Is the empire crumbling before our eyes?

[Jesse Ewiak]

6 hours ago, PeteF3 said:

Hogan literally changed the first WW3 finish as the guys were lining up to go out for the match, so no, it doesn't seem like bullshit to me at all.

To use a Bill Simmons turn of phrase, Hulk Hogan politicking stories are in the Tyson Zone for me. You can claim about anything when it comes to them, and I'll believe them. 

[Coffey]

Tony Khan tweeting for Bix to unblock Rovert on Twitter is the most fucking surreal thing I've ever seen.

[Migs]

11 hours ago, Embrodak said:

Cabana got his teeth kicked out by Danielson this year.

Last year. Thanksgiving week in Chicago.

[C.S.]

16 hours ago, Coffey said:

Tony Khan tweeting for Bix to unblock Rovert on Twitter is the most fucking surreal thing I've ever seen.

I saw that and was surprised. Seems beneath Tony to get involved in such silly rubbish. I had no idea it was rovert. Hopefully it worked out for everyone involved, but oof, Tony really needs to remember that he's not a DVD sleaze thread shitposter anymore and clinging onto that mindset is no longer charming.

[Johnny Sorrow]

1 hour ago, C.S. said:

I saw that and was surprised. Seems beneath Tony to get involved in such silly rubbish. I had no idea it was rovert. Hopefully it worked out for everyone involved, but oof, Tony really needs to remember that he's not a DVD sleaze thread shitposter anymore and clinging onto that mindset is no longer charming.

It's also wild for me, to see this bullshit from dudes who posted at a message board when I did, be a " story"? It's wild that one of them turned out to be a billionaire's kid, one turned an obsession with sleaze into being a legit investigative journalist who broke the Pat Patterson story about the government trying to deport him, and one is rovert. Life is a fucking highway.

[C.S.]

Looks like Buddy Matthews may be done too.

Honestly, if Malakai and Matthews think the grass is greener in WWE, they're both idiots. 

Their ceiling in WWE is midcard. Well, that's Buddy's ceiling anywhere. But I think Malakai has a better chance in AEW than he would in WWE. So far, from everything I've seen of him, he's not nearly as good as he seems to think he is. He has everything on paper, but something has always been missing with him for me. Maybe he'll eventually put all the pieces together, but he hasn't yet IMO.

13 hours ago, Johnny Sorrow said:

It's also wild for me, to see this bullshit from dudes who posted at a message board when I did, be a " story"? It's wild that one of them turned out to be a billionaire's kid, one turned an obsession with sleaze into being a legit investigative journalist who broke the Pat Patterson story about the government trying to deport him, and one is rovert. Life is a fucking highway.

What's the story with rovert anyway? Is he an insider or just a super-fan? I know he posts here, and I enjoy his posts, but I thought that was the end of it until I saw his name mentioned in other places (the Cageside Seats reader comments mentioned him a couple of times a while back, possibly Reddit too, and now this weirdness with Tony and Bix). 

[The Thread Killer]

I have some sympathy for Black. He has been plagued with a career threatening back injury and he apparently has been struggling with some mental health issues as well. He was a Triple H guy and his wife works in WWE, so why not go back there if he can? Reading between the lines of his recent Instagram post, it seems pretty obvious that he feels AEW has not delivered on promises made regarding his creative. And who can blame him there?

Tony Khan’s “Now You See Me, Now You Don’t” booking drives me NUTS. There is almost no point getting invested in any character in AEW because as soon as they start to get momentum, Khan pulls them off TV for weeks at a time. I was shocked that he actually pulled the trigger with The Acclaimed. I figured once they got so hot after the PPV, TK’s natural reaction would be to keep them off TV for a month.

At least if Black does go back to WWE, he’ll be featured consistently (now that Vince is gone.) Then again, the rumour is that his release has a clause that he cannot go back to WWE. So who knows. AEW recently trademarked “House of Black” which means they either think he’s coming back there, or they don’t want him using it anywhere else.

I don’t disagree with you about Buddy. I think he’s pretty much at his ceiling no matter where he goes. Mind you, if he did go back to WWE, I can see him having some issues with the Wellness Policy based on how he’s been looking lately.

[KawadaSmile]

Buddy did have bangers with Roman and Bryan and was featured heavily in the Seth/Mysterios feud. In terms of screen time he was doing fine.

[Dav'oh]

He's a kid from Australia who got to work with Sting and Muta. That's wild.

Buddy Rogers. Buddy Roberts. Buddy Austin. Buddy Colt. Who's doubting their toughness because they're called "Buddy"? What's a fucking "tough name" anyway? Kenny? Nick? Ethan? Darby? Seth? Malakai? Zebediah? Connor? Usman? Justin? Khabib?

Of course! That paragon of nominal toughness - Roman! Polanski or Abramovich?

[C.S.]

1 hour ago, Dav'oh said:

Buddy Rogers. Buddy Roberts. Buddy Austin. Buddy Colt. Who's doubting their toughness because they're called "Buddy"? What's a fucking "tough name" anyway? Kenny? Nick? Ethan? Darby? Seth? Malakai? Zebediah? Connor? Usman? Justin? Khabib?

Of course! That paragon of nominal toughness - Roman! Polanski or Abramovich?

Where is this argument coming from? I haven't seen anyone on the board lately bring up the inherent goofiness of the name Buddy.

It doesn't work in 2022 for a top heel, but since Buddy Matthews isn't and never will be a top heel, it's fine. We're all used to it now anyway, like Nintendo with the Wii name back in the day, or Roman as you pointed out. 

 

[sek69]

Yeah for me is that next to the two tatted up scary looking guys, he came off as a band kid who somehow got in with the goths and wasn't sure how it happened. 

[KawadaSmile]

12 minutes ago, C.S. said:

Where is this argument coming from? I haven't seen anyone on the board lately bring up the inherent goofiness of the name Buddy.

I did it, bubba. He's a satanist named Buddy! 

I mean, House of Black is comprised of:

MALAKAI BLACK

BRODY KING

Buddy Matthews. 

 

He sticks out hilariously.

[C.S.]

2 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said:

Buddy Matthews. 

 

He sticks out hilariously.

One thing I'll say:

If I'm Tony Khan, I'd outlaw the cheap rent-a-WWE names.

That includes both Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews.

It's as bush as bush gets.

Like Rikishi becoming Kish, Eugene becoming U Gene, and Enzo becoming nZo on the indies.

It's just sad.

[Johnny Sorrow]

Who cares? Buddy is fucking awesome. Why can't a dark devil worshiping guy be "Buddy"? That's his name. The church of Satan accepts Buddys.

[C.S.]

Rumor killer from Buddy Bootleg:

 

[sek69]

So he's now saying he didn't tell the crowd at some indy show that he was taking some time off?

[Jmare007]

On one hand I understand the frustration from some of these wrestlers that see the grass greener on the other side and think they can finally get the shot they believe they deserve (or can make things happens if given the chance).

But on the other hand, it's kinda weird they don't see the bigger picture and realize they are gonna end up in an endless loop of dissatisfaction as both WWE and AEW will end up with too much talent if they sign every person that feels they should be booked better. If you are not jumping ship early, you are gonna end up in the same place no matter what.

With Malakai I totally get being frustrated with AEW but at the same time, by the time he could've been pushed harder, Punk, Danielson and Cole were on the roster and he was back to the middle of the line. He could've at least gotten a mini push for a token title defense though.

[strobogo]

Buddy definitely did not at all fit in the HOB, but I guess it kind of made some sense of Black continuing his storyline and character from WWE. Black really didn't work on main roster WWE either, but he wasn't presented like he was in NXT. The bar for spooky shit characters is pretty high. I don't think Black hit that mark in WWE or AEW. In fact, the spookier he got, the less it worked.  There are only so many cryptic, spooky promos that can be done.

[NintendoLogic]

Even if Black or Matthews or whoever else think they'll get a better shake in WWE with Uncle Paul in charge, he's still a guy with a history of heart problems in a high-stress position. He's one medical emergency away from being replaced by Nick Khan or Stephanie, in which case all bets are off. Tony needs to make it clear that if anyone is unhappy in AEW, he'll send them home and let them sit out the remainder of their contracts. But no one gets an early release to jump ship.

[Dav'oh]

Did the DX blackface "sketch" with Hunter front and centre ever come back to bite him? I saw it the other night and couldn't fathom how such a person would be allowed to run a billion-dollar company.

[strobogo]

Brother, Vince McMahon got away with running the billion dollar company for decades 

[Alucard]

On 9/23/2022 at 8:10 PM, PeteF3 said:

Hogan literally changed the first WW3 finish as the guys were lining up to go out for the match, so no, it doesn't seem like bullshit to me at all.

Not familiar with this, what was the original finish?

[Jesse Ewiak]

10 hours ago, strobogo said:

Brother, Vince McMahon got away with running the billion dollar company for decades 

Justin Trudeau is currently PM of Canada. 

[C.S.]

A nice gesture. Can't envision Vince or even Triple H ever doing this. The bullshit "the show must go on" myth is too ingrained in WWE culture.

 

[KawadaSmile]

1 minute ago, C.S. said:

A nice gesture. Can't envision Vince or even Triple H ever doing this. The bullshit "the show must go on" myth is too ingrained in WWE culture.

 

I can see Triple H doing this, but at the same time I believe he wouldn't need to even tweet that on the first place. WWE's main roster is older/more experienced and "less online". TK doing that is good because it shows he knows his guys well.