ASK TITO: Responding to AEW Haters and Proving I’m NOT “Anti-AEW” + Seth Rollins, Pete Dunne, & More

The EXCELLENCE IN COLUMN WRITING is back in your face, and I have plenty of towels to collect those crocodile tears any time that I post something. “Wahhhhhh, you’re anti-AEW” or “wahhhh, you want AEW to fail” is all we hear, all day long, anytime someone mentions AEW in an opinion piece. Some of you are BEGGING Aaron Rift to CANCEL me as a columnist for NoDQ because I’m sooooo “anti-AEW”.

However, what many AEW mark victims don’t realize is that I have a COLUMN ARCHIVE will invalidate your SLANDER towards myself and NoDQ instantly. Fact is that I post many columns and I’m providing tons of feedback on many current events. You lovers of AEW are just picking and choosing what to read either in Aaron’s Twitter snippets to hype the column or just the few brief mentions of AEW. Then, you attack me as being “negative”, “anti-AEW”, or “wanting AEW to fail”.

READ THIS COLUMN from September 18th, 2023 in which yours truly DEFENDED AEW and Tony Khan. Look at the date on that column… September 18th… This was right after the All In 2023 Wembley incident and CM Punk termination when the ENTIRE INTERNET was bombing on AEW and Tony Khan. Who had your backs? Why, it was “anti-AEW” Mr. Tito…

Oh, you kept scrolling past that last paragraph…

READ THIS COLUMN praising AEW and Tony Khan from 9/18/2023 in case you missed it.

Oh, you want to keep denying facts?

READ THIS COLUMN praising AEW and Tony Khan from 9/18/2023 in case you missed it.

Oh, you keep scrolling because you want to keep denying facts?

READ THIS COLUMN praising AEW and Tony Khan from 9/18/2023 in case you missed it.

And I can go further because I have a COLUMN ARCHIVE dating back to August 2020 where I have plenty of praise for All Elite Wrestling while also HAMMERING the WWE. You can dig into my LordsofPain.net archives (if they still exist) for me praising AEW, rooting them on to succeed, while also hammering the WWE. I gave an A+ grade to Double or Nothing 2019 on that platform, if I recall correctly, while everybody else was crapping on that show because of its pre-show. While everyone was crapping on Chris Jericho’s physique, I was defending him, too.

Oh, is September 2023 too far for you for a POSITIVE AEW column? Do you believe that was too far away? Why, let’s keep digging into that COLUMN ARCHIVE is conveniently there with un-altered columns to review:

• 1/12/24 – Reasons Why Sasha Banks Should NOT Rejoin WWE (argued why she should join AEW)

• 1/5/24 – Why WWE Should Avoid Warner Bros. Discovery

• 12/14/23 – Nobody Wants AEW to Fail

Oh, you want to claim that I’m just a pro-WWE writer? Really?

Didn’t I HAMMER the WWE for turning AJ Styles heel against LA Knight on the night he returned? I wrote that column and all of you attacked me for “hating the WWE”.

Didn’t I HAMMER the WWE for having LAZY booking for booking the Fatal 4 Way match at Royal Rumble 2024?

Yes, those columns were written within the last month. And I have many, many more columns where I have been critical of the WWE. Please, check out my COLUMN ARCHIVE.

And just go back deep into my columns archive, whether it’s at NoDQ or Lords of Pain. Who else was critical of “Saint” Triple H for poorly handling the talent developmental system or his creative ideas during the 2010s? During the 2000s, I hammered Stephanie McMahon as Creative head of the WWE back then. Many WWE talents called me out by name.

So, you want to call moi an anti-AEW and pro-WWE writer? The facts and COLUMNS POSTED completely disagree with you.

Now, if Aaron Rift takes a snippet of my column that says 1 things remotely negative about AEW and uses that as the hype-Tweet, that’s on him but that’s also on YOU for only reacting to a paragraph posted on X/Twitter WITHOUT reading my entire column. Most of my case for Okada joining the WWE was for him to wrestle brand new opponents and to finally wrestle on Wrestlemanias. I was quite complimentary of Okada’s talents and argued he should join the promotion that is red-hot right now rather than AEW that needs to create its own stars rather than dipping too much into the free agency market. That’s YOUR FAULT for reading something out-of-context and having selective outrage over just 1 sentence or paragraph.

Recently, I also wrote a column about Star-Ratings and how people shouldn’t make much of how Meltzer, CageMatch, or other places access matches because only how YOU feel about a match matters. All I did was briefly mention the Twitter feud about Tony and the USA Networks handle, and many of you labeled that as anti-AEW. Huh?

Yes, I have been hammering Tony Khan for his many X/Twitter battles… But he 100% deserves that, as he’s saying peculiar stuff that even wrestling veterans are questioning themselves regarding his maturity. Saying negative stuff on Social Media is for children!

Here’s the REAL QUESTION, folks… If NoDQ and Mr. Tito were soooooooo anti-AEW, then why have we been specifically hesitant about the Chris Jericho rumors that Nick Hausman has been alluding to lately? The only time NoDQ posted about it was when someone asked a question about said rumors during the AEW media scrum. If we were so anti-AEW, wouldn’t we have been pasting those rumors everywhere? NO, we’ve been hesitant on that story and on my end, I only mocked Tony’s quotes about “safety” because he literally said he was “afraid for his life” at Wembley Stadium.

Now that I have debunked that I’m “anti-AEW” and that NoDQ isn’t as well… How about YOU look in the mirror instead? Question why you’re so devoted to a wrestling brand, insomuch that you dislike anyone who enjoys WWE? It is a FACT that a fellow NoDQ columnist, who is admittedly in love with AEW and openly bashes WWE, has attacked many people in the comments section for liking WWE. In fact, he accuses them of touching children because they like WWE. F’n seriously? How batsh** insane do you have to be to accuse people of that for liking a wrestling promotion?

Many AEW fans take this stuff WAY TOO SERIOUSLY, which is why they are trying to personally attack me while BEGGING Aaron Rift to cancel my column. This is cult-like behavior that reminds me of what is going on in politics right now. Look at how devoted people are by wearing merchandise of someone while ignoring piles of illegal behavior. AEW fans are the ones who may have bought between 5,000 to 10,000 tickets to help boost All In 2023’s attendance at Wembley Stadium. But they are also the ones who looked the other way when the Young Bucks were leaking gossip to dirt sheets during 2022 and 2023 to sabotage CM Punk in AEW.

I conveniently label my columns with “MR. TITO:” or “ASK TITO:” in front of the column title anytime I post. Thus, when you come to NoDQ.com, you conveniently know who posted said column. Don’t like what I post, THEN DON’T F’N READ IT. I don’t give a damn if Negative Nancys like you are just looking to start trouble or are just picking/choosing what to be outraged about.

And you aren’t going to cancel me, either… If Insane Clown Posse (ICP) and diehard Monday Night Wars fans sending death threats to me (which I forwarded to the FBI, by the way) didn’t deter me, your claims of me being “anti-AEW” won’t either. And BELIEVE ME, many WWE diehard fans dislike me too… Just ask around.

I’m an equal opportunity hater… Plenty of anti-WWE columns posted by yours truly… But plenty of pro-WWE columns, just as I have plenty of pro-AEW columns too.

But GOD DAMN, I’ve not even remotely said that “AEW should fail” as many, many other writers online have said along with many attacking AEW online have. You won’t find that quote from any of my posted columns. Yes, I’ve expressed my disappointment in how Tony Khan conducts himself in public and on social media, how CM Punk was handled or mishandled, I dislike the excessive high risk style used in many matches, and question why the Young Bucks should be EVPs. That’s MY OPINION, but I’m backing that up by BUYING most of AEW’s Pay Per Views out of my pocket while watching as many of their shows as I can.

I’m rooting for you, AEW, and I have many posted columns in my COLUMN ARCHIVE. But you do too much to placate and enable your loyal fanbase who will be there no matter what. Tony Khan’s behavior on Social Media, mishandling of CM Punk, and carelessly throwing high risk matches out there nightly is going to limit your growth. That has been my consistent opinion of AEW lately, backed in fact by attendance and viewership declines seen through late 2023 along with merchandise really tanking.

But I don’t root for many of their fans, who downright harass anyone who dares to criticize their precious AEW product. You’re a bunch of clowns who don’t realize how miserable they actually are consuming AEW’s product. You actually know it could be way better, but you’re in denial and take out your frustrations out on yours truly, NoDQ, or others whom you’ve deemed as “anti-AEW”. Look in the mirror and realize that the clown nose is on you, not me. Remember, I’m an equal opportunity hater and WWE gets their hot pokers as much as AEW ever has.

Check yo’self before you wreck yo’self.

Now onto your questions.

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ASK TITO – Your Questions, My Answers

What do you make of Pete Dunne’s WWE return and comments about Vince McMahon?

Pete Dunne is a billed 5’10, 205 pound (probably less in reality) wrestler that Vince McMahon didn’t appreciate? Imagine that… Hasn’t that been the normal perception of wrestlers assessed by Vince? On top of that, he speaks with an accent, which means that both Vince and Kevin Dunn wouldn’t like anything they say on a microphone.

Many will hammer Pete Dunne being renamed to “Butch”, but I personally liked his alliance with Sheamus and Ridge Holland. Hey, it was either that or Pete would have joined the many other casualties of the 2020-2022 roster cuts.

In my mind, Triple H needs to create a legitimate Cruiserweight or Lightweight or “Light Heavyweight” division and push it seriously. No 205 Lives… Give it some airtime on the long Monday Night RAW, push wrestlers as credible participants (like Dunne), and let fans grow to enjoy it and respect the title that the smaller wrestlers are chasing. UFC, Boxing, and Amateur Wrestling have weight classes, so thus WWE can “get with it”. And for you Meltzer lovers out there, New Japan has weight classes, too.

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Thoughts on Bully Ray (Bubba Dudley in WWE) being told he would need to “pay his dues” if he joined AEW?

It’s just wrestlers talking smack on Social Media. It’s as I’ve said repeatedly now that wrestlers should save their energy for when cameras are turned on during wrestling programs, but I can’t control everyone who wants to limit their wrestling growth.

Max Caster saying Bully Ray would have to pay his dues? Come on… He’s part of the most accomplished Tag Team ever, along with having a successful singles career in TNA/Impact. They’d respect Bully if he stopped by for a visit or wrestled. Trust me, any wrestler respects wrestlers that have a ton of mileage on their bodies and helped pave the way for them. If any AEW wrestler thinks otherwise, then they need to stop pulling out tables for their matches.

It’s a non-event… Bully and Max are just working each other on X/Twitter, though they should save said energy for when television cameras are turned on.

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What do you think happens with Seth Rollins and Wrestlemania 40?

I think he’s going to get surgery immediately and make it to Wrestlemania 40. Seth Rollins is tough and has been very durable for the WWE, along with being hardworking. He’s NOT going to turn down the opportunity to headline Night #1 of Wrestlemania 40. He can make it to Wrestlemania 40 and CM Punk is veteran enough to help protect him in the ring.

THAT SAID, I could see the WWE still stripping him of the World Heavyweight Title and maybe putting it up for grabs at Royal Rumble 2024. Then, CM Punk could boldly win the title and he’d defend the WHC title at Wrestlemania 40 against a surprising return of Seth Rollins. Punk winning the WHC would make the Elimination Chamber in Australia to be very important and Cody could win for a title shot…

Honestly, I think Seth is going to make Wrestlemania 40… I’m more concerned with who may win Roman/Orton/Knight/Styles at Rumble 2024, as maybe WWE goes Rock vs. Roman without the WWE Title and allows Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes to be for the WWE Title instead.

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Do you think that WWE wants Roman Reigns to eclipse Hulk Hogan’s longest WWE Title reign?

Sure, but the problem is that Roman’s WWE title reign does not equate to Hulk Hogan. When Hogan wrestled, there was just 1 WWE brand. Roman’s “streak” is for his WWE Universal Title, which was the Smackdown brand’s title. I’d be much more impressed if his COMBINED title reign since 2022 was approaching Hogan instead, but we’re like 700 days or so of that (whatever it may be).

In my opinion, the WWE has way too many World Title contenders and it’s OK to begin shifting that World Title around. Cody, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Brock Lesnar (if he returns), John Cena (if he returns), and many younger wrestlers coming up (Solo, Theory, Bron, etc.) could make it rough for a sturdy champion. The timing is right for Roman to drop the title and perfect for someone like Cody to achieve a major accomplishment that fans will appreciate.

Fact is that Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, and Bob Backlund didn’t have to appear on a weekly cable TV show or wrestle on monthly Pay Per Views. Furthermore, I’d actually argue Bruno and Bob didn’t have the thick main event competition at the top, hence the longer title reigns. Hogan did have great challengers, but each of them lost their star power once Hogan dispatched them by holding onto titles maybe too long.

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That’s all I have for today… Stop trying to CANCEL anyone who has an opposite opinion than yours. Maybe open your eyes and ears to listen to other viewpoints. Believe me, I actually read your feedback closely but when you attack me as “negative”, “anti-AEW”, or “wanting AEW to fail”, I instantly won’t take your cynicism towards my columns seriously.

And remember, I’m an equal opportunity hater… I criticize BOTH sides and always have. It’s like in politics right now if you dare to be a “Moderate” voter. People go nuclear if you haven’t declared a team and vote for the “lesser of two evils”.

I’m a CURRENT EVENTS writer, folks… Maybe your AEW promotion is creating too many bad headlines lately? Between Tony posting on Social Media and the mishandling of CM Punk, yeah, they provide me with lots of reasons to fairly criticize them.

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