Timbo Slice Posted July 19, 2023 Report Share Posted July 19, 2023 Ibushi gonna do something incredibly stupid tonight, and that’s get lost at the airport and not make the show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted July 19, 2023 Report Share Posted July 19, 2023 Hope to God the cage door doesn't open and no one goes off the roof. Gets predictable. How many people are actually enjoying this MJF-Cole pairing? Cuz I am. I am finding it quite entertaining, and I say this as someone who is not an Adam Cole fan at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted July 19, 2023 Report Share Posted July 19, 2023 Yeah @MoS, I was harsh on the MJF face turn at first. No one else said anything. Max can always turn back in a flash, so there isn't really lasting damage to his character. With Starks and Perry going heel and Punk a 60/40 tweener, it was probably a good window to try something different with MJF. I just wish it wasn't during his first world title reign because the AEW Championship has gotten lost in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmare007 Posted July 19, 2023 Report Share Posted July 19, 2023 Yeah, like I said last week it's not the ideal angle for your world champ, but at the same time, it's much better than what we've gotten from MJF this whole year so I'll take this storyline with Cole without any complaints. 2 hours ago, MoS said: Hope to God the cage door doesn't open and no one goes off the roof. Gets predictable. It does, but when you have a batshit insane dude like Ibushi in a match like this, I can't say I wouldn't be on edge of my seat if Kota is climbing up to the top of the cage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted July 19, 2023 Report Share Posted July 19, 2023 Doing a rare (for me) DVDVR Cross-post but the more I think about this, the more I like it: All In/All Out will be a bit of a conundrum when it comes to not shortchanging either, even with the potential of Punk being a heel in one setting and a face in the other allowing them to maybe redo matches. You need some sense of conclusion at All In while still building to All Out. One possibility I see at this point is Cole and MJF defending the AEW titles against a reunited Omega and Page at All In ahead of a somehow mandated AEW Title match that they can't get out of between the two of them at All Out. That's playing the "hot hand" as far as humanly possible right now. You get the finality of the Omega/Page story, the end of the MJF/Cole team, the intrigue of which will betray the other, and it will feel like both a big deal and an "Only in AEW is this Possible" sort of deal with a lot of throughlines that have been building for a while. Or they can just blow up the team tonight, whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blehschmidt Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 I'm not sure what that Jungle Boy video was supposed to be, but the crowd certainly doesn't seem to like him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 The MJF/Cole pairing is actually good. Certainly not what I would be doing with my World Champ, but it's entertaining. Maybe a tag wrestler is Max's true calling, he should let the real hoopers be fighting for the top belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 If Mercedes had not got injured, she would have surely debuted tonight. A bummer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 "Use this rimg!!" Okay that's pretty funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blehschmidt Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Okay, what the fuck is the point of doing "broken glass" if you aren't going to bleed when you bump into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Sorry but that PAC "miscommunication" thing was lame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Okay are they trying to do a mass double turn or something. Really weird ending Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfectly Straightedge Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 That sorta sucked. If it wasn’t for the ending. I would have forgotten Hangman was even apart of that match. He did next to nothing. meh not really as good as previous years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Match was one of the worse WarGames I have seen. At no point did I feel any sense of hatred or fury or spontaneity or any real danger. Always felt like an exhibition of spots, some of which did pop me but still, a swing and a complete miss. Maybe if Dragon was in there the match would have been structured (and booked) better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfectly Straightedge Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 I don’t know. Even like Ibusha coming in. He missed his first moves. Did probably the worst punches we have seen in years when he was ground and pounding Mox. I wasn’t impressed with this You had a random wardrobe change with Matt Jackson that even the commentators were like “his shoe is black now” Just very poor showing. Elite going over is to be expected but I don’t just could have been better in my eyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Thread Killer Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Yeah…I was just expecting that to be lame, and it was even dumber than I was expecting. My favourite part was when it was finally Ibushi’s time to enter. He casually wanders down the ramp with ZERO intensity and proceeds to “unload” some of the weakest, softest and lamest punches I have ever seen. That whole thing was just stupid and went on WAY too long. Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 3 hours ago, Blehschmidt said: I'm not sure what that Jungle Boy video was supposed to be, but the crowd certainly doesn't seem to like him. I took it as him burying his old gimmick, literally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Also heel Jack Perry looks a lot like Juice Robinson now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 I love the MJF/Cole pairing, but MJF getting babyface pops outside of Long Island still feels weird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo Slice Posted July 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 I think it’s funny that given Punk’s show is coming off the best tag match in company history and an attempt to put over a new top guy, the guys whose vision for pro wrestling is something they want to protect so much absolutely laid an egg in a big spot in a match that’s very difficult to fuck up. Incredible stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmare007 Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 First of all, I hate that War Games matches have become this long epic cage match when that shit is supposed to be 20-25 minutes of pure hatred and intensity. 50 fucking minutes is indefensible. I think the ending "worked" in the mind of those 10 guys as it was basically the "true friendship" of the Golden Elite coming on top while the two hired guns of the BCC bailed and basically ended the match. But in execution that whole thing sucked ass. And this is basically me using head cannon because during the match it wasn't very palpable (the only thing was PAC and Claudio clashing and barking at each other a couple of times for no real reason) and commentary never even attempted to make it a thing. Hugely disappointed by that match. And Ibushi being an afterthought hurt, I was expecting so much more and dude did literally nothing of note. Yuta was more of an X factor than him. 2 hours ago, MoS said: Match was one of the worse WarGames I have seen. At no point did I feel any sense of hatred or fury or spontaneity or any real danger. Always felt like an exhibition of spots, some of which did pop me but still, a swing and a complete miss. Maybe if Dragon was in there the match would have been structured (and booked) better I think Danielson could've made portions of the match better because he can convey hatred and intensity better than anyone on that ring tonight, and only Takeshita leaving could've worked better than 2 guys leaving the BCC and telegraphing the ending. But I honestly don't think it would've made THAT much of a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Wow I must be easier on matches than you all, I didn't think it was that bad. Sure, it wasn't the greatest War Games match ever, but y'all saying it's the worst need to watch some of those clangers 90s WCW put out. 2 hours ago, Perfectly Straightedge said: You had a random wardrobe change with Matt Jackson that even the commentators were like “his shoe is black now” That was his shoe with the tacks on the bottom that he used in the last plunder match. The announcers should have put it over better, but there was a reason for it. I was fine with PAC leaving since he's an angry little gremlin and his only beef was with Kenny breaking his face. The Takeshita thing was puzzling to me, but then I've spent the last few weeks wondering if him and Don were part of the BCC or not. If they would have established they were just "associates" or whatever maybe it would have landed better. I don't know what goes on behind the scenes, but it doesn't seem like AEW has someone who wrangles the announcers like Michael Cole does in WWE. Say what you will about their style, but WWE announcers very seldom fail to drive home the points they need to in a match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoS Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Definitely behind the other two War Games AEW has done so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 I was super wrong about Cole and MJF. Crowd was eating up every second of it. Somebody said it before, this clicks because Cole is such a likable babyface. Max has done a nice job tweaking his gimmick in this program. There's still part of me that feels this is all too cute. The double clothesline, MJF's character being played ironically, tongue in cheek. I liked FTR coming out and facing off. I did laugh out loud when Roderick wandered into the frame wearing the neck brace after AC/MJF's promo. Cole handing the title back to Max after the match at least kept some tension going between them and focus on the championship. Not being a regular New Japan viewer, I hadn't seen Ibushi in a while. It is me or does he look bigger, older and not as shredded? Looked a little past his prime, he's 41. I've always been more of a Shibata fan. Ibushi has a style that won't age gracefully. I dug Perry tonight. The new theme is timeless, I love classical entrances. Hook's cool, although I find myself giggling at his whole James Dean/Rebel Without A Cause pout while staring out into nothing. Hook struggles a bit with the Tazplexes and Rolling Germans. His emo hairstyle tends to get in his face and mess with his vision during matches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmare007 Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 Ibushi looked and worked well during this year's Bloodsport. Last night he couldn't even make his kicks look like they were worth a damn. I hope it was more of setting thing and that he can be a special performer in a normal tag with Kenny or single matches. I'd like to believe it was an off night (plus ring rust) than him boring washed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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