Greg DeMarco: This Is Really Getting Stupid

We’re days away from possibly the biggest WrestleMania in history, and Greg DeMarco is not happy with the energy being dedicated to stupid things…

It’s WrestleMania Week, baby! The wrestling’s Christmas (for those who celebrate), and for most fans–ranging from the most hardcore to the most casual–this truly is “the most wonderful time of the year.”

Yet I sit here on a Wednesday night typing away about the point/counter-point taking place regarding CM Punk’s interview with Ariel Helwani on the latter’s MMA Hour. If you haven’t heard the interview, Mr. Tito has a great breakdown at NoDQ that will get you caught up, or you can watch it here:

Punk discusses all sorts of topics, including his time in AEW, the transition to WWE, and so much more. It’s highly worth the listen, not just for the AEW talk.

And in it, he does have some not so nice things to say about Tony Khan and the management of AEW…

“He’s not a boss. He’s a nice guy. And I think ultimately that is a detriment to the company. But it’s not my company. I’m an outsider.”

“I can’t tell you what Tony is thinking but I can tell you I never did anything to make him ‘fear for his life.”

“There is a continued effort to slander my character.”

“This isn’t a real business. This isn’t a business that’s predicated on making money, drawing money, selling tickets, doing business. It’s not what it was sold to me as.”

“A lot of people are stuck in the Indy Mind set. I get it, it’s where I came from. But if your more happy that you had a 5-star match that some goof loved but the building is only a quarter full; then we are not in the same business.”

Another interesting development is that the NDA (non-disclosure agreement) Punk signed was more about not talking about the EVP’s involvement than anything else. That, to me, is very telling about Tony Khan’s management of everyone in the situation.

He discusses so much more, I am barely scratching the surface. But these are most important (at least to this article) because they focus on AEW. And that meant (you guessed it!) AEW had to react.

Because of course they did.

And the man leading that charge, surprisingly (to me) was none than the former Edge, “The (Still) Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland:

“There’s been a lot of negative BS that has been spewed this week, there has. Screw that. I wanna talk about the positives… AEW makes pro-wrestling better, AEW makes pro-wrestling more fun, and AEW is where the best wrestle.”

You can see more here:

Adam Copeland wants everyone to celebrate professional wrestling!

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@RatedRCopeland pic.twitter.com/SdhQqAvUS8

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 4, 2024

Look, the man tried–he even dropped a WWF reference. But he just had to lean into AEW vs WWE in the end, despite his claims to the contrary. And in the end, it was Adam Copeland, WWE Hall Of Famer, 11-time world champion, shilling for Tony Khan, and ending (at least in the clip above) with the fancy “AEW Is Where The Best Wrestle” slogan.

AEW: Where The Best Wrestle#AEWDynamite

— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) April 4, 2024

For those of us watching in the days of WCW, that might immediately conjure up memories of their “WCW: Where The Big Boys Play” slogan, the  latest in a long line of similarities between AEW and the company that beat WWE for 83 straight weeks.

And we all know how that ended.

“But Greg, CM Punk said what he said, why can’t Adam Copeland/AEW have a rebuttal?”

That’s a fair question, but allow me to point one thing that is truly being overlooked, here:

CM Punk was being interviewed. He was being asked questions by a journalist. He wasn’t cutting a promo. He didn’t have an agenda (and, if you look closely, hasn’t shown any signs of having an agenda since the end of his return promo in November). If Ariel Helwani spent two hours asking CM Punk about his time in Ring Of Honor and his old Pepsi tattoo, Punk would have spent two hours talking about his time in Ring Of Honor and his old Pepsi tattoo.

He was answering questions.

Adam Copeland? He cut a promo. He went to the ring with an agenda. He tried to be the happy medium, but it didn’t end up that way when the agenda pushed through.

Do I blame him? Maybe.

If I blame him, it’s only 50% blame. He’s only desirable to AEW because of his legendary WWE career, which included the accolades mentioned above and many many others–the man is one of the most decorated performers in WWE history. But he’s also a company guy, supporting the guy who signs the checks. I’m someone who is gainfully employed, and I have a boss who always has my back. Thus, I always have her back, too.

So I get it. But you can’t equate the two. An unscripted media appearance is not the same as a planned (scripted) in-ring promo that’s part of a pro wrestling broadcast.

And that’s where this is getting stupid. The need to retaliate is what makes it stupid. WWE hasn’t ignored AEW like many claim. Hell, in the past 12 months we’ve heard WWE commentary refer to Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan Danielson, Sting, Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, and more. Pat McAfee damn near referenced Darby Allin and The Young Bucks when praising Sting’s final match. And remember, this is the same company who put over Impact Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace like a monster in the Royal Rumble.

These actions are not the same. WWE didn’t put AEW on the defensive, AEW put itself on the defensive.

As for the necessity of Adam Copeland’s promo? Ask yourself these questions:

• Will it sell tickets?
• Will it increase viewers?
• Will it prevent ticket sales from dropping?
• Will it prevent viewership from dropping?

The answer to all four of these questions is the same–NO. It simply wasn’t needed.

You know what’s better than saying “AEW: Where The Best Wrestle?” Just going out there and being an alternative, instead of a lesser-than version of the WWE Raw and SmackDown presentation.

But that’s another column for another time! In the meantime, I implore you to overlook the BS and enjoy wrestling’s Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.