WWE and AEW Overractions: The Fiend Is on Fire, Raw Is Lame and More

The past week in pro wrestling brought a barbecued Fiend, the announcement of another episode of wrestling retirement home otherwise known as Legends Night and not-so-subtle hints of a Sting-Cody Rhodes match in All Elite Wrestling.

As one might expect, there were considerable knee-jerk reactions to each topic but did any flirt with overreaction?

Find out with this deep dive into each.

Topic No. 1: WWE Kills Off The Fiend at TLC

It is certainly reasonable to suggest that the image of The Fiend's smoldering, burning carcass at the conclusion of WWE's TLC pay-per-view served as the official write-off of that particular character. After all, it is difficult to bring anyone back after such an awe-inspiring angle.

Unless, of course, you are WWE and have been doing just that for three decades with another character on your show.

Think about this: how often have we seen The Undertaker rise from the ashes (sometimes quite literally) and return to kick all sorts of ass? He has survived being trapped in two caskets and set ablaze. He has seemingly been killed off countless of times before returning as if nothing happened, ready to resume his role as the last outlaw of WWE.

There is certainly precedent for Bray Wyatt's masked madman persona to return to television and seek vengeance on Orton. If Alexa Bliss' warning to The Viper Monday on Raw is any indication, that is exactly what fans should expect to happen.

If WWE thinks killing off The Fiend is the answer to its Raw ratings disaster, it is so far out of touch with what fans want that it almost deserves the weekly ass-kicking in the 18-49 demographic. The Fiend is one of the few characters across any of WWE's television properties that made fans sit up and pay attention; got them genuinely excited for his involvement.

Eliminating it from the equation only hurts the company itself.

Not just from a creative perspective, but marketing and merchandising one, too.

Yes, on the surface it looks like The Fiend may be gone for good but that would be just another overreaction to a wrestling angle. He will be back.

They always come back.

Verdict: Overreaction

Topic No. 2: Legends Night Proves WWE WIll Never Learn, Raw Continues Suffer

Ah yes, a special "Legends Night" episode of WWE Raw.

Or, as longtime fans know it, yet another case of Vinnie Mac grasping for straws amid sagging television ratings.

Of course, it rarely works out in the long run. Faces of a bygone era, when Raw was must-see television and a hell of a lot more interesting/entertaining than it has been over the last year, come back for one more moment in the spotlight despite receding hairlines, broken bodies and a total inability to contribute in any way that actually helps the stars of today.

Perhaps that is a little harsh, but so is the billion-dollar corporation's inability to recognize when it needs to undergo an organizational change to help deliver a more consistent, higher-quality television show.

WWE Raw, once the most prized television property under the WWE umbrella, has become completely skippable. It is a slog to sit through, a three-hour mess that helps almost no one involved and instead is a tedious chore.

There is nothing exciting about it and the idea that McMahonland's flagship show used to be destination programming feels even further from reality.

As long as McMahon continues to revert to his out-of-date playbook for gimmicks and one-offs, rather than acknowledging the real issue with his longest-running weekly episodic program is himself and his out-of-touch booking, it will continue to suffer.

And, eventually, earn the wrath of USA Network executives who no longer find the product worth the price tag.

Verdict: No overreaction, Raw is a steaming pile of "meh" and legends will not help it

Topic No. 3: Prospective Match with Cody Rhodes Is Not Effective Use of Sting

The moment Sting wrapped his arm around Cody Rhodes and called him "kid," and The American Nightmare repeated the backhanded insult on Twitter, it was abundantly clear there was a future showdown between them in the works.

While it is a blockbuster match between two of the most recognizable stars in the industry, is the really the best use of Sting?

Given his age and his cervical spinal stenosis, Sting may very well have exactly one match left. If that.

Wasting on the already-over Rhodes, who is as big a star in the wrestling industry as he is going to be, feels like an utter waste of Sting's potential benefits to AEW.

If he absolutely insists on wrestling, the better option would almost certainly be in a tag team match with Darby Allin against Team Taz's Brian Cage and Ricky Starks. In that instance, Allin, Cage and Starks share the ring with a genuine wrestling icon, elevating their stars and lending them a level of credibility they have yet to experience.

Allin, in particular, would be the greatest benefactor as the new generation vigilante of AEW would partner with the man whose influence is readily apparent every time he steps through the curtain or sets foot inside the ring.

At this point in his career, Sting should be looking at the young roster around him and working with those men and women to ensure the long-term health of the industry. While it is absolutely certain that a match with Rhodes would mean the world to both men given their long-time bond, it is not necessarily what is best for the company at this point in time.

Verdict: No overreaction