MJF vs. Briscoe

At the conclusion of Dynamite, a show that had its main event world title match in the middle of the show and thus a natural decline afterwards, had an extended overrun this week. Besides the fact that it seemed like the segment was really crowbarred into the format, it was also something that could've easily been booked for next week and probably had more or an audience since the ratings tend to dip later in the show, as well as the fact that the previously mentioned Jon Moxley/Adam Page bout was an hour earlier.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman, once thought to be the future of the business and the current number one contender, attacked Mark Briscoe following a match against Ricochet.

This was after Friedman was booted out of The Hurt Syndicate earlier in the night, making him look like a total dork in the process. I've written about it before, but it remains relevant now, there are key times when key booking decisions have to be made, and if the office misses the window to capitalize on it then the talent won't be nearly as over otherwise. Stone Cold cut the 3:16 promo at the right place and at the right time to set the wheels in motion to become the hottest star in the company the following year. Booker T was more than ready to win the world championship in 2003, but Triple H just had to pin him at Wrestlemania.

In the case of MJF, he was supposed to be the ultimate villain, the "real heel" so to speak, even though that should be the standard for all heels in the business, or at least it was at one time. The comedy friendship angle that he did with Adam Cole in 2023 really ruined and diluted any progress that he had as a villain. The switch between heel and baby face within a relatively short time can completely derail a career, just ask Adam Page. When Cole, who was injured at the time and is unfortunately back on the shelf again, was revealed under the devil mask, it made Friedman look silly as a character. The majority of he audience had it figured out for months, but supposedly one of the most calculating characters on the show didn't see it coming when it was revealed at the end of the year?

Furthermore, and this is probably the bigger point to be made about that disastrous storyline, MJF acting like a comedy baby face with the lame hug spots and the cringe worthy kangaroo kick neutered him as a serious character. Sure, performance-wise, those guys did the best they could with what they were given, but when a character is put in a scenario that sacrifices their credibility, it undoubtedly affects the perception of that performer going forward.

Just a few months ago, MJF was only making cameos at ringside during pay-per-views and begging to be a part of a faction, is that really a main event guy?

Now, all of the sudden, the audience is supposed to take him seriously as a vicious heel because he mentioned the late Jay Briscoe? If anything, the fact that Friedman has to reach for more low-hanging fruit to try to get heat as a potential main event villain again almost underscores the notion that maybe he didn't have quite the potential that many thought he did a few years ago.

This is also something I've written before, when you look at the best heels in the history of the business, they didn't have to resort to "shock tactics" to get heat. For example, Tully Blanchard got a reaction just by his body language and the way that he carried himself in the ring. He looked like a jerk, walked like a jerk, and talked like a jerk so it was very easy to believe that he was a jerk. The late great Roddy Piper had fans in a frenzy and he never had to use profanity to do it. 

There's a difference between working as a heel and desperately trying to shock the audience. MJF is the latter, as he had to use references to CTE, suicide, and now Jay Briscoe's death to get a crowd reaction. Don't get me wrong, as I've said before, I think Mark Briscoe is more than talented enough and more than over enough to justify an angle where he wins the championship in honor of his late brother, similar to when Kerry Von Erich pinned Ric Flair to win the NWA world heavyweight championship for David more than 40 years ago, but all things considered, that's not where the storyline is going. The mention of Jay Briscoe's passing isn't being used to set up for the wholesome win of his brother, but rather used as a substitue for a compelling storyline to try to get Friedman back in the main event scene after his stock dropped considerably over the past two years.

The most frustrating part of all of this is that there's absolutely no guarantee that any of this will follow through in a way that will actually put MJF in a position to be a top guy. Given how tarnished his value was in recent years, even if Tony Khan follows through with a potential plan to get him back in the title picture, it's not automatic that he would get over in that position again. In many ways, with how MJF leaned on cheap heat when he had the main event spotlight, he proved himself to be a big fish in a relatively small pond. Some dismiss the comparison, but would MJF truly stand a chance on the mic with the top tier talent in the WWE? Granted, he can't use the lower level cheap heat tricks that uses in AEW in that type of scenario, but that's the point, the WWE talent that are the top names in the business don't have to lower themselves to CTE references to get a reaction.

This might sound like it's all a knock on MJF, but it's actually quite the opposite. Instead it's that he's way too talented to either have to resort to such low-hanging fruit, or the way that he was booked minimized the skills that he brought to the table. MJF is a smaller guy that sometimes doesn't know how to work big, and when he has to attempt to shock the audience, it almost emphasizes his smaller statue. For example, he literally ran from the ring on Dynamite. Either he's a coward heel or a serious villain that is ready to challenge for the world title, he simply can't be both at the same time. On the flip side, Randy Savage was someone that knew how to work big and thus enhanced the larger-than-life perception.

If I had to guess, this MJF/Mark Briscoe feud will be used to set Friedman up to challenge Adam Page for the championship at some point in the future. Right now, I'm now sure how much interest that truly draws as a possible money match for the organization, hence why the Briscoe angle will probably be used to renew some heat for Friedman. That being said, if I had a vote, I'd eventually decide to have MJF beat Hangman before Briscoe defeats him to win the title. The problem is, when that doesn't happen, it's another key defeat for Mark Briscoe, and it's possible that the fans will lose faith in him as a character. The result of that would be that the legitimately emotional story of possibly winning the title for his brother will be rendered useless and Mark will become just another guy on the roster, which would be disappointing since he's much more talented than that.

Even if MJF emerges as the world champion again down the road, I don't think that it will make much difference in the grand scheme of things. As much as I hope that All Elite Wrestling is successful, the product has been so slapstick for so long that the harsh reality is that the brand has shown itself to be exactly what it appears to be, both positively and negatively, for its audience. Similar to other beleaguered leagues in the past, one signing, storyline, or title change isn't going to change the course of the promotion. So, if MJF wins the championship, the impact is rather moot, specifically because Tony Khan is content with winning The Wrestling Observer's booker of the year instead of making a profit. It's the complete opposite of the point of the business, but it's important to keep in mind that profit isn't the objective for AEW, and considering that the Khan family has billions of dollars, it doesn't have to be. Still, if Friedman gets the chance to pursue acting on a full-time basis, he might want to take it because there's a limit to the success of AEW as far as the status of the company.

Jason Hendrix returns

Live entertainment is a tough business, regardless of what form it takes. Professional wrestling might be even more physically demanding than the grueling tour schedule of musicians, or the exhausting film schedule of the movies. One of the reasons being that sports entertainment, especially for those that are working their way up in the business, is so multi-faceted and there are so many different bases to cover that it becomes a constant juggling act to maintain the upward trajectory in an effort to obtain the rare status of pro wrestling fame.

It goes without saying that young lions making their way in the sport have to hammer down a workout regiment that suites them best, they have to polish their skills in the training center, the have to make sure to market themselves in the modern age of social media, and they have to stay focused to have the best live event matches that they can to present the best overall performance that they can. There's also the travel of hours in a car to get as much as exposure as possible to get their name out there in the minds of promoters. All of that is not to mention the spinning plates routine of working a regular job and trying to have some type of personal life outside of the ring ropes.

One of the harshest aspects of trying to make it big in pro wrestling is that a performer can be doing all of the previously mentioned things right and be on the right path to make it to the next level, and it can all change instantly. Their life, both inside and outside of the squared circle can change course abruptly, testing if the dream of sports entertainment is worth it, and if they are truly willing to sacrifice for it.

Unfortunately, Jason Hendrix, a youngster that broke into the business just a few years ago and had already made waves, turning the heads of some of the sport's most accomplished pros, had his promising career path derailed in a matter of moments last year.

 Hendrix, who made his pro wrestling debut in 2022 under the Ryse Wrestling banner, a blue collar league based in the blue collar area of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, spent the first year and a half of his career as a young grappler in the business taking strides to make a name for himself. Not long after his first pro match, he graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Multidisciplinary Studies with minors in Marketing, Advertising and Communications. He had a fresh diploma and a new pair of wrestling boots that he took with him, as he zigzagged around different states of any given weekend. Eventually, he caught the eye of the then-NWA World Heavyweight champion, Ethan Carter III, who invited Hendrix to train him with at the NWA star's training center.

Hendrix thought enough of the opportunity to relocate from his home in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he originally became enthralled with the sport after attending a WWE house show in 2011, to Cleveland to train with the NWA Exodus crew on a full-time basis. Within six months of that decision, Hendrix was on his way up, competing for Ohio Valley Wrestling, Exodus, groups in New York, and places like Boston.

"EC3 is a complete psychopath, I love it. We worked like absolute dogs there, and just about everybody in that school was a complete fitness machine as a result. With so many polished working wrestlers there, it was kind of like grad school for wrestling in many ways," Hendrix commented.

As quickly as he was ascending the ladder, he experienced an abrupt halt, shattering his progress as a talented performer and his leg in the process.

During a routine training drill, Hendrix landing wrong, breaking his tibia and fibula, an injury that was serve enough to require immediate surgery. In a show of solidarity, his entire training class went with him to the hospital where X-rays confirmed the nature of the devastating injury. With Hendrix in a wheel chair, his pro wrestling comrades posed for a picture with him to show their support.

"We were practicing at the Control Your Narrative school in Cleveland. Essentially, I tried to reverse a move with a backflip, and rotated in a manner where all my weight came down on my right leg causing a loud snapping noise. The hospital folks peeled me off the mat on a stretcher," he commented.

It was going to take a metal rod through his knee, a plate in his ankle, and a collection of screws to not only fix his leg, but to keep his pro wrestling dream together. 

After three different procedures successful repaired the damage, Hendrix was in a cast, placed on various different medications, and it became a tough task for him to even use crutches during the first few days of his recovery. He needed assistance with the most routine and mundane tasks. He needed help getting to the bathroom, getting in the shower, and getting dressed. Using one crutch to steady himself, he leaned against the sink to brush his teeth and comb his hair on his own. This was the far less glamours side of the sports entertainment business.

 "The injury really took my life and flipped it on its head. I went from being in 2-4 states a week, on shows wrestling to my big road trip being to get to the bathroom or maybe the fridge. Needless to say, my ego took quite a hit," Hendrix recalled.

He moved back home to Wildwood because the amount of care and physical therapy he was going to need to recover was simply too much for him to do on his own.

At just 24, Jason Hendrix was going to have to decide if being a professional wrestler was worth it, and if he was willing to sacrifice for it?

As he entered 2025, Jason Hendrix was on the road to recovery, allowed to do small exercise and adding more to his physical therapy routine as he slowly progressed in his quest to regain mobility in his once-shattered leg.

"PT was definitely challenging for me. It felt like all the work I had put in, especially with the intense level of training I was just participating in was flushed away. I have had serious injuries before, but never anything on this level that required a surgery. It was one of those moments where I had to remind myself that progress isn’t linear, and truly successful people are defined by how they bounce off of their dips," he said.

The silver lining of such a massive setback was that through the peaks and valleys of recovery, Hendrix found a reassurance in not only his passion for the industry, but also of his talent as a performer. Still, one of the toughest battles for him through the agonizing healing process were the mental hurdles and self doubt that can surface in the quiet moments, the times that the echos of the live audience were replaced with tedious stretching exercises to improve his mobility in his leg.

"I had second thoughts on my return until about a week before I actually did it. For a few months, I really felt my fire go out. For the first time since I started wrestling, I didn’t love it anymore. I had given everything to this business and I was watching as the wheels kept turning without me. As much as that affected me, I was fortunate to work with some great trainers in Shawn Donovan and Leon St. Giovanni at Create-A-Pro New Jersey that helped ease me back into things, showing me that I could still do this," Hendrix explained.

Medically cleared in March earlier this year, Jason Hendrix took no chances, taking his time to slowly rebuilt his conditioning up to a level that was suitable for the impactful nature of professional wrestling. He already experienced that a few years worth of progress can be stopped in an instant, it's the nature of the beast so he saw the value in patience before he stepped into a ring again.

Finally, nearly a full year after his leg was left literally in a few different pieces on the canvas of the training center in Cleveland, Jason Hendrix was ready for his return to Ryse Wrestling, the place where his career started, just a few weeks ago. Wrestling in New Jersey the night before in his first match back from injury, Hendrix still wasn't prepared for the emotions running through his mind as he stood behind the curtain during the final segment of The Ryse Rumble, one of the signature events on the organization's calendar. Just when the villainous David Lawless, who had just won the Ryse Grand championship through nefarious efforts in the rumble, and his new stable were putting the boots to a few of the fan favorites, Jason Hendrix made his surprise return to make the save.

The crowd erupted as Hendrix, sporting brand new gear, walked through the curtain, The thunderous ovation that echoed around the venue was a stark contrast to the quiet moments that he spent with him leg in a cast several months earlier, pondering if the sacrifice for sports entertainment was worth it.

"Returning to Ryse was special, I’ve been so blessed to do some pretty cool stuff in wrestling. I’ve worked with people I grew up watching and been on TV in front of thousands of people, but I’ve never had a moment so emotional in the ring like that. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I almost cried," Hendrix said.

So, yes, Jason Hendrix was willing to make the sacrifices to continue his path in professional wrestling. In many respects, his journey is a reflection of the business itself. There are moments of despair and moments of triumph. Hendrix has cried tears of pain and tears of joy throughout his young career in the sport. True to his craft, he cites a laser focus toward the future with a series of goals set for himself.

"I’m going to continue to pursue this with everything in me, but this time around, I’m holding myself accountable to smell the roses along the way a little more. My goal in wrestling is to do this at a level where I can reach people, and make them feel the beautiful range of emotions wrestling has taught me over the years to the best of my ability," he concluded.

Jace Mara vs. Tad Jarvis

Being involved in the pro wrestling business for the past 17 years, I've seen many things that fall into the "truth is stranger than fiction category. Given the nature of the industry that originated from the carnival circuit, especially on the independent level, it just goes with the territory. Professional wrestling, as with many other genres, especially within live entertainment, is comprised of con artists, yo-yos, talented people, wonderful people, and eccentric people. I'm nobody, but I think I have enough authority to say that the sports entertainment field is, true to its origin, very similar to the circus.

The comradery is one of the most ironic aspects of a business built on perceived violence and thrilling drama. You will find performers from every background, race, gender, and orientation on any given card. Heroes, villains, neanderthals, cowpokes, fashion plates, and rock stars all work together toward common goals, sell some tickets and entertain the paying audience.

The bond they all share is the squared circle.

As I said, being an announcer in the Pittsburgh area since 2009, and a photographer for a year prior to that, I've seen some absolutely ridiculous things that you'd probably have to see to believe, simply because it would seem too outlandish for anything other than sports entertainment. I've seen fans fight wrestlers, I've seen fans fight fans, I've seen fans jump in the ring on multiple occasions, and I saw an intoxicated fan crawl under the ring. I've seen untrained "wrestlers" try to call themselves pros and nearly break their leg when attempting to take the most basic of bumps. I saw the late Balls Mahoney once leave a vulgar voicemail (allegedly) threatening a shady promoter's well being and the possible destruction of his home after Joe Rogers skipped town with the money box without paying anyone in 2009.

So, when something over-the-top, off-the-walls, or flabbergasting happens, it might be surprising, but it's rare that anything is truly shocking in this field of sports entertainment.

Thankfully, the organizations that I've worked with for the past several years are upstanding groups with professional events and dedicated fan bases. One such example is Ryse Wrestling, the league based out of Uniontown, Pennsylvania. As I wrote about last week, Ryse had their annual showcase at the Fayette County Fair, a more rural part of the western Pennsylvania region. Tad Jarvis and Jace Mara, two grapplers that grew up in the same place that hosted the fair, were given the main event spot to settle their longstanding feud in a wild bunkhouse brawl match, a fitting stipulation for the fair grounds.

The upside for the organization is that more fans get exposure to the product, and the customers of the fair get to watch the wrestling show included in their price of admission to the festivities so it's a win-win for everyone involved. The downside is that it was 85 degrees and the humidity was close to the surface of the sun. The EQT Pavilion was located directly across from the cattle stables (more on that later) and somehow, it smelled worse than the typical independent wrestling crowd.

The John Deer crowd or the finer points of farming aren't my area of expertise so I'm not quite sure of the reason why several different types of cattle are brought to the fair, but champion live stock, dairy cows, and calves at the petting zoo are all included at various pens that zigzag between the stands of funnel cake, lemonade, and fried oreos.

Wes Fetty, the caveman professionally known as The Beastman, was slated for a surprise appearance on the card, and the monstrous grappler that is clad in his trademark furry boots, an homage to his hero, Bruiser Brody, was nice enough to let me tag along with him to the show. There are times that I want to strangle the death match fighter, but you want to hug him just as often, as the guy truly cares about his friends. Proof of that is that since I have to avoid walking long distances the way that Lsrry Zbyszko avoided taking bumps in his glorious career (read that in the Zbyszko voice), Wes made sure to drop me off at the back of the fair grounds where there was a fence with a gate mere steps away from the previously mentioned EQT Pavilion where the ring was being assembled, before he went to park at the designated lot at the fair.

The floor of the pavilion is covered with saw dust, as it's usually used for livestock when it's not housing professional wrestling. With that in mind, I carefully focused on each step I took to avoid any surprises on the floor. It was great to see The Runway, Calvin Couture and Tyler Klein, make their return to Ryse. They were scheduled to compete against DD Vince and Marcus Twist, the team of Saturday Night Special that made their debut with the organization. It was also great to get to call the return match of longtime pro Axl Lsw, who trained for several months to make a comeback to the ring. Axl is a wild man and within a minute of hitting the ring for his bout against Glenn Spectre, launched himself through the air to nail his opponent with a drop kick.

After calling a full card of action in the humid conditions, I was ready to exit the fair grounds as soon as the final bell sounded when Mara defeated Jarvis in the Bunkhouse Brawl. However, there were some of the tear down efforts that took place so I had a few minutes before Wes, Ryse organizer Dean Radford, and I left the area to go to a local restaurant to get some food since most of the fair booths were closing at the end of the night. Since I had a few minutes, I wondered through the maze of buildings and food stands to find some ridiculously expensive, but equally delicious $10 funnel cake and an $8 lemonade, which was also as refreshing as it was expensive.

As I was sipping on the lemonade, the cavemen told me that he was going to get his car so I told him that I'd meet him at the same gate that we started at in the afternoon. As a line of cars filed out through the gate of the exterior fence, I took my phone and sent a text to Dean to let him know the plan to grab dinner after everything was packed up from the event.

As I looked up from my phone, I saw a full-size cow running at a full stride toward me, and it was one of those moments where it's obviously not something that you see everyday so it took me about half a second to truly process that there was a farm animal making a run for it in my general direction. I stepped to the right to make sure my tenure in professional wrestling wouldn't come to an end via fleeing cattle, and you could hear the hoofs clacking on the dirt as the cow headed for the highway. I'm not sure if this was a dairy cow that was tied of being a milk supply or if the animal was running for its life to avoid being a hamburger patty. I didn't get a chance to ask, but it was rather astounding that somehow, even with all the pens and gates to contain the animals, this cow had enough meticulous planning to find the fence that was open to be able to make a break for it on the highway.

The scene that followed looked like something from a movie scene and was almost as surreal as the rouge cattle that was galloping toward me just seconds earlier. A regiment of ranchers, complete with cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and lassos were in pursuit of the escaped animal. All jokes aside, it was definitely dangerous to have the large animal on the highway at night when cars wouldn't be able to see it. Ironically, the cow was polite enough to go in the direction of traffic. When Wes brought his car around, I jumped into the passenger seat as quickly as I could since I didn't know if the escaped cow had an accomplice that would try to join him in the middle of the commotion. The wrestler that has competed with light tubes and barbed wire for Game Changer Wrestling recently couldn't believe that the people that he saw running were trying to find an animal. As he made his way onto the highway, we saw another movie scene as the ranchers mentioned before were standing on the running boards of a pick up truck as it went down the highway to locate the cattle, still with their cowboy hats and lassos. As of this writing, there's no confirmation if the cow is still at large or was detained, but from where the group was stopped down the highway, it looked like the cattle might've been captured without incident.

The return of 2PW

A western Pennsylvania-based league has scheduled its comeback event, as Prospect Pro Wrestling is slated to return after nearly a year on hiatus with "Resuscitated," a showcase that will be held at its new home base venue The Elements building in Irwin, PA on Friday August, 15th with an 8 PM bell time. Founded by longtime pro and cornerstone of the Pittsburgh tag tag scene, Marshal Gambino in 2018, the premise of the organization was based on providing a platform for the next generation to not only hone their craft through valuable in-ring experience in front of a paying audience, but also to cement themselves as commodities among the landscape of the steel city circuit.

"Fans can expect the “new era” of 2PW to build on what made the promotion strong to begin with, but also stepping things up in several key ways. It’ll be fresher, adding new rising talent to the current roster; more polished with upgraded production and storytelling. It will be more ambitious with stronger branding and long-term growth goals. If you’re attending our show on August 15th, you’re likely catching it at the start of a real upward swing," Prospect Pro management said via e-mail.

In the years prior to the launch of 2PW, the dynamics of the industry, both nationally and locally, shifted with less talent that traveled on a national level available to be brought in on the independent level. When multi-million dollar companies such as WWE and AEW offer many performers on the market hefty contracts, the trickle down effect was a more stringent approach for local leagues that still had to maintain their attendance numbers.

The unintended consequence of those efforts was that newer talent had less opportunities to cut their teeth or grow as performers with the chance to take the ball and run with it as stars among the regional landscape.

Marshal, who broke into the sport in 2004 with his former tag partner, Mickey at a time when the independent scene often had talent from either TNA in its early days or Ring Of Honor when that group was still independently-owned, wanted to remedy this predicament for the overall health of the local industry.

If there were limited spots for rookies within the established groups, Marshal would launch 2PW to allow for those enthusiastic youngsters to have a platform to flourish, resulting in a truly unique product to offer fans something that they weren't going to see anywhere else in the area.

"If you look at the history of 2PW, you see names that have become the future of Pittsburgh wrestling. Elijah Dean was the Top Prospect Champ before he rose to take Pittsburgh by storm. Jami Jamison became the Hammer Lord through wars in 2PW. The Runway was walking the catwalk of 2PW en route to walking Enjoy and GCW. And the veterans who in this locker room like Marshall Gambino, Gory, John McChesney, Super Hentai, and CJ Sensation all helped sharpen them in combat in a 2PW ring." said Tony Kincaid, a signature member of the 2PW broadcast team since the organization's inception.

Motivated grapplers like Jami Jamison, Preston Everett, and Tad Jarvis were mixed with solid veterans such as Super Hentai, Troy Lords, and Andrew Palace to spotlight the young talent in a way that stayed true to the promotion's original mission statement. Among its efforts was a focus of providing the audience with a variety of styles and a fresh blend of talent.

However, the nature of the independent scene can make for a harsh reality as far as the business side of the project. There weren't corporate sponsors or massive television deals to provide the foundation of running the operations of the organization. Make no mistake about it, the pro wrestlers that step into the Prospect Pro ring aim to give the audience their money's worth and make themselves stars in the process. But, when the final bell of the evening rings, the lights dim and everyone involved has their civilian life outside of the spectacle of the squared circle. Marshal is a promoter inside pro wrestling, but has a family with typical responsibilities outside of it. The same can be said for every member of the 2PW team, everyone juggles the dreams of pro wrestling glory with the mundane responsibilities of everyday life. On top of that, Marshal runs Sounds 4 Gotten, a DJ business that caters to everything from corporate events to private birthday parties, as well as spots at the Kennywood amusement park, for the past 16 years.

After six years, a portion of that through the uncharted waters of the pandemic, those forces behind Prospect Pro Wrestling knew that in order to maintain the high quality and standard that they set for themselves upon the start of the venture, that a hiatus was the best decision to recharge their batteries as a way to allow for a new chapter of the promotion to unfold, creating the chance for a new presentation for its dedicated fan base.

"Firstly, running shows consistently got tough financially. It wasn’t easy trying to keep everything funded while trying to also grow the promotion. Secondly, managing schedules as an entrepreneur, a wrestler, a husband, and a father made things a bit more complicated behind-the-scenes. On top of that, we felt we just needed to take a breather, take some time to rethink where 2PW was headed. We figured hitting pause would give us space and time to come up with fresh ideas from a restructured management team, improve storylines, and grow stronger and better.  It was a chance for us to work on building better connections and figuring out how to reach more fans. So ultimately, the hiatus was a way to reset and make sure 2PW can come back stronger and better in the future," Marshal Gambino explained.

It was a tough decision, as the company was on a continuous upward trajectory, drawing packed crowds on a regular basis, proving that its original mission statement was not only possible, but could truly thrive as a force within the storied Pittsburgh wrestling circuit The future of the company wasn't in doubt, but rather the timing and opportunity to provide the best platform were cited by management as keys for the selection of The Elements venue and the return date of August 15 in Irwin, a location with its own unique wrestling lore that stenches back to the late-90s with Steel City Wrestling group that ran shows at the Sideshow Pizza entertainment center.

"If we were coming back was never a question, but more of a matter of when. The timing of our return came down to a combination of internal readiness and external opportunity. Since January, we met with several venues in the Irwin area, and Elements Venue gave us an opportunity to showcase what we can do and the entertainment we can bring to a new area, while also not only renewing current sponsorships, but obtaining several new sponsorships to help local businesses in the Irwin area. This rebranding isn’t just about coming back, it’s about leveling up, Gambino explained.

"We're back and stronger than ever!"I cant wait to see the loyal fans again and what management has planned for the infinite future of Prospect Pro Wrestling," added Doc Daugherty, one of the top voices of Pittsburgh wrestling and lead play-by play announcer for the promotion.

To say that the August 15th card is stacked would be an understatement. Top Prospect champion, Preston Everest defends his championship against longtime staple of the Pittsburgh scene, the accomplished Andrew Palace. Ron Hunt and Curtis Ray Goddi collide with Tad Jarvis and the iconic Super Hentai in tag team action. John McChesney squared off with talented youngster Zach Nystrom, and a four-way match scheduled with David Lawless, Anthony Young, Gianni Micheal Emricko, and Don Murphy promises to bring wild action. Pittsburgh legend Paul Atlas and Marshal Gambino are slated for a tag bout against Jami Jamison and Jason Tyler, collectively known as The Highway Outlaws.

Speaking of tag team action, Prospect Pro management cited the team effort as a critical piece of the puzzle for the immense success the upstart league had for its first six years of existence, and also for the excitement that around the return showcase after a year away before the August 15th card in Irwin.

"2PW has always been run by a team of people, not one person in particular.  What is nice about having a team mentality is that when something needs to be done it is picked up by someone on the team and followed through to completion," Marshal concluded.

What's the status of Buff Bagwell?

Marcus "Buff" Bagwell is a cautionary tale of the professional wrestling business. He's a textbook example of someone that bought into his own hype and assumed his stardom wouldn't end. In the simplest of terms, he became Buff Bagwell and lost sight of who Marcus who, at least that's the way it appears from the outside looking in on the situation.

Breaking into the sport at the age of just 20, Bagwell first made a splash in the industry in the short-lived Global Wrestling Federation, which offered brief exposure on ESPN, but fizzled out quickly when the funding wasn't there to truly get the group off the ground. By 1991, he inked a deal with World Championship Wrestling, working there for a decade before the organization was bought by Vince McMahon for pennies on the dollar.

Bagwell made for an irritating heel, partially because he allowed his real-life ego to show through, and in some ways, that can draw money, but for whatever reason things just didn't seem to truly line-up for him to have the big time run that his physique and in-ring talent suggested he was capable of. Sure, when he teamed with various partners like Too Cold Scorpio, The Patriot, and Scotty Riggs (I'm sure everyone can hear The American Males song just from the mention), you could see what a gifted athlete he was, but it's important to keep it in perspective that he only had a few years of in-ring experience when he found himself on national television. Even if the revolving door of bookers of the Turner organization at the time saw him as a possible top guy in the future, it wasn't a realistic option until he had enough experience to work his way up the card. 

The problem was, Buff's original presentation as a bubblegum baby face was out of style by the time he got to that five-year mark as a performer. The rah-rah smile and primped hair had fans rolling their eyes when they saw the two coolest guys in wrestling at the time, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, flip the script on the business when they showed up on Nitro in 1996. As catchy as The American Males song might be for those that remember it, it didn't come close to the NWO tune that became one of the most iconic themes in the history of the business.

Granted, when Buff was added to the New World Order stable, it was theoretically a better spot, but as the group got more diluted anyone in the second tier got swept up in a potpourri of mid-carders. More importantly, Bagwell wasn't going to truly move up the card or increase his stock, as the structure of WCW rarely allowed for younger talent to break through to the next level. He suffered a broken neck on live television in 1998, and instead of using his legitimately inspirational recovery back to the ring to progress his career, he was booked to turn heel in a "classic" Vince Russo swerve. I'm sure Judy Bagwell was a wonderful lady, but is there anything more cringe worthy than a guy that needs to take his mom to work with him?

The sum total of all of this is that by the time the WWF bought WCW, Buff was more or less in the same spot that he was in for the majority of his career under the Turner banner, he was a young guy with some potential. Infamously, not long after Buff was brought into the WWF as a part of the Turner acquisition, his mom called Jim Ross to let him know that Bagwell wouldn't be at the event scheduled because he was getting an injury checked out. That along with the disastrous match that he had against Booker T on Raw and the fact that the roster was flooded with guys that had TV experience from WCW and ECW, it was a relatively easy decision to fire Buff from the organization.

Unfortunately, for the majority of the past two and a half decades, far longer than his run on television, Buff made more headlines for his troubles outside of the ring than anything he did as a performer. Sadly, the turbulent life after wrestling overshadowed his in-ring career. He had a series of very serious car accidents from driving under the influence and his legal woes, as well as drug issues, have been the story of Buff Bagwell for the past several years.

One of those serious car wrecks was in 2020 and he suffered serious damage to his knee cap. Despite years of trying to manage the injuries sustained, last week Buff announced on social media that he underwent a leg amputation in an effort to move past the previous wreck, with the hope that alleviating the source of pain and adjusting to a prosthetic leg will improve his overall quality of life.

Buff went on to say that he hopes to return to the ring for a final bout after he recuperates from the procedure.

Unfortunately, this makes me question his motives and sincerity with his latest decision. A few years ago, when Buff tried to rehab his image, he posted messages on social media in support of the LGBT community and even had merchandise made for it. While the cause is noble, it was later revealed that Bagwell had someone else running his Twitter account and he wasn't actually interacting with fans. It appeared to be nothing more than a ruse to generate some t-shirt sales.

The reason that I doubt Buff' sincerity is simple, did he get his leg amputated with the true intention of turning his life around, or did he have no choice and wants to use this as an opportunity to have one more "inspirational" run? It wouldn't be the first time and won't be the last time that a former star was looking for one more run or one last big payday. To put it in perspective, given the nature of his injuries from car wrecks while he drove intoxicated, would it be safe for Buff to attempt to wrestle again? Is it truly worth the risk of further injury from another match? As harsh as it might sound, from purely a business stand point, would there be a demand for it? Would fans really be willing to pay to see another Buff Bagwell match at this point? Sure, some carny promoter somewhere would be willing to book it to try to draw a house, but that doesn't mean it would be a wise decision for anyone involved.

At 55, success for Marcus Bagwell should be finding a place of peace in his life where he can live healthy and happy for the next few decades in his golden years. If his focus or primary goal is anything other than that, it's doubtful that even a new lease on life without the pain associated from his previous injuries will yield different results than in the past.

That being said, I truly hope that Buff Bagwell finally gets his life together and that the narrative that was the subject of an episode of The Dark Side of The Ring series has a much happier conclusion. Hopefully, Buff Bagwell finds Marcus at this point in his life and even if it shouldn't include a return to the ring, he can find a level of peace in the future.

Hulk Hogan passed away

Just a few hours ago, my phone was flooded with texts within the span of just a few minutes. Regardless of the details, that's generally never a good thing, and I have to say. I was completely stunned, and I still am as I write this, to see the news that Hulk Hogan passed away at the age of 71. According to reports from TMZ, Hogan, who had been rumored to be ill in recent weeks, suffered a heart attack earlier today and was rushed to a hospital before he died. 

This was after sleazy radio host, Bubba The Love Sponge, made headlines for the past month or so, claiming that Hogan was near death, a notion that Hulk's representative fiery denied. If the radio host's statements were based on anything concrete or if the timing of Hogan's death was merely a coincidence is rather moot.

There's absolutely no doubt that one of the titans of the industry has died and the impact that The Hulkster had on the genre helped shape the business that exist today. However, and this should be a key point going forward, the legacy of Hulk Hogan is very, very complicated.

In short, the impact that the Hulk Hogan character had on fans and the early perception of the industry was overwhelmingly positive. He was an all-American hero for many of those that needed a hero and someone to look up to. It's also undeniable that without The Hulkster as the flag bearer of the WWF, Vince McMahon's national expansion of the early-80s and thus the total transformation of the scale of professional wrestling might've flopped. Hulk was the right guy at the right time with the right character to be the centerpiece of the ability to take sports entertainment to a national level. His persona and the MTV crossover with the Rock N' Wrestling connection were a perfect pair to spotlight larger-than-life stars, a premise that became the standard of today.

Of course, as time went on, more was revealed about the man behind the persona. Hulk Hogan was the top star that battled the villains, while telling the youngsters to take their vitamins and say their prayers. Many have spoken about how The Hulkster inspired them to pursue pro wrestling or weightlifting, and that inspiration is definitely positive. That being said, through the years, the behind-the-scenes narratives emerged that the real-life Terry Bollea was much different than the on-screen character. He was a calculated politician that carefully crafted and protected his position at the top of the card at the expense of not only other performers' careers, but also the demise of some organizations. The whole "that don't work for me, brother" routine was one of the many reasons that WCW folded. He just had to beat Yokozuna at Wrestlemania IX to make sure a newer star, Bret Hart couldn't get the spotlight that night. The Starrcade finish against Sting is still debated since he was hesitant to put the new crow character over. He had a "knee injury" in 2006 until the finish was changed for him to defeat Randy Orton at Summer Slam. The Hogan era of TNA led the company over a cliff, as Hulk showed up, made a lot of money, and left. According to Jesse Ventura, when the former Minnesota governor tried to start a pro wrestling union ahead of Wrestlemania II, it was Hogan that told Vince McMahon about it. A union didn't matter to Hulk, nor would he want anything to get in the way of the plans for the show because he was going to be the highest paid performer on the card anyway. 

When the infamous sex tape leaked a decade ago and was published by the Gawker website, it did damage to his legacy that it never truly recovered from. Bubba The Love Sponge's then-wife and Hulk were secretly recorded and during their encounter, the real-life Terry Bollea spewed several racial slurs and he admitted that he was a racist on the portions of the tape that were posted online.

This revealed that the real-life Terry Bollea was everything that the beloved Hulk Hogan character wasn't. The aura of The Hulkster seemed like it was a fraud, that the fans that had supported him for decades were misled.

Hence the debate the often happens when someone of that caliber is embroiled in controversy, can you separate the artist from the art, or in this case, can you separate Terry Bollea from the Hulk Hogan character?

His apology tour not long after the headlines seemed superficial, and it was tough to put any stock into it as far as a sincere apology since the entire concept of the sports entertainment industry is to work the viewing audience into believing something that may or may not be true. Furthermore, and this was probably more damaging to his attempt at redemption than anything else, he didn't seemed to do much to make the situation right after the television appearances. It seemed like he waited for the story to fade from the headlines instead. Mark Henry has spoke on the topic, explaining that he didn't think Hulk truly wanted to learn from the mistakes.

The fans didn't forget either, as Hulk was booed out of the building during the Raw debut on Netflix earlier this year. Being a true politician and wanting to maximize his earning potential as he had done throughout his wrestling career, Bollea  jumped on the Trump bandwagon, cutting a ridiculous promo at the Republican National Convention. It just looked silly when the 70-year-old tore his shirt at what should've been an event based on the democratic process of the country. But, nobody can claim that Hulk isn't a smart businessman. Keep in mind, politics are more of a work than pro wrestling and it's more profitable, too. Hogan's Real American beer brand was designed to target the MAGA demographic, as is the Real American Freestyle Wrestling project, which was just picked up for a streaming deal on the Fox Nation platform. It goes without saying that picking a political side in the modern era, especially to such a strong degree, will further divide the fan base.

The biggest point that should be made here is that just because someone passes away, it doesn't automatically make them a good person, and they shouldn't be praised unless they actually deserve it. If someone was inspired by Hulk Hogan and wants to grieve his passing, they certainly have the right to do that. However, I can't suddenly ignore the terrible things he said or the political damage he did to the wrestling business. Not being a racist is a low bar and it was still one that Terry Bollea in his own words didn't clear. This is just my opinion, the positive impact of the scripted Hulk Hogan character doesn't excuse the real-life racism that Terry Bollea spewed. The bottom line is, real life is more important than a scripted wrestling show.

The stance on Hulk Hogan will, without question, soften since he died, and maybe it should. The lifetime ban on Pete Rose was recently lifted. I will be the first to acknowledge that I'm a relatively stubborn person and perhaps I should be more forgiving, but at least for right now, I just don't think the fact that he was in the main event of Wrestlemania should be a reason to overlook that he might've been a hateful guy. On the flip side, John Cena proved to be the real-life superhero that he was on-screen so maybe he would be a better choice for the term hero than Hogan. That might've been the most frustrating aspect of the latter stages of Hulk Hogan's career, it always seemed like he wanted to sweep the controversy under the rug and move onto the next sales pitch rather than ever truly address it.

This is a sad day, and make no mistake about it, I wish Hulk would've had some true resolution. It would've been much better if he came to some type of realization about how ignorant he was, but that was never truly made clear. To be fair, it's possible that he changed his mindset, but that was never properly communicated to the public. It was sincerely disheartening when his legacy was tarnished, especially because the character was a legitimate inspiration to many fans of different generations.

So, as with almost everything, it's a matter of perspective. I'm not going to mourn the passing of Hulk Hogan because I think his real-life comments overshadowed what he did on a scripted wrestling show. But, for those that can overlook it and those that he inspired, it will be a major positive aspect of his legacy. Just because Terry Bollea passed away, that doesn't automatically make him a good person, but the impact of the Hulk Hogan character was overwhelmingly positive, both for the expansion of the business and an entire generation of fans. 

Slammiversary review

When you look across the landscape of the sports entertainment business, there are numerous examples throughout its history where truth was stranger than fiction. The long and rocky road of Total Nonstop Action is one of those narratives. By all rights, there's no reason that TNA should've survived as long as it has, and the argument could be made that it's actually in the process of an upswing.

Would anyone have had the audacity to imagine TNA in its current position if you asked them in 2020 where the beleaguered brand might be in five years?

Sure, there are realistic ceilings to most things within the professional wrestling genre, TNA wouldn't need WWE's involvement if they could've reached this point on their own, which they couldn't have, but while TNA isn't going to ascend to the point where they're running stadiums, the fact that they drew their largest domestic house in its history for a pay-per-view in 2025 is astounding.

Anyone remember the comically bad draws the promotion had of 300 people for house shows during the Hogan era?

Yes, Slammiversary was held in New York so there was a large population to draw from, but there are also more entertainment options in the area so it was more than possible that the event would've been lost in the shuffle. Again, the fact that the company can get over 7,000 fans in the building is proof that somehow, someway TNA Wrestling is a draw in 2025, regardless of how unexpected that is based on where the organization was in the past. 

More so than the matches, and there wasn't really a bad one of the card, the biggest story is the overall narrative around the company after the show went off the air. I think it's fair to say that there's more optimism around the brand now than there was for several years, and it appears that there's already a build toward their next pay-per-view, Bound For Glory, in October.

 Mustafa Ali beat Cedric Alexander in a 15-minute opener and it was a very solid way to kickoff the PPV. It might be the standard format of the X-Division bout to stat the broadcast, but it's one that usually works so it makes sense to go with the safe choice to begin a pay-per-view with this much importance placed on it. Alexander landed a nasty German suplex on Ali on the floor at one point. This was fast-paced action and a very solid performance. Everything they did was crisp and smooth. Ali also took a brutal backdrop on the steps as well. After a back and fourth sequence, interference allowed Ali to hit the 450 splash to win the match. These guys showed a lot here, and even if they wouldn't necessarily be Wrestlemania main eventers, this was more proof that they are better than the spot they had in WWE. That's not a knock on WWE, either. It's simply to point out that they are only so many featured spots on each roster, and that's why it's important for their to be options in the business since a different promotion can allow performers to realize their full potential as stars.

The eight man tag of The System and Matt Cardona vs. The Dark State was only about six minutes and it was rushed so while it was fine, there's not much to say about it other than The System got the victory. Next up, Indi Hartwell defeated Tessa Blanchard in a solid match. However, I'm not going to waste my time saying anything more about Tessa Blanchard.

Jacy Jayne beat Masha Slamovich to win the Knockouts championship. This was a solid 12-minute match, and given the finish, I'd say that this bout was kept at a specific gear because there's more to the story that will unfold with a longer match at Bound For Glory. They did the run-ins to create some drama, and the ref bump allowed for the visual pin to protect the baby face, which also sets up for a rematch later.

Leon Slater defeated Moose to win the X-Division championship. This was a tremendous segment that checked all the boxes. It was a 15-minute fireworks show that spotlighted Slater, but still allowed Moose to shine in the process. It had the wild dives that the X-Division is known for, but Moose worked the power style to give the match some variety. It had the wholesome victory because not only did the 20-year-old Slater win the title to become the youngest X-Division champion in TNA history with his family in attendance, but he got the endorsement from X-Division pioneer and WWE star, AJ Styles, who made his return to the company more than a decade after he left. Slater looked like a star in this segment, and if I had to guess, I'd say that Styles will have a match at Bound for Glory.

The four-way ladder match for the tag team belt was the car crash segment that you'd expect. Thankfully, the Hardys avoided most of the big bumps, but there were some nasty ladder spots during this contest. The premise was that the ladders were destroyed so Jeff dropped a rope ladder from the ceiling. It was a little hokey, but overall this was a fun match that saw the Hardys retain the titles. Post-match Bully Ray made his return to TNA and challenged the Hardys to a final match between the two teams at Bound For Glory. I have to be honest, I was very surprised to hear that D-Von will be competing in another match, as he suffered a stroke a few years ago and it was assumed that his in-ring career was over after he took a producer job in the WWE. As poetic as it will be for The Dudleys vs. The Hardys to happen one more time, specifically because it will probably also be The Dudleys' final bout as a team, I'm a little worried if D-Von should get back in the ring at all. Obviously, both teams will want to give a quality performance, but the series of retirement matches we've seen recently, including Bill Goldberg a few weeks ago, suggests that a lot of precaution should be taken in these types of situations.

The three-way main event was a quality segment, but given that it was in the main event spot on a show that had the wrestling world watching to see exactly what happened, the finish was very underwhelming. First, it should be mentioned that despite being the NXT talent, Trick Williams is probably the guy least prepared to be the world champion of an organization, which isn't necessarily meant as a knock on him, just a realistic statement about the level that he's at right now. On the other hand, Mike Santana is a guy that looked like a major star, and it wouldn't be too surprising if he's on the WWE's radar at some point. His entrance alone made him look like one of the biggest stars on the show. Joe Hendry's popularity is well-established. The in-ring work, particularly between Santana and Hendry during the sequence at the conclusion was great stuff. However, Williams was booked to feign a knee injury just a week after it looked like Seth Rollins suffered a legitimate injury. Besides the fact that they telegraphed the finish since Williams stayed at ringside while the match continued, it's somewhat lame to use that specific finish a week after a similar injury happened at Saturday Night's Main Event. As soon as Trick was still outside the ring, it was obvious exactly what was going to happen so the conclusion was rather flat.

That being said, the biggest takeaway from this event was that TNA had its biggest attendance in history, maybe even more important, the company has legitimate momentum as a brand as it builds to its next pay-per-view in October. When is the last time any of that could've really been said about TNA? Does that mean that Total Nonstop Action will eclipse AEW? No, but it's easy to see that the bigger the footprint of TNA, the more of an impact it could have on AEW's market share. 

What's next for RAF?

Famously, Pittsburgh native, Kurt Angle won an Olympic gold medal with a broken neck at the 1996 games in Atlanta. Despite entering his pro career in 1998 already on borrowed time from the laundry list of neck injuries that he had from his time on the amateur mat, Angle excelled faster than almost anyone else, propelling himself to the main event scene of the WWF within a year of his debut on national television. Regardless of the ups and downs over the years, Angle is a bonafide legend, working some of the best matches of his era in both WWE and TNA over the course of his stellar career.

In some ways, Kurt Angle is in the league of his own. But, can the Olympic champion save American Freestyle Wrestling?

When the concept was announced a few months ago with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, both obviously known for their  extensive amateur backgrounds, as the figureheads of the organization, I penned an article explaining why it was a flawed project. By definition, professional wrestling started to work matches to provide enough action and keep the bouts at a reasonable length after the legitimate contests that used legitimate amateur maneuvers weren't flashy enough or would often end in a stalemate. The ability to work the matches, and most importantly work the finishes to be able to draw for rematches, was the way that professional wrestling continued to be a profitable venture in some of its earliest stages. 

That's taking nothing away from the amazing athleticism of high-level amateur competitors, but rather to point out that the amateur wrestling genre has a very niche audience. It's not something that the majority of the general public can appreciate the intricacies of. If it was, promoters wouldn't have had to start to work the bouts to keep fans coming to the box office.

Furthermore, aside from the fact that the premise of amateur style wrestling with legitimate matches in a professional setting goes against the concept of amateur wrestling designed to provide the best pure competition possible in the sport, in many ways, the horse it out of the barn as far as what can be profitable with amateur wrestling since it's already a part of mixed martial arts.

Real American Freestyle Wrestling is almost stuck in combat sports purgatory, as it won't be flashy enough to draw pro wrestling fans, and won't have the same level of action as MMA to be able to draw the UFC demographic.

The Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez reported that as of last week, Real American Freestyle Wrestling sold just 639 tickets for the event at The Wolstein Center, a 15,000-seat venue, in Cleveland. With the event scheduled for August 30, that gives the organization about a month and a half to attempt to move a number of tickets that would justify the event. Depending on the level of sponsorships and the initial funding being put into the venture, it's already possible that this could be a one-and-done promotion, which wouldn't speak well for Hogan's drawing power since he was recruited as the public face of the company.

Speaking of The Hulkster, where is he?

When the company was initially announced, Hulk was hitting the media rounds hard, specifically on the Fox News circuit, as the name implies, Hogan was smart enough to know that there's money to be made from the red hat crowd, it worked for Trump. However, the real-life Terry Bollea was sidelined with some health issues, with his representatives claiming it was a procedure related to his extensive back injuries. Hogan was actually announced for an appearance to promote his Real American Beer brand at a western Pennsylvania beer distributor last month, but the event was canceled due to health issues. Hulk's former longtime friend and media leech, Bubba The Love Sponge garnered himself some attention in recent weeks, claiming on his radio show that Hogan was near death. Hogan's agents have completely denied those rumors, explaining that Hulk was recovering from the previously mentioned procedure to address back injuries. When you consider that Bubba's former wife was the same woman in the leaked sex tape with Hogan years ago when he was secretly recorded spewing racial slurs, it's possible that the radio host is pushing a near-death narrative as an act of retaliation or to try to spike his ratings.

While I don't put any credibility in anything some yo-yo named Bubba The Love Sponge says, and the story of him recovering from a less serious procedure is probably the actual story, the bottom line is, the Real American Freestyle brand and its investors don't have one of the most recognizable celebrities, someone that is back in the pop culture conversation because of his political allegiance, to promote the launch of the wrestling organization.

Eric Bischoff, who is supposedly the Chief Media Officer, has been seen on social media recently working out with his friend, Diamond Dallas Page, but he has done very little, at least publicly for the Real American project. This might all be moot if Hogan is just their to collect a check and Bischoff is content to pick up some of the crumbs, as the investors would be the ones to lose the money that it took to sign the talent and launch the company, but if either Hulk or Bischoff thought this would be another chapter in their careers from a national level, neither have done much to sell tickets.

Whatever the case is with Hulk, he clearly can't make the media rounds, and if I had to guess, I'd say that Kurt Angle was brought into the fold, at least at this point, as somewhat of substitute for Hogan as far as a public face for the brand.

The problems with Real American Freestyle Wrestling are two-fold, and it will be interesting to see if the debut event actually takes place next month.

Considering that Bischoff and Hogan have zero combined amateur experience, it makes sense to add an Olympic gold medalist with Kurt Angle's star power to the organization, but it won't have the same impact. While Angle is one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time, everyone will acknowledge that Hulk Hogan is more well-known, especially for the casual fan than Angle. It's not a knock on Angle, but The Hulkster has more pop culture recognition so it would be much easier to get the 80s grappler on television shows than Kurt Angle. More importantly, it's not as though Angle is going to compete at RAF events so the promotion is still going to have to find a way to realistically promote the athletes on the roster as stars that fans will want to pay to see compete in a professional setting. Ben Askren was the most well-known name on the roster, but a very serious health issue required him to receive a double lung transplant. Thankfully, Askren seems to be recovering, but it's doubtful that he will ever compete again. How many amateur wrestlers that are signed to professionally compete for RAF have the name value to sell tickets?

That speaks to the much bigger problem for RAF, the lack of ticket sales could be an indication that the concept simply isn't a draw.

If fans aren't flocking to the box office to see the event live in Cleveland, what indication is there that the project can draw money? Keep in mind, the entire point of this league is a pro version of the amateur style so the priority and thus the barometer of success is the ability to draw money.

Kurt Angle is a nice addition to the organization because of his background and if the investors behind the project are willing to meet his price, there's no reason for him not to take the money on the table, that's exactly what Bischoff and Hogan did, but it's doubtful that Angle or anyone else could provide a surge of publicity that will sell a major amount of tickets for the company within the next month and a half. For the reasons mentioned earlier, it was a flawed concept from the start and the lack of ticket sells reflect that for a 15,000-seat building. All things considered, it wouldn't be surprising if the event was cancelled or potentially moved to a different location.

Seth Rollins injured

"If you do this for any length of time, you're going to need surgery" -Jerry Lynn

That was what former ECW champion, Jerry Lynn told me via phone when I talked to him for an article in 2019 just two weeks after his second hip replacement surgery, a procedure required after he spent more than two decades using the top rope leg drop as a signature move in every major organization of his era.

However, the nearly half a dozen surgeries that Lynn had by that point, which was before the launch of All Elite Wrestling where Lynn currently works as a producer backstage, weren't a surprise for him. From the first day that he pursued a path to be a pro wrestler, his trainer, Brad Rhenigans, two-time Olympic amateur, and a Pan American gold medalist before his own notable career in the pro ranks, told a group of hopefuls that any significant time spent in the professional wrestling industry would require surgery at some point.

So, Lynn's list of injuries isn't a surprise or uncommon, and neither are the numerous injuries that can happen at anytime in the pro wrestling business, it's simply an occupational hazard.

That's also why Seth Rollins' scary knee injury during last weekend's Saturday Night's Main Event broadcast wasn't all that shocking either. It can happen to anyone at anytime, and unfortunately, as the style continues to evolve to a more high risk presentation, injuries are more common in the past.

That being said, it doesn't make the timing of Rollins' injury any less devastating, as he was on the cusp of finally being elevated to the same top-tier level of names like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and Roman Reigns.

Make no mistake about it, Rollins is one of the best athletes in the entire business today and one of the best workers anywhere. The way he was scripted over the past 5-6 years minimized his star power as either a whiny baby face or a goofy heel that was too silly to take serious as a money-drawing star. The alignment with Paul Heyman at Wrestlemania put Rollins in the right light as a top guy, He wasn't second fiddle to Roman Reigns in The Shield, he was the leader of a faction with the best talker in the business and two young monsters to work in the role as the muscle of the stable. He wasn't a whiny baby face booked to work in the title picture of the drek that Vince McMahon scripted in the latter stage of his tenure in the company.

Keep in mind, there was a point in time that Rollins' song was more over than he was, which says a lot more about the way he was booked, not his talented. In fact, he's too talented for the bulk of his act to be based on his entrance music.

Unfortunately, injuries aren't anything new for Seth, as he suffered a similar knee injury, tearing his ACL, MCL, and meniscus nearly a decade ago in a match against Kane. He was forced to vacate the WWE title at the time, and was one the shelf for six months. He had other knee injuries over the years, including an MCL injury that kept him on the sidelines for a few months early last year. He also had previous neck issues as well.

The domino effect of the current knee injury, which prompted a quick finish to his match with LA Knight, could've already had a tremendous impact on the direction of the WWE product. There was some speculation that maybe Bill Goldberg would've won his final match before Seth cashed in the MITB contract or perhaps he would've cashed in mid-match to make it a triple threat match, similar to the conclusion of the Evolution pay-per-view the following day. At least on the surface, there appears to be some merit to the notion, as it just doesn't seem like the original plan would've been to put a hobbled Goldberg in the ring for 15 minutes, which was the longest segment that he had since his initial comeback in 2016. Furthermore, it was somewhat of a disappointment to see the aging legend get choked out in his final match in his hometown.

It goes without saying that WWE brass had major plans for Rollins, given the alignment with Heyman and then the MITB win for the contract so it's fair to say that while the plans obviously weren't public, management probably had to re-write the majority of the main event scene after Rollins got hurt last weekend. I think the results of Raw, which saw CM Punk win the number one contendership to changeling Gunther for the championship, were another indication that the office had to call an audible. Don't get me wrong, Punk vs. Gunther should be a very entertaining match at Summer Slam, but was this really the original plan? CM Punk just lost in a title match against John Cena last month, is he really in the position to have the momentum to be seen as a credible challenger for Gunther? That's not to take away from Punk's star power, but rather to point out that he wasn't build up for this bout so it seems like he was used as a patch, not as a pushed challenger.

Of course, as much as the office had to call an audible as to what to do next, this opens the door for different possibilities down the road when Rollins is healthy again. It definitely would be a memorable moment if Rollins unexpectedly cashes in to win the title upon his return next year.

But, would that be the right move?

At 39. Seth Rollins still has several years of his prime left, but at the same time, he started wrestling at a very young age and has a lot of miles on his body. Rollins is a work horse for the WWE and has earned his stripes as one of the guys that they know they can count on as far as bell-to-bell quality and a level of star power. That being said, at this point, Rollins should either be considered injury prone or at the very least, his history of injuries should be taken into account when the office decides how much stock they should put into him at any given time.

I'm not saying that Seth shouldn't be used in the main event scene again, I'm just saying that it should at least be a concern for management about if they should invest the TV time and promotional dollars into another long-term Rollins push. Finn Balor got injured in the match that he won the championship in 2016, vacated the title the next night, and never reached that level in the company again.

There was some speculation online that the injury might be a work, but I really doubt that. The office acknowledged the injury outside of WWE programming, and Seth mentioned it during some recent interviews in the days after Saturday Night's Main event so if he wasn't actually hurt, it would be considered very sleazy. That's not to say that professional wrestling is above sleazy promotional tactics, but injuries probably aren't something they are going to try to work with an angle because it would create doubt about legitimate injuries in the future.

Considering that Punk doesn't have a lot of momentum as a title challenger right now, I'd guess that Rollins would've had major involvement in the title picture for Summer Slam, While injuries can happen at any time, it's devastating that it happened at this point in Rollins' career. The biggest takeaway from this situation should probably be that the level of risk performers take should be measured because an injury can completely change a career path for the talent on the roster.  

Ryse at fayette county fair

This Friday, Ryse Pro Wrestling, a blue collar league founded in 2016 by longtime veteran, Brandon K, will have its annual presentation at the Fayette County Fair, a portion of the festivities that has become an anticipated event for both the fans and the performers. Based in Uniontown in the same county, Ryse became an institution in that region of western Pennsylvania, as Jason Clements, the man behind the Brandon K wrestling persona, wanted to bring sports entertainment to his hometown.

Typically, the league that was founded on its combination of established veterans and aspiring hopefuls that learned the ropes at the organization's training center, The Stronghold, holds events in the Uniontown Mall complex. A converted Sears building was transformed into a wrestling arena with lights, a video wall, and of course, the squared circle to provide a stage for the performers to showcase their talents to the consistent audience.

However, when the company ventures to the fair grounds each summer, complete with funnel cake, lemonade, games, and a Ferris Wheel, among all the other aspects that made the event a staple of the July tradition, it adds another layer to the competitive nature of the sport.

The answer as to why everyone has an extra edge when they prepare to compete at the EQT Pavilion is simple, hundreds and hundreds of customers at the fair will get the chance to see them compete. If a young athlete wants to make a name for themselves, the circumstances are there for them to make a statement. Just last year, former WWE Star Donovan Dijak, who was the Ryse Grand champion at the time, had an absolute classic at the fair grounds with two-time Ryse champion, Cowpoke Paul, one of the top students to emerge from the Stronghold. In the time since, Cowpoke has become one of the most in demand youngsters of the independent circuit, zigzagging around several different states to compete on any given weekend.

One of the perks for the pro wrestling event held there is that the action is included in the admission to the fair, allowing for an affordable option for the fan base for a night of entertainment.

The main event of this year's Fayette County Fair presentation is the culmination of a very bitter rivalry that has been bubbling for months. Former tag team champions, Tad Jarvis and Jayce Mara had their reign end abruptly last year. Given that they broke into the sport together at the promotion's training school and their solid set of fundamental skills, many expected the pair to redefine the Ryse tag division with a dominate run with the belts.

"At first it was like anything else, I was super nervous but after a while you learn that training at the Stronghold you have so much support and trainers who help and motivate you become the best version you can be even when you can’t see it, but they do," Tad explained.

 "Training at Stronghold Wrestling Academy wasn’t just training — it was an awakening. Top-notch facility, elite fundamentals, and no wasted motion. While other schools are pumping out cosplay wrestlers doing flips with no footwork, Stronghold builds professionals. Look, anyone can slap on gear and play wrestler. This doesn't happen at the Stronghold. Brandon K will bring something out that lies deep down in you," added Jace

It took just three seconds for their title run to end and their careers to take two very diametrically opposed paths.

Mara, a thrill seeker that allowed his fascination with horror movies to influence his pro wrestling style, turned his back on Jarvis, launching an unprovoked attack when the team dissolved following the title defeat.

 "It was fun, I enjoyed tagging with Jace. That’s until he became the monster he is now. We had a lot of great times and plans," said Jarvis.

"Teaming with Tad at first, was super cool. As I shamefully admitted before, I used to look up to Tad. When we decided to team up, I thought that we could be dominate.  It was a learning experience, teaming with Tad brought out a monster in me. I realized that I hate him, I hate the fans, I hate all of the guys in the back, and I'm only in it for me," answered Mara.

To settle the score, Ryse management slated a three match series with the first being a traditional match, the second as a dog collar match, and the third was designed as a 25-minute iron man match. Mara took the first bout, putting the pressure on Tad, who responded with a victory in the dog collar match. It was thought that the rivarly would be settled with who could garnered the most falls in the iron match earlier this month at The Ryse Rumble, one of the biggest cards on the organization's calendar.

When the iron man match didn't yield a clear winner after an intense 25-minute battle, where the two traded falls as they competed not only against each other, but also the clock as the time limit elapsed, the Ryse officials knew that they needed something definitive to finally conclude this bitter feud.

So, at the Fayette County fair this Friday, the series will undoubtedly see it's conclusion when the former friends turned bitter enemies compete in the first-ever Bunkhouse Brawl in Ryse's nearly 9-year history. There are no disqualifications, count outs, or referee stoppage. Anything goes and many pundits expect a wild bout as the conclusion to the feud.

"These are two guys that have worked incredibly hard, they are competitive guys. They've had this conflict for months, and the way we decided to settle it was to give them that main event spot at the fair, it's a signature event for us, and will be the chance for them to settle this in the Bunkhouse Brawl," said Dean Radford, a longtime veteran that works as one of the head organizers and co-head trainer at the Stronghold.

Tad Jarvis, a veteran of the United States armed forces, consider this bout the biggest match of his career, and is ready to bring his combat skills into the ring. While Mara has drawn the ire of the dedicated Ryse fan base, Jarvis has steadily built a fan following over the course of his six-year career. Tad is a homegrown Ryse grappler, and his taken has taken him across the Pittsburgh scene, but his still considers the Uniontown group his home base. Dubbing himself "the social media icon," Jarvis endeared himself to fans when he includes them on his Facebook live streams as he makes his way to the ring. Furthermore, at the end of the night when the ring is being torn down and the chairs of being picked up, it's not uncommon for Tad to be seen taking time with the fans to sign every autograph and pose for every photo-op, even after a tough defeat, just to show his appreciation for the support that has allowed him to become one of the recognizable competitors of the area.

"The Bunk house match is going to be so much fun.Nothing is off limits and I think this is exactly what we needed to finish this especially in where we both grew up," commented Tad.

 On the flip side, Mara is a three-year pro with a chip on his shoulder. In just a few years in the Ryse league, he already become a multi-time champion, winning the promotion's Ascension championship before his previously mentioned tenure as a tag champion alongside Jarvis. Mara has taken a much different in his career, not shying away from taking the low road or breaking the rules in his pursuit of success.

"I grew up in Fayette County. This fair was where I used to come as a kid, dodging the greasy hillbillies and watching the same nasty mud cricket women stagger around like they own the place. It was a place full of noise, sweat, and desperation," remarked Jace.

So, the match is signed and preparations of being made for Ryse's return to the Fayette County Fair this Friday. The fairgrounds are an appropriate setting for the Bunkhouse Brawl as the fight is expected to spill into the hay, the mud, and the beer. Hundreds of fans are expected to witness the action, as the wrestling event is included in admission to the fair.

"If Tad knew what was good for him, he'd give up now. He should go grab his usual order of 15 corn dogs, six orders of fried oreos, three funnel cakes, and seven  large lemonade and watch this show from where he belongs in the bleachers," concluded Mara.

Evolution pay-per-view review

After a pro wrestling weekend log-jammed with events, including a Ring Of Honor pay-per-view on Friday night and an NXT premium live event Saturday afternoon that were such smaller potatoes in the big picture that very little attention was paid or coverage given to them, it was the Evolution pay-per-view, an all-women's show, that concluded the weekend. This was the return of the concept after a seven-year hiatus, and while the timing seemed rather random to bring it back in 2025, there's at least some case to be made to book the show as an annual event, if it truly fits within the parameters of the WWE calendar.

The reason being, much like I wrote about last week in terms of the build or lack thereof for the PPV, Evolution seemed more like a bridge to Summer Slam than anything else, which is probably what it should be, taking into account the revenue involved with establishing Summer Slam as a two-night event, but it also inherently took away from the overall importance of a pay-per-view that was supposed to specifically spotlight the female roster.

This unintentionally had a B-show vibe to it, specifically because of the thrown together nature of some of the matches on the card.

The show opened with a triple threat match for the Women's Intercontinental championship, and as a match, it was very well done. Three-way bouts can be difficult to work and it becomes a task to avoid the tendency to throw someone to the floor to take a nap while the two other competitors work a conventional match. These three performers worked the stipulation into the bout in a logical manner and included it in the finish, which put more heat on Becky Lynch when she was able to sneak into the sequence to get the quick pin to retain the title. That being said, if I had to guess, Bayley was probably only added to this contest to take the pin to keep the door open for the Becky Lynch/ Lyra Valkyria rematch that was set up on Raw. In a theme that would continue throughout the night, some of the booking decisions made for this PPV were designed to boost Summer Slam, not make this a standout event.

 Jayce Jayne beat Jordynne Grace to retain the NXT Women's championship. This was a 10-minute sprint and built well in the finishing sequence. That said, the former Mariah May, Blake Monroe heel turn was extremely obvious so while the bell-to-bell action was solid, there wasn't much drama since viewers knew that the heel turn would determine the winner. That's not to say that Jordynne Grace needs another run with the title, and a feud against Monroe is probably a wise decision, as it gives both of them something meaningful to do on the brand, which is exactly what Monroe needs to do if she's truly going to establish herself among the WWE landscape With the increased distribution of WWE content across different platforms as the TKO corporation looks to expand the company's global reach and thus maximize the revenue possible from those avenues, it could be very easy for a performer to get lost in the shuffle. Given the annual releases of talent from the developmental system, it's almost unavoidable that some performers don't get the chance to showcase their skills. That's why it's important for someone like Monroe, who the WWE recruited after her tenure in All Elite Wrestling, to have a firm direction for her character in NXT.

The four-way  tag team match for the women's belts was entertaining for what it was, but it was an example of a match that was booked simply to get as many competitors on the card. Furthermore, it was only given 10 minutes for a segment that had eight wrestlers so it was rushed and didn't get a chance to develop into anything beyond a superficial presentation. The segment had a lot of action so it was a fun viewing experience, but with the level of talent in this contest, it seems like they could've either done more in this match or been used in a more important role on the pay-per-view. I have to say that for a show that went almost three and a half hours, better time management could've given this segment a few extra minutes to allow the performers more of the spotlight. Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez retained the titles when Rodriguez got the pin, which makes sense as the office looks to continue to attempt to establish her as a star on the brand.

Speaking of time management, I'm not sure if it was kept short to cover up any potential ring rust that Trish might've had, even though she always seems to be ready to go when she makes a comeback, but the women's championship match was relatively short. In fact, the video package, entrances, and introductions were literally as long as the eight-minute segment. There were some clunky moments early in the contest, and it looked like the referee was trying to tell them something so maybe there was somewhat of an audible called from backstage or something else that would've altered the original plan. After the rocky start, this developed into a very entertaining bout that didn't get into second gear because they went to the finish not long after a series of good in-ring sequences. Tiffany Stratton retained the title, as she should've since the organization is trying to push her as a star of the future, but there should probably be a rematch since these two could have a better match if given more time to build the segment.

Jade Cargill defeated Naomi in a street fight, which was ultimately a way to set up the surprise cash-in for the main event. This was fine, but nothing too spectacular. If anything, it underscored the notion that Cargill is either still too inexperienced, hasn't progressed enough during her time in the WWE system, or both to be ready for a top spot in the WWE. This bout was more about the time it took to set up the spots rather than working with them, and this was only a 10-minute bout so it become more of a furniture fight than anything else. It was overly choreographed, another aspect that suggest that Jade shouldn't win the championship in just over two weeks.

Stephanie Vaquer won a battle royal to get a title shot at the Clash in Paris at the end of next month. Since that contest depends on what happens at Summer Slam, there's not much to say about the battle royal itself. However, Vaquer seems to have the potential to be a major star so it was a smart decision to give her the victory for a title shot.

Rhea Ripley vs, Iyo Sky was a tremendous main event and a prime example of the top quality of the women's division. There's an argument to be made that Iyo might be the best worker in the business right now, and Ripley is also a really polished performer. There's a reason that Ripley is one of the biggest stars in the company, and considering her age, unless there are any injuries, the future of the female division will be bright for at least the next decade. Everything they did was crisp and smooth. The match had action, drama, and built well toward the conclusion. The Naomi cash-in was a really good surprise and created for a memorable moment for the event. There still seems to be an unresolved storyline between her, Bianca, and Jade so maybe there will be some type of angle at Summer Slam.