“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.

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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.

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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.

It looks like the “Best in the World” needed one last ego trip…

For those who know the type of person he is, to the surprise of no one, C.M. Punk is now back in WWE. Color me one of those “unsurprised” individuals. I’ve been calling for his dismissal from AEW for well over a year prior to his All In fiasco. I’ve long known who Phil Brooks is, and I’m not alone.

If you read any interviews from folks like Eddie Kingston, Colt Cobana, Bobby Fish, Seth Rollins, A.J. Styles, and of course, The Elite — you know how the story of Punk is laced with controversy. “Talented”, yes, but “difficult to work with” is an understatement. Hell, Seth Rollins even called him a cancer.

And they have reason. As history has proven time and time again, Punk is only really looking out for one person. Himself.

There are a history of backstage incidents and sour sentiment involving Punk, from Ring of Honor to WWE, and most recently, AEW. And one can only make an assumption on the source of the issues. Is it everyone else involved? Cobana, Burke, Styles, Rollins, Page, The Bucks, Omega, Perry, etc…

Well, they aren’t the common denominator. C.M. Punk is. What Punk isn’t, however, is the “voice of the voiceless”. He is instead the “epitome of ego”.

Voice of the Voiceless No Longer

Remember the pipebomb promo? That was a cool moment, right?

Punk put on a wonderful front about standing up for wrestling fans who have had their intelligence long insulted. He “stood up” up to the WWE corporatocracy and to Vince McMahon. However, lest we forget, the end of the night, Punk still cashed a hefty WWE paycheck.

At the end of the night, Punk was paid well to play the victim. And this is what Phil Brooks does best.

He plays the victim card.

First of all, anyone who bangs their fist on the table to loudly proclaim that they’re straight edge is probably the biggest prick in the room, but I digress.

Punk was given a reign as WWE Champion that lasted over 400 days. He was pushed on video game covers and PPV posters. He had main event programs with The Undertaker, Jeff Hardy, and Triple H.

It still wasn’t enough. So why did we think AEW would be any different?

A man can change, right? That is until he didn’t, and decided to throw an entire company under the bus on a live media scrum. A man can be given a second chance and change, right? That is until he didn’t, and threatened his own boss with violence because of heat with another wrestler.

Beyond at all that, though. Punk is a giant hypocrite — kind of like Cody Rhodes (we’ll get to him).

The “C” in C.M. Stands for Corporate

What I find amusing is how little Punk actually cares about his own personal social beliefs. Remember this now deleted tweet made towards The Miz in 2020?

“Go suck a blood money covered dick in Saudi Arabia you f*cking dork”

Right, Punk has integrity! He would never want anything to do with a company that runs shows funded by a government with hundreds of human rights violations, right?

He would never take Saudi Arabian blood money — except that he is.

Punk would never take money from a company built by a man who openly supported Donald Trump; who actively tried suppressing Trans rights — except that he is. 

He wouldn’t want anything to do with a company in WWE that is so fervently anti-union, right? Except that he is.

Phil cares so much about women’s rights as well, correct? It’s convenient that he seemed to forget that Nick Khan himself donates money to the Republican Party. In fact, most higher-ups in WWE regularly donate to Republican causes — the party who is actively anti-woman when it comes to reproductive rights.

But don’t let that get in the way of your spitefulness towards Tony Khan, eh?

For this is what it’s truly about for Mr. Brooks: His own ego. It is more important for Brooks to sacrifice his own personal beliefs and integrity simply to stick it to his old boss; and for a fat paycheck as icing on the cake.

Phil Brooks can’t stand for anything when he’s too busy on his knees selling out.

Punk truly doesn’t care about women’s or trans rights. He doesn’t care about strengthening unions, or creating better working conditions for pro wrestlers. Punk certainly doesn’t care about human rights violations in one of WWE’s biggest sponsors.

He only really cares about himself. Speaking of which…

The Codyverse is Not Immune To Ego

To a lesser extent, Cody Rhodes and C.M. Punk are different shades of the same coin. The difference here is that I actually like Cody Rhodes. But I have to call it as I see it. This is a man who promised a “revolution” and to listen to fans.

He took the sledgehammer and “crushed” the throne of Triple H at the inaugural Double or Nothing. He was one of the leaders of this new wrestling promotion that could actually compete with the corporate monster that is WWE. Rhodes consistently spoke of anti-monopoly resentment. He bashed the antiquated ways in which WWE had been operating for decades to put over a new breed of pro wrestling in AEW.

But I don’t believe he ever thought it would take off. 

I’m speculating, and I could be wrong, but it is my belief that Cody never truly thought AEW would succeed. He looked at Tony Khan, an inexperienced wrestling promotor, teamed up with a group of talents known more for their work in Japan than the U.S. He looked at Chris Jericho, who was on the tail end of his career, and while Jon Moxley is a nice touch, he’s not a needle-mover on his own.

Deep down, I believe Cody never expected much out of AEW in terms of success.

So he booked himself into a corner where he could “never” compete for a world title in AEW. And when talent far greater than him started to roll into AEW (Danielson, Cole, Black, etc.), and talent far greater than him started to become more popular than him (Page, Omega, Cassidy, etc.), he had a serious talk with his own ego.

Cody became a parody of himself in AEW, and in some ways, largely swung and missed with the AEW fans. His contract with the company was soon up. And then Mr. Levesque called…

Why stay in AEW as a mid-carder when he could get paid more to be the #2 in the largest known wrestling promotion in the world? 

Screw the revolution, right?

Like Punk, Rhodes sacrificed any integrity he had to placate his own ego. He took the easy way out. And so did Punk.

Everyone is Taking AEW For Granted

Punk and Rhodes as well…

Aside from being a clear alternative to WWE’s PG style, let’s be brutally honest. At the least, AEW is another place for pro wrestlers to make a living. Even if you don’t like the product, at the very absolute least, it’s somewhere else wrestlers can make a good living at their craft. Actively cheering on their demise is something a low-IQ, basement dwelling incel would do.

Finding any way to throw shade at them simply out of dislike is quite the childish feat.

AEW is the NWA/New Japan/PWG hybrid. You’re going to get Strong Style, Lucha Libre, Hardcore, and Old-School styles of wrestling all on one show. You’re going to get sports-influenced tournaments, “indyriffic” spots, “blood & guts”, and a little “sports entertainment” in one weekly broadcast.

There is something for everyone in AEW. It’s a “buffet” of wrestling as opposed to the usual WWE menu of one plate. You’ll never get anything in AEW close to what you see in WWE on a weekly basis aside from the occasional “sports entertainment” in a few segments.

And if you’re a WWE fan, and you prefer that style of presentation and family-friendly, formulaic wrestling, great! Different strokes…But it’s funny how many pro-WWE/anti-AEW “fans” continue to bash AEW for the very thing that makes it different in the first place.

Did You Actually Want An Alternative?

Look, nothing is perfect, AEW included. But how many years did internet fans clamor for an alternative? How many years did many of us complain about WWE’s poor quality? Above all, many fans just wanted something different.

Oh, but not like THAT, right?

WWE — Story-Focused | Formulaic | Sanitized | Kid-Friendly | PG | Hero-Booking
AEW — Wrestling-Focused | Different wrestling styles | Violent | Adult-Geared | TV-14 | Strong Style Booking

Stop trying to put AEW into a box in which they simply do not fit in. They have their own style. Love it or leave it; but don’t trash it.

This is All Elite Wrestling. Comprised of what can easily be argued as the most talented roster in the world, possibly even in wrestling history. And if it were to ever fold, remember, we’re back to one less place to work for over one hundred wrestlers. We’re back to the monopoly-influenced environment that bred AEW in the first place.

You don’t have to like AEW. But taking the easy way out like Punk and Rhodes to dismiss the #2 brand simply because it’s the cool thing to do is a low-effort attitude. And so many gullible fans are jumping on this bandwagon right now.

Did You Forget AEW Is An Alternative?

If you are familiar with my past work, in good faith, then you know I am no stranger to criticizing AEW. From past inconsistent booking, to a lackadaisical approach towards women’s wrestling (which has admittedly improved in 2023), and the sometimes PR nightmare that is Tony Khan himself.

However, I tend to defend this promotion on good faith, as much as I possibly can. But mixed responses to the Hangman/Swerve match have brought me full circle with my general approach to the AEW product. And it’s why I’m leaning in to support this company more than ever at this point.

As for the Swerve Strickland vs. “Vampire” Adam Page 5-STAR match. Grow up, get over it, or go back to your kid-friendly WWE product. When did wrestling fans become so weak? We saw worse stuff during the ECW/Attitude Era.

Blood and Guts in pro wrestling has been around for decades. Go back and rewatch the Greg Valentine/Roddy Piper dog collar match from 1983 and note the screaming happy children in the crowd. They certainly didn’t need protection from all the blood being shed.

Dusty Rhodes, Bruiser Brody, Abdullah the Butcher, The Valiant Brothers, The Sheik, Jerry Graham — the list goes on of old school bleeders from the 60s and 70s that make Full Gear‘s Texas Deathmatch match look like child’s play.

AEW is an alternative. (See prior section)

But I don’t think many internet fans actually want that. Many would rather have a product where they can have the perception of active participation/input, as if their opinion matters. For many WWE fans, or casual fans, what it means to be a true alternative is mostly lost on them.

Alternative usually means counter-culture — even if just in spirit. You’re either with that — or you’re not.

Going Home. For good.

I know what the sentiment will be with a piece like this. The “butthurt” AEW fan mad at Rhodes and Punk for leaving. So I’ll cheer on AEW and simp out for their product in retaliation.

…I honestly don’t care what anyone thinks. I was never a huge Punk fan and knew of his past issues — and I was never really into Cody Rhodes as well. I have nothing to prove to literally anyone.

Punk appearing at Survivor Series was a shot fired at AEW, however. Cody Rhodes “the EVP in me” joke at the Survivor Series press conference was another shot fired as well.  I can recognize that the optics aren’t great for AEW. Two major stars leave, and when you loop Cargill into that, it’s as if talent is running away from AEW — which isn’t the case at all.

What we have is two major stars that couldn’t set aside their own egos for the sake of pro wrestling.

And with that, a bigger issue — that of wrestling fans that can’t set aside their own egos to simply enjoy both promotions in good faith; or at the least, enjoy one without bashing the other. I’ve been guilty of this myself at times.

AEW is an easy target when the shots are fired from the #1 promotion and their fans — and especially those who write bad faith articles and social media posts in doing so. These people contribute nothing of value to the wrestling industry, and in all honesty, hurt it greatly.

Look, I am hopeful for AEW’s future. I believe a new TV deal is coming, and that between MJF, Ospreay, Cole, The Elite, etc. — that AEW will be just fine without Punk (they have been if you haven’t noticed), and they’ve been fine without Cody.

However…

The Monopoly Will Return One Day Unless…

Whether it’s in a few years, or even 5-6 years, I get the sinking feeling that AEW won’t be around forever. Part of that is likely due to too much time on social media, but part of that is wrestling history.

The longest modern competitor to WWE was WCW from (roughly) 1995-2001. That’s only 6 years. AEW is already well past half of that number. But if it were to ever fold; for any reason, we’re going to be back in the wrestling dark ages.

And then fans will complain…again…but probably about WWE.

Personal note: And I can’t do that anymore. I’m attending this week’s Dynamite. My second wrestling show of the year (the first being Stardom). It was incredible to attend Stardom knowing that I could just take it at face value and nothing else. I don’t have to worry about what the internet is thinking or if I should write a column about it.

I have a good life; a great partner, and a solid career. I simply want to do more; be it write novels, travel, etc…and man, does being an online wrestling fan drag me down.

So I’m removing myself. I get to experience wrestling like a “casual”. Even my Disqus account will be deleted by Wednesday morning. And to be honest — I think many online wresting fans would benefit from doing the same. Snarky anti-AEW or anti-WWE comments doesn’t actually help pro wrestling — especially when nobody is really having any real conversations anymore (myself included sometimes).

What will help is attending shows, buying merch, staying positive (critique in good faith), and tuning in. It’s as simple as that.

So in wrestling nerd-like fashion I end with my favorite wrestler’s farewell:

I must bid you adieu, so goodbye everyone, *mwah* and goodnight. Bang!

-T5W
t5wrestling@yahoo.com

The post Why C.M. Punk and Cody Rhodes Are Pro Wrestling’s Biggest Hypocrites appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

That headline alone is going to make some folks roll their eyes, but this isn’t what you may think it is. I am going to make two things clear right away:

1. I have nothing against “casual fans”
2. This is not a disguised attempt to bash WWE.

However, a point was made from another article on another website regarding casual fans that I will paraphrase:

“Criticizing a promotion for not appealing to casual fans is a risk-free way to demonize their creative.”

And that got me thinking; is the casual fan serving the current industry? What even is a casual fan, and why should anyone care?

So I tried to answer three questions in the exploration process:

1. Are casual fans growing the wrestling industry?
2. Are they in as great of numbers as they were during the 80s and 90s booms?
3. Are they in the best interest of the professional wrestling craft?

C.M. Punk was wrong when he said that no casual fans exist. They certainly do, but to what extent is another question entirely. But first, we must define what a casual wrestling fan is:

–

What is a “Casual” Wrestling Fan?

In short, the fan that simply won’t invest a lot of time into this craft.

That by no means is a bad thing. We all have lives, and many would rather spend it not glued to their television for 10+ hours a week to catch every bit of pro wrestling they can. They may miss a few weeks of Raw or Smackdown (or even Dynamite), and they can jump back in whenever they have time. These fans likely don’t care about work rate, psychology, history, or background. They just want to be entertained.

It’s similar to a sport you may appreciate, but won’t dedicate X hours per week to. I like to watch basketball, and I’ll generally follow the NBA standings — but I rarely tune into games unless it’s playoff time, and even then…

This is a father watching WWE with their young child to bond. It’s a bored viewer on a random Monday, Wednesday or Friday night when there isn’t any other major events or sports on in that time. It might even be a jaded, or lapsed fan that used to love it, but just doesn’t care as much about it anymore.

Any and all fit the description of a casual viewer. So with this established, this begs the first question: Do they help the industry grow? You would think so since “booking for the casuals” is so fiercely defended, even by wrestling legends like Eric Bischoff and Booker T. These casual fans are the bread and butter, right?

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Casual Fans Aren’t Growing the Wrestling Business

Wrong.

Casual fans aren’t really growing the wrestling industry.

WWE books to casual fans. This has been well known. So where has this gotten them in the past two decades?

A decline. 

Credit Chris Harrington for putting all of this info down, but the infographic tells it all (and there’s more to come). We see the expected boom of average attendance during the Attitude Era, but after WCW was bought out; and after a terrible Invasion angle, numbers plummeted by 2003.

Numbers rose a little since 2003’s low point, but when it comes to attendance, by 2012, WWE had lost half of their audience in a 10-year span. In 2022, attendance figures have mostly leveled out at an average 5-6,000 per Raw/Smackdown. You’ll get your larger figures from larger markets like New York and Los Angeles, but the bottom line is that numbers haven’t risen much in 18 years. Numbers have gone from a steep decline to a slow descent.

Ratings tell an even bleaker story.

–

That is a complete ratings history of WWE Raw from 1995-2015, courtesy of Brandon Thurston at Wrestlnomics. As you can see, it’s a complete slope downward post-AE.

Link to full-sized image

You want 2016-2021? You’ve got it. It’s the same downward trend.

Link to full-sized image

Now luckily, attendance figures for Premium Live Events have held fairly steady for your “Big 4”, and even Royal Rumbles 2020 and 2022 brought in over 40k in large markets.

You know, casual fans.

But as Scott Steiner put it: The numbers don’t lie. World Wrestling Entertainment has been on a downward slope in regard to attendance, TV ratings, and for the most part, PLE attendance (sans larger events/markets) for nearly two decades now.

If booking for casual fans is “necessary”, then why haven’t WWE grown their audience in over two decades?

–

How much of the Fan Base are ‘Casuals’?

Glenn ‘Disco Inferno” Gilbertti once called AEW fans ‘super, uber, ultra marks’. As if he wasn’t a super-uber-ultra mark for himself at a time where most fans were just laughing at him when he was wrestling professionally.

That aside, let’s ask another question:

Ratings are down. Attendance has been declining (even slowly). Any profits on WWE’s end have come from a lucrative Saudi Arabia deal and a notable increase in ticket prices (this means higher gates).

How many casual fans even make up the fan base anymore when the industry has been in a decline for some time?

This is hard to answer without empirical data, but Punk may have been half right about this. If booking to casuals works, then clearly we should see similar numbers to the 80s Hogan era and 90s Attitude Era, right?

Yet the numbers don’t reflect that. So where did they go after WCW closed shop and the Ruthless Aggression era fizzled out?

Could it be that an entire generation just Gen Z fans just outgrew the product in the 2000s and are now watching MMA?

This is exactly what I’m saying. 

This graph only goes to 2015, but it’s not hard to see the clear rise in MMA’s popularity. Even UFC 264 in 2021 drew an incredible 1,504,737 buys.

Fans that long left WWE during the 2000s are not only watching MMA, but they’ve grown up. They have families and careers. But with so much out there to do, and so much streaming content, unless they were hardcore fans, they’re likely not watching much anymore. Even Logan Paul and Ronda Rousey aren’t giving a giant boost for ‘casual’ fans to tune in.

With the rise of tribalism, and a very steady number for both WWE and AEW ratings, I think it’s fair to assume that at this point, casual fans make up the minority of the overall wrestling fan base. Possibly even a very small minority. 

So why are we supposed to book to casual fans? 

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Are Casual Fans Best For Pro Wrestling?

Joey Janela was quoted in July of this year in regard to the beef between Jim Cornette and Kenny Omega. This revolved around an idea that Omega was “ruining” wrestling in a Cornette-led pro ‘casual fan booking’ argument:

“People don’t watch it anymore because they know what the deal is and MMA exists, the guys on the top now shouldn’t take any blame. Blame the cartoonish 90s & early 2000s –  if anything guys like Kenny have made strikes & moves look more dangerous & more real than ever before.”

“Wrestling has always been aimed at children, a casual fan in 2022 is a father who watches wrestling because their child likes it & eventually 75% of those children will grow up to be teens and stop watching it because its weird and they want to have an actual social life..,Then there’s us morons who like it so much, we decide to get in the business inducing brain damage on ourselves so weird old men can go on Twitter and talk shit about us because they wanna reminiscence their youth because they are old and miserable as fuck and near almost dead..” – Joey Janela

Look, the casual fan will always exist in professional wrestling. The casual fan exists in any fandom, be it entertainment, sports, or even general hobbies. However, based on evidence of decline, it doesn’t seem like adhering to the perceived interests of casual fans is the right move.

It’s great that a casual fan can sit down and enjoy an episode of Smackdown or Dynamite — but we really want the hardcore fan base, right? The ones who will be loyal to the product. The fans who understand the nature of the business in and out and who will invest their time and energy into it. The ones who will convince their friends and families to watch and help get them to invest as well.

These are the fans we should be booking to, is it not? What does history say about it?

–

Wrestling “Booms” Come From Niche Influences – Not Casual

If we take a look at the catalysts for growth in professional wrestling, they all come from very non-casual sources.

The territory days’ of professional wrestling were largely influential to the mainstream 1980s WWF product. Not only did McMahon either buy out or raid nearly all territories and talent, but even took their creative ideas with it.

Hulk Hogan? You can thank the CWF and AWA for that one. When you look at realistic and heartfelt feuds booked over weeks and months time, you can thank  Jerry Jarrett, Jerry Lawler, and the Memphis wrestling scene. You want highly produced and overdone vignettes? Look no further than WCCW out of Texas. Celebrity involvement? You can thank Andy Kaufman to a large extent.

The list goes on of territory promotions that directly influenced what the WWF would become during the 80s. No, the smaller territories (what are essentially Indies feds) did not book to the casual fan base. They existed in their specific region and aired in local TV markets. They booked for their fans.

This also goes for ECW, who were niche, primarily booked for their hardcore Philly base, with a small local TV slot. Yet without ECW, you simply don’t have the Attitude Era. When the UWFi invaded New Japan, that sparked the idea for the nWo for Eric Bischoff (who frequently visited Japan) and ran with it.

Are you seeing a pattern, here? 

And now with AEW coming into existence in 2019, they have delivered (for better or worse) consistent in-ring wrestling, long-term storytelling, and creative freedom.

Now that Paul Levesque has taken over WWE creative, we are now slowly shifting to longer matches, long-term storytelling, and seemingly more creative freedom. Hell, Ricochet and Santos Escobar were given over 20 minutes on Smackdown.

A million plus hardcore fan base was recognized in AEW, and now Papa H is trying to lure them in by doing what WWE probably should have been doing all along, that AEW was already kind of doing…

And it’s good if WWE is headed in this direction. But I’m also not blown away as a longtime Indies/Japan/AEW fan.

When ‘casuals’ see something that hardcore fans can’t stop talking about to the point that it comes trendy, then they tune in.  Buzz has been created. It’s happened for any wrestling boom over the span of wrestling history.

–

Going Home

Booking for casual fans may work for a super profitable gate here and there, but not for the longevity of the craft. I know both major promotions do it. It’s not just WWE with Logan Paul, Bad Bunny, and Ronda Rousey.

AEW has welcomed Mike Tyson, Snoop Dogg, Shaq, and now even Bow Wow into their shows. They’ve even pointed out fans in their own audience, from Lamar Jackson and Melissa Joan Hart to Kevin Smith and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

So I’m not giving AEW a pass on celebrity involvement/casual fan appeal.

But the major point is that these attempts to bring in “casuals” and book for them are statistically not making long-term gains. The data is literally in front of your face telling you as such, as “casual” booking is what led to the slow decline of WWE from 2002-2019, and the eventual rise of AEW with a large enough hardcore fan base to support the product on a major TV network.

tl;dr

Any revolution in pro wrestling comes from radical, niche ideas that lives a little outside of the box. History has shown this time and time again. It comes in form of presentation, style of booking, and even style of matches. History also shows that if you book for your hardcore fan base, the casual fans will catch up and adapt.

However, if internet fans who think they know more than they actually do keep pushing the narrative of needing to book to “casuals” then the craft will keep declining. If industry podcasters and “experts” continue to live in the past, then pro wrestling will have a dim future. If trolls continue to divide the fan bases based on the notion that casual booking is a must, and that there is a “right” way for pro wrestling to exist — then pro wrestling is headed towards some very dark times.

Casual fans will always be around, but history and data prove that appealing to them won’t ensure that professional wrestling will be.

-T5W

Send hate mail to: t5wrestling@proton.me

The post How Casual Fans Might Be Hurting the Wrestling Business appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

AEW All Out 2022 will be…interesting.

While I can admit that the show hasn’t had the greatest build-up compared to prior years, the event still has the ability to be one of the best of the year. As with any new company (yes, compared to WWE and many others, AEW is still pretty brand-new), there will be growing pains. This has led many to believe that for some reason, AEW is on a downward spiral to the end.

They said the same thing about TNA nearly 20 years ago, and they nowhere near had the star-power, finances, exposure, and TV deals that AEW currently has.

However, with the backstage changes implemented by Tony Khan, some beefs being squashed, and a stupidly full card, AEW has the opportunity to get back on track after Sunday.  With that, let’s dig in.

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Pre-Show Matches

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Eddie Kingston

Who will win: Eddie Kingston
Who should win: Eddie Kingston

History: Ishii and Kingston first squared off at New Japan’s Capitol Collision on May 14th, 2022 in Washington D.C. After a hard-hitting affair with LOTS of chops, Ishii came out victorious.

If you like classic Puroresu, you’re going to like this match. I can see these two square off for a third time either on Dynamite, or in Japan for a future NJPW event. Don’t sleep on this match; for anyone fans who don’t know who Ishii is, they’re in for a treat.

Hook (c) vs. “Cool Hand” Angelo Parker – FTW Championship

Who will win: Hook
Who should win: Hook

History: Parker and Menard have been an annoyance to Hook over the past few weeks, and well, that’s really it. Which is fine; Hook is still in the stage of being well protected while still looking very dominant over his opponents.

Expect a very quick, yet enjoyable, Hook victory here.

PAC (C) vs. Kip Sabian – AEW All Atlantic Championship

Who will win: PAC
Who should win: Kip Sabian

History: Sabian has been wearing the “Underrated, Over it” box on his head for nearly a year now after being wrecked by Miro in April of 2021. As of recent, Sabian had been following PAC around and showing up in-person (in-box) for his title defenses. On the 8/24 Dynamite, Sabian revealed himself and attacked PAC, thereby setting this match up.

Lest we forget, Kip Sabian is very, very good in the ring. While I don’t think TK will take the title off of PAC so quickly, I don’t believe it would hurt him if he lost to Sabian.  Even if through heelish and dastardly tactics, Sabian returning with a championship victory would be a greater benefit than losing his first match back.

–

Main Show

Ladder Match for AEW Championship shot: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Rey Fenix vs. Rush vs. Dante Martin vs. Andrade El Idolo vs. Penta vs. Wheeler Yuta vs. a mystery entrant.

Who will win: Dante Martin or Adam Cole (mystery entrant)
Who should win: MJF

History: None. It’s a #1 contenders match.

Yes, everyone might THINK MJF is going to be the mystery participant. In a booking sense, this would be fantastic. MJF wins a future championship shot to either cash in the very same night, or hold it over everyone’s head in his return. But my gut tells me that this simply won’t happen.

That being said, Dante Martin is a solid choice to win if not the mystery opponent. While he’s not ready to win a major championship yet, it only keeps his momentum going to face an opponent like Moxley or Punk in a future show. Martin is one of many young stars this company will need to build moving forward.

But in all reality, I think it will be a returning Adam Cole. he’s due for a return, and SHOULD be in the world title picture anyway. He’s my pick outside of announced participants.

Jade Cargill (c) vs. Athena – TBS Championship

Who will win: Jade Cargill
Who should win: Athena

History: For months now, Athena and Kris Statlander have been in a feud with Jade’s “baddies”. With Statlander now out due to injury, as well as Red Velvet, this match sets itself up.

It’s not that I think Athena SHOULD win the match, but rather, who is left for Jade to defeat? Yes, you want someone Jade can drop the title to that will give said young talent a boost. However, nobody in the women’s division really fits that bill at the moment. Athena’s win leaves a fresh set of opponents to challenge for the TBS Championship, and frees up Cargill for a future AEW Women’s Championship feud down the road. But something tells me this simply won’t happen yet.

Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Ricky Starks

Who will win: Powerhouse Hobbs
Who should win: Powerhouse Hobbs

History: After literal years together as a part of Team Taz, Hobbs hit his breaking point after Starks lost the FTW championship to Hook. In a surprise betrayal, Hobbs clobbered Starks in the back of his (once injured) neck a few weeks ago on Dynamite. This sets up this grudge match between two former friends.

Let’s be honest — both of these dudes could be future main eventers; sooner than later. Let’s also be clear: Starks doesn’t need to win this match. This is a case where the heel needs to go over and look strong. AEW needs good heels to give Wardlow some legitimate competition for his TNT Championship; and a monster Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Wardlow at Full Gear could tear the house down.

Future booking aside, creating sympathy for a babyface Ricky Starks in a loss with a ‘powerful’ performance by Hobbs will only strengthen both competitors in the end.

FTR & Wardlow vs. Jay Lethal & Motor City Machine Guns

Who will win: FTR & Wardlow
Who should win: FTR & Wardlow

History: None. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Let’s face it; Khan dropped the ball a little here with FTR and Wardlow. You have three of your most over faces and you have basically nothing to do with them. Don’t get me wrong; I love the Motor City Machine Guns in this match, and I think they’re one of the best tag teams in the last decade. An FTR/MCMG match down the road would be nothing short of incredible.

But with that, this was pretty hastily thrown together. I don’t expect anything more than the faces to come out victorious in a match to appease the live crowd.

Jungle Boy vs. Christian Cage

Who will win: Christian Cage
Who should win: Jungle Boy

History: After long managing the former AEW Tag Team Champions in Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus, Cage would turn his back on “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry on a June 15th episode of Dynamite. After Luchasaurus seemingly sided with Christian in Perry’s absence, it would be revealed that in the end, Luchasaurus is still loyal to Jungle Boy. After Christian Cage and Jungle Boy have now publicly traded a slew of personal potshots, this match promises to be one of the more emotionally driven contests of the night.

I want this feud to end, and for Jungle Boy to pick up the W, and move on to bigger and better things. This is a future star in the works. However, I don’t think we’re getting that at All Out. I think we’re getting the Luchasaurus double-turn, as he will finally reveal his ultimate true colors and cost Jungle Boy the match setting up a long-winded road to redemption for Jungle Boy culminating at Full Gear. This wouldn’t be a bad story, and I support the storyline overall — I’m a sucker for long-term booking —  but more of me feels that Perry just needs to move on as a future major player.

House of Black vs. Darby Allin, Sting and Miro

Who will win: Allin, Sting, & Miro
Who should win: House of Black

History: This has been a feud months in the making from multiple mini-feuds. From Brody King’s 7/2 victory over Allin in a Battle Royal, to their coffin match — to Black’s black mist spat into the face of Miro in late June – to the same black mist spit into to the face of Sting. Sting now wears a dark spot on his face paint similar to what Julia Hart had for some time. These six are all very talented, and should put on a hell of a match.

So why do I think House of Black should get the W? I’m biased, and Malaki Black is my personal favorite. Other than that, I just want this stable to gain some momentum moving into 2023. While it’s possible Sting “turns” on his teammates due to Black’s mist; it’s also a bit late in his career for character change. Miro and Black need wins more than anyone, and as long both look strong, perhaps a clear-cut winner isn’t as important here.

Chris Jericho vs. Bryan Danielson

Who will win: Chris Jericho
Who should win: Chris Jericho

History: Danielson’s Blackpool Combat Club and Jericho’s Jericho Appreciation Society haven’t been getting along for months now. This match stems from their Blood and Guts match on the June 29th Dynamite. After Danielson took some time off due to the match itself, he faced JAS’s Daniel Garcia in his return match. Garcia surprisingly defeated Danielson, which setup a second match between the two, which resulted in a loss for Garcia.

However, after gaining the respect of Danielson, the “American Dragon” referred to Garcia a “wrestler” and not a “sports entertainer”. Garcia’s loyalty between Jericho and Danielson has been teased for weeks now going into this match.

The bottom line is this: Daniel Garcia makes a better heel than a face. Like many young stars in AEW (Starks, Perry, Allin, Hobbs, Guevara, Wardlow, Hook, etc.), Garcia has a spot in the same conversation. But he’s just a natural heel; at least in this point in his career; which is why he will cost Danielson the match in the end and remain a heel.

Swerve in Our Glory (c) vs. The Acclaimed – AEW World Tag Team Championship

Who will win: Swerve in Our Glory
Who should: Swerve in Our Glory

History: Lee and Strickland likes The Acclaimed, so they offered them tag team title shots.

Yeah, not great. However, with so much story being played out in other contests, it’s not so bad to just turn up the fun factor and enjoy this match for just that — FUN. These are four great talents, and while it’s not The Acclaimed’s time yet, they aren’t that far away. Their stock is only growing in AEW, and i could see them holding gold by the end of 2023 at the rate they’re going.

Toni Storm vs. Dr. Britt Baker vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida – AEW Interim Women’s World Championship

Who will win: Toni Storm
Who should win: Jamie Hayter

History: Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker do not like each other. Whether or not this beef is based in reality is irrelevant, but is the base for this match in some ways. At Forbidden Door, Rosa would defeat Storm in a banger of a match. From this, a respectful alliance formed between Storm and Rosa, and they started to team together. However, Baker and Hayter soon became involved with the duo, and shenanigans ensued, leading to the four to feud with each other. With Rosa’s sudden injury, this four-way presents itself in what should be a pretty damn good match. Baker and Storm are real life good friends, and Storm, Hayter, and Shida, have all worked in Stardom in Japan.

Stardom is simply amazing, but that’s besides the point…

With the injury to Kris Statlander seemingly taking her out of title contention in a match with Thunder Rosa (rumored original plans), Storm was put in her place instead. Originally, Storm was allegedly slated to pick up the win here. However Rosa’s injury now gives ample opportunity to change course.

Storm doesn’t need to win this title — not yet. Why not have Hayter win it in a total upset? In case you didn’t know, Jamie Hayter is actually great on the mic, and is proven to be great in-ring. She can easily carry a world championship.

There is a built-in story here with Hayter’s win, as a win will instantly create conflict between her and Baker. This also sets up future world title bangers between challengers for Hayter, including Storm and Shida separately. If anything, friction between her and Britt could lead to Hayter joining the Blackpool Combat Club, as she has mentioned in past non-AEW interviews.

But my faith in Khan booking women is next to non-existent. So he’ll do the easy thing here and just give it to Toni Storm. :/

AEW World Trios Championship: Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks vs. The Dark Order

Who will win: The Dark Order
Who should win: The Dark Order

Now I am assuming that The Dark Order, now with “Hangman” Adam Page as their partner, wins their match on Rampage to advance to the finals. I will re-write this section if wrong…

History: Where do I begin?

The Elite have consisted of The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Adam Page long before AEW ever came to fruition. Page and Omega held the tag team titles throughout 2020, which would lead to Omega’s eventual heel turn. After Omega defeated Page at a Full Gear eliminator in late 2020, he would go one to have a hell of a run as AEW World Champion.

However, Page would return the favor on Omega in their match at Full Gear 2021, capturing the AEW World Championship. Throughout this entire ordeal, Page was in and out of The Elite; but consistently befriended by The Dark Order. Page and The Dark Order have had an alliance now for well over a year. So when the Bucks approached Page to be their third partner before their first round trios match on a recent Dynamite, Page politely declined, as he didn’t plan to be in the tournament at all.

Enter a returning Kenny Omega to partner with the Bucks, and now they find themselves in the finals to face the winners of The Best Friends and The Dark Order on Friday’s Rampage. But with “10” and Evil Uno now out, this left John Silver and Alex Reynolds without a third partner.

Enter Adam Page, who agreed to be their third on this week’s Dynamite…

LONG-TERM BOOKING.

There is so much history here between Page’s former group and his current one, including the quiet tension between himself and Kenny Omega. This WILL be a hell of a wrestling match. However, Kenny Omega (in-story) is still not 100%, as alluded to by Don Callis this week. This will leave the trio just vulnerable enough for the Dark Order to pick up the win here.

This not only gives Silver and Reynolds a much deserved championship, but gives a respectful bow to Brodie Lee and The Dark Order as an AEW mainstay. Unless for some reason Khan has the Dark Order lose their match on Rampage, then clearly, The Elite will become the first ever Trios Champions — but I simply do not see that happening.

Jon Moxley (c) vs. CM Punk – AEW World Championship

Who will win: C.M. Punk
Who should win: C.M. Punk

History: Again, where to start? Between the dirtsheets losing their shit over whether or not Punk is causing chaos backstage and causing division, to potential real-life heat between Moxley and Punk, there are many interlacing stories here.

When Punk returned to face Moxley to unify the AEW World Championship on Dynamite a week ago, the world was shocked that it was a mere squash match after a worked injury by Punk. An open challenge by Moxley on this week’s Dynamite led to a fiery, yet emotional segment between Punk and trainer Ace Steel, where Punk accepted the challenge, even if not his usual “100%”.

So how do you book this match?

If Moxley wins, Punk ends up looking like a bit of a loser who came (again) too early, and was out-wrestled by a hot, and forever pissed off, Jon Moxley. You can’t book Punk to lose (clean) in his hometown on the biggest night of the year for AEW.

But context is king. 

In my mind, this goes one of two ways, and both involve a returning MJF. Because at this point, a result from this match where either one or the other win/lose and nothing more, leaves this entire feud with an unsatisfactory result. There needs to be a giant payoff.

1. MJF returns to help an injured, and barely surviving, C.M. Punk WIN his match against Moxley.
2. MJF returns after winning the Casino Battle Royal, challenges the winner on-the-spot, and WINS.

The first one makes the most sense. MJF not only helps turn C.M. Punk heel, but he can do so in the context that he was “helping his hero” overcome Jon Moxley — who MJF has a past history with. Of course, MJF is full of shit here, and does so do undermine the Chicago crowd and now holds Punk forever in his debt; leading to an eventual title match anyway.

And yes, MJF can still win the Casino Battle Royal with #1 applied as well.

If the match doesn’t end in this, or any variation of, then the main event risks being a semi-failure.

–

Going Home

What a night this will be for AEW, the fans, the talent, and most importantly, Tony Khan.

This is his chance to “set things right” in his locker room. While I don’t believe there is complete chaos backstage, there is likely some truth to issues behind-the-scenes. As many AEW talent have alluded to, it’s not as bad a the internet makes it out to be, and AEW will certainly be around for quite some time. Any new company has growing pains.

But Khan can’t afford to keep losing momentum. Injuries have plagued his roster, and with WWE starting to (finally) improve under the helm of Helmsley, AEW doesn’t need a misstep.

AEW Out 2022 can still shape up to be the best PPV of the year so far — but it needs to get everything right. With that, it’s still an amazing time to be wrestling fan. Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend! Lets. Fucking. Go!

The post AEW All Out 2022: Matches and Predictions appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.