I enjoy writing about my wrestling PLE’s and PPV’s but sometimes there’s much to dissect and discuss between those shows, both in and out of the ring, that lead us to the where we end up come the day of the big show. That’s why I thought it might be interesting to try something else out and just write a general opinionated piece over the most important current happenings, at least to me personally, from the world of professional wrestling. First order of business, CM Punk and the launching of AEW Collision! I feel like I haven’t had the chance to talk much AEW as of late as I haven’t generally kept up with it as strongly as I have WWE but if you’re a wrestling fan and don’t know about the recent CM Punk debacle then you’ve been living under a rock. Basically, Punk and some of the AEW talent and VP’s were having some problems behind the curtain with Punk’s presence and his overall place on the card being that he had been inactive for 7 years and came back into a major spot on the card, putting on matches with some of the top talent immediately, and eventually picking up the company’s top belt (at least that’s what I’d assume the beef was?) among many other personal, dramatic reasons. Punk took it to the media immediately following the company’s PPV ‘All Out’ last year, in the post media scrum he had some colorful things to say about some of the roster and VPs, so much so that it led to brawls backstage afterwards and suspensions being handed out like free tickets. Fast forward 9 months and AEW has launched a brand-new show on Saturday nights called Collision with a returning CM Punk at the helm of the ship it seems. I personally have mixed feelings as I don’t know how I feel about a wrestling show on a Saturday night, there’s already so much to try to watch and keep up with in the world of wrestling that adding another show is no help to that, and it mainly feels done to keep Punk and some of his guys separated from Adam Page and the Elite as they can’t necessarily work together well anymore. But on the flipside, it’s cool seeing a sort of brand split in AEW (even if it was a forced one) and I’m always down for more wrestling options even if I can’t keep up with it consistently, I’m along for the ride and excited to see where this whole thing goes regardless.
Onto WWE, LA Knight is over like rover man! Not saying I’m not a fan either because he is undeniably charismatic. You just feel yourself glued to what he has to say as soon as you hear the “Lemme talk to ya!” but I also understand the criticism in ways, the man definitely gives off Rock and Austin vibes at times on the mic. Not that it is ever a bad thing to be compared to either of those guys, but you wanna be LA Knight, not a 2023 Rocky or Austin comparison ya know? I’m just glad to see talent get a push though always, the man has grinded for years and he’s not a spring chicken anymore but still has plenty in the tank to utilize and now the company almost has no choice but to push him because of how absolutely OVER he is with audience. That’s all it takes, connecting with the crowd, and he has found a way to do that seemingly out of nowhere so that’s exciting. Now, my boy Bray Wyatt…where is he? I’ve heard rumors swirling for months about his imminent return (ever since his most recent hiatus with the company before this year’s WrestleMania) but so far we’ve got nothing. Not even a single hint. Rumor has it he’s been going through a lot mentally and physically lately causing him to step away for a few but the internet chatter about his return continues. I love Bray Wyatt, I’ve always been drawn to the darker characters in wrestling, and he seemed to be carrying that torch into the modern day. Showcasing a really layered and cerebral character in both the Eater of Worlds and The Fiend, but I feel like he’s never truly reached the full potential that he is capable of. He’s in big matches with top talent when he’s here, but loses them constantly, and steps away or is off TV a whole lot, sometimes months at a time. Don’t get me wrong, my Bray Wyatt hype is still very much alive and well, but they need to do more before they can’t. He’s a great singles competitor, he’s a great leader of a stable, he’s great at playing mind games, and his segments are always enjoyable. But his booking is subpar to say the least and his continued hiatuses don’t do much to help him or keep him relevant with a crowd that moves on quickly. I say bring him back as soon as he’s ready and you have a storyline truly juicy enough for him to bite into, because lord knows he can take the ball and run when it comes to building a story. I just miss him and the random, wacky Firefly Funhouse segments. My weekly WWE viewing experience is still enjoyable, but it’s certainly been missing that touch.
