AEW TV 4/1 Undisclosed Location Edition

[sek69]

Biggest news so far has been the return of Pharoh!

[sek69]

Marko being the first sacrifical lamb for Lance Archer is the perfect use of both guys. 

[sek69]

I've loving the Brodie McMahon gimmck, and you know he has to love sticking it to the guy who saw nothing in him because he couldn't do a southern accent.

[World's Worst Man]

The Chris Jericho video was pure comedy. The gambling call-back in the main event was likewise hilarious. AEW really does the comedy stuff super well.

[sek69]

Just now, World's Worst Man said:

The Chris Jericho video was pure comedy. The gambling call-back in the main event was likewise hilarious. AEW really does the comedy stuff super well.

Him jumping out of his Jacuzzi deal to reveal he was wearing dress pants got a legit LOL from me. 

This no-crowd era really exposes how overproduced WWE style is (if it wasn't already) Their shows look like actors rehearsing their lines and hitting their places, and AEW comes off as a bunch of dudes improving shit. Makes the show come off much more organic feeling.

[Migs]

A really good show tonight, better than last week I thought. Pretty much all the videos and vignettes clicked, the pacing of the matches was really good, and we found out they had secured the rights to Everybody Dies. A delightful two hours.

[MoS]

I liked the show, but I hope they are not turning Darby heel. That would be like turning Mysterio heel. If that was just him showing frustration at eating a pin, then that's fine.

[SirEdger]

I didn't make too much of the final moments of this week's show. It just reinforced the notion we're getting Cody vs Darby in the semis. I think they're gonna eventually build to Darby finally beating Cody at some point.

[Stiva]

I was pleasantly surprised with Trent/Omega until Trent managed to shrug off the powerbomb to the post and the brainbuster on the knee like it was nothing because it was his turn to go onto offense. Their insistence on quietly pushing him as a singles guy is baffling.

I enjoyed everything else though; these empty arena shows are pretty fun considering they have enough running gags and are still allowing the roster to show their personality by sitting around ringside. I'm missing some of the great angles they've run in front of a crowd but, under the circumstances, this feels about the best you can pull one of these shows off.

[sek69]

1 hour ago, SirEdger said:

. I think they're gonna eventually build to Darby finally beating Cody at some point.

Having it be the finals of the TV title tournament wouldn't be the worst idea. A big win in what would probably be a great match would make the title mean something right out of the box and cement Darby as a top guy. 

[Migs]

5 hours ago, sek69 said:

Having it be the finals of the TV title tournament wouldn't be the worst idea. A big win in what would probably be a great match would make the title mean something right out of the box and cement Darby as a top guy. 

The brackets would have them meet in the semis. I'm surprised they put Archer in the tournament - not sure he'd be my choice for first champ and I can't see them beating him (unless he gets himself DQed for being too violent).

[Slasher]

Unless they had Archer distract Cody during the semis, and Cody returns the favor in the finals against Darby, so you can have a new champion, a program thats a bit hotter and with minimal effort required.

[FMKK]

I think Cody wins the belt and builds it's prestige for a few months. In about six months to a year, Darby can finally get his big win from him and take the belt.

[funkdoc]

Yeah, i think they're looking at how the IC title used to be when it was held by guys like Patterson or Pedro or Savage.  Having a main-eventer as your first champion is a proven way to make a belt matter, so i'd bet bottom dollar FMKK nailed it.

[Laz]

If it wasn't for the ME then this would've been trash. 

[Slasher]

If Cody wins the belt, I would definitely be disappointed. It should go to Darby or Sammy Guevara. 

[FMKK]

It really shouldn't. You need to establish it is meaning something by putting it on a star. Darby and Sammy aren't stars yet.

[NintendoLogic]

Count me among those who think they have to use wrestlers to get the belt over before they can use the belt to get wrestlers over. Without the prestige conferred by a tippy-top guy, it's just a meaningless prop.

[FMKK]

Cody needs to go over Archer and get his win back on MJF with that title at the very least. Maybe even get his win back on Jericho too. PAC would probably also make a good credible challenger for him. That probably sees him through to 2021 with the belt and then you can look at your roster and see if anyone is ready to step up.

[Laz]

The problem with that logic is Orange Cassidy gets more heat for putting his hands in his pockets than half of the perceived stars do for nearly killing themselves.

[FMKK]

What logic is that?

[Laz]

That you NEEEEEEED to put the (clearly secondary) belt on an established star. No. No you don't. There was more intrigue in the Tag belts when the Bucks were eliminated in the tournament than there have been since Page/Omega were crowned champs. I actually had to Google who the tag champs were and the TV show has only been on the air for ~6 months.

I'm even less inclined to agree with that mindset when all but two of the established stars are part owners of the company. 

[FMKK]

I don't see why thinking it's a good idea to replicate the successful IWGP Intercontinental Championship model has any link to Orange Cassidy getting pops for his comedy gimmick. The aim for wrestling is to draw money. Cody Rhodes defending his new title on PPV against a big name is more of a money draw than Sammy or Darby defending it at this point in time.

And considering Page/Omega vs The Bucks has been one of the most over and well belt programmes they've done so far, I also find it an odd take to argue that those belts are less intriguing now than when lifelong midcarders SCU had them.

I don't get the point about the stars being executives either. The reason they're executives is because they impetus for the promotion is based around their previous success. That means people want to see them pushed. This isn't like HHH holding down anyone who got a slight bit of momentum in the 2000s. The AEW fanbase like the show and want it to succeed because they love Cody, The Bucks and Omega. They're not tuning in every week to see those guys jobbing themselves out. Obviously there comes a time to put over the next group of stars and that'll be a test but given that the Bucks have lost to Lucha Bros and Private Party, Kenny has lost to PAC, Moxley and Jericho and Cody has lost to Jericho and MJF, I don't see any of those guys refusing to do business when the time comes. 

[MoS]

58 minutes ago, Laz said:

That you NEEEEEEED to put the (clearly secondary) belt on an established star. No. No you don't. There was more intrigue in the Tag belts when the Bucks were eliminated in the tournament than there have been since Page/Omega were crowned champs. I actually had to Google who the tag champs were and the TV show has only been on the air for ~6 months.

I'm even less inclined to agree with that mindset when all but two of the established stars are part owners of the company. 

Who are these established stars who are apparently not even half the star that Orange Cassidy is? The Young Bucks? Like, I don't get this argument at all. The entire point is that the title should be put on a clear star, and that Darby, Sammy, etc are not on that level yet. If Cassidy gets a belt, his pops would probably decrease because that's not what his gimmick is. That's why you need to put it on an established star who can carry it well for its first reign. There are very, very few stars in AEW and the belt needs to go to one of them for it to mean something. 

And, no offence, but with respect to the tag titles, perhaps that's just you? There was intrigue about the Bucks losing, sure, but the tag title matches would lose viewers and the constant complaint at that time was that the titles did not mean anything. With the YB-Omega/Page angle, the titles have actually meant something because the fans care about Page now, and they care about the Young Bucks, so them fighting over the tag titles is making the titles seem important. It was also during their reign as champs that the tag title matches have started to consistently get good ratings. 

[Slasher]

It's AEW. They will be fine with whoever they put the belt on. Why not use it as an opportunity to make a bigger star? Parking it with Cody is just the least imaginative thing they could do with it. If they put the TNT title on Darby and told him to go tear down the house with challengers, he'll get it over. Same goes for the Spanish Sex God. Really, I'd put it on TNA era Lance Hoyt before I'd put it on Cody.