Maple Leaf Pro

Within the crowded pro wrestling landscape, we've seen some aspects of the industry condense, while other working agreements have yielded expanded exposure for other groups. As we know, the pro wrestling calendar, which usually peaks around Wrestlemania, sill remains busy, with more pay-per-views being added by All Elite Wrestling on an almost monthly basis, this weekend's Bound For Glory PPV in Detroit, and next Saturday's Crown Jewel event from Saudi Arabia.

However, in the midst of the changing dynamics of the industry, particularly with AEW's new TV deal with Warner Brothers Discovery, and WWE's move to Netflix early next year, a very unique pro wrestling product launched last weekend. Maple Leaf Pro, a revamp of the classic Toronto territory of the 70s and 80s under the direction of Frank Tunny with ties to the WWF, was brought back in 2024. Scott D'Amore, former wrestler, trainer, and head of TNA, acquired the trademarks for Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling in May of this year. D'Amore, who was affiliated with TNA as far back as its days in the dingy Asylum in Nashville, ran Boarder City Wrestling successfully for several years, and has a background in business, as his family owns a well-known construction company in Ontario.

In a very surprising move, after Impact was rebranded back to TNA, with D'Amore cutting a passionate promo in the ring to announce the new direction of the company, he was fired from the organization in February. Anthem Entertainment, the parent company of TNA, rescued the promotion from the brink of collapse in 2016 after Dixie Carter ran the group into the ground. There were lawsuits and even a tax lien from the state of Tennessee against the organization under Dixie's ownership, which were paid off by Anthem when they bought the promotion. However, Anthem, which owns the Fight Network in Canada, is in the television business, not the wrestling business. Reportedly, Anthem is worth a few hundred million dollars, and in the grand scheme of things, pro wrestling is a relatively cheap investment within the television industry. Impact Wrestling was one of the highest-rated shows on the Fight Network. Again, Anthem bought Impact to keep it on the air and thus secure ad revenue, this wasn't a full-fledged attempt to compete in the sports entertainment business.

The first few years under Anthem were abysmal, with too many blunders to name, but Anthem kept the doors open, and eventually D'Amore made TNA into a commodity that gained an underground buzz around it again, if for no other reason than the company somehow remained in business after years of uncertainty. Additions to the roster like Josh Alexander, Mike Bailey, Brian Myers, and others made for more depth within the company. Sure, Myers wasn't the biggest star, but he was a solid veteran that can do anything that he's asked of, which makes him a very valuable asset. For whatever reason, Alexander was under the radar and much more talented than just another indy guy so he got a chance to shine under the TNA banner. Obviously, it was a smaller pond, but for the first time in years, there was a sense of positivity and optimism around the TNA brand under the direction of D'Amore. If I had to guess, the reason that the former coach of Team Canada built more of a following for the organization in recent years is that he didn't look for one answer to a multi-layered problem. One free agent or one major match wasn't going to remove the stain of the Dixie Carter era so it took a series of steady steps in the right direction of quality decisions to consistently improve the product over the course of a few years. 

Reportedly, D'Amore's exit was based on the fact that earlier this year, he wanted to spend more money to bring in some of the high-priced free agents that eventually landed elsewhere. Will Ospreay was one of the names that D'Amore wanted to ink to a contract, but Anthem wasn't interested in any type of increase in the budget. Keep in mind, Anthem views TNA as a television commodity, and while the executives understand that different wrestlers bring different things to the table, they simply aren't going to try to compete with the offers from the billionaire family of Tony Khan or the billionaire TKO corporation. At some point it's easier and more cost effective to invest in the rights to air reruns of series from the past. Again, Anthem is in the television business, they don't have all the eggs in the pro wrestling basket, and make their investments based on different criteria for different networks.

Obviously, D'Amore felt that TNA had a much higher ceiling than his bosses, which led to his release from the company. It was surprising, given that much of the success that the brand had to rebuild itself to something that had the previously mentioned optimism around it was credited to D'Amore. After his exit, many of the wrestlers supported him and praised him on social media. Credit to the former Team Canada coach, he put his money where his mouth was when he actually offered to buy the company after he was fired, but Anthem declined.

It's well-known that D'Amore is from a wealthy family that has done well in business in the Canadian market, and his ability to rebuild TNA during his most recent tenure there shows that he can get a pro wrestling project off the ground. Plus, he has goodwill with many of his peers in the industry, which can be key to working agreements. 

I think those aspects are really key to the potential success of the new Maple Leaf project.

The relaunch weekend of Maple Leaf Pro was based around two shows with a potpourri of talent from AEW, TNA, and New Japan, with an emphasis on Canadian grapplers. Mauro Ranallo, known for his work in MMA and a stint in the WWE, was on the broadcast team alongside Don Callis. Mauro has a very unique style that can be a little too quirky at times, but he's still a tremendous announcer and the pairing with Callis worked very well. Even the legendary Bret Hart did a voice over for a video package based on Maple Leaf Wrestling history. Considering that each show was over three hours, it would be too lengthy to parse details on every match, but I'd like to discuss the potential of a few of the broad concepts, as well as mention a few matches that are worth going out of your way to watch.

First, it should be noted that while D'Amore was released by Anthem, he still had a good working relationship with the TNA branch of the corporation. In truth, this looked very similar to a TNA event, running in a venue that hosted TNA shows previously and with a very similar production set up so while I haven't seen anything to confirm it, I wouldn't be surprised if thus Maple Leaf show actually used a TNA crew.

As far as the card itself, the talent that was brought in was very solid and different combinations were booked for each night. Some of the bouts were a little too indy so to speak or became a little too repetitive as certain multi-man matches looked very similar on the same card and then on the next night as well. This show had a little bit of everything, including defenses of the IWGP Jr. tag titles and the AEW International title, as well as the ROH Women's title so it wasn't strictly for the Canadian market. At the same time, Bully Ray was booked against some of the hometown competitors for a segment designed to cater specifically to the live crowd.

Miyu Yamashita had a very good match against Gisele Shaw on night one, and Mike Bailey had a really entertaining match against El Phantasmo on night two. However, undoubtedly the two matches that topped the entire weekend were Konosuke Takeshita's bouts against Bailey and Josh Alexander. Takeshita vs. Alexander on night two in particular was a great main event.

After a smaller, but sell out crowd and more or less unanimously positive reviews on the show itself, you have to wonder, what is the goal of Maple Leaf Pro?

D'Amore's offer to buy TNA suggested that he had lofty goals than just success on the independent level, but he might've found the perfect niche to run a profitable organization specifically tailored to the Canadian market. As I've written before, revenue and profit are the true barometer of success so if D'Amore can run half a dozen weekends a year and make money doing it, let might be the best option. Of course, it would take major cash to compete within the current wrestling landscape, and that competition might elimiate access to the talent that makes Maple Leaf a unique product. In some ways, Maple Leaf Pro could be the Switzerland of pro wrestling so to speak, a promotion where stars for different groups can compete against either other based on the trust and reputation that D'Amore has in the industry.

Obviously, this is only one pair of events, but given the level of production and the level of talent, Maple Leaf definitely isn't aiming to be just another independent group. In some ways, with TNA expanding its live event schedule into the United States more often than in the past, it's possible D'Amore's group could be the unofficial Canadian division of TNA so to speak, in terms of  catering to the Canadian market. The name alone implies that this probably isn't going to be a group that tries to compete on a national level, which is completely fine because as mentioned, profitability is the goal more than anything else in the industry.

What's next for Goldberg?

Who's next for Bill Goldberg?

The last time we saw the former WCW champion in action was when he put Roman Reigns over in six minutes for mega cash in Saudi Arabia more than two and a half years ago. Since that time, Goldberg, who finished his WWE contract with that match, expressed disappointment with the WWE management, citing a deal that he made with Vince McMahon that would've given him an official retirement match in exchange for putting over Reigns. In truth, Goldberg would've done the job for Roman without any special accommodations made because he's there for the money, which is completely fine, but at the same time, it's understandable that he would be frustrated if he was given the impression that he would get the chance to have a final bout with all the pomp and circumstance after the overseas match with Reigns. 

In fact, Goldberg expressed an interest in promoting a retirement match on his own in Israel based on his Jewish background, but talks of that halted when the current conflict in the region began in recent years. However, it should be noted that Vince McMahon is not only no longer the head of the WWE, but has zero involvement with the organization so I'd say that a new regime with Triple H as the boss opens the door for renewed discussions between the two sides.

The former Atlanta Falcon from his football days was in attendance earlier this month when the city hosted the Bad Blood pay-per-view. He was involved in a confrontation with Gunther, prompting speculation that something could be in the works for the former WWE champion to get into the ring again.

Despite his age, it was good that Bill Goldberg took time away from the WWE because as successful as his comeback was in 2016, the limited playbook became somewhat stale even on a limited basis. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to blame anyone for taking the millions of dollars that the Saudis offer for a match, but between the disastrous bout with The Undertaker, the pandemic era matches, and a six-minute contest against Roman, the Goldberg presentation lost some of its luster.

But, that's not to say that there isn't enough meat on the bone for another series of matches with Goldberg before he hangs up the boots entirely. Very similar to when he returned to the ring eight years ago, the office would have to be very careful with how they present Goldberg and what scenarios that they put in him if he wrestles again. It will definitely be a balance act to give him something of substance and thus importance to do without risking a train wreck. It goes without saying that management should use smoke and mirrors when they can to avoid anything like the match with The Undertaker in 2019.

Of course, the question is, how does WWE utilize Bill Goldberg in 2025?

Since we are closing in on the end of the calendar year, I think it's a safe bet that anything that Goldberg might do with the WWE will be next year to allow for the proper promotional push and for the right stage. I don't think it was a coincidence that he was booked to be involved in a confrontation with Gunther. Even in his hometown, it doesn't make sense for Gunther to mention him on the mic just to get a hometown pop, that could've been accomplished with the former WCW champion being announced as being in attendance at the event.

When you look at the current landscape of the WWE, Gunther is more or less the only one that makes sense for a bout with Goldberg. Keep in mind, he already worked with Drew McIntyre in 2021, Cody Rhodes is the top baby face so there wouldn't be much for him to do there, and The Bloodline heels look to be involved in that angle until at least Wrestlemania next year. Gunther is the heel champion and one of the top heels in the entire company so it makes sense to pair him with the aging legend, as the narrative writes itself. 

Look, for as much rightful criticism as Goldberg received for his brief run, limited skill set, and lack of ability to evolve during the prime years of his career, there's no doubt that he's a major star. It would be silly to book him to be involved with anything outside of the main event scene or the top guys on the main roster. Nothing again The Alpha Academy, but does Goldberg spearing a few members of a mid-card faction really utilize the name value that he brings to the today?

At 57, Bill Goldberg isn't the future of the business, but as mentioned the argument can be made that in the right situation, he can still draw money. Keep in mind, while he's past his physical prime because of his age, he keeps himself in great shape and he simply doesn't have decades of wrestling that took a toll on his body. Remember, Goldberg worked full-time for WCW for about three and a half years. He worked about half a dozen matches for All Japan before he signed a one-year deal with the WWE in 2003 before he left the business for more than a decade.

He might have some gray in that goatee, but the guy can still transform himself into the smash mouth performer that can bring the intensity for a short segment. If any of this leads to an official Goldberg retirement, I'd say that either night of WM would make sense, as it gives a built in selling point for at least one of the two shows that weekend, or maybe even another pay-per-view held in Atlanta at some point. Gunther is already scheduled to work with Cody Rhodes at the Saudi event next weekend, perhaps Goldberg will make an appearence to set up a future bout? The Royal Rumble would also be an easy way to introduce him back into the fold of WWE, not necessarily to win it, but to use it as an opportunity to set up a match.

Given that Goldberg probably isn't going to work a twenty-minute bout at this point, I doubt that the office would book him against Gunther at Wrestlemania, but as mentioned, it's possible. The biggest aspect of this potential contest is the visual more or less sells the match. Let Goldberg do the entrance through the fireworks on Raw, cut an intense promo on the mic, and then keep the match itself as simple as possible.

Some might claim that Gunter is too physical in the ring for Bill Goldberg, and in some ways, they would be right, there's no reason for someone that's 57 to take chops until their chest starts to blister. At the same time, it's doubtful that would be the direction of the match anyway. The aging gunslinger vs. the dominate heel champion is a very easy narrative. The next Saudi event after Crown Jewel is in February, and it's possible that the Saudis would pay major cash to get Goldberg back for the show, but if he's given a retirement bout, it would make more sense for it to be held domestically so that it can be properly celebrated without the time difference that affects viewership of the live broadcast in the United States. More than anything, it's really ironic that more than twenty years after his first run in the WWE was a flop, Bill Goldberg could still be a major part of the WWE product next year.

Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley debut

One of the main narratives within professional wrestling of 2024 is how the evolving dynamics of the industry have created unique opportunities and circumstances, proving once again why competition and options are important to the overall benefit of the business. Perhaps more than anything else, the free agent market might've been the biggest story of this year, and more specifically, the domino effect it had, both positively and negatively.

We saw Will Ospreay, arguably the top performer in the top performer in New Japan at the time, opt to sign a full-time deal with All Elite Wrestling in March, undoubtedly giving the Khan-owned organization a potential top guy to build around, but at the same time, being another blow to New Japan's depth, which was considerably picked over during the past few years as both of the major leagues in America looked to secure more talent. At the same time, Mercedes Mone also signed a big money contract with AEW around the same time, yielding sluggish results that prompted criticism of her work outside of the WWE bubble. Kazuchika Okada, the longstanding top star of New Japan, also left his native country to work for Tony Khan. The fact that it looks like Okada is content to coast on his reputation in the majority of his All Elite bouts is another discussion for another time.

On the WWE front, CM Punk shockingly arrived last November, and despite a lengthy absence from in-ring action because of a triceps injury that required surgery, Punk is one of the main reasons the WWE had a level of sizzle throughout 2024. I've said it many times, Punk is about Punk and he's a jerk, but he's a talented jerk that can draw money. The real-life Phil Brooks and WWE brass are smart enough to know that they don't have to exchange Christmas gifts and break bread at Thanksgiving to work together. Drawing money is the entire point of the business, and it's ironic that even those that had animosity previously can work together when seven figures can be made for everyone involved. If only the All Elite EVP understood that concept.

We also saw the NXT/TNA working agreement, which as discussed in prior articles, is a win-win situation. Especially after the TKO merger, the office knows that TNA is no threat to the publicly-traded corporation, and a smaller platform for talent to be discovered can eventually be used as a way to bring talent to the bigger star of WWE. At the same time, if a veteran WWE talent doesn't have a specific role at a particular point in time, they could be sent to TNA to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond. It's always better to attempt to maximize a competitor's skills than to have a talented performer stuck on the sidelines if there isn't a spot for them on a main roster.

There were rumblings in the past few months, but I was still surprised to see The Motor City Machine Guns, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley, make their WWE debut on Smackdown last week. To be clear, this wasn't a part of the previously mentioned NXT/TNA crossover, the veteran tag team was signed to their own WWE contracts. The reason for being surprise had more to do with the fact that if they were going to surface in the WWE, I thought it would've been five or six years ago, nothing about their skills.

In some ways, you could summarize the careers of Shelley and Sabin, both individually and collectively, as victims of circumstance.

They both landed in a fledgling NWA-TNA in its early years when they were barely 20 years old through their association with Scott D'Amore's Boarder City Wrestling, the independent league that provided a pipeline for Detroit-based talent to the Nashville-based upstart league in the early-2000s. With only a few years experience, Sabin and Shelley worked on television, and while they were definitely working a style you'd expect from young, energetic athletes that still had something to learn through that valuable experience, they didn't look out of place either.

Of course, the argument could be made that both of them deserved much more of an opportunity than they were given, but that was more or less the summary of much of the Dixie Carter era of TNA. Keep in mind, The Motor City Machine Guns were alongside a young Okada, as guys that were used as secondary talent at a time when TNA pleated with Vince Russo scripts. Shelley was known as a well-versed technician, but someone that could still work as a heel, despite such a smooth style, Sabin was an energetic high-flyer that didn't have much depth to his character in his early years, but a solid skill set that made him an asset. To be fair, from a character perspective, neither Shelley or Sabin were given much of a chance to evolve their presentation until they were paired as a tag team for TNA in 2007.

Throughout the four or five years they worked as a team, The "Motor City Machine Guns were always known as a solid aspect to the product, in a similar fashion that the X-Division as a whole was used as a foundation during the peaks and valleys of the company during the Dixie regime. They were definitely a time when The Motor City Machine Guns were one of the best tag teams anywhere in the business.

The reasons for why they were ultimately underutilized in TNA could be its own discussion for a different time, but possibly the biggest fumble of their careers was actually after Shelley originally left the company. Sabin had suffered two serious knee injuries that required surgery, but made a comeback in 2013 for a story that more or less wrote itself. Sabin beat Bully Ray to win the TNA world championship, but dropped it just a month later and was regulated back to X-Division status.

Maybe that's the biggest takeaway as to why The Machine Guns didn't have a bigger run in the prime of their careers, they were typecast earlier on as "just X-Division workers" so they were labeled as just high spot wrestlers, not stars. There were very few guys that started in the X-Division that were ever truly given a chance to work their way up the card, with AJ Styles and Samoa Joe being two of the only examples that had a push beyond the division.

For the most part, Sabin stayed the course in TNA, only recently leaving the company after his deal expired. Shelley bounced around the independent scene, working a few different stints in Ring Of Honor after his intitial TNA run, and in later years, he worked with Kushida as a tag team in New Japan. If Shelley was going to ink a WWE deal, I thought it was going to be when he was briefly brought into NXT in 2020 for a Time Splitters reunion.

In some respects, what someone "deserves" as a talent in pro wrestling is moot because much of that is subjective, and technically the most objective way to determine that would be what draws money. As we know, the behind-the-scenes dealings often dictate the direction of the on-screen product. For whatever reason, particular after Shelley suffered an injury while working the physical style of New Japan, he stepped away from the sport to pursue a career outside of wrestling in physical therapy in 2018. As I wrote at the time, it was disappointing that someone as talented as Alex Shelley didn't have an offer to work full-time for one of the national companies in the United States. Because of that, it's good to Shelley and Sabin get the chance to have a main roster run in the WWE, as the argument could be made that they were more than talent enough for the biggest stage in the business throughout most of their career, but didn't get the opportunity.

That being said, even with their successful debut to advance to a number one contender's match and presumably an eventual run as the tag team champions, it's doubtful that The Machine Guns will spark a resonance in the tag division. Granted, tag teams have more of a chance to be featured under Triple H than Vince McMahon, but it's important to keep in mind that the WWE hasn't made the tag division a truly focal point of the company since the TLC era almost 25 years ago. I'd expect the Machine Guns to have a solid run and be valuable veterans to work within the tag division, but will still be a secondary aspect of WWE programming. Keep in mind, the WWE is getting Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin in the 40s after more than two decades of wrestling so it's not exactly the prime years of their career. Still, this is a solid addition to the WWE roster, and as mentioned, it's good to see them finally get a chance to have a WWE run.

GCW returns to Hammerstein Ballroom

Earlier this week, well-known independent organization, Game Changer Wrestling announced that the company plans to return to The Hammerstein Ballroom, the famous venue that ECW ran in its latter years and a building that also hosted Ring Of Honor events during the Sinclair era, on January 19, 2025. The rabid atmosphere of the venue gave it a place among pro wrestling lore, and as the saying goes, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. It was also the site of the legendary One Night Stand pay-per-view in 2005 that exposed an entirely different audience to how organic the environment can be for a pro wrestling event.

Given the level of regard that the Hammerstein Ballroom has, both for its ROH and ECW history, a successful event there could definitely move the perception of an organization up a notch among the landscape of sports entertainment. On the surface, it makes sense as to why an organization would want to plant a flag there, especially if they looked to attempt to solidify themselves as the alternative to pro wrestling television in the modern era.

In many ways, within the past several years since GCW has been on the scene, they've been able to build themselves into that spot, knowing their position and there audience with an ambitious level of expansion, but still wise enough to avoid some of the pitfalls of trying to grow too fast. First and foremost, as much as Matt Cardona used GCW to completely reinvent himself and rejuvenate his career, his involvement in a death match group really allowed the independent league to stand out from the pack of indies. Zack Ryder, the prototypical WWE guy was going to wrestle a light tube match against Nick Gage, a former ex-con that almost accidentally stabbed David Arquette?

To go along with the intrigue of what was going to happen when someone that had nothing to do with a death match style got in the ring with one of the most notorious death match wrestlers of the past two decades, GCW served a buffet of pro wrestling with lucha libre, physical striking, and of course the signature grittiness expected on the independent level. Plus, say what you want about Gage, the guy is over with the GCW audience. Thankfully, he seems to have been able to clean his life up and has found a level of peace. The combination of the styles showcased and the intriguing storytelling around the GCW championship made it a fun product to follow. I'm not sure of the backstage drama that led to Rickey Shane Page's exit from the organization, but his feud with Gage was very well done in terms of how it built to a crescendo for an eventual Gage victory. Furthermore, the ability to use Jon Moxley as the GCW champion at the same time that he was the All Elite Wrestling world champion was another fun aspect. Of course, Cardona's involvement in the title picture was entertaining stuff because it was such a counterpoint to what's expected from the brand.

Speaking of the brand, as much as some of the production even today is very indy and somewhat sloppy, one of the biggest successes for Game Changer Wrestling is that they've been able to establish the brand itself as a draw. The group runs events across the country most weekends and usually draws at least a decent audience, which speaks  volumes to how important streaming is for continued visibility to the product, as well as the analytics that can show what regions are a specific draw for the product and thus can sustain live events. I'd say that during its peak as an independent, Ring Of Honor had more value as a brand, but lacked the same level of brand awareness because the distribution channels simply weren't a realistic option in the early-2000s.

It can't be understated how valuable it is to be able to deliver an event live as it happens, as opposed to trying to sell DVDs of the show after the results are known, it's just not the same viewing experience. Again, it made sense for GCW to venture to Hammerstein, especially if they saw themselves as trying to reach that semi-national spot that ECW had in the late-90s.

However, their Hammerstein event in January of 2022 was a line in the sand, and in my ways, provided an example as to why the group wasn't ready for the next level. To parse details on a show from two and a half years ago would be moot, but even the organization recognized the mixed reviews in its promo material for their return in 2025. For whatever reason, their Hammerstein event was offered on traditional pay-per-view through cable providers to go along with the standard internet distribution, which might seem like a way to provide more access to the PPV, but there was literally no advertisements or commercials that let viewers know that the show could be purchased through their cable providers so it was essential a zero gain, while it put the strict time constraints on the broadcast since it was being shown on the traditional PPV time slot at the same time as its usual online platforms. One of the first matches, a lucha scramble ran long, and at one point, a go home cue was sent over the house mic. As a result of one of the matches running long at the start of the show, the card became a logjam and resulted in a very underwhelming five-minute main event because they had simply run out of time on pay-per-view. Outside of that, it's well-known that the New York State Athletic Commission is one of the strictest in the country so many of the wilder aspects that the organization was known for were off the table. Finally, the booking of the event was almost a downer because many of the GCW mainstays lost and looked secondary to outside talent. Jeff Jarrett supposedly got the finish of his match with Effy changed with the pitch that he wins at Hammerstein to build up for a rematch where Jarrett returns the favor to put Effy over. Apparently, the savvy veteran did the Tennessee two-step to AEW before the rematch could be booked so he didn't have to lose to Effy.

The first question I have is, does GCW actually have to return to Hammerstein? Is it truly going to make a difference in their standing in 2025? Honestly, I don't think it's a critical piece of the puzzle, as GCW has found itself a profitable niche and could probably stay in that profitable, albeit small niche for several years. At the same time, it might be an attempt to spark a fresh chapter for the organization, which would make sense given the almost natural decline it had in terms of hype after being the most talked about independent for a few years. Still, I'm not sure what the overall goal is for GCW, as some of their small shows are still very indy, which is fine because that's part of the package, but at the same time, even with a successful Hammerstein show, the product isn't made for TV, with that being part of the charm so where exactly would there be in terms of expansion? I don't have the answers, but as much as GCW has provided a "bridge" so to speak for released talent to showcase themselves between organizations the way that Extreme Championship Wrestling did, it's a very difficult balancing act since attempting to expand too fast can be disastrous, which was one of the many the lessons of ECW.

Most importantly, GCW can't make the same mistakes again, not with the production or the booking. It should go without saying that ultimately what set Game Changer Wrestling a part a few years ago from the typical smash and slash indy was the storytelling involved in the product. You can only break some many tables, light tubes, and chairs before it becomes cannon fodder. The story behind the violence is still key to success, especially if the group looks to boost its profile.

It was a very wise strategy for GCW to acknowledge the previous blunder because the audience and thus the consumers of the product can appreciate honesty rather than an attempt to con them. Sure, that sounds counterproductive to the work of the industry, but it provides a level of goodwill with the fans, which makes it much easier to get the fans to invest in tickets and event orders online.

Again, I'm not sure if Hammerstein is really a necessity or if even a successful event is the key to a bigger piece of the pie for them in the current crowded pro wrestling market, but with the modern technology of streaming and the distribution channels available, GCW has at least a solid chance of continued success within its niche demographic. It will be interesting to see the eventual line-up for the event and if the Hammerstein show will be a part of an expansion for the company next year. 

The politcs of pro wrestling

Politics are more of a work than pro wrestling, and they are more profitable, too.

It goes without saying that when there is a puppet master, or booker to pull the strings in sports entertainment, very similar to any other aspect of life, nepotism and politics will play a role. The American political landscape over the past several years has resembled a Royal Rumble or a dumpster fire at various points, depending on your perspective. Five or six years ago, Lavie Margolin sent me a copy of his book, "Trumpamania" to review for this column. It was a nonpartisan look at the WWE Celebrity Wing Hall of Famer's history with Vince McMahon and how the narrative of pro wrestling was weaved into much of his political jargon. The book is a solid pick up for those that don't know the details behind the early dealings Vince had with Trump, and more specifically how the WWE was rewarded for its loyalty to him when Linda McMahon was granted a seat in his cabinet. Those pages had nothing ground-break, but again, worth the read for those that don't know how the association began in the 80s. 

It goes without saying that there are similarities between professional wrestling and American politics, because they are essentially based on the same thing, the ability to use human psychology to elicit an emotion with the goal to draw money. Within their respective narratives, sports entertainment casts a hero and a villain, and if the heel triumphs, what does that mean for the fate of the wrestling championship? In the very same way, politicians, especially the vast majority that are masters of the double talk, will paint their opponents in the most vile light possible, if the other side wins, the fate of the country is doomed. Pro wrestling fans must flock to the box office to support their hero to victory so that the foreign menace doesn't take the title away from the baby face, and supporters of a political party must donate to ensure the stability of the country. Isn't it ironic that the end game in both scenarios is how much money is brought in?

Even more ironic is that political campaigns take in hundreds of millions of dollars and somehow after election season is over, there's never a surplus of cash or a refund offered to those that donated for money that wasn't used after all the campaign costs were tabulated. There's never enough cash for what they need to run a campaign, but we're going to vote for one of these parties to run the country?

I follow politics, not because I have a vested interest in the outcome, but rather because I enjoy history and it's always interesting to see how key decisions impact the direction of the country or society as a whole. When it comes to the current political landscape, I use the late, legendary George Carlin theory, "when you're born, you get a ticket to the sideshow, but when you're born in American, you get a front row seat." Perhaps, it's because I've followed pro wrestling for as long as I can remember or that I've worked in the business on the local level in Pittsburgh as an announcer almost half my life, but I'm too skeptical to get emotionally invested in the ham-handed tactics used in American politics today. I've never bought a yard sign, a bumper sticker, a silly hat, or a t-shirt for a politician.

Still, the narrative of left vs. right and "the nation is at stake" has more or less consumed every facet of American life, especially within the past few years. If anyone wanted to save the tress, I'm sure a few rain forest were sacrificed for the amount of junk mail I've seen on an almost daily basis to promote a candidate. Because an extremely obtuse flyer in the mail is truly going to sway someone's vote, right?

With the shared traits that both genres have, it's not totally shocking that there was some crossover, but I have to say, I'm still  a little surprised how much pro wrestling is tipping its toe in the political waters. The simple reason is this, it's not good business to potentially sour half the audience, especially based on outside factors. When TKO management are calculating those big box office receipts for the latest pay-per-view, they don't care how many conservatives or how many liberals bought tickets, it's just about the cash. Sure, it's well-known that the WWE as a corporate commodity leans right, mostly because of Vince's well-known friendship with Trump, and Linda McMahon's two failed runs for Senate on the Republican ticket. However, the company hasn't publicly endorsed a political or let too much of it influence the on-screen product. Fans could still follow the WWE without a blatant dose of political drek.

As mentioned, the gap between the two is closing, as more of the pro wrestling industry sees an influx of political cannon fodder. Of course, we saw Hulk Hogan parade around on stage at the Republican National Convention like a clown and tear his shirt off at the age of 71, while proclaiming Trump to be his "hero." Stuff like that just makes me shake my head, not because of the political party associated, but because similar to many other aspects of the political landscape, it's low brow and embarrassing. However, make no mistake about it, Hogan was smart enough to see how lucrative the political game can be, and aligning himself with Trump just happened to coincide with the release of his "Real American Beer" so I think this is less of Hulk jumping into the political discourse and more of him being a shameless self promoter, which should surprise nobody.

It's almost as if just being involved in the political game can make someone millions of dollars, isn't it?

Alex Isenstadt of Politco reported that Donald Trump will be a guest on The Undertaker's podcast this week, which was another somewhat surprising tidbit, as The Undertaker is still very much involved with the WWE in an ambassador role with meet and greets for those expensive priority packages to major pay-per-views, and his one man show that often takes place in cities that hosts those major WWE events. It makes you wonder if or when there would be a tipping point where political leanings impact the audience's decision to support certain projects?

In truth, Trump does pro wrestling for politics, he embraces the role of a heel,and we all know that some fans loved to cheer the bad guys even in the kayfabe era. Sure, Trump uses scare tactics and rambles worse than The Ultimate Warrior in a promo after a night on the town in the 80s, but the guy works the crowd just like a sports entertainer. How often has it been said that perception is reality in pro wrestling? That's how you make a character believable and thus connect with the audience. It's no coincidence that Trump's rallies resemble pro wrestling crowds, he works them on the mic and allows them to response for the interaction to create the perception that he wants for his campaign. Trump gets on the mic and creates "bad guys" for his supports to rally against, and in many ways, as irresponsible as it might be, it works for his base. On the other side of the coin, his politician opponents can portray him as the big bag wolf, and a person will accept the version that that want to believe is true.

Kayfabe isn't gone yet.

Similar to anything else, I think the vast majority of this riffraff will fade from the pro wrestling landscape after the election is over, but it's fascinating to see the parallels between the two topics. The Rock spoke out against Trump during the insurrection attempt on January 6th, but that didn't stop Wrestlemania 40 for being one of the most lucrative events in WWE history when he was in the main event. Dave Bautista recently lambasted Trump during a talk show appearence, but his films are still going to do well at the box office. Trump's appearence on The Undertaker's podcast is probably nothing more than an attempt to secure a few more votes from the insecure "bro" demographic that associate machismo with loud engines and verbal drek that they couldn't possibly back up. Harley Race never had to tell anyone how tough he was.

It should be noted, and this goes for any political candidate that just because The Undertaker has Trump on his podcast, that doesn't mean that the real-life Mark Calaway with the absolute worst of the GOP stereotypes. It's important to note that he has a BSK tattoo as a sign of friendship with The Godfather, Yokozuna, and Savio Vega so it would be unfair to assuming the worst just based on Trump as a guest of his podcast.

Finally, too often the current political discourse resembles a softball team, everyone wants to pick a side, and someone with absolutely no knowledge or experience on the subject matter thinks that access to a Facebook page makes them qualified to offer an opinion. Make no mistake about it, one of the gifts that America offers is the right to express an opinion, but at the same time, that doesn't automatically mean that every opinion has value. Some yo-yo wearing a tin foil hat in North Dakota might think that the New World Order wasn't just a faction in the 90s, and will post that view publicly without any reasoning behind it. Unfortunately, I'm not going to win anyone over with my thoughts the dumpster fire of election season. No, the Mexicans aren't automatically bad people. No, the wall isn't going to get built even in the next four years. No, groceries shouldn't be this expensive and it continues to be ridiculous that nothing was done about it, Yes, people should be able to live their own lives privately and make their own decisions. Yes, Jeff Bezo should pay his fair share of taxes. Yes, the majority of the politicians are shady.

What's the status of Kevin Owens?

The WWE secured a lot of its core talent with new deals this year, as we've seen several performers across different companies test the free agent market, which is a very wise move, as it can allow them to maximize their value. Make no mistake about it, making the most money possible is the entire point of the pro wrestling business, and if the circumstances of the industry create an opportunity for a talent to up their asking prices then good for them. I'll never knock a talent for taking the money on the table, even if the promoter might've been foolish enough to overpay what their value is on the market. That's a management problem,  not a talent problem.

Most recently, Daniel Garcia cut a promo on Dynamite that claimed that he was re-signed with All Elite Wrestling, presumably for a long-term deal that he keeps him under the AEW banner for a solid portion of his prime years. The rumor mill online suggested that there was interest from the WWE, although a number wasn't revealed. However, it was mentioned in reports that Tony Khan offered Garcia a significantly higher amount to stay with his company. Some reports also said that Khan actually overpaid well above Garcia's perceived value. The same was said about Swerve Strickland when he signed a new deal with the organization a few months ago.

The idea that Swerve would leave a featured spot in All Elite Wrestling for a return to the WWE, a much bigger pond that is well stocked with talent at the moment, wasn't realistic. Still, Tony probably didn't want another former AEW talent to surface on WWE television, giving the impression that the talent see a brighter future outside of All Elite so he offered Swerve a hefty amount of cash to remain where he was probably going to stay anyway. On the other hand, Daniel Garcia was seen as a prospect with talent, but wasn't truly given the chance to run with it so it's more realistic to expect that he might consider an exit if he saw the opportunity to breakout beyond just the role of a good utility worker. If he would've been more than that in WWE or NXT is a different discussion for a different time. Similar to Swerve, Tony probably didn't want the optics of Garcia choosing to leave the company, based on the success that WWE has right now, while AEW numbers continue to slip on any  given week.

However, this is the true difference when it comes to WWE and AEW in the most basic terms, WWE is a money machine, they will sign talent as an investment and then expect a return on that investment through ticket sales, merchandise etc. It's not a perfect science, but the amount of money that is going to be offered to a talent is usually based on their ability to generate a return on the investment of the contract. It doesn't matter if the TKO corporation is a media juggernaut worth billions of dollars with billions of dollars in revenue streams. the bottom line is, TKO, as in both the WWE and UFC, got in the position as a dominate conglomerate in the entertainment business because they typical maximized their return on investment.

As we've seen in the past few years, money is no object for Tony Khan, and taking into account that All Elite Wrestling is funded by a fraction of his family's billionaire fortune, revenue and profit aren't the top priority. The bottom line is, Tony doesn't need AEW to make money to have financial security,  and given the massive amount of wealth that his family's current commodities generated outside of the pro wrestling industry just last year, his family can continue to fund the wrestling project indefinitely so ultimately, Tony doesn't truly have to take a return on investment or the bottom line on the page into account for the decisions he makes as the promoter.

Fandom, not business sense, dictates the decisions of All Elite Wrestling.

As the typical disclaimer, yes, Tony is almost unanimously praised as a genuinely nice guy that cares about his roster, but that alone doesn't make him qualified to be a successful sports entertainment promoter, especially on a national level. Just for the sake of discussion, let's assume that he overpaid the perceived value of Swerve and Daniel Garcia. The other side of the equation is this simple, how does Tony plan to book Strickland and Garcia in ways that will draw more money for the company than they are paid for each contract? If he can achieve that then he will receive a return on the investment and thus it will be a successful business transaction.

That being said, is Daniel Garcia truly in the position to be a top draw for the company? You can make the argument that Swerve might be a realistic choice because he was already in the main event scene with fan support, but until Tony can book Garcia as a way that will generate numbers, you have to question if it was a wise decision to pay him the rumored amount to sign a new deal?

I mention this because WWE star, Kevin Owens will reportedly see his contract expire soon, and depending on what you read, his status is either unclear or his close to inking a new agreement with WWE. I will preface this by saying that the WWE could offer enough money to anyone that they truly wanted to keep on their roster, that's one of the many perks of being a part of a massive merger with the UFC. At the same time, as mentioned earlier, there are very few that the WWE would do that for because return on investment is always the key. As a hypothetical, they would be more than willing to let Tony Khan double Randy Orton's salary for the final few years of his career than make a foolish business decision. Let Randy go make the major money and after the duration of his AEW deal, the WWE can induct him into the Hall of Fame and monetize his value again for the company.

I'm not sure what any of those dynamics mean for Kevin Owens, because as rowdy as he was in Ring Of Honor before he arrived in WWE, he's always been smart enough to be a businessman. He wasn't going to get to pile drive someone off a ladder through a table to the floor in WWE, and he was smart enough to know that he would get paid exponentially more cash to work within the WWE environment. While I don't think Owens truly got his due or opportunity as a main event star in the WWE, often being used in a role to make his opponents look good instead since that's one of his strengths, the office knows the commodity that he is, it's no coincidence that he was the performer chosen to work with Stone Cold for the comeback match 19 years after he retired from the ring.

It's possible that Tony Khan makes Owens an offer he can't refuse, and it's well known that Kevin Owens has been friends with The Young Bucks and Adam Cole for several years from their days in PWG. Owens might opt to work a lighter schedule with his friends for a good offer, but at the same time, he also knows that his star power is significantly brighter making comparable money on the stage of the WWE.

Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther

Everybody has a price.

This week's edition of Raw was taped last week because of the European tour that company has scheduled throughout the week. It's another example of how the TKO corporation, the group that was formed during the merger of the UFC and WWE last year, looks to globilize the product, an aspect that was made even more clear when the historic 10-year Netflix deal was signed earlier this year. 

However, the controversial Saudi Arabia deal was inked before Endeavor took over with the merger, as Vince McMahon signed a contract with the Saudi government in 2018, generating an estimated $40-50 million per event. This puts the Saudi shows among the most lucrative on the WWE calendar, even making it more profitable than Wrestlemania. Endeavor runs the WWE to make a profit, and even the $21.9 billion that the merger between WWE and UFC was estimated to be worth isn't going to turn down the Saudi cash, particularly for the boost it provides for the stock prices.

The controversy based around Saudi Arabia has mostly been swept under the rug, millions of dollars can do that. Prime time boxing matches, professional golf, and other American spots were imported on a regular basis by the Saudi government to be used as a modern propaganda tool.

Again, tens of millions of dollars will do that.

As sleazy as it might've seen at first, the concept of these American super shows from across the sports landscape being promoted in Saudi on a regular basis has made it more commonplace and on some level, more "acceptable" so the level of  controversy has waned. The WWE, along with other sports franchises, have become a staple of Riyadh season since it was instituted by the Saudi government in 2019. The name sounds like a tradition, but it was merely created five years ago to attempt to reshape the image of the county. Yes, five years later it's still shady and still somewhat disappointing that sports stars can be bought to be used for PR spin, but the money is what counts at the end of the day. Morals or ethics don't pay the bills. Given the lubricious amount of money Saudi makes from the oil industry, the talent knows that the check is going to clear.

So, in many ways, when analyzing these shows, you can leave the ethics at the door so to speak, it's been there, done that. We know the story, the WWE is there not because they approve of the government's faux attempt to seem more modern or as a way to move past the corruption the region is known for, but rather just to collect the cash and go home. As a result of where these shows are scheduled on the WWE calendar to coincide with Riyadh season, management often has to shoehorn a major match onto WWE programming when the usual direction of the product would dictate something else.

When these shows first started in 2018, I described them as glorified house shows because the pomp and circumstance was manufactured specifically for the Saudi officials, not the WWE fan base. This year, to placate the Saudi executives and make that hefty cash, the WWE Crown Jewel Championship will be created for both the men's and women's division. The irony that the females on the card must wear different attire than their usual outfits, but that rule isn't enforced for the male talent not withstanding for the event. The over-the-top championship belts were revealed at the Bad Blood pay-per-view earlier this month. The titles will be awarded to the winners of Cody Rhodes vs/ Gunther, and Nia Jax vs. Liv Morgan at the Crown Jewel event at the beginning of November.

On paper, Cody vs. Gunther sounds like a marquee match until you take into account that neither of their respective titles will be on the line. The Crown Jewel championship will only be used as a prop for the specific event and will not be defended at any point afterward. The two heavyweight champions will square off in an exhibition bout with nothing actually on the line so what's the point? If anything, outside of the millions of dollars (and that's what counts), there's nothing to be gained from this scenario since one of the world champions will be positioned as secondary ahead of Wrestlemania season. It goes without saying that the value of each champion should be maximized ahead of WM to allow for the biggest spectacle possible ahead of the biggest show on the WWE calendar, albeit not as profitable since the Saudis have that spot.

All things considered, I don't think this is the time for either Cody Rhodes or Gunther to take a lost, given their individual paths among the WWE landscape. Cody took such an emotional journey to the WWE title that a loss to a major opponent should be saved for a bigger stage, if he's going to lose in a high profile spot, it should be at WM 41, not before that. With The Rock's return at Bad Blood, a potential Cody loss should be kept for when it would matter the most or have the most impact. If Rhodes loses to Gunther, it could hurt his credibility as an opponent for The Rock early next year. Along the same lines, but in a different fashion, Gunther is still building his title reign and should be kept strong to fully solidify him as a main event star. He just won the title at Summer Slam, it would hinder his progress if he was typecast as the secondary champion with a lost to Cody at this point. From purely a booking standing, you simply don't schedule this match to avoid this type of scenario, but money talks, even for the TKO corporation.

How the office navigates this delicate scenario remains to be seen, but a lot of it might depend on where management plans to take either champion in the months ahead. With a Crown Jewel championship revealed, a DQ or some other non-definitive finish isn't an option. If Rhodes is eventually going to defeat The Rock in a title match at Wrestlemania next year, the argument could be made that a loss in Saudi Arabia wouldn't make a major difference in his status as the top guy for the WWE. If management doesn't view Gunther as a long-term champion then maybe that can book him to lose to Cody, but with the level of authenticity that Gunther has, I don't think it would be wise for him to lose until he's going to drop the championship, which shouldn't be any time soon.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the office will somehow have The Bloodline or even The Rock himself cost Cody the match-up as a way to give Rhodes an excuse to lose the match, while adding to his feud with The Rock so it won't damage his status. In that case, the loss is secondary, and the rivalry has the spotlight. Granted, that type of resoultion would also make Gunther's win secondary so the victory wouldn't do much for him either, but given the circumstances, a solution where neither champion looks weak is probably the best result for the Saudi event.