The Wrestling Thread

[Reprise]

Fightful are currently ruining the surprise returns for Double or Nothing tonight. I saw one of them on my newsfeed.

They do this all the time and it doesn't usually bother me, but I start thinking that it really does kind of suck.

I mean, what is actually the point? Why ruin it? The show is in a few hours, why can't we just wait and actually be reasonably surprised?

What's more exciting? Seeing someone return, them having a huge moment at the show and then you at home being surprised? Or reading about it on the internet, 4 hours before the show starts and then watching the show so you can go "oh look, Fightful were right about wrestler x showing up"?

Wrestling was definitely way more fun in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Think of all those incredible debuts and shocking returns and if they would have been so memorable and remarkable if the internet had ruined them all.

Not that anything can be done. It's life and the nature of a constantly online culture. As long as fans are speculating and wanting to know things, there will be websites digging dirt and selling intel.

[Raging Justice]

Fightful are currently ruining the surprise returns for Double or Nothing tonight. I saw one of them on my newsfeed.

They do this all the time and it doesn't usually bother me, but I start thinking that it really does kind of suck.

I mean, what is actually the point? Why ruin it? The show is in a few hours, why can't we just wait and actually be reasonably surprised?

What's more exciting? Seeing someone return, them having a huge moment at the show and then you at home being surprised? Or reading about it on the internet, 4 hours before the show starts and then watching the show so you can go "oh look, Fightful were right about wrestler x showing up"?

Wrestling was definitely way more fun in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Think of all those incredible debuts and shocking returns and if they would have been so memorable and remarkable if the internet had ruined them all.

Not that anything can be done. It's life and the nature of a constantly online culture. As long as fans are speculating and wanting to know things, there will be websites digging dirt and selling intel.

I think the combinations of dirtsheets + the internet have hurt pro wrestling. Also, the death of kayfabe + the fact that wrestlers love to go online and break character also sucks. Like I've noticed that women in Stardom maintain their characters on social media, some of them even in interviews (I've seen Tam interviews where she's clearly in character answering questions like some kind of anime character LOL).

On a related note, I wish people wouldn't talk about the "tricks" of pro wrestling. There are certain moves that I don't enjoy watching wrestlers do as much as I used to, because people online talked about how it works and thus spoiled it for me. If I'm going to a magic show I don't want someone to tell me how they do the magic tricks. I want to enjoy the illusion. I KNOW it's fake, but I want to forget that while I'm watching.

[Raging Justice]

They used so much stupid verbiage these days. "Triple Main Event"

There is no "Triple Main Event". Whatever match closes the show, is THE MAIN EVENT

[Reprise]

See, I did kind of mind that too. I mind it when WWE do it as well. I have always had the same attitude, even with Wrestlemania being two nights now, I always think of the main event of the Sunday night being the REAL main event.

That said, I was thinking about it the other day and I don't think it's that bad. When I think of music tours, I don't have an issue when two large bands go on a dual-headlining tour and I still think of both bands being headliners despite the obvious fact they can't both go on last (usually they alternate each night on the tour. I don't mind it either on the odd occasions that festivals have a double headliner on one night. With music, it's about the weight of the band performing and the amount of time they perform for. So in a way, wrestling is similar.

But then it's always going to be that closing match that people remember and you should always have your best and biggest match closing the show if you're a booker. You want the one that will get the loudest crowd reception.

The problem with not knowing which match will be last and having multiple main events is it dilutes your show. There were some well iffy Manias that suffered from that in recent years in the Vince era. The one that ended with Roman vs Taker comes to mind, which only went last because Taker was going to retire (and because Roman had to be in the main event of every Mania), and then he didn't.

[Raging Justice]

See, I did kind of mind that too. I mind it when WWE do it as well. I have always had the same attitude, even with Wrestlemania being two nights now, I always think of the main event of the Sunday night being the REAL main event.

That said, I was thinking about it the other day and I don't think it's that bad. When I think of music tours, I don't have an issue when two large bands go on a dual-headlining tour and I still think of both bands being headliners despite the obvious fact they can't both go on last (usually they alternate each night on the tour. I don't mind it either on the odd occasions that festivals have a double headliner on one night. With music, it's about the weight of the band performing and the amount of time they perform for. So in a way, wrestling is similar.

But then it's always going to be that closing match that people remember and you should always have your best and biggest match closing the show if you're a booker. You want the one that will get the loudest crowd reception.

The problem with not knowing which match will be last and having multiple main events is it dilutes your show. There were some well iffy Manias that suffered from that in recent years in the Vince era. The one that ended with Roman vs Taker comes to mind, which only went last because Taker was going to retire (and because Roman had to be in the main event of every Mania), and then he didn't.

Yeah, those are good points. I get a little irritated because it feels like people are always changing the meaning of things these days and just butchering the English language in general

We have to have some kind of order damnit! Less everything descend into chaos! Chaos I tell you!

Kidding aside, I think co-main event works better, but anything over two gets ridiculous. Might as well say ALL of your matches are the main event then. "We have seven main events tonight! Yeah!"

Toni Storm's match is on, so I took a bathroom break and am now posting this. This is the piss break match. The Ospreay match was pretty good despite the botch by the Undisputed Kingdom. You know who came back and delivered one hell of a promo. Trios match was pretty awesome too. There's never any doubt that the in ring action is gonna be good in AEW barring the occasional botch or mishap, which inevitably will happen. Crowd's pretty great tonight. Fun show so far. That return promo really gave this first hour some excitement.

I missed the Buy In match between Rosa and Purrazzo. Will have to watch that later. I was actually more interested in that than this stupid Deeb/Storm match.

[Raging Justice]

I really hope Mercedes and Willow have an amazing match to truly solidify the TBS title as the top women's title in AEW after Toni Storm has made an absolutely mockery of the other title.

I feel like Willow has rehabilitated the TBS title after the joke Jade Cargill made of it and the rather lackluster reigns of Statlander and Julia Hart. I hope Mercedes continues to put some respect on the TBS title.

If Mina Shirakawa is going to eventually win the other title off of Storm, I feel sorry for her. Already they've ruined Shurikawa by involving her in this crap with Storm and Mariah May. The AEW women's title is a fucking joke now. Long live the TBS title!



EDIT: Oh, I hear Storm's music playing signifying her predictable as fuck victory. Thank god! That means that trash is over and I can get back to watching the show!

[Raging Justice]

I'm gonna watch the rest of the show tomorrow, I'm so bored with the predictable booking. The show's been good from an in ring perspective, but nothing really feels important or exciting. Willow vs Mercedes was pretty good, but didn't knock my socks off or anything. It was sloppy in some parts and the post match stuff was boring. Seeing Grangrel was cool...I guess, but why should I care? Is this going to lead to anything? Is he going to be appearing in AEW from now on? Is Edge a vampire again? The actual match was alright, Edge flying off the cage was a cool spot but again, I WISH SOMETHING FUCKING INTERESTING WOULD HAPPEN. The House of Black actually turning on Malakai would have been awesome

Takeshita keeps jobbing to everyone

Why is Jericho still the FTW champion? I don't care what some idiots on pro wrestling websites say, the crowds aren't into Jericho's new gimmick.

Maybe the show will pick up in the last two matches, Double or Nothing has been a dud so far. AEW and WWE both feel so lifeless right now, both companies are just on cruise control. They are just coasting along and it's really boring. I would LOVE to see what either company would do if they lost 70% of their audience or were suddenly in danger of going out of business all of a sudden. I want to see what Triple H or Tony Kahn are capable of when their back is against the wall, like Vince's was back during the Monday Night Wars. When you don't have lapdog fans who just eat up whatever you serve them.

[Reprise]

You know who came back and delivered one hell of a promo.

I am still watching the show and avoiding the internet (and haven't read any of your posts in this topic after this), I am on the Takeshita and Moxley match at the moment. The joys of living in a different country and these shows happening in the middle of the night for us.

I just came to post a cute story. My two year old daughter actually popped and marked out for MJF

When the intro music started playing and it had that video tease playing, my daughter turned to me and pointed at the screen and said "Ohhh daddy, MJF!"

She has no idea who MJF is and doesn't care for wrestling, she was just repeating what the crowd were chanting, but it was very cute lol.

My wife groaned and told me to stop brainwashing the kids into liking wrestling

Right, be back in a couple of hours once I have finished. Why does AEW make Double or Nothing sooooo long now? The show is going to start to drag now, isn't it? I hope not, but at least I can skip through crap if needed.

[Reprise]

Why did Adam land like that!?

His ankle is fucked, right?

[Reprise]

I am up to the Anarchy in the Arena match and I don't really care about this one much and it's obvious the Elite is winning, so I am not avoiding spoilers now. It's fun enough, but whatever.

I'd say it's a good PPV, but agree it's too predictable.

I thought the Mone and Willow match was great to be honest. I really enjoyed that one. The difference between this match and the women's title one is stark. It felt serious, competitive and was just great to watch. How fucking over is Willow!? I'd give it a solid 4 stars.

The cage match was also great. But now what happens? Do the House of Black have to join Adam? Does Malakai get kicked out? A Malakai win would have been more interesting, but I know why they went with this result.

Ospreay continues to prove why he's the best in the world. They aren't going to be able to keep him out of the world title picture for long and they would be dumb to try to imo.

Swerve vs Christian was a bit disappointing. Please don't cool off Swerve, AEW. The world title storyline is more important than this silly heel Elite vs team AEW nonsense.

Anyways, I give the show 7/10 I think. There were 3 great matches, a fun Anarchy in the Arena (yeah, I have spent so long typing this, it's nearly finished) and a few average matches. I liked it overall though.

I agree AEW really need to step things up a notch. I can understand why you find it boring.