NintendoLogic

Based on the information we have, nothing Perry has done has come even remotely close to a firing offense. Wanting to use real glass was stupid, but the spot was approved by management and a car had been procured for that purpose before Punk nixed it. And if you're going to hold the Elite responsible for escalating things by barging into Punk's locker room, you have to to the same for Punk for getting in Perry's face when he had a match to get ready for. It's disappointing to me as a fan because Punk was the part of AEW I found the most consistently compelling, but companies don't fire their biggest draw unless something really heinous happens.

I wonder if Punk is still bound by the NDA he signed regarding Brawl Out or if he had to sign a new one as part of a severance agreement. If so, it's questionable whether it would hold up in court. The NLRB recently ruled that overly-broad NDAs are unlawful, and it's not like what happened during a backstage fight can be classified as a trade secret. In other words, he might be going full scorched-earth pretty soon.

I think a lot of it was due to the Elite's contact status being up in the air and people dreading the prospect of friction with Punk driving them out of the company and into the arms of the evil WWE. It seemed to die down a bit after Omega and the Bucks re-upped, but then...you know. The SI piece on the firing said it best: "Punk was not at fault for every single issue in AEW, but he was the common denominator on too many occasions." Even the most pro-Punk accounts of what went down at All In have him instigating the altercation with Perry and physically escalating the situation. Say what you want about poking the bear, but if everyone has to walk on eggshells because you're liable to fly into a berserker rage at the slightest provocation, you're more trouble than you're worth unless you're a Hogan-level draw. And at least Hogan knew how to charm people and make them think he was on their side. Speaking of sides, Ace Steel's status in the company is currently unknown. If he does manage to keep his job, how long will be it be before he and Punk have a falling-out over failing to quit in protest?

Is he, though? The most prominent lawsuit he was a part of was one in which he was the defendant. Regardless, the fact that AEW terminated him for cause rather than buying out his contract means they likely have him dead to rights and any litigation would be an open-and-shut case in their favor.

The phrase "wrestler and employment agreements" is jumping out at me. Did Punk have a role in the company beyond being an in-ring performer? I'm thinking maybe he was supposed to be the bad cop who would keep the talent in line while taking the heat off TK but he ruined it because no one told him you can't just choke your problems away.

A Play in Three Acts Act I: Act II: Act III: I will laugh my ass off if the domino effect from the All In backstage drama culminates in Jeff Jarrett wrestling Dennis Rodman on PPV.

It's gutsy because of the risk of Chicago fans hijacking the show. You have to think there's no way TK would run that risk unless he felt his hand was absolutely forced. You know, the mentality that an eight-year veteran is a snot-nosed rookie might be part of the problem here.

If nothing else, suspending Punk right before a PPV in Chicago is certainly a gutsy move. TK must want to make it clear that no one is above the law. That, or Punk pushed him to his breaking point.

I thought Sammy just called Eddie fat in a promo without clearing it with him beforehand. My understanding is that Sammy wasn't suspended in the Eddie and Andrade incidents because he didn't fight back either time.

Fenix and AR Fox both had to be pulled from All In due to visa issues, so it could be the travel coordinator is just really bad at his job.

The Hogan spots killed Joe/Punk for me. They turned what up to that point had been a serious title/grudge match into a joke.

There was an article about Cassandro in the New Yorker a while back. One passage in particular stuck with me: "The character who interested me the most was Platanito, the referee. He did a fine job of being diabolical. He would seem to be imposing order, keeping the rudos in line, but then, at a critical moment, he would fail and reveal his weakness, his corruption. A técnico would be getting unlawfully stomped by a three-man tag team, and Platanito would suddenly jump in and join them, unable to resist the fun. Lucha libre referees have complex, only semi-managerial roles. They are much like the Mexican government, only funnier." It got me to thinking about a possible connection between the role of pro wrestling referees in different cultures and the culture's broader views of authority figures.

Not gonna lie, that tribute video hit me right in the feels.

I thought Patterson was blowaway great in that first Backlund match. Between offense, selling, bumping, and psychology, he was the total package. That match is probably the best example we have on tape of the Roy Shire formula of every match containing elements of technical wrestling, brawling, and high spots. I thought the ending was brilliant as well as it left plenty on the table for a rematch without feeling like a total cop-out.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwOMKtJP9Cd/ Looks like Cora Jade has become enhancement talent, if you catch my drift.

The Shield/Wyatt Family feud was unquestionably Bray's in-ring high point, but drawing a straight line from it to the Bloodline feels like a pretty big stretch.

There are no words. No father should have to bury his son.

I'm pleasantly surprised the NYT obit didn't describe his time as Chainsaw Charlie as the high point of his career. Have any of you ever heard anyone offer a contrarian take on Terry Funk? I know I haven't. People may have argued that other wrestlers were better, but I've never seen anyone even attempt to claim that he wasn't really that great. Just about every other serious GOAT candidate has been picked apart to some degree, but not him. Says it all, really.

Bryan sounds like a typical dumb wrestler whenever he speaks out of character, so that's very much on-brand for him. In other news, the Torch is reporting that Edge is believed to be AEW-bound once his current deal expires. His last WWE run was mostly trash and Edge and Christian vs. the Hardy Boyz in 2023 sounds like a nightmare, but I'll admit to being intrigued by the prospect of E&C vs. FTR. By the way, Metalingus is like Cult of Personality in that WWE licenses it but doesn't own it, so TK can acquire the rights to use it if he so chooses.

Just yesterday, I was rewatching the time he got kicked by a horse while wrestling Chris Candido in a stable. What a career he had. Truth be told, the writing was on the wall with the announcement that he had been placed in assisted living with dementia. And by all accounts, he wasn't the same after his wife died. Relieved isn't the right word, but I can take a measure of solace in the fact that his suffering is at an end.

Dustin Rhodes was in Maui during the wildfires. It might have something to do with that.

Boring isn't bad if it works. Some of the most successful bookers in history (Sam Muchnick, Giant Baba, Vince the Elder) were incredibly formulaic and rarely if ever ran wild angles. A booker's job at the end of the day is to generate business, and HHH's recent track record in that regard can hardly be faulted.

He clearly took Arn's Glock promo to heart.

That reminds me:

The Becky/Lacey feud was the shits. Nearly killed Becky's title reign right out the gate. I still have nightmares about that mixed tag with Corbin and Seth.