What's the status of Malakai Black?

One of the intriguing aspects of the competition of the pro wrestling industry since the launch of All Elite Wrestling, which is the first comparative competition in the business since WCW folded, is that it gives the talent more options, both for their career trajectory and the money that can be made. As much passion and determination that are shown that can legitimately be an inspiration, it's important to remember that pro wrestling, especially on a national level, is a business. Revenue and profit are what are the ultimate measures of success. To put it in perspective, outside of a few rare exceptions, nobody chose to go to TNA over WWE in the 2000s because the bigger platform and the better money was made under contract to Vince McMahon. When WWE wasn't an option or when talent were released, they often became a flavor of the month in TNA, as there was a point in time when a cast of former WWE stars became a regular portion of Impact programming with who was the next released star to debut. Instead of that, the dynamic of the business is completely different because now, talent are choosing between All Elite or WWE. With Triple H taking over the company in recent months, there was yet another shift, with some of the guys that were released during the pandemic "budget cuts" either being brought back or those in AEW interested in a potential return to WWE.

It creates a fun dynamic and keeps each product fresh, but it also creates questions about the contracts signed and how each situation should be handled, both by the talent and the promotion.

First, it should be noted that the "grappling" for leverage on contracts in pro wrestling has existed as long as the sport has drawn fans to the box office. In many cases, the promoter inherently has the advantage because of the capital and the platform an organization has, but that's not always the case, which is why it can be such a debated issue. There really are two very harsh sides of the coin on this situation. On one hand, pro wrestlers are independent contractors, and there's no pension plan or retirement fund waiting for them when they hang up their boots. How in the wide world of sports pro wrestlers are still classified as independent contractors is a different debate for a different time, but the bottom line is, pro wrestlers have a specific time frame to maximize their earnings and the ability to make the most money possible is what can offer financial security after they retire from the ring. So, from what perspective, you can't blame the talent for using every card they can play to make more money because the promoter isn't going to pay the mortgage after their contract expires.

At the same time, if a wrestler is too difficult to do business with, it can significantly damage the promotion's ability to draw the money that everyone wants to make for their piece of the pie. Ultimately, the willingness to do business is what draws the money so there's a fine line between when a talent wants their fair share and when they prevent a bigger draw at the box office. WCW is a prime example of how those with the "that don't work for me brother" mindset helped the company fall off a cliff before it went out of business.

There are different viewpoints on how contracts should be handled and there are valid points on each side of the debate. The Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez made a very good point on the Wrestling Observer Live program that when a wrestler signs a multi-year contract, they know what they're getting into and that they made a commitment to work for a company for the length of the contract. Granted, we know that the company can terminate the deal at any time, and while that might not be considered fair, the talent knows the terms of the contract before they sign it.

Alvarez made a perfectly reasonable argument that when you sign a deal, you should be held to those terms, otherwise what's the point of a contract? The counter point to that is, you can't force someone to show up if they simply refuse to work there, and you have to weigh the pros and cons of keeping someone under contract that doesn't want to be there. In some ways, it's better for the company to give someone their walking papers if they don't want to be there. I'm not sure there's a definitive right or wrong answer so prehaps, it's best handled on a case-by-case basis.

Recently, two names from The House of Black faction, Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews, were rumored to have requested their release from AEW. Both were featured stars in NXT during the Triple H regime of the brand, which led to speculation that the pair wanted to leave All Elite to return to WWE. The Wresting Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that Malakai signed a five-year deal with Tony Khan, which would mean that he still has several years left on his contract. Reportedly, Matthews signed a three-year contract. At least on the surface, it appears that Black's possible exit is what led to Matthews requesting a release as well. Granted, it doesn't make sense to continue the stable if the leader leaves the company, but that doesn't mean that Brody King isn't still a valuable asset. It was very interesting that Malakai went on Instagram live, disputing almost everything Meltzer reported on the situation. Black said that his contract wasn't for five years and that he wasn't released from his AEW deal, but rather requested time off to deal with personal issues. It could all be a smoke screen, but is another reminder that more often than not, internet speculation should be taken with a grain of salt.

Despite it being a complex scenario, my two cents on this is rather simplistic. Assuming Malakai Black is actually still under contract to AEW and didn't request his release, the speculation of his status is moot. Buddy Matthews is a talented in-ring performer, but his level of star power doesn't justify the hassle of a contract dispute so if he wants to leave, grant his release. Even if Buddy Matthews returns to the WWE, his impact would be minimal, especially with the amount of recent returns. That's basically why the requests for a release might be handled on an individual basis. If a promoter is going to invest the TV time and the promotional dollars into a talent, particularly for a major angle that will build to a pay-per-view, there must be some level of assurance that talent is going to do business. This is why the MJF controversy from a few months ago might've sent a terrible precedent since it lets the roster know that if they aren't happy they can get what they want if they simply refuse to show up for the events.

The return of Bray Wyatt

After fans could scan a code with their phone on Raw that led to a teaser video of White Rabbit for an implied reveal this Friday on Smackdown, many on social media speculated that it could be the return of Bray Wyatt, who was released due to "budget cuts" related to the pandemic.

The numerous ways that WWE brass misused and mismanaged the career of Bray Wyatt, including burning him alive on pay-per-view before he showed up as a burned marshmallow, have been well-documented so there's no reason to rehash all the details. However, I think it's worth mentioning that I'm not sure there's any other wrestler in history that the WWE has missed the boat on as big or as many times as Bray Wyatt. That's not to say he would've necessarily been the biggest star of all time, but rather that he could've been a very big star, but management completely fumbled it several times throughout his WWE tenure. In many ways, it's a small miracle that Bray has any steam left as a pro wrestling character because usually all it takes is one major botch in the direction of someone's career for their star power to be stained. Lex Luger was never the same star in the WWF after the DQ win at Summer Slam 1993, and it took a jump to WCW to rejuvenate his status. Bill Goldberg never recovered from the way the streak was handled and was booked secondary to Triple H during his original WWE stint. It took twelve years for him to regain the aura he had in his prime. Being burned alive, the infamous cell match with Seth Rollins, the horrendous swamp fight, getting squashed by Goldberg, not beating John Cena at Wrestlemania 30, being used to attempt to get Roman Reigns over during the failed baby face push, and the way the burnt marshmallow was written off of television a few months before his release were all ways that subpar booking damaged Bray's career. Again, it's a small miracle fans still want to see the character after how silly he was made to look and beaten into powder at marquee events.

But, a new regime could theoretically give Bray Wyatt a fresh start so is it possible that he's the white rabbit?

 All things considered, if I had to guess, I'd say that yes, Bray is the surprise for Smackdown. The cryptic reveal is something that would fit with his persona and would be a way to create as much distance as possible between the current Bray and the previously mentioned burnt marshmallow. The only downside is that the timing doesn't lend itself to any major pay-per-views so you not going to get a surprise Wyatt return in the Royal Rumble or an automatic set up for a Wrestlemania match.

By nature, pro wrestling can be a genre where the preposterous can seem posterous. It's a fine line and it's easy to jump the shark. Everyone knew The Undertaker couldn't summon lightning bolts in reality, but it was done in such a way that the audience could give that a pass and get lost in the spectacle of the moment. For example, Matt Hardy teleporting on screen is obviously not actually possible, but fans see pyro at wrestling shows on a regular basis so they know it can come from somewhere in the arena when The Undertaker hits a pose. In a similar fashion, if Bray pops up on Smackdown, it would be best for the presentation to completely omit any of the subpar portrayal of the character from the tenure last year. The Fiend, the burnt marshmallow, or any reference to it should be completely avoided.

It speaks volumes to his ability as a performer that the audience still reacts with this level of anticipation for a potential Bray Wyatt return. Make no mistake about it, Wyatt has all the tools of a major star. He has the in-ring work, the mic skills, and the charisma to draw money. Quite simply, Wyatt has an "it" factor that can't be taught, regardless of how many former athletes from other sports get put through the assembly line at the Performance Center.

If the White Rabbit reveal isn't Bray Wyatt then whoever it is will probably have more of an uphill climb to get over with the audience because of the expectations of the teaser videos. However, not knowing for sure and some mystery ahead of when Smackdown is on the air is part of the fun. For example, some fans might've had some idea of Chris Jericho's WWE debut, but when the surprise is still there, it creates more of a memorable moment. If the videos are for Bray Wyatt then I'd say that his fresh character should resemble some of the aspects of what made the original character popular. Evolve beyond the origins of the swamps of the initial NXT vignettes, but give him the Jim Jones type persona and allow for the type of run the original Bray Wyatt character should've had several years ago.

As with anything, the success of a Bray Wyatt return to WWE will depend on if management has meaningful angles for him beyond just the debut pop since we know that's easy. The character must have a purpose and importance that will allow Wyatt to continue to progress throughout a new stint in the company. Sure, I'm guessing the money to re-sign with the organization is very good, but if Bray is going to return only to spin his wheels with counterproductive booking then the intrigue of the return is moot point for his career.

AEW Grand Slam

All Elite Wrestling Grand Slam, the event held at Arthur Ashe stadium is in the books and very similar to the show last year, Grand Slam appeared to be a pivotal night for the organization going forward. In some ways, it was a new chapter for the company after all the turmoil and publicity of the now-infamous All Out media scrum. How the results of Grand Slam continue to unfold remain to be seen.

The show opened with Claudio vs. Chris Jericho for the Ring Of Honor world title. It was a very solid contest, and underscored the longevity of Jericho, as he went step-for-step with Claudio throughout the bout. A cheap shot allowed Jericho to win the belt, which I'm guessing was a decision strictly made to attempt to secure a television deal for ROH. Tony Khan did a recent interview with Barstool and mentioned that he discussed a potential ROH deal with Turner executives. I have to say, I think the entire philosophy is flawed. I know I've said it before, but it will continue to be relevant as long as the status of ROH is up in the air. While the history of Ring Of Honor was very influential and AEW probably wouldn't exist without it, the bottom line is, ROH was a brand that lost all of its momentum after The Elite left to launch AEW. The company was sold because it couldn't draw enough to sustain itself in the crowded wrestling landscape. If there was money to be made with the current ROH brand then it wouldn't have been sold in the first place. In my opinion, the most valuable asset and rightfully worth the purchase is the extensive video library. In an age where there's big money in streaming networks, the purchase gives Tony Khan the foundation of a platform. There are hundreds of full-length events and television episodes in the archives that feature many of the stars that either Khan has under contract or are major stars in the WWE,. The ability to monetize that footage could be a major revenue stream. Other than that, the attempt to involve ROH on AEW programming only dilutes the All Elite brand. There are so many belts that it's comical. Again, the ROH product couldn't sustain itself and it was sold so it goes without saying that the resources of Tony Khan should be behind All Elite because that's the brand that has the best chance to be competitive in the industry. Using the time, energy, and resources for ROH takes away from building AEW.

As far as getting Ring Of Honor back on television, Tony Khan needs to focus on booking Dynamite to be the best show possible on a weekly basis, and again, other projects will inherently take away from that. Plus, you have to ask, do fans really want to watch another hour of wrestling every week? The numbers for Rampage suggest that there isn't the demand an extra hour of programming. Jericho winning the ROH title is a neat Easter egg, but in some ways, it's similar to when the Dudleys won the WCW tag belts after the WWF purchase, there will probably be an asterisk to it because fans know that Jericho wouldn't have worked for the original ROH.

The Women's title match was fine and Toni Storm retained. The whole Thunder Rosa story is bizarre because there are conflicting reports about if she's legitimately injured or was sent home because she was difficult to work with. In many cases, you have to take internet speculation with a grain of salt, but just for the sake of discussion, if Rosa was difficult to deal with to the point that she had to take time off then it's best for Tony Khan to release her. Don't get me wrong, Thunder Rosa is very talented, but if the CM Punk debacle taught Tony anything, it should be that you have to put the company ahead of any individual star.

Saraya, the former Paige, made her surprise AEW debut and it generated an incredible response from the crowd. All things considered, this is great for the 30-year-old athlete that thought her career was over from a serious neck injury. Paige went through a lot of turbulence personally with the injuries, substance issues, and other problems so it's wonderful to see her happy and healthy now. Assuming she's medically cleared, this is a great addition for the women's division since Saraya immediately became the biggest star in the division.

The All-Atlantic title match was good, and the athleticism was incredible. That said, the title is nothing more than a prop so there wasn't the prestige of a championship bout. The great Jim Valley, the king of recovery, summarized the Orange Cassidy situation perfectly on social media. Cassidy is  very popular, but his gimmick doesn't lend itself to competing with the top stars so he has a lot of defeats on his record. You can only book him to lose so many times before it diminishes his popularity so there's definitely a booking predicament with him, and I'm not sure what the answer is for how to properly book the character.

The Acclaimed are a textbook example of what AEW should build around, wrestlers that get over organically with the audience. Swerve and Keith Lee are very talented, but were basically a throw together team. As I said when Swerve was originally signed, he can go in the ring, but he doesn't bring anything to the table that isn't already on the roster. Keith Lee is a unique athlete, but his weight fluctuates and it seems to effect his work. The Acclaimed are over and that draws money so it was the right decision to book the title switch.

The main event was very good and it was an example of the high quality pro wrestling that AEW can bring to the table. That said, despite being one of the biggest stars in the company, Jon Moxley should only be a transitional champion right now. He won the substitute version of the world title and then lost to CM Punk so he doesn't really have the momentum of the world champion behind him at this point. While it might be obvious, sometimes the simplest answer is the right answer. MJF should be the next AEW champion, but I'm not sure how they will handle his character after that because he was getting a baby face reaction from the crowd so it will be interesting to see if Tony Khan will try to keep him heel after he wins the championship.

Logan Paul vs. Roman Reigns

During a press conference last weekend, it was announced that Youtube and social media star, Logan Paul, who worked a few matches in the WWE previously, will challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal championship on November 5th in Saudi Arabia. We've already discussed previously that yes, the Saudi shows are for the blood money, and yes, the WWE is more than willing to be a part of the Saudi government's propaganda campaign to attempt to steer the country's image away from its political and social injustices. Despite what you might hear at the press conferences or the next shareholder meeting, the deal with the Saudis is about the cash, not social progress in the country. As such, the government has offered to invest a few billion dollars into a variety of sports and entertainment acts. The WWE, pro golfers, boxers, and music acts are offered more money to go to Saudi Arabia than any promoter in the United States could realistically offer because the funding is through the country's oil industry. These WWE Saudi shows are the most profitable venture of the year for the company, guaranteeing the organization even more money than Wrestlemania. Tiger Woods was reportedly offered somewhere in the neighborhood of $700-800 million to attempt to get him to sign onto the LIV league.

It's a harsh reality, but cash is king. In the business world, money is the top priority.

Still, while the Saudis get the star power and main stream act they want for the next propaganda project, the decision to book Logan Paul against Reigns speaks volumes about a few different aspects of the company.

As mentioned, from strictly a business perspective, Crown Jewel is already a success because the Saudi government is getting what they paid for so it keeps that business agreement strong, and of course, WWE will have its most profitable show of the year in November.

In a vacuum, the Saudi show is a win-win for everyone. However, outside of that, it's a microcosm of WWE's bigger problems. Regardless of if it was the 50/50 booking, the Vince McMahon philosophy, or any other reason, the WWE spent the past several years boosting its major shows with nostalgia acts from the past. When this year's Wrestlemania needed a main event for night one, Steve Austin was called out of retirement for the first time in 19 years. John Cena is still the last main stream star the company made and that was over 15 years ago. Taking nothing away from Roman, he's doing the best work of his career and he's the top star of the WWE, but his name isn't well-known among the general public. People that don't watch wrestling know the name John Cena, but wouldn't automatically know the name Roman Reigns. The type of star power the Saudis pay massive cash for goes beyond WWE because they ultimately aren't paying for a WWE show, they are going for main stream publicity more than anything else.

As far as nostalgia, the WWE as a whole used the star power of the past as a substitute for a compelling product. Goldberg, Sting, Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and others were given the chance to shine again because it's much easier to recycle a formula you know works than to risk anything with a new star. The problem is that, by nature, nostalgia is a limited concept, and that's exactly what happened to these Saudi shows. The government got Goldberg, Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, and Shawn Micheals, Essentially, the WWE ran out of main stream acts and the current roster doesn't have anyone to compare to that level of star power. Again, 50/50 booking or any other reason doesn't matter, the bottom line is, WWE management doesn't have the ace up their sleeve to cash-in on the most profitable show of the year.

So, the office booked Logan Paul against Roman Reigns because for whatever reason, Logan Paul is more well known to the general public than the rest of the current WWE roster. Granted, I'm only a few years older than Logan Paul, and maybe I'm just an old soul, but I will never understand those that are "famous for being famous." I don't care if Logan Paul went to get a coffee or got hit by lightning. The Kardashians are one of the reasons for the downfall of society. Still, the government is paying for main stream publicity and Paul brings that to the table. However, it underscores the fact that there aren't any legitimate main stream stars on the current roster. When a guy with two matches is a bigger deal to an outside entity than anyone that is on the show weekly, there's definitely a problem. Sure, the WWE draw draws and will make the most money in the history of the company in the next few years because of the television deals, but similar to when the company ran out of part-timers for Saudi Arabia, how are they going land a similar TV deal next time when it's clear that the majority of the company aren't viewed as major stars by the general public?

As far as the actual match, unless Roman Reigns destroys Paul within two minutes, what does that say about the rest of the roster? Reigns steamrolled everyone so what does it says about all the top names he beat if Logan Paul has a competitive match with him? If the guy with only two matches can be competitive with the world champion, how difficult is the sport supposed to be? If it's implied that anyone can get in the ring, doesn't that further dilute the star power of the current roster?

The argument could be made that with the type of money the Saudis show bring in that any criticism is moot, and depending on your perspective, that might be true, but at some point those decisions could eventually hinder the rest of the product. For example, when will the company truly made its next generation of major stars?

VHS Memoirs volume 29

Today marks 28 years since Fall Brawl 1994, a broadcast that took place in the midst of another transitional period for the organization. After being in flux for the majority of its existence under the Turner banner, WCW at least had a clear vision under Eric Bischoff, who knew the company needed star power and a presentation that took it out of the dimly-lit arenas that the promotion was known for before that. It still puzzles me that a broadcast company owned the wrestling division, but went nearly five years with subpar production value. Fall Brawl was somewhat of a bridge between that gritty early- 90s era and the period that Nitro went head-to-head with Raw. Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon’s golden goose for the previous decade, signed with Ted Turner in May 1994 and was the key piece of the puzzle that came together over the next few years with the addition of names like Macho Man, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and others. Landing Hogan let the stars of the industry that the Turner organization was willing to invest in the wrestling project, which meant big paydays for the competitors that listened to Bischoff’s pitch.

By Fall Brawl, Hogan was already at the top of the card, setting up a cage match against Ric Flair for the championship in a rather odd segment on this show, where they literally argued on the phone for almost ten minutes, for Halloween Havoc. On the flip side, Cactus Jack, who made a splash on the national scene in the previous few years, was on his way out of the company after this pay per view. Along the same lines, the booking of Steve Austin made it clear that his tenure was limited.

The show opened with Steven Regal against Johnny B. badd and was a solid way to kick off the PPV. Nothing against Marc Mero, but this was a showcase bout where the heel really shined the baby face, with Regal making his opponent look like a million dollars. There’s a reason why the British grappler is so well regarded, and he made Johnny B. Badd look like a star in this contest. To his credit, Mero played his role very well and was the best choice to play the Johnny B. Badd persona. As we know he never quite found his groove outside of the gimmick presentation, which is probably the reason why his success was limited during his WWF run. Still this was good start to the show, and Badd got the victory to claim the WCW Television championship.

Next was Cactus Jack vs Kevin Sullivan in a loser leaves WCW match, and as mentioned this was the way Cactus was written out of the company. Somehow, six months after losing an ear in Germany, WCW management not only didn’t use it to push him, but also didn’t see the downside of letting Cactus onto the free agent market. Granted, it's easy to criticize Bischoff's lack of plans for Mick Foley, but it's important to take the context of the time period into consideration. Keep in mind, this was at a time when Bischoff specifically wanted to shine the WCW presentation with the Disney tapings and improved production value of the shows in an attempt to create the perception that the Turner brand was on the same level as the WWF at the time. Cactus' wild style was legendary, but it didn't necessarily fit with the more polished image that Bischoff wanted to represent the WCW product. That said, I'm not sure if Mick wanted to prove a point with this bout or considered it an audition for another major company, but he didn't mail in this performance. This was a really entertaining brawl, and Cactus took some absolutely brutal bumps on the concrete, including a slam from the middle rope to the floor. Jack collided with Dave Sullivan on the apron and that allowed Kevin Sullivan to get the win. This is definitely a match worth going out of your way to watch on this pay-per-view.

"Stunning" Steve Austin was scheduled to challenge the legendary Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat for the United States championship, but the injury that eventually forced Steamboat to retire led to him vacating the title. Austin celebrated as if he was the new champion until "Hacksaw " Jim Duggan made his way to the ring to compete. Nick Bockwinkel, who did a great job as a figurehead in WCW was very well spoken and looked like someone of authority, informed Austin that he would have to wrestle Duggan to win the title. "Hacksaw" landed some of his trademark clotheslines and punches, defeating Austin in about 25 seconds to win the belt. "Stunning" Steve floundered for about another six months before he was released from his contract while he was on the sidelines with an arm injury. There's really not too much to say about the actual segment and other than the surprise title switch, there wasn't much substance to it as far as a pay-per-view contest.

Pretty Wonderful, the team of Paul Orndorff and Paul Roma, defended their WCW Tag Team titles against Stars and Stripes, the combination of The Patriot and Marcus Bagwell. Very similar to the other Pretty Wonderful PPV bouts of this time, this was a good tag bout that helped pace the card. It wasn't anything too spectacular, but had the entertainment value of crisp and fast-paced wrestling. One of the biggest takeaways here was just how good The Patriot was, despite how brief he time in the spotlight ultimately was during his in-ring career. Del Wilkes was very agile for his size and he took a gimmick that might've been seen as completely generic and made it his own. The mask was so cool, and he had a level of charisma that connected with the audience during matches. The villains attacked Bagwell outside of the ring and used that opportunity to get the win to retain the titles.

The number one contender's match for the WCW World Championship was a rather odd bout, with Vader against Sting and The Guardian Angel, the renamed Big Bossman, in a triangle match. It wasn't the typical triple threat match, though as a coin flip determined that The Guardian Angel and Vader started the bout and the winner advanced to wrestle Sting after that. The segment went out 25 minutes and the bulk of the contest was Sting and Vader, which included the fast-paced action that you'd expect from their feud based on their history. Bossman's time in the ring was rather brief, but it should be noted that The Guardian Angel gimmick was a little out of place since the actual Guardian Angels weren't as well known at this time. Originally known as "The Boss" until a legal letter from WWF prompted the name change, Ray Traylor was a quality talent, which is why he always had a job somewhere throughout his career. A masked man, who was eventually revealed to be Ed Leslie a few months later when he main evented Starrcade against Hogan, nailed Sting with a lead pipe to assist Vader for the win.

The main event was War Games, the bout that became the staple of the Fall Brawl pay-per-view in the years that followed. Dusty Rhodes cut one of the most memorable and emotional promos in the ring with his son Dustin ahead of this event. Dusty and Dustin were joined by The Nasty Boys to challenge The Stud Stable of Arn Anderson, who turned heel against Dustin in a prior tag match, Terry Funk, Bunkhouse Buck, and Colonel Parker. It goes without saying that these teams were made for War Games and while there was too much action to review, this was a fun match that provides an entertaining conclusion to the event. Similar to the Cactus/Sullivan bout, the main event is another match that you should take the time to watch on this show. Of course, the heels got the advantage to start the bout, but eventually Colonel Parker submits in the figure four so the baby face team gets the win.

Onita vs. Moxley

Within the past several weeks, the narrative around All Elite Wrestling was a mixed bag, as the top star and company of the company went rouge, throwing the entire organization under the bus at the now-infamous All Out media scrum. The locker room brawl that followed resulted in suspensions for CM Punk, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Ace Steel, and a few others. Supposedly, possible legal consequences could be pending as well, which makes the fact that Punk suffered yet another injury almost secondary. The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported that the former AEW champion had surgery to repair a torn triceps, putting him on the shelf for about eight months. That might be a moot point, considering that Punk's official status with the company is still unknown.

Some pundits cited this debacle to the fact that Tony Khan gives his roster too much flexibility, and in an ego-driven business the potential for that to backfire is always there.

Depending on your perspective, the ability for contracted AEW talent to take outside gigs is one of the perks of the organization. The stars of TBS get the chance to make some extra dough and have the advantage of a higher booking rate based on the television exposure. Plus, being a known star from television doesn't hurt merch sales at indy shows either, especially when the majority of those transactions are in cash.

One side of the coin is that the younger talent, especially if Tony Khan  sees those guys as the future of his organization, get a chance to continue to hone their craft on a smaller scale to eventual become more polished for All Elite programming. It's much easier for wrestlers to make the mistakes to learn the industry on smaller indy shows than potentially being exposed as inexperience on national television. I don't think Brock Anderson is necessarily going to be the future All Elite Wrestling world champion, but for the wrestlers that are projects of The Nightmare Factory or others that are relatively new to the sport, the chance for them to work the small shows is a very useful opportunity. It's probably as close to working the territory system as possible in the modern era.

On the other hand, even for the higher profile indy shows, technically there's a risk every time one of AEW's mainstays step into the ring for another promotion. One injury to one of the main All Elite cast at an indy show could potentially put a major dent in the national promotion. Just as an example, Jon Moxley is the current Game Changer Wrestling champion, but if he suffered an injury at a GCW event, it would impact the industry far beyond just the indies. Still, we've seen guest stars provide intriguing and entertaining television for All Elite, which gives the group something unique to promote to the audience.

That's why it was interesting to read reports that Meltzer recently mentioned that legendary grappler and the founder of Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling, Atsushi Onita wants to do an exploding barbed wire match, a stipulation originally popularized by FMW, against Jon Moxley in All Elite Wrestling.

As we know, the last time AEW attempted this type of gimmick match, it was quite literally a dud when the final explosions were very underwhelming and it led to criticism from the viewing audience. If this type of bout could draw again would be very questionable because fans aren't going to be as willing to pay that $50 price tag knowing that the Kenny Omega/Moxley bout had such a flat conclusion.

Make no mistake about it, as infamous as he is controversial, Onita is only willing to do this type of match specifically for the pay off involved. He launched FMW-E, a spin off of the original promotion, last year, but it failed to pick up any significant momentum. Some of those events were held at actual fruit markets in small towns in Japan. That was just over five years after the start of "Super FMW," another spin off that fizzled rather quickly when it became apparent to audiences that it wouldn't be anything close to the original brand. More recently, Onita did a series of appearances and matches in the United States, wrestling against Bully Ray in Philadelphia, as well as an eight-man tag at Wrestle Con earlier this year. Before that, he worked an exploding ring match against Matt Tremont last October at a minor league baseball stadium, but that event was surrounded in controversy with the amount of tickets sold not covering Onita's payment.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the aging grappler was probably willing to work in America in the last five years because there are only so many times that he can reboot the FMW concept.

If Onita should be booked in AEW is a different matter entirely. Obviously, Tony Khan is aware of his status in Japan, which is why the exploding barbed wire match was booked for Omega/Moxley, and Onita had a cameo on Dynamite to build the PPV match. For the diehard wrestling fans that know the history of FMW, an Onita/Moxley bout would be a dream match on paper, but even the most enthusiastic death match fan knows that it's not a realistic option. At 64, Onita has very limited mobility, which is why he worked mostly tag matches in Japan the past several years. Selling the audience another exploding barbed wire match on pay-per-view would be tough because of how underwhelming the conclusion was to the gimmick in AEW before, but getting a performance that would be PPV worthy might not be possible so it could be another disappointment for the paying audience.

Again, for Onita, it'd be great because he gets a payoff from Tony Khan, but what would essentially be an aging outsider throwing Moxley into the barbed wire because he physically can't take those types of bumps isn't good business for All Elite. Let's hope this rumor stays just a rumor because besides Onita's pocket book, there's not a benefit for this match in AEW.

Danielson vs. Moxley

After some speculating on the collapse of All Elite Wrestling, those misguided fans were proven wrong when the AEW schedule continued as planned with the semi-finals of the world title tournament last night on Dynamite. As expected, it will be Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley at Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe stadium to determine the new champion. I mentioned it in an article last week, but it makes sense to emphasis it again, sometimes the simplest answer is the right answer, and taking the whole media scrum debacle into account, it makes sense to present the biggest star power possible for the championship at the stadium.

From what was revealed last night, MJF has a new faction with the group that helped him win the ladder match at All Out to become the number one contender for the title. On the surface, MJF is such a talented talker that  he doesn't need another person next to him to cut promos, and he's effective enough as a heel to get heat without using a stable, but at least for the moment, it shines an extra spotlight on him, which is a positive for a company that has some of its featured stars still off of television because of pending suspensions. In truth, I'm not sure anyone involved in The Firm is going to get over just by being associated with MJF, mostly because if there's going to be a stable booked around him then it should be designed to get him over. Still, the TV time for Ethan Page, Lee Moriarty, and others is better exposure than being lost in the shuffle on one of the Youtube shows.

MJF spoke mostly about Jon Moxley in the promo on Dynamite so that might be an indication that Moxley will win the championship at Grand Slam and then be challenged by MJF at the next pay-per-view. It might sound sarcastic with how bloated the roster is, but assuming Friedman eventually wins the belt, Tony Khan should have a plan to create some legitimate challengers for him. This is one of the many problems with such a full roster, when you try to get everyone over, the result is usually that the majority of the roster stays at the same level. Sure, AEW has a lot of names it could book against MJF, but would it be considered something that would be main event or pay-per-view worthy? For example, Samoa Joe has spent the majority of his All Elite tenure in the secondary feud with Jay Lethal. Joe vs. MJF would be a solid match on the marquee, but is Samoa Joe currently in the position on television where fans might think there's a possibility that he could win the championship? When you only have four pay-per-views a year and those shows costs $50, you have to create a level of intrigue that will get the fans to place the order for the broadcast. Danielson vs. Friedman would probably be a great feud, especially because of how over Danielson is, but again, if Danielson doesn't win the tournament, would he be considered a credible challenger again not too long after the finals?

As much as Tony Khan might have a background in sports analytics, to reference the earlier theory with the Grand Slam finals, sometimes the simplest answer is the correct answer. Instead of a half dozen championships or convoluting the All Elite brand with continuous references to Ring Of Honor, Khan should look to simplify the formula for the product. Give the most over baby faces wins on television to build momentum and have those stars challenge the heels with the most heat. In this case, if MJF garners the most heat on the roster, book him in a main event angle with the most over baby face on the show. Stability and consistency is the key for All Elite Wrestling, regardless of if or when the EVPs return to the organization.

Still, it seems like a long time since All Elite Wrestling hit a big home run, with the Punk vs. MJF dog collar match probably being the most recent example. Through no fault of his own, Adam Page was booked terribly as champion and his run with the belt more or less flopped. That's not a knock against Page's skills, he deserved better, but he was portrayed as a whiny champion instead of the blue collar competitor. More specifically, there was a promo where Page mentioned his lack of title defenses, which didn't gel with the blue collar character. Plus, the amount of TV time he had during the majority of his title reign was minimal. Furthermore, as nice as it legitimately is that The Dark Order remain a faction and stamp of the legacy of Brodie Lee, the current version of the stable is a comedy act so that didn't really gel with Page's main event push either. Adam Cole's star power was minimized after he arrived with his involvement with The Elite instead of being a featured individual star, and now he's on the sidelines. Even Danielson, who started in All Elite as possibly the best heel in the business at the time, was booked into a stable so the momentum of his initial debut wasn't fully utilized.

The point being, outside of the Revolution pay-per-view in March, the vast majority of the All Elite product seems like so much more could've been done with certain performers at certain points. Why exactly wasn't there an FTR vs. Young Bucks match for the AEW tag titles? FTR had consistently solid matches on television and the one-off ROH pay-per-views, but weren't featured on the All Out card. All things considered, the argument could be made that Danielson, Cole, Eddie Kingston, Adam Page, and FTR should've been used better this year.

That's why MJF eventually winning the title isn't an automatic shift in the right direction for the company. If the heel wins the championship, who challenges him for it? Don't get me wrong, Dynamite has some stellar matches and the level of talent on the roster is obvious, but as I said in an article a few days ago, there's a difference between the ability to have the five star match and being over with the audience. AEW is a national commodity and on that level, the ability to truly be over with the audience is what draws money. The novelty of the new promotion has worn off and now the success of the organization will be measured by how effectively it can utilize the talent on the roster.