Predictability in wrestling is often a good thing, but there's not a lot worse than the obvious twist when it comes at the expense of a cool babyface.
AEW had attempted - with partial success perhaps - to lead viewers away from thinking that Callis had in fact been setting up an alliance with Trent Beretta all along after he lost to Orange Cassidy yet again at Double Or Nothing. Trent said he was leaving, Callis looked elated at a result gone his way, and though it was still clear Cassidy wasn't going to sign on the dotted line, new questions were raised about just who it would be.
Instead, the payoff reverted the obvious twist, and was all the weaker for it. Cassidy should have clocked this possible threat weeks ago as everybody else did, and in kayfabe, why exactly would 'The Invisible Hand' spend weeks of his life on a flimsy misdirect just to bring a multi-time loser and choke artist into his ranks?
Folding in Kris Statlander for the reveal was at least economic use of television time, but more on her good night elsewhere.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years.
As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say.
With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling.
Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.
