The Thread Killer

I really hope that now that Vince is gone, Bron can go back to being Rex Steiner. I know it seems like a stupid detail, but that name Bron Breakker really doesn’t work for me as a top guy, it’s so stupid.

I don’t get it either. Aside from his size (which might be a problem for some, but it isn’t for me, and it definitely isn’t for the AEW audience) I don’t see any argument against pulling the trigger on Darby Allin and making him one of your top guys and a solidified Main Eventer. I guess if you want to levy one other possible criticism against him, it could be that his high risk style is going to make him prone to injuries or he’s risky to make that kind of investment in? But the thing is…AEW’s highest paid, top guy right now can’t seem to sneeze without injuring himself and ending up on the shelf for an extended period of time…so that doesn’t really hold water either. The whole working with/teaming up with Darby and Sting has been fun and everything, and has created some great moments for sure…but let’s be honest. In the larger scheme of things, they haven’t really done anything “big” with Darby recently. He’s just kind of treading water. The occasional feud or big tag match, and then back to the same old stuff. He’s had some big matches against guys like Punk and MJF but he usually loses those. I’m not convinced he would have scored the pin on Black at the PPV if Malakai wasn’t on his way out the door. I know there are guys who can get over and stay over without winning a lot of matches, but that can also be overdone. Eventually there are some guys who I think if they lose enough big matches, the fans just end up assuming they are not a top guy after all. I would hate to see that tag get hung on Darby Allin. He is one of the guys who you can honestly point at and say he is an AEW original, not just another WWE release they picked up. He’s obviously extremely popular, especially with kids, which is huge and I don’t think AEW has done anything near as much as they could have to exploit that. He’s got personality and charisma. He’s not a great promo, but he’s passable and those little vignettes he films are a great way of communicating without the standard point n’ shout Pro Wrestling promo. He’s pretty much unique, to me that should be promoted not ignored. So in short, yeah. Pull the trigger, already. Tony Khan, put down the yayo and push Darby Allin, dammit.

I’m good with a Danielson/Guevara final, with Danielson winning the World Title. I have no interest in seeing Jericho/Moxley again and I live in fear of the possibility that is the direction they are going.

So it looks like that massive doofus Devon “Hannibal” Nicholson was arrested and just got out on bail today. That guy is one of Pro Wrestling’s biggest scumbags, I almost considered devoting a thread to him, but it feels too much like giving him attention he does not deserve.

Yeah that whole story that came out about him filming people peeing was like…yeesh. Just when you think the stories about him couldn’t get any creepier…somehow they do. This dude is a train wreck.

As Meltzer reported, the rumour going around now is that Punk was seriously injured during the match with Moxley, not the fight…and that the injury is serious enough that he would have had to vacate the title again regardless. They’re saying torn pec muscle, maybe? Easiest fix for that is just have Moxley as the former champ fight MJF who is now the #1 contender. Do it at that big show in New York, and there you go. New champ, move on. Supposedly TK will be addressing the fight and the suspensions on the show tonight and I am morbidly curious about how that is going to go.

That seems to be pretty much common sense, that none of those guys would be at TV tomorrow.

I don’t trust Meltzer on this one. He’s friends with TK, Omega and The Bucks. I have no doubt that he would hold stuff back if they wanted him to, or even worse release information that has the spin they want on it. I am not one of those blind Meltzer haters, but I don’t think he can be totally objective on this story.

You're right. That's the funniest part of the whole Colt Cabana drama...long before Punk showed up, it's not like AEW was doing jack shit with the guy anyhow. He was basically a minor player in Billy Corgan's NWA of all damn places, before he showed up in AEW, did a forgettable angle with The Dark Order, joined them and then was basically reduced to standing around in backstage skits grinning like a doofus for the rest of his run. From what TK has said, Cabana is supposed to be wrestling and producing in ROH, it's probably a much better gig for him anyhow. Even if Punk did get him fired (which he didn't) it's not like he was a featured player, he was doing nothing. It's pretty damn obvious he was hired because of his friends and is basically on par with Michael Nakazawa and Brandon Cutler. But even they got more TV time than he did.

That's what is kind of amusing about this. This was really bound to happen, and I guess a lot of people saw it coming on a lot of different fronts. Somebody else today (I think it was actually @rovert) pointed out rightly that The Young Bucks have had problems literally every place they have ever worked behind the scenes. They stir shit. What happens when you mix a couple of guys who like to stir up trouble, with a salty asshole who can't get along with anybody, in an environment where there is no leadership? You get this mess, every time. It was inevitable.

I still have a degree of sympathy for Punk and his situation. He walked into AEW and got a big, fat contract and pretty much instantly became the #1 guy there. That clearly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, and set the gossip mill running overtime. The whole "poor Colt Cabana got fired because of CM Punk" talking point started to spread like wildfire, to the point where different Pro Wrestling "media" outlets were reporting it. Punk was pissed off because it's supposedly not true (which Tony Khan has confirmed as much) but also he seems to have it on a pretty good authority that Kenny and The Bucks were not only doing nothing to discourage all the gossip, they might have actually been perpetuating it and leaking shit. You'd think if they really are "Executive Vice Presidents" that is pretty much the exact opposite of what they are supposed to be doing. He should not have called them out at the press conference and he definitely shouldn't have been involved in a physical confrontation with them (even if they get into his personal space and his face.) But I think he has some valid points. As everybody seems to agree, the real person at fault here is Tony Khan. He's letting the inmates run the asylum, and it has blown up in his face in a huge way. And based on that interview clip that has been circulating today, none other than Cody saw this shit coming from a mile away. So it probably could have and definitely should have been prevented.

One of the details which I would be interested to know, which we probably never will know, is regarding the reason Ace Steel went nuts. Supposedly it was his wife who was in the room with Punk’s dog. They are saying that when the Bucks barged in and started hollering it scared the hell out of Steel’s wife and the poor dog, and that’s why Steel went nuts and threw the chair. Which is an odd choice because I don’t think the solution for helping people who are freaked out already is to throw a chair, but what do I know.

Agreed. And I am sorry, but if the story about The Young Bucks barging into Punk’s dressing room to confront him are true, then there should probably be some consequences there too. It’s one thing if a wrestler confronts another wrestler backstage and things get physical. But these guys are supposedly Executive Vice Presidents. Honestly, they don’t get the luxury of acting like just another guy backstage. I’m not saying they should be fired, but if they really did it, they should probably just be put on talent contracts like everybody else.

I think the odds of Punk ever working for WWE again, especially with Triple H in charge now, are pretty much nil.

Speaking of the aforementioned Wrestling News, they are reporting that pretty much everybody involved in the dressing room fight has been suspended from AEW. The rumour has it that there may actually be some firings over this after a couple of weeks of investigation etc.

I think @C.S. was talking about Bobby Fish, brother. Fish has been giving interviews lately talking about how much he loves Triple H. I think the assumption has been that now Fish is gone from AEW, he might just end up back in NXT. Problem is, if the rumours are to be believed, Fish is a bit of a nut. Not to mention, he is 45 years old. I don’t know how much of an upside he brings with him. Especially without O’Reilly. I would be mildly surprised if Fish ends up back in NXT. That would make me question Triple H’s decision making. Then again, he did just hire Road Dogg back, so perhaps I am expecting too much.

I am not a huge fan of Brian Last as a human being, I think he’s an arrogant jerk. However…he definitely has sources inside AEW, there is no doubt about that. And that new outfit The Wrestling News is a legit operation with some respected and reputable guys on staff, guys like the aforementioned Mike Sempervive and Brian Solomon. They have even purchased Norm Kietzer’s PWE archives which go all the way back to the 70’s. I’d be just as quick to believe The Wrestling News as I would Meltzer, Keller or Mike Johnson. I think as far as Pro Wrestling News goes, these guys are going to be the real deal. Their presentation has been very slick and professional so far, too. I get the impression that Last and company want to take a legit run at The Observer. And he has the team to do it.

Apparently, it is now official. Fish released the delayed second episode of his podcast and confirmed that his contract with AEW has expired, and they have not offered him a new one. Fish also allegedly made some complaints about Tony Khan avoiding meeting with him. And to top it all off, he has apparently continued to talk shit about CM Punk, and has now challenged him to a shootfight.

So that’s what it was for, I didn’t know the reason but he was definitely missing for a few weeks there and everybody seemed to agree it was a suspension.

Yeah, that’s the latest story going around all over. Punk finished his rant at the press conference and heads back to his dressing room where his wife, wife’s friend and his dog are waiting. Punk had Steel with him. Kenny and The Bucks show up and barge in, cussing Punk out for what he said about them at the press conference. Things get heated. The commotion is freaking out Punk’s wife and her friend, and his little dog. Punk orders them out, they won’t leave, he shoves one or both of The Bucks. The debate is who threw the first punch, some say Punk, some say Matt Jackson. But once punches are thrown, Punk clocks Matt Jackson. Steel throws a chair which knocks Nick Jackson out. Consensus seems to be that The Bucks entered the dressing room uninvited, and refused to leave and that’s when things got physical. Everybody seems to agree Kenny didn’t get physical but once the fight broke out, he tried to get in the middle. Some people are now claiming Kenny bit Steel, not the other way around. The only thing that has been confirmed is that the fight broke out in Punk’s dressing room, Matt Jackson has a black eye, and Nick Jackson got knocked out.

That’s great to know, that his show is back on track. Especially since now that from a selfish standpoint, he is no longer working for WWE so we don’t have to worry about him toeing the company line like let’s say…Bruce.

Say what you want about Rhea corrupting Dom, but at least she got him to slick back his mullet, so that’s a win.

I had never heard anything negative about him before this stuff. I was kind of surprised to hear about what has come out lately, but if he really is getting dropped already there pretty much has to be something to these rumors. It’s not like TK is quick to get rid of people…plus you can’t help but wonder why he only got signed to a one year deal to begin with because O’Reilly supposedly got a 5 year deal. You have to wonder now that Trips is in charge, if his “guys” will be as quick to jump ship. Especially if AEW is getting a rep for being a chaotic place to work.

If this whole story that Punk attacked The Young Bucks and Ace Steel hit one of them with a chair and knocked one out… I don’t see how you can avoid firing Steel never mind having him criminally charged, and quite honestly Punk should be suspended at best, if not fired as well. And I say this as somebody who is actually sympathetic to Punk’s position in this situation up until now.

A lot of this is secondhand information and speculation but some of it sounds plausible at the very least, and some of it has been confirmed. Apparently Fish has been a bit of a handful backstage. I guess he is one of the guys who hates Punk and was apparently talking shit about him on Twitter, making fun of his worked kicks, etc. Fish has also given a couple of interviews recently talking about much he loves Triple H and would go to war for him and run through a wall for him. That seems like an odd choice to make, openly criticizing the guy who is the top guy in your company while praising the guy who is now running the competition. I have seen it speculated that Fish had substance abuse issues or even possible concussion related mental health problems, but whatever it is the bottom line is I guess he is making a bit of a spectacle out of himself. He has also started a podcast and was threatening to drop some sort of bombshell on his newest episode, but I don’t know if he has or not and I have no interest in listening to his podcast to find out. News broke a couple of days ago that Fish’s contract was only for one year, and it is now up and AEW has no interest in resigning him, so he is basically gone. Also Kyle O’Reilly is apparently out indefinitely with a neck fusion so that is basically the end of ReDragon in AEW.