MoS

There's no reason why we can't have Hikaru Shida or Tay Conti in featured matches instead of Bruti Marshall v. Gunn Club. Britt got over because she was consistently given time and opportunity and she obviously knocked it out of the park. She wasn't an immediate ratings mover but as more and more fans saw how great she is, she became one. It's only fiar to let other women also have opportunities like that.

Remember how Rock's contract expired in early 2005 and they didn't make him an offer, and later said it was due to a "clerical error"? And we all immediately knew that was complete bullshit and *someone* (can't possibly imagine who) was in Vince's ear telling him they didn't need Rock anymore? Because Vince would never be as unorganized and scatterbrained as WCW and Eric Bischoff were, and this would be WCW-level move? I don't think any of us could have predicted then that there would come a time when WWE would actually be this incompetent at the absolute most basic shit. Not just forgetting about contracts expiring, they also did not realize that Alastair Black's non-compete had never been upgraded from 30 days to 90 days even after moving to the main roster. It is certainly something to witness.

I wish they could have chosen a better team to take the fall than the jobberest of AEW jobbers though. Also Gunn Club v. Nightmare Family seriously? Why is QT featured more on TV than actual stars and most women they have.

I would have still put in one really great match featuring some great present and future singles stars. I am assuming there will be quite a few first-time viewers this Wednesday, and it would be a good hook for them. Having said that, I think this week will probably have a lot of talking segments and promos, and I think that works too. AEW has quite a few excellent promos and I would think that Punk fans tuning in for the first time would appreciate good mic work.

Really weak card for the coming Dynamite. I would have expected better, given the monster Rampage number and the fact that there is a good chance this is the most viewed Dynamite of all time

1000% Like just look at him. Coolness and swag pouring out of every molecule in his body.

Yeah, I really don't want Bray Wyatt in AEW. Even if they revamp him, just.. why? He doesn't fit in AEW. His idea of wrestling is very different from what AEW presents. Brother NintendoLogic mentioned how Broken Matt Hardy flopped. So what's the point behind taking in Wyatt and changing his gimmick? Why? Cuz he sells merch? AEW has enough merch sellers. AEW has enough over stars who need more prominent pushes as it is. Their homegrown talent can barely make television. I bet they could sell merch too

Nobody took a bigger L last night than u/pearpressure12

Thanks man, she is a fighter, she is, if anything, pissed that she isn't allowed to do her morning run anymore.

I am 3 minutes into the show right now, haven't checked this thread since yesterday evening, just started watching. Pro Wrestling Only and all that, but just wanted to share something. I missed this episode because I was saying bye (for now) to my friends here in New York. Covid sucks, my mom got it in India back in May, and even though she has recovered, she now has typhoid, because covid fucks your immunity. She says she feels okay, but family circumstances as they are mean I am now going back to India and taking care of her. My flight is tomorrow noon, everything is packed, I came back, and I am waiting and now I have nothing but my thoughts to keep me company. Thankfully, I can always watch wrestling to help me. This stupid sport of ours helps so much sometimes. And right now, as I said, I am watching Rampage. I haven't read the comments in this thread since last evening, so I don't know what the consensus is, but I just watched CM Punk's entrance, and for my money, it is the biggest pop I have ever heard. It is such a powerful moment, it is making me feel better. I can't think of an entrance quite like this. Rock in 2011, maybe, but this is feeling more emotional. Flair in 1998 is a good shout but imo this is better. HHH in 2002 can't come close. This is magical, and it helps. When pro wrestling really hits, like really REALLY hits, there is absolutely nothing like it. It is the most exhilarating experience, and it helps so much. I am so thankful for our goofy dumbass pasttime, and I am thankful to all of you for our shared community of love for this goofy dumbass pasttime.

For God's sake don't give Jericho any ideas for his next comeback

It's CM Punk Day!!

So nice of Ariel Helwani to branch out from creating drama and spreading gossip in MMA to creating drama and spreading gossip in professional wrestling. Just what we needed!

Punk said on Colt's podcast that he pitched for Chris Hero to be the third guy in the Shield only to be told WWE wanted Roman in that spot, but I don't know if anyone else verified it.

HAHAHAHAHAHA he called The fucking Rock a mark this is incredible like he just wanted to get abused

Rock didn't really make a difference for the Survivor Series buyrate either. He is obviously a mega-star, but it is very very difficult to be a difference-maker when you are not in WrestleMania season. WWE fucked Punk when they had him return in three weeks to help get Hunter over as an authority figure; Summer of Punk ended with HHH v. Nash. He won the title, but they made sure hr would never mean anything as much as he could have. As I said in the other thread though, I don't care if he takes shots at Punk. He is WWE's top guy, and a heel who couldn't succeed as a babyface ace partly because there were resentful Punk and Bryan fans who kept booing him, and partly because they fucked his booking so bad. Plus, Punk did Roman no favours when he made that snarky "Make sure you make Roman look really REALLY good" dig on Cabana's podcast. Him saying what he said about Punk makes all the sense in the world on multiple levels. It is interesting that no one compares Punk as a draw to any current full-time wrestler. Even WWE know that while Punk never became a Cena-level draw, no one else has become one either, because no one else has been put in a position to become so. Punk can at least claim to be the first amongst the equals below Cena's level, and the 2nd biggest WWE star of the 2010s.

I don't really care about him taking shots at Punk, Punk's "Make Roman look really REALLY good" didn't exactly help Reigns with the fans back then. I do still think he could have been more gracious about Mox instead of being the good company rep in his friend's case.

I don't really care about him taking shots at Punk, Punk's "Make Roman look really REALLY good" didn't exactly help Reigns with the fans back then. I do still think he could have been more gracious about Mox instead of being the good company rep in his friend's case.

tbh my theory is that Heyman was in Brock's ear and buried Ambrose/Moxley to him. Heyman has never seemed to be too fond of Mox, and I know Mox worked a bit of DGUSA and EVOLVE, but I don't know if he was one of Gabe's guys, and Gabe is Heyman's protege. I might be completelyoff-base, but I have heard Paul E shoots where he isn't very complimentary about Ambrose.

As for Roman, he said something about Moxley like "Dean sounds happy to be where he is, but if he could have been the man here, he would have been" which honestly is more disappointing, because Reigns knows very well that while his booking was fucked, at least he was featured prominently, and was not treated like a wacko millennial Mankind by Vince. If Roman had received that kind of booking, he would have lost motivation the way Moxley lost motivation too. There's a difference between being misused by losing to Lesnar when you should win, and getting misused by being made to look like a complete joke next to Brock. The reason I say it is disappointing is because after Mox left, he didn't take any shots at Roman, called him his friend, and talked about how he refused to say something really distasteful about his friend's cancer on air. Like, again, of course Reigns is parroting the company line, but surely you can make an exception for your friends. Doing the old took his ball and went home routine is very tired.

Yeah I mean Rock is the biggest movie star in the world. No one in wrestling has ever come close to being that. And while Cena was not a movie star then, he is still wrestling's last great draw, cuz he was the last guy who was allowed to be a great draw. It is obviously an absurd point. The fact that he brought Punk out of nowhere and specifically mentioned those two drawing cards (and didn't call himself a big draw for instance) makes me feel it was a specific company directive to say that. Maybe WWE feel Punk will return and talk about getting shafted at WrestleMania when he deserved a main event, and they feel they need to be ahead of the ball here.

I saw Roman get heat from some fans on Twitter for this, but I am not sure what people were expecting him to say. He is WWE's top guy, and he is also a heel. One reason he is a heel is because he used to get booed by fans who wanted Punk and Bryan in the top spot. He still gets booed by such fans to the extent they still attend shows. Why wouldn't he play to them while still defending his promotion? He can't say "Yeah they fucked Punk bad with their terrible booking, just like they fucked my face run bad with their terrible booking. My spiritual brother!" He has to take the promotion's side. Rollins is a dork, but he did get fucked bad by the Fiend so I think he gets a pass here.

All these mat workers being brought in and given a push right as Danielson's debut looms imminent is definitely not a coincidence in my book.

They chose to be too cute about it. Not announce him, but tease him, so it's not a true surprise. I don't know, one of my issues with AEW is they are too cute (too sweet?) too often

Yeah. He has also basically started to drop his selling just to get into position and into the next spot. It's been a massive decline since the Mox feud ended for him. He was good here when he was just selling and screaming, but not for much else. Match was fine I thought, and the right man definitely won. Wonder what's next for MJF. There are so many moving pieces here in AEW right now. It feels like a genuinely hot promotion.