The Wrestling Thread

[Reprise]

Drop the FTW title as well

That was already retired earlier this year. Hook retired it and gave it to Tazz (I think) after he regained it off Jericho.

Anyways, interesting thoughts. Unfortunately I am not sure their women's division is strong enough to maintain its own brand. WWE could have done it, but I am not sure about AEW? Then again, that's not to say they couldn't build it up and make it strong enough. They have talent there.

The relationship with NJPW does need some work with more time spent building matches up so that they actually feel special. Definitely agree with your thoughts on Forbidden Door.

Maybe they agree with you though, since they have started building stuff up for Wrestle Dynasty that is taking place in a few months time. That's basically the Japan NJPW hosted Forbidden Door.

Speaking of New Japan, I just picked these up on sale. No idea if they're any good. Not seen the events before. Cody and Okada main event night 1. I think Omega is in the main event of night 2, although I can't remember who he faces (if I am even right).

[Raging Justice]

You know people have been talking nonstop about what AEW is doing wrong these days. I don't think anyone knows for sure, but I think there is one area where they consistently drop the ball in this company and I do think it's been doing a lot of damage to their product long term

AEW doesn't treat their titles seriously. How many times now have we seen someone win a title in AEW, and then quickly become an afterthought? It happens so frequently that I don't think it even surprises anyone anymore. Private Party feel like nobodies. Mariah May feels like a nobody. Jericho is the ROH champion and no one cares. Mox's title feels like an afterthought to this weird, ridiculous, faction versus everyone in AEW story line. Instead of building a feud between two guys for the title, they've been doing this story line that has a whole bunch of random wrestlers involved in it. Even Pac, Yuta, and Claudio's titles feel like they are taking a backseat to the all of us versus all of you story line.

Mercedes Mone is in a stupid, heatless, feud against someone who was a heel not long ago

The FTW title got retired cause no one gave a fuck about it.

Hardly anyone even remembers that Okada and Takeshita are holding titles at this point.

Jack Perry recently defended his title against Action Andretti Talk about a low bar for a TNT challenger

When champions in your company don't feel special, and their title reigns don't feel special, your company doesn't feel special.

AEW needs to make their champions feel like a big deal, and when they eventually lose their titles, they shouldn't fall down the card and just become nobodies.

Until AEW builds strong champions with strong title reigns featuring compelling feuds, nobody is going to tune in to watch and their attendance figures will keep dwindling. Titles are everything in pro wrestling. There is literally not a single champion in AEW that is currently standing out. In fact, they may have even shot themselves in the foot taking the world title off of Danielson so quickly

[Reprise]

Yeah, I agree. Actually I was just thinking the other day that with Mox's weird storyline, it feels like the company has no world champion. At least when MJF held the title you had someone who made it clear that the title meant everything to him. Even Samoa Joe as a transitional champion tried to elevate the company.

None of the championships feel important and none of the champions feel important. They all blend into the background.

Also, how many times are they going to redo this 'random heels' vs 'team AEW' faction storyline?

And storylines often just feel like distractions. They aren't compelling or interesting. They are instead designed to keep talent away from titles. Swerve lost the belt, arguably because Hangman was getting inside his head,vso he should want the belt back right? Nope, he needs to face Lashley apparently. MJF was arguably screwed out of the title by his former best friend. Does he want it back? Nope. He can barely even be arsed to destroy Cole, because he's involved in a convoluted plot that involves making Cole and Roderick Strong try to get 3 wins in a row to decide who he faces. Like... Why? So they can reveal Strong and MJF are actually working together or something?

In fact, does anyone in the company even want the world title? Ospreay doesn't (involved in a distraction storyline with the Callis family), Hangman doesn't, Samoa Joe didn't the second he lost it, Jay White doesn't. Obviously Orange doesn't, but I will let that slide as it is literally his character. Who are their main event talent in the title picture? They haven't built any.

[Raging Justice]

I hated when MIna was doing stuff like this with Storm and May, but Harley is too awesome and is honestly a better Toni Storm than Toni Storm

https://x.com/AEW/status/1856887386635989095

[Reprise]

They also put "over" talent into feuds with other talent that are, frankly, way beneath them and then they have intensive long competitive matches with them.

Ospreay is probably the most over guy in AEW judging from crowd reactions and reactions online and he's about to face Kyle Fletcher at Full Gear. I don't have a problem with Kyle and I get the story, but are we really going to have the guy that many fans think should have had a rocket strapped to him and who many fans think should already be world champion and have him no doubt go 20-30 minutes with Kyle Fletcher at Full Gear? I have nothing against Kyle Fletcher, but come on...

MJF will face Roderick Strong. He's a great guy, had phenomenal matches in ROH and NXT, but MJF should destroy him (Side note: I have no idea what the angle is here? Or where this story is going).

Takeshita should have squashed Adam Cole last night. I haven't actually watched Dynamite yet and, other than knowing Takeshita did win, I have no idea how the matched went, but I imagine they did the whole 'face comes close, heel does something heelish to pick up the win' angle, which Takeshita shouldn't really need to do to get a win over Cole.

Hell they could have played up Cole's injury if they wanted to 'protect' him.

[Reprise]

Mike Bailey's contract with TNA expired 1st November and he has been removed from their roster page.

I am sure if he's really gone from TNA then he will be snapped up somewhere very soon.

Perhaps WWE (likely NXT) or AEW? Or maybe TK would even want to bring him into ROH if the rumours are true that they are close to getting a television deal?

I don't know how much charisma or personality he has, but God I love to watch his matches. He really is fantastic in the ring.

Speaking of TNA, this is somewhat random, but I caught up with Slammiversary and watched Bound for Glory, and I think it is kind of ironic/interesting that their attendance is up and there has been renewed interest in the company since the WWE partnership and rebrand, yet the PPVs have really kind of nosedived in terms of quality this year. Maybe it's the loss of Scott, I don't know, but their events are not as good as the ones they held 2022 or 2023.

[Raging Justice]

If I brought Bailey into AEW, I would hype him up for several weeks prior to his debut with cool video packages. Commentary needs to put him over as an international star.

Then you have a main event match on one show, where Takeshita has an absolutely banger title defense against someone. Callis and the family get involved at some point, and start beating the guy down after the match, Callis gets the screw driver, then some badass music starts playing, they start looking towards the entrance ramp, Bailey comes out, they wait for him to come to the ring, Bailey then proceeds to beat the shit out of all of them except Takeshita who bails out of the ring. The show ends with Bailey standing triumphantly in the ring as the family is walking up the ramp looking pissed...except for Takeshita who is outside the ring glaring at Bailey and holding his title as the show ends.

Next week's Dynamite starts with Bailey in the ring cutting a promo

[Reprise]

Well sounds like he is AEW bound and starting his first feud with Takeshita would make sense, considering they just had a match recently.

Hope it goes well for him and AEW books him right.

[Raging Justice]

It's a shame to see great moments like this wasted on May's shitty title run

https://x.com/AEW/status/1857977612028555385

I hate Tony Kahn

https://x.com/TonyKhan/status/1857984056840818856

The best thing in the women's division:

https://x.com/AEW/status/1857621726449762707

They saved Britt Baker for literally the biggest fight in the show's history, and her character's dojo actually started it too. Oh, and they made her Russian too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCwUsrnQ1JM

[Reprise]

I hate Tony Kahn

https://x.com/TonyKhan/status/1857984056840818856

This was pretty funny imo, but that's me:



Otherwise I don't get why they keep pushing the fact they have Guns N Roses' November Rain as the theme as such a big deal. I get it, ECW did it, but concentrate on telling compelling stories and building heated feuds, because at this rate, Full Gear is going to be the third AEW PPV in a row I skip (side note: The video package they released is pretty cool though)