AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com
It should have been a great moment.
John Cena and Cody Rhodes had a masterpiece of a WWE-style
main event. Cena had the best match he'd had in 15 years and
left as the beloved babyface for his last four months in
WWE. The crowd was cheering Cena in his last SummerSlam
match.
Then, without warning, the music hit...
Michael Cole let out with a "Holy shit! The Beast Is Back!"
Brock Lesnar had returned for the first time since
SummerSlam 2023 when he lost to Cody Rhodes. Then, Lesnar
was (unofficially) named in the Janel Grant lawsuit and was
removed from future shows.
While the live crowd popped, fans online ranged from shocked
to outraged and disgusted. To cite two examples, Fightful's
In The Weeds podcast reviewing SummerSlam was titled
"Disgusting". Instinct Culture's Denise Salcedo ripped
Lesnar's return for at least 20 minutes.
To provide background to the one or two people reading this
who doesn't remember why, Cultaholic reported back in
February that Janel Grant filed an amended lawsuit on
January 31, adding new details to her allegations against
Vince McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis. In it, Brock
Lesnar was officially named in the lawsuit (he'd previously
been referred to as "WWE Superstar")
Grant alleged in the amended suit that [Vince McMahon] told
her in July 2021 that Lesnar would be her next "playmate" as
part of negotiations to sign him to a new contract. On July
12, 2021, McMahon demanded Grant produce "personalized
sexual content" for Lesnar. Nine days later, Lesnar flew to
Connecticut for a "business dinner" (aka a sexual encounter
with Grant at Vince McMahon's condo). Despite flying there,
nothing happened since Lesnar was too drunk.
McMahon kept using a potential sexual encounter with Grant
as a bargaining chip in signing Lesnar and allegedly texted
Grant following Lesnar's signing: "Part of the deal was
f*%$#ng U."
In December 2021, McMahon gave Lesnar Grant's cell phone
number. Lesnar then demanded Grant send him a video of her
urinating. Grant did so, at which point Lesnar informed
Grant "if she had not complied with the request, [he]
would have lost any interest in her and then called her a
'bitch.'"
Later that month, Lesnar tried to arrange another sexual
encounter with Grant that wound up cancelled due to a
snowstorm.
After Lesnar returned to WWE at SummerSlam last Sunday, the
representatives of Janel Grant issued a statement to the
media last Monday following SummerSlam and the return of
Brock Lesnar:
“For far too long, abuse was allowed to thrive under
WWE’s leadership. Instead of righting this wrong, WWE has
done nothing to ensure those responsible are held
accountable. This attempt to sweep misconduct under the rug
will backfire...We look forward to the full set of facts,
including those about Mr. Lesnar, coming out in a court of
law where they belong but, in the meantime, we refer you
back to Janel Grant’s updated complaint, which outlines, in
detail, the abuse she endured by McMahon and others while
employed at WWE.”
For anyone attempting to play whataboutism with you, remind
them that Lesnar's name is listed 44 times in the refiled
lawsuit. 44 times.
Then ask that person if they'd be OK with Brock Lesnar
asking their sister or daughter to urinate, shoot a picture
of it, and send him the picture. Then ask if they're OK with
that person flying interstate (cheating on his wife/partner
in the process) to engage in sex with her because their boss
said so.
See what they tell you.
If they somehow don't accept the word of Janel Grant, then
what about when Lesnar flashed his penis to Terri Runnels in
a story told on Dark Side of the Ring? Or when Lesnar
squeezed Jim Cornette’s wife’s private parts painfully and
inappropriately when she had asked him not to during a OVW
match angle...and wound up with Cornette threatening to
shoot him?
What message does Lesnar returning send to women? What
message does it send to victims of sexual harassment, sexual
exploitation or sexual violence?
What message does it send to the women in the WWE, NXT, and
AAA locker rooms? As one example, think about Stephanie
Vaquer with the abuse and death threats she endured from a
boyfriend (and fellow CMLL talents against her).
Lance Storm summed it up on Wrestling Observer Live: "So,
to me, whether you bring Brock back or not, or anyone else
back or not, to me, you need to ask your question - does
this support your move to improve and make a respectful safe
environment for women in your company, or does it detract
from that and make it feel like you're going backwards?
The answer to that question is clear.
But WWE clearly didn't care and doesn't care. Witness Paul
Heyman being interviewed by Ariel Helwani:
"...There’s always going to be critics of anything that
we do. Very few people make it to the top in life without
making mistakes or having skeletons in their closet.
Obviously, the decision was made, it’s time to bring back
Brock Lesnar. Whatever that decision is based on, I respect
it. If there are critics of it, get over it, he’s here. He’s
going to be here and you ain’t gonna be able to cancel him.
For anyone who's outraged by Lesnar's return, Paul Heyman
and TKO essentially just said "fuck you". You may want to
think about adapting your viewing habits accordingly.
Last Monday, All Elite Wrestling announced that Prudential
Center in Newark, NJ will host AEW Full Gear on Saturday,
November 22 live and on pay-per-view. Tickets for AEW Full
Gear will go on sale Monday, August 25 at 10 AM ET via
Ticketmaster.com and AEWTix.com. Fans interested in early
access presale opportunities can register to become an AEW
Insider by visiting allelitewrestling.com/aew-insider.
“We are thrilled to return to Prudential Center for AEW
Full Gear on Saturday, November 22....AEW is having a
fantastic 2025 and based on the history of great support
from the fans at Prudential Center for this event in 2022
and 2024, I believe this year’s AEW Full Gear will once
again be one of the biggest and most exciting events of the
year.”
Newest figures for buys for All In Texas from Dave Meltzer,
have him estimating 180,000-185,000 buys. That could mean
All In Texas 2025 will likely end up with the third highest
buy rate in company history, as AEW All Out 2021 did an
estimated 215,000 buys, AEW All In 2023 did an estimated
200,000 buys, and AEW Revolution 2024 did 180,000-185,000
buys featuring Sting's retirement.
There are hot days to come (including this week in South
Jersey), but summer is in the homestretch and fall is on the
horizon with NFL exhibition games, Back-To-School sales
online and all over TV, and schools already open in parts of
the South. That means that wrestling indies will soon be
thinking en masse about the season of giving.
In 2024, independent wrestling promotions helped their
communities during the Holiday season through wrestling
shows, Comic-Cons, playing video games,10-day marathons
sitting on top of a trailer, bowling parties, online trivia
contests, chicken BBQ's, portrait sittings, Twitch streams,
and a dozen other means. Fans in 31 states and
provinces gave and gave and gave at 170 charity
shows/events/efforts that took place to help their
communities for the Holidays with that came to
369,707.70 in cash donations, 18,081
pounds (that's OVER NINE TONS) of canned and non-
perishable food, 26,843 toys; at least 60 winter
jackets, at least 70 pairs of socks and underwear,
250 backpacks, "bags full of winter clothes" and "tons of
school supplies", 40 blankets, 8 pairs of gloves, a dozen
pair of wool socks, 4 knit hats, over 200assorted
"personal care items"; as well as animal blankets, cat
litter, indoor dry/wet food, cat/dog toys, and unscented
baby wipes for animal rescue groups.
Given the current regime in Washington, far more help will
be needed from every private source possible to help the
hungry, the sick, the cold, the homeless, LGBT people,
sexual/domestic violence victims, animal welfare, and too
many more causes.
Indies, start thinking about what you can do now. If your
local indie hasn't scheduled or announced an event or events
for the Holiday season, ask them why not. Better yet, offer
to help them organize one.
Two indie promotions already got an early start, and five
others have already scheduled their annual shows and events:
* Big Time Wrestling returned to Newark, CA on August 8 for
Family Giving Tree, and the third annual Back-To-School
Backpack Drive for new, unused backpacks and school supplies
for local kids in need, grades K-12.
* EPW Wrestling came to Philadelphia, MS on August 9 for the
annual Headlocks for Toys Toy Drive, with WWE/WCW/nWo star
Buff Bagwell.
* Capital City Championship Wrestling returns to Ottawa, ON
on August 15, to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society with
the 14th annual Fighting Back: Wrestling With Cancer. The
event has raised over $600,000 has been raised by our
community since 2011 in the memory of Phrank Morin, as well
as others touched by cancer.
* Supreme Pro Wrestling teams up once again with Alex's
Lemonade Stand Foundation to raise money for its annual
fundraiser against childhood cancer on August 17 in Elk
Grove, CA.
* Prestige Wrestling runs its most unique show ever! August
23, we come to Oregon Pro Wrestling School in Hillsboro, OR
for FJR (if you know, you know), featuring Danhausen, Kevin
Blackwood, Johnnie Robbie, Travis Williams, Midnight Heat,
Maya World, Cody Chhun, DREXL, Vinnie Massaro and much more!
Tickets are donation based (please pay as much as possible)
and room is limited! 100% of the profits from the event will
be donated to RAINN-the nation's largest sexual abuse
charity.
* Midwest All-Star Wrestling will hold its annual
fundraising dinner with a dinner and Q&A with Great Muta on
October 31 in Bloomington, MN; and presented the annual
Women of Nations Grand Slam 7 on November 1 in North St.
Paul, MN, raising funds for the Women of Nations shelter
that world with survivors of domestic violence and sexual
abuse.
* UWC Pro Wrestling returns for its annual Toys for Tots
Show on November 29 at 2 Meadowbrook Lane, New Egypt, NJ.
Admission is FREE with a $20 suggested value new toy
donation, or $20 at the door (all ages). This event happens
conveniently after all those wonderful Black Friday
sales!!!!
If you'd like to contact me, you can do so at my
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