VHS Memoirs Volume 10

Today marks 23 years since the ECW November to Remember pay-per-view that was held at the Golden Dome in Monica, PA in 1997. I was only in elementary school when the show originally aired so I wasn't at the show live, but did get to attend ECW-inspired shows years later. In 2005, fresh off of the success of Hardcore Homecoming and the original One Night Stand event, Shane Douglas' Hardcore Homecoming promotion that I covered in a previous edition of "VHS Memoirs" took place at the Golden Dome that September. For a myriad of reasons that I already discussed in the prior article, Hardcore Homecoming didn't get off the ground as a full-fledged concept, and while the show didn't necessarily feature top-notch wrestling, it was still a very fun show. As a reminder, hanging out with the other fans before the doors opened was a highlight in itself, as despite being only 16 at the time, a fellow fan offered me a beer that I politely declined. An extremely intoxicated fan was denied entry into the building after Sandman refused his repeated request for a high five. New Jack greeted the fans and picked up a young child, running toward the front doors before he safely returned the youngster to his family. The other Golden Dome attendance was much less fun and much less memorable. Extreme Rising...enough said.

Back to 1997, young Jim would struggle to stay awake to watch ECW on Saturdays at 11 PM on snowy UPN on channel 19. Despite being a WWF fan first and very tired, I would impersonate the extreme stars by pointing to the sky like Sabu, posing with a plastic bat like Sandman, or chanting ECW like Tommy Dreamer.

November to Remember was often cited in ECW history as one of the premiere events of the promotion's calendar, but this was on pay-per-view, which was considered a critical piece of the puzzle for the organization, as it was still looking to establish itself as a third national promotion. Generally speaking, since 1997 was the year that the group made its debut on pay-per-view, this event ranks behind Barely Legal, as the original PPV offering had the emotional Terry Funk victory in the main event, but was considerably better than Hardcore Heaven a few months earlier, which had a combination of horrendous production and a card that lacked depth.

The first half of the under card was somewhat of a mixed bag. The show opened with notable veteran, Tommy Rogers against the talented Chris Candido. Rogers, sporting a mullet and an All Japan jacket, made his way to the ring and looked very stoic, barely acknowledging the crowd in attendance. Perhaps, this was because he expected the crowd to rally behind Candido since there was an association with hometown headliner Shane Douglas. The actual match was very solid as the two exchanged technical moves and it helped set the pace for the show. In some ways, it's puzzling that since Rogers could still go in the ring that he didn't stick around ECW for more than a cup of coffee. The organization had given older stars a fresh run for much of its existence. Tommy Rich, Tracy Smothers, and Bam Bam Bigelow were all able to add a new chapter to their careers through ECW. If I had to guess, Rogers probably just didn't bring enough sizzle to the table for the climate of 90s pro wrestling. Both Jerry Lynn and Lance Storm ran in to set up a brief tag team match, which saw Candido and Storm get the win. I'm all for Lynn and Storm on pay-per-view, especially because they had some stellar matches a few years later, but this particular scenario seemed like nothing more than an excuse to shoehorn them onto the card. The Candido/Rogers match was really good, but was hindered by the extra additions to the conclusion of the contest.

Mikey Whipwreck and Justin Credible had a decent match, but for some reason, things didn't seem to gel and the crowd reaction to most of it was lukewarm. Whipwreck got the win. That being said, Mikey is probably a performer that doesn't get the credit he deserves, including a six month detour to WCW in 1999 where he worked roughly a dozen matches during his entire run. Justin Credible's main event status was probably more of a smoke and mirrors creation of Paul Heyman than anything else, particularly when the company needed talent to replenish an often depleted roster. However, Credible was still a solid wrestler that could deliver a good performance in most scenarios so he's another athlete that got typecast from ECW. Taz vs. Pitbull 2 was a squash match that went less than two minutes. Granted, Taz was in the midst of a lengthy push that would eventual take him to the world championship just over a year later, but putting a squash match on pay-per-view, especially in this era, when there was more competition for the PPV dollar, was a question decision.

The four-way tag title match was more or less the same wild brawl that was often seen in ECW, complete with a New Jack run in while "Natural Born Killaz" blared in the background. In retrospect it's repetitive, but still entertaining and a fun part of the show. Keep in mind, even at a time when both Nitro and Raw were attempting to push the envelope, there wasn't anything like these brawls on either show so it was one of the violent aspects that helped the smaller organization promote a unique product.

Tommy Dreamer vs. Rob Van Dam was a good match that showcased both wrestlers. You can really see why these two went on to become such staples of the company within the next few years. Van Dam hadn't yet decided what aerial maneuvers would become his trademark offense, but you can see the some of the variations of moves that would become his signature. The only criticism here was the ref spots were some sloppy and the finish was a little underwhelming because there wasn't an actual winner, as both officials at ringside were attacked by the WWF group, including Doug Furnas, Phil Lafon, and Sabu. Stevie Richards, who had a short stint in WCW alongside Raven earlier in the year, also interfered in the match. Instead of an official winner, Dreamer was beat down until The Sandman's music played to set up the next match.

The Sandman/Sabu feud yielded some violent spectacles, as Sabu was willing to take the risks and Sandman was more than willing to take the punishment. Their individual "car crash" styles made for memorable matches. As Good As it Gets 1997 and House Party 1998 are a pair of bouts that fans can reflect upon for their high-risk nature. Unfortunately, November to Remember 1997 is memorable for all the wrong reasons. As the myth goes, Sandman had taken a significant amount of drugs before he went to the ring and was hallucinating while he performed live on pay-per-view. Outside of a few highlights from the spectacular offense of Sabu, this bout was nearly 20 minutes of sloppy spots that became a total train wreck. Somehow, the tables that were set up for it started to collapse before they were used, and the entire segment was an underwhelming cluster.

The main event was classic hometown booking, as "The Franchise" Shane Douglas, one of the most hated heels in the history of the promotion, was a total baby face in Pittsburgh. Clad in black and gold, Douglas challenged former triple threat member Bam Bam Bigelow for the championship. There are a few things to take note of here, mostly how Bigelow's arrival in the promotion gave them a huge boost in star power when the organization was trying to build the momentum to make the jump to pay-per-view, the avenue that ensured the biggest revenue in that era. Bam Bam was the guy that helped LT have a solid match in the main event of Wrestlemania a few years prior and had been a notable star for almost a decade before he arrived in ECW. Plus, his incredible agility for his size and of course, the trademark flames tattooed on his head fit very well in the extreme group. The actual match was fine, but went too long and dragged at certain points. That said, the bout was more about the narrative than the actual in-ring action, as the fans went crazy when Douglas landed punches later in the match and there was a tremendous reaction when Douglas won the match to claim the championship.

Tyson vs. Jones

 In a bout only 2020 could produce, Mike Tyson, the slugger known for becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history at the age of just 20 in 1986, will return to the ring tonight against fellow former boxing champion, Roy Jones Jr. for an eight-round exhibition bout at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on pay-per-view.

Now 54, Tyson has reformed his image in more recent years, as the volatile and talented athlete shed light on his traumatic upbringing through his autobiography and one-man stage show, Undisputed. From being rescued from poverty by his mentor Cus D'Amato in his teens, his rise to championship glory, prison, addiction, and ultimately redemption, the boxing public saw the trajectory of his life change. Shady business deals with Don King and struggles with drugs took the once mighty boxer to rock bottom. Through his recovery and a renewed level of exposure with his association of cartoons and social media projects, the humanity of "Iron" Mike finally eclipsed the cold stare that he brought to the ring in his heyday. In many ways, Tyson was reintroduced to pop culture as a statesman of the sports world, often seen ringside for UFC cards and throwing out the occasional first pitch at baseball games. Perhaps more than anything, interviews with Mike Tyson today are almost sentimental for the happiness he projects, and with as many cautionary tales are there are in sports, it's nice to see that he spends his days with a smile on his face, as opposed to the volcano he was on camera when he took questions in his prime. His diagnosis of bi-polar disorder revealed much of his battle with mental illness outside of the ring. Despite his violence legacy with the gloves, it's somewhat endearing to see that Tyson made it through the hardships in his life to find some level of peace.

 Still with an aura around him, Mike made news on social media within the past year, as the former champion's workouts on social media showed him looking crisps and sharp, almost resembling his skills inside the ring. Of course, speculation swirled of a potential comeback, with many referring back to another heavyweight return to the ring, George Foreman, who recaptured the gold when he began a 10-year run that followed a decade away from the sport. In truth, Tyson's speed in his 50s was very impressive, but the chance at a story book ending for him was just too risky. He's in great shape, but he was a smaller heavyweight in his prime, and a potentially devastating knockout by one of the current fighters in the division isn't worth the potential damage it could cause, especially because Tyson got himself into such tremendous physical condition during the past few years.

Roy Jones Jr., a slick and dynamic fighter in his heyday, actually continued to compete against marginal fighters for championships in Europe, and on the smaller circuit in the United States as recent as early 2018 when he officially hung up his gloves following a unanimous decision victory against the virtually unknown Scott Sigmon, but he hadn't been truly competitive in the ring in almost a decade prior. When he wasn't outclassing ham-and-eggers on the regional scene, Roy was known to most fans as an analyst for HBO, which sadly discontinued its boxing division after a 45-year run on the network in 2018.

The bottom line is, this pay-per-view card is quite literally a glorified exhibition, as it's a chance for fans to see the older stars get in the ring again. It has the ingredients of a sideshow spectacle, as Jake Paul, some dummy from Youtube that had one fight earlier this year, will compete against former NBA player, Nate Robinson. The rest of the under card are so unknown that they could probably be in the witness protection program.

Still, this isn't necessarily just a money grab. The Tyson/Jones bout is being sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission and there will be judges to score the fight. While the two main event boxers are definitely getting a decent payday to put the gloves on again, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to a few charities. Plus, this return bout wasn't thrown together to just make a quick dollar. In fact, if Tyson's workout sessions weren't noticed on social media, this event probably wouldn't have been promoted. That being said, it's doubtful that there will be any highlight reel moments from this contest and outside of a few thrilling flurries from Tyson, neither fighter will probably take much damage.

The only major variable is how the fight sells to the general public. Tyson hadn't competed for 15 years after a lackluster loss to Kevin McBride saw the conclusion of his boxing career. Despite Jones' involvement, as mentioned, he competed until 2018 so the draw to this event is will the casual fan pay to watch Mike Tyson return to the ring? I could be wrong, but if I had to guess, I would say that the buy rate does moderately well, but nothing too spectacular. The $50 price tag for literally exhibition fights during the economic difficulties of the pandemic might make it a tougher sell to the general public. However, the interesting note might be, if the Tyson/Jones bout draws solid numbers, could there be other nostalgia events for stars of the past? As for a winner, I will pick Tyson via decision, simply based on the amount of training he did and he looks to be prepared for the fight.

Ryse at Ringside 4

As I've detailed in the first few offerings of this "Ryse at Ringside" column, I've really enjoyed my time at the desk and if the world ever stops melting from the pandemic, political unrest, and the ramblings of Kanye West, I look forward to when events can resume. We've been away from events for just over eight months and as much as it pains me to say it, I even miss David Lawless. Speaking of my spot at the desk, this edition will focus on the actual desk, as somehow it was the subject of a few unintentional occasions when I feared disaster, but thankfully the results were only comical. For those that might not know, the commentary set up from the talented Sorg crew usually includes two mics, a Zoom recorder, and sometimes a monitor of the action. Of course, there are the yards of cables that connect all of the electronics. The desk is a standard wooden table you'd find anywhere with a black curtain over it, which I've always thought was a nice addition because it reminded me of those early-90s WWF broadcast, which was the era that I first discovered the sport.

The first example of table mishaps at the Stronghold was actually two weeks before my Ryse debut at the Stomp Out Cancer 2 event, an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society that became one of the biggest events on the Pittsburgh wrestling calendar, as dozens of athletes came together for a great cause. Matt and Kenny Tressler, two staples of the independent scene, have done a great job with these shows the past few years. Considering the amount of talent on these cards, it's not unusual for a few wrestlers to check-in on commentary for guest spots, which is a fun aspect of the broadcast because it gives me a chance to work with those that aren't often featured behind the mic. Since the cause generates such a positive atmosphere, the event brings a casual environment so those that stop by to add some analysis often put their elbows on the table, almost as if they joined a card game with friends.

A few matches into the marathon event, Joseline Navarro squared off with the artist formerly known as Jinx, the talented grappler now known as Ziggy Haim. Mere moments into the bout, the other broadcaster unknowingly leaned too far onto the table, shifting it forward and sending all of the equipment tilting toward the concrete. Like a true pro, I stopped calling the match and immediately snagged the expensive Zoom recorder, as I'm fairly sure the cost of the electronic device outweighed even the action of Stomp Out Cancer 2. I struggled to balance the table while still calling the match until a few bystanders finally showed up to secure the table. I was aware how odd the radio silence would sound on the broadcast so I informed the viewers of the near electronic disaster and that in additional to being a decent journalist, I saved the audio equipment at the same time. What I didn't know was, especially because this was the first show I was at this desk, the long table that looked very nice with the early-90s WWF curtain over it was actually a previously used table at an event that didn't break upon impact. Instead, one side of the legs of the table bent under the pressure of the pro wrestling spectacle. In true independent wrestling fashion, the unbroken furniture was recycled for the commentary table, with a few blocks of wood to level it for the previously mentioned mics, recorder, and monitor to be placed. Eventually, I put the Zoom device on a chair and called the rest of the event that way because the dilapidated table couldn't stay level when the guests unintentionally leaned too far toward the mics. Regardless, the equipment was spared and Stomp Out Cancer 2 was a success.

Just two weeks later, during my Ryse debut in July of 2018, we had another close call at the commentary table, this time prompting me to place my own personal well-being over Sorg's devices. (Sorry, Sorg, you're still a good man) Christian Noir, an athlete that really found himself and excelled during the course of his in-ring career, had been involved in a lengthy rivalry with Dalton Throttle. The feud was going to be settled with a last man standing bout where the only way to win was for an opponent not to be able to answer the 10-count, similar to what you would see in boxing. Different from the styling of either Ali, Frazier, or Tyson, this Ryse contest would have no DQ. Prior to the doors opening for that night's event, I heard some rumblings that a table might be involved in the action, which wasn't too surprising considering that if there's no disqualification then it would be within the rules of the match. I continued to take notes and get information for the rest of the participants on the card, which is usually the standard routine before a broadcast.

About half way through the show, it was time for the last man standing bout, and while I expected the action to sip out of the ring, I didn't know just how far it would sip across the Stronghold. Noir and Throttle brawled toward the announce position and then the "Bayou scarecrow" signaled for us to move, a gesture that immediately made me think of the speculation from earlier in the night that a table would be involved in the match, and I honestly thought our desk was going to be destroyed. "We got the TV here, man" I said to Noir, more as Jim the civilian than Jim the professional wrestling announcer. As the battle titled back and fourth, I stood up and used Paul Atlas as a partial human shield, as it looked like one of the athletes might get a suplex onto the table. Paul, being the thirty-year grizzled vet that he was, never flinched despite the potential catastrophe. "I'm not kidding here!" I shouted on commentary when I expected all of the equipment to be in danger. Thankfully, it was a false alarm and the match made its way back to the ring for the conclusion.

Finally, in June of last year, DDTrash, the combination of Bruce Gray and Ron Mathis, were at Ryse to challenge The Mane Event, the paring of Duke Davis and Ganon Jones Jr., two athletes that are probably the best tag team in independent wrestling today. I'm legitimately puzzled why these two stellar performers haven't been signed to a national contract yet, but I still think it will happen a some point. A side note about Bruce Grey, he was actually a referee at some local shows that I went to during my middle school years so I was surprised when I saw online that he had begun wrestling years later. I was familiar with Ron Mathis from his work in Combat Zone Wrestling and that he worked a very risky style so I expected a rather wild tag team contest. At one point, the fray was directed toward the table and it appeared that the former referee would be chokeslammed through the desk. As I saw The Mane Event prepare for the maneuver, I exclaimed, "we legitimately have the recorder here" in an actual attempt to spare the still expensive Zoom device. As Bruce was lifted in the air, I yelled, "No! No! No!" and used Paul's shoulder to help me spring from my chair like a luchador to avoid what seemed like certain doom. Mobility isn't necessarily my strong suite, but somehow self-preservation allowed me to dodge any potential flying wrestlers. Thankfully for us, but not so thankful for Duke and Ganon, Mathis slide in to deliver a pair of low blows, saving his tag partner from the chokeslam. Always the stoic veteran, Paul never shifted from his chair, as I tried to get my blood pressure to a normal level again.

Will The Miz win the title?

 The Miz might just be on his way to being the WWE champion.

Wrestling purists will hit the roof faster than Dave Meltzer throwing around five stars for a Tokyo Dome match, but let's remember that WWE is an entertainment company, not a professional wrestling company. Dollars and cents take priority over star ratings. Sure, the argument could be made that the act that is all sizzle and no substance doesn't have the mileage of the well-rounded performer, (There's a reason the peak of Ultimate Warriors career was relatively short) but with a pandemic that restricts live attendance, WWE brass have to look for a way to keep the brand awareness of the promotion strong regardless of sluggish ratings for Raw.

How can management bring better numbers to the company outside of the core group of fans that watch every week anyway?

The Miz and Mrs. show on USA is in the midst of a new season, and as cringe worthy as it might be, it's very possible that the writing team will book The Miz to win the WWE championship with the MITB title shot in an effort to put more of a spotlight on the reality show. Granted, Miz and Mrs. isn't a wrestling show, but numbers are numbers and the reality show formula made the Bellas much more well-known among the general public than just their on-screen wrestling characters.

On the flip side, Miz's run with the MITB brief case might just be a way for the wrestler that has it to lose and get the stipulation off the radar, but the entire gimmick was fumbled since the start during the awful cinematic MITB matches at the WWE offices in July. For Otis to win it and then claim he was going to use it as a shot at the tag titles for the briefcase to be transferred to The Miz with a ridiculous segment on Raw proved that management had no solid plan for it beyond the surprise win for Otis at the pay-per-view.

Considering that Drew McIntyre beat Orton to win the title back on Raw, that might be the set up for Miz to cash-in at Survivor Series so that he can challenge a baby face for it. The sneaky cash-in gives Drew a legitimate claim to want a fair match against  The Miz and basically sets up another feud for him to keep him involved in an angle for the title on TV for the rest of the year. Let's not forget that Miz was going to cash-in on Orton a few weeks ago before Drew interrupted him.

Yes, I agree that The Miz as champion in itself does nothing from the brand, but it keeps Drew in the main event scene, and as mentioned, it puts a bigger spotlight on the Miz reality show. Again, the diehard audience might want to smash their computer screen reading this, but the ability to get a slice of viewership from outside of the WWE fan base is always a priority for management. Despite how dedicated the diehard fans are, the office knows that those fans usually watch the product either way so marketing to another audience is always a priority. It's ironic, but there's a demographic that watches Total Bellas and other reality shows under the WWE umbrella that doesn't actually watch the wrestling product.

For as much flak as Miz might get from the long-time fans, to be fair, he wasn't always positioned in the best light either. Even during the run that saw him main event Wrestlemania against John Cena, his entire involvement was secondary because it was used as the set up for The Rock vs. Cena matches that headlined the show the following two years. On the surface, Mike Mizanin checks all the boxes for a WWE performer that is a reliable choice for the office to invest in as far as a noticeable spot in the company. He's dependable, rarely gets injured, represents the company well, and his reality show gives them another avenue to generate an audience. Plus, Mizanin, the person behind The Miz persona, is known as a nice guy and someone that could probably continue to do media appearances for the company after he retires from in-ring action.

The other side of the coin is that while Miz is steady in all the categories mentioned, he's steadily average in most of them. This isn't meant as an insult to him because you can tell that the guy puts in the effort, but how many stellar Miz matches are there? He's not going to have those memorable matches that generate a buzz around the product and his star power will remain at relatively the same level. Assuming the writing team gets him involved in the title picture with the MITB cash-in, it's another example of him being used as a secondary piece of the puzzle because the focus in the grand scheme of things would be to showcase McIntyre. Most importantly, management can't expect fans to believe Miz is suddenly a main event star when he was booked as a mid-card tag team wrestler for several months.

Obviously, the other option is to have Miz cash-in and then lose the match to get rid of the brief case, which would make this entire discussion moot. But, when you taken into account WWE's recent booking decisions, would a short Miz title reign be that surprising? Randy Orton's three-week stint didn't make much sense either, but it happened. In some ways, WWE brass booked themselves into a corner with the champion vs. champion match at Survivor Series because it's indirectly a way to diminish the status of one of this, which is the exactly opposite of what either of them need, establish when the company has tried to boost ratings recently. A Miz cash-in might be a way for them to get through the match without either champion taking a direct defeat. It also creates the unique possibility that if the Miz cashes in mid-match, he could technically attempt to win the WWE or Universal championship if it becomes a triple threat match at the pay-per-view.

UFC 255

This weekend, two championship bouts will headline a UFC pay-per-view event, along with a legend on the card as well, but you wouldn't know it. The promotional machine and more importantly, any buzz ahead of showtime is noticeably absent. Both Flyweight champions, Deiveson Figueiredo and Valentina Shevchenko will defend their belts respectively against competent contenders, but even with UFC titles on the line, this card isn't garnering much chatter. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is also scheduled for a bout just a few months after a tenacious fight about Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, but even the former Light Heavyweight champion hasn't sparked much interest for this pay-per-view.

The reasons for this lack of buzz around a fight card with two belts on the line exposes a glaring error within not only the structure of the UFC business model, but also the weight divisions.

If you remember, UFC president, Dana White had originally planned to end the Flyweight division until the now-retired Henry Cejudo rescued it from extinction. After Cejudo vacated the 125 LBS belt to focus on the Bantam weight championship, Figueiredo defeated Joseph Benavidez to win it and then again to successfully defend. However, the break in the linage of the championship didn't allow for a new star to be made in the Flyweight division. In truth, the entire concept of a 125 LBS weight class might've been too overzealous for the promotion, simply because there isn't as much depth at that weight and by nature, the division doesn't lend itself to dynamic finishes of fights. As dominate as Demetrius Johnson was during his heyday in the UFC, he had a slew of one-sided decision victories, and the bouts just weren't competitive. That's not to say that Johnson didn't fight good competition because he did, but there are only so many top quality competitors available at 125, and Johnson was able to use his speed to win most bouts on the score cards. Basically, Johnson's fights were predictable and from a promotional standpoint, there's not much to market to the causal fans because the result wasn't a selling point and often there wasn't a highlight reel knockout. Is this assessment unfair to the stellar skills of "Mighty Mouse?" Absolutely, but the harsh reality is, the purist that can appreciate Johnson's ability aren't the target audience for the UFC. 

As I've said before, the UFC is in the entertainment business as much, if not more so as they are in the fight business.

For whatever reason, Demetrius Johnson didn't translate to dollars. Figueiredo, 19-1 on his MMA record, is a well-rounded fighter that has striking and submission skills, but the vast majority of his three-year tenure in the company has been either on the prelims or the under card of some of the smaller events. This is the problem when the UFC churns out almost weekly fight cards to satisfy the ESPN deal, even prospects that have a lot of talent sometimes get lost in the shuffle of the dozens of fights that might take place within a month. Quite simply, Figueiredo hasn't truly had a chance to get himself established as a potential star so as of now, the fan base doesn't have much of a reason to invest $70 to see him fight. This isn't a jab against Figueiredo, but he went literally from prelim bouts to championship fights so there wasn't the opportunity for the fans to follow his journey. Granted, this is a headline spot and obviously, it's a chance for him to showcase his ability, but that will do nothing for the UFC 255 buy rate.

Figueiredo was scheduled to defend against former Bantam weight champion, Cody Grabrant, who rebounded from a three-fight skid with a victory this past June, but was sidelined with an injury. Alex Perez, a grappler even less known than the champion, steps in for the main event. I can't emphasize this enough, this isn't meant as a knock against either athlete, but for the entire existence of the Flyweight division, it's been presented as a secondary priority for the UFC so there's just not a reason for the fans to invest in this championship fight. Figueiredo is currently favored almost 3 to 1 to retain the belt.

On the flip side,Valentina Shevchenko is on a five-fight win streak ahead of this title defense. With a record of 19-3, two of those defeats via decision against Amanda Nunes, who is regarded by many as the best female fighter in the sport today, the kick boxer has made a name for herself with tremendous striking and judo skills. Her grappling ability allows her to be a well-rounded fighter, and considering that both of her losses to Amanda Nunes were via decision, with one of them a split decision on the score cards, it proves that only elite opponents have defeated her. The only other loss on her record was to Liz Carmouche via doctor stoppage because of a cut early over a decade ago. Shevchenko beat the extremely talented Joanna Jędrzejczyk to capture the flyweight belt almost two years ago and seems to be in the prime of her career.

The challenger Jennifer Maia garnered a record of 18-6-1, with a 3-2 UFC record. She won a unanimous decision this past August and strung together winning streaks at various points throughout her tenure in MMA. Still, the 32-year-old doesn't have the name value or the momentum to bring to this fight to create any intrigue about the result. Sure, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt could secure a submission to get the surprise victory, but does anyone think that's going to happen? The odd makers say no because Maia is an astounding 16 to 1 underdog to win the championship. On the surface, this is nothing more than a showcase fight for Vaelentina, but is that enough to justify the $70 price tag to watch the show?

The UFC has doubled in price on pay-per-view in the past 15 years, and if they can get ESPN to pay for the rights to broadcast events, as well as fans to pay for them then you can't blame the company for trying to get the most revenue they can from each show. At the same time, if a PPV is going to $70, you would think that there would be a specific standard of quality associated with it, and unfortunately, a title fight for a division that was nearly folded completely and a Shevchenko exhibition just doesn't seem like it's on par for it. Maybe this is a domino effect of running so many cards within a relatively short span and there aren't as many fighters available to take spots on the PPV card, but it will definitely be interesting to see the UFC 225 buy rate.

The WWE stock

I penned an article earlier this week about the lack of "must see" television within the WWE product, mostly because Drew McIntyre's run as WWE champion was interrupted for a three-week stint by Randy Orton that was essentially meaningless within the grand scheme of things. Orton is already established and over as much as he's going to be in his career. Instead of Drew potentially set up for an angle that leads to a big match down the road where he has a year long title reign at stake, that scenario was sacrificed for a three-week title reign that made no progress for storylines. As mentioned, if a viewer skipped a month of Raw, what did they really miss? Drew is the champion and still involved in a feud with Orton. During the previous article, I explained that too often, WWE uses wrestlers and storylines like interchangeable parts and thus often times the results of specific matches don't have any impact on the overall direction of the brands. The 50/50 booking aspect, something that the Drew/Orton exchange is a prime example of, created a level of mediocrity around the product. With the exception of very few on the roster, individual performers aren't put in a position where they could potentially affect the numbers since most wrestlers are kept at relatively the same level. Instead of making legitimate money-drawing stars, the WWE brand is promoted as the selling point, but there's a ceiling for that because there's not a direct connection between the wrestlers on screen and the audience, which is why WWE business plateaued at various points in the past few years.

It's very disappointing because as a fan of professional wrestling, you want to hope for the best product possible. There are so many thrilling moments and truly good things that can come from the spectacle of sports entertainment, but why have things become such a paint-by-numbers product?

I attempted to figure this out, and thought back to a grainy promo I found on Youtube over a decade ago where the late great, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper had the mic to hype an upcoming tag team title cage match with his tag partner Rick Martel against The Sheepherders, the wild pair of New Zealand grapplers years before they worked a comedy gimmick in the WWF. As Piper ranted, he smashed a legitimate beer bottle over his head and with blood streaming down his face proclaimed, "getting this title in the cage is going to make $45,000 difference in my annual earnings, brother!"

Bingo! That's the point, Roddy gave the fans the reason they had to be at the arena to see this cage match and he emphasized its importance. He claimed there was an extra $45,000 on the line for him if he could wrestle as one of the tag team champions, and something as simple as financial security is something the audience can identify with for the narrative of a storyline. Plus, if "Rowdy" Roddy was willing to smash a bottle of his head and bleed just to prove a point, what was he going to do when he had the villains in the cage with the World Tag Team titles on the line?

Granted, it's a different time, but the point is, when Drew can win the belt back within three weeks, should the fans really be concerned if he loses it again? Furthermore, should they be emotionally invested the next time the title is on the line? If he can win it back in three weeks, what's the point of the audience trying to rally around him for victory? More specifically, where's the heat for the heel that beats him? It's basically, "don't worry about it, Drew will win it back"

As I've written many times before, the emotional investment from the audience, even today, is still the key to drawing money. The problem of today is that WWE brass uses the emotional investment associated more with the nostalgia from the stars of the past than to present storylines that can allow the current roster to connect with the fans. Perhaps, some of the key mistakes made at critical times of the past decade have come back to bite the company in some form or fashion. CM Punk wasn't the next Stone Cold, but he made pro wrestling a part of the main stream discussion for the first time in years and within a month or two, he was pinned by Triple H to squash the momentum. Despite the injuries, Daniel Bryan should've been given the chance be the top guy in the company way before the audience taking over shows forced the writing team to take the product in that direction. Maybe if a few key guys got the chance to truly run with the spot as the top star, the ratings wouldn't have steadily declined the past few years.

Again, I ask myself, why isn't more invested into individual stars to allow for a broader draw to the general audience? For example, not everyone that started to watch pro wrestling in 1998 was a diehard wrestling fan, but they certainly became fans of certain stars. A lot of Stone Cold Steve Austin fans simply quit watching when he didn't wrestle on Monday nights.

As I said, the WWE brand is promoted as the draw, not specific stars. There are pros and cons to that, if a wrestler gets hurt, the writing team can plug someone else into that spot rather seamlessly and the shows continue without much inconvenience. Also, it gives the company more power because there's usually not one competitor with enough star to really shift the dynamic of the company. If there's a contract dispute and someone would leave the company, it doesn't have as much of a dent in the overall production. The flip side is the plateaued level discussed prior to this since there's only a specific group of people that will follow the WWE brand regardless of the wrestlers pushed on TV.

I searched my mind for an answer about why are things so bland. There was a title change on Raw, a very rare occasion, but the circumstances around it with the three-week reign take a lot of the sizzle away from it. There's a generic formula with the 50/50 booking element so there just isn't much at stake with the vast majority of WWE storylines. As complex as the subject might be with the numerous parts that fuel the WWE machine and the multiple points the company has to cover within the context of its product, the answer is rather simple.

The global publicly-traded company serves its stockholders ahead of its fans. From purely a business prospective, that's a very wise decision, at least for the moment. Keep in mind, the WWE landed its mega TV deals with USA and Fox that ensured them record-setting profits for the next five years because of the dynamics within the TV business, not necessarily because of a demand for more pro wrestling content. In order to satisfy those hefty contracts and to continue to tout the major profits they bring, the WWE machine continues to churn out countless hours of content. It's quite literally the quantity, not that quality that has allowed WWE brass to discuss the profit of the $2.4 billion TV contracts during conference calls. The easiest example is that Raw became a three-hour show because USA was willing to pay for a third hour, but the effect was a noticeable dip in quality because it's much more difficult to produce an extra hour of solid content that will retain the audience. WWE management continues it's usual approach because it's a steady path that keeps them on track to make the major TV money. The flip side is, while this cookie-cutter approach to the product maintains status quo for now in terms of profitability, it's also eroding the core audience. Does anyone really think the company will get another billion dollar contract for Raw when the current USA contract expires in a few years? All of this is done to keep the stockholders there, but is that really the same demographic that follows the product? The bottom line is, how many wrestling fans are corporate investors?

At some point, the WWE's corporate approach of the same play book is going to come back to bite them. They don't take any truly new chances with the direction of the promotion because they don't want to rock the boat or sour potential shareholders. It's much more typical sports entertainment to present Roman Reigns  as the top star than CM Punk  or Daniel Bryan. The fact that Reigns had to turn heel should be proof that the generic "WWE wrestler" hype that might draw the shareholders because of the numbers associated with Wrestlemania doesn't connect with the actual WWE audience. Don't get me wrong, the WWE is very successful from a business perspective, but it's very possible that the decisions to maximize the profit from the stock price now will be the reason the audience declines in the future.

Drew McIntyre wins the title

 Last night on Raw, Drew McIntyre beat Randy Orton to win the WWE championship, and it doesn't matter.

I say this because Orton, who can put his performances into the next gear when he wants to, just beat Drew three weeks ago to win the title at the HIAC pay-per-view, ending his six month reign as champion, a run that fans were never in the building for because of the restrictions of the pandemic. In truth, there's no way to gauge how over Drew is or isn't as champion because a live crowd hasn't been given the chance to react to him, and ratings are sluggish because of the pandemic era, not necessarily because of who is champion. Still, when Drew dropped the belt without ever appearing in front of a live audience as champion, it halted some of his momentum and if nothing else, created a pause in what could've been an extended title run that could've been referenced later to help tout his credentials when a crowd can return to WWE events.

The bottom line is, what was actually accomplished with Orton winning the belt for three weeks?

This summarizes why the WWE product in general has been very bland the past few years because the results of matches and even entire feuds rarely impact the direction or progress of the company. Other than adding another belt to Orton's resume, which isn't nearly as important as it would've been in years past, what effect did Orton as champion for three weeks have on the product? The ratings didn't improve, he's still at the same level in terms of star power, and it's not as though it was used for anything other than switching the title just to say that there was a title switch at the pay-per-view. Don't get me wrong, Orton has star power, but he's basically as over as he's going to be for the rest of his career so what benefit did another title reign, especially for three weeks provide him or the company?

This is a major example of a problem that can be seen across WWE programming. Too often, there's no consequence to the storylines and thus it's very rare that anything is "must see" for viewers. How often could a view skip a month of Raw and not really miss any key progress in the show? The Retribution angle is another example of the lack of meaningful storylines within the WWE product. This reveal was built up for months, and not only was the payoff a let down, but in a matter of weeks Bray Wyatt beat down the entire stable on Raw before Bobby Lashley squashed Slap Jack on pay-per-view. Why should the viewers invest the time into the Retribution stable? The entire narrative was supposed to be some attempted take over of the promotion, but what is the sum total of the storyline? It's a bunch of mid-card wrestlers in silly masks that didn't accomplish anything of any importance on television.

Now, consider how many times angles that were given substantial time on TV only to fall flat. If I had to guess, and this is only a guess, I'd say it must be a total lack of any long-term planning for the direction of the product. You hear the rumors online of Vince McMahon deciding that a show should be rewritten just hours before a taping starts, but most of the time you have to take that with a grain a salt because it's usually just from the online rumor mill. However, the decision for Drew to drop the belt at HIAC only to win it before Survivor Series suggest that it was only booked to make the PPV something more than just a gimmick show.

Speaking of which, why exactly should Survivor Series be used as a champion vs. champion event? Granted, Roman Reigns is doing the best work of his career as a heel, but is there really a demand for Roman vs. Drew? This will sound too pessimistic, but the attempt to promote any type of "Raw vs. Smackdown" narrative as a selling point for Survivor Series is silly. It's not as though each show has exclusive fans, but rather that people will watch the shows that they find worthwhile or have less competition for other programming that night. For example, the Raw number can be affected by Monday Night Football depending on what teams are playing, but it's not like there are "Smackdown fans" that will only watch the show on Friday night. The entire brand vs. brand concept seems like an excuse for lazy booking instead of storylines that would have more depth to them.

So, if Raw wins more matches at Survivor Series than Smackdown, does that mean that more fans will watch Monday and less people will watch Friday? That's very doubtful, and that ultimately goes back to the previous point that very few angles on the shows have a major consequence to the direction of the brands. If the results of matches don't have a major effect on the path of the company then what's the audience missing if they don't tune in to see who wins?

It's a more drastic example, but when Stone Cold beat Shawn Micheals, it was a meaningful result to the company. When Mick Foley beat The Rock in 1999, it planted the seeds to build eventually build The Rock as a heel with the infamous Royal Rumble match to lead to the Wrestlemania 15 match against Austin. When Randy Orton defeated Cactus Jack in 2004, it let the audience know that Orton reached a new level as a star. There are numerous examples, but the bottom line is, the results of storylines must be more than just a reason to churn out more content for the WWE machine. Quite simply, if a viewer didn't watch any of the WWE product in the past month, when they stopped watching, Drew was the champion and involved in a feud with Orton and The Fiend. So, when they tune in again, nothing really changed or progressed, which basically renders Orton's brief title reign useless.

If the point of all of this was to get to Drew vs. Roman at Survivor Series then the exact same destination could've been accomplished without halting McIntyre's momentum if he didn't lose the title to Orton. Recently, Triple H claimed that McIntyre vs. Reigns could be comparable to Hogan/Flair or The Rock/Stone Cold. First and most importantly, it's completely unfair for Triple H to make that comparison because those stars had big runs when pro wrestling was a part of pop culture. Plus, very few within the industry could reach that level, and as talented as both are, nobody has claimed that Drew or Roman will rank among the biggest stars in the history of the industry after their career are finished. No, Drew and Roman won't be as popular or as accomplished as The Rock, Steve Austin, or Ric Flair.

In fact, if that was even close to being possible, you'd expect their champion vs. champion match to garner a major boost in WWE Network subscriptions, but that probably won't happen. Similar to how most stars are more or less interchangeable, the vast majority of WWE events outside of Wrestlemania are at the same level. Those that subscribe to the WWE Network often do so because of the overall access to the extensive video library as well as the live shows. It's not as though most fans subscribe or unsubscribe based on a specific pay-per-view card. The selling point of the network is the overall package of content. The same way that the biggest selling point of most WWE events is the WWE brand, not specific stars. The example I've used several times is that regardless of their spot within the company at any given time, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor are at the same level of star power in terms of their ability to sell tickets. Brock Lesnar had a match with Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania last year, but would it have really made a difference in the numbers if it was Balor vs. Lesnar instead at the show? Again, too often the 50/50 aspect of the product makes things interchangeable and there's a level of mediocrity. Sure, Randy Orton won the title for three weeks, but what was the point? Now, Drew won it back, but does that really make Drew a bigger star as compared to a month ago?

I'm sure this sounds too harsh of a critique, but it's just disappointing that the argument could be made that as far as in ring talent, the company might have the best roster in its history, but the structure of the promotion prevents legitimate money-drawing stars from being made and there's a total lack of "must watch" TV for the company.

Pac returns

 Last week's edition of AEW Dynamite was fresh off of the Full Gear pay-per-view, an event that had some stellar matches and delivered a quality show that was worth the price tag. As mentioned, how the organization followed up on it was very important as well. As I've written several times before, not everything within All Elite Wrestling is perfect, and it would be unfair to expect it to be, but this particular episode highlighted some of the specific hits and misses of the upstart league.

Matt Sydal, who crashed to the canvas after a botched shooting star press during his debut a few months ago, had a terrific match against Brian Cage to open the show. Quite frankly, I was very surprised how solid this match-up was because it's a rather odd pairing on paper. Cage got the win, which makes sense because of his continuing push as a part of Team Taz, but the performance might open the door for a new chapter in the career of Matt Sydal. Some might be unaware, but during his time under contract with WWE, Sydal sustained a very serious foot injury from a motorcycle accident, and suffered injuries in the ring prior to that, which ultimately led to a rather underwhelming run in the company. The combination of damage from wrestling and more specifically, the bike accident seemed to slow him down substantially in the ring. While his time on Impact a few years ago got him back on television, he didn't quite have the spark in the ring he was known for. Thankfully, it appears that he healed up from those injuries and perhaps, the lighter AEW schedule will help him extend his career. All things considered, it's nice to see Sydal get a chance to rebound in his career because for a period of time in the mid-2000s, the argument could've been made that he was one of the top high-fliers in the world.

The Bunkhouse match was memorable because of its blood and weapons, but I have to wonder if AEW is overdoing it with the gore, and more specifically if this particular angle justified this type of match. Keep in mind, Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley just had a brutal weapons match on pay-per-view. The feud between the Natural Nightmares and The Butcher and The Blade has been rather secondary, and wasn't spotlighted on TV much recently since the primary focus of the stable was rightfully on the Kingston title feud, as well as the Lucha Brothers in number one contender tournament. This angle was based on The Bunny originally being aligned with Butcher and Blade before she jumped ship to the Natural Nightmares without any explanation. It appears that the only reason she was placed back with the original team was because Kingston's arrival to form a faction gave a reason for her to be booked as The Bunny again. It's not as though there's some lengthy and storied feud between both teams. In truth, the storyline was based on The Bunny using QT's credit cards and it wasn't necessarily an angle that built over the course of months, it just because a better fit for her to be back in Kingston's stable. I think the company might be using weapons too often and eventually it won't stand out nearly as much as it has so far in the history of the company. Just because AEW doesn't have the PG restrictions of WWE, the repetitive weapons and blood will lead to diminishing returns. If the blood and guts are saved for the more select angles, those matches become more memorable. QT Marshall has a reputation as a solid hand in the ring and a good trainer, but as far as being over on national TV, he's just not at the level that justifies this type of match. The blood, ladders, etc. just seem unnecessary for a QT Marshall storyline. This type of violence should be used sparingly and be saved for pay-per-view in most cases, especially just days after a particularly bloody main event at Full Gear.

Jade Cargill made her AEW debut when she interrupted a Cody Rhodes segment before she was confronted by Brandi. I have to say, Cargill might have potential in the future, but she really fumbled this promo. I'm not sure if she got lost half way through it, but she dragged on throughout it and the point of the promo, the implication that Shaquille O'Neal will be involved in AEW, wasn't nearly as impactful as it should've been. With an announcement like that, it must be delivered in the proper manner to create a moment for the promotion, but Cargill just wasn't able to do that here. Brandi's involvement to protect Cody makes sense, but too often, Brandi's spots on the shows seem more like they're shoehorned into the narrative just to get her on camera. The bigger story is Shaq potentially appearing for AEW, and most importantly, the press it could generate for the organization. Obviously, TNT is one of the primary networks that broadcast the NBA so the crossover fits well. If Shaq has a full match remains to be seen, but if he does, Cody would be an excellent choice to have a performance that highlights Shaq without exposing his inexperience as a wrestler. When you consider that the show airs on TNT and Shaq's history in basketball, this will remind fans of the Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone appearances in WCW. While AEW is now a profitable venture because of the extension with TNT, it's even more important for the organization to continue to expand its fan base, and a Shaq appearance could certainly bring new viewers to the program.

Finally, Pac made his return to the promotion after being stuck in his native country of England because of the COVID travel restrictions. This worked extremely well because as I wrote in an article about Full Gear earlier this week, I wondered if the company rushed Kingston to the main event scene since he wasn't in the organization long enough for them to choose him to be the first non-WWE wrestler to win the championship. That spot appears to be for a long-term project in the company and might be Kenny Omega, who beat Adam Paige to become the number one contender. Just prior to the COVID shut down, Pac formed a stable with the Lucha Brothers, but with it being unknown when he would be back from England, the masked athletes were paired with Kingston. Pac's return to confront Kingston works because it gives Kingston something to do so that his defeat in the title match isn't seen as a plateau, and it allows Pac to be rejuvenated since he will be booked in a feud with a performer that garnered rave reviews for his work in the Moxley angle. A meaningful storyline gives both grapplers a way to continue to progress their careers under the AEW banner.

The Pentagon vs. Rey Fenix match was tremendous, and both of these luchadors have the potential to be major stars for the organization. Pentagon has a charisma that overcomes any perceived language barrier, and Fenix is one of the most spectacular athletes in the world today. So, while had some misses recently, the bulk of the product has the potential to continue to evolve and expand, which is the key to success for the company. Arguably, the most important aspect of AEW is how it has already shifted the industry and it will be interesting to see how that continues in the next few months.

Zelina Vega released

 Shock waves hit social media earlier tonight as Zelina Vega, praised by many for her work the past few years with Andrade at ringside, was released from the promotion mere minutes after she tweeted her support for unionization, an issue that was brought back into the spotlight after management recently decided to crackdown on third party deals, which ultimately bring WWE talent revenue from outside of the WWE bubble. This conversation brought up again the long-standing argument about professional wrestlers' status as independent contractors, an aspect that allows the WWE to run a publicly-traded global business without offering health benefits to its wrestlers or paying certain payroll taxes. Considering that a true independent contractor has no restrictions on where they can work, but WWE contracts are exclusive, it appears that this is probably more of a situation that nobody with the legal power to look into it wanted to take the time to dig into the "low brow" entertainment genre that sports entertainment is sometimes stereotyped with.

As I wrote at the time, the company wasn't going to be looked upon by the general public as sympathetic figures in the third party scenario because the wrestlers already work their without having health insurance offered to them, and the company that's worth a billion dollars wants a cut of their cameo and twitch money? It comes across as petty, especially when a slice of cameo cash doesn't make a dent in the company's bottom line, but is a considerable revenue stream for individual talents. It's just greedy and unnecessary.

Is 20% of someone's $50 cameo really worth the negative press?

Andrew Yang, former Democratic presidential candidate and long-time wrestling fan, took notice of the third party dispute. He appeared on the Talk is Jericho podcast a few weeks ago and expressed his interest to help pro wrestlers get a better deal with their employment status. Despite Trump's heelish attempts to leave the white house kicking and screaming like a villain that disagrees with the referee's three count, the fact that the Joe Biden administration will be in power in January could finally shine a light on the sports entertainment employee status, especially if Yang gets offered a spot in his cabinet. Speaking of the cabinet, Linda McMahon, who unsuccessfully ran for senate twice and spent $100 million in the process, is a former member of Trump's cabinet for the small business administration. Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, when you take into account that Linda McMahon donated millions to the Trump campaign, it's obvious that the WWE was safe from any government inquires while he was in the white house. That shouldn't be too surprising because millions of dollars are exchanged for political favor for both parties about topics much more important than professional wrestling.

However, the fact remains that early next year, there will be a shift in power and it will be very interesting to see if Yang or anyone else from the Biden administration finally takes a look at the 1099 status within the WWE. Furthermore, this rather abrupt release might be used as an example of a potential WWE attempt to quiet any talks of a union.

It wouldn't be the first time that the sports entertainment empire kept the roster from unionizing. Famously, Jesse Ventura tried to talk his peers into forming a union prior to one of the early Wrestlemania events. A few years later when Ventura successfully sued McMahon for royalties on video tape sales, it was revealed in court depositions that Hulk Hogan, who was in the dressing room the night that Jesse tried to explain the benefits of a union to the roster, went to McMahon and told him of Ventura's plan. As of now, the WWE Network doesn't offer royalties to former wrestlers that appear on the footage on the streaming network so is it possible history will repeat itself if someone takes it to court?

In truth, as sudden as the release might seem, it's doubtful that someone from the office was monitoring Zelina's Twitter page and she got released solely based on the pro-union tweet. If I had to guess, her Twitch channel and a newly-launched OnlyFans page were probably a point of disagreement, and she might've opted for a release instead of deleting those social media platforms. The tweet about unionization might've been a way for her to make a final statement toward the company prior to her departure. Still, you have to wonder if this will create a domino effect toward the rest of the roster taking a stand?

As unfair as the 1099 status might be for pro wrestlers, it's doubtful that there will be some massive walkout or stand by WWE performers. Different from the typical independent contractor, painting a house is painting a house and the results at the end are the same. Nothing against someone like Heath Slater, but the money he will draw in the main event of Wrestlemania would be different than the money John Cena would draw at the top of the card. Basically, those within the WWE would have to be willing to give up top money and financial security to try to get a better deal for everyone across the board. It would be a nice idea if someone was willing to make that sacrifice, but the bottom line is, integrity doesn't pay the bills. Hulk wasn't risking his payoff for the benefit of Mike Sharpe. John Cena wasn't going to lose money for Mike Mondo.

It's easy to say that the wrestlers should take a stand, but it's much more difficult to risk the financial security that goes along with a WWE contract. Plus, it's a competitive business, and with the past several years, management has worked to make the brand the draw, not any particular star so hypothetically, if Finn Balor would demand to get benefits or he quits the company, who's to say that Adam Cole, Keith Lee, or some other NXT star wouldn't just be put into the Balor spot? You can't blame anyone for it either because again, guys are trying to make a living, and the most profitable place to do that in the industry is WWE.

As far as Zelina Vega, she's very talented and there are more options in the industry now than in the past two decades so I'd guess that she lands in either AEW or Impact as soon as she can legally sign someone else. While he role on television depended on the often-changing direction of the storylines of the WWE product, her exit from the organization will have a minimal impact on the television show, but her release could have a major effect on the potential unionization of pro wrestling if anyone from the Biden administration examples the 1099 status within the industry. 

The status of WWE events

There was a point in time when the house show business, the non-televised arena matches, was the main revenue source for the professional wrestling industry. As you can watch now with the easy access of the WWE Network, the majority of the territory system of the 80s used their TV to showcase the stars and run angles that would entice the home audience to buy a ticket to see the grapplers square off live in the arena. Granted, there were some exceptions based on the size and nature of the territory. Bill Watts' Mid-South group covered several states, running his crew ragged, but he emphasized a much more competitive TV product to keep the promotion steaming along so that fans outside of that night's particular touring schedule would still be prompted to follow the product. Showing clips from a previous week's house show didn't cannibalize market, but rather allowed fans to keep up with the story. The fact that Watt's had a territory and a roster that was already selling tickets at the time allowed him the flexibility to do that. On the flip side, other groups took the traditional approach and it worked for them. The WWF specifically for most of its run through the 80s, kept to the house show model. Nobody expected Tiger Chug Lee to get the win over Paul Orndorff, but Mr. Wonderful's promo about his upcoming battle with Jimmy Snuka prompted fans to go to the box office for the house show where the two would square off. Some territories had more of a featured match to wrap up the main event spot of their TV program where two stars might be schedule for a match.

As is the case with the entire business, the TV aspect, as well as the revenue streams within the industry have evolved. Unfortunately, the house show business has eroded, both in drawing power and importance, over the past two decades since the end of the Monday Night Wars, which is the last time it was relevant. When the professional wrestling genre was a part of pop culture, just putting the letters WCW or WWF on the marquee was enough to sell tickets. The popularity of the brands and the overall star power of the organizations were enough to generate sell outs before a full card was announced. Just the fact that Steve Austin, Goldberg, Sting, DX, etc. were going to be in the building was enough of a reason that people wanted to be there. Fans wanted to see their favorite stars in-person and it didn't matter if the show was seen on television or not. The big angles were hot-shot on TV every week, but the overall star power of the national spotlight to record-setting ratings made the live event experience something that fans were willing to pay to get admission in the arena.

Without the wave of pop culture to fuel those house shows, and almost as important, the fact that television content fuels the current WWE business model more than anything else, non-televised events are viewed as inconsequential by event the most causal WWE fan. The notion that "if it doesn't happen on TV then it didn't happen" is probably more pertinent now than any other time in history. The WWE's biggest and most profitable revenue stream is their mega TV deals with Fox and USA. The company secured those deals because of its ability to deliver a consistent number for the networks. Obviously, the pandemic era has shifted those ratings, but that's another discussion for another time. The point being, the televised content, both for Fox and USA, as well as the content that fuels the WWE Network, another barometer of success, are the most important assets to the company.

We can debate and determine valid objections for the possibility that too many hours or content dilute the product and saturate the market, but the fact remains those hours of TV that the WWE machine churns out every weeks are part of the reason why the organization is on the stock market and worth nearly a billion dollars. Quite frankly, what happened at the Smackdown house show in front of a few thousand fans in  Des Moines, Iowa doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. (No disrespect intended to Des Moines.)

So, will there be house shows in the future?

The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that there were a few more released within the WWE, including Tony Chimel, known of his ring announcing, but worked more recently in the live event side of the organization. Side note about Chimel, when I was at a house show when I was 11, I saw him at intermission and asked for an autograph when he was standing next to the sound equipment. He said, "not right now" and perhaps the news of his release will end a nearly 20-year grudge. On a more serious note, Chimel's release isn't that surprising because the WWE hasn't toured for most of the year and its still unknown when they will be back on the road, but considering that the house shows weren't profitable before the pandemic, is there really a reason to bring back the non-televised schedule?

Some wrestlers have discussed that the house show tours can sometimes be more fun to work without the pressure and time constants of live television, but with as many injuries as there are now, it might be a better option to reduce the bumps the rosters takes as well as cutting down on their travel. Considering the lack of revenue, the extra travel, and the fact that televised content is the fuel of the WWE machine, it makes sense to cut down the house shows schedule to maybe a dozen or so key events a year in major locations. When you add that potential US schedule to the European tour, two dozen house show events a year might be a more realistic option to the current landscape of the industry. The only potential downside of that is the performers on the roster that need the experience of working in front of a live crowd, but considering the independent groups WWE has working agreements with it would seem at least possible they could be some type of deal that would allow newer members of the roster to get more experience in front of a live crowd. Don't get me wrong, there was something special about attending a house show and knowing that only those there were there in-person got to see the action. I was at an event in 1997 that my parents surprised me with tickets for when I got home from elementary school and Mick Foley pelted Savio Vega with a giant bag of pop corn. But, the same way that the internet made most wrestling magazines an antiquated concept, the climate of the television industry might lead to the conclusion of house shows for the company.

Full Gear review

 The results are in...for AEW Full Gear.

I penned an article just hours before the live broadcast to discuss some of the key points and potential booking decisions of this pay-per-view. More specifically, how the outcome of certain bouts could be a sign of the direction of the promotion ahead of 2021. While the pandemic more or less eliminated live attendance to any measurable level, the quality of not just the actual event, but the storylines that follow are still key to the company continuing to expand in a myriad of ways.

Kenny Omega vs. Adam Page to determine the number one contender for the world title opened the show, and it was a very wise decision to put them on first because it was a way to pace the card so that they could have the chance to work a longer match without burning out the viewers mid-way through the show. It also helped reduce other key bouts with the task to have to follow a match that was designed to build to high spots. These two delivered big time, and this was the type of contest that you want to be able to showcase the pure talent on the roster. Yes, you absolutely need the well-known names and familiar faces for the star power when the organization airs on TNT, but the bottom line is, especially in the modern era, you must have the in-ring substance to go along with the sizzle for these pay-per-views. Obviously, fans will compare this to the arrival of the "New Japan Omega," but all things considered, and as I've written before, Omega has always still had the talent that generated him such a following in Japan. He was cast for a role in the tag division that wasn't a place for him to have 45-minute contests every time he appeared on screen.

Speaking of which, now that Omega is clearly on a path to the world title picture with the victory here, I have to say, I still find the entire Omega/Page tag run odd. Perhaps some of the restrictions of the pandemic limited who AEW had available at certain times for tapings, but for a company that wanted to emphasize tag team wrestling, it just didn't seem like a natural fit to have two wrestlers that were more or less just thrown together have the longest run with the belts so far in the history of the promotion. More than anything, and I could be wrong about this, the Omega/Page pairing appeared to be more of a way to keep them busy while other angles were used for the title picture.

That being said, this type of match is exactly the performance that Omega needed to put him on track for a title shot and the top notch quality of the contest rejuvenates his status as "the best bout machine" from a few years ago. At 37, Omega should have the title reign while he's still in the prime of his career, not to say that he will be hanging up the boots anytime particularly soon, but he works a very physical style so if AEW is going to capture the aura he had in New Japan, it makes sense to do it sooner rather than later. The other aspect of this is that since Moxley retained, will there eventually Moxley-Omega title bout be a draw? I'm not trying to take anything away from either one of them, as their talent speaks for itself, but Omega's work is based on in-ring theatrics, while Moxley's career is based on the drama of storyline telling, similar to the angle of the Kingston match so there's somewhat of a clash of styles. Plus, they already had a hardcore match last year so it's difficult to top that type of match. But, the bigger point is that the Omega/Page bout accomplished its goal of getting Omega ready for an eventual title shot so it was mission accomplished.

Orange Cassidy/John Silver was a decent match and was used more to pace the crowd than anything, which is fine, especially because it was originally penciled-in for the buy-in preview show.

Darby Allin vs. Cody Rhodes was a really solid match, and again, as far as accomplishing a projected goal, this did the job because Darby's status is elevated with this title victory. All things considered, Cody had the run with the TNT title and that story worked well because he technically can't challenge for the world championship again, but at this point, he doesn't really need the belt. As far as the psychology of the contest, it made sense for Rhodes to be more aggressive because of Darby's natural role as the underdog in this scenario. The more important aspect was to make Darby here, but another element is that with it being well-known that Cody is one of the vice presidents, the company doesn't want the narrative that would essentially portray him as the New York Yankees of AEW. It's a thin line because if Cody is too giving in putting others over, it doesn't fully utilize his popularity, one of the reasons the company was launched in the first place, but if he wins too often, it could create some hostility from the fan base. The Team Taz attack after the match suggest that their might be some type of tag team feud going forward, which can work for now until Darby and Cody are ready for their next respective feuds.

The Women's title match was okay, but I think it went too long and instead of being something to pace the card, it somewhat dragged the event. Obviously, the pandemic affected the depth of the women's division, but the potential addition of Thunder Rosa and Allysin Kay are helpful.

The Young Bucks vs. FTR was the match fans had been waiting to see for four years, and while Meltzer already proclaimed it, "one of the best tag matches ever" I'm not going to go that far. Still, it was a stellar match that built well and there was an atmosphere of importance around it, which is rare for matches in the modern era. Too often, matches are presented as just gears of the wheel of a machine and can sometimes be interchangeable on the card. This had the environment a "special event" and the psychology and the pacing added to it. I'd expect rematches in the next few months, which is fine because this is quality wrestling. I hope The Bucks/FTR becomes a series of great tag matches, similar to some of the peak eras of tag team wrestling of the past. The Bucks winning made sense since some of their tenure in AEW so far was slightly underwhelming before this pay-per-view.

I've said several times before that I understand that the cinematic type of wrestling has a cult following, but it just isn't my cup of tea. (Well, an energy drink as I'm enjoying an Amp to power me through this review) However, outside of that, I thought the Elite Deletion was too long and ultimately wasn't really anything other than what was seen on Impact 3-4 years ago. In short, the Hardy compound has run its course and regardless of being a different organization, this came across as a retread. Hardy still has gas in the tank, though so it will be interesting to see his next storyline in AEW.

Chris Jericho vs. MJF was better than I thought it was going to be, and I'm still guessing this will ultimately lead to the Inner Circle turning on Jericho to make MJF the new leader. Jericho is already cheered and that scenario gives MJF a boost so it would be a logical path for the storyline.

The main event was a brutal fight that resembled something from more of an old school period of the business. As I mentioned in the previous article, Kingston hasn't been on the roster long enough for the company to book him as the first non-WWE performer to win the AEW championship, but I think this entire storyline proves that he undoubtedly has the ability to be the world champion at some point in the future. It can't be understated how important it is that Kingston has the ability to emotionally connect with the audience because that is what draws money. The fans can identify with him and he has a sense of authenticity that very few in the business can bring to that table. This isn't meant as a jab, but who on the WWE roster has the believably of Eddie Kingston? The corporate machine is so well-produced and packaged that they don't have a performer as gritty or as authentic in their system. WWE markets itself more as the athletics that portray superstars in sports entertainment. Kingston doesn't have to play a role, he takes his persona and amplifies it for pro wrestling. WWE is absolutely successful with that they do and their financial reports prove it. I've said it before and I will say it again, success for AEW is profitability, not necessarily competition with WWE. The TNT extension allowed them to be a profitable venture, and part of the reason is that they aren't trying to present the company as another WWE type of project. Performers like Eddie Kingston, Omega, Pentagon, Rey Fenix etc. are why AEW is an alternative in the industry.

AEW Full Gear

 This weekend's Full Gear event could prove to be a pivotal point in the history of All Elite Wrestling, especially based on some key booking decisions that could shed some light on the direction of the organization as it enters its second year of existence. While the show seems to be very solid on paper, there are certain matches that could be very critical in terms of the perception of specific stars as the organization looks toward the future. In truth, that scenario is usually what makes for a pay-per-view worthy event because the selling point is that there's something at stake based on the results of the matches.

This isn't meant as a jab against the WWE, especially because they just announced record-setting profits in a conference call last week so you can't argue with the financial success, but as I've written several times before, not only did the launch of the WWE Network completely change the dynamic of content distribution of the entire industry, it unintentionally created a level of complacency within the WWE product. The writing team was no longer forced to "sell" an angle that motivated fans to buy a $40 pay-per-view, but rather the standard for what was considered PPV quality was lowered to just $10 for a monthly subscription.

On the flip side, it puts more pressure on AEW and other pro wrestling commodity that tries to market pay-per-view events at a more traditional price because literally thousands of hours of content are offered with the WWE Network for a fraction of the price.

As far as Full Gear goes, the finals of the number one contender tournament is one of the more anticipated bouts on the card as Adam Page, who challenged Chris Jericho in a match to determine the first AEW champion last year, will square off against Kenny Omega. While Jericho was definitely the right call for the first All Elite champion, it goes without saying that Adam Page should be one of the key players for the promotion in the next few years. He has an almost quiet charisma and the cowboy persona is something that the fans can easily identify with. The blue collar character has some traits of Stone Cold, but Page has an in-ring style that he can use to develop his own overall presentation. For Kenny Omega, considering he had some much hype after the series of Okada matches and the stellar run that he had in New Japan, his tenure in AEW has probably been slightly underwhelming. Granted, the American format doesn't accommodate 45-minute epic contests on a regular basis because of the TV structure, but I'm not sure what some fans were expecting from him when typical PPV time and something as simply as commercials for television don't allow for New Japan style matches.

That being said, I think more should've been done with Omega in terms of his position toward the top of the card, and I always found his tag team role to be a rather odd fit. In fact, for a promotion that put such an emphasis on tag team wrestling, the vast majority of the time the tag belts have existed, they were held by what was basically a thrown together team of two wrestlers that didn't have a clear path otherwise. I don't think it's a matter of Omega not being able to find success outside of the New Japan structure, but rather the way he was presented so far in AEW. Omega is one of the most talented athletes of his generation, he doesn't need 45-minute matches to try to shoehorn that narrative, but during the majority of his run in AEW, he hasn't been spotlighted as a main event star. Perhaps, that's why his portrayal in this tournament is so important since it allows him to be casts as a potential main event star in the title picture. Don't get me wrong, the Omega/Page tag matches were fine, but especially in hindsight, that run as champions might've been more to buy time to allow for other angles to get the chance to play out in the title picture than anything else. It's tough to say who would be the better choice to challenge for the belt next, especially because neither of them has turned heel yet, but whoever loses this one probably will need a heel turn to keep their character fresh. Considering his age, I'd say Kenny Omega is the better choice to challenge for the belt right now, specifically because the longer it's been since that run in New Japan, the more shine has worn off of his status. Plus, an eventually title win rejuvenates his character in America and then there are also more options for potential main event feuds.

The tag title match is rather an odd scenario because the bout was one of the most anticipated contest of the past several years and one of the very rare legitimate dream matches of the modern era. Somehow, less than stellar booking of this angle has diminished this match exponentially. Sometimes, the simplest way is the most effective way, which is the path AEW should've taken on this instead of the scenic route on the path to the pay-per-view. I wrote it at the time, but from the debut of FTR, the stare down without any physical altercation was lackluster. The story was already in place for the few year prior when it was discussed on social media. FTR should've attacked The Young Bucks, who were the baby faces defending the honor of the upstart organization. The story writes itself, there was no need to attempt to portray the Bucks as semi-heels to try to add an edge to their characters. The Bucks acted like heels when they super kicked announcers and referees, and FTR are already heels so who are the fans supposed to cheer for? I just don't get what those segments were designed to accomplish for the Young Bucks. Did FTR force them to become more aggressive? How does that fit into the original narrative that made this a dream match in the first place? The stipulation that The Bucks can't challenge for the titles again if they lose wasn't needed and it's seen as a recycled angle from the Cody match last year. The stipulation is still fresh in the fans' mind because it's part of the reason he's involved in the TNT title picture. From a storyline perspective, the Young Bucks/FTR angle was too convoluted and hindered rather than helped the build to the pay-per-view bout. Still, I think the in-ring presentation should be tremendous, and if the payoff is a success than the path to get there is relatively moot.

A quick note about Darby and Cody for the TNT belt. Since we've seen these two square off before, you know the match will be solid. I think they should give Darby the run, mostly because at some point, the group must start to really get behind some non-WWE talent to give it more of its own identity, which isn't a jab, but rather to point out that Darby is one of the stars that AEW could use to expand in the future. Darby has charisma and an aura around him, which are ingredients that can be used to draw money. The fact that fans dress up like him is proof that he connects with the crowd. In my opinion, Darby Allin has the potential to be a big star for the company in the next few years. The flip side is, he must avoid some of the unnecessary dangerous stunts that might take years off of his career. Darby is over on a national level because of who he is as a character, not because he's willing to hurl himself off of the balcony. Risky bumps just for the shock value are the indy level, but TNT is a completely different game. He can't be marketed on national television if he's sidelined for a lengthy period of time with an injury.

I'd guess that the in-ring action of Chris Jericho/MJF will be fine, but the bigger story might be the angle involved with the match. Despite his role as a heel, Jericho still gets a baby face reaction based on the entertainment value of his persona so it makes sense for him to make the switch to get a run as a baby face in AEW. This is just a guess, but I think The Inner Circle will turn on Jericho, and MJF will become the new leader of the stable. It puts more of a spotlight on MJF and it allows for a fresh run for Jericho, too.

Eddie Kingston vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW title in an I Quit match has probably had the best build for an AEW pay-per-view main event so far this year, but the result really isn't in doubt. Don't get me wrong, Eddie Kingston is one of my favorite wrestlers and I think a title run at some point should be in the cards for him, but this title shot seems a little rushed and based more off of the solid match these two had on TV than any potential main event run for Kingston. Regardless, THIS is how you build and sell a title match. Remember that we discussed how it's difficult to sell a traditional PPV in this era? Well, Kingston's work on the mic is exactly how a pay-per-view should be sold. There's something at stake and something on the line, Kingston's story emphasizes the importance of the event. This is nothing against Moxley, he's done very well as AEW champion, but I'm really hoping that somehow Kingston gets the championship. That being said, I think it's fair to say that the first non-WWE star to win the belt will probably be someone that AEW invested into as a long-term project, and Kingston just hasn't been on the roster long enough to be seen with that status. That's not to say that Kingston wouldn't be a good choice at this point in time, but rather that it looks like there's more of a build for Omega or Page to be the performer to eventually defeat Moxley for the championship.

IWC returns

 In 2006, Norm Connors' International Wrestling Cartel started the year at the Court Time Sports Center, a spacious recreation venue in Elizabeth, PA that housed three full-length basketball courts, hosting youth leagues throughout the year. When jump shots weren't being made, soccer groups kicked their way to goals, and when the youth of America wasn't learning the value of team work, the diehard IWC fan base saw pro wrestling mayhem takeover. Connors, regarded as one of the godfathers of Pittsburgh independent wrestling, began promoting IWC, the successor to his Steel City Wrestling organization of the late-90s, in 2001 and built a cult following for the Western PA fans. As is often the case with independent wrestling, promotions were often at the mercy of venues for potential cancellations or schedule changes. After a few years, Connors landed at Court Time, a semi-central location for the IWC fans, who arrived at that building for the first time on a blustery Friday night in January of 2006. "The Monster" Abyss, still in his prime of a TNA run, was the spotlight star on that particular evening.

In the 15 years since that chilly evening in Elizabeth, the professional wrestling industry, as it often does, morphed and evolved. As TNA faded from the national spotlight and letters such as AEW emerged, IWC had its own storied history inside the Sports Center. Pittsburgh legends like Dennis Gregory and Super Henti cemented much of their legacy inside an IWC ring. Henti, a 22-year pro that can still go today, once sailed from the balcony of the building onto a group of unsuspecting foes below. The late great Larry Sweeney strutted his way to become one of the most popular on the roster. The Sandman enjoyed a beverage or two while he was there. Tommy Dreamer shocked those in attendance when he captured the IWC championship. Jack Pollock, a student of underrated legend Lance Storm and one of the best grapplers in the Pittsburgh area, made an emotional return after he was sidelined for several months from surgery that repaired a knee injury.

There's no doubt about it, over the past decade and a half, Court Time Sports Center was the site of some of the most memorable moments in Pittsburgh wrestling history.

As the dynamics shifted around the industry, there were changes for IWC as well. After nearly ten years as the head of IWC, Norm retired from the industry, passing the organization along to Chuck Roberts, a longtime ring announcer that helped out for years behind the scenes before taking over the reigns. Five years as a promoter was enough for Chuck, and he saw the chance to leave the company in good hands of Justin Plummer, a fiercely dedicated video host that learned the ins and outs of the business when he interviewed stars backstage. In 2014, Plummer bought IWC and marched it forward toward the widest distribution of the product in the company's history.

Justin and his wife, Jenny, known as one of the politest ladies of the Pittsburgh scene, became their own promotional tag team, as Justin juggles negotiations while Jenny tends to much of the administration side of the business. Just as the Plummer duo looked to continue to ramp up and enhance the presentation of the International Wrestling Cartel in 2020, the entire world was  halted in its tracks by the corona virus pandemic.

As health warnings and travel restrictions began to pop up just weeks before the spring, the reality of the COVID shutdown hit the wrestling world when Wrestlemania was moved from a stadium in Tampa to a closed set. If the czar of sports entertainment saw the corona virus shutter his annual spectacular, there was a level of seriousness that had a ripple effect all across the pro wrestling world. The stories of the impact on every level are numerous, but for IWC, it took a particularly tough toll on their plans for the year.

"Overall, it has been extremely difficult and scary, but we were able to thrive in this atmosphere because we adapted so quickly and thought outside of the box. We never let the depression of the lockdown slow us down. We had to completely adapt and evolve on the fly to find a way to still run a profitable business while still keeping everyone safe and delivering a product worthy of fans' hard earned money. To recover from months of shut down and having to recover sunk operating costs at the school, we reached out to other promotions in the area who also were struggling with the pandemic and created win-win deals to work together under one roof for training," Justin explained.

The harsh reality is, despite IWC's status as the largest promotion of the Pittsburgh area, often bringing in top independent talent to the steel city, it's still classified as a small business, especially compared to the titans of the industry. While USA and Fox TV deals make a broadcast alone a lucrative portion of the global publicly-traded company, independent groups operate on a much more grass roots level. When a well-known independent performer is booked for Court Time, costs like transportation, booking fee, and possible hotel accommodations are a part of the process that gets them in front of an IWC crowd. As much as Plummer might moonsault with joy if IWC landed a corporate sponsorship to cover extra costs, Cola Cola or Skittles aren't going to pick up the tab. How to sort out the logistics to make all of that happen comes down to Justin and his select group of office staff. If a late-night call needs to be taken, it's Justin answering the phone in his slippers. With restrictions on large gatherings, Court Time closed its doors to any activity, and the previously mentioned training school was paused for a brief time. Still, Justin believed professional wrestling events with some limited seating could still be done early on during the pandemic and attempted to organize cards, but ran into hurdles of health restrictions.

"Organizing events has been heartbreaking, but awarding. I had to work closely with the state athletic commission to help get specific safety guidelines in place and approved by the state health department. Even when things looked good, the goal posts would often move and guidance would change. That's when we decided to go outdoors," said Plummer.

Absolutely convinced that his product was critical to his fans, Plummer was determined to find a way to present live wrestling, even if it meant just a piece of normal life during such unprecedented times. In one of the more unique and entertaining set ups, an old school drive-in hosted an IWC card with audio piped through the speakers as fans watched the matches from the safety of their cars. Wanting to expand upon the outdoor concept, IWC was taken to The Washington Wild Things Stadium, a minor league baseball park. The company's premiere event, Super Indy was held until the stars, as the talented prospect, Brian Pillman Jr. won the tournament to claim the Super Indy championship.

"The Washington Wild Things events came about from a previous relationship that I had with the team President. We discussed working together a year or two ago so when I decided to move IWC outdoors, I immediately contacted him to work something out that could help both of us keep our businesses going through these tough times. Once again, the event went so well that we continued to go back for more," Plummer commented.

This Saturday IWC returns to its own base, Court Time Sports Center for an event that has its fans buzzing. Despite the increase in COVID cases across the country, Plummer worked with local health officials to plan a way to run a safe event with several precautions in place for those in attendance. The live event will be kept to only 20% capacity, the entire complex will be open for seating to allow for social distancing, masks are required, hand sanitizer will be located throughout the building, and the venue will be sanitized. For those that can't get tickets to the live presentation, the IWC Network will stream the event live on its website.

"Limited capacity is tough, so unfortunately we had to raise our ticket prices from $20 to $25 to help offset the loss of spectators. We have also found ways to significantly reduce our expenses without hurting the quality of the event. We have been fortunate to make things work really well so far under these conditions. We also have the streaming option for fans that would rather watch from home. The IWC Network has quickly become a vital part of our company's success, but ticket sales will always be the name of the game. Since we are limited in sales due to safety guidelines, the streaming option has definitely gotten a boost and helps us a lot. Between the pandemic, politics, and the woes of every day life, people can expect to be able to take a three hour break from it all on Saturday night. It will be an emotional night to return to our home at Court Time, and it will be much needed distraction for everyone," Plummer said.