All Elite Wrestling

[strobogo]

Lol that 2K25's story mode frequently makes references to AEW. Examples:

If you chose to be from a "rival company", they'll show you in the 2Kverse NJPW, but the first wrestler you meet is catching up with Jade from where you worked together, the next wrestler you meet is Punk saying similar things about having worked together before you got to WWE, and a whole lot of the story is talking about Punk as brittle and locker room cancer everywhere he goes.

[KingBoggs33]

That’s wild but I will say WWE 2k25 knocked it out the park this year. I guess that’s also cause I went in with extremely low expectations but I absolutely love it. I haven’t touched myrise yet but I plan on it but I love that the stories aren’t just weird made up ones that were strange like Edge and Candice Michelle having magical powers.

To get back on topic. I watched the old PPVs and boy was it HORRIBLE idea to let Cody never challenge for the AEW Title I know it’s cause he put the stipulation on himself, but it Might just be one of the all time fumbles. Also rewatching. I can’t believe the company invested time and resources into Jake Hager. lol 

The announce team has always been bad in AEW. Ross never wanted to be there. He just didn’t like being told to retire. TS has and always will be horrible, Excalibur is annoying AF and Taz is just there. Nigel is by far the best though and I enjoyed Kevin Kelly and I love Ian. Ian and Nigel should be the main pBp guys and throw in Caprice who is good as well. 

[strobogo]

Oh the storymode goes some places every bit as silly as the magical powers if you make the right choice and the wilder and goofier it gets is much better than the straight line story. 

On the topic of JR, all those years of JR saying "it ain't ballet, folks" as an insult to ballet when actually, wrestling IS ballet, down to the same existence of you can show people who think both or either are fucking dumb some high level ballet or pro wrestling and they get it with no knowledge of the history of either art. 

[El-P]

Mina Shirakawa probably to AEW soon. Which is the least surprising news this side of Ricky Staaints going to WWE. She really wasn't gonna get pushed higher than she ever was in Stardom at this point, she really already worked a good chunk of last year in the US. And she is also 37, so it's now or never.

[strobogo]

Oh I thought she already was some kind of semi signed to AEW. She rules. Full time is a great shot in the arm. 

[El-P]

She was still under contract with Stardom (ends with them in April). She just worked a lot in the US last year. Yeah, that's awesome she's coming over.

Also, Saraya is gone. Mutual and amicable apparently. Not surprised in the least. Her best stuff was being fun with Harley, basically. The Outcasts was the dirt worst, but at least it gave the jumpstart for Timeless Toni. Ironically her best match by far (not that hard) in the company was her last one, a garbage brawl with Hayter months ago. She had her moment in Wembley.

So yeah, Saraya out and Mina in is a ++

[Stiva]

It sounds strange but after being very sour on Saraya’s run, I thought it started working right around the time she dropped off TV. I think she could have still had value as a heel manager going forward. And I’m fairly confident that’s what she’ll be doing back in WWE.