AEW All Out

All Elite Wrestling has a lot of momentum behind it ahead of next weekend's "All Out" pay-per-view, and from the results of the TV shows this past week, it looks like the card might be finalized for the pivotal show. Before we discuss the details the card, and if the right line-up is assembled to maximize the benefits of the increased exposure to the product, it's important to frame this pay-per-view in the proper context. Throughout pro wrestling history, there were key events that shaped the path of promotions or the narrative of the industry in the United States. There are key decisions that are made at critical times that can determine a positive or negative direction for not only an organization, but the direction of the business itself. Some well-known examples are Bash At The Beach 1996, Hulk Hogan dropped the leg and stood next to The Outsiders. A heel Hogan after a decade as the all-American baby face flipped the script on sports entertainment. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin hit the stunner on Shawn Micheals at Wrestlemania, and "Iron" Mike Tyson, the most controversial figure in sports at the time counted the three to call for the bell. The Austin era officially kicked off and eventually that tilted the Monday night wars. Thankfully, Jeff Hardy is in a much better place in his life now, but the infamous bout at Victory Road against Sting stained TNA as minor league for the rest of the tenure of the Dixie regime. Since he's such a topic of conversation currently, CM Punk winning the WWE championship in Chicago at Money in the Bank in 2011 was an opportunity for WWE to attempt to go main stream again on some level, but when Triple H pinned him two month later on pay-per-view, it squashed the momentum.

It's fair to say that All Out will probably garner AEW's biggest buy rate in the company's history, which isn't an easy task based on the price tag of traditional pay-per-view when the WWE Network has thousands of hours of content for free to many viewers. Obviously, Tony Khan will have to "sell" the PPV to the AEW audience, new viewers and diehard fans, but there's much more to it than simply a specific pay-per-view order. In many ways, the actual PPV number is just the short-end money, and the ripple effect from the impression the show will make could be a much bigger factor. AEW, especially within the past few weeks, became a topic of conversation among wrestling fans, even casual viewers so the curiosity factor of how CM Punk will be in the ring after seven years has at least some level of a draw to the general public. That being said, it's new territory for Tony Khan since the broadcast will have to be true to the All Elite formula, but still have something to offer the more casual fan, which is a very difficult balancing act.

As far as the actual card, there are nine matches listed and that presents some challenges itself because the match order, as well as the time each bout is given can really affect the pace of a card. Don't get me wrong, I understand the logic of a four-hour broadcast to attempt to give people their money's worth, but the downside of that is, it's difficult to pace a longer show.

With the potential for more casual fans to tune into the event, the use of Paul Wight makes sense because it creates a level of familiarity for a viewing experience. Nothing against QT Marshal, but he's not exactly a featured performer on the roster in terms of star power so this bout should be kept as short as possible. Let the former Big Show play the greatest hits and get the victory in roughly four minutes because that's all that's needed for the segment to be successful. At first, I was a little skeptical of a Christian/Kenny Omega rematch at the pay-per-view since it was a bout that we just saw on television, and I understand the logic that it explained that Cage proved he could beat Omega, but it just seemed too soon to put the bout on pay-per-view. Why would the audience want to pay for a match they just saw on free TV? That said, it probably is a wise decision to actually put this on the card with the hype that CM Punk brought to the organization. If nothing else, Christian is another familiar face that the general public will identify with if they sample the product. Plus, as we've seen Cage/Omega will be a quality bout so it's a win-win situation. 

The other aspect for casual fans, but has a blend of All Elite with it is the Chris Jerico/MJF bout with Jericho's career on the line. I've said many times before that Jericho is in a league of his own in terms of reinventing himself and evolving with the times. The past few years specifically have been legacy work that put him at a very unique level. That said, he's almost 51 and again, the past few years saw him check off a lot of boxes on his resume so it wouldn't be too surprising if he actual retires. The stipulation says retired from All Elite Wrestling so maybe that could leave the door open for him to take a few big money matches in New Japan just not to leave potential money on the table. I say this as a compliment, Jericho has more or less done it all in his career so what does he really have left to do? He bolstered AEW and will be linked with its success so it makes sense for him to retire. Jericho mentioned in the promo for the contest that if he loses, he will move to commentary so that's a way to keep his star power involved in the program even if he's not wrestling. So far, All Elite actually sticks to its stipulations so this match might be able to built some good drama toward its conclusion. Assuming Jericho does plan to retire, giving MJF the bragging rights as the one that retired Chris Jericho helps take the familiarity of a WWE legend and parlay that into a push for one of AEW's best heels.

As far as pure All Elite style, and this will test the market so to speak, The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Brothers steel cage match is something that might be hit or miss with a more casual audience. Hopefully, it's a hit and introduces a different demographic to a new style, but it's not guaranteed that it will translate to a different audience. Don't get me wrong, for diehard fans, this cage match will probably be incredible, but casual fans often follow entertainment value, which isn't necessarily always the same as match quality. Lex Luger, God bless him, wasn't actually Dynamite Kid as far as in-ring performance, but there was a time that as a character, Lex was one of the most over performers in the industry in the late-90s.

Pac and Andrade should have a quality bout, and despite their association with WWE, I doubt even WWE fans will look at this as strictly a "WWE match" on the card since neither athlete was fully utilized during their tenure in the organization. Pac has done great work in AEW, showing just how much WWE missed the boat on him when he was under contract. Andrade, however, only had one match on Dynamite so far and still has something to prove. The common conversation about Andrade is that he had the potential to be the top Hispanic star for WWE. At this point, Andrade has a chance to prove if he can live up to the potential that was discussed during his WWE run.

Jon Moxley vs. Kojima is noteworthy because of the New Japan crossover, and Kojima is a legitimate Japanese legend, but to be honest, this bout will be too inside baseball so to speak even for the majority of the AEW audience. For American fans, it's the most diehard group that will understand the importance of Kojima, but to the majority of the viewing audience, he will be viewed as an aging Japanese wrestler will an accomplished resume that the announcers will talk about during his entrance. That's not meant as a jab against the Japanese legend, but rather to point out that it will be very easy for this match to get lost in the shuffle of a four-hour event.

Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander should be a decent match, but with how over Baker is, and the fact that this isn't a lengthy rivalry, it's predictable that Baker will retrain the belt, which is the right decision. All things considered, I don't think Baker should drop the title until the Thunder Rosa rematch.

Eddie Kingston vs. Miro is one that could surprise a lot of people, simply based on the depth of the card. I don't think you will see anything too spectacular, but it will probably be a physical and entertaining contest. Miro has done a great job as TNT champion, but Kingston is such a dynamic performer, the argument could be made that he should win the title so it will be interesting to see what happens in the match.

Considering the crowd reaction in Chicago for CM Punk's first match back in seven years, I don't think there's a choice about where the bout should be on the line-up. Granted, Punk might have ring rust and not be as crisp as some of the other athletes on the show, but the drama that will be possible is what could make this a main event quality match. Plus, if Punk is in the middle of the card, it's very possible that the audience will be drained the rest of the show. This is a big spot for Darby Allin too, and if he's going to became a more main stream star, this is the opportunity for him to solidify that status. Darby has a unique charisma that the audience connects with, and proof of that is the fans that paint their face like him. How often does that happen in the modern era? That being said, I think CM Punk should get the win here, and while it might seem like that doesn't put over Darby, if the bout is structured to showcase him, Allin can get over even with a defeat. Sometimes the simplest plan is the best plan, and CM Punk will a hometown victory in the right decision.

There are rumblings that Bryan Danielson's AEW debut will be moved up to All Out instead of the stadium show next month, which would be the right call because if the pay-per-view draws the biggest buy rate in the history of the organization, that's the time to try to make the biggest impact possible. Just a Danielson appearance will be enough to get a boost in viewership for the next Dynamite episode, which accomplishes the goal of generating more exposure for the product.

Paul vs. Woodley

Professional boxing, known as the sweet science for it's awe-inspiring display of technique, speed, and skill, has fallen.

There was a time in the United States when prizing fighting went beyond and symbolized more than just dollar signs at the box office, even if the sport had a long history of big business, as fans throughout generations were willing to spend their money on the thrilling events of the ring. When Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in the first round of their 1938 rematch to reclaim the heavyweight championship, it was a victory over Nazi Germany for America. Granted, Schmeling refused any association with the Nazi party, and was later close friends with Louis, but the fact that the title wouldn't return to a Nazi-controlled country was a  victory for the USA. Cassius Clay "shook up the world" when he beat Sonny Liston for the title in 1964 before Muhammad Ali battled Joe Frazier for the "Fight of the Century" in 1971 in one of the most courageous displays of guts from both boxers in sports history. As we know, the legacy of Ali transcended the boxing ring and he became a global icon that made efforts to benefit humanity around the world. When Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns squared off in 1985, they had quite possibly the greatest round in the history of boxing, exchanging punches on the level of an Apollo-Rocky scene. In an example of art imitating life, the Ward-Gatti trilogy just over 15 years later would provide the real-life sequel to that narrative. Round 9 of their initial bout is often cited by boxing pundits as its generation's version of Hagler-Hearns. Through the punches, blood, and bruises, a friendship was formed as Mickey Ward occasionally walked to the ring as a part of Arturo Gatti's corner for later fights. When the late Gatti was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012, Mickey Ward was there to speak on behalf of his friend. The chaos, controversy, triumph, and tragedy of the career of "Iron" Mike Tyson was the subject of books, film, and television. Barrera-Morales, Holyfield–Bowe, and other names are linked together throughout the pages of boxing history because of the thrilling and dramatic moments they brought to the sport.

Unfortunately, as the expansion of pay-per-view television in the early-2000s made the sport even more accessible than it was in the prior decade, boxing became more about promoters protecting their golden goose, and leaving more money on the table than they would've made otherwise than getting the biggest fights possible in the ring. In many ways, the 2002 super fight between Lennox Lewis and the previously mentioned Tyson was the last mainstream bout that lived up to the hype surrounding it. Sure, the 2007 battle between Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya ranks among the best-selling PPVs, but it was the beginning of an era when those big money bouts were traded for glorified exhibitions on pay-per-view instead. "Money" Mayweather solidified his status after the win over the aging De La Hoya and carefully picked his opponents to minimize the risk while he still collected big paydays from promoters. Eventually, Showtime actually lost money on a few of the Mayweather ventures because the revenue generated didn't cover his hefty guarantee.

Of course, it wasn't all political red tape that hindered the perception of boxing in America. The Klitschko brothers, as dominate as they were throughout the early-2000s, more or less took the heavyweight division outside of the United States. A combination of lackluster competition (credit to both of them, they fought who was available at the time) and their European style that utilized a jab to often win on points, created a scenario that didn't sell tickets in the United States. Instead of the heavyweight title bout as a top pay-per-view draw in America, big crowds flocked to see the Klitschkos fight in their native country of Germany, while it the fights were broadcasted on HBO in the afternoon in America. Again, give Wladimir credit, he fought both Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury when they were considered dangerous opponents. Klitschko lost the pair of bouts before he officially retired in 2017, but those victories propelled Joshua and Fury to the next level.

Not surprisingly, political games began to dictate contracts more recently. Tyson Fury's well-documented comeback to boxing after he vacated a belt to deal with substance abuse and mental health issues makes it very easy for fans to rally behind him. The charismatic and unconventional British fighter garnered a following when he combined his mic skills with punching power.

Ironically, it wasn't until mixed martial arts began to take a notable slice of the pay-per-view pie within the last decade that more marquee boxing matches were actually signed to happen. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, a fight that was at least five years too late, set pay-per-view records in 2015, but flopped in terms of quality. The revelation that  Manny competed with an undisclosed shoulder injury soured many fans on the high-priced boxing pay-per-view cards. At the same time, Premiere Boxing Champions began to broadcast quality fights on Fox, allowing for main stream exposure for talented fighters. There were even a handful of cards on ESPN. One of the names that emerged from the PBC cards was Deontay Wilder, an unrefined heavyweight champion that had one punch knockout power. Granted, Wilder's competition varied, but even the KOs of tomato cans made for good highlights. By 2018, for the first time in years, there was major intrigue into the heavyweight division, while Canelo Alvarez, a Mexican superstar that is the biggest draw in the sport, regularly showcased tremendous skills in quality fights. The sport finally had some stability and it looked as though there were featured bouts on the horizon.

In late-2018, Wilder and Fury fought to a draw, generating demand for a rematch, which saw Fury beat Wilder by TKO. During that time, Anthony Joshua suffered a surprise loss to Andy Ruiz before he avenged the loss and then successful defended his title again in December of 2020. It looked as though, the anticipated battle of British boxers would take place to determine the best heavyweight in boxing. After negotiations for a trilogy bout between Fury and Wilder stalled last year, Tyson decided to plan attempt to get the bout against Joshua on paper. Wilder took the matter to court and it was decided that his contract was still valid to get a rematch against Fury, despite the lack of demand for the contest based on the one-sided loss for Wilder. The trilogy bout was set for last month, but positive COVID tests in Fury's corner postponed the bout until October, further stalling any momentum the heavyweight division had previously.

Top star Canelo Alvarez beat Billy Joe Saunders this past May on Cinco De Mayo weekend, which became some what of a tradition in boxing with another signature card held in September around Mexican independence day. Alvarez was negotiating with contender Caleb Plant for a bout in September, but more red tape almost saw the contest in doubt before it was agreed the fight would take place in November. Still, the sport doesn't have the prime spot to showcase the top star in boxing.

While top fights weren't in the ring because of political games, the sport had retired fighters or social media stars compete for sideshow events. Jake Paul beat former UFC fighter Ben Askren, who looked like he trained more for a dough nuts eating competition than a fight, and Jake Paul, who recently made a pointless appearance on WWE programming, fought Mayweather in a lackluster eight-round exhibition. I'm not sure why anyone follows Jake or Logan Paul, but I'm not the demographic that wants to know what coffee someone had on Youtube. The point being, these sideshow fights damage the legitimate sport of boxing on a long term basis because there's a generation that gets the presentation of a circus as an example of boxing. If it draws money in the short-term is a different matter, but considering the amount of negative feedback from the Mayweather exhibition, how many times if Logan Paul going to be a draw on pay-per-view?

Tomorrow night, Jake Paul will fight former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley on pay-per-view. Similar to Askren, Woodley was primarily a wrestler during his MMA career. At 39, the former 170 LBS champion hasn't won a fight in almost three years and is clearly past his prime. But, that's exactly why Jake Paul will take the fight because it minimizes the risk. The political red tape and negotiations delayed some of boxing's biggest potential bouts so the sideshow fights took the money on the table.

Impact signs two WWE stars

On the heels of CM Punk's monumental AEW debut, and the impending arrival of Bryan Danielson in a few weeks, the latter half of 2021, besides being known as some return to normal from the pandemic, will be a memorable time for free agents. As we know, WWE stockpiled talent over the past few years, particular with the launch of the All Elite Wrestling, attempting to limit the upstart group's selection of competitors. Not only did WWE brass sign a decent amount of wrestlers to bolster NXT during that time, they also arguably overpaid talent to stay under the WWE umbrella before the world shut down. Names like Gallows and Anderson, a team that was rumored to have signed $750,000 deals before the pandemic to prevent a jump to All Elite ahead of the debut edition of Dynamite, were cut to trim the budget when the industry was almost completely shuttered. Of course, since Nick Khan joined the sports entertainment empire, budget cuts across the board, including dozens of wrestlers, mostly recently a slew of NXT talent, padded an already record-setting profit margin on conference calls.

The fact that this was all done in the interest of the stockholders, not the wrestling fans, is a much more complex topic for another discussion at another time. The point being, in order to maximize the bottom line, the WWE cut high-priced talent, a few of them that might be make a difference elsewhere.

I discussed some of the possibilities for certain talent at the time the releases made headlines, but a few recent hints were dropped about the potential landing spot for a some of these talents, as well as some of the other free agents on the market.

Buddy Murphy, a talented athlete that just didn't quite find a place within the WWE, looks to be going to Impact Wrestling soon, based on comments made by the EVP of the company, Scott D'Amore during a Twitch stream. Granted, Twitch seems to be a point of contention within the wrestling business on a continuous basis, but the EVP's comments seemed rather plain. There's no reason to mention such information unless it was to create some hype ahead of this week's episode so I'd say that it's more or less confirmed that Murphy, now known as Buddy Matthews, will be on the roster. In truth, as talented as he is inside the ring ropes, Murphy never really had a character that set him apart from any other athletic wrestlers in the business. That's not meant as a knock against him, but rather to point out that with the crowded wrestling landscape, it takes more than just solid in-ring skills to make a name. That being said, Impact Wrestling seems to be the perfect place for Matthews to get a chance to develop as an overall performer, and it gives the organization a solid addition to the roster so it's a win-win for everyone.

Another name that is around the rumor mill for Impact is Braun Strowman, a former WWE Universal champion that was surprisingly released just a few months ago. At 37, Strowman got a later start than most in the business because he competed in strongman competitions prior to signing a WWE developmental deal. Reportedly, the reason for Strowman's release was his $1.2 million contract. Braun is an example of how WWE management had a stop and then start philosophy with his push during his tenure in the company. When he was at his most popular, he wasn't given the top spot because the organization was in the midst of the failed Roman Reigns baby face push, but when he finally won the title during the pandemic, it was done in an empty building. Along with that, Braun was booked in goofy scenarios that didn't exactly emphasize his star power, including the infamous swamp fight last year.

Strowman had his share of injuries, and with the amount of ridiculous segments he was booked for in WWE, I'm not sure how much of a boost he would bring to Impact at this point in his career. All things considered, with his age, injuries, and the hindered star power, you have to wonder if his best days as a performer are behind him? That said, Braun is another competitor on the market that could use Impact to rejuvenate his career, and prehaps the company can recapture the aura that made him so popular in the WWE a few years ago. Depending on the how it goes, this could potentially be another win-win scenario.

As far as Impact as a company, you have to give credit to Anthem and D'Amore for not only keeping the company afloat after they purchased the organization from the brink of collapse five years ago, but for also giving the fans an entertaining secondary option. I use the word secondary not as a jab, but rather to point out the difference within the wrestling landscape. Let's be honest here, All Elite Wrestling has a mega buzz right now and in some respects, dictates the direction of the industry so it's not a negative to be just a rung underneath that. I would guess that even Anthem management would acknowledge that Impact is designed to be on a smaller scale than some of the other major groups in the United States. For example, Anthem, the parent company of the Fight Network in Canada, is a television company, and the main reason for them to own Impact is for original programming on its network, not necessarily to compete for the top spot in the sports entertainment business. There's nothing wrong with that ideology either because one way or nothing, regardless of Anthem's primary goal with the ownership of Impact, the organization gives talented wrestlers a place to work full-time. Surprisingly, the working agreement with AEW, Impact, and New Japan is booked in such a way that everyone benefits, a situation that some might've thought was impossible based on working agreements throughout history. A quick search of Pro Wrestling USA or the World Class/AWA crossover can provide some proof of that.

The addition of Christian Cage to Impact is a big acquisition for them, both in terms of star power and in-ring quality. Christian can still go bell-to-bell and ultimately, his involvement in Impact gives viewers another reason to tune into the show. Granted, AXS, the network that broadcasts the Impact show, doesn't have the clearance of other channels, but we've already discussed that Impact is based on a smaller scale. Basically, Impact knows its role within the current pro wrestling climate and the working agreements between the organization gives each company something unique to promote. Magazines (remember them?) touted for years about who  would win if champions battled it on covers, and at the All Out pay-per-view next weekend, a champion vs. champion match is promoted as one of the featured bouts of the events.

Finally, the former Ruby Riot, known as Ruby Soho now, appears to be set to land in another promotion soon. As I said during the releases, Ruby is a quality athlete that would be a great addition to any organization. If I had to guess, I would still say that AEW is the best place for her, specifically because it would add depth to the women's division, the the unpredictability of the delta variant might make it more difficult for some of the Japanese women to travel to the United States so adding Ruby makes sure the division has another potential title contender. Obviously, the signings discussed here aren't on the level of CM Punk or Bryan Danielson, but that's not a fair comparison since those two are the two biggest free agents that were realistically possible for AEW.That said, how the situation develops with the different talents available on the market, it might spotlight some of the mistakes WWE management made when they released certain talent. I discussed Bray Wyatt's release previously, but as an example, if Punk, Danielson, Wyatt, and potentially Adam Cole are on the AEW roster, it could shift the industry in a similar fashion to The Outsider's debut on Nitro 25 years ago. If enough talented performers get underutilized and then get a chance to showcase their skills to their full potential elsewhere, it will allow for more competition in the industry.

Summer Slam review

Just 24 hours after CM Punk walked onto AEW Rampage for a memorable reaction in his hometown of Chicago, bringing a massive buzz for the organization with him, Summer Slam took place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada with over 50,000 fans in attendance. The bell-to-bell action throughout the show was fine for the most part, with a few notable bouts and a few other contests that were somewhat flat. However, the bigger story was how the company countered the CM Punk debut that brought All Elite a fair amount of press over the weekend. The booking of the event, including who returned to the promotion, was a clear indication that Vince McMahon wanted to steal some of the thunder from the Khan-owned group, but did Summer Slam overshadow CM Punk's return to pro wrestling?

In many ways, the first half of the card was more or less cannon fodder, with even a title switch as nothing major in the grand scheme of things. Randy Orton and Matt Riddle beat AJ Styles and Omos to claim the tag team belts, but the tag division is so secondary among the WWE landscape that a six-minute match to change the titles doesn't translate to much importance on Raw. Alexa Bliss defeated Eva Marie in roughly three minutes, but the match still went about two minutes too long. I'm sure Eva Maire is good at many things, such as cooking, singing, dancing, welding, or building bird houses, but any aspect of sports entertainment isn't on the list. Damian Priest won the US title in a really solid match against Sheamus, which was one of the better matches on the card. But, again the US title was reduced to a prop over the years so while it's great to see Priest get the spotlight, the championship win itself doesn't do much to push his status on Raw. It should also be noted that despite going under the radar in some respects, Sheamus is a good performer that consistently delivers quality performances. The Usos beat The Mysterios to retain the Smackdown tag titles, a decision that was predictable based on the stable with Roman Reigns, and the match was fine, but nothing too spectacular. It was basically a TV match in a stadium.

Despite the two title changes, the overall presentation of the WWE product dilutes any importance those switches might have on the brand. As we saw later in the card, Nikki's MITB win and cash-in the next night was booked to give Charlotte another title reign to get her closer to her dad's record. The storyline wasn't designed to get Nikki over so why should the fans invest in the character? Another example is that for a year in an empty building, Drew McIntyre put in the effort every week, but he was booked to lose the WWE title twice during his stint in the main event picture and then he was defeated at Wrestlemania. Now, he was booked for a five-minute match against Jinder Mahal so what was the point of the investment into his character? Furthermore, and this might be the biggest problem with the 50/50 aspect of the product, viewers can still skip a month of Raw and usually not miss any actual progress of storylines on the show. When you tell the audience the results don't actually impact the direction of the product, eventually even angles that might be an indication of a shift of the direction of the show don't have an impact. A prime example of this, and don't get me wrong Charlotte is a polished pro, but shuffling the title around in a relatively short period of time just so she can surpass Ric's record leads to a recycled scenario on Raw.

In the first return of the night, Becky Lynch showed up randomly after it was announced that Sasha Banks couldn't compete. Carmella was in the ring, and I get that the idea was to get heat from the crowd before the return of Lynch, but the way the whole thing was presented was rather clunky. Granted, it was a great moment and a big reaction from the crowd to see Lynch return, but the actual match had to be considered a letdown. The surprise moment was the return, not necessarily the shock value of the fast win. I didn't have a stop watch, but is Becky in a thirty second match and a total of about four minutes on-screen a worthwhile payoff for a stadium show? Furthermore, the baby face used somewhat of a "cheap shot" to set up for the finish so again, it was just an odd presentation. I understand the justification is that the flash win will give Bianca a reason for a rematch, but that's not really how the segment played out on the broadcast. It more or less looked like Belair, who is a newer star on this level, was defeated flat by a bigger star. Where does this put Bianca? A heel turn would kick start a new chapter in her career, but the argument could be made that she's not finish with this particular chapter to be ready for a heel turn. Along with that, Bianca got over with the sentimental promo at the Royal Rumble so a heel turn won't automatically translate to a successful stint either. Finally, if Becky Lynch starts back on the brand as the champion, where else is there to go from a storyline prospective? She already reclaimed the title she had to relinquished when she left so the journey back to the  championship is complete. In my opinion, Lynch's return might've been an audible to counter some of the buzz from the CM Punk deal, but the way it was booked only minimized one of the newer stars on the roster.

After that the majority of the second half of the event, similar to the first part of the broadcast, was cannon fodder as well. We already discussed the Drew/Jinder bout, but the fact that the one-sided contest went four minutes shows that this lame feud was only a way to keep McIntyre busy for Summer Slam. Drew was a focal point for nearly a year on Raw, but now they don't have anything for him better than this? What does that say about the writing team? As mentioned, the women's triple threat match was only designed to add another title reign to Charlotte's record so there's not much to discuss about it. The Edge/Rollins match was fine, but a little underwhelming. I don't know exactly what it is, but other than The Brood reference for a nostalgia segment, this feud and the match just didn't get to second gear. Maybe it was that Edge was steam rolled by Roman prior to the Rollins feud, but the whole angle just lacked a sizzle or an intensity. The Bobby Lashley/Goldberg match wasn't anything great and the finish fell flat. Goldberg is in great shape, but he showed his age at some points of this five-minute bout and despite the spot with Gage at the end of the match that implies the angle with continue, I don't think it's wise to continue to book Goldberg as an in-ring wrestler. That said, the real-life Bill Goldberg seems like a great guy and he does a lot for charity so maybe the role of an ambassador would be the best use for him. At most, he could hit the spear and the jackhammer to collect the Saudi money in a squash match, but other than that, it's just not wise to put a 55-year-old part-timer in title matches.

The John Cena vs. Roman Reigns bout was a quality main event, but definitely seemed to be a one-off in terms of big time matches for this brief Cena run. That's not necessarily a negative either, Cena returned to sell a lot of tickets for a house show tour and his involvement was one of the primary reasons for tickets to be sold for the stadium show so his comeback was definitely successful. That said, because Roman was already a dominate heel and the champion ahead of the match, I'm not sure beating Cena made Reigns a bigger star. Furthermore, the Cena return seemed more like WWE booking him because they had to sell tickets specifically for a stadium show than an actual comeback stint for him. Obviously, Brock was brought back into the fold to answer the CM Punk debut, and there's nothing wrong with that, but the question is, will Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns really move the needle for WWE? As I've said before, I think the argument could be made that Lesnar yielded diminishing returns over the years, particularly because the same playbook was used every time he made his way back to the company. The same angle, the same move set, and basically the same matches. This isn't a knock on Lesnar, if he can get big money to rinse and repeat the process than good for him, but especially at this point, I don't think Brock's return to the product will have the same impact did it even a few years ago.

Ultimately, the presentation of Brock Lesnar back for a short run before he goes back to ice fish in Canada isn't any type of game changer for WWE. Other than an artificial boost for the ratings of Raw for a week or two, nothing changes in the grand scheme of things. The opposite of that can be said for All Elite Wrestling with the arrival of CM Punk. Still, at least for right now, the WWE will continue to set record profits and just sold 50,000 tickets to a pay-per-view so in some ways, any criticism is moot. On the flip side, the events of the weekend weren't necessarily about right now, but rather three years from now. The bigger story is, how will the talent shifts affect the direction of the industry in the future. I've said before that WWE brass seemed to be the short-end money ahead of the future, and Summer Slam might be an indication of that. A 54-year-old part-timer had to be used in the WWE title match because of a lack of star power on the roster, and John Cena, still the most recent money-drawing star the company made, had to get booked for a comeback tour to make sure tickets were sold for the stadium. How many stars were made for the future at Summer Slam? Ironically, a lot of the buzz about CM Punk's AEW debut was based on how it can improve the company and the domino effect it can have on the future of the industry.

CM Punk on Rampage

Professional wrestling is about the moments.

It's something that I've written about a lot in recent months when I discussed All Elite Wrestling, the ability to create the moments that will be look at in hindsight as notable or historic. The ability to create those moments and the emotion that goes along with them are ultimately what draws money in professional wrestling. Furthermore, those moments put a foot print in the history books of the industry and cement an organization are a true player in the sports entertainment business. When Scott Hall jumped the rail on Nitro, it was a moment that became woven into the fabric of the history of sports entertainment. When Steve Austin landed the stunner and claimed the championship in 1998, as Jim Ross yelled, "Stone Cold! Stone Cold! Stone Cold!" it was a book mark in the pages of history. You can cite many examples, but the common theme is those moments had an impact that shifted the direction of the industry.

Last night on Rampage, AEW solidified one of those moments in the industry.

Critics of CM Punk can say a lot, and depending on your perspective, maybe those critics have a point. Maybe CM Punk was too difficult to work with, maybe CM Punk should've paid Colt Cabana's legal bills without a lawsuit to settle it, and maybe CM Punk was delusional to even attempt to fight in the UFC.

But, on TNT last night, CM Punk proved exactly why he's a generational talent, and more specifically that WWE truly missed the boat to make him a main stream star a decade ago.

Ahead of CM Punk's debut, I didn't really know what to expect, particularly because while he would walk on water in Chicago, he seemed so distance and cold to the idea of professional wrestling in interviews the past several years that I wasn't sure if this signing would boil down to a quick money grab while he's still young enough to collect it. Plus, we know from interviews in the past that there seemed to be some real-life tension between Punk and AEW management because they initially approached him via text message instead of a formal discussion. Furthermore, I have to be honest, I never though we would see CM Punk in AEW or even in professional wrestling again based on the fact that he appeared at a convention in Chicago the same weekend that the company had a pay-per-view in his hometown, but he didn't sign for it.

That being said, the promo that CM Punk cut in the ring was perfect and the sincerity in his eyes gave the impression that he didn't sign with All Elite Wrestling just to pad his bank account. Granted, Punk isn't lacing the boots for free, and nobody should expect him to, but he earned $1 million total for two subpar fights in the UFC and he stayed busy since he left WWE so he's obviously financially stable. Plus, if Punk, a former Ring Of Honor and WWE champion, wanted to make the easiest cash possible, he could tour the convention circuit to make great money to sign autographs and pose for photo-ops. Speaking of Ring Of Honor, while the company definitely lost steam since the Elite faction left to form AEW, the mention of the promotion gave depth to the promo and almost gave a peek into his mindset for what he wants to accomplish in All Elite.

This goes without saying, but the crowd reaction was insane, and depending on how this whole scenario plays out, hindsight might see it as a pivotal moment in the history of the industry.

Basically, CM Punk's promo was "for the love of the game," and again, nobody in the major leagues works for free, but the fans can appreciate that the performers they support have as much passion for the sport as the audience. In many ways, that same "for the love of the game" philosophy goes along with why Tony Khan originally funded the launch of AEW. Let's be honest here, Tony Khan is from a billionaire family so he could've just left a few hundred million in the bank and collected the interest to live a lavish lifestyle. Tony Khan doesn't have to work a day in his life if he doesn't want to. That's not a jab against the Khan family either, with the conflict, war, and political unrest in the world, if someone has the good fortune to be that financially secure then good for them. The point being, Tony Khan put the money up to fund AEW because he has a dedication to the industry, and that philosophy makes it very easy for the fans to want to see the company be successful.

That's why All Elite Wrestling has a level of good will with the fans, and Punk's promo, at least to some extent reinforced that theory.

As I said, if this was just about the money, Punk could sign his name at conventions for easier cash, but at the same time, you know that he got a hefty contract from Khan, and the merchandise alone will translate to major cash, another indication of just how much more the WWE could've done with Punk when he was under contract. That brings up another point, CM Punk said for years, specifically on the Colt Cabana podcast that resulted in a few lawsuits, that he could be the top guy if he was given the chance, and now he has the chance to prove it. It's ironic that main stream media outlets picked up his AEW debut, very similar to the coverage that the pipe bomb promo received a decade ago, but you can bet Punk's star power won't be minimized in AEW.

Unfortunately, I had to write about it a lot in recent years, but the WWE has developed a level of complacency and even an unintended mediocrity since it secured its massive TV contracts. Without any tickets and live event merchandise sales, the company touted record-setting profits on conference calls, and is projected to do so for the next few years. With the Peacock deal, the writing team doesn't necessarily have to "sell" pay-per-views to the audience because the money is in the bank, the company makes the same amount of money for the contract regardless of the amount of viewers for pay-per-view. Essentially, the WWE was too comfortable for too long, and the talent as well as the fans were short-changed in the process while the shareholders made money on the stock price.

From a fan perspective, it's a much easier sell for fans to put down their money for tickets or pay-per-view orders when it seems like the company and the performers genuinely want to try to give them their money's worth. Yes, everyone wants to make money on the AEW roster, which is the whole point of the wrestling business, but the narrative of a movement for All Elite Wrestling to spark the business for the improvement of everyone involved is easy for fans to rally behind. The WWE is a corporation that released dozens of performers during a global pandemic while they made the previously mentioned record-setting profits so All Elite Wrestling will be viewed as an alternative in the industry.

CM Punk AEW debut

You never want to give an opponent bulletin board material.

I'm sure you've heard of the cliches in sports about "bulletin board material," when someone gives their opponent extra motivation and can end up with egg on their face in the process. Being a native of Western Pennsylvania, one famous example of this in steel city sports culture was the 2005 season when the Steelers finally won the "one for the thumb," the fifth Super Bowl championship in franchise history. While they would repeat the process a few years later under Mike Tomlin, the team was in a much different place in 2005. Bill Cowher, who was just inducted into the pro football Hall of Fame a few weeks ago, had nearly a 15-year tenure as the head coach with levels of success, but had yet to secure the elusive Super Bowl ring. The Steelers were a sixth seed that year, putting the odds against them, as they would have to go on the road if they wanted to make it to the Lombardi trophy. As the story goes, the night before the AFC championship game, a battle against division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals, Cowher showed his players a clip of Bengals receiver, T.J. Houshmandzadeh wiping his cleats with the Terrible Towel when the Cincinnati beat Pittsburgh a month earlier. The black and gold towel, a rally item of Steelers fans, is considered mandatory for those that support the team. A quick note side, the concept of the Terrible Towel was invented by the legendary late broadcast Myron Cope, who donated the trademark of the towel to a school for severally handicapped children so every sale of the towel has kept the school funded for years.

For whatever reason, when an opponent insulted the towel in the past, the Steelers were able to make a comeback and win in the biggest game possible. Houshmandzadeh regretted his insult of Cope's towel as the Steelers avenged the regular season defeat with a 31-17 playoff win before they went on to win the Super Bowl that year.

Clearly, Houshmandzadeh shouldn't have given his opponent bulletin board material.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani to promote this weekend's Summer Slam card, Roman Reigns provided some bulletin board material when he spoke on CM Punk, who is set to debut on tonight's edition of Rampage in his hometown of Chicago. Reigns referred to Punk as "people that thought they were better than they actually were" and added that punk "wasn't as over as John Cena" or "didn't move he needle like The Rock."

Joe Anoa'i, the real-life Roman Reigns, seems to be a nice guy, he uses his position as a star in wrestling to help charities, and he's a great representative for WWE. I'm not trying to take anything away from his accomplishments, but his statements about CM Punk are just silly and make him look bad in the interview. I've written entire articles about the misuse of CM Punk in the WWE so there's no reason to repeat every detail here, but just the broad points prove how ridiculous Roman's statement was during the interview. As we know, WWE brass never wanted to run with CM Punk, and even when he had a world heavyweight title run earlier in his WWE tenure, he was often booked in the middle of the card as secondary to the WWE championship. It took Punk legitimately willing to leave the champion when his contract expired in 2011 before the promotion gave him the opportunity to be the top guy. On the flip side, because Roman was the chosen star, management spent years trying to push him as the next John Cena and it completely flopped. Granted, Reigns has done the best work of his career in the past year with the heel turn, but he really shouldn't be the one to comment on who is as good as they might think they are as a draw. How many other wrestlers got a continuous push for 4-5 years the way that Reigns did?

It's ironic that Reigns mentioned that Punk "wasn't as over as John Cena" since he wasn't really given the chance to get to that level. When CM Punk cut the pipe bomb promo, it was the first time in a decade that main stream media outlets were talking about professional wrestling, and as I've said before, the WWE had a chance to make Punk a main stream star, a rare opportunity based on the past two decades of the industry. Punk beat Cena in a tremendous bout at Money in The Bank that year and it was one of the most memorable moments of the modern era. Plus, it proved that John Cena can go bell-to-bell in the ring. But then what did management do? They completely killed off any of the momentum that Punk had from the pipe bomb promo. They had him lose the WWE title a month later and a month after that Triple H pinned him. If the rebel loses to the authority figure and then the member of management goes back into semi-retirement, the narrative is that the corporate team won. You could definitely argue that there was a time when CM Punk was as over as John Cena, but if he wasn't then it was based on the fact that the script was written to make sure it didn't happen.

As far as moving the needle like The Rock, outside of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who is retired from in-ring action, who exactly is going to move the needle like The Rock? Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair can boost ratings for a week, but they are commonly associated with Raw so even the two biggest stars of the previous generation won't move the needle like The Rock. What's ironic is that Roman Reigns won't move the needle like The Rock either.

The bottom line is, Roman Reigns' comments do nothing to help the perception of himself or the WWE. If he's right and CM Punk doesn't move the needle for All Elite Wrestling then it was expected so it's not as though it's an accomplishment for WWE. On the other hand, if CM Punk does move AEW's numbers than Roman has egg on his face for these comments. I doubt Reign's comments will make a difference to CM Punk, but those statements give fans even more of a reason to rally behind AEW as a promotion. Let's be honest here, the WWE is the billion dollar corporation that released dozens of wrestlers during a global pandemic while the company touted record-setting profits on the conference calls. At the very least, despite some of the critics' valid points about AEW, the company has good will with the fans because it seems that Tony Khan genuinely wants to improve the sports entertainment industry.

Dominic DeNucci passed away

Last week, Dominic DeNucci, longtime fixture of the Pittsburgh wrestling scene and notable trainer, passed away at the age of 89. It was a sad addition to the recent deaths in the industry, including Bobby Eaton, who passed the week prior. Still, I wanted to take the time to properly write about DeNucci and opted to wait to write this piece until I had the time to give his career the proper scope.

In truth, particularly because of Mick Foley's New York Times #1 best-selling autobiography, modern fans know the name DeNucci more for his accomplishments as a trainer than his time as an in-ring competitor. That's not to downplay his accomplishments as a wrestler, but rather to point out that because of the lack of video footage from the prime of his career, there simply just wasn't as much material of his bouts available to viewers until the more recent Youtube videos or classic WWE uploads of the past decade. Unfortunately, and this is the case for many of the golden era of the sport, many of Dominic's matches from his prime weren't filmed because sports entertainment was still primarily a "house show business" and with the limits of technology, most of the TV episodes of the time were taped over continuously when a new show was filmed because of the expensive cost of actual tape.

In some respects, specifically until recent years when the previously mentioned Youtube platform made obscure footage more accessible, the lore of DeNucci was known almost more than his in-ring work, but his grappling skills didn't disappoint either. The native of Italy immigrated to Montreal and began in the pro wrestling business in the late-1950s. Being an ethnic star with good agility for his size, especially in that era, DeNucci became a draw for the Italian population in Canada.

Eventually, he settled in Pittsburgh, the same place his fellow countryman, the legendary Bruno Sammartino called home. Of course, their shared heritage made them tag team partners, and because Bruno reached mythical levels among fans, the association elevated the profile of DeNucci as well. It almost sounds trivial to say this, but for two decades throughout the prime of his career, DeNucci zigzagged around the globe as a featured star, often in the role of the supporting cast as a tag team champion. For some grapplers to even have a twenty year career is an accomplishment, but Dominic had those twenty years as his prime, an indication of his athletic ability. As far as his time as a featured star, he worked for a number of years in Australia for the eccentric Jim Barnett's original World Championship Wrestling throughout much of the 1960s. Obviously, he was a staple of Pittsburgh Studio Wrestling, a gem within Western Pennsylvania because of its historical influence on the area. Sadly, because of the technological limits mentioned prior, there's not much surviving footage of those studio shows. Being based on the north east, DeNucci worked extensively for the WWWF throughout the 1970s, winning the tag belts three times, with one occasion  alongside his friend, Bruno.

Another reason that the former tag champion is known more as a trainer is not only his famous students, but also the fact that he retired from full-time wrestling in 1982, the year before the WWF's national expansion so he didn't necessarily get major exposure for a more modern audience until years later. Around that same time, he began to train aspiring wrestlers at a small school in Western, Pennsylvania. As Mick Foley famously detailed in his book, he would drive several hours from his home in Long Island, New York every weekend, sleeping in his car to save money, to attend the school. Other well-known DeNucci students were Pittsburgh natives, "The Franchise" Shane Douglas and the late Brian Hildebrand, who was known as referee Mark Curtis in WCW.

Amazingly, Dominic would continue to wrestle sporadically at independent shows over the years until the age of 80. DeNucci was also universally praised as a nice guy, and the occasion that I met him in February of 2020 is a good example of it. The brisk day, a group of me and some of my wrestling pals, the Folinos, decided to journey to central Pennsylvania for the Big Time Wrestling event, which featured an appearance from Kane and a few other names on the show. I don't know much about Big Time Wrestling other than they promote events in different states and usually bring in a few stars to draw fans for autograph sessions, with an under card of bouts that has mostly local wrestlers. On this particular night in Altoona, PA Kane was joined by Bully Ray and Shane Douglas, who brought along his trainer to greet the fans. Tom Brandi was there dressed up as The Patriot, but let's focus on the good stuff.

After meeting Kane, who laughed when I asked him when he was going to run for president, and Bully Ray, who was a nice guy as well, our group found the place where Douglas was signing. I've met The Franchise a few times over the years and he's always very polite. I noticed Dominic was at a table with a myriad of pictures and it looked as though he might've brought extra just to clear some space. Shane was signing autographs for $20 so I walked up to Dominic and asked if he would sign a photo for me. Given his age, he carefully and slowly put his name on the picture with a level of penmanship not often seen at signings. I went to give him a $20, as I assumed he was the same price as Douglas. In his trademark accent he said "no, no, too much." At this point, I was confused because I had never seen a wrestler refused money when offered. I said, "Dominic, I appreciate the autograph, I gotta give you some money for it." I tried a $10 bill and with a chuckle he said, "okay, okay." I said thank you and he thanked me for saying hello. In truth, I'm not sure if Dominic was even charging for autographs, but his humble nature speaks volumes as to why you won't find anyone that will say anything negative about him. I took a picture with him and was happy that I had the chance to meet him, especially because of his status among Pittsburgh history.

Ric Flair appears at Triplemania

Less than two weeks after his abrupt release from WWE, Ric Flair appeared at AAA's signature event, Triplemania in Mexico to be in the corner of Andrade, who is engaged to Charlotte, the daughter of the former 16-time champion. On the surface, this might look like more of a PR move for AAA to grab some buzz, but the chaos within the management of the organization, details that very few reading this would care to know, has more or less minimized the company's standing from an international prospective. AAA, a group with a very storied history, attempted to break into the US market on a more main stream scale over the years, but it always falls flat and usually results from lack of leadership. Within recent months, the previous attempts at expansion, including the Lucha Underground project that fizzled out rather quickly, were the subject of lawsuits over the rights of each project.

In short, a Ric Flair appearance in Mexico does more for the key figures involved in the specific match than it does for AAA as a promotion.

However, the appearance is newsworthy because it gives a clear indication of his post-WWE plans and the domino effect it might have around the wrestling world. Being his future son-in-law, it makes sense that Andrade would have Flair in his corner, but will that translate to All Elite Wrestling? Again, it makes sense, but a lot of it depends on the other moving parts with the organization, particularly its already extensive non-wrestler roster. As I mentioned in an article about Ric Flair's release, it was reported by The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer that Flair had a lucrative contract with WWE, an agreement he re-signed in January 2020 after he officially rejoined the company the previous year. Assuming that Flair did have a major contract, the only logical reason for him to request a release is for bigger money elsewhere, and that's nothing wrong with that, that's capitalism. That being said, the only place to get better cash than WWE in the sports entertainment industry is AEW, at least for certain talents. Also as I discussed in the previous write-up, you have to respect the work ethic of Flair in the ring and he was undoubtedly one of the hardest-working performers in the history of the business. You simply won't find a match where Flair mailed in a performance or took a night off after the bell rang for a paying audience. That said, Flair's financial decisions weren't exactly at the level of his wrestling skills so sadly, even at 72, he can still use the biggest paydays possible. Again, The Nature Boy's financial problems are well-documented and if he can still get big money in pro wrestling at his age, he should take it.

Of course, the next question is, how will All Elite utilize Ric Flair, specifically in a way that will justify a hefty contract? That could be either through direct revenue or the intrinsic value of brand awareness that he can generate from a PR standpoint.

After the news of Flair's release from WWE, Hall of Famer, Booker T speculated on his podcast that Flair might get back in the ring again, saying that Ric isn't a managerial guy. On one hand, Booker is right because with as much passion as Ric has for the business, it's doubtful he will be content just at ringside. For example, even during his Triplemania appearance, he was physically involved in the match, throwing chops at Kenny Omega in the ring. As we known from his ill-fated TNA stint, Flair as AJ Styles' manager was a concept that was solid in theory, but lacked in application. While AJ is really solid on promos now, more than a decade ago, trying to put him in a robe with Ric Flair on the mic only allowed the legendary grappler to unintentionally overshadow one of the top stars in TNA at the time. That being said, nobody wants to see Ric Flair back in the ring as an active wrestler, particularly after his health scare a few years ago. In some ways, it would almost be irresponsible for a company to book him as a wrestler after the life-threatening illness in 2017.

Granted, Flair was still an active wrestler in TNA during the time that he was alongside Styles so maybe a manager role would be more useful now because he has a different mindset toward the sport. It's very possible that Triplemania could've been a preview of Flair's role in AEW, depending on how much the company truly wants to invest in Andrade. The Mexican star only had one match so far in All Elite and with the news of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk on the horizon, he's not a main part of the AEW conversation. If Tony Khan views Andrade as a potential major star for the organization in the future, and the lucha star has the skills for it, then it makes sense to pair him with Flair after The Nature Boy arrives in AEW.

Where that puts Chavo Guerrero, who showed up not too long ago, is a completely different question. This isn't a jab against Chavo, but why exactly is he being used as a manager? Again, if Chavo can get a payday from AEW then good for him, that's capitalism. But, it's not as though he was known for his mic skills throughout his career. Sometimes, signing former WWE stars just to get the social media moment of signing another WWE star isn't worth it because if there's not something useful for that particular talent to do then what's the point? Obviously, if Flair is paired with Andrade then there's not really a reason for Chavo to also be involved.

That speaks to a different situation, with the addition of Ric Flair, regardless of who he's used as a manager for, it's another addition that could lower the importance of other non-wrestlers in the company. For example, theoretically, Jake Roberts on a show to cut promos is a great concept, but what money promos has Jake had the chance to cut in recent months? Granted, maybe Tony Khan signs some of these legends as a show of respect, which is fine to a certain extent, but there's also the business reality of the situation. Despite the debut of Rampage as a second television show, the argument could still be made that there are way too many people on the roster. Yes, I know there are two Youtube shows, but those are more or less cannon fodder in the grand scheme of things.

Speaking of the grand scheme of things, while this Triplemania appearence basically confirms that Flair will surface in All Elite, it makes you wonder how Tony Khan will utilize the major talent that will join the company within the next few months and more importantly, if the way those talents are utilized will be effective to continue to solidify the company in the industry.

AEW live

After a global pandemic and almost two years, All Elite Wrestling brought Dynamite back to Pittsburgh, a city known almost as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced. Similar to the initial Dynamite event in Pittsburgh, I had tickets to the show yesterday and went to the event with one of my wrestling pals, the great Pat MacLaughlin. As we know, the company returns to the Peterson Event Center, the venue that hosts Pitt Panthers basketball, tomorrow night for the debut edition of Rampage. Before the world shut down, AEW ran its forth episode of Dynamite in the steel city and we were there in October of 2019 for the event that primarily featured some stellar tag matches that were a part of the original tag team title tournament. Despite being past his prime, Mac is older and wiser, and he's a mentor that has helped me a lot. With permission from Mrs. Mac, the real boss of the family, Pat and I departed from the suburbs of Western Pennsylvania toward the city at around 5:45 PM with the hope that most rush hour traffic wouldn't be in the direction of event.

Ironically, the thirty minute commute to the building went smooth and there were no obscene gestures exchanged because of road rage. However, finding a place to park was about as difficult as trying to make sense of Vince Russo's WCW booking in 2000. Those that follow me on Twitter might see an occasional reference to it, but I have a physical disability, which is something that being a fan of professional wrestling has helped me deal with throughout my life, but that's a different discussion for a different time. The point being, spring boards and dives aren't my strong suite. Mac was nice enough to call ahead to find out where the nearest handicapped parking lot was to the venue so that I had minimal walking to do before I witnessed the action on TNT. So, with a Red Bull, the tickets, a mask, and the handicapped parking tag, (Side note, if you park in a handicapped spot without a valid reason, you deserve to be chased by Nick Gage with a pizza cutter) I was prepared for Dynamite. Unfortunately, we asked three parking attendants in three different locations and were given three different answers about the status of accessible parking. Two of these fellows didn't appear to want to look up from their phones, with one replying, "none" while the yokel at the next place gave us directions to a non-existent parking garage. The other attendant gave us some useful information, but traffic barriers made it impossible to actually get to the lot. As the Royal Rumble of cars continued, a nice police officer pointed us in the direction of a garage, but it wasn't close to the venue. Finally, we settled on a place to park because we had a better chance of winning the power ball than finding the rumored handicapped parking Mac was told about on the phone. So, we had to walk a few blocks, and it was like watching six hours of Great Khali matches, you will survive, but it won't be fun. But, walking a few blocks and up a few flights of steps are worth it in the name of the prosperity of pro wrestling, right?

We arrived at our lower level seats, a section right next to the floor that had a close view, during the Joey Janela/Alan Angels bout that was taped for Dark. I won't discuss too much detail about the taped matches in case those reading this don't want to know the results. Just as we sat down, I was surprised to see the great Mike Sorg, video producer for some of the local events that I do commentary for, sitting in the row behind us. Sorg mentioned to me that The Mane Event, the Pittsburgh-based tag team of Ganon Jones and Duke Davis, opened the show with a match taped a later broadcast, I'm not sure what Youtube show it was for though. I've been fortunate enough to be able to call many of their matches on the local scene, and they are top talent. For my money, Duke and Ganon are the best unsigned team on the independent circuit today, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if they land a contract somewhere. The majority of the bouts taped before the live broadcast were basically just squash matches so there's not too much to detail, but Pac had a match and his athleticism is incredible. The way he can make a dive look so effortless is poetry in motion. The legendary Jim Ross got a great ovation from the crowd when he was introduced to the fans before the show went on the air.

The opening six man tag with The Elite vs. The Sydals and Dante Martin was fun. Granted with their status as champions and the build toward the pay-per-view, the result wasn't in doubt, but the bout had a lot of action so it was a good way to start the show. Side note, being as close as our seats were to the floor and the stage, the heat from the pyro is something that will surprise you being live at the event. Also, there was an occasion during the course of the night when the unexpected pyro surprised me and I almost fumbled a $5 bottle of Sprite. Thankfully, the expensive beverage was sparred. Something to take note from this match, while it's disappointing that Darius is injured, Dante is a very talented athlete. He would have to continue to develop as an overall performer, but assuming that he continues to learn the finer points of the craft, he has the ability to be a star for the organization in a few years. The Elite got the win, and Christian got a solid reaction from the crowd when he interrupted the stable.

The promo that set up the Impact world title match became somewhat of the theme of the night. It wasn't intentional or a lack of effort from anyone of the card, but rather the logistics of the event. This particular episode of Dynamite was used more to promote upcoming events than major happenings on this specific show. If I had to guess I'd say it's an unintentional consequence of the few weeks before of a Texas death match, the wild Gage-Jericho bout, Juvi's appearence, and then the build for the arrival of CM Punk next week. The Pittsburgh Dynamite unintentionally got sandwiched between all of that so despite being prime time, it was clearly the "B-show." for the Pittsburgh market. That's more an indication of the show's importance in the grand scheme of things, not a jab against the quality of the matches.

Daniel Garcia vs. Darby Allin was a good in-ring bout, but the live crowd didn't seem too familiar with Garcia. Another type of unintended consequence so to speak, is that right now might not be the best time to introduce new talent to the television audience, specifically because with the upcoming arrival of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, it will be very easy for newer wrestlers to get overshadowed or lost in the shuffle. Similar to the opening match, this bout seemed more like a showcase match for Darby and didn't really have anything at stake in terms of rankings or progress with the product.

There was another six man tag on the card with Orange Cassidy, Wheeler Yuta, and Chuck Taylor vs. The Hardy Family Office. Orange Cassidy got a MAJOR reaction from the crowd, and he was one of the most popular performers on the show. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but I'd say that critics of Orange Cassidy are misguided. His style or presentation might not be for everyone, but when a performer is that popular and generates that type of reaction then it will draw money. With as popular as he is, it's fair to say that Cassidy has a lot more to do in AEW and when he eventually gets a bigger spot on the crowd, the fan base will want to see him be successful, which is a trait of an over babyface. Similar to the opener, this match had a lot of action and was a fun contest. Matt Hardy got the win.

Nyla Rose vs. Kris Statlander was an entertaining contest and both seem to have evolved as performers during their time in AEW. This is meant as a complete compliment, but Nyla's inexperience on television showed through occasionally during her early work in AEW, but you can really see how the valuable chance to work in front of cameras on a regular basis has polished her skills. Statlander got the victory with an impressive 450 splash, and considering her ability, it's safe to say that she has a bright future in the women's division.

The Impact tag title match was fine, but nothing too spectacular. The crowd didn't seem too invested in the result of the Impact belts, but The Dark Order got a nice reaction. That being said, I think the main reason for the initial lack of response to the tag titles was more based on the fact that the crossover is tailored to the television audience instead of the live crowd. The Good Brothers retained the belts.

Britt Baker did an in-ring promo, and the biggest takeaway from this segment is that Baker is undoubtedly a star. She got possibly the biggest crowd reaction, second only to maybe Chris Jericho in the main event. Similar to Nyla and Statlander, you can really see how the experience of working on TV allowed Baker to polish her skills. In my opinion, Britt Baker might just be at the start of the prime of her career so as long as she can avoid major injury, she has an extremely bright future in AEW. The Red Velvet confrontation was another example of this particular episode being used more to promote upcoming events than anything else.

I understand the point of the Tony Schiavone/QT Marshal segment, but it was basically just cannon fodder. Generally, The Factory as a stable is a direct example of when there are too many wrestlers on the roster and the group got lost in the shuffle.

The main event was basic, but very entertaining, and as mentioned, Chris Jericho was the biggest star on the show. Walking the few blocks, up the steps outside of the venue, and then down the steps inside the venue was tough, but getting to be a part of the entire building singing the Judas lyrics made it worth it because it was such a fun experience. The world has been divided and crazy the past year and a half so it was nice to see even a brief moment of unity for an entire arena of fans. Jericho won to set up the match against MJF next week.

The night finished up with two more matches taped for Dark and then an off-the-air promo from Eddie Kingston. Kingston is one of my favorite wrestlers so it would've been cool to see him in a match, but at least there was an appearance. Overall, there wasn't a bad match on the card and it was a really fun experience. We won't be at Rampage because schedule conflicts, but the first two weeks of the Friday night show are definitely "must watch" television. If there was a negative to the episode of Dynamite in Pittsburgh it was that names like Cody, Malakai Black, FTR, Adam Page, Jon Moxley, Santana, Ortiz, or Andrade weren't there live. Still, the show was fun and that's the point of pro wrestling, right?

Speed review

The write-ups I did for the site previously usually had a specific theme to them, and it was often a film I watched with my dad in my earlier years. The "Mr. Braddock" classics, movies usually taped off of HBO before digital cable brought so much content on-demand, were a collection of old school movies that I would watch with him. These late-night screenings included A Bronx Tale, Cool Hand Luke, The Hustler, or a myriad of other movies from a previous era. I'd sit on the couch with a snack and a can of Coca-Cola, while my dad was in his recliner chair with fancy chocolate that I don't know how to pronounce the name of and a freshly-brewed cup of coffee. Aside from the fact that he worked the night shift for years before he retired, I still don't know why he drinks coffee at midnight.

On the flip side, the film I'm going to discuss now is more because of random chance as I found it shown on one of the various HBO channels on a semi-regular basis during recent insomnia.

Speed, the 1994 blockbuster that raked in big bucks at the box office, follows an officer's pursuit of a bus that was armed with a bomb that would activate after the bus goes above 50 MPH and then explode if it drops below 50 MPH, but how could the narrative of the film be told within just the parameters of the bus?

That was a task for Canadian screenwriter, Graham Yost, who was inspired with the concept based on the 1985 film Runaway Train. Yost, who has an accomplished list of work on his resume within the action genre, also wrote Broken Arrow after the success of Speed, as well as TV projects in more recent years. Yost was paired with Jan De Bont, who made his directorial debut with Speed, and the duo originally pitched the script to Paramount Pictures. De Bont had experience with action flicks, working on numerous projects such as Die Hard, The Hunt For Red October, and an installment of the Lethal Weapon franchise. Initially, it looked like the film would be picked up by Paramount, but the company eventually declined before Twentieth Century Fox green-lit the movie for production in the latter half of 1993.

Aside from a clever screenplay, in retrospect you can see why the movie was such a success, as it brought an all-star cast to the table, even if the majority of their resumes wouldn't play out until after its release. Yost's fellow Canadian, Keanu Reeves was cast as the main protagonist, and Speed provides an interesting snapshot of his career. Perhaps, it was because his first hit film was Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, where  Reeves' played a dim-witted character, but his deliver of dialogue through the first half of his career was wooden, and there are instances of that in Speed. Still, it's intriguing to see how he evolved as an actor with the roles in The Matrix, a franchise that spanned a trilogy, and John Wick, a film series that will have its fourth installment next year.

The opening scenes of the film create a sense of suspense that is a theme throughout it, as office workers, seemingly caught up in the rat race of life, jam themselves into an elevator to get away from the stress of work as quickly as possible. In what should've been a cramped, but quick ride to the ground floor, the passengers end up trapped when Dennis Hopper's Howard Payne, a disgruntled former member of the bomb squad, blows up the steel cables that lower the elevator. Intent on vengeance because he was shuffled into retirement after an explosion on the job disfigured his hand, Payne demanded $3 million in cash or he would detonate the emergency brake, sending the elevator crashing down two dozen floors. Hooper, an acting legend that had over five decades in the industry, played the psychopathic Payne perfectly. Payne was crazy, but calculating and that's what made him so dangerous. He wasn't a lunatic with an axe, but rather a snake that would patiently wait for the right opportunity to strike, adding another layer of suspense to the film. Maybe Hopper drew on prior life experience for the mindset of this role, as his early career was plagued with serious drug use, and included a bizarre story about his involvement with dynamite during a stunt show. He went to rehab shortly afterwards and eventually continued his legendary career.

Howard Payne, being the maniac that he was, disguised himself as a maintenance man in the freight elevators so that he could listen in for any potential rescue attempts. Reeves' character, Jack Traven is an ambitious cop that takes the lead on even dangerous situations in the name of what's right, another trait of a worthy protagonist. Traven is joined by his older and wiser partner, Harry Temple, played by Jeff Daniels. It seems like Daniels' work in Speed is sometimes unintentionally overlooked because the comedy hit, Dumb and Dumber was released the same year. Obviously, Daniels work alongside Jim Carrey is completely on the other end of the spectrum of the role of a character on the bomb squad so the audience might not realize the depth of Daniels' role as Temple until it's reexamined. In many ways, Harry is the word of caution that keeps Traven safe in environments where there's not much room for error, a dynamic that would be relevant later in the film. Jack and Harry bought some time when they used nearby construction equipment on the roof of the building to attempt to secure the elevator in case the negotiators couldn't put together the ransom within the time they have left. The heroes didn't know that Payne could listen in and he detonated the safety lines. The elevator dangles perilously, and the swat team just barley rescues the passengers before the elevator drops to the ground floor. Everyone is saved, but Jack knows something is up and wants to investigate the freight elevators. They find Payne, who is armed with a shot gun and another bomb strapped to his chest. At one point, he takes Harry hostage. Temple tells his pal to "shoot the hostage," the answer to a hypothetical scenario they causally reviewed earlier when they inspected the building. Traven puts a bullet in Temple's leg, sending him to the floor, but removing the human shield that protected the villain. With a maniacal laugh, Payne walks through a door and seconds later, an explosion launches Jack into the other side of the wall.

A few weeks later, Harry and Jack are among the offices that are awarded medals of honor for their bravery. Harry, who will be regulated to desk duty because of his injuries, respectfully limps across the stage with a cane to accept the honor. Just when it seems like victory is declared for the good guys, the viewers see someone watching the broadcast of the ceremony on television, clapping with one of their hands mangled. Payne, who the police assumed took his own life with the blast during his attempted escape with Harry hostage, seemed amused that he went under the radar. Unaware that the villain was not only watching, but planning his next move, the police force goes to a bar after the ceremony to celebrate. Joe Morton plays Lt. Mac, who joined his co-workers at the bar, but the joyous occasion is interrupted when Harry explains to Jack how close there were to being killed. Jack emphasized the victory, but with a tone of concern and sincerity, Harry says, "I'm not always going to be there to back you up, guts will get you so far and then it will get you killed" With Temple on desk duty with no idea when or if he will be back in the field again, he expressed concern for his friend. Harry stumbles away drunk, but the evening is considered a success.

The next morning, we find Jack at a local shop getting breakfast and greeting those there. Everyone knows each other and that's what makes the next plot twist slightly more impactful. As Jack says "see ya later, Bob" before the bus driver goes back to his usual route, he goes to get into his car, narrowly missing the blast as the bus explodes, killing everyone on it. As the flames burst into the sky, a nearby pay phone (remember those?) rings, and Traven is stunned when he hears the voice of the sinister Payne on the line. The bomber informs him of the bus that will be armed when he goes above 50 MPH and detonate if it goes under 50 MPH. The next few scenes provide a tense cat-and-mouse scenario where Traven tried to alert the bus driver on the freeway before it reaches 50 and then the objective instantly switches to tell the driver to stay above 50 MPH. The music throughout these scenes emphasizes the suspense and danger. The music selection was effective, as it won an Academy Award for best sound and best sound editing.

Traven finds his way on by leaping from a moving car and informs the bus driver to stay above 50 before he tries to calmly tell the passengers he's a cop. One of the riders of the bus thinks Jack is there to arrest him and aims a gun at the officer. When a fellow passenger attempts to help wrestle away the firearm, the bus driver is accidentally shot in the scuffle. Sandra Bullock's Anne jumped into the driver seat and also the role of one of the main characters, steering the runaway bus back into the middle of the lane on the highway. Ironically, Anne informs Jack that the reason she rode the bus was because her license was temporarily suspended for speeding.

How the narrative takes place with a bus as the main setting was the primary challenge of the film, something that Yost decided to solve with brief, but often cutaways to others within the story. For example, Harry, still a little hungover from the night before, answers Jack's call at his desk when his partner informs him that the bomber is still alive. While Jack tries to handle the situation on the bus, specifically trying to tell Anne the best way to navigate through traffic, Harry was tasked with trying to find out exactly who the bomber is. Plus, Lt. Mac joins in as a police escort finds the location of the bus and attempts to look for a safe place for the bus to go that would keep it above 50 MPH. Being mindful of his ultimate goal, Howard Payne calls the police and gets the number for the cell phone Jack has with him to set in motion negotiations for a payoff. Traven gets permission from the eccentric bomb to unload the injured driver, but Payne warns against anything else. As the driver is transferred across a panel connected to a police truck, a terrified passenger tries to leave as well. With news helicopters following the incident, Payne sees this and detonates a small bomb under the steps of the bus, sending the woman under the wheels. It was a direct warning that Payne is willing to lose the chance at the money if he has to blow up the bus.

Thankfully, Lt. Mac guides Jack and Anne toward an empty freeway so that traffic won't be a hurdle. At the same time, Harry makes progress with the search for the identity of the bomber, wondering if the police files are worth a look because the bomber is so proficient with explosives. Jack had a chance to look under the access panel of the bus to get a look at the bomb and was shocked to see the amount of C4 attached to the bus with a gold watch as a timer. As usual, Harry was an advisor for Jack as they were on the phone to discuss the details of the bomb. Temple was able to tell Traven exactly what not to do to set off the explosive, another example of Harry as the word of caution in the film. The shots of Harry at his desk and Traven on the bus not only provide some visual variety, but again emphasize their team effort.

Of course an empty highway wasn't going to be the solution to the problem, and the police saw that a section of the road was unfinished so the bus would have to make the jump. Scale models were used for some sequences in the film, including some of the elevator shaft shots, but the bus did actually make a jump, even if it wasn't over an actual gap. If you watch the famous jump scene, the top of the vehicle actually goes out of frame because the production crew didn't expect the bus to get the height. Anne was able to land the bus, keeping it above 50 and the passengers survived. After the jump, Jack sees quite literally a sign of hope when he realizes they are near the airport and the bus turns toward an empty air strip. The news helicopters couldn't fly around the air port so it gave the police so room to attempt to disarm the bomb. Running out of time and options, Jack makes a deal with Payne over the phone to allow him to get off the bus temporarily to meet with negotiators. Payne agreed to a brief exit, but assures Traven there are eyes on him, which Jack assumes is another references to the news choppers. Jack's actual objective is to try to disarm the bomb, and he uses a sliding board attached to a tow truck to make his way under the bus while it's still moving on the air strip. Harry is shown frantically flipping through files before he answer the phone to consult with Traven to disarm the explosive. The bomb is wired to explode if it's tampered with, but thankfully, just as Jack realizes there isn't a way to get the bomb off the vehicle, Temple gets the news that the bomber is Howard Payne, and the watch on the bomb was Payne's retirement gift from the police force after his hand was injured. Harry tells his pal to get back to the bus and the swat team would find Payne at his home. Harry, refusing to stay behind, quickly limps out of the office with the rest of the team. As the swat team surrounds the house, Harry quietly makes his way inside, and they carefully look for Payne. As Harry goes into the living room, a smoke alarm beeps, and Harry knows the house was rigged to explode if anyone entered. The house blows up, killing Temple and members of the swat team.

Jack receives a call and expects to hear good news from Harry, but instead it's Payne to tell Traven that his friend is dead. Always ambitious, Jack finally snaps, violently smashing the dash board of the bus before he swears vengeance against the bomber. Anne comforts Jack and assures him that they can make it through it. As Traven finally calms down, he realizes that Payne can see the bus and notices the security camera above Anne, which is what the bomber meant when he said their were eyes on Traven. Payne has a feed from the camera to his hide out to keep track of any rescue attempts. Traven gives the information to Lt. Mac, who resourcefully gets a news crew to intercept the signal and record a minute of generic footage so that Payne won't have access to a live feed of the bus.

Finally, the police can shuffle the passengers onto an airport shuttle bus. Jack and Anne secure the steering wheel and use an access panel to slide to safety, with Jack clutching her to protect her during the slide into traffic cones. The bus dropped below 50 MPH and exploded as it hit an empty air plane.

The day is saved, right?

Not exactly, and Payne was still unaware that he didn't have a live feed of the bus so he didn't know it blew up. He contacted police again to inquire about the ransom. A sting is set up with the money placed in a trash can at a corner in the city. Before he goes to collect the cash, Payne notices that his feed isn't live and improvises to collect the cash. As Anne is getting checked by paramedics, she unknowingly talks to Payne, who is dressed up in his old uniform so he blends into the crowd of officers. Jack, watching from a stake out position, knows something is wrong and runs toward the trash can to discover that Payne already took the ransom money. Traven tracks the bomb toward the subway system and realizes that he took Anne hostage with a bomb strapped to her. Payne takes Anne on the subway and demands Traven stay behind. Jack eventually jumps onto the top of the subway car to try to rescue Anne. Payne handcuffs her to a subway pole and reveals that he will use the explosion from the bomb strapped to her as a distraction so he can escape with the cash. When Payne hears Jack on the roof, he opens the bag of money and a dye pack sprays ink all over the cash, ruining Payne's chance to spend it. Furious that his plan to collect the cash is ruined, Payne runs with a gun to confront Traven on the roof of the subway car. A struggle ensues and eventually, the hero pushes Payne's head into a signal light, beheading the villain. Jack finds Anne and disarms the bomb strapped to her, but doesn't have the key to uncuff her from the pole. The subway track isn't finished so Traven decides to speed it up, another sense of irony, and shields Anne again. The train car crashes onto the street, but Jack and Anne are fine. The took embrace and kiss as the crowd that gathered after the crash applauses the nice moment.

Speed brought in $350 million at the box office with a $30 million budget so it was a major success. That said, the film itself doesn't really have anything complex or profound, and it didn't need to contain any of that to be successful. If anything, speed underscores that a simple, well-told story with a talented cast can be very effective. There are simple elements of action, drama, suspense, and a love story that make the film work on a number of levels. Speed wasn't Casablanca or Gone with the Wind, but it effectively used simple storytelling to be very successful at the box office.

NXT releases

The headlines continue this week in the world of professional wrestling, as 12 wrestlers from the NXT roster were released, the latest round of cuts that are designed to trim the budget and pad the profit margin. The rumor mill suggests that the releases over the past several months, most recently the exit of Bray Wyatt, are based on the recommendations of WWE executive, Nick Khan, who worked on the Peacock deal to secure the company an estimated $1 billion contract to give the streaming rights to NBC for five years. Within the past few years, particularly since the organization signed their massive TV contracts with USA and Fox respectively, an opportunity that was there more because of the climate of the television business than a demand for sports entertainment, the "corporate approach" had a noticeable effect on the on-screen product. We've discussed it previously, but it's much easier to book Bill Goldberg for a pay-per-view, another way to get the short-end money on the table, than it is to build a legitimate money-drawing star. The theory of short-end money is a continuous theme because it seems like WWE brass is trying to cash-in now to boost the stock price without anything to build for the future. An example being the controversial Saudi shows, where the Saudi government is willing to pay millions of dollars for stars of the past, and that payoff increases the company's profitability so it looks great for the shareholders. On-screen, the angles on television become disjointed because random storylines are shoehorned into the program and require the investment of TV time just to accommodate the Saudi shows. The result is, it's a great deal for the older talent that make the big paydays from the Saudis and the company because it helps the stock price, but it doesn't do anything to build for the future.

I've said it many times, it's ironic that the WWE arguably has the best roster in the history of the company in terms of in-ring talent, but might be at a near all-time low as far as star power. You have to ask, who legitimately moves the needle on the current WWE roster? Roman Reigns to some level, but nothing earth-shattering. Take into account that management brought in Goldberg and John Cena for the Summer Slam event that will be held at the 65,000-set stadium. Realistically, who on the full-time roster could sell that number of tickets?

This is why the "corporate approach" to professional wrestling hasn't worked, and World Championship Wrestling is the prime example of it, but WWE developed some of the same pattern.

A corporate suit will just look at the numbers on the page and attempt to determine the entire measure of success. Professional wrestling, despite its legitimate athleticism, isn't as cut and dry as other consumer products. The WWE product isn't as simple as how many cans of Coca-Cola or Pepsi were sold this month. Similar to another forms of entertainment, pro wrestling has a level of an art form to it and there are certain intangibles that translate to drawing revenue. Robert De Niro is a main event draw, while Rob Schneider gets squashed in the opening dark match so it spans across the board of entertainment that commodities aren't interchangeable parts. Unfortunately, as I've talked about the past few years, too often, particularly with the infamous 50/50 booking style, the vast majority of the WWE roster are used as interchangeable figures because the brand is promoted a head of any individual star. That looks great for the stock portfolio, but it creates a ceiling for how over any specific competitor can get on the roster and thus the revenue they could draw for the company.

It's very disappointing, but these NXT releases were nothing more than a way to add to the profit margin so it's not really a statement about the talent of any of the athletes. There were a dozen wrestlers fired, but the majority of them weren't really given a chance to do much within the WWE system so again, their time in WWE isn't necessarily an accurate assessment of their ability. Ari Sterling, who made his name on the independent circuit as Alex Zayne, is an incredible athlete, but his time on 205 Live had as much exposure as the witness protection program so did he really get a chance to make a name for himself in WWE? Bronson Reed was the NXT North American champion just over a month ago, why release him after the company invested the TV time to push him as one of the featured wrestlers on the brand? Bobby Fish is a very good in-ring worker, but had some injuries and considering his age, he might be near the conclusion of his career. Mercedes Martinez is an absolute pro and deserved a better chance than what she had during her stint in WWE. The association with the infamous Retribution stable did nothing to help her career. Molly Holly was recently hired as a producer for the company, and considering her experience, Martinez would probably work well in the role, too.

Again, the majority of the names releases were just names on a paper, and that broad approach leads to missed opportunities and underutilized talent. Attempting to run a company with the ideological that wrestlers are just interchangeable names on the card was the Jim Herd approach in WCW and we all know how well that theory worked for the former Pizza Hut executive. The biggest point to be made here is with all these cuts designed just to add to the profit margin, you have to wonder how much is the WWE risking its future for the easy money now? What happens when the current TV deals expire and the company doesn't have the safety net? Finally, if a dozen wrestlers from the NXT roster can be released, it shows the lack of value and importance the company has for the brand.

The career of Bobby Eaton

Sadly, this week had its share of deaths within the world of professional wrestling, each hitting the industry in its own way. Bert Prentice, a relatively small-scale, but longtime promoter within the Memphis area, particularly after the territory's heyday, passed away. Jody Hamilton, known for decades as the Assassin, died at the age of 82. Besides his more than 30 years as an in-ring performer, Hamilton spent several years afterwards as a trainer for some stars that would go on to become national names. Unfortunately, the day after Hamilton's death, it was announced that the legendary "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton passed away as well.

Breaking into the business at just 17, Eaton was known as one of the best in-ring performers of not only his generation, but in the history of the industry. Everything Eaton did inside the ring ropes was crisp and smooth. Quite simply, you won't find a subpar Eaton match, and there are very few performers you can say that about in the sport. Of course, "Beautiful" Bobby is most remembered for his run as a tag team in The Midnight Express alongside either "Lover Boy" Dennis Condrey or "Sweet" Stan Lane with Jim Cornette as their manager. Eaton was rightfully praised for his ability in the ring, both for his ability to make his opponents look good and for how solid his matches were throughout his career on social media.

Since his reputation is so well-known and those that knew him personally have pointed out his stellar skills, I thought I'd use this article to instead discuss the time that I met the legendary original tag team, especially because it underscores what so many have said about Eaton, he was such a nice guy.

In December of 2004, it was around the time that Condrey and Eaton were booked together for their original reunion tour, a pairing that became more common in recent years through conventions. However, at the time, this chance to see Condrey and Eaton was considered very rare, as most assumed their reunion through the independents would be the only chance to see them back in the ring together. A few months earlier, Ring Of Honor, still independently-owned at the time, booked a reunion appearance, and it was confirmation that Condrey, who famously left the industry without much word on two different occasions, actually was going to be a part of a reunion tour.

The blustery night I met the legendary duo was at an International Wrestling Cartel show, promoted at the time by Norm Connors, one of the godfathers of the Pittsburgh independent scene. The event was held at the Wilmerding YMCA in Western Pennsylvania. The Midnight Express were scheduled to challenge Southern Comfort, the team of Tracy Smothers and Chris Hamrick for the IWC tag team titles. Ironically, there was a stellar match that Tracy had as one of the Southern Boys against the pairing of Eaton and Lane in 1990. The late Tracy Smothers was such an underrated gem of the industry and much of the same could be said for Hamrick, who despite great skills, was just never at the right place at the right time to have a major run.

I was 15 at the time of the event, and my dad was nice enough to take me to the show, along with a disposable camera. An eighth degree black belt in Braddock Jiu-Jitsu, my dad followed pro wrestling in the "Bruno era" of Pittsburgh, but if it's not Sammartino or Superstar Billy Graham, his interest is minimal at best. Basically, he was nice enough to sit through the show so I could be there. In fact, while I didn't keep track of it at the time, there's a decent chance he actually spent more time during the show smoking a cigarette just outside the doors of the venue than actually watching matches inside the building. While, the Midnight Express reunion was the top drawing card that night, the rest of the line-up was solid as well. AJ Styles had a really good match against CM Punk, Pittsburgh legend Shirley Doe had a fun brawl with Balls Mahoney, and there were a few other known names.

We arrived at the show and after found our second row seats, my dad decided it was time for a pre-show cigarette break while I got in line to meet The Midnight Express. Keep in mind, there was 2004 so there weren't streaming services with thousands of hours of content on-demand. However, I had seen Midnight Express matches and knew of their accomplishments. In some ways, there was almost a mystic at the time to see the two grapplers sitting next to each other because it was so well-known that Condrey abruptly quit the industry years earlier. When I got to their table, I had a PWI magazine from the 80s and asked the team if they would sign it. I asked, "how much for an autograph?" Bobby Eaton said, "on your book? Nothin' we can sign this for you" I thanked him and mentioned that on page 53, there was an article about them. Eaton replied, "page 53, huh?" He flipped to the page and showed Condrey, who also signed the cover of the magazine. I thanked both of them, and Condrey replied with, "thank you, buddy." It genuinely seemed like they were happy that fans were enthusiastic to meet them, and as simplistic as it might sound, both of them were just so nice in-person. There are countless "grizzled vets" of the 80s that charge ridiculous amounts of money for signatures, but Eaton and Condrey didn't. I was going to get a picture with the legendary team, but when I was in line, I realized that my dad, along with his cigarettes, had the disposable camera outside so sadly, I don't have a photo with them.

The actual match between The Midnight Express and Southern Comfort was really fun, even if Condrey and Eaton weren't quite as fast as in their prime. Since it was a reunion tour and Southern Comfort were regulars at IWC, I assumed the champions would retain as this was probably a one-off appearance for Condrey and Eaton. Instead, the reuniting Eaton and Condrey won another set of tag titles, shocking the crowd in the process. Promoter, Norm Connors' reaction was classic, as he looked stunned at the title switch. The team actually made a few more IWC appearances before they dropped the belts around the tile their tour of the independent circuit concluded. Bobby Eaton is known as one of the best in the ring and one of the nicest people outside of it so he definitely had a successful career.