Stiva

It isn’t too late to just pivot to babyface Swerve on top and run Swerve/Hangman in Texas. Pivot Death Riders to the title-less Blood and Guts program and then move Omega, Ospreay, Fletcher and Okada into the Swerve title picture. It really shouldn’t be hard

AEW in Daily’s Place just hits the sweet spot. It just feels right

If people have the time, they should go back and watch the early Dynamite shows. They got away with a LOT due to goodwill and the positive vibes around the promotion. Week to week, I’m not sure the vast majority of acts or the booking was any hotter than it is now. They just had such a wellspring of support due to WWE being so atrociously bad. I watched this weeks Dynamite not long after watching the 2019 Dynamites and both are a far cry away from 21/22 Dynamite. Only difference is that the crowds had remained bigger and hotter for the earlier shows so it all feels more vital. Whatever spark it had, it’s lost but you can get that back again if you strike with the hot hand and the right hand. Unfortunately, rather than having a World Title scene built around the workers people want to see, they’re building it around the coldest acts in the company which is just bizarre

Hurt Syndicate being champs is going to work since they’re on a course towards Brody/Buddy and I’m all in for that

I dug the show as a whole but I third that. They should really be pivoting toward the likes of Swerve, Darby, Hangman, Takeshita, Hobbs, Garcia etc in featured feuds and marquee matches. Obviously, the older guys are still pulling their weight (Jericho aside) but I do hope 2025 is the start of concerted, sustained pushes for their stronger prospects.

So glad he’s back. Now, have him beat Mox and sort the belt out like he did after beating MJF

I take great umbrage with that original Graves tweet because he has never been “fucking awesome” at commentary

Mark Briscoe should absolutely be getting pushed higher than he is. He always, always gets a good response, people are engaged when he speaks and when he works and he has an unbelievable, true life baby face inspiration story that you could do a hell of a lot with. So, obviously they don’t. In lieu of Kingston being the AEW “leader” against Moxley and co, it could have easily been Briscoe

Dead in the water Undisputed Kingdom all in the Casino Gauntlet? Tony, you truly are spoiling me

Copeland/Moxley, while I’m not saying it’s a “big” match is at least one of the more intriguing ones they can do. They’ve never wrestled before and on paper, it’s something I can see people being interested in. I’ve no interest in Copeland’s certain wide-eyed, intense promos that always suck but I am quietly confident about the match itself, if they can stay away from their more plunder-loving instincts. The trigger does need pulled on Darby though. The longer this Death Riders thing goes on, the more damage I’m fearing it’s doing and I’d go with more babyface title holders ASAP

TK should get Kushida into ROH when they get that TV spot, he’d be a fun veteran presence. As for Alexander, I can see him being AEW bound over NXT. He feels like someone that they’d give a strong push to based on him having really good AEW style matches

Must admit, when all of the Starks nonsense came out, it had the stench of some kind of worked nonsense. I see that Super Crazy, Tajiri and Little Guido are working as a trio at their next show so if so, I want to see them working on a random Collision soon

Hasn’t Lio Rush been there twice before and flaked out early? Like, I’d wait a minute before giving him a good push too. There’s plenty to criticise about AEW losing sight of who and how to push but he and Komander aren’t the two sore spots for me. Hologram was doing pretty, pretty well before his injury. Now if we’re talking Mortos not getting his dues, then I can get with you. As for Lashley and Hurt Business, they feel like stars tbh and they need as many as they can get right now. The idea you’d see the reaction Shelton got for his debut and then relegate him to a Chris Daniels ROH spot is wild

Yeah, I’m all in on the Brody singles push. Him as the dude who can team with Darby out of mutual respect to help turn the tide against the Death Riders is good shit. The interminable promo segments less so

Time to get Mark Briscoe on the AEW frontline against Mox. In lieu of Eddie Kingston, he’s the best they’ve got

Needed more mention of Danielson in the early goings but it soon ramped up in an awesome way. John Silver chasing off after the truck wasn’t quite as good as Savage hanging off the back of the nWo limo but it was great nonetheless

If we don’t get the awesome return of Joe to help Hook against the BCC on an episode of Dynamite then this angle is for naught.

I also only just put together the idea of Darby being like his mentor and going after the stable full of rampaging heels

I dug the ending of the show but I can see why people would be tired of another Mox run. It’s always good when they get these crowds to react with some genuine emotion other than popping for victories and they’ve managed it quite a bit recently. I liked the positioning of Hook, Garcia, OC and Darby at the end and if those are the guys running opposite, I think it could be something exciting that lifts them all. Garcia especially could come out of this a huge babyface. What has to happen is that they have to stick the landing with whatever Moxley’s grander crusade is supposed to be about and that’s a bit more difficult. Are they after all the belts? Which means they cross paths with The Elite which…not for me.

Ha, I must admit I didn’t see that coming. I wonder if Rico is in for the weekly schedule

I cracked up at that list of shitty booking that has all been attributed to him. Let’s hope so but that seems fanciful

I wonder who will show up as MxMs third. I’m guessing it’s not a blowaway pick up since it’s on the pre-show but I like the act and I hope it’s somebody that rounds it off nicely

Lower the ticket prices to try and get some more people in the stadiums. That and sign Hechicero full time and push him to the moon

Haven’t watched yet but the spoilers for Collision make it sound like they’re doing exactly what they should with Rush which is exciting. Also, I assume we’re getting the CC this year? If so, how do I make it so Hechicero is in it?

Feels like something that would have been getting over huge in AEW 18-24 months ago but yeah, no matter what they do, it’s not connecting. Though I’d have brought Bryan out or actually confirmed the match on Collision. It just sort of…ended