Hogan announces new company

Hulk Hogan always knows when to cash in.

Regardless if it was when he took a hefty contract from Ted Turner to jump ship to WCW in 1994, where he received a sizable percentage of merchandise and a piece of the pay-per-views that he headlined, or when he worked Dixie Carter for millions of dollars and cut bait before TNA collapsed, Hulk is a slick businessman. That's not a knock either, that's capitalism, I don't blame the real-life Terry Bollea for taking the money that was offered. Sure, his political games are one of the many reasons that WCW went down the drain, he teased a debut with TNA in 2003 to get another run in the WWE, and he wouldn't be able to tell the truth if it was presented to him with another right hook from Macho Man, but the fact remains that Hulk knew how to secure the biggest paydays possible.

Even in his most embarrassing moments, when he was secretly recorded spewing racist comments during a sex tape in 2012, Bollea successfully sued the website that posted the footage for millions of dollars.

That's why it was no surprise when Bollea was ranting around on stage, ripping his shirt at the Republican National Convention of all places last year. At 71, he looked like a fool trying to cut a wrestling promo from 40 years earlier for an event that was supposed to be a key part of the political process for the country. Ironically, as we know, politics has devolved into pro wrestling, which would be funny if it wasn't so sad. 

A side note, politics are more of a work than pro wrestling, and it's more profitable, too.

Given Trump's rising popularity in mid-2024 after inflation put the boots to America, Hulk saw an opportunity to jump on the band wagon, which is exactly what he did. All things considered, it shouldn't be that surprising since Trump uses heel tactics direct from the 80s golden era to work the crowd at rallies and enjoys the circus atmosphere so he won't pass up a chance to rub elbows with celebrities. Plus, it's well-known that Trump has a track record with WWE. Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, which went bankrupt several years ago, hosted a pair of Wrestlemania events in 1988 and 1989. Trump was also involved with the famous hair vs. hair match with Vince McMahon in 2007. Plus, Linda McMahon donated $6 million to his original campaign and then worked on the board of a Republican Super Pac to get him re-elected in 2024. She was rewarded as the head of the Small Business Administration in 2016 and then was named the head of the Department of Education earlier this year. The math scores in the country are going to go through the roof.

The point being, it's not uncommon for Trump to embrace the WWE, or in this case, embrace Hogan, who claimed that the orange villain was his hero at the Republican convention. Don't get me wrong, the other side of the aisle is as lost as Jim Herd at a booking meeting in WCW, but that's a different discussion for a different time.

Of course, there was always a catch for Hulk to associate himself with Trump, and that was the launch of his "Real American Beer" brand, using patriotism as a selling point. Dedicated Americans that believe in true American values will support Real American Beer, right?

Now, Hulk Hogan is ready to cash in on the Real American gimmick again.

Last week, The Hulkster and former WCW president, Eric Bischoff made some waves when an NWO-style video was posted on social media, claiming that they were going to change everything again with a third man to be revealed, a nod to the original NWO in 1996. It can't be understated how cringe worthy it was to watch Bischoff and Hulk try to cut a promo from thirty years ago when they are in their 70s. The reason being, given the nature of what the project actually is, was anyone supposed to take this seriously when there were two senior citizens trying desperately to sound like movie villains?

The "third man" was revealed to be Izzy Martinez, an amateur wrestling coach that has worked with fighters in the UFC. The problem with this reveal was that only the most diehard amateur wrestling fans would have any idea who he is. Obviously, It wasn't quite as shocking as Hulk's heel turn in 1996.

However, aside from Martinez, the project itself was announced, "Real American Freestyle Wrestling," an amateur wrestling style organization that will be a professional league. The Associated Press had a slew of details on the venture, including that there will be  eight men's weight classes and four women's weight classes. The inaugural event will be held on August 30 in Cleveland, with two more events already scheduled. According to the Associated Press, Hogan claimed that the concept was sparked after he saw Wyatt Hendrickson beat Gable Steveson with Trump in attendance.

Once again, Hulk plans to use the real American gimmick to try to shill the project to the MAGA audience. From strictly a business perspective, it's not a bad strategy. The Trump audience will more often than not, line up for the Kool Aid when he endorses someone or a product. That being said, at best, this venture might yield some success for its first event but then fall of a cliff since the product they are trying to sell is essentially the opposite of the nature of ammeter wrestling in the first place. It's important to note that the earliest forms of professional wrestling were legitimate matches based on amateur techniques that an audience paid to watch, but when the bouts went too long without enough action, the concept of worked matches started the modern form of professional wrestling. History proves that legitimate amateur matches don't have the ingredients to draw money, which is completely fine because the basis of amateur wrestling is supposed to be pure competition, not entertainment.

 The bottom line is, there has never been a market for amateur style matches that were legitimate because it's simple not flashy enough to garnered the casual fan, if there was then the concept of worked matches wouldn't have been introduced as a way to draw money.

Hulk has claimed that the RAF isn't going to interfere with college competitions or NIL deals, but that still doesn't automatically mean that the top amateurs in the country are going to sign with the upstart league. If a competitor has aspirations of trying to make the Olympic team, are they really going to risk an injury outside of the amateur leagues? Furthermore, would a top level collegiate wrestler risk an injury that could derail a scholarship with a professional organization?

Of course, Hogan managed to embarrass himself on the media tour already. On Fox News, Hulk claimed that RAF will be as big as the WWE or the UFC. It goes without say that there's not enough star power for that to be even remotely possible, but despite his claims on state TV, RAF doesn't have the style to reach that level either. Sure, the UFC has wrestling involved as a part of mixed martial arts, but it's the combination of striking, wrestling, and submissions that provide enough action for the Ultimate Fighting Championship to be a marketable brand. The WWE blends athleticism and theatrics to draw money. As mentioned, strictly amateur wrestling doesn't have enough of any of those ingredient to be able to sell it to the general public. When Hulk was listing names of former amateurs that had success in the WWE, he got Shelton Benjamin's name wrong during multiple interviews, calling him "Benjamin Shelton," which prompted a response from Benjamin for The Hulkster to stop mentioning him in interviews.

While Hogan mentioned, names like Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and Benjamin, it should be noted that former UFC fighter, Ben Askren is the only competitor with any notoriety that is officially listed on the RAF roster. The 40-year-old wrestler was knocked out by Jake Paul within two minutes of the first round in a boxing match in 2021. Askren, who showed up looking bloated for the bout, was clearly just there for the easy payday after his MMA retirement.

Still, the mission for Hulk remains the same, he will get his money from his involvement in this project while the money marks that fund it, Left Lane Capital, a group that funded ventures like a volley ball league in the past, eventually use the losses from the league as a tax write off.

Hogan will be the commissioner of the league, which makes sense considering that he has zero background in freestyle wrestling. Eric Bischoff was given the title of Chief Media Officer, which is probably a nice way of saying that he's the Brutus Beefcake in this situation. Make no mistake about it, Hulk will make money on the deal, but Real American Freestyle Wrestling will eventually be added to the list of Pastamania, The Thunder Mixer, and the other ventures that flopped.

The career of Harley Morris

You've heard the classic Rudy narrative, where the under-sized football player without any realistic chance of success scores the game-winning touchdown, gets carried off the field as the fans chant his name, and the credits roll for a happy ending to the movie.

That's nice for film, but the reality of life is much harsher. 

On very, very rare occasions, true stories surface like that in real life, and the reason that they stand out is because there are hundreds of other tales of those that are in the other 95% that didn't make it because the odds weren't going to be in their favor.

As a commentator in the Pittsburgh area, I've seen dozens and dozens of dreamers that were aspiring professional wrestlers in the most charitable sense of the term, the dreamers that were simply fans of the sport, but didn't have the dedication, talent, or motivation to actually be a part of the sports entertainment business. It's usually easy to spot, as some of these local yokels wander around with their heads in the clouds when they are supposed to be learning at live cards, wondering why they aren't a part of that night's main event because they were allowed to step into the squared circle for a few training sessions.

In short, those that only have the qualification that their check cleared for their wrestling school tuition more or less always eventually flake out and disappear back to play create-a-wrestler versions of themselves on video games.

When I first saw Harley T. Morris staffing a local event in Pittsburgh in 2013, I didn't think much of it. He was another kid that had the chance to get learn the ropes, good for him, but I would've never told him to put much stock in his potential "career" as a pro wrestling. He was a polite youngster that was eager to learn, but the scrawny 18-year-old with a plain buzz cut looked like he should've bought a ticket to see the matches, not a pair of boots to participate in them.

"The training was difficult but fair. I got lucky that the people who trained me, Crusher Hansen, Scottie Gash, and Chris LaRusso understood that learning to be a wrestler is already difficult. No need to make it more by beating anyone up," Morris explained.

In fact, he looked like such a fan that when he originally broke into the sport under the now-defunct Pro Wrestling Express banner, he was given the moniker "Fan Guy" as a way to incorporate his look into a possible wrestling persona. Obviously, he looked the part and storylines would often see him plucked from the front row to try to overcame the odds of a villain.

Make no mistake about it, Harley Morris was a pipe dream of a pipe dream as a wrestler. That's why it's quite remarkable how he transformed himself into the serious professional he is today.

"I started training at 18. In my opinion, that was the best because it allowed me to gain experience for such a long time. At 12 years in, I feel like I'm finally hitting my stride and am still, at 31, in my prime," Harley said.

"I honestly have to give most of the credit for Harley success to Harley. I did have a hand in training The Fan Guy way back in the PWX days, but Harley has outgrown that by so much. Seeing how he stayed hungry, kept reinventing himself, and eventually sought out EC3 shows you the passion he has for this sport," added Chris LeRusso, who has an accomplished 22-year career of his own.

However, the path that the youngster took to get to the point of where he is today, appearing for NWA Exodus alongside some of the top names in the sport, wasn't easy or glamours.

The love of the game was there, as he consumed as much of sports entertainment as he could from an early age, using it as a bonding experience with his family. It's well-known that channel- surfacing was the fulcrum of the Monday night ratings war of the 90s, but Morris family had a better idea. Instead of jumping between USA and TNT on Monday nights, they had two televisions next to each other to be able to watch each broadcast simultaneously.

For the experience side, after his stint as "Fan Guy," Morris set out to wrestle on any live card he could, zigzagging around the western Pennsylvania area and surrounding states just to get the chance to hone his craft. Sometimes he performed in front of packed crowds, sometimes it was a sparsely-attended event. On the nights that garnered little to no pay, late-night gas station food was his reward for the evening.

At the same time, he dedicated himself to fitness, determined to make the most of his physique. Spending six days a week in the gym, Morris has a regiment that works for him, often checking into the fitness center before the sun comes up early mornings. Monday and Tuesday are his time to focus strength training, Wednesday is strictly cardio, and then the next three days bring a mixture of lighter weight lifting for technique and cardio.

"My journey into fitness started around the time I got into the business. After years of failing, trial and error, and some help from EC3 last year, I finally have a routine that works for me. And of course, eating right is super important," Harley commented.

The former NWA World Heavyweight champion also indirectly provided a break for Morris after the youngster attended a seminar with the NWA competitor last year, impressing Carter with his in-ring skill. As a result, EC3 offered him a chance to train under the Exodus banner three days a week for a six-month course, with his progress earning him a spot on Exodus events.

"He got my email information and I made the short list of guys to get offered an opportunity to train with EC3 and Rex Brody up in Cleveland that is called the Co-Op in 2024. EC3 runs Exodus Pro, which is a territory of the NWA and he wanted to use the men and women from the Co-Op on shows that earned it. So, that's how I got the opportunity to work for the NWA with hopefully more opportunities in the future," Harley said.

The once scrawny kid with the non-descript buzz cut that quite literally looked more like a fan than a competitor bounced through the curtain at NWA Exodus with more than decade of experience, a frame of lean muscle mass from his consistent work out routine, and bleached-blonde hair that reached his shoulders with a robe to add a splash of flamboyance to the presentation. A throwback to the late Buddy Landell, "Handsome" Harley strutted around as a cocky heel that doesn't hesitant to break the rules, riling up the crowd in the process. Morris cites the NWA experience as one of the highlights of his 12-year career.

"Being featured on NWA YouTube channel as part of Exodus is definitely one. Any time I have won a championship because it showed some kind of faith in me as a wrestler to the promotion. Wrestling in front of close to a thousand fans at KSWA Brawl Under the Bridge is up there. Any time I'm getting a reaction from a crowd to the point it's almost deafening is always a highlight," Morris remarked.

So, the kid that was barely out of high school when he started wrestling with a minimal chance of success has built himself into a pro that has impressed some of the most influential eyes in the industry as a serious professional wrestler. Now, Morris looks to take his tenure as a sports entertainer as far as it will go, especially with not only the years of experience that he has behind him, but the potential of his prime years going forward.

"I'd say it is to try to make a living off this great sport I love. Whether that means getting signed to a contract or working enough independent dates to pay my bills," he concluded.

What's next for Braun Strowman?

The WWE has done some spring cleaning so to speak, as it has released another slew of talent, just a few months after a series releases in February. As of this writing, there are 15 performers that were cut from their contracts, with most of them being from the NXT developmental system.

Truth be told, the majority of those releases were small potatoes in the grand scheme of things, which isn't an indication of their talent, but rather to point out that their status within the company was minimal enough that their departure doesn't truly affect the overall status of their respective brands, especially some of those that were within the system, but either didn't make it to television on a regular basis yet or weren't featured enough to have a continuous role on the show.

Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, Shayna Baszler, Kayden Carter, Katana Chance were among the main roster releases. Gigi Dolin, Cora Jade, Riley Osborne, Eddy Thorpe, Jakara Jackson, Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, Wolfgang, Oro Mensah, and Javier Bernal were the list of NXT exits.

There were a few surprising names on the main roster list, but overall, this really shouldn't be a shocking move from the WWE office. Shifting talent around happens every year, mostly when management has to make room for newly signed talent or potential moves to the main roster.

That being said, the names that stuck out to me the most from this list were Braun Strowman and Shayna Baszler. Strowman was a pure WWE project and he checked all the boxes that at least the former regime looked for in a prospect to put the WWE machine behind. He was a massive super heavyweight that was somewhat of a throwback to a previous era of the organization, no technique, just brute force, and there's usually an audience for that, particularly within the WWE fan base. Braun event trimmed down in recent years and you'd think that a slightly learner frame would add a few years to his career. Unfortunately, the tale of Strowman's career might be as simple as he wasn't in the right place at the right time. When he was introduced to the WWE audience during his initial run with the company, he was paired with the Wyatt family, which made sense on the surface, but as Bray was often used as an enhancement talent to make others look good in the ring, the cache of the stable declined. When Strowman got the biggest chance of his career on his own, he beat Bill Goldberg in two minutes in an empty studio during the infamous Wrestlemania 36 event of the pandemic era. Much like Drew McIntyre, who also won a championship that year, didn't truly get his moment until years later, Strownman didn't get a boost from winning the belt under those conditions.

Braun was actually released from the company in 2021 and spent a year controlling his narrative until he re-signed with the organization in 2022. There were a lot of contracts cut around that time to basically trim the budget as a way to pad the profit margins for the conference calls of the publicly-traded corporation so his release in 2021 was probably based more of the numbers than anything else. However, his exit also gave him a chance to return with a fresh start. Again, it was an unfortunate situation that he never recaptured the previous momentum that he had and the past two and a half years since he returned he was often sidelined with a few different injuries, including a very serious neck injury that required surgery, putting him on the shelf for almost a year.

It's puzzling to consider that he was one of the most over acts in the promotion in 2018 when there were some that thought he should've been booked in the main event spot that Vince McMahon shoehorned Roman Reigns into instead at a time when the forced baby face super push flopped.

At 43, Strowman has some prime years of his career left, but given his history of injuries, and more specifically the younger talent on the roster that can work in his prior role, it made sense for the WWE to release him. It's a harsh reality, but both Bron Breakker and Jacob Fatu are younger, healthier with less of a toll taken on their body, and possibly have a bigger upside than Braun so he was surpassed by other talent. That being said, assuming Braun still wants to wrestle, if he's healthy, he could rejuvenate his career in New Japan, as the group definitely needs a boost in star power  Aside from the style, the other roadblock might be the amount of money the Japanese league could offer since it's well-known that their revenues have declined in recent years. If nothing else, a short run in TNA could be in the cards for him.

Shayna Baszler wasn't spotlighted consistently, which has nothing to do with her talent, but she did well in the roles she was given so I'm not sure if there was anything else she could've done to improve her tenure in the WWE. The sad part is, she more or less played second fiddle to Rhonda Rousey within the WWE landscape, and when she finally beat Rousey at Summer Slam in 2023, the match was so bad that it did nothing to boost her stock. Even after Rousey left the WWE, the organization never truly capitalized on her MMA background so maybe they didn't want it to appear that they were trying to repeat the same type of push with a lesser known version of Rhonda. Either way, I'd say that the office missed the boat on Baszler and she could've had a better run in the company, particular as a part of the stellar group of talent currently at the top of the women's division. If I had to guess, I'd say Baszler works the independent circuit in the United States or goes to one of the prominent women's groups in Japan to wrestle for at least a few more years.

Dakota Kai is very talented, but was just too injury prone to be featured long enough to be established as a star on WWE programming. A pair of knee injuries had her out of action for extended periods of time on two different occasions and then she suffered a concussion this past January. As far as not being featured enough to establish themselves, Kayden Carter and Katana Chance didn't really get enough of an opportunity to make their mark on the main roster. If I had to guess, they were brought to the main roster just to get new talent involved, but there wasn't truly a plan for them going forward. Yes, they won the women's tag titles at one point, but the reign was undistinguished, and after they were under the WWE umbrella for roughly seven years each, the level of their progress probably wasn't enough to justify their spots on the roster. That being said, I think TNA is an easy choice for them as their next stop in the industry.

Nothing against any of the NXT talent that got cut, but outside of Gigi Dolin and Cora Jade, the impact on their releases in the grand scheme of things is minor, at least from the WWE perspective. Dolin already made her way to Impact, and that's probably where Cora Jade with go next as well 

The biggest takeaway from this round of releases is probably the same takeaway from most cuts made from the company, it can be a key step to a bigger career overall. Sure, it's disappointing if someone gets releases from their dream job, but the chance to evolve and reinvent themselves outside of the WWE is a major plus in this scenario. The two biggest modern era are Cody Rhodes, who developed the American Nightmare persona that became the top guy in the company outside of the WWE, and Drew McIntyre as an example of someone that completely reignited his career after he had the chance to distance himself from the prior comedy gimmick. It will be interesting to see the next move for many of the recently released talent and how they evolve their careers.

WWE buys AAA

Just a few weeks ago, in the midst of the lucrative Wrestlemania 41 events in Las Vegas, WWE brass surprised the professional wrestling world when it was announced that the TKO corporation bought the AAA Lucha Libre organization, one of the biggest lucha leagues in Mexico, with a 30-year history that undoubtedly had a major impact on the direction of the industry through a ripple effect over those three decades.

Originally named EMLL, the CMLL group, which is the other major lucha libre group in Mexico, is the oldest promotion in the world with more than 80 years of lineage behind it. AAA was founded by the late Antonio Pena as an upstart group in 1992. Absolutely legendary talent either got their start or honed their craft to be ready for bigger stages in the Pena group during that era. Rey Mysterio Jr., Psychosis, Juvi, and other enthusiastic youngsters cut their teeth under Pena. Names like Konnan, Perro Aguayo, Eddie Guerrero, and Art Barr did some of their most legendary work in AAA. As an example of the ripple effect, after Los Gringos Locos had a legendary mask vs. hair match against Octagon and El Hijo Del Santo at the When Worlds Collide pay-per-view, which was broadcasted by WCW, in 1994, it opened the door for Eddie to get the call from ECW in 1995. That stint in Philadelphia led to his eventual opportunity in World Championship Wrestling not long after that. There was speculation that the pair were supposed to join ECW as a team, and Art Barr mentioned the Philadelphia=based organization in a post-match interview, but sadly, Barr passed away from an accidentally drug overdose just two weeks after the famous bout in Mexico.

The fact that AAA started as a spinoff from CMLL isn't that surprising, as that type of scenario has happened throughout wrestling history. However, it wasn't ever truly known how far that initial surge in popularity could've taken the new company because when the peso crashed in 1995, it devastated the entire country, including the pro wrestling business, which had traditionally been a part of the fabric of Hispanic culture. Konnan's dispute with management in 1996 led to an exodus of many of the young talent mentioned earlier to WCW, which didn't help matters either.

After Pena passed away in 2006, his brother-in-law, Joaquin Roldan ran the promotion with other members of the family until his passing in 2017. As seen on the Wrestlemania kickoff show, Dorian Pena, the founder's nephew, is one of the current figureheads of the organization. There were a few numbers thrown around online, but nothing was confirmed. A few reports speculated that TKO paid tens of millions of dollars for the lucha company, which might seem outlandish, given the current state of the organization, but it's not simply buying the rights to an promotion and its assets, including the tape library, which can be monetized in a variety of ways. Perhaps, the most important portion of the purchase is that the WWE bought a foothold in Mexico, a foothold that they've tried for a few decades to establish to capitalize on the Hispanic demographic in the United States. Furthermore, we've seen since the WWE/UFC merger that Endeavors put a true focus on globalizing the product, which was one of the main points of the Netflix deal, and with this expansion into the lucha libre market, it targets the Hispanic market in America in a more productive way, and it also creates the opportunity to generate revenue in Mexico to a level that isn't possible with a standalone WWE product.

There are many different layers to this story, as it's a very ambitious step and there are a multitude of factors, both within and beyond WWE's control, that could play a critical role in the potential success of the project.

First and most importantly, TKO can't simply try to brand AAA as a version of NXT Mexico, as besides the fact that it would label the group as secondary, it was proven in the past that Mexican audiences want their style of lucha, not an Americanized spinoff. If this expansion is only going to put the WWE product in Mexico on a more regular basis, it will flop and do considerable damage to the status of lucha in the native country. As trivial as this might sound, TKO brass are going to have to resist the temptation to take a paint-by-the-numbers approach with it, and truly run AAA as a separate entity from the WWE brand in America. Sure, there are several positives that can be borrowed from the WWE umbrella such as the production and distribution, as well as the crop of Hispanic talent under WWE contract that can be sent to bolster AAA shows, but in terms of overall presentation, this must be kept true to the traditional lucha vision because that's the reason that AAA has a following in the first place.

The problem is, the WWE as a whole hasn't ever allowed something like this to be run as its own commodity since it was much easy to copy and paste a WWE format than to allow something that the corporation didn't originally create to flourish under the WWE banner. That being said, hopefully, those at TKO are smart enough to realize that the revenue is all going into the same pocket so there's no need to shoehorn the WWE philosophy onto the AAA product. Yes, I understand that modern AAA has some level of American influence, but that's more of the evolution of the business itself, in terms of styles blending over the course of time rather than a direct effort to reshape the overall presentation.

This is where the subject gets exponentially more complicated, both with the structure of the AAA group going forward, and a number of outside factors. One of the biggest questions is, who is going to run the Mexican product? Clearly, AAA needs to generate more revenue, which is why John Layfield got involved as an investor in recent years, and it's doubtful that TKO would pay millions of dollars to purchase it just to pick up the tab while the Pena family continues to run the company. I wouldn't be surprised if Dorian Pena and a few of the other current staff stay involved with the local promotional efforts, but the major decisions will probably be made by someone from the TKO side. Konnan is currently involved in the office, but is he the right choice to run a project at this level? Furthermore, he was on rocky terms with the WWE for decades because of his exit after the Max Moon gimmick was designed so were those fences mended?

Rey Mysterio is still an active wrestler and doesn't seem to be ready to retire yet, but would he be someone that would be willing to run the AAA venture in the future? Basically, there's not anyone in the WWE office right now that is truly familiar enough with the tends and culture of lucha libre to run a pure Mexican project so it will be interesting to see who is put in place to make the key decisions for the promotion in the future.

As far as factors outside of their control, it's one of the issues that can complicate international business for any corporation and might be a good reason for WWE brass run AAA as a separate commodity. With the political tension and the uncertainty around the global economy, it wouldn't be too surprising if business for the WWE in the United States is strong, but there could be periods of shrinking revenue in Mexico. This is where an expansion of this nature goes beyond just the number of tickets sold at the box office or the amount of star ratings, it's going to be a difficult balancing act to try to jump start a new era of AAA if the Mexican economy takes a hit as far as the tariffs that have made the news recently.

Granted, there are peaks and valleys with any economy, but again, it's something that the office will have to keep in mind, which is why they can't paint with a broad brush if they want this to be a successful venture. Something that works in America might not work in Mexico so they can send stars to add a sizzle, but still have to tailor the shows to the specific audience.

One of the ways to tailor the presentation is, where are these show going to take place? Of course, the WWE has announced the Worlds Collide show in Los Angeles in June as a nod to the original pay-per-view, but when AAA is running full-scale under the direction of TKO, are they still going to tour Mexico?

As beautiful, passionate, and vibrant as Hispanic culture is, the very disappointing reality is that the drug cartels and violence in the country remain a real problem. Is the WWE truly prepared to navigate those waters, particularly with how to run events safely in the country? It goes without saying that there would be security concerns with sending talent to Mexico. Rob Van Dam mentioned during a Kayfabe Commentaries interview that when he worked in the country as a part of a working agreement that TNA had with AAA, there were specific efforts to keep the talent safe with direct transportation everywhere they traveled while they were there. Regardless of what side of the fence someone is on of the immigration debate, there's a reason that people have sought to pursue opportunities in the United States for decades so the instability of Mexico is something that has to be taken into account by TKO.

Along those same lines, the state of lucha at various times has reflected the instability of the country. There were times that main event talent would no-show or there would be other disputes that would disrupt business. Because of numerous factors between the shady business practices to the dangers of the country mentioned previously, Mexico isn't usually a destination for talent, at least not in the modern era. In fact, it was a place where talent that nobody else would sign attempted to get work in recent years. Trash like Teddy Hart, Tessa Blanchard, and Marry Scurll went to Mexico after they burned a bridge everywhere else.

It's probably a good thing that with a WWE structure in place, most of the shady lucha tactics that hindered business in the past can be eliminated from the landscape of AAA. For example, Alberto Del Rio, who was the AAA champion, was released from his contract with the lucha group just a few days after the TKO purchase was announced. In recent years, AAA has also had a terrible track record with title defenses or belts being vacated so it will probably be beneficial to have a more solid direction behind the company under the WWE banner.

That solid direction is probably the biggest upside of this purchase for AAA, it can bring the state-of-the-art production value and distribution to lucha libre. Make no mistake about it, the WWE can put the money into the promotion to make it look as professional and as marketable as possible. Will there be a weekly AAA show on Netflix? One thing is for sure, when it's done well, lucha libre is one of the most visually impressive styles of professional wrestling so if it's packaged right, it's very possible that this acquisition could bring lucha to the biggest audience possible.

The potential pitfalls of this buy out might be bigger than even the upside. If the WWE tries to basically label AAA as just another WWE brand and takes away the true lucha libre elements, it will have a drastic effect on the sport in Mexico, as it would more or less take away one of the pillars of the industry in the country, and we all saw how the business declined in America after WCW closed. This could either be a huge positive or a huge negative for lucha libre as a genre, and it remains to be seen how it will unfold for the industry.

The career of Dantate Casanova

"I remember the entire ride up to the show, i was so nervous and so excited at the same time. Could feel my heart beating out of my chest. As i got to the venue, i was told im opening the show and cutting a promo to start. As if i wasn’t nervous enough already, i remember just going numb with anxiety. I got through it pretty fine and sighed the biggest breath of relief afterwards knowing i was officially a pro wrestler."

There are certainly a plethora of cliches surrounding the professional wrestling business, often added for dramatic effect, which makes sense since part of the allure of sports entertainment, along with the spectacle and athleticism, is to sell the drama. Maybe not every dive from the two of the steel cage is twenty feet, and maybe not every pay-per-view or live card has "the biggest match in the history of the sport."

Still, sometimes there are specific cliches that become cliches because they are true.

One such notion is the "it factor," something you can't quantify or measure, but you simply know it when you see it, a nod to the subjective art form of the squared circle.

Just a few weeks ago as I sat at the broadcast desk for the Renegade Wrestling Alliance, a blue collar league based out of the equally blue collar town of West Newton, Pennsylvania for the action that night alongside lead play-by-play commentator, Mike "Doc" Daugherty, I saw a grappler emerge from the entrance way with an elaborate Aztec-type headpiece, flashy ring gear, and the NWA Midwest heavyweight championship.

This guy looked, walked, and presented himself as a star, he had the "it factor." He was new to the dedicated RWA audience and the online viewers of the indywrestling.us live stream, but they knew he was somebody. It didn't take long for the Midwest champion to show that he wasn't just an elaborate appearance, as he could go bell-to-bell with a series of quick maneuvers, measured skill, and impressive agility. Post-match, when the live stream went to a short break for intermission, Doc took off his headset and remarked, "that guy is good." I replied with, "yeah, he definitely looks like somebody, he moves like a star."

That flashy athlete was  "El Jaguar" Dante Casanova, and it's ironic that the youngster that confidently won over a new crowd in western Pennsylvania was once the nervous rookie that almost puked on his shoes prior to his first official match in Pavo, Georgia just over four years ago.

"Dante Casanova is probably one of the best talents of today. He's young, but I believe he will be on the biggest stages soon," said Doc Daugherty via phone.

Something that was noticed immediately when Doc and I were calling the action in the humid West Newton gym that April evening was that Casanova showed skills well beyond his experience level. With just four years in the industry, he already looked like a polished pro that had several years on in-ring work on his resume.

"I am thankful and grateful to have had Dante Casanova appear in RWA, such an incredible talent. He is the present and future of our business. I am also extrmely grateful to the NWA. The core of RWA is based on the tough as nails image that the NWA had and still has. It will be an honor to have not only Dante return, but also continue to bring in top notch talent from the NWA. Today is a good day for pro wrestling," said Derek Widziszewski, promoter of the Renegade Wrestling Alliance since its inception in 2009.

The reason being that Dante had an extremely solid foundation to his professional wrestling education when he decided to attend the Flatbacks Academy, the training center run by former WWE star, Tyler Breeze, and current NXT star, Shawn Spears. Dante cited the eight-week course stressed the fundamentals and in-ring psychology are crucial to a successful career in the sport. Furthermore, he also noted that his decision to pursue professional wrestling gave his life a much-needed direction in his life when he felt stagnant.

"They really made sure that you were proficient in the basics before you moved on in the curriculum. A big lesson that i remember being taught by the trainers was that your reputation is everything in this business. Word of mouth travels faster than anything, and your reputation can make or break you before ever setting foot in a ring," Casanova explained.

It didn't take long for Dante to build a reputation and for promoters to take notice. Within just the past few years, he has become a regular at Florida airports and he will occasionally see the same staff checking him in for his next flight, as he zigzags around the country to wrestle for different crowds for different companies almost every weekend. Despite being based in the sunshine state, Dante spent most of the winter working cards in the chilly northeast or blustery midwest of the country.

"Currently, I am the busiest I’ve ever been in my wrestling career. Every week, I am on a plane, traveling to different states and sometimes even countries. Truthfully, I spend more time at the airport and planes than I do my own home. I’ve come to realize that my best friend is the emergency row on a flight. I’m so tall and long legged that i don’t necessarily fit in a regular row," Dante said.

"Getting to know Dante at RWA was for me, an immediate connection.  Like myself, he is a veteran of the US military. Six years he spent as a United States Marine in the Reserves, and I can not thank him enough for his service to our country. I enjoyed conversation with Dante, as I learned how committed he is to the wrestling business. He travels the country every week sacrificing time at home to chase his dream of  making it to the next level. He is dedicated to fitness and honing his craft. He wants to wrestle all over the world and learning as many wrestling styles as humanly possible," added Johnny Norris, one of the most popular grapplers on the RWA roster.

As much as traveling adds to his schedule, Dante sees it as a natural part of making a name for himself in the industry and adjusts to it as he continues to make a name for himself on a wider basis, emphasizing how important time management is to keep himself in top form for the best in-ring performances possible.

"My preparation hasn’t changed all too much with the traveling, I’m just more conscious of my time. I don’t get a lot of free time so i make sure to prep accordingly and make every second count. Whether that’s for my training, or meal prep or traveling to and from, I make sure my calculate my time accordingly," Casanova commented.

Dante expressed his appreciation for the opportunities that professional wrestling has provided him, and as a first generation American, the 26-year-old athlete acknowledged not only his gratitude for his father's sacrifices, but also how his heritage is to him.

 "Being a first generation Mexican-American has been such a blessing for me because of the opportunities that have been bestowed upon me. However, it is no lost on me where I come from and my roots. I’m very proud of my heritage and lineage. My father immigrated here when he was around 15 years old. He came here with nothing but the clothes on his back and a drive to provide a better life for himself and future family," Dante said.

"El Jaguar has a very unique presentation that comes from his Mexican heritage. I believe a lot of Dante’s strong work ethic, drive and determination can be inherited from his Father who came to America from Mexico and today is successful in his own right. Not too long from now I believe we will all be watching Dante on television in weekly fashion," remarked Norris.

Those sacrifices of the previous generation didn't go unnoticed, and paid off when Dante reached a new peak in his career earlier this year, winning the NWA Midwest championship, a title based out of Cleveland, Ohio under the NWA Exodus banner, an organization anchored by former NWA World heavyweight champion, Ethan Carter III, a veteran that Dante considers a mentor in the industry.

"While the lineage of the NWA Midwest Championship is short, and there’s only been two champions, I carry and defend the title with pride. EC3 saw the drive and determination in me, and would always tell me, 'Your time is coming.' I took every bit of advice and coaching that EC3 gave me to heart and adapted my character. So far, eight title defenses, eight different states, and a few different countries in the near future. He was right, my time did come, my time now," Casanova concluded.

What's the status of The Young Bucks?

When the professional wrestling business was completely stagnant in 2018, many fans were disenfranchised with their fandom. Total Nonstop Action had just finished a year on The Pursuit Channel of all places, with ice fishing legitimately as the lead-in program, and the WWE was in the midst of the Roman Reigns baby face super push that flopped, but Vince McMahon remained steadfast that he would force Roman over to the audience as the next John Cena for the company. That's one of the domino effects of a monopoly, and McMahon knew he had one so if fans wanted to watch professional wrestling in the United States, they were going to watch WWE, especially after Impact Wrestling's highest level of exposure became Twitch since the brand was so toxic at the time that it couldn't secure a TV deal of any substance in America.

The fact that both organizations are in a different place today shows how the dynamics of the industry can shift over the course of time.

Still, after the All In event proved that there was enough of a demand for an alternative product that 10,000 fans were willing to buy tickets for it and that 50,000 PPV orders were placed without direct television advertisement, Tony Khan was willing to put enough money into a pro wrestling product to launch a full-scale promotion that would tour weekly for live television, and most importantly, offer comparable money to talent.

Of course, the blue print for Tony was set by the success that The Elite had in smaller venues for Ring Of Honor and on the other side of the globe in New Japan. That's not a criticism, but rather that there was proof of concept. Sinclair Broadcasting, the group that bought Ring Of Honor from Cary Silkin in 2011 before it eventually sold the wrestling league to Khan in 2022, wasn't going to invest the type of money to truly put ROH on a national level. Keep in mind, Sinclair is in the television business, not the wrestling business. They bought ROH for its relatively cheap original programming without any intention of trying to compete with Vince McMahon or any other billionaire for talent. The fact that Sinclair decided to put some money into the project and sign wrestlers to contracts after the exodus of The Elite to launch AEW is a different discussion for a different time.

Credit to Tony Khan, he saw a commodity that organically gained a following between The Young Bucks major popularity on social media, Cody Rhodes' ambitious exit from WWE during that era, and the praise that Kenny Omega garnered in The Wrestling Observer newsletter for his incredible of series of matches with Kazuchika Okada as an opportunity to launch a new promotion in the sports entertainment industry.

The ups and downs of the past five years will be the subject of books, documentaries, and podcast clips in hindsight years from now.

That being said, after a six-month hiatus from the company, The Young Bucks returned during the Jon Moxley/Swerve Strickland main event at the Dynasty pay-per-view earlier this month. The Bucks are still EVPs of the organization, despite their roles behind the scenes being reduced in the time since the launch of Dynamite in late-2019. One of the other original EVPs, Kenny Omega also recently returned to the promotion after a life-threatening case of diverticulitis put him on the sidelines for over a year, not too long after he took almost a year away to heal from various injuries. However, Omega has said publicly that he doesn't weld any power backstage, and it appears that if he still has the title, it's in name-only at this point.

It should be mentioned that there are numerous examples throughout the history of the business that members of the active roster shouldn't work in the office at the same time because of the natural appearance of a conflict of interests. On a rare occasion, it can work, but those scenario are few and far between, and even then would still draw some level of criticism.

Matt and Nick Jackson made their return to television this past Wednesday, working a tag match against Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey. However, the six months away from television might not have been enough time to reignite a demand for the team, as the episode generated just 521,000 viewers, which is the lowest rating for the show this year.

It might be a harsh reality, but the question should at least be asked, does All Elite Wrestling have a Young Bucks problem?

Sure, the main event segment of Jamie Hayter vs. Kris Statlander wasn't going to retain an audience, which says a lot more about the lack of opportunity they've been given to showcase themselves as stars than their skills, but the fact that the show still averaged the lowest amount of viewers this year is an indication that The Young Bucks' first match back on Dynamite in six months didn't draw or keep viewers either.

There could be a few different reasons for this, but none of them are good news for the EVPs, as it shows that their star power as part of the core that launched the company has diminished considerable since they were on national television on a regular basis.

As trivial as it might sound, that in itself could be an issue for the lack of buzz around The Bucks' return to TV. One of the criticisms of the pure high spot style is that while extremely graceful, it can also become very repetitive because matches are based on the moves without much diversity of its presentation based on the specific opponent. It was much easier for The Bucks to keep their matches fresh when fans only saw their matches once or twice a month based on certain independent shows they watched rather than a national audience that would see similar matches or the same spots weekly on TBS.

It also didn't do them any favors, even with the most dedicated All Elite fan base, that they were basically the reason that Punk was shut out of the company for at least a portion of the time that he was under contract. Don't get me wrong, they were no winners in that entire situation and the argument could be made that the company still hasn't recovered from the negative publicity that the original backstage fight caused a few years ago. The real-life Phil Brooks was just as unprofessional when he buried the entire company with Tony Khan sitting right next to him looking like a deer in headlights as The Bucks were to storm into his locker room for a physical altercation when they are supposed to be management. The whole incident exposed their roles as EVPs or office for the organization as a sham, and Tony Khan as someone that was only qualified to be a promoter because his family had enough money to fund his vanity project. Sure, CM Punk is a master politician and wanted to spin the narrative in his favor, but when he made it clear that he was willing to bury the hatchet and work with The Elite, you can believe he would've sold every super kick if he was booked in a match against them because that's how the most money would've been made. Granted, CM Punk is a self-absorbed jerk that thinks he's much more important than he actually is, but he's also a talented jerk that understands the entire point of the business to to draw money. Make no mistake about it, Punk proved that he was still a pro, and when The Bucks refused to speak to him, it made them look too soft for the pro wrestling business.

I understand why the criticism of their handling of the Punk situation was used as a part of their heel EVP personas before their hiatus, but it just didn't get over. The leaned into the notion that the fans soured on them because they thought they were more important to the organization, only to find out that the audience did actually sour on them. There's a difference between heel heat and go away heat. The fact that there was a decline for their return to Dynamite shows that there isn't a demand to see The Bucks on AEW programming. Some might cite competition from the playoffs in the NBA or the NHL, but there's sports competition on a regular basis that didn't result in the lowest Dynamite numbers of the year.

Right or wrong, the stigma around Matt and Nick Jackson are that they've ultimately done more to hinder than to help All Elite Wrestling, which prompts the audience to ask, did they really want to change the industry or do they simply want a platform to promote themselves?

I actually met The Young Bucks at a Ring Of Honor show in 2017 and they were very polite so I have nothing but good things to say about them based on my limited interaction. However, and this is the biggest issue, despite being some of the founders of the company and the immense amount of talent that they have as performers, if the audience doesn't care about what they are booked for on the show, it's possible that The Young Bucks won't have a important place on the roster.

The Rock vs. Triple H

Is Dwayne Johnson still the people's champion?

In the few days since Wrestlemania Sunday went off the air, a conclusion that saw John Cena make history, winning his seventeenth championship to surpass Ric Flair's recognized record, the Cody Rhodes/Cena bout has been the subject of much discussion, particularly the lack of an appearance by The Rock after the final boss was the catalyst for Cena's shocking heel turn at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in February. In typical pro wrestling fashion, the potential reasons that may or may not exist behind that decision sparked even more debate, specifically if an old rivalry from more than a quarter century ago had a ripple effect on the business decisions made today.

When Vince McMahon was rightfully exiled in disgrace from the WWE a few years ago, the TKO corporation quickly used The Rock as a new member of the WWE board to put a positive spin on the narrative around the company, specifically as a way to attempt to sweep the controversy around McMahon and the lawsuit filed against him that garnered main stream headlines, under the rug.

At the time, it was thought to be a win-win situation, as it gave the WWE more access to one of the biggest stars in its history since The Rock quite literally has a vested interest in the success of the brand. It got him in a tag match, his first actual match in more than a decade, at Wrestlemania last year. At the same time, it provided an avenue for Dwayne Johnson, who had yielded mixed success with some of his more recent  films, to be perceived as a mega star, boosting his public profile.

On a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez addressed the speculation that perhaps tension between WWE head of creative, Triple H and The Rock had something to do with Johnson's decision not to appear on the event last weekend. This was after it was reported in the time since the Cena heel turn that The Rock originally pitched that Cody turn heel and join him, which Rhodes declined. As a side note, I just can't think of any logically good reason for Cody to turn heel less than a year into his reign as champion, considering that the office finally had a baby face that could take the torch from Cena as the representative of the company. Cody understands the responsibility of the position and he checks all the boxes as a main event star so it was probably a wise decision to turn down the pitched storyline.

Meltzer noted that there could still be some old wounds between the two veteran wrestlers, as it's well-known that Shanw Michaels, who was in a much different place in his life at the time, and Triple H weren't keen on The Rock moving up the card when he ascended in popularity. Given the track record of the Kliq, which is somehow celebrated today through the WWE's efforts to re-write history, it's easy to see how it's at least possible that the DX duo wanted to snuff out The Rock's rise in 1998.

Still, could something from more than 25 years ago really be held as that much of a grudge to affect the business decisions of a publicly-traded global corporation today?

Listen, holding a grudge is one of the few things I'm good at and one of my many character flaws, but I just can't see something from more two decades ago dictating decisions now. Granted, anything is possible, but the previously mentioned vested interest that The Rock has in the success of the WWE brand appears to be a reason for him to want to see the best decisions made for the company.

However, and this could be a much bigger issue than an old grudge, this could simply be a power struggle of sorts for The Rock to want to use the WWE platform to promote himself as much as possible. It's not quite as provocative as 25 years of animosity between two former pro wrestlers that was never resolved, but I wouldn't necessarily be shocked if Dwayne Johnson wants to make it clear to WWE brass that he gets to do what he wants for his character or he'd rather stay home. Maybe he saw how popular Cody was as the top guy and wanted the cache of being the reason that Rhodes turned heel? In some respects, Cena had enough of a reason to become a villain without The Rock's involvement based on the years of hostile crowd reaction that he endured, whereas Cody's justification would've been solely about The Rock's star power.

The major problem that I could see this creating, which could indirectly start a power struggle within the dynamics of the WWE, is that Dwayne Johnson seems to have an overestimation of his own character. The reason I say this is that at the post-show press conference of The Elimination Chamber, he broke character to talk about the storyline as if he just took part in Casablanca or some legendary art piece. This is pro wrestling, not Shakespeare. His perspective that sounds as if he thinks that his involvement is some type of fine art is pompous and superficial. This isn't meant as a knock, as there are naturally peaks and valleys in any long-term career, but his films haven't exactly done well at the box office recently, outside of Moana 2 last year.

It should go without saying that not everything that The Rock does is automatically good television just because he decides to show up. In fact, outside of the heel turn at Elimination Chamber, the vast majority of his promos prior to that were completely subpar. He either had no point like when he randomly showed up at the end of the Bad Blood pay-per-view in October, or he relied on excessive profanity as a substitute for compelling content on both Raw and Smackdown.

His appearance on the Pat McAfee show earlier this week didn't do the situation any favors, as he claimed that he wasn't needed, which is flimsy and mostly sounded like he just didn't care to show up. As I wrote in a review about Wrestlemania Sunday, the entire point of the Cena heel turn was based on his alliance with The Rock because Cody rejected Johnson's offer. Therefore, the final boss would have a reason to want to ensure that Cody lost the title. Instead, he sent Travis Scott, who isn't a suitable replacement for one of the biggest stars in the history of the industry.

One thing is for sure, the talent, even The Rock, shouldn't be given complete control over everything that their character does, there are too many examples of it going off the rails for there not to be some type of guardrails in place against it. I'm not sure what type of guardrail could really be put in place for The Rock isn't he's a member of the WWE board, but the bottom line is that his refusal to show up at Wrestlemania last weekend undoubtedly had a negative impact on the logic of the storyline and the quality of the main event.

This isn't meant to sound sinister because it's not as though The Rock's involvement one way or the other is going to tank the momentum of the entire company, but you have to take into account if Dwayne's Johnson's priorities are what's best for the company that he's a board member of, or his own career? Don't forget, The Rock made a random and pointless appearance on an episode of NXT in January, but didn't think it was important enough to show up for the main event of the biggest show of the year.