MJF getting his comeuppance via Goldberg squash would honestly be pretty cool.

That would be cool

I thought that might be what they do, with Conrad bringing him in.

That would be such a great moment.

CM Punk is so small now too, he was down to 169 lbs for his last UFC fight. No way anybody is believing a 170 pounder who got his ass utterly kicked could beat anybody. Not to mention 5 plus years of badmouthing the business, he can stay gone.

Goldberg would be awesome as a guy who randomly comes out, destroys a heel, and leaves. He doesn't even have to be in official matches.

I wonder if WWE would waive the no compete clause for Ambrose, given that it seems like they are going out of their way to keep a good relationship with him.

Punk doesn’t have to necessarily wrestle to be a draw. I’m sure he’s still an A+ promo and could serve any number of non wrestling roles.

And yeah maybe they could run an in ring return angle at some point. But he’s got a lot more to offer if he wants.

I think Excalibur is probably the best guy out there for the job.

However, who is Alex Marvez? The name sounds familiar, reaching back to the old days of the net perhaps? I saw him at the MSG presser and he was fine but I don't know anything about him.

I thought jr hated 3 men booths I guess he knows he needs a 3rd man to help him.

Good for JR getting a big payday. Yes he is well past his prime, but I am sure he was underpaid for most of his career for the amount of value he brought. Plus it probably really pisses Sabu off, which is priceless.

Agree on Excalibur. Only familiar with his commentary work in NJPW but he was really good in the booth whenever he was around for shows.

Marvez is a former NFL reporter and radio show host.

I remember reading Alex Marvez's wrestling columns as a kid.


Btw, Jim Ross's expiry date was like 10 years ago at least.

Yeah I'm not crazy for JR but obviously there are worse options.

I heard him do a good job calling Pete Dunn vs. Tyler Bate but IMO he's too old and gets tired calling a whole show. His NJPW stuff is disinterested at best. TBH though he's never been the same since Heyman left the booth at the end of 01 (though he still had some decent years left).

He won't be doing play by play, he'll be a 'Senior Advisor'.


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jim Ross ( <a href="https://twitter.com/JRsBBQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JRsBBQ</a> ) has officially joined <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a>, but not as an announcer <a href="https://t.co/qYAx9PvBcO">https://t.co/qYAx9PvBcO</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/WithSpandex?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WithSpandex</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UPROXX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UPROXX</a> <a href="https://t.co/3isgeUUhJl">pic.twitter.com/3isgeUUhJl</a></p>&mdash; All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) <a href="https://twitter.com/AEWrestling/status/1113615424095174656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Ross was good in the one NJPW show he did with Kevin Kelly. Also helped that Kelly was the lead commentator and guided Ross for some of his color commentary.

Someone like Matt Striker or Josh Barnett were not helpful at all for Ross when it came to live NJPW shows.

Now I'm kanefused


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It’s very special. He is the �� and he chose to ride with this rebel bunch. To hear his voice describing folks like Sonny, Havoc, Nyla, Jungle Boy, OWE, and so many more is something I really look forward to. <a href="https://t.co/QP5gZ4Ub2F">https://t.co/QP5gZ4Ub2F</a></p>&mdash; Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) <a href="https://twitter.com/CodyRhodes/status/1113633698086293504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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LOL @ JR and Sonny Kiss

JR is a prestige signing. He is a beloved “star” in wrestling, was the voice of the WWF when it was the hottest thing on cable, and has worked as an executive in a high level not only next to Vince, but has been involved in managing WCW and Mid-South. He brings a familiarity with not only wrestling fans, but possibly some network executives as well. Guys I’m there 30’s and 40’s in prominent positions would have been teenagers or in their 20’s when wrestling was a fad, and if they were ever fans, even if fleeting, there’s probably some nostalgia for his calls.

By offering him (allegedly) the most lucrative contract a commentator has received, AEW is flexing their muscles. They’re showing that they can and will get Vince loyalists and can outdo the industry leader in certain aspects. He’ll be useful in negotiations with TV networks and merchandising manufacturers. I’m picturing kids toys with JR’s iconic voice “Bah gawding” and selling the talent of today as the hottest things going, with the intent to not only have something with a bit of life, but the memetic quality to remind the parents of kids that there can be wrestling outside Vinceland.

JR’s name came up in the early rumors for a reason. He’s one of the most important signings you can make. He is a beacon to the industry that there is life after Vince. He pumps credibility into this thing just by signing on the dotted line.

Fuck yeah, team. Get it done.

Really do think the deal might surprise some people. Especially with the streaming options. I mean, Bellator is pretty big compared to a promotion that just launched in January, but I think they got a fucking huge deal for being able to co-promote shows on both Paramount and with DAZN.

I'm sure they'd like to know if they can get stars like Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, Dean Ambrose, Shinsuke Nakamura or Cain Velasquez before announcing the TV deals, because that star power can drive numbers up, but after a certain point that amount of money becomes somewhat trivial. I don't even know if I would want as much as WWE because of the pressure to perform and deliver ratings, etc. At a certain point, knowing you've got platforms to air your content might prove efficient for being viable to those stars as well. They've got enough of a roster around to be able to string out stories for several months, and there are those rumors of Goldberg and Punk too -- neither of whom is insignificant to that mobilizing audience.

Anyone else thinking HBO since they got out of boxing? They have streaming and they did ppv for boxing

HBO could be a possibility. Aren’t they premium cable? I would think basic cable has more appeal to advertisers. HBO seems a better option for PPV, or doing a limited number run of specials. But it’s not impossible.

I think Paramount and a WarnerMedia property are the best bets, as far as cable goes, but I’m surprised CW Network hasn’t been as much a target for AEW. Having a network TV suitor probably wouldn’t hurt their discussions.

Seriously think there is probably more demand for some wrestling more than what people anticipate. Some are kind of reluctant to say this is going to do better than WWE, but I’m so hopeful. WWE are way too hard to follow. A tedious product with the flagship being 3 hours and PPVs going about as long as two Lord of the Rings films back-to-back, and this is a model they are locked into for years. They haven’t even started properly advertising yet.

Really think that if the product is succinct with emphasis in the right places, wrestling fans’ investment might go into AEW surprisingly fast. Plus it might be called by people who don’t sound like robots.

What they are looking for: easy to access cable television with a couple of marquee events a year doesn’t insult the fans by presuming they don’t have lives, or suggests that their own television isn’t must-see viewing.

WWE is no longer wrestling. It’s a week of variety shows heaped together over a few nights. I think a wrestling product, which has consistently done well on cable, and has a ready-made audience of 2+ million who I *don’t* think are WWE loyalists, could really strike chords and ride a wave of medium momentum.

Keep in mind that before this TV is going to launch, they could co-produce a show in Madison Square Garden with Cain Velasquez featured.

The WWE audience is more “hardcore” than ever, and more disenfranchised than ever, with no end in sight. I know which product I would choose to subject myself to with some commitment. It’s not even close.

In addition to that, it’s got such an advantage not being a publicly traded company. WWE *can’t* change gears. There is the implied promise of dividends and reaping in these Saudi deals and TV rights fees. They’re not going to get away with cutting their investors off from $300 million for that extra Raw hour, nor $100 million or whatever for those Saudi shows. They’ve set their metrics, and they’re kind of over the barrel for a show that people can watch once a week, doesn’t feel gentrified, and can fill an arena.

It’s going to be less than half the demand of watching WWE, possibly as accessible, and maybe with more media coverage given its freshness to the sports media marketplace. “Hey, a new wrestling promotion has started up with all these stars and capital,” is a more interesting headline than “WWE ran another show.”

Maybe I’m letting my optimism delude me. But say what you want about him, Kevin Sullivan said he knew he could be beating Raw with Nitro in six weeks. AEW is not going to say they want to be a Vincekiller, but I’m seriously hopeful that whatever there is of a nostalgia for a wrestling zeitgeist, or whatever is out there today, latches onto this really fast when they realize it is out there.

They exceed the shirtlessness, but not enough constipated looking "teenage" guys and girls for CW.

They’ve got Chuck Taylor.

They can advertise Luke Perry’s kid.

DAZN had an add on NXT Takeover which makes me thing that WWE would be smart enough to that to not work with someone who could be showing their biggest competitor since WCW. I'm thinking ESPN, with the outside chance of it being Paramount/DAZN.

They signed Hikaru Shida. That is a big fucking get right there.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Luxury Gaming / Wrestling Festival.... <a href="https://twitter.com/KennyOmegamanX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KennyOmegamanx</a> proudly presents <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FyterFest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FyterFest</a> <a href="https://t.co/s8x07gAokT">pic.twitter.com/s8x07gAokT</a></p>&mdash; All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) <a href="https://twitter.com/AEWrestling/status/1115645546197209088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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LOL okay, that's funny.

I’ve honestly never heard the name. I assume they are an amazing talent from outside New Japan?

One of the top stars in all of Joshi.

Very cool.

Can you order Double or Nothing on normal TV? Or do I have to buy a subscription to something?

It will be available on regular PPV as well as FIGHT TV I think.

I think it will be on regular PPV or can be ordered from fite.tv

I wonder if the eventual TV deal won't be WarnerMedia (Turner Stations) or WGN but maybe Disney...


Disney bought FX but doesn't have plans to change it. FX would be a perfect channel for a wrestling show. Would fit FX branding. Could do 'ppv' specials either live or on ESPN app via Disney.

Hikaru Shida is hot.

I'm not familiar with this tweeter but I hope this is legit


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">-BREAKING- <a href="https://twitter.com/WarnerMediaGrp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WarnerMediaGrp</a> aka Turner Sports (TNT, TBS) will present <a href="https://twitter.com/AEWrestling?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AEWrestling</a> at their upfronts to advertisers next month. WarnerMedia/Turner upfronts are currently scheduled for May 15th. This is how Networks announce their content lineup for the fall season to advertisers.</p>&mdash; The Fight Oracle (@fightoracle) <a href="https://twitter.com/fightoracle/status/1116120237844332544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Same source also mentioned HBO as a possible choice since its also part of Warner Media.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">HBO is under the WarnerMedia umbrella. There’s a lot of talk in the tv industry that they want to make HBO more mainstream. More widely distributed. This is just me thinking now.. maybe you put AEW “PPV” events on HBO.</p>&mdash; The Fight Oracle (@fightoracle) <a href="https://twitter.com/fightoracle/status/1116136058566131714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Pro Wrestling Sheet also stated hearing the same from one of his sources.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I heard the same thing over the weekend from a trustworthy source, but hadn’t been able to work on confirming yet since I’ve been sick since getting home.</p>&mdash; Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryansatin/status/1116130796480466946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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I don’t get HBO. If their regular TV is on HBO, I’m out.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Word is <a href="https://twitter.com/AEWrestling?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AEWrestling</a> will debut the same week as WWE Smackdown moving to Fox. AEW will be on Tuesdays.</p>&mdash; The Fight Oracle (@fightoracle) <a href="https://twitter.com/fightoracle/status/1116174553993109505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Maybe weekly show on Tuesdays on TBS or TNT and occasional 'ppv' on HBO

I've been running PPV shows on HBO on TEW for years bro.

Fucking great idea.

That makes total sense. You can tell Warner was always the goal. The deal is probably going to be quite lucrative. It sounds like it’s pretty “done.”

I don't like AEW airing TNT or TBS, as they already pulled the plug on wrestling before. I just don't trust them.

The PPVs being on HBO on the other hand is brilliant. That would be a great move that would ensure they know they will get a minimum amount of $ guaranteed with option for bumps based on subscriptions or solo buyrates. Either way, it would be pretty awesome.

I don't know if they have the exact same decision-makers, but dude -- they're run by the same company.

The whole "TNT fucked over WCW" bullshit is just that. They pulled the plug on a company costing them $60 million in losses, an almost exponential decline, with no revenue stream even giving a glimmer of hope that it could be rectified. Killing off WCW made perfect sense. They were losing money on each show, their PPVs never got above a 0.25 after 1999. People lean on the ratings, but they were decreasing, they weren't going to get better (Vince had all the difference-makers) and advertisers frowned on wrestling in the first place.

Now you've got an entirely different landscape. Cable has shifted, dramatically. There are chord-cutters and live entertainment is one of the few things that seems to be testing well with people. That is why Vince is able to charge so much for his bullshit programming. Vince has also worked his bollocks off to make WWE palatable for advertisers in these dying days of cable, where nostalgia for things like wrestling could be an attraction in itself, as opposed to a mere actuality when it first happened.

There's no Eric Bischoff in AEW, so I think they'll be fine not pissing off the hand that feeds them. And the world is so different now. It's not the same environment, and it's not the same management as WCW, and it's not Warner's personal losses given that the Khans are going to pumping their own money into it in order for it to succeed, and they'll wear the losses if the Warner money stops coming in.

Couldn't agree more with the above post. WCW died because it was a shitshow and the people providing the toilet paper didn't want to wipe up any more when they could see the company doing nothing but eating vindaloo.

All the rumours from the start have slowly started to look true, one at a time. The Khans involvement. Turner as TV. Two hour prime time. JR and Jericho. The other piece that came out was that the money figures for this TV deal were the biggest for any TV deal ever in wrestling, with the exception of WWE's latest deals with USA and Fox. If that's true, they will have serious money at their disposal, and that the big offer alone, if true, speaks to the fact that television is changing and comparisons to 18 years ago don't apply.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Turner in Advanced Talks With <a href="https://twitter.com/AEWrestling?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AEWrestling</a> for Weekly Pro Wrestling Show<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DoubleOrNothing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DoubleOrNothing</a> <a href="https://t.co/0wRttCbaKq">https://t.co/0wRttCbaKq</a> <a href="https://t.co/tJzfeyI2Gm">pic.twitter.com/tJzfeyI2Gm</a></p>&mdash; TheWrap (@TheWrap) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWrap/status/1116349579065118721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The most watched cable channels in 2018 per @TheWrap were:


1. FOX News
2. ESPN
3. MSNBC
4. USA
5. HGTV
6. TBS
7. TNT
8. History
9. Hallmark
10. Investigation Discovery

That’s the list I saw. I remember reading somewhere that USA gets to top entertainment (unless you consider FOX News entertainment) because of WWE though, and that when they lose SmackDown they will drop. I haven’t fact-checked that myself though.

But if that happens coupled with AEW doing better in its time slot than The Big Bang Theory or whatever, then it could be quite beautiful that AEW ends up on the #1 entertainment channel on cable.

The foot traffic through those Turner channels seems to be about 900,000 people, on average. That is almost half the audience of SmackDown right there. With some promotion, some stars, some special-feeling shows behind them, AEW could perform surprisingly well.

Think Meltzer stated they'd drop to around 8th without WWE based on their current programming lineup.

The more WWE drops, the more it hurts USA Network's chances of improving their rankings. At the same time, it also means the threshold needed for a successful replacement show gets lower the more WWE drops.

I understand they are all owned by the same people. I just don't trust that they wouldn't up and decide they don't want wrestling suddenly again.

And I think you guys are misremembering. They sold WCW cause it was losing money, yes. But they sold it for WAY less than they could have because they didn't want "hillbilly wrestling" on their network. It didn't match with their vision for a sophisticated network.I

That's all I was saying.

Darby Allin has signed as well

That's not true though, lol. That's the Bischoff story he tells to make himself look like less of an idiot for devaluing their assets in record time. The fact that WCW was losing money is all that matters. They're not cutting "hillbilly wrestling" if it is making them all rich. WCW wasn't making them rich, thus it had the reputation it had.

When Vince McMahon shopped WCW to networks in 2001, under his umbrella, no one wanted it. Who would they have sold it to? Who was buying? I think you are misremembering. They were fucking dead. Don't let Bischoff fool you into thinking it was some big AOL/Time Warner conspiracy based around elitist tastes or anything, lol. He ran a once profitable promotion into the ground with incompetent decisions.

Rumor going around the net is that AEW recently gave a multi-million offer to Dean Ambrose.

Never heard of the source before (Slice Wrestling) so no clue how reliable or not it is although probably leans more towards fake since none of the more reliable outlets have mentioned anything about Ambrose's post-WWE future.

I've heard Slice Wrestling in connotation with something else, but I can't remember what news piece it was.

Seems unlikely that AEW would not offer Ambrose a contract.

Lol why

Probably a good signing given the freshness of him to WWE's marketing machine. I haven't been into the guy for a number of years now, but hopefully the change of scenery does him well.

I was just doing some random reading and saw that WWE's production and talent costs for Q2 2016 were $21.5 million. That's with WrestleMania being in it. A TV contract for $100 million per year with TNT would put them well into the green out the gate, and prices them at about half of what WWE is.

Whether you like him or not, he’s got massive name recognition. That is extremely valuable to a start up wrestling company.

Bootleg Brian Pillman ain't worth multi million

Well, I see the point, but I doubt he will be using that name in AEW. :p

At this point, I think it's good AEW spend big bucks on talent. You need to coerce them to jump over. It's good for the perception of the company. And they need some stars to lock down this TV, which makes them viable and makes this a money-maker for the Khans in the first place.

Throw the money at Brock or Orton though.

* Brock vs. Jericho

* Brock vs. Cody

* Brock vs. Omega I

* Brock vs. Omega II

* Brock vs. Omega III

* Brock vs. Cain Velasquez

* Brock & Omega vs. Cain Velasquez & Jericho

* Brock vs. Hangman Page

* Brock vs. Pentagon

* Brock vs. CM Punk II

* Brock vs. CM Punk III

* Brock vs. Fenix

* Brock vs. PAC

* Brock vs. The Young Bucks

* Brock vs. Goldberg IV

That's about two years of Brock booking there, and that's without them getting any New Japan guys in. Fuck, can you imagine Brock vs. Ishii or Brock & Suzuki as a team against Omega & Jericho at some point? Fuuuuuuuck.

Oh, man, that's what you do:

Brock is the reason that Omega & Jericho have to join forces. When Jericho is going to do stuff with Fozzy or something, Brock takes him out. Jericho returns with a vengeance and helps Omega out in a segment against Brock. Lesnar needs a partner, but he doesn't team with just anybody. He needs a ruthless son of a bitch. He needs...Minoru Suzuki.

I hope AEW end up working with New Japan, but technically Suzuki is a freelancer, isn't he? I'm sure he wouldn't want to piss of New Japan, but once Jericho and Omega crossover I'm sure there wouldn't be heat for Suzuki wanting to do the same.

Don't tell me Brock & Suzuki vs. The Sexy Beasts doesn't get you a little bit hard.

Lol no, that is public filings. Bischoff and ESPN Classic were the buyers with the current TV contracts. That deal fell through cause they didn't want wrestling on their network, thus no tv contracts.

That is not just Bischoffs story, that is what happened. Also, WCW lost money it's entire existence save for 3 or 4 years when Bischoff ran it.

Yes the bottom fell out, but that happened at the very end of Bischoffs run in 1999. 2000 and 2001 when they were losing Millions of dollars, Bischoff was in charge of nothing, he was a consultant mostly working with Hogan, and an on air talent.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-...361-story.html

Bischoff isn't even mentioned in the story.

https://www.broadcastingcable.com/ne...ng-south-87767

Or that one.

https://www.multichannel.com/news/tb...yer-wcw-135673

$75 Million to keep it on the air, and retain a minority ownership.
$5 Million to get it off the air, and get rid of it entirely.

Ambrose would entice me to watch AEW. I think he’s one of the guys who suffered the most over recent years from WWE’s shit booking and campy style. I’d like to see him in a new environment more than most.

He's just not that good. Solid upper mid carder. Can headline in a pinch.

That sounds pretty good to me.

Just give me non-WWEized Jon Moxley promos and I'll be a happy camper

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eKlz261mL00" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Lol, the first two articles basically back up what I've been saying. The first line of the first article describes WCW as "money-losing" and the second one even overestimates how much it lost and then says that deals to buy it aren't going through, either because they don't have the money or because WCW doesn't have the TV.

In the third one, you've got Siegel saying that the merger didn't prompt the deal. And it didn't end up with Fusient, did it? They probably could have sold it to Jerry Jarrett for a bit more than what Vince paid and it would have just become TNA and would still be a fucking joke.

Have the guys in Fusient Media or whatever they were called actually come out and confirmed the story of trying to buy WCW and for how much? I read $75 million in that article, but then I read $20 million elsewhere, and even that was pulled without the TV.

Who else was interested in buying WCW besides Jerry Jarrett and Fusient, and how serious were those options in 2001? I know Jarrett made some real money in wrestling, but was his offer substantially much higher than Vince's?

Dean's one of those wrestlers were you can kind of point to a moment in time where they jumped the shark. The match with Brock is really the thing that altered his perception within that company. He was never the same.

The Jericho feud then underperformer (remember the stuff with "Mitch?") and then he was a lackluster WWE Champion, on the Mania pre-show with Corbin. A couple of Shield reunions and here we are.

My whole point is Eric Bischoff didn't fool me, or blind my eyes, or whatever phrase you used.

Bischoff wasn't quoted as saying the progamming "no longer matches the high-income demographic" TBS and TNT are targeting.

Or Brad Siegel saying The merged AOL Time Warner "is a very different business than WWF," he said. Wrestling "is their business, exclusively. As the company continued to grow and evolve, we realized wrestling was not a core business for us. [And] it was better operated outside the confines of [Time Warner]."

Saying Eric Bischoff ruined it and tricked me into thinking otherwise is silly.

Oh, I see. He’s the main perpetrator of the idea that a successful WCW was going to be cut. My apologies.

Brian Pillman, Jr. is apparently All In, as they say. He’ll also be appearing with Liam O’Rourke, JR and Dave Meltzer on a Brian Pillman panel at Starrcast.

I’ve been quietly hoping that the first match on Tuesday Night Dynamite is Jushin Liger against BPJ.

He’s just not that good man. I’ve seen him live I think in about 7 matches maybe more. His work is bullshit. His promos are bullshit too. Sorry, I know he has a look and a pedigree but he isn’t very good at all.

I thought he was pretty fun live at Janelas spring break 3 PT 2. But then again it was 2 a.m. and I was hammered. And wheatus was doing Nate Webb's Teenage Dirt bag entrance live at the same time BPJ hit a series of awesome moves. So I could see how my opinion would be skewed.

I've seen some questionable stuff from him (comparing something goofy he was doing to something his father did), but I've enjoyed what I've seen. Big paws.

Was just doing some mental masturbation. Last year, the Raw 25 special got 4.5 million people to tune in. They couldn't retain them. Imagine if those 4.5 million people got wind there was a fresh, hot product starting up that wasn't WWE.

I'm not saying that they will beat WWE in the ratings, but I think people look at the WWE's ratings as a reflection of the potential wrestling audience, which has never been the case. It's going to be a very curious time in October.

Sadly that inflated number was for the nostalgia. Had Stone Cold and Undertaker and DX and Scott Hall all became weekly regulars after that, the ratings would have stayed up, for a few more weeks at least, but even then, it's not like they all would suddenly become 30 again.

It's hard to measure what it was. I'm sure nostalgia helped, but it still shows there is something of a lapsed audience out there that is reachable to an extent. I personally think they didn't come back because the show was DREADFUL.

Seating chart for FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN released


https://i.imgur.com/d9gWbAx.gif


https://i.imgur.com/a1p8wWB.jpg

Venue looks cool. Looks like they will use most of the 3rd level for production/cameras. Audience will have seating onstage w/ ring in the 'pit' section


https://www.dailysplace.com/assets/i...9c0e71958c.jpg

https://www.structurflex.com/wp-cont...itheater-5.jpg

https://www.structurflex.com/wp-cont...itheater-1.jpg

It’s going to take some getting used to these layouts, but hey, it’s fresh.

That does look pretty interesting, I wonder how the crowd noise will sound bouncing around in there. That could be another really cool effect.

I’m still hoping they get Jim Johnston to direct the music. I can imagine the guy has a bit of a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove he still has it.

I read something about the Super Smash Bros. and Emma being signed.

So apparently AEW will be paying for t.v time on TNT lol.

Meltzer said on his forum this is not true


https://i.imgur.com/gSeB5fA.png

I really hope for their sake it's false

I trust Meltzer, he's as tight as heck with those guys especially The Bucks.

There’s no way they’re not going to get paid out the ass for Dynamite, but even if they did, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to get their foot in the door. Hell, if they paid for TV, then it might change the market for Vince and without rights fees, WWE is fucked.

Seems AEW's relationship with China's Oriental Wrestling Entertainment is a lot less stable than previously thought.

Them signing CIMA was less of them building up a strong relationship with OWE and instead OWE couldn't afford him due to their investors recently pulled out of the company.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CIMA leaving for OWE has to do with the company's investors recently pulled out. CIMA was earning 150K CNY per month from the company. The plan is to pick the cream of the crop in OWE and sign them to full-time AEW contracts.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aewrestling?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aewrestling</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/owe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#owe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pullout?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pullout</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STRONGHEARTS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#STRONGHEARTS</a> <a href="https://t.co/TwPEmv399S">pic.twitter.com/TwPEmv399S</a></p>&mdash; KWK (@KShawnng) <a href="https://twitter.com/KShawnng/status/1118370346627993600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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That’s a shame for them. Probably tidier having them under contract.