The career of Stacy Hunter

As a commentator on the local scene in Pittsburgh, a region known as much for its wrestling as the steel it once produced, I've seen a myriad of things that will only occur in the over-the-top genre of the squared circle. I've seen genuinely emotional moments based on championship glory or in-ring accomplishments, and I've also seen things go completely off the rails. That simply goes with the territory of the independent wrestling business. I've seen fans try to fight wrestlers, I've seen fans try to fight fans, I've seen fans make the mistake of getting in the ring, and I've even seen a fan climb under the ring.

It's a circus of thrills, spills, and death-defying feats, which is apropos for the the sport that originated from the carnival circuit.

One of the most interesting aspects from an inside perspective the industry is the paradigm of the performers themselves, those that are often a menace to society through rilling up the audiences on the weekends, are average civilians in society during the week. Their normal 9-5 day job is mundane compared to the transformation of the persona they have once they walk through the curtain to irritate the paying customers. Of course, it's all by design, with the prodding of the audience a prelude to when the baby face hero gets a measure of revenge against the villains. 

One such example is a former wrestler and freshly-returned valet to the tri-state area, the devious Stacy Hunter. I've seen mere her presence at ringside prompted fans to call her vulgarizes that would make a sailor blush. Her loud and obnoxious pro wrestling persona was only her real-life enthusiasm amplified with the intention of generating jeers from the audience.

The secret is, the fans that would bellow loud obscenities toward reacted exactly as she had hoped for.

"The timing, facial expressions, body language, and the ability to get your person over and not yourself," Stacy explained when asked what was the key to the managerial role.

"Stacy has always been committed to the visual aspect of what a manager should be. A natural heat magnet, she has always excelled being paired with those of a villainous nature," said Mike MacGowan, who broke into the sport around the same time as Hunter.

Much different from the boom in women's professional wrestling today, which saw females main event some of the biggest stages in the entire industry in recent years, when Hunter broke into the business in 1994, the chances to get a start in the sport were limited, and the opportunity to hone the craft was sparse. 

It wasn't until a chance meeting with the late, "Gentleman" Joe Perri, an early pioneer of the independent circuit of the steel city, that the door was opened to even attempt to pursue some level of sports entertainment for a female competitor. Being a diehard fan of "Mr. Perfect" Curt Henning, it was a chance that Hunter jumped at.

"Joe Perri found a friend of mine, asked her if she wanted to do wrestling,  and she said no, but she knew I did. It went from there, I can honestly say I don't remember who was training back then, but I also trained later with BA Briggs. Joe's place was in New Kensington, and The first show was in Penn Hills," Stacy said.

However, with very few opportunities for females on the national stages and even less on the independent level, Stacy was forced to spend the mid and late-90s picking up appearances and training opportunities wherever she could. Ironically, the same grappler she traveled with during those days, "Highlander" Mike MacGowan, is her current client on the independent circuit after her recent return to the business.

It wasn't until the early-2000s, specifically after the consolidation of the national organizations in the industry that Stacy found that there were more chances for women to step inside the ring ropes. However, looking back on those meager times in her career, Hunter cites a level of excitement for the women that get a chance to excel at each level of the business today.

"It's been amazing how far the women have come. It's so awesome to see so many women in Pittsburgh now when, during my time, there was just me and Krystal Frost," Stacy commented.

"Stacy is unique, a one-of-one, if you will. She is tough as nails, but she isn't a one-dimensional character. She has depth in her ability because she can not only get heat, but she can also get physical, which from a wrestler standpoint, gives you a lot more to work with." said BC Steele, a former manager and commentator of the Pittsburgh circuit.

During the first decade of the 2000s, Stacy was around a wrestling ring more often than not, with most weekends being spent either hitting the canvas as a wrestler or ranting on the microphone as a valet. Her travels took her around the tri-state area and along the east coast. Western Pennsylvania was her home, where she was primarily based out of the now-defunct NWA East organization, but pro wrestling took her to Ohio, West Virginia, and New Jersey for an alphabet soup of promotions.

"I did a show in Philly at the old ECW arena, I did a WXW battle royal, I did a taping for a GLOW-type show called CRUSH, I'm the first woman in the PWX Burgh Brawl, and I had a shot at the NWA Women's title," Hunter remarked.

"If there is one thing fans love more than booing Stacy Hunter, it’s seeing her get her butt kicked. I remember a “Fan Appreciation Night” where members of the audience chose from names on the roster to put matches together. I ended up teaming with Stacy that night against Da Munchies, because the fans thought it would be funny to see her in the ring against a 400-pound. dude. But the joke was on them because while she was mainly used as a manager, she relished any chance she got to step in the ring as a wrestler, whether it was against a man or woman," said Dash Bennett, a former accomplished grappler that had a reign as NWA East Heavyweight champion under Stacy's guidance.

"Once I finally realized her value and fully leaned into it, we were unstoppable.  No one could touch the crowd reactions we were getting, which far exceeded any either of us achieved on her own. We found our chemistry and created a formula that worked," added Dash as he reflected on one of the highlights of his own 20-year career.

Remember that personality paradigm from earlier?

When she wasn't a heelish pro wrestling manager, Stacy was a mom of two youngsters by the early-2010s. When she wasn't getting cussed at by fans at an event, she was cussing at her television in frustration as a rabid Pirates fan as she watched her baseball team struggle to find a victory. Her brash in-ring persona was a contrast to her bubbly personality that fueled her Marvel fandom. The rule-breaker of the ring actually had an extensive collection of friendly POP Funkos.

After years of bumps, bruises, suplexes, and frog splashes, Stacy stepped away from the industry in 2013 to focus on her regular job outside of wrestling and being a mom to the previously mentioned two young kids. She assumed her time inside the world of professional wrestling was over, never envisioning a circumstance that would draw her back into the business.

Just a few years ago, she was at a small independent card with her old riding partner, MacGowan when the organization was without a ring announcer at the last-minute so Hunter was a substitute, something she assumed was a one-off. It didn't take long for the allure of the action to bring her back to ringside.

"Honestly, I was nervous coming back because it had been so long, but I'm starting to feel like my old self again and I'm having a great time," Stacy said.

"Like so many, she is drawn back to ringside again and again with those she feels she can help elevate. I've known her for 27 years, and our relationship has gone through all the upstairs and downs this business could offer. We're currently doing one last tour through various companies, seeing if we still mesh, and hopefully make one more lasting impact," said MacGowan.

With the start of 2025, Stacy Hunter, with her kids almost as old now as she was when she started in the industry, is back at ringside to generate the jeers of the audience more than a decade after she thought for sure that she was completely finished with the squared circle. On any given weekend, her and MacGowan can be found zigzagging around the tri-state area for wrestling, the same way they did many years ago. Even when Stacy isn't scheduled for the card, you can find her at a merch table while The Highlander is in the ring, as she cites the renewed enthusiasm she has for the atmosphere of live events. She also cited the chance to work with young talent and help pass down her knowledge as so many had done for her previously, as one of the motivating factors for her return to sports entertainment.

From a ringside menace to to a dedicated mom, back to a agitating manager, there's no doubt that the extended career of Stacy Hunter has spanned different eras of the industry and she was able to adapt to the climate, making her one of the most memorable managers of the Pittsburgh scene.

WWE releases

There were a myriad of releases across the pro wrestling landscape recently, with many appearing to be cannon fodder in the grand scheme of things, but there were also a few key exits that could have an interesting domino effect in the business in the future. The WWE cuts that were made include Sonya Deville, Paul Ellering, Authors of Pain, Blair Davenport, The Good Brothers, Cedric Alexander,  Isla Dawn, Giovanni Vinci, and Elektra Lopez.

Nothing against Blair Davenport or Isla Dawn but neither of them did anything of substance on the main roster so outside of their names specifically being mentioned, their releases from the company probably would've gone unnoticed. The same could be said for Elektra Lopez on the NXT brand. It's not a knock against their skills or potential, but rather how they were presented, or in some cases, not presented as important performers among the WWE landscape.

I was somewhat surprised that The Authors of Pain got their pink slips again, mostly because outside of being showcased upon their return, and being used as opponents for the Wyatt Sicks, they didn't really get a chance to do much on Raw. The faction with Karrion  Kross could've theoretically given them something to do, but it ultimately slotted them as secondary goons, and when the group stalled, so did any chance of momentum for them. At 71, it was legitimately good that Paul Ellering had the chance to make some more cash from the pro wrestling business, given his memorable runs as a wrestler and a manager, but obviously, he wasn't going to continue traveling at his age for another decade so by nature, he had a limited role with the stable. Along with that, I'm not necessarily shocked that The Good Brothers were cut from the WWE again, particularly because their main role there was as sidekicks to AJ Styles, which is fine, but given that they were off television because of a Karl Anderson injury, there probably wasn't another reunion of the OC in the cards for them. Don't get me wrong, they are a very solid tag team, but despite their two stints in WWE, I'm honestly not sure if Luke Gallows and Anderson truly fit into the mold of a WWE tag team. It's important to note that the pair made a name for themselves during the peak of the Bullet Club run in New Japan and rode that momentum to a WWE deal in 2016, but the American heavyweight tag style that provides variety in Japan is more or less run-of-the-mill tag stuff on main stream television in the United States. Considering that New Japan is struggling to add depth to its roster, I think it's a safe bet that Anderson and Gallows can return to Japan for a needed boost to the Japanese league. More than anything, these specific cuts to the tag division almost underscore that tag teams still aren't a major priority for the WWE.

It's disappointing that Cedric Alexander was released from his WWE contract. In many ways, he was a victim of circumstances, as his talent isn't in question. Quite simply, even in the modern era under the direction of Triple H, it seems like there's still a ceiling for a pure cruiser weight wrestler. After The Hurt Business was disbanded, Cedric was more or less labeled as a "good hand" on the roster, which is a valuable asset to the company as far as working with younger talent, but at the same time, it's not a role that the office associates with star power. The vast majority of the time, I wouldn't advise AEW to add anyone to its already bloated roster, but considering Cedric's previous association with The Hurt Syndicate, it would make sense to sign him to join the group. He would be a quality addition to the roster as a performer that can work the high spot style with a level of psychology to maximize its effectiveness.  In some respects, Giovanni Vinci was in the same category, he's a solid hand in the ring and seemed to do well with what he was given, but after he was booted from the Gunther group last year, there wasn't really a direction for him. Furthermore, despite the start of a new gimmick recently, he wasn't given enough time to establish himself in the role so this might be a case where he goes elsewhere to reinvent himself before he returns with a fresh start to WWE.

In terms of star power, Sonya Deville, who won't have her contract renewed later this month rather than be released, was probably the biggest name on the list. Deville spent almost ten years under the WWE banner, and at 31, it's very possible that this departure from the company is just a way for her to freshen up her presentation. Despite the reports of her exit online, it wasn't made clear if the decision was made by the office or if Sonya decides not to ink a new contract to be able to take a break from the WWE schedule.

From the All Elite Wrestling side of the equation, Ricky Starks, Malakai Black, and Miro were finally released from the organization.

First and probably most importantly, Ricky Starks already made his expected jump to WWE, debuting on the NXT television show this week. Starks was on ice for almost a year in All Elite Wrestling, with his GCW matches canceled last November after some comments made on a podcast from GCW champion, Effy. It's tough to say how far Starks will move up the ladder in WWE, especially because of the amount of talent already under contract, but at the very least, the potential is there for him to have a major upside for the organization. Despite being on television, I still put very little stock in what a talent does in NXT, mostly because it's very clear that Raw and Smackdown are where the stars are truly made or maintained among the WWE scene. If I had to guess, I'd say Starks was a very valuable signing for the TKO corporation and it will be interesting to see how he makes progress in the company.

Malakai Black and Miro were cut from AEW after extensive speculation about their status. Miro hasn't wrestled for the organization in almost a year and a half and was off the radar before that as well. Reportedly, Miro didn't agree to booking suggestions and was basically kept home while he collected a paycheck from Tony Khan. Along the same lines, it was often reported that Black's lack of regular appearances in recent years on  television were because he refused to lose matches.

It's a very interesting scenario to consider because, would either Miro or Black refuse to do their job if Triple H was the boss?

As talented as Miro is, he's been away from television for such an extended period of time, I'm not sure he'd make a major splash in the current WWE beyond just the artificial debut pop. Ironically, both left WWE with the thought that they'd have a better career path in All Elite, but both also learned that sometimes that cliche that the grass isn't always greener on the other side can be true. The problem is, I'm not sure that Miro proved that he should have a better spot the four and a half years he spent away from WWE. Sure, the early portion of his All Elite tenure was minimized by silly booking, but did he really prove he could be a better star by refusing any booking suggestions for almost two years? If Miro returns to the WWE, especially at 39, it wouldn't be too surprising if he was regulated to the same lower card role that he had previously.

On the flip side, Malakai Black opts to make a comeback to WWE, I think he could fit in well with the current direction of the product, particularly with the Judgment Day stable. While Miro simply refused to agree to any booking suggestions, which is somewhat misguided because as I said, it doesn't give him the opportunity to showcase himself, I got the impression that Black basically wasn't going to agree to do anything silly, at least from his point of view. Granted, it's still the wrong tactic to use in booking disagreements because if you've signed the contract and you're taking the money then you should be willing to work with the promoter. The point being, it's much easier to see Malakai Black return to the WWE, especially under the direction of Triple H, who ran the NXT brand when Black was featured on the shows.

The biggest takeaway from this situation shouldn't necessarily be the releases themselves, it's more or less an annual tradition for the WWE as the office makes room for more talent to be added to different divisions of the company. It certainly doesn't mean that conclusion of a career, and in some cases, can be a key part of a brighter future in the grand scheme of things. However, and this might be repetitive, but it remains true, particularly with the NXT debut of Ricky Starks, this could be yet another example where a talent leaves All Elite to be spotlighted exponentially better in the WWE, which almost reinforces some of the narratives of the industry.

The career of Marcus DeAngelo

In November of 1991, Marcus DeAngelo found himself in front of the television on a Saturday morning following his usual routine of any youngster of the era that became a fan of the vibrant colors of the World Wrestling Federation, a bowl of equally colorful breakfast cereal, and the WWF Superstars show beamed through the screen. On this particular episode, the sinister Jake "The Snake" Roberts would lure fan favorite "Macho Man" Randy Savage into the ring, and what happened next became etched into the minds of fans as a topic of discussed even today.

With Macho trapped in the ropes, Jake lived up to his name when he revealed a legitimate king cobra from his trademark bag at ringside. The actual snake latched onto Savage's arm while the figurative snake taunted him. The iconic "Rowdy" Roddy Piper rushed to the ring from the broadcast position to help his fallen friend. The usually exquisite Ms. Elizabeth was hysterical as Macho was delirious from the perceived venom from the Cobra bite. The villainous Roberts cackled at the chaotic scene.

The young DeAngelo didn't know it at the time, but a few decades later, not only would he form a friendship with the snake man, but would be a co-host of his podcast, "The Snake Pit," a show on the network of Conrad Thompson, a real estate czar that parlayed his fandom of professional wrestling into a gig that eventually became one of the most influential forces among the sports entertainment landscape.

"In mid-2021, I saw that Ad Free Shows was hiring a social media guy. I had been doing marketing for a small company locally, and dreaming of what life would be like to be Conrad Thompson and have the opportunity to make a living speaking to guys you grew up admiring. I applied for the job and asked Dominic to put in a good word for me with the connections he had made as a wrestling journalist. I was hired and did all the social media for AFS for more than a year. During that time, I had become friends with Jake Roberts, and one day, Conrad called me and asked if I’d like to do a show with Jake. From there, things just continued to grow, Jake continued to introduce me to his friends like Jim Duggan and Ted DiBiase, and I was off to the races," Marcus explained.

"As far as the podcast network, I started working with Conrad Thompson at AdFreeShows before Marcus, myself and Paul Bromwell started our show, and while Marcus does his respective podcasts with DiBiase, Duggan and Jake Roberts, I do my own with RVD, Magnum TA, Greg Gagne & Bill Alfonso," said Marcus' brother, Dominic DeAngelo.

Marcus' mundane 9-to-5 gig was traded in for stories of Mid South under the reign of the hard-nosed Bill Watts, the early expansion of the WWF, and other gems that fans were eager to hear the legends that lived through the often wild era of the 80s when pro wrestling mixed with the MTV pop culture of its heyday.

With pythons, 2X4s, and mysterious mountains of cash as the backdrop, Marcus began to make a name for himself in the podcast world, particularly when stories of Andre, Iron Sheik, and JYD garnered a hefty amount of listeners across his various podcast projects. Always on the lookout for a good story, DeAngelo thought of a narrative that the audience could follow, putting himself in the mix as he had never done before. He wouldn't just guide the elder statesmen of industry through the golden years of their careers, but rather he would become the focal point of the story.

What would happen if a podcaster that talks about wrestling with some of the biggest legends of the sport actual steps inside the ring to take some bumps the same way those grapplers had?

"My plan was initially to document my journey to one match, and then step away from in-ring performance," Marcus remarked.

Similar to any endeavor that requires an education and a level of skill, Marcus had to go to school. So, he found the Iron City Wrestling Academy, the training center affiliated with the International Wrestling Cartel, one of the longest-running and most influential independent groups in the Pittsburgh area. While Justin Plummer has promoted the brand successfully for more than a decade, the organization was originally founded by local radio personality, Bubba The Bulldog in 2001 before it was ran for almost ten years by "Notorious" Norm Connors, who is widely regarded as the godfather of Pittsburgh independent circuit. Names like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, CM Punk, Troy Lords, Shirley Doe, and Dennis Gregory were just some of the national and local names that were staples of the promotion at one time or another.

The tedious process of landing on the stiff canvas repeatedly to learn the safest way possible to hit the mat was certainly a shock to the system. However, it wasn't long before the chance to step inside the ring ropes became something that Marcus looked forward to every week. Just like when he sat in front of his television screen to watch the action as a child, or his computer screen to discuss the industry with the legends as an adult, the "wrestling bug" bit Marcus again. 

"I started to fall in love with the in-ring part of the business and I received a lot of encouragement from my trainers and some of the wrestlers who told me that I was good enough to keep going past just one match. I decided I should really throw myself into it, and now I’m planning on wrestling until my body tells me I can’t anymore. The training at the ICWA was absolutely incredible and I would strongly encourage anyone in the surrounding area to start there if they want to learn how to do things the right way," DeAngelo said.

"Marcus has been an absolute student of the game.  He has something that cannot be taught; instinct.  I have really enjoyed passing down knowledge to him. He has always been very receptive," said Bobby Piskor, one of the head trainers and organizers behind the scenes of IWC, with the resume of his own that stretches back nearly a quarter of a century.

In November of last year, months of training, and years of fandom before that led to Marcus DeAngelo's official in-ring debut in the sport. A combination of nervous energy and excitement ran through him as he stood behind the black curtain, waiting for his cue to walk literally under the bright lights of the Marx's Sports Center venue. His in-ring persona of a pompous podcaster fell in defeat to local favorite, "The Handyman" Sam Handleman at around the six-minute mark, but the real-life Marcus only had gratitude for the chance to live out a dream that he never thought would become a reality.

"Getting to go out there in front of a live crowd after the months of training and feeling that energy was an irreplaceable moment. The cherry on top was that Tommy Dreamer was on the card and he was the first person I spoke to after coming back through the curtain. He gave great input on my match, and having the opportunity to speak to him moments after coming through the curtain was incredibly valuable to my growth," Marcus said.

"So, it's really rewarding to see Marcus jump into the wrestling ring. In certain ways, he's representing both our love and appreciation for the business. Before he stepped out of the curtain for his first time, we reminisced how we grew up doing this together in the living room. Marcus has always been an athlete and to see him jump in as a late bloomer, it speaks to his confidence and his God-given ability to take to the genre so organically. It's truly amazing and I'm super proud of him," added Dominic.

Despite officially turning pro, Marcus still cites his background in podcasting as the foundation of the genesis of his leap into the in-ring aspect of the industry. In fact, with the pursuit of his own pro wrestling glory, Marcus was gifted the infamous black glove from Ted Dibiase's Mid South days.

"My work in podcasting has helped me more than I can really describe. Hearing guys like Jake, Ted, and Hacksaw break down the nuances of wrestling for years had me feeling very prepared for what was to come. All the talents I work with have also been very generous with their time, answering my questions," explained Marcus.

So, with a fresh pair of wrestling boots and the potential foreign object in the black glove when needed, Marcus has spent the past few months doing exactly what any rookie of the industry should do when they break into the independent scene, continuing to hone his craft and picking up opportunities anywhere he can find them. However, Marcus' determination isn't limited to just a chance to get into the ring, he wants to take his talents as far as he can in the industry.

"I have a number of goals. I want to continually improve, I want to make more connections in the business, and of course, I’d love to get a contract somewhere," he concluded.

What's next for Jey Uso?

The opening segment of WWE Raw was very solid, it gave Jey Uso, the winner of the 2025 Royal Rumble, a grand entrance to add an extra spotlight onto him and in the process make him look like a bigger star because of it. That's a key piece of the puzzle ahead of Wrestlemania 41 in Las Vegas in just over two months, as management needs to shine him as much as possible to be put in a position as a credible main event performer for either night one or night two at the biggest event on the calendar.

Yes, two nights of Wrestlemania dilutes the concept, especially because the previous amount of limited spots on the card for any given year emphasized the importance of the stars that had a place on the line-up. However, after the brand of WM became so successful that it became vastly a travel crowd, it made sense for the corporation to maximize revenue, and if the fans are willing to fly in for the pay-per-view then a second night provided an added value to the experience, while more or less doubling the revenue associated with the live events.

So, that necessitates that the company have more than one signature main event to promote for Wrestlemania each year. As I wrote in the review about the Royal Rumble, Jey winning was surprising, not necessarily a negative, just surprising.

If Jey Uso rises to the occasion as a main event performer remains to be seen, but after so many years of Vince McMahon using part-timers and stars from the past as a booking crutch, it's good to see that the promotion is going to take a chance on moving someone new up the ladder.

As mentioned, the opening of Raw was a major positive for the case to be made for Jey to possibly be a future champion. Jey did the full crowd interaction as he made his way through the arena, and the argument could be made that his entrance is the most over portion of his entire act, which might or might not be a good thing. The entire arena was behind him and the visual alone is a tremendous example of how over he is with the audience.

I've said this before about WWE and other organizations within sports entertainment, perception is reality, and the opening of Raw definitely gives viewers the perception that Jey Uso is a major star that is more than over enough with the crowd to be a part of the main event scene of Wrestlemania. If that would've been the consensus prior to the Rumble is irrelevant, the bottom line is this, the audience seems to have embraced the notion that Uso is ready for the next level. 

On the flip side, the same couldn't be said for Charlotte Flair later in the night.

The next important portion of the segment was the promo itself. It might be cliche, but sometimes it's a cliche because it's true. Professional wrestling has drawn crowds for decades, albeit to varying degrees based on different circumstances, based on human psychology. The emotional investment into a performer or character is ultimately what draws money on a major league level. The audience believed in Stone Cold Steve Austin as the wild redneck that stood up to corporate corruption, they believed that Mick Foley was the dreamer that was willing to sacrifice his body for championship glory, and they believe that John Cena is the real-life super hero that does what's right.

When Jey Uso legitimately got emotional when he tried to speak on Raw because of the reception that the crowd gave him, it emphasized that he realized that he wouldn't be in the position he is today without the organic support of the audience. Let's be honest here, when the Usos were doing the face paint as a generic baby face tag team would anyone have thought there was even a chance that either one of them would be anyone near the main event of Wrestlemania? There were several second generation stars that had a run in the WWE over the years based on their last name before they faded into obscurity. There are Randy Orton and Charlotte Flair, and then there are Manu and Ted Dibiase Jr.

So, there was a journey and a story behind the destination of Wrestlemania that the fans can invest in for the Jey Uso character. He went from a mid-card tag team that could've coasted on his family's legacy to stay employed for several years while remaining in the same position on the card, but instead, there's a journey and a destination.

It certainly makes it easier for the crowd to be emotionally invested in the results of the championship bout at Wrestlemania when they can see the genuine appreciation that Jey had for their support on Raw.

This is the stark contrast between the approach that Tony Khan has taken with his pro wrestling project compared to the WWE's narrative for the product, which isn't to say that one is automatically better than the other, but rather to point out that the building blocks of the genre remain the same regardless of the presentation.

Will Ospreay is undoubtedly one of the best in-ring performers in the world, and if he stays on this path, he could end up with a legendary career by the time he retires. I don't think it would be an insult, given the British grappler's level of talent, to say that Ospreay is generally a better athlete than Jey Uso in the ring. However, and this is the biggest point to be made with this column, Jey Uso is put in a position to be a bigger star relative to the size of the organization that he works for than Ospreay is to AEW simply because Uso's journey to the championship builds the drama and thus the emotional investment to allow for the biggest payoff possible.

How many times have we seen Will Ospreay thrown into these one-off "dream matches" for nothing more than the artificial endorsement of star ratings in The Wrestling Observer newsletter? As I've said many times, unless getting seven stars has a cash prize with it, the primary goal should be what's going to maximize revenue on a long-term basis, not to cater to a niche newsletter.

However, this is far from a knock on AEW, it's just that the difference between the two products, and ultimately what's missing from Tony Khan's program, was made even more apparent during the promo on Raw. Make no mistake about it, All Elite has more than enough pure talent to be in a much better position than they are right now, garnering 604,000 viewers for last week's episode of Dynamite, a 40% decline from where the numbers were two and a half years ago.

Will Ospreay isn't being positioned to be the savior of the AEW championship from the clutches of Jon Moxley, who still doesn't have a specific point to the rambling promos that we've heard for almost six months. Instead, Ospreay will work a tag match with Kenny Omega against the Callis family, which was the same thing he was doing last year, at the Grand Slam event in Australia next weekend, an event that originally sold so poorly that it was moved from a stadium to a much smaller venue.

Where's the journey and the destination for Will Ospreay? Jeff Jarrett's journey as the old gunslinger that wanted one more run with the title before he hung up his boots was over before it started. What's the destination of the Moxley faction? The frustrating part is that Tony Khan probably hasn't decided it yet.

On the flip side, the argument could be made that Jey Uso stamped his ticket to be the future world champion with just the authenticity and the emotion from the promo on Raw. Granted, if Jey is truly going to be successful as a top guy, he will have to be able to rise to the occasion in terms of in-ring performance, but as far as the narrative, there's a storyline in place to allow him the opportunity to be successful. Jey is the gritty challenger that most didn't think would be a main event guy against the dominate champion, Gunther that has a persona that lends itself to the storyline where the baby face will have to overcome the odds to win the title.

The Royal Rumble review

The road to Wrestlemania 41 officially kicked off with the 2025 Royal Rumble from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana in front of over 65,000 fans, a legitimate sell out, which is a good indication for the city that made an extensive deal with the TKO corporation to bring WWE events to the area, including a future Wrestlemania hosted at the same site.

Of course, the historic value of the Royal Rumble and the cache of more than thirty years of moments are selling points for the show, but make no mistake about it, the biggest sales pitch for this pay-per-view was the star power currently on the roster, an aspect that was underscored during the main event segment.

As expected, the show opened and closed with each Rumble match, which makes sense in terms of pacing the card. However, and unfortunately, this was one of the biggest takeaways along with the incredible amount of sizzle that the broadcast delivered, the runtime of the show was nearly four and a half hours for a line-up that had only four matches. I don't care what matches, including the Rumbles, are booked for a pay-per-view, there's simply no realistic reason that such a card should be four and a half hours. At that rate, it's completely unavoidable for the broadcast not to drag at some point to become a tedious viewing experience.

The show opened with the women's rumble, and with a few exceptions, it was more or less a typical rumble. There wasn't anything subpar and there wasn't anything truly spectacular either. As far as the structure of the segment, the paint-by-numbers approach didn't lend itself to any true drama or a build toward the conclusion of the match. Charlotte Flair was announced as an entrant prior to the show and went on to win the match, sending her to Wrestlemania in a title match again. I have to be honest, while I completely see why the office chose her as the winner, especially with the level of her talent, and the fact that she was on the sidelines for several months because of a knee injury, this still seems like a "been there, done that" for. If I had to pick a specific reason, I'd say that since management had her win and drop the title a few extra times earlier in her career to artificially get her close to the chance to break her dad's title record, a lot of the same ground has already been covered in a relatively short period of time. Keep in mind, she won the women's rumble in 2020, and the history of the match is significantly shorter than the men's version so the same winner will seem more repetitive.

In some ways, this is a compliment to her talent and her status, she's a big enough star that she honestly didn't need to win the match to have a level of importance going into a featured match at WM. Again, this isn't a knock of her skills, but rather that it looked like the WWE took the easy route with the women's rumble instead of betting on a different performer to have to rise to the occasion of a spotlighted WM bout and hopefully become a bigger star in the process. Ironically, that was actually the path that management took for the men's rumble later in the night.

Aside from Flair's return, Alexa Bliss, who was the subject of rumors of a contract dispute with the company as recently as last week, made a surprise return to the company. Since she appeared on-screen, there was some discussion online that the WWE potentially leaked a false story to make the dirt sheets look silly, but that's doubtful. If anything, keeping Bliss' name out of the news would've made for a bigger surprise when her music played at the show. Furthermore, the vast majority of the WWE audience doesn't follow Dave Meltzer, Wade Keller, or Sean Ross Sapp so there's not much of a point for the publicly-traded corporation to plant a story to attempt to make them look silly. If I had to guess, it was probably as simple as the contract dispute, if there was one at all, was probably worked out prior to the Rumble. It's not as though the Royal Rumble hasn't been used as a standard option for a talent to make a comeback in the past.

Potentially, the much bigger point is, what's planned for Bliss among the current WWE landscape? Despite the initial reports that she would return to join the Wyatt stable, given her prior associations with Bray, the faction has completely stalled so saddling her with that gimmick might hinder, not help her return to the company. Speaking of potential future plans within the organization, Trish Stratus made a cameo appearance, and it will be interesting to see if this was a one-off or if there will be a storyline for her ahead of Wrestlemania. As expected, Jordynne Grace made her official debut with the company and had a solid showing so at least with the first impression, it looks like she will be a solid addition to the female division.

As far as where this lines up for Wrestlemania, I think the easiest option, and the company went for the easiest choice for the winner, is for Charlotte to challenge Rhea Ripley to be able to use their match at WM 36 as the background for the storyline that is used to build the rematch at WM 41.

Next was the two out of three falls match for the WWE tag titles, and despite the skills of both teams, nobody cares about this contest in the building. I understand that there has to be a way to pace the card, but the harsh reality is that the tag division is often presented as secondary within the WWE product so after the first Rumble match, the fans weren't nearly as enthusiastic for this segment. I'm not sure why this had to be a two out of three falls match, especially because it only went about 15 minutes, which is what a standard match usually is on pay-per-view anyway. DIY retained, and The Street Profits beat down both teams afterwards, garnering a minimal reaction from the crowd.

The ladder match for the WWE championship was next, and given that it was obvious that there wasn't going to be a title switch, Cody and Kevin Owens built the contest around some absolutely brutal bumps. This match will be memorable for the nasty bumps that these two took on the ladders, and there probably did as best as they could, given the fact that nobody believed that Owens was going to win the title. The finishing sequence that saw Cody give KO an Alabama slam from the announce table through the ladder looked like a very rough landing. Yes, the standard breakaway ladder spot made for an easier bump, but Owens was folded up on his head. Again, Cody winning was obvious, but credit to both of these guys for giving the audience a match that was still worthwhile to invest in at this pay-per-view. The question that remains is, what's next for Owens? As I wrote previously, Owens' ability to make his opponents look good and always be dependable to deliver a quality performance has sometimes led to him being used in a role that is designed to let his opponent shine so hopefully, there's something of importance for him on the horizon for Wrestlemania.

The men's Royal Rumble bout had a few clunky spots early, including when Penta's feet clearly touched the floor when he wasn't scheduled to be eliminated, and a mistimed spot with Rey Mysterio looked like it caused an injury to Chad Gable's knees. Thankfully, Gable was fine, and the match built well after that. I had no idea who ishowspeed was prior to his association with WWE and still don't think his involvement will move the needle at all, but he took an absolutely brutal spear from Bron Breakker. Did he owe Bron money?

Joe Hendry, wearing the TNA championship, made a cameo appearance and after about two minutes , was eliminated by Roman Reigns. I'm not sure of what the purpose was or why the TNA champion wasn't given the chance to shine on some level, considering the recently announced partnership, but the elimination from Roman certainly seemed like a message sent.

The psychology of the ending sequences was brilliant. The major stars were involved and the audience was on the edge of their seats following the action to see who would get the chance to main event Wrestlemania. Logan Paul's involvement suggested that there's bigger plans for him within the organization, and I'm still not sure if his fan base has ever truly followed his ventures into the WWE, but if nothing else, the Prime sponsorship is a valuable revenue stream.

As I'd written before, I think John Cena should win the Rumble because it sets up for the storybook ending to his eventual retirement to win the championship. That being said, I don't think it was a negative that Jey Uso won the match. It wasn't a negative, but it was definitely surprising. Realistically, I don't think many people expected Jey to win The Royal Rumble. Again, that's not a bad thing, just surprising. Clearly, the office believes in his popularity and wants to try to elevate him to the next level, which makes sense. The argument could be made that his entrance is the most over part of his entire act, but the bottom line is, if Jey has the ability to make himself a legitimate main event talent, he's getting a solid importunity to boost his stock before WM.

The question is, will Jey's in-ring work be able to get to the level of a main event star? His popularity with the audience isn't in question, but his in-ring work has been sloppy occasionally. The Uso vs. Uso match at Wrestlemania last year didn't exactly get rave reviews. Based on the fact that Gunther beat him at Saturday Night's Main Event, that will probably be used as the basis for the storyline at WM 41. It's a simple, but effective narrative, as it gives the over baby face odds to overcome to win the championship. Again, if Jey's in-ring work justifies that spot remains to be seen.

It goes without saying that there's more to unfold to set up Wrestlemania going forward, and management has done a good job of balancing the talent, in terms of allowing for multiple opponents to look like legitimate contenders for Cody Rhodes before the biggest event of the year. The biggest takeaway from the entire pay-per-view was probably the way that management used the star power on the card to allow for memorable moments at the event.

What's the status of Dynamite?

As much as I didn't want to write this article, as it will probably sound petty and repetitive, it must be pointed out how much drek on this week's edition of Dynamite represents the utter lack of direction or structure that continues to permeate the organization. Yes, the usual disclaimer, Tony Khan is a great guy that legitimately cares about his roster, and that's genuinely wonderful because the business could use more people like that in the industry, but that certainly doesn't make him a qualified booker or a successful promoter, especially after five years of the role.

At this point, I don't care how many star ratings or booker of the year awards Tony Khan wins, this show is so slapstick and disjointed that there's not a true reason to tune in, other than the random mess that might yield some entertaining athleticism by complete coincidence.

The show opened with Will Ospreay vs. Brian Cage. Cage is a part of the goon squad so obviously, he's not winning the match, and of course, there will be post-match shenanigans with a series of run-ins. The Callis family has a decent collection of talent, but as I've pointed out previously, after more than a year out of action because of diverticulitis, is this really how Kenny Omega should be used? He's doing the same thing now, working the same feud that he was in 2023. Quite simply, there are better uses for Kenny Omega, especially after the series of injuries and the health scare that he had. It probably took a few years off of his career so why not maximize the scenarios that you can put him while he's still healthy and wrestling? 

Furthermore, as I've also said before since the narrative around All Elite Wrestling rarely changes, Will Ospreay should be the franchise guy to AEW the same way that AJ Styles was the true representative of TNA in its heyday. At 31, Ospreay is in the prime of his career, and he works a high risk style so give him the ball and let him run with it as far as he can to truly establish the brand of the company.

Why isn't the British grappler the one tasked with saving the world title from Jon Moxley?

Listen, I think Don Callis is a hidden gem of the pro wrestling business, and Konosuke Takeshita is another guy that you can truly cement as a part of the foundation of the organization, but this isn't a scenario where Ospreay/Takeshita are spotlighted in the main event for the championship. If you remember, that match was given away in a one-off scenario last year because Tony needed those star ratings in The Wrestling Obsever newsletter to boost his confidence so that he can be assured that his E-fed booking style on the internet works for a national television audience.

Instead of the flag bearer for All Elite, Ospreay is put in a tag match with Omega for Grand Slam in Australia, an event that sold so poorly that it went from a potential pay-per-view in a stadium to being down scaled to a TV taping in a much smaller venue. Again, the biggest issue isn't the amount of talent involved, Ospreay, Omega, Takeshita, and Kyle Fletcher are tremendously talented performers, but rather the way they are being utilized, or in this case underutilized is frustrating to say the least.

The Jon Moxley drek and the entire premise, as flimsy as it is, of his stable is so flat that it makes you want to change the channel. I've said this several times, Moxley was an MVP of the promotion, he carried the company on his back when All Elite needed it, but in the process he was overexposed. Despite several promos, what's the point or the direction of any of this? Is All Elite under siege? Is he holding the title hostage? Why exactly should the audience care if Moxley has the title? He hasn't threatened to destroy the company, or hasn't really made anything else clear, despite almost six months of this faction's existence so why should the audience be invested in it? If it was something as simplistic as, "if Moxley remains the champion, this could be the end of AEW" at least there would be a focal point to follow as far as where the storyline goes next.

There's none of that, and if I had to guess, Tony Khan probably doesn't have a destination for the storyline yet, either.

Speaking of the world title, a few weeks ago, Jeff Jarrett cut a promo to announce that 2025 would be his final year as an in-ring competitor and he pledged to win the AEW championship before he hung up the boots. A 57-year-old world champion isn't exactly a part of a youth movement, but the narrative has its place as the old gunslinger wants to win one more time before he rides off into the sunset. The story more or less writes itself. Keep in mind, ECW's first pay-per-view was based around 53-year-old Terry Funk winning the title. The Revolution pay-per-view garnered the best buy rate for AEW last year with the retirement of the 64-year-old icon, Sting.

While I would legitimately get a kick out of Double J Tennessee two-stepping his way to one last championship run in signature old-time pro wrestler style, I'm not necessarily saying that's the only way to honor him for a retirement. However, when you have the baby face cut the promo and proclaim his intentions, it's setting up a level of expectations from the audience. Claudio beat Double J, who would've gotten a title shot against Moxley if he won. The baby face failed so at this point, the storyline is more or less done. Sure, there's the MJF tie-in, but should feuding with a legend near the age of 60 be how MJF is used on this show? Unless, there's a grand plan for Jarrett to actual win the belt before he retires, and clearly, Tony Khan isn't known for long-term planning, there's no reason for the audience to believe in the baby face. The simple way to avoid this is just don't book it in the first place, it would be much easier for Jarrett to work with MJF as the sleazy heel than to put Double J in a position where he fails in the quest for the championship. Why sacrifice Jarrett's credibility as a baby face right before he's presumably going to work with MJF? Why should the audience care when Double J already failed on his declaration to win the world championship one more time? 

Ricochet beat AR Fox, and Jay White beat Wheeler Yuta. It was cannon fodder, but every program needs some cannon fodder. The issue was that this was cannon fodder between segments that didn't have a point so it wasn't used to pace anything on the show.

Mariah May's promo was the bright spot on the entire show, despite the woefully low bar that was for this episode of Dynamite.

The main event was a textbook example of why Dynamite typically doesn't maintain ratings into its second hour. Yuka Sakazaki, who returned from an injury last weekend on an episode of Collision, won a four-way match to get a title shot. The problem with this has nothing to do with Sakazaki's talent, but rather her status within the organization. She was rarely on television before she was injured, and she returned on a show that has roughly half the audience of Dynamite. It's not unrealistic if the vast majority of the viewing audience for TBS this week either forget she was on the roster or didn't know who she was at all. Sure, Mercedes Mone has a level of star power, albeit a diminished level of star power compared to her run in WWE, but the bottom line is, if a match with an obvious result is booked for the main event segment, it doesn't give the audience a reason to watch the rest of the show. They can change the channel because nothing of importance is going to happen. If it's a title match and the audience knows that the relatively unknown opponent doesn't have a chance to win the belt, what's the reason to watch the segment?

What's next for Alexa Bliss?

Contract disputes are in the news, with the recent reports of names like Rey Fenix, Miro, and others more or less put on ice with All Elite Wrestling, but it's nothing new. There have been disputes between talent and promoters as long as there has been a pro wrestling business. So, it's not surprising that WWE has a contract dispute of its own among the rumor mill online.

PWinsider's Mike Johnson, the most accurate reporter in the industry, reported that WWE brass had plans for Alexa Bliss to return to the company after she was on hiatus for the past two years since she gave birth in late-2023. According to those reports, Bliss was scheduled to return on an edition of Raw earlier this month to align herself with the Wyatts, a callback to her time alongside Bray when he portrayed The Fiend persona a few years ago. If recycling her role in a Wyatt angle would be the best use of Bliss after a few years away is a different discussion for a different time since those plans were scrapped.

Reportedly, Bliss' representative contracted WWE ahead of her slated return, requesting a new contract. WWE management declined that notion, considering that her prior deal was still in place and they wanted her to come back to the organization under the original agreement. As of this writing, it's unclear if her contract was frozen when she was on hiatus to give birth so it's possible that she still has at least a few more years on that original contract. If that's the case, Bliss would have a minimum of two years left on that deal so it could be problematic if she refuses to work under that agreement.

On one hand, it's understandable that Alexa Bliss, who initially inked a WWE development contract in 2013, would want to try to get a new deal to return, as the bottom line would be an increase in the among of cash she would get paid to be on the WWE roster. It's not exactly an unreasonable request, as a lot has happened within the landscape of the TKO corporation within the past two years since Bliss stepped foot in a WWE ring. Of course, there was the WWE/UFC merger and the TKO stock that was launched in association with it. The Rock, who joined the WWE board as a part of the merger, signed a new deal last month that granted him a staggering $41 million worth of TKO stock. Vince McMahon, the emperor of sports entertainment for decades, was exiled in disgrace after sexual misconduct revelations made headlines on several media outlets. Furthermore, the mega Netflix deal worth $5 billion brought Monday night Raw to the streaming platform for at least the next decade.

As we know, the Netflix deal truly globalizes the product, and as the corporation expands with live events in foreign countries, it's a continued increase in revenue for the publicly-traded organization. Alexa Bliss wants her share of that cash.

Essentially, this scenario has happened in other sports when someone performs beyond their contract. The problem is, Bliss hasn't exceeded her contract in either revenue or performance. In fact, it's quite the opposite, she hasn't been in the game, and thus doesn't really have the leverage to look for an increase in pay.

Don't get me wrong, I completely understand where she's coming from, the company is in a different position than when she left, and it's also understandable why a talent looks to maximize their earning, a wrestler only has so many years of major earnings and injuries can cut a career short at any time. There aren't any retirement or pension plans in sports entertainment. Of course, those dynamics because even more emphasized when it's taken into account that Bliss now has a kid to consider as far as financial stability for her family. It might be something as simple as Bliss wants a specific number for her to go back on the road with WWE or she'd rather stay home with her family.

You can't blame her for that, but at the same time, from strictly a legal perspective, WWE brass has the ability to enforce the terms of the contract. It's somewhat similar to the Rey Fenix situation with Tony Khan, it might seem petty that Tony won't release him, and he won't book him either so there's no reason to keep him under a deal, but he has the legal right to do so. If WWE management doesn't want to renegotiate Bliss' agreement than they have the legal right to keep her to the terms of the initial deal.

Bliss is a star within the organization, and while the association with the failed stint alongside The Fiend didn't help her star power, there's no doubt that she would continue to be an asset if she returns to the company. That being said, she's not really in a position to make demands, either. She hasn't been on WWE television for more than two years so naturally her star power will diminish to some degree, and in some ways, it's out of sight, out of mind, especially because of how much the landscape of the company has changed within that time. Along with that, the women's division is arguably the most consistent quality aspect of WWE programming, and that's without Bliss in the mix so it's not like she's a necessary part of the division for the female talent to be successful. Granted, everyone is replaceable and expendable, that's the harsh nature of the industry, but the point being, Bliss doesn't have the numbers to make a case for an increase in pay. Has Bliss sold a lot of merchandise in the past two years? Has she been featured in viral social media clips? By what metric should Bliss get a raise in her salary?

Please don't misunderstand me, I think a talent should try to get as much money as they can, that's the entire point of the business, but the other side of the coin explains why it might be an ill-advised strategy to simple refuse to show up to perform on the shows without a fresh contract, particularly when the initial contract is still a legal agreement. The numbers simply aren't in her favor.

Bliss has spent her entire career in the WWE system, and even if a release is eventually worked out, there's no guarantee that she will find success outside of the organization that her name was synonymous with for the past decade. Mercedes Mone overvalued herself when she walked out of WWE a few years ago and has struggled for the majority of her stint in All Elite Wrestling. Make no mistake, Mercedes is a very talented performer, but she thought she was a bigger star than she actually was, and faced a harsh reality check when her promos, as well as some of her matches were panned last year.

At 33, Bliss is in the prime of her career so it would be a shame if she was more or less frozen during a contract dispute. Again, she doesn't really have a case to play hard ball, the women's division has done very well without her, and it's possible that WWE would opt to have her sit out the duration of the rest of her current contract, which would completely diminish her value on the free agent market when she could finally explore other options in the industry.

My two cents on the matter would be for Bliss to finish up her existing contract and then look for more cash after she's re-established within the women's division. That's if she's strictly looking to get paid more cash to do the job. If this is a situation where she doesn't want to go on the road a few days a week away from her family, and would only be willing to do so if she gets a specific number than perhaps it would be better if she stepped away from the sport completely, at least for a few more years. The harsh reality is, the TKO corporation has the legal standing to enforce the original agreement so it's doubtful that they will pay more simply because she doesn't want to return to work without a new contract, especially because it could set a negative precedent for other talent in the future.