Things took a turn for the WWE Universe recently, when a clear direction emerged for the next major challenger to oppose Roman Reigns. After The Head of the Table fended off Riddle in a free TV classic, Brock Lesnar in a wild Last Man Standing Match, and Drew McIntyre in front of a lively UK crowd, there were real questions as to where the company could go next with its top champion. They’ve opted for perhaps the least likely route of all, not in a grizzled veteran or wildly popular young talent, but rather Internet celebrity turned wrestler Logan Paul. While quite a few fans have expressed how unhappy they are with this booking choice, its actually a shrewd decision heading into Crown Jewel.

Logan Paul Vs. Roman Reigns Is A Fresh Matchup

One of the key problems with Roman Reigns and his marathon reign atop WWE is that he has run through most of his credible challengers. He’s beaten Brock Lesnar multiple times. He beat Riddle and Drew McIntyre. He retained the title against the likes of Edge, Kevin Owens, Rey Mysterio, Seth Rollins, and Finn Balor. He even beat part time threats like John Cena and Goldberg.

Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes are two of the full-time roster members still standing in his way, and it stands to reason they’ll each factor in the title picture when they’re back from injury. Meanwhile, even Braun Strowman, who has a lot of momentum off his return to the company, already lost to Reigns at the front end of his time on top.

Logan Paul is, at least, someone new, with a genuinely different set of skills from other challengers Reigns has faced. On top of that, he does garner a bit of kayfabe credibility from winning his only two matches to date, and on no lesser stages than WrestleMania and SummerSlam.

No One Believes Roman Reigns Will Lose The Title In 2022

The conventional wisdom is that Roman Reigns will retain his undisputed title until at least WrestleMania 39, when fans anticipate a dream match with The Rock. With that match expected, it’s hard to buy anyone beating The Tribal Chief before that point, so WWE’s task, rather than creating doubt, is to put forth the most entertaining spectacle possible.

The jury’s out on whether Logan Paul is the best man for that particular task. Nonetheless, he is an offbeat challenger who just might draw some extra media attention, if only for the seeming absurdity of him getting a shot at the most prestigious title in wrestling.

Logan Paul Has Overperformed In Each WWE Match He’s Had So Far

While Logan Paul has no shortage of haters who want nothing to do with him, there’s also a reality they must face. At WrestleMania, he more than held up his end of the bargain, arguably the MVP of his tag team match paired with The Miz against the Mysterios. From there, he did everything he could to steal the show at SummerSlam, going for assorted high spots and feats of strength against The Miz.

Paul doesn’t really belong in the conversation of world title contenders at this point based on his skills and experience. However, his first two outings have offered reason to believe that he’ll rise to the occasion. Particularly in a match WWE is sure to carefully plan and choreograph around his abilities, Paul will likely as not hold up his end for an entertaining match at Crown Jewel.

Saudi Arabia Is The Best Place To Book Babyface Logan Paul Vs. Heel Roman Reigns

An awkward aspect of Logan Paul’s WWE run is that he has purportedly demanded to remain a babyface, despite having overwhelming natural heel heat. On the flip side, Roman Reigns is over enough in his heel persona that he’s edging on fan favorite territory, despite reportedly insisting he wants to stay heel.

With these dynamics in place, staging the match between these two in front of a Saudi Arabian audience—fans who tend to be happy to be there and adhere to cheering the faces and booing the heels—may be the best answer to keeping each man where he wants to be.

Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul probably won’t be an all-time classic and there are justifiable reasons to criticize the choice for Paul to get a title shot at this stage of his career. Nonetheless, there are also quite a few factors to make this specific choice at this specific time make a great deal of sense.

Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley will collide this Wednesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the vacant AEW World Heavyweight Championship. And with that, Tony Khan has a big decision to make.

Not just because he’s crowning a new world champion. There’s more. Khan needs to add legitimacy back to a title which has seen very little stability in 2022 due to multiple injuries and a backstage brawl. This after the first three years of the company were spent with long championship reigns, each title switch coming with great fanfare.

Just look at the length of every AEW World Championship reign prior to CM Punk’s victory at Double or Nothing: Chris Jericho (182 days), Jon Moxley (277 days), Kenny Omega (346 days), and Adam Page (197 days).

In addition to solidifying the title’s credibility once more, the new champion will also play an important role in passing the baton to the next major star for the promotion — everyone assumes that MJF is the champion-in-waiting. But even with MJF hovering in the shadows, the new champion crowned on Wednesday night needs to be more than a transitional champion.

The champion-to-be will be adding stability back to a main event scene that has seen too much fluidity over the summer. And with that, there could be no better choices than Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson.

But who on earth do you put over here? Both choices certainly have a lot of positives to them, leading to a lot of unpredictability heading into Wednesday’s broadcast. That’s what will make this such an interesting viewing experience.

That and the fact that Moxley and Danielson are two of the absolute best in the world right now and are sure to tear the house down.

Jon Moxley as AEW Champion Again?

Moxley has been the hottest singles star in AEW for the last several months. He was a fantastic interim champion given the circumstances, and you almost hated to see him lose the title at All Out. However, the way the match was setup (with the quick victory over Punk on Dynamite) and with the PPV in Punk’s hometown, it was a move they had to make at the time. Really, it was the only logical result.

Of course, nobody could have foreseen what was about to happen backstage, nor could we predict that Punk would injure his left triceps and be out of action once again, this time for at least six months, after the match. Either way, the title was going to be vacated once again.

Now, you could move the title back to Moxley and make him AEW’s first three-time world champion. Nobody would have a problem with it given how great he’s been of late; well, except maybe Moxley since he was supposed to be going on vacation prior to the backstage fight in Chicago. But I digress…

AEW has clearly been setting up Moxley vs. MJF on television, and most expect that match to occur at Full Gear. Are they telegraphing the winner of the tournament in doing so?

Well, maybe not. Perhaps that will end up being a non-title match and you delay MJF using his “chip” for further down the line. Or maybe it comes sooner, more on that in a second.

If Moxley and MJF was for the title at Full Gear, you’ve got to figure that MJF wins. Do you want Moxley to have another short title reign? That’s a tough decision.

Bryan Danielson as AEW Champion for the First Time?

Danielson has become a living legend. It has become a near-indisputable fact that the American Dragon is one of the top ten in-ring workers of all time. The large majority of fans and his fellow wrestlers themselves seem to share this opinion, including Moxley who has stated on numerous occasions that he believes Bryan to be the greatest ever.

There’s no denying that Danielson holding the AEW World Championship would be well-deserved and a great moment. Similar to Moxley, you would hate for it to be in only a transitional spot, with a possible championship loss to MJF at Full Gear.

If Bryan captures the title and they do Moxley/MJF in a non-title situation at Full Gear, you give Bryan a six month or so run as champion, with an eventual loss to MJF at Revolution. Or you could do it earlier at Winter Is Coming in December, giving him a three month run; not great but better than the less than two month scenario that a loss at Full Gear would be.

There is risk in this scenario, though. As pointed out earlier, the AEW title has become a hot potato in recent months due to outside events. Bryan has already suffered an injury this year that kept him out of action for a significant period of time; you’d hate to see AEW lose their world champion once again for an extended period. And if it were to happen, please oh please, no interim champion this time.

While it is a risk, a Bryan title run would solidify the title again by putting the belt around the waist of arguably the most-respected performer of his generation. Yes, there’s inherit risk. But to me, the reward outweighs the risk.

Then again, there’s one more possibility…

MJF Walks Out of AEW Dynamite Grand Slam the World Champion

There’s a distinct possibility that MJF could walk out the world champion this Wednesday night. Don’t underestimate the shock value factor here as AEW could look to do something that could shock the audience, giving them some much-needed momentum after most in the industry feel WWE has seized the moment recently. This is the option that would make for the flashiest headlines, by far.

Plus, putting the title on your hottest young star could hardly be seen as a bad thing. And an MJF reign would almost certainly be lengthy, stabilizing the title once again, one of the most important aspects for the next champion.

So how does it happen? MJF could add himself to the match early in the show, informing the audience he’s cashing in “the chip” and making it a triple threat on short notice. In a triple threat scenario, he could defeat Bryan in order to build intrigue to a match with Moxley (“you never beat me”).

MJF could also pull a WWE Money In The Bank style moment by using his title shot immediately after the main event. Either way works, but one scenario avoids yet another short-term title change.

Either way, Tony Khan has a big decision to make. With television contract negotiations looming next year, the impact of how Wednesday night turns out could be felt for a very long time. It has the possibility of leading to some very hot television for the next several months at a time when the company very much needs it.

• MJF Calls Out WWE Star For ‘Playing Top Guy’

What do you think? Let me know in the comments or give me a shout on Twitter @ryandroste.

More from Ryan: Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news. Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

In the early days of AEW, there was conversation around the company’s so-called Four Pillars: MJF, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, and Jungle Boy. The spirit of the idea was that these were four talents who were relatively unproven on a national stage, but each of whom demonstrated remarkable potential, and AEW might grow alongside these youngsters—the company forging its identity as the four of them became household names.

While MJF and Allin in particular have remained in consistently featured roles for AEW, fans have looked on as the company also welcomed in stars who made their name in WWE, besides prominently featuring stars who had established themselves with hardcore fans in Japan or Ring of Honor.

It’s telling that of the five men who’ve reigned as world champion—Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, and CM Punk—three had previously reigned as WWE Champion and one had been a world champ in Japan. Only Page could be considered a homegrown main eventer.

With AEW seemingly at a crossroads after the high-profile controversies of recent weeks, the time has come to re-center their focus on young talent.

AEW Can Take Advantage Of This Moment Of Controversy To Shift Gears

CM Punk has always been a lightning rod for controversy, but may have reached new heights of heat in recent times, culminating in his wild press conference ranting after All Out and subsequent backstage altercation with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. That, combined with the EVPs’ role in spreading information—true or not—about Punk has created a dark cloud over AEW, and called attention to a need to shift gears and focus on some of the other high caliber talent at their disposal.

Those names might include Jon Moxley who, despite recently reigning as champion, was cast a peg below Punk. There’s also Bryan Danielson, who has selflessly absorbed more than his share of losses across his AEW tenure and Keith Lee whom some fans feel is underutilized in the tag team division. There are younger talents waiting in the wings as well, though.

Injuries Have Exposed The Limitations Of Relying On Older Talents In AEW

In addition to the poor behavior of some of AEW’s more established top talents, there’s also the matter of injuries. Besides CM Punk’s poor behavior after All Out, he also reportedly got injured in his match with Jon Moxley. That issue was compounded by Christian Cage purportedly also being hurt with a similar injury. That’s immediately after Kenny Omega returned from over a half year on the disabled list and after Bryan Danielson missed time.

Injuries can happen to anyone, but it’s also a reality that older wrestlers have more mileage on them and thus tend to be more prone to missing significant stretches because they’re legitimately hurt. It’s another reason why pushing younger names may be the best thing AEW can do at this point in time.

AEW Has Its Four Pillars And Other Young Talents Available To Push

AEW seems ready to go all the way in pushing MJF. At 26, he’s a young talent and AEW can mostly take credit for building him up to main event status. While fans may have been justifiably skeptical about CM Punk putting over the heel when he cashes in his title shot from winning the Casino Ladder Match at All Out, things are more wide open now. With Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson the presumptive favorites to win the vacant title at Grand Slam, it seems entirely realistic one of them would put over MJF—likely as not at Full Gear, staged in front of an MJF-friendly crowd in Newark.

Darby Allin also looks ready for a big push. Beating Brody King in a Coffin Match and picking up the pin for his team over The House of Black at All Out both give him some real momentum to knock on the door of the main event.

Jungle Boy suffered a setback in both losing to Christian Cage, and Cage’s injury meaning Jack Perry won’t get any immediate revenge. However, he has Luchasaurus set up as a natural rival for the weeks ahead. Moreover, being out on his own still suggests Jungle Boy could move up to a better featured spot on the card.

Sammy Guevara is a trickier talent to predict the future for, with real life controversies, and very real heat with the fans perhaps putting a ceiling over what he’ll accomplish in the immediate future. Nonetheless, there’s no denying he’s an incredible in-ring talent and his willingness to play the heel wholeheartedly could pay off in the long run.

AEW certainly has room to look beyond its original Four Pillars as well. Wardlow has gotten over a high level this year and it would only be natural to revisit his issue with MJF in time. The Acclaimed had a gutsy, star-making performance at All Out. Though he’s not that young at 40, Eddie Kingston has been on a journey with AEW and if he can avoid real life controversies like his recent issues with Guevara, he could viably factor into the main event picture again.

Add on Hook, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, not to mention emerging stars on the women’s side like Jade Cargill and Julia Hart, and it’s easy to imagine a very different AEW landscape in a year’s time.

In the end, not everyone can be featured as a main event star in AEW. Nonetheless, out of a time of unprecedented controversy and chaos behind the scenes, the company may emerge all the stronger if it can capitalize and reprioritize around its deep pool of less established talents.

The “Press Conference from Hell,” as one witty Twitter fan called it, following All-Elite Wrestling’s All-Out pay-per-view on Sept. 4 – and the backstage fight that followed – was the end result of growing tensions in the AEW locker room and a star who felt he had been wronged, scapegoated and wasn’t appreciated by younger talent.

Reports from Dave Meltzer at the Wrestling Observer, wrestlers who have spoken on the subject and others who have talked about the company in interviews and social media, painted a picture of a company and a locker room that was coming to a boiling point over the departure of Colt Cabana, a lack of TV time for a growing roster and a locker room that was split in different ways.

CM Punk

Wrestlers who had worked with Punk previously weren’t surprised at his “receipt” promo aimed at Adam “Hangman” Page three weeks ago. Punk was still upset over a cryptic promo Page gave in May when the two were building to the main event of the Double or Nothing PPV, where Punk won the AEW World title from Page.

Page spoke about Punk as being a fraud when it came to “worker’s rights” and backstage talent. Fans at home thought Page was trying to build some intrigue into the match beyond a babyface vs. babyface match, but the locker room and reporters who knew of the situation involving Cabana understood what the promo was about -rumors that Punk had Cabana fired over a lawsuit. Cabana and Punk were friends until WWE and a doctor with the company sued both after Punk had accused WWE and its medical personnel of negligent medical care on Cabana’s podcast. The messy list of events resulted in Cabana suing Punk.

The Cabana rumors became a thorn in Punk’s side that festered too long. But despite the Page promo, and Punk blasting a fan on live TV for heckling him by chanting Cabana, a fallout between AEW and Punk seemed ridiculous.

Punk achieved folk hero status since his return to AEW at the First Dance Rampage show in Sept 2021, selling out the United Center in Chicago without any official announcement. He headlined multiple PPVs, shook off a decade of ring rust for some of his best promos and matches in his career and seemed to be enjoying himself on a nightly basis. In a post on Instagram two weeks ago, he said the past 12 months were the best year he ever had in his career.

Punk was no longer a gritty anti-hero, or a rebel heel against the establishment. He was Dusty Rhodes or Magnum TA. The business had molded itself in his image while he was away, even if he didn’t build AEW and hadn’t appeared in a ring outside WWE since the mid 2000s. He was beloved by the owner of the company and the fans who chanted his name during every appearance.

Punk’s top-guy status, white hat babyface role, new world title and the calming storm following the Cabana controversy should have put things to rest. It didn’t. That made his press conference rant – and the brawl that followed – all the more confusing. But the warning signs were there. Punk had become closer to FTR backstage, who had their own issues with AEW management. His snapping at a fan during a live Dynamite, his receipt on Page, only served to keep the Cabana story alive and keep Punk tied to it.

Khan attempted to put the issue to rest, whether it convinced the majority of the locker room or not. Khan told Forbes he made the decision to part with Cabana and Punk played no part in the decision. According to Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Cabana had told Khan last fall he would not want to work in the same company as Punk.

Despite Khan’s statement, Punk was still agitated by the subject. While doing an in-ring angle and promo with his friend and AEW producer Ace Steel, Punk lashed out at a fan who was heckling him with a “Colt Cabana” chant in a spontaneous and angry way before continuing his promo and then offering a quick apology.

This wasn’t the end. Punk immediately brought Cabana to the forefront of the All Out press conference, questioning reporter Nick Hausman about his relationship with Cabana before going into details about Cabana’s lawsuit against him. He also said court discovery during the lawsuit revealed Cabana shared a bank account with his mom.

Punk then went on to accuse “the EVPs’ – Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson – of planting stories about him in wrestling media. Fightful Select wrote a few hours after the show had ended that it was the first site to break the news that the locker room was upset over Cabana being let go. The story said none of the company EVP’s – the Young Bucks or Kenny Omega – had been a source for the story.

Punk’s rant took more shots at the Elite and Cabana, Hangman Adam Page and the lack of appreciation younger wrestlers had in the feedback he was willing to give. He took aim at MJF in kayfabe, saying “the grass isn’t greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it.” Ironic, since he had metaphorically dumped a gallon of gasoline on Khan’s yard before dropping a lit cigarette. Punk said if anyone had a problem with what he said, they could come talk – and they did.

Reports vary, but Nick and Matt Jackson went to Punk’s locker room. Either together or arriving later, Kenny Omega was there as well as several producers. Punk, Steel, the Jacksons, Omega, Christopher Daniels and Pat Buck were suspended for the fight that started and the pull-apart that occurred afterward. A member of AEW’s legal team witnessed the fight as well as several other wrestlers who weren’t considered friends of either Punk or the Young Bucks.

Khan held meetings with Punk and the Elite on the Monday following the fight. Rumors began to come out that Punk and Steel had been fired, but that didn’t occur. The company has hired a third party to investigate the incident. This could be due to the threat of lawsuits being made during and after the fight by a participant.

The details of the brawl have yet to be confirmed, but different versions have come out on the internet from the perspectives of those siding with Punk and those with the Elite. The details that are not in dispute are the following: Nick Jackson took a chair to his eye. Ace Steel bit Kenny Omega and pulled him by the hair. The Jacksons approached Punk after the press conference almost immediately and came to his locker room unannounced. There was a pull apart that involved several producers who were also suspended. There were multiple witnesses to the event.

The overwhelming response from the locker room was Punk should be fired. His press conference rant buried the company, possibly slandered or libeled Cabana, blasted one of the company’s stars in Hangman Page, and did it while embarrassing the company’s owner who shook his head in disbelief while Punk ranted. Not to mention his shots at The Elite, who worked to get many of the company’s young stars over and whose work over the last decade made the company’s existence a reality. The Elite are responsible for making a second major wrestling promotion possible in the U.S., something that was unthinkable in 2015.

Meltzer said during Wrestling Observer Live last week that the investigation and the lack of details available was frustrating and disconcerting. That if this happened with a pro sports team, the details would already be out and this appeared to be an older school wrestling mentality of keeping it in house. But the situation is being handled in a manner closer to Vince McMahon’s investigation by the WWE Board of Directors and not a regular HR investigation handled by a company or even a team issue which would be handled by a coaching staff. All of those involved have been suspended and told not to discuss the fight with anyone. Like the McMahon investigation, a third-party has been brought in. That AEW is being this cautious and thorough shows how serious the incident is.

AEW is exercising extreme caution with how it proceeds and has given no indication when its investigation will be complete. Meltzer said the company would most likely not diverge any details on the brawl, but would leak out eventually once the investigation is complete.

AEW locker room issues

Over the past year the locker room has been divided into different camps, with “AEW originals,” wrestlers who came to the company from the indies or who started with the company at the beginning (The Elite, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, etc.), who were wistful for the early days of the promotion when talent was more cooperative and worked as a team.

Some wrestlers have been frustrated by their lack of TV time, given the large roster and the three hours of TV AEW has to try to fit in everyone (AEW produces shows on YouTube as well). Many in the locker room became disillusioned with their lack of TV time. Multiple talents told me within the last month that many of the WWE wrestlers who came to AEW assumed the worst when certain booking decisions were made and that they were getting the short-end of the stick in a game of politics anytime something didn’t go the way they wanted or expected.

“Some people came here after years of having promises fall through or things not working out,” one wrestler said. Multiple talent said some WWE talent felt those same machinations in WWE – years worth of revolving door politics – were occurring in AEW, and it put them on the defensive or made them question booking decisions as being political. AEW’s longterm booking focus is also different for those who worked under the McMahons, who often changed TV shows up to the time of airing.

Wrestlers were with the company from the beginning were wistful for its early days, when the company started Dynamite in October of 2019, and the locker room was loaded with younger wrestlers and a team-first work ethic.

This was the subject of a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 7, before Dynamite when veterans Chris Jericho, Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley spoke. Jericho and Moxley have been with the company since its first PPV, and Danielson joined last year after over a decade in WWE. The reason for the meeting was to get the locker room on the same page and focus itself as a team again, like it was in the earlier days of the promotion. All three are well respected, two have been with the company since its first PPV, and all three know the frustrations of the wrestling business and can relate to the rest of the roster.

Most notable at the meeting was Moxley, who didn’t speak at the meeting two weeks ago that was arranged by Tony Khan. Moxley would later cut a promo in the first quarter hour of Dynamite that some called the best of his career and considered a rallying cry for himself and the promotion. Moxley is known to keep to himself. His quiet and stoic style fit his Midwest working class Cincinnati street upbringing. That Mox talked at the meeting surprised many, but his passion for the company and its future came through, especially during his promo on the show.

FTR and the Young Bucks

Most emblematic of the backstage issues has been the ongoing problems between the Young Bucks and FTR. Rumored issues between the two tag teams – especially from FTR member Dax Harwood – were spinning the rumor mill for months and became more public after Harwood blasted Meltzer on Twitter on Aug. 5.

Dave, with all due respect, fuck off. Like, in the most respectful and loving way, I mean that. When you decide to get two sides of a story, then speak on it. Thanks dude. https://t.co/Q7sZQPkRGF

— Dax FTR (@DaxFTR) August 5, 2022

Meltzer, through a quote tweet, said fans who felt FTR were being buried by the Bucks were “Alex Jones types.” Dax responded with an expletive and said he should try getting both sides of the story. Ironically, Harwood refused to share his side when he was prompted by several fans in his replies.

FTR and Punk had taken to each other backstage. The three were photographed wearing tribute gear to Bret Hart and were on a six-man tag together when Punk broke his foot. Harwood’s issues with the Bucks pre-date those Punk had with Page and the EVPs, but they came to a more volatile boil. Harwood’s seeming inference that him and his partner Cash Wheeler are being buried by the EVPs is nonsensical given the TV time and the massive babyface push they’ve received.

As a tag team, FTR has six losses in its two years since joining AEW – the last coming in February against Jon Moxley and CM Punk. They hold three world titles (ROH, New Japan’s IWGP and Mexico’s AAA) while Dax has been featured in numerous singles matches, including an ROH title match on AEW Rampage on Sept. 9. They have split two matches with the Young Bucks, and FTR’s other losses are to top teams in the company, including Santana and Ortiz and the Lucha Brothers.

The Young Bucks have lost four times since March – they lost the AEW tag titles to Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee, lost to Jurassic Express, the Hardys and FTR.

Where AEW goes from here

The problems AEW has currently would have been called “Monday” during WCW’s most profitable days, not to mention the snake-pit WWE could be after it became the only major company in the business. One veteran I talked to recently said the company is still the best he’s worked for in terms of environment.

AEW was bound to hiccup at some point. Communication issues have been a problem for over a year, but the company is now working to sort those out. Many of the issues were natural problems that occur when opening s new promotion – especially one that has to produce 52 weeks of TV a year. Wrestlers are taking on leadership roles and Khan has promoted people the roster looks up to in key positions.

What happens with the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega remains another question. Firing the three could result in a revolt. The locker room is far more aligned with The Elite than they are with Punk. Wrestlers are certainly aware how important the Jacksons and Omega are to the business.

Given the seriousness of the investigation, what Punk said at the press conference and what happened following it, it’s hard to imagine Punk continuing to wrestle in AEW. Alvarez on WOL described their situation as “volatile” and that he couldn’t see either side working together again in the same company. It’s a strange situation given how The Elite worked to court Punk to AEW before the company officially started. Punk would publicly rip Cody Rhodes for trying to negotiate with him over phone text and not meet face to face.

The biggest concerns for AEW aren’t Punk, but Warner Bros. Discovery and its massive dollar loss following its pulling films from its HBO Max streaming service, as well as other cost saving measures that sent warning bells to Wall Street and cost the company a quarter of its value. AEW is still in a great position to negotiate – it has a hot product, is one of the leading shows on Wednesdays, and WBD had made sports non-scripted programming its top signing priority. It wants to work a new deal with the NBA before its contract expires in 2024. This looking ahead could be good news for AEW, whose current TV deal expires the same year.

The eyes of the wrestling world were on TBS last night at 8:00 Eastern as a promotion that made headlines for all of the wrong reasons over the previous 72 hours went on the air.

The million dollar questions was how would Tony Khan handle the fallout from the melee that ensued after AEW’s All Out PPV in Chicago last Sunday evening. Would public suspensions be announced? Even firings? What would happen with the championships?

The result was a pre-taped segment with Khan to open the show where he announced that the AEW World and Trios Championships would be vacated, with new champions being crowned immediately (in the case of the Trios Championship) and in the future (the World Championship).

Public announcements regarding disciplinary action taken because of the backstage fight between The Elite and CM Punk and Ace Steel? There was nothing of the kind. In fact, the brawl itself was not directly mention at all throughout the broadcast, and Khan didn’t even clarify why the titles were being vacated.

And you know what? That was the right call.

While not everyone would be aware of what happened in the locker room of the NOW Arena three days earlier, many were, and it’s unquestionably a black eye (no pun-intended) for the promotion. Moving past it as fast as possible, changing the narrative, and giving a fresh start to the two titles previously mentioned was a necessity. As Bob Seger once wrote, “Turn the page.”

And as far as fresh starts go, the promotion succeeded. Everything felt back on track when the show reached its conclusion. AEW produced one of the better episodes of Dynamite in several months, top to bottom, including a fantastic second hour of wrestling that is among the best hours of in-ring action the promotion has broadcast on cable television.

Following Khan, we jumped right in with MJF making his Dynamite return by way of a spoof-babyface promo, and he eventually got confronted by Jon Moxley who gave the perfect promo that was needed after a wild couple of days, sending messages to the locker room and audience in the process. Moxley did his best to build up the significance of the AEW title after, once again, its champion will be unable to drop it in the ring. In doing so, he succeeded at making the Grand Slam Tournament feel as significant as possible given the unfortunate circumstances of its lineage.

"This is time to be a legend." @JonMoxley with powerful words here on #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS! pic.twitter.com/jItAKZulgK

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 8, 2022

• 10 Takeaways From AEW Dynamite (9/7): MJF Speaks, New Champions, Titles Vacated, Jon Moxley, More

That segment was followed by an excellent match between the Best Friends and Death Triangle to crown new Trios Champions and we were off to the races. New Women’s Champion Toni Storm and Penelope Ford delivered a very good women’s match. The Acclaimed were interrupted by Swerve (what better way to draw heel heat these days than blocking a Max Caster rap?), and a rematch for the tag titles was officially announced for Grand Slam. Wardlow gave an intense promo and ran over Tony Nese.

But that second hour? Wow. Bryan Danielson and Adam Page had a heck of a television match, with Bryan getting his win back on Page (he lost to him last January) and advancing in the world title tournament. One would expect Bryan to get his win back on Jericho in the next round, likely setting up a tournament final with his Blackpool Combat Club teammate Jon Moxley — a match big enough for a show that will emanate from Arthur Ashe Stadium in two weeks.

The main event slot was given to the hometown boy as Wheeler Yuta defended the ROH Pure Championship against Buffalo’s own Daniel Garcia, another fantastic bout. When Garcia hoisted the ROH Pure Title and celebrated with Danielson and an elated crowd to close Dynamite, the sins of three days earlier seemed like a faint memory.

This show served as a reset for AEW and made you believe the company can move forward, successfully, with a different roster dynamic right now. And while the promotion will continue to grapple with fallout from last weekend’s backstage fight for months to come, AEW talent not associated with that dark moment were given something to sink their teeth into and move forward. And so were the fans.

More from Ryan: Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news. Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

AEW World Champion CM Punk will battle AEW Interim Champion Jon Moxley tonight on Dynamite to determine the Undisputed Champion. All signs were pointing to this match happening at All Out early next month but it was surprisingly booked for tonight’s show.

Here are 4 reasons CM Punk versus Jon Moxley for the AEW Championship is more than just a title match:

The Company Needs Some Momentum

AEW Dynamite has flatlined in the ratings just below 1 million viewers, but thankfully they have an established and loyal audience that tunes in every week. The issue is that AEW President Tony Khan has spent a ton on contracts for ex-WWE talent that haven’t really made a huge difference yet in regards to attracting the casual fan.

It is hard to get invested in some of the talent when they are only featured once a month on television. Wardlow capturing the TNT Championship should have felt more important by now. He finally was able to rid himself of MJF and capture some gold, so why he is in a 6-man tag at the PPV?

The TNT Champion is wrapped up in a storyline with Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal, and Satnam Singh. ROH Tag Team Champions and forever #1 contenders in AEW without getting a title shot, FTR, will be joining teaming up with Wardlow to battle the trio of heels at All Out. The match will likely be entertaining but it feels like an egregious missed opportunity for both the Wardlow and FTR to be in bigger storylines.

CM Punk versus Jon Moxley needs to deliver tonight in order to get people talking about how exciting All Elite Wrestling is again. Many fans are scratching their head and wondering what is going on at the moment. These two should have a long feud with a story, with weeks of promos and attacks, not a rushed title match to pop a rating. However, if tonight’s show is newsworthy and gets people talking about the product over the drama backstage, then maybe it was worth it.

Jon Moxley vs. CM Punk. #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/DrGNknZCjI

— JJ Williams (@JJWilliamsWON) August 23, 2022

Fan Perception Has Changed

All Elite Wrestling arrived as the cool kid in the wrestling industry, while Vince McMahon’s vision for professional wrestling felt dated and borderline unwatchable at times. None of that applies anymore, just a month after Vince departed the company and his son-in-law, Triple H, has taken over as Head of Creative.

WWE has not only turned the page, but they’ve also flipped the script. They are now the cool company in the wrestling industry that talent is signing with. It is stunning how quickly the perception surrounding WWE has changed, despite unprecedented chaos at the top of the company over the summer.

Nowadays, AEW feels dated in comparison. The Jericho Appreciation Society refers to themselves as “sports entertainers” while Drew McIntyre is dropping the word “wrestler” in his promos on RAW. At this point, AEW is parodying itself and not the competition.

“I don’t care if you’re a prize fighter, a sports entertainer or superstar. We’re wrestlers in a wrestling ring. Let’s just freaking wrestle.”

This Drew McIntyre promo was special ?

(via @WWE)pic.twitter.com/9i4kjXr8JR

— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) August 16, 2022

Talent Getting In Each other’s Way

Before his promo with Jon Moxley on last week’s Dynamite, the AEW Champion bizarrely called out Hangman Adam Page in his home state of West Virginia. He sat in the ring in his iconic pose and challenged Hangman to a rematch. The 43-year-old captured the AEW Championship from Hangman at Double or Nothing, only to break his foot the following Wednesday and go on the shelf for two months.

CM Punk gave Adam a few moments to come to the ring before uttering “that isn’t cowboy sh*t, that is coward sh*t”. It was an odd moment, but most people moved on when Moxley showed up. However, the incident was reportedly unplanned and Punk acted on his own to give Hangman a “receipt” for a perceived slight during a previous promo between the two.

Something just always seems to go awry now. Jonathan Gresham flipping out before Death Before Dishonor due to lack of communication from management, Tony’s unprofessional response to Big Swole, Cody Rhodes exiting the company, and the whole MJF thing, Why are Miro and Andrade liking tweets hinting at their unhappiness? It is always something, at least at least it appears that way.

During the post-Double or Nothing media scrum after CM Punk won the title, he said the following about AEW in comparison to WWE:”It felt like 10 years of fighting silly battles and standing on my own d*ck. I feel there’s no limitation put on myself or anybody, the sky’s the limit.” He’s used that phrase multiple times in reference to WWE.

That seems to contradict Fightful’s report of Punk telling management that he would not lose to Hangman Page. From the outside looking in, it appears AEW is repeatedly standing on themselves at the moment.

“Nobodies standing on their own dick. They just let stuff happen.”

– CM Punk on the difference between WWE and AEW pic.twitter.com/LVc4NmtLJX

— JTEonYT (@JTEonYT) August 21, 2021

The Possible Return Of An Unlikely Hero

One of the possible reasons that the title match may have been moved up was because the promotion has a better main event planned for AEW All Out. If MJF returned, the company would have the majority of its stars back and the shows would instantly improve. MJF is an immense talent, a picture-perfect heel.

He delivered one of the most memorable promos of any promotion, in any time period, and the man is only 26 years old. The Dynamite following his loss to Wardlow at Double or Nothing, not too many people were discussing the match or even the victorious Wardlow. MJF skipped out a signing during the PPV weekend and reportedly booked a flight out of Vegas. Thankfully, cahooler heads prevailed and he did the job to Wardlow. The distraction still sullied the TNT Champion’s moment and he hasn’t fully recovered.

After MJF’s pipebomb promo, Punk tried to confront MJF but he left through the crowd at The Forum in Los Angeles, and that was the last time he appeared on television. He’s also gone completely dark on social media. If he returns tonight it will inject some much-needed life into the product just a couple of weeks out from All Out. Somehow, MJF has managed to become an even bigger star in the company without even appearing on television.

That MJF promo in (almost) its full glory.

For those looking to relive it.pic.twitter.com/n0O4a7bELn

— NukemTalksWrestling (@NukemWrestling) June 2, 2022

Finally, it seems like WWE and AEW are both about to start running shows to their fullest ability, putting both their creative talents and wrestler’s in-ring talents to the test.

As WWE enters a new era full of call-ups and returns, and some of AEW’s biggest stars are nearing a return, it seems like we could be entering an exciting boom period for wrestling. Now is the best time for lapsed fans to jump back in because there are so many surprises and great moments just around the corner. 

Let’s take a look at what’s currently shaking up the landscape across both WWE and AEW.

Hit Row (B-Fab, Top Dolla & Ashante Thee Adonis)

The SmackDown tag team division has received a major boost with the addition of Hit Row. Even without Swerve, B-Fab, Top Dolla, and Ashante Thee Adonis stand to be an enthralling act on the blue brand. WWE as a whole could use more tag teams, and on the independent scene, ‘The HitMakerz’ were able to showcase their worth.

A group like Hit Row is truly meant for the main stage with all of the glitz and glamour of the WWE working to raise their star power. Top Dolla, B-Fab, and Ashante finally get to show the fans who they truly can be in WWE and how they can reach their full potential without fans feeling like people are playing second fiddle to Swerve.

Hit Row has always proven that they make for entertaining TV and the WWE tag team division currently needs that. The return of Hit Row allows for so many fresh tag team feuds that could come with amazing segments, promos, and possibly even rap battles.

• Hit Row vs The Street Profits
• Hit Row vs The New Day
• Hit Row vs The Usos
• Hit Row vs RK-Bro
• Hit Row vs The Alpha Academy

Karrion Kross & Scarlett

The return of Karrion Kross and Scarlett on last week’s Smackdown has sent ripples throughout the locker room and the heart of Roman Reigns. Killer Kross’ return brings a new heel and intrigue over to Smackdown. Kross will now be the biggest heel on all of WWE programming right behind Reigns and the Bloodline as a whole.

This return also allows for new heel stars to be built in the division. Instead of mainly focusing on Reigns and the Bloodline, Kross can bring a breath of fresh air when it comes to heel stars. Triple H being the new Head of Creative has clearly marked the beginning of a new era in WWE. With Kross being back this marks that new era, and also shows Triple H’s commitment to black and gold NXT.

Triple H isn’t afraid to make things right with talent released under past management. He’s willing to bring back talent, give them a spot to shine, and fix what went wrong the first time. Killer Kross finally has the chance to redeem himself, and to make the WWE Universe fall and pray.  

Dakota Kai & IYO SKY

The additions of Dakota Kai and IYO SKY to the main roster have pumped life into the division. On one night, at SummerSlam, WWE was able to make a statement about the effort and care they are going to put into the women’s division in this new era. The faction CONTROL that features Dakota, SKY, and Bayley has proven that WWE’s women’s division is heading in the right direction.

As one may see, WWE can currently capitalize on AEW’s weakest point, which is its women’s division. The increase in quality under Triple H is fantastic to see. Finally, the women’s tag team scene has been made interesting again through the storytelling device of factions.

The women’s division appears to be in great hands as there are so many fresh matchups available over on Raw. 

• Asuka vs IYO SKY
• Alexa Bliss vs Dakota Kai
• Bayley vs Alexa Bliss
• Bianca Belair vs Dakota Kai
• Alexa Bliss vs IYO SKY

Dexter Lumis

Dexter Lumis made a mysterious return on the most recent episode of Monday Night Raw. At the end of the main event between AJ Styles and The Miz, Lumis was seen wearing a hoodie staring down at AJ while be escorted out of the arena by police.

Lumis’ return brought WWE great views and headlines. With his return getting nearly two million views on YouTube, Lumis clearly is a needle mover for WWE. This fun addition to the roster allows creative to come up with new ideas for his spooky and mysterious lore. Lumis is a character that has that spooky factor, but can also be used for unique spots, such as crashing Raw. Lumis is a very easy horror movie-like character to write and fill in plot holes that comes with great merch-selling potential.

During his time away from WWE, Lumis performed in the NWA under the name Samuel Shaw. He maintained his gimmick and still limited the number of words he said. The only challenge that WWE creative may face is the fact that he doesn’t speak much, if at all. Obviously, that can be worked around, like we saw in NXT, but it will still pose a good and healthy challenge for creative.

Some ways creative can work around Lumis is by utilizing his relationships with Indi Hartwell, Johnny Gargano, Theory, and Candice LeRae if necessary. Lumis seems to have the fans’ attention with his spooky return, but the rest will be up to WWE to keep capitalizing on him.

Top Free Agents (Reported Draft Coming Soon)

Many outlets have begun to report that there are still many returns coming. With top free agents like Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae, and Bray Wyatt not signed to contracts, many believe that they may end up in WWE.

Fans have been speculating for weeks that the Gargano family will pop up on either Raw or SmackDown. As much of this is just speculation, Johnny Gargano has recent added gasoline to the fire by saying that he and Candice are going show up somewhere eventually and then encouraged fans to keep watching.

One of the most interesting names in the free agent pool has been Bray Wyatt. As his release came as a shock to many, Bray Wyatt has remained in the conversation when it comes to possible returns. Bray was always a top merch-seller in WWE, but he has not capitalized on his success much outside of the company. In his time away, Wyatt has only participated in one wrestling event, which was WrestleCon during this year’s WrestleMania weekend.

With it being reported that the draft could be happening shortly after Clash At The Castle, we may see some free agents and possibly NXT stars pop up on the main roster sooner than we think.

Adam Cole

Adam Cole is finally back on screen. While injured, Cole was able to orchestrate one of the biggest face turns in AEW history. Even though Cole is not yet cleared to wrestle, outlets are making it seem like we are nearing his return.

Since his debut, Cole has been positioned as one of the biggest names in AEW. Cole would’ve benefitted immensely from the injuries of Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson, and CM Punk if he didn’t get injured himself. It’s more than likely that Cole would’ve been the number one heel in the company.

However, with his return date possibly getting closer and closer, the timing of the breakup of The Undisputed Elite is incredibly interesting. The Trios tournament is set to begin this week, and we still don’t know who The Young Bucks are planning to team with. However, we do know, that by default, they will end up having problems with Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish.

CM Punk

CM Punk’s big return to Dynamite this week has brought life back to the top of the AEW card. Punk being an obvious fan favorite and coming back from his injury has created a buzz around AEW with his return hitting two million views on Youtube.

With Punk’s return, we can look forward to great promo segments coming up in the next few weeks, and of course his face-off with Jon Moxley. This match between Punk and Moxley would be one of the biggest matches in AEW, if not the biggest. This match is also going to be the main event at All Out and will be sure to bring fans through the doors. We can expect a blood bath at All Out once Punk and Moxley step foot into the ring. This will most likely become a lifelong blood feud between the two.

Another wrestler to keep in mind is Eddie Kingston. With Kingston being Moxley’s right-hand man and having a feud with Punk from last year, we can expect Kingston to have a hand in this feud. Punk’s return to AEW has been one of the biggest returns in the history of AEW, making way for the biggest main event in all of AEW history and some other major match ups along the way. 

• FTR vs BCC
• CM Punk vs Bryan Danielson
• CM Punk vs Wheeler Yuta
• CM Punk vs Claudio Castagnoli
• Eddie Kingston vs Dax Harwood

Bryan Danielson

The return of Bryan Danielson has already proven to be a major boost to the AEW men’s division. He has already put over Daniel Garcia in his return match, but Danielson has always been committed to investing in the new generation so this is no surprise.

Younger talent being able to work and train with Danielson is one of the best gifts that AEW could give to up-and-coming talent. Danielson not only has an eye for talent and potential, but he is still functioning at the highest level and is being labeled as the best wrestler in the world by many.

His debut almost a year ago at All Out changed the landscape of professional wrestling. His return could not have come at a better time as he is approaching one year in AEW. Moving forward, Danielson may not hold the top title in AEW, but he sure will continue a career-defining run of matches.

• Bryan Danielson vs CM Punk
• Bryan Danielson vs Dax Harwood
• Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley vs FTR
• Bryan Danielson vs Chris Jericho
• Bryan Danielson vs Sammy Guevara

Kenny Omega

Kenny Omega has been the longest-awaited return in AEW history. Omega has not stepped foot into the ring since he lost the belt to Hangman Page at Full Gear 2021. Many outlets have reported Omega is nearing his return date. However, we have yet to see his return to the ring.

With Tony Khan announcing the Trios Titles Tournament, this strongly hints at Omega’s return. The trios battling for the belts in the tournament are Death Triangle, Will Ospreay & Aussie Open, Los Ingobernables, House of Black, The Dark Order, Trustbusters, Best Friends, and lastly the Young Bucks, who have failed to find a replacement for Omega. The Young Bucks turned to Hangman Page and offered him a spot in their trio, only to be rejected.

Omega’s return would also bring the feud between himself and Adam Cole back to the center once he makes his return and Cole is cleared to wrestle. Omega also has a long history with the Elite and Undisputed Elite, which would be the first storyline once Omega makes his big return. Omega would make a splash in the AEW World Trios Championship Tournament alongside the Young Bucks. However, we continue to watch the Young Bucks scramble to find their third member.  

The Ric Flair’s Last Match event over WWE SummerSlam weekend, branded as part of Starrcast V, presented a surprising situation for wrestling fans. First of all, there was the matter of 73-year-old Flair wrestling at all, which defied the expectations of most people around what kind of activities a senior citizen could take part in. From there, the sheer interest in the card was remarkable.

On the side of wrestlers, the event took on a unique flavor with matches representing a wide variety of promotions taking place on the card. On the side of fans, there was enough interest to move from a small-scale event at the Nashville Fairgrounds to a full-fledged, more conventionally staged show at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

The event became the talk of social media and a draw on pay per view. Based on the success of what happened, questions arise about whether the same formula could apply with a different featured legend.

Ric Flair’s Last Match Represented A Unique Set Of Circumstances

Ric Flair is one of wrestling’s biggest legends and greatest talents, and has in some ways traded on being a crazy old man for the last 25 years-plus. It’s with these factors in mind that building a whole card around him having one more match could draw fans and fellow wrestlers alike.

It would not work to plug just anyone into such a spot. With all due respect to retired stars like Buff Bagwell or Marc Mero, they simply wouldn’t be able to command an audience like Flair.

Moreover, Ric Flair’s Last Match traded on family and tradition. The event was promoted by Flair’s son-in-law Conrad Thompson and featured another son-in-law, Andrade El Idolo, as The Nature Boy’s tag team partner. The show also tapped into the Jim Crockett Promotions name—branding synonymous with Flair’s heyday, and a brand there are plenty of fans in their thirties or older still have a lot of nostalgia for.

There Are A Handful Of Legends Who Might Pull Off Something Akin To Ric Flair’s Last Match

Tthe list of mostly-retired stars who could draw like Ric Flair is small, and there’s no one with as intimate a relationship to Conrad Thompson to work his marketing wizardry on putting the event together. There are, nonetheless, a handful of legends who conceivably could have an event like this built around them, too.

Hulk Hogan is the first name that comes to mind, who could likely pull off a performance at a comparable level to 73-year-old Flair, playing the greatest hits (albeit with fewer bumps), and tapping into a similar demographic of fans age-wise who were WWE stalwarts. Bret Hart comes to mind as well, as not quite the same level of cross over celebrity, but someone with an enormous following, particularly if such an event were to be staged in Canada.

For better or worse, most of the other candidates range from unlikely to impossible, be it for for clear lack of interest or ongoing connections to WWE, and WWE likely not being interested in promoting a show like this. Those stars include Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels. The Rock might also qualify, but his level of celebrity make him all the less likely to do something away from the WWE spotlight in wrestling.

The more realistic candidates may include legends like Mick Foley, Jerry Lawler, or Diamond Dallas Page (who all appeared at Ric Flair’s Last Match); Chris Jericho also seems like someone who could draw, though for now, that would be under the AEW banner.

A Show Like Ric Flair’s Last Match Could Be Built More Around The Supporting Cast

While advertising a show as the last match of any lesser star than Ric Flair probably wouldn’t be as much of a draw, it’s conceivable that a match like that could still be the main event, or at least a featured bout on another independently promoted, stand-alone event. After all, Ric Flair and Andrade El Idolo vs. Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett may have been the match that drew fans in Nashville, but it certainly wasn’t the objective best match of the night.

So, someone like Mick Foley wrestling one more match could draw, while top stars from AEW, ROH, Impact, or New Japan—or perhaps a crossover, “forbidden door” encounter like Josh Alexander vs. Jacob Fatu could close the show, especially if a promotion were willing to pull the trigger on a title change at such a show.

In the end, it may be for the best that Ric Flair’s Last Match remain a stand-alone, unique event in wrestling history. It probably shouldn’t become a pattern for geriatric wrestlers to risk their bodies or lives, and the precise circumstances surrounding this event probably won’t repeat themselves. However, when one event succeeds in wrestling, as in so many walks of life, there’s always a temptation to do it again or for imitators to arise. It will be interesting to see if this unprecedented event were to become a new template.

Now that Triple H is the Head of WWE Creative, let’s explore five changes we’d like to see with Triple H in charge.

This week, Vince McMahon announced his retirement from WWE, after decades of running the company. Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan are now Co-Chief Executive Officers, while Stephanie is the sole Chairwoman of WWE now.

McMahon’s retirement comes one month after he stepped down as CEO and Chairman of the Board, due to the allegations of misconduct against multiple female employees.

McMahon is alleged to have paid over $12 million in Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) over 16 years.

WWE executive Paul Levesque (Triple H) has assumed “all responsibilities related to WWE’s creative,” the company announced on July 25.

With Triple H officially running creative, let’s explore five things we’d like to see changed in WWE.

The Women’s Division

At Money In The Bank, we saw Liv Morgan become the SmackDown Women’s Champion. Though there are many thoughts to be had on the quickness of her cash in which you can read here. However, this is a historic title win. Since Liv won the title from Ronda Rousey, it marked the first exchange of the SmackDown Women’s Championship that didn’t include any of the Four Horsewomen since Natalya won it from Naomi in 2017. 

https://twitter.com/cashwheeIer/status/1543608560751415298?s=20&t=hGXX68LxEbZP7gY2eafv1w

With that noted, it seems like we are beginning to transition away from the crutches of the Four Horsewomen. To be fair, three out of the four are currently out of action. So, it is more likely that they are forced to rely on the younger generation. Regardless, it’s a win for the future of women’s wrestling.

Three out of the four horsewomen are currently not active in the company. Sasha Banks is suspended. Charlotte is still taking time off. And Bayley has not yet returning from her injury. So, the WWE has been forced to center the up-and-coming stars of the division. Liv Morgan finally had her moment at Money In The Bank and Bianca Belair got her redemption at WrestleMania 38. As the division moves forward, there are many women ready and waiting to become the present of the division.

The following WWE Superstars represent the future of the WWE Women’s Division and deserve the opportunity to fulfill their destiny: Rhea Ripley, Queen Zelina, Doudrop, Raquel Rodriquez, Xia Li, Alba Fyre, Cora Jade, Elektra Lopez, Indi Hartwell, Io Shirai, Ivy Nile, Tiffany Stratton, Sarray, Roxanne Perez and many others.

I would love to see more women’s matches added to Premium Live Events outside of the usual championship matches. On a show like Raw, with so much talent, the division would benefit from a more fleshed-out mid-card.

I believe in Triple H’s booking ability as he’s proven during his time in NXT that he can create stars in that division like Shayna Baszler, Rhea Ripley, Asuka, Ember Moon, Paige, Charlotte, Bayley, Sasha Banks, and many others.

Tag Team Wrestling 

One of the things that have fallen to the wayside in recent years is the art of tag team wrestling within WWE. With The Usos holding both championships, there are no teams that are viewed as actual contenders to the title.

Tag teams get split up within weeks within WWE. That goes for both the women’s and men’s tag team divisions. In NXT, we saw Cora Jade and Roxanne split up after only teaming together for about a month. None of the teams in the Women’s Tag Team Championship match that took place at WrestleMania 38 are currently together. The match featured the teams of Sasha Banks & Naomi, Carmella & Queen Zelina, Liv Morgan & Rhea Ripley, and Natalya & Shayna Baszler.

FTR have said that they left WWE because of the lack of effort put into the tag team division. By rejuvenating the tag team division, WWE may be able to grab some major tag teams. Obviously, this would help the company overall. There are also many tag teams in NXT that show incredible potential and may help to advance the status of the main roster tag team division like The Creed Brothers, The Dyad, Legado Del Fantasma, Pretty Deadly, and others.

Superstar Branding: Names & Theme Songs

One of the main changes we’ve witnessed within WWE recently is the change in how the superstars are being branded. Superstars are being presented with new names and theme songs. Many of these changes happen without explanation or good reason at all. 

Part of a superstar’s success is reliant on their identity and branding. For example, superstars like Edge, John Cena, Randy Orton, The Hardyz, Chris Jericho, and many others have incredibly memorable theme songs that make them easily recognizable.

People like Edge, Ciampa, Alexa Bliss, Riddle, Gunther, Wes Lee, Alba Fyre, Lacey Evans, Shayna Baszler, Liv Morgan, Theory, and many others have debuted new entrance music across all of WWE’s television. In the Royal Rumble, we saw how detrimental this could be when fans weren’t able to recognize superstars by their entrance music. 

A majority of these changes appear to be unnecessary. As a former wrestler, Triple H would be able to understand the importance of maintaining solid branding throughout your career. There would be a lot more synergy as superstars wouldn’t face full-on character changes when they move up to the main roster.

No More Unnecessary Name Changes

In 2022 alone, there have been 19 name changes. Some of the people who faced name changes had created a name for themselves outside of the WWE. Many believe this was likely the reason for the name change. The need to own everything is incredibly unnecessary as the legacy of the superstars should be prioritized.

Below, you will see the name changes that took place this year along with their previous name:

• Kacy Catanzaro became Katana Chance
• Kay Lee Ray became Alba Fyre
• Raul Mendoza became Cruz Del Toro
• Austin Theory became Theory
• Raquel Gonzalez became Raquel Rodriguez
• Marcel Barthel became Ludwig Kaiser
• Pretty Deadly: Lewis Howley became Elton Prince & Sam Stoker became Kit Wilson
• Elias became Ezekiel
• King Woods became Xavier Woods
• Kayla Inlay became Kiana James
• Pete Dunne became Butch
• Saurav became Sanga
• WALTER became Gunther
• Seth Rollins became Seth “Freakin” Rollins
• LA Knight became Max Dupri
• Tommaso Ciampa became Ciampa
• Robert Stone became Mr. Stone 
• Channing Lauren became Channing Lorenzo 
• Simone Johnson became Ava Raine

Fewer Rematches

A report by Fightful Select (subscription required) stated that with Triple H a person working in and near creative expected “recall of what we have and haven’t done repeatedly. There were so many things that Vince insisted on doing that I’m pretty sure he didn’t remember doing over and over again, even when people would tell him.”

One of the many reasons that WWE’s programming has begun to become “stale” is because of the use of rematches in storylines. This does nothing for the superstars or stories except trading wins and losses.

We have seen Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns way too many times. I don’t believe that this is because Vince forgot that they did the match, but because of the lack of original ideas. I also think that it’s possible that the writers in WWE have had original ideas but because of the authoritarian leadership of Vince, they were ignored or turned down.

Stars like Bianca Belair, Bobby Lashley, The Street Profits, Charlotte, and others have had their abilities limited due to the number of rematches they’ve been booked in. Most matches on regular TV programming are already short, and the intrigue of most matches is gone after doing them the week before. Many times we have also seen creative burn big matches by booking them too early or too many times in general. 

Fewer Premium Live Events

With WWE’s current schedule, there are 12 premium live event shows each year. The schedule of the premium live events only allows for about a month’s time to book a feud through the pay-per-view. 

In AEW, there are normally around three months in between pay-per-views. I’m not saying that it should be exactly that length, but spreading out the shows could make them all feel more important. For example, just leaving the big five pay-per-views: Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, Money In The Bank, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series would benefit programming so much.

A schedule adjustment could lead to an increase in the quality of TV programming. A change in schedule would make the matches become more meaningful. Time and time again we have seen WWE put meaningless matches on pay-per-views because they need to fill space. Most times the matches are just used as filler for the card. However, more storylines will gain true substance and will deserve to be on the card.

Ring of Honor has a long, important history that includes the rise of top wrestling talents and major stars like Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Samoa Joe, and quite a few others. The promotion gets particular credit for its role in keeping independent wrestling, and a more work-rate-oriented style alive and thriving.

That’s during a time after WCW and ECW were out of the picture and in a time when WWE turned to its bread and butter of churning out super hero types like John Cena and Batista in the mid-2000s.

The promotion lost some buzz over the years, though, and the emergence of AEW in particular seemed to displace ROH from the marketplace. So, it was quite a turn when AEW owner Tony Khan bought ROH and announced the brand would carry forward.

Death Before Dishonor will be ROH’s first PPV since Supercard of Honor over WrestleMania weekend, and perhaps more importantly, its first PPV formally under the ownership of Tony Khan.

• ROH Death Before Dishonor Preview

What Is Claudio Castagnoli’s Future?

Claudio Castagnoli was arguably the hottest free agent in wrestling after he declined a contract renewal offer from WWE. The rumor mill suggested he might wind up back under the WWE banner, but the landscape changed when he instead debuted for AEW, making an immediate impact as a mystery opponent for Zack Sabre Jr. at Forbidden Door and an addition to the Blackpool Combat Club, factoring into the second-ever Blood and Guts Match.

At Death Before Dishonor, Castagnoli challenges John Gresham for the ROH Championship. Given his WWE pedigree and the momentum he’s established in AEW so far, he wouldn’t be out of place winning.

However, reigning as ROH Champion would seem to imply more of a commitment to that brand—not that Castagnoli couldn’t still appear for AEW, but that he might be less likely to move into the AEW Championship picture or otherwise become firmly entrenched in the Dynamite rotation. The results Saturday night may be very telling about the former-Cesaro’s future.

Does The Show Have An AEW PPV Atmosphere?

AEW can be polarizing among the wrestling community, but one point that falls undeniably in their favor is that their hardcore fans create an electric atmosphere every time AEW stages a major show.

AEW PPVs in particular have a strong record of not only satisfying fans with their match quality and booking, but the crowd contributing to the success of the show, staying lively even for almost all of a marathon show like May’s Double or Nothing.

ROH Death Before Dishonor can’t necessarily be expected to emulate quite that same feeling, with a bit less passionate pre-established fan base, a bit less marquee talent, and a venue with only about half the capacity of buildings AEW typically runs for PPVs.

Just the same, with the buzz of AEW crossovers, not to mention ROH relaunching, there is reason for optimism, and it will be interesting to see if the live crowd makes this show feel like a huge deal before the first bell even rings.

How this atmosphere plays out may prove important in determining how Tony Khan and company approach ROH on the whole moving forward.

Where Does FTR Go From Here?

FTR is one of the most talented tandems of their generation, clearly committed to the tag team craft, and earning endorsements from no lesser names than Bret Hart and CM Punk. Many fans anticipated they’d be challengers to and likely as not take the AEW Tag Team Championship off The Young Bucks, but that honor went to Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland.

There are all manner of possibilities for where the AEW tag titles go from here, but if FTR retains the ROH Tag Team Championship at Death Before Dishonor, it does create questions of whether they’ll be more focused on defending those titles than chasing gold in AEW.

One way or another, FTR vs. The Briscoe Brothers is likely to be great—especially under Two-Out-Of-Three-Falls rules—but there’s a question baked into the result about whether FTR gives The Briscoes their win back and moves on to other things, or cements themselves among ROH’s top acts.

Will Women’s Wrestling Steal The Show?

Merceds Martinez has impressed as a dominant ROH Women’s Champion since spring, showcasing the hard-hitting and technical style she never quite got to put on display during her WWE tenure. At Death Before Dishonor, she faces one of the most intriguing challengers available to her an another seasoned veteran and a legit technical wizard—Serena Deeb.

Like other title matches on this card, there’s a possibility the loser, in particular, may be featured in AEW in the near future. The bigger question, though, is if ROH may do the unlikely and emerge with a women’s title match that steals the show on Saturday, or perhaps even arrives as a consensus pick for one of the best women’s matches anywhere this year.

How Separate Will ROH Be From AEW?

One of the key questions that will hang over fans throughout Death Before Dishonor is the degree to which the event signals a new birth for ROH, or the degree to which ROH talent will remain more of a subsection of the AEW roster.

Wrestling fans are conditioned to feel jaded about separate wrestling brands under the same ownership, given WWE’s less than consistent handling of its different rosters over the years. On one hand fans might have more faith in Tony Khan to differentiate; on the other hand, the Forbidden Door concept he’s so infatuated with may mean that, by design, Khan keeps the borders between AEW and ROH loose.

Regardless, Death Before Dishonor may signal what the future holds in terms how much this show feels like an extension of AEW, who goes over, if any AEW talent make surprise appearances, or how the evening otherwise turns out.

ROH Death Before Dishonor 2022 may have more buzz around it than any ROH-branded event in years for all of the questions hanging over it, the brand’s absence making fans hunger for it, and talents like Claudio Castagnoli and Samoa Joe being back in the mix. However, the major matches play out and wherever the titles fall, it’s sure to be an event worth watching, and one that charts a course for ROH and AEW in different ways moving forward.

When you think of all the big moments in WWE history over the last quarter of the century, chances are Michael Cole was ringside.

The longtime broadcaster transitioned from hard news to the wacky world of pro wrestling/sports entertainment in the midst of the “Monday Night War.” Cole learned early on this meant more than calling matches. He was tested on every level, even feeling the sophomoric brunt of DX complete with wedgies.

No matter what assignment, Cole always maintained the utmost professionalism and did his job. It was that consistency that saw him step into the lead announcer seat while Jim Ross battled Bell’s palsy.  

This was no easy task as JR had been the beloved voice of WWE for so many years and fans aren’t the best with change. Still, Cole took on the challenge, which included calling Mick Foley’s first WWE championship win, the 1999 Royal Rumble, and everything besides the main event of WrestleMania 15. Talk about trial by fire.

When Ross returned, Cole’s work ethic and preparedness shined through, taking the ball while sitting along Taz on SmackDown. He built a solid friendship and rapport with John “Bradshaw” Layfield no matter what brand they were assigned. 

One of the most valuable traits Cole carries is being able to cancel out the outside noise and remain the voice of the company. That’s no small task when you have a very demanding audience coupled with an even more demanding boss to please.

At times WWE seemed to be pitting Ross against Cole, even in front of the camera. Their “feud” led to a match with the leader of the “Cole Miners” facing Ross’ broadcast partner and friend Jerry “The King” Lawler at WrestleMania 27. A match Cole technically won. Yes, he is undefeated at the biggest show of the year. 

During the often revolving door at the broadcast position, Cole keeps on as the reliable constant. The familiar. Looking at all the episodes and hours of programming produced, it’s pretty incredible that he rarely missed a day on the job. A son’s wedding or the like. Think about all the sacrifices required for the position. To be depended on that much comes with immense pressure. Yet he always looks cool as a cucumber. As Ross exited, Cole became even more crucial to WWE TV.

He has also played an important part in grooming the next generation as vice president of announcing. You see the evolution and growth of Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett, Byron Saxton, and Corey Graves each week, as well as new faces like a recruit from the combat sports world in Jimmy Smith.

Cole encourages talent to step outside of their comfort zones as he did with a Lita or Beth Phoenix for the Mae Young Classic or NXT or another show. Or giving his support to Renee Young trying her hand in the proverbial booth. In 2018, he went as far as to tweet Young’s first trailblazing night on Raw was a Top 5 highlight in his WWE career. He thanked Young and Graves for making him feel young again. 

Fast forward to today and it seems Cole shares the same sentiment with Pat McAfee. Their chemistry on SmackDown is undeniable. Not surprisingly WWE signed the former football player for a multi-year extension. Cole came on Twitter for the first time in almost six years just to comment on the news. He said McAfee is the highlight of each week, complimenting his contagious excitement and revitalizing his love for the business. Often showing Cole respect on the air, you have to believe those words meant a lot to McAfee. 

For Cole to not only last but thrive in WWE for more than 25 years and counting is a massive accomplishment. And the fact nobody has ever talked ill about him, at least in public, makes the run even more impressive. I for one look forward to the day Cole writes a book about his experience in WWE. Although that could probably be an anthology or weekly podcast. I’m sure Conrad Thompson has thought about the potential of that. Until then during the next SmackDown, think about Cole’s journey. You’ll certainly feel an appreciation for the man himself.

A lot can happen between now and WWE Survivor Series 2022. It’s possible Roman Reigns will lose the his unified world title to Brock Lesnar in their Last Man Standing Match at SummerSlam.

Theory is also lurking with his Money in the Bank briefcase, offering a way for Reigns to drop his titles while both saving face and pushing a fresh talent whom WWE seems highly invested in. Drew McIntyre is the presumptive challenger to Reigns at Clash at the Castle, and if there were ever a time to reinstate The Scottish Superstar on top, that would be the venue.

However, the prevailing wisdom is that The Head of the Table will remain on top until at least WrestleMania 39, where he has a rumored dream match awaiting him with The Rock, or else the possibility of WWE going all the way with a returning Cody Rhodes and having him unseat Reigns.

So what should WWE do in the mean time? The answer may sit no further than the SmackDown broadcast table.

No One Thinks Reigns Is Going To Lose At Survivor Series

One of the more awkward dimensions of Roman Reigns having such a long reign atop WWE as that the more time goes by, the more certain it seems he’s keeping the title until at least WrestleMania 39. Moreover, there seems to be less and less chance of him dropping the title to an underdog, as it would disrupt not only The Tribal Chief’s reign, but the aura of invincibility the company has carefully cultivated around him over the last two years. This dynamic hit its nadir when Finn Balor challenged Reigns, and absolutely no one bit on even the Demon version of Balor pulling off that win.

The bottom line is that, unless WWE were to pull the trigger early on bringing back The Rock, it’s hard to fathom anyone beating Reigns at what’s, at best, the fourth biggest PPV on WWE’s calendar, especially so close to the launch of the Road to WrestleMania.

If There’s No Drama About Who’s Winning Or Losing, WWE’s Job Is To Make The Story And Match As Entertaining As Possible

The question of who will win or lose a match is one of the most fundamental sources of drama professional wrestling has at its disposal. Once the outcome of a match is no longer in doubt, WWE has to find other ways of creating drama and entertainment for fans.

The 1989 trilogy of matches between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat is widely remembered as one of the greatest series of bouts in wrestling history. Ask a more casual fan who won which matches out of the three, though, and they may well not be able to say. This was a case of match quality superseding the outcomes of the contests at hand.

Similarly when Cactus Jack challenged Big Van Vader in a Texas Death Match at WCW Halloween Havoc 1993, there was little question The Mastodon would retain the WCW Championship. It was brutality, storyline, and a wild blow-off match that became iconic, though.

If WWE is unwilling to have Roman Reigns drop the WWE Championship at Survivor Series and everyone knows it, WWE’s job is to find other means of delivering the most entertaining story possible. Pat McAfee is the man to deliver.

Pat McAfee Is The Most Entertaining Man In WWE Today

Pat McAfee is a truly unique phenom in the landscape of WWE. His run at the SmackDown broadcast table has placed him among the best color commentators, and indeed one of the best talkers in general in all of wrestling. Moreover, he has exceeded expectations in his every WWE match to date.

McAfee beat Theory at WrestleMania, and it stands to reason he’ll prevail over Happy Corbin at SummerSlam as well. These victories will ultimately make him about as credible as any full-time babyface on the WWE roster—at least in terms of kayfabe—to challenge Roman Reigns for his undisputed championship.

Between his gift for gab on the mic and his tendency to over-deliver each time he steps in a wrestling ring, Pat McAfee is an ideal choice to tide over Roman Reigns through the fall, before he gets to more competitive title defenses in WrestleMania season.

Roman Reigns has accomplished a great deal in his WWE career. Not least of all, he has main evented WrestleMania six times to date, placing him behind only Triple H (a seven-time WrestleMania main eventer) and Hulk Hogan (an eight-time WrestleMania main eventer) for the most appearances in the last match of the show ever.

WrestleMania 39 could mark a unique opportunity for The Head of the Table to move into a tie for the number one spot, by main eventing both night one and night two of the biggest show of the year.

WWE Needs Reigns For Two WrestleMania Scenarios

Assuming he’s healthy to compete, it’s all but a given that Roman Reigns will work at least one WrestleMania main event in 2023.  However, WWE finds itself an extraordinary circumstance in which there are two feuds that demand his presence. One is his widely rumored showdown with The Rock that has been the subject of speculation for years at this point.

WrestleMania 39 is the perfect stage for Rock vs. Reigns, for happening in Los Angeles with the backdrop of Dwayne Johnson’s movie stardom, and for some assurance that the pandemic won’t prevent a capacity crowd for both nights of ‘Mania in 2023. On top of that, the window may be narrowing on Rock being physically able to work a full-impact match at this level, besides which Reigns has attained a level of stardom to justify a showdown of this magnitude.

Cody Rhodes also figures into a WrestleMania main event scenario, though. The American Nightmare made a triumphant return at WrestleMania 38 and won a trilogy of matches opposite Seth Rollins. While his pectoral muscle injury threatened to derail his momentum, the gutsy performance he put on at Hell in a Cell only added to the mythos around the man.

Rhodes returning at and winning the Royal Rumble feel all but inevitable, as long his recovery progresses in time. While, in theory, WWE could split the world titles and have Rhodes challenge someone other than Reigns, he’s also about the only full-time WWE Superstar who feels realistic to “pull the sword from the stone” and reign as champion after The Tribal Chief.

Reigns Beating The Rock Is The Perfect Capstone to his Historic Title Reign

As much as The Rock is a legitimate A-List celebrity and ultra-credible in the world of wrestling, it doesn’t make much sense for him to win a world title at this point. He’s fifty years old and entrenched in Hollywood. Rather than Rock beating Roman Reigns, he’d be the perfect man to give his cousin his “lifetime achievement award”—a victory over a full-blown icon to cap his historic title reign.

The ideal scenario could see Reigns beat Rock in a hard-fought match at night one of WrestleMania 39. From there, Reigns would be on a whole new level to move on to his underdog challenger, Cody Rhodes, for night two.

Cody Rhodes Should Be the Man to Beat Roman Reigns

One of the challenges the John Cena vs. The Rock rivalry faced from 2011 to 2013 was The Great One’s limited schedule. The part-time status left Cena holding the bag to cut promos on his own and work a field of other opponents, with the knowledge he was always going to find himself feuding with Rock in the end.

While Roman Reigns has already transitioned to a reduced schedule, it’s reasonable to expect he’ll be around plenty in WrestleMania season, at least cutting promos. For The Rock, he’ll surely make some appearances, but can’t be expected to be present week in and week out.

Enter Cody Rhodes. After winning the Royal Rumble, The American Nightmare can be the man who’s present every week to push his own issue with Reigns. Moreover, while Rhodes doesn’t have Rock’s star power, he can lean into that with his family’s working class ethos—selling that he’s the one who always shows up to work and busts his butt.

Rhodes beating Reigns at night two of WrestleMania 39 could tell a terrific underdog story, besides even protecting The Head of the Table with him having the excuse that he was worn down from working a big match the night before.

WWE’s Future is Wide Open After WrestleMania 39

A part of Roman Reigns being pushed so definitively as the top star in WWE—including two years as Universal Champion and already having WrestleMania main event victories in back-to-back years—is the presumption the company was setting up the intergenerational, intrafamily dream match between him and The Rock. With that match out of the way, and with the historic reign having run its course, WWE will be free to think outside the box with its top title and with Reigns himself.

What will that mean for the company, its top title, and its top star? Part of the fun is that that future is unclear. While there is merit to long-term booking and the credibility of a long-reigning champion, the scenario of Reigns winning one main event and losing the other at WrestleMania 39 opens up all manner of possibilities for where things might head next, making the top of the card less predictable than its been since 2020.

It’s too soon to predict what will happen at WrestleMania 39 with much accuracy, and there is a case to be made that it’s better to spread the ‘Mania main event wealth than concentrating it all on Roman Reigns. That’s especially the case with Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey also rumored for the show. Nonetheless, working these two matches, in back-to-back nights of main events would fit the push WWE has bestowed upon Roman Reigns and offer an epic conclusion to his storied reign atop the company.

When news broke that Logan Paul signed with WWE there was the usual response. You know. The one where certain fans have that knee-jerk reaction of, “Here comes _____insert celebrity___ to collect their payday.”

They can’t stand when someone, an “outsider,” comes into the pro wrestling world to take up television time or a spot from someone else. The common response has become a “one size fits all.”  In actuality, it has been a mixed bag. 

Mr. T may have not been the easiest to work with for the likes of Roddy Piper, but boy did it create big business in the 1980s. His involvement helped put WrestleMania on the map. Even Lawrence Taylor put on a stellar performance against Bam Bam Bigelow in the main event at WrestleMania 11 no less. Dennis Rodman helped take WCW and the nWo further into the mainstream through his involvement. 

Over the years WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Kevin Greene, and countless others could be credited for a positive uptick. Along with Paul,  Bad Bunny, and Johnny Knoxville are among notable recent successes. You can even mark MMA legends Ken Shamrock and Ronda Rousey in that upper echelon of seamless crossovers.

Celebrities who excel in pro wrestling

Usually, those who tend to do well come in humble with a willing-to-learn attitude. They genuinely wanted to pick up each facet of this unique form of sports and entertainment.  

Of course, there was Jay Lenos, Drew Careys, and Kevin Federlines. Though even not-so-good outings, the one constant remained. Drawing new eyes to the product The pro wrestling fan base tends to live in a bubble without thinking big picture.

Bunny merch was right up there in top merch sellers during his run. Whether you like Paul or not, he brings buzz and a massive social media following. And in 2022 that’s prime currency. 

The 27-year-old also looks seemingly committed to putting in the work. That was evident at WrestleMania 38 where he teamed with The Miz against the Mysterios and impressed a global audience. Yes, Miz and Rey Mysterio are veterans who know how to elevate opponents, but Paul also brought athletic ability and somewhat of a fighting background. He has done some serious training. The viral YouTube star demonstrated how to work an audience working alongside true pros in Sami Zayne and Kevin Owens.

There is a clear interest in Paul joining WWE. His name trended on Twitter while his image became the most liked photo on Instagram in company history. It’s a good start, but wrestling fans are hard to please. The keyboard warriors, the trolls that lurk on Twitter and the like. Paul is used to managing the social media waters. But pro wrestling has proven to be its own animal that can’t be put in one category or box. 

His first test comes in a program with The Miz. Someone who came into WWE from Real World notoriety, which put a similar target as Paul will experience on a certain scale. Through unwavering determination, Miz changed many detractors’ minds and clawed for every accolade. Paul is going to have to do the same.

We’ll see what happens heading into SummerSlam. Whether he excels or has a run that goes up in flames, one thing is for sure. People will be watching. 

The Blackpool Combat Club has become a real favorite among AEW fans. The faction features some of the company’s best-liked stars in Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, and most recently Claudio Castagnoli, not to mention up and comer Wheeler Yuta, and the foundation of William Regal standing in their corner. Together, they tap into a combination of a hard-nosed but technically sound style, real life bonds, and an undeniable cool factor.

Now that Moxley reigns as interim AEW Champion, it feels like only a matter of time before CM Punk will clash with him to decide an undisputed champ after he returns from injury. Might that be the gateway, though, to a much longer story in which Punk crosses paths with the other members of Mox’s faction?

Punk Defeats Moxley in the AEW Championship Unification Match

When CM Punk returns from injury, it stands to reason that he would win a title unification match over whomever reigns as the interim champ. After all, Punk was a major score for AEW to sign in the first place, and every indication is that Tony Khan wholeheartedly believes in him as a standard-bearer for the company. So, we can expect Punk to pick up where he left off when he is able to return to action.

It’s hard to predict where creative will go in the months ahead, and, all the more so, recent months have demonstrated that fans can’t take anything for granted when it comes to wrestling injuries. If he stays healthy and there aren’t major creative shifts, though, it seems likely Jon Moxley will hold the interim title until he can face Punk.

Rather than a one-off confrontation between Punk and Mox for who gets to call himself champion, it be a multi-match feud, and also the starting point for Punk fighting his way through more of The Blackpool Combat Club.

CM Punk Successfully Defends The AEW Championship Against Bryan Danielson

Since CM Punk and Bryan Danielson both arrived in AEW in late summer 2021, it became an instant dream scenario that the two might reprise the classics they previously put on together in ROH and WWE rings.

Danielson worked in the AEW Championship picture immediately upon his debut, challenging Kenny Omega and Hangman Page, while Punk bided his time, getting the ring rust off before he had his first title opportunity at Double or Nothing.

Moving forward, Danielson is the kind of talent who will never feel out of place in a main event scenario, and there’s every potential for him to put on a classic against Punk in one of his first major AEW Championship defenses. Adding on some ongoing animosity between Punk and the stable Danielson and Jon Moxley have been such an integral part of would only enrich their issue.

CM Punk Passes The Torch, Dropping The AEW Championship To Claudio Castagnoli

CM Punk worked his WWE debut opposite Darby Allin and went onto PPV feuds opposite Eddie Kingston, MJF, and Hangman Page—each less established stars who more than held their own, but also benefited from the rub of feuding with Punk.

In facing Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson, Punk would be taking a step away from this trajectory, working fellow WWE alumni and wrestlers who have won world titles in their pasts. Punk can get back to giving back to the business in a feud with Claudio Castagnoli to wrap up his engagement with The Blackpool Combat Club.

There remains an open questions whether talents who defect from WWE to AEW are better off. Christian Cage, Toni Storm, Keith Lee, Miro, Samoa Joe, Ruby Soho, and others are among the big names who remain in a gray area of making a big splash when they arrive, and then moving into the background.

Castagnoli could wind up being the case to prove AEW’s willingness and ability to elevate underappreciated talents. He’s long overdue to be booked as a top guy, and it would make a major statement for him to get a legit main event push and world title reign after beating Punk in the classic match this duo is more than capable of putting together.

There’s no shortage of great promos, storylines, and matches awaiting CM Punk opposite The Blackpool Combat Club in the months to come. It could be a testament to the faction, Punk, and AEW on the whole to see their collaborative effort ultimately elevate the uber-talented Claudio Castagnoli to new career heights.

WCW Fall Brawl 1997 saw a traditional WarGames match pitting the Four Horsemen against representatives of the New World Order. The pairing made sense with the Horsemen traditional masters of the gimmick against the faction that was in many ways their successors as main event heels and WarGames fixtures (they’d feature in WarGames scenarios from 1996 until the company stopped running these specialty matches).

The main point fans remember from this match, though, was that newly minted Horseman Curt Hennig turned on his allies to join the nWo, costing them the match and arguably putting the last nail in the coffin of The Horsemen as a legitimate threat. What if Hennig hadn’t turned heel at all, but rather remained a Horseman?

WarGames Itself Might Have Been Great

The 1997 edition of WarGames wasn’t bad—certainly not as poor as the more experimental editions in the years to come that were really only WarGames in name. Nonetheless, it didn’t stand out and most fans only remember it for Curt Hennig promptly turning on his team and setting up a nasty finish with him threatening to slam Ric Flair’s head in the cage door to get his teammates to surrender.

While Hennig was no longer in his prime, he was still an elite worker. His efforts, combined with Flair’s, and with Syxx on the opposing side could have made for one of the last great WarGames matches in WCW, whether or not the Horsemen won in the end.

Curt Hennig Might Have Been A WCW Main Eventer

Curt Hennig is often considered one of the great missed opportunities as it pertained to all-around talents whom WWE never pushed to full-fledged main event status. WCW could have made good, minting their own new top guy with a babyface Hennig, backed by The Horsemen, a credible challenger to Hulk Hogan’s WCW title, and perhaps even a world champion.

Hennig was the kind of performer who might have singlehandedly elevated the WCW main event picture, including headlining opposite fellow stars who could go in the ring like Randy Savage or Scott Hall, besides still working feuds with Bret Hart or Diamond Dallas Page with more stakes attached.

The nWo Vs. The Four Horsemen Might Have Been A Great Faction Feud

Looking back, on paper, fans might think of the New World Order vs. The Four Horsemen as a great rivalry between iconic stables. The reality is that the Hollywood Hogan and company mostly dominated the feud, outsmarting The Horsemen when it mattered and prevailing in most major match scenarios.

Part of the problem was that The Horsemen were hamstrung with outstanding talents like Dean Malenko, who nonetheless weren’t over with fans at the main event level, leaving Ric Flair as their only star with the credibility to hang with the top five or so stars of the nWo.

Curt Hennig could have bridged that gap, pushed as a top-level babyface who re-legitimized the group, rather than getting lost in the shuffle as just another guy in the nWo. Like the very best faction feuds, this one might have run across multiple team scenarios and different one-on-one matches between the two lineups.

In the end, we’ll never know quite what would have been if Curt Hennig had stuck with The Four Horsemen rather than joining the nWo. Just the same, Hennig did feel like a squandered talent there for his forgettable work with the nWo after the original turn and getting wedged into The West Texas Rednecks faction, which he made the most of but was a bit beneath his talents. Working alongside Ric Flair as the top Horsemen—and perhaps even still feuding with him in time—could have been special.

WWE presents Money in the Bank this Saturday live on pay-per-view from Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

SEScoops correspondents Andrew Ravens, Jaycele Nicole and Tyriece Simon have gotten together to provide our official WWE Money in the Bank predictions.

Check back Saturday for our live coverage and post-PPV reaction video.

Plus:

SEScoops correspondent @StephanieHypes will be on hand for #WWE #MITB this Saturday night

Follow us on Instagram for on-site photos and videos live from Las Vegas https://t.co/QGo6O4IMZm pic.twitter.com/4KUR9zS3yk

— SEScoops (@sescoops) June 29, 2022

Here are our WWE MITB 2022 Predictions:

United States Champion Theory vs. Bobby Lashley

Jaychele Nicole: Like I predicted at Hell In A Cell, I’m going with Theory again. The people in WWE really seem to get behind Theory and really see something in him. Bobby Lashley seems to be a pretty good matchup for him. However, as we move toward SummerSlam, it’s more and more obvious that Theory will likely be facing John Cena at the ‘Biggest Party Of The Summer.’ I can’t see a scenario where Theory loses to Lashley leading up to this huge, career-making matchup with one of WWE’s biggest stars of all time. (Prediction: Theory)

Andrew Ravens: I still think Theory will wrestle Cena at SummerSlam and although the story could be Cena going after the title, the feud doesn’t need it. In fact, if the title is on the line then it makes it even more clear that Cena won’t be beating Theory. Lashley has been pushed strong once again and a run as the US Champion will keep him away from Roman Reigns. If WWE does do the Theory vs. Cena match then they got to keep Theory somewhat strong enough to face Cena so Lashley can’t destroy him. (Prediction: Bobby Lashley)

Tyriece Simon: This match is difficult to call because I can see how either Theory or Bobby Lashley can win. The champion has been teasing a match with John Cena, and I can see WWE adding Theory vs. Cena at Summerslam. However, Lashley has received good reactions and could be a strong babyface to hold the United States Championship. WWE doesn’t have a male mid-card babyface champion right now, so Lashley could fill that void. I also don’t think you need Theory to be champion to face Cena at Summerslam if that is what WWE wants to happen. Theory will likely retain, but I’ll say Lashley becomes your new champion. (Prediction: Bobby Lashley

Consensus: Bobby Lashley

Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Carmella

Andrew Ravens: I understand why WWE put Carmella in this spot as they need someone for Belair to beat and Carmella had been out of the mix for a little while. It should be a fine match with Belair going over. (Prediction: Bianca Belair)

Jaychele Nicole: Without a doubt, I think this is Bianca Belair’s match. 100%. It’s ironic how around this time last year Bianca was in a championship match with Carmella as well, except it was for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. As this is a last minute replacement since Rhea Ripley was supposed to face Bianca for the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam, I can’t see Carmella winning the belt. Carmella was also the most unlikely winner in the Raw contender’s five-way, so I can’t see her dethroning Bianca. This is mostly because of Bianca’s momentum and her current star power. (Prediction: Bianca Belair)

Tyriece Simon: I think Belair gets the clean win against Carmella. The champion was supposed to face Rhea Ripley, so I don’t see her losing the title at Money in the Bank. (Prediction: Bianca Belair)

Consensus: Bianca Belair

Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The Street Profits

Tyriece Simon: I have the Usos retaining the titles at Money in the Bank, but I can see the feud extending to Summerslam. The Champions still have momentum, and I don’t see the Bloodline faction losing their titles anytime soon. It should be a great match, and I’m looking carefully at how Montez Ford performs in the match. I can also see WWE possibly breaking up the Street Profits and making Ford a singles star soon. (Prediction: The Usos)

Andrew Ravens: And we’re back to this feud once again. It will be a really good match and while I can understand the argument as to why there should be a title change, I don’t think it will happen. The Usos will lose the titles shortly before Roman Reigns does and that’s not happening anytime soon. (Prediction: The Usos)

Jaychele Nicole: As much as I wish that The Street Profits were winning, this is The Usos match. I don’t see anything changing with the structure of The Bloodline. I would be interested to see the spiral of Roman and The Bloodline if The Usos were to lose the titles here. I think that the match will be good, and I believe that The Street Profits, specifically Montez Ford, are overdue for some gold. I’m hopeful that their time is coming soon, but I don’t think it’s happening at Money In The Bank, at least this year’s show anyway that is. (Prediction: The Usos)

Consensus: The Usos

Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Andrew Ravens: I’m taking Seth Rollins here. Drew McIntyre previously called out Roman Reigns for Clash at the Castle and I don’t see them making the match official in advance with McIntyre being the MITB holder. Also, WWE likes surprise cash-ins so that eliminates McIntyre in my mind. Rollins should go over. He lost three straight times to Cody Rhodes and really needs to be built up again. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)

Jaychele Nicole: I am pretty torn on this match. Right now, my top two predictions would be Seth Rollins or Drew McIntyre. I’m truly hoping for another Seth run with the briefcase because of how much I enjoyed his last reign with the belt. I think that Seth’s recent character would be able to turn his run with the briefcase into something super entertaining. At the same time, I don’t think you can ever count out Drew and his unpredictability in these big matches. I am also possibly very fearful that the WWE might just pull a fast one on all fans and give the contract to Omos. I really hope this isn’t the case, but I wouldn’t put it past the company. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)

Tyriece Simon: Seth Rollins is the best option to win this match. He’s possibly having the best run of his WWE career, and giving him the Money in the Bank briefcase would only improve his character. I also think that Rollins holding the briefcase and winning a WWE Championship could set up a perfect story for Cody Rhodes’s return feud. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)

Consensus: Seth “Freakin” Rollins

SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Natalya

Jaychele Nicole: Like Bianca, I think this is Ronda’s match as well. Natalya has been incredibly entertaining in this feud, especially knowing how close the two are behind the scenes. I’m not sure if this match will be good, but I’m sure that Nattie will do or say a few things that will get a pop out of me. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)

Andrew Ravens: Although no one sees Natalya as a real threat to Rousey, credit to WWE for at least making this feud interesting. Rousey should go over and will do so, but it will be interesting to see who they can build up next for Rousey at SummerSlam. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)

Tyriece Simon: I have Rousey retaining the Smackdown Women’s Championship. This seems like a short feud to have Rousey on the card and defend her title. It should be an interesting technical match. Natalya is a great opponent for Rousey to work with, and I think she’ll have a good showing. I think ultimately, Rousey gets Natalya in the armbar and moves on from this rivalry. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)

Consensus: Ronda Rousey

Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Andrew Ravens: I would like to see Raquel win here, but I don’t think it will happen. Two names make the most sense to me and that’s Asuka and Alexa Bliss. I’ll slightly side with Bliss here as she’s been strongly pushed since coming back and a few more months of build will help cap off her surprise cash-in. (Prediction: Alexa Bliss)

Tyriece Simon: This match is interesting to predict because I can see two viable winners. Becky Lynch and Lacey Evans have the best chances of winning the briefcase. Lynch’s character has been on a downward spiral since losing to Bianca Belair, and it would make sense to give her the briefcase to get her swagger back. However, I can see a scenario where she gets close but loses. WWE is trying to build up Lacey Evans, and It’s an excellent opportunity to make a new contender for the Women’s championship for either Smackdown or Raw. I can see Lynch winning the match, but I lean more toward WWE giving Evans the win. (Prediction: Lacey Evans)

Jaychele Nicole: I also have two favorites to win this match. I’ve heard a few people predict that Raquel Rodriguez will be winning, but I really hope that doesn’t happen. I’m hoping that either Liv Morgan or Alexa Bliss win this year’s Women’s Money In The Bank. I’m very hopeful that this year’s Women’s Money In The Bank winner will hold the briefcase for longer than a few hours or one day like may have previously. I’m hoping that this year is Liv Morgan’s year. She’s gaining so much momentum that I really believe it’s her time, but at the same time, I said the same thing last year. (Prediction: Liv Morgan)

Consensus: Split

Money In The Bank will always be a piece of WWE’s history. 2022 brings the 13th edition of MITB as a standalone show.

A newer piece of said history is that of the few women’s Money In The Bank matches we’ve seen. Due to the women’s revolution, the female performers in WWE got the opportunity to fight for the Money In The Bank contract like men.

So far, there have been six Women’s Money In The Bank matches, all but one being on under the pay-per-view titled after the match. Charlotte Flair has been included in 3/5 of the cash-ins with Carmella, Bayley, and Nikki A.S.H. cashing in on Charlotte. Natalya has been in the most matches with her participating in 5/6 of the Women’s Money In The Bank matches. 

Throughout the years, the women’s MITB match has always been one that many look forward to. Sadly, fans have come to not expect much of the run that the winner would have with the briefcase.

Carmella is the only woman to hold the briefcase for more than one day. Carmella held the briefcase longer than Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Asuka, and Nikki A.S.H. with both of her reigns with the case being more than a day. The briefcase and the contract inside of it can do many things to help boost the character and star power of the person holding it. We even saw this in the case of Carmella, but stars like Big E, Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus, and other have benefitted from their time with the contract immensely.

Women’s Money In The Bank Reigns

Women’s MITB #1 & 2: Carmella (2 Days & 287 Days)

Carmella is the first, and somehow second, Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. The first-ever Women’s Money In The Bank match took place at Money In The Bank 2017. In the infamous match, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Tamina and Carmella competed for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Money In The Bank contract. Carmella became the inaugural WWE Women’s Money In The Bank winner because James Ellsworth retrieved the briefcase for Carmella and dropped it to her. 

Carmella was stripped of the briefcase because of the interference. A rematch was scheduled for two days later on the June 27, 2017 episode of SmackDown Live. Carmella won the match herself this time. She held the contract for 287 days, which is the longest of any wrestler, male or female, to hold the contract. Carmella would go on to cash in her contract on Charlotte Flair. This would lead to Carmella becoming the SmackDown Women’s Champion on the April 10, 2018 episode of SmackDown. 

Women’s MITB #3: Alexa Bliss (1 Hour, 10 Minutes)

Alexa Bliss is the third Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. Alexa won the Women’s Money In The Bank match at Money In The Bank 2018. She defeated Ember Moon, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Lana, Naomi, and Sasha Banks to get the contract. The match included stars from both brands, so the winner would be able to cash-in on the champion of their own brand. This started the trend of allowing stars of different brands to fight for the same MITB contract.

Alexa was the first woman to cash in the briefcase on the same day she won it. Later in the night, Nia Jax was defending the RAW Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey, when Bliss decided to make her move. Bliss attacked both women before cashing in. This cash in lead to a SummerSlam 2018 match with Bliss and Rousey. 

Women’s MITB #4: Bayley (39 Minutes)

Bayley was the fourth Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. She won the Women’s Money In The Bank match at Money In The Bank 2019. In the match were the following: Natalya, Dana Brooke, Naomi, Nikki Cross, Mandy Rose, Ember Moon, Carmella, and Bayley. 

Bayley cashed in her Money In The Bank contract only 39 minutes later. She attacked Charlotte Flair who had just won the SmackDown Women’s Title from Becky Lynch seconds before. This victory over Charlotte came after she hit the elbow drop on her to win her first SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Women’s MITB #5: Asuka (1 Day)

Asuka became the fifth Women’s Money In The Bank contract winner at the Money In The Bank 2020 pay-per-view. She defeated Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax, Dana Brooke, Lacey Evans, and Carmella to win the contract. 

Asuka was the one of the winners of the most unique Money In the Bank match ever. Due to COVID-19, WWE was forced to get creative with what 2020’s Money In The Bank matches would look like. The company decided to hold the women’s and men’s ladder matches simultaneously at the WWE HQ in Stamford, CT. The rest of the matches on the show took place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

The next night on RAW, the Raw Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch, came out with the women’s Money in the Bank briefcase and announced that she was going on hiatus. Asuka came out very confused after Becky’s announcement. Lynch stated that by Asuka winning the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, she had actually won the Raw Women’s Championship. The RAW Women’s Championship belt was inside of the MITB briefcase. Lynch then revealed that she was going on hiatus because she was pregnant. Due to this, Asuka became WWE’s second Women’s Grand Slam Champion and third Women’s Triple Crown Champion.

Women’s MITB #6: Nikki A.S.H. (1 Day)

Nikki A.S.H is the sixth Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. She won the Women’s Money In The Bank match at Money In The Bank 2021. In the match were the following: Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Liv Morgan, Naomi, Natalya, Tamina, Zelina Vega, and Nikki A.S.H. Money in the Bank was the first WWE pay-per-view with a full crowd following the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the PPV, Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley for the Raw Women’s Championship. The following night on RAW, a rematch between the two women for the title was scheduled to take place that same night. The match ended after Charlotte was disqualified, but Ripley still hit the Riptide on Flair after the match. 

The lead to Nikki A.S.H. running down to the ring and cashing in her Money in the Bank contract and defeating Flair to win the Raw Women’s Championship. The next week, it was announced that Nikki was going to defend the title against Flair and Ripley in a triple threat match at SummerSlam. Nikki went on to have an infamous title reign where she lost constantly and only held the title for 33 days.

Men Vs. Women MITB Statistics

If you were to run the statistics, on average, male Money In The Bank contract winners hold their briefcase for almost two times as long as the female contact winners do. Honestly, these statistics are a bit wonky due to a few of the women’s contract reigns lasting hours, not even days. If you were to find the average of the reigns of the last six Men’s Money In The Bank contract winners, it would come to 92 days. On the other hand, the average of the reigns of the last six Women’s Money In The Bank contract winners comes to 48 days. The statistics of the Women’s contract reigns are heavily supported by the lengthy reign of Carmella. 

It is yet another indictment of how the women’s division is treated by creative that all but one women’s Money In the Bank contract cashed their briefcase within a day. It is an obvious sign of the amount of investment that is put into not only the title reigns within the division, but also the women in general. Many of the women heading into this year’s Women’s Money In The Bank match are deserving of holding the briefcase for more than just one day. 

As of right now, there are still two spots remaining in the Women’s Money In The Bank match this year. So far, Lacey Evans, Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss, Asuka and Shotzi have qualified to compete in the match. Two of these stars have already won the MITB contract, so many are hopeful one of the newer talents will win. Liv Morgan seems to be the fan-favorite heading into the match. Liv, for example, is one of the talents who could really benefit from the elevation that the MITB contract can tend to bring. 

When wrestling fans hear the name Roddy Piper, a number of different concepts might come to mind.

He was, perhaps, the greatest talker in wrestling history and certainly the host of the greatest wrestling talk show of all time. He was one of the best heels ever, and a darn good babyface too.

Then there’s the matter of WrestleMania.

Absolutely no one has a legacy at the Showcase of the Immortals quite like Hot Rod, ranging from all-time classic performances, to matches fans thought were his last, to a series of downright bizarre matches, to playing an interviewer, guest referee, and a number of points in between.

Roddy Piper’s Historically Great WrestleMania Performances

The original WrestleMania certainly wasn’t the greatest iteration of the event, but was one of the most historically important ones for establishing the WrestleMania brand and cementing WWE’s place atop the wrestling world.

Roddy Piper’s contributions to the event can’t be overstated. While Hulk Hogan was explosively popular and it was a score to sign Mr. T as his tag team partner, Piper was the engine of the heel side of that equation—the bad guy whom fans were all too eager to pay to see get his comeuppance against the heroes.

Paul Orndorff was the muscle and a formidable villain in his own right, but there’s no question Piper was the top bad guy on the show.

On the flip side of Piper’s great heel work at WrestleMania 1 came arguably his greatest babyface performance and perhaps the best match of his WWE career at WrestleMania 8. There, Hot Rod went out of his way to put over Bret Hart, taking a rare pinfall loss to drop the Intercontinental Championship.

It’s telling that, after this important victory, Hart would work world title matches at three out of the next four WrestleManias.

Roddy Piper’s First And Last Retirement Matches

At WrestleMania 3, a babyface Roddy Piper battled Adrian Adonis in a match that was billed to be Hot Rod’s last time in the wrestling ring. By all indications, he really did mean to transition to Hollywood, and did take part in his share of films in the years to follow.

Seeing him put Adonis to sleep and pass the upper mid-card babyface torch to Brutus Beefcake, who cut Adonis’s hair afterward, was a fitting enough send-off.

Of course, Piper wasn’t really done by a long shot.

Twenty-two years later, he’d work his true final match for WWE at a WrestleMania, when he teamed up with Ricky Steamboat and Jimmy Snuka in an elimination handicap match against Chris Jericho.

Hot Rod was a shell of his former self by then but performed respectably in an entertaining spectacle.

Roddy Piper’s Unusual Encounters At WrestleMania

Roddy Piper took diversification of his WrestleMania resume to the next level with his efforts at WrestleManias 2, 6, and 12.

WrestleMania 2 saw him headline his leg of the event from the Nassau Coliseum in a boxing match that went off the rails with celebrity visitor Mr. T. From there, he engaged in an even uglier spectacle at WrestleMania 6 with Bad News Brown.

The otherwise forgettable match achieved infamy for the poor choice for Piper to wear black paint over half his body.

Piper may have had his strangest match of all at WrestleMania 12 in a Hollywood Backlot Brawl with Goldust.

This was one of WWE’s first stabs at a cinematic match, staged outside before it gave way to a high-speed chase, clearly deriving from real-life OJ Simpson theatrics that was still in the news at the time.

Finally, the battle returned to the arena and culminated in the ring with Piper stripping Goldust’s garb to reveal lingerie underneath—a humiliation that was apparently profound enough for Hot Rod to be declared the winner.

Roddy Piper’s Guest Referee Appearances At WrestleMania

After appearing in the main event of the first WrestleMania, set in Madison Square Garden, it was only fitting that Roddy Piper returned to the venue for WrestleMania 10, this time to serve as guest referee for the last match of the show—a WWE Championship clash between Yokozuna and Bret Hart.

Piper counting the pin offered some symmetry to the first decade of WrestleMania, in addition to calling back to Hot Rod and The Hitman’s history from WrestleMania 8.

Piper officiated Hart’s match again at WrestleMania 11—a less auspicious affair when Hart won an I Quit Match over Bob Backlund.

While Hot Rod’s role felt a little random in this context—and a number of fans were annoyed with his insistence on repeatedly asking if either man gave up into a mic–it nonetheless kept Piper in the ‘Mania mix, adding another unconventional chapter to his history with the event.

In addition to the matches Roddy Piper wrestled or officiated at WrestleMania, he appeared at other events as well.

He hosted editions of Piper’s Pit with Morton Downey Jr. and Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleManias 5 and 21, respectively. He was also Virgil’s cornerman against Ted Dibiase for WrestleMania 7 and interfered on Mr. McMahon’s behalf against Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 19.

He made a series of oddball backstage appearances for WrestleManias 21, 30, and 31, too, all adding up to the most unusual legacy any wrestler ever has, or likely ever will have at WWE’s biggest annual event.

The WWE Intercontinental Championship has a long history. It was the title that served as a stepping stone for men like The Ultimate Warrior, The Rock, and Triple H to eventually win world titles. That’s in addition to men like Tito Santana, The Honky Tonk Man, and Don Muraco thriving as Intercontinental Champions in their own right.

The title has suffered from inconsistent booking over the years, though, and particularly as of late it has seemed like an afterthought. Champs like Shinsuke Nakamaura, Apollo Crews, and Ricochet—despite their considerable talent—weren’t booked to do anything of note during their reigns. Gunther won the title IC strap on last week’s SmackDown.

More than a simple instance of a title changing hands, this one might represent much more. Gunther may well be the perfect man to restore the title to its past glory.

Gunther Can Work Great Matches

One of the cornerstones of Intercontinental Championship history was that it was title great matches got built around. Particularly in eras when the main event picture was more consumed with showmanship and star power than technical precision, this was the workers’ title.

It set up absolute classics like Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania 3, Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect or The British Bulldog at back-to-back years of SummerSlam, or the first Ladder Match WWE ever broadcasted live at WrestleMania 10, between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon.

Gunther represents an opportunity to return to that tradition. He’s a stiff, polished worker and one need look no further than his NXT UK efforts opposite Butch or Ilja Dragunov to see the kind of instant classics he can deliver, in particular opposite a tough, smaller opponent.

Gunther hinted at what he was capable of when he took the title from Ricochet, and it would be a pleasure to see him actively defend the title in matches like that over the months ahead.

Gunther Seems To Have Earned Management’s Respect

There’s not shortage of talents who’ve done well in WWE’s developmental system but flopped when they got to the main roster. On paper, Gunther is exactly the kind of talent most at risk of suffering a similar fate, given his indie and international pedigree, complete with a focus on stiff offense and technique over playing a colorful character. However, he has been presented as a dominant force in this main roster run so far, up to and including winning the Intercontinental Championship.

A part of why Gunther might have earned management’s respect and admiration is his adaptability. The big man was purportedly not willing to base his career in the US when he first signed on to work with NXT UK. He has changed his mind since that time, though. Moreover, reports suggested management asked him to get more visibly cut to consider him for a main roster run. Gunther delivered.

While his work rate and cardio probably weren’t ever in question, he nonetheless has made major strides in looking like a more traditionally ripped WWE Superstar leading up to his introduction to the SmackDown roster. All of these factors bode quite well for his long-term prospects.

Gunther Is Still New To The WWE Main Roster

Though hardcore fans may have followed Gunther for quite some time, he only got his formal call up to the WWE main roster this past April. Yes, he put over Ilja Dragunov in NXT UK and Bron Breakker in NXT 2.0. That’s not to mention his early elimination from inter-branded Survivor Series in 2019.

Still, in the eyes of the more casual fan, his record remains mostly clean, and having Ludwig Kaiser in his corner offers him a credible sidekick he has already built strong chemistry with. Without the baggage of ever looking like a jobber or someone relegated to the tag team division, the sky’s the limit for what Gunther might accomplish in WWE.

So it is that Gunther arrives as Intercontinental Champion with a noteworthy combination of credibility and optimism for what he might become. Nothing is guaranteed. Nonetheless, at this point he feels like he could the one to reinvent the tradition of the fighting Intercontinental Champion who elevates the title every bit as much as it elevates him across a series of great matches, en route to an eventual main event destiny.

It has been a while since WWE has given its fans much reason to get invested in the Intercontinental title or the person holding it. Between his talent, management’s support, and his bright future, Gunther just might be the man to make this championship prestigious again.

Rhea Ripley is one of the most talented and well-received women in WWE today. After her successes in NXT and NXT UK, she made a splash by debuting on the main roster opposite Charlotte Flair in a match that stole the show at WrestleMania 36.

From there, Ripley’s resume includes a Raw Women’s Championship victory over Asuka at WrestleMania 37, and most recently garnering a high profile angle as the first female addition to the Judgment Day faction.

From her on screen partnerships, to her aesthetic, to her positioning within the women’s roster, more and more reasons have developed for why fans might liken her career to Lita’s.

Like Lita, Rhea Ripley Is A Woman Sharing A Mutually Beneficial Partnership With Men

After a couple of bit parts and false start working as part of The Godfather’s entourage and with Essa Rios, Lita rose to prominence as part of Team Xtreme. The Hardy Boyz were a cool tag team with an edgy look and eye-catching aerial offense. Lita fit that style perfectly.

Having a uniquely talented and attractive woman with them elevated The Hardys, while being paired with a featured tag team got Lita more time on screen and a more clearly defined persona. Later in her career, Lita enjoyed a similar relationship with Edge.

Having a well-known femme fatale in his corner helped The Rated R Superstar feel more credible as a top tier act, while a provocative partnership with Edge helped Lita get over as the top heel of the women’s division.

WrestleMania Backlash saw Rhea Ripley strike up her own partnership with Edge when she joined his Judgment Day faction. The Nightmare, Damian Priest, and Finn Balor have since turned on Edge but the core consideration remains in place.

She‘s a woman, paired with men who have similar dark and edgy personas, and everyone involved stands to benefit from this alliance and the clear identity it lends them.

Like Lita, Rhea Ripley Has A Different Aesthetic

Part of Lita standing out during the Attitude Era was her signature look. In a sea of blonds who looked like clean-cut fitness models, Lita had bright red hair, highly visible tattoos, and a signature look that included a thong peeking out from her pants.

There’s a somewhat similar ethos to Ripley’s act. With short hair, tattoos, piercings, and leather, she stands out from the pack of female performers in WWE, looking a bit edgy, a bit alternative, and perhaps most importantly like a clearly identifiable character no fan is ever likely to confuse with another woman from the WWE roster.

Like Lita, Rhea Ripley Has Lingered One Step Shy Of The Top

Lita was one of the best and most popular female performers of her day. However, it was difficult to ever call her the top woman in WWE, at least in a sustained way. Just as Randy Savage tended to play second fiddle to Hulk Hogan, or Randy Orton spent the better part of a decade one step behind John Cena’s stardom, Lita was a key rival, but ultimately second fiddle to Trish Stratus.

Some of that comes down to timing—particularly when Lita got hurt going into what might have been her biggest push for WrestleMania 21–but regardless, she tends to be remembered more as half of a package deal with Stratus than as the face of the division on her own.

Time will tell how Rhea Ripley’s career wil play out. In NXT UK, though, she shared the top women’s spot with Toni Storm, and in NXT she tended to be featured a step behind Io Shirai and Raquel Gonzalez at different points.

On the main roster, Ripley has had her moments, but Charlotte Flair has tended to get the best of their exchanges and Bianca Belair has surpassed The Nightmare in their cohort of talents, when it comes to kayfabe accomplishments like title reigns and winning the Royal Rumble, as well as overall star power.

At twenty-five years old there is still plenty of time for Rhea Ripley to carve out her legacy. The fact that WWE’s women’s division is much better featured now can be a blessing and curse in comparing her run to Lita’s, as The Nightmare certainly has more opportunities to break out, but also a more crowded roster to overcome to stand out from the pack. Nonetheless, key elements of their presentation and journey have overlapped so far.

Sasha Banks reportedly getting released from her WWE contract ends the WWE career of an all-time great women’s wrestler. WWE wisely made Sasha a huge part of the women’s evolution after she thrived in NXT and held a lot of fan support on the main roster. Banks won every title possible and proved that her childhood dream could come true.

WWE witnessed Sasha having quite a few career-defining moments that showcase just how much she accomplished there. Even though Banks wasn’t always booked perfectly and there were some odd creative decisions, she won out in the end by becoming a massive star. The following moments deserve to be viewed deeper as the best things Sasha did in WWE.

Legendary NXT Match With Bayley

Sasha Banks took her career to the next level with an epic performance at the first NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn event. An argument can be made this was the biggest night in NXT history since it was the first time that they worked a large venue in a sold out Barclays Center during SummerSlam 2015 weekend.

Bayley and Banks paid off their rivalry in NXT by having a must-watch classic match on a bigger stage. The entire wrestling world was talking about this match with the perfect mix of in-ring magic and advanced storytelling for flawless pro wrestling. Sasha took the loss putting over Bayley, but the performance helped define her career.

Historic WrestleMania Main Event Vs Bianca Belair

WWE didn’t push Sasha Banks as hard as Charlotte Flair despite them both being on the same footing in their early main roster runs. Many fans wondered if Sasha would ever reach that WrestleMania main eventer status with Charlotte and Becky Lynch when she was struggling to find the right role.

Banks eventually did her chance by breaking out again with a tremendous Smackdown Women’s Championship reign. Bianca Belair challenging Sasha for the belt at WrestleMania 37: Night One created a historic moment. The first WM main event between two black women stole the show with Banks perfectly putting over Belair to build a new star.

Winning Raw Women’s Championship First Time

WWE is rightfully criticized for not having the best booking for Sasha Banks during her rivalry with Charlotte Flair. The trend of Sasha winning the Raw Women’s Championship and losing it back to Charlotte on PPV upset many viewers, but that shouldn’t take away from their better moments.

Banks won the Raw Women’s Championship for the first time on the first Raw episode after the 2016 brand split. The early stages of the women’s evolution needed moments and matches like this. Sasha received a massive ovation from the crowd for dethroning Charlotte to get to the top of the mountain.

WrestleMania Debut

Another pivotal moment in the very early months of the women’s evolution featured the trio of Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch having their first WrestleMania match. All three women were given the honor of having a triple threat match to replace the Divas Championship with the Women’s Championship.

A memorable entrance saw Sasha’s cousin Snoop Dogg rapping her to the ring as confetti fell in the venue. Banks delivered an outstanding performance despite falling just short to Charlotte. Even though she didn’t win like many felt she should have, Sasha was a huge part of the best match in front of a record-setting WWE crowd.

Getting Revenge On Bayley In HIAC

The top defining chapter of Sasha Banks’ WWE career featured her feud with Bayley in 2020. Fans wanted to see a main roster pay off to the years of Banks and Bayley having a unique relationship. The two stars had breaking points attacking each other, but they always made up to remain best friends as a team.

This ended when Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley finally betrayed Banks by viciously attacking and attempting to injure her. Sasha and Bayley delivered a flawless culmination inside of the Hell in a Cell structure. The feel-good moment of Banks dethroning Bayley to win the title gave Sasha the story, moment and pay off to show a childhood dream reaching peak results.   

There you have it, our picks for Sasha Banks’ greatest WWE career moments. Hit up the comments section and share some of your own favorite memories of The Boss’ WWE run.

Also Check Out: WWE runs down some of Sasha Banks’ Greatest Moments

WWE’s Money in the Bank is just a few weeks away and the qualifying matches are underway on both the RAW and Smackdown brands.

So far for the women, Lacey Evans, Alexa Bliss, Raquel Rodriguez, and Liv Morgan have qualified. For the men, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Sheamus, and Drew McIntyre have earned their way into the Money in The Bank ladder match.

After those names qualified the match graphics on the screen showed seven participants for both the men’s and women’s matches. This is a change from previous years that usually saw eight participants in both matches.

While the graphics show seven participants according to WWE’s website, they mention there will be eight participants this year. It could be an oversight, or it could mean we are in for some surprises for this PPV.

There are three potential surprise returns we could see at the Money in the Bank this year if all the participants are not revealed ahead of time.

Bayley

I believe speak for most wrestling fans when I say we are all anticipating her return.

Bayley has not appeared on TV since July 2, 2021, due to a torn ACL she suffered from a freak accident while training at the WWE Performance Center. She has teased a bit on social media while she has been out, leaving fans guessing as to when we may see the “Role Model” make her grand return.

The latest tease was a post of what appears to be a laced-up boot she posted on both Twitter and Instagram. If she is cleared and ready, what bigger return than the Money in the Bank match where she could possibly snag the briefcase giving her the opportunity at a title shot?

Right before Bayley got injured, she was in a hot feud with Bianca Belair, who at the time was the Smackdown Women’s Champion. Bianca Belair is now the RAW women’s champion and there is some unfinished business, especially for Bayley.

Either way, Bayley making her return and capturing the briefcase would at the least be entertaining, especially given the obnoxious trolling character she was when she left.

An argument can also be made that if you are returning fresh from an ACL injury would you want to put her in a ladder match first thing coming back? While she should be cleared regardless, I can see them exercising caution as well.

This without a doubt would be the biggest return audience pop they could garner right now.

Charlotte Flair

No matter how you feel about Charlotte Flair, she shines bright on a big stage.

Last we saw Charlotte Flair was her saying “I quit!” at Wrestlemania Backlash in her “I Quit” match against Ronda Rousey. WWE reported later on the PPV that Charlotte had suffered a fracture of the radius as a result of the armbar, but it was reported this was all part of storyline to write Flair off TV.

As we now know she was being written off so she and her now-husband, AEW star Andrade El Idolo, could get married. It was never reported how long she would be absent, so we fully expect her to pop up now that they are back from their honeymoon.

Charlotte Flair always seems to find herself in the title picture, so it isn’t far-fetched to think that she may make her grand return and be a surprise entrant in the ladder match. If she were to win the Money in the Bank briefcase it would be an easy way to set up a rematch between herself and Ronda Rousey.

It would also be a change in the norm, as Charlotte Flair has been the one cashed in on three times of the four winners.

Whether she wins the match or not, this would be a great way for her to make her comeback and set up a SummerSlam match since the PPV is set for three weeks after Money in the Bank this year.

Bum A** Corbin

Baron Corbin has gone through many transformations over years, but none have been more endearing, welcoming, and entertaining as Bum Corbin.

Last we saw Bum Corbin was back around SummerSlam 2021 in Las Vegas where his luck turned around and he became Happy Corbin. This past Smackdown after losing to Madcap Moss in a Last Laugh match, Corbin addressed commentator Pat McAfee upset about his criticisms over the last year and for coining the nickname Bum A** Corbin.

He then threatened to drag him into the ring, hinting at maybe a future match. Pat McAfee did not let Corbin go without a response, and with the help of the WWE Universe laughed Baron Corbin out of the arena.

Money in the Bank is being held in Las Vegas this year where Bum Corbin won “big” and became Happy Corbin. It would be poetic if this year Happy Corbin enters the Money in the Bank ladder match, loses, and tries his luck at the casinos again, except this time he loses.

Down on his luck again, we may see the return of Bum A** Corbin? Corbin arguably did some of his best character work as Bum Corbin, I think it would be a welcomed return by most fans.

Money in the Bank is one of the most fun Pay-Per-Views of the year and a lot of people look forward to the surprises. The unknown of the briefcase winners and potential cash-ins make it all the more exciting.

If any of these surprise returns were to happen this year, it would shake things up for the rest of the year in WWE.

As Impact Wrestling celebrates the 20th anniversary of its first show, I think back to my own memories.

Mourning the loss of WCW and ECW I was excited at the idea of something that felt familiar and new. Built on the foundation of the NWA complete with stars that I missed seeing on weekly television. Needless to say, I was intrigued. I remember those Wednesday night shows and going over to my friend’s house to watch them. As a broke college student, I’d shell out a few dollars to help cover the $9.99 cost. 

Not long into Impact’s (or should I say NWA-TNA) run, I decided to rent a car with a friend during spring break. We drove from South Florida to Nashville for a taping. The company couldn’t have been more accommodating, even taking us on a tour of the Nashville Fairgrounds. We were even treated to a visit to the White Trash Cafe where the crew would eat before the show.

That night Chris Harris was within an eyelash of becoming the NWA champion over Jeff Jarrett. Seeing Sting again was another highlight. Earlier in the day, I’d banked interviews with not only Jarrett but America’s Most Wanted, Konnan, Johnny Fairplay, and Vince Russo. 

A little less than a year later I was happy to make the drive in 2004 for the promotion’s first three-hour pay-per-view Victory Road. The energy in the Impact Zone was palpable right from that top-quality produced opening video package. The last time I’d get to see Macho Man Randy Savage live. I’ll never forget those trips to Universal Studios Orlando. Even the time the soundstage had to be evacuated in the middle of a pay-per-view due to fire. Eric Young, Traci Brooks, and other talent did an amazing job keeping the fans entertained before the crew let us back in for the rest of the show. 

One of the things Impact did well over the years is create some unique fan experiences. In 2010, for Slammiversary I remember a particularly fun night at the NASCAR Sports Grille. Stars interacted with attendees in an intimate and festive setting. I mean where else could you share a shot with members of the Beautiful People or play a game with Abyss? A few years ago I also recall covering a mini-golf tournament between Impact wrestlers and fans. I kind of wish I also attended the bowling tournament.

Then there was 2014’s Lockdown when Impact hosted its first Miami pay-per-view. That fan weekend was a big highlight for me as I got some time with the legendary Great Muta. Ahead of the show, I also spotlighted hometown boy MVP for a local publication. 

Early on in dating my now wife, I recall taking her to Impact’s first live event (house show) in Miami. She was ecstatic to see “her champion” Taylor Wilde. She was invested in the Knockouts at the time no doubt. We actually spent one of our anniversaries in Daytona Beach during Bound for Glory weekend. When we got two dogs, the names bestowed upon them were Shelley and Sabin after the Motor City Machine Guns. My first big feature for Pro Wrestling Illustrated was actually on Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin’s return to Impact. 

Even recently I reached out to Ross Forman, head of PR  about having some stars come out in support of a “Day of Giving” event at my local YMCA of Central Florida. Since they were in town for TV tapings, he made it so Deonna Purrazzo and Moose stopped by to help support the cause and raise a few dollars. For that, I’m extremely grateful. 

You see, in many ways, this company has run parallel with my own life moments. I feel I’ve essentially grown up beside them. And for that reason, the company will always hold a special place for me. So I say thank you to Impact Wrestling for the last 20 years. Here’s to looking forward to its next chapter. 

Order Impact Slammiversary 2022 now from FITE ($39.99)

When Cody Rhodes cut his first promo back in WWE since his return, he established a mission statement of winning the title his father never had the chance to—the WWE Championship. Based on the way he was booked to sweep a three-match series with Seth Rollins, it would appear he was on track for just that accomplishment.

While his injury to his pectoral muscle may have seemed to derail that momentum the fact that he still won his last match before stepping away inside Hell in a Cell, and delivered such a well-received, gritty performance in the process suggest he may well pick up where he left off and still be on track to wind up WWE Champion. But what will that road look like?

Cody Wins The Royal Rumble As a Surprise Entrant

For the last three decades, there’s been no better established traditional journey to the WWE Championship than winning the Royal Rumble and going on to challenge for the title at WrestleMania. Early reports suggest Cody Rhodes will miss six-to-twelve months for this injury. If he can return on the early end of that range, he would fit the mold of electrifying surprise entrants to the Royal Rumble and would make a lot of sense as a choice to win it all.

Of course, that opens the question of whom Rhodes would challenge at WrestleMania. It would not make sense for him to go toe to toe with Roman Reigns there, assuming the rumored plans are true for Reigns to face The Rock in LA.

Additionally, Reigns is about the only WWE roster member who still feels off limits for The American Nightmare to defeat. Seth Rollins could, however, be in play.

Cody Helps Seth Rollins Win the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble

It’s not unheard of for a world title match to go on after the Royal Rumble at the annual PPV, or with two Rumble matches in the mix, the men’s could go on early while the women’s version closes the show. Whatever the mechanics may be, Cody Rhodes could win the Royal Rumble, then have an active role in Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship later in the show.

Rollins is an established enough top tier star for WWE that he’ll never not make sense in a world title picture. Moreover, given the fact he technically beat Reigns at Royal Rumble 2022, there’s some poeticism to him getting his rematch at Royal Rumble 2023. With only the WWE Championship on the line, Rhodes could be the difference maker in helping Rollins win this match and title.

That finish would protect Reigns, and he might even be confronted by a returning Rock after the match, to offer a reason for him not to immediately seek revenge on Rhodes. Meanwhile it would make some sense to put the WWE title on Rollins, whom Rhodes has unfinished business with after The Messiah attacked him during his last appearance on Raw.

Cody Beats Seth Rollins At WrestleMania

While there’s a large portion of the WWE audience that’s ready to move on from Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins, their story really does feel incomplete given the way Rollins attacked an already injured American Nightmare. Rhodes vs. Rollins one more time at WrestleMania can pay off that storyline, give Rhodes a champion to beat who’s not Roman Reigns, and, importantly, would all but guarantee another excellent match. It might even feel somewhat fresh again after ten months of the two not working matches together.

With Rhodes going 4-0 against Rollins, the story could truly be finished between these two, and bring The American Nightmare’s comeback journey full circle with another huge WrestleMania victory.

Cody Rhodes Vs. Roman Reigns

If The Rock vs. Roman Reigns does happen at WrestleMania 39, it’s not clear who would emerge victorious. On one hand, The Rock is a wrestling legend and legit A-list celebrity whom  fans would buy beating Reigns. On the other hand, it seems unlikely Rock will stick around WWE to defend a title or work many more matches at all after this one. Also, Reigns beating Rock may be a proper capstone to his dominant run.

Cody Rhodes would remain one of the few top talents Reigns hadn’t defeated, and with the story of him costing The Tribal Chief the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble—not to mention winning the title himself afterward—it would only be natural for the two to clash after WrestleMania, maybe saving the dream match for SummerSlam.

It’s too soon to say which of the two would make sense as the winner, but it’s a natural destination for both to head to, after The American Nightmare realizes his destiny as WWE Champion.

Time will tell how things play out, with injuries, fan reactions, a Money in the Bank briefcase, and other wrestlers surging with momentum all in play to alter the future of WWE. Nonetheless, the story of Cody Rhodes vs. WWE Champion Seth Rollins (and by extension Roman Reigns) can begin at the 2023 Royal Rumble.