strobogo

CC ruled so much. All the negativity online about AEW the past few months, all the talk about TK being burned out and just playing with his action figures, and then the CC comes along. Better than any G1 in quite a number of years, literally every single talent involved, even the ones with 0 points, are in a better position they were before with the exception of maybe Bryan and Mox since it is hard to get in a better position than they've been in the whole time. A ton of truly great matches with tons of different dynamics and bridging storylines, where in the same tournament you can have Bryan as full on YES era underdog getting brutalized by someone who the fans were rooting on to win the week before and after, then you can have Bryan being the biggest dickhead possible and never trying to hide how much he enjoys it against a guy every crowd loves so much, but a week before were rooting Daniel Garcia to pull it out against Eddie without rooting against Eddie. Jay Lethal and Mark Briscoe were in very strong to very good matches despite being the obvious guys to drop falls, making great showings every week. Certainly the best Rush and Andrade have been booked in AEW. Brody King looking like an absolute killer. Honestly I think the weakest match the whole tournament was weirdly Bryan vs Claudio, which very much felt like a couple of WWE guys working for a TV time limit, especially noticeable with the PIP stuff where they were clearly stalling on spots waiting for the cue that they were back on TV. That's usually not very noticeable, although it was a few other times, but it seemed to be extra noticeable they were saving stuff for the last 2-3 mins and to hit commercial breaks.

Two day WM was the best choice they've made in years. Two 3 1/2 hour shows vs one 5+ hour show is absolutely the right call.

Dying that Punk did the "I came back for all of you fans" thing AGAIN in his promo after his first match back

Imagine the watchlists for this company a decade from now :vincefaint

Britt Baker as the devil would kind of be an interesting twist tbh, especially as she's been seemingly missing for months.

What a fucking year for Eddie Kingston. By far the highlight of the G1, every match in the CC, the two ROH title matches with Claudio, the match with Shibata, the match with MiSu

Isn't it wild that at the end of 2023, an Eddie Kingston vs Bryan Danielson match on a Turner network is a thing at all? AEW really astounds me quite often at how many matches and feuds on not just cable but specifically the NWA/WCW network with Tony Schiavone calling them are on a top 3 cable station in almost 2024 that would have been something I'd have popped for on czwfans message board nearly 20 years ago.

Joe's momentum has really been impacted by his outside work and the length of the devil shit. It is what it is, but I really wouldn't have expected MJF to drop the belt to him regardless, and especially not in LI. Swerve is the most clearly has next guy since Hanger's peak.

The devil stuff has def gone on too long, there's no way the reveal can be anything but a disappointment unless Adam Cole is actually 100% healthy and ready to go and the devil. Swerve has all the momentum. Every crowd is on his side even with the darkly heel shit he did with Hanger. Swerve is who the people want. Considering how frequently AEW plans have to change due to injuries and whatnot, it's hard to argue against putting the belt on Swerve ASAP. MJF is busted up, already has all the accolades as the top champ AEW has ever had. The momentum is clearly on Swerve's side both online and actual in arena crowds. Seems silly to not put the title on him between now and Revolution.

Swerve is def TMF right now. I assume there is a ppv between World's End and Revolution, and not putting the title on Swerve in that time would be bonkers. Especially as MJF is injured and already broke all the records for a title reign. Extra especially with the MJF/Swerve interaction on Dynamite. Imo, it doesn't matter what long term plans are. Long term plans in AEW haven't meant shit considering the injury rate of top talent in the past 2 years. Just go with what's hot, and the streets want Swerve as champ.

Would love for there to be an accurate counter of lights out surprises on AEW TV since 2019. It's gotta be around 50 at least at this point rightr.

I'm not saying she wouldn't be a big signing for TNA, especially now, but also it wouldn't be that much of a surprise or "you'd never though they'd be here" after Trinity went there and won the title. It's certainly a big get if they could get Mercedes over her picking AEW or going back to WWE, but also TNA is a company that has signed basically every top tier talent over the past 15 years from Angle to Steiner to Hogan to Flair to Foley to Mickie James to Christian to Booker to etc etc. Heading into 2024 I'm definitely interested in the rebrand back to TNA and the push for bigger venues and media presence, but I also don't think Sasha Banks is a "you'd never think they'd be here, worlds collide" type talent when not only is Trinity there, but also 75% of the roster is former recent ex-WWE talent. I'm sure Mercedes would have good output in TNA, which seems to have been doing the best with female talent the past couple of years even if actual in ring skill was higher elsewhere. I just don't think now 2 years after her WWE exit where she only had a couple of matches in Japan and NJPW Strong (which no one watches) shows, is a "one of our biggest ever signings" type of deal. At this point is feels like she's much more likely to return to a very hot WWE with HHH instead of Vince in charge than anything else.

The only one on the market right now that could match up to the kind of hype is Sasha, but that also doesn't really seem like a "you'd never have thought they'd be here" "world's colliding", "one of the biggest signings we've ever had" signing, either. Getting Okada to actually sign away from NJ would be something like that. But not Sasha or anyone released in the past year. Can't think of any big time free agents or shocking retired star returns.

CC is why AEW fucking rules even with all the negativity online recently. You can have weeks where Andrade is absolutely vicious and violent trying to re-injure Bryan to win, and a week later the crowd is fully into him against Claudio. You get matches like Garcia vs Eddie where the crowd is begging for Garcia to pull it out against perhaps the most beloved dude in the company. There's such a fluidity to match types and stories that don't box the wrestlers or crowds into heel, face, or tweener roles, and that's something WWE just doesn't provide.

That man ain't retiring, full time or part time

Mandy's pre and post WWE career would lead me to believe her ring gear main roster and NXT was her own choices considering she got fired for the kind of pictures she was posting online.

I remember Athena Ember Moon making a comment about not wearing booty shorts likes Mandy Rose and yet every time I see her in AEW/ROH, she's wearing trunks that are much skimpier than what any dude or Mandy Rose ever wore and it makes me lol.

You can always tell the guys who are on the top shelf shit (Hogan, Savage, Warrior, Rock, Cena, Orton) vs the level or two below (Hercules, Juicy Jinder, MJF, Rush) based on back and shoulder acne

I know they run bigger venues for Dynamite/Collision than stand alone ROH shows, but I think they should consider using the ROH set up with the hard cam elevated behind that announcers direct from the entrance instead of from the side. Gives a neat lucha like production flavor that really stands out against the traditional hard cam position.

Man how bad was her ankle injury, she's been out like 8 months now

Jericho gonna get Enzo booked for the PPV as his partner now

Been dreading someone calling Ricky, "Enzo", not surprised it was Jericho especially after the return of clout vampire and the crack about Billy Starks falling flat.

no you must now go to hell

It's nearly 2024 and we get Tony Schiavone calling a match on a Saturday night on a Turner network, a match that ends with a rope walk shooting star press stuff package piledriver. What a timeline we've been given.

If only Claudio could work against everyone like works against Eddie.