What's next for WWE?

It goes without saying that the TKO corporation will have a happy new year in 2025, especially ahead of the historic Raw debut on Netflix next week, a 10-year deal worth $5 billion dollars. It also goes without saying that the merger of WWE and UFC brought together enough media muscle that the sports properties collectively are in a stronger position even than they were before, particularly because of the continued demand of live content. As the media landscape continues to evolve, often at a relatively rapid pace, every form of a distribution channel. both on traditional television and the myriad of streaming services, look for a way to secure those valuable ad dollars. Keep in mind, regardless of the platform, media still makes its money primary from commercials, and companies are willing to pay for that ad time because it gets their products in front of a target demographic.

Make no mistake about it, there will be commercials during Raw on Netflix, as it will add another revenue stream to the platform's portfolio, which is essentially their reason to get into the live event business. As we know, up until this point, Netflix has primarily focused on movies and television series to generate subscribers, which was very effective, simply for the convenience it gave viewers for access to such a vast amount of content. The company added comedy specials to its line-up, but with more players in the game, particularly those with enough capital to garner the resources to attempt to get a piece of the streaming pie, Netflix made a giant leap into the live event business with the acquisition of Raw, as well as the rest of the WWE product internationally because live content is more or less the foundation of the WWE business model. Sure, we saw the flood of streaming options over the course of the past several years and when the market became over saturation, as it still is in some ways today, some platforms were bought or just shut down. With mega corporations like Amazon and Disney putting more effort into their respective streaming platforms during the past few years, specifically with Amazon's airing of select football games this season and the acquisition of the rights to the NBA broadcast next season, Netflix wants to keep pace with the evolution of live events through streaming platforms.

In many respects, for the WWE it's "money in the bank" as far as they have a guaranteed five years on the platform, and unless something completely unforeseen happens, it's difficult to think that Netflix won't use the five-year option to keep the Raw brand on the service for at least a decade. Obviously, the most important question is, will the WWE audience pay the subscription fee for a show that was on free TV for more than thirty years? Fans have been conditioned to expect a certain amount of free TV wrestling before they'd have to pay for the pay-per-views so it's definitely a different dynamic, but it's a much easier transition when Netflix is so ingrained as one of the most well-known streaming platforms.

The interesting part is, especially after commercials and sponsors become a priority, how will WWE brass keep fans watching on Netflix? It's safe to say that we can expect Cody, Roman, and many of the other featured stars to still be involved in the company after the initial five years of the contract, but it's very difficult to even speculate where the WWE or the sports entertainment business as a whole will be in almost a decade.

That being said, as mentioned 2025 will be a happy new year for the WWE offices, mostly because the answer to their success for the year is more or less a very easy decision.

With John Cena set to retire at the end of the year, and from what was said during his original announcement, he plans to work a full schedule before he hangs up the boots, I don't think it would be unreasonable for the centerpiece of WWE's year to the final run of one of the greatest performers in the history of the company. While Roman Reigns has certainly carved a legacy that he can reflect on when he finishes up his career, it's safe to say that John Cena is the biggest star that the company has had since The Rock and Steve Austin. Furthermore, and this is an important point, while it's understandable for top stars to work a limited schedule, Cena was a throwback in terms of being the workhorse representative for the company during his peak as the champion. He worked all the shows, made all the media appearances, and did an incredible amount of charity work. In some ways, John Cena is the real-life hero that Hulk Hogan pretended to be in his heyday.

Let's not forget, Cena earned and won over the WWE audience after years of generating a very strong reaction from both sides of the fence. Some fans paid to cheer John Cena and some fans paid to boo John Cena, but the most important thing was that fans were willing to pay to see him in the ring. As I've written on several occasions, the key to drawing money is a connection with the audience and their emotional investment into the characters. Without the emotional investment, pro wrestling becomes interchangeable with any other form of entertainment. It goes without saying that the crowd still connects with the 16-time champion and have embraced him as a way to recognize all of his hard work.

The story almost writes itself, as each Cena appearence can almost be tailored to his farewell tour. Cena's final Royal Rumble, Cena's final Wrestlemania, his last Summer Slam, and his last stop in Toronto are all selling points for events. More specifically, there was speculation online that maybe John Cena will challenge Cody Rhodes for the WWE championship at Wrestlemania with the notion that if he wins the belt again that he will break Ric Flair's recognized championship record. I have to say, it would make sense and be a well-deserved accomplishment for him to conclude his career. Let's be honest, as talented as Ric Flair was in the ring, his choices outside of the sport are less than stellar. Cena as the all-time winner of world championships would be a great representation of the sport and an almost fitting final chapter to his career.

The bottom line is, particularly with the momentum that the WWE already has, the journey of John Cena prior to his retirement is more than enough to maintain the company's strong business throughout the majority of 2025. Sure, it's a rather simplistic approach, but sometimes the simplest answer is the right answer. Cena has drawn money for the company for more than two decades at various points so it makes sense for the WWE to use his retirement tour as a way to propel the move to Netflix. Considering how unprecedented the next chapter for the Raw brand is and how it could affect the landscape of the corporation in the future, the ability to maximize the drawing power of John Cena's retirement is a valuable asset for the company.

Worlds End review

All Elite Wrestling's final pay-per-view of the year, Worlds End, is in the books. I wrote an article earlier this week to discuss if management had sold the PPV enough on television with the angles and match-ups to prompt fans to spend another $50 of their "wrestling budget" to order the show. I don't want to sound repetitive, but the case remains the same for All Elite, at least in my opinion, in terms of their overall presentation of pay-per-view cards. As we see more often than not with these events, the broadcast usually spotlights some of the best and worsts aspects of the product over the course of the show. The same stellar wrestling was there along with some of the same bad habits that take away from the overall quality of the PPV.

The show opened with Will Ospreay and Kyle Feltcher in the semi-final bout of the Continental Classic tournament, with the winner advancing to wrestle either Ricochet or Okada later in the night. In many ways, this Ospreay/Feltcher bout was a microcosm of AEW itself, there were tremendous strong points, both with the in-ring action and the intentions of the storyline portions, but it also displayed the previously mentioned bad habits that subtract from the grand scheme of things. Something that can often be said about some of the over-the-top "work rate" matches on AEW pay-per-views is that within a vacuum, they are very well done in terms of the athleticism and effort put into the contests. For all the rightful criticism of the AEW product, nobody can deny that the talent is working hard more often than not. However, within the context of a nearly four-hour pay-per-view broadcast or how those specific characters are perceived within the landscape of the product, there's often a disconnect. It can be seen at various points throughout Worlds End, but as far as placement and the type of match booked, Ospreay/Feltcher missed the mark in a few different ways. Again, taking nothing away from their talent, but rather to point out the possible flaws of the presentation. Some of the opening sequences were overly-choreographed and had the common critique of being too much of a routine rather than a physical confrontation, but it's important to keep in mind that those type of spots are what the die hard AEW fans look for with these types of matches. The bout told a good narrative as the physicality intensified, even if they fell into the pitfall of just standing there while they no sell chops for one of the most over done and minimally effective spots of the modern era. Outside of the silly chop sequence, the selling was well done, and Ospreay did very well in his role as the fiery baby face. 

This was essentially a 15-minute fireworks show where the two great athletes threw almost everything against the wall. At one point, Ospreay started bleeding buckets and it was a memorable visual. Eventually, after a good series of counter maneuvers, Ospreay landed the Styles Clash to get the win to advance to the finals. Credit where it's due, Fletcher continues to evolve into his own as a heel after more or less just being a random Ospreay sidekick prior to this. Ospreay fighting through the blood to get the victory is exactly what you want for a guy that is going to be moved up to the top spot in the company.

The major problem is, the pieces of this puzzle were completely misplaced. Ospreay had the presentation and the visual of the top guy, but he's not positioned in that spot, particularly based on the results of the show and the fact that it was implied that there will be a rubber match between him and Fletcher. Furthermore, these two had a main event structure for the opening match of the show. The guy that bled the most on the card was the first segment so anything after that, including the MJF/Adam Cole match about an hour later was considerably less effective. Yes, I understand why they'd want Ospreay to bleed in theory, as it stacks the deck against him later in the night for the finals, but maybe that wasn't the best choice given that other matches were scheduled to have blood on the same show? Finally, this was a high intensity spot fest, and yes, that's more or less the AEW brand, but again, placement on the card is key because it's very difficult to properly pace a show when these two did every high spot in the book in the opening segment. If a match like this was in the main event, the argument could be made that its strong points could've been emphasized without taking away from the rest of the card, but if I had to guess, I'd say that Tony was going for star ratings, not booking logic for this match.

After that Ricochet and Okada worked the other semi-final bout for the tournament, and it was a solid contest, but you can definitely see when the Japanese superstar puts it in second gear or decides to coast in the ring. The fans have soured on Ricochet because his mic work is cringe worthy, but it's still surprising that someone that you'd think would be tailor-made the the All Elite fans base was panned so quickly in his tenure in the company. So, I understand that he must embrace the hostility and work with it rather than try to go against the grain to end up in a lame duck situation. That being said, I think Ricochet taunted the crowd a little too much and a little too often to the point that it might've unintentionally taken away from the match. The sequences had very impressive athleticism, and Ricochet is still one of the best aerial wrestlers in the business, but the contest didn't quite develop a consistent pace prior to the conclusion. Outside of the jeers from the crowd, this was somewhat of an odd presentation because Ricochet is clearly a heel now, but Okada is also still a villain, despite the lack of direction for his character for a storyline so it was also difficult for either competitor to build momentum for the narrative of the segment. Okada got the win after he hit the rainmaker clothesline to advance to the finals.

As far as misguided portions of the product, the AEW Women's championship match was a prime example of it. Mariah May has done a great job with the heel character since she turned on Toni Storm, which would theoretically set up for  a grudge match at some point, but instead Toni is stuck working a silly amnesia angle, which completely muddiest the waters if the clash between the two is planned for the future. Sometimes the simplest answer is the right answer. Tony doesn't need charts, graphs, or any of his other E-fed tropes from booking on the internet to present a Storm/May grudge match. The baby face that is over with the crowd wants to get revenge for the sneak attack from the dastardly heel. That's the only justification that would be needed to put Storm vs. May in a featured spot on pay-per-view.

Instead, it was Thunder Rosa, who was off of television with an injury for an extended period of time and then more or less just didn't wrestle for a while, taking a spot at the Spanish announce table for a few months, before she recently was back on Dynamite. The Tijuana street fight was nothing more than a flimsy excuse to put a gimmick match on the show. Aside from the fact that it was clunky and sloppy at certain points, I honestly don't think the Thunder Rosa character has enough momentum or the secondary feud between her and Mariah May justifies a gimmick match like this on pay-per-view. If this was Storm vs. May then there would be an argument to be made, especially because of the blood that was used in the original heel turn. The tacks that were used didn't really mean anything because they are used too often on AEW television, and the piledriver through the table at the finish was brutal, as it looked like they slightly mistimed it. Mariah May retained the belt, and if there's any question about if this feud needed this type of gimmick match, were any of the fans truly clamoring for Thunder Rosa to win the title?

Speaking of grudge matches, MJF/Adam Cole is the "grudge match" that nobody wanted to see, as anything linked to the failed mask reveal at this pay-per-view last year is completely counter productive. The angle was a total flop, and any continuation of it is simply an anchor dragging down both athletes to do anything productive. The match was fine, but for two guys that were thought to be franchise players for the company at one point, this was a mid-card match where the fans weren't behind the baby face and the segment was almost forgettable by the time the show went off the air. MJF is just spinning his wheels at this point, and perhaps he's getting paid enough that it doesn't matter, but this feud has literally kept him in the same spot for more or less a year. Friedman signed a new deal earlier this year when he returned from injury, revealing an AEW tattoo that can be easily covered up by wrestling boots should he decide to work elsewhere in the future so depending on the length of the contract, he might be content to work the extremely light All Elite schedule even if he isn't positioned for a major role in the company. As far as Adam Cole, he's a great guy and very talented, but for someone that originally was thought to have the potential to be the next Shawn Micheals, he definitely isn't anywhere near that status. The segment was somewhat flat when the entire baby face stable beat down the heel after the match, which saw MJF defeat Cole with a low blow and then a pile driver. Friedman wins, but he doesn't have much momentum at all, especially because of how convoluted the storyline was with the Undisputed Kingdom to get to this PPV match. The same can be said for Cole, as he has no momentum or direction after this event.

Thankfully, the card picked up from here, as the next three matches had some meat on the bone so to speak in terms of quality action that provided some substance for the pay-per-view. Powerhouse Hobbs is someone that was lost in the shuffle at various point prior to the knee injury that put him on the shelf for a few months, but this match for International championship showed why he has the potential to be a major asset for the company. Konosuke Takeshita is one of the best in the business right now and checks all the boxes for someone that you can build a company around, particularly for a fan base that is at least vaguely aware of the Japanese scene. Everything they did in this contest was solid and made sense. Hobbs took a brutal bump on the apron on his knees and it eventually played a role in the finish when Takeshita retained the title. This segment showed what can be accomplished when proper selling is incorporated with the usual AEW style.

I said last month that Mercedes Mone had the best match of her AEW career against Kris Statlander, and the same could be said about the match at Worlds End. Statlander might not be the biggest star, but she's a solid pro that is a very valuable asset to the women's division. Everything they did in the match was crisp and smooth, outside of a scary looking piledriver spot on the apron where it looked like Statlander might've gotten legitimately spiked on her head when Mone slipped slightly during the maneuver. The 25-minute bout made Mone look like the star that they hoped she'd be when she arrived in the organization earlier this year. The problem is, Mone is going to have to work with more opponents than just Statlander so it remains to be said if she can continue to improve her status AEW. Mercedes retained the title after a series of counters saw her get the pin to win the match.

 The finals of the Continental Classic was really good, and it was an example of when Okada put it in second gear to deliver a really solid performance. This is just my two cents on the matter, but it looks like Okada works to the level of his opponent or the situation. When he's booked for a match that lacks importance, he mails it in, but on pay-per-view, at least on this occasion, he proved why he had such a tremendous reputation prior to his AEW debut. Outside of the match with Pac earlier this year, this finals bout with Ospreay was the first glimpse of the New Japan Okada that was seen in AEW.  You could parse detail, but as far as the in-ring action, this was basically a more dramatic version of the earlier Ospreay/Fletcher match. The argument could be made that maybe the blood would've been more useful here than in the opening segment. There was an incredible series of counters and maneuvers prior to the finish. This was top-tier quality stuff, and if All Elite could focus more on this aspect of the product then there might be a better perception of the organization. More than anything, this match proved that Ospreay should be the top guy in AEW. Okada won after he hit the rainmaker clothesline, and while it's more or less the same place that he started because he was the champion before the tournament, it's good to see that he can still go in the ring the way that he did in New Japan.

The main event was more or less just a random brawl and then a series of moves between the four competitors prior to the finish. As I said in the article about the pay-per-view earlier this week, it's a lazy booking crutch to use a four way as the main event for the title since it's basically a substitute for a compelling main event storyline. Moxley retained the title. Post-match, Adam Copeland return and was joined by FTR to set up a six man tag against Moxley's group this week on Dynamite. As much as the former Edge had a legendary career, his AEW tenure was underwhelming, and I'm not sure how much stock Tony Khan should be into the 51-year-old star. Hopefully, this was just a set up for the episode of Dynamite that will be included on the Max platform, because with as much great younger talent that's on the roster, it's probably not necessary for there to be a Moxley/Copeland feud for the title.

Did AEW sell Worlds End?

As we head into the new year, much of the status with All Elite Wrestling remains the same. The Khan-owned organization aired its Christmas edition of Dynamite this week prior to the Worlds End pay-per-view, a show that will ask fans to pay for more content just a week after the Ring Of Honor Final Battle event, this weekend with the finals of the Continental Classic tournament and a four-way match for the AEW world title as the major selling points. As much as the numbers for the Wednesday show have slipped in recent months, dipping below 600,000 viewers the past few weeks, the lower number that will be garnered for the holiday episode can more or less be discounted because most typical viewers didn't have the chance to watch wrestling with the busy holiday schedule.

So, while the individual rating for this week will be moot, the fact that the go-home edition of television that was used as a final push to sell the pay-per-view was seen by a minimal audience potentially has a major impact of the buy rate for Worlds End this weekend. More than anything, it seems like the notion to schedule a pay-per-view just days after Christmas was misguided, as Tony Khan seems determined to get his wrestling project to the monthly PPV schedule that became the standard in the late-90s when pro wrestling was significantly more popular than it is now.

Aside from the potential pitfalls of scheduling an event so close to the holidays, the numbers outside of the Christmas episode suggest that the viewing audience simply isn't invested in a convoluted tournament format since the previously mentioned ratings of below 600,000 viewers took place during the bulk of the Continental Classic. As I've said before, the tournament is nothing more than Tony trying to book his version of the New Japan G1 tournament, but also as I said previously, it's a format that American audiences aren't familiar with, and the point system is just too inside baseball for the TBS audience because it's not a format that is usually associated with professional wrestling in the United States. Furthermore, the general sports landscape in America doesn't run tournaments with that type of format either. As far as the mainstream sports, American fans are familiar with the specific wins and losses for a team or competitor to advance or not. Sure, there are ties in soccer formats, but keep in mind, there's a reason soccer isn't as popular in the United States as it is in other parts of the world. When the NFL playoffs start in a few weeks, the Kansas City Chiefs aren't going to play The Baltimore Ravens over the course of four quarter to end in a draw. The MLB, NBA, and NHL even with the best of series format have a definitive winner for each game.

The bottom line is, American fans aren't used to a tournament with a point system, and the ratings for the AEW shows reflect that. Let's not forget that this was also the case when Tony ran the inaugural tournament last year so it shouldn't be a surprise that the numbers slipped this year as well. One of the many disconnects of the Continental Classic is that it held matches over the span of the entire All Elite line-up, including Rampage, which wasn't renewed as a part of the new Warner Brothers Discovery TV deal so clearly, the majority of the audience didn't see at least some portion of the tournament matches that would've impacted the standings prior to the finals. It's no surprise that Rampage was booked like the C-show and most fans don't watch it so if I had to guess, I'd say that most of the viewing audience for Dynamite considered the Continental Classic a bunch of random matches until the tournament final. Can anyone realistically say that they were invested enough to tune into a show to see if a competitor was going to get more points for a win or if they had to settle for a draw?

Even more so, besides the convoluted format, the concept of "just good wrestling matches" was proven to not be enough to get the general public to tune into the tournament matches last year, which is why the numbers slipped this year, too. Don't get me wrong, there's undoubtedly a diehard demographic that can appreciate the work rate matches and it's definitely impressive, but it's important to keep in mind that when a show is on national television, the shows must cater to a broader audience.

This might sound repetitive, but it's still true, the general public is drawn to pro wrestling by the characters and the storylines. If high spot wrestling on its own was going to become a major draw on a national level, TNA would've done exponentially better with its original run on Spike TV than it did nearly two decades ago. Again, don't get me wrong, the athletes are incredible and they deserve a lot of credit for their efforts to work those dazzling spot fests each week on TBS, but the harsh reality is that the selling point for the readers of The Wrestling Observer newsletter doesn't translate to the main stream audience.

We've seen the Tony Khan makes it a priority to win The Obsever's "booker of the year" award, but unless the award includes a cash prize, does it truly matter if the other metrics of the organization declined?

Outside of Kyle Fletcher winning, the Continental Classic victory probably wouldn't do anything for Okada, Ricochet, or Will Ospreay. The reason being that those three should all be involved in something more important than a tournament with minimal momentum. This is just my two cents, and Tony is a billionaire so what do I know? But, in my opinion, Ospreay should be the guy that is touted as the franchise player for All Elite Wrestling, and his stellar skills could be presented in a more progress manner as the true representative of the AEW brand. In some ways, Ospreay could be what AJ Styles was to the early era of TNA in terms of representing the brand. With the amount of cash that Okada was paid to leave New Japan and move to America, he should be in a more prominent spot. Instead, he's positioned in a secondary role and his work in the ring is lowered to that level. Hey, if Okada can make that type of cash and mail in the vast majority of his matches, good for him. Ricochet is in danger of becoming a lame duck in AEW, as his mic work is so cringe worthy that it's possible that the audience is going to sour on him.

The world title match, at least from my perspective is an example of lazy booking. Instead of scripting a compelling rivalry for the championship, putting a four-way match on pay-per-view is an artificial way to schedule a main event. The Jon Moxley title reign and the faction around him have been completely flat, and as much as the audience might be waiting for some shocking reveal as the payoff, it looks a lot more as if Moxley steamrolling everyone is only a set up for another return of The Elite to AEW. Does anyone want to see a retread of The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega being shoehorned into that role again? They were positioned like that after the CM Punk debacle a few years ago, I just don't think it would have the same impact again.

The rest of the card is undistinguished at best. Nobody wants to anything to do with the MJF and Adam Cole storyline. It's doubtful that anyone cares what Thunder Rosa is doing or wants to see her get a run with the AEW Women's championship. Any momentum or cache that she had as a star was completely diminished at least two years ago. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Powerhouse Hobbs could be a great match, but it won't be too surprising if Hobbs disappears from television again after the pay-per-view.

What's the status of smackdown?

With it being the holiday season, a time when people will participant in the Royal Rumble to snag the best deals in stores or rack up more debt than the AEW video game project with online shopping to find the perfect gifts, it's important to remember that sometimes there can be too much of a good thing. Instead of dozens and dozens of gifts that get lost in the shuffle of wrapping paper and price tags, maybe that one special gift, such as a mint in box WWF Hasbro would stand out even more?

However, the WWE machine is in the content business, an aspect of the TKO business model that was emphasized even more with the upcoming move to Netflix, which is unprecedented territory. Don't get me wrong, the WWE is doing great business right now, not necessarily as a part of pop culture like it was in the late-90s, but rather they are serving their audience very well, which allows them to make more money from the fan base than in the past. The solid product, including the fresh presentation, storylines, and star power of the overall brand allow the publicly-traded corporation to sell tickets at a much higher price, which has contributed to record-setting revenues the past for years. Of course, the main portion of that hefty cash that the company brings in is from the television deals, as networks try to compete with every other form of media for viewers to secure ad revenue. Again, as much as some try to claim that pro wrestling is in another boom period, I'd still say that is misguided. Keep in mind, when sports entertainment was at its peak in the late-90s, there were roughly 10 million viewers watching either Raw or Nitro on any given week. The shows were so popular that the NFL moved its trademark Monday Night Football schedule to an hour earlier to try to keep viewers from channel surfacing if a game was competitive before the wrestling broadcasts started.

That's simply not the case with professional wrestling in the modern era, and it's from a combination of factors that affected the dynamics inside and outside of the business. Of course, there are so many entertainment options for the viewing audience that there will be a natural erosion of viewership because there are watching other type of media. Every TV show, podcast, and streaming service are competing for those viewers. That wasn't the scenario in 1998 when most homes only had a basic cable package and a computer wasn't a household item yet. Furthermore, the dynamics of the business organically saw the pieces of the puzzle fall into place that had some of the biggest stars in the history of the business in the right place at the right time for the genre to become a part of pop culture. The competition between Raw and Nitro isn't something that can be replicated because society and the industry are in a much different place. 

So no, professional wrestling isn't in another boom period, but as I said, it's serving it's audience, which is ultimately why the WWE is drawing major money right now. Remember, with all the previous options mentioned that compete for viewers or listeners, advertisers want to make sure their products get in front of the right demographic to be able to sell them. The WWE offers a consistent and steady number, which is useful for sponsors because it gives them a level of assurance that their commercials will be seen by their target audience. Those sponsors know they have a better chance of a return on their investment of paying for commercials during a broadcast because of the consistent viewership, even if that number is lower in the modern era than it was during the heyday of the Attitude era.

In short, a major financial piece of the puzzle for the WWE business model is to provide an avenue for other companies to market their products, which is why networks continued to bid for the broadcast rights of the shows until the Netflix deal was signed. Let's not forget, when a company buys commercial time during an episode of Smackdown, the USA network gets a potion of that cash. It's a different fashion, but the same dynamic, Netflix paid $5 billion rights to Raw to truly cement itself as a player in the live event business. Obviously, the primary objective is to secure new and continued subscriptions for the streaming platform, but aside from that, it also opens the door for more sponsors and commercials to go along with those live events. It's undoubtedly a way for the streaming service to add more revenue for it's distribution of content, and again the consistent audience that is usually associated with the WWE provides a level of stability for their investment, especially on a long-term basis with the 10-year deal.

However, could this eventually be too much of a good thing?

Just recently it was announced that Smackdown, the only brand left on cable television for the WWE, will expand to three hours next month. With as legitimately historic the Raw move to Netflix is, it's important to keep in mind that Smackdown will continue to play a key role in the success of the company because while putting Raw behind a paywall brought more money with it, the blue brand is still a critical part of the equation for new fans to discover the product. The WWE simply can't expect the next generation of fans to want to pay to subscribe to Netflix just to sample the product so a brand on free TV is still very important. That being said, even with the success that the company has right now, is there truly a demand for another hour of content on the WWE line-up?

Furthermore, and this is equally as important to this scenario, it adds yet another hour of scripting or a nearly 30% increase in the amount of content that must be produced for the show. That's more angles and more matches that must be used each week, which could lead to stable segments in the grand scheme of things. There are only so many different situations that can be booked for talent before there's almost an unintentional pattern to the product.

It should also be noted that there are always going to be peaks and valleys to the WWE, that's the nature of any business, and with the long-term investment of Netflix and the five-year deal that USA has for Smackdown, it remains to be seen how the product meshes with this format over the next few years. Sure, right now the office might be able to script a three-hour Smackdown with The Bloodline as the foundation of the brand and it will retain viewers, but what about two years from now? Again, I understand that publicly-traded company isn't going to leave money on the table, but with the addition of another hour on Fridays, there could eventually be an argument to be made that there will be an over saturation of content.

The diehard audience is the exception to the rule, but considering that the WWE is basically the Walmart of pro wrestling, as it's easily accessible, relatively cheap, and caters to the lowest common denominator to attempt to draw the biggest audience possible, it's important to keep in mind that most of the general public doesn't want to watch countless hours of sports entertainment. The patterns of the Raw numbers show that there is usually a decline in the third hour so it shouldn't be a surprise if the same happens for Smackdown, but the biggest takeaway from this situation might be that an over saturation of WWE content during the next few years might be the reason for lower ratings overall for Smackdown. Obviously, it remains to be seen how another hour will affect the numbers for the blue brand, but it will be very interesting to see how the move to Netflix for Raw shifts the dynamics of the product.

Toni Storm returns

"Timeless" Toni Storm saw her time come and go.

Last week on Dynamite, Storm, who hadn't been seen on AEW programming since Wembley Stadium in August, returned to confront Mariah May, providing an exclamation point to the conclusion of the Winter is Coming episode. Still, the show garnered a disappointing 594,000 viewers, only a slight increase from the prior week and a continued trend of an overall decline in the numbers. Of course, it's going to take more than one return, debut, or segment to truly move the numbers in a different direction, but one right decision at a time can build momentum.

Last Wednesday's reemergence of Toni Storm could give AEW a rare chance at another opportunity to fully utilize the talent that a specific performer brings to the table.

Unfortunately, the notion of being underutilized is a continuous theme around Storm's career, and at least from the outside perspective, it looks like she was the victim of booking circumstances, as hee talent appears to justify a better spot than what she was given previously.

Known for her work in Stardom in Japan, Storm originally inked a WWE contract in 2018 to be a part of the NXT UK show. As we know, the pandemic restrictions eventually forced the end of the UK exclusive brand and thus her title reign as the NXT UK Women's champion didn't bring much cache with it when she finally debuted on Smackdown in July of 2021. Her time on the blue brand was undistinguished at best, with her addition to the show more or less being artificial since it seemed like the office didn't have any plans for her character beyond her debut. After less than six months on the main roster, she requested her release from the company and it was granted at the end of the year.

I have to say that while it's possible that she would've eventually been booked in a better fashion under the WWE banner, it's equally as possible that she would've been lost in the shuffle or typecast as a secondary performer in the company. While All Elite Wrestling didn't hit a skid until later in 2022, at the time, it's understandable as to why Storm wanted to test the waters outside of the WWE.

As far as being a victim of booking circumstances, it somehow continued in All Elite Wrestling. She was given a run as the AEW Women's World champion, but was dubbed the "interim champion" because of an injury suffered by Thunder Rosa. When Rosa couldn't return to action after a few months, Storm was underwhelmingly declared the official champion. Since there was no unification match, as was implied for the few months that she was promoted as interim champion on television, Storm didn't get the major victory or moment to propel her status within the women's division. Her association with The Outcasts stable was equally underwhelming and as the the faction lost momentum so did Toni from an individual perspective. While it was great that Saraya could return to the ring and have the hometown victory at Wembley Stadium last year, I think it's fair to say that after the serious neck injury that forced her into retirement for a few years, she's not quite the same performer as she was during her peak in WWE. When Saraya didn't takeoff under the All Elite banner, the rest of the group more or less had to follow suite.

With any momentum stalled, Toni was repackaged as the Hollywood star from the golden age as the "Timeless" gimmick late last year. There's no question that she had to be given a new direction to rejuvenate her career, and she deserves a lot of credit for how well she did with the role. Gimmicks that are that over-the-top tend to be hit or miss, but Toni made it work, and the character got over with the audience. Granted, with such an over-the-top presentation, there's only so much that can realistically be done with it and the argument could be made that there's a limited tenure that such a persona can have on television. Sure, it was very entertaining for what it was, but the eccentric aspects of the character aren't necessary the easiest to book at the top of the character.

Since there was a ceiling for how far such a gimmick could go, it made sense to bring Toni back to Dynamite with her original punk rock persona. The timeless gimmick was very effective as far as being a bridge to get Storm back to a position where she can be more or an overall asset to the company, but again given the nature of how over-the-top the starlet persona was, by nature it probably could've be something that she used as her character for more than a year or so.

However, outside of the return moment on television last week, the way that the character was portrayed on Rampage and Collision is already concerning, as it could set up another hurdle for her from a booking perspective.

Based on the interview that she interrupted with Thunder Rosa and introduced herself to everyone as if she didn't remember who she was, this might be an angle that will be comparable to some of the more notoriously cringe worthy storylines in wrestling history. Why exactly would Toni not remember who she is? One of the benefits of the scripted world of professional wrestling is the ability to conveniently ignore small portions of logic that might get in the way of a smooth transition. Granted, if the gap in logic is too large to be ignored than you have Vince Russo-style writing that took more than one company off a cliff. At the same time, when The Undertaker showed up in 2000 as a biker, nobody questioned how he wasn't the dead man persona anymore, and it wasn't addressed. It was just assumed that whenever he was for the several months prior that there was a change in his persona, and the fans were happy to see him back so an explanation wasn't needed. The same could be said for when he was buried at Survivor Series in 2003 and then reemerged at Wrestlemania the following year as the dead man again for the match with Kane. The fans were happy to see the original character back on television, and the biker character was needed to freshen up the presentation, but everyone knew that the classic persona was the legacy of The Undertaker character.

In this situation, Toni should've been brought back to television for a fresh start without anything convoluted like a case amnesia to make it more difficult for her to re-establish herself in the women's division. The bottom line is, would any of the fans truly questioned why she was the rock star again? If not, the simplest presentation would've been the most effective strategy, especially because the premise for her return was already known, as she wants to get retribution for Mariah May's previous heel turn. The baby face looking for revenge against the heel is more than enough of a storyline to build to a productive feud. Anything outside of that, especially in this scenario, just muddiest the waters.

Don't get me wrong, Toni Storm is a very talented performer, but there's never been a situation in pro wrestling where a case amnesia has led to success for anyone involved. Cactus Jack being lost in Cleveland is a segment that fans remember, but not because it was compelling television. Ric Flair being buried in the desert and put in a mental institution didn't exactly help WCW either.

What's the status of Rey Fenix?

Perception is reality.

That's true inside or outside of professional wrestling. If management could sell Giant Gonzalez as a major star and  the audience bought into it then that becomes the belief within the genre. A political candidate might be a crook or bankrupt the country during their term, but if their campaign can "sell" their policies to voters during the election season then the results at the ballot box will reflect it.

The results can comeback to bite an organization or the voters in either case.

Giant Gonzalez is known for his match at Wrestlemania IX, which was panned as one of the worst WM shows in history,and depending on your perspective, someone in office might put the country into a recession. The results are ultimately what judge how effective something was or wasn't, but perception often influences the future even after they sink or swim in the grand scheme of things. Jack Swagger was booked as a former world champion, and now if he was pumping gas in Jersey, he might not be recognized. Anyone remember when Sarah Palin was supposedly going to be a force in American politics?

It's nothing new, but All Elite Wrestling continues to have a perception problem, particularly with its leadership and structure, or the compete lack thereof. The domino effect of this is ultimately that it lends validity to the criticism that AEW isn't run as a professional organization and thus has a ceiling on how far it can truly progress as a commodity within the industry. The way that this affects revenue is key, particularly because revenue and profit are the barometer, not star ratings or The Wrestling Observer newsletter awards. Where the perception can affect the future of the organization is that if fans lose faith in AEW's ability to be an alternative or to serve the audience, those fans might decide it's not worth investing in the company with tickets and pay-per-view orders. Given the uncertainty of the economy and inflation, it's a much more difficult sell to get consumers to spend money on wrestling or any other entertainment option because there's simply not as much disposal income as there was just a few years ago since the cost of more or less everything across the board has increased. The harsh reality is that fans will have to pick and choose more carefully what they spend for their "wrestling budget" than in the past.

We've heard several example over the past few years when All Elite management has little to no communication with talent, with Ricky Starks being the most recent wrestler that wasn't informed of his status with the company while he sat at home as a healthy scratch from the roster since March. CM Punk was probably the most publicized example of the lack of communication between the office and the talent, which he explained on the Ariel Helwani show earlier this year. After a triceps injury while still under contract to All Elite Wrestling, the real-life Phil Brooks explained that he wasn't given any direction or medical options by the company, forcing him to find the proper doctors and rehabilitation services to heal from the injury.

Now, Rey Fenix, one half of the Lucha Brothers tag team, has taken to social media to express similar frustration just a few weeks after it was revealed that time was added to his current contract with the company after he was sidelined with an injury late last year. His brother, Pentagon's contract expired just weeks ago and he made a surprise appearence at a AAA show last week, but as was the case within the past few months, the expectation is still that Pentagon will ink a WWE deal at some point. Presumably, Fenix is going to do the same, but finds himself stuck in a form of contract purgatory, as he is healthy and still wrestling on the independent circuit, but remains under contract to AEW despite that it seems like Tony has no plans to use him for anything.

Fenix was out of action from October of 2023 until April 2024 when he returned to television so there was roughly six months added to his deal, keeping him under contract until mid-2025. On one hand, if the terms of the contract allow Tony to add injury time and he paid Fenix under those terms while he was hurt then Khan definitely has the legal right to keep Fenix to the agreement. Fenix didn't complain when he got the check in the mail while he recovered from the injury. On the other hand, if Tony isn't going to use Fenix for anything and keeps him at AEW just to try to prevent him from debuting in WWE for as long as possible, it seems very petty and not important in the grand scheme of things.

Don't get me wrong, Fenix is a tremendous aerial performer and has the ability to be a marketable star for the organization, and the same can be said for Pentagon. I've written on several occasions that the Lucha Brothers, both individually and collectively, were underutilized in All Elite Wrestling. However, it's important to point out that Tony Khan had five years to market and promote the tag team, but for whatever reason, despite their talent and marketability with their characters, the Lucha Brothers were secondary figures in the company the past few years. Now that Pentagon's deal expired, it's suddenly important for Tony Khan to protect the investment into Rey Fenix's contract? If Fenix was that important to All Elite Wrestling, and he actually does have the talent to be a money-drawing star, why were the Lucha Brothers so under the radar?

Among the complaints that Fenix posted online was that he would tell the story when he had the chance to speak on the subject, which means when he isn't under contract to AEW. He said he was denied a doctor when he needed medical attention, and in a now-deleted tweet, he claimed that he was subjected to "inhumane treatment" by the company.

The Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez discussed the situation, explaining that the medial protocols for WWE and AEW are different, but the common theme is that both companies pay for everything if a talent is injured working for either organization. As we know, WWE works with a list of world class doctors, such as Dr. James Andrews, that provide medical treatment for other sports stars. The downside to that, if there is one, would be that while WWE takes care of the scheduling, procedures, and the costs involved, it basically means that the talent are treated by the doctors that the WWE chooses for them. Of course, the publicly-traded corporation wants to see a successful return to the ring for any performer because they quite literally have a vested interest in their recovery from the injury so that they can continue to draw money for the company. Obviously, All Elite Wrestling has the same intentions, they want to see their stars return healthy so that they can be one of the reasons that fans buy tickets and order pay-per-views. As Alvarez explained it on Wrestling Observer Live, the difference is that AEW lets the talent choose the doctors that they want to receive the medical treatment from and the therapist that they work with for the rehabilitation of the injuries. For example, if a talent wants to get a referral to a surgeon from their family doctor that they trust, the AEW protocol allows them to do that. On the surface, the main difference between the two systems is that the WWE provides the doctors and rehabilitation schedule, whereas AEW lets the talent pick their own doctors to treat the injury. There are positives and negatives to each protocol, as they would be with anything else, but it really depends on the individual perspective as far as would be the better option.

If I had to guess, I'd say that there was some type of miscommunication between Fenix and the promotion. I really doubt that he would be denied medical treatment, but at the same time, one of the responsibilities of the company would be to make sure that the talent have the information they need to recover from injuries. I also doubt that Fenix was subjected to "inhumane treatment, but that's also a matter of personal perspective. Whatever happened between the two sides, it certainly appears like there's more to the story than what is already public or that it was simply a miscommunication between the office and Fenix. It remains to be seen if Fenix will tell his side of the story when his AEW contract expires. In six months, it might be a scenario where Fenix decides to focus on his debut in the WWE rather than the negativity of his experience in another company. Given that Tony Khan has used non-disclosure agreements in the past when talent exit the promotion, it's possible that Fenix might be released from his contract if he signs a non-disclosure agreement, which would prevent him from talking about the situation.

Either way, I think The Lucha brothers will eventually debut in the WWE sometime next year and probably have at least an initial successful run there. However, the biggest takeaway from this situation is that it continues to fuel the narrative that AEW runs a disorganized or not truly professional organization. When the talent has to go to social media to get in contract with management, it doesn't present a sense of optimism around the brand. Furthermore, it re-enforces the notion that All Elite Wrestling is more about Tony's vanity project than it is about being competitive in the industry.

Glenn Spectre makes comeback

"Not everyone gets a second chance to chase their life goal. I’m super blessed to have that, and I’m giving it everything I’ve got."

Twenty years ago, a young grappler found himself in the locker room of  Korakuen Hall, the Japanese version of Madison Square Garden, as he worked his first tour with the DDT promotion in the country. He wrestled his way around his hometown region of western Pennsylvania for the few years prior and earned himself a reputation as a solid in-ring performer, hence why his skills took him to the other side of the globe when he was only in his mid-20s.

Glenn Spectre became the first "gaijin" or foreigner to win the DDT Tag Team Titles and he left enough of an impression to be invited back for other tour the following year. In America, he zigzagged around different states on any given weekend, working with names like Brodie Lee, Chris Sabin, Corey Graves, and others that went on to put their stamp on a national platform.

Spectre's stock was on the rise, but the combination of suffering a broken shoulder blade in 2006, and the death of his trainer James  "Devil Buddakan" Fawcett at the age of just 32 the following year dimmed his passion for the sport. He questioned if the physical toll on the body, the family sacrifices, and the uncertainty of the live entertainment business were worth the risk. Instead, Glenn Spectre laced up his boots for the final time at a tribute event to his late mentor in 2008, with the thought that he put almost the decade previous to that behind him.

Despite putting his gear in storage bins, starting a family of his own, and launching a successful business, Drawbridge Games, a store that specializes in tabletop gaming, the passion for the squared circle wasn't fully extinguished.

An ember still glowed within Glenn Spectre, and he didn't know it at the time, but when he pondered the idea of wrestling again in 2020, the possibility was enough to reignite a burning passion for the grappling arts.

"My initial goal was just to not embarrass myself or tarnish what I had accomplished in the past. For me, goals are ever evolving. Whenever I make one, I’m driven to accomplish something more. The second I started having good quality matches again, I was already setting the next goal of wrestling a full schedule and getting out of my home state," Spectre explained.

Once Glenn found the confidence in himself again, it didn't take long for him to also find the full schedule he was looking for, as many of the local groups were eager to add a veteran with his skill set to the cards, often in a player-coach role to work with the younger talent on the rosters to give the rookies the valuable learning experience of being in front of a crowd with an established pro to understand the finer points of the genre.

Among the potpourri of leagues in the western Pennsylvania area, there are live events somewhere in the region on any given weekend, and it's not uncommon for Spectre to work under the banner of different initials each week.

"The comeback as it is, has been fantastic! I honestly am blessed and in many ways couldn’t be more grateful to have a second chance. The caliber of workers I’m in the ring with are very good. The thing I tell young guys now is in modern wrestling being 'good' is kind of the default position now. You need to work even harder to separate yourself from the crowd. But, I’m different too. I’m much better psychologically equipped to deal with the huge ups and downs of the business," Glenn said.

When he isn't generating jeers from the audiences at the Reengage Wrestling Alliance in West Netwon, riling up the fans at Ryse in Uniontown, tormenting the crowd in Altoona, or popping up around the myriad of other events around Pittsburgh, Glenn can be found zigzagging his way around other states. He recently won the Upstate Pro Wrestling heavyweight championship, an accomplishment at his old stomping grounds,a promotion where he had an extensive rivalry with the late, great Brodie Lee almost two decades ago.

However, with the increase in demand to bring Glenn Spectre back to the ring from promoters around the independent circuit, comes with it the double-edged sword of the tedious traveling that is the other side of the equation. The far less glamour side of being in front of bright lights, rolling cameras, and an enthusiastic crowd is the tedious time spent on the interstate with late-night trips home and gas station food along the way.

"Traveling, in many ways, is the same. I love and hate it. I love the bonding element of doing riding and flying with friends and colleagues. But, I absolutely hate doing it alone." Glenn remarked.

Along with traveling north to work for the Upstate group in New York, Spectre found himself heading south to work for the National Wrestling Alliance, which provided a unique fit with the grizzled veteran character a of his "Big Boss" in-ring persona. In many respects, as much as Spectre has a forward-thinking philosophy to stay current with the modern era, he's still very much tailored-made for the traditional aspects of the NWA with his throwback fundamentals and ring psychology.

Thankfully, Glenn can make those interstate trips with a group of aspiring hopefuls that he shares a special bond with, his students. During the early phase of his return to the sport, Spectre worked and trained rookies under the International Wrestling Cartel, an organization that he was a mainstay of in the early-2000s. With a no-nonsense, but dedicated approach to teaching the ways of the ring, Spectre helped craft a crop of students that have excelled within the formative years of their careers so far.

Spectre took a few of his prized pupils and formed "The Troublemakers," a trio consisting of Specture, Tyler Brooks, an agile youngster that already shown ability beyond his experience level, and Canaan Kristopher, a young athlete that has a natural poise for the squared circle. Occasionally, "The Savage" Lexus Synn, a powerful female fighter with a muy thai background, joins the faction to amplify the chaos the stable can cause within a promotion.

"I love tag team wrestling, but it’s particularly special with the Troublemakers because everyone who has shared a spot in the group with me was raised and nurtured in the business by me. There is an incredible bond there. The comfort that comes with knowing the guy you’re tagging with that night also genuinely has your back. It’s the favorite thing I’ve been a part of since returning. Shout out to my Troublemakers Canaan, Tyler, and Lexus. They are the future of this business," Glenn said.

Later this month, Spectre and Kristopher will bring the Troublemakers' brand of violence to Tennessee for Joe Cazana's NWA group.

As if the weekly wrestling either locally or on the road wasn't enough, Spectre's passion for the sport keeps him in between the ropes as often as possible, as he joined the staff of The Stronghold, the training center of Ryse Wrestling, a blue collar league located in the previously mentioned Uniontown, earlier this year. Ryse, a company that often focuses its spotlight on a mixture of young lions and established veterans, was founded by 25-year pro Brandon K in 2016.

Given Glenn's career and track record as a trainer, Ryse management jumped at the chance to add him to the staff as a trainer at their school. As expected, Spectre brings his dedicated, but no-nonsense philosophy to those classes. 

 

"It’s the best facility for training pro wrestlers in the area, and our goal is to be the best, period. Not to toot my own horn, but my fingerprints are on many of the best wrestlers that have come out of this area and there is a reason why. I truly believe I am one of the best trainers out there in imparting technique, conditioning, and storytelling. I’m not only always challenging myself to be a better wrestler. I’m also always trying to improve as a trainer and look at legendary trainers like Pritchard, Snow, and Funk, as the pillar examples to follow. The biggest thing that any one who trains with me knows is that I have a standard and if you fall short of it, you will know I have no patience for excuses," Spectre explained.

 

"Glenn is a guy who walked away from the wrestling business years ago with a chip on his shoulder and now he's back to finish the book of Spectre," added Dean Radford, a longtime veteran that works at the co-head trainer of the Stronghold and one of the head organizers behind-the-scenes at Ryse Wrestling.

 

Where the story takes Spectre next or what chapters will be written going forward remains to be seen, but it's somewhat poetic in the style of professional wrestling that Glenn returned to the ring older and wiser to potentially put forth the best work of his career. At 46, Glenn finds himself more mentally prepared than he was in his 20s, and physically still as sharp as he was in his early years because he keeps himself in top condition between being in the gym or in the ring. It would certainly be a storybook ending if Spectre finds his greatest success if he lands on the national scene after he thought he hung up his boots years ago.

 

"I’m in no way claiming to have written the book on pro wrestling, but I have read a few pages and am happy to stand on the shoulders of giants," Spectre concluded.

Jericho vs. Cardona

News surfaced following the Ring Of Honor tapings that were held after Dynamite this week that Matt Cardona, who is also scheduled for the Game Changer Wrestling event at the Hammerstein Ballroom in January, will challenge Chris Jericho for the ROH championship at the Final Battle pay-per-view later this month at the same venue.

As I wrote in an article last week, Ricky Starks, who has been MIA from All Elite Wrestling since March, made a splash a few weeks ago when he showed up at a GCW event that was held in the afternoon in New Jersey to coincide with the Full Gear pay-per-view that was held that night, and it was subsequently announced that Starks would be a part of at least three GCW events, including the previously mentioned Hammerstein show. Effy, a regular for Game Changer Wrestling, made a few comments about Tony Khan on his podcast, and in response, All Elite canceled Starks from the GCW line-up.

As I said in the column, it's doubtful that AEW decided to run the Hammerstein Ballroom in an attempt to hurt GCW, but rather that it was an attempt by Tony to replicate that the original ROH ran Final Battle there in the past as well. I also pointed out that both promotions could be in a lose-lose situation, as nobody would feel bad for a billionaire, and it's certainly helpful for GCW to maintain some momentum when they have access to the All Elite talent pool when needed.

The fact that it's pointless that Ricky Starks is being kept under contract if Tony has no intention of using him is a different matter that was discussed in the prior article.

However, this latest development of Cardona, who isn't under contract to All Elite, being brought in to challenge Jericho adds some sizzle and quite frankly some purpose to what would be a rather pointless ROH card otherwise. This isn't meant as a knock on any of the talent, as they are working with the platform that they've been given, but my view on Tony's purchase of ROH is the same today as it was three years ago. Attempting to run ROH as its own project just dilutes the overall goal of All Elite Wrestling, and the biggest asset that Khan bought was the extensive video library with early footage of dozens of stars of the modern era. The hundreds of live events and hundreds of episodes of television in the catalog would be a very solid foundation to launch a streaming service that could ultimately be used as a platform for AEW content.

The bottom line is, running ROH as its own project only takes away, at least to some degree, valuable resources that should be used for All Elite Wrestling. The AEW brand is what has the best chance to be truly established as a force within the industry, not just an existence that puts a product on television. In order to make the most of the opportunity to establish that alternative, the resources, not just money or talent, but also the booking, ticket sales, and platform within Tony's wrestling project should be devoted to the brand that has the best chance to be most successful. Quite frankly, all things considered, the continued existence of Ring Of Honor today is essentially a vanity project within a vanity project, if that's possible. Clearly, Tony was a fan of the original ROH, and there's nothing wrong with that, but what exactly is he hoping to accomplish with the name in the modern era? Nothing of importance truly happens within the current ROH, and that's based on the way it's presented more than anything else. It simply muddies the water of the goals of AEW. The numbers for All Elite have been sluggish, the goal should be to improve that before any resources are put into a secondary project that offers less exposure than the witness projection program.

Still, for whatever reason, Tony Khan seemingly wants to continue with his version of ROH, and while I doubt the potential Cordona involvement would boost the ROH brand for the Tony Khan side of the equation, it could make things very interesting for the GCW show at Hammerstein in January.

If I had to guess, GCW owner, Brett  Lauderdale, who said when he was asked about Effy's comments said that he had never spoken to Tony Khan, might've actually had a chance to have a conversation with him at some point after Stark's appearances were canceled, but prior to Cardona's involvement. If the two promoters found some common ground, perhaps the Cardona/Jericho match can be used as a way to help GCW when it's clear that they are at a disadvantage at their Hammerstein event compared to ROH running three shows there just a few weeks before.

I don't think it would be out of the question that Matt Cardona beats Jericho for the ROH title at Final Battle and then brings the belt to the GCW event in the same building. If they really want to present something unique, maybe Jericho demands a rematch for the championship at the GCW show? Again, this alone doesn't really do anything to increase the importance of the ROH belt among the All Elite landscape, but it gives GCW something to sell their show, and at the same time, it would get fans talking about the ROH championship more than anything in the past few years.

Granted, I could be completely wrong, but it's too convenient that Cardona, a guy that has continued to keep himself relevant and fresh since his exit from WWE, and a member of the GCW roster, just happened to be the wrestler booked to challenge Jericho for the ROH belt just weeks after the Starks situation.

Obviously, it's a big fish and a smaller pond type of scenario, but there's nothing wrong with that if it's productive and can increase business. Specifically after the TKO merger, the WWE has such a dominate market share, and the move to Netflix will only increase its market share, especially from an international point of view, that any other promotion with a loyal fan base should avoid making things more difficult for each group. It's difficult enough for groups outside of the scope of WWE to carve out a piece of the market, and it's even more difficult to find that profitable niche so it's better for everyone if those groups worked together when possible so that hopefully, it can be a win-win situation.

As trivial as it might sound, between inflation and the uncertainty of the current economy, some fans might be more hesitant to make those extra purchases with some of their disposable income because that money might not stay disposable income, but rather required cash for essential expenses. Basically, it becomes a tougher sell, especially around the holidays. So, from a promotional stand point, each organization will have to give fans more of an incentive to purchase tickets or order the events online. The Cardona/Jericho bout for the ROH championship, especially depending on if there's a follow-up to bring the storyline to the GCW Hammerstein show, could be the unique selling point that is successful for both events.

Survivor Series review

Survivor Series, the WWE's fall tradition, is in the books, as the company looks to wrap up another record-setting and historic year with the return of Saturday Night's Main Event on NBC in just two weeks. As one of the "big four," Survivor Series, while probably fourth in line in terms of importance of the traditional pay-per-views, still had lofty expectations, especially with the amount of star power that was stacked up for the all-star main event segment.

However, reviews online, at least initially, are mixed. The reason I mentioned that Survivor Series is slotted at number four in terms of the traditional pay-per-views is that it's close enough to Royal Rumble season that in the modern era, most fans look for clues as to what will shape the direction of Wrestlemania the following year, but at the same time, given the history of the event, it's understandable that the fans still expect a spectacle, particularly when the current WWE brand is based around the pryo and ballyhoo of the major pay-per-views.

As with anything else, the hits or misses of Survivor Series depends on perspective. After the three and a half hour broadcast went off the air, I wondered if there was any resolution and how much progress was made toward the end of the year for the company.

The show opened with the 40-minute women's War Games match, and to parse details on this segment would be too lengthy to be pertinent to the bigger point that it was an absolute mess. I'm not sure how this happened, considering that the women's division is usually the most consistent aspect of the organization in terms of quality content, but this went off the rails within minutes of the opening bell. Bayley and Nia Jax started the contest, but the champion looked clumsy and fumbled through spots. Unfortunately, the more competitors that were added to the match, the more unorganized and clunky the segment became as each participant tried to work spots around the other sloppy sequences. The only highlight of the contest was the pair of dives from Iyo Sky and Tiffany Stratton from the top of the cage, which will probably do well on social media, but the match as a whole was a complete flop. I'm not sure if some of them got lost or if a sequence was mistimed and it caused a traffic jam so to speak with the timing of the rest of the match, but all things considered, this match didn't help the division at all. Rhea Ripley got the win for her team after she put Liv Morgan through a table off the ropes with her finisher, but it's best for everyone to forget this underwhelming match.

The US title match was really solid, and showcased the commodity that Shinsuke Nakamura can still be for the company. The action was good and had a pace that built toward the conclusion. More than anything, the repackaging of Nakamura was impressive. The Samurai helmet and Muta-style remix to his music created a tremendous presentation that added an edge to his persona that was definitely needed to rejuvenate his WWE career. The finish saw a reserve DDT that looked brutal on the steel grading between the two rings and the running knee with for Nakamura to win the championship. So, it looks like WWE brass is going to get behind this new persona of Nakamura, and maybe I'm being too pessimistic, but I really have to wonder if this was too little too late in terms of maximizing what they can do with Nakamura at this point in his career. Keep in mind, when he debuted on the main roster and won the Royal Rumble in 2018, it looked like he was on his way to becoming the first Japanese WWE champion. Despite the talent and the charisma, he lost to AJ Styles that year at Wrestlemania and never got close to a main event spot again. If I had to guess, I'd say that Vince McMahon probably went with the trope that if someone doesn't speak completely flute English for promos then there's a ceiling to how far up the card they can go in the promotion. It's a shame because for the past several years, including when he was paired with Claudio as a thrown together tag team, the office did nothing of importance with Nakamura, diminishing his star power to a significant degree, especially compared to the main event push in 2018.

Nakamura was so under the radar that before he resurfaced for this feud with LA Knight recently, he wasn't seen on WWE programming for more than six months. Listen, he relocated from Japan to the United States when he originally inked a WWE deal in 2016 so you know that he had to be offered hefty cash to make the transition to America. Perhaps, he was completely fine with staying home the majority of this year to collect the check. At the same time, it's still very disappointing that his career was more or less stagnant for several years. At 44, Nakamura probably isn't in the prime of his career, but hopefully, he can have another solid run in the WWE before he retires.

The triple threat match for the Intercontinental title was fun. Three way matches can be difficult to structure, but the participants in this contest worked well and developed a good pace for the segment. You have to give credit to Ludwig Kaiser for his work in this storyline, he's proving that he can be more than just a sidekick. The action was good, and Breakker flying into the frame for a shoulder block on the outside was the social media moment of the match. Breakker retained the title after a spear to Sheamus. It was a wise decision to keep the belt on Breakker, because at this point, the main event scene is too crowded to realistically move him up the ladder without the risk of him being overshadowed by others in terms of solidified star power. That being said, when the time is right, Breakker should definitely be booked for a major push and a major title win at a future Wrestlemania, even if that's in a few years as opposed to anything in the immediate future.

Speaking of titles, the world heavyweight championship match was fine, but it definitely had a lame duck atmosphere around it. Aside from the fact that Gunther lost the champion vs. champion bout at Crown Jewel, the feud with Damien Priest wasn't so much a continuation from their match at Summer Slam, but rather something that was picked up more to give Gunther an opponent than anything else. It didn't really have the momentum behind it to be viewed as an anticipated match and the crowd reaction reflected that. Plus, it was doubtful that Gunther was going to drop the belt until at least Wrestlamania. Since the result was somewhat obvious, this contest just didn't get the chance to build any drama toward the conclusion. Finn Balor interfered toward the finish, implying that he and Priest are going to continue their feud, which makes sense. Gunther used a submission to retain the championship.

The War Games main event was another 40-minute segment to close the show, and this is probably the portion of the program that has garnered the most mixed reaction. It should be noted that War Games matches, particularly based on the visual of two rings and the cage, are often based on sizzle rather than substance. There's only so much you can do when there are several wrestlers involved or there are an uneven amount of competitors. Usually, it's not until everyone enters the cage that a specific narrative can be told since that's when the match officially starts and thus the win or defeat could be at stake with a certain spot. War Games 1991 and 1992 in WCW were probably the best type of that match that had an equal amount of sizzle and substance in terms of the in-ring presentation, but a lot of that was based on the wrestlers involved.

The War Games at the Survivor Series was specifically designed to be an all-star segment so I'm not sure exactly what the fans that were underwhelmed expected from this segment. That's not a criticism, but rather that I don't think that CM Punk, Roman Reigns, or too many other of the main event guys were going to dive off the cage, especially right before Rumble season to build for Wrestlemania.

However, one of the aspects of the segment that I think was a total miss was the way the announcers implied that the feud wasn't over, simply because Solo Sikoa still has the tribal necklace. By definition, the War Games bout is the payoff to the feud. The original Bloodline won and thus this should be the end of this chapter. Don't get me wrong, I still think there's a lot of meat on the bone for the wrestlers involved on an individual basis, but if management is going to attempt to continue the storyline based on Solo still claiming to be the tribal chief, the fan interest might diminish. Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu could be a money match, and it would be a realistic bout for Roman at WM that doesn't involve the championship, which is completely fine because Reigns doesn't need the title again. I could see an argument being made for the Usos vs. the Tongans for the tag titles at some point. I'm not sure where Solo goes from here, but as I said, the tribal chief angle was more or less resolved.

One of the most interesting aspects of this segment was the "favor" that CM Punk reminded Paul Heyman that he owns him. It creates compelling questions about the future, and I don't think it would be impossible for Punk to turn heel to work a feud against Reigns. Maybe Heyman will blame Roman for leaving after WM and allowing the attack by Solo where he was put through the table. CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns with Paul Heyman involved is another money match that would be worthy of a featured spot at Wrestlemania next year.

Overall, the main event was fine, nothing too over-the-top, but nothing subpar either. For the fans that have stamped Survivor Series as underwhelming, I'd guess that it was because they expected some type of shock or surprise at the end of the event, similar to when The Rock showed up at the end of the Bad Blood pay-per-view. There wasn't a heel turn or a surprise cameo to conclude the show, but as mentioned, there are a few intriguing scenarios that are possible as the company gets ready to debut on Netflix next month.