Mr. Tito’s PHAT 15 Pro Wrestling Predictions for 2023 – CM Punk, Sasha Banks, & 2022 Review
Greetings from the Retirement Home for Internet Columnists, as I’m somehow back to deliver my 2023 Pro Wrestling Predictions column that was an annual tradition for both LoP and recently NoDQ for many, many years. I was fully intending for the 2022 Predictions column to be my last, as I had enough of following the incredibly boring WWE and AEW, along with the Internet Wrestling Community’s toxic drama… But then, 2022 turned into a newsbyte feeding frenzy with Sasha Banks & Naomi walking out of the WWE, Stephanie McMahon stepping down, Vince McMahon stories coming out, Vince resigning, and then AEW completely imploded around CM Punk. I couldn’t resist, as I felt that nobody was properly assessing those situations with their content in my mind. Thus, I sorta came back, though I have written much less than I have during prior years.
We’ll see if I can stay put at the home for 2023, or not. If chaotic news stories break, I cannot resist it, especially if they are parties that I’ve covered for years (Sasha, McMahons, HHH, CM Punk, AEW). I’ve been writing since October 1998 and covering many of the same names for most of my tenure. Thus, when things rapidly change in the WWE, AEW, or drama surrounding CM Punk, I’m like a moth to a flame…
At the very least, 2022’s pure chaos allowed me to limp along to get to this point and that is to deliver yet another Predictions Column. So here we go…
As usual, I have to give credit for this column where it is due… During the late 2000s, I found a economic blog that turned out to accurately predict the financial meltdown recession of 2007-2009. It was written by Karl Denninger and the website is Market-TIcker.org, but at year-end, Karl would make a predictions post. The format was simple… He’d cover the previous year’s predictions first (scoring them, too), give a quick recap of the year, and then deliver the new year’s predictions before 12/31. I loved that format so much that I translated it into a Pro Wrestling Predictions column format and have been doing so for over 10 years now.
Making predictions is proving to be quite difficult for wrestling lately, as there are so many sweeping changes… But that makes for a fun column, as I’m writing this column before the 2023 year even starts. While this will cause many predictions to go wrong, this will also sure up myself as a predictions guy when I nail them. I’m mostly going on hunches or reading the “tea leaves” of the newsbytes to end the previous year.
Before we recap the year and get into 2023’s Predictions, we must look back at 2022. How did we do?
2022 Predictions Review
Just to prove that last year’s column still exists and was 100% unaltered, here is the link to last year’s column posted 12/31/2021.
#1 – AEW Dynamite will change timeslots during 2022. Miss. I was expecting the new Discovery group to be upset with AEW going head-to-head with NHL hockey, but it didn’t happen. However, I believe that I’m closer to this one than everyone thinks, as I believe the CM Punk/EVP issues is causing the Discovery folks to rethink their relationship with AEW. It wouldn’t surprise me that AEW will be shopping around for a new network partner in the upcoming years.
#2 – WWE will officially announce its succession plan for the future. Nailed it, because the succession plan actually happened and was forced immediately upon events happening. Vince resigned and I figured Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan would step up as a combination and they did.
#3 – Major budget cuts are happening for AEW. Ehhhhh… Not what I was expecting, but AEW did let talent contracts expire. However, they were still signing WWE released wrestlers and put a lot of finances into the Ring of Honor brand. I’ll go miss here.
#4 – NXT will be removed from its Tuesday Night timeslot on USA Network. Miss, although I believe that maybe my prediction was made too early. Viewership for this show is terrible and this will likely be a subject of the next Comcast/NBC/Universal negotiation for 2024’s deal expiration.
#5 – Charlotte Flair will be one of the WWE releases during 2022. Complete Miss. Her attitude rebounded as 2022 went along and Andrade blowing up in AEW caused her to perk up in the WWE instead. I was thinking Andrade and Ric Flair would scheme to get her into AEW. To really place a nail in the coffin of this prediction, Charlotte actually won the Smackdown Women’s WWE Title on the 12/30 edition of Smackdown against Ronda Rousey in a surprise match.
#6 – At least 1 EVP will leave AEW during 2022. Kaboom! Bigtime hit! Cody Rhodes left AEW and returned to the WWE at Wrestlemania 38.
#7 – Jim Ross will ultimately stay with AEW. Nailed it. He likes where he’s at and just doesn’t want the WWE stuff in his life. AEW values Ross as an announcer, even if the fanbase hates him. His contract expired this year and AEW re-signed. Now, AEW should use him to help run the company because they desperately need grown-ups in the room around Tony.
#8 – Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley) returns to WWE. Missed this one. I was thinking Tony making Dean’s alcohol problems public would have caused an issue, but instead, Moxley signed a big multi-year deal. I was also thinking Renee would rejoin the WWE, based on the growing success of her podcast, but she did not and also works for AEW now too.
#9 – Kevin Dunn is done with the WWE during 2022, WWE production revamped. Dunn was mysteriously not at Survivor Series 2022… I’m close on this, but until it happens, miss. The fact that WWE posted a “seasoned TV producer” as a job posting tells me that Dunn’s time as WWE Executive Producer is ending soon. HHH hates the guy, so it’s only a matter of time. KEEP IN MIND that I made this prediction without knowing Vince would step down… I just assumed that TV executive types might suggest a change to Vince.
#10 – WWE Stock will end the year 2022 above $60 per share. Nailed that one. Stocks had a tough 3/4 of the year, but I don’t believe the economy is in a “recession” as political pundits have insisted. To have a recession, you must have rising unemployment but prices must go DOWN or “deflat”, but not consistently go up. Recessions have prices that decline because nobody is buying… But prices are going up, through artificial means but also due to economic causes of actual growth. Stock ended the year strong, like many other stocks that struggled early.
#11 – Women of Wrestling (WOW) will become a surprise hit. Missed this one. I was thinking that the talents of Tessa Blanchard and AJ Lee would help this promotion, but I was wrong. Their viewership has declined during the 4th quarter 2022 on the CW Network. WOW let Tessa go a few months ago and this promotion hasn’t mattered. Figures, as it is partially owned by the Lakers’s owner Jeanie Buss. Based on how poorly the Lakers have been operated since the early 2010s, I should have known better…
#12 – Roman Reigns will begin his bigtime acting career in 2022. Nope. Didn’t happen, as he has been loyal to the WWE and his character. With time, I believe that Hollywood will be the endgame of Roman in the WWE, just as it was for Cena and Rock.
#13 – Eric Bischoff will return to Pro Wrestling, full time. Nope… I was thinking he’d help with NWA or Impact through late 2021, but I was wrong. I cannot remember why I was thinking this, but the drugs must have been great that day. Instead for 2022, he has probably distanced himself further away from ever returning based on his quotes.
#14 – The AEW bubble is going to burst on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Yeah, nailed that one completely. Observer has been losing marketshare to Sean Ross Sapp and Fightful, but I was expecting a credibility hit would get Dave and Bryan. Oh, and it did… When the CM Punk stuff blew up with Adam Page, the Young Bucks used the Observer to spread rumors about CM Punk getting Colt Cabana fired from AEW. As Tony said at the AEW All Out Media Scrum, he had to clarify to media outlet Forbes about the wrong information that one of the Bucks provided to the Observer. Then, the one-sided reporting by the Observer about the CM Punk/Bucks/Omega fight after the Media Scrum really harmed the Observer brand as well. They are completely exposed and impaired for their AEW bias.
#15 – CM Punk won’t remain in AEW by year-end. Should I claim this one? As I watched Punk through late 2021, I could tell by his body language that the excitement to be back was instantly gone and now he was realizing that things weren’t that great in AEW… The injury sustained at All Out is keeping Punk from being let out of his contract, which would have probably made this prediction become true (lots of liability issues). Since he’s not been officially released yet, I have to claim “miss” on this one but damn I am so close! Nobody else predicted that it could end during 2022 but me!
Being completely fair, I guessed 5 out of 15 but my prediction that things would go South on CM Punk in AEW deserves serious recognition. I sensed the same body language of disgust and boredom that I observed many times in the WWE, figured something would eventually erupt. Who knew that Adam Page “shooting” on Punk during a random episode of Dynamite would do the trick? I also believe that Discovery/Warner Bros. pain is coming, NXT will lose its timeslot on USA Network, Kevin Dunn will be gone soon, Roman will start doing acting gigs after he loses the WWE Titles, and that CM Punk is likely to be terminated or in for a court battle over slandering the company. If those 5 actually happen, that’s 9 out of 10 correct for a guy writing a column from his basement on 12/31/2021.
We’ll see what my 2023 Predictions shall bring, but first, let’s recap the year that was 2022 which will be easily one of the most significant NEWS years in pro wrestling history.
—————
YEAR IN REVIEW
2022 started off as quiet… WWE was doing their usual thing of pushing ANOTHER Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns match-up while AEW had CM Punk and Bryan Danielson, but were already fumbling with both by them having competitive match-ups with AEW’s midcard talent. It was just going to be another dull year… Then, Cody Rhodes dared to leave AEW. He wouldn’t re-sign with the company as EVP when his contract came up and opted to re-join the WWE instead. To me, this Cody exit from AEW was the “beginning of the end” because being an Executive Vice President of an up-start wrestling company could be important and re-joining the WWE, which forced him to never lose the Stardust gimmick, might not be the best of ideas… However, Cody returned to the WWE at Wrestlemania 38 and looked like a brand new man against Seth Rollins. Then, Cody was made into a hero by defeating Seth again at Hell in a Cell despite a badly bruised right side of his body due to a muscle tear.
Cody went from an over-exposed wrestler in AEW to a freakin’ hero in WWE… In my view, this put a cork in AEW’s bottle for ever being a destination for disgruntled WWE wrestlers. They lost a founding father of AEW and an Executive at that. Furthermore, it exposed that maybe Tony Khan wasn’t the best company managers, let alone “Booker of the Year”.
After Wrestlemania 38, a few weird stories came up. First, Sasha Banks & Naomi walked out of the WWE and ditched their tag team titles in the process. Then, Stephanie McMahon announced that she needed time off to focus on her family. Suddenly, wrestling fans were wondering if she and Triple H were having problems with their marriage. Then, stories were leaked that Stephanie really didn’t do much as Chief Brand Officer. However, more was revealed about this story when the Wall Street Journal began to report that Vince McMahon had a sexual affair with a co-worker and even passed her along to John Laurinaitis. On top of that, other incidents that required payouts and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) over the past 20 years started coming to light and Vince paid out almost $20 million for these encounters. One such incident reportedly involved a female wrestler during the late 2010s with an unwanted advance.
At first, Vince McMahon felt he was bulletproof and appeared proudly on television… Then, he went quiet and as more stories hit the fan and then suddenly “retired” on the day of a Smackdown taping. Stephanie and Nick Khan became co-CEOs, and Triple H assumed the mantle of the job positions that he once lost. HHH now oversees Live Events, Talent Relations, and Creative, which were titles that he held mostly during the 2010s but always had Vince McMahon filtering him. Now, however, Vince McMahon has to stay away from the WWE and Triple H is fully in charge of the wrestling product. Almost immediately, wrestlers whom Vince released from 2020-2022 began returning to the WWE as they were developed under Triple H.
It is WEIRD not to have Vince McMahon not fully in charge of the WWE… That’s a bigger story that will have ripple effects for years to come, especially if Triple H cannot succeed as his successor. With WWE’s television deals coming due during Fall 2024, we’ll if WWE remains in place as a McMahon family owned business or if they sell? Vince had a firm grip on Arenas and Television Networks… We’ll see how good of a grip that Triple H, Stephanie, and Nick have on those same entities who might need pressured to do business with the WWE or keep other businesses out of their way.
Meanwhile, freakin’ AEW blew up in a bad way regarding CM Punk. The EVP’s and their close friends must have developed a relationship with Colt Cabana and they seemed to take it personally when Colt was moved from the AEW roster to the Ring of Honor brand. As you may know, Colt and CM Punk used to be friends but had a falling out after the WWE lawsuit. The EVP clique thought that Punk caused Colt to be taken off of AEW, so on the Dynamite before their big Pay Per View match, Adam “Hangman” Page, friend of the EVPs, went unscripted on Punk and alluded to Punk causing Colt to be demoted to Ring of Honor. Punk swallowed his pride at the time and went on to win the AEW Title from Page. Upon Punk’s return from an injury (Punk was injured in that PPV title match against Page), a few months later, he went unscripted and called out Adam Page for his prior promo during an episode of Dynamite.
Then, all hell broke loose. One of the Young Bucks began feeding the Wrestling Observer lines about how CM Punk did, in fact, cause Colt Cabana to get demoted to the Ring of Honor brand. Punk had enough and on the Media Scrum after the All Out Pay Per View, in which Punk became the undisputed AEW champion (Moxley was the interim champ while Punk recovered from an injury), he completely shot on the company. For almost 30 minutes, CM Punk went off on tangents about Adam Page and the EVPs with lots of cursing, vulgarity, and accusations all while Tony Khan was sitting beside him in shock. It was BRUTAL… Then, after CM Punk was done, he was in his locker room when the Bucks, Kenny Omega, and 2 stooge friends entered for a confrontation and punches were immediately thrown. The EVPs and the 2 stooges were soon suspended, as were agents and other AEW officials involved in that backstage fight. Meanwhile, CM Punk tore a muscle during the All Out match with Moxley and his contact status has been protected by the injury. We don’t know yet if AEW will terminate him or attempt to morph this into an angle. What we do know is that the EVPs have returned and were mocking Punk in a match on Dynamite in Chicago.
Just a CRAZY 2022 thanks to Vince McMahon being forced out and AEW’s EVP structure imploding. I believe that major hangover effects will occur during 2023 and that AEW, especially, will be in deep trouble. WWE, under Triple H, might be in line for some free agent wrestlers to join them that once ran away from Vince McMahon, but we’ll see if Triple H’s Creative Team can use them properly. So far, many of the re-signings by Triple H have not panned out or have been complete disasters (see Hit Row).
MR. TITO AWARDS FOR 2022
– Wrestler of the Year: Roman Reigns
– Male Wrestler of the Year: Roman Reigns
– Female Wrestler of the Year: Bianca Belair
– Match of the Year: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns – SummerSlam 2022
—————
Mr. Tito’s PHAT 2023 Pro Wrestling Predictions
#1 – WWE will sign a new deal with Comcast/NBC Universal early during 2023 to extend both RAW on USA Network and WWE Network on Peacock.
This is all about the struggling Peacock steaming app, while NBC wanting to shift more sports towards the USA Network and RAW already fits that build. WWE’s television deal expires with NBC/Universal during September 2024 and I believe that WWE signs early before Comcast and NBC/Universal start to change their mind on WWE as a cornerstone for their programming. They’ll sign extensions to align their RAW show and WWE Network deals together, while locking in with a TV network to sure-up confidence with stock investors.
#2 – The Rock vs. Roman Reigns will happen at Wrestlemania 39, but Cody Rhodes will be the one who successfully defeats him for at least 1 WWE World Title.
The Rock is about family and he’ll stick to the plan to help Roman Reigns out. He’s going to win the Royal Rumble 2023 and then lose to Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 39. Then, Cody Rhodes will unseat Roman as champion at SummerSlam 2023. After that, I expect the titles to be split off. I could also see a plan formulating that could cause Roman Reigns to headline both nights of Wrestlemania, with Roman vs. Cody on Night #1 and then Rock vs. Roman on Night #2 to split up the titles. Maybe Cody wins the Elimination Chamber?
#3 – NXT’s prime time show will be moved and repackaged to Peacock.
NXT is drawing poorly on Tuesday Nights and USA Network could place something better in that timeslot. As part of WWE’s new deal with NBC/Universal and Comcast described in point #1, NXT will instead become a featured show of Peacock and returned to being a taped show. The younger wrestlers need more editing and clever edits can be used again to prop wrestlers up, just as they did before 2019. NXT on the WWE Network used to be a fun show to watch.
#4 – WWE Monday Night RAW will be revised to a 2 hour show.
I believe that Triple H HATES that RAW is a 3 hour show and is getting bored with that format. As part of the new TV deal as described in point #1, RAW will be shortened in length to become a 2 hour show that runs from 8-10 to maximize on viewership. Then, RAW can become a lead-in show for another USA Network show as it did in the past. Don’t worry about the finances of the deal, as Comcast/NBC/Universal will provide a slight increase to WWE while WWE has 1 less hour of RAW and 2 less hours of NXT to produce. This would be a win for WWE, as it would reduce expenses to offset any dramatic increase in a TV deal’s revenues. Repackaging USA Network and saving Peacock is the key here, and Comcast/NBC/Universal will pay through the nose to help both.
#5 – Vince McMahon will be back on WWE television at least once for 2023.
Vince McMahon is really old and you never know when his time will come… In addition, he’s trying to return to the WWE and thinks that his sexual encounters aren’t a serious issue. However, corporate governance will convene and block him from returning. That said, I believe a compromise will be issued and Vince will headline the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame class and deliver a speech that is humble as a final send-off to his wrestling career. He’ll have the chance to apologize for his wanted and unwanted advances on office co-workers while also taking credit for revolutionizing how Pro Wrestling has been presented. You’ll see Vince at least once during 2023 and I believe the Hall of Fame is where you’ll see it.
#6 – AEW Dynamite will have its timeslot revised during 2023.
I believe that AEW is in trouble with its sagging ratings, drama around EVPs and CM Punk, and the many internal changes happening at Turner Sports from Discovery/Warner Bros. I could see Dynamite shifting to 10pm to 12pm on Wednesday Nights. AEW is in real danger, as there are rumors that the Discovery channel group or whomever owns Time Warner entities will sell out to another corporation during 2024 (reportedly to Comcast & NBC/Universal once their stake in Hulu expires). I could honestly see a move to Monday Nights, too…
#7 – Sasha Banks will return to the WWE during 2023.
Sasha has made her stance known… She wants more money and wants to be featured like a star, on the level of Charlotte and Becky Lynch. And I agree with her. She’s been the jobber to those stars and Bianca, and doesn’t get the recognition that she deserves. Right now, she’s working New Japan to strike up interest and another year of both Becky and Charlotte not being available much could force WWE’s hand. Plus, if she’s in more episodes of Star Wars – The Mandalorian, she’s a TV star that would be nice to have on the roster. WWE will eventually pay her and push her, once again. On a side note, I expect Naomi to return to the WWE soon too, probably at Royal Rumble.
#8 – Kevin Dunn will be done with the WWE during 2023.
WWE recently posted a job opening for a seasoned television producer, which tells me that Kevin Dunn is ready to retire or knows that he’ll be on the chopping block. Triple H doesn’t like Dunn and Dunn is way too attached to the viewpoint of Vince McMahon, particularly on how women are presented on television and the presentation of the TV show. He’s gone and hopefully that means some innovation will happen with the look and feel of the presentation of WWE products. Long overdue…
#9 – Tessa Blanchard will sign with either WWE or AEW during 2023.
Both WWE and AEW have had depth issues with their women’s divisions for 2022 and they need a shot in the arm. Thus, they’ll give Tessa a chance, on a short leash, to help salvage their women’s divisions that are in desperate need of impactful talents. From day one, she could be pushed as a heel and both promotions could push her as being “controversial”. Without the supposed incidents being recorded on video or audio, we’re in she-said, she-said mode and Tessa could simply release a statement that she’s apologetic of her treatment co-workers in the past. Since said incident happened where she reportedly used a slur and spat on another female talent, nothing has happened since. Everyone deserves a second chance, especially if they haven’t repeated said bad behavior.
#10 – NWA will be close to folding or will merge with another company during 2023.
This NWA promotion is done. With inflation on the rise and interest in the NWA product waning, their assets will either be acquired, merged into another promotion, or closed all together. I could honestly see the WWE fully buying the NWA name (even though they kinda own the TV rights to that name) and maybe considering adding Billy Corgan to the creative team. Owning the NWA brand name would help the WWE market all kinds of older content on Peacock. I just don’t have faith in the NWA business model in this environment and as a destination for wrestlers to join, as the Nick Aldis exit exposed.
#11 – At least one of the EVPs of AEW will be demoted during 2023.
With January 2024 about to present expiring contracts of at least 2 EVPs, if not all 3, I could see Tony Khan tiring of the Bucks and/or Omega as his backstage braintrust. Their actions caused the CM Punk stuff to implode AEW during 2022 and they just aren’t drawing that much as wrestlers themselves. After dealing with CM Punk’s legal issues, I believe that Tony will sour on his EVPs and start to cycle in the Moxleys and Jerichos in their positions instead.
#12 – More premium live events from foreign countries will be added to WWE’s schedule.
I believe that Triple H is going to push the WWE even more into the International Markets than Vince McMahon. The Saudi shows will remain, but I believe that the Clash at the Castle event really opened eyes that having big Premium Live Events internationally could be a huge success for WWE. There is strong demand in foreign markets who just don’t get the chance to see live WWE often compared to the American markets who are over-exposed to live shows.
#13 – Saudi Arabia is going to see at least 1 Stone Cold Steve Austin match-up during 2023.
Remember, Bill Goldberg still has ONE MORE MATCH left on his WWE contract. Saudi Arabia loves to pony up more money for Attitude Era late 1990s stars. We NEVER had a chance to see these 2 legends wrestle, aside from Wrestlemania 20 when Austin delivered the stunner to Goldberg. With Austin coming back last year, I believe the wrestling bug has bit him and he wants to end his career on a better note than it did through 2003-2004.
#14 – Nick Khan will step down as WWE Co-President or take on a reduced WWE role.
Nick was Vince’s guy, as Vince didn’t have the energy to sit in long meetings to negotiate television deals. Both of those guys think alike, but Stephanie and Triple H have their own views. Plus, I believe that Stephanie will want to be THE CEO of the WWE instead of sharing. I would imagine Nick will help negotiate the Comcast/NBC/Universal extension as described in point #1 and then step down, maybe rejoining his Agency and then could just act as WWE’s chief negotiator when needed. I just don’t see any newer content deals that Nick could somehow negotiate, especially if WWE isn’t growing significantly to draw such interest.
And finally…
#15- CM Punk will not appear in the WWE during 2023.
I believe that AEW is going to fight CM Punk in court, as they can argue breach of contract for how CM Punk went unscripted during the Media Scrum and that he started the backstage fight by reportedly throwing the first punch after badmouthing the company. AEW wants to make an example out of CM Punk to prevent others from doing the same thing as he did. The fact that the EVPs have returned and retained their EVP roles tells me that the axe is to grind with CM Punk, not the EVPs. What Punk said during the Media Scrum was unforgiveable and AEW will sue Punk for breach of contract for slandering the company that led to starting a fight with executives. Afterward, AEW will implode even further as Tony will then sour on his EVPs as described in prediction #11. If you’re hoping for CM Punk vs. Steve Austin to happen at Wrestlemania 39, I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Just remember, Punk’s issue was with Triple H as Talent Relations and Creative Team EVP, not with Vince. But I don’t believe getting out of his AEW contract will be easy, especially with millions still left on it to be paid out or not. Watch this situation once Punk is cleared by doctors to perform again, as I can either see AEW mending fences with Punk or taking him to court to fight the money payouts of his contract owed if he were released.
——————–
THE LAST WORD for 2022
And that’s all I have for 2022.
I just want to say this much… I totally did not expect to return, at all, for 2022. I’m glad that I did, as I wrote some of the BEST columns in my career during this year to cover the major headlines that hit the fan for 2022. In my view, nobody covered the McMahons, CM Punk, or AEW drama like I did and you can review the body of work for 2022 yourself to prove that.
However, 2022 also proved why I wanted to retire from it all during late 2021… Much of the Pro Wrestling fanbase and content providers have rotten or toxic. I mean, good lord… The tempers that other “fans” have when an opinion is expressed that disagrees with their own… Then, the political correctness that has invaded the wrestling community is embarrassing. It’s impossible to write or say anything without offending someone. And when you offend someone, they want you to be cancelled from writing or expressing an opinion entirely.
Throughout 2022, I wrote what I thought were controversial takes and even once commented on how Women’s wrestling is like what the WNBA is to the NBA (meaning, WNBA is dependent on NBA to succeed). I heard just general feedback or crickets on many of those takes. Then, however, I wrote 1 column about that maybe eyelid make-up has been a tad excessively lately and that created a firestorm. Other websites were attacking NoDQ, a top news insider got offended (though he’d later call a WWE female talent “stupid” when tweeting at her), and even a female wrestler called me out… For what? Because I wrote a column on it and I guess that was more formal than the many wrestling fans tweeting that Ronda Rousey “looked like a raccoon” with her eye make-up? Hell, a rebuttal column at NoDQ was even written in attempts to claim what an evil sexist that I am.
Nope… I have 24+ years of actually SUPPORTING Women’s wrestling, which you may relive through reading the archives of my columns. If you’ll look back, you’ll see me praising the usage of Sunny, Sable, and other participants in the early days of women’s wrestling. Then, my columns were rooting on Trish, Lita, Victoria, Molly, and Mickie when they held up the division and tried hard to make it worthwhile. Next, I was standing up for women in the WWE when they were brutally attacked by male wrestlers (remember that Steve Austin attacking Lita column?), put in silly angles, or called “Divas”. I even had the Bella Twins’ back when the entire wrestling community was crapping on them during the early 2010s. I was a big fan of the 4 Horsewomen in AEW and even gave my 2015 “Match of the Year” to Sasha Banks vs. Bayley. Then, I gave the Wrestlemania Night #1 headlining Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair that same “Match of the Year” award. I went on to rip the WWE when they had Bianca squashed by Becky Lynch at SummerSlam.
I just wrote 1 column, based on a dare from a reader, on how maybe the WWE make-up department is painting up the female wrestlers to look too similar and should highlight their NATURAL BEAUTY instead. I was even ridiculing the WWE for pressuring women into having other cosmetic and surgical enhancements. The column was HEAVILY praising how beautiful the female talent naturally are and how Vince McMahon/Kevin Dunn’s viewpoints on how to present them were hurting their careers. That’s what I wrote, yet we received thousands of complaints and were attacked publicly.
This is where we are at as an Internet Wrestling Community… You don’t know what you want and you get offended by everything. When someone like me arrives and presents his opinion professionally, you want to tear it down because you know how effective well thought out opinions, contrary to your own, can be.
The FACT is that Pro Wrestling is hurting right now… Promotions need GOOD ideas to help them grow again, not bickering back and forth from their fanbase on how offensive something was or not. WWE and AEW have no idea what you want, which is why they take their own insane guesses on what would please fans or they just do whatever the hell they want. Much of WWE’s Creative was to please Vince and Tony booked AEW to please his own personal tastes, NOT the fans. Fans have been openly rejecting who both want as Main Eventers, yet the fans can NEVER tell them who should Main Event instead.
So yeah, daring to write pro wrestling opinions is frustrating. I don’t mind feedback, but being incorrectly labeled as a “sexist” and insisting that I be cancelled became ridiculous. The toxic wrestling fanbase is part of why I’ve walked away a few times now (2018 & 2021, in particular). I have prided myself in being respectful to the talent, keeping vulgarity out of my columns, and praising talents who have promotions sabotaging their careers (which includes many female wrestlers). Yet, the easily offended Internet Wrestling Community is so sensitive to ANY opinion that is slightly contrary to their own, while wanting everything to be politically correct.
Pro wrestling’s fanbase needs to straighten up, stop getting offended by everything, and then unite to tell promotions what they actually want as a fanbase. Otherwise, we’ll continue on this confusing path of a taste/preference mismatch that has plagued the wrestling industry for the last 20 years and we’ve lost millions of fans. The confusing messaging by online fans plus their non-stop nasty fights is what keeps casual fans from trying pro wrestling. This is a major contributing factor as to why the pro wrestling business has lost millions of fans over the past 2 decades. Why would anyone from the outside want to join something so toxic?
That said, if any wrestling promotions want to get serious about the product that they are presenting, you have archives of my columns to read but you can also track me down. For FREE, I’d be willing to speak to representatives of either WWE or AEW for ideas on how to fix their operations or presentation of their companies. Everyone else will want money to do what I could offer you, but I’m a bigger and better fan than them that I’m willing to volunteer my services. We can keep things discretely and then go public if your promotions actually grow.
Otherwise, I don’t care… I’m tired of posting legitimate wrestling opinions, which can help other promotions, and then the immature online fanbase gets angry at me because they don’t know what they truly want. 20 years away from the Attitude Era has caused cynical fans to take over and it’s scaring any newer fans from even trying the product.
The changes to wrestling promotions that I’d recommend wouldn’t cost a dime… Promotions just need to inject a little more logic into their presentation and title belts. That’s it…
You know where to find me, if you need me. Pro Wrestling can be great again, but you’ll have to want to listen to someone knowledgeable and experienced to get there. If not, this industry is going to just keep slowly declining and being too reliant on nostalgia to pop big money nights, here or there.
You may keep complaining all you want, but wanting someone to be cancelled won’t erase how bad Pro Wrestling has become. Ironically, you badmouth wrestling yourselves and then get angry at my columns when I criticize wrestling. Makes zero sense.
For all of the members of the Internet Wrestling Community who don’t know what they want, have shoved political correctness down our throats, who only read headlines and not actual content of a column, and call for the cancellation of people whom they disagree with… I have 3 words for you:
Kiss my arse.