Will CM Punk return?

As cliche as it sounds, never say never in the wrestling business.

For the past five years, I would shake my head any time a crowd chanted "CM Punk" or the rumors of his return trended on Twitter. As much as I've read about Roswell or the grassy knoll, I'm not a conspiracy theorist (No, the earth isn't flat) so usually, even in sports entertainment, there isn't some grand plan waiting to unfold to shock an audience. I looked at the CM Punk situation for the basic scenario that it was, Punk thought he was being underutilized and made enough money that he had the power to walk away without much consequence. In the five years since the former world heavyweight champion has been away from the squared circle, much of the paradigm of the industry has shifted, as some of the decisions made to promote the corporate agenda have yielded mixed results for the WWE.

A wrestler that disagrees with the office over a push or even walking out because of it isn't anything new. In fact, the biggest star in the history of the sport, Stone Cold Steve Austin infamously left in 2002 because he disagreed with a Raw booking. Still, the public way that Punk exited, mostly fueled by the reach of social media, made the story a much bigger story than it would've been otherwise. As he lamented on the Colt Cabana podcast that eventually resulted in a lengthy lawsuit, Punk thought he deserved a Wrestlemania main event, and an objective look at his status at the time would probably see that as the right decision. At the same time, when The Rock returned from Hollywood to challenge John Cena in a "once in a lifetime" match that happened twice, it set a pay-per-view buy rate record so from a purely business perspective, it's tough to argue that Cena/Rock wasn't the correct call. Was it fair that a part-timer showed up for a big payday and took the spot that could've been used to elevate one of the full-time performers? No, but the harsh reality of the situation is that it doesn't have to be fair because it was Vince McMahon's decision to make so he has the right to take his company in that direction.

When Punk left the company the day after the Royal Rumble in 2014, he was very ill from a staph infection and stated publicly that he thought he wasn't given proper medical care from WWE staff, another factor in the previously mentioned lawsuit. His rejection of pro wrestling as a whole and his later transition to a stint in the UFC garnered varying opinions from fans about him. Some see him as a folk hero that stood up against the corporate machine while others will call him a whiny former wrestler that left because he didn't get what he wanted after the sports gave him much notoriety. As with most things, the most objective view point is probably somewhere in the middle on the subject. From what many have said in interviews over the years, Punk is notoriously difficult to work with, but at the same time, his run in 2011 was one of the most memorable title reigns in the modern era.

Despite the one million dollars total that he made for two one-sided losses in the UFC, I don't think he did it strictly for the money, but rather a way to start another avenue in his career, which lead to the broadcasting that he does for smaller cards that air on UFC's streaming service. In the mist of the training for his second MMA fight, a defeat via unanimous decision against Mike Jackson in 2018, he won a trial where WWE doctor, Chris Amann claimed defamation of character based on Punk's claims of lack of medical treatment. With the victory, Punk had to pay no damages, but sadly, his longtime friend Colt Cabana was dragged into the situation and has since filed a lawsuit against Punk in an attempt to recover legal fees from the original trial. Ironically, even lawsuits haven't prevented returns to the company, as Sable, who had about as much talent as a broom stick, sued the WWE in 1999 before she settled out of court and eventually returned on Smackdown in 2003.

Up until this point, I would've dismissed a WWE return for Punk, mostly because he's a very unique individual and I wouldn't want to attempt to speculate on his opinion at any particular point for a career move. But, according to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, Punk recently auditioned for the Fox Sports 1 WWE show, which will be similar to the UFC Tonight show that reviews the action and promotes upcoming events. The indication here is that Punk is at least willing to work in pro wrestling again in some form because he opted to take the audition for a show based on WWE, even though it's a hire from Fox, not the WWE directly. If nothing else, this could open the lines of communication and test the waters for everyone involved. Five years have passed since Punk left and while there was a lot of chirping between the two sides on podcast or in interviews, this audition is something that might allow for enough water under the bridge for both sides to do business again. Keep in mind, one of the many reasons that Vince McMahon is a billionaire today is because he didn't let personal disagreements get in the way of business when money was on the line. Bret Hart KO'ed Vince in the dressing room after the Montreal incident, and not only did Vince welcome him back, but put him over in a match at Wrestlemania in 2010.

With the audition a possible way into the world of pro wrestling again, the current status of the industry might actually set up for his eventual return to the ring. With All Elite Wrestling's historic debut on TNT just days away, McMahon's empire has potential competition for the first time in nearly two decades. Obviously, McMahon isn't taking this lightly since he moved one of his staples of the WWE Network, NXT to USA to air head-to-head with the TNT show. If AEW gets off the ground remains to be seen, but right now the potential is certainly there for the upstart group to become a national commodity in an unprecedented fashion as they will become a weekly touring company with live TV after just a few shows to set up the foundation of the promotion.

Naturally, there were rumblings of CM Punk's potential arrival in AEW because Punk's mindset was an alternative to the WWE corporate agenda much the same way that AEW as an organization is set to be an alternative to WWE's perceived corporate product. This speculation was further fueled when Punk was announced for Starrcast, the convention that was run in association with the All Out pay-per-view last month. However, in an ESPN article to promote that appearance, Punk seemed to brush off and even criticize some of AEW management, claiming he received an offer via text message from the group. The details of those discussions remain murky, but if Punk was going to debut for AEW, he would've done it at All Out because he was literally right next to the venue for the convention and the reaction for it in his hometown of Chicago would've been a memorable moment.

The less than complimentary things he said about management doesn't exactly set up for a productive contract discussion and those comments might sour the audience on him if he showed up at an event. Remember, much of the momentum that AEW has is the goodwill that management has built with fans through social media and autograph signings so fans want the company to be successful. Anyone that doesn't seem to be on board with that might get a hostile reaction from the crowd.

If AEW picks up momentum, and more importantly garners ratings that are close or better than NXT's show then you can bet that Vince McMahon will find a way to try to maintain his dominant place in the industry. Granted, a lot of pieces of the puzzle would have to fall into place for that to happen, but it's not impossible. Take a look at Nitro on TNT in 1995 when Hulk Hogan was beating an endless goon squad of the Dungeon of Doom compared to when The Outsiders made the product cool in 1997. Where the industry is now and where it will be in two years might be vastly different if AEW finds success. If All Elite makes headlines and progress as a company within the next year or two, how does WWE halt that momentum? If CM Punk walks onto the stage on USA or Fox, the conversation of sports entertainment shifts from what AEW is doing to what will CM Punk do in WWE?

Obviously, these are hypothetical scenarios, but considering how the audition for a WWE-based show could provide some insight into Punk's willingness to work in wrestling, and the fact that with the new TV contracts, the company undoubtedly has enough money to make Punk an offer he might not refuse, it's at least possible that he returns to the WWE. If he does lace up the boots again, I don't think it would or should be another full-time contract, but rather a Goldberg type deal where Punk shows up for a major run over the course of a few key events and gets paid big money to do it. This would effectively put him on good terms with the company and allows for more money to be made for everyone involved with merchandise or other appearances for next few years.

Smackdown goes to Fox

In just a few weeks, Smackdown moves to Friday nights on Fox, one of the main pieces of WWE's mega TV deal that will bring the company a total of $2.5 billion during the duration of the five-year contract. The Friday night portion brings the organization a billion dollars for the blue brand, while USA forked over nearly $1.5 billion to retain the flagship Raw program. These contracts were finalized several months ago and boosted the stock price, a top priority for WWE brass. However, ratings have slipped in recent months and face competition from the football season so the pressure is on the sports entertainment empire to deliver for its shareholders.

As a way to generate a spark and kickoff a new era for the promotion, there will be yet another draft in October to shuffle talent around to theoretically set up new feuds for television. There are many aspects to this story, both from the business side and the on-screen presentation. Granted, USA paid more money to keep Raw on their network, but considering there's a third hour to generate ad revenue, it's understandable that aside from being the flagship show, the price tag for Monday night would bring WWE a bigger deal. That being said, the fact that Fox paid a billion dollars for the TV rights to Smackdown more or less puts it on an equal level with Raw in terms of importance for the business side of the company. One of the problems is that Smackdown was only created to rival Thunder during the peak of the wrestling wars of the late 90s, and post-WCW, the blue brand was almost always used as the secondary show. Obviously, Raw had more history to it, but even the content and distribution of Smackdown throughout the years framed it as the B-show of WWE programming.

That must change if management is going to justify the major cash they will get for broadcast rights, which is why Brock Lesnar will probably win the WWE title when he challenges Kofi Kingston. It's no coincidence that Brock is scheduled for his first TV match since he returned to the company when the move is made to Fox. In truth, with that type of cash on the line, it makes sense to put it to use and pay Brock's per match price because if the show delivers consistent ratings on Fox then it helps the stock price. However, the ability to draw big numbers on a broadcast station, especially on a Friday night is no easy task.

The bottom line is, much of this deal was based on the perception of WWE's business prospects, not the success of the content of the show. Management signed Ronda Rousey for her first major sports venture since she retired from mixed martial arts and were able to use their deal with ESPN to market to a main stream audience. There was also the very controversial Saudi Arabia deal that saw the organization be used as propaganda for the Saudi government. Obviously, there were ethical questions about the entire situation, but one way or another, it generated an estimated $40-50 million per show for the company. From a business perspective, that's a major revenue stream for a deal that is supposed to continue for the next decade.

As far a revenue goes, the past few years of WWE have been very successful, as they generated record-setting profits through the stock, TV rights, and expanded distribution. At the same time, the actual on-screen product has garnered sluggish ratings and a stale presentation. In many ways, these new TV contracts put the company in a tough spot because they will have to draw solid numbers or their successful status could be exposed as a temporary smoke screen that was designed to boost the stock instead of progress the company.

That's not to say WWE management can't deliver for Fox, considering that Vince McMahon has bet right a lot more often than he has bet wrong throughout his time as the kingpin of the sports entertainment empire. Keep in mind, for as great as some of the other groups were throughout history, McMahon was the last man standing in the American wrestling market. Other promoters were either too narrow-minded and went out of business or knew when to sale to cash-in before the territory system faded in favor of a national promotion. All that said, nothing about the current product says that it will guarantee that a wider audience will be drawn to it.

More specifically, I don't think another draft or exclusive brands will spark viewership on Fox. I've said it several times before, but it must be said again here, I just don't think the brand extension is a concept that will connect with the general public. In some respects, the concept of exclusive talent and different champions for different shows is too convoluted for casual viewers. Plus, there was already a draft, a shake up, and the wild card rule this year. None of that drew bigger numbers and if anything, further diluted the product. The point being, the reasons for the lack of numbers are much more simplistic than that. In my opinion, the current WWE philosophy of the direction that carters to the corporate agenda instead of fan demand erodes the casual viewership, reducing much of the audience to the diehard demographic that watch more out of habit than anything else. Part of that corporate agenda is to push the brand as the draw instead of specific stars, which creates a ceiling as to how over any particular competitor can get in the organization. It gives the company leverage because if someone gets injured, they can simply plug another athlete into that spot, but when the pieces of the puzzle become interchangeable, there's a certain level of unavoidable mediocrity that goes along with it. Speaking of mediocrity, the 50/50 booking that attempts to keep everyone a star ultimately brings less star power to the brand. It might sound harsh, but some performers should have the role of a mid-carder that makes the stars look good, and there's really nothing wrong with that. Without a line-up of legitimate money-drawing stars, there's a lack of depth on the roster in terms of star power and the ability to boost numbers. Aside from maybe Brock Lesnar, who makes a noticeable difference in the numbers? The reason for that is management made it a priority to present Brock as something more than just another wrestler on the roster.

Ironically, at a time when the company lacks legitimate stars, they have some of the best in-ring talent under contract in the history of the promotion so the athletes are already there. That is the reason that the presentation of those competitors is such a key factor in the perception of them as stars and the overall product. It might not be realistic to produce a solid three-hour show on a continuous basis, but WWE brass took the cash for it so now that's the task they have for the product. With the recent addition of NXT to the USA network, it's very possible that there's just too many hours of content to expect a causal viewer to watch, but that's the programming that the WWE has set up ahead of these new TV deals. Obviously, WWE will stack the shows for the kickoff, but this move to Fox or another draft doesn't automatically translate to better ratings. The fundamental flaws in the "brand as the draw" approach are something that could become more apparent as the pressure to deliver for the major TV rights continues throughout the duration of the contract. I'm not claiming to know the answers to this scenario, but the paint-by-numbers ideology to make stars has yielded mixed results in recent years. The WWE should have intriguing storylines that progress the characters if they want to draw viewers on a regular basis on Friday nights. Hopefully, this transition to Smackdown will be a chance for a shift in direction because its also very possible that the platform of broadcast television could expose many of the problems that were a regular discussion in the past few years.

The VHS memoirs Volume 7

Nearly two decades after Extreme Championship Wrestling, the South Philadelphia-based promotion that helped revolutionized the presentation of the sports entertainment industry in the late-90s, closed its door, there remains a mystic around the wild organization that built an enduring legacy through a combination of violence and passion. Prior to the official bankruptcy in April of 2001, the renegade group promoted a fast-paced, physical style with a cast of intriguing characters that allowed it to expand from its base in the north east to the national stage among the WWF and WCW. While it put hardcore on the map for a wider audience and often pushed the envelope too far with some of the riskier stunts, ironically, much of the basis for ECW was the use of a classic pro wrestling dynamic, over baby faces that challenge hated heels. It was well-documented that the gritty league ran on a shoe string and eventually collapsed from the pressure of the competition of the industry. Despite the diehard fan base and an influenced that helped mold the future of the major promotions at the time, ECW saw an abrupt end, running its last national card with Guilty As Charged on pay-per-view in January of 2001 before a pair of bought house shows in Pine Bluff, Arkansas a week later.

In the years that followed, the topic of the extreme downfall was often discussed for what caused the shut down and what would've happened if the organization found a way to stay afloat, especially after WCW was bought by Vince McMahon for pennies on the dollar just months after ECW folded. The common theme among that discussion was that there was still a demand for the organization that brought dozens of stars national notoriety and ultimately helped fuel the Monday night war. When McMahon bought ECW's trademarks and assets, including its tape library it allowed for video releases for the main stream audience. The lengthy process took over a year to complete because slices of ownership were sold in the group's latter stages to keep it on pace with its competition. Reportedly, the now-defunct Acclaim video game company that produced two titles for the organization had a stake in exchange for some of the work on the video games. Supposedly, Pioneer Entertainment, the company that distributed ECW DVDs before the company closed, also had some type of claim in the bankruptcy. Original investor, Tod Gordon, who was fired from the organization after the infamous mole story in 1997, attempted to claim rights to the Eastern Championship Wrestling footage, but it was dismissed.

Finally, with all the trademark hurdles cleared, the WWE's state-of-the-art production staff released "The Rise and Fall of ECW" DVD set in late-2004, which was an intriguing and fair look at the seven-year run of the company. The documentary became one of the best-selling releases at the time and proved the demand for the original product. Roughly six months later, the legendary One Night Stand was one of the most anticipated pay-per-views of that era and its success led to the infamous relaunch in 2006.

However, there was another aspect to the ECW nostalgia that same weekend, the Hardcore Homecoming event, a card held at the former bingo hall in Philadelphia and promoted by former heavyweight champion, Shane Douglas. In conjunction with the project, longtime backstage figure, Jeremy Borash produced "Forever Hardcore," a documentary that featured former ECW grapplers that weren't under WWE contract or featured in the Rise and Fall production. Similar to the ONS event in New York at the Hammerstein Ballroom, there was a massive demand for Douglas' event at the ECW arena, promoting a sellout of over 1,200 fans at the bingo hall.

The card held on June 10, 2005, just two days before the ONS event, and while not broadcasted on PPV, (stream was still very limited for wrestling at the time) the show was later released on DVD with wide distribution online and in retail stores through the now-defunct Big Vision Entertainment group, which had a role in the XPW and Wrestling Society X projects. The show itself garnered mixed reviews, as some of the most well-known talent from the original ECW were unable to appear at Hardcore Homecoming because they were under WWE contract, and other extreme originals weren't necessarily as crisp in the ring as they were in their prime. Still, the event was generally considered a fun event that had some memorable moments, including a surprise appearance by Mick Foley in the main event, which turned into an impromptu barbed wire match.

Following the success of both nostalgia shows, there were rumblings about Hardcore Homecoming as a promotion that ran events on a regular basis. The infamous Extreme Rising organization under Steve O'Neil actually tried something similar years later and the whole venture was a total disaster. However, just a few months after Hardcore Homecoming, a weekend tour was scheduled with three events in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo. The event in Buffalo was subsequently cancelled because of some type of licensing problem and wasn't exactly a good sign for any type of further expansion.

This week actually marks 14 years since that Hardcore Homecoming event in Pittsburgh, which I attended and still have mini DV tapes of most of the show, as fans were allowed to bring camcorders into the venue. The show took place at the Golden Dome in Monaca, PA where the November To Remember 1997 pay-per-view was held. The comparison to the initial Hardcore Homecoming event was that this road show was a very fun experience. When our crew of wrestling fans arrived at the building, we saw fans lined up outside and there was nearly an hour of everyone enjoying the atmosphere since there was a delay in the doors opening for the show. These pre-show shenanigans included New Jack showing up to visit the crowd before he picked up a small child and pretended that he was going to run in the building with him. Thankfully, the former ECW tag team champion returned the youngster to his family. There was also a bizarre and hilarious incident that saw a probably intoxicated Sandman reject a high five from a definitely intoxicated fan. The fan was later denied entry into the venue because he stumbled into a group of other fans and tried to start an altercation with them. I was under 21 at the time so I had to politely decline a beer that was offered to me from a fellow fan, but I still appreciated his generosity before the show.

As mentioned, the event itself was very fun, despite some less-than-stellar or recycled matches. The problems for the extreme tour were apparent when we reached the entrance, as we were offered a free ticket upgrade from our $25 general admission seats to the second row of floor seats that were originally on sale for $100, a price based on the Hardcore Homecoming production in June. The reason we were offered this free upgrade is because those expensive floor seats simply hadn't sold and organizers didn't want empty sets of camera. The main problem with this is that management priced these tickets as if it was an ECW arena type of show, but Pittsburgh was clearly the B-show of that weekend. For example, The Dudleys, who hadn't debuted for TNA yet, were still fresh off of their WWE deals and were scheduled for the show in Cleveland the previous night, but weren't booked for the Golden Dome. Former champions, Rhino and Raven also worked the Ohio event, but weren't scheduled for Pittsburgh. Furthermore, the argument could be made that there wasn't enough star power to justify higher ticket prices for the tour because names like Terry Funk, Too Cold Scorpio, and Mikey Whipwreck were involved at the ECW arena show, but not booked for any of the tour.

Basically, the Golden dome was more or less a house show card with pay-per-view ticket prices. There's nothing wrong with a house show loop to compliment the major events, but the ticket prices were unrealistic. While it made for a fun live experience with "Enter Sandman" blaring through the venue while he posed around the building, Sabu performing the triple jump moonsault, and the other chaos, there wasn't necessarily anything that made the event more than a one-off nostalgic showcase for a live crowd. Some of the matches were carbon copies of the other shows with the same spots. Even if Shane Douglas, who worked for TNA during that era, would've been able to get a working agreement with the company to use its talent, Hardcore Homecoming didn't have the direction or the funding to run a regular promotion.

Still, it was a fun event that was worth the trip to the Golden Dome, including the post-show autograph session for fans that donated to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. So, Hardcore Homecoming, ECW on Sci-Fi, and Extreme Rising weren't going to be successful at a relaunch because the things that made the original ECW get off the ground were organic and spontaneous for the audience. However, the draw to the reunion events proved that the company has an impact and a legacy in the history of the industry.

Wyatt vs. Rollins

Last month, I penned an article about Bray Wyatt's return to the WWE after an extended hiatus and detailed the misuse of his character during his original run in the company. I also explained why I thought that management should run with the character to capitalize on the buzz that was created through the firefly fun house segments and "The Fiend" with an ominous persona on-screen.

After a rather bland Clash of Champions pay-per-view this past weekend, the pieces of the puzzle were put in place for the HIAC event with Seth Rollins set to defend the Universal title against the previously mentioned Wyatt in a cell match. The first thing that should be mentioned is that while the stipulation fits with the fiend gimmick in this situation, these type of pay-per-views remain mostly counterproductive because a gimmick match should be used to enhance a feud, not simply because of when a match is booked on the calendar. While Wyatt made a successful return to the ring and slimmed downed to generate the most momentum in his career since the writing team mismanaged his potential years ago, this booking of a title bout might simply be WWE brass trying to find a main event for the month of October instead of any actual plans for Wyatt or the championship picture. In a very similar fashion that the Braun/Rollins title contest had no solid storyline or reasoning behind it, what exactly is the logic for the Wyatt vs. Seth match at HIAC other than the company needs a main event for the show? Furthermore, how can a compelling angle be built in just three weeks?

Granted, the generic reasoning could be that Seth is the champion and every star wants the title because of its perceived prestige, but none of that was presented yet. Does Wyatt want the belt because it will allow him to reach more with his message? There must be something of substance as far as why this match-up is booked or some type of grudge between the two athletes or it will be just another generic main event to get the company through until Survivor Series.

Considering how over the character is with the audience and the dynamic elements used in its presentation, I think that if Wyatt is scheduled for a championship match then he has to win the title or it hinders the character.

Keep in mind, in theory a shot at the championship should be a peak position for a competitor's push so if Bray does the job a month after he returned to the ring, where does he go from there? More specifically, if he's used as just another challenger, how is that any progress from the position he was before he was repackaged?

The lack of progress is a major problem across the board for the company and one of the reasons that the product lacks any major hype. Brock Lesnar was pushed as the most dominate on the roster with the theory that it would eventually pay off to make Roman Reigns the star the organization wanted for the past several years. That didn't happen and now Roman is more of less at the mid-card because he must be featured since the promotion invested a lot of time into his push, but he can't necessarily be pushed at the top of the card again because of the risk of rejection from the fans. When Brock continued as champion, his lack of appearances made Raw difficult to book without the title to build angles around, and his formulaic matches saw most of the shine wear off with his repetitive move set. Speaking of formulaic, the build up and booking for the Brock/Seth match at Wrestlemania was very basic and lackluster, which was repeated just a few months later with the same angle for Summer Slam. Was Seth Rollins really a bigger star after the feud with Brock than he was prior to it? The bottom line is, did the Brock experiment really pay off, considering that he was paid millions for just a few appearances?

Similar to Wyatt, much of the same can be said for Braun Strowman's path in recent years, he's used to patch a spot or to get someone else over rather than be a priority for the writing team. Remember when Roman pinned Braun to become the number one contender a few years ago? How about the three-minute match when Lesnar pinned him last year in Saudi Arabia? The point being, when Braun was at the peak of being over with the audience, management didn't run with it because it didn't fit into their corporate agenda so at this point they've completely missed the boat with him. In fact, another than being used as just a reason to have a main event on the card, what was the point of the Braun/Rollins match at Clash of Champions? Again, there was nothing as far as a heated angle between the two to justify the build up of a title match.

As far as Seth Rollins, he's undoubtedly a very talented competitor, but the way he was portrayed before and even after the Lesnar feud doesn't put him in place to be a champion with a lot of momentum. His promos come across rather generic and he almost sounds like a whiny baby face that tries to pander to the crowd to get cheers. That being said, the terrible Baron Corbin/Lacey Evans tag matches did nothing to help establish Rollins with a fresh run after the Lesnar feud.

This is not to say that The Fiend will be the next Undertaker, but his early push after his debut at Survivor Series 1990 is somewhat comparable to The Fiend's current status. Bray has a mystic aura around him and that is an aspect that can bring a buzz to Raw, something that is often lacking from week to week. The aura that Wyatt has should be protected and not made to look vulnerable because it would dilute the character. In some ways, management booked themselves into a corner because if Seth defeats Wyatt, it hinders one of the few gimmicks on the brand that has a continuous buzz around it, but at the same time, if Bray wins the championship, the writing team has to task to figure out how to book The Fiend gimmick as the champion within just a few months of his return to the ring.

I don't think Bray Wyatt should be booked for the title picture yet because his persona has yet to be used on a weekly basis for matches, but if management is going to schedule the match then it's the right move to let him win the championship. Perhaps, something completely different on Raw will help spark some hype around the brand. However, the bigger problem is the stale paint-by-numbers approach to the product that has led to a lack of anticipation for most of the angles. As I've said several times, WWE's monopoly has unintentionally led to a level of mediocrity and complacency around the product. If anything, Seth Rollin's rather lackluster title run and the company's stale status ahead of the Fox debut prove the importance of competition in the industry.

Impact on AXS

Nearly two years after it was announced that the accomplished Scott D'Amore and Don Callis were the new management team for Anthem's Impact Wrestling project, another recent announcement could have a major effect on the wrestling organization in the future. After negotiations that reportedly started at the beginning of the year, Anthem, the parent company of Canada's Fight Network, bought the AXS TV channel along with HD Net as well, both properties of Mark Cuban, the very successful businessman that is known as the owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. As apart of the transaction, Anthem will partner with Cuban, who will still lend his expertise to the next phase of programming on AXS. While the clearance doesn't reach as far as other channels, the prior Cuban-owned network is a known commodity, specifically because of its association with the basketball owner. In the wrestling world, AXS played a key role in New Japan's American expansion as it became the Japanese league's TV distribution in the United States with the recognizable voices of Jim Ross and MMA fighter, Josh Barrett. The network also airs the women's show WOW, but as of now, it's unknown how or if this Anthem deal could affect other wrestling ventures on the network.

As far as a pro wrestling prospective, what does this acquisition mean for the Impact Wrestling brand?

Obviously, the major piece of the puzzle for this deal was it clears the way for Impact Wrestling to move its television show to AXS, which is key, considering that the availability of the show on the Anthem-owned Pursuit channel is almost non-existent. In fact, while there were rumors of a possible Anthem/AXS deal late last year, supposedly, the only reason that Impact was moved to Pursuit was to keep it on television in some form after it wasn't renewed by Pop TV. Numbers for Pursuit aren't often available, but a mere 12,000 viewers were counted for a particular episode in February of this year. The simulcast on Twitch in the Friday night time slot did very little to help the situation, drawing roughly 10,000 additional viewers weekly. Media properties being sold, repackaged, or redistributed isn't anything new, but what counts is the availability for the Impact product as the sports entertainment industry has new dynamics ahead of it.

Unfortunately, a look at the actual numbers indicates that this might be more of a lateral move for Impact in terms of its distribution.

As an example, when TNA debuted on Destination America following its nine-year run on Spike, that channel was available to 57 million homes in the United States. After a year on that station, it moved to Pop TV, which has a clearance of 74 million homes. The Pursuit Channel can be seen in an estimated 45 million homes. As of now, AXS TV is available in roughly 50 million homes, putting it in the middle in terms of distribution of Impact TV outlets in the past five years. While those sound like big numbers, to put it into the proper perspective of the TV industry, Spike TV has a clearance of an estimated 93 million homes in the country. As mentioned, AXS is more well-known as a commodity because its under the Cuban umbrella and it also has the New Japan deal, but that doesn't necessarily translate to actual availability to viewers. The numbers are the numbers, and on paper AXS only puts Impact TV in a slightly better spot than it is now with the Pursuit Channel. That being said, the upside is, the potential for expanded coverage for AXS is much greater than any other avenue that Impact had so if AXS expands to more markets then obviously, that will be a valuable increase for the wrestling program as well. In fact, the most important part of this deal for the wrestling league could be the potential of the expansion of the AXS network. Plus, it's undoubtedly a better choice than the Pursuit Channel, considering that something like "Big Bob's Bass Fishing" isn't exactly the best complimentary programming. The limited clearance could allow someone in the witness protection program to appear on a show on the Pursuit Channel and still be in no danger.

As far as the other wrestling shows on AXS, I would say that if at all possible, they should be maintained on the channel, as a wrestling programming block with such contrasting products might actually be a unique set up for the network.

The other side of the coin are the sports entertainment aspects of this scenario, specifically the depth or lack thereof for the Impact roster after some key departures, including LAX and The Lucha Brothers, two of the organization's best acts under the Anthem regime. Don't get me wrong, there's still some very talented athletes under contract with The North, Elgin, Tessa, Callihan, Su Yung, Cage, and others signed to deal, but the crowded wrestling landscape might eventually squeeze them out if the competition for talent continues among WWE and AEW. Right now, Sami Callihan is probably their best bet as champion, considering that his persona and in-ring ability are at a main event level. Keep in mind, the infamous "baseball bat incident" last year got the company more press than they had in years prior to that.

While I understand the promotion has to do something different to standout in the previously mentioned crowded field, I don't think their current direction will necessarily resonate with fans that are looking toward a new era of the industry in the next few months. Ken Shamrock, former early UFC grappler and WWF star, returned to the sports entertainment scene at a recent Impact TV taping, setting up a match against Moose at Bound For Glory next month. The 55-year old Shamrock actually has a brief history with NWA-TNA, winning the NWA World championship at the first pay-per-view in 2002 before he dropped it a few weeks later to Ron Killings. While "The World's Most Dangerous Man" had a memorable run in sports entertainment because of his transition back to the squared circle in the late 90s after he garnered notoriety from the then-relatively new sport of mixed martial arts, he didn't really have an extensive run in the WWF. His nearly three years under contract only saw him near the top of the card for a short time and injuries put him on the shelf prior to his exit. More importantly, Ken Shamrock was past his prime as a fighter 15 years ago and had some embarrassing moments inside the cage since then, including a lackluster loss to former rival Royce Gracie in his most recent MMA contest in 2016. Shamrock's last victory in mixed martial arts was at a regional event in 2010.

Stephan Bonnar is another MMA name that resurfaced at the recent tapings, but he worked for Impact in 2017 so he's not totally new to the ring. Bonnar has a place in the history of MMA because of his epic and influential  bout against Forrest Griffin. He also had a solid career, but hasn't fought since 2014. Bonnar is a recognizable name among MMA fans, but I'm not sure he's much of a draw at all for the pro wrestling demographic. Frank Trigg, another former UFC fighter, also made an appearance, but Trigg is more or less irrelevant in both sports. The point being, WWE has used Brock Lesnar's UFC background as the foundation for his mega push in the past several years so another MMA angles with be minor league in comparison, simply because of the scale of WWE's platform.

That being said, AXS is definitely an improvement for Impact Wrestling, but it doesn't automatically put them on a successful path either. As mentioned, with the addition of AEW on TNT next month, there will officially be another national promotion on the map, is there really enough room almost half a dozen companies on some form of TV in the United States? There's no upside for Impact Wrestling to shut down because then talented performers wouldn't have the stage to showcase their talents so if nothing else, at least the move to AXS is progress toward better distribution for the company.

AEW All Out

Last night's All Out pay-per-view was the second major broadcast for the upstart promotion, as it was held in Chicago at the Sears Center, the same venue that sold out last year for All In, the event that led to the start of All Elite Wrestling. The card had too much action to review in-depth here because this article would become too lengthy, but there's certainly much to discuss about direction of the organization based on the results of this event.

During the pre-show, there was a women's battle royal to determine one of the competitors for the first ever women's championship when the company debuts on TNT in October. The battle royal itself was sloppy, but that's usually the case with those type of matches. Nyla Rose won it to advance to the championship contest. Later in the night on the main broadcast, Riho defeated Shida to advance as well. This creates the dynamic for an easy story to be told ahead of the title bout with the monster Nyla against the underdog Riho. If it was my decision, I'd pick Riho to win the championship. As I said after the Double or Nothing event in May, it was a wise choice for management to bring in the Joshi athletes because it gives the group something more unique to promote as far as the pure joshi style added to an American promotion, and the Joshi athletes could be a draw for a different demographic than the usual pro wrestling audience.

So Cal Uncensored won a basic, but entertaining six man tag match to open the main show. This is meant as a compliment, SCU is probably the perfect opening act for an event because they can get the crowd into the show and deliver a solid match without doing too many moves too early in the show. Again, this is meant as a compliment, in many ways the trio are also great utility performers because they are versatile enough to make any role on the card work, which is an extremely valuable asset for any company. As for the other team, it's not difficult to see the potential that Jungle Boy has, and if he continues to develop as an all around wrestler, he could be one of the names that AEW builds around in the future. Despite being mostly a gimmick, I'd say that Luchasaurus actually has a lot more to offer than just the mask, considering that he could be a tremendous heel with an eventual turn because he's very agile for his size. However, for now it makes sense for the pair to have a run as an entertaining duo because they work well together as a team. Nothing against Marko Stunt, but I'm not sure how much longevity he will have because the novelty of his statue might wear off and at this point, he only has a few years of experience so he might not have the polished ring skills to get beyond the gimmick of being the smallest wrestler on the roster.

On paper, Pac vs. Kenny Omega seemed somewhat flat because Pac exited the All Elite picture rather quickly after his match at Double or Nothing was cancelled because he was the Dragon Gate champion at the time. When Jon Moxley had another dangerous case of MRSA, he obviously had to be replaced and Pac was added. So, there wasn't really any time for any type of build up for the bout. Plus, since Pac has worked primarily in Japan since he resurfaced on the scene, he doesn't have much buzz in the United States. That being said, these two delivered a physical, hard-hitting match that was a very good contest. I have to be honest, I was surprised at the finish with Pac's victory because as of now, this was a one-off for Pac, and the thrown together match took some steam away from Omega already. The defeat doesn't leave him with much momentum ahead of the TNT debut so unless there's some type of angle planned where he starts at the bottom and climbs through the ranks, I'm not sure what direction Kenny Omega goes from here. One this is for sure, after the All Out pay-per-view, the wrestler that arguably had the most buzz in 2018, doesn't have much hype behind him right now.

The Cracker Barrel Clash was the "blood and guts" on the card so to speak and while it was a decent match, it was also concerning with some of the risks the three athletes took during it. This isn't meant as a lecture on wrestling philosophy, but rather that each of them individual have much to offer from a character perspective as well, and these type of risks could easily lead to an injury that takes away their chance to get their persona over with a national audience. Darby Allin has an extremely interesting background that could be used to allow him to connect with the audience, which is more valuable than just a pop from the crowd from one of the dangerous bumps. Don't get me wrong, he's an extremely talented athlete, I just don't want to see his career reduced to stunts instead of an intriguing persona on TNT.

The Dark Order beat The Best Friends to get a bye in the tag team title tournament, which made sense for the heels to get the bye so that a baby face team will have to overcome the odds if they are going to win in the finals. It was an okay tag match, but it might be too early for a tournament since there aren't many established teams on the roster yet. It almost seems like the tournament is being rushed as an early part of the promotion simply so that the company can have tag team champions as a part of the roster.

Cody vs. Shawn Spears, the former Tye Dillinger, was solid, but for a match that had a lot of hype behind it based on the chair shot that cut Cody's head previously, a heated feud seems to have concluded abruptly. Cody won and got his revenge on Spears so where's the angle supposed to go from here? More specifically, what's next for Spears, considering that the basis for his debut in AEW was the storyline around his friendship with Cody from their early days in wrestling? Possibly there will be some type of follow-up or a new direction for Spears, who had the most importance of his career from this angle, but he doesn't have any heat as a heel right now because Cody already defeated him.

The ladder match was absolutely insane and one of the best ladder matches of all time. While there were many risks, the bout was done in probably the safest way possible and the four athletes involved maximized the position of a featured matches on a major show to make the biggest impression possible. As far as risks go, this was different from the three way earlier in the show because it wasn't in the middle of a four-hour event that was packed with high spots so I think the argument could be made that the chances the teams took had a place on the card that allowed it to be more memorable. I discussed the potential of Pentagon as a major star, the great ability of Rey Fenix, and how over the Young Bucks are before so I'm not going to repeat all those details again, but this incredible match might've stole the show.

The Chris Jericho/Adam Page match for the first ever All Elite Wrestling championship was put in a tough spot because they had to follow not only a three and a half hour event, but also the previous match had a Canadian destroyer off a ladder through a table. However, I thought that Jericho and Page worked a physical, quality main event that kept the audience guessing as to the conclusion. As I've said before and I will say it again, too often in the modern era, finishers are used as a way to attempt to create near falls, but all it accomplishes is reducing what should be a major move in the narrative to just another spot in a match. Furthermore, the concept of what a false finish is seems to be lost in much of the modern landscape. A false finish isn't simply a narrow kick out, but rather the ability to make the audience think that it could be the actual finish to a contest. This is why it was very important that the Judas Effect elbow was only used for the finish because it will eventually allow for a major reaction if someone does kick out. That being said, I think it was the right call for Chris Jericho to win the title because it truly gives me another chapter in his career to build in AEW. He's not just there for his name value from the past or a veteran just trying to cash-in for a big contract. As the champion, Jericho is putting much of the potential for AEW to get off the ground on his shoulders, and it also sets up for a chase to the title for Adam Page in the future.

Overall, All Out was a great pay-per-view with only a few low points and it showcased the company very well. Still, the more important piece of the puzzle for the company as a whole will be to become an established commodity on television after the debut in October. Keep in mind, on a national level, the AEW product will have to get over with the general public, and so far much of its success is from a diehard portion of the audience. The pieces of the puzzle are there, but the presentation of the product will have to draw a wider demographic. That being said, the stage is set for a very interesting conclusion to the year and there could be a shift in the direction of the industry.