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DeMarco’s 5 Tough Questions About All Elite Wrestling
Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions, especially if you love something.

All Elite Wrestling is setting the world on fire due to hopes of being a viable alternative. The excitement is great, but Greg DeMarco has some key questions about long term success.
Listen, I want All Elite Wrestling to succeed. If AEW can compete with WWE in even the slightest way, it’ll be good for the business as a whole. Great for the talent…good for the fans…and good for the business. But as someone who has been watching this for 35 years, involved in it for 12, and studying it for 10, I have to ask some tough questions.
I ask them out of love, because I love this business and want to see it succeed. Hopefully these are questions AEW has already asked itself. If not, they’re already in trouble.
5. Can AEW draw in local markets outside their niche?
Before you jump all over it, I know “Can They Draw?” is a stupid question. If you count ALL IN (and for all intents and purposes, I do) they sold over 10k tickets for one show and I am willing to bet they’ll sell out another. But that’s what I am talking about here–not in the slightest.
All Elite Wrestling can’t run holiday weekend events a few times per year forever. At some point, they need to produce television shows. Is that going to be a traveling deal? If so, can they draw locally in those markets, as fans aren’t going to travel weekly, twice a month, or even monthly to a TV taping. If they run 4-6 pay-per-view events per year, fans aren’t traveling to all of those, either. The market can’t support it. Those fans, while still complaining about the WWE product, are still going to travel for it, because they know the experience will still deliver.
AEW’s biggest national stars are Chris Jericho, and……….hmmmmmm……..
Cody Rhodes, nationally, is a midcarder or a comedy act. Kenny Omega is amazing, but outside of Japan (and Winnipeg) he isn’t a household name. The Young Bucks are insanely over, but will they draw outside of their niche on a regular basis? This isn’t a knock on any of them–this is reality. They can draw niche fans willing to travel, and that won’t sustain a regular schedule.
4. What is the infrastructure?
I know what you’re thinking, fanboy! “I don’t care about the infrastructure, I’m just excited about the product they are going to put on.” And I get that. It works if you’re talking about WWE, because you can roll with the assumption that there is an infrastructure in place to support the business. It’s been proven.
Eric Bischoff has been on record as saying that WCW lacked infrastructure in multiple areas. One of them was merchandise. Now, unless you walk into an arena and stare at the floor the entire time, you’ve notice that merchandising is a HUGE deal to this business. Hell, you can buy one of 10 t-shirts for The Chairshot on Pro Wrestling Tees right now! (And you should!) I think they have the merchandise side down, thanks to Pro Wrestling Tees. What about ticket sales? Advertising sales?
Right we know about Tony Khan, Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks all serving in leadership roles. You have to assume Chief Brandi Officer isn’t her real title, but Brandi Rhodes has an office job as well. I would bet Adam Page does, and I really hope (for his sake) Christopher Daniels does as well. Otherwise, why would he leave ROH? But what else?
Who is doing the accounting? Who runs the risk management? Is it the same as the Jacksonville Jaguars? Same as Fulham? Who is taking care of insurance? Who administers the benefits for the office staff. WHO IS THE OFFICE STAFF? These are real questions, and without being sure this is in place, how do you know this is going to last?
This is a real concern–and might be addressed. Let’s make sure it is.
3. What is the TV situation really going to be?
Dave Meltzer has reported (and I use that term loosely) that the two TV deals that AEW have on the table are both the best non-WWE deals since WCW. Is he talking revenue or exposure? I seriously doubt it’s both, and I suspect it’s the latter.
If you are a serious television partner, why would you pay for a TV product that doesn’t even have a pilot? You have no idea what type of production they’ll put out! And if the partner is one who will produce it for them, no we’re looking at an AXS TV level of deal (which was suspected, and dismissed, a while back).
If the deal is for exposure, even if they aren’t making any rights fees up front, it better be good exposure. If it is, then it’s worth it. But will they market it? TNA had good exposure with Spike TV, but Spike didn’t push the product. The marketing was terrible, and drove it into the ground. Word of mouth–word of social media–isn’t going to make you a national television brand. The neck beards standing around the pool on Thursday aren’t going to make you a national brand. Strong advertising is going to make you a national brand. That doesn’t happen without an engaged television partner.
2. Will they get their own Hall & Nash?
WCW was legitimized by Hulk Hogan, but it became a real war once Scott Hall and Kevin Nash went over. That’s when you knew it was getting nasty. That changed the business. If all this accomplishes is getting WWE to pay more for their name talent, the “world change” didn’t really help AEW. It helped WWE talent who could have jumped ship but didn’t.
Someone needs to jump. Randy Orton? Maybe, but he doesn’t move the needle nationally. They need a Daniel Bryan, a Seth Rollins, A Becky Lynch, a Charlotte Flair or (best of all) a Brock Lesnar. That makes people take notice. Dolph Ziggler won’t cut it. Chris Jericho only goes so far in 2019. He’s huge to wrestling fans, but he alone can’t draw in the national audience.
I know this is similar to point #2, but it goes beyond in-ring talent.
1. Is Tony Khan Willing to fire Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega?
This, for me, is the most important question of all. The guy supposedly put up $100 million of his own dough, right? What if it fails? What if they make mistakes and don’t learn from them, and fail more? You really think he’s going to throw away $100 million? HELL NO.
The Khan Family owns an NFL franchise and a Premier League club. From a financial perspective, you pay a large sum of money up front for the purchase, then pay the operations cost in rights fees. Your biggest concern on a yearly basis is team management and–more importantly–running a stadium. History has told us that you can be horrible at running a professional franchise and still make money. It’s really hard to fail.
But AEW won’t have rights fees like an NFL team does. Not to that level, not hardly. So they have to make money from other areas. Are they getting the merchandise money. Salim Khan is worth a reported $7.2 billion. Neck bearded wrestling fans will tell you that means he’s got money to spend. That’s why they were standing around a pool on a cold Vegas night instead of having important business to tend to. Salim Khan doesn’t want to spend his money, he wants to make money.
Cody Rhodes, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, and Kenny Omega have a combined 7 months of experience running a wrestling company. They didn’t “run” ALL IN, they were the front men for a Ring Of Honor super show. Still don’t believe that? Look who owns the footage. It’s not All Elite Wrestling.
So if they fail, Tony Khan will have three choices:
- Lose more money
- Close up shop
- Replace the leadership
Is he willing to fire the AEW Four? I bet he is.
One Key Piece Of Advice For Tony Khan…
Hire a consultant. You’ve got Conrad Thompson running around, have him call Bruce Prichard. Maybe he helps Cody, The Bucks, and Kenny, maybe not (I’m not sure they’d welcome the help). You don’t know how to run a wrestling company, so hire a guy who does to be your checks-and-balances. You don’t know when you need to make a move, so he can help you.
In Summary
Again, I have to restate (because I know how you are) that I want this to succeed. AEW represents the best potential #2 in the North American wrestling market today. But for All Elite Wrestling to succeed, they have to know the answers to these questions. If they don’t, then I can say you’re welcome. Figure it out now and you’ve bought yourself at least a few more years. WCW lasted 13 years (1988 to 2001). TNA/IMPACT Wrestling and Ring Of Honor have outlasted it. Can AEW? Time will tell.
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
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DeMarco: Top 5 Non-Title WrestleMania Matches In WWE History
Not all WrestleMania classics had titles on the line. Dive into the top 5 non-title matches that stole the show & defined legacies. #WrestleMania #WWEHistory

Not all WrestleMania classics had titles on the line. Dive into the top 5 non-title matches that stole the show and defined legacies.
WrestleMania is the Showcase Of The Immortals, but it’s not always the championship matches that steal the show—or define careers. In fact, some of the most iconic, business-defining, and emotionally resonant contests at the Grandest Stage of Them All didn’t feature a title at all. These matches succeeded because of character work, in-ring execution, and the kind of storytelling that sells tickets and moves merch.
Here are the five best non-title matches in WrestleMania history—at least, according to me!
5. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania X8 (2002)
This was never going to be a five-star technical clinic—but it was always going to be the moment. “Icon vs. Icon” was a tagline, sure, but it was also the reality: the biggest star of the ‘80s vs. the biggest star of the Attitude Era. And Toronto turned it into magic. Hogan walked in a heel but walked out immortal (again), with the SkyDome shaking on every punch, every look, every gesture.
What made this work was its self-awareness. Rock and Hogan read the crowd and flipped roles mid-match—Rock became the arrogant aggressor while Hogan Hulked Up to thunderous applause. It’s not often a non-title match headlines a card emotionally the way this one did, but it dominated every headline and highlight reel.
4. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart – WrestleMania X (1994)
Sibling rivalries don’t usually lead to technical masterpieces, but then again, this wasn’t your average family drama. Owen and Bret opened WrestleMania X with a wrestling clinic that stood tall over a night packed with title changes. Owen needed to prove he was more than Bret’s little brother, and he did it by out-wrestling the best wrestler in the company. Clean. One-two-three.
It wasn’t just a great match—it was perfect storytelling. Owen’s victory, contrasted with Bret’s later world title win, set the tone for an entire year of brother-vs-brother tension. Bret became champion, but Owen had the moral victory—and all the bragging rights. This is proof that opening matches can steal the show.
3. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 25 (2009)
If WrestleMania moments could be trademarked, this match would be the reason why. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels wasn’t about championships—it was about legacy. Michaels wanted to be the man who ended The Streak. The build was steeped in biblical imagery: light vs. dark, heaven vs. hell. And the match? Pure perfection. Each man brought everything they had—near-falls, psychology, reversals that had 70,000+ people gasping in unison.
It was 30 minutes of generational storytelling that transcended pro wrestling. And here’s the kicker—it wasn’t even the main event. Yet it dwarfed everything that followed. Meltzer gave it 4.75 stars, fans gave it their hearts, and WWE gave it a sequel the next year. A match so good it forced the company to run it back—because lightning actually struck.
Now, if THIS MATCH is #3, what could possible be #2 and #1…
2. Bret Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin – WrestleMania 13 (1997)
This wasn’t just a match—it was the turning point of an era. The Submission Match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin was as violent as it was poetic, with Ken Shamrock enforcing the rules and the Chicago crowd growing more frenzied by the second. The brilliance? The shift. Bret Hart, the traditionalist hero, grew darker and more self-righteous by the second, while the disrespectful anti-hero Austin refused to quit, even when drowning in his own blood. There was no title on the line, but the stakes felt bigger than gold.
The infamous double turn changed the business. Austin’s defiance turned him into the voice of a new generation of fans—blue collar, anti-authority, Attitude Era. Meanwhile, Bret would go on to lead the heel Hart Foundation. WWE didn’t need a championship to create a moment that catapulted Austin into superstardom and ignited the company’s hottest era. This match is business-first booking at its absolute best.
1. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 21 (2005)
Dream matches often disappoint. This one didn’t. At WrestleMania 21, Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle went hold-for-hold and spot-for-spot with Mr. WrestleMania himself, and together they delivered a masterclass in in-ring psychology. Every sequence had stakes, every near-fall had meaning. It was a stylistic war: Michaels’ heart vs. Angle’s intensity.
Angle forcing Michaels to tap was a statement—it told fans that pure wrestling, not just spectacle, could still main-event caliber storytelling without any need for a title. Michaels sold the ankle lock like death, and Angle’s post-match collapse sold the moment as a hard-fought war. This is the kind of match that keeps purists up at night, smiling, and leaves the storytelling fans like myself as happy as can be!
10 Honorable Mentions (Not Honorable, Just For The Heck Of It)
-
Edge vs. Mick Foley – WrestleMania 22 (2006)
A hardcore war that solidified Edge as a top-tier main eventer. That flaming table spear is still played in every Edge highlight reel. -
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon – WrestleMania 33 (2017)
Everyone expected smoke and mirrors—what they got was a surprisingly technical, high-energy opener that kicked off the show right. -
The Undertaker vs. Triple H – WrestleMania 28 (2012)
“End of an Era” wasn’t just a tagline. The Hell in a Cell match, with HBK as referee, was a brutal epilogue to a generation’s legacy. -
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho – WrestleMania XIX (2003)
A student-teacher battle of wills. Jericho’s low blow post-match was the perfect heel punctuation to a career-defining contest. -
Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins – WrestleMania 31 (2015)
The greatest RKO of all time. That curb stomp reversal belongs in a museum. -
Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show – WrestleMania XXIV (2008)
More sports-entertainment than wrestling, but a crossover moment that made mainstream headlines and paid off with a great finish. -
Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis – WrestleMania III (1987)
A retirement match with big heat, a hot crowd, and Piper walking off into the sunset (for a minute). -
The Firefly Funhouse Match – John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt – WrestleMania 36 (2020)
Cinematic weirdness at its best. A meta masterstroke that broke Cena down in layers. -
Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison – WrestleMania 37 (2021)
Bad Bunny stunned everyone. He didn’t just belong—he elevated the show. -
Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio – WrestleMania 39 (2023)
Father vs. son in a grudge match that played perfectly off real-life drama and Hall of Fame weekend emotions.
Some of these matches shaped legacies. Others shifted eras. But all of them proved that the most memorable moments at WrestleMania don’t need a title—they just need truth in the storytelling and fire in the execution.
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
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DeMarco: The Biggest WrestleMania Match WWE Is Afraid To Book
Greg DeMarco breaks down the one match WWE was seemingly afraid to book for WrestleMania, despite setting it up over the span of two years!

Greg DeMarco breaks down the one match WWE was seemingly afraid to book for WrestleMania, despite setting it up over the span of two years!
WWE loves its WrestleMania moments. But sometimes, the most electric moment is also the most terrifying. And if we’re being honest, there’s one match that could shatter the internet, define an era, and launch two careers into another stratosphere—if WWE had the guts to actually pull the trigger:
Rhea Ripley vs. Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 41.
Sounds crazy? Maybe. But it’s also he most logical, lucrative, and legacy-defining decision WWE could make for both stars. Let’s break it down like we always do here: not through fantasy, not through fan service, but through business. Because this match had major upside—and one very real risk.
Pro #1: A Headline-Grabbing Spectacle With Viral Potential
WrestleMania is about the moment—and Ripley vs. Dominik is a moment waiting to happen. Their on-screen relationship in Judgment Day has become one of WWE’s most compelling, meme-able dynamics, blending soap opera with real emotion and elite trolling. YouTube clips rack up views. Social media runs wild with edits and thirst traps. The chemistry between them? Off the charts.
A WrestleMania match between them isn’t just “intergender” for the sake of it. It’s the end of a long-term story that’s already over with the audience. WWE doesn’t need to create this heat—it exists. All they’d be doing is lighting the match and letting it burn all the way to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Pro #2: A Massive Risk That Can Pay Off With the Right Booking
Let’s be real: intergender wrestling is still a hot-button issue. But the times are changing—and WWE knows it. They’ve already had Rhea get physical with Akira Tozawa, Solo Sikoa, and in the men’s Royal Rumble. Fans haven’t rejected it—they’ve embraced it, because it fits her character.
Dominik, meanwhile, isn’t some powerhouse male wrestler. He’s a weasel. A brat. And most importantly, he’s believable as someone who could get wrecked by Rhea and still come out better for it. This isn’t Chyna vs. Jeff Jarrett in 1999. This is something entirely fresh.
And if AEW can run intergender matches with stars like Adam Cole and Britt Baker without fallout, then WWE—a much more disciplined, family-conscious product—can do it right. Book it with logic, lean into the emotion, and structure the match like an unsanctioned war, and you’ve got lightning in a bottle. Plus there IS precedent for this in WWE. You have Chyna, of course, and more recently you have Becky Lynch vs. James Ellsworth.
Pro #3: Judgment Day Drama Finally Pays Off In a Big Way
Judgment Day has been one of WWE’s best long-term success stories. But you can only tease the implosion for so long before fans check out. Finn’s beefing with Priest. JD is being JD. But the real core—the engine that kept this stable at its most relevant—was Rhea and Dom.
They were the emotional center. The dynamic people actually cared about. So if they’re going to culminate in a match, you don’t do it on a random Raw. You don’t do it at Elimination Chamber. You do it at WrestleMania. And you do it in a way that matters.
This match would be the culmination of everything. Betrayal, heartbreak, dominance, redemption. Dom turned on Rhea, Dom costs Rhea the Women’s World Championship more than once (think the Raw On Netflix premiere, and rewrite the ending to Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley) and now Rhea wants the revenge she never got. The story writes itself. And it sets the table for their next chapters with clean slates and elevated status.
Con: It Risks Undermining Rhea Ripley’s Star Power
There’s one real risk WWE has to weigh: Rhea Ripley is a top-tier star. Maybe the top star in the women’s division. She should have main-evented WrestleMania 39 Night One. She’s the face of cross-brand credibility. She moves merch. She trends. She wins.
Taking her out of the title picture for a “personal” match—even one this hot—is a gamble. If not done correctly, it could trivialize her reign, reduce her to a storyline prop, or worse: send a message that her biggest spotlight doesn’t involve a championship.
And make no mistake—there’s a business cost to that. Rhea is the division right now. If WWE doesn’t protect her aura and keep her looking like a destroyer, even in loss or emotional turmoil, the entire angle could unravel. The story only works if Rhea stays the alpha, even while taking the emotional damage.
Final Bell
Rhea Ripley vs. Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 41 isn’t a joke. It isn’t shock booking. It’s a rare opportunity where character, emotion, long-term storytelling, and business aligned perfectly. WWE has built this slow burn for nearly two years. The most unexpected—and potentially best—WrestleMania match was right in front of them.
All they had to do… was be brave enough to book it.
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!