7 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Oct 6)

1. The Disappearance Of AJ Styles

sister abigail
WWE

AJ Styles hasn't wrestled on television since September 12. The idea behind the move is to save him for live crowds in a post-show dark match, in order to convince them to stick around for 205 Live.

So, to parse the logic:

- Television audiences - WWE's primary concern, given that revenue stream remains the most lucrative - suffer for the sake of a failing Network show unable to support its own weight.

- The entire ethos of the show, as a hardcore fan concern, has been undermined to accommodate Enzo Amore, a favourite of the casual set - and the tactic worked for all of a week.

- Neville, arguably the best all-round performer in WWE right now, is now part of the supporting cast because of it.

At this point, even a returning CM Punk wouldn't move the needle. 205 Live has been stigmatised as a nothing show nobody cares about - possibly because Alicia Fox dominated storylines in the early months, triggering concerns that WWE was unable or unwilling to transpose the winning Cruiserweight Classic formula.

205 Live is dead, and everybody has too much wrestling to catch up on to attend the funeral.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!