sek69

Yeah it's also a stupid name for a wrestler in 2022. They don't seem to realize (or care) a big reason they can't get new fans is because they give all the new and new-to-WWE people stupid fucking names that make them sound like jokes from the start. Also it looks like Sarray is getting a Sailor Moon style schoolgirl gimmick. Can't imagine how that could possibly end badly.

I think it was Kevin Nash, it was a former WCW guy at least, who once said Vince would rather make a million dollars with his own idea than make ten million with someone else's.

Yeah the issue wasn't that the other Stark was any kind of prominent member, but more of "holy shit how does no one in WWE not know how to even do a Google search on a name" kind of deal.

I can just imagine the discussion: Bruce: uh Vince, that name we just trademarked? Turns out it's the name of a Nazi commander. Vince: Oh wow, really? *pause* THATS GOOD SHIT, PAL! TELL THAT BLOOM KID HE'S GETTING A NEW GIMMICK

When you search it on the English Wikipedia, there's no direct page but the fourth result is for the type of U boat he commanded and mentions his name. Either way, it's more of less standard protocol for any major company to run even a perfunctory search to see if the name/term they want to copyright has any negative connotations.

I don't think he's leaving, but it seems pretty clear him and the other EVPs are on different pages in terms of vision and that's why the Codyverse seems so detached from everything else going on. Like, I don't think they hate each other or get into fistfights behind the scenes, but it seems clear they have different visions.

On top of that, WWE has a weird phobia of having two people with the same name at the same time and they have Zoey Stark in NXT.

Lashley/Rollins was fun but it was yet another case of WWE booking a match between two people who can't lose so they telegraph the fuck finish a mile away.

Boy they really are trying to avoid the hard cam since it shows so many empty seats.

Yeah so far this much hyped expanded playoff format so far produced 3 blowouts and one game (Bengals/Raiders) that wasn't technically a blowout but was never really in doubt.

The EVPs probably have a separate performing deal so this most likely doesn't mean much, but it is quite a thing to consider that if Cody did leave it wouldn't even be that damaging tp AEW at the moment. There's so many super talented people working there now they've reached the stage where one top guy leaving wouldn't be the end of the world.

It should be noted that Ali has been adamant that he did not want to play any stereotypical Muslim/Arab gimmicks and for him to have a heated argument pretty much tells me that's probably what Vince was trying to pitch.

From Fightful:

Honestly, I would say by and large yeah. I don't think any wrestling company would even do something like that in 2022. The fact that there's several openly gay wrestlers who being gay is just part of who they are instead of it being a gimmick to attract heat is a testament to how far things have come. Now I'm not saying pro wres solved homophobia or anything, there's always going to be some chodes lurking around, but even Ian Rotten has gone on record saying his locker room is open to anyone.

Also isn't the entirety of Portland footage available limited to the tapes Buddy kept that got transferred to DVD years ago? Or did I miss another source appearing?

I don't know offhand who gets added next year, but there's really no names on the Mexico list I can see getting 60% other than him unless someone in the Wrestleverse decides to make the Dinamitas their pet project (which hey, I'd be down with if someone does).

Yeah and also now that the Brazos are in, he basically said he felt that Mistico is probably a shoo-in next year just because he's the highest profile name not in.

Okada has been one of the greatest pro wresters ever to grace the earth. It would be really weird for him to get less than 90% and I was wondering if he might get Kobashi level votes. I would say the biggest knock on New Japan was the lack of people built up around him and just expecting Okada to do all the heavy lifting himself.

I mean I'm sure it was all done mafia-like where Vince didn't say the exact words, but IIRC they were given the impression that blood would be okay to get the match over but also they don't want sponsors to see someone doing a blade job and left the rest up to them.

Also don't forget WWE thinks blading is barbaric but wanted the Orton/Lesnar match to have blood so they just told Brock to hardway him (which ended up in a concussion).

Yeah I think it was cubsfan who pointed out every time WWE complains about someone else's violence they always seem to do something worse than what they were complaining about within 3 weeks.

That's probably more about real sports being seen as DVR proof programming and maybe TNT hoping that the NHL got better numbers than they are getting.

WWE going back to the same old playbook, giving quotes on how the competition is promoting women self mutilating (referring to the blood in the TayJay vs Bunny/Penelope match), which is probably not the right wording to use when you're about to be hyping up the next Saudi show.

I think the most important thing is AEW is clearly building for the future even if it means sacrificing a few things in the present while WWE continues to rely on names from 20 years ago. Putting someone like Daniel Garcia in the main event of Rampage might not pay off today, but moves like that will lead AEW to have a ton of younger guys who the fans see as someone who matters. I'll admit I personally saw the Acclaimed as kind of a geek team at first but they've been positioned in such a way where they can be a tag team title contender now and I won't bat an eye. I do too and I also think they will, but (despite what the weirdos on Twitter think) TV networks write the big checks based on the demo numbers rather than the overall one. They've already done a much better job cultivating a younger audience than WWE and that will go a long way in securing a nice increase on the next TV contract. Meanwhile, Vince's big plan to get younger viewers seems to just be having Mandy in a bikini as often as possible. Which hey, I'm not complaining (Respectfully), but all it's done is lower the median NXT age from 64 to 61.

That was a really fun watch. Rampage becoming the AEW version of WorldWide has been my favorite development as of late.