WingedEagle

This feels like the worst episode of Dynamite in ages and its not even close. OC/Claudio underdelivered and given the length I'm not sure I'd even call it average. Every promo and angle this show has been a miss. Sting has nostalgia, wasn't overexposed for the last 2 decades, actually works to elevate Allin and has been used as a special attraction here. But now we're getting regular and prominent Copeland and Jericho every week along with Wight in the mix and more awful backstage comedy elsewhere. I've been defending the hell out of the show all year but its hard with Danielson out and the in ring falling to the levels of the out of ring creative.

FUN! Perhaps not the best match I see each week but they are such an easy watch and so joyful. A total breeze and enjoyable top to bottom.

Why is Aldis wearing his dad's suit?

That Cole/Roddy video was terrific content, a riot and absolutely not what I want from AEW. But Fenix/Nick Jax more than makes up for it.

Very pleasantly surprised that Stardom strapped the rocket to Suzu Suzuki so quickly. Between her age and recently jumping to the promotion I expected a much slower push but this is great and seems very smart. Now if they could just get serious about pushing AZM who is the same age.

We're now at the point where this guy has a half decade plus of being the WOTY or among the top few. If he retired tomorrow he'd be in my all time top quartile and I'd have to think long and hard about just how high to place him. His best days should be ahead of him but between injuries, booking and selective opportunities that's far from a given and yet it can't unwind one of the best careers to date. Really remarkable.

Is the show in India on Peacock or just for the house?

My goodness. Bryan Danielson is the goddamn GOAT. Ricky Starks earned his stripes and should get every opportunity to be a top shelf act in the company after that match. What a freaking incredible, all time match.

He must hate EVERYONE. Cash can cross his arms all he wants but as you noted they're there to get along, get paid and build out a legacy that seemingly is very important to them. But that's something almost all wrestlers -- hell, all people -- do every single da: go to work, do their jobs and go about their lives liking some people, disliking others and finding ways to make things easier rather than more difficult. Almost all, but not all. Amazing. Make this man the subject of a college psych class.

This should read like some low effort satire, but with everything we've seen its probably a completely legitimate question.

Is Punk ever happy? Does he enjoy anything in life? I don't really care and am very much in camp "good riddance," and thought for a while from reading whatever tea leaves were out there that his presence was not a good thing for anyone other than (maybe) CM Punk. But I'm fascinated. This is someone who from the outside appears to torch every opportunity and relationship he's presented with, save few exceptions. His wife? Ace Steel? FTR? That Lars guy? Its incredible to see someone so consistently miserable and angry, so determined to turn every mole hill into something tantamount to a violent crime upon his loved ones (if he has any). Onward and upward with a hopefully refocused and more stable wrestling promotion, but wow are this guy's mind and motivations something else. Maybe he should have a drink.

Goddamn. He's nearly 7 years younger than me. I got a text from a friend while out to dinner with friends, the wife and my son and nearly broke down at the table. Just an incredible tragedy for such a large and young family. Hopefully his fiends, family and loved ones find some peace and stability in time.

Terry Funk has passed away according to Ric Flair (at least he was the first I saw of it). If true, RIP to a true legend and one of a kind figure in wrestling.

I thought this was tremendous fun. Funk isn't the GOAT candidate for me that he is for others but everything he did here from the time he entered the gym, from working the crowd, ref, ring announcer and seemingly every person who made eye contact with him was captivating. The early action with him flying around for Backlund kept you hooked and then I actually found their headlock and test of strength work quite active and engaging the whole way. The play by play wouldn't read like something I'd usually go for but this was an incredibly fun ride. ***1/2

Strong recommendation for AZM vs. Mirai from Stardom's 8/5 show. Probably the best match in the 5*GP so far other than Syuri vs. Suzu Suzuki from opening night.

He's become an all timer at it these last few years, but this crowd is just past bedtime.

Bianca sold that knee for all it was worth and Iyo (plus Bayley and especially Dakota) made it a moment, but that was otherwise a poorly laid out and worked spotfest. And that's coming from someone who's higher on Charlotte than most, but she was just awful here. Hoping the main event wraps before I have to shave tomorrow morning.

Rico/Logan -- this board rules. Predictably a spotfest but yet still somehow less than Logan's other big matches. Fun opener nonetheless. Cody/Brock -- this place still wins. Brock finally rocking a proper Titan Sports tan. Never imagined him as Mr. Sportsmanship but here we are. Battle Royal -- I'm out on LA Knight. Amateur night cosplay isn't my thing. Rousey/Baszler -- I seemed to enjoy this more than most and certainly appreciated the simplicity and avoiding overkill. Gunther vs. Drew Mac -- Kawada nailed this one. A far cry from Clash in the Castle and Mania but a fun, hard hitting affair and the right winner. Its still damn near miraculous they haven't effed up Gunther. Rollins/Balor -- Massively overdelivered without feeling overbooked.

Stacked. Already advised the wife this isn't ending before 12 so just need to hope I don't get too tired by then. But a tremendous lineup on paper.

We've probably written him off multiple times over the last few years, but when Hiroshi Tanahashi is taking L's against Alex Coughlin its probably a sign that the Ace is finally done. Hell of a run for the one of the three greatest wrestlers that ever lived.

Maybe I'm just sour but Grado feels like a nice Buy In nod to the UK. But that plus apparently RVD on the main show? And Ospreay wasting away on Jericho? RevPro seems to be treating the weekend a lot more seriously.

Over 20 years of consistent excellence with MOTYCs sprinkled throughout the run. No idea where he'd rank but I can't imagine any way he doesn't make my list.

So the company has a couple of pretty big shows coming up over the next 6 weeks. Any plans to build or announce lineups or are they actually going to do this Mystery Vortex style?

Athena deserves better and I'll gladly seek out everything she does that makes tape, but I wouldn't maintain an Honor Club subscription if its effectively become an Onlyfans for one wrestler.

No idea why this came to mind, but what do announcers and ring announcers do about the bathroom at long TVs/PPVs? They presumably need to hydrate over the course of the night to keep their throats from getting dry. If they can last through a long show they're better sports than I am.