Dynamite!

[GardenStateSaint]

I wasn't a fan of the gauntlet concept and hated the ending

That finish could not have been more flat and on top of that nothing was done at all to Starks to put sympathy back upon him. Flat finish to the match and flat ending into the commercial break.

[GardenStateSaint]

How does a Trios championship match get a 60 minute time limit an hour and twenty minutes into a two hour show? Can you imagine a trios match going sixty minutes?

[GardenStateSaint]

How does a Trios championship match get a 60 minute time limit an hour and twenty minutes into a two hour show? Can you imagine a trios match going sixty minutes?

Just finished that match. What a bullshit finish. All the moves in the world and it ends in a pinning combination from Omega. I recall TNA a long time ago going through a long spell of X Division matches ending in such a manner and it's total garbage.

[Iamspiderman]

Do any of you guys even enjoy AEW?

[GardenStateSaint]

Do any of you guys even enjoy AEW?

Every Dynamite is such a mixed bag. A lot of my issues with AEW is how they format the show and alott their time for talent and how it leads into the next thing. As much as I like Dragon that match doesn't need to go that long and this show didn't need a Trios championship either. Slice some time off RUSH vs. Dragon and give some time to the Moxley-Page story, that's a Dynamite story and will have to be recapped anyway next week on Dynamite if it's advanced on Rampage during that six man tag. Get rid of the 20 minute Bucks match that we all know what it will be and give all of that time to Strickland, Jungle Boy, an injury update on Keith Lee, give the Gunns a chance to speak before the main event to give me a reason to stay tuned and anything for Adam Cole to say. I would have stuck with the Bucks & Omega on Rampage to grab any sort of number for the first quarter hour rating if you want AEW star power with a kinda story rather than BCC vs. Kip Sabian vs. The Butcher & The Blade.

Expectations with AEW were high from the start but TK also talks a big game and this company isn't new anymore so some of these things are irritating. Like Puns said, "more isn't always more" and two weeks in a row of main event title changes is a great example of probably wanting to pop a rating and have an eventful thing happen but if a respectable number (or even sustaining viewership) doesn't come of it then clearly this company/show isn't being booked properly at all. To start a show at 1,000,650 viewers and the end the show in the last two quarter hours giving you 783,000 & 830,000 is super questionable for a live show with plenty of controllables given there was no real major opposing event or game on other networks. I haven't seen this week's numbers yet but I'll be interested in the last three quarter hours.

A good portion of their roster I like as wrestling talents and I support AEW but I'm certainly not part of their audience that are major apologists and I find their booking mis-steps as incredibly interesting and frustrating.

[Puns]

I 100% agree with GSS’s final paragraph. He said exactly the way I feel a lot better than I could have. I’m sure I come off angry and bitter because I cuss a lot and a lot of the modern style of not selling and doing too much isn’t my cup of tea at all. I long for realism and stories that grab my attention and wrestlers that I enjoy getting screen time and updates on the roster members when they’re inexplicably gone for weeks or months at a time with us being given zero reason.

I love several of the wrestlers on the roster, but I also detest a lot of the roster. I think there is definitely something to Vince McMahon’s old adage about wanting his wrestlers to turn heads in airports. How many of the people in the AEW roster legitimately do that? Very few, I’d say. It’s because a lot of people on the roster don’t have “the look” and a lot of them are the same size as or smaller than your average adult. That doesn’t turn heads.

AEW has amazing potential. Tony Kahn lied to us about “sports based presentation.” He didn’t live up to his word. He’s a terrible booker and he seriously needs to put his massive billionaire ego aside for the betterment of his business. Plus, the EVP shenanigans in and out of the ring have seriously turned a lot of potential fans off.

[Iamspiderman]

I see it as a rotation of talent to keep things fresh and different. Some people are involved for certain "tours" of shows and some are cooled off to reset creatively. It has been a juggling act that is tough to do but I'd rather that over seeing the same 20 talents every single week and that is it.

Bunny got hurt this week and since the womens match was cut short, the time was dispersed to the Danielson match and Trios match I am sure. That is okay in this instance, time had to go somewhere. Would rather it in ring over a thrown together segment last minute.

The Mox/Page story can advance on Rampage and that is ok. Dynamites and Rampage are not different brands. The point of doing it there is to get the viewers to watch both shows. The effort has been there to make Rampage more "must see". They did have rough weeks/episodes sure. But I can see it getting more attention the last few months. They recap stuff from both episodes on both episodes, but if they didn't, you guys would be upset about that too I'd think.

Can't really say anything back to just not doing the trios match, it served its purpose, why just NOT do it? You need to establish the champs with a successful "layup" defense and it had a little story going in after strong Top Flight build in 2023. Swerve and Jungle Boy have been getting their time with segments building them to something at Revolution. Lee is gonna be back soon, an injury update isn't really needed. We know what is up with him. They'll do Swerve/Dustin next week and Lee will be back then to set it up for Revolution.

Gunns already gave you a reason to stay tuned after weeks/months of build between these 2 teams. Dunno what a segment an hour beforehand will do. They're telling you the main event is coming all night long. Not sure what Cole is gonna do in the coming weeks but he may not be 100% just yet so they can't get him in ring. He just had a segment last week and will have one this Friday as well I am sure. He was there this week so I'm sure he filmed something.

Pop a rating implies it was done for that reason alone and thats a bit unfair as both title changes were earned imo. They're only losing to the NBA every week with some rare exceptions. Constantly Top 5 on the night with ratings. There may not be growth but the numbers are healthy. And I've already said my part on the ratings earlier.

As for the zero reason comment, I'd like to know who you are referring to, because Keith Lee is out because of the stomp off the top rope with a concrete block on him, thats a reason right there that I don't need to see every week in a 3 minute video package like WWE would do.

I personally could not care less about how a wrestler looks in an airport or having that larger than life persona. And even if you feel that way, Brian Cage and Powerhouse Hobbs are right there. Jade, as well. Maybe Wardlow lol

I don't think TK lied. It started out that way and it evolved with time into what it is. Pandemic let alot of talent fall into their lap and find a newer identity. I do hate they kinda abandoned the Top 5 Rankings they posted weekly since All Out. But the W-L still matter and are tracked to this day which impresses the hell out of me. I completely disagree with you on him being a terrible booker and having an ego. Is he perfect? No one is. But he very very rarely misses with what he is doing booking wise. Crowds are hot, momentum is back after what i saw as a rough 2nd half of 2022 (Double or Nothing 2022-Full Gear 2022). The Punk/Elite fight stuff was a huge black eye on the product for me that turned me off to the product for a bit in terms of being able to enjoy it cause there was a stink over it. It's been better now but I am with you on the EVP stuff, I was livid personally at the Thanksgiving Trios match in Chicago. As long as Punk is back, I can let it slide long term. But if he is gone gone, fuck those guys.

So I know I am a big time defender of AEW here but I just had to share my opinion on things because I wish this thread had a bit more AEW positivity in it and was hoping to dive more into what ticks you each off about it.

[Roxxxas]

TK is most likely way burnt out now booking but refuses to admit it. The fact that he had Delirious available and didn’t sign him to assist with booking at least says a lot.

The goodwill has been starting to drain now, especially with HHH’s booking of WWE trying to bring stability there.

There’s a lot of frustration with the hot and cold booking in AEW too. Wardlow was red hot then just completely got given nonsense with the security guard angle and hasn’t recovered. Hobbs has been featured multiple times then completely off Dynamite/Rampage (Dark/Elevation really doesn’t count) and pops in and out.
Who knows what the deal with Miro is. House of Black doesn’t click. Elite are overexposed. Moxley is too but he manages to make it work some. Hangman is hot and cold and his promos don’t help when he’s trying to be a badass in the ring but has all these mental/emotional situations in backstage segments.

At this point I’m hoping these house show loops are a couple weeks a month so the roster can get more comfortable and try new things that aren’t necessarily high risk moves and spots. Especially more than them working other shows with people who could be suspect at best or much more inexperienced.

I think they blew the shot too early with JJ/Lethal and the Acclaimed because obviously the fodder is there for the promos and if you want lesser experienced talent to to get on the job training that was a perfect opportunity especially since FTR are taking a sabbatical.

[Iamspiderman]

Delirious would not have been the answer. His ROH booking was uninspired and one of the reasons I stopped following ROH. I do think he should give someone else ROH booking wise at the very least.

HHHs booking has also been nothing special. Hes kept the WWE way in transition and shouldnt be praised or anything.

Dark and Elevation absolutely do count. I get it is an optics thing for a fan who only watches TV but they’ve been using those programs for a bunch of feuds and character building.

TK sacrifices week to week momentum for the sake of giving all his talent something weeks apart sometimes in bread crumbs. Wardlow won the TNT title and was pretty over still. He cooled off when he lost the belt but now he is back and will get the heat back.

Miro didnt want to do what was presented creatively so he got benched. House of Black had injury issues and Malakai taking tim off but I think they click. Dont really agree with your other assessments personally. They’re getting huge reactions and all positive. Mox was only getting booed when fans were dumb cheering for an obvious heel MJF program. I dont fault Mox there. He basically played the role of Punk for 3 months.

[GardenStateSaint]

I think when Wardlow cooled off is very subjective but I'm part of the camp that believes they had nothing substantial lined up for him after beating MJF at Double or Nothing, they went through a few weeks of non-sense with Smart Mark and then he won the TNT Championship in July just to give him something and even when he won it they still didn't have any heel of consequence challenge him. If I had to guess/recall they probably just did "open challenges". I actually do recall the Orange Cassidy title defense, face vs. face, absolutely tremendous, just split the crowd and take some steam off the monster face you've been building.

[Azmodeous]

What are the odds we see CM Punk return? The ratings, while good considering the overall state of cable television, are down a bit, and the talk of most wrestling fans has shifted heavily towards the Bloodline/Sami Zayn/Cody Rhodes and the build to Wrestlemania. I have to wonder if we'll see Khan ask him back and get the fued with the Elite going to spur up interest in the product.

[Iamspiderman]

What are the odds we see CM Punk return? The ratings, while good considering the overall state of cable television, are down a bit, and the talk of most wrestling fans has shifted heavily towards the Bloodline/Sami Zayn/Cody Rhodes and the build to Wrestlemania. I have to wonder if we'll see Khan ask him back and get the fued with the Elite going to spur up interest in the product.

I think hes back when healed up. Prob. returns at Double or Nothing based on injury time table. If he was gone, I’d like to think it would've happened by now.

[Roxxxas]

What are the odds we see CM Punk return? The ratings, while good considering the overall state of cable television, are down a bit, and the talk of most wrestling fans has shifted heavily towards the Bloodline/Sami Zayn/Cody Rhodes and the build to Wrestlemania. I have to wonder if we'll see Khan ask him back and get the fued with the Elite going to spur up interest in the product.

I think hes back when healed up. Prob. returns at Double or Nothing based on injury time table. If he was gone, I’d like to think it would've happened by now.

This.

[Puns]

I really hope he comes back. His AEW run has been awesome despite the gripebomb/brawl out stuff.

[GardenStateSaint]

I'm going to predict that Keith Lee returns tonight or for the Rampage taping as he has ties with Texas and TK likes those kinds of things.

[Azmodeous]

I'm going to predict that Keith Lee returns tonight or for the Rampage taping as he has ties with Texas and TK likes those kinds of things.

Probably Rampage as Swerve is set to face Dustin Rhodes on that show.

[GardenStateSaint]

I'm going to predict that Keith Lee returns tonight or for the Rampage taping as he has ties with Texas and TK likes those kinds of things.

Probably Rampage as Swerve is set to face Dustin Rhodes on that show.

I wasn't aware of that at the time of my prediction.

[Azmodeous]

I actually really enjoyed most of this week's show. I'm just not a fan at all of this stuff with Saraya, it's messy, doesn't make a lot of sense, and has hurt any momentum the women's division was gaining. The MJF/Danielson segment was fantastic though and I'm happy to see them trying to take the Dark Order a bit more seriously finally (I really hope we get a Stu Grayson return out of this soon).

[Roxxxas]

So was that a BCC heel turn?

[Iamspiderman]

So was that a BCC heel turn?

No way theyve always had this edge to them. Its just they were going up against some faces tonight. Maybe w time but them still being so separate from Danielson since Regal left is still something to watch.