The AEW/TNA situation

With the real-life conflict in Iran, the news can be depressed and frustrating. Sometimes, the pro wrestling industry can be as well, but the consequences are obviously on a much less serious scale so instead of ranting and raving about the orange blob's latest attempts to distract from the Epstein files, let's discuss the cold war of professional wrestling.

Given Wrestlemania's sluggish ticket sales, despite being the biggest event on the sports entertainment calendar, cold might be the word used to describe the industry as a whole, but different from the elected officials in the United States, let's compromise and call the current state of the business lukewarm at best. I've written a few columns over the past few months that detailed the evolving story of how the WWE reacted to the numbers as we get closer to this weekend's sports entertainment spectacle. Sure, the Saudi money is the big picture, and worse case scenario, they can paper the house so in the grand scheme of things, most of the concerns around sales are moot. The guaranteed revenue from the media rights deals, and the most profitable Wrestlemania in history next year, are going to keep the stock price strong. It's a harsh reality, but a global, publicly-traded company serves its investors first, not the audience. One way or another the stadium will look full by the time the pryo and ballyhoo begins Saturday night.

Still, as the corporate machine built the Wrestlemania brand into not only a destination event, but also a week of festivities to justify the fans' trip to different locations each year, the rest of the industry followed suit, slicing relatively small pieces of the pie from the massive influx of fans in the particular city each year. True to the carny origins of the business, there will always be a slew of grifters that run alphabet soup organizations that try to pick up crumbles with the notion that "we ran Maina week, brother." The reality is that the groups that run events on the outer most periphery of Wrestlemania week are not players in the industry. Setting a ring up in Bob's Beepers parking lot thirty miles away from the stadium has zero impact on the industry.

However, there are a select few shows that generate revenue and can provide narratives within the business based on their showcases around Wrestlemania week. In some ways, that adds to the cache of just how big the spectacle of the actual event is. The pro wrestling world is focused on the happenings of Las Vegas this weekend. Obviously, Game Changer Wrestling is probably the most notable, with Josh Barnett's Blood Sport event standing out because of its unique format, and Joey Janela's Spring Break. Outside of the GCW banner, Wrestle Con, the convention run by the Highspots website, usually does very well with the meet and greets of the convention itself, while the series of live events booked around it typically has some fun matches because of the amount of talent that are already there for the autograph signings.

TNA President, Carlos Silva was the subject of discussion online after he made the call to cancel Moose from the Maple Leaf Pro event, Scott D'Amore's organization, as well as cancelling Leon Slater's bout against AEW star, Ricochet. Furthermore, the AEW World champion, Maxwell Jacob Friedman was scheduled to compete against TNA talent, Nic Nemeth  at the Create-A-Pro event, a group run by TNA star, Brain Myers, before that bout was also canceled. MJF and Nemeth will both still appear at the show at the beginning of next month, but the match itself won't happen. Reportedly, Silva explained that the changes were made because of "partner conflicts," which is basically a PR way of saying that the WWE doesn't want TNA talent wrestling AEW talent since TKO has a partnership with the Anthem-owned company.

In truth, none of this matters in the grand scheme of things. Sure, it would've been something unique for the fans, but it's on such a smaller scale, especially compared to the business that WWE does, it wouldn't have impacted the numbers or the perception of any company if the bouts took place as scheduled. No harm, no foul in this situation. While D'Amore's MLP league recently secured a television deal in Canada, it's very much, as it should be, strictly a Canadian project. If the former TNA executive can find a niche running consistently north of the boarder, a market that doesn't get as many major live events as the United States since WWE and TNA are domestic to America, then good for him. Maple Leaf Pro will succeed or fail in a vacuum, which isn't a criticism, but rather to point out that they are strategically limited to Canada. Yes, I know that Anthem is based in Canada, but with the AMC deal at the start of the year, TNA will tour the United States most of the time. As we know, there was a recent collaboration between Ring Of Honor, the AEW spinoff project, and MLP just a few weeks ago. Still, Moose appearing on the Maple Leaf show wasn't going to make or break the event. It's not as though Moose's participation was going to change the goals or the realistic expectations of the venture going forward. The Ricochet/Leon Slater match falls in the same category, there are a few dozen matches happening that weekend, even if it's a dazzling spot fest that the live crowd and minimal online audience to enjoy, it's not as though Leon Slater is going to be in position to main event Wrestlemania next year if he beats Ricochet at the Wrestle Con event.

The MJF/Nic Nemeth situation is a little murkier, but still nothing earth-shattering. Nemeth revealed in a previous interview that his last WWE contract was a hefty deal more or less to keep him away from AEW more than anything. The office didn't have different plans for him, and probably didn't want to risk putting too much stock into him, as talented as he is, because of his history of injuries. You can't blame the former Dolph Ziggler for taking the cash for an easy schedule, especially because making the most money possible is the entire point of the business. Keep in mind, there's no pension or retirement plan for independent contractors. At 45, Nemeth isn't going to make another run anywhere, he already had a fun stint in New Japan a few years ago, and his tenure in TNA is probably just a way for him to continue to make some solid cash until he hangs up his boots. Should Nemeth have gotten more opportunities in his prime? Maybe, but it's tough to say because another major injury could've derailed the time and promotional push the WWE machine put behind him. Instead, he was typecast as a good hand in WWE, fairly or unfairly, but was still paid a hefty sum to stay under WWE contract. In TNA, it's a smaller pond where he can have a bigger impact, but again, it's not as though Nemeth is going to go on a major run that would change the direction of the business at this point in his career. Since Friedman is the AEW world champion, he would go over if the match happened, but does it really matter? It's a one-off on an independent show, it doesn't have the cache of something nationally televised. It simply wouldn't have affected anything if MJF beat Nemeth at a Create-A-Pro event.

So, why would the WWE put the brakes on these matches, especially given the relatively limited scope?

The answer is simple, it's a way for the WWE to put All Elite Wrestling in a secondary position in the business. Tony Khan might be from a billionaire family, but TKO calls the shots. It's a reminder, albeit a somewhat petty reminder, that the WWE dictates the direction of the business. When TKO tells Carlos Silva to cancel TNA talent from working with AEW wrestlers, it gets done because the WWE wants to reinforces the narrative about the amount of power that the brand wields in the industry.

UFC 327

Last month, I penned an article about the effect that the White House card scheduled for June on Trump's birthday has on the current UFC calendar. This weekend's UFC 327 pay-per-view card that will be hosted at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida is more proof of that, especially given the line-up that was assembled from some of the pieces of the puzzle left after the White House card was announced.

Jiri Prochazka, the longtime veteran and former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, will square off with Carlos Ulberg, the talented striker that is riding a nine-fight win streak ahead of the bout, for the vacated 205 LBS title. The belt was vacated by Alex Pereira, who will fight Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship at the Freedom card in June. Jiri has a pro record of 32-5-1 with a reputation for entertaining fights, but this headliner very much has a consolation prize atmosphere around it. Pereira beat Prochazka twice, originally for the vacated UFC Light Heavyweight championship via TKO in the second round in November 2023 before he defeated him again in the same fashion in the same round of the rematch in June the following year. At this point, if Jiri wins the 205 LBS belt again, it's more that the tougher competition vacated the title to move up a division rather than proving that he's the top fighter in the division. This also applies, to a lesser degree, to Ulberg as well since he would defeat someone that lost to the previous champion twice. This fight seems like it was put together more for Jiri's track record, and the fact that Ulberg has a record of 13-1 than anything else. It's not as though there was a level of anticipation for this match-up or that their paths in the division necessarily justified this contest. Management needed a fight to crown a new champion after Pereira decided to move up to the heavyweight division, not that Prochazka/Ulberg was viewed as a championship bout prior to this.

Jiri, the Chezh striker that is known for his risk-taking style, is on a two-fight win streak. He defeated Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree via TKO and KO respectively last year. Ulberg has a kickboxing background so the stage is set for an action-packed main event, but the gravitas usually associated with pay-per-view title fights just isn't there for this show. That said, there's meat on the bone in this one, specifically for the diehard fan base that looks for the substance of a quality fight over the promotional sizzle often seen with the UFC. That is being saved for Dana White's pal, the orange blob in the White House for his birthday. 

That's the biggest issue for this main event match-up, it has nothing to do with the entertaining skills of either Prochazka and Ulberg, but rather that the promotion is more or less on autopilot until they can pacify Trump with his own personalized birthday event. Given Jiri's wild style, it's tough to pick a winner for this one, as one punch for either of these strikers could set up to finish the fight. That said, I'll pick Jiri to get the victory, mostly because he has fought and defeated tougher competition than the opponents on Ulberg's record. Furthermore, if the bout reaches the championship rounds, Prochazka's hefty experience advantage could be key. Carlos Ulberg hasn't fought more than three rounds in his career, and hasn't fought more than three rounds against competition the caliber of Prochazka.

A Flyweight title fight was originally slotted to serve as the co-main event on the show, but an injury moved the Joshua Van/Tatsuro Taira contest to next month's UFC 328 pay-per-view, a broadcast that will be headlined by Khamzat Chimaev defending the Middleweight championship against Sean Strickland. If Strickland deserves another shot at the title since he only had one win after he lost to Dricus Du Plessis for a second time in their rematch for the championship is a different discussion for a different time. It appears, at least on the surface, that management is trying to use Strickland's pig-headed and often controversy comments to sell some tickets. Given that the UFC is throwing the orange villain a birthday party, it's not surprising that they're trying to market Strickland's ignorance to sell tickets. Anything for the almighty dollar, right?

With UFC 327 needing a co-main event, Paulo Costa looks as though he's going to be fed to the undefeated Azamat Murzakanov so there's not much intrigue for that bout, despite its position on the card. Speaking of lack of intrigue, the Dominik Reyes/Johnny Walker contest is more or less a battle of the underachievers. More than six years ago, Reyes lost a razor-close decision to Jon Jones, a bout that many argued that he won, but afterwards, he never truly progressed the way that many thought he would with the way that he possibly defeated Jones, depending on your perspective. Following the close defeat on the score cards, Reyes lost three fights in a row before he picked up three wins in a row. He was knocked out by the previously mentioned Ulberg in the first round of his most recent fight last September. Sure, Reyes fought solid competition, but since the performance of his career against Jones, his record is a reflection of indifference. Much of the same can be said for his opponent, Johnny Walker, as he was touted as a future star upon his debut in the organization several years ago, but he was never consist enough to put himself in the championship conversation. Key losses put him at an almost .500 record, which again, is the definition of indifference. You can pick a winner for this contest, but it won't matter either way.

Elsewhere on the card, Josh Hokit, an undefeated heavyweight that has racked up eight victories since he joined the pro ranks just two and a half years ago, will step into the octagon against journeyman, Curtis Blaydes. Knowing that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, Hokit has tried to use some pro wrestling tactics to hype his upcoming bout, and we've seen how such approaches yield attention, if nothing else. However, I think that will prove to be a key mistake for Hokit. Granted, Blaydes is being used in the gatekeeper role here since he lost against the upper-tier of the division previously, but found success against anyone even a rung underneath that on the ladder toward the top of the 265 LBS weight class. Obviously, this contest is designed to find out where Hokit gauges in the division. Blaydes is undoubtedly the toughest competition of Hokit's relatively young career, and I'd pick  Blaydes to get the victory, mostly because of his experience advantage.

Finally, Cub Swanson will have his retirement fight against Nate Landwehr. After an astounding 22-year card, the 42-year-old featherweight will hang up his gloves, closing another chapter in MMA history, as he's one of the very few fighters remaining from the WEC days. Swanson is a perfect example of how the fight business is still the entertainment business, which is meant in the most positive way possible. We've seen how the politics of the fight game, both in MMA and boxing, can sometimes prevent the best quality bouts from taking place. Cub Swanson was a guy that, regardless of it he won or lost, you were going to get your money's worth when you paid to see him fight, which is why he kept a job with the UFC for as long as he has. His wild brawl with Choi Doo-ho won the fight of the year award in 2016. He didn't duck anyone, he showed up to fight, not just to avoid a defeat, and he will have a legacy as one of the guys that stepped into the cage to put on a show. Sure, he never won UFC gold, or was truly in contention for a title, but his heart and grit made him a commodity in the MMA landscape. Much like the rest of his career, it won't matter if he wins or loses his final bout, it's just going to be an entertaining to watch him fight before his retirement.

What's next for CM Punk?

What's old is new again.

Sure, that's a cliche, ironically implying itself what's old can find new life, but sometimes things are cliches because they are true.

On Raw, seemingly in another rebuttal to Pat McAfee's bizarre heel turn and  counterproductive promo on Smackdown last week, CM Punk cut another worked shoot-type of promo, with another reference to Vince when he was ranting about Roman Reigns, as well as a very deliberate mention of McAfee with a reference to Ari Emmanuel, the CEO of Endeavor, the parent company of TKO, that was rumored to have inserted the former NFL football player into the current crop of storylines in a late-minute attempt to move the numbers of Wrestlemania ticket sales since the metrics still put the organization 30% behind where they were last year.

Given Cody Rhodes' originally unscheduled promo to response to McAfee's segment that unintentionally went too far of script, and CM Punk's  mic work that mentioned Vince again as the, "weird old man," is it possible that the current WWE product is going to see another influx of heel authority figures to provide opposition to the fiery baby faces?

The notion of more heel authority figures will probably make you shake your head initially, but with the current narrative of the promotion, could it be a remedy for some of the hurdles that the organization faces right now?

More than a decade ago, during CM Punk's original run in the company, he promoted himself as "the voice of the voiceless" in many segments. As a heel, he could use that moniker to invoke a cult leader status as if he knew what was best for his Straight Edge Society faction. As a baby face, he could be the voice of the fans that management seemingly disregarded, as the publicly-traded corporation had completely monopolized the industry at a certain point. Right now, the stage could be set for CM Punk to speak up for the little guy, the average Joe Hanson, or the everyday consumer that can't realistically afford some of the astronomical ticket prices. The narrative around the corporation at the moment is that TKO simply got too greedy and took advantage of the fans' loyalty, pricing the majority of them out of the marquee pay-per-views.

CM Punk has been known as a rebel, albeit a hypocritical rebel, over the years. He didn't mind showing up in Saudi Arabia and groveling as long as the blood money that he criticized years earlier was going in his pocket this time. But, as we know, especially within the sports entertainment genre, perception is reality, and if that's a specific star on the roster that can get over the angle that he's going to rage against the corporate machine, it's CM Punk. Don't get me wrong, CM Punk isn't Steve Austin, no matter how much he wants to frame himself in those terms, but the same type of storyline, to a lesser degree, can work in this situation.

We've discussed in recent weeks how management hit the panic button on the sluggish ticket sales, offering 31% and 25% discounts, which proved to be too little too late since the other costs involved with travel increased significantly as we get closer to Wrestlemania. Travelers might save 25% or 31% on the live event tickets, but flight costs and hotel reservations on relatively short notice exceed those savings. The conflict with Iran and the surge in fuel prices didn't help matters, but there were indications that fans were priced out of WM 42 a few months before the war in the middle east started. One of the legitimately shocking points that Punk made in the promo on Raw was the proclamation to lower the ticket prices. Usually, this is the worst move that a commodity can make publicly because it lets the general public know that the brand isn't as in demand as it was a few years ago, and it tell the audience that they were foolish for paying the inflated prices to get into the building that night. In some ways, it's publicly admitting defeat, which doesn't create a sense of optimism ahead of the biggest show of the year. That being said, the entire scenario could be used, if crafted properly, to turn the negative into a positive with a storyline that might theoretically get WWE through the rest of the year.

To avoid the embarrassment of admitting that TKO overplayed their hand, assuming that fans would pay more or less any price for the privilege to attend the corporate spectacles, CM Punk's calls to lower prices could be an indirect way for the office to save face and actually move some tickets at the same time. It puts CM Punk over because he was the baby face that stood up for consumers and allowed it to be affordable for them to buy tickets ago. Of course, as we know, this would all be designed to justify lowering ticket prices to be able to sell more or them, but the point is, it's an equation that solves the problem by putting the shine on the anti-hero.

Speaking of the anti-hero, based on the very similar promo that Cody cut last week on Smackdown before Punk cut an amplified version of it on Raw, this all might set the table for another corporate faction to mimic the Steve Austin/Vince McMahon rivalry from years ago. Punk referenced, Ari Emmanuel, The Rock, and Vince McMahon. I don't see Ari stepping away from a billion dollar corporation to play the bad guy on a wrestling show, but with the amount of times Vince has been referred to recently, I'd say it's at least a possibility. Furthermore, Roman has been a baby face for a few years and it wouldn't be out of the question to turn him heel again. Roman, Randy Orton, and McAfee, with an occasional cameo from The Rock would be more than enough to fuel WWE throughout 2026. Roman and Randy are strictly WWE projects, whereas Punk was almost deemed an outsider, and Cody had to leave the company to get into the position that he is now as a top star. In some respects, the story writes itself, the corporate image to oppose the baby faces that represent the fans.

However, this could be a difficult needle to thread, as there's a fine line between a compelling angle and counterproductive results.

Obviously, there have been way too many heel authority figures over the years, sometimes to spite the fans that support the company. You have to be careful because again, there's a fine line between selling the fans on watching the greedy corporate shills get knocked off of their pedal stool, and trying to convince the audience that they should give their money to "the bad guys" to attend the shows. There's a reason that the WWE as a brand had a level of good will with the audience for the first time in years after it was made very clear that Triple H was the head of the company, because he was deemed to be the one that would run the organization with a level of respect for the performers after Vince was exiled in disgrace. The social media posts when Triple H congratulated talent on their accomplishments, sincere or not, shaped how the modern audience viewed him. He wasn't seen as the politicking egomaniac of the early-2000s that just wouldn't put over Booker T at WM 19, or had to somehow end up in the main event almost every year during that era. Specifically, since he took the public role of his involvement with NXT before he took over the main roster, the narrative of Triple H is the aging legend that wants to help the next generation. Putting the heat on the company only works in specific scenarios, with the previously mentioned, Austin/McMahon storyline being the most successful example, but there's an argument to be made that it could work here, too.

That being said, this set of circumstances is far from ideal. The office booked itself into a corner and now have to look for a way to make the best of the situation. It's been more than a decade since the yes movement with Daniel Bryan so now could be the time, based on the discontent with the expensive costs to follow the brand, including the $30 ESPN subscription fee after years of cheaper prices, to book a heel authority faction that the baby faces can conquer. The biggest takeaway from any of this should probably be, and hopefully this is the case, regardless of if Punk's promo sparks a heel authority group, the WWE has to do something going forward that will renew a level of good will with the audience.

ATD at Steel City Con

A few dozen celebrities are going to be in town for the Steel City Con, a convention that has become a staple of the western Pennsylvania region, with three showcases a year held at the Monroeville Convention Center in April, August, and December respectively. William Shatner, Paul Williams, and Tom Kenny are just a few of the more than thirty names that will be in attendance to greet fans, as well as sign autographs this weekend.

In the past, Steel City Con hosted a myriad of famous figures from throughout the entertainment industry, often bringing together cast reunions of classic film or television. A few years ago, the original cast of Scream was there for horror fans to serve as a compliment to A Christmas Story reunion that was slated for that same weekend. Alice Cooper, Dee Snyder, and Joey Fatone were among the musical guest in the past. The Kinks' Dave Davies and Corey Taylor, formerly of Slipknot, are scheduled for the April line-up. While the chance to get a selfie with a celebrity brings in the crowd, hundreds of vendor tables are lined up in calculated rows as attendees can browse items to get signed, pick up some fudge or coffee, and even get inked through a coalition of tattoo artists that set up shop on the convention floor. It's not uncommon to see attendees marveling at their freshly-signed autographs, enthusiastic as their view their photo-ops with the celebrity of their choice, and customers taking a trip down memory lane as they browse the vintage merchandise of their childhood.

The Steel City Con convention found a successful formula with a mixture of retro and pop culture ingredients that make it a very unique experience for fans. 

"The con is always a great time, we enjoy the weekend with our tables. It can be a long weekend, but we have fun. Seeing all the costumes and finding things to add to our own collections is a good time," said Caprice Russo, who has been a longtime vendor at the Steel City Con with her family.

Between the Star Wars, Star Trek, Happy Days, coffee, collectibles, and fudge, there's another tent pole of the Steel City Con. With the lineage of Bruno, the Olympic accomplishments of Angle, and the modern contributions of Corey Graves, professional wrestling is also one of the top drawing cards for the convention. Names like Bill Goldberg, The Undertaker, Ric Flair, The Big Show, Sammy Guevara, Adam Cole and others were a part of the sports entertainment line-up over the years. The pro wrestling names are a regular and anticipated part of each convention during the year.

This Sunday, half a dozen sports entertainment figures will be in attendance along with the rest of the famous faces at the convention center in Monroeville.

Former TNA World Heavyweight champion, Frankie Kazarian will be in the house. Former WWE, TNA, and ECW champion, the legendary Rob Van Dam, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021, is scheduled to appear as well. There will also be a trio of female stars there to meet fans when former WWE Women's and TNA Knockout champion, Mickie James is there. Candice Michelle, and Ash By Elegance are also signed to appear for the convention. WWE Hall of Famer, Jake "The Snake Roberts is also slated to appear this Sunday, the portion of the weekend dedicated to a myriad of grappling names.

The group responsible for being fives of these legends and stars to the Steel City Con is ATD Promotions, a promotional group that was founded by Anthony D'Alfonso, and anchored by a trusted group of friends.

"I started solo in 2018. Since then, it has evolved into a three-person partnership. Over time, we’ve expanded to bringing in talent to shows in multiple states," said D'Alfonso.

Anthony and his pals have developed their reputation of reliable and honest, both with the talent that they work with and the fans that are there to meet them. A former superstar of the ring is never left watching at the airport, dinners are taken care of, and in a business known for its carny origins, Anthony insists on being up front with her clients. The talent is paid properly, there is a direct effort to give the fans their money's worth with these anticipated interactions, and the result of those efforts puts ATD on the rather short list that top names are willing to work with on a continuous basis.

"The most important aspect is making sure the talent are properly taken care of and comfortable with us. Having the trust of the talent is the most paramount to our success," Anthony explained.

With that trusted established, as each year has gone by, it has allowed ATD Promotions to branch out across the circuit for a slew of different appearances at different locations with different times of events. Just within the past month, Anthony and his group at Diamond Dallas Page at the massive Squared Circle Expose in Indianapolis, AEW's The Bunny at a horror con in Pittsburgh, One Man Gang at The Big Event in New York, and notable boxer, Butter Bean, who had an associated with pro wrestling, at a toy convention in Ohio.

With five wrestling stars under the ATD banner this weekend, this will be one of the group's most ambitious events, but the crew that has found success in many other locations look forward to the opportunity to bring their clients to the popular convention in western Pennsylvania.

"We’ve made overtures to Steel City Con for a couple years now in regard to bringing in talent. It was really just a matter of timing and things falling into place from there. They tasked us with bringing in a few guests for this show. I wanted to have one who was headline level to the entire show and RVD was one who I wanted to work with for a while now. With regard to Candice Michelle, Ash by Elegance, and Frankie Kazarian, we were able to get from TNA running in Cleveland the night before. We already have a great preexisting relationship with Candice and Frankie. I think it’s a solid line up and we are coming in strong our first time out," Anthony commented.

The early mornings, late nights, airport pick-ups, quick breakfasts, and exhausting hours involved become worth the tireless efforts to coordinate all the details of each appearance when Anthony sees the satisfaction from the stars that he supported in his youth, as well as the opportunities provided to fans to meet those stars. In many respects, the care and time that Anthony and his group take with these stars is much different than the "agents" of a previous era that were only there to stand next to the gimmick table to try to ensure their piece of the pie. ATD doesn't view or treat their talent as a weekend meal ticket, but rather as honored guests that are treated with the respect and dignity that their prior accomplishments in the industry deserve. That philosophy is one of the many reasons that ATD has such a wide and diverse rolodex of talent that they work with currently and have plans for in the future.

"My goal is to continue growing as a brand and with the caliber of talent that we bring in. We are also starting to get our feet wet in other genres of sports and entertainment, which I hope to continue expanding," Anthony concluded.

Ryse April 11th event

Ryse Wrestling, a local league that entered its tenth year in 2026, is set to debut at a new venue when the organization arrives at the All American Field House in Monroeville, PA on April 11th, the same weekend that will host the popular Steel City Con convention in the same town.

Ryse Wrestling has been very grassroots since its inception just over a decade ago when longtime veteran, Brandon K wanted to launch his own project in his hometown of Uniontown, a blue collar city just south of Pittsburgh. One of the most accomplished trainers in the area for the majority of his nearly 30-year career, one of the most important pieces of the puzzle for the real-life Jason Clements was the ability to teach the next generation. His list of students include AEW's Lee Moriarty, NXT's Thea Hail, and a slew of successful Pittsburgh grapplers in a myriad of promotions across the region.

"When I started Ryse, it was a place for young and new talent to have a space to learn and grow in the business while I learned and grew as a wrestler turned promoter. I feel like we were very successful in that. We evolved to be a main player in the area because as a team we worked to better each other," Clements explained.

True to his hometown beginnings, Brandon looked to pattern his wrestling venture in the same fashion. He wanted to provide affordable, quality live wrestling for families, as well as true opportunities for the next generation of Pittsburgh performers. The logistics of independent wrestling can be complicated as far as the costs involved with hosting live cards, but it boiled down to a rather simple equation, Ryse Wrestling found it's success through the efforts of the roster, and the fans that supported those efforts through ticket sales.

It was critically important for the Clements family to keep their brand of pro wrestling affordable for fans, but that situation comes with its own set of business hurdles.

The promotion started in an old movie theater, where pro wrestling was quite literally on the marquee. When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the entire world in early-2020, without the ability to run live events, there wasn't a revenue stream for the organization to maintain its operations in the location. So, while the world was eerily quiet in the midst of stay-at-home orders and an unprecedented level of uncertainty in society, the equipment was packed up as the management team was unsure of what was next.

Eventually, the group landed at the Uniontown Mall as a part of select few businesses that looked to keep the shopping complex open. Once again, the training center was also housed at the mall complex, and the expanded space gave the organization the chance to expand its presentation with a new entrance way, new lights, video wall, and more seating for its dedicated fan base.

"I’ve had so many proud moments watching the guys and gals of our company get to do their thing at the Uniontown Mall. Lee Moriarty doing a seminar that many of my current students attended was a surreal experience as a trainer. There's watching so so many..killer matches from the Ryse locker room to the things that many don’t see like the Meadow brothers overcoming so much to become a part of the business. Probably most of all, though the mall era was when everyone started to find their footing and pulled together to draw the fan base that made the era very successful," Clements remarked.

After almost four years of successful events that saw the growth of local competitors such as Cowpoke Paul, Gianni Emricko, Tad Jarvis, and Jace Mara, while hosting such national stars as Dango, Donovan Dijak, Brian Pillman Jr., Shane Douglas, and Allie Katch, Ryse Wrestling found itself at an impasse.

A major snowstorm dumped over a foot of snow on most of the region in mid-January, prompting some cancellations of a few other promotions' events on that particular weekend in an abundance of caution. Single digit temperatures in the weeks that followed kept the mounds of snow a visible sight around the area. When the weather finally broke and the temperature made its way above the freezing mark three weeks later, the ice and frozen precipitation began to melt. The owners of the Uniontown Mall had woefully neglected the maintenance of the building, and as the mounds of snow melted, the roof began to fold under the pressure, sending streams of water through the ceiling onto the floors of the wrestling venue. Merely leasing the space in the building, Clements' hands were tied. There was simply no way that he would risk his roster or the fans under those conditions, particularly with water saturating much of the old Sears building where the wrestling events were held so he made the decision to cancel the February and March cards to be able to relocate in April.

"It was  bitter sweet,  I mentioned all the fond memories at the mall. Jace Mara was helping me move out and he looked at me and said, 'I’m really going to miss this place.' That’s when it hit me that this was a special place to so many people. But, it was also a building that didn’t represent the product. Everyone has worked too hard to be in a building that leaked during events. The wrestlers and fans alike deserve better. So, I’ll miss it, but it’s time to move on to a new and proper venues," Clements said. 

The All American Field House, a venue that has a history of local wrestling cards in years prior, was chosen, not only for its convenient location, but also because of the quality of the building itself.

Headlining the stacked line-up is one of the pillars of Ryse Wrestling, Tad Jarvis, a military veteran that started in the wrestling business under the Ryse banner after his service to the country, will defend the Ryse Grand Championship against AJ Alexander. Jarvis grew as an athlete in front of the Ryse audience over the years, as the fans saw him go from his debut bout in a preliminary match in 2019 to winning the championship with tears in his eyes in the main event of the 2025 anniversary spectacular in December. On the flip side, AJ Alexander might've started in the sport in Pittsburgh, but found himself as an athlete on the other side of the globe when he spent six months training in the dojos of Japan under the guidance of the legendary Yoshihiro Tajiri. While Jarvis rallied to the title with a combination of heart and fan support, AJ has spent the past two years since his return to America as one of the most vicious and sharpest athletes in the region. The anticipated clash for the belt could be a key factor to determine the direction of the next chapter of the organization.

"Being the Ryse Grand Champion helps put a chip on your shoulder, but it also help you stay aware and humble to maintain in the best shape so you can defend it against anyone who will come against you. AJ is a tough competitor, but I won’t let him stop the fact that I earned this. Plus, I’ll do everything to make sure I walk out as champion on April 11th," Jarvis said.

Among other bouts on the card, two enthusiastic youngsters will collide when Fox Catcher will square off with Pat Angel, one of the most dynamic aerial wrestlers in the area. Women's action will see Sam Street make her Ryse debut against the returning Megan Meyers. Other Ryse debuts schedule include Avalanche Adams and Colt Johnson. Ryse stalwarts Edric Everhart, Gorgeous Gregory, Glenn Spectre, John Lee Kirk, and Gory are also signed for the event. The tag team championships will also be decided in a wild four way tag team match.

“April 11th, Ryse Wrestling rolls into Monroeville at the All American Field House, and I guarantee it will be a night to remember. After months of fans waiting for the Ryse calendar year to start, we will leave the fans wanting more," commented Dean Radford, one of the head organizers behind the scenes of the company.

With another event already scheduled for La Roche University on April 29th, Ryse looks to not only overcome the hurdles from the Uniontown Mall that delayed their 2026 schedule, but look to expand their schedule, as well as cement the All American Field House in Monroeville as a new home for the promotion.

Newman wins IWGP championship

New Japan Pro Wrestling history was made last weekend at the Sakura Genesis event at Sumo Hall in front of a reported 6,000 fans when Callum Newman, the winner of the New Japan Cup to secure a title shot, beat Yota Tsuji to become the youngest IWGP Heavyweight champion in the NJPW record books.

At 23, Newman broke into the sport during his teenage years so he has a skewed level of experience compared to most his age, but after he debuted in the organization just two and a half years ago, this was a very surprising decision made by the Japanese office. That's not to say that it was the wrong decision, or that it will be a hindrance toward the overall direction of the company, but rather to point out that it creates questions as to what the motivation was behind it, as well as what impact that deciding factor will have going forward.

Will Ospreay was there during Newman's post-match comments, implying that he was seeking help from his former United Empire stablemate in his ongoing feud with the death riders in AEW. Considering that Newman was somewhat of a protege of Ospreay's after the British youngster started in the sport because of his fandom of Ospreay, it would theoretically make sense for Newman to be recruited to assist his mentor. There was actually recent speculation that Newman might be the next one to make his way to AEW because of the time that he spent as a part of the Ospreay faction, but then Newman announced that he inked a new deal with the Japanese league a few months ago, which might be one of the reasons why management decided to put him over for the championship.

The story here is less about the in-ring work, because we know that New Japan has an emphasis and high standard on that aspect of the organization, and more to do with the fact that this could be a pivotal time for the Japanese group, as far as its ability to remain a key player in the industry on a global basis.

The main event bout between Tsuji and Newman was tremendous, as it blended the work rate style mentioned earlier with a level of drama that tilted back and fourth before the conclusion. Newman used a low blow to set up the finish so perhaps that was designed to keep Tsuji strong for a rematch later on. Callum Newman is very good bell-to-bell, he can deliver quality matches and has a track record of doing so, but the brass tacks is simple, does he have the name value or the status to carry the company as the heavyweight champion? Yes, I understand that one of the reason that Kazuchika Okada originally got over as strong as he did and had such a legendary run as champion was because of the "shock" victory to move him into the main event conversation, but Okada was touted for his potential before that happened. Furthermore, Okada is arguably a generational talent so it would be unfair to make those comparisons to Newman anyway. That said, this title switch definitely wasn't something that most would've seen coming, and it's somewhat shocking, not because Newman isn't a solid performer, but rather that it was such an unexpected decision, based on Tsuji's built up journey to the championship after winning the G1 tournament to get a shot at the title at the Tokyo Dome just three months ago.

That's one of the key aspects of this story, where does this leave Tsuji? At 32, he's in the prime of his career so it's not nearly as though his time at the top of the card is over, but did management fumble their best chance to cement him to the strongest degree as one of the money-drawing main event guys? Sure, the office can book him to win the title again down the road, but will it make the same impression? As far as impressions, will this relatively quick title change give the impression that Tsuji couldn't get over as the top guy on the roster?

I have to say, I think the office, even unintentionally, chopped Tsuji down at the knees. He looks like a star, he can go in the ring, and as I said prior, he had a path to the title that the audience was invested in when he defeated Konosuke Takeshita for the belt at Wrestle Kingdom in January. Dropping the title this quickly, specifically when the organization usually books longer title reigns to give the belt cache, makes it seem like he couldn't step up into the role as champion in a completely effective manner.

As far as Newman as champion, there could be, and hopefully there is, a bigger picture that will unfold in the grand scheme of things. As of right now, Newman just isn't a guy that most fans will associate with the IWGP heavyweight championship or the main event position, but it's possible that was by design. Not only will Newman have to step up his presentation to carry himself as the champion but, his title run must be booked in a way that spotlights that as well. This could be a specific effort toward building the future of the company. However, the same argument could've been made for Tsuji's title victory. The worst case scenario might be that the office is going to throw as much at the wall to see what sticks to try to catch lightning in a bottle to jump start the organization since the roster is so thin after the slew of exits from talent that went to AEW.

The best case scenario, and hopefully this might be where they're going, Newman as champion might be used as a way to get more involvement from All Elite to essentially bolster the New Japan cards. Takeshita was on the Sakura Genesis show, and during the post-match segment of the main event, Gabe Kidd, who was just announced as signing with All Elite officially last month, challenged Newman for the championship. Let's be honest here, New Japan simply can't compete with a billionaire's money, and for whatever reason, Tony Khan wants to sign most of the talent that gets praised in the Wrestling Observer newsletter, regardless of if he has a spot for them or not. Tony should be smart enough to know that for stability of the overall business, it's important that New Japan stays a true commodity so hopefully, he will send more talent their way to at the very least, keep the brand on solid ground in the future. Japan can be a place where talent either gets discovered or has the opportunity to reinvent themselves. If Newman as IWGP champion gets Ospreay back on the card for key events in Japan, maybe there's more business to be done beyond the spotlight of the youngest champion in the history of the company.

The biggest hurdle for the company in general is the lack of depth to the roster. That's not to say that the current crop of guys don't have talent, but rather to point out that the departures were at such a rapid pace that it's not realistic to expect them to be replenished just as fast. If there's a long-term plan in place for Newman then that's great, but if he was picked because the office didn't think that Tsuji had met expectations as champion then it could lead to a status of total indifference within the organization since there wasn't a firm direction. Newman's potential involvement on All Elite programming could be a way for him to look like a bigger star in Japan since he would international exposure. At the same time, it could be an indirect audition for Tony Khan to see how he works in front of an All Elite audience to possibly sign him when his NJPW deal expires, which is basically what the Forbidden Door pay-per-views were before Tony signed almost every top guy in New Japan. Either way, it will be interesting to see if Newman's run as champion will be successful since it will probably be a reflection of the company itself, specifically because it might be the most defining narrative of the year for the promotion.

McAfee turns heel

I wrote an article earlier this week, asking if the Cody Rhodes/Stephanie McMahon segment on Raw was potentially a way to test the waters to open the door to an eventual return to the company of Vince McMahon after there were implied references to him in the promo. Given the latest filing of the Janel Grant lawsuit a few days later, that might be doubtful since her legal team added more evidence to support the argument that the case should go to a jury trial. Among the latest claims, Grant said that CEO, Nick Khan knew about her relationship with McMahon, and there were more distributing details filed about Brock Lesnar's alleged involvement. So, at least at this point, TKO brass might be hesitant to bring the former boss back into the fold as it might put an extra spotlight on the latest accusations.

Still, after last night's episode of Smackdown, you'd have to wonder if Vince had some type of influence on the product, because I hadn't seen booking quite that unproductive since the last time he was in charge.

For years, the emperor of sports entertainment landed a lot more often than he missed, which is how he built his dad's territorial promotion in a global, publicly-traded corporation. That simply wasn't the case in his latter tenure as the head of the company. Storylines were disjointed and changed direction often so the audience couldn't truly get behind any specific narrative. If an angle didn't propel immediately, McMahon would default to old troupes that were cliche and stale.

Vince is gone, but his philosophy, at least recently with the sluggish ticket sales for Wrestlemania that put the number of seats sold at a 30% decline compared to last year in the same building, has been seen on WWE programming as the overall direction shifted just two weeks before the event. Also earlier this week, I covered the notion that the office enlisted the help of John Cena as the host of the event a mere four months after he retired to try to spark some extra interest in the show. As I wrote previously, much like the angle booked on Smackdown, the efforts to spur ticket sales were too little too late. Cena at the event, or the few different discounts on tickets were used way too late in the game to make a difference since the traveling fans would've had to realistically make those plans much earlier than weeks before the opening bell.

The angle on the opening segment of Smackdown was more proof that the company is grasping at straws to draw some type of interest for live attendance.

A few weeks ago, when Randy Orton took a mystery phone call, it was designed to create some intrude ahead of the WM 42 main event, which makes sense, as the organization still has to sell the $30 ESPN subscription aside from the live event tickets. Of course, the payoff for any situation like this is key, and part of the problem with the mystery aspect is that it has to live up to the hype or it's unproductive. Was it Chris Jericho? Was it Bob Orton? Was it Vince McMahon? It was advertised ahead of time that Orton would reveal the caller on this week's episode of Smackdown so it's clear that management wanted to get eyes on this segment.

When Pat McAfee hit the ring, it took a second to realize who it was, and he hit Cody Rhodes with a low blow to align himself with Orton. I have to be honest, while McAfee is a great guy by all accounts, this was completely underwhelming. Granted, his announcing style isn't my cup of tea, but I can understand why he's there and that he has a following from a specific demographic. That said, the less than part-time announcer turning heel adds nothing to the storyline and doesn't carry much weight in the grand scheme of things. The WWE championship, theoretically the top prize in the company with more than 50 years of lineage, not to mention the top position in the organization, is on the line. But man, things must be getting serious now, Pat McAFee is involved. After the segment aired, the former NFL kicker posted on social media that if Orton loses at WM, he won't appear on WWE programming again. Considering that McAfee is understandably already not on the WWE shows because of much more lucrative gigs for ESPN, why does it matter if his involvement in WWE is at stake for the WM match?

I asked recently if WWE brass devalued Cody Rhodes with the path that was booked for him to get to WM 42, but regardless of if the set up hindered his status or not, this segment certainly swept the rug out from under him. Essentially, McAfee buried the current product, which isn't exactly the best way to sell that same product to the audience. McAfee basically blamed Cody for the rather underwhelming content of the broadcasts, citing the low ratings from the previous week. If this was designed to be some type of reverse psychology, it definitely didn't work. The four-hour pay-per-views with only four matches might be the much bigger issue than what any individual performer does on the PPVs. Along the same lines, the fact that the costs involved with following the product have increased across the board, while the shows have delivered less actual content has a lot to do with why the current product is so bland. In many respects, the shows leave the impression that they are on autopilot, which is very similar to the presentation the product had for a few years prior to the launch of AEW. The company is very secure with their media rights deals so it's easy to put the product on cruise control so to speak and collect the cash.

From a corporate perspective, the status quo is mission accomplished because those massive media rights deals, as well as the Saudi agreement, are guaranteed money. The stability and ensured revenue in the future sre exactly what investors look for when they buy stock on Wall Street. Sure, it makes the shareholders overjoyed with the guaranteed return on investment, but for the fan base, the status quo often translates to stale or cliche programming.

Ironically, years ago when the product was the subject of the same type of criticism, Baron Corbin, who was an authority figure on Raw at the time, was blamed for the subpar shows. The bottom line is, it's never a good thing to bury the current product on your own show because it's basically telling the fans that they are foolish for paying to watch it.

As I said, McAfee's announcing style is too over-the-top for me, but the reason that he garnered a following within the WWE fan base was that his enthusiasm was authentic and organic. The guy had the time of his life in WWE and the fans could appreciate it. On the other end of the spectrum, the heel turn was more or less the opposite of that, as he sounded as though he was playing the "bad guy" with a very forced and phony portrayal. More specifically, McAfee cited the attitude era fans, as if Orton is going to serve a starving demographic from more than 25 years ago. As I wrote in an article last week to cover the quarter century mark of when Vince bought WCW for pennies on the dollar, the vast majority of the Attitude era was very much of a time and place, which is why it doesn't hold up in hindsight. It's understandable why some fans look back on the Monday night war with rose-colored glasses because the main event scene was so strong, but there's a significant portion of the product that was absolute drek, especially in retrospect.

The reference to the Attitude is top-tier desperate because nothing reinforces the notion that the current product is underwhelming than using "the glory days" to try to sell a current show.

Aside from the fact that most of the Attitude era doesn't hold up if it's viewed today, framing Randy Orton as the guy to bring it back was is just silly. Orton debuted in the WWE after WCW already closed. Furthermore, and this might be the biggest point from this particular portion of the promo, catering to the supposed Attitude era demographic is a lost cause. Only a fraction of those fans still follow the product today. The rest of that audience either followed the next trend after pro wrestling exited the pop culture conversation, stopped watching after WCW folded, or only vaguely follow anything from the business today. At the peak of the Attitude era, there were roughly 10 million viewers of pro wrestling on any given Monday. Now, that number is closer to two million fans so the target audience is simply different today. There's not a demand for a return to the Attitude era, and even if it was attempted, it wouldn't get over in 2026.

This segment more or less chopped Cody down at the knees because the heel actually had a point, the product has been underwhelming recently so it's rather easy for the audience to associate Cody with that dissatisfaction. It was already going to be difficult to get a Wrestlemania crowd to boo Orton because of the cache he has at this point in his career, as well as how over the RKO is, but this segment more or less cements a situation where the fans turn on Cody at Wrestlemania, which doesn't make sense since he's the fighting champion as the baby face. They are setting the stage for him to became the New York Yankees of the company where he gets heat simply for being the top guy that they once clamored for. If that happens then it takes away much of his shine as the top guy, and the only remedy would be a heel turn, a move that would be counterproductive to his overall position as the representative of the organization.

It's somewhat mind-boggling that they are booking Cody Rhodes into a corner like this, but at this point, Randy Orton must win the championship at WM. If Cody wins, you're telling the audience that they would theoretically continue to get the same bland programming they have now. Again, the problem with that portion of the promo is that the heel was right so it lends credibility to the notion that Cody is the caption of a skewed ship. Maybe all of this is moot because management can still paper the house to have a full stadium by showtime, and I said discussed before, the bigger picture is the most profitable Wrestlemania in history in Saudi Arabia next year, but it still seems like this is such a counterproductive way to book Cody Rhodes when the office finally had the guy that could take the John Cena spot as far as the representative for the company.