Khabib vs. Gaethje

 After a second series of events at UFC "Fight Island" in Abu Dhabi, the finale event of the UFC 254 pay-per-view will be headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje for the undisputed Light Heavyweight championship. The unification bout comes together after Gaethje stepped in for Khabib, who was stuck in his native country of Russia because of the travel restrictions of the pandemic earlier this year, and beat Tony Ferguson in the fifth round via TKO this past May. Speaking of the fifth, it was also five times that the Khabib/Ferguson fight was scheduled, but didn't take place. Considering that Gaethje won to claim the interim belt, it's probably just not meant for the Khabib/Ferguson fight to happen.

Still, Gaethje has a chance to really solidify himself as a top name if he can be the first competitor to defeat the reigning Lightweight champion. On the surface, one might only give the interim titleholder a "puncher's chance" because 19 of his 22 career wins are via KO/TKO, with only one submission and one decision victory of his record. Furthermore, his four wins in the UFC were from strikes and he specifically made a name for himself as a dynamic KO artist.

However, Gaethje actually has an accomplished amateur wrestling background, competing in for the NCAA championships on a few occasions throughout his collegiate career. He simply hasn't used it much during his tenure in the UFC. One of the question marks ahead of this title bout is, will Gaethje try to graaple with his Russian opponent, who has made his respective career in the octagon through the ground and pound aspect of the sport, and if he does, how effective will Gaethje's grappling skills be against the elite level of Sambo skills of Nurmagomedov?

In truth, the 31-year-old Gaethje was under the radar in some ways because despite inking a UFC deal over three years ago and fighting regularly, he fought mostly on smaller cards with the exception being his last bout as the pay-per-view main event against the previously mentioned Ferguson at UFC 249. Even though he became known for the big KOs, something that will get the casual fan to notice, outside of the diehard audience that follow the sport more closely, most aren't talking about him as a potential undisputed champion of the 155 LBS division.

Underestimating Justin Gaethje at this point would be a mistake because the guy has KO power, and if his wrestling skills could at the very least be used to defense the take down attempts of Khabib, this could be a very evenly-matched contest.

Speaking of under the radar, up until recently, the same could be said for Khabib Nurmagomedov, the undefeated champion that has steamrolled through 28 opponents with nearly equal efficiency of KOs, submissions, and decisions during the course of his 12-year MMA career. He has fought for the UFC for eight years, appearing in the cage 11 times with sporadic absences because of injuries or cancellations. Some of that was beyond his control, but it should be noted that despite the dominate run, the main stream public wasn't really aware of Nurmagomedov until the infamous bus incident in 2018, when Conor McGregor showed up at the UFC 223 press conference and threw a moving dolly through the window of the bus that was going to transport the fighters back to the hotel. A few on the bus were injured from flying debris and were cancelled from that weekend's card. McGregor was arrested for the incident and the charges were later reduced because of his highly-paid legal team.

Six months later, UFC management capitalized on the publicity from the altercation and booked Khabib vs. Conor for UFC 229, a pay-per-view that generated an astounding 2.4 million buys, ranking it among one of the most successful events in combat sports history. Unfortunately, the show is known more for the outrageous post-fight brawl, which saw Khabib jump out of the octagon to get into a scuffle with McGregor's corner, than any of the mega business it did at the box office.

The silver lining was that outside of the dominate victory against the top star Conor McGregor, one way or another the name Khabib Nurmagomedov became a commodity for the UFC.

After a six-month suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission that had no impact on his schedule anyway, he returned to defend his title against Dustin Poirier last September, winning with a choke in the third round. As mentioned, the pandemic prevented his most recent bout from taking place as scheduled, but he is set to return to Abu Dhabi, where he has fought before, to defend the championship on Fight Island. As we've discussed, his skills speak for themselves, he is an accomplished striker, can use tremendous wrestling ability, and has the cardio to go five rounds so he's definitely a very well-rounded fight without any noticeable flaws in his skill set.

That being said, the physical aspect of the fight game might not be the determining factor at UFC 254. Tragically, his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, died of the corona virus in July. It's well-documented that Khabib is very close with his family, and if he allows the death of his father affect him inside the cage it could hinder his performance. I think it will either distract him from his game plan or provide motivation so it will probably have some role in the championship bout.

At 32, Nurmagomedov is still in the prime of his career, but has mentioned retirement in prior interviews. Plus, he has voiced his discontent with UFC management when he disagreed with their decisions on certain scheduled fights in the past. I'm just guessing, but it seems like Khabib views mixed martial arts as strictly a business, looking to make as much cash as possible with the least amount of damage to his body as possible, and there's nothing wrong with that. I doubt we will see him look for one final iconic moment in the cage the way that Chuck Liddell tried to recapture his prime for just one night against Tito Ortiz at the disastrous Golden Boy MMA pay-per-view a few years ago. Right now, Nurmagomedov is in the best spot possible to make as much money as possible and will probably cash-in on that to ensue himself and his family financial security then retire.

How many more fights the Russian champion signs for remains to be seen, but Yahoo Sports recently reported that he declined an Ultimate Fighter spot opposite Conor McGregor on the reality show to set up a rematch so it appears he has no desire for a lavish lifestyle. Considering the real-life animosity between the two, Khabib doesn't want to help McGregor score another big payday, especially when he can already compete for top money as the UFC Light Heavyweight champion. It will certainly be interesting to see how UFC brass negotiates with Nurmagomedov if he retains the 155 LBS title because when the allure of more money only goes so far, the company doesn't have the leverage in negotiations.

As for the UFC 254 main event, I have to pick Nurmagomedov to retain the championship, simply because he's still in the prime of his career and hasn't shown any weaknesses in his game. While Gaethje shouldn't be reduced to a puncher's chance, that's still the most logic option for a victory based on the skills that the Russian champion brings to the table. That being said, I wouldn't advise anyone to bet big money on Khabib either,simply because we won't know if or how his father's death will affect his performance until the bout starts on Fight Island. I'm not attempting to overlook Gaethje, but assuming Nurmagomedov gets the win, you have to wonder how much cash UFC management would offer him to sign for a McGregor rematch, and perhaps even more interesting, how would the company promote it after such a one-sided fight at UFC 229 in 2018.

The WWE draft

 "The more things change, the more they stay the same"

My research tells me that quote was from a French writer, but in true pro wrestling fashion, I remember the term from a Christopher Daniels promo in 2003 when his Prophecy faction was involved in a rivalry in the early years of Ring Of Honor.

However, French writer or The Fallen Angel, that quote describes night one of the WWE draft very well and more importantly, it highlights the basic reasons why the concept of a brand extension hasn't and won't work within the WWE landscape.

The overall ideology of a brand split is to present two different products among shows to give WWE programming more variety. Aside from the initial "Smackdown six" era in 2002-2003, Raw and Smackdown have generally been the same presentation with the exception being that Raw was usually given more star power until last year's mega TV deals evened the playing field, specifically because the monetary value for the blue brand in terms of TV rights fees was now in the ball park of the original flag ship show.

In truth, the "WWE style" is going to be a part of the fabric of all WWE content because it's obviously all under the same umbrella so the production and final stamp of approval go through the same process. Even with its best efforts to try to differentiate the shows, the product across the board is similar because that's how the system is designed. Plus, Raw and Smackdown, the two main stream brands of WWE TV still have the same overall goal, market to the casual fan and the general public so there's only so much variety that can truly take place as far as the form of wrestling within those parameters.

Granted, some will cite that NXT is a different show so it's theoretically possible to feature something outside of the usual WWE realm, but its also the lowest rated show on WWE TV, which isn't a knock, but rather to point out that when the goal is to sell to the causal fan, you can't focus on just the in-ring action.

For jaded fans on social media that might automatically assume that Smackdown could easily be a different show than Raw, what exactly is the plan? How does a show on broadcast TV, a network that has more clearance than cable, market to the general public without being similar to the show that was always geared toward the casual fans?

Despite the attempts to use it to create variety, I've always thought that the concept of exclusive shows is too "inside baseball" for the general audience. Keep in mind, there are diehard fans that follow everything weekly, but the majority of the WWE audience are casual fans that might skip a week or two, especially now with so many sports jammed onto the television schedule because of the delay caused by the pandemic. A generic six man tag that doesn't have much consequence to the overall status of the show isn't going to take priority over a Stanley Cup or NBA Finals game. Quite simply, when a casual view asks, "who's the champion?" They want to know who's the top guy, not hear an explanation about how there are two champions that each represent a specific brand.

The results for night one were nothing too memorable outside of one exception, but more on that later. The fact that Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, The Hurt Business, and a few others were drafted to the shows they were already a part of anyway created a rather flat environment for the draft. Along the same lines, Rey and Dominik were drafted to Smackdown, but so was Seth Rollins, which means the only thing accomplished was management took an angle that was drawing some numbers on Monday and shifted it to Fridays. The argument could be made the office wants to take some of that boost and move it to Smackdown, but how do they retain viewers for Raw? Furthermore, are they attempting to establish two different fan bases for each show? The sluggish ratings suggest that there's a core group of fans that watch every week regardless, while a portion of the casual fans hasn't been drawn to the product during the pandemic era.

With the key players more or less in the same spot, this all seems like an attempt to shuffle some pieces around to create the illusion of something new, but there wasn't a dynamic shift within either show based on this draft. More importantly, a "new era" was promoted several times in the past few years and each time it's just an artificial attempt to try to jump start viewership instead of building compelling television that can draw viewers on a weekly basis.

The glaring exception to the lack of any change within the status of the brands is that Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were sent to Raw while Big E. will work Smackdown. Despite nearly six years as a trio, I think it's more than fair to say that The New Day as a group could remain a stable for the rest of their careers and it wouldn't be a stale act. They organically fit together about as well as any stable in the history of the industry and are just pure entertainment, which is the entire point of why something is booked in the first place. The New Day are money. Obviously, there will still be a dose of The New Day with Kofi and Woods as a unit, but I still don't agree with the decision to split the crew, unless there's something major on the horizon for Big E. Still, even if a main event slot is next for him, his stablemates alongside him would still work. That being said, I don't have much optimism with the prospects of Big E in the title picture because of how ineffective the sum total of Kofi's run was before. More specifically, after the emotional title win at Wrestlemania 35, which included the classic moment of Kofi celebrating in the ring with his friends and family, the next thing people remember about that title reign is that Brock Lesnar beat him for the belt in seven seconds on Fox.

If Big E. has a better run at the top remains to be seen, but with a heel Roman Reigns doing the best work of his career as champion, it doesn't make sense to derail that anytime soon, and without something as big as a potential title run for Big E, was it really worth splitting one of the most popular acts of the modern era?

The entire process becomes moot if and when stars randomly jump back and fourth among shows when management tries to get a boost in the ratings on a certain week. If the writing team tries to add in more "brand invitation" rules similar to what they did last year, it's another aspect that is too inside baseball for the general viewer. Fans shouldn't have to keep track of how many wrestlers from Smackdown can show up on Raw in a particular week. Considering the continuous low points on each show on a regular basis, the argument could be made that perhaps, WWE brass should focus on putting the best talent possible on every show instead of trying to scatter talent across multiple brands. Yes, there are too many wrestlers on the roster to completely dissolve the concept of exclusive brands, but on the flip side, even after the extensive cuts this year, how many currently under WWE contract were signed simply to keep them from inking a deal with another organization?

Again, this entire draft seems like an attempt at manufactured buzz as a substitute for compelling feuds. Ratings have shown that the Mysterio/Rollins angle gets fans to tune in, but shifting that over to Smackdown doesn't add anything that isn't already a part of WWE programming. Raw Underground seems to be on its way to being phased out of the show, and if that's the case, what was the end goal? Who actually got over because of Raw Underground? If there's not some type of payoff then Raw Underground was just throwing something at the wall to see if it sticks, which could speak volumes about the WWE booking process. So far, the HIAC pay-per-view has Roman vs. Jey and McIntyre vs. Orton  as the title matches so what exactly was the point of the draft for the company?

The career of Eric Ryan

 Last Summer, grizzled Ohio veteran Eric Ryan achieved the pinnacle of his personal goals in the sport of professional wrestling, something that he worked toward for nearly the previous 15 years. Long car trips for meager to no pay, performing at sparsely-attended small cards, and striving to make it to the next level after working on the dirt-stained canvases of the local circuit culminated for him. After almost a decade and a half, Ryan found himself in Korakuen Hall, the Japanese version of Madison Square Garden and one of the most storied professional wrestling venues in the world. In the span of just a few days, he worked a series of matches in front of an enthusiastic Japanese audience, including a bout where he stuck a fork, one of his trademark accessories, into the skull of Jun Kasai, widely regarded as one of, if not the greatest deathmatch wrestler of all time. He might've been on the other side of the globe, but the Cleveland native felt right at home.

"It was the greatest experience, professionally and personally. The Japanese culture is something everyone should experience. There’s still so many places I want to see and so many people to fight. It’s a wonderful place," he explained.

But, Eric Ryan went from a professional high in Tokyo to a personal low when he landed back in the United States less than a week later.

While the hardcore grappler was spilling blood and smashing opponents with light tubes on Game Changer Wrestling's tour of Japan, his mom wasn't feeling well and scheduled a doctor's appointment. A few tests later and the terrible news was confirmed, Mrs. Ryan was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, after ten rounds of radiation, Mrs, Ryan is cancer free, specifically because the diseases was detected early, another example of how important it is for women to schedule regular screenings.

Initially devastated by the news, Eric Ryan remains exponentially grateful that his mom made a recovery so he looked to use his notoriety from the independent scene to help those that are still fighting the battle of breast cancer.

As mentioned, Ryan, a natural risk taker and adrenaline junkie, carved a niche for himself in the underground genre of death match wrestling, a style that originated in Japan through Atsushi Onita's Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling organization, founded in 1989 and held events through 2002. Ironically, Onita, who began his career as a traditional wrestling prospect for the legendary Giant Baba's All Japan group, was first exposed to the primitive concept of hardcore wrestling during his excursion, a trip to learn different styles, to America when he worked for Memphis territory in the early-80s. The rowdy rasslin of the Tupelo concession stand brawl made an impression on him. A trip to Puerto Rico is where he saw barbed wire involved in professional wrestling and he took the concept back to Japan with him.

The way that the United States inspired Onita, the foundation he built with barbed wire, fire, and explosion matches bled over into the American independent scene, as grapplers in the United States continue to perform that dangerous bouts for a diehard demographic. Similar to so many of his generation, Eric Ryan watched grainy bootleg VHS tapes of Onita's death matches, as well as the promotions that were a spinoff of the FMW concept. His earliest recollection of the Japanese mayhem was footage of the IWA King of The Death match 1995 tournament, which was one of the most famous events among tape traders, but the version he found had The Insane Clown Posse's spoof of commentary as a voice over for their infamous "Stranglemania" series.

"Death match wresting was something I was always a fan of. My style definitely evolved into a more aggressive style. Obviously ,with the death matches, but also with how I approach each match. A lot older. A lot wiser," he commented.

While a myriad of scars decorate his back today, a reminder of the risk stunts he does inside as well as outside of a ring during performances, Eric Ryan broke into the industry in a much more typical way. He started under the Mega Championship Wrestling banner, a small, but established league in his home state, beginning his career in the usual indy fashion of a participant in a battle royal or basic tag matches as an additional to the show.

After a decade in the industry, Ryan felt like he had more to offer and wanted to strive for more, attempting to leave the biggest mark he can on the business.

With traveling and logging the miles in the car is an essential part to get noticed on a wider basis, Eric threw his boots and his gear bag into the trunk whenever his friends were booked to work on cards out of state. Through a series of coincides and being at the right place at the right time, Eric Ryan finally got the chance to perform in the type of bouts that drew him to professional wrestling in the first place. 

"They guided me towards the shows and it all fell into place after that. Plus, I enjoy them more now," he remarked.

So, just over five years ago, Eric Ryan began to slash, smash, and pummel his way onto the death match landscape, making a name for himself in the process for wild brawls and bloody battles. He zigzagged across the independents with appears in Absolute Intense Wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, Game Changer Wrestling, and other groups.

However, as mystical as the cloud of dust from the glass shattering of a light tube might be, the risk of injury is a very harsh reality. Sometimes, mere inches could determine the end of a career.

Just a few weeks prior to the previously mentioned tour of Japan, Eric Ryan brought a shopping cart to the ring for one of his GCW bouts. During the course of the match, Ryan took a particularly rough landing on the cart, but soon realized the situation was much, as a piece of metal had was stuck in his lower back. As he was momentarily stuck, the gory scene made even the blood thirsty GCW react with audible concern.

"A piece of the cart went into the lowest left portion of my low back. I was a fourth of an inch away from puncturing one of my kidneys and colon. It left quite a nasty hole and some bruising, but I got stitched up and went to japan 20 days later," he said.

Despite the close call, the risks over the past five years were worth the reward, as Eric Ryan has since paired up with four of his real-life close friends to form arguably the most well-known faction on the independents today. 44OH consist of the longtime veteran Rickey Shane Page, the talented Atticus Cogar, Eddie Only, Gregory Iron, and Eric Ryan. The Ohio natives have been involved in a lengthy and hostile rivalry with Game Changer Wrestling, the most talked about organization  currently in independent wrestling. Not looking for the typical applause and chants, 44OH enjoys the chance to generate animosity from the dedicated GCW fan base.

"It was formed by a long time bond between people. It’s something you can’t throw together. We all bring something different to the table and we’re our own unique personalities, but it works," Ryan said.

Regardless of 44OH's ability to incite an audience, the stable looks to use their notoriety and their schedule across a variety of promotions to contribute to a good cause. The 44OH logo t-shirt will be printed in pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month and the proceeds from the sales will be donated to different breast cancer charities to help as many different people as possible. Eric Ryan cites how fortunate he was for his mom to detect the disease early and remain cancer free after treatment so he looks to help others that are fighting chances with these fundraising efforts.

New Japan management

A major shake up within the structure of New Japan Pro Wrestling will take place later this month, as Harold Meji, president of the organization, will step down in just a few weeks, with his replacement as Takami Ohbari, the current president of the NJPW America project. Meji, who took the role with the Japanese league in May of 2018, was a former vice president at Coca Cola Japan before he ran the Tomy Toy company. Meji has Dutch heritage, but lived in Japan since his youth and despite technically being a foreigner, was able to market correctly to the Japanese demographic. Not just a business suit, he was a longtime wrestling fan and was also familiar with the history of New Japan.

So, why the change now?

As with almost everything, it's really a matter of perspective. According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, Meji was brought into the promotion to increase its revenue, which he was known for during his time at Tomy Tony, as well as to continue to expand into the North American market. On one hand, he only had roughly a year and half to make progress in the role as president of the group, most of that during a pandemic that shut down shows completely. On the other hand, the time that Meji had to work under the normal schedule as president had some critical decisions made, which might've led to the decision for him to resign for the position.

On the plus side, the expansion of New Japan merchandise, including ease of distribution outside of Japan, is probably Meji's biggest accomplishment for the wrestling group as far as a pure business move. The access to New Japan World, the company's streaming service, makes it much easier for foreign fans to consistently follow the product, and allowing for easier accessibility to merchandise orders for that demographic opens up a new revenue stream for New Japan. For years, the process to order authentic Japanese merchandise directly was an exhausting process, even with the use of the technology on the internet. The hoops to jump through with using translate pages to navigate the products, setting up the service to convert currency, and then the potential for extremely high shipping prices from the other side of the globe made it almost too much of a hassle for even the most diehard fans. The other option was the secondary market where a buyer would still incur a mark up price because of the lack of availability of the product in North America and of course at least a portion of the previously mentioned import costs. Through the NJPW America subsidiary and the LA dojo, the company can stock and distribute authentic New Japan merchandise to the North American fans base on a more regular basis. Even on a smaller scale, this allows for a revenue stream within the United States that wouldn't exist otherwise.

Speaking of the American market, just as important to merchandise revenue, was the brand awareness that was created through the deal that saw Hot Topic stock New Japan t-shirts in its retail stores. Granted, the nature of the Japanese style is more of a niche as far as an American audience since its such a contrast from most of the pro wrestling the general public is exposed to on television, but gaining ground within a niche still makes for a profitable venture, which is the most important point of business. As far as the actual products offered to fans, more diversity for Japanese audiences helped cash-in on the company's resurgence in popularity the past several years. Aside from souvenir stand staples like t-shirts and programs, there was the addition of key chains, plush toys, action figures, and more added to shelves. Maximizing potential profitability from the audience is key as well, and if New Japan truly wants to establish itself as a more global brand then revenue sources beyond just the live gate and NJPW World are important to the goal.

While New Japan diversified its product offerings, Meji might've had a few blunders that changed the course of the organization. Obviously, he wasn't the only one involved in negotiations, but the mass exodus that eventually formed All Elite Wrestling happened under his watch. As popular as the Young Bucks were in Japan and continue to be in America, the argument could be made that the departure of Kenny Omega was a major blow to the momentum of NJPW. Omega, who had an incredible string of matches over a 3-4 year span under the New Japan banner, was the most popular foreigner on the roster, as well as one of the biggest overall stars. His electric series of matches with Kazuchika Okada added to the buzz that The Bullet Club brought to the table, and the anticipation of an eventual Okada rematch kept a spotlight on the organization.

After the success of the All In pay-per-view, a show that ultimately was the predecessor of AEW as a whole, The Elite stable of The Bucks, Omega, Cody, and Adam Page agreed to stick together with the next chapter of their respective careers. Matt and Nick Jackson used social media to make themselves much bigger stars, and their last stint with Ring Of Honor provided an American platform for them to enhance their personas. Add to that situation, Cody's rocky exit from the WWE after he was extremely underutilized and had something to prove outside of the sports entertainment empire, and it was a narrative that the audience could rally around. In 2017, the ROH/NJPW working agreement that was formed a few years earlier, was a winning scenario for everyone involved, as ROH had the most buzz and biggest crowds it had in years, and through that process, it indirectly created more of an American presence for New Japan.

An example of this was a show I was actually in attendance for as a part of the "Global Wars Tour," a four-night series of events that drew sellout crowds in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Chicago with the inclusion of some of the New Japan stars. It was quite the visual when I walked into Stage AE, one of the well-known concert halls in Pittsburgh, and there were 1,200 fans jammed into the building. The chance to see The Bucks, Cody, Kenny, Suzuki etc. all on the same show in America was a very rare opportunity, and the attendance reflected that. The Elite stable had a platform in America, ROH did great business, and there was a considerable level of brand awareness for New Japan in a foreign market so everyone benefited from that.

Jump to late-2018, Tony Khan was impressed with the success of All In, which became the highest-grossing non-WWE event in the US since the days of WCW, and he decided he would fund the launch of an alternative wrestling company. How important that financing is for a project to get off the ground is another discussion for another time, but the point is The Elite was the hottest act in wrestling on the heels of the successful broadcast, giving them the chance to negotiate with several promotions ahead of 2019. Ironically, there reportedly was a WWE offer on the table for the entire five member stable, with the rumor mill suggesting that there was a pitch for a Bullet Club style invasion at Wrestlemania that year. Ultimately, there was a pass on the big money deal, which I'm guessing was because of how leery Cody would've been after how he was misused not too long before, and the reality that even with an opt-out clause, once a deal was inked, the group would be at the mercy of WWE booking for at least a period of time.

The Sinclair-owned ROH had the chance to match Khan's offer, but decided not to pony up the cash, a very odd decision, considering how successful the stars had been for them and the fact that they did eventually offer lucrative exclusive contract to specific performers after AEW was formed. I've discussed it in the past, but Sinclair Broadcasting is in the television business, not the wrestling business. They bought Ring Of Honor in 2011 because it was a relatively cheap way to produce original programming on its stations so they could garnered more commercial revenue as compared to re-runs of other network shows. Make no mistake about it, Sinclair is worth a few hundred million dollars and could've afforded to re-sign The Elite, and the concept of AEW wouldn't have been a possibility. The domino effect of how the existence of AEW impacted New Japan could be one of the reasons Meji is set to set down soon.

Gedo, longtime veteran, was installed as booker of NJPW after it was purchased by Bushiroad in 2012. Just a few years earlier, the storied league was on the brink of collapse after Antonio Inoki's failed MMA experiment of the early-2000s. Gedo infused foreigners into the fold with the original Bullet Club, which sparked the promotion and brought back a spotlight for stellar native performers to soar in popularity. The Bullet Club, a spinoff of the New World World, which was ironically an takeoff of the UFWi/New Japan angle in the 90s, became the most popular stable in the world. The logo, music, and concept of foreigners storming into the company to challenge the native stars brought a buzz with it. Once that spotlight was there, Okada, Tanahashi, and others reintroduced many fans to the New Japan genre, as it was once thought the best of the league was only in the past.

As Finn Balor, AJ Styles, and others were eventually signed away by WWE, Gedo brilliantly replenished The Bullet Club with the right performers. Make no mistake, it wasn't as simple as just plugging another non-Japanese into the faction, Gedo had to make the right choices at the right time. Eventually, Kenny Omega was put into the leader role of Bullet club, with The Bucks as longtime members and the addition of Cody. That gaijin cast with some many top notch athletes like Okada, Suzuki, etc. made for some major shows that fans across the world woke up earlier for to watch live with the streaming service.

With AEW on the horizon in early-2019, The Elite were at a crossroads with the New Japan office. The Americans, as mentioned, opted not to re-sign with ROH because of the Tony Khan offer for a new organization. New Japan still had the previously mentioned working agreement with ROH, something that is in doubt currently because of the pandemic. New Japan remained strictly loyal to ROH, and since AEW would be competing with ROH on some levels in the US, the Japanese office wouldn't consider a potential working agreement with AEW after its official launch in May of last year. When the office wouldn't consider the possibility of working with AEW, there wasn't much of an option for the Elite stable, as all five members finished up with the Japanese promotion at Wrestle Kingdom last year, including Kenny Omega, who dropped the IWGP title to Tanahashi in the main event at the Tokyo Dome.

Since that time, both Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley have worked for New Japan while under contract to Tony Khan. Basically, there were big enough stars that NJPW didn't want to turn down the chance to bring them to Japan, even with any of the potential hostility from the Elite exit. Reportedly, NJPW has now offered longer contracts and that don't allow key deals to expire all at the same time, which for whatever reason, was standard procedure in the past. Maybe it was to provide fora completely fresh start if necessary, but the much bigger downside if that there's a risk of lack of depth on the roster if several stars decide not to sign new contracts.

The Young Bucks were popular and stables of the New Japan scene, but the arguement could be made that a Jr. heavyweight tag team might be expendable if absolutely necessary. Despite Cody's WWE fame and family history, he didn't really work Japan long enough for his exit to be a major shift in the status of the company. Kenny Omega was the wild card of the situation, as the office was clearly building around him for an extended run in the future. Sure, Okada is considered the top guy to move the company forward within the next decade, but Omega was also a very important piece of the puzzle, particularly as the organization wanted to run shows in North America. Harold Meji wasn't the only one in the negotiations for NJPW, but the bottom line is, he couldn't sign one of the company's most important stars to some type of new deal to keep him on the roster. Omega went from the IWGP champion to leaving the company in the span of a night.

Still, I'm not sure the move to Ohbari means all that much in the grand scheme of things, unless Meji's tenure wasn't as smooth as the office wanted it to be. I found it odd that Meji released his own book in Japan late last year and actually has a fan club as well, despite not directly being a public figure. Being a fan of professional wrestling, perhaps Meji was trying to get some of the spotlight for himself? The much less sizzling possibility is that without a full schedule most of the year, maybe the company simply had to cut the budget? Meltzer reported that Harold Meji signed a very lucrative deal to takeover as president so it might be more of a fincial move than anything else, which would make sense. Obviously, we saw WWE cut dozens of workers from its payroll earlier this year.

In my opinion, the sum total of Meji's involvement is still a good result for the company because between the merchandise and the streaming service, the company is more accessible on a global level. That being said, I'm still not sold on the concept of an American spinoff being successful on a regular basis. The LA dojo as a training center could be a valuable tool for the development of talent, as well as the NJPW Strong shows as content for the streaming site. However, when the company ran small venues in the United States last year during short tours, it wasn't anything that actually make an impact in the American market as far as a full-time expansion. A niche product can still be profitable as long as its handled properly. The Japanese style isn't going to target the causal fan in the United States so it makes more sense to run a few "special events" in America each year to maximize attendance in venues that can actually yield a profit for the company.

Going forward, specifically after the pandemic is over, the big question for Ohbari in the lead administrative role is the decision about what NJPW's aspirations are in the United States. The small scale of the LA dojo might logically be the biggest option they have as far as anything on a regular basis. With the travel from Japan, it would be extremely difficult for the top stars to work a full-time schedule in both the native country and the United States. With new leadership, is an AEW working agreement possible? Would exposure on TNT be enough to make New Japan a regular commodity in the American market?

The resignation of Harold Meji could be a pivotal point in the direction of New Japan in 2021. Just as the formation of All Elite Wrestling had a ripple effect, it will be very interesting if new management leads to a shift in the dynamic of the pro wrestling landscape.

The pure title

 What's old is new again.

It's a cliche, but it's one that holds true, which is why retro and vintage shops have a market. A throwback style with a slightly updated spin to fit the times can be fresh enough to be new, but also familiar enough to have a demographic already in place.

The same can be said for professional wrestling, as through all its mutation and evolution, from the original carny circuit to smoke-filled arena to the stadium events of today, most narratives within the genre are based on some level of human psychology so the core of the stories stay the same while the elements around them morph to mold to a current period. It might've been Bruno battling foreign menaces in the 60s, Hogan posing with hand to ear in the 80s while Roddy Piper incited an audience, Steve Austin pummeling Vince McMahon in the 90s, or John Cena's major baby face run of the 2000s. The point being, the dynamic of a loved hero (an anti-hero in Austin's case) set to square off with a hated heel is primarily the WWE's booking style.

It's easy to understand and reaches the most basic level, which is fine because the WWE product is targeted toward the general public, not necessarily diehard fans.

On the flip side, Ring Of Honor, the once-independent league that is now owned by Sinclair Broadcasting, started in the Murphy Rec Center, a dingy sweat box in Philadelphia, in 2002. Attempting to capitalize on the void for live wrestling left by the collapse of Extreme Championship Wrestling the previous year, ROH based itself in the Philly arena and used a philosophy that made the APW's King of The Indies show in California in 2001 one of the most influential events of the modern era. A high-flying style with a blend of the Japanese influx of the 90s that so many future wrestlers saw when they were just aspiring hopefully.

Professional wrestling without over-the-top gimmicks, goofy storylines, or other low brow marketing maneuvers hadn't been seen by any measurable level in the United States in a few decades. By 2002, the sports entertainment boom that brought the industry to the main stream of pop culture was littered with "shock TV" as in-ring antics reflected some of the edgy aspects of society at the time. Jerry Spring had pay-per-view specials, Howard Stern had twenty million daily listeners, and Marilyn Manson sold a few million records. Don't get me wrong, Austin's weekly beat downs of Vince McMahon made for great TV, but there was almost a stream of trashy angles that often get forgotten about when fans look back on the period of the 90s with nostalgic eyes. The Mae Young skits, Judy Bagwell on a pole, and Disco Inferno are just a few of the gimmicks of the wrestling surge that weren't exactly top-notch.

Before that, the closest we got to pro wrestling as a sport in the United States was the NWA under the Jim Crockett banner. The WWF in the Rock N' Wrestling of the 80s sold the sizzle of MTV and ice cream bars, which was fine because it was definitely entertaining programming, but it was designed to be a spectacle, not a sporting contest. For as great as ECW was, the extreme aspects weren't trying to sell athletic competition, it was a grind house of blood and guts. Again, there's nothing wrong with that because it certainly worked for its time and place. But, as far as a competition-based promotion, it was something that was almost a forgotten concept in America.

A cast of all-star talent helped jump start the original Ring of Honor brand and in the process, pioneered the style that became common place today. Low Ki, Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Homicide, Amazing Red, and others brought the ideology of work rate as a selling point to the American independent scene. Eventually, that spilled over into the X-Division when NWA-TNA started a few months later and the foundation of that in-ring presentation is ultimately what led to products like All Elite Wrestling on TNT today.

Make no mistake, without the original ROH crew at those events that shoehorned hundreds of fans into small venues, there would be no AEW today.

Ironically, it's that ROH style that got so many athletes and the organization noticed that was also the reason the league was in an almost constant rebuilding phase since its inception. Similar to ECW, the group that it more or less replaced in terms of fan demand, ROH was too big to be small and too small to be big when it was independently owned. There was enough of a fan base that the company could tour various regions of the country, but there just wasn't enough revenue to realistically compete with a multi-million dollar corporation. So, when WWE wanted to sign away a Paul London, Brian Kendrick,  CM Punk, or others during the mid-2000s, they had no choice but to take the cash that allowed them to make a full-time living in their chosen profession. When TNA finally realized the value of exclusivity in 2007, Samoa Joe, Homicide, and other cornerstone had to exit ROH.

When Cary Silkin, who took over the company in 2004 after the Rob Feinstein scandal, struggled to stay afloat in 2011 with the increasing pressure to keep talent as TNA made an attempt to compete while WWE stockpiled prospects for its developmental system, Jim Cornette actually brokered a deal to get Silkin financial relief with the sale to Sinclair Broadcasting. In truth, it was the only move Silkin could've made because the previous years attempt at expansion, including the infamous HD Net show and 2-hour at pay-per-views didn't get off the ground.

As I said in the write-up I did about New Japan management, Sinclair Broadcasting acquired ROH for the original programming on their syndicated stations, not a venture into the wrestling business. Early on it showed, as despite being owned by a broadcasting company, initial attempts at ROH live streams were disastrous and soured many fans in the process. It actually took a few years for the stain of the live stream failures to fade. Also as I discussed in the NJPW column, the combination of The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and an American platform for Kenny Omega meant big business for Ring Of Honor. The renewed spotlight gave other talents like Dalton Castle, Trent, and Matt Taven a chance to make a name for themselves.

Sinclair's decision not to re-sign The Elite stable is what paved the way for the formation of All Elite Wrestling and aside from the faction, several other ROH stars departed for the up-start promotion. A look at the current rosters of WWE and AEW will show just how many major stars were inked to a Sinclair deal in the past. Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish, Punishment Martinez, Chuck Taylor, and Trent are just a portion of the laundry list of stars that ROH management is tasked with trying to replace on events.

The exit of The Elite in late-2018 took much of the buzz that ROH had the few years prior with it. In the time since, sold out crowds were replaced with dismal attendance numbers. It's not easy to replenish that level of talent and it takes time to make new stars so while photos on social media of empty seats might be alarming, it's an expected part of the process to try to rebuild. Before the pandemic, ROH focused a lot on it's working relationship with CMLL in Mexico, taking it as far as to have Rush win the World Championship. On one hand it makes sense because a pure lucha platform gives the company something unique to promote, but on the other hand, Rush's strictly lucha style doesn't really translate well to many opponents.

The main problem is, AEW took the biggest stars ROH had and most of the same style so the result was an "AEW light" type of product with Ring Of Honor. That's not a jab at any of the guys currently working there, but the harsh reality is, there's a specific demographic that will follow that type of in-ring style and even the most diehard fans have a "wrestling budget" so it's very tough for ROH to try to get a slice of the pie when so much buzz was around AEW with it's tenure on TNT.

While the pandemic shut down most of the world, one of the very few positives, at least for the professional wrestling genre, is it gave Ring Of Honor a chance to refresh into when it began to run events again. Currently, there are plans to revamp the Pure title, a division that has a unique set of rules for strikes and rope breaks, somewhat of a subtle nod to famous World of Sport era in England. Despite its original stint being successful, the first Pure championship was unified with the World title in 2006. The reintroduction of the Pure championship gives ROH something completely different from anything else on the America landscape, and while they don't have the star power yet, they could have the in-ring competition to carve themselves a decent niche from the many options provided to fans with modern technology.

While the big leagues focus of TV segments and ratings on Wednesday, perhaps ROH can sell the sport of professional wrestling. What's old is new again.

Lee Moriarty at the collective

 I penned an article in early-2018 that detailed the start of a young prospect that turned heads for his shining ability in the ring, not only during his rookie year of wrestling, but as soon as his first match. Since the time that the Trap Killaz "Boa Nite" blared through the speakers for his debut match in late-2015, Lee Moriarty made fans take notice.

I was on commentary for that initial pro match, and as cliche as it might sound, you could see from the first time he stepped into the ring that Lee Moriarty was a natural inside the squared circle. While some new competitors might show understandable jitters or display an unintentional hesitation, Moriarty looked as though he had been wrestling for at least a few years the first time he stepped into the ring ropes.

This weekend, the talented prodigy often called, "The best wrestler in North America" as both a testament to his skills and a soft jab at his humble nature will get a chance to make the entire independent wrestling scene take notice, booked for half a dozen bouts for The Collective, a three-day presentation that will feature events from several different organizations. Originally penciled in for Wrestlemania weekend this year before the pandemic shut down most of the country, The Collective was considered to be the biggest weekend on the indie wrestling calendar.

For the grappler inspired by the legendary Bruce Lee, this weekend's showcase in Indianapolis is another big step to continue the momentum he has built over the course of the formative years in his career. A native of Pittsburgh, Lee always enjoyed sports, studying Tae Kwon Do early in life before he played rugby in high school, and transitioned that natural athleticism into pro wrestling. A student of one of the most respected figures in the western Pennsylvania region and founder of Ryse Wrestling, Brandon K, Lee's poise inside the ring ropes was noticed by the accomplished veteran very quickly during training sessions as the aspiring wrestler learned the craft.

"Lee is going to be good, really good," Brandon told me back in 2015.

Known almost as much for its storied history of sports entertainment as the steel in once produced, Pittsburgh has a track record for stellar stars that emerged from the area. Bruno survived winter in the mountains of Italy during a Nazi invasion to immigrate to the steel town, where he embarked on a journey that led him to the status of global icon through numerous sellouts as the headliner of Madison Square Garden. Kurt Angle worked his way from the amateur mats in Mount Lebanon, a suburb just outside of the city, to win a gold medal on the Olympic mat before he achieved legendary status in the pro ranks. Shiima Xion dazzled audiences on local cards at the Wilmerding YMCA in the early-2000s before he appeared as Joaquin Wilde in NXT. Before Corey Graves verbally beat down Bryon Saxton on WWE programming, he physically pummeled foes in steel city rings. Graves' brother, Sam Adonis broke into the industry at fire halls before he went literally around the globe as one of the most talented stars on the international scene.

The smart money says that Lee Moriarty will be the next breakout star to make it to the national stage from Pittsburgh.

"Lee has made so much progress in such a short amount of time, it truly is remarkable when you look at his body of work, not only in AIW ,but everywhere over the last year or two. He has made everything he does can’t miss and is proving he is one of the most proficient professional wrestlers on the scene today. He is the best pound-for-pound unsigned professional wrestler in North America today," said John Thorne, promoter of the Cleveland-based Absolute Intense Wrestling organization.

 In late-2018, Thorne ran a seminar with international legend, Ultimo Dragon in conjunction with an AIW appearance, and the former WCW Crusierweight champion took notice of Moriarty during the training session. Upon Ultimo Dragon's recommendation, Thorne booked Moriarty on a regular basis for AIW events. That series of AIW bouts proved pivotal in the next chapter of his career, as around this time last year, he was scheduled to compete against accomplished pro, Alex Shelley, an experience that Lee cites as one of the most valuable in his career so far.

"The relationship with Shelley evolved from rival to mentor to friend. I’ve learned a lot about myself and going after what I want in life, figuring out what works best for me and following that path, Moriarty explained.

After standout matches against such a notable competitor, Lee's stock began to rise within the independent circuit and more promotions wanted to add him to their events. Game Changer Wrestling, Black Label Pro, and other groups began to showcase his skills on their platforms. This resulted in more exposure and unanimous praise for the athlete that represents "TAIGASTYLE" as his in-ring motto. However, when cameras weren't beaming his exhibitions onto streaming platforms around the internet, there was the much less glamorous reality of the extensive travel involved to make the most of these new opportunities. It's not uncommon for him to log a dozen hours in the car and hundreds of miles on the road during weekend trips. While challenging, it's something that Moriarty recognizes as an aspect that is necessary to make it to the next level and a new dynamic of working as an in-demand athlete.

"The most challenging part of this new chapter is balancing things. I’m traveling a lot more and with that means there’s less time for other things. I’m still figuring it out, but while wrestling is my love, its not the only thing I enjoy. The lockdown made me realize that even more. I’m still an artist, I still enjoy my alone time and things like that," Lee commented.

Wrestling a Japanese-inspired style with flairs of lucha libre and European techniques, Moriarty has a well-rounded presentation that allows for an in-ring ability that translates to a variety of opponents. Among the previously mentioned Collective bouts on his schedule this weekend include Ring Of Honor star, Johnathan Gresham, known as one of the best pure grapplers in the United States. The catch-as-catch-can contest is slated for Joey Janela's Spring Break, one of the most anticipated events of the entire production. Aside from the professional opportunities, Lee gets a chance to compete in his personal dream match against ACH at GCW's "For The Culture" show, a showcase of unity of everyone and a platform for talented African American athletes. While ACH is a personal inspiration for him, Moriarty plans to use all of these six Collective matches to let the world known what he can do on this stage.

"My thoughts on wrestling Gresham, it’s a match people have wanted to see for a long time. I always hear or get tagged in post about people wanting to see it. I enjoy watching and studying Gresham's approach to professional wrestling and its had its influence on me for sure. As for ACH, that’s the biggest match of my career. Not just because of the importance of the event it’s on, but because of how ACH has inspired me personally and professionally as an athlete. Every match means something to me because all these guys are people I admire for their skill," Moriarty explained.

During the shutdown that forced so many shows cancelled, it wasn't uncommon for tweets that showed Moriarty alone in a ring, practicing sequences that he studied as he watched lucha libre matches the night before. The drive to succeed certainly matches the skills. But, as talented as he is outside of the ring ropes, Lee is known for his kindness outside of it. "Wholesome Lee" became somewhat of a trend on social media because of his politeness and respectful nature to those he meets along the way of his wrestling journey.

"Well over the past year I’ve just been working hard trying to get my name out more. I’ve just been doing the best I can to move forward while doing things in a way that doesn’t overwhelm me and makes me happy," Lee remarked.

"To be honest, what I expect from Lee is that he won’t be in AIW much longer. I feel that he is going to be signed to a major wrestling promotion sooner than later and he deserves it, that guy should be a millionaire one day. He is a can’t miss talent and is nowhere close to reaching his full potential and I hope a major company with a lot of money realizes that," John Thorne added.

So, as Lee Moriarty packs his gear bag with kick pads, wrist tape, and his signature entrance mask as a tribute to the original Tiger Mask, he will make long trip to Indianapolis this weekend, It's refreshing to see someone so talented and so polite get the opportunities they deserve in a business that's often described as a shark tank. Moriarty's positivity and dedication brought him to The Collective, but he skills will make the statement.

Lee Moriarty is the future of the industry and this weekend as he gets prepared for the biggest matches of his career, he will make everyone take notice.

Clash of the Champions review

 It was more than five years ago that WWE management picked their corporate star, the competitor that they envisioned would be the perfect representative for the company's global publicly traded brand. Roman Reigns, the cousin of Hollywood mega star and WWE alumni, The Rock, was the chosen champion for the future.

Roman's rise to stardom wasn't without its speed bumps, mostly put there by the way WWE brass decided to present him to the audience, at one point he was portrayed with a tone of defiance. The wrestling public would take what Vince McMahon gave them and like it. The infamous "not a good guy, not a bad guy, the guy" promo was more or less Vince's way to tell the audience that he determines the WWE path, not them.

In truth, Vince does has a lot of that power, at least to some level. As I've written before, the WWE is the walmart of professional wrestling, it's relatively cheap and the most accessible product with the most brand identity in the United States. It's been twenty years since the Monday Night Wars, there's an entire generation of fans that only know the narrative of WCW through the WWE lens, and without experiencing it first-hand, there's an entire demographic that doesn't realize that there really was a time when WWE wasn't the only major sports entertainment show in America. The point being, the general public associates pro wrestling with the WWE, which is partially why the company can be traded on the stock market in the first place.

So, Vince planned to use that leverage for his ideal pick to replace John Cena as the top draw in the organization. The flip side of the modern era, where WWE is more or less known as pro wrestling in the United States is that through the company's own documentary productions, it's directly acknowledged that the product is only entertainment and thus that there are decision-makers behind the scenes. As a result, for the first time in the history of the sport, the heat for a booking decision doesn't go on the heel to build for the baby face to get revenge, but rather the heat is toward the company for making the decisions. It's really a unique dichotomy that hasn't been mastered by any of the big league organizations yet.

The writing team thought that positioning Roman Reigns to simply run over the competition, including Daniel Bryan, who was still one of the most over performers on the roster before a three-year absence due to injury in 2015, was the way to make him the next Cena. First, the goal to make anyone the next John Cena is really an unfair situation, especially because the company appeared to specifically try to shoehorn him into the Cena role when it just didn't fit him, which isn't to say that Roman can't be a top guy. Cena got over to the level he did because he found a formula that worked for him and made the most of it. If Reigns can reach that level remains to be seen, but he must be allowed to find himself to be able to maximize his potential. The cookie cutter approach is rarely successful in professional wrestling.

As I've discussed before, when Roman was scripted for lame attempts at comedy, it was completely counterproductive to what could get him over. Sometimes the simplest presentation is the best method so Roman as the Samoan monster that will fight any challengers was probably the most effective portrayal since the start. It's disappointing that it took the WWE four years to realize that. Utilizing his look, size, and intensity was all that was needed and what he could do best. The attempted witty lines only made him look foolish and uncomfortable on live TV, which the viewers could see on screen.

It was only after a pandemic shut down most of the world and ratings dipped drastically that management decided to go through with the heel turn, which has already given Roman the best work of his career. Granted, last year when Reigns returned from a recurrence of leukemia, it provided the WWE with the opportunity to tell a story in the ring that transcended the realm of sports entertainment and could connect with the audience as a real-life comeback story, but he was booked for a mid-card match with Drew McIntyre at the time instead of the title picture. When COVID precautions put him on the sidelines because of his medical history, the heel turn was probably the only fresh coat of paint the writing team could put on the Reigns project. Management made so many mistakes with how they shoehorned him ahead of guys like Bryan and Braun over the years that the rejection of Roman was more hostility toward the company, not the actual performer. It's disappointing that Reigns was booked for more hurdles than in scenarios that could help him evolve as a character. A prime example was the Elimination Chamber match a few years ago where Braun eliminated most of the competition, but Roman won the match to show that "Roman is really strong" but the modern audience can see through the subtext of the angle.

Again, it took the office over four years to realize their shoehorn plan wasn't going to work. The main example I've said before is, if Rocky Maivia didn't turn heel,would The Rock have eventually gotten over as one of the biggest baby faces in the history of the industry? The heel turn allowed The Rock to evolve as a character and that was part of the process that made him such a major star.

The bottom line is, the WWE invested years of time and promotion into the Roman Reigns project so if they want it to pay off then they have to spotlight his strengths and camouflage any weaknesses.

Roman isn't necessarily the best on the mic? So, they gave arguably the best talker in the business with Paul Heyman, and there's nothing wrong with that. If anything, aside from the promos, Heyman as a character brings a certain level of credibility to the heel turn. Reigns is a Samoan monster so put him in scenarios that highlight that aspect of his work. As a stand alone match, Roman vs. Jey Uso wasn't anything spectacular, especially for the main event of a pay-per-view, but considering that a network subscription is only $10 a month, there's more flexibility with what could be considered a worthy PPV main event. The more important point is how the segment was presented and it gives WWE's state-of-the-art production team the footage to edit video packages that spotlight Roman as a top level heel. The visual of Reigns viciously punching Jey and then standing over him without remorse is much more valuable than any particular bell-to-bell action at the pay-per-view.

The Rock recently mentioned that he would consider an eventual match with Roman, which would obviously be a big money match and perhaps the "passing of the torch" WWE tried to manufacture with other opponents in the past. The Rock/Roman angle basically writes itself and would probably generate some of the most compelling television of the modern era. However, The Rock's movie career is worth literally hundreds of millions of dollars so much of it would depend on the schedule and the risk involved in a WWE return. That being said, The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 37 would definitely get the entertainment world talking about the WWE again, which would be a major benefit to the company, especially with the slump from the pandemic era. Either way, it will be interesting to see how Reigns continues to evolve as a character and if he can reach the status as the top draw because he has finally been put in the position to make the most possible of the push from the company.