If the plan goes to fruition and a roster split is put into place, gun to your head and you had to make a Sophie's Choice, what show are you watching?

Are you sticking with The Elite and Dynamite?

Or are you going with Collision?

Will Collision be the CYN version of AEW, or will it be the alternative to WWE not alternative WWE like some talking heads have accused AEW of becoming?

So it just occurred to me this could be a trick question because I think at least for the first week there's going to be that curiosity factor. What exactly will Punk say and do on the show? Will the show be all that different? etc. So the initial few weeks may not be really indicative. Still, on principle, what show can you see yourself sticking with? Do you love the current product and think it can improve or does there have to be a drastic tonal shift and you want to see them try a different vision?

Read as rampage or collision. Dynamite all the way. Collision will be Punk and FTR's show. Rosa likely to return there as well. The ultimate irony is it is likely to be the NWA style product that Cody wanted. And would not really be the worst idea since that is another style not really being promoted right now. Likewise Dynamite can lean into being PWG on a national level.

It will not be a CYN version of AEW as some people will watch it and they will not lean into edgelord right wing content.

I think they're biting off more than they can chew. TK is eventually going to run out of Randoms to debut, hype and use twice before forgetting about to pop his ratings.

I can't see the soft brand split lasting. I think one vision will clearly be better than the other and that will be the direction the company goes with. Whether he can get all the parties to co-exist will be the challenge, but I don't think it's impossible.

Haven't they already got a brand split in AEW and ROH?

Network wanted a soft brand split for the show. Sure Tony wants did not fight it since it does allow him to split apart drama. Assume the people who do two shows then vanish will be moved up to this roster.

RoH and AEW is also a soft split yeah.  But some of the RoH guys really are not TV stars.  They are amazing workers, but not guys that have a good TV personality.  And with two rosters, Tony should not have people without personality on TV.  Also I assume he is using RoH like WWE uses NXT to teach guys camera angles.

Apr 29, 2023 12:26:33 GMT NATH45 said:

Haven't they already got a brand split in AEW and ROH?

Sort of.

That's the Eddie Kingston containment show and you've got to pay $10 to watch it legally. Why anyone would actually want to do that, I have no idea when there's enough wrestling on TV.

The whole thing is kind of stupid.

Eddie not really banished there. He was working an angle with Claudio then got hurt.

I also suspect these days Eddie is more into wanting to work with younger guys coming up than shining up himself.  He is not a young man anymore.

Apr 29, 2023 12:32:43 GMT c said:

Eddie not really banished there.

Of course, but he's the only talent they treated as an exclusive ROH guy.

That was the angle to feud with Claudio. He promised Mox he would not fight him in AEW. Then he got hurt making it seem like he is stuck there.

Claudio feud is not over yet though either.  Post feud likely he will return at some point.  Honestly, RoH suits him better since they are working with NJPW guys there and he can do the one off matches he liked to do on the main roster on PPVs there instead.

Honestly, it's hard to say, without knowing what the rosters will look like, for both shows. Let's say the plan is to keep CM Punk away from The Elite, we're looking at something like...

Dynamite
Adam Page
Kenny Omega
Young Bucks

Collision
CM Punk
FTR
Chris Jericho

I put Jericho on Collision, based on the rumor of him being Punk's first feud back, plus you would think the rest of the JSA would join him. Based on the above alone, I'd probably go with Collison if I absolutely had to pick one over the other.

Omega > Punk
FTR > Bucks
Hangman > Jericho (even though Jericho is my all-time favorite)

Again though, if you factor in the rest of the Jericho Appreciation Society being on Collision, that gives the show an edge over Dynamite, with what little we know of so far.

BCC will be Dynamite as well. Cole, Strong and the rest of the west coast guys will likely stay with the Elite. Assume Mark Briscoe goes with FTR and crew.  May send Lethal and Jarrett as well. Those guys go way back with Punk without drama.  Joe as well.

Apr 29, 2023 12:39:44 GMT Lony said:

Honestly, it's hard to say, without knowing what the rosters will look like, for both shows. Let's say the plan is to keep CM Punk away from The Elite, we're looking at something like...

Dynamite
Adam Page
Kenny Omega
Young Bucks

Collision
CM Punk
FTR
Chris Jericho

I put Jericho on Collision, based on the rumor of him being Punk's first feud back, plus you would think the rest of the JSA would join him. Based on the above alone, I'd probably go with Collison if I absolutely had to pick one over the other.

Omega > Punk
FTR > Bucks
Hangman > Jericho (even though Jericho is my all-time favorite)

Again though, if you factor in the rest of the Jericho Appreciation Society being on Collision, that gives the show an edge over Dynamite, with what little we know of so far.

Lony if you were drafting for Collision and going for a more serious rasslin product, who would you bring over?

If you want more a serious wrestling product you swap JAS and BCC.

Apr 29, 2023 12:39:12 GMT c said:

That was the angle to feud with Claudio. He promised Mox he would not fight him in AEW. Then he got hurt making it seem like he is stuck there.

Claudio feud is not over yet though either.  Post feud likely he will return at some point.  Honestly, RoH suits him better since they are working with NJPW guys there and he can do the one off matches he liked to do on the main roster on PPVs there instead.

OK, but I fail to see how that contradicts the point about Eddie being the only talent to be treated as an exclusive ROH talent.

Don't have to c-splain this stuff to me, I read r/SC too.

Having it well established that they WWE brand split is average at best, and a big reason why there's been a noticeable decline in quality since it's inception - why is Tony so eager to create his own?

Apr 29, 2023 12:47:12 GMT NATH45 said:

Having it well established that they WWE brand split is average at best, and a big reason why there's been a noticeable decline in quality since it's inception - why is Tony so eager to create his own?

c's theory that the network wanted it sounds plausible. However, I believe he couldn't mediate Punk/The Elite and knew how much of a headache Punk's return was going to be. So I'd imagine him and WB reached an agreement for a new show where Punk and these other talents could work and stay away from The Elite.

I truly believe the AEW locker room is filled with massive marks.

Warner likely said it was a condition of getting the show. Network execs like brand splits as they think it means it will be seen as a unique show which can be branded as such to advertisers.

Apr 29, 2023 12:52:06 GMT Big Pete said:

Apr 29, 2023 12:47:12 GMT NATH45 said:

Having it well established that they WWE brand split is average at best, and a big reason why there's been a noticeable decline in quality since it's inception - why is Tony so eager to create his own?

c's theory that the network wanted it sounds plausible. However, I believe he couldn't mediate Punk/The Elite and knew how much of a headache Punk's return was going to be. So I'd imagine him and WB reached an agreement for a new show where Punk and these other talents could work and stay away from The Elite.

I truly believe the AEW locker room is filled with massive marks.

I doubt the network cared at all about the drama.  They just wanted Punk on the show because he polls well with advertisers.  

Remember the network holds all the power now.  They could just tell Tony clean up your house or we will cancel your contract.  They will not reward him with a new show to get Tony to run a professional product.  Since non-fans view all wrestling drama as fake Tony gets a lot of leeway but not unlimited.

Apr 29, 2023 12:43:05 GMT Big Pete said:

Lony if you were drafting for Collision and going for a more serious rasslin product, who would you bring over?

Honestly no idea.

However, if you're making Collision the more serious show, I would assume you keep Dark Order on Dynamite with Hangman Page. Same thing with Orange Cassidy and the rest of Best Friends, which is fine as you can have the TNT champion Wardlow on Collision, to balance out Dynamite getting the international champion. The same thing with the two women's championships, keep Hayter (and Baker by association) on Dynamite, while Jade gets put on Collision (maybe Thunder Rosa on Collision as well, if she and Baker still have heat with each other).

Apr 29, 2023 12:53:43 GMT c said:

Apr 29, 2023 12:52:06 GMT Big Pete said:

c's theory that the network wanted it sounds plausible. However, I believe he couldn't mediate Punk/The Elite and knew how much of a headache Punk's return was going to be. So I'd imagine him and WB reached an agreement for a new show where Punk and these other talents could work and stay away from The Elite.

I truly believe the AEW locker room is filled with massive marks.

I doubt the network cared at all about the drama.  They just wanted Punk on the show because he polls well with advertisers.  

Remember the network holds all the power now.  They could just tell Tony clean up your house or we will cancel your contract.  They will not reward him with a new show to get Tony to run a professional product.  Since non-fans view all wrestling drama as fake Tony gets a lot of leeway but not unlimited.

I think the network wanted a please explain on Punk and were willing to offer whatever they could to keep him on the network. Tony was unable to smooth things over, especially with guys like Meltzer talking smack on message boards, so they give them this time-slot that otherwise would be going to waste. How long it lasts, we won't have any details until they officially announce it.

I do not think the network cares. Advertisers want Punk, so Tony gets the show if he can get Punk. But show was likely coming eitherway I think since it is ratings.

Frankly, I bet the leverage used was Wembley. They get Punk and the network pays for Wembley.

I believe the reports that the show was contingent on Punk being on it. If that's the case, I see it as WB giving them the time-slot to make it happen because the two parties can't co-exist at this point in time.

Or Tony just splitting the roster to deal with Punk since he will be on that show then whether the roster likes it or not.

And older rumors were Tony does good on the future shows the network wanted, he will pitch RoH again. And really RoH should take the Rampage spot if AEW is up to four hours since it is likely that Rampage becomes essentially Dark, and Dark becomes Elevation now.

Either way he's got to be careful about this. You can't book those shows without burning yourself and the audience out. Needs to get the right people around him, and I have my concerns that QT, Schiavone, Dutt etc. aren't it.

Knowing almost nothing about either show makes this question very hard to answer.

I understand why AEW would want to go for a brand split as opposed to WWE. AEW has a very bloated roster.

Apr 29, 2023 13:40:07 GMT Emperor said:

Knowing almost nothing about either show makes this question very hard to answer.

I understand why AEW would want to go for a brand split as opposed to WWE. AEW has a very bloated roster.

No fence sitting! Otherwise you're banished to the Impact board.

No! Anything but Impact!

I choose Dynamite because I like the name more.

Apr 29, 2023 13:38:58 GMT Big Pete said:

Either way he's got to be careful about this. You can't book those shows without burning yourself and the audience out. Needs to get the right people around him, and I have my concerns that QT, Schiavone, Dutt etc. aren't it.

He needs bookers for both brands.  If the rumors are right he does all creative himself still and books the shows.  Rest of the guys are just talent agents who help put together matches that Tony already booked or deal with issues the talent have.