- 2 days ago
In this episode, we discuss the likelihood of Aleister Black making an AEW Return, TKO's confirmation that AI is used in WWE creative, is AJ Lee really finished with WWE? All of this and the rest of the day's news and rumors!
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00:22I got 141 and two-thirds chance of winning at Sacrifice.
00:51I got 141 and two-thirds chance of winning at Sacrifice.
01:00And I am a macho-filling savage.
01:04Such a mouth you're thong-wearing fatty.
01:06It's me, Austin.
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01:16No breaks with it.
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02:51267-642-1160, where I will get to those questions and comments in a future episode.
02:56Jumping in tonight, we've seen some interesting comments about the use of AI.
03:01Mark Shapiro, who works with TKO, talking very, very specifically,
03:06he's the TKO president, about the use of AI.
03:09And in his discussion, basically made it clear that WWE is using AI in a creative sense.
03:15At least that's the way he put it.
03:16He said, Nick Khan and Triple H are using AI for storylines within WWE.
03:21That's a direct quote from him.
03:24Now, here's the thing.
03:25People have looked deeper into this, and we've got more information about this.
03:29And it turns out that basically what we're really looking at is they're using the AI-driven analytics
03:37to better understand how WWE superstars connect with audiences,
03:41as well as how they can maximize certain aspects of their program,
03:47none the least of which is their profitability.
03:50Go figure, TKO worrying all about the money.
03:53You would think that if we're going to use AI to really go through the numbers,
03:57find out where the best markets are, best towns, who's the most over, what are fans reacting to,
04:02they would use that to bring a quality product to the towns that need it
04:05and understand which superstars would maximize those markets.
04:10Instead, what they're looking at is purely profitability and then letting that profitability guide other decisions,
04:16which I find to be somewhat silly because if you just focus on providing the quality product
04:24that the people in different locales are looking to have,
04:27then you don't have to spend as much time doing all the other stuff,
04:30and their revenues will increase anyways because you'll sell more merchandise,
04:33you'll have more fan experience opportunities and whatnot there.
04:36I think that's the way to go.
04:38But they're so gung-ho about this AI integration, it's kind of crazy at this point.
04:42So we're going to have to wait and see how it plays out over the next couple months.
04:45But I will also say this.
04:46When it comes to the use of AI, I don't care if they're using AI for storylines.
04:51Maybe I'm in the minority with that.
04:53I don't care who they're writing their storylines with, whether it's people, AI, or otherwise.
04:57All I care about as a fan and all I believe anyone should care about is,
05:02is the product that we're seeing on television effective?
05:05Is it good storytelling?
05:07Are there great cliffhangers?
05:09Are there the creation of new stars while using properly the established stars
05:14that have built the company from the ground up for all these years?
05:16If that's happening, I don't care if a computer's doing it or if a person's doing it
05:19other than the fact that the computer is probably polluting the environment somehow.
05:23We're using AI and taking a job from a human being.
05:25Those things are separate issues.
05:26That's more political.
05:27In terms of the pro wrestling industry, I just want good shows.
05:30And the use of AI has not made WWE have great shows.
05:34For example, and this is one of the things I got to get to tonight because to me,
05:37I think this is just absolutely sad that this is the actual report.
05:40But it is being reported that AJ Lee's creative is effectively done following WrestleMania 42.
05:48WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select reported that they were told by WWE sources
05:52that any creative plans for AJ Lee are effectively done at this time.
05:57There was like goodbye messages on social media and things like that.
06:00And it sounds like she's going to be gone for the foreseeable future.
06:03There is a conversation about her possibly coming back to the company and that they want her to come back,
06:08but that they have nothing for her.
06:10Now on this channel, I've said this before.
06:12How do you not have something for her?
06:15Because I'm not in the writing room and even I can see what the angle should be for AJ Lee.
06:20It's very clear to me.
06:21You've got Paige, one of her longest rivals and one of her best friends in a tag team with one
06:27half of a twin sister tag team member.
06:30So you've got Paige teaming with Brie Bella as the women's tag team champions.
06:35Nikki is going to get healthy.
06:37And when she does, that's when Nikki and Brie should turn on Paige and set up a tag team match
06:43between AJ Lee and Paige going against the Bellas.
06:47I don't care if it's for the tag team championship, though I think it would be awesome if it was.
06:51But at the end of the day, what are we doing here?
06:54This is a situation where creatives should always have something in the works for everybody on the roster,
06:59especially when we're in the era of where they're putting on maybe four matches a night, maybe five if you're
07:04lucky.
07:04And if you do the math on that, you're talking about 10 to 15 wrestlers every week and that's it
07:09on a roster that has over 100.
07:12So what are the rest of the people doing?
07:14Oh, well, we're creating Evolve and we have NXT and we have SmackDown and Raw and we have the main
07:19event and all these other things.
07:21I understand that, but people are paying to watch wrestling.
07:24They're not paying to watch commercials and silly backstage vignettes.
07:28They have their place, but they should not take up more time than the wrestling does.
07:32And that's what we're seeing.
07:34We're seeing matches on Raw that are going longer than WrestleMania matches.
07:37So that's really messed up.
07:38And the Raw matches aren't even going long enough.
07:40So just a thought, hating the fact they have nothing for AJ Lee post-WrestleMania.
07:44I think that's absolutely insane.
07:46There is an update to the reason why the Wyatt Six were released from WWE.
07:51Got to jump into that next.
07:52In the conversation, PW Insider is reporting that there was some talk going around that the company has a general
07:58belief.
07:58There's somebody in TKO Group Holdings that is an upper-level person who is not a fan of these more
08:06supernatural, dark, spooky characters.
08:11And that perhaps that's a part of why the Wyatt Six, Aleister Black, Zelina Vega are gone.
08:16And why perhaps you see The Undertaker portraying the dead man character as the American badass instead because they want
08:23to get away from this dark, demonistic perspective.
08:26Which is completely foolish because you bought into a company that made a lot of their money in the last
08:3225, 30 years off of The Undertaker.
08:35Off of people like Mankind and Kane and people like Bray Wyatt prior to his untimely passing.
08:41Those characters drive a certain segment of the audience, but they also support the overall program.
08:46So this perspective is very short-sighted.
08:49You're losing out on incredible talent.
08:51Aleister Black, what a waste.
08:53Zelina Vega, what a waste.
08:54Both great talents deserve more.
08:56And the Wyatt Six had so much more they could have done.
08:58But if you noticed, right after they killed everybody on Raw, they basically got nothing.
09:02They really got no support whatsoever.
09:03So I'm not surprised things have gone this route.
09:05And in terms of Aleister Black, he's also in the news because there's conversation now about whether or not he's
09:12going to have the opportunity to go back to AEW.
09:14Because he left there and basically the conversation was that they felt like he was unwilling to participate in certain
09:21storylines or even potentially lose matches.
09:26But WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful reports that sources in AEW do not expect that Black will be returning to the
09:31promotion anytime soon.
09:35People he is close with, other people do not expect he's going to come back anytime in the near future.
09:40MJF put out some tweets that were very non-welcoming.
09:44And at this point, it limits some of his options.
09:47He has options.
09:48I was reading the one report Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful talked about the bridge is not believed to be
09:52burned between he and AEW.
09:54So there's a possibility of a return down there.
09:56But it's not like WWE and AEW are the only places to make money.
09:59You know, look at people like Matt Cardona who made more money on the indies than he ever made as
10:04a premium star.
10:05People like Karrion Kross who are doing very well in the independent scene.
10:09There is TNA.
10:10There is New Japan.
10:11There is All Japan.
10:11There is Pro Wrestling NOAA.
10:13There is CMLL.
10:14There are other places to go.
10:15And I really hate that narrative when they say that there's nothing left for him to do.
10:19There's clearly stuff for him to do.
10:21And I hope he gets the opportunity to do that.
10:22But it sounds like, at least for right now, it will not be with AEW.
10:26Got to update another news story that broke this week about the backstage update on Stephen A. Smith,
10:31the ESPN broadcaster that is being theoretically pitched for a role in WWE through SummerSlam.
10:40Conversation that we're seeing, you know, ESPN's first takes, Triple H was on,
10:44and suggested that he could be in the right shape to step into the shoes of a manager.
10:49As well as the fact that during other conversations, Stephen A. Smith has mentioned his desire to basically get at
10:57Paul Heyman.
10:58He praised Paul Heyman, but also talked about how somebody needs to take him down, I believe was the exact
11:02quote.
11:02So, clearly, they're working on something with Stephen A. Smith.
11:05And as we know with TKO, they want to bring celebrities in whenever they can.
11:08This is a situation to monitor closely because if they're going to do something for SummerSlam,
11:11they're going to have to start putting feelers out there or seeds out there somewhere very soon.
11:16I do know they had a segment this week where Dan Housen was on his show and was interacting with
11:21him a bit.
11:22So, I don't know if it's going to have something to do with that.
11:23But I would love to see him in a good spot, but just not the main event.
11:27Let's not make that mistake again.
11:29Got to give an injury update on Stephanie Vecura.
11:31Apparently, her injury, the reason they did the angle on Raw that they did it is to legitimately write her
11:35out of the storylines.
11:37I am not sure of what the actual injury is, but WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select reported that she is
11:43going to be out of action for the foreseeable future.
11:45There are various reports out there, but it sounds like no matter which one you listen to, the minimum return
11:50time they're talking about is all hypothetical, but they're saying it's six weeks or more.
11:53So, that puts her out for a significant period of time.
11:55This was done to write her off TV so she can heal up and get back.
11:58And this is really the first time she's lost any time since coming into the company.
12:03So, hopefully, she gets back quickly.
12:05They need her on television.
12:06She's one of the premium forces in the women's division.
12:09And there's so many matchups we haven't seen yet.
12:11But then again, getting injured like this might open the door where she can reappear when she is healthy and
12:16maybe switch brands over to SmackDown and set up a feud with someone like, say, Rhea Ripley, which I would
12:21love to see.
12:22And I got to end with this because it's a crazy story to me.
12:25The ultimate nepo baby is the headline on e-wrestling news.
12:30And they're talking about the WWE signing the niece of Robert F. Kennedy, Zoe Hines.
12:36And the word that they're using in their report is that WWE was, quote-unquote, forced to sign Hines due
12:43to her political ties.
12:46It sounds like, though, the veteran wrestling community, not thrilled about it.
12:51Jim Cornette, specifically, not happy about it, posting on Twitter.
12:55All sorts of profane stuff about this and how much she's the ultimate nepo baby.
12:59And I get it.
13:01I do.
13:02Now, let's be honest.
13:03If she can go out there and she can tear it down, fine.
13:07I have no issue with her being on the roster.
13:09But she better be able to go at this point.
13:11Otherwise, this really was a nepo hire just trying to get ratings for having a politician's niece in the fold.
13:18And I think that's just the wrong message to send, especially when you're cutting so many other talents who clearly
13:23could go in the ring if you bring somebody in who can't.
13:25So I wish her nothing but the best.
13:27I never want anybody not to be able to fulfill their dreams and do very, very well in the wrestling
13:31business.
13:31But I just hope she can hold her own when it's time for, you know, to put her foot down.
13:37That's all the time we have for this episode.
13:38Check back with us next episode.
13:39We run down the latest wrestling news and rumors.
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14:17Have a great night.
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15:16We'll see you next time.
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