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. 

The career of Paul Atlas

The Merriam-Webster definition of  sacrifice is defined as the act of giving up, destroying, or surrendering something of value for the sake of a higher belief, cause, or another person.

In Pittsburgh wrestling circles, there are very few that have sacrificed their personal health and life for the business as much as Paul Atlas, a gritty veteran that broke into the sport more than three decades ago, a time when finding a professional wrestling school wasn't as easy as a Google search for something thirty minutes from your house. In fact, when Atlas got his foot in the door of the business that originated on the carnival circuit, Google wouldn't launch for another seven years.

"Breaking in was different in 1990 since the territories were dying and the independent scene as we know it today was new. Bookings weren’t as plentiful, and you might go three or six months in between bookings," Atlas explained.

Learning until the legendary Dominic DeNucci, a favorite in his family's household, and a slew of established pros from the early-90s, Atlas cut his teeth as an aspiring wrestler on the philosophies of a bygone era. Without the regional territory system that existed for the few prior decades, and the local television that went along with it, VHS tapes and photos sent via snail mail became the way that hopeful youngsters tried to get noticed in the sport, an industry that was in uncharted waters in some ways. The "outlaw" groups that ran events in established territories with their own established promoters were often shunned. The concept of what eventually became independent wrestling was being developed, leaving the talent that just started to ride a wave of uncertainty in a business that was known for its lack of guarantees.

"I learned early to always treat this as a business and act accordingly at all times. Respect those that came before you and paved the way," Atlas remarked.

Local legend, T. Rantula was one of Atlas' early opponents, but he also shared the ring with names like Bobby Fulton and Chief Jay Eagle during his formative years in the business, zigzagging across several states just to get the valuable ring time in front of a crowd that allowed him to truly hone his craft.

Ironically, it was his local ties to the western Pennsylvania that eventually acted as a bridge for the impression that Atlas made on the national level.

By the pro wrestling boom of the late-90s, an era when more than a combined 10 million viewers tuned into the weekly Monday night shows on cable, Atlas used his experience of nearly a decade to cement himself as one of the top names in the area when independent wrestling capitalized on the sports entertainment trend of the time period. The now-defunct Pro Wrestling Express group, partially founded by the late Sean Evans, garnered itself a cult following at the time, as a few hundred fans packed into the now-demolished Eastland Mall in North Versailles every few weeks to see stellar stars during one of the peak points in Pittsburgh history. Quinn Magnum, Brandon K, Shirley Doe, Lord Zoltan, the previously mentioned T. Rantula and others were just a few of the mainstays of the project. "The Heart Breaker" Paul Atlas was right in the mix and had garnered such a reputation as a solid performer that he was trusted as one of the trainers in the area.

The bumps and bruises of those trends of the sport mentioned early began to slowly take their toll. Atlas, who worked a dark match prior to a Raw taping in 1999, a point in time when those tryouts were rarer than they are today because of the expanded television of modern wrestling, didn't want to slow down during some of the prime years of his career. An occasional knee surgery was considered an occupational hazard.

After some time off to heal from those injuries, Atlas found himself back in the national spotlight through his work as an established pro of Pittsburgh. Alongside Brian Anthony, Atlas reformed The Wrong Crowd, a popular duo from the late-90s, with their manager Curtis Stevenson by their side. Working with the NWA East affiliate, Atlas won the NWA National Heavyweight championship before The Wrong Crowd won the NWA North American Tag Team Champions. Always known for his no-nonsense approach and fiery mic skills, Atlas called out the hypocrisy of the National Wrestling Alliance at the time, demanding that then-President, Bob Trobich sanction title defenses for the tag belts during The Wrong Crowd's reign in 2008. Atlas' demands weren't based on dissatisfaction, but rather his deep respect for the oldest governing body for pro wrestling in the United States.

"Some of the biggest highlights of my career were wrestling for the NWA Heavyweight championship, a title I grew up watching be defended by the best wrestlers ever. Also, carrying the NWA banner by being both North American Heavyweight and Tag Team champion," Atlas said.

The years of the constant grind of wrestling nearly every weekend, while maintaining a successful career outside of the industry during the week was something that Atlas did for over two decades. However, the knee injuries that he chalked up as speed bumps during those decades eventually brought his in-ring career to a full stop.

"After literally spending half of my adult life in wrestling, my knee finally gave out and needed replaced. It's something that isn’t normal for a 50-year-old man at that point in my life. At that point, mobility became an issue so I needed to step back and reevaluate my place in wrestling," Atlas commented.

The man that used to generate jeers in front of the curtain became a vital resource behind it, as local organizations asked him to work as a producer until, more than a quarter century into his time in the business, Paul found himself in a new role in front on the camera, on the mic as a color analyst for streaming broadcast of local events. Atlas spent nearly four years working for the now-defunct Fight Society/Angel Gate collaboration, and Ryse Wrestling, a league that just entered its tenth year and was founded by one of Atlas' original students, Brandon K. Atlas is currently a resource for the Renegade Wrestling Alliance, an organization with more than 17 years of history behind it. Quinn Magnum, a 30-year veteran in his own right, is the head organizer of the West Netwon league, and one of Paul's other original students.

The trickle down effect shows just how much of Atlas' fingerprints can be seen in Pittsburgh today. 

"So I moved into commentary. That was a great time because I learned that I can contribute on a whole different level," Atlas remarked.

With his broadcasting work bringing him back into the scene full swing, Atlas reemerged as a contributor as an organizer behind the scenes, as well as making a cameo back in the ring on a limited basis. When Prospect Pro Wrestling, a league based on a platform of the next generation, relaunched last year after a hiatus to restructure, Atlas was one of the key figures that longtime tag wrestler, Marshall Gambino and his marketing manager, Emmy D, who has worked as a ringside manager in recent years, relied on as a resource to yield success for the project.

The relaunch was successful as 2PW built its brand in the Irwin community, becoming a part of the fabric of the town with many local businesses offering their support as sponsors of events. The next Irwin card is set for August 7th at The Elements venue, and the organization even expanded its schedule to include a date in Homestead, a historical location in the region, on August 14th at the West Homestead VFW.  

"I love the current situation with 2PW and the Gambinos. We call ourselves The Family, and it’s more than a gimmick. Marshall and Emmy D are truly family to me and my involvement with 2PW has rejuvenated me. It’s given me the opportunity to help the young talent learn the ropes," Paul explained.

The pro wrestling business demanded a hefty price from Paul Atlas. He once shattered his wrist after an unintended spot with a ceiling fan that was too close to the top rope. With blood streaming down his forearm, Atlas taped it up, barked at the clumsy promoter to turn the fan off, and worked the match as scheduled. After the business in the ring was done for the night, Paul drove himself to the hospital. Sports entertainment costs Paul Atlas a few marriages, and he scarified time away from his family to entertain the paying audience. The sizable scar from the previously mentioned knee replacement is a daily reminder of those sacrifices. Sure, he's highly-regarded in the business today, and has a successful career away from the industry, but he certainly paid the tab for his position as a Pittsburgh legend.

"I hope that I leave a legacy of someone that gave his all for a business that I truly love and have left it better off for my involvement. I’ve truly tried to entertain everyone that’s bought a ticket to watch me, love me or hate me. I’ve often been asked if knowing everything I know now, would I do anything differently, and I can honestly say I would not," Atlas concluded.

Will TKO sell WWE?

One of the reasons that Vince McMahon was able to take his father's regional promotion and expand it into a national commodity that eventually became a global, publicly-traded corporation, was the ability to sell the sizzle, not necessarily the steak. Sure, there was a demographic of dedicated wrestling fans, those that followed the careers of the grapplers and became invested in their journey, which is why nostalgia is such a big selling point today, because there's so much "brand loyalty" so to speak from the audience that saw the career trajectory of the stars. It was emotional to see John Cena hang up his sneaks because so many remember when he first burst onto the scene to declare the "ruthless aggression" era had started. Still, the expansion to the national scene, especially during the initial push in the early-80s, had to be designed to draw in more of an audience than those that were already watching.

The steak of pro wrestling, the bell-to-bell quality, had a dedicated fan base that could appreciate the  building blocks of what made for such a thrilling spectacle. The sizzle of sports entertainment is something that the mainstream could get behind since it cut through the finer points to give them the lowest common detonator. Don't get me wrong, the accomplishments of Harley, Terry, and Brisco stood the test of time, which is why they are still remembered today, but the general public that just wants a source of entertainment wasn't going to know or be interested enough to find out about Jack or Gerri's amateur accomplishments in Oklahoma. It was much easier for them to connect with Mr. T. and the All-American persona of Hulk Hogan.

It was basic and much more simplistic in its approach to sell the product to the audience. That's not necessarily even a criticism, but rather just to point out that reaching the casual sports fan requires that the presentation be the easiest to understand as possible. Sometimes, the simplest answer is the right answer.

Along that same lines, Vince's expansion might've been more than four decades ago, but the same more or less applies to TKO's international expansion of the WWE brand today. Obviously, there are valid points toward how the totally corporate approach, blatantly ignoring old school troupes of a previous generation, might erode the audience in the long term, the general concept looks to accomplish the same goal. TKO wants to get as much of the mainstream public as possible to follow, and spend money, in some form or fashion, on the WWE product. Someone doesn't have to watch Raw or Smackdown every week if they are a Knicks fan that got a kick out of Danhausen's involvement to assist the team in their NBA championship victory. As long as those Knicks fans decide to buy the Danhausen Knicks t-shirt then it was a successful crossover scenario.

From a macro level, TKO looks to get as many media outlets as possible talking about the WWE brand, specifically because of how valuable that brand awareness is to the stock price.

One of the many ways that WWE streamlined its revenue over the past few years is that Fanatics took over merchandise for WWE Shop, which translated to more licenses for previously mentioned crossover marketing, a more extensive line of merchandise through the more modern print on demand option, and more expensive prices for consumers. Fanatics, a multi-tiers sports business, has merchandise lines for several major sports leagues, and the conglomerate markets everything from apparel and collectibles to trading cards. The bottom line is, running WWE Shop through fanatics rather than their own warehouse allowed WWE to increase the price of its merchandise because of the typical prices associated with the Fanatics brand.

This past weekend's Fanatics Fest had a major WWE presence, including a Saturday Night's Main Event show held in Madison Square Garden. As noted before, with the Knicks recent title victory and WWE running an event in New York, management took the opportunity to associate the basketball stars with the sports entertainment brand. On the broadcast, NBA Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson received a custom championship belt from Roman Reigns. Karl Anthony Thompson choke slammed the heels through a table. You have to get some heat in pro wrestling so Indian Pacers guard, Tyrese Haliburton was there. Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks was shown in the audience on WWE programming as well.

It can't be understated how valuable events like Fanatics Fest, which caters to mainstream sports fans, can be for the WWE brand, specifically with how those opportunities can be used to garner mainstream publicity.

That's why when participant of spy gate, deflate gate, and Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady appeared on the Cody Rhodes podcast and subsequently appeared to work an angle with Logan Paul, it revealed that there was probably more to his podcast appearance than just a one-off. During the event, Brady even did an Undertaker entrance so clearly the guy is a fan of the product that is at least semi-familiar with the wrestlers. During a face off with Logan Paul, Brady slapped him, and while the segment was phonier than his excuse for deflate gate, it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. The company got their viral moment, and considering that many have speculated what Brady's next major venture might be since he retired from the NFL, as ludicrous as it might've sounded before the WWE/TKO merger, I think there's at least a decent chance that Tom Brady does a match in WWE at some point.

No, I don't think the snarky former QB will trade arm drags with Logan Paul, but a tag match, similar to the celebrity bout that the original Wrestlemania was built around, is definitely a possibility. Depending on your perspective, Brady vs. Paul might be a heel/heel program, but the point is, if the company can get a spots star of his level involved in a match that they can sell to the public, it would probably set box office records.

The problem is, if there is one, is that Wrestlemania would be the only truly suitable platform to host a Tom Brady match in the WWE. With WM 43 in Saudi Arabia next year, is it possible that the office could keep the Brady slap relevant for almost a year and a half until Wrestlemania is back in the United States? Could you imagine the live gate and attendance of a WM in Foxborough with Tom Brady on the card?

Aside from the publicity, as of right now, the biggest takeaway from this entire situation might be that TKO executives lean into the attempts for mainstream press even more so than Vince McMahon. Again, the old school philosophy of the previous generation is discarded. During a college lecture that audio of surfaced online earlier this year, TKO CEO. Mark Shapiro said that the expansion of the company might lose fans along the way in the attempt to gain more fans from a wider demographic. The problem is, will the efforts to expand the casual fans that will only follow the product for a relatively short period of time sour the core audience that would be willing to watch WWE programming even through a downside of the product? Furthermore, does eroding the core audience in the long run matter to TKO if they plan to sell the company within the next decade?

What's the status of Summer Slam?

Earlier this year, the sluggish Wrestlemania ticket sales were a major narrative around the biggest show on the WWE calendar, so much so that it was used as a storyline for the event, with the disastrous Pat McAfee involvement. The former NFL kicker and current ESPN talk show host only did what he was asked to do, but the angle were such drek that after it's conclusion, McAfee publicly announced that he was finished up with his work in sports entertainment.

When it was announced last year that Summer Slam was going to be expanded to a two-night format, I was skeptical that the event, despite its historical cache, would have enough steam to draw two nights in a row. I don't think it's anything groundbreaking to point out that trying to double the amount of tickets sold and thus double the live gate is a very tough task for the company. They are essentially asking the audience to spent twice as much cash on the Summer Slam experience. Yes, I understand that it includes two shows, but the bottom line is, the consumer is going to have to spend double the amount of money. I've also written in recent months that every peak has a valley, and it's simply not possible to maintain the peak that the WWE was at a few years ago when Cody Rhodes finally won the WWE championship after a two-year chase to the belt. 

As far as a good business strategy, finding a way to minimize the valleys is key. Not only has TKO not looked for a way to do that, it's almost as if they have snubbed their nose at fan feedback, keeping ticket prices expensive.

As a result, just two weeks before Summer Slam, Wrestle Tix reported that ticket sales are soft again, especially compared to the same event last year. US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis has a flexible capacity of anywhere between 66,000 seats that can be expanded to 73,000 seats, depending on the set up. Right now, the ticket map for Summer Slam lists a set up of just under 30,000 seats, implying that large sections of the building could be tarpped off by show time. According to Wrestle Tix, 22,000 tickets and 23,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday and Sunday respectively. It's important to keep in mind that the set up of 30,000 tickets could be expanded if there was the demand for more tickets. Comparatively, Summer Slam at Metlife Stadium last year sold a reported 53,000 and 60,000 tickets respectively.

As of right now, the amount of ticket sold is roughly half compared to last year, and a third of the house could be empty in Minnesota. Obviously, this prompts the questions as to why, for the second time in the span of a few months, a WWE marquee event has soft ticket sales?

Usually, the simplest answer is the right answer. Yes, the ticket prices are simply too expensive for the average consumer, and there's only a limited amount of fans from the most diehard demographic that are going to spend that type of cash on live event tickets. But, there are also layers to the scenario that reveal just how much TKO brass might've missed the mark on Summer Slam as a top draw at this point in the year.

There was criticism of hosting Wrestlemania in Las Vegas two years in a row because it took away some of the tourist aspect for wrestling fans. They would've already had the chance to see the city the previous year, and there's just not the same selling point when travelers can't maximize the location, especially with the total costs of everything when someone travels to a WWE pay-per-view. Minneapolis isn't exactly known for its tourist industry or being a destination city. Furthermore, the ongoing conflict with Iran will continue to keep oil prices high and thus the costs of travel across the board will be more expensive. It can't be understated how much an uncertain economy can impact the amount of disposable income that consumers might have at any given time. The bottom line is that the domino effect of an increase in energy costs can directly and indirectly affect almost every aspect of the economy. When costs increase, companies will ultimately look to cut back to cover the difference and it's possible that there are staff cuts as a part of that process. When the average consumer loses their job because of the economy crunch, traveling to a WWE pay-per-view isn't a priority. More specifically, just the uncertainly of job security when the economy is shaky is enough for fans to opt not to spend the extra cash in favor of essential purchases. Groceries, gas, and electricity are usually more important, even to dedicated wrestling fans than an expensive ticket and a pay-per-view chair.

The economic concerns play a much bigger role than the product, but that being said, the build for Summer Slam hasn't exactly made it a "must see"event for the audience. The reason being, while the top bouts are strong, two weeks away from the PPV and a full card hasn't been announced, which means that there will ultimately be matches that are rather indifference thrown onto the line-up. I think it goes without saying that Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk is a feud that has a lot of meat on the bone and should continue beyond Summer Slam. As much as the HIAC stipulation adds something new to it, I'm not sure the same can be said about the Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar match. Yes, I understand that its an anticipated bout, but the way the match was booked at WM worked so well that anything after it has seemed somewhat lackluster in comparison. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Lesnar and Femi will deliver a great performance, but the Lesnar "retirement" that wasn't a retirement muddied the waters. In fact, it was reported earlier this year that Summer Slam would be the place for Lesnar's retirement since it's going to be in Minnesota, which could've been used as a major selling point, but even if this ends up being his final match, it has zero cache with the audience because they have no reason to believe that he will actually retire since he already left his boots in the ring at WM. I know some might consider Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins a draw, but the entire Shield angle was recycled too many times and seemed like a retread more than anything else.

Still, the fact is, a measurable number of fans that were willing to buy tickets for Summer Slam last year simply aren't going to do the same this year. Of course, the peak of the current era was Cody winning the championship a few years ago and there will be a natural decline from it, but the biggest issue is the way that TKO hasn't adjusted accordingly. That's the biggest takeaway from this story, and it's somewhat of a follow-up to the previously mentioned Wrestlemania narrative, TKO reached the tipping point in terms of when they priced out a portion of their audience. As I'd written before, it's possible that TKO is trying to squeeze as much cash out of the current fan base as possible to be able to inflate the value of the organization to sell it, potentially to the Saudis, but regardless of the future plans, the numbers reflect that the corporation has eroded at least some demographic of the paying audience. The proof of that is that Summer Slam has been held in a stadium exclusively for the past several years, but the number of tickets sold this year make it more suitable for a traditional arena. 

VHS Memoirs Volume 39

Today marks 26 years since ECW's Los Angeles debut when the company presented the 2000 edition of  the Heatwave pay-per-view at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, drawing an estimated 5,700 fans for its arrival on the west coast. All thing considered, given the capacity of the venue of around 7,000 people, it makes you wonder if an expansion to the other coast sooner could've given the organization enough fuel to last longer than it actual did. Taking into account that there was a build up demand, as demonstrated by the number of tickets sold for this pay-per-view, for the extreme product in the locations that the group didn't run shows before, it's possible that it could've been a profitable touring venture. At the same time, the production and travel costs to the west coast are more expensive so a full-time expansion might not have been financially possible. 

Speaking of which, this pay-per-view is known for the infamous XPW incident before the main event and the subsequent brawl in the parking lot where a handful of Rob Black's stooges were thrown out of the building. Side note, Rob Black is a clown and his name associated with such a lame attempted publicity stunt is more notoriety than he deserves. Outside of the front row skirmish prior to the final bout of the night, this show was put into new context recently when Paul Heyman revealed on the Chris Van Vliet show that one of the few times that Vince McMahon stepped in to assist ECW was for the production of the Heatwave pay-per-view. While ECW's PPV numbers weren't in the ball park of the WWF's mainstream success of the late-90s, they were still a profitable venture, especially for the cable companies that enjoyed a split of the revenue at the time for distributing the broadcast as an option to order for its already established customer base. So, In-Demand, one of the major PPV distributors during that era, wanted to increase the number of pay-per-view shows from ECW, which makes sense because pro wrestling was doing big business on PPV at the time, with monthly offerings from both the WWF and WCW. For distributors, the more options there were for PPVs, the more potential revenue is on the table, and at some point, the spot where a movie re-run took on the line-up would be better used for a pro wrestling show at a premium price.

On the surface, an increase in the number of pay-per-views to seven in the year 2000 was a potential increase in revenue for the organization, cash it desperately needed to try to keep pace with the multi-mullion dollar competition. The problem was, the production costs for those PPVs, including the $250,000 satellite feed for the broadcast, were upfront costs, and there was a 90-day window between when the show aired to when the cash was sent to the company after all the ordered had been tabulated and revenue was divided. Basically, ECW couldn't afford to continue to front that money on an increased basis with the delay from the payoffs of the buy rate. Heyman revealed on the Van Vliet show that he went to McMahon for a $500,000 loan to be able to produce the Heatwave 2000 pay-per-view, and being the smart businessman that he was, Vince made sure that if the company folded, the loan would put him first in line to buy the assets in bankruptcy court less than a year later.

It might sound sinister, but it was smart business, and somewhat of a backup plan, with the notion that there would still be value in the ECW trademarks even if the company folded. As we know, the extreme brand has been marketed extensively over the past quarter century. Outside of the business aspects, Heyman's revelation put into context how truly uncertain ECW's future was at any given time. Some of that was the unwise business decisions, some of it was the pressure of the competition of the industry, and some of it is a combination of other factors. 

One thing is for sure, without Vince McMahon, this pay-per-view doesn't happen and ECW probably would've folded before the end of the year.

In a reflection of how shaky the organization was at the time, the format of the pay-per-view was also unorganized, seeming like the line-up was thrown together at the late minute to shoehorn as many wrestlers onto the broadcast as possible. The show opened with a segment that had Jasmine St. Claire on the beach with The Blue Meanie, who had returned from the WWF. The spot on the beach was hokey and lame as Meanie pummeled someone on the beach before he left with St. Claire. Hopefully, Meanie got a penicillin shot after this. From there, James Mitchell cut a really good promo, as it was revealed that Mikey Whipwreck was buried in the sand up to his neck. This is one of the examples of how underrated Mitchell was as a talker, and even after his run in TNA alongside Abyss, he doesn't get the credit for how good of a manager that he was.

The first match was a match that never officially started or ended. Big Sal and Tony Mamaluke made their way to the ring before they were confronted by Balls Mahoney. Sal attacked Mahoney and demanded a referee enter the ring, but the bell never rang. Outside of a brutal chair shot from Balls, there wasn't much to this two-minute segment before Sal landed a slam for a three count, but again there wasn't a bell for the end of the bout. The six man tag between Simon Diamond, CW Anderson, and Johnny Swinger vs. Danny Doring, Roadkill, and Kid Kash was more or less the actual opener of the show, and was structured for that role. The crowd wasn't thrilled the opening technical wrestling between Simon and Kash that started the bout, but when chaos ensured by the mid-point of the 10-minute contest with all six guys fighting outside of the ring, the reaction picked up. There were a series of dives, including a wild dive from Kid Kid that served as an energetic kickoff to the pay-per-view. Toward the finish, everyone hit a series of moves, with Kid Kash using the double under hook pile driver to get the win for the baby face team. There wasn't much psychology or drama to this segment, but it worked for what it was designed to do.

Jerry Lynn vs. Steve Corino is one of the matches that this pay-per-view is known for, and it's a good example of how violence can actually be used as an effective way to progress the narrative of characters, which is something that All Elite Wrestling should take note of today instead of just an endless amount of car crashes on their marathon pay-per-views. This is the bout where Corino bled buckets, similar to what he did at Hardcore Heaven a few months earlier during a bout with Tajiri, after a DDT on the floor from Lynn. Corino's bleach-blonde hair was stained red and he spilled blood throughout the duration of the contest. The back and fourth action allowed Corino to show guts, setting the table for when he rose to the position of champion a few months later through sheer sacrifice. Throughout the year of 2000, Corino proved that he was willing to sacrifice for the sport, and earned the fans respect in the process. Sure, Corino was a very solid worker, which is why this segment meant more than the usual ECW bloodbath. At one point, Jerry Lynn used Corino's blood as war paint and wrote "die' on his chest. It was one of the iconic visuals in the history of ECW, and was a way to boost the status of Lynn before he won the world title in his hometown two months later. Along those lines, Lynn got two visual pins on Corino while the referee was knocked down. This was a cleaver use of psychology because that would usually imply that somehow the heel would sneak way with the victory after it looked like the baby face had it won, but eventually Lynn landed the cradle pile driver to win the contest. It's easy to see why these two guys were used in the main event scene going forward since they both shined in this segment.

As somewhat of a reset, something else that AEW often neglects with their PPVs, New Jack made his way to the ring on crutches. New Jack had broken his leg four months earlier during the infamous scaffold spot with Vic Grimes at Living Dangerously. New Jack was attacked by Grimes' stablemates, Da Baldies before Chris Chetti and Nova made the save to set up an impromptu tag match. Aside from a few cool maneuvers from Nova, there wasn't too much to this five-minute match. It was basically just to pace the card, and there's nothing wrong with that. Chetti and Nova got the victory when they landed a double splash from the top rope to get the pin.

The four-way dance was originally scheduled to be a three-way match before Mikey Whipwreck was added before the bell. Whipwreck had a few spots to shine before he was eliminated, and this seemed to be another scenerio where a wrestler was shoehorned onto the card, especially since he was eliminated quickly. Yoshihiro Tajiri, Little Guido and, Psicosis put on a 10-minute fireworks show. This was a fast-paced fun segment that added something different to the card with the collection of international styles. Psicosis was eliminated before Tajiri used a brain buster to pin Guido to get the win.

The ECW TV title match was more or less a way to get Rhino over, which made sense. Let's be honest, The Sandman was one of the most over performers in the history of the company, his entrance on this show is proof of that, and he didn't need a championship, especially by this point in his career. They took some brutal bumps on a steel guard rail and you could see it bend upon impact. Steve Corino and Jack Victory attempted to interfere, but Spike Dudley made the save before he took a nasty pile driver off the apron through a table from Rhino. After the run-ins were done, Rhino hit Sandman with another pile driver on the previously mentioned steel guard rail to get the pin to retain the belt.

Besides the bloody visual of Jerry Lynn the other clip that this pay-per-view is known for is the Van Terminator that Rob Van Dam introduced at this event. His opponent was the former Scotty Riggs, working under the name Scott Anton in ECW. In a similar fashion to Sandman's entrance for the prior match, the reaction for Van Dam after his music hit made it clear how much of a major star that he was for the organization. The match itself was the typical RVD high spot match, and that's not a criticism. Van Dam went through the playbook and looked like a star in the process. Anton was a good athlete, and spent six months in ECW, but after being so far under the radar in WCW, I'm not sure he translated into someone that would work a feud against a competitor of the level of Van Dam. At the conclusion of the match, RVD nailed the previously mentioned Van Terminator to get the win.

The main event was Justin Credible defending the ECW Heavyweight champion against Tommy Dreamer with barbed wire hanging above the ring. After the previously mentioned XPW incident, Dreamer had Jazz and Gorgeous George of very brief WCW fame in his corner to oppose Francine. This quickly became a rather average brawl, and toward the finish, there was a very clunky sequence where George turned heel to join Credible. The barbed wire was the gimmick for the match, but it was used very little with only two or three spots. The finish saw Credible use a tombstone on the barbed wire to retain the championship. Maybe the early interruption of the segment had something to do with it, but the 12-minute main event was somewhat underwhelming, especially because there wasn't much drama, even the clumsy heel turn was supposed to add depth to the segment. Still, the under card made this a very worthwhile pay-per-view.