Opinion
DeMarco: What The Wrestling Business Lost In Hana Kimura
I look at the wrestling side of the death of Joshi sensation Hana Kimura.
Greg DeMarco looks at the wrestling side of the death of Joshi sensation Hana Kimura.
It seems weird to sit here and type this article on Hana Kimura–but I am going to do it. I’ll explain why in a moment. But the world is a really screwed place right now. Truth is, the world has always been a screwed up place, it’s just at the forefront right now. Regardless of states “opening up” and some areas even seeing wrestling show, we are still dealing with COVID-19 and the Coronavirus…with no end in sight. But that’s been going on for 3 months now. Add in the deaths of Larry Csonka (who gave me my start), Shad Gaspard (who you won’t hear a bad word about), and today Danny Havoc, and wrestling has been rocked lately.
But the death of George Floyd has brought back up an issue that has no end in sight, but the beginning is far out of sight as well. #BlackLivesMatter is a real thing, because black lives matter! White people, especially in America, control far too much of the money, opportunity, and future to pretend that black people haven’t been oppressed for pretty much our entire existence as a nation. And because of the money, opportunity, and future I listed above, it’s time for the silent majority to stop being silent. That includes me, and it’s very likely–just based on the demographics of wrestling fans online–that includes you as well. And the fact that far too many white people are trying to divert any attention to businesses that are being looted and riots that are out of control proves my point. Stop trying to address the symptoms and address the real problem. Peaceful protests don’t work, because we keep saying “…but not like that.” It’s time for a systemic change, and it’s not coming from the government. It has to come from us.
That is another column for another time. This is about Hana Kimura, a beautiful soul taken from the world of professional wrestling far too soon.
You’re likely either puzzled or intrigued by the title of my article, because I am not looking at the personal side of a death, I am looking at the business side of it. I am but a very casual fan of Joshi at the most, and that’s probably giving me too much credit. I can never give the passing of Hana Kimura the justice it deserves, but Andrew Balaz did just that last week, in an article you can (and should) read here.
Writing about the business side is my wheelhouse. It’s what I do. I promote wrestling events (another thing impacted by COVID-19), so I look at the business differently than many of you. So for me to put the passing of Hana Kimura into perspective (and perspective is what we, as writers, offer), I have to do it from the business side.
At the time of her passing, professional wrestler and reality TV star Hana Kimura was 22 years old. She had been performing in Stardom in Japan (along with multiple appearances in the United States, notably for Ring Of Honor and AEW), and was also a part of the Stardom showcase match that took place in the Tokyo Dome before WrestleKingdom 14 in front of over 40,000 people. She took her own life due to harassment related to her involvement not in professional wrestling, but as a member of the cast of Terrace House, a reality putting six people in a house together and creating dating scenarios for them to encounter. Reports later surfaced that she tried to get out of the show back in December, but was unable to do so. Thus, she continued to meet her obligations to the show on which she was contracted to appear.
Hana Kimura was trained by the Wrestle-1 University, but her mother is Kyoko Kimura, who wrestled from 2003 to 2017. Hana was born in 1997, meaning she was 6 years old when her mother debuted as a pro wrestler. Hana saw every bit of her mother’s career…the wrestling business was literally in her blood.
Hana only had 4 years of wrestling experience, but had become one of the most well known performers outside of the United States, with her in-ring acumen growing exponentially during that time. As I said, I am a casual Joshi fan at best, but if you said “Stardom” to me and asked me who comes to mind, you’re getting two names: Kagetsu and Hana Kimura.
At her young age, the potential she had in the business was unlimited, especially when you add in her look, charisma, and popularity. That’s where the title of this article comes into play: Hana Kimura could have been one of the biggest stars in the wrestling business–male or female.
As I mentioned, Hana Kimura was 22 years old when she passed away last week. Let’s take a look at the ages of the biggest female stars in WWE today:
- Becky Lynch, arguably the biggest women’s wrestling star in the world when she left to start a family, is 33 years old
- Charlotte Flair is 34
- Sasha Banks is 28
- Bayley is 30
- Ronda Rousey, currently inactive, is 33
- Shayna Baszler is 39
- Asuka is 38
- Alexa Bliss is 28
- Io Shirai is 30
- Rhea Ripley is 23
- Candice LeRae is 34
Let’s fast forward 10 years, when Hana Kimura is a 14-year veteran of the business at age 32. It’s entirely conceivable that the only person on this list still active is Rhea Ripley. there is a chance that Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss, at 38, are also active. But for all intents and purposes, we would be into the second wave of female talent atop WWE, and if she chose to come over, Hana could be the leader of the pack.
It’s very possible that Hana Kimura wouldn’t go the Shinsuke Nakamura route in wanting to prove himself on American soil, instead taking the Kazuchika Okada route and carrying the Japanese product on her shoulders. Stardom has been purchased by Bushiroad, the parent company of New Japan. According to my conversation with the aforementioned Andrew Balaz, the whole reason Hana went on Terrace House was to spread the joy of Joshi and Stardom.
But it would take a cultural shift for Japan’s focus on women’s wrestling to match what we see here in the States. If I am placing a bet, I could see WWE aggressively signing more Stardom talent in the coming years. I would expect Hana Kimura to be one of the prime targets. I don’t know how strong her English was, but there would have been plenty of time for her to pick it up. And if how fast she picked up the wrestling business is any indication, she had it in her to become really strong in English.
To be blunt: in 2029-2030, it’s 100% reasonable to see Hana Kimura at the level in WWE that Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair are in 2019-2020. Hana Kimura vs. Rhea Ripley could easily have main evented WrestleMania 45m and we could easily throw Becky Lynch in as the special referee. Kimura would be a media darling in America, carrying the flag with Charlotte Flair and Bayley rooting her on via social media. She could be retiring Sasha Banks and/or Alexa Bliss, she could be singing the praises of Triple H and the impact he’s had on her career.
When you look at the facts, it’s more than reasonable to say this could happen. Add in Hana’s ability, charisma, and age, and it’s damn near probable. But because of some coward fanboy keyboard warriors, none of it is going to happen.
Well, it will happen…with someone else. But it’s fair to say that if Hana Kimura wanted it, it would have been hers for the taking. Instead it was taken from her, and it was taken from us. It was taken from wrestling.
The world is a crazy, and sometimes scary, place right now. It largely always has been, and probably always will be. We can make a difference. Be a good person, stand up for what’s right even if you’re not the one being wronged, and let’s make this a better place. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay good to each other.
Greg DeMarco is a life-long wrestling fan who has been providing analysis and perspective online since 2010. He’s also worked for various wrestling promotions including the NWA and Ring Of Honor, and currently promotes IZW Wrestling in Arizona.
Links:
* Homepage – https://thechairshot.com/gregdemarco
* Twitter – https://twitter.com/ChairshotGreg
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* Instagram – https://instagram.com/ChairshotGreg
* Free Email Newsletter – https://gregdemarco.substack.com
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Opinion
Greg DeMarco’s 2024 WWE Royal Rumble Reaction
It’s the Royal Rumble! A favorite of many fans, the Rumble kicks off the Road To WrestleMania. Greg DeMarco is here with his live reactions to the event!
It’s the Royal Rumble! A favorite of many fans, the Rumble kicks off the Road To WrestleMania. Greg DeMarco is here with his live reactions to the event!
The WWE Royal Rumble is upon us, and while the Men’s Royal Rumble Match isn’t for the World Heavyweight Championship like I suggested, it’s still the most anticipated event of the year.
Why? The Unknown.
That’s right–in this age of the internet (usually incorrectly) telling us everything it possibly can about what is going to happen in the world of wrestling, the Royal Rumble stands out because despite what we’re told (or, more importantly, what we choose to listen to), the event is always full of fun and surprises.
BOLD Predictions for the #RoyalRumble
* Jimmy Uso #1, Jey Uso #2
* GUNTHER wins–twists & turns coming for the Road to WM
* Bron, Melo, Trick, Roxanne, Blair, Tiffany, Briggs are all in the Rumble.
* Rhea Ripley enters the Women's Rumble.
* Becky Lynch tosses Bayley to win.— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 27, 2024
Check out Steven Mitchell’s 2024 WWE Royal Rumble Results & Review!
Women’s Royal Rumble Match
- They really are driving home the “main event WrestleMania” point this year–strengthens my thought that women will main event Night 1. Triple H would catch a ton of heat if he keeps women out for the third straight year.
- NAOMI! Good to see her back, and the emotional response she had.
- Love Michael Cole calling out Naomi’s time in TNA, and recognizing her as a former Knockouts Champion.
- Entering #3 doesn’t bode well for Bayley. I honestly don’t think she is gonna win.
- JORDYNNE GRACE! I saw the reports earlier today. This is a much bigger deal than Mickie James, because Mickie was a returning legend.
- “TNA HAS A WEAPON!” So glad to have Pat McAfee on the call.
- Honestly, Jordynne Grace belongs in WWE.
Not gonna lie, Jordynne Grace isn't the least bit out of place in WWE. I have a feeling this won't be the last time we see her in a WWE ring.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- Asuka comes in, and they sell the surprise of Bayley. STORYTELLING, people!
- Something tells me when we get Kairi Sane in there, The Kabuki Warriors will eliminate Bayley.
- Ivy Nile enters, and I immediately want to see her go toe-to-toe with Jordynne Grace.
- What if they pulled some crazy sh*t and had Jordynne Grace win???
- Just step through the ropes next time, Bianca.
- When I first saw the C4 clock, I thought I would get tired of it But I am already used to it.
- Here’s Kairi Sane, time to set the plan into motion!
- This crowd does not appear to like Tegan Nox.
- Welp, there goes my idea o Asuka and Kairi eliminating Bayley.
- That was a hell of a way for Jordynne Grace to go out.
I legit forgot Xia Li worked there.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- I think Michael Cole secretly loves to call a Meteora.
- There’s a reason Maxxine Dupri doesn’t wrestle much.
- That tandem Code Red was very Young Buckish. And that’s not a compliment.
- Hair,…gear…this might be the messiest Royal Rumble yet.
- Ah, here comes the winner, Becky Lynch (I am calling Becky eliminates Bayley to win her second Royal Rumble).
- LOVE the scoreboard of time in the Rumble for selected wrestlers.
Why does everyone turn around after tossing someone, not seeing that they held onto the ropes?#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- R-TRUTH?!?! (Funny story, it was Truth’s spot that Nia Jax took in 2019.)
- If you push Mia Yim, she’ll take it further than you could imagine.
- “How is everybody the most athletic person on Earth?” – Pat McAfee
- Surprising that Roxanne Perez, at #27, is the first NXT entrant. I don’t think we’ll be seeing Tiffany Stratton of Blair Davenport since we only have 3 more to come.
- Amazing reaction for Jade Cargill. Give her time, she’s definitely going to be a huge star.
- JUST GIVE HER TIME.
- Seriously, Nia Jax had to help Jade eliminate her–A LOT.
#RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/3N2xKku9sY
— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) January 28, 2024
- Greg Was Wrong: It is indeed Tiffy Time in the Royal Rumble.
- Back to Jade–she is insanely over.
- I know it won’t be, but this should be Tiffany Stratton’s official main roster call-up.
- Liv Morgan returns at #30, and good for Liv. She nearly went wire-to-wire last year.
- Liv Morgan: “Thank you!” Pat McAfee: “No problem.”
- Tiffany Stratton eliminating Roxanne Perez is, to me, an invitation for a match with them on Raw this Monday.
- Still love the scoreboard as Naomi passes an hour.
- The camera is catching a lot of in-ring communications right now.
- And Jade Cargill eliminates my pick to win. Bye Becky.
- Jade Cargill in the final three of the Royal Rumble (with Liv Morgan and Bayley) is huge for her.
- Hell of a debut for Jade Cargill.
- And a huge win for Bayley.
Winner of the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble Match: Bayley (eliminating Liv Morgan to win)
Winners of the Women's Rumble:
TNA Wrestling – TNA chants at a WWE show is amazing
Jordynne Grace – WWE put her over despite not being their talent, I bet we see her in a WWE ring again
Jad Cargill – That pop was pretty special
Naomi – First night back and goes over 60 mins..— #1 Chairshot Villain (@WrestlngRealist) January 28, 2024
Poor Liv Morgan, runner-up two years in a row. I wonder if this is setting her up for the 2025 Rumble.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
Fatal 4-Way Match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Randy Orton vs AJ Styles vs. LA Knight vs. Roman Reigns (champion, with Paul Heyman)
Nothing says "Roman isn't losing" like putting his title match on second.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- Glad to see AJ Styles got his tights back. Pants AJ Styles (but still with the football gloves) was not working. Not just bring the beard back to your face Allen–the think beard also ain’t working.
What would it cost me to have @SamanthaTheBomb announce "ROMAN…REIGNS!" in the same way she used to announce Chelsea Green? Because I might pay it. #RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- Pat McAfee campaigning for Roman Reigns to be given at least a 26% chance is amazing.
- Say what you want about LA Knight, he’s a damn star and totally belongs in this match.
- Roman completely sandbagged Randy on the table drop. I don’t think it was on purpose, but he definitely didn’t jump.
- Roman Reigns is very much like Gunther in that he does the simple things SO WELL, like a jumping clothesline. That’s how you do it.
- Yes, I compared Roman Reigns to Gunther. Don’t @ me, I’m right.
Roman Reigns doesn't get enough credit for how he sells his ass off for his opponents.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- RKO City, Bitch.
- Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand here’s Solo! (At some point, Solo will get tired of saving Roman’s ass.)
- Solo ’bout to go through that barricade.
- Solo indeed went through that barricade.
Roman waiting around for AJ's Phenomenal Forearm like he's in a Young Bucks match.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- Yes, we had the Solo interference mid-match, but honestly in the end Roman won that clean.
Winner, #ANDSTILL your Undisputed WWE Universal Champion: Roman Reigns
WWE United States Championship: Kevin Owens vs. Logan Paul (champion)
- Kevin Owens wearing Zubaz shorts in the Performance Center fight makes me very happy.
- Logan Paul talking about a full time run, and now he’s putting on size.
- Logan’s headband didn’t list very long.
- I honestly hate it when modern-day wrestlers bust out a crotch chop.
- If you were watching the Royal Rumble and didn’t know who Logan Paul was, you’d just assume he was a pro wrestler. That says everything you need to know about how good he is at this.
- ANOTHER crotch chop. Now we’re at 2 too many.
The internet criticizes LA Knight for being a rip-off artist, when Kevin Owens does Crotch Chops and Stunners.#RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- Cue the “Better Buckshot Than Hangman” tweets. But they might be right.
- I love the idea of a Logan Paul, Austin Theory, and Grayson Waller stable.
- C’mon, there’s NO WAY Ryan Tran could see the knucks on Kevin Owens’ hand given his placement. It’s the little things.
- Finish here tells me we’ll see KO vs. Logan Paul again. I’d guess on TV, if not in Australia.
Winner by disqualification, #ANDSTILL WWE United States Champion: Logan Paul
Men’s Royal Rumble Match
- Jey Uso coming at #1 was expected thanks to the internet reports. But I still think Jimmy should be #1 and Jey #2, for the reaction shots on Jimmy.
- Grayson Waller talking himself to the ring is perfect.
- “No Yeet!” Grayson is a brilliant performer. I’d make a Roddy Piper comparison here, but y’all would get at mad at me.
- Good to have Andrade back in WWE. Great reaction for him when the mask came off.
Now that is a look…#Andrade #RoyalRumble
— #1 Chairshot Villain (@WrestlngRealist) January 28, 2024
- SmackDown superstar Carmelo Hayes! I really really really hope Trick is also in this match, just for the chants.
- Melo pointed to the sign, C’mon, man.
- Do you send Andrade to Smackdown, or do you send him to Raw and let him do his own thing?
- Oh goody, Karrion Kross is here. Yay.
- (Yes, that’s sarcasm you read.)
- Dominik Mysterio is so good. Give him time, he’s going to be a huge star.
Sadly, this did not happen. #RoyalRumble https://t.co/ABNnP5D8Oq
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- The Royal Rumble was a great place for the Apple Spot.
- Here comes Bob Lashley–please just eliminate Karrion Kross.
- Lashley wearing the WrestleMania white gear more than 2 months early.
- Austin Theory still gets his concussion effect entrance, despite it being the Rumble.
- What if–hear me out now–Finn Balor wins the Royal Rumble to get the shot at Seth Rollins, and Priest uses his briefcase to make that match a triple threat at ‘Mania?
- I know he didn’t, but it sure looked like Jimmy was swerving while he drives in that interaction with Gunther.
- Kofi did tell us the Rumble Magic wasn’t happening anymore.
- Give me Ivar vs Gunther!
- Bron Breakker is a star. It’s inevitable.
- Of course Omos would be in the Rumble. Good to see MVP on my TV as well.
- “I didn’t know humans came that big!” – Pat McAfee
- I half think Pat McAfee didn’t know he was entering the Rumble.
- Nice moment for Bron Breakker eliminating Omos. WrestleMania match?
- R-Truth trying to get Dominik (Tom or Nick?) Mysterio to tag him in is brilliant.
- DOM MADE THE TAG!!!
- “And now R-Truth is the legal man.” – thank you Michael Cole.
- Michael Cole delivers multiple TNA references tonight, along with a Dolph Ziggler reference. God Bless Michael Cole.
- Imagine for a second that this was CM Punk’s actual WWE return.
- The reaction to Drew McIntyre’s entrance is a reminder that they don’t actually need him.
- Sami Zayn enters at #30, also known as “Not The Rock.”
Smackdown brand very well represented in this Final 4. (And the Final 6 as well.) #RoyalRumble
— Big Daddy Greg 🤡 (@gregdemarco44) January 28, 2024
- In the ring, Drew McIntyre is amazing. Just keep the microphone away from him. (And stop the damn counting!)
- And there goes my choice for the Men’s Rumble!
- Love having both Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in the press boxes watching to see who wins.
- Punk kinda looks like Chris Jericho in there. Seriously.
- Between Punk and Cody, Cody is the right choice. I really don’t want to watch Punk right now–he needs to hit the cardio, and hard. Given Seth Rollins’ injury and Punk’s conditioning, WWE would be smart to make the World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 40 a multi-man match.
Winner of the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble: Cody Rhodes
Overall thoughts on the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble
For at least the second straight year, the Men’s Royal Rumble Match was kinda disappointing. Not the result–that’s fine. But the match itself. It just wasn’t nearly as exciting as the Women’s. Of the four matches, I would place it 4th in terms of enjoyment.
Great moments for both Bayley and Cody Rhodes. Logan Paul continually shows that he deserves to be considered a pro wrestler, not a celebrity who is wrestling. Pat McAfee is a joy on commentary. Jordynne Grace is a WWE Superstar, regardless of what company she is signed to. Bron Breakker is a star.CM Punk is very out of shape. Cody Rhodes is about to become THE guy, and he deserves it.
Overall I give the event a thumbs up, but they have to do something about the Men’s Royal Rumble Match moving forward.
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Opinion
WWE Raw Heads To Netflix: What Does It Mean?
Monumental news drops as WWE RAW is moving to Netflix. Is it truly a game changing move? Greg DeMarco analyzes this shift for the TV wrestling business.
Monumental news drops as WWE RAW is moving to Netflix. Is it truly a game changing move? Greg DeMarco analyzes this shift for the TV wrestling business.
Being a wee little kid in the 80s, I am “lucky enough” to remember having 3 TV channels, and my dad explaining what an 8-track is, how shocked I was when I say a laser disc for the first time, when I bought a 6 CD changer, installed my own car stereo, and all the way up to the fact that I have now been watching WWE pay-per-view/premium live events on the WWE Network and Peacock for 10 years. Hell, in the same month (February 2014) I signed up for the WWE Network, cut the cord to drop cable and got Sling TV. I have since moved onto YouTube TV which is highly recommended.
Over the last two years the NFL has put Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime, simulcast to various streaming services, and less than 2 weeks ago put a playoff game exclusively on streaming when a Wildcard Weekend showdown between the Chiefs and Dolphins was only shown on Peacock.
And now it’s fully permeated into pro wrestling.
WWE and AEW are both in the midst of a very important time on the business side, with all of their TV rights up for grabs. The first domino fell when SmackDown On FOX became SmackDown on USA Network, and soon after we learned that WWE NXT was moving to broadcast television and joining The CW (which is also rebranding, but just to CW).
The AEW suite of programming that includes Collision, Rampage, and their most successful show Dynamite is up for renewal with Warner Bros/Discovery, and Tony Khan has been optimistic about the relationship and potentially an increase in rights fees.
That brings us to Tuesday morning, and the likely groundbreaking WWE announcement that Raw is moving to Netflix, starting in January 2025. Triple H tweeted that they’re changing the game, and TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro (who knows a thing or two about shifts in media consumption) used the word “transformative” in his statement, and I really think he couldn’t be more right.
But what does it all mean?
Wrestling Remains A Strong Media Product
I have been claiming this for over a year now. As many online will cite a decline in TV viewership for both WWE and AEW, the TV product has been a strong value to networks. Even in dropping SmackDown, FOX themselves said they didn’t pump enough resources into the show, and that the advertising return wasn’t what they wanted. That doesn’t mean the product (TV value, we’re not talking about creative here) isn’t strong. It’s so strong that USA Network picked up SmackDown for $280 million per year, giving WWE an increase over the FOX deal. CW is paying $20-$25 million annually for NXT, and now Netflix is paying $500 million for RAW.
Why? Because wrestling isn’t just a strong media product, it’s consistent. And that is key.
Look at this quote from Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria:
“Raw is the best of sports entertainment, blending great characters and storytelling with live action 52 weeks a year and we’re thrilled to be in this long-term partnership with WWE.”
Now cross reference that with a comment from CW President Dennis Miller from back when the CW/NXT deal was announced:
“We are thrilled to welcome the WWE brand into the CW Sports portfolio as they play an integral role in our mission to bring live sporting events to the network year-round.”
What do those statements have in common? The year-round, 52-week nature of wrestling programming. It’s an unbeatable value for networks. It’s cheaper than a deal with a major sports league, and it’s not finite. Wrestling joins news, talk, and sports talk as the only year-round programming available to networks. And WWE and AEW have shows that essentially always land in the Top 5 after you factor out live sports. You can’t beat it.
What Does This Mean for Netflix?
Don’t get it twisted, this is also a huge leap for Netflix. Prior to the WWE Raw deal, Netflix has only experimented with live events, streaming the live Chris Rock “Selective Outrage” special, and showing The Netflix Cup live (a golf event featuring athletes from their F1 series “Drive To Survive” and their golf series “Full Swing).
WWE is the perfect partner for Netflix as it gets into live programming. It’s sports entertainment: sports like programming (which Netflix has done) that focuses on storytelling (which Netflix has obviously done). And no one does it better than WWE. It’s essentially plug-and-play for Netflix, the perfect solution for their live programming aspirations.
The perfect solution that they were willing to pay $5 billion for.
What Does This Mean for AEW?
The biggest risk to an AEW renewal with Warner Bros Discovery was WBD picking up WWE Raw–and that risk has been eliminated by Netflix. Don’t discount that fact–Netflix did Tony Khan a huge favor by throwing $500 million per at WWE. The path is clear for AEW to remain on the Turner networks.
But at what price?
I know I usually write as if I have all the answers, but I have zero idea either way on this one. WBD no longer has any other options if it wants to keep wrestling (except for TNA, who recently expressed a desire to be on a bigger network), and AEW (at least, Dynamite) is a weekly Top 5 program for them on Wednesdays, on cable.
On the other hand, AEW doesn’t exactly have another network begging for their services. The reason WWE could get a yearly increase for Raw, SmackDown, and NXT is because it was truly a bidding war. Unless Tony Khan gets another network involved, any threat of walking away from a deal doesn’t really hold water.
So if I were a betting man (and who would ever bet on this) I would expect an announcement of a renewal for AEW and WBD relatively soon. We may not know the terms of the deal, I will take a shot in the dark and say that AEW gets a small increase (not the “nearly double” that had been reported last year).
Regardless of the increase (or not), given AEW’s recent attendance challenges, this likely renewal would have to be viewed as a win for the company.
Personally, this is simply an amazing time to be a fan. We’ve seen WWE go from one live TV show per week with Monday Night Raw, through the Monday Night Wars, the addition of SmackDown and later NXT, to being this global juggernaut that is commanding half-a-billion dollars per year for Raw. I also think this makes Raw the flagship once again. All of this comes after Vince McMahon is largely out of power, Triple H has taken over creative (and holds a pretty good success rate so far), and the company was sold to Endeavor, and merged with the UFC as a business entity under the TKO banner.
If you know me, you know I am a huge follower of the business side of the wrestling business. I often care less about WHAT wrestling companies do, but HOW they do it. I have always gravitated towards that, since middle school. And for the past near 24 months, I have been like a kid in a candy store.
The Peacock deal for the WWE Network runs out in 2026, right? The fun never stops!
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