All Elite Wrestling

[Nash Diesel]

Reading reports that William Regal is on his way back to WWE? How is that possible if he signed a 3 year deal, or so I read?

It's because Uncle Dave I believe fucked up and then had to go out the next day and correct himself. So you have people running with his original comment that he thought Regal's contract was up in a few months and then others with the supposed real story that he signed a 3-year deal. I take it all with a grain of salt.

It does feel like a write off though but who knows. In WWE you'd just assume oh he's probably taking a backstage role or going to developmental to help out again. Everywhere else they don't really have that so is he going to do anything behind the scenes? Doubtful. Tony's rich as fuck so he probably has no qualms about paying talent to do nothing just like Vince had no qualms paying people to hang out in the back and wrestle once a month on Main Event.

[MTR]

Yeah Meltzer first said he is was headed back and his contract is almost up and then next day said he had a correction and the contract was for 3 years. Shocking I know that Meltzer didn't have the correct information and still be wrong about it.

Another site is now saying he is on this way back to WWE and his contract indeed is coming up soon.

I will believe it when I see at this point.

They wrote him off for the time being and I think it helps the story but it seems to be feeding the fire that he is leaving. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go back honestly but again I will believe it when I see it.

[Donald]

I know Regal and Triple H are really tight, so it makes sense for him to go back to WWE. To be honest I was shocked Regal signed with AEW to begin with.

[MTR]

I know Regal and Triple H are really tight, so it makes sense for him to go back to WWE. To be honest I was shocked Regal signed with AEW to begin with.

He said he was prepared to take much needed time off and away from the business before even thinking about doing anything when Danielson reached to him to come over to AEW.

[Nash Diesel]

Money talks and Regal loves the business. He loves working with the young talent as well as the veterans who are willing to collaborate.

Regal back in the WWE would be great. I personally thought it was bullshit he was let go especially when it felt like "Oh Triple H is out after having a heart attack let's get rid of his people" It was a very very strange time and who knows....Maybe Regal isn't as well liked for whatever reason by other people in WWE. Maybe Shawn or Vince or whoever never really felt like Regal was a genius.

[BigAl]

It may not have been MFJ's best promo ever but I still really liked it. I like him leaning into the free agency in 2024. Hopefully he stays healthy and ends up with a long reign.

[Nash Diesel]

He needs a long reign to give AEW time to build the perfect choice to take the belt off him. CM Punk probably has another 5 months of rehab. Danielson isn't getting any younger but the seeds have been planted for a revenge approach. 6-7 months from now Wardlow could be back in a position to make that leap.

I'll say this...Yes, most of the AEW roster is not a household name. So if we look at it from that perspective where you don't go "Well it should be a huge name like CM Punk or Danielson" that's where we can start leaning more into guys like Wardlow because in the hardcore wrestling fan bubble, that would be a smart move.

[VHS]

MJF's reign as champion is the worst in history.

[Donald]

Ok, I watched the promo, and with MJF saying he was going to have a long reign, I'd love for someone to just squash him to win it :lol:

[Nash Diesel]

Wardlow squashed him which was crazy to me so I could see it happening again. Like how Triple H never could beat Batista until like 20 years later and Batista had already fought Thanos.

[Donald]

Guessing MJF feuds with the Blackpool Combat club. He's already beaten Ambrose, so maybe have him do quick work over Yutah, then a month long program with Daniel Bryan, and then a lengthy feud with Cesaro.

[MTR]

He already did a short program with Yuta. Doubt they go back to that Yuta is going after Garcia and his ROH Pure Championship.

Danielson and MJF is probably going to end up being the big feud out of this.

[Nash Diesel]

If AEW were smart they would do MJF v. Danielson and then parlay that into Danielson/Moxley. I thought they had a good story leading into the BCC and now that the BCC (IMO) has run it's course, this should be the implosion storyline.

Maybe Khan is spoken on this but I am curious about how much was changed due to the Punk/Elite situation. What were we supposed to get these last couple months? Was it going to be Punk v. MJF?

[BGMaverick]

My fear of MJF being champ and his contract being up is we are going to get him being champ and nothing will matter til 2024. Its the same problem with Roman, we know he is not losing til Mania or maybe until Mania 40, so its just spinning wheels til then.

One of WWE's best storylines in years does not equal spinning its wheels.

It certainly appears that AEW is having a challenge gaining viewership. In some ways they've got their chips in the middle of the table with The Elite (in some ways) emboldened and one of pillars in the top spot, so they've got to figure it out. If the demo is the big deal, that also seems to be trending down over the course of given episodes.

[Nash Diesel]

A huge part of me thinks AEW are fine with the viewership. A wrestling promotion that had no real build just dropped on TNT a couple years ago, pandemic, they're averaging around 850,000-1 million viewers. Raw is averaging what, 1.5 million viewers. I imagine the majority of fans watch both brands religiously. If the network were unhappy we'd probably know and maybe they will get rid of wrasslin once again, we've seen it happen before. But in this day and age consistency matters. If they're in the top 5 every week on a shit night like Wednesday for Dynamite, what else on TNT is doing better other than the NBA and I guess certain movies? What shows are people watching on TNT because 25 years ago nobody gave a fuck about Witchblade.

[Donald]

They should reboot Thunder In Paradise with Cesaro in the lead role. That would get more views than Dynamite.

[lotjx]

I like MJF, don't get me wrong, but my fear is crippling the AEW main event with the idea that no one is going to win the title til either MJF wins or he goes to WWE and has to vacate the title that is over a year of the same old storyline. While I am sure it will be fun with the right opponents like Bryan, Kingston and others, however I can see people getting bored with it in three months. That is due to how fickle the AEW fans can be. I just hope this ticking clock doesn't backfire on them.

Raw sucks. The women are holding it together, but even that is loosely tied. Bayley has gone from red hot to jobber to the stars. I hope Rhea gets it soon, so we can start shaking things up a bit. Raw banking on OC/Judgement Day to get them to Mania is crazy.

[Nash Diesel]

I like MJF, don't get me wrong, but my fear is crippling the AEW main event with the idea that no one is going to win the title til either MJF wins or he goes to WWE and has to vacate the title that is over a year of the same old storyline. While I am sure it will be fun with the right opponents like Bryan, Kingston and others, however I can see people getting bored with it in three months. That is due to how fickle the AEW fans can be. I just hope this ticking clock doesn't backfire on them.

Raw sucks. The women are holding it together, but even that is loosely tied. Bayley has gone from red hot to jobber to the stars. I hope Rhea gets it soon, so we can start shaking things up a bit. Raw banking on OC/Judgement Day to get them to Mania is crazy.

MJF is probably the only guy in that company who could make a super long reign work because he's that good. There are a ton of people he has yet to work with. I don't see him holding it as long as he claims he will and that's the thing dude....His promo wasn't some big reveal of the booking plans. Also-how many champions come out and say "Guys, I'm going to lose this soon!" No, they all say I'm never losing this title I'll be champ forever yada yada.

[BigAl]

MJF vs Kingston would work. The polished, refined heel vs the guy who looks like most of the fans? It's worked for decades and it'll work again. Eddie being not great on the mic will only help him in this case. Not saying he needs to take the belt off MJF but I wouldn't be upset if he did after a year or so. Gives AEW time to build him back up.

[Nash Diesel]

Kingston is one of those guys I don't think needs to be World champion. He's not a good worker, he's alright on the mic, looks like shit. If he were a good worker and consistent on the mic he could be like a Mick Foley type but Mick was at least a big dude. Eddie's like 5'8"

[MTR]

I wouldn't be opposed to a short Kingston reign but at the same time I think he is fine without it. He is doing fine working the programs he is working and he will probably end up with a title shot at some point. He had one against Moxley when they worked that program. But I don't think they are going to put the belt on him. At best he ends up with a TNT reign but doubtful. Maybe tag team reign with Santana. Probably doubtful as well.

[Nash Diesel]

I wouldn't be opposed to a short Kingston reign but at the same time I think he is fine without it. He is doing fine working the programs he is working and he will probably end up with a title shot at some point. He had one against Moxley when they worked that program. But I don't think they are going to put the belt on him. At best he ends up with a TNT reign but doubtful. Maybe tag team reign with Santana. Probably doubtful as well.

Even a short reign makes no sense. At this point. I see a lot of fans say that when it's about someone that really shouldn't be in that position. I will say this, he could be AEW World champion. COULD be. I don't care who's on that roster, that company isn't on par with WWE, New Japan, when it comes to the quality of World champions or just champions in general. So I think that if Tyrus can be NWA World champ, Kingston could be AEW World champ. But I could also see Orange Cassidy as World champ in this company. There's not as much at stake to be the champ of AEW, nobody cares if MJF is palatable to the GAM audience, nobody cares if he winds up on Jimmy Fallon or doing movies. That's not what AEW is going for. This is a company owned by a billionaire wrestling fan, he doesn't give a shit if Jericho is on The Mask Singer he wasn't even able to promote the appearance due to the nature of the show.

[lotjx]

Kingston is their low key Austin. He has the every man vibe and is a bit of a heel. I think Eddie when motivated is one of the best on the mic. His promo on Cody is what got him hired. So, I don't get this Eddie is just ok, he was fire with most of the people he works with. He has been sent down the card due to all the WWE guys coming in, so I am hoping he can move up. MJF maybe able to pull this off, but I got a feeling by June, we might be like can we get this over now.

[Murphy]

I think Kingston's mental health problems have been an issue as well at times, as well as the odd disciplinary issue here and there. For these reasons, I don't ever see him being their world champion, but I could see him with the TNT Title. I'd like to see that, love Eddie.

[McBain]

I think he'll win the world title before he retires. He's their Tommy Dreamer. But much much better in every way.

[Nash Diesel]

Kingston is their low key Austin. He has the every man vibe and is a bit of a heel. I think Eddie when motivated is one of the best on the mic. His promo on Cody is what got him hired. So, I don't get this Eddie is just ok, he was fire with most of the people he works with. He has been sent down the card due to all the WWE guys coming in, so I am hoping he can move up. MJF maybe able to pull this off, but I got a feeling by June, we might be like can we get this over now.

He is just ok. Not a very good worker and he is good on the mic but you'd stand out that much on the mic if you were in a company where most of the people suck at cutting promos. He's not their lowkey Austin.

I do like the fact you are hungup on thinking MJF is going to have some 2-3 year run as champion like Roman because of the promo MJF cut. Have you ever heard a promo where the champion said "When I lose this belt in 2 months I'll be happy!" No they say they'll be champion forever.


I think Kingston's mental health problems have been an issue as well at times, as well as the odd disciplinary issue here and there. For these reasons, I don't ever see him being their world champion, but I could see him with the TNT Title. I'd like to see that, love Eddie.

It's still AEW though, the same place that put the title on Adam Page. If Page who has zero charisma, a terrible look, but can somewhat wrestle get the title then a guy who can't wrestle with a terrible look but solid charisma should be a possibility. Ultimately I don't see it though. He's entertaining but so was Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

[Nash Diesel]

I think he'll win the world title before he retires. He's their Tommy Dreamer. But much much better in every way.

Naw. Dreamer was a better worker and I would say even on the mic. Maybe give Dreamer the nod due to some of those incredible promos he was cutting during the Raven and Jerry Lawler feuds in ECW. I don't think Dreamer actually ever cut a bad promo. It would have to be an incredible storyline to get the belt on Eddie. He's 40, and there's a long line of better talent in AEW ahead of him.

[Psycho666Soldier]

I do think Kingston would be good for a quick reign. Has the perfect cap to a well-built program, maybe gets like a defense on Dynamite, then drops it by the next super show. But I think people have pointed out multiple problems with having him be devoted world champ.

At the moment, I think you have Wardlow, Jungle Boy, or Darby dethrone MJF.

Keith Lee would also be a good shout if they heat him up enough by then.

[Mazer]

Honestly, I don't see the value on Kingston as a world champ. And let's be honest, Kingston has been given some great people to work with and some great opportunities. He's had good moments. I actually think AEW has used him well.

And with Kingston you run the risk that he gets in a bad place and derails your whole program, because he doesn't like how someone comes back at him.


But there are a lot of guys who work hard and could get the fans behind them who have a much higher ceiling.

[Murphy]

He is just ok. Not a very good worker and he is good on the mic but you'd stand out that much on the mic if you were in a company where most of the people suck at cutting promos. He's not their lowkey Austin.

I do like the fact you are hungup on thinking MJF is going to have some 2-3 year run as champion like Roman because of the promo MJF cut. Have you ever heard a promo where the champion said "When I lose this belt in 2 months I'll be happy!" No they say they'll be champion forever.



It's still AEW though, the same place that put the title on Adam Page. If Page who has zero charisma, a terrible look, but can somewhat wrestle get the title then a guy who can't wrestle with a terrible look but solid charisma should be a possibility. Ultimately I don't see it though. He's entertaining but so was Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

I take your point, but a champion needs to be reliable. Not convinced Eddie is.

[Nash Diesel]

Kingston isn't the guy you give a 7 month reign to you would definitely use him in a way that gets someone or himself heat and then back to the guy you want a long reign out of.

When you look back at the Attitude Era, so many short reigns. Just look at HBK winning it back at Rumble 1997 until let's say Jericho unifying the WWF/WCW titles at Vengeance 2001. Only a couple reigns that went more than 3-4 months uninterrupted. Kingston could be someone that you see win if the story is right but then loses it shortly after. AEW showed they weren't all about just having super long reigns with the whole Punk/Mox situation.

Maybe 2023 we see Kingston pull off the miracle, hypothetically let's use MJF as the sacrificial lamb. But then MJF would win it right back within a few weeks, maybe a month. You get the feel good moment ala Mick Foley beating The Rock and then boom, super heel gets it right back taking away that feel good run and back to getting heat. I would even use this as a way to turn Kingston heel.

There's definitely $$$ in Kingston as a heel so maybe that's where we see him snatch up that quick reign. Take it off a beloved babyface and get a little run as a prick.

[Mazer]

I've been snarky about Kingston before, but this time I don't mean it that way.

he just doesn't seem like he could handle being a heel right now. I'm basing that off some of the interviews he gave, and how he talked about people. And how he seems to respond to negative about himself.


Could be completely wrong.

[Defrost]

There are some guys who winning the title is enough and some guys where that hurts. Like Dusty Rhodes was three times World Champion his longest reign was slightly less than three months. That was not a problem. He was a guy you wanted to see win the title but not see as Champion. Whereas someone like Kerry Von Erich only being champion 2 weeks hurt him more than if he never beat Flair at all.

I think Kingston would firmly be more in the Rhode camp. People would love to see him win it, but not really want to see him with it. Like he beats MJF. Makes a successful defense or two on TV and then drops it within a few weeks is how you'd want to book that. Then probably get the tag belts or TNT belt on him for a while after that though.

[VHS]

Kingston has it in him to be an immense heel, but only as a top midcarder. His time to be a top guy is way long gone, but he has the goods to tear it up w/ one of the two thousand midcard belts floating around.

It's hard to make heads or tails w/ AEW though. The booking has been a total disaster lately, and Regal doing a Grandpa Simpson gif back to WWE is very telling of how much of a problem AEW has. They've had so much top talent delivered to them on a silver platter and they've pretty much turned it all to poo poo.

[Nash Diesel]

I just don't like that he thinks he's tough. He's one of those dish it out but can't take it kids. He'll run his mouth and shoot on people in promos but the second they do it to him he fuckin cries and starts penning his goodbyes. Who the fuck still shaves a line in their eyebrow? lol.

That's why he would be a great heel. Just have someone call him out on his shit. Talk about how he puts on a front but deep down, behind all the shoot promos and eyebrow shaving he's just a dude playing a character he saw on tv.

His look and in-ring ability can only take a backseat for so long but again, this isn't the WWE or New Japan where you're just not going to give this guy a run in those companies. AEW gave Adam Page a 6 month run, anything is possible here. Page didn't draw a dime. Kingston can at least talk. He could be Impact champion or even ROH champion. Him beating Jericho for the ROH title wouldn't suck.

[OD50]

I don't follow AEW (anymore) so my opinion is not worth much, but from what I've seen of Eddie Kingston it feels to me he should do a character similar to Bully Ray in TNA. Pretty much exactly ND's first paragraph above.

[Nash Diesel]

You know what would be cool is if they'd finally release that video game.

[Tyrone]

CM Punk still on the cover for that?

[MTR]

No. They took him off the cover from what I have heard but he is still in the game

[Nash Diesel]

I'm reading February 2023 but who knows. I'm all about it. I'm pretty lenient with my expectations for wrestling games. The only thing I don't like so far about this game is the desire for people to say "It's like No Mercy!" People just don't understand that there are games that nothing will ever be like. No Mercy is one of them. Why? It wasn't necessarily about the gameplay or the graphics it was about the experience.

For one, outside of the arcade you didn't really get more than two players at a time. You also had the wrestling boom of the 90's going on. Last but not least the connections we made with people. I don't know a bunch of 45-50 year olds talking about how awesome the N64 was or No Mercy. You don't really hear the youth of today going back and saying No Mercy is the best game ever because they've already been experiencing multi-person games and playing online, what happened in 1998 at my boy Brian's happens 24/7 in the world today.

No Mercy, Revenge, games from that era are nothing new. The gameplay has been replicated multiple times, the look isn't anything new. AEW needs to stop trying to always be the next (insert 90's wrestling culture throwback). Fight Forever is going to be the WWE ECW version of No Mercy and we already got that with Legends of Wrestling games.

[Mazer]

Just bring back the branching story trees. That's some good completionist stuff.

[Defrost]

That Ricky Starks promo was awesome

[Nash Diesel]

Just bring back the branching story trees. That's some good completionist stuff.

Reminded me of choose your own adventure books.

[Donald]

Regarding Rampage this week

Didn't even know Trent Seven was gone from WWE. Total surprise to hear he debuts on Rampage

[MTR]

Regarding Rampage this week

Didn't even know Trent Seven was gone from WWE. Total surprise to hear he debuts on Rampage

He was released when they did a big around of cuts when they shut down NXT UK. They brought over some of the people to NXT and others they release may be back when the launch NXT Europe but at least they could work somewhere in the meantime. I wonder if this is just a short term deal.

[Mazer]

Reminded me of choose your own adventure books.

I do agree with your earlier No Mercy sentiment. It was a lot the experience. Even non-wrestling fans would play that game.

Still laugh at memories of playing the Royal Rumble style with people

[Nash Diesel]

I do agree with your earlier No Mercy sentiment. It was a lot the experience. Even non-wrestling fans would play that game.

Still laugh at memories of playing the Royal Rumble style with people

Exactly. When I was in high school a lot of cliques died because wrestling was so popular it mashed up a lot of circles together. Backyard wrestling was booming too thanks in part to the Dude Love tapes. So you'd gather at some kid's house depending on the system they had and it was all walks of life having a 4-way dance and then going out on the trampoline with the video camera with 20 people from our school, another 50 coming just watch lol.

Nowadays the youth are just hopping online, maybe not as much backyard wrestling post-WWE 2K or Fire Pro whatever they're playing. I mean there have been WWE games that had better game play, graphics, story mode than No Mercy. But for me and many many others is that connection we all made. Not tryin to sound corny but it's true. As long as you weren't a total fuckin idiot you were usually in the mix.

[Donald]

No Mercy and Wrestlemania 2000 had the added bonus of me knowing who everyone was. I played WCW/nWo Revenge everyday for a good year or two after it came out, and I really only knew who the ex WWE guys were, but that didn't stop me from loving it, like you all are saying about people who don't watch wrestling enjoyed No Mercy.

[Mazer]

Exactly. When I was in high school a lot of cliques died because wrestling was so popular it mashed up a lot of circles together. Backyard wrestling was booming too thanks in part to the Dude Love tapes. So you'd gather at some kid's house depending on the system they had and it was all walks of life having a 4-way dance and then going out on the trampoline with the video camera with 20 people from our school, another 50 coming just watch lol.

Nowadays the youth are just hopping online, maybe not as much backyard wrestling post-WWE 2K or Fire Pro whatever they're playing. I mean there have been WWE games that had better game play, graphics, story mode than No Mercy. But for me and many many others is that connection we all made. Not tryin to sound corny but it's true. As long as you weren't a total fuckin idiot you were usually in the mix.

The other thing was shelf-life. It wasn't as if every game was completely replaced every year then. No Mercy got play for years.

[Mazer]

Random All character Royal Rumble needs a comeback.


When you did multi-player, and someone was tossed out waiting for their next character-knowing it could be anyone from one of the Godfather's hoes to Stone Cold-that was 10 seconds of real anticipation.

[Nash Diesel]

The other thing was shelf-life. It wasn't as if every game was completely replaced every year then. No Mercy got play for years.

To be fair that was the last WWF game on the N64. They were pretty consistent with releasing 1 game a year going back to the days of WWF King of the Ring on NES.


Random All character Royal Rumble needs a comeback.


When you did multi-player, and someone was tossed out waiting for their next character-knowing it could be anyone from one of the Godfather's hoes to Stone Cold-that was 10 seconds of real anticipation.

I just that if you were given Pat Patterson or Mae Young the move list would be a little more than what we got lol. Every female had that big giant Sable slap move lol.

[Donald]

This is reminding me of my one friend who used to run away whenever I built up to a finisher. Would run out of the ring and up the entrance ramp :lol: Used to piss me off, as when he got a finisher I'd try to fight him back and reverse the finisher. I wonder whatever happened to that dude. Haven't seen or heard from him since 2004/2005. My other friend said he used to cheat or play unfairly in Madden. I wouldn't know, I've never played a handegg game.

[Nash Diesel]

This is reminding me of my one friend who used to run away whenever I built up to a finisher. Would run out of the ring and up the entrance ramp :lol: Used to piss me off, as when he got a finisher I'd try to fight him back and reverse the finisher. I wonder whatever happened to that dude. Haven't seen or heard from him since 2004/2005. My other friend said he used to cheat or play unfairly in Madden. I wouldn't know, I've never played a handegg game.

I'm wondering how many people I became friends with based on what console they had and wrestling games to go with it. My friend Mike had a Playstation so we knew that was our guy to play games like Raw, Warzone, In Your House, Nitro, etc. But then he got addicted to meth and sold one of the games his roommate bought (Attitude) and so I ended up getting a PS from my gf at the time.

I'll tell you what...if AEW is more like WCW v. the World on Playstation they'll be better off. As long as we don't have to do button combos to do moves. I think the newest 2K has that shit and I'm not a fan.

[Badger]

Loved Starks’s promo. Although kinda wish he said that being a later opponent for MJF rather than his first challenger as we all know he won’t win. If later on down the reign where there’s a chance he could beat him, it would have been even better.

[Murphy]

The world will be a better place when Ricky Starks is AEW World Champion.

[Nash Diesel]

Aside from his entrance pose, I'm a big fan of Ricky Starks. He's definitely one of those guys that stood out immediately but was kind of hanging out in the low mid a little too long. I haven't watched Dynamite just yet so I haven't heard the promo. What I will say is that he needs some more big wins before being a serious threat to the title.

[MTR]

His promo was great and his facial reactions to the stuff MJF was saying also good.

I am a fan and I wouldn't be surprised to see him be champ in the future.

Should be a good match next week between him and MJF.

[Donald]

I don't see how MJF is good on the mic. I find him rather annoying, in a bad way.

Ricky Starks was dynamite though.

[Defrost]

FTR are probably losing the ROH Belts tomorrow. They're booked against Dralistico and Dragon Lee at the end of the month in AAA and the seems like they're dropping those belts there. And on January 4th they're probably losing the IWGP Belts in the Dome.

Kinda feels like nothing came of them winning three sets of belts.

[MTR]

I think their contract is coming up so not surprised to see them drop the belts. They should have put the AEW belts when they had a chance. I don't blame them for keeping them on the Acclaimed right now but there was chances before this last week to do a match and let them have all 4 sets of belts. Been cool to see them with all the gold but yeah they have only done a couple New Japan shows. The ROH is the ones they defend the most I think.

[Nash Diesel]

I have to agree with Defrost. Feels like the belt collector gimmick wasn't much especially when the AEW tag titles should've been on their shoulders as well. They've had the other 3 titles for a long time. I feel like FTR should've won the belts in the summer. Swerve/Lee and The Acclaimed....meh. The Acclaimed at least got over despite never really wrestling over the last year lol. I think as a tag-team they aren't very good and them being champs isn't about in ring ability. It's about merch. Too Cool were tag champs once upon a time.

[MTR]

I agree. FTR should have gotten the belts this summer. It was like they didn't know what to do with this great tag team that holds 3 tag titles. They kind of wasted them through the year.

[Nash Diesel]

Little nuggets of genius fall out of AEW programming. Their tag division hasn't been one of them. I've actually been pretty negative about the tag division since day one. But who knows...If the company is around 5 years from now we might look back and go damn, those first couple years weren't as bad as what we're seeing now. I'm also someone who has a very high sometimes unrealistic standard for tag-team wrestling.

[Badger]

The Acclaimed aren’t the most technically sound of teams but that’s doesn’t too much to me. As long as they can entertain and they are over, I’m happy with them keeping the belts for a while.

Definitely agree that they missed the boat with FTR though.

[Dreyski]

Dax had a a strong series of singles matches in the past year or so, which seems strange when you've got three sets of titles that could be defended against all comers at AEW tapings. Maybe Cash was having complications with his arm injury.
(For what it's worth, I checked the official site. Cash has had 64 matches, Dax 71. It seems up to date, MJF is world champion, Preston Vance is unmasked. On the other hand, CM Punk is still there)

[Badger]

Dax had a a strong series of singles matches in the past year or so, which seems strange when you've got three sets of titles that could be defended against all comers at AEW tapings. Maybe Cash was having complications with his arm injury.
(For what it's worth, I checked the official site. Cash has had 64 matches, Dax 71. It seems up to date, MJF is world champion, Preston Vance is unmasked. On the other hand, CM Punk is still there)

Dax has definite potential as a singles wrestler. Distinctive look, put on some bangers and been featured more prominently in singles on TV I think.

No disrespect to Cash but he seems the “Marty Jannetty” type and less sure of his future should they split. He obviously does his bit but think Dax could be more marketable.

[Dreyski]

Reminiscent of when Bret Hart would get the occasional singles match between the mid 80's and the end of the Hart Foundation.

[Badger]

Reminiscent of when Bret Hart would get the occasional singles match between the mid 80's and the end of the Hart Foundation.

Looks-wise, Dax reminds me of Saturn. Nothing else otherwise from that and Khan hasn’t had him romance a mop….yet. But otherwise he stands out far more. If they were to ever split, not sure on Cash as he seems generic so not sure if he’d stand out or be successful.

[Badger]

MJF/Starks was pretty good but weirdly enough, Jericho/Andretti in a 123 Kid/Razor way was even better for me. Even cooler that apparently Jericho handpicked to put him over after watching him on Dark. That’s pretty awesome. Looks like Will Ospreay’s twin brother lol.

[Nash Diesel]

You know people do that whole "marty jannetty" routine but those of us who grew up in the late 80's into the 90's knew that Marty Jannetty was just as much if not more of the standout between the two. I think had drugs/alcohol not fucked him up he would've gone on to great things as well.

What we should really be doing is calling them the Neidhart. That's a guy who was dead in the water outside of teaming with Bret. No matter who he was with, he wasn't a Billy Gunn who sucked on his own but could team up with a can of beans and get over (See The Acclaimed).

Dax is like Arn Anderson. Would he thrive on his own? Maybe. Arn was great in the midcard, would he have been a great World champion? Probably. But at this point I'd rather FTR solidify their status as one of the true great tag-teams not just of this era but of all time than splitting them up and one or both flopping. Think Rock N Roll Express or Midnight Express. Together, incredible. On their own...meh.

[Defrost]

60 minute time limit. 20 minutes left in the show.

[Tainted Eclipse]

hayter/shida was really great. by far the best AEW women's match ever, and one of the best matches of the year.

[Tyson]

I tune in occasionally, am always irritated when the announcers talk over Jericho’s theme song. It is a pretty cool thing, having however many thousand people singing along; IIRC, it started pretty organically.

A very underrated skill of being an announcer is knowing when to shut the fuck up and let the moment speak for itself…

[Morrison]

I tune in occasionally, am always irritated when the announcers talk over Jericho’s theme song. It is a pretty cool thing, having however many thousand people singing along; IIRC, it started pretty organically.

A very underrated skill of being an announcer is knowing when to shut the fuck up and let the moment speak for itself…

it's been going on for three years now. not every fucking sing-a-long needs special, undivided attention.

[virms]

When it first started happening they didn't talk over it. After it became the norm they did.

[Nash Diesel]

Let's not forget Jericho is a heel. Unless we're to assume fans can be heels/faces as well I say talk over it the whole time. Downside is I don't know what's worse, that song or the commentary team.

[MTR]

Crazy trios match. Looking forward to see what these 6 do in that finale in two weeks.

[Nash Diesel]

If you thought AEW sucked at booking their women's division, take one look at their booking of the tag division since Omega/Page won the titles. Especially now...Imagine you have all these great teams, and you put your tag champs against Lethal and Jarrett lol.

[Badger]

Hager’s another one that’s been booked oddly. Undefeated MMA record. He went from monster who could be mixing it up right now with the likes of Wardlow, Joe and Hobbs in a hossfest….to falling in love with a hat. :blah:

[MTR]

Yeah I have no idea why Jarrett is wrestling and not just a manager or something and why the hell are Lethal and him getting a feud with the tag champs. Yeah been a bit frustrating.

[Badger]

At least we’ve got a great Acclaimed video out of it.

“Stealing money like it’s Kurt Angle’s wife” :lol:

[Nash Diesel]

I'm 100% cool with The Acclaimed v. Lethal/Jarrett. I'm not cool at all with the tag titles being in the mix.

[Badger]

I'm 100% cool with The Acclaimed v. Lethal/Jarrett. I'm not cool at all with the tag titles being in the mix.

Oh I definitely agree it’s a bit silly when FTR were the #1 contenders for months and these guys get the shot for pissing off the champs. Not that surprising though since they’ve done away with the kayfabe rankings.

If the Acclaimed go over I can live with it. Other way round not so much.

[virms]

At least we’ve got a great Acclaimed video out of it.

“Stealing money like it’s Kurt Angle’s wife” :lol:

Karen is trying to make an angle out of it and get herself a job. Aew is about to go full tna

[Nash Diesel]

There was a time where Karen Angle was the most beautiful women in all of wrestling. She was like the younger gen's Kimberly. Borderline cougar. Looking 2 sweeeet. Kurt must've been a pain in the fucking ass for her to leave him for Double job.

[virms]

There was a time where Karen Angle was the most beautiful women in all of wrestling. She was like the younger gen's Kimberly. Borderline cougar. Looking 2 sweeeet. Kurt must've been a pain in the fucking ass for her to leave him for Double job.

She was a stripper back in the day. I wouldn't have minded to see that.

[Nash Diesel]

She was a stripper back in the day. I wouldn't have minded to see that.

I was today years old when I found that out lol. Never heard that. I figured she was some plain jane housewife and after Kurt started making the big money she turned into a smokeshow.

[virms]

I was today years old when I found that out lol. Never heard that. I figured she was some plain jane housewife and after Kurt started making the big money she turned into a smokeshow.

That's surprising you didn't know that. I've heard Kevin Nash, of all people, tell that story numerous times on shoots.

[Nash Diesel]

That's surprising you didn't know that. I've heard Kevin Nash, of all people, tell that story numerous times on shoots.

If I heard it I probably thought they were just talking out their ass. Hey I love Nash, but that guy's memory is not the best he talks a lot of shit that isn't true lol.

[Defrost]

Usually TK never has the show mention what guys are doing outside AEW but I wonder if Omega vs Ospreay gets mentioned tonight. Especially since the most logical place for the rematch is Forbidden Door 2.

[Tainted Eclipse]

have to admit i'm pessimistic about this "new look". we'll see

[Donald]

Pessimistic Patty

[Tainted Eclipse]

acclaimed vs. lethal and jarrett fucking RULED. omega/ospreay surpassed as match of the year. that was such an old school southern tag. i repent of anything negative i thought about jeff jarrett in aew.

[Defrost]

What an awesome day of wrestling

[Tainted Eclipse]

one of the all time best dynamites. that was such a crowd-pleasing show.

[OD50]

I only caught the MJF/DB confrontation on Youtube and quite liked it, MJF felt like a young Ric Flair there.

[Donald]

I didn't watch wrestling from 1965 so I have no idea what a young Ric Flair feels like.

[OD50]

I didn't watch wrestling from 1965 so I have no idea what a young Ric Flair feels like.
You know, I was thinking of Flair from the mid/late 80's in Mid-Atlantic/Crockett, but come to think of it Flair was actually pushing 40 at the time. Still "young" compared to an old fart like me but not exactly a young, up-and comer in the wrestling business at the time.

Flair was MJF's current age in 1975.

[Nash Diesel]

I'll be honest, when you said young Ric Flair I thought of the mid 80's Flair lol. YOUNGER Ric Flair.

MJF is like Cody Rhodes and CM Punk. AEW talent doing WWE style wrestling. I don't care what CM Punk says about WWE he fit like a glove in their system. That's why he stood out in ROH. Nobody has came close but maybe Kevin Owens during the SCUM storyline to a CM Punk in ROH. Cody Rhodes, his matches, his promos, his fucking entrance, straight out of the WWE. MJF isn't new but he's doing it the best out of anyone in years that wasn't already established i.e. CM Punk. Some of these guys think they're a throwback to the 70's naw they're Attitude/nWo era throwbacks which is great. No offense to Harley Race but he cuts the same promos my grandpa used to cut on the Boston Celtics.

[Tainted Eclipse]

Acclaimed vs. Jarrett/Lethal is FTR vs. Briscoes of 2023

[Defrost]

That fucking ruled

[hithit]

That was a fun first match

[Defrost]

If Juice and Toni were any darker it'd be offensive

[Nash Diesel]

Man I fell asleep 10 minutes into this by accident.

[Peter Griffin]

A certain section of AEW fans are PISSED that Sasha didn't show and that announcing Toni wasn't a swerve :rofl:

[Badger]

Mox/Hangman was really pretty good. It was a nice surprise watching not bleeding after a few mins for once.

Loved Danielson/Takeshita. It’d be cool if Takeshita got some wins on TV too as very high on him.

Fun ladder match with some cool spots to top off the best-of-7 series.

[Donald]

A certain section of AEW fans are PISSED that Sasha didn't show and that announcing Toni wasn't a swerve :rofl:

Yeah, pissed something that wasn't advertised didn't happen. Sounds like wrestling fans.

[Nash Diesel]

Oh but some of the dirtsheets alluded to it being her so obviously it was supposed to happen.

[Donald]

Did those dirt sheets say "Sasha Banks will debut in AEW. If she doesn't, plans changed."?

[Nash Diesel]

Did those dirt sheets say "Sasha Banks will debut in AEW. If she doesn't, plans changed."?

lol probably.

I just read that after the women's tag match the lights went out, then a Rampage graphic popped up so the crowd booed. I would've given anything to be in that crowd just to laugh at those butthurt dorks. There are too many wrestling fans who are so entitled they think they can predict everything so when it doesn't happen they act like little kids. Not shocking considering Tony Khan has the same mentality.

I GOT MORE MONEY THAN EVERYONE NOW HUG ME DADDY CLAUDIO

[Donald]

Nice to see Austin Jenkins back. Was worried he'd have to retire.

[Morrison]

A certain section of AEW fans are PISSED that Sasha didn't show and that announcing Toni wasn't a swerve :rofl:

eh, it's understandable. tony, in interviews at the end of 2022, was playing coy saying he couldn't say anything about the mystery partner at the time, and when people brought up 'well maybe once the new year hits,' alluding to sasha's contract situation, he didn't say anything to make people think differently. then they announce toni as the partner while in the same breath setting up shida as feeling scorned for not being chosen. and they also have britt, in the sit down interview, call herself 'the boss' and wink at the fuckin camera.

they did the whole 'worst kept secret' think for the punk debut, so there's at least some history of AEW playing into fan expectations.

[Peter Griffin]

Yeah, I wonder if a deal fell through within the last couple of weeks, or else Tony did raise expectations to be fair.

[Tainted Eclipse]

it's reasonable to be annoyed, though i'm not. AEW is self-consciously the hardcore fan promotion, they work the fact that their core audience actively keeps up with all the dirt into their storylines, etc. they were obviously creating a plausible expectation when they shouldn't have.

[Murphy]

Had been underwhelmed by AEW for a little while, but the last 2 episodes of Dynamite have been fantastic, helped by having super enthusiastic crowds.

Hangman and Mox was excellent, in particular, as was Takeshita and Danielson and match 7. Great to see Cole back too.

Onwards and upwards.

[Nash Diesel]

AEW are notorious for the bait and switch just like TNA were. My favorite TNA bait and switch was always "We have a former world champion debuting tomorrow!" Well then out comes Goldust and it's "He's a former WORLD TAG TEAM champion" lol.

AEW have done this many times. Never trust them when they start talking about a big surprise or anything like that. They don't hide shit very well and leak their stuff to the sheets so the internet can get buzzing.

I mean, if you haven't caught on that for the last 30 years every promotion from ECW to AEW have lived off the WWE's tit.

[Donald]

Saw an article about CM Punk responding to MJF, something about ratings. Can someone provide a summary of what's going on here? Do they hate each other in real life?

[MTR]

Well I was going to use money my MIL gave me for Christmas to go to Dynamite in March. But when I checked ticket prices this afternoon the cheapest tickets left are more than what she gave me and a good chunk of the show sections are all sold already with not a ton of sections left with tickets open. So made the choice easy enough to go to the indie show I want to go to in March instead.

[mth]

Saw an article about CM Punk responding to MJF, something about ratings. Can someone provide a summary of what's going on here? Do they hate each other in real life?

MJF vs. Punk won Feud of the Year but they blacked out Punk's name with tape on the plaque MJF was holding. Punk Tweeted something like, "Did they put a piece of tape over the ratings, too?"

[Peter Griffin]

Punks a bitch

[Nash Diesel]

Punks a bitch

But he's not wrong. That's what sucks. He might have a shit personality and have rubbed certain people the wrong way. But he's also very well liked in other circles.

[Donald]

Yes he's well liked in circles containing other bitches.

[Dreyski]

Danielson vs Bandido - very early contender for MOTY?

[virms]

Yes he's well liked in circles containing other bitches.

A lot of hot bitches.

[MTR]

Lethal vs Mark Briscoe to celebrate the life on Jay Briscoe on his birthday tomorrow on Dynamite.

[Nash Diesel]

Lethal vs Mark Briscoe to celebrate the life on Jay Briscoe on his birthday tomorrow on Dynamite.

That's dope. I like when things line up on a wrestling night like this.

Hopefully people are snatching up that new Jay Briscoe shirt, all the loot goes toward his family.

[MTR]

Yeah I saw that. I also saw on a couple sites via my facebook feed a fundraising site has something set up as well.

[Donald]

I know why Warner was against Jay Briscoe appearing on their TV channels, but what was it about Mark? Just association?

[MTR]

I think so since they were a team and brothers.

[Nash Diesel]

Can someone link me to someone from WB stating they have issues with the Briscoes? I'm not saying it's not true, it makes sense, but I'm curious if there is actual proof or is this all guessing/Meltzer?

I also want to say this...People act like an apology or even several make everything better. We can compare apples to oranges, they allow this to happen but not this....I'm just saying people talk about how Jay apologized for what he's said in the past and it wasn't like he said something generic like "I'm not into homosexuality" no he pretty said you would get shot and killed if you tried to do X,Y,Z. And yeah he did apologize for it but many people apologize for fucked up shit they've said and it still killed their career. Not just in wrestling but in entertainment, in life, some stuff there's just no amount of apologizing that will work.

It's sad too because I fucking LOVE The Briscoes, especially Jay. When I started back up watching ROH again it was during the time when Kevin Owens was doing the SCUM stuff with Corino and Jay won the title off him. I wish more people would have seen them, whether that was WWE, TNA, AEW...doesn't matter. They were incredible.

[MTR]

I am pretty sure Tony Khan has confirmed that he was not allowed to sign the Briscoes to AEW or use them on Dynamite or Rampage to build towards any of their ROH matches.

[casselmm47]

The "WB is banning the Briscoes" story is a little too tin-foil conspiracy for my tastes, which leads me to believe it was sourced solely from Meltzer's ass and put out there to work easily perturbed wrestling fans.
Seems a bit far-fetched that a major corporation would lay down such an edict for a performer who wasn't nearly the 'presence' of a subsidiary (and let's face it, niche) organization they only picked up about 5 years ago over something tweeted 10 years ago or whatever.

[Nash Diesel]

I am pretty sure Tony Khan has confirmed that he was not allowed to sign the Briscoes to AEW or use them on Dynamite or Rampage to build towards any of their ROH matches.


The "WB is banning the Briscoes" story is a little too tin-foil conspiracy for my tastes, which leads me to believe it was sourced solely from Meltzer's ass and put out there to work easily perturbed wrestling fans.
Seems a bit far-fetched that a major corporation would lay down such an edict for a performer who wasn't nearly the 'presence' of a subsidiary (and let's face it, niche) organization they only picked up about 5 years ago over something tweeted 10 years ago or whatever.

See, the glaring issue for me is who is gassing up the Briscoes as a huge household name? Like who at WB is going "Oh yeah I remember hearing about those guys and their comments toward the LGBTQ+ community on Twitter YEARS ago!" It wasn't a national headline but it was a big deal in the wrestling community. You can even go through this thread I bet and see some pushback at the idea of the Briscoes coming over. It damn near killed Jay's career as ROH was very hesitant on even booking him. He might've been champion at the time of the comments I can't remember 100%. Again it's not like they were frowning on drag queens or making a shit joke that flopped, and sometimes that 2nd amendment can backfire.

I think wrestling fans on social media probably talked about the idea of AEW not being able to sign the Briscoes and someone was smartened up. To think, of all the shit that people have done and said that are currently signed to AEW or that have appeared and the existence of the company on national tv's deciding factor are 2 underground wrestling legends most people have never even heard of.

[MTR]

I have tried to find the quote from Khan but again I am pretty sure I have read that he said he was not allowed to use them. They have been backstage in the past if I remember correctly early on after the ROH sale but then not used.

I can't see a world where Khan doesn't use them if he can to promote their matches with FTR so yeah not sure why Warner Media felt the need to keep them off tv when yeah all that shit happened a decade ago and not on people's radar. I had honestly forgotten about his tweet until it came up again when it was being said Khan was not allowed to sign them to AEW.

[Nash Diesel]

I have tried to find the quote from Khan but again I am pretty sure I have read that he said he was not allowed to use them. They have been backstage in the past if I remember correctly early on after the ROH sale but then not used.

I can't see a world where Khan doesn't use them if he can to promote their matches with FTR so yeah not sure why Warner Media felt the need to keep them off tv when yeah all that shit happened a decade ago and not on people's radar. I had honestly forgotten about his tweet until it came up again when it was being said Khan was not allowed to sign them to AEW.

Yeah I keep finding clips of him saying he wasn't allowed, but he doesn't by who or why. Was it actually Warner Media, or is he just saying he couldn't use them to avoid the possible backlash? Because again, he did get backlash just from the possibility of them showing up not from Warner but from wrestling fans. People were ready to unload on whatever big promotion signed them including WWE.

[Donald]

We've all said stupid shit on the internet, in real life. I could see if he said it a month ago, but if it's a decade ago, why not re-evaluate the man.

[Nash Diesel]

We've all said stupid shit on the internet, in real life. I could see if he said it a month ago, but if it's a decade ago, why not re-evaluate the man.

What he said was a little beyond stupid though. Even if he was being an over the top redneck, the guy literally said he will fucking shoot you if you try to teach his kids there's nothing wrong with gay marriage. His apology was for public image purposes not just for him but ROH. He had to save face. Again, I'm a fan of the wrestling but his views didn't change because he had backlash on Twitter 10 years ago. He just learned how to navigate that shit better.

People even say oh you don't know what he did for gay wrestlers, naw what we know is that if Pat Patterson told his 3 kids gay marriage was ok, Jay wanted to fucking shoot him. It would be interesting to hear some of the LGBTQ+ wrestlers in AEW's thoughts on this, real thoughts. Ultimately I think it's more about the violence he was willing to showcase as opposed to being against the bill that was passed. That was Jamin Pugh using Jay Briscoe as an outlet and it ruined their careers. Mark isn't innocent here either.

[Donald]

No doubt there's truth to his comments, one of the reasons I left WrestleCade before their match, but everyone and their mother, including Jim Cornette, says he was the nicest guy to everyone he met, no matter gay, straight, black, white, etc. But I guess no one wants to bad mouth in the wake of a passing.

[Nash Diesel]

No doubt there's truth to his comments, one of the reasons I left WrestleCade before their match, but everyone and their mother, including Jim Cornette, says he was the nicest guy to everyone he met, no matter gay, straight, black, white, etc. But I guess no one wants to bad mouth in the wake of a passing.

Yeah I mean I know countless people who frown on gay marriage, or homosexuality in general that are some of the nicest, giving people you'll ever meet.

They were rocking the confederate flag and shit so I mean....It's weird. A lot of us can look past that shit like I said this guy is one of my favorite ROH wrestlers, the tag-team is legendary always delivers. But those type of comments, you know if he's ballsy enough to post it he's already saying it elsewhere. The man wasn't stupid, he knew what he was doing he didn't have a million tweets this wasn't just some hot take among 200 other tweets that day.

Sad part is that I do feel like a man can change it's just that public is very hard to convince otherwise.

[mth]

I don't know the validity or specifics but I've read people saying he actually put the apology into action and did things for the LGBTQ+ community...

[Nash Diesel]

I don't know the validity or specifics but I've read people saying he actually put the apology into action and did things for the LGBTQ+ community...

I'm not saying you can't atone but does that still change what was said? See, for someone like me I've gotten past it because I know how people can be and I can separate the person from the art. It's why I can still watch Chris Benoit. It's why I can still watch Stone Cold despite him smacking up 2-3 of his ex-wives. But I also can understand how someone like my daughter might take someone I'm watching on tv saying that if she were to get married to her gf, and she told Jay Briscoe's kids that was ok......Would he REALLY kill someone? Probably not. But again, this is a guy who didn't tweet very often and he went out of his way for that.

[Donald]

He said it was his character talking and not him, are the Briscoe characters known for having children?

[Nash Diesel]

He said it was his character talking and not him, are the Briscoe characters known for having children?

Yeah I guess I didn't know that was part of the gimmick and I was watching ROH religiously during this time. He was a babyface for fuck's sake lol.

[Badger]

Reminds me of when AJ got in trouble years ago for using slurs but at least that’s old history now.

[Nash Diesel]

Reminds me of when AJ got in trouble years ago for using slurs but at least that’s old history now.

And people tried to bring that back up, just like they did with CM Punk when he was about to return. But I still think people will forgive you using slurs it's when you single out a group of people and say you'll fucking kill them. Like I don't remember Hulk Hogan saying he wanted to kill black people or CM Punk wanted to kill gay folks for doing something everyone else does.

[Donald]

Are we talking AJ Styles or AJ Lee here, and why haven't I heard this.

[Nash Diesel]

Are we talking AJ Styles or AJ Lee here, and why haven't I heard this.

Styles.

[Donald]

Oh no that's not ok. Time to cancel AJ Styles

[mth]

Reminds me of when AJ got in trouble years ago for using slurs but at least that’s old history now.
The infamous promo was awhile back but he did reiterate his phobia in 2018 ("GAY COMMUNITY?!") which isn't really old history.

[Donald]

Started to watch AEW Dynamite live last night, first time ever. Thought Moxley vs. Page was rubbish, but then turned it off after that.

[Donald]

Started to watch AEW Dynamite live last night, first time ever.  Thought Moxley vs. Page was rubbish, but then turned it off after that.

Pretty sure Page kicked Moxley in the chest but Taz said he kicked him in the head.

[Morrison]

alright, dude.

[Badger]

It wasn’t rubbish but did prefer their previous match when Mox didn’t have to bleed (I know that may sound petty and that’s his thing but was hoping after the last match he was gonna tone it down). Also being near Motley’s home town plus his father being present, the outcome was never in doubt. Finish was a bit underwhelming but I guess that was the idea for a further bigger blow-off. I hope Hangman goes over in that because he definitely needs it more.

It was great to see Takeshita pick up a win on TV and he’s getting a bit of a rub being involved in the MJF/Danielson angle with an eliminator match. Highly unlikely he’ll win that but looking forward to seeing how the match pans out.

[Nash Diesel]

alright, dude.

Did you even watch the show?

[Donald]

I thought it was rubbish because I don't like seeing blood in wrestling matches.

[MTR]

Moxley over does it with the blood. It is like he is making up for the fact he couldn't bleed in the WWE.

That being said I am okay with blood but be more selective about it.

[Nash Diesel]

Hangman Page is whack. When I see him on the card I groan. Moxley and his sweatpants, how many times will AEW show us how he blades himself? The guy has to be at Flair level by now why don't he just punch himself in the forehead once or twice?

But he's still the man in AEW. If it wasn't for him and MJF I wouldn't even watch. No point you can see the same type of wrestling anywhere and most of their storylines suck. I can't even get into Samoa Joe because it just feels so beneath him. Like when he went back to Ring of Honor. It would be one thing if Joe was in the main event going after Mox, MJF, Danielson. Nice to see Wardlow still matters. Jesus Christ I can't think of anyone in the last 20 years a company fumbled more than him. Luckily it's a pretty easy fix. Have him beat Joe, then unify the TNT title with the World title around May-June.

[NeseToTheFace]

The Wardlow-MJF feud stands out as one of the things AEW did right. Then you go and have Wardlow lose to Joe instead of riding that momentum. Not any time soon do I see Wardlow getting the title off MJF either.

Would've liked to see a Miro/Joe team come about and run over everyone in the division, but with Joe's ability to get injured often you'd just end up with another interim tag titles situation.

[Nash Diesel]

The TNT title hasn't meant shit since Wardlow lost it and honestly it really didn't mean shit prior to Wardlow winning it either. Wardlow made it seem important because he was on a trajectory to the top. Now it seems like AEW are scrambling to figure out what to do because I'm almost positive CM Punk's absence fucked up whatever plans Tony had pre-programmed a year ago.

[Donald]

I'd have Wardlow squash Joe, give him that momentum back he desperately needs.

[Nash Diesel]

I'd have Wardlow squash Joe, give him that momentum back he desperately needs.

That would be huge. Has Joe ever been squashed in a match? He's usually the guy doing the squashing.

[VHS]

Just saw that Joe beat Darby in the rematch. Wow, end of an era.

[Nash Diesel]

Remember when Darby Allin was interesting? I think being paired with Sting killed his momentum. It felt very WCW. Like when Sting and Vampiro were "brothers in paint"

[NeseToTheFace]

More like Darby Fallin'

[VHS]

More like Darby Fallin'

pop

[Badger]

Darby is like a track stuck on repeat. It was fine with Sting being occasional back-up if things got rough but this hot potato with him and Joe has done both zero favours. If Joe won (which he did) it has sent Darby back to the drawing board but if Darby won, it kills Joe’s heat for Wardlow.

The way it’s turned out, where does Darby go from here and it also seems too soon for Joe to drop it right back to Wardlow.

They should have been booked away from each other. Now everyone’s booked into a corner and someone is losing out big time at the expense of another. Great going Khan.

[Badger]

Also AEW using the “lights out” for debuts/returns and “I’m gonna make ya beat four/five people before ya get to face me when we all know it’s gonna happen anyway” and “Moxley bleeds from a papercut” should be added to the unwritten wrestling rules at this point.

[Nash Diesel]

At least Joe got busted open the hard way. That table caught him at the right spot. Splat.

[MTR]

Also AEW using the “lights out” for debuts/returns and “I’m gonna make ya beat four/five people before ya get to face me when we all know it’s gonna happen anyway” and “Moxley bleeds from a papercut” should be added to the unwritten wrestling rules at this point.

Have they really done that many lights out debuts? I just remember them doing it to Satnam Singh and it was cringe and seems like they have stayed away from that. They other two things. Yeah totally. I mean it seems to work with MJF and the whole jump through hoops to get to me so might as well keep using it. But yeah tired of people looking at Moxley funny and blood shows up.

[Donald]

I recall them doing the lights out thing for Aleister Black, Buddy Murphy, Satnav Singh, but not sure of any others.

[Nash Diesel]

I remember after Wrestle Kingdom there was a match and after it the lights went out, everyone thought it was going to be Sasha Banks but it was just a graphic about something and the whole place booed lol. When you're that conditioned to think just because the place went dark for 2 seconds it's going to be a debut, that means they've done it too much.

[MTR]

I recall them doing the lights out thing for Aleister Black, Buddy Murphy, Satnav Singh, but not sure of any others.

Black and Murphy make sense due to the whole House of Black gimmick. I remember people were underwhelmed with Singh when they did it.

[MTR]

I remember after Wrestle Kingdom there was a match and after it the lights went out, everyone thought it was going to be Sasha Banks but it was just a graphic about something and the whole place booed lol. When you're that conditioned to think just because the place went dark for 2 seconds it's going to be a debut, that means they've done it too much.

I think overall yeah it has been too much. I was just thinking AEW hadn't really done it that much like other feds.

[Nash Diesel]

I think overall yeah it has been too much. I was just thinking AEW hadn't really done it that much like other feds.

Well you probably are thinking of feds that have more than 3 years in the game. Or maybe ECW? That was kind of their thing especially with Sabu. Or like that match at Hardcore Heaven with Lawler/Dreamer and they had 3 run ins with the blackout. WWE isn't really known for it at all.

[Donald]

WWE only seems to turn the lights off when someone vanishes from the ring, Kane/Taker/Wyatt entrances, or power outages like that IYH in 1997. Don't recall anyone debuting taht way EDIT Well shit I just rememberd my boy Braun Strowman debuted that way

And you know, I haven't seen much of WCW but I don't think I ever saw that happen there in the clips I have seen, but it might have been a Sting gimmick?

[MTR]

Strowman makes sense to debut that way since he was party of the Wyatt family when he started.

Trying to think about WCW. I don't really remember them doing it either. Even when Sting went to crow sting they just showed him up in the rafters and shit. What may have gotten done a little too much between WCW and AEW is Sting wearing a Sting mask and surprising people. lol But honesty I don't mind that. Always seems funny to me.

[Badger]

Have they really done that many lights out debuts? I just remember them doing it to Satnam Singh and it was cringe and seems like they have stayed away from that. They other two things. Yeah totally. I mean it seems to work with MJF and the whole jump through hoops to get to me so might as well keep using it. But yeah tired of people looking at Moxley funny and blood shows up.

They also did the “lights out” when the Pinnacle was formed and beat up the Inner Circle although didn’t mind that as it was a cool twist. When it was Singh it was indeed very meh.

[Morrison]

it would've been meh any way they did it cause it came after joe and minoru suzuki just got done beating the fuck outta each other in the main event. to go from that to this big, lumbering dude who moves only a little bit better than the great khali doing a fuckin head squeeze is awful with or without the lights out moment.

[Nash Diesel]

Strowman makes sense to debut that way since he was party of the Wyatt family when he started.

Trying to think about WCW. I don't really remember them doing it either. Even when Sting went to crow sting they just showed him up in the rafters and shit. What may have gotten done a little too much between WCW and AEW is Sting wearing a Sting mask and surprising people. lol But honesty I don't mind that. Always seems funny to me.

Kevin Nash as fake Sting was pretty hilarious.

[MTR]

Yeah I think I remember that one too.

[Badger]

Looking for it on YouTube to refresh my memory and found one where Hogan dressed up as Sting to attack Piper. Forgot about that too.

Also the first Sting Army segment was great. Especially Buff taking a shot, posing like the ass he is and was like “Oh shit!” :lol:

[Donald]

Not sure contract lengths and all, but I think a load of AEW talent signed 3 year deals, and I guess that time frame is up soon. I see guys like Jericho and Ambrose and MJF staying in AEW, but hopefully guys like Miro, Aleister Black, and Matt Hardy find their way back to WWE.

[McBain]

Miro is a contender for most under used guy on the AEW roster.

[MTR]

Not sure Miro would be any better off over in WWE. I hate how he has been used in AEW.

I think Black is better off in AEW for now even though I am sure he would like to be working in the same company as his wife.

I think Hardy is fine where he is. What is WWE going to do with him?

[Donald]

I think Hardy is fine where he is. What is WWE going to do with him?

Broken Matt would fit in well with Wyatt/Uncle Howdy/Alexa Bliss

[Nash Diesel]

Hardy should retire in the WWE but who knows. They offered a backstage role, not sure if it was for WWE, NXT, or the PC. I think he has always had a great mind for the business. People thought he was going to be a Jim Neidhart post-Hardyz but I found that while Jeff has been able to make that one note work better than most, Matt has had some very interesting and game changing characters. V1, Broken Matt, he's proven on his own he can make it as long as he's not just "Matt from the Hardy Boyz!" That doesn't work very well. Imagine him coming back and stealing Beth Phoenix from Edge. Maybe a little tonedeaf in the grand scheme of things with her being wife #3/4 but hey...

[Donald]

Hardy should retire in the WWE but who knows. They offered a backstage role, not sure if it was for WWE, NXT, or the PC. I think he has always had a great mind for the business. People thought he was going to be a Jim Neidhart post-Hardyz but I found that while Jeff has been able to make that one note work better than most, Matt has had some very interesting and game changing characters. V1, Broken Matt, he's proven on his own he can make it as long as he's not just "Matt from the Hardy Boyz!" That doesn't work very well. Imagine him coming back and stealing Beth Phoenix from Edge. Maybe a little tonedeaf in the grand scheme of things with her being wife #3/4 but hey...

Edge vs. Matt in a loser has to retire match, and they both get counted out so they both have to retire?

[Nash Diesel]

Edge vs. Matt in a loser has to retire match, and they both get counted out so they both have to retire?

lol I was never super high on Edge so I might agree with this.

[Mazer]

Not sure Miro would be any better off over in WWE. I hate how he has been used in AEW.

I think Black is better off in AEW for now even though I am sure he would like to be working in the same company as his wife.

I think Hardy is fine where he is. What is WWE going to do with him?

I think Miro would be better off in the current WWE. Trips loved that guy.

[MTR]

I think Miro would be better off in the current WWE. Trips loved that guy.

Good point. Trips was a fan so maybe better shot of him being used well.

[MTR]

So what the fuck was the MJF promo and what the fuck was that tag title change.?

There was like no heat for that title swap. The crowd just looked stunned and like WTF. Like no real reaction.

I like the Gunns and they are getting better but yeah not ready for a title reign in my view.

[Donald]

So what the fuck was the MJF promo and what the fuck was that tag title change.?

There was like no heat for that title swap. The crowd just looked stunned and like WTF. Like no real reaction.

I like the Gunns and they are getting better but yeah not ready for a title reign in my view.

I read something about the Acclaimed having beaten every tag team, and that things would be more exciting if they were chasing for the titles.

[MTR]

They really haven't beaten everyone though. They are other teams to do programs with. A team from the House of Black or Best Friends or Top Flight. I don't disagree with the logic that sometimes the chase is better but they still had teams to work with. The Gunns are not ready for a title run unless FTR all the sudden decide to resign with AEW instead of doing the indies and come back and take the belts from the Gunns.

[Donald]

I saw the Gunns wrestle one match, I believe it was a trio tag match, forget who they teamed with vs. CM Punk and FTR and I remember the Gunns looking sloppy as hell, so I trust you in that they aren't ready for a title run, but I imagine Billy Gunn has a big influence on how things play out?

[Nash Diesel]

So what the fuck was the MJF promo and what the fuck was that tag title change.?

There was like no heat for that title swap. The crowd just looked stunned and like WTF. Like no real reaction.

I like the Gunns and they are getting better but yeah not ready for a title reign in my view.

This is how exactly how I feel about the Acclaimed as well. They rarely ever wrestle on tv and when they did, who did they beat? A bunch of jabronis for the most part. They beat Swerve/Lee, wow. I know they beat FTR I just can't remember if it was clean or what but we all know how AEW feels about FTR.

The story is carrying all of this and personally I think it's dragged ass (no pun intended) for way too long. It was funny at first, now you have 10 year olds thinking they want a grown man to scissor them for their birthday....

Ass Boys winning...lame. Neither team should be champs, and if they are why the long reign? I don't know if the majority wanted Acclaimed to be the champs over the likes of FTR but I think even less wanted the Ass Boys and their stupid tats.

[NeseToTheFace]

At least the one positive is they are actual tag teams winning, not someone I would throw together in 2K for a random match to win. The crowd looked dead at the end, and what a flat way to end the show. That's all I saw was the last five or so minutes but it was chaos. And then you get Acclaimed's music playing to send the fans home.... happy? This felt more like a house show title change.

[MTR]

I am fine with the Acclaimed being champs. They grew on me and they got over. But yeah they didn't exactly beat a lot of good teams on the way there. They just got over and AEW went with it. Can't blame them even if I was pushing for FTR.

That being said I think we all agree they missed the boat with FTR and by the time they thought about having them win the belts they had gone with the hot hand in the Acclaimed. Acclaimed beat FTR clean. And shortly after that FTR also lost to the Gunns and then dropped all of their titles.

Yeah I agree that the story carrying this dragged along and it was cool at first but meh lately. Acclaimed should have gone over if you are not having Billy turn on them and side with the sons. Even then I am not sure that gives enough heat to the Gunn's. Acclaimed should have actually gotten a program with a decent established team but yeah never got that really.

[Donald]

It's wild to me that FTR have been there, what 3 years? and only held the tag titles once and only for a couple of months.

[MTR]

yeah they dropped the ball with them after they ended up with the ROH, IWGP, and AAA tag titles. They should have won the AEW titles.

[Donald]

I think they're Triple H guys so I hope they end up back in WWE and have a meaninful run. It would be nice to see FTR vs. DIY on the main stage.

[Nash Diesel]

FTR/The Revival are one of those teams that thought the grass was greener elsewhere and maybe they were proved wrong. That's cool they won all those tag titles including AEW early on, but none of them hold the same weight as the WWE tag titles. I mean even the NXT tag titles were at one time considered the most important set of tag belts out there, part of that due to FTR.

It's funny how I think back to FTR in WWE and how they were feuding with The Usos in a ridiculous storyline. Now I'm like, damn, what if FTR had stayed? Would they have been completely ruined? It's not like they were ever booked strong in AAA, NJPW, ROH, etc. they just won the belts, never defended them and then lost them. That belt collector bullshit doesn't really work if it's obvious what they're trying to do.


I am fine with the Acclaimed being champs. They grew on me and they got over. But yeah they didn't exactly beat a lot of good teams on the way there. They just got over and AEW went with it. Can't blame them even if I was pushing for FTR.

That being said I think we all agree they missed the boat with FTR and by the time they thought about having them win the belts they had gone with the hot hand in the Acclaimed. Acclaimed beat FTR clean. And shortly after that FTR also lost to the Gunns and then dropped all of their titles.

Yeah I agree that the story carrying this dragged along and it was cool at first but meh lately. Acclaimed should have gone over if you are not having Billy turn on them and side with the sons. Even then I am not sure that gives enough heat to the Gunn's. Acclaimed should have actually gotten a program with a decent established team but yeah never got that really.

I wasn't negative to them winning the belts from Swerve/Lee because that team sucked but I also didn't feel like Acclaimed really did anything physically to earn those titles. I get being super over, but that doesn't always mean title reign is a must. I think if we had seen Acclaimed wrestle more, beat some actual quality teams prior, I would've been eager to see them win. You could say look how over their gimmick is AND they've beat a lot of good teams, they should be tag champs.



And Neese talking about the flat crowd...I think a lot of AEW fans think they can predict the future and I don't think too many were expecting the titles to change the way they did. I think people, including myself, felt that if the Ass Boys were going to win the belts it would be due to Billy turning on the Scissor Me Timbers team and there would be the heat. I've been to an AEW ppv, it's almost like I wasn't given the script before taking my seat lol.

[MTR]

They went down to Mexico and defended the AAA belts a fair amount. Not all the time but they did go down for shows and defended. They also defended the ROH titles on some AEW shows plus the great trilogy with the Briscoes. Yeah the IWGP titles I think just came about because a slight push from the Young Bucks for New Japan to let them win the belts at Forbidden Door. Those titles they never really did much with. I think they defended over in Europe before finally defending and losing at Wrestle Kingdom. You would have thought they would have done some of the New Japan Strong tapings or something at least if they were not going to go back and forth to Japan. But yeah that seems all wasted since they didn't get the AEW titles.

Now we can argue over which titles mean more and all that but I think you are putting too much on the WWE titles but I will admit if I were to have this discussion as much as I am a WWE mark I would probably put a little less on those and a little more on the others. Not to say I don't completely disagree that WWE titles probably hold more weight in more fans eyes than others including my own but I think those other titles due carry good weight. Some good teams have had those belts over the years. But again probably a discussion for another day or even a separate thread. lol

Now as far as they them being better off or not leaving WWE. I think they are still better off out of the WWE. I think Dax recently said on his podcast that they were never Triple H guys. He didn't care about them as much as other teams. When one of them got hurt as soon as the moved the main roster they lost all momentum and never quite got it back despite having a run with the raw titles at one point and being paired with Randy Orton who was a big fan.

I see what you are saying about the Acclaimed and don't really disagree for the most part. I wish they had gotten bigger wins on the road to getting over before getting the titles.

[Nash Diesel]

We could definitely have a conversation about whether I'm putting too much prestige on the WWE tag-team titles, even if we're talking brand specific. My point is simply that the prestige comes from who have held those titles and the importance.

That was my bad saying they never defended the titles but it doesn't look like they defended them very much lol. AAA they had them for a year, only 3 defenses including the one they lost. NJPW they defended the titles twice in 7 months but traveling to Japan is kind of a bitch these days. ROH they defended them a handful of times and the good matches barely anyone got to see unfortunately.

The WWE main roster wasn't any better but at least the titles mattered. WWE were starting to get back to really pushing the tag division especially with New Day popping off the way they did. I do agree that their injuries pretty much killed all their momentum, probably their size as well if we're to believe Vince is nothing but size guy. The titles were flip flopping alot too so who knows.

[MTR]

I thought they had more defenses of the AAA titles. Guess I was wrong on that. I remember them going down to Mexico more than once for shows. Just assumed they did more title defenses but I don't really keep up with AAA.

Yeah the IWGP titles were only defended twice including the match they lost them in. New Japan runs shows on a regular basis in the states plus tape New Japan Strong here so honestly AEW and New Japan and FTR should have worked out some times for them to go defend if they were not going to go to Japan. I hated that. I mean the first defense was at a show in England. I was hoping for them to at least go to Japan some since it was not like Khan was using them on tv beyond a ROH title match here and there against random teams. Traveling to Japan wasn't as bad as it once was though because some of the New Japan guys go back and forth on a regular basis again.

Any way it goes if they were currently in WWE they would have jobbed out to the Usos at some point and kind of been in limbo to a degree like a lot of the teams beyond being in matches to see who gets to job to the Usos. Don't get me wrong. Love the Uso's and the long reign but ready to see them drop the belts.

[Nash Diesel]

I mean if they had great matches with the Usos but lost are they really being jobbed out? Don't get me wrong I'm with you, I respect the reasoning behind the long reign but I do think we're at the peak. When they're having to defend against Hit Row and now they're banging teams together like Strowman/Ricochet, Drew/Sheamus, time to free up at least one of the titles.

It's hard to say where The Revival would be in the current landscape if they weren't released. Would the rumored gimmick change have gotten over like a million bucks? Or would it have flopped...idk hard to say. Some stuff in wrestling especially WWE had no business getting mega over but it did. Especially a lot of their comedic stuff. It's not like Sami Zayn got over being a super serious character no it was all this conspiracy theory stuff and being a jester of the Bloodline.

[VHS]

Seeing a lot of folks share the backstage beatdown by Saraya and Toni. Man, that was cringe. It was like a Bella Twins segment.

[MTR]

I am not digging the heel turn there. But I guess since people were basically cheering Hayter and make her a face they decided to do this turn and throw Brit in as well as a face with Hayter.

[MTR]

I mean if they had great matches with the Usos but lost are they really being jobbed out? Don't get me wrong I'm with you, I respect the reasoning behind the long reign but I do think we're at the peak. When they're having to defend against Hit Row and now they're banging teams together like Strowman/Ricochet, Drew/Sheamus, time to free up at least one of the titles.

It's hard to say where The Revival would be in the current landscape if they weren't released. Would the rumored gimmick change have gotten over like a million bucks? Or would it have flopped...idk hard to say. Some stuff in wrestling especially WWE had no business getting mega over but it did. Especially a lot of their comedic stuff. It's not like Sami Zayn got over being a super serious character no it was all this conspiracy theory stuff and being a jester of the Bloodline.

Fair point The Profits and New Day haven't exactly been hurt by losing to the Usos during this run due to great matches and honestly the Butch and Holland weren't either because of the matches they all had. So Revival probably would have been fine as long as they had been allowed to stay at the Revival and not whatever crazy gimmick they were being pitched.

[Nash Diesel]

Will we ever see Mick Foley in AEW?

[Donald]

If they want a cheap pop.

[MTR]

Will we ever see Mick Foley in AEW?

If he is ever out from under any kind of legends contract with WWE I would say it wouldn't surprise me to see an appearance at least. Not sure what his status with the WWE is anymore.

[Nash Diesel]

That must be the only reason he hasn't shown up because he does praise them constantly and seems to watch the product when he can.

[BGMaverick]

The MJF promo stunk.

[Nash Diesel]

I told my guy that if they would've just skipped all that car accident bullshit and just had him do the last 30 seconds all fired up, that would've been great. IDK maybe I'm just not into the Bubba Ray Dudley in ECW approach to getting heat when he doesn't need it. He has cut some incredible promos that didn't involve taking it to the extreme for shock value. But that's what you sometimes have to do with certain fans in wrestling. They want to see you mime a blowjob and use "Liv" as your reference because why not?

[Donald]

It's pretty wild to me that Tony Khan says years of e-fedding and writing down shows in a notepad is enough experience to run a wrestling show. That's just bonkers. Sounds like a nice fellow though, from the podcasts I've listened to. Just wondering how he'd handle a steroid scandal, Benoit style tragedy, Owen style tragedy. I don't think he has it to make it through those. Only thing that come close I guess would be the All Out brawl, but he seems to stay silent about that.

[MTR]

I mead I did tons of efedding and fantasy booking back in the day and the best I think I could do is throw some ideas out to creative but maybe if I had tons of money I too could run a wrestling show. :lol: I mean seriously there are tons of fans that did some serious efedding and fantasy booking but that is not enough experience to do shit. There is so much more to it.

[Morrison]

It's pretty wild to me that Tony Khan says years of e-fedding and writing down shows in a notepad is enough experience to run a wrestling show. That's just bonkers. Sounds like a nice fellow though, from the podcasts I've listened to. Just wondering how he'd handle a steroid scandal, Benoit style tragedy, Owen style tragedy. I don't think he has it to make it through those. Only thing that come close I guess would be the All Out brawl, but he seems to stay silent about that.

lol wat. you're such a weirdo.

[Donald]

Better than being normal, Morrison

[Nash Diesel]

Morrison and his selective insults are classic Rajah forums. I've been able to get rid of a lot of people on this board over the years but I can't get the Morrithew brothers for some reason.

[Donald]

Good night

[Nash Diesel]

Why can't I sink my teeth into MJF v. Danielson?

[Donald]

I've seen articles doubting if MJF could go an hour. Maybe it's not believable and that's why you can't get into it?

[Nash Diesel]

I've seen articles doubting if MJF could go an hour. Maybe it's not believable and that's why you can't get into it?

That could be. The idea of sitting through an hour knowing Danielson is losing.

[Donald]

You never know.

[Nash Diesel]

I don't think they play off each other very well. I like the story and it makes sense but MJF is so fucking over the top sometimes compared to Danielson's more "grr I'm a wrestler's wrestler!" approach that it just feels very phony. I like making dude run the gauntlet, I think they will have good chemistry in the ring for a match that doesn't need more than 15-20 minutes imo. Ultimately it's that I know Danielson isn't winning and it feels like they know it too. Like they're just trying to get to the return of CM Punk because what's next for MJF? Wardlow? Could be.

If Danielson wasn't so straight laced in AEW and brought some more of his comedic side to the table, that would be a nice balance with MJF's "Liv was sucking my dick and then I framed her" portion of that promo last week....OR if MJF left that level of cheap heat out of his schtick the feud would be more balanced. MJF runs the risk of overexposing himself. WWE will still have interest, they signed Gigi and Shotzi but they're cannon fodder compared to what MJF would be so who knows.

[MTR]

That could be. The idea of sitting through an hour knowing Danielson is losing.

I think that is me at this point. They are not going to take the belt off of MJF yet. So yet again Danielson challenges a champ early on into the champ's reign and you know he is going to lose.

[NeseToTheFace]

MJF probably crawls under the ring to kill a half hour

[Mazer]

maybe wardlow will come to the ring, powerbomb him 22 times. then danielson, out of honor, refuses to wrestle him until he recover. 12 minutes later, wardlow does it again. Danielson again waits. 15-20 great minutes to conclude.

Meltzer awards 4.5 stars.

[Donald]

I could see it being tied, then the ref gets knocked out with about 5 minutes to spare, leading Wardlow to come out and powerbomb MJF, leading Bryan to win the championship. Wardlow and MJF can renew their feud without a title. Could thow Daniel in the mix too, as he's upset he only won by Wardlow's help, and they can have a triple threat match down the road.

[Nash Diesel]

Whatever happened to Death Triangle? I see the Lucha Bros wrestled on Elevation (wow!) but they haven't done shit since losing the belts.

Did Nyla Rose piss someone off? I've started to warm up to her more and more over the last year or so and it just feels like she must've landed that shitty flying knee a little stiff too many times. IDK.

[MTR]

Lucha Bros made an appearance on Dynamite last night. PAC probably wrestling in Europe for a bit lol

Who knows with Nyla. They seem to go hot and cold with her.

[BGMaverick]

I've seen this line of thinking and I can't really poke a lot of holes in it: AEW is off the charts good right now with in-ring work with a baseline of doing episodic television but they're not doing a lot to keep me interested from a promo presentation standpoint. The stories seem to be doing alright, more or less, but the promo work is either non-existent or underwhelming compared to the end result of the matches. Either that or the side quest matches are really good but they're just there to be there and fill time. It's like they're negating the promo work but hoping the story can progress in the form of the competitors working through a challenge or an opponent. That's great and makes sense but they're missing that key component of adding some flair or sizzle with some killer promos. We're seeing two hours of generally above-average wrestling (at worst) but that kind of gets diluted if you don't have compelling mic work. If I want to watch good wrestling, I know where to go. But if I want to see a hot promo segment during my wrestling, this isn't the spot to go, so they've got to recalibrate a bit.

[VHS]

I saw Maffew of Botchamania comment on the Dark Order interrupting the Mox/Hangman promo, how it was practically crickets in the arena. After checking it out myself, I cringed. Why the fuck are Dark Order still there?

[Nash Diesel]

I saw Maffew of Botchamania comment on the Dark Order interrupting the Mox/Hangman promo, how it was practically crickets in the arena. After checking it out myself, I cringed. Why the fuck are Dark Order still there?

Real life homeboys with the Bucks/Omega/Hangman plus the whole Brodie Lee thing. This stable would've been buried awhile ago if he hadn't passed.

[Nash Diesel]

There's great wrestling everywhere these days. Even the WWE as shocking as that might sound to some people. AEW has never been that great at storylines though. They haven't had anything compelling since MJF/Punk. Mox/Punk could've been huge but it was a clusterfuck and then poof Punk got hurt again.

I mean seriously right now there isn't shit that's good other than I guess the MJF/Danielson story which doesn't say much. Outside of that what are the super fans of AEW hyping up? Paige/Toni Storm spray painting each other's taints? Moxley trying to break the world record of blade jobs? Wardlow v. Samoa Joe, kind of cool but nothing special.

What am I missing?

[Peter Griffin]

Tony having another powder induced meltdown over Ariel appearance on Smackdown, Questioning his bias, Which is rich given AEW and Dave/Bryan.

[Fanny Batter]

Tony Khan is a weird man. He's benefitted from positive bias from industry figures for years. Helwani holds more stroke with sports and entertainment media than Dave Meltzer, that's why he's got the hump.

[VHS]

TK is like a forum poster w/ billions of dollars.

[Peter Griffin]

He really loaded that gun that Cole shot last night.

"The most unbiased journalist who asks the hard hitting questions even if you don't want to answer"

:rofl:

[Donald]

Hell of a match between Yuta and Cassidy. Not digging much else on this show.

[Nash Diesel]

Pretty sure I missed the important announcement but I was flipping between AEW and trees.

[Donald]

Pretty sure I missed the important announcement but I was flipping between AEW and trees.

The announcement was a new show following dynamite.

[Nash Diesel]

The announcement was a new show following dynamite.

Holy shit I saw that and wasn't even really paying attention I thought it was just some random shit they were talking about lol. I just read up on it...wow....That's what the AEW fanbase wants, some Nikki Bella bullshit. Can't wait to see Tony Khan lose his shit while reading Twitter all day.

[Tainted Eclipse]

moxley vs. uno is probably my singles match of the year so far.

[Donald]

Missed that one, turned it off after tony/adams announcement. What made the match great?

[Nash Diesel]

I can respect that if that match was literally the only match you've seen this year.

[Donald]

I mean I wouln't have watched Dynamite if it wasn't to see what Tony's announcement was. He's approaching Dixie Carter territory with his announcments not being anything signifcant. I'll just wait for spoilers next time.

[MTR]

Not a bad match and served its purpose but yeah no where near match of the year or anything.

[MTR]

yeah that announcement was lame.

I was hoping for the Forbidden Door announcement which should be coming because you know they are doing it again.

[BGMaverick]

yeah that announcement was lame.

I was hoping for the Forbidden Door announcement which should be coming because you know they are doing it again.

It's certainly a test balloon for a third hour of Dynamite. It'll be better than the Power Slap thingy, one would hope.

A cable provider shows it (FD2) is on their books for June 24 FWIW