JohnnyJ

My pet theory is in the last year AEW ran into reality. The business side had a honeymoon period/initial growth phase. I'm sure internally there was the expectation that paying big money and bringing in top names was going to bring them to the next level and lead to higher ratings, revenues, etc. Even before Punk spontaneously combusted, hiring Punk/Bryan barely moved the needle. They are basically where they were before, and this may just be what rating are going to be. While there is nothing to be ashamed about being a viable no. 2. promotion and cable ratings leader, I'm guessing the company is not meeting its projections. From a personnel side, in the last year, outside of arguably MJF, no talent has made the jump from the mid-card to the main event scene. You have the homegrown talents who have now been positioned as the future for several years with no path to the next level. Then you have the former WWE talents who were either disgruntled or underutilized in WWE and have joined AEW only to find themselves in the same position. A bunch of talents coming to the conclusion that they arent going anywhere fast. Along with the booking issues, you have a promotion in a holding pattern.

I try my best to keep wrestling away from my kids. They're just too young. The only exposure they've had is going to a nxt spot show a few years back on the coconut loop because some things are more important than being a responsible parent. Last year we were flipping through the channels and AEW came on. My son wants to watch. I tell him we can't watch because it's fighting. Very matter of factly he starts explaining to me that wrestling is not actually fighting and "sometimes as a man you just need to wrestle in your underwear."

I guess I'm the only one who likes Sammy. He's a little lost at the present, but I like his offense. It's fast and a little sloppy. There's a degree of danger. He's toolsy and still waiting to put all of the pieces together. Andrade to me is a legend in his own mind. It's good to be confident but he seems higher on himself than anyone else is. The result is he is going to be disgruntled wherever he goes because no one seems to recognize how great he is. Generally, I'm just bummed over all of the AEW backstage stuff. Stop ruining my good time.

I'm going to make the assumption that when WWE had the mass layoffs many talents landed at AEW at rates far below what they were making before. They had no other choice. It was the only place they could make a living. All of a sudden HHH is in charge and the door is wide open again. It makes sense why talents would be looking to get out.

Basically sums it up. It seems like the majority of the industry is made up of message board posters with a byline. Everyone is parroting the same points and the more they are parroted the more they become cemented as truth. I know the Punk situation was completely insane, but you can use it as another example of how the echo chamber can have a debilitating effect on people when a whisper gets repeated and eventually viewed as fact. While wrestling journalism is particularly irresponsible, the echo chamber is not unique. It's the same thing that has happened in sports and politics. Sourcing is weak and content is king.

At least now that the locker room lines are becoming clearer I can make sense of why Kyle O'Reilly was positioned the way he was in the company.

My assumption is TK knew Punks position and didn't necessarily disagree with it. You can see during the presser when TK is nodding along. The Elite don't get a specialty titles designed to keep them out of the world title and tag title picture without being royal pains. I'm sure TK did not expect Punk to go off the deep end. I know Cody got talked about all of the time. Out of curiosity, have any AEW wrestlers cited the Bucks/Omega as mentors?

How many of AEWs young, intriguing talents have plateaued? There's a conversation to be had about why that is, but at least some of it is going to fall on the performer. Let's look at Hangman. He's a fantastic in-ring performer and his matches almost always over deliver. He was given the title and victories over Omega and Danielson. This was the opportunity of opportunities. Nobody gets this. On paper, he should be made, but he's not. Something is still missing. Vets like Punk, Bryan, Jericho, Christian, and Henry are all guys who years into their careers put the pieces together and everything clicked. You can be dismissive of these types, but they all figured out how to reach the next level and you haven't yet.

When they win matches he could spray paint that guys phone number on the loser.

I think as a wrestling promoter you have a true dilemma on your hands. On one hand this entire thing was almost comically bush league. This is something you expect out of an immature 20 year old, not a bunch of seasoned vets. Putting up with this makes you look like an ineffectual leader and the inmates are running the asylum. On the other hand, you just stepped into a Montreal type situation where there is a ton of palace intrigue. Page who has been directionless the last few months has now been reheated. The Elite who were no longer the focus of the promotion have all eyes on them. If played properly, there is a ridiculous amount of money to be made. it is probably the best chance in the short term for AEW to get to the next level. If played the wrong way, AEW is TNA 2.0.

There are no great options. Why not just blame the whole thing on Danhausen's boots?

I was thinking how much eerily the events of Sunday night reminded me of the Applebees scene in Talladega Nights where Ricky's Dad realizes things are finally going good for him and blows the whole thing up over extra onions on his steak. Ricky's Dad even kind of looks like Punk.

One of the things that felt so good about Punks return was not just the performances, but he seemed so sincerely happy and in a great head space. That's the Punk I want to see again. He's made his money. If all of this is having such a negative effect on him, it's time to step back. If you read between the lines, the purpose of the Page/Punk feud was to get the title away from Elite world where it had been for over a year. (Fast forward a few months and the Elite have a title made special for them which will keep them out of the major title pictures) It was a face v. face feud with no clear build. In my eyes this was confirmed by how TK treated the interim title. There is no real logical explanation why Page was not immediately put back in the mix. My assumption is the reason he was put on the sidelines is TK wanted that title away from the Elite. Punk ending up in the middle of it may have been the collateral damage. One other thing that really hasn't been touched on is Punks most outspoken allies in AEW (FTR) have an issue with the bucks as well. These things are not happening in a vacuum. Taking off my tin foil hat.

One of the things AEW is really good at is elevating talents to the upper-midcard. The difficulty they have (which is the same issue WWE has) is getting these talents to the next level. Last year it felt like many of the younger talents were on an upward trajectory and slammed hard into the glass ceiling around the time that Brian and the Undisputed Era jointed the promotion. Part of the problem is Tony wants to play with his new toys. He likes young talents on the way up and his recent signees. If you're at the main event level you're in good shape, but if you're stuck in the middle you're probably neglected.

What I never really understood (and this goes for WWE too) is if you have access to a low-cost facility to film programming you can produce all sorts of shows for next to nothing. Why not produce a womens only show with unique storylines, etc. instead of trying to squeeze a sizeable women's roster into a small programming block.

They are also both the idiot savants of their respective professions.

I look at the two of them as dinosaurs that somehow survived the mass-extinction event. Complete relics from the 80s.

If the rumor of you hitting the convention circuit has turned into a multi-day discussion of the interest level and real/perceived value, I’m going to make the assumption that the interest level is pretty high.

You really need to appreciate how rotten the whole family is. Steph and Trips have been sitting on the board for years. What are the chances they were left in the dark? How could they even look at this person? Meanwhile, as Vince is paying off his mistresses, Linda is lobbying for a “pro-family” political agenda. Shane probably is the best of the lot. The worst thing he ever did was try to book himself to win the rumble. And if I’m being honest, I would’ve probably done the same thing.

It's almost as if someone over at WWE got annoyed by all of the mainstream press AEW was getting from the Jeff Hardy story.

I'm very curious what the company is going to look like in 3 or 4 years. Step one was to clean house. I have no idea what step two is.

MJF was squashed and stretchered out of the arena on Sunday night. Three days later he cuts a promo and he's a big a deal as anyone in the company. Regardless of where this goes, that is how it's done.

It sounds like the situation was created because he wants it both ways; an improved contract without a commitment to stay with the company. The leverage AEW has is he is hot now and still has time left on his deal. Why would they give up that leverage?

If the talent had any balls, they would all just walk out in solidarity. It may be Sasha or Naomi's time today, but it could be your time tomorrow. Let them suspend the entire roster without pay. Let it become a national news story that two performers disagreed over creative and WWE thought the appropriate response was to financially ruin them.

Do what I say and if you don't like it you can't leave. Instead, we will use strong-arm, possibly illegal tactics to put you in your place, screw you financially and make anyone else think twice about getting out of line. I just hate these tactics. Even if WWE believes Sasha/Naomi are in the wrong, if they value them enough to hold them onto them, sit down and work it out.