The Thread Killer

Same. I love this shit!

You know, between the new creative direction with more focus on the championships, and Gunther’s overall presentation…the IC Title actually feels like it really means something again, for the first time and I don’t know how long. They are even building it up on commentary as the workman’s title.

Yeah, this is one of the main reasons I am actually watching this show!

Here we go…it’s clubberin time!

Great video package on Cody there. WTF AM I THE ONLY ONE WATCHING THIS CRAP?!

You definitely notice a difference in the commentary. The quick cut camera shots still kill me though. It’s always so jarring when you’re used to watching other companies.

I don’t know who that is or what any of that means. Don’t sound ‘Murican to me, so it don’t really matter.

LOL @ Michael Cole trying to impress everybody by listing off a bunch of UK Pro Wrestling legends in his opener…and very obviously referring to a cheat sheet to do it, because he has no idea who half of those names actually were.

Thanks for the link. Interesting story, but the main problem is that Raj Giri is pretty notoriously full of shit and doesn't have a lot of credibility as a reliable source, does he? I think Black has been pretty up front about having depression and mental health issues going way back...I would hate to think he is using those to justify getting a release but then going back to WWE. Then again, I suppose TK could release him with a lengthy non-compete. I also read somewhere that Black is in really bad health with terrible back issues that could possibly be permanent. It will be interesting to see if he works the 6 Man and All Out and what happens from there. I was really looking forward to a continuation of the angle with him and Miro and an eventual singles match between the two...assuming TK was actually going to give it to us and not get distracted by something shiny on his desk.

Yeah there have been all sorts of unconfirmed reports online the last couple of days about talents from AEW requesting their release and being denied...Malakai Black and Andrade being two of the names I've seen. I also read that Billy Gunn wants his release and to go back and work for Trips, which is why they split him from his boys. Hell, "FreeMalakaiBlack" was even trending on Twitter for some odd reason. But I don't know how reliable any of these reports are. I think the stories might be bullshit, but then again it is equally possible that now it is starting to look like Vince really IS gone from WWE and has no creative control over the product and Triple H is in charge, some of his former favorites are wanting to go back there. I don't know who to believe for sure on these stories.

So the stories making the rounds today are that Fish's contract has already expired...and that Kyle O'Reilly just had neck fusion surgery?! Don't know if it's true (as of right now, Fish has failed to release his "bombshell" podcast that he promised for yesterday, and the injury to KOR is unconfirmed.) But if it is true...so much for ReDragon in AEW, and so much for The Undisputed Elite...I guess. Remember when FTR had that staredown with ReDragon on Dynamite on the ramp, that was never followed up on? What a waste. Can't really blame anybody. If Fish is being a jackass backstage, then that's on him and obviously it's not O'Reilly's fault if he's injured. But it still sucks to see an opportunity like that disappear.

I know this comparison has been made elsewhere, and initially I didn't like to use it because it seemed like a simplification or over-generalization, but the longer it goes, the more AEW really does start to remind me of WCW. I remember back in 97/98, the booking in WCW was pretty bad...but I usually used to order their PPV's anyhow because there was so much talent, you were pretty much guaranteed to see a good show regardless of the storylines behind the matches. I honestly used to feel that even when they were on top, WCW used to succeed almost in spite of themselves. I am the first one to criticize AEW, but I'm not denying they put out a good product...and a product that is generally superior to anything else available in North America, especially WWE. The thing that annoys me is that while AEW is very good, they could be even better. They could be great. I'm sorry, I just don't understand what the hell Tony Khan is trying to accomplish about half the time. And his inconsistency drives me nuts. Stuff gets started and then stopped, angles get dropped, talent disappears of TV for no reason, or an act gets really hot and then aren't featured on TV for weeks. One week Dynamite is an excellent show, the next week it's hard to sit through. It's very frustrating being an AEW fan a lot of the time. Look at the AEW roster. With all that talent, you'd be hard pressed to book a show that wouldn't be good. To me, Forbidden Door was the perfect example of that. I had no idea what the hell Tony Khan was trying to do leading into that show, it was like he was writing Dynamite while he was doing a combination of speed and mescaline or something. But the PPV was outstanding. I'm ordering All Out, of course. And I'm sure some of the matches are going to be great. But I do wish somebody was booking AEW that was consistent and had a bit better grasp of long term storytelling. As far as management style? i don't always put a lot of stock in internet rumors or so-called "dirt sheet" reporting, but where there is smoke, there has to be some fire. I guess Tony Khan even admitted himself when he was on Busted Open recently, that the story of a major meeting with the entire roster was true due to all the backstage drama going on. And that's pretty much on Tony Khan himself, not knowing how to delegate or manage his massive roster. And the dude seriously has a habit of saying stuff online and in interviews he probably shouldn't be saying...but then turning around and not saying what he should. Not only does he need a booker, he probably needs a PR representative as well. It's kind of funny...if AEW succeeds, the person who deserves most of the credit in the end will probably be Tony Khan. But conversely if it doesn't succeed, or if it fails to reach it's full potential due to inconsistent and poorly thought out booking, and overall managerial ineptitude, the person responsible for that will also be Tony Khan. I think a lot of the problems people are talking about in this thread and elsewhere can be directly attributed to his inability to delegate. Like I said, it won't stop me from ordering the PPV, but it also doesn't stop being an AEW fan from being kind of aggravating some of the time.

It is pretty much an open secret at this point. The story is out there, especially in Toronto where Impact is based. Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux both asked for their releases from Impact. Impact refused. Scarlett tells a bunch of people she was sexually harassed by a very highly ranking executive in Impact, who offered her a lucrative new contract in exchange for some sex. She refused, but somebody makes a complaint to Impact. The owners of Impact (Anthem Entertainment) publicly announce an internal investigation. Scarlett (and Kross) get their releases, but Scarlett supposedly signs an NDA. These are all verified facts. Very shortly thereafter, Don Callis very quietly steps down as Executive Vice President of Impact, and switches to an on air talent role, which he also eventually quietly steps away from. A lot of people, including Bix, Rovert and even Brian Last have either alluded to it or outright reported it. After Kross and Scarlett get released by WWE, she tells anybody who will listen that she will never go back to Impact, and alludes to there being a very definite reason why she can’t or won’t. For some strange reason, Dave Meltzer never reported on it, which I am sure has nothing to do with his friendship with Kenny Omega.

Let’s ignore the fact that it’s pretty much established that Don Callis is a sex pest IRL, and that’s why he quietly withdrew from Impact. I don’t get what function he serves in AEW. I get that if you’re creepy and you’re friends with Kenny, you get a free pass until the bad publicity gets so overwhelming that there is no choice but to address it. (See Rance, Chasyn and Ryan, Joey) I am talking from a purely on screen perspective. Every backstage segment Don Callis is in, every guest commentary spot he does, every tweet he sends…the guy comes across as a pure heel manager. A wannabe Bobby Heenan. I don’t get what he brings to the table that AEW could possibly need. And I used to really like the guy and thought it was unfair that he never got a real shake in the business, but come on now.

Bleh. I don’t watch New Japan and in my opinion both of those guys come across as geeks. Also…and I don’t mean to be channeling Jim Cornette here…but what the hell is the deal with The Elite? I thought the whole point of that angle where The Undisputed Era turned on them, was to turn them babyface? Remember the traumatized crying children? So why do the Bucks still come out with Brandon Cutler, and Omega with Nakazawa and especially Don Callis? We are not supposed to buy all of those guys and their entourage as supposed babyfaces, are we? Callis is great as a heel manager but if Kenny isn’t a heel then I would think the presence of Don Callis is counterintuitive, no?

I had no issue with Fish being there as long as it was as a part of The Undisputed Era or more importantly…ReDragon, who are a legitimately great Tag Team. I think unfortunately that fact has gotten lost in AEW partially due to injuries and partially due to the fact that AEW is overloaded with Tag Teams who never get any TV time. But Fish is a classic “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” kinda guy. He’s pretty much of no use on his own and does not have a lot of value outside a team setting. Ditto for Kyle O’Reilly, if I am being completely honest. Give me ReDragon all day, but I don’t much care about either guy outside that. If the rumors circulating online are to be believed, Fish has been one of the behavioural problems backstage in AEW and I have even seen it alluded to (by admittedly unreliable sources) that he might have some mental health or substance related problems. It is a bit of a shame if it’s true, because obviously the money match that would’ve been nice to see would have been The Elite vs. The Undisputed Era and if these rumours are true, that likely will not happen. Fish supposedly just started his own podcast and has already started some shit by talking about some supposed heat between himself and Dax Harwood. He is apparently planning on dropping some sort of “bombshell” announcement tomorrow, which may or may not have something to do with his impending departure from AEW. Bottom line is, his and ReDragon’s entire run in AEW has been a total bust so far. So if he really is being a problem backstage, it’s probably best for everybody that he goes now rather than later. I don’t know how much use he will be to WWE, even if he gets to work with his hero HHH. Like I said, he doesn’t have a lot of value by himself, I wouldn’t think.

I am a bit nervous about the “confrontation” scheduled for Rampage on Friday between Swerve/Lee and The Acclaimed. They are scheduled for a normal two on two match on Sunday. TK seems unwilling to book traditional tag team matches on PPV. He’s going to insert the Gunn Club and maybe even more teams. I know it. He won’t be able to stop himself.

Thankfully the sound guy cut Moxley off. I feel two rambling Moxley promos on one show are enough.

Point well taken.

Yes, yes he did.

So let me get this straight, they gave away the match for free last week and now they want people to pay for it on Sunday. How WWE of them.

“This is Chicago…where the weak are killed and eaten.”

I am actually looking forward to that Miro, Darby and Sting vs. HOB match. There, I said it, and I’d say it again.

Come on now. The AEW roster is perilously thin. Tony has to sign more talent, otherwise we are at risk of seeing the same wrestlers on TV two weeks in a row.

I have no issue with AEW signing Morrissey. I am old school enough that I always have time for a big giant tall dude with a small mouthy manager going around chokeslamming little dudes. And I am all for this heel stable Stokely is building, that’s also got an old school vibe. I question the timing of debuting him on the go home show before a PPV, but whatever.