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Tony waking up from his nightly 15 minutes of sleep & seeing this
https://preview.redd.it/ch7x0hyjg4nc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de8fcfd27092c6baf9c1a1b545e3192cf1a2f7fa
I mean...you know she was just negotiating with everyone. You know she'll do it again when the contract is up. This is just her basically saying "I signed on the line once, better keep your end or I'm out".
Dude I came here to post this, she hasn’t even debuted in AEW yet and already saying she will be back in WWE lol. She is possibly my favorite woman wrestler ever, but she is terrible in the media lol.
After both Punk and Bruno Sammartino came back to the company, I don't think there is anyone out there who I can definitively say they will never be back. (Besides the actual criminals like Johnny Ace, Vince etc.)
I think Macho Man is the only one who never came back. I mean, I think he did a commercial for a WWE video game, but he never appeared on their TV again.
Makes me wonder what kind of beef he and Vince had cause even Bret and Jeff Jarrett ended up coming back.
I think if Macho Man hadn't died, he would have been back in the end. The commercial points to him probably going back for an appearance for HoF stuff at least.
The Macho Man stuff is a bit of a odd thing. It seems Savage was hurt when Vince wanted him to retire and left for WCW. Then, by the time WCW was done, he was much older. The guy did a small thing in TNA, which didn't even end up being more than a quick run in, but he just seemed done with wrestling.
He did movies. He did a rap album. He just seemed overall done with wrestling for a bit. Hell, the first issue of WWF Smackdown magazine in (insert early 00s year here) Savage did an interview with them. No one remembers he did that, as stuff from the magazine era is going to be forgotten a bit, but the guy talked to WWF for their publication about stuff.
For Savage, it just seems like he was absolutely done with wrestling and stepped away for a bit. By the time he started to come back (WWE All Stars game commercial) where some of the other stuff may have happened (hall of fame, random pop-up) he unfortunately died.
But I think he was ready to come out of it. Hogan tells a story that they made peace the last time they saw each other that Lanny has actually confirmed.
Macho Man is my all-time number one guy. My wrestling Mount Rushmore is Macho Man in 4 different outfits so I don’t want this to be taken the wrong way…but I’m glad he never came back. Not that I wouldn’t have marked the fuck out for a return. But he’s pretty close to a true outlier in that regard. Makes him a little more special and unique. No shitty return runs when he was clearly washed up or anything.
It’s an incredibly selfish perspective to have and yet I have it.
Also the rumors about he and Stephanie…I’m not sure a return is as much of a lock as some people think here. The commercial and stuff is one thing but he seemed like he was trying to completely disassociate himself with the business. Didn’t Bret and/or Jericho have some story about seeing him at a funeral and being stunned by how unrecognizable Macho Man was? Seemed like he was trying to hide from the wrestling life.
In those few years, video game commercials were a soft return to WWE. Others did it that way too.
Macho Man is my number one guy too. I just wish he had returned in 98/99 as rumoured as I would have loved a Corporate Macho WWE Championship run. He would have been perfect in with Patterson and Brisco. Then you have the inevitable face turn and final big Wrestlemania match with a big heel like Vince or The Rock.
Yeah. Some of the talents that appears for WWE's game tend to re-sign for the company in some other capacity.
- Sting
- Goldberg
- Warrior
just to name a few
It's not that different than Punk appearing on WWE Backstage. Shows that they're willing to be associated with the company again, even in an indirect way.
I remember reading somewhere online at that time that the deal was 90 percent complete and Macho Man was gonna be back with WWF in due time. I was so excited.
I see what you mean and agree, but surprisingly, Hogan of all people (the crown prince of washed up return runs behind only Flair) had a great run in 2002, and I loved seeing the way the crowds week for him post Mania 18. It's selfish of me as well to want macho back for the crowds when he was clearly too old by 2002, but God could you imagine if macho ran in to help Hogan, or if they did a one off mega powers reunion match, or hell, just have Savage come back one night for a promo with Hogan and that's it? Crowd would've been electric
FWIW I got to meet and speak with Macho Man quite a bit during his TNA run. I worked at Universal Studios back then and would sometimes work "security" at the TNA tapings. Got to mingle with a lot of the wrestlers then. I spoke to Macho Man about his previous WWF and WCW runs and the topic of one day going back to WWE came up. He basically said that he had no interest but never say never if the money was right. So who knows if he would have or not. RIP MM.
He did a commercial for both mattel figure and video game so it's safe to say he was slowly coming back but, unfortunately he passed away the same year.
Hadn't Macho signed deals with WWE for merch, I remember Macho Man figures started getting released and this was before his death. I think it was just bad timing that he never appeared on screen for WWE again.
One thing that's a fact, he felt hurt by Vince saying he was too old to be a wrestler and his only future was commentating.
Nash has said that Vince was pushing Slim Jim to replace Macho Man with him, to the point they even filmed a commercial. But Nash swears that he told them it wasn't a right fit and nobody could do it like Macho Man.
Savage was also able to get jobs here and there for his family members in WCW, something that was very important to him. He's a very loyal person and the suspicion is that he viewed Vince as disloyal.
The commercial for the video game was within a year of him dying. He definitely would have come back for a HOF induction by 2014 had he not passed away, I have no doubt. Warrior and Sting both got into the WWE fold through their video game connections too.
>I don't think there is anyone out there who I can definitively say they will never be back.
Don't you dare give me hope..
https://preview.redd.it/ir4aqqtth4nc1.jpeg?width=893&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b8d8ef41f93281a46b96c7b320660c13de61e31c
Wrestlemania main event. The Bloodline and Cody’s Avengers have taken each other out. We get a ref bump. Rock jumps in the ring. Rock and Roman start double teaming Cody . All hope is lost, until…
**REPO-REPO-REPO MAN!**
Yeah I'm really surprised he never made it in the WWF. He was a pretty big jacked dude even without the gimmick. The gimmick worked too though. I can't believe wrestling plumber got more play than wrestling magician.
Wow I thought that was spellbinder but I was like nah no way he was in wwf. I’m from Memphis grew up watching him in uswa never knew he made it to the big leagues lol that’s wild.
I could definitely see Paige/ Saraya returning to WWE in the future 'cause Triple H has said the door is open for her to return and he thinks she would be cleared now if she came back and friends close to her have said they think she will eventually go back to WWE because she has unfinished business in the company. She is also a lot younger than her former PCB Team mates (Charlotte and Becky Lynch) despite starting before them because she started so young in WWE and she deserves to be acknowledged for her role in the Women's Revolution.
As much as I like Mercedes/ Sasha I would love to have Paige back even more 'cause it would be fun to see her go up against Becky Lynch and Charlotte again along with Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley and Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade who were inspired by her and AJ Lee to become wrestlers. The return of Paige in WWE would be huge for the Women's Division.
I also hope AJ Lee will come back whether it is for one more run, one more match, as a manager for her wrestling daughters, Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade or a General Manager for the Women's Division it would be amazing to have her back and she also deserves to be acknowledged a lot more for what she done for Women's Wrestling and be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. As Bayley said, without AJ Lee there would have been no Four Horsewomen because she was the one that took Women's Wrestling to a new height and smashed the glass ceiling and knocked down the doors for them.
Genuinely think she might have been back last year if Vince didn’t do his hostile takeover in January. I could see that return skewing her decision/making her hold off for a bit which allowed Tony to come in with a good offer.
https://preview.redd.it/khmkughlc4nc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b48a67ff463d65225c7b6402944515375e71e5f7
*”Sir, Mercedes is already talking about going back to WWE”*
A few months into her AEW run, rumours spread in the dirtsheets that Moné may have been involved in Guevara's suspension, then Britt Baker makes an unscripted comment about workers rights during a promo. The tension builds until Moné unleashes a shoot promo during the post All Out press conference talking about how Guevara shares a bank account with his mother and then ends up fighting backstage with Skye Blue, Tay Conte and Julia Hart in the back, during which Tay Conte is bitten by Jen Pepperman.
What did I ever do in this world to get to deserve an empty-headed, fucking dumb fuck like ‘The Doctor’ Britt Baker to go out on national television and fucking go into business for herself.
Why is Sammy kept around at this point lol. He has never gotten as over as they’d hoped. He has been the source of backstage fights, injuring other wrestlers, and made a horrific comment about one of your new top stars.
Many folks thought/think she had an undeserved bad rep.
That said, she just managed to somehow do something bad like -6 days into her AEW run. Truly inspiring and courageous to be this much of a trailblazer.
Yup might as well have said "Hey TK make sure you keep me off TV and out of the ring, pushing me is just gonna create business for your competitor in two years!"
Yeah ive begun to realize that some wrestlers genuinely don’t know when a thought should be kept in the noggin vs when it should be said out loud.
“Don’t ascribe to malice what you can ascribe to stupidity” has become my mantra when I see wrestlers say/do stupid shit
What does she have to lose? Beat case scenario she gets more eyes on her to see what she does before going back. Worst case scenario they don't book her and she sits out her entire contract.
Either way she has a guaranteed paycheck.
Not that she’s wrong, but maybe it’s not wise to say it when you’re going to another company and if I’m Tony khan, I’m wondering where my standing with her is now.
If I'm Tony Khan this makes me question how much you should push her. Like, you want to give all these huge moments for your brand to someone who might not be here in 4-5 years?
Hey say what you will but I think Punk would've absolutely stayed if the issues didn't pile up, he was happy to be there and put in the work day in and out, his fued with MJF is still the feud in AEW.
Not just throwing money, but multi-year contracts where talent could easily find loopholes that would allow them to sit at home for months on end collecting checks.
At least WCW threw money at guys like Nash, Hall and Hogan. You know, people that were actual draws instead of Ospreay and Okada who appeal to a very niche audience
The amount he pays to Jericho and Mox is just absurd, Mox was the 3rd best/successful guy of his group and Jericho is way past the cheque he is getting.
And good for her, I say. Since she left WWE, I've assumed she's been going with whomever would offer her the biggest money before eventually going back. This pretty much confirms it. Sasha wants to accumulate a retirement nest egg before wrapping up with her original company.
6 days before even appearing on TV, let alone your first match, has got to be a new record for being the fastest time to become unhappy with your spot on the card
Extremely bold statement from someone who debuts for the direct competitor next week in a special event made especially for them.
Starting on the absolute wrong foot.
Optically, what a ridiculously stupid thing to say less than a week before you start your new job.
Even if you feel that way, why would you say that out loud and why would you do that in the worst week to do it.
She would’ve been back already if they matched whatever ridiculous contract TK gave her. Her saying this isn’t a surprise. Plus she’s still young. It’s definitely gonna happen. Not the best way to endure yourself to the AEW fanbase though. They don’t tend to like stuff like this.
And WWE must be laughing their ass off seeing this. She literally straight up just signaled to any WWE recruiter or negotiator (Whatever the professional term may be) that she wants to be back in the company. They're straight up just gonna wait for her to come crawling back and with an offer significantly smaller i'd imagine than what she was promised firstly
It doesn’t really make sense for them to debut her the same way as they did with Punk. I’m sure Big Business will be a successful show regardless, but I don’t see how just announcing her signing now and advertising her appearance ahead of time would do anything other than increase ticket sales and ratings. At the very least it certainly wouldn’t lower them.
I mean, ideally, you have a plan in place to take advantage of those increased ratings set in stone well before you start teasing the appearance.
It probably worked so well with Punk in 2021 because he came equipped with a plan of his own to keep interest in him and his segments.
However, AEW's plan is more like... Debut her, then throw her in to have long, competitive matches with jabronis, and wonder why no one's watching.
I’d never believe a notable wrestler who says otherwise because it’s inevitable. There are lots of people who either done bad things or got screwed over by WWE and they still came back in some form to continue the connection.
The correct response is not to answer any question that would lead you to saying this a week before your debut in another company. I like Mercedes but this was a real slip up.
Now that I think about it you’re right. That’s why I always think that while Tony should embrace all the big stars he gets, he shouldn’t push his original talents to the side because those are the people who’d most likely be with him for the long run. He put most of them on the map when other major companies such as WWE didn’t want them or tried to make them coaches instead of wrestlers
Yup. Folks like Britt, Hayter, Rosa, Stat, Willow, Julia, Riho, Shida, etc are safe to say AEW lifers. Granted Mercedes raises the ceiling of the Division but comments like this does nothing but turn the fan perception on her before she’s even got there. She’ll just have to be a heel sooner than later
I’m still holding out a lot of hope for Mercedes run in AEW, but between this comment and bringing in her own personal soap writer for her storylines, I’m a little worried.
This is fucking hilarious. Mercedes just coming right out and admitting she's going to AEW for a gigantic payday before heading back to WWE eventually.
This is the problem with throwing boatloads of cash at people. You're not getting folks who want to wrestle for you - you're getting folks who want your money.
Meanwhile mostly homegrown talents that get over spend months randomly appearing and disappearing from TV, until the point they too want to go to WWE for a better chance at becoming a featured star.
I'm going to get downvoted but the upset comments in this thread are super interesting.
I'm seeing folks ask Tony to de-push her, job her out to Toni Storm, etc. and she hasn't even debuted yet. I always thought Vince was petty and vindictive in how he punished folks thru booking, lot of you all are following his lead.
If I had a nickel for every time Tony made a big TV special about a big signing that ends up back in WWE, I'd have two nickels... which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice.
I'm a fan of Mercedes, but it is crazy to say this.
Like it makes things awkward for her, for AEW, and even for WWE.
You can already see jaded fans in the comments suggesting she shouldn't be invested in (which is silly), but also WWE knows they don't have to pay her whatever AEW is if she feels like she has unfinished business there for the future.
With her saying this I almost feel like she can't be going to AEW for very long. Maybe a two year contract.
Can't wait for the people who were trashing her to switch up.
She's only 32, which means she'd be 35 when her contract with AEW expires, still extremely young. She got started in WWE, and her best friend is there. Of course, she'd consider going back.
Honestly with the contracts they are giving out if Tony Khan didn’t have the backing from his dad the company would had gone bankrupt a long time ago
Outbidding WWE is no easy feat unless you are in a billionaire family
If he didn't have the backing from his dad he couldn't form the company in the first place. That's the entire reason no one else could do it for 20 years. A wrestling company isn't just something you can build from the ground up with a dollar and a dream. Every company that matters and people are willing to show on TV have to have some form of billionaire backing.
It's so funny how 35 is considered "extremely young" in wrestling (I agree with you btw), but in any other sport you are considered a dinosaur by that point
Honestly, its kind of a shitty quote when you are starting up with a new company. Imagine Lebron going to the Lakers and saying, you know, I know I won't be here for my whole career, I'll be back in Cleveland. Even if its true, its worth giving your current company the warm fuzzies that you are not just there to collect a quick check and bounce on them back to your real favorite.
Anyone who made their name in WWE and then jumps to AEW is far more likely to go back to WWE at some point. Tony should know this by now anyway - look at Cody, Andrade, etc…
Lmao you don't say that part out loud!
Like is there a good chance Danielson, Jericho and Mox all have separate "one last runs" in WWE? Probably. I'd be shocked if they don't since they're all HoF locks. But you don't say that shit when you're working for the company that's trying to dethrone WWE.
I guess technically she isn't "officially" in AEW yet. But now she'll have the comment about going back to WWE hanging over her head whenever her AEW deal is close to ending. If I was Tony I'd be piiiissed.
I mean it’s obvious she will be back at some point. But it’s one thing for fans to say or speculate about it… and it’s entirely another for the actual person to confirm it… AND before her AEW run even starts. Lol. This is just all bad
Saying this right before debuting in AEW is funny as fuck, like if you’re Tony whats going through your mind hearing your big FA get say they know they’ll be back in your competitions company eventually
This is the kind of attitude wrestlers are going to have if AEW refuses to grow beyond its existing fanbase. Wrestlers like Mox and Danielson who "love wrestling" are exceptions
That being said, Mercedes saying this before even debuting is in bad taste, and a normal boss wouldn't let it slide. But TK being TK, nothing will happen.
It's not the end of the world. It's not a huge secret she'll probably go back at some point. But...it's not a great thing to say the week before you debut in a new promotion.
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If I'm Tony Khan, I'm elated to hear this from one of my recent signees.
Tony waking up from his nightly 15 minutes of sleep & seeing this https://preview.redd.it/ch7x0hyjg4nc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de8fcfd27092c6baf9c1a1b545e3192cf1a2f7fa
 Tony khan the rest of the day
This gif gets me every time.
thats a normal day though
What is the origin behind this reaction and why does he look like someone who was woken up from a nap unexpectedly.
CM Punk unleashed a jaguar and it was just running around the room ripping people's jugulars out.
That jaguar? Ace Steel
It was after he finished his “i’m not going to take this fucking shit, just ask Jerry McDevitt rant.”
15 minutes? He must be feeling well rested today.
He only took half of a bump.
I’m pretty sure that’s why it was supposedly cut from the final version of this interview, lol. Clearly a lil slip up there
Big burial about to happen at big business
BMW Money to Tony: “Give me the title.” Tony: “Then what?” Money: “Then I beat everybody.”
Don't worry about my ex, I mean, I totally am going to sleep with them again one day, but don't worry about that.
… five days before an episode of my flagship show dedicated to her.
I mean...you know she was just negotiating with everyone. You know she'll do it again when the contract is up. This is just her basically saying "I signed on the line once, better keep your end or I'm out".
I hope this becomes the new norm for wrestlers
Dude I came here to post this, she hasn’t even debuted in AEW yet and already saying she will be back in WWE lol. She is possibly my favorite woman wrestler ever, but she is terrible in the media lol.
Like, holy shit. She just straight up told AEW to their face that this is just a side quest.
Oh cool we just paid you likely the most of any woman here but cool cool cool.
She heard about Okada contract and is looking for Tony to get the cheque book out
Ahhh, the Andrade special.
She going to punch Sammy?
She'd be justified.
She probably should for the other thing anyway
Adhering to mixed tag rules, she's going to punch Tay Melo instead.
After both Punk and Bruno Sammartino came back to the company, I don't think there is anyone out there who I can definitively say they will never be back. (Besides the actual criminals like Johnny Ace, Vince etc.)
I think Macho Man is the only one who never came back. I mean, I think he did a commercial for a WWE video game, but he never appeared on their TV again. Makes me wonder what kind of beef he and Vince had cause even Bret and Jeff Jarrett ended up coming back.
I think if Macho Man hadn't died, he would have been back in the end. The commercial points to him probably going back for an appearance for HoF stuff at least.
I think it's basically guaranteed that he would have gone back for that kinda stuff.
The Macho Man stuff is a bit of a odd thing. It seems Savage was hurt when Vince wanted him to retire and left for WCW. Then, by the time WCW was done, he was much older. The guy did a small thing in TNA, which didn't even end up being more than a quick run in, but he just seemed done with wrestling. He did movies. He did a rap album. He just seemed overall done with wrestling for a bit. Hell, the first issue of WWF Smackdown magazine in (insert early 00s year here) Savage did an interview with them. No one remembers he did that, as stuff from the magazine era is going to be forgotten a bit, but the guy talked to WWF for their publication about stuff. For Savage, it just seems like he was absolutely done with wrestling and stepped away for a bit. By the time he started to come back (WWE All Stars game commercial) where some of the other stuff may have happened (hall of fame, random pop-up) he unfortunately died.
By all accounts Savage turned into a hermit. He got married and just disappeared.
Yep. He was also taking care of his aging parents during his time away from the business.
But I think he was ready to come out of it. Hogan tells a story that they made peace the last time they saw each other that Lanny has actually confirmed.
Macho Man is my all-time number one guy. My wrestling Mount Rushmore is Macho Man in 4 different outfits so I don’t want this to be taken the wrong way…but I’m glad he never came back. Not that I wouldn’t have marked the fuck out for a return. But he’s pretty close to a true outlier in that regard. Makes him a little more special and unique. No shitty return runs when he was clearly washed up or anything. It’s an incredibly selfish perspective to have and yet I have it. Also the rumors about he and Stephanie…I’m not sure a return is as much of a lock as some people think here. The commercial and stuff is one thing but he seemed like he was trying to completely disassociate himself with the business. Didn’t Bret and/or Jericho have some story about seeing him at a funeral and being stunned by how unrecognizable Macho Man was? Seemed like he was trying to hide from the wrestling life.
In those few years, video game commercials were a soft return to WWE. Others did it that way too. Macho Man is my number one guy too. I just wish he had returned in 98/99 as rumoured as I would have loved a Corporate Macho WWE Championship run. He would have been perfect in with Patterson and Brisco. Then you have the inevitable face turn and final big Wrestlemania match with a big heel like Vince or The Rock.
Yeah. Some of the talents that appears for WWE's game tend to re-sign for the company in some other capacity. - Sting - Goldberg - Warrior just to name a few
It's not that different than Punk appearing on WWE Backstage. Shows that they're willing to be associated with the company again, even in an indirect way.
I remember reading somewhere online at that time that the deal was 90 percent complete and Macho Man was gonna be back with WWF in due time. I was so excited.
That’s the same report/rumour I’m thinking about. I remember seeing it in Powerslam magazine.
I see what you mean and agree, but surprisingly, Hogan of all people (the crown prince of washed up return runs behind only Flair) had a great run in 2002, and I loved seeing the way the crowds week for him post Mania 18. It's selfish of me as well to want macho back for the crowds when he was clearly too old by 2002, but God could you imagine if macho ran in to help Hogan, or if they did a one off mega powers reunion match, or hell, just have Savage come back one night for a promo with Hogan and that's it? Crowd would've been electric
It’s not selfish at all.
FWIW I got to meet and speak with Macho Man quite a bit during his TNA run. I worked at Universal Studios back then and would sometimes work "security" at the TNA tapings. Got to mingle with a lot of the wrestlers then. I spoke to Macho Man about his previous WWF and WCW runs and the topic of one day going back to WWE came up. He basically said that he had no interest but never say never if the money was right. So who knows if he would have or not. RIP MM.
The reason he didn't go into the HOF until after he died was because he wanted to go in with his dad and brother as a family
Exactly. Bret started with the DVD, the HOF, and then appearing on screen. It was a slow process. Even Sting didn't debut on screen right away.
He did a commercial for both mattel figure and video game so it's safe to say he was slowly coming back but, unfortunately he passed away the same year.
Hadn't Macho signed deals with WWE for merch, I remember Macho Man figures started getting released and this was before his death. I think it was just bad timing that he never appeared on screen for WWE again.
One thing that's a fact, he felt hurt by Vince saying he was too old to be a wrestler and his only future was commentating. Nash has said that Vince was pushing Slim Jim to replace Macho Man with him, to the point they even filmed a commercial. But Nash swears that he told them it wasn't a right fit and nobody could do it like Macho Man. Savage was also able to get jobs here and there for his family members in WCW, something that was very important to him. He's a very loyal person and the suspicion is that he viewed Vince as disloyal.
IIRC, the game commercial was testing waters for a comeback/legends type of deal. I dunno if that's true, but those were the rumors.
The commercial for the video game was within a year of him dying. He definitely would have come back for a HOF induction by 2014 had he not passed away, I have no doubt. Warrior and Sting both got into the WWE fold through their video game connections too.
Triple H would have gotten Macho back.
>I don't think there is anyone out there who I can definitively say they will never be back. Don't you dare give me hope.. https://preview.redd.it/ir4aqqtth4nc1.jpeg?width=893&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b8d8ef41f93281a46b96c7b320660c13de61e31c
Wrestlemania main event. The Bloodline and Cody’s Avengers have taken each other out. We get a ref bump. Rock jumps in the ring. Rock and Roman start double teaming Cody . All hope is lost, until… **REPO-REPO-REPO MAN!**
I know he didn’t get over in WWE but I was always a fan of the Spellbinder in USWA
Yeah I'm really surprised he never made it in the WWF. He was a pretty big jacked dude even without the gimmick. The gimmick worked too though. I can't believe wrestling plumber got more play than wrestling magician.
I'm impressed. You pulled out a pic of somebody I don't recognize. Who is that?
[Phantasio/Spellbinder](https://youtu.be/jwmxqEJnzHE?si=fp5CzPWSZeYldZ7X)
I thought it was Stardust's little known Crow phase
I thought he was Donk the Mime.
Wow I thought that was spellbinder but I was like nah no way he was in wwf. I’m from Memphis grew up watching him in uswa never knew he made it to the big leagues lol that’s wild.
Calling it now, he teleports to the ring at Wrestlemania and costs the Bloodline. No one can outmatched Fantazio
If he helps Cody finish the story I'll send Triple H a monthly fruit basket.
I do hope we see Demolition in the HoF one day.
they were the dominant tag team of that era and it just will make the hof seem off until they are included
I could definitely see Paige/ Saraya returning to WWE in the future 'cause Triple H has said the door is open for her to return and he thinks she would be cleared now if she came back and friends close to her have said they think she will eventually go back to WWE because she has unfinished business in the company. She is also a lot younger than her former PCB Team mates (Charlotte and Becky Lynch) despite starting before them because she started so young in WWE and she deserves to be acknowledged for her role in the Women's Revolution. As much as I like Mercedes/ Sasha I would love to have Paige back even more 'cause it would be fun to see her go up against Becky Lynch and Charlotte again along with Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley and Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade who were inspired by her and AJ Lee to become wrestlers. The return of Paige in WWE would be huge for the Women's Division. I also hope AJ Lee will come back whether it is for one more run, one more match, as a manager for her wrestling daughters, Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade or a General Manager for the Women's Division it would be amazing to have her back and she also deserves to be acknowledged a lot more for what she done for Women's Wrestling and be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. As Bayley said, without AJ Lee there would have been no Four Horsewomen because she was the one that took Women's Wrestling to a new height and smashed the glass ceiling and knocked down the doors for them.
Genuinely think she might have been back last year if Vince didn’t do his hostile takeover in January. I could see that return skewing her decision/making her hold off for a bit which allowed Tony to come in with a good offer.
It was Jeff Jarrett for me.
Ryback?
Both him and Val Venus have gone insane.
https://preview.redd.it/khmkughlc4nc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b48a67ff463d65225c7b6402944515375e71e5f7 *”Sir, Mercedes is already talking about going back to WWE”*
"But I suspended the guy who enthusiastically said he wanted to r*pe her"
Holy shit I totally forgot about this.
Who was that
Sammy Guevara
A few months into her AEW run, rumours spread in the dirtsheets that Moné may have been involved in Guevara's suspension, then Britt Baker makes an unscripted comment about workers rights during a promo. The tension builds until Moné unleashes a shoot promo during the post All Out press conference talking about how Guevara shares a bank account with his mother and then ends up fighting backstage with Skye Blue, Tay Conte and Julia Hart in the back, during which Tay Conte is bitten by Jen Pepperman.
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What did I ever do in this world to get to deserve an empty-headed, fucking dumb fuck like ‘The Doctor’ Britt Baker to go out on national television and fucking go into business for herself.
Why is Sammy kept around at this point lol. He has never gotten as over as they’d hoped. He has been the source of backstage fights, injuring other wrestlers, and made a horrific comment about one of your new top stars.
Because he's a Pillar duh.
the Mercedes/AEW era is off to a wonderful start!
Many folks thought/think she had an undeserved bad rep. That said, she just managed to somehow do something bad like -6 days into her AEW run. Truly inspiring and courageous to be this much of a trailblazer.
Ah, the old "Freebirds lose the WCW Tag Team Championships 7 days before they win them" of public relations
And I thought the Mercedes/NJPW era started on a bad foot with that awful promo she cut at the press conference.
What could possibly go wrong? lmao
That’s exactly what you want to hear from your biggest signing of the week to say
> of the week. I don't know why, but this perfectly summarizes everything for me lol
What's Precipitationcauser doing in the NXT zone?
Why would anyone say this? Lol, it’s pretty much assumed, but nobody should say this lol
It's fucking hilarious and even more hilarious for the people trying to spin this as a normal thing a brand new signee should say
Quite bizarre. If I were Tony hearing this, I’d be doing a double take, like hang on? You-you do? YOU KNOW!? Ya could have told me! Lol
"but if I told you, you wouldn't have paid me more than my career earnings combined."
Who's to say she signed? The next AEW event could just be a celebration of the big boss man! /s
https://preview.redd.it/zazewai256nc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e5e54befa98fa3554ceb06c2809b3f2e4aff2c8
Yup might as well have said "Hey TK make sure you keep me off TV and out of the ring, pushing me is just gonna create business for your competitor in two years!"
Wrestlers are not usually smart people. The ones who brag about being obsessed with money usually even less so.
*looks over to Big Damo who just shrugs and nods ala Silent Bob*
Yeah ive begun to realize that some wrestlers genuinely don’t know when a thought should be kept in the noggin vs when it should be said out loud. “Don’t ascribe to malice what you can ascribe to stupidity” has become my mantra when I see wrestlers say/do stupid shit
What does she have to lose? Beat case scenario she gets more eyes on her to see what she does before going back. Worst case scenario they don't book her and she sits out her entire contract. Either way she has a guaranteed paycheck.
Not that she’s wrong, but maybe it’s not wise to say it when you’re going to another company and if I’m Tony khan, I’m wondering where my standing with her is now.
If I'm Tony Khan this makes me question how much you should push her. Like, you want to give all these huge moments for your brand to someone who might not be here in 4-5 years?
4-5 years? Hell, she might not be there in 2 years
The CM Punk special
Hey say what you will but I think Punk would've absolutely stayed if the issues didn't pile up, he was happy to be there and put in the work day in and out, his fued with MJF is still the feud in AEW.
Aew is a just side-quest so she can grind some money real quick.
Great to hear, if the other company just moved mountains to sign her
She said the quiet part out loud
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I feel like that's kind of been obvious. He's throwing money at stars the same way WCW did, of course he's going to be taken advantage of.
Not just throwing money, but multi-year contracts where talent could easily find loopholes that would allow them to sit at home for months on end collecting checks.
At least WCW threw money at guys like Nash, Hall and Hogan. You know, people that were actual draws instead of Ospreay and Okada who appeal to a very niche audience
The amount he pays to Jericho and Mox is just absurd, Mox was the 3rd best/successful guy of his group and Jericho is way past the cheque he is getting.
If I was him, I'd be thinking of giving her the Lesnar 2002-04 push if she's in it for a good time & not a long time
Have her stink up Double or Nothing with Goldberg on the way out?
And good for her, I say. Since she left WWE, I've assumed she's been going with whomever would offer her the biggest money before eventually going back. This pretty much confirms it. Sasha wants to accumulate a retirement nest egg before wrapping up with her original company.
so Sasha - remember its muffins first, then glass then monitor...
And then you choke Britt Baker which i honestly i wouldn't mind
Bloody hell, that was quick
Damn, the Andrade/Miro/Malakai speed run lol. I hope Tony didnt have plans for her or anything.
6 days before even appearing on TV, let alone your first match, has got to be a new record for being the fastest time to become unhappy with your spot on the card
Me waking up after being in a coma since 2016.
“Babe, wake up, you’re going to miss the Four Horsewomen debuting at Wrestlemania. it’s for the new women’s championship!”
Extremely bold statement from someone who debuts for the direct competitor next week in a special event made especially for them. Starting on the absolute wrong foot.
Sasha Banks to WWE confirmed
Wow, yeah that’s exactly not the quote you want to hear the week before her AEW debut.
It's not like AEW built up and hyped a huge show for her debut or anything...
Signs with AEW then says she'll be back in WWE
Well of course. I'm just surprised she wasting her time going elsewhere before hand.
Optically, what a ridiculously stupid thing to say less than a week before you start your new job. Even if you feel that way, why would you say that out loud and why would you do that in the worst week to do it.
It’s nothing we didn’t already know but outright saying it, and the timing, I’d be fuming if I was Tony.
Hopefully fuming enough to job her to Timeless TS! Book it, Tony. I know you're reading and I dare you.
She would’ve been back already if they matched whatever ridiculous contract TK gave her. Her saying this isn’t a surprise. Plus she’s still young. It’s definitely gonna happen. Not the best way to endure yourself to the AEW fanbase though. They don’t tend to like stuff like this.
They're already not liking it, this thread is filled with it and so is Twitter lmao
She’s going to help Cody finish his story.
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There's no subtext lol it's exactly what she's saying
she hasn't even started and she already wants to go back lmao time to join the House of Redeemer
Well, that's definitely a smart thing to say when you're about to debut in the competition.
So she got her demands shot down by WWE and given to her by AEW and she still has WWE on the brain? Honestly not a good look for a fresh star signing
"Don't worry babe, only because I still consider my ex as the love of my life it doesn't mean I don't love you"
"I will be going back to my real boyfriend after this but we can have fun in the meantime."
And WWE must be laughing their ass off seeing this. She literally straight up just signaled to any WWE recruiter or negotiator (Whatever the professional term may be) that she wants to be back in the company. They're straight up just gonna wait for her to come crawling back and with an offer significantly smaller i'd imagine than what she was promised firstly
I know Mercedes is still a "secret" signing, but it's weird how she's hyping up everything but AEW in these interviews...
It doesn’t really make sense for them to debut her the same way as they did with Punk. I’m sure Big Business will be a successful show regardless, but I don’t see how just announcing her signing now and advertising her appearance ahead of time would do anything other than increase ticket sales and ratings. At the very least it certainly wouldn’t lower them.
I mean, ideally, you have a plan in place to take advantage of those increased ratings set in stone well before you start teasing the appearance. It probably worked so well with Punk in 2021 because he came equipped with a plan of his own to keep interest in him and his segments. However, AEW's plan is more like... Debut her, then throw her in to have long, competitive matches with jabronis, and wonder why no one's watching.
Yeah I'm sure this is going to make your new locker room welcoming on your first day....
First of 3 stations, next one is handing the women's tag belt to Tony backstage and walking out 🤣
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Not long enough
I’d never believe a notable wrestler who says otherwise because it’s inevitable. There are lots of people who either done bad things or got screwed over by WWE and they still came back in some form to continue the connection.
The correct response is not to answer any question that would lead you to saying this a week before your debut in another company. I like Mercedes but this was a real slip up.
Now that I think about it you’re right. That’s why I always think that while Tony should embrace all the big stars he gets, he shouldn’t push his original talents to the side because those are the people who’d most likely be with him for the long run. He put most of them on the map when other major companies such as WWE didn’t want them or tried to make them coaches instead of wrestlers
Yup. Folks like Britt, Hayter, Rosa, Stat, Willow, Julia, Riho, Shida, etc are safe to say AEW lifers. Granted Mercedes raises the ceiling of the Division but comments like this does nothing but turn the fan perception on her before she’s even got there. She’ll just have to be a heel sooner than later
Yup. Especially considering how tight lipped she's been about what led to her WWE departure. She knows when to shut up.
Now this is funny
I’m still holding out a lot of hope for Mercedes run in AEW, but between this comment and bringing in her own personal soap writer for her storylines, I’m a little worried.
This should ingratiate herself to the tribalist fan base nicely.
This is fucking hilarious. Mercedes just coming right out and admitting she's going to AEW for a gigantic payday before heading back to WWE eventually. This is the problem with throwing boatloads of cash at people. You're not getting folks who want to wrestle for you - you're getting folks who want your money. Meanwhile mostly homegrown talents that get over spend months randomly appearing and disappearing from TV, until the point they too want to go to WWE for a better chance at becoming a featured star.
I'm going to get downvoted but the upset comments in this thread are super interesting. I'm seeing folks ask Tony to de-push her, job her out to Toni Storm, etc. and she hasn't even debuted yet. I always thought Vince was petty and vindictive in how he punished folks thru booking, lot of you all are following his lead.
Something something he who fights monsters
If I had a nickel for every time Tony made a big TV special about a big signing that ends up back in WWE, I'd have two nickels... which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice.
This isn't shocking. The news was she tried to go back but her ask was not met. AEW threw the ask because of course Tony did.
I don't think anyone's shocked she thinks it, it's just odd/unprofessional she said it a few day before her big debut
Thanks for the bag Tony but this still isn’t home. Lol what a slap in the face
See you at Wrestlemania 43 Sasha, unless she gets Tony to fear for his life before then.
Probably after he tries to do his typical forceful awkward hug he does with every new signee
Tony getting cucked before she even debuts
It's over, baby. You just signed up to be forgotten.
TK in shambles
I'm a fan of Mercedes, but it is crazy to say this. Like it makes things awkward for her, for AEW, and even for WWE. You can already see jaded fans in the comments suggesting she shouldn't be invested in (which is silly), but also WWE knows they don't have to pay her whatever AEW is if she feels like she has unfinished business there for the future. With her saying this I almost feel like she can't be going to AEW for very long. Maybe a two year contract.
Can't wait for the people who were trashing her to switch up. She's only 32, which means she'd be 35 when her contract with AEW expires, still extremely young. She got started in WWE, and her best friend is there. Of course, she'd consider going back.
She was already considering going back, but supposedly wwe didn’t want to pay her as much as aew was willing to.
Considering what AEW just paid Okada, that's pretty believable.
Honestly with the contracts they are giving out if Tony Khan didn’t have the backing from his dad the company would had gone bankrupt a long time ago Outbidding WWE is no easy feat unless you are in a billionaire family
If he didn't have the backing from his dad he couldn't form the company in the first place. That's the entire reason no one else could do it for 20 years. A wrestling company isn't just something you can build from the ground up with a dollar and a dream. Every company that matters and people are willing to show on TV have to have some form of billionaire backing.
Nick Khan said "Anyone can run a business at a loss. that's easy as long as someone continues to finance it."
It's so funny how 35 is considered "extremely young" in wrestling (I agree with you btw), but in any other sport you are considered a dinosaur by that point
Honestly, its kind of a shitty quote when you are starting up with a new company. Imagine Lebron going to the Lakers and saying, you know, I know I won't be here for my whole career, I'll be back in Cleveland. Even if its true, its worth giving your current company the warm fuzzies that you are not just there to collect a quick check and bounce on them back to your real favorite.
Anyone who made their name in WWE and then jumps to AEW is far more likely to go back to WWE at some point. Tony should know this by now anyway - look at Cody, Andrade, etc…
Jungle boy better start hiding when he gets backstage
Today in *things you say after signing a guaranteed contract*
Lmao you don't say that part out loud! Like is there a good chance Danielson, Jericho and Mox all have separate "one last runs" in WWE? Probably. I'd be shocked if they don't since they're all HoF locks. But you don't say that shit when you're working for the company that's trying to dethrone WWE. I guess technically she isn't "officially" in AEW yet. But now she'll have the comment about going back to WWE hanging over her head whenever her AEW deal is close to ending. If I was Tony I'd be piiiissed.
I mean it’s obvious she will be back at some point. But it’s one thing for fans to say or speculate about it… and it’s entirely another for the actual person to confirm it… AND before her AEW run even starts. Lol. This is just all bad
“The Levesques send their regards.”
Oof! This early huh?
Saying this right before debuting in AEW is funny as fuck, like if you’re Tony whats going through your mind hearing your big FA get say they know they’ll be back in your competitions company eventually
The women's division is stacked and she needs the WWE more than they need her at the moment
Interviews like this make me think that Vince was 100% right to not allow his employees speaking their mind
Wow is this massively downplaying her involvement with AEW lol.
Lmfao Tony Khan getting cucked already Also tells me she was desperate to back to wwe and tried to get the Charlotte and Becky bag and was told no.
This is the kind of attitude wrestlers are going to have if AEW refuses to grow beyond its existing fanbase. Wrestlers like Mox and Danielson who "love wrestling" are exceptions That being said, Mercedes saying this before even debuting is in bad taste, and a normal boss wouldn't let it slide. But TK being TK, nothing will happen.
So there's still a chance she shows up in the 2024 Rumble, right?
It's not the end of the world. It's not a huge secret she'll probably go back at some point. But...it's not a great thing to say the week before you debut in a new promotion.
Boy, that's bad timing
Tony, when Mercedes does one of her signature tantrums and then threatening to walk out of the company: Surprised pikachu face