Summer Slam night one review

After low ticket sales were a topic of discussion for another signature WWE pay-per-view, Summer Slam Saturday kicked off the weekend at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to Wrestle Tix, there was a decent increase of sales within the past few weeks, with roughly 35,000 tickets moved before showtime, garnering the WWE roughly half a house in the massive venue. But, the building looked to be full so ticket prices dropped even more the day before the event or WWE papered some of the venue. Truth be told, the increase in ticket sales over the past two weeks had nothing to do with the rather bland build up on television, the marquee matches were already announced when ticket sales were still sluggish, but rather ticket prices declined to try to get more fans in the building. In an effort to maximize the gate specifically instead of moving more tickets, the TKO corporation has a rather simple strategy, they price tickets as high as possible so that the most die hard demographic of fans will spend that type of cash on tickets first and then gradually lower the price the closer it gets to the show to try to sell as many seats as possible before the opening bell. I'm not sure if it truly makes much of a difference since the core group of fans that are willing to spend an astronomical amount of cash on admission to a WWE pay-per-view are going to do that regardless, whereas the rest of the audience simply won't so it might be more efficient to price seats outside of the premium tier at a more reasonable number that they will sell for to avoid the scramble to get fans into the building relatively last minute since its tough to gauge the true level of drawing power that the card has in a particular location.

The fact that TKO seems determined to price out a traditional portion of the WWE audience is a different discussion for a different time.

On paper, night one seemed to be more sizzle than substance, and maybe that was by design, with more of the focus on the pryo and ballyhoo on Saturday, whereas night two might be set to be the bell-to-bell action of the weekend.

The show opened with the Women's World title match and it was a segment that checked all the boxes for a bout that you want to kick off the event, serving a dual purpose with its quality, as well as how the structure of the contest got the crowd involved. Iyo Sky continues to prove that she's one of the most consistent performers anywhere in the business, and her signature spots were used to hype the crowd throughout most of this match. The diving sunset flip through to ropes to power bomb Liv Morgan on the floor looked brutal. Everything that Iyo did was crisp and smooth, she was wrestling circles around Liv, and that isn't meant as a knock on Morgan, but rather to point out how effective Sky was in the role of the energetic baby face. To her credit, Morgan has really stepped up her game within the past year or so and can keep pace with someone of the in-ring level of Iyo. The finish was well done as a sequence of counters that built a level of drama was used for a crescendo at the conclusion. Liv Morgan got the win to retain the championship, but this segment was a win for everyone involved, as it was another example of the stellar WWE women's division.

When there are only six matches on the line-up, there's just no reason to have a six man tag and then a six women tag on the same night. That being said, The Bloodline vs. LA Knight, Royce Keys, and Solo Sikoa was fine because it was all action and then finished up before anything had a chance to drag on. Of course, it boiled down to a bunch of moves from everyone, but it only went 10 minutes so the fast pace kept it from overstaying its welcome. The baby face team got the victory, but I think the much bigger story is how over a few of the participants are, and how they could be used in a more prominent position in the organization. Despite having to go against the grain to get over and the booking not doing him too many favors once he got over, LA Knight still got one of the best crowd reactions of the entire show. Maybe there simply isn't room for him in the main event picture, but Knight's popularity is undeniable. I'd also say that Jacob Fatu should be in a better spot, but hopefully, there is something more important for him to do in the grand scheme of things since he's a secondary guy right now.

Gunther beat Nick Aldis by submission, and this was also very well done. They highlighted the fact that Aldis was previously an accomplished performer, but didn't sacrifice Gunther's credibility as a full-time wrestler either. They divided portions of  who had advantage throughout the segment and worked within that narrative so everyone shined in their specific roles for this bout. That said, despite being younger than some of the other names already on the roster, it's probably a better choice for this to be a one-off for Aldis, a match that he deserved, and let his work as the General Manager of Smackdown stand out instead of the risk of being last in the shuffle of the WWE landscape.

The six woman tag match only went about seven minutes and still managed to seem like it went too long. Fatal Influence's inexperience on the big stage showed through during this segment as their entrance looked robotic and then their spots during the match looked overly choreographed. On the flip side, Paige and The Bellas looked like polished pros during their introductions, which made their opponents' inexperience that much more obvious. This contest was sloppy and very clunky. Regardless of winning the tag titles prior to this, Fatal Influence didn't look like they were truly ready for the main stage. Fatal influence won the match, but the post-match heel turn by the Bellas was the bigger story.

I have to be honest, the WWE championship match had all the pyro and ballyhoo mentioned earlier, but fell woefully short of any substance. The bout went 30 minutes, three times longer than any other match on the show and it was the most underwhelming. This segment was slow, deliberate, and at times, just boring. It's surprising to say that given the star power and the talent of CM Punk and Cody Rhodes, but the rather quiet crowd for most of the contest is an example of how they segment had no pace to it. Everything they did up until the last few minutes, when finishers got artificial reactions, was plodding to the point of near silence in the stadium. I'm not sure what they were going for here, but whatever it was, they missed the mark. This wasn't some epic 30-minute classic, it was a world title match that went about twice as long as it had to. Randy Orton returned to costs Cody the title, and they might be the story that is talked about going forward, but the match itself was completely subpar.

The main event was a 10-minute fireworks show. They over did a few things, but if there was a time for it, this was it. It's still difficult to say if Oba Femi is ready to work the standard 20-minute main event matches as a possible champion since we haven't seen longer matches from him, but in terms of perception, this was as strong as he could be put over as the next money-drawing superstar, specifically because of Brock Lesnar's endorsement on the mic. With the amount of retirements of top guys in recent years, and the world title match that flopped on this show, the WWE definitely needs a new young star at the top of the mountain. If Oba is that guy remains to be seen, but this main event victory against Brock Lesnar certainly gives Femi a solid foundation to become a top guy for the company.

Almost lost in Cleveland

Infamously, World Championship Wrestling scripted Cactus Jack to lose his memory, and the "lost in Cleveland skits" became a part of some of the absolute worst drek in the history of the business. The segments became a part of wrestling lore for all the wrong reasons, and the real-life Mick Foley left the following year when it was clear that his career plateaued in the Turner organization.

The horrendous bits were a reminder of why "the mistake by the lake" is known for its mediocrity. Considering that Ohio is generally a sewer, it takes a lot to get me to venture across state lines into the dumpster fire that is the Buckeye state. Yes, as a native of western Pennsylvania I might be considered bias, but I can honestly say that from what I've seen of Ohio, the state really is a cesspool.

One of the rare occasions that I dared to leave the sanctity of the Pittsburgh region to travel to Ohio was last year when the legendary Neil Young played at the Blossom Music Center, a scenic outdoor amphitheater in Cuyahoga Falls. It was the closest that the aging rocker was going to tour near Pittsburgh so independent grappler, Dean Radford and I made the trip to see the iconic 80-year-old musician in person since you never know when he might retire from live tours. I understand that I'm giving Ohio a lot of grief, but as someone that has "It's better to burn out than to fade away" tattooed on my arm, while I'm not a religious person, the chance to see him jam live was a religious experience. Long distances aren't my strong suite, but as Dean helped me navigate the hilly terrain of the state park until we reached the location of the concert, it was a pilgrimage to see true greatness. Thankfully, our seats in the ADA section shielded us from the riff-raff of the crowd. There were three different occasions that we saw intoxicated patrons escorted from the scene, two of which collapsed in their seats before they were ushered away to an ambulance located in the distance to receive medical attention.

The tunes of "Southern Man," "Cinnamon Girl," and the finale of "Hey Hey, My My" are etched in my mind. After Neil and The Chrome Hearts band finished jamming, we made our way to the exit along with the mass of humanity. I was drenched in sweat, dehydrated, but more than satisfied that I checked off a legitimate bucket list item.

However, the trip I took to Cleveland in 2024 almost had a much different conclusion.

Ironically, when the great Mike Sorg, the top video producer of independent wrestling content in the Pittsburgh area, had an extra pair of tickets for the 2023 edition of Summer Slam, he was gracious enough to allow me and camera man, Rob Brown the chance to attend the show in Detroit, Michigan at Ford Field. At the time, I had never been to a Summer Slam event before, nor had a been to the Motor City so I was looking forward to attending the show. The four-hour trip was relatively smooth and it was really neat to see the city. The Cody Rhodes/Brock Lesnar bout, as well as Iyo Sky cashing in the Money In The Bank contract to win the title were highlights.

So, when Summer Slam was announced for Cleveland the following year, it was almost a no-brainer to be there since it was only a little over half the distance of the trip to Detroit. This time, Rob was set to visit his sister and they had a pair of tickets so on just a week's notice, the great Pat MacLaughlin asked if I'd be willing to travel to Cleveland Browns Stadium so that he would get a chance to see the historic pay-per-view brand in person. Knowing how much fun Detroit was, and how much closer Cleveland was by comparison, I agreed.

As has become common with these signature WWE events, including for this weekend's Summer Slam in Minneapolis, a slew of other wrestling events were planned around it. Game Changer Wrestling was running an event at a Masonic Temple the day before, which I wrote an article about at the time, and Wrestle Con also had a two-day convention that weekend just minutes away from the stadium.

Saturday morning when we went to Wrestle Con, meeting a series of legends that I hadn't had the chance to meet before at the time was a thrill. Meeting Arn Anderson and being surprised with his red NWA TV title was surreal. I rarely smile, but the photo-op was proof that I was over the moon to meet The Enforcer. Ron Simmons, Lex Luger, Scott Steiner, and Tommy Rich were all very polite. After that we went to a restaurant for lunch and attempted to make our way to the stadium. Pat parked his car at a more central lot so it would be easier for us to get back on the road after the pay-per-view since he had to be back home for a family event the next day. In what should've been considered an omen, the Uber driver that Pat booked to get us from that lot to the stadium seemed to be completely clueless about how to actually get there. Despite the assistance of on-screen GPS, this local yokel found himself driving in circles rather aimlessly. To avoid letting the meter run, Pat asked for the driver to drop us off near a bridge, where we could see the football venue in the distance. As a mass of humanity ventured along the walkways of the bridge, my trek in Cleveland to get to where the Browns played football as the mid-day sun made for a rather humid hike that was not nearly as comfortable as the scenic stroll through Cuyahoga Falls to watch Neil Young play classic hits.

I wrote a detailed review of the live experience of the Summer Slam event so there's no need to rehash too many details, but the reaction to Roman Reigns' return is still one of the most tremendous crowd responses I've ever heard at a live event.

Post-show, trying to get out of the stadium, and more specifically through the parking lot was nearly impossible. It looked like a human Royal Rumble with people shoulder-to-shoulder as everyone tried to go in different directions. Unfortunately, there was nobody to direct fans on where to go to exit, and it took Pat walking back and fourth a few times to actually find a spot where we could get out of the parking lot. The streets around the stadium weren't much better, as the cops that looked as though they were supposed to be directing traffic seemed to be on a coffee break, as only one officer was there to attempt to assist motorists. The streets around the stadium were blocked off, including the previously mentioned bridge. To attempt to try to keep my steps to a minimum, Pat told me that he would go ahead back to the lot to get his car where he parked it that morning and would swing back to get me at the next street up. In truth, I was very nervous, as things had been so chaotic after leaving the stadium just to get to that point, but I felt bad that he had to make another accommodation for me. So, I made my way across the bridge with the steady stream of other fans that continued to trickle out of the parking lot.

When I got across the bridge, I reached a corner where the streets were open and decided that was as close as Pat was going to get to the stadium so I figured I'd wait there for him. It was somewhat comical that on this particular street, there was a traffic cop that looked like he started his career when the Model-T was introduced, and the miserable elderly officer found any reason possible to bark at almost every driver that made their way through the intersection. I got a text from Pat asking me where I was, and I sent him a picture of the street sign on the corner. He asked if I could send him the location on my phone, but despite my best efforts, for some reason, the location was blocked. I told him about this and then noticed that my phone was at 2% because I had used it for photo-ops at Wrestle Con, as well as for some pictures of the impressive set at the Summer Slam. I quickly told Pat that I was near a Hilton a few blocks down before my phone battery died faster than WCW in 2000.

It was almost 12:30 AM, I was standing on a street corner in Cleveland, and I had no idea if my pal knew where I was. I actually wasn't worried about any shady individuals, as there were enough people around, not to mention the crotchety cop yelling at drivers. Plus. I knew I could hit Sweet Shin Music if I had to. My much bigger concern was that I was potentially stranded in Cleveland, immediately visualizing the cringe worthy skits where the hardcore legend wandered those same streets with a case of amnesia. However, The thought of being stuck in Cleveland was worse than being stuck on a bed of nails in IWA Japan.

As much as meeting Arn Anderson was a bucket list item, I began to wonder if holding the prestigious NWA Television Title for the photo-op was worth the trade off of the rest of that list if I never escaped Cleveland. I legitimately began to consider what I was going to do if Pat couldn't find the intersection, deciding that worst case scenario, I could venture to the previously mentioned Hilton, even if it took longer than one of Flair's classic one-hour draws for the world championship, to ask to charge my phone. Just when the combination of circumstances was putting the boots to me, I saw Pat swinging around the corner, flashing a thumbs up through the windshield. He made the save, clobbering all the negative hypothetical scenarios with navigational baby face fire. After I jumped into the passenger seat as fast a possible and thanked the wrestling gods that I would make it out of Ohio. As it turned out, there were actually two Hilton locations in Cleveland, and Pat had gone to the wrong one before he rescued me from the dimly-lit street corner. Despite the close call, I made to back from Cleveland to be able to see Neil Young jam in Cuyahoga Falls. Still, I'm thankful that I'll be watching this weekend's Summer Slam event from the couch.

The lauch of WWE Radio

If you can't beat them, join them.

It applies across the board in any business, brands look to secure as much of the market share as possible. One of the many reasons that the WWE is the undisputed king of sports entertainment is, while the pyro and ballyhoo might stray away from the purist building blocks of the foundation of the sport, the product is tailored for the widest demographic possible. Sure, the most knowledgeable and dedicated fan base might scoff at how often TKO pedals the lowest common denominator, sometimes to the point of insulting the viewers' intelligence, but that strategy is what allows the most dim-witted hillbilly wearing a red hat to understand the product.

In many ways, WWE is the Walmart of pro wrestling since its easily accessible and relatively affordable, despite some of the price shifts within the past two years under the direction of TKO. Just like the retail chain, not all of the WWE customers are the brightest bulbs. Still, revenue is revenue, and the ability to monetize more or less every revenue stream possible is one of the numerous reasons that the brand is so strong.

That's why the announcement of the launch of WWE Radio, a 24/7 audio channel on SirusXM channel 156, this week wasn't too surprising.

Again, the reason that WWE is a billion dollar corporation that is publicly traded on the stock market is that the company often maximizes its opportunities to make the make cash possible for each scenario. Along with that comes not leaving potential money on the table either. Make no mistake about it, when WWE brass sees a concept that makes a significant profit, both with the proof of concept and potential longevity that justifies an investment, they will look for a way to get at least a portion of that market to make money from it.

They was a time when pro wrestling podcasts were purely audio, but through the advancement of technology, specifically with streaming platforms becoming more commonplace in more recent years, the concept evolved into video form, transitioning into more of a traditional television presentation, albeit with a different format on a different platform. The pro wrestling podcasts from the Colt Cabana days were on-the-go listening through an iPod either at the gym or in the car. Hence why those episodes were generally about an hour as they were designed for commutes. Within the past decade, the paradigm shifted to the point that podcasts can hover around 90 minutes or up to two hours, with viewers able to watch a full productions with sets, video clips, and even commercials on their couch through numerous streaming options. Sure, viewers have the choice for an audio version for a drive, but there's a full visual presentation that makes podcasts now comparable to watching any other type of television show.

Through the advancements of technology, specifically the ability of podcasts to be produced and streamed live on platforms like Youtube, even with participants in different places, there are several pro wrestling figures that have found an audience to make a decent amount of cash through their podcast ventures. Of course, there's Youtube revenue based on the ads that run on the videos, but the shows themselves often have sponsors to generate money for the project.

Obviously, the WWE wasn't going to let those outside the scope of the company have that entire market share, as well as the cash that goes with it. Jim Cornette, Eric Bischoff, Kevin Nash, and others proved that there was money to be made from the pro wrestling podcasts on a continuous basis so with prove of concept already verified, it became a matter of the WWE putting their official brand into the podcast industry. When The Undertaker's podcast got a lot of attention, mostly because of how guarded he was an an on-screen character for a few decades, it didn't take long for the office to notice. About a year or so into its initial run, the WWE took over The Six Feet Under podcast, moving it to an official WWE Youtube channel. Co-host, Matt Lyda was abruptly replaced with The Undertaker's wife, Michelle McCool. It's no coincidence that Cody Rhodes and Stephanie McMahon also launched podcasts relatively recently.

Again, why leave money on the table if there's a proven market for it?

Similar to how the WWE was able to use its association with The Undertaker to take over the distribution of his podcast, it wasn't surprising that Busted Open Radio, one of the few independent programs that covered the entire industry through a relatively objective view point, will now be under the WWE umbrella through WWE Radio. The host, Dave LaGreca built something outside of the mainstream realm of the WWE that had enough cache over the years to become a source for fans to get feedback or news on the business. However, the entire point of any business venture is to make a profit, and you can bet that LaGreca is going to make the most money of his podcasting career as a paid shill for the WWE. That's not a knock, either. If he can make that cash then he should take it, that's capitalism. LaGreca wasn't going to be able to be opposition for the WWE, their brand awareness is far too big so it only makes sense to join the team and get paid in the process.

That being said, I'm not sure the 24/7 radio channel means all that much in the grand scheme of things as far as promotion of the product. It's possible that those shows will spill over onto the WWE Youtube channel, but let's be honest, with the plethora of content that the company has on that platform, the radio segments could easily get lost in the shuffle. However, and this might be the bigger point of this entire venture, it freezes out narratives of any other pro wrestling company, including All Elite Wrestling. Thunder Rosa, who was a contributor to Busted Open Radio, is said to be gone from the show, and the expectation is that AEW won't be covered going forward. While Busted Open will retain most of its audience, I find it very hard to believe that with so many options for viewing in the modern era that fans will opt to listen to an audio version of any of the pay-per-views.

The original version of WWF radio that lasted less than a year in 1994 might've had a chance to get fans to listen to an audio format of shows because PPV had exponential less distribution than it does now, but the launch of a concept in 2026 is basically WWE buying PR for the TKO corporation. These efforts to increase their own narratives on another platform indirectly take any of the headlines away from All Elite after a signature event.

This isn't anything new for the WWE, even within recent years. Matt Cardona's Major Wrestling Figure podcast, a venture that he started before his WWE release in 2020 and continued after his return at the start of this year, released an action figure line of Big Rubber Guys, a throwback to the LJNs of the 80s. Cardona and his co-host, Brian Myers took the risk to find out if there would be a market for the scale of figures at a $50 price point through an independent release. After Cardona and Myers proved that there was money to be made with the concept, Mattel released WWE LJN style figures with mainstream distribution at Target. Since it was mass retail, Mattel was able to price the figures at $24.99, which is one of the advantages that the corporation has over independent distributors. Make no mistake about it, if there's money to be made with retro figures, WWE is going to make sure that it gets a piece of the pie.

Ultimately, regardless of if there's money to be made with WWE Radio, or if it's simply the intrinsic value of taking a portion of the pro wrestling discussion away from the AEW product, it's another way for TKO to try to secure more of the market share of sports entertainment.

AEW Redemption review

Last week, I penned an article that asked if All Elite Wrestling had done enough to sell the Redemption pay-per-view to the audience, specifically with the bigger Wembley Stadium event on the horizon? The PPV was hosted in Montreal, which is why it was thought that Kenny Omega vs. MJF would be booked there for Omega to take the championship in his home country, but after the switch was done on television, it prompted questions about if this event would have enough meat on the bone to justify the $50 price tag of traditional pay-per-view.

I have to be honest, with a ten-match card, and more importantly, the way it was stricture or lack thereof, parsing detail on individual matches would almost be moot. Despite Redemption being a new addition to the AEW pay-per-view line-up, it had more or less the same positives and negatives as most of the usual All Elite PPVs. There was too much too often for too long, but at this point, that just goes with the territory of the AEW viewing experience. Granted, if it wasn't for the work that I do with writing about pro wrestling, I doubt I would choose these marathon events for leisure viewing, but that still has to be taken into account since the average viewer isn't watching because they have to cover the sport.

The show opened with the unnecessary ladder match to determine the number one contender for the International title, and while I understand why a fast-paced match would be booked for a solid kickoff for the show, this was too much of a car crash segment to accomplish that goal. Twenty minutes of dives and table spots doesn't prime the audience for an event, it leads to burn out because eventually the viewers will have seen everything so the action will plateau. When there are dives from the top of the ladders and ladder bumps for no other reason than to have as many dives from the ladder and bumps on the ladders as possible, the segment is reduced to a stunt show. So, outside of the impact of the bumps, the match becomes waiting for the next spot rather than any type of pace or drama. One of the more egregious points of this bout was when the ladder was set up on the ramp way for the sole purpose of the competitors jumping off of it. Why isn't the ladder in the ring and why isn't anyone trying to win the match? It completely devalued the stipulation. Mike Bailey got the win to earn a title shot, and the hometown victory was a nice moment, but did anyone remember it when this show was over almost four and a half hours later?

In a similar fashion, The Young Bucks vs. Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley tag match  was another 20 minutes of a free-for-all tag match where there were often no tags, they did nearly every move in the book, kicked out of almost everything, and the attempt at storytelling was flimsy at best. I always found Ospreay joining the death riders to be odd and that there was too much of a lack of logic for it to truly get over with the audience. Within the context of the storyline, Moxley was the one that injured Ospreay's neck so why would the next top baby face be foolish enough to join the group? Yes, I understand the premise was that it was going to make Ospreay more vicious in his quest for the championship, but again, should the top baby face need motivation? Isn't one of the admirable traits of a baby face supposed to be their determination for success? If the Ospreay character wasn't already motivation by the prestige and importance of the world title, should the audience really be invested in the journey? The match itself was fine, but for being second on the card, with two more tag matches later in the night, it was a prime example of how overkill early makes the PPV very tedious by the conclusion of the show. The Young Bucks got the pin on Moxley, and looked to set up a tag title match for Wembley a few segments later.

Kyle Fletcher vs. Bandido was a tremendous bout, and this was the type of segment that should be used as a representation of the AEW brand going forward. There was crisp wrestling, apron bumps, and aerial spots. The athleticism was very impressive and at the same time, they used a level of psychology that kept things from getting nonsensical. The only problem was this 25-minute dazzling spot fest did more or less every move in the book for a singles match, the way that the tag match did for that division, and the ladder match did for gimmick matches. So, within the first three matches of the night, the entire playbook was more or less already completely used, which led to diminishing returns throughout the rest of the show, with only a few exceptions. This is meant as a compliment, these two had a main event quality match too early in the card, and if they were going to be given 25 minutes to have this type of contest then Tony should've considered a different position on the card for this segment. Kyle Fletcher got the victory to retain the International title.

The first three matches basically checked all the boxes from what you can expect from an entire pay-per-view so the next three matches were fine, but simply didn't stand out much by comparison.

The Dogs vs. The Bang Bang Gang in a chain match was as unnecessary as the ladder match. It was decent, albeit clunky as times because of the chain getting in the way of spots. It was tame compared to the ladder match and went too long, dragging at certain points during the twenty-minute segment. The Dogs got the win after interference from the Death Riders. Maya World defeated Hikaru Shida to win the TBS championship, and the segment was forgettable in the grand scheme of things. That's not a knock on their efforts, bur other to point out the reality of the spot on the card. Adam Copeland and Christian beat Claudio and Pac to retain the tag titles. This was fine, but basically a less chaotic version of the tag match earlier in the night so there's not much to say about it, other than it probably didn't need twenty minutes to accomplish the segment.

As much as I would've thought that the Chris Jericho vs. Tommaso Ciampa bout would've been skippable, mostly because Jericho's career is quickly becoming a retread in an attempt to stay relevant at 55 years old, it definitely helped boost the overall presentation of the event with something that added a some variety. I thought the attempted comedy spot with the stuffed mascot took away from the segment, but other than that, these guys deserve a lot of credit for working a hardcore match with enough psychology that it emphasized the brutality rather than became silly. Jericho taking bumps on the glass was nasty, but it can't be understated how much better this presentation was than when everything is done in a ridiculous fashion the way that video game systems were used in last month's ten man tag cage match. Using a power drill walks a very fine line of being too ludicrous and can make you shake your head, but since they used it for the finish for a very brief spot, it was within the realm of possibility if you stretch the limits of logic of pro wrestling. In reality, any power drill to the head should be an immediate finish before any major damage would theoretically be done, which is what they did so it worked here. Jericho got the victory, but I'm really not sure what else he can do, especially given his age.

Jericho and  Ciampa picked the crowd up, and the Andrade/Mark Davis bout was solid. However, I'm not sure that the crowd is truly invested in anything more Davis does, which has more to do with being an interchangeable wrestler in the Don Callis family than his ability. Is there really a difference between Jake Doyle and Mark Davis? Does Andrade winning the National title mean anything in the grand scheme of things? Don't get me wrong, this was a very good match, and there's a case to be made that if there was any attempt at a consistent push, Andrade has the talent to play a much bigger role in the organization, but this segment is a textbook example of what happens when work rate is prioritized ahead of getting characters over with the crowd. The audience already saw a similar bout to this with Fletcher and Bandido, two performers that are over as characters, not just wrestlers, so the Andrade/Davis segment became a lesser version of that.

Willow Nightingale beat Thekla to win the Women's title, but I have to be honest, at this point in the show when it was after 11 PM on the east coast, I just wanted to get to the main event so that I could attempt to get some sleep. That's not a jab against this segment, just the reality of how narrow-minded it was to book a five-hour pay-per-view on a Sunday night. I don't have much to say about this contest because this is where the show started becoming extremely tedious.

 When the main event started, I knew the show was going to end close to midnight. It might sound trivial, but while Tony Khan might want to watch five hours of a pay-per-view, that's just not the case for even the most dedicated fans. This is where watching these PPVs became a chore, and again, I'm not sure the average viewer wants to be tasked with that when they are paying for what's supposed to be an entertaining viewing experience. The bout went 25 minutes, and everything they did was crisp and smooth. There's absolutely no doubt that Kevin Knight is a tremendous athlete, but there are several performers on the roster that work a similar style. The in-ring skill from these two was graceful and precise, but despite being given the time to develop, there wasn't any major drama in this segment because everyone knew that Kevin Knight wasn't going to win the championship. There wasn't a point in the match where it looked like the belt might actually change hands. When it's close to midnight, the viewers should have a reason to want to see the finish of the show, but this was basically high spot wrestling for the sake of high spot wrestling, which is something that the audience saw more than three hours earlier. Kenny Omega eventually got the win to retain the championship.

Post-match there was an extended segment where the death riders turned on Ospreay before Omega attacked him from behind to end the broadcast. This whole thing just muddies the waters before Wembley and probably wasn't needed. Are Omega and The Young Bucks heel again? For a company the sells work rate, the story of Ospreay challenging Omega in his hometown writes itself. I'm not sure Omega as a heel adds anything to the angle before the Wembley Stadium event.

What's next for The Rock?

Does the WWE need The Rock, or does Dwayne Johnson need WWE?

Last year,  when Travis Scott was the stand-in for The Rock at Wrestlemania 42, a spectacle that was the payoff to the shocking heel turn, a character switch that many fans wanted to see for years, of John Cena, there was rightfully a lot of discontent with how underwhelming the scenario played out after the angle itself had generated such a buzz when Cena finally turned heel, attacking Cody Rhodes at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view two months earlier.

"The Final Boss" was the catalyst for the heel turn, promising to use his stroke in Hollywood to secure John Cena more lucrative acting roles and an even more famous reputation. As The Rock quickly faded from the storyline, Cena was forced to carry the angle on his own, cutting promos to blame the fans' initial rejection of him more than 15 years earlier as the reason behind the change in his persona.

When The Rock was MIA at Wrestlemania, reports began to surface about dissension behind the scenes, specifically that Johnson wanted Cody to turn heel, a notion that Rhodes declined because his baby face role as champion was solidified just the previous year, and Cena was actually the back-up plan to align with The Rock on-screen. There was at least some credibility to that speculation since it would explain why The Rock dropped out of sight shortly after the heel turn from Cena. 

Of course, this followed rumors of creative differences in 2024 when The Rock was originally slated to take Cody's spot and challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE championship before a complete fan revolt prompted another change of plans so that the Cody/Roman rematch took place as scheduled. In the aftermath, the WWE suites tried to claim that the match was the plan all along, but it was clear that TKO saw The Rock as the bigger star, even if his role would've been essentially a cameo instead of a long term payoff.

The sum total of the possible tension between The Rock and Triple H, who took over WWE creative after Vince McMahon was exiled in disgrace, was that given the amount of smoke, there was probably at least some spark of fire. One thing is fur sure, last year's Wrestlemania was deemed underwhelming because the fans didn't get to see The Rock involved, which was key because he had a role in the tag match that led to Cody's initial championship victory the previous year. Furthermore, there was also a level of anticipation for Cody/Rock, Roman/Rock, or both. Neither of those combinations happened, and The Rock has been off the WWE radar after the one-off appearance at the Bad Blood pay-per-view that didn't lead to anything.

Don't get me wrong, The Rock was the right guy to add to the TKO board in the aftermath of the Vince McMahon scandal since it put a public face to the company that was viewed in a relatively favorable light. Doom was still going to be considered a flop, but one of the top action stars in Hollywood as a representative of the company was the right PR move in 2024.

Since his virtual disappearance from the sports entertainment organization, the Bloodline angle has lingered on way longer than it should have, which makes you wonder, does The Rock have another stint in the ring left in the tank to put a bow on the entire Samoan dynasty storyline? At this point, the angle has started to recycle concepts and yielded diminishing returns within the past few months. Unless the door is being kept open for a potential Roman Reigns vs. The Rock bout, everyone involved would be better served to move on to something fresh on the shows.

Depending on Dwayne Johnson's next move in Hollywood, I don't think it's unrealistic to expect him to get back in the ring at some point before he officially hangs up his boots.

The live action version of Moana, a franchise with a previous track record of success, hit theaters two weeks ago and so far has been considered a flop at the box office. With a reported $250 million budget, the film has garnered just over $186 million during that time. Media outlets have cited that with the addition of advertisement and other production costs, the movie could end up losing close to $100 million for Disney studios. The massive loss on the live action Moana was a follow up from Johnson's dismal box office performance for last year's The Smashing Machine, the film based on the life of MMA legend, Mark Kerr. Produced by A24, the same company behind The Iron Claw that generated positive reviews, The Smashing Machine looked to be Johnson's attempt to prove that he wasn't simply a fireworks action star, but rather that there was an example of the art of film on his resume. I covered the $6 million dud on its opening weekend so there no reason to rehash it, but Mark Kerr was a name from before the surge in popularity of MMA in 2005 so the premise didn't connect with the modern audience, and Johnson's somewhat obtuse portrayal of Kerr wasn't enough to get moviegoers to buy a ticket the way that the reviews of A24's Iron Claw did. The Smashing Machine totaled just over $21 million against its $50 million budget, yielding a $30 million loss on the movie. Black Atom was reported to have netted a loss, and Disney's Jungle Cruise was estimated to have lost nearly $100 million, partially due to the restrictions of the pandemic, partially the international market.

Obviously, not every film is going to be a smash hit, that's just part of the movie business, but there was a point in time that slapping Dwayne Johnson's name on a preview was enough to get the general public to at least sample the movie, Reviews might've been mixed for some of his early work, but profit is profit. However, as the movie industry continues to evolve, along with the rest of the media landscape, the leeway that moviegoers have for a subpar production declined significantly. Despite the proclamations of the death of movie theaters, there was a consolidation instead, both in the number of locations, as well as the amount of films that the audience was willing to leave their house to watch at any given time. Consumers still go to the movies, just not as often, and as unfortunate as it is, the number of theaters decreased to adjust to the market after the major push from streaming platforms to get a piece of the pie through home-viewing. Don't get me wrong, the experience of the big screen can absolute compliment the quality of a great film, but as some point, it becomes more convenient and more cost effective to wait to watch it on a streaming service on your couch.

That's the reality of the modern movie business. In short, there's still money to be made, but there are more hurdles to profitability than any other time in history. Basically, the selling point has to be strong, as there are too many other options for viewers. It's possible that the shift of the paradigm in the movie industry hindered Dwayne Johnson's drawing power, and the current trend implies that casting him for a film might be a financial risk. Granted, some of that is because it's more difficult to get viewers to the box office, but the bottom line is, revenue is revenue so if Johnson took the credit for the hits, he has to accept at least part of the blame for the duds.

At certain points during his involvement in the product, WWE management made the mistake of assuming that anything that involved The Rock would be quality, but that wasn't the case. A few of his appearances became nonsensical with rambling promos, and the post-PPV press conference appearances were cringe worthy.

Still, WWE could be Dwayne Johnson's ticket back to the top of the box office.

Given the amount of emphasis that TKO puts on mainstream headlines, even at the expense of the quality of the product, it could provide a scenario that is beneficial to everyone involved. The Rock's involvement was left unfinished, either for a match with Roman, Cody, or both. There's a legitimate case to be made that he has work to do in the WWE that the current audience would pay to see. At the same time, if The Rock agrees to another match, he will get the mainstream exposure of ESPN, possible commercials on UFC pay-per-views, and the international publicity through the Netflix platform. If The Rock wrestles for a record gate at a stadium show, or a record audience on the ESPN app, it undoubtedly restores some of the shine to Dwayne Johnson's star power that might've faded with the box office blunders.

While I wouldn't expect Dwayne Johnson to be desperate to get back in the ring, and he would still hold most of the cards in negotiates for another bout, I don't think it's unrealistic that he will lace up the boots one more time either, especially with how it could improve the perception of his star power in Hollywood. At 54. the return to the ring would realistically have to be within the next year or so, and if I had to guess, I'd say that he would be willing to make a comeback to work with his cousin, Roman Reigns, which would be a major draw for a pay-per-view.

Did AEW sell Redemption?

One of the many criticisms of the All Elite Wrestling product, almost from its inception, is that the vast majority of the programming is done in a slapstick manner. Too often, too much is thrown at the wall to see what sticks without the structure to build, promote, and sell key matches in a solidified effort to draw money. Ultimately, that is a symptom of the fact that revenue isn't the top priority for Tony Khan since money is no object. That's one of the aspects that puts AEW in a unique position, because in the past, the decisions that made the most money possible had to be made to keep the doors open, or in the best case scenario, maximize the most money possible during a hot period. Leaving money on the table was a major mistake since that cash was how those in the business made a living. For Tony, the economics of AEW don't make a difference to his family's billionaire bank account. Don't get me wrong, the existence of All Elite is key for the industry, as it offers variety for both the fans and the wrestlers, but Tony's standard of living doesn't change if All Elite profits millions or loses millions.

So, Tony doesn't have to make pro wrestling decisions based on what would make the most money, and the on-screen product is very much a reflection of that.

I've often said that Tony Khan would've been better served to start an independent company and save himself the time and money that it costs to run a national promotion. Make no mistake, Tony Khan books the matches that he wants to see, and if that ends up providing entertaining programming for the viewing audience, it's a mere coincidence. That's not necessarily a knock on Khan, he pays the bills so it's one of the perks of the job. However, the entire reason for a national platform is for the reach of wide distribution to be able to monetize the biggest platform possible. With national television, it allows for the touring schedule for live events to theoretically run tapings anywhere that has access to that national television platform. That's why not just getting on television is key, but also the amount of television clearance of a channel is critical for how effective a TV deal is for a company. There's a reason that TNA took the deal to move to AMC compared to AXS since more than twice the amount of households have access to the network.

Right or wrong, Tony Khan simply doesn't book toward the wide demographic of the audience of TBS or TNT. In fact, the argument could be made that he's not a booker, but rather a matchmaker. This weekend's Redemption pay-per-view card is proof of that.

Similar to All Out last September that booked Kyle Fletcher vs. Adam Page in the main event just ten days before the PPV so there was virtually no build up, the newly-added Redemption to AEW's pay-per-view line-up also lacks any major build or consequences. Instead, Tony booked a series of "work rate" matches with basically no impact on the direction of the company. One of the problems with that is that the fan base can see the same type of matches every week on Dynamite, and with Wembley Stadium as clearly the bigger show at the end of next month, why exactly should the fans pay $50 to watch Redemption?

Sure, the AEW World championship is on the line, but the problem with that is two-fold. Kevin Knight randomly had a lukewarm heel turn not that long ago. Is there really any demand to see him in the main event spot? This has nothing to do with his in-ring ability, that isn't up for debate, but as a character, is there any reason that Knight should challenge for the world title? He hasn't been truly established as a major heel, and as silly as it might sound, the main event of a pay-per-view looks like a TV match. Why exactly did Knight leap frog to the position to challenge for the championship in the main event of a PPV? Yes, I understand that they are going to have a dazzling 30-minute spot fest that Dave Meltzer will rate five stars at Redemption, but again, outside of the extra time given, how will this be any different than a match on Dynamite? Along with that, there hasn't been enough time invested in the Kevin Knight persona to allow him to be presented as a major heel, which is probably because that's what a booker would do to build to a pay-per-view. Tony Khan just wants to see the work rate between the two, without the perspective of why it should be an important bout in the grand scheme of things.

After Kenny Omega won the title from MJF at the last PPV, the Kenny Omega/Will Ospreay graphic was already put on the screen. In theory, it's possible for the title to change hands, but does anyone truly believe that Kevin Knight right now would be a strong champion to main event Wembley? Does anyone believe it's remotely possible that Omega is going to drop the title? AEW already put the graphic out there so regardless of the technicalities of a possible title change, if Omega/Ospreay doesn't happen in England then it's something that the promotion didn't deliver to the audience.

While the main event should be the biggest selling point of the show, the ten-match card is mostly a collection of bouts that there thrown together relatively last minute and there's nothing that appears to be "must see" for the audience. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that the contests will be subpar in terms of the performance, but there's also nothing that stands out as worth the traditional $50 price tag when that same cash would be better spent for the bigger show at Wembley Stadium, which makes you wonder why Redemption was added to the schedule at all.

Ultimately, AEW tipped their hand when they booked Will Ospreay to main event Wembley, and decided to switch the title to Omega on television instead of the PPV. If Omega beat MJF at Redemption, it could've been used as a bridge to get to Wembley, as well as give the audience a reason to order the show since the other side of the Wembley main event would be determined. It's somewhat mind-boggling that Tony gave away what could've been considered a worthy PPV main event, Omega/MJF for the title, on free TV. I'd argue that if All Elite Wrestling had to truly make a profit to sustain itself, a match like that is put on pay-per-view to generate the most revenue possible from it. The result of that decision was more than Omega taking the championship, it made Redemption skippable. But hey, Tony will get to see Omega/Knight, Meltzer will throw stars at it, and the same niche demographic that orders every All Elite PPV will pay to watch Redemption so maybe any criticism is moot?

However, and this might be the biggest takeaway from the entire scenario, decisions like the one that put the title on Omega on television are why only that previously mentioned niche demographic of roughly the same amount of fans are will to spend the cash to order the pay-per-views From a macro perspective, that's why the company plateaued toward the end of 2022 and then saw a steady decline in attendance and television ratings to where they are now. Again, maybe none of this truly matters because Tony's family can fund the project as long as he wants to be a promoter, but from purely a business standpoint, there's not a major selling point for the Redemption pay-per-view. 

What's next for Bayley?

I've written for the past several years that the WWE women's division was the most consistently quality aspect of WWE programming, and for the most part, that is still the case today. Asuka, Charlotte, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Natalya, Naomi, Chelsea Greene, and Iyo Sky are just some of the names that played a key role within the past few years. However, one of the performers that was at the forefront of the "women's evolution," as manufactured as that tagline was from Stephanie McMahon as there were women that could go bell-to-bell long before that, could be on her way out of the company.

The Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez reported that Bayley, one of the pillars of the women's division for more than a decade, hasn't re-signed with the organization, prompting speculation that she might exit WWE after her current contract expires relatively soon. While the end of her contract isn't public, there were rumors in recent months that she could be one of the next veterans to go elsewhere, especially after it was revealed that Sheamus, who worked for the promotion for nearly twenty years, wouldn't be re-signed.

Bayley signed a developmental contract in late-2012 before she made her NXT debut the following month, working the "coconut loop" in Florida of smaller live events and eventually NXT television during its earliest form. It can't be understated how important her work was around this time, as it proved, albeit on a smaller scale, that female athletes had the talent to be athletic stars. Without that "test run" of NXT exposure that she had with Sasha Banks, Charlotte, and others, the previously mentioned "women's revolution" probably wouldn't have been given a chance on the main roster.

In retrospect, the hugger character might seem too limited for Bayley because she showed how effective of a heel that she can be since that time, but I will still say that she could've had a much bigger run on Raw as the initial baby face character. Hugger Bayley could've been a Ricky Steamboat type of baby face, she was that good in the role and connected with the crowd to that level. It was easy for the fans to identify with her genuine passion for the business and thus it was easy to rally behind her during matches. When you have a baby face that over, the story can often write itself for how to build organic drama during a major pay-per-view match. A prime example of this is the absolute classic match that Bayley had with Sasha Banks at NXT Brooklyn in 2015.

As mentioned, when she landed on Raw in late-2016, something got lost in translation, which was unfortunately the case for many NXT talent after they arrived to the main roster. There was undoubtedly a disconnect between what Vince McMahon saw from the pool of NXT talent after they showed up in the bigger pond of the main roster compared to the potential that Triple H saw in their career trajectory on the developmental brand. The cringe worthy segments with the naive hugger character only hindered Bayley's status on the main roster. The baby face fire and wholesome presentation that made her a favorite in NXT was replaced with a character that was portrayed as so lost in the woods on Raw that it seemed like she didn't belong in the big leagues.

At the time, it was almost unbelievable considering how over her character was originally, but the Bayley heel turn in 2019 was key for her to have any type of success in the promotion going forward.

As we know, Bayley got over the heel character stronger than the original baby face character on the main roster, winning championships throughout the past five or six years, while also working with a stable at different points. Still, somehow Bayley almost has a secondary tier impression as far as her status within the company. Maybe that's because of the previously mentioned depth of the roster, but despite being just as talented as anyone else in the division, for whatever reason, she hasn't been featured or spotlighted to the same degree as many of her peers.

At 37, assuming that Bayley wants to continue to wrestle after more than 15 years in the ring, the vast majority of that under the WWE banner, she still has several years of her theoretical prime left in her career. On the surface, it might seem ludicrous for the office to allow Bayley to walk away, especially because she's proven to be dependable and can make the best of what she's given to do, but it's important to keep the scenario within the scope of TKO.

The bottom line is, yes, the women's division has a lot of depth to it and the female stars have shined a lot in recent years. If Bayley has a lucrative contract, it's more than possible that TKO could ask her to restructure the deal since that has become a common notion for management with the veteran talent that aren't currently in the main event picture. Of course, it would be a misguided decision, as the attempt to use performers as interchangeable parts of the WWE machine would definitely lead to a downturn in business, specifically because the key to drawing the most money possible is putting each individual character in the best position to be successful. The Brooklyn Brawl wasn't going to be a substitute for the main event of Wrestlemania. No disrespect to Steve Lombardi intended, he kept a job for decades because he was a valuable asset to the company.

That being said, at least in the short term, the media muscle behind TKO, especially with the ESPN and Netflix deals, can take individual exits from the company without too much of a dent in the overall presentation. If that would be the case on a long-term basis is a different discussion for a different time. At this point, with as many performers as they have under contract between the main rosters, the developmental brand, and the recruits at the Performance Center, the sheer number of talent gives the office somewhat of a safety net if there are talent departures. 

It's a double-edged sword in some ways, as the potential is there for the talent to make more money than ever before, but with very few exceptions, the argument could be made that the talent is also more expendable than any other time in history.

It goes without saying that with the rumors of her exit from WWE, there will be some discussion about a potential All Elite Wrestling debut. It goes without saying that the entire point of the pro wrestling business is to make as much money as possible, there are no retirement or pension plans when someone hangs up their boots. If TKO wants Bayley to take a pay cut, or if she's simply offered more money elsewhere, it's understandable if she would opt to test the waters of free agency. Her longtime friendship with Mercedes Mone could be a factor, and it's possible that another bout between the two based on their previous history could draw a number for the organization. However, if Bayley actually ends up in All Elite, I'd say that it will be a purely financial move, not something to necessarily progress her career, and there's nothing wrong with that. She doesn't really have anything left to prove, and her lack of current status in the WWE, which was the subject of rumors as well since it appeared that she was written off of television after the attack by Lyra Valkyria on Raw, has more to do with the writing team than her skills.

Outside of a knee injury that required surgery, putting her on the sidelines for over eight months in 2021, Bayley has made it through a WWE career that is close to the 15-year mark without any other major injuries. So, if she makes the jump to All Elite Wrestling to possibly make the best money of her career, allowing her the financial security to have the option to retire early then it's a move that makes sense. In fact, it might be the best move for her individual career since she could retire within the next five years, hopefully still as healthy as she is now. Sure, a Bayley run in AEW would generate some hype, but nobody on an individual basis is going to move the needle for the company. The flaws that put a ceiling on the total amount of progress that All Elite can make as a commodity are a part of the fabric of the organization. You have to take the positive with the negative, and the limitations of the type of product that Tony Khan books just goes with the territory. However, someone like Bayley is an example about why the existence of AEW is important to the industry since it gives her leverage when negotiating with the WWE, and the ability to make comparable money elsewhere.