C.S.

Just to be clear, I never meant to imply that The Thread Killer said Keith Lee doesn't sound "black enough." I made a clumsy analogy to Vince's horrid Bearcat gimmick, where that did seem to be the reason for turning Keith Lee from an articulate killer into an angry black man stereotype. I personally think Lee's promos and presentation are different, and he's always been a breath of fresh air. Any other take genuinely puzzles me. And yeah, Brock's voice did not sound at all intimidating when he first started. He was a physical beast from the beginning, but the Brock "aura" took time to develop because of his promos and voice.

Hi, Vince. Your angry black man Bearcat gimmick was a major success. Oh, wait...

WWE completely and wholeheartedly rejected Brian Cage before. He admitted that they called him an average talent to his face. https://www.wrestlezone.com/news/1290907-brian-cage-wwe-once-told-me-lets-face-it-youre-average-at-best So, no, he's never going there. They don't want him. Why would they? For whatever reason, something's missing. He's never been able to put the pieces together.

Big Time Becks wins, as she should. This is a genuine case of Tiffany Stratton getting the rub just by sharing the ring with a WrestleMania main eventer. I know everyone on PWO has PTSD from all the false Triple H "epic" non-rubs in the early 2000s, but this is the real deal.

Taken out of context by the illiterate Twitter neckbeards. No surprise there. What is surprising is that you'd fall for the bait too. What Keith Lee was saying "Poor Walter" about was the original plan to change Walter's name to Gunther Stark, who was a Nazi general or some such position in the German military. But poor Keith Lee for being yet another AEW flavor of the month. Tony Khan has no clue how to build and sustain stars, period. He even botched Bryan Danielson, who was both the hottest free agent and the best wrestler in the world. If you're reading this, Coach, PM me. Then hire me. It'll be the best money you ever spent.

What are you hearing, Bubba?

Nah, this is bubble talk. Tiffany Stratton is a relative nobody in the grand scheme of things. Being in there with Becky considerably raises her profile and helps NXT. If this was a main roster match, where Asuka and Rhea got sacrificed at the altar of "The Queen," it would be a different story. But right now, Tiffany - who is still practically a rookie - is fine taking a loss to Becky in WWE's developmental/not developmental/developmental again when AEW is brought up promotion. Big Time Becks' presence will only shine more of a spotlight on Tiffany Stratton and all of NXT - just as Dom has done.

To no one's surprise after the Punk firing, Christopher Guy (Ace Steele) is reportedly no longer with AEW.

I have been redeemed! If Mauro ever makes a comeback, I'll eventually be redeemed there too. His TLC matches are one of the defining attributes of the Attitude Era, and he was the best worker in them by far, so I stand by my statement.

Feels like there are several pieces missing. Sure, Punk could be unhinged enough to confront Regal on the first day for no reason and start spouting paranoid conspiracy theories about him being a "mole" for Triple H and WWE, but that seems like a stretch - even for Cranky Miserable Punk. Is there any history between them we don't know about?

Do they still have any real power beyond their bullshit ceremonial title? Tony took full control years ago, and Jericho has publicly mocked the the "mark" designation, saying he was offered an EVP position at the beginning and asked for more money instead. But yeah, either way, it's a bad look for "management" to be acting like children. Punk wasn't wrong when he said he worked with children. The bullshit is all the stuff you don't automatically believe. I have no idea what rovert reported, so I can't comment on that.

Jack(ass) Perry has been suspended indefinitely from AEW.

Weirdest Punk "newz" yet, courtesy of bodyslam.net, so I don't know what to make of it. Multiple sources have confirmed to me details about an incident that took place between CM Punk and William Regal, which took place when Regal made his AEW debut. In the altercation between the two men, Punk refused to shake Regal’s hand, and would then get in the legends face, telling him that he did not like him, he did not trust him and that Regal was a “stooge for Triple H.” This feels exaggerated at best and smells like bullshit at worst, but who knows...

A great point, but Punk was on the Dynamite the week after Collision's premiere. I don't think he's been on it since though, or at least not very often.

Meaning what Cornette himself is doing: podcasts, conventions (not sure if Cornette does that), special appearances, commentary gigs (Cornette did this for the NWA briefly), etc. A Punk podcast would be be very lucrative IMO.

CM Punk's first day back in WWE: Punk: Do. We. Have. A. Problem? Waller: Whaaaa, mate? Punk: Do we need to step outside? Waller: *Confused*

You say this like it's a bad thing. Why is getting into fights suddenly a badge of honor? Spouting that '80s Rambo fake macho bullshit isn't the flex you think it is. As someone who has gotten into many fights in an era long before "zero tolerance" was a thing, I sure as shit wish I didn't have to. But, you know, assholes are gonna asshole.

How could I forget the greatest post in PWO history? That meme was truly epic and hilarious.

If they do, they'll be welcome back to the WWE with open arms by Papa Haitch, who arguably knows how to book them better than even Tony does. In any case, dumbass Cash is lucky he wasn't fired right along with his buddy. I feel bad for FTR Bald. He hitched his wagon to Cash, who is legitimately one of the dumbest and most unhinged wrestlers ever - and, hoo boy, what a long list that covers! The Starks heel turn always felt very forced and misguided, so I really hope they go back to what actually works. People want to cheer Starks. I'm a Punk fan. Yes, even now. But I said right from the start that Tony backed the wrong horse. Punk's push should have been Danielson's all along. Someone here tried to argue that Danielson wanted to have fun and put others over. I said I don't give a fuck what Danielson wants, and neither should Tony Khan. After all, he's running a business and needs to maximize his assets. That probably didn't go over well with whoever I was discussing this with on PWO, but it remains the truth. Just like everyone else's anti-Cody stances here aged like rotten milk, while I've been repeatedly proven right about him being the only grown-up in the room among the EVPs and that Tony Khan letting him walk out the door would turn out to be one of the biggest and most catastrophic mistakes in AEW history. Well, the proof's in the pudding.

KEIJI MUTO

I wonder who they do look at in that light, if anyone? I think part of the problem is they think they're already better than all the veteran talent, or at least that's Punk's perception of them. Hangman didn't help himself when he said he didn't need anyone's advice, or whatever it was. A weird statement, because surely he has taken advice from Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Bullet Club, etc.

I've been wondering ever since the media scrum and "Brawl Out" aftermath if Punk is mentally okay. I hope he is, and with his wife being a mental health expert, that would be something she'd probably be more attuned to. Still though...

For all of CM Punk's issues, and there were many, no one on the AEW roster - not The Elite, not Hangman Page, certainly not Jack Perry - was a bigger draw and a more charismatic and compelling personality. Whether you like Punk or not, this is a massive loss. Cody was right to bail when he did. The children have won!

I read somewhere that Cody filmed vignettes of Sonny and Janela with his own money, but Tony refused to use them. Sounds like Sonny was a victim of being a Cody guy (girl?). As we hear more, it becomes less and less surprising why Cody left. He truly was the only grown-up in the room among the EVPs. As for Sonny, a major missed opportunity to create a crossover star. Crossover not in the movie/celebrity sense, but as someone who could appeal to be the LGBTQ+ audience in a way others can't. You see Sonny and immediately want to know more and see more. WWE usually knows how to capitalize on things like that. AEW can't even keep a hot hand like Wardlow smoking for more than a couple of months.

Sad news IMO. In the initial AEW press conference, only two wrestlers stood out to me beyond the big WWE/NJPW names and generic indie guys: Hangman Page and Sonny Kiss. I kinda hope someone gives Sonny a shot in NXT. It remains to be seen, but WWE feels like it will be a better fit for Brian Pillman Jr. (after a solid year of seasoning), and I think it would be for Sonny Kiss too.