AEW TV - 7/12 - 7/15

[MLB]

1 hour ago, Dav'oh said:

I think you answered your own question. "Child prodigies" rarely fare well against mature, experienced competitors in any field. 18 year-old world champions exist in...BMX? Snowboarding? Sonic the fucking Hedgehog? 

Gymnastics? 

[subatomic_elbow]

I enjoy the MJF/Adam Cole pairing because it is temporary. 

[Jmare007]

I'm very glad they were able to strike a deal with Ibushi, this angle demanded his presence so I'm happy they were able to deliver. I hope dude stays happy for another 7 weeks so we can see him at Wembley too.

Gotta say this Cole/MJF stuff is the most interesting I've seen from Max since the Punk feud. It's compelling to see them finally attack the fact the he's an insecure man child so giving him the "cool best friend" he never had is a very nice change of pace for his character. It's too bad this will likely end in the next couple of weeks as they will probably start building their title match for All In or All Out, I'd like to see them go further with this. Not sure it's the best angle for your current world champion but it's much better than what we've gotten in the last few months so I can't complain at all.

10 hours ago, C.S. said:

He's 18 years old.

I didn't see the match, but he looked really smooth in clips.

Of course it helps that Swerve was there as the veteran.

What was wrong with the kid?

I don't think there's anything wrong with him as a performer, specially at his age. But the company promoting him as a "prodigy" so hard will do him no favors. It's practically impossible to live up to that hype in this day and age, specially when you have a roster as talented and varied as AEW. I was happy they did video packages for him, but they went overboard with how they were hyping him up.

5 hours ago, Perfectly Straightedge said:

I didn’t like that Kota announcement at all. I don’t get why the lights went out a for a video package to save Kenny from the dreaded neck in chair. Just seemed strange and lackluster. Usually for a big debut you sorta want the guy to be there. My thing is we are supposed to suspend reality when we watch wrestling but why didn’t the four guys just keep beating up Kenny while the video played. Like I know we have to throw logic out the window but come on now. Who turned off the lights as well? 

 

PAC just calmingly stepping down from the top turnbuckle and walking his merry way while The Elite showed up for the save was hilarious.

[The Man in Blak]

Nick Wayne can do the moves -- the avalanche reverse rana into a springboard cutter (for 2 (sigh)) is basically out of Sammy Guevara's playbook -- but, like Sammy, the problem is getting those moves to mean anything at all in the structure of a match beyond the quick dopamine hit of a nearfall. To be frank, I don't see a lot of daylight between Nick Wayne and what a lot of the AEW roster is doing in tag matches every week on TV.

[strobogo]

It's lol that Roddy has been coming to TV in a neck brace for a couple of weeks just to ask Adam Cole about MJF. Also lol at Tony shitting on every second of screen time MJF and Adam Cole have together.

Perhaps it is just me projecting my own disinterest in him, but Sammy has seemed very checked out in the ring for months now.

[KawadaSmile]

 

How did the buckle bomb become the most dangerous move in our sport

[strobogo]

All of those are pretty reasonable to me. Bucklebombs and moves into the buckles almost always look like shit anyway, unless someone gets completely folded up and lands on their head, which is also not good.

All the crowd stuff should have been implemented a while ago. MJF in particular has really been pushing the limits on that kind of stuff for quite some time.

[C.S.]

10 hours ago, Dav'oh said:

"Child prodigies" rarely fare well against mature, experienced competitors in any field.

I'm still salty that "Das Wunderkind" Alex Wright never made the transition to WWE after WCW went out of business.

[The Thread Killer]

Ah crap. Mark Briscoe is injured and is out of the World Title Match at next week’s ROH PPV.  Tony Khan says they will not name the replacement challenger until after Dynamite on Wednesday (2 days before the PPV.)

For those keeping track, ROH has a weekly TV show, which is now being taped after Collision every Saturday. This pay-per-view next Friday was announced months ago. However, with this injury, we now have exactly 0 matches confirmed for the PPV which takes place in 8 days.

 

[Matt D]

39 minutes ago, The Thread Killer said:

Ah crap. Mark Briscoe is injured and is out of the World Title Match at next week’s ROH PPV.  Tony Khan says they will not name the replacement challenger until after Dynamite on Wednesday (2 days before the PPV.)

I am the lowest guy on Adam Page on the board, but before they announced Briscoe, I thought Page was the best choice for an opponent stemming off the current BCC vs Elite feud and as a fresh match up with a guy with some ROH history. The Briscoe match felt super cold even given a pretty good promo from Claudio and an Eddie one from Eddie. 

I figure they should probably just go back and go with Hangman at this point (Unless it's some crazy ruse to have Eddie come back from the G1 and put aside his dream to stand up for honor and fight Claudio once and for all).

[Jmare007]

5 hours ago, KawadaSmile said:

 

How did the buckle bomb become the most dangerous move in our sport

All of these make a ton a sense, hopefully the roster complies.

[Dav'oh]

Further, 

AEW's New List of Moves & Actions That Require Pre-Approval

"Spots and bumps on the ring apron and outside

Table/ladder/chair spots in and out of the ring (Only allowed with padding)

Any elevated spots outside of the barricades (dives and ladder spots on stage, around the arena, and other places outside of the ring)

All piledriver/tombstone variations, including: sit down drivers, inverted/poison hurricarana and vertebreakers

High-risk dives or top rope moves (450, 630, double moonsaults, SSP, etc.) 

Intentional bleeding (of any sort, not just blading)

Throwing people into/through/over ring steps, commentary table, bell table, or guardrails/barricades 

Weapon usage: Chairs, pipes, kendo sticks, hammers, ring bells, bats, chains, etc. Title belts, thumbtacks, skewers, barbed wire, and other sharp/puncturing objects o Powders, aerosol sprays, or liquids

Throwing any weapons or objects- chairs, etc.

Choking/strangling with hands or a weapon or hanging spots

Injury spots or angles, whether or not medical is involved/called to the ring

Any physicality in the crowd or crowd brawling

Any physicality involving referees, managers, extras, celebrities, or special guests"

[sek69]

I think Nick Wayne made a perfectly acceptable debut. Kid's 18 years old making his debut on national TV, I don't doubt he probably had Mothra sized butterflies in his stomach out there. He was working with a guy he was familiar with (and a ref too, Aubrey came from the same PNW indy scene) and everyone made sure the kid had the best showing they could. I don't doubt now that the first one is out of the way he'll be better each time we see him here on out. 

[Coffey]

18 hours ago, KawadaSmile said:

 

How did the buckle bomb become the most dangerous move in our sport

Almost all of these Jim Cornette has shit on AEW doing in the past. 

[The Thread Killer]

14 hours ago, sek69 said:

I think Nick Wayne made a perfectly acceptable debut. Kid's 18 years old making his debut on national TV, I don't doubt he probably had Mothra sized butterflies in his stomach out there. He was working with a guy he was familiar with (and a ref too, Aubrey came from the same PNW indy scene) and everyone made sure the kid had the best showing they could. I don't doubt now that the first one is out of the way he'll be better each time we see him here on out. 

I’m not saying that the kid isn’t going to be good one day. I guess my mistake was that I assumed based on the hype I had read about him online that he was ready for prime time now.

I freely admit that of all my Pro Wrestling pet peeves, the greatest by far is when spots are obviously choreographed and require excessive cooperation between the participants. Spots that take you out of the illusion of an actual competitive physical contest, and make it obvious that it is nothing more than a preplanned tumbling routine. I especially hate when one of the competitors has to basically stand around, waiting for the other to complete some sort of ritual or set up in order for the match to continue.

For example, when Kommander (or The Undertaker) grabs a guy by the wrist, and then slowly climbs up to the top rope and starts walking across. The obvious question is…why wouldn’t the guy just jerk his arm away or push his opponent so they fell off the rope? Another example which drives me insane (and this happens weekly in AEW) is when a bunch of guys end up outside the ring there, milling around, waiting, and then they hold out their arms to catch the guy who dives between or off the ropes. It’s obvious the guy is coming. Why would you not just walk away?

I found that in the match between Nick Wayne and Swerve there were a handful of spots that were almost painful to watch, because they required extensive cooperation and choreography between both guys and Nick Wayne was nowhere near polished enough to pull it off and make it look convincing. I just found more than one or two of the exchanges in that match to be cringeworthy. Which is fine, except this is national TV for a major promotion.

I am not trying to be rude or belittle the kid just for the sake of doing it, but I came away from that match thinking Nick Wayne was yet another skinny underweight Indy geek…in an organization that already has much more than their fair share of those types. Hell, in AEW throw a rock, and you are bound to hit somebody who does the exact same thing that he does, and probably looks a lot more professional doing it.

In his defense, I know he is just an 18 year old kid making his debut, but there was a fair bit of hype behind him, and I don’t think he is anywhere near good enough to deserve that kind of hype. I was expecting to see some sort of prodigy or something, and I don’t know what we are going to see from here, but I can’t see him being skilled enough to hold up his end of a major program or anything at this point.

 

[strobogo]

1 hour ago, The Thread Killer said:

I’m not saying that the kid isn’t going to be good one day. I guess my mistake was that I assumed based on the hype I had read about him online that he was ready for prime time now.

I freely admit that of all my Pro Wrestling pet peeves, the greatest by far is when spots are obviously choreographed and require excessive cooperation between the participants. Spots that take you out of the illusion of an actual competitive physical contest, and make it obvious that it is nothing more than a preplanned tumbling routine. I especially hate when one of the competitors has to basically stand around, waiting for the other to complete some sort of ritual or set up in order for the match to continue.

For example, when Kommander (or The Undertaker) grabs a guy by the wrist, and then slowly climbs up to the top rope and starts walking across. The obvious question is…why wouldn’t the guy just jerk his arm away or push his opponent so they fell off the rope? Another example which drives me insane (and this happens weekly in AEW) is when a bunch of guys end up outside the ring there, milling around, waiting, and then they hold out their arms to catch the guy who dives between or off the ropes. It’s obvious the guy is coming. Why would you not just walk away?

I found that in the match between Nick Wayne and Swerve there were a handful of spots that were almost painful to watch, because they required extensive cooperation and choreography between both guys and Nick Wayne was nowhere near polished enough to pull it off and make it look convincing. I just found more than one or two of the exchanges in that match to be cringeworthy. Which is fine, except this is national TV for a major promotion.

I am not trying to be rude or belittle the kid just for the sake of doing it, but I came away from that match thinking Nick Wayne was yet another skinny underweight Indy geek…in an organization that already has much more than their fair share of those types. Hell, in AEW throw a rock, and you are bound to hit somebody who does the exact same thing that he does, and probably looks a lot more professional doing it.

In his defense, I know he is just an 18 year old kid making his debut, but there was a fair bit of hype behind him, and I don’t think he is anywhere near good enough to deserve that kind of hype. I was expecting to see some sort of prodigy or something, and I don’t know what we are going to see from here, but I can’t see him being skilled enough to hold up his end of a major program or anything at this point.

 

I recently watched a match from Nitro or Thunder in 1998 where Brain talked about a guy seeing a dive coming but it being like when you see a pothole way in advance and try to avoid it but run right into it anyway.

[Dav'oh]

8 hours ago, The Thread Killer said:

I freely admit that of all my Pro Wrestling pet peeves, the greatest by far is when spots are obviously choreographed and require excessive cooperation between the participants. Spots that take you out of the illusion of an actual competitive physical contest, and make it obvious that it is nothing more than a preplanned tumbling routine. I especially hate when one of the competitors has to basically stand around, waiting for the other to complete some sort of ritual or set up in order for the match to continue.

It's like they take us for granted.

"You've accepted the conceit of pro-wrestling, so you'll accept anything within that conceit." And, fortunately for the wrestlers, unfortunately for us, some people do accept a guy bouncing from the top to the middle ropes four times to do a fucking armdrag (Holy shit!!! You've made your opponent do a forward roll!)

For some wrestlers it's easier to get ten pops a match than to build a match that climaxes in a huge pop because the latter is beyond them.

And finally, back in my day () i.e the 1880s 1980s, Claudio kills Komander dead dead dead dead. So does White. Swerve toys with and murderlizes Little Nicky Wayne. Bring back my day!

[The Thread Killer]

1 hour ago, Dav'oh said:

Bring back my day!

Testify, my brother.

In unrelated news, I caught the opening match on Rampage tonight. Maybe it’s just me, but the last couple of times I have seen him, Keith Lee is starting to look a little bit more like the Keith Lee of NXT, pre-COVID. And not just because he has started dyeing his hair again. I am sure the fact the he is mostly working Tag Team matches helps, because it gives him a chance to catch his breath. But he has looked OK. The last few times I have seen him, maybe there is still hope yet.

[Stiva]

Hook casually cutting a promo on Jack Perry while drinking his wine was money

[MLB]

Not really a fan of this Cole/MJF odd couple at all. Max is trying out dorky, goofball humor and leaning more babyface in this program. What is his motivation for tagging with AC? Why does he want the tag titles (in a tournament no less) when he's world champ? They're really stretching this MJF reign, I don't think AEW is in a position where you can have the world title in a tag program. Again, we're talking like 3 world title defenses in what? 8 months? 

Another complaint, and maybe I'm not watching closely enough, but it seems like the trios division is dead. You got Pac randomly joining the BCC, where is Death Triangle?

[Jmare007]

39 minutes ago, MLB said:

Not really a fan of this Cole/MJF odd couple at all. Max is trying out dorky, goofball humor and leaning more babyface in this program. What is his motivation for tagging with AC? Why does he want the tag titles (in a tournament no less) when he's world champ? They're really stretching this MJF reign, I don't think AEW is in a position where you can have the world title in a tag program. Again, we're talking like 3 world title defenses in what? 8 months? 

Another complaint, and maybe I'm not watching closely enough, but it seems like the trios division is dead. You got Pac randomly joining the BCC, where is Death Triangle?

Because he's an insecure, immature asshole that wants to have friend. I totally buy this angle tbh, I've always seen MJF's character as someone who wants to show/prove the audience and his peers he's someone because he's never had anyone in his life that has supported him or been there for him as an ally/friend. So having Cole makes him go a little crazy. 

[MLB]

1 hour ago, Jmare007 said:

Because he's an insecure, immature asshole that wants to have friend. I totally buy this angle tbh, I've always seen MJF's character as someone who wants to show/prove the audience and his peers he's someone because he's never had anyone in his life that has supported him or been there for him as an ally/friend. So having Cole makes him go a little crazy. 

You're right, they keep circling back to that with MJF. Max is a great heel, that ought to be his sole focus. He doesn't need tearjerker "I was bullied/lonely" sympathy from incels, it dilutes the heat. Sympathy for "the devil"? It confuses the audience when he goes into the pity party material about being Jewish and women ditching him. 

It came up in the feuds with Punk, Danielson and Regal. You were my idol and all I ever wanted to be like was you! You have a beautiful wife and family and I've got nothing! The boss doesn't pay me enough for my effort! (I thought he was rich?) A lot of the audience identifies with those feelings.

I don't recall Flair ever mentioning he was adopted as a child or any hardships growing up and that made him into the Nature Boy. Imagine the Million Dollar Man going, "Everybody's got a price for the Million Dollar Man! Oh, and by the way, I was raped as a kid....MUHAHAHAHAHA!"

[Dav'oh]

Oh....I thought MJF was trying to suck Cole into trusting him before inevitably braining him with a dreidel.

[MLB]

MJF can't have it both ways. Was he the rich frat prep star that set the school record for tackles while getting brain in a sports car? Or was he an isolated Jewish wrestling nerd getting stuffed into a locker, watching CM Punk tapes, and plotting future revenge against the jocks that he was actually a part of? 

Also, we just did this whole "suck him in" tag angle with Guevara.

[Jmare007]

 I saw the Sammy stuff as MJF treating him like inferior competition and little bro'ing him so he could eventually take advantage of the situation.

With Cole, I feel Max will feel slighted in some way in the coming weeks and act like Cole betrayed him.

To be honest though, I feel the most interesting scenario would be Cole turning on Max and fucking him up mentally, lol.