What's next for Ricochet?

Ricochet might be on the path of feast or famine in All Elite Wrestling.

The 36-year-old AEW star began wrestling in his teenage years and within almost the past two decades has worked for more or less every major organization in the industry. He was a mainstay of the independent circuit of the 2010s and became known on a global basis through his work in New Japan Pro Wrestling. His 4-year stint there had many spectacular bouts, including a match against Will Ospreay that garnered a lot of buzz online at the time.

Right after he finished up in Japan, he inked a deal with WWE in early-2018 and found success on the NXT brand, as many "work rate" athletes did during that era. Despite more than five years on the main roster, and reigns with both the IC and US belts, Ricochet basically plateaued as a mid-card guy. Furthermore, he was, fairly or unfairly, typecast as a "good hand" in terms of his tremendous athletic ability, but just not someone that had the total package to be able to be a top guy in the position to draw serious money. That's not necessarily as much of a jab as it might sound like either. There simply are only a few guys that can check all the boxes of a main event performer. Every company and almost every card needs those "good hands" to be the glue of the presentation. Make no mistake about it, there was a reason that Ricochet was the opponent chosen for Logan Paul at Summer Slam in 2023. As much as I don't understand why anyone cares what Logan Paul does, or the draw for anyone that is "famous for being famous," credit where it's due, Paul has done well in the WWE. However, the office isn't going to risk a train wreck on pay-per-view with someone that brings the sponsorship opportunities that Logan Paul does so they put him in the ring with a capable hand to make sure everything went smoothly. That's a credit to  Ricochet's skills, not to emphasize what he might be missing from his skill set.

Still, there was a notion among fans that  Ricochet had more to offer than the opportunities that he was given in the WWE.

One of the benefits of a healthy industry, and why it's so important that there are options within the business, is the chance to test the free agent market. Ricochet's WWE contract expired last year and he opted to see what his value would be outside of the company, which is a smart decision, especially if he hit a ceiling in terms of how far up the ladder he can go within the organization. Not that Ricochet is the next Cody Rhodes, but The American Nightmare is a prime example of how important it is to be able to evolve a career with a fresh start somewhere else. Nobody in the office thought that Stardust was going to main event Wrestlemania, but a six-year absence gave him the chance to ascend to the top spot in the company.

Jim Cornette had a very wise philosophy in this regard when he explained, "how can we miss you if you don't go away?" and all things considered,  Ricochet at least has a chance to rejuvenate himself to raise his stock for a potential return in the future.

However, and this is the other side of the coin as far as the risks involved in trying to branch out to attempt to prove the office wrong, in some cases, if a talent flounders, they might end up proving management right.

I'd say that it remains to be seen what the answer to that will be in  Ricochet's case, but at this point, it looks like he might unintentionally prove that maybe WWE management made the right call to keep him at a certain level. One of the positives, and in some cases the negatives, of the freedom for talent in AEW to tweak their presentation, is that some of the guardrails that are used in WWE to hide weaknesses can be exposed in the Khan-owned organization. During a recent interview, Triple H was asked about Ricochet's exit, and while Triple H praised his athletic ability, he mentioned that the former NXT star wasn't comfortable on the mic or working the camera. So far, his AEW tenure has exposed his lack of mic skills and his promos have been so cringe worthy that is was one of the reasons that the audience soured on him.

The real-life performer is probably a great guy, but he sounds like a total dork when he speaks on television. Furthermore, he made the mistake of jabbing with random trolls on Twitter so he looks very petty in the process. Finally, during AEW's series of events at The Hammerstein Ballroom last month, the New York fans decided to throw toilet paper at him, which is now becoming a part of the show after that.

In theory, if he can lean into the rejection of the audience, it could help him evolve his character work as a heel, but the major problem is, and this is one of the reasons that some view high spot wrestlers are viewed as limited in how far they can move up the card, it's going to be difficult to work as a heel when his maneuvers are so spectacular. This is actually meant as a compliment, Ricochet's one of the most graceful performers in the business today so there's somewhat of a conflicting narrative for him to try to work as a heel. Now, you might say that he's already getting heat from the audience, but there's a difference between heel heat and "go away heat." If the fans would rather just not see Ricochet or more specifically not have to listen to his cringe worthy promos, his could be stuck in a position of indifference, where it doesn't quite get over enough for him to be an asset as a heel, but the audience is too soured on him to embrace him as a baby face either.

The notion of indifference is the complete opposite of how to draw money in professional wrestling.

The reason I mention that the talented aerial star might be in a no-win situation is that he made his debut at Wembley Stadium in August and it took less than three months for the crowd to reject him. First, you have to wonder, was there a plan for Ricochet beyond the artificial debut pop? We've seen several guys show up and be featured on television for a few months until they fade into the background of the typical slapstick booking approach often used by Tony Khan. More importantly, even if they was a plan before, what's the plan now? It goes without saying that the hostility from the audience was unexpected so how will his character be used to adjust to that? It's possible that there won't be any specific adjustments made beyond what we've already seen when he will pause between dazzling high spots to taunt the crowd.

I'm not trying to be too pessimistic, because he's undoubtedly one of the most talented high flyers of the modern era, but the harsh reality is that he might not have the mic skills to be an effective baby face, and since the fans already soured on him, he might not have the character skills to be an effective heel. Again, indifference is the opposite of what draws money, and the bottom line is, that might put Ricochet in the category of just being a "good hand," not a major star, which is exactly where the WWE put him before his AEW debut.

What's next for New Japan?

New Japan Pro Wrestling, one of the most storied organizations in the entire pro wrestling industry, held a pair of signature Tokyo Dome events last week, with the trademark Wrestle Kingdom show on January 4th and then followed that with Wrestle Dynasty, a co-promoted event with All Elite Wrestling, the next day. The working agreement between the two sides has been somewhat odd over the past few years, particularly because the majority of the "agreement" saw Tony Khan cherry-pick most of the top talent from the Japanese league. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a "talent raid," that was a term developed by Vince McMahon to spin the narrative of the Monday Night war when he found himself on the losing side of the ratings battle for the first time as a promoter during that era. Tony Khan's acquisition of talent was simply that he offered more money than New Japan could reasonably counter offer for, and the talent decided to take the money and the bigger platform of national television in the United States to sign with AEW.

That's not a talent raid, that's just capitalism.

Sure, it's going to be an uphill proposition for NJPW regardless because they can't compete with a billionaire, or the expanded revenue of the American major leagues, despite being the biggest promotion in Japan. That's not a jab, either. New Japan has a tremendous history and some of the greatest bouts in the history of the sport took place in an NJPW ring, but the bottom line is, the New Japan product was always designed to sell toward its domestic market, both culturally and with its presentation so it simply doesn't have the resources of a global wrestling promotion.

In short, if WWE wants a New Japan wrestler, and in the modern era, even more so now with Triple H running the company with better opportunities given to foreign talent, more often than not, the TKO corporation can land the free agents. WWE is going to pay them top money, knowing that they are asking a performer with a top spot in their native country to completely relocate to the United States. There was a reason Shinsuke Nakamura was content to reportedly surface when he was off television for several months prior to the US title push. At the same time, WWE is a billion dollar corporation because it maximizes its return on investment the vast majority of the time so if Tony Khan is willing to overpay performers just to add them to his roster, and we've seen several examples of this, WWE brass won't pay more than they think they can generate promoting a competitor for their contract.

That puts New Japan in a tough spot, as the WWE can offer top money and the potential for a major spot in the biggest sports entertainment organization in the world, which ultimately means even more money, or Tony Khan will agree to sign some of the Japanese stars for more than New Japan could realistically offer given the organization's economic status. There was a time when the WWE would've been seen as somewhat of a step down for Japanese talent, especially during its heyday or as recently as the low point of the business there in the early-2000s. Basically, the sports-based performers weren't going to risk being saddled with a hokey gimmick, or working tag matches TL Hopper on an episode of Superstars, all due respect to Tony Anthony. Plus, Jinsei Shinzaki's stint in the WWF was just under a year and a half, with a notable series of matches against Bret Hart as the only portion of his tenure that had any importance, despite his stellar skill set. Also in 1994, there was a very memorable, but very brief working agreement with the All Japan Women's group. Again, despite some tremendous talent, they weren't truly presented or featured to the level of their in-ring ability.

Within the modern era, the old wrestling troupe of limitations with foreign talent, especially those that don't already speak fluent English, is almost considered an antiquated concept. So, Japanese talent appear to be more receptive to importing their careers to the United States. Of course, since Tony Khan is a longtime subscriber of The Wrestling Observer newsletter, he understands the value and sometimes overvalues the top-tier Japanese talent.

The combination of those factors have made it increasingly tougher for the New Japan office to replenish its talent pool within the past decade or so. AJ Styles and Nakamura were originally signed away with The Good Brothers in 2016 before the launch of All Elite Wrestling saw the temporary exits of Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, and Adam Page in 2019. Within the past five years of AEW's existence, Kota Ibushi, Shibata, Jay White, Okada, and others from the main event scene of New Japan were signed by Tony Khan.

Essentially, in some form or fashion, as soon as NJPW would reestablish it's main event picture, some of those stars would be signed elsewhere. It's not easy to create or develop money-drawing stars. As talented as most of the New Japan roster is with a higher standard of in-ring work, with a few exceptions, than some of the rosters in America because of the emphasize of the Japanese style, the bottom line is, major performers that can legitimately draw money are still very rare.

The pair of Tokyo Dome events were six and five hours respectively so to parse details on the matches would be too lengthy, but the broaden scope, both for the draw and the top bouts, can tell the story of the organization right now. Wrestle Kingdom, with Zack Sabre Jr. headlining against  Shota Umino drew just under 25,000 fans. Wrestle Dynasty saw Sabre Jr. defend the IWGP belt against Ricochet, garnering just over 15,000 fans in the building. Umino is a solid performer, but the general notion is that he's not a star yet. The numbers for Wrestle Kingdom more or less confirm that. Sabre Jr. is one of the most gifted technicians of his general, but if I had to guess, I'd say that he was only given a reign with the heavyweight championship based on the complete lack of depth on the current roster. I'm not surprised that his defense against Ricochet drew significantly less than the traditional dome event the day before. Make no mistake about it, the former WWE competitor is very talented, but is he truly a star? Would there be any reason for the fans in Japan to believe that he was actually going to win the title during a one-off appearance?

One of the good aspects of Wrestle Dynasty was that Kenny Omega returned to in-ring action after more than a year due to a life-threatening bout with diverticulitis at the end of 2023. I have to be honest, I was skeptical that Omega could return to top form, not just because of the intestinal issues, but also the several surgeries that he had to repair injuries that put him on the shelf for almost a year prior to that. Omega and Gabe Kidd had a tremendous bout that was less of the usual overly choreographed sequences that are often seen in the modern era and more of a physical contest that was designed to look more competitive during the match.

It remains to be seen how far Gabe Kidd can go up the ladder or if New Japan management would want to invest major stock into him this year, but I don't think it would be unrealistic to consider the contest a potentially star-making performance for Gabe Kidd, even if he didn't win the match.

I'm not sure if Gabe Kidd is going to get that type of push, or if that would truly help boost NJPW numbers, but again the attendance figures for the Tokyo Dome events revealed a diminished interest in the product, at least for live event tickets. Bushiroad, the parent company of New Japan Pro Wrestling, CEO Takaaki Kidani told Tokyo Sports during the post-event press conference that the goal is to draw 40,000 fans for Wrestle Kingdom next year. That's a very lofty goal, especially because the company hasn't drawn anything close to that number since before the pandemic. However, New Japan president, Hiroshi Tanahashi plans to retire at the Tokyo Dome next year so that might be enough to get to that type of attendance. The legendary grappler carried the company on his back when it was on the brink of collapse in the early-200s, but more than two decades in the ring have undoubtedly taken a toll on him so it's a wise decision for him to retire. That being said, while the final bout for Tanahashi might be a major draw for the organization, how the NJPW office builds for the future remains to be seen. This might be too optimistic, but with the roster so bloated in AEW, maybeTony Khan could do the company a favor and send some of his talent that otherwise would only be wrestling occasionally in America to Japan for an extended period of time to add some depth to the roster.

Raw debut on Netflix

The WWE entered unprecedented territory last night when Raw, the longtime flagship show of the publicly-traded corporation, made its debut on Netflix. In a move that truly globalizes the product to a level never before seen, the streaming platform broadcasted the landmark episode live throughout the vast majority of the civilized world.

In signature WWE style, there was all the pomp and circumstance that you'd expect to go along with the $5 billion dollar deal that took the program from its traditional cable spot to behind the Netflix paywall. With the executives front row, there was quite literally the pyro and ballyhoo to maximize the atmosphere of the new era of the WWE.

The show opened with an absolutely incredible video package narrated by Triple H, which was another example of how unmatched the WWE production value truly is, especially for these major shows. In a reflection of the episode itself, this sold the sizzle, not the substance, which is completely fine, as that was the designed nature of the broadcast. Of course, you simply can't have Wrestlemania-type matches 52 weeks a year, but still, the debut edition of Raw on Netflix could give an indication of the overall direction of the brand going forward, particularly with the build to Wrestlemania this year, which will be held Easter weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The first segment saw The Rock cut a basic, but effective promo, and it's probably a good thing that he didn't let himself ramble on with anything that went beyond the 10-minute mark as far as mic time. However, it should be noted that The Rock praised Cody Rhodes, who he feuded with prior to WM last year so unless they are dropping what could've been a money match, it was a little odd that any of the previous hostility was essentially ignored. The Rock's reemergence on the WWE scene with his appointment to the TKO board last year was a good PR move, as the company looked to distance itself in every way possible from Vince McMahon, but it's also been a good decision for Dwayne Johnson as well. This isn't meant as a knock, but his films haven't done quite as well at the box office and a few were panned by critics in recent years. That's not to say that he's not still a mega star in Hollywood, every career, especially in the movie business, has some peaks and valleys. The Rock brings an added sizzle to the WWE product, and at the same time, it puts the real-life Dwayne Johnson in an environment where he looks like a bigger star so it becomes a win-win situation for everyone.

Considering his age, if The Rock has more matches planned, I'd guess that they'd have to take place sooner rather than later. If he isn't on the card for Wrestlemania in Las Vegas, I simply don't see him delaying any of the potential marquee matches for a few years. If the WWE is going to promote The Rock vs. Cody, or The Rock vs. Roman Reigns in a Samoan showdown, it would probably have to been within the next year or two. Interestingly, when the first match on the card saw Reigns beat Solo Sikoa to win the acknowledgement as the only tribal chief, when it looked like there could be a post-match heel turn by The Rock on Roman, which could've been a way to use their tag team defeat at WM last year to build toward this year's event, The Rock simply stood in the ring as Reigns celebrated. As far as the match itself, it was a solid segment, it might not have been a Tokyo Dome spot fest, but it was very well done from a story telling perspective. I could be wrong, but for some reason, I'd still guess that The Rock vs. Roman will happen at Wrestlemania. I think Jacob Fatu/Reigns could be a stellar match at the biggest show of the year, but Fatu is still relatively new to the WWE landscape, and The Rock is obviously the bigger money match.

Hulk Hogan made a brief appearance to cut a promo and was more or less booed out of the building. Some will claim this had to do with his political affiliation with the orange villain, but The Undertaker endorsed Trump and still received a positive crowd reaction based on his legendary status. Some might make the case that everyone deserves a second chance, but it's important to keep in mind that Hulk had a reputation as a jerk long before the infamous Gawker tape revealed that he said several racial slurs and derogatory comments. The difference is that there are a slew of podcasts to tell those stories on a more public basis, they aren't just in the dirt sheets or on shoot interview VHS tapes for a niche audience like they were in the past. Furthermore, it's also much easier for Hogan's track record of exaggerated claims and outright lies to be debunked with modern technology.

The Hulkster was there to announce that his "Real American Beer" had signed a sponsorship deal with the WWE. As aloof and obtuse as the entire brand is, Hogan jumped on the Trump train for the same reason that the convicted felon joined the political game, it's relatively easy money. Keep in mind, political donations are counted by the tens of millions of dollars. Not to mention the merchandise and the stock scams that go along with the marketing tagline to "save America." Terry Bolea saw that there was hefty cash to be made on the notion of "patriotism" and wanted to make sure he got a piece of the piece. Sure, it's insincere and it's scummy, but from purely a business perspective, it's a smart move. The Hulkster will gleefully collect some money from the purchases of "Real American" beer, which will be bought from the same local yokels that still think coal is going to make a comeback and that the wall is going to be built.

Don't get too riled up, though. Remember, politics are more of a work than pro wrestling, and it's more profitable, too.

However, sponsorships have increased drastically after the merger with the UFC last year, and they played a very key role in the overall presentation of the first episode of the Netflix era. The canvas had a slew of logos on it, which is completely fine. While I understand why Vince didn't want the mat to look like a billboard, the bottom line is, it's a way to make even more money, and when the company is publicly-traded, there's a responsibility to the stockholders to maximize revenue. I also understand why the organization used the black canvas, as it gave more of a sports-based visual, but it was almost too dark overall so hopefully the color scheme can be tweaked going forward.

Rhea Ripley defeated Liv Morgan to win the Women's championship, and it made sense to book the title switch on this show to have as many noteworthy results as possible. Liv did a good job as champion, but I think it's time for both competitors to move onto a new feud, especially with the previously mentioned Wrestlemania on the horizon, with Ripley's opponent probably being determined at The Royal Rumble in a few weeks. The Undertaker cameo after the match was fun, and it was a cool moment to give Ripley the endorsement from the legend to conclude the segment.

The main event was CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins, another bout that could've taken place, and probably will still take place, at Wrestlemania. The match was fine, it wasn't subpar or anything, but I got the impression that they were saving some dramatic in-ring scenarios for a bigger stage. Unless, Punk is going to challenge for a championship in the main event, there seems to be too much meat left on the bone for the Rollins/Punk rivalry to wrap up on Raw. Furthermore, during the John Cena cameo, he said that he will enter The Royal Rumble, and the narrative of him breaking the recognized championship record during his retirement tour is almost too good of an opportunity to pass up for the company because it would maximize his final run.

One of the other major takeaways from this show was that the term "wrestling," a word that was once banned under Vince McMahon, was used often. Truth be told, while I understand why the sports entertainment tagline would be used for marketing purposes and sponsorships, it always seemed silly that McMahon tried to avoid "wrestling" being said on a pro wrestling show. The video packages of the spectacle of sports entertainment definitely make sense, but nobody has ever said they bought a ticket to go to the "sports entertainment matches." Obviously, this is just one episode, but it certainly looks like management has some major plans for the product this year.

3LW Pittsburgh debut

Pittsburgh, a city known almost as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced, has such a storied history of the genre of the squared circle that it often gets passed down from generation to generation. The stories of Pittsburgh Studio Wrestling, house shows at the Civic Arena, or wild bouts at the Golden Dome in Monaca become a part of family discussions when reminiscing about grappling of the past. Bruno, Angle, and Douglas are just a few of those western Pennsylvania legends that left an impact on the sport.

It goes without saying that sports entertainment is woven into the fabric of the area almost as much as any of the other sports the region is known for. The field, the rink, and the ring all draw a passionate response from the dedicated fans of the city. As such, it's not uncommon for live events to be hosted from a myriad of organizations on any given weekend throughout western Pennsylvania. Those dedicated sports fans usually have the opportunity to see a live wrestling somewhere each weekend. With nearly a half a dozen groups bringing in respectable crowds on a regular basis, the Pittsburgh scene has proven to be a market that is ripe for quality professional wrestling.

This Thursday, Three Legacies Wrestling, a group that was founded by former WWE star, Jesus "Ricardo" Rodriguez in mid-2022, will make its Pittsburgh area debut with its presentation of "Steel City Grit," a nod to the traditional and heritage associated with the region. Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the 3LW product, a combination of spectacle and enthusiasm from its young roster that is blended with styles from around the globe, will be imported to Pittsburgh with the goal to add its flavor to the vibrant wrestling scene of the city.

"Pittsburgh has a very rich pro wrestling history and a lot of very passionate fans. And an area that that I have had the privilege of wrestling in many times, both independently and with WWE so it felt like a right fit to bring not only the 3LW talent that opportunity, but to also showcase the 3LW talent to the western PA audience. We are proud that over the course of our history, we have grown not, just internally, but also our base area which, is a testament of the product and presentation of 3LW," said Rodriguez.

The 38-year-old grappler has spent more than half of his life involved in the professional wrestling industry in some form or fashion. Through his extensive experience in a variety of roles, he brings a jack-of-all-trades skill set to the table. He has shown that he can discover, polish, and produce aspects of the sport at any level. He has found himself in a sold out stadium under the brightest lights of Wrestlemania, and he helped aspiring hopefuls take their first step in a wrestling ring as a trainer around the world at various training centers. Ironically, the west coast native traveled quite literally around the globe through the avenue of professional wrestling, with his early days in his hometown under the persona of "Chimaera," but it was the quiet city of Lancaster where he landed for his most ambitious project of his career as an event organizer.

"I have learned in this newly found journey as a promoter that it takes a lot of work and patience and trust, not only in your abilities, but in your entire team. Having that confidence that your product and your brand can deliver is key, but so is being able to promote oneself because as a good saying goes 'what good is having a good product if no one knows about it.' And the more we grow that more people can experience it," he explained.

True to his path in the sport of building the genre, and in this case, the brand from every level, a critical piece of the puzzle for the 3LW project is its training center, where Rodriguez serves as its head trainer. A pair of wrestling rings in the facility house eager students that look forward to the chance to quite literally learn the ropes from an accomplished veteran like Rodriguez. A row of flags representing various countries decorates one of the wall, a reflection of the curriculum that teaches a potpourri of styles within the grappling arts.

"It began with the mission to give back to not only the wrestling industry, but also the community. 3LW provides the platform and the tools for wrestling hopefuls to help achieve their dreams as well as help build a strong community with its charity events," Rodriguez remarked.

Among the talent that will have the chance to shine during 3LW's Pittsburgh debut are names like the wild man Tarzan Duran, who will tangle with stellar NWA star, Spence Slade in the evening's main event, the Pittsburgh-based, but internationally renowned Facade will square off with energetic youngster, Pat Angel Zoey Cannon, J.S. Hawthorne, and many other mainstays of the Three Legacies project will be on the card. The eccentric and always entertaining Super Oprah is also advertised for the event.

"I’m looking forward to debuting at 3LW especially in one of the greatest wrestling cities like Pittsburgh. I’m also excited to go against one of the biggest names in pro wrestling, Facade. I know he has a high set of skills, but so do I, and I’m looking forward to matching his energy and hopefully come out on top with my first win at 3LW against one of the best to do it. This will be a great start to the new year," Pat Angel commented enthusiastically.

The event will be held at "Sunken Bus Studios," an event space in the city that hosts a myriad of entertainment events. Comedy shows and live music are staples of the building, but the arrival of 3LW has prompted anticipation from participants and fans alike ahead of Thursday's live action.

"Three Legacies Wrestling has been growing rapidly elsewhere in Pennsylvania and I'm excited to experience the vibe first hand. It's very rare to see an event pop up in this part of Pittsburgh, being only four miles from home for me, I hope to see some familiar faces come out to support so we can see Jesus and 3LW in the area more often," said Joe Dombrowski, the voice of the English broadcasts of AAA Lucha Libre and lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Wrestling that will host the evening as 3LW ring announcer.

"Steel City Grit is a show I'm very excited to be a part of. If it's anything from past experiences working for Three Legacies in Lancaster, it will be a night of exhilarating, high-paced and family friendly action with a colorful cast of characters. The fantasy clash of styles with Spencer Slade and Tarzan Duran make for a bargain at the door," added George Ross, one of the best referees on the independent circuit that will be there to make the count for the Pittsburgh debut.

The diverse landscape of the steel city circuit will get the chance to experience a fresh and unique addition when Three Legacies Wrestling brings its brand to Sunken Bus Studios this Thursday.

"Fans can expect a night of high flying, fast paced, character-driven, pro wrestling action that's suitable for all ages," Rodriguez concluded.

What's next for AEW?

Just before the end of 2024, I penned an article about what could be used for a happy new year for WWE brass, mostly focused on the fact that the retirement tour of John Cena, almost unanimously the biggest star that company produced since the heyday of Steve Austin and The Rock in the Attitude era, could be the centerpiece for the publicly-traded corporation to draw big numbers at higher ticket prices than in the past. I also mentioned that Cena, the guy who was a total workhorse for the company throughout the vast majority of his career, deserved the final run, particularly with the possibility of dethroning Cody Rhodes to break Ric Flair's recognized title record. I doubt you could consider it a knock on Cody or a downgrade on his status if he dropped the belt for the time being to someone at the level of Cena. In many ways, Cena provided the blue print for the modern top guys, such as Rhodes and Roman Reigns, to follow as far as a representative for the organization. Sure, the wild stories of the 80s are fun cannon fodder during podcast interviews, but there's a way too lengthy list of performers that passed away way too young because of their lifestyle at the time. In the modern when everyone has a camera on their phone and social media could ruin a career within minutes, it's exponentially more important for top guys to be as cautious and measured as possible.

You won't see John Cena get a DUI, he won't storm off of an important interview, and he takes his role as a figure that some fans look up to seriously. As I wrote prior, John Cena is the real-life hero that Hulk Hogan pretended to be on-screen.

However, All Elite Wrestling is the other side of the coin, as for all being the other major force within the sports entertainment industry. For all of its faults, and there are plenty of rightfully faults of the AEW product, the Khan-owned organization still has a noticeable impact on the direction of the business. It's nothing new, regardless of the struggles that company had behind the scenes or with the numbers for the on-screen programming, but the bottom line is as long as Tony Khan is willing to offer competitive money for talent (and sometimes he even overpays) compared to the WWE, his promotion can dictate a portion of the narrative of the genre in the United States.

So, what does All Elite Wrestling have to do for a happy new year in 2025?

This isn't a jab about the competition, but it goes without saying that it's exponentially easier for WWE to bank on Cena because of his history and star power over the previous two decades. 

For All Elite, the answers are potentially much more complicated since the harsh reality is that the company has lost steam and viewership since Cody Rhodes left the organization nearly three years ago. As we know, Rhodes mentioned publicly in the documentary released last year about his return to WWE that he signed a nondisclosure agreement prior to his exit from AEW, but hopefully, at some point in the future, someone with knowledge of the situation can shed some light on it, as it appears that there was a serious divide between the once tight-knit Elite group. Regardless of the reasoning, Rhodes' exit and then the terrible publicity of backstage chaos in the few years afterward have drastically impacted the perception of the organization. It might be a cliche, but sometimes cliches are true, and in this scenario, perception is reality. The ratings and attendance reflect that narrative, as the controversy around the company has eroded some of the enthusiasm and good will of the audience.

As far as putting a positive spin on the new year, including Max as a streaming platform is artificial corporate fluff. Sure, it makes the WBD executives happy, and it makes sense to keep those suites happy since they gave AEW a few hundred million dollars for their next TV deal, but it's important to keep in mind that a simulcast doesn't improve the content of the shows. Let's be honest here, Dynamite was streamed and Triller and Fite prior to this so none of this is new territory for the television show. Viewers that aren't watching All Elite programming don't watch because of dissatisfaction with the content, not a lack of access.

The substance of a potentially positive spin for AEW will sink or swim based on the decisions made that will determine the overall direction of the show. Don't get me wrong, Tony Khan is a billionaire, and I'm not so what do I now? But, my two cents on the matter is that Tony's philosophy of catering to the diehard audience that usually follows The Wrestling Observer newsletter won't translate to success on national television. By nature, the newsletters aren't for the general public or the casual fan, but when a show is on TBS, it must be geared toward the broadest audience possible.

That's not to say that a wrestling-based product can't be successful, WCW proved that it can be during its peak, albeit for an abbreviated period because of discontent behind the scenes, not the action in the ring.

In many ways, the general philosophy of an emphasize of wrestling action is the right call. All Elite should aim to be the Pepsi to WWE's Coca Cola. There are a few decades to prove that nobody is going to produce a slicker show or have more pyro and ballyhoo than the WWE machine. The WWE sells the spectacle and became a billion dollar corporation because of it. Let the franchise guys like Ospreay and Okada go other there, much like they did at Worlds End, and place an importance on it that is on the level of their skill set. The biggest problem with the set up for the finals at Worlds End was literally no progress was made, Okada started as the Continental champion and then finished as the Continental champion so from a storyline prospective, if a view simply skipped the tournament, what did they miss? Was remain the Continental titleholder really a way to make Okada seem more important, specifically when his character doesn't have much direction since The Young Bucks disappeared from AEW TV?

As far Ospreay, I wrote previously that he could be the guy for AEW in a similar way that AJ Styles was considered the standard for TNA, but he's spinning his wheels working the mid-card with only an emphasis on "great matches" instead of being booked in the main event scene to establish his star power.

I want to make it clear, All Elite Wrestling has a tremendous amount of talent, but the way that they are used doesn't highlight or establish them as money-drawing stars. Again, if great matches alone were the way to draw money on a national level in the United States, TNA would've had an exponentially bigger run than it did during its peak almost two decades ago.

This is why for All Elite to have a happy new year, my two cents on the matter to the billionaire boss that runs the company is to simplify every aspect possible of the on-screen presentation. Don't concern yourself with how many stars a match-up will receive from Dave Meltzer, the talent on the roster is solid regardless of a ratings system in a newsletter, take the talent that is the most over with the audience and book them against the heels with the most heat from the crowd. Allow the baby face to fight for the audience and get the heel to put obstacles in the way. Maybe Ospreay should've been the one to save the organization from the reign of Moxley's faction. The four-way at the pay-per-view was an artificial way book a main event without a compelling angle. What's the point of the Moxley stable? Despite some rambling promos, I'm not sure a purpose has been declared.

Tony is a well-known fan of old school wrestling, and instead of an overly-complicated presentation based on the charts and graphs from his days of E-fed booking on the internet, perhaps a simplified old school approach would be useful for his wrestling project in 2025. It might be more productive to take the most over talent and book them against the most hated heels. The journey of the baby face to triumph is ultimately how you draw money, there are decades of examples from dozens of territories to prove it as being an effective strategy for the company.

What's next for WWE?

It goes without saying that the TKO corporation will have a happy new year in 2025, especially ahead of the historic Raw debut on Netflix next week, a 10-year deal worth $5 billion dollars. It also goes without saying that the merger of WWE and UFC brought together enough media muscle that the sports properties collectively are in a stronger position even than they were before, particularly because of the continued demand of live content. As the media landscape continues to evolve, often at a relatively rapid pace, every form of a distribution channel. both on traditional television and the myriad of streaming services, look for a way to secure those valuable ad dollars. Keep in mind, regardless of the platform, media still makes its money primary from commercials, and companies are willing to pay for that ad time because it gets their products in front of a target demographic.

Make no mistake about it, there will be commercials during Raw on Netflix, as it will add another revenue stream to the platform's portfolio, which is essentially their reason to get into the live event business. As we know, up until this point, Netflix has primarily focused on movies and television series to generate subscribers, which was very effective, simply for the convenience it gave viewers for access to such a vast amount of content. The company added comedy specials to its line-up, but with more players in the game, particularly those with enough capital to garner the resources to attempt to get a piece of the streaming pie, Netflix made a giant leap into the live event business with the acquisition of Raw, as well as the rest of the WWE product internationally because live content is more or less the foundation of the WWE business model. Sure, we saw the flood of streaming options over the course of the past several years and when the market became over saturation, as it still is in some ways today, some platforms were bought or just shut down. With mega corporations like Amazon and Disney putting more effort into their respective streaming platforms during the past few years, specifically with Amazon's airing of select football games this season and the acquisition of the rights to the NBA broadcast next season, Netflix wants to keep pace with the evolution of live events through streaming platforms.

In many respects, for the WWE it's "money in the bank" as far as they have a guaranteed five years on the platform, and unless something completely unforeseen happens, it's difficult to think that Netflix won't use the five-year option to keep the Raw brand on the service for at least a decade. Obviously, the most important question is, will the WWE audience pay the subscription fee for a show that was on free TV for more than thirty years? Fans have been conditioned to expect a certain amount of free TV wrestling before they'd have to pay for the pay-per-views so it's definitely a different dynamic, but it's a much easier transition when Netflix is so ingrained as one of the most well-known streaming platforms.

The interesting part is, especially after commercials and sponsors become a priority, how will WWE brass keep fans watching on Netflix? It's safe to say that we can expect Cody, Roman, and many of the other featured stars to still be involved in the company after the initial five years of the contract, but it's very difficult to even speculate where the WWE or the sports entertainment business as a whole will be in almost a decade.

That being said, as mentioned 2025 will be a happy new year for the WWE offices, mostly because the answer to their success for the year is more or less a very easy decision.

With John Cena set to retire at the end of the year, and from what was said during his original announcement, he plans to work a full schedule before he hangs up the boots, I don't think it would be unreasonable for the centerpiece of WWE's year to the final run of one of the greatest performers in the history of the company. While Roman Reigns has certainly carved a legacy that he can reflect on when he finishes up his career, it's safe to say that John Cena is the biggest star that the company has had since The Rock and Steve Austin. Furthermore, and this is an important point, while it's understandable for top stars to work a limited schedule, Cena was a throwback in terms of being the workhorse representative for the company during his peak as the champion. He worked all the shows, made all the media appearances, and did an incredible amount of charity work. In some ways, John Cena is the real-life hero that Hulk Hogan pretended to be in his heyday.

Let's not forget, Cena earned and won over the WWE audience after years of generating a very strong reaction from both sides of the fence. Some fans paid to cheer John Cena and some fans paid to boo John Cena, but the most important thing was that fans were willing to pay to see him in the ring. As I've written on several occasions, the key to drawing money is a connection with the audience and their emotional investment into the characters. Without the emotional investment, pro wrestling becomes interchangeable with any other form of entertainment. It goes without saying that the crowd still connects with the 16-time champion and have embraced him as a way to recognize all of his hard work.

The story almost writes itself, as each Cena appearence can almost be tailored to his farewell tour. Cena's final Royal Rumble, Cena's final Wrestlemania, his last Summer Slam, and his last stop in Toronto are all selling points for events. More specifically, there was speculation online that maybe John Cena will challenge Cody Rhodes for the WWE championship at Wrestlemania with the notion that if he wins the belt again that he will break Ric Flair's recognized championship record. I have to say, it would make sense and be a well-deserved accomplishment for him to conclude his career. Let's be honest, as talented as Ric Flair was in the ring, his choices outside of the sport are less than stellar. Cena as the all-time winner of world championships would be a great representation of the sport and an almost fitting final chapter to his career.

The bottom line is, particularly with the momentum that the WWE already has, the journey of John Cena prior to his retirement is more than enough to maintain the company's strong business throughout the majority of 2025. Sure, it's a rather simplistic approach, but sometimes the simplest answer is the right answer. Cena has drawn money for the company for more than two decades at various points so it makes sense for the WWE to use his retirement tour as a way to propel the move to Netflix. Considering how unprecedented the next chapter for the Raw brand is and how it could affect the landscape of the corporation in the future, the ability to maximize the drawing power of John Cena's retirement is a valuable asset for the company.

Worlds End review

All Elite Wrestling's final pay-per-view of the year, Worlds End, is in the books. I wrote an article earlier this week to discuss if management had sold the PPV enough on television with the angles and match-ups to prompt fans to spend another $50 of their "wrestling budget" to order the show. I don't want to sound repetitive, but the case remains the same for All Elite, at least in my opinion, in terms of their overall presentation of pay-per-view cards. As we see more often than not with these events, the broadcast usually spotlights some of the best and worsts aspects of the product over the course of the show. The same stellar wrestling was there along with some of the same bad habits that take away from the overall quality of the PPV.

The show opened with Will Ospreay and Kyle Feltcher in the semi-final bout of the Continental Classic tournament, with the winner advancing to wrestle either Ricochet or Okada later in the night. In many ways, this Ospreay/Feltcher bout was a microcosm of AEW itself, there were tremendous strong points, both with the in-ring action and the intentions of the storyline portions, but it also displayed the previously mentioned bad habits that subtract from the grand scheme of things. Something that can often be said about some of the over-the-top "work rate" matches on AEW pay-per-views is that within a vacuum, they are very well done in terms of the athleticism and effort put into the contests. For all the rightful criticism of the AEW product, nobody can deny that the talent is working hard more often than not. However, within the context of a nearly four-hour pay-per-view broadcast or how those specific characters are perceived within the landscape of the product, there's often a disconnect. It can be seen at various points throughout Worlds End, but as far as placement and the type of match booked, Ospreay/Feltcher missed the mark in a few different ways. Again, taking nothing away from their talent, but rather to point out the possible flaws of the presentation. Some of the opening sequences were overly-choreographed and had the common critique of being too much of a routine rather than a physical confrontation, but it's important to keep in mind that those type of spots are what the die hard AEW fans look for with these types of matches. The bout told a good narrative as the physicality intensified, even if they fell into the pitfall of just standing there while they no sell chops for one of the most over done and minimally effective spots of the modern era. Outside of the silly chop sequence, the selling was well done, and Ospreay did very well in his role as the fiery baby face. 

This was essentially a 15-minute fireworks show where the two great athletes threw almost everything against the wall. At one point, Ospreay started bleeding buckets and it was a memorable visual. Eventually, after a good series of counter maneuvers, Ospreay landed the Styles Clash to get the win to advance to the finals. Credit where it's due, Fletcher continues to evolve into his own as a heel after more or less just being a random Ospreay sidekick prior to this. Ospreay fighting through the blood to get the victory is exactly what you want for a guy that is going to be moved up to the top spot in the company.

The major problem is, the pieces of this puzzle were completely misplaced. Ospreay had the presentation and the visual of the top guy, but he's not positioned in that spot, particularly based on the results of the show and the fact that it was implied that there will be a rubber match between him and Fletcher. Furthermore, these two had a main event structure for the opening match of the show. The guy that bled the most on the card was the first segment so anything after that, including the MJF/Adam Cole match about an hour later was considerably less effective. Yes, I understand why they'd want Ospreay to bleed in theory, as it stacks the deck against him later in the night for the finals, but maybe that wasn't the best choice given that other matches were scheduled to have blood on the same show? Finally, this was a high intensity spot fest, and yes, that's more or less the AEW brand, but again, placement on the card is key because it's very difficult to properly pace a show when these two did every high spot in the book in the opening segment. If a match like this was in the main event, the argument could be made that its strong points could've been emphasized without taking away from the rest of the card, but if I had to guess, I'd say that Tony was going for star ratings, not booking logic for this match.

After that Ricochet and Okada worked the other semi-final bout for the tournament, and it was a solid contest, but you can definitely see when the Japanese superstar puts it in second gear or decides to coast in the ring. The fans have soured on Ricochet because his mic work is cringe worthy, but it's still surprising that someone that you'd think would be tailor-made the the All Elite fans base was panned so quickly in his tenure in the company. So, I understand that he must embrace the hostility and work with it rather than try to go against the grain to end up in a lame duck situation. That being said, I think Ricochet taunted the crowd a little too much and a little too often to the point that it might've unintentionally taken away from the match. The sequences had very impressive athleticism, and Ricochet is still one of the best aerial wrestlers in the business, but the contest didn't quite develop a consistent pace prior to the conclusion. Outside of the jeers from the crowd, this was somewhat of an odd presentation because Ricochet is clearly a heel now, but Okada is also still a villain, despite the lack of direction for his character for a storyline so it was also difficult for either competitor to build momentum for the narrative of the segment. Okada got the win after he hit the rainmaker clothesline to advance to the finals.

As far as misguided portions of the product, the AEW Women's championship match was a prime example of it. Mariah May has done a great job with the heel character since she turned on Toni Storm, which would theoretically set up for  a grudge match at some point, but instead Toni is stuck working a silly amnesia angle, which completely muddiest the waters if the clash between the two is planned for the future. Sometimes the simplest answer is the right answer. Tony doesn't need charts, graphs, or any of his other E-fed tropes from booking on the internet to present a Storm/May grudge match. The baby face that is over with the crowd wants to get revenge for the sneak attack from the dastardly heel. That's the only justification that would be needed to put Storm vs. May in a featured spot on pay-per-view.

Instead, it was Thunder Rosa, who was off of television with an injury for an extended period of time and then more or less just didn't wrestle for a while, taking a spot at the Spanish announce table for a few months, before she recently was back on Dynamite. The Tijuana street fight was nothing more than a flimsy excuse to put a gimmick match on the show. Aside from the fact that it was clunky and sloppy at certain points, I honestly don't think the Thunder Rosa character has enough momentum or the secondary feud between her and Mariah May justifies a gimmick match like this on pay-per-view. If this was Storm vs. May then there would be an argument to be made, especially because of the blood that was used in the original heel turn. The tacks that were used didn't really mean anything because they are used too often on AEW television, and the piledriver through the table at the finish was brutal, as it looked like they slightly mistimed it. Mariah May retained the belt, and if there's any question about if this feud needed this type of gimmick match, were any of the fans truly clamoring for Thunder Rosa to win the title?

Speaking of grudge matches, MJF/Adam Cole is the "grudge match" that nobody wanted to see, as anything linked to the failed mask reveal at this pay-per-view last year is completely counter productive. The angle was a total flop, and any continuation of it is simply an anchor dragging down both athletes to do anything productive. The match was fine, but for two guys that were thought to be franchise players for the company at one point, this was a mid-card match where the fans weren't behind the baby face and the segment was almost forgettable by the time the show went off the air. MJF is just spinning his wheels at this point, and perhaps he's getting paid enough that it doesn't matter, but this feud has literally kept him in the same spot for more or less a year. Friedman signed a new deal earlier this year when he returned from injury, revealing an AEW tattoo that can be easily covered up by wrestling boots should he decide to work elsewhere in the future so depending on the length of the contract, he might be content to work the extremely light All Elite schedule even if he isn't positioned for a major role in the company. As far as Adam Cole, he's a great guy and very talented, but for someone that originally was thought to have the potential to be the next Shawn Micheals, he definitely isn't anywhere near that status. The segment was somewhat flat when the entire baby face stable beat down the heel after the match, which saw MJF defeat Cole with a low blow and then a pile driver. Friedman wins, but he doesn't have much momentum at all, especially because of how convoluted the storyline was with the Undisputed Kingdom to get to this PPV match. The same can be said for Cole, as he has no momentum or direction after this event.

Thankfully, the card picked up from here, as the next three matches had some meat on the bone so to speak in terms of quality action that provided some substance for the pay-per-view. Powerhouse Hobbs is someone that was lost in the shuffle at various point prior to the knee injury that put him on the shelf for a few months, but this match for International championship showed why he has the potential to be a major asset for the company. Konosuke Takeshita is one of the best in the business right now and checks all the boxes for someone that you can build a company around, particularly for a fan base that is at least vaguely aware of the Japanese scene. Everything they did in this contest was solid and made sense. Hobbs took a brutal bump on the apron on his knees and it eventually played a role in the finish when Takeshita retained the title. This segment showed what can be accomplished when proper selling is incorporated with the usual AEW style.

I said last month that Mercedes Mone had the best match of her AEW career against Kris Statlander, and the same could be said about the match at Worlds End. Statlander might not be the biggest star, but she's a solid pro that is a very valuable asset to the women's division. Everything they did in the match was crisp and smooth, outside of a scary looking piledriver spot on the apron where it looked like Statlander might've gotten legitimately spiked on her head when Mone slipped slightly during the maneuver. The 25-minute bout made Mone look like the star that they hoped she'd be when she arrived in the organization earlier this year. The problem is, Mone is going to have to work with more opponents than just Statlander so it remains to be said if she can continue to improve her status AEW. Mercedes retained the title after a series of counters saw her get the pin to win the match.

 The finals of the Continental Classic was really good, and it was an example of when Okada put it in second gear to deliver a really solid performance. This is just my two cents on the matter, but it looks like Okada works to the level of his opponent or the situation. When he's booked for a match that lacks importance, he mails it in, but on pay-per-view, at least on this occasion, he proved why he had such a tremendous reputation prior to his AEW debut. Outside of the match with Pac earlier this year, this finals bout with Ospreay was the first glimpse of the New Japan Okada that was seen in AEW.  You could parse detail, but as far as the in-ring action, this was basically a more dramatic version of the earlier Ospreay/Fletcher match. The argument could be made that maybe the blood would've been more useful here than in the opening segment. There was an incredible series of counters and maneuvers prior to the finish. This was top-tier quality stuff, and if All Elite could focus more on this aspect of the product then there might be a better perception of the organization. More than anything, this match proved that Ospreay should be the top guy in AEW. Okada won after he hit the rainmaker clothesline, and while it's more or less the same place that he started because he was the champion before the tournament, it's good to see that he can still go in the ring the way that he did in New Japan.

The main event was more or less just a random brawl and then a series of moves between the four competitors prior to the finish. As I said in the article about the pay-per-view earlier this week, it's a lazy booking crutch to use a four way as the main event for the title since it's basically a substitute for a compelling main event storyline. Moxley retained the title. Post-match, Adam Copeland return and was joined by FTR to set up a six man tag against Moxley's group this week on Dynamite. As much as the former Edge had a legendary career, his AEW tenure was underwhelming, and I'm not sure how much stock Tony Khan should be into the 51-year-old star. Hopefully, this was just a set up for the episode of Dynamite that will be included on the Max platform, because with as much great younger talent that's on the roster, it's probably not necessary for there to be a Moxley/Copeland feud for the title.