The career of The Matriarchy

"My goal is to continue to break down barriers for the LGTBQ community. I really have been working hard to sign a contract with a major pro wrestling company. I want to do things that the fans never seen."

Professional wrestling, regardless of the form it takes, is based on the ability to emotionally connect with the audience. That connection is what brings fans to the venues, big or small, to see the athletes that they identify with in the ring. The examples are numerous, but we've seen time and time again how those fans find hope, courage, and solace through the avenue of sports entertainment.

Sometimes, the competitors inside the ring ropes find that same level of hope, courage, and solace through the art form that is displayed on the literal canvas.

In a business where everyone borrows, copies, or imitates the past to some degree, The Matriarchy, the tag team of Paris Sahara and Zeke Mercer, along with their manager, Amanda Maslow are an original act.

"I love The Matriarchy. we are the most unique tag team at 880 Wrestling. The two trans tag team with a female manager. We work very well together and bring a different wrestling style," said Paris.

"Sure, we can say I’m one of the few African-American Nonbinary people in wrestling and I add that aspect, but that’s just surface level," added Zeke.

Mercer, a seven-year pro, broke into the sport at the age of just 18, and used their time in the ring as a way of self-expression and healing. With an amateur wrestling background from high school, Zeke brought a combination of natural skill and technique to the pro ranks, making them one of the staples of the Pittsburgh scene.

"I have ADHD and C-PTSD, everyone is aware of how much mental health is very much apart of a wrestlers success or failure. I think my time in the business can be a good example of people having certain diagnosis and be successful in however you want to do with your career. People are more than their diagnosis," explained Zeke.

Working in the mental health services field outside of professional wrestling, Zeke works to help others during the week before they lace up their boots for their own "wrestling therapy" sessions, zigzagging their way around different states on any given weekend to perform for different independent organizations.

"Goals shift and change over the years, in my rookie year I focused on getting better and staying booked. Now it’s much grander than just staying booked. I got my fingers into a little bit of everything and the goal in basic terms is to leave wrestling better than I found it. I like to encourage people to be apart of the wrestling community or even the business side cause you love it, not to make money from it," commented Mercer.

For Paris, she started in the industry just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the entire world, but in the time since the local circuit returned back to regular cards, she had the chance to make a name for herself, blending her athletic background with the lessons with the squared circle. Dynamic in-ring offense and a shining persona made Sahara one of the rising stars of the steel city.

"I learned my first year of wrestling that I need to be in the moment, enjoy every moment, and be present.  Also, take my time in every situation with the way I walk, wrestle and speak. Let the fans take everything in," she remarked.

With their shared background and complimentary skill sets, Zeke and Paris made for a fitting duo.

The perfect platform for this tag team dubbed "The Matriarchy" was 880 Wrestling, an upstart league that was founded in 2023 on its open door policy training center, where anyone that wanted to test themselves in a pursuit of a career of professional wrestling was welcomed to start their journey under the 880 banner. Along with the centerpiece of the training school, 880 Wrestling, a nod to the postal code of its original location of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, hosts weekly live cards on Thursdays that are streamed online through the indywrestling.us platform, as well as featured events on a Friday each month on the south side of Pittsburgh.

"880 Wrestling, I feel like was my saving grace. I was contemplating on giving up on wrestling, but knowing that I can go to 880 every week to wrestle, be accepted by the locker room, and grow as a performer. I'm very grateful for 880, I think it's incredible that it is the only weekly wrestling show in Pittsburgh and we have a lot of fans that love to support us," said Paris.

"The best way to explain 880 is that it’s a passion project, it's DIY wrestling in the sense that everyone involved contributes to 880. The newer class and beyond have all stepped up to help keep 880 as a fun and welcoming environment for both shows and in side the school. 880 is a community at the end of the day," Zeke added.

With 880 Wrestling taking pride in its acceptance and welcoming stage for LGBTQ+ talent, The Matriarchy flourished in their roles as a representative tag team. Mercer as a non-binary competitor, and Paris as a transgender athlete break the mold of expectations or stereotypes. Their pure talent overshadowing any preconceived notions puts them among the most notable tag teams of the Pittsburgh scene as the current 880 tag team champions.

"The idea of Matriarchy is literally what you see on screen today, a new faction that features a unique set of people. Paris Sahara, who I felt didn’t get the opportunities she should’ve gotten from the beginning of her career, is one of the great talents who came before the pandemic and I felt like us a team would be something interesting to watch. The need for the matriarchy is the same reason why most people form teams or make factions, to have success. The representation of a team that consists of young people of color who are gender nonconforming is something you don’t see in most promotions or your TV. Paris and I work well together for the simple fact that we have the same goal and mutual respect for each other and what we bring to the table. As a testament to our unique faction, I’d say everyone in the Pittsburgh area or even further knew of The Matriarchy and saw how different crowds reacted to us," said Zeke Mercer.

So, the wild and over-the-top spectacle of professional wrestling provides Zeke Mercer with a level of stability throughout their own personal struggles of the past, using the squared circle as a way to evolve and grow as not just a performer, but on a personal level outside the ring as well. It also allows Mercer to use their knowledge to help coach the aspiring hopefuls, an aspect that they cite as a very rewarding of their involvement in the sport. Paris Sahara not only found a place of acceptance within the pro wrestling landscape, she found a platform where she can realize the highest level of her potential as an athlete through the promotional efforts and stage of 880 Wrestling.

The Matriarchy break the mold of what professional wrestling can be, opening eyes that talent can excel if given the opportunity and the platform. The Matriarchy brings that talent, acceptance, and representation each time they step into the ring to showcase their skills for the fans in attendance.

The Raja Jackson incident

Professional wrestling is probably getting more mainstream acceptance now than it has at any other time in the history of the sport. Sure, today's product isn't nearly as popular as when the genre drew 10 million weekly viewers during the peak of the Attitude era when Raw and Nitro went head-to-head every Monday, but the notion that sports entertainment would be on ESPN, let alone the network paying 1.5 billion for the broadcast rights, would've been considered laughable in years prior.

Within the landscape of sports entertainment as a whole, Netflix, USA network, the CW, TBS, TNT, Peacock, HBO Max, and ESPN will distribute pro wrestling in some form of fashion by the start of next year. As we've seen, despite the fact that ad rates are generally lower for pro wrestling than other types of shows, there's no shortage of sponsorships, especially in the TKO era when management will seemingly slap logos on anything. Of course, inflation plays a role, as well as the evolution of the media landscape with the improvements in technology, but there's record-setting money being made from pro wrestling today. Pro wrestling isn't just about tickets sold at the box office or the pay-per-view buy rate as it was decades ago, it's based on billions of dollars on the stock market.

However, and maybe its just the nature of the beast of the business that originated on the carnival circuit, unfortunately, professional wrestling will probably always have a sleazy side to it.

Athletic commissions are generally useless, as they often just want to take their piece of the pie with the gate tax on independent shows, but do literally nothing to regulate or help the process of events for smaller groups. This allows shady con artists or completely unqualified local yokels  to buy a ring, rent a building, and call themselves professionals without any quality control.

Unfortunately, independent professional wrestling made headlines for all the wrong reasons this past weekend and it should be a notice for every athletic commission in the country to actually start to do something productive to prevent some of the unprofessional nonsense in exchange for the cash they take from the box office of each event.

Originally, I wasn't going to write an article about the absolutely horrendous incident that happened at the Los Angeles-based  KnokX Pro event over the weekend, as everyone seemed to have an opinion on it, but there were several different accounts about exactly what happened that were posted online.

As information continued to surface, there are only a few things that are clear, this should've never happened and a few careers have been ruined in the process of the unprofessional circus that took place at the KnokX Pro event. I'm only going to base my two cents on the matter on the things that appear to be confirmed, and what I think it should translate to for independent wrestling going forward.

The only thing that I knew about KnokX Pro prior to this was that it was Rikishi's promotion and it was a part of the WWE ID program because of it. KnokX Pro isn't usually a part of the discussion of the independent scene, and there's nothing wrong with that, as it appears that its primary objective is to be a profitable wrestling school, with the live events being used as a platform for their students to gain experience more than anything else. It's much easier to sell prospective students on the chance to pay a few thousand dollars to get trained by Rikishi if they know that they will have a place to hone their craft after they complete the training process.

Somehow, Raja Jackson, the son of former UFC fighter Rampage Jackson, was involved in an attack at the KnokX Pro event. There are several different versions of the story, but there are a few things that are undisputed based on video evidence. Prior to the show, wrestler Syko Stu, real name Stu Smith and US military veteran, hit Raja Jackson with a worked shot with a beer can, apparently with the thought that Raja was there to be a part of the show. Raja wasn't aware of the worked nature of professional wrestling and there was almost an incident at the time before the situation was defused. Raja, who was streaming his involvement on the Kick platform, agreed to be a part of a worked run-in to provide a conclusion to the prior altercation. Raja and Stu were seen on video shaking hands, giving the impression that Smith thought that Raja was going to work with him for the run-in at the event. Raja was sat front row for the show and continued to stream live online when he hopped into the ring for the planned spot.

Raja said on video that he was going to hit Smith, and he did. Raja landed a takedown on Stu, who went along with the spot, thinking that it was simply a part of the worked plan agreed upon previously. Instead, Raja legitimately slammed Smith to the canvas, knocking him out before he landed literally 20 unprotected punches to his face. Fellow wrestler, Doug Malo made the save, but was also punched by Raja while Jackson was restrained by several people in the corner of the ring.

A video surfaced afterwards of Raja outside of the venue where it was very clear that he decided what he was going to do before he entered the ring and there was no doubt that he wanted to hurt Smith. The Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez reported that wrestler, AJ Mana brought Raja to the building and supposedly had some type of issue with Smith so it's possible that Mana wanted their to be a physical confrontation. Mana was on video telling Jackson to "get a receipt," which definitely implies that he wanted to see Smith injured. Following the incident, Mana was fired from his day job and will no longer be a part of the KnokX  Pro organization.

Stu Smith was said to be in stable, but critical condition. A GoFundme was launched online, with several well-known wrestlers donating to the campaign to cover medical expenses. Malo revealed in a podcast appearance that  KnokX  Pro management told its roster not to cooperate with the authorities, and a screenshot was shared online to confirm it. That tells you everything you need to know about how irresponsible the company was in this situation.

If Syko Stu was too overzealous with trying to work an angle with Raja Jackson is irrelevant, the guy didn't deserve to have his life put in jeopardy at a wrestling show. Why was Raja Jackson at the show? Why was he allowed to get into the ring if he wasn't aware that pro wrestling is scripted? Plain and simple, Raja Jackson is a coward, as it's very easy to knock someone out when they are cooperating with you the way that Smith was for the set up to the legitimate slam. Raja, who is a pro MMA fighter with one bout on his record, lost via unanimous decision in 2023. Raja Jackson isn't some tough guy, he's a moron that took advantage of someone that didn't know he was gong to be legitimately attacked.

KnokX Pro was immediately stripped of their WWE ID status, and even though it was said that Rikishi wasn't there, he's still partially responsible for this. It might be unfair, but when you lend your name to a project, you're responsible for finding responsible people to run the show. Reno Anoa'i is said to be the promoter of the live events. Rikishi makes money being a trainer at the training school, and one of the reasons that students are willing to pay thousands of dollars to train there is because of the association with his name.

Not surprisingly, Rampage Jackson has flip-flopped on the situation, initially expressing remorse for Smith before a later video was released where he tried to claim that MMA fighters only have real fights, criticizing the pro wrestlers that have spoken out against Raja's actions. Rampage Jackson isn't known for common sense, but taking into account the series of events that led to this point, it might be a good idea for him to stop talking about any of this on camera until the matter is settled.

So, what now?

The police are said to be investigating the situation, and it should go without saying that Raja Jackson should be arrested and charged for the violent assault on Stu Smith. If Raja Jackson did something like this in an MMA fight, he would be banned from the sport and arrested because the athletic commissions actually regulate MMA. Make no mistake about it, what Raja Jackson did was criminal and should be dealt with by the authorities, not some nickle-and-dime wrestling promoter.

The attack was picked up by several main stream media outlets and it makes the entire industry look terrible, especially independent wrestling, a level of the industry that doesn't have the safety net of corporate sponsors. An incident like this could sour fans from sampling their local independent group, an organization where those ticket sales could make a difference. The importance of independent wrestling can't be understated, as it provided a place for many performers to gain valuable experience before they get a chance on the national scene.

It's obvious that this incident has ruined almost everyone involved, as Stu Smith might have to deal with extensive health problems from the attack, Raja Jackson should probably never to allowed to fight in mixed martial arts again, it's a stain on Rampage Jackson for some of his comments, and KnokX Pro probably won't be able to continue to get students for it's training center.

Forbidden Door review

A few years ago, it was considered a dream match scenario that New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling would form a working agreement to have talent from both companies on the same card. Of course, one of the reasons for this was there was a perceived level of tension between the two leagues after The Elite left the Japanese promotion to form All Elite Wrestling in 2019. As with almost anything else that has a specific degree of novelty to it, as time went on, the concept was somewhat diluted, which was partially the case for the event at the O2 Arena in London. One of the reasons for that is that in years prior, Forbidden Door, intentionally or not, became a test run of sorts for NJPW talent in front of an AEW audience, as Tony Khan signed away nearly every top star from New Japan, including Jay White, Okada, and Will Ospreay. That's not to say that it was done as some type of "talent raid," a term that became popular during the wrestling wars of the 90s, bur rather it was simply a case of Tony Khan being able to offer more money to talent than the Japanese group that had to endure the financial strain of the pandemic with either no live events or limited capacity that impacted revenue. The talent are in the sport to make a living, and Tony Khan gave them the best offer, that's capitalism. If the former New Japan talent are better off under Tony's direction is a completely different matter.

Still, the point being, with New Japan so thin on star power, the Forbidden Door pay-per-view seemed more like a regular pay-per-view with a few guest stars instead of the super card it was originally during the inaugural event a few years ago.

The show opened with the reunion of Adam Copeland and Christian against the returning Kill Switch and Kip Sabian. This started as basically a TV match, but build well and was a fun match by the conclusion of the 15-minute segment. Cope took a stiff boot to the face from Kill Switch, and somehow Kip got a hard way cut with a noticeable amount of blood during the second half of the contest. The only problem with this was that the slapstick nature of Tony's booking style impacted the narrative and thus the crowd reaction to the segment. I think it goes without saying that the reunion of Copeland and his former tag partner was rushed so the audience still reacted to Christian as a heel. Furthermore, Kill Switch, who replaced an injured Nick Wayne after he broke his foot a few weeks ago, got cheered throughout the match. Considering that Christian berated both of his opponents during their time in the stable and wasn't given enough time to evolve from such a solidified heel role, it's not surprising that the crowd responded how it did throughout this match. A side note, this was probably the best Kip Sabain has looked in his career, but when you take into account that he was cast as a fool for the past several years, he will probably continued to be typecast in that role going forward. Copeland and Christian got the victory.

Kyle Fletcher beat Hiromu Takahashi to retain the TNT championship in another 15-minute bout. This segment was something that remained true to the original premise of this event, as it was two solid pros from both groups working a match that you wouldn't see otherwise and it was a very entertaining contest. This was fast-paced, hard-hitting, and allowed both guys to look strong in the process. It was obvious that Takahashi wasn't going to win the championship, but that was almost irrelevant because this was a work rate match.

The TBS title match was a prime example of how misguided Tony's approach can be at certain times. Other than shoehorning more performers onto the card, why was this a four-way match? If there were several weeks of video packages to hype up the arrival of Bozilla then maybe there would be an argument for the youngster to be included in the match, but how did she get a title shot in her debut? It can't be based on her reputation since she has only been wrestling for three years. Don't get me wrong, given her height and presence, she looks to have the potential to become a star after she gets the chance to get enough experience, but how many people actually know who she is and why should they care that she was in the match? The same can be said for Persephone, does anyone know who she is? That's not a knock on her talent or potential, but considering that AEW has several female wrestlers on the roster that are lost in the shuffle, was there any reason to bring in two unknown wrestlers? Has anyone found Britt Baker? The match had its moments so it wasn't subpar or anything, but the whole presentation was disjointed, at least from a narrative perspective. Mercedes Mone retained the belt. Also, as much as Tony Khan might want to try to re-create the famous Ultimo Dragon photo with all the championships, Mercedes tends to be more self-hype than in-ring work more in AEW.

 Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Nigel McGuinness was very entertaining, despite the fact that nobody in the building thought it was even remotely possible that Nigel would win the top prize in New Japan. Taking into account Nigel's age and history of injuries, it was nice to see that they worked a relatively safe technical bout without the stiff strikes often seen in New Japan. Although, Sabre looked to get clipped in the mouth, as he had a small amount of blood on his lip. Obviously, this match-up made sense for London and was another example of a bout that fit the concept of the pay-per-view.

The tag team title match was fine, but definitely a bit odd at the same time. Usually, I take internet rumors with a grain of salt, but there was a story that made the rounds online that The Hurt Syndicate didn't want to lose to specific teams, and given the finish of this match, there's a chance that the reports might be accurate. On one hand, if Tony was a boss, he'd tell the talent that he's paying a lot of money that they can either work the match with the scripted finish or there's the door. Instead, Rusev got paid to stay home for two years, and Aleister Black rarely put anyone over before he returned to WWE. There's a precedent that the talent can say no without any repercussions so at the very least, it's possible that Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin said no. On the other hand, with some of the silliness that happens in AEW, Lashley and Benjamin might have a point if they don't want to be involved in the nonsense. Either way, if someone isn't willing to do business, as misguided as some of the booking decisions might be, it's an indication that they should probably just finish up with the company. Make no mistake about it, there's a reason that The Hurt Syndicate has some of the better quality segments on the shows, but if they don't fit within the structure of AEW, it's better for everyone involved if they depart the organization. 

Furthermore, Brody King and Bandido winning the titles seems like they were a thrown together team simply because there wasn't anything else for them to do. They pinned FTR, and The Hurt Syndicate wasn't even at ringside. With Buddy Matthews on the shelf with an injury, Brody probably would've been better off with a run on his own until they could reform the team. He's popular with the AEW audience so it seems like he has a bigger upside them a random tag team because The Hurt Syndicate didn't want to lose. The same can probably be said for Bandido, he's a lot more marketable than the way the company has used him so far in his run there.

The Okada/Swerve match was a lot better than I expected it to be, mostly because usually Okada mails in most of his performance or works down to the level of his opponent. Swerve is a top-notch athlete, and Okada's performance reflected that. This bout was an AEW style bout without going too over-the-top or using dangerous spots as a substitute for solid in-ring work. Okada got the win after he hit the clothesline, who would've thought that a finisher could be used to end the match?

Post-match, and possibly the bigger story than the result, is that Wardlow, who recently filmed a season of American Gladiators, made his return after almost a year and a half away from the company. In mid-2024, Wardlow suffered a knee injury and wasn't brought back to television after that. All things considered, while Wardlow should be a major star somewhere, there have been way too many starts/stops for him in AEW. We've seen this story before, Wardlow will get some spotlight, get lost in the shuffle, and the best case scenario is he will be a secondary figure. The MJF storyline was suppossed to propell him and then the story was MJF going on strike before the PPV, Arn Anderson was his advisor briefly and it went no where, and he was involved in a few stables. The bottom line is, Wardlow is in the same spot today as he was five years ago. That speaks volumes about the lack of structure and effective booking in the company.

Toni Storm vs. Athena was fine for what it was, they are solid in-ring performers, but this was a segment where the narrative just didn't connect with the viewing audience. Sure, in theory Athena should be a major threat to Storm's title because she's the record-setting champion from Ring Of Honor, but the problem is that virtually nobody watches ROH so her title reign has zero cache within the AEW landscape. Toni Storm retained the belt.

It's ironic, but not surprising that the top two matches on the card were the biggest representation of the total lack of quality control in All Elite Wrestling. The premise of the main event was that the odds were tilted in the heel's favor with multiple ways for MJF to win the championship. On the surface, that makes sense as it gives the baby face champion odds to attempt to overcome to retain the title. The problem is, for a match where a DQ could've been the reason for a title change, the rules were ignored so what was the point? Furthermore, with a 10-man cage match that was going to be a blood bath afterwards, what was the point of MJF bleeding buckets in the match before it? Did the title match really need blood? Did it really add anything? Clearly, this isn't the final bout in the feud so why did they have to use the tables and the blood?

If someone enjoyed this AEW world title match then that's certainly their right to enjoy this type of presentation. Maybe I'm missing something, but this segment and specifically the circumstances around the angle is a prime example of everything that is wrong with the product. The wrong match at the wrong time on the wrong spot on the card. Adam Page retained the championship.

The main event was more of the same, it was a 30-minute car crash that was too ridiculous and arguably too dangerous. The attempted comedy spot with the gummy bears was lame and it took away from the concept of the dangerous match. The spot where Darby Allin and Gabe Kidd fell off the cage through the tables looked dangerous because there almost landed like a lawn dart on the floor. The spot where Jon Moxley literally put a fork through Darby's ear was completely ridiculous and stuff like that is why AEW will remain a niche product. It's dumb from purely a safety perspective, but it's even more foolish when you take into account that the business is supposed to be a work. If someone has to get legitimately mutilated to get a reaction, it's niche independent wrestling, not a national product. The baby face team got the win when Tanahashi got the pin to conclude the pay-per-view. 

What's the status of Will Ospreay?

Will Ospreay could be on his way to becoming a cautionary tale in the pro wrestling business, but I hope he's not.

Last month, it was thought that the British grappler would take time away from the sport to heal up from a variety of injuries based on his high-risk style, but he recently returned to television to work the Forbidden Door pay-per-view this Sunday at the O2 Arena in London. On this week's edition of Dynamite, the former IWGP heavyweight champion confirmed that the he will have surgery following the 10-man cage match this weekend, as he teams with The Golden Lovers, Darby Allin, and Tanahashi to challenge The Death Riders and The Young Bucks.

The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that there are two herniated discs in Ospreay's neck and that the surgery to repair the damage is expected to sideline him for roughly a year. That puts one of the top guys and possibly the franchise player on the shelf for an extended period of time, a time when the WWE looks to flex its muscle to, at the very least, make things more difficult for the Khan-owned organization. When All Elite Wrestling runs its next pay-per-view, All Out in Toronto, where the promotion already sold an estimated 9,000 tickets, the WWE decided to add a premium live event to its schedule to run opposition, with Wrestlepalooza added to the line-up in Indianapolis.

If a WWE event is enough to sway the typical diehard AEW fan base that purchases All Elite pay-per-views for $50 on a regular basis remains to be seen, but the main event of John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar is a tempting card for TKO to play in this scenario, as it will be one of the final matches of Cena's career, as well as his final bout against Lesnar. I don't think it's so much that the AEW audience that pays full-price for All Elite PPVs will decide that the WWE show is suddenly a better value, but rather that Cena has built up a lot of cache among fans across the board for his legendary career, and depending on what cable provider someone has, at this point, the show could be included in their cable package so it might be just as much as an economic decision as anything else. The ability to watch one of John Cena's last big matches for free might be a better option for some fans than paying $50 for another All Elite card that might be just another broadcast in the grand scheme of things.

That brings up the launch of the new ESPN app, and if Wrestlepalooza could potentially air on one of the ESPN channels, which would be another major way to try to counter program the AEW PPV. One thing is for sure, regardless of how the TKO corporation tries to oppose the next AEW pay-per-view, Will Ospreay won't be available to wrestle at the show.

A wrestler could be the biggest star or the best worker in the world, but if they are hurt, their effectiveness as a performer is often moot. When the WWE loads up with a Cena/Lesnar main event, Ospreay won't be able to be on the card to sell pay-per-views for AEW.

That's why Will Ospreay should consider if this specific show in London this weekend is truly worth the potential risk of shortening years from his career. Along with that, given that he has acknowledged that he will need neck surgery that will put him on the shelf for an extended period of time, should Tony Khan allow him to work the match?

One of the many pitfalls of the modern era is that as the in-ring style becomes more risky, and there's seemingly very little restraint for a measurement of the risk/reward ratio in some of those scenarios, there are more serious injuries more often. Don't get me wrong, pro wrestling in any era is risky, there are a laundry list of former athletes as proof of that, but it goes without saying that the dangerous bumps and wild dives increase the injury rate.

Thankfully, the current generation has learned some lessons from those grapplers of the past, particularly with the ability to seek medical care when needed, which is a perk of the guaranteed money of the past thirty years rather than the hard-nosed notion that "if you don't wrestle, you don't get paid." At least on the surface, it appears that there are less major pro wrestlers now that fall into the trap of self-medicating just to get to the ring because they need the payday, which is often what happened in a prior era. Instead of a handful of painkillers to work through the injuries, the talent go to some of the best sports doctors in the world to get the proper medical treatment when they are hurt, which is one of the overwhelming positives of the modern era.

Still, the human body can only sustain so much punishment, and everyone has a limit. Regardless of if it was Disco Inferno, who probably couldn't handle a hangnail, or Harley Race with a reputation of one of the legitimately roughest in the history of the business, there's a limit for everyone as far as how much damage they can individual take from the toll of the ring on the body.

At 32, Will Ospreay should theoretically be in the prime of his career, not already dealing with serious neck issues. Of course, anything can happen at any time, but I think it's fair to say that the performer that broke into the business when he was just 19 years old pushed the envelope for the past decade. That's not a knock on his ability as a performer, but rather the exact opposite. Make no mistake about it, Will Ospreay is one of the most incredible athletes of his generation and one of the best workers in the entire business today. 

The problem is that he seems to take every risk almost every match rather than a more measured, safer approach. I've often compared the British competitor to AJ Styles in terms of Styles' early career in TNA, as I honestly think that Ospreay could be the franchise of the company in terms of the representative of the All Elite brand the way that AJ was the franchise player of TNA in the early-2000s. But, this is where there's a stark difference between the two, there's a difference between being innovative as compared to reckless. AJ Styles worked a fast-paced, hard-hitting style, and took some big bumps, but he was always in control of his direction during aerial moves and the bumps that he took in the ring. The argument could be made that Ospreay's style is boarder line reckless, not that he's careless with opponents, but rather with the risks he's taking for his own safety in an effort to garner "the five-star match" rating in The Observer newsletter.

Until the five-star ratings or any other award from Meltzer comes with a cash prize, the goal should be not only the ability to draw money for an event, but also the ability to continue to be healthy enough to draw money again in the future. Ospreay can't be the franchise guy for the company if he's not on the marquee to sell tickets and pay-per-views. He could and should be the performer that the company builds around for at least the next decade, but given his style, the odds don't appear to be in his favor. Maybe it doesn't matter to Tony Khan if he has the ability to use Ospreay to sell tickets? Maybe he just wants AEW to get more five-star ratings than any other company in the history of the business since drawing money isn't the priority for the company? But, it would be very disappointing if Ospreay's career ends significantly early in exchange for star ratings because he has the ability to make a much bigger impact on the industry.

The new UFC deal

Just a week after the WWE announced a deal with ESPN, expanding the product's reach to yet another platform when it was revealed that the monthly pay-per-views will be broadcast on the network's new streaming platform at the at the start of next year, with the Wrestlepalooza event set to air on ESPN next month, the TKO corporation made a landmark announcement.

This time it was the UFC side of the corporation with the announcement that the MMA league will move its pay-per-views from the ESPN platform to Paramount+, the streaming service under the CBS banner. The massive $7.7 billion deal will give Paramount the rights to UFC content for the duration of a seven-year deal.The major difference and the game changer of the deal is that  the UFC pay-per-views, one of the very few commodities that still sell on traditional pay-per-view with a traditional price tag in the modern era, will be included in the $7.99 per month subscription to the Paramount service at no extra charge, which will be completely different from the previously mentioned ESPN contract. Under the ESPN deal, fans had to subscribe to the ESPN+ service just for the option to pay $79.99 to watch the pay-per-views.

With the exception of All Elite Wrestling, this contract basically brings an end to the PPV era, at least on any regular basis. Sure, there could be a one-off event that someone tries to put on pay-per-view, we know that the cable companies have the slots open and the myriad of streaming services will find a place on their line-up in exchange for a piece of the pie, but outside of All Elite Wrestling, the PPV era, which was once the most lucrative revenue stream in both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts, has come to an end.

If the bulk-pricing model truly solidifies itself as the standard distribution channel for MMA remains to be seen, but when a subscription to Paramount+ will be $7.99 a month to replace the traditional $79.99 per event price tag, the success of the deal will be based on easier access to more viewers.

That's where there are several different layers to this story.

Reportedly, the contract will bring 43 MMA events a year to Paramount, which could include a few events on CBS, the first time that the organization is back on broadcast TV since the Fox deal several years ago before the company inked a contract with ESPN.

Of course, there are different perspectives with everything. For the UFC and the TKO corporation, this is a mega deal with guaranteed revenue for the next seven years, which is exactly what shareholders look for when they buy stock in the company. The more that investors are willing to put into the company, the more money that is made for everyone involved, as well as cementing TKO's position as a media commodity.

This will also shift the paradigm of the presentation of the MMA group, almost flipping the dynamic of how the content can be consumed by the viewing audience. In some ways, what's old is new again. After the UFC surged in popularity in 2005 and eventually inked a deal with Fox to move the organization away from Spike TV, the channel that provided the platform for the original boom period with the initial seasons of The Ultimate Fighter, the promotion had an all-time roster of big stars that fueled it through the 2010s. Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Anderson Silva, Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Ronda Rousey, and others were staples of the company. In retrospect, the Fox deal was the bridge between the Spike era where legends like Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture made a name for themselves before they retired, and the future of the sport that will probably be shaped through the fighters that emerge at the top of the card of the Paramount era.

It's ironic that Spike TV, the channel that provided the first truly national exposure for the group, eventually became the Paramount network that signed the organization for what could be the most exposure in its history in the future.   

Still, when the Fox contract concluded in 2018, the UFC was a proven commodity on pay-per-view so ESPN originally paid $1.5 billion for a five-year deal to move the MMA content almost fully behind a paywall as one of the primary selling points of the ESPN+ streaming service. Putting even the fight night cards, events that were a key part of the success the company had previously, behind the subscription service undoubtedly impacted the perception of the roster.

Let's be honest here, the entire point of getting UFC on television after it was initially banned, was that it allowed for the fighters to become marketable stars. It proved that there was a paying audience for mixed martial arts if there was a way for fans to easily access the product. It goes without saying that there was a portion of the casual fans that watched the fight cards on Spike and Fox that was prompted to order the pay-per-views that didn't invest in a subscription service to follow the product. Keep in mind, a monthly subscription service is almost a counterproductive concept for casual fans that watch occasionally, and that dynamic becomes event more complicated when there's such an oversaturation of the streaming market.

The ability to sell pay-per-views to consumers under the current ESPN deal became exponentially more difficult with the notion that fans had to pay for a subscription fee just for the option to pay $79.99 to watch each event. The bottom line is casual fans simply aren't going to pay $80 to watch pay-per-views on a regular basis so the hype around the promotion today is significantly less than it was a decade ago.

Thankfully, the Paramount deal could change that, as this deal will give more fans more access to main cards as pay-per-view events will be the cheapest in the 30-year history of the organization. The $7.99 subscription includes the pay-per-views, the fight night cards, and the rest of the programming on the service. With more access and more exposure to more fans, the current roster has a chance to make themselves stars, which can rebuilt the total amount of star power that the company has on the roster in the future.

If the bulk-pricing model can truly get off the ground for MMA remains to be seen, as it's still relatively uncharted territory, especially with the PPVs included in the subscription price, but if it is successful, it could rejuvenate the UFC product. There are a slew of media entities that are spending literally billions of dollars to try to secure their pie of the streaming pie as the media landscape continues to evolve, and if it will be truly successful will be determined over the course of time with not only the initial amount of subscribers, but also the ability of those platforms to maintain subscribers. It's a less optimistic point of view, but it's possible that the cost of the production of content, particularly with scripted shows, might be too expensive for a subscription model. There's a reason why some streaming platforms, including Paramount and Disney+ have lost money as they tried to expand programming to secure more subscriptions. 

However, live sports might be profitable genre that will give certain streaming services a lead in the competition to secure a portion of the market. A live event is scheduled for a specific time so the production isn't going to have filming delays or go over budget the way that some scripted shows can within the entertainment industry.

While there are several factors of how the streaming dynamics will evolve within the media industry, the bottom line for the TKO corporation is that the combination of this Paramount contract and the ESPN deal makes it one of the biggest media entities in either sports or entertainment. Between the two contracts, TKO will get more than $9 billion for it's media rights. That's not taking into account ticket sales, site fees, or merchandise. The wide array of coverage that the TKO properties have is also another major factor in its standing within the entertainment field. Raw is on Netflix, Smackdown is on USA, NXT is on the CW, the UFC will be on Paramount, there will be some type of content on Peacock until at least early next year, and the WWE pay-per-views will be on ESPN. Each of those deals take away potential TV contracts from All Elite Wrestling is the promotion leaves the Turner networks. There's no doubt that competition is key for the industry, but the sum tonal of the new media contracts is going to make it very difficult for any company to compete with the TKO corporation.

Triplemania review

Lucha libre group, AAA returned to WWE's Youtube channel for its second event broadcasted under the TKO banner, Triplemania in Mexico City this past weekend. As of this writing, the show, which was broadcasted in English and Spanish, garnered a staggering 4.3 million views, making it the most-viewed event in AAA history.

That right there is one of the biggest perks of the purchase by the WWE, the distribution of the product, as well as the ability to merchandise it, are exponentially bigger with the WWE machine behind it. The biggest takeaway from the Triplemania event is that there's undoubtedly an audience for lucha libre beyond just the typical Mexican audience.

At the same time,  while it's a part of the process and not necessarily a total negative, Triplemania also provided examples of where TKO brass will have to bridge the gap so to speak with the cultural differences of lucha libre if they want to truly integrate the Mexican-based genre into the bigger platform of the WWE umbrella. That's absolutely not to say that the office should change the structure of lucha libre, but rather find a way to present the traditional aspects of the sport in Mexico to the wider audience so that each portion of the show will be put into proper context.

The in-ring aspects of the six-match card is almost moot, mostly because the upside of the project is much bigger than any particular show, especially with the amount of money involved with media rights deals in the modern era. Triplemania as an event was less about the in-ring action and more about the prospects of the success, or potential pitfalls of the venture. Assuming the office can get the newer audience up to speed on the landscape of lucha libre and the history of AAA, similar to the way that Mike Tenay did brilliant work in WCW for the lucha bouts, there's the potential for the AAA project to become another valuable entity within the ranks of the TKO corporation.

The opening battle royal was fun, even if it left a few of those gaps mentioned earlier not fully explained. In a scenario that happened a few different times throughout the night, there was a few competitors that weren't booked for the When Worlds Collide show last month that were included on Triplemania that the non-Mexican audience would have no idea who they were or any reference point to truly understand their significance to the sport. Cibernetico, who was actually in the Royal Rumble in 1997 during the original WWF/AAA working agreement, has been one of the well-known names within lucha libre for more than thirty years, but to the majority of the fans that tuned into the event, at least on the English WWE Youtube page, he just looked like an older wrestler that was briefly in the ring. Of course, it's going to take time for the WWE to properly put lucha legends in perspective to fully utilize their status so it's not something that's impossible to get over to a bigger audience, but it's definitely going to take more than monthly events to establish the luminaries to the international audience.

It was good to see Omos back in the ring for Triplemania, mostly because he's undoubtedly a marketable commodity, but not only has the way that the WWE used him, but also how the WWE used giants in general makes it a better option for him to be a part of the AAA project. Keep in mind, the more that the WWE used any giant that they could find, or basically the further they got away from the philosophy that they used for Andre back in the day, the less mystic the giants had in the grand scene of things. The Big Show started off as a major player when he debuted in the WWF in 1999, but when he was shipped down to OVW to lose weight just a few years later, he wasn't protected the way the giants of the past were. Sure, when he would keep himself in shape, he would get a renewed push, but with the decline of his credibility, particularly who he would be booked to sell for, as well as the compromises to the credibility to his character with a series of baby face and heel switches, most of the aura of The Big Show diminished. Similar to how Andre was the benchmark for giants in the WWE in the previous era, when the status of Big Show declined, the dynamic of giants in the organization was less important as well. Keep in mind, The Great Khali had an initial push to the world heavyweight title before he became a comedy character.

When Omos was defeated in less than five minutes by Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania a few years ago, his time as a featured star in the WWE was basically over since it sacrificed his credibility as a force within the company. It goes without saying that when some grapplers are so tall that it affects their mobility, their style might not suite the modern era, but the doesn't take away from the value of the performer under the right circumstances. The sport in Mexico, much like in Japan, still has the aura around giants in pro wrestling since the concept of a giant hasn't been diluted the way that it was in America. This opens the door for Omos to have a fresh run and become an established star in AAA. The spot with Microman was too obvious not to book when you have both performers in the same building. With over 82 million views on social media, it puts a brighter spotlight on Omos than anything he did in WWE previously, and it goes without saying that Microman could be a very marketable star. Omos getting the win makes sense since it puts that previously mentioned spotlight on him.

The Latin America championship match was another example of the disconnect that there was between the narrative in the ring and the international audience. Clearly, there was a lot of drama and cache for what took place based on the reaction of the crowd in the building, but for those that weren't aware of  El Mesías, who wasn't featured on the When Worlds Collide pay-per-view, and the rivalry with the Wagner family, the presentation didn't have the drama that it would've had otherwise. Mesías, who originally made a name for himself working in Puerto Rico as Ricky Banderas, is a journeyman that has competed for several different organizations for nearly three decades, but he's never had a major run in the United States that would've introduced him to American fans. He had a cup of coffee in TNA almost 20 years ago and was featured on MTV for the 2 or 3 weeks that Wrestling Society X was on the air, but the vast majority of the English audience probably had no idea who he was. Dr. Wagner Jr. is an absolute legend in Mexico, but his appearance didn't have the same importance to most of the viewing audience since you'd have to be a diehard fan to be familiar with his accomplishments in Mexico.

The mixed trios match, the tag title match, and the women's triple threat match were fine and an example of how WWE stars can be booked into the mix to bring more viewers to the AAA product, but those bouts were mostly par for the course. That's not meant as a knock either, if matches like this are how the WWE talent are going to be booked in AAA then it's probably going to be a successful formula, particularly because the AAA product isn't being presented as secondary.

The main event was a four-way match that had mostly WWE talent, but Vikingo was victorious so it was another indication that AAA, at least on their own events, are going to be promoted on a similar level as the WWE guys. AJ Styles' appearance had a dual purpose, as it furthers his storyline with Dominik Mysterio on Raw and adds an extra sizzle to Triplemania.

The next AAA event will be held September 12th with Dominik Mysterio vs. Vikingo already announced as the main event. It will be interesting to see if there will be some type of regular program to showcase AAA events, as there were other shows in Mexico that weren't broadcasted on the WWE platform between the When Worlds Collide show and this Triplemania event. Maybe this will be a tailored integration of AAA programming onto the WWE platform, but at some point, if management truly wants to expand the lucha organization to a bigger audience and thus maximize the revenue possible, there will have to be some type of distribution on a regular basis. Considering the recent ESPN contract, it will be interesting to see if  there will be a deal for the lucha content on a different platform.

The return of Axel Law

It's often said that professional wrestling is about the moments.

Maybe too often in the modern era of the social media age, a time when tribalism or the dreaded debate about star ratings take priority over entertainment, sometimes even the most passionate fans can miss the forest through the trees, at least on the national level.

It's not quite as glamorous, as it's not hosted in a stadium or has millions of dollars from the corporate sponsors, but there's something inherently charming about independent wrestling. And, it doesn't require fans to take out a second mortgage to be able to afford tickets.

Just a few weeks ago, there was a prime example of what's so endearing about the independent scene, those that are involved aren't there because of a guaranteed contract or an endorsement deal. Regardless of if they are aspiring rookies looking for that potential big break, or seasoned veterans that give back to the business, the vast majority of independent wrestlers are there for the love of the game.

A prime example of that is Axel Law, a throwback pro from the Pittsburgh scene of the late-90s that saw his career cut short when a broken neck in 2000 and the subsequent fusion surgery to repair it eventually led to the end of his days in the ring.

Axel moved on, relocating to the southern United States and working as a drug enforcement agent for two decades until he retired from the force. But, the fire for the performance still burned inside his heart.

So, when he found himself back at Ryse Wrestling's Stronghold training center a few years ago, he floated the idea of a comeback to the squared circle, mostly so that his son Hunter, who never had the chance to watch him compete, would get to see his dad in the ring.

Law hit the weights and the mat consistently for several months, determined to not only make a comeback, but to do so in the best way possible. He was ready to lace up his boots at least one more time before not only his wrestling dreams, but his life was in danger the night before Thanksgiving last November.

He hit a patch of ice, rolling his truck, and the car accident left the grizzled grappler quite literally in several different pieces. He ruptured his spleen and broke two vertebrae in his back, which were relatively close to the damage that he sustained from the original wrestling injury nearly 25 years prior. He spent five days in the Intensive Care Unit then three months in a recliner after he was sent home from the hospital. He was barely able to get around his home and basic tasks were grueling on a day-to-day basis.

Axel Law was built on grit, and as the recovery process went on, he found that his flame for the ring couldn't be extinguished.

"Once the doctors released me to go back to train, I concentrated on strengthening my back and neck as much as possible. It was not easy at first, standing in a public gym with ten pound dumbbells, but I was locked in, I wasn’t going to stay down. I’ve been down this road before, and I always get back up. Once I started feeling strong in the gym, I slowly started running some light drills at training and rolls.  Running the ropes was really hard at first as the rope rope hits my back directly where it was broken. Day by day, week by week, I kept coming back and slowly doing more each time. I had not planned on coming back after my accident, but now there was a fire in me that I could not contain," he explained.

Axel cites the tight-knit group at the training center as one of the main reasons he was able to work his way from the ICU months earlier back into the squared circle.

"The amount of support that I felt from fellow Stronghold students and trainers was a driving force as well. Brandon K, Dean Radford, Glenn Spectre, Jace Mara,and all the guys and girls at the Stronghold training center all helped me in one way or another. And I will be forever grateful," he commented.

Finally, after months of rehabilitation just to get back to some sense of a normal life when he had to work his way back from a hospital bed to his first cautious steps back in between the ring ropes, the day arrived that Axel Law would make his comeback. At Ryse's annual showcase at the Fayette county fair, he was scheduled to compete against the serious professional and longtime veteran, Glenn Spectre, who made a return to the sport of his own a few years ago after an extended hiatus. Spectre has continued to add to his extensive resume, winning championships in 2025 after he was the first "gaijin" or foreigner to win the DDT tag titles in Japan more than two decades ago. Management selected  Glenn as the opponent because it was rather poetic that Axel returned to the ring against someone from his original era.

"I think I understand Axel’s return more than most. Like me, Axel has a chance to rewrite a chapter in his wrestling story. After observing his toughness and resolve first hand, I wish him nothing but success. He wants it," said Spectre via phone.

"It's how passionate he was and how he was able to get the crowd emotionally invested. He had a no quit mentality, which made him always a pleasure to be around. It was very nice to see him show up at Ryse not long ago," added CJ Sensation, one of Axel's original peers that now works behind the scenes of the Pittsburgh circuit as an organizer and producer.

When the music hit, Axel bounded through the curtain, and his enthusiasm was infectious, as the crowd in attendance responded with their own energy toward the wild man that was there to put on a show for them.  

"Coming through the curtain again was like a dream. The goosebumps I had, when the fans at Ryse accepted me and showed me love is exactly why we do this. Just before I come through the curtain, I always say a prayer thanking God for protecting me another day and giving me the privilege to come out the curtain. When I came through the emotion that y’all saw was not an act, it was all real life," he remarked.

"As far as Glenn Spectre, if I was gonna make a comeback, I was definitely going to test myself. I have so much respect for Glenn both as a worker and trainer, but I told him before the match to not hold back on me. I wanted the test. I feel like Glenn tested me throughout the match," he added.

Throughout the contest, the intensity elevated as the bout tilted back and fourth. At one point, Spectre thought that he might be able to get Axel to reconsider his return and give up. but there was no quit in Axel Law. After a fierce battle, Glenn got the three count, but Axel Law still won the fight, his fight against the adversity of life and the scenario that saw him shattered in literal pieces eight months earlier from the car wreck that brisk November night. Post-match, Spectre got on the house mic and commended his opponent, embracing him as an example of the bond they share through the squared circle.

"What you saw at Fayette County fair was two warriors, with mutual love and respect for each other, get in the ring and give everything we had for the fans of Ryse," said Law.

But, it wasn't until after the bell that Axel Law realized, despite the result of the contest, just how much of a winner he was when he was surprised with a guest to share the ring with him in the post-match celebration, Hunter, his son that inspired the comeback in the first place.

"Glenn and Dean did not tell me anything about bringing him in the ring. It really was surreal to stand in that ring, with my son, with the fans chanting welcome back. I really felt the love in that moment. Part of the reason I do what I do is the love I feel when I come through the curtain. And I’m so grateful to everyone at Ryse for making it a reality," he said.

However, Axel doesn't intend for this to be a one-off scenario. He wants to continue to work as a member of the ring team behind the curtain, as well as at least a semi-regular in front of it. To say that Axel Law is an example of pure toughness would be an understatement.

"I’m not back to be anyone's stepping stone, and I am still as locked in as ever. I will continue to work hard in the gym and on my cardio. I’d like to take this chance to shed some light, I write '22 a day' on my wrist tape because 22 US vets lose their battle with PTSD every single day, and that’s just unacceptable," Axel concluded.

What's next for Karrion Kross?

Professional wrestling blurs the line between reality and the script. Sometimes it can be sleazy, sometimes it's compelling, and sometimes it falls completely flat. By nature, there's usually a piece of the puzzle left missing, with the final fit often designed to draw money.

Depending on the circumstances, it's either thrilling or infuriating. It can be frustrating, but that's a part of the fun, isn't it?

Karrion Kross, the real-life Kevin Keasar, put not only the fans, but also management on notice when he cut a scathing promo on one of the WWE panel shows, venting his frustrations about being left off of the Wrestlemania 41 card that was held in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada in April. Instead, he worked a much smaller, albeit entertaining, Game Changer Wrestling Blood Sport show the day prior.

Within the four months since, the fans rallied behind Kross, investing in his message that he was being underutilized by the powers that be within TKO corporation. After all, if he was given a chance to truly showcase himself, it would theoretically be another way that the audience would get their money's worth at a time when the publicly-traded global corporation touts record-setting profits, partially because of the astronomical ticket prices to live events.

Karrion Kross t-shirts began to sell, at least one metric that proved that there was something to his seemingly unplanned interview segment that put a spark to his career. 

In many respects, the former Killer Kross wasn't give a solid chance within the WWE landscape. Sure, he made a name for himself working in Mexico and later Impact Wrestling, which was at a time when the Impact brand offered as much exposure as the witness protection program. However, Killer Kross was always a big fish in a relatively small pond. Nobody was talking about the events in Mexico in 2017, as that was before the launch of All Elite Wrestling to bring more lucha stars to a bigger platform, as well as sending talent to CMLL on a semi-regular basis, and before the WWE purchase of AAA that has put the biggest spotlight on lucha on a more global scale since the WCW days.

Make no mistake about it, the fans that knew about Killer Kross had to put in the effort to find him in his earlier years, but it was almost a unanimous notion that he had the talent to work on the bigger stage of WWE. The reason that he didn't get the previously mentioned fair chance in the WWE was that he was essentially a victim of circumstances in some ways. He inked a WWE deal in February 2020, just a month before the COVID pandemic shut down the entire world. He was released just a year later when the organization cut dozens of performers to be able to tell shareholders that there were adjusting to the lack of live event revenue during the conference calls.

Just over three years ago, Kross and Scarlett were re-signed by the WWE in 2022, which was another time that the organization was in flux. as  it was less than a month after the initial Vince McMahon allegations were reported by The Wall Street Journal and the emperor of sports entertainment was ousted from his own company. As we know, Vince strong-armed his way back into the promotion before the Janel Grant lawsuit was filed in January of last year and exiled McMahon from the organization again. 

The point being, there was quite literally a shift in power and thus philosophy for what made it on screen for the product. A change in bookers always brings with it a change in who that booker wants to spotlight. Maybe Vince wanted to spotlight Kross more or less than he would've been featured otherwise if Triple H had the reigns when Kross returned. Austin Theory was deemed a pet project for Vince, pinning John Cena at Wrestlemania a few years ago, and once McMahon was given the boot, Theory was regulated to the B-side of a secondary tag team before an injury sidelined him.

With the shift in control a few different times during his fresh start in the company, Karrion Kross never truly had the chance to get his feet under him. He was paired with The Authors of Pain  for a short-lived push and an equally short-lived feud with The Hurt Business last year. The Authors of Pain and Paul Ellering were eventually given their walking papers this past February, and The Hurt Syndicate are now on the AEW roster.

Where did that leave Karrion Kross?

Basically, it left him no where in particular. He didn't wrestle on television for a few months earlier this year until he was on the losing end of a feud with AJ Styles, and was pinned by Sami Zayn in two pay-per-view matches in a row.

The fan support that Kross received this year was generated by him, not the company, and based on how he was booked before his contract expired over the weekend,  it looked like the office wanted to make sure he was framed as secondary before he hit the free agent market.

With his WWE contract expired, that would technically make him available to any wrestling league, AEW included, as soon as this week. Keep in mind, he's not subject to a no-compete clause since he wasn't cut from the roster, his contract just simply wasn't renewed. Along with his official return to the free agent market, Kevin Keasar released a documentary of sorts that chronicled his final months under WWE contract on his Youtube channel. The biggest takeaway from the video release that runs just over an hour is that it spotlights his fan support, and how he made time for the fans to express his appreciation.

But, could this all be by design?

We saw how the office constructed the Seth Rollins ruse to create a very memorable moment with the cash-in at Summer Slam. How injured Rollins was or wasn't before he cashed in to win the WWE championship is irreverent. The point being, the line was blurred and allowed for a level of intrigue before it was used to put Rollins over as the WWE champion. Maybe it was an injury scare and the writing team used it as a part of the script when Rollins wasn't as hurt as initially thought at Saturday Night's Main Event? Maybe the injury spot was planned and he was never injured at all?

We don't know for sure, but that's a part of the fun, isn't it?

Given that the Seth Rollins cash-in went about as well as it could've, it's not impossible that WWE management could lean into something similar for Karrion Kross with the concept of, "No, this is reality" when it's actually all being used to work the audience. Remember that piece the puzzle that is usually missing before the remaining piece is used to draw money? Taking into account the way that Kross was booked to lose continuously before his contract expired, it might be a way to further the narrative that the office didn't see the same value in him that the fans did. On the flip side, it's just as possible that they weren't going to put him over if he wasn't going to be under contract to the company going forward, which makes sense since there's no reason for them to promote someone for another company's show.

On the surface, it seems like his organic fan support would be too easy to capitalize on for management to pass up, but how many times have we had to shake our heads when the office missed the boat on certain talent in the past?

If I had to guess, and I could be totally wrong, I'd say that Karrion Kross will be back in the organization sooner rather than later. There appears to be too much of a push that he and Scarlett are done with WWE, almost as if they want to make it too obvious that they are out the door for there not to be something in the works. Both Kross and Scarlett confirmed their exits and are already claiming to be available for the independent circuit. It's well-known that the WWE ID program put a collection of independent leagues in contact with the WWE so even if Killer Kross starts to pop up on independent shows, it's possible that it could be used to add some credibility to the notion that the office didn't renew his deal.

The power of social media isn't nearly as strong as some might claim it to be, but the influence and the trickle down effect is undeniable. Social media alone can't do it, but it's possible that it could be the spark that starts a groundswell of support for Kross that might lead to his name being chanted on WWE broadcasts. Those circumstance would definitely increase the impact of his return if this is all a work.

Furthermore, it's a little too convenient that there just happened to be a camera there to capture his reaction when he finished the promo on the panel show as he was leaving the set for a documentary that was set to be released after his WWE deal expired. The same camera was there to follow him through the arenas to film his interaction with fans, adding to the narrative that he's a man of the people. Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely not saying that he was being phony with his time for the fans. In fact, the reason that he got over on his own is because the fans can tell that he's genuine so those interactions are authentic. It's just a little too convenient that a third party camera was allowed to film backstage at WWE events for a project outside of the WWE umbrella.

The other side of the coin is that the story is legitimate and he's done with the WWE. Unfortunately, without the WWE machine to provide a payoff to this scenario, I'm not sure if Kross can continue to build his momentum. The WWE footprint gets larger with the expansion of assets like AAA and distribution like the new ESPN deal in 2026 so getting a portion of the market to take notice for anything outside of the WWE scope will be more difficult. As I said when I wrote about Kross prior to this, he could technically go to All Elite Wrestling and he would be lost in the shuffle within a matter of weeks. New Japan is an option and he would undoubtedly get a top spot there because the group is extremely thin in terms of star power so maybe that would be the best choice if he's actually gone from WWE, but it goes without saying that he would be back to being a bigger fish in a smaller pond.

I'm skeptical about the whole situation, as it would be counter productive for management to let the contract expire of someone that was selling merchandise, but it might be as simple as they don't see the upside of a possible Karrion Kross push so they don't think it would be worth the investment of TV time and the promotional push for him. 

The WWE/ESPN deal

 Earlier today, a blockbuster announcement was made as ESPN revealed a deal that will bring the marquee WWE premium live events, including Wrestlemania, Summer Slam, The Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Money in The Bank, to a new service that will launch at the start of 2026. At this point, it's unclear if the contract, which will pay the TKO corporation $325 million per year for the next five years, will include the other pay-per-view events or the extensive WWE video library. Netflix, the streaming platform for Raw, will continue to have the rights to the entire WWE product internationally, but the new ESPN deal further diversifies WWE's domestic distribution.

There are several layers of the onion, both for what this means for the pro wrestling industry and the streaming industry as a whole.

As of this writing, it was reported that ESPN's new service will be $29.99 a month for subscribers, but those that already have access to the ESPN channels through their cable providers will have the service included so it's technically not a step backward to fans paying for individual events the way that UFC pay-per-views are purchased through the ESPN+ platform. It remains to be seen if the new ESPN service will affect its streaming platform. Obviously, the newly-announced service that will host WWE events will distribute content as a bulk selling point, which has almost become the standard within the current media landscape so that's another aspect that differs from the past of $30 for traditional pay-per-view. If wrestling fans would be swayed by the other content on the service remains to be seen.

The WWE announcement was made right after ESPN announced a massive deal with the NFL, putting the NFL Network, the Red Zone Channel, and other content under the ESPN banner, while the NFL will have a 10% stake in the network. How ESPN would report on the league, and more specifically, its controversies, remains to be seen. Assuming that the deal is approved by the government and goes into effect, it rumps up the footprint that ESPN will have among the sports media landscape. That's a footprint that for a number of years was slipping, as other media, including podcasts and other networks, took a portion of the audience that wanted sports coverage. At the very least, the addition of the NFL content and the WWE events give ESPN another major selling point to those respective audiences, as well as reasserting itself as a force within the sports media landscape.

The trickle down affect is that it's more than possible that there could be advertisements for upcoming WWE events during NFL broadcasts, and getting even a fraction of that audience to either sample WWE programming or maybe become regular viewers again, could undoubtedly have an impact on not only viewership, but also the perception of the WWE brand. That might actually be one of the bigger points of that entire scenario, the WWE brand will have more cache, both for fans and sponsors, because of its association with ESPN.

It's ironic that there was a point in time several years ago that WWE would've been considered too "taboo" so to speak to be aired on ESPN since its scripted sports entertainment, but the evolution of the WWE and ESPN itself allows the deal to make sense for everyone involved. The WWE gets more mainstream exposure, particularly because, similar to the UFC deal, ESPN have a vested interest in the success of the WWE brand on its service so they will promote the organization. Keep in mind, TKO is getting paid the flat rate of $325 million per year so the amount of subscribers and thus the revenue from the new service will determine how profitable the venture will be for ESPN. Make no mistake about it, the cable channel will push the WWE events as much as possible to make sure the deal will be profitable for them.

On the flip side, this deal allows for a wider possible audience for the ESPN brand. The 18-34 male demographic will always be the cable's main target group, but it's well-known that the WWE audience generally skews toward either the younger audience or an older viewership of over 55 so this deal can add younger kids, more senior citizens, and potentially more of a female audience to ESPN viewership. 

As much as this deal diversifies WWE's media distribution, it can also diversify ESPN's demographics, which could be a way for the network to compensate for the increased amount of sports coverage in the modern era. A youngster might not tune into ESPN to see if Scottie Scheffler made bail in time to tee off, but they will want to watch Jey Usos' next pay-per-view match.

The other side of the equation is a little less optimistic, but it's still a possibility that must be considered for this contract.

What if there isn't enough or a demand from the WWE audience to either subscribe to another service or follow the content to another platform? We've heard for years about cord-cutting, and the supposed doom of traditional television, which I think has been completely blown out of proportion, as television is still the most common way to consume content. Still, there's no doubt that there are less traditional cable subscribers now than in the past so there will be a portion of the WWE fan base that will have to decide if they want to pay $30 a month for access to WWE pay-per-views.

The question is, has there been an oversaturation of WWE content?

The argument could be made  that there's already an oversaturation of WWE programming with at least six and a half hours of original shows each week, as well as the extended pay-per-views. Summer Slam was a staggering seven and a half hours over the course of two days. Let's not forget the new Unreal series on Netflix, and the myriad of online content, such as the WWE Vault Youtube channel. There will eventually be a tipping point where the average viewer just isn't going to watch endless hours of pro wrestling. Considering the amount of programming already on cable and Netflix, will viewers truly want to potentially pay $30 a month for more WWE content? Granted, the new ESPN service will have various shows, but the WWE audience will decide to subscribe or not primarily based on the wrestling shows.

That being said, this deal, at least on the surface, is overwhelming positive for the WWE, particularly for the previously mentioned promotional push from ESPN throughout the next five years. It's rather astonishing that 15 years ago that Smackdown was on the Sci-Fi channel, a secondary network, and now the WWE shows are worth literally billions of dollars. Some of that is based on the evolution of the media landscape, but the brand is definitely stronger today than it was for several years in the past. It will be very interesting to see if the WWE overplays its hand as far as trying to sell too much sizzle without enough substance as far as expensive ticket prices and potentially another cost to watch WWE content or if the new deal adds more fuel to the increased WWE popularity in recent years.

Summer Slam night two review

The second night of Summer Slam took place with some loftier expectations than night one had, and mere minutes after the broadcast went off the air, I'm honestly not sure if the company met them or not. More than anything, the totality of the two-night format gave the impression that the best parts of each night could've been combined into one show for a much tighter and probably better presentation.

I hate to say it because it's a repetitive statement, but night two also had several segments that were stretched out to the point of being tedious just to get the runtime of the show to almost four hours.

The show opened with the triple threat match for the Women's championship, and while it was a very good 15-minute bout, there's not necessarily a lot to say about it since it was yet another example of everything being quality for a featured bout in the women's division. This was action packed and checked all the boxes for a quality segment. Naomi stealing the victory was a very wise decision since it gave her more heat, and as I've written before, both Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky are already established so it makes sense to spotlight Naomi. I'd go as far as to say that Ripley and Iyo are such polished pros that they will maintain their status within the division even if they are outside of the title picture for a few months.

The tag team TLC match was exactly what it was advertised to be, especially with the comparisons to the original TLC matches and the introductions of two of the tag teams that were involved in those bouts, The Dudleys and The Hardys. This was the car crash that you'd expect with some wild spots and brutal table bumps. Any ring psychology was minimal here, but that's the nature of the stipulation. The spot where Tommaso Ciampa was hanging from the bracket that held the belts will probably be the most memorable portion of this match. That being said, it makes sense for the Wyatts to retain the belts. Most importantly, after they completely lost any steam that they and basically needed a restart when they resurfaced a few months ago, it's key that the office gives them something of substance to do if the company wants the faction to have any longevity or the group will fizzle out again. Furthermore, it's reported that the Wyatts have done well for merchandise sales so if the organization wants to maximize that revenue stream, the stable has to be showcased as stars.

The Women's Intercontinental title match  was where this card took somewhat of a dip. The action was fine for what it was, but this match went 25 minutes, which was at least ten minutes too long. It was also unintentionally repetitive with the no DQ stipulation, as it was right after the TLC match and used some of the same weapons without being nearly as spectacular as the prior match on the card. This had a slow and plodding pace that might've been  justified by the office as some type of dramatic presentation, but it became a tedious viewing experience. Bayley's involvement didn't add much, and given that the segment wasn't exactly thrilling, it didn't boost  Lyra Valkyria's status either. This is a rare time that a Becky Lynch bout was underwhelming. If I had to guess, there will be another match in the feud, but after this, it's not exactly going to be an anticipated rematch.

Speaking of underwhelming, it's also rare that the word underwhelming would be used to describe a Jacob Fatu segment, especially because he's been absolute money since he debuted in the WWE, but I have to be honest, I expected more than what they delivered in this 10-minute cage match. Everything seemed rushed and blatant rather than a narrative that could unfold organically to allow for the drama to build toward the conclusion. This segment never got into second gear because it wasn't given enough time to do so, as the interference became the narrative more than anything else. More specifically, and this became more apparent later in the night, this card seemed to use gimmick matches as a substitute for compelling drama. The conclusion where Solo Sikoa fell out of the cage to win was very flat.

The Intercontinental title match was fine, but similar to some of the contest from the night before, this was a TV match in a stadium rather than something you'd expect to see on a featured pay-per-view. I understand the narrative based around Eddie Guerrero, which is a nice tribute to the late legend, but there just wasn't enough meat on the bone in terms of bell-to-bell substance in this segment. This was another contest that didn't get into second gear before the finish when Dominik Mysterio retained the title.

I think that I've probably been too negative in this review, but I can only react to what I watched, and outside of the first two matches of the night, similar to night one, the show as a whole was rather underwhelming prior to the main event, putting more pressure on the championship bout to deliver something memorable. I wouldn't go as far as to say that Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena had to save the show, but similar to Saturday, I got the impression that the two-night format spreads the talent too thin to maintain the quality of the event.

That being said, the main event saw John Cena recapture a performance from his prime rather than a retirement run where he looks his age. However, the match was still too long, too tedious, and structured in a fashion that didn't build any major drama. This bout went almost 40 minutes and it was just too long, as the action on screen didn't justify that amount of time it was given on the broadcast. Furthermore, a series of finishes isn't dramatic, it's just a crutch for a lack of a compelling narrative. This contest had a lot of finishers, but didn't truly have any back and fourth action. Along with that, the street fight stipulation is the exact same thing as the women's match earlier in the night, and it was more proof that this card used gimmicks to add a sizzle that the in-ring action didn't have. Maybe I'm being too critical, but I found the pace to be so slow that it seemed like the audience was waiting for some type of interference to set up the finish since it was obvious when they was going to be a kick out.

Similar to how the ending of the cage match was flat, I think the same can be said here. There wasn't a back and fourth exchange to lead to the finish, but instead a rather tedious conclusion for Cody to win the championship back. I'm not sure the match itself provided a good conclusion for Cena's final reign or a boost for the start of Rhodes' second tenure as champion. If this would've went 20 minutes, it might've been a different story, but the actual runtime was nearly double that.

As far as surprises, the return of Brock Lesnar was undoubtedly a surprise, even if it's a retread of the same spot that they company did in 2012. Ironically, the last time that anyone saw Brock in the WWE was at Summer Slam two years ago when he lost to Cody Rhodes. As we know, Brock was named in the Vince McMahon lawsuit earlier this year after it was originally filed in early-2024 by Janel Grant, prompting the organization to distance itself from him. His rumored return to the organization at the Royal Rumble that year was scrapped, and he was removed as a playable character in the video game. At the time of the initially filing, it was only stated that a former UFC and WWE champion was involved, but Lesnar was literally the only performer on the roster that had won the UFC title so it was obvious that he was going to be included in the lawsuit before he was officially named, which is why the company immediately canceled any plans for him.

The fact that Lesnar was brought back while the lawsuit is ongoing could mean a few different things. Obviously, WWE brass thinks enough time has passed that they can promote Lesnar for key upcoming foreign shows without any major backlash from the fan base or sponsors. Secondly, Lesnar being named in the lawsuit might prove that he's a sleazy guy, but he's not a defendant so he isn't the subject of any legal ramifications. If there was even the slightest chance that Lesnar might be the subject of legal action, there's no way that the WWE lawyers would've advised to bring him back to television. Given the nature of the lawsuit and the text messages that appear to prove his involvement with Janel Grant, the reaction that he received at Summer Slam proves that the fans often don't care how shady a performer is if they are a big enough star. If the Hogan scandal happened in his prime, it probably would've been swept under the rug, too. Lesnar appears to have requested a sexual encounter with a WWE employee as a part of the negotiations to re-sign with the company a few years ago.That's disgusting behavior, but the core WWE audience will cheer him and buy his merchandise because the pyro and ballyhoo is more important to them. 

Hey, pro wrestling isn't exactly know for its ethical nature.

Aside from the shock return because of the controversy with the lawsuit, I'm not sure how much demand there is for another John Cena/Brock Lesnar feud in 2025. As mentioned, it's quite literally a "been there, done that" scenario. More specifically, is there truly a demand for another Brock run? I'm not doubting his star power even after the negative publicity, but is there really anything else for him to do? He was used in a featured role for several stints in the span of several years, I think it's a fair question to ask, is there any new ground to cover, especially when his move set became repetitive and stale the last time the audience saw him?

Still, the same way that night one will be remembered for the cash-in at the conclusion of the show, the second night of Summer Slam will be known as the event where Brock Lesnar showed up after everyone thought that he was  persona non grata so maybe it's mission accomplished for the company.

Summer Slam night one review

Summer Slam, the signature event of the season for the WWE, kicked off its two-night presentation at MetLife Stadium. As unnecessary as making this event two nights is, the bottom line is, if they can sell twice as many tickets in a particular location, and get the city that hosts the show to pay a site fee, they are going to maximize the profit, even if it hinders the quality overall. The show had just six matches, but went nearly three and a half hours, which was a major factor because the pace of the show and the matches were designed to stretch as long as possible, even when there wasn’t a need for it in terms of the quality of the show.

An example of this was the opening tag team match of Roman Reigns and Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Everything from the entrances to the introductions were done at a very deliberate pace. The match itself was fine, but more of a Raw main event than a featured bout at a pay-per-view in a stadium. Granted, it was the first contest of the night so they didn't have to do anything other than play the greatest hits, and they probably shouldn't have done more than that anyway given its position on the card, but it was still somewhat odd that Roman booked for the first match of a major event that was almost forgettable by the time the show went off the air.

Reigns and Uso got the victory, but I'm not sure the results mean all that much in the grand scheme of things, which was another aspect that made this seem like more of a TV main event than anything else. In some ways, it's uncharted waters with how to use someone like Reigns after such an extended title run in the modern era, what else is there to do? I'm not sure what the answer is, but taking into account Roman's extended absences at various points since he dropped the title last year, if the office wants to keep his star power strong, he's going to need a firm direction as a character at some point. The Bloodline angle was very well done, but Roman in particular, has worked with and against almost everyone involved so it's probably the right time for him to go in a different direction. The reason being, Roman appears to be there just to be there rather than to have a purpose, and that scenario could actually diminish the star power he brings to the table.

After the opening tag bout went just over 20 minutes, the women's tag match was somewhat of a flat point, both in terms of importance and performance. As mentioned, Reigns has a certain level of cache just for his involvement, something that can decline if he's not given the direction going forward, but the point is, at least for right now, Roman Reigns still have the mystique of a top guy. It's a natural decrease to go from the longest-reigning champion of the modern era to a pair of thrown together tag teams. Ironically, Charlotte Flair was booked to do so much, partially to artificially get her close to her dad's title record, so early in her career that by this point when she's such a polished pro, it's another situation where you have to wonder, what else is there for her to do?

The tag team with Alexa Bliss is new territory in a sense, but the pair was scheduled for this match just to give both of them on the card. As much as Raquel Rodriguez appeared to make some progress increasing her stock working with Rhea Ripley, she looked like a secondary performer in this segment. I don't know the best way to explain it, but she doesn't present herself in the most effective way, almost as if she's somewhat timid as a performer. Instead of being the powerhouse that she was working with Ripley, she almost shrunk into the role of follow the leader with Charlotte more or less leading the match.

As far as the match itself, it was somewhat clunky and for whatever reason, it just didn't get into second gear. The crowd wasn't that invested in the action either and there were a few quiet moments for spots that were designed to try to get a reaction. It looked like there was a point there they got lost and the referee might've been relaying some information to them. Charolette and Bliss won the titles, and in the long run, this will probably be a successful duo, but for the moment, it was a thrown together tag match that still seemed like it went long even though it was under 15 minutes.

Sami Zayn defeated Karrion Kross in a bout that only went seven or eight minutes. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but there's not too much to say about it either. It was another TV match in a stadium. Since Kross' contract status is still unknown, this might be another example of the office putting Sami over until they know if Kross is going to remain on the roster. It's basically the same thing that I wrote about their bout at the Night of Champions pay-per-view, management doesn't have a reason to push Kross until they know that he will be under a new deal. As far as Kross' future, he might be in a no-win situation, as WWE management didn't put much stock into him until he got himself over as somewhat of a cult favorite, and if he doesn't re-sign to go to All Elite Wrestling, it's almost certain that he would get completely lost in the shuffle in a matter of weeks.

Tiffany Stratton beat Jade Cargill retain the Women's championship in about six minutes, which was about as long as this segment should've been given. This contest was tailored for the circumstances and it was a wise decision, as the office showcased the skills of each competitor without putting them in the ring too long to expose any weaknesses. This was a very good, albeit, very choreographed match and both athletes had a solid performance. Tiffany as a baby face is rather cringe worthy, but her athleticism is a valuable asset and she's young enough that she has enough time to evolve in terms of in-ring quality so there's no reason to rush her into longer segments unless she has an established veteran to work with. Jade's biggest strong points and her most glaring weaknesses remain the same now as they were when she arrived in the WWE. She looks and presents herself like an absolute star. She's also completely unpolished in the ring, and another six-minute PPV match definitely isn't an indication that she's ready for the next level, which might be why she didn't win the championship.

Any celebrity involvement has the possibility to be hit or miss. Thankfully, Jelly Roll's WWE debut was somewhere in the middle at Summer Slam. Some of the spots were very much a novice that hadn't wrestled in front of a crowd before, but there were times that Jelly Roll made what he did work for the situation. It was somewhat of a wonky scenario, as Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre are two of the best workers on the roster, and they had to work within the context of the completely new wrestler of Jelly Roll and a still relatively new Logan Paul. The match was fine and had some memorable moments, but it was also a lot to juggle for the veterans in the match. Logan Paul pinned Jelly Roll, and besides the main stream publicity, it makes sense to  put Logan over if he's going to continue to be a semi-regular competitor on the roster.

Remember when I mentioned that the two-night format might hinder the overall quality?

Prior to the main event, you could see why a weekend of events might spread the roster too thin, as at this point in the show, it wasn't necessarily anything subpar, besides the women's tag match, but there wasn't really anything spectacular either. Outside of the celebrity tag match, most of the card was a TV taping, not a signature pay-per-view. At the very least, this suggest that the two-night format will often have a B-show and that was definitely the case here.

With that being said, there was undoubtedly pressure for the main event to deliver not only quality, but also something memorable. It went over 30 minutes, which was a little too long and they could've easily trimmed a few minutes off while still being able to accomplish the same goal, but this was a very well done segment.

There are a few key lessons that should be taken from the Gunter/CM Punk bout, including how effectiveness is determined by how the talent works with anything involved, not necessarily the biggest bumps or over-the-top gimmicks. When Gunther chopped Punk, it was sold and put over as a brutal aspect of the segment. The narrative of the match was relatively simple, CM Punk was going to try to use technical maneuvers to wear down the bigger champion, and Gunther was going to try to smash Punk with brute force. They didn't need to drop each other on their head or take unprotected chair shots to make the action meaningful and important. Basically, it's a lesson in ring psychology that should be taken into account by some of the other performers of the modern era. Furthermore, the blood was used as a focal point of the match that ultimately led to CM Punk winning the title. Nobody bled buckets on a random TV taping that will be forgotten about in two weeks.

The conclusion of the pay-per-view was somewhat telegraphed, as it was difficult to believe that Seth Rollins was only going to appear on stage, especially with the speculation that he might cash-in the MITB contract, but it was still very well done. As mentioned, this card needed something memorable to truly boost its quality before it went off the air, and the quality main event, as well as the cash-in accomplished that. I'd guess that tomorrow night's event will be the A-side of Summer Slam, but there's no question that night one will be known for the memorable cash-in when Seth Rollins won the title.