Pro Wrestling Contract Season

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

30 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

The main thing above all else is TV rights

This is true, but AEW still has PPV buys as an indicator of popularity as well. If you look at last years PPV numbers and the headline match, and by headline match I mean the one that goes last, no appeasing the egos here. 

Revolution = 180,000 Sting/Darby v Bucks

Dynasty = 122,000 Swerve v Joe

Double or Nothing = 133,000 The Elite v AEW

Forbidden Door = 115,000 Swerve v Ospreay

All In = 170,000 Swerve v Danielson

All Out = 105,000 Swerve v Hangman

WrestleDream = 105,000 Mox v Danielson

Full Gear = 113,000 Mox v Cassidy

Swerve headlined half of the PPV's last year and featured pretty prominently in a lot of the others. 2 million dollars looks a steal at this point. You perhaps can't say that for some of TK's other high profile signings but Swerve was the man for AEW and if he wants to pack it all in after this contract is over you can't blame him he's had a good run. 

[Snitsky's back acne]

If he's a return on his investment, cool, however something tells me he's not. 

As I say though, fair fucks to him and anyone bilking the billionaires. Grab as much money as you can. Tony Khan is not going to miss it. 

[LaGoosh]

19 minutes ago, Snitsky's back acne said:

If he's a return on his investment, cool, however something tells me he's not. 

What is this something? Is is the same thing that told you that there's no difference between getting hit with a real chair and a fake chair?

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

39 minutes ago, Snitsky's back acne said:

If he's a return on his investment, cool, however something tells me he's not. 

The voices in your head? Tarot Card reading? Capnomancy? 

[tiger_rick]

How do they justify this investment?

Record revenues? Nah. Equivalence in the industry historically? Nah. Equivalence in the industry presently? Nah. Value in a competitive market? Nah. Value compared to other sports? Nah. 

Any point replying to someone who ignores all points made? Nah.

[LaGoosh]

4 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

Record revenues? Nah. Equivalence in the industry historically? Nah. Equivalence in the industry presently? Nah. Value in a competitive market? Nah. Value compared to other sports? Nah.

Something tells him otherwise. It's as simple as that, I suppose.

[DavidB6937]

I bet that something is HHH.

[tiger_rick]

Just now, DavidB6937 said:

I bet that something is HHH.

I think he's a shitbag but I do understand why he feels the need to try and claim TK is over-paying. He obviously wants to create favourable market conditions, particularly working under TKO, who don't throw money at talent. You could argue that having the biggest name in the industry and the biggest reputation in the market BY FAR should be favourable enough conditions but it's still understandable why he's playing the game (geddit?) The shitbags who parrot those opinions because they think they're on the team are the dirt worst. Imagine caring more that a billion dollar corporation save a few quid than you do that pro-wrestlers you don't even watch get paid. Absolute scabs. Didn't think we had them on here.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

7 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

Absolute scabs.

Back acne is always going to cause scabs I suppose. 

[DavidB6937]

It wasn't his fault though.

[Supremo]

“Absolute scabs,” will be the name of Ricky Saints’ NXT faction.

Edited March 28, 2025 by Supremo

[LaGoosh]

Worth noting that WWE tried a bit of contract tampering (like they did with Lucha Bros and Ricky Starks) and contacted Swerve before his contract ran out asking if he could get out of it eaely and come back to WWE. He told them no.

But I suppose none of that or any of the other mountains of evidence otherwise and obvious reality plays into the tired and idiotic narrative that Tony Khan is a clueless billionaire wasting cash, playing with his toys and being milked dry by the wrestlers. 

Edited March 28, 2025 by LaGoosh

[Supremo]

Imagine thinking these two shouldn’t be on Brock Lesnar money. With their weight in gold.

[Chili]

23 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

Worth noting that WWE tried a bit of contract tampering (like they did with Lucha Bros and Ricky Starks) and contacted Swerve before his contract ran out asking if he could get out of it eaely and come back to WWE. He told them no.

But I suppose none of that or any of the other mountains of evidence otherwise and obvious reality plays into the tired and idiotic narrative that Tony Khan is a clueless billionaire wasting cash, playing with his toys and being milked dry by the wrestlers. 

I heard he told Reichsmarschall Paul that he simply couldn't handle the grind like that wimp Will Ospreay, so Swerve took that big AEW contract instead. In a way he should be saying thank you to WWE and he hasn't. Which is pretty disrespectful.

[RedTwoster]

58 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

I think he's a shitbag but I do understand why he feels the need to try and claim TK is over-paying. He obviously wants to create favourable market conditions, particularly working under TKO, who don't throw money at talent. You could argue that having the biggest name in the industry and the biggest reputation in the market BY FAR should be favourable enough conditions but it's still understandable why he's playing the game (geddit?) 

This is something I’m curious about as far as what it means for big name talent coming to the end of their contract. AEW can presumably outspend WWE whenever they want to, so when the contract of someone like MJF comes close to an end, is he going to be less likely to consider that WWE run in order to keep his earnings at what they are? 

Similarly, will AEW’s red hot women’s division and their ability to pay more mean we’ll see another big name women’s wrestler move there from WWE? People talk about Bayley needing a fresh set of circumstances and with her real life friendship with Mercedes, is could see that being a big possibility. Although if I was going to hand pick a wrestler to move, I’d probably go with Liv Morgan. She’d be great in AEW.