Double or Nothing review

After speculation and controversy prior to the broadcast, AEW Double or Nothing is in the books. The show was absurdly long with a dozen matches on the main card so I will do my best to review the positives and negatives without this review getting too lengthy, although that will be a challenge as well. I know that initial reaction will be that the 4-hour and 40-minute pay-per-view can "give the fans their money's worth," but it's key to note that a longer show doesn't automatically translate to a better show. If that were the case, why not book an entire card of iron man matches? Somewhere, Vince Russo thinks that might actually be a good idea.

The point being, some of these bouts, even those that were very solid, could've and should've been put on Dynamite, not a pay-per-view.

After rumors that MJF might've been on a flight out of Las Vegas, he showed up to the T-Mobile Arena and did the job he was contracted to do. The match went about six minutes and was more or less a squash. I'm wondering if this was put on first to prevent the entire situation from being a distraction from the rest of the card? On one hand, it's possible that MJF's offense was kept to a minimal and he was stretchered out as a way to write him off of the show if the backstage disagreements continue. On the other hand, everything might've been resolved and they are trying to work the situation to get fans to believe this is MJF's exit to set up for a surprise return. Either way, as I said in an article about the whole scenario, regardless of if it was a work or a shoot, it was bad business not to deliver on the autograph signing the fans paid for, as it put the focus of a negative story ahead of the pay-per-view. At this point, it's more important as to what the next move is for Wardlow, and how he's booked to continue to progress up the card.

The Hardys vs. The Young Bucks is a match that was booked before so it didn't have quite the same buzz, but it was a contest that made sense to book in AEW with both teams there. It was a solid match and The Bucks made the Hardys look good. That being said, both Hardys, particularly Jeff, showed their age at various points. I'm not sure what spot it was, but it looked like Jeff got hurt and he was very sluggish throughout a portion of the match. I wouldn't go as far as to say that The Bucks carried the Hardys through the match, but it was clear that without the efforts of Matt and Nick, this probably would've fell very flat. I think it's fair to say that at 44, the decades of risky bumps have caught up to Jeff, and at this point, it would be much wiser for him to pay the greatest hits in tag matches to allow for his name value to boost his matches at this stage of his career than bumps to the outside. The Hardys got the win, but the biggest takeaway from this segment was that The Hardys might not physically have another big tag title run left in AEW.

Jade Cargill beat Anna Jay in about six minutes and this was a very clunky match. Considering the overbooked card, this was a title defense that should've been put on Dynamite instead of pay-per-view. Jade is absolutely a star, but still shows some inexperience. Anna Jay looked to get caught in the mouth with a double axe handle off the top early in the match and looked to be thrown off the entire segment. Stokely Hathaway made his debut to assist Jade for the win. I don't know if Stokely missed his cue, but it looked like Anna Jay was motioning to the entrance way before the finish. Post-match, Athena, the former Ember Moon, made her debut for the organization. Athena is a great addition to the roster that can add a lot of depth to the women's division, assuming she doesn't get lost in the shuffle within three weeks.

The House of Black vs. The Death Triangle was a very good match that was probably forgotten about by the time the main event got in the ring. Anyone that advocates for a trios championship in AEW is misguided, mostly since there are already too many titles in the company, but also because at least of few of the guys booked for this could have the potential to be in the world title picture at some point so shoehorning them into a six man role could be counterproductive. The House of Black got the win after Juila Hart appeared to spray mist in Pac's eyes. The House of Black is a money faction, if Tony Khan can find a way to book the stable in meaningful angles.

Adam Cole vs. Samoa Joe was a really good match that might've been the show stealer on a different card. This contest proved that despite the inconsistent booking Adam Cole is still a top guy. It also showed that despite the injuries, Samoa Joe can still go in the ring. Joe's recent matches have been really solid, but he appears to have gained some weight since his arrival in AEW, and it hampered his work in the past, but hopefully, the lighter All Elite schedule will give him more longevity at this point in his career. In my opinion, Cole was very underutilized so far in his All Elite stint so him winning the Owen tournament was the right decision, and hopefully, it can put him back on the radar in the promotion.

Ruby Soho, another competitor that hasn't been fully utilized in her AEW tenure competed against Britt Baker in the women's final of the tournament. Baker has certainly evolved as a performer since signing with All Elite, but occasionally some of her inexperience shows through depending on her opponent. This isn't necessarily meant as a criticism of Baker, but she just isn't at the point in her career yet where you would put her in the ring to make someone else look good during a segment. Ruby was perfect in the role to showcase Baker, as well as prove why she's a star in her own right. It made sense for Britt to get the win to have the power couple moment with Cole afterwards for the ceremony. Most importantly, it was absolutely wonderful to see Martha Hart smile as the crowd chanted, "Owen" and it was a beautiful moment for the sport.

American Top Team defeated Frankie Kazarian, Sammy Guevara, and Tay Conti in a match that the crowd didn't seem to care about and the entire segment was a waste of time. The baby face/heel dynamic was lop-sided and the audience had no interest in the result. This whole angle is flat, and there has to be a better use of everyone involved in this segment.

Kyle O'Reilly defeated Darby Allin in a good match that should've been on television, not the pay-per-view. The same can be said about Thunder Rosa vs. Serena Deeb, it was a very good match, but considering that Rosa hasn't been featured much on the shows since winning the title, this was a TV match.

The Anarchy in the Arena match was insane. It was an entertaining violent spectacle. There was too much action to attempt to review, but the biggest takeaway from this match should be that Eddie Kingston should win the AEW world championship at some point in the future.

The three way tag title match was a wild spot fest, and in a vacuum, it was very entertaining. At midnight after four hours of wrestling, I just wanted this match to finish so we could get to the main event before the fourth of July holiday.

The main event was solid and had a very good narrative that had the audience following the action toward its conclusion. As I detailed in an article last week, I think the presentation of Adam Page during his title run was rather lackluster so CM Punk winning the title was probably the only logically choice here. The match wasn't as smooth or as crisp as you might've expected it to be, but it got the moment of Punk celebrating with the belt so it's mission accomplished for the pay-per-view.

What's the status of MJF?

"It's a crazy business we're in, you know?" -Tony Montana

What started as a few tweets from those that were in attendance at the AEW fan fest a part of the Double or Nothing weekend became a major story online, as it made the rounds on various wrestling news sites that MJF, who is scheduled to compete in a featured bout against Wardlow at the pay-per-view, no-showed the autograph session. According to the tweets from those that were there, security at the event informed the fans that purchased meet and greet tickets that the AEW star's signing was cancelled since he wasn't answering his phone when the staff attempted to reach him. Fans were given the option to use their purchased meet and greet for another wrestler or were issued a refund.

Of course, given the cynical nature of the wrestling business, many assumed this was a work, but PWinsider's Mike Johnson, the most accurate reporter in the industry, confirmed that Friedman legitimately no-showed the event. Granted, it's still possible that this could be a publicity stunt, but what's the pay off?

If this is a work then it's a lame attempt by the promotion to get heat and the downside of all of it is exponentially bigger than any potential positive from such a stunt. First of all, All Elite Wrestling has a business model, much like many other forms of entertainment, that is designed to serve its audience. Those that follow the product invest their money through ticket sales and pay-per-view orders because of the program that AEW markets to them. Unless there is some emergency or family matter, it's never a wise decision not to deliver on something the fans pay for. From what I understand, fans had to pay an extra fee in addition to the general admission ticket to meet the major names at the fan fest. There were fans that paid to meet MJF, and so far, there hasn't been a reasonable excuse as to why he no-showed. More importantly, if this is a set up, it takes the focus away from Wardlow, who the angle is designed to boost to the next level so even if this is a misguided attempt to get heat, it still dilutes the effectiveness of the storyline.

All Elite as a promotion has a certain level of good will with the fans because of the spark that its existence brought to the industry. Instead of being dressed as court jesters on Raw, FTR had the option to sign with AEW, and have had some of the best matches in the history of the organization in recent months. The fact that Dax and Cash are two of the best workers in the business, but don't have a match at Double or Nothing is a different discussion for a different time. The point being, the audience knows and appreciates that Tony Khan was willing to risk millions of dollars to launch AEW. Granted, even if All Elite flopped and went under in three months, the Khan family would still be worth billions of dollars, but the bottom line is, Tony Khan didn't have to invest into a wrestling company to attempt to be financially secure. Sure, the goal for All Elite is to make a profit and the group has so it's already a successful venture, but instead of everything that is involved in such a project, Khan could've bought an island where he could drink ice tea on the beach.

If the company was willing to work a situation where the fans intentionally didn't get what they paid for, AEW risks the good will that it has with its fan base, which is difficult to earn in the modern era.

If this isn't a work and MJF actually walked out, it's nothing but bad press for everyone involved. Is it good business that there are rumors that one of the key matches scheduled might not take place? How does that help the buy rate? It's not impossible that MJF went on strike, it's happened in wrestling before, and it's the promoter's job to get the match in the ring. Vince McMahon paid to get Ultimate Warrior through the curtain at Summer Slam and then fired him directly after the match. If Tony Khan can't deliver the pay off to this feud then how is AEW different from a local indy that Greg Valentine refused to show up for? Another key point to be made is that if this isn't a work and MJF doesn't appear at the pay-per-view because of a legitimate emergency or health situation, that's not good news either.

Some have compared this to the Sasha Banks and Naomi situation since they recently walked out on Raw, and there are some similarities because it involves talent that are reportedly unhappy with their spot in each company. I will say much of the same about Friedman as I said about the Banks scenario, as far as what it translates to business wise. Assuming MJF isn't happy with his deal, he has the right to refuse to perform for AEW, the same way that Sasha can refuse to wrestle for WWE, but the fact remains that each company has the leverage of a signed contract. It's no secret that Friedman has expressed an interest to work for WWE, and right now, he has the momentum of a top angle on television behind him, but he's legally contracted to work for AEW. In theory, MJF could stay on the sidelines for almost two years until his current AEW deal expires, but how much negotiating power would he have with a WWE contract if his stock drops after being away from the spotlight for such an extended period of time?

Furthermore and most importantly, MJF made a very unwise business decision if the story of a walk out is legitimate.

Obviously, he burned a bridge with All Elite, and even if this situation is resolved so that the PPV match can get in the ring as planned, how much of a push could he get going forward? How could Tony Khan ever trust MJF to put the world title on him without the risk of another walk out? The bottom line is, this stunt could've put a ceiling on how far Friedman will progress in AEW. On the flip side, just for the sake of discussion, if this walk out somehow gets him an early release to go to WWE, realistically, how much would the WWE want to invest in someone with a track record of threatening to quit the company? Keep in mind, MJF is very talented, but he doesn't have the cache or the star power of Steve Austin or Brock Lesnar. Would Vince McMahon want to risk another Ultimate Warrior situation?

The bottom line is, pro wrestling is entertainment and that's the job MJF signed a contract for. It's his profession and his line of work. If someone refuses to go to work at an office building, their stuff usually gets mailed to them in a card board box. More than anything, the entire situation, which is undoubtedly a negative, has become the discussion instead of the pay-per-view.

Adam Page vs. CM Punk

This weekend is not only the official three-year anniversary of All Elite Wrestling, but also the Memorial Day tradition of the Double or Nothing pay-per-view. With ten matches on the main card, it's almost unavoidable that this will be somewhat overbooked, but as we've said since AEW's inception, it's very difficult to sell a $50 broadcast in the modern era, especially when there's another card next month with the Forbidden Door PPV.

Parsing how well this card was built is mostly a discussion for a review of the actual show, based on if the event lived up to the hype. However, among numerous contests that will take place, the main event of Adam Page defending the world championship against CM Punk is at the top of the card.

If this is Punk's All Elite coronation and what it could mean for the company creates an intrigue that translates into a selling point, but where would that leave Adam Page? Furthermore, what does Page's title reign say about Tony Khan's ability to make homegrown stars?

Ironically, Page was in the main event of the first Double or Nothing show in 2019, losing a match to Chris Jericho that determined the first AEW champion. At the time, it was considered the right move, and it definitely was because Jericho's name value gave the organization some steady ground to built off of before they debuted on national television that October. Still, the general consensus was that the very talented Page was one of the key talents for the future of the company. His tag title reign alongside Kenny Omega was fine since it gave them both something to do in the early stages of the company, particularly before the pieces of the puzzle were put in place for the Omega heel run, and it provided some quality tag bouts, but even that stint in the tag division was almost cannon fodder in the grand scheme of things. The goal was for Omega to have a big run as champion in an American promotion for the first time in his career, which worked very well with the crossover with Impact, and it arguably made him a bigger star than even his peak in New Japan. For Page, it continued to build him as a future top guy in the organization.

So, what happened?

In early-August of last year, Page took time off for his wife to give birth to their first child, which is completely understandable. He returned a few months later in October to win a ladder match to earn a title shot. In retrospect, I think it's fair to say that Page didn't quite recapture the momentum that he had prior to his hiatus after he returned. It was a coincidence, but the bottom line is, while Page was at home, CM Punk and Bryan Danielson, two of the biggest stars of the modern era, debuted for the organization so they somewhat eclipsed his status within the company. That's not meant as a knock against Page, either, as Jericho is probably the only other performer on the All Elite roster that has that level of star power. Understandably, the focus shifted to Punk's return to the sport for the first time in seven years, as well as the possibilities several match-ups for The American Dragon without the WWE restrictions. This was a scenario where, just because Page winning the title might've been the long-term plan, it probably would've been better for Tony Khan to pivot to either a Punk or Danielson title win to allow for Omega to take time off to heal from various injuries.

That being said, how Page was booked as champion did him no favors either.

I understand that Khan wanted to save the Page-Danielson bout for the Winter is Coming special, but it was a month between the time that The Hangman won the title until he had another match. More importantly, Page's first title defense was a draw, which didn't exactly solidify him as the world champion. Again, I understand the logic to want to book the rematch for the first Dynamite of the year, but it was another three weeks before the rematch, and that made it nearly two months from the time that Page won the belt until he won another match. Prior to the Texas Deathmatch against Lance Archer, Hangman did a promo where he specifically mentioned the lack of title defenses, and it just didn't present him in a favorable light. Sure, the Texas Deathmatch was great, but then there was diminishing returns with the same stipulation against Adam Cole not too long after that. It seemed like an attempt to use gimmick matches as a substitute for a compelling storyline for the belt.

Along with that Adam Page wrestled only nine matches so far this year. The reason he originally got over with the cowboy gimmick is that he could be the blue collar champion, but his presentation doesn't gel with the narrative of a fighting champion. I understand some might say that the champion doesn't have to wrestle on TV as often, but I disagree with that because establishing Hangman as a top guy requires the exposure to portray him in that fashion. In fact, some of his appearances on Dynamite didn't help enhance the perception since on an episode of Dynamite last month, he only did a face off with Punk without anything being said or done to progress the angle.

Finally, his recent promos have been somewhat conflicting since he sounded like a heel last week, but then tried to sound like a baby face standing up for the rest of the roster. The implication was that Punk isn't genuine in his comments about his passion for wrestling in AEW. If that's the case in reality, it's still irrelevant in the context of the storyline. Punk has a specific level of good will among the AEW fan base since he chose to return to the sport under the AEW banner so there's no reason to dilute that, at least until Punk gets the major baby face run as champion. The promos almost made Page sound like a complaining champion that a bigger star showed up to take his spot, which is something else that doesn't fit with the narrative of the blue collar champion. All things considered, the way that Adam Page was booked with the comedy stuff with the Dark Order before the title win, his first defense as a draw, the lack of TV exposure as champion, and the recent promos, from a booking perspective, the argument could be made that his title reign was a flop. Don't get me wrong, Adam Page is absolutely talented enough to be a top guy in the promotion, but how his title run was scripted minimized his chances to solidify himself as the champion.

It might sound harsh, but Adam Page was the first homegrown AEW world champion and ultimately, Tony Khan couldn't book him to be a bigger star in the process. Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Kenny Omega were all stars elsewhere before they had a run with the AEW championship so a lot of that star power is why they were successful draws for AEW.

As far as what happens at Double or Nothing, anything is possible and it could be a situation where beating Punk is used to attempt to elevate Page, but at this point, I think CM Punk winning the title is the wise decision. Page as a heel could be a fresh coat of paint at some point in the future, but right now, it makes sense to attempt to get the biggest exposure for the brand as possible with CM Punk as the face of the company. Remember, Dynamite garners around a million viewers each week, but the ratings have been more or less the same since Punk arrived so at some point, his involvement with the company must generate a measurable return for it to be a successful investment for the organization.

Stephanie McMahon hiatus

Last week, headlines were made on social media when Stephanie McMahon, who looked to be the heiress to the WWE throne for several years, announced that she will take a hiatus from the company. This news is just a few months after Triple H officially confirmed his retirement following heart problems and a defibrillator to correct them last year. Shane was infamously fired from the promotion after the debacle at the Royal Rumble earlier this year. Linda left the company in 2009 for two failed runs for senate before she bought a place in Trump's cabinet with a six million dollar donation to his campaign. A few years later, she resigned from her role as the head of  the Small Business Administration, and currently has various vanity roles on some boards involved in the GOP.

That leaves Vince as the sole McMahon in the WWE. With executive Nick Khan a power player within the publicly-traded corporation and the cache he has after he sealed the billion dollar Peacock deal for the WWE Network, is it possible that there will be a WWE without the McMahons in the future?

First, I have to say that I think the Stephanie situation isn't anything more than what it appears to be on the surface. Stephanie has worked with the company in various roles, including the writing team for a period in the early-2000s, since the late-90s. She has a family, and the Triple H health scare might've put things in perspective for their family. Spending time with their family might be more important now for both of them, which is why even Triple H has a reduced role with the company, especially after the complete relaunch of NXT.

Again, if I had to guess, I would say that this will be Stephanie taking an extended time away to have more family time for the next few years. All things considering, especially with the current TV and the previously mentioned Peacock deals, the company is more or less on autopilot so it makes sense for her to take time off.

The money is quite literally in the bank and the profits are guaranteed so is there really much for Stephanie to do?

The writing team more or less follows the same general blueprint for the direction of the product, the brand sells the stadium shows more than anything else, and the Saudi events are the most profitable broadcasts of the year so the stockholders are happy during the conference calls.

I'd guess that Stephanie will return to the company in a few years and resume her duties. Still, it's rather odd that Nick Khan, an outside executive, is probably the second most powerful figure in the organization, second only to Vince himself. In the mid-2000s, it was clear that Stephanie and Triple H were in line to eventually take over, which of course saw Shane's original exit. However, the complexion of the WWE as a product and a commodity is vastly different now than it was over a decade ago because of the dynamics of the television business, as well as the evolution of media. The WWE Network as a concept began to change the game as to how the product was structured and sold to the audience. The writing team was no longer under the pressure to "sell" the $40 pay-per-views to the audience, but rather give fans enough content to justify a $10 subscription a month. As we've seen, even that concept is now antiquated since Peacock is free for some viewers, and the countless hours of content from the WWE vault allow for more ad revenue associated with that content with the commercials throughout the shows. It's very important to remember that it was the dynamics of the TV business, not the popularity of sports entertainment, that landed the company the major television deals a few years ago. There are networks that will pay big cash for live content to attempt to counter DVR viewing, and the WWE was able to capitalize on it.

How the company tries to get re-signed for the same type of money in a few years after the sluggish ratings and the structure of the product that hasn't made new stars is a completely different matter.

The point is, the WWE had Nick Khan work the dynamics of the business world outside of sports entertainment to land the organization another billion dollar deal. Sure, Triple H learned the sports entertainment business from the emperor, but the TV industry and more importantly, the stock market are a completely different situation. To be fair, selling sports entertainment was and still is the premise of the company. Khan's role was as effective as it was based on the current climate of the TV business so no, Nick Khan won't jump the line to take over the company. He's a business guy, not a pro wrestling mind and wouldn't be the one to make the key decisions to build talent.

This all fuels more of the speculation that prehaps Khan was preparing the eventual sale of the organization, and while anything can happen, I don't see Vince McMahon allowing his company under someone else's control. Vince has dedicated his entire life to the WWE and he's already a billionaire. At some point, the money just becomes a numbers on the page. Plus, as much as McMahon tried to glamorize pro wrestling, and was successful in that goal in many ways, the WWE isn't like Disney or other scripted entertainment. You can't just cast the next John Cena when you want to big draw for the next Wrestlemania. The WWE product is a unique commodity that isn't transferable to any platform. There's a reason WWE Films hasn't won any Academy Awards. There's not going to be a Sin Cara and Scooby Doo ride at Disney World. You can package pro wrestling to be more main stream, but you can't jump the shark. Nick Khan isn't going to sell the rights to a WWE theme park. Sure, such an announcement would make the stockholders thrilled, but the bottom line is the WWE product still has to draw the WWE audience. When you take into account that live events and live entertainment are still the staples for the company to product content, it's very doubtful that Nick Khan would be the guy to run it. 

As far as what happens now, it's basically business as usual because as mentioned, the product is on autopilot for the duration of the current TV deals. I sincerely think that Vince McMahon will still be running the WWE at the age of 95 so any discussion about who would run the company without him is probably moot. That being said, it's a compelling story because it's the first time in the history of the company that there is minimal McMahon family involvement so it will be interesting to see if Nick Khan has more of an impact on the direction of the company.

Ric Flair returns

The argument could be made that Ric Flair, the 16-time world champion, is the greatest pro wrestler to ever lace up a pair of boots. Granted, the discussion is subjective, but that's part of the fun of the sport. Counter arguments for Bret Hart, Misawa, or others could be made as well. Still, while the ranking might vary, it's almost undeniable that Flair is a great pro wrestler. However, that doesn't automatically mean that the real-life Flair is necessarily a great person.

Obviously, I don't know Flair personally so I'm not making an assertive statement based on that, but perception is often reality, particularly within the sports entertainment business, and more often than not, Flair's public reputation hasn't put him in the best light in recent years. Over a decade ago, Flair was almost 60 and was given the greatest retirement the business had ever seen, with a featured match at Wrestlemania and then a very emotional segment the following night on Raw. Reportedly, he inked a deal to be a WWE ambassador for $500,000 a year, a role that would've kept him employed, but not in the ring after he officially hung up the boots. Flair's well-documented financial woes, including several alimony payments, saw him opt out of the contract to make more money upfront on the autograph circuit. His money and legal troubles are sadly too lengthy to detail again, as he was sued for breach of contract by Ring Of Honor and then High Spots for not only autographs that he didn't sign, but also for a personal loan, where he put up the NWA title belt as collateral even though he didn't actually own the championship.

It might be tough for some longtime Flair fans or wrestling purists to hear, but his legacy was tarnished the moment he stepped into the ring to wrestle for TNA in 2010. He was given a storybook ending to his career, but years of terrible financial decisions forced him back into the ring at 61. Again, it might sound harsh, but it was embarrassing to see Flair clearly passed his prime, bleeding on TNA television or rolling around in thumbtacks. Along with that the ill-fated Hulkamania tour saw a 60-year-old Flair competing against Hogan during a series of shows that were considered a flop in Australia in 2009. At least the Australian tour was relatively low-profile and didn't really impact his status in the business, but the TNA run was on national TV during an era when the company had a decent core viewing audience. Sure, everyone has the right to try to make some cash in their chosen profession, but that doesn't mean the whole story isn't just sad that Flair, the celebrated former champion, was in the ring at that age because he needed the money. It's difficult to feel bad for him since there are countless stories that he wasted his earnings throughout his career.

Now, a decade after his final match, it was announced that Flair, at the age of 73, will step into the ring again for another match. This time, it was be Flair and FTR vs. The Rock N' Roll Express, both in their 60s, and a partner yet to be announced. Ricky Steamboat, who suffered some serious health problems about a decade ago that prevent him from wrestling again, was brief linked to the bout before "The Dragon" denied the reports. What is being promoted as Flair's last match will take place as a part of the Starrcast convention, an event organized by podcast czar and Flair's son-in-law, Conrad Thompson. Conrad, the optimist and in this case, a promoter, touted the contest as an ode to Jim Crockett Promotions, the organization that held NWA events during Flair's heyday as champion.

Granted, if Flair wanted another final match, it's tough for Conrad to say no to family, but realistically, is there really a demand for this? Seriously, after Flair's health scare in 2017 that had him near death, are fans truly clamoring to see him inside the ring again? Every bump he takes could theoretically be a cause for concern. In recent months, Flair posted videos of workouts with Jay Lethal, and while it's nice to see the two have a fun exhibition of a few small spots, you can definitely tell that Lethal is being extra careful with everything he does to the aging legend. Should Flair's final bout, after he was known for working 60 minutes during his heyday, be a six man tag where his opponents are extra cautious with him in the ring?

It's no surprise that this announcement was met with a combination of criticism and concern. Former WCW announcer, Chris Cruise, went as far as to say that he would contract the state athletic commissions to inform them of Flair's health problems, including a pacemaker that he had after his previously mentioned health scare. Truth to told, outside of New York, there are very few states that do anything to regulate pro wrestling. It's viewed as entertainment, and any yokel that has the cash to pay the relatively small fee for a promoter's license can usually run an event, which is why you hear many horror stories about independent shows. The athletic commissions take their cut of a tax on the gate, but that's more or less the extent of their involvement in sports entertainment. The Starrcast convention is being held during Summer Slam weekend in Nashville, TN to draw from the traveling WWE crowd.

As mentioned, Flair's public profile took a hit in recent years. He appeared to be on his way to All Elite Wrestling until the episode about the infamous plane ride overseas aired, which saw a flight attendant accuse The Nature Boy of exposing himself to her during the flight. Flair continues to completely deny the allegations. However, based on Flair's alleged behavior and a few of the other intoxicated wrestlers on the plane, the flight attendants filed a lawsuit against the company at the time of the incident. The fact that the case was settled out of court was enough to sway public opinion when the episode aired on Vice TV last year. Flair's hopes of a hefty AEW contract were dashed in the aftermath of the negative publicity.

More recently, Flair dealt with another public feud, this time with his longtime friend and former WCW announcer, Mark Madden. Madden, a lifelong Flair fan and radio host, bases much of his on-air persona on being a heel, the same way a wrestling villain riles up an audience. Off the airwaves, Madden is known as a genuinely nice guy and has done charity work in the past, as well as working with youth hockey leagues. Flair wanted to get into the podcast game, something he attempted before, but that fizzled out quickly. History repeated itself in some ways when Flair relaunched with Madden as his co-host, but less than a dozen episodes later, there was a very public dispute between the two on Twitter. Madden explained that Flair was simply unprepared for the podcast sessions. In the back and fourth exchanges on social media, it was revealed that Flair, despite almost dying from alcohol-related health problems, still drinks today.

This is where Ric Flair will lose most of his public support. If fans don't like Madden's abrasive on-air style, that's fine, nobody has to feel bad for the radio host. However, the fact that Flair continues to drink today shows that he took a second chance at life for granted. There are many people dealing with health problems based on no fault of their own that don't get the chance to live a normal life. On the other end of the spectrum, not only did Flair almost drink himself to death based on his personal choices to frequent bars very often over the years, he still drinks after getting a  second chance at life. At some point, it's difficult for the fans to want to celebrate and honor someone that clearly doesn't value the gifts that he has in his career. More specifically, it appears that Flair might think he's entitled to live a lavish lifestyle. Despite making top money and getting a few chances later in his career to still earn big cash, somehow Flair always seems to have financial problems. During an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary a few years ago, he often bragged about drinking, infidelity, and lavish spending throughout his career.

Again, Flair might be a great pro wrestler, but that doesn't make him a great person.

So, Ric Flair will compete at 73 years old and it will be said that at this age, he still wants to fool himself into trying to believe that he's still the same guy that worked the main event of Starrcade. FTR, two of the best workers in the business, will do their best to make Flair look as decent as possible, but this tag match will amount to Flair gingerly going through the routine. The Nashville Fairgrounds isn't exactly the prime location for the conclusion of Flair's career, but this whole experiment seems more like an ego trip for Flair in his career.

Sasha Banks walks out of Raw

Sasha Banks, multiple time WWE Women's champion and one of the top stars of the company, walked out of Raw this week after frustrations with the scripts for that night's broadcast, including the main event six-way bout of the show. Reportedly, Sasha and her tag team partner, Naomi met with Vince McMahon before they decided to inform Head of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis that there were leaving the building, putting their title belts on his desk before the exit. The company actually acknowledged the incident on the air and subsequently posted a statement online to explain that the contracted talent refused to perform at the event.

Obviously, this news made waves around the wrestling world, but it shouldn't be all that surprising.

Let's be honest here, the WWE stock price and the corporate conference calls can enhance the image of sports entertainment for the advertisers, but the bottom line is, the pro wrestling business, much like any other form of live entertainment, is usually a chess match between the promoter and the talent in some form or fashion.

In short, talent has had grudges with promoters for as along as there has been a pro wrestling industry.

This particularly situation is a little more complex, mostly because of the current dynamics of the industry, and it will be very intriguing to see if this situation shifts the narrative of talent that work for the global corporation. We've seen more often in recent years, particularly with the addition of All Elite Wrestling to the landscape of sports entertainment, that wrestlers have more of a chance to make a full-time living outside of the WWE bubble. We've seen talent publicly request their release from the organization, a social media experiment that yields mixed results. Make no mistake about it, in terms of leverage for a job, the Vince McMahon empire doesn't have the same amount of power it did a decade ago. That being said, despite the sluggish ratings during the pandemic era, the WWE machine still offers the biggest main stream exposure in the industry.

As mentioned, this scenario isn't anything new. Most famously, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin quit the company for eight months when he refused to do the job for Brock Lesnar on Raw because he wanted to maximize business for the bout on pay-per-view. Austin had the right concept, but the wrong approach, and has since said that it was the worst mistake of his career. The point being, if the WWE will let Steve Austin walk, they are prepared to let anyone exit, which is one of the advantages of the brand itself being promoted ahead of any specific talent.

Sasha as one of the central figures of this story makes the news a little murky, as far as what side of this exit will gain public support. Keep in mind, Sasha attempted to quit the company in 2019 because she didn't approve of losing the tag team titles and spent a four-month hiatus away from television. It's tough to tell if this story is someone on an ego trip or a competitor standing up to the company, especially because details are sparse, and as of this writing, very little was said publicly about it. Don't get me wrong, Sasha Banks is an absolute star and has all the skills to be one of the top draws for the company. The look, the charisma, the mic skills, and the in-ring ability truly makes her one of the best performers of the modern era. That said, she wouldn't be the first talented star to think that they are more important to the success of the promotion than they actually are in the grand scheme of things. Brock Lesnar signed an extended no-compete clause in 2004 because he thought he was going to walk onto an NFL team. Low Ki is one of the most talented athletes of his generation, but was also his own worst enemy and he never became more than a big fish in a small pond.

Considering the speculation online for the past few years that Sasha has a reputation of being hard to work with, prehaps this is a situation where her ego got in the way of business. Again, this isn't anything new in the history of the industry. That's not to say that the booking hasn't been terrible because as I've written the past few years, most of the time, it almost seems like the WWE product is on autopilot because of the massive TV deals. Regardless, walking out is probably the worst way to handle a disagreement with the office because a contract is a contract. The fairness of pro wrestling contracts is a different discussion for a different time, but the fact remains that the company has much more leverage in this disagreement since there are agreed upon terms of the deal. Granted, if a talent ultimately refuses to work for the WWE, Vince McMahon isn't going to usher them to the ring, but management could freeze the contract and thus keep the talent out of the spotlight to diminish their market value before an agreement on the release. Pac sat on the sidelines for several months after he quit the company before he was actually released from his contract.

How Sasha decides to handle her WWE deal at this point remains to be seen, but she will have to decide if she wants to continue to be a pro wrestler. If not, she could theoretically sign a non-compete similar to the original Brock Lesnar stipulation, and eventually get an official release. On the other hand, the WWE could decide to keep her under contract for the duration of the deal, which might lower her public profile without the usual TV exposure. Don't get me wrong, if Banks has enough money to be financially secure then she should stay home, but there are times when some former WWE talents overestimate their value outside of the WWE empire. Banks had a role in The Mandalorian so maybe acting is an option for her, but again the office might choose to keep her under contract.

I really doubt that she will get a simple release from the company for the same reason those releases are rarely granted, management doesn't want to set a precedent that a talent can threaten to quit if they want to change a storyline. My two cents on the situation is that Sasha should be willing to return to the show, continue with the company until her deal expires, and then pursues any other career options she wants outside of WWE. The reason being is a signed contract gives the company the advantage and it makes more sense to have the easiest exit possible than to have the prime of her career stalled during a dispute for a release. All that being said, this whole thing could be moot if the dispute is resolved within a few weeks. Remember, Zelina Vega wanted to leave the company, but eventually resurfaced on Smackdown, and Charlotte had backstage problems before it was resolved.

I find the Naomi portion of all of this a little more puzzling. Considering that Sasha is usually a featured star, I would say that she has less of a gripe than Naomi as far as how their character is presented on television. Naomi is very talented and has the ability to be in the same conversation as performers like Sasha, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte. However, when you take into account that she's a part of the Fatu family, it seems like there would've been a more productive way to handle the disagreement than walking out of Raw. We all know pro wrestling is a very political business so it wouldn't be shocking if Roman Reigns was asked to speak up on behalf of his family, especially because of how talented Naomi is on WWE programming.

It will be very interesting to see how this unfolds, and while I'm just guessing, I have to say that I think this dispute is about more than just the status of the Women's tag titles. Anyone that knows the WWE product, including its own roster, knows that the tag team division is rarely a priority on any show. In fact, the argument could be made that the vast majority of the championships on Raw and Smackdown are meaningless because of how the champions are portrayed on television.

New IWC head trainer

You've seen those moments on social media, someone puts a photo online of when they were just a dreamer next to a picture of their accomplishment of that goal. It's one of the few redeeming qualities of the often jaded social media society that exist today, we get the chance to see things go full circle.

For one longtime Pittsburgh pro wrestling veteran, he will see things go full circle for his career around the squared circle, a journey that saw him grow up in the sport over the past two decades.

Bobby Piskor, known affectionately as "Potter" among his friends for his striking resemblance to the JK Rowling character, has spent the majority of his life in the pro wrestling business in some form or fashion. When he was just 15, he began designing websites for his mentor and eventual trainer, the late James Fawcett, known in the ring as Devil Budhakkan. Bobby wasn't even old enough to drive and technically not old enough to be involved at the events, but he did ring crew for the earliest International Wrestling Cartel events as he tagged along with his mentor. The IWC, founded in 2001 by grizzled veteran and local radio personality, Bubba The Bulldog, was promoted successfully for many years by one of the godfathers of the steel city indy scene, Norm Connors. Over the years, ownership changed and eventually landed in the hands of Justin Plummer since 2014. IWC is one of the biggest independent organizations on the east coast, recently hosting The Hardys in a tag team title match in front on a jam-packed crowd at the Rostraver Ice Gardens.

Before IWC streamed on FITE TV for a potentially worldwide audience, it started the same way all local outfits start, small venues with a core group of dedicated fans. When the previously mentioned Fawcett worked those events in places like the Emerald Room, a building forgotten by most except those that were there, Bobby hauled in the canvas and set up chairs. Just to have a foot in the door was a thrill for the youngster, and the decision to pursue professional wrestling shaped the direction of his life.

Over these past twenty years, Bobby has worn almost every hat you can in the industry, becoming a true jack-of-all-trades. A referee, wrestler, author, graphic designer, booker, and countless other tasks all decorated his wrestling resume.

Piskor has worked every part of the industry spectrum, standing in the same ring with legends like Chris Jericho and The Hardys, as well as working with a rookie early in their career.

There isn't much Bobby hasn't done in these past 21 years, and he looks to add one more title to his career very soon, as he's scheduled to become the head trainer for the IWC's training center, the Iron City Wrestling Academy. The fingerprints of the ICWA are all over the current landscape of the industry. Before she electrified the hometown crowd with a few Pittsburgh Steelers by her side, Dr. Britt Baker learned the ropes under the IWC banner. Before he conducted the power bomb symphony on TBS, Wardlow honed his crafted in an IWC ring. Elias held the IWC heavyweight championship before he held a guitar on pay-per-view. Even NXT's Troy Donovan broke into the sport with IWC.

Piskor knows the level of responsibility he has as the trainer of a training center with such a track record and looks to use his knowledge as not only an in-ring competitor, but the years he spent learning every facet of the industry.

"It has been no secret for the last several years I have been helping out tremendously behind the scenes at IWC. IWC was looking to fill a position to train the upcoming class. I put my name in the hat for it and my name was picked. I think a lot of the fundamentals are lacking in professional wrestling today. I want to spend a good bit of my time with the psychological aspects of pro wrestling, and the attention to detail that I have. Sure the moves are important, but its the why we do things that's more important," Piskor explained.

With his track record and well-established reputation, pundits of the region have already expressed their confidence in Piskor for this new role.

"This is a man that has worn many hats in the wrestling business over the past 21 years; probably every one there is to wear. As a long time and well-traveled referee he has had opportunities to be a fly on the wall learning indirectly from some of the best our business has to offer. You can tell that he’s carried those lessons into his in-ring work once he started wrestling full-time. With such a well rounded resume both in and out of the ring he brings so much more to a trainer role than just someone with in-ring experience that can teach the fundamentals. I fully expect that his students are going to have a great education on all of the moving pieces of our business and have a better understanding of them than most that are just starting out," said Dash Bennett, a semi-retired pro that spent the bulk of his wrestling career on many of the same cards as Bobby.

After working with the IWC on a sporadic basis for the majority of the early 2000s, Bobby became a regular for the group in 2015, working extensively with the organization beyond just when the bright lights illuminate the canvas for showtime. Particularly, those past seven years gave him a PHD-level education on every aspect of the business. Now, he gets a chance to apply that knowledge to the hopefuls that walk through the doors of the Iron City Training Academy. Bobby gets the opportunity to help others live their dream of being a pro wrestler the same way that Devil Budhakkan assisted him all those years ago when Piskor was thrilled to assemble an IWC ring at the Emerald Room.

"My goal is to give back to the this business as much as I have gotten from it. I want these students to learn all aspects of pro wrestling. There are more responsibilities than just wrestling on a card," Bobby concluded.

What's the status of Roman Reigns?

A few waves were made online when reports surfaced that Roman Reigns, the current WWE champion, is scheduled to work a fewer number of events going forward after he inked a new contract with the organization. Specifically, The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer noted that Reigns isn't advertised for a majority of the events that are scheduled within the next few months.

Could this be an indication that Roman might be winding down his full-time career?

I have to say, anything is possible, but I highly doubt that Roman Reigns is going anywhere, as far as a commodity for the WWE corporation. If that's the case then the majority of the speculation is moot. On the flip side, just considering the possibility of the company without Roman Reigns for an extended period of time does expose some of the potential flaws in company philosophy.

Again, to be clear, Roman isn't going anywhere. The guy was shoehorned into a role as the next John Cena instead of being allowed to become the first Roman Reigns, and now that he was able to evolve as a performer, he's doing the best work of his career. Roman is in the prime of his career and is in a position to continue to make top money for at least the next few years so it wouldn't make sense for him to leave the featured spot right now.

That said, the office, particularly during the forced baby face pushed, overlooked several key talents that were more over and at a peak in favor of Reigns. It might seems silly to say this now when Braun Strowman is controlling his narrative in front of fifty fans in a small venue, but in 2018, he was poised to be the most over star on the roster. At Wrestlemania that year, Brock Lesnar beat Roman in the main event. Braun won the tag titles with a fan from the audience. Bray Wyatt, who was still one of the top merchandise sellers despite the WWE's best efforts to minimize his status, was very popular, but was ultimately used to put Roman over during their feud a few years ago. Samoa Joe had a very brief tenure in the main event scene because regardless of how over a performer got with the audience, they were secondary to Reigns.

Ironically, but not surprisingly, when management turned Reigns heel to allow for a more organic presentation to his character, he became the top star that they tried to force toward the audience previously. So yes, after six years of a failed baby face push, the WWE finally has its corporate star as a top heel. Obviously, Roman checks all the boxes for the publicly traded company. He's an extremely talented performer, he's a good representative for the organization, and he's tailor-made for main stream media appearances.

The downside of all of that is that several very talented performers had their momentum sacrificed so that nobody shined brighter than Reigns during the baby face push that flopped. As a result, the company's level of legitimate star power is minimal. Without Roman Reigns as the center piece, who does the WWE have on the current roster that is a money-drawing star? Granted, the argument could be made that even the concept of drawing money is secondary in the modern WWE because of how much cash is guaranteed through its television deals, but the fact remains that those deals expire in a few years so the promotion will need the star power.

As I've said several times before, I really think that the vast majority of the WWE business plan was based on the short-end money that would sacrifice more potential revenue in the future. Again, outside of Roman Reigns, how many stars has the WWE made in the past five years? All the biggest names are either part-timers or stars from the past that draw based on nostalgia. Even as recent as this year in the WWE, the structure of the product made it very clear that if an angle didn't involve Roman or Brock, its importance to the product was rather minimal. Proof the the company's lack of legitimate money-drawing stars was that 57-year-old Stone Cold Steve Austin had to work the main event for one of the shows to boost ticket sales for the stadium.

The much bigger problem with all of this is, if Roman Reigns isn't on the show, who gives the fans a reason to tune in? More importantly, how does the WWE draw for these stadium shows in five years?

The total focus on Roman and Brock has already had an effect on the program because there aren't credible contenders for the championship. Drew was hindered by a feud with Jinder Mahal last year and then was booed for a Happy Corbin rivalry that was meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Sure, Drew is a very good competitor, but is there a demand for him in the title picture?

Truthfully, this is a wise move for Roman Reigns. If he has the leverage to get a better deal for himself then he should do it. If he can save the extra toll on his body by working less events and skip the travel then it's a smart decision for him. Maybe the company will present some of the athletes that are getting over with the audience in a better way in the future to allow for more depth on the roster. Assuming Roman isn't featured on some pay-per-views within the next few months, outside of ticket sales, the actual PPV aspect won't be affected. Keep in mind, the Peacock deal pays the WWE a guaranteed amount of money for each event regardless of the amount of people that actually watch it. In many ways, the company has a "safety net" as far as the "premium live events" during the duration of the Peacock deal.

Still, the scenario of the WWE product without Roman Reigns reveals how thin the roster is in terms of star power, which is also ironic because the argument could be made that the current roster might have the most in-ring talent in the history of the company. The concern is how does the WWE land a deal anywhere close to their current record-setting TV contract after their deal expires in 2024? The ratings are sluggish and quite frankly, Raw doesn't maintain its numbers against other sports competition.

Right now, this news amounts to Roman taking a few months off, and to be fair, the heel title reign has worked so well that there's no reason to rush anything. He's not stale as champion, but as mentioned, doesn't have any credible challengers so it might be better if a contender was pushed during his time away for a potential title bout at Summer Slam. Based on the direction of Raw, it looks like Cody might be the guy to dethrone Reigns, which could be the right decision, but that doesn't do much for the bigger picture. The modern era of WWE was built around Brock, Roman, and nostalgia. The biggest takeaway from the Roman Reigns hiatus might be that management should focus of how they present, Bron Breakker, Gable Stevenson, and Rhea Ripley for the future.

Ryse at Ringside 11

This Saturday, Ryse returns to its home base at the Uniontown Mall in Uniontown, PA to kickoff what should be a very compelling month for the organization, as its also scheduled to return to Baldwin in a few weeks as well. After so many challenges during the pandemic, 2022 looked to be a fresh start for the promotion, and many look to use a new chapter to make their mark on the Pittsburgh scene. Something that I've seen, particularly from my perspective as a broadcast journalist, is that every event has the potential to change the landscape of the entire organization.

As you'd expect, the card is stacked with talent that want to prove themselves and matches that will deliver quality action. I'm scheduled to be on the call for this broadcast and I'm looking forward to seeing this action from the desk, based on the potential of this event. It gives me a searing pain in the middle of my sternum, but "The Gavel" David Lawless is also scheduled to return to Ryse. As much as his presence gives me indigestion, there's no denying that Lawless is a top notch pro wrestler. For my money, "The Gavel" is as solid as anyone in Pittsburgh in terms of his ability inside the ring ropes, and despite all that his has accomplished inside and outside of Ryse, I think that only scratches the surface of what he's capable of in his career. The Gavel will square off against Cowpoke Paul, and it's great to see such an enthusiastic youngster grow each time he steps into the ring. That being said, the novelty of his debut and first victory in the sport were only relevant in the moment. If and how Paul expands upon that will determine is he's the future of the sport in Pittsburgh or simply a flash in the pan. While, his victory over Noir last month gives an indication that Cowpoke has the tenacity to establish himself as one of the stars of Ryse, I think it's fair to say that the returning Lawless with be the toughest test of Paul's career.

Layna Lennox, a young lady that was in the conversation of prospects to watch prior to the pandemic shutdown, will step into the ring against Laura Loveless. I had the chance to call one of Layna's matches in the formative stages of her path in the sport, and you could see the potential was there. Has she had enough experience and seasoning to combat the crafty Loveless? The evolving story between Laura Loveless and her new stablemate Scarlett is something to watch. I've said it since I first saw Scarlett compete a few years ago, it was just a matter of time before she translates to money in the wrestling business. As we know, Laura competed in Ryse early in her career before she ventured elsewhere for valuable experience. Perhaps, the most dangerous aspect of this new team is that we could be seeing the best version of both Laura and Scarlett at the same time. However, you have to wonder, what is the goal for them?

Tony Johnson vs. Colby Redd is a match on paper that might fly under the radar because of the depth of the card, but this one could be a potential show stealer after the final bell. Obviously, it goes without saying that The Iceman is a top-tier Ryse athlete, his previous run with the Grand Championship solidified that. Truth be told, if it wasn't for the previously mentioned pandemic, Johnson would've put himself in the conversation for the best champion in the history of the company. He couldn't wrestle the title away from PB Smooth in March, but one of the many reasons that Johnson is always in the championship discussion is because he keeps himself as a contender with victories against solid competition. On the other end of the spectrum is Colby Redd, someone that just needs the right opportunity to take his game to the next level. Colby is a guy with all the physical tools to be successful so his path is more of an issue of timing and guidance. Maybe his title shot in February was a little before he was truly ready for it, but the fact that he was competitive with someone the caliber of PB Smooth says a lot about his potential. We know that BC Steele provided insightful feedback for Coldy to make adjustments for the future. The result of this bout could determine the path of each of these athletes going forward in the organization.

Usually, I'm not a fan of politicians, but I'm even less of a fan of BC Steele, this conman makes Nixon sound credible. Granted, the mayor has zero in-ring experience so I have no idea what to expect from this six man tag match with Brandon K and Tad Jarvis against The Runway, but here's to hoping that someone gives BC Steele a knuckle sandwich.

Dr. Carl Martin made his shocking debut in Ryse last month and unleashed Geddy Cahoon onto the scene. We  still don't know why Dr. Carl chose Matt Conard, but with a mind like Martin, and a monster like Cahoon, we could see a drastic shift in the status of the organization if Dr. Carl continues this madness. Tyler Vox is a very good in-ring competitor, but I don't know how anyone could prepare for Geddy Cahoon.

Primal Fear had a successful debut in the promotion last month, and happenings like this are make each event "can't miss" since this trio added a fresh dynamic. They are three talented athletes that are looking to make their mark in Pittsburgh, and with the influx of talent in recent months, Ryse is the place to do that. On the flip side, The Great Success, for as obnoxious as they might be, have emerged as key talent among the Ryse landscape. I've said it before and I will say it again, Joey Sunseri will be the next national breakout star in Pittsburgh. In a few years, we will be talking about Sunseri the way that we talk about Lee Moriarty now. Along the same lines, you might not know it yet, but a look at the recent bouts of Alexander and Jordan Styles will show you that they are collectively and individually as good as anyone in the ring. The question is, will these loud-mouthed athletes prove those traits when they are put to the test against such stellar talent as Primal Fear?

The main event is one that I'm really looking forward to, as PB Smooth defends against Victor Benjamin. We've seen and know the ability of the Ryse Grand Champion. Ironically, while Benjamin started in the Pittsburgh area several years ago, it was outside of the region that he really hit his stride as a competitor, wrestling for the National Wrestling Alliance in a featured bout against Matt Cardona more recently. It's not often that someone gets a title shot based off of their reputation, but it's justify in Benjamin's case because he's that level of athlete. If Benjamin claims the title this weekend, he's a more than a qualified champion for Ryse Wrestling. Plus, if he can derail the reign of PB Smooth, it changes the trajectory of the entire company. If PB retains, is there another champion in Pittsburgh that has established this level of dominance? You have two top-tier athletes in the prime of their careers ready to square off for a championship, which is what makes this such a compelling main event.

The Ballad of The Briscoes

At last night's Impact Under Siege event, The Briscoes won the Impact tag team championships, their most high profile accomplishment since the stellar bout with FTR at Super card of Honor during Wrestlemania weekend.

However, the tag championship victory goes along with a trend throughout their career, The Briscoes are often big fish in a small pond.

Mark and Jay, the real-life brothers that are legitimately chicken farmers from Delaware, were a part of the fabric of Ring Of Honor, as they competed for the group almost since its inception. Within just a few years, Mark and Jay had such an incredible run with a series of high quality matches under the ROH banner that there was a legitimate argument to be made that they were the best tag team in the entire business.

In retrospect, it's somewhat puzzling that when TNA made its talent exclusive, and WWE began to sign a few key ROH talents around 2007 that for whatever reason, the Briscoes opted to stay on the Ring Of Honor roster. For several years afterwards, they continued to be the tag team of ROH, and the combination worked so well, and the matches were so consistent that there wasn't much reason for either of them to change their career paths. Even though the Sinclair purchase in 2011, when the company was on shaky ground with its presentation and the infamous iPPV mishaps, the Briscoes were quality talent that you could count on for a solid performance each time they stepped into the ring.

Eventually, Jay worked his way up the card to claim the ROH championship, a belt that at one time was probably the most prestigious title in the United States. Unfortunately, Jay posted some absolutely terrible and hateful slurs on social media. He apologized and donated a portion of his earnings to charity, but the damage was done in terms of the business perception of the Briscoes. 

Those ignorant and ill-advised tweets truly altered the career path of one of the best tag teams of the modern era.

Jay vacated the ROH title because his contract with the promotion wasn't going to be renewed in the aftermath of the bad publicity of the social media controversy, but he eventually re-signed and had another short reign with the belt before he dropped it again toward the conclusion of 2014. Since that time, the Briscoes more or less resumed their role as the tag team standard of Ring Of Honor and provided some consistency to a promotion that varied considerably over the years, depending on when Sinclair wanted to put money into the project.

Among the dream matches discussed online in recent years was the Briscoes vs. FTR, as the two tags were both a throwback to the golden age of the NWA tag wrestling of a previous era. When Tony Khan purchased ROH, the speculation only increased, with most fans assuming it only a matter of time before Mark and Jay showed up on Dynamite.

A few months ago, it was reported online that a TBS executive specifically told AEW that the Briscoes couldn't be featured on their networks because of Jay's hateful tweets in the past. There might've been some credibility to those reports because Jay addressed the past controversy again and apologized for a second time, explaining that he thought he was standing up for his religion at the time, but has since realized that he misrepresented his religion and himself. Jay acknowledged himself that his comments were stupid and misguided. If someone chooses to accept his apology or view it as sincere is their personal choice.

If I had to guess, and this is a total guess, I would say that Jay Briscoes is probably legitimately sorry for the terrible things he said, and maybe he shouldn't still face the consequences for what he said over a decade ago. Still, that doesn't mean that anyone, including the TBS executive, has to give Jay Briscoe a second chance. 

The bottom line is, the partnership with TBS is exponentially more important than any one talent or tag team on the roster so if Turner management says no then there just won't be a place for the Briscoes on AEW programming. All things considered, it's an extremely disappointing situation from almost every perspective. The Briscoe brothers have an authenticity that very few others have in the modern era, and ultimately, that's what draws money in the wrestling business. Mark and Jay would be tremendous assets for All Elite, and they have the skills to be on national television. It would add another great team to the promotion that's at least trying to put a proper spotlight on tag wrestling. If Jay is legitimately sorry and remorseful for the things he said, it's unfortunate that his real-life character remains tainted for stupid things that he said more than ten years ago. It's definitely possible for someone to evolve and have a better understand of others in society, but only Jay Briscoe truly knows if he learned that.

I think it's fair to say that The Briscoes would've done very well in AEW, and proof of the possibilities of an All Elite run was the previously mentioned showcase match against FTR. Personally, I don't think labeling someone as a terrible person for something they said years earlier honestly helps anyone if they are legitimately apologetic for it. Everyone should at least have a chance to learn from their flawed ideology. There's no place for hate in the world, but there's definitely a place for forgiveness so maybe the Briscoes should be given a chance?

However, the reality of the situation is that those past comments will keep the Briscoes away from AEW, and you can't necessarily call it unfair because they were truly awful remarks. That being said, Impact Wrestling landed a quality tag team, something that they will needed, specifically with some of the recent departures in the company, including The Good Brothers since they look like they will return to New Japan on a full-rime basis. Still, the Briscoes winning the Impact tag titles is rather moot in the grand scheme of things. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that Impact gives more wrestlers a place to make a full-time living in the sport, and obviously the economics of the company work for Anthem, the group that bought the promotion to keep it on the Fight Network in Canada. At the same time, the vast majority of the Impact product, specifically since the conclusion of the Kenny Omega angle last year, is irrelevant among the wrestling landscape since the focus of the industry is on the WWE and AEW competition.

Where's the hype for Backlash?

Tomorrow night, Backlash will be live on Peacock, but the show lacks any substance and underscores a much bigger problem for the company.

In years prior, Backlash was often the event that showcased rematches from Wrestlemania or had some type of follow-up on the biggest event of the year. This was necessary because fans just paid an increased pay-per-view price for Wrestlemania the previous month, and WWE brass had to give the audience a reason to spend the usual $34.95 for another PPV just a few weeks later.

There was an incentive to sell the show because there was a time when pay-per-view money was the biggest revenue stream for the organization.

In more recent years, particularly since WWE landed their guaranteed television deals, and even more specifically since the organization signed the mega Peacock deal for rights to the WWE Network, Backlash was booked as total cannon fodder because there wasn't enough substance from a storyline perspective after the peak of Wrestlemania. Almost two decades ago, the rematch of The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan, based on a prior WM bout, was promoted as the main event of Backlash. In more recent years, Backlash featured the championship win for Jinder Mahal, and last year was the absolutely horrendous zombie segment. The zombies were unanimously panned as one of the worst segments of the modern era. The fact that Jinder currently has as much exposure as someone in the witness protection program tells you how successful his title reign was a few years ago.

The trend for a cannon fodder pay-per-view continues for Backlash. With just six matches on the card and only one championship bout, regardless of the quality of the matches, the broadcast is easily skippable based on the fact that no major progress will be made with the product.

Omos is an impressive visual and has some entertainment value as a giant, but similar to other giants in wrestling history, he has such limited mobility that there isn't much he can do in the ring. By definition, the act doesn't have longevity, and the argument could be made that Omos' effectiveness might've already peaked on Raw. The five-minute match at Wrestlemania last month wasn't anything spectacular, and it's not as though fans are clamoring for a rematch. In many ways, it seems like the office is trying to shoehorn this angle into the product to attempt to get some mileage from the Omos experiment. Perhaps, WWE brass could get more from him back in the bodyguard role, but the harsh reality is that Omos as an in-ring wrestler just isn't going to get over. Plus, Bobby Lashley already defeated him so most of his aura was already diminished. More than anything, you have to ask, what's the point? If Lashley wins again, it's unquestionably an indication that management doesn't see potential with what Omos will do in the future. If Omos gets the victory, does anyone want to see the rubber match?

Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss should be a fine standard WWE match, but all things considered, this is another one of those, "does anybody care?" bouts on the card. Sure, Moss looks like he might have the potential to be a star one day, and there's a reason that Crobin is a fixture of WWE programming since he can do anything they ask of him, but after the mid-card comedy team dissolves, does it matter in the big picture? These guys could have a great match, but because of their presentation and status on Smackdown, it will be forgettable.

Along the same lines, the AJ Styles/Edge feud just seems to lack any heat or steam to get the audience invested in its result. Maybe it was because the angle was thrown together merely for something for them both to do for WM, but Edge's heel turn out of left field appeared to be forced and unnatural. Keep in mind, the best heel turns are based on the reasoning behind them because there's a cohesive story for the audience to follow and connect with, which gives them a reason to rally the baby face in the angle. I'm not sure that AJ/Edge truly has any of those elements. Obviously, AJ and Edge are two of the best of their generation so there will be a quality bout, but at a time when solid in-ring action is more common, where's the motivation or progress that was made from this storyline? Again, you can't build a lot of steam when the heel turn to kickoff the rivalry was so flat on Raw. Damian Priest is a guy that has potential with a unique look and charisma so the association with Edge should theoretically be a bigger spotlight on him. However, at almost 40, Priest must at least be given the chance to do something of importance during his tenure alongside Edge or the peak of his WWE run might be as just a sidekick to a bigger star.

The Bloodline vs. RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre sounds like the main event of a random episode of Smackdown, not something that should technically be the top bout on a PPV. Similar to how Edge and AJ Styles were thrown together for WM last month, I would guess that this six man tag was booked because there aren't suitable challengers for Roman Reigns more than anything else. That speaks volumes about the lack of strong baby faces across the board in the company. At one point, the Usos vs. RK-Bro was a title match with speculation that it might unify the tag belts, which would be a wise decision, but that was changed to the six man tag instead. So, nothing is on the line, despite some of the top guys in the company involved in the match. If you skip this, will you really miss anything? How many six man tag matches are used as a time waste on television that prove the lack of importance? It appears that this might set the foundation for a Drew/Roman feud. Besides the fact that the match has already been done, McIntyre was involved with the previously mentioned Corbin and Moss last month so if he currently a legitimate title contender?

As far as match quality and something at stake, Backlash might be a one-match show. After the incredible return to the WWE and some of the follow-up promos on Raw, Cody Rhodes might be poised to be the competitor that eventually topples Roman Reigns to claim the championship in honor of his late father, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. The story writes itself and the dynamics of the angle will provide for a compelling narrative. We've discussed how logic and motivation are what give the audience a reason to rally the baby face. Obviously, Roman is the dominate champion so Cody will have to overcome the odds if he wants to win the championship, which is something that the audience can connect with on the show. Similar to their initial bout, I would guess that Cody and Seth Rollins will deliver another stellar contest, but the intrigue is based on if Cody can win again because that will give an indication of how serious management is about his path to the main event. If Rhodes does the job so early in his comeback, it hinders some of the momentum of his return. So, there's a reason to watch because there's something at stake for the characters involved in the match.

I will keep the discussion about the Smackdown Women's title match short because the logistics of the angle are rather simple. Ronda Rousey doesn't have the star power now that she had during her original WWE tenure, and her bitterness toward the fans after that might've tainted the audience's view of her. The promos are bland and it sounds like Ronda is repeating the script to get the paycheck rather than trying to generate hype for a title match. I'm guessing the ref bump finish at WM was done to be able to extend the feud to Backlash so this is probably where Ronda wins the belt, but I don't think that will translate into much of a payoff for the company in terms of viewership. There was speculation that Ronda's current deal with the company will take her through Wrestlemania next year to finally promote a match against Becky Lynch based on their prior history, but I honestly don't think that Ronda's level of star power would have the type of longevity that a potential Rousey/Lynch contest would seem like a major bout next year.

Basically, Backlash seems like it was a show that the office booked because there was a pay-per-view on the calendar, not because angles were build toward a PPV. Outside of Cody/Rollins, this show seems very skippable. In truth, management probably doesn't care if you skip this show because they are paid the same amount of money from Peacock regardless of how many people actually tune in for Backlash. The WWE has guaranteed money that will provide record-setting profits for the next few years so the vast majority of the criticism of the current WWE product is moot because from strictly a business prospective, it's a very successful company.

UFC 274

This weekend, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to pay-per-view at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona for a card that will be headlined by two championship bouts. Ironically, despite the two belts on the line and a card that looks like it will deliver quality action, this event isn't quite as main stream as other pay-per-views with multiple championship bouts on the card.

Charles Oliveira will defend his lightweight title against dangerous striker, Justin Gaethje, an intriguing main event that should shape the direction of the division. During the heyday of the UFC's surge in popularity in the mid-2000s, the 155 LBS division might've been the weight class with the most depth, with the counter argument being the completely stacked stacked 205 LBS division at the time. Clay Guida, who amazingly still competes after such an extensive career in the company, was featured in many of the opening fights on pay-per-views because it always got the show started with some fireworks. Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, and Anthony Pettis were also fixtures of the formula. Unfortunately, when Conor McGregor was shoehorned into the spot as double champion, belts that he never defended before he was forced to vacate them because he fought Floyd Mayweather for $100 million instead, the light weight division hasn't been very disorganized. Khabib Nurmagomedov emerged as a dominate champion, but his retirement led to the title being vacated again and thus there aren't nearly as many stars made based on championship victories. Don't get me wrong, Oliveira, who is on a 10-fight win streak ahead of this title defense, is absolutely a quality fighter, but he's not someone that you would automatically assume is a major draw on pay-per-view.

In many ways, Oliveira flew under the radar during the majority of his tenure in the UFC because while he competed in the company for over a decade before he won a title, he was always a contender. A few losses in the middle of his career might've hampered his chances at a title shot so that's probably why he was in the promotion for ten years before he became a champion. He wasn't a guy that skyrocketed to the top, but rather evolved over the course of his tenure to become one of the top fights in his weight class. Again, it might go under the radar, but  Oliveira has a very compelling success story.

On the flip side, his opponent, Justin Gaethje made a splash in the UFC with his KO victories that made the rest of the division take notice. He defeated Michael Chandler via decision last November to put himself in line for a title shot, but I'd say that his best chance against Oliveira would be to try to finish the fight with strikes within three rounds. At 32 and 33 respectively, Olivera and Gaethje are in the theoretical prime of their careers, but the approach to the fight is much more simplistic than that. Gaethje is the striker, and while Oliveira can punch, the champion has the record for the most submission wins in UFC history so where the contest takes place will determine the winner. Gaethje challenged Khabib for the title in October 2020 and lost via submission so it goes without saying that the challenger has to keep the contest standing to have a realistic chance of winning the fight. This is why I think he has the best chance to win in the early rounds because if the champion gets the chance to grappler, I wouldn't be surprised if Oliveira adds to his submission record. That being said, I have to pick Oliveira to get the win because he's the more well-rounded fighter.

The co-main event will actually be a rematch from nearly eight years ago, as Rose Namajunas defends her Straw Weight title against Carla Esparza. Esparza won their initial bout in 2014, but considering how much these two have evolved as athletes, it's doubtful the prior contest has any effect on the rematch. Rose is bringing a lot of momentum into UFC 274 after two stellar victories against the very talented Zhang Weili in her last two fights. Before that she defeated Jessica Andrade to avenge a previous loss and reclaim the championship. She also has a pair of victories over future Hall of Famer Joanna Jędrzejczyk, and a win against Michelle Waterson. Quite simply, when Rose Namajunas has her mind on the fight, there are very few athletes that could put her title reign in jeopardy. Esparza is on a five-fight win streak, but she hasn't fought the level of competition as the champion so it makes sense that Rose is about a 2-to-1 favorite on most sports books. Anything can happen, which is what makes mixed martial arts so intriguing, but I have to pick Rose Namajunas to retain the championship.

Elsewhere on the card is Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson and this might be a bout that determines the future of both athletes in the promotion. Chandler was known as one of the better fighters outside of the UFC and seemed to live up to the hype when he knocked out Dan Hooker in his UFC debut in January of last year. However, since that time, he went on a two-fight skid with losses to the previously mentioned Oliveira and Gaethje. Much of his momentum has faded and at 36, Chandler's tenure in the company might be brief if he doesn't reestablish himself as a contender. Tony Ferguson lost his last three fights and hasn't competed in a year so if he's going to keep himself relevant in the division, he has to get a decisive win at UFC 274. This might be a scenario where the wild fighting style and injuries finally took their toll on Ferguson because he isn't nearly as competitive of a fighter as he was when he was in the championship conversation a few years ago. I will pick Chandler to get the win because I think the injuries put Ferguson past his prime, but that's more of a guess than anything else.

AEW reality show

When Cody Rhodes left AEW a few months ago and went on to return to WWE at Wrestlemania in a stellar match with Seth Rollins, it put a brand new coat of paint on the American Nightmare after the core All Elite audience began to reject him after it seemed that being a TV star became more important than being a pro wrestler. Granted, Cody quite literally lit himself on fire for the AEW audience, and it goes without saying that the launch of the company as a whole wouldn't have been possible without Rhodes' role as the "leader of the revolution" of the promotion at its start. Still, the narrative among the diehard fan base was that Cody's propriety wasn't the revolution any longer, but rather to establish himself and Brandi as television stars.

Truthfully, only Cody knows what his true intentions were with appearances on the Go Big Show competition show or the ill-rated Rhodes To the Top reality project. Was Cody there to expand the exposure for the All Elite brand? Establish himself as a reality star outside of wrestling? The answer is probably both, but the bottom line is, his exit from AEW came at the right time because the All Elite crowds weren't going to embrace the rally promos anymore.

That's why options and competition in the industry remain the most important aspect of success for everyone. Instead of an athlete without a direction and stalled momentum in AEW, Cody returned to WWE and looks to be on the path to the main event level that he always thought he had the ability to reach. As Jim Cornette often cites when discussing exits in the history of the business, "how can we miss you if you won't go away?" Cody's time away from WWE allowed for a truly national organization to emerge among the wrestling landscape, and it ultimately set the stage for his  return to the WWE as a much bigger star than he was before.

However, you have to wonder, would the trajectory of all that have changed if Cody had kept his focus strictly on wrestling instead of a reality show with Brandi?

When Rhodes left, there was a void in the AEW brand. How big of a void depends on who you ask, but a spot on the roster wasn't the only aspect of All Elite programming left blank after his departure. When Cody's renegotiation of a new contract didn't materialize and Tony Khan decided not to exercise the option of his deal for an additional year, it allowed Rhodes to leave on rather short notice. For whatever reason, TBS executives already renewed Rhodes To the Top for a second season, despite its sluggish numbers.

There's a place for AEW programming on the TBS line-up, and The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that the slot will be used for a reality show based around All Elite Wrestling as a promotion instead. I can't say this enough, this is a completely misguided concept with very little benefit and a major downside as far as the perception of the company.

First and most importantly, while it's blatantly exposed that professional wrestling is a scripted performance, that doesn't mean that any major organization should throw it in the viewer's face that everything they've seen is based on manipulation. In fact, the counter argument could be made that at a time when fans think they know everything, it might be just a little easy to keep them guessing as to where the line of reality is at any given point during a show. Is MJF really that much of a jerk in real life? Surely, he can't be because heels aren't actually mean people, right? Or maybe he is that much of a jerk because he knows that people pay money to see him perform without knowing where the con ends. Truthfully, isn't it more fun not knowing? If you see a video of Max helping an elderly lady across the street, would his work as a villain still have the same impact?

The problem with another wrestling reality show is two-fold. As mentioned, the first time viewers see something behind the scenes that doesn't gel with the presentation of what they've seen on Dynamite or pay-per-view, it dilutes the effectiveness of the segment. CM Punk and MJF might've hugged after their dog collar match, but after the master piece of a contest, where the gritty baby face defeated the dastardly heel, do you really want to see complete confirmation that these guys were really friends all along?

Don't get me wrong, the horse is out of the barn, you can't make an American audience believe that everything they see at a pro wrestling show is real, but you can definitely make them believe that something is real. QT Marshall probably had coffee with Serpentico before one of their matches on the Youtube shows and it wouldn't hinder either of them if the fans saw a picture of that online before a broadcast, but if the fans believe that Eddie Kingston has legitimate animosity toward CM Punk then they will be willing to order the show to watch their match on pay-per-view. There's a completely different atmosphere around a storyline or a match-up when there's some level of believability involved. There's a reason everyone shook their head when WWE tried to portray that Randy Orton burned Bray Wyatt alive or that actual zombies attacked during a pay-per-view. On the flip side, Roman Reigns as the dominate Samoan champion is a much more logical presentation for the audience.

Regardless of if it's a sports entertainment approach or a pro wrestling show, logic is always key to how something can connect with an audience.

This is where an AEW reality show has many more pitfalls than benefits. Aside from diluting its own angles, the company has to be very careful with how it presents itself to its core audience. When it appeared that Cody's focus wasn't on the revolution anymore, it created a level of hostility. Tony Khan also has to make sure that this reality show doesn't seem like simply a vanity project to either put himself on television or put himself over because it could have a similar effect to the Rhodes' situation. Obviously, there are already critics of Tony Khan that will claim that he started a wrestling company to mark out for himself, but there was always going to be some level of that chatter based on how All Elite started. Plus, even Vince McMahon booked himself as WWF champion once so having fun with your own company is one of the perks of the job. That being said, because the existence of All Elite sparked the industry with the previously mentioned competition, the organization has a certain level of good will with the fans. The other side of the coin is that for whatever reason, WWE has often portrayed the representatives of the company as heels. So, it's wise for Tony to build upon that good will with the rally speeches before live tapings, but there's a fine line between passion for the industry and someone trying to play the next Vince McMahon.

It might sound like an odd comparison, but Khan's acquisition of ROH and a seemingly endless list of wrestlers is somewhat comparable to when McMahon bought WCW over two decades ago. If Tony Khan is perceived to be on an ego trip on this reality show, even if that's not the actual reality of the situation, it could damage the level of good will the company has with the audience.

The Discovery merger

Too often, those in the wrestling bumble don't see the bigger picture, and mosr of All Elite Wrestling's diehard fan base will fall into that category, but the business of sports entertainment yields much more cache in the corporate world than who had a seven-star match at the Tokyo Dome.

Without getting stuck in the muck of the corporate landscape, Discovery plans to merger with Turner Media, and as of now, it looks like only a matter of time before all the approval hurdles are cleared to consolidate more main stream media entities. Truthfully, the "work" of the media business in how it can spin or construct narratives for mass consumption is almost as notorious as those in the pro wrestling industry, but that's another discussion for another time. The point being, the executives in the suits have more power over the wrestling project than the dirt sheets online.

It's a natural comparison for the term "media merger" to be made to the AOL/Time Warner deal that eventually saw WCW fold, but the assumption that this Discovery merger would impact All Elite is misguided. Of course, over the years we've heard countless opinions about what saw World Championship Wrestling sold to Vince McMahon for pennies on the dollar, and those opinions are usually shaped by how much responsibility someone wants to deflect for the fact that WCW went from the biggest wrestling company in the world to out of business in the span of just over three years. Eric Bischoff, the guy that signed a lot of talent to unrealistic contracts to get them to WCW, puts the blame on  Jamie Kellner, the executive that ultimately made the decision to cancel World Championship Wrestling from the Turner line-up. Sure, Kellner was the guy that made the call, but he wasn't responsible for the collapse of WCW as a national entity has enough blame to go around for several key figures. The bottom line is, Kellner canceled World Championship Wrestling because the organization infamously lost $60 million in 2000. The bottom line is, if WCW was making a profit, it would've stayed on the air.

The television business is a very unique industry and there are times that the dynamic of that particularly business helps and hinders the sports entertainment industry.

As much as some might be concerned about a repeat of WCW, with a network executive that just doesn't want wrestling on its channels, the comparison to AEW is almost apples to oranges. Sure, if a corporate suit is willing to sacrifice revenue and ratings, which are key to the entire television business model then All Elite might theoretically be in danger.

Just like anything else in the business world, cash is king.

As of now, All Elite Wrestling draws consistent ratings and ad revenue that makes it a profitable entity for Turner Media. Until AEW isn't making the network money with commercials and ad revenue, most of the speculation is moot. Again, if WCW made a profit in 2000, Kellner wouldn't have cancelled it just a few months later. Keep ind mind, outside of the wrestling bubble, the media business is evolving with the numerous streaming platforms that can distribute more content cheaper with the newer technology, and that can ultimately garner a bigger profit margin for the networks. Instead of the requirement of a certain level of a cable package to be able to subscribe to HBO, technically anyone with an internet connection can subscribe to HBO Max for the streaming content. We've seen in recent years that the technological advancements can also be a hurdle for networks as well, particularly with the use of DVR and other on-demand content that could allow viewers to fast forward through the commercials. That ad revenue is the primary way the networks make a profit, which is why there was such an emphasis on live sports content in recent years, and one of the reasons the WWE landed their major TV contracts.

One of the many reasons that professional wrestling was a staple of early television is that it's relatively cheap to produce compared to other shows. All Elite Wrestling has a live show every week and averages around a million viewers for each episode of Dynamite. The consistent ratings along with the fact that it's live sports programming, something that Turner added to its line-up before the merger with the addition of NHL games, makes AEW a priority regardless of what corporation owns the Turner networks.

Just for the discussion, if Discovery didn't want to re-sign All Elite when the TV contract expires in 2024, there are a lot of options for them. Considering the amount of TV series that get cancelled every year for a lack of ratings, there are several networks that would want to air a show that would consistently draw a million viewers each week. The Paramount Network, formerly the channel that was Spike TV, might be an option for AEW.

On a brighter note, assuming that Discovery will want to re-sign All Elite as a long-term commodity, it would pave the way for the AEW streaming service since the network already has the platform. As I've said before, the most valuable entity from the Ring Of Honor purchase was the video library because there are hundreds of full-length events and episodes of television that can be used as the foundation of a streaming service. The bottom line is, as long as All Elite Wrestling can generated ratings and thus ad revenue for the Turner networks then the company isn't in any realistic danger. However, it will be very interesting to see how the Discovery merger affects the networks and if new management will have any effect on the content of the AEW shows.