WingedEagle

Was anything on the AAAWWE show remotely worthwhile?

That got a pop. Those threads went from a fun resource into a family text chain you can't unsubscribe from.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. Yes, they walked and brawled. But they bled and wailed each other with real hatred. The production issues were there but never lasted long enough that it really hampered my ability to get into and enjoy the match. I had a harder time sorting out everyone that got involved on the outside and just what was going on there.

Uemura vs. Oiwa today was probably the second best match of the tourney thus far behind Shingo/Takeshita. More importantly, it was the first time that a couple of the young lost boys looked great and fortunately against each other. They've already wasted a ton of time with them and Tsuji (and written off Narita entirely) but hopefully there's some effort to give them a meaningful push soon.

It felt like they just threw up their hands and decided to get it out of the way. I assume its legit because you know its coming and there's only so much time left to pull it off. Just strange all around. Curious if a Cody heel turn comes next.

Someone needs to remind Paul its called PW(SE?)O. Hope the Hulkster is saving him a seat.

Is this match available online?

Its absolutely fine. And as noted that is just not good enough after the run we've had for the last decade plus or so. I saw this as someone who considers Hiroshi Tanahashi one of the few greatest wrestlers to ever live, but Tanhashi is shot to the point that he can't draw much here as no one believes he's capable of working like GRADE 1 TANAHASHI anymore. The Dome should draw because of the moment, but that's one night in January. Here's hoping Tony Khan lets them strap the rocket to Takeshita. Not holding my breath but that's the most (only?) interesting scenario I can come up with.

Not just hot, but all of a sudden incredibly deep. Mistico and some other big names are away this Friday but they've got a stacked show with MJF the only outsider. Zandokan & crew are a breath of fresh air and outside of the Star Jr. match they haven't exactly been featured at the top of the card very much. Villano III Jr. just returned from a lengthy injury layoff and looked pretty damn good for night 1. It seems like they're relying on Mistico/MJF for Aniversario along with the apuestas mish mosh underneath rather than doing something hot and fresh, but I can't blame them.

Did you try messaging Charles on Twitter?

I was offered a free seat in a box for Slammiversary and turned it down without nary a thought. As appealing as a couple beers and dirty water dogs might be, Joe Hendry & co. are not a good reason to get home super late on a Sunday night. Maybe a couple years ago but if turns out that anything was worth watching I'll catch it the next day.

I usually can't handle that stuff but somehow it didn't bother me much here. Death matches in Japan are an absolute handwave for me and feel like snuff films.

What an absolutely incredible main event. The involvement of everyone was pitch perfect and Danielson being a part of it was just amazing. Couldn't love it more. I don't throw 5 stars at much but this is one was easy. Running a 6 hour show is a kick in the nuts no matter what, but if you're going to do that a least close it like this.

What's the thinking with running what looks like a 5.5-6 hour show? Forget us jokers at home on the couch. You've got 25K people there who need to eat, use the bathroom, charge a phone, just fucking GET UP AND MOVE. How does this benefit anyone?

ATHENA POP! Let's hope this isn't a false start.

It took a couple hours, but the show now feels like a goddamn affair with that match. Let's go!

Plus straight to the heat here without any meaningful shine to warm up the crowd? Really odd.

That was an absolute highlight. The Bucks' entrance was long and grand for no reason at all. Casino Gauntlet was absurdly long. I get the Cole piece but you double the entrances for that match and give them full time and here we are 2+ hours into the show and not even halfway done. Never mind Zero Hour. Even Wrestle Kingdom has corrected course from that kind of pace.

Time management is an issue here. You don't get bonus points for eating into the SNME rating if you kill the crowd in the building and at home.

It looks great. Like a pretty full house. But it sounds like pretty awful. The company didn't do any favors letting the Casino Gauntlet run nearly twice as long as needed, or sending Cole out to read his career's death announcement (this is NOT at all a knock on Cole, who by all accounts is one of the best people in the business and if that's what he wanted I'm glad he and his friends got their moment) as that would kill even a hot crowd.

I hope Cole is okay. That didn't look or feel like an injury situation with someone who's coming back when he heals up.

This match is really good but man is it going long. Also, this crowd is not impressive.

MVP doing his best to kill this match on commentary.

Very much so. It almost felt like they were told to tone it down until then. I did not have a heavy injury angle for Joe on my bingo card. Is he off to film something?

Its 2025 and Samoa Joe is playing his role in the opener of the company's biggest show of the year, while showing he clearly has the presence and work to step in anywhere else up and down the card. Just incredible.