AEW - Non-Wrestling (Business, Money, Ratings etc.)

[comfortablynumb]

I don't see it happening because it would be a risk for a guy who seems to like playing it safe, but a motivated and slightly re-invented Randy Orton in AEW would be fascinating. Him in any other company besides WWE is very strange to imagine, but he may see what Jericho is doing in AEW and like the thought of being the top star of a smaller pond.

[Powder]

Orton may have been trolling, but over the weekend, he posted a photo to Instagram of himself standing in front of a door plaque that reads “Elite”. “Level” is shadowed out on purpose. For the caption he wrote, “tick tock tick tock.” The location tagged in the post is Jacksonville, Florida and the wrestlers tagged in the post are: The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder), Luke Harper, Riddick Moss, Cody Rhodes, Chris Jericho, and Elias. Jericho replied to the post saying, “Send in a tape and some pix and I’ll see what I can do…��”

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The main page had the story...here.

[Powder]

EDIT: Computer is screwey...don't know why it double posted.

[Cult Icon]

The Orton rumor has been around almost all year after Sean Ross Sapp mentioned that Orton had interest in AEW back in February. Of course he also mentioned The Usos had interest as well and that turned out to be them just leveraging WWE for money (they re-signed in April and have promptly disappeared since due to another DUI incident). I do know he's a fan of AEW based on this apparent Twitch stream he did a few weeks ago (in particular he seemed to Sammy Guevara), he's very close with Cody and with AEW he'd only be working 52 weeks a year because AEW is only doing TV and the 4 big PPV events (plus maybe a special or too), a nice schedule for a guy who wants to work less. Whether that overrules the insane amount of money WWE will surely offer to keep him will be something we all find out next year. My gut is he'll probably re-sign, unless there's a story we don't know about about him being absolutely miserable in WWE (which there's been no indication of).

Also, Jaws is fucking awesome. Great film and has an all time great monologue in the form of Quint discussing his experience with the U.S.S Indianapolis. That speech is one of those hallmark moments in cinema and exactly the reason why Quint's death is iffy. Guy has an all time great speech, comes off as the ultimate bad ass and then five minutes later he's getting eaten like he's the biggest geek this side of Finn Balor.

[Powder]

Does Orton need an insane amount of money though? I know, everyone wants more money, but there does come a time in professional wrestlers lives when they do have to ask themselves what is more important: Continue working 300+ dates a year and all the travel for an insane amount of money, or work less dates, get to spend much more time with my family, and also get more time off to allow my aging body to recover and heal, and yes make less money.

I know that if I had already made the money that Orton has, I would lean towards AEW, and let Vince know that, to use as leverage. Maybe Vince will give him more time off, and more money, but who knows. Maybe the move to RAW will result in another push (yawn) and another title run (yawn again) to appease Orton? Who knows.

Eleven hundred men went into the water. 316 men come out, the sharks took the rest, June the 29th, 1945.

Anyway, we delivered the bomb.

[Prime Time]

he'd only be working 52 weeks a year

Call me crazy because I haven't slept properly in about eight days now, but isn't that..... all the weeks?

[Powder]

Call me crazy because I haven't slept properly in about eight days now, but isn't that..... all the weeks?

Yes, but I think the implication is that he will work all 52 Dynamite shows and the 4 PPVs making it a total of 56 days in a 365 day year. Not 300+ days the WWE asks of you.

And the highlighted quote reminds me of Deadpool. "I gonna need all the guns. Which ones? ALL OF THEM!"

[Prime Time]

Yes, believe it or not I got that.

[Team Farrell]

Yes, but I think the implication is that he will work all 52 Dynamite shows and the 4 PPVs making it a total of 56 days in a 365 day year. Not 300+ days the WWE asks of you.

They really don't have the same schedule that they used to. It's more like three to four days per week.

Does Orton need an insane amount of money though? I know, everyone wants more money, but there does come a time in professional wrestlers lives when they do have to ask themselves what is more important: Continue working 300+ dates a year and all the travel for an insane amount of money, or work less dates, get to spend much more time with my family, and also get more time off to allow my aging body to recover and heal, and yes make less money.

Orton can have both. WWE sees a lot of value in Orton, obviously, and probably want the guy for life. If it's not just about going to wrestle with his friends or going to try something new for him, they have this new program called NXT that shoots weekly in one location in a very lovely climate a half hour away from Disney for his young family. They'd probably love a big star on that program, and have the money to pay him to do it.

It's a different world than it was a month ago when it comes to what WWE can (and will) offer.

[Powder]

Yes, believe it or not I got that.

Nothing goes over your head, your reflexes are too fast.

They really don't have the same schedule that they used to. It's more like three to four days per week.

Orton can have both. WWE sees a lot of value in Orton, obviously, and probably want the guy for life. If it's not just about going to wrestle with his friends or going to try something new for him, they have this new program called NXT that shoots weekly in one location in a very lovely climate a half hour away from Disney for his young family. They'd probably love a big star on that program, and have the money to pay him to do it.

It's a different world than it was a month ago when it comes to what WWE can (and will) offer.

So instead of 300+ it may be closer to 200-250+, which is a significant difference, but still at least twice as much as AEW.

But I like your idea of Orton going to NXT. I would love for a lot of seasoned guys to go there giving more legitimacy to the brand and elevating it simply by the veteran's presence.

"And it is a different world than 5 minutes ago, you pancake eating mother fucker."

[Cult Icon]

We're assuming he would want to go to NXT. Despite what many people claim (and probably will claim in response to what I'm about to say) NXT is still seen by many to be the third brand of WWE and even still the developmental brand. Is Randy Orton going to want to be on the WWE's third brand that, as of now, is wrestling in front of 400 fans and being watched by significantly fewer people than the shows Orton is already on? Money talks but ego talks as well and I would be very surprised to see Orton be receptive to that, especially when the other options are wrestling in front of fans in big arenas with TV audiences in the millions.


If he's going to stay with WWE it'll be on the main roster. And mind you that's the best possibility of what happens. It'll come down to whether AEW can get an offer that's within the range of what WWE is offering and seeing as AEW isn't willing to overspend at this point (they didn't with Cain Velasquez at least) it seems likely to me WWE will just offer an exuberant amount with fewer dates than before and Orton will just go back, unless he just really wants a change of scenery.

[PEN15v2]

Powder, Orton already works a reduced schedule. He's not working 200 dates a year with his current schedule.

I think he's just bored. And to be fair, what else could he do in WWE. Moving to another company would have excitement WWE could never match. Is that enough to make the move? I doubt Orton has much keeping him tied to WWE at this time, other familiarity. Not a bad thing by any means. But I don't think money or schedule is much of a factor right now. I would bet on it being a 50/50 chance that he'd jump if he could, or if he's just playing around.

[LK3185]

I think its leverage to get more money. He doesn't work a ridiclous schedule like some others in the company and it would be less anyway with a hard brand split and the company trying to figure out how house shows work . Last time Orton worked 200 plus matches was 2013. He's worked 63 matches this year

He's still relatively young where he could leave and then come back for one last run if he wanted to. Hardly ever injured. I don't see him leaving though because I don't believe that he cares about being motivated or doing something different. If AEW offered him more money per date, he would take it. Otherwise, i can't see it.

[Kleckamania]

The top guys in WWE only wrestle about 180-200 days a year. And by top I mean the top like 2%.

The average is somewhere around 160.

I couldnt see Orton leaving, mainly because WWE might not extend one of those very cushy legends contracts to him. They could also bribe him with enough more world title runs to be the record holder, less dates, a little more money. I'd be shocked to see him leave.

[LK3185]

The top guys in WWE only wrestle about 180-200 days a year. And by top I mean the top like 2%.

The average is somewhere around 160.

I couldnt see Orton leaving, mainly because WWE might not extend one of those very cushy legends contracts to him. They could also bribe him with enough more world title runs to be the record holder, less dates, a little more money. I'd be shocked to see him leave.

could also be a false promise they are known for lol.