Timbo Slice

Title changes are a matter of whoever the challenger is. Establishing long reigns for the sake of it doesn’t really do anyone any good. To credibly build threats each time out is one of the toughest things to do in a promotion.

Hirsch tore up her knee a couple months back. No word on Ford, although she may have been one of those quietly released since I believe her contract was coming up.

The AEW show being in the US, for example, speaks volumes.

Yeah, I’m just kinda shocked. The severity of what he’s gone through all at once is something else. I do not blame him for speaking out, but now that there’s a suicide attempt from his mom involved, I don’t really blame him going scorched earth. Especially given how the company seems to have been treating him through all this. EDIT: There’s also some really strange culture dynamics here. Corporate loyalty has a lot of standing in Japan still to this day (although not as much as say, 30 years ago) and is why New Japan decided to do what they’ve done with Ibushi as opposed to showing any type of humanity given his injury situation during COVID. I really hope the shame of the situation didn’t drive Ibushi’s mother to attempt suicide, but if that is indeed the case, Ibushi speaking out would be a big deal. Not just on the kayfabe parts previously mentioned, but with someone directly confronting their previous corporate employer on a public level like this.

Yeah, but I don’t think it’s an excellence thing. Bryan built up his tough guy bonafides in some absolute wars. The Morishima stuff alone holds a lot of water. O’Reilly never really want that way. He likes to show off his technical skills, but toughness didn’t show up nearly as often. Think that matters.

Kyle isn’t DANGEROUS. Kurt Angle was legit DANGEROUS.

Except AEW is overflowing and there isn’t another place to make that kind of money.

The AEW/NXT thing to me is purely aesthetics. I really don’t care to see similar matchups that were done to death in NXT, and Tony thankfully has avoided it. I think a lot of it also has to do with guys who have ceilings and have basically hit them, which can be said for many of the NXT guys as a whole. Swerve is nice to look at aesthetically but has don’t really nothing since his arrival. Cole came, got pushed to the top, but it was obviously being done only until guys like Punk were built up enough. There are more matches people want to see Punk have with certain guys than probably anyone in the company. Again: People forget there’s only 3 hours of TBS/TNT time. Only so many mouths to feed. That’s just a fact. I love how folks talk about how Wrestler X needs more time or a push, yet once you do the math of who would not get that screen time once Wrestler X gets featured, you realize they are where they should be. Everyone should be higher on the card until you realize there’s no more room there. And veterans are obviously willing to give young guys the opportunity to shine, which only helps how Tony puts together his shows. So Yuta and Garcia and the like get the rub and it works out in the end. I’d rather have that than NXT guys get pushed to the front of the line because it’s better long term for how you develop talent. I’m sure that when a TV contract is reached? You’re going to get the opportunity for more guys to get exposure, but I think it’s clear that Tony is trying to build up new stars as authentically as possible, which you can’t really do with the NXT guys. Cole is basically the best case scenario, and I’m more interested what he does after the Elite dream match at All Out that’s obviously coming. Tony is bringing in guys he likes, giving them a shot in one way or another, and then sees how they do. I know I’ve criticized him for staying the course a bit too much (not nearly to the extent Vince does, thankfully) but it seems like he’s quick to jump ship on something that doesn’t fit more often than not. Give it another year to see how it works out given everyone you want on your roster will finally be healthy, and I think you finally get the stability you want.

That’s why Brock got it and nobody else did. Vince respected him for basically holding him up for as much money as he could get. He knew his worth. That’s not a “good solider” mentality holding them back: It’s folks not knowing their value. And the majority of them, once they find value outside of wrestling, choose not to stay in it.

To the public at large (read: Not hardcore fans), they want draws from outside their actual pipeline of talent because they have data that suggests it’s what people want. Hence why Austin did his match this year, etc. It’s not sustainable at all or correct in regards to roster churn but it’s making them money right now. The last earnings call proves that. And they’re gonna do that until it doesn’t.

Because WWE is no longer a week-to-week promotion. It is a build to “big moments” where they churn it out until then. This isn’t a surprise. Been this way for years now. The company keeps turning over a profit and they don’t really care about weekly stuff being in-ring memorable anymore.

In which the Varsity Blonds are vanquished forever

This shit is catnip to me, more head butting Yuta in the face, please.

Yeah, but goodwill and being over was very helpful, along with them helping get Page over the hump. There were good reasons to keep the group intact, but the days of them being a necessary act are long gone.

Sek getting called sex69 from now on and ruining all our autocompletes isn’t something I thought I needed until this moment. And it’s only Monday.

Hell yeah, shaking things up and then some. Love corporate business practices. Because putting talent out on their ass for decisions that were incorrectly made by their bosses? That’s the American way in a nutshell. Love a quarterly update leading to quarterly layoffs.

STOKELY/THATCHER DREAM TEAM 2022 LETS GO

But at the same time, I’m fine with reassessing what the reactions are and booking that way as opposed to shoehorning something just because you need roles to be defined. It also forces the wrestler to be more creative and think on their feet, which leads to more organic reactions. The “outline” vs. “scripted” approach.

The thing about the Elite turn is that once it happens, you have to basically have Kenny return that moment, and I think they want it at Double or Nothing. So then Kenny gets a showcase match at Forbidden Door ahead of the showdown at All Out.

Sek giving the champ COVID, 2022 is wild, man.

My issue with Jade is that they need to decide how to truly present her: If she’s an overwhelming force, she needs to be that. If she’s someone who’s just outright better than everyone else, she needs to do more high-impact stuff that shows she’s better. The finish to the match was a perfect example: It just kinda happened without much leading into it. Too many of her matches are “we need you to go 12-15 because we know you draw” and the matches seem a lot longer than they need to be more often than not. Her going 6-8 on a regular basis while they build up an actual worthwhile challenger is the best possible outcome for both her and the division, but they also have very few female talents that are even on her level from a presentation and talent standpoint, which makes her Asuka in NXT without the depth to make a 15-minute match engaging. She’ll get there quickly, but she’s not there yet and neither is her competition.

That match right off the bat would be interesting, and with Punk more than likely winning the title, him vs. Tanahashi seems most likely, too.

Garcia/Kingston was good shit as per usual. Jade Cargill matches are so weird to me because she gets so much offense in and the matches are 15 minutes long. And a bit disjointed.

Calm down.

Punk tweeted out a photo of a sign on a dressing room “For a special guest” so now folks are thinking Tony’s announcement might have something to do with that.