Is the empire crumbling before our eyes?

[Coffey]

On 9/16/2022 at 1:31 PM, MoS said:

I think Meltz has also been played a bit.

He first denied the reports of the Bucks talking to someone in WWE, then later said that this happened, but a few months back, and it was just a conversation and not them asking to speak to management. He also did not report the "8 out of 10" dig that Omega took at the meeting, but when it got reported by others, he says Omega said that as a joke while taking a shot at Ospereay, and most of the locker room took it in that spirit, except a few who did not find it funny.

I think Dave's version is someone attempting to spin it as a minor thing.

Meltzer also reported that Punk would get frustrated when the rookies would not take his advice, but there is clearly more to that as well, since a recent interview had multiple young AEW talent like Hobbs praise Punk for his attitude and for how generous he is with his time and advice. Meanwhile, I have never heard of the Elite being praised for their locker room behaviour. 

I get a feeling small details like this will keep percolating for months. 

More recently, I also noticed the wording when Dave Meltzer was talking about the locker room incident making sure to say that C.M. Punk threw a "cheap shot" - using that phrase caught my eye, for sure. That's not unbiased reporting, that's trying to paint a narrative. Because Meltzer wants to defend his "friends."

[sek69]

3 hours ago, The Thread Killer said:

I would personally love to see a major promotion get a deal with a streaming service like Prime. Let’s face it, streaming is the future and network and cable TV are eventually going to become non-entities. 

The thing about going to streaming services is while you'll probably get a buttload of money for it, you're going to have a pretty big loss of viewability. Major League Soccer just signed an exclusive deal starting next year with Apple TV, which is going to make them a lot of money, but instead of having the reach of ESPN and Fox (their former partners) they will have the much smaller Apple TV audience. 

[NintendoLogic]

The term "cheap shot" appears nowhere in the Observers covering the backstage fight. The term "sucker punch" does, but only as a description of what the other side labeled it as. He also gave Punk's side, which is that a fight was inevitable and he decided to beat Matt Jackson to the punch. There is universal agreement that Punk threw the first punch, so that's all you can do. Same with Omega 8 out of 10 comment. Meltzer said that one version of the story is that it was clearly intended as a joke, but he also said that others took it seriously and didn't like it. When reporting on an event he wasn't an eyewitness to, shouldn't he provide as many perspectives as possible? Is he bad because he's taking sides or because he's providing multiple viewpoints without taking a side as to which one is accurate? It can't be both. It's clearly an article of faith for some people that he's incapable of reporting objectively on the Elite and he must be covering for them if he isn't going out of their way to bury them.

[Flyin' Brian]

Punk is going to be doing commentary for Cage Fury Fighting Championship’s event on October 8th. I’m curious enough to watch to see if he might say anything about AEW, unless there is some agreement in place that he can’t. 

[sek69]

4 minutes ago, Flyin' Brian said:

Punk is going to be doing commentary for Cage Fury Fighting Championship’s event on October 8th. I’m curious enough to watch to see if he might say anything about AEW, unless there is some agreement in place that he can’t. 

I can't imagine all parties weren't given a million admonishments to STFU until the whole investigation/legal process works itself out. 

Still, if there's one person who would say something anyway....

[Embrodak]

8 hours ago, strobogo said:

That whole promo played out exactly the same as the Eddie and MJF feuds, both of whom cut very similar promos about Punk being disliked, unwanted, and a hypocrite. It didn't even come off as some shooty shit, it seemed like it was part of a slow burn Punk heel turn.

And if a slow burn Punk heel turn wasn’t what was agreed to? Page could have just done a “I built this, I won’t let you take it away from me” kinda babyface vs babyface promo, but instead, he implied that Punk was secretly an asshole. Eddie clearly had longstanding heat with Punk and has venom toward almost literally everybody, and MJF is the most vile heel in the company and not to be taken at face value. Maybe having the top babyface champion come out and imply you’re a two-faced piece of shit was not actually the story they were supposed to do? I certainly remember the Page promo feeling odd and being bewildered at people who said it was some perfect continuity with the Eddie feud, and based on how mad it made him, it seems like Punk felt similarly. “Make your niche audience on the internet hate your top star” and all that.

[Dav'oh]

On 9/17/2022 at 7:01 AM, Timbo Slice said:

The Elite being gossipers extraordinaire

We've filled sixteen pages based on unverified, unsubstantiated stories from third-, fourth-, fifth-sixth-seventh-hand parties.

I think we can take a bow there, ourselves 

[Coffey]

17 hours ago, NintendoLogic said:

The term "cheap shot" appears nowhere in the Observers covering the backstage fight. The term "sucker punch" does

You're correct, that's an error on my part there. Sucker punch, not cheap shot... but they mean the same thing.

[Embrodak]

I don’t think Dave is as bad as some people say, but The Elite being the top dogs in AEW provides him with the most access and influence he’s ever had, after decades of people in the business mostly rolling their eyes at him and finding him an annoying gadfly who exposes the business without actually knowing how it works. I think it’s fair to say that there is at least a subconscious bias on his part.

[C.S.]

Anyone think Punk has at least somewhat of a point about leaks to "journalists" after reading this?

From Malakai Black:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CiqcGkFOAI8/ 

Quote

All.

Firstly thank you all for your messages, know they are being read and appreciated. With all the turmoil going on in the landscape of Professional Wrestling I took the time to think of my words but also needed to wait until conversations between mine and AEW's camp had come to a conclusion.

Firstly, I dislike reading parts of my private conversations between myself and AEW in regards to my mental well being on the internet. These conversations were private and not meant to be shared with the public. As by now most people realize I am a very private person and do not feel the need to have stuff like this out on the internet. If you've been following me longer than a cup of coffee you're aware I've spoken about them prior but would like to be the one deciding when this finds it's way to the public and not through someone else's mouth, as with anything through the lips of someone else: that story gets distorted.

Secondly, to be in line with the above, they also need context:

I did indeed ask for my release, the last 2 years of my life have lended to a lot of set backs. Both me and my wife have been affected by uncontrollable actions from the outside that resulted in loss of life, medical set backs, career jeopardizing, the suicide of a close friend and a close family member almost losing their life, then experiencing an injury that I was sure was the end of my career. I spend every week going through several sessions of rehab, dry needling and therapy just to be able to walk and compete. Now this being the tip of the iceberg and with the combination of the promises in my professional field that were not upheld which resulted as a combination of all of these to a complete demoralization of life and career. This decision had been in my mind for the past six months.

It's hard to really put a finger and say "this was the moment it all went wrong." But I can tell vou after many years that I have learned from a rational point of view to see when I need to hit the breaks; which is what this is.

Perhaps once my mind settles on certain things and processes the last 2 years a bit better I will convey (via a different platform than written out) what the exacts were that happened, and have a more informed conversation about them.

For now know that I am good, and am taking, for the first time in 22 years, a few months to recalibrate the last 2 decades of my life.

Lastly, I have read a few narratives online in regards to my "release", mental health and my personal life that I can summarize swiftly; if it didn't come from me, it didn't happen. Stuff about conditional releases, stuff in my marriage or using said mental health to leverage the other when as I said before that part wasn't even going to be part of the public conversation are false. My marriage is fine, I am fine. It is just time to make sure those things stay that way.

Once again, I appreciate your support and we will see each other soon enough.

MB

 

[C.S.]

The "location" in the Young Bucks' Twitter bio went from "Suspended, AF" to "not sure, tbh" within a few hours.

Plus, the official AEW account retweeted them.

I guess the ice is thawing and there will be a big development this week.

[MoS]

On the Voices of Wrestling flagship, Lanza said that he had heard second hand that Punk might actually be an employee of AEW and not just an independent contractor, which would mean that firing him is more complicated than what would usually be the case, especially after he got injured on company time. 

[sek69]

I wonder what the laws are, would they be able to fire him if they agreed to keep paying his medical bills? That would seem the best outcome for all sides. Punk gets covered for the injury he got in their ring, and AEW gets to rid themselves of a major source of drama. 

[NintendoLogic]

If Omega and the Bucks are EVPs, wouldn't that make them employees as well? At the very least, they're more than independent contractors. Really though, the days of the terms of wrestlers' contracts being closely guarded state secrets should have been over years ago. The only purpose it serves is to suppress salaries by reducing negotiating leverage. How do you know if you're getting a fair shake if you have no idea what everyone else is making?

[Dav'oh]

Everyone's acting like there'll be no Punk vs Omega...
Is the working theory, "everyone involved is allergic to money"?

[strobogo]

Punk trying to keep up with Kenny's pace would be pretty lol

[Flyin' Brian]

Omega got pulled from AAA’s Triplemania XXX. Disciplinary or something else? 

[subatomic_elbow]

39 minutes ago, Flyin' Brian said:

Omega got pulled from AAA’s Triplemania XXX. Disciplinary or something else? 

He was never formally booked, I believe.

[The Thread Killer]

If Dennis Stamp taught us anything, it’s that if you’re not booked, you do not show up. But you must be ready. I hope he is in his backyard jumping up and down in his trampoline in his underwear, working out with dumbbells.

[NintendoLogic]

Konnan said on his podcast that Omega was set to headline Triplemania but AEW wouldn't let him go due to the suspension. Speaking of Omega, here's a screenshot from a recent Capcom TV stream with a clearly visible bite mark on his arm.

[Embrodak]

8 hours ago, MoS said:

On the Voices of Wrestling flagship, Lanza said that he had heard second hand that Punk might actually be an employee of AEW and not just an independent contractor, which would mean that firing him is more complicated than what would usually be the case, especially after he got injured on company time. 

Would throw the “I’m trying to run a business” line in a different light if Punk is something like an informal/unofficial EVP.

Punk vs Omega sounds terrible, tbh. Total clash of styles, and I don’t think either would either want or be able to modulate themselves to match the other.

[NintendoLogic]

I don't know where the idea that Omega is unwilling or unable to adapt to his opponent comes from. If anything, the closer to the opposite is the truth since he's borderline obsessed with proving he can have a five-star match in any style. If he can slow down for Christian, why wouldn't he do so for Punk?

[Embrodak]

18 minutes ago, NintendoLogic said:

I don't know where the idea that Omega is unwilling or unable to adapt to his opponent comes from. If anything, the closer to the opposite is the truth since he's borderline obsessed with proving he can have a five-star match in any style. If he can slow down for Christian, why wouldn't he do so for Punk?

Should have just said “willing”, because I do think Omega would prob not wanna work with Punk on his terms at this point, but I’ve not seen Omega do anything like the style Punk’s favoring in this run. 

[Speaker-to-Animals]

Has anyone brought up the likelihood AEW contracts, and almost certainly Punk's, have non-disparagement clauses in them and ripping into management in public will generally result in a fairly prompt meeting with company officials given Punk's history? That would explain the EVPs and legal being involved, the talent relations joining in is also expected as Punk verbally attacked AEW contracted talent.

In almost any other job if a worker criticised the company in front of customers and the media, ran off and hid in a closet and then punched executives that came to discuss the matter with him that employee would be long gone with few people opting to nail their colours to his mast. I'm not sure why this is different other than The Elite are polarising and wrestling is held to an abysmally low standard. I say that as someone that dislikes The Elite but the story of this situation, as we know it right now, is in their favour.

The defences that hinge on Punk feeling threatened (that he'd be Brody'd?) are nonsensical as out of the talent involved it is Punk that has a history of backstage fighting and punching (innocent) fans. I cannot recall an instance where Omega or the Bucks or Daniels or the others in the "mob" have such incidents and certainly none of them have a reputation that would make someone fear for their safety backstage.

[MoS]

2 hours ago, Speaker-to-Animals said:

Has anyone brought up the likelihood AEW contracts, and almost certainly Punk's, have non-disparagement clauses in them and ripping into management in public will generally result in a fairly prompt meeting with company officials given Punk's history?

Someone should tell JR that