tallmike

Most of the commentary hasn't been updated in that time either.

Definitely something where the women's match for TNT feels like really poor booking. First of all, I guess AEW's lucky that TNA had the reverse battle royal, so that the Casino Battle Royal is not the absolute worst designed battle royal in wrestling history... and that's still pretty close. Five people coming to the ring at once means that nobody looks special. Nobody looks like a star. But on the results... Nyla did not have a good night last night. Her stuff looked bad, lost grip on power spots, and there were definitely points where she was outshone by far by several other women in the ring. But even beyond that, if she was going to be one of the people you're putting in this situation, why the fuck was she booked like she was previously? Dinked out in one match and pinned in the other? Oh the Riho-Shida match, Shida's physical charisma carries her a lot further than Riho. She comes off like a star while the other stuff, like the language barrier, is coming across. I know that Riho is Kenny Omega's favorite or whatever, but Shida definitely comes off as more of a star to a casual audience. Britt Baker vs. Shida, Awesome Kong vs. Shida, (if they sign her) Mercedes Martinez vs. Shida... I 100% buy those as better choices for the first match. Fuck, you could do Brandi in that spot. Have Kong be the enforcer, Aja comes down, continues that program, scares her off, and Shida gets the win and the strap. This match beyond Riho pinning her last show, has no hook at all.

Why is the title belt already so scratched up? They haven't done anything with it. Did somebody drop it backstage or something?

I said this in a slack that I know a couple of people here are in, but I'll say it again. The chaos of the ladder match would have felt a lot more special had they not already done a car crash multi person match with a lot of weapons and dumb bumps earlier in the night.

That honestly pissed me off. Send out someone from production and get him away from the noise/lights/whatever was freaking him out.

Omega is so fucking corny.

Wardlow is apparently a Pittsburgh guy. That's an awful name, though. It's one of the biggest things with AEW. Not every act can just be fucking imported as is. Doing a little editing/reshaping will only help you.

I have to admit, it just absolutely drives me insane that the announcers are just billed as Excalibur and Goldenboy. It's not at ALL a knock on them as announcers, talent, what have you. Marc Letzmann and Alex Mendez would be more than fine. Or I could live, although it would bug me, if one of them had a goofy one name gimmick.. but BOTH? Ugh.

This Bate-WALTER match just will not. fucking. end.

Who was asking for a Johnny Swinger run in 2019? I'm guessing it's because he was friends with Cyrus in their ECW time.

I thought it went from very good at points (the Cody/Spears stuff and even though I don't buy him for the spot they have him at all, the Jericho/Page stuff was also very well done) to wanting to fast forward through some of it (the Bucks are never going to talk someone into a building and Kenny Omega is such an awful promo. His delivery and facial expressions are just the fucking worst. I'd rather listen to Seth Rollins nasally blather on for 15 minutes). I will say I think Brandi probably had the best promo on the entire show, even as the women were further relegated into a side show act. But I ended up deciding to get the show after that, even though I know there's going to be a lot of stuff that I've disliked from the first few shows. I know there's going to be at least two matches that would have been far better with half the time given to them. I know there's going to be 15 "This is awesome" chants that are happening at not-awesome times, because that's what the crowds do. I am hyped for Spears/Cody... there's a nice story going on there and Tully's really good as the bastard in Spears's ear.

I'd say Cedric has shown more physical charisma despite the fact they haven't let him talk on Raw than Drew has in his entire main roster run, and that's with him being completely overpushed. He's someone who looks the part and isn't a BAD worker, but he will absolutely never have "it".

My gut feeling is some kind of clusterfuck with him, Braun, and Rollins. Maybe like WM 2000 style, where the first fall decides the US title, and the second fall is for the Uni.

I was having major issues on my PS4, but then switched to the Fire Stick and it's been way better there.

I feel like someone on the creative team just discovered Key and Peele, because I get the impression their RAW characters have been influenced by the Valets.

Fortunately it was just a statement on the time limit and not about what was booked, just phrased awkwardly.

If I took my fiancee to this show, she would not let me take her to the next show they're in town.

Beyond that, the match is just them switching work face and heel and not really knowing what's the overall story they're going to tell. And I think Excalibur just gave us a bad spoiler that it's going another 25 or so.

Whoever had the idea to run an open air ampitheater in the middle of July in fucking Jacksonville, Florida, should probably not book venues anymore. It does look cool, but it would look just as cool in October or November where it might be reasonable heat-wise.

It's not just this match. I have not been surprised at a finish the entire night. I'm not saying they have to go full Russo in booking, but there's just not much drama in a lot of this.

I disagree. To me, that felt way too long for what was an Adam Page showcase. They weren't doing a time limit draw when they did one on the last show. And I can't tell if them lingering on Jericho so much prior the beatdown while the announcers looked dumb and oblivious was a production breakdown or not.

I'm convinced Stunt's thing is that he's 11 and just shows up and they let him hang around. And the worst "evil" stable I've ever seen advances.

This has been sloppy and not good. I can't tell if the Brandi stuff with Kong is supposed to be a rib on the Shane McMahon stuff or if it's just bad. Allie's a stronger character than a worker, so of course they're just having her be a "let's have a grapple" wrestler type. And Brandi looks like she should not be in a ring. Nothing's looked smooth.