This Week in Wrestling 2024 Week 21

Brian Damage

It’s Saturday and today we have ’This Week in Wrestling’, the 21st of 2024. Today Brian calls for Tony Khan to step down as AEW booker and shares all the best wrestling content from this week. (WARNING!!! Some NSFW content inside) I REPEAT…NSFW Content!

This Ain’t 2021

At the beginning of this year, AEW owner Tony Khan boldly predicted that 2024 for AEW would be just like 2021 for AEW….if not bigger and better. The year 2021 was a very good year for Khan and AEW, as the product was still very hot from its launch in 2019 and several talent acquisitions such as Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole and the return of CM Punk. To Tony’s credit, he outdid himself by signing big ticket free agents in Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Mone.

Despite the signings, AEW did not see an uptick in their television ratings or live attendance. Actually, the promotion has seen big drops in those categories. The booking has been less than stellar, fans have tuned out of AEW seemingly in droves. Sure, there have been some small highlights such as the character development of ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm and Swerve Strickland capturing the AEW world title. There have been a plethora of excellent wrestling matches on his shows. Yet, they still can’t get over 700k a week for Dynamite their flagship show, they can’t even hide all the empty seats at the arenas and there is a serious lack of storytelling to make fans care more about their brand.

I know that Khan prefers to tell stories in wrestling matches rather than in promos, vignettes and video packages as WWE does and maybe that needs to change? Tony Khan had a red hot show that was so anti-WWE and Vince McMahon…it almost had an ECW like feel to it. Since McMahon was let go…Triple H has changed the formula a bit for the company putting more emphasis on wrestling, while still building up characters slowly. AEW on the other hand just books the show…whether Dynamite, Rampage or Collision and leaves nothing for fans to want to tune in another week.

Reports are that Khan keeps each show closely guarded from everybody including the wrestlers he is booking that night until only a couple of hours before showtime. It has been said that Tony does this to prevent leaks to his shows. I get that part and can actually admire wanting to completely surprise fans with things, but their is supposedly a lot of frustration from talent because of his methods. Khan needs to step aside and just sign paychecks to the roster. He can no longer book in my opinion. AEW (as of this writing) still has no new television deal with Warner Brothers Discovery. WBD had their upfronts for the next season and AEW was not prominently featured. That to me, is extremely worrisome.

Former AEW wrestler Frankie Kazarian said it best when he said that the inmates are running the asylum in AEW. Sound familiar? WCW was like that in its final days. I am not saying AEW is in any great danger to fold any time soon. Heck, if TNA could survive all these years…so can AEW. It took TNA years and years to rebuild and rebrand itself back to respectability. AEW has the money, the talent and a current strong TV deal that they can turn things around rather quickly if Tony can just put aside his ego and realize that his way is no longer working. 2024 for AEW is nothing like AEW in 2021. It is more like WCW in 2000.

Photo Gallery

Best wishes go out to good ol’ Jim Ross who recently suffered a medical emergency.

Every King of the Ring Winner up until now…

To me, these titles were the best in the WWF/WWE

Now that’s a birthday cake!

Old School WWF tattoo

They both have come a long way…

Buddy and Rhea’s Butt…

…and the magic of the internet.

Trish Stratus

Bianca Belair

Kayla Braxton

Bayley and Liv

Anna Jay

Cora Jade

Saraya

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Video Gallery

The late Superstar Billy Graham in a McDonald’s commercial from 1989!

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NSFW Viewer Discretion is Strongly Advised.

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Lacey Evans

TNA’s Jordynne Grace

CJ Perry

Jenni

Dana Brooke

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Safety!!!

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