AEW Dynamite - March 24, 2021

[El-P]

I mean, I agree, like I said with your first post. Worked out well for them indeed, that was understood.

But it's always good to remind ourselves where and from whom they got part of those huge sum of money the last few years.

[NintendoLogic]

The same thing happened in WWE. The women's audience went down as the women started being pushed more. There doesn't seem to be much evidence that women as a whole want to watch women's wrestling, particularly ultraviolent women's wrestling. The exception is when the wrestlers are pushed as teen idols and role models to young girls. Bayley could have worked in that role, but we know how that turned out. Other than that, the best way to draw women has historically been with good-looking pretty boys who can sell sympathetically. And reality TV.

[Badlittlekitten]

Isn't this all conjecture on Meltzer's part? I swear I read somewhere the AEW female audience going down correlated with the return of The Challenge (whatever that is). 

[Loss]

Yes, The Challenge is the most popular show in the demo on Wednesday nights. However, AEW did lose more women with that main event than they gained men.

[MoS]

Another theory for losing female viewers put forward by Joe Lanza on his show review for Voices of Wrestling, based on ratings and quarters data, is that Kenny Omega might be an anti-draw with young women. Like, he might actively drive away that demographic

[C.S.]

5 hours ago, MoS said:

Another theory for losing female viewers put forward by Joe Lanza on his show review for Voices of Wrestling, based on ratings and quarters data, is that Kenny Omega might be an anti-draw with young women. Like, he might actively drive away that demographic

That's surprising. He doesn't seem like a bad looking guy. He's probably in the upper-echelon of what would be considered a "pretty boy" in wrestling. Granted, that's graded on a curve as it is - "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton, Ricky Morton, etc.

[Loss]

Lita was huge with teenage girls for a brief spell in 2000-2001, but it's hard to think of anyone specific who has done it since ... at least in a way that stands out.

[FMKK]

13 hours ago, C.S. said:

That's surprising. He doesn't seem like a bad looking guy. He's probably in the upper-echelon of what would be considered a "pretty boy" in wrestling. Granted, that's graded on a curve as it is - "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton, Ricky Morton, etc.

I think his kinda hyper and dorky persona appeals more to a certain type of male wrestling fan. And tbf to the guy, he's been a legitimate draw on two continents and his segments on Dynamite generally do well. Impact is also way up year-on-year since he's been part of their storylines. I just think he might have a weak spot in this one area.

I think Dave's idea that it's the amount of blood, Lanza's that it's Kenny and the Challenge taking away the female demo are probably all factors as opposed to it being just one.

I'm interested in the fact that the Darby vs John Silver main event did well in the ratings a) because Darby is relatively new on this stage and Silver was basically no one a year ago and b) because I think Darby as a brooding emo dude who's attractive and sells a lot can appeal to a certain demographic of girls. I think AEW does have some hot guys that they could use to target the female audience, I just don't think Kenny Omega is one of them.

[joeg]

Yeah, Kenny Omega isn't exactly oozing charm and cool. Omega is much more Rick Moranis than Steve McQueen. Jungle Boy, Adam Page, Sammy Guevarra, Cody, etc. all got that cool factor. Omega not so much, its why I never got him as a babyface.  

[FMKK]

I can see why he was a babyface at first mainly because they knew the crowds would want to cheer him and that they wanted to build around Jericho as the top heel to kick off the promotion so Kenny as a babyface in the tag division kept him out of the way. Once they were ready to properly pull the trigger on him as the top act they turned him.

[El-P]

Kenny Omega can be a good babyface (the stuff with Ibushi). But he's a natural heel. The apex is Japan came from being the hottest heel that at one point, you gotta respect because he's so good. Currently, he's like one of the most amazing douchebag. Him & Callis are now just untouchable (not to mention the matches, which he delivers at a ridiculous rates including on weekly TV now, as shown by the great match against Sydal).

[El-P]

33 minutes ago, joeg said:

Cody, etc. all got that cool factor.

That went away with the neck tattoo. And now the real TV show. You ain't cool anymore man. 

[Dale Wolfe]

None of them are cool man 

Kenny Omega is one of the worst "characters" I've ever saw on TV, even if his matches do tend to deliver. 

[MoS]

I definitely think Darby is cool. His lifestyle is clearly very different from mine, but his charisma shines through imo. It helps that he is a fantastic wrestler

[El-P]

Watch some GG Allin (from which he got his name) footage and get back to me later.  

[C.S.]

Horrifying thought I can't keep to myself:

At some point, a couple of these guys will end up in NXT because that's the way the cookie crumbles in wrestling.

Looking forward to GG Kool (Darby Allin) or Mack McKay (Jungle Boy)?

(How are my "Random NXT Name Generator" skillz?)

[Badlittlekitten]

Wardlow is the coolest and handsomest in all AEW.

[sek69]

On 3/29/2021 at 2:45 PM, C.S. said:

Horrifying thought I can't keep to myself:

At some point, a couple of these guys will end up in NXT because that's the way the cookie crumbles in wrestling.

Looking forward to GG Kool (Darby Allin) or Mack McKay (Jungle Boy)?

(How are my "Random NXT Name Generator" skillz?)

WWE will 100% go after Jungle Boy ay some point just because his dad was a big star in the 90s and that's their target demo lol.
 

[Migs]

Look, it's certainly going to happen. Also, whenever it does, I will certainly avoid Twitter for like a month to not see the "discourse" between the stans of both promotions.

[FMKK]

Jungle Boy has inheritance enough that he wouldn't mark for the money surely? I wonder who the first big jump to WWE is. I think Penelope Ford.

[SirEdger]

Not if Kip Sabian comes into the package.

[FMKK]

Kip is a perfectly average wrestler and makes a good douche manager for the hot girl. I don’t ever need to see him pushed but he’s fine. I think if her contract was up and someone showed Vince a picture of her in that wedding dress, he would send her a blank cheque.

[NintendoLogic]

If Kip goes to WWE with Penelope, he'll end up in a million humiliating cuck angles designed to break them up. Can't have midcarders punching above their weight. 

[MoS]

They will obviously make huge money offers to MJF and Hangman Page at least. I also feel that MJF will do really well i their carefully scripted culture

[FMKK]

Kip is obviously a geek but he's pretty good looking tbf