The AEW Thread

[djchapsticks]

I will say though that making your talent navigate their own way through London instead of actually arranging transport is fucking shoddy and amateurish, especially as TK knows London so well and spends a massive amount of time there.

Would he expect any potential new signings for Fulham to navigate their own way through Heathrow into the centre of London or for their squad to make their own way back to the ground following pre-season in the US? It wouldn't even be considered. Punk and any other talent on the roster who were annoyed at this are totally right to be in my opinion.

[FairWeatherFan]

1 hour ago, djchapsticks said:

I will say though that making your talent navigate their own way through London instead of actually arranging transport is fucking shoddy and amateurish, especially as TK knows London so well and spends a massive amount of time there.

Would he expect any potential new signings for Fulham to navigate their own way through Heathrow into the centre of London or for their squad to make their own way back to the ground following pre-season in the US? It wouldn't even be considered. Punk and any other talent on the roster who were annoyed at this are totally right to be in my opinion.

In the main I agree, and was surprised to hear they never put anything on. I don't think either example quite fits the situation though. This wasn't one signing (and their entourage) or a co-ordinated effort like returning from a pre-season tour or going on tour like WWE.

It was 100s of talent and staff arriving across 4 days, some of whom were travelling with others not working the event (family/partners/friends/agents) all independently of each other.

[Bert Raccoon]

Now maybe it's just me but if I arrived in a strange place and my pre arranged travel option never arrived, I'd most likely take one of the many taxis waiting rather than decide to go for a wee jaunt round the commuter system for a few hours hoping to find where I was going.

Whole things just odd 

[DA Baracus]

The tube is so easy to navigate. There's multiple maps around, each train has a map of stops and it's 2023 so the internet exists, meaning there are numerous sites and apps to easily plan your journey.

[forameus]

It's rapidly approaching the point where Punk doesn't even need to be directly involved in any trouble, trouble seems to just arrive at his doorstep anyway.  The Jungle Boy stuff seems so incredibly petty.  He rightly told him not to do a certain spot - along with a lot of the roster and Schiavone apparently - but because it's Punk, suddenly it's this huge deal and there's almost a fight.  You can't say that people who are a bit tetchy were looking at the complete lack of punishment Punk got and thinking "I can get away with this too".  It's like a high school full of hormonal fannies in there, with a small minority causing trouble and the rest just wishing they'd all be quiet and let them get on with it.  And Tony's at the head of it, the head teacher who is totally cool and totally on the kids' side, absolutely terrified of pissing them off so letting them do whatever they want (whilst absolutely off his tits on coke, but that's where the analogy possibly falls down).  

51 minutes ago, Bert Raccoon said:

Now maybe it's just me but if I arrived in a strange place and my pre arranged travel option never arrived, I'd most likely take one of the many taxis waiting rather than decide to go for a wee jaunt round the commuter system for a few hours hoping to find where I was going.

Whole things just odd 

Seems quite on brand for Big Phil though.  I get the feeling if he came to a bridge over a river, he'd just wade in instead so he could complain about it later.  I doubt getting his ego rubbed by all the attention really hurt him either.  

Can only assume it's along those lines, because otherwise, yeah, really fucking odd.  The way the London airports are set out, getting to whatever rail/tube links they have is often the hardest rather than taxi ranks, or pick up/drop off etc.  If I was as powerful as Punk seems to be in AEW and simultaneously as grumpy as him, I'd be finding the plushest taxi I could and getting it to drive me on to the pitch at Wembley.

1 hour ago, FairWeatherFan said:

In the main I agree, and was surprised to hear they never put anything on. I don't think either example quite fits the situation though. This wasn't one signing (and their entourage) or a co-ordinated effort like returning from a pre-season tour or going on tour like WWE.

It was 100s of talent and staff arriving across 4 days, some of whom were travelling with others not working the event (family/partners/friends/agents) all independently of each other.

There was quite a bit made in one of the reports (ironically the one that seems to basically be parroting whatever Punk says) that he stayed behind a lot later than the other talent because he wanted to spend more time with his wife and dog (hilariously, they named the dog, not his wife).  So I expect there was logistical stuff in place for larger groups of them to arrive, but if you're arriving independently, I'm not sure they can always be expected to be on hand to hold their hands.  It's not Pyongyang they're heading into, it's London.  Punk's not daft.  My wife's fucking dreadful with directions, but I think she'd still manage to navigate airports and the tube if she absolutely had to.

[FairWeatherFan]

2 minutes ago, forameus said:

He rightly told him not to do a certain spot - along with a lot of the roster and Schiavone apparently - but because it's Punk, suddenly it's this huge deal and there's almost a fight. 

Here's the thing with that. It was a big thing at that time. It happened the week after Forbidden Door when they did the back to back nights of Dynamite & Collision. Which was the only reason HOOK and Perry were available.

It became an issue after the news broke of Punk banning people from Collision and there was a pile on of everyone's petty grievances in the sheets. Just like Nemeth's confrontation at the Chicago Dynamite.

People had been stewing on things for months and it got to a boiling point. Which is why it's probably best to cut ties for everyone's sake. As I don't see it changing.

[forameus]

2 minutes ago, FairWeatherFan said:

Here's the thing with that. It was a big thing at that time. It happened the week after Forbidden Door when they did the back to back nights of Dynamite & Collision. Which was the only reason HOOK and Perry were available.

It became an issue after the news broke of Punk banning people from Collision and there was a pile on of everyone's petty grievances in the sheets. Just like Nemeth's confrontation at the Chicago Dynamite.

People had been stewing on things for months and it got to a boiling point. Which is why it's probably best to cut ties for everyone's sake. As I don't see it changing.

Agreed.  Vince, and by extension HHH (although he's now in an era where there isn't much appetite from wrestlers to be absolute nightmare men), seemed to excel at knowing just how much leash to give each wrestler.  Enough so that they probably will make mistakes, but never so much that they'll actively harm the company.  If anything was brewing, it would get shut down pretty quickly, or just never happen in the first place because they knew what the reaction would be.  And if it wasn't from Vince, it would be from the people Vince had put in place specifically to deal with talent.

With Khan, the leash analogy is pretty pointless, because he's long since let them all off the lead, and they've fucked off.  The time to put his foot down and set a marker was after All Out last year.  Punk probably should've been punted then, but if not, at least given some actual punishment.  Instead, he gets welcomed back once he's healthy and given his own show.  Where's the incentive for anyone on the roster to behave now?  

And couple that with, like you say, everyone has the sheets now to air grievances.  Likely back in the day they'd just have a fight, it'd get broken up, and on we go.  Now it's just bitching and stories and counter-stories and fans eating it all up.  I think at this point, you have to just let Punk go.  By all means pay up his contract or whatever legal stuff you have to, but he shouldn't appear again.  Probably even Jungle Boy too for being a tit.  Actually show that there's consequences and get some authority.  Won't hold my breath though.  I wouldn't be surprised if Punk appears at All Out in a few days once they realise they've really fucked themselves.

[FairWeatherFan]

All Out is like a flashback to last summer's TV when ROH was being sprinkled in everywhere to try and get it a TV deal. Even with Mox v. OC and Omega v. Takeshita it feels like a Fyter Fest type special.

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

This definitely feels like the first ''B level' PPV that AEW have promoted. I guess this was inevitable once they started going beyond the 4 PPVs a year schedule they stuck to for a few years.

I guess the big intrigue will be if Voldemort appears on Collision or All Out. They risk a very angry crowd if they don't confirm ahead of time that he won't be appearing. Khan is doing the media rounds today, so maybe he'll try and address the situation then, rather than on TV.

[Shuggie_Murray7]

It is proper mental that most AEW fanboys can't see what the Bucks and their wee pals are trying to do with Punk.

On each of the occasions they all claim Punk has been an areshole, it's been started by the Bucks and their crew running their mouths.

[forameus]

31 minutes ago, Shuggie_Murray7 said:

It is proper mental that most AEW fanboys can't see what the Bucks and their wee pals are trying to do with Punk.

On each of the occasions they all claim Punk has been an areshole, it's been started by the Bucks and their crew running their mouths.

Aye, but...Punk is an arsehole though.  I don't think you need to be a Bucks fan (which I'm definitely not) to realise that.

2 hours ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

This definitely feels like the first ''B level' PPV that AEW have promoted. I guess this was inevitable once they started going beyond the 4 PPVs a year schedule they stuck to for a few years.

I guess the big intrigue will be if Voldemort appears on Collision or All Out. They risk a very angry crowd if they don't confirm ahead of time that he won't be appearing. Khan is doing the media rounds today, so maybe he'll try and address the situation then, rather than on TV.

Crazy that the weekend after probably one of the most important for all of wrestling, the two main companies in the industry are going to put out two properly B level PPVs.  WWE have history of it, but they can kind of afford it with having monthly events, and if you're a paying customer of the Network, the shows aren't really that bad value for the most part.  AEW are charging full whack for a card that looks more than a bit w**k.  Don't doubt it'll be good, but I doubt it'll rise above that level, and that should be worrying for a company that almost exclusively puts on brilliant shows.

Very interesting about Big Phil too.  They definitely need the star power for a show like this, but if he is brought back early just for that, it isn't exactly going to quell the idea that Tony's just a big mark for him.

Give him and Jungle Boy ten minutes to leather f**k out of each other, then fire the two of them when they get back through the curtain.

[Shuggie_Murray7]

10 minutes ago, forameus said:

Aye, but...Punk is an arsehole though.  I don't think you need to be a Bucks fan (which I'm definitely not) to realise that.

I'm in no way a Punk fan. I think he's a self-righteous arsehole.

However, it's apparent that there's an agenda - being driven by the Bucks and their contingent, including Meltzer and Alvarez - to somehow get rid of Punk.

If you can't see that they are trying their level best to actively push him out then I don't know what to tell you.

In all honestly, all sides come across as childish arseholes.

But this is 100% being driven by that Bucks clique.

[forameus]

8 minutes ago, Shuggie_Murray7 said:

I'm in no way a Punk fan. I think he's a self-righteous arsehole.

However, it's apparent that there's an agenda - being driven by the Bucks and their contingent, including Meltzer and Alvarez - to somehow get rid of Punk.

If you can't see that they are trying their level best to actively push him out then I don't know what to tell you.

In all honestly, all sides come across as childish arseholes.

But this is 100% being driven by that Bucks clique.

I'm not sure that's entirely true, but hey, I've no real idea so you might be right.  To me it doesn't seem like they're actively trying to force him out, but they aren't exactly trying to keep him in either.  

But would definitely agree that pretty much everyone comes across really badly in all this.  Omega maybe comes out a little better I suppose.  Hangman seems to just want to forget it all and stay quiet.  

[Shuggie_Murray7]

Just now, forameus said:

Hangman seems to just want to forget it all and stay quiet.  

So would I, if I was the one who kickstarted it all.

Mental that he has come out of this relatively scot free after beig the one to light the blue touch paper in the first place.

[Lukovic]

Placing the blame on hangman for punk having the thinnest skin imaginable is a bit far.

[Shuggie_Murray7]

Just now, Lukovic said:

Placing the blame on hangman for punk having the thinnest skin imaginable is a bit far.

So no wrestler has the right to be annoyed when someone goes into business for themself? Throughout the history of the business, that has never gone down well.

Factor in that Hangman did this to literally the biggest draw in the history of the company - for him not to face even slight repercussion is just weird.

[FairWeatherFan]

1 minute ago, Shuggie_Murray7 said:

So no wrestler has the right to be annoyed when someone goes into business for themself? Throughout the history of the business, that has never gone down well.

Factor in that Hangman did this to literally the biggest draw in the history of the company - for him not to face even slight repercussion is just weird.

That's one instance. Where a guy said something to his face. Had the opportunity to respond. Fit into the idea of two guys feuding so went over most people's heads. It was nothing. In the year since he challenged Hangman on live tv, disrupting the show knowing Hangman couldn't respond. All Out press conference. ESPN interview. Post-Collision promo.

It also came from a place of concern over Colt Cabana being punted into uncertainty and job insecurity. Which might not have been Punk, but looks to have been Tony Khan doing some preventative work to keep Punk happy. Since here we are now with Punk on Collision Island using his influence to ban people from the show.

[Shuggie_Murray7]

1 minute ago, FairWeatherFan said:

It also came from a place of concern over Colt Cabana being punted into uncertainty and job insecurity. Which might not have been Punk, but looks to have been Tony Khan doing some preventative work to keep Punk happy. Since here we are now with Punk on Collision Island using his influence to ban people from the show.

Who do you think pushed the narrative that Punk emptied Cabana to Meltzer and Alvarez?

Tony Khan admitted that it had nothing to do with Punk, it was his call. Yet Hangman and the Bucks were ever so eager to push that this was all down to Punk. Surely, as EVPs, they knew fine well that it wasn't. Wouldn't you agree?

In all honesty, I'm sick and tired of it all over shadowing the actual wrestling shows.

But for the fans of the Bucks and AEW, there can be no convincing them - to them, Punk is the devil.

Reality suggests that they're all arseholes - with the Bucks crew being marginally bigger arseholes.

[Lukovic]

Not saying punk is the devil, he just needs to stop trying to fight everyone.

[Shuggie_Murray7]

15 minutes ago, Lukovic said:

Not saying punk is the devil, he just needs to stop trying to fight everyone.

I agree. And everyone on the opposite side needs to shut their mouth.