WingedEagle

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.

Unprofessional. These kids need to grow up.

It'd be fine but there is zero reason to involve Dustin and Sammy. It was and will undoubtedly remain a big win for Fletcher. You can slot in Roddy or Garcia and get to the same place with better results.

I am somehow even more stoked for this show now that the day is here than I expected. LFG! I expect the top 4 matches to absolutely crush it and Casino Gauntlet has thus far delivered every time out. Apparently I'm in the minority but I really, really hope Mone wins. The Storm act still does nothing for me but I know she'll deliver in the ring when it counts.

I thought Sareee/Syuri was great, but a far cry from their draw earlier this year. Despite an actual finish it didn't feel nearly as tense as the first match. The submissions and limb work seemed like something they spent an inordinate amount of time on just to check the box rather than to build any real tension. Same for the strikes and headbutts late. They didn't get in earlier so they had to do it then. Again, these are two of the best wrestlers alive so it was stiill great. It just didn't live up to their earlier encounter.

100%. They are what they are. They've somehow held off on nakedly promoting their politics on TV but you know that's coming eventually. I'd say to imagine what it takes for the parents of 3 girls to break bread and take a photo with RFK Jr., but these days that just makes them moderate republicans. Maybe, hopefully, one day they'll have to eat some of their own cooking. But unlikely with the way we're heading.

Definitely didn't see that coming. Kudos for the curveball.

I stand corrected. Barring some sort of miracle and non-match we're getting an overrun and cutting into the UFC show.

I enjoyed both ladder matches tonight a lot more than expected. Nothing beats a PLE on UFC night as they have a hard out and can't jerk off for 30 minutes in between matches.

Wow. Larry Csonka rolling over in his grave.

What's the consensus on Lyra Valkyria? She seems very sound and capable but just about never wows me or stands out in any way other than never really shitting the bed. She's good. And never great.

God bless. On paper that looks like the greatest show ever or certainly near the peak of professional wrestling. It wasn't quite that for me but I am very glad that you enjoyed it that much.

I actually like that Konnan isn't saying too much. Graves has his marching orders and is acquitting himself pretty well all things considered, buts its nice that we don't have multiple voices constantly screaming over the wrestling.

I know its a long weekend but I thought I was kidding about the Ospreay/Page starting at sunrise. Can we get there already?

Mark Briscoe bled for all of our sins past, present and future tonight.