JCup's Blog

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 further establish corporate synergy, World Wrestling Entertainment announced that several of its superstars would be meeting and greeting fellow pro-fascists at this summer's  UFC: Freedom  Fanfest. This is the event to be held outside of the White House, which is currently occupied by a fascist administration filled to the gills with lunatics, racists, rapists, abusers, and any other despicable trait normally associated with MAGA.  One of the eight names announced for this KlanFest was Chelsea Green, a particularly popular performer with the Disney Adults from Hell. Green has used her soapbox to gently advocate for the very same human rights that her employer and most of her colleagues consistently vote against and lobby to deny, so many of her fans were dismayed at her inclusion in this event. A tweet from Twitter user @margaretencinos would spark explosive discourse, particularly from yours truly:  guess the check cleared https://t.co/JQOhQbK8EO ...

"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...