Tyson vs. Paul

After several months of anticipation, boxing legend Mike Tyson will step back into the ring for his first official pro bout in more than two decades when he squares off in an eight-round contest against social media star, Jake Paul this weekend for an event that will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The streaming platform Netflix will host the fight, which was originally scheduled for July before it was postponed due to the former heavyweight champion suffering from a stomach ulcer. Tyson, as controversial as he is legendary, has seen a softening of his image in recent years, as he overcame drug addiction to tell his story as a cautionary tale in sports. The American public always enjoys a comeback story, and there was something wholesome about the youngster that came from a very turbulent background to find a level of peace in his life as an elder statesman of the boxing game.

Perhaps, that's why the public embraced his comeback to the ring for an exhibition fight against fellow legend, Roy Jones Jr. under the Triller banner in 2020. That's one of the stark differences between the contest four years ago and the bout that will be held on Netflix this weekend, the eight-round contest against Paul will be an officially sanctioned pro fight.

The last time "Iron" Mike had a pro match in 2003, his explosive and dynamic career throughout the previous almost twenty years concluded with a very flat finish, as the referee stopped the bout in the sixth round after Mike hit the canvas after a series of punches from the undistinguished Kevin McBride.

At 58, Tyson isn't going to rejuvenate his boxing career, but he is reportedly set to make $20 million for the bout, which gives him a very rare second chance at financial security. Infamously, Tyson was exploited for millions of dollars by shady promoter, Don King. That, along with very furiously spending saw him squander a few hundred million dollars earned from a carrer that saw him become the youngest heavyweight champion in history when he knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round at the age of just 20.

Within the past several years, Tyson found other work in film and television, becoming somewhat of a pop culture icon, as sports fans could fondly reflect on the accomplishments of his career rather than the turbulent circumstances of his life. Of course, with a renewed level of popularity, he's also able to work the autograph circuit, which has become a very lucrative gig for stars of the past in sports and the entertainment business.

While Mike Tyson will use this Netflix showdown to get a hefty payday from the sport long after it should've been realistically possible or expected, Jake Paul seems to be using this contest to try to spark interest in his boxing exploits again to attempt to continue the paydays from the sport. Being a social media star and someone that played the role of the villain to initially generate interest, It's no surprise that Jake Paul used sideshow tactics to get noticed, as viewers tuned into circus fights more to see him lose more than anything else. Don't get me wrong, it's a wise strategy and a pro wrestling tactic that has been used in other sports for decades to draw money. Make no mistake about it, a prize fight is just as much the entertainment business as it is the fight business, and in some ways, the total at the box office is all that matters.

It's not a new concept in boxing, either. Tyson himself drew top dollar as the perceived wild man of boxing in the 90s, especially after he infamously chomped on a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear during this 1997 rematch, causing a DQ and a melee in the ring. Floyd Mayweather made a career of being the "bad guy" and carefully picked his opponents throughout most of his career to make sure he had the best chance possible to keep his undefeated streak intact. Again, the biggest selling point for the villain is that the audience is willing to pay to see them lose, and once that loss happens there will be diminished returns. For example, Adrien Broner tried to be a dollar store version of Floyd's heel persona to attempt to replicate his success, but a few key losses to the upper-tier of the welterweight division hindered Broner's profile considerable. He lost a unanimous decision to the mostly unknown Blair Cobbs this past June and it went under the radar of most sports news.

In a similar fashion, Jake Paul finds himself at somewhat of a crossroads in his athletic endeavors, as every fight he had from the time that he started to pursue boxing in 2020 had a novelty aspect, and that was only going to be a draw for so long until the audience wouldn't be willing to pay to see the sideshow opponents. So, Paul had to move up to at least decent competition before the interest in his boxing career dwindled. He knocked out basketball player Nate Robinson, and the crowd was willing to watch the circus for the entertainment value. He knocked out the bloated Ben Askren, a former MMA fighter that was there just for the payday since he couldn't be competitive in the UFC anymore. He beat an aging Tryon Woodley twice, but it's more or less agreed upon that Woodley was completely past his prime. The same could be said for his decision win over former UFC middleweight king, Anderson Silva.

Every fight had a novelty to it that gave an inherit advantage to Paul, which is wise on his part to try to leech as much money from the carnival fights as he could, but as mentioned, the novelty fights have a limited draw so he finally took a fight against an actual pro boxer, Tommy Fury. Fury's only claim to fame was that he's the younger brother of undisputed heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury. Tommy had less than ten pro bouts against competition that nobody had ever heard of before he stepped into the ring with Paul, who took the fight more because of the associations with the name Fury than anything else.

Tommy Fury won an eight-round split decision, and in many ways, the bloom was off the rose so to speak on the boxing career of Jake Paul. He lost and the defeat was at the hands of a mediocre pro fighter, not anyone with any name value in the sport beyond sharing a last name with the heavyweight champion. He went back to the MMA formula when he beat an older Nick Diaz before he defeated the completely unknown Andre August and then Ryan Bourland. He beat former MMA fighter Mike Perry earlier this year, but Perry's lack of name value, especially compared to his other opponents that were known from MMA, didn't capture much hype before the fight.

Make no mistake about it, even at 58, Mike Tyson is the draw for this fight at Cowboys stadium. Jake Paul isn't drawing that type of crowd with Andre August or Mike Perry. The selling point is Tyson back in the ring for a pro fight, nothing else, as the draw to see Jake Paul lose is minimal since he already lost to Tommy Fury last year. However, the promotion that Paul can bring to the fight is his "value" to the scenario.

As far as a winner, I really think it depends on the mindset of "Iron" Mike by the time that he steps into the ring. If he thinks back to the days of Cus D'Amato in the Catskills then Paul might hit the canvas by the second round. If Mike is just happy to make $20 and wants to get through the fight without getting injured, it's very possible that Jake Paul coasts to an underwhelming decision victory. That said, as much as this is still a total novelty fight because Paul is less than half of the age of the former heavyweight champion, it could still be a fun spectacle. Obviously, if Jake Paul loses to someone twice his age, it's difficult to image that his boxing career could continue to be lucrative or taken seriously in any fashion, but given the major cash that he's going to make for the bout, the result might be secondary for him.

I'll pick Tyson to get the win, but the biggest takeaway from this fight might be that it could open the door for more boxing on Netflix, a platform that might have the capital and the distribution to rejuvenate the sport.

What's the status of Bo Dallas?

Just over a year ago, Bray Wyatt tragically passed away due to a heart issue at the age of just 36. The charismatic star surfaced on the main roster a decade prior to that with a multi-layered persona as a cult leader character. He had the late Brodie Lee, and Erik Rowan aligned with him. Given the gimmick by Dan Spivey, who played Waylon Mercy two decades prior to that, and further developed by Dusty Rhodes, Bray became one of the most captivating characters of the era. Unfortunately, the first portion of Bray's career could be summarized by the fact that he could make his opponents look good while still staying strong through promos so more often than not, he was used to attempt to propel others, not get himself to the next level.

The fumbles of the booking of Bray Wyatt is a discussion on its own, but the point being, the second half of his WWE tenure was a rocky road of silly scenarios and over-the-top gimmick matches. With the original version of the Bray character beaten into powder to showcase his opponents, the attempt to repackage him as The Fiend often became cringe worthy or hokey. As talented as the late grappler was, the bell has to ring, and most of the time, the evolution of his character just didn't translate to the in-ring presentation for an event. A wrestler that looks like a burnt marshmallow isn't exactly being put in a position to draw money for the company. The office knew that they had damaged goods on their hands with The Fiend character when Wyatt was released from his deal in July of 2021, which was more or less the only way they could've rejuvenated his career. In many ways, Wyatt leaving the company built a demand for his return, particularly when the audience knew he was better than what he was given to do in the organization previously. Obviously, Wyatt deserved better, but the point being is that the reality was that he needed time away from the company to be able to return fresh.

Unfortunately, The Wyatt Sicks, a group formed nearly a year after his passing, with his real-life brother, Bo Dallas as the leader in the role of Uncle Howdy, might be on a similar path.

Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful that Bo Dallas and Erik Rowan want to continue the legacy of the real-life Windham Rotunda, but again, the bell has to ring, and as of right now, the faction seems to have a very limited use on Raw based on the way they've been positioned so far.

It should be mentioned with a stable like the Wyatt Sicks, it's all or nothing in many respects, the office has to fully get behind the gimmick or perhaps it would've been better to bring Bo Dallas back as a solo act. With five members, there are only so many ways that management can showcase them, and to this point, they are being used only against other factions. They are only so many groups in the modern era, as the trend is usually for a group to spotlight a specific star for the future than rather the group as a whole.

Keep in mind, when the Wyatts debuted on Raw this past June, there was an entire takeover of the show, with several staff members and wrestlers beat down backstage as the show went off the air. It was a very impressive visual, but where was the substance to follow up the sizzle? Outside of a mid-card feud with the Alpha Academy and then The Final Testament last month, what exactly is the purpose of the Wyatt Sicks? As mentioned, they debuted with a big splash in June and then had their first match on television in August, but haven't done much until this recent feud with The Final testament, a group that isn't really spotlighted or emphasized on WWE programming. When the group went a few weeks without television exposure, probably because the writing team didn't know what to do with them next, the vast majority of their momentum from the debut was diminished.

Obviously, there are a lot of pieces to work with for the Wyatts, but there really hasn't been much development of the individual characters since the faction itself still seems to be trying to find a solid direction. More than anything, it seems like the entire gimmick is based on the past of Bray Wyatt rather than attempting to progress the narrative into something that can be built for the future. That's not to attempt to discard Bray's legacy in any way, shape, or form, he undoubtedly had an impact on the concepts that can be brought to television, but at the same time, the reality is that by nature, a tribute gimmick has a limited run. 

Point blank, Bo Dallas isn't Bray Wyatt and it would be unfair to expect him to be. Something that worked for Bray doesn't automatically work for Bo, the same way that Wyatt couldn't have been Dallas. Again, it can't understated how truly wonderful it is that Bo wants to honor his late brother, but all things considered, it seems like he's miscast as a Wyatt group leader. Again, with a gimmick of this type, in many ways, it's all or nothing because there's a very fine line between compelling and hokey content. The plastic Uncle Howdy mask is more silly than sinister and in some respects also hinders Dallas' ability as a performer since it shields most of his face so the audience doesn't see his facial expressions or mannerisms.

The segment with The Miz this past week on Raw more or less solidified the status of the Wyatt faction as a mid-card group that will exist as long as the writing team can piece something together for the five of them to do, but it appears that they don't see them as a top act in the company. Given the way that they were introduced to Raw, for the faction to truly become a force, they would've needed something close to a full-scale takeover of the brand with a specific purpose or goal. Considering the other pieces in play among the WWE landscape, that wasn't realistically in the cards for the stable. There was much bigger business to do with Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and Drew McIntyre for what was sure to draw major money than to shift the spotlight of the brand to a faction that might or might not have gotten off the ground to a main event level.

Aside from the fact that they've only been associated with mid-card talent, the other major reason that there's a ceiling on the level of success the group can have is that among the five members, Bo Dallas is the only one that has been given the chance to develop a backstory around his character. Sure, the audience knows Rowan, but how much has his character evolved with the new faction? What exactly led Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy, or Nikki Cross to join the group? Outside of an artificial video package, nothing is explained so there's very little for the audience to connect with or invest into the characters.

Baron Corbin released

After more than 12 years on the WWE roster, it was revealed that Baron Corbin's WWE contract will not be renewed after it expires, ending a tenure with the organization that spanned from his recruitment to the Performance Center, a successful run on the developmental NXT brand, and then a mixed bag on the main roster.

The former football player had a brief stint in the NFL, signing with the Indianapolis Colts in 2009 before he was offered a contract on the Arizona Cardinals practice squad in 2011 before he was cut from the team. Still, his football background made him a prime candidate for the WWE philosophy when he originally inked a developmental deal in 2012, sign former athletes and build them from the ground up to be sports entertainers within the WWE system.

By the time he arrived on NXT television in 2014, when the brand was still exclusive to the newly-launched WWE Network at the time, Corbin debuted as a lone wolf type of character. It was a simple, but effective presentation.

When he moved up to the main roster in 2016, winning the Andre The Giant Battle Royal at Wrestlemania 32, it began a trend in his career that followed him throughout most of his tenure in the company. While his in-ring skills and promos improved with experience on television, he was often a victim of circumstance within the Vince McMahon structure of the organization.

As we know, there were many stars that were built up and promoted as featured performers on the NXT brand under Triple H that never had a chance to be perceived as stars when they arrived on Raw or Smackdown. Quite simply, Triple H took a different approach with NXT, especially at that time, often pushing it as the "work rate" brand to differentiate it from Raw or Smackdown. However, the main roster was run by Vince, and the "work rate" approach was never his philosophy so the vast majority of NXT stars were underutilized on the main brands, at least until they were rebuilt from a Vince McMahon perspective. Anyone remember when Bayley went from one of the most organically over baby faces in the entire company on the NXT brand to those cringe worthy hug segments on Raw?

In many ways, even throughout achievements, Baron Corbin was never truly presented as a star or someone that fans should truly invest in as a performer with the potential to be a major star. I'm sure that Corbin did the best that he could, you could see from his work that the effort was there and he was proficient in the ring, even if he wasn't the next Lou Thez or Tiger Mask. However, there's only so much you can do as an in-ring performer if the angles themselves aren't designed to spotlight you. For example, Corbin won the MITB ladder match in 2017, which is usually an indication that the office sees the potential for someone to be involved in the title picture or the main event scene. If Corbin was ready for that spot at the time is debatable, but the fact that he lost the cash-in almost more or less labeled him a flop, at least for his first stint on the main roster, specifically because of the precedent that was set for who failed to cash in prior to that. The bottom line is, if you failed to win the cash-in, a scenario that from a storyline perspective should be the perfect opportunity to win the title, it sends the message that the wrestler just isn't a main event guy. As talented as he is, was Damien Sandow ever viewed the same way by the audience after he lost the cash-in match?

The gimmicks that Crobin was given in the years that followed might've been different variations on his character, but they all boiled down to the same thing, they either presented him as a joke, a secondary figure, or were just plain drek as far as an on-screen persona. For example, Constable Corbin was cast as somewhat of an authority figure on Raw at a time when there was rightfully discontent with the product, specifically with the Roman Reigns super push, The heel Authority faction on Raw that appeared to be indignant at the hostile crowd reaction, and an overall stale presentation. This ultimately created the demand for an alternative that allowed for the formation of AEW to be given a chance, but that's a different discussion for a different time. Infamously, the Authority faction blamed Constable Corbin for the subpar programming during a promo on Raw.

In 2019, Corbin won the King of The Ring, which did absolutely nothing other than give him a silly outfit to wear that made him look like a hobbit. Unfortunately, he won the tournament at a time when there was a track record for the winners would become the King of The Ring and then lose most of their matches in the months that followed or were simply kept at a stagnant level. Sheamus is an example of the former, with Kofi Kingston as an example of the latter. Earlier that year, he beat a diminished Kurt Angle in the former Olympic gold medalist's retirement match for a forgettable six-minute segment during a marathon show that was more than a five-hour broadcast.

The King gimmick was hokey and too obtuse, even for a company that often utilizes the lowest common denominator to attempt to draw the general public. Speaking of which, when he was portrayed as broke and destitute, it could've completely ruined his career. Yes, I understand that it was booked to set up for the lottery win that saw him use the Happy Corbin gimmick, but the point is that he was quite literally booked to be a total loser. How exactly was he supposed to be perceived as a star? The Happy Corbin gimmick was cringe worthy and another example of something so blatantly obtuse that it was a channel changer gimmick. These series of gimmicks had Vince McMahon's finger print all over them.

Eventually, he was landed back on the NXT brand last year with a persona somewhat similar to his original gimmick, which at least gave him a chance at a fresh start after such a series of horrendous gimmicks. He was even paired with Gable Steveson, the Olympic champion that fizzled out when he couldn't make the transition to the pro ranks, for his NXT debut match, and that was no coincide. The office knew that Corbin could make Steveson look good and get him through the segment, as Corbin was a solid hand and a veteran of the WWE system. The fact that Steveson couldn't have at least a decent match with Corbin said a lot about his lack of progress as a sports entertainer.

For the majority of this year, Corbin continued to work on the NXT brand, which made sense because it allowed him to work with the younger talent to give them the valuable in-ring experience to continue to evolve their careers. That being said, with how many times he was repackaged previously, it probably wasn't a realistic option that he was going to successfully be reintroduced to the main roster so it's almost understand that his deal wasn't renewed, as they simply wasn't much left to do with him.

At 40, Corbin is at the latter stages of his career anyway, and if he has financially security then it might be wise for him to retire. Sure, he wasn't given the chance to flourish with many of the characters that he was given under the Vince McMahon regime, and it's doubtful that anyone would've been able to get most of them over, but the entire point of the business is to make as much money as possible. If Corbin can retire at an early age after a 12-year WWE career then good for him. At the same time, he was purely a WWE guy built within their system so it's doubtful that they would be a demand for him in AEW or New Japan. If anything, a stint in TNA could be possible, but again, he might opt to retire rather than risk any injury from wrestling elsewhere.

Crown Jewel review

Crown Jewel, WWE's latest offering from Saudi Arabia, is in the books, and as much as the concept of a Crown Jewel champion was very superficial to serve the propaganda arm of the Saudi government, this was definitely not a B-show in terms of its presentation. Vastly different from when the WWE started its 10-year deal with the company in 2018, this event held a level of importance and progress to the product, an aspect of the company that almost seems to be on cruise control until the switch to Netflix in January. Usually, outside of the "big four" traditional pay-per-views that run almost four hours, the smaller PPVs have less matches and often finish up at the three-hour mark of a broadcast, which is completely fine because it makes for an easier viewing experience.

However, the Saudis got their money's worth with a full card and more than three and a half hours of runtime before Crown Jewel went off the air. Credit where it's due, Saudi shows were often treated like fluff in the past, because in many ways they were, with requests from the government there originally for Ultimate Warrior and Yokozuna, both of whom past away years earlier. Under the Vince McMahon regime, those type of requests were placated with the brief appearance of sumo wrestler, Hishofuji Hiroki at The Greatest Royal Rumble in 2019. The WWE was clearly just there for the government to masquerade the event as modernism to the region after years of criticism of corruption in the country. They wanted a sumo wrestler so Vince gave them a sumo wrestler. It was the most profitable show on the WWE calendar so find a sumo wrestler to get in the ring for two minutes and collect $40 million to bring the brand to the country.

In many ways, that's still the goal for the TKO corporation, but it's not just make the sleazy cash. Keep in mind, TKO is a part of the bigger Endeavor conglomerate. There's quite literally a vested interest in establishing Saudi Arabia as not just a money grab, but a lucrative location for future projects, including the UFC, to be brought to the country as well. Technically speaking, any of the proprieties under the Endeavor banner could add Saudi Arabia to the list as a potential location to make some heft cash.

The show opened with The Bloodline vs. Roman Reigns and The Usos in a six man tag team match. This segment provided the sizzle, not necessarily the substance, to this card, and there's nothing wrong with that. The bottom line this, the Saudis pay for the star power, and despite dropping the title earlier this year. Roman is still one of the top guys in WWE and one of the biggest stars of the modern era so he's going to be there. At the same time, there's a lot more to develop and a lot more business to be done with this storyline so it makes sense that this wasn't the main event since it's just a piece of the puzzle, not the payoff. Jimmy Uso is just back in the fold with Roman and Jey so there's a lot more mileage with where the angle can go. That said, the action was fine, but this was essentially a basic six man tag, and that's all that it needed to be. As far as being a piece of the puzzle that isn't complete yet, Sami Zayn's involvement in the match sets up for his eventual alignment with Roman and The Usos to have a full circle moment based on where the original Bloodline faction started. The heels got the victory, which makes sense because as mentioned, this wasn't the payoff yet, and there probably won't be a baby face win until at least Survivor Series. Although, given the star power and the history involved, I really think that the storyline has enough steam to build to a main event at one of the nights of Wrestlemania.

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill retained the WWE Women's tag team titles in a four-way match that only went about ten minutes so there's not much to say about it. It was fine for what it was, but this simply wasn't given enough time to get into second gear. If I had to guess, this match was booked to shoehorn a few more competitors onto the card than anything else.

Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed was a decent match, but to be honest, I think these two are capable of a lot more if they are given the right amount of time and spotlight for it. This was another bout that only went about 10 minutes and resembled more of a Raw match than something you'd expect from a pay-per-view. Hopefully, that's because there's more planned for than and they simply didn't want to give away everything until the final bout in the series. Rollins won with a few curb stomps, but Bronson Reed was standing after the contest so I'd guess that there will be a rematch at Survivor Series.

The Women's Crown Jewel championship match went about 7 or 8 minutes, but was still a tedious viewing experience. The early sequences were very clunky and clumsy. There was a spot in the corner where Liv Morgan completely missed a knee strike, and the two struggles to get to the next spot. The only thing that saved this match from being a total train wreck was the attempted cash in spot from Tiffany Stratton, mostly because it distracted from the very disjointed in-ring action. Eventually, a mishap with the MITB briefcase saw Nia get clobbered with it, allowing Liv to get the win. I've said it before and I will say it again, I'm sure the real-life Nia Jax is a very nice person, but her continued push on television is one of the perks of being related to The Rock, especially with his current role in the company.

The Kevin Owens segment wasn't really a match so this not much to discuss about it. If I had to guess, i'd say that the office wanted to wait to have the actual match until Survivor Series, but given Randy Orton's level of popularity, this was a way to get him on the show without giving away the bout. The Saudis pay big money to see Randy Orton so this was a way for them to see him at the event.

The triple threat match for the US title was a very entertaining sprint. This only went about eight minutes, but it was a fireworks show with some really entertaining aerial offense from each competitor. Andrade reminded everyone that he can be a much more valuable asset to the organization when he wants to turn it up a few notches, Carmelo Hayes looked more like a star here than most of his prior main roster exposure because he was presented on an equal level as the bigger stars, and LA Knight proved that he should still probably have a higher ceiling than a mid-card title. LA Knight retained the championship.

The main event was more or less what you'd expect from Cody Rhodes and Gunther, they are two polished pros that can deliver a quality main event match. Everything they did was crisp and smooth, and the presentation was carefully put together so that Gunther still looked like a monster, while Cody still shined as the top guy. Neither one of them looked secondary, which was the very difficult balancing act of this entire scenario. Rhodes sold and made Gunther look great, and Cody fought back like an admirable baby face should in the main event role. Yes, Cody had the longer and more dramatic road to the title, they was always going to be more cache for the competitor that eventually dethroned Roman Reigns after a historic title run, but Gunther was at least presented on the same level in terms of ability through this contest. Nobody had to sacrifice their credibility for this match to be something more than a glorified exhibition, even if that's what it was in the grand scheme of things.

The finish wasn't ground-breaking, as it was famously used in Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper in 1992 and then again when Bret beat Steve Austin in 1996, with the counter to the sleeper to get the pin fall, but it was still very well done at Crown Jewel. Cody was in jeopardy and with a slick counter just barely pinned Gunther for the three count. It wasn't a definitive win, and it wasn't supposed to be. That particular conclusion was probably the best way to give the Saudis a winner without hindering the credibility of either champion. The handshake and show of respect at the end of the broadcast was another subtle way to put both of them on an equal level, as it was a way that they both acknowledged their status as champions in the company.

Kenny Omega returns

Former IWGP and AEW world champion, Kenny Omega was announced for a return to New Japan Pro Wrestling at its "Power Struggle" event next week in Osaka. Omega, who spent several years in Japan and was one of the top stars of NJPW before the launch of All Elite in 2019, has been on the sidelines for almost a year after he had a very serious bout with diverticulitis last December. The medical emergency was deemed life-threatening at one point, and his in-ring career was in doubt afterwards. This past May, Omega made a brief return to AEW programming for a short segment with The Elite, but hasn't been a part of the on-screen product for almost six months.

"The Cleaner," as he was known during his stint in The Bullet Club faction in Japan, wasn't announced for a match at the NJPW event, but the appearence itself might be an indication that he's gearing up for a return to the ring. If I had to guess, I'd say that Omega's appearence will be used to set up a match for the Tokyo Dome events in January, which All Elite Wrestling is expected to be a part of. Considering his strong ties to Japan, as he worked for DDT for many years before he landed in New Japan, it makes sense for the next chapter of his career to start there. 

However, that creates questions about how his return to the squared circle could affect the landscape within AEW?

Keep in mind, within the past few years, Omega has been somewhat of a non-factor for All Elite, as he took nearly a year off in 2021 to undergo a few different surgeries to repair several different injuries from many years of a high-risk style. He was back in the fold for about a year until the previously mentioned bout with diverticulitis put back on the sidelines. So, out of the past three years, Kenny Omega has been on the shelf about two-thirds of that time.

It goes without saying that Kenny Omega had an incredible career already, and despite some of the criticism of his style, he was one of the most influential performers of the modern era. The Omega/Okada series, both positively and negatively, changed the perception of what could be possible for an epic collection of matches. Those bouts weren't just high spots and risky bumps, they were incredible contests that built a level of drama toward the conclusion that pushed the envelope of the presentation of the sport.

As with anything else, there was a price to be paid for that, and it's nothing new or surprising in terms of those competitors that wanted to innovate a new standard in the sport. Dynamite Kid spent a portion of his life confined to a wheel chair, Harley Race often discussed his regret of implementing the flying headbutt, Mick Foley has explained his concern with head injuries, and Sabu destroyed his body to stand out as one of the most unique performers in the history of the business.

This isn't a retread of the article that I penned earlier this week based on Vikingo's recent injury less than a month after his return to the ring and the style that caused it, but rather Kenny Omega specifically.

At 41, Omega has been wrestling since his teenage years and has a toll of almost a quarter century inside the ropes on his body. I don't mean this in a sarcastic way, but at some point, it might be time to ask, is it worth it for Omega to get back in the ring? While I assume that he wouldn't make the trip to Japan just to greet the audience and that this will be used to set up his next match, even if it's not, in the grand scheme of things, it's still worth asking the question if Omega should wrestle again?

In many ways, Kenny Omega was the franchise guy for All Elite Wrestling when it launched in 2019. The buzz that his matches with Okada received in The Wrestling Observer newsletter, along with the popularity of The Young Bucks at the time on social media, and Cody Rhodes' ambitious exit from WWE basically set the foundation for what become All Elite Wrestling. Omega developed a cult following among wrestling purists, and one of the major selling points for the concept of AEW, beyond the much-needed alternative to WWE, was that "the best bout machine" would finally be able to showcase his talent on national television in the United States.

All Elite Wrestling has evolved, both positively and negatively. That's not a knock on the company either, the peaks and valleys are a part of the business. If Tony Khan made the most of the opportunity he had with the initial hype of AEW is a different discussion for another time. Still, Omega had an extended title reign before he took time off to heal from the myriad of injuries, and in many ways, Will Ospreay was given the spot as the next franchise performer for All Elite. That's not to say that Omega doesn't have value, but as far as the future, the British grappler is a decade younger and just started the prime of his career so from a business standpoint, it made sense to promote him as a top guy, especially after Omega was put on the shelf last year.The way that the high impact and risky style impacts the career of Ospreay remains to be seen.

The biggest takeaway of this situation, particularly with a potential return to the ring might be, is it really worth the risk to Kenny Omega's health at point? By all indications, the current generation of AEW has been typecast as basically what it is, an alternative that presents a niche style on national television. As we know, the Khan family can fund the wrestling project indefinitely so Omega nor anyone else is needed to keep it afloat. Kenny Omega already has an established legacy and will be known as one of the best of his generation, as well as one of the most influential of the modern era so in many ways, he doesn't have anything left to prove. Furthermore, he already made great money working for Tony Khan and can continue to make solid cash working in a backstage role for the company.

Let's be honest, with the level of excellence that Kenny Omega was known for, both in All Elite Wrestling and in New Japan Pro Wrestling, does anyone want to see a diminished Omega for the last few years of his career? On one hand, you can't blame someone for taking the money that's offer, the entire point of the business is to make as much money as possible for as long as possible during their in-ring career, but on the other hand, Omega is in a position that he can be an asset to the organization without taking bumps. Jushin "Thunder" Liger, the iconic jr. heavyweight that also inspired a generation, was basically the except to the rule, he had a 35-year career and could still go in the ring before he retired from the sport in 2020. Amazingly, Sting could still go in the ring using a few balcony dives and some smoke and mirrors until he retired at the age of 65 this past March. However,  There's a much longer list of bonifided legends that stayed in the ring too long because they either needed the money or thought they could recapture their glory days for another run. Harley Race is one of the greatest of all time and unanimously known as one of the most legitimately tough competitors in the history of professional wrestling, but nobody looks back fondly on his stint in the squared circle in 1990. Ric Flair was broke and needed the payday so he tarnished his legacy in TNA. It was embarrassing and should be considered a cautionary tale. He got back in the ring a few years ago at the age of 73 to cash in on his legacy as an in-ring wrestling one last time, but it was a train wreck. Flair passed out twice during the match and it was later revealed that test results showed that he took a heart attack in the ring. Mick Foley thought he could make a difference in TNA in 2008 and the effort was there, but the hardcore legend simply couldn't physically perform after years of a car crash style. Thankfully, Omega doesn't have to wrestle past his prime or end up confirmed to a wheelchair. At the same time, perhaps the extended time off gave him enough of a chance to heal and thus rejuvenate his body to add a completely new chapter to his career.