Forbidden Door review

On the same day that Total Nonstop Action presented their Slammiversary pay-per-view, All Elite Wrestling run their Forbidden Door event, a co-promoted show with New Japan Pro Wrestling. In what was probably unavoidable given the current status of the Japanese league, this was probably the weakest build to this specific event since it started as an annual tradition a few years ago. The bottom line is, the Forbidden Door PPV often became an unintentional audition for New Japan talent in front of an AEW audience, and it didn't take long for Tony Khan to sign away almost every top star that NJPW had. Hopefully, the acquisition by Cyber Fight, the parent company of DDT, NOAH, and Tokyo Joshi Pro, will be able to bolster New Japan, but right now, the company is low on true star power and the line-up reflected that.

Don't get me wrong the clash between two different organization's best wrestlers can be a money-drawing concept. The problem is, if it becomes a yearly event, you eventually run out of "dream matches" to fuel the theme of the show. With a nine-match card, you knew that this broadcast was going to stretch over the four-hour mark, which simply isn't an ideal viewing experience on a Sunday night. You shouldn't have to kick yourself Monday morning for spending $50 on a wrestling pay-per-view that ran until after midnight. However, it's even more of an issue when the broadcast ran until almost 1 AM on the east coast.

Overall, this pay-per-view, similar to almost every AEW PPV, was a mixed bag. It gave you the quality action you expected, some of it was overkill, and some of it could've been saved for television so that the viewers could attempt to get to sleep by a decent hour. It sounds trivial, but only the most diehard demographic of wrestling fans are going to be thrilled to get to bed after midnight, and that's often the portion of the audience that the brand caters to, but the goal should theoretically be to get a bigger audience to spend $50 for these pay-per-views.

The opening three-way tag team match was a fun segment and it gave the viewers the fireworks show that they anticipated for this type of contest. This is the portion of the card that you can put the objective to progress the storylines aside for 15 minutes and let these guys thrill the audience with the high spots and dives. There's nothing wrong with that either, this type of contest has a place on the card, it just gets repetitive, tedious, and yields diminishing returns when it's overdone during the course of a specific PPV. The Young Bucks received some rightful criticism in recent years when their heel runs fell woefully flat, but they can still deliver spectacular bouts when that's what a segment is designed for. They got the win after they hit the Meltzer driver on Titan to get the pin.

As I said, there's a limited amount of "dream matches" that can be touted for a yearly event, and while Kenny Omega and Zack Sabre Jr. have wrestled before, since Sabre Jr. is one of the few key New Japan guys that Tony didn't sign, this bout had a level of anticipation around it. They gave the viewers a little bit of everything, starting of with some slick technical exchanges before they decided to exchange strikes and then took the series of big bumps that you'd expect from a New Japan main event. The problem is, this segment went over 25 minutes and it was only the second match of the night. They did the dramatic back and fourth sequences over an extended period of time, but when Omega finally landed the one-winged angel to get the victory, there was still almost four hours left of the show. This didn't need to be presented as an epic New Japan war of attrition, the overall show would've been better off if they kept it to a tight 15 minutes.   

As far as matches that could've been saved for Dynamite, specifically with the format of this event, the Jon Moxley/Bandido match appeared to be shoehorned onto the line-up just to get each of them on the pay-per-view. I understand that Moxley is a known star for his time in WWE, and Bandido is a tremendous performer, but again, when a show is going to run as long as this one did, a match that offers nothing toward the AEW vs/ New Japan package can be saved for a different time. It was somewhat of an odd match on paper because of the styles clash, but the match itself was fine. That said, they more or less repeated the structure of the contest that the audience just saw when they opened with technical exchanges, threw strikes, and went with the bigger spots toward the conclusion. The problem is, the result was already rendered rather pointless, as Bandido, despite being the Ring Of Honor champion, isn't necessarily seen in the same light as Moxley, particularly after he recently reformed the team with Brody King so it was obvious that Moxley was going to retain. We're going to see all the high spots and bumps throughout the rest of the card so if a segment doesn't progress something within the scope of the product, the argument could be made that it wasn't needed for this pay-per-view. I understand the tradition of tearing the mask to bleed in lucha libre, but the Moxley/Bandido match wasn't something that justified that. It wasn't a long-term blood feud or anything that needed blood in the segment, especially when there was a steel cage match later. As expected, Moxley got the win to retain the title with the submission.

In a similar fashion, Pac is on AEW programming so sporadic that it's difficult to realistically believe that he would capture the New Japan Global championship to possibly work a full schedule there.Shota Umino is a solid in-ring worker, but nothing too spectacular, and his main event push for the Tokyo Dome a few years ago garnered mixed reviews. This was another match that was fine in terms of the performance, as Pac's athleticism is almost impressive, but there just wasn't enough meat on the bone for this contest to have any major intrigue. Umino isn't a star and doesn't have the cache for his bouts to carry that type of importance to them, especially in front of an American crowd. For a one-off match, this was another segment that didn't need to go 20 minutes, which is roughly the same amount of time given to the previous contest. The power bomb over the top rope through a table wasn't needed either. This was another situation where this was structured as if it was going to be a main event, but there was still more than three hours of the show left.

Thekla vs. Starlight Kid was directly related to the premise of the pay-per-view, and Tony Khan did a decent job of building up Thekla's heel tactics in Japan for this segment to have the proper context. This was a very entertaining match and gave the crowd what they'd expect from a solid Joshi segment. I'd say that Starlight Kid might be a good addition to the AEW women's roster, but I have zero faith that she wouldn't eventually get lost in the shuffle of the witness protection plan of ROH so it's better that she stays in Japan. Thekla retained the AEW Women's title after she used a curb stomp to get the win.

The AEW Tag Team title match was fine, but at this point in the card, it was a situation where the length of the show impacted the viewing experience. There simply wasn't much to say about this bout other than it was solid segment. Jay White's return from injury was the biggest takeaway from it. Adam Copeland and Christian retained.

The Owen Hart Tournament women's final was somewhat underwhelming, as it was clunky and disjointed at certain points of the segment. At one point, Maya's hair extensions were loose, similar to the recent Jade Cargill situation, and she left the ring for a few minutes to fix it, which stalled any momentum the segment could've had. Furthermore, and this was almost unavoidable, there wasn't a point in this match where it looked like there was a realistic chance that Maya World was going to win. This isn't a jab at her at all, but she's still relatively unknown and new to most of the AEW audience so she's not seen, nor was she previously presented to be a contender on the level of Mercedes Mone. Sure, the argument could be made that the majority of Mone's All Elite career underachieved, but with the amount of money she's being paid, it only makes sense to put her in a featured spot at Wembley Stadium in August. It wasn't for a lack of effort, but this match never got into second gear because nobody believed that the upset was even remotely possible. This went 25 minutes and probably should've been given half that amount of time since it became tedious. Mone won via submission.

The cage match was the car crash segment that it was expected to be, which is fine since they didn't jump the shark nearly as much as they usually do for this type of bouts. Blood, tables, thumbtacks, and dives off the cage should've been the crescendo to the show, but the Owen Hart tournament men's final was after this. The stipulation of this match was that if Mark Briscoe's team won, he will get a title shot on television this week. The baby faces won so Briscoe vs. MJF will be on Dynamite, but this 30-minute car crash on pay-per-view was used to set up a predictable result for a television match.

The main event was more or less all of AEW's bad habits. This didn't start until almost 12:30 and after four and a half hours, this pay-per-view became a chore to watch rather than entertainment. This overdid everything in this segment after everything was already done earlier in the night. The ridiculous amount of blood added nothing, especially because Owen Hart was a technical wrestling legend so this match didn't represent the concept. The attempted dramatic pauses in the action missed the mark and didn't get over the theatrical presentation that they thought it would. The pace was rather slow, plodding, and almost unnecessary. But hey, Meltzer will give it six stars so it was successful, right? Don't get me wrong, the execution of the maneuvers was impressive, but that's not the issue. It was the wrong type of match for the tournament, with the wrong amount of time given, and at the wrong spot on the card. Ospreay got the win to get a title shot at Wembley Stadium. At some point, these five-hour pay-per-views because a reason for viewers to skip them rather than be literally invested in the broadcast through PPV orders. There's no booking logic for how to build a card, it's not about the overall presentation, the approach are individual matches in a vacuum, which hinders the overall event. 

Night of Champions review

Yesterday afternoon, the WWE presented one of its very lucrative Saudi Arabia shows, Night of Champions, and despite being what many would consider a "bridge" type of event as the company builds toward the first ever two-night Summer Slam pay-per-view in August, it definitely wasn't a filler or fluff broadcast. In fact, the Night of Champions event was worthwhile because it shifted pieces of the puzzle in place for a bigger payoff down the road at the previously mentioned Summer Slam PPV.

The event opened with Oba Femi vs. Jey Uso in the men's King Of The Ring finals. While the WWE simply isn't going to capture the historical cache that the concept once held because of its extended hiatus years ago and the number of marquee shows on the calendar, this still served its overall purpose. This was a showcase match for Oba, and it should've been. Regardless of the few top rope splashes that Uso landed during the seven-minute contest, there just wasn't a believable moment where it looked like he was going to actually win the match. In this specific case, that's fine because it reinforces how much steam and momentum that Femi has behind him as he gets the steady push toward the main event picture.

To say that anyone is a "can't miss" main eventer would be misguided since we've seen WWE management miss the boat on main event potential before when it would've been thought unthinkable that a talent wasn't destined for the main event. Anyone remember when Mr. Kennedy was poised to cash in the Money In The Bank contract to win the world title in 2007? How did Damien Sandow not get a chance to work in the main event scene?  But, It's fair to say that Oba Femi looks to check all the boxes of what WWE looks for in a top guy. If he can truly work at the main event level in terms of promos, psychology, and selling remains to be seen, but at the very least, the office is putting the machine behind a possible money-drawing star in the future. That notion becomes even more important when you take into account the rapid number of retirements of the top-tier of WWE, including the rumored exit of Brock Lesnar at Summer Slam. Oba got the victory to become the King Of the Ring and will get a title shot in August. All things considered, this outcome could've influenced the result of the WWE title match later in the night.

In a similar way, the result of the women's Queen of the Ring final wasn't as obvious, but still almost a sure thing that impacted the overall course of the match. With Liv Morgan already a champion, it was doubtful that she would be put in a scenario where she would challenge for another championship, as it wouldn't be a unification match, and one performer with both belts defeats the purpose of their individual existence. So, the spots where Iyo Sky was put in jeopardy with the potentially injured knee didn't fully sell themselves to the audience as a possible turning point in the contest. That being said, this segment delivered good action and was an entertaining bout. Iyo Sky won with a moonsault from the top rope to get the win and advance to Summer Slam for a title shot.

The steel cage match between Bron Breakker and Seth Rollins had some questions marks around it, mostly because much of the direction of the vision stable is still up in the air, with Logan Paul injured, and Bronson Reed still on the sidelines. The announce team framed this as the conclusion to the feud, and given how this match was structured, this looked to be designed as the payoff, not just another chapter, which is why I'm not sure I agree with the booking of the winner. This was a very solid performance from both competitors, and it was another example that Bron Breakker should be someone that the company builds around going forward. He's ahead of the curve as far as the quality of his performance compared to his experience level. The suplex from the top of the cage through the table was probably the biggest spot of the match and a piece of the table clipped Breakker in the side of the head, giving him a nasty hard way cut. However, the visual of the intense grappler with blood staining one side of his face was effective. Eventually, Bron missed a spear to send himself flying through a table in the corner, and Seth nailed a stomp from the ropes to get the pin fall. I have to be honest, if this is the end of the storyline, I think it would've made much more sense to allow Breakker the deciding win of the feud. This is actually meant as a compliment to Rollins, he's such a consistent quality performer that a loss doesn't really change his status in the organization, whereas a definitive win for Breakker could've been used to add to his credibility as a rising star in the company.

Maybe it was because it followed the cage match, or maybe it was because it resembled a television match more than something you'd expect to see on pay-per-view, but the US title bout was underwhelming. For whatever reason, it just didn't get into second gear and didn't develop a pace to build any drama. The crowd was mostly quiet for it and didn't see two invested in who left the build as the US champion. The abrupt finish was a jumping knee from Trick Williams to retain the belt. Trick looks and works like a star. I can't quite figure out the reason behind it, but Ricky Starks just hasn't connected with the audience at all since he started on the main roster. Maybe its his size, or that he was a big fish in a small pond in NXT, but he almost looks out of place on the main roster, and this match could be cited as an example of it.

Unfortunately, the Women's US title match wasn't an improvement. I'm not sure if they got lost or something got changed on the fly, but you could tell that Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill were either trying to call spots or getting instructions from the referee. The bout was clunky and tedious. The run-ins didn't do the segment any favors, and despite only being given about seven minutes, this contest probably went a few minutes too long. After an assist from Charlotte, Tiffany retained the title.

As far as the performance, the WWE title match was brilliantly done. These three are top-notch and delivered a performance that had a big fight atmosphere. This bout built organic drama as the advantage tilted back and fourth toward the conclusion. The finish with the sudden victory roll for the three count worked well and added to the "shock value" of the moment. To be honest, I thought that Sami Zayn was only added to this contest to do something different since Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther has been seen before in Saudi Arabia, and perhaps that was the original intention. I'm not sure anyone would've guessed that Sami would walk out with the title, especially when he was randomly added to the bout just two weeks ago.

That being said, while I'm all for Sami getting a title reign, the way it was done serves up a conflicting narrative that might hinder its overall purpose. Keep in mind, Zayn just turned heel during his recent feud with Trick Williams in April. The narrative of this title win was almost somewhat of a wholesome presentation that a guy that worked hard for a decade finally wins the championship, but the character that is cast in the role is a bitter heel. The bigger problem is that Sami actually is that tremendous worker that always gives it 100% and the audience recognizes it so it's almost as though the office diluted a story that writes itself for a murkier, almost middle of the road type of persona that doesn't represent the best version of Sami Zayn during a title run.

Prior to this victory, I'd say that Zayn's heel persona was lukewarm at best because nothing major or definitive happened to kick it off when he was feuding with Trick Williams. Regardless of the conflicting narrative, this will be a short title reign, specifically because the story of Sami Zayn as WWE champion was the chase, not the run with the belt. Given that Oba Femi is in line for a title shot, I'd have to guess that the belt was put on Sami to give Oba someone to beat on at least one of the nights of Summer Slam. Either way, this sparks some intrigue around the title picture, which has been rather flat since Wrestlemania a few months ago. 

Joe Doering passed away

It was with profound sadness that I read the news that Joe Doering, former All Japan and Impact Wrestling star, passed away yesterday at the age of just 44 after an extensive battle with brain cancer. After breaking into the business in the early-2000s, Doering found himself as a journeyman of the industry, working in Puerto Rico, the previously mentioned Japan, and even a cup of coffee in the WWE developmental system in 2010 before a return to All Japan saw him eventually land in Impact Wrestling, partially during the pandemic. Doering was one of the few foreigners or "gaijin" talent to win the All Japan Triple Crown championship, and worked with all the top names of the Japanese league. Despite downsizing since its heyday in the 80s and 90s, All Japan still draws solid crowds in smaller venues. Furthermore, the product remains a reflection of the history of the organization with names like Misawa, Kobashi, Kawada, and Taue as the "four pillars" of the group. The Great Muta, the real-life Keiji Muto that wrestled until his real name and gimmick name for years in New Japan, was able to reinvente himself during a legendary run in All Japan in 2001 after Misawa left the company to form Pro Wrestling NOAH. In short, a wrestler isn't going to reach the top level of the Triple Crown championship unless they can go in the ring, and there's no question that Joe Doering worked at that level during his runs in the organization.

Doering had multiple runs with the All Japan tag belts and is a two-time Triple Crown champion, as well as a former Impact Wrestling tag team champion. But, all of that seems secondary in the grand scheme of things. When he was working with Impact, I'd written in previous articles that given his skills, persona, and experience as a main event guy, Joe Doering could be a performer that the organization put into the world title picture, especially at a time when Impact was looking for fresh talent to bring it a more stable number of viewers throughout the uncertainty of the pandemic. Basically, the throwback All Japan style could've given Impact something unquie to offer to the audience at a time when the landscape of the industry became more crowded with the launch of All Elite Wrestling. But again, all of that appears to be moot in the big picture.

Joe Doering was touted for his skills and a gimmick that framed him as the next generation Stan Hansen, which worked very well for the Japanese audience that places such an importance on the tradition of the industry. Keep in mind, All Japan might not be as big of an organization as it was in a previous generation, but the fan base is built on that traditional brand.

Still, the courage, bravery, and determination that the real-life Joe Doering showed against the life-threatening scenario of a brain tumor surpassed any scripted foe that he had in the squared circle. Originally diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, he amazingly returned to the ring the following year after surgery to remove it. He continued to work in All Japan as one of the top foreigners, which eventually prompted an offer from Impact.

As mentioned, it was unfortunate that when Doering had his biggest exposure in the United States of his career when he started with Impact Wrestling in 2020, it was at such an unprecedented time because of the COVID-19 pandemic so some of his earlier work from that run was held at closed set tapings. After almost two years in Impact, a second brain tumor was found and the surgery to remove it effectively ended his in-ring career by late-2022.

The effects of the surgery and treatment of the second tumor might've cut his career short, but the sheer guts it takes for someone to push themselves through such a grueling situation is admirable.

Sadly, and in some ways unbelievable, a third brain tumor was found in November of last year, It's situations like this in life that you have to ask yourself, "why?" Why is this talented guy that you've never heard a negative word about from his peers, which is very rare in the professional wrestling business, have to go through another life-threatening brain tumor after such toughness to fight his way through the two tumors prior? I don't know the answer, and maybe there isn't truly an answer as to why other than by mere chance the same person had three brain tumors since cancer is known for its recurrence rates.

However, the one thing that I know for sure is that it took an incredible amount of toughness for Joe Doering to fight the terrible disease as long as he did. I found myself even sadder when I think about how much hope that he had at one point, especially after he was able to continue his career, only for the disease to return, taking his pro wrestling aspirations away again. I'm not religious so I don't think that Doering's illness in itself was a part of any divine plan, but there are certainly takeaways from his admirable fight.

The ironic part of it is, as Stuart Scott once put it when he received the Jimmy V award on ESPN before he passed away in 2014, ""When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live."

We're all going to pass away one day. Obviously, you can't focus on that all the time or you will miss out on living your life. The point is, if someone dies from old age or an illness, the result is the same, nobody outlives every aliment in life, even if they pass away peacefully in their sleep at 100 after an accomplished life. True to what Stuart Scott said, death is going to come for all of us at some point so that alone doesn't determine a victory or a defeat from cancer. It is rather how someone approaches their life, and the fight against the illness if it happens.

Some people might measure a successful life by the money or material possessions that they had, but that all seems superficial when the sum total of our lives is tallied at the end of it. Instead, the impression made on others and the world has a much more lasting impact than any dollar amount.

Joe Doering beat brain cancer twice. That exemplifies a toughness that very few have, and when you take into account the outpouring of tributes from across the sports entertainment world, a business that Doering worked in for almost half of his life, he undoubtedly had a positive impact on the industry. His courage and determination are inspirational, and can serve as a reminder for those going through tough times, medically or otherwise, that pushing forward is always a chance for hope.

As I said, I'm not religious, but at the very least, Doering can finally rest after years of battling cancer, and at best, maybe he's training hammerlocks with Terry Funk? If there's a heaven, Joe Doering deserves a ringside seat. He beat cancer two out of three times, which gives him the win on the score cards. Joe Doering definitely didn't lose to cancer. My sincere condolences to his friends and family at this difficult time. 

What's next for Jack Perry?

In the midst of all the scuttlebutt about the status of Total Nonstop Action, including the myriad of recent releases that caused speculation about the overall status of the company, there's also some contract news on the All Elite Wrestling front as well.

Jack Perry, who signed with the upstart league upon its inception, is said to be very close to the expiration date of his current contract, prompting questions about if he will re-sign with the promotion or explore the free agent market.

Of course, Perry is known, fairly or unfairly, as the guy that caused CM Punk to leave AEW after the "real glass" comment on the pre-show spurred a backstage physical altercation between the two just moments before Punk was set to compete against Samoa Joe at Wembley Stadium in 2023. It can't be understated how much that incident, and a few similar behind-the-scenes disputes, stalled the momentum of the organization for a few years afterwards. The bottom line is, if Perry doesn't utter that phrase into the camera because he was immature about previously being told that he couldn't use real glass for a spot on television, CM Punk might still be in AEW, and the current landscape of the business looks very different. Don't get me wrong, Punk was going to end up on bad terms with All Elite no matter what happened because he thought of himself as a much bigger deal than he actually was, despite being the biggest star on the roster. Punk thought he was going to be the Steve Austin of All Elite and get catered to, and to a large degree that's what happened, but when he wasn't given the control to run an entire show with Collision, regardless of having no previous experience doing so, he was going to look for a way out.

Let's be honest here, Punk had a chip on his shoulder from the day that he returned to the business because he wanted to be the top guy in AEW that he previously didn't get to be in WWE. When The Elite and their political connection to founder, Tony Khan got in the way of that objective, the infamous backstage fight with them happened. For all intents and purposes, Punk should've been released in September of 2022. The Young Bucks were too narrow-minded to do business and make the money that was on the table for a feud with Punk, and since drawing money isn't the goal of AEW, Tony didn't make the people that he paid millions of dollars to be professional and work together.

In many ways, Jack Perry just happened to be the guy that was at the center of the tipping point. If it wouldn't have been Perry then Punk would've eventually had an issue with someone else to exit the organization. Ironically, Punk's return to the business and thus his rocky exit from AEW in September organically set the stage for him to return to the WWE just a few months later when Survivor Series was in Chicago with the domino effect being that he eventually become the top guy in the WWE that he wanted to be.

Still, Jack Perry was the catalyst for All Elite Wrestling to lose the biggest star that the company had, and the argument could be made that the "stain" of that incident didn't start to fade until his more recent baby face run.

After the fight with Punk and the subsequent airing of the security camera footage that did he no favors, Perry was sent to New Japan Pro Wrestling for roughly six months under the "scapegoat" persona, a heel way to lean into the controversy. By mid-2024, he was back on AEW television, aligned with The Young Bucks, but the heel character never really got off the ground. In some ways, I understand why Tony tried to turn a negative into a positive, with the notion that the fight with Punk could be used to generate heat, but it mostly just reminded the audience that CM Punk was in WWE. Perry abruptly disappeared from AEW programming for almost a year after that, spending nearly all of 2025 as a healthy scratch from the roster before he returned in September to reunite with Luchasaurus to reform Jurassic Express.

Sure, it was a retread of a gimmick from years earlier and could potentially be called a step backwards, but given that Perry's character had zero momentum, it was at least something to try to reignite the hype that he had when he was originally a baby face. For the most part, it worked and Perry has spent the majority of 2026 being reintroduced into the fabric of the shows, winning the national title for a short reign earlier this year.

The Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez reported that as of now, Perry hasn't signed a new contract, but it's possible that he could ink a new deal relatively soon. As far as what Perry does next, I'd say that it's a safe bet that he will re-sign with All Elite Wrestling because it's a relatively light schedule and the best money that he's going to make in the pro wrestling business. I can't see him going to WWE, not because CM Punk being there is a hurdle, but rather that his size and mindset would work against him. The WWE system is already stocked with talent between the main roster and the developmental system that Perry doesn't really bring anything to the table that isn't already there. That's not a knock on Perry either, but rather to point out that there's an entire Performance Center of wrestlers under contract, as well as stars on the main roster so by sheer numbers, the WWE already has what Perry offers.

Based on some of his past interview clips, including the infamous Q&A from a UK convention a few years ago, it's doubtful that Jack Perry has the mindset to see the bigger picture of WWE anyway. In theory, New Japan could be an option, but they aren't going to be able to offer the same money as Tony Khan so if there's an AEW contract on the table, Perry should and probably will take it. That being said, despite being initially dubbed, "one of the pillars of AEW," a ship that sailed a few years ago, Jack Perry doesn't move the needle. "Jungle Boy" Jack isn't a draw, or at least not more than anyone else currently on the roster. Will Ospreay, Swerve Strickland, MJF, Darby Allin, Kyle Fletcher, and Konosuke Takeshita would all be better choices to build around.

To put it in broader terms, what's the ceiling for Jack Perry? I could be wrong, but I don't think he would boost numbers any more than the six performers just mentioned. Furthermore, I'd say that those half a dozen workers are more versatile and more marketable than Perry. Since money is no object for Tony Khan, and the primary goal isn't making a profit, even if it should be, Jack Perry will be offered a solid contract to stay in the company, but will also maintain a rather mediocre status quo of being a mid-card baby face compared to the main event potential that some thought he had at the start of his AEW career.

Will TNA be sold?

After the slew of releases from Total Nonstop Action last week, including Tommy Dreamer, Sami Callihan, Tessa Blanchard, and others, there was enough chatter online about what it could mean for the Anthem-owned organization that the company sent out a press release, claiming that the group went through a "work force reduction" to "streamline operations." Most took that PR spin as a way for the promotion to potentially set the table for a future sale since downsizing would make an acquisition easier to eliminate duplicate positions, similar to the office staff cuts that were made after the WWE/UFC merger.

Ultimately, the AMC deal, a scenario that was thought to be a way to uplift the fledgling league after years of toiling, might end up being a net negative for the promotion, similar to the way that TNN tanked ECW.

Reportedly, AMC, a nontraditional network for pro wrestling, pays TNA $10 million a year for the rights to Impact, and obviously, that's a hefty amount of cash, but the production costs of live television, at least for a portion of the schedule, aren't cheap either. In short, there was a reason that the early days of TNA television were done with marathon tapings of a month worth of shows at The Impact Zone at Universal Studios since it was exponentially more cost effective than a live touring schedule each week. There was also a reason that Hulk Hogan's decision to take Impact on the road every week eventually saw the organization lose so much money that there was a tax lien on the company by the state of Tennessee before it was rescued from the brink of collapse by Anthem.

Essentially, the cost of the production of national television was the biggest factor of what cratered ECW because the terms of the contract gave them nothing but exposure in return for taping a show that would be on mainstream cable. It's unknown what type of ad revenue split that TNA has with AMC, but with roughly 200,000 viewers, depending on the week with a slight variation, it's not as though there will be a massive amount of cash to be made from the commercials that run during the show.

Don't get me wrong, TNA's brand awareness grew to its highest position in more than a decade during the NXT crossover so it made sense for Anthem to take the AMC deal, but similar to the ECW dilemma, or any other type of expansion, there's an inherent gamble that goes along with that attempt at expansion. The ability to secure a bigger platform has the goal to eventually use it to make more money, which is the entire point of the sports entertainment business, but there's usually an increase in costs to get the product onto that bigger platform with the aspirations of the goal of increased revenue. It goes without saying that it's more expensive to air a live show on AMC than it is to run a taped show on a smaller network.

As I said, I understand that Anthem couldn't pass up the chance to be back on mainstream cable, but that's only one piece of the puzzle, and there are many other moving parts to the situation that have to line up properly for the group to achieve the success that it hopes for on the stage that AMC provides. The booking of pro wrestling is very subjective, but from a macro point of view, the bottom line is, a product must be on the right platform with the right content to achieve the most success possible. I could be wrong on this, but with the current pro wrestling landscape, I've found much of TNA's product to be rather indifferent. That's not to say that the matches or the roster are subpar, but that both aspects of the promotion are secondary to the other options in the industry.

Quite frankly, TNA doesn't have nearly the amount of star power to be in the conversation with WWE so Anthem isn't going to move the needle based on the stars they have on the roster, or in many ways, they aren't going to get the demographic that follows the WWE brand for the star power to sample TNA since it's a secondary product as far as the level of stars on Impact. The Hardys are a draw, but the fans that follow the Bloodline aren't going to consider the aging, albeit legendary, tag team "must see" for pay-per-views. On the other end of the spectrum, most of the in-ring aspects of the TNA show are solid, but if fans want to see "work rate matches" they are going to follow All Elite Wrestling.

Basically, TNA doesn't have the star power to get a portion of the WWE fan base, and it doesn't have the level of work rate to get a piece of the AEW audience so Impact is middle of the road, which is often the opposite of the ability to draw money.

The rumor mill suggest that BG James, former Smackdown head writer that left the company a few months ago, will be in attendance for the Slammiversary pay-per-view this Sunday. The problem is, if there's a major shift booked for the TNA PPV this weekend, the Forbidden Door show, even with a weaker card for the PPV compared to years past because of the status of New Japan Pro Wrestling, will have more fans following it.

There's no doubt that the WWE working agreement was beneficial to TNA since that was one of the reasons that they were able to secure the AMC contract, but the harsh reality might be that the organization simply doesn't have a product that will standout with the modern landscape. As I wrote in the article last week, it's not automatic that the market in 2026 can support three national groups the way that it did in the late-90s when there's such an increase in the amount of options for viewers. Every cable channel, streaming platform, and podcast look to get a portion of those viewers. Along the same lines, despite the working agreement with the WWE, TNA is still competing for those pro wrestling dollars. For example, it's actually more expensive to order Slammivervary on Sunday with the traditional $40 pay-per-view price than it is for the $30 ESPN+ subscription for fans to watch Night of Champions on Saturday. Furthermore, the Forbidden Door PPV airs at the same time so there's direct competition for the PPV buy rates. This situation becomes more difficult across the board when the economic crunch is taken into account. Sure, fans will still spend money on sports entertainment, but they will simply be more particular with what they spend their "wrestling budget" on at any given time. The TNA main event of Mike Santana vs. Nic Nemeth should be a very solid match, but it doesn't have the star power of the WWE main event or the work rate of the AEW main event so where exactly is the market for TNA?

The chatter online had the number of $50 million for a potential sale price for Total Nonstop Action, but that sounds way too outlandish. I'd be shock if Anthem got even half of that number. Granted, Anthem has owned the company more than a decade, and if they've started to lose money with the production costs of the AMC contract then it would make sense for them to look to cash out instead of the project becoming a money pit. That being said, I'm not sure who a possible buyer would be. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Metlzer claims that WWE has an option to buy TNA through the working agreement that was established, but given that working with TNA independently owned shields the corporation from any possible anti-trust violations, I doubt that TKO would purchase TNA.

That being said, if I had to guess, and I could be wrong, I'd say that a sale, at least right now, isn't truly in the cards. For Anthem to get a worthwhile amount of cash for TNA, there must be a realistic option that there will be a buyer that will want to make a significant investment into the potential of TNA to generate substantial revenue in the future. It's this simple, if someone bought TNA for $25 million, is the brand really going to generate $25 in possible revenue to justify the purchase? I think the more realistic approach is that Anthem will downsize going forward to try to reduce overall costs. As I wrote last week, to assume that TNA will fold would be completely misguided since the organization managed to survive through more bleaker times. If nothing else, it will be interesting to see how Anthem adjusts and if it will affect the overall presentation of the company.

What's the status of house shows?

There's a tier of WWE talent today that work less of a schedule than ever before while getting paid some of the biggest amount of cash in the history of the business. Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar are more or less part-timers that are among the highest paid of the current roster. There are even examples of when full-time top stars like Cody Rhodes or CM Punk simply aren't booked for the modern abbreviated pay-per-view cards that somehow still run over three hours.

This is quite literally the complete opposite of the golden era of the business, a period where the marathon television tapings were used to promote the house shows and then the grueling road schedule was where the bulk of their money was made. It was a slow process, but the more that professional wrestling went mainstream, the more that it got away from those old business practices, mostly because of how it eventually diversified revenue streams as technological advancements made for wider distribution. There was a time when there was a hour of a local show and then the only way to see the product outside of that was to attend the house shows.

The live gate at the box office was the bread and butter of the WWF territory.

When cable TV gave more access to more content to more parts of the country, the Rock N' Wrestling era that paired MTV with sports entertainment gave the product a vehicle for the expansion. Of course, Jim Crockett Promotions had their own platform with TBS, albeit on a smaller scale in terms of the pro wrestling operations. Back to the point of wider revenue streams, one of the reasons that Vince McMahon took the lead in the late-80s is because he knew the importance of merchandising the brand. The WWF had action figures, t-shirts, cartoons, lunch boxes, and almost anything else that the logo could be stamped on at the time. The Crockett group had a fraction of that as far as available merchandise, and the majority of it was only sold at the live events. As far as how technology changed the scope of content distribution, the point is that with the concept of closed circuit, an early version of pay-per-view where fans to go to a local arena to watch a live broadcast on the big screen, it was a way to monetize that collective national audience a few times a year for signature events. As the years went on, the ability to order pay-per-view into your home paved the way for more pay-per-views since customers didn't have to leave the house to watch the PPVs. Ultimately, the ability to watch at home and then order a pay-per-view with your remote rather than waiting on hold with the cable company to order over the phone, cleared the path for the monthly pay-per-view that became the standard by the late-90s.

As we know, there was more of a premium placed on the television programs as well, particularly during the Monday night war because as WWF and WCW traded ratings victories on any given week, each company put the best product they could onto the show in an effort to secure more of the audience. The competition produced some of the most memorable television in the history of the business, even if the hotshot approach burned the candle at both ends in terms of what was left for the industry in the years that followed.

The point is, by the late-90s there was a premium placed on the television product. Sure, the house shows were still a revenue stream because of how popular the genre was, but the focus had clearly shifted toward the platform with the most possible viewers, which was weekly television at the time. The ability to convert those weekly viewers into pay-per-view orders was where the major money was for each company during that specific era.

After the smoke had cleared from the Attitude era, it was eventually the new technology that again pushed the sport even further into the content business. When streaming technology, which could allow the WWE to distribute their own pay-per-views so that they didn't have to split the cash with cable companies, improved to the point that it was stable enough for mass consumption, the WWE Network was launched with a bulk-pricing model, similar to what Netflix did with movies some television series. Granted, it unintentionally lowered the perceived value over the years of those shows, but the point is, the WWE's biggest moneymaker became its ability to produce regular content with a steady audience.

While it was the evolution of the media business, not the popularity of the WWE brand, that secured the corporation such massive media rights fees during more recent years, the biggest takeaway was that the ability to produce countless hours of content was the way to make the most money possible in the modern era. Peacock paid $1 billion for the rights to the WWE Network for five years, Fox paid over $1 billion for the Smackdown deal, and USA paid around the same amount to retain Raw in 2019. Networks were willing to pay top dollar for live programming that was considered DVR proof in an effort to maintain ad rates for commercials on the channels, and at the same time, streaming platforms threw a lot of money around for content to be able to secure their piece of the pie of the emerging streaming market. Within the past five years or so, we've seen how the oversaturation of the streaming market has seen the consolidation of some entities, which is still happening today in terms of how many streaming properties the market will support, but the point is, the WWE has a consistent audience so the organization was able to cash-in on the climate of the media business.

As we know, the paradigm has flipped in many ways, as the flagship show that was on free television for more than 30 years, went behind the paywall of the previously mentioned Netflix for the staggering 10-year deal worth $5 billion. The pay-per-views that were $4.99 a month or even free on Peacock were back to a more traditional price of $30 for an ESPN+ subscription. However, the fact that content is king was cemented when the media rights contracts brought the company record-setting profits.

In some ways, it only makes sense that if your going to pay to rent the building, fly in the roster, and pay the production crew that the shows to broadcast to the biggest audience possible to generate the most money possible. Keep in mind, the Netflix contract mentioned prior truly globalized the product, allowing the publicly-traded corporation to monetize the international market more than ever before.

The "opportunity costs' of that so to speak is two fold. House shows basically became an antiquated concept because, with the exception of Madison Square Garden or a short holiday tour, the live gate as the primary revenue stream for an event simply wasn't worth it when there was exponentially more money to be made from broadcasted events. Smackdown is on USA, and Saturday Night's Main Event is usually on NBC so even without the paywall premium, the ad revenue from commercials make the televised shows more profitable. As I said, the evolution of the media landscape is one of the main reasons so much cash in on the table for content so the WWE made the wise decision to capitalize on it.

Aside from the staple of a previous generation being partially phased out when house shows became more rare, the other part of those "opportunity costs" was the intrinsic value that those live events have for developing talent. It can't be understated how important it is for the performers to be able to work in front of a paying audience since it's something that just can't be duplicated at the Performance Center. I could be wrong, but I'd go as far as to say that one of the reasons that the younger crop of talent today usually doesn't seem on the same level of some of the top talent and thus be in the position to elevate themselves to the position as the next money-drawing star, is the lack of valuable experience at non-televised shows. 

It's more than just getting the quality reps to hone the craft, but also the ability to make mistakes on the smaller stage and learn from them to be able to present a more polished act on the global stage. Granted, smart phones are everywhere and will eventually cause the downfall of society, but that's a different discussion for a different time. It's less about the botch being caught on camera, and more about the ability for the younger talent with true potential to be able to work those main event type matches in front of an audience before they are on the global stage of a pay-per-view.

The problem is, if you want to draw a crowd for those young performers to work in front of, you must have the established stars on the card. We all know that pro wrestling is a risky sport and each time a star is in the ring, the potential for injury is there. I'm not sure exactly what the answer is or will be for the WWE, but there's a valid argument to be made that it's too risky for a performer to get hurt in front of a few thousand fans at a house show that could derail the plans for a pay-per-view with millions of dollars on the line. 

A prime example of this was just a few days ago when Liv Morgan was almost injured ahead of her Queen of The Ring match against Iyo Sky this weekend at the Night of Champions PPV. Sol Ruca accidentally landed on Morgan's leg and the spot looked brutal. Thankfully, Liv Morgan looked to be fine on Raw this week before the crew travels to Saudi Arabia for the pay-per-view. As we know, the Saudi events are among the most profitable on the WWE calendar. There was also the clip online that looked like Jacob Fatu was almost hurt before his main event match against Roman Reigns at Clash in Italy last month.

My two cents on the matter would be somewhat of a measured approach for the risk/reward ratio. As I said, it's understandable that house shows are secondary today because the money is based on the production of content. At the same time, I don't think it's possible for the next generation to truly become legitimate money-drawing stars without more experience than just the weekly television tapings. Maybe putting one or two top matches on the line-up with either Cody Rhodes or CM Punk as the headliner during the international tours for a few house shows can give the younger talent on the roster more experience with a limited amount of risk involved for anyone on the card.

The career of Zakeia Mercer

The spectacle of professional wrestling blurs the line between reality and the over-the-top drama of combat. The squared circle saw madmen unleashed, dead men come to life, athletes soar through the air without wings, girl power on full display, heroes triumph, villains enrage the audience, and the entire spectrum of emotion invoked during the course of a night's card.

For those that participate in the pageantry and mayhem, both nationally and on the independent circuit, the genre that originated on the carnival circuit brings together drastically different individuals through their shared bond of the ring. Giants, minis, cavemen, technicians, the flamboyant, and the brooding all come together in an effort to give the paying audience their money's worth.

Considering that common goal and the friendships formed through it, maybe all those different individuals aren't that different after all.

Just like those that put their hard-earned money down for admission into the variety show that often is professional wrestling, the sport can also inspire those involved in the industry. In some cases, it allows grapplers to find themselves through the journey in the unique industry of sports entertainment.

In 2018, a youngster that was barely out of high school found themselves inside another school building, but this venue saw the final bell on education sound years earlier. Instead of hitting the books, the fresh-faced student found themselves hitting the canvas, as they quite literally learned the ropes to become a pro wrestler in a building that was a former elementary school that was transformed into a wrestling venue. Sure, the structure probably should've been condemned, as the roof leaked, the walls were caked with dust, and the restrooms were in unspeakable condition, but the introduction to the canvas was all they needed to throw themselves into this new adventure of sports entertainment. A background in amateur wrestling and martial arts provided a foundation of athletics that could be applied within this new pursuit of sports, but it eventually opened the door to a much bigger platform of self discover.

"The evolution is literally my confidence. It's how I dress, the music I select, the moves I do, and all the things of just being comfortable . It's been It's been fun, but at the same time it's the confidence boosting for me. You know when I started, I was in high school school so like not much life experience compared to like a 25-year-old. The the major evolution from the confidence I have is when I walk out and I'm able to carry that confidence to my matches and throughout the way I do promos. Gaining confidence also required getting over the stumble of having a lisp and learn how to project my voice," Mercer said.

Professionally, Mercer, as a fresh-faced newbie to the business, excelled throughout those early years as a scrappy underdog that the crowd could rally behind. It worked well within the traditional narrative of sports entertainment, as Mercer fought from underneath with stacked odds to overcome against bigger opponents in the ring. The in-ring persona of "No Mercy" established a solid reputation as an athlete that could go inside the ring ropes, becoming a staple around the western Pennsylvania scene, as well into West Virginia for a myriad of promotions there. The amateur wrestling background transitioned very well into the pro ranks, and Mercer was a natural when it come to the maneuvers, timing, and footwork associated with the fundamentals that build a capable pro wrestler. As Mercer's confidence grew as a performer inside the ring, it reflected onto the real-life person outside of the industry.

"The background of anxiety and mental illness I have. You know, with the  complex stress disorder. I'm also a victim of childhood neglect and abuse. All that happening when I was growing up, and I was a very shy kid. I wasn't loud or boisterous. As I got better at this, as I found my comfort in wrestling, I will say that comfort in wrestling translated to comfort and confidence within my own life," Mercer explained.

Just as Mercer began to cut their teeth in the grappling arts, the COVID-19 pandemic that shuttered the entire world had a major impact on every level of the professional wrestling genre, both nationally and locally. Events were canceled, venues were lost, and an eerie amount of uncertainty hung over the entire sport. With such unprecedented times throughout 2020, nobody knew what was next or what would be left of the independent circuit, as there weren't national networks or sponsorships to provide a safety net the way they had for corporate wrestling.

As the world stood still outside, Mercer used the quiet moments of the pandemic to reflect on their next steps, not just in the ring, but also in life.

"At the end of 2020, I came out to friends, family, and residents of the wrestling community as non-binary. I didn't feel connected to the idea being a man. I don't think like a man, I don't operate as a man. People in my life had pointed out as well," Mercer explained.

Since the world emerged from the pandemic, Mercer continued their in-ring adventures by becoming a stable of 880 Wrestling, a league built on inclusivity and acceptance, with different locations around the Pittsburgh area. Currently located at The Warehouse in the Allentown neighborhood, 880 is well known within the city and outside of if for its safe space for LGBTQ+ talent. This welcoming atmosphere allowed Mercer to make their transition over the course of the past year or so, while still honing the craft as pro wrestling.

"I didn't start my transition until February 2025. That was my first month of taking Hormone Replacement Therapy. The transition itself, for me personally, has been great. I'm feeling more myself every day and every month. You know, I don't think I'm this hyper feminine woman, but I am just a woman with my decision to do i for me to be comfortable. I want to be myself, fully without remorse and I didn't want to start transitioning into a woman 25 years after I came out non-binary," commented Mercer.

Within just the past few months, Zakeia Mercer was introduced to the Pittsburgh wrestling world as a transgender woman that can still go in the ring as solid as she did previously. As mentioned, the accepting environment of 880 Wrestling, which hosts live cards every Thursday on the indywrestling.us platform, provided a fitting backdrop for her new chapter, not just in the ring, but also in life. 

"I transitioned in front of everybody for a whole year. I went from taking hormones and wrestling without shirt to slowly growing a chest in front of people to cover my chest. I upgraded my gear and changed my gear because my body changed. I had to do those things because I wanted to transition so publicly, and yeah, it does help," she explained.

 Zakeia Mercer provides an example of how someone that lives within their most comfortable identity can excel within their personal and professional goals. Zakeia has received an immense amount of support from her peers within the sports entertainment scene, highlighting how important support groups are for traditionally marginalized communities. Still, that support doesn't distract from the performance once the red light comes on for showtime and she walks through the curtain at The Warehouse in Allentown. Dubbed the "queer-coded villain" the encouragement within her real life fades away in exchange for the jeers of the audience as the vicious heel in the squared circle looks to antagonize the crowd. Hard-hitting and technical action always highlights a Mercer match-up.

Still, despite the professional platform that she has, the transition to a woman is a much more personal journey for Zakeia

"I don't have a goal per se of my transition. I am not doing this for cosmetic reasons. Yes, I'm going to work at presenting more feminine, wear more makeup, wear wigs, and all that stuff. I'm going to figure it out. There's no goal, it's just finding myself and becoming comfortable," she concluded.

What's next for TNA?

There seems to be the wave of change coming toward Total Nonstop Action, but what's the next step for the Anthem-owned organization?

Last week, I penned an article about the exit of former TNA world champion, Steve Maclin, and at the time, it seemed more about Maclin in particular hitting a perceived ceiling in the promotion, but given the slew of departures this week, could there be a bigger story about to unfold?

I have to be honest, I was very surprised when I saw that news that ECW legend, Tommy Dreamer, who worked on the creative team since early-2019, announced on the Busted Open radio show that he had mutually agreed to part ways with TNA. Fightful Select reported that Dreamer was released from the writing team rather than a mutually departure, but the result is the same so the phrasing of how they got there is moot. Sami Callihan, who worked as a producer for the company since he retired from in-ring competition last year, posted on Twitter that he was also released from the organization. I'm not sure where Callihan lands, outside of continuing to run his own independent group, Wrestling Revolver. I'd expect Dreamer to offered a job with AEW sooner rather than later, if for no other reason than Tony Khan was a really big ECW fan, which isn't to say that Dreamer doesn't bring something to the table in a backstage role.

There are conflicting reports about the reasoning for the departures, as well as what's next for the creative direction of the Impact show that airs on AMC every Thursday.

Among the speculation, there are reports that former Ring Of Honor wrestler and booker, Delirious, who has worked on the TNA writing team in recent years, could be bumped up to the spot previously held by Dreamer. It that's the case, there might be very little to the story, as it would be a shuffle of the deck rather than a completely new game of cards being dealt. However, there is a noticeable amount of chatter online since the Dreamer news that former WWE head writer, Road Dogg could be the one in line to become the head of creative for TNA. If the real-life BG James would flourish in the TNA environment would be pure speculation since he has only written for a WWE product, but the bigger question might be, is it actually a realistic possibility or just internet gossip?

Unless there is something drastic ahead for the direction of TNA, and there might be, I don't see Road Dogg taking a job that would involve a working agreement with WWE, considering that he just quit a similar role working directly for the WWE. I could be wrong, but my best guess is, at least based on where things are right now, I can't see BG James jumping back into another stressful role in any company just a few months after he quit the WWE on his own. Again, that's not to say that the member of the Armstrong wrestling family wouldn't be able to contribute to TNA, but rather taking the entire scope of the situation into account.

Myla Grace, Dani Luna, and Tessa Blanchard also left the company. Myla Grace and Dani Luna are more or less under the radar among the pro wrestling landscape so their exit doesn't translate to much in the grand scheme of things. Obviously, since they weren't getting major opportunities in TNA, it was probably better for them to get their respective releases and look to make a name for themselves elsewhere.

 Aside from being the most well known of the three women wrestlers that were released, Blanchard's status, including where she works outside of TNA, might provide some insight into the bigger picture. As a disclaimer, Tessa was the rudest person that I've ever had to deal with during my time as a commentator in the Pittsburgh area during the past 18 years so I'm not a fan of hers and doubt I will have anything positive to say about her outside of the ring. However, there's absolutely no doubt that she's a tremendous performer and has the skills to be on the major platforms,while her attitude prevented her getting there. Tessa is a top quality talent and really lived up to the family name as a protege, as she's only 30 years old now, but has been polished enough for the big time for several years.

In the past, Tessa was accused of making racist remarks toward an African American talent during a tour of Japan, as well as other disrespectful behavior. Blanchard apologized for her actions, and it's very possible that she has learned from those mistakes. Most people aren't the same person that they were a decade ago, or at least they should attempt some personal growth to get a better overall view of life. It's possible that Tessa isn't the same person today as she was in 2017, and if she is, she might've wasted a decade of her life. Still, her reputation for being difficult to work with, including when she refused to drop the TNA world title and instead sent it back in the mail, has followed her. While it's possible that she evolved over time, the other side of the coin is that the dye might be cast in terms of the type of person that she is. She wouldn't be the first and won't be the last extremely talented person to waste their potential in the pro wrestling business.

Before she returned to TNA roughly a year and a half ago, the third generation star began working with CMLL in Mexico. The dynamics of lucha libre have changed a lot since the WWE acquisition of AAA, and look to be on the cusp of becoming a place where performers can make their career, both for the opportunities that will be provided with the WWE association, and outside of that realm as CMLL will look to ensure its market share in Mexico. But, when Tessa originally went there, it was the reason that most foreign stars ended up there because the money wasn't great compared to other pro wrestling destinations, most went to Mexico if they burned bridges everywhere else. For example, Mexico was one of the last places that would book Teddy Hart because was too erratic to get work anywhere else.

According to reports,  Blanchard requested her release from TNA because she wanted to keep her gig with CMML, which was rumored to be frowned upon since the WWE owns the rival promotion in Mexico and has a working agreement with TNA. As indirect of an impact as Tessa working for CMLL would have in the big picture, the fact that it might've been a point of contention with WWE with the working agreement might  shed some light on the entire story.

The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that when the WWE/TNA working agreement was put into place, there's an option for the WWE to buy TNA if they choose to do so at some point in the future. In the midst of the slew of cuts, TNA actually sent out a press release and called the exits, "workforce reduction to streamline operations," which could be PR jargon for getting rid of duplicate staff that would already be in place if the WWE buys the company. A similar process took place when the WWE merged with the UFC, and many of the office staff were released since the corporation would only need one set of office personnel.

I could understand why TKO might purchase TNA to further expand its footprint and essentially cater to a demographic that doesn't lean toward the WWE product, but at the same time, working with TNA as an independently-owned group is a way to shield WWE from anti-trust violations. Remember, Major League Wrestling won a $20 million lawsuit against the company a few years ago.

Where TNA goes from here is really anyone's guess and the next few months could determine its future.

All things considered, there's no way Total Nonstop Action should've survived this long, but it started a new national television deal this year. That being said, the Impact show hasn't really set the world on fire either, it just sort of exist as a smaller option within the landscape of the industry and doesn't have enough stream to really change the direction of anything within the business. From the macro perspective, you have to wonder, is there truly room for a third national pro wrestling group? Sure, there needs to be an alternative to WWE, but outside of that, there are more options for consumers now than any other time in history through the advancement of technology. It's a realistic possibility that a third organization isn't going to garner enough of an audience to  justify its place on cable television. This isn't the late-90s when television was more or less the only distribution for content, and the internet wasn't a household item yet so there were theoretically enough viewers to justify the existence of WWF, WCW, and ECW at the same time. Now, every network, streaming platform, and podcast look to get a piece of the pie. That inherently leaves less of the market share for any pro wrestling commodity.

Given that TNA has survived against all odds over the years, I can't say they are going to fold or this is time for anyone to push the panic button for the promotion. But, if Anthem gets an offer, regardless of if that's from the WWE or another group, I wouldn't be surprised if they took it, especially because the show might've hit a ceiling as far as the audience it's going to garner on AMC. It will definitely be interesting to see how the situation unfolds, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's new ownership by the end of the year. 

What's next for Vince McMahon?

 Is Vince McMahon off the hook, or was he completely exiled?

The past few years of the WWE, business wise and on-screen, have been unpredictable to say the least. The explosive Wall Street Journal story in 2022 that started the snowball that grew into an avalanche altered the course of professional wrestling history. To rehash the details of how Vince McMahon was accused of misconduct that he paid millions of dollars to cover up would be too lengthy, especially when you take into account how he strong-armed his way back onto the WWE Board of Directors to facilitate the sale of the company to Endeavor with the promise that he would be kept in power after with the merger with the UFC was completed.

As we know, Janel Grant, a former girlfriend of McMahon that worked for the company for a brief stint during her relationship with him, filed a lawsuit in January of 2024 that was so shocking that McMahon was finally exiled from the organization in disgrace.

Given the circumstances of Vince's initial "retirement" after the Wall Street Journal report and his insistence to get back on the board to sell to a buyer that had already agreed to keep him in control of the sports entertainment venture, there's no doubt that Janel's lawsuit and the WWE shareholder lawsuit, which was based on the previous agreement that Vince made with Endeavor instead of theoretically looking for the best buyer for the stockholders, were linked to some degree.

That's also why they both could be settled within a week.

As we know, the stockholder lawsuit was based on the fact that if Vince had a prearranged agreement with  Ari Emanuel to sell the WWE to Endeavor in exchange for being put back at the top of WWE, it served McMahon's personal interest, not the investors. The regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission are put in place to protect investors in situations where they could be deceived or mislead by the commodity that they bought stock for. As the case unfolded, the outlook for the TKO side looked rather grim. Sure, the stockholders made significant money with a return on their investment because of the success of the TKO corporation since the merger, but that has nothing to do with the case itself. The big problem for TKO was that after they were told to maintain evidence such as electronic communications after the lawsuit was initially filed, executives, including Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon, used an app that was set to automatically delete their conversations with Vince.

Basically, there was enough of a paper trail, including text messages sent by Endeavor executives when Vince "retired" in mid-2022 to prove that McMahon had an arrangement with Emanuel. When it was revealed that WWE officials deleted conversations, that was more or less confirmation that they weren't going to win at trial. This lawsuit was more or less always about reaching a number for a settlement, which is something that the company had to do in similar situations before including when they had to pay $39 million after it was discovered that they mislead shareholders about a lucrative television deal in Saudi Arabia, but the question was, how much cash was it going to take to settle a much bigger lawsuit five years later? If the argument was solid, but still left some room for interpenetration, TKO management would've paid a much smaller number compared to how they were caught with their hand in the cookie jar here. The plaintiffs were seeking a few hundred million dollars when the suit was filed, but as of this writing, an official number hasn't been reported. If I had to guess, I wouldn't be too surprised if the settlement landed somewhere around $100 million, which is still a massive number, but small potatoes in the grand scheme of things when you consider the the corporation is worth somewhere around $38 billion, depending on the stock price.

Just a few days after the stock lawsuit was settled out of court last week so that it didn't go to trail, the lawyers for Janel Grant and the WWE filed a request for the case to be moved to arbitration, a legal maneuver that will keep the details private. For the majority of the lawsuit, Grant's attorney looked to keep the case public, and during that time, several graphic text messages were submitted as evidence to support her accusations against the company. With the company settling out of court with the investors to kept it from going to trial, the WWE legal team knows that a settlement with Grant sooner rather than later is probably the best legal move to keep anything else from going public.

In truth, after the Department of Justice dropped the criminal investment into McMahon after his longtime friend, Donald Trump took office for a second term, the resolution of the Grant lawsuit was going to boil down to a number that she would accept for a settlement. The question was, would she end up with the $3 million from the original nondisclosure agreement that she signed, or could she land more cash since the details went public?

Since Vince stopped payment to Grant after the Wall Street Journal story was published, it's doubtful that she will accept the original number. It's a sleazy reality of situations like this, but if it takes $20 million to make the entire story go away, it's a rather small price to pay for McMahon. A major payoff and presumably financial security for the rest of her life, assuming she doesn't squander the cash, is probably the best case scenario for Grant. Remember, McMahon donated $6 million to Trump's first campaign, and Linda worked on the board of a Super Pac to raise money for his second term so ethical or not, Vince isn't going to have to defend himself from criminal charges. It's only about the number that Janel Grant will accept to settle the lawsuit, and with both sides requesting to move to arbitration, the next step is to determine a number to keep it private.

But, where does this leave Vince?

As delusional as it might sound, there are those that somehow believe that the WWE would propel in popularity again if Vince was put back in charge. Let's not forget, the drek that Vince booked for the majority of the latter portion of his tenure was so bland that there was enough dissatisfaction that it created the demand for an alternative that when All Elite Wrestling launched in 2019, there was a noticeably part of the pro wrestling demographic that was willing to at least sample the product. No, Vince back as the boss wouldn't benefit WWE programming, and there's a legitimate argument to be made that it wouldn't be a safe environment for female talent.

At 80, there's no doubt that Vince would takeover again if given the opportunity, he doesn't plan to do the job for anyone, even the grim reaper so he'd plan to be in the chair for Wrestlemania 62 in a few decades. That being said, it's a long shot that Ari Emanuel would risk any potential backlash from investors to put Vince back in power, not because of any moral standard, but rather because one of the reasons the house of cards originally fell for McMahon was that it was revealed that he used company money to pay for the nondisclosure agreements to cover up his affairs. Taking into account the Saudi lawsuit five years ago and the shareholder lawsuit that the corporation just settled last week, it wouldn't be wise for the stability of the stock price to give McMahon any executive power.

So, a position as the head of WWE is probably off the table, but what about a return to television?

Sure, it might be impossible, but it would've been thought to be impossible that one day Vince would be on the outside to begin with if someone suggested that possibility just a few years ago. With the legal matters officially closed, it puts more of a distance between Vince and the accusations, as well as the negative publicity. We've already seen that he was mentioned occasionally by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon since he was exiled in disgrace. Does this mean that McMahon will be back as a part of a storyline? No, not necessarily, but the way is more or less cleared for Vince to be recognized within company history again. As sleazy as it might be, given the evidence to support the accusations against him, a Hall of Fame induction to celebrate his career would be considered a monumental WWE moment. Of course, the fans would gleefully bow and praise him, which is one of the many reasons that pro wrestling will always be considered low brow entertainment, regardless of how much main stream distribution it gets. Aside from the payoffs between the two cases, that might be the biggest takeaway from the collective stories, this could ultimately be the first step toward fully restoring Vince McMahon's existence within WWE history, even if it's debatable if he should be celebrated by the company. 

ECW on Sci-Fi

This past weekend marked twenty years since the ill-fated relaunch of Extreme Championship Wrestling under the WWE banner with the ECW on Sci-Fi show. As we know, ECW folded under the pressure of the competition of the industry by early-2001. It's final "official" event was the Guilty As Charged pay-per-view at the Hammerstein Ballroom, drawing a solid house of an estimated 2,500 fans. A pair of bought house shows, when a sponsor brings in the brand for a set price. were held in Pine Bluff Arkansas of all places two weeks later, but for all intents and purposes, the January 7th pay-per-view in New York was the last national mark that the renegade organization made before HHG Corp, the parent company of ECW, filed for bankruptcy in April of 2001.

The numerous reasons for why ECW collapsed are well-documented so there's no need to rehash it, but one thing is for sure, the group went out of business because of bad financial deals that Paul Heyman made as he tried to keep pace with the multi-million dollar corporations of WWF and WCW at the time, not a lack of fan support. Heyman gets a lot of rightful grief sometimes for how he handed his time as the boss of the promotion, but at the same time, in retrospect, it's much easier to be able to see the full scope of what became a net negative for ECW, and potentially what would've been a better deal with the benefit of hindsight, as opposed to trying to navigate those landmines in real time. The WWF was about to take Taz and The Dudley Boys, Shane Douglas left for WCW a few months prior, and The Sandman had yet to return when Heyman inked the disastrous TNN deal that ultimately became the biggest reason that ECW shut down.

It goes without saying that part of the reason that a national platform is so important for a pro wrestling commodity is that it allows the company to maximize the amount of revenue streams and thus generate as much revenue from them as possible. The regional format was that television was used to sell tickets to the live events. By the late-90s, especially during the pro wrestling boom period when a WWF or WCW logo would be stamped on almost anything (did the investment into those WWF Beanie Babies payoff yet?), sponsors, advertisers, merchandise, and pay-per-view were the key difference makers compared to the previous era when the live gate was the biggest piece of the pie. When ECW got no revenue from commercials or sponsorships on the TNN show, the biggest upside, if there truly was one, for them from the television contract was that it theoretically expanded their touring possibilities and potential pay-per-view audience. The problem was, there was also an increase in production costs across the board for their schedule, as well as for the television show itself.

Bubba Dudley once described ECW has the napster of the pro wrestling industry, and he was right, as it changed the business, but it was never meant to last. ECW burned the candle at both ends, and in a few ways, succeeded to the level that it did in spite of itself, particularly because some of the moves it made to stay true to the original vision were the same reasons that it imploded within a relatively short period of time. TNA, Ring of Honor, and All Elite Wrestling have all lasted longer than ECW, despite not having nearly the same amount of influence on the business.

More than a quarter of a century after that final pay-per-view, fans still remember the product and ECW merchandise is still sold on the WWE Shop website.

With the south Philadelphia promotion ending so under the radar, which was the opposite of how it existed, there definitely seemed to be a lack of closure for the industry and the fan base. A slew of alphabet soup leagues tried to take its place in the years that followed, but most were mere cheap imitations that tried to be an alternative in an industry that had completely consolidated to the WWE as the sole national company after the Attitude era. As we know, WWE bought the assets, including the tape library out of bankruptcy court in 2003 after an extended legal process because of all the creditors that ECW had before it officially closed. The founder of the company, Tod Gordon had a claim in court about the early video footage, but it was dismissed. The WWE eventually secured the music rights to the ECW theme song, which wasn't owned by the original promotion either.

The late-2004 release of The Rise and Fall of ECW DVD and it's major success proved that there was a market for the brand. Roughly six months later, Shane Douglas held the Hardcore Homecoming reunion show at the ECW Arena, which sold out in minutes with over a 1,000 fans in attendance. The same weekend, the WWE put One Night Stand on pay-per-view, which was a legendary show of the modern era.

Given the success, the following year's One Night Stand served as a launching pad for the previously mentioned ECW on Sci-Fi show. While the network was an odd choice, it was under the USA network umbrella so from a corporate prospective, it made sense for the suits to get another wrestling property on one of their channels.

As we know, the segment that is most remembered on that June 13, 2006 broadcast was also the segment where everyone watching knew that the extreme experiment was doomed.

The opening of the show, the first segment of "official" ECW after five years of anticipation was the infamous ECW zombie. It was tacky, it was hokey, and it was lame. It was when the audience, those that had organically rallied for this revival to happen, knew that they were going to witness a Vince McMahon hatchet job on the extreme legacy.

It goes without saying that it wasn't possible to recreate the late-90s in 2006, as the business and society had moved on. However, that doesn't mean that the ECW brand itself couldn't have been successful with an updated presentation. Of course, successful is a subjective term, but I think it's fair to say that the project could've been more successful than the drek that was booked for it. There were a myriad of reasons why it wasn't going to work, including the fact that it was aired live each week after the crowd in the building already saw a Smackdown taping on Tuesdays so you weren't going to get an enthusiastic reaction. The Sandman caning the zombie wasn't enough to save the segment, the message was sent what the prospects of this show were. Aside from the opening silliness, there seemed to be a specific effort to bury as many of the ECW originals as fast as possible with a cast of development talent that the audience wasn't familiar with.

Basically, this was nothing like the original ECW with the exception of the way Rob Van Dam and Sabu were used for a short period of time, and the fans knew that they were watching a third-tier brand that just happened to be called ECW. The show last just over three and a half years before the office pulled the plug to replace it with an actual developmental show for the original version of NXT. I have to be honest, one of the reasons that the majority of the 2010s of the WWE product was so bland was how much the ECW experiment soured the audience. It was almost a reflection of the notion that the WWE could book whatever they wanted and if fans were going to watch pro wrestling in the United States, they were going to watch WWE since the promotion more or less had a monopoly at the time.

The details of the three and a half years of the existence of the WWE's ECW are sparse, bland, and uninspiring. There was nothing compelling or insightful about any of it and within a year or so, the shift was completely away from anything remotely related to ECW so it was doomed to fail.

Even two decades later, you have to wonder, why did Vince McMahon bring back those three letters? Did he really expect the same audience that bought the Rise and Fall DVD, and ordered the One Night Stand pay-per-view to accept Matt Striker in exchange for the Sabu? Was Kevin Thorne supposed to replace The Sandman? Mike Knox was going to surpass Tommy Dreamer? To be fair to the new breed faction, those guys were put in an impossible position as well, just on the other end of the spectrum. The office did no favors for their careers by putting them in those roles.

Given how cynical pro wrestling is, of course the question must be asked, did Vince really bring back ECW just to finally quiet its legacy? In the early-2000s, Triple H monopolized his position at the top of the card for several years in a row. If that was because he was in the McMahon family tree is debatable, depending on who you asked, but the point is, by 2005, there was more of a demand for ECW, partially because it had been gone for five years, than Raw or Smackdown. Would Vince really go through the effort and waste three and a half years of television time to finally squash the ECW chants? Keep in mind, this is the same guy that had to book Triple H to pin Sting 15 years after he won the Monday Night war and purchased WCW.

Thankfully, within the past two decades since the infamous zombie popped up on the screen of that first episode on Sci-Fi, enough time has passed that the stain of WWE's attempt faded from the legacy of the original ECW. Today, the original promotion is celebrated and merchandised through convention appearances, merchandise, video game cameos, and even new Mattel action figures. For a company that was never designed to last, it's quite remarkable that ECW is still a marketable commodity more than 25 years later.

What's the status of WWE?

Is professional wrestling lukewarm or did the temperature of the industry drop below 32 degrees in the middle of June?

One of the common talking points online right now is the notion that WWE is "soulless" under the TKO banner that churns out endless commercials and shameless sponsorships to the point that even the most diehard WWE fan has taken notice. The ironic part of that is, most of these corporate troupes have been apart of WWE programming for the past few years, and it seems like some viewers have only taken the time to truly put it into context more recently. Granted, the entire point of the promotional side of the business is to make as much of the product seem "must see" and as big as possible, but the WWE leaned into the sizzle to the point that it more than overwhelmed the level of substance that couldn't live up to the hype. 

The original Bloodline narrative was very well done, and against the odds, management was able to keep the Cody Rhodes chase for the championship relevant. It should be noted that his 2023 bout with Brock Lesnar at Summer Slam was pivotal to keep him strong as a baby face contender. Rhodes winning the title in honor of his late father, Dusty was fantastic storytelling and obviously, one of the most memorable moments of the modern era. That being said, the victory was the peak moment of this time period and everything within the past two years has been a natural decline. That's not a knock on anyone, just the fact that every peak has a valley, and the best case scenario is to minimize the depth of the valley to maintain good business during those overall decreases as the next crop of money-drawing stars are produced.

There's no doubt that Cody is a successful champion, and generally speaking, the WWE has a very successful business model right now with a significant amount of star power on the roster. If TKO is maximizing the short-term money in exchange for eroding the fan base in the future is a completely different discussion. However, it's tough to argue with the Nick Khan and TKO philosophy when the WWE can tout record-setting profits for shareholders during conference calls.

That being said, and this might be the biggest point to be made of the current criticism of TKO, did the corporation overplay its hand to the point that it diminished the enthusiasm that was around the brand not that long ago?

While I will say that the Samoan saga of the Bloodline was brilliantly done, the notion from some pundits a few years ago that it should've been considered for an Emmy was completely silly. This is pro wrestling, not Casablanca. Along those lines, it was almost as though the WWE's selling point became more about some faux "fine art of pro wrestling" than a compelling product that often didn't justify the astronomical ticket prices. The biggest WWE selling point became that the fans should understand how wonderful this dramatic sports entertainment spectacle is rather than booking a product that could accomplish that goal organically based on the substance of the storylines.

Eventually, when the momentum of the Cody victory subsided, the audience was left with the previously mentioned slew of commercials that surpassed the amount of time given to the action on the broadcast. Calling the TKO product "soulless" is a way to get fans to click on the titles of Youtube videos, whereas the actual reasoning behind it is less dramatic than that. The WWE product is repetitive and stale, which was the same issue they had about a decade ago, albeit under different circumstances. The harsh reality is that the current narratives have more or less been told so it's time to evolve and bring the audience something fresh. Does that mean that the entire main event scene should be scrapped? No, Cody is cemented as a top guy and should be booked as such. Roman Reigns is also bulletproof, as is CM Punk, but that doesn't necessarily mean that any of them should continue to occupy the main event scene on a full-time basis going forward. The bigger point is that while those guys are still options for the main event picture, there should be a concerted effort from the office to productively push the next group of stars that are going to be responsible for representing the brand.

As I said, Cody was a successful champion and his two-year journey to the championship at Wrestlemania 40 was a successful coronation of the next top guy at the time, but the metrics of more or less every aspect of the industry is different because of the countless hours of WWE programming. On one hand, those media rights deals are why the WWE is worth billions of dollars, but on the other hand, the schedule burns through material at an exponentially faster pace than in the past. It was much easier to book Hulk Hogan as the champion for four years in the 80s when there was usually one hour of wrestling on TV each week. You inherently get less mileage out of everything in the business because there's a lot more that those characters and angles have to do to satisfy the line-up of WWE programming at any given time. The bottom line is, more exposure leads to a shorter overall run.

If I had to guess, I think that's why the WWE finds itself at the point it does right now, booking a repetitive angle on television simply because they don't have anything fresh on the horizon. The Roman Reigns/Jacob Fatu storyline is a carbon copy of the Roman/Jey Uso feud from five years ago. As I wrote previously, the way Cody was booked to lose his way into the spot at Wrestlemania actually devalued him as a character. He lost the title on a random episode of Smackdown, lost at the Rumble and then lost at the Elimination Chamber. After he was made to look like he wasn't up to par for the main event of WM, he won the belt back on another random episode of Smackdown. As we know, the Randy Orton match-up, as well as Pat McAfee's involvement fell dismally flat when the office hit the panic button about ticket sales. Why wasn't Cody vs. Drew deemed a strong enough main event for WM 42? The reason was, it was a match that the fans had seem a few times already because of the previously mentioned demands of the WWE schedule. With the repetitive angle of The Bloodline, and the argument to be made that Cody hasn't recovered as a baby face from the way he was booked earlier this year, it's fair to say that the current WWE product might not be frozen since it has star power, but it's undoubtedly cold in the grand scheme of things.

All Elite Wrestling had its most compelling storyline in recent memory with the MJF/Darby Allin title match at Double or Nothing. The problem is, and this is probably why it worked because it didn't run long enough for Tony Khan to complicate it, that compelling feud only lasted a month. There are reports that MJF suffered a minor knee injury during a match against Rush, but as long as he's healed up by the Wembley Stadium event to presumably drop the title to Will Ospreay, it doesn't really affect the big picture. Don't get me wrong, All Elite shouldn't necessarily be the subject of criticism, or at least no more than the usual justified amount, but in terms of the climate of the industry, All Elite doesn't really boost or plunge the temperate. That's not a jab, but rather an observation. It would be too lengthy to rehash many of the previous articles, but essentially, for the positive and the negative, All Elite Wrestling is already what it's going to be. The die is cast so to speak as far as Tony Khan books the matches that he wants to watch, not necessarily what's going to bring in more fans. He has the right to do that, his family funds the project and it's one of the perks of the job. Somehow, an increase in the amount of star ratings is more important than stagnant or decreased television ratings. If the promotion makes money or turns a profit is moot since money is no object to the Khan family. The point being, All Elite Wrestling has a format that caters to more of a niche audience so the vast majority of the programming isn't going to shift the direction of the industry.

New Japan was just sold to Cyber Fight for a reported $22.6 million so it remains to be seen if that will put them on a bigger platform or not, but there's no question that the Japanese league is in a rebuilding phase. All things considered, All Elite Wrestling remains lukewarm because with the amount of talent they have, even a hit or miss product can yield some gems, but overall they are at room temperature because as I said, AEW isn't going to truly impact the course of the business. I don't think the WWE is in an ice age, because again, with the amount of talent and star power that they have, the potential is there for a much bigger upside, but management needs to rejuvenate the current landscape with some fresh angles to boost the product.

Topuria vs. Gaethje

This weekend, Dana White and the UFC will perform for Donald Trump when the octagon is imported to the lawn of the White House for an event to celebrate the orange blob's 80th birthday. Coincidentally, this will be after Trump bought stock in TKO, the parent company of the WWE/UFC umbrella. It was also after Trump settled a $10 billion lawsuit with his own Department of Justice with an agreement that saw the lawsuit dropped in exchange for the IRS dropping any current or future audits of the Trump family. 

Just another day in America.

The White House card was actually the subject of a lawsuit of its own, but the attempted legal action, regardless of if it was furious or had merit is moot. The pay-per-view will take place as scheduled with a seven-fight card this Sunday. Of course, this grandstanding and symbolic bowing to the president is nothing more than ensuring favor from the administration going forward. It might be sleazy, it might be unethical, and there might be questions about how legal it is, but it's still a smart move. Dana White, the McMahon family, and Endeavor management will have a useful ace up their sleeve when needed, or literally a get out of jail free card. A mass pardon of rioters that tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power of an election is a very low bar so there's no doubt that Trump would bail out those that threw him a birthday party if they found themselves in legal jeopardy. It pays to have powerful connections and this UFC card cements that Trump will be more than willing to repay the favor in the future. Keep in mind, the merger of Paramount, the corporation that signed the UFC to a $7 billion rights deal for a seven-year contract, looked for government approval of a merger with Warner Brothers Discovery.

Amidst the pyro and ballyhoo for the orange villain's birthday, there is an actual fight card that could have some direct implications to some of the divisions in the company.

With Tom Aspinall still sidelined with the gruesome eye injury that he suffered in the first round of a fight against Ciryl Gane last October, and no timetable for his expected return to the UFC after multiple eye surgeries to repair the damage, Gane will stepped into the cage with Alex Pereira to determine an interim 265 LBS champion. While I hope Aspinall can make a full recovery to return to the sport, given the seriousness of the injury, I wouldn't be completely shocked if he's on the shelf long enough that he will have to vacate the title and the interim champion is eventually elevated to the position of the undisputed heavyweight titleholder. Pereira, who is a former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, vacated the belt to move up to the heavyweight division. Ciryl Gane is a solid contender with a pro record of 13-2-1 and he beat solid competition to rack up those victories. The problem is, at least for this bout against Pereira, Gane's two career losses against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones were the top-tier of the division at the time. Gane can be successful against most of the contenders in the heavyweight division, but he doesn't have a win against any of the top guys. I'd say that Pereira, with his razor-sharp striking skills, would be considered one of the top-tier fighters in the UFC, despite this being his debut at heavyweight.

I could be wrong, but I'd expect Pereira to be too quick and too dangerous for Gane over the course of a five-round fight. In some ways, given the height and reach similarities, Gane will probably have some of the same issues against  Pereira that he did against Jones at UFC 285 in March of 2023. At 38, Pereira is at the latter stage of his career, but still seems to be at a physical peak so I have to pick him to win the fight.

The show will be headlined by a UFC Light Weight championship unification bout when the undefeated, Ilia Topuria squares off with Justin Gaethje. This should be a fireworks show, which is what it was designed to be. Gaethje's reputation to deliver Rocky-style performance is probably more important than his pro record of 27-5 ahead of this contest. Ilia Topuria is more well-rounded, with a nearly equal amount of knockout wins compared to submission victories in his career, whereas the vast majority of Gaethje's wins are via KO. It goes without saying that since Topuria is undefeated that he should be favored to win this one, and that's why I will pick him to get the victory. Essentially,  Gaethje has a puncher's chance, but given how dangerous he is as a striker, it's a much more competitive puncher's chance than is usually associated with the term.

Outside of the co-main and main event fights, the other five bouts, at least on paper, could be hit or miss in terms of their quality of competition. For example, Micheal Chandler, as talented as he was as a wrestler in his prime, is on a three-fight skid and is 1-5 in his last six contests. The younger opponent Maurício Ruffy should be able to beat Chandler within two rounds. Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis might be a toss up because anything can happen in the heavyweight division. One thing is for sure, if Hokit tries to trade punches with Lewis the way that he did with Curtis Blaydes in his last fight, Lewis will win by KO early in the fight. Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus is a fight under the radar and will probably be moot in the grand scheme of things in the middleweight division. Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia is another fight that nobody seems to be talking about, but I think this featherweight contest will get viewers to take notice since the two competitors are known for action inside the octagon. Former Bantamweight champion, Sean O'Malley has a fan following, and given the level of competition or lack thereof that Aiemann Zahabi competed against prior to this, I'd say the expectation is that the younger O'Malley will be able to use his speed to get the win for this to be a showcase fight for him.

The fight card is a part of an entire weekend of festivities in honor of Emperor Palpatine's birthday, and while combat sports being put on the White House lawn so that Dana White can score brownie points with the president might be a silly concept, there are serious logistics that go into the event. The Associated Press reported that the UFC presentation will cost an estimated $60 million because of the amount of construction and security concerns involved. Various media outlets have reported that the UFC will lose around $30 million dollars on the production since they can't sell tickets to the event because it will be held at the White House, and the previously mentioned construction costs. Still, the $30 million dollar loss on the show itself will be minimal when being on good terms with Trump can yield exponentially more cash through merger approvals and potential sponsorships. When you take into account that Trump literally has a vested interest into the success of TKO since he bought stock, it could reveal that the White House card is about the eventual cash, not a fight card for the company.