As we are just a few days away from the start of 2023, when some many people will claim that they have new year’s resolutions that will last about as long as a modern (or old school) Bill Goldberg match, many pro wrestling pundits will put together retrospectives of the previous year. I’ve never done that, as I think it’s low-hanging fruit that amounts to a retread of previous discussions. If you’d like to read my thoughts on the major stories of 2022, those columns available online since I covered them when they happened.
Instead, I’m going to borrow a concept that I read in a local Pittsburgh paper nearly twenty years ago. In middle school, my dad would save the pro wrestling column that was in the printed pages for me and I’d clip them out, saving them for years. The fellow’s name was Ronnie, but I can’t recall his last name, although I specifically remember he often had a pessimistic view of the sport. Considering this was 2003, I guess I can’t blame him. Anyway, the premise of that particular column was what the WWE should do to improve their product in 2004, which had hit a low point with the Triple H reign of doom throughout much off the prior year. It’s ironic that so many fans will credit and applaud Triple H now, but if you attempt to watch the era when he dominated so much of the programming, it’s a very, very tedious viewing experience.
And, somehow roughly half of the viewers are watching the show now compared to that time period.
So, with that premise in mind, I’m going to wrap up 2022 (let’s hope I finally get my Twitter account back in 2023) with my suggestions for what All Elite Wrestling should do to improve their chances in the new year, as well as another column that will focus on the WWE product.
As I wrote in an article about Honor Club earlier this week, 2022 wasn’t a banner year for All Elite Wrestling and some might say that it was the first year in its rather brief existence that the organization didn’t finish with a net positive in terms of exposure or progress. The CM Punk/Elite debacle being the main example, and something that everyone offered an opinion on at the time so there’s no need to rehash any of that. However, and this is much more critical for success than some might realize because it boils down to some tough decisions being made, Tony Khan must run a tighter ship.
Hopefully, Khan learned, even if it was the hard way, that pro wrestling, a genre that originated from the carnival circuit, is a shark tank. He can either sign his favorite wrestlers to hefty contracts so that they can be his friends, or he can run a business that looks to be profitable. Too often, especially with the overused gimmick matches and the bloated roster, AEW programming resembles Tony’s E-fed that he booked on his computer as he collects real-life action figures to script for his shows. To run a tighter ship, the rules should be simple, if someone gets into a fight backstage, regardless of who they are, they should be released from the promotion. If someone is difficult to do business with then they aren’t worth the hassle and you should cut them from the roster. In truth, they are only a few true difference makers currently on the All Elite roster and that talent is professional enough not to disrupt business. Chris Jericho, Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, and Brit Baker are the stars that represent the All Elite brand with a certain level of star power. Plus, with such a bloated roster, it’s not as though there aren’t wrestlers there that can replace someone if they are released for backstage disagreements. If The Elite get into another fight, they should be gone the same way anyone else should be cut from the roster. You’ve heard rumors that Thunder Rosa was difficult to work with, release her from her contract and send that message that it’s either do business to help the company progress or go back to the independent scene.
Speaking of the bloated roster, if Tony Khan doesn’t cut it down to a manageable number, it will come back to bite him in the long run. WCW and TNA had the same problem. You can now watch WCW on Peacock because Vince McMahon sold the broadcast rights for a five-year deal that was worth $1 billion. Technically, TNA doesn’t exist anymore since Anthem Entertainment, the parent company of The Fight Network in Canada, rescued it from bankruptcy, but if you have access to the channel, you can watch Impact Wrestling in small venues that make it look like a glorified independent group.
The concept of cutting the roster down is easy. Anyone that isn’t a regular on either Dynamite or Rampage should be potential cuts from the organization. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great when a wrestler can have the moment where they achieve their dream of landing a national contract, but the reality is, especially on a national level, it’s a business. Slim J, AR Fox, Shawn Dean, Lee Johnson, Aaron Solo, Peter Avalon, Fuego Del Sol, Serpentico, JD Drake, and at least a dozen others could be released and it will make zero difference in the status of the organization. That’s not to say that some of those guys don’t have talent, but the bottom line is, there are only so many spots that can realistically be used for a national promotion.
As far as who Tony should focus on in 2023, that is a tough decision, but it’s a good problem to have because lost in the shuffle of the countless signings, there are key talent that legitimately have the potential to be the future of the organization. Lee Moriarty is exceptionally talented and with the right exposure has the opportunity to be a major asset for the organization. Brian Pillman Jr. was trained by Lance Storm so he can go in the ring, and the story of his second generation status could be an intriguing narrative throughout his All Elite career. Hook is wildly popular at television tapings and should be used for more meaningful segments on Dynamite. Powerhouse Hobbs is a guy with main event potential and should at least be closer to that goal in 2023. Tony Khan should consistently make it a priority to showcase these four throughout next year.
The finally piece of the puzzle should be to simplify everything about the product. Too often, Khan attempts to use some type of intricate New Japan style booking in an attempt to win “booker of the year” from The Wrestling Observer, and the result is usually episodes of Dynamite that are all over the place. How Rush was trying to recruit Preston Vance or the Matt Hardy/Andrade stuff before that just seemed like segments thrown together to attempt to get as many guys on television as possible without any logic behind it. Rick Ross swearing on live television while everyone in the ring looked lost isn’t main stream exposure, it’s just sloppy scripting of the show. The whole attempt at “shades of gray” instead of baby faces and heels as an attempt to be cutting edge is more often than not an excuse for when someone doesn’t get over to the level that the booker designed an angle to accomplish.
The sports entertainment business, regardless of the promotion or era, is still built on a few key factors because the industry is structured to use psychology to draw money. The emotional investment, not the actual moves, is what draws money. Tony Khan should use simple aspects of the sport, take a heel with heat and an over baby face and let them feud for the championship. MJF is the biggest heel in the company, and Bryan Danielson is one of the most beloved performers of his generation. The story writes itself. There doesn’t need to be weekly gimmick matches or table spots to build to the pay-per-view match. Allow those guys to use the skills that got them to that position on the card to sell the PPV. Furthermore, the talent that the crowd identifies with the most should be the performers that are spotlighted on television on a regular basis. Eddie Kingston, Ricky Starks, and a few others are potential challengers for MJF as the heel champion.
Sure, these suggestions aren’t very flashy for the E-fed style booking, but there’s a reason that E-feds run on message boards with a few hundred readers as opposed to the million viewers All Elite tries to draw on the Turner networks. In short, All Elite Wrestling too often tries to present something too complicated that misses the mark because the basic building blocks aren’t there. So, I’d say that 2023 should focus on pro wrestling 101 because the talent is there, it’s more a matter of putting the pieces of the puzzle in the right place. But, Tony Khan is a billionaire, and I’m not so who am I to tell him advice?
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram & Facebook @jimlamotta89
