Is the empire crumbling before our eyes?

[The Thread Killer]

This Tweet has been getting a lot of mileage today: 

UFC was pretty infamous for making these exact kind of moves before TKO bought them, and since then? Yeesh.

[El-P]

The past regime released shitload of people during the pandemic, so it's not like WWE worried about optics before. But yeah, it's only gonna get worse. They released *two* injured wrestlers too btw (Zoe & Escobar, I believe).

[C.S.]

4 hours ago, The Thread Killer said:

The problem I can see is that both of those guys have worked for WWE for so long, I don’t know if they would be able to make the change from WWE style to AEW style. There is a really big difference. And I will be honest, a lot of the stuff New Day has done recently has been pretty cringe backstage comedy, and light on actual in ring action. I’m not saying they couldn’t cut it in AEW, but I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that they would.

2 hours ago, El-P said:

What I've seen of Kofi Kingston years ago, that is when he wasn't 44 years old, is that he was a "very good 2010's WWE worker". See also, Matt Cardona or Nic Nemeth. And by that I mean : he was never that great of a worker and was wildly overrated in the grand scheme of things

1. Being a "good worker" is overrated.

2. Most of the "good workers" in AEW are wildly overrated as such.

New Day is about as no-brainer a signing as it gets for AEW.

I will agree with the the part about the backstage comedy though. While I liked it more than you did, that's not really in AEW's DNA. However, Kofi and Woods proved they could be effective serious characters when they turned on Big E. It's not their fault the "genius booker" didn't follow up on it. Not like they're alone in that either. See: Cena, John.

No one seems too concerned about what their new names will be. I think Kofi (his real name) and Creed (Woods' trademarked name) rolls off the tongue nicely as a team name. 

[sek69]

2 hours ago, The Thread Killer said:

This Tweet has been getting a lot of mileage today: 

UFC was pretty infamous for making these exact kind of moves before TKO bought them, and since then? Yeesh.

I think what is especially jarring is that WWE is still trying to do the old "we're a family company" schtick while owned by a company that has made it abundantly clear they don't give a shit about anything like that. 

One thing they may not be realizing is this is probably speedrunning the end of the "everyone's dream is to go to WWE" era. 

[Johnny Sorrow]

The New Day are fucking great. There was a long time where they were one of the only acts in WWE that were actually over. When my nephew was young they were his favorite act by far, to the point where when he had lost interest he'd always watch a New Day match. They were so over that they were one of the only acts that clearly weren't reciting scripted shit and were creating their own shit.  If Kofi and Creed showed up in AEW I'd start watching some of their TV again and not just go to every show they play in Denver.

[El-P]

6 hours ago, sek69 said:

I think what is especially jarring is that WWE is still trying to do the old "we're a family company" schtick while owned by a company that has made it abundantly clear they don't give a shit about anything like that. 

One thing they may not be realizing is this is probably speedrunning the end of the "everyone's dream is to go to WWE" era. 

Yeah, this. This is why they are such a cult, because that's what they are selling, both to their audience and to their workers. The idea that you'll get your Mania Moment and such, which really doesn't actually exist nor means anything in real life. The worst thing that can happen to WWE is being seen as "one pro-wrestling promotion among others". For fans, it may take a while, if ever, because they won the branding war a lot time ago, because they had every advantages doing it (NY territory, money to buy all the stars from everywhere).

But for wrestlers... TNA was never strong enough, but a guy like Ospreay had said it before, he was a TNA kid. Thekla coming back from Japan wanted to be in AEW, that was her shit. With more time passing by and AEW being a strong alternative (and alternative is the key word, and that means stylistically also, hence the emphasis on yes, *good workers* and hell, actually *great workers*, and not understanding this is not understanding what AEW is nor what his audience wants), it weakens the perception of WWE being the only place to be. And it's not just a matter of "where to work", but also what value you put on yourself as a talent. Vaquer, Monroe, Keys, all taking *less money* just because they want to work for a THE logo ? Not smart. Especially when the "dream" is just a corporate myth that can be cut off at any moment, and more than ever before, and getting worse.

(not to mention the smell of the "dream", ethically speaking, but that's another matter)

[El-P]

https://www.postwrestling.com/2026/05/03/roman-reigns-no-longer-advertised-for-wwe-raw-appearances-in-june/

Restructuring deals, uh ? 

 

[DMJ]

- The New Day are a very good tag team and took a terrible gimmick and got it mega-over with the live audiences and sold a ton of merch through chemistry and personality. They'd be a good signing, even if only for a year or two. You bring back the trombone, you give them a "chant-able" name, you let them be them, and the live crowds are going to be engaged and loud (just like they always were in WWE) and that looks good on TV. Also, the fact that so many of their colleagues are tweeting support is only helping. The bullets that the "anti-WWE smarts" load in their guns against any former WWE talent coming to AEW are getting pulled out by every pro-New Day tweet that the Bucks or MJF or Mercedes or Swerve sends out.

While I agree that AEW has established itself as a place for great wrestling/great wrestlers, that doesn't just mean the Ospreays and Swerves of the world. Kofi and Woods are solid in-ring, safe workers, have good signature stuff, etc. This isn't AEW going out and signing The Ascension or The Highlanders or the Prime Time Playas or the Bloodline or Wyatt Sicks rejects, these are guys with experience who can hang with the best tag teams.*

- As for the Reigns thing, I'm guessing this is just another example of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.



* I know it was across many years and some were singles and not tags, but Kofi and Woods had some good matches against Danielson, Cesaro (& Kidd), Mistico (I think? Not sure who was playing Sin Cara at the time), FTR, Shelton, Samoa Joe, etc. These are not guys who will need to have their hands held to get them through a good match. 

[El-P]

Dax fantasy booking...

[JRH]

Everyone's talking about New Day as a tag team in AEW, but what about singles? I can see Kofi working well with guys like Orange Cassidy, Swerve, Kevin Knight, and even MJF.

[strobogo]

1 hour ago, El-P said:

Dax fantasy booking...

What if we did a TLC and ignored the old dudes had to take 10 years off because of them incoming

[El-P]

Just now, strobogo said:

What if we did a TLC and ignored the old dudes had to take 10 years off because of them incoming

I mean, if you ask *me*, just do FTR vs YB vs MCMG. 😎

And single matches ? Gimme Shelley vs Hechicero. Shelley vs Kyle. Shelley vs Mox. Shelley vs Fletcher. Shelley vs Shibata. Shelley vs Omega. Shelley vs the world.

[Dustin]

I would love to see them join Hurt Dynasty and have Shelton and Bobby go the singles route.

[club]

WIth all the spooky wrestlers getting cut, I don't like EVIL's chances in WWE.

[El-P]

With the absurd amount of money they're making, the monetization of about everything in sight apart from the referee's asses, selling a spot at the announcers table to random cryptoscam millionaire, WWE is asking talents, including major ones, to take pay cuts. This company is so utterly pathetic.

Also, you may wonder if they heard something something about the Saudis losing interest in this particular brand of sports-washing. LIV Golf is out. 

Also, whoever took that supposed 50% pay cut is a fucking mark.

[C.S.]

Booker T: "All these years, do you remember one Aleister Black match?"

Ouch!

And the answer is no.

I'm sure someone will cite his wildly overrated NXT work though.

1 hour ago, El-P said:

Also, whoever took that supposed 50% pay cut is a fucking mark.

The Miz?

Not like AEW would take him - even though they should, because he's a better worker in the ring and on the mic than 90% of the wrestlers there.

[El-P]

15 minutes ago, C.S. said:

Not like AEW would take him - even though they should, because he's a better worker in the ring and on the mic than 90% of the wrestlers there.

Yeah, I remember you said the same thing with R-Truth. I have no words 🤣. (well, I have but... well, nevermind, let's say it's just cheap trolling and let this die already) I know Mauro Ranallo would be ashamed though. 😎

Anywoo, that's neither here nor there anyway, nor will it ever. It's not known who is this "majorly pushed" talent who may have done it. He or she is a fucking idiot.

Apparently WWE is trying to lure Austin Creed back for a 2K deal. What a joke. The fact Kofi did not do the "Thank you WWE" bit in his communication is quite telling too, as he's also encouraging people to not devalue themselves. Message is being sent.

[C.S.]

19 minutes ago, El-P said:

Yeah, I remember you said the same thing with R-Truth.

I don't remember this.  But I won't deny it either. 

20 minutes ago, El-P said:

I know Mauro Ranallo would be ashamed though. 😎

Even though you're joking, this makes me wonder which wrestlers Mauro truly favors.

21 minutes ago, El-P said:

It's not known who is this "majorly pushed" talent who may have done it. He or she is a fucking idiot.

100%

21 minutes ago, El-P said:

Apparently WWE is trying to lure Austin Creed back for a 2K deal. What a joke. The fact Kofi did not do the "Thank you WWE" bit in his communication is quite telling too, as he's also encouraging people to not devalue themselves. Message is being sent.

I really hope Creed tells them to fuck off and suffer the consequences for their shortsighted bullshit. Yes, pun very much intended.  

[El-P]

8 minutes ago, C.S. said:

I don't remember this.  

Aww come one now ! 🤣

8 minutes ago, C.S. said:

Even though you're joking, this makes me wonder which wrestlers Mauro truly favors.

Considering his history, I would say a lot that you don't actually enjoy apparently. 😎

8 minutes ago, C.S. said:

I really hope Creed tells them to fuck off and suffer the consequences for their shortsighted bullshit. Yes, pun very much intended.  

I saw what you did here. A deep cut too. (I mean, for how long was he even in TNA ?)

But yeah. Plus it's a way to try and fuck over Kofi, as alone he would obviously have less value than as the act. So fucking petty. I very much doubt he would accept. He's got tons of gamer friends in AEW, Kenny Omega to begin with, so there's plenty of VG stuff he could do over there too eventually.

[flyonthewall2983]

2 hours ago, El-P said:

Also, you may wonder if they heard something something about the Saudis losing interest in this particular brand of sports-washing. LIV Golf is out. 

Also, whoever took that supposed 50% pay cut is a fucking mark.

I can’t imagine Saudis wrapping their arms around golf like they have WWE. That too could change but the LIV thing sounds different from the deal Vince struck with them.

[C.S.]

55 minutes ago, El-P said:

Considering his history, I would say a lot that you don't actually enjoy apparently. 😎

Just out of curiosity, what is your perception of who Mauro enjoys and who I don't enjoy? Always interesting to see how accurate it is to the reality (at least in my case - neither of us can exactly read Mauro's mind to know for sure what he likes and doesn't like).