How is it not going to be the same shit? The guy is still trading in his Shield over. His AEW peak was his debut.

y'all are still the cutest couple at tpww :heart:

One must wonder if Tony Khan is just going to have Ace Steele take the fall for the brawl and call the rest a wash.

That Ace Steele threw the chair and everything afterwards was reactionary...

AKA, I cannot make money off of Ace but I can make money off all the rest so... he did it!

That's a BIG assumption that Tiny can make money off of anybody other than Shad Khan :lol:

I don’t think Punk would go for it being pinned on his buddy. Steel probably got paid out and was willing to go.

If I recall, weren't there multiple reports that said if Ace goes that Punk was gonna walk with him?

I'd buy this lol

Given the reports, and assuming they are the full story (which we shouldn't tbf seeing as they were likely leaked by the opposition,) Ace is objectively the instigator. He, again just using the reports we have, escalated it from taunting to physicality. Now, what Punk is accused of saying could be called menacing or terroristic threatening but Ace exacerbated the situation.

With that said, to be clear, the reports are likely heavily skewed to favor one party over the other. But given what the public knows from a PR perspective if you were looking to clean up the mess in a way that would calm the proverbial storm crucifying Steele would probably do it.

I don’t wanna sound like one of them snowflakes but if Ace Steel tried to eat a dude, firing him makes sense.

It's possible this is still the case, but Punk was gonna be on the shelf anyway. Makes little sense for him to quit until he's done with his rehab as AEW gives benefits to most of their full-time contracted talent.

He had a torn tricep which generally carries around a 6-9 month rehab from surgery. Figure he got surgery in September so that's him out until anywhere from March through June or so. I'd assume he officially remains with the company that whole time.

There was no way Ace wasn't getting axed.

Yeah this definitely makes sense. He will stay through the rehab for the benefits for sure, and AEW isn't going to fire him over that time because of the bad PR of cutting a dude off his benefits while hes rehabbing an injury he got working for them.

Punk is a notoriously stubborn guy, so I'd assume his mind is already made up to leave once he's healed. But you never know. March-June is still a long ways out. The hopeless optimist in me would really like to think that at some point, cooler heads will prevail and everyone can sit down with a mediator, talk things out like adults, and realize that there's actually a very easy path for everyone to make some money if they're willing to do business.

Regardless of your thoughts on either guy, there is easy money to be made in Omega vs. Punk. But I doubt it'll ever come to fruition.

I could book a punk omega angle by accident at this point

I don't think they can do Punk v Omega. Punk has proven to be unstable/uncontrollable at this point. You can't trust him to do the job here. If I was trying to book that, I would be worried Punk would go into business for himself and try to work super stiff and no sell everything to make Kenny look bad because his overinflated ego demands it of him.

Destor isn't wrong saying he could easily book it. Anyone could really. It's just an issue of do you trust the guys to stick to the plan? I don't.

I don't trust Kenny to work that either. I think he would try to showboat the whole time and expose Punk for the over-the-hill botch fest that he is at this point.

Not the same scale since it was a midcard feud but I remember WWE was hesitant on if they could actually turn Edge vs. Matt into an angle because they obviously had very real heat. But everyone sat down and realized it was an easy way to get heat and for everyone to make money.

Edge even admitted that Matt would've had as good an excuse as anyone to take liberties but he didn't, they worked snug but safe and everyone got to be involved in what was, at the time, probably the hottest angle in the company.

Shame not everyone can handle that mindset.

Yeah, thats the thing. Edge and Matt let cooler heads prevail for the good of all parties. Punk has shown time and again that you can not expect that from him. It's either his way or fuck you.

I would pay good money to watch punk try and go into business for himself :lol:

Not gonna disagree there lol

At this point if punk tried to shoot he’d just tear another muscle.

Punk, the loose cannon — stiffing people the world over. Definitely fits his rep in wrestling. Lol, wtf?

Which one?

I just can’t stand that overindulgent, selfish, egotistical, delicate politician constantly going into business for himself. And I don’t like CM Punk either.

The problem with a CM Punk vs. Kenny Omega feud is that Punk lacks credibility outside wrestling and Omega lacks it inside.

People will always stop to watch a fight. Even if the two guys cant fight. You walk down the street and see 2 hobos fighting over week old bread you're going to stop and watch. Put it behind a pay wall and we've got Bum Fights LLC.

And with this you have the added bonus of people wanting to their guy win AND wanting to the other get his face smashed in. Their Schrodinger's Worker. Baby and Heel at the same time.

Sissy Boy Slapfight x Bum Fights presents…

I think the whole Matt Hardy, Edge, and Lita was a work. It was a work to get Edge over, and it worked.

I don’t think Punk comes back because he’s too self centered to take any blame for everything that happened. And he’s not going to want to do business with the Bucks or Omega.

Nah, because they buried the shit out of Matt Hardy. And rightfully so in retrospect.

I really try imagine what it would be like being a wrestler working for AEW. The money Tony Khan throws around is insane. It’s like winning the lottery. But I would feel like I would be compromising so much creativity and integrity. It’s the worst thing for wrestling overall.

If you didn’t give a shit about other people, I guess it’s a no-brainer to want to be there. But I would like to think I’m someone that would tell Tony to shove the money. Donate it to charity or something.

Apparently Athena had her Perry Saturn moment with her Mike Bell in AEW.

This actually helps my theory.

Just watched. Definitely some stiff shots, but she didn't drop her on her head or break anything on her face. Still looked relatively safe outside of the suplex to the outside, though i'd guess that was planned given the nature of the move.

My reaction wasn't " oh my god, she should be suspended."

It was "omg give me more of this Athena, please"

No one would agree to being emasculated so bad, faking so much turmoil with their personal life, etc.

The suplex to the outside and the dropkick into the rail looked like there was 0 control. Not a fan.

Yeah anyone moaning about this match would be clenching their asshole watching STARDOM.