On a recent edition of the “Busted Open Radio” podcast, Mickie James reacted to Tuesday’s super-sized episode of WWE NXT and why she believes WWE should reserve such stacked match cards for special occasions to prevent outrage among fans. She said,
“Honestly, I hope it’s something that doesn’t happen all the time. Because I think it was awesome for the “NXT” brand and everything, but when I think about it from a business perspective, people go to that show for free [at the WWE Performance Center]. So, to throw in all these people on a show … do fans from “Raw,” “SmackDown,” or the pay-per-view start to feel slighted “NXT” is getting all these stars for free? I just hope it’s not something we end up doing all the time. I’m glad it was just a one-off thing because AEW had to switch programming [to Tuesday night] and stuff like that.”
Fuego del Sol signed with AEW in 2021 but left the company just two years later.
Since AEW contracts are usually for 3-5 years, Fuego’s exit raised questions regarding the actual length of his contract.
In his new YouTube video, Fuego revealed that his AEW contract could have easily kept him in the company for a total of four years. He said,
“When I initially signed my contract in 2021, it was to a four-year deal, potentially. It was a one-year deal with three optional years. AEW had the option to renew me each year around July or August and let me know if I was going to be with the company another year. If they did, I would get a raise in my salary. The first year started well, I was appearing alongside Sammy Guevara a bunch, I got to introduce my son Fuego 2 and we got to takeoff as a tag team, and Malakai Black pitched to work with me and we had a small feud on Rampage. The second year is where things got a little rough. At the start of my second year, my series of matches with House of Black had just finished. Sammy went a different direction creatively and due to the mysterious disappearance of my son, Fuego 2, I wasn’t being brought to TV or on Dark that often. That’s a dangerous place to be. I feel like my value was being in Dark match or TV matches getting squashed quickly, but as long as I was wrestling every week, I would be able to get over without going over. As long as I was backstage, I would be able to film more stuff with Sammy Guevara’s vlog and build my online following. The fact that I wasn’t being brought to TV often means I slowly got stuck in the scary cycle of ‘creative has nothing for you.’”
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Mickie James, a former WWE superstar, recently shared her thoughts on the super-sized episode of WWE NXT and why she believes such stacked match cards should be reserved for special occasions. James expressed her concern about fans from other WWE shows and pay-per-views feeling slighted that NXT gets to have all these stars for free.
During an episode of the “Busted Open Radio” podcast, James stated, “Honestly, I hope it’s something that doesn’t happen all the time. Because I think it was awesome for the ‘NXT’ brand and everything, but when I think about it from a business perspective, people go to that show for free [at the WWE Performance Center]. So, to throw in all these people on a show … do fans from ‘Raw,’ ‘SmackDown,’ or the pay-per-view start to feel slighted ‘NXT’ is getting all these stars for free? I just hope it’s not something we end up doing all the time.”
James also mentioned that AEW had to switch programming to Tuesday night, which may have influenced WWE’s decision to have a super-sized episode of NXT. She expressed relief that it was a one-off event and not a regular occurrence.
In other wrestling news, Fuego del Sol, who signed with AEW in 2021, recently left the company after just two years. This raised questions about the length of his contract, as AEW contracts are typically for 3-5 years.
Fuego revealed in a YouTube video that his AEW contract initially had the potential to last for four years. It was a one-year deal with three optional years, where AEW had the choice to renew his contract each year. Fuego explained that the first year went well, with notable appearances alongside Sammy Guevara and a tag team with his son Fuego 2. However, the second year became challenging as he wasn’t being brought to TV or Dark matches frequently. This led to him feeling stuck in the cycle of “creative has nothing for you.”
Fuego’s departure from AEW highlights the complexities of wrestling contracts and the importance of consistent TV exposure for wrestlers to maintain their value and career progression.
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In conclusion, Mickie James’ comments on the super-sized episode of WWE NXT shed light on the potential concerns of fans from other WWE shows. Fuego del Sol’s departure from AEW also raises questions about contract lengths and the challenges wrestlers face when they aren’t consistently featured on TV.