Contract and Free Agency Thread

[Cattle Mutilation]

I still think people misuse the word fumble. If it doesn't negatively impact your company then it's not a fumble. Stone Cold is the prime example of a fumble, Swerve & Storm haven't hurt the WWE at all. HHH's booking is more of a fumble than anything.

I suppose it really all depends on how you want to define fumble.

Like take Ricky Starks. Creatively yeah he was definitely fumbled. So much more they could have done with him, was a constant start-stop push, then there was a lot of bad luck on his behalf as well.

But business wise? AEW in that sense is better off now than they were last year. Viewership is allegedly way up once adding in Max viewers. PPV but rates are up year over year. Revolution 2025 was the second highest attended Revolution and Dynasty was up year over year. Grand Slam Australia because only like the second or third tv taping to draw a million dollar gate.

But if you want to say business could be better with Starks in a prominent position then that’s is fine. I just don’t recall having ever heard about his tv segments being a consistent draw or him being much of a merch seller. So I wouldn’t buy that argument unless I had data to support that position.

 

[KFBF]

Meanwhile, when Toni wasn't around, what was Mariah doing?

Waiting for Tony to book her in something people care about probably.

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

I still think people misuse the word fumble. If it doesn't negatively impact your company then it's not a fumble. Stone Cold is the prime example of a fumble, Swerve & Storm haven't hurt the WWE at all. HHH's booking is more of a fumble than anything.

If that's the definition for you that's fine, nobody currently would be considered a fumble. AEW and WWE both just signed bigger TV deals than they had previously among other things. So if that's the definition you'd go by then no wrestler is truly a "fumble" because the bottom line hasn't been impacted.

 

[OGBobbyJohnson]

 

[Straw Hat Luffy]

Lol How much of the story was Toni Storm and how much was Mariah May? Yes, Mariah was an important piece but now Toni has moved into a story with Bayne and other women and hasn't missed a beat.

Meanwhile, when Toni wasn't around, what was Mariah doing?

She’s 26 years old who shows that she has potential

I don’t get the what did she do before Toni point

 

[Straw Hat Luffy]

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

She’s 26 years old who shows that she has potential

I don’t get the what did she do before Toni point

The discourse was that Mariah was one half of AEW's biggest women's story line and the point is that if we are being fair, it was mostly on the back of Toni Storm's work

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

This is very different than the reality of "We can't afford what AEW is offering you Stephanie"

Some people want to work WrestleMania and all the built in history of a 40-year tradition and others want to secure the bag and make sure their families are set.

Only a select few like Stephanie are going to bet on themselves

 

[Straw Hat Luffy]

The discourse was that Mariah was one half of AEW's biggest women's story line and the point is that if we are being fair, it was mostly on the back of Toni Storm's work

Oh I gotcha I thougjt we were downplaying Anyone signing her

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

Oh I gotcha I thougjt we were downplaying Anyone signing her

Lol no... that'd be some stan shyt. She's a very good talent

 

[dh86]

Don’t count on ANYONE in nxt ever being a main eventer. I bet they’re banking on poaching MJF, Jay White, etc

 

[dh86]

This is very different than the reality of "We can't afford what AEW is offering you Stephanie"

Some people want to work WrestleMania and all the built in history of a 40-year tradition and others want to secure the bag and make sure their families are set.

Only a select few like Stephanie are going to bet on themselves

In 5 years, we’ll have people wrestling that were kids when dynamite started and that dynamic will change a whole lot

 

[Cattle Mutilation]

During Mania week and they still can't stop talking about AEW

 

[dh86]

During Mania week and they still can't stop talking about AEW

That’s a very telling sign. I’ve never seen a year where viewership and interest dropped during Mania season, and it’s a confession that HHH can’t build a star for shyt

 

[Easy-E]

It's bout to be WWAEW in a few years?