The career of Dean Radford

 "Family is not an important thing, it's everything." -Micheal J. Fox

While Micheal J. Fox is known for his Hollywood roles of paling around with Doc Brown as Marty McFly, his message of family is something those from the big screen to the local scene can identify with. Similar to many genres of entertainment, professional wrestling has its share of family ties. Terry and Dory Jr. blazed a trail for decades, following the footsteps of Dory Sr., known in his heyday as the pioneer of the Texas Deathmatch. More recently, Brian Pillman Jr. and Dominik Mysterio also pursued the family business. Let's not forget the notable Samoan Dynasty that has numerous cousins, brothers, and uncles involved in the squared circle.

An example of family heritage on the Pittsburgh circuit is 19-year pro Dean Radford, a powerhouse of a grappler that was introduced to the concept of independent wrestling when his cousin, the late great, Ron "The Beast" Williams was scheduled for an appearance at the now-demolished Eastland Mall in North Versailles, located roughly 25 minutes outside of the city. Dean was in attendance for that card in the late-90s, and it was an experience that left a profound impression on him.

"Man, it was like a larger-than life-situation, I was watching the sport I loved and also my family put on a great show. The best part was later in my life, I got the privilege of forming a tag team with my cousin Ron and won the tag championships, it's a memory I’ll never forget," Dean explained.

Growing up a diehard "Hulkamaniac," Dean's exposure to live wrestling occurred early in life, as his brother took him to outdoor AWA shows when he was in kindergarten, and the sport was always a part of family activities. Throughout his youth, he stayed glued to the television, memorized by the over-the-top heroes he saw beamed through the screen. Once he made up his mind, he was set on making his way into the pro ranks, preparing in high school to eventually step into the squared circle. While Hogan and Macho Man posters plastered on his wall, he used the Mega Powers inspiration to begin a dedicated weight training regiment to prepare his body for the tedious process to learn how to become a pro wrestler.

"I did a lot of power lifting to bulk, tons of protein, and was in the gym twice a day, if I could. I made sure to get in the ring at least once a week, but if more was possible, I’d be there. The ring can work you out better than a gym for cardio," Radford remarked.

How Dean ended up in his first training sessions and who he learned from are stories that only the world of sports entertainment could produce for an aspiring hopeful.

As mentioned, he had family ties to the local scene and found himself at live cards as often as he could, particularly doing the surge in popularity of the 90s. Through his fandom, he met one of the godfathers of the Pittsburgh indy circuit, Norm Connors, who promoted Steel City Wrestling throughout the late-90s and then the International Wrestling Cartel for nearly a decade before he retired from the genre. Both promotions booked some featured stars of their time, including Cactus Jack, Dan Severn, Stevie Richards, and others, while the IWC later had AJ Styles, CM Punk, and Chris Sabin scheduled for events.

Despite getting to work as a staffer on Steel City events where many notable stars appeared, there wasn't exactly anything glamours about Dean's job as ring crew, security, and bringing a few hundred chairs into venues. However, it was something he remained enthusiastic about, simply because he wanted to be involved in the industry any way he could.

"Norm took a young kid and let him in the business. I helped set the ring up, chairs, entrance way, and sometimes security. Norm went out of his way to teach me the business and half the time he didn’t even know it, but that’s Norm, always helping someone. Norm is my wrestling dad and I owe him a great debt for allowing me into his shows and his life. I'm happy to call him my friend," Dean said.

Once he was in the loop of the western PA scene, he finally got the chance to begin his training in late-1999 with a few names well-known inside as well as outside of the steel city. T. Rantula, a giant wrestler that is regarded as a local legend and in his heyday appeared at various times for WWF, WCW, and ECW. Shane Douglas, who was still local to the area even though he worked on national TV at the time, stopped by the building to assist when he could and keep his own skills sharp. Finally, the eccentric Matt Borne, the performer that originally worked as Doink The Clown, lived in the area for a short time, working at the training school. Later on, Radford finished the course and polished his techniques under the guidance of Shirley Doe and Super Henti, a pair of some of the most respected figures in the area that each have nearly 25-year careers on their resume.

"At 18, training with T-Rantula for a year and had the great opportunity learning from Shane Douglas and Matt Borne while training with him. I really got my feet wet with IWC school learning under Shirley doe and Super Hentai. It was a great learning from all features in this business," Radford said.

By 2001, with a metal-inspired persona, Dean Radford rumbled his way to the ring for his rookie year in the sport that he idolized all of his life. Tattered shorts and a ruffled t-shirt accompanied his wrestling boots inside the ring ropes. But, when Dean was set to square off with an opponent, he wasn't alone, as nearly two dozen of his family members were often in attendance with pride to watch him perform in the sport they all followed. After nearly six years of a prime run in IWC, including when he defeated the future Corey Graves for a championship, business outside of pro wrestling took him away from the steel city.

"It was a great time, I had the honor of working lots of very talented men. I had a great run with Sterling James Keenan. It was nice that my family would always come to the shows and having like 20 people there, they would rally and the other fans followed, it was nice," Radford said.

Dean cites hugging his family in the front row after the initial championship win as one of the highlights of his nearly two decade career. However, it was his other career, as an organizer for the Red Bull beverage company that took him almost as far away from his hometown as possible when he was offered a position in Arizona. Still in the physical prime of his career, Radford looked to pursue an entirely new chapter of his story as the cactus plants that he saw there were a total switch from the snow usually associated with Western PA.

"While out there, I drove to meet a guy who I would learn is the measuring stick in Arizona wrestling and his name is Navajo Warrior. I met with him, and I came in thinking I was somebody,but he instantly made me realize that I was going to earn my spot. Best thing about being out there was really learning how to tell a story and learn to work a show like it was live tv. The way nav ran things was you run your match like the tv is live. I learned from so many down there and made some great friends," Dean remarked.

By 2009, his caffeine project was completed and his full-time job gave him the chance to relocate back to his hometown, something he looked forward to, as it allowed him to spend more time with his family again. Returning to Pittsburgh, he saw things come full-circle, as he stepped back into the ring to team with his cousin Ron for the promotion that he first saw at the mall years earlier, the now-defunct Pro Wrestling Express league.

"I got to team with Ron and also work guys I never had the chance to before. Brandon K and I took over the school after being there a few years and had some really great students come thru, one specifically, Lee Moriarty, who is on his way to being a star. I enjoy training because it helps me stay within the business without beating my body up and pass on the right ways to do business," Dean said.

Throughout his nearly 20 years in the ring, Dean suffered his share of injuries and required a few surgeries along the way, but he wouldn't trade the experiences he had. Regardless of such and extensive and accomplished career, it was only in more recent times that he had the most thrilling experiences as a wrestler. Just like the family tradition, Dean's three young kids got a chance to see their dad compete in the ring.

"It’s an amazing experience seeing their faces and truly feeling like Super man,it's just amazing," Radford said enthusiastically.

Currently, Dean Radford is one of the primary organizers for Fight Underground, the newest organization of the Pittsburgh region. With live events restricted during the pandemic, the Underground brings round table discussions and broadcasts of closed set matches to continue the fan interaction during the restrictions of the pandemic. Radford is excited to continue to work with the young talent that he sees as potentially the future of the industry in the area. Regardless of the uncertainty with the pandemic, one thing is for sure, when Dean Radford is back in the ring, as fans cheer him one, his family will be the proudest members of the audience.

HIAC review

 Most of the HIAC pay-per-view this past weekend was a card built on recycled concepts. By nature, the gimmick show dilutes the stipulation because the calendar, not the feuds determined that certain matches were booked for the cell. With the exception of the main event, the key matches weren't really anything more than what we've already seen. As talented as Sasha and Bayley are, they've had such an extensive and often inconsistent history of matches that at this point, it's more of a "been there, done that" atmosphere to it. The booking of this feud, both prior to the start of the pandemic, as well as during it, wasn't set up in the most efficient way possible. This didn't really have the heat of a long term feud that culminated in a HIAC match, but rather was just another Sasha/Bayley match that just happened to be a gimmick contest. I'm not sure if its a lack of depth in the division of just how poorly Bayley's original baby face run was on Raw a few years ago, but it goes without say that both of these athletes have the talent to be much bigger stars than they are right now.

In a similar fashion, the Roman Reigns/Jey Uso bout was more or less a carbon copy of the exact same narrative from their PPV match last month with the addition of the cell to attempt to differentiate it. You can add gimmicks, but if the narrative is the same, where's the progress of the angle? If a viewer didn't watch the show, did they really miss any key points of the angle? I'd suggest that Roman's more physical beat down of Uso in their prior match was more effective than the presentation of the HIAC match. Afa and Sika being there was a neat addition, but if Roman just viciously beat members of the family, why exactly would they congratulate him? Obviously, The Wild Samoans aren't going to be cast as heel because their legendary status makes them baby face by proxy so while I get what they were going for with this segment, it might've worked better if it was done before the match instead of after it. With the Usos being forced to align themselves with Reigns, the silver lining might be the eventual emergence of a heel Samoan stable, which could be money, especially after crowds can return to events. Still, it looks like the HIAC finish is a way to plant the seeds for a Roman/Rock match at Wrestlemania, which might be the biggest match the company could book during the current era.

A side note, Bobby Lashley beat Slap Jack in a squash match, and despite its reveal only a month or so ago, the Retribution stable is more or less worthless, making the entire build up and more importantly, the TV time invested into it worthless. This group was pushed as if it was going to challenge they entire company, but in the span of weeks, they get beat down by Bray Wyatt and then Slap Jack is booked like Steve Lombardi against Lashley so how exactly is the faction a threat? If I had to guess, I'd say that the angle was started without a clear plan or destination for where it was going, lending validity to online reports that Raw is often rewritten just hours before the show goes on the air. Management might've realized how goofy the masks and the gimmick are portrayed on TV and decided to phase it away from the spotlight on Raw. The biggest problem is, the athletes that are involved in the stable will have the "stain" of the failure on them. Yes, I understand that they wear masks and were given different names, but the addition of social media in recent years makes it very easy for even the most casual fan to find the information about who was booked for the faction. Also, when the Nexus angle tanked, a few of those competitors had to exit the company to try to get a fresh start in their careers. Plus, some of the former members of the Spirit Squad are probably still in the witness protection program.

The "progress" of the show was made with Randy Otron's victory to capture the WWE championship. The match itself was fine, but nothing too spectacular. Granted, it's possible there's a major payoff down the road, but I don't see how Orton winning the championship is beneficial to anyone. I know Drew McIntyre won the Rumble before the pandemic and the shutdown occurred after his bout with Brock Lesnar for the championship was already promoted so they had to go through with the title change, even though the empty building didn't provide a WM moment for him. That being said, without an audience, there wasn't a way to truly gauge how over Drew would've been as WWE champion. Furthermore, the most important aspect of this, is Drew McIntyre a bigger star after six months as champion during the pandemic than he was previously? It's disappointing to say this because he didn't get a fair shake with the global pandemic, but I think the answer is no. Again, most of it was because of the lack of a crowd, but the point being, Drew had six months with the title and didn't get a chance to elevate his stock. This isn't meant as a jab, but would Drew move the numbers on a drastic level when fans return?

This is just my two cents on the matter, but I think management made a key mistake with this title switch because if things are so limited in terms of TV presentation without a live audience, why not keep the title on Drew and at least get the long term title reign to tout as one of his accomplishments? Don't get me wrong, Randy Orton is an established star, but Orton is already as over as he's going to be for his career. For a company that has relied on part-time stars to bring sizzle and hype to the product for the past several years, is Orton the answer to build for the future? I just don't see how Orton brings anything new or useful to the product with another title reign. That's not meant as a criticism, but rather to point out that his status is solid and he doesn't need the title at this point in his career. Unfortunately, Orton's overall presentation is also somewhat recycled because he has the same look, music, and move set that he had over a decade ago. There's also the matter that as great as he is, Orton clearly has matches where he mails in the performance and other contests when he takes it to the next gear. How many truly memorable matches has he had during his career?

Since the environment around the product is so flat during the pandemic era, Drew didn't get a chance to truly been seen in a different light in terms of being promoted as a main event star. I can't emphasize this enough, I'm not saying that Drew can't be a top guy, but he certainly wasn't perceived as main event star during his run as champion. I'm not sure he had the chance to connect with the audience enough for there to be a demand for him to get a rematch either. The bottom line is, the title switch didn't need to happen and Orton as champion doesn't exactly progress the company. As far as future stars, the last legitimate money-drawing star the company made is still John Cena and he has been a part-timer for the past several years.

Will Rousey return to WWE?

Similar to many around the world, the WWE is still unsteady from the effect COVID had on its business model. The sold out stadium in Tampa that was going to be jam packed with nearly 80,000 fans for this year's Wrestlemania was replaced with the empty WWE Performance Center.

Despite the attempt, I still say that Wrestlemania 36 will ultimately be remembered as the Wrestlemania that wasn't.

As much as people pushed for Vince to delay the event to the summer, we saw that even a rescheduled show wouldn't have solved the problem as we are now toward the fall and COVID numbers continue to surge in many areas of the country. The biggest hurdle is if the virus is substantial in just a few areas of the world, it's still a major problem for the company because of how many international travelers attend the show. Keep in mind, even with the closed set of the performance center and then the thunder dome, there were still two outbreaks in the company during the pandemic.

As depressing as it is to consider, is it possible that the corona virus will impact Wrestlemania 37?

I sincerely hope not and the entire pandemic is mentally exhausting. However, it's at least possible that COVID could still exist around Wrestlemania season next year. In fact, tickets for the spectacular usually go on-sale in November, roughly six months before the show, but with such a level of uncertainty around the status of the virus, it's very doubtful we will see tickets advertised next month. Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has worked for half a dozen administrations over the course of nearly 40 years. As much political divide as there is currently in the country, especially just a few weeks away from the presidential election, I would say that Fauci's medical opinion is based on the information he studied, not some type of political biased. Just a few days ago, Fauci mentioned in an interview that if a vaccine is finished by the end of the year, distribution to the general public might start around April of 2021. If that scenario happens, it's very possible there are still crowd restrictions for Wrestlemania 37, simply because it's not realistically possible to get the entire country vaccinated within a month.

While the Thunder dome concept made for a much better atmosphere for television, it would be very disappointing if there was a virtual crowd for WM. So much of the environment is based on the crowd response and the visual of a full stadium is what gives the event a lot of the spectacle associated with it. Again, the international aspect of the travel involved in the show makes the situation exponentially more difficult, especially because it's unknown where the COVID numbers will be next month, much less six months from now. I have to say, I honestly thought that the pandemic would've been over in a few months after it started and I could've never guessed it would still have an impact in October when Wrestlemania was cancelled in April.

That being said, I don't want anyone to get sick and still think that everyone should follow every precaution. This isn't meant as a political statement, I don't care who anyone votes for, but it would be nice if people could be more respectful of the health of others. So, what will WM 37 mean for the WWE?

A recent online report ramped up the rumor mill that Vince McMahon wants to book Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch for the event, as a rematch for the main event of WM 35 from last year. Becky, who is scheduled to give birth in December, would have four months to get ready for the bout. Ronda, who has been less than thrilled with the wrestling fan base since her WWE exit, made news recently when she posted a picture on social media of her training in the ring with James Storm, implying that an in-ring return could be possible.

I don't know if four months is realistically enough time for Becky to get ready for such a major match, especially to shake off over a year of ring rust. Obviously, if the match happens, both athletes want to get the best performance possible from it. Another aspect to consider is, will there still be a fan demand for Ronda Rousey? As popular as she was during her peak of dominance in the UFC, some of the shine wore off of her star power after the way she handled defeats in the octagon, as well as the fan hostility in the WWE. In short, when things didn't go Ronda's way, she took her gloves and went home. How marketable she is to the sports entertainment genre, and more importantly, the general public remains to be seen, but in some ways, there's almost a "been there, done that" atmosphere around Ronda's involvement in the WWE.

The casual fans have already seen her in the squared circle and a retread of a feud from almost two years prior by the time they would get in the ring might not be the automatic draw that McMahon thinks it would be at WM 37. Basically, what new dynamic would there be for Ronda to return to the company? The whole "MMA fighter joins WWE" narrative has been done a few times already with her, Cain, and Brock so there would have to be more substance to a Rousey return.

The bigger match that I think could be used as more of a defining moment within the current era is a potential Roman Reigns vs. The Rock bout, something that both competitors have mentioned in recent interviews. As I've said, Roman is doing the best work of his career as a heel, and the only downside is, it took WWE brass four years to figure out that was the right move. The example I've used many times is that if Rocky Maivia didn't turn heel, he would've have evolved into one of the biggest stars in the history of the business as The Rock. It goes without saying that with the family ties, the story writes itself and the basis of that provides the potential for some very compelling television. The heel Roman proclaims himself the "tribal chief" and The Rock returns to defend the family honor. It's a big money match that the casual fan will tune in for and it can be used to truly propel Roman Reigns to the next level.

Granted, all of this is moot if COVID has an impact on either the WM 37 location or attendance. If management has The Rock and Rousey on the same card, along with the brand name of Wrestlemania then they have another sold out stadium show, but it wouldn't make sense to generate a fraction of the gate money if there are COVID restrictions so it's doubtful The Rock would be signed for anything else than a full scale event. The bigger picture is that the WWE must try to make some legitimate money-drawing stars because there will be a time that they won't be able to depend on The Rock, Lesnar, or Rousey to sell stadium shows. John Cena is still the last money-drawing star the company had, and the company seems to try to look for nostalgia acts to bring a buzz to the product. Goldberg's return in 2016 was great, but as with most older stars, it yields diminishing returns. Sure, there were hints on Smackdown of a potential Roman vs. Goldberg match, but if there really a demand for more Goldberg right now?

As for Ronda, I'd say there's a 50/50 chance the potential rematch with Becky happens at WM 37, particularly because it would depend on if Lynch has enough time to prepare for it. I'd say it's even more of a toss up that Rousey would generate buzz again, but that remains to be seen. As mentioned previously, the biggest unknown of the entire situation is not only, how does WWE rejuvenate the project after the slump of the pandemic era, but it will very interesting to see if it affects WM 37 next year.

AEW Dynamite

 All Elite Wrestling celebrated its first full year on TNT for its Dynamite show this past week, and the show itself did reflect much of the first year of the company as a whole, specifically because it highlighted some of the hits and misses of the upstart league.

The opening tag match of FTR vs. Best Friends is a bout that on paper should be a tag team classic, especially off the heels of the star-making performance Trent and Chuck had with the brutal parking lot brawl with Santana and Ortiz. Plus, Trent and even Chuck to some extent are underrated in terms of their in-ring ability because of how much comedy is a part of their gimmick. Obviously, FTR's ability to work as solid a match as you're going to see in 2020 goes without saying, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better tag team in the world tag than Cash and Dax. The brawling outside of the ring and the goofy video game spot with Kip Sabin just wasn't needed and do more to hinder than help this bout.

 The same way that early episodes of Dynamite had the same formula of high spot tag matches that didn't have much structure, this tag title match was overbooked as well.

Later in the show, a drawing was held to determine what teams will compete for the number one contender spot for FTR's titles, and it appears that the Young Bucks/FTR bout is finally on the horizon. Similar to the division itself, I really think the path to get to this feud was unnecessarily complicated. Sometimes the simplest form of the narrative is the best version, and in this case, the story writes itself. They didn't have to tease tension between the two teams, the rivalry between The Bucks and FTR, as well as their contrasting styles, was started a few years ago on social media. The AEW fan base is well aware of it so it would've made more sense to use that history, as opposed to trying to shoehorn another angle to get to the same match.

In my opinion, FTR's debut should've included them storming the ring and attacking The Young Bucks because it would've emphasized the history between them on social media. The stare down that didn't lead to a confrontation and even teaming together probably did more to take steam away from the angle than enhance it. Another aspect that I find puzzling is that The Young Bucks are presented like heels with the super kicks on announcers and staff, but yet, FTR are already established heels so who are the fans supposed to support in this rivalry? Booking something outside of the box just for the sake of doing it doesn't automatically lead to a better storyline because the past few weeks of television have just muddied the waters instead of adding a sizzle to what will undoubtedly be a tremendous tag team match.

Bottom line, AEW was founded partially based on the popularity of the Young Bucks, and the fans know they have executive roles within the company so casting the Bucks are the representatives of All Elite, while FTR are the "anti-AEW" wrestlers is probably the best way to sell this bout. Don't get me wrong, the skills of both teams are incredible, but it seems like management is making this angle more complicated to seem more "cutting edge" than the competition.

I hope the Miro/Kip pairing in temporary because this is yet another example of how some of these storylines can get diluted. Kip is playing video games, and Miro has the potential to be a monster heel for the company, how long until these goofy segments with Sabian erodes the mystic from Miro?

In a similar fashion, I think Orange Cassidy has to tone down some of the shtick once the bell rings. I understand that his character is what got him over big with the AEW audience so it makes sense to use that for the entrance and promos, but the soft chops and kicks during a TNT title match with Cody just seems out of place, especially when the actually in-ring content was superb. Don't get me wrong, Cassidy has all the tools needed to be a major star for the organization, but utilizing them at the right place at the right time is key. Let him do all the gimmick stuff in the interviews and segments, but putting the comedy spots into a title match just takes away from the momentum of the contest.

A quick side note about the Women's division, the recent additions to it within the past few months have really helped add depth. Hikura Shida has done a great job as champion and always delivers a solid bout. Brit Baker, who recently returned from injury, has a lot of potential to be a long term money-drawing heel for the promotion, if she can avoid more time on the sidelines. Granted, there were fluke incidents that saw her injure her knee, sustain a broken nose, and suffer a concussion. At the same time, even though really well done promos were used to keep her on television and put over her heel persona, she might have to be careful not to get labeled as injury prone because that might be the only thing that could derail her path to being a notable star for the company in the future.

The Chris Jericho/MJF segment was great stuff and it could be an indication to where they are going with this angle. Considering how popular Jericho continues to be, even as a heel, I think it's very possible we see the Inner Circle turn on him, and MJF emerges at the new leader of the stable. The justification for it could be that since Jericho lost the AEW championship, he hasn't been able to deliver on taking his stablemates to the promise land. It gives The Inner Circle a fresh coat of paint after more than a year in existence to extend its run as a faction, it elevates the status of MJF, and it allows Jericho for a major baby face run in AEW. Sammy, Santana, and Ortiz have all become more well known during their time as a part of The Inner Circle so their association with Jericho has been effective.

The AEW world title match was exactly what a main event bout should be and it brought a big fight atmosphere to TNT. I still think Lance Archer has main event potential at some point, but given his age, you have to wonder if the pieces of the puzzle will fit to see him win a major championship in AEW. Jon Moxley has his critics, but the guy is money and performs quality matches any time he's in the ring so he continues to be a solid choice as champion. The bigger question is, after two former WWE competitors as champion, who will be the first homegrown star to win the AEW title?

On a national level, there's more to it than just the in-ring skills, and there must be a certain level of star power for an athlete to be effective as the top guy in AEW. Thankfully, the company has several already on its roster that have the potential to work very well in the role. Adam Page, Kenny Omega,MJF, Pentagon, and others are all talented enough to be the world champion of a major company. As far as the sum total of not only AEW's anniversary edition of Dynamite, but the first year of the company as a whole, it might sound like a generic answer, but it had it's ups and downs. To expect the product to be perfect would be unreasonable, while overlooking the flaws wouldn't be an accurate assessment either. 

By nature, All Elite Wrestling will draw comparisons to WCW based on its level as another national group, as well as its association with TNT, the channel that broadcasted Nitro during the famous Monday Night Wars. Too often, fans look back at this era with a nostalgic lens and assume that everything they watched on Monday Nights during the boom period was great stuff. Keep in mind, the same year The Outsiders invaded to turn the entire industry upside down, Disc Inferno was still dancing on the same show. When the Steve Austin was pummeling Vince McMahon to a record-setting audience, Shawn Stasiak got a push. 

So, AEW isn't perfect, but its existence has made the wrestling business exponentially better, and from a business perspective, they are successful because the extension of the TNT deal made it a profitable venture. The critics can argue about philosophy, but profitability is ultimately the most important aspect of the industry.

Khabib vs. Gaethje

 After a second series of events at UFC "Fight Island" in Abu Dhabi, the finale event of the UFC 254 pay-per-view will be headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje for the undisputed Light Heavyweight championship. The unification bout comes together after Gaethje stepped in for Khabib, who was stuck in his native country of Russia because of the travel restrictions of the pandemic earlier this year, and beat Tony Ferguson in the fifth round via TKO this past May. Speaking of the fifth, it was also five times that the Khabib/Ferguson fight was scheduled, but didn't take place. Considering that Gaethje won to claim the interim belt, it's probably just not meant for the Khabib/Ferguson fight to happen.

Still, Gaethje has a chance to really solidify himself as a top name if he can be the first competitor to defeat the reigning Lightweight champion. On the surface, one might only give the interim titleholder a "puncher's chance" because 19 of his 22 career wins are via KO/TKO, with only one submission and one decision victory of his record. Furthermore, his four wins in the UFC were from strikes and he specifically made a name for himself as a dynamic KO artist.

However, Gaethje actually has an accomplished amateur wrestling background, competing in for the NCAA championships on a few occasions throughout his collegiate career. He simply hasn't used it much during his tenure in the UFC. One of the question marks ahead of this title bout is, will Gaethje try to graaple with his Russian opponent, who has made his respective career in the octagon through the ground and pound aspect of the sport, and if he does, how effective will Gaethje's grappling skills be against the elite level of Sambo skills of Nurmagomedov?

In truth, the 31-year-old Gaethje was under the radar in some ways because despite inking a UFC deal over three years ago and fighting regularly, he fought mostly on smaller cards with the exception being his last bout as the pay-per-view main event against the previously mentioned Ferguson at UFC 249. Even though he became known for the big KOs, something that will get the casual fan to notice, outside of the diehard audience that follow the sport more closely, most aren't talking about him as a potential undisputed champion of the 155 LBS division.

Underestimating Justin Gaethje at this point would be a mistake because the guy has KO power, and if his wrestling skills could at the very least be used to defense the take down attempts of Khabib, this could be a very evenly-matched contest.

Speaking of under the radar, up until recently, the same could be said for Khabib Nurmagomedov, the undefeated champion that has steamrolled through 28 opponents with nearly equal efficiency of KOs, submissions, and decisions during the course of his 12-year MMA career. He has fought for the UFC for eight years, appearing in the cage 11 times with sporadic absences because of injuries or cancellations. Some of that was beyond his control, but it should be noted that despite the dominate run, the main stream public wasn't really aware of Nurmagomedov until the infamous bus incident in 2018, when Conor McGregor showed up at the UFC 223 press conference and threw a moving dolly through the window of the bus that was going to transport the fighters back to the hotel. A few on the bus were injured from flying debris and were cancelled from that weekend's card. McGregor was arrested for the incident and the charges were later reduced because of his highly-paid legal team.

Six months later, UFC management capitalized on the publicity from the altercation and booked Khabib vs. Conor for UFC 229, a pay-per-view that generated an astounding 2.4 million buys, ranking it among one of the most successful events in combat sports history. Unfortunately, the show is known more for the outrageous post-fight brawl, which saw Khabib jump out of the octagon to get into a scuffle with McGregor's corner, than any of the mega business it did at the box office.

The silver lining was that outside of the dominate victory against the top star Conor McGregor, one way or another the name Khabib Nurmagomedov became a commodity for the UFC.

After a six-month suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission that had no impact on his schedule anyway, he returned to defend his title against Dustin Poirier last September, winning with a choke in the third round. As mentioned, the pandemic prevented his most recent bout from taking place as scheduled, but he is set to return to Abu Dhabi, where he has fought before, to defend the championship on Fight Island. As we've discussed, his skills speak for themselves, he is an accomplished striker, can use tremendous wrestling ability, and has the cardio to go five rounds so he's definitely a very well-rounded fight without any noticeable flaws in his skill set.

That being said, the physical aspect of the fight game might not be the determining factor at UFC 254. Tragically, his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, died of the corona virus in July. It's well-documented that Khabib is very close with his family, and if he allows the death of his father affect him inside the cage it could hinder his performance. I think it will either distract him from his game plan or provide motivation so it will probably have some role in the championship bout.

At 32, Nurmagomedov is still in the prime of his career, but has mentioned retirement in prior interviews. Plus, he has voiced his discontent with UFC management when he disagreed with their decisions on certain scheduled fights in the past. I'm just guessing, but it seems like Khabib views mixed martial arts as strictly a business, looking to make as much cash as possible with the least amount of damage to his body as possible, and there's nothing wrong with that. I doubt we will see him look for one final iconic moment in the cage the way that Chuck Liddell tried to recapture his prime for just one night against Tito Ortiz at the disastrous Golden Boy MMA pay-per-view a few years ago. Right now, Nurmagomedov is in the best spot possible to make as much money as possible and will probably cash-in on that to ensue himself and his family financial security then retire.

How many more fights the Russian champion signs for remains to be seen, but Yahoo Sports recently reported that he declined an Ultimate Fighter spot opposite Conor McGregor on the reality show to set up a rematch so it appears he has no desire for a lavish lifestyle. Considering the real-life animosity between the two, Khabib doesn't want to help McGregor score another big payday, especially when he can already compete for top money as the UFC Light Heavyweight champion. It will certainly be interesting to see how UFC brass negotiates with Nurmagomedov if he retains the 155 LBS title because when the allure of more money only goes so far, the company doesn't have the leverage in negotiations.

As for the UFC 254 main event, I have to pick Nurmagomedov to retain the championship, simply because he's still in the prime of his career and hasn't shown any weaknesses in his game. While Gaethje shouldn't be reduced to a puncher's chance, that's still the most logic option for a victory based on the skills that the Russian champion brings to the table. That being said, I wouldn't advise anyone to bet big money on Khabib either,simply because we won't know if or how his father's death will affect his performance until the bout starts on Fight Island. I'm not attempting to overlook Gaethje, but assuming Nurmagomedov gets the win, you have to wonder how much cash UFC management would offer him to sign for a McGregor rematch, and perhaps even more interesting, how would the company promote it after such a one-sided fight at UFC 229 in 2018.

The WWE draft

 "The more things change, the more they stay the same"

My research tells me that quote was from a French writer, but in true pro wrestling fashion, I remember the term from a Christopher Daniels promo in 2003 when his Prophecy faction was involved in a rivalry in the early years of Ring Of Honor.

However, French writer or The Fallen Angel, that quote describes night one of the WWE draft very well and more importantly, it highlights the basic reasons why the concept of a brand extension hasn't and won't work within the WWE landscape.

The overall ideology of a brand split is to present two different products among shows to give WWE programming more variety. Aside from the initial "Smackdown six" era in 2002-2003, Raw and Smackdown have generally been the same presentation with the exception being that Raw was usually given more star power until last year's mega TV deals evened the playing field, specifically because the monetary value for the blue brand in terms of TV rights fees was now in the ball park of the original flag ship show.

In truth, the "WWE style" is going to be a part of the fabric of all WWE content because it's obviously all under the same umbrella so the production and final stamp of approval go through the same process. Even with its best efforts to try to differentiate the shows, the product across the board is similar because that's how the system is designed. Plus, Raw and Smackdown, the two main stream brands of WWE TV still have the same overall goal, market to the casual fan and the general public so there's only so much variety that can truly take place as far as the form of wrestling within those parameters.

Granted, some will cite that NXT is a different show so it's theoretically possible to feature something outside of the usual WWE realm, but its also the lowest rated show on WWE TV, which isn't a knock, but rather to point out that when the goal is to sell to the causal fan, you can't focus on just the in-ring action.

For jaded fans on social media that might automatically assume that Smackdown could easily be a different show than Raw, what exactly is the plan? How does a show on broadcast TV, a network that has more clearance than cable, market to the general public without being similar to the show that was always geared toward the casual fans?

Despite the attempts to use it to create variety, I've always thought that the concept of exclusive shows is too "inside baseball" for the general audience. Keep in mind, there are diehard fans that follow everything weekly, but the majority of the WWE audience are casual fans that might skip a week or two, especially now with so many sports jammed onto the television schedule because of the delay caused by the pandemic. A generic six man tag that doesn't have much consequence to the overall status of the show isn't going to take priority over a Stanley Cup or NBA Finals game. Quite simply, when a casual view asks, "who's the champion?" They want to know who's the top guy, not hear an explanation about how there are two champions that each represent a specific brand.

The results for night one were nothing too memorable outside of one exception, but more on that later. The fact that Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, The Hurt Business, and a few others were drafted to the shows they were already a part of anyway created a rather flat environment for the draft. Along the same lines, Rey and Dominik were drafted to Smackdown, but so was Seth Rollins, which means the only thing accomplished was management took an angle that was drawing some numbers on Monday and shifted it to Fridays. The argument could be made the office wants to take some of that boost and move it to Smackdown, but how do they retain viewers for Raw? Furthermore, are they attempting to establish two different fan bases for each show? The sluggish ratings suggest that there's a core group of fans that watch every week regardless, while a portion of the casual fans hasn't been drawn to the product during the pandemic era.

With the key players more or less in the same spot, this all seems like an attempt to shuffle some pieces around to create the illusion of something new, but there wasn't a dynamic shift within either show based on this draft. More importantly, a "new era" was promoted several times in the past few years and each time it's just an artificial attempt to try to jump start viewership instead of building compelling television that can draw viewers on a weekly basis.

The glaring exception to the lack of any change within the status of the brands is that Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were sent to Raw while Big E. will work Smackdown. Despite nearly six years as a trio, I think it's more than fair to say that The New Day as a group could remain a stable for the rest of their careers and it wouldn't be a stale act. They organically fit together about as well as any stable in the history of the industry and are just pure entertainment, which is the entire point of why something is booked in the first place. The New Day are money. Obviously, there will still be a dose of The New Day with Kofi and Woods as a unit, but I still don't agree with the decision to split the crew, unless there's something major on the horizon for Big E. Still, even if a main event slot is next for him, his stablemates alongside him would still work. That being said, I don't have much optimism with the prospects of Big E in the title picture because of how ineffective the sum total of Kofi's run was before. More specifically, after the emotional title win at Wrestlemania 35, which included the classic moment of Kofi celebrating in the ring with his friends and family, the next thing people remember about that title reign is that Brock Lesnar beat him for the belt in seven seconds on Fox.

If Big E. has a better run at the top remains to be seen, but with a heel Roman Reigns doing the best work of his career as champion, it doesn't make sense to derail that anytime soon, and without something as big as a potential title run for Big E, was it really worth splitting one of the most popular acts of the modern era?

The entire process becomes moot if and when stars randomly jump back and fourth among shows when management tries to get a boost in the ratings on a certain week. If the writing team tries to add in more "brand invitation" rules similar to what they did last year, it's another aspect that is too inside baseball for the general viewer. Fans shouldn't have to keep track of how many wrestlers from Smackdown can show up on Raw in a particular week. Considering the continuous low points on each show on a regular basis, the argument could be made that perhaps, WWE brass should focus on putting the best talent possible on every show instead of trying to scatter talent across multiple brands. Yes, there are too many wrestlers on the roster to completely dissolve the concept of exclusive brands, but on the flip side, even after the extensive cuts this year, how many currently under WWE contract were signed simply to keep them from inking a deal with another organization?

Again, this entire draft seems like an attempt at manufactured buzz as a substitute for compelling feuds. Ratings have shown that the Mysterio/Rollins angle gets fans to tune in, but shifting that over to Smackdown doesn't add anything that isn't already a part of WWE programming. Raw Underground seems to be on its way to being phased out of the show, and if that's the case, what was the end goal? Who actually got over because of Raw Underground? If there's not some type of payoff then Raw Underground was just throwing something at the wall to see if it sticks, which could speak volumes about the WWE booking process. So far, the HIAC pay-per-view has Roman vs. Jey and McIntyre vs. Orton  as the title matches so what exactly was the point of the draft for the company?

The career of Eric Ryan

 Last Summer, grizzled Ohio veteran Eric Ryan achieved the pinnacle of his personal goals in the sport of professional wrestling, something that he worked toward for nearly the previous 15 years. Long car trips for meager to no pay, performing at sparsely-attended small cards, and striving to make it to the next level after working on the dirt-stained canvases of the local circuit culminated for him. After almost a decade and a half, Ryan found himself in Korakuen Hall, the Japanese version of Madison Square Garden and one of the most storied professional wrestling venues in the world. In the span of just a few days, he worked a series of matches in front of an enthusiastic Japanese audience, including a bout where he stuck a fork, one of his trademark accessories, into the skull of Jun Kasai, widely regarded as one of, if not the greatest deathmatch wrestler of all time. He might've been on the other side of the globe, but the Cleveland native felt right at home.

"It was the greatest experience, professionally and personally. The Japanese culture is something everyone should experience. There’s still so many places I want to see and so many people to fight. It’s a wonderful place," he explained.

But, Eric Ryan went from a professional high in Tokyo to a personal low when he landed back in the United States less than a week later.

While the hardcore grappler was spilling blood and smashing opponents with light tubes on Game Changer Wrestling's tour of Japan, his mom wasn't feeling well and scheduled a doctor's appointment. A few tests later and the terrible news was confirmed, Mrs. Ryan was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, after ten rounds of radiation, Mrs, Ryan is cancer free, specifically because the diseases was detected early, another example of how important it is for women to schedule regular screenings.

Initially devastated by the news, Eric Ryan remains exponentially grateful that his mom made a recovery so he looked to use his notoriety from the independent scene to help those that are still fighting the battle of breast cancer.

As mentioned, Ryan, a natural risk taker and adrenaline junkie, carved a niche for himself in the underground genre of death match wrestling, a style that originated in Japan through Atsushi Onita's Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling organization, founded in 1989 and held events through 2002. Ironically, Onita, who began his career as a traditional wrestling prospect for the legendary Giant Baba's All Japan group, was first exposed to the primitive concept of hardcore wrestling during his excursion, a trip to learn different styles, to America when he worked for Memphis territory in the early-80s. The rowdy rasslin of the Tupelo concession stand brawl made an impression on him. A trip to Puerto Rico is where he saw barbed wire involved in professional wrestling and he took the concept back to Japan with him.

The way that the United States inspired Onita, the foundation he built with barbed wire, fire, and explosion matches bled over into the American independent scene, as grapplers in the United States continue to perform that dangerous bouts for a diehard demographic. Similar to so many of his generation, Eric Ryan watched grainy bootleg VHS tapes of Onita's death matches, as well as the promotions that were a spinoff of the FMW concept. His earliest recollection of the Japanese mayhem was footage of the IWA King of The Death match 1995 tournament, which was one of the most famous events among tape traders, but the version he found had The Insane Clown Posse's spoof of commentary as a voice over for their infamous "Stranglemania" series.

"Death match wresting was something I was always a fan of. My style definitely evolved into a more aggressive style. Obviously ,with the death matches, but also with how I approach each match. A lot older. A lot wiser," he commented.

While a myriad of scars decorate his back today, a reminder of the risk stunts he does inside as well as outside of a ring during performances, Eric Ryan broke into the industry in a much more typical way. He started under the Mega Championship Wrestling banner, a small, but established league in his home state, beginning his career in the usual indy fashion of a participant in a battle royal or basic tag matches as an additional to the show.

After a decade in the industry, Ryan felt like he had more to offer and wanted to strive for more, attempting to leave the biggest mark he can on the business.

With traveling and logging the miles in the car is an essential part to get noticed on a wider basis, Eric threw his boots and his gear bag into the trunk whenever his friends were booked to work on cards out of state. Through a series of coincides and being at the right place at the right time, Eric Ryan finally got the chance to perform in the type of bouts that drew him to professional wrestling in the first place. 

"They guided me towards the shows and it all fell into place after that. Plus, I enjoy them more now," he remarked.

So, just over five years ago, Eric Ryan began to slash, smash, and pummel his way onto the death match landscape, making a name for himself in the process for wild brawls and bloody battles. He zigzagged across the independents with appears in Absolute Intense Wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, Game Changer Wrestling, and other groups.

However, as mystical as the cloud of dust from the glass shattering of a light tube might be, the risk of injury is a very harsh reality. Sometimes, mere inches could determine the end of a career.

Just a few weeks prior to the previously mentioned tour of Japan, Eric Ryan brought a shopping cart to the ring for one of his GCW bouts. During the course of the match, Ryan took a particularly rough landing on the cart, but soon realized the situation was much, as a piece of metal had was stuck in his lower back. As he was momentarily stuck, the gory scene made even the blood thirsty GCW react with audible concern.

"A piece of the cart went into the lowest left portion of my low back. I was a fourth of an inch away from puncturing one of my kidneys and colon. It left quite a nasty hole and some bruising, but I got stitched up and went to japan 20 days later," he said.

Despite the close call, the risks over the past five years were worth the reward, as Eric Ryan has since paired up with four of his real-life close friends to form arguably the most well-known faction on the independents today. 44OH consist of the longtime veteran Rickey Shane Page, the talented Atticus Cogar, Eddie Only, Gregory Iron, and Eric Ryan. The Ohio natives have been involved in a lengthy and hostile rivalry with Game Changer Wrestling, the most talked about organization  currently in independent wrestling. Not looking for the typical applause and chants, 44OH enjoys the chance to generate animosity from the dedicated GCW fan base.

"It was formed by a long time bond between people. It’s something you can’t throw together. We all bring something different to the table and we’re our own unique personalities, but it works," Ryan said.

Regardless of 44OH's ability to incite an audience, the stable looks to use their notoriety and their schedule across a variety of promotions to contribute to a good cause. The 44OH logo t-shirt will be printed in pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month and the proceeds from the sales will be donated to different breast cancer charities to help as many different people as possible. Eric Ryan cites how fortunate he was for his mom to detect the disease early and remain cancer free after treatment so he looks to help others that are fighting chances with these fundraising efforts.

New Japan management

A major shake up within the structure of New Japan Pro Wrestling will take place later this month, as Harold Meji, president of the organization, will step down in just a few weeks, with his replacement as Takami Ohbari, the current president of the NJPW America project. Meji, who took the role with the Japanese league in May of 2018, was a former vice president at Coca Cola Japan before he ran the Tomy Toy company. Meji has Dutch heritage, but lived in Japan since his youth and despite technically being a foreigner, was able to market correctly to the Japanese demographic. Not just a business suit, he was a longtime wrestling fan and was also familiar with the history of New Japan.

So, why the change now?

As with almost everything, it's really a matter of perspective. According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, Meji was brought into the promotion to increase its revenue, which he was known for during his time at Tomy Tony, as well as to continue to expand into the North American market. On one hand, he only had roughly a year and half to make progress in the role as president of the group, most of that during a pandemic that shut down shows completely. On the other hand, the time that Meji had to work under the normal schedule as president had some critical decisions made, which might've led to the decision for him to resign for the position.

On the plus side, the expansion of New Japan merchandise, including ease of distribution outside of Japan, is probably Meji's biggest accomplishment for the wrestling group as far as a pure business move. The access to New Japan World, the company's streaming service, makes it much easier for foreign fans to consistently follow the product, and allowing for easier accessibility to merchandise orders for that demographic opens up a new revenue stream for New Japan. For years, the process to order authentic Japanese merchandise directly was an exhausting process, even with the use of the technology on the internet. The hoops to jump through with using translate pages to navigate the products, setting up the service to convert currency, and then the potential for extremely high shipping prices from the other side of the globe made it almost too much of a hassle for even the most diehard fans. The other option was the secondary market where a buyer would still incur a mark up price because of the lack of availability of the product in North America and of course at least a portion of the previously mentioned import costs. Through the NJPW America subsidiary and the LA dojo, the company can stock and distribute authentic New Japan merchandise to the North American fans base on a more regular basis. Even on a smaller scale, this allows for a revenue stream within the United States that wouldn't exist otherwise.

Speaking of the American market, just as important to merchandise revenue, was the brand awareness that was created through the deal that saw Hot Topic stock New Japan t-shirts in its retail stores. Granted, the nature of the Japanese style is more of a niche as far as an American audience since its such a contrast from most of the pro wrestling the general public is exposed to on television, but gaining ground within a niche still makes for a profitable venture, which is the most important point of business. As far as the actual products offered to fans, more diversity for Japanese audiences helped cash-in on the company's resurgence in popularity the past several years. Aside from souvenir stand staples like t-shirts and programs, there was the addition of key chains, plush toys, action figures, and more added to shelves. Maximizing potential profitability from the audience is key as well, and if New Japan truly wants to establish itself as a more global brand then revenue sources beyond just the live gate and NJPW World are important to the goal.

While New Japan diversified its product offerings, Meji might've had a few blunders that changed the course of the organization. Obviously, he wasn't the only one involved in negotiations, but the mass exodus that eventually formed All Elite Wrestling happened under his watch. As popular as the Young Bucks were in Japan and continue to be in America, the argument could be made that the departure of Kenny Omega was a major blow to the momentum of NJPW. Omega, who had an incredible string of matches over a 3-4 year span under the New Japan banner, was the most popular foreigner on the roster, as well as one of the biggest overall stars. His electric series of matches with Kazuchika Okada added to the buzz that The Bullet Club brought to the table, and the anticipation of an eventual Okada rematch kept a spotlight on the organization.

After the success of the All In pay-per-view, a show that ultimately was the predecessor of AEW as a whole, The Elite stable of The Bucks, Omega, Cody, and Adam Page agreed to stick together with the next chapter of their respective careers. Matt and Nick Jackson used social media to make themselves much bigger stars, and their last stint with Ring Of Honor provided an American platform for them to enhance their personas. Add to that situation, Cody's rocky exit from the WWE after he was extremely underutilized and had something to prove outside of the sports entertainment empire, and it was a narrative that the audience could rally around. In 2017, the ROH/NJPW working agreement that was formed a few years earlier, was a winning scenario for everyone involved, as ROH had the most buzz and biggest crowds it had in years, and through that process, it indirectly created more of an American presence for New Japan.

An example of this was a show I was actually in attendance for as a part of the "Global Wars Tour," a four-night series of events that drew sellout crowds in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Chicago with the inclusion of some of the New Japan stars. It was quite the visual when I walked into Stage AE, one of the well-known concert halls in Pittsburgh, and there were 1,200 fans jammed into the building. The chance to see The Bucks, Cody, Kenny, Suzuki etc. all on the same show in America was a very rare opportunity, and the attendance reflected that. The Elite stable had a platform in America, ROH did great business, and there was a considerable level of brand awareness for New Japan in a foreign market so everyone benefited from that.

Jump to late-2018, Tony Khan was impressed with the success of All In, which became the highest-grossing non-WWE event in the US since the days of WCW, and he decided he would fund the launch of an alternative wrestling company. How important that financing is for a project to get off the ground is another discussion for another time, but the point is The Elite was the hottest act in wrestling on the heels of the successful broadcast, giving them the chance to negotiate with several promotions ahead of 2019. Ironically, there reportedly was a WWE offer on the table for the entire five member stable, with the rumor mill suggesting that there was a pitch for a Bullet Club style invasion at Wrestlemania that year. Ultimately, there was a pass on the big money deal, which I'm guessing was because of how leery Cody would've been after how he was misused not too long before, and the reality that even with an opt-out clause, once a deal was inked, the group would be at the mercy of WWE booking for at least a period of time.

The Sinclair-owned ROH had the chance to match Khan's offer, but decided not to pony up the cash, a very odd decision, considering how successful the stars had been for them and the fact that they did eventually offer lucrative exclusive contract to specific performers after AEW was formed. I've discussed it in the past, but Sinclair Broadcasting is in the television business, not the wrestling business. They bought Ring Of Honor in 2011 because it was a relatively cheap way to produce original programming on its stations so they could garnered more commercial revenue as compared to re-runs of other network shows. Make no mistake about it, Sinclair is worth a few hundred million dollars and could've afforded to re-sign The Elite, and the concept of AEW wouldn't have been a possibility. The domino effect of how the existence of AEW impacted New Japan could be one of the reasons Meji is set to set down soon.

Gedo, longtime veteran, was installed as booker of NJPW after it was purchased by Bushiroad in 2012. Just a few years earlier, the storied league was on the brink of collapse after Antonio Inoki's failed MMA experiment of the early-2000s. Gedo infused foreigners into the fold with the original Bullet Club, which sparked the promotion and brought back a spotlight for stellar native performers to soar in popularity. The Bullet Club, a spinoff of the New World World, which was ironically an takeoff of the UFWi/New Japan angle in the 90s, became the most popular stable in the world. The logo, music, and concept of foreigners storming into the company to challenge the native stars brought a buzz with it. Once that spotlight was there, Okada, Tanahashi, and others reintroduced many fans to the New Japan genre, as it was once thought the best of the league was only in the past.

As Finn Balor, AJ Styles, and others were eventually signed away by WWE, Gedo brilliantly replenished The Bullet Club with the right performers. Make no mistake, it wasn't as simple as just plugging another non-Japanese into the faction, Gedo had to make the right choices at the right time. Eventually, Kenny Omega was put into the leader role of Bullet club, with The Bucks as longtime members and the addition of Cody. That gaijin cast with some many top notch athletes like Okada, Suzuki, etc. made for some major shows that fans across the world woke up earlier for to watch live with the streaming service.

With AEW on the horizon in early-2019, The Elite were at a crossroads with the New Japan office. The Americans, as mentioned, opted not to re-sign with ROH because of the Tony Khan offer for a new organization. New Japan still had the previously mentioned working agreement with ROH, something that is in doubt currently because of the pandemic. New Japan remained strictly loyal to ROH, and since AEW would be competing with ROH on some levels in the US, the Japanese office wouldn't consider a potential working agreement with AEW after its official launch in May of last year. When the office wouldn't consider the possibility of working with AEW, there wasn't much of an option for the Elite stable, as all five members finished up with the Japanese promotion at Wrestle Kingdom last year, including Kenny Omega, who dropped the IWGP title to Tanahashi in the main event at the Tokyo Dome.

Since that time, both Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley have worked for New Japan while under contract to Tony Khan. Basically, there were big enough stars that NJPW didn't want to turn down the chance to bring them to Japan, even with any of the potential hostility from the Elite exit. Reportedly, NJPW has now offered longer contracts and that don't allow key deals to expire all at the same time, which for whatever reason, was standard procedure in the past. Maybe it was to provide fora completely fresh start if necessary, but the much bigger downside if that there's a risk of lack of depth on the roster if several stars decide not to sign new contracts.

The Young Bucks were popular and stables of the New Japan scene, but the arguement could be made that a Jr. heavyweight tag team might be expendable if absolutely necessary. Despite Cody's WWE fame and family history, he didn't really work Japan long enough for his exit to be a major shift in the status of the company. Kenny Omega was the wild card of the situation, as the office was clearly building around him for an extended run in the future. Sure, Okada is considered the top guy to move the company forward within the next decade, but Omega was also a very important piece of the puzzle, particularly as the organization wanted to run shows in North America. Harold Meji wasn't the only one in the negotiations for NJPW, but the bottom line is, he couldn't sign one of the company's most important stars to some type of new deal to keep him on the roster. Omega went from the IWGP champion to leaving the company in the span of a night.

Still, I'm not sure the move to Ohbari means all that much in the grand scheme of things, unless Meji's tenure wasn't as smooth as the office wanted it to be. I found it odd that Meji released his own book in Japan late last year and actually has a fan club as well, despite not directly being a public figure. Being a fan of professional wrestling, perhaps Meji was trying to get some of the spotlight for himself? The much less sizzling possibility is that without a full schedule most of the year, maybe the company simply had to cut the budget? Meltzer reported that Harold Meji signed a very lucrative deal to takeover as president so it might be more of a fincial move than anything else, which would make sense. Obviously, we saw WWE cut dozens of workers from its payroll earlier this year.

In my opinion, the sum total of Meji's involvement is still a good result for the company because between the merchandise and the streaming service, the company is more accessible on a global level. That being said, I'm still not sold on the concept of an American spinoff being successful on a regular basis. The LA dojo as a training center could be a valuable tool for the development of talent, as well as the NJPW Strong shows as content for the streaming site. However, when the company ran small venues in the United States last year during short tours, it wasn't anything that actually make an impact in the American market as far as a full-time expansion. A niche product can still be profitable as long as its handled properly. The Japanese style isn't going to target the causal fan in the United States so it makes more sense to run a few "special events" in America each year to maximize attendance in venues that can actually yield a profit for the company.

Going forward, specifically after the pandemic is over, the big question for Ohbari in the lead administrative role is the decision about what NJPW's aspirations are in the United States. The small scale of the LA dojo might logically be the biggest option they have as far as anything on a regular basis. With the travel from Japan, it would be extremely difficult for the top stars to work a full-time schedule in both the native country and the United States. With new leadership, is an AEW working agreement possible? Would exposure on TNT be enough to make New Japan a regular commodity in the American market?

The resignation of Harold Meji could be a pivotal point in the direction of New Japan in 2021. Just as the formation of All Elite Wrestling had a ripple effect, it will be very interesting if new management leads to a shift in the dynamic of the pro wrestling landscape.