All Elite Wrestling Thread (It's Wednesday...you know what that means.)

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[Bandit]

TGI Fridays is a lame chain restaurant so it adds another laugh that was where Marty wanted to have his big party. I don't know what the Australian or British equivalent would be. Some place suburban families go that also serves alcohol.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Hogs Breath Cafe is probably the closest, although nowhere near as big.

[Bandit]

People are debating what Matt meant by "Kenny too", did he mean Kenny is going with them or leaving the show like Marty was. I think they want it ambiguous until the Rally if he is going with AEW. And it would make sense when he talked about getting time off (he has had a broken heel since August) since WWE will want him immediately as their Royal Rumble surprise like AJ a few years ago immediately after he left New Japan and ROH. But who knows.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Meltzer has said that the contract WWE offered Kenny has no creative control.

Also NJPW are sticking with ROH.

[Bandit]

Well, nobody not named Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Shawn Michaels or Paul Levesque would ever get creative control. Hogan didn't even have it when he came back in 2002. You've got to be a decade plus long company man for Vince to even consider it. If he goes he just wants the money and will just hope once in a while he can get 20 minutes with AJ or Joe in between putting over WWE made stars because Vince doesn't like his creations losing to outsiders, even if he now owns them too.

[Big Boss Man]

TGI Fridays is a lame chain restaurant so it adds another laugh that was where Marty wanted to have his big party. I don't know what the Australian or British equivalent would be. Some place suburban families go that also serves alcohol.

Idk, to be honest, I can't think of any restaurant chain which is lame or janky. You might find an answer here

[Skynet]

Hogs Breath Cafe is probably the closest, although nowhere near as big.

Is our TGI Fridays not the equivalent of the US TGI Fridays? Or are they different?

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Is our TGI Fridays not the equivalent of the US TGI Fridays? Or are they different?

Yeah probably, although there aren't that many around.

I've never been to one.

[Bandit]

Dave said Omega will announce his decision February 1st and it looks like the WWE negotiations fell through so he will sign with AEW. New Japan is also working on a way to get a deal to bring Kenny back occasionally while also sticking with ROH.

[Bandit]

TONY KHAN STATEMENT ON AEW, Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Wrestling fans are a community unlike most others. I've been a part of this community since I was 7 years old, and I can tell you that wresting fans see the world every day through a special lens. We see wrestling in Hollywood films and tv shows, we see elements of wrestling in the presentation of sports and in the marketing of grandiose star athletes, and we certainly see wrestling in politics.

The wrestling community is a constant; its members are diverse, we are physically located on all corners of the planet, yet we are constantly connected. Recently, a new family has formed, bonded by love and respect for wresting but armed with a vision and resources that have never before been available to the wrestling community. Our objective is to connect our community closer than ever before through All Elite Wrestling, or AEW.

AEW does not mean any less of a continued commitment to existing obligations and duties that I have, or my family has, to our business and sports interests. That will never be the case. What's important is that every individual decision we make as family, whether it’s ownership or investment in a team or property, is 100 percent beneficial to those specific interests. I will always welcome that accountability and responsibility, as nothing is more important than serving our supporters and friends.

AEW will launch with a roster of the top wrestlers in the world. While they'll clash in what will be some of the most intense and fast-paced contests ever sanctioned in the squared circle, they'll also share a common goal: to make this the true golden age, to make this the greatest time ever to be a wrestling fan. Likewise, as a business, by treating our wrestlers with respect and warmth, we also seek to make this the golden age for the performers themselves.

I urge everyone who believes in what we're doing, or wants to believe in dreams coming true, to support AEW by spreading the word and passing the wrestling bug onto someone else. My message: Get in on the ground floor with AEW today and help lead our movement to grow the wrestling community and ensure that the voices of the wrestling fans, their creative minds and their remarkable ideas, will always be heard.

[Ocelot]

My question is, will AEW have a chance in hell of duplicating TNA's string of *snicker* successes lately? *gigglegiggle*

[Big Boss Man]

HEY PAL, THE WWE UNIVERSE VOICES ARE ALWAYS HEARD!!. THEY WANNA SEE BARON CORBIN...ROLLINS vs AMBROSE... NIA JAX AND...THE MCMAHONS!!

[Bandit]

At the event

-Cody and Brandi
-Young Bucks
-Hangman Page
-SCU
-Britt Baker
-MJF
-Joey Janela and Penelope Ford
-Pac
-Chris Jericho

Meltzer said Jericho also turned down a big WWE deal making it even more likely Omega is coming. CIMA and The Stronghearts will also be with AEW.

Also fans were coming into Smackdown with AEW shirts and were told by security they can't wear them.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Our buddy rovert has tweeted that AEW are close to signing a near $100m TV contract.

[Bandit]

And there's rumors Conrad will be one of their color commentators. He'd be better as their Sean Mooney.

Also a rumor that they will be on TBS. If true we've come full circle with a maverick billionaire owning a promotion to take on Vince that is aired on the SuperStation and it's 1988 again.

[Big Boss Man]

Regarding Y2J, his deal is apparently non exclusive so he can still work New Japan. There's a rumour a WWE main event talent reached out to AEW. It's speculated to be AJ Styles who wants to work a lighter schedule. I've heard Kenny might be joining up with the Elite in February when his NJPW contract expires.

Another thing is Cody and the Bucks have mentioned about the possibility of health care which is a huge game changer I think. If they get the go ahead for that, AEW looks like an attractive proposition for a lot of talent, especially those who are disenfranchised. There's probably talent right now who want to jump ship if they are stuck in the mid card, but AEW shouldn't pride itself on being a dumping ground for ex WWE talent.

They need the best talent on the indies and if they can get Kenny Omega on board that is another game changer, considering he's coveted by WWE right now. If they can get the top WWE level talent that's a different story. WCW got Hogan, Macho et al when they first started getting really competitive and then got Hall & Nash who were arguably an even bigger game changer than Hulk was cause of the way they were utilised.

AEW should try and get Punk on board as I think he'd have a similar major impact. Imagine at Double or Nothing, the lights go out and they play Cult of Personality. The pop would be off the charts.

[Bandit]

Punk seems sincere that he doesn't want to wrestle anymore. Maybe if he was in a situation where he needed money, but he has various revenue streams right now. Plus he's not really friendly with any of the Elite but Cody. Omega and the Bucks were from the next generation that came up on the indies after he was in WWE. So I don't see a "I want to hang out with my friends again" situation since his wrestling friends like Joe, Kofi, and Daniel Bryan are in WWE anyway.

[Bandit]