Jackpot

Opening segment was pretty much flawless, even Hangman nearly collapsing under the weight of Silver and Reynolds. And given that next week Dark Order are taking on the Bucks and Good Brothers, I think it's fairly likely that Hangman will end up involved somewhere in that match. Either turning completely heel and rejoining his old mates in Bullet Club or complete his transformation into the new leader of Dark Order. The hand gestures will be involved somewhere. Too Sweet into the Dark Order hand or the other way round.

Team Taz & Darby/Sting has gone on long enough now. Doesn't matter what Taz has done, Darby has ended victorious. It's becoming tiresome now. But at least we didn't get Taz saying "we're going extreme" and Tommy Dreamer or Sandman turns up to join Team Taz. The whole Darby Allin doesn't trust anybody thing has lost it's meaning now as he's walking around with Sting. And the TNT Title seems to be completely forgotten about altogether. But the impending street fight will no doubt give us another example of Darby willing to kill himself, Sting to save the day with his baseball bat like he was over twenty years ago and Team Taz to lose once again.

The segments involving the Bucks/Callis/Kenny were good enough. We all know the Bucks didn't really lay a finger on Callis though, he's just saying it to turn Kenny against them because god for fucking bid they actually turn the Bucks full on heel. It's been the same problem with them since AEW started really. They're not suited to being babyfaces. Turn heel and play to your strengths. Kenny has and he's showing why people considered him the best thing in the business for so long. The six man of Kenny, Gallows & Anderson against Mox, Pac and Fenix should be good and should be interesting to see the relationship between Mox & Pac more than anything.

Speaking of Mox, his post-match promo was every bit as good as we've come to expect from him now but his match with the caveman would have been more enjoyable if it wasn't against Mox. The caveman fella looked good and looked different to most of the AEW roster but he shouldn't be taking their longest-reigning champion to the wire like that. And in a similar vein, Cody's match with Avalon (can he get Roxy Music's song as his theme) was the same old shit we've seen from Cody for too long now. It also continued the pointless feud between himself and Cargill and we got told he's gonna respond to Shaq's comments just in case we had any hope that that part of the feud has gone away.

Kingston cut his least memorable moment on the mic to date. Then Lance Archer turned up. Then Jake. And that's another feud that just needs to end. The Butcher looked fucking boss though.

Sydal & Top Flight v Hardy & Private Party is something I could have done without. And they're turning Private Party heel just before their tag team match against the Good Brothers, that heel tag team from Impact. Please don't let this mean that Hardy is gonna be Kenny's next feud. The match was messy and a lot of the moves didn't hit at all (a theme for most of the night) but I think there's plenty of potential in both tag teams, they just need to tone down the offence. Take an extra second to perfect a move rather than going full throttle and making it look piss-poor. Private Party as a heel team could be fun. JR telling us all Matt Hardy is going to expand his "organisation" doesn't fill me joy though. I think this may have been the first episode that Hardy has been on that they didn't mention "his brother" though, so that's a start.

The Penelope/Leyla match was alright. Had the usual patronising from the commentary (something that they painfully do with Aubrey Edwards every time she referees a match as well - main event on last nights show another example) and the usual picture-in-picture for the majority of the match. But a decent enough match. The feud between Miro/Kip and Best Friends has dragged it's feet but at least it looks like it's reaching it's climax with the wedding in a fortnight. Miro was perfect as the bully after the match.

Inner Circle stuff was good, Sammy would get some of the biggest cheers of the night in full arenas. And I'm disappointed in the outcome of the match. For me Proud & Powerful should have won it to prove they are the tag team of the Inner Circle. That's what they declared themselves as last week and now look like dickheads because they aren't, even with the screwy finish. The match in general was ok, Jericho's death defying lionsault apart. Again there was one or two moves that got nowhere near the intended result but overall ok. Sammy was the standout. Hager did what he should be doing, which is kicking arse in small bursts. Santana and Ortiz were clearly the best tag team in the match but also clearly the least likely to win. And MJF steals another victory.

Overall not one of their best shows although the good bits were still very good, the majority of it felt like we'd already seen it.

"Should I spit or swallow Doctor?"

36 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

I was expecting a huge debut on every show, and we haven't had that

Apologies for selecting just the one snippet out of an excellent post but are there that many "huge" debuts to be had at the minute given where the wrestling world is in the grander world of reality. 

Even Sting, who has been their biggest surprise, is going to be known by the last four or five generations as that bloke from TNA who made an appearance or two in WWE. I was four when Nitro debuted and ten when it closed it's doors. So if you didn't get into wrestling until your teens then even as a 30 year old, Sting's run in WCW isn't anything you remember first hand. 

I think if anything they'd be better making their "own" stars (which as you said they have done) and rely on the celebrity appeal of a Snoop Dog or Shaq than debuting WWE's cast offs. I haven't watched WWE for ages so I don't know Miro from there but everybody seems disappointed with how he's gone in AEW. The likes of Sydal and Cardona aren't going to entice people in, probably less so if they remember their WWE runs. I think having Jericho on board early was a good move given his name value to wrestling fans but are there many other full-time wrestlers on WWE's books who'd get the world talking if they turned up on AEW? Or would it take a limited run from somebody like The Rock/Batista/Lesnar to create a real buzz?

Surely TNT will have some say in it as well.

I mean technically they're already going up against WWE with NXT because that's the slot TNT have given them. Maybe their big wigs are more clued up into thinking there's more money to be made out of a Wednesday night show than a Monday night show. Where they position the second show (if they go ahead with that) will be a better indication if they think they're ready to tackle WWE's main roster shows.

Do they move Dynamite from Wednesday to Monday like TNA did with Impact or do they keep their flagship show going up against NXT rather than Raw or SmackDown.

They'll probably have the Brodie Lee Memorial Tournament or something along those lines and have his kid hand over the trophy each year.

Alls they need to do now is invite AJ Styles/Devitt round as a fan and then "too sweet" with them in the audience to send the wrestling world into meltdown

I vaguely remember Ken Shamrock's sister turning up but I forgot she accompanied Goldust (along with the Blue Meanie) down to the ring at Mania

Currently on Pointless there's a team of Matt and Morgan

She got on Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 2002 and that's as good as it gets for anybody! 

Drew introduces her as Joanie Laurer, better known as Chyna from the WWF.

4 minutes ago, Tommy! said:

It was after Hebner left, must have been somewhere in post 2007 pre 2014.

It only lasted a few weeks, but I remember it as everyone doing it.

Wasn't it part of a storyline where one of the refs had missed the fact that whoever was world champion or challenging for the title had their shoulders off the mat when the three count was made in their PPV main event. So they brought this whole checking to see if the shoulders were down but it didn't actually go anywhere

I thought WWE copyrighted the "too sweet" gesture or have I got that arse above tit?

7 hours ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

Maybe it's just me but he looks like Billy Bragg there.

Heel Trish from 2003 and Bob from Blackadder II, who wrestles Edmund in the episode "Bells" therefore qualifies as a wrestler.

I haven't watched WWE for a number of years, though I don't think it's quite as long as it seems but I'll give it a go.

In the weeks leading up to the Rumble, new commissioner Ray Winstone is having problems with the Kliq. So he enters some of his co-stars from films to enter the Rumble.

Straight off the bat we have at number one, Jimmy Grimble

And while Jimmy is psyching himself up, thinking out loud "I'm Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon, I'm a terminator, I'm...I'm...I'm kacking my pants", he gets superkicked out the ring by special guest referee Shawn Michaels. Jimmy then goes to speak to his "manager" Eric Wirral and tells him "elimination Sir." to which Wirral replies "Great." only for Jimmy to explain "not us Sir, the ref!"

Number 20 into the Rumble is "The Quadrophenia Badass" Jimmy

Jimmy rides down to the ring on his lovely looking scooter to a completely empty ring except for the ref, Shawn Michaels. The two exchange some words along the lines of;

Jimmy: "I never realised."

HBK: "You never realised what?"

Jimmy: "Well you was a rocker."

Shawn then hits the second Sweet Chin Music of the night and eliminates the Mod.

Finally number 30 and it's the man himself - 4737 Carlin.

And after laying out "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel, Carlin proclaims himself as "The Daddy" before throwing Nash over the top rope.

He thinks he's won the Rumble but he too falls foul to the Sweet Chin Music and is eliminated by HBK, who claims he never was the ref but instead the first actual entrant and thus becoming the only man to win the Rumble twice from the number one spot.

It was a boss show from start to finish. It managed to incorporate an episode of Dynamite into a tribute show.

Kenny's title reign has got so long still left to run that by the time it's ready for Page to dethrone him, he'll probably be well done with the Dark Order anyway. 

Although, if Page is still pissing about with them in six-to-twelve months time and Kenny is still pissing about with Anderson & Gallows on TNA, could a blood and guts match take place between Page's Dark Order and Kenny's newly renamed Bullet Club with The Bucks joining him, Gallows and Anderson? And knowing AEW, it'll be just in time for Cody to return from paternity leave to be the deciding factor in the match.

I don't watch much telly other than the footy/cricket/snooker and Gary Neville, Peter Crouch, Rob Key, Jimmy White etc don't really top me bird's list of fellas she fancies. She's had a thing for Redknapp since we were kids on the Kop.

12 hours ago, RedRooster said:

Do you ever watch anything simply because a lead star is attractive? 

Countdown for about two or three minutes to see Rachel Riley's arse and the introduction of Dancing On Ice each week to see Holly's tits bursting out of her latest dress. And there'll be fellas up and down the country doing the same thing. And there'll be millions of birds tuning into Super Sunday to see how tight Jamie Redknapp's kecks are this week or A League Of Their Own to see if Jamie Redknapp's got his kit off on that episode. The producers of telly shows know that good looking people are gonna get more eyes onto their shows (even if just briefly) just because of their looks. It's an old adage that will stand true until the end of time - sex sells.

7 minutes ago, Nick James said:

You can't say you're talking about wrestlers who were at the top of WCW and then use both Goldust and Cody Rhodes as examples then scoff when Steve Austin is suggested. 

What about The Big Show? He was WCW champion, or does he not qualify?

I think the reference to Goldust and Cody was more a back up of the claim to bury Dusty, rather than saying Goldust and Cody were at the top of WCW. That's how I read it anyway.

Could the two biggest talking points of last week's episode come together as the ending?

A working relationship with Impact who talk their first Hall of Fame inductee, Sting round to joining Callis & Omega. Eventually leading to Kenny v Cody (who Sting betrays somewhere down the line)

I fully expect Kenny to win next week, the only doubt I have over it is would they end Moxley's run as champ on free telly? I know they're bigging it up as a slightly different Dynamite giving it a tag line of "Winter Is Coming" and all that but it's still just another Dynamite at the end of the day. I'm not sure if they'll hold Kenny off from being champ until Revolution in February of next year though.

Is the second telly show still in the works? 

I don't know if they'd go for an actual brand split at this time but they could make a second World Title for Cody to muck around with on the second telly show. Constantly talking about how he's put on extra muscle and how Cody feels it's time to play with the heavyweights, the AEW Heavyweight Title seems an obvious choice if they do want a second top prize. 

Failing that, the fact he said he wants to avenge his defeat to MJF (before the horrid segment that followed) seems like they'll go full circle and remove the stipulation during their second fight. The biggest issue there is how MJF has any care or power whether Cody can fight Mox/Omega for the World Title. 

Omega v Page was every bit as good as you'd expect it to be as a one-off match. Their actual "feud" though hasn't had any sort of meat behind it in my opinion. They were tag champs, then they weren't, Omega wanted to be a singles wrestler, Hangman thought they were still a team, and that was that. Other than a few snide remarks on commentary from Omega during Page's matches weeks ago, the interactions have been minimal. What happens now with Page will be interesting, while Kenny has a clear path to what he's doing next.

Cassidy and Silver was again every bit as good as you'd expect from two of the best comedic wrestlers they have. Unfortunately though, it's not going to be remembered by many after the actual event. Silver remains one of the best untapped talents they have and Cassidy continues to impress when he gets the chance. 

Cody and Allin was again a good one-off match but if you've watched most of Cody's defences of the TNT Title it was everything we've seen before only this time he eventually loses. He gets cocky, Arn gets a cob on, he shows signs of turning heel. Maybe this loss will eventually piss Arn off enough to berate Cody, who in turn lays Arn out and actually turns heel. And while I'm chuffed Cody lost, the prospect of Darby running with the TNT Title doesn't delight me. After a couple of weeks, his matches of being twatted for 95% of the match only to ultimately win as the underdog will become tiresome. The interactions between Starks and Cage over the TNT Title was more appealing. As is where Will Hobbs finally turning on Darby. 

Shida and Nyla Rose was every bit as bland as you'd expect given the lack of interest the company has in it's own division. Also when they do care about the division, it's normally how big and dominant Rose is only for her to lose. And then getting humiliated by Guerrero. Shida is good on the eye and is a good champion but with no backing from the company to make her or the division any more than that then she's got no chance of becoming anything more than that. And as much as they (and most on here) seem to love Britt Baker, I don't see her changing much for the women of AEW because every feud will be one sided as no other woman on the roster has a character.

Tag match would have been class if it wasn't billed as the two best tag teams in the world. The best tag team in the world going into the match was FTR because they had the belts yet they couldn't beat a team who had a man injured from the start. They couldn't beat a team who had a man so injured he couldn't even stand on his injured leg by the end of the match yet he wins by kicking the uninjured member of FTR with his bad foot. I just thought this match and entire run in AEW has been shit for FTR. They can't win without Tully, they can't beat a team who are carrying an injury, the whole "old-skool" gimmick is shit. I get the "no flips just fist" so they ultimately lose by doing a flip makes some sort of sense but it just seemed so fucking stupid at the same time. And going into the match the Young Bucks have been pricks to anyone and everyone yet they wrestle this match as the gutsy babyfaces who we're supposed to be behind. Shit feud with a shit ending. It seemed they were just desperate to get to this "dream match" that they didn't think anything had to make sense. 

Hardy and Sammy was the sort of shit these matches always are. Some funny spots, some shake your head in disbelief spots. Hurricane Helms and Gangrel turning up were nice little touches but up until that point did anybody know Gangrel trained Sammy? Also JR asking if Private Party would even know who Gangrel is when every match he brings up some old-time name that a lot of people aren't going to have heard of. Disappointed to see Sammy lose yet again. I'm guessing the storyline goes that he's out of action for a few weeks then comes back and feuds with Jericho. The angle being that Jericho didn't give a toss about him while he's out because he's got his new mate MJF. Proud and Powerful, who were at Sammy's side and not Jericho's also getting involved leading to a big six man between Sammy, Santana and Ortiz against MJF, Jericho and Wardlow/Hager. And whichever one of the muscle gets left out will cost Jericho & MJF the match.

Jericho and MJF was a good match with probably the best finish of the night. Whether they can continue to keep this storyline going in the right direction is the next question they have to overcome. Wardlow and Hager are obviously going to collide at some point. Wardlow has already shown very subtle signs of getting frustrated with MJF, especially during backstage interviews so he could possibly be turned face although I can't see them tarnishing the legit reputation that Hager is getting with his MMA record. 

Main event got nowhere the near level that the promos promised. I'm not complaining because of how hardcore it was, if anything it wasn't hardcore enough for what they'd said in the lead up. It was the same old spots we've seen for years, including during AEW's very short run as a company. We've seen barbed wire bats being used, we've seen pins being used, we've seen chairs. Considering Eddie said he'd die for the title, it didn't really take anything other than a usual hardcore match to beat him. And they really need to start building main event level stars to make it seem they deserve a title shot. Kingston got one because Archer had covid, Archer got one because he won a battle royal, Omega's got one because he's won a tournament. They're cop out ways to getting a number one contender. Actually build somebody strong and have them chase the title (that needs to happen throughout their championships as well because too often they use a tournament/battle royal to get a number one contender which just ruins any meaning they try and build with the ranking system)

Overall the show was enjoyable enough without any real surprise in the results. And like I've said most matches were good as stand alone matches but given the backstory to a few of them, they didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Could Fenix or Penta not throw in the towel for Kingston? Kingston has made it clear that it's Penta who is his best mate, so he could say he didn't want to see his best mate in the pain Moxley is undoubtedly going to put Eddie through. That could then set up a feud between Penta and Eddie. Or Fenix, feeling as if he's being overlooked by Eddie for his brother could do it. A returning to PAC to team up with one Lucha Bro to take on Eddie and the other. Basically a rehash of Jericho/Cody when MJF threw in the towel on Cody.

Eddie doesn't actually quit that way and has a ready made feud for him coming out of the world title. And Mox keeps the title, allowing him to go up against Omega.

Alternatively Mox quitting and putting over the submission move Eddie has him in but also saying I've already sold out, I've made my millions, I don't need to fight out of the most painful submission move I've ever experienced and I certainly don't need to prove anything to you fans. Turning him heel, leaving space for a new top babyface in Page to chase down the title. He can then feud with Cody (who hopefully drops the TNT Title) with Cody's responses to Mox being how he isn't in the business for the money/fame but for the fans and the love of the sport all the while Mox taunting him for his suits, his other ventures like that telly show, his flashy cars, this and that. Yeah Cody, you're in for the money just as much as I am.

This Thursday night we'll see Kenny be eliminated from the tournament because of Hangman. The ref will take a bump allowing Kingston and his cronies to come down and beat on Kenny only for Page to make the save because in Hangman's eyes he and Kenny are still mates. As he hits the buckshot lariat on Penta, the ref will recover in time to hit Kenny with the DQ loss.

Later on Page will defeat Wardlow, which in turn will have MJF get rid of Wardlow as his muscle saying the Inner Circle doesn't accept losers. Wardlow will then by default turn face and chase after MJF, who'll keep putting the Inner Circle between himself and his former heavy. 

The final of the tournament will have Kenny seeking revenge on Page and somehow costing him the match turning him full on heel and really kickstarting the feud between himself and Hangman. At the minute it's basically just Omega saying he doesn't want to team with Hangman anymore, this gives them an actual reason to feud. It also allows Penta to win the whole thing (without picking up a single pinfall victory), which continues the feud between Moxley and Kingston's Family for now.