C.S.

I don't think AEW should make it a habit of having the hometown guy lose, but if there's ever an exception, it should be made for unquestionably their top guy, Christian.

Christian Cage will main event WrestleDream, because of course he will. https://itrwrestling.com/news/aew-wrestledream-confirmed-to-have-surprising-main-event/

I hate to sound like Vince Russo, but there's such a thing as matches that go too long. Carmelo vs. Dragunov is one of them. I don't mean it's not good - it is - but it would be even better in half the time because the pace would be much tighter. The HBK/HHH-style "epic" is overrated.

Psst, @sek69, talk to yourself in this thread instead.

Pillman Jr. already looks like more of a star in one vignette than he did after four years in AEW. I think AEW knows how to showcase wrestlers who are ready to be stars and capable of getting there themselves (MJF, etc.) but has no way of helping anyone along in that process who might need a guiding hand (Pillman Jr.).

WWE NXT Women's Championship Extreme Rules Match Becky Lynch © vs. Tiffany Stratton WWE NXT Championship Match Carmelo Hayes © vs. Ilja Dragunov NXT North American Championship Match - Dragon Lee as Special Guest Referee Dominik Mysterio © vs. Trick Williams NXT Heritage Cup Match Noam Darr © vs. Butch NXT Tag Team Championship Match - Fatal 4-Way Tony D'Angelo & Stacks © vs. Bronco Lima & Lucien Price vs. The Creed Brothers vs. Angel & Humberto Singles Match Baron Corbin vs. Bron Breakker Pre-Show Match Blair Davenport vs. Kelani Jordan

Nah, fuck this. If it's anyone, it should be Christian. Edge has never, ever - at any point in his career - been as good as Christian. If this happens, it's more proof of what I've been saying all along: Tony Khan fucked up colossally by letting Cody walk away. Still the only grown-up in the room among the EVPs, and it has created a ripple effect of unforeseen consequences - first Jade, maybe Sparks, and who knows who/what else.

The greatest of all the time is now your T N T Champion!

NH Punk already debunked that. https://www.hausofwrestling.com/2023/09/22/shawn-michaels-didnt-like-stephanie-mcmahon-tweet-exclusive/

https://news.sky.com/story/wrestlers-brawl-on-bullet-train-in-japan-12964839

Imagine if Jade is somehow rejected after the tryout, and WWE purposely leaks that story to make AEW look bad. Never doubt human pettiness.

I'll defend Haley J somewhat: 1. WOW, unlike Matt Jones and OVW, was probably able to pay her on time. "Walking away from an angle" - artistic credibility (whatever the fuck that means) and Al Snow be damned - I, too, would walk away from OVW for actual money. I love Al Snow, but him getting on his high horse because she was "delaying storylines" is absolutely ridiculous. As proud and passionate as he is about OVW, and he has every right to be, he also needs to understand that it's not WWE, AEW, or even Impact. It's never going to be anyone's first destination, nor should it be. Matt Jones asking everyone to clear their schedules for the Summer Tour and not accept any other bookings was also tone deaf, especially when he pulled Reverend Ronnie Roberts from a show because the church venue complained, and then didn't even pay him. Fuck off with that! 2. "Domestic disputes" = Her boyfriend is an abusive shithead with a god damn gun tattoo and a fucking Ron Paul tattoo. (I'd say that about any politician, BTW, just not Ron Paul. Just how dumb to you have to be to get a politician tattooed on yourself?) Yes, she said "she gave it to him worse" or whatever, but this isn't the first time a woman has blamed herself for her abusive partner. I hope he never, ever makes it anywhere in wrestling. FUCK HIM! Edit: I just realized you probably also meant her mother. Yeah, that was not great. But I don't see how it would affect anything she does in WWE if they do sign her - unless the mom gets signed too, which I doubt, but I'd root for her to get her flowers. (I'd also love for Ca$h Flo to get a permanent spot in AEW.) 3. When she isn't putting on the obnoxious hoodrat persona, she's really pretty in the way WWE definitely likes. I didn't entirely love her. She has massive maturity issues and seems like her own worst enemy in the way CM Punk and Eddie Kingston sometimes are. But as frustrating as she was at times, there's a reason she was made one of the "stars" and focuses of the documentary - she has a dynamic personality that leaps off the screen.

I'm surprised there isn't already a thread for this. If you haven't watched "Wrestlers" yet, don't hesitate. It's fantastic.

Just to be clear, I never meant to imply that The Thread Killer said Keith Lee doesn't sound "black enough." I made a clumsy analogy to Vince's horrid Bearcat gimmick, where that did seem to be the reason for turning Keith Lee from an articulate killer into an angry black man stereotype. I personally think Lee's promos and presentation are different, and he's always been a breath of fresh air. Any other take genuinely puzzles me. And yeah, Brock's voice did not sound at all intimidating when he first started. He was a physical beast from the beginning, but the Brock "aura" took time to develop because of his promos and voice.

Hi, Vince. Your angry black man Bearcat gimmick was a major success. Oh, wait...

WWE completely and wholeheartedly rejected Brian Cage before. He admitted that they called him an average talent to his face. https://www.wrestlezone.com/news/1290907-brian-cage-wwe-once-told-me-lets-face-it-youre-average-at-best So, no, he's never going there. They don't want him. Why would they? For whatever reason, something's missing. He's never been able to put the pieces together.

Big Time Becks wins, as she should. This is a genuine case of Tiffany Stratton getting the rub just by sharing the ring with a WrestleMania main eventer. I know everyone on PWO has PTSD from all the false Triple H "epic" non-rubs in the early 2000s, but this is the real deal.

Taken out of context by the illiterate Twitter neckbeards. No surprise there. What is surprising is that you'd fall for the bait too. What Keith Lee was saying "Poor Walter" about was the original plan to change Walter's name to Gunther Stark, who was a Nazi general or some such position in the German military. But poor Keith Lee for being yet another AEW flavor of the month. Tony Khan has no clue how to build and sustain stars, period. He even botched Bryan Danielson, who was both the hottest free agent and the best wrestler in the world. If you're reading this, Coach, PM me. Then hire me. It'll be the best money you ever spent.

What are you hearing, Bubba?

Nah, this is bubble talk. Tiffany Stratton is a relative nobody in the grand scheme of things. Being in there with Becky considerably raises her profile and helps NXT. If this was a main roster match, where Asuka and Rhea got sacrificed at the altar of "The Queen," it would be a different story. But right now, Tiffany - who is still practically a rookie - is fine taking a loss to Becky in WWE's developmental/not developmental/developmental again when AEW is brought up promotion. Big Time Becks' presence will only shine more of a spotlight on Tiffany Stratton and all of NXT - just as Dom has done.

To no one's surprise after the Punk firing, Christopher Guy (Ace Steele) is reportedly no longer with AEW.

I have been redeemed! If Mauro ever makes a comeback, I'll eventually be redeemed there too. His TLC matches are one of the defining attributes of the Attitude Era, and he was the best worker in them by far, so I stand by my statement.

Feels like there are several pieces missing. Sure, Punk could be unhinged enough to confront Regal on the first day for no reason and start spouting paranoid conspiracy theories about him being a "mole" for Triple H and WWE, but that seems like a stretch - even for Cranky Miserable Punk. Is there any history between them we don't know about?

Do they still have any real power beyond their bullshit ceremonial title? Tony took full control years ago, and Jericho has publicly mocked the the "mark" designation, saying he was offered an EVP position at the beginning and asked for more money instead. But yeah, either way, it's a bad look for "management" to be acting like children. Punk wasn't wrong when he said he worked with children. The bullshit is all the stuff you don't automatically believe. I have no idea what rovert reported, so I can't comment on that.