MoS

I wouldn't know as much as you about her strengths as a babyface worker, but this has been part of why her short run in AEW so far has not connected with me. It isn't bad or anything, but everything from her mannerisms and taunts to her facial expressions looks and feels heelish. Of course there have been great faces with heelish mannerisms, but they had a run as heels first in the promotion in which they became babyfaces.

Paging @Matt D Unlike you, I am extremely invested in the Bryan/Kingston angle, so I enjoyed the match a lot more than you did. I didn't mind Danielson getting the better of the mat exchanges, since Jun's age was pointed out, and Danielson has consistently been sold as the best technical wrestler of this generation, and maybe of all-time, and he wrestles like that. I have generally enjoyed pretty much everything about 2024 AEW, except for the Jericho and Callis bullshit - the YB gimmick I find cringe but they don't take up too much TV time. Plus, Dragon getting to tick off every item on his wishlist in his final year is something I am really loving.

Bucks naming their finisher "Tony Khan Driver" has made this gimmick officially jump the shark for me. Absolute nonsense. Like Bischoff saying "Hey, Sid, can't find your scissors?"

Fightful reporting it's a work, apparently. With a quote from a backstage source being "He's just good at his job"

BCC is on a great run, I love multiple concurrent feuds in wrestling

This BCC-CMLL thing is a massive draw, at least in Mexico City, but I have no doubt that will eventually spread out to the States too

Personally, the best Sting-Bucks angle was when Sting after getting a hot tag completely no-sold their superkick and squashed them like bugs a couple years back. That's the only appropriate reaction. That said, shit like this is why I love AEW so much and am so glad it exists:

I don't like it, and I don't want Sting's last ever angle to be with the Bucks. There also has been no reason for them to turn in kayfabe. They just took some time off and came back as heels. But it's not been an unpopular angle. I heard praise about how they were classic old-school heels for wearing white during a beatdown angle with blading involved, which I personally think shows very low standards, cuz "wear white when blood is involved" should be one of the first things you learn as a wrestler.

Plenty of people, if we go by social media reactions and podcast reviews.

Or maybe in Arena Mexico. Danielson has long wished to have a defining, "representation of an era" incredible match in the country of Mexico, whether the match is billed to be in Arena Mexico or not

Absolutely incredible match. Even the usually corny and stupid fighting spirit spots made sense. Danielson can take ZSJ's incredible talent and with his amazing knack for pacing and laying out matches, can produce something truly magical

Vicious Bryan Danielson is so great to watch

Of course he isn't. Last time he had a proper match was 11 years ago and he ended up tearing half the muscles in his body. Now he is a couple months shy of turning 52, hasn't been a full-time wrestler since 2002, and also has an obscene amount of roided muscle mass on his body, which won't help with either protecting his muscles, tendons and ligaments during a match, or his conditioning. Punk needed several matches on a weekly basis on his return in 2021 to get into a good enough ring shape to do high-end main event matches, and even he cannot seem to go 2 months without injuring himself anyway

It is very clearly a pivot from the original plan. Meltz won't report it like that because both Rock and Cody are his sources so he reports whatever bullshit they feed him, and it is certainly in Rock's interest at least to act like this was not a pivot but part of a grand plan all along, because saying otherwise would mean yet another failure for him in the last few years, after spending a full decade experiencing only mega-success and no failure.

This Swerve-Hangman angle has become unexpectedly awesome. Also allows Joe to hold on to the belt longer

Vince is under federal investigation

It's a civil lawsuit, so any repercussions would be from TKO trying to cover its own ass. Certainly not repercussions that this case deserves. Anyone who thinks things changed for powerful men after the #MeToo movement (especially for white boomers like Vince) is sadly and unfortunately mistaken.

It's not just Vince though, is it. As multiple people have pointed out, this is a systemic rot going to the very top of an evil company. Can't just stop at Vince.

Jesus this is horrible

Joe will get weekly attendances up if we give him a few weeks to cook

Who would have thought in 1997-99, when Shawn and Hunter were actively trying to bury Rock, or in 2002, when HHH seemed to have the keys of the kingdom, that Rock would end up as their boss, almost 3 decades later

Fingers crossed, AEW's 2024 has been really good so far. Copeland v. Suzuki is the kind of match that makes me thankful AEW exists.

Joe had a throwaway feud with Brock where he was so great and menacing and cut such great promos that not only did he feel believable as someone who could beat Lesnar, there were people wanting him to beat Brock and be champ for a short while before Brock won it back. Concur that HOOK is great.

I personally could happily and contentedly could spend the rest of my live in peace, and happiness never hearing a single thing Chico Alvarerz has to say and his opinion on anything and everything under the sun, wrestling-related or not

https://bloodyelbow.com/2024/01/09/goodbye-derek-schott-punisher-bass-well-miss-you/ I lost a colleague and friend unexpectedly a couple of days ago. Let's all be kinder to each other generally