“Fragile ego, fragile body, weak mind, weak spirit.” – Jon  Moxley on C.M. Punk

Yesterday, C.M. Punk sat down with Ariel Helwani in an interview for The MMA Hour. On the weekend prior to Wrestlemania 40, the conversation’s biggest topic was: AEW? Before I jump into the meat of this piece I want to clarify two likely pushbacks this article could receive in headline alone.

-This is not a WWE hit piece. In fact, it has little to do with them. As I’ve stated many times, I don’t watch the product, nor care to write about it, sans a few rare occasions. This is not meant to stoke the flames of idiotic tribalism that rears its ugly head on both sides.

-I was a C.M. Punk fan. Things didn’t work out in AEW, but as a fan, I was happy he was there until everything went off the rails. And even then, I don’t solely blame him for what happened at All In 2022, and I wished him well in his current WWE run.

Until he said something very, very stupid yesterday.

“But when you’re there… like… guaranteed money almost ruined pro wrestling. If you had to get paid on the house, the place would be drastically different.”

Oh boy.

–

Guaranteed Contracts Are a Necessity

“You talk a big game about workers’ rights. Well, you’ve shown the exact opposite since you got here. I love this place, I care about this place.” – “Hangman” Adam Page speaking to Punk before Double or Nothing 2022

This line from Page is what apparently set Punk off in 2022 and signaled the beginning of the end for him in AEW. And I won’t get into the details of his relationship with Colt Cabana, or Colt’s friendship with Page. That has already been done to death. But it turns out in hindsight, Page was right about Punk regarding workers’ rights. 

Punk claims that guaranteed money almost ruined pro wrestling. Defenders will say “he meant that wrestlers got lazy” — as if it’s their job to sell out the house. Last time I checked, that was on the promoters/bookers to push tickets; not the talent.

So when I heard Punk say this I immediately thought of Roddy Piper.

“What would you have me do at 49 when my pension plan, I can’t take out till I’m 65. I’m not going to make 65. Let’s just face facts, guys.” – Roddy Piper in 2003 on why he came back to WWE

Sadly, Piper would pass away in 2015.

Whether or not talent sits at home, works only one day a week, or once a month, is all irrelevant. If you’re putting your body on the line, then you should be paid, regardless of what you’re doing, or how much.

Pro wrestlers are always an accident or major injury away from possibly ending their careers. Having guaranteed contracts provide them the financial security needed if such a tragic case were to occur. These are people’s livelihoods you’re talking about. The least any decent owner can do is offer guaranteed contracts.

Pro Wrestlers Need to Get Paid

The wrestling industry is notoriously difficult. From Lex Luger and Kamala to Chris Kanyon and Jake Roberts — there are a plethora of former wrestlers that fell on hard financial times after their careers ended.

As independent contractors, talents have to pay for their own health insurance, among other high expenses. In fact, Maven Huffman points out in a recent video exactly how little wrestlers can make in this industry. Rental cars, loads of food, gym costs, hotel stays, leisure, personal care, etc. These costs all add up for any wrestler on any level.

These athletes put their bodies on the line for our entertainment week in and week out, be it WWE, AEW, Stardom, TNA, GCW, TJPW — from the mainstage to the Indies. For that fact alone, they deserve every penny they get, guaranteed or not. Hell, one of the biggest unspoken rules in the industry is to essentially “get that bag”, and according to Punk, maybe that’s not a great idea when that bag is guaranteed.

This is where Punk lost me for good. It’s an angsty old man Fox News level take on the industry.

But sadly, it got worse.

–

What the ‘C’ in C.M. Punk Actually Stands For

“I thought I did the responsible thing. I didn’t punch anybody. I just choked him a little bit.”- Punk | 4/1/2024

A 45-year-old man did the “responsible” thing by choking out a younger co-worker for making an insider reference on a pre-show? He storms off in a tangent, threatens to quit, until Samoa Joe and Jerry Lynn can talk him back into staying for his match. Is this responsible? It sure doesn’t sound like it.

Looking back, you can find blame on all ends when it comes to Punk’s time in AEW. The Elite, Punk, and Khan himself all share some level of responsibility here. But to become physical with a co-worker simply because you feel personally attacked is lower brain high school behavior.

Does the ‘C’ in C.M. Punk stand for “choke”? “Corporate”? No. The ‘C’ in C.M. Punk stands for ‘child’. He’s a child in an old man’s body who felt justified in assaulting another human being right in front of his boss because his ego was threatened.

It’s childish behavior, and he has a history of it. Is he the only one in AEW to act childish at times? Of course not. But does that excuse his “veteran” behavior at All In? Not a chance. But this is who Punk is. Moxley knew it. Kingston knew it. And Page knew it as well.

“There’s always going to be somebody else around the corner who wants what you have, or possibly just doesn’t want you to have what you have. And they will do whatever a promoter wants you to do for less money. And that’s unfortunate. You know, the boys never stick together.” – C.M. Punk (Oct. 2023)

The above is a quote from him in 2023 on why he supports a wrestling union. It looks like this already aged well…

–

Tony Khan “Isn’t a Boss”

Lastly, we come to this gem of a quote.

“He’s not a boss. He’s a nice guy.” – Punk on The MMA Hour

This was aimed at Khan, and then followed up with the fact that AEW isn’t a “business”. It truly seems like Tony Khan lives in Punk’s head, rent-free. Even bringing up “turnstile counts” (a reference to All In/London) once again after doing so last week in an Instagram story after Raw.

My guy, let it go. Move on. It doesn’t seem like Punk truly has, though.

Tony Khan is: 

A nice guy who loves wrestling, pays his talent top dollar, and listens to his fans. That’s it. No scandals, no controversies, no criminality — just a rich dude who loves wrestling and wanted to start his own promotion. And we’re trying to make this an issue because why?

Because he’s not doing things like WWE does? Because he’s not a threatening or aggressive presence backstage to be feared?

Tony Khan is what’s considered a servant leader. Bill Gates is a servant leader. It’s the type of leader that focuses on the improvement and support of others by meeting their needs. He often will put the ambitions of others above his own. We’ve seen this in how much freedom AEW talents tend to have.

Khan isn’t walking about backstage swinging his dick around like a certain someone that we will not mention here. But for the record:

*AEW made record revenue in 2023, record revenue on PPVs, increased ticket sales overall, and still maintains three shows across two channels on a major cable TV network.*

Sounds like a business to me…

I hate to break it to some, but nothing you do, be it Punk, old fart podcasters, or tribal fans, can change these facts; because they are facts.

Any disgruntled reader, or Punk himself, can tell me Tony Khan isn’t a businessman all you want. He’s still fairly new in this industry, is probably still learning on the job a little, and is slowly surrounding himself with experienced vets. And for all of that, AEW has been successful. The numbers simply don’t lie.

–

Everyone Needs to Move On

At the very least, Punk did state that he enjoyed himself in AEW. He even said that the positives outweigh the negatives. At the end of the day, everyone needs to move on.

“So why did you write this article?” some may ask. And it’s simple — to point out that C.M. Punk is exactly who “Hangman” Adam Page, Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, and many others, said he is. Furthermore, scheduling an interview like this on Wrestlemania weekend where multiple “soft” shots were taken and landed at Khan himself, was kind of like low-level high school bullying.

Phil Brooks is a troubled man. Everyone knew of the toxicity he could bring to AEW, and he did just that. As he ages, he is best in WWE, a company that will undoubtedly be more strict with his psychological shortcomings.

And if this is who Punk is, so be it. But the record should be settled here. He is no “revolutionary”, or “trailblazer”. He’s a wrestling veteran that, like many others, looks out for himself and only himself. There is simply nothing special about this guy anymore, and AEW fans need to move on.

-TKW
@tokusenpuroresu

The post TKW: Why Hangman & Co. Were Right About C.M. Punk appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

A JDB blurb…

Before I get into this piece, I want to invite those who will simply point and scoff at the title and get the laughter out of their system. Reading this with a closed mind only demonstrates a level of ignorance.

Most importantly, I don’t want to downplay the difficulty of the sport. Professional wrestling is a grind, and I need to make it clear of the difference between booking and performing. Performing is an artform, and it’s one of the hardest things to do in the world.

In fact, former Chikara owner Mike Quackenbush has an entire YouTube channel dedicated to just about everything you need to know about pro wrestling. It’s more than worth a look if you want to know about the intricacies of the business from someone who was in  the business for many many years.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCogwzVlE7VfXFr_LTM_xltA

Booking, on the other hand…

“I think the best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event, which is to say character-driven.” – Stephen King

Writing 101

There is fundamental reason why the legendary “I Quit” match between Bret Hart and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (WM 13) goes down as one of Wrestlemania’s greatest all-time matches:

The story. 

The WWF’s golden boy and resident hero would have the fans turn on him that night in Chicago. After a grueling 20 minute old school wrestling bout, it was then heel Steve Austin who was starting to get cheers from the crowd. Late in the match as Hart locked in the Sharpshooter on his bloodied opponent, Austin would eventually pass out in a pool of his own blood from the pain — never technically giving up — and thereby cementing WWF’s greatest anti-hero.

How we got to this match is extraordinarily simple: You take the company’s long-standing hero who happens to losing his popularity with the fans because of changing “edgier” times, and pit him against a representative of the counter-culture.

Hero versus Anti-Hero in a late 90’s climate that started to embrace more risque aspects of our culture. The double-turn at Wrestlemania didn’t just highlight two of the greatest wrestlers to ever step foot into a ring, but bring home one simple fact of wrestling booking:

Characters Drive Stories

To a certain extent, John Cena vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank 2011 mirrored Austin/Hart. Company hero versus the counter cultured anti-hero in a pivotal moment in the industry. The setting, once again, in Chicago. Both of these carry one element in common:

These are character-driven stories.

You can’t just pick a John Cena and a CM Punk from thin air. These have to be fully-actualized characters with years and years of evolution. Furthermore, these characters need to be followed.

CM Punk didn’t just start out as a counter-culture fan-favorite. He worked his way through the Indies to gain the right amount of underground buzz. Once he made it onto ECW, he became a cult favorite. Once on the main roster, his size and demeanor separated him from the rest of the bulky, “traditional” wrestling pack. He was “real”, and this is what fans ultimately latched onto.

You can make the same point for Steve Austin, going from “Stunning Steve” in WCW, to the humble beginnings of his “Stone Cold” persona in ECW, onto his infamous ‘3:16’ promo after winning King of the Ring in 1996.

When two characters from opposite worlds naturally rub up against each other the wrong way, this creates conflict. With conflict, comes a story. It’s not hard to accomplish this with well-oiled characters.

Take any two wrestlers from different worlds and match them up. Let’s say A.J. Styles and Darby Allin. An overly talented, good ol’ southern boy, with a cocky swagger about him against a blue-collared, violent, counter-culture wrestler  who likely grew up hating people like Styles. Too easy…

What about Matt Riddle and Miro? A laid back stoner versus an intense Bulgarian? Again, too easy…

But what if…

T-Bar versus Brandon Cutler. How do you book that with a lack of character? What is a T-Bar? What is Brandon Cutler doing these days aside from being a lackey for The Elite?

Or how about…

King Corbin versus Shinsuke Nakamura. A cocky heel who wears a crown (for reasons) versus a Japanese legend who for some reason feels the need to steal Corbin’s crown?

This one is actually happening. Notice how this 50/50 booking storyline is probably the worst in the company right now. It doesn’t make sense as to why these characters are making the decisions they are making, and it’s clear the writers have no real idea what to do with this angle.

It’s trash.

It is only when stories are told through characters who evolve do they become legendary. And this isn’t happening as frequently as it could…

‘Bliss’fully Ignorant

When you take the travesty that has been Alexa Bliss and The Fiend you’ll find that almost every WWE short-coming can be wrapped up in this story. First, there are a few questions one should ask in regards to the Bliss/Fiend saga:

1. Would “The Fiend” realistically be intrigued by Alexa Bliss? Why?
2. Why was Alexa Bliss originally captivated by “The Fiend”?
3. If Alexa Bliss has supernatural powers, why hasn’t she crowned herself women’s champion?

This is an example of a forced story. WWE writers simply liked the idea of matching up a Harley Quinn-inspired Bliss with WWE’s version of The Joker. But none of it really makes sense.

When “The Fiend” arrived in 2019, his purpose was clear: To seek revenge on those who wronged him in the past. Balor, Rollins, Bryan, Cena — he carried these out in perfect storyline harmony.

So it makes no sense why he would randomly target Alexa Bliss. It was never truly explained, nor was it explained why Bliss randomly stated in a kayfabe interview that Bray intrigued her. Nothing happened to Bliss to lead her down a dark path to “The Fiend”,  and nothing happened to Wyatt to suddenly spark in interest in the opposite sex.

It was forced, and ultimately died at the hands of Randy Orton.

Currently, we have Bliss running incredibly cringe-worthy segments on raw where she shows off her “supernatural” powers, seemingly targeting bullies in Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler (even though was one herself as a past heel).

These segments are not well-received. There is a reason for this. Wrestling fans are much smarter than they look…

Forced Stories

WWE

When you take Jaxson Ryker and Elias, you have an example of a forced story. Is Ryker’s character even really formed? Would their characters even align in the WWE universe? Perhaps, but would one turn on the other almost immediately? It doesn’t seem to flow.

A lot of stories aren’t flowing. Some are very good, and for these examples (Usos/Mysterios, Roman Reigns in general, LA Knight/Grimes/DiBiase, Samoa Joe’s return, Kai-Gonzalez’s dominance) they all have one thing in common:

The story revolves around what the characters are likely to do in their natural evolution and persona. 

As Stephen King has said, you “go where the story leads you” and this is based on character evolution. When you watch any WWE brand, the feuds that are the most exciting to watch are those where fully-actualized characters are acting within the believability of their persona.

Why does Nakamura care so much for a crown, and why does Apollo Crews suddenly speak with an accent? Why did The Hurt Business break up and Cedric Alexander has sudden beef with Jeff Hardy?

While it at least makes sense why Charlotte wants her title back from Rhea Ripley, whom she defeated at Wrestemania last year, they’ve been overshadowing Nikki Cross and Asuka and failing to write to write their part of the story correctly. At least this is okay?

AEW

It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t touch upon AEW…

When you have a situation where no writing team exists, you tend to get self-actualized characters who have a natural story progression. Gimmicks aren’t handed out by a writing team; they already exist within said talent.

Example: Adam “Hangman” Page. After the pressure of AEW led the cowboy to a slight drinking problem, Page would slowly distance himself from The Elite, culminating in the loss of the tag team championships with Kenny Omega. Page, now a true loner, found comfort in the Dark Order, where he hangs to this day — still as a fan-favorite. Omega, however, took his loss and lack of singles championships since AEW’s inception as a dark mark on his career. He reverted back to his “Cleaner” gimmick in New Japan, and has been on a tear ever since.

These are natural responses to character developments. This is why they work.

From Kingston and Moxley reuniting their long friendship over their love of violence, to the saga that is two egos butting heads with MJF’s Pinnacle versus Jericho’s Inner Circle, there is usually a progression in AEW when it comes to stories.

Even if poorly executed and lukewarmly-received, even Nyla Rose’s thwarting of the three-way burger bash between Baker/Rebel/Schiavone is well within her character — heel or not.

Yes, I am an AEW mark, but to be honest, it’s hard to pick too many holes in AEW’s current storylines. You can choose to like or dislike them to your heart’s content, but they make sense. This is why AEW gets a pass for any faults in the eyes of so many in the IWC. 

Sensical booking + lots of pure wrestling = thumbs up.

If I had to pick out any grievance, it’s The Nightmare Family/The Factory feud. It was never fully explained why QT Marshall really hates Cody Rhodes after years of friendship, and why his now loyal followers would decide to leave The Nightmare Family to go up against a company EVP.

I get that you need heels, but when you have young talent whose characters aren’t fully formed yet, you need to make me care about them. I simply don’t care about Aaron Solow, Nick Comorado, or Lee Johnson. It has nothing to do with their raw talent, but they don’t have anything to them in regards to character — which makes it hard to tell a good story.

It’s Not Hard to Book Pro Wrestling

The magic in professional wrestling takes place in the squared circle. You can easily take two characters from opposite sides of the universe and smack them together. However, the quality depends on the talent in the ring.

You can take the hero versus the anti-hero all you want, and that’s EASY. But they if don’t perform in the ring, the whole experience is utter garbage.

This is the logic behind this entire article…

As someone with a minor in writing, who has done so for a living, it’s really not hard to create conflict in a story with two opposite ends of a spectrum. But once conflict is created, you need to find ways for the conflict to continue and make sense in relation to the characters in the story.

This comes easy when you have in-depth characters to work with in the first place. As talented as many wrestlers around the world are, only half really have fleshed out characters that have evolved. But even with fleshed out characters, they need a reason to create conflict with one another.

I think a majority of wrestling’s perceived issues today lies in poor booking. Talents are often put together that would make little sense, and act in ways that their evolved character simply wouldn’t. It turns a lot of fans off and call “bullshit” on the feud.

Going Home

It truly isn’t hard to book pro wrestling. It’s extremely hard for two or more wrestlers to tell a story in the ring, and that’s an entirely different beast. But booking is easy, and it’s sad that so much of the world’s mainstream product suffers from poor writing and booking when it could be so much easier.

I won’t armchair book WWE unless requested, but you would think it wouldn’t be too hard to do with all of their endless talent available.

On that note, let’s draw this to a close. Just remember, when you’re watching the product (any product) just as yourself — “Does this make sense?” “Are these talents acting as their characters really would based on what I know about them?” “Do I need to know more about them in the first place?” “Is it believable?”

These are simple questions to ask for what is truly a simple booking process.

-JDB

The post Going Broadway: Booking Professional Wrestling is Not Hard appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

It’s me, it’s me, it’s JDB…

I love All Elite Wrestling. If you don’t enjoy the product, might I remind you that you don’t have to watch. You don’t even have an obligation to open your mouth about the product. You do you, and I can do me, and everything is square.

This article is for those who appreciate the wrestling on Wednesday nights, and for my money, is the best all-around wrestling product in the business today.

But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.

These are simply the opinions of a decades-long wrestling fan and historian with experience in the news/interview industry. With that I humbly present some insights, and actions, AEW should take before the end of 2021.

Britt Baker Must Dethrone Hikaru Shida

This may happen sooner than later. With their title match set at Double or Nothing, I’d be hard-pressed to believe that Shida won’t drop the strap to Baker. Then again, I thought the winner of the women’s eliminator tournament would have done the same.

Shida is very good, and while her reign as champion has delivered quality matches, there has been a drop in direction and story. There is a slight language-barrier, and there’s only so much Shida can do in that respect.

While I love Joshi and am even a fan of Kenny Omega, keeping Japanese talent atop the division isn’t what will elevate the women’s division. Kris Statlander is back, and from Jade Cargill and Thunder Rosa to Abadon and Tay Conti, there is worthy talent out there that Baker could carry an engaging program with.

Simply put, the time is now Britt Baker to become AEW Women’s Champion, and cement herself as not only the face of the division, but one of the faces of the company as a whole.

AEW Women’s Tag Team Championships

With the departure of Ivelisse, AEW’s first tag team “champions” are no longer a team. To make up for this, now is the time to strike for women’s tag team championships.

There is a plethora of women’s talent on the rise that deserve more exposure. A tag team championship for the division can accomplish this.

I’ve already mentioned names above that could challenge for a championship, but other names would make up a worthy tag team division. This is even more exciting when you consider the possibility of Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay (AKA The Iconics) in AEW.

Armchair Booking Parings

-Red Velvet & Big Swole (w/KiLynn King)
-Riho & Yuka Sakazaki
-Shanna & Leva Bates
-The Bunny & Penelope Ford
-Tay Conti & Anna Jay (after she heals up)
-Nyla Rose & Diamante
-Cassie Lee & Jessica McKay
-Abadon & Holidead (MPW)

Clearly, there is enough here to go around and make a solid tag team division. Let’s make it happen, Tony.

Adam Page and MJF Must Become AEW World Champions

There is only one wrestler that can take down Kenny Omega. That man is Adam Page. This is a story long in the making, and it will likely end with the eventual breakup of The Elite towards the end of the year.

In an ultimate feel-good moment and tribute to Brodie Lee, the Dark Order (Silver/Reynolds) will dethrone The Young Bucks as well. With the history between Page and Omega, this will be a satisfying finish to one of many coming chapters in AEW’s history.

After a bloody and tiring battle with The Elite and becoming the first wrestler in AEW to kick out of the One-Winged Angel, Page will be crowned as AEW’s new world champion.

Enter MJF to take advantage pf Page’s weak state. I don’t know if it’s a gimmicked stipulation, or a sneaky contractual loophole, but MJF should take the title off of Page before he even has a chance to enjoy it. UBER-HEAT.

This begins MJF’s dominant reign, as Adam Page is left with the scars of a long war, but with no medals to show for it.

AEW Trios Championships

I know, I’m going crazy with adding championships, but hear me out.  This is not just an ultimate ode to Chikara, but it also accomplishes much of the same as what the women’s tag team championships would accomplish.

There’s too much damn talent, and they need shit to do.

AEW is very stable-heavy, and a Trios Championship is a perfect way to incorporate many of these stables in championship feuds. How many stables does AEW currently have? Let’s take a look: (in no particular order)

-Jurassic Express
-Best Friends
-The Dark Order
-The Inner Circle
-Team Taz
-The Pinnacle
-Death Triangle
-The Elite
-The Matt Hardy Brand
-The Nightmare Family
-The Factory

This is a lot. A set of trios titles to keep fresh stables in fresh feuds with each other is a no-brainer in my view.

AEW Must Add a Second Major Show

This is the answer to how to fit new brand new championships on an already packed weekly show. This is already in the works, according to AEW brass, but the trigger must be pulled by the end of 2021.

Where and when does this show air? TBS would have to be the obvious choice for this second show, as it was the home to WCW for decades. This  includes WCW Thunder, their second show during the Monday Night Wars to compliment Nitro.

Second option: A paid AEW streaming network service that would host their second show. Would I personally shell out $5/month for exclusive AEW content, as well as access to a second weekly show?

Of course.

An AEW Plus subscription is already available on FiteTV overseas, which gives fans access to all AEW shows, including Dynamite. It has already been rumored that Khan is looking into an AEW streaming service, and this could be the perfect landing spot for it.

When should the show air? That’s hard to say. I don’t believe in direct competition, as nobody truly wins in that scenario. So Monday and Fridays are out. NXT airs Tuesday, which leaves only Thursday or Saturday for a potential show.

Saturday would likely lead to lower ratings, so Thursdays it is? It would mean that Impact Wrestling would possibly have to move back two hours to air as a lead-in to a second AEW show. Otherwise, AEW would be in direct competition with Impact, and that’s not going to end well for Impact.

Going Home

All Elite Wrestling is proving that the world of professional wrestling is much bigger than the WWE Universe. It has grown at a pace that I don’t believe anyone truly expected, habitually hitting over 1 million viewers for their weekly show now.

With the potential of the AEW streaming app, this could include not just AEW content, but other promotions that they have a working relationships with, including Mission Pro Wrestling, NWA, DDT, Ice Ribbon, New Japan, and a host of others.

The future is bright for AEW, but after a tiresome (and deadly) pandemic put the brakes on a lot of potential plans in 2020, 2021 is the time to pull the V-Trigger on AEW’s expansion.

-JDB

The post Going Broadway: Five Things AEW Must do by the End of 2021 appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.