Carano vs. Rousey

Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano might not be the "super fight" that millions of people were demanding in 2026, but that doesn't mean that it won't become the mixed martial arts event that millions of people watch when it airs on Netflix later this year.

It goes without saying that it was very surprising when it was announced earlier this week that former UFC Bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey will return to the cage, as her meteoric fall, which was arguably faster than her meteoric rise to stardom in the sport, suggested that she shut the door on that chapter of her career completely when she was pummeled into retirement after a pair of losses a decade ago by Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes respectively.

Ironically, the same could be said for Gina Carano, who made a name for herself as a breakout star during the relatively early days of women's MMA as the standout athlete in a relatively small pond.

In many respects, Rousey and Carano, both at their peak of popularity, as well as their exit from MMA, took similar paths.

When you look at the trajectory of women's MMA, Gina Carano was the first fighter that people took notice of, partially because of her marketable look, and mostly because of the fact that when female MMA fighters were still a novelty on the cards, she was the most successful competitor. Unfortunately, most of her career after she turned pro in 2006, was still somewhat under the radar because at the time, the UFC was still trying to get sanctioned in certain states, and the genre as a whole was still building before it surged in popularity a few years later. Carano fought on early cards for the ill-fated Elite XC group, one of a slew of promotions that were trying to just on the band wagon and get a piece of the pie as the sport became more mainstream through the UFC's original deal on Spike TV. There are some parallels between the saturated streaming market today and the collection of MMA organizations that fizzled out in the mid-2000s. Similar to any other industry, the market determines how many promotions it can support with the number of customers. When Elite XC folded in 2008, Strikeforce was basically there to take its place with a deal on Showtime and CBS.

Cris Cyborg was the other top female fighter on the Elite XC and then Strikeforce cards so there was anticipation for when the two undefeated women clashed in the cage in 2009. Cyborg completely overwhelmed Carano with punches, prompting the referee to stop the fight just before the end of the first round. Carano's first loss was the end of her MMA career, which spanned just three years, with a 7-1 record before she hung up the gloves .

During the time that Carano made a name for herself in Elite XC, Ronda won a bronze medal in judo at the 2008 Olympic games, setting up for her MMA debut a few years later. In some respects, "Rowdy" Ronda picked up where Carano left of in terms of representing women's MMA as the face of the sport. She fought most of her early bouts in Strikeforce, and when the UFC bought the promotion in 2011, it opened the door for her to become one of the top stars of the biggest MMA company in the world.

As a powerful and dynamic athlete, Ronda had a Tyson-type of draw to her events, as she judo threw and arm barred her opponents in the first round. The UFC put the promotional machine behind her and for a brief moment, she was one of the most popular mainstream sports stars in the world. TV, film, and talk show appearances became a part of her schedule between highly-anticipated UFC pay-per-view fights.

She was undefeated with a dozen victories, sparking discussion about a potential super fight with Cyborg, the same Brazilian striker that retired Carano years earlier. However, when Holly Holm shocked the world in November of 2015 and sent Ronda crashing to the canvas to claim the Bantamweight championship with a brutal head kick, it altered not only the career of Rousey, but the direction of women's MMA. There was speculation about it at the time, but there's no doubt about it in hindsight, Ronda Rousey couldn't handle the loss. It took her a full year to return to the octagon to challenge the previously mentioned Amanda Nunes for the same 135 LBS title. Ronda refused to do any media or press interviews to promote the PPV main event. It took Nunes just 48 seconds and landing ten unanswered punches before the referee rescued Rousey from any further damage to stop the fight. With a record of 12-2 and just a five-year run in the sport, Ronda's career was over.

With the increased exposure, most of Ronda's TV and movie offers declined quickly after her fall from grace as the UFC champion. She went on to have two stints in the WWE that yielded mixed results. Ironically, Carano spent several more years as an actress than she did as a fighter, working on several film projects after she retired from MMA. She was in the first two seasons of The Mandarin before a series of controversial political posts on social media got her fired from the show. She sued for wrongful termination and it was eventual settled without the terms of the agreement being disclosed. She was slated for a few conservative=based projects, but they didn't materialize.

I think it's fair to say that Ronda Rousey wouldn't have gotten the opportunities that she had without the stint that Carano had to put female MMA into the sports discussion, but is there really a demand for this fight in 2026?

In truth, I'm not sure why either of these former fighters would agree to make a comeback. Even with what we can reasonably assume will be mega paydays for them, do they really need the money? Both of them have made a hefty amount of cash through either their fight careers or work they garnered from the publicity of being a fighter. The puzzling part of the whole scenario is that, especially in retrospect, the 43-year-old Carano was a fighter to attempt to became a star, not an MMA champion. That's not a jab at her, as making the most money possible is the entire point of capitalism, if she could land the cash on-screen without risking the injuries of the fight game good for her. At the same time, she's been retired from the sport exponentially longer than she was actually a fighter, and she quit after her first loss so why return to the cage 17 years later?

On the other end of the spectrum, Ronda Rousey wanted to be an MMA champion, and couldn't handle the losses. She wasn't the same fighter after she was knocked out by Holly Holm and never regained her confidence as a competitor. What exactly is there to prove if she beats Gina Carano, a fighter that accomplished significantly less than she did? At 39, Rousey isn't going to make a comeback to MMA, this is merely going to be a one-off return. It might be a harsh reality of the situation, but the sport surpassed Carano and Rousey, with the latter having a legacy, while the former had short term notetiry, in the grand scheme of things.

Despite that, this event will sell tickets and draw a number on Netfliz, especially because it's being promoted through Jake Paul's MVP group. As a purest, these type of sideshow events make me shake my head, but the novelty sells, albeit on a limited basis. Given the reach of Netfliz, there will be enough hype around this event for it to be successful, to a lesser extent, but a similar fashion to the Paul/Tyson bout that aired on the streaming platform. Besides the fact that there's a much smaller portion of the audience that knows about Carano's fight career than the fan base that Rousey had, there's no doubt that Ronda's return to competition will be the draw for this event.

It's no coincidence that the show on May 16th will be held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California since that's the same city that hosted some of the Strikeforce cards that featured both fighters years ago. The reason that "Rowdy" Ronda will draw a crowd and viewership is simple, she was so dominate during her prime that it was underwhelming and her career seemed somewhat unfinished when she abruptly quit MMA. This bout against Carano will give her the chance to conclude her fighting career in a more fitting and favorable fashion. It's almost a foregone conclusion that Rousey should be favored and will probably win the fight.

To complete the gimmick aspect of the event, a rematch more than thirty years in the making will take place when the 59-year-old Royce Gracie returns to mixed martial arts after a ten-year absence to challenge the 58-year-old Kimo Leopoldo. I have no idea how in the wide world of sports that the California Athletic Commission will sanction such a circus, and it will be interesting to see if the contest actually takes place when the event happens in May. Gracie beat Kimo via submission in the first round of their 1994 bout at UFC 3, but couldn't continue in the tournament from the injuries he sustained during the fight. Kimo hasn't fought in two decades, and at least on the surface, it appears that it would be irresponsible to allow participants near the age of 60 to compete in MMA.

If this was on pay-per-view, the numbers would be abysmal, but with it being included in the standard Netflix subscription, it will draw a number because America enjoys a circus event, which is why politics are such a topic of discussion today. 

The career of Justin Donahue

Some pursue professional wrestling for fame and fortune, The Ultimate Warrior didn't grow up with posters of his grappling idols on his wall, but he skyrocketed in what became a legendary run as one of the most marketable acts in the history of the business. Some chase pro wrestling glory for the love of the game, Mick Foley famously hitchhiked to Madison Square Garden as a college student because he simply couldn't miss the chance to see his hero, Jimmy "Super Fly" Snuka get his hands on the devious Don Muraco in the steel cage. That's not to mention Foley's famous flight off of his friend's garage to re-create Snuka's iconic dive from the top of the cage after the experience. For others, pro wrestling is a family business, blending the secrets of kayfabe and the over-the-top spectacle like a mixture of the mafia meets the circus. Bret, Owen, Terry, Dory, Rocky, Randy, Nattie, and Brian have all carried on the next generation in the ring.

However, for the western Pennsylvania grappler, Justin Donahue, known inside the ring ropes as Andrew Loveless, his journey to the squared circle wasn't about money, fame, or following his parent's footsteps. Donahue, a spin doctor of records as a local DJ for years, didn't lace up his first pair of boots until later in life. He wasn't trying to re-live his 20s or compensate for some type of mid-life crisis, but rather in a business often built on ego, his initial steps onto the mat were a much more selfless act.

Justin decided to try his hand at the grappling arts as a tribute to his fallen brother, Steven, who passed away in 2021 at the age of just 36.

"I remember being at his funeral telling him that I was going to win a heavyweight title, I was going to do everything in my power for us to live out the childhood dream," Justin recalled.

The siblings boned over the action and the drama of the battles of the larger-than-life characters that beamed through their television screens. They'd sit shoulder to shoulder in the living room during their youth with a shared passion for the dramatic clashes between the heroes and villains. 

"The relationship was back and fourth, we had a lot of good times and we studied a lot of wrestling growing up. He's the one that exposed me to the entire thing, I remember him coming home one weekend from a friends house, talking about Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect having this great match. That instantly exposed me to wanting to learn professional wrestling. Me and my brother, we were all in," Donahue explained.

Similar to any skill set in any endeavor, Donahue took the leap into training , originally quite literally learning the ropes at the famed Monster Factory, the school initially founded by Larry Shapre, and known for breaking the legendary Bam Bam Bigelow into the business in the mid-80s. Run by the accomplished Danny Cage today, the academy offered a full education for those that were serious about their aspirations to pursue the industry. It wasn't uncommon for students to run through a 10-hour day, with the first half designed to teach them as much as possible about aspects outside of the squared circle. Promo classes, video editing tutorials, and production seminars were all a part of the curriculum. The second half of the session was based on cardio, in-ring fundamentals, and pro wrestling psychology. After the Monster Factory, Donahue continued to brush up on his training at other locations, and even today can be spotted any time a seminar is held in his area.

"It was brutal, absolutely brutal. I'm thankful for it, but it was tough, especially the extra cardio in a hot room before it's over," he commented.

By March of 2022, Justin was ready for his debut match, with a new set of gear and fresh wrestling boots for the occasion. His debut wasn't in Madison Square Garden, The Philadelphia Spectrum, or the Civic Arena. Instead it was at the Lewistown Community Center against Rayic Scott, and the opportunity to embark on a journey that would always keep is brother's memory close to his heart was much more important to him than the pomp and circumstance of major arenas or any amount of pyro and ballyhoo.

"The wrestling is very therapeutic, it really helps with me honoring my brother a lot more than people realize. Different companies I've worked with are a backtrack of places that he worked before. I've been places where he was a referee, and 814 for example, we both worked security so anything to follow in his footsteps. I want to win a heavyweight title in his honor, that would be the ultimate stamp of approval, I remember" he said. 

He didn't know it at the time, but the big man that gave him the big boot to secure the three count in that debut bout led Justin to find one of his best friends. 

"I was really focused on the storytelling and the psychology of the match. I knew the promoter booked me to make my opponent look good so I did everything in my power as a heel to get booed out of the building. Rayic Scott became one of my best friends, one of the nicest dudes. He's not wrestling anymore, but he does band stuff, I love that dude. We talk music theory and wrestling, getting to know him, I'm thankful for,"

Different from sports entertainment, Justin fell into music theory by pure chance over a decade ago. A friend of his left some DJ equipment at his house, and offered to let Donahue play around with the sounds. Without a reliable internet connection at the time, Justin broke down the musical bars with his math skills, discovering that he had a natural knack for blending rhythm and harmonies. Just like pro wrestling, the DJ loop has taken him on the road, learning from some of the best music mixers in the country when he took trips to Brooklyn, New York. After he polished his ability to spin beats, he incorporated that knowledge into custom theme songs for his singles and tag team wrestling.

"Deejaying is very therapeutic for me, just like wrestling. It comes down to timing and picking your spots. Alot of the elements I've learned from music, I've used in wrestling,"

With music still a prime portion of his life, with aspirations to set a world record for the amount of songs mixed in an hour as his goal, Donahue stays just as busy, if not more so, with his wrestling schedule. Donahue zigzags around the tri-state area to gain the valuable experience of working in front of a paying audience almost every weekend. Sometimes, there are packed-crowd, and other times, there are sparsely-attended events, but Donahue believes in consistent effort to polish his overall performance. With his trademark heart-shaped sunglasses, Donahue made a splash around the circuit as an over-the-top villain that can generate a reaction from the crowd. When he's not pummeling the competition on his own, his tag partner, Max Strong is added to the mix. The ability to work in both roles has allowed Donahue to develop versatility as a performer. 

"A singles wrestler, the spotlight is on you. There's more pressure, there's a lot less room for error, and a lot more toll on the body. With tag team wrestling, you can set the pace of the match a lot easier and establish the story with more range. Waking up the next morning, you can definitely tell the difference between working singles and tag matches. There's more you can learn from your tag team partner and your opponents compared to a singles match," he explained.

With three years of experience under his belt and just a few weeks away from the start of his fourth year in the business, Donahue keeps a list of goals for himself in the industry as he moves into the next chapter of his career. He expressed that working an MLW Battle Riot battle royal would be a milestone for him on a national platform. He also expressed interest in competing for Ryse Wrestling, the league founded by legendary steel city grappler Brandon K, and a a chance to compete for Big League Pro in Erie since the company was established by another longtime cornerstone of the Pittsburgh circuit, John McChesney.

Still, those personal aspirations are secondary to the goal that made him lace up a pair of boots in the first place, honoring the departed Steven.

"I want to win a heavyweight title to honor my brother," Donahue concluded.

What's the status of Wrestlemania?

For every peak, there's a valley.

We've heard the rumblings over the past few weeks of lighter than expected ticket sales for Wrestlemania 42, the spectacle that is set to return to Las Vegas for the second year in a row in April. Originally, New Orleans was announced as the host city for the signature event before Las Vegas officials offered more cash for the rights fees to bring the show back again. Clearly, if Vegas was willing to not only pay for the event again, but also outbid New Orleans, it's proof of how big the economic impact is for the city that lands a deal for Wrestlemania.

As an indication of the continued uncertainty around the economy, particularly through the international markets with tariffs imposed and how that trickle down effect can eventually impact American consumers, tourism for Las Vegas was down a reported 7.5% last year with the estimated 38 million visitors as the lowest since 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on domestic travel. It might sound trivial, but entertainment is one of the first categories that will be chopped from the average budget when households are concerned about disposable income. It's a very simple scenario, when the cost of the essentials of food, utilities, etc. increase, it cuts into the amount of that disposable income. It might sound silly, but when ground beef and other groceries cost noticeably more, or when the electric bill increases, something that is a pure luxury such as traveling isn't a priority.

It's much cheaper to stay home and subscribe to a streaming service to binge watch a series of than it is to spend a few thousand dollars on a vacation, wrestling-related or not. Furthermore, with the continued implementation of AI, and how the previously mentioned international markets remain unpredictable, it's a tough scenario for someone to plan an expensive trip at the start of the year when there could potentially be a downturn in the job market by the end of the year. If a computer takes someone's place in November, it might be a difficult situation for someone without the cash that they could've saved for a financial emergency if they skipped that trip to Las Vegas in April.

According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, the WWE sold an estimated 36,000 tickets for both nights so far, but that is considerably lower than the 60,000 tickets that were moved for both nights for the event around this time last year. The problem is two-fold, with the obvious concern being the 72,000-seat capacity of Allegiant Stadium so at this point, the company only has half a house for the biggest show of the year. Yes, I understand that they are getting fans to purchase two tickets, but that scenario is also a part of the problem, as doubling the admission fee could hinder ticket sales. The other problem that could be the reason for the concern of sluggish sales is that planning a trip to Las Vegas, and the travel crowd is what makes the Wrestlemania brand so valuable, is that it's something that is usually done in advance because of the amount of reservations involved. That's basically why there were almost double the amount of tickets sold for the show at this point last year.

For example, if fans are going to buy plane tickets to travel to Wrestlemania, it must to done at least a few months in advance because otherwise the cost of flights increase significantly. The same situation applies to hotel rooms, if they are booked on short notice, that generally translates to more expensive accommodations. Basically, if fans plan to attend Wrestlemania, they usually make the purchases associated with the trip by now.

For every peak, there's a valley.

Some were misguided when they claimed that pro wrestling was in a boom period the past few years when the product was based around Cody Rhodes' journey to the championship. Don't get me wrong, the WWE had some very solid programming that served its audience very well, which is why the organization touted its financial success, but it's not as though the genre was a part of the pop culture conversation or anything close to it. It goes without saying that it's a different era, but when Raw and Smackdown garner under two million viewers on a regular basis in the United States, the business didn't surge in popularity. However, that doesn't take away from the success that the company had, there's no doubt that it's an accomplishment to be able to get fans to pay outlandish ticket prices the past few years.

However, as I wrote prior, most recently about the ESPN deal that increased the cost of pay-per-view to $30 a month for a subscription in America, there's a tipping point to how much the typical WWE fan is willing to spend on the product. The majority of the fan base is only going to be willing or could even realistically afford to pay ab astounding amount for live event tickets. The company could only maintain that momentum around the product for a limited amount of time, which isn't a knock on any of the talent, but rather just the logistics of the situation.

Yes, I know that there's a diehard demographic of WWE fans that will attend every major event and sit next to the green shirt guy, but that's not the causal demographic. When the cheapest ticket for WM 42 is around $350 for each night, there's a portion of the population that simply can't realistically afford it. The product itself is only going to be able to justify those prices for a specific period of time before there's a natural decline in not only momentum, but demand for it.

While I understand why Las Vegas put the bid on the table to get the show for a second year, as there's not only the track record of the brand, but also the numbers of the economic impact from 2025, I also understand why the same location two years in a row might potential hinder sales as well. Part of the draw of Wrestlemania is that it isn't just the pay-per-view, but rather a week of events, which justifies the travel for the show. There's more meat on the bone for those that attend, as they can tour the host city between the different portions of Wrestlemania week. When the show is in Las Vegas again, it takes away an incentive for those that were there last year since they already had a chance to explore the city.

In response to the lower ticket sales,  Allegiant Stadium has a President's Day sale of 25% off tickets for Wrestlemania 42. Again, if fans are going to travel to Las Vegas, those plans have to be made now, and the entire reason that the city paid to host the show again is to secure the tourism dollars so it's understandable that the stadium wants to try to boost sales during the reasonable time frame when fans might be prompted to make plans to attend. Sure, there could be a local walk-up crowd so that the building doesn't look partially empty by the time the show starts, but that's not what the city paid for. Las Vegas quite literally has a vested interest in fans traveling to attend Wrestlemania since they bring in revenue for hotels, restaurants, etc.

The vast majority of this scenario has a lot more to do with economics than it does the content of the product.

Still, it's understandable why they are reports that WWE brass are considering different plans for WM 42 as a way to jump start ticket sales, That being said, I honestly don't think the line-up will truly make a difference in the grand scheme of things, as there are very few that truly move the needle in the business today, especially because the historical cache of the WM brand is what sells the majority of the show.

The Brody King situation

One of the major criticisms of All Elite Wrestling, and there's some validity to it, is that it's booked as an independent show with a budget. It's a multi-layered scenario that highlights many of the reasons that the indy circuit takes place in VFW halls instead of major arenas.

We've seen glass fly into the crowd on more than one occasion, which is an invitation for one of the fans to be willing to sue when they know a billionaire owns the company. We saw the ill-fated pizza cutter spot that was right before a Dominos commercial. prompting the pizza chain to drop their advertisements on the show. Hangman Page drinking blood, and Jon Moxley getting legitimately impaled by nails certainly shrinks the target demographic of the product.

It might make the diehard fans pout, but pro wrestling on a national stage is at a completely different level than most of the shows they watch. They are more boxes to be checked, more masters to serve, and the balancing act of a dozen other miscellaneous aspects to juggle at any given time. The reason that pro wrestling groups are willing to attempt to maintain that juggling act is very simple, the ability to do so is how the most money is made in the industry, which is the entire point of the business.

Yes, as I wrote about earlier this week, there will always be a debate between the art and commercialism in sports entertainment, but that can apply across the board to many different genres, both inside and outside the scope of live entertainment. In many ways, it's the nature of the beast, the opportunity to maximize profits has to translate to often catering to the lowest common denominator since that allows for the widest demographic of customers. For example, Extreme Championship Wrestling revolutionized the presentation of the industry in the United States, that was the art of extreme and thus its lasting legacy that has endured well beyond 2001 when the company folded. At the same time, the unwillingness to tailor itself to something that was more adoptable to sponsorships or advertisements in an effort to stay true to its the original vision of the art is what eventually caused it to go out of business. In a similar, but less dramatic and less overall impactful fashion, Ring Of Honor had a huge effect on the business that can still be seen today, but it was sold a few different times because the original formula couldn't sustain itself.

The entire point of getting on national television and the expanded reach that it provides is based on the ability to make more money in the process, regardless of what avenue that is. With more exposure on television, there's a chance for more fans to watch the show, which opens the door for more ticket sales for a live touring schedule, more pay-per-view buys with the ability to use the TV platform to sell the PPV broadcast to the audience, ad revenue from the commercials, and of course, the ability to fully merchandise the product.

For the television networks, especially within the evolving media landscape, the goal is simple, generate steady and consistent ratings to be able to secure decent ad rates from the companies that want to advertise their products. The reason a shoe company would be willing to buy time to put commercials on specific networks is that they want a level of assurance that they can market their products effectively to the demographic that will be a realistic customer to purchase the product. For example, you might not get a red bull commercial on the Hallmark Channel, but there's a reason that Monster Energy is one of the UFC sponsors. Along the same lines, there's a reason that Red Bull sponsors sports like snowboarding and BMX, but you won't see a multivitamin logo for senior citizens at the same event. The effort to target demographics is a staple of consumerism, not just the media industry.

That's why television networks, particularly at a time when there's more media options competing for viewers than any other time in history, take their ability to secure those advertisers very seriously, as they should since its their primary revenue stream. The reason that media conglomerates are willing to spend billions of dollars of the massive media rights deals for sports programming is to maintain the market share of viewers, a portion of consumers that gets divided by every podcast, streaming platform, and Youtube video that looks to garner viewers for the same purpose, to secure advertisement revenue.

That's why when I read the initial report from The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer that Warner Brothers Discovery executives asked that Brody King, who is scheduled to challenge for the AEW world title this weekend on TNT, not be a part of Wednesday's Dynamite broadcast because of the anti-ICE chants during his prior match against MJF, I was somewhat surprised, but I wasn't shocked. As I wrote about previously, controversy can create a buzz, and because of that, there's an argument to be made that Brody King should beat MJF for the belt since it would immediately make the company stand out from WWE based on TKO's close ties with Trump.

According to Fightful Select, WBD issued a statement that they didn't ask for any talent not to be included on any of the All Elite Wrestling programming this week, and mentioned that Brody King is scheduled to appear on the TNT network for the Collision show in Australia. I take everything that Meltzer or Fightful Select report with a grain of salt, which is usually the right decision with any of the pro wrestling rumor mill. Mike Johnson, who is the most accurate reporter of pro wrestling news, explained that Brody King simply wasn't scheduled for the Dynamite taping because of travel logistics for the event in Australia. 

After being rebuffed with a statement from WBD and then the report from Johnson about why Brody King wasn't at the Dynamite show, Meltzer tweeted the correction and looked to move past the situation with a series of retweets to flood his timeline, appearing to try to sweep the blunder under the rug.

We've discussed revenue streams, and let's keep in mind, Meltzer makes a living off of subscriptions, he has to keep the speculation of pro wrestling worth the price of that subscription so his statement on the Wrestling Observer Radio show was probably just to keep his newsletter as a topic of discussion with something that was based on an assumption rather than any direct sources. Meltzer has a vested interest in keeping his reports worthwhile to the demographic that is willing to pay for it, not to directly report news. Don't get me wrong, if Meltzer can continue to make a living from his newsletter, good for him, that's capitalism.

Make no mistake, from a historical perspective, Meltzer is one of the best resources anywhere, but given the political nature of the situation and the possible implications, this was a very glaring blunder.

However, the reason that I wanted to pen this article is to point out that while Meltzer assumed something and reported it as fact, that doesn't mean that the issue won't become a problem that someone would have to address in the future, specifically if Brody King continues to have a featured role on television. Regardless of what someone's opinion is on the ICE enforcement in the country, the chants of profanity aren't something that a network will be thrilled about because of the impact it could have on potential sponsors. While the FCC doesn't directly regulate cable television the way that it does broadcast TV, there are some limited regulations for specific content. 

Furthermore and most importantly, a wrestler wearing an "Abolish ICE" t-shirt is something that can obviously have an effect on sponsors so it's not as though, it's a situation that can be glossed over either. There's no doubt that the almighty dollar will dictate the decisions, as it usually does, so if the advertisers take notice, you can bet the sponsorships will be more important to the network than Brody King being on the show.

Of course, it's commendable that Brody King has continued to raise money for those affected by ICE enforcement. Anyone's opinion on the enforcement itself doesn't take away from the nobility of the gesture to help others. That being said, while Meltzer's report was glaringly false, it spotlights why AEW should be careful with how it books its product on every level. This isn't an independent show for 400 people in Reseda, it's a national television platform, and the simple fact of the matter is, there are parameters of how to monetize it to its fullest potential. With the scuttlebutt around the situation, it will be interesting to see if the discussion around it will impact the decision for the winner of the title match.

What's the status of Ricochet?

Is Ricochet right or delusional?

Ricochet, the grappler who broke into the business on the dirt-stained canvases of the independent circuit in the early-2000s during his teenage years, made headlines last week when he claimed that the WWE "tarnished his legacy" during an interview on the Mark Hoke show to promote AEW's event in Las Vegas.

Ricochet spent just over five years under the WWE umbrella, inking a contract with the company in early-2018 before he eventually left the organization after being written off television in mid-2024. The aerial star won the United States and Intercontinental titles during his time on the main roster, but never seemed to progress beyond the middle of the card. The year he spent in NXT prior to when he was called up to Raw saw him have a stint as the North American champion at a time when there was still a noticeable buzz around the brand in 2019.

In truth, it seemed like the office didn't know exactly what to do with Ricochet beyond putting him on the shows to work the dazzling style that gained him notoriety prior to his arrival in the company. At one point, there was an ill-fated attempt to put him in a full body suit to try to make him look like a superhero, which was thankfully phased out rather quickly.

Still, Ricochet was in the mix, being paired with Logan Paul for a featured match at Summer Slam in 2023. That would suggest that the promotion had a level of trust with his skills, as Logan Paul is still relatively inexperienced now, but was even more of a novice a few years ago so it wasn't a coincidence that the office put him in the ring with Ricochet to make sure everything went smoothly.

That's a testament to the reputation that he established during the prior decade that earned him a WWE deal in the first place. There's no doubt that Ricochet is an incredible athlete and one of the best high-flyers of his generation. His athletic skills aren't up for debate.

That being said, the notion that the WWE "tarnished his legacy" is laughable. In the grand scheme of things,  Ricochet had notoriety, not a legacy, before he debuted in the company. He's more or less in the same place today, not because he doesn't have the talent to have a legacy by the time he hangs up his boots, but rather there are still chapters to be written from a performer still in the prime of his career.

Between the interview appearance and nonsense posted on social media, Ricochet's main point of contention seems to be that his "work rate" style is more important than the sports entertainment presentation of the WWE. He went as far as to bring other names up to try to bolster his case, claiming that El Generico had a "better legacy" than Sami Zayn, a way to imply that Sami's independent work was better than his WWE career. He also cited Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Apollo Crews.

Basically, this would be the sophisticated debate of art vs. commercialism, but Ricochet is too obtuse to have that discussion. He boiled it down to WWE is automatically hindering the sport because its presentation is tailored to the general public rather than the pro wrestling purest, which is such a narrow-minded view point of the industry.

Taking nothing away from Ricochet as an athlete, there's a reason that he worked for Dragon Gate, New Japan, and received rave reviews in PWG. However, if he believes that a dazzling spot fest in front of 400 fans is more important than a worldwide platform with an income well into the six-figure range than that might be one of the reasons that the office didn't invest main event stock into him during his tenure with the company.

Let's be honest here, while Ricochet certainly has a right to his own career aspirations, he sounds like a total doofus when he makes the same statement about others' careers. Sami Zayn is one of the most over and most versatile performers in the entire industry. He's an underdog that the audience connects with and that can draw money, which is the entire point of the business. Sami is a much more well-rounded performer now than he was during his time under the El Generico gimmick because the audience knows more about the real-life performer so it's much more identifiable with the fans than a gimmick that was meant as an inside joke for the smart mark demographic.

The real-life performer made more money as Sami Zayn, has competed in front of exponentially bigger crowds, and is a much more well-rounded performer than the El Generico character. If Ricochet can't understand the difference between a sold out arena in Montreal rallying for Sami to win the championship as opposed to El Generico at the VFW in Reseda than again, it's more proof that he doesn't understand the multi-layered approach to the WWE business model, as well as how many boxes they need to check for their main event stars. Sure, Finn should've had a bigger run, Nakamura should've been the first recognized Japanese WWE champion, and maybe Apollo should've been given more opportunities, but that's not a modern critique for the WWE or any other organization. Mr. Kennedy probably shouldn't have been canned in 2007, Rey Mysterio shouldn't have been booked to lose his mask in 1999, and Jim Crockett shouldn't have bought Bill Watts' territory for $9 million in 1987 when Watts would've had to eventually fold anyway.

The difference between those situations and the examples that Ricochet tried to cite is that Finn, Nakamura, and Crews all obtained financial security working for the WWE. It might be a harsh reality check for some, but seven figures is always going to be more important than seven stars. How many dives did Steve Austin do when he became the biggest star in the history of the business?

Thankfully for Ricochet (and several others), a billionaire that is a huge wrestling fan decided to launch a company. We've seen before that Tony Khan is a great guy, but the scope of AEW is essentially a vanity project because his family has enough money to fund the venture as long as he wants to continue to be a promoter. His qualification to be the promoter of the second-largest pro wrestling group in the United States is that his family has the money to fund it. All Elite Wrestling doesn't have to be self-sustaining so money in no object. That allows someone like Ricochet to show up, do every high spot in the book without being able to truly move the needle, and he can make at least comparable money to the WWE contracts. That's not a knock either, if Tony Khan is willing to offer Ricochet that type of cash then good for him, that's capitalism.

However, the unique circumstances of AEW being a pro wrestling company that doesn't have to focus on the profit margin doesn't change the fact that Ricochet doesn't understand the most basic premise of the pro wrestling industry, which is to draw as much money as possible. How many memorable Ricochet promos have you seen? Can he really be successful with a 15-minute mic segment on Raw to sell the next pay-per-view? If the high spot style was enough of a draw to be successful at the biggest stages, TNA would've been a lot bigger during its heyday, and AEW would be more successful than it is today.

Ironically, Ricochet's mindset that the WWE "tarnished his legacy" is probably why he doesn't actually have an established legacy yet.

What's the status of Bad Bunny?

Controversy creates cash.

That was a very clever book title from former WCW boss, Eric Bischoff years ago that remains true even more so today. Bischoff wasn't perfect, and undoubtedly had his share of key mistakes that he reflects on, with his own spin, of course, on his 83 Weeks podcast. There are many reasons that World Championship Wrestling fell off a cliff in 2000 before it was sold for pennies on the dollar to Vince McMahon in early-2001. At the same time, there are a few key reasons that the company had a meteoric, albeit relatively brief stint at the top of the pro wrestling world, and Bischoff was a major part of that success.

As we know, that notion of controversy being a revenue stream spans well beyond the realm of sports entertainment. Politicians use that pro wrestling psychology all the time. That's why politics are more of a work than pro wrestling and it's more profitable, too.

Given that the debates on the Senate floor are often more performative than last weekend's Royal Rumble event, it wasn't totally shocking that Democratic Senator, Ruben Gallego from Arizona threw in his two cents with a tweet to Tony Khan to encourage AEW to bring in the Grammy award-winning singer. This was just days after the company made some news in the mainstream press for anti-ICE chants during the MJF/Brody King main event from last week's episode of Dynamite.

Clearly, Gallego was trying to jump on the social media band wagon without much knowledge of the situation, which isn't uncommon for elected officials. More specifically, far be it from me to speak for the citizens of Arizona, it's way too humid for me there, but I'd venture to say that there are much more important issues to be discussed for the state and the country than attempted virtue signaling for the recruitment of a pro wrestling show. As we know, Bad Bunny already has ties to the WWE and simply wouldn't perform for any group other than the most recognizable pro wrestling brand, which isn't a knock on AEW, but rather to point out the true scope of the situation.

The Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez discussed on a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Live that Bad Bunny is, in fact, going to be back in a wrestling ring soon, but there's no question that it will be for the WWE.

Some might question this, will Bad Bunny still want to appear for a company so closely associated with Trump amid the previously mentioned ICE debate? Others might ask, will the WWE still want to host a celebrity that is so critical of their orange pal in the oval office?

For Bad Bunny, he's involved with WWE because he's a fan of the sport, and to his credit, he took it seriously and was prepared. At the same time, he was booked for situations that worked for someone of his experience level and he was showcased as a major star to the WWE audience. Most importantly, he was the centerpiece of the WWE's return to Puerto Rico a few years ago with what will be remembered as a legendary crowd reaction. In the most basic of terms, Bad Bunny was treated very well by WWE brass. In return, as mentioned, he was prepared for his involvement and it was a win-win situation. Plus, he moved a lot of merchandise on the WWE website, as the Bad Bunny t-shirts for his debut match sold out online.

Bad Bunny returning to the organization in the coming months isn't the office rushing it to prevent him from exploring the AEW option, but rather that the organization has a rumored return to Puerto Rico in May. The bottom line is this, regardless of the anti-ICE stance that the singer took, TKO management aren't going to pass up the chance to promote the performer that just won three Grammys or was the featured star at the halftime show at the Super Bowl. The brass tacks of the scenario is exactly what was mentioned earlier, there's a lot of money to be made through ticket sales and merchandise from the next Bad Bunny cameo in WWE. That's not to mentioned the publicity, which is always extremely valuable since it keeps the brand in the mainstream conversation, an aspect of the modern era that can't be understated when there's exponentially more competition for viewers than any other time in history.

Controversy creates cash.

Given the reports of sluggish ticket sales for Wrestlemania thus far, which has more to do with the ludicrous prices than anything else, I wouldn't be too surprised if the writing team finds a role for Bad Bunny in Las Vegas this year. There's no doubt that the Hispanic star has a massive fan base, and that's an important commodity when you take into account that the company is looking to move a combined 100,000 tickets during the course of the two-night pay-per-view. When you're trying to sell that many tickets at the notorious prices, TKO needs every selling point they can use for WM.

But, won't Bad Bunny's involvement possibly sour those fans that oppose his views?

This is where the silliness of American society and the political landscape are exposed. There's a lot of faux outrage these days, as some people will try to attempt to claim that they have the moral high ground based on their political leanings. It's nothing more than self-serving behavior that caters to the self-important demographic. These people need more hobbies since their virtue signaling will only take them so far until it's proven how superficial those stances really are. One of the many reasons that American society is such a dumpster fire, making this type of nonsensical rhetoric possible, is that phony outrage only goes as far as when something would be inconvenient to actually make the point.

Boycotts based on political affiliation never last because generally speaking, the American public values consumerism more than their supposed ethics.

Walmart is the evil empire that doesn't pay its employees well and steamrolls local businesses, but you can't beat those prices, can you? There's an entire Wikipedia page of the possible wrongdoing of Starbucks, but is anyone really going to pass up that pompous $8 latte? Remember when a demographic of the country wasn't going to watch the NFL about ten years ago? The league is still one of the highest-rated programs on broadcast and cable television.

The phony moral outrage doesn't outweigh the entertainment value, especially in the United States.

If Bad Bunny is a part of WM or Backlash later this year, every WWE fan that bought one of those silly red hats and actually believes that the orange villain cares about them will still watch the show. Those that don't ignore the fact that Trump's name is in the Epstein files more than the amount of times that Terry Funk retired from pro wrestling are still going to watch the product despite the fact that WWE money literally helped Trump get elected on both occasions.

The much bigger point to all of this, a notion that extends beyond the current political donnybrook, is that Bad Bunny's involvement is another way for TKO brass to continue to globalize the product. Of course, the entire purpose of globalize the product is to maximize revenue, which proves why cash, not politics will determine the direction of the company. 

MJF vs. Brody King

On last night's episode of AEW Dynamite, Brody King, a cult favorite of sorts for the promotion, pinned world champion, Maxwell Jacob Friedman to earn a title shot at next week's Grand Slam edition of Dynamite in Australia. Given his reaction, particularly with the political climate in the United States and his association with one side of the argument, is there a case to be made for Brody King to dethrone MJF?

First, we have to look at MJF's title reign, a run that started at the end of last year when he won the four-way main event to claim the belt after an extended absence from the promotion to do film work. In truth, it seemed like it was somewhat of a snap decision because Friedman returned to the company, cut one of the better promos of his career, and won the championship just a few weeks later to potential set up for the best run of his AEW tenure. But what exactly has he done as champion? Yes, I understand that there hasn't been a pay-per-view since he won the belt, but we're talking about his purpose as champion within the organization. Outside of a one-off, albeit very solid, title defense against Bandido, what direction does MJF's title reign have so far?

I'm not saying this is Friedman's fault, he can only play the hand that he's dealt by Tony Khan, but at a time when the baby face and heel dynamics across the board in AEW seem murky, it becomes tough to build credible challengers for the champion, as they are opponents, but not a threat to the title because there's no storyline around it to truly emphasize its importance.

The victory over MJF last night on TBS might be nothing more than a hotshot approach to manufacture a challenge for Friedman on a featured episode of television.

If that's the situation than the discussion about Brody King winning the title is moot. It's a scenario that will play out within the span of two weeks, MJF will continue a rather directionless title reign, and Brody will be shuffled back down to the mid-card. But, should a win over the world champion really be a disposable two-week angle?

One thing is for sure, the world championship should have a storyline around it, and the fact that it currently doesn't is a glaring flaw of Tony's product. How can you build hype to sell tickets and pay-per-views without a meaningful angle? That's one of the negative side effects of All Elite essentially being a vanity project because money is no object when Tony's billionaire family can fund the organization so ultimately, it's not critical that Tony books a storyline that can be used to sell tickets, pay-per-views, etc.

That's not a knock on Tony Khan as a person, he legitimately cares about his roster, which is refreshing for the pro wrestling business, but the bottom line is, the safety net that he has with an extremely wealthy family allows him to book in a fashion that he couldn't otherwise if AEW actually had to sustain itself.

Still, much like anything else within the product, circumstances might be the best way to determine if a title switch, even in the short term would be beneficial.

The biggest piece of the puzzle is where is MJF going? Is he actually going to be on the show or does he have more film work lined up? If he's going to be there, what path is he going to take as champion? Who is he going to work with? Most importantly, what storyline is he going to be booked for to maximize the importance of his title reign in an effort to draw as much money as possible?

Another piece of the puzzle might seem trivial, but could be just as important, especially if a title switch would be considered. Is Australia the right location for Friedman to drop the belt? Keep in mind, AEW's Australia venture last year was disastrous, as the company originally planned to run an event in a stadium before it was moved to a much smaller in-door arena due to low ticket sales. AEW television distribution in the country is sparse, and after the debacle last year, you have to wonder why Tony would want to run there again? Yes, I know that Australia has a history of pro wrestling as far back as the 1960s with Jim Barnett running cards there with Dominic DeNucci as one of the top drawing stars, but the reality is that AEW is not well known enough to realistically sell tickets there.

Would it be a successful coronation of a new champion if the draw is low in the building?

If Tony should put the title on Brody King is debatable. However, pundits should get past the notion that MJF is so talented that his time as the champion is a foregone conclusion or that he should be automatically anointed a lengthy run as champion. Yes, MJF is a very talented performer, and when he doesn't take the attempted short cuts at cheap heat, he can cut one of the better promos in the business. But, his prior run as champion proved that he can't overcome subpar booking (not entirely his fault), nor can he truly move the needle with the top spot in the promotion. Tony either missed the opportunity that he had to maximize Friedman's potential, MJF couldn't completely live up to the hype, or both. Regardless of the reason why, despite the lofty expectations for him when AEW was launched more than six years ago, MJF simply isn't the golden goose that was going to be the centerpiece that would propel the company to the next level.

So, Brody King as the world champion should at least be on the table.

As we know, ICE has been a fiercely debated topic among the American political landscape, garnering an anti-ICE chant during the main event segment. Brody King has been very publicly anti-ICE and has worked fundraisers for some of those affected by current immigration enforcement policies. Of course, getting political can potential divide the audience, but at the same time, politics is also big business, which is why the American system is kept with just two parties. The WWE is firmly entrenched with the Trump administration, and the TKO corporation is as well with the upcoming UFC card at the White House in June. Triple H has been at the White House, Linda McMahon was gifted a spot in Trump's cabinet for a second time for the amount of money she contributed to his campaigns, and the Justice Department dropped an investigation against Vince after Trump took office for a second term.

It might be a bold strategy, but  maybe AEW can draw support from fans on the other side of the aisle if the world champion is someone so publicly associated with the anti-ICE movement? If nothing else, it would set All Elite a part from WWE and possibly create some buzz around the company.

All of that being said, MJF will probably beat Brody King next week, the victory over the world champion will only be used for two weeks, and the results of any of it will be rather moot within another week or two. Still, the entire landscape of All Elite Wrestling seems bland right now, which is basically what happens after all the car crash booking finishes up with very little progress to show for it. There's a reason that Powerhouse Hobbs turned down a hefty offer from Tony Khan to debut in the Royal Rumble as Royce Keys.

Tony Khan is a billionaire, and I'm not so what do I know? But, if I had a vote, I would say to put the title on Brody King as a way to give MJF a purpose as a character, to get the belt back at any costs, which could emphasize his role as a heel. Brody King looks completely different than the vast majority of the AEW roster and he can go in the ring. He can be a uniquely marketable star and he would be someone fresh in the title picture that became woefully stagnant during the infamous death riders angle last year.