Well hello there! Hopefully some of you remember me, even if my last column was in late May! I will say his–it was a hell of a first month talking  (mostly) WWE with the No DQ crew, and I am thankful I can still log-in and bring this to you! If you’re wondering were I’ve been and what I’ve been working on, I’ll elaborate more at the bottom. But for now, let’s come back strong…with a list!

NOTE: This is not a Top 5 talent list, in that it’s not who I think is “the best.” This is MY Top 5 list, simply who I enjoy the most. These are my favorites. I also want to know yours… that’s what the comments section is for!

Greg DeMarco’s Top 5 Wrestlers Of Today

Honorable Mentions:

• Bron Breakker – A star on the rise, Bron will main event a WrestleMania or four before it’s all done.
• Wren Sinclair – She’s the perfect example of someone who does “the little things” so well–watch her closely next time she’s on NXT.
• Gunther – A man who would have been on this list had I done it a few months ago, but he’s become a bit stale. Hopefully the Road To WrestleMania will give us more (but if it’s CM Punk, I don’t know if that’ll do the trick).
• Konosuke Takeshita – AEW has far too many championships, so it’s easy to forget that he’s their International Champion. But when he’s wrestling, I can’t help but tune in.

#5 – Stephanie Vaquer

I admittedly didn’t follow a ton of Stephanie Vaquer’s career before she was linked to WWE, but I am almost glad that I waited. Because when she showed up in NXT, I was immediately blown away. So much so that I think the wrong new star won the NXT Women’s Championship. And that’s not a knock against Giulia, who is phenomenal. But there is an element that Stephanie Vaquer offers that I see in very few wrestlers today. And it what makes Vaquer an arguable choice for the best in-ring performer on the planet today.

What is it? It’s believability. Everything Stephanie Vaquer does comes off as real. And in 2025, that is hard to pull off. I don’t know if it comes from her trainers, which include Ricky Marvin, Último Guerrero, Gran Apache and more. If you watch her “moveset” closely (I used quotes because I really hate that word), you’ll notice she gives the move, and lets her opponent sell it. There is no guiding the opponent through the sell, and to me that is how it should be done. You hit the move, and your opponent sells it. And that makes Stephanie Vaquer stand out. If nothing stands in her way, she will be a top-level member of the WWE roster for several years to come.

#4 – Jey Uso

I mean, how can you not love Jey Uso. He’s the true “American Dream” in pro wrestling. He struggled to catch on early into his WWE career, in a tag team with his twin brother, dancing as part of his entrance, and often seeing the pre-show for major WWE events. Eventually The Usos did catch on, and slowly they amassed what is quite possibly the greatest collective career of any tag team in WWE history. But opportunity would eventually come knocking for Jey, thanks to an injury to his brother.

Often in wrestling history, when one member of a tag team is hurt, the other member might try to get singles work and rarely see it work in their favor. Others simply disappear until their partner is cleared to return. But for Jey Uso, Jimmy’s injury combined with the rise of “The Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns gave birth to The Right Hand Man, “Main Event” Jey Uso. That led to multiple PPV matches between Jey and Roman during the COVID era of WWE, along with a SummerSlam main event in Detroit.

Fast forward to 2025 and we have one of the most popular wrestlers in the world, an iconic entrance, and a top merchandise seller for WWE. It remains to be seen if Jey Uso ever wins a world championship, but he is already cemented as one of this top stars of this era.

#3 – Roman Reigns

Ahead, but only slightly, of his cousin is the newly re-minted Tribal Chief himself, Roman Reigns. While Roman doesn’t compete as regularly as he once did, he still carries more weight than anyone else in the company.

Don’t believe me? Just look at last year’s Bad Blood PLE, which featured Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu in a tag team match against Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. Rhodes, the sitting WWE Champion (both at the time and now) was treated as an afterthought around Roman. In fact, Cody’s reign has largely fallen short of what one might expect, and that’s because for much of it, he was in the shadow of either Roman Reigns, The Bloodline, or both.

And further evidence is that Cody’s reign has finally taken off now that he is far away from Roman Reigns (even if Cody’s current story with Kevin Owens was largely built on the fact that Cody teamed with Reigns in the aforementioned Bad Blood main event).

Roman Reigns has built a “Mount Rushmore” all-time career, and he remains one of my favorite performers to see.

#2 – Roxanne Perez

You could see flashes of greatness in Roxanne Perez when she was Rok-C in ROH and on the indies before she ever landed in NXT. But NXT has brought out the best in her, showcasing just how special of a talent she is. She survived the NXT 2.0 presentation, and after turning heel she has shown just how amazing of a performer she is.

She has learned how to compete at her size in the larger-than-life WWE ring. She has modified her attack so it makes sense against any size opponent. She has learned to deliver effective promos. She can make any WWE crowd hate her, or love her, in a split second.

Roxanne’s transition to the main roster appears to go through Bayley, and I can’t think of a better way. The main roster is loaded with talented women, but Roxanne Perez has the ability to shine in a very crowded space.

#1 – Jacob Fatu

Apparently I have a type, because I have 3 (well, 2.5) Samoans on my list. But each is amazing in their own way. For Jacob Fatu, well he is a living, breathing, walking, ass-kicking cliche.

That cliche is simple: Jacob Fatu is just built different.

And it’s the damn truth. To leverage another cliche, if you look up “built different” in the dictionary (it’s not a word, it’s a phrase, so you might have to use Urban Dictionary), you’ll see a picture of Jacob Fatu. The man is legitimately scary in that ring, and offers an air of believability matched only by Stephanie Vaquer above.

Here is the biggest compliment I can pay to Jacob Fatu: if he were to win a world championship in his very next match, everyone would buy it. According to CageMatch, he’s had 24 matches since joining WWE–most of them untelevised on live events. And he’s already a believable world champion. I also can’t think of anyone in WWE today with more “dream matches” in front of him.

Jacob Fatu truly is “that man,” and it’s been a treat to see him on the grandest stage since he arrived in 2024.

But Greg, where in the hell have you been?

I was so excited to jump on board at No DQ, and I am thankful that Aaron Rift still has me active on here because writing more is a goal for my 2025. But 2024 became insanely busy.

Just take a look:

• My son graduated high school and went off to college in Nebraska. He’s kicking ass and taking names, and I couldn’t be more proud.
• I got promoted at the day job, and I’ve had some really long hours depending on the active projects (without saying too much, I work for a software company).
• I continue to prioritize my health as I work on getting this Chronic Myeloid Leukemia into remission, officially.
• IZW Wrestling, the local Arizona indie that I promote, has really taken off in the past year. We continue to pack the house, and were lucky enough to welcome Nic Nemeth for his first match in his home state of Arizona back in November. We also had our first FREE event in January, which was a damn  miracle to pull off.

Speaking of IZW Wrestling, we have an event coming up on February 22 here in Phoenix. This one features Frankie Kazarian, who is wrestling in IZW for the first time since 2007. He’ll be wrestling a legendary performer in the wrestling circles, The Navajo Warrior, in the first match of Nav’s retirement tour, “The Last Mile,” celebrating his 35th, and last, active  year in the ring.

As I did last year, anyone reading who wants to attend can get $5 off your tickets. Clink this link to get your discounted tickets, or visit IZWTIX.com and use the promo code NODQ.

Share your modern day Top 5 Favorite Wrestlers list in the comments, and thank you (in advance for welcoming me back with open arms! I look forward to dropping some more knowledge on you soon!

The post Greg DeMarco: My Top 5 Favorite Wrestlers Of Today (2025) appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

It was just this past Thursday that MJF was reported to be headed back to AEW, with those reports hinting that he signed his contract extension in 2022. Then we saw some light reports that something major was happening at Double Or Nothing, followed by reports that MJF had flown into Phoenix this past weekend, which is only a 4-hour drive from Las Vegas. If you’re attempting to keep MJF’s return a secret, that’s certainly an effective strategy.

Now that AEW Double Or Nothing 2024 is in the books, we know that MJF was indeed the “something major,” and he returned by proclaiming him solidly within AEW, much to the delight of the MGM Grand Garden Arena crowd (and the plight of Adam Cole, BAY BAY).

With that return, AEW can actually capture some momentum. But it has to be a priority.

Is MJF The Biggest Star In AEW?

The talent roster assembled by Thon Khan is an embarrassment of riches. (Did you know that a group of pandas is commonly referred to as an “embarrassment?” Well, you do now!)

Just look at the names they have:

• Jon Moxley
• Bryan Danielson
• Jay White
• Chris Jericho
• Hangman Adam Page
• Swerve Strickland
• Will Osperay
• Kazuchika Okada
• Konosuke Takeshita
• Adam Copeland
• Christian Cage
• Mercedes Mone
• Saraya
• And anyone I am inadvertently leaving out..

MJF is a hell of a talent, and is among this list in terms of value to AEW. It’s hard to justifiably call him the biggest star in AEW.

But he damn sure is the most important.

Can MJF Be The #1 Focus For AEW?

If you are set on giving the fans what they want, then you need to place your highest priority on MJF. The AEW fanbase cares about The Young Bucks current heel run–but they care more about MJF. The wrestling world is watching Mercedes Mone’s AEW run closely –but now they are watching MJF even more. AEW truly has become Swerve’s House–but that house is rented from it’s principal owner, MJF.

Adam Cole may be the devil, but it's time to face his demons in MJF!

Order #AEWDoN on PPV right now!

: https://t.co/MpmTCyHt8n
: https://t.co/GTkwK7GBIn@AdamColePro | @The_MJF pic.twitter.com/Xlr60csJRc

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 27, 2024

I ask the question as “can,” but honestly I think he MUST be their #1 focus.

I came to this realization thinking about Becky Lynch. I thought if Becky Lynch left, maybe SHE could be the one to finally give AEW the credibility they so desire. But Daniel Bryan Danielson didn’t. Adam “Edge” Copeland didn’t. Mercedes Mone hasn’t. All of them were top stars in WWE–Sasha Banks, Daniel Bryan, and Edge all main evented WrestleMania 37 just 3 years ago! But they  haven’t moved the needle for AEW.

Two “WWE names” did give AEW some credibility–CM Punk and Jon Moxley. Mox is a stalwart for the company, but Punk had the public falling out and landed back in WWE, which so many consider to be his “home.”

So Let’s Just Make MJF The  AEW World Champion, Right Away Right?

In a word, no. In a number of words: No, that wouldn’t be a great idea right now as Swerve needs to be afforded the time to show his capabilities as champion.

A feud between MJF and Swerve has money written all over it. But you can’t rush into it. That’s a big money match-up for down the road, possibly at next year’s Double Or Nothing if they’re patient.

In fact, I’ll use this to make another commentary on AEW and their route to success:

If Tony Khan commits now to MJF challenging Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship at the 2025 Double Or Nothing, he can get back to drawing 11k in Las Vegas for the annual event. While Swerve came from WWE, he is still a talent that AEW sent to the main event. And MJF is the homegrown talent. If you spend the next year continuing to focus on both–separately–then you have the potential to put on the biggest match in AEW history.

But in the man time, MJF needs meaningful stories. With Adam Copeland going to the injured list, MJF as the TNT Champion could make a ton of sense. Hell, let him hold it through DoN 2025, where it becomes Champion vs Champion.

What About The Bucks, Okada, Jay White, Osperay, Etc?

What about them?

I mean this in all sincerity, but those are not talents that are going to expand your brand. They appeal to the fans that AEW already has. In terms of growth, they have finite potential. They are necessary, but they are not going to get you to where you need to be.

Talents like MJF and Swerve Strickland? They can get you there. They can grow your brand. If you commit–and that is a BIG if. But I believe in it.

But one name is key to the whole kingdom – and that name is Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

Becky Lynch Done For A While?

Becky Lynch’s contract reportedly expires on June 1, and I am with the camp of people that can’t see her going to AEW. I really think she wants to be a mom, and a business owner (she and Seth have the wrestling school and two coffee shops).

If you survey the landscape, Becky was likely going to be gone from TV while Seth Rollins was out with injury, but had to come back when Rhea Ripley got hurt. I have a feeling that impacted her in a big way–imagine knowing you have months off and suddenly have to come back for another month. Even making a trip to Saudi Arabia in the process. It’s a lot, especially when you expected to be at home with your family.

I fully expect both to be back in WWE by the end the year, or at the Royal Rumble. they are part of the fabric that is WWE.

Tony Khan “Disappointed” With WBD Offer For AEW TV Properties?

If true, the news that Tony Khan isn’t happy with the offer made by WBD for AEW’s TV properties comes as no surprise.

It’s one thing to be confident in your talent and your product. I respect Tony for that. But lack of self-awareness does not aid you in negotiations. AEW has no leverage, despite the status of negotiations between TNT and the NBA.

if AEW were to talk away from WBD, they would undoubtedly find a home. They are routinely a top 5 program on Wednesday nights. But no new home for AEW will be as good as TBS/TNT. Honestly, they are in a position to take what’s offered. And given the status of their product, that’s all they can do right now.

Mercedes Mone Wins TBS Championship In Her First AEW Match

Don’t care.

Seriously, I don’t. Mercedes’ lack of self-awareness makes tony Khan look like the shining example for the same topic. She’s proven that Mercedes Mone in AEW is a big step down from Sasha Banks with the WWE machine behind her. I am happy for her, but she’s not going to elevate AEW in any way.

More to come from me in the coming days–I appreciate you reading.

Remember, Always Use Your Head.

The post DeMarco: Above All Else, AEW Must Capitalize On The Return Of MJF appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

This past week saw WWE spent another week of our lives focused on a roster draft that left fans feeling more underwhelmed than any draft has done before.

It hasn’t always been this way–in fact, it was quite the opposite. Believe it or not, there was a time where online pundits like myself were calling for the WWE Draft to be it’s own WWE Network Special! (Look, not all my ideas are bad: I was suggesting that Money In The Bank be its own pay-per-view long before it actually became one.)

I’ll even go a step further. In the weeks leading up to the 2024 WWE Draft, few (if any) were calling for it’s cancellation. Hindsight is always 20/20 (unless you choose to turn a blind eye), and most of this criticism is indeed coming after the fact. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

There Wasn’t Enough Change?

The reactions have been on either side of this claim. For some, too much change is…well–too much. You won’t want a complete roster swap where Raw becomes Smackdown and Smackdown becomes Raw. We’ve been close to that in the past, and it’s simply not any fun. On the flip side, you don’t want to see ZERO moves, rendering the draft more pointless than many are already claiming it is.

Let’s look at change. Of the 24 picks made on television:

• 5 changed brands
• 5 were call-ups from NXT
• 14 stayed at their current brand

One “changed brands” is Sheamus, who technically moved from SmackDown to Raw despite having made his return on Raw (and not appearing on SmackDown) after his injury. That means 58% of the draft picks kept a talent on their current brand. “Protecting your talent” was touted as one of the strategic elements of the draft, albeit a boring one.

Of the 16 supplemental picks made via social media:

• 5 changed brands
• 2 were call-ups from NXT
• 9 stayed at their current brand

While this is a higher percentage of change (31% vs 20% on television), it’s still not a ton. Even with the call-ups, 56% of these picks saw talent stay on their current brand.

And no offense to Nia Jax or Shinsuke Nakamura, no currently “major” names moved brands. Given that both of these television shows are changing networks within the next 9 months, this makes perfect sense. It wouldn’t shock me if rosters were presented to potential networks during the negotiation process, and a major change could easily strain a network relationship.

Major Names Not Involved In The 2024 WWE Draft

The biggest name in all the land–Roman Reigns–was revealed to have “removed himself from eligibility” right before the draft started. The move makes sense, as Roman isn’t coming back until later this summer and will undoubtedly be part of The Bloodline storyline. With him, The Bloodline was a sure-fire first overall pick. Without him, they went in the third round of the first night. I am actually surprised they didn’t sell the third round pick for The Bloodline as representative of the trouble they can cause for a General Manager–but hey, I am not the one writing television for WWE.

Some injured names were left out of the draft including Rhea Ripley and Jimmy Uso. Brock Lesnar is currently “inactive,” and he isn’t always a draft eligible commodity anyways.

Then you have your champions, all of which were not eligible to be drafted:

• Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes
• World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest
• Women’s WWE Champion Bayley
• Women’s World Champion Becky Lynch
• United States Champion Logan Paul
• Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn

The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions–Kairi Sane and Asuka–were eligible to be drafted as part of Damage CTRL, but as champions they can float between brands (same would go for Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair when they undoubtedly win the titles at Backlash this weekend).

I Thought NXT Was Going To Be Part Of The Draft???

I think this one isn’t on WWE, but on many of us who made assumptions. Yes, Ava said NXT was part of the draft, but I don’t know that it was ever going to be in a role other than what we saw. It makes the most sense for talent to be “called-up” from NXT, allowing more spots for talent to step-up.

And to be fair, NXT was one of the draft highlights, as we saw talent find out their draft status in real time. We found out this past Tuesday that NXT title holders were not eligible to be drafted, which I don’t think was explicitly shared ahead of time. Small detail, but WWE almost never misses the small details.

Seeing the real-life reactions of those drafted from NXT to the main roster (Kiana James, Ilja Dragunov, Lyra Valkyria, Blair Davenport, and Dijak) was quite enjoyable, and all are very deserving. I purposely left off Carmelo Hayes as he was already at SmackDown for his re-debut, and Baron Corbin who has extensive main roster experience already.

However, I expect none of the to immediately become a world champion like Finn Balor in 2016.

At Least We Did Away With Free Agents

I hated the “free agents” last year–while that is my opinion, look at the list and tell me I am wrong:

• Baron Corbin – ended up in NXT anyway, where he had a good run
• Brock Lesnar – he doesn’t even count
• Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin – one got released and the other did next to nothing (and could have benefited from a run in NXT–and still could)
• Dolph Ziggler – would eventually be released
• Elias – would eventually be released
• Mustafa Ali – ended up in NXT, and would eventually request and be given his release
• Omos and MVP – not released, but also rarely used/featured
• Von Wagner – stuck around in NXT, and was released
• Xyon Quinn – made a few appearances here and there, and was released

I believe Dijak was also a free agent, but I may have imagined that as I can’t find it anywhere. It doesn’t matter as he ended up being considered an NXT call-up in this year’s draft.

So What’s Wrong With The WWE Draft?

The results of the draft are actually positive–but they are lost in the boring nature of the process. And THAT, my friends, is the problem that I have spent over 1000 words getting to.

The format sucks.

It’s that simple. If you have a roster of wrestlers not assigned anywhere, then this format works. But we have only had that a few times in the brand extension era. 2016 was a great example of this format working. Even last year’s draft wasn’t as bad since the disarray of WWE at the time lent itself to the format “working” at the time.

But Triple H put a lot of effort into establishing roots over the past year. Rooted brand assignments, rooted tag team pairings, and rooted movement from NXT to the main roster. And that commitment rendered this format nearly useless.

It really only worked for the NXT selections.

So What’s The Solution, Greg?

I’m glad you asked! The solution, friends, is found in the 2005 WWE Draft.

That draft saw 10 draft selections get made over 8 television programs–four weeks of television. The moves were treaded as a huge deal, starting with newly crowned WWE Champion John Cena making the jump from Smackdown to Raw, and ending with newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion Batista moving from Raw to Smackdown.

Each week of television had anticipation, and instead of one week of a (supposed) ratings bump, you got 4. One pick was made on each episode until the final week, where two picks were made on each episode. That was 10 picks total, which is equal to the number of brand changes we saw this year (including the “supplemental” picks).

Whether it’s over 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks, you completely eliminate announcing any picks that are “staying home,” and focus on the ones that are actually exciting as they are moving. You have them be revealed through their theme song playing, or using the ol’ lights off trick (much more entertaining than an Hall Of Famer reading the name off of a notecard).

You can include the NXT call-ups in this process, or do them separately–considering that Raw or Smackdown drafting someone from NXT is the only “draft” thing about the WWE Draft.

Overall, I don’t think the draft needs to go away. It’s also been called the “Superstar Shake-Up,” and that’s really what it is. I am fine with calling it the WWE Draft, and I am fine with it coinciding with the NFL Draft. But do it your way–do it as a pro wrestling show that is full of surprises and stories, not people reading from notecards. I think we can all agree–that method is not working.

Bonus Content

I will return this to it’s proper form the next time around, but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that both Mr. Tito and Aaron Rift had their draft thoughts published as well, and I think you should check them out.

Also, this is my 4th opinion column here at NoDQ–you can find the other three here.

Until next time, remember to Always Use Your Head!

The post DeMarco: Don’t Hate The Player (The WWE Draft), Hate The Game (The Format) appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Maybe it’s because I am “too old for this sh*t,” but I hate April Fool’s Day. I mean, I really hate it. I mean, has an April Fool’s gag ever truly brought people closer together? It’s a rhetorical question, but if it weren’t, the answer would be NO. It’s stupid. Don’t @ me, just agree with me. It’s dumb. (Yes, you can disagree with me–but we’ll have to agree to disagree because we ain’t gonna agree on that one, because I disagree. Agreed?)

Well this past April 1st “holiday,” (I still had to work, so it doesn’t count) one of the many “funny” April’s fools wrestling news posts pinpointed a return for ECW, with an MMA influence, on Netflix when WWE makes their transition to the streaming platform. Of course, it was going to be led by Paul Heyman, the genius behind much of what people loved about ECW. There’s a link to some trademark filings, and that’s where the April Fools revelation happens. If you visit the post, please don’t be fooled.

And that was on April 1, a Monday. That next Friday, Paul Heyman would be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame, where he would deliver one of the best Hall Of Fame speeches ever conceived.

That, of course fuels speculation that ECW could return, because of course it would. It’s natural to feel nostalgic, and then immediately connect some dots that likely aren’t there. A quick Google search is going to bring you to this April Fool’s article–which is written in more believable fashion than some actual wrestling news–and if you don’t get all the way to the link on the bottom, you will think it’s legit.

“Holy Crap, WWE Is Bringing ECW Back!”

There are two sides to every report–the person who reports it and the person who believes it. And the #1 rule of news, especially wrestling news, is that “people will believe anything if they want it to be true.”

And I would love for this to be true. But it isn’t. In fact, according to ol’ buddy Dave Meltzer, WWE “spiritually closed the book” on ECW once and for all with Paul Heyman’s perfect Hall Of Fame induction in Philadelphia.

Now, I haven’t heard the quote from Meltzer with my own ears, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it started with “to me…” because it’s likely speculation or opinion that is taken as news. And don’t get it twisted, Paul Heyman’s speech WAS the perfect way to close the book on  ECW.

But maybe… just maybe… it shouldn’t be!

Now Could Be The Right Time For WWE To Bring Back ECW

There are elements of pro wrestling history that are often viewed with rose colored glasses. The Attitude Era was an amazing boon to the wrestling business, but a lot of it was pure crap that, when watching it back, was terrible. And what put the (then) WWF in position to have to pivot (I really hate that word now) to a mature product? Eric Bischofff’s WCW kicking it’s ass with the NWO. The NWO is another point in wrestling history that had an amazing start, but got way too big and never had a defined exit strategy.

And when WCW was kicking the WWF’s ass, what product did Vince McMahon have to rip off to make their comeback? That’s right–ECW. And it worked.

And it could work again.

Do We Really Need To Discuss WWE-ECW From 2006 to 2010?

The answer to that question is NO–we don’t. Except for the fact that it happened. And if WWE were to bring back ECW, we need to at least acknowledge that it happened once before, and it wasn’t all that good. And unlike the original ECW, the Attitude Era, or the NWO, it is not viewed through rose colored glasses. Not at all.

Ask any fan who was paying attention when WWECW was a thing, and they will tell you that it sucked. SUUUUUUUUUUCKED. Was it all bad? Absolutely not. But it was not good.

Why Should WWE Bring Back ECW Now?

And there is the million dollar question. Why now?

The answer only has part to do with Paul Heyman and the ECW brand. Although Paul Heyman should ABSOLUTELY head up this project. But it has to do with the current state of WWE. They have so much talent that they can’t possibly use them all, but they mostly deserve to be in the company.

Look at this list:

• Ricochet
• Shinsuke Nakamura
• Bronson Reed
• The Creed Brothers
• Liv Morgan
• Ivar
• Nia Jax
• Pretty Deadly

Who are they? Main roster talent who is damn good but couldn’t find their way onto the WrestleMania card. That doesn’t count a JD McDonagh who wasn’t booked but (as expected) appeared during the Tag Team Championship Ladder Match. Or many members of Legado Del Fantasma and the LWO who appeared during the accompanying tag team match.

Take Ricochet, for example. He’ll find his way into high profile matches (against Logan Paul at SummerSlam) but will also be off of television for a few weeks at a time. Or Shinsuke Nakamura, who had a great main event feud with Seth Rollins in 2023 but wasn’t part of WrestleMania. Imagine those two with Paul Heyman booking their stuff. It would be amazing!

ECW is the right brand because of the awareness it already holds. ECW was also synonymous with a cutting edge style that brought the likes of Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, and Taijiri to prominence in the US. Was all of ECW great? Does it all need to be brought back?

Well, I don’t think we need to see a Taipei Death Match in 2024 and beyond. And some of the style has been integrated into modern day wrestling (table spots are everywhere, weapons happen all the time, and we get blood when it’s warranted). But believe me, this could work. Netflix is a perfect place for it, and Paul Heyman could pull elements from Lucha Underground, the independents, and international wrestling to make it so unique that you just have to tune in. And an ECW Championship,, Tag Team Championship, Television Championship, and Women’s Championship would give members of the roster more to fight for.

Sure, it’s another 2 hours of programming each week. But there are a million different ways to consume the WWE product now, and if it’s too much, then you don’t have to watch ECW. But it might give Gallus something substantial to do, along with Cedric Alexander, and Shayna Baszler. Those are just examples, but you get it.

There is more content than ever today, and there is still room for more. WWE has the talent, the trademarks, and they have Paul Heyman. Why not do it?

Bonus Coverage!

You like that? It’s from my 411Mania days. I thought it would make for a nice separator to the second portion of the column.

My last article featured me agreeing with Dave Meltzer (it happens) about Trick Williams, and I really enjoyed the perspectives shared in the comments. Keep that coming–that’s the lifeblood of opinion based writing.

Surely You Have An Opinion On Wednesday’s Dynamite?!?!

I sure as hell do, and it was all over my Twitter feed. And if you read the mentions, I am largely an idiot. An idiot who gained over 100 new followers for what I said:

Dude, the WWE Network documentary on this company just got 100x better.

Chris Jericho, Edge, Mark Henry, they're gonna bury this shit so hard, it's going to be glorious.

I, for one, cannot wait for "The Meteoric Rise & Inevitable Fall Of AEW."
pic.twitter.com/YQcPOcaOrn

— Big Daddy Greg (@gregdemarco44) April 25, 2024

There’s a lot I can say, but honestly it was best summed up by Mr. Tito and Christopher Connor. No, I didn’t like it. No, it doesn’t equate to Vince McMahon eating a Stunner from “Stone Cold” Steve Austin or the NWO powerbombing Eric Bischoff off the stage. We didn’t have the internet like we do now, and Tony has already been all over AEW programming as the guy leading the charge. It simply doesn’t fit. And Tito & Christopher were quite eloquent in their analysis.

Just because something worked nearly 30 years ago doesn’t mean you need to do it today.

(Yes, I know–this comes at the bottom of a column suggesting the return of ECW. Crazy, eh!)

Whoop That Trick!

Trick Williams is your new NXT Champion, and I am excited about that. Trick is a star, I have seen it for over a year. But in retrospect, it was too much. We didn’t need the former NXT stars in attendance. We didn’t need it “shoved down our throats” as it was. I am going to write an article about the drawbacks of present day WWE booking, and this will be part of it. Don’t get me wrong–what they are doing today is great. But it isn’t perfect.

Odds & Ends

Aaron has some great video content in the Opinion section, go check it out! This site’s commitment to opinion content is why I am here–so support it!

My friends at the DWI Podcast put out a great one this week, I recommend you check it out here. You will enjoy it.

Don’t forget, if you are in or around Phoenix, Arizona, we have our next IZW event on Saturday, May 11. Tickets are going fast, but I have a $5 off discount code for the NoDQ readers using this link, or clicking the image below:

The post DeMarco: It’s Time For WWE To Have Paul Heyman Bring Back ECW… Again appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

For some of you, this is the first time you’ve read a Greg DeMarco column. If so, please know one thing: I am acknowledging Seth Rollins for many reasons–but I am not acknowledging him as my (or anyone’s) Tribal Chief. So don’t yell at me…for that.

I’ll save the pleasantries for the bottom of my first column at NoDQ, but know I am happy to be here, and excited to entertain you through my writing. Hopefully, you’ll either love it or hate it–just care!

Now then, let’s talk about the man who is getting a ton of love and respect right now–and it’s probably still not enough: Seth Freakin’ Rollins.

Seth Rollins is the MVP of WWE.

– Tore his MCL & meniscus in January, missed ZERO episodes of Raw and also appeared on Smackdown
– Wrestled a 40+ minute WrestleMania tag team match
– Defended his World Title against Drew McIntyre less than 24 hours after wrestling the tag team… pic.twitter.com/ASyg6S8OPT

— Tribal Megastar (@TribalMegastar) April 19, 2024

Seth Rollins Was The WWE WrestleMania 40 MVP

The tweet above says it all, but damnit it’s true. And it’s not even an arguable point in my opinion When Seth Rollins was–to me–randomly shoehorned into the WrestleMania program between The Rock, Roman Reigns, and Cody Rhodes, I was honestly taken aback.

“Why in the world is Seth Rollins part of the Las Vegas Press Conference?”

I was also a little miffed that Rollins was largely portrayed as a side show act to Cody Rhodes. There were times that Rollins, as World Heavyweight Champion, entered to Cody’s theme song. (Speaking of theme songs, check out Mr. Tito’s outstanding column on the topic of modern day theme songs.)

It was so odd to me that Seth Rollins was part of all of this that I swore (like many others) that Rollins was in this so he could turn on Cody Rhodes, adding yet another twist to the story that, in hindsight, might have been too gut-wrenching for some to handle. Instead, it should have been “In Triple H We Trust (As Long As It’s Not The Women’s Division*)” because Rollins was likely headed to the injured reserve for a bit, so they were going to maximize him on the way out.

And maximize him they did! Seth Rollins:

• Added an extra layer of intrigue to Cody’s attempt to Finish The Story.
• Put in major effort to help get Drew McIntyre even more over (this was the best work of Drew’s career, by the way).
• Gave The Rock tons of promo ammunition (like he needed it).
• Continued to be Seth Freakin’ Rollins every step of the way, and stand out in the crowd that included The Rock, Cody Rhodes, and Roman Reigns.
• Wrestled a 45-minute WrestleMania main event  with a bad back and injured knee.
• Came back to open up Night 2 and put Drew McIntyre over (which, in turn, put over CM Punk and ultimately Damian Priest–the latter doing what only Rollins’ had ever done and cashed in Money In The Bank at WrestleMania).
• Hobbled his way to the ring in full Shield gear (and theme) as a call back to one of the greatest stables in WWE history (The Shield) and one of the most fun rivalries of the past few years (Seth vs Roman from the 2022 Royal Rumble).

In the end, Seth Rollins was indeed Cody Rhodes’ “Shield,” sacrificing himself so Cody could become the WWE Champion when Roman Reigns elected to blast Rollins with a chair instead of Cody (which Rollins, despite being in immense pain, sold perfectly in a callback from his destruction of The Shield a decade prior).

After WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes left with the WWE Championship, Drew McIntyre got his moment in front of 72k+ people, Roman Reigns became arguably the most revered champion in WWE history, The Rock proved he still had it, and Seth Rollins was left with… nothing.

What’s Next For Seth Rollins?

As reported on Friday, Seth Rollins underwent meniscus surgery on Tuesday, April 16, putting him on the shelf for an as-of-yet unspecified amount of time. According to Tyler Wheeler, a sports medicine physician and adjunct faculty member at Emory University School Of Medicine (via WebMD), “If you have a partial or total meniscectomy, you can expect your recovery to take about a month. If your meniscus was repaired, it may take as long as 3 months.”

Plus you have rehab and training, meaning the worst case scenario could be a 9-month recovery for Rollins (and a Royal Rumble return?). It also means a world of opportunity for Rollins upon return, whenever that is.

• Feud with Roman Reigns? Absolutely!
• Title shot at Cody Rhodes? It’s warranted.
• What about a brief alliance with Roman Reigns opposite “The New Bloodline?” I could buy it.
• Showdown with The Rock? Why not!
• Start something new with a clean slate? Also an option.

No matter what happens, when Seth Rollins returns (you have to think he’ll re-sign with WWE, along with Becky Lynch), he will be granted a much deserved heroes welcome and will be perfectly positioned for whatever plan WWE has set for him.

Seth Rollins left WrestleMania a broken man who will need time away from the business he loves, and he left it better than he found it. He was the ultimate company guy, and did everything to put everybody else over.

And for that, we should all acknowledge him as our Visionary and our Revolutionary.

Corny? Yes. Appropriate? Also yes.

Bonus Coverage

Each column I do, you can usually expect some extras “down under” because I love to give you more bang for your buck. Sometimes it’s a bonus opinion, might be some shills, but know it’s all important to me.

I also podcast regularly, and this past week The Greg DeMarco Show featured a great discussion with my friend Rob The Genius about the numbers side of wrestling, and which ones really matter. Give it a listen here.

Continuing the trend started on Raw, the Smackdown Tag Team Champions Austin Theory and Grayson Waller (“A Town Down Under”) were rebranded the WWE Tag Team Champions and presented with new titles. And those belts sure are nice!

Some of my podcast friends, the DWI Podcast (I’ll let you guess what DWI stands for), are already looking ahead to the inevitable returns of The Rock and Roman Reigns, along with The Bloodline Civil War. Give them a listen here.

On Friday night, WWE released several superstars, including Veer, Sanga, Xia Li, Xyon Quinn, and most notably former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. It’ll probably be a later column, but I am a huge fan of Jinder, and called his mega push in 2017 after he made Rob Gronkowski look like a million bucks in the WrestleMania 33 Andre The Royal Giant Memorial Battle Rumble (patent pending). He made plenty of money in his second chance, and will undoubtedly land on his feet.

Several members of the NoDQ YouTube crew joined Aaron Rift to compile their predictions for the AEW Dynasty PPV. How did they do? Find out here. Or here.

A Little About Me

I plan to spend the bottom of the column to introduce myself to you over the next few installments of this. For starters, I do run a wrestling promotion in Phoenix, Arizona–IZW Wrestling. Our next event is on May 11, and if you are in or around the Phoenix area, we would love to have you! You can get more information at IZWTix.com.

I also love the comments section, so have at it. I always do my best to interact, because that’s what it is all about.

And if you’re so inclined, toss a follow my way on Twitter (or, sigh, X) at @gregdemarco44.

Until next time…Always Use Your Head!

The post DeMarco: I Acknowledge You, Seth Rollins appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.