MoS

This feels like a clasic 2006 Dragon ROH title match, but not all of them went 60, or even 30 minutes. I have been enjoying this match a lot so far

Hahaha shit-eating grinning heel Bryan is the best

Is it reading too much into LORE to think that Hangman is trolling vegan Danielson by wearing those cow skin tights

OOOH wow they are going with the world title first

So apparently he wasn't able to negotiate a no-cut clause. Which, I mean, as mentioned, Vince took shoot headbutts from him on live TV to get him over, so clearly they see a lot of value in him, unlike most of Hunter's male hires, so hopefully it works out for him, but man, WWE's practices in the last couple of years really make the initial contract figure something of a mirage.

That's what I thought as well. Good for him if he wants to get paid, but hopefully he has made sure that he actually does get paid. I would have enjoyed Kevin Steen in AEW so it's disappointing in that sense, but there are so many amazing talents out there, including released wrestlers whose non-competes should be up soon, that my disappointment is really more of a "Oh well, on to the next one then" shrug. The supply of elite wrestlers far exceeds the major-league demand for them right now, that is for sure.

I am so excited about Hangman-Danielson. I have seen some smart fans call Hangman's reign a failure already because of the ratings, and how they should pull an audible and put the title on Bryan. To them, I can only laugh and be grateful that they don't have any actual power in pro wrestling. Hangman's reign has barely started and I am looking forward to watching him as champ. I do think he needs to be focused on a bit more than he is at the moment though; at present, he is always reacting to other wrestlers.

I think the Rock-HHH heat is the continuation of the Rock-HBK heat, especially because Hunter was involved both in trying to get Bret to beat Rock for the IC title in 1997, as well as trying to convince Vince that Rock didn't deserve to headline against Austin at WrestleMania in 1999. I also remember Meltzer pointing to voices in Vince's ear telling him they no longer need Rock, after they had somehow let the fucking Rock's contract expire, under the guise of a clerical error. As for NXT, while Shawn oversees the execution of Vince's vision these days, it is clear that creatively he has lost power from the Adam Cole-Johny Gargano-Ciampa days, which had his fingerprints all over the product.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/amanda-jon-huber-wrestling-aew What an incredible article. I can't recommend it enough, words don't do it justice

Also lol at the fact that his childhood friends are running WWE and making a show about his life, and Vince still couldn't get him to send a 2-min video for Survivor Series

So when Nick Khan ran over so many people's careers, he did it...for The Rock?

Okay, in all seriousness, HOOK looked really good. He didn't have to sell or bump, nor should he have been, but he has his father's intensity and nastiness, but at the same time a good babyface look, what with his Vegeta hair. He is someone to watch out for, no doubt.

THE MAN IS HERE

That 6-woman tag was so much more fun than it had any right to be

Tully takes an apron bump like a boss

FTR and Lucha Bros don't always mesh, but they are meshing here

Wouldn't it be funny if it turns out that HOOK is just dogshit

Also, congratulations to all the HOOKers out there, I am sure this is a massive massive moment for them

I liked some interferences and interruptions, but it is kind of striking how basically every single women's segment, both matches and backstage promos, is booked literally the same. Most of them are fungible and interchangeable

Bryan Danielson is so good

Riho has always been one of AEW's consistently best TV workers in the division, and Hayter's offence looks excellent

There has to be something said about AEW's understanding the importance of happiness and prioritising it in its booking. It's one of the best things about it, and something that really sets it apart from WWE.

Those had excellent first segments, but I thought the Battle Royal that followed was better than the matches following those promos. I am a sucker for a well-booked battle royal, and AEW doesn't overdo them, so I like when they do one well

This was the best 30 minute stretch of AEW TV in AGES

It will be interesting to see if they ever try to book MJF as a babyface. After all, Piper was actually a face for longer than he was a heel if you think about it, and he kept drawing until into the nWo era.