Collision Debuts, Belts, Dark Side AND MORE – The Wrestling Estate Mailbag Week of June 19, 2023

The Wrestling Estate Mailbag is back! Be sure to send your questions to thewrestlingest@gmail.com and you could have your questions answered in a future edition of the piece.

Q: Happy Collision! What did you think of the first show? — Ian M., Pensacola, Fla.

I did catch the first episode of AEW on replay on Sunday morning. For some reason, I feel this will probably become a common theme for me and this show, which is too bad because in a vacuum, this show was two hours of great wrestling television. The show seemed to flow a lot better than Dynamite does, I enjoyed the stories told in pretty much every match on the show, and that CM Punk promo off the top…. wow. I have been going back and forth with a good friend of mine for weeks now about Punk’s culpability in the drama surrounding AEW this past year, and he keeps telling me how he’s out on CM Punk because Punk started the whole thing.

The problem is, this is just factually incorrect. Rather, Adam Page lit the proverbial match when he went off script during that rough promo on Dynamite based on the hearsay that Punk got Colt Cabana fired from AEW. Tony Khan said this was not the case, Punk has repeatedly denied it himself, and Cabana is still gainfully employed by AEW (as far as we know). So Page’s willingness to call an audible was based on “rumor and innuendo” as Bruce Prichard likes to say. I don’t feel a want or need to elaborate anymore than that because this story has just been beaten to death, and I don’t want to get into a position where I sound like the WCW narrator who said “Goldberg refused to follow the script.”

Where am I going with this…. oh yeah! That back-and-forth on Dynamite between Page and Punk was quite bad. Neither guy really came across as a star in that segment, and it was overall a pretty uninspiring segment that hit a wall when Page waved off the sign and threw a changeup. If the idea was to eventually turn Punk heel, that segment could have done with more time, but I don’t think Punk is blameless for the way the segment turned out. I’m paraphrasing, but I think he said something to the effect of, “Hangman Page, I’m looking forward to our match at Double or Nothing.” No zip on that fastball whatsoever, and Page promptly tee’d off on him. Granted, he swung for the fences only to have the ball drift just wide of the foul pole, but the promo wasn’t Punk’s best effort either.

Saturday’s promo to open AEW Collision was a completely different story. This was classic CM Punk all the way down to the metaphors, repetition and insider digs. For me personally, it was just good to see Punk back in a wrestling ring with a microphone in his hand. As for the rest of the show, I think it’s reasonable to say whoever ran the show has not been running the show on Dynamite.

As I said, the show felt less frantic, more organized, and every match served a purpose beyond throwing two guys together and telling them to go out and have a great match. Every match on the card should lead to something greater down the line, including the main event which saw Punk pin Juice Robinson and whisper something in his ear in the immediate aftermath. I want to believe it was something positive. My only bitch with the show was that they did not tease anything for next week’s episode, one area Dynamite actually does a nice job with. I saw one person speculate on Twitter that with Punk carrying around the old AEW World Championship in a sack, the one he never lost, he could replace MJF at Forbidden door if the champ “no shows” against Hiroshi Tanahashi. It would only make sense, as Punk was originally tabbed to wrestle ‘Tana’ at last year’s Forbidden Door event.

This would seemingly be the beginning of an ensuing “Collision Course” and if things played out this way, it would be one of the wisest storyline-based decisions AEW ever made.  

Q: Loved the roundtable you guys did on pro wrestling championships. Do you have a favorite title belt? — Frank F., West Reading, Pa.

I think as fans, we’re a product of the time we grew up in. I think the World Heavyweight Championship, WCW Heavyweight Championship, “The Big Gold Belt,” whatever you want to call it, is one of the most timeless, classic designs in wrestling history. I knew it best as the World Heavyweight Championship, but this belt had a life long before Eric Bischoff revived it on Monday Night Raw. As a result, it is unique in how it has bridged the gap between multiple generations of fans, and it can’t be denied that the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship is heavily influenced by this design.

Is it my personal favorite? On the right day of the week, it might be. The WWE Undisputed Championship is also a sleek design that is one of the best WWE ever had. Is it better than the Winged Eagle? I’m not sure. Some might say it’s sacrilege to say that, I really enjoyed both designs. I also think the “Attitude Era” Intercontinental Championship deserves some more love. But on this particular day? I just don’t think you can go wrong with “The Big Gold Belt.”  

Q: Did you happen to catch this past week’s Dark Side of the Ring episode on The Graham Family? — Joe B., Braintree, Mass.

I did! This is a story I’ve become acquainted with over the years as I’ve gotten to explore more of the territory era. To say it’s tragic would be an understatement. My girlfriend and I have found simpatico with Dark Side of the Ring in recent years, as it appeals to my love of wrestling and her love of True Crime. However, on this particular night, we probably didn’t need to be reminded of this particular story. It’s one that is depressing beyond belief.

The episode profiled the Graham Family, namely Florida promoter Eddie Graham and his son Mike. The episode also touched on Dr. Jerry Graham from his days teaming with Eddie. Jerry was a true character even in his final days, and it’s also worth noting that he was Vince McMahon‘s favorite wrestler when he was a kid. While I forget the original nature of this source, I’m pretty sure this tidbit came from Vince himself, and perhaps even originated from his 2001 Playboy interview around the conception of the XFL. Several of wrestling’s all-time great booking minds have waxed poetic on the nuances they picked up from under the Eddie Graham learning tree. Kevin Sullivan went on to become one of WCW’s most influential bookers and Dusty Rhodes…. need I say more about the mind he had for wrestling?

This past season of Tales of the Territories dealt with some of the more light-hearted Eddie Graham stories before he took his own life, but it’s worth mentioning that Graham, and coincidentally Jerry Graham who was not blood related, dealt with alcoholism and depression throughout his life, and his demons finally caught up to him in 1985. The doc also profiles Eddie’s son, Mike, who went on to have a backstage job in WCW for several years and an offshore power boat on the side.

Personally, most of what I know about Mike Graham came from his Guest Booker release for Kayfabe Commentaries where he had a lot of things to say about the Radicalz and not only claimed to be responsible, but took credit for their leaving WCW. He had some not-so-nice things to say about Guerrero and Benoit in particular, who had passed on at that point. I always felt this was pretty low, though I may be biased because those were my favorite wrestlers as a kid. I also understand history was not so kind to Mr. Benoit, but there is an expression that “you don’t speak ill of the dead” and I thought he went overboard. Also key to Graham’s version of events was that he and Kevin Sullivan, WCW’s booker at the time, were very close, and obviously the connection Sullivan and Benoit shared with Nancy Toffoloni is well documented. I also did not know who Mike was when I first watched that clip, so I’ve been more sympathetic in recent years. My feelings on Mike do not make it any less sad that he followed in his father (and son’s) footsteps in committing suicide.

Tuesday’s episode was great, one of the best and very thorough as usual. I also thought they spoke to the right people. But man, what a downer.  

You can follow The Wrestling Estate on Twitter @thewrestlingest and Jack Goodwillie @jackgoodwillie.

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Jack Goodwillie

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