By Tony Donofrio, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@TonyDonofrio)
AEW
-About six weeks ago, I stated in on this website that the AEW TV rights deal was coming to a head. Boy, was I wrong. During the ROH (yes, that’s still a thing apparently) media call this week, the term “exclusive window” was still being used by Tony Khan. At the end of that note, I basically predicted a split deal with AEW going to Amazon for some of its rights and staying with WBD for some of them. That doesn’t seem likely if we are reading the tea leaves at this point. Having said that, if AEW is still somehow in the longest “exclusive window” in history of television entertainment then maybe there’s still a chance. I’ll stick with my prediction, but I’m not as optimistic as I was in early June about where AEW will land.
-Can someone, anyone, tell me what the power dynamic is in AEW? I was very optimistic when the Young Bucks attacked Tony Khan this past Spring on Dynamite. I was looking forward to the story that was to come from this. Since then, there hasn’t felt like much of a story. Defining the power dynamic would’ve been a great start. No one really knows how much power the Bucks have. What about Christopher Daniels? I thought he was the voice for TK? No, wait, he’s an Interim VP (I assume he’s carrying out the duties of Kenny Omega, right?). I know it’s been overdone in wrestling but Blood & Guts could’ve ultimately been a battle for control of AEW. Overdone? Obviously. But, instead we got…wait, what was a stake again for Blood & Guts? That’s okay, because the build…wait, there wasn’t much of that either.
Unfortunately, Blood & Guts has turned into a calendar event rather than a booking tool for a hot angle that necessitates it. Hopefully, that can be fixed going forward but we know how Khan is with his “traditions.” Also, I’ve digressed; the power dynamic, or lack thereof. Anyone that’s watched enough of AEW knows that TK isn’t so great when it comes to being an onscreen character. The heel GM/Commissioner gimmick has been beaten to death. I’ve felt for a few years now that a strong “down the middle” commissioner would be the best way for AEW to go. There are options: Tony Schiavone, Sting, Jim Ross, or even Jeff Jarrett now (as long as he isn’t a heel; he’s done great work lately). My pick would be Schiavone or Jarrett. Christopher Daniels has had a great career. He’s a great wrestler but he’s not suited for this onscreen leadership role. Button it up. Go with an onscreen commissioner that plays it straight.
-Jay White being injured (it’s apparently not serious, thankfully) could be the best thing that’s happened to him in AEW. He’s been off of TV for a while. He needs to come back and hopefully with a rocket strapped to his back. Bullet Club Gold (or the Bang Bang Gang, what is their legit name anyway?) can still be a thing if you want to keep them together. However, the alliance can be loose. Jay White should be chasing singles titles and be in singles feuds. Between Juice Robinson and the Gunns, the rest of the group can chase tag or trios gold. Here’s hoping there’s a renewed push and focus behind White upon his return.
WWE
-Does anyone else have their antennas up for a double turn later this Summer or Fall with CM Punk and Drew McIntyre? In any other era or with any other characters you’d have to think that what Punk has done since WrestleMania to make McIntyre’s life a living hell would make him a heel. I’m not complaining. It’s a credit to each of them for being able to pull this off. For those that weren’t watching ten years ago (or even longer), Punk does his best work as a heel. Longtime fans have wanted to see that side of Punk since his return to pro wrestling in 2021. At this point, I’ll just enjoy the ride because Punk and McIntyre has been the best feud of 2024 and they haven’t even had a match. Somewhere, Vince Russo is smiling.
-With the smart money being on Gunther winning the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, do Punk or McIntyre realistically have a chance at winning that title between now and WrestleMania? Paul Levesque has done a great job in protecting Gunther and I just can’t see him having a short title reign. Based on what I just said above, it’s possible to have matches with Gunther vs. Punk and McIntyre with the latter two seemingly doing all they can to help make sure neither of the other gets the title. Having said that, muddling Gunther into the Punk and McIntyre feud could be messy and make Gunther feel like the third wheel. My bet is that Gunther wins at SummerSlam and is built strongly as champion for months until ultimately losing the title to Punk at WrestleMania (assuming Punk can stay healthy that long).
-Is it too early to ask if Jade Cargill is overrated and was potentially overhyped? Maybe. I can understand bringing someone along slowly, but it feels like her star power has dropped significantly since WrestleMania. Maybe being in a tag team right away wasn’t the smartest idea. There were the WWE talking points early on that Jade basically had to be taught from the beginning again because she was “limited… by no fault of her own” in what was basically a veiled shot at how she was brought along in AEW. Levesque does a great job slow playing things when it comes to his booking and it seems like that’s how he’s approaching Jade’s development as well. For Jade’s and WWE’s sake, I hope he didn’t miss out on the window to really make Jade the star that many thought she could be. When Jade arrived, there was so many dream matches that were thrown out there. We’ve quite literally gotten none of them so far. Will the slow play pay off? I guess only time will tell.
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