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Select Answers: Mania, ROH, AEW-WBD Changes

Added 2025-01-26 17:00:05 +0000 UTC

Welcome to Select Answers, a short feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.

Supposedly, punk vs Seth was never the direction for Mania 41 per Ibou. Can you confirm? If so, do you know who the original planned opponent was.

I can't speak what the directions were before. As of November, the directions were CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns and John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes. I've actually never heard the specific direction for Seth Rollins, outside of it wasn't Gunther as of November.

Can you give me some examples of the most notable changes in AEW since the signing of the WB tv/streaming deal? Has it lead to increases in budget for Merch/talent/set design, etc?

The pyro has been added, which was highlighted by Kenny Omega's entrance. The show is lit better. The LED Boards are back, albeit with a combination of the regular barricades. Budget is certainly increased. I can't speak to how their merch stands have been in previous months, but the one in Cincy was far beyond anything they've ever brought to the city prior.

Have you heard of anything regarding ROH going back to studio tapings or at least not being filmed alongside Dynamite/Collision at some time? IMO it had a much better presentation on its own.

I don't expect that to happen any time soon. AEW is able to tape 3-4 matches before Dynamite now that Rampage is off their slate, and it really eases the schedule. It prevents the company from needing to film ROH after Dynamite/Collision, when the audience are filing out. I think it'll remain the current method.