2020 Pro Wrestling Thread

How many of those guys are actually likely to sign with AEW, though?
Cena sure as hell isn't. He's not working a full schedule anymore, has a sweet gig as the new voice of Honda, and if he needs to scratch the wrestling itch I'm sure WWE would do whatever it needed to make it happen.

I can't see Orton defecting. AEW is a place folks disgruntled with their creative situations wind up, and he doesn't seem to be that. Or that type. I think he'd sit down at the end of the day and realize he's making 10 times as much in WWE as he ever would in AEW and just roll with it.

Reigns is on top and will be for the next 10 years if he stays healthy and cancer-free. He's not leaving.

AEW couldn't afford Brock Lesnar in a financial sense. I also doubt it could afford his part-time schedule in a full-timer's gimmick act in a promotional sense. It needs somebody like that on TV every week, not once a month.

If Punk ever comes back, AEW would be the place. He seems like he might really be done, though.
That leaves Daniel Bryan. He's underutilized enough, probably works cheap enough, and has enough indie cred remaining that I could see him jumping ship one day. For all he's accomplished, though, I'm still not sure he's a big enough name to move the mainstream needle.

 

Wonder if they got any insight from Sting on Lex before he bolted for AEW. They were so linked in WCW, it only makes sense.

 

My DVR fooked up recording Raw tonight in case anyone else needs to check theirs.

i dont think anyone short of Punk or Bryan would actually move a ratings needle for AEW. No body in the general public cares about Randy Orton.

 

I've been watching wrestling practically my entire life and just noticed something I'd seen a million times and never picked up on.
In WWE, at least, the face tag team is always in the left corner on the TV screen and the heels are always on the right. Is there a reason for that? To show their faces on TV more or something?

 

this would he a damn good question to have conrad ask bruce

 

I don't mean from a practical standpoint - Like, I don't think Orton ever leaves WWE. I mean who would have the biggest impact by switching, full stop?

 

i guess Reigns. But the reality is no one. That’s why wrestlings popularity is in the tank right? No mainstream stars. I don’t think there’s a name out there that gets AEW over 2 million viewers.

People point to Hall and Nash for the Monday wars but WCW already had Hulk Hogan. Right now the business has no Hulk Hogan.

Another thought....maybe Shaq? Supposedly his segment a few weeks back was their highest rated that show. If he pops a number of casual NBA fans maybe they stick around if they like what they see. Maybe they can pull something off with Giannis ala Rodman and Malone..... if the Jags get Trevor Lawrence and Kahn convinces him to do something, he may be more famous than almost anyone in WWE

 

Cena.

 

Randy with the hot take.

 

My initial thought was actually Orton and not Cena because the latter barely seems to be around anymore. Like, if you told me Cena was going to work a full schedule, I'd definitely pick him. Otherwise, I think you get a shock value from Orton that you don't get from a lot of other guys, plus, he would work really well as an outside-the-company heel force, especially with his rep as a non-indy, WWE guy.

 

Well, if we're ignoring the realities of would they or wouldn't they sign, then you have to split this into two scenarios -- a part-time, limited-run performer, and a full-timer who would be on TV every week going forward.
For the former, there are two answers.One would obviously be The Rock. He moves the needle whenever he comes back to WWE. God only knows what he could do for AEW if he went there for a few months.
The second would take a divorce -- Triple H. If something ever happened where he and Stephanie had a personal falling out and he was cut out of the company, sliding over to AEW would be a mind-blowing move.

The latter category is tougher because, as has been noted, there are a lot of guys that wrestling fans would be interested in seeing change sides but not many that would make more than a minor blip in mainstream press. Orton would probably be the biggest one, although Bryan or AJ Styles would be huge gets. Is women's wrestling a big enough draw yet that Charlotte Flair or Becky Lynch could be included in this category?

 

Oh, yeah - Completely forgot about Triple H! He would be #1, although if he was forced out of the family, I think it would telegraph the move immediately.