event, despite being in a stadium with more than 50,000 fans, she got a very mediocre crowd reaction during her entrance. Nobody in the building believed it was possible that she was going to beat Rhea Ripley so they were rather indifferent to Nia being the opponent. As far as the match itself, Nia was uncoordinated and her moves were sloppy. The Samoan drop on the announce table looked dangerous and the elbow drop that followed it was clumsy. Outside of being The Rock's cousin, I'm not sure why Nia is being used in this role. Thankfully, Rhea Ripley retained the title and avoided injury in this match.

The pay-per-view was fine and it had its moments, particularly with the pieces of the puzzle it provided to set up  Wrestlemania, which was more or less the entire point of the event. However, there was just too much stalling between matches and with a main card that only had four bouts, it became a very tedious viewing experience over the course of three and hours. Basically, even with implications for the biggest show of the year, this was a show that I would've rather watched afterwards to be able to fast forward through the cannon fodder than something that had to be seen during the live broadcast of the event.

What's the status of TNA?

The pro wrestling rumor mill seems to always provide at least some level of intrigue, even with smaller stories, which is probably because of how unique of a genre it is. Just a few weeks ago, Scott D'Amore, a longtime figure in the industry and the executive that was given the majority of the credit for the buzz TNA received for the return of the brand last month, was fired by Anthem Entertainment, the parent company of the wrestling project. Reportedly, D'Amore was given his walking papers because he wanted to increase the budget to attempt to secure more talent, but Anthem management disagreed. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that the dispute was what ultimately lead to the former Team Canada coach's dismissal from the organization. Meltzer followed-up with a few different claims to add to the story, including that D'Amore actually made an offer to buy TNA, with the funding of a financial institution in Canada. The Wrestling Observer editor also added that Ed Nordholm would retain his position as COO of Anthem, but was being released of his role within the wrestling project, supposedly because he also wanted more money to add to the roster. Meltzer added that Tommy Dreamer, who has worked on-screen as a performer and behind the scenes for the past several years, would be the new head of creative for TNA. Dreamer rebutted that claim on the Busted Open radio show, explaining that the structure of the TNA creative team hadn't changed. The ECW star said that RD Evans, former ROH booker Delirious, and himself were still scripting the shows as they had done prior to D'Amore's firing.

I usually take anything Meltzer says with a grain of salt, as its the nature of the beast with rumors, and that he often plays to his base as a way to continue to ensure subscribers, but the story became more compelling when Fightful Select published what was said to be a letter from the TNA roster on D'Amore behalf to Anthem with the hope that he would be re-hired in his leadership role of the company. Just a few days ago, after news of the letter to Anthem management made the rounds online, several TNA talent posted hourglass symbols on social media, potentially implying some type of cryptic message about or to the new management.

Of course, as with anything in sports entertainment, you have to consider if this scenario might be a work?

TNA's next live streaming event is "No Surrender" on the TNA app this Friday in New Orleans, Louisiana. The story is still fresh in everyone's mind since D'Amore was cut by the organization just two weeks ago so it's possible that the hourglass symbol might be a clue for an angle that would see D'Amore return to the company as a part of a "hostile takeover" as TNA wrestlers "rebel" against management. That being said, if that was the case, there would have to be a very compelling angle to take place to make it worth the uncertainly that the move created about TNA's future and if the promotion was stable. So, yes, it's possible that D'Amore's release was a work, but I doubt it.

The return of the TNA brand already gave the organization more hype than it had in the few years previously since Kenny Omega held the world championship as a part of the working agreement with AEW. Firing the guy that was given the credit for the progress that the company made gives the impression that the organization is on shaky ground and the optics aren't good, especially when they are trying to get fans to invest their entertainment dollars into the promotion again. Since the rebrand already had a level of buzz, they would seemingly be no reason to run an angle where D'Amore gets fired for the dirt sheets to pick up, especially because that would limit the audience for this particular storyline to a niche of a niche.

Again, anything is possible, but given that the company had positive feedback prior to D'Amore release, it just doesn't make sense for there to be an angle that would be used to work the dirt sheets to report that he was fired.

Assuming it's not a work and D'Amore was actually released by Anthem, there are a few possibilities from the news of the letter that was sent to management, and the cryptic messages on social media. The roster might've wanted to help their boss get his job back, and if it doesn't work then perhaps a few of them will look for opportunities elsewhere or continue to work there under the new management. If D'Amore isn't paying their mortgage then he will understand why those on the roster will continue to work for Anthem to earn a steady paycheck. 

The flip side is, specifically if D'Amore has the financial resources that he was going to use to theoretically buy TNA, would D'Amore start his own company with the majority of the current TNA roster as its foundation?

It wouldn't be the first time that there was a mass exodus in professional wrestling, including when Misawa left All Japan Pro Wrestling to form Pro Wrestling NOAH in 2000. Obviously, a TNA spinoff would be on a much smaller scale, but one thing is for sure, D'Amore has a loyal crew, and if he has the money to make it happen, it's very possible that he could get the majority of the roster to jump with him. However, if there would be a D'Amore-owned wrestling group, it wouldn't be something that could launch anytime soon, especially if it would attempt to compete even on the TNA level. It goes without saying that if D'Amore would attempt to recruit the TNA roster, he would have to get the funding to offer comparative money, and most importantly, he would need the distribution that could potentially generate enough revenue for the company to get off the ground and then sustain itself as a commodity that could be profitable. A TNA spinoff without TV was Global Force Wrestling, and we all know how successful that was. Did anyone buy some Global Force gold?

Despite the online speculation, if I had to guess, TNA will probably continue with business as usual without D'Amore, and the former Team Canada coach will go back to projects outside of wrestling. Sure, a D'Amore organization is technically possible, he ran Boarder City Wrestling for years, but the stress of the job increases exponentially on the semi-national level, especially when it's your money on the line, not the corporation's cash. It's well-known that D'Amore is from a wealthy family and doesn't need the paycheck so perhaps he will explore other opportunities in the sports entertainment industry, but it's doubtful that it would be worth risking a hefty amount of cash just to try to compete for the distant third spot among the sports entertainment landscape in the United States.

The booking of Dynamite

Moe Howard and his brothers, Curly and Shemp, along with Larry Fine perfected the slapstick genre. Originally in vaudeville when Curly was still known as Jerome before he joined the act, The Three Stooges didn't get compensated fairly during their careers, and sadly, didn't get the credit they deserved for the iconic mark they left on the entertainment world until after they passed away.

Slapstick, is still a staple of the entertainment business, though. However, it's the sports entertainment business with this week's addition of AEW Dynamite. As I penned in an article last week, Tony Khan's use of the "big announcement" shtick to try to get an artificial ratings boost as a substitute for compelling programming actually saw a decline in viewership compared to the number from the prior week. Last week was an example of how the promotional tactics can erode the audience, but this week saw why the ham-handed approach to booking can also fuel a decline in the viewers.

This week's edition of Dynamite was a prime example of how thrown together and truly slapstick the All Elite product has become over the course of the past two years, which essentially shows the lack of substance the company had after the novelty worn off.

The show opened with a very good Jon Moxley/Dax Harwood bout, and this was the type of segment that could truly set All Elite apart as a true alternative in the industry. It was a physical, hard-hitting contest that had a level of aggressiveness and believability not often seen in the modern era, including on AEW programming. This was a quality segment, and more proof that despite being underutilized in All Elite, Dax is one of the best workers in the business. That said, when he's not being underutilized in the tag division, he has basically been typecast in "the tag guy that loses in good singles matches against bigger stars" role. There was nothing done within the past few years to truly establish Dax as a bigger star or FTR as a more prominent team within the AEW landscape because the follow-up to their stellar work is always minimal. There were a few problems with the post-match segment, as Moxley didn't release the submission, implying that he's a heel. Claudio did a run-in, and FTR were beat down. If The Blackpool Combat Club, a faction that doesn't have anyone from Blackpool as a member, are supposed to be heels, the booking of their character hasn't established that. They still get cheered, and if there's nothing that Tony can book to get them heat then perhaps they should just be presented as a baby face group. It creates such a flat presentation when the team that is attacking the baby faces continues to get cheered by the audience because it almost gives the impression that the audience doesn't care about FTR. It goes beyond just this week, as the BCC still get cheered regularly, and it sends a conflicting message when certain members like Bryan Danielson get cheered, but Moxley and Claudio act like heels.

The lack of clearly defined heels and baby faces is such a fundamental mistake.

Next was Wardlow doing the same squash match now that he was doing when he originally debuted in the company four years ago so how much progress was really made? The guy looks to have all the potential in the world, but continues to be relegated to the same role with more or less the same status within the organization. As I've said before, if Wardlow is truly going to evolve and make progress in his career, he will have to go to WWE because for whatever reason, he was completely mismanaged in AEW.

On the surface, Adam Copeland vs. Daniel Garcia was very well done, but when you consider the presentation of the match along with the status of the characters, the segment doesn't gel as much as it could've otherwise. The former Edge was theoretically a boost in star power for the organization, but within a relatively short time, he became just another guy on the roster. Maybe that's because he hasn't worked with any of the All Elite main event talent yet, but going 50/50 with the mid-card almost automatically seems like a step down compared to where he was in the WWE last year. Don't get me wrong, someone like Konosuke Takeshita or Powerhouse Hobbs should be considered projects and made to look strong against someone the caliber of Copeland, but the whole "veteran willing to work with the young guys" routine can sometimes be counterproductive. In this case it is, especially because the shows have struggled to maintain ratings. Nothing against Griff Garrison, he's still very early in his career, but when Copeland made the jump to All Elite, nobody wanted to see him in preliminary matches, especially because his age limits the realistic amount of time he has for his in-ring career. Edge/Omega, Edge/MJF, Edge/Ospreay, or Edge/Samoa Joe are the type of key matches that can get the fans to take notice of a show.

Garcia is a great athlete, but he was positioned as a glorified jobber in the Continental Classic. Sure, the dance is popular with the organization's shrinking live attendance, but as a character, is Garcia someone that should be able to work a fairly competitive match with Copeland? It's another example of a disjointed presentation that ultimately doesn't maximize the assets that the company has on the roster.

Outside of Christian, who could still be considered the best heel in the business despite the somewhat hokey stable, Copeland hasn't worked with any main event stars on the AEW roster during his tenure. Edge is 50, what exactly is Tony Khan waiting for to book him in the marquee matches?

For a show that hasn't maintained viewers over the course of the broadcast, I'm not sure The Young Bucks/Top Flight was a match that would retain the audience that wasn't going to watch the entire show anyway. Top Flight are a young team that have time to develop, but this particular match up was seen previously, and nobody in the building or watching at home believed that Top Flight had the chance to win. Top Flight haven't been on television as  team in over a month, there's no reason to expect them to defeat the more established team. Furthermore, this was basically the same match these two teams had on Dynamite before. As much as The Young Bucks heel turn tried to use the perception that they are selfish EVPs for their on-screen persona, the storyline has been rather flat.

Willow Nightingale vs. Sky Blue was fine for what it was, but when you take into account the complete lack of direction in the women's division for the past few years, the entire segment seemed moot.

The main event of Matt Taven vs. Orange Cassidy in a Texas Death match was the prime example of the nonsensical and slapstick approach that Tony Khan takes for his product. Sure, booking countless gimmick matches is a superficial way to prop up an E-fed, but it does nothing to progress All Elite Wrestling because it renders gimmick matches useless in situations where they could be used to emphasize a feud. Matt Taven is a good athlete and a former ROH champion during the Sinclair era, but up until five or six weeks ago, he was a lackey in the lame attempted comedy skits with Adam Cole and Roderick Strong. Logically, is Matt Taven a character that should be involved in this type of match? There was a rather random match-up so does the situation justify the gimmick? Most importantly, besides the fact that the show was held in Texas, why would a Texas Death Match be booked at all?

These guys took risks and bled buckets for what amounts to a one-off segment. This wasn't some rivalry that was built up and culminated in a bloody fight, it was  risks and bloody just for the sake of it, which hinders the effectiveness of these types of matches in the future.

This wasn't a memorable Orange Cassidy/Matt Taven showdown that was used to draw money on pay-per-view, it was a bloody match on free TV simply because the company had a show in Texas. Tony throws this stuff at the wall on a week-to-week basis, and even his infamous charts and graphs don't make sense of it. Ultimately, these rather fundamental mistakes are not only why the company hasn't maximized its assets, but also why it has been stagnate for the past few years.

Norm Connors returns

When the regional territory system in the United States, a collection of geographically-based promotions that drew consistent crowds in the same cities on a regular basis with a product tailored to specific audiences, evaporated in the midst of Vince McMahon's national expansion of the late-80s, there was a void within the sport. After all, local groups were the foundation that the previously mentioned regional system was built on, and from the foundation , major stars blossomed to achieve global success within the business' consolidated national landscape.

As the years went on, the independent circuit, usually anything designated apart from a national organization, took the place of the vibrant territory system of the prior era. While the independence leagues usually didn’t offer the exposure or full-time schedule that the territories once did, it was a way for fans to see live cards more often than just when the touring promotions happened to stop in their town twice a year. For performers, it gave them a chance to break into the industry and thus chase the dream of the national contract.

For Pittsburgh, a city known almost as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced, names like Bruno, Douglas, and Angle shined as legends across the globe. But, let’s not forget how vital the independent scene was to allow the next generation of stars to not only get in-ring experience, but also be discovered by the national spotlight. Corey Graves, Joaquin Wilde, and Lee Moriarty all have beginnings on the canvases of western Pennsylvania.

While the independent circuit of the steel city is decorated with longtime veterans that were known for their consistency and quality over the span of established careers, Norm Connors is regarded by many as the godfather of Pittsburgh independent wrestling. Over the course of a 15-year career as a promoter of the region, he provided a blue print of the genre in the area, and his finger prints can still be seen on the circuit today. It's not uncommon for different organizations to run events nearly every weekend somewhere around the area.

For Connors, it was almost as if pro wrestling was destined to be apart of his life, especially as a way for the over-the-top spectacle of the squared circle to shield him and provide a level of comfort from some of the harsh aspects of reality.

"The day my mother died, my father put me in front of a television after breaking the news, as he had to talk with my mom's mother and sister. So, he just put whatever was on television, and it happened to be a Thursday night, and wrestling was on channel 22. I was hooked," Norm said of his discovery of the grappling arts at the age of just five.

Even before he broke into the unique world of professional wrestling, Norm, was Pittsburgh born and bred, a native of the city's North Side. After attending North Catholic High School, he majored in English writing, graduating from The University of Pittsburgh in 1994. After being enthralled with the action he saw on television throughout his youth, when Connors wasn't hitting the books during his college years, he hit the road, attending as many WWF TV tapings and ECW Arena shows as he could around the north east of the country. The slump of the industry of the early-90s had McMahon's Titan Sports taping the majority of its television within a relatively small area to save on production costs, and even when ECW expanded around Pennsylvania and into other states, the stronghold was the part-time bingo hall that was just minutes away from the famous Rocky steps in south Philadelphia. The hub of pro wrestling was pivotal, as Norm met and befriended many that he later worked with in his own ventures into the industry.

It didn't take long for Norm to find a role within the regional circuit during those early years, but he had bigger aspirations almost immediately.

 I knew when I worked as an ring announcer and manager, I just wanted to run my own shows. That was always the goal," Norm commented.

After his start in the industry and with the contacts he made through the previously mentioned road trips, the villainous manager on the weekends realized that his student-teaching duties during the week just weren't for him.

"I ended up leaving school the one day, and the next day opening up Steel City Wrestling," Connors said.

From the time that Steel City Wrestling, a not-so-subtle proclamation to become the hometown organization,  launched in late-1994, Norm kept a busy schedule within the business. He worked for other promotions at ringside as "Notorious Norm" and had roles behind the scenes as well. For roughly half of its existence, SCW ran "sold shows," fundraising efforts that took the financial pressures off of the promoters when different groups provided a budget, while receiving a portion of the proceeds to collect money for their organizations. The other side of the coin was that the promoters had to delivery a solid house to keep the fundraisers profitable for those same organizations. It might be a VFW hall or an American Legion, but profit is profit. Norm kept his fundraising partners happy, as his events drew well and allowed those outfits to make money for their organizations through pro wrestling events. Norm saw that he had a formula that worked in the late-90s amid the wrestling boom of the era and jumped in with both feet with traditional events, where the profit or loss landed solely on SCW, in early-1998.

"I was traveling all over, working for other promoters in my Notorious Norm character. I figured the only way to draw in Pittsburgh was to be different, so I brought a crew of up-and-coming wrestlers from all over the country, and sprinkled them in with a few local talents, and big name stars," Connors explained.

By 2000, Connors landed in a full-time career within a the funeral industry, a role that he has been highly successful in for almost 25 years, but attending mortuary training kept him so busy that he opted to stay away from the squared circle, concluding the Steel City Wrestling project and wrapping him his commitments with other wrestling groups to focus his full attention on what become his life's work outside of sports entertainment.. However, it didn't take long for the allure of the ring to bring him back to the sport, as local radio persona, Bubba The Bulldog began his own company, the International Wrestling Cartel, and the following year, Norm asked if he could promote events under that banner.

"Honestly, I just wanted to bring back Steel City Wrestling, but I was talked into IWC. It was very much like the late=90's version of Steel City Wrestling in the sense that talented wrestlers from all over the country and in later years, the world were on the shows. But, the quality of the local talent rose considerably, so it was a nice mix of locals and up-and-coming talents, mixed in with stars," Connors explained.

Throughout the first decade of the 2000s, the IWC was considered by many to be the premiere Pittsburgh organization. Before he was Corey Graves with a headset on Raw, Sterling James Keenan wore the boots in IWC. AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, CM Punk, and many others that went on to achieve national fame were regulars in Pittsburgh under the direction of Norm Connors. Everyone from The Honky Tonk Man to Mick Foley worked for Norm over the years. Local athletes that became apart of the fabric of the Pittsburgh scene got some of their first opportunities under Norm. Troy Lords, Dean Radford, and John McChesney are just a few that became pillars of Pittsburgh events after they originally started alongside Norm in IWC.

“Norm took a 15 year old kid with a dream and made it a reality with the opportunity to wrestle some of the best of the best in the world. The doors that opened from the people I met over time allowed me to travel across the globe and do what I love,” said Dean Radford, former IWC champion, and current co-head trainer for Ryse Wrestling, based in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

But, the recession of 2008 hit everyone hard, including the economics of the pro wrestling business, especially on the independent level. When gas prices soared, it became more expensive to bring talent into Pittsburgh for IWC events, a direct hit to the organization's bottom line. With costs of nearly everything increasing, fans simply had less cash to spend in their wrestling budget, both on tickets and DVDs. Norm cites the drop in DVD sales, which he explained were a critical part of the company with sales throughout the world, as a strain on the company into 2009.

Aside from working 70-80 hours a week in the funeral industry, Norm spent many late nights working on his promoter tasks for IWC, often scribbling notes for the next wrestling card as he attempted to balance both stressful jobs. Eventually, a significant weight gain led Norm to make the decision to step away from the sport, selling IWC to former ring announcer Chuck Roberts at the conclusion of 2009.

After he left wrestling to again focus on the funeral business, the weight was lifted off his shoulders and his mid-section, as he dropped the extra pounds to find himself healthier and happy with the legacy he left behind. Sure, Norm made a few wrestling-related appearances over the years for Chuck Roberts, who eventually sold the promoter to current owner, Justin Plummer, but Connors felt content with his accomplishments within the zany world of wrestling he discovered in front of the television when he was a toddler.

But, everyone that truly pours themselves into the pro wrestling industry knows that if opportunity knocks and the circumstances are right, you have to answer the door. After the initial stages of the pandemic began to finally subside, Norm actually gave a comeback to promoting serious consideration. He talked to venues and even made contact with All Elite Wrestling to find out what stars would be available to bring into Pittsburgh, but the Delta variant hit hard, prompting his duties as funeral director to overtake the time he would've needed to accomplish the comeback goals he would've set for himself.

"The Delta variant hit, and it was overwhelming for our funeral business in a different way than the initial wave. The initial wave was incredibly rough plus it was the unknown of COVID. The Delta wave was just incredibly rough, and even busier than the initial wave," he explained.

But, when opportunity knocks and the circumstances are right, even "Notorious" Norm was there to answer.

The ripple effect of Norm's organization was seen beyond the performers that it introduced to the audience and the individuals that it gave a chance to pursue their dreams in the ring. Similar to many others that attended those early IWC cards that eventually began a journey into the sport, Derek Widziszewski, the founder of the Renegade Wrestling Alliance, a blue collar group based in West Newton, PA, became a fixture of the independent scene through his attendance of Norm's shows. Derek's enthusiasm was infectious and he became a staple of the circuit, making contacts with talents. As Norm was winding down his promoting career, Widziszewski began his.

Just over 15 years later, the two men's paths will cross again when Norm Connors is scheduled to make his long-awaited return to pro wrestling at this Saturday's RWA event.

It has been nearly eight years since anyone has seen Norm in a wrestling ring, and he's not coming alone. After longtime veteran, Chris Taylor joined forces with established pro, J-Rocc to cause chaos for Widziszewski's company, Norm wanted to aid his friend Derek and former IWC Super Indy champion, John McChesney. Norm's old pal, ECW legend, Tommy Dreamer will also make a return to Pittsburgh to join forces with McChesney for a highly-anticipated tag team bout.

"Norm Connors and I go all the way back to the 90’s for our first time working with one another. Now, over 20 years has past since we last worked together, I am looking forward to doing so again, but one thing I learned all those years ago is that, and I am sure it still applies today, Norm Connors is as unpredictable and complex as a person as I have ever met. It should be interesting when Norm shows up inside an RWA ring for the first time ever," said Quinn Magnum, the head organizer at RWA.

"I've been asked several times to come in for local companies, but always turned them down. This time, I was giving a story that I was able to sink my teeth into, and decided to come back," added Connors.

In many ways, Saturday's event will provide a full moment for many of those involved. The RWA might not have existed without the influence of Norm Connor's efforts as a promoter, and this weekend in West Newton will provide Connors with a platform to return to the genre that he helped mold in Pittsburgh.

Tony Khan on Dynamite

On a week when the focus of the wrestling world is rightfully on WWE, I wasn't going to cover Tony Khan's latest blunder, mostly because it's low-hanging fruit, but after the ratings report for the show that had the total miss of his "big announcement" this past Wednesday on Dynamite, it became clear that one of the reasons that All Elite Wrestling has lost so much of the goodwill it originally had is because of the nature of such announcements. This week's edition of the show garnered 805,000 viewers, a slight decline from last week and one of the lowest recent ratings for the Wednesday show. Obviously, fans didn't tune in for the announcement, and if anything, the audience knows that these segments amount to Tony's time to play Vince McMahon on camera since there was actually a drop in viewership compared to the previous week.

You can only hype a "big announcement" so many times and have it fall flat or be completely underwhelming before fans lose faith in it. It's an amateur hour bait-and-switch tactic that is used as a substitute for compelling programming that would actually give fans a reason to watch the show. When you take into account the overall decline in numbers compared to a few years ago, Dynamite was able to get around a million viewers during CM Punk's rather brief in-ring tenure in the organization, AEW is in danger of being labeled as a secondary group that will be known more for its fumbles than its success.

All Elite Wrestling has been in existence for almost five years, and the past two years has been a narrative of backstage chaos within the organization. Some might cite it as easy criticism, but it also might be the harsh reality of the situation. Sure, by all accounts, Tony Khan is a great guy that genuinely cares about his roster. That's wonderful and professional wrestling, especially now, needs more of that, but being a nice guy doesn't mean that Tony Khan is automatically going to be a successful promoter. Again, it might be harsh, but this might simply be a case of a really big fan of wrestling that has no qualifications to be a booker other than his family has enough money to give him a company and pay for the television production. Calling Tony a money mark would be a little misguided, as All Elite has some success, and had the potential to be a lot more than it is now when it originally launched, but at the same time, Khan isn't some wise mind that made waves in the industry because of his booking brilliance. He became the promoter of the second-largest promotion in the United States by default since there weren't any other alternatives to WWE because his billionaire family funded it.

An example of a true money mark on a national level was Dixie Carter. Double J used the Memphis sales pitch to get her to rescue the company in the early days, and Hulk Hogan worked her for as much money as possible before the organization imploded. Dixie was left with nothing because she allowed old school carnies to con her.

On the flip side, the aspects of All Elite that hindered the expansion of the product were the decisions of Tony, his mismanagement, or his social media posts that made his wrestling project look bush league. Sure, there will always be politics in pro wrestling, that's the nature of the beast, but Tony Khan is responsible for the status of All Elite more than some old school carny trying to politic for a better spot on the card backstage. Proof of this is Tony's goal to win The Wrestling Observer's "booker of the year" award since its an example of how his fandom is the priority ahead of drawing money. Tony is a longtime subscriber of Dave Meltzer's newsletter, and at one point in time, the publication was a resource for the niche demographic of diehard fans that wanted as much information about the industry as possible. Between the expansion of wrestling rumor coverage online, and Dave's skewed bias that is almost comical at certain points, The Wrestling Observer doesn't have as much importance as it did in a prior generation. Somehow, Tony's goal is to win the confidence of the newsletter that he read in his youth, but the problem is, if he books to win an award for a niche publication, that's a direct clash with how to book for a national television audience. How much money does AEW get if Tony wins the "booker of the year" award? Unless it includes a cash prize, it should be completely irrelevant to All Elite's business model. That's not even a jab at Meltzer, but rather to point out that running a pro wrestling group on national television is supposed to attempt to draw as many main stream viewers as possible, which is why the show is on TBS. If Tony wants to get the best reviews from the niche fan base then he could've run independent shows for a lot less money than what his family gave him to start All Elite.

The "big announcement" this week was that Dynamite will be in Boston next month and when tickets go on sale. The broadcast team mentions on-sale dates and where the company tours as a way to advertise upcoming shows on a regular basis so why exactly did Tony Khan need an on-camera segment to announce there will be a show in Boston? Sure, the former Sasha Banks is expected to debut in her hometown, and it makes sense to promote that there will be a show there, but take the Tony Khan segment for what it was, it was simply another announcement of an upcoming show. How is that worth promoting as a "big announcement?" It just seems like a rather desperate attempt to get an artificial ratings boost.

Silly segments like this, and the Wembley on-sale date announcement before this only damage the credibility of the organization. It already has because less viewers watched the show to see the announcement. At this point, the fans know that the "big announcements" aren't usually important so they skip the episode. Once the fan lose faith in a project, it's very difficult to get them to believe in the concept again. The lack of attendance is proof of that. When All Elite began, the audience wants the project to be successful because they wanted an alternative and thus a spark to an otherwise stagnant industry. However, the CM Punk/Young Bucks debacle, the slapstick booking, and the overall lack of direction eroded the fans' belief in the company. When the narrative is that the promotion isn't up to par to be a true alternative, the audience will realize that even their support won't change the direction of a vanity project. Eventually, it becomes a smarter decision to save the cash, which is exactly why fans aren't buying tickets the way they had when there was still the novelty of a new organization a few years ago.

As far as Mercedes Mone signing with AEW, it probably won't make a dent in the grand scheme of things, which isn't an insult to her talent, but rather that we've seen this story before in All Elite. A star debuts for the organization, gets the spotlight for a few weeks, and then gets lost in the shuffle to become just another name on the roster. Is Edge truly a difference maker in AEW? For someone that is known for her frustration with management, which led to her walking out of WWE a few years ago, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Mone eventually becomes disgruntled with the booking process in AEW. The company isn't going to automatically draw better numbers for ticket sales or ratings with the addition of more stars from other companies, TNA tried that philosophy for years. The presentation and approach to the product are what would need to change for there to be a noticeable shift in All Elite business, but that would involved either Tony recognizing that his fandom doesn't translate to drawing money or someone in the company telling their boss that he's wrong about his decision. Neither are going to happen so as unfortunate as it is, All Elite is probably going to be typecast as a secondary organization that's a vanity project more than anything else.

The bottom line is, revenue and profit are the true barometer of success. All Elite Wrestling lost $34 million last year, but it didn't make a different because money is no object to Tony Khan. However, the decisions that lost the millions of dollars have an impact on the perception of the audience. Again, if the fans lose faith in a company then it puts a ceiling on the level of success that can realistically be achieved. The television ratings have declined nearly 20% compared to a few years ago and there's a noticeable decline in live attendance. Clearly, the fans aren't thrilled with the overall direction of the organization, but at least Tony Khan gets to play wrestling promoter with these segments on television.

The Wrestlemania press conference

After the online backlash that prompted the "we want Cody" campaign on social media and speculation that the entire situation was a work from the start, the WWE wisely hosted a press conference in Las Vegas just a few days before the city would also host the Super Bowl. Prior to the event, The Rock claimed that it was going to be a press conference that people were going to be talking about for a long time, and depending on your perspective, he might’ve been right.

I tuned into the press conference not knowing what to expect, but hoping to get some sort of true clarification on the main event storyline ahead of Wrestlemania. In truth, I think that it was a mixed bag and I’m still not sure if the positives outweigh the negatives, but that may depend on how it unfolds going forward.

As I said it in an article earlier this week, even if Cody Rhodes eventually clashes with Roman Reigns, in terms of perception, the damage was done because Cody, the top baby face that the audience has invested in throughout this saga, willingly gave away the biggest opportunity of his career on Smackdown. During the segment last week, Cody went as far as to say that he would not finish the story at Wrestlemania. As I said, even if this was an to attempt to work the audience into believing that the rejection of The Rock/Roman main event actually steered the company to change their plans, it still made Cody Rhodes look foolish in the process. Quite simply, a top baby face does not just give away their opportunity , especially if it’s theoretically the biggest match of their career. Would Steve Austin do that? Would Goldberg do that? If not, it shouldn’t be something that Cody Rhodes should be scripted to do since he's supposed to be presented as main event material. Why should the fans be invested in finishing the story if he wasn’t originally invested enough in himself  to take advantage of the opportunity he earned from the Royal Rumble?

Again, even if it was a plan from the start, it did nothing more to establish Cody, and quite frankly, actually diluted the effectiveness of a story that writes itself so if there’s eventually a payoff, the path WWE brass took to get there doesn't maximize how over Cody was with the audience to make him as big of a star as possible when he wins the championship.

In a similar fashion, while this press conference got the audience talking, it still might have an overall diminishing effect on those involved.

As we know, The Rock confronted Roman Reigns and announced that he would challenge the Tribal Chief at Wrestlemania 40. Cody Rhodes interrupted that and announced that he wanted to finish the story in April without any explanation as to why he initially handed over the opportunity to The Rock in the first place. Unless there’s a logical explanation within the next few weeks as to why he would even consider originally giving up his spot then as I said, the damage is done in terms of the baby face not being as invested in a championship victory as the audience is for this storyline.

One of the things that worked really well about the press conference is how the point of contention was presented within the segment. Roman Reigns called Dusty Rhodes, Cody‘s father, irrelevant. Roman directly insulted Dusty, but Cody‘s response was a rebuttal to Roman specifically, not an insult to the Samoan family. Cody said that the High Chief  Peter Maivia would be disappointed in Roman’s actions, which makes sense because Reigns is the heel. The key was that Cody didn't say anything negative about the High Chief, whereas Roman insulted Dusty. It’s subtle, but it’s a very smart way to set up a narrative.  would be disappointed in Roman’s actions which makes sense because reigns is the heel. The key was that Cody did not say anything negative about the high chief, whereas Roman, insulted Dusty. It’s subtle, but it’s a very smart way to set up an narrative. Based on that, The Rock agreed with Roman when there wasn’t actually an insult to the family, it presents him in a heel role as well, which is something that most fans wouldn’t have expected prior to this. With a heel turn being implied, it makes you wonder how much involvement The Rock will have with the WWE brand going forward. The cameo appearances that he has done in recent years are more or less automatic baby face spots so a heel turn might be an indication of more than just short term involvement, as there would have to be depth to the angle to justify the heel turn.

That being said, at least, in my opinion, the way the angle played out, was actually another hindrance to the overall presentation of Cody Rhodes. When The Rock took offense to Rhodes mentioning the High Chief, his grandfather, Dwayne Johnson slapped Cody, and instead of punching The Rock in the face, Cody just took the slap. How is that the action of an admirable baby face? Again, would Steve Austin allow someone to slap him in the face? Would Bill Goldberg allow someone to slap him in the face? Even the PG era. would John Cena do nothing after a slap in the face?

The main event baby face doesn’t back down, but that’s essentially how Cody was presented in this scenario. He took the slap and did nothing about it. Along the same lines, Seth Rollins was made to look completely irrelevant, as he was quite literally left standing in the background without an opponent or any importance placed on his championship. Given how much of an afterthought Seth was during the press conference, it might be an indication that perhaps his knee won't be healed up in time for WM or at least his status is unclear so management doesn't want to make firm booking plans until he's 100% ready to compete. Maybe an angle would be booked to essentially write him out of WM if he's not completely healed by April? At this point, it wouldn't truly make a difference if his belt wasn't defended at the event since it's value of lack thereof was completely discarded in this scenario.

While I think the presentation of the press conference was more of a negative and could've been done in a way that didn't compromise Cody's credibility, if the office has a plan within the next two months to make it a bigger scenario than it would've been otherwise then any criticism is moot. The problem is, at least right now, is that the original rematch narrative that writes itself still would've been more effective than the convoluted angle that was booked the past two weeks. Cody gave away his opportunity, but not really so The Rock is somewhat of a heel, but not exactly so the whole storyline seems like it could've been portrayed in a much simpler fashion.

The backstage confrontation between The Rock and Triple H was well done, as it wasn't portrayed as a hokey worked shoot segment, but has a level of realistic tension. Granted, the whole situation stretches the limits of logic to justify the tension, but the actual segment backstage could be very effective in the grand scheme of things. I don't think there will be anything major for this storyline on tonight's Smackdown, but it will be interesting to see how this angle unfolds going forward, especially if it divides the audience. It might be too pessimistic, but I'm very skeptical about if any of this will add more to the payoff then there would've been otherwise. Either way, this press conference might be considered a new era of the company and that is an overall wise decision based on the previous management of the organization.

Scott D'Amore fired

In a relatively small story compared to the WWE-related headlines that have shook the industry recently, TNA president, Scott D'Amore was fired by Anthem Entertainment, the parent company of the wrestling organization. PWInsider's Mike Johnson, the most accurate journalist that covers the sport, reported that the decision was made by Anthem CEO, Len Asper, and that Anthony Cicione, who works within the sports division of the company, was named the new president of the wrestling project. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer provided an update on the situation, reporting that the reason that D'Amore was given his pink slip was that the former on-screen coach of Team Canada wanted an increase in the budget to secure more talent, but Anthem brass denied the request. Cicione has worked for Anthem for several years, but has no prior wrestling experience.

In some ways, this decision is surprising, and in other ways it's not surprising at all.

Clearly, D'Amore, who had various stints with the organization over the years after his initial start with the company in 2003, believes that the TNA brand can be more than just a Canadian product that is used primarily as the foundation of The Fight Network in the country, which is why Anthem purchased TNA to save it from the brink of collapse in 2016. It's well-known that D'Amore's family is very wealthy and while he wasn't taking on the stressful task of a wrestling promoter for nothing, he doesn't need the paycheck either. D'Amore was there because he had faith in the TNA project, and while that doesn't automatically mean that he was right or that Anthem was wrong, the belief that he had was what allowed him to take a brand that was almost completely tarnished and elevate it to something that at least had fans taking, albeit on a smaller scale.

It's a rather odd time for a switch to be made, particularly with the rebrand of Total Nonstop Action, and the fact that D'Amore was the creative force behind that decision, but the next chapter will be based on the guidance of someone without any sports entertainment knowledge. If nothing else, a change of the president of the wrestling group doesn't allow a seamless transition to the overall direction since the path was originally chosen by D'Amore.

In some ways, this reminds me of the Ring Of Honor scenario under Sinclair Broadcasting ownership, but to a lesser degree in terms of the level of success that could've been realistically achieved if the organization was willing to invest into the wrestling venture. Keep in mind, there was a time prior to the formation of All Elite Wrestling that ROH was drawing solid crowds for live events and had a level of buzz because of the popularity of The Elite stable. If Sinclair would've offered The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and Adam Page enough more to stay then we wouldn't be discussing AEW today. The biggest difference was that Sinclair was in the television business, not the pro wrestling business. They wanted ROH for the relatively cheap original programming that it provided for their stations, not to attempt to compete within the dynamics of the sports entertainment industry. As we know, the domino effect of The Elite's exit from ROH was that Tony Khan bought the brand from Sinclair a few years later.

It goes without say that if TNA wants to be a profitable portion of the Anthem corporation, they are going to at least need the resources to sign and retain stars that are going to generate some type of revenue. They are going to have to sign talent that can draw and then offer them enough money to want to re-sign so that the investment the organization made in them, both in terms of promotional dollars and TV time, wasn't used simply to showcase them for the chance to sign somewhere else. Obviously, Anthem shouldn't spend themselves into the red on the wrestling group, but if they are going to own a sports entertainment property, and it has the realistic potential to be profitable then they have to be willing to make some type of reasonable investment to continue the success.

If Anthem doesn't think that reasonable investment would lead to some type of profit then it might be a better option for them to sell the video library to assure some level of profit than risk the expenses of running a scaled-down wrestling brand.

This is where Anthem must decide what the overall goal is for the TNA project? Do they just want a wrestling show on their channels? If wrestling properties and the talent themselves are considered interchangeable by corporate executives then the quality and the perception of the product will be minimal, the Jim Herd era of WCW in the early-90s proved that. Does TNA have enough value to be a profitable niche? Sure, but even a niche product requires the cash to secure talent that will be an effective draw for the niche audience. That's the other side of the coin of the situation, not only does Anthem have to determine its overall goal with TNA, but also decide how much cash they want to invest to accomplish it. If they just want a TV show with a wrestling ring and some wrestlers then that will be a much cheaper budget, but at the same time, it will yield less of a return on the investment.

Listen, I'm not saying that TNA could've been a major player in the industry in 2024 (although, if they worked with WWE more extensively, it's possible they could've made a dent in AEW's market share), but as the story unfolded, especially with a new president with no wrestling experience, this seems like it was a case of a corporate executives cutting the budget because they don't understand the dynamics of the wrestling business. Again, I'm not saying that Anthem should make a massive investment into TNA, but why exactly run on a shoestring budget? Wouldn't it be easier to just sell the previously mentioned video library for some hefty cash?

The bottom line is, if TNA was paying comparative money, they would be a landing spot for more free agents, but that rarely happens. Trinity Fatu signed with Impact as a bridge between her WWE runs, but you don't see the biggest free agents even consider TNA because there's always better money to be made elsewhere. Perhaps, Anthem is content with TNA as a Canadian product with limited distribution, and if they can make a profit on those economics, good for them. As far as viewership in the United States, USA and TBS, the networks that broadcast Raw and Dynamite respectively, have roughly 50% more TV clearance than Axs, the channel that airs Impact. If they can make money with TNA then it's a smart business move, but again, the ability to maintain that depends on the talent and direction of the company.

Scott D'Amore was the reason that the company had any type of buzz at the start of the year, and by all accounts, he was the force behind the rebuild of the product so if nothing else, the decision to fire him in favor of a new president with no experience, puts a ceiling on how much progress the brand can make as a force within the industry.

The optics of firing a president don't make the company look good, especially after it had a level of hype around it that they haven't had in years. However, and this is the biggest takeaway from this story, even the decision to fire D'Amore or not invest more cash into the company might be rather moot in the grand scheme of things. Unless there was going to be more involvement with WWE this year, TNA still doesn't have the brand, the funding, the distribution, or the roster to be on a comparable level to AEW or WWE so even the best case scenario would generate limited success for the company.  

Cody Rhodes on Raw

Conspiracy theories are nothing new, in wrestling or otherwise. Who knew about Montreal? Was there really a mole in ECW in 1997? Did we really land on the moon?

In just a few days since Smackdown went off the air, The Rock, one of the most popular and charismatic stars in Hollywood, became vilified, with the mere mention of his name generating a chorus of jeers from the live audience on Raw last night. The segment with Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes was supposedly going to set up their WM match, but was interrupted by Drew McIntyre, who correctly pointed out the flawed logic of Cody giving away his opportunity at challenge Roman Reigns for the championship, making the Royal Rumble win completely pointless. I already penned an article about that portion of this rather odd saga last week so there's no need to retread it, but the bottom line is, when the heel is right, it doesn't exactly portray the baby face in the best light.

But, could this all be a reverse psychology conspiracy that will eventually see Cody win the championship from Roman at Wrestlemania? If it is, WWE management missed the mark.

The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer discussed the topic with Bryan Alvarez on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, claiming that this was all an elaborate work that was planned before the Rumble in an effort to recreate a Daniel Bryan scenario from ten years ago. Usually, I take anything Meltzer says with a grain of salt, as that's the nature of the rumor mill of the pro wrestling industry, but after the whirlwind of events within the business of the past two weeks, anything is possible.

When the "we want Cody" trend was acknowledged on Raw, I assumed it was a way for the company to try to avoid the audience hijacking the show and use the passionate response to the Smackdown segment as a way to emphasize Rhodes' star power rather than the notion that he looked like a fool for giving away his WM opportunity.

As mentioned, I just don't buy that this is some type of elaborate ruse to get the audience behind Cody, because he was already the top baby face and it was very clear that the fans expressed a demand to see him finally beat Roman based on the reaction to The Royal Rumble victory. There was a much simpler path to be taken to give Rhodes the WM win that this two-year saga is based on, why muddy the waters and make the top baby face look aloof in the process?

That's why even if this was a planned angle, it was completely counterproductive and could actually hinder the buzz around whatever the actual WM card ends up being in April. Rhodes already gave away the biggest opportunity of his career and quite literally said on Smackdown that he wasn't going to attempt to win the championship at WM. As I said in the prior article about The Rock's appearence, how are the fans supposed to have faith in the top baby face that is willing to give his chance at the title away? Why should the audience be invested in Cody winning the championship if it wasn't important enough for him to actual accept the chance to win it?

The segment already aired and Rhodes already looked foolish. The horse is out of the barn, whatever they might do from here, even if he ends up against Roman at WM, the damage is done. At the very least, Cody was presented as someone that was willing to step aside for a bigger star. Would Steve Austin, Bill Goldberg, or any other top baby face from a previous generation be scripted to do that?

Furthermore, just for the sake of discussion, let's say that Cody wins and gets the pyro to end the show in April. Should the fans be that enthusiastic to celebrate a victory for a guy that wasn't that invested enough in the same win so he initially gave away the title shot? Again, if this is an elaborate conspiracy to make the audience believe that their rejection of The Rock actually made WWE management change their plans, was it worth making Cody look weak, and getting The Rock, the other baby face in the scenario, a hostile reaction? Isn't it much more logic to allow The Rumble win be enough to set up the rematch with Reigns?

The whole situation has, at best, a lukewarm atmosphere to it. Cody was foolish and stepped aside, while The Rock was portrayed as the Hollywood part-timer that "took his spot." How exactly does this get Cody more over to win the championship when he was already the top good guy in the company? Sure, if you stretch enough logic it might've made sense in theory, but it would be terrible in application.

As far as the possibility that this is a reverse psychology tactic to make the audience believe that their reaction was enough to make the office change original plans, does anyone honestly think the WWE writing team would attempt to do something that elaborate? Granted, they might claim that was the plan after the fact to avoid the embarrassment of originally fumbling an easy WM main event with the Cody/Roman rematch, but does anything about the nature of the WWE product, especially in the modern era provide any indication that there would be that much depth to the script? Plus, even if it was the case, it's not an effective strategy because of the way it presents Cody and The Rock within the dynamics of the storyline.

The comparisons to Daniel Bryan a decade ago are misguided, as it's an apples to oranges situation. The Bryan character was the scrappy underdog that the office legitimately wasn't going to push toward the title. Cody was tailor-made to be a main event guy and already proved he was main event material when he was in the spot last year so the Bryan logic doesn't apply to Rhodes. As I said before, it makes sense for TKO to use The Rock because of the publicity and revenue he brings to the table, but again, there were much simpler solutions than what was scripted on Raw. The Rock could've challenged Roman on night one and then Cody would be booked against the winner the second night. Keep in mind, Cody's Rumble win could've been used to declare an opportunity against the Universal champion and then who they would be could've still been determined without the potentially convoluted angle the organization might be using now to get Cody involved in the title match. The segment with Cody vs. Rollins and the addition of McIntyre if Cody actual challenges Reigns is too overbooked and dilutes the effectiveness of everyone involved. This might be too harsh for the dozens of writers on the WWE payroll that work on the creative team, but the foundation of sports entertainment, especially for the main event stars, is still simple.

The most over baby face and the most over heel work the main event for the championship to draw the most money possible. Sure, the specifics dictate that Cody defeat Roman to avenge the loss from last year, but the point is, the story writes itself. This goofy detour where Rhodes gave his title shot away does absolutely nothing to add to the narrative. Obviously, The Rock's involvement is a major deal for the WWE, but let's keep in mind, after the XFL flopped, an incredible successful WM event will give Dwayne Johnson a level of good PR as well.

There are some rumblings that perhaps the next chapter of this storyline will unfold at the press conference on Thursday, but again, even if that's the case, the perception of Cody Rhodes took a dent, and the crowd was booing the mention of The Rock's name so was that worth it to get to the same destination that the Royal Rumble win set up anyway? I don't buy the reverse psychology theory, but after the past few weeks, anything is possible.