The Biggest Wastes Of Potential In Pro Wrestling History

Dig, if you will, the picture of me scrolling through my Twitter feed and seeing a huge mixture of topics being discussed.

The Super Bowl just happened recently, so that remains a huge topic. Because of the Super Bowl, topics like Bad Bunny, Kid Rock, Turning Point USA, and Donald Trump are all being talked about.

As I was reading, it was early Monday evening, so there was also plenty of talk about the upcoming episode of Monday Night Raw, and what would take place as WWE continues their build for WrestleMania.

Can you, my readers, can you picture this?

As I was scrolling, though, I saw a tweet that someone had retweeted on my timeline. It was a simple tweet… 12 words, forming a singular question…

 

“Who would you say had the most potential in wrestling but failed”

 

Dream, if you can, a scenario where I didn’t take that tweet and make it a column. I love doing stuff like this.

The premise of this is pretty easy to follow along with. In the entire history of professional wrestling, the list of wasted potential is longer than a really long thing that is long. Let’s talk about some of the biggest examples, shall we?

My only addition is that I will not only be looking at WHO had the most wasted potential, but also WHAT had the most wasted potential. As always, I will be listing things in no particular order.

Time to get disappointed.

 

The Nexus: I will go to my grave thinking that the debut of The Nexus in 2010 is one of the best and most well-done debuts in pro wrestling history. The momentum they built up for themselves on their first night as a group was strong, but it certainly didn’t last long.

Daniel Bryan was released from his WWE contract after choking Justin Roberts with his necktie during the group’s debut, with WWE not wanting to have problems with sponsors after such a violent act took place on their TV-PG programming. Two months after the debut, Bryan would return to the company as a face, but on that night, The Nexus would lose a seven-on-seven match in the main event of SummerSlam to John Cena’s “Team WWE.” The original plan for the match would see The Nexus emerge victorious, but Cena refused to do the job, so the result was changed. The next night, due to a match stipulation, Darren Young was kicked out of the group after he lost to Cena. Two nights later, Skip Sheffield broke his ankle at a house show, putting him on the shelf for over a year-and-a-half.

Within a few months, after a whole bunch of nothing, the group replaced Woi Bar-ruh with CM Punk, but even Punk wasn’t enough to do much in the leader role. We got the split, with some members going with Bar-ruh to form The Corre, while the rest remained with Punk to be The New Nexus, but it was far too late.

It’s crazy to look back at just how much harm was done to the group because of that SummerSlam loss. They were never taken seriously again after that, only two months after they first arrived on the scene. I don’t know if we’ll ever get the full story behind Cena’s decision making there. He has chalked it up to being young and immature, but I’d like to know what the specific issue was and why putting The Nexus over that night was such a bad idea in his opinion.

 

Enzo Amore: I don’t think you’ll meet many people who think Enzo Amore is a good wrestler when it comes to moves and what he can do once the bell rings. That’s not why he got over with live crowds, though. Instead, his popularity was strictly due to his gift of gab, and his ability to deliver memorable promos.

When he and Big Cass first made the WWE main roster, it seemed like a sure bet that they would be Tag Team Champions before too long. They were far too popular for anything else to happen. Three months after their main roster debut, they formed an on-screen alliance with John Cena, teaming with him in his feud with AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson. Surely, that would propel them even further up the ranks, right?

Wrong.

They never won the Tag Team Titles together, and although Enzo would go on to win the WWE Cruiserweight Title twice, he might be best remembered for his WWE departure than anything else. In 2018, he would be released from his contract after it was revealed that he was under investigation for sexual assault. The accusation would eventually come out as false, and he would be cleared of any wrongdoing, but he would never return to WWE. He has bounced around the independent scene in the years since, but nothing of real substance ever happened in his post-WWE career.

After the red hot start he had in his WWE career, for it to ultimately go nowhere seemed impossible at one point.

 

Magnum T.A.: On October 14th, 1986, not only did the life of Terry Allen change forever, but the entire landscape of the wrestling business would change, as well.

In the early hours of that morning, Allen, known as Magnum T.A. in Jim Crockett Promotions, would be in a serious car accident. His vehicle would hydroplane in heavy rain, eventually striking a telephone pole, and it would be multiple hours until someone saw him and called 911. Allen’s C4 and C5 vertebrae “exploded” in the accident, leaving him paralyzed for months, and ended his wrestling career at the age of 27.

At the time of his accident, Magnum was being groomed to be the next top babyface for the NWA, and was in line to defeat Ric Flair for the NWA World Title at some point in the not-too-distant future. His popularity was insane, and he had already begun racking up great matches for JCP, including a Steel Cage bout with Tully Blanchard at StarrCade 1985 that many people still feel is one of the greatest matches in pro wrestling history.

His forced retirement remains one of the biggest “what if” moments that the sport has ever seen, with one of the longest and wildest “butterfly effect” timelines ever.

In the late 1980’s, Sting’s career began to take off due to JCP needing a new top-tier babyface. If Magnum continues his ascension in late-1986 and into 1987, it’s easy to envision a scenario where Sting’s push to the top is, at best, delayed, and at worst, non-existent altogether. If Sting’s push never comes about, does he find himself getting disgruntled? Does he see what the WWF is doing with his old tag team partner, Jim Hellwig, now being called The Ultimate Warrior, and see about making the jump to the land of Titan? What does Vince McMahon do with Sting (or whatever he would’ve been called in the WWF)? Steve Borden was better in the ring than Jim Hellwig, better on the microphone, and a lot more dependable. Do we even get the huge Warrior push in 1990? Are we getting Hulk Hogan vs Sting at WrestleMania 6 instead? Now picture Sting being at the top of the WWF picture in 1991 when none other than Ric Flair arrives there. Can you imagine the first match between those two taking place in the WWF instead of at the first Clash Of The Champions show?

Magnum would’ve been 36 years old when WCW Monday Nitro debuted. That’s ten years younger than Ric Flair was at the time, six years younger than Hulk Hogan, seven years younger than Randy Savage, and so on. How would Magnum have done as a soldier in the Monday Night War? Based on age alone, there definitely would’ve been a place for him in WCW at the time.

I could go on and on, but it’s all for nothing, as we’ll never know what would’ve happened. It’s still fun to think about, though, until you remember why you’re thinking about it and you get sad.

 

Velveteen Dream: If you were watching the sixth season of WWE’s reality series, Tough Enough, back in 2015, you probably noticed the ability of Patrick Clark right away. Yes, he came across as an arrogant prick, but he was heads and shoulders above everyone else on the show when it came to athletic ability and what they could do in the ring. Even though he didn’t win the season (largely due to that arrogant prick-ish-ness), he would go on to sign a developmental contract with WWE.

A year after making his on-screen debut in NXT, he had a dramatic character change, becoming The Velveteen Dream, a flamboyant heel that was clearly inspired by the legendary artist Prince. That’s when things really took off for him. He was already very solid in the ring, and seemingly getting better all the time. As TVD, he had incredible character work and impressive mic work to go with those solid in-ring skills. He wasn’t even 22 years old when TVD debuted, and it seemed like he had everything in front of him. I saw a future NXT Champion, a future WWE Champion, and a future WrestleMania main eventer when I watched him work.

What I didn’t see, however, was the allegations that would be thrown in his direction in 2020 that would go on to completely derail his career. First, it was accusations that he sent nude pictures of himself to underage boys on Instagram. A couple months later, it was an accusation that he sent a nude photo of himself to an underage girl, and accusations that he was “grooming” multiple underage boys. WWE was said to have investigated the allegations, but they ultimately found no proof of wrongdoing. It didn’t matter, though. He was guilty in the court of public opinion, no matter what WWE said, and once he was released from his WWE contract, most wrestling promotions wanted nothing to do with him. Over three years went by between his WWE release and his next wrestling match. He wrestles a little bit here and there today, but even at the age of 30, it certainly seems like his chances of becoming a huge star in the industry have come and gone.

 

Marty Jannetty: When I go back to the days of the Midnight Rockers and the Rockers duo of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, I notice something that isn’t exactly a controversial opinion… at one point, Marty was the better wrestler of the two.

Yes, really.

I do think that Shawn always showed more natural charisma and more promise on the microphone, but yeah, Marty was the better in-ring worker in the early days. Eventually, though, Shawn would surpass Marty in the ring, getting better all the time, and he never looked back, creating one of the most legendary pro wrestling careers of all-time.

Marty still could’ve had himself a special career, but he absolutely could not shake his personal demons. His desire to be “Party Marty,” even today, at the age of 66, was bigger than his desire to carve out a Hall Of Fame career for himself, and that’s a shame.

 

Sean O’Haire: With a look and a physique that seemed to come straight out of a comic book, Sean O’Haire seemed like someone that was destined to be a main event player in the business for years and years.

The guy was 6’6″ and 270 pounds, and was doing things like Swanton Bombs (Seanton Bombs) with ease. He captured your attention from the moment he walked out.

Not only did he not reach those epic heights, though, he didn’t even come close. He never even won a singles title in his career, only winning the WCW Tag Team Titles on three occasions (twice with Mark Jindrak and once with Chuck Palumbo).

Why didn’t the pieces to the puzzle come together? He had the look, and while he wasn’t going to be confused with prime Lou Thesz in the ring, he was always decent enough to have passable matches. When he debuted in WCW, he was still brand spanking new to the wrestling business, so he had plenty of time to continue getting better with experience. Then, in 2003, he debuted his “Devil’s Advocate” character that was really cool to see, and that could’ve/would’ve/should’ve been the thing that took him to the next level.

It never happened. He floated around with nothing going on, and would be released a little over a year after the first “Devil’s Advocate” vignette aired.

O’Haire had some legal issues through the years, but all of it either came before he started in pro wrestling or well after he was released from his WWE contract. I haven’t seen a ton of stories that he was difficult to work with, or that he was a prick backstage, but based on all of his legal issues, it certainly doesn’t seem like he was without character flaws. Is that what kept him from reaching greater heights? Whatever the reason was, it seems like it will be a mystery forever. Unfortunately, Sean couldn’t fight his own personal demons, and he took his own life in 2014 at the age of 43 after spending years battling addiction issues that had him in rehab six different times in the last six years of his life.

 

Tammy Sytch: There was a point when Tammy, as Sunny, was not only the most popular woman in all of pro wrestling, but one of the most popular female celebrities in the world, of any genre. She was the most downloaded celebrity on the internet in 1996 according to America Online, and her posters adorned the walls of the male species all over the world.

Even better for her was the fact that she was doing this without having to wrestle and put her body through the torture that wrestling dishes out.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to keep herself out of trouble. Her initial stint with the WWF came to an end because she developed an addiction to painkillers, and she would go on to no-show several appearances. A backstage beef with Sable, who herself was becoming a global star due to her looks, certainly didn’t help things.

Her time with ECW was thoroughly affected by drug use and legal issues, and then she bounced to WCW, where she would only last for two months before leaving. More issues with drug use followed her there.

In the years since, her personal downward spiral has seen the death of her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Chris Candido, as well as countless arrests that usually involved alcohol in some way. She even had a brief time spent as an adult film star. She is currently serving a seventeen-and-a-half year sentence at the Lowell Correctional Institution in Florida on DUI and manslaughter charges after she caused an accident that took the life of a man back in 2022.

Had she been able to stay clean and out of trouble, it would’ve been fun to see how her career continued to grow and evolve in the WWF. Instead, she’s going to be locked away until she’s in her late-70’s, if she even makes it that far.

 

Muhammad Hassan: For a very, very long time, pro wrestling has always played up the real life conflicts taking place in the world. The “Evil Foreigner” heel trope has been tried-and-true in just about every promotion you can think of. Even when there are actual wars going on, pro wrestling was never afraid to present characters that would rile people up… Nazi sympathizers, evil Japanese workers in the World War 2 era, dastardly Middle Eastern names, and so on.

Three years after the September 11th attacks in New York City, WWE went to that well once again, debuting the Muhammad Hassan character. Instead of him being a straightforward “death to America” character, his initial promos were about how he was tired of the prejudice that he, and anyone even remotely resembling him, was dealing with in the wake of 9/11. It was a great touch, and added layers of depth to the character that wouldn’t have existed in years past.

Seven months after his debut vignette first aired, Hassan’s career would change in an instant, and it had nothing to do with any wrongdoing on his part. During a taped episode of Smackdown, an angle took place that saw Hassan lead five men in ski masks to attack The Undertaker with clubs and piano wire before carrying Daivari (Hassan’s on-screen Manager) away like a martyr. Many fans viewed it as a “terrorist attack,” as it looked a lot like things we’d seen terrorists do in videos on the internet. The problem is that, on the same day that the Smackdown episode aired, Islamist terrorists carried out four suicide bombings in London, killing 56 people (including the four bombers themselves) and injuring nearly 800 more.

Instantly, heat rained down on WWE for the Smackdown angle. Fans were irate. Newspapers, magazines, and news stations across the United States covered what happened on Smackdown. It was everywhere. UPN, the network that aired Smackdown at the time, had to step in and pressure WWE to keep Hassan off of television. Hassan would lose to The Undertaker at the Great American Bash pay-per-view and be written off with an injury angle after the match, but mounting public pressure forced WWE to end the Hassan character altogether, and less than two months later, he would be released from his contract.

The overall emotions in the United States following the events of September 11th, 2001 were still too raw and too fresh for some people. Hassan and Daivari were so good at their character work, and the heat they were getting was growing and growing on a weekly basis. Not just “boo this heel” heat, either. Old school, “I want this guy dead” heat. After Hassan was released, it was revealed that he was set to defeat Batista for the World Heavyweight Title at SummerSlam 2005. In almost any other era, that title change would’ve happened, would’ve made Hassan’s heat even more lava hot, and would’ve made the man who would eventually dethrone him an even bigger star. At that point in time, though, Hassan was a victim, not only of his own success, but of the time and circumstances around him. He could’ve had a generational heel run, but instead, the character didn’t even come close to lasting a year before being canned.

 

The InVasion: If Vince McMahon didn’t have the ego he has, and if WCW’s ridiculous corporate structure didn’t end up with numerous wrestlers able to stay home and collect fat paychecks without having to work, there’s no telling how big this angle could’ve been.

For years, wrestling fans wondered what it would be like if the best of the best from the WWF faced the best of the best from WCW. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs Goldberg. The Undertaker vs Sting. The Rock vs Diamond Dallas Page. The list goes on and on and on.

When WCW was purchased in 2001, we all thought we were about to see those dream matches, and more, become reality. That’s not what we got, though.

No, instead of the best of the best, what we got on WCW’s side was mostly B and C-tier wrestlers who needed to be boosted by WWF wrestlers that turned heel and “jumped ship” for the angle. Names like Goldberg, Sting, Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Ric Flair, and more were all happy to sit home and get paid to do nothing thanks to their AOL Time Warner contracts. That took the star power away from the angle from day one, and it never truly recovered.

If the dominoes fell in a certain way, this is something that could’ve made a gazillion dollars and could’ve gone on for multiple years. Easily one of the biggest “what if” moments in the history of the business.

 

Teddy Hart: If you talk to the people who were around when he was still training, and those in the very early days of his pro career, you’ll hear a lot about how special Teddy Hart was. A member of the legendary Hart wrestling family, Teddy signed a developmental contract with the WWF in 1998, and at 18 years old, that made him the youngest person to ever do so.

Then the attitude problems took over. He would be released from his WWF deal due to a poor attitude. His stint with Ring Of Honor is best remembered for an incident at a show in 2003, when he repeatedly performed moves from the top of a steel cage onto opponents who weren’t prepared to receive them, followed by doing moves from the top of the cage into an empty ring and landing on his feet, before finally throwing up a few times and being escorted to the back. He blamed a concussion that he says he received during the match, but most people were skeptical of his claims. After RoH, he went to NWA-TNA, where he would eventually be released after getting into a fight with CM Punk at a restaurant, reportedly due to Punk still harboring ill will after the RoH incident. He would go on to win the Heavyweight Title for Jersey All Pro Wrestling, but would be stripped of the title and released from the company due to “problems” he had with the promoter. His first stint in AAA ended with him being suspended indefinitely due to backstage issues. The second stint he had with Major League Wrestling ended with him being released due to disciplinary issues that including no-showing events.

Do you see how long that paragraph is? Not only does that not cover all of his issues within the world of wrestling, but it doesn’t even begin to touch his legal issues through the years, including numerous bouts of domestic violence, sexual assault allegations, and the suspicious disappearance of a girlfriend in 2016. The woman, Samantha Fiddler, is still missing today, nearly a decade later.

In the ring, he’s someone that should’ve been making waves for the WWF and WWE at around the same time that guys like John Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, and Batista were debuting. He could’ve been on that level, but he developed a habit of shooting himself in the foot over and over and over again, and it ruined ant chances he had of becoming a huge star.

 

Tessa Blanchard: If we’re strictly talking about in-ring ability, there aren’t many women around that can touch Tessa Blanchard. She is someone that could, and should, be winning World Titles in WWE or AEW.

Ah, but then there’s those pesky rumors that she’s a racist and a bully.

Several women, including Chelsea Green and Priscilla Kelly (aka Gigi Dolin in NXT), have come forward and accused Tessa of all sorts of things, ranging from “belittling” other women backstage to spitting in a black wrestler’s face and calling her the n-word at a show in Japan.

During the COVID pandemic, when she was the TNA WORLD CHAMPION, of all things, she got into more trouble. First, she failed to send in promos for a taped television segment leading up to a pay-per-view. She was living in Mexico at the time with her then-boyfriend, and that already kept her away from the company. Eventually, TNA forced her to relinquish the title and released her from her contract.

It’s the racism accusations that continue to haunt her, though. Even after multiple years going by, Tessa still receives loud “she’s a racist” chants during her matches. For her to be that talented, with that backstory (third-generation wrestler and the daughter of the legendary Tully Blanchard), being persona non grata for the biggest wrestling promotions on the planet says it all.

 

Larry Sweeney: He’s the least known of any name on this list, but make no mistake… Larry Sweeney had what it takes to be a star in WWE.

While he was a wrestler, too, I was introduced to him during his time as a manager, and he made me a fan right away. He was a throwback to the days of old, when pro wrestling “talkers” were loud, obnoxious, and over-the-top. His promos were incredibly entertaining, and he just seemed like someone that WWE could utilize on their programming.

On April 11th, 2011, Sweeney took his own life after struggling with his place in the business and battling mental health issues. He had celebrated his 30th birthday not even two months prior to passing away. He never got to showcase his skills and personality for a truly large audience, and that’s so very sad for anyone who was able to witness him do what he did best.

 

Gino Hernandez: We’re a couple weeks removed from the 40th anniversary of Gino’s passing, but he remains a huge “what if” scenario in wrestling history.

He found a lot of success in the territory days, with his time in World Class Championship Wrestling being the best and most memorable of his stints anywhere. His work, both in the ring and on the microphone, had people pegging him as an easy choice to be an eventual member of the Four Horsemen and becoming a huge star for Jim Crockett Promotions.

That never happened because he passed away on February 2nd, 1986 at the age of 28. Officially, it was labeled as a cocaine overdose, but all sorts of conspiracy theories and speculation remain, ranging from him being murdered over debt he owed to a local drug kingpin to him faking his own death (his family never saw his body, as it was reportedly decomposed due to him not being found for multiple days after his passing), and just about everything in between.

No matter what really happened to him in the end, it’s a shame that he was gone before he ever got a chance to show a bigger audience what made Texas wrestling fans call him one of the best young prospects of the 1980’s.

 

Ahmed Johnson: When you talk about people that LOOK like a pro wrestling megastar, Ahmed Johnson needs to be in the conversation. Other than the whole “being black” thing, he looks exactly like someone that Vince McMahon would enjoy pushing to the moon.

So why didn’t he make it to the top of the WWF?

He was clumsy. He was injury prone. He was difficult to work with and get along with. He wasn’t even remotely close to being a good wrestler. He spoke like his mouth was full of another mouth that had another mouth in it, and that mouth was full of marbles and molasses.

Does that explain it?

 

Shinsuke Nakamura In The WWE: Nakamura’s time with New Japan Pro Wrestling was legendary. He became a huge star for the promotion, even going on to appear in music videos, including the Japanese video for Pharrell Williams’ smash 2014 song, “Happy.” He won numerous titles, including the Heavyweight Championship four times.

There was a lot of hype when he signed with WWE, and that hype was magnified exponentially when his WWE entrance music went viral and had crowds all over the world “singing” along with it.

While it would be foolish of me to say that his WWE career has been a failure… two NXT title reigns, three United States Title reigns, two Intercontinental Title reigns, one Tag Team Title reign, and a Royal Rumble victory is a lot of accolades… I don’t think it’s a stretch of the imagination to say that the company never truly capitalized on the potential he had. Even without being a super strong English speaker, he had everything needed to be one of the top guys in WWE. The way that his Royal Rumble victory led to WWE Title shot after WWE Title shot, without him ever winning said title, should be punishable by law.

By now, Nakamura should’ve been AT LEAST a two-time WWE Champion. All that potential, and it never once felt like he got what he deserved.

 

Now, I turn things over to you, the readers. As you can see, there are a million different reasons why someone can fail to reach their true potential in the world of wrestling. What do you think of the examples I have listed here? Do you agree or disagree with them? What are some of your biggest examples that I didn’t mention here? As always, feel free to hit me up in the comments section below, on Twitter (@HustleTheSavage), or on Bluesky (@aaronhyden.bsky.social), and let me know what’s on your mind.

Let’s switch it over to my Weekly Power Rankings before closing things out with the list of songs I was listening to as I put this column together.

 

 

Weekly Power Rankings

Tommaso Ciampa vs Kyle Fletcher: It’s crystal clear to me that Ciampa is wrestling in AEW with a huge chip on his shoulder. He admitted as much in an interview with Vice before Dynamite, saying that he had a “(NXT) Takeover mentality” going in. This was a fantastic effort from both men, in front of an appreciative crowd. The TNT Championship continues to be elevated by the work that these men, and men like Mark Briscoe, are putting in as they compete for it.

MJF vs Brody King: The “Fuck ICE” chants grabbed all the attention, but this was a great match that delivered on every level. I don’t know how MJF still has doubters after all this time. He continues to prove that he is one of the best in the world, not just on the mic, but also in the ring. Brody King, on the other hand, proved that he can handle the added spotlight of a main event mini-feud for the AEW World Title. This was a win/win for everyone, even with Brody taking the loss.

Kyle Fletcher vs Mark Briscoe: They’ve had themselves quite the seven-match series with each other, showing a tremendous amount of in-ring chemistry. As I said, I love the work that they’re putting in to help elevate one of AEW’s secondary men’s singles championships.

Jon Moxley vs Konosuke Takeshita: A good old Time Limit Draw can be a polarizing thing in pro wrestling. Some fans feel that it’s “cheap,” and that it’s only done because a company is “afraid” to make a proper decision. Other fans feel it’s a fun way to keep competitors looking strong and build for a rematch. In this instance, I definitely feel like it’s the latter. Mox and Takeshita busted their asses, and now, their rematch is going to mean that much more.

“Hangman” Adam Page vs Andrade El Idolo: As much as I love Hangman, and as much as the AEW fan base loves Hangman, I can’t help but think that Andrade should’ve picked up the win here. Since returning to AEW, the work he’s been doing has been so good. Giving him a shot at the AEW World Title is a deserving reward, even if he was unsuccessful in winning the belt. Hangman was the “safe” option here. I would’ve liked to see AEW go in a different direction, even if the pairing of MJF and Hangman makes sense.

Kris Statlander vs Thekla: A super physical Strap Match with a surprising outcome. These two beat the hell out of each other, and in the end, Thekla walks out as the brand new AEW Women’s Champion. You can debate on whether or not she has done enough to “deserve” the title, but she’s done everything that has been asked of her, and I dig the move.

Cody Rhodes vs Sami Zayn vs Jacob Fatu: If this was the main event of a WWE pay-per-view, most people wouldn’t even bat an eye. Instead, it was on a random episode of Smackdown, with the three men competing for a spot in the upcoming Elimination Chamber. That’s crazy. All three men looked good here. In the interest of fairness, though, I will point out a similar thing that I pointed out for AEW earlier. Cody was the “safe” choice here, and perhaps it would’ve been more fun to see WWE not play it safe. Yes, I understand it makes sense to have Cody in the match as we continue to build his story with Drew McIntyre, but Cody is someone who doesn’t “need” that to get a marquee match at WrestleMania. At least this match was entertaining, I suppose.

Rey Fenix vs Trick Williams: Trick Willy continues his hot streak since becoming an official member of the Smackdown roster. He has become over with main roster crowds very quickly, and he keeps delivering strong performances in the ring and on the mic. If he isn’t viewed as such already, it won’t be long until people see him as one of the top names on the “Blue Brand.”

Carmelo Hayes, Ilja Dragunov, Shinsuke Nakamura, Apollo Crews & Matt Cardona vs Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga, Tonga Loa & JC Mateo: With ten men involved in the match, it only makes sense that tons of chaos will ensue. That chaos helped to make this entertaining. It really is amazing what getting away from the Wyatt Sicks will do for The MFTs. They were involved in a lot of drawn out, boring stuff with the Wyatts, but this was very different. That definitely says a lot about what needs to happen with the Wyatts moving forward, but I digress.

The Usos vs Otis & Akira Tozawa: I like the way this match was put together, allowing for Otis and Tozawa to look good in a losing effort in a match that nobody expected them to win in the first place. If WWE wanted to, they could have something fun with that duo.

Penta vs Austin Theory vs LA Knight: By my math, this is the 193,774th mini-push for LA Knight in WWE. Is this the one that finally takes him to the top of the mountain? Time will tell.

Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Pac vs Konosuke Takeshita, Josh Alexander & Mark Davis: On a semi-related note… there are entirely too many people in the Don Callis Family stable. I’d have to talk to my lawyer, but I’m pretty sure I’m under contract with the group myself, at least through the first half of 2026. Yes, they have a bunch of entertaining matches, but my point remains.

The Young Bucks vs Private Party vs Dezmond Xavier & Myron Reed: Oh, hey, Private Party. You haven’t had a match in AEW since January 2025… and your return wasn’t announced in the slightest… and you lost in your return match… but at least you’re back. See you in 2027.

 

 

This Week’s Playlist: “Be Great” by Jill Scott & Trombone Shorty… “Pressha” by Jill Scott… “To B Honest” by Jill Scott & JID… “Sincerely Do” by Jill Scott… “Hive Mind” by Knocked Loose & Denzel Curry… “If I Didn’t Know You” by The Red Clay Strays… “Be By You” by Luke Combs… “Bad Faith” by Converge… “Die On The Vine” by Miss May I… “See Through” by Story Of The Year… “Die Alone” by TX2… “Twisted Heat” by Twista & Drag-On… “Dreams Come True” by Elan Atias… “Man In The Mirror” by Michael Jackson… “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke… “A Song For You” by Donny Hathaway… “O-o-h Child” by The Five Fairsteps… “Changes” by 2Pac & Talent… “I Will” by Usher… “Bedtime” by Usher… “One Day You’ll Be Mine” by Usher… “I Got You Babe” by Mario Winans… “What More Can I Say” by Jay-Z… “Every Breath You Take” by The Police… “Love Song” by 311… “Amber” by 311… “Down” by 311… “I’ll Be Here Awhile” by 311… “Beautiful Disaster” by 311… “Caress Me Down” by Sublime