I mean I think MJF is a success it just depends a lot on how over were you are, your position on the card and yes if you’re competing for titles in this era because so many people get titles that you have to be in the mix. But he’s never been champion and he’s definitely more of a success for instance than hangman page
I’m surprised more women aren’t trying to get out of there. The lack of training and a performance centre has created a hazardous work environment at this point, specifically among the women. Every week someone is getting their face crushed or leg broken because people are allowed to attempt shit they have no business doing.
I don’t think the onus is on the fans. It’s the job of the performer and the booker to make us care. Maybe don’t have 40 different belts, so the non-title programs aren’t automatically perceived as fifth or sixth on the card? Even with weekly TV and monthly big shows (PPV or “special editions” of your regular TV), a guy that you want to push should be able to have multiple non-title programs in a row to get over before he either needs to win a belt or be fed to a current champion.
2 Likes
I agree with you.
As I said I think Black and Buddy Matthews have been great in AEW. They could have won a few more but I still consider them a threat and a great stable.
Andrade hasn’t been used as well as he can but I think the negativity towards AEW is unjust.
I don’t read social media so I don’t see the stories that people want out from AEW but if they do, that’s their loss in my opinion. WWE hasn’t done anything yet IMO to prove they will treat people well, especially if people start flooding back in numbers.
Buddy, Black and Andrade may not be gunning for belts but they have good stories and I’m invested in them as I’m sure others are.
Black and Matthews were pretty open about wanting out but they were denied by Tony so we’re gonna have to stay.
Andrade posted on Twitter or something a picture of a hourglass running out.
Anyway I think the thought process for these guys is that their significant others are in WWE and they also are or were stars under Triple H. So they assume if they go back they would get a prominent role and be able to travel with their partners. And as you pointed out, none of them are really doing great things in AEW
I think for Black and Andrade it’s a fair assessment, especially Black. I get the impression that Hunter loved Black. As for Buddy Murphy, I highly doubt he will be in a better spot in WWE.
If as it seems the shift in direction at WWE is the major reason…then combine this with having partners at WWE and it’s completely understandable that Black and Andrade want to go back. However could they not at least have a bit of decorum about it?
Triple H has been in charge 5 minutes and already these guys are trying to get out of long term contracts to run back to him? It’s amusingly shameless, none of these guys come off well (especially Black trying to shift focus onto the bogeyman “dirt sheets”) and lends credence to Punk’s description of his colleagues as children.
I think there’s also a bit of recency bias in terms of our expectations for how long wrestlers stick with one company. Before the acquisition of WCW, there was plenty of movement back and forth, and if you go back 10+ years earlier, there was constant shifting. When I research wrestlers I remember from the 80s and 90s I’m consistently surprised by how much longer their stints in Company X felt like at the time than they actually were in reality.
3 Likes
I don’t know about that, it seems that over the years fans have changed their stances on guys publicly trying to get out of their contracts. From Brodie Lee doing it when he was in WWE, to Ali doing it in WWE, to now these guys in AEW, I think most fans accept a wrestler taking agency over their careers. Are they successful? Well, that’s up to the company.
I think what separates these ones from others is that it’s performers wanting to leave AEW for WWE which in a tribal environment which wrestling now tends to be can lead to a small vocal minority getting upset.
The only thing that may be a bad look is how soon they are asking for their releases after they signed, with that said, I have no idea how long after the WWE guys signed they asked to be released.
Personally I think it’s a better look to ask behind the scenes as I don’t think this works, but I think the majority of fans are fine with this tactic.
Absolutely this.
Jumping promotions until finding a position that “hit” was so common, especially during the 90’s. It offered more opportunities for people to climb to the top, or get into a different mix.
Austin, Foley, Bret, Hall, Nash, Mero, Jarrett, Dustin, Sid, Waltman, Guerrero, Benoit, Jericho, Malenko, Sabu, Raven, Saturn, Wight, I could go on… But it was definitely something that made watching more fun.
See I think traditional if you look at that time The flow was always one way. Initially it was all into WCW and then it was into WWE
If you remember after the tide turned people stopped going to WCW and we started to see Paul Wight and Jericho and the Radicalz come over.
You look at the current war it was all into AEW until Cody jumped. I wonder historically if that will be like the big momentum shift. Since then we haven’t really had any big names jump but it seems like everyone wants out back to WWE. I guess obviously the big ones would be what happens to the Bucks and Kenny and MJF.
Also if Adam Cole wants to go back does Britt go? Lots of possibilities.
I am pretty sure for instance Mox and Jericho will always have the opportunity older in life to go back to WWe because of their name value.
[quote=“Alex_Patel, post:32, topic:20780”] remember after the tide turned people stopped going to WCW and we started to see Paul Wight and Jericho and the Radicalz come over.
[/quote]
I mean, not entirely true. Even guys like Brian Adams, Bryan Clark, Jeff Jarrett, Haku, Dustin, all went back to WCW after 99.
Obviously the quality of their runs vary, but it was still a promise of a refresh and new opportunity.
Even a guy like Mike Awesome who was super hot in ECW made the jump to WCW during those final years.
People moving makes room for opportunities. All that’s missing is really an ECW equivalent, as Impact feels so far below the two other national products.
Yes you’re entirely correct it was movement but I was talking more about big stars. Like the megastars tend to only move one way, the more Midcard and minor guys will go both ways. But I find the major stars tend to gravitate towards the hotter promotion
Again we will have to see whether this continues or not clearly right now there seems to be more interest in people going back to WWE. However, whether those guys end up going back, or whether MJF for the elite etc. go remains to be seen
2 Likes
Adams jumped in February 1998, Clark was 1997 (and not straight from WWF), and Haku had been their since 1994 and hadn’t been in WWF for two years when he signed.
Jarrett and Dustin were both 1999. I think Jarrett was basically following Russo because of the promise of a main event run.
You’re totally right.
Haha, I completely mixed up Haku’s jump with going to WWF from WCW at the Rumble as Hardcore Champion.
And damn, I completely forgot Clark as Wrath. Oops.
That said, guys 1999/2000 did see guys like Sid, Mike Awesome, Lance Storm from ECW and others showing up in WCW, despite the momentum clearly having shifted away from the company. But (aside from a great payday, it also offered chances of reinvention and opportunity.
I’m NOT arguing that WCW was the place to be in those years - but it still was a platform that offered reinvention and a platform for many talents.
1 Like
The AEW womens division is downright atrocious. What the heck was that segment tonight ? The difference between them and Stardom and WWE is glaring. I almost wish they just closed the whole division down and made Britt a manager for Cole and got rid of the rest. It takes up too much TV time for what it is