October 31, 2021

Ken M

HAPPY HALLOWEEN WRESTLING FANS!

October 31, 2021

Ken M

Welcome back for an all new edition of Blogs Count Anywhere, the complementary blog to the ODPH Podcast & 607TWS on Twitch! It’s been a while since the last blog, but news (except for the ROH breaking story which will be covered on the podcast more in-depth) hasn’t been very earth-shattering. However there have been a few quick points to mention, so let’s talk shall we?

First and foremost, how much fun was this match for the Halloween AEW Dynamite show?

Speaking of AEW, they’re picking up steam going into their next Pay Per View event “Full Gear” on Nov. 13th. The long awaited title match with Hangman Adam Page finally getting his title shot vs. Kenny Omega is headlining the card, but there’s another story line happening that, imo, is really caught my attention more so than the main event build. There is currently a tourney for the next world title challenger going on and one competitor has been making noise & getting a unique reaction for his matches:

Ever since his match vs. Minoru Suzuki, Jon Moxley has been literally running thru his opponents in very violent & bloody fashion. Seeing this side of Mox reminds me a lot of how he wrestles in Game Changer Wrestling where he is currently champion. It’s a new wrinkle to his character that some fans might not be super familiar with. IMO, He’s currently scheduled to face Orange Cassidy in the next round & if he runs thru Cassidy, I feel it’s safe to say that the full blown “heel” turn is in full effect. Where Mox has been teetering on the “Anti-Hero” role, squashing one of the most over faces in the company will push him clearly in that direction. This plays well for who he’s most likely going to face in the finals:

One of the most over faces in pro wrestling vs. a destructive heel with no remorse? LET’S GO

Taking a quick lap around the rest of the usual suspects:

WWE: NXT 2.0 had a monster Halloween Havoc show where nearly every title changed hands. For anyone worried about what would happen during the reset, look no further than BRON BREAKKER as proof that WWE’s developmental brand is doing just fine.

The main shows have been improved (esp. Raw) since the WWE Draft, but are building some nice programs heading into the winter months (Rollins vs. Big E, Reigns vs. McIntyre most likely starting, All Hail King Woods, Hit Row & Brock “suspended” just to name a few….).

IMPACT: The era of MOOSE has begun, but so has the reign of Trey Miguel as X Division Champ. Fans also have to be excited to see with the IInspiration has in store for the Knockouts division.

GCW: The best indie running has some major shows starting up heading towards the Hammerstein Ballroom in January. Get on board now & don’t miss it. Briscoes vs SGC 2…. LETS GO!

And last but not least:

XCITE WRESTLING presents “One Will Fall” - SATURDAY, Nov. 6th. The Card:

Xcite Wrestling Heavyweight Title Match

Champion Bill Collier vs Colby Corino vs Anthony Greene

Feature Match

Matt Cardona vs Sean Carr

Xcite Tag Title Match

High Seas vs To Infinity and Beyond

Steel Cage Match

Carnage Crew vs The Awakening

Scramble

Mark Sterling vs Tj Epixx vs Ash Aubrey vs Brandon Thurston vs Jay Freddie vs Vince Valor vs Kennan Moore

Super B vs Grizzly Rodriguez & MORE!

Make sure to drop that follow for Xcite Wrestling on Twitch & for more info: xcitewrestling.com

Follow #607podcasts for more pro-wrestling content & as always, thanks for reading!

October 2, 2021

Ken M

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (AEW) DYNAMITE!

October 2, 2021

Ken M

Welcome to an all new edition of Blogs Count Anywhere, the complementary blog to the ODPH podcast & #607TWS on Twitch. For this edition, it’s time to celebrate a milestone. On this day (Oct. 2nd, 2019), All Elite Wrestling made its debut on TNT with AEW Dynamite. The flagship show of AEW has been a staple of viewing for the wrestling community on Wednesday nights. It’s had it’s ups and downs throughout the past 2 years & for this blog, let’s take a look at the past, present & future before the upcoming anniversary show!

Coming off the heels of Double Or Nothing & All Out, there was quite the buzz surrounding pro-wrestling returning to TNT broadcasting. “The Elite” knew they had one shot o make a first impression & stacked it with their biggest names at the time. AEW kicked off Dynamite’s first episode with a pre-#Rhodeslander Cody vs. Sammy Guevara. Remember those days? I digress. The rest of the card shaped up very nicely for a TV debut:

MJF beat Brandon Cutler, PAC defeated Hangman Page, Riho became AEW’s first women’s champion in a a great match over Nyla Rose, & the main event was a solid one. Kenny Omega teaming with the Young Bucks to face Chris Jericho w/ Santana & Ortiz. With a run-in from Jake Hager & Guevara coming back out to help Jericho, little did anyone know that was going to set up the building blocks for an all new faction: The Inner Circle w/ Jericho leading.

Since that point, AEW has gone thru the growing pains of any live weekly show. Production flaws really stood out along with the sense that many of the AEW talent took time (imo) to get used to live TV shows really showed. Factor in the pressure they put on themselves with a “Wednesday Night War” with WWE’s developmental/third brand, NXT & the early shows had their work cutout for them. Never the less, AEW fans railed behind the show.

The road continued on with new faces joining the roster & new stars finally emerging (like a heel Britt Baker pictured below) to carry Dynamite into its’ next year. It’s hard to believe one year ago on the 1 year anniversary show, Moxley & Kingston were just starting a feud. One of the best pairings in the company’s history without question. Even with these moments, they still struggled to hit over 1 million viewers per week & for a company that thrives on talking ratings & demos, this was an important goal to obtain to be taken seriously in some fans eyes’ as being a major player to the WWE.

Since the year one anniversary, we’ve seen AEW continue to grow as a company. They have rolled out another weekly show, “AEW Rampage” & are slated in a contract move to head to TBS network in 2022. The biggest “roadblock” for AEW Dynamite was removed to allow this to happen. NXT went to Tuesdays as part of a new deal with USA Network & USA receiving programming formerly from NBCSN. Once moved, AEW started hitting 1 million viewers on a consistent basis & have really picked up steam heading into the 2 year anniversary.

AS for the future of AEW Dynamite, it’s going to be centered on the 3 superstars you see here:

With the recent additions of Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson & CM Punk, AEW made a loud statement in telling the wrestling world they could land main-event level free agents after some had chosen to pass them up. This has caused a slight increase in viewership but as far as growing it, it feels like a “wait & see” approach for fans.

We’ve see Danielson get thrusted into a main-event program with Kenny Omega out the gate, the other two haven’t started anything noteworthy just yet. Cole has had great singles matches against Kaz & Jungle Boy but nothing as of story-line just yet. Cole is only a matter of time, but personally, I’m hoping its locked and loaded for Hangman Adam Page.

Punk, on the other hand, still seems to be getting his groove back after such a long layoff. From a solid debut vs. Darby Allin (& helping Darby have his best match in AEW imo), he seems to be on this “road of redemption tour” with happy promos & working with the mid-card.

Note, I’m not complaining. This is a great way to get Punk back into the swing of 2021 pro wrestling but I’m just waiting to see the REAL return of Punk. I’m waiting for the “PipeBomb Best In The World” Punk to return with a vengeance. The honeymoon phase is only gonna last so long till we get “The Best In The World” back doing what he does best. The question is if AEW is ready?

Regardless, making it 2+ years on network is no easy feat these days. AEW has made “Dynamite” into a presence on television weekly. Whether you love it or hate it, they’ve done what they set out to do. Now the challenge becomes Grow or stay still. How does this all play out?

Let me know what you think of AEW hitting 2 years of Dynamite. Also, let me know your favorite Dynamite moments thus far on Twitter. As always, thanks for reading.

September 19, 2021

Ken M

AEW Grand Slam preview

September 19, 2021

Ken M

Welcome back for an all new Blogs Count Anywhere, the complementary pro-wrestling blog to the ODPH podcast. This week is a big week for All Elite Wrestlng as they invade New York City for a HUGE card hailing from Arthur Ashe Stadium: AEW Grand Slam (Wednesday Night Sept. 22nd 8pm EST on TNT). Let’s take a deeper look at some of the headline matches for the card!

MALAKAI BLACK VS. CODY RHODES

I’m guessing this will be the kickoff match of the card. Black, who made a big debut a few weeks back, has been on a tear attacking ”The Nightmare Family”, starting off with Cody. Fans hadn’t seen Cody on AEW television since their match on August 4th. On that night, Black left Cody in the ring knocked out. It wasn’t until this past week’s AEW Dynamite that we saw Cody return & attack Black.

I’m hoping we get a swerve here and Black escapes with the W, but let’s face it: The RhodesLander is returning. Cody isn’t going to lose on his big return. That is the safest bet you can make when it comes to AEW. Form here, Cody is going to be heading towards the Elite in some capacity. Maybe an ally? or Maybe an ally to Bryan Danielson? The major question becomes: IF Black loses, where does he go from here? There is no clear cut answer to that. One direction that makes sense to me is Darby Allin. They both play the “mysterious” angle well & can make for some intriquing storylines.

RUBY SOHO VS. BRITT BAKER (C) for the AEW Women’s Championship

Soho has made a quick impact since debuting at AEW All Out Labor Day Weekend. After winning the Casino Battle Royale, Soho has cashed in her title opportunity early with a match with Baker Wednesday. On the flipside, Baker has been on a roll lately since dethroning Shida for the title at Double Or Nothing. Baker is VERY over with the AEW faithful but has a huge test in front of her now with Soho.

This one should be & will be #AndStill. Don’t get me wrong, Soho is more than deserving of the title but Baker is still very over & I don’t see her dropping the belt here. However, Soho is going to be in the title picture for the foreseeable future. Look no further than her promo with Baker on last week’s Rampage. In case there was any confusion, Soho IS a bonified star. Look how she won that promo battle. AEW would be foolish to do anything less than keep Soho vs. Baker going for a bit (and at the very least, add Thunder Rosa who’s LONG overdue for another round with Baker).

MJF VS. Brian Pillman Jr.

And here we are, post Jericho feud. MJF, the future of the company* (if he stays when his contract ends) is now having a small feud with Pillman. Why is MJF in a mid-card feud at this stage is beyond me. The only reason I’m guessing is to build up Pillman or buy time till the eventual break-up from Wardlow’s services. Either way, “The Salt Of The Earth” takes this one. Why, cause he’s MJF & he NEEDS to start getting pushed higher on the cards ASAP.

BRYAN DANIELSON vs. KENNY OMEGA (c) - non AEW title

A main event no matter whether TV or PPV. THIS is your headliner. Danielson makes his AEW in-ring debut against Omega to build some story-line up. Omega retained his AEW title at ALL Out and Danielson introduced himself as number 1 contender (apparently, cause rankings are still a thing, right?). We’ve had some promos & interactions but Wednesday is go time for these 2 in AEW.

Omega either wins with help or Danielson wins clean to set the stage for AEW Full Gear. This will be a great match no matter what if they get time to work. Otherwise, expecting a LOT of Elite members involved and run-ins galore. That isn’t the worst though. Who better than Omega to welcome in Danielson? It’s a big profile match. I’m just not a big fan of him becoming no. 1 contender right out the gate. There’s still Hangman Adam Page & MJF on that roster who, imo, deserve a title run sooner than later.

That’s just some of the matches on Dynamite this week. There’s also a star-studded AEW Rampage on Friday (Sept. 24th 10pm EST on TNT) where CM Punk, Adam Cole & John Moxley are some of the names in action as well. 4 hours of PPV quality cards on cable TV this week from AEW. It’s a great week to be a pro wrestling fan so enjoy it!

Let me know what you think of AEW’s big week on Twitter. As always, thanks for reading!

September 12, 2021

Ken M

AEW'S FANTASTIC FOUR?

September 12, 2021

Ken M

Welcome back for an all new edition of Blogs Count Anywhere. On this edition, I’m doing a bit more of a deep dive for AEW’s next moves after All Out. As heard on the ODPH Podcast this week, All Elite Wrestling had it’s best PPV card to date (Grade: A-) this past Sunday. Tony Khan stated (on Busted Open Radio) recently that they buyrate for All Out was “well over 200,000 buys” There were stand-out moments, big surprises & one hell of a candidate for Match of The Year with the Lucha Bros. winning the tag team titles from the Young Bucks. Penta’s look says it all:

There was quite the buzz for the days following until we got to AEW Dynamite. 1.3 million viewers tuned into see where AEW was heading on the road to their next PPV: Full Gear (slated for Nov. 6th in St. Louis). What we got was a LOT of talking & a lot less action. One week down & how does everything fare now? Let’s see how the biggest debuts look to be heading now:

CM PUNK

The biggest domino to fall & affect pre-ALL Out was CM Punk’s return to pro-wrestling. The Match against Dary Allin was a LOT better than expected. Great throwback knods to the Bret Hart/123 Kid match of years past. Punk showed he’s still got it & lead Darby to his best match in AEW.

However, Wednesday was more of an uncertain feel for what’s next for Punk. He did hype work putting over the company & the movement happening. Punk also said he’s letting the AEW fans guide him on who’s next. Team Taz confronted him & “got next”.

It appears Punk’s doing a “Rocky-esque” comeback story here. Working his way back up the card is a different turn that I wasn’t expecting but wondering how long this will last before he’s going to take the AEW TNT title from Miro. After not dropping it to Eddie Kingston, a Punk/Miro collision seems like it will happen sooner than later. Who else than the “best in the world” to take the title from the “redeemer” with a comeback story built in? Maybe not at Full Gear, but more than likely Revolution.

RUBY SOHO

THE best debut on AEW All Out! Why? Soho appearing as the Joker in the Women’s Casino Battle Royal showcased a BIG addition in a women’s division that needed some star power. Does she move the ratings meter as much as Punk or the other 2 debuts? No, but Soho will bring eyes to the Women’s division & give them a legit made star to build around.

It appears Soho is getting immediately pushed for the title vs. Britt Baker & while she’s worthy of it, I was hoping they’d wait on this. One knock on AEW is it appears that the minute a big (former) WWE star debuts, they seem to be pushed into a title program. In this case, I’d much rather see Soho come in & feud with some other wrestlers first (Nyla Rose, Big Swole, Jade Cargill) then go for the belt. There’s a title program overlooked right now & that’s with Baker & Thunder Rosa. They’ve got a bigger history & Soho should be lined up for the winner of that.

Either way, Soho’s addition is more impactful to AEW than a lot of people realize.

ADAM COLE

The biggest SHOCK of the weekend! Cole, who helps redefine WWE NXT for years & looked groomed to do the same on WWE TV, made the jump to AEW when his contract ran out. It was heavily rumored but nothing was certain till you heard the music. Cole re-unites with the Young Bucks & co. in the Elite & is a huge addition to a very stacked main event scene. It was the move that had fans talking all week. The question now became: where does Cole go now?

However, Dynamite didn’t really give answers. Other than barking at Tony Schiavone, it wasn’t a memorable promo he gave. AEW Rampage didn’t do much better. Cole is scheduled to face Kaz on the next AEW Dynamite but after that, it is very uncertain. Cole is a main event guy & Kenny Omega is off the board for opponents (for now). Being an Elite lackey will only last for so long till title matches become too much to ignore.

In the meantime, how bout a Cole vs. a returning “Hangman” Adam Page program, Bay-Bay?

BRYAN DANIELSON

Danielson had long been connected with CM Punk in signing with the company. Danielson was last seen on WWE TV months ago and fans were wondering what was next. It was surprising to see him debut here instead of the NYC show to cap off the PPV. The biggest take away of all this is: Forget the “Yes” movement. We are now back to the “American Dragon” era.

Much like Cole, Dynamite didn’t do a lot to say anything new. It almost felt like deja vu to Sunday. Great moment for fans, but nothing real game changing. Now all signs appear to point towards Omega/Danielson at Full Gear for the world championship.

This works and it doesn’t. Omega has been booked so strong that the only people beating him are gonna be major main event players. Danielson is one. Skipping the line to make this program happen quickly though isn’t the best idea. The guy who should be the one to beat Omega is Adam Page. Danielson winning will be good, but not as good as Page winning.

If AEW is smart, Bryan’s best WWE feud is arguably The Miz. There’s a guy on their roster who is compared to MIz a lot, OVER AF, can carry himself on the mic & could take the blueprint for that feud to a whole other level. His name: MJF. It appears (for the love of God please) the feud with Jericho is done, so why not give him “The American Dragon” next? That’s money to be made!

No matter how you break it down, AEW made some big-time moves with their 4 latest additions. There is potential for this to really work, but will they or won’t they. Main event talent belongs in Main event feuds. Are they poised to go that route? Only time will tell how Elite these moves are….

Hit me up on Twitter & let me know what you think of AEW’s big roster editions. Thanks for reading!

September 5, 2021

Ken M

AEW ALL OUT SPOTLIGHT

September 5, 2021

Ken M

Welcome back for an all new edition of Blogs Count Anywhere, the complementary blog to the ODPH podcast & 607TWS on Twitch! Well, we are finally here: AEW All Out is mere hours away! The biggest card of All Elite Wresting is set to kick off. On last week’ 607TWS, we previewed the entire card, but for this blog, I want to deep dive on some marquee match-ups.

Chris Jericho vs. MJF (If MJF wins, Jericho reties from in-ring action on AEW)

Please let this be the end of the feud. So this match feels like “Fight Forever” for all the wrong reasons. The story of how we got here was good, until it went too long IMO. MJF “wanted” to join the Inner Circle & caused drama between the members until he was exposed for his actions. It was then revealed, this was a long plan for him to form his own faction, The Pinnacle.

From there, we’ve had 2 “blow-off” matches to end the feud: Stadium Stampede & “Blood & Guts”. However, it’s still happening, including a 5 match series “Labors of MJF” to get a match….which turned out to be the 5th labor. Jericho lost & now has put up his in-ring career as collateral to get this match.

What SHOULD happen: MJF gets the win & finally gets pushed to a title. He’s long overdue for the run & with all the new signees lately, he might get lost in the shuffle if not pushed soon.

What WILL happen: Jericho wins & fearing this starts up another 5 labors series leading to Full Gear, but as long as we get Nick Gage back on AEW television, I could be content …for a week.

Eddie Kingston vs. Miro (C) for the TNT Championship

This should be a fun match. Miro has finally been the monster we’ve all been waiting to see since he broke from Kip Sabian & went for a belt. His promos are…interesting to say the least (& fully not doubting a FKA Lana sighting tonight) but he’s looking very strong as champion.

However, he’s now against the heart & soul of AEW, Eddie Kingston. Ever since AEW Revolution, Kingston has been winning over the AEW faithful & his pairing with Jon Moxley has been a HUGE win. His promos are legendary & has elevated this match to another level. Need proof, look at this past week’s Rampage.

What SHOULD happen: #ANDNEW. There is never a better time to give Kingston a title run & let this feud REALLY build into something special.

What WILL happen: Miro retains & probably strts a feud with Sammy Guevera, which isn’t bad BUT if AEW was gonna let Kingston run with a singles belt, now is the moment.

CM PUNK vs. Darby Allin (Punk’s 1st match in pro wrestling in 7 years)

This is arguably the biggest match on the card. Punk’s signing (as covered in last week’s blog) was a HUGE move for AEW. The whole IWC will be watching this one. Allin has a very strong following amongst the AEW faithful & truthfully, couldn’t be a better opponent to see where Punk is.

Allin is a former TNT champion who is known for his wild bumps and risk-taking. Punk is known for his wrestling & Mauy Thai elements in his arsenal. Having the clash in styles with Punk should give a clear picture of if Punk is still the Best In The World or not.

What SHOULD happen: Punk wins in epic fashion & the “You Still Got it Chants: are deserved

What WILL happen: Punk wins…. everything else, we will have to wait & see.

Everything else for predictions, check out the latest 607TWS. AEW All Out airs pre-show at 7:30pm EST. Remember to BUY the PPV & I highly recommend FITE TV for great service.

Let me know on Twitter what you’re most excited for at ALL OUT & join the chat 7:30pm EST on Twitch.

Thanks for reading!

August 29, 2021

Ken M

WELCOME TO THE PUNK AGE

August 29, 2021

Ken M

Hey everyone! Welcome back to another edition of Blogs Count Anywhere. This blog is a complementary addition to content from the ODPH Podcast & 607TWS weekly on Twitch. There has been a LOT of moves happening lately in pro-wrestling, but one stands out above them all. AEW might have arguably made the biggest move in recent pro-wrestling history by signing CM PUNK to a deal & bringing him out of retirement from wrestling after 7 years. We’re a week after his August 20th debut on AEW Rampage & how has the landscape has really changed?

First off, the obvious: this is a HUGE win for AEW. Ratings on their programming with Punk advertised haveshown increases. The more eyes on the product, the better, but I’ll get back to that statement in a bit. Another win: AEW finally landed a BIG free agent. Nothing against Andrade, M. Black, Miro, etc. but Punk is a made main-event superstar that draws an audience no matter what he does (UFC, Marvel Comics, etc.). Need a small example of what Punk draws? Who else crashed Pro Wrestling Tees on their debut with a new company? Everything is in the honeymoon stage right now with all these recent wins.

There are a few things to also look at post debut as well. Credit to Rich from 3FN for posting this scenario out. For all the big ratings numbers, (3 shows thus far that advertised/alluded to having Punk on), have the numbers jumped THAT high where AEW programming is “threatening” WWE programming. You know those numbers mean something to people who believe there’s a “ratings war” & all that pomp & circumstance that comes with that topic.

AEW Rampage (8/20) 1.12 Million

AEW Dynamite 1.17 (8/25)

AEW Rampage (8/27) TBD - Friday Ratings won’t be out till Monday

Takeaway from all this: Punk drew a slightly bigger audience than what Dynamite usually draws. Rampage is still a brand new show so making an average from that is still too early to call. While it is a win, it’s not a game changer IF you wanna compare to WWE programing (which has been long stated on 607TWS for months now - you shouldn’t). If AEW is still at these numbers (barring another main event level debut), how should these ratings be interpreted as?

Speaking of debuts, the internet is buzzing with the notions of Bryan Danielson FKA Daniel Bryan, Adam Cole (Bay Bay) & Bray Wyatt all rumored to be coming to AEW in the next few months. All main event guys. What happens then to who gets top billing to AEW programming? You already have Kenny Omega, Cody, & Chris Jericho already hovering that spot plus a wave of recent signees in Miro, Andrade & Black, not to mention your “homegrown” talent waiting like MJF & Hangman Adam Page among others. If all these new additions really do sign & get added into the mix, where does Punk go from here?

There is no sure answer to both. Ratings mean people are watching & AEW should be happy with anything over 1 million for a show. Punk moved the needle for them & got them over a hurdle that Cody & co. struggled to overcome consistently. IMO, The constant comparison to WWE grows tiresome each week. Focus on your own house, not what the neighbors up north are doing.

As for the main event question, there’s a lot of IF”s in the mix. AEW does have the potential to be severely log-jammed at the top & something like a roster split or variation in that nature *might* have to be done to make everyone happy,. Until they all sign, this is all just fantasy booking. However one thing remains true though: Punk got them here. Punk has delivered on ratings and bringing eyes to the product. He’s already paid off on the investment AEW made on him in a short amount of time. Long term, we will all sit back & sees how this plays out.

Expect more on this topic on 607TWS in the upcoming weeks.

WWE had a big week, but with returns of Becky Lynch & Brock Lesnar, that was to be expected. Both are involved in big storylines on Smackdown & I personally can’t wait to see how Lynch/Belair takes shape. Raw is Raw but you know WE had a big week when they drew over 2.0 in ratings.

Raw….2.0…. what year is it again?

NXT Changes are already starting to happen with a new logo. I’m reserving judgement till I see the whole package unfold but first impressions aren’t winning me over

GAME CHANGER WRESTLING has a MONSTER week planned for Labor Day weekend: Thursday 9/2 Guilty Conscience, 9/3 (with Black Label Pro), THE ART OF WAR GAMES 9/4 & Effy’s Big Gay Brunch on 9/5! Throw in Freelance Wrestling: No Place Like Home & BL Pro: Ground Control to Major Tom & you have an AMAZING week of wrestling for a very easy cost on FITE TV! Check it out!

Next week is a big weekend as ALL OUT takes hold of Labor Day weekend but don’t forget about Xcite Wrestling: Tales of The Dark Order taking place Sept. 12th. Tickets are selling FAST so don’t delay on buying them. If you can’t attend, Follow them on Twitch & don’t miss the action.

Thanks for reading & for more pro-wrestling talk: 607TWS on Twitch every Monday Nigh 8pm.

June 6, 2021

Ken M

2021 = HOT TAG SUMMER?

June 6, 2021

Ken M

Welcome back to another edition of Blogs Count Anywhere, the complementary pro wrestling blog to the ODPH podcast & #607TWS on Twitch every Thursday. As we’re heading into summer, business has been picking up for a lot of organizations. Every promotion has been making some waves. Let’s recap a bit & see where things are heading into summer.

All Elite Wrestling is fresh off their big “Double Or Nothing” event. As previously discussed, the event had great action but a few endings knocked the final grade down to B-. However, THIS match between Hikaru Shida & Britt Baker was epic. They gave AEW a standout match of the night on this card. It’s also time for Baker to run with the championship. Shida has had a great run, but Baker has worked her way up the card (esp. after a MOTY candidate with Thunder Rosa) that now is the right time. I can’t wait to see Baker vs. Rosa again & the eventual rematch with Shida. Very promising future for the women’s division.

The other standout moment of the night: AEW signing Mark Henry. Per their press release: Henry will serve as a mentor, coach & analyst for AEW Rampage on Friday, August 13th (10PM EST on TNT). HUGE win for AEW. Henry knows the business & can really help a young roster (Looking at you WARDLOW) become the best they can be. If he can guide them on ending matches better, this might be the biggest addition to a company this year.

The Friday Night Dynamite fallout show had another debut in the form of Andrade El Idolo (FKA Andrade Almas in WWE). This would have been a bigger splash at Double or Nothing, but another solid addition to the AEW roster. Maybe we’ll some more hype for AAA’s match with Kenny Omega this summer.

On the WWE side, it’s more condensing of the roster with more releases heading into Summer. Braun Stroman, Buddy Murphy, Ruby Riott, Alister Black, Santana Garrett & Lana were the latest group released since the post Wrestlemania releases (The latter are all freed up to sign elsewhere July 19th. Stroman’s group should be able to sign elsewhere around Sept. 1st). The sky isn’t falling. WWE isn’t prepping for a sale. Timing is a bit odd, but if the plan is to go back on the road, imo, I can see why they’re tightening up the rosters. It sucks for this group cause they’re super talented. If Ruby never gets a run with the WWE world title, it will be a travesty. Fully expecting this squad to make noise when they are done with their 90 day no complete clauses.

Just throwing this out there….. don’t be super shocked to see a lot of this group at AEW All Out in Sept.

Early predictions:

Braun Stroman, Lana, -AEW

Ruby Riott - AEW/Impact

Black/Murphy/Garrett - TBD

WWE also announced SummerSlam is going to be held Saturday, August 21st in Las Vegas. The shows have been either Roman Reigns good or everything else is just…there (looking at yo Monday Night Raw). NXT is clicking on all cylinders & is must watch programming. More about that on Twitch this week.

Taking a quick lap around the indies: MLW is having their open draft along with making some big signings in Davey richards, Aramis, Alex Kane & King Muertes in recent weeks. Don’t sleep on this company for the summer. Their new season starts on July 10th in Philadelphia.

GCW has been putting on solid cards that are must watch on Fite TV. It’s not just death matches. It’s some of the best wrestling you can watch on the planet. Maybe press creds for 607 Podcasts are in the future? Gotta put that karma out there

Last but not least, Xcite Wrestling has been having their seminars over the summer. Great demonstrations in the Battle of NY. There was a lot of great talent from the Buffalo, NY area on the show that left great impressions on the crowd observing. Hopefully, we’ll see them back sooner than later.maybe Also heard a rumor that August is going to be the most Xciting month thus far in 2021? Stay Tuned…

That’s all for now. Hit me up on Twitter & let me know what you’re looking forward to the most from your favorite promotions. Thanks for reading.

March 19, 2021

Ken M

HEAD INTO THE FASTLANE!

March 19, 2021

Ken M

Welcome to an all new edition of Blogs Count Anywhere, the complementary blog to 607Podcasts #607TWS. WWE is heading into Fastlane on Peacock this weekend, but let’s take one more moment to acknowledge AEW’s big win this week:

Thunder Rosa & Britt Baker deserve all the praise for the match. These ladies tore the house down on St. Patty’s Day & gave AEW a MOTY candidate. It was hard hitting, brutal & told a great story. AEW NEEDS to continue this momentum moving forward. More of their women’s division deserve moments - getting the chance to wrestle on Dynamite & not whatever YouTube show is running with 13 other matches on the card. Can’t wait to see this one get ran back down the road.

Before switching gears, I definitely want to plug the AEW Unrestricted podcast this week w/ Evil Uno & Stu Grayson on the show. They talk everything from videogames to the Dark Order. One of the notable qoutes from Stu Grayson on the show was speaking about the late Brodie Lee: “We were about to do the best work of our lives with a guy we consider our best friend for so long.” It’s a great episode. Check it out!

On the WWE side of things, this Sunday is WWE Fastlane which will be the 1st WWE PPV on the Peacock TV streaming service (the new home of the WWE Network). It will be a good test run before Wrestlemania in a few weeks. The card is simple & could surprise, but I want to talk bout one match to watch:

Roman Reigns (c) vs. Daniel Bryan (w/ Edge special guest enforcer)

Reigns has been the best character on WWE television since his return last summer. Bryan is always on point. Edge just wrestled on Smackdown for the first time in over a decade to be involved with this match. There’s a lot of story going on here & why I’m highlighting it is: after this match, will Wrestlemania become a triple threat for the belt?

I think it might because of the story being built up. Edge defies odds to win the Royal Rumble & a chance at the gold. Both Edge & Bryan have stated how rare this opportunity is. Both tell a great story of the “last chance” of their careers. I wouldn’t be unopposed to it, but if Bryan isn’t added to this match, where does he go from here?

Take a look at the Smackdown Roster: You can forget the Lesnar idea. Rollins is presumed to be set with Cesaro. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens appear to be heading towards a Mania moment. The only answer is Jey Uso, unless it’s someone from another brand. Either way, Fastlane should give us an idea of where the pieces fall into place for this storyline.

That’s all for this week. Make sure to check out #607TWS & look for the live tweets on Twitter during the show. Till next time….