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IS AEW LIKE WWE, CORNETTE’S COMMENTS ON BECKY LYNCH, KOFI’S NEW OLD ROLE AND MORE

By Dave Scherer on 2020-05-26 10:00:00

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I get that Vince wants Kofi Kingston to remain as a tag team wrestler, but considering how popular his run towards the WWE championship was, why have they essentially removed all references to him being the champion less than a year ago?  WWE is in dire need of top babyfaces right now and it's as if his championship run never happened.

I can’t explain why Vince does the things he does.  If I had to guess, I would say he was never really behind Kofi being the champ to begin with so now that it’s over he largely forgets about it, but that is just a guess.  Also, with Xavier Woods out if Kofi isn’t in New Day WWE loses a popular act.  That could also have something to do with it.

What are your thoughts on what Jim Cornette said about Becky Lynch getting pregnant?

I think I get what he was trying to say, that she was in a top spot and chose to have a baby over making money and being a top talent in WWE.  Obviously, he was in error in thinking she may be 30 years old at most, when in fact she is 33.  The older a woman gets, the harder it can be to have a baby so three years or more matters so his easy bake oven comment was way out of line.  I also just look at math and see that she conceived in March.  Given that she was going into a Title match at WrestleMania, it would seem (and I have no idea of knowing obviously) that her and Seth Rollins may not have been trying to have a baby but hey, things happen.  If that is the case, what Cornette is saying, whether he realized it or not, is for her to have an abortion and choose wrestling over starting a family.  It’s his right to feel that way but to me I don’t tell a woman what to do with her body and I certainly don’t tell her to end a pregnancy.  That is her choice.  On the other hand, if they were trying to conceive, then it would obviously be what the two of them wanted to do.  I don’t think anyone should ever be criticized for choosing family over work.  So in the end, he is entitled to his opinion but to me he was way out of line, kind of like when he says some of the things he does about Kenny Omega.  He gets rolling sometimes and the vitriol can flow when that happens.

Would you guys say AEW has become a close copy of WWE? Watching AEW, it has really turned me off from the industry I've loved for the past 30 years and had hoped would be the fresh air I needed. I could give many examples, but the biggest one that stands out would be the tag team division. After hyping up bringing back tag team wrestling & criticizing WWE for ruining a great dynamic, they've gone and adopted the same WWE playbook. Took two guys (Two elite members to boot), threw them together and put the belts on them. It's especially sad for me because teams like Butcher & The Blade & Private Party, very exceptionally talented guys, came from my small local promotion.

I would say I couldn’t disagree with you more.  I have enjoyed the hell out of AEW recently and Saturday’s PPV was awesome.  I wish that WWE would become a “close copy” of AEW.  

From what you’ve heard, are these indies coming back once they can hold shows again?  Promotions like GCW, CZW, H2O, WWN?

I haven’t heard any of them say that they won’t.  Luckily for them when you run an indy, you don’t have the expenses that a promotion like AEW or WWE has.  So while you aren’t generating revenue with shows, you don’t have the overhead draining you either.  

After reading your response about AEW and WWE and the COVID 19, who do you think will come out looking better after things get back to normal whenever that may be?  I am not trying to say WWE is right or wrong in letting people/talent go during this time since I am sure they probably had their reasons for doing it and it may be some reasons we don't know about.  With AEW still paying everyone full salary no matter what, and I say good for them, this has to be hurting them in the long run financially wise unless they can get some more revenue than they are currently not getting (IE live gates).  With WWE having a LOT more money than AEW, do you think AEW will come out smelling more like a rose than the WWE when it is all said and done from a public relations point of view just based more or less on that?

First off, AEW comes across so much better than WWE right now.  They are testing their talents for COVID-19 at every show.  They deserve praise for that.  WWE should be doing the same thing.  And yes, they are also paying their talents while WWE has cut people.  AEW is losing live gates every week, for sure, but you need to also consider two things.  One, they got the new TV deal with TNT that brings in revenue that was not expected so that is a huge plus.  Two, the Khan family is rich (so don’t think WWE has a lot more money) and they set aside funds for AEW to run until they could get the TV deal they already have received.  They will be fine.

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