Some AEW fans are trying to say Punk destroyed the locker room but don't realize that one person having the ability to destroy the locker room is indicative of the lack of leadership within said locker room.
well the way it started was pretty simple. The guys (young buck) decided to go after punk in the locker room leading to blows thrown. Instead of being professional and leaving him a not to see them at their office with tony and talk it out the next day with cooler head.
@@Marveryn Punk also never, ever, ever invited them ti come see him in his locker room, during that media scrum. Like you said, next day was better, with cooler heads. They all are at fault there, but so was Tony for never putting it to rest before that incident.
Conrad can defend his friends all he wants but here are the facts: - they have huge issues filling buildings - Ratings have been stagnant for 2 years and they arent improving at all - Khan signs people like Ospreay and switchblade to big money contracts, even tho neither of them have ever proven to be big draws. - Tony Khan's online behavior is a big issue, and does way more bad then it does good. These are just a few things, and i know they love taking shots at the other company. But that "other company" just sold 16K tickets for a house show ....
Plus the diehard "AEW saved wrestling" crowd are detrimental to everything AEW does. If you're like me who watches it but questions anything you get attacked and called a "WWE shill". They literally are out there advocating for anyone who calls out the booking/storylines or lack thereof to not watch the shows. Its like they think not growing AEWs audience will keep the lights on. All because "Tony Khan is rich".
They're not big draws in the North American Market. They could be but that would require them being put out on a full media blitz in the non wrestling press over a two year or longer span.
The only thing you’re off on is the contracts to Jay White and Ospreay. You sign those guys based on a projection of what you hope they bring throughout their deal and you’re hoping to underpay in hindsight based on that projection.
Bischoff has a unique perspective as a booker that made a lot of mistakes in his career. He's sitting there watching Tony Khan make all the same mistakes that doomed WCW, and nobody can say Eric didn't warn him, albeit in social media format. I think right now, WBD is kind of in the same position Turner Media was in the late 90s/early 2000s with new management that might not be so stoked about the wrestling company they inherited through mergers. Honestly, if Tony doesn't make big changes (I mean hiring other people to competently do what he's been failing to do), I don't see them keeping that #2 spot for very long. I could see a company like TNA or NJPW surpass them.
Cody Rhodes leaving AEW was the first sign of bad leadership. If Cody Rhodes was still there… the CM Punk incident would have never happened. Cody taught everyone how to format there first Dynamite episode. No one knew what they we’re doing.
@@TheFailedmessiah Tony should just be the money mark but he shouldn't be running the day-to-day operations of the company. He should bring in someone else to run his company for him. I'm not saying he shouldn't be part of a booking committee but he shouldn't be running a booking committee.
Cody was important as a guy in front of the camera. He was more important behind the scenes. The talent wasn't fighting when he was there. Tony didn't see value in him beyond in front of the camera. Same thing with Regal. In 2022, he is more important as a front office guy than he is as a on air talent. Tony didn't see that.
Cody WAS that guy in AEW. Watch the early episodes leading to the disastrous booking at Full Gear 2019. You can argue whether Cody should have beat Jericho for the title then or maybe a few months down the line, but there is no world in which he should have never challenged for it again. He epitomized what AEW was at that time, and the fans loved him for that. Tony instead chose to go with his ex WWE guys as his first title holders. And of course Mox should have had a title run eventually, but I truly believe that Cody eventually beating Jericho for that belt would have been a total homerun from a business standpoint and symbolically.
Cody didn't want the title. He knew booking himself to be world champion wouldn't mean squat towards his legacy. He was always going back to the WWE though. Anyone who doubts that is just dumb.
@nathanpritchard5114 yes, but I'd argue his vision was different than Tony's. Cody wanted that old school NWA /Crockett promotions and once he knew what AEW was turning into, that's when he was thinking about jumping ship to WWE.
@@louio I think you're 100% on point there. The only way he could have gone back on that no title stipulation would have been if the fans demanded he do so. It would have taken the right feud with the right heel as champ, and it would have felt just like an old Dusty/Flair angle. Like era defining shit.
@@nathanpritchard5114 @nathanpritchard5114 Dusty booked himself through multiple legendary title runs in the 80's, so I suppose his legacy doesn't mean squat? If I had to guess, Cody didn't want to do the same because of how nasty modern wrestling fans are. And I don't think he was planning on returning the whole time, it was around 2021 when he realized that him and Tony's visions were totally opposite.
One of the biggest problems is the guy who is supposed to be setting a good example in Tony Kahn is very unprofessional and acts no different to the rabid tribal fans on social media. That leaks down to how he runs his company and books things. I can only imagine many of the backstage agents and many of the older guys think he is totally unhinged and out of control but they know he won't listen to advice.
I don't know that Tony is any more or less professional than Vince is/was 😂 I'd say it's much more likely the case that Tony has way too much on his plate between the Jaguars, Fulham, etc, and doesn't have the framework in place behind the scenes to keep all of the egos in check and everything running smoothly. And probably some nepotism as well.
The Vince McMahon disrespect is crazy the man gave the world WrestleMania. Yes he is out of touch with his booking now. And yes the sex stuff but Cocaine Khan is not a leader of men. Vince was. And Triple H learned the positives and negatives of Vince McMahon. So he can be better
@@Tumorcoachvince’s tantrums was him buying his competition when his dad told him not to, literally look up how interactions go with vince he throws a tantrum when you sneeze or cough 💀
Ngl Russo might actually save AEW at this point....atleast he has experience booking shows that draw ratings, it just wouldn't last if it did actually help
I think, as a talent, Cody always planned on going back to WWE. His whole "betting on himself" and his post WWE strategy years ago was built to turn himself into a superstar. Someone who can not be denied. When the AEW opportunity came about I think he saw it as potential for him to become "Dusty in Florida." The boss of the whole show. So he decided he was willing to push back his WWE plans to test to see if that could happen. For a little while it looked like it might happen. But I don't think Tony Khan ever had the intention to let the EVPs keep too much power for very long. When Cody saw that writing on the wall he knew it was time to go back to Plan-A and become the star for WWE that he was building himself to become. If I had to predict Cody's future right now I would guess that he finishes his in ring career in WWE. Goes into the Hall of Fame. Then, like Booker T, continues to stay lightly involved but focus on running the Nightmare Factory with QT and using the talent from there to book a small promotion.
Cody and Drew did it right. Proved themselves elsewhere, grew, and came back a star. Great formula and what Vince always told talent to do with passion.
Cody always had the potential to be a main event level talent, but the problem from Day 1 was he always distanced himself from AEWs title picture because he truly wanted to be impartial. Now contrast that with The Bucks basically needing to be in EVERY tag title storyline, or Kenny being put in that spot against MJF. Had Cody allowed himself to have those same opportunities those guys had on the titles, I'm sure TK would have seen the Dusty Rhodes level potential in him sooner. But kudos to Cody for actually trying to run a business fairly and ethically.
When Cody's music hit at Wrestlemania & he had that grand homecoming, I knew it was a wrap. The emotional connection that the fans had for one of their own returning to finish his legacy, was something I will never forget
It's crazy how some AEW fans have said Cody's career is worse since returning to WWE because he "jobbed to Roman Reigns". But the facts are he is one of the biggest stars in the world now, top babyface, beat Brock Lesnar twice clean, main evented WrestleMania, and he is one of the most protected guys in WWE. He has lost like two matches? In nearly two years?
imagine if in the mid 00s, the highlanders told vince to fire randy orton. or the spirit squad demanded cena be let go. that is what happened in aew. a middling tag team who cant draw heat if they were on soaked in kerosene is running the show.
@@C2190Yeah, because they found a mark that’s always wanted his own company and was willing to throw money at them. Part of the reason people even care for them was because of the bullet club or Omega..hence once they tried to split from Omega in AEW, fans started caring less and less. No surprise they stepped away for a while.
For all the people talking about Cody always planned on going back to the WWE....... You don't start your own company with the thought of going back to your last job. That's a ridiculous notion. What's more likely the case is, Cody realized, much like CM Punk did later is that he was working with children (Tony Khan). I'm sure the Bucks let their new found power go to their heads and became even more insufferable. The fact that you can trace the public chaos in AEW back to the moment Cody left says a lot about what he was probably dealing with backstage with a bunch of ungrateful, unprofessional wrestlers who are really just marks themselves. Cody's vision of what Pro Wrestling should be is vastly different from Khan's/Bucks vision is and when he realized this, he did the smart thing and took what he built and went back to the WWE because where else could he go and still be on the big stage? It turned out to be the right move in the long run but please, stop with this nonsense that it was his plan all along.
Same, I’m sure Cody’s dream would have been to build AEW up as a viable alternative like WCW as revenge for what Vince did to his dad. It’s a shame too because it had the initial energy going in to actually do it which TNA lacked in the early 2000s.
Agreed 1000% Cody wanted AEW to win and he realized with the Elite that couldn't happen. Think about it felt like there were 2 AEWs with Cody's side and the Elite's side. Then Cody leaves and there are still 2 sides. Punk's side and the Elite's side. Now its just the Elite and they are in free fall.
Of course he's right. Bankrupt Bischoff was exactly the same as Tony Khan: Inept at running a business, clueless about wrestling and in general more interested in doing coke with Hogan and buying hookers for his wife.
I definitely agree with Bischoff here. I've been saying for a longtime that AEW's biggest issue is lack of structure, which basically comes down to a lack of leadership. Lack of structure causes stress and drama. TK doesn't need to be the leader, but he needs to put people in charge who can be who will be respected in that role. I feel little empathy for TK though since he has the money, he has been doing it for 5 years now and he hasn't accomplished anything yet that gives me hope he'll self correct. He's had guys around him as well who could tell him what he needs. He's clearly not listening.
The real leadership was Brandi and Cody when they left it became chaos and a toxic place. Tony ain't a leader, no one ''CAN'' respect him and what he does.
Conrad has this stubborn ability to keep putting AEW on the same level as WWE. WWE has changed for the better but he's assuming people leaving AEW is a change for the better? There's nothing positive going on in AEW to the larger, non cult audience. Dec 20 Dynamite did under 800,000 and probably because of that ridiculous Japan style tournament that's foreign to most people.
Cody is an example of the presentation being everything. He's largely the same guy, but they presented him better in the WWE. Tony doesn't know how to present traditional wrestlers. He gives into guys' worst instincts, and he overproduces things that don't get guys over.
The thing about Vince was when he talked, everyone listened. The man held the WWE under his fist for 40 years. I'm not saying you need to be cruel like Vince can be , but you definitely need to be assertative. You sign their checks Tony, make them respect you
I stand by the idea AEW should've made Bischoff a key authority figure and advisor when the Smackdown GM shit fell through. Tony needed people with real experience
The Steve Austin comparison is not good at all by Conrad because he wasn't over and didn't have that great gimmick WWE gave him and the fact he had a exceptional storyline vs the biggest heel on the business (Vince Mcmahon) helped him a lot too. Cody was already Cody in AEW. He was the Nightmare. The gimmick was the same. The Elite fans turned on him when the rumors of him having ''creative'' problem with the Elite started but even after that he was really popular in AEW. WWE makes you bigger all the time so going to WWE was just a bigger deal and Cody being the first big loss (roster wise) by AEW gave him more popularity. They used him really well too.
You didn't watch the product than he was really popular and the best TNT champ ever it was really a good time. Problem was the fans in the end being too much ''Elite'' protector fans but is Merch was selling a lot in AEW. @@festo512
Steve Austin developed the Stone Cold character in ECW not WWE. Remember Austin went to ECW after WCW before going from ECW to WWE. When Austin first arrived in WWE they gave him the terrible Ringmaster gimmick which was going nowhere.
Eric is so brilliant and articulate, he's a joy to listen to as a common sense / voice of reason. He's right-on about travel and his constructive criticisms. Al Snow needs to be an exec, not current talent, Al would command respect & discipline and they have great experienced guys like Jericho, Jarrett, Christian et al who should be the head of creative, who report to TK.
@@andrewft31 But again, that's a leadership issue. TK has hired a lot of experienced guys for exactly that reason, because AEW didn't want to be just another indy show. So if those kids don't wanna listen, just send them back to the indys because they are obviously not ready to work with the grown-ups. And to be fair, it isn't all of them that don't listen. It's basically always the same guys you hear about and the one common factor they have is that they are friends with the Bucks and therefore get away with it. There's other guys like MJF, Darby Allen or Wheeler Yuta where you basically never hear anything negative about their behavior and I can't imagine them any of them telling Sting, Jericho or Danielso (or anyone else from the experienced guys, for that matter) that they wouldn't take their advice because they don't need it.
The problem I have with all this…. Is Tony has YEARS of mistakes to research and YEARS of experience to reach out to that COULDVE helped him along the way. But instead he decided to listen to the elite……The same elite who had NO aspirations to even do all in if it wasn’t for Cody. People fail to realize how valuable Eric Bischoff’s advice is here because all the issues Tony is dealing with Eric has been through them! You would think Tony would reach out to these minds and bring them aboard. Your talent NEEDS to hear the constructive criticism, they need to hear experienced minds from yesteryear. The talent, the company needed leadership, and vision. But they were SO focused on trying to be anti WWE because that’s what the marks wanted, instead of using many of the things that WWE does right. It’s a shame really.
Who is he?? I've seen him on dark side of the ring and other wrestling related content and I don't understand why he's there because his mammoth presence ruins everything and was never involved with wrestling.
WWE long ago thankfully, stopped getting talent and changing them. Look at how, well, phenomenal AJ Styles entered. Totally deserving. IMO, he's one of the all time great pro wrestlers. Think about how Vince may have portrayed him in the eighties. He probably would have gave him a drywall worker gimmick. I would think that has a lot to do with HHH 👍
AJ wouldn't have been hired by WWE in the 80s, he is too small for McMahon's tastes, especially back then. It has nothing to do with Paul Levesque and everything to do with WCW giving smaller guys a chance in the 90s and early 2000s. AJ made his mainstream debut for WCW in 2001 on Nitro and Thunder just before the end. Had WCW not been sold, TNA would never have existed and AJ would have spent all that time in WCW instead.
Conrad SPECULATES that TK played people into thinking it was their decision to quit... In his intro.. Hype man Eric offers critique based on experience and Conrad gets that annoying tone "Weeeellllll you can't say that" shut up Conrad
That's the thing, they don't need to go after WWE it's one of the biggest mistake they did. They just needed to not be cocky and dumb to start thing off and think they are better than WWE. Just offer a show that is a alternative and is open arms to everyone but it's too late now to do this.. Removing Tony Khan is the #1 play to get back the interest.
He's also bankrupt, bankrupted every business he ever started, went to court over his cuckolding and pretty much screwed up everything he ever touched.
I remember making fun of TNA even in their best years. which would be 2006-2009 I guess. TNA back then was really not that bad at all. compared to AEW, they were a fantastic company.
My suggestion is can the Saturday show. Make dynamite more serious and more storyline driven. Make the Friday show more for the marks. They aren’t doing anything on Friday nights anyways.
Eric is 100% right about travel. This is why alot of wrestlers quit WWE. It wasn't the physical abuse, it was the constant travel and being away from home 24/7.
Tony Khan needs to hand over the wrestling creative to an experienced wrestling guy. Someone who can write weekly episodic television. Brian Getwitz, Dave Lagana, Kevin Sullivan, Terry Taylor, Jim Cornette someome
Sorry I saw it in Cody and still do. I saw Austin being a World Champion but not what he became. Austin was on fire in ECW for a short time. If you never saw it you should. Him and Pillman was such a good tag team. But no hate on Eric no one can see the next mega star and Austin was the right guy in the right spot for that moment.
And Eric tries to make this point that there has to be something wrong with AEW simply because two people choose to leave, completely ignoring the mountain of talent from Adam Copeland to Bryan Danielson to Will Osprey, who chose AEW when WWE had a contract on the table for them. Same with Jay White, FTR, and probably two dozen other people. How is this a massive problem for AEW yet totally okay for WWE, when talent overwhelmingly seem to choose the former?
Aew is like manchester united at this point. Not even a player of Ronaldo's level couldn't save them. And even signing multi million dollar deal with John Cena, Roman and Brock at same time wouldn't save AEW. If CM punk can go back to WWE, then there is a much bigger chance where AEW can lose their biggest stars MJF or Jon Moxley in the future to WWE. But every fan is aware of this kind of picture.
The irony in talkin about Cody leaving and about aew needing better management. Wwe mismanaged Codys return. He should have gone over on Roman or not faced him at all and ended up killing his whole comeback story/momentum.
I always thought Cody when I seen his first match that he had something special. He had that look in his eyes. I thought he’d be like Orton. Now I can him rise above that level. I’m not saying Cena or Austin but he’s in a true path of greatness in his own right and he deserves it. It’s king over due. He’s done some good stuff through out his career.
Weak leadership is AEW’s single biggest problem. Yeah, I’m sure Tony Khan is a nice guy but he isn’t ruthless, savvy or experienced enough to manage a wrestling company effectively and his flightiness, inability to handle criticism and poor media skills are a detriment to AEW. I love how he makes damn sure to issue those little NDAs to anyone leaving so the truth about what happens backstage never gets out.
I think Tony should try to get court Bauer to leave or shut down MLW & basically bring him in to run things. MLW constantly does so much more and so much better with a significantly smaller budget. I’d love to see what court could do with major tv & big budget
So WWE will literally release 75 employees/backstage/ wrestlers/execs and it’s a story for half a day, but QT Marshall leaves AEW and we’ve been talking about it for a weeks??? Tell me you have a bias without telling me you have a bias.
In fairness- Cody practically had go-away heat with AEW’s loyal fans at the end… whatever he did was not going to stand out amid the comedy and trampoline wrestling, and the AEW fans resented that he was pushed as a major baby face. AEW was just not a fit for Cody’s potential, and that is more of an indictment of AEW than anything.
@@pingpongballz5998 Yeah- I honestly thought that would have been his best option then… he could have be an over the top, arrogant “baby face” … kind of similar to Kurt Angle. He didn’t want to go that route apparently, which is a shame…
@Daint_McTaint ya and we'll never know now hehe. But I think Cody works a lot better in WWE. He's a much bigger star. He's most likely gonna take the title from Roman. Hopefully.
I like Cody, but him leaving wasn't a big deal to me. And the reason why he's the top guy in the WWE is because the WWE has fans who like anything they put out there.
There’s a shortage of pilots and air traffic controllers for two reasons. #1 is all the ones that refused and #2 is the ones who took it and now they can’t pass a physical because their heart rhythms are all over the place.
AEW formed and thrived at least partly not because of what it was but because of the mess that wwe was. Now with WWE thriving and being stronger and more well booked than ever before AEW no longer gets to point out how its not that. It has to acknowledge its own limitations.
"Travel has gotten so much harder today than it was 20 years ago, so many connecting flights!" Somewhere Steve Regal is having PTSD from 36 hours of complete silence carpooling with Tajiri.
I dont get the steve austin and cody rhodes analogy... steve was a mid to lower card act that was let go of and vince believed in his talent to sign him as a mid card. Cody went on a tour and got over and is a main eventer in some ppl eyes totally different conrad.
I have been a pro wrestling super fan since 1991, and I have seen many money marks like Tony Khan come along over the years. Every one of them approached it the same way, and every single one of them have failed in exactly the same way. Tony Khan is making many of the same mistakes that Herb Abrahms and Dixie Carter made before him, and that Billy Corgan is currently making. You can't walk in off the street and successfully perform heart surgery on someone, nor can you walk in and run a wrestling company with no experience. It is just reality. AEW is on life support, and it's obvious to see. Due to the Khan's money, AEW will survive until Tony or Shad decides to flip the switch, but it is never going to get any better unless major changes are made.
Tony's inner child is the leader of AEW, and that is why its bottoming out. Tony, himself, MUST leave the picture. He is and will never escape, the face of failure for AEW and every time he tries to change that, he ends up with MORE egg on is face. He is too insecure to allow AEW to be managed by someone else other than himself and that is the detriment of the promotion. I will stake anything i OWN on this statement. If TONY disappears from visibility and someone ELSE, an ex performer, becomes the face that runs the place, I PROMISE AEW will start improving again. Tony himself keeps anchoring it in the past by his own personal decisions and anytime someone comes in to HELP, he clashes with them instead. Love or hate PUNK, He was a draw and a massive one too. Tony thought he could just BUY him and he'd fall in line and he lose THAT one terribly, Brooks got himself OUT of his own contract and now he is back in WWE making money and attention that TONY only dreams he could've had. I mean he HAD it. he already HAD it. He did not know how to manage it, much less UTILIZE it properly. Bet Brooks wanted out and that was the way to do it. Tony cut all ties with Brooks. Exactly what Brooks wanted you think? HHMMMMMM.
Some AEW fans are trying to say Punk destroyed the locker room but don't realize that one person having the ability to destroy the locker room is indicative of the lack of leadership within said locker room.
well the way it started was pretty simple. The guys (young buck) decided to go after punk in the locker room leading to blows thrown. Instead of being professional and leaving him a not to see them at their office with tony and talk it out the next day with cooler head.
@@Marveryn Punk also never, ever, ever invited them ti come see him in his locker room, during that media scrum. Like you said, next day was better, with cooler heads. They all are at fault there, but so was Tony for never putting it to rest before that incident.
Mox said that locker room has the most drama he's ever seen in his career
They had drama before Punk. They've had drama after Punk.
Punk wasn't the issue.
Tony is.
So Tony sided with Omega and the Bucks. Omega is on the shelf and the Bucks ar euseless
Conrad really wants Eric to say that there’s nothing wrong with AEW.
Conrad is AEW's biggest mark, literally and figuratively
Goddamn😂
😂😂😂😂😂
Because they put his daddy inlaw on "sponsored payroll" and are going to let him die there.
Indeed🤣 So sad and obvious 🤨
Fattest mark
Conrad can defend his friends all he wants but here are the facts:
- they have huge issues filling buildings
- Ratings have been stagnant for 2 years and they arent improving at all
- Khan signs people like Ospreay and switchblade to big money contracts, even tho neither of them have ever proven to be big draws.
- Tony Khan's online behavior is a big issue, and does way more bad then it does good.
These are just a few things, and i know they love taking shots at the other company. But that "other company" just sold 16K tickets for a house show ....
Plus the diehard "AEW saved wrestling" crowd are detrimental to everything AEW does.
If you're like me who watches it but questions anything you get attacked and called a "WWE shill".
They literally are out there advocating for anyone who calls out the booking/storylines or lack thereof to not watch the shows. Its like they think not growing AEWs audience will keep the lights on. All because "Tony Khan is rich".
- A lot of the AEW roster are either not ready or have no business being on Prime Time Television
Plus he wants to compare it to wcw like dude you are nuts you can't compare 90s to now ever
They're not big draws in the North American Market.
They could be but that would require them being put out on a full media blitz in the non wrestling press over a two year or longer span.
The only thing you’re off on is the contracts to Jay White and Ospreay. You sign those guys based on a projection of what you hope they bring throughout their deal and you’re hoping to underpay in hindsight based on that projection.
Bischoff has a unique perspective as a booker that made a lot of mistakes in his career. He's sitting there watching Tony Khan make all the same mistakes that doomed WCW, and nobody can say Eric didn't warn him, albeit in social media format. I think right now, WBD is kind of in the same position Turner Media was in the late 90s/early 2000s with new management that might not be so stoked about the wrestling company they inherited through mergers. Honestly, if Tony doesn't make big changes (I mean hiring other people to competently do what he's been failing to do), I don't see them keeping that #2 spot for very long. I could see a company like TNA or NJPW surpass them.
Cody Rhodes leaving AEW was the first sign of bad leadership. If Cody Rhodes was still there… the CM Punk incident would have never happened. Cody taught everyone how to format there first Dynamite episode. No one knew what they we’re doing.
It's Tony's fault. He has no balls.
@@TheFailedmessiah Tony should just be the money mark but he shouldn't be running the day-to-day operations of the company. He should bring in someone else to run his company for him. I'm not saying he shouldn't be part of a booking committee but he shouldn't be running a booking committee.
Cody was important as a guy in front of the camera. He was more important behind the scenes. The talent wasn't fighting when he was there. Tony didn't see value in him beyond in front of the camera.
Same thing with Regal. In 2022, he is more important as a front office guy than he is as a on air talent. Tony didn't see that.
@@BrokenSaintRW And coincidentally the behind the scenes of AEW has gone to hell since Cody left.
There's no way Dusty Rhodes did not understand the industry landscape thoroughly and pass that to his family. A leadership issue in aew? Gasp
Cody WAS that guy in AEW. Watch the early episodes leading to the disastrous booking at Full Gear 2019. You can argue whether Cody should have beat Jericho for the title then or maybe a few months down the line, but there is no world in which he should have never challenged for it again. He epitomized what AEW was at that time, and the fans loved him for that. Tony instead chose to go with his ex WWE guys as his first title holders. And of course Mox should have had a title run eventually, but I truly believe that Cody eventually beating Jericho for that belt would have been a total homerun from a business standpoint and symbolically.
Cody didn't want the title. He knew booking himself to be world champion wouldn't mean squat towards his legacy. He was always going back to the WWE though. Anyone who doubts that is just dumb.
@nathanpritchard5114 yes, but I'd argue his vision was different than Tony's. Cody wanted that old school NWA
/Crockett promotions and once he knew what AEW was turning into, that's when he was thinking about jumping ship to WWE.
I think Cody was always using AEW as a springboard back into WWE.
@@louio I think you're 100% on point there. The only way he could have gone back on that no title stipulation would have been if the fans demanded he do so. It would have taken the right feud with the right heel as champ, and it would have felt just like an old Dusty/Flair angle. Like era defining shit.
@@nathanpritchard5114 @nathanpritchard5114 Dusty booked himself through multiple legendary title runs in the 80's, so I suppose his legacy doesn't mean squat? If I had to guess, Cody didn't want to do the same because of how nasty modern wrestling fans are. And I don't think he was planning on returning the whole time, it was around 2021 when he realized that him and Tony's visions were totally opposite.
One of the biggest problems is the guy who is supposed to be setting a good example in Tony Kahn is very unprofessional and acts no different to the rabid tribal fans on social media. That leaks down to how he runs his company and books things. I can only imagine many of the backstage agents and many of the older guys think he is totally unhinged and out of control but they know he won't listen to advice.
I don't know that Tony is any more or less professional than Vince is/was 😂
I'd say it's much more likely the case that Tony has way too much on his plate between the Jaguars, Fulham, etc, and doesn't have the framework in place behind the scenes to keep all of the egos in check and everything running smoothly. And probably some nepotism as well.
@@wuztronwhen did Vince throw tantrums with trolls on Twitter?
The Vince McMahon disrespect is crazy the man gave the world WrestleMania. Yes he is out of touch with his booking now. And yes the sex stuff but Cocaine Khan is not a leader of men. Vince was. And Triple H learned the positives and negatives of Vince McMahon. So he can be better
@@Tumorcoachvince’s tantrums was him buying his competition when his dad told him not to, literally look up how interactions go with vince he throws a tantrum when you sneeze or cough 💀
@@Keepitpush99you’re talking about a point no one bought up
Sign Russo to AEW Bro that dude can help finish them off
Worked for wcw lol
Bro just sign the Guy who made Stone Cold and The Rock, itll be Great ! 🛎
Ngl Russo might actually save AEW at this point....atleast he has experience booking shows that draw ratings, it just wouldn't last if it did actually help
@@joe.limbus couldnt hurt.. lol
Man, the hate Russo gets and misinformation to this day astounds me🤣
I think, as a talent, Cody always planned on going back to WWE. His whole "betting on himself" and his post WWE strategy years ago was built to turn himself into a superstar. Someone who can not be denied. When the AEW opportunity came about I think he saw it as potential for him to become "Dusty in Florida." The boss of the whole show. So he decided he was willing to push back his WWE plans to test to see if that could happen. For a little while it looked like it might happen. But I don't think Tony Khan ever had the intention to let the EVPs keep too much power for very long. When Cody saw that writing on the wall he knew it was time to go back to Plan-A and become the star for WWE that he was building himself to become.
If I had to predict Cody's future right now I would guess that he finishes his in ring career in WWE. Goes into the Hall of Fame. Then, like Booker T, continues to stay lightly involved but focus on running the Nightmare Factory with QT and using the talent from there to book a small promotion.
Cody and Drew did it right. Proved themselves elsewhere, grew, and came back a star. Great formula and what Vince always told talent to do with passion.
Well said and I also see Cody winning that belt at Mania 40!!
@@joshx022👍💯
Well, yeah. He has publicly stated as much.
I could see him winding up on the announcers table down the road
Cody always had the potential to be a main event level talent, but the problem from Day 1 was he always distanced himself from AEWs title picture because he truly wanted to be impartial. Now contrast that with The Bucks basically needing to be in EVERY tag title storyline, or Kenny being put in that spot against MJF.
Had Cody allowed himself to have those same opportunities those guys had on the titles, I'm sure TK would have seen the Dusty Rhodes level potential in him sooner. But kudos to Cody for actually trying to run a business fairly and ethically.
At least with Kenny it made sense for him to challenge he MJF. It was a decent random 3 week side feud.
When Cody's music hit at Wrestlemania & he had that grand homecoming, I knew it was a wrap. The emotional connection that the fans had for one of their own returning to finish his legacy, was something I will never forget
That was EPIC and so was his Mania 39 entrance
It's crazy how some AEW fans have said Cody's career is worse since returning to WWE because he "jobbed to Roman Reigns". But the facts are he is one of the biggest stars in the world now, top babyface, beat Brock Lesnar twice clean, main evented WrestleMania, and he is one of the most protected guys in WWE. He has lost like two matches? In nearly two years?
@@drobinson-uo7ic 100% agree
@@drobinson-uo7ic imagine being so delusional as a fan that you think it’s ok to “job” for Anthony Agogo but not Roman Reigns. 🤣
@@drobinson-uo7ic i can’t think of anyone besides Cody and Cena who has beat Brock clean twice. Maybe Undertaker?
imagine if in the mid 00s, the highlanders told vince to fire randy orton.
or the spirit squad demanded cena be let go.
that is what happened in aew. a middling tag team who cant draw heat if they were on soaked in kerosene is running the show.
don’t forget the mid bucks are the highest paid tag team in professional wrestling aswell
@@C2190Yeah, because they found a mark that’s always wanted his own company and was willing to throw money at them. Part of the reason people even care for them was because of the bullet club or Omega..hence once they tried to split from Omega in AEW, fans started caring less and less. No surprise they stepped away for a while.
Eric is right about flying. It’s such a chore.
And 9 times out of 10 you get some type of illness from the recycled air.
For all the people talking about Cody always planned on going back to the WWE.......
You don't start your own company with the thought of going back to your last job. That's a ridiculous notion. What's more likely the case is, Cody realized, much like CM Punk did later is that he was working with children (Tony Khan). I'm sure the Bucks let their new found power go to their heads and became even more insufferable. The fact that you can trace the public chaos in AEW back to the moment Cody left says a lot about what he was probably dealing with backstage with a bunch of ungrateful, unprofessional wrestlers who are really just marks themselves. Cody's vision of what Pro Wrestling should be is vastly different from Khan's/Bucks vision is and when he realized this, he did the smart thing and took what he built and went back to the WWE because where else could he go and still be on the big stage? It turned out to be the right move in the long run but please, stop with this nonsense that it was his plan all along.
Same, I’m sure Cody’s dream would have been to build AEW up as a viable alternative like WCW as revenge for what Vince did to his dad. It’s a shame too because it had the initial energy going in to actually do it which TNA lacked in the early 2000s.
Agreed 1000% Cody wanted AEW to win and he realized with the Elite that couldn't happen. Think about it felt like there were 2 AEWs with Cody's side and the Elite's side. Then Cody leaves and there are still 2 sides. Punk's side and the Elite's side. Now its just the Elite and they are in free fall.
Eric is absolutely right. Tony is too much of a coworker than a boss. Now cm punk not there, you can’t Blame him for leaving a stain in the company.
Of course he's right. Bankrupt Bischoff was exactly the same as Tony Khan: Inept at running a business, clueless about wrestling and in general more interested in doing coke with Hogan and buying hookers for his wife.
Lmaoooo 😭😂😂😂😂😂😂
I definitely agree with Bischoff here. I've been saying for a longtime that AEW's biggest issue is lack of structure, which basically comes down to a lack of leadership. Lack of structure causes stress and drama. TK doesn't need to be the leader, but he needs to put people in charge who can be who will be respected in that role. I feel little empathy for TK though since he has the money, he has been doing it for 5 years now and he hasn't accomplished anything yet that gives me hope he'll self correct. He's had guys around him as well who could tell him what he needs. He's clearly not listening.
Eric right again, Conrad wrong again.
Tony Khan should get *Booker of the Year* again. Only he could have brought CM Punk and the WWE back together.
The real leadership was Brandi and Cody when they left it became chaos and a toxic place. Tony ain't a leader, no one ''CAN'' respect him and what he does.
I love how very few people in the business support AEW. They know it's a dumpster fire that makes WCW 2000 look like WCW 1997 by comparison.
Next to Tony, Conrad’s ability to overlook AEW’s faults or dress them up as like a success is amazing.
Conrad has this stubborn ability to keep putting AEW on the same level as WWE. WWE has changed for the better but he's assuming people leaving AEW is a change for the better? There's nothing positive going on in AEW to the larger, non cult audience. Dec 20 Dynamite did under 800,000 and probably because of that ridiculous Japan style tournament that's foreign to most people.
Cody is an example of the presentation being everything. He's largely the same guy, but they presented him better in the WWE. Tony doesn't know how to present traditional wrestlers. He gives into guys' worst instincts, and he overproduces things that don't get guys over.
Yup and it's SO frustrating
Until the CORE of the roster is willing to take advice, that company will remain STAGNANT!
The thing about Vince was when he talked, everyone listened. The man held the WWE under his fist for 40 years. I'm not saying you need to be cruel like Vince can be , but you definitely need to be assertative. You sign their checks Tony, make them respect you
I stand by the idea AEW should've made Bischoff a key authority figure and advisor when the Smackdown GM shit fell through. Tony needed people with real experience
The Steve Austin comparison is not good at all by Conrad because he wasn't over and didn't have that great gimmick WWE gave him and the fact he had a exceptional storyline vs the biggest heel on the business (Vince Mcmahon) helped him a lot too. Cody was already Cody in AEW. He was the Nightmare. The gimmick was the same. The Elite fans turned on him when the rumors of him having ''creative'' problem with the Elite started but even after that he was really popular in AEW. WWE makes you bigger all the time so going to WWE was just a bigger deal and Cody being the first big loss (roster wise) by AEW gave him more popularity. They used him really well too.
Cody wasn't popular in aew. He set himself on fire. Fans didn't give a shit.
You didn't watch the product than he was really popular and the best TNT champ ever it was really a good time. Problem was the fans in the end being too much ''Elite'' protector fans but is Merch was selling a lot in AEW. @@festo512
Steve Austin developed the Stone Cold character in ECW not WWE. Remember Austin went to ECW after WCW before going from ECW to WWE. When Austin first arrived in WWE they gave him the terrible Ringmaster gimmick which was going nowhere.
Conrad talkin' about QT like he's contributed anything good to AEW
The crazy thing is he had all the advice he would need , yet things are still falling apart 🤦🏽♂️
What advice 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Accept he doesn't listen
The problem is it was unsolicited.
Eric is so brilliant and articulate, he's a joy to listen to as a common sense / voice of reason. He's right-on about travel and his constructive criticisms. Al Snow needs to be an exec, not current talent, Al would command respect & discipline and they have great experienced guys like Jericho, Jarrett, Christian et al who should be the head of creative, who report to TK.
The problem with that is he and Russo do a show together, so that dumb ish would keep TK from using him.
When bob holly beat up Matt capatelli. Al snow just watched said nothing. Hownis he a great leader?
The issue is the young guys in AEW don’t listen to the older guys, Tully and Arn have both said this. Their advice was ignored.
@@andrewft31 when has arn ever had a great idea? He got laughed at for his dumb glock promo. Is that the person that should be listened to.
@@andrewft31 But again, that's a leadership issue. TK has hired a lot of experienced guys for exactly that reason, because AEW didn't want to be just another indy show. So if those kids don't wanna listen, just send them back to the indys because they are obviously not ready to work with the grown-ups. And to be fair, it isn't all of them that don't listen. It's basically always the same guys you hear about and the one common factor they have is that they are friends with the Bucks and therefore get away with it. There's other guys like MJF, Darby Allen or Wheeler Yuta where you basically never hear anything negative about their behavior and I can't imagine them any of them telling Sting, Jericho or Danielso (or anyone else from the experienced guys, for that matter) that they wouldn't take their advice because they don't need it.
The problem I have with all this…. Is Tony has YEARS of mistakes to research and YEARS of experience to reach out to that COULDVE helped him along the way. But instead he decided to listen to the elite……The same elite who had NO aspirations to even do all in if it wasn’t for Cody.
People fail to realize how valuable Eric Bischoff’s advice is here because all the issues Tony is dealing with Eric has been through them!
You would think Tony would reach out to these minds and bring them aboard. Your talent NEEDS to hear the constructive criticism, they need to hear experienced minds from yesteryear. The talent, the company needed leadership, and vision. But they were SO focused on trying to be anti WWE because that’s what the marks wanted, instead of using many of the things that WWE does right. It’s a shame really.
Didnt the boys in WCW play Bischoff for all it was worth with his great leadership skills
No, that's just a WWE myth.
Yes they did
"They have Christmas off" great in depth reporting Conrad... except they have a show on Xmas Day at MSG
The MSG Show is actually on December 26th 👍🏼
@@matty3679 Dont let facts get in the way of a good story.
@@farscape1714 😂😂
If MJF leaves that's all she wrote for AEW
Conrad brings this show down with his blatant AEW bias
Who is he?? I've seen him on dark side of the ring and other wrestling related content and I don't understand why he's there because his mammoth presence ruins everything and was never involved with wrestling.
@@getschwifty9531 He's Vince Russo's half brother.
WWE long ago thankfully, stopped getting talent and changing them. Look at how, well, phenomenal AJ Styles entered. Totally deserving. IMO, he's one of the all time great pro wrestlers. Think about how Vince may have portrayed him in the eighties. He probably would have gave him a drywall worker gimmick. I would think that has a lot to do with HHH 👍
AJ wouldn't have been hired by WWE in the 80s, he is too small for McMahon's tastes, especially back then. It has nothing to do with Paul Levesque and everything to do with WCW giving smaller guys a chance in the 90s and early 2000s. AJ made his mainstream debut for WCW in 2001 on Nitro and Thunder just before the end. Had WCW not been sold, TNA would never have existed and AJ would have spent all that time in WCW instead.
The biggest problem is Tony Khan. He doesn’t have the experience for this compared to Vince McMahon and Triple H
Eric is brilliant , respect to you Sir🎉
Conmark stop rocking back n forth like a mental patient.
In the case of Austin, people who knew the business knew his talent
If I’m not mistaken the last few years they didn’t travel during the holidays. They usually record 2 shows before Christmas.
Conrad SPECULATES that TK played people into thinking it was their decision to quit... In his intro.. Hype man
Eric offers critique based on experience and Conrad gets that annoying tone "Weeeellllll you can't say that"
shut up Conrad
Only Bischoff can save aew at this point. Give him the reigns and let him go after wwe. Right now they have zero buzz or intrigue
That's funny, I had that same thought just yesterday.
He wouldn't be able he would have zero real star. Nobody on that roster can be a star. MJF is gone january 1st. AEW is dead.
That's the thing, they don't need to go after WWE it's one of the biggest mistake they did. They just needed to not be cocky and dumb to start thing off and think they are better than WWE. Just offer a show that is a alternative and is open arms to everyone but it's too late now to do this.. Removing Tony Khan is the #1 play to get back the interest.
@ExpressDunlop "it's cut throat business, brother" - Hogan
He's not interested. Trust me. The only thing that can save aew is closing its doors and laughing about that trash for the next 20 years.
Say what you want about Eric, he is one of the most articulate wrestling personality around.
He's also bankrupt, bankrupted every business he ever started, went to court over his cuckolding and pretty much screwed up everything he ever touched.
I remember making fun of TNA even in their best years. which would be 2006-2009 I guess. TNA back then was really not that bad at all. compared to AEW, they were a fantastic company.
Cant wait for the rise and fall of AEW Documentary.
🤣
And the wwe one when tko corporatism rots in about 10 years
Off topic, but I really like that picture in the background. Classic wrestling moment!
Eric would know about no leadership
I don’t know about AEW, but it’s rich coming from him. One of the creative-heads of WCW, the place where the inmates ran the show.
My suggestion is can the Saturday show. Make dynamite more serious and more storyline driven. Make the Friday show more for the marks. They aren’t doing anything on Friday nights anyways.
Cody and Steve Austin went to the one place where promotion, marketing, and character development was top tier
Wasnt Eric the guy that let Hogan run the show?
Hogan only had creative control over his own character, not the entire "show".
When did that happen?
Eric is 100% right about travel. This is why alot of wrestlers quit WWE. It wasn't the physical abuse, it was the constant travel and being away from home 24/7.
Tony Khan needs to hand over the wrestling creative to an experienced wrestling guy. Someone who can write weekly episodic television. Brian Getwitz, Dave Lagana, Kevin Sullivan, Terry Taylor, Jim Cornette someome
Everything Punk said in the scrum is true
Mr.buschoff is correct and happy holidays to everyone
Sorry I saw it in Cody and still do. I saw Austin being a World Champion but not what he became. Austin was on fire in ECW for a short time. If you never saw it you should. Him and Pillman was such a good tag team. But no hate on Eric no one can see the next mega star and Austin was the right guy in the right spot for that moment.
The Jab 😂😂 eric bishoff knows his sht hes consiously aware
Why don't you put your application then to aew man
And Eric tries to make this point that there has to be something wrong with AEW simply because two people choose to leave, completely ignoring the mountain of talent from Adam Copeland to Bryan Danielson to Will Osprey, who chose AEW when WWE had a contract on the table for them. Same with Jay White, FTR, and probably two dozen other people. How is this a massive problem for AEW yet totally okay for WWE, when talent overwhelmingly seem to choose the former?
Tony Mark over pays these guys and these wrestlers realize they can half ass it and still get paid.
Less dates, more money. The exact same strategy TNA and WCW used for years to coax WWE talent to their promotion
Hell has frozen over . *Bischoff and Cornette agree.*
Aew is like manchester united at this point. Not even a player of Ronaldo's level couldn't save them. And even signing multi million dollar deal with John Cena, Roman and Brock at same time wouldn't save AEW.
If CM punk can go back to WWE, then there is a much bigger chance where AEW can lose their biggest stars MJF or Jon Moxley in the future to WWE. But every fan is aware of this kind of picture.
As a Man Utd supporter, that did make me laugh. Such a mess. Hopefully this Ratcliffe deal helps to stabilise things.
Cody isn't in Punk or Roman's league, and Randy is REALLY over shining him. LA Knight is more of a legitimate superstar than Cody.
The irony in talkin about Cody leaving and about aew needing better management. Wwe mismanaged Codys return. He should have gone over on Roman or not faced him at all and ended up killing his whole comeback story/momentum.
I always thought Cody when I seen his first match that he had something special. He had that look in his eyes. I thought he’d be like Orton. Now I can him rise above that level. I’m not saying Cena or Austin but he’s in a true path of greatness in his own right and he deserves it. It’s king over due. He’s done some good stuff through out his career.
Weak leadership is AEW’s single biggest problem. Yeah, I’m sure Tony Khan is a nice guy but he isn’t ruthless, savvy or experienced enough to manage a wrestling company effectively and his flightiness, inability to handle criticism and poor media skills are a detriment to AEW. I love how he makes damn sure to issue those little NDAs to anyone leaving so the truth about what happens backstage never gets out.
That "Other" is Dana Massie... Matt Jacksons wife
I think Tony should try to get court Bauer to leave or shut down MLW & basically bring him in to run things. MLW constantly does so much more and so much better with a significantly smaller budget. I’d love to see what court could do with major tv & big budget
where are the belts that used to be in the case behind Conrad?
I'd listen to more of Conrad's podcasts if he wasn't on them.
Eric knows a lot about no leadership. That's how he ran WCW.
Which is why, in retrospect, he can see that and talk about it, recognising the signs. Its not knocking him at all, everyone makes mistakes.
You worked there?
Now they're in the 700,000's I the ratings. Lol. Quarter 7 only drew 700,000 viewers. Overall dynamite drew 780,000 viewers. Ouch! 😄
So WWE will literally release 75 employees/backstage/ wrestlers/execs and it’s a story for half a day, but QT Marshall leaves AEW and we’ve been talking about it for a weeks??? Tell me you have a bias without telling me you have a bias.
Tell us that you were stopped on your head without telling us us that you were dropped on your head
I think Tony needs to give some of the leadership to people that been in the business for a while like Dustin Rhodes and Sting.
Aren’t The Bucks, Kenny, & Page all the leadership AEW needs?
No tony khan took power away from them few months before Cody left
LOL
In fairness- Cody practically had go-away heat with AEW’s loyal fans at the end… whatever he did was not going to stand out amid the comedy and trampoline wrestling, and the AEW fans resented that he was pushed as a major baby face. AEW was just not a fit for Cody’s potential, and that is more of an indictment of AEW than anything.
If he stayed and actually explore the going heel aspect of his character. It might have worked
@@pingpongballz5998 Yeah- I honestly thought that would have been his best option then… he could have be an over the top, arrogant “baby face” … kind of similar to Kurt Angle. He didn’t want to go that route apparently, which is a shame…
@Daint_McTaint ya and we'll never know now hehe. But I think Cody works a lot better in WWE. He's a much bigger star. He's most likely gonna take the title from Roman. Hopefully.
I like Cody, but him leaving wasn't a big deal to me.
And the reason why he's the top guy in the WWE is because the WWE has fans who like anything they put out there.
There’s a shortage of pilots and air traffic controllers for two reasons. #1 is all the ones that refused and #2 is the ones who took it and now they can’t pass a physical because their heart rhythms are all over the place.
Yeah, thanks to the vaccine. They want UNVAXXED pilots. My friend is looking into being a pilot now.
AEW formed and thrived at least partly not because of what it was but because of the mess that wwe was.
Now with WWE thriving and being stronger and more well booked than ever before AEW no longer gets to point out how its not that. It has to acknowledge its own limitations.
Man Bear Pig is mad that Eric doesn’t love AEW
"Travel has gotten so much harder today than it was 20 years ago, so many connecting flights!"
Somewhere Steve Regal is having PTSD from 36 hours of complete silence carpooling with Tajiri.
Did he?
How much you wanna bet Conrad has a little slice of AEW.
Definitely i wouldn't be surprised if conrad thompson would help fund AEW if T Khan had enough
You kidding? He only takes giant slices
I've never seen artwork in a sauna before.
i’m starting to enjoy eric’s takes let’s be honest where tony’s at right now. bischoff is tony’s ghost of christmas past
If mjf leaves it is all over
Why does the first question take two minutes to ask? Let the guest speak already without your preconcieved notions.
Kevin Sullivan should never be in a backstage position
2 minutes in Eric gets to answer
At some point does Conrad say "Eeeeric" in that high pitched, flabbergasted voice...??
Conrad likes French fries with EXTRA gravy and DOUBLE mayonnaise
Jon Moxley shouodve just kept the title for years. Thats the guy that should embody AEW
I dont get the steve austin and cody rhodes analogy... steve was a mid to lower card act that was let go of and vince believed in his talent to sign him as a mid card. Cody went on a tour and got over and is a main eventer in some ppl eyes totally different conrad.
I have been a pro wrestling super fan since 1991, and I have seen many money marks like Tony Khan come along over the years. Every one of them approached it the same way, and every single one of them have failed in exactly the same way. Tony Khan is making many of the same mistakes that Herb Abrahms and Dixie Carter made before him, and that Billy Corgan is currently making. You can't walk in off the street and successfully perform heart surgery on someone, nor can you walk in and run a wrestling company with no experience. It is just reality. AEW is on life support, and it's obvious to see. Due to the Khan's money, AEW will survive until Tony or Shad decides to flip the switch, but it is never going to get any better unless major changes are made.
Hey Conrad, the fans do care about leadership, especially when it explains the nonsensical storylines and all the headscratching moves Tony initiates.
AEW will be just fine. Talent comes and goes. Especially if they assault their boss. (Allegedly)
100 percent agree air travel these days is worse
Look at Lexus king
Tony's inner child is the leader of AEW, and that is why its bottoming out.
Tony, himself, MUST leave the picture. He is and will never escape, the face of failure for AEW and every time he tries to change that, he ends up with MORE egg on is face.
He is too insecure to allow AEW to be managed by someone else other than himself and that is the detriment of the promotion.
I will stake anything i OWN on this statement.
If TONY disappears from visibility and someone ELSE, an ex performer, becomes the face that runs the place, I PROMISE AEW will start improving again.
Tony himself keeps anchoring it in the past by his own personal decisions and anytime someone comes in to HELP, he clashes with them instead.
Love or hate PUNK, He was a draw and a massive one too. Tony thought he could just BUY him and he'd fall in line and he lose THAT one terribly, Brooks got himself OUT of his own contract and now he is back in WWE making money and attention that TONY only dreams he could've had.
I mean he HAD it. he already HAD it. He did not know how to manage it, much less UTILIZE it properly.
Bet Brooks wanted out and that was the way to do it.
Tony cut all ties with Brooks.
Exactly what Brooks wanted you think?
HHMMMMMM.
Tony listens to his "evps" those little 😽😽😽 don't want anybody to expose how fake they are. Simple as that.