Bray Wyatt released

 The WWE ruined Bray Wyatt's career.

I was surprised when I saw the news that Bray Wyatt, a second generation star, was released from the WWE, but I can't say that I was shocked. The WWE system, a machine that churns out countless hours of content in a philosophy that seems to favor quantity over quality because the hefty TV contracts make that the priority, often gets criticized for it's inability to maximize the potential of specific stars. There might not be a better example of management missing the boat on a talent in the modern era than Bray Wyatt.

After he was quite literally kicked off of television as Husky Harris, Bray Wyatt emerged onto the newly-created NXT brand in 2012 with a Jim Jones type persona that picked up a buzz among fans that followed the early NXT shows. Under the guidance of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, the Wyatt character had some glimmers of Kevin Sullivan, a grappler that used a Charles Manson persona in the sunshine state during a lengthy feud with "The American Dream" a few decades earlier.

When Bray Wyatt debuted on WWE television the following year, he had the late Luke Harper and Erik Rowan by his side to form the Wyatt family, and the trio was a successful formula. The stable further emphasized the cult leader gimmick and really was a perfect fit for Harper and Rowan. In my opinion, that trio should've remained a package for the duration of their entire WWE tenure, that's how well it worked. They had the chemistry of The New Day, but obviously, with a more sinister persona. Considering the time invested into the development of the gimmick, Wyatt's early run was successful because he was presented as a threat and made to look strong on television. However, the aspect that really made it work was that even in an era when the audience knows that the shows are scripted, Bray was able to portray a persona that seemed legitimately unbalanced. That believability is rare and ultimately one of the aspects that draws money. Somehow, the WWE fumbled that commodity on several occasions throughout Bray's career and it speaks volumes to the flaws within the WWE structure.

Unfortunately, to find the mistakes management made with the character Bray Wyatt, you will have to have a pen and paper because there's a list of wrong decisions that did nothing, but hinder his progress. As far as a few of the broad strokes, and one of the key fumbles early on was the Wrestlemania match against John Cena in 2014. Cena was the top star and nothing was going to diminishing his status as a draw. He reached such a level that he could lose every match for the rest of his career and he would've remained one of the most popular stars in the history of the company. Cena is a true work horse and deserves a lot of credit for everything that he accomplished. There are very few stars that can reach the level where their status is that solidified, but Cena made it there. The bigger point is that Bray Wyatt did the job on the biggest stage and thus didn't get a push to the next level. The win did nothing for Cena because as mentioned, he didn't need another victory to maintain his spot. The year afterwards, when baby face Roman Reigns was struggling to get over and eventually flopped until the more recent heel turn, the entire Roman-Wyatt feud was designed to attempt to get Reigns over as a baby face. The priority was for Bray to make Reigns look like a star and he was clearly scripted as just a secondary performer. In 2017, he won the WWE championship, but was booked as a transitional champion, dropping the title a month later at Wrestlemania during an infamous match with Randy Orton where there were projections on the canvas. Again, on the biggest stage, Wyatt was booked to lose the match.

The problem was that because Bray had such strong promo skills and could make his opponents look good, that combination actually hindered his progress because he was beaten into powder with the thought that he could just get his heat back with promos on television. Somehow, he was able to do that and keep himself afloat, but you can only book someone to lost continuously before they run out of stream as a competitor. Wyatt was booked as secondary for such an extended period of time that management actually had to repackage him, something that shouldn't have been necessary since he already had the tool to be a main event talent. Look at just the few names mentioned, the feud with Cena, Orton, and Reigns are proof of how Wyatt was presented on television. Against the biggest stars in the company, Bray almost always did the job. Wyatt was booked to lose so often that he almost became a glorified enhancement talent, despite his tremendous ability in the ring and stellar promos.

In 2019, the Firefly Fun House segments aired on television, and Wyatt again gained some momentum with the audience. The segments had an intrigue to them and the promos became an anticipated part of the broadcast. When "The Fiend" showed up as the alter-ego of Bray, the mask might've seemed a little goofy, but the production was top-notch and again, Wyatt made it work. This will sound repetitive because it is, management completely fumbled the second chance they had to draw money with Wyatt. The infamous HIAC match with Seth Rollins where The Fiend sold nothing, used a ridiculous looking mallet, and then the match ended in a DQ completely jumped the shark. It was too ridiculous and this type of nonsense ruined any chance that the audience would consider The Fiend a legitimate threat as a competitor. The takeaway became how goofy the Fiend as a character was booked instead of the skills of Wyatt. The Fiend didn't sell anything, but when he was booked against Goldberg in early 2020, the 53-year-old former WCW champion was able to beat him for the Universal title, which gave him another short stint as a transitional champion. Even when Wyatt was the champion on two occasions, he was used to push someone else in the process instead of getting an actual run as champion.

If you've read any of the articles I've written on cineamatic wrestling then you know that I'm not a fan of then and don't consider those matches actual wrestling. It's too lame and too phony. I'm not going to repeat everything here, but the "swamp fight" between Wyatt and Strowman was so ridiculous that it was the type of programming that will make wrestling fans embarrassed to be wrestling fans. When the audience shakes their head at a gimmick match, who gets over? Speaking of times when the audience will shake their head, the fact that The Fiend was "burned" on live television completely jumped the shark and when he returned as a burnt marshmallow, it completely ruined his career. Again, I don't want to repeat everything I've said previously, but keep in mind, sports entertainment is based in reality so Rey Mysterio doesn't bring a ray gun to the ring to try to defeat Roman Reigns for the championship. Theoretically, the audience literally saw Bray Wyatt set on fire and melt on television. How is any of this even remotely believeable? Stone Cold Steve Austin is the biggest star in the history of the business and his character was based in reality. Even The Undertaker, a character that stretched the limits of logic, was kept where some of the sci-fi aspects were implied, but nothing blatantly phony.

When a character is literally melted on television, there's no way you can script a return that isn't going to seem ridiculous. The fact that The Fiend went from a burnt marshmallow to his original costume with no explanation at Wrestlemania 37 appears to be an indication that there wasn't much planning for what he would do next after he was set on fire a few months earlier. Of course, The Fiend lost the match at Wrestlemania, another example of him doing the job to a major star on the biggest event of the year.

Bray Wyatt hasn't appeared on television since Wrestlemania, and truthfully, how could he be booked for anything at this point? He was beaten into powder, repackaged, booked for nonsense again, melted on pay-per-view, and then he lost at the biggest event of the year. The bottom line is, Bray Wyatt deserved better and he had all the tools to be a major star. The fact that he didn't reach that potential is based on the WWE's inability to script a star properly and it seems volumes about the flaws with the WWE structure. Granted, I know it's trendy to take a jab at WWE, but I'm not trying to score social media points here, the reason that Bray Wyatt wasn't a biggest star was because he didn't get the chance based on ineffective scripts from WWE management. It goes without saying that All Elite Wrestling would be a good option for him because another performers that didn't get an opportunity in WWE have done well there and it would certainly be nice if he debuted with The Dark Order as a tribute to Brodie Lee for the company.

Jericho vs. Gage

When Nick Gage was announced for a match against Chris Jericho last week, it prompted much speculation about what exactly would happen when the former deathmatch tournament winner squared off with the first undisputed champion. As I wrote in an article earlier this week, some would immediately write Gage off because of his history, he spent several years in prison when his drug addiction lead him to rob a bank. At the same time, as unconventional as he is, the fact that Nick Gage didn't become another statistic is a form of a comeback story. Gage cleaned this life up through professional wrestling and that in itself is a form of redemption. Furthermore, as I explained previously, there's a level of authenticity to Gage that is rare in the modern era. There's a believability to him that few can achieve. Plus, as was detailed in the Dark Side of The Ring episode, sadly, members of his family passed away so professional wrestling is all that he has in his life. Gage's style isn't for everyone and has its rightful critics, but the effort is always there when he performs for an audience.

Speaking of Gage's style, since that was part of the intrigue of the match-up, many wondered how far AEW would go with it and the answer might be right or wrong, depending on the aftermath of the violence spectacle of the main event.

I have to be honest, I wasn't quite as shocked at the actual gore as some because I'm already familiar with death match wrestling, even if I'm not a fan of some aspects of it. On one end of the spectrum, there are legendary death match grapplers like Onita, Mr. Pogo, Hayabusa, and others that created a legacy through epic battles that emphasized the spectacle of the violence. On the other hand, there will always be some "wrestlers" that have absolutely zero skill on any level and choose to compete in death match because cutting their fore head is their only accomplishment.

That said, I was very surprised at the fact there were light tubes and glass used on cable television.

This is where the situation gets murky because the bout will undoubtedly garner attention for its shock value, but how TNT and the viewing audience react to it might be the determining factor about if it was a wise decision to present such a match. Granted, diehard fans, especially those that are already aware of who Gage is, can appreciate it from a different perspective because Jericho, at 50, didn't have to do a death match. As I've written several times in the past, Chris Jericho has put himself in a league of his own in many ways based on not only how he reinvented himself at various points, but also the fresh chapter in more recent years with his stint in New Japan and the tenure in AEW. What else could Jericho possibly do in his career? Well, working a death match with light tubes can be crossed off the list, even if nobody thought it would be on THE LIST ( get it?) anyway. While those familiar would be surprised by Jericho's involvement, but not the gimmicks used in the match, it's important to note that it might sour some casual fans on the show if the blood was too over-the-top for them.

According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, Tony Khan informed TNT executives of what was planned for the bout, and hopefully, the glass or pizza cutter didn't sour the network either. Make no mistake about it, without the support of TNT, All Elite Wrestling doesn't get off the ground. The struggles of TNA in the latter stages of the Dixie era or as quickly as Global Force fizzled out prove how difficult it is to land the support of a cable network. A channel hasn't been behind pro wrestling to this level since WCW was on TNT, which is because the company was under the Turner umbrella already, and depending on what podcast you listen to, there was still some hostile from certain Turner suits about the WCW product. Often, networks and corporate sponsors view pro wrestling as low brow entertainment, and that's why Vince McMahon markets his brand as sports entertainment.

The sponsors are another aspect to the situation. It might've been a comical coincidence or planned irony, but as Gage sliced Jericho with his trade mark pizza cutter, the picture-in-picture commercial was for Dominos. A fluff piece surfaced online about concern from the pizza executives, but it was more conjecture than anything else. It wouldn't be the first time a hit piece was published online to attempt to push a narrative for political points. Still, you have to wonder if there will be any reaction from the sponsors of the show? Keep in mind, ad revenue and sponsorships are key factors for TV contracts, which are the primary revenue source in the modern era. The TV contracts are ultimately why WWE is a billion dollar company, and why AEW is a profitable business venture.

It goes without saying that the ad revenue and sponsorships are more valuable than the shock value of a match with glass. The glass itself is another subject, and when there was a replay of the hurricanrana through the panel of glass, it looked as there some pieces might went into the front row. If that is what happened then the potential lawsuit and negative press from a fan injury definitely isn't worth booking the match. As shady as it is, fans know that Tony Khan is a billionaire and would use any chance they could to score a quick payoff. This isn't some indy show where a fan will take an IWA Mid-South t-shirt to make up for glass going into the crowd.

Considering the attention the match received, you could make the argument that there's more business to be done with Nick Gage, specifically for a match with Moxley, a bout that I discussed in an article earlier this week. The downside is that AEW has already reached the point where the company will have diminishing returns on these types of matches. A week after the wild Jon Moxley/Lance Archer match, there was another main event with weapons.

All things considered, outside of a way to introduce Gage if this is more than a one-off appearance, this type of match probably wasn't worth putting on national television because of the potential negative press. The match itself was entertaining and it was another unique accomplishment for Jericho, but there's a reason that death match wrestling has a niche audience in the industry.

Kross debuts on Raw

When Karrion Kross debuted on Raw last week, his appearance made headlines for all the wrong reasons, as he was defeated by Jeff Hardy is less than two minutes, drawing the ire of many fans because the current NXT champion was given a Brooklyn Brawler debut on the main roster. Depending on how much stock you want to put into the Kross push, that reaction might be justified, but it speaks to a much bigger problem within the WWE structure, the total and complete disconnect between NXT and the rest of the company.

When NXT was launched as a WWE Network exclusive brand, it gave the show the flexibility to be something different under the WWE banner. The weekly broadcast didn't have the strict format of a specific amount of commercials or specific segments each week that goes along with traditional television. Granted, the ad revenue and sponsorships are some of the reasons the Raw and Smackdown brands have as much value as they have for the current TV deals, but the point is, at least initially, NXT was more of a selling point for Network subscriptions since it was the exclusive platform. Furthermore, it was much more of an actual developmental brand because if a prospective didn't make it to the main roster, it was less of an investment based on the niche audience. Basically, NXT shows were literally less valuable because main roster television exposure is where the major portion of WWE business is done. Don't get me wrong, that's not meant as a criticism of the original NXT, but rather to explain how the brand was meant as a developmental project.

In many respects, NXT was the "indy" version of a WWE brand, specifically because that style became a profitable part of the industry. Keep in mind, before the formation of All Elite Wrestling, Ring Of Honor was drawing sell out crowds in smaller venues with The Elite as featured performers. A brand tailored to that style not only allowed WWE to get a piece of the pie, but also sign athletes that made their name with that style. It boosted the amount of talent under contract and prehaps more importantly, it prevented them from signing elsewhere. For example, it's a safe bet that Adam Cole, who has all the talent to be a main event star, would be in a more prominent spot in AEW than he has on a third-tier brand in WWE.

Speaking of All Elite, it's ironic that one of the ways that its launch had an impact on the industry was that NXT was moved to Wednesdays, specifically to compete with Dynamite. Despite what Triple H said in recent media calls, the move was absolutely made to try to snuff out any momentum the upstart group would garner as a true alternative in the business. Thankfully, and even Triple H knows this, AEW won the Wednesday night "wars," in terms of its ability to maintain a core audience. While NXT's move to Tuesday was based on USA's acquisition of the rights for NHL games, the fact remains that the WWE brand rarely defeated the Khan project in the ratings and didn't hinder its ability to get off the ground. For the first time since the closure of WCW in 2001, a promotion outside of the McMahon empire is profitable on a national level in the United States.

Along with that, the "war" with AEW fundamentally changed the NXT brand and with its mission to derail All Elie as a flop, the brand itself seems to lack direction. Instead of being tailored to a niche demographic and programming that made it standout under the WWE umbrella, NXT became just another WWE television show and more often than not, it's presented as irreverent in the grand scheme of things. Adam Cole is spending the prime years of his career on the least watched show on the WWE schedule when he could be much more valuable as a major star on Raw. Does anything that happens on NXT really have an impact on WWE as a whole?

The answer to that is usually no and proof of it is how the previously mentioned Karrion Kross is used for Raw. The former AAA and Impact star made his way to NXT with a decent amount of buzz, and even after an injury put him on the shelf, he returned to regain the momentum as NXT champion. Kross was presented as a dominate and dangerous athlete, steamrolling most opponents with decisive victories.

It was puzzling that he made his Raw debut as NXT champion because a competitor usually drops the title before they go to the main roster, especially since it's theoretically easier to book someone new on a show if they aren't going to be involved in other angles on a different show. As we saw, Jeff Hardy beat him in less than two minutes, and regardless of the fluke nature of the win, it still made not only Kross look weak, but emphasized how irrelevant NXT is in the big picture of WWE. Sure, a fluke win gives a cover, but not for the fashion that Kross was pushed prior to that. Is Hardy that much above everyone on the NXT roster that none of them could've landed the same fluke win against Kross before this? More importantly, with the way that Kross was presented as champion, it's illogical that he wouldn't dominate Hardy the same way he had most of the NXT roster. Granted, Jeff Hardy will be considered a legend when he retires, but it's not as though he's one of the main competitors used on Raw.

In my opinion, the only thing the NXT champion jobbing in less than two minutes accomplished was to tell the audience that the brand itself doesn't actually matter. It's almost silly to have to say this, but one of the most important rules in the history of the industry was to protect the champions and the prestige of the titles because if the championships aren't considered important, why should the fans want to pay to watch title matches at the major events? Sure, they put Kross over Keith Lee in a match this past week, but what did that accomplish? Lee hasn't been on television in six months and lost to Bobby Lashley last week and was defeated again this week. How does that tell the audience that Keith Lee is a star? An easy way to avoid both of those scenarios is book Lashley and Kross against anyone that chases around the 24/7 title on a weekly basis. As I wrote in an article last week, the WWE simply doesn't get Keith Lee and if he's going to make progress in his career then he will have to compete outside of WWE.

As far as Kross goes, I'm not sure of the purpose of him book on both Raw and NXT at the same time. Clearly, this isn't an attempt to elevate the NXT title or increase exposure to the brand or he wouldn't have jobbed to Hardy in two minutes. The first impression that main WWE audience had to Kross was a glorified enhancement match so it's going to be difficult to present him as a dominate champion in the next for months.

Gage debuts for AEW

In the article I penned about Bryan Danielson's rumored arrival to All Elite Wrestling, I mentioned that it's often said that professional wrestling is about the moments, something that I've discussed often in recent months about AEW. As their viewership steadily increases, which is way better than a big increase and than a decrease in numbers since moderate growth leads to a more solid core audience, AEW isn't perfect, but nobody should expect it to be. The Khan-owned organization has its critics and some of them have valid points about the upstart promotion, but at the same time, there's no doubt about spark the group provided for the industry.

Aside from the major investment the company made in its video game division, the actual wrestling side of All Elite is profitable based on the extension of the TV deal, including the addition of the Rampage show that will start next month on Fridays. The fact that a pro wrestling group found a way to be profitable outside of the WWE is already a measure of success, particularly because profitability is the only factor that counts from a business perspective.

The main reason that AEW has garnered itself a portion of the market is that it provides a true alternative to WWE. Quite simply, All Elite is willing to do things that you just aren't going to see on WWE television. That's not to say that Khan's decisions are always right or that the AEW philosophy will continue to trend in the right direction, but rather to point out that viewers won't get WWE light from Dynamite.

Last week, during the Shawn Spears/Chris Jericho segment, it was announced that Nick Gage, former death match champion, convicted bank robber, and the subject of an episode of Dark Side of The Ring, will compete against Jericho in a match to further the storyline with MJF, leading to their eventual pay-per-view match. Obviously, there's a certain level of a shock value, considering that there's not really any portion of Gage's career that is suitable for television, but that's also the intrigue of the scenario. Most of the time, the McMahon product takes the paint-by-numbers approach and it leads to an often repetitive product. That being said, the company is will generate record-setting profits for the next few years so again from a business perspective, any criticism of the WWE brand is moot. On the flip side, if you want people to tune in on a weekly basis, a program has to give them a reason to watch to build an audience. Granted, there are some rightful critics to the Gage appearance, but at the very least, you have to wonder, "WHAT IN THE WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN NICK GAGE HAS A MATCH AGAINST JERICHO?!"

Gage, who spent several years in prison for the prior bank robbery, legitimately almost died during a death match tournament about a decade ago. A death match wrestler that has a reputation as a wild performer in a match against the biggest main stream star in the company is "must watch" TV because it's such a styles clash that fans want to see what happens in the match. Is Jericho going to get sliced with a pizza cutter? Are things going to go off the rails on live television?

Those that claim that Gage isn't well-known enough to be used on national TV are probably misguided based on his style. The episode of Dark Side of The Ring gave him more exposure, the mishap during the David Arquette match was discussed on the Joe Rogan podcast, and his run in Game Changer Wrestling, a very popular group among independent wrestling fans, made him a guest on a myriad of podcasts. Plus, he had a match last weekend against Matt Cordona, where the former Zack Ryder shocked the wrestling world when he won the GCW title. I'm assuming Cordona's title win was to allow Jericho to get the victory on tomorrow's edition of Dynamite to progress the angle to MJF's next challenger. This way Gage can lose a match without doing the job as the GCW champion, but more importantly, it was also major exposure for both GCW and Gage. The former Zack Ryder, despite being misused for the vast majority of his WWE tenure, remains very popular on social media and has over two million Twitter followers.

As far as why Nick Gage has such a diehard following, albeit to a niche audience, is ironically the same reason other performers have a dedicated fan base. There's a level of authenticity to Gage that can't be manufactured of scripted. Gage often said in promos that professional wrestling and performing in front of the fans are all that he has, and sadly, the Dark Side of The Ring episode explored the details of his family members that passed away. Gage has a believability, both for his in-ring persona and when he says that he will give it 100% when he performs for an audience.

Some will write Nick Gage off as an addict and a felon. The other side of the coin is as unconventional as he is as a professional wrestler, the tale of Gage is actually a redemption story. Gage could've died from addiction and became another statistic, but instead he cleaned his life up. He went from being a convicted bank robber and turned his life around to make his debut on national television. That is quite a comeback story, even if Nick Gage isn't marketable to the causal WWE fans. Vice TV explained it in the documentary series, professional wrestling is all that Gage has, and he's using it as something positive so he should get credit for the progress he made his life. Besides the Jericho bout, I'm not sure what else Gage could do in AEW, partially because of his style, but also that there are too many wrestlers already on the roster. That said, it would make sense if AEW booked a Moxley-Gage match, but it will probably still be a one-off appearance for the company.

The career Jamie Senegal

The legacy of the National Wrestling Alliance famously goes back 1948, a time when a group of promoters formed the most powerful organization within the genre of sports entertainment for the next few decades. As we know, the names of Thez, Gotch, Funk, Race, Flair, Steamboat, and Aldis decorate its storied history. With 73 years behind it and one of the oldest professional wrestling groups in existence, nearly everything has been accomplished in some form or fashion under the NWA banner.

After Smashing Pumpkins front man, Billy Corgan, someone that has as much passion for sports entertainment as he has talent on the guitar, rescued the initials in 2017 with a purchase of the promotion, the NWA had a true resurgence, and since that time has not only restored the prestige of the letters, but also provided a platform for numerous talented individuals to make a name for themselves.

One of the avenues to a bigger stage for deserving talent is next month's NWA Empower, an all-women pay-per-view that will be held August 28 the day before the organization's 73rd anniversary event in St. Louis, a territory with its own lengthy NWA history under the direction of legendary promoter, Sam Muchnick. The same city hosted the famous Bruiser Brody vs. Ric Flair bout that is still a topic of conversation nearly 40 years later. Tag team action thrilled fans of the Jim Crockett Promotions territory in North Carolina when the Rock N' Roll Express battled The Midnight Express. In Mid-Atlantic, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes talked about "hard times" and inspired a generation.

Without a doubt, so much has been accomplished under the NWA umbrella that it's very, very rare that there's an opportunity to witness a first-ever happening within the National Wrestling Alliance. However, on that August night in St. Louis, history will be made when Jamie Senegal, an independent wrestling standout for a little over six years, will make her debut for the promotion on the Empower pay-per-view as the first transgender athlete in the extensive history of the National Wrestling Alliance.

Breaking into the sports entertainment world in 2015, Jamie began her journey toward the squared circle when she started learning at the Atomic Championship Wrestling training center, a group that was originally established in 2000 and also promotes Rogue Women Warriors cards in eastern Pennsylvania. Senegal knew that knowledge was power and wanted to make the most of the chance to learn the ring ropes so she studied different styles at the Combat Zone Wrestling academy as well.

Describing wrestling as "an unsolvable rubix cube," Jamie explained the training process saying, "Training was fun, but super hard. I loved learning and still do."

 In June 2015, Jamie nervously laced up her boots and secured her kick pads just moments before her first pro match, something she dreamed about for more than a decade when she first saw the sport beamed through her television screen. Jamie recalls that a noticeable amount of skin was chopped off of her chest before the final bell in the bout against her original trainer, Tate Hammer, but her sister and late cousin, Jared were in the audience to voice their support.

Aside from welts that looked reddish and a few shades of purple of her chest, it was also very noticeable that Jamie had a natural athleticism and poise inside the ring ropes. Her skills on the canvas in her formative years of competing were well beyond her experience level. But, it should've been no surprise, though as she was a three-sport athlete in high school, competing as a cheerleader, gymnast, and diver. An acrobatic and fast-paced style that blended elements of her previous sports background into the grappling arts made for an innovative presentation that made Senegal stand out.

As we know, the over-the-top world of professional wrestling meshes the athleticism with the spectacle of drama, something that Senegal embraced with a style all her own. Inspired by performers like Mickie James, Ashley Massaro, Daffney, and Shelly Martínez just to name a few, Jamie took part punk rock and mixed it with some classic glitz and glamour to produce an in-ring persona that was uniquely her. 

"They were major influences in my life," she said enthusiastically.

In an industry built on show business, the ability to be an original is often cited as a major factor for success, and from as early as her rookie year, Senegal found a way to be an original. While getting her start near her home turf outside of Philadelphia, Jamie knew the way to truly make a name for herself was to expand her territory, and her skills in the ring garnered her the chance to zigzag across different states for a variety of promotions. Industry pundits know the valuable experience gained through traveling as a wrestler, and it was a challenge that Senegal was more than willing to accept, but it was also a sign of the next stage of her career as it was another aspect of the profession to prepare for with each match.

"Traveling has taught me how to work in front of different crowds. No two crowds are the same and different places have people who aren’t used to the same stuff. The toughest part was the initial shock of the hard working days, long travel, and lack of sleep," Jamie explained.

As she became more comfortable in the ring, Jamie became more comfortable in her own skin and began the transition as a transgender female, a process that she continues today until medical supervision. The professional wrestling community, comprised of flamboyant, hardcore, brawlers, berserks, grapplers, and the myriad of personas in the sport, embraced Jamie's decision with their support. But, Senegal sees her role as a transgender wrestler as something more than just a personal achievement, and understand the opportunity to inspire others. She exclaimed, "to spread representation" when asked about being known as the NWA's first transgender athlete.

The late-night car trips, gas station food, and gathering just enough energy to make it home before she fell a sleep paid off on a number of levels. Through her efforts in the squared circle, Jamie not only had the chance to get to know one of the performers that inspired her to pursue the sport, but also gained a mentor from it. Dubbed "The Scream Queen" for her days in both WCW and TNA, the eccentric lady known as Daffney audibly etched her name in the pages of wrestling history with her own unique career. Jamie affectionately calls the former WCW Cruiser weight champion  her "wrestling mom" and it was a photo of the two of them that caught the attention of the legendary Mickie James, an executive producer for the Empower event that has legitimately recruited talent based on her recommendation. It's quite ironic that another of the female athletes that Jamie idolized as a youth would be the one to extend the biggest opportunity of her career, an invitation to compete on the historic pay-per-view card.

"This is the most amazing blessing that has came upon my life. The last couple months have been very hard, especially with COVID-19 effecting the world the way it has. I am so grateful for Mickie and NWA for pulling the trigger on such a historic event," Jamie remarked.

The 23-year-old athlete knows the Empower pay-per-view next month is a major stage, but looks to use this opportunity to continue to pursue even more goals in the sport and to inspire others.

"The most rewarding is getting to have the most intense high you’ll ever have, being in that ring, in front of a super hot crowd. I want to wrestle everywhere. I want to wrestle everyone. I want to make a difference for queer wrestlers and help everyone make their dreams come true," she said.

Professional wrestling is such a unique genre. It's sport, theater, and drama. Athletes from every part of society can excel if they have the talent, and thus fans from every aspect of society can find performers that they can identify with and cheer to victory. For Jamie Senegal, pro wrestling was a part of her path to discovering who she was and gave her the chance to represent others. She will make history next month on pay-per-view as the NWA's first transgender athlete, not only because of her transition, but the talent she brings to the table. That talent will give her the opportunity to make history on pay-per-view next month. Most importantly, that NWA stage will make Jamie Senegal truly empowered.

Bryan Danielson signed for AEW

The rumor mill was swirling yesterday regarding the status of Bryan Danielson, the grappler known as Daniel Bryan that exited the WWE after a career vs. title match on Smackdown in April. The former World Heavyweight champion spent three years on the sidelines based on the WWE doctors recommendation before he made a comeback, still as one of the most popular competitions on the roster.

However, after those three years of the prime of his career outside of the ring, it seems like the former Ring Of Honor champion might shift the latter stages of his career to a purist perspective and accomplish some of his remaining career goals before he finally hangs up the boots entirely. Obviously, this is much easier to do at this point in his career because his WWE tenure granted him financial stability, and the exposure itself made him a big enough star that he will make top money outside of the WWE bubble as well.

Ironically, the former ROH star was trending on Twitter at the same time as another ROH alumni, CM Punk, but as is the case with his career as a whole, CM Punk is a much more complicated issue for a return to the ring than Bryan Danielson.

Of course with "The American Dragon" as a free agent, the speculation started almost immediately after his WWE exit that he might eventually ink a deal with All Elite Wrestling, which seems even more reasonable now because of the company's working agreement with New Japan Pro Wrestling, an organization that Bryan had said he wanted to compete for in the past. Granted, American Dragon doesn't need the AEW bridge, but it certainly makes things easier if one of two of the opponents he would like to work with are brought into All Elite for the matches because it could be one less trip to Japan, which might be an important factor because of his family.

As mentioned, Daniel Bryan is at a point where he can do specifically what he wants to do in his career, an aspect that we saw from Rey Mysterio several years ago when he opted to decline a WWE offer to get to work in Mexico again before he concludes his time as a full-time wrestler. Quite simply, WWE doesn't offer that flexibility or freedom for performers that take more of an artist approach to the sport. That's not to say that there's anything necessarily wrong with WWE's view point because that strict ideology of WWE as the top priority is one of the many reasons it's a billion dollar company today.

That said, the overall landscape of the pro wrestling industry is at an unprecedented status in some ways because there are continuous global working agreements among major promotions that are beneficial to everyone involved. Jay White made a surprise appearance at the conclusion of the recent Impact pay-per-view, the New Japan IWGP US belt changed hands on an episode of Dynamite, and Nick Gage, an unsigned wrestler, is scheduled for a match against Chris Jericho, one of the biggest stars in All Elite Wrestling. Considering the current climate and the dynamics of the industry, there are definitely opportunities for Bryan Danielson to compete against virtually anyone he wants to in any major promotion, assuming they can meet his price.

As much as his early career helped put Ring Of Honor on the map, I really don't see any productive opportunities there for him, particularly because of the status of the organization. Keep in mind, ROH is still used as relatively cheap original programming for Sinclair Broadcasting more than a major player in the sports entertainment industry. Basically, Sinclair is in the television business, not the pro wrestling business. It goes without saying that New Japan has several potential dream matches on the table for Danielson and it's a win-win for the promotion as well as the fans. Danielson vs. Tanahashi, Okada, and Suzuki are just a few of the bouts that would generate a major buzz for the company. That would be extremely helpful for the Japanese group because their revenue and tour schedule were affected during the pandemic. The American Dragon actually worked for NJPW relatively early in his career, but he's a completely different performer now and the company is on a different level as well so there's major money for everyone involved if he inks a Japanese deal. Danielson talked about potentially working some matches in Mexico, but the economics of the two major promotions, AAA and CMLL, probably make it an unrealistic option. 

Obviously, All Elite Wrestling will be on the table and there are already some reports that Danielson signed a contract. I don't necessarily have any reason to doubt it, but until there's an official announcement or he shows up in AEW, I will consider it just a rumor. That said, it would be a major acquisition for All Elite on a number of levels. Danielson is one of the best in-ring performers of his generation and there's an argument that he could be considered one of the all-time greats of any era. Furthermore, he's one of the most popular stars of his generation so he would undoubtedly bring more exposure to AEW.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from all of this, particularly because of the rumors of CM Punk potentially signing with AEW as well, two stellar talents that WWE management never fully utilized could bring main stream exposure to an alternative option for fans. The WWE never fully got behind Punk and only did so after his status as a potential pop culture figure was hinder in the few months following the pipe bomb promo. Remember when Punk dropped the title the month after he beat John Cena at the legendary MITB PPV in Chicago and then a month after that Triple H pinned him? Despite the narrative that WWE tries to spin now, there were originally no plans for Daniel Bryan in the main event of Wrestlemania in 2014. It was initially supposed to be Randy Orton vs. Batista based on the publicity of Batista's movie role. The office didn't want Daniel Bryan as a top star, and it took the fans chanting his name throughout the entire show for management to get the point. Even after the main event run, Bryan probably wasn't utilized to his fullest potential because the following year, Roman Reigns became the top priority for a baby face push that flopped for several years. The rumors suggest that if Bryan Danielson is signed that his debut would be at the stadium show in September, which makes sense because it's a major stage. Considering that Tony Khan is willing to pay for music rights, it would be quite a spectacle if "Final Countdown," Danielson's signature ROH theme song, played throughout the building when he made his debut for the company.

MITB review

The Money in The Bank pay-per-view was the return to a regular touring schedule for WWE, as Smackdown had its live audience last week and Raw hosted a full house as well. While the fans in the building will provide a much needed jolt of energy to the product in the short term, the novelty of being back in the building will decrease within a few weeks, which will put the quality of the show to the test without the safety net of a producer pushing buttons for a recorded reaction in the thunder dome. That being said, in many ways, the hiatus of the live audience gives management a chance to get a fresh start for the entire organization, but if they alter their usual playbook is a completely different matter.

The show started with the Women's Money in the Bank match, and while it had its moments, the bout seemed more like a traffic jam at various points. If I had to guess, I'd say the major flaw with this contest was that it looked way too choreographed and there were times when it was obvious that a competitor was just waiting around the ring for their next spot instead of actually trying to win the match. Don't get me wrong, the women's division has the talent, but with eight athletes involved in the match, it's a tough scenario, especially because of the risks using ladders. A few side notes, Alexa Bliss is a very good performer and she's done the best that anyone is probably going to do with such a goofy gimmick, but the scripting of her character is just awful. If the writing team wants to portray her as a more dangerous character then script that direction and let her performance get the point across to the audience. The hypnosis spot in the ladder match and all the other sci-fi stuff are just lame scripting that hinders her progress for the character on television. Nikki won the briefcase and as we saw, she cashed in on Raw to win the championship. To be honest, I'm not sure if the ASH, reportedly a change because of Karrion Kross's arrival on Raw, gimmick is something that will have any longevity and could lead to her getting lost in the shuffle. In many ways, it's a comedy gimmick, which is something that the MITB stipulation isn't usually used for, especially after the Otis debacle last year. Nothing against Nikki, but with the way the number of championships Charlotte won was mentioned, the fluke cash-in is probably just a way to add another reign to her resume in a relatively short time frame when she wins the title again. I don't know where this puts Rhea Ripely because I think she should've held the title longer than just a few months. I get that management wants Charlotte to surpass her dad's record, and I'm sure Ric wants her to win 17 championships as well, but Ripely must get a meaningful storyline after dropping the belt or she will get lost in the shuffle on the brand.

AJ Styles and Omos beat The Viking Raiders to retain the Raw tag titles. The contest was fine, nothing epic, but nothing terrible either. More than anything, this was a bout designed to showcase Omos, which makes sense if management wants to make him a more featured wrestler on television instead of just Styles' body guard. In truth, Omos has an entertaining persona and the look of a monster, but this could be a situation where his height might actually hinder his mobility in the ring, similar to Khali. I understand why they paired him with AJ because Styles is such a polished pro and a tag run gives him something new to do on the show, but I just don't think that even with experience that Omos will be effective outside of the limited role of the tag team. Again, it's not meant as a jab against him, but his height at legitimately over seven feet tall could limit what he can do in the ring. It's more a matter of physics than in-ring experience. Is Omos really going to be able to work 15 minute matches outside of a tag team? For now, the AJ and Omos pairing works well so at least it provides some entertaining TV for he tag division.

Bobby Lashley beat Kofi Kingston in what amounted to a six-minute squash match. I understand they wanted to present Lashley as completely dominate ahead of the Goldberg match that was set up for Summer Slam, but I still don't think that Kofi was the wrestler that should've been used for this. Kofi's promos the past few weeks on Raw show why he's still money and he could still be a main event contender. It's very disappointing that Kofi's run with the title will be remembered for being defeated in mere seconds by Brock Lesnar on the Fox debut, and even at this point, he was used as a secondary wrestler to build to a match with Lashley and a part-timer. Quite simply, Kofi deserves better and he's been underutilized in the past several years. As I said in the article I wrote when the news hit social media that Goldberg was announced for a return to Raw, the fact that a 54-year-old Goldberg is being shoehorned into a title match on a major pay-per-view is just an example of lazy booking. Furthermore, with the John Cena/Roman Reigns match being set up for Summer Slam, the Lashley/Goldberg match will clearly be the "B-side" of the main event so was it really worth sacrificing Kofi Kingston's momentum on television?

Speaking of sacrificing, Keith Lee made a surprise return to the WWE after a six-month hiatus for undisclosed reasons. Lee was defeated by Bobby to add more fuel to the champion before he was confronted by Goldberg. In theory, I get why you want to make the champion look strong before the challenge of a Hall of Famer, but similar to the use of Kofi, what exactly was the logic here to book Keith Lee for this spot? First of all, he returns to the brand and loses the match so there's not much optimism about his status on the show. Also, the fact he returned was completely swept under the rug and will be overlooked because a title match for a pay-per-view in a stadium was set up in the same segment. I hate to say it because Keith Lee is a unique athlete that has a lot of talent, but management just doesn't get him and I really doubt that he will get a chance to realize his potential under the WWE umbrella. Again, I usually wouldn't say this because the entire point of the wrestling business is to make as much money as possible, but if Keith Lee wants a chance to accomplish the most he can in his career than he should look for a spot outside of the WWE.

We've already discussed that Nikki cashed in to win the belt, but it should be mentioned that the women's title match at MITB was a really solid match. Charlotte has really polished her skill set the past few years and she's probably in her prime as an athlete. Rhea Ripley can go bell-to-bell and assuming the office doesn't botch the way she's presented on television, she could be a major star for the promotion.

The men's MITB match was an entertaining spot fest, and it highlights how much pure talent is one the roster when it's not diluted with terrible scripts. Big E won and it was the right call because he's one of the best performers in the company. That said, I'm skeptical that management will truly give him a chance to be the top guy. They had the perfect opportunity with Kofi and his push was derailed in 15 seconds by Brock Lesnar on Smackdown so I don't think there's any guarantee that the MITB bank will translate to success for Big E as champion.

The main event was a quality bout, even though it could've been about five minutes shorter and still accomplished the same goal. Edge can still go and assuming he can continue this level of a performance, he might have the best run of his career. However, more than anything, Roman Reigns has really developed his persona during the heel run and he's undoubtedly doing the best work of his career. When the office didn't try to make him a carbon copy of a John Cena baby face, it allowed him to evolve as a performer to find what works best for him. In my opinion, this heel run has given Reigns the chance to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together to become a more complete performer. Obviously, Reigns got the win, but the bigger story was that Cena returned at the conclusion of the show to set up a match for Summer Slam. At the very least WWE brass had a legitimate main event for the stadium show, and Cena is scheduled to work the live event tour ahead of the pay-per-view so that will sell tickets. On the flip side, another part-timer wrestler has to be used to boost a major event because of a lack of star power for the company.

Slammiversary review

Last night, Slammiversary, one of Impact Wrestling's signature events took place on pay-per-view, with the promotional push of surprises booked on the card, something that the organization delivered during the broadcast. At the same time, advertising surprises in advance somewhat defeats the purpose of an actually surprise, but company needs to get the wrestling public talking, and they certainly did at the conclusion of the event.

The Ultimate X match followed the usually formula of an X-Division opener and it's a pattern that works since it was yet another occasion that it got the show off to a good start. Sure, it was a stunt show, but it provided solid action and that was the point of the stipulation. It's not as though the Ultimate X was created to be based on traditional wrestling psychology so the spot fest designed for the match. Josh Alexander retained and for now, that's a wise decision since it puts a spotlight on him. However, as I've written before, I think Alexander has all the tools to be a main event level performer so hopefully when the title picture has a spot open, he can move up the card. Alexander has the skills, the intensity, and the believably to be a top guy for Impact.

Chelsea Green was the surprise tag partner for Matt Cardona for the match against Brian Myer sand Tenille Dashwood. Obviously, Chelsea paired with Cardona on-screen makes sense, and truth be told, since Chelsea had such a memorable run originally in Impact, it's probably the best place for her to continue her career. It's unfortunate that injuries prevented her from really getting a chance to establish herself in WWE, but this return to Impact provides a fresh start. As far as the match itself, it was basically just a TV match that happened to be on pay-per-view, but prehaps the bigger goal was to provide an platform for Green to return than match quality, which is fine. Cardona and Green got the victory, and it will be interesting to see if they remain a duo on-screen or if this was a one-off specifically for Green's return. That said, Cardona has the ability to be more of a prominent figure for Impact so hopefully, he's given a meaningful storyline in the next few months.

W. Morrissey beat Eddie Edwards in about ten minutes. This wasn't necessarily a squash match, but it was definitely designed to showcase the former Big Cass. Similar to Morrissey's debut with the organization, it's much easy to look good in the ring when a match is built to feature a performer's strengths so he has more to prove if he's going to be a major part of the company on a long term basis. Again, at this point, Morrissey's size is still the only major asset he brings to the table so he will have to continue to develop as a more complete performer if he's going to have longevity in the current wrestling landscape.

As entertaining and as solid in the ring as Finn Juice are as a team, their tag bout went less than two minutes and seemed completely pointless. Aside from giving them a place on the card, what did this really accomplish? Are Robinson and Finlay somehow more established with a few minutes of time on a pay-per-view? This was more or less a squash match, and there's really not a place for it on PPV. More importantly, they are such a talented team that there's definitely a more productive way to use them on the show.

Moose vs. Chris Sabin was a really good match, and as far as bell-to-bell action, it might've been the best bout on the pay-per-view. Sabin, despite being 39, can still go and remains an underrated athlete. Granted, considering the amount of injuries in prior years, Sabin is definitely toward the latter stages of his career, but he could be an asset for any organization. Along the same lines, Moose, who just re-signed with Impact recently, is an incredible athlete. He got a later start to pro wrestling than most because of his NFL career and his inexperience showed at times, but at 37, he might still be in the prime of his wrestling career. With the previously mentioned football background, many speculated that Moose had a lot of potential for the squared circle. I'm not sure if he's necessarily well-rounded enough to be a top guy for Impact, but if the office is going to give him a run at some point, it should probably be within the next few months. Although, Sabin got the win so prehaps management has different plans for the title scene.

The tag title match was fine, but nothing too epic. A four-way tag is difficult to book since there are so many wrestlers involved in the match that not everyone gets the chance to shine during the contest. No Way Jose made his Impact debut simply under the name "No Way," which isn't exactly the most marketable gimmick name in sports entertainment. I have to be honest, no disrespect to the real-life athlete that is just taking the opportunity given to try to continue a career in the profession, but is there really any reason the No Way Jose gimmick should be used outside of WWE? The character was presented on WWE television as a total jobber and outside of a few entrances on Raw, it was never over with the audience to any measurable way. If the real-life performer was repackaged then maybe there's a chance to reinvent himself under the Impact banner, but to bring back the No Way gimmick seems like a lame excuse to use the conga line. Rich Swann was involved in the match and considering his skills, he should probably be involved in something more important on the card than to get lost in the shuffle in a tag match. Violent By Design have been one of the highlights on Impact Wrestling and the booking of the stable used the competitors involved very well. I will still say that I think Joe Doering has the potential to be a main event talent, and hopefully dropping the tag belts will eventually allow him to move up the card.

It was great to see Thunder Rosa as a surprise opponent against Deonna Purrazzo and it will be interesting to see if she's a regular part of Impact programming, which is theoretically possible because of their taping schedule. This match was really solid and showed why Rosa is one of the best female athletes in wrestling today. Maybe it's by design to build anticipation for an eventual rematch, but for whatever reason, Rosa has been underutilized in some ways in AEW since the classic bout she had against Britt Baker a few months ago. While Rosa has competed regularly for the Youtube shows, she hasn't been featured on Dynamite on a regular basis. Again, if this is to eventually set up for the Baker rematch then it's fine, but at the same time, it makes sense to have her in a prominent spot on Impact until the match is booked to keep her in the conversation. Purrazzo, but this contest showed why Thunder Rosa has all the skills to be a major star.

The main event was a total brawl and not the typical Kenny Omega match. The bout was solid, but not necessarily anything epic either. At this point, it's a little concerning that Sami Callihan might be typecast as a hardcore wrestler, but he's much more than a one-dimensional performer. Omega winning was predictable, but the post-match angle was definitely a surprise. New Japan's Jay White, one of the current members of The Bullet Club, showed up. It appears that this will eventually set up for an Omega/Jay White bout for Impact Wrestling, which would probably be the biggest match for the organization during Omega's tenure as champion. The end of the broadcast was supposed to be a cliff hanger, but the way it was filmed, it looked more like a technical error.

Overall, the event was fine, but I'm not sure it's worth the $40 price tag, especially in the modern era when there are cheaper options for pro wrestling content. That said, the mixture of talent from organizations across the board gives each promotion something unique to promote, which is very valuable when trying to sell an event to the audience. That said, because Impact had to cut the budget in recent years and other competitors left the organization, there are times that the guest stars are clearly a level above some of the regular roster. That's not meant as a jab toward the current roster, but rather that the argument could be made that Thunder Rosa, Omega, and Jay White, were the biggest stars on the show, but they aren't primarily on the Impact roster. Either way, it will be interesting to see the direction of the company in the next few months and if nothing else, it keeps the company in the conversation of the industry.

Goldberg announced for Raw

Goldberg was trending on Twitter, and I knew the story before I even clicked his name.

Over the past few weeks, I've written a few articles about the WWE's predicament for Summer Slam, the stadium event that will be held next month in Las Vegas. The 65,000-seat venue is where the Raiders will host NFL games this season, and such a building helps establish the promotional push that management wants Summer Slam to be another Wrestlemania level event on the calendar. I discussed the possibility that Brock Lesnar might be used as the drawing card for the stadium event, even if his name has yielded diminishing returns in the past several years. While names like The Rock and John Cena depend on movie schedules and outside projects, Brock is just a phone call away. Despite any negotiation tactics to try to maximize the payday, Lesnar isn't going to politic about the direction of his character, he's all about the cash, which is the entire point of the wrestling business. Granted, Vince McMahon knows that when he signs a hefty check to Brock, the angle should be worth the investment. If the Lesnar experiment with the monstrous push for several years paid off is a subject for debate. Still, if Vince wanted Brock on the show, he would meet his price.

However, as I mentioned in the article I wrote about Lesnar at Summer Slam, considering that he already returned to the organization several times, I'm not sure another return after another extended absence would boost numbers the same way it did previously. Don't get me wrong, Lesnar is a star, but the nature of his WWE schedule lends itself to recycled storylines, and in many ways, the return of the monster former champion has a "been there, done that" atmosphere to it.

Also as I mentioned in the article about John Cena, there's more of a boost associated with his return because he didn't make numerous returns to the show the way that Lesnar did so there's more intrigue, at least on the surface. More importantly, Cena is still the last legitimate money-drawing star the company made so it's a given that he will move the needle. As I said, for a 65,000-seat venue, WWE will have to throw as much star power onto the show as the can, but the problem is that none of that star power includes the current roster with the exception of Roman Reigns. Cena vs. Reigns is a big time match that will be money for the organization, but it does nothing to address the much bigger problem of the company's inability to generate major numbers without part-time stars.

Speaking of part-timers and the reason for this article, it was announced that Bill Goldberg will be back on Raw, with the assumption that he will set up a Summer Slam match with Bobby Lashley. Reportedly, the former WCW champion has at least one match left on his current contract, but that's more of a technicality than anything. With the investment and major spots Goldberg was used for, it would be a safe bet that management will ink him to another contract if for no other reason than to prevent an AEW appearance. Similar to the Lesnar scenario, the Goldberg card, while even more limited with match options because of his style, has been completely overplayed.

The biggest criticism of the WWE product in recent years is that it's repetitive and lacks any intrigue around the angles. Assuming that Goldberg is back to challenge Lashley for Summer Slam then it literally is a carbon copy of the same angle that he was booked for before. Goldberg beating The Fiend for the championship, which I will still say was the wrong decision, was a retread of his tremendous comeback in 2016 and didn't have nearly the same impact. Goldberg vs. Braun Strowman and then Goldberg vs. Drew McIntyre were more of less the exact same storyline. The old gunslinger makes a comeback to challenge the champion in his prime to see if he can recapture the old glory. Not only is a potential Goldberg/Lashley bout yet another retread of the Braun and Drew matches, but it also makes the entire concept of a number one contender pointless. If anyone can show up at anytime to challenge for the championship then why should fans care who wins the matches on television? The real-life Bill Goldberg takes his place as a role model seriously and that's very commendable, but the bottom line is, should a 54-year-old part-timer be in one of the main events of Summer Slam? Bill Goldberg is absolutely a legend, but if someone can't be in the ring for more than three minutes without the risk of a disaster, should they really be booked to wrestle again?

This wouldn't be a problem is the current roster had the star power to draw on its own, but the way the company continues to rely on nostalgia to boost major shows is just lazy booking in an attempt to coast on past accomplishments. The current roster has the talent, but not the scripting to generate numbers. The way that Drew McIntyre was presented, as well as how Lashley was booked for the title picture speak volumes to the unorganized way the product is presented. Drew was more or less a mid-card heel before he got the surprise push with the Royal Rumble win in 2020. If Drew was going to be the guy then great, he has all the tools you'd associate with a main event performer. The same night he won the title, he said in a promo that he "didn't want to fight" The Big Show, and repeated a similar statement during a segment with Heath Slater. As I said at the time, a baby face should never back down from a challenge. Would Steve Austin ever say he didn't want to fight someone? Furthermore, Drew dropping the title to Randy Orton for three weeks was pointless since the angle made no progress on Raw, and losing the belt to The Miz halted any momentum he had as champion.

Bobby Lashley is a tremendous athlete and his current run is the best of his career. There's no doubt he can be a main event talent, but his push toward the championship was sudden and it looked as though the direction of the title was rather scrambled because if management really thought McIntyre was the guy, why book him to lose at Wrestlemania? Drew put Raw on his back during the pandemic and was put in a tough spot as champion because there was zero feedback or fan interaction for the majority of his title reign. Lashley is a decade older than Drew so who should be the priority?

The fact is the WWE invested nearly a year into Drew McIntyre as a top guy. Despite the previously mentioned booking fumbles along the way, you could see the effort Drew puts toward the performance on a weekly basis. The Royal Rumble win, the Wrestlemania matches, the title defense etc. What's the sum total of the past year of Drew's career if he's feuding with Jinder Mahal about a sword now? It seems like the trend of part-timers used to provide a boost to shows will continue and there will continue to be a lack of star power for the company.

What's the status of Dynamite?

 Professional wrestling, just like anything else, is a matter of perspective.

The nature of the industry that emerged from the carnival circuit was always to skew the perspective of the audience, as that was part of the entertainment value. Fans jumped from their seats in joy when Bruno Sammartino toppled Ivan Koloff because their heroic strongman defeated the villain. It represented a victory for America over the Soviet Union during the tensions of the cold war. If fans in the 1960s knew that Oreal Perras was a nice man from Canada instead of a menacing Russian, the performance wouldn't have been quite as thrilling at the final bell.

It's all a matter of perspective.

Of course, in the modern age, sometimes unfortunately, everyone's perspective gets amplified through social media. Granted, everyone has a right to their opinion, but that doesn't automatically translate to an educated or well thought out opinion. As a result, many people waste their time screaming into the ether of social media, which is a combination of disappointing and amusing.

Dave Meltzer, the leading journalist of professional wrestling news in the past 40 years, took himself from a rather niche audience during the bulk of his career to more main stream recognition than any other time previously. In its heyday, Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter had its printed pages sent out weekly from his PO box to a diehard group of fans that wanted a peek behind the curtain of a business that was built on secrecy. Now, Meltzer's work is primarily published online through his website and its series of audio shows. True to form, the newsletter is still published as it was originally intended, with Meltzer's reports and analysis of the current events of the industry. One of the major differences is that instead of relying on just the "reader pages" of his newsletter as he has in the past, Dave can get almost instant interaction with the wrestling public on Twitter. He has interaction with naysayers, subscribers, and even a few former wrestlers. Despite some of the social media arguments, I'd guess that Meltzer doesn't take his critics too seriously, considering that he has made a living in the wrestling business nearly his entire life without working for a major promotion.

So, it was no surprise that following AEW's episode of Dynamite this past week, an episode that saw the company return to the road for more live crowds, that Meltzer seemed to praise the promotion's efforts. One specific tweet I noticed was that he claimed that wrestling was at it's peak in 1999, but non-WWE wrestling is the most popular it has been since 1999. That statement might be true depending on how you look at it.

We know the story of WCW, the company peaked in 1998 and began to lose steam in 1999 before it fell off a cliff in 2000. The details of that decline quite literally were the subject of many books so there's no reason to repeat them here, but a quick snap shot of 1999 can give at least some indication of the narrative of the industry outside of the WWE. In May 1999, WCW's pay-per-view offering of Slamboree garnered an estimated 195,000 buys. The AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view generated a reported 115,000 buys. However, it's important to remember that it's much more difficult to sell traditional pay-per-view in the modern era of the WWE Network that is either free or has a $4.99 price tag for a subscription. The TV ratings aren't even close, but again, the context matters because you could argue that one of the reasons pro wrestling garnered an average of 10 million viewers at the time was that basic cable packages had far less channels than they are now, as well as the fact that streaming takes a decent amount of potential viewers at any given point. Basically, it was much easier for sports entertainment to get viewers in 1999 because there simply weren't as many options that competed for viewers as compared to today. Still, AEW does near a million viewers for TNT weekly, but WCW had over two million as it collapsed so it's about the context.

That being said, Meltzer, specifically when the topic is the history of the business is one of, if not the best resource for accurate information. I always found it puzzling that some fans make it such a mission to try to dispute anything Meltzer says because they clearly don't take an objective look at the situation. Much of Meltzer's audience, and the demographic that he makes a living from, are the anti-WWE crowd. By nature, these fans consider themselves "more knowledge" than causal fans because they can see beyond the WWE promotional push and follow the "good wrestling" outside of the WWE bubble. Obviously, Meltzer is going to serve his base and there's nothing wrong with that, it's how he makes a living. That's not to say that he's intentionally trying to be inaccurate, but because he knows his base, it's very possible that he has a slate toward products outside of the WWE because that's what he enjoys to watch. Listen, when the owner of All Elite Wrestling will publicly acknowledge that he is in contact with Meltzer and has appeared on Melzter's shows, it's not a stretch to understand why the journalist will praise the promotion. Keep in mind, Meltzer quite literally has a vested interest in the success of AEW because when the Starrcast conventions were held in conjunction with All Elite events, Meltzer sold tickets to Q&A sessions. Does that mean that he's on the AEW payroll? No, and considering that he has made a living reporting the inside information of the industry for the past few decades, it's very doubtful he would risk being on the payroll since he knows the information would eventually be leaked online.

The reality of the situation probably falls somewhere in the middle from where Meltzer puts the company and where the critics try to complain about every aspect of the organization. No, All Elite Wrestling wouldn't automatically sell out a stadium event because that assumes that everyone in an online queue would purchase any ticket that was remaining when they had the chance online. No, AEW isn't bigger or more successful than WCW was, which isn't to downgrade the success that All Elite has at this point. No, AEW isn't going to generate a bigger audience than Raw or Smackdown, at least not anytime soon. That said, what All Elite does have is much more potential to be something much bigger than TNA was at its peak, and despite drawing lower numbers than WCW during its decline, All Elite is trending upward since the launch of the promotion. TNA's biggest live attendance was 6,000 fans when it had Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, Sting, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and others. All Elite has been able to draw better numbers than that for the majority of its pay-per-views, and has translated the TV product into pay-per-view revenue.

Is All Elite Wrestling going to surpass WWE? No, and that shouldn't be the goal anyway. As I've said several times since the start of the company, the goal of AEW should be to be profitable, not competitive with Vince McMahon, particularly because profitability is the true measure of success in any business venture. Outside of the investment made into the video game series, AEW is already profitable from the TNT extension so from a business prospective, it's already a successful company.

Will John Cena return?

A few weeks ago, I penned an article about Brock Lesnar's status with the WWE, and more specifically, if management would bring him back into the fold to generate some hype for the upcoming Summer Slam card, which will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 65,000-seat venue is set to be the new location for The Raiders to host NFL games and it's undoubtedly a big opportunity for WWE. For years, the rumor mill suggested that WWE brass wanted to make Summer Slam a "Wrestlemania level" event, which by definition, isn't technically possible, but you get the point that management wants another mega card on the calendar. The selection of such a massive building does more or less make Summer Slam a Wrestlemania type venture, but attempting to sell over 60,000 tickets, especially at a time when the product has been so flat because of the pandemic, is a major challenge.

With the company's return to a tour schedule this month, the hope is that live crowds will rejuvenate WWE programming, something that they can expect in the short term, but does nothing to address the bigger problems within the organization that hindered progress long before the pandemic shut the world down. The 50/50 booking, nonsensical angles, and content that would make viewers embarrassed to watcg if non-wrestling fans saw it eroded the core audience long before a producer pushed buttons for a manufactured reaction on Raw or Smackdown.

It's a harsh reality, but who on the current roster is a big enough star to draw 60,000 fans to a stadium?

Drew McIntyre was put in no-win situations throughout his title run and dropped it twice before he lost  a title match at Wrestlemania. Drew works extremely hard every week on television so you can see the effort is there, but he wasn't scripted as the top guy. Bobby Lashley's reign is fine so far, but does he really have enough momentum built up to draw at that level? Even if the potential Lashley vs. Lesnar bout is booked, Brock is clearly the A-side of the equation, which is yet another indication about the lack of star power on the current roster.

If I had a vote, I'd say you have to throw as much star power as you realistically can on the card because a 65,000-seat building isn't going to sell out or even close based on the WWE name alone. I'd guess that The Rock will be back to challenge Roman Reigns in the Samoan dream match at Wrestlemania next year, but outside of that, I don't think WWE has the chance to sign him for more than a one-off bout on the biggest stage possible. That said, Lesnar is a phone call away and is willing to show up whenever Vince McMahon wants to meet his price. Still, Brock has been away for more than a year, and as I've written about before, I don't know if he will have the same impact to generate hype for Summer Slam because management has played the Lesnar card in a recycled scenario too often over the years.

Brock Lesnar on the show is definitely a boost, but even that might not be enough for such a major show.

Recently, Triple H did an interview with the New York Times and commented that it's possible that John Cena would be back in the company at some point. Granted, he didn't specifically say Summer Slam, but the timing would be beneficial to everyone involved. Cena has a part in the new Fast and Furious film, which is currently at the top  of the box office so he has the press of the movie success behind him. Similar to Lesnar, Cena's last appearance for WWE was Wrestlemania last year, but the difference is the Cena spent more time away from the organization as he landed more film roles so the argument could be made that a Cena return would be more anticipated since Lesnar taking time away became part of his routine since he re-signed with WWE in 2012.

With the publicity of Fast and Furious, Cena's potential return to television to set up a Summer Slam bout would also be around the same time that the company goes back on the road and thus have a draw to sell tickets. The product has been so flat recently, something that is reflected in very sluggish ratings, that's not as though fans are necessarily clamoring to buy tickets to see WWE programming live at the arena. If Cena is added to the mix, it's a game changer in many ways because it gives the company something to promote that is different from the rather static pandemic era of television. As polarizing as Cena was in him prime, he always garnered a crowd reaction and that is one of the ways to sell tickets.

Keep in mind, John Cena is still the last legitimate money-drawing star the company made and his return to challenge Roman Reigns could theoretically be the selling point of a stadium show. The reason I think you have to jump to Cena vs. Reigns is to maximize the drawing power, you have to go with the biggest match-up possible, and since Roman is the top guy in the company, it makes the most sense to book him against Cena to garner as much hype as possible.

So, assuming management can get Cena to return to Summer Slam, it definitely gives them a major drawing card for Allegiant Stadium in August, but it does nothing to address the much bigger problem of the lack of star power or the stars on the roster to draw fans beyond the core audience. In many ways, depending on part-timers for marquee events the past several years was lazy booking because it relied on the past to draw an audience. There's no doubt that nostalgia inherently has a limited run, but it became much of the WWE philosophy in recent years. Bill Goldberg's comeback run in 2016 was tremendous, but they overplayed that hand when they tried to duplicate it four years later in an empty building at Wrestlemania 36. Sure, booking Cena for Summer Slam solves the problem for one show, but what happens when these part-timers actually retire and management is forced to take a realistic look at the drawing power of it's current roster? That's not a jab against the current stars either, the argument could be made that the WWE has the best roster as far as in-ring talent in the history of the company, but the counter to that is you could always say that the star power is at the lowest it has been in at least two decades. The bottom line is, it makes a very intriguing statement about the philosophy of the company that they have a stadium event booked, but realistically don't have the star power currently on the roster to sell the majority of the tickets to the event.

UFC 264

This weekend the octagon returns to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC 264, which will be headlined by the trilogy fight of Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier. Earlier this year, Poirier beat McGregor via TKO in the second round after a series of calf kicks hindered the Irish superstar's movement and set up for the punches that led to the referee stoppage. The dominant victory avenges a loss from just over six years ago when Conor stopped Poirier with punches in under two minutes in the first round at UFC 178.

The brash Irishman is still the UFC's top draw and along with that every fight is deemed a high profile event. That said, Conor hasn't fought much in the past few years, further emphasizing when he actually competes inside the octagon. That wouldn't be a problem if he wouldn't have lost some of those major fights. He's 1-2 in  his last three bouts with the win being a 40-second bout against an always tough, but aging Donald Cerrone last January. As trivial as two losses might sound, the question remains, can Conor McGregor still be a competitive fighter?

If I had to guess, I'd say the skepticism around McGregor's ability to win against the top competition is based on the fact that of those two recent defeats, Khabib and Poirier dominated him in their respective bouts. All due respect to Cerrone, he was one of the most entertaining fighters in the history of the organization and will rightfully be inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame in the future, but he wasn't in his prime when he fought McGregor. However, Khabib and Poirier are considered the top level in the 155 LBS division, and they beat him decisively. The combination of those defeats along with the outside of the cage incidents, including an arrest for punching an elderly man in a bar, fueled speculation about his status in combat sports. He fought Floyd Mayweather for a rumored $100 million so maybe the motivation isn't there for him to be a fighter.

Clearly, the Poirier that McGregor fought in late-2014 isn't the same Poirier that won via TKO in early-2021. Poirier, a jiu-jitsu black belt, garnered the majority of his career victories with punches, but has the skill set of a well-rounded competitor and has the cardio to make it to the score cards. In some ways with a record of 27-6-1, he's somewhat of a journeyman because he would string together a series of wins before he would lose a key fight that might've been his chance to truly jump to the next level. A prime example of this was the four-fight win streak he was on before he challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the Light Heavyweight championship in September 2019 and lost via submission in the third round. Granted, Khabib retired undefeated, but the point being that Poirier didn't get the signature win to get him to the championship level. Still, it's obvious that he has evolved as a fighter over the course of his career and it's very possible that at 32, he might just be in the prime years of his career to apply his experience to improve his technique to reach his full potential as an athlete.

As for the main event of UFC 264, there's no doubt that Conor McGregor is a dynamic striker with knockout power, but among all the hype with his charismatic presentation is the reality that he's mostly a one-dimensional fighter. Outside of the TKO loss earlier this year, McGregor's other four defeats are all via submission. He's not totally helpless on the ground, but he can't grapple with the top level submission specialist either. In fact, I'd say if the fight goes to the ground, the odds are that Poirier could secure a submission for the win. If anything, McGregor has one or two rounds to try to land the power punches because if Poirier has the chance to set up for a take down, it could lead to the conclusion of the fight. That said, as far as a winner, I have to pick Dustin Poirier, simply based on the result of their most recent fight. It's acknowledged that Conor's chances to win are based on his ability to punch, but in their last bout, Poirier was actually the better striker so outside of an early KO, McGregor's odds appear slim.

Would another defeat be the conclusion of Conor McGregor's run as the top star of the UFC?

Actually, no, there would still be enough sizzle around his brash persona to generate revenue, but it would translate to a different dynamic for his career. Another defeat would more or less finish his tenure as a competitive fighter in the division as far as a way to determine the best 155 LBS fighter in the company. However, it would still remain a draw purely based on entertainment value for at least two more key fighters. Despite a one-sided loss to Leon Edwards recently, Nate Diaz has a thrilling moment in the bout where he almost made the comeback to win the fight, endearing him even more to the fans. There's money on the table in a McGregor/Diaz fight for everyone involved. McGregor is all about the cash, and Diaz is only going to fight for the right price so it would be a safe bet that the contest will eventually get signed. Another entertainment-based bout is almost too natural not to put on pay-per-view, as McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal would be a major draw for the general public. The bottom line is, another defeat won't finish McGregor's stardom, but it would definitely be an indication that his career will be more about the sizzle of entertainment than the competition of the best fighters in the division.