Migs

You know, that's fairly logical. He can't really sell a 20 year library if the suits see it as being worth peanuts. He needs to establish some value in the brand so that an AEW/ROH library is as valuable to corporate as I think wrestling fans would see it.

Yeah. At the time, the dumb complaint was that they were going "over budget." That's not the problem. The problem is they did a poor job of finding ways to integrate all the new talent while keeping their young stars moving forward. Maybe it was an impossible task. But guys like Andrade and Black and Matthews all read like missteps, because the whole vibe around them was "they're getting underpushed!" and they then walked into a promotion where there was just no way to push them much harder than they've already been. They'd have been better off letting many of these people go to Impact and seeing who got hot.

One of the big advantages AEW has had is that their pre-launch on a national stage (All In) was in an arena. It set them up for success by looking big league early on (I have since often wondered what ECW would have looked like if they ran Barely Legal in a bigger place, but that's a whole separate conversation). I agree this will be a big point for them - they need to draw enough to arenas to keep making arenas look reasonable. Last thing they want is the TNA touring problem (not that they're close to that at the moment).

You're missing the most obvious thing - the Elite are gone, except Page. Cody left in the winter and I do think that divided the loyalties of some on its own. Kenny missed most of the last year, then wrestled three matches and got suspended. The Bucks have been around until recently but spent the last year floating in and out of relevance - you could easily go weeks without seeing them in a key match. If you even look at the other indie guys who were a key part of the first year - SCU has disappeared, Best Friends are basically Orange's backup (some of that may be Trent's injuries, but still), guys like Darby/Fenix/Penta have mostly stalled out. The core of the promotion is just different, and while the same person may still be enjoying the shows, I think the loss of that core has eroded the loyalty level of the original fanbase.

You tell me that match is main eventing Final Battle and I'd be pretty stoked.

It did feel like some stuff was stretched out, maybe because they were missing people. Did not match the pacing of Dynamite recently.

Agreed, but he's a Long Island guy, which would lean Mets, and it's more direct heat in Philly.

Last year. Thanksgiving week in Chicago.

Chicago was an AEW city way before him. It's the fanbase there that literally launched the company. Was Punk an even bigger draw in Chicago? Yes. But AEW was big in Chicago before, and I think will likely be fine after him.

And Danielson's worst.

He just rewatched Dodgeball.

Feels like that would be the lamest way to do War Games, so that's probably what they'll go with. Bloodline against the babyfaces is at least a reasonable War Games scenario.

Was the Wrestling Showcase thing over All Out weekend a Conrad production or just someone piggy backing off him using that hotel for his Top Guys weekend?

He's a Cody guy and wants to jump as soon as possible? That would be the explanation if they're not pushing him.

This feels like the biggest shift in the wrestling world over the last few months, and the backstage fight sort of crystallized this.

Thanks for that, wasn't aware. I don't think two retweets from 10 years ago makes them so repugnant they'd need to be dragged, but duly noted.

I was bummed it wasn't open the last time I was up in Albany for a concert, but hoping I can find an excuse to make it back there sometime. The plaza looked nice, I'm guessing it'll be a cool place to check out.

I don't think Jericho gets a pass at all and the Bucks have literally never said anything political publicly?

Adding the week before, as the numbers were a bit stronger. The A&E Biography on Rey Mysterio on 8/28 did 444,000 viewers and an 0.12 in 18-49 and 0.06 in 18-34. It was No. 33 on the charts and 14th in the time slot. It was down 3.1 percent from last week’s show on Edge, but up 9.1 percent in 18-49 and up 100.0 percent in 18-34. WWE Rivals with Mysterio and Eddy Guerrero did 316,000 viewers and an 0.09 in18-49. It was No. 54 for the night and ninth in the time slot. It was up 2.9 percent in viewers and up 12.5 percent in 18-49 from Edge vs. Cena last week.

Here's the ratings section from the most recent Observer. Looks like it would beat Impact and MLW, and maybe some bad weeks of Rampage in total viewers. But I do think the overall point is correct - there's a lot of lapsed fans out there, although they may not be the easiest to win back other than via nostalgia. The WWE Sunday Night block of programs on 9/4 based around the biography on the first WrestleMania drew the lowest ratings of the series to date. It was the final Sunday night block until they go with another run of shows in the winter. The 8 to 10 p.m. show on WrestleMania did 385,000 viewers with an 0.07 in 18-49. It finished No. 52 for the night and 12th in the time slot. It was down 13.3 percent in viewers and down 41.7 percent in 18-49 from last week’s show on Rey Mysterio. WWE Rivals at 10 p.m., covering the Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella feud, did 251,000 viewers and an 0.05 in 18-49. It was No. 70 for the night and 10th in the time slot. It was down 20.6 percent in viewers and down 44.4 percent in 18-49 from the Rey Mysterio vs. Eddy Guerrero show the prior week.

I've checked out some Youtube clips and they've been... fine? Maybe Nash has just done too many shoot interviews to have much new to say.

I believe they just opened the physical site too - it's in a plaza attached to the MVP Arena in Albany (formerly the Knickerbocker, where '92 Rumble happened).

Westside Gunn is a big deal in Buffalo. It's local flavor.

Fightful Select also saying Malakai Black is gone with a "very conditional" release.