Paul Heyman resigns

The news made the rounds online that Paul Heyman, the special council for Roman Reigns, confirmed that he re-signed with the WWE last year for another long-term agreement with the organization. The confirmation itself shouldn't be all that surprising, considering that even when Heyman was on shaky ground with the sports entertainment empire, he was usually kept under some type of deal to more or less prevent him from working anywhere else.

And that was the smart move.

The former leader of Extreme Championship Wrestling made his mark in the earlier stages of his career by standing ahead of the curve, and thus today he can integrate the old school elements of professional wrestling that were staples of the industry with the corporate sports entertainment environment of today to provide some of the most compelling television of the modern era.

When Paul Heyman speaks, the audience listens.

That is a skill that is often either minimal or sometimes nonexistent in the technology age where the vast majority of the viewing audience is conditioned to consume information in 280 characters or less without the attention span to let the story unfolded.

The WWE essentially erased the role of a manager more than two decades ago and it was even longer than that when managers were given the opportunity to present themselves with a prestigious level of cache. The Grand Wizard assisted "Superstar" Billy Graham when he battled Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF championship because the real-life Ernie Roth had a persona that was associated with major talents that he sold to the public on television. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan provided an instant stamp of approval on his wrestlers that he took to ringside because it gave the audience an indication that they were watching a potential star. The fact that Heenan was the greatest manager of all-time and so entertaining in every aspect of  the industry is what gave him that type of credibility.  The reason behind why managers were basically phased out for many year is, similar to today, when the dynamics of the business shifted in the late-90s when merchandise became such a big piece of the pie when pro wrestling was pop culture, the focus was always on those that could sell that merchandise. Managers sold angles, not t-shirts so when the box office was the primary revenue stream for promotions, the managers had a more integral role in the grand scheme of things. When wrestling t-shirts, mugs, and hats were more common in retail stores, putting the manager front and center wasn't the corporate business strategy.

But, that's not forget that the presence and endorsement of a manager is ultimately a level of credibility for a performer or angle.

Vince McMahon might not want to admit this, particularly when the temporary unification bout is being promoted as "the biggest Wrestlemania match of all time" but Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar is a recycled match that was booked several times already. Sure, it will probably be a very solid main event, but the same could be said for their previous Wrestlemania or other pay-per-view bouts. In many ways, Paul Heyman's mic work is what freshened this feud up so that the publicly-traded corporation could get another run with it at the top of the card. Heyman is the glue that allowed for a new coat of paint to be put on an otherwise "been there, don't that" scenario.

Heyman, who was the head writer for a brief time for Raw a few years ago, remains under contract to the WWE because of not only his ability on the mic, but his skill set to develop talent, something that he was known for as far back as his ECW tenure. Granted, nobody that was put in the position as the head writer of Vince McMahon's shows had much of a chance at success, which is why Heyman was eventually moved to strictly an on-screen talent, and Eric Bischoff barely had a cup of coffee as the head of creative on Smackdown. Those are Vince's shows and the bottom line is, Vince ultimately decides what makes it to the air. Heyman could've had the best angles in the history of the business in mind for a certain talent, but if it's not who Vince thinks can be a star then Heyman's plans are irrelevant. While there might not be a role for Heyman to write an entire show or determine the direction of the product, the fact that he's under the WWE umbrella makes him an asset to the younger talent that the company tries to develop, an aspect that is underscored when 57-year-old Stone Cold Steve Austin is being promoted in a main event spot to sell tickets to the stadium event. Plus, you often hear that Heyman works on the segments with Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns so it should be no surprise that Roman is doing the best work of his career with Heyman alongside him.

Sure, some will cite this as a way to keep Heyman from negotiating with All Elite Wrestling and while that might technically be true, I don't think it really played a role in his new contract. Paul Heyman is in a comfortable spot, making big money, and working with the main event. What else would someone want from their deal? In many ways, the run with Brock and Roman over the past several years was the legacy work of his career because he recaptured the credibility of a manager, by wisely referring to him as anything but a manager, and cut the best promos in the business for the main event angles. This isn't meant as a knock on anyone of the current generation, but it speaks volumes to the skills that are sharpened in an environment where not every word had to be meticulously scripted by 38 writers because Heyman's foundation for promos was honed in the old school "talk them into the building" so his mic work connects with the audience. The audience believes what the advocate for the WWE champion tells them is important because Heyman sounds like he believes it himself. It's more of a confirmation on the mic than a sales pitch to the crowd, which is how you actually draw money with promos. Granted, the WWE is more or less on autopilot for the next few years because the massive TV deals and the major Peacock deal provide record-setting profits with guaranteed money. Technically, it doesn't matter how many viewers there are for Wrestlemania because the company gets paid the same amount of money from Peacock, but it should be noted that the mic work of Paul Heyman is a major reason why another Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns match can be the main event for the company.

The trios division

More recently, particularly with the purchase of Ring Of Honor by Tony Khan, there was more speculation about potential six man or trios tag titles being introduced into All Elite Wrestling. I'm sure some will disagree with me on this, but I find the entire concept to be way more problematic than it's worth, and any possible payoff of another set of championships will be minimal at best.

Advocates for the lucha-inspired belts claim that it will help feature the more of extensive roster under contract, but I would say the much bigger problem is the roster itself. As I've written before, it's legitimately wonderful when a performer can realize their dream of a national contract, but the harsh reality is that not everyone, even those with the talent, will always have a chance to land that major deal. It's just not realistic to showcase dozens of extra talents, and that doesn't take anything away from their ability to perform inside the ring either. Keep in mind, the vast majority of wrestling fans, even those that watch Dynamite every week, have a limited amount of pro wrestling content they are going to watch at any given time. The proof of this is that the ratings for Rampage, by nature the secondary show on the AEW schedule, garners roughly half of the viewership of Dynamite. Granted, there's a very niche demographic of the fan base that will watch as much pro wrestling as possible, but that's the most diehard audience, and quite frankly, AEW's target audience has to be much more broad than that. This is why I mentioned in an article a few weeks ago that the biggest asset from the Ring Of Honor purchase is the video library because in an era when big money is on the table for streaming services, Tony Khan just bought the rights to hundreds of full-length events and episodes of television. The "brand" of ROH in 2022 is minimal at best, which is ultimately why Sinclair Broadcast put the company on hiatus before the sale to Khan. If ROH had effective drawing power, the acquisition of the organization wouldn't even have been a possibility.

So, yes, theoretically, Tony Khan could book a trios title, but what platform does the company showcase this championship? Clearly, Dynamite and Rampage aren't enough time for the extensive roster so unless there are the Youtube shows or ROH events, is there really a place for a trios title among the AEW landscape? Instead of using the bloated roster as an excuse to justify the trios belts, the more logical approach would be to trim down the roster to a more realistic number so that very talented athletes aren't lost in the shuffle. Again, where are Jay Lethal and Miro?

More importantly, by definition, a six man championship dilutes the traditional tag team title belts, especially when you consider that the style of the vast majority of the AEW tag team matches are very similar to the style of the trios matches that have already happened on AEW television so it would become a very repetitive concept.

Furthermore, there are very few times in the history of American pro wrestling that the trios titles as a concept got over with the audience or elevates those that were booked around it. More specific, it was often because the six man title had to be tailored to a certain feud rather than the concept itself. The best example is when the Von Erichs vs. The Free birds rivalry was the peak of the World Class territory, when the six man belts only added to the main event program that drew the best crowds for the organization until it fizzled out in the late-80s.

The simple question is, is there a demand for a trios division?

If a trios division will draw numbers and make bigger stars along the way then it makes sense to introduce the belts, but does the six man tag match have that much notoriety in the United States? Yes, trios matches have an extensive history in Mexico, but realistically, do enough American fans know about that for it to translate to TBS? Ultimately, the six man tag is known for an use to book stars in a filler main event on random episodes of Raw rather than a classic staple of American wrestling. The biggest hurdle for a trios division to matter is that it's almost too "inside baseball" so to speak for the main stream audience. The records kept in pro wrestling are rather flimsy because there will usually be a portion of the roster that ends up with something near a .500 record so they look mediocre in the process. Would adding a "trios record" to the stats really have a purpose or does it became a minuscule detail that most viewers don't put much stock into anyway?

Finally, and as I'm sure you've noticed by now, I'm not in favor of a six man title, and unless AEW would be able to showcase the division in such a way to differentiate it from the traditional tag division then the concept would only lead to diminishing returns across the board. The lucha enthusiastic might see it as a very cool addition to the product, but I think it's extremely important to keep in mind that while All Elite focuses on a pro wrestling presentation rather than selling sports entertainment, which is why it found a place among the landscape of the industry, the goal still has to be to draw the main stream audience. National television, a national touring schedule, merchandise in retail stores, and all the potential revenue streams associated with them are only successful if the company is marketed toward the most main stream audience possible.

The hype for Wrestlemania

The biggest event on the sports entertainment calendar, Wrestlemania will take place next weekend with a two-night event from Dallas, Texas. Despite names like Steve Austin, Roman Reigns, and Brock Lesnar scheduled to appear, some have criticized the build for the pay-per-view. Ironically, the same can be said about WM the past few years as well, but the bigger point is the reason why the signature event of the year seems to be on auto pilot.

It's fair to say that this year's WM build is rather lukewarm at best, but that depends on what you look for at the show.

The "stupendous" Wrestlemania is an event that is based purely on sizzle, not substance, which might be fine. In truth, this formula is a strategy that caters to the stockholders, not the paying audience, an aspect of a publicly traded company that is very ironic in the grand scheme of things. These celebrity appearances, as underwhelming as they might be, are designed to generate publicity from outside of the wrestling demographic, not necessarily to draw more fans.

Within the realm of the weekly program, the fact that a selling point is to see who will have a spot at Wrestlemania is relatively weak, considering there are two shows and at least six hours of programming between them, usually with as many performers shoehorned onto the card as possible. The angle doesn't have much validity because the audience already knows that names like Seth Rollins or Kevin Owens will be on the shows. While I understand why the company wants to give everyone their chance to get on a WM show and of course, get a decent WM payoff, that's what the generic battle royal is for on the kickoff show. Some level of exclusivity gives an atmosphere of prominence to not only the performers, but the pay-per-view itself since the best of the best are theoretically supposed to clash at Wrestlemania.

As far as the actual cards, a quick run through tells the story.

Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch might steal the show on night one if they are given the time to do so. I still don't agree with how abruptly management booked Bianca to drop the title at Summer Slam, and there's no way the company had some type of long term payoff planned when that decision was made, but it makes for a fitting conclusion now if she reclaims the belt. However, the more important booking will be how the office would book her title reign this time since outside of the stellar championship coronation on night one last year, Bianca's stint as champion was undistinguished. Bianca dropped the title and was away from the title conversation very so if she actual wins the championship again, there must be a meaningful angle to cement her status. Assuming Bayley would be cleared to return, a Bayley/Bianca title feud might be the best choice possible.

On the flip side, the Smackdown Women's title feud lacks the intrigue, but brings the sizzle. As I wrote prior to her comeback to the company, I'm not sure how much demand there is for another Ronda Rousey run in the WWE, even for the causal fan base. The whole thing has a "been there, done that" atmosphere to it and her criticism of the audience after her last stint didn't exactly endear her to the core audience either. Ronda's initial time in the square circle garnered headlines because it was something fresh for her, but she was already on the decline in terms of main stream notoriety because of her monumental decline in the UFC. I'm not sure of the answer, but I think it's fair to at least ask, does Ronda still truly move the needle in 2022?

Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin makes you wonder how Drew went from a main event spot to a mid-card comedy feud in the span of just a few years.

The Usos vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs will probably be a decent match, but when you take into account the lack of any focus on tag teams in the WWE during the past several years, does the result of this matter in the grand scheme of things?

I'm not the audience for the Mysterios vs. The Miz and Logan Paul so I can't really comment on how effective this will be to hype the event, but again, I have to ask, does Logan Paul generate anything that otherwise wouldn't already be there for the show? Does Logan Paul's appearance contribute to an extra ticket or Peacock subscription sold? I'm not sure why anyone would waste their time watching Logan Paul buy coffee or go to the car wash on Youtube, but unless he brings something that could be a difference maker to the table, why make the viewing audience watch a C-list celebrity fumble around the ring? Is there really a major crossover for wrestling fans? Snoop Dogg at WM, I can see the logic, but is anyone really going to pay to see Logan Paul?

The "main event" spot for night one will probably be Steve Austin on the KO show, and it's very possible that it will be the most entertaining segment on the broadcast since Austin can still pop a crowd, and Owens will make him look like a million dollars. Stone Cold hits the stunner, drinks a beer, and celebrates. Everyone goes home happy and it's a successful segment. The problem is that the biggest star and the biggest difference maker on the show is a 57-year-old retired wrestler that hasn't wrestled in nineteen years. Doesn't this underscore the fact that there aren't many legitimate money-drawing stars on the current roster?

In some ways, night two is almost a carbon copy in terms of its booking pattern.

The women's title title four-way is a way to book as many performers as possible on the card. The Raw title title triple threat match is more or less the same, and even if the triple threat, which aren't easy to book, becomes nonstop action, you again have to go back to the lack of importance of the tag division as a whole. Don't get me wrong, RKO, Alpha Academy, and The Street Profits have done some of the best WWE television in recent weeks, but I would guess that the tag division will get lost in the shuffle post-WM.

Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn will probably be a very entertaining bout, even if it's not Flair/Steamboat. The Knoxville involvement makes sense because there's a similar demographic to those that watch his films and the typical Raw viewers. While Pat McAfee doesn't fall into the celebrity category because he's a regular part of the Smackdown broadcast team, it's still a guest appearance in the ring. McAfee's style isn't my cup of tea, but he brings a consistent level of energy to the product and you can tell the guy is having a blast when he's there. Some pundits think that Austin Theory has the tools to be a big star, and he might have potential, but I find this entire McAfee/Theory angle rather bland, not because of their lack of performance, but because of how Theory was portrayed for months prior to this. Theory spent the past several months being presented like a dork and getting beaten up by Brock Lesnar in a series of segments. Why should the audience suddenly consider him more than McMahon's lackey? The horrendous "golden egg" storyline didn't exactly push Austin Theory to the main event.

Edge vs. AJ Styles should be a very solid in-ring contest, but in another example of a sudden shift in presentation, Edge is a heel without much explanation, and there wasn't necessarily a reason why AJ became a baby face either. The new music and entrance for Edge gives him a fresh coat of paint, which helps, but this all seems like the writing team didn't have anything for Edge at WM so a heel turn was quickly thrown together with only a few weeks to establish it before the pay-per-view.

The main event of night two is Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns, the same main event from 2015. Granted, it goes without say that Brock and Roman are the two biggest stars on the roster because the entire WWE product is booked around their involvement on the shows, but the bottom line is, this is a recycled match that the audience has seen several times before. Furthermore, there are already reports that the title unification is temporary so the results of the match will be pointless. If the results ultimately don't matter, why should the audience be invested in who wins?

Finally, it should be noted that even a somewhat lackluster card on paper is more or less irrelevant. I've discussed it many times before, but it should be highlighted again here, the WWE, in many respects, is playing with house money for the next few years because their profits are guaranteed through the massive TV contracts and the Peacock deal. The Wrestlemania brand is the major selling point for these shows more than anything else, which has its positives and negatives, but the majority of the tickets sold for these shows were bought because the event is named Wrestlemania. Sure, when ticket sales stalled for such a massive venue, management did what they've done for the past several years, they got a nostalgia act from the past to provide a boost. Keep in mind, the WWE is paid a flat rate from Peacock so it doesn't matter if how many viewers actually tune into the show, the profit margin for Vince McMahon is the same either way. Management isn't scrambling to sell Wrestlemania because they don't have to, the money is in the bank so a paint-by-numbers approach works for them. The potentially concerning part of all of this is what the company does in a few years when they have to negotiate a new TV deal based on the current sluggish number, and more importantly, when new stars will have to draw for the company.

AEW Double or Nothing

Professional wrestling, similar to so many other things, is often a matter or perspective.

I don't know anything about NASCAR other than it looks like cars turning left for hundreds of miles at a time, but there's a fan base that can appreciate the razor-thin maneuvers that the best drivers in the world use to win championships. Often, you can say what you want about a performance, but the question is, did it serve its audience, and most importantly, did it make a profit?

The true barometer of success, especially in business, is profitability.

All Elite Wrestling's Memorial Day tradition of its Double or Nothing pay-per-view, which will be held again in Las Vegas, but this time at the T-Mobile Arena, made news when tickets went on sale for the show earlier this month. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that the event set a gate record for professional wrestling in the United States when it generated over $1 million in ticket sales.

No matter how you look at it, that's very impressive, but the details tell a somewhat different story.

First, it should be noted that while Meltzer is one of the best historians of the industry, and his work, criticized or not, chronicled many of the narratives that unfolded in the sport, not just in America, but around the globe. Quite simply, there wouldn't be a niche business of "pro wrestling journalists" today without the contributions of Dave Meltzer, who worked tirelessly at a time when sending printed pages to a limited demographic was standard for sports entertainment insiders. Meltzer didn't depend on social media to make a name for himself, but rather years worth of work to establish his name as someone with an informed take on the sport.

That being said, The Wrestling Observer is how he makes a living and in the modern age when the nature of technology doesn't allow for one dirt sheet to have the market cornered on a niche audience, it makes sense for him to serve his base, the same way that anything that makes a profit serves its audience. Don't get me wrong, that's not a knock on The Observer either, that's capitalism and if Dave can maintain subscriptions then he earned the cash.

It's rather easy for critics of The Observer, mostly those he reported on in his pages years ago, to claim that he's bias with his coverage of All Elite compared to WWE. Of course he is, but that's more human nature than anything else, and it's easy to see the reasons for it. Since Meltzer made a living reporting the tricks of the trade of Vince McMahon's empire, he's often considered persona non grata there. On the flip side, he has a friendship with some of the AEW roster, The Young Bucks named a move after him, and Tony Khan was interviewed on Wrestling Observer Radio a few times. Is Vince McMahon going to accept a call from Dave to be on a podcast?

All Elite, the second-biggest pro wrestling company in America gives The Wrestling Observer, the industry's leading insider newsletter more access to talent. You can see why the group would get favorable coverage, and stuff like that happens in other forms of media all the time. Does this mean that Dave Meltzer is a paid shill for Tony Khan? Absolutely not, and after making a career of reporting inside information, he knows that The Observer on Khan's payroll wouldn't stay a secret. Does that mean that Meltzer won't report accurately on AEW? No, it doesn't mean that either.

The bottom line is, The Wrestling Observer quite literally has a vested interest in the success of All Elite because it provides content for the newsletter, and much of that audience leans toward the contrarian opinion because often discontent with main stream wrestling is what leads fans to seek out the alternatives that are covered in the dirt sheets. I'd say that Meltzer is less anti-WWE and more of a contrarian of the causal sports entertainment product because that's what his readers look for, something beyond the paint-by-numbers approach of a corporation with record-setting guaranteed money.

Pointing out the strengths of the alternatives isn't necessarily skewing the truth, but rather serving an audience.

Sam Panico, a 26-year wrestling veteran, is one of the smartest people I know from the wrestling industry. He learned under Dory Funk Jr. at the Funkin' Dojo and went onto to become a notable trainer himself with several successful students, including Joaquin Wilde. He's also one of my favorite people in wrestling so I value his opinion. Sam pointed out that while the Double or Nothing gate is an accomplishment, if adjusted for inflation, the famous Goldberg/Hogan title match on Nitro at the Georgia Dome in 1998 still generated $400,000 more than the AEW pay-per-view gate.

That's not to diminish the fact that a $1 million gate is proof that the company is doing something right, but rather to point out that Meltzer, too often, in my opinion, wants to spin to narrative that All Elite Wrestling is somehow a bigger product than Vince McMahon's global corporation. It's almost unfair to AEW to try to push that story because the company has only been around a few years and it takes a steady building process to expose the company to a wider audience. The bottom line is, Vince McMahon will make a few billion dollars over the next few years because of the massive TV contracts and the Peacock deal. Furthermore, despite the talk of demos or DVR numbers, Dynamite hovers around about a million viewers a week, and there's nothing wrong with that. Raw, depending on the competition from other channels, is somewhere near 2 million viewers a each week, which is considered a sluggish rating. No matter how you want to spin it, more people are still aware and still watch WWE than All Elite Wrestling.

Again, that's not a knock on AEW, but the narrative of an all-time gate record suggests that the company is on the brink of taking over WWE's spot, which simply isn't the case. More than a million people have to watch Dynamite for that to be possible. At this point, I think I have to include the standard disclaimer that while All Elite isn't perfect, it doesn't have to be either. It's existence has done more for the sports entertainment industry than anything else in the past two decades. Personally, I often find the WWE product bland because it's more or less on auto-pilot based on the previously mentioned TV deals, but that doesn't diminish its standing as the representation of professional wrestling in the United States.

Keep in mind, many of those that spent money on that $1 million gate for Double or Nothing are the diehard fans that are willing to travel to the show so those fans watch Dynamite every week. For AEW to reach the level that Meltzer touts, more causal fans will have to consistently follow the product, and the company has the talent to build the audience. So, the Double or Nothing numbers are an accomplishment and impressive, but it's not an indication of another boom for the industry. The much more important factor in all of this is that success for AEW isn't to beat the WWE, but to have a profitable product, and based on their TV deal, All Elite is a profitable venture so the company is already successful.

Cody Rhodes signed for WWE

After a myriad of rumors and speculation, Cody Rhodes finally put pen to paper to finalize his return to WWE, according to PWInsider's Mike Johnson, one of the most accurate journalist in the industry. The news that Cody inked a new deal to return was after a few weeks of uncertainly with reports that his return to the McMahon empire wasn't an automatic transition from All Elite Wrestling.

As we know, Cody ambitious exit from the company after he was typecast as a mid-card comedy gimmick was one of the main factors in the formation of AEW, and a major reason why the sports entertainment business has more options today than it has in the past two decades. Many fans applauded Rhodes' willingness to jump onto the indies when he left WWE in 2016 to try to maximize his potential elsewhere, and he definitely increased his stock compared to when he was a spinoff of a Goldust persona. How Cody will be received back under the WWE umbrella remains to be seen, mostly because much of that will depend on how much of the WWE fan base might've at least heard of the concept of All Elite. Keep in mind, there's a demographic of diehard WWE fans that might think Cody just appeared on game shows in the past six years.

Assuming the WWE audience is at least aware of the fact that he was a top guy somewhere else will help bring some of that shine with him. It's a very unique scenario, considering that it provides good optics for the WWE after a few of their major stars simply decided to work for Tony Khan than re-sign a WWE contract. So, to land a deal with a former executive vice president of AEW, it sends the message that WWE is still the place to be in the business, regardless of how perspective might shape that narrative.

In truth, this all depends on how much stock WWE brass puts into what Cody did outside of the company and if they see him as a bigger star than the last time he was there.

Again, it's a unique situation because management often counts nothing that a performer does outside of the organization, but that will be a determining factor here because that will ultimately define Rhodes' role on the roster. For this deal to make sense to either side, Cody has to be brought in as a major player among the WWE landscape. We know that he had to get a great money offer from WWE or he would've just re-signed with Khan. Since we can assume that WWE is making a significant investment in Cody to re-sign him, it makes sense that he would be a priority going forward so that the company can get a return on that investment, particularly after so many cuts were made in recent years. Nick Khan sent the message that if a performer doesn't draw money then they are expandable.

As mentioned, the last time we saw saw Stardust in WWE, he was a mid-card comedy act that the writing team didn't have much for beyond the parody of a gimmick. If Cody returns to the company near the main event scene, it will be based on the fact that he showed he can work as a top guy outside of the company. Granted, it's doubtful he would've re-signed if the pitch was for him to paint his face again, but the point being, if he's regulated to the mid-card, what progress was really gained by his work to elevate his stock in the past six years?

The online chatter suggests that Rhodes might be the Wrestlemania opponent for Seth Rollins, with a surprise match on the show, similar to when The Hardys returned to the promotion a few years ago. Despite counterproductive booking throughout portions of his WWE career, make no mistake about it, Seth Rollins is one of the most solid in-ring athletes on the roster. If management goes with Rollins/Rhodes in a high profile spot on a Wrestlemania card, that will at least get Cody off to a good start as far as solidifying himself as a star in the WWE. How he fits into the current narratives on the show is a completely different matter. Regardless of the "winner take all" stipulation for the Roman Reigns/Brock Lesnar bout, it's already known that the unification will be temporary, making the entire match pointless, but that's a different matter for a different time. Unless the writing team scripts both titles to eventually land back on Roman and Brock respectively, which would make the entire show pointless, there will be an opening for some fresh talent in the main event scene on either Raw or Smackdown. How Cody would mesh with either Reigns or Lesnar is unknown, but Vince put more or less all of his chips on those two so if someone is working near the main event scene, it's a safe bet that it would be against Brock or Roman.

Don't get me wrong, I think Cody is an extremely talented performer and has the ability to be a main event guy, but for some reason, I doubt that the WWE will push him to that level after they saw him as a parody character the last time he was there. I could be wrong, but I'm not necessarily going to assume that Cody will automatically be booked as a main event star. Something that should be noted is how the ability to freshen up a character elsewhere benefits everyone in the industry, which is why it's so important to have options in the wrestling business. Theoretically, talent don't have to flounder in an organization if they think they have a better chance to be a bigger star else, and that is a win-win situation for everyone. In some ways, Cody Rhodes did everything he could do in AEW, including setting himself on fire to try to win over the fans after reality TV shows seemed to be more important to him than wrestling. So, Cody departs AEW and the WWE gets a fresh run from Rhodes, the same way that AEW got a fresh run from Bryan Danielson. It will be very interesting to see how Cody Rhodes is booked for his return to the WWE because it's probably the best chance for him to be a main event star in the company.

UWF book review

One of the perks, if you want to call them that, of being a pro wrestling columnist is I get the chance to review some projects to give readers an idea if a specific product is worth the time, the effort, and most importantly, the money. As Kevin Nash once said when he quoted crusty agent, "Chief" Jay Strongbow in the early-90s, "the only thing that is real about the business are the money and the miles."

After doing a write-up on Jonathan Plombon, author of "Tortured Ambition:The Story of Herb Abrams and the UWF," I was sent a copy of the book to give my opinion on it. After learning about the extensive writing process from doing the previously mentioned article, I was interested to see what this publication was really about. As we know, Herb Abrams was an eccentric promoter that actually thought his start-up group would rival Vince McMahon or Ted Turner. Abrams' life, much like the Universal Wrestling Federation itself, fizzled out rather quickly after he died from a cocaine-induced heart attack in 1996.

But who was Herb Abrams?

The guy, despite being the subject of a Dark Side of The Ring episode on Vice TV during the early months of the pandemic, was still a riddle to even the most knowledgeable insiders. I have to say Plombon, who explained the exhausting process of not only digging up little-known facts about Abrams, but also sifting through different reports to gather the most accurate account possible, did a very good job of painting the picture of Herb's early life, particularly some of the childhood trauma that might've contributed to his erratic behavior later on. Mocked for his heritage and background in his youth, those scars probably had something to do with Herb's pursue of acceptance into the professional wrestling world.

A very key observation that the author makes throughout the publication is that he uncovered facts that weren't previously known about the UWF promoter. Like so many in the northeast during his youth, Herb idolized Bruno Sammartino, and the legendary former champion being taken off of WWF television in the late-80s plays an interesting role in the formation of the UWF, which Plombon details quite well. Readers also get the chance to see how this mystery man was able to finance the company at the start, and then the departure measures he attempted to try to keep it afloat. Throughout the pages, you get a very clear play-by-play of how both the pressure started to mount on Abrams, as well as when he started to completely unravel after his group failed to get off the ground.

One of the aspects I found most interesting is how the book gives a view point of the other two national organizations at the time, the WWF and WCW. It's very easy to write-off the UWF in hindsight because we know that it failed, but to take a snapshot of the industry at the time tells a different story about the potential for a third option in the United States. The WWF had started to cool off after The Ultimate Warrior didn't take the spot as the next Hulk Hogan, and WCW was considered a mess when Turner executives didn't know how to run a wrestling company. This is where the insight into the early formation of the UWF group is very interesting. You will hear from names you might not have heard of before, but those that played critical roles in those early days. Promoters such as Karl Lauer, and wrestlers like Jack Armstrong and Sunny Beach give detailed interviews about how a third league was jump started in America.

Perhaps my favorite  part of the book is that you can read about how the UWF landed its spot on Sports Channel America, specifically because it could've theoretically given the promotion the exposure to make a splash on a semi-national level. I think too often in the modern era, particularly with the use of the internet as a platform for content, some fans might not realize how key television was for any wrestling group to get notoriety in the early-90s.

As far as what impact the UWF could've made in its early days, there's a very compelling story about how the group's first live event was cancelled and a few theories about how it happened. You get the sense as the book progresses that Abrams' willingness to over pay talent, the publication details that he was willing to spend $2,500 a show for John Tolos to work as a color commentator, was a fragile attempt for him to gain some acceptance in his life. In truth, Abrams' naive approach made him a sheep among wolves in most cases because the shady side of the business is truly a shark tank. It was no surprise that when Abrams' money started to run out, his "friendships" in the industry did as well.

Overall, the writing approach to this book was well-done. The Universal Wrestling Federation by nature is a niche of pro wrestling history, and those that would be interested in the parsed details of the company have to be diehard fans so the author tailors the publication toward that demographic. Granted, the other side of the coin might be that the pages have a limited market, but the point being, the author knew what he wanted to accomplish with this and took it in the right direction to complete a project that truly chronicles that history of Herb Abrams' UWF.

The downward spiral of Herb Abrams can be a tough read at certain points, specifically when he asked a publisher why the UWF wasn't being covered in a series of magazines after the company had been dormant for nearly two years, and Herb insist there were big plans in the works for his promotion.

The detail of the book is very well-done, as it chronicles the history of the organization, as well as gives a synopsis of the television episodes and the live events. On the surfaces, it might sound like these small details aren't necessary, but you have to keep in mind that even with some UWF shows on Youtube, there isn't a complete or official video catalog available to the public so it is key to have the live event reports. Finally, I would say this book is worthwhile if you're a diehard fan that wants to know how the UWF almost got off the ground and the details of it's history.

The career of Scott Hall

It was terrible news that made headlines on social media that Scott Hall, one of the biggest stars of the 90s, passed away earlier today at the age of 63 after he suffered three heart attacks from compilations following hip surgery last week. Hall's longtime tag team partner and best friend, Kevin Nash shared the news on social media that the former IC champion was going to be taken off of life support, prompting tributes from wrestlers and fans on social media.

The career, very similar to the life, of Scott Hall is very complex.

In the mid-80s, Hall broke into the business under the guidance of Dusty Rhodes in Florida, but made a splash on the national scene a few years later during the waning years of Verne Gagne's AWA, where he formed a memorable team with the future "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig. "Big" Scott Hall sported a very-80s mustache and hadn't found much of a wrestling character yet, but he was an athlete that had the look of a potential star. As we know, Verne's group was fledgling during the latter part of the decade, as it couldn't keep pace with Vince McMahon's national expansion or even the Jim Crockett Promotions attempt to grown beyond its regional boundaries.

By the start of 1990, the AWA was nearly non-existent, but Hall found himself working in different places for what was left of the territory system. A somewhat comical story being that when he worked in CWA in Europe, he was known as "Texas Scott" because at the time, most European fans assumed that the majority of Americans were cowboys. Back in America, he inked a deal with Ted Turner, who purchased Jim Crockett Promotions a few years earlier after the NWA also folded under the pressure of McMahon's national push. Dubbed, "The Diamond Stud" in 1991, you can see glimpses of what became Razor Ramon and later "The Outsider" character in the look of the early WCW persona. It's ironic that the year that Hall originally spent under contract to WCW was very undistinguished. Granted, WCW was a mess at the time with the turmoil behind-the-scenes, particularly with the exit of Ric Flair while still heavyweight champion, but it's such a contrast to the priority he was when he returned to the organization a few years later.

Despite some national TV exposure previously, Hall hit it big with the Tony Montana-inspired Razor Ramon gimmick when he signed a WWF deal in 1992. Hulk Hogan was on his way out of the company for a flopped stint as an actor, and after the steroid scandal at the time, a true workhorse like Scott Hall was an extremely valuable asset for the organization. It can't be understated how important it was during that initial four-year stint that Razor was to bolstering the company through some rather lean years as the organization went in a more cartoonish direction to try to soften its image after the negative press of the previously mentioned steroid scandal. Obviously, the ladder match is rightfully iconic, but you can browse through the vast majority of the Razor catalog at the time and you won't find a subpar match from this time frame. Furthermore, Razor personified cool and everything "The Bad Guy" did made him look like a star, which is sometimes a lost art in modern wrestling. Quite simply, Razor could talk and he could go bell-to-bell so the argument could be made that he was one of the most well-rounded workers in the business during this era.

As we know, the sports entertainment business is based on drawing money, and the ability to make the most cash possible while you can is the entire point of the industry.

In one of the most important ripple effects in pro wrestling history, Scott Hall was offered huge money from Eric Bischoff to ink a deal with Ted Turner in mid-1996. For several years, the WWE narrative was that Hall and Nash jumped to WCW to make a money grab, but the reality of the situation was that Vince McMahon was still hesitant to spend big money in the midst of the wrestling recession of the early-90s so Hall did what anyone else would do in the same position, he took the major money to return to WCW. Keep in mind, when Razor was negotiating with McMahon prior to his exit, the industry was still in a slump, and the fact that Bischoff was willing to invest to secure star power was still somewhat of a toss up since the industry was in such flux at the time. Diesel, a former WWF champion, found himself in the same position as his best friend, he was in a good spot under the McMahon umbrella, but hadn't made the top money of the previous generation yet.

Hall went from Madison Square Garden with the infamous "curtain call" to walking onto a live broadcast of Nitro in the span of just a few days. Hall presented as an invader in an attempt for a hostile takeover of WCW almost immediately beamed a spotlight on a mostly mediocre Nitro program since its launch in 1995. Just a few weeks later, Diesel's WWF contract expired and Kevin Nash was able to show up on WCW television to join his tag partner. The presentation, the promos, the music, and the logo went main stream. WCW was propelled into the forefront of the pro wrestling industry, but even more important than that, the competition sparked the biggest boom period in the history of the sport.

Monday nights became appointment viewing as a part of pop culture, and "The Outsiders" being the cool bad guys were a major reason for that. Sadly, about a year into his WCW stint, Hall had to take time away from the spotlight to go to rehab and those problems would plague him for several years. The stories and the incidents were numerous. Sadly, it got to the point that the controversy of Scott Hall somewhat overshadowed his stellar in-ring work. Those problems led to his abrupt exit from World Championship Wrestling in early-2000, and he made a brief, but extremely memorable appearance in ECW. After his Turner contract expired, which was paid out after McMahon bought the company, he re-signed with the WWE for an NWO reunion in 2002. His WWE comeback lasted just three months before he was fired when he was intoxicated backstage.

He resurfaced for some of the very early NWA-TNA pay-per-views and there were flashes of brilliance in his performances, as he still looked like the biggest star on the show. The rest of the decade was a mixture of a few tours of Japan and an occasional return to TNA, but it was clear that Hall's prime was behind him. The failed TNA Monday night experiment put Hall back on television, but it was obvious that his days in the ring were numbered. After that TMZ headlines over the next few years had made many concerned for Hall's well-being.

Finally, in 2013, Scott Hall's longtime friend, "Diamond" Dallas Page assisted him in cleaning up his life and he was seen as much healthier since that time, despite a myriad of health problems from the years of drug use previously. The following year, Razor Ramon was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and concluded his speech with the memorable line, "bad times don't last, but bad guys do." Hall made occasional appearances for the WWE since that time and seemed to have reach a place of peace with his legendary status.

Several years ago, ESPN did a story about Scott Hall and it revealed that some of the real-life trauma might've contributed to his problems later in life. Regardless of his personal struggles, Scott Hall is very much a success story. If the news of his passing made headlines a decade ago, it wouldn't have been surprising, but he put in the effort to make his career a true redemption story. As much as his personal problems overshadowed his in-ring work by 2012, his comeback to a healthier life over the past ten years put his career in a much more accurate context. The bottom line is, without Scott Hall's jump to WCW, the Monday night wars and thus the biggest boom period in history might not have happened. The look, the in-ring work, the charisma, and the mic skills were all a part of the Hall skill set. Quite simply, when Scott Hall was on, he was as good as anyone in the industry.

My sincere condolences to Scott Hall's friends and family at this difficult time

Jeff Hardy debuts for AEW

Last night's post-Revolution Dynamite proved to be an action-packed episode, and while not everything was perfect, it highlighted some of the main differences between Tony Khan's upstart league and Vince McMahon's sports entertainment empire.

The opening segment of the show saw Eddie Kingston go to the ring to cut an emotional promo alongside Chris Jericho, and it looked to be a matter of time until the rumored heel turn took place, especially after the inaugural AEW champion refused to shake Kingston's hand at the pay-per-view. When Daniel Garcia and 2.0 hit the ring, I found it somewhat odd that they weren't doing much to Jericho before Santa and Ortiz made the save. As we saw, Jericho hit Ortiz with the baseball bat to, in fact, turn heel to joined forces with Hager, 2.0, and Garcia to form a new stable. This was really brilliantly done because that slight wrinkle in the fabric of the angle kept it from being too predictable. At the same time, Jericho has gotten himself in great shape recent and looks to be rejuvenated to have yet another fresh run in All Elite Wrestling. I have to be honest, Jericho is one of the best of all-time, and this isn't meant as a criticism toward him, but I assumed that prehaps he was near the conclusion of his in-ring career since he had done more or less what there was for him to do in AEW. That being said, the sports entertainment angle is a way to keep him relevant and also to bring a spotlight to 2.0 as well as Daniel Garcia, which is similar to what the original Inner Circle did for Proud and Powerful. The sports entertainment basis for the faction will immediately give Jericho something meaningful to do as a heel because the company is based on pro wrestling. Kingston reunited with Santana and Ortiz will give Proud and Powerful more exposure of television so this should be an angle that benefits everyone.

As expected Jeff Hardy made his All Elite debut when he made the save for his brother, Matt after he was attacked by the AHFO. This wasn't shocking because Jeff Hardy, who the WWE incorrectly assumed had more personal problems after he left a house show match early a few months ago, is still a very popular star among casual fans. As far as wise investments, Jeff is obviously toward the latter stage of his in-ring career, but his level of star power is one of the few things that can legitimately increase the exposure for the product. Sure, the Hardy Boys reunion has been done before, but it's been a few years since they had a stint as a team in WWE so there's still a fresh run for them as a duo in AEW, particularly because there are new teams for them to have matches against in the promotion.

Again, I don't think the Hardys in 2022 are going to do the high spot ladder matches of twenty years ago, and they shouldn't, but the investment of the Jeff Hardy signing is very worthwhile because he's a guy that, despite being used as just another mid-card on WWE programming in recent years, can move numbers for a main stream audience. More than anything, Khan signed a level of star power that isn't often on the free agent market.

William Regal cut an emotional in-ring promo and it's truly great to see him get the reaction from the crowd. As I said before, I will never understand how the WWE could release one of the brightest minds in the history of the industry, but this was a huge acquisition on every level for All Elite Wrestling. Coaching, training, scouting, and as a television performer, Regal is a undeniable asset for the company. Speaking of star power, if Tony Khan wanted to book Moxley and Danielson as a tag team then it makes sense for them to have some major matches as far as bouts that can be built for pay-per-view. For whatever reason, The Briscoes still haven't inked an AEW deal, but they would be stellar opponents. Already on the roster, FTR vs. Moxley and Danielson could be a money match as well. Basically, the level of star power of Moxley and Danielson should be used to elevate the tag division, not necessarily an angle to keep them busy while Adam Cole is in the world title scene.

The conclusion of the broadcast saw Scorpio Sky beat Sammy Guevara for the TNT title, which is completely fine because Sky is probably better then how he was used on television recently, but the post-match angle has a lot of work to do before it will be worthwhile among the AEW landscape. Former UFC fighter, Paige Van Zant attacked Tay Conti and signed and AEW contract. As mentioned before, Tony Khan offers contracts the way that Oprah gives away cars. Obviously, it's important that Van Zant get the experience to be a decent in-ring wrestler, especially when the stage is national television, but more important than that, the entire American Top Team angle has to be refreshed. The last time Dan Lambert cut a promo in the ring, it was during that horrendous segment with Brandi, and the reaction to that segment took a lot of steam away from the Lambert faction. Ethan Page has the potential to be one of the best heels in the company, but more recently, he was just a secondary figure during the previously mentioned subpar Brandi segments. The bottom line is, if Paige Van Zant is going to be successful and Scorpio Sky is going to have a decent run as TNT champion, the faction has to be presented as dangerous heels.

Granted, All Elite has its flaws and rightfully has its critics. Booking two blood bath matches on the same pay-per-view card wasn't as effective as if the dog collar match was booked as the only bloody bout. Sting jumping off the balcony through two tables minutes before the main event put Adam Page and Adam Cole in a difficult spot. That being said, the biggest difference here is that AEW progresses its product, and if you missed Dynamite then you missed the formation of Jericho's new group, as well as a the TNT title switch. On the flip side, the WWE product is booked around Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. For the past few years, specifically since the company signed the mega TV deals, you could skip a month of Raw without actually missing anything important to the storylines. Still, any criticism of that is rather moot, at least right now because it's difficult to argument with the WWE model when the company is more profitable now than any other time in its history. It will be interesting to see how the dynamics of each company shift in the future because AEW is at least attempt to make new stars, while the WWE has the same main event this year for Wrestlemania that was the main event of the show seven years ago.

UWF book

Vice TV's Dark Side of The Ring, an acclaimed series that takes a look at some of the more notorious stories in the often-carny world of professional wrestling, gained praise for its ability to showcase some of the sport's forgotten greats to a more main stream audience. Still, the other side of the coin of more exposure is that the narratives have to be trimmed to fit the 45-minute time frame of a television episode. So, sometimes very complex topics had to be shoehorned into a segment. During the COVID shutdown in 2020, Dark Side producers took a textbook example of one of the forgotten figures of the carny business and gave a new audience an introduction to Herb Abrams, the eccentric promoter that thought he was going to rival Vince McMahon's sports entertainment empire. Among insiders and pro wrestling pundits, the tale of Abrams' crash and burn, which led to his death from a cocaine-induced heart attack in 1996, was well-known, but a television audience didn't get the chance to see what the short-lived Universal Wrestling Federation tried to accomplish prior to the Vice presentation.

As you might expect, the Dark Side of The Ring focuses on the meat of the matter, covering the almost unbelievable story of the over-the-top Abrams' attempt to compete with the other national organizations of the early-90s. A combination of poor planning, prostitutes, and cocaine ended the UWF, as well as Abrams life.

But, who was this guy?

Even after the Vice documentary, questions remained about who was Herb Abrams beyond the guy that fizzled out with the UWF?

Nearly a decade before Vice's documentary hit television screens, freelance writer, Jonathan Plombon toyed with the concept of a book about the bombastic leader of the Universal Wrestling Federation. A graduate of St. Cloud State University with a degree in English, Plombon has covered a slew of topics, ranging from sports to short-story fiction, with his work published in a myriad of platforms during his professional years.

"I’ve had more success with my fiction. I’ve been published in a few literary journals like Bourbon Penn and Bombay Gin. It’s great when something I write gets recognition, but the rejections can be depressing. You need a thick skin to make it, and I don’t think I do, so it gets hard," Plombon explained.

However, the earliest foundation of what eventually led to a desire to write about professional wrestling started very early in his life. A Minnesota native, Plombon's earliest exposure was to Verne Gagne's AWA and an early version of Hulk Hogan. Later in his youth, he stumbled upon the UWF on television and the neon program stuck with him for some reason.

"I watched the UWF on Sports Channel when I was a kid. I remember never knowing when it was supposed to air because the days and the times changed so much. The other thing that stayed with me were the venues that the UWF held their shows. The Penta events in New York were the most memorable, just because it looked like it was taking place in a hotel lobby, which it kind of was. That’s what stuck with me for over a decade," he remarked.

Several years after the UWF went under, Plombon used primitive dial-up internet access to scower several pages of message board text to find out more information about what exactly he watched as a kid. He was fascinated with Herb's entrepreneurial approach and the possibilities of what could've been with the UWF if Abram's overambitious plans wouldn't have taken the organization over a cliff. Even as he graduated from college and entered the work force, he wondered who was the guy behind the UWF?

"Years and years later, I was at my horrible job, daydreaming about what subjects I could write a book about. Abrams popped into my mind. I thought it was perfect. I had already been a fan of the UWF for over a decade at this point, so I knew that I wouldn’t lose interest. I also liked the idea of writing a book about Abrams that presented him in a different light, but still acknowledging his more unlikable traits," Jonathan explained. 

"Abrams was a complex individual. It’s hard to judge him from his time in the limelight, because his drug abuse already had its claws in him by that point. Prolonged cocaine use affects a person’s judgement and rational thinking. So, it’s difficult to know whether or not he would have made those same decisions with a clear head," he added.

By 2010, Plombon began to research not only the inner workings of the Universal Wrestling Federation as an organization, but also attempted to unwrap the mystery of Herb Abrams as well. Jonathan referred to the archives of the "dirt sheets" or the insider newsletters from the era to find the headlines about the narrative of the promotion as it unfolded at the time. A combination of Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer and Wade Keller's Pro Wrestling Torch gave him the scoop on some of the backstage dealings of the UWF. The book itself, later titled, "Tortured Ambition:The Story of Herb Abrams and the UWF" had comments from dozens and dozens of  people that were affiliated with the organization in some forms of fashion, an aspect of the research that was considerably difficult for the author, as he tracked down various wrestlers through the internet to set up interviews.

"When it came to actually writing the book, I went through all of the sources and tried to organize them by subject. Then I placed them into chronological order. When I started writing, I found a number of conflicting stories. I kept thinking that it would get easier after each part. It never really did," Plombon said.

While still jugging his other work mentioned previously, Plombon found himself often overwhelmed by the writing process because of how dreary the circumstances were for the book's main figure, Abrams were through the vast majority of the group's existence. The author was tasked with attempting to do what almost nobody else that examined the pro wrestling industry had done yet, figure out exactly where Abrams' show business facade began and ended. His diligent research was exhausting, as he sifted through conflicting accounts of Abrams to yield the most accurate account of the promoter as possible.

"I quit the book many, many times, but I always picked it back up because I didn’t have anything else to get me through the day. I was severely depressed because of matters unrelated to the book, which affected my motivation, but then again, I often got depressed because of the book, too. The toughest aspect of the project always changed depending on what I was doing. I thought that the writing would be easier than the research. But then when I started to write it, I thought that the editing would be the hardest. Once I finished writing and editing the book, I thought that finding a publisher would be easier. It was not," Jonathan remarked.

After a decade of chronicling the UWF in some form or fashion, Plombon's in-depth look at Herb Abrams was published in late-2021, achieving notoriety on Amazon's list of pro wrestling publications. Years of writing, hundreds of hours of interviews, and the stress of such a daunting project led to the most thorough write-up about the Universal Wrestling Federation that is available to the public.

"Now that it’s finished, it’s the regrets that are the hardest part. I honestly wish I would have sought out more of his family members. I wanted to, but I thought that they didn’t want to be bothered. I found out later that many of them didn’t know that the book was being written. The most rewarding aspect of the book is knowing that I put something out there that had never been done before. Some of these stories haven’t been shared with the public. These are the parts of his life that no one else ever bothered to look in to. I think that it reveals that Abrams wasn’t the conman whom people describe him as being. He cared about the wrestling and he cared about the relationships with the wrestlers, Plombon said.

Many pundits have already considered ""Tortured Ambition:The Story of Herb Abrams and the UWF" the definitive publication for not only its attention to detail as a synopsis of the UWF, but also a biography of Herb Abrams.

"Abrams wasn’t one-sided. He had a lot going on," Plombon concluded.

AEW Revolution review

Last night, All Elite Wrestling presented its Revolution pay-per-view, a card with a lot of depth and an event that showcased much of the best that the company has to offer. As repetitive as it might sound, it should still be mentioned that selling a $50 broadcast in the modern era is a tough and a difficult balancing act, but it was an aspect that the company mostly got right throughout this show.

The pay-per-view opened with Eddie Kingston vs. Chris Jericho and it was a great way to kickoff Revolution. This was a very physical and very entertaining match that emphasized the brutal strikes. In my opinion, as graceful as aerial wrestling can be, sometimes the fans only look for the high spot matches without realizing the drama that can be built through a physical bout. The selling from both performers was key here because there was a presentation that each maneuver played a role in the conclusion of the contest so it kept the audience invested in the match. A good example being that the start of the match saw Jericho dropped on his head with a suplex and it looked as though there was some legitimate question about if he could continue the match. Jericho didn't look like he was a fan of taking a lot of chops and it's usually not his type of contest at this point in his career, but he definitely worked more of a Kingston type of match to showcase him. That's not meant as a jab against Jericho, either. He's built up enough cache in his career to be able to avoid some of the more high risk stuff, it's one of the perks of his status. However, while it wouldn't be advisable for him to work this style too often, it speaks volumes about his ability as a performer to work this physical at this point in his AEW run. Speaking of physicality, the suplex off the apron to the floor was absolutely brutal. The contest also had some good false finishes toward the conclusion where it actually looked like it might be the finish of the match when Jericho hit the elbow. Too often, some claim a "false finish" is simply a near fall, but that's not the case. The ability to convince the audience that it might be the actual end of the match is what makes it a false finish. Too often on All Elite shows, someone hits a shooting star press that looks absolutely devastating, but everyone in the building knows there will only be a two count from the referee. The finish of the match was rather awkward when Kingston won with a submission that he hasn't used before so the victory was somewhat flat. That doesn't take away from the in-ring stuff though, this was an entertaining segment that made Kingston look like a legitimate star. A side note, while I appreciate Excalibur's All Japan references, most of them are too inside baseball for the majority of the viewing audience to know some of the niche details. AEW isn't doing sports entertainment and that's what sets the company apart, but the goal should still be to target as much of a main stream audience as possible.

Speaking of matches that don't sell the concept of false finishes to the audience, that's more or less exactly what happened in the three-way tag title match. Don't get me wrong, the athleticism is amazing and this was the over-the-top high spot segment of the event, which is fine, but as I  mentioned in a write-up last week, the fireworks show has to build to a conclusion or there will be flat points otherwise. The three-way had that problem because there would be wrestlers all of the place and then the contest would suddenly resemble a normal tag bout again. It didn't build to the dives to have a more natural pace, and thus it had a more rocky presentation. This match was given nearly twenty minutes and I think that was the main problem with the pace of the contest because if a high spot segment goes too long then there will be a few flat points. The fact that tags didn't seem to matter at various points, while they were used at other times was rather odd. That being said, the shooting star press spot from Jungle Boy was insane, and eventually Jurassic Express retained the titles.

The nature of multi-man ladder matches tends to be very clunky and the face of the revolution contest was no exception. There was some good stuff here, but after the very physical opening bout and the high spot tag after that, unless someone was going to take a bump from the golden ring in a Jeff Hardy type of spot then this wasn't going to be able to follow everything else without a natural down point. The critical miss here and a key point that took a lot away from the match was after Wardlow took everyone out on the floor, instead of getting in the ring to try to win, he continue brawl outside to set up a rather pointless table spot for Keith Lee and Hobbs. Crusty veterans will rightfully point out that when you don't go for the win, you tell the audience it's not quite as important as it should be. The simple point though is that if nothing else, it creates a complete halt in any of momentum of the match. Also, the Danhausen cameo looked to be a little mistimed and there was probably a better use for it somewhere else on the show. Wardlow got the win to earn a TNT title shot, which was the right decision because he has major potential, but I don't think this bout picked up steam again after the weird spot outside of the ring when everyone was on the floor.

Tony Schiavone announced the signing of Sweve, and don't get me wrong, Shane Strickland is definitely talented enough to work for a national promotion, but it's getting to the point that it's almost comical with the amount of wrestlers signed to AEW. Tony Khan gives away contracts the way Oprah gave away cars. Strickland works a very similar style to many already under contract to All Elite so what exactly does he bring to the table that isn't already there? Again, that's not to say he shouldn't work for a national group, but rather he would stand out in different organization that doesn't have quite as many high spot wrestlers already on the roster. Maybe someone should locate Miro or Jay Lethal before more competitors are added to the roster.

While the tag title match earlier probably went a little too long, the TBS championship bout had more or less the perfect amount of time given to accomplish the narrative of the match. Tay Conti looked like a solid contender, and Jade was made to look like a dominate champion. It was an entertaining contest that checked all the boxes and went to the finish in about five minutes. Not everything on a pay-per-view has to be a 45-minute epic clash to be effective and this was a prime example of it.

On a stacked show, CM Punk vs. MJF in the dog collar match might've been the show stealer. Again in a contrast to some of the high spot wrestling that All Elite is known for, this bout was tremendous with a back and fourth drama that was built on selling and psychology. After the bloody segment on Dynamite to hype the pay-per-view, Punk had to bleed a similar amount here so that it wouldn't look tame in comparison and he delivered with the criticism mask at Revolution. The throwback to the ROH music and the gear was another form of good psychology because the audience will remember the match based on the entrance alone. Something as simple as a retro outfit can add to the atmosphere of a segment. This was quality pro wrestling and despite there being a lot of potential for future stars on the roster, this is an example of why CM Punk is a level above the vast majority of them right now. Furthermore, this speaks volumes about Punk as a performer because he clearly didn't sign with AEW to coast on his reputation and get paychecks from Tony Khan. Granted, Punk's not going to bleed buckets for free and makes great money from AEW, but this type of performance will be legacy work when he completely retires from the sport. The story for MJF is the same as it was before, All Elite has a big money heel for the world title picture in the future. That being said, this feud has really cemented MJF as a star, far more than the previous Jericho angle. All things considered, it would be difficult to eclipse the dog collar match, but it would be great to see another Punk/MJF bout on pay-per-view.

In a vacuum, Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa was a very solid match, but nobody was going to be able to follow the dog collar match. It was one of those unavoidable hurdles of booking the card and it's not really a reflection on either of them as performers. The crowd was drained and there was a noticeable lack of reaction. The air raid crash off of the ropes was impressive, the but Rebel interference was rather clunky and didn't help with the already stalled momentum of the show. Baker retained, but hopefully there's a rematch where the spotlight can be directly on the contest because these two deserve a featured stage.

On a card that would've been very easy to get lost in the shuffle, Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley avoided it. The show already had the All Japan match, the high spot match, the ladder match, and the dog collar match so they decided to work a mat-based technical contest that could still stand out. The argument could be made that the blood was overdone on the show because of Punk already bleeding a lot, but the bout was very entertaining as the action titled back and fourth toward the finish. The actual pinfall didn't get quite the reaction because Moxley's boots were temporarily caught on the ropes, but the narrow victory gels with the storyline of the tag team. As I mentioned on Twitter, the addition of William Regal to All Elite is a huge acquisition and he can benefit the company on every level.

I would guess that the competitors in the six man tag knew that it was a bout with very little momentum compared to the other matches on the card so they went wild to make the segment count for something. I'm not sure how wise that was in the grand scheme of things though since it put the main event in an even more difficult position than it would've been had the six man match been used to pace the card. Sometimes, you have to structure a show to highlight what's more important to the overall presentation of the company. Sting diving off the balcony was insane and he deserves credit for it. The baby face team won after about 10 minutes of a total brawl.

Similar to the women's title match, the main event was a quality pay-per-view bout in a vacuum, but seemed very tame by comparison of everything else that happened on the show previously. If fans watch this match as a stand alone segment, it's a quality pay-per-view main event, but after Sting just dove off the balcony through two stacked tables, is the spot where Page put Cole through a table that effective? I want to make it completely clear, this was a very good main event match, but some digression should've been used with the booking of the rest of the card because it put these two stellar athletes in a difficult spot. More specifically, I can't emphasize enough that a longer show doesn't automatically translate to a better show, and I really think a little thirty minutes could've been trimmed off the broadcast for an easier viewing experience for the show.

Cowpoke Paul debut

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

As cliche as that might sound, sometimes a statement becomes a cliche because it's true. Any form of entertainment is based on the connection that a performer has with their audience. Theater, music, combat sports, or any other genre of live entertainment brings a paying audience to see a performance. Ironically, professional wrestling blends all of those categories for a presentation that is uniquely its own.

But, what about those that are hitting the "stage" of the squared circle for the first time? So many pursue the industry because of a passion for the art form, but how do they handle the pressure of that first time through the curtain, especially in a social media age, where viewers can be far beyond those that are in the building at bell time. There are numerous pro wrestling moments that have gone viral online, some for all the right or all the wrong reasons.

For a 21-year-old aspiring grappler, his moment to debut in the sport came just a few weeks ago when a last-minute replacement was needed on the card. The youngster had very recently completed his training course and showed up at the venue that afternoon to work his usual shift as a part of the ring crew, waiting for space on the organization's schedule for a proper debut. However, when opportunity presents itself, especially in professional wrestling, being prepared is a key to success in the business.

Those in attendance at Ryse Wrestling's February 12th card arrived at the revenue with the expectation of action from talented stars like Tony Johanson, Joey Sunseri, and others. They would find out when they were in their seats what the rookie found out just a few hours early, Cowpoke Paul, an energetic real-life rancher would have a chance to make his first impression on professional wrestling.

"I saw Cowpoke Paul develop from his first bumps to now. There are a number of people training in multiple schools in the area right now so, unfortunately, sometimes new talent can become a blur or lost in the shuffle. However, I always noticed Cowpoke. Never missed a practice, never missed a ring crew, never had to wonder where he was or if he’d show up ready to work. He, very quietly, became the one of the hardest workers in the room. When we had to make a change to the card on short notice; there was no question in my mind that he was ready," said Chris Lerusso, a nearly twenty-year pro and head organizer of Ryse, a blue-collar league that runs in Western Pennsylvania.

"It was crazy. I was glad that the crowd seemed to be as excited to see me as I was to see them," said Paul, who competed against longtime tri-state area competitor Edric Everheart for a bout that was captured by Mike Sorg, the most professional produce of sports content in Pittsburgh.

The butterflies and the nervous energy that Cowpoke, clad in chaps, boots, and traditional cowboy hat felt moments before he stepped through the curtain are very common. His path to sports entertainment was anything but typical.

When the COVID pandemic shutdown the entire world in mid-2020, nearly everyone found themselves stuck at home. Pro wrestling, from the global level to the local indy circuit, was shuttered. After nearly a year of strictly tending to the family farm, Paul realized something during the shutdown, time and opportunity can be a rare commodity so he didn't want to waste the chance to pursue pro wrestling, a sport he had a passion for since a very young age.

"There wasn’t much to do and I think we can all agree that was a rough time for a lot of us. When things were sort of letting up, I really just wanted an excuse to get out of the house and meet some new people," he remarked.

 Paul did some research on training centers in the area, a region known almost as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced, and settled on the Stronghold Academy, a small outfit run with a tight-knit crew under the direction of Brandon K, a 25-year veteran of the scene.

"I figured if you want to be the best you got to learn from the best! But, in all seriousness, he’s a great guy and an even better trainer. On top of that, he runs a great school. From the moment I walked in there everyone was super nice and welcoming. It felt like everyone there really cared and wanted me to succeed," Cowpoke commented.

After about a year of consistent lessons, which included the tedious process of landing on the canvas to learn the safest manner possible to prevent injury during bouts, and the repetition of perfecting maneuvers, Cowpoke was ready when opportunity presented itself to him at the previously mentioned bout that was held in the Uniontown Mall in Uniontown, PA. As the music played, the youngster experienced a whirlwind of emotions, knowing that once he stepped into the ring, it was the beginning of a completely new chapter for him.

"I was thinking a lot of things before I got out there. I was thinking about how much time and effort it took to get to that point. I wanted to make proud, as well as the few I wanted to prove wrong. I was really hoping that my pants wouldn’t rip while I was out there, or that I would trip over my lasso. On top of all of that, I was trying to figure out how to come out of all of this with a win," Paul explained.

The organic energy and excitement exuded from the newcomer and the crowd immediately identified with his enthusiasm as chants of "Cowpoke!" echoed through the building just minutes after the opening bell. Throwing hay and russlin' cattle surprisingly translated to the ring for Paul as he used his natural strength as an asset inside the square circle, as well as a level of poise not often seen amongst rookies. Cowpoke came up short in his first bout after some underhanded shenanigans from his opponent, but he accomplished success with his connection with the audience and his overall athleticism that has pundits already touting his potential in the future.

 "I know I want to do it to the best of my ability. I know that no matter what I do, or where I am, I want to entertain the people that payed to be there. That’s really what it’s all about for me. Other than that, I do want to get out there and wrestle in as many states as possible. Traveling around and meeting new people," Cowpoke said.

How far Cowpoke Paul progresses in the world of professional wrestling remains to be seen, but in some ways, he's already a success story. When the bleakness of the shutdown had so many dealing with tough circumstances, Paul put his mind to a goal and achieved it with his official start in the sport. Furthermore, he entertained the paying audience, which is key for any form of show business. The full story of Cowpoke Paul has yet to unfold, but with the fans chanting his name, Cowpoke Paul certainly made a good first impression on professional wrestling.

Sacrifice review

On a weekend that is crowded with well-publicized pay-per-views, including UFC 272 and the All Elite Wrestling Revolution event, Impact Wrestling held its Sacrifice show, distributed exclusively through its streaming service, Impact Plus and its paid Youtube membership. These Impact Plus shows aren't necessarily promoted as big as the events that are available on traditional pay-per-view, events that have a $40 price tag, but the booking suggests that these are still supposed to be major broadcasts for the company.

The show opened with the typical X-Division title match, which is completely fine because while it's a recycled concept, it's a formula that always works since it starts the show off with a fast-paced contest. Trey Miguel has done very well in his role as champion and some of his maneuvers are extremely impressive, including a wild sliding destroy on the floor. Granted, Miguel is more or less typecast in the X-Division, but it's better to have a specific role than to be lost in the shuffle, especially with the crowded current wrestling landscape. On the other hand, Jake Something is really agile for a big man so hopefully he will eventually get the chance to move up the card. This was a solid match that saw Trey retain at the conclusion.

The Honor No More faction was involved with Team Impact at ringside for the Eddie Edwards vs. Rhino bout. Edwards is always a very good in-ring athlete, and Rhino can still go, but this match was average at best. There wasn't anything terrible, but nothing spectacular either. This contest and the post-match angle would've been better suited for an edition of Impact than any type of premium show. The Steve Maclin interference that cost Rhino the match got a reaction from the crowd in attendance, but when you consider that Impact's most recent ratings garnered only 130,000 viewers, it's obvious that only the most diehard of Impact fans will buy tickets to these live shows. The point being, I don't think Maclin will move the needle for the company now or any time in the future. His name doesn't have much cache, and the entire ROH angle doesn't have much steam either, especially after the Tony Khan announcement on Dynamite is what has the ROH-type focus ahead of any spinoffs.

In a similar fashion, there wasn't much steam for the Knockouts Tag Team championship match either. It was the sports entertainment segment of the show with Kaleb's involvement and didn't really bring much to the table, despite the title change at the finish. There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with the match, just nothing great either. As mentioned The Influence beat The Inspiration to win the belts.

I have to be honest, I wasn't expecting much from Jonah vs. PCO, but depending what you're looking for on an Impact broadcast, this was arguably the best match of the night. At 54, PCO understandably sometimes shows his age, but the effort is always there. This contest was wild with bumps on the ramp and dives to the floor. There were physical exchanges and it built toward the finish. The power bomb on the floor was absolutely brutal before Jonah got the victory. Aside from the really good action, the biggest takeaway from this might be that Jonah looked like a star so you have to wonder if management has bigger plans for him? Considering how agile the former Bronson Reed is, he's a unique athlete that the company could showcase as a commodity so it will be interesting to see what he does next in Impact.

If PCO/Jonah didn't steal the show then Jay White vs. Alex Shelley definitely took the spot for the best match of the night. Everything in this bout was crisp and solid with a well-paced contest that showcased just how smooth these two are inside the ring ropes. That being said, Alex Shelley is one of the most underrated competitors of his generation and with as many options are they are currently in the industry, it was disappointing that he was almost completely away from the business in recent years. The bottom line is, someone as skilled as Alex Shelley should have a full-time job in professional wrestling somewhere so hopefully he will get a rejuvenated run this year. It goes without saying that Jay White is one of the best in-ring performers currently in the sport, even though most North American fans aren't as familiar with him because the vast majority of his career, including his biggest matches, were in Japan. Despite being featured on AEW programming and his current stint in Impact, I'm not sure if this run in America will translate to much for White's career outside of Japan. All things considered, White's focus is rightfully on New Japan so this run in the United States seems like more of a detour when there's still a lot of uncertainty with the pandemic in Japan. Jay White got the win, and this contest would be a great bout in any company.

Chelsea Greene answered the challenge for Deonna Purrazzo's Ring Of Honor Women's championship, and I didn't expect a lot from this bout, but it was a good match-up. There were a lot of good technical exchanges early, something that you don't expect to see from Greene because most of her tenure in Impact previously was based on stellar character work. Greene did a nearly disastrous dive through the ropes, but Purrazzo made the save so her opponent didn't get spiked on the floor. The history of Greene's wrist injuries was used for a worked injury angle that led to the finish that saw Purrazzo retain the belt.

Mickie James made the save, and that led into her Knockouts title defense against Tasha Steelz. For whatever reason, Chelsea stayed at ringside selling her arm, which was rather awkward and didn't make much sense. More than anything, Greene just standing around took some of the focus off of the in-ring action and actually took away from the selling of the injury. It made you wonder if she was there to eventually get involved in the match, but she went backstage about half way through the contest. The match itself went too long and dragged at some point. The finish with Tasha hitting the cutter off the ropes for the victory was a good spot to win the belt, but overall, this bout built very little momentum throughout it.

The tag team title match was very well done and had a lot of action. It makes me wonder if The Good Brothers dropped the belts to make room on their schedule for a full-time return to New Japan? More than anything, this tag title win for Violent By Design puts some spotlight on Joe Doering, who I still think has the potential to be a main event guy in Impact. A side note, there were regular Bullet Club references made throughout the show, but the stable doesn't have nearly as much hype around it as it did a few years ago so I'm not sure if there's much buzz to be generated from what happens with the faction in Impact.

Speaking of the main event, I'm guessing the narrative was supposed to be Heath as the sentimental baby face getting a chance to win the championship, but that didn't really translate because nobody watching thought that he had a realistic shot to win the title. The match itself was fine, but more of an Impact match than a pay-per-view main event. It was just a basic match where Moose won with the spear. Josh Alexander made his return to set up a title match at the next pay-per-view, and as I've written before, I think Alexander has all the skills to be the champion.

Despite a few really good matches on the card, this show still had a rather moot atmosphere to it. The crowd was into the action, but it was still a very small audience with just a few rows on each side of the ring. In many ways, Sacrifice looked like an independent show with better production, but still had the lowest production value among the major organizations in the United States. I understand that Anthem bought the company a few years ago to keep in on its networks in Canada and that still might be the main reason the company exist. Don't get me wrong, Impact has some good performers on its roster, but as I said before, with 130,000 viewers for a recent episode on their television show, Impact Wrestling just doesn't make a major "impact" on the industry with all the other news around the other companies.