The AEW Thread

[forameus]

Getting all kinds of "the graphics don't matter" comments around this.  Which is...true, I guess, but it does look pretty ropey for a new game.  Looks even worse in motion.  Going to have to really go some with the gameplay to make up for that if it's absolutely perfect in terms of bugs, which no game really is nowadays.

[untitled00]

Danielson challenging Okada via video at Dominion for a match at Forbidden Door and Ospreys V Omega all but confirmed.

I am very much looking forward to this

[cb_diamond]

Meltzer giving Anarchy in the Arena a five star rating. Some boi

[Tiger Driver]

Anyone know if Forbidden Door will be solely on Fite? Or will it be available on NJPW World as well?

[FairWeatherFan]

20 hours ago, Tiger Driver said:

Anyone know if Forbidden Door will be solely on Fite? Or will it be available on NJPW World as well?

It might be a co-promotion, but it's an AEW production.

If I remember right NJPW don't even stream their own US shows on NJPW World now, with the shows being put on NJPW World broken up into NJ Strong episodes.

[TheGoon]

Not sure how I feel about the finish, but what a match that was.

[rowsdower]

I thought they'd done enough to have a decisive finish while having enough shenanigans to protect them both, so surprised they pulled out that finish again. 

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

The last few minutes of Dynamite were the good kind of ludicrous. There are so many fantastic matches that should come out of all that, hopefully leading up to an eventual Blood & Guts match.

I like that Eddie and Mox are the AEW equivalent of Owens and Zayn. Constantly either the best of friends or bitter enemies.

[forameus]

I quite liked the Cole/MJF finish, although not sure it was necessary.  I don't really like the idea of the eliminator matches in general really, sort of dilutes the impact of beating the champion for the belt if you've already beaten him before.  Almost feels like you have to resort to screwy stuff just to avoid that.

Main event sure was something.  Another largely heatless Elite/BCC match, then they decided to throw all their booking chips at the wall to see what stuck.  I can't work out whether it was great or awful.

Interesting little promo video for CM Punk.  Started out awful along the usual lines of battling back from an injury and conveniently ignoring everything else about him being away.  But the ending brought it back.  Makes it seem like they haven't fully decided how he's coming back.  If it's as a pure face, they've properly fucked it.

[Bert Raccoon]

Good to see Eddie back, I know he's been on ROH but I've really missed that mad b*****d 

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

The rumoured Punk ESPN interview has been published.

https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/37860179/aew-star-cm-punk-new-show-injury-elephants-room

There doesn't seem to be anything too inflammatory in that, other than accusing Hangman of shooting on him.

[FairWeatherFan]

Wasn't expecting Elton John in AEW.

[djchapsticks]

Love Punk, hate Punk.

The guy is absolutely fucking box office. There's no-one who can touch him.

[DukDukGoose]

On 04/06/2023 at 12:22, forameus said:

Getting all kinds of "the graphics don't matter" comments around this.  Which is...true, I guess, but it does look pretty ropey for a new game.  Looks even worse in motion.  Going to have to really go some with the gameplay to make up for that if it's absolutely perfect in terms of bugs, which no game really is nowadays.

It looks laughably bad. For the price point, gameplay won't be enough.

How much money have they sunk in to it already?

[Jeff Venom]

10 hours ago, djchapsticks said:

Love Punk, hate Punk.

The guy is absolutely fucking box office. There's no-one who can touch him.

Absolutely box office isn't he. When he's on it there's just no one better. Obvs that was in Chicago, will be interesting how other places take to his return. For all the fall out of brawl out, absence makes the heart grow fonder and you wouldn't put it past the fans to basically turn the bucks heel. 

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

I thought the commentary was awful, even before JR showed up. I can't say I've heard Kevin Kelly commentate much since Sunday Night Heat was on Channel 4, but people say he is good on New Japan commentary, so hopefully that was just an off night for him.

Dynamite in Chicago this week should be interesting, especially if the Bucks and Page are in full heel mode.

[Ludo*1]

Jim Ross keeps having these falls and absolutely smashing his face in. I think AEW should have a duty of care here and ensure he has fully recovered before putting him back on the air.

 

[Bert Raccoon]

Watched a bit of Collision, is that Daphne's brother from Frasier on commentary?

[forameus]

I thought Collision was a bit shit to be honest.  Just seemed like there was something off about the whole thing, from the moment big Elton starts banging out the intro.  The commentary was pretty awful all night, with all the chemistry and bantz of Taz/Excalibur being replaced by Kevin Kelly seemingly coming into the thing completely cold, and McGuinness just doing his own brand of screechy but monotone beside him.  Then bringing in JR late on sounding like he was about to have an episode just topped it off.  Oh aye, and their ring announcer shouting out a WWE trademark in Buddy Murphy was an unexpected touch.

Outside of all that, the show was fine I guess, but it continued AEW's insistence on just putting out good wrestling without adding much in the way of stakes.  Nothing they did really mattered for what was supposed to be this big debut.  I can see this really tanking once the novelty wears off and they have to try filling arenas on a Saturday night.

And then Charlie M Punk...I'm not really sure what they're trying to do with him.  I think he came across awfully in the promo, but then was that the intention?  Are they still trying to dance the line between heel and face or at least not decide yet?  He came across like a spoilt, grumpy dick - which admittedly is basically his default setting - and utterly unrepentant for something that was pretty much all of his own doing.  And when it came to the match, he looked well off it at times, particularly that part where he was just cowered in the corner of the ring after the tag as FTR tried to work around him.  Granted after being out so long, that was bound to happen, but if he starts struggling in-ring, all the other baggage he brings is going to grow.  Going to be fascinating to watch.

[TheGoon]

I thought the main event was superb, Andrade/Matthews good too, but definitely not a home run of a show. Great intro and stage though.

I like Nigel & Kelly, but it definitely gives it a lesser feeling without the big guns. What they were doing with JR out there in that nick I do not know.

I certainly took from Punk’s promo that he’s willing to work with these guys - even if they still don’t get on, which is exactly what should be happening. The Elite will probably confirm that one way or another on Wednesday.