Official WWE/ECW/WCW/TNA talk, or whatever v2

[trackercowe]

For the life of me I don't know why Mox, Danielson, and Jericho couldn't make a difference with Punk. Having all worked together for years in the WWE you would figure they could have found a common ground. Then you have Christian, Paul Wight, Mark Henry, etc. Legends that should help in managing the younger talent, or find common ground with other veterans.

There were are so many veterans in AEW, where is all the in-fighting coming from? When was the last time WWE had a major backstage disagreement? The only one I can recall were led by Jericho when he went after Lesnar for his match against Orton at SummerSlam. It's something that doesn't happen. The veterans backstage, Triple H, Michaels, and the road agents seem to have everything under control.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

For the life of me I don't know why Mox, Danielson, and Jericho couldn't make a difference with Punk. Having all worked together for years in the WWE you would figure they could have found a common ground. Then you have Christian, Paul Wight, Mark Henry, etc. Legends that should help in managing the younger talent, or find common ground with other veterans.

There were are so many veterans in AEW, where is all the in-fighting coming from? When was the last time WWE had a major backstage disagreement? The only one I can recall were led by Jericho when he went after Lesnar for his match against Orton at SummerSlam. It's something that doesn't happen. The veterans backstage, Triple H, Michaels, and the road agents seem to have everything under control.

Jericho and Moxley have always had a serious ego. I mean you can even see it in Jericho's book. Jericho and Mox also want the spotlight, and that's not a bad thing, I think you need to have that to be a top tier star.


We did see interviews in the past from people like I think it was Mark Henry, that there was an element in the AEW locker room that didn't want to learn from the veterans.



I don't know where Daniels fits in on this whole thing. I was surprised that they had him in charge of the disciplinary committee, he's just a super nice soft spoken guy, it doesn't feel like a fit. When WWE was letting veterans take care of discipline, they had a guy like the Undertaker in charge.



WWE does have guys like HHH and Michael's in charge, and they speak with the authority of the company. You also have serious hard asses in that locker room like Regal who is pretty old school on locker room etiquette. But there's probably a bit more serious corporate mindset and a little less rebel radio.


You've now got the Rey Fenix hitting social media with his discontent over his treatment.


I can imagine that the AEW locker room is a bit of a powder keg right now, especially with dropping ratings, and poor in person attendance, and it feels like Tony Kahn really doesn't have any backup.



To me the company really needs to strengthen their leadership and not from in rink workers, and to me, They need someone in creative who can say no to Tony and the workers on their ideas and really mean it.

[trackercowe]

Ray Fenix continues to go after AEW on social media ‘I Needed A Doctor And You Ignored Me For Months.’ This is a common accusation against the company, ignoring talent and their needs.

What an embarrassing situation they're in. So they're holding this guy up for another year, but choose to ignore him and not give him access to a doctor (Punk mentioned a similar issue). They better hit Fenix with an NDA, otherwise more problems will come to light.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

Ray Fenix continues to go after AEW on social media ‘I Needed A Doctor And You Ignored Me For Months.’ This is a common accusation against the company, ignoring talent and their needs.

What an embarrassing situation they're in. So they're holding this guy up for another year, but choose to ignore him and not give him access to a doctor (Punk mentioned a similar issue). They better hit Fenix with an NDA, otherwise more problems will come to light.

Wasn't that CM Punks complaint as well? They learned that he was hurt and basically told him to call them when he was better, and then he was left to his own devices to rehab it alone, without anyone from the company ever checking in.

[Blaster86]

Not true, the company checked in. They asked if he could come in and do a job to Moxley while not medically cleared.

Tony Khan is Vince McMahon reborn without the sexual predator issues.

[TheIronMaiden]

Good news for AEW is it sounds like they are finally moving to smaller venues.

[CaptainCrunch]

I don't know enough about WWE and how they treat their injured wrestlers anymore.



IIRC when Vince was in charge, unless you were like a top guy, you were pretty much responsible for your treatment and insurance and rehab. For pay your received your down side guarantee and any merch sales. But lost huge dollars by not working.




Is it any different now under HHH and the Wellness program.

[SuperMatt18]

I do wonder if we end up seeing some type of unholy aliance between Seth, Drew, and ? (Maybe KO) Against Sami, Jey, and CM Punk over the next little bit here.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I don't know enough about WWE and how they treat their injured wrestlers anymore.



IIRC when Vince was in charge, unless you were like a top guy, you were pretty much responsible for your treatment and insurance and rehab. For pay your received your down side guarantee and any merch sales. But lost huge dollars by not working.




Is it any different now under HHH and the Wellness program.

What ChatGPT told me:

WWE's treatment of injured wrestlers has evolved significantly, especially with the implementation of their Wellness Program and changes in management over time. Here's a breakdown of how things currently stand:

Injury Treatment and Medical Costs
WWE now generally covers the medical expenses of its talent for injuries sustained while performing for the company. This includes surgery, rehab, and related treatments. This was already in place during Vince McMahon's tenure but has been emphasized more in recent years as part of WWE's efforts to improve their reputation regarding talent welfare.

Wrestlers are technically independent contractors and not employees, so WWE is not obligated to provide health insurance. However, for injuries specifically related to in-ring work, WWE takes responsibility for the costs.

Wellness Program
WWE's Talent Wellness Program, introduced in 2006, includes regular drug testing, cardiovascular screening, and concussion management protocols. It also extends to covering rehab costs for wrestlers (even those no longer with the company) if they struggle with substance abuse or related issues.

Triple H has been a major advocate for wrestler health, especially mental and physical well-being. Under his leadership (both before and after taking creative control in 2022), there has been a perception that the wellness program is taken more seriously, with stricter adherence to policies and procedures.

Pay During Injuries
Injured talent still receives their downside guarantee (the minimum annual pay outlined in their contracts), but they lose out on bonuses tied to appearances, live events, and Pay-Per-View matches.

For top stars with significant merchandise sales (e.g., Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins), merch royalties can still provide a steady income even when sidelined.

Midcard or lower-card talent often feel the pinch more since their downside guarantee is typically smaller, and their bonuses are tied to actively performing.

Triple H's Influence
Since Triple H took over creative responsibilities, reports suggest he's tried to create a more talent-friendly environment, prioritizing longer-term health and creative satisfaction. Wrestlers like Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae, and others have praised the atmosphere under his leadership.

WWE has become more lenient with recovery times, allowing wrestlers to take the time they need to recover fully rather than rushing them back. For example, recent returns from injury like Big E or Cody Rhodes demonstrate how WWE is willing to invest in proper rehab and return-to-work programs.

Summary of Changes:
Injuries are now treated with a more structured and compassionate approach, with rehab and medical costs covered for in-ring injuries.
Wrestlers still lose out on performance-related bonuses while recovering, but merch royalties and downside guarantees provide some income.
The Wellness Program has been reinforced, especially under Triple H, ensuring stricter health and safety measures for the talent.

If you're thinking of the old days where talent might have been left to fend for themselves unless they were a "top guy," things are definitely better now, though there's still room for improvement, particularly regarding the independent contractor classification.

[trackercowe]

One thing for certain is that the tag divisions in WWE (and AEW) need quite a bit of work. Smackdown has been improving, with DIY turning heel, but it's taken a significant step down from when the Uso's main evented Wrestlemania with Owens and Zayn. There aren't enough tag teams to sustain two titles.

They need to either merge them, or create more teams. Right now there are 3-4 teams on each brand, and they just trade wins back and forth. Some of the teams are really good, and the stories can be compelling. It just gets tedious seeing DIY and the Street Profits facing off every Friday. Same thing in NXT, I watched the battle royale last week, and it just wasn't interesting.

[rubecube]

The Trios titles ruined the tag division in AEW. I feel like 50% of AEW's problems could be fixed by just going back to the same belts they launched with.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Jericho and Moxley have always had a serious ego. I mean you can even see it in Jericho's book. Jericho and Mox also want the spotlight, and that's not a bad thing, I think you need to have that to be a top tier star.

Jericho and Cody both laughed about Punk trying to claim he was the locker room leader in WWE. I think the animosity about Mox goes back to Punk's Shield takes after he left WWE.

When WWE was letting veterans take care of discipline, they had a guy like the Undertaker in charge. it.

The more that comes out about Taker, the more I feel like having him run wrestler's court was big part of the toxicity in WWE during those days.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I do wonder if we end up seeing some type of unholy aliance between Seth, Drew, and ? (Maybe KO) Against Sami, Jey, and CM Punk over the next little bit here.

I think that it is a place holder feud until Drew wins the Royal Rumble.

Edit: I think also that making someone face Sammy is the best way to keep them a Heel, Sammy is probably the biggest pure face on the roster. Drew is very popular and ran the risk of becoming a face so he needed some fresh baby face meet to obliterate.

[trackercowe]

It's crazy how there is literally no reaction to anyone in AEW. The crowds are always dead.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

It's crazy how there is literally no reaction to anyone in AEW. The crowds are always dead.

Somehow AEW needs to do a reset. Not much is working and capturing the audiences live or on TV right now.


I remember when WCW was going on and Eric was going to buy it, and the plan was to run a few weeks of reruns and best of matches, and then kick off with their young stars vs the Millionaires club story line.


Its tough to do a reset when you run 52 weeks of television. But they have to do something storyline wise. Bringing in the Hurt Syndicate could be a key because they're really intriguing right now. Just have them destroy everyone, not to take over AEW but to destroy it and rebuild it.

[trackercowe]

So they brought back Toni Storm randomly at the end of Dynamite... she does nothing and walks to the back? It's not Timeless Toni Storm, but the same version nobody cared for when she came into AEW to little regard. Timeless Toni was a great gimmick! Yet she decided to ditch it... oh and Toni returns when they've already set up (a now pointless) match with Thunder Rosa. If they're setting up the Storm/Mariah rematch, why throw away Rosa/May? Oh and for that matter next week we're getting Ospreay/Darby on free television! They're giving away yet another dream match with two of their top talents going after a midcard belt.

How exactly did Tony Khan win booker of the year? He's atrocious. Everyone likes to play armchair GM, but in reality those in the position are more suited for the job. However in this case I think any of us would be a better booker than Khan. I know I'm beating a dead horse, but it drives me up the wall how they're squandering such a talented roster.

[Blaster86]

He won booker of the year because it's fan voted by Observer subscribers and only AEW fans pay for the Oberserver any more since it amounts to little more than a fan zine for the company.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

He won booker of the year because it's fan voted by Observer subscribers and only AEW fans pay for the Oberserver any more since it amounts to little more than a fan zine for the company.

Wasn't that a while back? I'm thinking early and pandemic-era AEW, which was heads and tails better than the garbage WWE was putting out at the time.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Wasn't that a while back? I'm thinking early and pandemic-era AEW, which was heads and tails better than the garbage WWE was putting out at the time.

I think he's won every year since AEW started. To the point even Dave has made the comment that this is just not accurate to reality.

[SuperMatt18]

I will never understand the booking of Okada in AEW.

He's the continental champion...but he's now lost to Fletcher, and drew Garcia in the C2 tournament.

It's funny because one of the things in early AEW was "no 50/50 booking" and " wins and losses mean something" and I think that was a strength for them early on.

But now they do a really good job of making everyone feel the same, wins and losses don't seem to matter, and even the titles don't seem to have any real importance on a week to week basis (magnified by the fact when people lose the title they never seem to care they lost the title and just move to a random fued like nothing happened).

IMO nobody on the roster seems like they are clearly better than anyone else on the roster.