JCup's Blog

Good day to everyone, especially the New York Knicks, who are on the verge of winning their first NBA Finals Championship since 1973. One more to go.  I wanted to expand on my thoughts regarding the CM Punk rumors and how the professional wrestling industry is covered. Joe & Rich from Voices of Wrestling opened the Flagship with this discussion, and I felt they both genuinely understood my intent behind going public with an unverified rumor. I found myself responding out loud, so I figured I'd write my responses and post them on the shitty blog. Let's start with a question posed by Joe:  Should reporters/journalists/wrestling media acknowledge unverified rumors? The Wrestling Media should acknowledge unverified rumors if they come from credible sources .  I'll use myself and the infamous "Cody story" I've been alluding to since he departed from All Elite Wrestling. I know with great certainty that several media outlets heard a very specific version of ...

Yours truly made a ton of noise yesterday afternoon after hosting a Stage on my Discord server, during which I revealed a rumor about CM Punk that had been circulating in certain circles of the pro wrestling industry. I followed up with a Twitter thread and a post on the F4W Board for those who weren't able to hear the audio, and Wrestling Twitter quickly buzzed. I've been accused of fabricating a story out of thin air because of my strong dislike of WWE and CM Punk himself, and the typical Fedcels have come out in droves to Stand Up for WWE.  I knew going public with a saucy rumor would invite personal attacks, but I'm a big boy who's capable of taking the hits. I'd like to take this opportunity not only to expand on what I heard (and when) but also to explain what I was hoping to gain from this. Let's jump right into it: The WWE Pay Cut "Reporting" I'm still pretty angry about how this was handled, though I have to accept that "off the recor...

The current Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling World Champion is facing impending free agency. Mike Johnson of PW Insider reported on Monday that Mike Santana's contractual obligations with TNA Wrestling are set to expire later next month, and noted WWE's prior interest in the 35-year-old pro wrestler. The industry expectation is that Santana will make the jump to The Fed, and I think it would be a massive mistake for him.  I must make this note before continuing: we do not  know what matters most to Santana, and he must make the decision that's best for him and his family. This article is strictly coming from the "all things being equal" perspective, and should be read as such.  Santana departed AEW in March of 2024 after reports of massive tension with his former longtime tag team partner, Ortiz, and with great frustration over his usage. He decided to bet on himself, became a 2-time TNA World Champion, and will very likely receive an offer from WWE. His decision s...

All Elite Wrestling has once again solidified its well-earned reputation as being the best pay-per-view buy-in in the history  of professional wrestling. It may sound like hyperbole given AEW's relatively short existence, yet I genuinely cannot recall a promotion consistently offering high-quality wrestling, promos, and storytelling on a near-monthly basis.  The 7th installment of Double or Nothing  was not just another memorable pay-per-view but one of the very best in history. Let's jump right into it: Pre-Show I've been down on the quality and presentation of AEW pre-shows for quite a while, but this was exactly the type of formatting and purpose I've been expecting. It began with Renee Paquette introducing the newest member to the AEW family: Mick Foley . I was anticipating an MJF interruption from the jump, and I'm glad they waited toward the end of the broadcast. It was great to see a legitimate legend like Foley being embraced by his near-hometown faithful, a...

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 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...

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...

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...

Hey all, I decided to start a blog, mainly because I wanted a place to post more long-form, written content. I am a very uncreative person, so "JCup's Blog" is the best you're going to get for now. Let's get right to it:  I gave AEW Revolution a 9/10, and I believe it's one of the best pay-per-views the company has ever done. I have my quibbles, but I was thoroughly entertained throughout the show. My thoughts on the show: