JCup's Blog

"I'm a WWE Superstar!" World Wrestling Entertainment has rapidly lost the graciousness it never deserved.  The conversation surrounding the company immediately following WrestleMania 42  has been incredibly grim, and TKO's increasingly disruptive presence should make even the most hardened Fedcel admit the honeymoon phase has long passed. A wide array of talent, from raw youngsters to industry veterans, was unceremoniously released. Then, the shocking news broke that the New Day were departing the only place they'd called home for nearly two decades, reportedly after declining TKO's request to restructure their contracts for lesser pay. It was Mike Johnson of PWInsider who revealed the next domino to fall: "a pretty majorly pushed" WWE talent was asked - and ultimately  accepted - a 50% salary reduction, with supplemental reports from various outlets revealing multiple  talents were approached with the same request from TKO. I've been very critic...

Ricky Saints finally  made his WWE main roster debut on Friday Night Smackdown, appearing in its opening segment to confront close friend and mega superstar Cody Rhodes. Saints drew a timid reaction from the Disney Adults and children in attendance, and would go on to lose his first match on the main roster to the Codester. I was preparing to write a long-form piece on how WWE was about to enter its sink-or-swim era with Saints serving as the avatar for my premise, when the stunning news broke the following morning: The New Day and WWE had mutually agreed to part ways.  The immediate reaction amongst fans and those within the industry was a mix of shock, disappointment, and ultimately hopefulness that the duo would likely continue on with All Elite Wrestling. That's not all, though. I couldn't help but notice a tone of resignation from both a devoted fanbase and the typical grifters who have spent the past three or four years touting the brilliance of Paul Levesque and Nick Kh...

In an effort to maximize profit margins and further debilitate the professional wrestling industry, the World Wrestling Entertainment engaged in its annual post- WrestleMania  roster purge. It's another soulless corporation that is laser-focused on padding the wallets of the top 1% at the expense of its own workforce; worse, Paul Levesque was awarded an extension to remain the company's Chief Content Officer despite rapid declines across various metrics. Corporate culture in a nutshell, folks! It's been a few days since The Purge, and the dust is starting to settle around these soon-to-be Free Agents. I'll be curious to see whether TKO attempts to enforce a non-compete clause against their former employers for more than 90 days, particularly those likely to jump to All Elite Wrestling. If we jump 90 days forward, we'd land on July 27th, about a month before All In  at Wembley Stadium. Let's see if this becomes a factor, another thorn in a prickly saga.  I've...

I find it utterly fascinating  when someone fires up a #HotTake for  thousands  of people to consume without first taking a long look  in the mirror. Conrad Thompson, a notable figure in the professional wrestling bubble for all the wrong reasons, decided to take his hypocrisy to an entirely new level. I made sure to double and triple-check that these sentiments came from his legitimate account, as opposed to someone impersonating him (or getting hacked), but, sure enough, it's real. Here's how it began: Joey gets a bad rap. He’s helped so many guys in the biz. Brodie rules too. Such a great family. But why is NXT catching strays? I don’t think Dave realizes that when he says stuff like this, it hurts the people he’s trying to compliment. No upside to making these comparisons. https://t.co/wHhgkGvodq — Conrad the Mortgage Guy (@HeyHeyItsConrad) April 23, 2026 For anyone still in the dark, Conrad was responding to a clipped Dave Meltzer quote, wherein he said, "Joey...

I don't feel the need to review this particular  Dynamite episode  segment by segment; instead, I'd like to share specific thoughts that occurred to me throughout the broadcast. Let's get into it: The Rise of Kevin Knight I expressed a similar sentiment last week, but it bears repeating: we are incredibly fortunate to witness Kevin Knight's ascension as one of the best wrestlers consistently featured on American television. It's exciting to see a hyped prospect not just meet expectations, but exceed them. He's a 29-year-old stud with the TNT Championship around his waist, holding his own in a promo battle with MJF. I'm genuinely excited to see their title match next week, and it's one I think Knight should definitely win. I hope AEW figures out their next licensing deal for action figures, because this kid needs one ASAP. Knight is the type of talent that will be very over with children and adults alike. He's unquestionably a future AEW World Champio...

The  build-up and culmination of  WrestleMania 42  confirmed many beliefs and suspicions, but none  more important than this: World Wrestling Entertainment serves as a perfect reflection of modern times, particularly in the United States.  The company is an avatar for what this great country is all about: greed, contempt, and unwavering support and devotion from a cult-like fanbase, who are far too stupid and proud to admit they've been duped by a collection of selfish, predatory ghouls.  Sounds familiar, alright. WrestleMania 42 was a soulless cash grab, a two-night event filled with nonsensical drivel that would make Vince Russo blush with embarrassment. I took immense  delight in seeing it all unfold, and it only hardened my belief that this company should die an unceremonious death. It's extremely difficult to feel  sorry for  anyone  who supports this gutless company; in fact, I sincerely believe they deserve it  and more....

We all felt the tension. We read or listened to the #HotTakes from our favorite (and hated) commentators, all offering various opinions of what Tony Khan should do with his promotion's World Championship. We tossed around scenarios and debated how effective they would be if properly executed. Quite honestly, something is intoxicating about watching a professional wrestling program with the expectation that a beloved babyface will finally win the big one.  We all have memories of Mick Foley's first WWF Championship win on Monday Night RAW in 1999, or Lex Luger submitting Hollywood Hogan with his signature Torture Rack to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship just two years earlier. Would this edition of Dynamite end in the same vein?  And from my point of view: yes, it did, though not without its faults. I faced an interesting duality when watching the 4/15 edition of Dynamite : I thought I was watching a strong American-style pro wrestling episode, yet a few of my fellow ...

A few days ago, I posted my thoughts on WWE's baffling creative ahead of WrestleMania 42 , particularly the inclusion of Pat McAfee as a focal point of one of their Mania main events. This particular post is easily the most-viewed on this little shitty blog, and I greatly appreciate all the kind words and feedback I've received since then.  I did receive some pushback, which is always to be expected when anyone criticizes the Epstein Class's favorite sports-entertainment promotion. This particular tweet caught my attention:  Late to the party but, from one new blogger to another (plug!) I'm curious as to your logic here specifically. I get disliking WWE as a company/product but outright hating it's fans, or fans of anything you don't personally like, strikes me as outright misanthropy tbqh. pic.twitter.com/SGMETUkUFY — OhhhNoItsJames (@OhhhNoItsJames1) April 12, 2026 The line that caused pause for OhhNoItsJames: " And there are some of you who are defen...

What Paul Levesque presented to his audience yesterday evening is simply unacceptable by any standard. It was the type of Sports Entertainment slop that should make even the most diehard Federale tremble with rage, the type of episode you’d first turn to when gathering material for The Rise and Fall of WWE.  I’ve seen some outrage, more than I anticipated, but somehow still not enough. Levesque and every executive representing WWE and TKO sent a very clear message to their audience on Friday Night Smackdown: we think you’re fucking stupid.  And they’re right in that assumption. I’ve never seen a fanbase of any medium not only accept steaming turd after steaming turd, but openly celebrate being served shit sandwiches.  Twitter is filled with WWE diehards who will always point to the same, soulless argument: WWE is the most successful sports entertainment promotion in the world. It’s vindication that they’re doing something right; no one would consume their product.  T...

I have resided in the New York-New Jersey area for all 35 years of my life (stop calling me "unc" on Twitter). I was born and lived the first 9 years of my life in the Boogie Down Bronx, then spent the next 8 years in a comfortable New Jersey suburb. I am evidently a glutton for punishment after choosing to attend college out on Long Island, rather than escaping to a university across the country. I now commute into Manhattan four days a week to work a soulless job. I am an authentic North Easterner.  A massive part of being a true New Yorker/New Jerseyan is living and dying with your favorite sports teams. I am a diehard fan of the New York Yankees, and I root for the Knicks and Giants (I don't have time for hockey). I've been fortunate enough to witness my teams win 5 World Series Champions and 2 Super Bowls (can the Knicks please win the NBA Finals already?); then again, I've seen a lot of heartbreak. The Yankees haven't won a World Series in 17 years, the ...

SPOOKY An unexplained gimmick change has stirred debate amongst fans of All Elite Wrestling.  Lio Rush is out to prove the old saying, "What's old can be new again," after debuting his "Blackheart" persona during the 21-man Battle Royal at the Revolution: Zero Hour  pre-show event. The most diehard wrestling fans have likely seen Rush demonstrate a more bare-bones version of the "Blackheart" gimmick throughout his time performing on the independent scene, but the persona was certainly brand-spankin' new to a large portion of the AEW audience. The reaction escalated days later after Rush battled Tommaso Ciampa on the Slamdunk Sunday  edition of Collision  and garnered  millions  of views across various social media platforms:  The new look for Lio Rush on AEW Collision last night has drawn some big numbers 👀 - 8.6 million - 6.9 million - 3.2 million - 2.7 million - 2 million - 2 million - 1.9 million - 875,000 - 602,000 + more pic.twitter.com/KI5c...

It was a tumultuous start to the week on Wrestling Twitter after a former AEW National Champion responded to a troll with, "I'm glad you got MS (Multiple Sclerosis)." This mean-spirited, classless tweet reportedly may cost him his job (more on that below), and comes after two recent incidents where both of AEW's tippity top babyfaces proudly posed in pictures with two UK wrestlers accused of sexual misconduct during the 2020 #SpeakingOut movement.  I have some thoughts on those particular situations, plus my view on "getting heat" in 2026: The tweet was beyond poor taste... Let's start with the obvious: it was a classless, overly harsh response from Ricochet, and I wouldn't bother defending it. Ricochet is a highly paid and decorated performer whose stock was rising in the promotion he now calls home, yet he thought it was reasonable to respond to very mild trolling by taunting someone with MS; hell, he thought it was reasonable to hit "send...