Matt Hardy returns to TNA

After it was reported that longtime veteran, Matt Hardy allowed his All Elite Wrestling contract to expire, there was some speculation about if he would eventually re-sign a deal with Tony Khan since his brother Jeff still had at least a few months left on his contract, or if he would test the free agency market. Last weekend, Matt Hardy not only returned to TNA at their Rebellion event, he also brought back the "Broken" gimmick.

It's a testament to Matt's longevity, as he somehow managed to jump between organizations, and more often than not, keep himself in the conversation one way or another after a thirty year career. Give credit where it's due, there was a time in the early-2010s that Matt's career could've become a cautionary tale, but thankfully, he recovered from a bleak period in his life.

That being said, I'm not sure what there was left for him to do in All Elite Wrestling because after four years on the roster, he was completely lost in the shuffle and was more or less irrelevant over the past year or so. The combination of Jeff Hardy's DUI arrest in mid-2022 and injuries he suffered, including the concussion that currently has him on the sidelines, ruined the chances of a Hardy Boys reunion or retirement tour in All Elite Wrestling. When Jeff was off of television following the DUI arrest, the momentum of Matt's AEW tenure was completely stalled because his direction in the organization was shifted toward a Hardy Boys run that wasn't going to happen. Furthermore, with another reckless decision to drive intoxicated and the legal consequences of it, it was difficult for management to truly invest the TV time and promotional dollars into the Hardy Boys as a team because you don't know if Jeff will be available for television. In that respect, you can't blame the office for regulating the Hardys to Rampage prior to the concussion that put Jeff on the shelf because at some point, it becomes a risk to promote him.

That basically left Matt Hardy without anything of importance to do on the show, and unfortunately, that can be said for a lot of talented athletes on the All Elite roster.

According to Matt Hardy, All Elite offered him a new deal, but he didn't discuss details. Sure, Hardy could've continued to take the money, which isn't a terrible idea at this point in his career, but he might want to take the final years of his career to wrestle matches rather than watch the show from catering each week. In truth, if Matt was going to go anywhere else, TNA was probably the place for him, as it will allow him to retread the broken gimmick that he started there years ago, and it's also a way for him to work the character rather than continue to take bumps at almost 50 years old. It works well for the Anthem-owned company as well since they will take what they can get in terms of star power, and there's no doubt that The Hardys' fan base has continued to follow their careers over the years. With TNA touring more often, albeit in smaller venues, The Hardys can definitely be a draw for the live audience, even if they're passed their in-ring prime. That's nothing wrong with that either, using the cache that was build over the course of a career to add a few more years is one of the perks of being a star, and it's a decent business move.

Obviously, Matt Hardy will be a big fish in a relatively small pond, but it's another fresh run to make decent money and he's getting the chance to compete again. I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff isn't too far behind his brother when his AEW deal expires, but for now, the question is, outside of the artificial return pop, what will Matt Hardy do in TNA?

As much as I will acknowledge that Matt Hardy tapped into something that found a niche with the cinematic matches and the broken gimmick, it's just not for me. It's too hokey and too phony. At the time that it got fans talking years ago, it seemed more like "LOL wrestling" rather than some revolutionary concept. But, that's not to take away from the fact that Matt added a completely new chapter to his career and it was popular enough that he used a version of the character when he returned to WWE.

However, I'm not sure that "Broken" Matt Hardy should be teleporting around the arena or appearing in cinematic segments with roman candles in 2024.

When Matt did the deletion matches in TNA eight years ago, the company was on the brink of collapse, and in truth, the organization looked for anything to try to get them some hype as the future of the promotion was in doubt. As far as the promos, the mannerisms, and the chants, those are aspects that can probably still work within the current TNA product, but aside from being too goofy, even the teleportation stuff is "been there, done that." Considering that the company rebranded back to its original initials and landed a few free agent signings, should they really take the presentation of the product back almost a decade with more cinematic content? For an organization that put a lot of stock into a new era at the start of the year, recycling those niche concepts might actual hinder its attempt to bring something new to the modern wrestling landscape.

We've heard rumblings of TNA and the WWE possibly working together, and it makes sense, as the Anthem product isn't a threat to the TKO corporation's market share, and there could be certain opportunities that can be a win-win for everyone involved. For example, Jordynne Grace appeared in the women's Royal Rumble match earlier this year, and it added an extra spotlight to both the segment and TNA as a group. So, it might not be too difficult for Matt Hardy to be able to appear for WWE, even if he's technically under a TNA contract. With the vignettes that seem to imply the return of Bo Dallas, and speculation that Erik Rowan and Alexa Bliss will join him to form a Wyatt-inspired stable, it's possible that Matt might be added to the faction since he had a tag team run with the late Bray Wyatt. In some ways, the broken gimmick might work really well with the Wyatt stable.

Overall, Matt Hardy resurfacing in TNA isn't really a ground-breaking story, as it was probably the only place that he'd get the chance to have a fresh run. More than anything to do with TNA, it speaks volumes about Matt's ability as a performer to land another national contract. While Matt Hardy doesn't necessarily move the needle in 2024, it's still a wise signing for Anthem because as mentioned, it's definitely a boost for live event tickets. The biggest takeaway might be the current status of the industry and the options that the talent has on the free agent market.

WWE releases

Last week, the WWE announced that they cut five wrestlers from the roster, not anything near the mass releases around April each year in the past, but still an indication that the billion dollar corporation will continue to run like a true business, releasing talent if there isn't anything for them from the creative team.

Xyon Quinn was given a pink slip, and the only reason that this release was surprising was that most people probably forgot that Quinn was on the roster. The 34-year-old former rugby player inked a WWE developmental deal almost six years ago and worked on the NXT brand for a few years, debuting in 2020 before he appeared sporadically on the main roster throughout the past year. All things considered, Quinn was a WWE project, as far as he was recruited to be in the WWE system and was trained specifically for WWE television without any prior wrestling experience. There's not necessarily anything wrong with that, especially with the top notch coaches that work with the developmental talent at the Performance Center, but it takes an athlete with an incredible aptitude for sports entertainment to progress to a level where they are ready for national television within only a few years of the first time that they stepped into a ring.

Obviously, Xyon Quinn was a good athlete with the rugby background, but he never really stood out as someone that seemed destined for major success within the major leagues of pro wrestling. He was a WWE project that worked like a WWE project, but didn't seem to be on the cusp of any break out success in terms of being able to work at a level that would've gotten over with the national television audience. He was okay in the ring, but nothing spectacular and seemed to be an average WWE project at best.

As far as why he would get the axe, it was probably a combination of a lack of anything from the writing team, and the fact that the company invested nearly six years into his development as a performer. Granted, the pandemic had a major effect on the industry, but the point is, Quinn was on the payroll for six years, including when dozens of wrestlers were released during the shut down so if he didn't reach the next level yet, there probably wasn't a reason for the company to continue to invest money into him as a project. Speaking of which, since he was signed specifically as a WWE project, it's doubtful that he will continue to pursuit the sport.

Another release that was added to the list earlier this week was Von Wagner, a second generation wrestler that only had five matches on the NXT brand this year. Wagner seemed to have the size and the athleticism that the company looks for, but for whatever reason, he didn't have the opportunity or the skill set to make the jump to the main roster. In some ways, he's in the same boat as Xvon Quinn, the company inked Wagner to a deal in 2019 so he was near the five-year mark of working within the developmental system. At some point, the office had to see the potential to move him to the bigger platform of the main roster or decide to release him, because again there's a five-year investment from the organization. The main difference between Quinn and Wagner is that at just 29, the second generation grappler has time to find himself and evolve his career in other promotions to become a more complete performer. It will be interesting to see what he does next since the argument could be made that he just needs the opportunity to evolve and he might be an asset for a pro wrestling group.

Another athlete that was recruited by WWE and was also released was Veer Mahaan, a former pro baseball player that spent the majority of his baseball tenure in the minor leagues, but achieved notoriety for being the first Indian player to be signed to a MLB team. Similar to Xvon Quinn in the WWE developmental system, Veer inked a WWE contract in 2018. Veer had the look of a monster, even if his in-ring work was somewhat flat at times. In fact, he had a few different stints on Raw, and it almost became comical that vignettes would air for weeks to hype his arrival but it didn't lead to a debut. If I had to guess, I'd say management probably didn't see enough improvement in the ring to try to repackage him again so they released him. There are only so many times a performer can be repackaged before the organization has to put its resources and invest the TV time elsewhere. The same can be said for his tag team partner, Sanga, who was also released. Sanga wasn't a terrible performer, but he was just another name on the roster and ultimately, he's an expendable talent.

However, there were a few talents that were cut from the company that were surprising releases.

Among the initial list last week, former WWE champion, Jinder Mahal was a name that you wouldn't have expected to see. In the early-2010s, Mahal had a mid-card stint in the company when he eventually worked as a comedy figure in the 3MB stable. He was released in 2014 and spent almost two years outside of the organization, getting himself in great shape during his time off. There was speculation online about how Jinder made such a transformation to his body, but let's just assume that he had a lot of Icopro and a regular exercise routine. More because of his look at the time, Jinder won the WWE championship in 2017 when he beat Randy Orton for the title. He had a rather undistinguished six-month reign and was eventually shuffled back down the card. He was booked with Veer and Sanga, but the trio had limited TV time. Jinder worked just six matches last year and eight matches this year so despite his prior accomplishments with the company, this might be a situation where the writing team didn't have anything for him, especially if Veer and Sanga were already released. Still, it's surprising because with as much potential as you've heard about the Indian market in recent years, and with the WWE's expansion of more international events under the TKO banner, you'd think that Jinder would be kept on the roster, if for nothing else than being spotlighted as the top star of those potential overseas events.

It was somewhat puzzling that Xia Li was released because despite a cup of coffee on the main roster, she didn't really get the chance to do much in the company outside of her time in NXT. Maybe management didn't see enough progress to move her to the main roster full-time or maybe there wasn't a spot for her on the main roster, given the depth the division has, but between decent in-ring skills and the flashy entrance, it just seemed like he would accomplish more on the main roster.

The most surprising release was  Cameron Grimes, considering that the young grappler had a lot of success and popularity during his NXT run. For whatever reason, after he was brought to Smackdown last year, he was used as an enhancement talent, which was completely counterproductive to anything that was established during the stint in NXT previously. Cameron Grimes is a talent with all the tools to be successful and an asset to a promotion, he just wasn't given the chance on the main roster. At just 30, Grimes still has the prime of his career ahead of him, while he has enough experience on television to already be set to make an impact in another promotion. I'm not sure where Trevor Lee will go next, but he will undoubtedly be an asset to any company in the industry.

The career of Elijah Dean

"The first time I ever stepped in his ring, I just knew"

Elijah Dean, a Pittsburgh-based pro wrestler that ranks among the best on the independent circuit, felt at home the first time the soles of his shoes touched the woven canvas of a wrestling ring. No, it wasn't his first day of training to pursue the sport, that would come a few years later at a converted storage facility, but rather alongside one of his high school pals that bought an actual ring to put in his backyard. The enthusiastic teenage that was able to convince his parents to allow him to put a pro ring on their property was current 2PW champion, Jami Jameson.

Elijah and Jami remain boned to this day more than a decade later through their shared passion of the ring, both accomplished champions in the sport that they emulated as teenagers before they finished their math homework that night.

"Elijah Dean, whether it be friend or foe, he is one of the best in the game. He truly sets the standard for the western Pennsylvania pro wrestling scene," said Jameson.

From the time their teenage wrestling shenanigans quite literally drew a crowd of neighbors to see what the rascals were up to, Elijah Dean stayed laser focused on his goal to compete as an actual pro wrestler, knowing the house party contests were fun, but only a way to experience the sport before he took the steps to become a legitimate professional performer.

Dean stuck to the plan, as he signed up to train at the IWC Wrestling Academy when he was just 18. The training center is associated with the International Wrestling Cartel, an organization that was originally founded by radio persona, Bubba The Bulldog and then run successfully for nearly a decade under the direction of Norm Connors, the godfather of the Pittsburgh independent scene. Ownership changed hands throughout the years, with Justin Plummer, a former video host for the organization, promoting the brand very successfully for the past several years. Regardless of who ran the promotion, the IWC maintains its reputation as the group that brought the biggest stars in the industry to the region.

"I attended IWC shows during high school, it was the first ever indy company I saw," said Dean of what led to his initial decision to choose the IWC school as his place of pro wrestling education.

Similar to the promotion itself, which has seen stars of the area rotate as the staples of different eras of the company, the IWC school saw a myriad of trainers over the years to help keep the philosophy and training regiment fresh for aspiring hopefuls. When Elijah Dean walked into the facility and saw the same IWC logo on the wall that he was so familiar with in 2017, Chris LeRusso, a more than 20-year pro with an accomplished tenure of zigzagging across the independent scene over those two decades, was the man tasked with his wrestling education.

"First, let me say that there isn’t a better trainer around than LeRusso. The dedication he put in to helping Pittsburgh wrestling should be respected a lot more. The most important thing I’d say I learned was just to respect everyone. Don’t be the guy that somebody doesn’t want to be around," Dean said of his earliest lessons inside the ring ropes.

“The thing most people notice about Dime is, his supreme confidence, but it’s not unfounded. I’ve seen this man transform his body in the time he’s been in the business. He has always been in good shape, but he’s next level now. I’ve seen someone who had great natural talent and charisma also become a great student of the game, and one of the more cerebral and intellectual wrestlers in the area. He is confident because he has put in the time and discipline and he knows how good he is," added Chris LeRusso, who is also the current matchmaker for Ryse Wrestling.

Similar to how he felt at home the first time he stepped into a wrestling ring as a teenager, when "The Man Dime" Elijah Dean, his brash over-the-top in-ring persona, laced up actual wrestling boots for his pro debut in 2018, many in attendance saw the natural poise he had for the squared circle. Despite being in his rookie year of the sport, Dean showed skills well beyond his level of experience, prompting many to tout the bright future they saw for him in the genre.

After a few years of one of the top young lions of the industry, the momentum that Dean, and the rest of the wrestling world had was stalled by the global pandemic in 2020. IWC promoter, Justin Plummer went to extra lengths to continue to provide events for his audience, running limited capacity events in doors, while promoting outdoor events at the Washington Wild Things minor league baseball park to allow for socially distanced seating for the fans. For Dean, he was paired with another youngster that was also considered a natural by many, the equally brash Zach Nystrom, forming the duo Money Shot, a tag team that had an extensive reign as IWC tag team champions.

“I have insight like nobody else. We’ve spent countless hours training together, traveling in the car together, and hundreds of matches preforming together. The number one thing that sticks out about him through all of that time together is his drive and vision. Whether it’s workout plans, promos, matches or anything else there are very few that can speak things into existence like he can. I’ve seen it happen time and time again he comes up with a vision, creates a plan, and executes it through tireless hard work," commented Nystrom.

After pandemic restrictions were lifted and with a successful tag title run, Elijah Dean looked for the top prize in the organization, the IWC heavyweight championship, a title that he saw defended years earlier from the front row of the audience. Dean obtained that goal, defeating the stellar Bill Collier for the belt in mid-2022. After he six-month tenure as champion, he lost a highly competitive bout against Collier and departed IWC.

Dean spent last year focused on tag team bouts with Nystrom, winning multiple tag titles, including the Ryse Wrestling and Absolute Intense Wrestling tag team championships with simultaneous reigns in each organization. It wasn't until Money Shot held the Ryse tag belts for almost a full calendar year that they lost the belts last December. With another historic tag title reign on his resume, Dean looked to return to where it all started for him, the International Wrestling Cartel.

After more than a year away, the venue in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, the home base for IWC for the past 18 years, erupted when "The Man Dime" walked back into the building in February. He challenged Collier for the championship the following month, losing a very evenly-matched bout, but now finds himself at odds with Plummer.

"My return to IWC thus far has been nothing short of incredible. I’m in a very different head space from the last time I was there in 2022. I’ve matured a lot. I like to see all promotions in Pittsburgh strive and do big things. But IWC is my home, and where I started. So, this run to me is extremely personal. I look forward to helping the younger guys on that roster grow, and it’s going to be a very memorable moment when I get my hands on that slimy punk Justin Plummer," remarked Dean.

Along with his IWC return, Elijah, a fitness fanatic since he was in middle school, launched his personal training business, offering workout and meal plans online or in-person for clients that look to focus on their health goals.

"As far as my training plans go, currently that’s something I’m putting a lot of time and effort into. I believe that a big key to happiness in life is having good health. Health is wealth. Currently, I’m offering workout & diet routines, and as of recently, I’m starting to take in person clients. No matter what a person's goal is, I believe I can help, mainly because I care about helping. That’s what separates me from a lot, I believe. It’s not just about the money. Everybody’s body and genetics are different, so it’s all about finding out what works for you," Elijah explained.

"It’s safe to say if you want to set a goal and actually follow through and achieve it I couldn’t recommend anyone better to have in your corner than him,” added Nystrom.

At just 25, despite the slew of accomplishments already, Elijah Dean has yet to enter the prime of his career, with undoubtedly a bright future in the pro wrestling industry. The first time he stepped into a wrestling ring was in Jami Jameson's backyard when he was a teenager. The next time he steps into the squared circle will be this Saturday when he competes at the CFS Bank Event Center, the historic venue formerly known as The Rostraver Ice Garden. Dean is set to compete against Plummer's hand-picked opponent, Anthony Catena as a part of the IWC Superstar Showdown, an event that will feature Team 3D, Tommy Dreamer, Teddy Long, Ron Simmons, and other stars.

Dynasty review

The first ever AEW Dynasty pay-per-view was held in St. Louis, a historical pro wrestling city built by Sam Muchnick, Larry Matysik and others of the territory era. The live crowd reflected that as they stayed involved in the action throughout the night, despite the fact that the runtime of the broadcast was just over four hours. The main card had nine matches, which again proved to be problematic at certain points, but that's basically just the nature of Tony Khan pay-per-view cards. While Revolution had a much better pace last month with bouts that had shorter times than some of the more featured contests, Dynasty fell into the typical Khan PPV pitfall of an obligatory 20-minute slot for almost the entire card without taking into account if the match up or the storyline around it justified that amount of time for the segment.

I have to be honest, I was very surprised that Kazuchika Okada, former IWGP Heavyweight champion and one of Tony's recent high-priced acquisitions, opened the show with the Continental title defense. Okada, given his standing among the diehard All Elite audience that is willing to order the $50 pay-per-views and the skills he brings to the table, simply isn't an opening match guy. It's more about the presentation and the message that it sends rather than anything that is beneath him. Reportedly, Khan paid Okada some hefty cash and rightfully so, to leave the top spot in New Japan and move to the United States. Granted, with the financial security that such a contract brings, it's difficult to image that Okada is going to complain about where he's scheduled on the card, but again, based on the level of investment that the company made in the Japanese superstar, putting him on first doesn't spotlight him as the main event talent that he should be. On the flip side, a co-main event spot continues to give the impression that the signing of New Japan's top star was a big deal, and it is.

As far as the match itself, it was essentially what you'd expect from two excellent workers like these two grapplers. Everything they did was crisp and smooth. The opening sequences of technical exchanges was top notch pro wrestling and emphasized their talent. As the match progressed there was a DDT spot that looked brutal, and throughout the contest, Okada occasionally gave a smirk, generating jeers from the crowd. The character work is really valuable stuff, as it will give more depth to Okada's character and thus more can be done with him in storyline for hopefully a bigger spot on pay-per-view. The counters toward the finish of the match were very well done and it built toward the conclusion. Okada retained the belt for a really solid bout.

The problem is, particularly with Pac's sporadic at best schedule, is that this match-up was basically a one-off that has very little impact in the grand scheme of things. Pac's agreement with All Elite is rather odd, as he is only on television for a handful of appearances once every few months so despite his stellar talent, he's not on the show long enough to truly get over or stay over with the audience. His lack of regular appearances don't allow for the audience to get the chance to invest in his character or the direction his persona takes on the shows. So, that reduces his work in All Elite to just the move set, including a great moonsault to the outside during the bout with Okada, but there are a lot of great in-ring talents on the AEW roster so it's somewhat puzzling why Pac is still signed to the company without a regular schedule. For an organization that is desperate to draw TV ratings, Pac isn't a guy that can help move the needle since he's not on the show enough to make a difference. Furthermore, as talented as he is, if he's not there enough to get over beyond the move set, would it truly make a difference if he was released? Don't get me wrong, Pac is a tremendous talent, but his standing within the company is minimal since he's often not there so the Okada bout was almost an exhibition.

In some ways, you could make the argument that part-time Pac isn't the best use of the British athlete, or that maybe booking Okada in the opener didn't emphasize his star power. In a similar fashion, the six man tag team contest that saw Adam Copeland, Mark Briscoe, and Eddie Kingston compete against The House of Black was another case of miscast talent on this show. The former Edge didn't leave the comfort of the WWE and the relatively easy paycheck he could've collected until he decided to hang up his boots for peanuts. He's another high-priced talent on the All Elite roster, and so far, all that he has done was rehash history from the WWE. Sure, the feud with Christian was good storytelling, but should it have been the first angle that he did in All Elite? Copeland debuted in AEW four months ago, working a dozen matches so far, but hasn't competed against any of the top stars on the All Elite roster. At 50, Copeland is obviously at the latter stages of his career, there should be a priority to get some of those marquee matches that are unique commodities that can be promoted for the organization. Within four months, the guy that looked like a major signing is booked in a throwaway tag in the second match of a four-hour card.

The optics look like this contest was booked just to shoehorn a few extra names on the card. As great as The House of Black are, taking into account that they don't seem to want to do the job for opponents too often, or at least that was the rumor, and the concept of a trios division is still very flimsy, they could've worked a six man tag on the preshow to allow for better use of PPV time. Eddie Kingston is still one of the most over stars on the roster, and I really think a lot more can be done with him from a storyline perspective, but he's also in a random six man for the second match of the night. The match itself was fun, as it had a lot of action and showcased each participant, but unless there's some angle to develop from this, and there might be, then it was just another PPV exhibition. The finish saw Copeland get pinned after taking the mist to the face so perhaps there will be more to the storyline in the next few weeks.

I've already mentioned that presentation can impact perception, and that was also the case with the TBS championship contest, as it went just five minutes, giving a clear indication of the lack of faith that the office has in the disarray of the women's division. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that Julia Hart is dealing with an injury, and it that is accurate then the argument could be made that the switch should've been done on television to allow for a better representation of the women's division on the bigger star of the pay-per-view. If the belt switches in five minutes on TV, there's not much that can be taken from it, considering that there was timing issues with TBS broadcasts on a semi-regular basis, but for such a short match at Dynasty, it gives the impression that management didn't trust the quality of a longer contest. Willow got the win to claim the title, and a match against Mercedes Mone was announced for Double or Nothing next month.

The International title means very little among the pro wrestling landscape, but Roderick Strong/Kyle O'Reilly was a really solid bout that added a lot of substance to the card in terms of quality, especially for an event that had the primary selling point of work rate over storylines. Sure, it was similar to contests that they've had before, but again, quality is quality, as far as physical and solid pro wrestling. Strong retained the belt, and Adam Cole made a rather pointless cameo appear to show the fans that he doesn't need the wheelchair, which more or less ruined any element of surprise that could've been used when he's actually ready to to return to the ring. He just showed up, walked down the ramp, and stood in the ring. He's a superb talent, but he didn't look like the leader of a faction or a star in this segment.

Speaking of pointless, the FTW title match didn't do anything to help anyone, not Chris Jericho, Hook, or the viewing audience. Make no mistake about it, in many respects, Chris Jericho is in a league of his own, but at 53, he's understandably beginning to show his age in the ring. For a guy that was always ahead of the curve and reinvented himself to stay fresh, the fact that he had to go back to the Lion Heart moniker might be an indication that it's time to hang up the boots. When you add the controversy that made the rounds online a few months ago and wasn't ever addressed or disputed, it doesn't endear him to the audience. The bout had its moments with a brutal suplex from the apron to the floor through a table and another suplex when Jericho had a trash can over his head, but the bulk of the match was very clunky and flat. There was no pace and it almost exposed Jericho for being maybe a step or two behind at some points. Hook actually kicked out of the Judas Effect, a finisher that was protected, but it didn't get a reaction from the crowd because the segment had no momentum at all. It didn't help that Jericho won the FTW title because there's a fine line between working with younger talent to help elevate them, and working with younger talent to try to stay relevant. Unfortunately, it appeared to be the latter in this segment. So far, this storyline made Hook seem aloof, and unless there are some better plans for him in the future, he might want to try to get a tryout with WWE. Maybe this angle would've worked better a year or so again when he still had a surge in popularity, but they might've missed the boat on that opportunity. Jericho won the title, but there weren't any winners in this segment.

The Women's title match was fine, nothing subpar, but nothing too spectacular either. Thunder Rosa isn't nearly as popular as she was prior to the injury that put her on the shelf for an extended period of time or the speculation that she was difficult to work with backstage. The segment went 15 minutes and they could've accomplished the same narrative in about half of the time so the pacing wasn't ideal. Toni Storm retained the title, and she's a really good performer, but there women's division lacks the depth of capable opponents to challenge her for the championship.

At this point in the show, the event was a mixed bag in terms of quality, but the last three matches were truly the meat of the matter so to speak. If the final portion of the PPV delivered then you could chalk Dynasty up as a success. Of course, Dave Meltzer already proclaimed that Will Ospreay/Bryan Danielson was potentially the greatest match ever, which is completely misguided. With Kenny Omega injured indefinitely and in the latter stages of his career, Meltzer picked a stellar athlete ten years younger to bet his contrarian chips on now. It gives Meltzer a debatable topic to continue to keep his newsletter in the conversation. No matter how well Cody or The Rock draw for WWE, Meltzer will counter with, "but they aren't Will Ospreay." Sure, it's a completely one-dimensional viewpoint, but it serves his base, which is a very smart business move.

That being said, Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay was a classic and an incredible performance from both of them. I'm just not going to jump to the conclusion that it was a better drama than Bret/Stone Cold or as epic as Misawa vs. Kawada, especially because Meltzer makes those claims more to serve an agenda than anything else.

The crisp and fast-paced action was tremendous. There was an exciting pace to the contest that kept the audience involved as the momentum tilted back and fourth. Similar to Ospreay/Konosuke Takeshita at Revolution last month, when you have two of the best in-ring workers in the business, in this case, Ospreay and Danielson working this type of style, anyone else that tries to compete with the same style on the show seems completely secondary. The spot where Danielson intercepted the British grappler with a knee strike was incredible. Ironically, the only portion of the bout that I completely disagreed with was the finish. Ospreay got the victory, which is completely fine, he has the potential to be a major deal for All Elite in the future. However, the worked injury was low brow, completely unnecessary, and added nothing to the segment. In the modern era, head injuries or neck injuries being used in storylines seem sleazy. That becomes even more apparent when a neck injury is used for an angle with a guy that has a history of very serious head injuries.

The Tag Team title ladder match was the car crash segment you'd expect and there were definitely some dangerous moments, particularly when Dax looks like he slipped when he landed a pile driver on the ladder. This segment had the thrills and bumps that made it stand out. The finish saw Jack Perry return to the company to help The Young Bucks win the championships. This comeback from an eight-month suspension was booked after the backstage fight footage was aired on Dynamite. Given his comments in the past and the way that he conducted himself at Wembley Stadium, I honestly don't think that Perry has the mindset to ever be a major star in pro wrestling. I still don't think airing the footage was a good idea and it definitely won't do anything to propel Perry's career. He was choked and had no offense in the backstage fight. His return right after the footage aired is pointless because there's no payoff for AEW. Perry gets heat because he was the guy that ultimately cost the company CM Punk, but the real-life Phil Brooks works for WWE so it's not as though Tony Khan can book Punk/Perry to get a payoff or draw money from this fiasco. As I wrote previously, Jack Perry is expendable so I don't think anything of importance will be possible with this return to the company.

Samoa Joe vs. Swerve was a quality main event match. Everything they did was solid and there was a level of drama as the match built toward the conclusion. The only problem was, the audience just saw the dazzling 30-minute spot fest of Ospreay/Danielson and then the car crash ladder match with FTR/The Bucks so there just wasn't a lot of new ground for them to cover on the pay-per-view. Joe was essentially used as a transitional champion, and that's not completely a negative, but all things considered, he should've been used for more than that. In many ways, the bulk of his four-month title reign consisted of him booked as the third wheel in the Swerve/Adam Page feud. I still don't get exactly what Strickland's character is supposed to be, but he's undoubtedly very popular with the AEW audience so this was a wise decision. That might be the biggest takeaway from the entire pay-per-view, the company needed something positive take place after the past few weeks of negative publicity, and the Swerve victory gives the organization a great moment to highlight the conclusion of the pay-per-view.

Rhea Ripley injured

Usually, there's somewhat of a "reset" within the landscape of the WWE following the peak of Wrestlemania after the culmination of many storylines, and it's almost somewhat of a natural decline in momentum because fresh angles have to start to build again. Management understands this and looks to use the draft to kick start a fresh direction of the product with shuffling the deck as far as the talent that works together on specific shows. With that, the post-WM programming can sometimes be used as a way to put the pieces of the puzzle in place for the new direction rather than the immediate sizzle of angles, especially if WWE brass plans to save those big storyline moments for after the draft.

That being said, Raw this past Monday was extremely newsworthy, probably even more so than anything that will be revealed or set up at the draft episode.

The show opened with the biggest news of the week, as Rhea Ripley revealed that she was forced to vacate the Women's championship after she suffered a shoulder injury. As of this writing, it's not known if she will require surgery, but according to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, it would put her on the shelf for 3-4 months, depending on the severity of the injury. Assuming there's minimal damage, that opens the door for Ripley to be back in time for Summer Slam in August, but it's important to keep in mind that the extent of the injury will be key to determine what stage might host her return. Her recovery in time for Summer Slam isn't a given yet so it will be interesting to see the direction the women's title scene takes while she's on the sidelines.

Obviously, it's very unfortunate that she suffered an injury after such a high profile match at Wrestlemania 40 during such a wave of momentum as one of the most popular stars on the roster, but I really don't think that the injury will truly hinder her career path. Despite being the champion ahead of WM, the win against a star the level of Becky Lynch was still somewhat of a coronation for Ripley as a bonafide star so there was still a lot of mileage for her as the champion on Raw.

However, the ability to turn a negative into a positive exists with this situation, as regardless of her role as a heel in The Judgment Day, she was being cheered on a regular basis by the audience so this allows her to return as a baby face. At the same time, since the injury happened in a brawl with Liv Morgan, it will elevate her stock as a heel on the show, and thus there will be a natural rivalry for the championship when Ripley is back on Raw.

Speaking of The Judgment Day, Damien Priest, who won the world championship after the MITB cash-in at WM, will be elevated, at least for the time being in that role on Raw. It will be intriguing to see if management runs with Priest or if he's used in the role of a transitional champion. More specifically, that decision might be determined by who gets drafted to the Monday night show, especially if you take into account that the brand will be somewhat thin on star power until the rosters get shuffled around. Cody Rhodes did a promo that implied that he will be back on Smackdown since he won Roman Reigns' belt, Seth Rollins is scheduled to take time off, Ripley is injured, Punk is on the sidelines, and Drew McIntyre's status is unknown so there's not much to work with in terms of the main event scene right now.

The Damien Priest/Jey Uso bout that is scheduled at Backlash for the title make sense since it gives the new champion an over babyface to work with, taking into account Uso's popularity from his association and then feud with The Bloodline. At the same time, it was more or less the only option for a title match since Uso is essentially the only top baby face available at the moment. If I had to guess, I'd say that the draft will send Kevin Owens to Raw to set up for the next challanger for Preist to give him another over baby face to work with in the title scene. Sure, Priest can go in the ring, but it always helps to have an opponet that can make you look good, and Owens has always been able to do that, which is what he did for Roman Reigns early in the heel turn, and also why he was chosen as the opponet for Steve Austin when Stone Cold did a comeback match a few years ago.

Drew McIntyre, as mentioned, is currently unavailable on the Raw roster, with some speculation that he might not to resign with the company right now to be able to spend time with his family. The rumor mill suggest that McIntyre has 5-6 weeks left on his current contract. I have to be honest, while it is completely possible that he might decide to allow his current deal to expire, it’s very doubtful that he’s going anywhere outside of the WWE scope at this point in his career. In truth, it gives him much more flexibility in terms of how much time he wants to takeoff if he isn't signed for any obligations. For example, if he inks a new deal, he would have some type of timetable to be back on television within a certain amount time frame, given that you could reasonably assume that he would be working there for very good money with a new contract. On the flip side, if Drew allows his contract to expire, it gives him the choice to spend time with his family for as long as he wants and gives him more leverage for negotiations as far as when he returns to the WWE road schedule.

Some fans might want to fuel misguided speculation that Drew could make the jump to All Elite Wrestling, but the much more realistic option is that he will remain under the WWE umbrella. The wheels are already in motion for the big time CM punk match, and it’s more a matter of when the real-life Phil Brooks would be health that it takes place, not if the office would continue to spotlight the feud. The ability to work with Punk and be featured in a high profile spot, suggest that McIntyre will remain in the WWE in the future. Just for the sake of discussion, if Tony Khan wanted to throw a silly amount of money at McIntyre, you could make the flimsy argument that perhaps McIntyre would consider it, but with all of the discussion of chaos behind the scenes, AEW probably isn’t a realistic option for McIntyre . 

Finally, Sami Zayn defended his newly-won Intercontinental championship against Chad Gable in the main event segment. This was a very wise decision, both in terms of adding depth to the roster, which as mentioned previously is needed, and in the very well done post-match angle. Keep in mind, presentation is the key to emphasizing importance. Gunther had a record-breaking championship reign because of his believability and in-ring skills. However, what truly spotlighted that as much as possible was how the title run was featured on the show and thus the level of importance that it was given. Along the same lines, booking the IC title for the main event slot on television and allowing two stellar workers like Sami and Gable have the time to work a competitive bout, emphasized not only the importance of the title, but presented both athletes in a brighter spotlight than they had previously. Furthermore, the Gable heel turn was brilliant since it wasn't done in the typical cliche pro wrestling heel turn spot.

Jon Moxley wins IWGP championship

History was made last Friday at the New Japan Windy City Riot event in Chicago when Jon Moxley defeated popular star, Tetsuya Naito to win the IWGP world championship, the top belt in the Japanese league. This makes Moxley the only competitor to win the WWE, AEW, and IWGP, titles.

This was a move that isn't totally shocking, but wasn't a given either, and the biggest takeaway from the title switch might be, what are the implications for both New Japan and All Elite within the next several months?

In truth, All Elite and New Japan have a solid, but somewhat odd working agreement, as far as the New Japan stars are always featured well when they appear on AEW programming, but at the same time, Tony Khan has cherry-picked the Japanese organization's top talent throughout that time. That's not to say that there's anything wrong with that, that's the free agent market and a reality of the business. However, at some point, you have to wonder if New Japan brass view the partnership differently when their co-promoted shows are more or less an audition for NJPW talent that might get an offer from Tony Khan after he sees how they get over in front on an AEW audience.

To say that the trades have been a little lop-sided would be an understatement.

Yes, Bryan Danielson worked a few big matches in Japan, including a stellar bout against Zack Sabre Jr., and there were guest appearances by All Elite talent at the major shows on the NJPW calendar when  Moxley and Eddie Kingston worked a series of events, but those are only key matches, not the acquisition of full-time talent. Tony Khan signed away Jay White, Will Ospreay, and Kazuchika Okada most recently. Remember, he also signed Kenny Omega and The Elite faction for the launch of the company. Omega was the top guy when he was signed away, Jay White was in the main event scene when he left, Will Ospreay was being positioned as the next top star for them, and Okada was essentially the foundation of the promotion. Did Tony do this to damage the Japanese league? Of course not, even someone with the slapstick booking approach of Tony Khan knows the value of New Japan. He was just trying to add to his product, and despite the fact that he mismanages those assets, this scenario isn't  any attempt to negatively impact New Japan.

That said, the damage was done in terms of the depth of the roster. Again, that's just one of the harsh aspects of the industry, when someone is offered more money, they might exit so the promotion has to rebuild. This isn't to say that New Japan can't rebuild, especially with the funding of Bushiroad, the parent company that brought the organization back from the brink of collapse to surge in popularity for several years. NJPW survived much more dire circumstances than this, particularly the failed MMA experiment in the early-2000s that put the organization in jeopardy. Antonio Inoki was as controversial as he was legendary, and the narrative of the history of New Japan reflects that.

Still, New Japan finds itself with a talented, but thin roster in terms of drawing power today. Keep in mind, Kota Ibushi was being pushed as potentially the next main event draw before a very serious shoulder injury led to his rocky departure from the company. Quite frankly, New Japan has seen a huge portion of its top-tier talent leave the company within the past five years. As we know, it's not easy to promote a talent to that level so it's undoubtedly been a very challenging period for the group. The pandemic also took a major toll on NJPW because without the ability to run live events, and then only being able to run shows with limited capacity, it drastically affected revenue.

As mentioned, Tetsuya Naito is extremely popular as a multi-time champion, but he works a very physical, and the argument could be made, sometimes reckless style. Despite theoretically still getting a few more years in the prime of his career, the extensive amount of injuries he had will undoubtedly shorten his career. It goes without saying that New Japan has a very physical style and thus the role of IWGP champion can be very demanding so it's possible the title switch was made in Chicago to avoid the toll on Naito's body, at least for now.

It will be extremely interesting to see what this translates to for Jon Moxley, as he hasn't been seen in AEW since the Revolution pay-per-view, and despite his star power, it might be wise for him to take some time away from the organization to allow for a fresh chapter upon his return. Regardless of some of the rightfully criticism about his work, Moxley is one of the top stars of All Elite Wrestling and a major asset for the company. As we saw over the past few years, when All Elite was in a jam, Moxley picked up the fumble and ran with it on more than one occasion. His value to the organization is proven, but it's possible that he was somewhat overexposed at the same time. To actually quote one of his biggest critics, Jim Cornette, "how can we miss you if you don't go away?" With as flimsy as The Blackpool Combat Club is, specifically without a member from Blackpool, this might be an opportunity for Moxley to reestablish himself outside of the faction.

In some ways, this situation is a way for AEW to help New Japan after the company took some many of the top guys from NJPW. Tony Khan allowing his talent to work other shows is a different approach than most national groups of the past, but again, at the very least, this gives New Japan a bridge to their next major Japanese champion, as a victory over the former Dean Ambrose could help cement that status. It will be intriguing to see what Moxley's schedule will be during his tenure as champion and how long he has the title. I could be wrong, but I don't think he will travel to Japan to defend the belt on a full-time basis so this is probably going to be a short reign for him. It's very possible that this switch was booked to set up for the eventual rematch at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view in June.

Finally, this might be an opportunity for All Elite Wrestling to add something different to the line-up for the pay-per-view this weekend. Sure, it would be very short notice without the usual build up, but given the audience that will order the PPV, the addition of an IWGP title defense could be an another selling point for the show. Either way, it's very unique that a performer with a full-time contract in the United States wins the top championship for New Japan, simply because of the logistics of scheduling and the travel involved with working for both companies.

The career of Chris Taylor

"That's a feeling that makes you hungry, you feed off of it, you need it, its a drug."

You've heard countless performers, regardless of the genre, speak about the adrenaline rush of a live audience, the thrill of the performance that keeps them on cloud nine for hours after the final curtain falls on their particular stage for that night.

Just last weekend, "Shattered," a Pittsburgh rock band held their album release party at a civic association venue in Western, Pennsylvania where their latest offering, "Darker Days" made its official debut. In true rock star form, Chris Taylor, the band's front man, had his foot perched on a speaker with microphone in hand as the musical group jammed for the crowd in attendance.

"Darker Days definitely lives up to its title, a lot of my song writing comes from past experiences. I had a bit of a rough upbringing so this was an outlet for me to unleash those demons, it was very rewarding even if it made me dig into some dark places," Taylor said when he reflected on the album release.

When Chris Taylor isn't perched on a speaker at a musical gig, it's not uncommon for him to be perched on the top rope of a wrestling ring, as he's nearly a 23-year veteran of the squared circle. Throughout his time inside the ring ropes, Taylor built a reputation as a well-rounded, versatile performer that was adaptable enough to fill the role required on any given night, often zigzagging around several states over the past two decades.

Playing in bands as far back as his middle school years, Taylor cites the similarities between the two entertainment ventures as a premium asset within each field.

"Honestly, it's not very different at all. Not only do you have to have music people want to listen to, but your stage presence, charisma, and look have to grab people immediately. As important as the music is, the show is equally as important, being able to work the crowd for example, taking them through those peaks and valleys, bringing them on your journey, and giving them something that hopefully they want to see again," said Taylor.

Taylor's start in the pro wrestling business was very similar to when he started in bands at 14, he played jam sessions in garages or any space where the band mates could bring their equipment with only the aspirations of rock glory throughout his mind. His introduction to sports entertainment offered no glitz or glamour either. After he attended the King of The Ring pay-per-view at the Igloo, the former venue where the Penguins glided on the ice in the NHL, the teenage Taylor decided he wanted to be a professional wrestler after he saw the death-defying feats of Mick Foley and The Undertaker during the legendary cell match. Sports entertainment went from a family tradition around the television to a goal that the youngster was determined to accomplish.

Far away from the bright lights of pay-per-view that lured him onto the path of pro wrestling, Taylor began to learn the ropes just a few years later when he was only 16 and found himself inside of a dingy building with no heat or air conditioning. The no frills lessons on a dirt-stained canvas were a harsh reality check for the young man that had to finish his biology homework with mat burns on his elbows later that evening. The now-defunct NWA East organization offered its school and it was under those bare bones circumstances that Taylor got a valuable wrestling education that provided the foundation for the more than two decade career that he has today. Quinn Magnum, one of the most respected and tenured figures in the Pittsburgh area, 25-year pro Brandon K, longtime veteran Bigg, and independent standout of that era, Dirk Ciglar all had a hand in the grappling teachings that schooled Taylor on the mechanics of the mat.

"I think I had a great mixture of old school discipline, but they weren't out to break anybody for the sake of it. However, they made you work for it, earn it, respect it," commented Taylor.

Chris Taylor's pro wrestling debut had an equal level of pomp and circumstance at the end of 2001 when he and fellow trainee, Lance Dayton, still at the age of 16, competed in the no-so-well known destination of Parkersburg, West Virginia in front of a capacity crowd of roughly 40 fans.

Thankfully for Taylor, much like his musical endeavors, his wrestling career began to ascend as well, becoming the previously mentioned staple of the Pittsburgh indy scene over the years. In stark contrast to the few dozen fans that witnessed his first match, a few hundred fans were in attendance for his most recent bout when he clashed with ECW legend, The Sandman for the Renegade Wrestling Alliance in West Newton, Pennsylvania just a few weeks ago.

"I mean, there are so many to count working with heroes of mine like Gangrel, Tommy Dreamer, and The Sandman were incredible. My feuds with Jack Pollock, Ryan Mitchell, Ryan Edmonds, The Rev, and Memphis Mofo are easily in there. Spending weeks with Rowdy Piper, Hacksaw, and Shane Douglas filming Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies was literally not real life," Taylor said of the vast highlights of his career.

While it can be a difficult balancing act to spend late nights in the studio to find the perfect melody or lyric on a Friday and then tumble to the canvas of a wrestling ring on a Saturday, Taylor has managed to juggle wrestling some of his idols at the same time that he elevated his music.

"In terms of Darker Days. I joined Shattered a little over five years ago so this album is actually the first we wrote and recorded together. I think organically we took our song writing into multiple different directions, some of it was even a bit experimental for us, but it turned out great. We are really excited for it.

In a true reflect of the qualities that each pursuit share, the musical business can brings with it the same ups and downs as the sports entertainment industry.

"It's a lot of times a thankless form of entertainment to be in, much like wrestling. You'll find yourself out there sometimes in front of very few, giving your heart and soul to your craft, and sometimes those moments can be frustrating, even deflating. But, then you have those shows that make everything worth it, especially when you play with national acts. Those are the best crowds, they are an audience that's there to hear original music and are excited to hear original bands. Those shows make it all worth it," Taylor commented.

Chris Taylor is slated for a rematch with the previously mentioned Hardcore Icon, The Sandman, this time in a tag team contest as the combination of Taylor and J-Rocc square off with the duo of "Big League" John McChesney and the brawler that made the Singapore cane famous long before it was common place in the industry. The contest is scheduled for the RWA organization this Saturday at their home base in West Newton, Pennsylvania.

UFC 300

Tonight, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will reach another milestone in its more than 30-year existence, as the organization will hold UFC 300 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the fight capital of the world. It's quite the achievement for the company that was once-banned in most states and had to resort to holding events in obscure locations in Alabama or Colorado in its early days. Without the Fertittas and Dana White, the concept of mixed martial arts wouldn't have gotten off the group in the United States. After the Zuffa group bought the fledgling organization in 2001, there was a point that the venture was $40 million in debt because of a lack of mainstream distribution. The Ultimate Fighter reality show had an incredible domino effect, and under the TKO banner, the UFC is worth billions of dollars today.

The sale to the Endeavor corporation for $4 billion in 2016 was considered unprecedented, but when the merger with WWE was finalized last year, the MMA side of the equation was valued at more than $12 billion.

So, the journey to UFC 300 is undoubtedly notable. However, given the gravity of the milestone, the fight card lacks the sizzle you'd expect for the occasion.

Don't get me wrong, the line-up, which has two championship bouts to go along with the ceremonial "BMF" title, has the potential to be an incredible night of action. The substance of the fight card to give the fans their money's worth is there, but the hype for the event, especially in terms of mainstream buzz isn't a topic of conversation.

For a comparison, when the company reached UFC 100, Brock Lesnar smashed Frank Mir in the main event, Georges St. Pierre had a dominating title defense, and Dan Henderson landed a highlight reel KO on Micheal Bisping. At UFC 200, Amanda Nunes defeated Miesha Tate to win the Women's Bantamweight championship, Brock Lesnar fought Mark Hunt, despite the fact that he was under WWE contract, Daniel Cormier defended his title against Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo fought Frankie Edgar, and Cain Velasquez knocked out Travis Browne in the first round.

Alex Pereira/Jamahal Hill, Zhang Weili/Yan Xiaonan, and Justin Gaethje/Max Holloway just doesn't have the same star power or main steam buzz that you'd expect for something like UFC 300.

The reasons for that are numerous and there are layers to the story, as it wasn't one decision or situation that led the UFC to have less star power on the roster, but more profit with guaranteed money from the ESPN contract. The simplest answer is that the UFC was offered mega cash to bring its pay-per-view offerings and the vast majority of its fight night cards to the ESPN+ streaming service. In some ways, it became a staple of the streaming platform, as it gave ESPN almost weekly live content, as well as the ability to order the pay-per-views on a monthly basis for subscribers. Granted, you could argue that it's a difficult sell to ask consumers to pay a subscription fee to be able to pay the hefty $79.99 price tag to order the pay-per-view, but reportedly, most of the buy rates for the events are successful.

In the corporate world, profit is rightfully the priority, and the offer of guaranteed money is rarely going to be declined. It's an assurance of profit for TKO, and that's extremely valuable for the stock price on Wall Street.

That being said, the downside of that is the domino effect that is created by the demands of the ESPN contract. When you have almost weekly fight cards, it becomes necessary to expand the roster. Quite frankly, with some many fight cards, it becomes difficult to follow all of them and in the process it becomes more difficult to follow the careers of the countless fighters that compete at those events. Too often, the fighters get lost in the shuffle and become just names on paper. 

That is the opposite of The Ultimate Fighter model that worked so well years ago, as it spotlighted specific fighters and introduced them to the audience. When the UFC machine churns out as much content as it does, it becomes more difficult for any particular fighter to truly standout as much as they could've in the past when there was a more dedicated focus on marquee events.

The other side of the equation is a little more complicated, but one that was discussed previously so there's only a few points to make to emphasize the effect that it has on the company today. As we know, UFC brass catered extensively to Conor McGregor to shoehorn him into the top spot in the company. He was given title shots in division that he hadn't fought in before because management wanted to promote him as a double champion. Conor wisely took the promotional hype from the UFC and made $100 million to fight Floyd Mayweather in boxing. After a two-year hiatus from MMA, he was beat by Khabib Nurmagomedov and the infamous post-fight brawl happened in 2018. He defeated Donald Cerrone before the pandemic and then lost a pair of bouts to Dustin Poirier in 2021, snapping his leg that July. The gruesome injury put him on the shelf for more than two years until he coached a season of the previously mentioned Ultimate Fighter and was scheduled to fight Micheal Chandler in November of last year, but didn't enter the testing pool to be eligible to compete. Supposedly, McGregor/Chandler is scheduled to happen later this year, but I don't put any stock in the fight actually happening, given the Irishman's recent track record of competition.

In a similar fashion, management catered to Jon Jones, who despite arrests, court cases, and failed drug tests, was still given a heavyweight title shot after Francis Ngannou vacated the belt because of a contract dispute. Jones hadn't fought at heavyweight before, but was granted a title shot and defeated Ciryl Gane to claim the vacant championship. Jones hasn't fought since March of last year, but recently made headlines after a complaint was filed that he allegedly threatened to kill an agent that went to his home to collect a sample as apart of the drug testing protocol.

When management catered to McGregor and Jones, it halted different divisions and thus the opportunity for other fighters to make a new for themselves.

So, the result of those dynamics, particularly the ESPN contract that brings with it the obligation for so many fight cards, UFC 300 is an event that has the potential for incredible action, but lacks the hype for the general public.

Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill is a narrative that writes itself. Hill was forced to relinquish the Light Heavyweight title after he suffered a  ruptured achilles tendon in July of last year, allowing Pereira to claim the belt after he beat Jiří Procházka via TKO in the second round last November. Hill gets a chance to reclaim the title that he never lost, and considering that these competitors are evenly-matched on paper, I'd guess that this will be a very competitive fight. However, given the nature of Hill's injury and the potential ring rust, I'm going to pick Pereira to retain the championship via decision.

Zhang Weili is one of the best fighters in the UFC today and when she hangs up the gloves, it's very possible that she will be considered a legend. Yan Xiaonan has shown a well-rounded skill set throughout her UFC tenure without any obvious flaws in her style, as well as the cardio to go the distance At 34, these two are the same age and have similar experience, although Weili has a slight advantage. While this bout is evenly-matched on paper, I have to pick Weili to retain the title, simply because she has competed against better competition during her UFC career.

Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway for the ceremonial BMF title might steal the show and be what the event is memorable for. You can forget about fight analysis or trying to dissect what might make the difference in this contest. This will be the fireworks fight on the card, and it was scheduled to be a Rocky/Apollo type brawl. I have no doubt that Gaethje and Holloway will provide an entertaining contest for the audience. I'm going to pick Gaethje to get the victory, but that's more of a guess than anything else.

CM Punk on Dynamite

CM Punk was right (again)

After CM Punk's appearance on the MMA Hour a week and a half ago, I penned an article that discussed why the real-life Phil Brooks was right, as he more or less confirmed, at least from his perspective, many of the common criticisms of All Elite Wrestling. Brooks took a measured approach to the interview and is smart enough to know the impression it would make. He didn't rant and rave or name call, he calmly explained his side of the story. Sure, it was his personal viewpoint, but nothing that he said would dissuade anyone from the typical notion that CM Punk is a star that draws money, but he's also a smug jerk. Those that have that opinion of Punk weren't given a reason to stray from it, but rather only a reason as to why Tony Khan seemed so inept at his job. That's the other key piece of the interview, Brooks didn't lambast the AEW promoter as a terrible person. In fact, he said the opposite, he confirmed that Tony Khan is a nice guy, and to be fair to him, that's as common of a statement as the usual criticism of the product.

Punk was asked about what happened with the backstage fight with Jack Perry at Wembley Stadium and he answered. In my view, while Punk is smart enough to know what to say and how to say it, as well as the reaction it would generate, it didn't seem like some attempt to sink the entire company, but rather discuss those that Punk thought mismanaged the situation in London. It's well-known that Brooks has many friends on the All Elite roster, and he's aware that those performers make good money because AEW exist.

Just days after CM Punk played a key role in an angle at Wrestlemania 40, despite the fact that he's on the injured list from triceps surgery, Tony Khan made the decision to air the backstage security camera footage of the Punk/Perry fight at All Out. To say that this was a completely disparate attempt by the organization to get a one-week ratings boost is a total understatement. What exactly is the point of this? What's the payoff? How is it going to be used to draw money when the guy at the center of the controversy isn't even under an AEW contract? Furthermore, he's under contract to the WWE so Dynamite spotlighted a guy that works for the other company. Tony can't book CM Punk vs. Jack Perry on pay-per-view so what does this accomplish, other than providing an opportunity for Phil Brooks to be proven right?

Granted, this isn't the first time that desperation led a pro wrestling company to try to do anything to get noticed by a shrinking audience. When World Class was fading, there was suddenly another Von Erich until the fans found out that Lance was a fraud. When the NWO generated a bigger viewing audience than Raw, fake Diesel and fake Razor Ramon showed up. When WCW was near the cliff, everything was booked as a "worked shoot" with the concept that fans "should watch this because this is actually real, not the phony stuff that WCW tried to sell last week." The year that counterfeit Razon and Diesel were on WWF programming was one of the worst financial years in the history of the company. WCW was sold for pennies on the dollar, and World Class went out less than two years after it was revealed that Lance wasn't actually a member of the Von Erich family.

Obviously, the difference is that money is no object for All Elite Wrestling. Shad Khan is a billionaire, and reportedly, his net worth increased to $12.2 billion over the past year. So, while AEW lost an estimated $34 million in 2023, Tony's dad added a few more billion dollars to the family bank account. All Elite will continue to exist for as long as Tony Khan wants to play promoter, but this specific incident, where they relied on a guy they fired eight months ago to prop up the ratings after the numbers have declined several weeks in a row, might be the point in retrospect where it was determined that All Elite Wrestling won't be taken seriously as a competitor in the pro wrestling business.

The most damaging aspect of the backstage footage that was aired, was the fact that it proved that Punk's account of the story on the MMA Hour was accurate. Punk said that had had a verbal confrontation with Perry, he swatted at him and then put him in a front face lock. The video that was aired on Dynamite confirmed the story of the competitor that pointed out how much of an amateur hour organization it is.

The look of embarrassment on the face of  Tony Schiavone at the desk after the segment aired speaks volumes.

This video was presented under the guise that it was used to promote the upcoming FTR/Young Bucks match at the Dynasty pay-per-view next week, but the footage had absolutely nothing to do with the hype for the tag match. Regardless of what the intention was or the excuse that might be said publicly for why the footage was aired, make no mistake about it, this was a lose-lose situation for AEW. Obviously, this was put on television to try to draw better ratings, because in theory, everything that is booked to air on TV should be designed to get viewers. However, if this week's episode of Dynamite draws a drastically bigger number than any of the recent episodes, it proves that CM Punk is still the biggest draw in the company even though he doesn't work there. If the backstage footage doesn't draw a better number, it suggests that Dynamite still can't increase numbers with its most desperate promotional tactic.

As far as Jack Perry goes, he had minimal value to the company before, especially after he provoked a confrontation with his comments during the All Out broadcast, but is worth absolutely nothing to AEW now. Perry got smacked around and choked by the guy that got dominated by rookie competition in the UFC so what does that say about the former Jungle Boy?

The most ironic aspect of all of this is that Tony Khan has Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, Mercedes Mone, Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Adam Copeland, Eddie Kingston, Samoa Joe, and many other talented performers on his roster, but chose to feature the talent that he fired eight months ago on television, not to mention make the controversy a topic of conversation again in the industry.

Slammin' Sammy debut

On the first day of their sophomore year of high school, most teenage girls are ready to show off their latest make up or catch up with their friends about summer vacations. Tales of the beach or Taylor Swift concerts echo throughout the hallways.

However, for a youngster that will have her first official pro wrestling bout this Saturday, the echo she heard on her first day of tenth grade was the hallow sound of the collision of the canvas. It was on that day more than two years ago that Sammy Trincia, known to her fellow trainees as "Slammin' Sammy" stepped into a wrestling ring for the first time at the Stronghold Academy, the training center of Ryse Wrestling, the blue collar league located just south of Pittsburgh in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

"I started going to Ryse Shows at the Laurel Mall, I live two miles away from there and got to know Brandon K and many of the wrestlers. I loved it," Sam explained of how she discovered her hometown promotion.

The grappling arts isn't something new for the youngster, as the genre has been somewhat of a family tradition for as long as she can remember.

"My dad, Aaron, has always been a big fan. He used to watch wrestling with me when I was really small. At three years old, he would wrestle with me on the couch while RAW or Smackdown was on. He took me to my first WWE show when I was five years old," she said.

Around the same time that Sammy saw the over-the-top spectacle of sports entertainment in person, she began to pursue various martial arts at the age of just eight. For the first five years of her martial arts tenure, Sammy practiced Shotoka Karate, earning a brown belt with two stripes, the rank just under a black belt. At 13, Sam began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, making a name for herself on the grappling competition circuit as a competitor that brought a combination of skill and aggression to the mat. 

"I love the contact and the sparring, especially. I have always been a naturally aggressive person and karate allowed me to express that. I learned a lot about work ethic, I had to work hard to improve at kata and weapons routines. I also did karate with the view that it would help me become a wrestler someday. I got the nickname Slammin Sammy for my sparring skills," she explained. 

After two years of learning on the grappling mat, she was ready to began the journey of grappling on the canvas, as she attended a Stronghold tryout that was held for aspiring hopefuls that wanted to pursue a path as a pro wrestler. The pro wrestling dream that started when she was a toddler was about to become a reality for the teenage.

"When Sammy began saying she wanted to become a wrestler at a young age, I figured it would pass just like any kid who says they want to be a baseball player or basketball player. She would tell everyone at school and karate that she was working to be a professional wrestler. She stuck to it, she took a lot of flack for it. She’s worked hard and I’m proud of her for following her dreams," said Sammy's mom, Tonya.

Sammy began the tedious process of repeatedly landing on the canvas of a pro wrestling ring.to learn how to do so as safely as possible, a well as learning in-ring techniques. It was a long way away from when she dropped elbows on the couch when she was only a few years old, but she cites The Stronghold's tight-knit crew of trainers and students as key to her development as a performer. She noted that the environment created at Ryse's home base at The Uniontown Mall, which houses the training center and the live event arena, allows positive encouragement from everyone to achieve the best results possible.

"I couldn’t imagine training anywhere else. At first training was tough, being the only teenager and the one of the only women, I’m sure I stood out. Learning to wrestle is hard, but I had great teachers and peers. Brandon is awesome, and I love him dearly. Brandon is so patient and really worked with me," Sammy remarked.

"If every one of my students had Sammy's heart and work ethic I'd be the most successful trainer of all time. Sammy comes to every single session I have. If the doors are open she's there. She's usually first and last in and out of the door. Two years of that discipline. I'm very proud of her journey so far and it's just getting started," added Brandon K, the founder of Ryse Wrestling.

Ryse Wrestling, launched in 2016, is very much a family venture. Brandon's parents, Mr, and Mrs. Clements run the concession stand, while his wife, Kristy works on ticket orders before the doors open for a live event. In a similar fashion, Sammy's parents were invited to watch her train and have become apart of the fabric of Ryse themselves.

"Brandon let us stay for all the practices until we were comfortable she would be okay. It became apparent early on that she was definitely okay. I knew she was safe surrounded by a second dad and a bunch of big brothers who look out for her. Ryse has been a blessing in her life, and I’m so glad she trains at the Stronghold. She was accepted with open arms from the start," said Tonya.

"Brandon K is a class act. Coach K has a heart bigger than all of us. Brandon gave Sammy the opportunity to train at 15 when he did not have to. I am a proud father of an indy wrestler, I am proud to be part of Ryse Wrestling," remarked Sammy's dad, Aaron.

In preparation for her official debut in pro wrestling, Sammy is often training at the gym or studying film of classic matches when she's not in the ring practicing her craft at The Stronghold Academy. With names like co-head trainer Dean Radford, matchmaker Chris LeRusso, and longtime veteran, Bigg as just a few of the many that have helped Sammy along the way, she looks to have her first pro match this Saturday at The Uniontown Mall. Her opposition is the longtime pro and very accomplished, Laura Loveless, a grappler that many consider the top women's wrestler in the organization. It's undoubtedly a tough challenge, but an opportunity that Sam didn't want to pass up for the start of her career.

There are a flood of emotions, I'm so excited to see all the hard work pay off. I'm so grateful to Ryse, Brandon K, and Chris LeRusso for this opportunity. I'm nervous, but I’m confident. It will be a challenge, but I am up for it and whatever comes next. I can’t wait introduce everyone to Slammin' Sammy, aggressive and tough and ready to go," Sam enthusiastically explained.

As we know, there are no guarantees in professional wrestling. That's the nature of the genre, there's no guarantee that when someone laces up their boots for the first time that the path that there are on will lead to fame and fortune. However, one thing is for sure, this Saturday when the music hits and "Slammin'" Sammy Trincia bounds through the curtain, it will be a dream come true for her. From the time she was a toddler and watched the larger-than-life personas beamed through her TV screen, she wanted to be inside the ring ropes, and she will have the chance to do that this weekend. When the bell rings to start the action at the Sears building that was converted into a wrestling arena with its video wall, entrance way, and of course, the squared circle, more than two years of consistent hard work will pay off when Sammy Trincia can call herself a pro wrestler.

Regardless of what Sammy does throughout her journey in the years to come, in many ways, "Slammin'" Sammy is already a success story, as she set her mind to a goal and this Saturday, she will accomplish it.