What's next for CM Punk?

As was the case for the past two months, the aftermath of the All Out media scrum, which saw CM Punk go on a public tirade against the EVPs of AEW before a locker room brawl, was in the news again this week. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that the company's investigation of the incident, which had a number of those involved suspended, concluded. It wasn't publicly announced who conducted the investigation or what the findings of the process were surrounding the backstage fight. The fact that Meltzer previously reported that Punk's longtime friend and trainer Ace Steel was released, as well as the news that the former AEW champion was in negotiations for a buy out of his contract, while a video package aired this past week for the return of The Elite, it seems obvious that the investigation didn't rule against the EVPs.

All things considered, this shouldn't be surprising at all. As I wrote earlier this week, The Elite are Tony's crew and believed enough in his willingness to fund a wrestling project that they passed up offers elsewhere. Kenny Omega had a top spot in New Japan, but put enough faith in the ability to make money a Khan-owned organization that he stepped away from an established position to take a spot with a new entity. On the other hand, CM Punk inked a big money deal with All Elite after it was clear the promotion wasn't going to flop so there was very little risk that his involvement would be associated with failure and he started as one of the highest paid performers on the roster. If nothing else, this entire debacle that CM Punk is about CM Punk, which is fine because the wrestling business is based on how much an independent contractor can earn during their prime years, but the notion that he was some martyr for pro wrestling was disingenuous to say the least.

At the same time, would anyone be surprised if an "investigation" in the pro wrestling business was as much of a work as anything else?

That said, I think if Punk had any legal options, particularly based on who started the physical confrontation, he'd be willing to sue The Elite or even the company to attempt to get his full contract. As of now, that hasn't happened so he might be more than willing to negotiate a deal to get as much cash as possible before he official cuts ties with the organization.

According to Meltzer, a few of the top names within the promotion flat out refused to work with Punk, and there was another report that made the rounds on social media that Chris Jericho told Punk face-to-face that he was a detriment to the company. I take all of that with a grain of salt, especially The Observer's report of the top names that didn't want to work with Punk. Again, the bottom line of the business is making money, and in theory, the biggest money to be made in All Elite Wrestling would be the opportunity to work pay-per-view matches against CM Punk, considering his level of star power. Granted, it's possible that the top tier of the Khan-owned league didn't think it was worth the negative publicity to have him in the company or repeating the mistakes of other companies in the past. Nobody touted the success of any of those Ultimate Warrior comebacks or working with him in the 90s.

However, it's important to keep in mind that during the now-infamous press conference, Punk took the "dirt sheets" to task for what he claims was false information about his impact on Colt Cabana's minimized status when he was shifted to the mostly non-existent Ring Of Honor brand. It's well-known that Meltzer is friends with The Elite, and had a vested interest in the success of AEW, specifically when tickets were sold to Meltzer Q&A sessions during the weekend festivities of some of the All Elite pay-per-views. It's more than possible that Meltzer "reported" top stars aren't willing to work with Punk because the former UFC fighter claimed that The Observer was inaccurate. Punk went as far as to imply that Meltzer was being fed information by his friends in the company to attempt to make him look bad online. Punk had a brief exchange with Bryan Alvarez at the press conference as well. It wouldn't be shocking if Meltzer's goal of this newest report was simply because of a vendetta against Punk for his criticism, but at the same time, it's also very possible that guys like Jericho, Jon Moxley, and others don't want to deal with another Punk press conference.

As far as Chris Jericho's comments toward Punk, it's well-known that Jericho will speak his mind. If this was merely a political move, an act of leadership, or both is anyone's guess. Is Jericho political? Sure, but that's often the name of the game in pro wrestling. Jericho kept himself strong on AEW TV, and there's nothing wrong with that. There are benefits, both to Jericho to himself, obviously, and to the organization to have that star power maintained. As long as his appearances are a net positive, which they are, then any criticism of his political maneuvers are moot. Although, I'm still not sure why he had to win the last match of the Eddie Kingston feud.

Of course, there's always going to be the notion that The Elite and its crew are manipulating Tony Khan so that he continues to sign the checks. That claim will always exist as long as AEW exist simply because Khan is from a billionaire family and decided to fund a wrestling project. If that's the reality of the situation or not is a completely different matter, although it's ironic that some critics will brand Tony as a money mark, but they should remember that if Khan didn't have the funds of a billionaire family, none of this is possible anyway. I'm just guessing, but Jericho saw what mismanagement did to WCW, and The Elite saw the collapse of TNA. There's more money to be made for everyone involved if All Elite gets off the ground to become a profitable project. Hulk Hogan worked Dixie Carter for major money in the span of just a few years and then the paydays from Bob Carter were over. Anyone with business sense knows that it's better for everyone involved not to treat All Elite as a money grab.

With Punk's impending exit, there will undoubtedly be talk of a Punk return to WWE, if only because it puts him back on the free agent market. We all know that there were lawsuits and bad blood between the two sides, but the same could be said about Warrior and others so you can't rule out a return based on any of that. Discontent and hostility in the past don't prevent the chance for money to be made in the future because cash tends to help mend fences.

That said, is there really money to be made with CM Punk in WWE?

At this point, especially with all the drama around his All Elite exit and the aftermath adding some credibility to the speculation that Punk is more about Punk than the state of the sport, CM Punk returning to the ring again has somewhat of a "been there, done that" atmosphere to it. There was a demand to see him in the ring again, but after seven years away, the sport might've progressed beyond his era. Again, his debut in All Elite didn't shift the industry the way that The Outsiders did on Nitro. At a time when WWE appears to be changing the presentation of the product, is there a place for Punk in the organization? Furthermore and this is the most important piece of the puzzle, who does CM Punk work with in WWE that would generate bigger money than what is already on the table now? Roman Reigns is an option, but Punk vs. The Shield already happened in 2013. What's the story for Cody Rhodes vs. Punk? Cody already has the perfect narrative waiting for him when he heals from injury, he has a chance to be the one to finally dethrone Reigns to win the title for his dad. Does anyone want to see a Bray Wyatt/CM Punk feud? I'm not saying that those options wouldn't draw money, but these are questions that would have to be asked if a WWE return is on the table.

What does all of this say about CM Punk?

As unbelievable as it might've sounded just a few years ago, despite the star power he has, CM Punk more or less made himself unemployable in the pro wrestling industry. If the UFC contract and AEW deal proved anything, Punk isn't going to lace up the boots for peanuts. He's not going back to the local flea market for the love of the game. New Japan might be able to afford him for a one-off match, but as far as realistic options in sports entertainment, Punk can work for AEW or WWE. For years, the narrative was that Punk tried to fight against the corporate machine for the prosperity of pro wrestling. WWE wasn't the place for him because it was essentially too political and too corporate. After a failed, but lucrative attempt in the UFC, Punk made his long-awaited return to the sport for All Elite Wrestling, an organization, both for some positive and negatives, is vastly different than the WWE presentation. Punk made it a year, a quarter of that time he spent injured, before he publicly buried the company. When the spotlight was on him, he didn't complain much, but the common denominator in both situations is that Punk was difficult to deal with. At some point, CM Punk isn't worth the hassle, and that's probably why there won't be a WWE return.

The return of Nikki Cross

We've seen a change in the direction of Raw over the past few months, specifically since Triple H took over the company, with a renewed focus on the women's division, as well as the return of several stars that were given their walking papers during the pandemic era of the organization due to "budget cuts." As I've said on a regular basis recently, the artificial debut pop or a crowd reaction for a return is easy, the measure of success of this new approach will be how talent is utilized on a long-term basis. Still, I've seen some criticism about this week's broadcast. I think that has much more to do with the mixed bag of the progress or lack thereof with certain projects than the overall direction of the show.

I was surprised to see JBL, the former WWE champion and Hall of Famer, on screen to endorse a new spin on Baron Corbin's character. While Corbin is a good athlete and his skills from his different ventures in sports have transitioned well to the squared circle, from a character perspective, I don't think even the verbal ability of JBL will get this new persona over to the audience. For too long, Corbin was cast as a mid-card comedy act and it was too recent that he was presented this way for him to randomly show up, with the expectation that the audience will take him more seriously. His feud with Pat McAfee was entertaining for what it was and probably better than it had the right to be, given the former kicker's limited in-ring experience, but the entire angle was based on Corbin as a jabroni in the grand scheme of things. He was a comedy figure for the audience to laugh at, not a competitor that was portrayed as dangerous. This presentation isn't new either, as he was "blamed" for Raw being a lackluster show when he was an authority figure on the brand.

If this reboot is going to work, Corbin should've disappeared for an extended period of time to allow as much distance as possible between the comedy stint and the fresh presentation. It's the same reason Bray Wyatt's successful return shouldn't be tainted by any reference to the ridiculous burnt marshmallow gimmick he had before he was released last year. I understand it might seem unfair to pan this new chapter of his WWE tenure before it really gets started, but the quick turn around is what won't allow this to truly get off the ground. Sometimes, you have to let a talent go away for several months before the fans are willing to give them a fresh start on the show. If Corbin had resurfaced around The Royal Rumble or sometime during Wrestlemania season, this new angle might've had a chance to be successful. That being said, if it gets JBL on television with a mic more often then I'm all for it.

Austin Theory beat Mustafa Ali, and he still has the Money in the Bank contract, which technically puts him around the main event scene, but aside from the fact that he was a Vince project before McMahon, "retired," I don't necessarily see the overwhelming potential that he supposedly brings to the table. That's not to say that Theory is a bust as a prospect either, but in a rather crowded landscape in recent months before the slew of returns and the new angles to get those stars involved on the show, Theory hasn't been much of a standout on the roster. When you talk about young stars with the potential to be the top guys of the future, I would mention someone like Bron Breakker long before I'd get to Theory's name. The fact that he seems to blend into the show and get lost in the shuffle of a three-hour broadcast doesn't help his chances as far as a main event push.

One of the major positives of the Triple H regime is that the women's division, arguably the aspect of the brand with the most depth, has often been booked as the main event segment. Granted, the hurdles of trying to retain an audience for three hours is a different discussion for a different time, but when it comes to star power, the women's division undoubtedly has the athletes that have the ability to be main stream athletes, if given the opportunity. Bianca Belair and Bayley, who had a match on Raw, are two of the females on the roster that could be main stream stars. They are both that talented and it will be interesting to see how much the WWE machine will get behind the feud.

As we saw, Nikki Cross made her return to Raw with a new persona, using a presentation similar to the unbalanced character that she used upon her arrival in NXT. Cross' character was changed to the super hero gimmick of A.S.H when Karrion Cross was brought to the main roster before his release and recent return. While I can understand the company attempting to use different names to avoid confusion and for marketing purposes, specifically with its trademarks, the notion that two different wrestlers can't share the same last name seems more like a Vince McMahon trope than anything.

Based on the small sample, it appears that Cross will have a more dangerous edge with a calculated presentation rather than wildly bouncing off the ropes as she did in NXT, which makes sense since there's no reason to recycle a character when evolving the gimmick allows for more progress for her. It goes without saying that the super hero gimmick had a limited run, and it appeared that the name change was only because of Karrion Kross' move to the main roster without any plan for what Ash would do with a new character. At the time, Karrion Kross was pinned in two minutes for his debut on Raw and eventually wore a gladiator helmet before he was released. So, he was booked into the ground, and Nikki was given a character that she made the best of, but was ultimately going to limit her progress.

I'm not sure how far Nikki will take this fresh start, but it definitely gives her the best chance for success, which is a lot more than can be said about a gimmick she was given because someone else was scheduled for the brand. Nikki, especially during his initial stint in NXT, seemed to maximize her minutes on television, getting over as much as possible regardless of the role she had on a show. Giving her the spotlight, particularly with this involvement in the main event, could add another layer within the women's division since there would be another contender in the title scene.

What's the status of The Elite?

Last night, a rather bizarre video package aired and made news on social media, as it showed The Elite trio, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks dissolving during clips of their previous success in AEW. This seems to imply that the group that was suspended after a backstage brawl with CM Punk following the infamous All Out media scrum will make their return to the promotion.

The vast majority of the discussion around the locker room altercation was already thrown around by almost everyone with a Twitter account or a podcast so there's no need to retread the background of the riff between the parties involved or who might've started the series of events that led to punches being thrown. The video package comes about a week after it was reported by The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer that Ace Steel, Punk's trainer and longtime friend that was involved in the fight, was released from the company, and that the real-life Phil Brooks was in negotiations for a buy out of his contract, which would be the end of his AEW tenure.

Depending on who you ask, CM Punk's return to the sport after a seven-year absence was either a major note in the history of the business, with some calling it prehaps the greatest return in the history of the industry, or others that will cite his comeback as a bust. As I wrote in an article last week, CM Punk's stint in the Khan-owned organization was mostly a mixed bag. It undoubtedly gave the company some buzz and more exposure, with the anticipation of Punk's return as a reason for more fans to sample the product, but at the same time, the numbers more or less remained the same. Dynamite averages around a million viewers a week, which was the case before his arrival, and the company also sold out its pay-per-view before he inked a deal with the company because there are only four AEW PPVs a year and there are a core group of fans that will travel to those shows. That's not to say that Punk's appearances were moot, but rather that his run in All Elite didn't translate to some monumental shift in the landscape of the industry. As much as Tony Khan might want to put himself in the same league as WCW in the 90s, Punk's memorable return in his hometown wasn't on the same scale as when The Outsiders showed up on Nitro.

After the brawl, it was reported that there would be an investigation of the situation, and Tony Khan made an appearance on television to announce that the world title, as well as the trios titles, were vacated. Who knows how legitimate the investigation was or exactly what happened, but the bottom line is, The Elite are on their way back to TV while CM Punk is in talks to get a buy out of his contract. Assuming that Punk threw the first punch, it might've been rather textbook for Tony to decide to bring The Elite back to television. That being said, CM Punk walked into the promotion for a big money deal, not necessarily because he believed in the project, which is completely fine. It's also worth mentioning that Punk said at the media scrum that if anyone had a problem with him, they could take it to him so he can't be too surprised when someone actually did. On the flip side, The Elite, much as it's implied in the name of the organization, were a part of the foundation of the company when it launched a few years ago. Between social media and the platform they had with Ring Of Honor at the time, The Bucks were very popular. How far they could've continued at that stage is somewhat debatable since it seemed like they did all they could do in ROH, and Sinclair Broadcasting wasn't going to make huge investments to elevate the reach of the company. On the other hand, Kenny Omega had a top spot in New Japan and took a chance on a new commodity. In short, The Elite are Tony's crew and there's nothing wrong with that. Every booker has a group of performers that they view as key to their overall plan for the product.

Still, there's a legitimate question to be asked, does AEW really need The Elite?

Don't get me wrong, this is taking nothing away from the skills and marketing ability that created enough buzz that Tony Khan was willing to invest in pro wrestling, largely based on the success that the trio had in both America and Japan. That said, aside from the name, are The Elite necessary as far an on-screen characters for the organization? The Young Bucks' style isn't everyone's cup of tea, but their ability to maximize their popularity prior to the launch of All Elite with limited television exposure in the United States is definitely an accomplishment. However, one of the major criticisms of their style and a criticism of the high spot style in general is, the routine can became stale if it's done on a regular basis. The Bucks' incredible athleticism is always impressive, but their matches are more about signature moves than any specific narrative. It's much easier to use that approach on the indies because fans usually aren't watching all of those matches within a short time frame, but the format of weekly television exposed some of the flaws on The Bucks' style. As far of their status as EVPs in the company, I'm not sure it's a wise decision to have full-time performers work in the office. Why exactly didn't they put over FTR for the AEW tag titles a few months ago?

As far as Kenny Omega, even without the hype from Dave Meltzer during his series of bouts with Okada, the former AEW champion is undoubtedly a very talented athlete. Again, similar to The Bucks, Omega isn't for everyone and there are some valid criticisms of his work, but his athleticism is undeniable. That said, the 39-year-old grappler is obviously near the latter stages of his career, and considering the extended time he took off to attempt to heal from a variety of injuries, you have to wonder, how long does can he continue his in-ring career? At the very least, based on the laundry list of injuries, it doesn't seem like it would be wise for Khan to invest too much stock into Omega as a guy to built the company around since there are several underutilized talents that could use the valuable TV time to attempt to get themselves over with the audience to a level that would allow them to be a key piece of the puzzle in the future.

In short, as unthinkable as it might sound on the surface, All Elite Wrestling doesn't need Omega or The Bucks to be successful. If anything positive resulted from the infamous media scrum that made the company look bush league, it's that key players were able to prove how valuable they are to the company. Chris Jericho, Bryan Danielson, and Jon Moxley are an all-star team. The Acclaimed, MJF, and other young talent proved that there's potential for the company in the future.

What's the status of Adam Page?

As the world of professional wrestling nears the conclusion of 2022, there continues to be shifts in the industry, particularly within All Elite Wrestling, the Khan-owned organization that enjoyed the novelty of being a new entity in the business for the first two years of its existence, but much of this year was plagued with several of the well-documented backstage issues, as well as a laundry list of injuries.

This potpourri of negativity has created legitimate questions about if Tony Khan can survive the shark tank of the pro wrestling industry on a long-term basis. Sure, he can afford to fund the project indefinitely, but there's a difference between keeping the doors open and progressing as a commodity in the sport. Bob Carter picked up the tab for his daughter to play TV star in TNA for years, but most agree that after the failed Monday night experiment, the company spun its wheels until it fell off a cliff. Obviously, All Elite must avoid complacency to be a competitor in the sports entertainment genre. So no, All Elite Wrestling wasn't going to fold because wrestlers got into a locker room fight, that happened in several promotions over the years, but at the same time, perception is reality, and if the fans view AEW as a dysfunctional group that won't a competitive entity in the future, they might choose to use their "wrestling budget" elsewhere.

This past Tuesday, there was a scary incident with Adam Page when he took a clothesline and landed on his head, which gave him a concussion. The match was stopped almost immediately and the medical staff were in the ring while the show was still on the air. Thankfully, Adam Page tweeted that he's resting and seems to be okay after some very tense moments of uncertainty before the show went off the air. As much as his title reign was fumbled, Adam Page still has the potential to be a top guy for AEW, especially when you take into account that he's probably only now just starting the prime of his career. That being said, this incident speaks to a bigger problem, not only in AEW, but across most of the indy circuit as well. By nature, most of the indy scene is based on those that want to move up the ladder to land a contract, which makes sense because a national contract provides the most financial security in the business, and as much as some might argue about star ratings, the ability to draw money is the true measure of success in the sport.

That being said, in the social media age, there's a tendency for those on the indies to use dangerous stunts to get noticed, and the fact that sometimes it works, reinforces a negative aspect of the sport. All Elite Wrestling was cultivated by much of the "indy style" and some of that continues to be a part of its presentation. At some point, Tony Khan or some of the veteran coaches have to step in to tell the roster to work smarter. Adam Cole, who has the potential to be a main stream star, continues to be on the shelf from a concussion that he suffered in June, and there's some doubt about the future of his career. Keep in mind, the ability to draw money is the entire point of the pro wrestling business. Adam Cole can't draw for the company if he's not medically cleared. Adam Page isn't going to be on the card to sell tickets when he has a concussion. CM Punk said a quarter of his brief All Elite stint on the injured list before he suffered another injury in his first full match back. Sports entertainment is risky enough as it is, there's no reason to make it exponentially more dangerous with extra head drops and unnecessary risks. Hopefully, Adam Page is back soon, but this close call should be a cautionary tale going forward to avoid more injuries in the future.

Speaking of the previously mentioned CM Punk, The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that his longtime friend and All Elite producer, Ace Steel was released for his role in the backstage fight following the infamous All Out media scrum. Meltzer also claimed that Punk, who had surgery to repair a torn triceps that he sustained in his match at the pay-per-view, is in negotiations for a buy out on the remaining years of his contract, with the non-compete clause as the major point of discussion for the deal to be finalized. I have to say, I don't know the terms of the contract, but I;m not sure how there would have to be a buy out of the deal, especially when there's usually a release in pro wrestling, it  terminates the contract, with pay only continuing for the standard 90-day non-complete time frame. Regardless of the details, it seems all but confirmed that Punk's run in All Elite ended. If that's the case, I'm not sure even the most diehard All Elite fans could automatically call his tenure a success. I've already written extensively on the CM Punk situation so I'm not going to retread all of that again, but the bottom line is, the ratings were the basically the same before Punk arrived as when he finished his run in the organization. The company already sold out pay-per-views because there are only four pay-per-views a year and they have a fan base that's willing to travel to those shows. Ultimately, the brand awareness of the promotion based on CM Punk's involvement didn't go through the roof either, AEW didn't get some NWO-type boost from his debut. Did CM Punk draw money for All Elite? Sure, but I'm not sure the difference between that and the money the company would've drawn anyway was enough to justify the entire media scrum debacle. The biggest benefit to CM Punk's year on the AEW roster, three months of that time he spent on the sidelines, was Punk's wallet.

Finally, Kurt Angle revealed on his podcast that Tony Khan tried to sign him to an AEW deal a few years ago. Angle claimed that he wanted a 10-match deal for $300,000 a match, which would give him a three million dollar contract. As much as I think Angle is one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time, I take anything he says with a grain of salt, considering that after his release from WWE in 2006, he claimed that he was in negotiating to fight Randy Couture and a potential jump to an MMA career, which never happened. Granted, it's possible that Angle wanted a three million dollar contract, but I doubt it was given any serious consideration, especially at that point in his career.

Anderson and Gallows return

The returns of the Triple H era continued this week on Raw, with the additions of Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, The Good Brothers, back into the fold of the WWE to feud with The Judgment Day. It's interesting to note that Anderson is still booked for the New Japan Tokyo Dome event in January of next year. Gallows and Anderson were a part of the cinematic "boneyard" match that The Undertaker had with AJ Styles at Wrestlemania 36, the event that took place in an empty building during the peak of the COVID shutdown. As I've said before, I'm not a fan of cinematic matches and the concept is too far outside of the scope of standard pro wrestling for me, but the positive feedback for the AJ/Undertaker production was notable. If nothing else, the on-location presentation brought some variety to an otherwise completely static broadcast in front of no fans. Considering the response to the production, it was surprising when The Good Brothers were on the chopping block for the first of several releases during the course of the pandemic less than two weeks after the show.

At the time, AJ Styles put the blame of Paul Heyman, who worked as the head of creative of Raw during that period. With The OC, back in the company, it should be interesting to see if they remain of the Monday Night show to avoid any interaction with Heyman, as the former ECW boss works primarily on Smackdown with Roman Reigns.  Supposedly, AJ requested to move from Raw to Smackdown in 2020 because he didn't want to work with Heyman after The Good Brothers were released.

While Gallows had a stint in the WWE before, for whatever reasons, he didn't find himself among revolving gimmick in the company. Fetus and phony Kane weren't exactly big money at the box office. Gallows seemed to land in a decent spot within the Straight Edge Society with CM Punk as the leader, but ultimately, when Punk's tenure went int a different direction, there wasn't a path for Gallows so he was released in 2010. He bounced around the independent scene and worked a run in Impact just before the company went off a cliff in the aftermath of the Hulk Hogan era, but finally found his niche as an agile big man in New Japan. In many ways, Gallows was at the right place at the right time, which is at least half of the battle anyway. His style fit what New Japan were looking for in their American stars, and he made a good team with Anderson. The pair worked well for the original Bullet Club stable and were able to ride the wave of momentum that made the faction one of the most popular acts in the business at its peak.

Truthfully, I was skeptical when The Good Brothers debuted on Raw in 2016, as they were a few of the New Japan imports that landed in the WWE at the time, which also included the previously mentioned Styles, and Shinsuke Nakamura. I said the same about them as well, not for lack of talent, but rather how either of them would translate to the WWE. For years, AJ was the franchise player of TNA and he was arguably the most spectacle wrestler of his generation, but the notion was thought to be that his style wouldn't be permitted on a Vince McMahon product. Thankfully, AJ proved just how talent he is because he translated rather seamlessly into the WWE fold, and even in the latter stage of his career is still one of the best of the roster. Outside of their affiliation with AJ, The Good Brothers didn't really find a place in the WWE during their stint, not for lack of ability, but rather that there still wasn't a spotlight on the tag team division.

Even two and a half years after their release, if the tag division will be featured will still be a determining factor of if this fresh run will be successful.

In a vacuum, The Good Brothers returned to the company to help AJ Styles combat The Judgment Day, which is fine, but outside of this particular angle is there a role for them in the current landscape? I'm not saying there's not a place for them, but rather to point out that their latest stint might fall flat if there's not some type of plan for what they will be booked for in the future. Not to take anything away from their skills as a team, but their return happened rather quickly and there wasn't necessarily a clamoring for their comeback to Raw.  If AJ is going to take a more prominent spot on the show, which is always a plus, the team as his sidekicks is still a a decent role. If not, how long until the duo get lost in the shuffle of the countless hours of WWE programming that's produced each week?

That could speak to a bigger problem on the horizon for the Triple H regime. As I've said before, the artificial debut pop is easy, how to utilize the returning talent is ultimately the biggest piece of the puzzle. After the slew of returns, WWE might find itself in a similar position that Tony Khan puts himself in far too often, there might simply be too many wrestlers on the roster to book properly. Time will tell how Triple H uses these returns to the company, and if the office overplayed their hand with too many returns too often. Still, when I read the online chatter that Matt Cardona might be the next free agent to be offered a deal, I have to say, I think he would continue to be better off on his own, at least for now before he should consider any return to the company. More specifically, Cardona must make sure he wouldn't get typecast in a lower card spot again, particularly because his current run on the indies proves that he has more to offer the company.

Extreme Rules review

This past weekend's Extreme Rules pay-per-view was appropriately held in Philadelphia, the home of the original extreme promotion. Still, I'm not a fan of these gimmick pay-per-views, simply because by nature, a card full of stipulation matches lessens the importance and effectiveness of each individual stipulation. Furthermore, the most basic pro wrestling psychology will illustrate that gimmick matches should only be booked when a particular feud justifies a stipulation, not because of a certain PPV on the calendar.

That said, the WWE uses these gimmick shows as a marketing tool, as well as a booking crutch because the matches are less about the storylines and more about the stipulations. Regardless, there were some key takeaways from this broadcast, including a conclusion that many are still talking about a few days later.

The show opened with the six man tag "Donnybrook match," which was a way to get a jump start to the card. All things considered, it was a solid bout, but with a 20-minute segment, I think this one went a little too long, stalling at certain points. Any extended brawl will have flat points, but with only six matches on the line-up, it became very clear as the night progressed that the office wanted to stretch segments to cover for the lack of a world title match at the show. Speaking of which, I understand that it makes sense to showcase the very well-produced video packages for each contest, but with the addition of commercials throughout the broadcast, there were way too many delays between matches. I'm not sure how exactly management should tighten this up, but the ten minutes of cannon fodder between the matches made for a very tedious viewing experience. The Brawling Brutes got the victory, with Sheamus getting the pin. That was a wise decision because it helps keep him strong after the tainted defeat on Smackdown. It's also ironic that it took the stellar match with Gunter at Clash at the Castle for a portion of the audience to realize what a quality performer Sheamus is in the ring. I think the perception of his skill set was skewed over the years with some subpar booking, considering that his run as King Sheamus or as the leader of the League of Nations faction didn't exactly elevate his career. However, make no mistake about it, Sheamus can go, and it's good to see that he received a level of recognition for it.

I get the local tie-in with The Miz skits backstage, but on a show where there were already an absurd amount of delays between the action, none of the promos were necessary.

The Liv Morgan/Ronda Rousey match a sloppy, clunky, and subpar performance. As I've said before, the novelty of Ronda in WWE wore off, and her current run proves that much of her early success was based on more sizzle than substance. These two fumbled their way around the ring, which made both look subpar in the process. Considering that Liv's current title run was thought to move her up the ladder in terms of star power, this contest actually made her look like someone that isn't ready for the championship. The finish was very sloppy, and this was definitely the low point of the pay-per-view. Taking in account how in over her head Ronda looked for the majority of this, I'm not sure what another title run for her will accomplish. There was speculation that Morgan might be a part of a rumored faction with Bray Wyatt so that might've been the reason she dropped the title. Either way, if you didn't have to sit through this bout live, it's best to skip it during the replay on Peacock.

Thankfully, the card picked up from there with the Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross strap match. I'm not sure Karrion Kross will necessarily be the guy to eventually main event Wrestlemania, but his return so far continues to prove that he's much more valuable than the gladiator helmet that Vince McMahon put him in before he was released. Scarlett does very well in her role as a valet and understands how to present her character through body language and facial expressions. The entrance works very well and helps the act stand out from the rest of the roster. The match itself was solid and it was the physical match that it had to be if it was going to be successful, given the stipulation. It's disappointing that Drew didn't truly get a prime run with the championship because of the pandemic, but the guy has all the tools you can ask for in a quality pro wrestler. The finish allowed Kross to get the win, but also allowed for a disputed finish so there's more to accomplish with the feud.

Speaking of quality pro wrestlers, Bianca Belair and Bayley have all the talent to be top stars in the company. The ladder match was probably the best bout on the card, and the crowd reaction to the conclusion of the contest proved just how over these two are with the audience. They used the ladder in the match without it took too choreographed or phony, which tends to happen in the modern era of spot fest. Bianca got the victory, and considering how over she is with the audience, it would be a wise decision to continue her title reign as long as possible because she continues to become a bigger star throughout this run. Bayley is such a well-rounded performer with skills on the mic and in the ring that I don't think the defeat diminishes her status on Raw.

I've read feedback online that claim that the Last Man Standing match was a "masterpiece," but I have to disagree. Maybe in a vacuum the match was more than how it was presented live, or I'm just missing something, but from my perspective, it was a tedious 20 minutes of fluff before a very compelling ten minutes at the conclusion. That said, it was a great finish, and the current angle rejuvenated The Judgment Day, which was thought to be a stable that might completely flop a few months ago.

There's not too much to say about the Fit Pit main event, it was decent for what it was, but the set up of the match doesn't lend itself to the 15 minutes this contest had to finish the card. Riddle getting the win makes sense with his MMA background, and Seth Rollins won the US title on Raw so the results of the match are mostly moot.

The final segment of the Bray Wyatt return was a very memorable moment that will be something fans talk about in retrospect years from now. It was top quality sports entertainment done right, which stands out even more when WWE's previous attempts at this type of presentation were memorable for all the wrong reasons in the past. I detailed in previous articles why Bray Wyatt is such a top guy if given the opportunity, and how WWE missed the boat more times on him than possibly any other star in the history of the company so there's no reason to retread all of that again. The biggest takeaway from the massive reaction that Wyatt received is that regardless of how much the office fumbled his career in the past, Bray Wyatt is money. Somehow, management will get yet another chance to run with Bray Wyatt as a star so it will be interesting to see if they fully utilize him as a major star for the company.

Bruno Sammartino documentary

Bruno Sammartino, a new renowned around the globe, was the epitome of The American Dream. An immigrant that arrived in Pittsburgh, a city known almost as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced, as a sickly youth, grew into an international pro wrestling champion. His battles in the ring saw him go toe-to-toe with names like Superstar Billy Graham, Stan Hansen, and Ivan Koloff. His achievements of twelve years as WWWF champion and an astounding 187 sellouts of the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, provided the foundation of what ultimately morphed into the global entertainment brand of WWE today. As such, his career inside the ring ropes, a tenure that spanned almost three decades, was rightfully given a featured spotlight, especially since his induction in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, which gave an entirely new generation a look at the golden age of the WWWF.

After that induction, where Arnold Schwarzenegger was the presenter for the honors to the Italian strongman, the world was reintroduced to what his adopted hometown of Pittsburgh already knew, Bruno was pro wrestling's most honorable champion.

But how did the youngster that almost died before he reached America survive such dangerous times in the midst of World War II? It turns out that while his triumphs on the canvas brought thousands of fans to their feet, his childhood in his native Italy was the toughest battle of his life.

Earlier this week, I received a text from the great Pat Maclaughlin, a mentor that has helped me a lot and someone that I'm always thankful for, to let me know that a new documentary on Bruno's life was set to premiere at the Heniz History Center, a massive museum with more artifacts and items on display than I have time to mention  here, but can definitely recommend to anyone in the Pittsburgh area. After getting the green light from the Vince McMahon of the family, Mrs. Mac, Pat was as enthusiastic as I was about the new feature-length film on the iconic champion. We arrived at the venue about 40 minutes before the presentation was set to begin and were told that the museum was open to us. We wandered around the sports section for about 25 minutes, which still only gave us enough time to scratch the surface to see the incredible amount of memorabilia on display before we went to the location of the screening.

I was surprised to see Larry Richert, a longtime member of the Pittsburgh media, in attendance, but soon learned that he was one of the driving forces behind the completion of the project on the iconic wrestler's life. I have to say, the set up was very classy, with a nice background that was illuminated by red and green lights to represent  Bruno's beginning in Italy. With Sammartino such an institution of the region, many older folks were dressed in formal attire and the atmosphere felt like it fit an occasion for Bruno. I'll admit, I felt slightly under dressed with my throwback Jack Lambert jersey and jeans, but a very polite lady in front of us complimented me on the retro attire. I also must point out that Richert, a longtime friend of the late Sammartino, sounded so genuine in his admiration and appreciation for Bruno. Also in attendance were Pittsburgh natives, Sam Adonis and Corey Graves with their family. A quick side note that I want to mention, when Adonis and Graves' father, Dan Polinsky promoted independent cards, Sam arranged for me to help get my start on the local scene as a commentator for events more than a decade ago. I'm still an announcer on the local scene today, but it was the kindness of the Polinsky family that allowed me to get a solid start. ECW legend, Shane Douglas was also spotted, which gave this viewing a vibe of just how much respect the Sammartino name carries in Pittsburgh.

As the lights dimmed, "Bruno Sammartino:The Authorized Biography of Wrestling's Greatest Champion" hit the screen. The biggest takeaway and the most unique aspect of this particular feature is that it dives into the one aspect of Bruno's life that countless other productions glossed over simply because his professional achievements were so monumental, his struggle to survive as he hid from the Nazi invasion of his village. This production finally puts the spotlight front and center on a tale that proves that truth is stranger than fiction. Hollywood couldn't write a script for the unimaginable things that the Sammartino family endured as their fled for their lives on multiple occasions, hiding in the mountains for the Nazis.

After Bruno's father immigrated to Pittsburgh, where he intended to bring his family after he saved enough money, travel was closed off during World War II. The harrowing tale of Bruno, his siblings, and his mother fleeing into the mountains when the Nazis invaded their town is something that you must hear from those that were there to truly understand the magnitude of just how dangerous it was. Bruno recounted the many, many times that his mother climbed down the mountain to sneak into their home, where the Nazis stayed during the invasion, to steal food for her children. She climbed back up the mountain, and you will hear recollections from Bruno's brother and sister of how they wondered if their mother would return safely. During one of her many climbs down the mountain, Mrs. Sammartino was captured by the Germans, but escaped before she was shot in the shoulder. Bleeding from a gunshot wound, she made the climb back up the mountain to reach her children.

The gravity of just how devastating this was can be seen when the documentary followed Bruno back to his hometown in Italy, where he was honored in 2010. The Italian strongman that was as tough as the steel of Pittsburgh, wept as he recounted when his mother returned injured. Amazingly, during that visit home in 2010, Bruno climbed the same mountain that his mother climbed all those times to provide some food for her children. When food wasn't there, they ate snow to survive.

Eventually, the Sammartino family joined their father during the post-war era in Pittsburgh, and Bruno's path to the well-known global stardom began as he built his body from nearly nothing to strongman champion after he started training at the local YCMA. Clips of his memorable wrestling career, including his WWE Hall of Fame induction were included, as the documentary was produced with the association of the WWE. During his pre-show comments, Richert gave a special thanks to Triple H. After the film wrapped, Bruno's son, Darrel took a few questions from the audience, and in recognition of Bruno's birthday, guests were offered some cake.

The biggest takeaway from this film was ultimately family. Ironically, that's how the Sammartino name became so ingrained into the fabric of Pittsburgh. The blue collar fans identified with Bruno and then the stories of his greatness were passed down through the generations. The wonderful late Grandma LaMotta was full-bloodied, and the legendary late Grandpa LaMotta was a WWII veteran that worked in the steel mills as a crane operator for over thirty years before his retirement. For as long as I can remember, I've been a wrestling fan, and from my earliest years, my dad told me the stories of Bruno being, THE champion of wrestling. Thankfully, I had the chance to meet Bruno on two occasions, once when I was only seven and then again when I was 16, both times he was such a gentleman. Many others in attendance at the screening shared similar stories of their interactions with him.

Larry Richert mentioned that the film would be available on streaming platforms, and I completely recommend this documentary. Bruno was an honorable champion and this  feature explains where his life started before he became a global star.

What's the status of Andrade?

Just a day after Sammy Guevara and Andrade trended on social media for their public disagreements, there was another backstage fight in All Elite Wrestling. There are conflicting reports, with TMZ's claim that Sammy threw the first punch and then Andrade responded with a punch, and also the claim from The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer that it was actually Andrade that threw punches that Sammy didn't respond to.

It's another messy story for All Elite Wrestling and provides some level of credibility to the speculation that the organization, the first true alternative to WWE since World Championship Wrestling folded in 2001, is mismanaged behind the scenes. As I wrote in an article yesterday, if this was a shoot, and clearly it was, there's no payoff or business to be done from it. Despite the different versions of who started the fight, one thing is for sure, Andrade was sent home, and Sammy worked the main event of Dynamite, which might be an indication that Andrade did start the confrontation.

Obviously, what to do with Andrade is only one issue from this story. Without being repetitive of what I discussed in the previous article, Andrade is a secondary player among the All Elite landscape. If his skills justify a better spot is a different discussion for a different time. The point being, he's not in the position to be a draw in the company so there are two ways to handle the situation. Either Tony Khan cuts him from the roster with the notion that if someone doesn't want to be there then tell them to hit the bricks, or you enforce the rules of the contract a talent signed because they were paid based on that same agreement. It's very similar to the Malakai Black rumors, which he disputed on Instagram last week. A promoter must decide if it's worth the hassle to keep someone on the roster if they don't want to be there. In some ways, if a talent isn't thrilled with what they are doing, you might not get the best performance from them.

As far as what to do with Andrade, my two cents on the matter would be to give him his walking papers. Again, he wasn't a featured guy on the shows and in the grand scheme of things, there won't be a void if he's not a part of the broadcasts. The argument could be made that he wasn't fully utilized, but his actual status is the determining factor. The problem is, there was a precedent set in All Elite when certain guys were able to get what they wanted by refusing to do business or making it clear that they don't want to remain under contract. According to Meltzer, Sammy and Andrade were spoken to the night before the Dynamite taping, and both assured management there wouldn't be a physical altercation. The fact that there was means that at least Andrade ignored his boss. Meltzer also speculated that the former NXT champion wants to get fired to be able to return to WWE since Triple H took over the company. While anything is possible, that appears to be the case, considering he doesn't have much of a future in AEW.

As mentioned, the problem is, if Khan releases him, it sends the message that a wrestler doesn't have to do business to get what they want, and ultimately, the willingness to do business is how everyone makes money in the industry. Some will still claim that the MJF debacle from earlier this year was an elaborate work, but I doubt that because he was gone for three months without any mention so there wasn't any guarantee that any of the heat from the contract dispute would be maintained when he resurfaced at All Out. Plus, CM Punk was injured the week after Friedman left without any timetable for a return so if nothing else, the product could've used MJF on the show when the world champion was on the shelf, as well as the fact that there wasn't any guarantee that Punk would be back in time for MJF's return to translate into a potential title feud.

If the MJF contract dispute was a shoot, it let the rest of the roster know that if they cause enough of a hassle that they can get what they want from Tony Khan. The fact that CM Punk buried the company while Tony Khan was literally right next to him at the infamous media scrum sends a message of its own. As I said yesterday, you have to commend Tony Khan for being willing to fund a wrestling project that sparked the industry, considering that he's already a member of a billionaire family. He didn't need to invest in sports entertainment to attempt to get some level of financial security. He could've bought an island and drank ice tea on a lounge chair. That being said, there's a fine line between passion for the business and being a money mark. Unfortunately, if Tony Khan allows himself to be the latter, the sharks of the carny industry exploit him to the fullest possible.

It's truly wonderful when a performer gets a chance to live their dream and land a national contract. Those are great moments, but at the end of the day, pro wrestling, especially at the national level, is still a business. Tony Khan can hug everyone on the roster or he can be their boss, it's tough to attempt to do both. His comparisons of himself to Jim Crockett, or his fake outrage at a WWE show booked the same weekend of an AEW pay-per-view was nothing more than Tony marking out for himself at the press conference.

Andrade vs. Guevara

Just after it appeared that the backstage turmoil within All Elite Wrestling had finally settled, a new dispute was trending was social media this week, as Sammy Guevara took to Twitter to fire back at Andrade, who said in an interview that Guevara complained that he hit him too hard in their matches. As is often the case in the often carny world of professional wrestling, many assumed that this was a work, but even if it's not, none of this latest backstage conflict is good news for the perception of the company.

If it's a work, the "logic" behind it could be that it might be a way to spark Andrade's momentum, considering that despite a solid skill set, his All Elite tenure is rather undistinguished so far. He had a lukewarm feud with Darby Allin that was more or less only booked as an excuse for Tony Khan to schedule a coffin match for an episode of television. The feud was rushed and completely secondary in the grand scheme of things. Furthermore, Andrade's involvement with different stables during the course of his stint in the company was basically just to give him something to do rather than a meaningful angle that could progress his status in the organization. As talented as he is, there's an argument to be made that Andrade floundered for the majority of his AEW stint.

That speaks to the much bigger problem that the company has across the board. One of the potentially fair criticisms of All Elite is that Tony Khan treats it as a self-serving vanity project in some ways, which isn't anything new for wrestling promoters, but at the same time, if that becomes too dominate of a narrative, it can sour fans on the product. For example, when it became clear that Dixie Carter's main goal with TNA was to be on television, the audience rejected it. Granted, as I've written in the past, you have to commend Khan for the fact that he was already from a billionaire family and didn't need to invest in the pro wrestling business to attempt to gain a level of financial security. His passion for the industry is what fueled his decision to fund a sports entertainment venture, and the result was more options for both the wrestlers and the fans. That provided AEW with a certain level of goodwill with the audience because the fans know that Khan could've bought an island and drank ice tea in a lounge chair, but opted to jump into the world of pro wrestling, a genre where very few can maintain success at a national level. That said, while Tony enjoys announcing surprises, which eliminates the element of surprise from the equation, if the narrative becomes Khan thinks he can throw enough money around to become the next Vince McMahon or Triple H, it could damage the level of goodwill with the fan base.

The moral of this particular grappling story is, just because someone is on the market that doesn't automatically mean that they should be signed to a contract. A wrestler can have all the talent in the world, but if there's not a place for them in a specific promotion, it's probably best if they find their fit somewhere else instead of being stagnant in an organization. For example, would Cactus Jack have been able to be fully utilized in WCW in 2000? Cactus and Triple H had a legendary match at The Royal Rumble that year, but as we know, Turner executives weren't going to allow barbed wire and tacks on the WCW broadcast. In a similar way, would New Jack have been able to get over anywhere close to the level he was in ECW in either WWF or WCW? At some point, Khan has to consider if there's truly a spot for many of the wrestlers he signs to contracts. In many cases, there's no substance to their AEW tenure beyond the artificial debut pop, which is always easy. The true gauge of successful booking, besides the obvious of the revenue generated, is how effectively was a talent utilized? Was a certain wrestler used to their fullest potential?

Rush, a Mexican star that had a stint as ROH champion before the company was sold to Khan, was recently aligned with Andrade on television. Rush is a talented performer, but what's his role projected to be in All Elite? Was he signed because Tony Khan has a concept or angle for his introduction to the audience? The same can be said about Bandido, who worked an ROH title match against Chris Jericho on Dynamite and was reportedly offered a deal. Nobody is disputing Bandido's talent, but what's the plan for him? Essentially, Andrade is one example of many, that was signed because he was a free agent, but ultimately didn't develop into more of a star under the All Elite banner. I wouldn't be surprised if the same is said about Bandido or Rush in six months.

Andrade is set to compete in a career vs. mask match against 10 of the Dark Order on a live edition of Rampage this Friday night so that might be the way to write him off of the show. Perhaps, Andrade took the opportunity to bury Guevara in the interview because he's on his way out of the company. At the same time, it creates questions about Sammy's status in the promotion because there isn't the first time he was the subject of controversy. While the backstage confrontation with Eddie Kingston was the most recent incident, Sammy was suspended for a few weeks during the pandemic era for lewd comments he made about Sasha Banks in an interview a few years earlier. He apologized and returned to the organization without much of a halt in his career path. There was also the report of when he was scheduled to work a set of Impact tapings when the two groups had a working agreement, but refused when he disagreed with the booking of the match. He recklessly threw a chair at Matt Hardy during their feud, splitting Hardy's head open, and careless dropped Ruby Soho on her head during a match at All Out.

At some point, you have to ask, is Sammy  Guevara the problem and if so, at what point is dealing with it not worth the hassle? Don't get me wrong, Sammy is an extremely talented athlete and has the potential to be one of the major stars of the future for AEW, but this latest public tension does All Elite no favors in terms of the perception of the company.

If it's a work, it's to a smaller audience because the only interaction was on social media, not television, which is still the biggest platform possible for pro wrestling. It doesn't look like there's a Sammy/Andrade planned so what's the pay off if the social media heat is a work? If it's supposed to be a "worked shoot," the vast majority of them don't get over because as soon as either wrestler throws a worked punch, it loses the credibility of a shoot. Also, the nature of a "worked shoot" tells the audience, "the rest of the show is fake, but this is the real stuff" so it exposes everything else on the show.

If it's a shoot, it sends yet another message that Tony Khan can't control the roster, and wrestling fans, especially the demographic of fans that are the core AEW audience, know what usually happens to promotions when the wrestlers put personal agendas ahead of business. That would be one of many reasons why TNA and WCW don't exist today. It's going to be difficult to get fans to continue to invest in tickets and pay-per-views if the organization appears to be unstable. The bottom line is there's no upside to the latest social media incident for AEW.

The career of Antonio inoki

Despite his age and appearing on a television show looking very frail because of numerous health problems in recent years, I was still shocked to hear the news that legendary Japanese grappler and founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling, Antonio Inoki passed away at 79. In many ways it was very similar to when the iconic Bruno Sammartino passed away a few years ago, Inoki had such a mythical aura that it was difficult to believe he was gone. The impact that Inoki had on not only the history of professional wrestling as a whole, but also culturally in his native country can't be understated.

Quite simply, an article, documentary, or book can't summarize the true magnitude of the influence that he had on the sport.

A protege of Korean sumo wrestler Rikidozan, who laid the foundation for Japanese professional wrestling in the country alongside Karl Gotch, Inoki was one of his mentor's most successful students. The other was Giant Baba, who later founded All Japan Pro Wrestling. After the Korean star was killed in a night club in 1963, his students remained top stars for the JWA organization until they both founded their own previously mentioned groups in 1972. The competition was deemed respectful, but fierce. This competition helped fuel a surge in popularity for pro wrestling in the country throughout the 80s, which saw huge crowds flock to the box office to see the stars live, and those shows drew enormous ratings in prime time slots on television. The results of cards were reported in newspapers, and the sport was a mainstream attraction in Japan.

His cultural impact in his native country led to him as a draw around the globe, including the United States, where he competed on the high-profile WWWF cards at Madison Square Garden. Inoki had working agreements with different promoters, including Vince McMahon Sr. and that continued when his son bought the territory in 1983. A notable result of the working relationship was the 1982 Dynamite Kid/Tiger Mask bout in MSG that exposed American fans to a revolutionary style that was not the trend of the WWWF product at the time. Stu Hart sending talent to Japan had a ripple effect that gave Dynamite Kid his first bookings in the WWF, where he later had a big run during the Rock N' Wrestling Era of the late-80s in America. Aside from Canada, Inoki also had an influence in Mexico as well. However, his most memorable venture, at least for the vast majority of fans outside of Japan was when he fought the legendary Muhammad Ali in a primitive mixed martial arts fight in 1976. The legitimate bout lacked action and was panned by many at the time, and needed to have its closed circus ticket sales boosted with impressive under cards in the United States because of the lack of awareness of the New Japan founded by mainstream American fans at the time, but the contest is almost revered for its influence from a historical perspective.

As controversial as he was mysterious, Inoki had his share of disputes over the years as well.

In mid-1983, the original Tiger Mask, Satoru Sayama opted to leave New Japan, as despite his bouts almost unanimously praised as the best bouts on most cards, he was not given the top billing ahead of Inoki himself. Inoki was elected to the Japanese congress at various times over the years, but seemed to often use his position to create publicity for himself, infamously working a pair of shows in North Korea with WCW  stars in 1995. Prior to that, he went to Iraq to meet with Saddam Hussein to get Japanese detainees released, and ran a little-known New Japan tour in Iraq to attempt to establish some diplomacy between the countries. How much of any of these political stunts throughout the years were more to gain publicity than anything else is legitimately anyone's guess. That's how much of a puzzle Inoki was over the years.

When Pride Fighting Championship exploded in popularity in the early-2000s, Inoki was often invited to attend the events because of his status as a legendary sports figure. The success he saw from the MMA group, which drew thousands of fans during its peak before a scandal involving the Yukuza led to its collapse in 2007, influenced the direction that he took his own promotion. New Japan Pro Wrestling, which saw two of its three top stars from the success of the 90s, Shinya Hashimoto and The Great Muta, leave the organization, began to book MMA fighters in a pro wrestling environment. While Hashimoto founded Zero-1 before his death in 2005, and Muta completely rejuvenated his career in All Japan in 2001, the MMA experiment in New Japan flopped. Most of the MMA fighters were good athletes, but the best case scenario was that they couldn't immediately adapt to the nature of scripted shows successfully. The worst case scenario was the uncoordinated Bob Sapp stumbling around the ring as IWGP champion. By 2005, Inoki's organization was on the brink of collapse before he sold his shares of the group to the Yuke's video game company before Bushiroad bought the promotion in 2012, providing a level of stability.

Inoki wasn't out of the promotional game too long, though. He started Inoki Genome Federation in 2007, and its first main event was Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle to capitalize off of the controversy of Lesnar's dispute with New Japan where he refused to drop the IWGP title because of contract disagreements. The riff between Inoki and the company he founded lasted for several years. Ultimately, IGF was an attempt to reignite the MMA philosophy that didn't work previously, and IGF fizzled out.  He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010 and continued his political ventures in Japan.

Many fans were shocked to see how frail the legendary grappler was when recent video surfaced of him online earlier this year, and were even more shocked when he made a cameo with a video appearance on a New Japan broadcast. Thankfully, it appeared that the decade and a half of animosity was resolved.

Again, to truly summarize the Impact Inoki had would be a difficult task for one specific project, but his main stream popularity and enduring status well after his retirement from the ring speak to his legacy as a sports icon in his home country. The fact that he was a major draw around the globe was proof of his status as a box office success, and the ripple effect of his influence on the pro wrestling business will continue to be seen in the future.