AEW releases

By all accounts, Tony Khan is a genuinely good guy that legitimately cares about his roster, that notion sincerely is a wonderful part of the existence of All Elite Wrestling, specifically from an internal perspective. Granted, being a genuinely good guy doesn't qualify Tony Khan to be a pro wrestling booker or automatically make him a successful promoter, which is why one of the many criticisms of his promotion is that it often resembles more of a vanity project that can be paid for by his billionaire family than a serious business venture that has to make a profit to sustain itself. Tony Khan is undoubtedly a better person than Vince McMahon will ever be, but won't get even close to the success of the former emperor of the WWF. Thankfully, Triple H is proving, at least so far in his tenure as the head of the WWE, that it's possible to run the company very successfully without scandals.

A part of Tony's generosity, he certainly gives opportunity, and while there's definitely something truly wholesome about a performer getting a chance to land their dream job of a national contract, the number of talents signed to AEW deals, particularly those that pay them full-time money, is almost comical at this point.

In some ways, it makes me wonder if Tony inks certain talents to contracts just to have them on the roster without any plan for them going forward, or simply to prevent them from potentially signing with WWE, assuming that he will find something for them to do at some point. The ironic part of that is, some of those grapplers might not have been on WWE's radar anyway.

Don't get me wrong, if a talent can make full-time money in sports entertainment then good for them. Making the most money possible for as long as possible is the entire point of the business, especially when they aren't any pension or retirement plans after a performer hangs up their boots. Hopefully, the current generation can avoid the pitfalls of talent from the past to make sure they have financial security on a long-term basis as a way to learn from those cautionary tales, but at the same time, the fact remains that most talents have to consider the opportunity to make a specific amount of money at any given time compared to pursing opportunities to boost their value to make bigger money in the grand scheme of things.

Sometimes, I wonder if some of those All Elite contracted performers, who through no fault of their own that are lost in the shuffle or a healthy scratch if Tony doesn't have something for them to do, take the short-term money because of the undoubted financial security it provides now at the expense of possibility a much bigger run elsewhere.

Again, please don't misunderstand me, I don't blame anyone, especially those that had to grind their way through the dirt-stained canvases of the independent circuit previously, that takes the bigger money and stability of a national contract. However, as I said, I wonder if they are selling themselves short as far as their value in the bigger picture.

Last week, I penned an article about some of the recent shuffle of the free agent market, including Josh Alexander's decision to ink an AEW deal, and Mina Shirakawa's exit from Stardom. That was based on possible arrivals to the organization, but on the other end of the spectrum, there are some performers, even those that were recently released, that might be better off to explore their options than to remain in purgatory, as far as not being used by AEW.

I randomly heard the name Scorpio Sky on a recent podcast, and it actually reminded me that he still had a job, but then the question was, where is this guy? Apparently, at least from what I could find from a quick online search, he's healthy, just simply not being used by the promotion. The last match he had in AEW was September 2023 and then he worked a ROH taping the month after that so he hasn't done anything for the company in any form or fashion in a year and a half, but he's still under contract. Did the office forget that he worked there? Is this a situation similar to when WCW forget about The Iron Sheik's contract in 1990? Listen, I'm not saying that Scorpio Sky would be a Wrestlemania main eventer if he wasn't still under an All Elite deal, and I don't blame him for taking the cash since he's being paid by the terms of the agreement, but what's the point of sending the guy a check if the company isn't going to use him for anything? At 42, maybe Sky doesn't think it's worthwhile to try to start fresh somewhere else, but it seems like a waste of his skills, and a waste of All Elite payroll for him to be kept home since the end of 2023.

There were a series of AEW releases recently, as I've written about the more well-known names at the time that they left the company, and some of them, including Ricky Starks have already made their way to WWE. Fightful Select reported this week that Miro, the former Rusev, re-signed with the company as well. A side note about Miro, I'm somewhat surprised that the WWE would offer him another deal since his rocky tenure in AEW, particularly when he refused any suggested storylines, seemed to suggest that he might be difficult to work with at this point in his career. Furthermore, as I wrote previously, I don't think Miro did enough in his All Elite stint to truly boost his stock as a performer so I could see him being regulated back to the mid-card upon his return to WWE. It goes without saying that Malakai Black will be back into the WWE fold sooner rather than later. The same can be said for Rey Fenix, who finally got his release from the company after he was kept on ice for several months.

However, it was also reported that Abadon won't see their contract renewed, which I have to say is a shame since they got in the best shape of their career recently, but were MIA from AEW programming. The gimmick and the presentation was very well done, but they were signed to an All Elite contract when they only had about a year of experience so the argument could be made that they weren't TV ready at the time. Still, with someone that unique, especially if they were under contract for almost five years, it seems like it would've beeen worth the investment to try to develop Abadon as a performer. Unfortunately, all things considered, despite the nearly five years under an AEW contract, I don't think they truly got the chance to show anything beyond just a basic TV match so the structure or lack thereof within the organization probably hinder their ability to evolve as a performer.

The same could be said for Leyla Hirsch, as she was under contract for a few years, but was never put in a position where she could showcase her skills or truly move up the card as anything more than a preliminary wrestler. Granted, she had a knee injury during her All Elite tenure, but given her amateur wrestling background, it seems like the company could've done more with it. Nick Comoroto is another wrestler that won't have his contract renewed, but is more or less in the same category. He was sidelined with an injury at one point, but even outside of that wasn't given the chance to be anything other than one of the countless preliminary wrestlers on the roster that got lost in the shuffle.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying any of these competitors are automatically the next top-drawing stars in the business, but if they aren't given the platform or at least the chance to show what they bring to the table  than there's a possibility that it could be a missed opportunity.

That's where there's somewhat of an "opportunity cost" so to speak for those that opt to stay under an AEW contract since being lost in the shuffle or in the witness protection program of the Ring Of Honor project minimizes their value on the industry. As mention, they have the security on a national contract and the solid money that goes along with it, but are some talents sacrificing the prime years of their careers and thus the chance to make bigger money elsewhere when they're stuck in catering at a Dynamite taping? Taking into account how thin the current New Japan roster is because of how many of their marquee stars were signed away in recent years, it's possible that underutilized talent could find a platform to showcase their ability in the Japanese organization.

John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes

Professional wrestling, regardless of what form is takes, is still based on psychology and emotion, particularly because that's the most direct way to connect with the audience. Sure. those five-star Tokyo Dome classics are incredible, but isn't the cream of the crop still performed with a level of psychology that maximizes the in-ring efforts? Aren't those thirty-minutes battles truly memorable because of how the audience felt during those peaks and valleys before the final bell?

I think that's the stark difference between the perspective that some take when they look at the modern landscape compared to the building blocks of the industry that have remained a part of the foundation of the business, simply because those fundamentals are woven into the fabric of the genre. Granted, sports entertainment is subjective, if someone enjoys a 20-minute sprint of an overly-cherographed routine based purely on the athleticism without much other substance, they have a right to enjoy that type of performance.

However, I also think it's fair to say that there's much more depth to a performance when the audience is invested in who's in the ring, not just the moves themselves. If wrestlers become interchangeable, is there truly an emotional connection to the audience? Isn't there more longevity for the performer as a top draw if the crowd cares about them on an individual basis?

This week's edition of Raw, specifically the opening promo with John Cena and Cody Rhodes, was a prime example of this.

The way this story is steadily unfolding is being very well done, as it has consistently had enough meat on the bone on a weekly basis to give the fans a reason to tune in without putting everything out there too early to avoid a plateau in momentum ahead of their anticipated Wrestlemania bout. The audience saw a shaken Cody Rhodes react the week after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, which was a segment that emphasized the shock of the heel turn. In the weeks that followed, John Cena made his first public comments, blaming the audience for having to endure years of their hostility without ever turning his back on the loyal portion of the fan base. The promos had depth, as the segment did on Monday, because John Cena had a point. There were layers to the segment, and that's ultimately why the storyline has remained compelling as the build toward Wrestlemania progresses on Netflix.

Cena never compromised his values until he did, which spotlights how much of a villain he really is in 2025, because a true baby face never compromises their morals. Hence why Cody Rhodes refused The Rock's offer a few months ago. Cena caved to the pressure and took the easy road, which proves, at least in theory, he wasn't the solid baby face the audience thought that he was. Sure, in some ways, Cena is justified, but the bottom line is, he gave up on his loyal fan base before they gave up on him, which is the reason that this heel run has the level of heat that it does.

With that as the foundation, the narrative has moved toward the direct confrontation between champion and challenger, as it should, since the championship at stake is what will be on the line in Las Vegas. Of course, the context of what the title means, in this case, Cena's threat to retire with it, is what's built within the segments before the pay-per-view.

The background for the justification of the heel turn and the importance of the championship as far as what's on the line with the result of the match were established so this past Monday was the way for the personal grudge to take center stage in the storyline.

The structure of the promo was very well done, and the two in the ring are such pros that they knew to allow the atmosphere to maximize the moment. The European market can't get many live events each year because of the travel and logistics of a company based in the United States so they were enthusiastic about everything they saw, including a confrontation between the two performers in the main event of Wrestlemania. Just the visual of Cena and Cody face-to-face in the ring was enough to get a wild reaction from the crowd because they knew that something compelling was going to happen when they finally spoke on the mic.

I think it's fair to say that the way that this entire angle is being presented is being done in a delicate fashion to avoid the fans siding with Cena as the "cool heel" as a way for the modern fans to pat themselves on the back since the rejection of the presented narrative is somehow seen as a badge of honor amongst a certain demographic of the audience. The fact that the WWE chose to spotlight that type of nonsense with network specials on when crowds hijacked the shows didn't help matters. That's why Cena didn't give the audience anything that they wanted from when there were years of demands for him to become a villain. They didn't get a new look, new music, or a new move set. He kept the same song, the same bright t-shirts, and the same five moves that generated jeers in the first place because this time around, his character is specifically designed for the negative reaction.

Furthermore, as I've written about before, nobody is going to truly be able to take the "John Cena spot" as the representative of the company if John Cena is still in that position so this heel turn is a way for him to pass the torch to Cody, albeit in a nontraditional manner.

So, when Cena got on the mic Monday, he leaned into the criticism of his baby face run, namely the spinner belt, as again, a way to reinforce the notion that the fans shouldn't rally behind him. The ingredient that this storyline needed to really kick it into gear prior to WM was a level of sizzle, which the promo definitely delivered on Netflix. If this was legitimately a grudge match with true resentment, nothing would be off the table between the two competitors. In some respects, they used the fact that the fans know more about the behind the scenes aspects on the industry than any time previously in history because of the numerous podcasts that discuss the topics, as well as social media.

Given the amount of main stream media coverage that Vince McMahon's disgraceful exit from the WWE received, even the most causal fan knows that he's persona non grata in the organization now so there's a level of animosity when Cody referred to Cena as Vince's chosen star because the audience knows that under most circumstances, the former owner wouldn't be mentioned at all. In a similar, but not nearly as sinister fashion, Cena responded with a reference to Tony Khan, specifically the notion that he's a money mark from a billionaire family. Obviously, it's just a way to work some extra heat into the promo, but there was a time when the WWE refused to reference any other organization, and the fact that this promo mentioned the "competition" is another way that it stood out as a main event storyline.

 At the conclusion of the segment, Cody landed his finisher on Cena, giving him a level of revenge for the cheap shot at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, but you can bet that Cena will probably beat down Cody at some point before Wrestlemania, which will gives the audience another reason to tune in to see what happens next.

The biggest takeaway from this promo shouldn't be the taboo topics that it covered, that was done occasionally before, but rather the way that it was presented, specifically with how the performers allowed their star power and the circumstances to maximize the effectiveness of the segment. The storyline needed a level of sizzle to continue to progress toward the main event of Wrestlemania and the segment accomplished it.

Beastman debuts for GCW

The cliche claims that "there's no business like show business," but within that live entertainment industry, professional wrestling might be the most unique form of the genre.

Nothing encapsulates that paradigm quite like the weekend that 19-year pro, Wes Fetty, known in the squared circle as The Beastman, had just a few weeks ago.

A native of the small town of McMechen, West Virginia, Wes competed often in the western Pennsylvania region, eventually moving to a suburb just outside of Pittsburgh after he met and married his tag team partner in life, Anna Fetty. Anna, who is a registered nurse with several years of experience in the medical field, is certainly on the opposite end of the spectrum of her other half, the monstrous caveman that causes mayhem on the canvas.

The couple live in a relatively quiet neighborhood with a fence around their front year, and numerous mementos that decorate the walls of their living room, a spot where Wes has hosted friends for wrestling viewing get-togethers.

It's an ironic dichotomy when the mammoth 350-LBS grappler packs his bags for the weekend, complete with furry boots, entrance attire, and his trademark bone at the dining room table on a Friday afternoon, while Anna checks the mail that was just delivered.

On this particular Friday in mid-March, Fetty had to spend a few hours on the road, heading toward his old stomping grounds of West Virginia for a Pro Wrestling Conquest event, a card that show him compete in a wild four-way bout. He arrived home around 2 AM with enough time to unpack and then repack his gear bag before he caught some sleep in his living room recliner to attempt to recharge for the next day.

As a resident of Pittsburgh and an enthusiast for the history of the business, Wes looked forward to the next day's happenings, as a special tribute event to the legendary Bruno Sammartino was held in Ross Township, where the Italian strongman made his home after he originally immigrated to America from his native Abruzzi, Italy.

With the legendary Stan Hansen, who was the tag partner of the legendary, late Bruiser Brody, a major influence for Fetty, in attendance to honor his old rivalry Bruno, Wes got to bring another aspect of his ability to the table. With more than 400 fans in attendance, along with well-known magazine editor Bill Apter that Saturday night, Fetty had the chance to show his character skills to an audience that was there to experience a throwback presentation of the golden era. The massive neanderthal stomped his way around ringside to thrill the fans in attendance with his unpredictable nature.

Less than 24 hours after he tailored his performance to the old school Studio Wrestling style of the bygone era of Pittsburgh with old timers like Hansen and Apter looking on, Wes found himself covered in shards of glass, surrounded by dozens of broken light tubes.

In a true example of how versatile he is as a performer, the character-driven portrayal at the card to celebrate the classic period of Bruno, was traded in for the hard-hitting death match style of Game Changer Wrestling, the largest independent group in the United States.

Once again, after he honored the iconic Sammartino, Wes repeated the previous night's process of switching out yet another set of gear, this time a pair of long tights because of his scheduled death match, and got about six hours of sleep before he was back on the road early Sunday morning. The circumstances that brought him to the ring of broken glass mentioned earlier were a six-hour trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey, a stronghold for the GCW brand that tours around the country, and an international reputation that Fetty established last year.

In July, Wes achieved his dream, something that was the culmination of his entire career as a pro wrestler, a journey that he has been on his entire adult life, he was offered the chance to compete in Japan, a country within a storied legacy that stretches back decades. The agile wild man was inspired by Brody, and had the chance to walk the same hallways as he did when he wrestled in Korakuen Hall, regarded by many historians as the Japanese Madison Square Garden. As a part of a tour for the Big Japan Pro Wrestling, a group with a thirty-year history itself, organization during the summer, Fetty celebrated his birthday in true death match style on the night of July 17th, with crimson on his face while he munched on a miniature cake given to him by his peers.

The month that he stayed for Big Japan, known for its status as the top death match organization in the world for the majority of its existence, impressed BJW officials enough to invite him to compete in the Big Japan Death Match Grand Prix, a tournament held on New Year's Eve, a signature occasion for pro wrestling events in the country. Through thee rounds of the tournament, the combination of unbelievable agility for a super heavyweight, including dives from the top rope, and a fierce in-ring persona, The Beastman made an undeniable impression on the spotlighted platform of the tournament.

"When I got there after 12 hours on the plane, I know the level of competition there so I was focused on my one match with Shlak, he's not a guy that you can look passed so when I walked into Korakuen, I took it as one match. It was a lot to go through three matches because this was being watched all over Japan, and being their big show of the year, every match had to have the mindset of the main event. After the first round match, it was easier because my body adjusted to what was going on, my adrenaline was up with all the light tubes, barbed wire, and the crowd," Fetty commented.

Fetty is scheduled for his third tour with the promotion this summer, with a three-month stint for Big Japan as his next international excursion.

Besides Japan, Wes' passport has been collecting a lot of stamps, as along with zigzagging around many different states in America on any given weekend, he also works Canadian gigs on a regular basis, with aspirations of seeing as many places around the world as possible in a pair of wrestling boots.

"The travel is part of the preparation, because knowing that you have to go all day, traveling five or six hours to wrestle for 10 or 15 minutes before you get back or staying at a hotel, it's more mentally that you have to be prepared for it. At this point in my career, I feel like I'm going to stay physically ready, you just have to mentally stay ready, like if you have another show the next day, each match you have to be ready to go. Sometimes, the biggest thing is when you get home and the adrenaline falls off, it's very tiring. You become used to being in a car for five hours at a time," Fetty explained.

As the premiere independent group in the United States, especially with its focus on death match wrestling, GCW keeps its eye on the international circuit as well. The Big Japan officials weren't the only ones that took notice of The Beastman's performance in the Grand Prix on New Year's eve, as Game Changer organizers were impressed with his skills as well, offering him an invitation to Atlantic City to challenge independent icon, Matt Tremont for the promotion's Ultraviolent Championship in the main event on that particular Sunday afternoon.

"Matt Tremont is synonyms with death match wrestling, I'm wrestled Tremont before, but this was one of the biggest matches of my career. Coming off of the death match Tournament in Japan, not really being known as a death match guy, to be propelled into the Ultraviolent title match at GCW at The Showboat, it was time to deliver. This match was more physical and I felt like I had a lot to prove going into that match. I always believe that you have to show the people that you can hang with the best, and Tremont is the guy of death match wrestling, it was an awesome experience to work with Tremont at GCW," Fetty commented.

“It’s a credit to his dedication to the craft that Wes even has the opportunity to do this, but it speaks volumes to his willingness to improve and become a key player, not only on the national independent scene, but internationally. GCW is arguably the largest and most successful independent companies in the US currently.  For The Beastman to get the exposure at that level speaks volumes about his talent and ability, and I have to think that this just might be the spark for him to really skyrocket," added Declan Finnegan, a member of the Victory Championship Wrestling broadcast team, the organization based in Fetty's hometown of McMechen

When the final bell sounded, The massive grappler came up just a bit short in his quest for GCW gold, but post-match, he earned the publicly endorsement from Tremont, prompting the crowd to chant, "husk!" as a sign of their approval. Fetty's plans for the rest of his wild 2025 so far are simple, he wanted to go as far as pro wrestling will take him and experience as much as possible through this unique career path.

When asked about his plans and aspirations for the future, Fetty simply replied, "worldwide."

What's the status of Paige?

Earlier this week, just hours before it was confirmed by the performer herself, I penned an article about the latest round of potential free agents that were on the pro wrestling market. I mentioned that the grappler known previously as Paige said on Booker T's podcast that she would consider a return to the WWE so it was more or less confirmation that she was on her way out of AEW. Saraya announced on her newly-launched podcast that she made her exit from All Elite Wrestling, concluding a three-year stint with the company that saw her make a comeback to the ring after a very serious neck injury was thought to have ended her career several years ago.

All things considered, this wasn't and shouldn't have been surprising at all. Besides the appearance on Booker T's program, Saraya hasn't been a part of the AEW line-up in nearly six-months, and outside of her hometown win at the original Wembley Stadium event in 2023, she hadn't been given anything of importance to do in the company for the majority of her tenure there. Prior to the announcement, it was speculated that her contract expired later this year, but not only had the duration of the deal concluded, but she didn't have a no-compete clause since the agreement had finished without any renewal. Taking into account that she hadn't been on television in nearly six months, I'd guess that both sides just let the contract run out rather than trying to negotiate an early release from the deal. The Outcast stable faded into obscurity and Saraya really didn't have a direction in the organization after that. Granted, this isn't anything new, as we've seen the same thing happen with many performers, regardless of where they worked prior to their arrival in All Elite, but the fact remains that outside of the shock of her return to the ring after it was assumed her career was over, Saraya's run in the promotion was rather uneventful.

Despite that, the story of the former Paige is still undoubtedly a success story.

From a pro wrestling family, the British competitor broke into the sport in her early teenage years and was such a natural in the squared circle that she was offered a WWE developmental deal when she was just 18, which was prior to the start of the NXT brand. Three years later, she made her surprise debut on Raw, beating AJ Lee for the Divas championship in her first match on the main roster.

She had a unique look, a unique charisma, and sharper skills than most competitors her age because of the ability to start in the sport at such a young age since she was from a wrestling family. Without question, Paige had the talent to be a star and looked to be on track be one of the featured performers on the women's division at a time when the office was just starting to give the female division more of a chance to showcase their ability.

Unfortunately, her story almost ended in tragedy.

She originally suffered a serious neck injury in 2016 that required surgery to repair the damage, putting her on the shelf for several months. Around this time, she was suspended on two different occasions for violating the WWE Wellness policy. When she returned to action, her comeback was short-lived, as she was injured at a house show in late-2017, which ultimately forced her into retirement. At 25, her career was seemingly over. She had an unhealthy relationship with former WWE star Alberto Del Rio, involving domestic disputes, and there were rumors of drug issues as well. Several years ago, as a part of the celebrity leaks online, explicit photos of Saraya and a sex tape involving former WWE star, Brad Maddox and Xavier Woods surfaced on the internet. She later revealed that she considered suicide after the private material surfaced online. She also revealed years later that she had battled drug addiction previously, but was able to overcome those hurdles to maintain a healthy life style.

She avoided many pitfalls that could've made her just another cautionary tale of the pro wrestling business so an underwhelming run in All Elite Wrestling isn't the worst case scenario for where she could be in 2025.

After she laced up her boots again to sign a deal with Tony Khan's company, she explained that she had undergone another neck surgery in 2019, which is probably what allowed her to be medically cleared to compete again.

That being said, I don't think that will automatically translate to an in-ring return to the WWE.

Sure, Saraya was cleared in some form or fashion to return to professional wrestling, but the WWE protocols could be stricter or the company simply might opt not to put her back in the ring because of her history of neck injuries. Yes, I understand that others, including Edge and even Steve Austin have competed after it was thought that their careers were over, but the former Paige is only 32, and at some point, especially given the bullets that she already dodged, both personally and professionally, it might not be worth it to step in a WWE ring again as far as the potential risk for another injury. Obviously, this is just speculation, but I think it's a valid point to be made that it's very possible that the WWE office wouldn't want to see her risk another injury.

After she was forced into retirement, she was named the Smackdown General Manager in 2018. Through the pandemic, she stayed under contract to the WWE until mid-2022 when she announced her exit from the organization. Since she already worked in a non-wrestling role for the company, it's possible that she could be brought back in a similar fashion, but it's almost as though it would be a "been there, done that" type of situation. Furthermore, since she wrestled for All Elite Wrestling, if she returned to the WWE, the audience might expect her to compete in-ring for WWE again.

Hypothetically speaking, if she was was cleared by the WWE doctors to wrestle again, she'd probably fit into the current female division extremely well because of her years of experience and the quality of opponents that  she would have to work with on the roster.

On the other hand, in conjunction with her new podcast, she also just released a new autobiography so she definitely has enough outside projects to keep her busy. Those ventures alone might be an indication that she's not looking to return to the WWE machine immediately, especially because she has plans for a book tour to promote the autobiography, and while possible, the WWE road schedule, as reduced as it might be compared to the touring of the past, doesn't necessarily lend itself to the availability to host a new podcast on a regular basis. It goes without saying that an association with WWE helps book sales, but there were successful publications outside of the scope of WWE so it's not a requirement to be involved with the company to sell the autobiography.

It remains to be seen what the former Paige does next or if she's still interested in wrestling at all. She might opt to work a few lucrative independent events since it's a way to maximize her in-ring appearances without the commitment or toll on the body of a full-time contract. If I had to guess, I'd say that Saraya will probably decide to pursue other opportunities outside of the pro wrestling business since it's not worth the risk of another injury.

What's the status of Josh Alexander?

It's a common concept in the modern landscape of the professional wrestling industry, especially since the launch of All Elite Wrestling in 2019, the notion of the free agent market continues to be a shifting dynamic in the business, particularly with its impact on talent, as well as the fans.

It must be said that there are undoubtedly positives and negatives to the bidding war to secure talent on both sides of the fence within the industry in the United States. Tony Khan has offered a comical amount of contracts, seemingly signing talent to his roster just to get them under a deal without a specific plan for them on his show. In somewhat of a response or perhaps a strategic maneuver to further its reach within the business, the WWE has recruited former All Elite talent, often making them bigger stars in a relatively short period of time as compared to a few years under the Tony Khan banner. Another aspect is the newly-launched WWE ID program, which takes a very minimal investment from the company, simply for the ability to have the right of first refusal if the talent are offered a deal elsewhere. If the developmental system sees someone with potential, they can put them on the radar to see how they progress on the independent circuit, and if  a few of those competitors make it to the main roster as even a mid-card star, the program would be more than worth it. Plus, it essentially freezes AEW out of the recruitment of that talent, and in a worst case scenario, if the WWE office doesn't think a talent has made enough progress to stay in the system, the organization can allow them to exit the deal to sign with another promotion.

The point being that WWE has created an opportunity for the organization to have first pick at the young talent on the independent scene, which is such a key as far as a way to dictate the overall development of the industry. Sure, it's on a more fundamental level since, by nature, the ID program is designed for talent that don't have the experience to be ready for main roster television, but it's still a critical step in terms of the overall building blocks of the genre. Along with that, there's the TNA working agreement that allows for them to cherry-pick wrestlers that have found themselves in a smaller pond and present a more polished package to the main stream stage of the WWE. For example, Drew McIntyre needed a place to reinvent himself after he was typecast as a comedy character before his WWE release years ago. In a similar fashion, Cody Rhodes needed to be able to discover himself as the American Nightmare gimmick outside of the WWE bubble. Both of them, particularly Cody with his current role, are two of the biggest stars in the WWE today as a result of the opportunity to rejuvenate their careers.

So, TNA can be a platform for talent to get the critical television experience, as well as a way for former WWE talent, with The Hardys being the prime example currently, to extend their run as stars during the latter portion of their careers.

Of course, the WWE has its own developmental territory within the Performance Center and the NXT brand so the development of talent can take place on multiple fronts at different stages of a wrestler's career path.

The combination of the ID program, the TNA working agreement, and the Performance Center are basically a way of expanding the WWE's overall reach within the business. As a result of that, there are naturally less resources and options for All Elite Wrestling.

That's why the latest round of potential free agents to hit the market could be somewhat of a reflection of the shifting dynamics of the business as a whole. 

According to a report from Tokyo Sports,  Mina Shirakawa is set to depart Stardom, prompting speculation that she will ink a deal with All Elite. The signing in itself wouldn't be too surprising since Shirakawa has appeared on All Elite programming before, with her most recent appearance in December of last year, but this scenario speaks to how the competition in the United States continues to have an affect on the Japanese scene, as several top talent from the country were offered lucrative deals, particularly within the past eight or nine years, to relocate to America. As far back as 2016, the WWE saw the popularity of the Bullet Club in New Japan, bringing in AJ Styles, who was more or less immediately booked at the top of the card in the Japanese league after his exit from TNA, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson as a team, as well as  Shinsuke Nakamura. Injuries derailed Kenta's career in the WWE and he never truly had a chance to show his skills, but there was a time when he was a top-tier worker for Pro Wrestling NOAH several years ago. It should also be noted that both Asuka and Iyo Sky were among the top workers in Japan when they were offered WWE contracts. The laundry list of talent that Tony Khan has signed away from New Japan is almost every top guy that the company had, aside from Hiroshi Tanahashi, who is set to retire after this year, and Tetsuya Naito, one of the most popular on the NJPW roster, but a grappler that has taken too much of a toll on his body from years of a risky style to consider a jump to the United States at this point in his career.

The problem is, while the Japanese scene was key in the cultivation of talent that went on to a bigger platform and make bigger money in the United States, the sheer amount of talent signed away has left much of the wrestling scene in the country without depth in terms of money-drawing stars. With Stardom under the umbrella of NJPW, the organization will remain stable, but Mina Shirakawa takes another popular star off the roster. If  Shirakawa has a major run in All Elite is truly 50/50 because it's possible that she gets a level of spotlight based on her previous association with Mariah May and Toni Storm, but it's also equally as possible that she gets lost in the shuffle.

Speaking of Mariah May, Fightful Select recently reported that her contract with the company could expire later this year, with some speculation that she might be able to explore her options with a possible offer from WWE if she chooses to test the free agent market. Of course, this is a part of the rumor mill so most of it has to be taken with a grain of salt. However, it's somewhat of a catch-22 as May has undoubtedly increased her stock as a heel with her recent feud with Toni Storm, but at the same rate, it's tough to have faith in any true talent development from a Tony Khan booking style. If I had to guess, I'd say that the speculation will be a moot point, as Mariah May will probably be one of the talents that Tony will be overpay to keep her on the roster, similar to when he re-signed Swerve Strickland last year.

On the other end of the spectrum. Saraya, the former Paige in WWE, recently said on Booker T's podcast that she would be open for a return to the WWE. Considering that she's still under contract to AEW until September of this year and she's willing to say this publicly, I'd guess that it's more or less a foregone conclusion that she's leaving All Elite. In another recent interview, she noted that one of the reason that she signed with All Elite was to help her brother get an opportunity in a major organization. He was recently released from the company. I think it goes without say that minus a brief title run,  Saraya's tenure in the promotion hasn't rejuvenated her career the way she hoped. With her history of serious neck injuries, it remains to be seen if a return to the WWE would be possible. Still, it's another example of how money is no object for Tony when he had a former WWE star that you'd think was getting paid at least decent money under contract for the past few years and she's nowhere to be found on television.

Finally, there are reports that Josh Alexander, who finished up with TNA a few months ago, has decided to sign an AEW contract. Of course, the risk of being lost in the shuffle and forgotten about is always going to be a concern with the Tony Khan product. That's not meant as a knock, but rather a realistic assessment of the company. That being said, according to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, AEW offered him a better deal. Given that Alexander has been one of the better workers anywhere in the industry for the past several years and simply hasn't gotten the opportunity to showcase his skills on a bigger stage than TNA, it makes sense that he took the best money possible, especially because he hasn't had the chance to sign a major contract yet. This was a situation where you'd think that Alexander would have a natural transition to WWE given their working relationship with TNA, but if Tony wants to offer more cash then you can't blame Alexander for taking the better contract. However, this is where the concept of the ID program is key, as the right of first refusal is a way to prevent Khan from outbidding for potential prospects in the future. I have to be honest, I have no idea how Josh Alexander will used in All Elite Wrestling. As mentioned, Tony's booking is unpredictable, as far as who is spotlighted and who is completely forgotten about, but if nothing else, it's good to see Alexander finally get a major money contract in his career.

Copeland vs. Moxley

Tony Khan is exactly what he says he is.

Usually, with a pro wrestling promoter, regardless of if it's a national businessman trying to retain the intellectual property of a character that he pushed on his television show when the talent portraying the in-ring persona leaves the organization, or a nickel-and-dime carny local yokel trying to make a few extra bucks selling misspelled 8X10s, you have to take almost everything they say with a grain of salt.

However, Tony Khan, for both the positive and the negative, is often exactly who he claims to be.

He's more or less unanimously praised as a genuinely great guy that legitimately cares about his roster, which is extremely rare for the often cut-throat pro wrestling business, where the strike of the pencil could theoretically give an opportunity to make or break at career. While a narcissistic yo-yo like Elon Musk pads his bank account through the government awarded to him by his equally narcissistic orange villain of a buddy, Tony Khan often goes above and beyond to do what the general consensus would suggest is the right thing to do, even when he doesn't have to. He doesn't bring it up in any of those marathon post-PPV press conferences where he enjoys the chance to sit next to his favorite wrestlers, but there are numerous examples of when Tony helped talent and their families. It's very common that any time there are fundraising efforts for legends of the industry with medical emergencies that Tony will make a donation. Chris Jericho often does the same thing as well. When Jay Briscoe tragically passed away a few years ago, it was reported that Khan quietly took care of the families medical expenses, and it wouldn't surprise me if Jay Briscoe's contract is still being paid today as a way to help his family. Plus, and this is probably something considered more of a smaller detail compared to when Khan has helped during tragedies, but it's also known that Khan offers fair, and sometimes even overpays talent to sign with his organization, proving them a level of financial stability through their work for his company.

Granted, none of that automatically makes him a successful booker or promoter, and the slip in AEW ratings over the past few years proves that, but it undoubtedly makes his a noble human being.

That being said, Tony is still exactly who he said he was when he infamously claimed that he, "books for the sickos." After this week's edition of Dynamite, there's very little doubt about that notion.

When I saw that the Adam Copeland/Jon Moxley rematch for the AEW World championship was placed on the line-up before the main event segment of Kris Statlander/Megan Bayne contest, it was an immediate giveaway that the title wasn't going to change hands. You simply don't have the world title switch in a street fight in the middle of the show, and that placement is often done to avoid souring the crowd with a wonky finish to end the night. Instead, after Bayne beat Statlander, who unfortunately, is getting saddled with the "good hand" label so she's often put in a position to make others look good as opposed to getting a chance to shine herself, the crowd was sent home happy when fan favorite, Toni Storm made a challenge  for the Dynasty pay-per-view in two weeks.

Of course, this meant that the street fight would be marred with interference from the Moxley stable, which is reaching an NWO-level of match interference, and we all know how well that scenarios worked after the fans knew there would inevitably be weekly run-ins to dilute the importance of a match.

Up until a point, the match was rather tame by All Elite standards, considering that tables and chairs are often used without rhyme or reason even if the segment isn't a gimmick match. Why exactly are the rules in place if there's no reason to follow them? Furthermore, if there's not an explanation about why the rules can be ignored, why should the audience care when a gimmick match is announced?

The point that the Moxley/Copeland bout either jumped the shark or hit a new low, depending on your perspective, was when the spiked 2X4 was introduced into the match. It's a weapon that Copeland has used to attempt to even up the odds against the Moxley faction before so its appearance wasn't the surprising part, but rather when he put it on the canvas to suplex Moxley onto the spiked weapon. In a grotesque display, the nails in the 2X4 were legitimately stuck in Moxley's back. After Wheeler Yuta ran in, he and the referee attempted to dislodge the nails from the champion's back, but you could see the skin being pulled as the nailed remained stuck in his flesh, prompting the production crew to cut to a wide shot. Eventually, the nails were taken out of his back and he was bleeding from the puncture wounds when he choked Copeland out to retain the belt.

This was definitely a match for the sickos, and the fact that Tony Khan continues to book this type of stuff after the argument could be made that the company already went too far at the Revolution pay-per-view, speaks volumes to how truly misguided his vision of pro wrestling is for a national organization.

Granted, they probably weren't expecting Moxley to be impaled by the nails, but these type of scenarios should at least be considered before they're allowed to be a part of a segment on TBS. That's the biggest faux pas of this whole situation, the segment had very little, if any, upside and numerous pitfalls as far as the television show. First and most importantly, this is national TV, not an independent show in front of 200 fans in a parking lot where an old K-Mart used to be. If the counter argument to this was that there's an audience for this type of stuff somewhere, it's the most niche demographic of the most diehard group of fans. Quite frankly, someone getting literally impaled by nails is a good way to sour TBS executives and even more of the viewing audience. This might be a shocking revelation to the "sickos" that Tony books for, but the vast majority of pro wrestling fans, even the diehard audience that follows the sport internationally, don't want to see the over-the-top gory. It's not compelling or dramatic, it's just gross.

Moxley legitimately getting nails stuck in his back risks souring the network, potential sponsors, and companies that might not want to buy ad time during the Dynamite broadcasts. The reasons that independent groups can get away with doing the gory stunts are very simple, they don't have to work within the parameters of a television network, most of the time they don't have sponsors to sour on the product, and even with the modern technology to have live streams of events, organizations don't buy commercial time on independent shows.

It's gotten to the point where All Elite Wrestling is literally doing independent death match wrestling on TBS, and there's just not a way to even suggest that it's compatible. Will the arenas suddenly be sold out because of this match? Considering that AEW has done more of this type of stuff within the past two and and a half years, the same time span when their attendance and ratings declined, what exactly was the upside of the Copeland/Moxley match?  Game Changer Wrestling is the biggest independent group in the United States, but there's a reason that they don't run arenas or have a TV deal.

It sounds trivial, but it should still be noted that pro wrestling is supposed to be a work, with at least the originally intended goal, to be that nobody actually gets hurt during a match. The reason being, if a performer gets injured and is on the sidelines, they can't draw money in the ring for the company. Maybe that's why this was allowed to happen, because as we know, money is no object to Tony Khan so the ability to draw money is completely secondary, which is why AEW is probably always going to be a vanity project.

What's next for Jeff Cobb?

The free agent rumor mill continues, this time with speculation that New Japan star, Jeff Cobb could potentially be in talks with the WWE, according to a report from Fightful Select. Cobb, a former Olympian in amateur wrestling, represented Guam in the 2004 summer games, but finished with an undistinguished stint on the amateur mat.

However, even though he broke into the pro ranks in 2009 at a later age than most, it only took him a few years in sports entertainment before he got noticed by the more prominent organizations. He signed with Lucha Underground in 2015, working for the promotion almost until it folded in 2019. During his stint on the lucha show, he began to work many of the more well-known groups on the independent circuit, and had a few appearances in Ring Of Honor before the group was eventually sold to Tony Khan.

He found his biggest success when he signed with New Japan in 2017 and during the past eight years has been one of the most consistent performers for the organization. Truth be told, Cobb is more or less tailor-made for success in New Japan as a big agile powerhouse foreigner.

Cobb had a few appearances on All Elite Wrestling programming, but that was during the crossover with New Japan built around their Forbidden Door events during the past few years. Again, truth be told, unless Cobb is offered an amount of money that he simply couldn't realistically say no to, which is possible with Tony Khan, it seems like AEW wouldn't be the place for him, especially given the track record of how NJPW talent was used there, aside from those that were a part of the core group at the initial launch.

You can't blame the performers, because making the most money possible is the entire point of the pro wrestling business, both for the talent and for promoters, but at the same time, Tony Khan has cherry-picked almost every top guy that New Japan had since he started his wrestling project to supplement his already bloated roster. The problem is, All Elite didn't become the American platform for some of the best in-ring workers in the world, which if done correctly could've truly made AEW standout as the alternative national promotion in the United States, but rather a place where the majority of those acquisitions either got lost in the shuffle or settled for mediocrity.

Aside from Will Ospreay, and until recently Kyle Fletcher, Jay White, Lance Archer, Katsuyori Shibata, Kazuchika Okada, Juice Robinson, and others have fallen into either of those two categories.

Because of that, I don't think it would be unrealistic to expect that if Cobb inked an All Elite contract, he'd be spotlighted for a few weeks before he possibly ended up in the witness protection program of the Ring Of Honor project on the Honor Club streaming service with its almost zero exposure. Granted, names like Juice and Mark Davis had injuries at certain points, but the common theme throughout the vast majority of the roster, regardless of where they worked previously, is inconsistent television exposure. There are truly only a handful of talents that get any type of consistent television exposure, with it being almost comical how many talents, despite their legitimate skills, disappear for months at a time without any rhyme or reason. The 32-year-old Jay White is in the prime of his career, and has already proved that he's a legitimate main event talent, but more often than not, he's a secondary figure within the landscape of AEW. Okada mailing it in to a Booker T in TNA level is a different discussion for a different time.

As mentioned, it's always possible that Cobb gets an offer too good to turn down when his NJPW deal expires, but if it's comparable money, All Elite Wrestling might not be the place for him to increase his value as a commodity in the industry.

Could Jeff Cobb be successful in the WWE?

On the surface, absolutely, he checks all the boxes for what the WWE looks for in terms of physical skills to promote a superstar. He has size, agility, and power, which might be simplified in the WWE as far as the presentation, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be very successful with the WWE machine behind it. Sure, Cobb isn't known for his promos, but New Japan isn't built on mic work so it's not as thought he doesn't have a chance to be solid for promos in the WWE. In some ways, I think the way that Bronson Reed was being portrayed before his serious injury from the dive off the top of the cage at Survivor Series could be somewhat of a template for Cobb to be highlighted successfully. It might be as simple as allowing Cobb to use his power and size to be presented as a credible monster within the scope of WWE. For example, the splash from the top rope for Bronson Reed is a simple maneuver, but it was presented as a major spot on television, and if the time is taken to establish something, it's possible to get even the most basic concepts put over as legitimately important aspects of the program. It's a unique commodity for an athlete the size of Reed to have the agility to dive from the top rope so why not maximize the impact of its importance on the show? In a similar fashion, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Cobb's "tour of the islands" spinning slam could be pushed as a unique maneuver that could help establish his character to the WWE audience.

Sure, it's rather simple, but if it's effective then that's the measure of success as far as establishing a new talent for the audience.

Obviously, it goes without saying that only Cobb knows what's next for him, and he's scheduled for next month's Windy City Riot event for New Japan in Chicago so at least for now, Cobb will remain under the NJPW banner. That being said, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to see him eventually end up in the WWE. It's a puzzling situation in some ways because a guy with that level of talent should be on the WWE radar, but at the same time, it still seems like there's more for him to do in New Japan, specifically a run with the IWGP Heavyweight championship. As I said, Cobb is the prototype for the powerhouse foreigner that can excel in New Japan, similar to Giant Bernard, who was previously known as A-Train, and Scott Norton the generation before that. At a time when New Japan still finds its roster very thin from the previously mentioned departures to All Elite, elevating Cobb to the main event scene might boost the depth of the organization.

If I had to guess, I'd say that Cobb will eventually surface in WWE, but that could also be determined by the amount of time he has left on his current Japanese deal. At 42, Cobb definitely still has at least a few more prime years of his career left, but at the same time, he would have to arrive in the WWE system sooner rather than later to be able to realistically maximize his run there. I'd also say that it could be equally as possible that he remains with New Japan for the rest of his career, assuming that can continue to offer him decent money, and he might actually be better off in the Japanese organization, as he's a bigger fish in a smaller pond at the moment so he might have a bigger overall run in New Japan than he would if he shifted his path to a WWE career.