All Elite Wrestling

[MoS]

I definitely hope there is some motion and churning in the next 6 months or so as far as the main event scene is concerned. Having Bryan and Punk if they are available is a no-brainer, but AEW also has a crop of extremely talented bright young guys and girls, all of whom should be in the main event scene this time next year. So when big-time legends like Bryan and Punk come, they are utilized in a process where they help this elevation, and not delay it or keep the young stars in limbo because of how crowded the main event scene is. There's no point having 15 All-Stars when only 5 can be on the floor. There are only so many open slots. It is why I was nonplussed when I saw people talk about how the Varsity Blonds have the potential to be main eventers soon. Yeah, but like, in place of whom? They already have so many "potential main eventers" on their roster. Whose spot is Griff Garrison is going to take? That's the reality of wrestling. Some really talented ones never make it to the very top.

Regardless, this is more of a cautionary note than an epitaph. I think AEW has done a good job elevating some of its wrestlers definitely. Darby and Britt, MJF is clearly a bigger star than he was when the promotion started (and even a year back), Miro has been rehabbed and elevated with the TNT title and God's Favourite Champ gimmick, which is right now my favourite in wrestling. They also did an excellent job saving Hangman after a meh first few months, and then making him a main event star. Hopefully they pull the trigger and make him one of the absolute top guys at All Out. So they do have a good track record. What they should be careful about imo is to not get carried away with "surprises" and new signings and "changing the landscape of wrestling" because all of that is short-term thinking. Instead, just focus on continuing to develop their new stars. Have an idea of which 5-6 wrestlers they want as headliners and faces of the promotion in 1-2 years, and then focus everything on getting them to that position. And when these wrestlers get there, they should be the *only* ones in the main event scene, not sharing the scene with the Elite and Cody and Mox and Jericho. The current faces of the promotion can't be clogging the space. Again, only so many available slots on the floor

 

[strobogo]

Punk pretty much sucked the last year and a half to two years of his WWE run, he's made it very clear publicly over and over he has no passion left for wrestling and would only be doing it for the pay check if he were to return, he was never athletic even in his prime but now he's in his 40s, and he'd be returning to a company where no matter how old or big you are, you are going to be doing big high spots every show. He's also a known asshole who has also already publicly shit talked how AEW does business before even doing business with them.

 

I believe the industry has passed Punk by and he'll stick out like a sore thumb and burn out quickly and leave the industry all together again pretty quickly regardless of which company he would end up at.

[MoS]

It's honestly the Colt thing that would be the biggest worry. From what I understand, both fell out hard. I don't know the details beyond both suing each other for legal fees, but both have IIRC accused each other of hurting them financially. We don't really hear a lot about backstage issues in the AEW locker room beyond some Cody-Elite rumours, but having a toxic backstage atmosphere is the last thing a young upstart promotion needs

[Phil Schneider]

I think one of the big problems with AEW is how shitty the WWE working environment seems to be. The churn between promotions is one of the healthiest things about having a promotional war. Cody showing up to challenge Roman Reigns would actually be a super hot angle, but there is no way he is leaving AEW, and he is getting a bit stale there. Same thing with guys like Jericho and the Bucks It's going to be hard to elevate new stars, if the old stars have no incentive to go anywhere. 

[rovert]

For what it is worth rank and file WWE office workers I've spoken to think Bryan has already signed with AEW. While Punk is close.

But there is a massive impasse when it comes to Colt and Punk though to my best understanding. Of course Punk is the bigger star no question, no debate. But Colt was there first, formed bonds, show his worth as a coach/agent and wrestler. Colt was an elder that helped the locker room cope with a tragedy of a colleague and someone gave his body/trust/close contacts when we didn't know what COVID was. 

[SirEdger]

That's interesting, then. While he's not a big on-screen talent, Colt is seemingly a very valued person backstage. Would AEW risk losing that for the sake of making a big splash by bringing back to wrestling the one guy we thought would never wrestle again?

[rovert]

3 minutes ago, SirEdger said:

That's interesting, then. While he's not a big on-screen talent, Colt is seemingly a very valued person backstage. Would AEW risk losing that for the sake of making a big splash by bringing back to wrestling the one guy we thought would never wrestle again?

A true test of Tony's leadership and conflict resolution skills for sure. 

[strobogo]

Imo Colt probably is a bigger net positive than Punk at this stage and I can't say I've enjoyed Colt in about a decade. I do not think Punk is going to be some huge draw that pushes AEW to a new level. I do not think he adds much of anything at this stage. Just another old WWE dude taking up space and money. Plus a toxic attitude who makes enemies literally everywhere he goes. 

 

I also don't really think Bryan will take AEW to some huge new level, but he's also much better, still arguably in his prime, far more recent of a big star (IE headlined WM THIS YEAR vs guy who walked out now 7 years ago and whose only public appearances since have been embarrassing himself in the MMA world), and his backstage contributions are immeasurably positive compared to anything Punk has to offer.

[sek69]

Danielson and Punk would absolutely be "Hall and Nash show up on Nitro" for the modern era. No one suggested the Outsiders were going to tear it up in the ring, but it was the moment when WCW looked like the place everyone wanted to be and made the company look like the coolest kids in school. 

 

[Ricky Jackson]

Sometimes you have to work with people you don't like. Once a week, where you don't really have to be in contact with each other, isn't a dealbreaker 

[Jmare007]

I'd gladly be wrong on this one but I don't see Punk and Bryan having the same effect as Hall and Nash. I think both could be more of an Angle in TNA, boosting up business marginally but still making things somewhat bigger than before.

Now, a motivated Punk could create a couple of stars like Foley did in WWF if he wanted to. And we all know Bryan can make anyone worth a damn look like a million bucks. So even though I don't see business picking up significantly, I could totally see them contributing to AEW's roster getting better and establishing new people for the company's next phase/era.

And fuck, if Bryan signs I'm gonna have to check this damn show weekly

3 hours ago, strobogo said:

Punk pretty much sucked the last year and a half to two years of his WWE run, he's made it very clear publicly over and over he has no passion left for wrestling and would only be doing it for the pay check if he were to return

I mean yeah, if that's the case then bringing Punk in would only work for the 1 big comeback match and whatever gate, ratings and PPVs it could mean (as I already said, I don't think it would be that significant, though of course it would be a boost). But idk, I think Punk would be motivated if he decided to sign with AEW. It wouldn't be the first time he changed his opinion on something.

[Dale Wolfe]

All for Bryan coming in but I hope the Punk rumours are just rumours. I get why they'd do it but it's just another boring old face from the past. The UFC failures have added additional baggage, too.

Dull character. 

[sek69]

I don't think Punk is as damaged by the UFC stuff as people think. Sure, it gives the people who don't like him more joke material, but he would still be a draw in any wrestling company in the world (except for WWE since they would probably be petty AF about it). 

[Coffey]

I think people are nuts for even questioning bringing Punk in. If the conflict is Colt, he'd have been fired yesterday for me. That's a no brainer to me. 

[sek69]

Punk posted the intro to "Sirius" on his Instagram, which was the song the Chicago Bulls famously used for their intros.

[NintendoLogic]

It was also Ricky Steamboat's WWF theme.

[strobogo]

17 hours ago, sek69 said:

I don't think Punk is as damaged by the UFC stuff as people think. Sure, it gives the people who don't like him more joke material, but he would still be a draw in any wrestling company in the world (except for WWE since they would probably be petty AF about it). 

I don't think the UFC thing matters too much either, but what does matter is 7 years is a long time in wrestling. Think of any top guy in any era coming back 7 years later out of the blue. Outside of The Rock, who had become a global superstar outside of wrestling in the meantime, I can't think of ANY top guy coming back after 7 years of staying out of the industry and limelight almost completely will make the impact as big as what people would hope for. 

[C.S.]

3 hours ago, Coffey said:

I think people are nuts for even questioning bringing Punk in. If the conflict is Colt, he'd have been fired yesterday for me. That's a no brainer to me. 

Probably highly unethical and potentially illegal to fire Colt for that - not that it'd ever happen, but still.

On 7/21/2021 at 8:18 PM, Ricky Jackson said:

Sometimes you have to work with people you don't like. Once a week, where you don't really have to be in contact with each other, isn't a dealbreaker 

This.

But it might be enough of a deterrent to keep Punk from signing. It's an awkward situation, and who wants to put themselves through that?

Like Bryan, I'll believe it when I see it.

Wouldn't surprise me if both were leveraging AEW negotiations to ultimately get better deals with WWE - something we've seen time and time again with Randy Orton and others.

[sek69]

Just now, NintendoLogic said:

It was also Ricky Steamboat's WWF theme.

True, but unless Ricky's running a PPV I haven't heard about I would assume the reference was the guy from Chicago about the legendary Chicago team and the company he's rumored to be signing with having a PPV in the Chicago area.

[Jmare007]

17 minutes ago, C.S. said:

Wouldn't surprise me if both were leveraging AEW negotiations to ultimately get better deals with WWE - something we've seen time and time again with Randy Orton and others.

In Bryan's case there's not a lot to leverage for besides being able to work in Japan. He's gonna get a big money deal with either company and he's not a guy that will stay in WWE for X millions more (when he's already getting a big ass number anyway). What else could he ask? Having a clause that forces WWE to give him 10-20 minute matches on TV/PPV every week? shit, he already had that.

[sek69]

At this point, I'm assuming Bryan is a done deal and the only reason I'm not at that level with Punk is because of his prior negative history with the people in and running the company. I still think at the end of the day AEW is the place that is going to give him what he wants (its been reported he talked to Marty Scrull when he was booking ROH and his interest was more creative freedom and fresh matchups rather than money).

[C.S.]

35 minutes ago, Jmare007 said:

In Bryan's case there's not a lot to leverage for besides being able to work in Japan. He's gonna get a big money deal with either company and he's not a guy that will stay in WWE for X millions more (when he's already getting a big ass number anyway). What else could he ask? Having a clause that forces WWE to give him 10-20 minute matches on TV/PPV every week? shit, he already had that.

Japan dates, being allowed to work indies, less dates for more money (otherwise known as "The Brock"), creative control, the freedom to pick who he faces, a private plane or bus paid for by WWE, vegan treats hand-delivered to his locker room, more environmentally-friendly policies... I'm exaggerating with some of these, obviously, but there are a million little things he can ask for to make his life more comfortable.

[sek69]

Pretty much Bryan can just point to Mox and Jericho's deals and say "I'll have what they're having" and be able to work anywhere in the world he wants to.  WWE can't match that, which is why I'm pretty much 100% certain it's a done deal with him.

[Jmare007]

1 hour ago, C.S. said:

Japan dates, being allowed to work indies, less dates for more money (otherwise known as "The Brock"), creative control, the freedom to pick who he faces, a private plane or bus paid for by WWE, vegan treats hand-delivered to his locker room, more environmentally-friendly policies... I'm exaggerating with some of these, obviously, but there are a million little things he can ask for to make his life more comfortable.

That's not something WWE can just go ahead and give to him and those are the two big things he wants. It's not like he can go to WWE and say "hey, I can work New Japan and a fuck ton of promotions if a sign with AEW, can you do better?". That's just not realistic "leverage".

[sek69]

Hunter tried to talk Brodie Lee into staying by promising (somehow) he could work New Japan dates.