repost from cohost: wherein i complain about wrestling
Ian had mentioned the Rampage lineup in the Discord which led me to look over what was on the card for tonight and it was a Big Nothing. Private Party vs Lethal & Jarrett, Orange vs QT (that will actually be good), we 'hear from' the Acclaimed, a sit-down with Saraya? Who is this show for? I don't mind sit-downs but on a show that only has an hour I would think that maybe it would be dedicated to wrestling? No women's matches? Why am I watching Jeff Jarrett wrestle Private Party (to say nothing of Jay Lethal who is a sex pest but I do recognize his talent, still I absolutely do not have to hand it to him).
Impact/TNA Wrestling:
Last night I tuned into Impact as always. Spoilers if you did not watch the episode: the main event was between Mickie James & Deonna Purrazzo & I have to say that I always appreciate how often Impact gives women the main event of their shows. I absolutely realize that if I wanted to see more women wrestling I could watch Stardom but there's something for me about watching wrestling as it is airing which also means that I cannot stay up for Stardom. Anyway, back to the Impact main event. Mickie has been on a retirement run in the women's division. After defeating Purrazzo (they wouldn't retire Mickie on a non-PPV, right?), Grace came out and challenged James to the Impact Hard to Kill PPV that is happening on the 13th of next month.
I'm trying to figure out right now given how many wrestlers are leaving Impact or AEW if this will be James's exit or if she really will beat Grace. I suspect it will be the former & that she will make a return to WWE now that it is under new management, as it were, after her controversial release in 2021. I say controversial only because she had gone on record stating the company put her things in a garbage bag & returned them to her that way upon release. If I remember correctly she was in a recent WWE Women's division Royal Rumble (OK, I just looked it up and it was in 2021. Time really means nothing since the beginning of the pandemic).
After the Purrazzo-James match & Grace's challenge to James, we get a scene featuring Eric Young & Deaner in a prison at a table where between them is a shiv. Young asks Deaner how he would recognize the sickness and Deaner replies that sickness is failure. Young then asks if Deaner would eliminate the sickness if it were in the room with them right now, Deaner hesitates, confused. Young presses, it is a yes or no question. When Deaner says that yes, he would eliminate it, Young says that he would too, they both make a grab for the shiv. Cut to them battling it out and finally Deaner, having won possession of the shiv, sits atop a bloodied Young. Young tells him that though he himself was the designer, Deaner was the design, and encourages him to eliminate the sickness (Young is the sickness, the failure). Deaner, though he hesitates, complies and we see him bring the shiv down toward Young's body. Cut to the post-kill scene where Deaner returns alone to the table where he and Young had been talking before.
So that is either it for Violent by Design or it is Deaner's time to take the lead. Eric Young's contract had been extended only to the end of this year and as it's December they made it clear that he would not re-sign (for now). The Observer & PWInsider are reporting his leave & the assumption is that given his relationship with HHH he will be making a return to WWE.
AEW:
Over on AEW's side, Wednesday's Dynamite saw MJF take a swing at William Regal, knocking him out to the ground as Max leaned over to him and repeated the rejection Regal had given him when he was trying to get signed to WWE. Danielson rushes from the locker room to Regal's side as the paramedics arrive, an audience member yells 'He needs some milk,' and Regal is carried off presumably to the hospital.
During a sit-down with Renee, Garcia & other members of the JAS yelled at Claudio & Yuta. Garcia pointed out that the Blackpool Combat Club was falling apart.
The turmoil of the Club, Regal's sudden turn on Mox, and MJF's turn on Regal, suggests that this was not so much as a longterm angle as it is a way of seeing Regal out. Then again maybe I am just speculating because there has been an overall shift in companies & HHH is calling back previously released workers. NoDQ is reporting that Regal's contract was not a multiyear one & that it is a real possibility that he would return to WWE and has a good working relationship with HHH.
What is Regal's role over at AEW? Is he simply a stable manager who pops on the mic in-ring or on commentator's desk? I love his presence but I can see why he might not be satisfied if he is not doing more behind the scenes. Again, I am not behind the scenes so I am not sure the extent of his work at AEW. I recall him working with developing talent on NXT (I can still see his face when Aliyah bounced into the ring & introduced herself).
Either way, whether we see Young, James, & Regal make a return to WWE next year, I am happy that they are securing the bag but I am sad that I won't see them as often becauses I find it difficult to bring myself to watch WWE. Part of that is because I don't particularly care about how much time is dedicated to Austin Theory or Judgment Day, & another part is that three hours on a Monday evening feels so damn long.
I guess I could do better to work in Smackdown. Well, maybe their move would encourage me to make time.
I guess we'll see.
Impact/TNA Wrestling:
Last night I tuned into Impact as always. Spoilers if you did not watch the episode: the main event was between Mickie James & Deonna Purrazzo & I have to say that I always appreciate how often Impact gives women the main event of their shows. I absolutely realize that if I wanted to see more women wrestling I could watch Stardom but there's something for me about watching wrestling as it is airing which also means that I cannot stay up for Stardom. Anyway, back to the Impact main event. Mickie has been on a retirement run in the women's division. After defeating Purrazzo (they wouldn't retire Mickie on a non-PPV, right?), Grace came out and challenged James to the Impact Hard to Kill PPV that is happening on the 13th of next month.
I'm trying to figure out right now given how many wrestlers are leaving Impact or AEW if this will be James's exit or if she really will beat Grace. I suspect it will be the former & that she will make a return to WWE now that it is under new management, as it were, after her controversial release in 2021. I say controversial only because she had gone on record stating the company put her things in a garbage bag & returned them to her that way upon release. If I remember correctly she was in a recent WWE Women's division Royal Rumble (OK, I just looked it up and it was in 2021. Time really means nothing since the beginning of the pandemic).
After the Purrazzo-James match & Grace's challenge to James, we get a scene featuring Eric Young & Deaner in a prison at a table where between them is a shiv. Young asks Deaner how he would recognize the sickness and Deaner replies that sickness is failure. Young then asks if Deaner would eliminate the sickness if it were in the room with them right now, Deaner hesitates, confused. Young presses, it is a yes or no question. When Deaner says that yes, he would eliminate it, Young says that he would too, they both make a grab for the shiv. Cut to them battling it out and finally Deaner, having won possession of the shiv, sits atop a bloodied Young. Young tells him that though he himself was the designer, Deaner was the design, and encourages him to eliminate the sickness (Young is the sickness, the failure). Deaner, though he hesitates, complies and we see him bring the shiv down toward Young's body. Cut to the post-kill scene where Deaner returns alone to the table where he and Young had been talking before.
So that is either it for Violent by Design or it is Deaner's time to take the lead. Eric Young's contract had been extended only to the end of this year and as it's December they made it clear that he would not re-sign (for now). The Observer & PWInsider are reporting his leave & the assumption is that given his relationship with HHH he will be making a return to WWE.
AEW:
Over on AEW's side, Wednesday's Dynamite saw MJF take a swing at William Regal, knocking him out to the ground as Max leaned over to him and repeated the rejection Regal had given him when he was trying to get signed to WWE. Danielson rushes from the locker room to Regal's side as the paramedics arrive, an audience member yells 'He needs some milk,' and Regal is carried off presumably to the hospital.
During a sit-down with Renee, Garcia & other members of the JAS yelled at Claudio & Yuta. Garcia pointed out that the Blackpool Combat Club was falling apart.
The turmoil of the Club, Regal's sudden turn on Mox, and MJF's turn on Regal, suggests that this was not so much as a longterm angle as it is a way of seeing Regal out. Then again maybe I am just speculating because there has been an overall shift in companies & HHH is calling back previously released workers. NoDQ is reporting that Regal's contract was not a multiyear one & that it is a real possibility that he would return to WWE and has a good working relationship with HHH.
What is Regal's role over at AEW? Is he simply a stable manager who pops on the mic in-ring or on commentator's desk? I love his presence but I can see why he might not be satisfied if he is not doing more behind the scenes. Again, I am not behind the scenes so I am not sure the extent of his work at AEW. I recall him working with developing talent on NXT (I can still see his face when Aliyah bounced into the ring & introduced herself).
Either way, whether we see Young, James, & Regal make a return to WWE next year, I am happy that they are securing the bag but I am sad that I won't see them as often becauses I find it difficult to bring myself to watch WWE. Part of that is because I don't particularly care about how much time is dedicated to Austin Theory or Judgment Day, & another part is that three hours on a Monday evening feels so damn long.
I guess I could do better to work in Smackdown. Well, maybe their move would encourage me to make time.
I guess we'll see.