Darby Allin wins the AEW title

I was very surprised when Darby Allin, who defeated Andrade at the Dynasty pay-per-view to become the number one contender, beat Maxwell Jacob Friedman on this week's episode of Dynamite to capture the AEW world championship. In truth, I thought the set up for the contest was simply to give the randomly titled episode of Dynamite a championship bout, which is fine, but I definitely didn't think it would have any impact on the landscape of the organization.

As with most things that Tony Khan books, it will probably be either feast or famine, depending on your perspective.

One of the valid criticisms of the promotion since its inception is the notion that "if you try to get everyone over, nobody gets over." Way too often, there would be top guys that would work 50/50 matches with preliminary talent, with the premise that it helps put a spotlight on others that could work their way up the card, which is true, but there's an art to doing that. Letting a young baby face get a rally to show off some impressive moves, or courage as a character before they get chopped down is understandable, but there's no reason, for example, that someone like Blake Christian had a top star like Will Ospreay in any jeopardy when they had Ospreay's first match back on television when he returned from injury. That's not a knock on Blake Christian the athlete, we're talking about the perception of his character as a secondary figure on the show. There's no reason that he would get anything close to a near far on someone the level of Ospreay. Again, there's a fine line between allowing the under card to be spotlighted for their strengths and a competitive match that actually hinders the perception of the bigger star. More importantly, when an under card talent is allowed to look competitive with a bigger star, there should be a plan or follow up to make it mean something in the grand scheme of things, but when is the last time we saw Blake Christian on television after that match with Ospreay?

The main event scene has been very similar to that but in a slightly more nuanced manner because of the level of talent involved.

Jon Moxley's title run as a heel with the death riders stable was more or less universally panned for the rambling promos, verbose presentation, and matches that were mostly the same. However, at the very least, the extended title reign set up for a baby face to get more over when they dethroned him. Adam Page, as devalued as he was between the heel and baby face switches over the years, as well as the whiny promos, was the one to finally defeat Moxley for the belt. If nothing else, Page got a boost by proxy because the audience wouldn't have to sit through the death riders drek anymore. Hangman had the title for a few months before Maxwell Jacob Friedman returned to television two weeks before the Worlds End pay-per-view and cut one of the better promos of his entire AEW career. With two weeks of build up, MJF won the four way match to win the title at the end of 2025. Now, less than four months later, Darby Allin wins the belt with virtually no build up. You could make the argument that Page's title reign was cut short by MJF's return, or that this switch to Darby put the breaks on what should've been a renewed title run for MJF, but the bottom line is, was Adam Page more over after his title reign? Is MJF is a bigger position for the company than he was three months ago? If not, you have to question how productive the main event scene has been during the past eight months?

On the surface, the main event musical chairs suggests either Tony can't decide on a firm direction for who should be the top star in the company, or there isn't a long-term plan so he's flying by the seat of his pants on a weekly basis.

Something that All Elite Wrestling has lacked for the majority of its existence at this point, and it's a direct result of the inconsistency across the board, who is the true representative of the brand? Just in the modern era, the WWE had John Cena, Roman Reigns, and now Cody. Sure, All Elite only has a seven-year sample size compared to a 25-year range for the WWE,but it's a concept that can be seen through more or less any successful group in the history of the business. In the early-90s, as directionless as WCW was with a revolving door of figureheads and horrendous production value, despite being owned by a television network, even through the dimly-lit arena and mostly drek on the rest of the card, there was no doubt that Sting was the franchise player. More than anyone else, AJ Styles was the MVP of TNA, if you wanted to point to one guy that represented what the promotion was trying to sell to the audience, Styles was it. In a more drastic example, Steve Austin was WWF Attitude. By all accounts Tony Khan is a great guy, which is legitimately wonderful because he cares about his roster and the business needs more people like him in that regard, but when was the last time someone truly evolved to a bigger level in AEW? We've seen the debuts where the spotlight is on a talent for a moment before they disappear into the witness protection program. The same applies to the main event scene, there must be a consistent effort to promote someone toward the position as the representative of the brand that AEW is trying to sell its audience. This is where booking goes beyond just how many stars Dave Meltzer gives the latest pay-per-view main event.

Speaking of The Wrestling Observer newsletter, as I've written on several occasions before, besides the fact that the star system shouldn't have nearly as much cache unless it comes with a cash prize, All Elite Wrestling should market its product to a wider demographic. The entire point of being on national television is to try to draw revenue on a national basis. Otherwise, it would be a lot cheaper to run independent shows. There's nothing wrong with pushing the envelope, the business doesn't need TL Hopper and Duke "The Dumpster" gimmicks again (no disrespect to Tony Anthony), but there's a reason ECW folded. There's also a reason that death matches on the American independent scene draw hundreds, not thousands of fans. That's not meant as a knock on a promotion like Game Changer Wrestling either, but rather to point out there's a reason that certain styles have a niche, not a national audience.

On the surface, Darby has a very marketable look, a character that the audience can connect with, and he can go in the ring. But, his style, depending on where he goes from here, might actually limit how over he can become as the champion. Based on the background that we know, but something that isn't promoted on television enough is that Darby had a rough upbringing and survived a car accident when he was younger that took the life of his uncle. His hometown is announced as Seattle so the title win in Everett was close enough to a hometown victory. 

Between the face paint and the background, Darby Allin could be the "never say die" baby face instead of the careless crash test dummy.

It's pro wrestling 101, but it still applies, baby faces have admirable traits, and that's why the fans can connect with them. Honor, skill, and courage are easy concepts for the public to understand. Darby Allin endured poverty, but he didn't quit. He's an underdog, but he doesn't quit. He's known for taking punishment, but he doesn't quit. It's not a direct comparison since it's two different levels, but there's a reason why Austin in the sharpshooter set him up for the biggest run in the history of the business. Make no mistake about it, this title reign can reignite Darby in a much more progressive direction than we've seen previously, but the persona will have to get the spotlight, not the bumps. His character will have to be the priority for this title run to make a difference. Obviously, the risk/reward ratio is backwards, and Darby can't draw money if he's on the injured list, but more specifically, the spots where he gets thrown through glass or set on fire is counterproductive to drawing the biggest audience possible. There's simply a portion of the fans that won't watch something like that and will be soured on the product.

It goes without saying that it remains to be seen how this unfolds, and given the title runs of Page and MJF prior to this, I'm not optimistic. If I had to guess, I'd say that Darby is being used as a placeholder until the build to Wembley Stadium later this year. That being said, Darby has the potential to be a money-drawing champion for the company, specifically if management properly markets the face paint and the persona. The potential pitfall is, where does Allin go from here? I understand the shock win, but when a character stars at the top of the ranks, the only place to go is back down the ladder so the next few weeks, particularly ahead of the build for the Double or Nothing pay-per-view, could be key to determine if he will be a successful champion for the company.

Did WWE sell Wrestlemania?

Considering that it's April 15th, make sure you send all of your files to Mike Rotunda. After that, we are just a few days away from Wrestlemania 42, the biggest event on the sports entertainment calendar, or it is?

I've covered the ticket sale debacle as the story unfolded over the past few months, and the harsh reality is that TKO initially priced out a huge portion of the fan base and then tried to course correct too late. The 25% or 31% wasn't going to make a dent in the total costs when you factor in the travel expenses, which is why neither sale truly moved the needle. But, as I also said, they will paper the house so that it's full by the time the bell rings on Saturday, and it's moot in the grand scheme of things because the scheduled payoff of more than $100 million from Saudi Arabia next year for Wrestlemania 43 is the big picture for the TKO corporation.

That's the business side of the equation, but what about creative? Sure, there are big expectations for the Wrestlemania brand, sometimes unrealistic expectations, but when the cheapest ticket to get into the building is $350 per night then management has to deliver on the pryo and ballyhoo worthy of the historic value that WM brings to the table. As we head into the homestretch of the build to WM 42, depending on your point of view, the scripting of the program either added a layer of intensity or reeked of desperation. We heard the rumors as far back as Survivor Series last November that another Cody Rhodes/Roman Reigns bout was penciled in for Las Vegas this year, with the conclusion of the War Games match seeming to hint at that direction. Since that time, the direction of the main event scene, both for Raw and Smackdown was shuffled on a few different occasions, suggesting indecisiveness, not spontaneity. The rumor mill was that the Rhodes/Reigns bout was scrapped because the audience had already seen it twice within the past three years, and given the two-year storyline between those two title matches, I'd say it was the right call to choose different opponents since another contest between the two would've been a retread. At one point, it looked like Cody/Drew was the decided match-up for WM, based on Drew's inference at different pay-per-views. Cody lost at The Royal Rumble, lost at The Elimination Chamber, and then won the belt back on a random episode of Smackdown. The speculated motive was that there was already a series of matches between Rhodes and Drew McIntyre last year so the fourth or fifth bout in a relatively short period of time wouldn't be strong enough to main event one of the nights of WM 42. That would be correct, but should also be a lesson about why a performer the caliber of Drew shouldn't have been thrown into random PPV matches just because Cody needed an opponent last year. The bigger issue was, as I've written at previously, the scripting that shoehorned Rhodes back into the main event picture actually devalued his star power. Cody is a top-tier talent and should be the representative of the company, he checks all the boxes for a global, publicly-traded corporation, but the way his character was scripted took away a lot of his shine. In some respects, he was able to lose his way to the main event of the show. He randomly lost the title to Drew on an episode of Smackdown in January, but there wasn't a journey for him to regain the championship. Instead, he was given opportunities until he won it back.

When the office shifted gears towards Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes, which is why Cody beat Drew abruptly, the heel turn from Orton was needed to provide some sizzle to a rather flat main event scene at the time. That being said, the entire Pat McAfee involvement is bizarre and counterproductive, which bled over into the CM Punk/Roman Reigns storyline as well. Trying to refer back to the Attitude era was a total miss, and while I get the attempt to lean into the reserve psychology aspect of the criticism of the ticket prices, it's also publicly admitting that the company overvalued the product. The WWE literally had a product, the biggest event of the year, that the audience wasn't buying compared to last year.

The worked shoot stuff between Roman/CM Punk and then Cody/McAfee almost seems like management is trying to use the same strategy to sell two different feuds. Depending on how the matches are booked this weekend, it could be a repetitive presentation. That was the biggest takeaway from Raw's final confrontation between Roman Reigns and CM Punk, it was basically the exact same set up and promo that they've done the past several weeks. The storyline almost appears one-dimensional when there's much more to draw from with their shared history. The more promos that Pat McAfee cuts on Smackdown, the more obvious it is that he was added into the mix as a late-minute desperate attempt to get some mainstream press for the event. There wasn't a need or a purpose for him to be involved in the storyline so he doesn't have anything to add other than to repeat that Randy Orton is going to save the business without any logic behind it so again, it comes off as very one-dimensional.

I'm somewhat surprised that Cody/Orton is scheduled for Saturday since you'd assume that the top position in the company would close out the weekend, but that might be by design. Keep in mind, the ESPN subscription is $30, and with gas prices over $4 a gallon thanks to the orange villain's conflict in Iran to distract from the Epstein files, it's not an automatic purchase that casual fans will pay for Wrestlemania, especially since this is the first WM event since the switch to ESPN with the price increase that went along with it. There continues to be rumors that Vince McMahon might peak his head back into the WWE landscape, particularly because of how closely he worked with the Saudis over the years, and it's possible that something newsworthy is going to be booked for night one in an attempt to get more fans to subscribe for the Sunday show.

Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu should be a quality bout, and it's a segment that I'm looking forward to, but it's a match-up based on the fact that the writing team didn't seem to have anything else for them to do. The same could be said for Seth Rollins/Gunther, it should be a very good bout, but it doesn't seem like a major match because there wasn't much build up for it. The same can be said for the rest of the card, there should be quality performances based on the talent involved, but everything from the top damn has seemed either scrambled or less than ideal in terms of the build. Stephanie Vaquer/Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley/Jade Cargill have some hype around them, but you can't really say the same for AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch, which had the potential to be the biggest women's match on the card when the feud started a few months ago. Ironically, the match with the best build is one that will be shown for free on ESPN, with it being Brock :Lesnar vs. Oba Femi. It's no coincidence that the bout with the most direct and steady angle is the one that had the best build ahead of bell time. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have Paul Heyman, still the best talker in the industry to sell the importance to the audience. Still, this was an angle that was two monsters that were going to clash, the writing team just told you what time it was, they didn't try to build the watch in the process, which is what happened with the detours, particularly with the Cody/Orton storyline.

If I had to guess, I'd say that this weekend's Wrestlemania events will deliver a quality show on each night, but aside from the fact that ticket prices were astronomical, the argument could be made that outside of Brock/Oba, and potentially Roman/Punk, there wasn't truly anything "must see" on the card as far as the perception of its important from the build up of the pay-per-view.

AEW Dynasty review

All Elite Wrestling finished its Canadian loop with the Dynasty pay-per-view at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, with an estimated attendance of 9,000 fans. All things considered, I'm not sure the totality of this PPV truly progressed things within the organization or not, as some bouts seemed as though the narrative was comparable to running in place. In theory, that matters, as it's much more difficult to sell a $50 broadcast on traditional pay-per-view in the modern era, but it's probably moot since the buy rates over the course of the year remain relatively the same. That either translates to stagnant or consistent, depending on your prospective. Along the same lines, the product itself has many of the same positives and negatives on a regular basis so while there's very little done to truly grow the footprint of the organization or expand the fan base, there's undoubtedly a demographic of fans that will follow and pay for the product. If that means the potential success of the venture has plateaued or not is also a matter of prospective.

The show opened with The Young Bucks vs. The Don Callis family, and this was basically the same twenty-minute fireworks match that kicked off the card against FTR last month without the overkill that ultimately too away from the rest of the show later that night. Thankfully, this one avoided the blood, and had some meat on the bone in terms of storylines. It was essentially the paint-by-numbers Young Bucks tag match, which isn't necessarily meant as a knock, but rather the best way to summarize the segment. The athleticism was impressive, it was fun for what it was, but the formula was very predictable. Furthermore, and this played out throughout the pay-per-view, it's a booking flaw, at least in my opinion that Tony Khan more or less gives twenty minutes across the board to matches that he deems to have a certain level of importance. He's a billionaire, and this is just my two cents on the matter, but part of the nuance of booking is being able to tailor the amount of time given to a segment based on what the bout and the storyline justify for it. This show went almost four and a half hours on a Sunday night, five or ten minutes too long in a few key segments adds up to an exhausting rather than enjoyable overall viewing experience. This match didn't need twenty minutes, but the Kazuchika Okada/Konosuke Takeshita confrontation that allowed The Young Bucks to pick up the victory could be an indication that Takeshita could move up the card if he turns baby face during a feud with the stable.

Chris Jericho's return to AEW and the follow-up promo the week after set up this bout with Ricochet. I'm not sure bring the list back was the best way to set a fresh run in the promotion, considering that Jericho made a point throughout his career to avoid being pigeon-holed as a nostalgia act, but how his persona develops over time will be the barometer of if there was still business to be down with Y2J in 2026. The match itself was solid, nothing too spectacular, but nothing subpar either. The counter with the code breaker as Ricochet jumped from the top rope is probably what the match will be remembered for. At times, Jericho showed some of his age, which is understandable at 55, but it does make you wonder if his in-ring appearances should be limited to certain occasions. I was somewhat surprised that Jericho put Ricochet over, not because it damages his status, it doesn't, he's a made man in terms of his star power. But, I have to be honest, given how aloof Ricochet seems to be in real life, including his social media blunders, there's no reason the company should invest too much stock into him. A win over Jericho would be much useful for someone else on the roster. While the defeat doesn't hinder his star power, it creates questions, is this the run where Jericho puts over other talent until he gracefully retires?

 The Andrade/Darby Allin contest was entertaining and built momentum, even if it used a few of the necessary Darby troupes that weren't really needed. The fact that they started off with a few technical wrestling sequences allowed for them to have somewhere to go as they built to the bigger bumps and risky spots before the finish. The narrative was Andrade's power, and Darby taking bumps from it, as well as Allin using his speed to counter in specific spots. Darby hurdling himself at the Mexican grappler throw the ropes looked rough, as it seemed like they hit heads as they went to the floor. The dive where Darby and Andrade crashed into the barricade also looked like a spot where Andrade clipped his head. The suplex to the floor was brutal. The finish was well done, as Andrade hit the back elbow before Darby used leverage to get the flash pin. This segment went 15 minutes and was enough time for them to showcase themselves before anything dragged.

FTR beat Cope and Christian to retain the tag team titles. One thing that was very noticeable was that while Jericho showed his age at some points earlier in the night, that wasn't the case for the challengers here, especially Christian. This was a good match that had a pace that built the drama toward the conclusion. This segment should be a lesson for the rest of the roster of how to use ring psychology to allow for the narrative to tilt back and fourth to get the most from the finish of a match. The counters and reversals kept the result in question until the actual finish. Cope got a hard way cut from the belt shot, which added some intensity before the pin fall when FTR won. I'm not sure this needed to go more than twenty minutes, but it was a very well done contest.

With Kyle Fletcher on the sidelines for an extended period of time with a knee injury, the gauntlet match was held to determine a new TNT champion. To parse detail here would be moot. This was a fun segment, and it was more or less exactly what Tony Khan looks for in the majority of the All Elite product. There were a lot of impressive moves and very little psychology to go along with it. Kevin Knight eventually pinned Daniel Garcia to win the title. Knight is a very talented athlete, but he works the same style as most of the roster so it will be interesting to see if he can use this reign as TNT champion to stand out from the myriad of other guys that work the high spot style.

Thekla defeated Jamie Hayter to retain the AEW Women's championship. The match was fine, but somewhat disjointed and definitely became tedious at the latter stages of the bout. This one probably went about five minutes too long and it affected the quality of the segment. This wasn't anything terrible, but I expected a better match, considering the performers' skill level that we've seen prior to this.

Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley was textbook AEW style, both for the pros and the cons. They prostituted finishers for two counts that were designed to be near falls, but there was no doubt that it wasn't the end of the contest. There were too many bumps that should've been used for the finish. There was the cliche spot where the baby face makes it back into the ring at nine for a half-hearted attempt to tease a possible count out. That being said, everything they did was top-notch in its execution. This was a quality performance, just to an over-the-top degree, depending on your perspective. If Tony Khan is absolutely set on booking overkill, and it seems like he is, this is the way it should be done rather than what's usually seen on AEW PPVs. Moxley retained the Continental championship.

The Trios title match was a 10-minute segment that was basically used as a way to pace the card, which was fine, bur there wasn't much to say about it. Sure, the belts changed hands, but they are merely props. Gabe Kidd dislocated his shoulder and looks to be on the sidelines for an indefinite amount of time.

The main event went too long at 40 minutes, but was still a very good contest. This is where I think Tony Khan does a disservice to his roster and audience when he books these marathon pay-per-views. When a show goes past midnight, it hinders the presentation of the main event. However, the rest of the card avoided the total overkill of gimmicks that we saw at Revolution, and it allowed for what was done in the world title bout to be more effective. The tombstone through the table stood out a lot more because there weren't endless amount of tables broken earlier in the show. One of the main narratives from this contest was that Kenny Omega can still go at a main event level, and it was one of the better matches of MJF's title reign. These are two top-tier performers and the quality of the segment reflected that. The fact that the table spot set up the finish was one of the better uses of psychology of recent AEW PPVs. MJF retained the championship.

The AEW/TNA situation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UFC 327

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What's next for CM Punk?

What's old is new again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ATD at Steel City Con

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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