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

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by d_phaneuf

That womans match was incredible, Io is so much better than any other woman doing this right now, Toni Storm isnt super far behind her

Balor and Dunne was one of the best psychological matches in a long time

Adam f'n Cole is just the best, him vs KoR over the next few months leading up to the WM NXT show should be great, and then have Cole move up I'm guessing, was hoping they would move UE up as a unit when they did, since one area WWE lacks nowadays is factions, just look at how much better every member of the hurt business has been since they got together

What's funny to me is there's a major script flip. NXT was originally a developmental territory to feed the main rosters. But especially on the Woman's side, the better performers are in NXT with no chance of going to the main roster. Io, Dakota, Gonzalas, Storm and even Shotzi are unbelievable talents. Even Tegan Nox if she returns is an amazing worker.

On Raw, you have Asuka, Flair (Though there's something wrong with her because her work is not as good as it was before she left, and Baszler who are very good workers, the rest are either poor or ignored. ) To be honest the best woman's worker on Smackdown is really Bliss because of her character work.

On Raw its stronger. You have Bayley, Banks (though I don't like her as a face) and Belair, and then filler. Rhea Ripley will probably end up on Raw, and she'll rapidly move to the main event.

Meanwhile on NXT you have Kai, Io, Martinez, Gonzalez, Blackhart, Nox and Storm with Valkarye on the way(and she's a very good worker). Plus a strong mid and under card.

On the men's side, I'm not sure how Cole will do on the main roster, but he's about to become the guy on the NXT Roster plus a lot of really good men's wrestlers, KOR, Dunne, Balor, Kross and Ciampa. Some who don't want to leave.

I think WWE has to seriously start to think about paring out their mid and under card on the main roster. Do some promotions from NXT, and keep building.

I mean its not like AEW has shown a great deal of success in terms of signing and star making WWE cast offs, its a rarity.

But WWE needs a refresh, and maybe a smaller talent roster.

[CaptainCrunch]

I expect that this Adam Cole turn will trigger a return of Pat Mcafee who was all over Twitter tonight hurling insults at Cole and calling wrestling fans dumb for cheering for Cole.

[CaptainCrunch]

So I managed to flash through Raw in about 30 minutes last night, outside of the Hurt Business stuff and the gauntlet match it felt like a really weak Raw leading to Elimination Chamber.


I did laugh as they did the Flair has knocked up Lacey storyline (groan). But it turns out that its real. After using the Flair Evan's angle to build up to a match with charlotte and a world title shot, its going nowhere as we'll get months of Lacey and Ric torturing Charlotte with another baby storyline.



What I want is for David Flair to show up and declare that he's the father thus getting him revenge over his dad for the Stacey Keibler pregnancy storyline from WCW.


Some other things, I guess that the Fiend is going to be resurrected at Elimination chamber as Alexa did some sort of satanic ritual. As good as Alexa has been, the storyline is jumping the shark.


Bad Bunny takes the 24/7 title/groan fast forward.


Shayna basically rag dolled Lana for a really poor 5 minute match. You could see Shayna walking Lana through the match and protecting her, but at least we didn't have more of Nia's hole in the storyline.


WWE has these moments of brilliance, but overall the writing and matches on Raw are just not good.


I mean the only intriguing storylines for me are the Fiend, Roman Reigns and the Hurt business.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

S

I did laugh as they did the Flair has knocked up Lacey storyline (groan). But it turns out that its real. After using the Flair Evan's angle to build up to a match with charlotte and a world title shot, its going nowhere as we'll get months of Lacey and Ric torturing Charlotte with another baby storyline.

Wait, what?

[CaptainCrunch]

Yeah, she came out and confirmed that she and her partner (husband) are expecting their second child.

[Ozy_Flame]

Haha ok. The way you wrote it seemed like Flair actually knocked her up in real life.

[Muta]

So uh.... Omega vs. Moxley in an exploding barbed-wire deathmatch.

Never thought I'd be seeing something like this, post-FMW! Maybe Onita does a run-in, that would just make 2021!

[darockwilder]

Originally Posted by Muta

So uh.... Omega vs. Moxley in an exploding barbed-wire deathmatch.

Never thought I'd be seeing something like this, post-FMW! Maybe Onita does a run-in, that would just make 2021!

Cactus Jack and Terry Funk ####! Should be fascinating

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Muta

So uh.... Omega vs. Moxley in an exploding barbed-wire deathmatch.

Never thought I'd be seeing something like this, post-FMW! Maybe Onita does a run-in, that would just make 2021!

There have been a couple of dull weeks and some angles I haven't been super high on, but Dynamite has pretty consistently been must-see TV since the "Winter is Coming" special. Even the women's division finally seems to be coming along.

Revolution is looking like an absolutely stacked card, with the exception of Hangman vs. Matt Hardy, which I have zero interest in even as a Hangman fan.

I thought tonight's episode was excellent, even moreso when you consider how shorthanded they were due to the weather situation.

Really surprised at how good of a heel Omega has been. I'd been advocating for it for months but even I didn't expect him to be this good. He's even managed to turn all of his fan favourite moves into pure, egotistical showboating. Hopefully they keep the title on him at Revolution. Way too soon to go back to Mox.

[Muta]

I'll be honest - I'm done with Matt Hardy. He simply doesn't have the movement / excitement / charisma anymore to match AEW's direction or at least keep up with the other talents on the roster. I'd rather see his TV time given to someone else. Jericho is getting into this territory for me too now (except for the charisma).

[CaptainCrunch]

I agree, its time to transition Jericho out of the ring, Same with Matt Hardy. Even Jeff Hardy doesn't hold my attention anymore.

[Ozy_Flame]

Matt Hardy is better served as a part-time manager or backstage personality. Even having a "House of Hardy" stable would be OK. The name brand carries, which can live past the in-ring careers.

Jericho is toast to me. Between his sloppy in-ring work, deteriorating mobility, salesman attitude, and Trumpian politics I want him retired. I'm not even enjoying him that much on the announcing team, because he calls out and makes fun of other people or embellishes too much (remember the Brodie Lee tribute show? He was constantly pressing how Preston Vance should be so lucky to be in the main event - it was off-putting).

Even Sting getting physical is off-putting to me. This is a man in his 60's, and everybody knows it.

On the flipside, I love Dustin Runnels and his position in the company. Dude can still go in the ring (even almost better than he could 15 years ago) and steps back so he's not overexposed. Some guys can just get that second wind, although very few can.

At this point it should be the Sammy/MJF/Moxley/Omega/Darby show, with a really healthy mid-card to weave into storylines and card position jockeying. Heck, they have the greatest tag-team division in pro wrestling at the moment. They really need to get that second show going, they're overloading with talent.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Muta

I'll be honest - I'm done with Matt Hardy. He simply doesn't have the movement / excitement / charisma anymore to match AEW's direction or at least keep up with the other talents on the roster. I'd rather see his TV time given to someone else. Jericho is getting into this territory for me too now (except for the charisma).

Pretty much what WWE told Hardy. It's a shame that he found his greatest solo success so late in his career and I understand why he's trying to hold on now, but it's not great. If he'd be willing to shift to a non-wrestling role, he'd be invaluable. He's a guy with so much knowledge, any company could use him.

Jericho.... is... yeah. He's my favourite wrestler of all time. I truly rank him as one of the greatest performers of all time, if not the greatest. The number of times he has reinvented himself, whether it was after a long break or on the fly, cannot be denied. He was a great choice as a first champion for AEW to allow one of their "home grown" guys Hangman or Omega to give chase too (lol, give it to the WWE guy who just jumped to us! TNA booking at its finest). But since then, he's... been bad.

Not only has he been bad in the ring, but letting his politics bleed out and the anti-mask ####. It's been... a bad year and a bit for Jericho =\.

[Ozy_Flame]

I should also add I love AEW as my premier show, but it's time to end the Inner Circle. It's allowing Jericho to wrestle more than he should, it's holding down Santana/Ortiz, and it's a confusing mess with MJF and Wardlow. And as usual, Jake Hager is an understandable oversight. At least they moved Sammy out of the group.

Team Taz and the Dark Order are far more engaging.

[Muta]

Ozy - I agree, watching Dustin Rhodes is fun. He's able to still go (unlike Hardy and Jericho), and they don't overexpose him, they have him play a supporting role. NJPW is very good with their aging stars in this regard too (Kojima, Nagata, etc.).

Agree with all comments on Jericho. It sucks too, I was a fan for many years - hell, even his 5-star match with Omega only three years ago at Wrestle Kingdom, he was on a completely different level. Now it looks sad, and I'm struggling to understand, outside of kayfabe, why a bunch of young guys in the Inner Circle would want to hang out with an old man like him. At least Sammy's left that group as it starts to crumble in popularity.

[Blaster86]

I mean, if Jericho stopped boozing, he'd likely be able to go still. Being sober is definitely what extended Dustin's career.

[rubecube]

I think Jericho's original contract with AEW was for 3 years, so we're likely seeing the last year and a half of his full-time, in-ring career. I do think he's done a good job of putting over the younger guys (e.g. MJF and Orange Cassidy) while still maintaining his legend aura.

Hopefully they have him put over Sammy, MJF again, and a couple other guys on his way out (maybe Jungle Boy and Darby).

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I think Jericho's original contract with AEW was for 3 years, so we're likely seeing the last year and a half of his full-time, in-ring career. I do think he's done a good job of putting over the younger guys (e.g. MJF and Orange Cassidy) while still maintaining his legend aura.

Hopefully they have him put over Sammy, MJF again, and a couple other guys on his way out (maybe Jungle Boy and Darby).

There's no denying that he doesn't have ego in that regard. He's been great about helping elevate the younger, lesser known talent. It's just a shame that he's looked... not like himself while doing it.

[CaptainCrunch]

Jericho has lost a lot of luster in my eyes. Beyond the whole Trump stuff, and the masking stuff, he's become a parady of himself, and even a lot of ideas that he played with when he came in showed that maybe he's a very creative guy that needs someone to filter him.



Its time for him to leave the business for a while, go on tour and then do a final undertaker thing. I would be content if I could just watch his WWE stuff, I haven't really enjoyed him when I've watched AEW.

[Swift]

How much are AEW PPVs these days? Are they still in the $50-60 ballpark and only available on B/R?