A critical look at recent booking decisions in both WWE and AEW suggests a trend where established stipulations are either being ignored or used in ways that undermine their narrative weight, leading to questions about why fans should invest in them.

WWE 'SummerSlam' Booking Under Scrutiny

In WWE, Oba Femi's path to "SummerSlam" has drawn attention. After winning the King of the Ring tournament last month, which was billed as determining a title contender for the event, Femi opted to forgo the title shot. Instead, he accepted a challenge from Brock Lesnar for a Hell in a Cell match at "SummerSlam" in Minneapolis, Lesnar's billed hometown. This decision comes as the match is speculated to be Lesnar's potential retirement bout.

The booking for Femi vs. Lesnar is further complicated by their two previous matches in 2026, setting up a potential rubber match. The core question raised is why the King of the Ring tournament was used to establish a contender for a "SummerSlam" world title match if Femi was always intended to face Lesnar. Suggestions for alternative booking include awarding the title shot to another competitor or making the King of the Ring stipulation a "future title shot" not tied to a specific event.

AEW's Stipulation Woes with MJF and Mark Briscoe

AEW is also facing scrutiny for its booking, particularly concerning a recent program involving Mark Briscoe and AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Tony Khan, in storyline, agreed to grant Briscoe a world title match if his team could defeat MJF's team at the "Forbidden Door" pay-per-view. Briscoe's team secured the victory.

However, the subsequent world title match between MJF and Briscoe took place just three days later on a "Dynamite" episode, with MJF emerging victorious. The narrative quickly shifted to Kenny Omega, a previous challenger to MJF at "Dynasty," as the next contender for a title match scheduled for the upcoming "Dynamite."

The stipulation for the Omega vs. MJF match states that if Omega loses, he can never again challenge for the AEW world title. This is a similar stipulation previously used with Cody Rhodes in 2019 and more recently with "Hangman" Adam Page. Dave Meltzer reportedly views this stipulation as an indication that Omega may win, potentially setting up a future match against Will Ospreay at "All In." However, there is concern that Tony Khan might follow a WWE-like approach and disregard his own storyline stipulation.

Live Event Ticket Sales Update

Regarding live event ticket sales, WrestleTix reported on Tuesday that the AEW "Collision" show on Saturday, July 11, at the Berglund Center in Roanoke had 1,505 tickets distributed, with 876 remaining. The venue has a capacity of 8,600 for basketball and ice hockey.

AEW's previous show at the Berglund Center on August 9, 2025, saw a ticket distribution of 3,251.

In comparison, WWE's upcoming live broadcast of "Raw" on Monday, August 10, at The Scope in Norfolk had advance sales of 5,591 out of a 7,157-fan setup, representing 78.1 percent. WWE's last appearance at The Scope on September 12, 2025, drew 8,700 attendees. The Scope's capacity is 12,600 for basketball events.

Featured names

• Brock Lesnar
• The Mark Briscoe
• Maxwell Jacob
• Forbidden Door
• The Mark Briscoe
• Dave Meltzer
• Will Ospreay
• The Berglund Center
• The Berglund Center
• Chris Graham
• Augusta Free
• Street Knowledge