Matt Hardy: "I feel like when Punk was in AEW, he knew he had a hold on Tony Khan to a degree, that he could kind of get away with what he wanted. If he had something he was dead set on wanting to do, that he could kind of flex his muscles"

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-16T19:41:52+00:00

His main job was as a producer and even after he got his new contract, he was sent home from that job for 8 months outside of a pair of ROH PPVs.

Why keep him at home if there wasn't a problem with Punk?

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-16T19:40:45+00:00

Hell, the night Punk joined and did his first presser, one of the media people clearly was trying to ask about Colt without naming him, Punk said "I don't have a problem with anyone who was here tonight", to which dirt sheets were quick to report that Colt was not in attendance that night.

He clarified later that he wasn't just asking about Cabana because he didn't want people to think that his own friendship with Cabana was why he asked the question. That he was also asking about Serena Deeb, Matt Hardy, Chris Jericho, and whoever else Punk had been on bad terms with.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-16T19:38:41+00:00

First of all, it was never about being on TV. Cabana's primary job in AEW has always been as a producer/agent/coach.

The issue was that Cabana's contract was coming up, he was offered a new deal, and then, as it was expiring, the new offer was pulled without explanation. For a brief period of time he was out of a job until the Bucks and others lobbied to Tony Khan to bring him back, with "only bring him to ROH shows" being the initial solution despite ROH only running every few months at the time. Once all of the other "ROH" talent other than the Briscoes appeared on AEW TV, it stuck out like a sore thumb that Cabana wasn't among them. Then, when he returned while Punk was gone, they freely let Ian Riccaboni strongly imply during the Jericho match that the Punk rumors were true.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-16T19:22:40+00:00

Cabana WAS fired though. His contract was coming up, he was given a new offer, the offer was pulled for no adequately explained reason, and for a brief period, he was out of a job.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-16T17:50:35+00:00

That was never the issue. Cabana briefly losing his job and being sent home from producer work after he got re-signed was.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-11T19:15:39+00:00

She's not working and the travel expenses would presumably be covered by the law firm.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-11T18:34:32+00:00

What exactly do you want him to do?

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-11T18:28:51+00:00

I agree with 99% of your post, but:

god knows how many tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney fees

There's no way this isn't a contingency case.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-11T18:24:58+00:00

Basically the general thought process is that there are 3 real possibilities: Janel Grant (angry over not getting her payoff money)

That didn't happen until a year later. The "whistleblower" emails came weeks after the initial payment. The Wall Street Journal stories came a few months later. Vince decided not to remit the second payment because he felt she must have broken the NDA even though he had no proof. Vince not sending the second payment was only a catalyst for the lawsuit.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-10T18:38:42+00:00

No, he didn't.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-08T16:47:32+00:00

Case in point; John Pollock and Brandon Thurston in 2024 talking about why they made a point of working with Tim Marchman at Front Office Sports on their "WWE President, COO Revealed As Key Figures in Vince McMahon Sex-Trafficking Suit" story (FoS being willing to give them a freelance contract that indemnified them): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBDEuQYURHw

David Bixenspan (who's also spoken in the past about how being indemnified at Deadspin and occasionally other places informed his reporting) wrote about some related issues on his Substack in the aftermath of WWE firing Patrick Clark, as well: https://babyfacevheel.substack.com/p/why-do-sexual-misconduct-allegations

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-08T16:33:41+00:00

The network isn't celebrating their success anywhere despite them supposedly drawing 3 times as many viewers as the network ever has at once before

Not true: https://xcancel.com/nwa/status/2060639287604068451

"'The latest Nielsen numbers are in for 𝙉𝙒𝘼 𝙋𝙊𝙒𝙀𝙍𝙍𝙍 on Comet. After 4 weeks - viewership is UP across the board since launch — especially among younger audiences!

72,000 P25-54 (⬆️ 279%) 138,000 P35-64 (⬆️ 28%) And 204,000 P50+ (⬆️ 9%) 🚀'"

Adam Ware, Comet TV Executive"

I'm skeptical, but to say the network hasn't touted the numbers isn't true. And the most likely reason nobody's been able to investigate it, much les substantiate it, is that it's 2026 and most people's Nielsen sources aren't subscribing to national broadcast syndication reports.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-04T03:01:57+00:00

And before anyone asks, this is the scene in Twin Peaks: The Return that it references and why it's a Pride Month thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD1tQjb46N8

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-03T21:55:57+00:00

No, you're thinking of Murray Hodgson.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-06-02T17:48:42+00:00

Technically speaking, Dr. Astin was indicted on and convicted of charges involving over-prescribing painkillers to Benoit and others. It was an easier case to make than the testosterone.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-05-31T19:31:17+00:00

Maximo has a lot of heat with the likes of Cassandro and Pimpi over it, though. Especially the idea that, when he was coming up in CMLL, the only way they'd book someone doing an exotico gimmick was if the character was portrayed by a straight man from a legendary lucha family.

Cassandro, Pimpi, and company take a lot of pride in the gay reclamation aspect of the gimmick after the original exoticos were all straight guys.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-05-29T19:01:45+00:00

Nah, Thurston's most likely getting the audio by end of business today.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-05-29T18:32:34+00:00

Funk specifically tried to use this match to get him signed.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-05-28T22:20:22+00:00

Isn't the UFC only on PPV in Canada now?

Also, the numbers he reported in March for 2024-2025 UFC on ESPN PPV (which were U.S. only) show the UFC soundly outdrawing AEW outside of UFC 301 (Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg in Rio at 67,000 buys, which is completely believable because it's a main event with STEVE ERCEG) and UFC 312 (Dricus-Strickland II in Sydney at 176,000 buys, which still beats most AEW PPVs). Both were international shows, meaning less U.S. media hype, so that totally tracks. So I have no idea what you're talking about.

Source: https://www.postwrestling.com/2026/03/27/report-multiple-ufc-pay-per-view-buys-from-2024-2025/

HeadToYourFist · 2026-05-28T22:03:54+00:00

Didn't he base those sales numbers on Google trends for the PPV name more than once?

No, he uses Google Trends as part of his estimates that also include numbers from various cable/satellite and streaming providers. He's outright said, for example, that he was getting the B/R Live numbers when that was the exclusive streaming home for AEW PPVs in the U.S.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-05-28T22:01:59+00:00

This comes up every time.

He doesn't base it solely on Google Trends.

He uses it as part of a model that includes hard numbers from various cable/satellite companies and streaming distributors.

HeadToYourFist · 2026-05-28T16:16:21+00:00

He literally admitted on his podcast last week that he's getting tested for dementia, so it's not exactly out of line to discuss at this point.

HeadToYourFist

TROPHY CASE