Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted January 19 Paid Members Share Posted January 19 2 minutes ago, garynysmon said: The previous regime would have placed a glass ceiling above his head right away You are definitely right about that in WWE buddy. There is no glass ceiling in AEW though as every time they installed one Mox would smash his head through it in a match and Punk would complain about the real glass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 I know it's easy to be cynical about WWE but I'd be absolutely shocked if they signed Okada and wasted the opportunity. If they treat him well it opens a lot of doors for them and goodwill for future potential signings. I do think they'd do their best by him, or at least try. It's tough to know how he'd do in front of a more unknown crowd but I don't think it's a guaranteed disaster if he signed with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 1 hour ago, JLM said: They didn’t with Nakamura or Kushida or Tozawa, they didn’t with Io Shirai in NXT but then did on the main roster, and they did with Kairi immediately in NXT. So a bit of a mixture on the Japanese talents. There is also the fact that it’s not a Vince call now, and that HHH has rolled back some of the name changes that were Vince calls.  I reckon they’d keep the name in the current climate. Maybe, but maybe TKO will be even more ruthless and protective of what they 'own' than what Vince was. You are well up on things these days, has there been many signings in the last 2 years who have kept their name? I don't follow it as much now, but I had the impression that it's pretty much a done deal that they always now want to own the name of the performer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinity Land Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 12 minutes ago, Dai said: Maybe, but maybe TKO will be even more ruthless and protective of what they 'own' than what Vince was. You are well up on things these days, has there been many signings in the last 2 years who have kept their name? I don't follow it as much now, but I had the impression that it's pretty much a done deal that they always now want to own the name of the performer. Recently, Dragon Lee came in as Dragon Lee. Jade Cargill still is using their real name. There are still some new signings that have went through the WWE/NXT name generator. It's the same unknown rhyme or reason that's always been there. Madi Wrenkowski just became Wren Sinclair. Kazuchika seems like the kind of name that WWE in the past would happily drop to keep things simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members JLM Posted January 19 Paid Members Share Posted January 19 (edited) Yeah I can see them wanting their characters to be their own IPs but it doesn’t seem to be applied to everyone. Nick Aldis is using his real name. I suppose Jade Cargill hasn’t officially debuted, but she’s been introduced on screen under her real name more than once and I’d be surprised if they gave her a new one. She is a sort-of celebrity though so maybe an exception.   Edit: Ahh yep Dragon Lee is a good shout. Tyler Bate has kept his real name after call up to the main roster. Pete Dunne looks set to change from a WWE-created persona back to his real name too. I was surprised they changed Kacy Catanzaro’s name when she’d been using her real name for ages. Wonder if that’s because she spent so long in developmental that her Ninja Warrior  mainstream name value isn’t there any more, or if Catanzaro is not snappy enough for their liking, or someone thought Katana Chance sounds cooler. Who’s to say.  I dunno. Sometimes they change it and sometimes they don’t. That is my cutting insight that gets right at the heart of the matter.  Edited January 19 by JLM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted January 19 Paid Members Share Posted January 19 16 minutes ago, JLM said: I dunno. Sometimes they change it and sometimes they don’t. That is my cutting insight that gets right at the heart of the matter. Hopefully I speak for everyone when I say it's good to have you back JLM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Statto Posted January 19 Paid Members Share Posted January 19 20 minutes ago, JLM said: I was surprised they changed Kacy Catanzaro’s name when she’d been using her real name for ages. Wonder if that’s because she spent so long in developmental that her Ninja Warrior  mainstream name value isn’t there any more, or if Catanzaro is not snappy enough for their liking, or someone thought Katana Chance sounds cooler. Who’s to say. IIRC that came as a result of Vince having a paddy about Jeff Hardy showing up in AEW under his WWE name (obviously his real name!) and with his WWE music (stock music) and passing down an edict that absolutely everybody had to have a name that WWE 100% owned, unless they were very long established (e.g. Randy Orton, AJ Styles) It was mostly NXT people affected but there were a bunch of changes within the space of a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members garynysmon Posted January 19 Paid Members Share Posted January 19 I’d have loved them to have Randy Orton make his big return only to start referring him as a totally different name like nothing had happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members JLM Posted January 19 Paid Members Share Posted January 19 Andy Awesome, Roddy Viper, Vinnie Vintage, Apex Fredastaire, Randall Kassius Ohno. Killian Legend.  He’d have been fiiiine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 Call him just Okato again like in TNA then see how long he sticks around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merzbow Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 12 minutes ago, Chili said: Call him just Okato again like in TNA then see how long he sticks around. Probably the most character he's ever shown, I know I'm likely in the minority but I just never clicked with whatever the Rainmaker is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted January 19 Paid Members Share Posted January 19 3 hours ago, Factotum said: He'll be on NXT, mainly so Triple H can try and get one up on AEW (he's petty, I admire it) AJ Styles is the only 'outside guy' who's ever come in with fanfare. AJ is exactly the example of why Okada wouldn’t get sent to NXT. You don’t sign Okada for the kind of money he’d want, for him to slum it with Andy No Name and Nonn Steiner for six months first. Shoot for your ROI as soon as possible, he’s not getting any younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snitsky's back acne Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 3 hours ago, Infinity Land said: If there's a bidding war going on, it's not too clear they would put someone in NXT. It's still not certain Jade Cargill will end up there for a stint. Nah, she's turning up next weekend and winning the Royal Rumble  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Jesse Posted January 19 Paid Members Share Posted January 19 I think we're all discounting the real money move - signs with WWE, TKO buy All Japan, Okada the new ace of WWE All Japan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted January 19 Paid Members Share Posted January 19 4 hours ago, garynysmon said: although I doubt he’d bring in a single new viewer that’s not already regularly watching AEW anyway. Would Okada bring new viewers to WWE? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.