Ethan Page signed for NXT

In another example of how competition and free agency can benefit the industry, Ethan Page, former Impact and AEW star, made a shocking debut on NXT television this past Tuesday, attacking NXT champion, Trick Williams. Earlier on the same episode, TNA Knockouts champion, Jordynne Grace, who competed in the Royal Rumble earlier this year, made a cameo appearence to challenge Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women's title at the Battleground event, the "premium live event" that will be held at the UFC Apex.

PWInsider's Mike Johnson, who I consider to be the most accurate journalist in professional wrestling, reported that Ethan Page recently signed a deal with the company, and also noted that there would be more crossover between NXT and TNA in the future. I actually penned an article about potential TNA crossover a few months ago so I don't want to retread that again, but want to follow-up with a discussion of the concept based on the current angles that we've seen this week. It goes without saying that TNA is absolutely no threat to WWE, the Anthem-owned organization doesn't have the star power or the media muscle to compete in any way, shape, or form with the TKO corporation. So, if both companies can work together for there to be a mutually beneficial situation then it's a win-win for everyone involved. Keep in mind, the developmental show is the least-watched of WWE programming so this association with TNA isn't based on the big stars of the company, which is fine. It adds something unique for the NXT broadcast, and it opens the door for NXT talent to get more experience in high profile spots in TNA, while giving that promotion some extra steam as well. Furthermore, WWE management knows that there are only so many spots within their system so it's always a good thing for there to be more platforms for more talent to be discovered. Make no mistake about it, if the office eventually decides to make Grace an offer, she will take the contract, and she's on their radar because TNA remains in business.

Speaking of being on the radar, the previously mentioned Ethan Page has been on the radar of the pro wrestling world for a while, despite being signed to a few national groups, for whatever reason, he hasn't been given the chance to truly break out as a star. There's no doubt that Page, the Canadian grappler that made a name for himself on the independent circuit with a stint in the now-defunct Evolve group before he inked a deal with Impact Wrestling in 2017, has the tools to be a star. He can go in the ring, has the mic skills, and is in the best shape of his career after he trimmed down slightly in more recent months.

He had a good stint as a tag team with Josh Alexander during his run in Impact Wrestling, but outside of that the nearly four years he spent there were rather undistinguished, which was a result of the company being on rather rocky ground more than anything else. Keep in mind, there was a year that Impact was on the Pursuit Channel, a hunting-based network, that offered as much exposure as the witness protection program. Anthem had much bigger problems with Impact at the time then deciding what to do with Ethan Page so he was more or less lost in the shuffle of the organization.

That made it a rather easy decision for him to look for work elsewhere and he was a surprise participant in the ladder match at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view in 2021. Reportedly, he inked a three-year deal, which expired a few months ago and that's what allowed him to test the free agent market. Unfortunately, very similar to his Impact tenure, his AEW career was rather undistinguished as well. It's odd because again, the guy has the ability to be an asset, and when he was given the limited opportunity to show it, including when he worked with MJF for the world title in his home town in June of last year, he proved that he has the ability to be more than an interchangeable lower card competitor. It's nothing new within the landscape of All Elite, but Ethan Page was another name that got completely lost in the shuffle of the bloated roster, and despite working for the company for three years, he was more or less in the same place when he left as when he debuted. What meaningful or important angles was Page booked for in AEW? How did his character progress within the past three years? What major matches or scenarios was he booked for that made him a bigger star?

When you consider the answers to those questions, Page was probably in a situation where he just wasn't going to get a better opportunity, regardless of the level of talent he brings to the talent. Granted, that's not to say that Ethan Page is the next Stone Cold, but rather that he wasn't given a chance to try to make the most of his ability on the AEW roster. He was in a few stables, including working with Dan Lambert from American Top Team, an angle that had some stream, but went nowhere, and The Firm, but the stable was eventually dissolved. The storyline with Matt Hardy was convoluted and essentially cannon fodder on the B-show. In each of those scenarios, Page was booked for a secondary role that anyone else on the roster could've been used for with the same result for the storyline. His last match on AEW television was at the end of 2023 when he lost to Kenny Omega on an episode of Collision. Prior to that, he started working the ROH tapings and was used there for a few months earlier this year. Again, the Honor Club broadcast offer as much exposure as the witness protection program so it didn't do anything for his status in the company.

Despite NXT being the developmental brand, the addition of Ethan Page to the roster, besides the talent that he brings to the table, is that it sends another message about the status of both national groups in the business.

Similar to when Jade Cargill made the jump, the WWE made Ethan Page look more like star in one appearence than AEW did in three years. Page wasn't more than a goon in a stable for the majority of his stint in All Elite, but he started an angle with the NXT champion this week. That equation almost reinforces the notion that AEW is the secondary option in the industry, which could have an interesting effect on the free agent market in the future.

Since his NXT debut, Page posted a video on social media, claiming that he wasn't signed to any company or any contract so it looks like the storyline will be that he's a free agent that created his own opportunity when he attacked Trick Williams. This could allow for some intriguing television, specifically with the working agreement with TNA. It's possible that Page might return there for a few appearances just to add another layer to the NXT storyline. Page actually still has some independent appearances booked as well, which could also be used to further the free agent storyline.

MJF returns

After the Roderick Strong/Will Ospreay bout at Double or Nothing, Adam Cole made a surprise cameo, still appearing to be recovering from the serious foot injury that he suffered several months ago. Cole, who was on crutches for a few months, looks to be getting closer to an in-ring return, although there's no confirmation on when he will be back in action. He was interrupted by the returning Maxwell Jacob Friedman, who was also on the sidelines for almost six months after he had a myriad of injuries to heal from after he dropped the AEW title at the end of last year.

Friedman looked like he borrowed Triple H's attire from the early-2000s so hopefully the leather jacket with the jeans was just a one-off for the return. That said, Friedman has somewhat of an updated look and that's smart since it will reinforce the fresh chapter of his career, which is needed after the entire Cole storyline diluted his persona and fell flat after the reveal.

However, despite the new look and rejuvenated presentation, was this the same MJF we've seen before?

After Friedman landed a brain buster on Cole, he cut an extended promo, and the crowd was behind it, but it was a rather artificial pop for the return more than anything else. It's doubtful that one move will be the conclusion of the Adam Cole storyline, but given that he isn't cleared to return full-time, perhaps this was a way to buy some time until he's ready get back in the ring. It's rather obvious that Friedman was booked to make a comeback at this show to give the pay-per-view an added level of sizzle, which is fine.

That said, I'm not sure MJF covered any new territory, and actually repeated a few of the useless tropes he was known for on the mic previously. I understand that he wants to be "edgy" by referencing New Japan and then Vince McMahon, but it seems like a desperate attempt for shock value. Just a brief analysis can show why the concept is flimsy and adds nothing to the promo. First, it's well-known that NJPW and All Elite have a working agreement, including the Forbidden Door pay-per-view next month so even if he made the jump to the Japanese league, it's not as though it would definitely take him away from AEW. Furthermore, MJF's overall presentation isn't based on his in-ring work so there's not really a place for him full-time in New Japan anyway. Yes, Friedman is very talented in the ring, but it's fair to say that he's not going to work the Japanese style. Finally, MJF is, rightfully so, in the business to make the most money possible, which is why he no-showed Double or Nothing two years ago. Granted, that wasn't the way to handle the situation, and theoretically should be something Tony should be cautious about when he invested in Friedman for a new contract, but the point being, Friedman knows that the entire point of the business is to maximize your earnings to be able to eventually retire with a level of financial stability. It's very obvious by the fact that Tony Khan has signed several of the top New Japan talent since the launch of AEW that the Japanese group can't offer the money that Tony will to secure talent so any implication that Friedman would consider a New Japan deal is almost silly. The name drop of Vince McMahon was also very cheap because as we know, McMahon resigned in disgrace and has since sold his stock in the TKO corporation so it's not a relevant reference. However, the bigger problem is that the continued references to WWE, which MJF did on a regular basis prior to the injury gives the impression that it might be a good career move and a subtle indication that perhaps All Elite isn't the place to be in the industry.

This isn't meant as a knock on his talent, but rather that he's too talented to lower his work to obtain low-hanging fruit. Quite simply, MJF can and should be better than that.

As a level of "commitment" to All Elite Wrestling, Friedman quoted the late great Iron Sheik when he told the camera man to "zoom," revealing an AEW tattoo on the lower part of his ankle. While I legitimately appreciate an Iron Sheik reference, the ink means absolutely nothing other than to patronize the AEW audience and probably Tony Khan himself while MJF works under the new contract. The tattoo is conveniently placed in a spot that will be completely covered by his wrestling boots so it will have zero impact on where he works throughout his career. Anyone that took it as MJF committing his entire career to AEW is completely misguided.

Still, the return to the company and the promo indicate that Friedman has made a long-term commitment to All Elite Wrestling. The notion that a talent with options chose to remain on the roster, especially after others left and have done much better in WWE, provides good optics for the Khan-owned organization, as it creates a sense of optimism around the product. Right now, the biggest question is, what does MJF do next and will it be productive? Of course, there's business to be finished with Adam Cole, but again we don't know when Cole will be cleared to return to the ring. When that match happens, it should be done in a way that gives the storyline a resolution, but doesn't remind the audience of all of the lame comedy skits from the angle last year. Keep ind mind, Friedman left to heal from the injuries right after he lost the AEW world title to Samoa Joe, and MJF's title reign was rather undistinguished because of the nonsensical angle with Adam Cole during that specific run. It goes without saying that getting MJF back into the main event scene at some point is probably a priority, and it should be, but considering that he just had an underwhelming title run, who does he work with to spark the new chapter of his career? The argument could be made that there's a lack of credible heels to work with in the company already, which is why Swerve was booked against Christian at the pay-per-view, as it gave the champion a true pro to work with and look good in the process of the title defense. But, what credible heels can Friedman work with currently on the roster? The Elite have more or less monopolized the top heel spots so maybe Friedman joins team AEW to keep him busy until Cole can return to the ring.

This is where Tony's slapstick approach to booking ultimately hinders the product. As mentioned, if I had to guess, I'd say that Friedman was brought back at Double or Nothing to add some sizzle to the show, especially after the criticism toward the company the past several months. As I said, there's nothing wrong with trying to add something newsworthy to the pay-per-view, but what was the plan for MJF after the promo? He arguably got the biggest reaction of the night, but he wasn't on Dynamite this past week so what was the point if the hype declines by the next time he's seen on television? It certainly doesn't accomplish anything for the momentum of the company or to establish Friedman if he's not seen on television for weeks.

Double or Nothing review

All Elite Wrestling presented its annual Memorial Day weekend pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, marking five years or the organization. It goes without saying that AEW had its ups and downs throughout the past five years, and ironically, this pay-per-view reflected a lot of that. With an almost absurd 10 matches on the main card and a runtime of more than four and a half hours, I'm going to try to be as concise as possible with this review to attempt to avoid it being too lengthy for anyone to realistically read some opinions on the show.

The pay-per-view opened with Will Ospreay vs. Roderick Strong for the International championship. This was exactly what you'd expect from this two solid pros, it was a physical and very well-worked contest. Everything was crisp and smooth, and the argument could be made that the first match on the card was the best bout of the night. The only criticism, if anything, is that given that this bout was based on work rate, not some long-term angle, this segment probably didn't need the multiple interference spots. Speaking of which, there was a rather goofy spot with The Kingdom, where Matt Taven tried a dive over the top rope to the outside for a doomsday device type of maneuver. Taven came up short, and Ospreay looked like he landed very awkwardly on his head. It was dangerous and added nothing to the match. Again, this match-up was booked to sell the substance, not the sizzle so the interference wasn't needed, unless it was going to be for the finish. In a similar fashion, Don Callis, as entertaining as he is, wasn't needed for this segment, especially because of his other extensive involvement on the show. On a better note, Ospreay and Strong had some tremendous exchanges of counters and maneuvers. As expected, the British grappler won the title, but the belt is nothing more than a prop, particularly with the amount of championships in the organization. Quite simply, if everyone has a belt, how much does it mean in the grand scheme of things?

Speaking of pointless belts, the Trios championship match was a fireworks segment with a slew of high spots, and the athleticism was incredible, but you have to ask yourself, did this 10-minute contest really add to the card or just overuse moves that were going to be seen throughout the show? Jay White and The Gunns retained, but I still think White could be used in a much better position, and the Gunns would accomplish more in the tag team scene than the trios division that was originally more or less only created for The Elite. However, it was great to see Juice Robinson return and he's an asset to any roster.

The Women's title match was very well wrestled and the technical exchanges proved just how solid Toni Storm and Serena Deeb can be if they are paired with an opponent that can go in the ring. Unfortunately, the basis for this feud was completely miscast and it should be a booking lesson for Tony Khan in the future. The "Timeless" gimmick was originally booked to be a heel, but it got over with the audience as a crowd favorite because of the eccentric nature of the persona. Khan should've adjusted accordingly and booked Deeb as the no nonsense technician that wanted to put a stop to the over-the-top nature of the champion's title reign. Instead, Deeb was put in an almost no win situation, as she hasn't been on television for over a year prior to this because of a very serious health scare, and was booked as a baby face when the fans don't want to boo Toni since she brought an entertaining character to the table several months ago. As a result, everything was lukewarm at best, despite the comeback story that they tried to sell on television, Deeb got a minimal reaction, simply because the fans would rather see the "Timeless" persona remain the champion, but the entire angle had Storm working as a heel so nobody truly got over or enhanced their presentation throughout this storyline. As far as the match, as mentioned, these two are solid, and there's still an argument for Serena to get a run as the Women's champion at some point in the future. The apron bumps in this match were brutal, and the same can be said about the pile driver from the second rope for the finish. Toni Storm got the win, and the match itself was very good, but again, this angle should be a booking lesson for Khan.

The next portion of the card is where a line-up with 10 matches and a broadcast with more than a four and a half hour runtime became unnecessary. Some of it was fine, but didn't add anything to the card that you wouldn't see already on the show done to a better extent. Some of it was the slapstick booking that Tony Khan is known for and thus could've been eliminated to allow for a better pace to the show. There were also bouts that were fine, but were misplaced on this card. Trent Beretta vs. Orange Cassiday was fine for what it was, but it had apron bumps very similar to what we just saw in the prior match so it became rather repetitive. Instead of trying to shoehorn this match onto the card, it could've been saved for either a featured match on television or a different pay-per-view. Trent is a great utility worker, and that's not a knock either, as it makes him a very valuable asset to the organization, but ultimately, Trent/Orange Cassidy was lost in the shuffle by the end of the night. Cassidy got the win.

The FTW title match was random, clunky, and probably shouldn't have been booked for pay-per-view. I understand the point of the angle with "The Learning Tree" heel persona and the youngster Hook, but the addition of Shibata was so pointless that it almost seems like Tony remembered that he had the Japanese star under contract so he decided to add him to the pay-per-view. It didn't stack the card, it just overbooked this segment. Spilling the dice on the canvas was a horrendous idea since it made it very difficult for anyone to move around the ring or work the rest of the match. As I wrote it a prior article, I get that Jericho is trying to lean into the criticism of his recent stint with the learning tree gimmick, but it might be legitimately time for him to consider retirement. He's an absolutely legend and in many ways, he's in a league of his own, but he definitely showed his age at Double or Nothing. The live crowd couldn't care less about who won the match, and the Bryan Keith run-in got almost no reaction because most the audience doesn't know him yet. Bryan Keith seems like a very capable pro wrestler, but does he really add anything to the already bloated roster? That's not a jab against his skills, it's more so a criticism of the management style or lack thereof with AEW. Bryan Keith had a good match when he was used as an enhancement talent to put someone over so he was offered a contract, but was there really any plan for him? If not, it's an indication of a lack of structure within the company. Jericho retained, and it was implied that this angle will continue, but I doubt there will be a level of enthusiasm for the audience.

Jon Moxley/Konosuke Takeshita was a match that was essentially pointless, as it was dubbed a "title eliminator" because of the political nature of the match-up since Moxley is the IWGP champion for New Japan, but Takeshita is associated with DDT. The stipulation was added as a way to justify a non-title match on pay-per-view, but when the viewing audience is paying $50 to watch it, the bout doesn't have nearly as much shine to it. Basically, a title eliminator, as counterproductive as it often is and a rather cheap booking excuse, is a TV match. It should be noted that this could've all been avoided by not booking the match, but since Takeshita made it known in a recent interview that he's not happy with the lack of opportunity in AEW, and you can't blame him, this segment was probably Tony's way of trying to temporarily appease him. Takeshita has the ability to be a top guy somewhere and given how much talent he has, it wouldn't make sense for him to waste the prime years of his career in catering so it will be interesting to see if he remains on the roster in the future. The match was fine, but at this point in the card, the show became a tedious viewing experience. Moxley won and it looks like he will actually defend the belt at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view.

As I said in a prior article, I think the Adam Copeland vs. Malakai Black feud was rushed into the gimmick match because the pay-per-view was on the calendar. This was another match that could've been saved for a different PPV. The match was entertaining for what it was, but most of the barbed wire, including the wire around the top of the cage wasn't used. There were two tables already in the ring before the bout started and it seemed like it really limited the amount of space that the wrestlers had to work with inside the ring. Malakai Black bled buckets during this segment. The elbow drop the Copeland attempted from the top of the cage looked very dangerous and he might've been injured from the jump, as he was noticeably hobbled afterwards. It seemed like he trying to somewhat land on his feet before he made contact with the table, but hit the canvas awkwardly so maybe that was where the potential injury happened. The Gangrel cameo was fun, and it was nice that he received the recognition. Copeland got the victory.

At this point of the show, it was the start of the "triple main event," but it was also more than three hours into the broadcast. I can't explain this enough, more wrestling doesn't automatically translate to better wrestling and in some ways, it became a chore to watch the rest of the marathon pay-per-view. Similar to how Deeb was miscast earlier, Mercedes Mone was presented in a conflicting way for this title match. Her brash, albeit flat promo style, implied that she was more of a heel, but was shown being overcome with emotion during her entrance. The match was fine, but Mone seemed to have some ring rust at certain points. It was very predictable that she was going to win the belt so there wasn't much drama that could be built toward the conclusion. The Kris Statlander heel turn is probably the best move for her run in AEW, and it gives something for Willow to do after dropping the title, but the group was completely random so I'm not sure how invested the fans will be in the storyline. As entertaining as Stokely is, he hasn't done anything of importance in several months so it will be difficult to generate heat for the angle.

The AEW World title match was what you'd expect, it was a very good performance from both performers and everything they did was quality stuff, but nobody believed it was even remotely possible that Christian was going to win the championship so despite their best efforts, there was no drama or suspense built around the result. Since there wasn't that level of jeopardy for the title, the match didn't need to go 25 minutes and seemed to drag at certain points, not because of a lack of ability, but rather than it was close to midnight. Swerve retained, but the more his title reign progress, the more it looks like he's only going to be used as a transitional champion.

Anarchy in the Arena was the main event and went more than thirty minutes, giving it the most time of any segment on the show. The problem with this is, these type of extended brawls tend to lose steam if they go too long because there's so much going on that it's difficult to truly establish a narrative for the match. Everyone will discuss the flame thrower spot, and I will say this, it was completely ridiculous that Jack Perry was set on fire and was able to recover enough to get the pin. Some might cite the Randy Orton/Fiend fiasco, and at the time, I said the same thing, The Fiend being burned alive on pay-per-view was completely ridiculous. It totally jumped the shark because the implication was that there was a homicide on live television. As preposterous as the original inferno matches were, it's at least believable that Kane could recover from his hand being set on fire. The Fiend being booked as a burnt marshmallow almost ruined his career, and he actually had to be released from the company for a year to allow for the demand for his return to the organization. If Darby Allin can use a flame thrower, why hasn't someone used a bazooka? The bazooka is too unrealistic, but flame thrower makes sense in pro wrestling? The line has to be drawn somewhere, even for professional wrestling. 

The fact that Perry not only recovered from being set on fire, but was fine enough to get the pin takes away any effectiveness the fire spot might've had, as ludicrous as it was. Furthermore, when Perry doesn't sell the possibility of a serve injury, it lets the fans know that he was clearly wearing protective clothing so the spot is too phony to matter anyway. It jumped the shark and probably did more to hinder than help the perception of the company.

King of The Ring review

The King and Queen of The Ring pay-per-view, or "Premium Live Event" is in the books, and as mentioned in the article I wrote about the current KOTR tournament a few days ago, this show had a level of importance, despite only five matches on the main card, because of the implications it had on Summer Slam in a few months. It should be noted that going along with the trend of very solid live attendance figures, the ticket prices for the stadium show in Cleveland, at least right now, are astronomical. With the advancement of technology, particularly with tickets being completely digital, Ticket Master and many other ticket outlets adopted scaled-pricing so that the cost of seats will fluctuate based on demand at any given time. Sure, tickets just days before the event might be cheaper, but a lot of that depends on how many tickets are sold in advance, and with the level of fan satisfaction that the company has right now, those that want to be in the building won't take a chance of what might or might not be left days before the show.

However, even though the name value of Summer Slam will move a portion of tickets, the marquee match-ups are what will pack the stadium for the organization.

The Saudi Arabia show kicked off with the Women's championship bout. I understand that the women have to wear different attire based on the location, but I will still say that it's unfair for them and somewhat of a reminder that these events are still oil money propaganda. The reason for it is that the usual outfits aren't vulgar or lewd, but yet the female athletes have to wear full bodysuits for the Saudi government. The men wrestling at the show still wear their usual gear so until the women are allowed to do the same, this event is about propaganda, not progress. The match itself was okay, but nothing too spectacular. There were some clunky moments and it looked as though Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan just weren't on the same page throughout most of the contest. That's not a criticism of either of their work, just that they didn't gel for this segment. The match went over 15 minutes, but they could've trimmed about five minutes off of it and accomplished the same goal with a better pace. The biggest point of the segment was Dominik Mysterio's involvement and that it allowed for Liv Morgan to win the championship. In truth, Becky Lynch doesn't need the belt, as she's going to be just as over without it, but on the flip side, perhaps this can elevate Liv Morgan's status, depending on the direction of the angle. It still seems to be a little odd that the decision was made for this storyline now since Rhea Ripley will be on the sidelines for several months with a shoulder injury, and Dominik's involvement will be limited with an arm injury as well. I'm not exactly sure how management will keep the Liv/Ripley aspect relevant for several months before she can return, but as mentioned, it's an opportunity for Morgan to boost her profile in the company.

 The Intercontinental title match was an entertaining segment that had a lot of action. It used the triple threat aspect well, which isn't always the case for three way matches. It was very nice to see Sami Zayn get a chance to celebrate his background, especially because he reportedly wasn't scheduled for the original Saudi events since there was some type of perceived disagreement with different religious affiliations from the Saudi organizers. As much as the females on the card should get the equal presentation that they have for WWE events held anywhere else, at least there's some measure of progress with Sami being involved at the show now. I'm not a religious person so I have no stake in the game, but with an objective perspective, I can say that no specific religion is better than another so Sami shouldn't have been prevented from being on the Saudi shows previously for his religious beliefs, the same way nobody else should either regardless of their choice of faith or lack thereof. Sami retained the belt, but arguably, the bigger story, which is a credit to how solid of a performer that Zayn is because there's an assurance of quality for his title reign, was that Chad Gable and Otis are building toward a confrontation. Otis might be a comedy character, but he's over with the audience, and at the very least, his involvement allows Gable to get more heat. It was extremely disappointing that someone as talented as Gable was either not used or regulated to the "Shorty G" character for several years. The guy is a stellar athlete and the office is really only beginning to scratch the surface, as far as what he brings to the table, especially as a heel.

Nia Jax defeated Lyra Valkyria to become the Queen of the Ring, and the match was fine, but nothing too memorable. The segment went less than 10 minutes so it was necessarily given enough time to go off the rails either. If anything, I'd suggest that this booking decision is based on one of the perks of being related to The Rock. Not only was Nia brought back to the company, but was put in a featured spot since The Rock signed on as a member of the board. Nepotism is nothing new in professional wrestling, but I'm very skeptical that Nia challenging for a championship is going to be considered a major match for Summer Slam. The reason I mentioned the family tree being a factor is that despite the hiatus from the company, Nia hasn't improved in the ring or on the mic so there wasn't really anything different from her prior run when she was released from the company. It should also be noted that her getting emotional and hugging the baby face authority figure diluted her heel persona. It's understandable if she's thankful to Triple H for the renewed opportunity in the company, but it doesn't do anything for her villainous persona.

As expected Gunther beat Randy Orton to win the King of The Ring tournament to earn a shot at the title. I know that theoretically he gets a shot at the Raw title, but taking into account that Damien Priest and Drew McIntyre are both heels, I'm still guessing that somehow it will become Gunther vs. Cody for the championship at Summer Slam. As far as the match itself, this was a clinic in the "work" of professional wrestling, as far as making everything count and getting the most from each maneuver. Orton has made a career from that concept, and with how talented Gunther is, it was no surprise that this was a quality contest. Gunther and Orton made the exchanges look like there was a struggle to get the advantage, and despite how simple that this, it's often overlooked in the modern era. Orton made the former IC champion look great, which adds more to his eventual chance at the championship, regardless of the opponent at Summer Slam.

The main event was booked to basically give the Saudis what they paid for, some level of perceived American pop culture, and when they are paying an estimated $40 million per show, there's nothing wrong with that. The majority of this match was designed to help put Logan Paul in the best situation possible, which is fine since it minimized his level of inexperience. That's not a knock on Logan, he's done very well during this run in WWE, but it goes without saying that he should be paired with someone that can help led the match. I'm not sure anyone believed that Logan Paul was going to win the championship, but this match was based on the sizzle, not the substance so it was mission accomplished. Cody retained and it should be interesting to see how his title reign progresses during the next few months.

What's the status of KOTR?

On a packed pro wrestling weekend, the WWE will travel to Saudi Arabia for another of its very lucrative events, while AEW runs its traditional Memorial Day weekend pay-per-view. More cache and meaningful booking has been put into the Saudi events, as they were previously glorified house shows when the agreement with the Saudi government began a few years ago, but despite the stadium setting, the King and Queen of the Ring event is still considered one of the "B-shows" on the calendar. That's not necessarily a criticism either, as the Backlash show in France was a financial success that had many pundits talking about the electric atmosphere for the audience. The term "B-show," at least in this particular context, is an event that won't stretch to four hours and will have a rather basic line-up, which again, isn't necessarily a negative aspect to the show. The only downside is that by nature, the results might be too predictable, but given the amount of cash the company gets from the Saudi government, the money is the only result that matters.

In terms of a basic presentation, the King of the Ring format is rather easy booking for the company to manufacture some hype for the event or more specifically, it gives the organization something relatively easy to promote as a major pay-per-view for the Saudi audience. Make no mistake about it, the King of The Ring was a very valuable tool in the WWE playbook, but it hasn't had that status for more than two decades. There reason for that are a combination of factors, but the bottom line is, the KOTR just doesn't have the credibility that it had in its heyday, and it's debatable if the office can bring it back for anything more than a one-off for the big Saudi payoff. If that's all the concept amounts to then it's still worth it because of how profitable the stadium event is, but it doesn't accomplish much outside of that.

One of the biggest reasons that the KOTR concept lost its luster is that management simply phased it out of the program, with notions at the time that the promotion didn't want to pigeon-hole itself into a one-night tournament format. In doing so, the KOTR faded into something of the past, archived as what propelled Stone Cold Steve Austin more than anything else that was useful in the modern era. You also have to take into account the status of the organization by the time the concept was shelved in 2003. Triple H was going to be the top guy in the company, and there wasn't any competition to push the promotion in a different direction so they didn't really need another star on the horizon every year to move up the card and potentially work the main event scene. As much as I disagree with the nepotism, considering that it's very doubtful that Triple H would've had a Hogan type run with the main event spot at Wrestlemania every year in the mid-2000s if he wasn't a part of the McMahon family, the point being, the office had their guy so a staple event to elevate another star wasn't needed or a priority.

The other major aspect of why the concept doesn't have any cache now is the way that it was used since it was brought back onto the WWE landscape. It wasn't an annual tradition or even a pay-per-view, but rather that was sporadically added to the product without any rhyme or reason behind it. Sure, Booker T finally got a main event run as King Booker, more than three years after he should have when he was totally ready to beat Triple H at Wrestlemania 19, but that had as much to do with putting a WWE spin on his character before he won the title than anything else. Keep in mind, that was 2006, and while the success was more than justified, the character became tedious and verbose on screen.

In more recent years, Sheamus won the KOTR and looked like a goofy cosplay version of a Hobbit. More importantly, he lost most of his matches after the king character was used on television and did nothing of importance during that specific run. Baron Corbin won the KOTR, and again, the only thing it accomplished was that he wore the crown on television, but his character didn't do anything of value on the shows. His losing streak as the king persona almost suggested that it wasn't a good career move to win the tournament. The last time the KOTR was held, Xavier Woods won and he wasn't buried afterwards, but he didn't make any progress from the victory either. He was in the same spot in the organization so the win didn't do anything to boost his career.

However, the pieces of the puzzle are in place and the circumstances are right for the King of The Ring to be used to set up a major main event.

Triple H announced that the winners of The King and Queen of The Ring tournament will get title shots at Summer Slam. That alone immediately gives the pay-per-view more value because there's something of importance at stake.

Gunter is already in the finals, and the finalist from the Smackdown bracket will be determined on the show tonight between Toma Tonga and Randy Orton. Given that Gunther is a heel, I'd guess that Orton gets the win, especially because of his popularity overseas. Gunther vs. Orton is a major match that hasn't been seen before, and when you take into account that Orton doesn't need the win because he's already as over as he's going to be in his career and will maintain that status because of all his previous accomplishments, it would give Gunther another major victory to set up a title match against Cody Rhodes at Summer Slam.

The status that Gunter has, especially after such a stellar run as Intercontinental champion, making the title relevant for the first time in several years when he set the record as the longest-reigning IC champion, it would give Cody a credible opponent for Summer Slam. Similar to the way that Gunther made the IC title relevant again, it could do much of the same for the King of The Ring tournament. Most importantly, it gives Rhodes a monster heel to work with at a signature event on the WWE calendar. Gunther's style and character have a level of authenticity and believability that very few have in the industry today. Ultimately, that's what can be used to draw money, and in this case, it can be used to sell those very expensive tickets at the stadium in Cleveland for Summer Slam.

So, The King and Queen of The Ring pay-per-view will probably be the B-show format that the WWE has used recently, with just five matches on the card, but it sets up for there to be bigger business done down the road on a bigger stage. In truth, it's a win-win for everyone involved. The Saudis get the social media star in the main event against Cody Rhodes, the WWE makes a massive profit on the event, and the pieces of the puzzle are put in place for Gunther/Cody to draw a major crowd at Summer Slam for the stadium show.

What's the status of AEW?

After scanning the usual wrestling news, which has a slew of reports about the two pay-per-views upcoming this weekend, I stumbled across a video clip on Twitter of Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez so I went to the The Observer's Youtube page to listen to the full discussion about the topic, where are the stars of All Elite Wrestling five years into the project? Alvarez, who I think is one of the better journalists that covers the sports, and his co-host mostly discussed the overall lack of progress with many of the talents on the roster, particularly in terms of their star power.

Both wrestling pals expressed a level of frustration, but nothing that was mentioned was ground-breaking, and it really shouldn't have been, as the problems with AEW are apparent to most viewers. However, the discussion made me consider another way to look at the question, how far has All Elite Wrestling progressed within the past five years?

As we know, nothing is perfect so by nature, there will be a mixed bag for any wrestling venture. As thrilling as Stone Cold's run was against Vince McMahon, the Attitude era had its share of drek too. Anyone remember Beaver Cleavage? World Championship Wrestling was the highest-rating show on cable before it fell off a cliff. ECW changed the business, but the same philosophy that made that impact was also a major reason why the company folded.

For All Elite Wrestling, when they first started on pay-per-view, tickets sold out in minutes, and while some of that was because of the buzz of a new product, it had just as much to do with the dissatisfaction that the audience had with the WWE at the time. Fans wanted an alternative to be successful and were more than willing to do their part to make it happen, and to a considerable extent in its formative stages, they did that for All Elite Wrestling. But, similar to anything else, you can't maintain that level of demand, particularly because of the amount of outside factors that can affect ticket sales for major events. Similar to how much of the novelty of a new product worn off and All Elite has to stand or fall on its substance, the most diehard fans that are willing to travel to pay-per-views have already done it in the past. Sometimes, it's as simple as it's not financially possible for someone to spend that type of cash every year to travel to Las Vegas. On the other hand, if some fans have already had the trip to the MGM Grand to see the event before, they might not view this year's particular card as worth the expense to watch it at the arena.

According to Alvarez, Double or Nothing have sold 6,400 tickets so far with a set up of just over 7,000 tickets available to the public. So, the company sold the majority of the tickets for the set up, but as we know from the sell outs of the past, the venue could be set up for more than 12,000 tickets so there's a noticeable drop in interest for the event. Again, there will be some natural diminishing of returns with anything, even if the drastic decline might be an indication of a lack of enthusiasm about the product.

When the novelty of AEW worn off, there was a definite decline in the buzz the promotion had, and the more that the company had to stand on its own merits, the more dissension and amateur presentation surfaced. That doesn't mean the company is doomed, but rather that two years of backstage drama didn't give the audience a sense of confidence in the organization that they invested their dollars into for it to get off the ground. Sure, they are a group of diehard All Elite fans that will continue to tout the status of the promotion, but that's mostly because some fans will always be contrarian to WWE more than anything else.

However, it goes without saying that the infamous press conference, the numerous backstage fights, the petty social media posts, and the CM Punk/Jack Perry debacle negatively impacted the perception of All Elite Wrestling.

The slapstick booking approach, and the "dream matches" promoted with talent that most of the TBS audience doesn't know hasn't yielded success in terms of the expansion of the product, the numbers prove that.

Still, a look at the talent roster, and specifically, where key talent are over the course of the five years of AEW is a way to analyze the progress of the organization, as well as an indication of that status in the future.

As far as bigger stars, MJF is a guy that started in AEW as someone with the potential of a world champion, and while his promos, resorting to suicide references and CTE to attempt to get cheap heat, often jumped the shark, he was branded an AEW guy. His dog collar match with CM Punk is one of the best matches in the history of the organization. That said, much of what was established with him as a main event talent was diluted with the silly ROH tag title reign and ultimately the underwhelming reveal of the Adam Cole under the mask. So, he's a bigger star for the company than he was five years ago, but not nearly as big of a star as he could be. His status is still up in the air, as he was dealing with injuries last year and has been out of action for almost six months. I haven't seen any recent reports about his contract status, but I don't think he goes anywhere outside of AEW. MJF, rightfully so, is about the cash, and Tony Khan will overpay him to keep him in All Elite Wrestling so it's not a stretch that he will take the better money to work a limited schedule for Tony Khan than the bigger stage of WWE. It's a smart business move because making the most money possible is the entire point of the business, but at the same time, it allows him to be a big fish in a relatively smaller pond. I don't think MJF would necessarily flop in WWE, but when he doesn't have the cheap "shock" tactics to use on the mic, he might not be nearly as effective as a heel.

For all of his critics, and some of them have a valid point, Jon Molxey is a true MVP of AEW. He stepped in whenever the company needed it and if nothing else, he gives a main event effort when he's put in those situations. Keep in mind, Moxley showed up at the original Double or Nothing, and it's safe to say that it was definitely the right move for him. He was being used in lame segments in the WWE and was more or less typecast as someone the company wasn't going to push to the main event scene again, but he was too much of a star to be used just to put others over so he was stuck in a mid-card role. Again, despite the critics, Moxley is too talented and too much of a star to waste the prime of his career in the mid-card. If his status would be different under Triple H is a different matter. He's the current IWGP Heavyweight champion and while that has minimal impact for AEW, it says a lot about Moxley's status as a global star.

On the other end of the spectrum, Adam Page has fallen considerably short of his expectations as the future of the company. Keep in mind, Page was in the main event to determine the first champion of AEW at the original Double or Nothing. At the time, there was an argument to be made that his Hangman persona was popular enough to potentially be the first AEW champion. When he finally won the belt, the booking did him no absolutely no favors, as he went to a draw with Bryan Danielson in his first title defense, but the whiny promos didn't help either. In fact, there was too much of a clash between the promo style and the on-screen character. Why would the fans want to rally behind the baby face that whines when it's supposed to be a blue collar character? Between that and the bizarre promo with CM Punk, a heel turn might be the only direction for Page when he returns to television. His mic work and character are just too cringe worthy for him to continue to be presented as a baby face on the show.

Speaking of Adam Page, when he flopped as a baby face in the feud with Swerve a few months ago, Strickland organically became very popular. I'm still not sure what his character is supposed to be, but he's one of the most over performers in the entire company. That said, nothing about how his title reign has been positioned so far says that the company wants to make him anything more than a transitional champion. On Dynamite, The Elite usually get the main event segment, and the champion is scheduled for somewhere in the middle of the show. Christian is one of the best of his generation and a true pro so in theory, it makes sense to have him work with Swerve to put the new champion over strong, but the circumstances of the angle take away from that concept. Christian is one of the best heels on the roster, but he lost his most recent match against Adam Copeland and didn't have any wins to push him as a threat to the world championship before the pay-per-view match was announced so the Swerve/Christian feud just doesn't have a lot of momentum before the event. As talented as Swerve is, does the AEW world title match really have enough hype to be the main event of the pay-per-view? If it's not, it definitely makes a statement about the booking  of the champion.

We discussed that Adam Page was in the main event of the first Double or Nothing event, and it was Chris Jericho that beat him to claim the title. It was a wise decision at the time because of the star power that Jericho brought to the table, and overall the former WWE champion has done a lot for the perception of All Elite Wrestling. As I've said many times, in a lot of ways, Jericho is in a league of his own with how he stayed ahead of the curve throughout his legendary career, but it might be time for him to consider a retirement tour. I understand that the "learning tree" character is trying to lean into the notion that he's a veteran that just wants to try to remain relevant, but it's more cringe worthy than anything else. It's not really getting heat, it's just a tedious portion of the program. I don't think this angle with Hook will be productive because for whatever reason, and it might not be Jericho's fault, most of the talent that he worked with recently haven't been more established after the storyline. Is anyone that was in the Jericho Appreciation Society really a bigger star?

So, a lot of All Elite Wrestling remains a mixed bag. The biggest criticism that I think applies, at least in the more general terms, is that the same mistakes continue to be made on a regular basis, which is an indication of either a lack of flexibility or total ineptitude. One of the main examples is the compete lack of consistent exposure for talent, as some wrestlers disappear for weeks or months without explanation. You can't expect the audience to invest or connect with the characters if they aren't featured on a regular basis. Along with that, the overall slapstick approach to the structure of the show doesn't lend itself to a logical presentation or a way to build the audience. Too often, you get the impression that Tony wrote down a few names that he decided will be a good match without any reason for why the wrestlers were booked for it. For example, Will Ospreay, one of the high-priced free agents that Tony signed a few months ago, is scheduled to wrestle Roderick Strong at the pay-per-view. They worked a tag match on Dynamite, but other than that, their interaction has been minimal. Sure, they will have a really good match, they are both very solid performers, but does anyone care about the match before the bell rings at Double or Nothing? Shouldn't Ospreay be positioned in a more high-profile spot at a signature pay-per-view than a mid-card bout for a secondary title?

There's a reason that the ratings for Dynamite have dropped 20% and sometimes 30% from where they were two years ago when CM Punk was signed to the company. Obviously, some will attempt to spin the narrative, but the bottom line is, less fans are watching the product and less fans are will to spend money on the product, which was proven from the lack of ticket sales. That's not to say the company is going to fold, AEW will continue to exist as long as Tony's family wants to fund the project, but it definitely makes a statement that changes should be made with the direction of the company. However, there probably won't be a shift in direction because All Elite Wrestling doesn't necessarily exist to be profitable since it doesn't have to be in order to continue to produce events. Reportedly, All Elite Wrestling lost $34 million last year, but Shad Khan's net worth increased by a few billion dollars so the tab for AEW is easily covered. All Elite Wrestling was launched so that Tony Khan could be a pro wrestling promoter, and if the project isn't profitable, there's very little difference so the progress or lack thereof is almost moot in this situation.

Fury vs. Usyk

Boxing history will be made this afternoon, but you wouldn't know it. For the first time in 25 years, an undisputed champion will be determined in the heavyweight division, with the last time being when Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield via unanimous decision to claim four belts in 1999, but you wouldn't know it.

You wouldn't know it because the historic bout between the two top undefeated heavyweights in the sport hasn't received much publicity, a combination of its setting and when it takes place. Tyson Fury, the eccentric, albeit skilled British champion, will square off with Ukrainian champion, Oleksandr Usyk for the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO belts in Saudi Arabia with a start time for the event of noon on the east coast. The main event is scheduled to be in the ring around 5 PM on the east coast, not exactly the common time slot for a top notch championship fight. Usually, the alphabet soup of championships becomes almost comical in boxing and can often be disregarded in favor of the "recognized" champion of specific divisions in terms of the general consensus of who the top fighter is in a specific weight class. Promoting those contests as championship bouts is often just a formality. However, in this case, given the lineage of the sanctioning organizations and the history of the titles themselves, the winner of this bout will be considered the true champion of the heavyweight division, thus why the moniker of undisputed is associated with this fight.

The reasons for why this fight flew under the radar to such a disappointing degree are numerous, but can be boiled down to the economics of boxing, the red tape of such a situation ruined the sport for years.

There was a time, particularly in the mid-2000s when boxing promoters wanted to protect their golden geese so different from the past when top challengers would fight top champions, the spectacle of the sport became the selling point, with the notion that simply the opportunity to see a superstar boxer compete in what amounted to a glorified exhibition instead of a serious threat to their winning record, took priority. The staggeringly successful tenure of Floyd "Money" Mayweather was probably what started the trend, but when you sell the audience on mostly sizzle rather than substance, it eroded not only the audience, but also the number of fans that were willing to pay the hefty price tag to watch it. Keep in mind, in the latter years of Mayweather's contract with Showtime, the network actually lost money on some of his fights because of the massive guarantee they paid to promote his fights.

As technology evolved and streaming services, specifically, DAZN got into the boxing business, offering mega cash to ink fighters for more international distribution, the economics of the industry more or less eliminated the sport's traditional channels. After more than 45 years and hosting some of the most historic fights, HBO left the boxing business, as it was economically unfeasible to compete with the money fighters were offered elsewhere. At the end of last year, Showtime followed suite and ended its nearly 40-year history of broadcasting boxing. In many ways, it was the evolution of the media landscape, something that only more recently HBO is adapting to, and something that the parent company of Showtime began to pursue, is what eliminated boxing from its usual platforms. Remember, the reason that boxing was such a staple of the premium channels in their heyday was because the access to those top fights, along with original series like the Sopranos, were one of the main selling points of why customers could add either channel to their cable packages. Obviously, HBO and Showtime were primarily selling to the domestic market and it was a successful formula for many years, specifically with the movie offerings as well.

With more media options through the internet and then the addition of streaming services, there were more options for viewers so the selling points of both HBO and Showtime didn't have the same level of cache as they had before. When cable companies wanted to retain subscribers, the on demand technology of movies available at literally the push of a button took away a lot of the marketing strategy of premium channels that tried to draw customers for an additional fee with those movies on their line-up. When there are countless media options online, it becomes less necessary for customers to add HBO to their cable package. This was only more recently addressed through the Warner Brothers Discovery merger with the expansion of the HBO Max streaming platform. Instead of marketing to just cable customers, the Max service can sell to anyone with an internet connect.

However, at the time when HBO and then Showtime left the boxing business, they were trying to sell to strictly the domestic market, whereas DAZN looked to promote internationally, a demographic that had stronger ties to boxing than in the United States because of the number of international boxing champions. The bottom line is, streaming platforms was able to offer bigger money because of its international range, but the domino effect of that was that the sport in the United States before more of a side note than a main stream draw, with only the occasional exception. Sure, Premiere Boxing Champions brought some cards to broadcast television, and ESPN aired some fights on cable, but neither of them were consistent enough to truly establish an audience in the modern era.

With boxing not a part of the conversation of the general public because of the lack of main stream distribution, the money offered to host fights was also affected. Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world, can't compete with the oil money that Saudi Arabia offers as a part of its propaganda campaign to bring western events to the country. It's a harsh reality, but when the Saudis offer exponentially more cash than promoters in the United States or anywhere else for that matter, the competitors have to take it. There's just too much financial security at stake, and the ability to make as much money as possible is the goal for any business. Keep in mind, the Saudi government doesn't bring these events to the country for any type of profit, but rather just for the publicity so other promoters can't realistically offer that type of cash. Tyson Fury is reportedly going to make at least $100 million to defend his title against Usyk in Saudi Arabia. The Ukrainian heavyweight will earn an estimated $30 million for his contract.

That's simply too much money to reasonable turn down, but the ripple effect of that is that this historic undisputed title fight takes place at 5 PM, which just doesn't have the level of importance of the prime time Las Vegas fight that happens late-night on the east coast after the anticipation throughout the under card.

The fight itself, a bout that was originally scheduled for February, but was postponed after Fury suffered a cut in training, is very intriguing even if it goes mostly unnoticed by the main stream audience.

Tyson Fury is as eccentric and controversial as he is skilled. When Fury is focused and in shape, he's a brilliant heavyweight that can use his reach to land powerful combinations. Make no mistake about it, when Tyson Fury is in top form, he has proven to be the best heavyweight of the modern era. However, the last time Fury competed, a bout that was also in Saudi in October of last year, it was for the mega fight against former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou in a star-studded spectacle. The fight had celebrities and former champions in attendance. Despite being his first boxing match, the MMA fighter was very competitive, while Fury won a somewhat controversial split decision. Many pundits wondered if Fury took his opponent too lightly or if  Ngannou was just very dangerous as a boxer. That question was answered when Anthony Joshua knocked out the former UFC champion in the second round of a fight in Saudi Arabia this past March.

So, questions remain about what Tyson Fury will show up this afternoon, but that's usually a part of the discussion for any Fury bout, it's a part of the mystic that he brings to the table. His opponent, Oleksandr Usyk is a dangerous and powerful puncher with no major flaws in his game. With a record of 21-0, Usyk has won the majority of his fights by knockout, but has also shown that he has the cardio to go the distance. Despite his notable skills, Usyk remains mostly unknown because the only high profile wins on his record are the pair of victories against the previously mentioned Anthony Joshua in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Considering that Joshua found a way to lose each time he was near consideration for the top spot in the division, the wins didn't generate as much publicity as they would've other wise.

Undoubtedly, Usyk is a dangerous opponent that will drop Fury if the British competitor is unprepared, but Tyson Fury also has the advantage in almost every aspect of the fight. Fury has the experience advantage and has fought tougher competition during his career. Fury is actually younger and will have a major height and reach advantage during the contest.

As is usually the case for his fights, the result will depend on what Tyson Fury shows up for the bout.

His undefeated record of 34-0-1 suggests that Tyson Fury will be victorious, and I will pick him to get the win because I'd guess that he will use his reach advantage to win rounds on the score cards. As mentioned, it should be an entertaining fight, but it's still disappointing that the bout that will determine the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 25 years will probably be a footnote on the weekend of NBA and NHL playoffs.