Welcome back to another round of Quick Takes—a post that indulges in the topics that aren’t worth dedicating a full article to, but are still on my mind.
Each week, I try to cram in as many smaller talking points as I can via a speedier process, and I invite you to chime in with your own thoughts about these topics and anything else by keeping the discussion going in the comments below! Drop some more talking points in there for everyone to chat it up about, too!
Without further ado, let’s get into this week’s topics.
SummerSlam Locations
Rumors are flying around that WWE is looking to host SummerSlam in some form or fashion either with live fans in attendance, at the beach and/or on a boat.
WWE hasn’t confirmed any of this in the works at all, but that’s to be expected. If all those plans fall through, they’ll look worse than if they just treat it like rumor and speculation. Assuming they get to do that, the surprise will be fine, so there’s no downside to not mentioning this.
I’m not expecting any of this to work out, so I’m not getting my hopes up. But if WWE can do some sort of outdoor show, it would certainly help break the monotony and make SummerSlam feel more special.
In particular, the beach idea is something I love. There are plenty of problems I could see coming up that may cause major headaches, such as weather issues, lighting, acoustics, etc. But at least that would feel like WWE is trying to fit the theme.
I’ve thought they should at least have a beach themed set going on for a long while, similar to what AEW has done with Bash at the Beach and Fyter Fest.
The boat idea is less appealing to me. It’s better than nothing, but the only thing that helped Dynamite work okay on Chris Jericho’s cruise was the inclusion of fans. Since that can’t happen, how would WWE dress up the boat to make it look like anything but something sad?
If SummerSlam ends up being just another WWE Performance Center event, it won’t be the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination. However, it’s definitely not going to feel like SummerSlam, just like all these past events haven’t feel like true pay-per-views.
Charlotte Flair is the Next Breakout Star in Hollywood?
On the subject of Charlotte becoming some major Hollywood star, I just can’t see it.
The Rock’s had the most success as an actor because he was a naturally charismatic and gifted performer on the mic. That has never been Flair’s expertise.
Even people who were great talkers like Steve Austin have struggled in Hollywood, so why would Flair be an exception? It’s not as though Ronda Rousey has been getting offers left and right to be the lead in films after doing a few, and she’s a bigger name with about the same level of acting talent.
We haven’t heard much about this new TV project that Flair is working on. That could be a sign that she’s interested in this career path, or it could just be that she’s taking the opportunity to do that while the offer is on the table. It’s an experience, at the very least, that could net her some decent money or a boost in her stardom that can lead to a better WWE contract down the line. She might end up loving it, too, and pursuing that career.
But for anyone out there thinking this means she’ll be She-Hulk in the MCU or anything like that, I wouldn’t hold my breath. I’d assume Flair’s Hollywood trajectory would follow most others where she’d do some guest spots in action flicks or comedies and that’s about it.
At least her surgery seems to have gone well. That’s a plus.
Matt Hardy Wants to Be Himself
After several years of trying to do all sorts of weird gimmicks, leaving WWE because he wanted to do more of those things with creative control and then firmly establishing that he’s a Mick Foley-esque character with multiple personalities in AEW, Matt Hardy has decided “never mind” and wants to just be himself going forward.
The cynic in me thinks this is a gimmick. The whole thing is just a work, of sorts. Basically, he’s trying to tell the story of being his “true self” so that when he goes back to doing this (when there are crowds), people will pop for it cause they won’t be sick of it by then.
I don’t blame him, if that’s the case. That’s not a bad strategy at all.
But if this is supposed to be a legitimate effort to “heal some of the division” going on in the world….you’ve lost me. I don’t think Tyler Reks is going to start wearing his mask in public because Matt is being more of himself on Dynamite.
Ariane Andrew (Cameron) and Matt Cardona (Zack Ryder) Join AEW
It was only a matter of time before Matt Cardona showed up in AEW. Cody’s been talking about him being one of his targets to sign since leaving WWE, as he considers him to be an untapped commodity.
It’s interesting when these WWE guys go to AEW and they look so much bigger than some of the other guys. Shawn Spears looked on the smaller side in WWE, but he towers over some of the AEW crew. The same is going on with Ryder, who looked like he’s been hitting the weights in the past few months.
I’m excited to see what he can bring to the table outside of the WWE shackles. I can’t say the same, quite as much, for Ariane Andrew. However, that’s not to say I’m writing her off entirely, either.
Cameron was far from a standout in WWE. She never reached a point where I thought she had a good run in her waiting to come out, or was being underutilized. Granted, time’s passed. She might have improved considerably since then to the level where now, she’s great. I’ll have to see for myself if that’s the case.
I’m not impressed with AEW’s women’s division as it is. Maybe she’s going to be better than many of the others by default and surprise me. But for now, I’m not expecting her to be able to do too much other than to piggyback off Nyla Rose doing most of the work in their tag team match for The Deadly Draw.
Rusev Will Focus on Twitch
Miro, fka Rusev, said he’s done with wrestling and he’s going to focus on his Twitch channel, instead.
I don’t blame the guy. Do you?
On one hand, you get to sit at home and play video games. With the other job, you barely get any sleep and your body gets beat to shit while you do horrible storylines like the one with Lana, Bobby Lashley and Liv Morgan.
If he can afford to focus on Twitch instead, he’d be a fool not to make that his priority. It’s something he can do during the pandemic, build more of a net value for himself as a standalone performer beyond his WWE persona, and if he ever wants to get back in the ring, there’s nothing stopping him from a guest spot here or there, since he’s not under a no-compete clause.
WWE Payback on August 30th
One week after SummerSlam, WWE is going to run another pay-per-view with Payback. It hasn’t been officially announced, but it’s been rumored for a while and WrestleVotes is a trustworthy source.
How is this a good idea? It’s going to cannibalize the card. There’s no way in hell, with WWE’s track record, that they can pull this off.
It’ll be a series of the following:
- Matches at SummerSlam end in weird ways so they can do rematches at Payback.
- Matches at SummerSlam end in normal ways and they do rematches at Payback anyway.
- Some matches aren’t booked for SummerSlam so they happen at Payback. WWE just drags out those stories an extra week or so.
- Feuds are rushed with one week to set up, build, and do the go-home show for all at the same time.
This can’t possibly work. Not a chance.
What are your takes on these topics? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
