What's the status of TNA?

It was probably only a matter of time.

A few years ago when WWE brought TNA into the fold with a working agreement, it had a domino effect on the industry on a few different layers. Any of those particular aspects on their own aren't earth-shattering, but the sum total of the partnership continues to incrementally increase TKO's stranglehold on the business, a key aspect as the publicly-traded corporation looks to globalize its reach even more with more premium live events in foreign markets next year.

Let's be honest here, the originally plan for satellite territories around the world, which was started with the NXT UK project before the pandemic shuttered the entire world and thus ended that venture, was too ambitious even for the WWE. It's still too ambitious for the multi-billion dollar TKO conglomerate, as it's simply not feasible to use a copy and paste approach from the WWE playbook for different countries since that ignores cultural and traditional cornerstones of those parts of the world. Sure, the WWE could try to open WWE Brazil with a venue and broadcast shows from Rio De Janeiro, the claimed location of the phantom tournament that crowned Pat Patterson the first intercontinental champion, but would that be a truly viable approach to global expansion?

Clearly, it wasn't and instead of trying to paint with a broad brush, the WWE has either taken their own expansion into new markets, with European pay-per-views being more commonplace on the calendar, they understand that the style and tradition is unique to certain places so that aren't going to try to go against the grain in places like Japan, where they instead have an upcoming super show. It's better to run a very successful annual tour than it would be for a full-time expansion to eventually fail. For Mexico, they didn't try to specifically implement a WWE promotion there, but rather bought a foothold in the country with the purchase of AAA with the notion that they can monetize an existing commodity to a greater degree. Again, there's no reason to go against the grain, the bottom line is profitability.

So, instead of a series of developmental leagues around the world, TKO has focused on a few key moves that expand their reach on a worldwide basis, which is probably the much more realistic decision.

That being said, they also looked to expand in the domestic market as well, not just in terms of live events, which we've seen with cities that bid to host signature pay-per-views, but also with the addition of TNA under the umbrella.

While AAA is TKO's foothold in Mexico, the working agreement with TNA continues to prove to be a way to expand on a secondary level within the United States.

It might sound trivial, but one of the most important pieces of the puzzle of this partnership, originally intended or not, is that it gives the massive corporation plausible deniability from an accusations of a monopoly or manipulative business practices. Last year, Major League Wrestling won a $20 million anti-trust lawsuit against the WWE, a rare defeat for the sports entertainment empire in court. Now, MLW is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things, and $20 million in a drop in the bucket when TKO contracts are usually in the billions, but the bottom line is that the publicly-traded corporation doesn't want the negative publicity, especially since it could affect the stock price. Going forward, it's going to be tough for anyone to make a similar case against the WWE when the company showcases and promotes a legitimately independently-owned different pro wrestling organization.

Specific to the wrestling side of things, the TNA agreement basically shuts off another pipeline of talent for AEW, as it's more or less reasonably confirmed that if the WWE wants to add a TNA wrestler to its roster, it's a done deal. For example, Joe Hendry is rumored to be close to his full-time WWE debut relatively soon. As more TNA names continue to develop and increase their value with the increased exposure on NXT television, it's momentum that All Elite might not be able to capitalize on with a contract offer. Of course, a TNA talent could decline a WWE contract and opt to sign with AEW, but we've seen how these types of situations have worked in the past. When the WWE wanted Tazz and The Dudleys, those wrestlers left ECW in 1999. Before Rob Van Dam or Tommy Dreamer made their debuts on WWF television, they were told that they would eventually get a contract offer in 2001.

Right now, the point might be moot because of how bloated the AEW roster is, but it could be a different scenario, depending on how TNA talent develops over the next few years.

However, the biggest takeaway from the continued partnership between WWE and TNA, which will increase significantly during the current "invasion" angle, a throwback to the previously mentioned 2001 era, is that an increase in the footprint of Total Nonstop Action can directly or indirectly take a piece of the pie take from All Elite. I'd guess that next week's "invasion" episode of NXT television is just the start, not the conclusion, of something that will bring more collaboration between the two sides.

Despite Impact being on solid ground in Canada because of its Anthem ownership and it's strong ratings in the country, which is what ultimately led to Anthem's purchase of the company in 2016, because of its strong numbers on the Fight Network, the show still has relatively low television clearance on AXS in America. Last month, TNA president, Carlos Silva made a few headlines when he said that the organization was looking for a new media rights deal that could bring live weekly programming to a network in the United States.

The increased distribution of the product is a key piece of the puzzle for the overall growth of the organization, and it certainly would be easier to get a new TV deal off the ground if the NXT audience, which usually draws better numbers than Dynamite on most weeks, would following the action of Impact after they saw more TNA talent and crossover angles on the CW network.

It was probably only a matter of time until the TNA expansion potentially impeded the business strategies of AEW, as the more exposure that Total Nonstop action gets, the more it can chip away at AEW's market share, or at the very least, prevent AEW growth in some form or fashion. Make no mistake about it, this was undoubtedly one of the goals of the partnership when WWE agreed to bring TNA on board. If TNA is seen more often on the CW network, that increases the brand's chances of landing a better television deal. More exposure, regardless of the platform opens the door for more live event touring, more of a selling point for pay-per-views, and increased competition for TV viewers. Maybe there will be a time when fans will have to decide if they want to purchase a ticket to Dynamite or admission to a TNA TV tapings, and at least initially, TNA could have the advantage of the novelty with the renewed spotlight on the company. Maybe instead of the $50 All Elite pay-per-view, fans decide to sample the $40 TNA PPV to see what the recent hype is about around the organization?

Of course, this isn't to say that All Elite Wrestling is in any danger, as money is no object and the Khan family can fund the project as long as Tony Khan wants to play promoter, but it definitely puts the dynamics of the industry in perspective as far as the entire landscape of the business when WWE's developmental brand of NXT and potentially the smaller organization of TNA will probably draw better ratings for the Invasion show when it goes head-to-head with the Title Tuesday edition of Dynamite next week.

Jack Perry returns

A few years ago, CM Punk was All Elite Wrestling's biggest star. 

After a seven-year hiatus, including a disastrous pair of fights in the UFC, a few movie roles, and some work on comic books, the real-life Phil Brooks returned to professional wrestling under the All Elite banner. He had been through a lot, particularly with the lawsuit from a WWE doctor, legal action that the company bankrolled at the time, based on comments he made about his exit from the organization in 2014 on his friend, Colt Cabana's podcast. The fallout from the lawsuit with the WWE doctor, a case that Punk won in court, was a fallout between him and Colt Cabana, resulting in another lawsuit. The legal dispute between the former friends was settled out of court.

The point being, there was a lot of water under the bridge for Phil Brooks to ever be associated with professional wrestling again, but in 2021, the combination of the hype that the promotion had at the time and Tony Khan's checkbook, were enough to get him to lace up his boots again.

Realistically, the working agreement was probably doomed either way, as CM Punk, while a talented jerk, is still a jerk that was notoriously difficult to work with, and just on the surface, his typical snarky reputation was something that was going to clash with the care-free "killing the business" approach that The Young Bucks gleefully took on the industry. Granted, major stars have been difficult to work with for decades, but when management can run a professional office, business can be done and everyone involved can draw money.

Managing the egos, insecurities, and skills of talented performers is a critical part of a promoter's job. Vince McMahon is probably a deviant in his personal life, but as a wrestling boss, he was able to juggle all of the eccentric traits of performers that work in high pressure situations with big money at stake. Roddy Piper wasn't going to put Hogan over because he knew that Hulk wouldn't return the favor, but McMahon found a way to get some form of the match in the ring. Steve Austin took his ball and went home before he had one final run in the ring. Plus, attempting to keep Ultimate Warrior on the rails long enough to draw for a few key pay-per-views in the early-90s.

Ultimately, keeping the talent content is part of the promoter's job, and Tony Khan couldn't do that.

After a backstage fight between CM Punk, Ace Steele, and The Elite, based on the previous bad blood with Colt Cabana that he thought The Young Bucks leaked online to start rumors in The Wrestling Observer newsletter in 2022, Brooks was away from the company for nearly a year, nursing a triceps injury that required surgery.  Less than three months later, the infamous "real glass" incident happened with Jack Perry and another backstage fight led to Brooks' dismissal from AEW.

Make no mistake about, the Punk/AEW agreement wasn't going to last and it wasn't going to end well. There are rightfully criticisms of both sides of that specific argument, but the bottom line is, AEW is what it is as a commodity, and CM Punk is who he is as  far as dealing with him as a talent. It was oil and water, and there was simply no way that Tony Khan was going to be able to mediate that situation.

CM Punk was destined to leave All Elite Wrestling disgruntled, but the immaturity of Jack Perry expedited the process.

If Jack Perry doesn't reference the insider story about Punk refusing to let him use real glass on a prior edition of Collision, a show that Punk was allowed to run despite not being an official member of management, it's very possible that Brooks might've at least been around long enough to finish out his contract. As we know, money is no object for Tony, but from strictly a business perspective, CM Punk was under contract for roughly two years and made millions of dollars to be on the injured list for the majority of it. If Punk would've worked through the rest of his contract, some money could've been drawn to justify his hefty paychecks.

Instead, Punk was fired from AEW to be able to walk into the WWE as one of their top stars during an era when the company touts record-setting profits and has more distribution than any other time in history.

Jack Perry is at least partially to blame for that.

I mentioned the history of CM Punk's rocky tenure in All Elite to point out that it wasn't solely Perry's fault that the biggest star that the company left, but he definitely shares some blame in it. The level of blame is based on what it ultimately cost the company, they had a star that made a measurable difference in the bottom line across the board, which is rare for any company in the industry. There's a reason that there are only a few truly top guys in the business since they are the ones that directly move the needle.

When CM Punk was on Dynamite, the show garnered around a million viewers a week. This past week's edition of the show drew 638,000 viewers. CM Punk sold tickets, as after he left there was a noticeable dip in attendance with dark venues used as a way to hide the empty seats before the company transitioned to much smaller buildings. CM Punk moved merchandise, which he still does today for the WWE. The pay-per-view buy rate stays roughly the same since there's a core demographic that will order the $50 PPVs, often regardless of what's booked for the card. 

Still, CM Punk had a measurable impact on almost every metric of All Elite Wrestling.

That's why Jack Perry's return to the  organization after a year away was somewhat puzzling. Following the fight with Punk at Wembley Stadium, Perry was suspended by Tony Khan and sent to work for New Japan for a few months. After six months away from AEW, he returned in mid-2024 as a heel and eventually had a reign with the TNT championship, which didn't do much for him. There's no doubt that he had to be brought back at a heel because the All Elite fan base follow the internet rumors, but given what his silliness cost the company, the audience was more or less indifference to the Scapegoat act. He wasn't a victim of circumstances, he was immature and unprofessional.

At least initially, his return at All Out last weekend was met with that same indifference until Kill Switch was randomly rebranded as Luchasauras for the reunion of the tag team. So, a team from five years ago is going to be used to try to remove the "stain" of the CM Punk incident from Jack Perry's career. Truth be told, this is probably the only way that Tony could attempt to rejuvenate Perry's status, but there are a few questions that should be asked as far as if this was the right decision. Most importantly, is there enough of an upside to Jack Perry to continue to use him in AEW? Almost as important as that, is the opportunity cost of booking Luchasauras in a tag team to help Perry worth it for the impact that it will have on the former Kill Switch's career? Sure, this is a way for Perry to try to get over with the fans again so it's technically a positive for him, but it could eventually to a negative sum total for Luchasauras' career.

What this comes down to is, will this run as a team again be a retread of "be there, done that" or will it be used as a way to progress Jack Perry as a baby face? In theory, this could be a way for Perry to get over as a more serious baby face beyond the original Jungle Boy gimmick. Perry can't go back to wrestling in Tarzan outfits and sitting on the shoulders of Luchasauras if this tenure as a team is going to progress his career. 

It remains to be seen if Jack Perry can get a fresh start in the organization or how the decision of his return will impact the career prospects of Luchasauras, but on the most basic level, I'd question the decision to bring Perry back at all. Originally, he was dubbed as one of  the four pillars of the promotion, but he fell woefully short of that, which isn't entirely his fault since Tony hasn't booked any of those four into a top spot. Even if Perry gets over as a baby face again, is it truly going to make a dent in AEW's business? The bottom line, is it worth it to keep him on the roster? The guy has proven to be aloof and considering what that cost the company, it's somewhat astonishing that he still gets paid by Tony Khan.

When you take into account that WWE has CM Punk as one of its top stars, and AEW has Jack Perry reform a tag team from five years ago, it's easy to see why one company can still sell tickets at outrageous prices and why the other company exponentially smaller venues.

What's the status of TKO?

Can you afford a second mortgage?

Given the uncertainty around the economy, most people can't afford the first one, but they might need an additional loan against their house if they want to attend Wrestlemania in Las Vegas next April. PWinsider's Mike Johnson reported the listed prices for the event before tickets go on sale in a few weeks, and at first glance, you might legitimately think that the numbers listed for admission to the two-night event is a parody based on the recent criticism of TKO prices.

However, it was confirmed that a front row set for the sports entertainment spectacle will be priced at $8,998 combined, while a 400 level set will cost $854 for two nights, with the other levels in between that price range. So, just to get in the building, it will cost a fan at least $425 for each night. Of course, that doesn't take into account any travel costs associated with the trip to the show. There are plane tickets, hotel reservations, food, and other transportation costs that will have to be added into the total of the admission for someone to attend the event.

I understand that within the past several years that the demographic that attends Wrestlemania is generally the most diehard WWE fans, which is why an entire week is built around the showcase of the immortals, but the metrics for this seem to be completely beyond the scope of the scale for professional wrestling. By nature, Wrestlemania is designed to draw tens of thousands of fans, which is why the event has run exclusively in a stadium for almost the past two decades, but the scale of the prices suggest that it's an event with a comparatively limited capacity of Madison Square Garden for a major boxing bout.

The TKO corporation simply can't have it both ways.

Make no mistake about it, with the announcement of the purchase of Wrestlemania by the Saudi government in 2027 and hence virtually no travel crowd for fans in North America, there's no doubt that prices are being juiced for the show in 2026. The reason being is simple, fans will either pay up to attended WM 42 or they can wait until at least 2028 to attend the pay-per-view in the United States. I get that the company is trying to replicate the pyro and ballyhoo of WM with the addition of two-night presentations for the other "big four" PPVs in 2027, but the bottom line is that the WM brand will always stand alone as the biggest event on the calendar because of its historical cache. Fans potentially traveling to Summer Slam in 2027 just wouldn't be the same as being in attendance for Wrestlemania so there's no question that there's an increased demand for 2026 since the show will be in Saudi Arabia the following year.

That being said, as much as WM is promoted as the Super Bowl of pro wrestling, it's not realistic for the TKO corporation to try to price it at anywhere near that level with staggering ticket prices in stadiums. Aside from the fact that football is more mainstream than pro wrestling and that has been the case since the end of the Monday night wars, an era when Monday Night Football actually started an hour earlier to avoid the competition of Raw vs. Nitro at the time, ticket prices are kept at a specific level because of the model that sells the maximize amount of tickets at a relatively moderate price to be able to maximize the fan base in an attempt to secure steady business.

For example, how many times has the WWE boasted about the sheer amount of tickets sold for events? Exactly how many people were in the building for Wrestlemania in 1987? Furthermore, as far back as the territory days, the ability to bring fans back to the box office was key for a successful organization. Don't get me wrong, I understand that maximizing profits is the only goal that matters for a publicly-traded corporation, but will there be a tipping point that this strategy has an overall detrimental effect to the fan base, or at the very least the amount of people that are willing to pay for the product?

Again, there's definitely a diehard demographic that will buy the expensive tickets, but when you get into the price range of $1500 for a pair of mid-level seats, there's only a certain portion of even that diehard fan base that can afford them. The same applies for every other price level, and it won't be too surprising if a certain portion of fans get priced out of attendance. Sure, there are a group of fans that will send their yearly vacation as a trip to WM, but how many of those fans have at least $4,000 they can spend on it? More importantly, how many of those fans that are willing to spend that type of cash on pro wrestling once would every be able to do it again?

The bottom line is, someone might be willing to spend that type of cash once to be able to experience the show with the notion that there aren't going to spend that amount of money again. Getting fans to attend once is the opposite of the concept that built not only territories, but the success of national organizations as well.

All things considered, this might be TKO's business plan, to base everything they promote around the WWE designed to draw the relatively short-end money in an effort to maximize the overall value of the company before they offload it to the Saudi government.

I'm usually not a conspiracy theorist (although, was there anyone of the grassy knoll?), but there seems to be too many red flags for there not to be a bigger plan in the grand scheme of things. The CEO of TKO, Mark Shapiro recently made headlines when he said that Vince McMahon priced for families at a business conference when he explained the reasoning behind the drastic increase of WWE ticket prices. Say what you want about Vince, he's probably a deviant and deserves to be exiled, but he understood the business side of sports entertainment. He priced for families because there's a measurable portion of the fan base that is generational. There's probably a majority of the audience today that became fans when they were younger before they became lifelong fans of pro wresting. Ticket prices, pay-per-views, and merchandise that fans can realistically afford is how you can draw steady and consistent business over the course of a few decades. That consistency provides a level of security, which translates to the stock price in the modern era as well.

That just doesn't appear to be the plan for TKO.

If Shapiro plans to adjust ticket prices and raise the cost to watch pay-per-views, along with the increase in the pries of merchandise to become the "new normal" so to speak of the amount of cash it takes to follow the WWE product, it's difficult to see how that doesn't eliminate a potential portion of the audience, both now and in the future. The reason I say that is throughout the extensive history of sports entertainment, even within the past two decades when WWE was in the undisputed top spot in the industry, there hasn't been any type of track record to suggest that the audience can be maintained at the price range.

On the flip side, if the eventual goal for TKO is to increase the value of the company over the course of the next decade before they ultimately sell the company to the Saudi government for the highest price possible then the ability to create the next generation of fans wouldn't be their priority. So far since the merger with the UFC, the TKO corporation haven't shown any indication that they are looking toward the future of the wrestling business, but rather the ability to maximize the amount of money now. Taking that into consideration, would it be that surprising if the long-term plan was to sell the company? It would definitely explain some of the motivation behind the current business decisions. As much as Vince McMahon had to be exiled, it's somewhat concerning that wrestling minds like Triple H and others aren't truly in control of the future of the company. Keep in mind, TKO's only goal is to maximize profits, not maintain the wrestling business.

All Out review

The well-known counter programming attempt from WWE, which moved its new ESPN deal up a few months and added a premium live event to the calendar to be able to run show against All Elite Wrestling, put an extra spotlight on this past weekend. Truthfully, as I'd written about when Wrestlepalooza was originally announced, the effect would be minimal in terms of the buy rate for the AEW broadcast, but if WWE could have the more newsworthy event and thus minimize the importance of the All Elite PPV is possible. That's why it was somewhat puzzling as to why Tony Khan made the decision to move the event in Toronto to the afternoon because the core fan base that is willing to spend $50 on an All Elite pay-per-view simply aren't the demographic that will be swayed away from making that purchase to spend $30 on an ESPN subscription to watch another Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena match.

With both shows in the books, I don't think the counter programming or the efforts to avoid it with the AEW show in the afternoon made any measurable difference, in either the numbers or in terms of perception. The WWE show was exactly what it was going to be with the spectacle of the debut on the ESPN platform, and All Elite was going to be its usual overbooked car crash style of presentation that the viewing audience was going to see regardless of if the WWE ran an event the same day or not. You can take either of those as a positive or a negative, depending on perspective. The one possible exception might've been the decision to stretch the show to the five-hour mark to be able to put the Hangman Page/Kyle Fletcher main event in the ring at the same time as the Brock/Cena opener since it was specifically announced what match would kickoff Wrestlepalooza. At the same time, it's not uncommon for AEW pay-per-view to run a ridiculous five or six hours anyway so it's equally as possible that it was a mere coincidence.

Ironically, the first three matches on the card had somewhat of a measured approach to them, and it should be no surprise that the majority of the performers involved in that portion of the card are former WWE stars. The Adam Copeland and Christian vs. FTR tag bout opened the show and it was a solid tag bout. These four athletes knew how to work the crowd to maximize the hometown advantage and they got the most out of what they did in this segment. I'm not sure this needed twenty minutes, but it's reflective of Tony's cut and paste format to pay-per-views. Copeland and Christian got the victory, but the majority of the business was done in the post-match angle. On one hand, it shouldn't be surprising that the former Beth Phoenix made an appearance to even the odds, considering that Copeland works for the company, but on the other hand, I didn't think that they'd use her on the same weekend that AJ Lee returned to the ring because it just made the whole thing look like a flimsy attempt to copy something  that got some buzz in the bigger company. Taking into account that FTR landed the spike pile driver on Beth, it's an indication that this feud will continue, which is fine, as it's some of the more logical work that Copeland has done in his AEW tenure.

Eddie Kingston's return to the ring after almost a year and a half on the injured list didn't get nearly as much of a promotional push as it should've based on how over he still is with the audience. The challenge from Big Bill was made on Collision, the B-show that draws a fraction of the decreased Dynamite ratings. That being said, this was a very good bout that showcased a physical and hard-hitting segment that made it stand out from the rest of the 10-match card. The only major flaw was that Kingston completely missed on the back fist that even Tony Schiavone mentioned on commentary that led to the finish so it was a flat conclusion. Big Bill looked like a star in this contest and the argument could be made that he should be in a better spot in the organization, and yes, the same thing could be said about many performers on the bloated roster. The biggest takeaway was the fact that Eddie was on the shelf for such an extended period of time and was still one of the most over performers on the entire event. Eddie Kingston is one of my favorite wrestlers, but I can honestly say that with how over he is with the fans, AEW should run with him while they can, especially because he's probably at the latter stages of his career after the leg injury.

The MJF/Mark Briscoe bout could've been the blood and guts match that was the hardcore segment on the card. Sure, it probably wasn't a storyline that needed a gimmick match at this point, but that can be said about most AEW gimmick matches so it just goes with the Tony Khan territory. These two worked hard and took some brutal bumps on the thumbtacks. Most of the table spots weren't necessarily, specifically because of what else was booked later in the night, but again overbooking is a part of the Tony Khan philosophy. Mark Briscoe got the win after a Jay Driller on the tacks, and it looks like MJF is going to take more time off. I understand that one of the perks of working for Tony Khan is that performers can more or less decide if and when they want to show up, but it's difficult to recapture momentum when wrestlers leave for months on several different occasions.

When the six man tag team match started, it looked like it was going to be a glorified squash, but it built to a decent tag match as The Demand got in a level of offense that made them look like contenders rather than just the opponents to put over the bigger stars. The action that spilled onto the outside probably wasn't needed since that's where almost every match ended up at some point, but at least The Demand got the win so there's some attempt to make them look like credible performers in the company rather than a trio with no direction. Considering that he's not a full-time wrestler, it made sense that MVP took the pin.

The TBS women's title match was very well done in terms of the quality of the performance and the athleticism involved, but the bottom line is, when nobody in the building believes that it's possible that Riho was going to win the belt, there just isn't the level of drama to go with the type of spots that they did in the match. As mentioned earlier, it's tough to recapture momentum when wrestlers disappear for an extended period of time. Riho only had a handful of appearances in AEW in the past few years so the audience knows that she's not going to win the championship. Despite the attempt of making Mercedes look like Ultimo Dragon being totally silly, it's clear that she's not going to drop the title unless there's a long term build of an extensive rivalry behind it. The fans knew that Riho is only there for a cameo appearance before she goes back to Japan until next year. Mercedes retained the title.

 Kazuchika Okada defeated Konosuke Takeshita and Máscara Dorada to retain the Unified title. This was a 20-minute dazzling spot fest and it was a high quality representation of the brand. This segment was somewhat disjointed as they tried to balance a high spot match with the narrative of the dissension between the two members of the Don Callis stable, but overall, this was a really entertaining contest. If Tony Khan booked more of this with less of everything else, the quality of the events would probably be more consistent.

This is where the presentation of the show went into full slapstick mode and basically indulged almost every bad habit associated with the AEW brand. I could parse details of the individual matches of the rest of the card, but when it's clear that the booker didn't parse details to script it then there's no reason for the analysis to get more in-depth than that. The coffin match was the blood and guts segment of the show, the problem was that there was already a blood and guts segment on the card so it's diminishing returns one way or the other. The bout was sloppy and had car crash bumps when there were going to be car crash bumps later in the show. At one point, even the announcers noticed that Jon Moxley was reaching in his pocket for a blade to use on his ear. Moxley got the win when Pac returned, but taking into account that Pac has returned several times, does it really matter? He's a talented guy, but he's away more often than he's on the show so why should the audience care? Furthermore, there was a backstage segment where Darby Allin escape the coffin before he set Moxley on fire in the body bag. First, if Darby is fine less than an hour after he was power bombed from the ring onto the lid of the coffin, did any of the risk they took in the match actually matter? More importantly, when setting someone on fire is the backstage spot, what exactly are they realistically going to do next to continue the feud? Again, it's just diminishing returns, which ultimately leads to underwhelming content.

The women's four way match for the championship was fine for what it was, and it was good to see that Kris Statlander won the championship since she's one of the best female workers on the roster, but this is a scenario where everything gets lost in the shuffle. There was already a three way match before this and then there was a four tag team ladder match after this so how memorable was this 10-minute women's match by the time the show went off the air? Speaking of the four tag team ladder match, it was chaos just for the sake of chaos, and that can be said for most of this pay-per-view. When everything is chaos, nothing is chaos and thus the effectiveness is completely diluted. So, the tag team ladder match had all the nonsensical risks and table bumps that you'd expect from it. What does any of it translate to? You can't say that fans will be talking about it for years because stuff like this happens on every AEW pay-per-view to the point that everything blends together. It actually takes away from the legitimate risks that the performers take in these types of matches. But hey, at least Meltzer is going to give it at least five stars in The Wrestling Observer newsletter. When booking a card with a variety of gimmick matches or even something as basic as too many matches on the line-up, it takes a precise approach to try to spotlight the positives and hide the negatives in an effort to get the best show possible from it. Tony Khan chops a lot of wood because he uses an axe, not a scalpel in his booking approach to these shows. Brody King and Bandido retained the belts. Post-match, Jack Perry returned to almost no reaction to attack The Young Bucks before Luchasaurus made the save. Jack Perry is aloof and one more than one occasion proved that he doesn't understand the wrestling business so it's doubtful that reuniting a team from five years ago will truly increase his value or lack thereof to the company.

The main event was 40 minutes, and quite frankly, there was no reason for it to be more than half of that time. Keep in mind, this was a thrown together less than two weeks before this show, it wasn't build up as some Tokyo Dome clash. Fletcher and Page are quality in-ring performers, but after nearly four and a half hours of every bump, high spot, blood, and tables throughout the show, what was there left for them to do, let alone for 40 minutes? There were already tables used in a few other matches so when Page spiked Fletcher off the apron through the table, did it really matter? This wasn't a subpar contest, it had very impressive athleticism and the effort was there, but this scenario put in this spot didn't need most of what they did during the segment.  Adam Page retained with the buckshot lariat, but I'm not sure if the win did anything to boost his stock as champion. There's another All Elite Wrestling pay-per-view in just four weeks so you can expect another overbooked card next month.

Wrestlepalooza review

There was a time when professional wrestling, a scripted sport, being covered on ESPN would've seemed preposterous, but last night, there was undoubtedly a new era for not only the WWE, but sports entertainment as a whole. The reason being is simple, with the massive $1.5 billion deal to bring WWE pay-per-views to the revamped ESPN streaming service, it not only puts the network's promotional machine behind the WWE brand, as the network has a literal vested interest in the success of the WWE content, but it also puts pro wrestling in the same conversation as other mainstream sports. Don't get me wrong, pro wrestling will probably always have a shady side to it, the Saudi deal for 2027 proves that will happen at even the highest levels, but in some ways, the "stain" that sports entertainment had as a phony or carny show has faded with the acceptance under the ESPN banner.

As expected. the event opened with a major amount of pyro and ballyhoo, showcasing the extensive history of the company. One of the perks of being the last man standing of the territories of the 80s and the Monday night wars of the 90s is that the organization can use its historical cache to enhance the perception of current events. This was another prime example of why the WWE state-of-the-art production is second to none, as the broadcast looked like a major event, which it had to accomplish when the new business model will ask most fans, at this at this point, to pay $30 for a subscription to watch the PPVs.

It was announced prior to the start of the show that Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena would be the match to kickoff the pay-per-view, which might've subtly tipped management's hand with the booking decision. It wasn't a squash match per se, as Cena had offense, but Brock took most of the 10-minute match with a dominate performance. The former NCAA, UFC, and WWE champion looked juiced to the gills, bringing a massive frame to his return to the promotion, and while I'd guess that Brock won't be subject to wellness policy testing, there's no doubt that his performance reasserted his status as a monster after he was away from WWE television for two years.

It was the shortest match on the card, and that wasn't necessarily a negative decision, but even so it was good to see that Brock had some variety in his move set, as it would've been rather bland if he would've used the almost bland series of German suplex routine that became an underwhelming trademark of his bouts previously. Paul Heyman's appearance creates some compelling questions, particularly if he will become a part of the act with Lesnar in addition to his duties with the Seth Rollins faction or if Brock will potentially join the stable. Right now, I don't think there would be any reason to take the spotlight off of Rollins, but allowing Lesnar to possibly be a wild card in the future makes sense. However, based on the finish where Brock beat Cena definitively, I'd say that this conclusion could plant the seeds for Cena's retirement match at the end of the year. What a better way for the ultimate baby face to end his career than to slay the monster heel?

The Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker vs. The Usos tag match had its moments with some entertaining stuff, but it also had some flat points as well. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but something appeared to be off track, as you could tell that the competitors were calling spots when they appeared to be trying to buy time to get to the next portion of the match. Jey was actually busted open the hard way when he landed a chair shot to the back of his opponent, and from the way it looked, the chair ricocheted from the impact and clipped him in the face. The bout went over the 15-minute mark, and maybe there should've been a few minutes trimmed off because while the finish was impressive with the double spear through the table and then the splash from the top rope, it took a little too long to set up the spot so some of the momentum was diminished for what was still a good finish. Breakker and Reed got the victory, which was the smart move, as it's important to keep the relatively new heel stable strong, and truth be told, the Usos are over to the point that a defeat won't hinder their status on Raw.

The Women's World title match was absolutely tremendous, and it was the in-ring substance to compliment the promotional sizzle of the card. This was a 20-minute sprint that showcased just how talented these two athletes are. Everything they did was crisp and smooth. The back and fourth action created a narrative that had the audience invested to see who was going to win the vacant belt. Iyo Sky is one of the best workers in the business and she has become a true MVP of the female division. Stephanie Vaquer is a very dynamic performer and this win will probably boost her stock to cement her as one of the mainstays of the top notch quality often seen in the women's division. This might sound like somewhat of an odd comparison, but this was basically a modern Joshi match that was geared back just a step or two to allow the WWE audience to keep up with the action, which isn't meant as a criticism, but rather to point out how well done this match was for the crowd. The post-match moment between the two stars was a very nice way to conclude the segment.

The tag team match between CM Punk and the returning AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch was somewhat of a mixed bag. Obviously, the story writes itself and they went with the standard WWE playbook of troupes that you'd expect for this type of storyline, which is completely fine. This wasn't meant to be some 5-star classic, but rather it served its audience. The crowd followed the action and the performers got the most out of what they did during the segment. That being said, this contest went way too long and became a tedious viewing experience by the time they got to the finish. The slow and deliberate pace over the course of thirty minutes hindered the overall presentation of the broadcast. The bottom line is, this match, even with the star power involved, didn't need a half an hour to tell the story. AJ Lee and Punk got the victory, but there's definitely more to be done with this storyline. Hopefully, the office takes a more measured approach for the next pay-per-view bout.

The main event was the quality segment that you knew you'd get from two guys of this caliber. I have to be honest, I was somewhat concerned when Drew McIntyre was announced as the opponent, mostly because if he was selected as  opponent just to give Cody a credible challenger for an event that was added to the calendar on relatively short notice, another defeat might sacrifice Drew's long-term credibility as a main event star. Thankfully, this bout was designed specifically to avoid that, and the multi-layered bout more than left the door open for more business to be done going forward. Sure, Cody was shoved toward the referee to set up the spot where Drew had the visual pin on the champion, but it was the heel that ultimately caused the ref to be out of position so it doesn't put the heat on the official or the baby face champion. Furthermore, Drew got enough offense to look like he was capable of winning the title before the spot at the announce desk "injured" his leg to set up for the finish that allowed Rhodes to retain the belt.

Overall, this event had more positives than negatives and given the spectacle that it was presented to be, it's a successful start to pay-per-views on the ESPN platform. At the same time, the show only had five matches and still went three hours and 15 minutes. I could be wrong, but I think the viewing audience is more forgiving of extended commercials and ads when the subscription fee is $7.99 on Peacock than they will be when they have to pay $30 for an ESPN subscription. Sure, the commercials are what will theoretically allow ESPN to make an overall profit on the massive WWE pay-per-view contract, but you have to wonder if it will sour some fans when they are paying more to watch the shows. Again, I could be completely wrong, but one of the unintended consequences of when the WWE network introduced the bulk-pricing model to the WWE audience, it lowered the perceived value of the pay-per-views. The "value" of those shows went from the traditional $40 to $9.99 that included the extensive library. The move to Peacock originally lowered the price to $4.99 and in some cases free when a subscription to the service was included for Comcast customers. In some ways, you could say that the horse is out of the barn on the traditional model so it's going to be interesting to see if the WWE fan base will truly be willing to pay $30 on a consistent basis to watch the premium live events. If nothing else, it puts more pressure on the office to promote an event each month that the fans think will be worth the price of the ESPN subscription.

Mr. Anderson returns

I was surprised when I got a text last night from my pal, the great Pat Maclaughlin to let me know that Mr. Anderson resurfaced on TNA television, his first appearance in the organization in over nine years. In fact, his exit when the company was in the midst of an extremely rocky period in 2016 was his last appearance on the national level. He had a cup of coffee in the National Wrestling Alliance in 2019, but that was during the era that NWA Power was only on Youtube so the exposure was minimal.

Truth be told, Ken Kennedy was one of my favorite performers in the mid-2000s, and it's still somewhat puzzling as to how he wasn't a much bigger star in the WWE. In some ways, Kennedy is one of the biggest "what ifs?" of his era, as he was signed to a WWE developmental deal in early-2005 and made his debut on Smackdown about six months later. Some might criticize his style for being too similar to Steve Austin, and there was some validity to that as the influence was a little too deliberate at times, but nothing that would've kept him out of the conversation as a potential star. Plus, if you're going to borrow a few things from a legendary performer, Stone Cold isn't a bad choice.

Kennedy was on an upward trajectory for the majority of his early WWE tenure, specifically the first two years of his television run. He was a tremendous heel, he could go in the ring, and he had great mic skills. He seemed to adapt well to the WWE main event style so to speak, as far as nothing too flashy, but solid enough to connect with the audience. His in-ring work was fine, but the character got over strong enough with the crowd that he had enough of a following to be in consideration for one of the top spots that eventually went to guys like Edge during that era.

Speaking of Edge, after Mr. Kennedy won the MITB match at Wrestlemania 23, he was actually scheduled to cash-in on an episode of Smackdown in Pittsburgh in May just a few months later. Kennedy was misdiagnosed with an arm injury that was thought to be much more serious than it was so instead of being out of action for several months, he would've only needed a few weeks on the sidelines to heal. Unfortunately, The Undertaker had also been working through injuries at the time and needed to drop the belt so when Kennedy appeared to be next on the injury list, he lost the MITB contract to Edge on Raw the same week that Adam Copeland cashed-in on The Undertaker after a cage match against Batista on Smackdown.

I'm familiar with these details because I was actually in attendance at that edition of Smackdown. While the cash-in moment, which was still relatively new at the time, received an incredible reaction, it was still disappointing that Kennedy missed a career-defining moment because of a misdiagnosis.

That really was a turning point in Mr. Kennedy's career, as he never regained any of the momentum that he had previously. He suffered a shoulder injury prior to that, and perhaps was was labeled as injury prone, but for whatever reason, the company appeared to be hesitant to truly put any stock into him as the potential main eveter that he looked to be positioned to be before the misdiagnosed injury.

Infamously, Kennedy was abruptly fired after a back suplex spot to Randy Orton on Raw in May of 2009. Reportedly, Orton thought that the spot was dangerous and complained to management, leading to Kennedy's dismissal. It's a topic that is still occasionally debated today, and it's possible that Kennedy was unfairly typecast as unsafe from Randy Orton at a time when Orton was notoriously difficult to work with, but the bottom line is, Kennedy had plateaued in the WWE so he would've probably needed a change of scenery to rejuvenate his career anyway.

The problem is, the ability to do that in 2009 was much different than it is today.

When Mr. Anderson signed a TNA contract in 2010, it wasn't long after it was announced that Hulk Hogan was brought into the company. In retrospect, it's easy to see that this decision is what ultimately led TNA to the brink of collapse, but for Anderson specifically,  the timing simply didn't work in his favor. On a superficial level, an organization that signs Hulk might be preparing to move to the next level, but a realistic look at the scenario, even in real time, it was apparent that Hogan was there to work Dixie Carter for major money when he needed the cash after his well-known costly divorce from Linda Hogan.  Hulk claimed that he was there to help run the company, but had zero experience as a booker or promoter so make no mistake about it, this was a cash grab.

Under Hogan's direction, TNA  tried to move to Monday nights in a ham-handed attempt to re-create the Monday night wars. Impact got squashed in the ratings, proving that you can't bank on guys that were 15 years older as a way to suddenly spark interest in the product. When he was on, Scott Hall was one of the absolute best in the business in his prime, but by 2010, he was a shell of himself and simply couldn't go in the ring. The outsiders that pushed the envelope in 1996 were guys in their 50s that weren't nearly as edgy in 2010. Kevin Nash, one of the smartest guys in the business, embraced his status as a grizzled vet, opting for a Sam Elliot look as the experienced gunslinger so to speak, and was able to remain much more current because of it. Most of the other guys from a prior generation that were brought in at the time, including Hogan, Flair, and Hall just seemed passed their prime by the time they surfaced in TNA.

The reason this matters to Mr. Anderson is that by the time he won the TNA  world title in 2011, the "stain" of the TNA brand had tainted its chances to be taken seriously as a competitor in the industry. The Hulk and friends tour made fans shake their heads, and the ill-fated house show tours, events where none of the major stars from television were usually booked, were comically bad with pictures of sparsely-attended shows. The Jeff Hardy incident at Victory Road that year made the brand look totally minor league. Even when Mr. Anderson won the championship, management didn't really let him run with it as the top guy. He won the belt twice, but only held it for a month each time so it almost underscored the fact that the office didn't have faith in him to be the top star for the company.

After that he settled into a role in the Aces and Eights faction, and while the stable had its moments of compelling TV, I always thought that Ken Anderson was a rather odd fit for the group. If anything, it almost neutralized his charisma and took away some of the skills that made him popular originally. If I had to guess, I'd say that he took on the role as a good employee, or in this case independent contractor, and just did what was asked of him to stay on television and get a paycheck.

The last few years of his TNA run were undistinguished to say the least. Reportedly, he failed a drug test and it led to his exit in 2016. However, this was at a time when the future of the company was in doubt, with Billy Corgan eventually suing Dixie Carter to return money that he was led to believe was being put towards ownership of the organization. So, it's not as though working for TNA was a career highlight for anyone at that point.

Eventually, Ken Anderson opened a wrestling school in his hometown and largely disappeared from the national wrestling scene. In the years since, he mentioned in interviews that he should've conducted himself differently during some of the prime years of his career so it's possible that this comeback run in TNA will showcase a different performer, which is probably best for everyone. That being said, there's probably two ways that this new stint in TNA can go for Anderson. It's either a situation where he has been away long enough that fans will be happy to see him again, especially if the general consensus is that he has unfinished business before he officially hangs up his boots, or it could be a scenario that he was away too long to still have a level of cache with the audience.

At 49, it's doubtful that Anderson will have a major run in TNA or anywhere else, but I think it's worth being optimistic about his chance of a successful stint in the organization, particularly because long time fans expected him to be a bigger star in his prime years so there might be a level of interest to see him conclude his career on a better note. That being said, there should also be tempered expectations since this comeback will probably be limited to TNA, as it's probably not something that would lead to a main stream return to the WWE.

What's the status of Wrestlemania?

"Cash Rules Everything Around Me"-Wu-Tang Clan

It's not shocking, but it will still somewhat surprising when news surfaced last week that Saudi government official, Turki Alalshikh made the announcement that Wrestlemania 43 will be held in Saudi Arabia. It wasn't meant to be announced early, but PWinsider's Mike Johnson, the most accurate reporter of pro wrestling news, confirmed the story, with an official announcement made the following day at a press conference in Las Vegas before the Canelo/Crawford fight that was promoted by TKO because of its affiliation with Dana White's Zuffa boxing project. It's worth noting that the majority of the talent on stage looked less than thrilled to be there, and the ham-handed way that Turki Alalshikh praised was almost nauseating since he's literally paying millions of dollars for high profile stars to compliment him. 

Ted Dibiase was right, everyone has a price. 

This reinforces the notion that the merger with the UFC early last year to form the TKO corporation is even more strictly business than the WWE conglomerate before it. Sure, Vince McMahon was an absolutely ruthless businessman, and as we've found out in the time since the merger, he's probably a deviant, but the McMahon era stayed true to some of the traditional tropes of the business. Certain people were given a job for life because of their tenure with the company and their loyalty to Vince Sr. as far back as the Capital Wrestling days. Gorilla Monsoon was always kept in the fold because of the previous deal that he had with Vince Sr. and was rightfully always respected within the industry. Captain Lou got fired every three weeks at the Allentown TV tapings, but was kept on the payroll for years. A recent example was when Wrestlemania for next year was announced for New Orleans before Las Vegas offered more money to host the event for the second year in a row. Say what you want about Vince, and he definitely deserves the criticism, but that's simply not something that would've happened under his tenure. Granted, professional wrestling isn't known for its ethics and standards, which this story ironically reflects, but McMahon knew that he always had to deliver what was promised to the audience, as that trust in the ability to delivered what was advertised is ultimately the glue that keeps the fan base following the brand. 

Ultimately, that's the difference between big business and the local indy outfit. The Ultimate Warrior was fired right after he got through the curtain at Summer Slam in 1991, but it's the promoter's responsibility to get the match in the ring. The independent show is always at risk for the aging legend no-showing the event.

However, TKO is business in the most literal sense, and maybe that's the best move, as their decisions are made by the highest bidder. But, it also makes you wonder if that approach will sour the traditional pro wrestling fan base?

Wrestlemania is the pinnacle of sports entertainment, and within the past two decades in particular has taken incremental steps to maximize the overall drawing power and thus the revenue of the event. The last time the show was held in a regular arena was in Chicago in 2006 and then it went to stadiums exclusively, as the drawing power of just the WM brand became enough to sell that amount of tickets. Within the time since, the company began to add a week of events to go along with the biggest event of the year, making it a pro wrestling vacation of sorts rather than just a signature show. Make no mistake about it, the ability to draw the travel crowd each year is specifically based on the fact that there's enough meat on the bone for fans to make the trip to each location. The next step in the process after it was established that fans from different states and different countries were willing to make the trip to see Wrestlemania in-person was the ability to secure site fees for different cities. With tens of thousands of fans traveling to the show, there's an inventive for cities to bid to get the rights to host the show, as it's millions of dollars worth of an economic impact in each location. Airlines, hotels, and restaurants all get a boost from Wrestlemania being held there.

When you take into account that Las Vegas paid the WWE $5 million for the rights to host Wrestlemania 41 along with $4.2 million in tax credits, it puts into perspective how many millions of dollars worth of an economic impact that the event has in a location. The site fees, the ticket sales, the merchandise, and the other events that the company has in conjunction with Wrestlemania week allow for a staggering amount of money to be made by the corporation.

That's why it's almost nauseating to see how easy it is for  Turki Alalshikh to use oil money, and some would say blood money, to buy the most prestigious sports entertainment event as yet another propaganda tool for the Saudi government. Considering that the typical WWE pay-per-view that is held there usually garners the company somewhere around $40 million, I wouldn't be shocked if the number reaches $100 million for Wrestlemania. Keep in mind, the Saudis would essentially have to pay a number that would be more cash than what the company would generate from hosting the show in the United States, including the site fees, ticket sales, and merchandise.

In this situation, the WWE isn't in partnership with the host city like in America since Turki Alalshikh is outright buying the event to import it to Saudi Arabia. Everyone has a price, and the number is big enough for TKO that the Saudi official is going to dictate the direction of the show. Similar to the other events held there, it's a bought show so the amount of tickets sold doesn't matter since TKO will get a guaranteed amount of money for the rights to the event.

Does this sour the domestic and even international fan base?

Yes, but that doesn't matter because Alalshikh paid enough for TKO executives to take the heat. Truth be told, the majority of the WWE fan base, especially the more causal fans, are sheep that will follow the leader more than anything else. Remember, this was the same fan base the cheered Vince McMahon the last time he was mentioned on television in the midst of the sexual misconduct scandal. Of course, the fans are going to complain about Wrestlemania going to Saudi Arabia, as it's tough to think there will be any travel crowd in 2027, particularly with the military conflicts that have happened in the region in recent years so it's possible that it wouldn't be advisable for Americans to travel there. In fact, the US government already has a lengthy list of precautions and warnings for any citizen that might travel to Saudi Arabia. That being said, the same fans that will complain about Wrestlemania 43, will flock to Las Vegas to attend the show next year so it's almost a moot point.

But, there is an aspect of this situation that could impact domestic crowds on a very simple level.

Mark Shapiro, the CEO of the TKO corporation, said at the recent Goldman Sachs conference that the organization looks to continue to increase WWE ticket prices to be more in line with UFC tickets. Shapiro specifically mentioned that Vince McMahon had priced tickets for families, but that TKO looked to maximize ticket revenue in the future. Basically, the executive that was talking to other executives that explaining that the plans is to price out a measurable portion of the WWE audience. This is where the numbers on the page don't tell the full story, as the ability for fans to attend WWE events is ultimately how the WWE was able to create generations of fans as a way to maintain its solid foundation over the years. Shapiro is worth millions of dollars, and I'm not so what do I know? But, my two cents on the matter is that this strategy of squeezing every dime out of everything possible just to pad the numbers on the page will eventually have an overall negative affect on the bottom line. Sure, it works right now, but what happens five or ten years from now? The peaks of the business are there because there are naturally valleys so it's unrealistic to think that the WWE can keep record-setting ticket prices over the course of several years. How will the next generation of fans be made if the product is too expensive to truly follow with the increased cost across the board? The live event tickets, a few different streaming platforms, and merchandise have increased, which makes it cost more money to be a WWE fan. 

All of this seems to be a way to maximize the short-term money without regard to the possible pitfalls of how it could effect business in the future. Where will the WWE be under the TKO banner in a decade after the initial Netflix deal? In some ways, it appears that TKO is trying to boost the value of the corporation as much as possible to be able to sell it at some point in the future. It would be very disappointing, but I don't think it's totally unrealistic that it's possible that the Saudi government could eventually buy TKO, as they continue to want to secure more American entertainment options.

Andrade released

Andrade, who returned to the WWE at last year's Royal Rumble, was cut from the company this past weekend. Sports Illustrated reported that the lucha libre star had at least one wellness policy violation during this stint with the company, but it remains unclear exactly what led to his firing from the organization. There are several different reports surrounding the situation, including The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer explaining that it was a disciplinary release. Other coverage of the story claims that the WWE office had tried to get in contact with Andrade for several weeks, but he refused to speak to them.

All things considered, this doesn't reflect well on the 35-year-old Mexican star, as he originally left the WWE in March of 2021 after he requested his release from the promotion. He violated the wellness policy in 2020 and was suspended for thirty days so while the TKO corporation doesn't announce policy violations the way that the WWE did prior to the merger, if there was a more recent failed test, it could be proof of a pattern.

Andrade's request for his release in early-2021 was understandable, as he showed flashes of brilliance in the WWE, specifically when he was allowed to fully showcase his talent during his run in NXT, but was underutilized on the main roster. His frustration was probably justified, as he seemed to check all the boxes, minus fluent English, that the WWE looks for in a Hispanic star. The bottom line is, Andrade can go bell-to-bell, and it was definitely puzzling that management didn't seem to truly allow him to make the most of his skills during his first run with the company.

One of the many reasons that competition is key for the health of the industry is that more options allow more opportunity for more talent to get over to their full potential. So, it wasn't a surprise that Andrade surfaced in All Elite Wrestling just a few months after he left the WWE. Unfortunately, it also wasn't a surprise that he got lost in the shuffle, was seemingly frustrated with the lack of opportunity that he had again, and his All Elite tenure was undistinguished.

He spent a year and a half under contract, but more than six months of that time was on the sidelines. In late-2022, he got into a physical altercation with Sammy Guevara backstage and was sent home from the Dynamite tapings. After the incident, he decided to get surgery to repair a torn pectoral injury that he suffered a few months earlier. He return to the company almost eight months later during the debut episode of Collision. He worked about a dozen matches in the six months that followed, but finished up his contract with the company after he was defeated by Miro at the Worlds End pay-per-view in 2023.

It goes without saying that the structure or lack thereof within All Elite Wrestling simply wasn't the place for him. It speaks volumes to the missed opportunities of the company when you take into account that despite how talented he is, Andrade's stint in the organization is almost completely forgettable.

His return to the WWE was almost a repeat of his original run in the company.

When he was a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble, he got the artificial return pop and at least initially, it looked like management might put some stock into him, as he was paired with the legendary Rey Mysterio for a tag match at Wrestlemania last year. He won the Speed title, which almost pigeonholed him into a secondary position, as it wasn't a belt that was used on the main roster. Again, it's puzzling as it why he was more or less just a name on the roster for the majority of the past year and half, but for whatever reason, the office didn't really give him anything of true substance to do on television.

With the WWE acquisition of AAA earlier this year, it would've seemed like an easy decision to feature him on the brand, and perhaps that would've allowed him to flourish in ways that he simply couldn't on the main roster since he didn't cut promos in English, but it didn't happen. He formed a short-lived tag team with Rey Fenix, which was something else that seemed like it would've been successful, but it wasn't given much of a chance since he seemed to basically either quit on the company or get fired. His last appearance in the WWE was the tag team ladder match at Summer Slam.

Obviously, this is pure speculation, as Andrade hasn't spoke on the subject, and nobody knows what his motives are other than him, but it's completely possible that he's just too difficult to work with, which might've been the reason that the WWE seemed to be hesitant to fully invest him in with more television time and a solid promotional push. The reason this could be the case is, his overall lack of success despite his true talent is that he couldn't work in AEW without incident and now there are some type of issues in the WWE.

Again, we don't have all the answers here, but there are two different companies with two completely different philosophies and Andrade couldn't work within either of them. The bottom line is, Andrade is the common denominator.

What's next for Andrade?

Truth be told, considering that he was fired from WWE for disciplinary reasons, and had a backstage fight in AEW, his options for major organizations are rather limited. Could Tony Khan offer him another contract? Sure, but the last thing that company needs is to more names added to its already bloated roster, and taking into account that he clearly wasn't satisfied with his spot in the promotion before, there's really no reason for him to return to AEW. If he was given a pink slip by the WWE, it's doubtful that he would be offered a deal with AAA since it's literally the same company.

That being said, that brings his options to CMLL, where he worked extensively before he arrived in America, and potentially New Japan Pro Wrestling. While the money in Mexico and even Japan isn't going to be comparable to the big leagues in the United States, he could still make a full-time living working for either of them or both if he wanted to make cameo appearances.

If I had to guess, I'd say that Andrade will resurface in CMLL sooner rather than later, as he will immediately be a main event star there and probably make the best money possible in Mexico, even if it's not anywhere close to a WWE contract. Undoubtedly, New Japan needs the star power and the depth to their roster, and Andrade would definitely be able to use his cache as a former WWE star to land a solid contract there, but much of that could depend on the revenue that NJPW projects to generate next year, as to what they could realistically offer him. Based on the Japanese's leagues more recent fiscal report, they profited $1.2 million, which was a decline from $3 the previous year, but had projections of an increase in profit next year.

Considering that New Japan has to work on a slimmer profit margin because so many of the top names left the company, it remains to be seen how much they'd be willing to invest in outside talent, specifically if they can't sign them to a full-time deal. As mentioned. I'd guess that Andrade will return to CMLL to be a cornerstone of the promotion, albeit as a big fish in a smaller pond. In many ways, this entire situation is similar to the original Mistico's underwhelming run in the United States, as similar to him, Andrade seemed to have the talent to be a major star in America, but for whatever reason, it ultimately didn't happen so he will probably settle into a top position in Mexico, even if it's mostly under the radar in the grand scheme of things. 

Canelo vs. Crawford

There was a time when boxing was nearly destroyed, the victim of political red tape that led to promoters protecting their golden geese rather than the top fighters signed to compete against either other. An entire generation, mostly during the Mayweather era, had to endure glorified exhibitions instead of legendary bouts that defined the sport in the past.

But, money talks.

As the boxing game saw outside investors pick up the contracts of the stars that were left, with streaming platforms like DAZN running cards that most American promotional groups couldn't realistically afford, staples of the genre faded into the history books. HBO folded its boxing division in 2018 after 45 years because the economics of the sport made it unfeasible to bring top names to the network. Five years later, Showtime, the other network known for broadcasting premium cards in the United States, left the boxing business after a 37-year run.

But, money talks.

This weekend, for the first time in several years, the two top fighters in the sport will compete in America when Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Terence Crawford square off at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada for a myriad of Super Middleweight titles. While it's a tradition for the Mexican superstar to fight on Cinco De Mayo weekend, he dominated William Scull in an absolute snooze fest when the opponent avoided actually fighting a few months ago, and Mexican Independence Day, this isn't a standalone event as it was for prior Alvarez bouts in September. The UFC will present a card to commemorate Mexican Independence Day this weekend, as well as the AAA event that took place last night. 

How this is possible is that money talks.

In many ways, this is one hand washes the other, as the fight was made possible through the well-documented agreement between the Saudi General Sports Authority and the TKO corporation. As we've already seen, the Saudi government is going to spend a rumored $100 million to buy Wrestlemania for the country in 2027. With Dana White's Zuffa Boxing project under the TKO banner, it made sense to work with the Saudis in their boxing ventures rather than try to compete against them, specifically because their interest already overlap anyway between the extensive WWE deal and the contract to bring the UFC to the region as well.

When the Saudis wanted to import American sports to use as a propaganda campaign in a superficial attempt to modernize the country, they bought into golf, WWE, boxing, and a few other sports. Up until this point, some true super fights, including Tyson Fury's crossover bout with former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, and a pair of contests against Oleksandr Usyk, took place in Riyadh. The previously mentioned Canelo/Scull fight was also held there.

The problem was that these bouts, often the biggest bouts that the sport could offer at the time, were being seen in the middle of the afternoon on the east coast, which minimized any hype that boxing had in America. However, the reasoning behind the negotiations for the Canelo/Crawford fight only had to do with cash, not the ability to bring the sport back to some level of notoriety in the United States.

When the old guard of promoters, names like Bob Arum and Al Haymon, allowed for an entire generation of lapsed fans to become disenfranchised with boxing when the previously mentioned major fights weren't signed for years, and in some cases, such as the Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquiao bout, signed five years too late, there was an opportunity for someone else to make the money left on the table.

As a traditionalist of the sport, it makes me shake my head when Jake Paul used every carny trick in the book and every sideshow novelty act to fool casual sports fans into thinking that he actual has a boxing career, but the bottom line is, Paul made big money as a boxer. When the Youtube star fought the almost 60-year-old Mike Tyson with over 72,000 fans in attendance at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas last November, make no mistake about it, sports promoters, including Dana White took notice.

Ironically, it was reported that Canelo Alvarez was in negotiation to fight Jake Paul earlier this year, but his four-fight deal with the Saudi government worth $400 million prevented those discussions from being anything serious that could get a fight in the ring.

As much as the consolidation of commodities in most industries could be a negative because of the potential of a monopoly, the boxing game was so fractured because of political nonsense that a centralized organization like Zuffa boxing working alongside the Saudi sports authority might be the only way to bring major boxing back to the United States. It's a disappointing situation, but the Saudis have enough oil money to pay exponentially more than any American organization since profit is not the goal so in some ways, it's a scenario where Zuffa can either work with the Saudis to get a piece of the pie or get the crumbs that are left over after the Saudi government signs the top boxers. At the same time, while a partnership will give the Saudis a slice of the revenue from the Canelo/Crawford fight held in Las Vegas, the money is secondary, as it's not the objective in the first place. Instead, they are willing to work with Zuffa Boxing to keep their working agreement with TKO solid so that they can continue to get the WWE and UFC events in the country.

As far the actual match-up, I'd expect a brilliant and competitive boxing contest. This two really are the top two fights in the game today, and their clash should be an outstanding example of how entertaining a high level prize fight can be when the fighters are given a chance to compete against either other. The current betting odds on most sports books have Alvarez, the top star in the sport, a slight favorite against the undefeated Crawford. That's to be expected, as Crawford usually fights at 160 LBS for most of his bouts, but will move up to 168 LBS to fight Canelo so the Mexican star will have the size and probably the strength advantage during the opening bell of the fight. Crawford is arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer today, and the narrative of the fight will probably be based on if Crawford can use his technical skills to score more points than his opponent.

Make no mistake about it, Canelo Alvarez is a tremendous puncher, but his press forward style, true to his Mexican heritage, could leave him open to take punches. In fact, Canelo's willingness to take a punch to be able to land a punch is one of the many reasons that prior opponents have wilted under the pressure over the course of 12 rounds. If Crawford can handle the pressure and counter punch is probably the determining factor for the result of the bout.

If I had to pick a winner, I'd guess that Crawford will win a close decision on the score cards, as I'd expect him to get ahead on point early in the fight before Alvarez tries to push the pace in the later rounds. Regardless of the result, I'd hope for a rematch, as the promotional formula could finally be right for enough money to be on the table for rematches to get signed in an effort to get the most from each potential match-up, which was common in the past. More than anything, it will be interesting to see what the next event is for the Saudi/Zuffa agreement and if it can actually rejuvenate the sport in the future.

Should Fletcher win the title?

Just a few days ago, I penned an article about the lack of an announced main event and thus the lack of overall build for the upcoming All Out pay-per-view, a show that will go head-to-head with Wrestlepalooza, next weekend.

On last night's edition of Dynamite, a rather lackluster episode that booked a pointless Toni Storm vs. Skye Blue No DQ match, it was revealed that TNT champion, Kyle Fletcher will challenge Adam Page for the world championship in less than a week and a half. This can be taken  one of two ways, either it's a champion vs. champion match as a way to promote a super bout of sorts, or Tony Khan booked another champion against Page simply because there aren't many credible challengers for the world title between the injury rate and Jon Moxley reign that more or less ruined any buzz around the title picture for months.

Unfortunately, it's probably the latter, which means that Tony Khan doesn't have much a plan beyond a superficial justification to book the match without any substance or long-term importance.

But, should Tony consider letting Kyle Fletcher run with it for the company?

As with almost anyone else in AEW, Fletcher got a disjointed push, as he worked against Will Ospreay earlier this year before he was shuffled back down the card and settled into a secondary spot compared to the momentum he had after the Ospreay feud. Still, there's no doubt that Fletcher made progress as a performer and a character. He went from a rather innocuous Ospreay sidekick to a heel that stood on his own with the potential to become a guy that the company could focus on as a future star. Granted, the same thing was said about a lot of performers in the past and then it amounted to very little for most of them, but there's definitely still an opportunity for Fletcher to be a guy that could draw for the organization.

As I said in the previous article, if it was my decision, I'd book Takeshita to beat Hangman Page, as I think that AEW missed the boat on the original chance that they had to truly run with him so at this point it's a matter of diminishing returns. Plus, the way that he was switched between baby face and heel made him a lukewarm performer, which is the absolute opposite of how to draw money. If Tony Khan is set on continuing with Page in the role as champion, and there's nothing that indicates that he isn't, then the discussion about the booking decision for the main event of All Out is moot.

That being said, despite my lack of faith in Adam Page as the main event guy because of how he was booked and presented within the past few years, I can honestly say that I think there's a case to be made for Fletcher to beat him for the championship at the pay-per-view.

The reason being is similar to why Takeshita would've also been a good choice, which is less about Page's skill set, which is solid, and more to do with a way to ignite the product with something fresh. Regardless of Page winning the title at All In Texas, the argument could be made that something new is still needed after the drek of the Death Riders storyline.

At 26, Kyle Fletcher is a young athlete that theoretically has the prime years of his career ahead of him, and if management makes the decision to put the main event stock into him, it can create a level of optimism around the brand. Regardless of the lack of follow-up from the Ospreay feud, in some ways, Fletcher doesn't have the "stain" of most of the typical AEW nonsense on him yet so his potential world championship reign could be a fresh start for the title picture after Moxley's run was the subject of criticism from even the most diehard All Elite fan base. Even today, Daniel Garcia's heel turn on this week's episode of Dynamite was the only aspect of the Death Riders angle that has made some type of progress in several months. Everything else was rinse and repeat prior to the title change. As far as Garcia, he's an example of someone that has been running in place for the vast majority of his AEW tenure. He has in-ring talent, but he's also the blandest wrestler on the roster so it can't hurt to align him with the heel stable in an attempt to add some sizzle to his presentation.

It's disappointing, but the harsh reality is that Will Ospreay is going to be on the shelf for at least a year with neck surgery.  As I've said before, I think Ospreasy should've been positioned as the franchise player for All Elite, but for whatever reason, it didn't happen and now it's not an option until at least almost 2027. This is not to say that Fletcher should be portrayed as Ospreay-lite, but instead to point ouy that he has a similar style and dynamic athleticism so at least in the short-term, if Fletcher is given the top spot, he could also be the type of performer to be a representative of the brand the way that Ospreay could've been promoted before the injury.

Does that mean if Kyle Fletcher is booked to beat Adam Page for the belt that it will solve AEW's problems?

No, of course not. All Elite Wrestling problems, which are more or less undeniable based on the declining viewing audience, can't be solved with one signing, storyline, or pay-per-view. It's a multi-layered problem that will require a multi-layered solution. However, if Fletcher wins title, it's at least something that can spark the product. It's something new that will give the audience a reason to see where it goes, as opposed to the Death Riders angle that they were just waiting to be over.

In some ways, the main event of All Out will either be something newsworthy or nothing at all.

It's either going to be a superficial champion vs. champion match because Tony Khan couldn't build a compelling title contest just four weeks after the Forbidden Door pay-per-view, or there will be the surprise title change.

Sure, this would be another heel champion, but does it matter? The booking approach to the product is so slapstick that it wouldn't be difficult to turn him baby face if needed, especially because the 38 other members of the Don Callis faction could be used as challengers for Fletcher to work with in the future.

Listen, I'm not say that Fletcher is the next Stone Cold or going to become a main stream star for All Elite Wrestling, but at this point, why not take a chance and see if the surprise title change can generate some hype? If Adam Page retains the title, it's a flat finish because there's less than two weeks of build behind it. Given that Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena will headline Wrestlepalooza, and AJ Lee will have her first match in a decade for the tag bout with CM Punk against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, if it's business as usual for All Elite Wrestling, the pay-per-view will be forgettable in the grand scheme of things.

The career of Crusher Hansen

"The day I woke up in the hospital with a doctor sitting at the foot of the bed telling me I had a heart attack, the first question I had was am I going to die, and the second was, can I wrestle again?"

In the social media age, it's commonplace for so many to share memes with supposedly "inspirational" quotes or something to express their passion about their chosen path in life. The truth is, more often than not, those sentiments are as superficial as the minimal about of time that it took someone to click the "share button" online.

Passion is only established through dedication over the course of time, there's no substitute for it, you either invest the hours and log the miles, or the declaration of passion for a project is completely hallow.

Of course, the independent wrestling circuit, almost by nature, requires that passion for any type of long-term success, as the metrics are specifically based on the potential of accomplishment with nothing guaranteed. There aren't corporate sponsors so it's not for the money, and much of the prospect for success at the next level could be simply a matter of timing. Being at the right place at the right time, or just not being in the right era, could determine if the indy scene is a respectable side gig or the potential to become a full-time career. Reckless Youth was an unsung hero of the indys, and for whatever reason, just didn't get the big break that it seemed so obvious that he would before he hung up his boots.

When it comes to passion, the Pittsburgh scene, a region known almost as much for its wrestling as the steel that it once produced, there are select individuals that are known for their passion for the sport, and that passion had a domino effect that shaped the landscape of the area today.

Much like Reckless Youth, who was known for his aerial bouts in the Steel City Wrestling organization in the late-98, Jeff Davenport, the villainous Crusher Hansen for most of his in-ring tenure that spanned nearly three decades, is one of those unsung heroes of the sport in Pittsburgh.

When Davenport was hospitalized with a heart attack more than a decade ago, he asked if he was going to die, with the thought that he wanted to be there for his family, and if he could wrestle again because of how much he loves to perform for an audience. The volumes that those questions speak certainly echo loudly as an example of his passion for the squared circle.

The hope of the ring didn't just inspire Davenport to recover from the cardiac scare in 2013, the ring ropes have provided him a level of solace for the vast majority of his life.

Very similar to how Davenport's dedication can't be summarized with a social media meme, his discovery and love affair with the over-the-top world of pro wrestling wasn't fancy either. Raised in poverty by a single mom, the 12-year-old youngster stumbled upon a wrestling show on the small TV screen that only had access to a few channels, setting off a series of events that would shape the direction of the rest of his life.

"My earliest memory was watching, I think, WCW on their TBS studio show and being intrigued by it. I became a fan, but not obsessed with it. I can remember watching Wrestlemania pay-per-views at a relative's house and later my own house, but still was just a casual fan. Fast forward to high school,when I started getting into to really follow and often wondered how one get it the business," Davenport explained.

Just a few years later, Jeff got his answer. He was home after unexpectedly being laid off due to budget cuts at the job he was working after he finished high school. Normally, he wouldn't get a chance to hear the entire show, but as he scanned the classified ads, listening to the B94 morning show, a staple of the airwaves in the 90s, he heard one of the hosts, Bubba Snider, who was quite literally a radio hosts by day and a pro wrestler at night, discuss an upcoming bout he had a McKeesport High School. Intrigued, Jeff called the station to find out about the show and eventually asked how someone could get involved in the sport on the local level.

He landed under the now-defunct Pro Wrestling Express banner by February 1996, and through a variety of trainers, had the chance to work out in the ring at least five days a week, sometimes for 3-5 hours during each session. Between the established veterans and aspiring rookies that would go on to make names for themselves alongside Crusher Hansen in the years that followed, Jeff got a solid old school foundation of a pro wrestling education, lessons that he would share with the next generation when he became a trainer for the same organization years later.

"I had my first match in May of that year, but wasn’t done. BA Briggs was my original trainer, but when Paul Atlas and Brian Anthony took over, I continued to learn from them. Training was tough, all of my trainers where very old school. Guys like myself, Quinn Magnum, Mad Mike, Dennis Gregory, and others would show up to work out with some of the more experienced guys like Shocker Evans, Vince Kaplack, and others," he recalled.

It wasn't glamours, but the lessons that Jeff learned in the back of a warehouse throughout the rest of 1996 would leave an impression on him that he carries with him to this day.

"I learned a lot from both sets of trainers, skills that I used when training guys myself. For instance, the BA Briggs side of me will help with gimmick development, facial expressions, old school spots, and storytelling. The Paul and Brian part of me helped me weed out the guys that just don’t have it. Plus, a lot of the psychology that they taught me," Davenport remarked.

"He’s very knowledgeable and we always worked well together in the ring. He taught me how to be a heel. Grab the hair because it’s there. Use the ring as a weapon. I always love working a match in training with Crusher," added Chris Helmsly, a 10-year veteran that cut his teeth in the sport learning under Davenport.

Jeff's rookie year in the sport was somewhat like the wild west, as pro wrestling was just beginning to bubble up for what would become the boom period of the late-90s, and as society became edgier so did its wrestling with ECW's rise in popularity, as well as its influence on the industry becoming more of a factor. Jeff cites his earliest ventures in the business as some of the most fun that he had in his career, as he had the chance to experience the business under the learning tree of two Pittsburgh legends, while working on cards with national stars.

"I was lucky enough back in the mid-90s and early-2000s to be friends with  Lord Zoltan and T-Rantula so Zoltan got me booked, and T always drove. The shows were always hardcore heavy, sprinkled in with old WWF talent like King Kong Bundy, Greg Valentine, the bush Whackers, and Jake Roberts. The crowds were almost always big. Being with those two legends, I was always treated in higher regards than I really deserved. I was still green, there were shows ever weekend, kinda like it is right now. With so many promotions now, it reminds me of my early years," Jeff explained.

For the nearly two decades that followed, the grappler that started as Bone Crusher and then eventually became known as Crusher Hansen, was a stalwart of the steel city independent scene. He was a classic worker, with the bump and feed for the baby face as his specialty. Make no mistake about it, not only could Crusher get the audience invested in the outcome of his match, he had such a solid set of fundamental skills that his ability inside the ring ropes personified the true objective of a heel in wrestling, to make the baby face. Hansen could take the fans on the ride of peaks and valleys before he either counted the lights or broke the rules to get the win.

"Winning the NWA National title from Pepper Parks and losing it to Gunner from would be one. Being the first guy to wrestle Samu when PWX brought him is also a highlight. I wrestled Dirk Ciglar on a show at The Pepsi Road House ran by ECW guys, we were the first match and really didn’t disappoint, getting an ECW chant was cool," Crusher recalled.

Throughout the past 17 years that I've been involved in the pro wrestling scene as an announcer in Pittsburgh, I've seen a lot of really talented performers that could've and probably should've had an opportunity to make it to a national level, but for whatever reason, they didn't get the chance. As mentioned earlier, it's the nature of the beast of the entertainment industry. That said, if Crusher Hansen had the chance to start wrestling a decade earlier, he was tailor-made to be a star in the territories. He's an old school guy that checks all the boxes of the classic era.

That being said, after almost 20 years from the first time he stepped into the ring, he suffered the previously mentioned heart attack, causing his entire life, not just his wrestling career, to come to a screeching halt. Around the time that he hit the seven-year mark as a pro, he started a family so he decided to keep his grappling to a local level. He had such a love for the game that just the chance to perform for a paying audience on the weekends was enough to keep him dedicated to the sport. Jeff Davenport worked the typical 9-to-5 on the weekends, took his kids to their sports practices on Saturday mornings and then caused in-ring mayhem as a villain that night.

But, all of that was thrown into jeopardy when the doctor mentioned earlier sat at the foot of his hospital bed and told him that he'd have to prioritize his health to be able to continue to see his children grow up.

"I worked hard to get back and when I did, I was very rewarding to see the hard work pay off," Jeff said.

Despite the life-threatening scenario, Crusher Hansen kicked out at 2.9 and eventually got back in the ring for another six years before the decades of wrestling required him to get rotator cuff surgery. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down not long after that, Jeff wasn't sure if or when his career would continue.

However, similar to how professional wrestling provided him with solace at 12 years old when grew up in a single parent home in poverty, sports entertainment gave him a sense of peace decades later, which unknowingly opened the door for yet another new chapter for him earlier this year. He reached out to an old in-ring rival, fellow Pittsburgh legend, Brandon K, who made a habit of putting Hansen in pain with the ankle lock during the course of their memorable matches. Brandon found Ryse Wrestling in 2016, with The Stronghold training center as one of the cornerstones of the project. Hansen asked if he could see the school, and knowing Crusher's accomplishments, Brandon jumped at the chance to host Hansen for a guest spot for the students.

"My comeback to wrestling, I am going through a difficult time in my personal life and needed something to take my mind off of things. I showed up on a Wednesday night for the students and he allowed me to help him work with some of the new guys. That just grew the little flame in me, and as I started to run some spots and take some bumps, I felt alive again. I really didn’t know how much I missed wrestling, the in-ring stuff and the behind the scenes stuff." Davenport said.

So, nearly thirty years after he first stepped into a professional wrestling ring, Jeff Davenport finds himself back in the business, this time as an agent to help the core group of young talent at Ryse Wrestling. At live events, Davenport has proven to be a valuable asset to the organization, as he helps management run the event in any aspect needed. His decades of experience and knowledge allow him to be a versatile member of the management team. 

This is where we get back to that word passion. Hansen invested the three decades into the pro wrestling industry, and investment that not only would he considered something that paid off, but also an investment that he would make all over again if he found himself back in front of the radio listening to B-94 as that 22-year-old youngster that decided to call the station about the wrestling show. National contracts and merchandise didn't define the career of Crusher Hansen, but the success of his passion for the sport certainly did.