The career of Fumi Saito

Over forty years ago, Fumi Saito was a foreign exchange student in the United States, as he went on an "excursion" to the AWA territory to complete high school at Robbinsdale Cooper, a journey he was prompted to take because of the passion he developed for the sport of professional wrestling from the time that he was a youngster. At a time when the legendary Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki were a famous tag team in the JWA, a group founded by the iconic Rikidozan, Fumi sat on the floor in front of the television at his grand parents' house to watch the spectacle of the grappling arts beamed through the screen. The small black and white TV drew not only Fumi's family, but their neighbors were welcomed to watch the in-ring battles in a prime time television slot. Fumi followed American wrestling through the magazines in his native country, leading him to want to explore the United States when he had the opportunity as an exchange student. As a sociology major, he was able to stay in the United States to attend college at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, similar to how he saw some of his wrestling heroes travel to America to earn their higher education in professional wrestling. The difference was that Fumi hit the books instead of the mat like Jumbo Tsuruta  and Genichiro Tenryu.

Fumi didn't know it at the time, but his stay in America opened the door for what became not only his career for the past four decades, but would also solidify him as the most prolific Japanese wrestling reporter in the history of the industry. During his tenure in America, he contacted a magazine editor in Japan, offering to send results and stories from the territory. From there, Saito got noticed around the wrestling arenas and was offered the chance to work as a ringside photographer, with his first card that featured Verne Gagne vs. Nick Bockwinkel in the main event in 1981.

"I'm sure I looked ridiculous, right?" recalled Fumi when he thought of the time that he introduced himself at the arena when he was just 19.

Fumi consistently airmailed his results, stories, and photographs back to Japan, which had a thriving sports journalism culture. There were at least five weekly publications that covered pro wrestling alongside baseball at any given time during that era. How much of the action was or wasn't scripted inside the ring ropes wasn't a concern, professional wrestling was a fixture of the sports pages in Tokyo, and the status of the stars that were covered in the printed pages reflected that. Pro wrestlers, including the "gaijin" or foreign competitors were as popular as athletes from other sports in Japan.

"Weekly Pro Wrestling, our magazine, had three photographers in America. One in New York, one in Orlando, Florida and one in St. Louis all basically working full-time for us, sending photos from NWA areas, and New York area. I was doing that from AWA, but I came home to work for the weekly publications. I got a lot of assignments," Saito explained.

Those early international reports opened the door for a career that spanned decades, as Fumi wrote for weekly publications for more than thirty years before he transitioned to a freelance writer of books and in more recent years, a well-known podcaster.

He interviewed some of the most legendary and iconic names in the history of the sport. Fumi has sat across from Hulk Hogan, The Road Warriors, Jesse Ventura, Adrian Adonis, The Dynamite Kid, Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen, Terry Funk, and many others.

But, when I had the chance to talk with Fumi for this piece, as he sipped on some tea on a Wednesday morning in Shibuya, while I organized a short list of questions in Pittsburgh on a Tuesday night, you wouldn't get the impression that Saito is one of the most accomplished figures in his field.

If I had to describe Fumi Saito with only one word, despite all of his professional accomplishments, humble would be the term that suits him best. As mentioned, the 62-year-old writer has spent the better part of 40 years around or reporting on iconic names in the industry, but he doesn't give himself that credit, and won't accept praise easily. In fact, during the more than 90 minutes that I had the chance to speak with him, he was much more eager to detail the history of the organizations he covered than talk about himself. For Saito, he was simply doing his job and was grateful to get a chance to be able to make a living from the passion that he had for the sport since the time he that sat in front of that small TV at his grandparents' house.

"Friday night at 8 was Inoki's New Japan Pro Wrestling on TV Asahi. Saturday night was Giant Baba's All Japan Pro Wrestling. Basically, Baba vs. Abdullah The Butcher all year long, and Inoki vs. Tiger Jeet Singh all year long," Fumi recounted of the Japanese wrestling scene of his youth.

But, as dedicated and as passionate as he was about his profession, the demanding schedule of writing for weekly publications, with their tight deadlines when covering live cards, began to wear on the veteran journalist until a health scare in 2007 gave him a different prospective on his life's work.

"Week in and week out, year after year, and decade after decade, you know? It consumes you because there's a five day turn around with the magazine every week all year long. I almost lost it a couple times. Am I having a good time? Do I like wrestling? But, I love it so much, as a kid I dream about going to all the shows. You sit in the press box and watch all these important wrestling matches. You write about it and people read about it, there's some satisfaction in there. It's a lot of work, a few nights a week, you don't go home, you stay at the editor's room and write it," Fumi explained.

Fumi was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2007, and as a part of his decision to limit the stress that went along with weekly outlets, he decided to become a freelance writer on his own, authoring several books in the years since. After he beat cancer, Saito wanted to broaden his education as well, earning his Master's degree in Sociology in the years that followed. Fumi is currently still involved in higher education today, as he teaches Sociology courses at universities on Thursdays.

Fumi's contributions to the professional wrestling industry expand beyond the written word, as over the years, he was involved in several different media projects, including as a producer for the story mode of the wildly popular Fire Pro Wrestling video game. He even once had a cameo in the intro an episode of ECW Hardcore TV when the Philadelphia-based group toured Japan in the late-90s.

Ironically, it was these type of media projects outside of the written publications that gave Saito world-wide recognition in more recent years. It wasn't until Fumi teamed up with Jim Valley, dubbed "The King of Recovery" after he overcame his own health challenges a few years ago, for a podcast on The Wrestling Observer website that more western fans were introduced to the czar of Japanese wrestling reporters.

"The internet changed everything," Saito commented.

Fumi's friendship with The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer spans back a few decades when the two would make international phone calls to get the scoop on the happenings of the sport before the fax machine made communication much easier.

"I met Dave Meltzer right from the beginning, we were both young, I'm talking 40 years ago. The Observer was never marketed to be a commercial product, it was never intended to be for the general public consumption. It was always meant for insider knowledge. Before cell phones or e mail, the international overseas phone call was really, really expensive, but when I wanted to know about the latest things in America, I'd call him. When he wanted to know about Japan, we'd make conversation for hours. We helped each other," Fumi explained.

"From 1985 on, we both got fax so we'd fax each other memos, but that was real quick, you know? The fax was like the greatest invention," Saito added with a laugh.

Thankfully, modern technology allows for Valley and Saito to broadcast "Pacific Rim," the podcast dedicated to the Japanese portion of the industry, live on various platforms. Aside from the podcast today, Fumi Saito continues to work on new books on a regular basis and his series of publications, many that focus on the history of the sport in his country, are considered some of the most detailed resources available anywhere.

"Fumi isn't only Japan's leading pro wrestling author, reporter and historian, he's also my dear friend. Thanks to Fumi I've called Stardom on PPV, sang karaoke with Bull Nakano and spent New Years Eve with Killer Khan at his restaurant. Fumi's goal was to educate the next generation of fans. Whenever I go out to wrestling, I can count on at least one person mentioning how much they've learned from Pacific Rim. So I'd say he has and continues to accomplish his goal," said Jim Valley.

He plans to continue to teach, work on his book projects, and tag team the podcast scene with Jim Valley.

Aside from humble, the other adjectives that came to mind right after I concluded the call with Fumi were kind and dedicated. He might not want the credit, but it's unquestionable that Fumi Saito resume that very few other wrestling reporters have, and his tirelessly dedication to professional wrestling over the past 40 years quietly created the most decorated career of a wrestling reporter in Japan.

"It's not about me, but consider myself very lucky that I was so involved early on and I was able to make a career out of this. I'm very humbled and I still love wrestling," Fumi concluded.

What's the status of Edge?

Adam "Edge" Copeland celebrated 25 years as a WWE superstar last August, more than three years after he made a shocking return at The Royal Rumble in 2020 nearly a decade after he was forced to retire from a serious neck injury. Clearly, Copeland, who was one of the top stars of his generation, wanted a better conclusion to his professional wrestling career, and put in the work to accomplish that when he made a comeback in the best shape of his career. The return was cut short just a few months into his run during the pandemic era when he suffered a torn triceps, putting him on the sidelines for eight months.

After he healed from that, Edge returned back on the scene and spent a mostly productive two years on WWE programming, specifically for a memorable Wrestlemania match against Finn Balor last year. While The Judgment Day stable became very successful, particularly because of how it allowed Rhea Ripley to shine in a featured spot on the card, it's important to remember that the original concept was virtually dead in the water, which is why Edge reportedly requested to leave the faction.

Edge was smart enough to see the writing on the wall, the office saw him in a secondary role as the veteran presence alongside the younger talent. There's not anything wrong with that, but if Edge thought he still had enough in the tank to contribute on a main event level, it's possible that he thought he had more to offer than what WWE brass scripted for him. Plus, Edge is a smart businessman and he knew that there was potentially more money to be made from Tony Khan since the WWE is already stocked up on star power. Again, there's nothing wrong with that either, because using the cache of a career to cash in before retirement can still be useful for a company. Obviously, Copeland is in the latter stages of his career so he made the decision to take the best money possible while he still had a few years left for his in-ring career.

After a nice celebration in his hometown on Toronto, Edge left the WWE last August, and there was a brief time frame when there was speculation about if he would re-sign with WWE, make the jump to AEW, or simply retire from the sport. Less than two months later, he debuted for All Elite Wrestling at the conclusion of the Wrestle Dream pay-per-view.

As mentioned, Tony Khan probably offered Copeland more cash than what the WWE offered him, which makes sense. Besides the fact that money is no object to Khan, theoretically, Copeland could play a bigger role in All Elite Wrestling since he would naturally be a bigger fish in a smaller pond, specifically because All Elite had only been existence for just over four years at the time. Again, the WWE has main stream star power on its roster, and quite frankly, the majority of the television time is focused on building for the future, which is the right move. Furthermore, AEW just added Collision to its line-up a few months prior to Copeland's debut, and that doubled not only the amount of booking required for the organization, it also doubled the amount of tickets the group had to sell. As we know, the Khan-owned organization has struggled with ticket sales more recently, but at least on the surface, the addition of the former WWE champion could help move tickets for the Saturday night show.

Unfortunately, the majority of his eight-month tenure more or less reduced him to just another guy on the roster. Considering the rocky period the company had after the CM Punk/Jack Perry debacle, I'm not sure if there was enough of a focus on the on-screen presentation for Copeland to be put in a position to truly be a difference maker anyway. Outside some of the negative press for the company, Copeland didn't exactly break new ground in All Elite either. He was initially booked for a feud with Christian, which makes sense on the surface because of their extensive history, but the former Edge was almost 50 when he inked a contract so there's a limited time frame for him to get a chance to work with new talent to provide unique matches for the company to promote to try to draw for the shows. The Copeland/Christian feud in AEW was basically a retread of what the audience would've seen years earlier in the WWE. Again, it would be fine if Copeland still had some of his prime years left, but at the latter stages of his in-ring career, the time for the return on the investment of the contract is now. The matches against Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, and others would be the best use of Copeland's stint in the company.

In somewhat of an example of that, Copeland was booked for a feud with The House of Black. It was somewhat rushed, mostly because there was a pay-per-view on the calendar so a gimmick match was scheduled, but the point is, the barbed wire steel cage match between Copeland and Malakai Black was an entertaining spectacle at Double or Nothing last weekend. The angle progressed and had a purpose so it was a useful way to book Copeland.

However, after an awkward landing during an elbow drop from the top of the cage through a table, Copeland looked very hobbled during the post-match victory celebration. Just a few days ago, Copeland revealed on social media that he fractured his tibia and will require surgery. Copeland explained that there wasn't a time frame yet for his return to the ring, but acknowledged that the move was too risky at the pay-per-view.

So, what's next for Adam Copeland?

Similar to when the neck injury cut his career short in WWE, it's very doubtful that Copeland will retire from the broken leg in AEW, but it undoubtedly trims more time off of what's left of his in-ring career. Assuming that it will take several months to heal from the injury, he will be 51 by the time he makes another comeback. As unfortunate as it might be to consider, Copeland might be too injury prone at his age to wrestle a full-time schedule. Between the torn triceps from 2020, the current leg injury, and his extensive history of neck injuries, he might realistically have a few select matches left. The problem is, Copeland has only been under contract for eight months and he just suffered a broken leg that will probably sideline him for several months, and none of the potential dream matches that were discussed when he inked a deal had the chance to get booked.

Ethan Page signed for NXT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MJF returns

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Double or Nothing review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

King of The Ring review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What's the status of KOTR?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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