What's the status of the NWA?

After a slew of independent shows this past weekend, many fans are talking about the National Wrestling Alliance, which held its "Hard Times" pay-per-view in New Orleans, but unfortunately, the chatter around the historic "ten pounds of gold" is for the wrong reasons. In the main event, Tryus, former WWE grappler Brodus Clay, won the NWA World Heavyweight championship after he competed in a three-way bout against Trevor Murdoch and Matt Cardona.

First, it should be noted, and as I wrote a few years ago, Billy Corgan did more to make the NWA relevant in a relatively short time span than the jokers that were involved with it the previous two decades. Without getting into a rant, the vast majority of the organization's existence in the post-Turner purchase of Jim Crockett Promotions, was based on a few carny nickle-and-dime indy promoters that wanted to leech off of the legitimate history of the initials. The 1994 tournament that was associated ECW was probably the only legitimate chance of reigniting the original brand, but as we know, Paul Heyman and Shane Douglas had other plans.

Corgan, who had a role in the latter stages of TNA before he had to take Dixie Carter to court, bought the NWA in 2017. At the time, I wasn't sure what exactly he bought other than the rights to the name and the use of the world championship. Keep in mind, the famous Jim Crockett library was included in the WCW buy out. Again, give Corgan credit for making the most of the name, because for a brief time before the early existence of All Elite Wrestling and the pandemic, the NWA Power series on Youtube generated a cult following. That said and also as I mentioned at the time, I just couldn't put too much stock into the NWA project because the economics of a Youtube platform doesn't lend itself to a venture that could sustain itself, especially in a pro wrestling landscape that would become more crowded.

Similar to the original Power series, the current NWA product showcases some really solid free agent talent. Matt Cardona, who was completely underutilized during the bulk of his WWE tenure, completely reinvented himself on the independent circuit and looks to be exactly what the NWA needed, considering that he could be the traveling world champion as a throwback to the prior era. Cardona made himself a draw without mainstream television behind him. Colby Corino, Marti Bell, and others have done well on the NWA stage. The studio setup for most NWA shows is really unique in the modern era and has a cool retro look for the broadcast. However, the major downside is that the NWA episodes are about 45 minutes each and costs $4.99 on Fite. Granted, five dollars doesn't break the bank, but comparatively speaking, when the WWE Network is $4.99 or free in some cases on Peacock for access to thousands of hours of wrestling content, it makes selling pro wrestling more difficult across the board, let alone less than an hour of footage for the same price. Thankfully, the answer to that can be the newly-launched Fite+ service that will include several independent groups, along with the NWA at the $4.99 price point, which definitely gives the Corgan shows more exposure going forward than there was in the past if fans had to pay for individual episodes.

How Fite makes its new service a profitable revenue stream for all of the companies involved remains to be seen, but if the concept gets all the ground, it could theoretically give each league more exposure at a more modern price point.

It's a harsh reality, but in the modern era, it's much more difficult to get a piece of the pro wrestling pie so to speak. Even the most diehard fans have a "wrestling budget," both for the time and money spent on sports entertainment. WWE tries to target a mass audience, marketing its content to the general public to attempt to maximize viewers in an attempt to maximize ad revenue, especially because the broadcast rights already bring in guaranteed money. All Elite Wrestling is still somewhat of the old school modern, as far as the company tries to sell quarterly pay-per-views, albeit at a higher price than in the past, which puts more pressure on the organization to not only sell the shows on television, but to deliver a quality event. By nature, any other product is attempting to carve its own profitable niche, which is possible, but difficult. Despite its previous working agreement with All Elite and a solid roster of its own, Impact doesn't have enough cache in the sport to truly make a difference within the rest of the industry. The promotion isn't necessary subpar in quality, but the scope of the promotion is rather minimal in the grand scheme of things. The shows are held in front of small crowds and its television ratings in the United States aren't comparable to either WWE or AEW. Keep in mind, Anthem bought the group because it was the highest rated show on the Fight Network in Canada so as long as Impact continues to do solid numbers there, it's doubtful that management would attempt to change the status of Impact. That being said, the NWA in some ways, is similar to Impact, but without television to fuel the product.

If that's the case, you have to ask, is there realistically room for the NWA in the modern landscape?

Of course there is, if Billy Corgan can find and market toward a target audience. Despite the myriad of talent, I'm not sure the NWA product has truly found its audience yet. Is it supposed to be the old school fans? By nature, that demographic is a niche, and as we know, nostalgia has a limited draw. Plus, Conrad Thompson, the real estate mogul that turned his passion for pro wrestling into a profitable side gig through his podcast network, has promoted retro events around pay-per-view weekends the past few years so that caters to most of the old school market.

If Corgan's answer is Tyrus as the face of the promotion, the search for an NWA audience will probably continue. Nick Aldis was the champion for most of the time for the past few years, but recently gave his notice to the organization, citing differences with the direction of the product. Corgan responded with claims that the former TNA competitor attempted to politic to win the belt back. In truth, a rift between a promoter and a wrestler isn't anything unusual. Aldis leaving isn't an indication for the status of the NWA, but Corgan's decision to put the title on Tyrus, a nearly 50-year-old wrestler that had a two-year stint as a mid-card comedy act in WWE, might lend some credibility to Aldis' criticism with claims that Corgan doesn't know the industry.

Plain and simple, Tyrus isn't a performer that anyone would identify as a world champion. Was anyone clamoring for that big Tyrus title run at any point in his career before there? How about all those great Tyrus matches that fans think of when you mention his name? What about all those compelling Tyrus promos? Granted, Cardona got hurt and had to relinquish the championship, and Trevor Murdoch was a decent substitute because of his history with Harley Race, but outside of that Cardona should be the guy for the NWA. He markets himself as good as anyone in wrestling and without the restrictions of a national contract, he can work very well in the role of a traveling champion.

Finally, society is politically divided now more than any other time in the history of the country and besides being an outspoken conservative, Tyrus appears frequently on Fox News, which some consider to be an extreme network. There was a reason Micheal Jordan said, "Republicans buy shoes, too" because when a figure is associated with politics, it can sour half of the audience. It might not be fair to judge someone based on their political views, but the dumpster fire of social media is proof just how much of an impact it can have on if people spend their money on a product. There was also a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Tyrus a few years ago from another Fox host, but the lawsuit was dismissed after the network offered her a settlement.

Tyrus already used his political views as a crutch, tweeting that the criticism of his title win was from "woke trolls," which will do nothing to help the situation, but let's be honest here, the negative fan reaction isn't based on politics, but rather that Tyrus just isn't over. If he makes money with his "brand" as a contributor to Fox News, good for him that's capitalism, but that doesn't mean he will sell tickets for the NWA. Based on the social media feedback, fans just don't think Tyrus is very good, nobody cited anything based on who he voted for in the elections. On the flip side, someone like Low Ki has a reputation for being difficult to deal with so he might be a jerk, but it's almost unanimously mentioned that he's a very talented jerk. Nobody praised Tyrus' in-ring skills after he won the title.

During an appearance on the Briscoe and Bradshaw podcast, Billy Corgan made comparisons to Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley before he mentioned Tyrus and Murdoch, which isn't exactly a fair comparison. Corgan also said that if fans don't like the Tryus and  Murdoch type of wrestling than don't watch the NWA. My guess would be that as long as Tyrus is world champion, fans will take Corgan's advice for the product.

What's the status of Full Gear?

With just one more Dynamite broadcast before the Full Gear pay-per-view, the first PPV since the infamous All Out media scrum that will probably lead to the departure of CM Punk, the question can be asked, is this build toward Full Gear going to be effective?

As we saw on Dynamite, Samoa Joe turned heel and attacked Wardlow, setting up a title match for the TNT championship or potentially the ROH TV belt. While Samoa Joe is the Ring Of Honor Television champion, as I’ve said before many times in this column, I don’t put any stock into the ROH brand. The reasons for that are numerous, but since that was already covered, I won’t retread all of it again, except to say that being an ROH champion in 2022, at least for Samoa Joe, has not provided him with any progress in his AEW tenure. If anything, Samoa Joe stalled considerably from not only his debut, but also the run that he had in the Owen Hart memorial tournament. His feud against Jay Lethal did him no favors either, and the argument could be made that he has almost no momentum right now. Granted, Joe took time off to do some film work, which is fine, but it still speaks to the fact that he has not built any true momentum since his AEW debut. Again, outside of the Owen Hart tournament, he hasn’t been booked for any marquee matches, especially when you consider that the Lethal feud was secondary. The heel turn was necessary because it’s not only gave Joe a fresh coat of paint, it also gave him a purpose on the show. Even if this TNT title feud is just to give Wardlow a notable opponent, this also gives the Joe character a direction on AEW programming. 

Speaking of which, the lack of true direction is apparent when you take into account how many people are on the roster compared to how many are involved in a storyline that is meaningful and progresses on the show. The heel turn for Joe is probably the best use of his character at this point, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Tony Khan has missed the boat to make the most of an establish star on the roster that is theoretically towards the latter stages of his career. That is another problem with the structure of AEW, there are several talented wrestlers with name value that haven't been fully utilized, which translates to the investment in their contract not being fully utilized either.

For his role, Wardlow must continue to present himself like a star and be able to continue to look like a star while working competitive matches against name talent. That being said, as talented and as much potential as Wardlow has, the way he has been used since thae TNT title win hasn’t really done anything to further establish him. Somehow, Wardlow ended up in a tag team with Samoa Joe because Tony Khan didn't seem to have anything better for him to do on the show. Sure, some might say that the tag team was booked to set up for the heel turn, but even if that was the case, Wardlow coasted through the shows without a storyline for the TNT title too long and doesn't have the hype around him that he had when he initially started the power bomb gimmick. This is where the lack of a clear long-term direction with steady progress can affect how a prospect is presented and more specifically, how over a competitor can get with the audience. Don’t give me wrong, I still think Wardlow is money, but his character was more or less booked to coast along in a tag team instead of making progress to further establish himself as the TNT champion. Hopefully, this feud with Samoa Joe can provide the physical matches that can put a spotlight on him and thus reaffirm his potential to the audience.

It was also announced on the show that Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal will be in a tag match against Darby Allin and Sting at Full Gear. As I wrote last week, you have to give Jarret credit for landing another job with a national organization at his age. That said, I also mentioned that at this point, there’s really no reason or demand for the 55-year-old grappler to compete in the ring or even necessarily be involved in storylines. This tag match makes sense if Tony Khan wants to use some WCW history, while at the same time giving Sting another legend to work with. Beyond that, this should be a one-off with Jeff Jarrett in the ring. Don’t get me wrong, Jarrett is in great shape for his age, but on a national level there’s a minimal role for any 55-year-old, particularly for someone of Jarrett's level. But, for a one-off on a pay-per-view, it’s an entertaining concept to see Jarrett and Sting in the same ring again based on their history. However, the most interesting aspect of Jarrett's AEW deal might be what he can bring to the company as far as the structure of the organization.

Saraya, the former Paige, cut a fiery promo in the ring to reveal that she was medically cleared to wrestle again, concluding speculation about if the 30-year-old star would be physically able to compete again after a serious neck injury put her career in doubt over five years ago. On one hand, the time away from the ring gave her more time to heal so if there was a chance that she could heal enough to wrestle again then this would be the opportunity. On the other hand, as is the nature with any scenario like this, there will always be a level of concern, at least at first, for every bump she takes in the ring. Considering what she endured on a personal level, if she is healthy and there is no direct risk another neck injury then it’s great to see her get the chance to perform again.

While the promo Wednesday had its strong points, it’s still fair to say that Saraya's promo work thus far in AEW was hit or miss. Along with that, I understand that there’s a pay-per-view on the calendar, but this particular match-up seems somewhat rushed. With as much as Tony Khan enjoys throwing gimmick matches on television, I think he could’ve booked the initial Saraya vs Britt Baker match at Winter is Coming before the rematch was put on pay-per-view. That way the feud has some time to build towards a more natural conclusion on pay-per-view as opposed to booking it for Full Gear with only a few weeks to hype the match.

 

Finally, based on the MJF promo that aired on the broadcast, it seems like he will eventually complete the baby face turn, but as I wrote previously, I don't think the MJF persona, specifically how it was portrayed prior to this lends itself to an antihero role. In some ways, Tony might've booked himself into a corner because if it was a swerve and MJF was still aligned with The Firm all along then it's predictable. If MJF actually turns baby face, it might be a rather flat way to win the championship since the presentation of his character in the past few years doesn't mesh with the previously mentioned antihero role. Unless there's some type of surprising conclusion, and it's possible there will be, I'm not sure how this will be booked to elevate MJF with a title victory. It would be great if Regal turns heel to join him because the endorsement from a legend would be a stamp of approval for MJF as champion. But, right now, there isn't much of a grudge match built for the main event of the pay-per-view.

What's next for Theory?

The biggest story of the year and arguably the biggest in the history of professional wrestling unfolded earlier this year when Vince McMahon, who bought the WWWF from his dad in 1983 before he took the company national, "retired" from the company after the Wall Street Journal reported millions of dollars of hush money payments were made in the previous 15 years to keep his affairs quiet. It goes without saying that McMahon is a major reason why the WWE is a publicly traded global corporation today. However, it was the same board of directors that was formed when the company went public, allowing him to become a billionaire, that ultimately hired a firm for the investigation that sent him into retirement.

The details of that story were discussed at length at the time, and I'm sure there will eventually be books written about the swift fall of the emperor of sports entertainment. As much as Vince's influence on the business will always remain a part of the fabric of the industry, the shift in direction and philosophy might be nearly as impactful in retrospect. Of course, we know the old Vince tropes that he fell back on when the numbers were down or a somewhat narrow-minded view of what type of superstar could be a successful draw based on the patterns of the past. In some ways, in the post-WCW landscape, especially in the early-2000s, some of the McMahon tactics were recycled so often that they became punch lines if a segment was particularly subpar. I don't think I've ever heard someone say they have tickets to the "sports entertainment matches," but somehow the company with wrestling in its name was banned from using the word on its programs. The people in the audience that bought tickets to the "sports entertainment matches" weren't fans, they were members of the "WWE universe" on television. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand packaging the broadcasts as "sports entertainment" and for years in the late-90s, there was a reference to the term in the opening video packages of shows. Buying commercial time on sports entertainment programming sounds like a better investment to advertisers than "pro rasslin'" but at some point, it jumps the shark and becomes too pretentious. It got to the point where even the most diehard WWE fans were given the impression that the product was something that the office was trying to "dress up" for the shareholders. Keep in mind, wrestling is quite literally still on the marquee.

When Triple H took over the company, something that looked to be a done deal for years before NXT was repackaged in recent years and some thought it would be Nick Khan to take over, it looked like all the pieces of the previous puzzle were back in place. So, naturally, NXT was rebranded again and a slew of talent, many that were cut during the pandemic because the McMahon regime thought they were expendable, were brought back into the organization.

As I've written before, I don't think the changes implemented by Triple H, now or in the future, are necessarily anything too earth-shattering on their own. The goal for the WWE is and will remain to draw the general public to the product. Remember, the WWE is the Walmart of pro wrestling, it's easily accessible and relatively cheap, especially when you considered that pay-per-views, broadcasts that used to be the biggest revenue stream for the company, are either $4.99 or in some cases free with a cable package. The goal is to get the causal fans to tune into the show, which became even more of a priority when the company landed the major television deals. That being said, the sum of the small changes can allow for a more organic presentation. The fact that the word wrestling can be said on a wrestling show didn't tank the stock price.

For the past several years, McMahon relied on nostalgia to boost events rather than taking any risk to build around younger talent. Sure, it allowed for nostalgic runs for guys like Sting, Goldberg, and others, but the downside of that strategy is that by nature, it has a limited draw. We all know what can happen when the office tries to play those cards too many times on key events. Aside from the quality being hit or miss, you can only rely on so many aging legends for so long until there simply isn't anyone else to bring back from a prior top-tier level. This was made very clear when Steve Austin was brought out of retirement to sell tickets to a stadium show at Wrestlemania this year.

Outside of Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, and Ronda Rousey, the rest of the roster was kept at a secondary level. The McMahon philosophy didn't create anyone else to truly move the needle, and the argument could be made that John Cena is still the last legitimate money-drawing star the company made over 15 years ago.  Make no mistake, Roman is a star and he’s  doing the best work of his career as a heel. But, at the same time, you wouldn’t put Roman on the same level as some of the other top guys from the eras preceded him. It’s beyond his control but as far as main stream popularity, he’s not on the same level as The Rock, Stone Cold, or John Cena because the business itself isn’t as popular with the main stream audience. However, Roman is one of those top-tier talents that could’ve been a star in any era. He’s just a big fish in a small pond because the brand is usually promoted ahead of individual stars. As I’ve written in the past, there are positives and negatives to that but at this point there must be a definitive shift towards the future.

What other star from the 90s can they bring back to boost Wrestlemania? Some might say that booking Steve Austin in the main event of night one of Wrestlemania this year was the final nostalgia card that they could play to substitute for a lack of star power of the current roster.

Only time will tell if the Triple H philosophy builds those stars that can draw in the future, but after Raw this past week, it seems clear that he didn't buy into a prior Vince McMahon project, the push of Austin Theory. I wrote a few weeks ago that while Theory is decent enough, there wasn't anything that made me think he was potentially the next top guy. Instead, I'd guess that's the future for someone like Bron Breakker. Still, Theory won the MITB contract, and the office had to do something with it. The pay off of a successful cash-in can propel a competitor to the next level, but a failed attempt implies the opposite for their career trajectory. After Seth Rollins was beat down, Theory attempted to cash-in for the US title, which is rather odd because the world title is promoted as the top championship in the company. Rollins kicked out of Theory's signature moves and then beat him to retain the title. Rollins was beat down by Bobby Lashley, but still defeated Theory, which leaves Austin Theory completely flat.

At this point, keeping him off of television for a few months and scripting him to show up in NXT might be the only way to avoid him getting labeled as a total flop. As mentioned, the overall goal of the WWE product will remain the same, but how to get there and thus how effective it will be are different under the Triple H regime. Proof of that is that Vince's project was made to look like anything but a future star this past week on Raw. It remains to be seen how effective the Triple H philosophy will be on a long term basis, but he's definitely not using the McMahon playbook for the company.

Crown Jewel review

Amid reports of a potential threat from Iran, the WWE was full steam ahead for its propaganda tour and most lucrative event in Saudi Arabia this weekend for Crown Jewel. While the controversy persisted, many wondered if the mega cash that the government pays for these tours would be worth the money. In the past, names like Goldberg, The Undertaker, Shawn Micheals, and others made the trip for the almighty dollar, making millions for just one match in the process. Granted, there's a certain level of sleaze with these shows because essentially, any moral compass an individual might have is ignored for a specific amount of cash. On the other hand, you can't be surprised when the pro wrestling business doesn't have standards, and the entire point of the industry is to make money.

That being said, without the nostalgia to boost what were often glorified house shows in prior years, it looked like management used this event to actually progress some of the storylines throughout the show, which at the very least gave American fans a reason to watch a "premium live event" at noon on a Saturday.

The show opened with Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley, and it had Paul Heyman's finger prints all over it, as it started as a fireworks show right from the bell. It was all the big moves thrown out there at once before a quick conclusion. In many ways, this was almost a carbon copy of their Royal Rumble match from earlier this year, which is fine because it was an entertaining contest. The match only went about five minutes so Brock was probably happy to be back on the private jet before the finish of the second match. Brock got the win, and that sets up for a rubber match since Lashley won the previously mentioned Rumble bout. Bobby attacked Lesnar post-match, which was needed because up until this point, there wasn't a clear baby face or heel in this angle. Brock jumped Bobby to cost him the US title in a rather random segment on Raw that was only designed to set up this Saudi match to get Lesnar on the show. Cowboy Brock is a baby face so it initially didn't make sense for him to jump Lashley, but the post-match beat down at  Crown Jewel allows for more context to set up the eventual rubber match. So, Bobby appears to be the heel going forward, and it should be noted that Lashley has done the best work of his entire career during this current run.

Damage Control beat Asuka and Alexa Bliss to become the new Women's Tag Team champions, and while it makes sense to put the belts on Dakota and Io, I'm wondering why Asuka and Bliss were used as transitional champions, unless the office thought that the previous champions didn't have enough star power for a Saudi show? Regardless, this was another example of the tremendous talent in the women's division. It was all action and everything was crisp, which kept a pace that built toward the finish. Maybe there are other plans for Bliss, but for the first time in its existence, it seems like there will be a spotlight on the women's tag belts with the association of Damage Control as champions.

Man, Karrion Kross has come a long way since he was aimlessly wearing a gladiator helmet on Raw. Granted, Drew McIntyre is one of the most well-rounded performers in the sport today, but it was very interesting to see Kross in a featured bout on the show when the previous regime didn't have anything for him. Kross and McIntyre work very well together, and each continue to benefit from this angle. Kross has a chance to show that he wasn't some random guy that had a silly outfit, and this feud put more of a spotlight on Drew after he was lost in the shuffle somewhat in recent months. The structure of the match was rather simple, with the baby face trying to overcome the odds as the heels put obstacles in his way, which is completely fine because it accomplished the goal of the storyline. There's no reason to reinvent the wheel if the classic narrative can get the job done. The heels tried to break the rules, with Scarlett spraying Drew in the eyes and locking the cage door before McIntyre eventually overcame the odds to get the win. It will be interesting to see if management tries to get another PPV match from this feud or if this was the conclusion of the storyline.

Something I have to point out, the amount of video packages and commercials at this point, and it continued throughout the event was so ridiculous it was almost comical. After each match, you could've went to the kitchen to get some food, or probably taken a short dive to get a takeout order from your favorite local wing place, and get back in time before the opening bell to the next match. I understand that these commercials are why the company makes the money from these broadcasts, but if nothing else, they should at least consider cutting down on the video packages because it makes for such a tedious viewing experience.

The OC vs. Judgment Day was a rather basic six man tag so there's not much to discuss about it, except that the finish that saw Rhea Ripley help her team get the win sets up for a female member to join the OC, which makes sense. As far as the actual faction, you have to give all the members of The Judgment Day credit, they took a stable that didn't have much direction and appeared to be on its way to fizzling out and made progress with each of the characters in the group. I don't know how far up the card Domink Mysterio will go, but for the first time in his entire WWE tenure, it looks like he belongs there rather than just being there because of his last name. That's not to say he doesn't have talent, but rather from a storyline perspective, the justification for him being on Raw the past few years was simply because he was Rey's son. As far as purpose and progress, the faction also rejuvenated Finn Balor's status too. In a similar way, Damien Priest has the most direction of his WWE run. It goes without saying that Rhea Ripley has the potential to be a major star and this stable helps put the spotlight on her.

I won't take a lot of time to discuss Braun Strowman vs. Omos, mostly because it was extremely basic, but there's nothing wrong with that. This was the monster movie match on the card, and the face off was more or less the key moment. That said, this was probably the best Omos match you're going to find and the six minutes it was given was a wise decision. Braun got the victory, but I'm not sure how many rematches could realistically be booked for this contest.

The Brawling Brutes vs. The Usos was a quality tag match and it continues to prove that the WWE has a solid tag team division when management chooses to showcase it. This was only about 10 minutes so it didn't drag at any point, but given The Bloodline storyline, there was never a point where you thought there was realistically a chance where the belts could switch. This contest had good action, but there wasn't much drama because you knew The Usos were going to retain the titles.

Very similar to their recent matches, Bianca Belair vs. Bayley was quality action and very entertaining. The Last Woman Standing match had physicality, but still allowed for the sizzle of sports entertainment with the golf cart spots. The bump that Bayley took from the golf cart onto the table that didn't break looked brutal. The finish of the match was well done because it wasn't the same Rocky/Apollo finish that the vast majority of last man standing matches use for the conclusion. Bianca retained, but it would be great to see another Bianca/Bayley match on pay-per-view.

When Logan Paul debuted in the WWE, I made a point not to review his match, mostly because I will never understand the concept of "being famous for being famous." Despite technically still being in the demographic that might be a part of such a following, I've never watched any of the Logan or Jake Paul Youtube content. I guess I'm an old soul because I have absolutely no interesting in watching the Kardashians get coffee or one of the Paul brothers go shopping for furniture on Youtube.

It goes without saying that Logan Paul is athletic, but as I said when the match was announced a few months ago, if Logan Paul, someone with only two matches, has a competitive match with Roman Reigns, what does that say about the rest of the roster that he steam rolled as champion in the past two years? Being a WWE superstar is supposed to be the pinnacle of sports entertainment, what does it say about the caliber of athlete in the WWE when the dominate champion is selling for someone that isn't an actual competitor? Don't get me wrong, I understand that the Saudis are paying that $40 million per show for western star power, not necessarily a wrestling show, but the optics of how this could make the rest of the product look should be taken into consideration, especially after The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that the numbers for the Logan Paul segments on Raw aren't higher than the usual segments. Sure, Logan Paul has a following, I don't understand why, but he was able to became a social media star and make money from it. Fair play, that's capitalism, I don't blame anyone for making the most money possible. That said, I'm not sure that the vast majority of his following has any interest in WWE, even when he's on the shows. If there was a major jump in the ratings when he appeared on Raw, it would be a completely different story, but the reality is, his value to WWE is really only in the vacuum of these Saudi shows since it didn't increase the numbers otherwise. Reportedly, he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the match so he won't be back in the ring for several months. If he won't be there to do more business with WWE, you again have to ask if it was worth Roman selling for him in the match?

Jeff Jarrett debuts for AEW

Yesterday afternoon, The Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez made headlines when he revealed rumors of a “big surprise” for AEW Dynamite last night. Alvarez explained that while he didn’t know the particulars of the reveal, it was told to him the fans would be talking about this debut on social media after the show. Matty wondered if this would be yet another free agent acquisition by Tony Khan, who seems rather fond of adding just about anybody on the free agent market to his roster. While there are certainly positives and negatives to that philosophy, considering that you can either call it a roster with depth or a bloated roster with underutilized talent, but that’s a different discussion for another day.

I don’t think that anyone could’ve guessed that the surprise would be the All Elite debut of long-time veteran, WWE Hall of Famer, and TNA founder Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett, a true pro of the sports entertainment business, has a career that spans decades. His legendary father, Jerry, who promoted cards in Memphis on a shoestring budget for several years, taught his son the ropes, both literally and figuratively, as Double J had an accomplished full-time career inside the ring ropes, working for virtually every major promotion of his era. When you take into account that Double J took TNA from the dingy Asylum in Nashville to a national entity before its eventual collapse, there’s no doubt that Jarrett has found a way to continue to survive in the sports entertainment industry.

Dixie might’ve finished in the red in TNA, but Jarrett definitely didn’t.

After Jarrett left TNA under less than ideal circumstances several years ago, he struggled with substance problems before he sought help from the WWE Wellness program in 2018. Thankfully, Jarret was able to successfully complete the program and overcome those past problems. Still, it was surprising when Jarrett signed on as a WWE producer in 2018 because he was infamously fired on television in 2001 after the WCW buyout. The controversial story of Jarrett demanding money from Vince McMahon after his contract expired while he was still WWF IC champion in 1999 had different versions through time, Jarrett maintains he only asked for an advance on the pay-per-view money he earned for the show that night because he would know longer be under contract after the event since the office didn’t realize his deal expired. Regardless of what version of the story you believe, it was again surprising to see Jarrett back under the WWE umbrella, which also included the previously mentioned HOF induction. He was one of those released during the pandemic when his role in the live events department was put on hiatus when the world shut down and the WWE road schedule was canceled. With the shows in the Thunder Dome for over a year, Jarrett was quietly released until he re-signed with the organization earlier this year. He continue to work in the producer and live event roles before he was released again just three months into the tenure. However, that had more to do with the “retirement” of Vince McMahon than anything else. Triple H, who took over the company in July, brought in his own crew to implement his vision for the product, which isn’t anything new in the history of the sport. A new booker always brought their own talent to put a fresh coat of paint on a company or territory. After such an accomplished career, many assumed that Jarrett would continue his ventures outside of the wrestling business, as well as his successful podcast with Conrad Thompson. Despite being 55 years old, Double J is still in good shape, which we saw when he worked the tag match with Jay Lethal for the Ric Flair’s last match in July.

Jarrett  made his impact on AEW when he smashed his signature guitar over Darby Allin. He cut an anti-AEW promo against the audience, seemingly to put a spotlight on some of the common criticism of the fan base to generate heat. This is somewhat similar to the role that Dan Lambert had with American Top Team, but it’s certainly a different presentation with a veteran of the sport like Jeff Jarrett. Undoubtedly a resource, he could bring a lot to the table for AEW, but it remains to be seen where this on-screen role will take him.

Truthfully, and this isn’t meant as a knock against Jarrett as a performer or what he’s accomplished, I think that his role should be kept behind the scenes. As noted, the 55-year-old semi-retired grappler is still in good shape, but outside of a potential one-off match against Sting,the vast majority of the AEW roster work a style that would be too much of a clash for him. Even with his ability to still generate legitimate heat on the mic, the fact that he was paired with the Lethal stable, it’s a secondary act and therefore the importance of an angle involving Jarrett on the show would also be almost automatically secondary in the grand scheme of things. Tony Khan tweeted after the Dynamite  went off the air that Jarrett would work in the live event side of the organization. Considering this is what Jarrett had been doing prior to his WWE departure and his experience in live event promotion with TNA, His ability to contribute to All Elite might be the office work instead of what he can do in front of the camera. There’s nothing wrong with that either because the chance to have brilliant minds to work with the younger talent is a very valuable asset.

At the same time, the criticism that the younger grapplers in AEW do not fully utilize the coaches that are available to them was given a level of credibility when Billy Gunn, who is having a career resurgence alongside The Acclaimed, mentioned that the roster does not consult with names like Dean Malenko, Jerry Lynn, or others on a recent podcast. If that’s the case, Jarrett ability to tutor the next generation on the true tricks of the trade and more specifically, how to gain longevity in their careers might be a missed opportunity. Make no mistake about it, the money generated in the pro wrestling business is ultimately the measure of success. Star ratings might be nice as a gesture of appreciation, but profitability is and always will be the most important metric from a business perspective. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Darby Allin or the Lucha Brothers should work a headlock for eight minutes on television, but if a talent shortens their career with unnecessary risks, it also shortens the time frame that they can draw money for a promotion, as well as make the most money possible in their prime to provide a level of financial security for themselves. Outside of the office work, the concept of career longevity and a balanced approach of when to take risks might also be extremely valuable assets that Jarret can bring to AEW.

Of course, there will be critics that view this as Jarret trying to latch on to a billionaire that is funding a wrestling project. That might be true because as accomplished as Jarrett‘s career is, the carny aspects of his career are another reason that he has survived in the industry for years. So, it remains to be seen if Jarrett is just there to collect a check from Tony Khan or if he could potentially have a backstage impact that would have a ripple effect toward a positive contribution for the company. Only time will tell how wise this latest hire was for Tony Khan, but more than anything you have to give Jeff Jarrett credit for his ability to land yet another contract in a major promotion in the United States.

What's the status of Crown Jewel?

This Saturday, the WWE is scheduled to return to Saudi Arabia for one of its very lucrative and very controversial events. As was the case after the Saudi government planned the murder of journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, controversy also surrounds this weekend's Crown Jewel pay-per-view. Just days before the broadcast is scheduled to air live, there are reports from The Wall Street Journal that both the United States and the Saudi government were told of possible attacks from Iran against Saudi Arabia, stemming from ongoing tension in the region. Reportedly, WWE officials are "monitoring" the situation, but with the plans that the roster will arrive in Saudi a few days before the show, the threat of harm to the talent extends beyond just the on-air time frame of the event.

With threats of international attacks a topic of conversation, along with the other negativity surrounding these Saudi events, you have to ask, is there a point where even the millions of dollars the company profits from these shows aren't worth it?

Granted, I'm sure the old trope of "the show must go on" will be the motto when the stars board the plane, but I think it's fair to at least weigh the options of this situation. When the company first announced its long-term and very profitable deal with the Saudi government, it was met with a slew of rightful criticism. However, from strictly a business perspective, it was a great move, especially for the stockholders and for the quarterly conference calls. Along with the company's pair of billion-dollar TV deals over the span of five years with USA and Fox respectively, the Saudi shows are actually the most profitable events on the WWE calendar, as reports suggests the government pays around $30-40 million for each event.

These overseas events yield a higher profit margin than Wrestlemania.

Still, it's important to keep this in the proper context, the WWE will continue to be the most profitable its been in its history based on the major TV deals and the Peacock deal. Technically, the company doesn't need the Saudi money to continue to set profit records. At some point, doesn't the revenue just become numbers on the page?

While I don't think Vince McMahon, like him or not, would knowingly put his roster in specific danger, mostly because that's ultimately the product he sells, and more importantly, he's not quite as ruthless as some want to portray him, if he was still running the company, I don't think there would be any hesitation to present the show as planned.

On the flip side, Triple H might want to weigh the options. Remember, when payment was held up a few years ago, Vince made the decision to cut the local broadcast feed to the show and then the roster was "unexpectedly" stuck at the airport with claims of mechanical problems with the plane. The talent didn't get back in time for a Smackdown taping so the company scrambled to throw together a line-up for the live broadcast. At the time, there were rumors that the talent was intentionally being kept at the airport because McMahon made the decision to cut the local broadcast feed. Nothing was officially confirmed, but most seem to speculate that the talent were used as pawns because of the payment disagreement. Obviously, those issues were resolved and the company was paid per the agreement since WWE returned there. However, at some point, aren't there enough red flags that even the millions of dollars isn't enough to put the roster in jeopardy?

Aside from the murder of a journalist and the criticism of the treatment of women in the country, the whole agreement seems sleazy because it essentially proves that with enough money, anything is possible. The Saudi government has massive wealth from the oil industry in the country and uses that cash to buy propaganda material in an attempt to claim the country is making progress in equality. It's not limited to WWE, as boxing, golf, and other entertainment acts accepted the Saudi cash to perform in the country.

Ted DiBiase was right, everyone has a price.

Granted, I'm not in the position to make millions of dollars from this event so it's rather easy for me to say this, but my two cents on the whole situation would be to postpone the event until the tension in the region is resolved. God forbid, if there was a political attack at the venue or during the event, it would be the absolutely worst case scenario for the WWE. That's why this situation is very risky because there's very little margin for error so to speak. Either nothing happens and everyone is fine, and hopefully, that's how this event happens, or there's an attack that could put lives at risk.

It goes without saying that the Saudis are paying for star power from the western world so that's why Logan Paul was booked against Roman Reigns. These events, despite being produced by the WWE, aren't booked for a sports entertainment audience, but rather the Saudi government since that's what the country pays for. Brock Lesnar is on the card in a match with Bobby Lashley, which might've been a major money match at The Royal Rumble, but will be put on Peacock at noon on a Saturday because of the mega cash the Saudis pay for these events. That's another key point to remember within this whole discussion, WWE management dilutes its own scheduled booking to accommodate these shows. That's how important the Saudi money is to the company.

Still, at what point does the WWE draw the line?

Listen, I sincerely hope that everyone is safe and absolutely nothing happens while the talent is there, but we have to put this in the proper scope. There are political tensions in the region and international attacks won't be delayed simply because the WWE is in the country. If anything, I'm worried that a big time event from an organization from the west might be seen as a target if Iran actually has an attack planned. We live in an often sad world, but it's the harsh reality. Again, I sincerely hope that any speculation will be moot, but I'd still say that WWE management truly needs to consider if the money is worth the potential risk to the roster.

What's the status of MJF?

Last week, I penned an article about the impending return of The Elite trio, summed up what it meant for CM Punk, and asked the question, does All Elite Wrestling need the faction back on television? While they were undoubtedly a part of the core of the launch of AEW, I mentioned that it wouldn't be a total negative if they were kept in backstage roles, especially if they planned to retain their EVP status. As I also mentioned, that's not a knock on their talent or popularity, but rather points out that the organization, despite its bloated roster, has the depth to continue to draw without them.

One of the biggest pieces of that puzzle, it appears, is the ascension of Maxwell Jacob Friedman to the top of the card.

As we know, Friedman refused to show up to an autograph signing in May, citing frustrations with his contract, and in the process took all of the focus off of his opponent that night, Wardlow in what was supposed to be the culmination of a two-year storyline. Unfortunately, it was the start of several backstage riffs and much of the year for All Elite Wrestling was known more for its behind-the-scenes drama than the on-screen presentation. If it set a negative precedent or not for Tony Khan to cave to MJF's money demands or if it was an indication of how Friedman could do business in the future are both different discussions for a different time.

The bottom line is, the AEW boss saw enough potential in MJF to sign him to a new deal, a contract that is only worth the extra cash if Friedman is eventually put in a position to draw bigger money for the company.

That's why it was so puzzling to see who some have called one of the best young heels in the business put in the role of a baby face when The Firm, a stable formed just two months ago to help him win the casino ladder match to set up a title shot, attack him after they beat down Jon Moxley, Friedman's opponent for the Full Gear pay-per-view in a few weeks.

Granted, there's always the notion of, "how can we miss you if you don't go away" that allowed for the huge pop for his return at All Out, but outside of that moment, what exactly says that there's a demand to see Friedman as a baby face? I'm not necessarily saying it's impossible, but almost all of the potential that is discussed about him is based on his work as a heel. Sure, some will cite the role of the antihero in pro wrestling, which would be a valid point, except for the fact that the vast majority of his persona isn't based on the traits of an antihero, especially in sports entertainment. The easiest example would be Steve Austin, and while he dished out stunners to everyone in sight, he was a lone wolf that never accepted cheap help from anyone and only begrudgingly accepted fair assistance. What casts an antihero in that particular role is that they do things their own way, but have a code of conduct, which is ultimately why they become a favorite of the audience. It's a concept that can span across different genres of entertainment. The Wire's Omar, brilliantly played by the late Micheal K. Williams, robbed drug dealers to earn a living, but once said, "I ain't never turn my gun on nobody that ain't in the game" because he wouldn't rob civilians since they weren't a part of the drug trade in Baltimore. The previously mentioned Stone Cold might've stunned Commissioner Slaughter, but also saved Stephanie McMahon when she was "abducted" by the Ministry in the name of moral justice.

MJF won the title shot with the help of several wrestlers in The Firm and walked down to ringside to retrieve the casino chip with very little effort. He also mocked William Regal's past of substance problems in a promo with Wheeler Yuta just a few weeks ago. Again, other than the fans happy to see MJF back on television, what justifies the implication that he should be a baby face?

Don't get me wrong, Friedman is extremely talented and better in the ring than most realize, given his limited matches on television. That said, he was supposed to standout as the one guy in the modern era that was willing to be a "legitimate" heel in terms of staying in character in public and on social media. Some of that boiled down to attempts at cheap heat with the notion that he was willing to go "too far" in an effort to maintain the heel persona, but that was often seen with bush league antics. Some fans and even MJF mentioned it in a promo of comparisons to "Piper in Portland," but if I had to guess, I'd say that this was a scenario where those fans might've heard about Piper in the Don Owen territory on podcasts or elsewhere without actually watching the footage. Not that this is meant as a knock on Friedman, but Roddy Piper was one of the best talkers in the history of the industry, and anyone that actually watches his promos from Portland will see that MJF isn't on that level.  Still, the talent and the potential is there, assuming he will be showcased in the right fashion under the right circumstances. As far as the Piper comparisons, that might be an unfair scale, but keep in mind, Roddy generated heat as much through body language and presentation as he did on the mic. On the flip side, most of the heat-seeking promos from Friedman are based on attempts at "shocking" antics.

Perhaps, Friedman can use some of his natural mic ability to broaden his persona.

As far as the attack from The Firm on Dynamite last week, the stable has only existed for two months so there's not enough cache built up for it to be considered a drastic event, but rather an aspect that could dilute the upcoming title match on pay-per-view. Unless there's a major payoff with the conclusion on the title bout, which is possible, is it worth presenting a rather flat match as a selling point for Full Gear?

MJF attempted to save Moxley from a beat down so where exactly is the heated feud for the championship? I understand the narrative that they might've been trying to portray, but it still doesn't help sell the actual title match. Of course, there are ways that this can impact the finish of the pay-per-view. The easiest way would be that this was a set up all along and it was a swerve to make Moxley think that MJF wanted a fair title shot. Friedman would still be aligned with The Firm and win the title. The problem with that scenario is, it's rather predictable and wouldn't add too much sizzle to the MJF victory. Considering how well-received his promo with Regal was on television was, it's also possible that maybe the young heel joins forces with the veteran villain as an endorsement from a legend such as Regal. However, where would that leave The Blackpool Combat Club? Claudio already lost most of the momentum he had upon his debut, and if the stable dissolves, he wouldn't have much of a direction in the company.

There are options for how this could unfolded, but the biggest takeaway from any of this, at least in my opinion, is that it would be a drastic mistake to attempt to turn MJF baby face for a title victory. Again, when you look at his track record in the promotion, he just isn't in the role of an antihero for the audience.