Official WWE/ECW/WCW/TNA talk, or whatever v2

[trackercowe]

AEW has some brutal non-sensical promos. They really need to give their talent better material to work with. MJF has the lingo down, the rest need work... just a lot of nonsense and jibber jabber.

[Ozy_Flame]

Great show! More Mortos, he's fun to watch.

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Great show! More Mortos, he's fun to watch.

Botch city! Fun like Tanga Loa.

[Ozy_Flame]

Do you watch to enjoy the show or because you're a mascochist?

[SuperMatt18]

The show was alright, not as good as the last couple weeks, as usual the match quality is good but the rest of it feels lacking at times.

It was mentioned before but nobody in AEW really impresses on the mic outside of MJF, so when you have a promo heavier show it tends to fall flat.

I also don't really get throwing away the first ever match between Darby and Hangman with no real build, promotion, or storyline reason for it. Good match though.

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Do you watch to enjoy the show or because you're a mascochist?

I'm a Flames fan, so definitely the ladder. There are good bits and pieces here or there (MJF, Swerve, Danielson, Darby). The rest of the show is awful. Mortos just randomly falls over after Cassidy missed his ridiculous spinning maneuver ddt? I laughed out loud at that one. Then I'll admit I skipped the rest of the match.

In AEW it's either really good or really bad. When it's really bad I'm embarrassed to even be watching it.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

In AEW it's either really good or really bad. When it's really bad I'm embarrassed to even be watching it.

You can say that about essentially any promotion. I can't even count the amount times WWE has made me cringe over the years.

Anyways, there was more nonsensical booking last night. For instance, why did Danielson have to put his career on the line last night? You usually save career vs. title matches for when the heel refuses to give a title shot otherwise (e.g. Roman vs. Bryan at Backlash), not when one of the competitors has already earned their shot by winning a tournament.

EDIT: Also, I thought Kyle Fletcher cut a pretty good promo. I really think that guy is one of the future pillars of the company, along with KT, Ospreay, etc.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by rubecube

You can say that about essentially any promotion. I can't even count the amount times WWE has made me cringe over the years.

Anyways, there was more nonsensical booking last night. For instance, why did Danielson have to put his career on the line last night? You usually save career vs. title matches for when the heel refuses to give a title shot otherwise (e.g. Roman vs. Bryan at Backlash), not when one of the competitors has already earned their shot by winning a tournament.

EDIT: Also, I thought Kyle Fletcher cut a pretty good promo. I really think that guy is one of the future pillars of the company, along with KT, Ospreay, etc.

I actually think they are just leaning into the rumours of Bryan retiring soon and this being his last match.

I actually think he might win the match after Hangman interferes costing Swerve the match, and then he will lose the title at All Out.

[Ozy_Flame]

The only reason I can see why he escalated to a title vs. career match is because he will win the title, and then vacate/retire the title the following Dynamite (or even after All In).

I'd say his last AEW bucket list item - winning the title - doesn't have to be a long reign. Just enough to say he did it, get the huge pop at Wembley (send the fans home happy), and then properly retire to a backstage role. He's now injury-prone, he's been advised to go easy/pack it in, Tony wants him for the long term as a booker/backstage producer.

There's no way he's going to come out and say "I'm retiring and that's it" like he did in WWE. He's going out on a high note. Just like GSP did in the UFC.

In this way, I think he can wrap up his full time career, win the title, keep a great story canon, and leave on his own terms. Then it will open up an AEW World Heavyweight title tournament that can get guys like Swerve/Hangman/MJF refocused on the main event.

I don't think it's nonsensical, but I can see why fans might be confused.

[TheIronMaiden]

to be fair, I am normally confused about what is happening with respect to story lines in AEW.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

The only reason I can see why he escalated to a title vs. career match is because he will win the title, and then vacate/retire the title the following Dynamite (or even after All In).

I'd say his last AEW bucket list item - winning the title - doesn't have to be a long reign. Just enough to say he did it, get the huge pop at Wembley (send the fans home happy), and then properly retire to a backstage role. He's now injury-prone, he's been advised to go easy/pack it in, Tony wants him for the long term as a booker/backstage producer.

There's no way he's going to come out and say "I'm retiring and that's it" like he did in WWE. He's going out on a high note. Just like GSP did in the UFC.

In this way, I think he can wrap up his full time career, win the title, keep a great story canon, and leave on his own terms. Then it will open up an AEW World Heavyweight title tournament that can get guys like Swerve/Hangman/MJF refocused on the main event.

I don't think it's nonsensical, but I can see why fans might be confused.

It's nonsensical in that in Kayfabe Bryan has no reason to put his career on the line.

He already had the title shot, there was no real impending issue or gimmick or something that required him to put that big of a stipulation on this match.

It makes sense when you lean into the real life angle and they are trying to set up fans to think it's he's losing and this is his last ever match but really they could have tried to figure out some storyline reason on why he'd be willing to do that.

[Ozy_Flame]

Did you even watch his promo? He basically said he's almost retired without saying he's almost retired. He has one left promise to keep, and that's win the AEW World Title.

Not to mention AEW fans aren't dumb - they're the smarkiest crowd around. They know what's going on.

Most dedicated wrestling fans know 'kayfabe Bryan' is just his real life personality wrapping things up. He even corpses in the ring when he's cutting promos in front of his opponents. He's about as Kayfabe as John Cena was at this point.

Again, maybe slightly confusing, but non nonsensical.

[Muta]

My preference would be that Bryan wins the title at All In as a 'thank you' to the fans and the industry, and then retires, GSP-style (as Ozy mentioned). I think you could do that without hurting Swerve - as long as they both give it their all and live up to expectations in the match, you can put Swerve in a position afterwards where he respects Bryan for the win, they shake hands, and then he focuses himself to become an even better champion in his pursuit of a second run.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Did you even watch his promo? He basically said he's almost retired without saying he's almost retired. He has one left promise to keep, and that's win the AEW World Title.

Right, but still makes no sense for him to put his career on the line in kayfabe. He had already told everyone this was his last shot at the title in the same segment before Swerve came out.

It's not a big deal. It's just kinda silly.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Did you even watch his promo? He basically said he's almost retired without saying he's almost retired. He has one left promise to keep, and that's win the AEW World Title.

Not to mention AEW fans aren't dumb - they're the smarkiest crowd around. They know what's going on.

Most dedicated wrestling fans know 'kayfabe Bryan' is just his real life personality wrapping things up. He even corpses in the ring when he's cutting promos in front of his opponents. He's about as Kayfabe as John Cena was at this point.

Again, maybe slightly confusing, but non nonsensical.

But even then there is a better way to do that.

Make the World Title his mission, say he's not going to quit until he wins that world title, because as you said "It's his final promise, and the last thing he needs to achieve in his career"

Instead of having Danielson come out and say it's his last title shot. Have Swerve come out and say "if you don't beat me you're never getting another shot, and you're never going to fulfil your career." and then have Danielson say " I'll do you one better, if I don't beat you I'll never wrestle again"

It's nonsensical because he offers up his career for no real reason...I guess you could justify it by saying it's him challenging himself but really it seems forced and there easily would have been a better way to introduce that stipulation.

And to be clear I'm not saying it's the wrong thing to do - it makes sense to play into the real life rumours about his retirement and his upcoming contract expiry - but there would have been a better way to do it than just "Bryan is putting his career on the line because he feels like it"

[Ozy_Flame]

I don't believe that idea would work well, especially after his promo explaining how his bucket list is almost complete. Bryan is dictating his own terms, Swerve doesn't need to 'retire' Danielson. Bryan is pumping the importance of this match and upping the stakes to make the match much bigger.

Why would Swerve dictate the terms of Bryan's own bucket list completion? Makes no sense.

How the write Danielson out of the storylines is up to AEW. I thought this was a pretty clear write-off, and most wrestling fans can see it for what it is as well.

[Inferno]

[rubecube]

^^Might be worth grabbing a ferry for that one.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by rubecube

^^Might be worth grabbing a ferry for that one.

Survivor series is one of my least favorite PPVS but that said, i've never been to one before so maybe I should...

[Inferno]

It gives me an excuse to go to Vancouver for a visit. I miss that place everyday. I just don't miss the cost of living that seems to have doubled since I had to leave in 2017.